A Nightmare on Elm Street
Horror villain Freddy Krueger has been spied creeping around the suburbs of Chicago.
For the latest release of A Nightmare on Elm Street, scary teen scenes were filmed
at Elk Grove High School in Elk Grove Village and John Hersey High School in Arlington
Heights.
Oprah
Oprah Winfrey’s talk show may be gone from Chicago’s West Loop, but the media mogul
still owns the block. Before leaving office, Mayor Richard Daley officially named
the avenue in front of Harpo Studios Oprah Winfrey Way. Go ahead - snap a photo
under the street sign.
The Great Gatsby
The Volo Auto Museum added an extra dash of class to The Great Gatsby (slated for release in 2012) by selling two 1929 Duesenbergs for use in the film. The museum houses several iconic movie mobiles, including the original Batmobile and the Blues Brothers Bluesmobile.
Source Code
The commuter train map posted inside the railcar in Source Code was actually a
Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) map with the color of its train lines altered. The
train used in the film was a Metra train, which is an entirely different Chicago-area
rail system servicing the suburbs that actually does not feature maps in its railcars.
The Chicago Blackhawks logo, representing the city’s Stanley Cup-winning hockey
team, can also be seen on the train.
The Dilemma
While filming the "Shoot the Puck" scene at the United Center, the lead actor who played Nick Brannen actually made it into the net while practicing. The extras in the United Center erupted with "Chelsea Dagger" to celebrate his feat, which happened to be the goal song embraced by Chicago Blackhawks hockey fans during their winning 2009-10 season. The song is also heard in the trailer for The Dilemma.
Public Enemies
Late in his career, it’s known that notorious bank robber John Dillinger often attended Cubs games at Wrigley Field and frequented bars in Chicago.
A League of Their Own
The Rockford Peaches women’s professional baseball team, depicted in A League of Their Own, played at Beyer Stadium in the 1940s. Unfortunately, the original Rockford stadium was in serious disrepair and could not be used as a location for the film. All that is left of it today is the original archway, although you can see an exhibit on the Peaches (including photos and memorabilia) at Rockford’s Midway Village Museum.
Eagle Eye
The distinctive church seen in the Chicago establishing shot of Eagle Eye (about eight minutes into the movie) is the historic St. James Catholic Church, located in the Bronzeville neighborhood. Another notable film location is Emmit’s Irish Pub, a no-nonsense corner bar near Chicago’s Loop that has also been seen in Ocean’s Eleven, Ocean’s Twelve and U.S. Marshals.
The Untouchables
In the original script for The Untouchables, the big shoot out was actually supposed to be filmed on a stopped train. But when the studio announced a period 1930s train would be too expensive, the director opted to shoot the now classic scene on the stairs of Union Station.