The 40 Year-Old Virgin (2005)

“The 40 Year-Old Virgin” introduced us to the films of Judd Apatow, who would go on to make a string of hit comedies.  Andy, played by still Steve Carell, lives in this Studio City, California apartment, which still closely resembles how it appeared in the film.  The same building was used in the film “Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo.”

LOCATION: 12012 Moorpark St, Studio City, CA 91604

Andy works in this shopping plaza in Encino, California.

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LOCATION: 17401 Ventura Blvd, Encino, CA 91316

The house where Trish, played by Catherine Keener, lived could be found in North Hollywood.  Sadly, it has since been demolished.

LOCATION: 4433 Cartwright Ave, North Hollywood, CA 91602.

It (2017)

To promote the release of the film “It,” Warner Bros. built a a haunted house on the corner of Hollywood and Vine in Hollywood, California, in which visitors could go inside the Neibolt house, where actors and haunted house theatrics would do their best to scare you.

The real house seen in the film was also a creation of the production.  It was built in the town of Oshowa, Ontario, Canada, on the corner of Eulalie Ave and James St.

“The IT Experience: Neibolt House Hollywood” pop-up exhibition was on display for one month, during August and September, 2017.  It has since closed.  In 2019, the studio built a pop-up for “It Chapter Two” at the same location.

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Related articles: It Chapter Two (2019)

The Usual Suspects (1995)

The 1995 film “The Usual Suspects” was filmed mostly in Southern California, with a few scenes shot in New York City.

Keaton, played by Gabriel Byrne, needs to catch a flight from New York to California. At the Flatiron Building in Manhattan, he wants to tell his attorney girlfriend goodbye, but Verbal Kint, played by Kevin Spacey, pushes him to leave without doing so, as they are running late. The building has appeared in countless films, such as “Spider-Man,” “As Good As It Gets,” “I Am Legend” and many more.

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

The suspects meet up with Redfoot at the Korean Bell of Friendship in San Pedro, California.  Perched right in front of a spectacular ocean view, it’s a great place to visit, even if you’re not a fan of the film. The bell was given as a gift by South Korea to celebrate the U.S. bicentennial in 1978. It has also appeared in the films “It’s Pat: The Movie,” “Brink!” and the 2023 remake of “White Men Can’t Jump,” as well such TV shows as “Alias,” “Wonder Woman” and “Street Hawk.”

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LOCATION: 3601 Gaffey St, San Pedro, CA 90731

The flashback scenes of Keyser Söze’s Turkish home, where his family is attacked, were actually filmed at the McNally House in Altadena. The home has been featured in such films as “Elizabethtown,” “Beautiful Boy” and “Kingdom Come,” as well as such TV shows as “Entourage,” “Hacks,” “Ghost Whisperer” and more. The house is only seen from interior views in the film. The home was destroyed by wildfires in 2025.

LOCATION: 654 E Mariposa St, Altadena, CA 91001

The police station seen in the film is the San Pedro Municipal Building. The same building appeared in the film “C.H.U.D. II: Bud the Chud.”

LOCATION: 638 S Beacon St, San Pedro, CA 90731

Near the end of the film, after he posts bail, Verbal Kint walks down this sidewalk out front.

Dave Kujan, played by Chazz Palminteri, just misses a vehicle as it turns down W 6th St in San Pedro.

Lost Highway (1997)

David Lynch’s “Lost Highway” shot around Southern California, Death Valley and the Nevada desert. Early in the film, Fred and Renee, played by Bill Pullman and Patricia Arquette respectively, receive a mysterious video tape at their doorstep.  David Lynch used his own home as the location.

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LOCATION: 7035 Senalda Rd, Los Angeles, CA 90068

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Fred plays his saxophone at the Luna Lounge.  This was filmed at the Lankershim Arts Center in North Hollywood.

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LOCATION: 5108 Lankershim Blvd, North Hollywood, CA 91601

Fred ends up on death row for the murder of his wife.  The cell block wasn’t a prison at all, rather a creative re-purposing of a decommissioned fire station in downtown Los Angeles.  The same station was used for interior scenes for the original “Ghostbusters” firehouse, as well as “The Mask,” “Flatliners,” “Set It Off,” “Big Trouble In Little China” and more. Only the interiors were used in the film, but here is a view of the exterior.  Today, the surrounding area has become run down and it isn’t the safest of places.

