Mother Moo Creamery from “Big Little Lies”

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Though Big Little Lies’ second season was an all-around disappointment, the biggest letdown of all was Meryl Streep and Reese Witherspoon’s infamous ice-cream-throwing scene – captured by paparazzi and splayed all over the internet – which never actually made it to the screen.  The cut didn’t go unnoticed.  Calling the lost segment “the biggest lie so far,” the Eater website opined, “The biggest mystery of season two revolves around a food fight that never happened.”  Thanks to some signage visible on neighboring buildings in the paparazzi pics, I tracked down and stalked Mother Moo Creamery, the adorable Sierra Madre ice cream shop where the cone-tossing scene took place, long before the sophomore season premiered.  So the disappointment over its non-airing was particularly stinging for me.  Though Streep assured fans the footage would be included in the Season 2 DVD extras, that did not come to pass.  Oh, BLL producers, why are you holding out on us?  Regardless, I figured Mother Moo was still worthy of a post and, since restaurants are just starting to reopen, decided now was the perfect time to pen it!

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Bright, colorful, and cheery, Mother Moo Creamery is the cutest little ice cream shop you ever did see!

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Pinwheels in the planter box?  Come on!  So adorable!

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It’s like the ice cream parlor of your dreams!

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And it’s even more charming inside!

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  The ice cream offerings at Mother Moo are plentiful.  The Grim Cheaper and I opted for a scoop of the salty chocolate and it was literally the best cone of my life!

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Besides the divine scoops, Mother Moo also sells gifts, candy, and other sundries.

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It is not at all hard to see how the darling shop wound up onscreen, especially on a series as picturesque as Big Little Lies.

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While the cone-throwing footage never made it to to the airwaves, Mother Moo Creamery – or at least the exterior of it – did!  In the episode titled “Kill Me,” Madeline Martha Mackenzie (Witherspoon) and her daughter, Abigail Carlson (Kathryn Newton), have a terse interaction with Mary Louise Wright (Streep) outside of the parlor.

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We get a better look at the jeweler next door than we do Mother Moo in the segment, though.

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Fortunately, we have those paparazzi photos which largely went viral thanks to a fan named Matt who posted one on Twitter with the caption, “I am praying Reese pelts Meryl with that ice cream,” to which Reese responded, “Oh Matt!  No need to pray.  I got her!”

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Of course, I had to do it!

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Shortly before Big Little Lies’ Season 2 premiere, Reese posted an Instagram photo posing with her television daughter at the shop, so I had to emulate that, as well!

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Long before Mother Moo Creamery moved in, the storefront that houses it appeared briefly as an electronics shop in the 1982 horror film Halloween III: The Season of the Witch.  It is amazing how little of the space has changed in the almost forty years since the segment was lensed!

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I am fairly certain the site was an electronics store in real life during that time because, thanks to fellow stalker Walter, I learned that in 1986 it also popped up in the Season 2 episode of Highway to Heaven titled “Close Encounters of the Heavenly Kind” as Jack’s Video Repair, where Harvey Milsap (Harold J. Stone) attempted to get a job.

For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine, and Discover Los Angeles.

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Until next time, Happy Stalking!  Smile

Stalk It: Mother Moo Creamery, from the “Kill Me” episode of Big Little Lies, is located at 17 Kersting Court in Sierra Madre.  You can visit the eatery’s official website here.

The Filming Locations of “Big Little Lies” Season 2 – “I Want to Know”

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Season 2 of Big Little Lies comes to an end with “I Want to Know,” as does my episode-by-episode coverage of its locations.  Hope you enjoyed reading through the posts as much as I enjoyed putting them together.  So, without further ado . . . (Note – as was the case with my posts about the locales from “What Have They Done?,” ”Tell-Tale Hearts,” “The End of the World,” “She Knows,” “Kill Me,” and “The Bad Mother,” because I have already extensively detailed BLL’s inaugural season, I will not be covering flashbacks.  And places that appear in multiple episodes will be noted as such, so expect some crossover.)

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1. Celeste’s House (40 Yankee Point Drive, Carmel) – Celeste Wright’s (Nicole Kidman) magnificent home, featured throughout Seasons 1 and 2, sits cliffside on an exclusive tree-lined street in Carmel Highlands.  The pad’s exterior and interior appear frequently onscreen, though the master bedroom – where Celeste discovers a disturbing video shot by her sons in “I Want to Know” – and the twins’ room were just sets.

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2. Madeline and Ed’s House (30760 Broad Beach Road, Malibu) – Madeline Martha (Reese Witherspoon) and Ed Mackenzie’s (Adam Scott) residence, my favorite on the series, is located a good 300 miles from the Central Coast.  You can find it just north of Zuma Beach in Malibu.  The fab Cape Cod, which I dedicated a post to here, is a vacation rental in real life, so you can live out your very own Big Little Lies fantasy by booking some time there!  It doesn’t come cheap, though – rates start at $3,000 a night.

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It is in the property’s beachfront backyard that Madeline and Ed renew their vows in “I Want to Know” – one of the episode’s only high points in my opinion.

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3. Jane and Ziggy’s Beach Talk (Del Monte Beach, 653 Del Monte Avenue, Monterey) – Ziggy Chapman (Iain Armitage) has a heart-to-heart with his mom, Jane (Shailene Woodley), on Del Monte Beach, declaring her to be a “whole ‘nother person – your whole face and stuff has been different” when she’s with Corey Brockfield (Douglas Smith) – though I have to say that I didn’t really see any of that come across onscreen.  I thought she seemed much happier with Blue Blues’ owner Tom (Joseph Cross) in Season 1.  (#bringbacktom!)  Del Monte Beach also pops up in “What Have They Done?”,  “The End of the World,” “She Knows,” and “Kill Me.”

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4. Renata and Mary Louise’s Starbucks Run-In (1 Kersting Court, Sierra Madre) In one of my favorite scenes of the season (which you can watch here – warning, it’s NSFW!), Renata Klein (Laura Dern) gets into a huge kerfuffle with Mary Louise Wright (Meryl Streep) at a supposed Monterey-area Starbucks.  The coffee house is actually located in Sierra Madre, though.  It is the same spot where Tori Bachman (Sarah Sokolovic) hit on Ed in “The Bad Mother.”  You can check out a post I wrote about it here.

