The state of Oregon has served as a filming location for hundreds of feature-length films, including big-time Hollywood movies and a handful of cult classics.
The most popular of those classics filmed in Oregon is Steven Spielberg’s “The Goonies,” which took advantage of the state’s gorgeous coastal settings as the backdrop for the 1985 adventure flick.
Spielberg teamed up with Chris Columbus-writer of “Gremlins” and a writer, director and producer of many films since – to write “The Goonies,” which starred Sean Astin, Corey Feldman and Josh Brolin. The movie was filmed in Astoria, which has been the site of many other Hollywood movie filming locations, as well as Cannon Beach to the south.
The Goonies” featured Cannon Beach’s Haystack Rock and used Ecola State Park at the north end of town, where the crew constructed the Fratteli’s restaurant and, after filming, took it back down. Indian Beach, the crescent-shaped stretch of sand within Ecola State Park’s borders, was also featured in “The Goonies,” as well as a handful of other films, including 1991’s “Point Break,” starring Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze, and 2008’s “Twilight,” featuring Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart.
Perhaps the most classic of cult classics filmed in Oregon is the 1978 comedy “National Lampoon’s Animal House,” which used filming locations on and around the University of Oregon campus in Eugene and in nearby Cottage Grove.
Harold Ramis, Douglas Kenney and Chris Miller combined to write this John Landis-directed comedy, which starred John Belushi and Tim Matheson, and included Kevin Bacon, Karen Allen and Donald Sutherland.
The University of Oregon was not the filmmakers’ first choice for location; according to IMDB.com, the film was initially set to be shot at the University of Missouri, but the university president refused permission after reading the script.
The University of Oregon obliged after having declined permission for the 1967 movie “The Graduate” to be filmed on campus and not wanting to miss out on another opportunity to be featured in a big Hollywood movie. The film features on-campus buildings, as well as several off-campus houses and a fraternity house.
Here is my list of the top 10 movies filmed in Oregon:
1. The Goonies (1985) – Astoria, Cannon Beach.
2. Animal House (1978) – Eugene, Cottage Grove.
3. Stand By Me (1986) – Eugene, Cottage Grove, Brownsville.
4. The Shining (1977) – Timberline Lodge on Mount Hood.
5. Kindergarten Cop (1990) – Astoria.
6. Short Circuit (1986) – Astoria, Portland, Columbia River Gorge.
7. The Hunted (2001) – Portland, Oregon City, Salem.
8. The Road (2008) – Portland.
9. A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2000) – Gresham.
10. Without a Paddle: Nature’s Calling (2008) – Portland, Clackamas County.
Sources:
List of films shot in Oregon, Wikipedia
Movies filmed in Oregon, Wired Oregon
The Goonies, IMDB
National Lampoon’s Animal House, IMDB
Indian Beach, Ecola State Park, OR, Dark Destinations