LOCATION: 225 E 5th St, Los Angeles, CA 90013

After some mysterious events, Pete, played by Balthazar Getty, awakens in Fred’s jail cell.  Baffled by this phenomenon, the police decide to release him.  Pete returns to his home, located in Northridge.

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LOCATION: 16706 Citronia St, Northridge, CA 91343

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Pete’s girlfriend Sheila, played by Natasha Gregson Wagner, lives at this house, located just a few blocks away from Pete’s place.

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LOCATION: 9532 McLennan Ave, Northridge, CA 91343

Pete works as a mechanic at Arnie’s, which was filmed at the Firestone building in Los Angeles.  No longer in service, the building, built in 1937, is designated as an historical monument by the city.

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LOCATION: 800 South La Brea Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036

The place where Mr. Eddy becomes enraged at a tailgating driver requires a bit of effort if you want to visit the location. It was filmed on Mt Hollywood Dr, near the Griffith Observatory. Contrary to what is seen in the film, the road is actually completely inaccessible to the public by vehicle.  It is found along a fully paved road, but the road is gated off in all directions from motor vehicles.  Aside from park rangers, the road is primarily used by hikers and bicyclists.

The easiest way to visit is by parking at the Griffith Observatory.  The lot at the Observatory itself is almost always full.  You’re unlikely to find a spot in the actual lot.  However, you can park along East or West Observatory Road.  Unfortunately, these are now paid parking spaces and somewhat expensive.  There are a few free auxiliary lots, but those fill up quickly as well, plus they put you pretty far away from where you need to be to get to the location.  You shouldn’t have a difficult time finding a paid parking space on Observatory Road, unless you’re arriving at peak evening hours.  Your best bet is to arrive early.

The easiest way to spot the trail head to reach the location is to look for the tunnel when approaching Griffith Observatory.  Most traffic to reach the Observatory passes through it.  The tunnel was famously seen in Back To The Future Part 2, when Biff and Marty McFly (riding a hoverboard) fight over a sports almanac.  The very first road on your right, once you pass through the tunnel, is where you will need to hike.  It will either be gated off, or if the gates are open, a guard will be parked there, making sure no motorists attempt to drive up it.  The road is freely accessible to pedestrians on foot or bike, however, and you’ll likely see a lot of both.  You simply take that road for about 0.5 miles to reach the location. At least you can take photographs in relative safely here, without concern for traffic on the road.

LOCATION: Mt Hollywood Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90027 (GPS coordinates: 34.126026, -118.306921)

It is a moderate hike.  Much of it is uphill, but considering you can walk a paved road the entire way, as well as the fact that there are resting spots, it’s certainly manageable for most.  A bottle of water should suffice, unless it’s an extremely hot day.

If you want to get the most out of your money for paying for a parking space near Griffith Observatory, we recommend continuing along the same path to the location of the dance scene in “La La Land.” That location is another 1.5 miles up the same road.

After Alice meets Pete at the mechanic’s, the pair begin an affair.  Alice is waiting at the Palm Tree Inn in North Hills, calling down to him from the second floor to say that she already got them a room.

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LOCATION: 8424 Sepulveda Blvd, North Hills, CA 91343

Pete pulls up to this spot in the parking lot, where he talks to Alice.

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The cops watch from the parking lot as the two go into the hotel room.  The same motel has also been seen in the TV series “My Name Is Earl.”

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Near the end of the film, Fred arrives at the Lost Highway Hotel.  This was actually a composite of two separate buildings.  The exterior, seen below, is an abandoned building located at Death Valley Junction, near the California / Nevada border.  The same building was seen in the 1986 film “The Hitcher.”  The interior corridors were actually filmed across the street at the Amargosa Opera House and Hotel (608 Death Valley Jct, Death Valley, CA 92328).  This area is very much in the middle of nowhere.

