Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Texas Chainsaw 3D (2013)




Texas Chainsaw 3D (2013) was filmed in Louisiana, not too far from the Texas border.  Aside from Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III (1990), which was filmed in southern California, this is the only film in the series to be filmed outside of Texas.  Louisiana was chosen due to the state's lucrative tax incentives.



Goodwill Rd
Goodwill Rd



The gas station where Heather and her friends stop at the beginning of the movie is located on Goodwill Rd in Minden.  In addition to the gas station, the location also houses two businesses: a casino named Pot-O-Gold and a restaurant named K-K's Kitchen.  K-K's Kitchen was formerly known as the Rainbow Diner.  

This location was most likely chosen because it is in close proximity to the Louisiana Army Ammunition Plant in Camp Minden, just a short drive down Highway 80.  The munitions factory was used as the slaughterhouse at the end of the movie.  Several of the roads in the camp were used as well, filling in as the gate to Heather's mansion (the actual mansion is located over an hour away in Mansfield).  

They also recreated the infamous Sawyer house for the opening scene in an open field at Camp Minden.  The house is no longer there, as it is burned down in the movie.  The camp does house live explosives, and occasionally accidental explosions do occur.  The movie was filmed in July and August of 2011, but there were two explosions in fall 2012 (one in October and one in November).  The one in October resulted in a mile and a half high mushroom cloud.
Location: Minden, LA
Coordinates: 32.575523, -93.432032 (gas station)
Visible on Street View: Yes
Links:
Facebook  (K-K's Kitchen)




Kaps & Frye Dry Cleaners
Kaps & Frye Dry Cleaners
Kaps & Frye Dry Cleaners
Kaps & Frye Dry Cleaners
Adams St



The town scenes were filmed in Courthouse Square in Mansfield, a town-square area surrounding the DeSoto Parish Courthouse.  The storefront where Heather buys the coal and first meets Deputy Carl is Kaps & Frye Dry Cleaners & Laundry, located at the intersection of Texas St and Adams St.  The scene later in the film where Heather is picked up by Deputy Carl was filmed nearby at the crosswalk on Adams St.  Courthouse Square is in very close proximity to the mansion Heather inherits, less than a mile away. 
Location: Mansfield, LA
Coordinates (buying coal): 32.038196,-93.71019
Coordinates (picked up by police): 32.038692, -93.710079
Visible on Street View: Yes
Links:
Mansfield, Louisiana  (Wikipedia)
DeSoto Parish (Wikipedia)




Mansfield, Louisiana
Mansfield, Louisiana
Mansfield, Louisiana
Mansfield, Louisiana
The Collector
The Collector
The Collector



The mansion that Heather inherits is a location that was previously featured on this blog: it's the same house that was used for the The Collector (2009), which was already covered here.  The house is located in Mansfield, less than a mile from Courthouse Square. 
Location: Mansfield, LA
Coordinates: 32.033239, -93.717545
Visible on Street View: Yes
Links:


One final location, the carnival scene was filmed at Cargill Park in Shreveport.  The address is 7700 Lotus Lane. 

Friday, September 20, 2013

You're Next (2011)





Columbia Country Club


The recent indie-horror hit You're Next (2011) was filmed in Columbia, Missouri, hometown of the film's writer Simon Barrett.  The English-tudor style mansion used in the film is located near the 6th hole green at the Columbia Country Club.  The movie was shot on location (interiors and all) in 26 days during March / April of 2011.  The filmmakers had to create fake walls and covered the floors with carpets in order to prevent damage to the mansion.  

A few websites claim that director Adam Wingard's previous films, A Horrible Way To Die (2010) and "Tape 56" from V/H/S (2012), were filmed in the same mansion, but I don't believe this is true.  According to LionsGate's production notes, the house was found only two weeks before production began.  The V/H/S segment was shot shortly before production began on You're Next.  However, all three films were shot in and around Columbia, Missouri.  

The mansion was built in 1927 during prohibition, and the crew found hidden liquor cabinets built into the walls.  When the production crew rented the house, it had been vacant for over ten years.  The house recently sold in January of this year (2013) and is now a private residence.  
Location: Columbia, MO
Coordinates: 38.956118, -92.308135
Visible on Street View: No
Links: