San Francisco Movies

List creator: dydeth Created on: August 20, 2004 - 8:51 PM PDT Description: A complete-as-I-can-make-it list of movies shot in and around SF (with LOTS of help from www.norcalmovies.com) and the Bay Area. I'll try to put comments and info about the movies and rate the ones I've seen. Please email me with any errors or add. info.

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	movie title	related list	average rating	MPAA rating	watch	rent	buy
	50 First Dates (2004)
A quick scene at the Rainforest Cafe and a scene at Six Flags Marine World
	Twisted (2004)
Locally shot Phil Kaufman flick that (apparently deservedly) sat on the proverbial shelves for several seasons.
	The Core (2003)
The Golden Gate bites it again.
	Dopamine (2003)
Shot all over San Francisco.
	House of Sand and Fog (2003)
An OK movie set in the Bay Area (though the bulk of the stuff that's set in Marin is shot in Malibu) some stuff in the Mission and a bunch of establishing shots of the GGB.
	Hulk (2003)
Shot all over the freaking place (I remember the hovering helicopters all over the city for the Telegraph Hill destruct-o scene. The movie is both better and worse than I expected.
	Mona Lisa Smile (2003)
Julia Roberts' character is from Berkeley and there's a shot of the Bay Bridge setting this up.
	Under the Tuscan Sun (2003)
I haven't seen this, but the main character is suppsoedly from San Francisco - does anyone know what is shot here?
	Kung Phooey (2003)
Mostly shot in Chinatown and in Oakland.
	Cherish (2002)
A really fun locally shot flick. The first half or so is just in the main character's apartment, but the second half has a bunch of stuff shot in the Mission.
	The Cockettes (2002)
A great documentary made about the commune scene from the Summer of Love and on. It is terrifically life-affirming, I think, and is a really entertaining flick. Tons of area footage.
	Enough (2002)
Though this silly battered-wife-revenge-flick was also shot in Seattle and L.A., there's some stuff from the BB and SFO among others.
	The First $20 Million is Always the Hardest (2002)
It's set here and is filled with area footage.
	40 Days & 40 Nights (2002)
Also set here, all around town. Looks really bad. Unless you loooove Josh Hartnett.
	High Crimes (2002)
Started watching this and couldn't make it past the first act which had some Union Square footage (among many other locations). Also shot in and around L.A.
	Monk: Season 1 (disc 1 of 4) (2002)			Not Rated
I've not seen the show but I hear it's set here? On Russian Hill?
	Rollerball (2002)
Futuristic mumbo-jumbo shot all over Nob Hill - but IN THE FUTURE. Amazing what you can do if you put your mind to it.
	The Sweetest Thing (2002)			Not Rated
About Marina ho's and shot in and around the Marina.
	Yamashita: The Tiger's Treasure (2002)
Chinatown and around the City
	Bartleby (2001)
In the City and in Marin County.
	E-Dreams (2002)			Not Rated
About the dearly departed Kozmo.com. Lots of area footage.
	Further Tales of the City (Disc 1 of 2) (2001)
The third of the series, and really the motherlode of fiction films with regards to localk stuff. Big fun. My favorite of the three.
	Further Tales of the City (Disc 2 of 2) (2001)
See Volume one.
	Serendipity (2001)
Beloved John Cusack whoring himself out a little bit in this one, shot all over the City.
	By Hook or By Crook (2001)			Not Rated
Looks like an interesting gender-butch-love story. Shot in the City, among other places.
	Teknolust (2002)
Future indie Tilda Swinton-thing shot locally.
	Haiku Tunnel (2001)
Silly office comedy by local monologist, Josh Kornbluth. Truly worth seeing. Shot in the Mission and in the Financial District.
	The Invisible Circus (2001)
The Presidio and Buena Vista Park get screen time in this coming-of-age, 70's period piece.
	The Princess Diaries (2001)
Shot in the Bay Area.
	Startup.com (2001)
About our very own Cutural Moment. Lots of stuff in the City and down the penninsula.
	Sweet November (2001)
Charlize is dying! Russian Hill, North Beach. Poor Kanoo. Also, a few scenes were shot on Potrero Hill specifically at Farley's and several faked locations.
	The Deep End (2001)
Shot in Tahoe and and Placer County with a quick cameo of the Backflip Bar, on Eddy Street.
	The Wedding Planner (2001)
J Lo. All over the place.
	Bedazzled (2000)
Another local movie shot with Brendan Fraser, he of George of the Jungle Fame.
	Boys and Girls (2000)
Shot in Berkeley and the City.
	Down to You (2000)
Though set in NY, this is largely shot in SF, for some reason.
	Groove (2000)
Local, kinda reviled film about the underground party scene during the boom. I didn't think it was all that bad, though I don't catch myself listening to psych-trance-house very often. The DP made the City look really exotic and pretty. Worth the rental.
