The motel from the 2003 thriller “Identity,” starring John Cusack, Ray Liotta, Amanda Peet and John Hawkes, was filmed at the Four Aces Movie Ranch in Palmdale, California. The set has been seen in countless films, such as “House Of 1000 Corpses,” “Faster,” “Palm Springs”and “Slipstream.” It has also appeared in such TV shows as “Twin Peaks” and “Buffy The Vampire Slayer,” as well as numerous commercials and music videos.
Please keep in mind the property is private and there are “no trespassing” signs posted. However, it is easily visible from the road. The set is a popular filming location, so you may encounter a shoot in progress when you visit. If it’s a particularly secretive set, sometimes the roads next to it are closed off to the public.
LOCATION: Four Aces Movie Ranch, 14499 E Ave Q, Palmdale, CA 93591
Between his successful indie debut “El Mariachi” and the hit sequel “Desperado,” Robert Rodriguez made a small film called “Roadracers.” Shot in just 13 days, the film was part of a television anthology known as “Rebel Highway,” which enlisted notable directors to take b-movie titles from the 1950s and apply them to original stories. This first installment was set to be directed by Wes Craven, before he dropped out in order to begin work on “New Nightmare.” Rodriguez stepped up in his place and made a fun film that continues to find new audiences decades later.
While set in Texas, most of the film was shot in Whittier, California. The downstairs club where Dude Delaney, played by David Arquette, meets up with Donna, played by Salma Hayek, can be found on Greenleaf Ave in Whittier. The location pops up numerous times over the course of the film. While located on a busy shopping strip, the property currently sits vacant.
LOCATION: 6745 Greenleaf Ave, Whittier, CA 90601
The theater where Dude and Donna pick up Nixer, played by John Hawkes, is the Whittier Village Cinemas, located just up the road. Over twenty years later, the theater is still going strong.
LOCATION: 7038 Greenleaf Ave, Whittier, CA 90602
The theater pops up again later in the film when trio watch the 1956 version of “Invasion of the Body Snatchers,” featuring a cameo from original film star Kevin McCarthey.
Teddy Leather, played by Jason Wiles, rolls up with his crew next to Dude’s car in front of the Nixon Plaza. Dude flicks his cigarette butt, which lands in the hair of the girl in the back seat. Indicative of Rodriguez’s run and gun style of his early career, the same location was used again later in the film, when Teddy’s crew toss beer bottles at Dude.
LOCATION: 13002 Philadelphia St, Whittier, CA 90601
The two cars drag race down Philadelphia St.
LOCATION: Philadelphia St / Greenleaf Ave, Whittier, CA 90601
Donna’s house can be found just across the street from the Whittier Central Park, another location that pops up later in the film.
LOCATION: 6543 Washington Ave, Whittier, CA 90601
The roller rink where Dude greases his hair and spreads it across the floor of the rink was the former Fiesta Roller Rink in San Gabriel. The roller rink closed back in 2003. Some other businesses have since come and gone, but the building currently sits empty.
LOCATION: 136 S San Gabriel Blvd, San Gabriel, CA 91776
Here’s a look inside.
Dude’s house, which has been slightly remodeled, can be found back in Whittier.
LOCATION: 5919 Redman Ave, Whittier, CA 90606
Along the curb in front of his house, Dude backs his car into the police car of Sarge, played by William Sadler.
As Donna and her friend walk beside Whittier Central Park, Teddy Leather’s crew approaches along Bailey St and Teddy forces himself on Donna. The same area was used again in a later scene, where Sarge gives Teddy a gun.
LOCATION: Near the intersection of Bailey St / Washington Ave, Whittier, CA 90601
Dude and Donna sit on the steps of this gazebo, located at Whittier Central Park.
LOCATION: Central Park, Whittier, CA 90601
Teddy’s crew walks down these steps and challenge Dude.
The final confrontation between Dude and Teddy takes place across from the former Los Portales Mexican restaurant.
