'Kill Squad' San Jose - Then and Now
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ส.ค. 2020
- "Kill Squad" was completed in October 1980, but the distribution was delayed until 1982. By June of that year, it was the 12th highest grossing movie in the nation. As of June 9th it raked in $465,572. There were 23 locations, and they spent one day per location except for the Vietnam, and Cement company scenes. Cameron Mitchell worked 3 days on the movie.
Locations in order of appearance:
1889 W San Carlos St. This was the Burbank Club and it's now Burbank Antiques. K & K Music sold musical instruments since 1973. Now, they sell DJ equipment.
510 S 1st St. The building used to be the Center for Employment Training. It is now MACLA (Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana). The trees and grass are gone, replaced with concrete and metal picnic tables.
366 S 1st St. The pimp is standing in the doorway of Camera One Theater. They began showing art house films in the early 80s. In 2004, it became an Art Gallery. The movie poster "Passion Procession" was an adult movie Donahue directed in 1976. Next door was Eulipia restaurant which had a small stage for hosting jazz music. In 2016, it became Cafe Stritch. Down the street was the Pussycat Theater, which closed in the late 80s. This area had a reputation for being the seedy part of town.
1420 S Bascom Ave. The site was being razed when I filmed it. A huge fire swept through Dick's Center on May 20, 2020.
120 W Mission St. Santa Clara County Public Defender occupies this building.
1271 S First Street. According to their website, "The Car Store is family owned and has been operating since 1977", but the sign says "Since 1975". The "World Motors" sign in the movie is real, and the name appears in the credits. I guess I should expect that from a used car joint.
South Bascom Ave. If you were an engineer or ham/CB radio enthusuaist, then you remember Quement Electronics. It was a bustling spot for geeks, until competitors like Frys Electronics, The Good Guys and Circuit City opened. The Bascom Library now stands in it's place. The Night Owl sign is still visible at 961 S Bascom, but now it says "Checks Cashed" (A&D Money Market). Mike Xenos moved to San jose in 1972 and opened Mike’s XLNT Foods. It was very successful, until he retired in 1991.
1601 Meridian Ave. Gunther and his family fled Nazi Germany in 1938. He opened his deli on January 15, 1971. From Gunther's FB page: "Our store was a cameo in the movie Kill Squad. A brief segment was shot in exchange for catering a cast and crew bbq on one of the sets in Coyote Park."
San Jose State University. Chain link fencing has been added to the parking garage, but it's not gated. You'll notice a change to the first floor of Duncan Hall where the sniper rappels to the ground. The new wall is part of the seismic retrofit from 1997.
Other locations I didn't film:
Mission City Rebar. The original location is gone. 1597 Grant St, Santa Clara. You can see the DeLa Cruz Ave overpass in the backgorund. The sniper's water tower is gone too. It was near El Camino, and Harrison St.
Concrete Service is now CEMEX, 1555 Russell Ave, Santa Clara. I couldn't film here, since it's private property.
Vietnam scenes were shot at Coyote-Hellyer Park.
Rose garden scenes are obviously at the Municipal Rose Garden, 1649 Naglee Ave, San Jose.
Santa Clara Valley Medical Center. The old building is still standing. 751 S Bascom Ave.
Gold Rush Country-Western. I found this location after I completed the video. An old newspaper article said that it had a mechanical riding bull made by Gilley's (Urban Cowboy) and cost $2 per person. It was at 610 Coleman Ave, and opened in spring of 1980.
Office parking lot where secretary Lola quits her job. I couldn't find this location.
After the Bascom Ave scene, the driver runs into a residential neighborhood. A white building resembling Wienerschnitzel is visible, as well as a Hudson sign. I found the location after I completed this video. The triangular building is still standing at 274 Gifford Ave.
San Jose kid here, SJSU alum. This is the first time I've seen anything about this movie. Very cool seeing the old SJ.
I love it. I grew up part-time in San Jose, CA. Hung out at Orchard Supply on San Carlos St, in the 1970's to 2015 😀
I sure miss the old San Jose, I remember I use to ride my bike down town I remember all those old buildings 🙄
This is awesome! I see my office building around the four minute mark!
Bitchin!!😎 The background music is awesome!! 👍🏻🤩👍🏻
San Jo is beautiful❣️
This is very cool. I had no idea about this movie but I live in San Jose and remember what it used to look like. I have taken my kids to the rose garden.
