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I love visiting the actual sites from
famous films and seeing how they look in real life compared to how they
appeared in the movie. So for the few past weekends, after doing some
research on filming locations, a few friends and I have been running
around the city of Los Angeles taking photographs of these sites to see
how different or the same they appear. This short film is the result of our efforts (complete with exciting Jerry Goldsmith Oscar Montage music)... BUT before you watch it, if you're a huge cinema fan you might want to take a look at the photos below and see how many of these scenes you can spot. Here are some of the photographs from our journey of iconic cinema scene locations around the city of Los Angeles. You'll probably instantly recognize at least a few of them and get that weird Deja Vu sense for some. I guarantee you've seen at least some of these locations in films. See how many you can guess. All the answers are in this YouTube movie here...                      -------------Click here to watch the answers.------------- We tried to primarily focus on movies that take place in Los Angeles and intend to portray the city of Los Angeles. We skipped over a few that don't necessarily take place here but use locations in the city to look like somewhere else. Like for instance... This house in Long Beach...  Is actually Donnie Darko's house...  Or the train terminal at downtown Union Station...  Has been in a ton of films including as a bank in "Catch Me if You Can"...  The whole trip around the city was pretty cool because you really get to discover a lot of fun unusual places. It's interesting to see how close some of these sites are to the exact way the appear on film. The Korean Friendship Bell in real life:  The Korean Friendship Bell in the film "Usual Suspects":  Plus we got to witness a bad car accident in downtown Los Angeles on the intersection of 2nd and Figueroa as it happened in front of us:  (notice the leaves still falling from the tree after the first car smashed into it) And see what the costumed weirdos on Hollywood Blvd look like without their mask:  (that's the guy who plays Pinhead) And we even got to meet several people who actually appeared in the films and still work and live at those locations every day. Like this gigantic monster fish who appeared in a classic film with Johnny Depp almost a decade ago...   BONUS: here are a few of the locations that for whatever reasons might be hard to guess or just weren't included in the final cut of the YouTube movie. Some of them even appeared in 2 or 3 films. I'll post the answers later...         So if you live near anywhere interesting you've probably got photos of locations in real life that were used in famous movie scenes. Post your own photographs of movie sites you've visited. *Note: A few of these photos we borrowed because didn't take because we couldn't get to every single location. |
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drat, and I was right next to the big dinosaur from Pee-Wee's Big
Adventure like 45 minutes ago, with my camera. I even thought about
taking a picture. EDIT:// Apparently, I am wrong. I went to find a picture and found out that the original dinosaur is in Cabazon, CA. The patio furniture place in Oklahoma City must be lying. |
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Why did you skip USC? There are a lot of movies filmed here. They were filming something just last week, too. |
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Indeed - http://www.cabazondinosaurs.com/main.htm |
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But how can they tell everyone that it's their dinosaur in the movie? Everyone who has ever traveled through OKC has seen the damned thing. It's ugly as hell. |
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A lot of those are in Fight Club. |
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I used to go go to the Bahooka every
time I visited my Grandmother (rest in peace) and had no idea they
filmed there. I miss those massive pina colata drink thingies with the
burning sugar cubes. One of the coolest restraunts ever for sure. loving awesome video too! Great work! |
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I know this one because I have a deep unhealthy love for these films: The residence of "Doc" Emmett L. Brown in 1955. Back to the Future Parts 2 & 3. In 1985 all he has left is the garage. |
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I helped take many of these photos 
Cocktail Kitten fucked around with this message at Apr 04, 2007 around 23:00
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You guys did a hell of a job, that was a lot of fun to watch. I recognized the Roger Rabbit tunnel and Capitol Records from the photo, and the ET/Poltergeist houses in the video, and maybe a few more. But really nicely done overall. Thank you. |
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I think someone's lying to you - Pee Wee's Big Adventure was shot in Cabazon. Images of Cabazon dinosaurs - http://images.google.com/images?hl=...+dinosaur&gbv=2 |
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I've been to Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters!  Brownie field trip about thirteen years ago. Parkwood Estate/Robert McLaughlin House in Oshawa, Ontario. I used to live not too far from that place, it's really nice there. No pictures, unfortunately, because I am both without a camera and about 150kms on the other side of Toronto. |
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Guess what's still there... 