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5. Katie Richmond’s Office (7427 Beverly Boulevard, Fairfax) – Katie Richmond (Poorna Jagannathan) unsuccessfully tries to convince Celeste not to question Mary Louise herself at her upcoming custody hearing during a meeting at her law office, which can be found in a unique Tudor-style building located on the corner of Beverly Boulevard and North Vista Street in Los Angeles.

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6. Ira Farber’s Office (Scheper Kim & Harris LLP, The CalEdison DTLA, 601 West 5th Street, 12 Floor, downtown Los Angeles) – At another Los Angeles law office, this one located on the 12th Floor of TheCalEdison, Ira Farber (Denis O’Hare) cautions the ever-unpredictable Mary Louise to only answer the questions she is asked when she takes the stand at her upcoming hearing.

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7. Monterey Superior Court (Superior Court of California, Marina Division, 3180 Del Monte Boulevard, Marina) – The bulk of “I Want to Know” takes place at the Marina Division of the Superior Court of California, where Celeste and Mary Louise furiously face off for custody of Celeste’s twin boys.  The courthouse’s unique exterior is featured in full view in the episode.

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And the lobby appears, as well.

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But the actual courtroom itself is, I believe, just a set.

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8. Monterey Bay Aquarium (886 Cannery Row, Monterey) – Jane and Corey rekindle their relationship in front of the Open Sea display at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, where they both work.  Per the aquatic museum’s website, the million-gallon tank is one of the “largest live marine community exhibits in the world.”  The romantic segment was shot during off hours, which gave producers the opportunity to capture the two lovebirds in front of the “bubble curtain,” a mechanism that helps fish maneuver through dark waters which is only utilized at night.  The aquarium offers Romance Tours when the facility is closed, so you, too, can re-enact Jane and Corey’s kiss if you feel so inclined.

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9. Cypress Community Hospital (Lanterman Developmental Center, 3530 Pomona Boulevard, Pomona)  – Bonnie Carlson (Zoë Kravitz) ultimately says goodbye to both her mother, Elizabeth Howard (Crystal Fox), and her husband, Nathan Carlson (James Tupper), at an abandoned medical facility in Pomona known as Lanterman Developmental Center.  The vast property, which once housed the developmentally disabled, pops up as Cypress Community Hospital in almost every episode of Season 2.  (Big THANK YOU to my friend Owen for IDing this location!  Smile)

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10. Renata and Gordon’s House (27326 Winding Way, Malibu) – Renata also says goodbye to her husband, Gordon Klein (Jeffrey Nordling), in “I Want to Know,” coming to blows with him at their sprawling home, which is located in Malibu in real life.  Though both the interior and exterior are featured throughout Seasons 1 and 2 . . .

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. . . I believe Gordon’s mancave, which Renata takes a bat to, might have been a set.

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11. Jane’s Apartment (Ocean Harbor, 125 Surf Way, Monterey) – In Season 2, Jane calls a unit at Monterey’s Ocean Harbor home, though we only catch a quick glimpse of the interior, which I am fairly certain was a studio-built set, in “I Want to Know.”

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12. Bonnie and Nathan’s House (636 Crater Camp Drive, Calabasas) – At the end of the episode, Bonnie sends out an SOS text to the Monterey 5 from the bucolic home she shares with Nathan.  Their pad, which is really located in Calabasas, was used throughout Season 1 and 2.

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13. Carmel by the Sea Police Department (Junipero Avenue & 4th Avenue, Carmel) – In one of the most unfulfilling closing scenes I’ve ever witnessed, the Monterey 5 meet up at Carmel by the Sea PD (which plays itself) and the screen fades out as they walk inside, presumably to turn themselves in for Perry Wright’s (Alexander Skarsgård) murder.  It was a definite “Wait, that’s it?” moment.  As my friend Nat said after watching, “I had to check the episode information to verify that ‘I Want to Know’ was actually the finale!”  As disappointing as the episode and the entire season turned out to be, though, I still loved spending time with Madeline and the gang and am sincerely hoping for a Season 3.

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And that’s a wrap for me on Big Little Lies Season 2.  Well, until the DVD comes out with the deleted scenes, at least!

Until next time, Happy Stalking!  Smile

The Filming Locations of “Big Little Lies” Season 2 – “The Bad Mother”

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Turmoil abounds in the sixth episode of Big Little Lies’ second season, “The Bad Mother.”  Celeste Wright (Nicole Kidman) and Mary Louise Wright (Meryl Streep) face off in court, Tori Bachman (Sarah Sokolovic) propositions Ed Mackenzie (Adam Scott), Bonnie Carlson (Zoë Kravitz) has a deathbed confession with her mom, Elizabeth Howard (Crystal Fox), and Renata Klein (Laura Dern) finds out about husband Gordon’s (Jeffrey Nordling) affair with the nanny!  Phew!  Read on for a list of where it all happened.  (Note – as was the case with my posts about the locales from “What Have They Done?,” ”Tell-Tale Hearts,” “The End of the World,” “She Knows,” and “Kill Me,” because I have already extensively detailed BLL’s inaugural season, I will not be covering flashbacks.  And places that appear in multiple episodes will be noted as such, so some crossover should be expected.)

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1. Corey’s House (263 Old Ranch Road, Sierra Madre) – “The Bad Mother” opens with Jane Chapman (Shailene Woodley) storming over to Corey Brockfield’s (Douglas Smith) home to find out if he’s working with the police.  A small Sierra Madre cottage was utilized in the short segment and both the exterior . . .

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. . . and the interior were seen, albeit very briefly.  (Big THANK YOU to fellow stalker Peter for identifying this location for me! Smile)

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2. The Monterey 5’s Beach Meet-Up (White Point Park Parking Lot, 1801 West Paseo Del Mar, San Pedro) – Madeline Martha Mackenzie (Reese Witherspoon) and the gang have yet another secret parking lot meeting, this time at White Point Park in San Pedro, during which the cracks in their armor start to show.  This locale also appears in episode 5, “Kill Me.”

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3. Cypress Community Hospital (Lanterman Developmental Center, 3530 Pomona Boulevard, Pomona) – Bonnie makes several startling bedside confessions to her mother while sitting vigil in her room at Monterey’s fictional Cypress Community Hospital.  Filming actually took place at the shuttered Lanterman Developmental Center in Pomona, which also popped up in “The End of the World,” “She Knows” and “Kill Me.”  The facility, closed since 2014, formerly provided housing for the developmentally disabled, but currently sits vacant, which means I need to stalk it for a Haunted Hollywood post!  There’s even a carousel situated on the grounds of the abandoned property – can you think of anything more eerie?  (Insert scream face emoji here!)

