The 1983 Adrian Lyne drama “Flashdance” tells the story of an aspiring dancer in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The film itself split production between Pittsburgh and Los Angeles, California. Alex Owens, played by Jennifer Beals, works at Mawby’s Bar. The location has since been remodeled, but can be found in Downtown Los Angeles near Skid Row. The 1985 sequel “Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment” also filmed at the same location.
LOCATION: 229 Boyd St, Los Angeles, CA 90013
Alex backs out of a dance audition at the famed Carnegie Museum & Library in Pittsburgh. The same building appears in the films “The Silence Of The Lambs” and “Pretty Woman,” with the latter using actual footage from this film.
LOCATION: 4400 Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Hanna Long, played by Lilia Skala, lives at this home, also located in Pittsburgh.
LOCATION: 2100 Sidney St, Pittsburgh, PA 15203
The exterior of the Zanzibar strip club location can be found in Downtown Los Angeles. It is actually part of the property of the infamous Cecil Hotel. The interior was located at 365 N La Cienega Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90048.
LOCATION: 640 S Main St, Los Angeles, CA 90014
Nick Hurley, played by Michael Nouri, lives in this home, located in the Hancock Park neighborhood of Los Angeles.
The famous final audition sequence was shot inside the Bob Hope Patriotic Hall in Downtown L.A. The building has been featured in numerous films, including “Inspector Gadget,” “Back To School,” “Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story,” “Stand And Deliver” and more.
LOCATION: 1816 S Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA 90015
The 2014 horror film “Oujia” was filmed in Southern California. The house of Debbie Galardi, played by Shelley Hennig, can be found in Highland Park. Only the exterior was featured in the film. The same home appeared in the film “Phantasm II.”
LOCATION: 5915 Echo St, Los Angeles, CA 90042
The interior of Debbie’s home was filmed at this location, also in Highland Park. The interiors of the same home appeared in the prequel “Ouija: Origin of Evil.” The house also appeared in the films “Lights Out” and “Chez Upshaw.”
LOCATION: 140 S Ave 59, Los Angeles, CA 90042
Laine Morris, played by Olivia Cooke, lives at this home, located in Altadena.
LOCATION: 480 Deodara Dr, Altadena, CA 91001
The high school scenes were filmed at John Muir High School in Pasadena. The same school appeared in the TV series “Sons of Anarchy.”
LOCATION: 1905 Lincoln Ave, Pasadena, CA 91103
The restaurant where Isabelle, played by Bianca Santos, works can be found in Eagle Rock. The restaurant also appeared in the film “Surviving Christmas.” It has been used in many TV shows, such as “Sons of Anarchy,” “Dead to Me,” “Aquarius,” “Parenthood,” “Secrets and Lies” and “Maron,” as well as the Justin Timberlake music video for “Can’t Stop the Feeling.”
LOCATION: 1500 Colorado Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90041
Laine visits Paulina Zander, played by Lin Shaye, who is committed to a psychiatric hospital. This same building has appeared in the prequel “Oujia: Origin of Evil,” as well as the films “The Cable Guy,” “Twins,” “American Pie 2,” “Changeling,” “Annabelle: Creation,” “The Ring 2,” “Puppet Master II,” “Truth or Dare,” “Where Sleeping Dogs Lie,” “Species III” and many more. It has also appeared in numerous TV shows, such as “Westworld,” “You,” “American Crime Story,” “Teen Wolf,” “Bosch: Legacy” and more.
LOCATION: 306 Loma Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90017
Just a few houses up from Debbie’s exterior home, on the opposite side of the road, is the home of the medium.
The 1992 thriller “Unlawful Entry,” starring Kurt Russell, Ray Liotta and Madeleine Stowe, was filmed in Southern California. The house where Michael and Karen Carr, played by Russell and Stowe, live can be found near the Hancock Park neighborhood.
LOCATION: 546 Wilcox Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90004
Trees now obscure part of the front of the home.
Michael’s club is The Mayan, a popular music venue in Downtown L.A.
Karen’s school scenes were filmed at Dorris Place Elementary School. The same school appeared in the films “Child’s Play 2,” the 2003 version of “Freaky Friday,” “Robocop,” “Cooties” and “Pinocchio’s Revenge,” as well as the TV series “Cold Case” and “Lucifer.”
LOCATION: 2225 Dorris Pl, Los Angeles, CA 90031
Officer Roy Cole, played by Roger E. Mosley, lives in this apartment building.
The 1995 Kathryn Bigelow film “Strange Days” is set in the last two days of 1999 in Los Angeles, California. Lenny, played by Ralph Fiennes, uses an illegal electronic device known as a SQUID that records memories onto a disc. On one of these discs, Lenny plays back memories of his ex-girlfriend Faith, played by Juliette Lewis, skating at Venice Beach.
