American Beauty (1999)

January 15, 2019March 1, 2026 / filmoblivion / Leave a comment

It is common practice in Hollywood to film exteriors of homes on location, while filming interiors on studio lots. For the 1999 Sam Mendes film, “American Beauty,” an unusual approach was taken to film the exteriors on a studio lot and the interiors in real locations.

Lester Burnham, played by Kevin Spacey, lived at this house, the exterior of which was located on the Warner Bros. Ranch in Burbank, California. The ranch was a small lot located apart from the main studio lot, and not open to public tours. The entire ranch was demolished in 2023, with sound stages taking over the space. The house was also well known for having been used as the Griswold home in 1989’s “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.” It also appeared in “WandaVision,” “Hocus Pocus,” “Small Soldiers,” “Pleasantville” and more.

LOCATION: 411 N Hollywood Way, Burbank, CA 91505 (demolished)

The interiors of Lester’s home were filmed at this house, located in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles. The exterior of the house was also featured in the TV series “Lizzie McGuire,” starring Hilary Duff.

LOCATION: 11388 Homedale St, Los Angeles, CA 90049

To the right of the Bernham house at the Warner Bros. Ranch was the exterior of the Colonel’s house. This house was most well known for being Danny Glover’s home in the “Lethal Weapon” films. Known as the Lindsay house, it also appeared in “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,” “WandaVision,” The Three Stooges serials, “Pushing Daisies,” “The Middle” and many more. This set has also since been demolished.

LOCATION: 411 N Hollywood Way, Burbank, CA 91505 (demolished)

The interior of the Colonel’s house was filmed at this home near Hancock Park. The same house appeared in the film “Lady Bird.”

LOCATION: 330 S Windsor Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90020

To the left of the Burnham house was the house of the two Jims, played by Scott Bakula and Sam Robards. To stand on Blondie Street at the Warner Bros Ranch, where all three of the house exteriors were located, it really felt like you’re standing in a real neighborhood. It’s only when you approach up close that the facades began to show. This set has likewise since been demolished.

LOCATION: 411 N Hollywood Way, Burbank, CA 91505 (demolished)

Carolyn, played by Annette Bening, hosts an open house at this home in Woodland Hills.

LOCATION: 22421 Collins St, Woodland Hills, CA 91367

Here is a wider view of the home.

Across the street is a home being sold by Buddy Kane, played by Peter Gallagher. The home is seen very briefly in the film.

LOCATION: 22430 Collins St, Woodland Hills, CA 91367

Lester takes a job at a fast food restaurant, where his wife unknowingly visits him at the drive through.

LOCATION: 20105 Saticoy St, Winnetka, CA 91306

Carolyn has an affair at the Top Hat Motel. The building can be found in North Hills.

LOCATION: 8525 Sepulveda Blvd, North Hills, CA 91343

Breakdown (1997)

January 14, 2019October 9, 2022 / filmoblivion / Leave a comment

Belle’s Diner from the 1997 Kurt Russell film “Breakdown” can be found in Palmdale, California, just past the outskirts of Lancaster. It’s located on 240th St E, between E Ave O and E Ave P. The same building also appeared as the sheriff station in the 1999 Melanie Griffith film “Crazy in Alabama.”

LOCATION: Approximately 40020 240th St E, Palmdale, CA 93591 (GPS coordinates: 34°36’35.1″N 117°42’06.0″W)

Superbad (2007)

January 10, 2019December 10, 2022 / filmoblivion / Leave a comment

The 2007 comedy “Superbad” shot all around Southern California, including the San Fernando Valley, El Segundo, Culver City and more. The high school scenes were filmed at El Segundo High School.

LOCATION: 640 Main St, El Segundo, CA 90245

Here is the front entrance of the school, also seen in the film. The same high school has been used in many films, including “WarGames,” “Role Models” and “The Babysitter.”

The “Good Shopper” supermarket where Seth, played by Jonah Hill, attempts to steal alcohol, only to back out after visions of being murdered, was filmed at Jon’s Market in Glendale.

LOCATION: 1717 W Glenoaks Blvd, Glendale, CA 91201

The liquor store where “McLovin” attempts to buy alcohol, only to wind up caught in the middle of a robbery, was filmed at a real liquor store, also located in Glendale. The scene where Seth gets hit by a car was also filmed in this same parking lot.

