Kenneth Anger House

August 4, 2018December 22, 2022 / filmoblivion

Perched across the corner from Alamo Square Park is the infamous Kenneth Anger house, also known as the Westerfeld House. First built in 1889, the house managed to survive a 1905 earthquake. In 1928, a group of Czarist Russians purchased the home and turned part of it into a brothel. The house became nicknamed by locals as the “Russian Embassy,” or simply, “The Embassy.” In the 1950s, with the rise of the beatniks, the house became occupied by many jazz musicians. It is said that everyone from Allen Ginsberg to the Grateful Dead visited the house.

By the mid-1960s, the area had fallen into decline and in 1966, the house was rented to filmmaker Kenneth Anger. Although his stay was brief, lasting only until 1967, the house took on a new level of infamy during this period. Anger filmed portions of his short film, “Invocation of My Demon Brother” at the house, which featured Anton LaVey and Bobby Beausoleil, with music by Mick Jagger. Anger also claims to have sighted UFOs from the tower of the house.

A documentary about the history of the home is even in the works, known as “Westerfeld House of Legends.”

LOCATION: 1198 Fulton St, San Francisco, CA 94117

Beausoleil, who not long after would become involved in one of the Manson Family murders, posed for a famous photo on the front stairs of the building. On decidedly less of a counter-culture note, the house sits adjacent to San Francisco’s famous “Painted Ladies,” which readers might recognize from the TV series “Full House.” The creator of “Full House,” Jeff Franklin, later moved onto the property where the Manson Family murders took place.

In 2014, Kenneth Anger himself made a rare public appearance at the Ace Theater in downtown Los Angeles, which was hosting a collection of his films. It was scheduled to feature the first ever public screening of Jimmy Page’s unused film score to Anger’s “Lucifier Rising” (Page’s score was rejected in favor of one by Bobby Beausoleil, who composed the music from prison while serving out his murder sentence). The screening featuring Page’s score was cancelled, however, reportedly due to legal threats. Here is a photo of Anger, who briefly spoke at the event.

Lastly, we leave you with Kenneth Anger’s signature and hand prints, which can be found in front of the Vista Theater, one of L.A.’s best vintage theaters.

LOCATION: Vista Theater, 4473 Sunset Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90027

Herbie: Fully Loaded (2005)

July 29, 2018October 20, 2022 / filmoblivion / Leave a comment

The Peyton house from the 2005 remake “Herbie: Fully Loaded,” starring Lindsday Lohan, can be found in South Pasadena, California.

LOCATION: 1120 Buena Vista St, South Pasadena, CA 91030

The iconic Herbie, the Love Bug was also revived for the film. One of several 1963 Volkswagen Beetles built for the production, this particular model was seen being driven by Lindsay Lohan during the racing sequences. The car can be found at the Peterson Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, California.

LOCATION: Peterson Automotive Museum, 6060 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036

The Master (2012)

July 24, 2018July 24, 2026 / filmoblivion / Leave a comment

Paul Thomas Anderson’s 2012 film “The Master” was shot primarily around Northern California, with a few scenes also being filmed in Southern California, Hawaii and Nevada. Early in the film, Freddie Quell, played by Joaquin Phoenix, is seen serving in the military, stationed somewhere in Hawaii. These scenes were filmed at Papa‘Iloa Beach on the North Shore of Oahu, as identified by Reel News Hawaii.

LOCATION: Papa‘Iloa Beach, Haleiwa, HI 96712

Here is another photo of the same location, kindly provided to us by Christian Hernandez at Boogie Sights.

Freddie is seen working aboard a Navy vessel. These interior scenes were filmed aboard the USS Hornet in Alameda. Public tours are available for those interested. There is actually an exterior shot of the aircraft carrier, but only in the “Back Beyond” deleted scenes and outtakes feature. These photos of the USS Hornet were also provided to us by Christian Hernandez at Boogie Sights.

