The frat house from the 2003 Will Ferrell comedy “Old School,” where “Mitch-a-palooza” takes place, can be found at this South Pasadena home.
LOCATION: 1803 Bushnell Ave, South Pasadena, CA 91030
Frank the Tank, played by Ferrell, lives at this home in Altadena.
LOCATION: 2284 Mar Vista Ave, Altadena, CA 91001
Mitch, played by Luke Wilson, discusses ways to save the fraternity at this restaurant, which was also featured in the film “Role Models,” as well as such TV shows as “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” “Scandal” and “The X-Files.”
LOCATION: 601 Fair Oaks Ave, South Pasadena, CA 91030
Cameron Crowe’s 1989 directorial debut, “Say Anything…” was filmed in Washington, Southern California and Vancouver, Canada. The exterior of the house of Corey, played by Lili Taylor, can be found in Seattle. Interiors were filmed in California at 2545 Ganesha Ave, Altadena, CA 91001.
LOCATION: 3627 NW 65th Ct, Seattle, WA 98117
Mike, played by Jason Gould, lives at this home, located in Sherman Oaks.
LOCATION: 4936 Sunnyslope Ave, Sherman Oaks, CA 91423
Lloyd, played by John Cusack, walks with Diane, played by Ione Skye, out of a convenience store and kicks glass out of her way. The store can be found in North Hollywood.
LOCATION: 11340 W Magnolia Blvd, North Hollywood, CA 91601
Diane has lunch with her mom at this restaurant in Pasadena, which has changed a lot since filming took place.
LOCATION: 1978 E Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91107
Lloyd teaches a kickboxing class at this location, which was more famously used as the Cobra Kai dojo in “The Karate Kid.” It’s located just a few blocks away from the convenience store.
LOCATION: 5223 Lankershim Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 91601
Here’s a look inside the building.
The most iconic scene in the film is of course when Lloyd Dobler holds a boombox outside of the bedroom of Diane. The real scene wasn’t filmed at any house at all, rather a park in North Hollywood. It’s actually located right across the street from the convenience store seen earlier in the film, at the North Hollywood Park, on the SW corner of Magnolia Blvd and Tujunga Ave. The same park was seen in “Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure.”
LOCATION: North Hollywood Park, 11430 Chandler Blvd, North Hollywood, CA 91601
In one of the film’s deleted scenes, Diane asks Lloyd to take her back to Lloyd’s workplace, mentioned above. This scene, which can be found on the home video edition, was filmed at the Community Room of the South Pasadena Public Library. The same building appeared in Rob Zombie’s remake of “Halloween.”
LOCATION: 1115 El Centro St, South Pasadena, CA 91030
The house from the 1984 short film “Frankenweenie,” directed by Tim Burton, was filmed in South Pasadena. Burton later remade the film as an animated feature in 2012. Here is the home of the Frankenstein family, played by Shelley Duvall, Daniel Stern and Barret Oliver.
LOCATION: 816 Stratford Ave, South Pasadena, CA 91030
As snow falls on “O’Hara’s Pub” in the opening scenes of Terry Zwigoff’s “Bad Santa,” the sunny streets of Venice, California are probably the last thought in the minds of the viewers. However, that’s exactly where the scenes were shot, at a store front along the famous Abbot Kinney Boulevard. A wooden facade was partially built over the store front, along with a neon sign, with only the outer brick lining still visible. It’s located just a couple doors down from the record label where Paul Rudd works in “This Is 40.”
LOCATION: 1100 Abbot Kinney Blvd, Venice, CA 90291
Willie, played by Billy Bob Thorton, lives at this apartment, located in Long Beach.
LOCATION: 1161 Magnolia Ave, Long Beach, CA 90813
Willie finds someone searching through his motel room. This scene was also filmed in Long Beach.
LOCATION: 446 W Pacific Coast Hwy, Long Beach, CA 90806
Willie hides out at Thurman Merman’s house, which can be found in West Hills, California.
In the 1989 film “The Wizard,” Corey, played by Fred Savage, along with his brother Jimmy, played by Luke Edwards, run away to California. Their father and brother, played by Beau Bridges and Christian Slater respectively, follow on their trail in hopes of finding them. Sam (Bridges) and Nick (Slater) stay at this hotel and play video games. These scenes were filed at the Sierra Pelona Motel in Santa Clarita. The motel also appeared in the films “Near Dark,” “The Grifters” and “Crossroads,” as well as the TV shows “Too Old To Die Young” and “Westworld.”
LOCATION: 12117 Sierra Hwy, Santa Clarita, CA 91390
Corey and Jimmy make their way to Reno, which is home to Haley, played by Jenny Lewis. The famous Reno Arch is featured prominently during this scene.
LOCATION:345 N Virginia St, Reno, NV 89501
The casino scenes were filmed at the Peppermill Resort Spa Casino in Reno. The same casino, which has since been remodeled, also appeared in the film “Hard Eight.”
