The 2017 George Clooney film “Sububicon,” starring Matt Damon and Julianne Moore, was filmed in Southern California. In the opening scenes, a book is shown depicting the formation of the Suburbicon community. The Suburbicon Shopping Mall is part of the Valley Plaza in North Hollywood, which has been featured in countless productions, such as “Captain Marvel” and “Too Old To Die Young.” The actual building has long been vacant.
LOCATION: 2124 Sylvan St, North Hollywood, CA 91606
The Mayers familys family moves into this home in Fullerton, which causes a stir with the racist neighbors in 1950s suburbia.
LOCATION: 1325 W Ash Ave, Fullerton, CA 92833
Gardner and Rose Lodge, played by Damon and Moore, live in this home, which is supposedly located back to back with the above home, but can actually be found over in Carson.
LOCATION: 19720 Dunbrooke Ave, Carson, CA 90746
The bus station is back at the Valley Plaza in North Hollywood.
LOCATION: 6255 Laurel Canyon Blvd, North Hollywood, CA 91606
The 1992 Curtis Hanson thriller “The Hand That Rocks the Cradle,” starring Rebecca De Mornay, was filmed in Washington. The house of Claire and Michael Bartel, played by Annabella Sciorra and Matt McCoy, can be found in Tacoma. Nanny Peyton Flanders, played by De Mornay also takes residence in the home.
LOCATION: 808 N Yakima Ave, Tacoma, WA 98403
The house of Dr. Victor Mott, played by John de Lancie, can be found in Seattle.
In the 2005 Tom Ford film, “A Single Man,” George, played by Colin Firth, lives in this home, located in Glendale, California. The same home was featured in the 2005 film “Happy Endings” and the TV show “The Dropout.”
LOCATION: 527 Whiting Woods Rd, Glendale, CA 91208
The 1993 Robert Altman film “Short Cuts” is based on short stories by author Raymond Carver. Originally set in the Pacific Northwest, for Altman’s film adaptation, he switched the setting to Los Angeles. The film features intersecting stories performed by an ensemble cast.
The house of Ann and Howard Finnegan, played by Andie MacDowell and Bruce Davidson respectively, can be found in North Hollywood.
LOCATION: 4950 Bellaire Ave, North Hollywood, CA 91607
The house next door is where Zoe, played by Lori Singer, lives with her mother Tess, played by Annie Ross. After being injured by a car, the Finnegan’s son Casey returns home. Zoe is playing basketball with some friends in front of the garage and asks Casey why he’s not in school, but he does not answer.
LOCATION: 4946 Bellaire Ave, North Hollywood, CA 91607
The restaurant where Doreen, played by Lily Tomlin, works is the former Johnie’s Broiler in Downey. She is visited there by her husband Earl, played by Tom Waits. The restaurant has a unique history, having appeared in many other films, such as “Heat,” “The Game,” “License To Drive,” “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 seen in the film.
Paul Thomas Anderson’s 1999 film, “Magnolia,” named after a street that spans the San Fernando Valley, was shot mostly, as you might expect, around the Valley. However, some additional scenes were also filmed in Los Angeles, Big Bear Lake and Reno, Nevada.
In the opening “coincidences” sequence, a man is scuba diving and gets accidentally picked up out of the water by an aeriel firefighting plane. These scenes were filmed at Big Bear Lake in California. This photo of the general area was kindly provided to us courtesy of Christian Hernandez.
LOCATION: Big Bear Lake, CA 92315
There is another coincidence scene in which an attempted suicide becomes an accidental homicide. That scene was actually a composite of a couple different locations. The rooftop shot was done in Hollywood, with both the Griffith Observatory and the Hollywood sign visible in the distance. Also visible is the top of the North Kingsley Apartments, which puts the roof at Hollywood Blvd, facing north up N Kingley Dr. It still looks pretty much the same as it did in the film.
LOCATION: 5217 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90027
The view of the man falling was shot at the Bryson Apartments in Los Angeles. The same apartments were seen in the film “The Grifters.”
LOCATION: 2701 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90057
Early in the film, Quiz Kid Donnie Smith, played by William H. Macy, crashes his car into this liquor store in Winnetka. The same liquor store also appeared in Kevin Smith’s “Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back” and The Smashing Pumpkins’ music video for “1979.”
LOCATION: 20001 Roscoe Blvd, Winnetka, CA 91306
Officer Jim Kurring, played by John C. Reilly, investigates a crime scene at this apartment complex in North Hills. As he walks back to his police car, he is approached by a young boy.
LOCATION: 15150 Parthenia St, North Hills, CA 91343
As the two stand on Burnet Ave, the boy performs a rap for him.
Frank T.J. Mackey, played by Tom Cruise, gives his memorable seminar inside this hotel in Valencia. The hotel is only featured from interior views in the film. The same hotel appears in the films “Twilight” and “Little Miss Sunshine,” as well as numerous TV shows, including “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” “CSI: New York,” “NCIS,” “Big Love,” “Las Vegas,” The Unit,” “Make It or Break It” and more.