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Awesome photos! I did a road trip of locations for the Lord Of The Rings around the North Island with some frieds (not much of it was shot in the north island) But Ill post what I have when I get home from work, some are very recognisable. |
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In the bonus pics 2,3,4 is where they had the big shootout in Heat and 7 is where the t-rex swallowed the dude in the JP 2: The Lost World. Yes? |
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Yes. Wow your good. The JP2 one is hard to guess too because in the film they claim it's in San Diego. Also the Heat bank shootout location with the geometric shapes was in another iconic male cult classic. Fight Club |
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 "Puch's Mill" from "Gone With The Wind". |
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Of course the gentleman has a major credit card! Do you realize who the gently caress you're talking to? Fear and Loathing I recognized it instantly. I'm in LA and I've always wanted to find this place but couldn't make out the name on the signboard in the movie. Now I know what to google  Donnie Darko's house is a cool find too. I know where the house is from Father of the Bride (steve martin version). edit: Holy poo poo Bahooka's is about 10 minutes from my house. I know exactly where it is and I realize now I used to drive past it to go to a friend's house. The Royal Nonesuch fucked around with this message at Apr 04, 2007 around 23:15
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I'm within walking distance of where Mr. Brown bought it... |
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The Bahooka is an amazing restaurant, and I love that huge Pacu; he's one badass fish. I don't have any of my own photos on this computer, but here's the Ambassador Hotel. Built in the 20's, the Academy awards were held here a few times and the Coconut Grove was the hottest club in town. Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated in the kitchen.    When the hotel shut down it was used for filming. From Wikipedia: Until 2004 it was a frequent site of movie, music video and television filming, having served as a location for such films as The Graduate, Beaches, Crazy, and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Here's a shot from No Doubt's It's My Life which was filmed there.  The hotel was demolished in 2006 
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Scarface was shot in LA, and it wasn't mentioned even once I even think that the highway where Heat took place was the same one where they set up Freedom Town in the film. Great work, otherwise. Lots of fun to watch. |
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You're %100 correct. Though lots of 2nd unit stuff was actually in Miami for the film. We thought about shooting that but the Freedom Town part is fenced off and used for recycling area so we couldn't access it very easily. Good call though. |
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Awesome pics/movie dude. |
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Nicely done video. I was dreading a "hollywood" sign scene, and it never came. Good works. |
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Ah, I hadn't realized. Good work, regardless. |
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No love for Canter's? I think it was in Be Cool or something. |
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Awesome video, I loved the Google Earth zooms 
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 This is the Denny's just south of Eugene, OR on Interstate 5. Been there a bunch of times myself, but never had the guts to order a chicken salad sandwich. |
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Also, when you take the official
architectural tour of the Gamble House, they mention that it was Doc
Brown's house and talk about how they faked a street scene next to the
garage so that Marty to skate off past Burger King. I thought it was
funny that they bring it up after telling you about the painstaking
craftsmanship of this 100 year old house. "And here they hand carved
over 400 pieces of glass to make the window for the doorway...which Doc
Brown opens in Back to the Future!" The rest of the tour is pretty neat, if you like Arts and Crafts style architecture. I took my parents there a few months ago. |
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Well done man, that's fantastic. |
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It's not that there's no love for Canter's, just that there is no love for Be Cool. Ever. Oh and the Fish at Bahooka is named Rufus. He likes to have his picture taken. Cocktail Kitten fucked around with this message at Apr 04, 2007 around 23:28
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The Poltergeist house! I saw that movie again the other day, otherwise I'd never have picked that one out. |
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I absolutely recognize the streets of downtown Burbank, but I don't have any idea what was shot there? Also, for the 101 cafe, if you go a few blocks down the road towards the Celebrity Center you will see the exterior for Mikey's apartment at Franklin and Bronson. As well as the Dresden and the Derby over in Los Feliz. Edit: Fantastic job, by the way. Paradox86 fucked around with this message at Apr 04, 2007 around 23:28
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Lost World, the T-Rex rampage and eating that guy (writer David Koepp) in front of the video store. Yeah sadly the Derby exterior is all hosed up now. Bring back the giant hat! 
