Tag Archives: Set

Brazilian artist recreates ‘Gilmore Girls’ town out of paper!

Posted on June 28, 2013 | Leave a comment

OK, so this might harm my image a little bit, but I watched Gilmore Girls. There, I said it.

The dialogues irritated me, the French gay guy was so phony it was annoying, most of the characters were dull and the girls actually pushed my wrong buttons too. But OH MY LORD those houses! Talking about your American Dream. This was before Desperate Housewives, so I had yet to see the homes on Wisteria Lane, but I wanted to live in Stars Hollow, I really did.

Stars Hollow aerial view. Not sure what town they used. If anybody knows, please let me know.

It off course is not a real town. In fact, it is a backlot at Warner Brothers studio’s called ‘Midwest Street, built in the 1940’s for the movie Saratoga Trunk. However, the town in the show was inspired by Washington Depot Connecticut, when producer Amy Sherman- Palladino spent a night in the local inn. A lot of the filming for the pilot and some later used street shots was done in Unionville Ontario, Canada.

A store front in Washington depot CT, the inspiration for the Gilmore Girl’s town of Stars Hollow

Brazilian artist Bruna Salvador Conforto, must have been watching in equal awe, yet she managed to use her inspiration for something more tangible. Some of you might know her for her recreation of the apartment from Friends.. in paper! That already was quite the achievement, but it wasn’t enough for Bruna. Her latest project is, you guessed it, a paper version of Stars Hollow!

The town of Stars Hollow, of the TV show Gilmore Girls, in paper as created by Brazilian artist Bruna Salvador Conforto

Lorelai’s home in Gilmore Girls recreated in paper!

For more movie and TV homes check out the Famous buildings and Movie locations section here at Homevoyeurs. Or test your knowledge in one, or more, of the TV home quizes. Time for a new one of those soon actually…

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Posted in Design, designers and online finds, Famous buildings and movie locations

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Spot more movies

Posted on March 4, 2009 | 14 comments

As you all loved the Spot that TV show feature so much, I thought I’d give you pop culture savvy readers another go.

Spot that movie this time. And unlike my first article with that subject, there is more than one movie to guess this time. If you know the names of all of them, let me know. An added bonus if you know the name of the person involved in all of these movies.

First one up, this house:

Movie House #1

Movie House #1

All of you born before 1980 will cherish fond memories of this movie which was released in 1985. In the movie, the house was to be torn down to make room for a golf course. If only they could find a way to get enough money to stop this from happening……Marta Plimpton and Corey Feldman also star.

 Hint: The older brother of the main character is, in real live, the stepson of a famous female singer. In the movie his character shares a name with a character living in house number two in the Spot that TV show article elsewhere on this site. This movie marked the very beginning of, at least according to IMDB, his career.

Then mystery movie house number 2:

Movie House #2

Movie House #2

I still get the shivers when the snow on my TV set appears to be sending messages from another dimension. This house does not survive the entire movie as it is sucked into The Other Side towards the end of it. That’s what you get for building on an ancient burial ground.

The special effects used for this bit were almost amateurish, the sound used is that of a vacuum cleaner. However; it was mind blowingly realistic.

Hint: Sadly, quite a few of the cast members died under perculiar circumstances in years following the production. With this adding to the mystery surrounding this movie.

House number 3; it actually resembles house number 2 a little. It was likely built in the same time.

Movie House #3. In the movie, there were no trees in front of it

Movie House #3

It is located in an earthquake prone suburb of Los Angeles, but that is just mere trivia and has nothing to do with the movie it starred in.

It was literally sealed in plastic for the climax of one of the most popular movies of all time. The big tree in front of it was not there yet as the movie crew were actually the first occupants of the house. When they were filming, some houses in the same neighbourhood had yet to be built.

There were corn fields right behind it though. At least, in the movie there were.

Hint; This movie marked the beginning of a successful career for one of the youngest cast members. She had to go through a stint in rehab or two, three, four well before she grew boobs, but managed to draw the spotlight back on herself and has starred in many popular movies since.

