Commando Locations

Locations Manager(s): Robert C. Decker, John Panzarella

Commando Filming Locations:

A modern Log cabin on Mt Baldy, California was used as Matrix's home.

The production then moved to LAX. The airport terminal used is at LAX, when Sully is leaving you can see a sign for the Tom Bradley international terminal in the background, as they leave and follow sully you can see the Encounter restaurant in the background also. [Thanks to Gav Crabb]

The crew then spent three weeks night shooting in San Pedro and Long Beach, followed by eight nights at the Sherman Oaks Galleria (The same mall as was used in T2 and Fast Times at Ridgemont High). The original Sherman Oaks Galleria never recovered from damages it suffered from the Northridge Earthquake of 1994. Many of the businesses inside didn't return from where they relocated, and the Galleria closed at the turn of the century. A new building has housed the mall (still called the Galleria) since 2002, and the 2004 movie Breakin' All The Rules was filmed at the new and diminished Sherman Oaks Galleria; Now sadly demolished.

Just 1.2 miles east of the Sherman Oaks Galleria is the Casa De Cadillac where Cooke Helped himself to a free Cadillac (see below). Just one mile (1.6Km) beyond that is The Coffee Roaster at 13567 Ventura Blvd which was the Erotic Cakes shop where Homer Simpson ends up in the live action world at the end of Homer� in Treehouse Of Horror VI. 2.1 miles (3.4Km) beyond that is the Dupar's Restaurant where the scenes from Valley Girl where Julie And Randy go on their date and later when Julie's Friends convince her to get back together with Tommy.

The scene where Cooke helps himself to a free Cadillac was shot at Casa De Cadillac Hummer at 14401 Ventura Blvd (at the northwest corner of Ventura Blvd & Beverly Glen) in Sherman Oaks, California. I lived in Los Angeles, and I recognized it as being Ventura Blvd and I could see 14401 backwards on the window at the beginning of the scene. I did a reverse lookup and lo and behold, it really is a Cadillac dealership, which is still there today. Upon seeing this scene again, it could have been even easier because I could see "Casa De Ca..." backwards on the window right above the address! Google maps helped a little but the burger shack that can be seen across the street is now a Fatburger (so it's still a burger shack) but the shape of the building is the same, and I was able to make out a "Moby Disc records" in the building next to it but no listing in information so they must be gone, but, again, I could recognize the architecture of the building from Google maps street view. The Texaco at the southeast corner is gone and isn't even a gas station anymore, it's a Verizon Wireless dealer.

When Cindy and Matrix are en route to go "shopping" as Matrix puts it, they head east on Santa Monica Blvd at Sawtelle. This is the google maps link. Click on street view.

Surplus City is in actuality called Surplus City Jeep Parts at 11796 Sheldon St in Sun Valley, California. The building looks quite a bit different than it did in the movie, however, the parking lot next to it looks identical except for the signs they put on the chain link fence. The address to the building to the right has an address of 11800 and has not changed a bit since the movie. The Surplus City Jeep parts is only 1.5 miles (2.5 Km) from 12143 Branford St in Sun Valley, California, which was the site for Monster Joe's where Jules, Vincent, and Mr Wolf disposed of the dead corpse in the 1994 movie Pulp Fiction. [Thanks to "Mountain Mike" Johansen]

The scene where Cindy blows up the paddy wagon holding Matrix started at West 13th St and South Pacific Avenue in San Pedro, California, and the action went north on Pacific from there. When Cindy had the rocket launcher pointed backwards that was at the intersection and West 11th St and south Pacific. There is a neon sign where you can partially see "ne's". That is still there today it's an establishment (presumably a bar) named "June's" at the southeast corner. The whole scene can be seen (pun intended) at Google maps here. Just proceed north and point south (if you're using Google maps) and take a tour! [Thanks to "Mountain Mike" Johansen for the excellent above info]

Other locations used included the coastline at Sam Simeon in Central California that stood in for the beaches of Val Verde.

Matrix jumps off the plane from the rear landing gear into a swamp, in LAX. The plane later lands in Val Verde and that airport was, in reality, only the Long Beach airport dressed up to look South American! [Thanks to Fethi Boukli]

In the scene after the mall when Matrix and Cindy are driving and talking right before the car chase I think you see the famous diner the Apple Pan on the right side of the screen. The Apple pan is located on Pico in LA [Thanks to Mac]

Thanks to truly awesome work by PaulH, we now know the locations for Lawson's house and the garbage truck kill as well as the point where Sully is dropped and even the the former location of the military warehouse "Patria Enterprises" that Matrix infiltrates. We are holding these back for the launch of our new LX locations feature, which we're working hard to get released. And, thanks to PaulH, it will include ALL the locations used in Commando!

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