The 2006 comedy “Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny,” starring Jack Black and Kyle Gass, was filmed in Southern California. The film opens at the childhood home of JB, played by Jack Black, supposedly located in Kickapoo, Missouri. The real home can be found in Los Angeles.
LOCATION: 6956 W 85th St, Los Angeles, CA 90045
The exterior of the club the band performs at is located in Long Beach. However, most of the shots of the back area seen in the film can no longer be lined up easily anymore, as the bar has since erected an outdoor seating canopy and surrounded it in fencing.
LOCATION: 2913 E Anaheim St, Long Beach, CA 90804
JB and KG, played by Kyle Gass, stop for food at the Halfway House Cafe in Santa Clarita. The same location has appeared in many productions, such as “Waitress,” “Top Gun: Maverick,” “Space Cowboys,” “The Twilight Zone: The Movie” and “Westworld.” The cafe also appeared in a famous commercial starring Cindy Crawford.
LOCATION: 15564 Sierra Hwy, Santa Clarita, CA 91390
The 1996 Jim Carrey comedy “The Cable Guy” was filmed in Southern California. The exterior of this building was used as the apartment of Steven Kovacs, played by Matthew Broderick. The same building has appeared in many films, including “Changeling,” “Twins,” “American Pie 2,” “Ouija,” “Oujia: Origin of Evil,” “Annabelle: Creation,” “The Ring 2,” “Puppet Master II,” “Truth or Dare,” “Where Sleeping Dogs Lie,” “Species III” and many more. It has also appeared in numerous TV shows, such as “Westworld,” “You,” “American Crime Story,” “Teen Wolf,” “Bosch: Legacy” and more.
LOCATION: 306 Loma Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90017
The memorable scene at Medieval Times, where Chip, played by Carrey, challenges Steven to a battle was filmed in Buena Park. It is a real establishment still in operation.
The 2001 Wes Anderson film “The Royal Tenenbaums” was filmed in New York. The Tenenbaum house can be found in the northern part of Manhattan, near Harlem.
The 2007 Farrelly Brothers comedy “The Heartbreak Kid” was filmed in both Northern and Southern California, as well as in Mexico. The opening shot of the film takes place on the Golden Gate bridge in San Francisco.
LOCATION: Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, CA
Eddie, played by Ben Stiller, has pie with Lila, played by Malin Akerman. The interiors were filmed at the former Quality Cafe in Downtown Los Angeles. The cafe was a one-time staple of films, appearing in “Seven,” “Training Day,” “Ghost World,” “Catch Me If You Can,” “Another Day In Paradise,” “(500) Days Of Summer” “Million Dollar Baby,” “The Rules Of Attraction,” “What’s Love Got To Do With It” and dozens more. However, it was not an actual restaurant open to the public. Instead it was used solely for filming (much like Johnie’s Coffee Shop in mid-town L.A.). Unless the building was being set up for a production, most of the time it was closed up and locked by a large metal door covering the front windows. So catching a glimpse of it was rare. Sadly, it ceased to function as a filming location and was completely renovated in 2014. The interior of the property no longer bears any resemblance inside to how it appeared in so many films.
LOCATION: 1238 W 7th St, Los Angeles, CA 90017 (since closed and remodeled)
Late in the film, Eddie sneaks back into the United States from Mexico, in search of Miranda, played by Michelle Monaghan. He visits her parents’ house, supposedly located in Mississippi. The real home can be found in Pasadena.
LOCATION: 1480 N Michigan Ave, Pasadena, CA 91104
Eddie then finds Miranda’s house, also supposedly located in Mississippi but actually found in Pasadena.
LOCATION: 939 N Hill Ave, Pasadena, CA 91104
The filming angles were clearly chosen as to avoid showing the mountains and palm trees in the distance.
The opening of the 1998 comedy “There’s Something About Mary” famously begins with a guitarist and drummer sitting in a tree, singing the opening theme. The tree, supposedly located in front of a high school in Rhode Island, can actually be found in Plantation, Florida. The tree remains alive and well in front of the Plantation City Hall, albeit with a few less branches.
LOCATION: 400 NW 73rd Ave, Plantation, FL 33317
The branch the drummer sat on has since been removed, but the lowest, curved branch on the left of the foreground tree is the one the singer sat on.
At the conclusion of the song, the camera then pans down to a young Ted, played by Ben Stiller. He stands in this grass immediately to the right of the tree. The same area is where Mary, played by Cameron Diaz, meets Ted after he breaks up a confrontation between Mary’s brother Warren and an angry jock.
The high school itself is no school at all, rather the aforementioned Plantation City Hall.
LOCATION: 400 NW 73rd Ave, Plantation, FL 33317
Mary’s house can be found south of Miami in the town of Coral Gables. The house and yard have since changed a bit. Some of those changes include doorways and a different railing added on the second level, as well as the front yard converted into a large driveway with a gate.
There’s now a wall along the front of the property, but it’s not difficult to see over.
After a humiliating zipper accident on the day of the prom, Ted loses touch with Mary. Now well into adulthood, Ted still can’t get her off his mind and decides to travel to Florida to try to find her. Joined by his friend Dom, played by Chris Elliott, the two track Mary down at her Miami workplace. The two hide behind this art sculpture and Dom shouts Mary’s name, forcing Ted to approach and talk to her.
LOCATION: 701 Brickell Ave, Miami, FL 33131
Here is the full sculpture Ted hides behind.
Mary stands on these stairs with her brother Warren. The address is Brickell Ave, but you have to go to the back side of the building along the water to find the areas seen in the film.
Ted successfully scores a date with Mary and gets a room at the Cardoza Hotel in Miami Beach. This is where the infamous hair gel scene takes place.
LOCATION: 1300 Ocean Dr, Miami Beach, FL 33139
Mary’s apartment, one of the key locations of the film, has unfortunately since been demolished, with high rise condos now in it’s place. It was formerly located at 2066 N Bayshore Dr, Miami, FL 33137. However, in the closing scenes of the film, the two stand on the street in front of her apartment, facing the water. This area remains similar to how it appeared in the film.
LOCATION: NE 20th Terrace / N Bayshore Dr, Miami, FL 33137
White Goodman, played by Ben Stiller in “Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story” runs “Globo Gym,” where he heads up the “Purple Cobras” dodgeball team. The lobby of the former Nikken Building in Irvine, California, now known as the Masimo Building, served as the location of “Globo Gym.” The same building has been used in many other productions, including “Iron Man,” “You, Me And Dupree” and “All About Steve.”
Film Oblivion 