Editing 1509: Scenery Cheat Sheet

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In this comic [[Randall]] jokes that large areas of the continental (mainland) United States can be characterized by the locations of a single movie. Especially in the Midwest, there are several very large areas that he describes with just one film. The map is the most detailed in the {{w|Northeastern United States|northeast}}, which is where Randall lives.
 
In this comic [[Randall]] jokes that large areas of the continental (mainland) United States can be characterized by the locations of a single movie. Especially in the Midwest, there are several very large areas that he describes with just one film. The map is the most detailed in the {{w|Northeastern United States|northeast}}, which is where Randall lives.
  
The map is divided into the 48 states of the mainland by thin gray lines. On top of these are drawn black lines that divide the map into 50 sections. (A 51st section is located in the Atlantic Ocean.) Inside each section is at least one reference that is supposed to describe the entire area encompassed by the section. In most cases it is the title of a movie (or two to three titles), but it could also be more general specter of movies (all movies with a big budget, or those with whose title is an east coast city name) or it could even be a book/song that describes the relevant area.
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The map is divided into the 48 states of the mainland by thin gray lines. On top of these are drawn black lines that divide the map into 50 sections. (A 51st section is located in the Atlantic Ocean). Inside each section is at least one reference that is supposed to describe the entire area encompassed by the section. In most cases it is the title of a movie (or two to three titles), but it could also be more general specter of movies (all movies with a big budget, or those with whose title is a east coast city name) or it could even be a book/song that describes the relevant area.
  
 
The map's heading describes the idea behind it; if you know this and the relevant movies, you can use it to determine where you are by comparing your knowledge of the movies with the scenery you can see from where you stand. Below the heading, the two groups of people who will get the most use out of this sheet are listed. The first is "GeoGuessrs". {{w|GeoGuessr}} is a game using {{w|Google Street View}} images, which drops the player in a random location and challenges them to work out where they are. (It was previously referenced in [[1214: Geoguessr]]). The second group is "crash-landed astronauts". Obviously, if you've just crash-landed on Earth, knowing your location would be very helpful.
 
The map's heading describes the idea behind it; if you know this and the relevant movies, you can use it to determine where you are by comparing your knowledge of the movies with the scenery you can see from where you stand. Below the heading, the two groups of people who will get the most use out of this sheet are listed. The first is "GeoGuessrs". {{w|GeoGuessr}} is a game using {{w|Google Street View}} images, which drops the player in a random location and challenges them to work out where they are. (It was previously referenced in [[1214: Geoguessr]]). The second group is "crash-landed astronauts". Obviously, if you've just crash-landed on Earth, knowing your location would be very helpful.
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==Table==
 
==Table==
*In this table all the movies (and others) from the map are mentioned.
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*In this table all the movies (and others) from the map are mentioned from top to bottom and (when possible) by going through the columns that seems to appear in the sections when going from left to right.
**They are listed from top to bottom and (when possible) by going through the columns that seems to appear in the sections when going from left to right.
+
*The setting for the movie vs. the actual filming locations will be given to be compared to the section of the map where the titles are written.
**The setting for the movie vs. the actual filming locations will be given to be compared to the section of the map where the titles are written.
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*Explanations will be given in the Notes section.
**Explanations will be given in the Notes section.
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*The {{w|State Postal Codes}} will be used when referring to the states covered by each section.
**The {{w|List_of_U.S._state_abbreviations#Postal_codes|State Postal Codes}} will often be used here below when referring to a given state.
 
  
 
{| class="wikitable sortable"
 
{| class="wikitable sortable"
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|-
 
|-
 
| {{w|The Goonies}}
 
| {{w|The Goonies}}
| {{w|Astoria, Oregon|Astoria}}, OR
+
| Astoria, OR
| {{w|Cannon Beach}}, and Astoria, OR
+
| Cannon Beach, and Astoria, OR
| {{w|Oregon}}'s northern coast
+
| Oregon's northern coast
 
|
 
|
 
|-
 
|-
 
| {{w|Twilight (2008 film)| Twilight}}
 
| {{w|Twilight (2008 film)| Twilight}}
| {{w|Forks, Washington|Forks}}, WA
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| Forks, WA
| {{w|Portland, Oregon|Portland}}, OR
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| Portland, OR
| rowspan="2" | {{w|Washington (state)|Washington}}, {{w|Oregon}} and most northern part of {{w|California}} except for the part taken up by The Goonies.
+
| rowspan="2" | {{w|Washington (state)|WA}}, {{w|Oregon|OR}} and most northern part of {{w|California|CA}} except for the part taken up by The Goonies.
| Same sections as 50 Shades of Grey (see below)
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| Same sections as 50 Shades of Grey
 
