Downtown, Our Favorite Movie Star

"Inception" is the latest film to dote on our urban core.

The things that go down on Spring Street, and Main, and the other thoroughfares crisscrossing downtown, on the big screen? Not really likely in real life.

We don't really want to see a train barreling down the center of Spring (a Fillmore-located train that you can really ride) like in "Inception." Nor do we want Justin Theroux to go after the windshield of our car with a golf club, like he did to a movie executive in "Mulholland Drive." We want our downtown streets to be orderly and well-maintained and without drama.

But the fantasy downtown seen on the big screen? It can get as dreamlike and surreal as all get out. Semi-spoiler alert: The fast-paced and stormy segment of "Inception" that was filmed around our downtown had us both wanting to follow the plot and see if we could spy any favorite coffee shops or landmarks.

A curiously local predicament for the LA-based movie watcher.

"Jonah Hex" also recently shot on Spring, and the street will appear in "The Green Lantern." IMDB lists the major road's many movie roles.

The most commonly featured downtown superstars include the 6th Street Bridge, 2nd Street Tunnel and 4th Street Bridge, according to a report out earlier this year from FilmLA.

The photo above, from "Inception," appears to be shot at Hope and Flower (the Pegasus apartments being on Flower, though a few blocks away). Given the changing-space-around-ness of the movie, however, it can be a bit difficult to tell. Is that Hope and Flower, or an alternate-reality Hope and Flower?

(Addendum: LeFreak79 says it is Hope and Wilshire. Thanks LeFreak79!)

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