Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back (2001)

March 15, 2022February 19, 2023 / filmoblivion / Leave a comment

The 2001 comedy “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back,” starring Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith, was primarily filmed in Southern California, with some additional footage shot in Smith’s home state of New Jersey. The film opens in 1970s Leonardo, New Jersey at the Quick Stop Groceries, where Jay and Silent Bob are shown as babies sitting outside the store in strollers. The location is of course famous among Smith fans as the primary location of his debut film, “Clerks.”

LOCATION: 58 Leonard Ave, Leonardo, NJ 07737

As the story jumps to present day, the original characters from “Clerks,” Dante and Randall, played by Brian O’Halloran and Jeff Anderson, talk inside at the counter. Randall decides to call the police on Jay and Silent Bob, to get rid of them loitering outside.

Jay and Silent Bob stand next to the RST Video, where they appear in many of Smith’s other films.

LOCATION: 60 Leonard Ave, Leonardo, NJ 07737

Brodie’s Secret Stash, a fictional take on Smith’s “Jay and Silent Bob’s Secret Stash” was filmed at the real store, formerly located at 35 Broad St, Red Bank, NJ 07701. It has since relocated to a bigger space down the road at 65 Broad St, Red Bank, NJ 07701.

The Mooby’s restaurant seen in the film now sits vacant in North Hollywood. This same location was used as Pig Burgers in “Better Off Dead.” Here Jay meets Justice, played by Shannon Elizabeth, and he and Silent Bob join up with her friends, who turn out to be diamond thieves.

LOCATION: 6223 Lankershim Blvd, North Hollywood, CA 91606

Justice and her accomplices stop at this liquor store in Winnetka, where Jay and Silent Bob try to stand out front, but can’t get comfortable leaning on the glass windows. The same liquor store also appeared in the film “Magnolia” and The Smashing Pumpkins’ music video for “1979.”

LOCATION: 20001 Roscoe Blvd, Winnetka, CA 91306

The women set up Jay and Silent Bob as patsies, sending them on a mission to rescue a monkey from a testing lab, while they actually stage a diamond heist. These scenes were filmed in Valencia, California.

LOCATION: 27220 Turnberry Ln, Valencia, CA 91355

This area is where the science lab entrance was located.

To the right is where the Diamond Exchange entrance was located.

The Arena Diner, where Jay and Silent Bob escape police, was filmed at the famous Vasquez Rocks. One of the most popular filming locations in all of California, the iconic rocks have appeared in such films as “The Flintstones,” “Dante’s Peak,” “Jingle All The Way,” “Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey,” “Hail, Caesar!,” “Blazing Saddles,” “Paul” and dozens more. Television shows which featured Vasquez Rocks in episodes include “The Fugutive,” “The A-Team,” “MacGuyver” and perhaps most famous of all, the original “Star Trek” series, where the rocks were seen in numerous episodes, serving as multiple different planets. The rocks have also been seen in music videos for Michael Jackson, Radiohead, 311 and many more, as well as countless commercials.

LOCATION: 10700 Escondido Canyon Rd, Agua Dulce, CA 91350

The building where Jay and Silent Bob run into Pumpkin Escobar, a fellow unionized drug dealer played by Tracy Morgan, was formerly located at 1557 N El Centro Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90028. It has since been demolished and a parking lot stands in its place.

E! News does a story in front of Mirimax Studios, which does not actually have a real studio lot. The scenes were filmed at the CBS Studio Center in Studio City. The film’s studio lot scenes were all shot here as well.

LOCATION: 4024 Radford Ave, Studio City, CA 91604

At the end of the movie, numerous characters from Smith’s past films are seen coming out of the El Rey Theatre, which is depicted as a movie theater. Jay then invites everyone to the concert “across the street.” The El Rey is in fact a live music venue, not a movie theater, and the closing performance by Morris Day & The Time was filmed inside the same location. The venue also appeared in the film “License To Drive.”

LOCATION: 5515 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036

American Beauty (1999)

January 15, 2019October 5, 2022 / filmoblivion / Leave a comment

It is common practice in Hollywood to film exteriors of homes on location, while filming interiors on studio lots. For the 1999 Sam Mendes film, “American Beauty,” an unusual approach was taken to film the exteriors on a studio lot and the interiors in real locations.

Lester Burnham, played by Kevin Spacey, lives at this house, the exterior of which is located on the Warner Bros. Ranch in Burbank, California. The ranch is a small lot located apart from the main studio lot, and is unfortunately not open to public tours. The house is also well known for having been used as the Griswold home in 1989’s “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.” It has also appeared in “WandaVision,” “Hocus Pocus,” “Small Soldiers,” “Pleasantville” and more. As is often the case with houses on studio lots, the outer facade has since changed a bit from how it appeared in the film.

LOCATION: 411 N Hollywood Way, Burbank, CA 91505

The interiors of Lester’s home were filmed at this house, located in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles. The exterior of the house was also featured in the TV series “Lizzie McGuire,” starring Hilary Duff.

LOCATION: 11388 Homedale St, Los Angeles, CA 90049

To the right of the Bernham house at the Warner Bros. Ranch is the exterior of the Colonel’s house. This house is most well known for being Danny Glover’s home in the “Lethal Weapon” films. Known as the Lindsay house, it has also appeared in “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,” “WandaVision,” The Three Stooges serials, “Pushing Daisies,” “The Middle” and many more. Once again, the outer facade has changed a bit from how it appeared in the film.