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4. Madeline and Ed’s House (30760 Broad Beach Road, Malibu) – Madeline attempts to reconnect to the person she was on her wedding day by trying on her wedding dress (“It doesn’t fit, but we’re not talking about that!”) at her gorgeous home – which is just the magic wand Ed needs to repair their marriage.  Both the interior and exterior of Madeline and Ed’s Cape Cod-style pad are featured extensively throughout Seasons 1 and 2.  I dedicated a post to the house – which is actually located in Malibu and serves as a vacation rental in real lifeback in 2017.

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Interestingly, the front of the Mackenzie residence, the driveway of which appears briefly in “The Bad Mother,” is a different location entirely.  That property can be found at 2830 14th Avenue in Carmel.

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5. Celeste’s House (40 Yankee Point Drive, Carmel) – The gorgeous home where Celeste lives with her twin boys, Max (Nicholas Crovetti) and Josh (Cameron Crovetti), is one of the few Monterey 5 residences actually located on the Central Coast.  The rear patio and kitchen of the Carmel Highlands property appear in “The Bad Mother,” as well as in most Seasons 1 and 2 episodes, but the boys’ room and master bedroom were just studio-built sets.

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6. Renata’s House (27326 Winding Way, Malibu) – Renata and Gordon call a humongous mansion in Malibu home on the series, though due to their bankruptcy proceedings, it sits largely empty, much like their marriage.  In “The Bad Mother,” the backyard and living room of the property are featured.

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7. Monterey Bay Aquarium (886 Cannery Row, Monterey) – Jane brushes off Corey’s attempts at a reconciliation at the Rocky Shore touch pools exhibit at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, where they both work as educators.

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8. Monterey Superior Court (Superior Court of California, Marina Division, 3180 Del Monte Boulevard, Marina) –  Celeste and Mary Louise’s custody hearing gets underway at an actual Monterey courthouse – the Superior Court of California, Marina Division.  The site’s unique exterior is only briefly shown in the episode, though we catch a better glimpse of it in “I Want to Know.”

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The building’s real life lobby (where Renata has more trouble with a metal detector!), hallway and an anteroom are also featured in “The Bad Mother.”

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But I am fairly certain that the courtroom itself was a studio-built set.

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9. Jane and Ziggy’s Bodysurfing Beach (Del Monte Beach, 653 Del Monte Avenue, Monterey) – Corey interrupts Jane’s bodysurfing session with her son, Ziggy Chapman (Iain Armitage), at Del Monte Beach in order to tell her that he is not going to give up on their relationship easily.

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10. Tori and Ed’s Starbucks Meet-Up (1 Kersting Court, Sierra Madre) – Tori makes a major pass at Ed – and tells him about a rather disturbing diary that she keeps – at a Starbucks outpost in downtown Sierra Madre.  You can read a post about the locale, which also pops up in “I Want to Know,” here.

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11. Mary Louise’s Apartment (Ocean Harbor, 125 Surf Way, Monterey) – The actual interior of a unit at Monterey’s picturesque Ocean Harbor portrays the new apartment of Mary Louise, where Jane goes to confront her about her custody war with Celeste in “The Bad Mother.”  Jane also calls the complex home on the series.

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12. Bankruptcy Hearing (Spring Street Courthouse, 312 North Spring Street, downtown Los Angeles) – I am fairly certain that the scene in which Renata and Gordon’s nanny, Juliette (Nelly Buchet), seeks $160,000 in restitution for “other services rendered” – ahem, “stress management” – during a bankruptcy hearing was shot in a room at the Spring Street Courthouse in downtown L.A.  The same spot also portrayed Gordon’s jail in “Tell-Tale Hearts” and was the site of another of the couple’s bankruptcy hearings in “She Knows.”

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Be sure to check back Monday for my post on Big Little Lies’ season 2 finale, “I Want to Know.”

The Filming Locations of “Big Little Lies” Season 2 – “She Knows”

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The fourth episode of Big Little Lies’ second season is pretty much when the show jumped the shark for me.  Though there were some captivating moments – a pumpkin carving party, a disco soiree and that slap! – the majority of “She Knows” was just meh.  Nevertheless, I proudly present to you its locations!  (Note – as was the case with my posts about the locales from “What Have They Done?”, ”Tell-Tale Hearts” and “The End of the World,” because I have already extensively detailed BLL’s inaugural season, I will not be covering flashbacks.  And places that appear in multiple episodes will be noted as such, so expect some crossover.)

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1. Madeline and Ed’s House (30760 Broad Beach Road, Malibu) – At the top of “She Knows,” the Monterey 5 and their children enjoy a brief respite from the drama surrounding them thanks to a pumpkin carving party hosted by Madeline Martha Mackenzie (Reese Witherspoon) at the gorgeous home she shares with her husband, Ed (Adam Scott).  An unexpected visit from Mary Louise Wright (Meryl Streep) cuts the festivities short, though– and results in a slap in the face from Celeste (Nicole Kidman).  Don’t go looking for the idyllic beachside pad where filming took place in Monterey as Madeline and Ed’s residence (my favorite of the series) can actually be found in Malibu.  And it’s a vacation rental in real life!  You can read a post I wrote about the dwelling, which appears throughout Seasons 1 and 2, here.

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Interestingly, when the front of the Mackenzie home is shown later in the episode, a different spot is used.  That pad, which is also seen a couple of times in Season 1, is actually on the Central Coast.  It’s at 2830 14th Avenue in Carmel.

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2. Jane and Corey’s Surfing Beach (Del Monte Beach, 653 Del Monte Avenue, Monterey) – During a surf session at Del Monte Beach, Jane Chapman (Shailene Woodley) invites her new love interest, Corey Brockfield (Douglas Smith), to Amabella Klein’s (Ivy George) disco-themed birthday party.  Though he accepts, he is not especially enthused about the costume aspect of the event because of the huge “opportunity for embarrassment.”  A man who doesn’t like costume parties?  Jane, you can do better!  This locale is also where Jane and Corey run into each other in “What Have They Done?” and where Corey gives Ziggy (Iain Armitage) surf lessons in “The End of the World.”

