Film Locations

Seven (1995)

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David Fincher’s 1995 thriller “Seven” filmed primarily in downtown Los Angeles, against muted color tones and an onslaught of rain towers.  Detective Mills, played by Brad Pitt, first meets Detective Somerset, played by Morgan Freeman, at a murder scene in the Flower District of downtown.  As they exit the building, Somerset invites Mills for a drink, but is promptly declined.  The two walk along the building as they continue talking.

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LOCATION: 746 1/2 San Pedro St, Los Angeles, CA 90014

The pair are introduced to the seven deadly sin killings with the “Gluttony” murder scene, filmed in the Westlake neighborhood of Los Angeles.

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LOCATION: 720 Beacon Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90017

They make their way across a then-vacant lot, along the side of the property to a rear entrance.

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Somerset researches the seven deadly sins at the city library.  This was filmed at the A.G. Bartlett Building in downtown Los Angeles.  The building is currently used for a variety of businesses and lofts.  The property has been seen in countless other films, including “They Live” “The Mask,” “The Wedding Singer,” “L.A. Story,” “The Prestige,” “Ghost,” “Bridesmaids,” “13 Going On 30” and many more.  This area cannot normally be accessed by pedestrians.  However, portions are visible from the street in a couple areas through the windows.

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LOCATION: 650 S Spring St, Los Angeles, CA 90014

Mills runs across the street in the rain to his car, parked across from this ramp to the Millennium Biltmore Hotel on S Grand Ave.  Lady Gaga walks up the same ramp in the opening of “A Star Is Born” and it can also be seen from the opposite view on S Olive St in the film “Chinatown.”

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LOCATION: 530 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90071

After the “greed” crime, Mills and Somerset speak with Mrs. Gould at the at the former Ambassador Hotel, where she notices a painting is upside down in one of the crime scene photos. The hotel was a staple of film and television, appearing in such films as “The Graduate,” “Forrest Gump,” “True Romance,” “Bobby,” “True Lies,” “L.A. Story,” “Catch Me If You Can,” “The Mask,” “Calendar Girl” and dozens more. The hotel has since been demolished, with only this post and statue from the original building remaining.

LOCATION: 3400 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90010 (now demolished)

Thinking they’ve located the killer, the police raid leads instead to the discovery of the “Sloth” victim at the former Pan American Building, now known as the Pan American Lofts.  The building had a distinctive “Giant Penny Store” sign along the bottom, which is now gone.  However, much of the architecture otherwise remains the same.  The shots seen in the film are actually from the side of the building on W 3rd St.

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LOCATION: 253 S Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90012

Tracy asks Somerset to meet her at a diner, which was the former Quality Cafe in downtown.  The diner was a one-time staple of films, appearing in “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,” “The Heartbreak Kid” and many 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)

Later in the film, Somerset emerges from this doorway of the Chester Williams Building.

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LOCATION: 215 W 5th St, Los Angeles, CA 90013

The fictitious Wild Bill’s Leather could be found on E 6th St in downtown Los Angeles, next to the Nite Owl from “L.A. Confidential” and across the street from where Forrest and Lieutenant Dan celebrate New Year’s in “Forrest Gump.”

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LOCATION: 123 E 6th St, Los Angeles, CA 90013

The police station was a composite of a few different buildings, but the exterior can be found on Mateo St.

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LOCATION: 673 Mateo St, Los Angeles, CA 90021

The film’s infamous ending was shot in Lancaster.  While there are quite a few electrical towers out there, it’s not as dense as what’s seen in the film, indicating some use of visual effects.

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LOCATION: 10482 W Ave I, Lancaster, CA 93536

Related articles: The Game (1997), Fight Club (1999), Panic Room (2002), Zodiac (2007), The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button (2008), The Social Network (2010), Mindhunter, Mank (2020)

Casino (1995)

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Much of the 1995 Martin Scorsese film “Casino” was filmed in Las Vegas, Nevada, as you might imagine.  The house where Ace, played by Robert De Niro, lives can be found in the Paradise Palms neighborhood.  A real casino owner did at one time live in the home and once was even targeted for attack by a car bomb.  However, it is not the same man De Niro’s character is based on in the film.  Former rap mogul Suge Knight is also said to have owned the house at one time.