LOCATION: 13033 Philadelphia St, Whittier, CA 90601
“Too Old to Die Young” from director Nicolas Winding Refn is, depending on how you look at it, either a TV series or a long film. Refn himself prefers to view it as the latter. Most of the production took place around the San Fernando Valley in Southern California, with some additional filming in New Mexico. Here we’ll cover the locations episode by episode. Some locations of course appear over multiple episodes. This article contains many spoilers for the show, so please do not proceed unless you’ve seen it in it’s entirety.
Volume 1 – “The Devil”
The first episode opens with Martin Jones, played by Miles Teller and his partner Larry, played by Lance Gross, standing in front of this mural along the side of a taco restaurant in Studio City.
LOCATION: 11401 Moorpark St, Studio City, CA 91602
Here is a wider view of the side of the building. The same building has appeared in the films “People Like Us” and “Up In Smoke.”
Also seen in the opening scene is this sports bar, located directly next to the taco restaurant.
LOCATION: 11411 Moorpark St, Studio City, CA 91602
Unbeknownst to Martin and Larry, they are being watched from across the street by Jesus, played by Augusto Aguilera.
Martin and Larry pull over a young woman in the parking lot of a largely abandoned shopping plaza in North Hollywood known as the Valley Plaza. The area is a popular filming location, having also recently appeared in “Captain Marvel.” The Blockbuster Video store where Carol Danvers first arrives is one of the store fronts in the background.
LOCATION: Near the intersection of Sylvian St / Vantage Ave, North Hollywood, CA 91606 (directly across from 12200 Sylvan St, North Hollywood, CA 91606)
The police car is parked in the area to the left near the tree.
After taking money from the girl they’ve pulled over, they let her go and Larry walks over towards a restaurant called “The Lone Drifter.” This is not a real establishment, rather a vacant building dressed up by the production. It too was seen in “Captain Marvel,” dressed as a music venue called “The Slow Club,” where Carol makes a call at a payphone.
Jesus is parked just beside the building, where he approaches and shoots Larry. The fire hydrant to the right is where Larry’s cell phone is recovered.
LOCATION: 2124 Sylvan St, North Hollywood, CA 91606
Martin returns fire on Jesus with the Regency Valley Plaza theater seen in the background.
After the shooting, Jesus escapes driving down Sylvian St and turning right onto Laurel Canyon Blvd. Martin calls in the shooting and surprisingly states the actual location of the scene to dispatch, rather than a fictionalized address, which is a somewhat rare occurrence in film and television.
The police station where Martin works, seen frequently throughout the show, is the Sunkist Headquarters building in Sherman Oaks. It is seen mostly from interior views in the show.
LOCATION: 14130 Riverside Dr, Sherman Oaks, CA 91423
The building faces the 101 freeway and Westfield shopping mall, both of which are seen through the windows in various scenes.
Not far from the police station, Martin parks here and walks to a payphone to call Damian, played by Babs Olusanmokun. This area is the rear parking lot behind a shoe repair and dry cleaners, looking out over a gas station and bank building. There is no actual payphone there.
Damian runs his operation out of an ice skating rink in Van Nuys. The location appears many times in the show, from a variety of angles both from the interior and exterior. Here is the front entrance.
LOCATION: 14318 Calvert St, Van Nuys, CA 91401
In one scene, Martin is seen approaching past this sign.
The parking lot is featured in several scenes. First, Martin meets Damian to say he only wants to kill those who have committed horrible acts. In later episodes, Damian slices fruit with a sword and a would-be assassin named Gameboy watches as Damian and his crew perform a peculiar dance to “Ten Commandments” by Prince Buster.
Here is the corner where Devante, Jaime and Gameboy all stake out Damian’s ice rink.
LOCATION: Calvert St / Tyrone Ave, Van Nuys, CA 91401
Gameboy mistakenly takes out the wrong man, killing Celestino. He attempts to speed off, but Damian returns fire and kills him in the street.
Martin’s apartment can be found in Sherman Oaks.
LOCATION: 14426 Addison St, Sherman Oaks, CA 91423
Janey, played by Nell Tiger Free, lives with her father Theo, played by Stephen Baldwin at this home. The distinctive, eye shaped front window was created by the production and does not exist at the real home.
LOCATION: 1623 N Benton Way, Los Angeles, CA 90026
Later, when Martin returns home with Janey, Damian and his crew are waiting on this street corner, where they violently persuade Martin to become a hitman for them.