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3. Blissful Drip Café (Lovers Point Park, 631 Ocean View Boulevard, Pacific Grove) – Mary Louise and Celeste discuss the respective ways they deal with grief at Monterey’s newest hot spot, Blissful Drip Café.  As I detail in this post, the eatery is not a real place, but was a set constructed solely for the Big Little Lies shoot in Pacific Grove’s Lovers Point Park.  Though featured religiously throughout episodes 1 through 4, “She Knows” marks the coffee shop’s last Season 2 appearance.

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4. Bankruptcy Court (Spring Street Courthouse, 312 North Spring Street, downtown Los Angeles) – Renata Klein (Laura Dern) attends a bankruptcy hearing with husband Gordon (Jeffrey Nordling) at downtown L.A.’s Spring Street Courthouse where she gets into more trouble with a metal detector and is forced to relinquish her wedding ring.  The same spot also served as Gordon’s jail in “Tell-Tale Hearts.”

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As was the case in that episode, signage reading “Los Angeles” is visible in the background giving away the courthouse’s true location as a non-Central Coast site.

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5. Renata and Gordon’s House (27326 Winding Way, Malibu) – Despite their financial woes, Renata and Gordon throw a lavish, over-the-top disco-themed costume party (headlined by Earl Young and The Trammps!) for their daughter Amabella’s 8th birthday at their massive home, which, like Madeline’s, can be found in Malibu.

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6. Ira Farber’s Law Office (Scheper Kim & Harris LLP, The CalEdison, 601 West 5th Street, 12th Floor, downtown Los Angeles) – An actual law firm housed on the 12th floor of DTLA’s CalEdison building serves as the office of Mary Louise’s cutthroat custody lawyer, Ira Farber (Denis O’Hare).  You can check out some interior photos of the space, which also pops up in “Kill Me,” here.

7. Cypress Community Hospital (Lanterman Developmental Center, 3530 Pomona Boulevard, Pomona) – Pomona’s Lanterman Developmental Center portrays the Monterey-area hospital where Elizabeth Howard (Crystal Fox) is admitted following the stroke she suffers at Amabella’s party.  The massive 309-acre facility, closed since 2014, housed the developmentally disabled while in operation, but currently sits vacant.  This is the same spot Amabella was taken post anxiety attack in “The End of the World” and it makes additional appearances throughout the rest of Season 2.  (Big THANK YOU to my friend Owen for identifying this location!  Smile)

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8. Jane and Celeste Grab Cocktails (City Tavern, 9739 Culver Boulevard, Culver City) – After Amabella’s party, Jane and Celeste head to City Tavern to debrief.  The cozy Culver City bar is also seen in episode 5, “Kill Me.”

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9. Pizza Parlor (Bean Town, 45 North Baldwin Avenue, Sierra Madre) – Mary Louise takes the twins, Josh (Cameron Crovetti) and Max (Nicholas Crovetti), for the “best pizza in the woooooooorld” at Bean Town, a popular Sierra Madre coffee house.  Because the eatery was heavily dressed to appear like an upscale Italian restaurant, not to mention barely shown, it is, unfortunately, not very recognizable in the scene.  You can read a more in-depth post on the locale, and see photos of it decked out for the shoot, here.

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10. Celeste’s House (40 Yankee Point Drive, Carmel) – While dropping the twins off at their gorgeous oceanside home, Mary Louise catches Celeste with a one-night stand and promptly slaps her with a custody suit.  Celeste’s residence, which is featured in both Season 1 and 2, is one of the few Monterey 5 pads that can actually be found on the Central Coast.  In real life, it sits perched atop a rocky cliff in Carmel.

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11. Café Descanso (Descanso Gardens, 1414 Descanso Drive, La Cañada Flintridge) – Madeline and Renata have a terse run-in with Detective Adrienne Quinlan (Merrin Dungey) at their regular Season 2 hangout, Café Descanso.  Like Blissful Drip, the eatery, which pops up repeatedly in episodes 1 through 4, makes its last Season 2 appearance in “She Knows.”  Unlike Blissful Drip, this spot is a real place, located on the grounds of Descanso Gardens.  I wrote about it here.

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12. Mary Louise’s New Apartment (Ocean Harbor, 125 Surf Way, Monterey) – Jane confronts Mary Louise about her custody battle with Celeste at her new apartment in Monterey’s Ocean Harbor, the same beachside complex where Jane also lives.

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While Jane’s apartment was a studio-built set, the actual interior of an Ocean Harbor unit was utilized as Mary Louise’s.  Little of the space can be seen in “She Knows,” but you can check out some behind-the-scenes imagery of it here.

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Be sure to check back Wednesday for a look at episode 5, “Kill Me.”

Bean Town from “Big Little Lies”

Bean Town from Big Little Lies (5 of 14)

Big Little Lies sure made use of Sierra Madre this season (in case you missed my other posts on the city’s BLL appearances, you can check them out here, here and here).  And it is not very hard to see why.  The San Gabriel Valley town, situated just east of Pasadena, is charming, picturesque and extremely evocative of the past.  It is like Pleasantville come to life!  The place is also very reminiscent of Carmel, where the show is set, though it is even more quaint than the Northern California hamlet if you can believe it.  And the hit HBO series utilized pretty much every square inch of it, including Bean Town, the beloved coffee house at 45 North Baldwin Avenue, which stood in for a pizza parlor, of all things, in episode 4.  Though I blogged about the café back in February 2009, due to its recent small screen cameo, I decided it was time for a redo.

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I learned about Bean Town’s appearance on Big Little Lies thanks to the employees at Mother Moo Creamery (situated just down the road at 17 Kersting Court), whom I spoke with while researching my article about locales from the series for the June issue of Los Angeles magazine.   They informed me that the coffee shop was altered significantly for the shoot and, boy oh boy, was it ever!  So much so that, even with the insider information, I had a heck of a time figuring out what was lensed on the premises.

