Pacific Palisades

Carrie (1976)

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The 1976 horror classic “Carrie,” directed by Brian De Palma, was filmed in Southern California. Early in the film, Carrie, played by Sissy Spacek, is seen walking home from school along E Santa Paula St toward N 6th St in Santa Paula, California. Most of the trees lining the street have since been removed.

LOCATION: N 6th St / E Santa Paula St, Santa Paula, CA 93060

A boy riding a bicycle begins to tease Carrie when she uses her telekinetic powers to knock the boy off his bike.

The home of Sue Snell, played by Amy Irving, could be found in Pacific Palisades. However, it has since been heavily remodeled and no longer appears anything like how it did in the film.

LOCATION: 773 Amalfi Dr, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272 (heavily remodeled)

Carrie’s house has likewise long since been demolished. It could be found in Santa Paulo. The house next door, which could be seen in the background of some shots, still matches up.

LOCATION: 122 N 7th St, Santa Paula, CA 93060 (now demolished)

Later in the film, Tommy, played by William Katt, is seen approaching from here as he arrived to pick up Carrie.

Several of the high school scenes were filmed at Palisades High School. The girls are seen playing volleyball on the basketball courts. The same school was used in the 2003 remake of “Freaky Friday” and the TV series “Saved By The Bell,” as well as many more productions.

LOCATION: 15777 Bowdoin St, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272

The girls are also seen out on the football field of Palisades High School.

Later in the film, Carrie’s classmates play a horrific prank on her as they head to a slaughterhouse to collect some pig’s blood. These scenes were filmed in the city of Vernon. The same building and mural appears in “Zabriskie Point” and the 1977 film “Angel City.”

LOCATION: 3049 E Vernon Ave, Vernon, CA 90058 (near the intersection of Bandini Blvd / S Soto St)

The murals have since changed a bit, so these are approximations of the areas seen in the film.

A second high school was used for the scene where Freddy, played by Michael Talbott, asks to join the prom committee. This scene was filmed in San Fernando.

LOCATION: 576 N Maclay Ave, San Fernando, CA 91340

Carrie is seen entering a drug store, which can be found in Santa Paula.

LOCATION: 910 E Main St, Santa Paula, CA 93060

The boys stop in the building next door to rent some tuxedos.

LOCATION: 910 E Main St, Santa Paula, CA 93060

The exterior gym scenes were filmed at the Hermosa Beach Community Center. While a few brief shots of the interior are seen in the film, all of the interior prom scenes were filmed on a set at Culver Studios (9336 Washington Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232).

LOCATION: 710 Pier Ave, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254

Carrie tells Miss Collins, played by Betty Buckley, that she has been invited to prom.

The iconic shot of Carrie leaving as the gym is engulfed in flames was filmed here at the Hermosa Beach Community Center.

Related articles: Scarface (1983), Body Double (1984)

Freaky Friday (2003)

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The 2003 remake of “Freaky Friday,” starring Lindsay Lohan (Anna Coleman) and Jamie Lee Curtis (Tess Coleman), was filmed in Southern California. The Coleman house can be found in Pacific Palisades. The same home appeared in the film “You Again.”

LOCATION: 732 Chapala Dr, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272

The high school seen in the film is Palisades High School. The same school was used in the original 1976 “Carrie,” “The Glass House,” “Havoc,” “Crazy/Beautiful,” the TV show “Saved By The Bell” and many more productions.

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LOCATION: 15777 Bowdoin St, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272

The elementary school scenes were filmed at Dorris Place Elementary School. The same school appeared in the films “Child’s Play 2,” “Unlawful Entry,” “Robocop,” “Cooties” and “Pinocchio’s Revenge,” as well as the TV series “Cold Case” and “Lucifer.”

LOCATION: 2225 Dorris Pl, Los Angeles, CA 90031

Bye Bye Love (1995)

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The 1995 comedy “Bye Bye Love,” starring Paul Reiser, was filmed in Southern California. In the film, Vic, played by Randy Quaid, drops his daughter off at her grandparents house, which can be found in Pacific Palisades. The same house was featured in “Saved By The Bell: Wedding In Las Vegas” and “Ghost In The Machine.”

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LOCATION: 510 Frontera Dr, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272

The party house can be found in Altadena, California.  The house has been used in a variety of productions over the years, including “Can’t Hardly Wait,” “American Pie,” “How Stella Got Her Groove Back” and “I Know Who Killed Me,” as well as such TV shows as “The Mentalist” and “This Is Us.”

