Wesley Snipes is a vampire hunter in downtown Los Angeles in "Blade" (New Line Cinema, 1998). Yes, that's his weapon of choice. We get this shot of the Tower Theatre, 8th and Broadway, in the opening credits. Wesley's sort of a mutant who can withstand sunlight, a "daywalker." But he's unhappy that he's been infected and does what he can to kill any vampires he encounters.
The film also features Kris Kristofferson, N'Bushe Wright, Stephen Dorff, Donal Logue, Udo Kier, Tracy Lords, Arli Jover, Tim Guinee and Sanaa Lathan. Stephen Norrington directed. The cinematography was by Theo van de Sande.
Sunlight hitting Broadway. We're looking north from the Merritt Building at 8th and Broadway. That's the Globe down there at 744 S. Broadway. At the time of the shoot it was retail in the lobby. The nightclub in the auditorium used the alley as the entrance.
Night in the city and the vampires are out. We're looking at the Palace Theatre, 630 S. Broadway. We've flipped this image horizontally. In the film this bit of footage appears backwards.
Wesley is out with N'Bushe Wright, an epidemiologist who has been infected by a vampire bite. That's the Tower Theatre in the background. On the far right a bit of the Hamburger/May Co. building on the southwest corner of 8th and Broadway.
Wesley driving south on Broadway with the red neon of the Clifton's vertical behind him.
Another look at the Globe Theatre in the 700 block. It's another piece of footage that appears flipped in the film.
This guy is out for a bite. We're again at 8th and Broadway. There's a sliver of the Tower's marquee on the far left and the dark Rialto Theatre in the center of the image. It's at 812 S. Broadway, now used for retail.
A look west across Broadway toward the Olympic Theatre, 313 W. 8th St. On the right it's the Merritt Building, redone for the film to look like a nightclub.
Another view of the Olympic. Thanks to the Worldwide Guide to Film Locations for noting the use of the 8th and Broadway corner in the film. They shared a shot from the scene on the
Film Locations - Then and Now Facebook group and noted that Stephen Dorff's vampire club on the corner was called "The Pearl."
Wesley and N'Bushe take another walk on 8th St. by the Tower Theatre. On the marquee: "3 For A Buck."
A moment later at 8th and Broadway.
In the daylight once again. We're looking west on 7th with the State Theatre's building across Broadway on the left. Note the Chinatown decor with the pole and phone booth. The film is pretending that we have a big Chinese-style park just out of the frame to the right. Wesley accosts vampire Stephen Dorff there, who had put on sunblock to enable him to try a bit of time in the sunlight.
Wesley wants to shoot Stephen but he's holding a child as hostage. The then throws her out of the park, into the street. And gets away. Wesley is distracted and runs to save the kid from an oncoming bus.
See the Los Angeles Theatres pages about the Globe Theatre, the Olympic Theatre, the Palace Theatre, the Rialto Theatre, the State Theatre and the Tower Theatre. You'll find lots of photos, a history of each venue, and shots from other films in which that theatre has appeared.
On IMDb: "Blade"
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