LOCATION: USS Hornet – Sea, Air and Space Museum, 707 W Hornet Ave, Alameda, CA 94501

Freddie meets Lancaster Dodd, played by Philip Seymour Hoffman, as he sneaks aboard Dodd’s yacht as a stowaway. That yacht is the USS Potomac, which is docked in Oakland, California. The boat is most famous for having once belonged to former U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

LOCATION: 540 Water St, Oakland, CA 94607

A view of the back of the yacht. The production added a canopy to the upper deck, where guests were seen dancing when Freddie first approaches.

Another, wider view of the USS Potomac, where it regularly docks.

There are tours available inside the USS Potomac, where you can see additional interiors featured in the film. This area is where Lancaster delivers a speech after his daughter’s wedding. While the majority of the tour is focused on Franklin Roosevelt and the history of the yacht, they do mention this film.

This bar area, which is only seen briefly in the background of a couple shots, was added by the production. The association which owns the yacht liked it and decided to keep it after the production ended.

Freddie is seen visiting his sweetheart, Doris, at this house in Crockett, California. The house has since received a paint job.

LOCATION: 619 Winslow St, Crockett, CA 94525

A full view of the home, though it is never seen from this angle in the film. It sits perched on a steep hilltop of a very narrow, one way road overlooking a lake.

Freddie and Doris sit on this park bench. These park shots are provided courtesy of Christian Hernandez at Boogie Sights, who also identified the location. It can be found almost directly across the street from the Lancaster Dodd house, past the concrete structures and to the left. We’ve provided GPS coordinates below.

LOCATION: Alden Park, 8th St, Vallejo, CA 94592 (GPS coordinates: 38°05’51.6″N, 122°16’15.4″W)

Supposedly located in Philadelphia, the home of Helen Sullivan, played by Luara Dern, can found on Mare Island in Vallejo, California. The property, known as the Captain’s Mansion, is a former event space and can be a bit tricky to find. The first challenge is that many houses spanning several blocks on this street look almost identical and are used for similar purposes. There are subtle differences from house to house, however, be it minor architectural variations, trees and shrubs, views in the background, etc. To located this house, make sure you arrive at the intersection of Walnut Ave and 8th St on Mare Island and you’ll see the house, which has the number “822” on the front steps.

LOCATION: 1075 Walnut Ave, Vallejo, CA 94592 (near Walnut Ave and 8th St, GPS coordinates: 38°05’49.9″N, 122°16’18.2″W)

The theater where Freddy and Clark, played by Rami Malek, hand out flyers in front of the ticket booth is the Los Angeles Theatre (615 S Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90014) in Downtown L.A.

The Causes’s first congress, celebrating the release of Lancaster Dodd’s second book, was supposedly located in Phoenix, Arizona. The building is actually located in Norwalk, California. The same street has appeared in many films, such as “Another Day In Paradise” and “Frailty.” In some of the teaser trailers, alternate shots can be seen of some of the buildings across the street.

LOCATION: 12124 Front St, Norwalk, CA 90650

Fantasy Island

July 19, 2018August 20, 2023 / filmoblivion / 3 Comments

The famous cottage featured in the intro to the 1970s television series “Fantasy Island,” while set on a fictional island somewhere in the Pacific Ocean, can actually be found in Arcadia, California. Ricardo Montalban walks down the front steps, while Hervé Villechaize famously rings from the bell tower. The house is known as the Queen Anne Cottage and can be found inside the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden. While the house is perched beside a lake, it’s nowhere near any island. The same property was featured in the film “Meet the Fockers.”

LOCATION: 301 N Baldwin Ave, Arcadia, CA 91007

A closer look at the bell tower, where Tatoo famously shouted, “The plane! The plane!”

