# Ever watch a movie just because of its location **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 12, 2014, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-watch-a-movie-just-because-of-its-location/683562 "2014-03-12T20:55:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-watch-a-movie-just-because-of-its-location/683562/1 "2014-03-12T20:55:30Z")
I watched _Paratrooper_ last night because of the scenes in early '50s London and watched the first remake of _Stagecoach_ with Bing Crosby, Red Buttons, Mike Connors and Ann-Margaret because of the Colorado High Country. ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-watch-a-movie-just-because-of-its-location/683562/2 "2014-03-12T20:57:09Z")
_Bridges of Madison County_, because the farm my mom grew up on and my uncle still farms is about 2 miles away from the bridge and house. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-watch-a-movie-just-because-of-its-location/683562/3 "2014-03-12T21:03:36Z")
_The Postman Always Rings Twice_ is quite fascinating, to see the Los Angeles area before it became so heavily urbanized. But the movie the got my attention was _Elephant_: I was watching it on Showtime, I think, and the setting looked kind of familiar, then I realized it was shot in the building that I went to high school in (which was built in 1969 and is now a field of grass due to hazardous materials used in its construction). ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-watch-a-movie-just-because-of-its-location/683562/4 "2014-03-12T21:05:32Z")
Yes, “Playing for Keeps”, a really cheesy 1986 movie shot in my husband’s home town. We watched it with his family, and ignored the plot totally as they said, “That’s So and So’s house” and “That’s our bank” and “Hey, I think that’s (neighbor) in the background.” ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-watch-a-movie-just-because-of-its-location/683562/5 "2014-03-12T21:07:04Z")
_The Piano_, because it took place in NZ. _The Bounty_, because it was filmed on Mo’orea. (Although, technically, that was a re-watch. I had seen it when it first came out, but not because of the location.) _East of Eden_, because it takes place partially in Monterey, but also because it was actually filmed in Mendocino. (Again, technically a re-watch.) ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-watch-a-movie-just-because-of-its-location/683562/6 "2014-03-12T21:08:04Z")
> [@For You](#): > > _The Postman Always Rings Twice_ is quite fascinating, to see the Los Angeles area before it became so heavily urbanized. But the movie the got my attention was _Elephant_: I was watching it on Showtime, I think, and the setting looked kind of familiar, then I realized it was shot in the building that I went to high school in (which was built in 1969 and is now a field of grass due to hazardous materials used in its construction). Asbestos? ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-watch-a-movie-just-because-of-its-location/683562/7 "2014-03-12T21:13:48Z")
I’ve done this several times, usually because the location is familiar and I’m curious what I’ll recognize. The most recent example was [Another Earth](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Another_Earth), filmed in and around New Haven, Connecticut. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-watch-a-movie-just-because-of-its-location/683562/8 "2014-03-12T21:31:06Z")
_The Naked City_, because it was shot on location on the streets of New York in the late 40s, IIRC. _On The Town_, ditto. _Vertigo_, because it’s shot all over the bay area of California. Great shots of San Francisco and of San Juan Bautista. _Jour de Fete_. It’s shot in the French countryside in the late 40s. In Provence, I believe. ---
**Author:** ![mcgato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac8455/32.png) [@mcgato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mcgato)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-watch-a-movie-just-because-of-its-location/683562/9 "2014-03-12T21:55:23Z")
Though I’d seen it before, I watched “On The Waterfront” again after I moved to Hoboken. I think the movie was shot entirely in Hoboken, so I tried to see the locations and how they looked back then. It’s a great movie, so it was no chore to watch again. I was kind of amused about the ending though. It gives the impression that all of the corruption ended when Brando’s character walked into the work area. Hoboken has remained an incredibly corrupt town, though it has recently started to get cleaned up. It still has a ways to go, though. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-watch-a-movie-just-because-of-its-location/683562/10 "2014-03-12T22:01:28Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Asbestos? Hmmph, I guess I was mistaken/misinformed. It was demolished due to being overrun with toxic black mold and an excess of radon. It was Portland Oregon, black mold can be a real bitch to control around there. ---
**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-watch-a-movie-just-because-of-its-location/683562/11 "2014-03-12T22:03:41Z")
Sideways is filmed near my hometown. It’s not a great movie but it’s fun to see the countryside. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-watch-a-movie-just-because-of-its-location/683562/12 "2014-03-12T22:08:14Z")
I will watch nearly any movie that takes place and was filmed in 70s Los Angeles. It’s my favorite era of the city. ---
**Author:** ![Greg\_Charles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-watch-a-movie-just-because-of-its-location/683562/13 "2014-03-12T22:35:45Z")
_Some Like It Hot_ because of the Hotel Del Coronado. _My Blue Heaven_ also had some scenes from San Diego, but I can’t remember if that’s the only reason I saw it. Also, _Pretty Maids All In A Row_, because it was filmed at my high school. If possible, the movie was even worse than either going high school or living in Los Angeles, but luckily it was much easier to shut off. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-watch-a-movie-just-because-of-its-location/683562/14 "2014-03-12T22:42:51Z")
I’ll rewatch, on occasion, parts of two science-fiction movies that had disappointing screenplays, because the location shooting is so interesting: 2009’s _Push_ (Hong Kong) and 2011’s _The Darkest Hour_ (Moscow). ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-watch-a-movie-just-because-of-its-location/683562/15 "2014-03-12T23:01:30Z")
No, not yet at least. I’ve been tempted to watch _Legally Blonde 2_ (at least on fast-forward) just because parts of it were filmed here in Springfield, and I might recognize some of the locals who appeared as extras; but it’s not a movie I’d watch otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-watch-a-movie-just-because-of-its-location/683562/16 "2014-03-12T23:27:59Z")
I watched one of the worst films of the decade, “Eat, Pray, Wretch” simply because of the Italian and Indian locations. I should have been smarter and shut off the sound. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-watch-a-movie-just-because-of-its-location/683562/17 "2014-03-12T23:58:23Z")
I do plan to see **The Place Beyond the Pines** the next time I see it. Also, I did watch **Synecdoche, New York** partly for the location, though there were only a couple of shots that were supposed to be Schenectady. ---
**Author:** ![randompattern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7993a0/32.png) [@randompattern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randompattern)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2014, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-watch-a-movie-just-because-of-its-location/683562/18 "2014-03-13T00:01:36Z")
I always liked the city shots of Chicago in The Fugitive. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2014, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-watch-a-movie-just-because-of-its-location/683562/19 "2014-03-13T00:03:15Z")
The movie “The Searchers” had almost no appeal for me, except for the incredible Western scenery. There’s a cheesy 1960s movie called “The Satan Bug” that is totally uninteresting except it has some really weird desert locales. The 1980s “Cat People” remake had sexy, sexy Nastassia Kinski in it, but the other appeal was the New Orleans locales. Ok, there was also the Giorgio Moroder score. So … prolly not applicable. ---
**Author:** ![Barking\_Dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Barking\_Dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barking_Dog)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2014, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-watch-a-movie-just-because-of-its-location/683562/20 "2014-03-13T00:25:50Z")
There are many films I’ve watched because the location it’s shot in, so as to visit like a tourist in lieu of actually travelling there. Unfortunately I just can’t at the moment bring any of their titles to mind. Very frustrating. The only one that does come to mind is a very 1980’s movie called The Legend of Billie Jean, because it was filmed in my hometown. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-watch-a-movie-just-because-of-its-location/683562.md?page=2)