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LOCATION: 1090 Rubio St, Altadena, CA 91001

Emma, played by Eliza Dushku, drived into the yard of her former house, located in Pasadena.

LOCATION: 1575 E Mountain St, Pasadena, CA 91104

Species (1995)

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The 1995 sci-fi film “Species” was filmed in Utah, Southern California and Puerto Rico. Early in the film, after escaping from a science lab, the half-human, half-alien Sil, played by Natasha Henstridge, arrives by train into Los Angeles at Union Station.

LOCATION: 800 Alameda St, Los Angeles, CA 90012

Union Station has been seen in countless films, such as “Blade Runner,” “Catch Me If You Can,” “The Dark Knight Rises” and many more.

Xavier Fitch, played by Ben Kingsley, assembles a team to find Sil. They set up operations at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel.  They first arrive at this alley entrance facing S Olive St.  The same alley can be seen in the film “Chinatown.” There is a gate here blocking entrance into the alley, so it’s a bit tricky getting a photo.

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LOCATION: Alley between 523 / 525 S Olive St, Los Angeles, CA, 90013

They are seen entering the lobby of the Millennium Biltmore, which has been featured in dozens of films, such as “Beverly Hills Cop,” “Independence Day,” “Blonde” and many more.

LOCATION: 506 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90071

The team is later seen leaving from this side of the hotel facing S Grand Ave. The same area can be seen in the films “Seven,” “A Star Is Born” and more.

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

Sil gets a hotel room at this hotel in West Hollywood.

LOCATION: 7212 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90046

The club Sil heads to in search of a man is actually the lobby of the famous Pantages Theatre in Hollywood, which was heavily dressed to appear like a club. The “entrance” seen in the film is the back of the building. The theater has likewise appeared in such films as “Ed Wood,” “Once Upon A Time In… Hollywood,” “The Aviator,” “The Bodyguard,” “Batman Forever” and many more.

LOCATION: 6233 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028

Looking to mate with a human partner as soon as possible, Sil aggressively picks up a man at the club and heads back to his place. After detecting he is a diabetic, she determines he’s not a suitable partner.

LOCATION: 1500 Blue Jay Way, Los Angeles, CA 90069

After getting into an accident, Sil meets another man she quickly tries to seduce. Just as she is about to have sex with him at his house, Preston and Laura, played by Michael Madsen and Marg Helgenberger respectively, catch up to her at the home, located in Pacific Palisades.

LOCATION: 14458 Rustic Creek Ln, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272

After Sil escapes, she returns back to the home in a car to observe Xavier Fitch’s team investigating the scene. This is a bit of movie magic as the road actually dead ends just a couple houses down into a cul-de-sac, so Sil would not have been able to approach the home from this direction. The team is seen driving past her vehicle, which in reality, they’d likewise be driving straight into the dead end.

Suburban Commando (1991)

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In the 1991 comedy “Suburban Commando,” Hulk Hogan plays a warrior from outer space named Shep Ramsey, who finds himself stranded on Earth after crash-landing. Ordered by his commander to use the time to take a vacation, Shep takes up residence with a suburban family.

The film was shot entirely in Southern California. Early in the movie, after Shep leaves his space craft hidden away to recharge, he first encounters Earthlings walking down this strip of storefronts, located in Pacific Palisades. The storefronts have changed very little from the time filming took place and much of it is still easily recognizable. He turns this corner from the parking area to see a cop writing a ticket and a man holding a broom, shouting at him.

LOCATION: 16618 Marquez Ave, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272

As Shep continues walking, a group of women notice him and comment to themselves in front of this store.

LOCATION: 16636 Marquez Ave, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272

In the same general area to the right of the doors, a woman is standing in front of a soda machine, angry because it took her money. Shep hits the machine and all the coins spill out, causing a group of kids to run over and collect them.

As he continues walking past this store, a couple pedestrians pass and comment on his unusual fashion.

LOCATION: 16642 Marquez Ave, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272

Shep notices a dog locked in a vehicle in the blistering heat in front of this restaurant, where the owner sits and eats a meal and yells at the dog. Shep grabs the man, locks him in the vehicle and lets the dog finish the owner’s meal.

