Falling Down | 1993
Michael Douglas, aka D-FENS, is having one of those days. Caught in a gridlock at Lincoln Heights, east of downtown Los Angeles, he makes the ultimate gesture of defiance. He gets out of his car and heads to the Venice home of his ex-wife Beth (Barbara Hershey). On foot. In Los Angeles.
How radical is that?
Beth lives on Ozone Avenue at Ocean Front Walk, in a wood-frame house now almost entirely obscured by impenetrable shrubbery. D-FENS’ trek takes him down Wilshire Boulevard, past The Dark Room, 5370 Wilshire Boulevard, built as a camera shop in gleaming black vitrolite as the front of a Leica camera. It's now Spare Tire Kitchen and Tavern, but it's thankfully kept the wonderful frontage.
The ‘Golden State Savings and Loan’, where the disaffected customer stages his lone demonstration, is at 5350 Wilshire Boulevard.
Meanwhile, world-weary cop Detective Prendergast (Robert Duvall) is celebrating his last day on the force at Casa Carnitas, 4067 Beverly Boulevard between North Kenmore and North Alexandria Avenues.
At the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Crescent Heights Boulevard, in front of what is now the Virgin store, way up in West Hollywood, he shoots up a phone booth.
Home is Venice Beach, and it’s on Venice Pier that D-FENS finally gets to realise that he’s not the good guy. Venice Pier is on Ocean Front Walk at the end of Washington Street.
