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All the studios & locations for Army Of Darkness were in and around the state of California, filmed over 111 days starting in the early summer of 1991, with two weeks of reshoots around a month after shooting had wrapped. Due to Union issues, the production initially looked at shooting at locations out of state, even scouting locations as far afield as England and Spain, but ultimately they decided to stay within California, and inside the so called 'Studio Zone'.
The first footage to be shot was the miniatures, which were being prepared & filmed at the Introvision International Inc stages in west Hollywood, while the production leased a stage nearby in North Hollywood for about a month where they shot the windmill interior set. Once this had been completed, the production changed over to location filming, with additional studio time later in the shoot. Locations included a gravel pit in Southern California, used for Ash falling out of the 'rift' and his subsequent capture, and a number of others. This page details some of those locations, with recent photos where available.
The Castle
The main castle set was built on a hill located on an isolated private ranch at the edge of the Mojave Desert, near Acton & Palmdale which is around fifty miles from Los Angeles. Only certain parts of the full size castle were physically built, being around twenty-five feet high at its lowest up to sixty feet at its highest point. Parts built included the lower courtyard, the gatehouse, and the blacksmiths shop. The remaining portions of the castle were added as a post-production effect. Steven Spielberg directed Duel in Soledad Canyon, which isn't far away, and down in the valley is Shamballa; a ranch run by Tippi Hedren and her husband used as a sanctuary for lions and tigers.
The Castle, without Introvision effect (taken by Unknown - 1991)
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Inside the Castle Couryard (taken by Unknown - 1991)
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Here is Acton, Los Angeles on MSN maps, just click this link;
http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&where1=Acton%2C%20CA&encType=1
Vasquez Rocks
Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park was used for the path from the castle to the forest, and later the path from the forest up to the cemetery. Its located in northern Los Angeles County, in the Agua Dulce vicinity between the Antelope Valley and the Santa Clarita Valley just north of Los Angeles and seen easily by motorists driving the Antelope Valley Freeway (CA14). Vasquez Rocks have been used in numerous film & TV shows, perhaps most famously as a location backdrop in Star Trek.
The iconic slanting rocks (taken by Bridgeport Mike - 20/09/2007)
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The foothill areas (taken by Kirsten Anderberg - 16/05/2009)
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Here is Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park, Los Angeles on MSN maps, just click this link;
http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&where1=Vasquez%20Rocks%20Park&encType=1
Charlton Flats
The forest (taken by Matt McGrath - 31/07/2005)
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Charlton Flats was used for the forest sequences; where Ash is chased by the 'force' up to the windmill, then some delete scenes while ash is walking around outside the windmill, then later riding back through the forest on his way to and from the cemetery.
Charlton Flats is in an area located to north-east face of Vetter Mountain, in the San Gabriel Mountains and within the Angeles National Forest, The San Gabriel mountain range is spread over Los Angeles County and western San Bernardino County, California. Its about 40 minutes drive from the Interstate 210. The whole area was closed for a few years due to various environmental issues, but re-opened in 1998. Anyone wanting to visit this location should be aware that you may need to buy an 'Adventure Pass', you can read more about this Here.
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Here is Vetter Mountain, Los Angeles on MSN maps, just click this link;
http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&where1=Vetter%20Mountain&encType=1
Bronson Caves
Bronson Caves was used for the exterior shots of the climactic Apocalyptic original ending. They are part of Bronson Canyon in a section of Griffith Park in Los Angeles, California. Many film & TV shows have used this location, because of it's remote look, but close proximity to Los Angeles. The main cave which was shown in Army Of Darkness was also the same as was used for the exterior of the Batcave in the original US 60's TV series; Batman. Unlike it's name suggests, although called a cave, its actually a short tunnel running through the hill with the other end clearly visible in a front-on camera shot, so its usually shot at an angle to conceal this.
The cave opening (taken by KellyLA - 08/11/2008)
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View of LA from up on the hill (taken by LB Bearcub - 22/10/2007)
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Here is Griffith Park, Los Angeles on MSN maps, just click this link;
http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&where1=Los%20Feliz%2C%20CA&encType=1
Reshoot Locations
The November reshoots utilized some of the same locations, along with some new ones. The production returned to Bronson Caves to re-shoot footage of Henry the Red being captured & some of his battle pickup shots, portions of Ash's time in the windmill were shot in Santa Monica, areas in the hills north of Glendale were used for Ash's tumble into a puddle, as well as a revised introduction sequence featuring Bridget Fonda, and the rewritten heroic ending filmed in a Malibu lumber store over four nights. The original S-Mart prologue location they had used for shooting previously was unavailable at that time, so they had to find a new store.
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