The 1994 action film “Terminal Velocity,” starring Charlie Sheen, was primarily filmed in Arizona. In the opening of the film, a woman is killed at this apartment building, where Chris, played by Nastassja Kinski, lives.
LOCATION: 2201 N Central Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85004
Richard “Ditch” Brodie, played by Sheen, skydives past this building as he lands at the wrong party.
LOCATION: 74 Washington St, Phoenix, AZ 85003
The 1990 film “The Grifters,” directed by Stephen Frears, was shot primarily in Los Angeles, California and Phoenix, Arizona. Lilly, played by Anjelica Houston, visits her son Roy, played by John Cusack, at his apartment in Los Angeles. Roy’s apartment is actually a composite of two locations. For the wide shots and the scene where Roy is taken away in an ambulance, the Bryson Apartments were used. The same apartment can be seen in the film “Magnolia.” For closer shots, the Asbury Apartments, located at 2505 W 6th St, Los Angeles, CA 90057, were used.
LOCATION: 2701 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90057
The apartment where Roy’s girlfriend Myra, played by Annette Bening, lives has since been demolished. It was formerly located at 692 S Mariposa Ave Los Angeles, CA 90005.
Lilly places bets on horses at a race track, supposedly located La Jolla. The real location can actually be found in Phoenix. As she’s leaving, her angry boss Bobo comes to visit her. The location appears again later in the film when Myra spies on Lilly.
LOCATION: 1501 W Bell Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85023
A drunken man disturbs Lilly as she tries to eat at this cafe in Santa Clarita. The cafe is only seen from interior views in the film.
LOCATION: 25861 Railroad Ave, Santa Clarita, CA 91355
After Lilly discovers she is in danger, she gets a motel room, supposedly located in Phoenix. Myra follows her there, planning to kill her. Ironically, despite other scenes actually filming in Phoenix, the motel chosen by the production instead shot in Santa Clarita, California. The same motel was featured in the Britney Spears film “Crossroads,” as well as the TV shows “Too Old To Die Young” and “Westworld.”
LOCATION: 12117 Sierra Hwy, Santa Clarita, CA 91390
Roy is summoned to Phoenix to identify a body and is taken to the Phoenix City Hall. These scenes were filmed at the Maricopa County Courthouse in Phoenix. The entrance Roy is seen entering can be found on the west side of the building, facing what is now the courtyard area.
LOCATION: 125 W Washington St, Phoenix, AZ 85003
The 1987 Coen Brothers film “Raising Arizona” was, as you might have guessed, filmed in Arizona. Early in the film, the recently paroled H.I. McDunnough, played by Nicolas Cage, robs a convenience store, winding up back in jail. The store has since been remodeled, but still remains standing in Phoenix.
LOCATION: 2311 W Deer Valley Dr, Phoenix, AZ 85027
The trailer where H.I. and his new wife Ed, played by Holly Hunter, first move after getting married can be found in Scottsdale. In reality, it’s just an empty plot of land, which can be found on the left side where N 136th St dead ends into E Del Timbre Dr.
LOCATION: N 136th St / E Del Timbre Dr, Scottsdale, AZ 85259
After discovering they’re unable to have children, H.I. and Ed hear news of a family named Arizona having five children and decide to steal one of them to raise as their own. The home of the Arizonas is a slight challenge to locate and photograph. It is found on the grounds of a luxury resort called The Phoenician. If you travel just briefly up N Phoenician Blvd from E Camelback Rd, you’ll see it on your left. The building, known as the Jokake Inn, has no unique address separate from the large resort grounds, but the GPS coordinates are 33°30’14.1″N 111°57’04.5″W. As you can see in the photo, there is a spot there to u turn out of the property. If you proceed any further, there is a security checkpoint immediately ahead and no other place to turn around without passing through the checkpoint.
LOCATION: Jokake Inn at The Phoenician, N Phoenician Blvd, Phoenix, AZ 85018 (GPS coordinates: 33°30’14.1″N 111°57’04.5″W)
After trying to rob a store for some diapers, H.I. is chased by the police. After he is ejected through the front window of a truck, he runs through this house, located in Scottsdate.
LOCATION: 8620 E Malcomb Dr, Scottsdale, AZ 85250
Near the end of the film, H.I. battles the bounty hunter Leonard Smalls near this water tower in Scottsdale. Directly across the street was the bank location that Gale and Evelle rob, but it has since been demolished. The buildings and water tower on the opposite side of the road still remain standing, however.
LOCATION: 27400 N Alma School Pkwy, Scottsdale, AZ 85262
The TV series “Alice,” based on the Martin Scorsese film “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore,” ran from 1976 until 1985. Linda Lavin plays the titular Alice, a woman working as a waitress at Mel’s Diner. The show was based in Phoenix, Arizona and there is indeed a Mel’s Diner in Phoenix. The diner’s sign with the coffee cup was in fact featured in the show. However, the diner itself was actually a set built in Los Angeles.
The real Mel’s Diner in Phoenix remains in business all these years later and inside they have many photos from the show. If you do plan to visit, the restaurant is only open during breakfast and lunch hours.
LOCATION: 1747 Grand Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85007
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.
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.
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.
LOCATION: 1841 E Berridge Ln, Phoenix, AZ 85016
Here is another angle of the home.
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.
LOCATION: 1010 W Southern Ave, Tempe, AZ 85282
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.
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.
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.
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.
LOCATION: 155 W Hampton Ave, Mesa, AZ 85210
This castle building is seen in some shots during the scene.
Related articles: Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey (1991)
The Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 horror classic “Psycho” filmed largely in California, but some of the early scenes shot in Phoenix, Arizona. Marion Crane, played by Janet Leigh, takes her lunch break to meet a man she’s having an affair with at this hotel.
LOCATION: 101 S Central Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85004
The car dealership where Marion changes her vehicle can be found in North Hollywood, California.
LOCATION: 4270 Lankershim Blvd, North Hollywood, CA 91602
The iconic house from the film can be found on the Universal Studios lot, as part of their studio tour. It is indeed the actual house from the film, although the back part of the house, not seen on camera in the film, was added later on by the studio, after the film had been released. There is also a Bates Motel set on the tour, but that set is actually from the sequel film, not the original.
LOCATION: 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, CA 91608
Another view of the side of the house.
This was Alfred Hitchcock’s office on the Universal lot, which is commemorated with a drawing of the director’s famous silhouette.
Film Oblivion 