Wilmington, NCMovie & Television
Filming Locations

Market Street

Dorothy Vallens’ Apartment Building

Although the scenes inside of Dorothy’s (Isabella Rossellini) apartment were all shot on a set at the EUE/Screen Gems Studios, scenes were filmed of the exterior for establishing shots and the scene when “Frank in the well dressed man disguise” (Dennis Hopper) is climbing the stairs accessible from 5th Ave.

This is an active apartment building called Carolina Apartments, so you could live here! I’ve had several friends who lived there and it was always on my mind when I walked in to the building that “This Is It”, the building imbued with cinematic history. It’s almost like our own Bradbury Building that was famously used in Blade Runner.

You can no longer just walk in to the building or even into the lobby, as they have added keypad entry on the front door. They also sealed off the side staircase with a wooden wall. I think that wooden wall detracts from the mystique of the structure, it’s sad that it’s even there, although it is where tenants dump their trash.

Also Filmed Here:
Sleepy Hollow
We’re the Millers

High School

Where Jeffery pulls up to pick up Sandy, and her boyfriend spies this from across the street in the tennis courts.

This is a real high school, so don’t go lurking around the campus, but feel free to walk around the public areas.

Also used by:
Dream a Little Dream (1989)

Crane Shot to Restaurant Balcony

Patio_dining
© Vestron Pictures, Inc.A popular spot to film

Early on, Coleman (Jason Robards), Gena (Piper Laurie), and Ike (Harry Dean Stanton) have some pleasant small talk on the character establishment train with a full stop at this balcony table.

Market_St_establishing_shot
© Vestron Pictures, Inc.The shot starts with a view looking up Market Street from Water Street

When I watched this film, I almost thought I saw it before because there was another movie which used that same exact balcony table at the same restaurant, and most likely was also a crane shot. I just can’t figure out what film it was, I thought maybe with Richard Dreyfuss, but that isn’t matching with anything he was in.

Later in the movie, Bobby/Coleman (Corey Feldman) and Lainie (Meredith Salenger) revisit this location during a montage.

Bobby_and_Lainie_eat_dinner
© Vestron Pictures, Inc.Wining and dining? Aren’t they a bit young for alcohol?

This location itself has been many different restaurants over the years. A past bandmate used to work in the kitchen there when it was Roy’s Riverboat Landing.

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