LOCATION: Near Market St / Ocean Front Walk, Venice, CA 90291
The area has changed a bit, but the Sidewalk Cafe is visible in the background, which is still there. The same cafe was seen in the film “Southland Tales.”
Lenny and Mace, played by Angela Bassett, pick up Mr. Fumitsu at the Sunset Tower Hotel in West Hollywood. The hotel has been featured in numerous other films, such as “Freaky Friday,” “Get Shorty,” “The Player,” “Wayne’s World 2,” the 2003 remake of “The Italian Job” and many more.
LOCATION: 8358 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069
The murder scene involving the killer climbing from one room to another from the balconies was filmed at the Andaz West Hollywood (8401 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069), which was given the fictional name Sunset Regent. The hotel has also been featured in such films as “Almost Famous” and “This Is Spinal Tap” and has quite a history with rock stars committing various acts of debauchery.
Max Peltier, played by Tom Sizemore, keeps an eye on Faith as she exits a church with Philo Gant, played by Michael Wincott.
LOCATION: 3751 W 54th St, View Park-Windsor Hills, CA 90043
Jeriko One, played by Glenn Plummer, gets pulled over by police under the 6th St Bridge, which has since been demolished and rebuilt entirely.
LOCATION: Under the 6th St. Bridge, at the intersection of lower E 6th St / Santa Fe Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90013 (heavily remodeled)
The climax of the film was shot at the Westin Bonaventure, which is one of the most frequently filmed locations in all of Los Angeles. Countless other movies have filmed there, such as “True Lies,” “In the Line of Fire,” “Interstellar,” “Rain Man,” “Lethal Weapon 2,” “Forget Paris,” “Nick of Time,” “Hard to Kill,” ‘Playing God” and many more.
LOCATION: 404 S Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA 90071
The US Bank Tower in Downtown Los Angeles is seen as the streets are filled with thousands of people celebrating the end of 1999.
LOCATION: 633 W 5th St, Los Angeles, CA 90071
The police shootout at the end was filmed on S Broadway in Downtown L.A., with the Palace Theatre visible in the background.
The 2016 Coen Brothers film “Hail, Caesar!” is set against 1950s Hollywood and the production likewise mostly took place there. The house of Carlotta Valdez, played by Veronica Osorio, can be found in Hollywood, not far from Griffith Park.
LOCATION: 4791 Cromwell Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027
The television series “Our House,” starring Wilford Brimley, Deidre Hall and Shannen Doherty, ran from 1986 to 1988. The Witherspoon family house from the show can be found in Los Angeles, California.
LOCATION: 158 S Kingsley Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90004
The 1994 James Cameron film “True Lies,” starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtis, was filmed in numerous cities and states, including Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, Baltimore, Rhode Island and the Florida Keys. In the film, Harry Tasker, a secret agent for U.S. counterterrorism played by Schwarzenegger, pursues a terrorist named Aziz, played by Art Malk. Aziz flees through hotels on a motorcycle, while Harry pursues on horseback.
The chase first passes through the former Ambassador Hotel, which has since been demolished. The hotel was a staple of film and television, appearing in such films as “The Graduate,” “Forrest Gump,” “Seven,” “Bobby,” “True Romance,” “L.A. Story,” “Catch Me If You Can,” “The Mask,” “Calendar Girl” and dozens more. Only this post and statue from the original building remain at the location.
LOCATION: 3400 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90010 (now demolished)
The chase continues at the Westin Bonaventure hotel in Downtown Los Angeles. Harry rides a horse through the water as Aziz takes a hostage inside the elevator.
LOCATION: 404 S Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA 90071
Harry in turn takes his horse up the opposite facing elevator.
Here is the elevator entrance Aziz takes. Both elevators used in the film are marked with plaques noting their appearance in the film.
Here’s a closer look at one of the plaques. There are several more around the hotel, noting some of the other films shot there, including “In the Line of Fire” and “Forget Paris.” We appreciate when locations celebrate their film history in this manor.
Here is the elevator entrance Harry takes up to the roof.
Taking things a step further, the hotel dedicated the entire hallway leading from the parking garage to the lobby to all of it’s cinematic history. The Westin Bonaventure is one of the most frequently filmed locations in all of Los Angeles. In addition to the previously mentioned films, movies such as “Interstellar,” “Rain Man,” “Lethal Weapon 2,” “Strange Days,” “Nick of Time,” “Hard to Kill,” ‘Playing God” and many more have all filmed at the hotel and posters for many of them line their walls. Here is the “True Lies” poster on display at the hotel.