	Live Nude Girls Unite! (2000)
Doc about the unionization of the Lusty Lady up on North Beach, so expect lot's of Broadway and Columbus action.
	Mission (2000)			Not Rated
The Mission!
	Playing Mona Lisa (2000)
Fort Mason, the Presidio, the usual suspects.
	Romeo Must Die (2000)
Oakland, mostly, but some stuff on the Embarcadero and Yerba Buena Island. Also some subbing of Vancouver for our lovely City.
	Sausalito (2000)			Not Rated
All over, but a lot of Downtown stuff. This one looks really good.
	Seven Girlfriends (2000)
Oh, that Wings guy. GGB, the Presidio and North Beach. Yawn.
	Woman on Top (2000)
Shot the Palace of Fine Arts, the Presidio and other places around the City.
	Wildflowers (2000)
All over the area: the North Bay, Bernal Heights, North Beach, etc.
	The Bachelor (1999)
I remember running into what seemed like hundreds of men and women dressed in wedding dresses for this stinker. I still haven't rented it, but it did look like the extras were having fun.
	Bicentennial Man (1999)
Robin, please. All over the city IN THE FUTURE again. Sweet.
	Black Eyed Dog (1999)			Not Rated
The Richmond and the Mission and Downtown.
	EdTV (1999)
North Beach, mainly, but it was shot all over.
	Guinevere (1999)
Pacific Heights and North Beach and Potrero Heights, blah blah blah.
	The Insider (1999)
The Al's-at-home-with-his-wife scenes are shot in Berkeley. Ditto for the supposed-to-be-in-Montana-getting-the-Unabomber scenes.
	Life (1999)
Sacto and tha Citay.
	Stigmata (1999)
I love this. The Vatican stuff was shot at the Palace of Fine Arts. Poor Stigmata.
	Storm of the Century (1999)
Usual stock stuff of the City with some Chinatown stuff thrown in for goo measure.
	Around the Fire (1998)
GG Park and other hippied places around the Bay Area.
	City of Angels (1998)
Though set in L.A., the Angels' Library is actually the new Main in Civic Center.
	Desperate Measures (1998)
Michael Keaton messes up SF General.
	Dr. Dolittle (1998)
Shot mostly up in Pacific Heights and Coit Tower and North Point. Between Eddie and Robin, the Bay Area was swimming in movies in the late 90's. Thank you Willie Brown.
	Homegrown (1998)
Shot mostly up north, there's some City footage later in the film which I was not able to make it to.
	More Tales of the City (Disc 1 of 2) (1998)
The second in the beloved series, presided over by the beloved Armistad Maupin.
	More Tales of the City (Disc 2 of 2) (1998)
Mouse may have changed, but the story has not. Lets hope they finish the series.
	Patch Adams (1998)
Robin. Please. C'mon.
	The Parent Trap (1998)
Mostly Marin and Napa and the like, but the Maritime Museum makes an appearance.
	Sphere (1998)
Monterey Bay Aquarium's jellyfish make a cameo, as do the Farallons. A good portion of the movie was also filmed in Vallejo at the old Mare Island naval base, too.
	What Dreams May Come (1998)
More schlock from Mr. Williams. He gets aced by an errant car in the Browadway Tunnel and moves on to the afterlife with Cuba Gooding Jr. as his guide, the poor fucker.
	Dream With the Fishes (1997)
By Finn Taylor, the director of Cherish, which I liked, this one has Oakland standing in for NY with some BB and Pier 39 tossed in at the end. Not a bad flick.
	Father's Day (1997)
Robin. Stop, please.
	Flubber (1997)
And more Robin.
	The Game (1997)
Michael Douglas owns this town muthaf****r. Lots of pretty, not overshot local footage, with a little L.A. thrown in. The Sheraton Palace has never looked better on celuloid.
	George of the Jungle (1997)
A big Bay Bridge scene is the highlight, but this one was shot all over the City and in Woodside.
	Inventing the Abbotts (1997)
Sonoma and Marin Counties and the City, though I don't know where, 'cause I haven't seen it. Anyone?
	A Smile Like Yours (1997)
Chinatown for this one and the sets were built at the old Naval base in Alameda.
	Metro (1997)
The old Hibernia Bank is highlighted, as is Union Square. The big finish was shot in Vallejo
	Down Periscope (1996)
Most of the filming was done in Alameda and Solano Counties and there was some footage shot in the Presidio.
	Phenomenon (1996)
North Bay and a little in the City.
	The Rock (Criterion Collection) (1996)
Well, Alcatraz, of course, and extensive scenes shot in the Fairmont. Willie plays a Cable Car conductor in his spare time.
	Copycat (1995)
A lot of Treasure Island sets for this one as well as the Marin Headlands and Twin Peaks.