LOCATION: 2707 S Virginia St, Reno, NV 89502
Near the end of the film, Jimmy makes his way to the Cabazon Dinosaurs to relive some family memories. The dinosaurs are a roadside attraction in Cabazon, California and can be seen from the 10 freeway. Originally built by a sculptor and theme park artist as a way to attract customers to his nearby restaurant, the dinosaurs now operate as a small museum and gift shop. The dinosaurs were also seen in the 1984 film “Paris, Texas” and the 1985 film “Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure.”
LOCATION: 50700 Seminole Dr, Cabazon, CA 92230
To see our “The Wizard” location page, click here.
The majority of Micheal Bay’s 1996 action film “The Rock” was shot on location at Alcatraz Island. You can read our separate article on Alcatraz here, which has many more photos.
LOCATION: Alcatraz Island, San Francisco, CA 94133
The film also shot some scenes in Southern California. The house of Jade Angelou, played by Claire Forlani, can be found in San Pedro.
LOCATION: 611 W 37th St, San Pedro, CA 90731
Near the end of the film, Sean Connery’s character is apprehended at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco. The same location appears in many films, such as “Vertigo,” “The Room,” “So I Married an Axe Murder,” “Venom: Let There Be Carnage,” “Big Eyes” and more.
In the 2008 comedy “Step Brothers,” Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly famously waged war on the front lawn to this house in Altadena, where their characters find themselves suddenly living together.
LOCATION: 1987 Midwick Dr, Altadena, CA 91001
The spot where Brennan and Dale, played by Ferrell and Reilly respectively, get beat up by child bullies was filmed at Veteran’s Hospital in North Hills. There are quite a number of buildings and roads on the premises, so it can be tricky finding the exact spot used in the film. To locate it, you must first turn onto Puller Rd. Each building has a large number on it. A bit down Puller Rd, you’ll see the building from the film, which is building 4. It can be easily identified by the long wall surrounding the yard in front of it. The same building was also featured in Rob Zombie’s “Halloween,” as well as such films as “Argo” and “Accepted.”
Roger Avary’s 2002 adaptation of the Bret Easton Ellis novel “The Rules of Attraction” was set in the fictional Camden College in New Hampshire, but it was actually filmed at the University of Redlands in Redlands, California. In order to achieve this, the filmmakers had to be very careful in blocking their shots, as to avoid the mountains and palm trees that surround the area. Below, we’ll cover many shots seen in the film from around the campus.
This location also appeared in the film “Hell Night.”
LOCATION: 1200 E Colton Ave, Redlands, CA 92374
Sean Bateman, played by James Van Der Beek, sits on these seats towards the end of the film.
The “End of the World” party takes place at this building.
One of the final shots of the movie, where the character of Sean rides away on his bike, was filmed here.
The home of Rupert, played by Clifton Collins Jr., can be found near Koreatown in L.A.
LOCATION: 858 3rd Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90005
Paul and his friends drop off a classmate at a hospital in Downey, although it is never seen from this angle in the film.
LOCATION: 12750 Erickson Ave, Downey, CA 90242
The angle seen in the film faces this way, toward the street.
Sean Bateman drops of Paul at a bus station, which was on the grounds of the former Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center in Downey, California. Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center was founded back in the late 1800s. The hospital upgraded to a newer facility located nearby and abandoned a lot of their older buildings, with ownership transferred to the county. The buildings sat vacant for years. The buildings featured as the bus station could be found at Erickson Ave / Flores St, Downey, CA 90242, but have since been demolished.
During an extended montage, Victor, played by Kip Pardue, is seen traveling all over Europe, with many different locations seen in quick cuts, including Big Ben in London.
LOCATION: Big Ben, London SW1A 0AA, UK
The Eiffel Tower is Paris is also quickly seen.
LOCATION: Eiffel Tower, Champ de Mars, 5 Av. Anatole France, 75007 Paris, France
Victor is also seen at the Arc de Triomphe, which also briefly appears in Roger Avary’s previous film, “Killing Zoe.”
LOCATION: Arc de Triomphe, Pl. Charles de Gaulle, 75008 Paris, France
Victor eats with Sean and Mitchell, played by Thomas Ian Nicholas, at the former Quality Cafe in Downtown Los Angeles. The diner was a one-time staple of film, appearing in “Seven,” “Training Day,” “Catch Me If You Can,” “Ghost World,” “Another Day In Paradise,” “(500) Days Of Summer” “Million Dollar Baby,” “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. 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)
David Fincher’s 1997 thriller “The Game” mostly shot around the San Francisco area. However, the home of Nicholas van Orton, played by Michael Douglas, is tucked away in Woodside, California. The house is known as the “Filoli Mansion.” The house has also been seen in the films “Heaven Can Wait,” “Dying Young,” “George of the Jungle,” “The Joy Luck Club” and the 1980s TV drama “Dynasty.”
