Visual Effects and CGI have drastically evolved over time such as having anactor seemingly appear in the same frame twice such as inThe Social Network(2010). Even some of the scenery that appeared in the filmBrokeback Mountain(2005) had viewers questioning whether they can actually see that panoramic view in real life.
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Luckily, not every amazing setting was digitally altered and can only be viewed on the big screen. There are a few famous films that were filmed at real locations or included authentic landmarks. While some movies kept the real name intact in the film, other movies changed that detail and combined shots of the real location with those that they created digitally.
The Blue Brothers(1980) - Joliet, Illinois
Jake Blues (John Belushi) finished serving his time in prisonand reunited with his brother, Elwood (Dan Aykroyd). When they heard that their orphanage was at risk of shutting down, they came up with the idea of reuniting their band to raise money. A few notable artists appeared alongside the brothers in the film such asAretha Franklin, andRay Charles.
The Joliet Correctional Center or the Old Joliet Prison inThe Blues Brothersis located in Joliet, Illinois. It appeared in other movies such asDerailed(2005),Let’s Go to Prison(2006),Public Enemies(2009), and the TV showPrison Break(2005-2017).The Old Joliet Prison operated from 1858 to 2002 and now serves as a tourist attraction.The Blues Brothersis on Peacock.
Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade(1989) - Al-Khazneh, Jordan
In each Indiana Jones movie, Indiana (Harrison Ford) searched for treasure in dangerous environments, where any uncalculated step could lead to a trap. This time Indiana wasn’t just looking for treasure, he was looking for his missing father inIndiana Jones and The Last Crusade(1989). In the thirdIndiana Jonesmovie, Indiana continued from where his father left to find the missing Holy Grail.
Indiana traveled across the world, and one of his stops that fans can visit was the Al-Khazneh temple in Jordan. The Al-Khazneh temple is an architectural structure carved out of sandstone.Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade(1989) is on Paramount+ and Amazon Prime Video.Indiana Jones’fifth movie will premiere in 2023.
Home Alone(1990) - Winnetka, Illinois
In Shermer, Illinois, the McCallisters were packing their bags for Paris, France. On the day of their flight, they seemed to have everything they needed until they forgot Kevin (Macaulay Culkin). They didn’t realize this until they flew out of the airport, whereas Kevin, now at home, noticed that he had the whole house to himself.
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As Kevin saw thieves breaking into the neighbors' homes, he realized that he could become the next target. The house in Home Alone played a key role in the1990 filmHome Alone,as Kevin set up elaborate traps to catch the thieves. The real home is located in Winnetka, Illinois, but doesn’t include the traps that were seen in the film.Home Aloneis on Disney+.
Jurassic Park(1993) - Kauai, Hawaii
Dinosaurs roamed the Earth millions of years ago, and since then paleontologists uncovered new details about these ancient reptiles.Jurassic Park(1993), answered the question if dinosaurs could be (and should be) brought back to life in the current age. Hammond (Richard Attenborough) tested out the theory and built a park with real dinosaurs, but before he opened it up officially to the public, he invited a few individuals to test out the park.
Jurassic ParkandJurassic World(2015)proved that genetically engineered dinosaurs were still unpredictable creatures that were capable of destroying the world around them. In the movie, the park itself is located on Isla Nublar, while the scenes were filmed mostly in Kauai, Hawaii, while the scenes that didn’t show theJurassic Parkisland were filmed in California.Jurassic Parkis available on Hulu.
Wild(2014) - California & Oregon
Reese Witherspoonportrayed Cheryl in the 2014 filmWild.Cheryl needed to get away from the struggles of her life, so she packed her bags and ventured off on a 1,000-mile hike on the Pacific Crest Trail. As she traveled alone on this trail, she faced the unexpected and brutal conditions of the wild paired with the haunting memories of her past.
TheWildis based on the memoir written by Cheryl Strayed who described her journey on the Pacific Crest Trail. The film was shot where part of the Pacific Crest Trail crosses California and Oregon. The trail starts in Mexico and ends in Canada and crosses California, Oregon, and Washington. Some notable locations included the Crater Lake at Crater Lake National Park which made a brief appearance in the film.Wildis available on YouTube.
The Power of the Dog(2021) - New Zealand
Benedict Cumberbatchportrayed the mysterious and mean Phil Burbank inThe Power of the Dog(2021).His personality greatly differed from his brother, George (Jesse Plemons) and he was obligated to apologize for his brother’s behavior. Throughout the film, Phil starts to change and reveal that behind the tough cowboy is a vulnerable man.
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The Power of the Dogwon a 2022 Academy Award for Best Achievement in Directing but was also nominated for Best Achievement in Cinematography. The film emphasized the natural scenery of the area through its multiple wide shots. Although the story was set in Montana, the filming actually didn’t take place there. The rolling hills and opened fields fromThe Power of the Dogwere filmed in various regions of New Zealand.
CODA(2021) - Gloucester, Massachusetts
Ruby (Emilia Jones) grew up in a household where she was the only one who could hear; she was known as the Child of Deaf Adults (CODA). She became her family’s American Sign Language interpreter. Despite being close to her family, Ruby didn’t want to spend the rest of her life fishing, she wanted to pursue her passion for music in college
Ruby’s family owned a fishing business in Gloucester, Massachusetts. The scenes in the movie are from around the Gloucester area, a city that is known for seafood and fishing. The scene fromCODAwhere Ruby swam in the lake was shot at the Halibut Point State Park in Rockport, Massachusetts. The 2022 Academy Award Winner for Best Picture,CODA,is available on Apple TV.
The Lost City(2022) - Dominican Republic
Loretta Sage (Sandra Bullock) lived out her daring lifestyle on paper. InThe Lost City(2022), Loretta wrote romantic novels, and her fans were devoted to continue reading about Dr. Angela Lovemore’s life. Some fans followed the story too literally, as they kidnaped Loretta and hoped that she would lead them to find the lost city that Loretta wrote about in her novels.
The action in the film takes place on a remote island. However, the movie wasn’t filmed on a remote island, but in the Dominican Republic and incorporated scenes that were made in a studio. However, one of the famous landmarks that made it in the movie was the Salto de Socoa, which is in the Los Haitises National Park.The Lost Cityis on Paramount+.
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