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LOCATION: 3515 Cochise Ln, Las Vegas, NV 89169

Related articles: Raging Bull (1980), Goodfellas (1990), The Departed (2006), The Wolf Of Wall Street (2013), The Irishman (2019)

In The Heat Of The Night

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The Sparta Police Station from the television series “In the Heat of the Night” can be found in Covington, Georgia.  The building is located next to the Covington town square, sometimes referred to as the “Hollywood of the South,” where countless other productions have been shot, including “The Dukes of Hazzard,” “Cannonball Run,” Rob Zombie’s “Halloween II” and many more.  This same building was also used as the Forest Green County Sheriff Department in “Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives.”

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LOCATION: 1174 Monticello St SW, Covington, GA 30014

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Here is a paver for the show.  Covington places these in the sidewalks as their version of a walk of fame, celebrating the shows and stars who have filmed there.  There are also pavers for actors Carrol O’Connor and Alan Autry from the show.

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This Is 40 (2012)

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In the 2012 comedy “This Is 40,” a spin-off of “Knocked Up,” the story follows the life of a married couple, Pete and Debbie, played by Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann.  The same house was used for the couple in both films and can be found in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California.  The property is gated, with a long wall running along the front, so visibility is difficult.  From the right angle, however, it can still be seen.

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LOCATION: 531 N Bristol Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90049

Unfiltered Records, the record label where Pete works, can be found in Venice.  It’s just a couple doors down from the bar in “Bad Santa.”

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LOCATION: 1118 Abbot Kinney Blvd, Venice, CA 90291

Pete’s father Larry, played by Albert Brooks, lives at this Studio City home.

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LOCATION: 12718 Valley Spring Ln, Studio City, CA 91604

Related articles: Knocked Up (2007)

Ghost Dad (1990)

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The house from the 1990 Bill Cosby comedy “Ghost Dad” can be found in South Pasadena, California.  Located on Bushnell Ave, the road is famous for many iconic movie homes, from such films as “Back To The Future” and “Teen Wolf.”

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LOCATION: 1621 Bushnell Ave, South Pasadena, CA 91030

Elliot works at the Eastern Columbia Building in Downtown Los Angeles. The same building has appeared in the films “Predator 2,” “(500) Days Of Summer,” “I Wanna Hold Your Hand,” “The Last Hour” and more.

LOCATION: 849 S Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90014

Elliot rides in a taxi cab than nearly crashes into a train in Port Hueneme, California, about 60 miles northwest of Los Angeles. The same intersection and train tracks also appear in the film “Back To The Future Part III.”

LOCATION: S Ventura Rd / Shoreview Dr, Port Hueneme, CA 93041

To see our “Ghost Dad” location page, click here.

Magic Mike (2012)

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The 2012 Steven Soderbergh film “Magic Mike” depicts the behind the scenes life of a stripper played by Channing Tatum, loosely based on the actor’s own experiences in the world of male stripping.

The film was shot mostly in the Tampa, Florida area.  The group performs at Club Xquisite, where they are led by Dallas (Matthew McConaughey).  The club was actually a composite of two separate buildings.  The exterior was filmed at Wilson’s Sports Lounge in St. Petersburg.

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LOCATION: 3030 4th St N, St. Petersburg, FL 33704

The interiors were filmed across the country at the former Platinum Live in Studio City, California (11345 Ventura Blvd, Studio City, CA 91604), which shut down not long after the film was shot.

Related articles: The Limey (1999), Erin Brockovich (2000), Traffic (2000), Ocean’s Eleven (2001), Magic Mike (2012), The Laundromat (2019)

Top Gun (1986)

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In the town of Oceanside, California, about 40 miles north of San Diego, you’ll find the iconic house from the 1986 hit “Top Gun.”  Charlie, played by Kelly McGillis, lives at this beachfront cottage, where she is visited by Maverick, played by Tom Cruise.  The two make love while Berlin’s “Take My Breath Away” plays, in one of the most famous love scenes of the 1980s.

The house sat vacant and boarded up for years, having fallen into a state of disrepair, with fencing erected around it in an effort to minimize vandalism.  At the time of filming, several other houses existed along the block, but all were demolished except for this one.  Hotel development has since taken place in 2020 on this block, but the “Top Gun” house drives tourism to Oceanside, so rather than demolition, the house was relocated about a block away and restored (much like what happened with the Michael Myers house from the original “Halloween“).  While the restoration is much needed, we were able to capture it at it’s original site while it still remained there. The house now sits in it’s permanent location across from the Oceanside Fishing Pier, on N Pacific St, between Pier View Way and Mission Ave.

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LOCATION: Originally located at 102 N Pacific St, Oceanside, CA 92054, permanently relocated to N Pacific St, between Pier View Way and Mission Ave

Here is a front facing view of the house before the 2020 restoration, where you can see a poster for the film over one of the boarded up windows.

