Steven Spielberg

Ready Player One (2018)

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To promote the release of the Steven Speilberg film “Ready Player One,” Warner Bros. set up a pop-up, interactive maze called the “Ready Player One Challenge,” located on the corner of Hollywood and Vine in Hollywood, California.  It’s the same spot they created “The IT Experience: Neibolt House Hollywood” in 2017.

Visitors were invited to explore the OASIS in an interactive maze, which included A/V installations, interactive displays, nostalgic gaming stations, a store, props and a full-scale recreation of the sets from the film.  Here we’ll take a look primarily at the sets and the props.  The exhibition runs from March 18 – April 1, 2018.

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While the film was set in Columbus, Ohio, it was shot in England.  This exhibition allowed visitors to get a real life glimpse at how those sets appeared, in full scale.

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War Of The Worlds (2005)

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The 2005 Steven Spielberg remake “War Of The Worlds,” starring Tom Cruise, was filmed in New Jersey, New York, Virginia, Connecticut and California. The home of Ray Ferrier, played by Cruise, can be found in Bayonne, New Jersey.

LOCATION: 11 John F. Kennedy Blvd, Bayonne, NJ 07002

Ray is seen driving past the Bayonne Bridge on his way home, which runs right beside the house.

In one scene, Ray stands in the street in front of his home and notices a disturbance in the sky.

On the Universal Studios Tour at Universal Studios Hollywood, you can see the plane crash set from the film.  It is a very intricate set, with lots of full-scale, realistic wreckage.  Cars, ambulances and even an actual, out of use, Boeing 747 were all used for film.  Universal made it an interactive exhibition, with fires and smoke as you pass through.

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LOCATION: 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, CA 91608

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One tip for those perhaps not interested in paying the full price for admission into Universal Studios Hollywood, this set can actually be seen free of charge from a hilltop behind the studio.  Just head up to the 3400 block of Blair Dr in Los Angeles for a view of the crash set.  It’s obviously not as good as viewing it up close from ground level, but if you’ve got some time to spare, it’s still an interesting sight.

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LOCATION: 3400 block of Blair Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90068

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

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The house from Steven Spielberg’s beloved 1982 film “E.T.” can be found in the town of Tujunga, California.

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LOCATION: 7121 Lonzo St., Tujunga, CA 91042

The ending of the film, when Elliott begins to fly with E.T. on his bike, was filmed near Granada Hills, at the intersection of Tulsa St and White Oak Ave.  The bike heads north on White Oak as it begins to take flight.

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LOCATION: Intersection of Tulsa St / White Oak Ave, Los Angeles, CA 91344

A full scale animatronic of E.T., one of three created for the film, can be found on display at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles, California.

LOCATION: 6067 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036