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I know... it's just that i love canter's so much! |
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Oh, and how can you have a thread about shooting locations and not have
Vasquez Rocks in it! You wouldn't BELIEVE the number of movies and TV
shows shot here. The wikipedia entry lists a few: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasquez_Rocks
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This is where Jake Gittes saw Mulwray talking to the young Mexican boy in Chinatown, right? |
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Also... Back to the Future opening. Victory Blvd. in Burbank - between Magnolia Ave. and Burbank Blvd. The Burger King and Toys R Us are still there, except they've upgraded their signs. Right across the street (Red brick) is the Arri camera company building! I drive by it constantly, and it basically looks exactly the same today. Paradox86 fucked around with this message at Apr 04, 2007 around 23:37
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Very cool thread man. I don't have any pics to contribute, but I've visited many areas that were in the film Ronin, both in Paris and in Arles. The colliseum in Arles was mostly closed off when I was there (this was during the Rhone floods of 02) but I found the spot where Seamus killed that driver guy and the childrens park where Gregor did the "you see zat little girl zere" speech. Also I used to work right next to the burger joint in Dirty Harry, which used to be Burger Island but is now a McDonalds (Burger Island moved up the street). |
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If anyone wants to digg the YouTube movie... http://digg.com/movies/The_Cinemati...s_Angeles_movie Exactly. (you can see it in context in the YouTube movie) They don't list "Tremors" but drat those rocks look like the rocks in Tremors. Hmmm. |
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If people want to see one more BTTF location, I'm sure this location needs no introduction...  
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Where we're going we don't need roads... |
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The only thing I've remembered seeing this in was a movie called Miracle Mile, with Anthony Edwards and Mare Winningham. That's not really an iconic classic though, so I think I'm missing the real significance of the place and will need someone to clue me in, as I'm not able to watch the video yet.  That whole movie is a mindfuck for me to watch though. The whole drat thing pretty much takes place right where I currently live. Edit: JESUS CHRIST, I'm a dope. I just looked it up and yes, now I remember the more iconic appearances after having had my memory jogged. I feel stupid for not having made the connections at first. MJB fucked around
with this message at Apr 04, 2007 around 23:48
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As soon as I saw the title of this thread I thought of Bahooka and
Johnnies. I hate hearing places like the Ambassador Hotel being demolished. The bowling alley that was used for The Big Lebowski was destroyed recently as well. Awesome thread. 
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As well as the warehouse from Reservoir Dogs and the diner from Pulp Fiction.
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^^^ beatenSadly one other classic Los Angeles movie has had it's key locations destroyed. Pulp Fiction, where the famous diner scene was filmed...  is now an AutoZone store. 
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I saw that movie right after putting in an application for an apartment at Park La Brea. I decided not to live there, but I was like like "oh god" watching it. That is one of the scariest movies I have ever seen and for no real reason. I guess it is just so subtle in how terrifying it is that you don't realize till you stop watching it and you feel like throwing up or crying. |
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Oh yeah baby. Talk jiggowatts to me, baby. Uh.. nevermind all that nevermind all that. Edit:
Joe Anglican fucked
around with this message at Apr 05, 2007 around 00:05
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Pretty much. It's time-release scary because it's not overdone. It's realistic enough that one's disbelief doesn't have to be suspended very much at all, so there's not so much of that comforting snapping sensation of getting back to home to reality afterward. You never really left in the first place. Knowing the locations on any sort of personal level only makes that discomfort feel worse. |
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What city is this house located in? I'd like to pay homage by climbing in the bedroom window at night. |
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Marty's family home (circa 1985) is located at 9303 Roslyndale Avenue, in Arleta, CA. (Look for that giant electrical power tower behind the home.) edit:
http://www.bttf.com/forreal.htm |
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So how do film companys go out and find these houses, for example the BTTF one? Do they just drive around, find a house they think would work good and go up and talk to the owners or what? I've never really understood process, if anyone could fill me (and I'm sure others) on how this works I would greatly appreciate it. |
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The bowling alley from Reservoir Dogs (seen here: http://www.blurayfreak.com/images/reservoir_dogs.jpg it's the red brick building behind them) is still up and running and is right down the street from my house. One of the big shootout scenes was shot right down the street from me as well. This is in Eagle Rock and Highland Park CA by the way. |
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I don't have pictures, since I'm from LA natively and don't think to
take them of a lot of things, but... my middle school's library was used in "The Color Purple" and the film site for all the outdoor school scenes in Seventh Heaven (a dubious honor) I ate at that Kabuki sushi restaurant in the last picture of the first post I was a regular on a soap opera as a baby (not sure if this counts, I'm just a showoff :v I recognize most of those images, just not what they're famous from. Watching Crash is a surreal experience... |
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Also nobody has guessed this location yet...   Or this one... 
