Donnie Darko




Donnie Darko was released into theaters on January 30th, 2002. Filming locations include Angeles National Forest, Burbank, Long Beach, Los Angeles and Santa Monica, Ca. Richard Kelly wrote and directed the film. He only directed five films with Donnie Darko being his third, and his last, The Box was in 2009. The film has garnered serious cult status through the years. Jake Gyllenhaal played the lead of Donnie Darko. This was well before he became one of the most recognizable actors in the industry. His real life sister Maggie, played his older sister Elizabeth in the film. His younger sister Samantha, was played by Daveigh Chase, who would go on to play the creepy Samara one year later in The Ring. Seth Rogen makes is film debut as bully Ricky Danforth, with his first line in the movie being "I like your boobs.". The film also features an impressive list of other actors which include Drew Barrymore, Patrick Swayze and Noah Wyle. One location from the film that has eluded me over the years, that I'd love to find, is Roberta Sparrow's (Grandma Death) house. 

The film was set in 1988, which meant it featured some great 80's pop-culture like the Smurfs, Hobie t-shirts and of course...80's music. The film has a fantastic soundtrack which includes songs like The Killing Moon by Echo & the Bunnymen, Under the Milky Way by The Church, Head Over Heels by Tears for Fears and Never Tear Us Apart by INXS. For the director's cut of the film, which was released on May 29th, 2004 some of the songs were rearranged and played in different parts of the movie than they were in the theatrical cut. For example, in the opening sequence, Under the Milky Way was replaced by Never Tear Us Apart. The films fabulous score was written and composed by Michael Andrews. The films first DVD release was on February 4th, 2003. The director's cut DVD was released on February 15th, 2005 and includes twenty minutes of extra footage and an altered soundtrack.


Opening - Forest Service Rd. 3N16 Falling Springs, Ca. 91789
(Charlton Flats)

It's located on a gated forest service road in the Angeles National Forest that's approximately two miles in length and leads up to the summit of Vetter Mountain which sits at a 5,911 foot elevation. The exact spot in the film is about a quarter of a mile up the service road from the parking lot. The area looks quite a bit different today than it did when the film was shot, due to multiple forest fires throughout the years, most notably the Station Fire in 2009. The Station Fire not only ravaged the landscape, but on August 31st, 2009 it also destroyed the historic Vetter Mountain lookout tower which had been there since 1937. For anyone that may wish to hike the full two mile trail to the Vetter summit, it has an astonishing view of Mt. Wilson to the south and Mt. Pacifico to the north and I highly recommend it. I'd seen other people post footage from places high up in the Angeles National Forest and claim it was the spot Donnie woke up at, but it just didn't look right to me. So I continued to search via Google Earth and eventually I found what I was pretty sure was the spot. Not long thereafter, I visited the area for myself and was able to confirm this as the correct location. As far as I know, I was the first person to share the correct location publicly. Also, I'd be lying if I said that I didn't lay down on the gated road and do my best re-enactment of Donnie waking up while I was there. The Charlton Flats area was also used for filming some of the scenes in Army of Darkness.


All "Now" pictures taken in 2017.





Darko house - 4225 Country Club Dr. Long Beach, Ca. 90807

The 5,671 square foot house was built in 1941. The house is in a popular area for filming locations. Not only is Jim Cunningham's house from the movie just across the street and four houses down to the left, but the golf course used in the film sits just behind the Darko house as well. Houses used in American Pie, American Pie 2, Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Red Dragon are also within the neighborhood. Fans of The Girl Next Door may also recognize this house as the party house from the film.


2019

All "Now" pictures taken in 2022.



Holiday Inn - 150 E. Angeleno Ave. Burbank, Ca. 91502

The hotel opened in 1981 and was refurbished in 2011. It's the largest Holiday Inn on the west coast.


2021


Bus stop - Country Club Dr. and W. San Antonio Dr. Long Beach, Ca. 90807

This intersection can also be seen near the beginning of the film as Donnie rides his bike through it on his way home, after waking up on the ridge.


2017


Middlesex High School 1901 Venice Blvd. Los Angeles, Ca. 90006
(Loyola High School)

The school first opened in 1865 and is the oldest continuing educational institution in the region. It's been at it's current location since 1917. Freshman tuition and fees for one school year exceed $21,000. Notable alumni include NFL linebacker Anthony Barr and actors Clifton Collins Jr. and Chris Hardwick, who played Jerry in 2003's House of 1000 Corpses. Other notable productions at the school include Boy Meets World and Marked for Death.


2011


Jim Cunningham's house - 4252 Country Club Dr. Long Beach, Ca. 90807

The 4,321 square foot house was built in 1927. The Darko house is located close by, just across the street and five houses down to the left. Fans of Not Another Teen Movie may also recognize this as Jake Wyler's house from the film.


2011

All "Now" pictures taken in 2022.


Not Another Teen Movie


Aero Theatre - 1328 Montana Ave. Santa Monica, Ca. 90403

The single screen movie theater was designed by architect P. M. Woolpert and opened in 1940. It was built by Donald W. Douglas for $45,000. By the end of the 90's the theater had fallen on hard times and eventually closed down. In 2005, it was re-opened after renovations were made by the non-profit organization American Cinematheque, which also hosts screenings at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood. Scenes from 10 to Midnight, Get Shorty and Sleepwalkers were also filmed at the Aero Theatre.


2011

6 comments:

  1. 4252 Country Club Dr is location in 2018 Bumblebee Movie, when Bumblebee wreck a young bully girl BMW.

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  2. I love the house we see briedlfy at 1:22:38 - it's meant to be the psychologist's home where Donnie goes to therapy. It looks like a backyard view, there's a 70s-looking treehouse or deck built around a large old oak(?) tree and a beautiful turret on the right side of out view of the home. Looks like it may have been built in the 20s or 30s and added onto in 60s or 70s. It's gorgeous, from what I can see of it, but have yet to see it listed on any filming location sites.

    I'd love to see the inside, or at least the full house. It's totally my style and I imagine in the 70s was all done up in a dark, cosy style. But now it's probably gutted and soulless, as happens to more and more character-filled period houses once humans get their boring hands on them.

    Anyway, it anyone knows where this house is, or better yet the history of it and more photos, please reply.

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  3. Dear writer,

    I'm planning on visiting LA on short notice. Does something as a Donnie Darko Movie Locations Tour exist?
    Sincerely.
    Gert

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If there are any Donnie Darko specific location tours I've never heard of them.

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    2. I lived in Hollywood for about 12 years and actually got to get high and chill in a tent with Sam Darko davagh chase

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  4. Grandma Death's house was filmed to the right of the classic "spanish Hacienda" at Sable Ranch, prominently featured in Motel Hell. It can be seen at 3:42 here: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTkt0JeZp-4) and can also be seen at 1:04:07 in Motel Hell on Tubi. But it looks like the house is no longer there as it was in Darko (https://ranchomariasable.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Sable-Ranch0137-scaled-e1623358968530.jpg)

    ReplyDelete