	Jade (1995)
Lots O' Chinatown (pretty good, too) and other glamerous SF areas. The Japanes Tea Garden, Stockton Tunnel, Potrero Hill, etc.
	The Net (1995)
Man this was a bad movie. A bunch was shot at the Naval Base in Alameda and there was some smaller stuff in the City downtown and at the Moscone Center.
	Nine Months (1995)
Why'd you do it, Hugh? She loved you, man. Chris Columbus loves us. And he's a very nice guy, even if is movies are a bit suspect.
	Panther (1995)
Oaktown, baby. and the Bay Bridge, of course.
	Nina Takes a Lover (1994)
I haven't seen this but it was shot in SF and Oakland.
	Murder in the First (1995)
Some Nob Hill stuff and a lot of Alcatraz and the courtroom scenes were shot at City Hall. Kevin Bacon wanted a supporting nod so bad and it was runied by our friend Christian. Poor Kevin.
	Junior (1994)
So bad, I was uncomfortable watching the few scenes I saw at home on network TV. Real bad. Mostly shot around Monterey, but the Fairmont makes an appearance.
	Interview with the Vampire (1994)
The local stuff was pretty goofy with Mr. Slater sullying an otherwise decent vampire flick.
	When a Man Loves a Woman (1994)
All over the City.
	Fearless (1993)
I remembered this being shot in L.A. and, lo, it was, with quite a bit shot around here with some nice, not overused City locations.
	Heart and Souls (1993)
The Usual.
	The Joy Luck Club (1993)
Chinatown and the Usual.
	Made in America (1993)
Good lord this was bad. The BB makes an appearance and it was shot mostly in Oakland.
	Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)
More Robin. I hated this movie, though it did make good use of the City.
	Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993)
Noe Valley, stand up and represent. The Church was in the inveterate "ghetto" of 30th and Church street, humorously.
	So I Married an Axe Murderer (1993)
First it was underrated and now it's overrated. Some great North Beach stuff, though.
	Tales of the City (Disc 1 of 3) (1993)			Not Rated
The one that got PBS in all that trouble. This is a great primer of the Bay Area if anyone is interested. And a great flick to boot.
	Tales of the City (Disc 2 of 3) (1993)			Not Rated
	Tales of the City (Disc 3 of 3) (1993)			Not Rated
	Basic Instinct (1992)			Not Rated
The club scene is worth the price of admission. Hoo. Otherwise, lots of area footage.
	Final Analysis (1992)
The Sir Francis Drake figures in as does Oakland and the North Bay.
	Kuffs (1992)
Christian!
	Raising Cain (1992)
Brian DePalma shoots the City. Pretty well, too.
	Sister Act (1992)
Noe Valley! Go! St. Paul's Church at 29th & Church Streets!
	Sneakers (1992)
Mostly shot in L.A., but a good amount was at Hills Plaza and the Embarcadero.
	Dogfight (1991)
This one is a really good movie. Shot in SF and Seattle.
	The Doctor (1991)
William Hurt mopes around Rincon Tower before moving on to Marin County, where he finds something or something.
	The Doors (1991)
I really thought this sucked. There was soe stuff shot at the Warfield and the Hollywood Bowl stuff was actually shot in San Mateo at the Pulgas Water Temple.
	Dying Young (1991)
Campbell Scott mopes and dies in and around the Bay Area.
	Eve of Destruction (1990)
Oakland Airprt, becasue they couldn't afford SFO. Sigh.
	Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)
All Star Trek movies have footage of the BB.
	Another 48 Hrs. (1990)
Look, puffy Eddie Murphy cashing in!
	Pacific Heights (1990)
Shot, amusingly enough, on Potrero Hill, this one isn't bad at all. The City Hall stuff is good, too.
	The Abyss (1989)
In the alternate ending, the BB eats it from a tidal wave.
	Casualties of War (1989)
Dolores park and a MUNI train, not in Vietnam.
	Common Threads: Stories From the Quilt (1989)
Duh.
	Eat a Bowl of Tea (1989)
Chinatown, etc.
	Beaches (1988)
One of the titular beaches is Ocean Beach on Great Highway.
	The Dead Pool (1988)
The last of the Dirty Harry flicks, all of which were famously shot here in the City and all of which are great examples of how to use our city cinematically. They really make SF seem city-ish, and not just a playground for filmmakers.
	Tucker: The Man and His Dream (1988)
This Coppola flick was entirely filmed in the Bay Area with one scene being shot at the War Memorial Opera House, here in the City.
	The Presidio (1988)
This silly thriller (made when Connery was fresh off his Oscar and cashing in - hello Highlander) is largely shot here in the City, but I remember reading somewhere that a lot of it was shot in L.A.. Does anyone else have a similar recollection?