LOCATION: Addison St / Tilden Ave, Sherman Oaks, CA 91423
Martin pays a visit to Amanda’s apartment in North Hollywood to pay her money.
LOCATION: 6837 Fulton Ave, North Hollywood, CA 91605
As Martin goes to perform the hit ordered by Damian, he parks at this liquor store.
LOCATION: 12500 Moorpark St, Studio City, CA 91604
His target is a man inside this auto shop.
LOCATION: 4350 Whitsett Ave, Studio City, CA 91604
Once inside, he finds the man nude on a couch and the two engage in a physical battle before Martin gets the upper hand.
Volume 2 – “The Lovers”
Don Ricardo’s estate, where much of episode 2 takes place, is the Hummingbird Nest Ranch in Simi Valley. The property regularly hosts weddings and special events. It is otherwise a private estate, however, only allowing guests by appointment. The only road leading to the ranch is typically gated shut with no trespassing signs, making it unfortunately closed to the public. The property has also appeared in Oliver Stone’s “Savages,” “Jobs” starring Ashton Kutcher and in the second season of “True Detective.”
LOCATION: 2940 Kuehner Dr, Simi Valley, CA 93063
Volume 3 – “The Hermit”
In episode 3, the character of Viggo, played by John Hawkes, is introduced. As he is transporting a dead body in his trunk, he suddenly runs out of gas. He pulls over to this alley in Van Nuys.
LOCATION: 14524 Hamlin St, Van Nuys, CA 91411
Not thinking clearly, Viggo locks himself out of his car. In the neighboring parking lot, gunshots suddenly ring out as an unrelated crime takes place. Viggo decides to escape on foot, leaving the key with his fingerprint inside the car. The next morning Martin arrives and discovers the key, putting him on the trail of Viggo.
LOCATION: 6417 Van Nuys Blvd, Van Nuys, CA 91401 (rear parking lot)
Diana, played by Jena Malone, orchestrates Viggo’s targets and regularly meets with him at the Hansen Dam Aquatic Center. The pool has a picturesque mountain range spanning the backdrop. It is depicted as quiet and isolated in the show, but in reality, it’s a popular spot for families to visit.
LOCATION: 11798 Foothill Blvd, Lake View Terrace, CA 91342
The slide at the pool is also seen in a later episode when the two once again meet up and talk.
Martin visits the family of an abused boy to gather more information on Viggo.
LOCATION: 6616 Langdon Ave, Van Nuys, CA 91406
Janey forces a bartender to serve her a drink despite knowing she is underage. Most of the scene is out of focus, but when she exits the building, it is revealed to be a bar inside Highland Park Bowl.
LOCATION: 5621 N Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA 90042
Here is a view of the full exterior, although it is never seen from this angle in the show.
Janey then walks over to meet her father at an art gallery. This is geographically accurate, as the location really is just a few doors down from the bar. It is seen only from interior views in the scene. This same building has appeared in the film “Lights Out,” as well as the TV shows “Leverage” and “Battle Creek.”
LOCATION: 5601 N Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA 90042
Martin finally tracks down Viggo and follows him to his mother’s house in Sylmar.
LOCATION: 11370 Clybourn Ave, Sylmar, CA 91342
Martin then follows Viggo to the Northridge Fashion Center, which leads him to Diana. Viggo is seen driving up this ramp. To access the exact area seen in the film, you need to go to Nordhoff St and turn into the lot near Sears. The ramp is on the left and will take you to the upper lot where the scene was shot.
LOCATION: 9301 Tampa Ave, Northridge, CA 91324
Viggo parks along the wall on the right, while Diana parks beside the lamppost in the foreground. Martin photographs them from afar, looking at this angle.
Martin is told to meet Damian at a strip mall near the house. Damian gives him a key to enter the house of his next target. The plaza can be found in Studio City.
LOCATION: 11308 Ventura Blvd, Studio City, CA 91604
Martin meets with Viggo at the Olympic Coffee Shop in Sylmar. The two discuss what it feels like to kill. The same coffee shop has appeared in the films “Over The Top,” “Memento” and “Every Which Way But Loose,” as well as such TV series as “Bosch” and “NCIS: Los Angeles.” Across the street is another notable filming location, the motel from “The Addams Family.”
