Sometimes high school parties get busted. No worries. Enter Matthew McConaughey.
“There’s a new fiesta in the making as we speak,” the Austin actor tells a carload of high school girls at a drive-in restaurant in the 1993 film Dazed and Confused. “It’s out at the moon tower.”
And with that ad-libbed line in a cult classic, Top Notch Hamburgers, on North Burnet, went from a local favorite to an Austin film landmark.
While it may be one of the more famous locations, it’s certainly not alone.
Get a bowl of “XXX” spicy chili at the restaurant where Vanessa Ferlito gave Kurt Russell an enticing lap dance. Or check out a high school football game at the stadium where much of Friday Night Lights was filmed.
In many ways, some of the most well-known movies filmed in Austin seem to reflect the city’s attitude. It’s easy to imagine a McConaughey-type character hanging around outside a bar or to eavesdrop on a strange conversation that could be straight out of Slacker or to feel the energy of a big Texas high school football game as depicted on Friday Night Lights.
The list of Austin film spots grows every day. Here are a few of the most notable scenes shot in the ATX.
Movie: Dazed and Confused
Location: Top Notch Hamburgers, on the edge of Crestview neighborhood in north-central Austin.
The scene: Wooderson, played by McConaughey, informs high school girls about a party in the making. Author Alison Macor, who wrote “Chainsaws, Slackers and Spy Kids: Thirty Years of Filmmaking in Austin, TX,” said the scene wasn’t supposed to be a scene. But director Richard Linklater, also an Austinite, loved how McConaughey looked and the vibe on the makeup test set and decided to make a scene of it. (See Macor explain.)
Movie: Deathproof
Location: Texas Chili Parlor in downtown Austin
The scene: There are a few. But the lap dance Vanessa Ferlito gave Kurt Russell sets up much of the rest of the movie.
Movie: The Life of David Gale
Locations: Garrison Hall at the University of Texas, Cain and Abel’s Bar, Metro Espresso Bar (Cafe Medici, currently).
Scenes: Lectures at Garrison Hall and conversations at Cain and Abel’s Bar and Metro Espresso Bar.
Movie: Slacker
Locations: Throughout Austin.
Scenes: There are many. Austin sure has changed. Just look at some of the backdrop in Austin filmmaker Richard Linklatter’s cult classic Slacker. You’ll probably notice far fewer skyscrapers in the background, a little more tall grass on some lawns and updated facades on commercial buildings. But, despite Austin’s rapid growth, you’ll still find plenty of slackers around town who embody the curious, explorative and whimsical nature of characters in the movie. See locations here.
Movie: Friday Night Lights (movie and TV show)
Locations: Westlake High School, various Austin locations.
Scenes: Some of the football games and a variety of other scenes were shot in and around Austin. Westlake High School is most prominently featured on the TV show. Check out this map of locations for the TV show set sites.