I used to run there, beautiful area.
Thanks for posting this. It's interesting seeing how things have changed in San Jose since then. I was also amazed that it became a cult hit in different parts of the world. particularly in Germany but also in Norway, England, Australia, Spain. and other places as well. I received emails from people from those countries and was shocked, but pleasantly surprised.
Awesome. I didn't know it was a cult hit in those countries as well. So glad you guys made this movie here in San Jose. It brings back so many memories, and it's fun to watch. I read an article in the Spartan Daily. The movie opened at Century 23 on Nov 4, 1982. Sadly it was recently torn down. Thanks for your comment.
@@vylehabbats You are very welcome.
Dope shit chief looks like Sanyo was seeing better days back then
Nice job!
Thanks :)
Judging by the special effects this was a badass movie
Judging by the special effects it looks like someone ran out of money.
@@rayjr62
🥳
I remember this being filmed around South Bascom ave. My father had a janitorial business and we used to help out every once in a while and there was a glass business we cleaned up right next to where Streetlight Records is now. I remember the car chase scene took more than one take and the street was blocked off briefly.
Sounds cool. Can you see where you were standing in the video? Maybe you're in the frame :)
@@vylehabbats We were across the street next door to Streetlight Records, which used to be a baby store, at a business called El Camino Glass. We watched the car chase scene right when the brown Chevy Chevelle was making that turn right where the Nite Owl sign was. I looked at your video and paused it frame by frame and we had just missed being in the frame because the car had already passed our point. I remember it like it was yesterday and that was 41 years ago.
I stumbled upon this video on accident after watching one of old interior footage of Eastridge Mall. Either way it was neat to see Bascom Avenue in the past and it’s funny too as the stretch they filmed along I deliver to each day (the buildings on each side of Lindaire that at the time was the Night Owl Bar and other stores)
The lot that had the Murray’s Bar (where the pedestrians got hit on the dirt area) is now being built out into a senior housing complex.
This is freakin awesome! Thanks for posting.
It was 07. Pennsylvania asked if I wanted to write a ghost book about San Jose. I wasn't very stoked. But I said it would be an honor . I was born here. It turned out to be pretty fun. Author. Haunts of San jose
Wish I could watch this movie in full
Actually, someone uploaded it on youtube. It's an Australian VHS version. Check it out before it's removed. I'm not sure if you can still buy the BR from Germany.
Just be sure you're ready.
amazing documentation. i've never heard of this movie until now. thank you for your hard work putting this together. hope to see more videos like this on youtube.
So glad you enjoyed it! I had fun making it during covid lockdown.
@@vylehabbats Yes! I saw the boarded up building across from Streetlight. It was very cool how you would highlight the funny stuff like the cop directing traffic and the sound guy. San Jose doesn't have a very thorough photo archive, so watching it through a director's eye is actually rather amusing.
I spent a big part of my teenage years and young adulthood in San Jose, CA, all these areas were actually my stomping grounds. I recognize pretty much all of them, lots of them are really around my high school, Lincoln high. I believe the very first scene is at the rose garden on Naglee and Dana avenues, about a block from Lincoln high. Brings back memories.🥲
5:33 wrong spot on S. Basom Ave, Burbank sign in the background.
correct, this spot is now the overpass over the 280 which wasn't open at that point.
I am sure William D. Smythe was operating a very good dealership on Stevens Creek Smythe European and Smythe Buick during that time. I am wondering if that Mercedes was a 240D/280E/300D? Very high end reliable car during that time. Good video thank you for posting!
Why am I just hearing about this ?
They were so close to my house at some points😄
my home town 85 sjsu grad east side boy 60's 70's 80's 90's
I remember I watched the filming of the guy getting thrown off the SJSU campus parking lot. I was a kid on my bike. But for the life off me, I remember it being shot from the structure on South 10th st ( looking south from Santa Clara St). It be interesting to find out if this scene was shot at both locations and only the structure on 7th St. ( scene in movie) made the final cut. Anyone know? Or, maybe the sands of time clouds the memory. I worked at that K & K Music in early 90's. Used to spend my breaks in the Antiques shop that is the fight scene. I left my broken down car at Dairy Queen( right next to that McDonalds on S. Bascom )for a week when i was 21. I remember the Pussycat still operating in the late 70's when I was living downtown and riding my bike at night when I was about 10 ys old. The prostitute scene was wild and out of control in those 4 to five blocks.