LOCATION: 12192 San Fernando Rd, Sylmar, CA 91342
Volume 4 – “The Tower”
Martin’s next target is a Korean man that he tracks down at this burger restaurant in Burbank.
LOCATION: 2320 W Victory Blvd, Burbank, CA 91506
Martin follows the man and he pulls over here to eat a burger. As Martin pulls the gun, he finds himself conflicted about whether the man really deserves death and decides to find an alternate solution. Once again, the route they drive is geographically accurate and just a short distance from the burger restaurant.
LOCATION:2301 W Victory Blvd, Burbank, CA 91506
Volume 5 – “The Fool”
Episode 5 was filmed on location in Albuquerque, New Mexico. We do not yet have specific location information at this time.
Volume 6 – “The High Priestess”
Back in the Valley, Alfonso attempts to get in the good graces of Jesus by ordering a hit on Damian. He visits Devante at this auto shop in Van Nuys and hires him to perform the hit for $6,000.
LOCATION: 14101 Oxnard St, Van Nuys, CA 91401
Devante then outsources the job to Jaime for $2,000, who in turn outsources the hit to a junkie named Gameboy for $200 and some crystal meth. Gameboy stops by this apartment and does some drugs, tearing the photo of his target in two in the process and mixing up Damian with Celestino. The address is on Bakman Ave in North Hollywood, but the view seen in the show is actually the back side of the building, on an unnamed road next to the electrical towers.
LOCATION: 6607 Bakman Ave, North Hollywood, CA 91606 (rear side of the building on an unnamed road)
Gameboy is then seen passing the electrical towers and turning down Kittridge St to go kill Damian. Things do not go as planned.
Volume 7 – “The Magician”
Janey’s father Theo, played by William Baldwin, takes Martin to a screening room, where he plays a scene of a show within a show. The scene is very meta, mimicking the scene from episode 1 where Martin and Larry pull over a woman. This was filmed at an auto shop very close to the location of the final scene in the show.
LOCATION: 5547 Satsuma Ave, North Hollywood, CA 91601
After Viggo helps Martin dispose of a body, Martin asks him to pull over as he vomits.
LOCATION: 8981 Bradley Ave, Sun Valley, CA 91352
Volume 8 – “The Hanged Man”
Martin and Viggo’s next target takes them to an abandoned shopping mall. This is the former Hawthorne Plaza Shopping Center. The plaza has been abandoned for years, with on-again, off-again plans for demolition. In the meantime, it has become a popular spot for filming and photography. It has been seen in such films at “Gone Girl,” “Minority Report,” “John Dies At the End,” and “The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift,” as well as the TV series “Westworld.” The building is closed to the public and regularly patrolled by security, so unless you have permission from the city or someone filming, it is trespassing to enter the grounds. It is a popular spot for abandon building enthusiasts, however, and quite a few people have managed to get inside over the years.
LOCATION: 12124 Hawthorne Blvd, Hawthorne, CA 90250 (closed to the public)
The High Priestess of Death executes everyone in sight at the Sierra Pelona Motel in Santa Clarita. The motel was also used in “The Grifters,” the 2002 Britney Spears film “Crossroads” and the TV series “Westworld.” The motel is also located very close to the restaurant from “Duel.” The phone booth was not a prop and really exists at the motel.
LOCATION: 12117 Sierra Hwy, Santa Clarita, CA 91390
Most of the killings take place in front of rooms 3 and 4.
Volume 9 – “The Empress”
In the penultimate episode, Diana has a vision which changes her eyes. She visits a mysterious woman to explain her vision and fix her eyes. All of the decor seen in the front of the shop is real and was not a flourish of the production. This location is right across the street from the scene in episode 1 where Martin and Larry pull over the young woman.
LOCATION: 6316 Laurel Canyon Blvd, North Hollywood, CA 91606
Diana makes her way out to the back of the building to speak to the woman.
Volume 10 – “The World”
In the final episode, Yuritza makes her presence known as the High Priestess of Death. She sits at the corner of Satsuma Ave and Cumpston St. This is on the same street as the show within a show that Theo plays for Martin in his screening room.