Harry threatens Simon, played by Bill Paxton, as he holds him on a ledge at the Sepulveda Dam in Van Nuys. The dam has likewise been featured in many films, such as “Escape From New York,” “Gattaca,” “The Italian Job,” “Iron Man 2” and many more. It has also appeared in such TV shows as “American Horror Story,” “Alias,” “Knight Rider” and more.
LOCATION: Sepulveda Dam, 15758 Burbank Blvd, Van Nuys, CA 91406
The base of the dam is open to the public and there is a large recreation area surrounding it, with trails leading directly to the dam. There are several options for areas to park and the length of the hike to reach the dam depends on where you choose to start. It can be a short walk or a long one, depending on your preference, but all of it is on level ground and what we consider fairly easy to traverse on foot.
Helen, played by Jamie Lee Curtis, is sent on a staged spy mission to the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles. Gib, played by Tom Arnold, informs her she is undercover as a prostitute and her mission is to plant a bug in one of the rooms, leading to her famous striptease scene for Harry. The hotel is another staple of film, having appeared in such movies as “Ghostbusters,” “Beverly Hills Cop,” “Independence Day,” “Fight Club” and dozens more.
LOCATION: 506 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90071
The Crystal Ballroom of the same hotel also appeared in the film for the tango scene between Harry and Helen. This particular ballroom has also appears in such films as “Pretty In Pink,” “Rocky III,” “The Bodyguard,” “Romy And Michele’s High School Reunion,” “The Fabulous Baker Boys” and more. It has also appeared in such TV shows as “True Blood,” “Bridgerton” and more.
Aziz’s men kidnap Harry and Helen, loading them in a van and driving up this ramp of the Millennium Biltmore, which is located just past the hotel on S Grand Ave. The same area can be seen in the 2018 version of “A Star Is Born,” “Chinatown” (on the upper ramp to the right) and from the reverse angle in the film “Seven.”
Late in the film, a major action sequence takes place at the Seven Mile Bridge in the Florida Keys. Harry peruses terrorists at the bridge, as they attempt to transport some nuclear warheads across it. The location is featured in another action sequence in the James Bond film “License To Kill” and also appears in the films “Key Largo,” the 2024 remake of “Road House,” “2 Fast 2 Furious,” “Up Close & Personal,” “CrissCross” and “The Triangle,” as well as the TV series “Burn Notice.”
LOCATION: Seven Mile Bridge, Marathon, FL, 33050 (GPS coordinates of the start of the bridge: 24.706964, -81.124353)
There are two bridges there, built to connect Knight’s Key to Little Duck Key. The one on the right, originally known as the Knights Key-Pigeon Key-Moser Channel-Pacet Channel Bridge, is now commonly referred to as the Old Seven Mile Bridge. It was constructed from 1909 to 1912 and eventually decommissioned in favor of a new bridge, seen on the left, which was completed in 1982 for vehicular traffic. A portion of the Old Seven Mile Bridge is still open to pedestrian traffic and cyclists. However, it has been under reconstruction since 2017 and is expected to reopen by the end of 2021. Sections of the Old Seven Mile Bridge were missing altogether and the production rebuilt portions for the film, as well as using miniatures for some of the explosions.
The 1990 David Lynch film “Wild At Heart,” starring Nicolas Cage and Laura Dern, filmed in Southern California, New Orleans, Louisiana and El Paso, Texas. The opening scenes were filmed at the MacArthur in Los Angeles, formerly known as the Park Plaza Hotel. No longer a functioning hotel, the MacArthur today serves primarily as a property for hosting filming and special events. However, it is under renovation with apparent plans to open a portion up once again as a hotel in 2022. While we have been inside the hotel, the Grand Staircase seen in the opening was crowded at the time and we weren’t able to get photos the way we wanted. You can find plenty of shots of it online, the staircase is located just through the lobby doors of the main entrance.
LOCATION: 607 S Park View St, Los Angeles, CA 90057
We did get better shots inside the restroom of the MacArthur, where Marietta Fortune, played by Diane Ladd, makes a pass at Sailor Ripley, played by Nicolas Cage. The same bathroom has appeared in such films as “Reservoir Dogs” and “Barton Fink.” It has since been remodeled a bit, but remains largely recognizable.
The Pee Dee Correctional Institution, where Sailor is released from prison, is actually the property of the city’s Department of Water and Power.
LOCATION: 1630 N Main St, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Lula, played by Laura Dern, picks up Sailor and they take off down Main Street.
Sailor and Lula drive past this restaurant as they travel across the country. The same restaurant was featured in the film “Duel,” as well as the TV series “Sharp Objects.”
LOCATION: 12625 Sierra Hwy, Santa Clarita, CA 91390
As Sailor and Lula arrive into New Orleans, they are seen driving past Antoine’s Restaurant, which still operates today.