LOCATION: 411 N Hollywood Way, Burbank, CA 91505

The interior of the Colonel’s house was filmed at this home near Hancock Park. The same house appeared in the film “Lady Bird.”

LOCATION: 330 S Windsor Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90020

To the left of the Burnham house is the house of the two Jims, played by Scott Bakula and Sam Robards. To stand on Blondie Street at the Warner Bros Ranch, where all three of the house exteriors are located, it really does feel like you’re standing in a real neighborhood. It’s only when you approach up close that the facades begin to show.

LOCATION: 411 N Hollywood Way, Burbank, CA 91505

Lester takes a job at a fast food restaurant, where his wife unknowingly visits him at the drive through.

LOCATION: 20105 Saticoy St, Winnetka, CA 91306

Carolyn, played by Annette Bening, has an affair at the Top Hat Motel. The building can be found in North Hills.

LOCATION: 8525 Sepulveda Blvd, North Hills, CA 91343

Home Alone 2: Lost In New York (1992)

July 7, 2018October 20, 2022 / filmoblivion / Leave a comment

For the 1992 sequel “Home Alone 2: Lost In New York,” the entire, original cast and crew returned, as well as a location from the first film. In the early scenes, the McCalister house is once again on display. The famous home can be found in Winnetka, Illinois. A fence has since been built around the property.

LOCATION: 671 Lincoln Ave, Winnetka, IL 60093

The bulk of the film, however, takes place in New York City this time around. Upon arrival, Kevin takes in many of the city’s landmarks, including Radio City Music Hall. The landmark concert hall has appeared in countless productions, such as “The Godfather,” “Rosemary’s Baby,” “Annie,” “Rocky III,” “Radio Days” and many more.

LOCATION: 1260 6th Ave, New York, NY 10020

Later Kevin makes his way over to Central Park, where he first encounters the Pigeon Lady, a scary and mysterious woman covered in birds, who essentially serves the same role as Old Many Marley in the original film. Kevin is initially frightened when he sees her feeding birds in front of Gapstow Bridge in Central Park, though the two eventually strike up a friendship.

LOCATION: Gapstow Bridge, Central Park, New York, NY 10019

Very close to Gapstow Bridge is another major location in the film, the Plaza Hotel. “Guests of the new ‘Celebrity Ding, Dang, Dong’ stay at the world-renowned Plaza Hotel, New York’s most exciting hotel experience.” It is a real, well-known hotel in Manhattan, perched right above Central Park. Here is a view of the hotel from the park.

LOCATION: 768 5th Ave, New York, NY 10019

Later in the film, Kevin returns to Central Park at Bethesda Terrace and Fountain, where he flees from the Sticky Bandits. The terrace is another famous New York landmark seen in countless films.

LOCATION: 72 Terrace Dr, New York, NY 10021 (inside Central Park)

A reverse view of the fountain. Here Kevin hides in the back of a carriage, narrowly escaping the bandits.

A couple other, notable locations from the film were actually sets. Uncle Rob’s house, where Kevin once again wreaks havoc on the Sticky Bandits with homemade traps, was a set located on Brownstone Street on the backlot of Universal Studios Hollywood. The street suffered a fire in 2008 and portions had to be rebuilt.

While made to resemble Central Park, the scene where the Pigeon Lady throws bird seeds all over the bandits, saving Kevin from harm’s way in the process, was also a set.

Near the end of the film, Kevin is finally reunited with his mother in front of Rockefeller Center.

LOCATION: 45 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10111

Some props from this film, as well as the first part, can be found on display at Planet Hollywood in Florida.

LOCATION: 1506 E Buena Vista Dr, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830

Magnolia (1999)

November 19, 2017December 4, 2022 / filmoblivion / Leave a comment

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.

LOCATION: 7222 Reseda Blvd, Reseda, CA 91335

The two take shelter at the gas station.

LOCATION: 7208 Reseda Blvd, Reseda, CA 91335

Home Alone (1990)

May 26, 2017October 20, 2022 / filmoblivion / Leave a comment

If there’s one location that should someday be converted into a tourist attraction, it would probably be the house from Home Alone. A truly iconic film spot, it seems an exercise in futility to try to manage a private life at the residence, yet to this day, it does indeed remain private. The house can be found in the quiet neighborhood of Winnetka, IL, a bit north of Chicago. A fence has since been built around the property.

LOCATION: 671 Lincoln Ave, Winnetka, IL 60093

They left the garage door open, just like in the film. The garage has since been demolished.

The church from the film can be found over in Wilmette, IL. This is the Trinity United Methodist Church, which was used as the exterior location for the film. The interior of the church was actually an entirely separate location; the Grace Episcopal Church (924 Lake St., Oak Park, IL 60301).

LOCATION: 1024 Lake Ave, Wilmette, IL 60091

Some props from the film and it’s sequel can be found on display at Planet Hollywood in Florida.

LOCATION: 1506 E Buena Vista Dr, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830

Related articles: Home Alone 2: Lost In New York (1992)

Film Oblivion

Movie and TV locations, points of interest.

Winnetka

Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back (2001)

American Beauty (1999)

Home Alone 2: Lost In New York (1992)

Magnolia (1999)

Home Alone (1990)