LOCATION: 24500 Town Center Dr, Valencia, CA 91355
Linda, played by Julianne Moore, gets upset with a pharmacist after he insinuates she may be abusing the medications. These scenes were filed at the A to Z Pharmacy in North Hollywood, although it is only seen from interior views in the film.
LOCATION: 12626 Riverside Dr # 100, North Hollywood, CA 91607
Donnie visits the Foxfire Room, located on the titular Magnolia Blvd in Valley Village. In a slight bit of movie trickery, Donnie parks in the lot at the rear of the building, but is seen entering through the door facing the street on opposite side.
LOCATION: 12516 W Magnolia Blvd, Valley Village, CA 91607
The Firefox Room is a staple of the San Fernando Valley and in the two decades since filming took place, it still looks nearly identical. The bar opens at 7AM daily and it’s dark and inconspicuous. Yet the staff is friendly and the vibe is welcoming. Donnie enters through the door on the right.
Donnie sits at this corner booth. The lighting in the bar is so dark, any brightness quickly overexposes a shot, so photography can be a challenge inside.
He sits and admires Brad the bartender.
Donnie then sits at the corner of the bar and talks to a mysterious older man, credited as Thurston Howell.
Officer Jim approaches the corner of this building, when shots are fired.
LOCATION: 4055 Tujunga Ave, Studio City, CA 91604
He then slides down this embankment on the side of the building.
As Jim is disoriented in the rain, a kid approaches and steals his gun, running up the stairs to escape undetected. While there are still stairs up to the street at the location, they have been remodeled since filming.
The police arrive to assist in the search for the gun, with the L.A. river and overpass visible next to the building.
Late in the film, as a biblical storm hits, Officer Jim finds himself at the intersection of Reseda Blvd and Sherman Way in Reseda. This is located right beside the “Hot Traxx” night club from “Boogie Nights.”
LOCATION: Sherman Way / Reseda Blvd, Reseda, CA 91335
He makes an emergency stop at a gas station, only see Donnie climbing on a pole, where he has just attempted to rob his workplace. Donnie then falls to the ground. The pole and payphone are both still standing at the location.
Paul Thomas Anderson’s epic portrayal of the 1970s and 1980s porn industry, “Boogie Nights,” was shot all around Southern California, but like many of his early works, was primarily based around the San Fernando Valley.
The opening shot of the Reseda Theater can be found on Sherman Way in Reseda, California. The theater has long since closed, but plans are underway to reopen the property as a mutiplex.
LOCATION: 18443 Sherman Way, Reseda, CA 91335
Just down the street is the “Hot Traxx” nightclub, which is now a church. Also right around the corner is the workplace of Quiz Kid Donnie Smith in “Magnolia.”
LOCATION: 18419 Sherman Way, Reseda, CA 91335
Dirk Diggler’s parents’ house is located far south of the Valley, down in Torrance, California.
LOCATION: 3503 187th St, Torrance, CA 90504
Jack Horner takes Dirk out for a meal with Amber Waves and Rollergirl at Du-Pars Restaurant and Bakery in Studio City. The same restaurant was featured in the film “Valley Girl.” The location has since closed down and the building has been heavily remodeled.
LOCATION: 12036 Ventura Blvd, Studio City, CA 91604 (now closed)
Jack Horner’s house is tucked away in the city of Covina. The property is not easily visible from the street.
LOCATION: 19515 E Cameron Ave, Covina, CA 91724
The side of the house, where Little Bill, played by William H. Macy, witnesses his wife having sex outside, while a group of party guests watch.
The back of Jack Horner’s house, with the patio and swimming pool, where the party takes place.
Later in the film, Dirk Diggler moves into his own house, located in Woodland Hills.
LOCATION: 4214 Lobos Rd, Woodland Hills, CA 91364
Amber Waves makes a documentary about Dirk Diggler, which itself is based on the documentary “Exhausted: John C. Holmes, the Real Story.” The bridge Dirk stands in front of is the Colfax Ave footbridge in Studio City. It can be found near the intersection of Colfax Ave and Ventura Blvd. Once you spot the overpass on Colfax, the bridge is just beneath it and can easily be accessed by foot.
LOCATION: Near the intersection of Colfax Ave / Ventura Blvd, Studio City, CA 91604 (nearest address is 4028 Colfax Ave, Studio City, CA 91604)
Towards the end of the film, things take a darker turn as Dirk solicits himself to perform sexual acts for money. The alley where he meets the man in the truck is still there, but the buildings to the left has since been demolished. The church in the background can still be seen. This location is very close to the donut shop in the film.
LOCATION: 18128 Sherman Way, Reseda, CA 91335
Buck Swope picks up some donuts at the aforementioned Miss Donuts. This is in Reseda, near the church seen above and the “Hot Traxx” location.
LOCATION: 18231 Sherman Way, Reseda, CA 91335
The drug dealer robbery is planned from the El Royale Hotel in Studio City.
LOCATION: 11117 Ventura Blvd, Studio City, CA 91604
Things reach a crescendo with a drug deal gone bad, at this house in Encino. Sadly, the house has since been demolished and a new home build in it’s place. Luckily, we we able photograph it prior to it’s demolition.
Film Oblivion 