Saturday, July 22, 2017

Janet Jackson - Escapade (1990)




Of the three Jackson sisters, Rebbie got the most powerful voice (and the best song ever, Centipede!) but Janet had the most staying power and is the most likely to be heard laughing on a song.  After two album duds, she finally broke through in 1986 with her massively successful Control album.  A hard act to follow, she waited a while ;-) and managed to outdo herself three years later.  Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 spawned a record-setting 7 top ten singles, four of which reached #1, including the upbeat Escapade.  For the video, Janet is seen cavorting through a old Spanish town with her friends enjoying a Mardi-Gras-esque carnival as a man looking shy catches her eye.  The jubilant and carefree video was a nice contrast to the more serious one for Rhythm Nation that preceded it. Edit!

Escapade was filmed in Universal City, CA

Location: The Mardi Gras Carnival
Address: Universal Studios Backlot - Old Mexico, Universal City, CA

It was a little difficult to find exact spots as the tram doesn't go through the whole area and some of it has been remodeled over the years...



On the far right of this shot, you can sort of see an archway through the dust that appears to be around this area...


There was something filming when I took this tram ride, though I've never gone down that street before on a tour, which is probably where some of the other buildings seen in the video might be...




Location Visited: October 2016

Related Locations:

Janet Jackson - Nasty (1986)Janet Jackson - Let's Wait Awhile (1987)Janet Jackson - Rhythm Nation (1989)



Saturday, July 15, 2017

Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)




Kill Bill was the first Tarantino film I ever saw.  Judging from the trailers of his previous works, they just didn't look like my type of flicks.  But not wanting to be the odd co-worker out on a Friday evening, the time had finally come.  I expected to be bored senseless for 90 minutes once the lights dimmed but much to my surprise, I was quite entertained!  The revenge movie was action-packed, funny, bloody, and as an avid soap watcher, I quite enjoyed the cliffhanger ending.  Next thing you know, I'm marking my Osbournes calendar for the release date of Volume 2!  I haven't seen another Tarantino film since the second installment but Volume 3 is in development, so third time could be a charm.


Kill Bill:Vol 1 was filmed in Pasadena, Los Angeles and Lancaster, CA


Location: Vermita Greene's House
Address: 5506 Atlas Street, South Pasadena, CA










Location: The Hospital
Address: 2632 E Washington Boulevard, Pasadena, CA   St. Luke's Medical Center




Location: The Tunnel
Address: 2nd Street Tunnel & Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, CA   




This tunnel was also seen in Independence Day (1996)

Locations Visited: October 2016




Wednesday, July 5, 2017

The Pelican Brief (1993)





Politics is NOT an area of interest to me.  But throw in a little Hollywood magic and some A-list movie stars and I'll flock ;-) to the theater like I did when The Pelican Brief was released.  That classroom constitutional rights debate went right over my head but I was able to follow most of the political thriller, based on the John Grisham novel.  

Julia Roberts, known to light up the theater with her smile, gives her zygomaticus major a rest as she takes on the role of Darby Shaw.  Roberts plays a New Orleans law school student who drafts a brief implicating The White House in the assassination of two Supreme Court justices, shaking Washington to it's core.  Speaking of Washington, Denzel plays reporter Gray Grantham who helps Darby investigate her theory while she's on the run.

The Pelican Brief was the second John Grisham movie to be released and several more would come during the 90's.  It was a box office hit, the last one for America's Sweetheart until My Best Friend's Wedding (1997) where her career took flight again ;-)

The Pelican Brief was filmed in Washington, DC, New York, NY and New Orleans, LA



Location: Grantham & White House Source's Lunch
Address: 1213 U Street NW, Washington, DC  Ben's Chili Bowl






Location: Gray Grantham's Townhouse 
Address: 205 3rd Street NE, Washington, DC








Location: Grantham Follows Garcia 
Address: Indiana Plaza NW, Washington, DC





Location: Thomas & Darby's Restaurant
Address: 713 Saint Louis Street, New Orleans, LA  Antoine's

They still have the same chairs...






Location: Thomas' Car Explodes
Address: 537 South Peters Street, New Orleans, LA





Location: Darby's Bar/Laundromat
Address: 721 Bourbon Street, New Orleans, LA  Tropical Isle Bourbon


















Location: Darby Runs Through French Quarter
Address: near 1025 Decatur Street, New Orleans, LA

Thanks to the Santa's Quarters sign seen briefly in the background, I was able to track down this street...




Help comes to her rescue in front of 1011 Decatur Street...




Location: Mardi Gras
Address: Bourbon & Orleans Street, New Orleans, LA

The memorable shot showing the decadence is where the bar/laundromat is located...




Location: Darby Escapes Assassin
Address: 2 Canal Street, New Orleans  Spanish Plaza Riverwalk 

Currently undergoing a facelift...











Location: Grantham Calls Darby
Address: SE Corner of Central Park, New York, NY






Location: Grantham's Subway Station
Address: U Street-Cardozo Metro Station, Washington, DC








Location: Justice Jensen's Funeral
Address: 3101 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC  National Cathedral

















Location: Grantham's Hotel
Address: 2500 Calvert Street NW, Washington, DC  Omni Shoreham Hotel








Location: Georgetown Law School
Address: 600 New Jersey Avenue NW, Washington, DC  Georgetown University Law Center




Location: Park Lane Hospital
Address: 3100 Macomb Street NW, Washington, DC  

The Mansion, Washington International School







Location: White & Blazevich 
Address: 1299 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC  Warner Building








Location: The Parking Garage
Address: 1220 E Street NW, Washington, DC  




Location: The Bank
Address: 1501 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC

Bank of America (formerly Riggs National Bank)






Locations Visited: November 2015, February 2017, March 2018


Still Need To Locate:

Justice Rosenberg's Townhouse
The President's Hospital
Mrs. Morgan's House
Callahan's Memorial Service