It is not a private residence and tours of the property are open to the public. There are a couple things to keep in mind, however, if you do plan a visit. First of all, the house can be tricky to locate if you’re using GPS. The property is not visible at all from Cañada Road. All you’ll see is land and trees. Also, most GPS systems do not show the driveway to the property, which is off to the side a short drive, so it’ll appear on most maps as having no access. This is not the case of course. Simply head past the house until you see an opening to the north. This driveway will lead you up to the guard house. The second thing to keep in mind is the property is intermittently closed. Anything from special events to seasonal closings may prevent you from visiting, so be sure to schedule in advance and verify the place is open when you plan on stopping.
LOCATION: 86 Cañada Rd, Woodside, CA 94062
The office of Nicholas van Orton is seen through the alleyway of Leidesdorff Street in San Francisco.
LOCATION: 465 California St, San Francisco, CA 94104 (view seen in the film is from Leidesdorff St)
As Nicholas and Christine, played by Deborah Kara Unger, walk away from the hospital, they pass this building, with the Los Angeles Stock Exchange engraving seen in the shot. A security vehicle approaches and they take a quick left at this corner and begin running. In the film, it cuts to an alley, but in reality, this corner is actually just an entrance into the building.
LOCATION: 618 S Spring St, Los Angeles, CA 90014
Nick’s brother Conrad, played by Sean Penn, becomes paranoid and accuses Nick of conspiring with the creators of the game. He runs from Nicholas down these stairs.
LOCATION: Joice St Steps, Joice St, San Francisco, CA 94108 (located between 740 and 750 Joice St, San Francisco, CA 94108)
Later in the film, Nicholas visits the home of Christine, played by Deborah Kara Unger, where they soon finds themselves under attack. This location can actually be found in Los Angeles, not far from Dodger Stadium.
LOCATION: 439 Savoy St, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Nicholas and Christine speed away from gunfire, first driving past the intersection of Laguna Ave / Laveta Terrace, Los Angeles, CA 90026. They continue down this unnamed alley between Laguna Ave and Echo Park Ave, where they lose the van tailing them.
LOCATION: Near 1109 Laguna Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90026 (GPS coordinates: 34°04’33.6″N, 118°15’25.5″W)
Nicholas kicks Christine out of his car on N Ave 19, before quickly changing his mind and letting her back in. The overpass has since changed some with wider lanes.
LOCATION: N Ave 19, Los Angeles, CA 90065 (GPS coordinates: 34°04’53.2″N, 118°13’35.8″W)
After escaping from Mexico, Nicholas visits the former Johnie’s Broiler in Downey, where he attempts to get a ride back to San Francisco. The restaurant has a unique history, having appeared in many other films, such as “Heat,” “Short Cuts,” “License To Drive,” “What’s Love Got To Do With It,” “One Hour Photo,” “My Stepmother Is An Alien” and many more. In 2007, the building was unfortunately 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 seen in the film.
Michael Cimino’s classic film “The Deer Hunter” is often remembered for it’s harrowing scenes set in the Vietnam War, which were actually shot in Thailand. However, the first half of the film is set in a blue-collar town in Pennsylvania. The town was a composite of quite a few different locations, including Mingo Junction and Cleveland, Ohio, Weirton, West Virginia, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Rockport and Deming, Washington.
Among the many towns featured in the film, Mingo Junction is the one that most celebrates the film. This area is seen in one of the opening shots of the film, showing the steel factory. The factory has mostly been demolished, but some remnants are still standing.
Here is a closer look at the mural showing various scenes filmed around Mingo Junction.
Just across the street from the above mural, you’ll find another mural for the documentary “Michael Cimino, God Bless America” about this film’s director, which also shot scenes around Mingo Junction. For those interested, there is a third film mural in Mingo Junction, for the 1984 movie “Reckless,” located at 456 Commercial St, Mingo Junction, OH 43938.
This plaque is located beside the mural.
The location of Welsh’s Lounge has since been demolished. It could be found just across the street from the building on the right, in what is now empty land. The guys can be seen racing past a truck from this view.
Some women are seen carrying the wedding cake in this area in Cleveland, Ohio. Most of the buildings have since been demolished and replaced with different buildings, including the grocery store.
The wedding of Steven and Angela was shot at the Theodosius Russian Orthodox Cathedral in Cleveland, seen in the same image above. The building considered to be one of the finest examples of Russian architecture in the United States. The same location briefly appears in the films “American Splendor” and “Major League.” The building suffered a fire in 2024 and is being repaired.
After Michael, played by Robert De Niro, returns from the war, he is seen walking with Linda, played by Meryl Streep down the stairs on the right. The buildings on the right side have since been demolished, but the stairs, as well as the buildings in the background, all still match up.
Film Oblivion 