blairerickson
fucked around with this message at Apr 05, 2007 around 00:59
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This is nothing but shameless viral marketing for the city of Los
Angeles!
 I FOUND YOU OUT FUCKER! |
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The diner is from Mulholland Drive, right? |
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ding ding. Probably one of the creepiest scenes ever put on film. Thanks David Lynch. |
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That freeway underpass was also used in The Italian Job (I think). And that tunnel they mention for roger rabbit? yep, Back to the future 2. to contribute: Name me what movie this building was seen in, don't let the sign fool you, it was portrayed as a hotel. Here's a hint, think 1993. 
Cogburn fucked
around with this message at Apr 05, 2007 around 01:10
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Home Alone? edit: yes! http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099785/locations |
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Holy poo poo I got one! |
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I saw those small marble/stone pot/poll looking things and immediately thought of people crashing into them. |
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It's not 1993 (rather 1994) but uhhhh... Dumb and Dumber? |
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Since I didn't see it mentioned in the youtube video, I'll point out that the Union Station was used as the Blade Runner police station. Steve Yun fucked
around with this message at Apr 05, 2007 around 01:31
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These are great. A few years ago (1999) I got to
wander around the back lot of Universal (I had a scouting pass). I
of course took several pictures of me by the town clock from BTTF.
It is weird how they use the back lot for real movies and drive
those trams through at the same time. My favorite locations to go in LA are the places from Swingers. Being a New Yorker, I hate it when they try to pass off LA, or Vancouver or some back lot as New York. Also, quit putting in alleys, we don't got loving time to build alleys, don't you know this land is 'spensive? |
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It's not 1994, imdb says 93, and no on Dumb and Dumber and So I Married an Axe Murderer. hint 2 - Someone jumps from the bell tower in the picture to commit suicide in the movie. hint 3 - Groundhog Day, filmed in Woodstock, IL Cogburn fucked
around with this message at Apr 05, 2007 around 01:55
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If I wasn't broke and almost out of gas I'd drive around and get pictures of still standing buildings used in Animal House. |
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I recognized the Poltergeist house instantly.
Man, what a weird feeling that must be to live in that house, since
the entire movie is pretty much about it being hosed up and scary as
hell. I use to do the same thing and travel around to famous locations. I can't list all the places I've been, but the most interesting to me was Bodega Bay. That's where they shot The Birds. The school house is still there and you can go walking around inside of it. I've also been to the Anaheim Convention Center a lot for various activities. Tons of films and tv shows choose to use it as an airport for some reason. The two where I recognized that location was Matchstick Men and the tv show Heroes. Maybe the bad carpet and huge windows scream "airport!" or something? I don't know. Edit: Sorry for no pictures.
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That Griffith Observatory was also used in "Bowfinger" if I remember correctly. |
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For some reason I want to scream Ring 2, but I've only seen it once. Something about the structure of the white panels of wood on the left... |
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Liface's post:Don't know the movie though... that looks kind of like Monterey, CA edit: Aha Ring 2 blairerickson
fucked around with this message at Apr 05, 2007 around 01:49
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Edit: I be dum
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I can get you what you want, I can. I can get you anything, you just have to talk to me, you have to trust me. You can trust me, 'cause I'm your priest, I'm your shrink... I am you main connection to the switchboard of the soul. I'm the magic man... Santa Claus of the subconscious. You say it, you think it, you can have it.
