The film was shot in various locations in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, mainly in Burbank, downtown Los Angeles, and Porter Ranch. The story follows two teenage sisters who wake up to find that most of humanity has turned to dust or zombies after Earth passes through the tail of a comet. The survivors must navigate a eerily empty city, encountering hostile remnants of civilization and a group of scientists with questionable motives working from a research center. The production creatively used real streets and landmarks of Los Angeles, with filming taking place early in the morning to capture the deserted atmosphere of the city. The El Rey Theatre on Wilshire Boulevard served as a key location, while the empty downtown streets around Hope Street provided the perfect backdrop for the desolate urban landscape. Since then, the film has become a cult classic of 1980s science fiction and horror, valued for its blend of humor, action, and genre effects, and is often cited as an influence on later post-apocalyptic comedies.

Filming Locations:

Intersection of S. Hope St. and W. 3rd St.

In the Movie

Scene where motorcyclist Regina rides through the deserted downtown streets, showing the eerie emptiness of the world after the comet. The wide, abandoned avenues of the financial district create a vivid image of urban desolation and emphasize the loneliness and freedom that the surviving characters feel in the unexpectedly empty city.

In Reality

The scene was filmed at the intersection in the financial district of downtown Los Angeles. This area is surrounded by high-rise office buildings and is part of the Bunker Hill neighborhood. On weekends and early mornings, the streets here can appear nearly empty, making the location ideal for filming scenes of a depopulated city without extensive road closures or computer effects.

El Rey Theatre

In the Movie

Scene where it serves as an important location in the film, where one of the main heroines spends the night in the movie theater and thus accidentally survives the deadly effects of the comet. The steel-lined projection booth provides the shelter needed to survive the cosmic catastrophe that destroys most of humanity.

In Reality

The scene was filmed at the historic concert hall and former movie theater on Wilshire Boulevard in the Miracle Mile district of Los Angeles. The building was constructed in 1936 in the Art Deco style and later converted into a live music and event venue. Over the decades, it has hosted numerous concerts and events, and today it remains a well-known city landmark on one of Los Angeles's most prominent streets.