Laverne & Shirley

July 16, 2018December 21, 2022 / filmoblivion / Leave a comment

The apartment from the 1970s sitcom “Laverne & Shirley,” where the two women dance and say “Schlemiel! Schlimazel! Hasenpfeffer Incorporated!” in the opening credits, is actually a set on the Paramount Studios backlot. Even all these years later, the set still strongly resembles how it appeared on the show.

LOCATION: 5555 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90038

Over at Planet Hollywood in Florida, you can find one of the dresses worn by Penny Marshall as Laverne on display.

LOCATION: 1506 E Buena Vista Dr, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830

Liar Liar (1997)

July 12, 2018February 21, 2025 / filmoblivion / Leave a comment

The house from the 1997 Jim Carrey film “Liar Liar” can be found in South Pasadena, California. It’s actually located right next door to the house from “Space Jam.” It’s also on the same street as a scene in the original “Halloween” film, where Laurie and Lynda are walking home from school and being followed by a strange figure in a car.

LOCATION: 1004 Highland St, South Pasadena, CA 91030

Fletcher Reede, played by Jim Carrey, has a court case as the Los Angeles City Hall. The iconic building has been featured in endless films, such as “L.A. Confidential,” “Ray,” “The Nice Guys,” “Fracture,” “Gangster Squad,” “Impulse,” “Blind Rage,” “Big Man on Campus” and “L.A. Bounty,” as well as such TV series as “American Crime Story.”

LOCATION: 200 N Spring St, Los Angeles, CA 90012

Boyz N The Hood (1991)

July 6, 2018January 24, 2024 / filmoblivion / Leave a comment

The house where Furious Styles, played by Laurence Fishburne, and his son Tre, played by Cuba Gooding Jr., live in the 1991 film “Boyz N The Hood” can be found in Los Angeles, California. The same home appears in the spoof film “Don’t Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood.”

LOCATION: 5918 Cimarron St, Los Angeles, CA 90047

(500) Days Of Summer (2009)

June 30, 2018March 12, 2025 / filmoblivion / Leave a comment

Marc Webb’s 2009 romantic comedy “(500) Days of Summer” was filmed all around Southern California. Summer, played by Zooey Deschanel, lives at this apartment, known as The Barclay. The same building was featured in another Zooey Deschanel film, “Yes Man,” co-starring Jim Carrey, who is seen talking a suicidal jumper off a ledge around the corner from this entrance.

LOCATION: 706 Normandie Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90005

Tom, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, is seen walking along Normandie Ave in front of Summer’s apartment. The filmmakers actually composited a skyline view of downtown L.A. into the horizon, which is not actually visible from the street.

Tom and Summer break up at the former Quality Cafe in Downtown Los Angeles. The diner was a one-time staple of films, appearing in “Seven,” “Training Day,” “Ghost World,” “Catch Me If You Can,” “Another Day In Paradise,” “Million Dollar Baby,” “The Rules Of Attraction,” “What’s Love Got To Do With It,” “The Heartbreak Kid” and dozens more. However, it was not an actual restaurant open to the public. Instead it was used solely for filming. 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 (now closed and remodeled)

Tom and Summer rent an adult movie from this building in Downtown Los Angeles. The same building was used as the bank in “Spider-Man 3” and “Killing Zoe.”

LOCATION: 401 S Main St, Los Angeles, CA 90013

The fountain where Tom begins to dance is the Arthur J. Will Memorial Fountain in Grand Park in Downtown L.A. The same fountain was seen in “Pretty Woman.”

LOCATION: Arthur J. Will Memorial Fountain, Los Angeles, CA 90012

The bench where the couple sits and looks over the city is another sad story of a film location soon to be lost. The bench was located in a small park area once known as Angels Knoll in Los Angeles, California, now called Angels Landing. Located directly beside Angels Flight from “La La Land,” the bench attracted many visitors after the release of the film, who enjoyed recreating the famous shot.