Bean Town from Big Little Lies (4 of 14)

Bean Town from Big Little Lies (1 of 14)

It was not until I started scanning through the café’s Instagram feed that I figured things out.  During the March 2018 shoot, Bean Town’s owners graciously posted several photos of the space dressed for the filming.  The set of images showed the coffee shop decked out to look like an upscale Italian restaurant, with large pieces of art dotting the walls, autumn decorations splayed on tabletops, and garlic strands hanging from the ceiling.  One look and I knew immediately that Bean Town was the spot where Mary Louise Wright (Meryl Streep) took grandsons Josh (Cameron Crovetti) and Max (Nicholas Crovetti) for “the beeeeesssst pizza in the wooooooorld!” in “She Knows.”  Virtually none of the café is actually shown in the scene (which is surprising considering the energy apparently spent on decorating it).  What you see below is the extent of its appearance.

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Despite the scant footage, though, enough was visible for me to be able to positively identify the place.  As you can see, the artwork, fall wreath and decorative plate positioned behind Mary Louise in the segment match the décor pictured in Bean Town’s Instagram photo of the café’s back wall perfectly.

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In everyday life, that back wall looks considerably different.

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Per Bean Town’s Instagram, the coffee shop was closed for a full four days for the shoot, from Tuesday, March 27th through Friday, March 30th, so it is fairly gobsmacking that its appearance amounted to exactly sixty seconds of screen time!  Typically, a scene of that length would require about a half a day of filming.  And while the set dressing was extensive . . .

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Bean Town from Big Little Lies (10 of 14)

. . . I just can’t imagine that it necessitated three and a half days of prep and strike time.

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Bean Town from Big Little Lies (12 of 14)

So where did all that extra time go?  My guess is that several additional segments were shot at the pizza parlor, but that they, like so much of Season 2, wound up on the cutting room floor.  Who knows for certain, but man, what I wouldn’t give to see director Andrea Arnold’s original cut!

Bean Town from Big Little Lies (9 of 14)

Bean Town from Big Little Lies (6 of 14)

The Big Little Lies shoot required Bean Town and the Starbucks down the block (the only two coffee shops in the area!) to be closed simultaneously (the horror!), so, in an amazing gesture, the former set up an outdoor kiosk and offered free java so the community would not be without!  The café, which was originally established in the ‘80s, actually has a long history of goodwill.  When a horrible wind storm hit the San Gabriel Valley in December 2011, owner Matt Krantz powered the eatery with three generators so that locals could still get their fix.  As he explained to the Patch, “We lost some signage, we lost a light and the awning tore up a bit but other than that, we’re here.  Bumps and bruises.  I could sit at home and not do anything, but I’d rather be here trying to keep everybody together and keep the sense of community that Sierra Madre is basically founded on.”  He also delivered coffee and baked goods to the city crews working to get the town back up and running.  And, in 2013, when a beloved barista unexpectedly passed away, Krantz not only shuttered the place for two full days to give friends and family a place to gather and mourn, but he also held a fundraiser on the premises to help with funeral costs.  Bean Town is a café with heart!  Oh, and their coffee is darn good, to boot!

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Bean Town from Big Little Lies (8 of 14)

As I mentioned in my 2009 post, Bean Town also appeared numerous times throughout the 2005 comedy Kicking and Screaming . . .

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. . . most notably in the scene in which Phil Weston (Will Ferrell) has a minor breakdown over a too-long line.  (I’ve been there, Phil!  I’ve been there!)  You can check out the hilarious segment here.

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For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine and Discover Los Angeles.

Bean Town from Big Little Lies (3 of 14)

Until next time, Happy Stalking!  Smile

Stalk It: Bean Town, aka the pizza restaurant from the “She Knows” episode of Big Little Lies, is located at 45 North Baldwin Avenue in Sierra Madre.  You can visit the eatery’s official website here.  Several other spots from Season 2 can be found on the same block.  The Starbucks where Tori Bachman (Sarah Sokolovic) propositioned Ed Mackenzie (Adam Scott) in “The Bad Mother” and where Renata Klein (Laura Dern) lashed out at Mary Louise in “I Want to Know” is just down the road at 1 Kersting CourtMother Moo Creamery, where Madeline Martha Mackenzie (Reese Witherspoon) threw an ice cream cone at Mary Louise in a scene that was ultimately cut, is a few doors away at 17 Kersting Court.  Deasy Penner Podley, aka Madeline’s real estate office, is at 30 North Baldwin Avenue.   And the fictional Seaside Coffee Shop seen on Reese’s Instagram was created in the storefront that now houses Capelli Court Salon at 26 North Baldwin Avenue.

Seaside Coffee Shop from “Big Little Lies”

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My favorite filming location find from this season of Big Little Lies isn’t actually a filming location at all!  Back on March 19th, 2018, shortly after shooting of S2 commenced, Reese Witherspoon posted an Instagram photo of herself sitting in front of the supposed Central Coast-area Seaside Coffee Shop with costar Laura Dern, captioning, “Watch out, Monterey, here we come!  #BLL2.”  Being that it was pretty much the first image of the season to be released, it naturally sent fans’ tongues wagging.  I, for one, was practically drooling with anticipation upon seeing it!  I also, of course, wanted to know exactly where the pic had been taken.  I assumed (correctly) that Seaside Coffee Shop was not an actual eatery, but a mocked-up storefront.  Because the series utilizes both the Central Coast and Southern California, though, I had no idea where to even begin looking.  Figuring (incorrectly) that the café would appear in a scene during the upcoming season and I’d be better able to track it down then, I put my quest on the back burner.  While it never did pop up onscreen, I was, thankfully, able to ID it anyway.  If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a hundred times – stalking begets stalking!  The morning after the premiere, titled “What Have They Done?”, aired, I went on the hunt for its locations and quickly pinpointed the real estate office where Madeline Martha Mackenzie (Witherspoon) works as the Deasy Penner Podley brokerage firm situated on the bottom floor of Hotel Shirley in Sierra Madre.  It was the coloring of the building that I recognized and, as soon as I did, a lightbulb went off in my head as I realized that Seaside Coffee Shop could be found in the same spot!

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While Hotel Shirley’s northern street-level storefront (on the left-hand side below) portrayed Madeline’s real estate office (as denoted in this post), Seaside Coffee Shop was erected next door in the southern unit.

