Friday, November 4, 2011

Drive (2011)


By far my favorite movie of the year, Drive took me by surprise and resonated with me for a long time after.   Needless to say, I was in love with the movie with it's great LA locations that I immediately started tracking down as soon as I left the theatre!

The film opens with a robbery at Maestro DJ Electronics in downtown LA....






Screenshots....




A few minutes later, they take off and hide behind a truck.   This particular building was also featured in Date Night...



Screenshot...



Following the police officer, they head down the street.....




Screenshots....


Later they take off and go across the bridge, while in reality none of this makes sense with the actual geographic layout, it works in the movie of course....






Screenshots...




Soon after they hide under the bridge, also a location used in many films, most recently Horrible Bosses....







Screenshots....




Ryan later shoots a stunt scene at LA Center Studios, also in downtown LA.....









Screenshots....






I immediately recognized the Hollywood Bowl exit....


Screenshots...


The apartments in the movie are actually at the Park Plaza.   I have not been on those floors, but here is the building....


Screenshots....




Ryan shops at the Big 6 Market.... only a block from his apartment in the movie, yet it's still a long drive home... Here is the inside of the store....








Screenshots....



And the outside of the store....






Screenshots...



Nino's Pizzeria is an actual pizza shop where I of course had to stop for lunch.   The owner left up an actual Nino's menu too!















Screenshots...










The racetrack is Saugus Speedway up in Santa Clarita.... and apparently there are seasons for rattlesnakes!










Screenshots....




The garage is actually a business used for picture cars....






Screenshots...




The "oasis" in the LA River....





Screenshots....




The Denny's is no longer a  Denny's, but... just as good!








Screenshots...



The area where he steals a car is on the other side of LA Center Studios....






Screenshots....





MacArthur Park is adjacent the Park Plaza Hotel/apartments....









Screenshots....




The pawn shop is actually an Elks Lodge up in Santa Clarita....















Screenshots...









The motel is the Pink Motel, next to the diner that I like most for it's appearance in Grease 2!





Screenshots....







The final scenes take place at the Great Wall restaurant in Reseda.... right in the middle of many Booogie Night locations....






Screenshots...






The closing scenes take place in the parking lot behind the restaurant....








Screenshots....








As a frequent visitor to Sundance, I had the pleasure of seeing both stars at different times....








6 comments:

  1. Awesome work. I enjoy myself visiting filming locations.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I have seen Drive 3 times, after watching I wanted to find the different locations. Because I recognized some spots. Very cool!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Yeaaaah !! Congratulations ! Is the Big 6 Market somewhere in L.A. ? Could you tell me where ? ^^

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm sure you know this, but the Starkman building, which was used in "Date Night" and "Witchboard 2" is also Paddy's Pub in "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia"

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yep: http://movielocationsandmore.blogspot.com/2014/04/witchboard-2-devils-doorway-1993.html

      Delete