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Bourne Wood, Surrey
Hatfield House, Hertfordshire
Appearances: Batman, Elizabeth: The Golden Age, Greystoke: The Legend Of Tarzan, Shakespeare In Love, Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, Tomb Raider, Sherlock Holmes, Get Him To The Greek, Orlando, V for Vendetta.
Article continues belowWhy It's So Popular: It's a massive house, perfect for selling the idea of a multi-millionaire who may or may not be fighting crime on the side. Movie owners include Bruce Wayne (Michael Keaton's version), Lara Croft and Tarzan. We, of course, like to imagine them all as quarrelsome flatmates.
Sixth Street Viaduct, Los Angeles
Appearances: Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Grease, Drive, Freaky Friday, In Time, To Live And Die In LA, Be Cool, Gone In 60 Seconds, SWAT, Repo Man, The Mask
Why It's So Popular: it's perfect for isolated set-pieces, particularly those involving fast vehicles because not much around to get damaged. Hence how two time-travelling cyborgs get locked in a deadly chase on the same strip where Danny Zuko wins his car race.
Vasquez Rocks, Los Angeles
Appearances: Star Trek, John Carter, Blazing Saddles, Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery, 127 Hours, Little Miss Sunshine, Jay And Silent Bob Strikes Back, Army Of Darkness, Bill And Ted’s Bogus Journey, Alpha Dog, The Flintstones, Star Trek: The Original Series
Why It's So Popular: Ever since Captain Kirk fought a Gorn here, the Vasquez Rocks have formed the backdrop for a number of sci-fi locations, as well as other remote California settings. It even appeared twice in Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey : once when they watch the classic Star Trek episode, and again when they are thrown off the rocks by their evil robot doubles.
Greystone Mansion, Beverly Hills
Appearances: The Muppets, The Big Lebowski, The Prestige, The Dirty Dozen, Batman & Robin, Eraserhead, There Will be Blood, Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2, Spider-Man 3, X-Men, The Social Network, National Treasure: Book Of Secrets, The Bodyguard, Ghostbusters II, Stripes, Lincoln, Death Becomes Her, The Dirty Dozen, The Witches Of Eastwick
Why It's So Popular: Another huge estate for rich superheroes and other wealthy characters, this time with a memorable checked floor to make for easy spotting. It boggles the mind to think that There Will Be Blood 's Daniel Plainview, the older Lebowski, Norman Osborne and Kermit all share the same taste in decor.
Courthouse Square (Universal Studios backlot), Los Angeles
Appearances: Back To The Future trilogy, To Kill A Mockingbird, Gremlins, Weird Science, The Nutty Professor, Jingle All The Way, Escape From LA, Batman And Robin, Amistad, Bruce Almighty, The Campaign
Why It's So Popular: Basically because it's supposed to look like a real-life square in LA, but has all the convenience of a closed-off studio set thanks to being on Universal's home turf. Of course, now it's hard not to instantly recognise the courthouse as being Back To The Future 's famous clock tower.
Monument Valley, Utah
Appearances: Mission Impossible II, Back To The Future Part III, The Searchers, Stagecoach, Forrest Gump, Wild Wild West, National Lampoon’s Vacation, Easy Rider, Lone Ranger, Once Upon A Time In The West
Why It's So Popular: Ever since director John Ford used Monument Valley for the setting of his 1939 film Stagecoach , the area has become synonymous with westerns (thanks in part to Ford himself returning for many future films).
It is also, however, the area where Marty McFly drives through when travelling to 1885. It's also where Tom Cruise dangled from a cliff face at the start of Mission: Impossible II .
The Quality Cafe, Los Angeles
Appearances: (500) Days Of Summer, Mr And Mrs Smith, Training Day, Old School, Million Dollar Baby, Se7en, Ghost World, Catch Me If You Can, Gone In 60 Seconds
Why It's So Popular: It's there's such a thing as the quintessential diner scene, this is usually the quintessential diner in which was filmed.
Just imagine how much exposition has been given while sipping coffee out of the EXACT SAME MUGS.
Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco
Appearances: X-Men: The Last Stand, The Pursuit Of Happyness, Hulk, Big Trouble In Little China, Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes, Escape From Alcatraz, Dirty Harry, The Day The Earth Stood Still, A View To A Kill, The Birds, Basic Instinct, Milk, The Graduate, Flight Of The Navigator, The Book Of Eli, The Abyss, The Rock, Superman, Zodiac, Pacific Rim
Why It’s So Popular: Frankly, we love to see places we know - preferably iconic landmarks - ripped apart and demolished by whatever monstrous force takes our fancy.
That and it's just good to provide some context for the setting. Like seeing a red bus onscreen so that everyone knows the scene takes place in London.
Central Park, New York
Appearances: The Avengers, Extremely Loud And Incredibly Close, Men In Black III, Alfie, Premium Rush, You’ve Got Mail, Arthur, Friends With Benefits, Mr Popper’s Penguins, Remember Me, When Harry Met Sally, Die Hard With A Vengeance, Almost Famous, Date Night, Anger Management, The Royal Tenenbaums, Eat Pray Love, Maid In Manhattan, Get Him To The Greek, Morning Glory, Cruel Intentions, Hitch, Elf, Made Of honour, Cloverfield, Righteous Kill, The Happening, Borat, Enchanted, I Am Legend, Jumper, Spider-Man 3, The Incredible Hulk, The Devil Wears Prada, Vanilla Sky, Home Alone 2: Lost In New York – THERE ARE TOO MANY.
Why It’s So Popular: It's a huge, beautiful park slap bang in the middle of the otherwise bustling chaos of New York. It's full of lovely, quiet paths and corners and sometimes it's nice to show the contrast between these and the 'concrete jungle'. Mostly though, in a film about two people falling in love, it's more romantic to have them walking in Central Park than down Fifth Avenue.
Oh, and it also provides an excellent shortcut for one desperate John McClane.