Seaside Coffee Shop from Big Little Lies (12 of 21)

Seaside Coffee Shop from Big Little Lies (4 of 21)

During my stalk of both locales back in late June, I asked the incredibly friendly Deasy Penner Podley agents about the Seaside Coffee Shop set (which they were shocked I had identified).  They informed me that at the time of the Big Little Lies shoot, the space was vacant and that they believed it was not utilized for any filming, but created solely for the background of the various scenes taking place at Madeline’s office.  Aside from Reese’s Instagram (and Laura Dern’s), though, the place was never seen – in the background or otherwise – so I guess whatever was shot in its vicinity wound up on the cutting room floor.

Seaside Coffee Shop from Big Little Lies (1 of 21)

Seaside Coffee Shop from Big Little Lies (7 of 21)

Today, the storefront is home to Capelli Court Salon.

Seaside Coffee Shop from Big Little Lies (17 of 21)

Seaside Coffee Shop from Big Little Lies (18 of 21)

   It is a shame that it never appeared onscreen because the charming little shop would have been a welcome addition to the rather lackluster landscape of Season 2.

Seaside Coffee Shop from Big Little Lies (11 of 21)

Seaside Coffee Shop from Big Little Lies (3 of 21)

Reese did post a second image taken at the locale to Instagram on June 10 of this year, the day after “What Have They Done?” aired, saying “Pull up a chair!  Let’s spill some #BLL tea from last night’s premiere!”, so I guess she found it pretty picturesque, too.

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Even though Seaside Coffee Shop was never used for a scene, I was thrilled to finally be able to ID and stalk it!

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The fictional café was created in the Capelli Court space’s northern window.

Seaside Coffee Shop from Big Little Lies (2 of 21)

To complete the look, the site was dressed with signage, curtains, flowers in the window planter, and a bistro set.

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I was ecstatic to discover a table and chairs set up on the sidewalk a stone’s throw away from Capelli Court’s exterior when I showed up to stalk the place.  While the table was too heavy for me to move into position, I did pull one of the chairs over to pose à la Reese.

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Even without the chair and other café adornments, though, the locale is still extremely recognizable – a little slice of Monterey right here in L.A. for BLL fans to enjoy!

Seaside Coffee Shop Big Little Lies

The interior of the Capelli Court site was utilized by another HBO series, as well.  In the Season 1 episode of Camping titled “Going to Town,” which aired in 2018, Jandice (Juliette Lewis) and Miguel (Arturo Del Puerto) shop for a ring at a fictional antique store the production created in the then-vacant space.

Though the front of the shop did not appear in the episode, the rear entrance could briefly be seen.

For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine and Discover Los Angeles.

Seaside Coffee Shop from Big Little Lies (6 of 21)

Until next time, Happy Stalking!  Smile

Stalk It: The fictional Seaside Coffee Shop from Big Little Lies was created in the storefront that now houses Capelli Court Salon at 26 North Baldwin Avenue in Sierra Madre.  Deasy Penner Podley, aka Madeline’s real estate office from the show, is next door at 30 North Baldwin Avenue.   Several other sites from Season 2 can be found on the same block including the Starbucks at 1 Kersting Court, where Tori Bachman (Sarah Sokolovic) propositioned Ed Mackenzie (Adam Scott) in “The Bad Mother” and where Renata Klein (Dern) lashed out at Mary Louise Wright (Meryl Streep) in “I Want to Know”, and Mother Moo Creamery  at 17 Kersting Court, where Madeline threw an ice cream cone at Mary Louise in a scene that was ultimately cut.

Madeline’s Real Estate Office from “Big Little Lies”

Madeline's Real Estate Office from Big Little Lies (16 of 29)

I try to keep things positive on this blog, but, man, Sunday night’s Big Little Lies finale was an epic disappointment!  The entire season was hugely lackluster, truth be told, which is especially frustrating considering the outright perfection of Season 1.  I will contend that the first few episodes started out semi-promising, but the show quickly made an about-face, jumping the shark not long after Renata Klein’s (Laura Dern) “I will not NOT be rich!” jailhouse proclamation.  My friend Jennifer summed things up perfectly when she messaged me Monday morning saying, “This entire season felt like it was a bunch of shots composed of the following: the same flashbacks over and over again; waves; shaky cam footage with low-to-no sound; driving shots.  That was the meat and potatoes of the season, and the dessert was the one or two shots each episode that didn’t fall into those categories.”  The locations proved just as mediocre as the rest of the season (again, especially disappointing considering those of S1), but I still have quite a few left in my arsenal to blog about including the real estate office where Madeline Martha Mackenzie (Reese Witherspoon) worked.  So here goes!

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  The supposed Monterey-area Sotheby’s where Madeline is employed first appeared in Season 2’s premiere, “What Have They Done?”  (How Madeline went from being the director of a community theater in Season 1 to a real estate agent in Season 2 was never explained – like so many of the other changes made – but I guess that is beside the point.)

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Madeline's Real Estate Office from Big Little Lies (8 of 29)

I did not recognize the office when initially watching the episode the night it aired back in June, but while scanning through it the following morning on the hunt for locales, I noticed the bright green and orange coloring of its exterior, shown fleetingly as Madeline walks inside, and knew immediately that filming had taken place at Hotel Shirley in Sierra Madre.

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Madeline's Real Estate Office from Big Little Lies (4 of 29)

Thanks to my many visits to Sierra Madre when I lived in nearby Pasadena, I have long been familiar with the two-story structure, which is a focal point of the city’s quaint downtown.

Madeline's Real Estate Office from Big Little Lies (20 of 29)

Madeline's Real Estate Office from Big Little Lies (25 of 29)

Though one of the area’s Historical Landmarks, oddly, I could not find much information about Hotel Shirley’s background online.

Madeline's Real Estate Office from Big Little Lies (5 of 29)

Madeline's Real Estate Office from Big Little Lies (21 of 29)

Per the sign displayed out front, the building dates back to 1889 when it served as the headquarters of Hawks & Copps Real Estate and Insurance.  In 1911, it was rebuilt as Hotel Shirley, a lodging for visitors to Mt. Wilson described by newspapers of the day as an “ideal summer resort in the mountains” boasting “fine cuisine” as well as having “no fleas or mosquitoes” – always a plus.  In later years, the property became everything from a church meeting hall to a grocer to a house of ill repute before finally being purchased by local realtor Judy Webb-Martin in 1994.  She set about restoring the structure to operate, in part, as her brokerage firm, a project which took five years to complete.  Being that Hawks & Copps was the city’s first real estate office, the site really has come full circle.  You can check out a short video Judy put together about the building’s provenance, which is where the black and white still below comes from, here.

