13 Iconic Movie Buildings and Landscapes from a Different Angle

Indiana Jones’ Canyon of the Crescent Moon is actually one of the 7 wonders of the world.
13 Iconic Movie Buildings and Landscapes from a Different Angle

We’re not out to ruin a movie magician’s tricks. Sorry Gob… Illusions. A movie’s illusion is how we know they did a great job. Settings play a crucial role in immersing a wide-eyed spectator into whatever “world” filmmakers have conjured up. Some iconic buildings end up becoming synonymous with the movie itself (even if they’ve given it a new name, and shot all the interiors on a soundstage.) We apologize for peeling the curtain back a little bit here, but we noticed some wild architecture and landscapes, and just had to dig a little deeper.

Let’s not forget the landscapes. This wet rock floating through space provides us with all kinds of wonders primed for the big screen. It’s amazing that a movie can etch some rocks, grass, and water into our collective memory, and even transport us to far-off worlds (even if we come to realize it was Earth all along). Natural or man-made, we’re viewing these 13 iconic movie buildings and landscapes from a different angle. 

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Who would one have to pay for the location usage at a “wonder of the world?”

CRACKED AL KHAZNEH AS THE CANYON OF THE CRESCENT MOON. INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE The giant sandstone temple in Petra, Jordan doesn't actually hold the Holy Grail, but it was inhabited roughly 10,000 years ago, and it's one of the 7 wonders of the world, so yeah, it's captivating enough for a movie.

Business Insider 

A grand movie set 20 years in the making.

CRACKED THE CABAZON DINOSAURS PEE-WEE'S BIG ADVENTURE Claude Bell built the 150 foot long Apatosaurus and a 65-foot-tall T. Rex from 1964 to 1983 in Cabazon along California's Interstate 10. Не got to see them achieve fame in the 1985 movie before he died in 1988.

Slate

So their mode of transportation wasn’t just for movie magic.

CRACKED JURASSIC PARK IS ON HAWAII'S KAUAI ISLAND. The characters arrive by helicopter at the foot of the 300+ foot tall Manawaiopuna Falls. It's since become a place of pilgrimage for fans, and has been renamed 'Jurassic Falls'. A helicopter is actually the only way to access the falls.

En-Vols / Hotels 

Relax, it’s just the face of the operation.

CRACKED THE MCCALLISTER HOME IN HOME ALONE. Located at 671 Lincoln Ave. in the North Shore village of Winnetka, Illinois, tourists still flock to it over 30 years after the film's release. All of the house interiors were sets constructed in the gym of New Trier Township High School.

EW / Redfin 

The firefighters are NYC’s finest, but the Ghostbusters are up there too.

CRACKED GHOSTBUSTERS HEADQUARTERS IN NYC. LADDER EIGHT F.D. e HOOK A LADDER-8 N.Y. The Tribeca firehouse Hook and Ladder Company 8 is located at 14 North Moore St. They were among the very first responders on 9/11, and the building underwent a major renovation from 2016 to 2018 (but looks relatively the same).

Atlas Obscura

Wait, but how did they get the Statue of Liberty there?!

CRACKED THE PLANET OF THE APES IS NOW THE BEACH OF THE CELEBS. When Charlton Heston realizes he's been on Earth all along, he's on the far eastern end of Westward Beach between Zuma Beach and Point Dume, Malibu. It's now a celebrity hotspot where Chris Martin and Julia Roberts get all tanned up.

Peerspace

We’re pretty sure they were just scared to film in the real Amityville.

CRACKED FOR THE HORROR, AMITYVILLE HAD TO BE RECREATED IN NEW JERSEY. After being denied permission to film in Amityville, NY, the iconic house was recreated in Toms River, NJ. Town exteriors were also shot in NJ, like the Sunken Garden at Georgian Court University in Lakewood.

RTR Locations

Ireland does have some pretty other-worldly landscapes.

CRACKED LUKE SKYWALKER'S HOME... IN IRELAND. The Irish island Skellig Michael is used in The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi for Luke Skywalker's self-imposed exile. Visitors must climb 618 steps to see the remains of its 8th century monastery.

Skellig Michael

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