|-
 
|-
 
| {{w|Fifty Shades of Grey (film)|50 Shades of Grey}}
 
| {{w|Fifty Shades of Grey (film)|50 Shades of Grey}}
| {{w|Seattle}}, WA
+
| Seattle, WA
| {{w|Vancouver}}, BC
+
| Vancouver, BC
| Same sections as Twilight which is clear from this fact: The {{w|Fifty shades of Grey}} erotic romance novel was {{w|Fifty_Shades_of_Grey#Background|originally}} a {{w|fan fiction}} version of the {{w|Twilight (series)|Twilight}} novels, but when received well it eventually developed into three full novels, but set in the same locations as Twilight. The eastern halves of Washington and Oregon look nothing like the western halves of those states, as much of these regions are near-desert with no trees. None of the scenery in Twilight or Shades of Gray will have any resemblance to Eastern Washington or Oregon.
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| Same sections as Twilight which is clear from this fact: The Fifty series was originally a {{w|fan fiction}} version of Twilight, but then developed into three full novels.
 
|-
 
|-
 
| {{w|Zodiac (film)|Zodiac}}
 
| {{w|Zodiac (film)|Zodiac}}
| {{w|San Francisco Bay Area}}
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| San Francisco Bay Area
| San Francisco Bay Area and {{w|Los Angeles}}
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| San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles
| San Francisco Bay Area, CA
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| San Francisco Bay Area
 
| According to {{w|Zodiac_(film)#Production|Wikipedia}}, "The San Francisco Chronicle was built in the old post office in the Terminal Annex Building in downtown Los Angeles. A building on nearby Spring Street subbed for the Hall of Justice and the San Francisco Police Department. Production began on September 12, 2005. The filmmakers shot for five weeks in the San Francisco Bay Area and the rest of the time in Los Angeles, bringing the film in under budget, wrapping in February 2006. The film took 115 days to shoot."
 
| According to {{w|Zodiac_(film)#Production|Wikipedia}}, "The San Francisco Chronicle was built in the old post office in the Terminal Annex Building in downtown Los Angeles. A building on nearby Spring Street subbed for the Hall of Justice and the San Francisco Police Department. Production began on September 12, 2005. The filmmakers shot for five weeks in the San Francisco Bay Area and the rest of the time in Los Angeles, bringing the film in under budget, wrapping in February 2006. The film took 115 days to shoot."
 
|-
 
|-
 
| {{w|The Rock (film)|The Rock}}
 
| {{w|The Rock (film)|The Rock}}
 
| {{w|Alcatraz Island}}
 
| {{w|Alcatraz Island}}
 +
| {{W|Alcatraz Island}}
 
| Alcatraz Island
 
| Alcatraz Island
| Alcatraz Island, CA
 
 
|
 
|
 
|-
 
|-
 
| {{w|Dances with Wolves}}
 
| {{w|Dances with Wolves}}
| {{w|Sedgwick,_Colorado#History|Fort Sedgwick}}, CO
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| Fort Sedgwick, CO
| {{w|South Dakota}} and {{w|Wyoming}}
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| South Dakota and Wyoming
| rowspan= "2" | {{w|Montana}}, {{w|South Dakota}}, Wyoming, and {{w|Nebraska}}
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| rowspan= "2" | Montana, South Dakota, Wyoming, and Nebraska
 
|
 
|
 
|-
 
|-
 
| {{w|Starship Troopers (film)|Starship Troopers}}
 
| {{w|Starship Troopers (film)|Starship Troopers}}
| Planet Klendathu and Earth
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| Planet Klendathu
| {{w|Hell's Half Acre (Wyoming)|Hell's Half Acre}}, WY
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| Hell's Half Acre, WY
 
|
 
|
 
|-
 
|-
 
| {{w|Napoleon Dynamite}}
 
| {{w|Napoleon Dynamite}}
| {{w|Preston, Idaho|Preston}}, Idaho
 
 
| Preston, Idaho
 
| Preston, Idaho
| {{w|Idaho}} (not including Preston)
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| Preston, Idaho
 +
| Idaho (not including Preston)
 
|
 
|
 
|-
 
|-
 
| {{w|The Sandlot}}
 
| {{w|The Sandlot}}
| Suburban {{w|Los Angeles}}
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| Suburban Los Angeles  
| {{w|Salt Lake City, Utah}}
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| Salt Lake City, Utah
| {{w|Idaho}}, {{w|Utah}}
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| Idaho, Utah
 
|
 
|
 
|-
 
|-
 
| {{w|Wild Wild West}}
 
| {{w|Wild Wild West}}
 
| The southwest area  
 
| The southwest area  
| {{w|Tucson, Arizona}}; {{w|Santa Fe, New Mexico}}; {{w|Pierce, Idaho}}
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| Tuscon, Arizona; Santa Fe, New Mexico; Pierce, Idaho
| {{w|Nevada}}
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| Nevada
| Set near {{w|Promontory Point}}, UT
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| Set near Promontory Point, UT
 