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Madeline's Real Estate Office from Big Little Lies (19 of 29)

Big Little Lies made use of the north side of Hotel Shirley’s lower level which, in real life, is home to the Sierra Madre outpost of the Deasy Penner Podley brokerage firm.

Madeline's Real Estate Office from Big Little Lies (14 of 29)

Madeline's Real Estate Office from Big Little Lies (28 of 29)

I ran out to stalk the place shortly after its appearance in “What Have They Done?” and was thrilled to be wholeheartedly welcomed by the agents present, all of whom expressed my same affinity for the show.  How exciting it must have been for them to witness a beloved series come to life right before their very eyes in their very workspace and to share the same air with such esteemed stars as Witherspoon, Dern, and Meryl-freaking-Streep!  My new friends even allowed me to take pictures of the office’s interior and showed me exactly where filming had taken place!

Madeline's Real Estate Office from Big Little Lies (7 of 29)

As you can imagine, I was like a kid in a candy store, snapping away!

Madeline's Real Estate Office from Big Little Lies (12 of 29)

Madeline's Real Estate Office from Big Little Lies (11 of 29)

Deasy Penner Podley is also where Renata rants to Madeline about Otter Bay Elementary School Principal Warren Nippal (P.J. Byrne) in the episode titled “The End of the World.”  According to the employees I spoke with, the office’s actual furnishings were used in the shoot, though the site has since been remodeled slightly with the black desks swiped out for natural wood versions and the back wall painted green instead of blue.  Several pieces were also moved out for the shoot to give the space more openness, but otherwise, it is very recognizable from its onscreen appearance.

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The Deasy Penner Podley agents also informed me that a third scene was shot at the office, but like so much of the footage from Season 2, it wound up on the cutting room floor.

Madeline's Real Estate Office from Big Little Lies (29 of 29)

Thanks to the Dear Old Hollywood website, I learned that Hotel Shirley is visible in the background of the 1956 drama Strange Intruder in the scene in which Paul Quentin (Edmund Purdom) catches a bus to leave town.  (That’s it in the top left of both screen captures below.)

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The Hotel can also briefly be seen in the Season 1 episode of Camping titled “Going to Town,” which aired in 2018.

For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine and Discover Los Angeles.

Madeline's Real Estate Office from Big Little Lies (27 of 29)

Until next time, Happy Stalking !  Smile

Stalk It: Deasy Penner Podley, aka Madeline’s real estate office from Big Little Lies, is located on the bottom level of Hotel Shirley at 30 North Baldwin Avenue in Sierra MadreThe Starbucks where Tori Bachman (Sarah Sokolovic) propositioned Ed Mackenzie (Adam Scott) in the episode titled “The Bad Mother” and where Renata lashed out at Mary Louise Wright (Streep) in “I Want to Know” can be found across the street at 1 Kersting Court.  And Mother Moo Creamery, where Madeline runs into Mary Louise in “Kill Me” – and where she was supposed to throw an ice cream cone at her -is up the road at 17 Kersting Court.

Ed and Tori’s Coffee Shop Meet-Up from “Big Little Lies”

Tori and Ed's Big Little Lies Meet-Up (8 of 12)

If the news reports currently lighting up the internet are to be believed, the drama that took place behind the scenes of Big Little Lies’ latest season is far headier than that which unfolded onscreen!  At the center of the dustup, per a recent IndieWire exposé, is Jean-Marc Vallée, the director of the series’ epic first season, who HBO penned to surreptitiously take over post-production duties from Season 2’s Andrea Arnold, largely modifying her vision.  According to the article, “While there was a significant reworking of the show’s story through additional photography and an increased reliance on Season 1 flashbacks, a large part of what guided Vallée’s reconfiguration of the second season was removing Arnold’s signature contributions.  Sixty-page scripts were slashed down to 40-plus minute episodes, sources say, largely by chopping up a scene to remove what one source described as Arnold’s character exploration and ‘ephemeral stuff.’”  Eleven – yes, eleven! – different editors were apparently brought in to complete the retrofit.  The dissension shows.  Big Little Lies’ current season has not only been disjointed but seriously lacking – in storyline, character development, script (where are Madeline’s zingy one-liners?), cinematography and locations – especially in locations.  The first season sported some of the most appealing spots to ever come out of Hollywood – from the houses to the restaurants to the parks, every square inch of the BLL landscape was intoxicating!  This season, the sites have been tepid at best (not that I’ll stop reporting on them!).  Take for instance the illicit meet-up between Ed Mackenzie (Adam Scott) and Tori Bachman (Sarah Sokolovic) in “The Bad Mother,” which took place at a . . . Starbucks.  While I’m the first to extol appreciation for the coffee giant, I recognize that its stores are rather generic and bland.  Not exactly the space I would have chosen for a steamy, Monterey-style tête-à-tête.  Arnold, you could have done better!  Nevertheless, I just had to stalk the outpost where the segment was shot.

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As I’ve said many times before, stalking begets stalking.  While visiting a different Big Littles Lies location a few weeks ago (one that I have yet to blog about), I struck up a conversation with the employees of the establishment who informed me that the Starbucks at 1 Kersting Court in Sierra Madre was also used in some Season 2 filming.  Though I found it extremely surprising that the series would utilize a coffee chain and thought my new friends might even be mistaken, I popped on over there to snap a few pics.

Tori and Ed's Big Little Lies Meet-Up (9 of 12)

Tori and Ed's Big Little Lies Meet-Up (2 of 12)

So when the café popped up Sunday night in “The Bad Mother,” I recognized it immediately.

Tori and Ed's Big Little Lies Meet-Up (5 of 12)

Tori and Ed's Big Little Lies Meet-Up (7 of 12)

It is at the Kersting Court Starbucks that, in what is easily one of the season’s most cringe-worthy moments, Tori propositions Ed to have an affair.  (I’m not even going to mention the type of diary Tori claims she keeps!)

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Tori and Ed's Big Little Lies Meet-Up (6 of 12)

Thanks to extremely tight angles, which seem to be a hallmark of this season’s shooting style, not much of the coffee shop is visible in the scene.

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Tori and Ed's Big Little Lies Meet-Up (1 of 1)

Though it is easy to discern that the segment made use of the corner window pictured on the left-hand side below.

