VAMONDE

From gritty action to goofy comedy, Grand Rapids is a favorite location for Hollywood film shoots, thanks to its midwestern charm, friendly small businesses, and a generous state tax credit for film productions. Get to know the city through these five locations you may recognize from your favorite movie.

Famous Movie Spots in Grand Rapids

Starring Dave Bautista as a Grand Rapids ex-con.

“House of the Rising Sun” is a 2011 action film and vehicle for Dave Bautista, who rose to fame as WWE wrestler Batista and has since appeared in blockbusters including “Bladerunner 2049” and the Marvel superhero films as Drax the Destroyer, one of the Guardians of the Galaxy. In “House of the Rising Sun,” he plays Ray, an ex-con hunted by both police and mobsters who believe he shot the son of his nightclub-owner boss. The film also stars Amy Smart (“The Butterfly Effect,”) Dominic Purcell (“The Flash” tv series) and legendary tough-guy Danny Trejo.

“House of the Rising Sun” was the second feature directed by Grand Rapids native Brian A. Miller. Miller graduated from East Grand Rapids High School in 1993 and studied acting and film at Grand Rapids Community College and Grand Valley State University. He moved to Los Angeles in 2003, and about six years later got the green-light to direct his first feature, “Crossfire,” also shot here in Grand Rapids. After “House of the Rising Sun” he moved on to action projects with bugger budgets, including two Bruce Willis films and 2018’s “Backtrace” starring Sylvester Stallone.

Grand Rapids in winter serves as a cold, gray backdrop for gritty characters in much of “House of the Rising Sun.” Check out the clip above in which Ray meets up with “Charlie,” played by Craig Fairbrass (whose voice you may recognize from the “Call of Duty” video games) on the steps of the Grand Rapids Arts Museum as kids ice-skate in Rosa Parks circle. The film also features a cameo by Grand Rapids native Brian Vander Ark, frontman for the rock band The Verve Pipe and radio DJ on WLAV.

Cover: Poster for “House of the Rising Sun,” 2011, Grindstone Entertainment.


House of the Rising Sun

Starring Bryan Cranston as a Grand Rapids dad.

“Why Him?” Is a 2016 comedy starring Bryan Cranston (“Breaking Bad”) as a midwestern dad who journeys with his family to California to meet his daughter’s boyfriend, an obnoxious tech billionaire played by James Franco (“The Disaster Artist”). It also stars Megan Mullally (“Will & Grace”) as mom and Zoey Deutch (“Set It Up”) as the daughter. We first meet Cranston’s character celebrating his 55th birthday at Applebee’s in Grand Rapids. 

Unlike “30 Minutes or Less,” which brought its entire cast and crew to Grand Rapids for months of shooting, “Why Him?” sent a second unit to get mostly exterior shots that did not involve the film’s stars. The Applebee’s exteriors were shot at the Applebees on 28th Street. The crew also shot footage at Founders Brewing Co. on Grandville Avenue SW. and on the Grand Valley State University Pew campus downtown.

At least one local reviewer found the Grand Rapids references in the film "inauthentic" and suggested Cranston's character is based on a stereotype of a midwesterner. If you want to decide for yourself, check out the film, and it can't hurt to check out the Applebee's as well.

Cover image: Poster for “Why Him?”, 2016, 20th Century Fox.

Why Him?

Starring Bruce Willis as a Grand Rapids mob boss.

“Setup” is a 2011 action film starring Bruce Willis as a mob boss, as well as rapper 50 Cent and Ryan Phillippe (“Cruel Intentions”) as friends who help him pull off a daring heist which turns deadly when one betrays the other two. It was directed by Mike Gunther who is better known as a stunt coordinator for blockbusters including the recent “Transformers” and “Star Trek” films.

“Setup” was shot in Grand Rapids in late 2010, about the same time “House of the Rising Sun” was filming here. It is one of several films shot in GR by Cheetah Vision, a production company in which 50 Cent is a partner, along with "Caught in the Crossfire," "Gun" and "Things Fall Apart.”

The production shut down Monroe Center for one of its key action scenes, a car chase and gun fight in which the windows of Madcap Coffee shatter. The crew replaced the cafe’s windows with “stunt windows,” but left them with brand new windows after shooting was finished.

Cover image: Poster for “Setup,” 2011, Lionsgate / Grindhouse Entertainment Group.

Setup

Starring Grand Rapids as the world of a famous writer.

“The End of the Tour” is a 2015 drama based on the true story of critically acclaimed writer David Foster Wallace, best known for the 1996 novel “Infinite Jest,” who passed away in 2008. It focuses on four days of interviews that Wallace, played by Jason Segal (“How I Met Your Mother”), gave to Rolling Stone reporter David Lipsky, played by Jesse Eisenberg, who also shot “30 Minutes or Less” here in Grand Rapids.

The film doesn’t take place in Grand Rapids but was shot here thanks, in part, to the Michigan Film & Digital Media Office’s efforts to draw Hollywood productions here. A home on 72nd ave in suburban Hudsonville served as Wallace’s childhood home in the film, though he actually grew up in upstate New York.

New Beginnings Restaurant also plays a key role in the film as the site of one of of Wallace and Lipsky’s interviews. Though it’s called “Monical’s Pizza” in the film, the crew made few changes to the interior of this family restaurant known for its big breakfasts. The food that the characters eat in the film was actually made by New Beginnings’ kitchen, and two of the waitstaff appear briefly as extras.

Other GR locations you can spot in “The End of The Tour” include the interior of Redux Books on Lake Drive SE, the exterior of JW Marriott hotel on Louis Street NW, and the exterior of Eastern Avenue Hall.

Cover image: Poster for “The End of the Tour,” 2015, A24.

The End of the Tour

Starring Jesse Eisenberg as a Grand Rapids pizza delivery guy.

“30 Minutes or Less” is a 2011 comedy starring Jesse Eisenberg (who played Mark Zuckerberg in “The Social Network” and Lex Luthor in the recent Superman films) as a pizza delivery guy who gets kidnapped by thugs who strap a bomb to his chest and force him to rob a bank. It also stars Aziz Ansari (“Parks and Recreation”) as his buddy, and Danny McBride (“Pineapple Express”) as one of the thugs. The director, Ruben Fleischer, also worked with Eisenberg on the 2009 horror/comedy “Zombieland.”

The comedy takes place in Grand Rapids and references it frequently in the dialogue. The cast and crew spent four months here in 2010, a big production that involved about 250 people and closed South Division Avenue for a car chase. Their base of operations was Vito’s Pizza, which appears in the film as the main character’s workplace. Vito’s also provided meals for the cast and crew, who gave the restaurant a face-lift and left behind some memorabilia.

”When I first got a call about shooting a movie at Vito’s, I thought it was just a Grand Valley State University project. Then a guy from Sony Pictures called me, and I still kind of blew it off. When a bus showed up with 40 or 50 people on it, and they swarmed the place like ants, measuring every nook and cranny of the place, I knew they were serious.” - Steve Grinwis, owner of Vito's Pizza


Other locations included the roof of Brass Works Building downtown— in the film, Eisenburg’s character races across the Sixth Street Bridge to meet a love interest there. In another scene, the bad guys celebrate their scheme with tacos at local favorite Taco Boy.

Cover image: Poster for “30 Minutes or Less,” 2011, Columbia Pictures.

30 Minutes or Less

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Famous Movie Spots in Grand Rapids

House of the Rising Sun

House of the Rising Sun

Why Him?

Why Him?

Setup

Setup

The End of the Tour

The End of the Tour

30 Minutes or Less

30 Minutes or Less

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