Cool
I'm a Bay Area native ad lived in San Jose for years. I never knew about this movie though. Brings back memories of childhood seeing old San Jose.
The car chase about 5:30 min in over by the old Burbank Theater... That's so close to where the original location for Streetlight Records was, I remember. Before it moved to it's current location on the other side of 280.
I remember a little further north, there was another record store, closer to San Carlos street. I can't recall the name or it's exact location as it was nearly 30 years now since I was last in that shop. It was kind of a cool place. I just recall the general area.
Anyone might know the place I am referring to?
I remember Streetlight. Went there in the early 90s when Quement was still alive. There were two record stores across from the Burbank. Record Factory at 481 S Bascom Ave, and Encore Used Stereo and Records at 535 S Bascom Ave.
The building where the Record Factory was is still there. 481 Bascom ave.
@@cargo2206 Thanks for the info. Next time I am down in that area, I'll have to look for that building. Ah, the memories.
@@ZetaReticuli_ You’re welcome Zeta! Is the Record Factory the store you might have been thinking of? You can put the address in Google Earth to see what the building looks like today. The Burbank theater is 552 S Bascom Ave. There is also a video on YT called San Jose Lights 1968. At :27 - :31 you’ll see the theater at night with the marquee lit up. Lots of other signs that will bring back memories.
@@cargo2206 I'm going to look up that video right now.
I looked up the address of that Record Factory place, I don't think that was the place I was thinking, but after all these years, I could have a few of the wires in my brain crossed.
For some reason, I thinking the place I was thinking about was closer to San Carlos and Bascom, maybe just a little east down San Carlos on the north side of the street. Not far from Western Appliances.
Now that I am thinking about it, wasn't there a Zanotto's Market in that area also? I know we had one in Scott's Valley for years that we used to shop at.
I had a vhs copy of this a long time ago..hopefully this can be released on dvd or blu ray
They have a blue ray of it, but they only sell it in Germany. I bought mine from amazon.de. Ebay, and the publisher's website wouldn't ship to Calif for some reason. Only Amazon would. Not sure if it's sold out by now.
@@vylehabbats well thanks for the info it's crazy a movie that was filmed in the United States you can only get it available on Blu-ray in Germany well I'll keep my eyes and ears open maybe I can get another VHS copy and burn it onto a disc until I see it gets officially released from a studio
@@bionicman71 It has a cult following in Germany, so a German publisher released it on Blue ray/DVD. They still have a copy on Amazon: www.amazon.de/Kill-Squad-Blu-ray/dp/B081WQT4FT If you lived in SJ in the 80s, then it's totally worth ordering before it's gone.
@@vylehabbats thank you for letting me know :)
I emailed the director of this movie around 2008, and behold! he sent (sold) me a VHS copy with the proper cover and mailed it to me. The copy is not that good..but was fun to watch. Then one day on ebay, I found a DVD on Ebay for $70.00. Much better Audio and Video. I still have both.
I can walk to Gunther's. In that scene you can see across the street used to be a Chevron... Now they squeezed that little strip mall in. It looks better with the Chevron!!!
I wish they kept the "GIant" sign. You can see it next to the gas station. It looks like 1950s Americana.
Can only imagine how big of a pit there was when the Chevron was gone due to the gas tank needing to be removed. Last time I saw a fast station removed it left a large crater for months until it was filled
is that steve tausan in the golds gym outfit?
Well, It's definitely not Scuba Steve
What is the music on the video
It's just the free music from youtube's library. Three kinds of sun, danger snow and iron fist.
Where can I find this movie?
th-cam.com/video/_CPu831jkkY/w-d-xo.html
It's crazy to see how much SJ changed over the years. Especially the thrift shop seen in the car shop scene
Yup and it will continue to change until it's unrecognizable
san jose sucks
We need H.E.L P. NOW DUDES❗
Is this avaliable on line😄
I m not asking any questions ..just do it..
Did they get the CWD ON ANY CAR.seen here?..NO REAL CARS WERE HARMED IN THE MAKING OF THIS PRESENTATION..!