Sadly in 2013, the City of Los Angeles permanently closed the park, blocking it off with fencing and no trespassing signs. Many years passed while the area sat unused and inaccessible to the public. During this time, the Angels Flight was thankfully restored at put back into operation, so film lovers can at least rejoice that fact. The fate of the “500 Days” bench and the Angels Knoll park in general was less optimistic, however. While the area can still be seen, either through the fencing, or from the restaurant area overlooking the park, it is no longer possible to get an up close shot like seen in the film.

Plans have since been announced for a high rise to be built in place of the park, but for now, the area still remains vacant and fenced off. There was even a plaque on the bench commemorating the film, which read “Tom’s favorite place becomes one of Summer’s too.” While the bench is still there (for now), the plaque has been removed.

LOCATION: 356 S Olive St, Los Angeles, CA 90013 (since closed)

Tom points out the architecture that can be found around the city, such as the Eastern Columbia Building. The same building has appeared in the films “Predator 2,” “Ghost Dad,” “I Wanna Hold Your Hand,” “The Last Hour” and more.

LOCATION: 849 S Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90014

Tom’s apartment can be found in Downtown Los Angeles.

LOCATION: 432 S Main St, Los Angeles, CA 90013

Rachel, played by Chloë Grace Moretz, lives at this house in the Eagle Rock neighborhood of Los Angeles, seen briefly in the film. It sits directly next door to the house of Dave Chappelle’s character in “A Star Is Born.”

LOCATION: 5231 Shearin Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90041

Tom attends Millie’s wedding at the Point Fermin Lighthouse in San Pedro. The same lighthouse can be seen in the film “Freeway,” as well as the TV shows “MacGyver” and “Amazing Stories.” It is also located near the Korean Bell of Friendship from “The Usual Suspects.”

LOCATION: 807 W Paseo Del Mar, San Pedro, CA 90731

Near the end of the film, Tom has an interview at the Bradbury Building in Downtown L.A., famous of course for it’s use in “Blade Runner.”

LOCATION: 304 S Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90013

Down And Out In Beverly Hills (1986)

June 27, 2018October 15, 2022 / filmoblivion / Leave a comment

In the 1986 Nick Nolte film “Down and Out in Beverly Hills,” the life of a wealthy Beverly Hills family is turned upside down by the arrival of a homeless man. In the film, the house is clearly visible from the road. That is not the case today, as it is now surrounded by plants and trees, making it difficult to get a clear view. Other than that, however, the house still closely resembles how it appeared in the film. The home really is located in Beverly Hills, which is somewhat rare, due to the high cost of filming in the exclusive neighborhood, which causes most productions to find more affordable areas to stand in instead.

LOCATION: 802 N Bedford Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210

Spider-Man (2002)

June 24, 2018December 22, 2023 / filmoblivion / Leave a comment

In Sam Raimi’s original 2002 “Spider-Man” film, Peter Parker, played by Tobey Maguire, works at the Daily Bugle as a freelance photographer who has an uncanny ability to capture photos of Spider-Man. Famous for it’s triangular shape, the Flatiron Building in Manhattan is one of the more iconic skyscrapers in New York City. The building has appeared in countless films, such as “The Usual Suspects,” “As Good As It Gets,” “I Am Legend” and many more.

LOCATION: 175 5th Ave, New York, NY 10010

Norman Osborn’s Manhattan rooftop home isn’t in Manhattan, or New York at all. It’s the Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills, California.

LOCATION: Greystone Mansion, 905 Loma Vista Dr., Beverly Hills, CA 90210

The scene where Mary Jane Watson, played by Kirsten Dunst, kisses an upside down Spider-Man in the rain wasn’t filmed in New York City either. It was filmed on the Warner Bros. Lot in Burbank, California. Designed to look like New York alley, this facade can be seen as part of their studio tour.

LOCATION: 4000 Warner Blvd., Burbank, CA 91505

The bike Peter rides in the film can be found on display at Sony Pictures Studio.

LOCATION: 10202 W Washington Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232

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