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LOCATION: Near the intersection of State Line Rd / CA-127, Death Valley Junction, CA 92328 (nearest address is 608 CA-127, Death Valley Junction, CA 92328)

A deleted scene with Pete and Sheila was was filmed at the former Johnie’s Broiler in Downey.  Some footage can be seen in the film “Pretty as a Picture: The Art of David Lynch.” The restaurant has a unique history, having appeared in many other films, such as “Heat,” “Short Cuts,” “License To Drive,” “The Game,” “My Stepmother Is An Alien,” “What’s Love Got To Do With It,” “One Hour Photo” and many more.  In 2007, the building was demolished.  However, Bob’s Big Boy purchased the property years later and rebuilt it based on the original blueprints and even some of the same materials.  So what stands now closely resembles what was there before.

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LOCATION: 7447 Firestone Blvd, Downey, CA 90241

To see our “Lost Highway” location page, click here.

Related articles: Eraserhead (1977), Wild At Heart (1990), Mullholland Drive (2001), Twin Peaks

The Karate Kid (1984)

The 1980s classic “The Karate Kid” shot mostly around the San Fernando Valley in California.  Surprisingly, many of the film locations are not only still standing, but still closely resemble how they appear in the film.  The major exception is Mr. Miyagi’s house, which was torn down.

Daniel Larusso’s apartment still exists in Reseda, California.  The apartment looks identical to how it appeared in 1984.  However, the neighborhood it’s located in isn’t the safest of areas.

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LOCATION: 19223 Saticoy St, Reseda, CA 91335

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Daniel embarrassingly arrives in his mom’s run-down car to pick up Ali at her house for a date. This house has since been remodeled.

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LOCATION: 4072 Alonzo Ave, Encino, CA 91316

The two go on a date to Golf N’ Stuff, which is a real place and still open to visitors.  It’s located further south, down in Norwalk, California.

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LOCATION: 10555 Firestone Blvd, Norwalk, CA 90650

The location of the Cobra Kai dojo can be found in North Hollywood.  The same location was featured in the film “Say Anything…

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LOCATION: 5223 Lankershim Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 91601

A glimpse inside the dojo location.

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Related articles: The Karate Kid Part II (1986), Cobra Kai

Pulp Fiction (1994)

One of the most critically acclaimed films of the 1990s, Quentin Tarantino’s “Pulp Fiction,” was shot in Southern California. The restaurant that opens and closes the film was the Hawthorne Grill in Hawthorne, California.  Unfortunately, the restaurant closed in 1996 and is now an AutoZone.

LOCATION: 13763 Hawthorne Blvd, Hawthorne, CA 90250 (demolished)

Butch discusses throwing a boxing fight with Marsellus Wallace at Starz, a former strip club in Gardena. This location was identified by Rayen Belchere after he spoke with the former management, who confirmed the club was used in the film. The location is only seen from interior views in the film, but photography was not permitted inside and the club has since permanently closed. Here is what the exterior looked like.

LOCATION: 2528 Rosecrans Ave, Gardena, CA 90249

Vincent Vega takes Mia Wallace to the memorable “Jack Rabbit Slims,” which is not a real restaurant.  The interiors were built on a studio stage.  However, the exterior is in fact a real place, albeit not a restaurant.  Located in Glendale, California, the building was originally a bowling alley called Grand Central Bowl, which has long since closed.  Today, the building is owned by The Walt Disney Company, which owned Miramax, the company which released “Pulp Fiction.”  The building is part of Disney’s larger Grand Central Business Center, which consists of numerous buildings in the area used as business offices.  The building is actually tucked away behind a wall and fencing, but the wall is not very tall and it’s easy to get a view over top of it.  What is not so easily accomplished is getting a closer view of the building.  The property is only open to business staff, so the closest the public can get is the sidewalk.

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LOCATION: 1435 Flower St, Glendale, CA 91201

Vincent Vega pays a visit to his friend Lance, played by Eric Stoltz, early in the film, in order to purchase some heroin.  After Mia Wallace mistakes Vega’s heroin for cocaine, she overdoses and is rushed to this house in the Atwater Village neighborhood of Los Angeles, for a very tense scene in which they give her an adrenaline shot.

