Austin is a notoriously quirky city, so it makes sense that the bulk of the movies filmed there are offbeat flicks, often of the indie persuasion. And it doesn't matter what genre you like, because Austin has a filming location for every kind of movie, from horror to comedy and everything in between. Here are some of the best to visit while exploring Texas's own Hollywood!
Office Space: The restaurant that served as Chotchkies is closed (so Austin is now a flair-free zone, thank God) but you can still visit the office building that was used for exterior shots of Initech. If it looks a little plain to you, don't be surprised...that's exactly what Mike Judge was going for; he once said in an interview, "It seems like every city now has these identical office parks with identical adjoining chain restaurants."
Machete: While the movie started as a "fake" trailer for Grindhouse, it was announced (ironically enough) at SXSW in 2007 that Robert Rodriguez would turn Machete into a full-length theatrical release. Of course, most of it was filmed in and around Austin, including the scenes with Machete's brother, Padre Benecio Del Toro (played by Cheech Marin), which were shot at the Cathedral of Saint Mary.
Dazed and Confused: Top Notch Hamburgers is David Wooderson's favorite place to pick up high school girls.
The park where the kegger happens is either West Enfield Park or Walter E Long Metropolitan Park (it depends on who you ask, but either way, neither of them actually have a moontower).
Death Proof: In this Tarantino send-up of 70's slasher flicks, Arlene finds out that her friend Julia announced on the radio that Arlene would give a lapdance to anyone who called her "Butterfly" and recited a stanza of a poem at Guero's Taco Bar while on a bar crawl along Congress Ave.
They finally encounter psychopath murderer Stuntman Mike at the Texas Chili Parlor-- which has the perfect gritty vibe for Tarantino.
Chef: I never thought of taking a road trip in a food truck before watching Chef, but now I can't get the idea out of my head. Anyways, the film highlights the culinary scenes of several cities (from Miami to LA), one of which happens to be Austin! What better represents Austin's foodie scene than tacos and barbecue? Guero's Taco Bar makes another appearance, and they also grab grub at Franklin's Barbecue. So, so, so delicious.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2: Cut-Rite Chain Saws, where Dennis Hopper's character goes to stock up on weapons, was actually a real chainsaw store in Austin at the time, but it's since been turned into a Johnny Cash bar called the Mean-Eyed Cat... but if you stop in for a drink, they have the old sign hanging inside.
Or, if you're up for a little day trip, the Texas Chainsaw Massacre House is only an hour and a half away. It was dismantled, moved and reassembled in Kingsland, and it's actually been converted into the world's most BA restaurant (their signature cocktail is the Leatherface Lemonade. I kid you not.)
Varsity Blues: James Van Der Beek's accent may be (badly) faked, but the Texas setting is authentic. There's The Landing Strip, the strip club where the football players tie one over and Top Notch Hamburgers also shows up in this movie as well!