LOCATION: 1700 Victory Blvd, Glendale, CA 91201

The party house where Evan and Seth try yet again to steal alcohol can be found in Northridge. It’s located on the same street as the house from another Seth Rogen film, “Knocked Up.”

LOCATION: 17711 Community St, Northridge, CA 91325

Bailey’s Bar and Grill, where the cops take McLovin, was actually the Buggy Whip restaurant in Westchester. It was seen in several other films, including “Blow,” “The Doors” and “Date Night.” Unfortunately, the restaurant closed in 2013 and was demolished in 2017. It could be found at 7420 La Tijera Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90045.

Don’t Tell Mom The Babysitter’s Dead (1991)

January 8, 2019October 15, 2022 / filmoblivion / Leave a comment

The house from the 1991 Christina Applegate comedy “Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead” can be found in Santa Clarita, California. Some of the angles seen in the film were from the left side of the home by the driveway, but trees obscure the view from the street. Many scenes were also filmed inside the actual home, as well as at the pool in the back yard. The same house was used in the 1980s sitcom “Just The Ten Of Us.”

LOCATION: 15548 Iron Canyon Rd, Santa Clarita, CA 91387

Bird Box (2018)

December 27, 2018October 9, 2022 / filmoblivion / Leave a comment

The house where Malorie, played by Sandra Bullock, takes shelter with a group of strangers for much of the 2018 film “Bird Box” can be found in Monrovia, California.

LOCATION: 304 N Canyon Blvd, Monrovia, CA 91016

As Malorie and Jessica, played by Sarah Paulson, see chaos breaking out in the streets, they are driving down Main Street in La Puente. The same street was featured in the film “Halloween H20.”

LOCATION: 15824 Main St, La Puente, CA 91744

They continue driving down Main Street.

LOCATION: Main St / N 2nd St, La Puente, CA 91744

La Puente appears again later in the film as the group of survivors make their way to a grocery market.

LOCATION: 15900 Main St, La Puente, CA 91744

The market the group visits is Fields Market in Canoga Park. The store is a staple of film and television, appearing in such films as “Lady Bird,” “Matchstick Men” and “Birds Of Prey: And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn,” as well as such television shows as “Desperate Housewives,” “American Horror Story” and dozens more. It has also been seen in countless commercials and music videos. In the film, the group is seen entering from this side door.

LOCATION: 23221 Saticoy St, Canoga Park, CA 91304

Rebel Without A Cause (1955)

December 26, 2018November 10, 2022 / filmoblivion / Leave a comment

The memorable knife fight in the 1955 James Dean film, “Rebel Without a Cause,” was famously filmed at the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, California. The location is so synonymous with the film, there have been many other subsequent productions, directly inspired by “Rebel Without a Cause” to also shoot at the Observatory, including “La La Land” and Paula Abdul’s “Rush Rush” music video (featuring Keanu Reeves in the Dean role).

LOCATION: 2800 E Observatory Rd, Los Angeles, CA 90027

Here is the spot where the knife fight takes place, which is located on the back portion of the observatory.

There is even a statue of James Dean at the observatory, honoring his iconic performance.

Some of the interiors of “Dawson High” were filmed at John Marshall High School. A regular location in film and television, it has also appeared in such movies as “A Nightmare On Elm Street,” “Pretty In Pink,” “Can’t Hardly Wait,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Bachelor Party,” “Grosse Pointe Blank,” “Grease” and “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” as well as such TV shows as “Boy Meets World,” “Boston Public” and many more. It was even used in the Van Halen music video for “Hot For Teacher.” The exteriors were filmed at Santa Monica High School (601 Pico Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90405).

LOCATION: 3939 Tracy St, Los Angeles, CA 90027

Ocean’s Eleven (2001)

December 15, 2018February 24, 2026 / filmoblivion / Leave a comment

In the opening of Steven Soderbergh’s ensemble heist remake, “Ocean’s Eleven,” Danny Ocean, played by George Clooney, is released from prison. This scene was filmed at the East Jersey State Prison. A real prison, the location has appeared in numerous films, including “The Irishman,” “Malcolm X,” “Rounders,” “He Got Game,” “The Hurricane” and more.

LOCATION: 1100 Woodbridge Rd, Rahway, NJ 07065

Rusty, played by Brad Pitt, is first seen standing near the Capitol Records building, which can be seen in countless other films, including “Rush Hour,” “Once Upon A Time In… Hollywood,” “Get Him to the Greek,” “Nightcrawler,” “Calendar Girl,” “Freakier Friday” and many more.