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LOCATION: 3519 La Clede Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90039

The building where Butch’s boxing match takes place can be found in Pasadena.  The marquee has since been changed.  The same building was also used in “This is Spinal Tap.”

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LOCATION: 129 N Raymond Ave, Pasadena, CA 91103

Later in the film, after Butch has double-crossed Marsellus Wallace, he sneaks back to his apartment, located in North Hollywood, to retrieve his gold watch. A different apartment, located at 11755 Gilmore St, North Hollywood, CA 91606, was used for the courtyard and interiors. Today, that building is no longer accessible to the public.

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LOCATION: 11813 Runnymede St, North Hollywood, CA 91605

After a violent confrontation at his apartment, Butch is leisurely driving away, when a chance encounter with Marsellus occurs at this intersection of Fletcher Dr. and Atwater Ave., also located in Atwater Village.  Butch is facing NW on Atwater Ave. when he spots Marsellus crossing Fletcher Dr.

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LOCATION: Intersection of Atwater Ave. / Fletcher Dr., Los Angeles, CA 90039

Butch quickly floors it and hits Marsellus, before getting in a car collision in the intersection.  Marsellus awakens and begins firing his gun at Butch, when a bystander is hit in front of Fosters Freeze, which is at the same intersection.  Forsters Freeze was also featured on the television show “GLOW.”

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LOCATION: 2760 Fletcher Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90039

Marsellus chases Butch on foot SW down Fletcher Dr. from the same intersection.

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LOCATION: Fletcher Dr., just past Atwater Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90039

Marsellus fires one last shot in the distance at Butch, who is standing at the corner of this building in Canoga Park.  This location is far away from the earlier shots in Atwater Villiage.  It is actually the corner alley next to the Zed’s Pawn Shop, in which both characters make a grave mistake in entering.

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LOCATION: The alley left of Crown Pawn Shop at 20933 Roscoe Blvd, Canoga Park, CA 91304

Zed’s Pawn Shop is where things take a bizarre, ugly turn for Butch and Marsellus.  The real building actually is a pawn shop.

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LOCATION: 20933 Roscoe Blvd, Canoga Park, CA 91304

The motel where Butch and Fabienne stay was demolished in 1996. Formerly known as the River Glen Motel, this building now stands in it’s place. Only the exteriors were used in the film. The interior of the motel was a set, albeit designed to resemble the River Glen Motel rooms.

LOCATION: 2934 Riverside Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90039 (now demolished)

What can be better lined up at the location is the view down Riverside Drive, seen as the couple leaves the motel on a chopper. Everything here still matches how it appeared in the film, with the Glendale-Hyperion Bridge visible in the distance. The same bridge was seen in the film “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?”

Near the end of the film, Jules and Vincent find themselves in “The Bonnie Indecent,” in which they are in sudden, urgent need of getting rid of a body.  They arrive here at Jimmy’s house, played by Quentin Tarantino.  It is here they meet “The Wolf,” played by Harvey Keitel.

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LOCATION: 4145 Kraft Ave, Studio City, CA 91604

The site of Monster Joe’s Truck and Tow can be found in Sun Valley. The area has changed some since filming took place.

LOCATION: 12143 Branford St, Sun Valley, CA 91352

To see our “Pulp Fiction” location page, click here.

Related articles: Reservoir Dogs (1992)Jackie Brown (1997), Kill Bill (2003), Death Proof (2007), Django Unchained (2012), Once Upon A Time In… Hollywood (2019)

Michael Jackson’s Thriller

Michael Jackson’s classic music video for “Thriller” was filmed around Los Angeles, California. The exterior of the theater where Michael watches watches a film can be found in Downtown Los Angeles.

LOCATION: 630 S Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90014

In the Angelino Heights neighborhood near Echo Park, you’ll find the house from the video.  The same home appeared in the film “Teen Witch.” Just a couple doors down is the house from “Charmed” (also seen in “Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo”) and across the street is the house from “Grandma’s Boy.”

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LOCATION: 1345 Carroll Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90026

The dance scenes in the street were filmed in Downtown Los Angeles. This area has since become heavily populated by the homeless.

LOCATION: Union Pacific Ave / Calzona St, Los Angeles, CA 90023