In a later movie she starred in, her character actually revisits the house, nude, clutching a large inflatable flower.

Mysterious Movie location number 4:

Movie House #4

Movie House #4

This house  is the home of a Einstein-esque professor able to do wonders with a DeLorean sports car in a popular trilogy from the 80’s and very early 90’s.

As I think that description was hint enough I am not giving you anymore. Maybe just the fact that the next movie location was featured in the first two of this trilogy.

Movie location number 5:

Movie Location #5

Movie Location #5

This tunnel can be seen in many many movies and TV shows. It was where Mischa Barton crashed her car in The O.C for example. In the movie I am referring to here, it starred as the entrance to a very animated town.  The main character in this movie is framed for a murder he didn’t commit.

Hint: The director of this movie, also directed the trilogy of Movie Location #4.

There you go; five movies to guess.

A combined hint: they were all released in the 80’s except part three of the trilogy in movie #4. But production for that was still very much an 80’s affair.

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Posted in Famous buildings and movie locations, General living and fun stuff

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Wisteria Lane, home of the Desperate Housewives

Posted on January 29, 2009 | 2 comments

White painted fences, french windows, wooden shingles, pretty pastels; Wisteria Lane is everybody’s dream. I know it’s mine. But where is Wisteria Lane, does it exist?

 

The answer is yes and no.. Wisteria Lane as such doesn’t exist, but there is in fact a street where one can find the homes of DH’s characters Bree, Lynette, Susan and Gabrielle. The street is called Colonial Street and is located on a back lot of Universal Studios in Los Angeles California. As it is a mock street filled with stock materials and sets, many other films and series have been shot making use of the street or sets found there. The Burbs, Psycho, Providence, The New Lassie and The Munsters to name just a few. Further to this Destiny’s Child member Kelly Rowland and rap artist Nelly recorded the video to their hit single Dilemma on the lot.

Wisteria Lane

Wisteria Lane

Colonial Street has its origins in 1946 when the first few homes were built at Universal Studios for the movie So Goes My Love. However, when the movie wrapped, the sets were placed in storage. A few years later the houses and other sets were all moved outdoors to a mock street named Colonial Street. Among the other sets was the famous Bates Mansion. When Universal Studios Hollywood opened in 1964, the Bates Mansion was one of the most popular attractions. Most of the sets were moved once more in 1981 to their current location. 

The house where Wisteria Lane resident Betty Applewhite lived with her two sons during the second season was carefully kept out of frame during season one. This was because it was considered to be too recognizable as the mansion in the popular 1960’s sitcom The Munsters. When they did introduce Betty’s family to Wisteria Lane, they had the house remodeled completely.

Left as the Munster's Mansion in the 1960's sitcom. Right as Betty Applewhite's house in Desperate Housewives

Left as the Munster's Mansion in the 1960's sitcom. Right as Betty Applewhite's house in Desperate Housewives

In 2005 the street underwent many changes for the second season of Desperate Housewives. The circular end of the street, the so called cul-de-sac where Edie lives was first shown in this season and to make room for Edie’s and other’s homes, a mock church that was featured in Murder She Wrote was removed. Funny enough, an 1988 episode of this popular detective series was called Mourning Among the Wisterias.

A sight seeing troley shows visitors around Wisteria Lane in Universal Studios. In the background Mike and Bree's house

A sight seeing trolley shows visitors around Wisteria Lane in Universal Studios. In the background Mike and Bree's house

 

Wisteria Lane can be seen in areal view with Google Maps. If you look on map view as opposed to satellite, you won’t see the name of the street. It is simply called Universal Studios back lot. 

If you want to see the lot yourself, make sure to visit Universal Studios on your next trip to Los Angeles.

Check out where they are here

The cul de Sac is clearly visible in the areal view

The cul-de-sac is clearly visible in the areal view

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Posted in Famous buildings and movie locations, Homes of the rich and famous

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