LOCATION: 1750 Vine St, Los Angeles, CA 90028

Danny meets up with Rusty and the two drive to Musso & Frank Grill, the oldest restaurant in Hollywood, founded over 100 years ago. The two can be seen driving to the parking lot with a camera mounted on the back of the car. The interior pops up twice in the film. First when Danny lays out the plans for a Vegas heist to Rusty, then again when Danny questions if ten men is enough, or if they need one more. The restaurant has popped up in numerous films, including “Once Upon A Time In… Hollywood,” “Ed Wood,” “Blonde” and “Swingers,” as well as the TV shows “Mad Men” and “Bosch.”

LOCATION: 6667 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028

Frank C, played by Bernie Mac, is seen riding past the famous “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Sign” as he arrives in Vegas.

LOCATION: 5100 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV 89119

Rusty rescues Basher, played by Don Cheadle, at a bank in Downtown Los Angeles, across the street from where the opening scenes of “Speed” were filmed.

LOCATION: 601 W 5th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90071

The reverse view is also shown in the scene, looking out onto the intersection of S Grand Ave and W 5th St.

The gang plans a “pinch” to create a temporary blackout on the Las Vegas Strip. The scenes in which they steal the device to create the electromagnetic pulse were filmed at the Gillespie Neuroscience Research Facility on the UC Irvine campus in California.

LOCATION: 829 Health Sciences Rd, Irvine, CA 92617

The ending, with the gang all standing in front of the casino fountain, was filmed at the Bellagio in Las Vegas.

LOCATION: 3600 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109

Space Jam (1996)

December 12, 2018December 10, 2022 / filmoblivion / Leave a comment

The house where Michael Jordon lives in the 1996 film “Space Jam” can be found in South Pasadena, California. The same house was used in the films “Sky High” and the 2007 remake of “Halloween.” Located on a popular street for filming, the home sits directly next door to the house from “Liar Liar.”

LOCATION: 1002 Highland St, South Pasadena, CA 91030

MAS*H

December 1, 2018October 23, 2022 / filmoblivion / Leave a comment

The television series “M*A*S*H,” which ran from 1972 to 1983, is set in Korea, but the exteriors were filmed at the former 20th Century Fox Ranch in Agoura Hills, California. For decades the land hosted many productions, including the original “Planet of the Apes,” “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” and several “Tarzan” films. The Robert Altman film upon which the TV show is based likewise filmed exteriors here. The location was later sold and today is known as Malibu Creek State Park, which is open to the public and serves as a popular hiking destination. There are entrance fees to park at the trailheads, which vary depending on the length of your planned visit. The hike itself is about 4.75-miles round trip, on mostly flat terrain, although there’s at least one section that goes up a short incline. It’s a manageable hike for most, but depending on the weather, it can become more arduous on hotter days. Be sure to plan accordingly and bring a lot of water if you intend to visit. The trail running Craigs Rd will lead you directly to the “M*A*S*H” set. Only the exteriors filmed here, interiors shot on Stage 09 at Fox Studios in Century City.

LOCATION: Craigs Rd, Malibu Creek State Park, Agoura Hills, CA 91301 (GPS coordinates: 34°05’47.6″N, 118°44’41.2″W)

Here is a restored vehicle that is on display at the site.

Several widfires have come through the set over the years, leaving some of the other vehicles in very damaged and aged condition.

There are several signs around the area, noting the history of the show.

Zabriskie Point (1970)

November 28, 2018August 30, 2026 / filmoblivion / Leave a comment

Michelangelo Antonioni’s 1970 film “Zabriskie Point” was shot in Southern California and Arizona. Much of the early portions of the film were shot around Los Angeles. The character of Mark, played by Mark Frechette, is seen driving past this building, formerly located in the city of Vernon. The same building appeared in “Carrie” and the 1977 film “Angel City.” It has since been demolished.

LOCATION: 3049 E Vernon Ave, Vernon, CA 90058 (now demolished, formerly near the intersection of Bandini Blvd / S Soto St)

The film famously shot at the actual, titular location in Death Valley, California. Found near Furnace Creek, the film staged an orgy scene at the site. The location is also seen on the album cover to U2’s “The Joshua Tree” and philosopher Michel Foucault notably called his 1975 acid trip at Zabriskie Point the greatest experience of his life. The location also appeared in the film “Pharaoh’s Curse.”