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For scenes set at the back of the house, a completely different location stood in, behind the medical building of Paramount Studios.

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LOCATION: 5555 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90038

In San Diego, you’ll find the bar where Maverick and Goose sing “Great Balls of Fire.”  Kansas City Barbeque, located not far from the city’s convention center where their famous Comic Con takes place, makes no secret of their connection to the film.  In fact, it’s one of the main themes of the restaurant.  Here is the room where Goose played the piano, which was on the wall to the left.

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LOCATION: 600 W Harbor Dr, San Diego, CA 92101

The piano itself has been relocated to a different room in the restaurant.

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The walls are adorned with tons of imagery and promotional items from the film.

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In a later scene, Maverick sits at this bar.

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They even have a neon sign for the film in the front windows.

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It’s always nice to see places embrace their film history so much.  Be sure to check it out if you’re in the San Diego area.

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Related articles: Top Gun: Maverick (2022)

Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children (2016)

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For Tim Burton’s 2016 film “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children,” the filmmaker returned to his old stomping grounds of West Central Florida, where he famously shot “Edward Scissorhands” sixteen years prior.  Jake’s house can be found in the town of Largo, in a small neighborhood built on a peninsula.

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LOCATION: 101 Poinciana Ln, Largo, FL 33770

One of the more memorable locations in the film, besides of course the titular home of Miss Peregrine (located in Belgium), is the house of Abe, which sits before of a long row of ominous looking trees.  The house can be found in Sun City Center, Florida.

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LOCATION: 1007 Hacienda Dr, Sun City Center, FL 33573

Related articles: Frankenweenie (1984), Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure (1985), Batman (1989), Edward Scissorhands (1990), Batman Returns (1992), Ed Wood (1994), Big Fish (2003), Big Eyes (2014)

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)

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For the 1989 sequel “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,” most of the story is set in Chicago, Illinois, but production took place primarily in Burbank, California, with a few exteriors filmed in Chicago and Colorado.  The Griswold house was not a real house, rather a set on the Warner Bros. Ranch.  The ranch was located separate from the main Warner Bros. Studio lot and not open to public tours.  The entire ranch was demolished in 2023, with sound stages taking over the space. The same house could be seen in “American Beauty,” “WandaVision,” “Hocus Pocus,” “Small Soldiers,” “Pleasantville” and more.

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

Just next to the Griswold house was the house of Todd and Margo, played by Nicholas Guest and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.  It too was a set, but of all the houses on the ranch, it had the most functional interior, having been used in many productions.  The house was mostly shown from side angles or close-ups, likely due to having been used in another popular film series at that time, such as “Lethal Weapon,” where it served as Danny Glover’s house.  Known as the Lindsay house, it has also appeared in “American Beauty,” “WandaVision,” The Three Stooges serials, “Pushing Daisies,” “The Middle” and many more. It too has since been demolished.

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

Clark flirts with an attractive woman working at a department store, before his son busts him.  This was filmed at Bullocks Wilshire, a famous art deco building on Wilshire Blvd in Los Angeles.  Once a luxury department store, the building now operates as a law school.  The building is only seen from interior views in the film.  While the inside is typically closed to the public, there are occasional public tour opportunities.  The building has also been seen in the films “Mank,” “The Aviator,” “The Public Enemy” and “Dunston Checks In,” the TV series “Moonlighting” and Areosmith’s music video for “Love in an Elevator,” as well many other productions.

LOCATION: 3050 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90010

Later in the film, Clark fantasizes about the same department store woman, undressing at a pool in his back yard.  The pool was also located at the Warner Bros Ranch.  While located fairly close to the Griswold house, it was actually on the opposite side of the street (known as Blondie St), not in back of the house as depicted in the film.  If not for the trees in the background of the photo below, you could see the Griswold house in the distance. This area has likewise since been demolished.

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

Near the end of the film, Cousin Eddie, played by Randy Quaid, abducts Clark’s boss from his home after he stiffs his staff on their Christmas bonuses.  This was filmed at the Mattison Boyd Jones house in Glendale, California.  The house can be a bit tricky to see from the road, as the front of the property has a long fence with high shrubs and the driveway is gated.  However, from the right angle you can still catch a view.  Currently a private residence, the house has been seen in many television shows, primarily from the 70s and 80s, including “Flamingo Road,” “Columbo,” “Knight Rider” and “Emerald Point N.A.S.”

LOCATION: 727 W Kenneth Rd, Glendale, CA 91202

Related articles: National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983)