	Burglar (1987)
This Whoopi Goldberg vehicle (made when Hollywood seemed to put her in every other flick hoping SOMEthing would work. This one didn't) was shot in the City, largely on Potrero Hill.
	Innerspace (1987)
GGB, Mark Hopkins, Embarcadero. I don't remember where else.
	Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)
The Motherlode of SF Star Trek movies. This is really silly, but with some great stuff, especially in North Beach and the Spock-does-the-death-grip-on-the-Muni-guy scene is great, too.
	Big Trouble in Little China (1986)
This one opens with some great footage of Chinatown, but then goes to huge, elaborate sets built in L.A.
	Jagged Edge (1985)
City Hall. I don't know where else.
	A View to a Kill (1985)
Man this movie was stupid. Lots of SF footage with the pentultimate scene being the battle on GGB (or some set in England painted to look like it)
	Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984)
In this and the first two there's at least one shot of Captain Kirk's apt. which looks out over a painting of Russian Hill. Not really SF, but what the hell.
	The Times of Harvey Milk (1983)
The Castro and City Hall, obviously, sadly. Some great stuff.
	The Woman in Red (1984)
I seem to remeber this as being the first PG-13 movie, but I could be wrong. Union & Montgomery, the Palace of Fine Arts and Brocklebank Apartments at 1000 Mason Street.
	Koyaanisqatsi - Life Out of Balance (1982)			Not Rated
BART and the City in general to great effect. Highly recommended on many levels, but also on a purly SF-based one, too.
	The Right Stuff (Special Edition) (1983)
Local filmmaker, Phil Kaufman shot a bunch of this, his best film, here in the Bay Area. Mostly the surrounding towns and counties, but City Hall stands in for the Capitol building.
	Sudden Impact (1983)
The one Reagan liked so much. More great SF stuff from Dirty Harry. "Make my day" was uttered at Burger Island (now a McDonalds) at 695 Third Street, South of Market. You can swing by on the way to Pac Bell, er, SBC Park.
	V (1983)			Not Rated
Almost entirely shot down in L.A., there is a fun shot of the enormous flying saucer hovering over the GGB.
	48 Hrs. (1982)
Eddie's big break. Maybe that's why he keeps coming back to us to make lousy movies. This one isn't lousy though as his genuine chemistry carries he and Nick Nolte through this one with aplomb. Great SF footage abounds.
	Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)
GGB and Kirk's appartment overlooking the fake Russian Hill again.
	An Eye for an Eye (1981)
Chuck Norris, kicking some serious ass all over the City.
	Star Trek I: The Motion Picture (1979)
Lots of fake SF with Starfleet being based at the Presidio and the GGB looming large. Can you imagine the rents then? Hoo.
	Escape from Alcatraz (1979)
A terrific lean little thriller directed by the great Don Siegel. All shot right there on the island. Go here for some fun trivia about the making of the movie: http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0079116/trivia
	Time After Time (1979)
Who didn't love this as a kid? It hits all the usual suspects like Palace of Fine Arts, the Marina, the Embarcadero Center, Justin Herman Plaza.GG Park. North Beach, etc. Looks suitable grimy, though. Still a fun one to watch.
	Invasion of the Body Snatchers (Collector's Edition) (1978)
Local Phil Kaufman made this interesting update to the classic by Don Siegel with lots of great local footage. The Transamerica Pyramid seems to be talking to the pods. Totally worth watching again.
	The Enforcer (1976)
More great Dirty Harry-SF stuff.
	The Conversation (1974)
The Coppola classic. Hard to call it unsung anymore, but unfortunately it will always be overshadowed by Godfather II. This one opens with the great scene in Union Square and continues to use SF locations to great effect through the whole thing.
	Herbie Rides Again (1974)
Good lord. Yes, it was shot here in part.
	The Towering Inferno (1974)
One of the most fun local films ever. You can't go to the fictional Glass Tower, but you can have fun watching it burn down here.
	American Graffiti (1973)
All shot in the North Bay, but two Mel's Diners in SF were used.
	Magnum Force (1973)
The sequel to the great Dirty Harry. More terrific local stuff.
	Butterflies Are Free (1972)
I realy hate Goldie Hawn, but this was shot here in the City.
	Play It Again, Sam (1972)
I always forget that this was shot here and not in NY. There was a strike in NY that kept it from being filmed there. Filmed in the City and all over the area.
	What's Up Doc? (1972)
Who doesn't love Babs, huh? Great SF comedy. Watch it again and you'll see Bogdanovich at the top of his game.
	Dirty Harry (1971)
Yay! Go Clint. Funny and thrilling, totally worth watching again. Watch Out, Craz-ay Hippies!
	Harold and Maude (1971)
Mostly shot in San Mateo County, there is the memorable scene at the Sutro Bath ruins.
	The Organization (1971)
Sidney does Harry before Clint all over the City.
	They Call Me Mister Tibbs! (1970)