LOCATION: 16646 Marquez Ave, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272

Shep reaches the end of the block, rounding the corner onto Bollinger Dr, where he notices a telephone pole with a posting advertising an apartment for rent. The phone pole has since been removed.

LOCATION: 16650 Marquez Ave, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272

The scene ends with Shep taking the advertisement and walking down Bollinger Dr, implying the Wilcox property is located just down the road. The real location, however, is located nowhere near Pacific Palisades.

The same location appears again later in the film, when Shep encounters a mime, who he believes is actually stuck in an invisible force field.

LOCATION: Bollinger Dr / Marquez Ave Los Angeles, CA 90272

The apartment ad eventually leads Shep to Jenny Wilcox, played by Shelley Duvall, who posted the rental as a means to help bring in extra income for her husband Charlie, played by Christoper Lloyd. The Wilcox family home can be found in Tarzana.

LOCATION: 19106 Sylvan St, Tarzana, CA 91335

The house is mostly seen in tight shots, or facing out towards the street. There are, however, a couple brief views of the entire home in wide shots.

The neighboring homes to the left and right of the Wilcox house are also featured in the film. This is the home where Charlie’s neighbor is working on cars in the driveway throughout the film. He keeps leaving vehicles on the street, blocking Charlie from accessing his own driveway, until Shep takes matters into his own hands.

LOCATION: 19100 Sylvan St, Tarzana, CA 91335

On the other side of the Wilcox house is where the eccentric veteran neighbor sits out in the front lawn and strikes up a friendship with Shep, sharing battle stories.

LOCATION: 19112 Sylvan St, Tarzana, CA 91335

The traffic light Charlie keeps getting stuck at throughout the film can be found at the intersection of Burbank Blvd and Woodley Ave, near Encino Village in the San Fernando Valley.

LOCATION: Burbank Blvd / Woodley Ave, Los Angeles, CA 91411

Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989)

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The 1989 film “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure” supposedly takes place in San Dimas, Califorina.  However, due to tax incentives at the time, most of the production mostly took place near Phoenix, Arizona and the surrounding towns.

Bill and Ted, played by Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves respectively, practice as their band “Wyld Stallyns” in Bill’s garage.  Bill’s house was actually a composite of two locations.  The first house, which was used for interiors and the back yard, can be found in Phoenix.

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LOCATION: 112 W Kaler Dr, Phoenix, AZ 85021

The second house, used for garage shots of both the interior and exterior, was located in Pacific Palisades, California, but has since been torn down with a new home built in it’s place.

LOCATION: 1460 Amalfi Dr, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272 (demolished)

Exterior shots of Bill and Ted’s high school were filmed at Coronado High School in Scottsdale.  The school, also seen in the film “Just One of the Guys,” has been heavily remodeled since filming took place.  The interiors were filmed at the former East High School in Phoenix (515 N 48th St, Phoenix, AZ 85008), which had already closed at the time of filming and has since been demolished.

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LOCATION: 7501 E Virginia Ave, Scottsdale, AZ 85257

One location that does still look similar to how it appeared in the film is Ted’s house, located in Phoenix.

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LOCATION: 1841 E Berridge Ln, Phoenix, AZ 85016

Here is another angle of the home.

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The Circle K, where Bill and Ted first meet Rufus, played by George Carlin, can be found in Tempe.  After seeing the time traveling phone booth, Ted delivers the iconic line, “Strange things are afoot at the Circle K.”  The store was a popular location for fans of the film, regularly attracting visitors who quote and reenact scenes. However, it permanently closed in 2022.

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LOCATION: 1010 W Southern Ave, Tempe, AZ 85282

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Napoleon eats ice cream at the fictional Zyggies.  At the time, the restaurant was known as Showbiz Pizza Place, but it has since become a Chuck E Cheese.

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LOCATION: 8039 N 35th Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85051

The bowling alley Napoleon gets thrown out of after being unable to pay can be found in Tempe.

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LOCATION: 4407 S Rural Rd, Tempe, AZ 85282

Bill and Ted take their crew of historical figures out to the San Dimas Mall.  This was actually filmed at the Metrocenter Mall in Phoenix.  The mall, which was only seen from interior views in the film, has since closed down.

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LOCATION: 9617 N Metro Pkwy W, Phoenix, AZ 85051

Waterloo, where Napoleon becomes enamored with the water slides, was filmed at Golfland Sunsplash in Mesa.