LOCATION: 713 St Louis St, New Orleans, LA 70130
They stay at the Hotel Brazil, also located in New Orleans.
LOCATION: 532 N Rampart St, New Orleans, LA 70112
The interiors of Mr. Reindeer’s home were filmed at the Castle Green Apartments in Pasadena. Castle Green has been featured in countless films, such as “True Romance,” “The Sting,” “The Little Rascals,” “Deja Vu,” “Sneakers,” “Bugsy,” “The Last Samurai,” “Puppet Master” and many more.
LOCATION: 99 S Raymond Ave, Pasadena, CA 91105
Lula nearly gets into an accident at the intersection of E 4th Pl and Mateo St.
LOCATION: E 4th Pl / Mateo St, Los Angeles, CA 90013
Sailor tells Lula he’s leaving near the intersection of Naud St / Wilhardt St. This is located very close to the Pee Dee Correctional Institution location.
LOCATION: 1709 Naud St, Los Angeles, CA 90012
As Sailor is walking, some gang members approach him. He insults them and gets attacked.
LOCATION: E 2nd St / S Santa Fe Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Sailor runs back to Lula, jumping on top of cars in a traffic jam along Banning St, very close to the above location. The large building behind him is no longer there. Sailor sings “Love Me Tender” to Lula near the intersection of Banning St and N Vignes St.
LOCATION: Near Banning St / N Vignes St, Los Angeles, CA 90012
To see our “Wild at Heart” location page, click here.
The 2004 Michael Mann film “Collateral” takes place during one night in Los Angeles, where production was likewise based. Early in the film, a taxi driver named Max, played by Jamie Foxx, gets gas at this station, which has since been remodeled.
LOCATION: 1400 Alameda St, Los Angeles, CA 90021
Max picks up Vincent, played by Tom Cruise, who turns out to be a hitman and uses Max to make the rounds as he finds his targets. Vincent’s first stop is this apartment, where he tells Max he’s closing a real estate deal.
LOCATION: 1039 S Union Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90015
He asks Max to go to the alley in the back and wait for him. This is actually a completely different location, where a body suddenly falls on top of Max’s taxi cab.
LOCATION: Alley behind 1666 W 2nd St, Los Angeles, CA 90026 (GPS coordinates: 34.062793, -118.266048)
Yet a third location was featured in the shots looking up at the broken window. It was also used as the interior, where Detective Fanning, played by Mark Ruffalo, later arrives at the scene.
LOCATION: 1033 Beacon Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90015 (back side of the building, GPS coordinates: 34.048907, -118.276713)
Another alley is featured when Vincent ties Max to the steering wheel as he leaves to kill his next target.
LOCATION: Alley behind 3200 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90010 (GPS coordinates: 34.061102, -118.292291)
Max honks on the horn for help, but instead attracts some men looking to rob him. They attempt to take Vincent’s briefcase, but he returns to the car and executes the men.
At the end of the film, Max and Annie, played by Jada Pinkett Smith, arrive at the Redondo Beach Station. Director Michael Mann previously used this same station in the opening shots of “Heat.” If you plan to visit this station, the only way to access the platform is by purchasing a fare.
LOCATION: 2406 Marine Ave, Redondo Beach, CA 90278
Max and Annie continue down to the street level below the station.
The film ends as Max and Annie make their way out to the street and the train departs.
The 2019 Noah Baumbach film “Marriage Story,” starring Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson, tells the story of a couple whose lives are split between New York City and Los Angeles. Production likewise took place in both cities. Nicole, played by Johansson, visits her mother’s house several times in the film. The home can be found in Altadena.
LOCATION: 1145 New York Dr, Altadena, CA 91001
Charlie, played by Driver, picks up some food for his son Henry at this plaza. As Charlie talks on the phone, Henry drops his food.
LOCATION: 5270 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90027
Charlie and Henry can be seen walking to Bert Spitz’s office in this alley.
LOCATION: 8118 W 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90048 (back alley behind building, GPS coordinates: 34.071805, -118.366658)
Charlie takes Henry trick or treating to this home.
LOCATION: 1325 Miller Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90069
Charlie then takes Henry trick or treating inside this store, which is located very close to the above house, making it geographically accurate to where the characters would have walked.
LOCATION: 8495 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069
Charlie rents an apartment in Los Angeles. Both the interior and exterior are seen in the film and both have since been remodeled. You can still recognize it as the building, but it looks a bit different now. The interior is where the long argument scene between Nicole and Charlie was filmed.
LOCATION: 1530 N Formosa Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90046
The closing Halloween party scenes were filmed in front of this home in Altadena.
LOCATION: 2011 Mar Vista Ave, Altadena, CA 91001
To see our “Marriage Story” location page, click here.
Film Oblivion 