Tori and Ed's Big Little Lies Meet-Up (3 of 12)

Tori and Ed's Big Little Lies Meet-Up (4 of 12)

To add insult to injury, the Sierra Madre Starbucks was also utilized for a scene in the season finale titled “I Want to Know.”  While ordering a double Americano (NO milk!) at the outpost prior to heading to court to support Celeste Wright (Nicole Kidman), a “wrought” Renata Klein (Laura Dern) runs into “judgey judger” Mary Louise Wright (Meryl Streep) and gives her a rather obscenity-laden piece of her mind.  The segment (which you can watch here) is extraordinary (seriously, how is Meryl so good?), especially the ending in which Renata storms out sans her Americano causing Mary Louise to tell the barista, “Put it in a bag.  I’ll take it to her cause we’re going to the same —” and then points her finger toward the wall cavalierly, failing to mention that they’re both going to Monterey Superior Court where Mary Louise is suing Celeste for custody of her two children.  Like I said, the scene is genius.  The location?  Not so much.

The Kersting Court Starbucks is a cute little spot to grab a cup of joe, no doubt.  The patio out front is especially inviting.  Regardless of that fact, though, I still maintain that it is by no means extraordinary enough to be featured on a series like Big Little Lies, which is so adept at showcasing striking locations, viewers practically want to dive through their screens to immerse themselves in the scenery.  Well, that was the case with Season 1, at least.  Season 2 left quite a bit to be desired.

Tori and Ed's Big Little Lies Meet-Up (11 of 12)

Tori and Ed's Big Little Lies Meet-Up (12 of 12)

For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine and Discover Los Angeles.

Tori and Ed's Big Little Lies Meet-Up (10 of 12)

Until next time, Happy Stalking!  Smile

Stalk It: The Starbucks where Tori propositions Ed in the Season 2 episode of Big Little Lies titled “The Bad Mother” is located at 1 Kersting Court in Sierra Madre.

Drew Barrymore’s Wedding Singer House

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This is going to be a short post today as I have had a whirlwind weekend (which I promise to write about tomorrow!)  and had no time to blog.  Anyway, a few weeks ago, Mike, from MovieShotsLA, took me out to stalk a location from one of my favorite romantic comedies of all time  – the Drew Barrymore/Adam Sandler flick The Wedding Singer.   After doing a bit of cyberstalking, Mike discovered this website which listed the address of Drew Barrymore’s house from the 1998 film.  And, let me tell you, I could not have been more excited to go stalk it!

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I am happy to report that, aside from the exterior color and the current lack of an awing over the porch area, Drew Barrymore’s Wedding Singer  house looks exactly the same today as it did back in 1998 when the movie was filmed. 

 

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The home shows up several times in the film, most notably when Robbie Hart (Adam Sandler) spies Julia (Drew Barrymore) through her front window trying on her wedding dress and he mistakenly thinks her excitement in doing so is for her soon-to-be husband Glenn.  But, in reality, Julia is smiling because she is practicing introducing herself as Mrs. Robbie Hart.  🙂  Awwww.  So cute!  

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Julia’s house is a very cute little Craftsman style bungalow and I highly recommend stalking it!  And a little bit of movie trivia for you – according to IMDB, The Wedding Singer  and the Back to the Future trilogy are the only movies in the history of cinema to ever feature a DeLorean car.  So random!

Until next time, Happy Stalking!  🙂

Stalk It: Drew Barrymore’s house from The Wedding Singer  is located at 43 Sierra Place in Sierra Madre.

Get Out Of Line!

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Those of you who read my blog regularly know that there’s only one thing I like better than stalking and that’s Starbucks.  🙂  Or any kind of coffee, really.  So when Mike, from MovieShotsLA, called me up last Sunday morning and asked if I wanted to stalk a coffee shop with him, I believe my exact words were “How fast can you be here?”  On a side-note, my grandma just started reading my blog and the other day she called me up and asked “So, who’s this Mike guy????”  She was convinced my boyfriend must be upset about all the time Mike and I spend together stalking.  And I really had to laugh at that one because I’m pretty sure my boyfriend wakes up every morning thanking his lucky stars that Mike and I found each other.  You see, if Mike is out stalking with me, that means my boyfriend isn’t.  And I’d say he’s pretty happy about that.  No, I’d have to say that not only does my boyfriend not mind Mike and I spending so much time together, but I’m pretty sure that at this point Mike is probably in the running to be my boyfriend’s best man in our wedding.

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Anyway, the coffee shop that Mike wanted to stalk is named Bean Town Coffee Bar and it was featured several times in the 2005 Will Ferrell movie Kicking and Screaming.  I just rented the movie last week and I have to say that I was very pleasantly surprised watching it as it’s absolutely hilarious!!  And my favorite scene in the whole movie is the one that takes place at Bean Town.  In the scene, Will Ferrell has just become addicted to coffee and shows up at his favorite coffee shop for his morning fix.  But on this particular day the rather long line is moving far too slowly and Will has a total coffee meltdown.  I have to say that I almost died laughing watching that scene because, let me tell you, I’ve been there!  There are some mornings at Starbucks where I just want to tear my hair out because the line is taking so long!   My boyfriend bought me a taser (it’s pink!) a couple of months ago because he was worried about me walking to my car late at night after my acting classes and he’s always joking that one day he’s going to get a call from the police saying that I was arrested for tasing someone who was taking too long in the Starbucks line.  While watching Will Ferrell’s meltdown scene, I was reminded of comedian John Pinette’s “Get Out Of Line” routine.  It has to be my favorite comedy routine of all time!

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In real life Bean Town is a super cute little coffee house, with exposed brick walls, comfy chairs, board games, outdoor tables, and live music on weekends.  The staff is super friendly and boy is the coffee strong, but in a good way.  🙂  And no, the line didn’t move too slowly while we were there.  Besides yummy coffee, Bean Town also serves up a wide array of homemade goodies, including cinnamon rolls, croissants, sandwiches, soups, and cookies.   And even though I am a Starbucks girl at heart, I will for sure be returning!   As the authors of the book Hometown Pasadena said “We’d live in Sierra Madre just for Bean Town – it’s the perfect coffee house.”

Until next time, Happy Stalking!  🙂

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Stalk It: Bean Town Coffee Bar is located at 45 North Baldwin Avenue in Sierra Madre.  You can visit their website here.