|-
 
|-
 
| {{w|Top Gun}}
 
| {{w|Top Gun}}
| {{w|NAS Miramar}}, San Diego, CA
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| NAS Miramar, San Diego, CA
| {{w|Nevada}}, NAS Miramar, San Diego, CA
+
| Nevada, NAS Miramar, San Diego, CA
 
| rowspan="2" | Nevada
 
| rowspan="2" | Nevada
 
|
 
|
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|
 
|
 
|-
 
|-
| {{w|Oregon Trail (video_game)|Oregon Trail}} (The only part I ever got to)
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| {{w|Oregon Trail (video_game)|Oregon Trail}}
 
| {{w|Platte River|Platte}}, {{w|Snake River|Snake}}, and {{w|Columbia River|Columbia}} river valleys
 
| {{w|Platte River|Platte}}, {{w|Snake River|Snake}}, and {{w|Columbia River|Columbia}} river valleys
 
| Video Game, not a film
 
| Video Game, not a film
 
| Nebraska, Colorado, Utah
 
| Nebraska, Colorado, Utah
| Could also refer to the film ''{{w|The Oregon Trail (1936 film)|The Oregon Trail}}''. The parenthetical comment refers to the relative difficulty of surviving the whole trail in the game, especially as it catered to schoolkids for educational purposes.
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| Could also refer to the film ''{{w|The Oregon Trail (1936 film)|The Oregon Trail}}''.
 
|-
 
|-
 
| {{w|Wile E. Coyote and The Road Runner|Roadrunner cartoons}}
 
| {{w|Wile E. Coyote and The Road Runner|Roadrunner cartoons}}
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| N/A
 
| N/A
 
| Washington DC, Baltimore, New York City, Philadelphia
 
| Washington DC, Baltimore, New York City, Philadelphia
| Washington DC has a reputation for requiring extensive fees and permits to film within the city. As a result, most movies set in DC are filmed somewhere else entirely. Thus, DC movie backgrounds would only give a viewer an idea of what a generic city would look like.
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|
 
|-
 
|-
 
| {{w|Deep Impact (film)|Deep Impact}}
 
| {{w|Deep Impact (film)|Deep Impact}}
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| Hancock, Maine
 
| Hancock, Maine
 
| Maine
 
| Maine
| Misspelled SemEtary in the comic.
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|
 
|-
 
|-
 
| {{w|What About Bob?|What about Bob}}
 
| {{w|What About Bob?|What about Bob}}
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:Tombstone
 
:Tombstone
 
:& The Mask of Zorro
 
:& The Mask of Zorro
:[Large section covering a small part of AZ, the bottom half of NM as well as a third of TX:]
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:[Large section covering the a small part of AZ, the bottom half of NM as well as a third of TX:]
 
:No Country for Old Men
 
:No Country for Old Men
 
:[Large section covering all of ND, most of MN, half of SD and a small part of MT:]
 
:[Large section covering all of ND, most of MN, half of SD and a small part of MT:]
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==Trivia==
 
==Trivia==
*Not everything {{w|Mark Twain}} wrote was really set on the {{w|Mississippi River}}. For instance, he first gained attention as a fiction writer with "{{w|The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County}}," which is about {{w|Northern California}}. Indeed, during his lifetime, Twain was known mostly as a travel writer, not a novelist.
+
Not everything {{w|Mark Twain}} wrote was really set on the {{w|Mississippi River}}. For instance, he first gained attention as a fiction writer with "{{w|The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County}}," which is about {{w|Northern California}}. Indeed, during his lifetime, Twain was known mostly as a travel writer, not a novelist.
*Kill Bill doesn't take place in southern or eastern Texas. The wedding chapel scene takes place in {{w|El Paso}}, around the same area No Country for Old Men takes place.
+
 
*Later after the initial release of this comic Randall added a link to this page. It's viewable in the HTML-source or here: [https://xkcd.com/1509/info.0.json https://xkcd.com/1509/info.0.json]. The text is: ''"Some fans have completely dissected the joke for you http:\n\nwww.explainxkcd.com\nwiki\nindex.php\n1509"''.
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Kill Bill doesn't take place in southern or eastern Texas. The wedding chapel scene takes place in {{w|El Paso}}, around the same area No Country for Old Men takes place.
  
 
==See also==
 
==See also==
 
*[https://geoguessr.com/ GeoGuessr's official website]
 
*[https://geoguessr.com/ GeoGuessr's official website]
 
{{comic discussion}}
 
{{comic discussion}}
 
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[[Category:Maps]]
[[Category:US maps]]
 
[[Category:Twilight]]
 
[[Category:Star Trek]]
 
[[Category:Tornadoes]]  <!-- twister -->
 
[[Category:Fiction]]
 

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