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Correct. And also... The landmark building was a major location for Wolfgang Petersen's In The Line of Fire, with Clint Eastwood, and the John Badham real-time thriller Nick of Time, with Johnny Depp, and was also featured in Barry Levinson's Rain Man, James Cameron's True Lies and was the 'Atalnta' record office in This Is Spinal Tap. Aghhhhh why didn't I guess that. For some reason everyone recognized it was kind of a dark comedy site though weirdly enough. |
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I haven't seen those movies. Wasn't that building also in
The Last Ninja, where he is climbing up the building with his hands? |
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Yeah, sometimes. Location scouts and scouting companies have catalogued practically the entire city. Quite a few homeowners list their places with these companies because they know they will get paid a fuckton of money if a studio feature film uses their house. Which incidentally, makes it difficult for indie and student films to get decent houses to shoot, since the good ones all know they could be making more money with the bigger pictures, and charge accordingly. To the OP: The video was awesome. Have you by any chance seen the documentary "Los Angeles Plays Itself"? It's similar to this, except about three hours long and the narrator can drive some people to suicide. If you're into film/LA history, though, it's worth checking out. CharlieFoxtrot fucked around with this message at Apr 05, 2007 around 02:45
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Aren't these two also from Fight Club? |
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Yup. Where Bob with Bitch Tits tries to start a fight. |
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drat! I'd love to bowl a game in the same lane as El Duderino. |
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Nice film. I was thinking of doing something similar. Anyways, I'm a big fan of Occidental. Recognize this?  Real Genius |
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Also shot over at Pomona because... I believe the college it was actually based on was Harvey Mudd. |
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I know home alone was already posted via that cell phone pic... but me
and my buddy went there just recently about a month back when we still
had snow and tried to rob the place. Me doing my best impersonation of Kevin.  Then it was time to put on a mask and go break it. Unfortunately the owner saw us and didn't look to pleased so we left. There is NO tree house in back of the house.  This is the outside of the church, the interior was filmed over a couple towns. Which is weird because there was a nice looking church like 30 seconds from the house. |
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The Rialto theater was also in
Nightmare on Elm St. 4 (i think it was 4?), where the girl goes into
the movie theater and falls asleep, and gets sucked into the screen
from the balcony. i live right down the street from that Bahooka's restaurant, but never have seen the movie it's in. a month or two ago, they were filming rob zombie's halloween remake right around the corner from my girlfriend's apartment for about a week. the whole street was decorated for halloween every night. |
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No, caltech. |
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I grew up in South Pas just a few blocks from the Rialto... man, I miss that place. Also, they filmed Donnie Darko at my high school. The big lion statue in the courtyard? That sat on top of a big L, where all my friends and I used to hang out. |
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Delivering on promise  and  and  Also now that Im at home and can watch the youbtube vid, holy poo poo! very well done |
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Is that seriously there??? AWESOME! |
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Oh theres no way I'll ever loving forget the fruity sculptures from Heat (and also Fight Club as someone pointed out) |
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yea hobbiton is on a farm outside of Matamata (small town 2 hours south of Auckland) you pay $50 and get a tour of the whole location, I went in 2003 and the guide said they were in negotiations with Newline so that they could recreate it so it actually looked like it did in the films, so anyone who has been there more recently might be able to say if they actually managed to do that or not |
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The only place around here that has any
sort of claim to fame is the old British Aerospace land where they
built the sets for Saving Private Ryan and Band of Brothers.
Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to see it during filming, and it's
all gone now. That YouTube movie was awesome, thanks. |
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The Interior shots, yes. But the outside establishing shot is actually Twains, on the corner of Ventura and Coldwater. My ex-gf Lived about half a block from it and I ate there about 50 times. Also the name of the building from in the line of fire, Strange days, and others is the Bonaventure Hotel. Also used in the film Midnight Madness, which none of you have ever seen. Mawg fucked around with this message at Apr 05, 2007 around 12:58
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Great idea for a thread. I'm such a movie nerd that I'm wetting my pants now. I can post some pictures from Paris a bit later, from movies like The Bourne Identity (I lived around the corner from Bourne's apartment at the time the movie was released), Ronin (at least the scene where they're doing the gun deal that goes bad) and Amelie...I'm sure there are more. I'd have to get my rear end out there and bring my camera though 
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Children of Men / London  
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