LOCATION: Satsuma Ave / Cumpston St, North Hollywood, CA 91601
The final scenes were filmed at the Limelight West, an event space in North Hollywood.
LOCATION: 5453 Satsuma Ave, North Hollywood, CA 91601
The David Milch TV series “Deadwood,” despite garnering critical acclaim and a loyal fan base, prematurely ended after three seasons back in 2006. Since then, various attempts to tie the story up have been made, with many doubts it would ever happen. In 2019, however, it finally did and the show was given the opportunity to reach a satisfying conclusion with “Deadwood: The Movie.” Please note if you’ve not watched the film, this article contains spoilers.
While set in the town of Deadwood, South Dakota, both the original TV series, as well as the movie, were primarily shot in Newhall, California at Melody Ranch. Another renowned HBO series, “Westworld,” shot at the same ranch, where it served as the town of Sweetwater. The production designers did a great job of giving each show a much different look from one another.
Melody Ranch is private property, inaccessible to the general public most of the time. However, the ranch does in fact offer tours (something of a rarity for movie ranches), with the caveat being that no tours occur whenever active production is taking place on the ranch. The challenge is the fact that production is almost always taking place there. So opportunities for the general public to see it are rare and not something you can plan much in advance. You simply need good timing or a lot of persistence. In years past, the ranch also hosted the Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival, which also allowed the public inside, but due to the heavy demand of productions over recent years, the festival has relocated elsewhere.
Given that the “Deadwood” show and movie are tied together as one narrative, this article is intended to cover both, but once it was clear the original show would not return after the third season, many of the sets were remodeled, dismantled or shifted around, as often happens on studio lots. When filming for the movie finally got up and running in 2018, much of the sets had to be recreated. Since the story in the film picks up 10 years later, as South Dakota is entering into statehood, many of the sets also had to be updated to reflect the passage of time. The photographs in this article showcase the movie’s sets.
Much like the original show, most of these sets have since been repurposed or dismantled after filming completed, in order to make way for new productions coming in. Here we offer a glimpse into that brief moment in time where Deadwood stood in full glory once again.
LOCATION: 24715 Oakcreek Ave, Newhall, CA 91321
The most famous location is of course the Gem Saloon, owned by Al Swearengen (Ian McShane), who would often stand on the balcony overlooking the activities of the town.
The Grand Central Hotel is where the villainous Senator George Hearst, played by Gerald McRaney, takes residence. He too often stood out on the balcony, engaging in verbal jousts with the residents of Deadwood.
Seth Bullock, played by Timothy Olyphant, lives in this house at the end of the main street of Deadwood. This location had long been demolished since the original show, with the original blueprints lost. The production designer had to study the original show footage in detail in order to rebuild the set for the film.
Here is a look inside Seth’s house, where he is seen walking down these stairs.
Here are the train tracks and station platform where visitors arrive.
After running a hardware store with Seth, Sol Star, played by John Hawkes now lives with Trixie at the Bullock & Star Hotel. In the film, as Hearst rides through the streets in a parade, Trixie stands on the hotel balcony and berates him.
The Bella Union, owned by Cy Tolliver (Powers Boothe) in the series, is now owned by Joanie Stubbs (Kim Dickens) in the film. The same building was famously used as the brothel in Westworld where Thandie Newton’s character works. It’s also seen in Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood” when Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt’s characters are interviewed on a western set.
Here is the interior of the Bella Union, which viewers of “Westworld” should immediately recognize as the The Mariposa Saloon, where Maeve works. It also appeared in the film “Django Unchained.”
Here is a view of the upstairs.
This is the bar where Wild Bill Hickok, played by Keith Carrodine, is killed in the show.
In the film, Calamity Jane, played by Robin Weigert, returns to the bar to pay her respects.
The outside of the jail of Marshall Seth Bullock.
The interior of the jail.
This is the area where Seth tracks down Charlie’s killers and has a brief standoff with them.
Mr. Wu is relieved when his son escapes unharmed.
We leave you with a view down the main street of Deadwood, where the sets stood tall one last time.
Film Oblivion 