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Randys Donuts, Inglewood
Appearances: Iron Man 2, Mars Attacks!, Earth Girls Are Easy, 2012
Why It’s So Popular: Surely, just for comedy value? And frankly, what’s not funny about a giant plastic donut? Whether it’s got Tony Stark sitting in it, or it’s rolling away from an explosion.
Pacific Electric Building, Los Angeles
Appearances: Se7en, Face/Off, L.A. Confidential, Forrest Gump
Why It’s So Popular: With grand, imposing architecture, LA's Pacific Electric Building makes a great double for official-looking settings, such as Se7en 's police HQ. Plus, it used to be a rail station so may film crews think it would be an easy commute to work?
John Burroughs Middle School, Los Angeles
Appearances: Pretty In Pink, Teen Wolf, Prom, Never Been Kissed, A Nightmare On Elm Street, Agent Cody Banks, Bad Teacher
Why It’s So Popular: Films set in high schools need high schools to film in, we suppose, and this LA location is right on Hollywood's doorstep. Where else are they going to tell that coming-of-age-rom-com/monstrous horror film/werewolf comedy story?
Alnwick Castle, Northumberland
Appearances: Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone, Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets, Elizabeth, Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves
Why It’s So Popular: Sometimes the movie industry just needs a castle. Or somewhere to teach a young boy wizard to fly.
Hampton Court, Surrey
Appearances: Jack The Giant Slayer, The Libertine, Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows, Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger ides, Vanity Fair, The New Worlds, The Young Victoria
Why It’s So Popular: With it's grandiose design and incredible gardens, Hampton Court is just as appealing for film location scouts as it is for tourists. It's great for period-set films and movies about young men killing giants.
Simon Fraser University, Vancouver
Appearances: Underworld: Awakening, Spy Game, The Day The Earth Stood Still, Fallen, Agent Cody Banks, The 6th Day, Antitrust
Why It’s So Popular: The contemporary architecture suits sci-fi films or those that deal with cutting-edge technology. In the case of Agent Cody Banks , it also gave Frankie Muniz a glimpse at real university life.
Edwards Air Force Base, Lancaster
Appearances: Man Of Steel, Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Transformers, Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen, Armageddon
Why It’s So Popular: When making an epic blockbuster film that contains a global threat, sooner or later you'll have to show the military getting involved. Whether its Superman and Iron Man keeping soldiers at arm's length, or Optimus Prime actively conferring with them, sooner or later, we need to see an army base primed for action (when we all know that they can't possible help).
Van Nuys High School, Los Angeles
Appearances: Fast Times At Ridgemont High, Grease, Class Act, Christine, Sleepwalkers, My Stepmother Is An Alien
Why It's So Popular: It looks like the perfect clean-cut American high school. That is until you get to the toilets and find that someone has scribbled 'Jeff Spicoli Was Here' on the cubicle walls. Probably.
Union Station, Chicago
Appearances: The Untouchables, Man Of Steel, Public Enemies, Death Wish, The Sting, Flags Of Our Fathers, My Best Friend’s Wedding, Derailed
Why It’s So Popular: It's the location for The Untouchables ' great climactic shootout scene and a host of other 'catching a train' scenes. It also formed the setting for Superman's final confrontation with Zod in Man Of Steel . Perhaps there's just something about dangerous situations around bustling commuters that's so appealing?
Park Plaza Hotel, Los Angeles
Appearances: Drive, The Prestige, The Bodygueard, Changeling, Stargate, Hocus Pocus, Chaplin, The Hunt For The Red October, Tango and Cash, Naked Gun, Barton Fink, The Majestic
Why It’s So Popular: The hotel has lots of different areas perfect for many different scenes. The rooms and corridors served as the apartment in Drive, the lobby provided the setting for Naked Gun's shoot out scene and the Grand Terrace Room is not only where Tesla tested his machine in The Prestige , but also where The Mask attended the Coco Bongo Club.