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LOCATION: 155 W Hampton Ave, Mesa, AZ 85210

This castle building is seen in some shots during the scene.

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Related articles: Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey (1991)

Ghost In The Machine (1993)

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The 1993 sci-fi horror film “Ghost in the Machine,” starring Karen Allen, was filmed around Southern California.  The killer first strikes at this home in Pacific Palisades.  The same house was featured in the film “Bye Bye Love,” as the home of Zack Morris in the TV movie “Saved By The Bell: Wedding In Las Vegas.”

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LOCATION: 510 Frontera Dr, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272

The apartment of Karl Hopkins can be found in Los Angeles.

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LOCATION: 722 Hartford Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90017

Frazer lives in this Encino house, which was also featured as the home of Steve Sanders in the 1990s TV series “Beverly Hills, 90210,” as well as the horror film “The Dentist.”

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LOCATION: 16711 Bosque Dr, Encino, CA 91436

The house of Elaine Spencer can be found in Van Nuys.

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LOCATION: 6332 Orion Ave, Van Nuys, CA 91411

Saved By The Bell

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The original “Saved By the Bell”  show taped at Sunset-Gower Studios in Hollywood, California.  Those sets are long since gone, but that didn’t stop the next best thing from happening; a full blown, pop-up restaurant, inspired by the show.  Recreating many of the classic sets, Saved By the Max was created with participation and support from NBC and first opened in Chicago, Illinois (1941 W North Ave, Chicago, IL 60622), where it ran for a year, before relocating to Los Angeles, California, where it is also currently slated to run for one year.

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LOCATION: 7100 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90046

The restaurant is well designed, capturing many of the little details of The Max.  It is a full service restaurant, serving burgers, shakes and many other foods.  Occasionally cast members from the show even make appearances.

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Not an actual, functioning door.  In fact, even the window is not real.

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The classic jukebox from the show.

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And of course the arcade machines.

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A DJ station for KKTY Bayside.

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Some oversized heads of the cast for visitors to use for photo ops.

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A look at the kitchen.

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The merch area, where you can buy hoodies, t-shirts, slap bracelets and more.

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Visitors can also choose to dine in Mr. Belding’s office.

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Sections of the restaurant even tried to recreate portions of Bayside High.

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Here we see the lockers of all of the cast.  Zack, Slater, Kelly, Screech, Jessie, Lisa and even Tori.

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There’s even a “Belding stinks” sticker on the bathroom door, a nice touch.

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Some props and merchandise from the original show, including menus for The Max, dolls, the Saved By the Bell board game, a copy of the Bayside Breeze newspaper and much more.

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There are a few locations in the real world that were used for the show, but these were limited to the TV movies, which came after the original show and could no longer utilize the former sets.  In “Saved By the Bell: Wedding in Las Vegas,” this Pacific Palisades home is shown the be the house of Zack Morris.  Throughout the main run of the show, Zack’s house was always a set.  This same house was also seen in the films “Bye Bye Love” and “Ghost In The Machine.”

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LOCATION: 510 Frontera Dr, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272

There is also a shot in the movie showing Palisades High School as the famous Bayside High School.  This is the only time, aside from a couple establishing shots during Season 1, an exterior high school shot was ever used.  Again, in the original show, it was always a set.  The same school was used in the original 1976 “Carrie,” the 2003 remake of “Freaky Friday” and many more films.

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LOCATION: 15777 Bowdoin St, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272

For those wondering, the Malibu Sands Resort was filmed at the Annenberg Community Beach House at 415 Pacific Coast Hwy, Santa Monica, CA 90402.  It has since been heavily remodeled and looks nothing like it did on the show.

Mohandas Gandhi

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After Mohandas Gandhi was tragically assassinated in his native India, his ashes were scattered throughout the rivers and seas of India, save for a small portion that made their way to Southern California.  At the Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine, you can find a shrine dedicated to Gandhi.  The Self-Realization Fellowship was founded by Paramahansa Yogananda, a longtime admirer of Gandhi.  His friend, a publisher and journalist from India, named Dr. V.M. Nawle, sent Yogananda the ashes.  Yogananda had the ashes encased in a thousand-year-old stone sarcophagus from China, which cannot be opened without breaking it.  The shrine is free of charge to visit and exists as the only place in the world, outside of India, to contain some of Gandhi’s remains.

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LOCATION: 17190 Sunset Blvd, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272