Here's Vin Diesel running to escape the explosion

And here's me reenacting that scene




And remember the archway into Johnny Tran's territory?



That is also in Westminster, just a few blocks east of where the explosion scene was




FROM "BACK TO THE FUTURE"
Remember this scene from the smash 1985 hit movie "Back to the Future"? It's the scene at the Twin Pines Mall where we first meet Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) and his Deloran time machine invention.



That is actually the Puente Hills Mall just off the 60 freeway in the City of Industry, CA:




From TV's "BATMAN"
I'm sure everyone remembers the campy 1960s TV show "Batman" starring Adam West as the Caped Crusader and Burt Ward as the Robin, the Boy Wonder. In the show every week, we would see the Batmobile come charging out of the batcave on it's way to fight crime in Gotham city. Well, the Batcave is actually just a thirty or fourty foot cave situated in an isolated area of Griffith park known as Bronson canyon. In fact, the caves in that area are known as the Bronson caves and have been the filming location for many films and TV shows. Films such as "Star Trek the Undiscovered Country" and "The Scorpion King". And as an added attraction, when you exit out the other side of the cave, turn left and you are treated to a wonderful view of the Hollywood sign!




FROM "THE OMEGA MAN"
Another one of my favorite films of all time is "The Omega Man" starring Charlton Heston. In the film, Heston plays Dr. Robert Neville, the only healthy survivor of a biological war waged between China and Russia. His situation is further complicated by black robe garbed, plague infested creatures led by the charismatic Matthias (Anthony Zerbe), who come out only at night and whose only purpose it seems is to eradicate Robert Neville from the face of the Earth. In the daytime though, it's a different story. Matthias' group is sensitive to the light so in the daytime, they hole up in a secret location and sleep. IT is during this time that Neville sets out into the deserted city of Los Angeles to find them and kill them. One of the locations Neville's search takes him to is downtown Los Angeles.


That location is the Department of water and power building at 111 Hope street in downtown Los Angeles:




FROM "GREASE 2"
The sequel to the smash hit film "Grease" was not as successful or as wildly popular as the original, but it has enjoyed a rabid cult following and a loyal fan base. It also served as the launching vehicle for Michelle Pfeiffer whom I understand has eked out quite a meager Hollywood career. I am proud to say thtat I am a fan of this movie! So it was only natural that I make a pilgrimage to where it all happens: Rydell high.


Well, Rydell high school from "Grease 2" is actualy Excelsior high school in Norwalk, CA;




FROM "SWAT"
This is from the scene where the bad guy tries to escape from the clutches of the LAPD via a spectacular shootout on the streets of Hollyood, namely on the corner of Hollywood and Wilcox. Thankfully, our heores from the LAPD SWAT team, namely officers Jim Street and Hondo Harrelson (Colin Farrel and Samuel L. Jackson) foil his plans. That scene was actually filmed at the corner of Hollywood and Wilcox where there is a famous mural called "You are the Star".

FROM "PRETTY WOMAN"
Finally from the movie "Pretty Woman"; remember the scene at the end of the movie where Richard Gere climbs up the fire escape of a dilapidated old motel to profess his Love for Julia Roberts? That run down motel is actually just that, a run down motel called the Las Palmas, located in Hollywood, just three blocks from Graumann's Chinese Theater.





And here are the other pictures from my Los Angeles trip:


LOS ANGELES COUNTY

Downtown



Hollywood





ORANGE COUNTY


Huntington Beach



Irvine and Stanton



The water bottles they gave us at the live taping of the WB's "What I Like About You". My friend, who had accompanied me to the studio that day, had these specially autographed by the stars of the show, Amanda Bynes and Jennie Garth.




NEWARK, NEW JERSEY (okay not California, but I thought I'd put it in here anwway)

Liberty Airport, Newark, NJ