Father Dominic Pace takes family on road trip to 250 film locations
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You could call Dominic Pace the ultimate film buff.
The 39-year-old actor is so passionate about his craft that he has travelled with his wife and children to more than 250 film locations in an 'epic road trip' that began five years ago.
Their travels have taken them to some of the world's most popular spots – from the 'Rocky steps' in Philadelphia to the fire station featured in Ghostbusters – and lesser-known locations, including the house from Father of the Bride and the corner shop where McLovin tries to buy alcohol in the film Superbad.
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Dominic and Dante recreated a fight scene from Rebel Without a Cause at Los Angeles' Griffith Park
James Dean died in a car crash less than a month before Rebel Without a Cause was released in cinemas
Father and son faced off again at the Los Angeles gymnasium made famous in The Karate Kid's final scene
The Karate Kid's final scenes were filmed at California State University, Northridge in Los Angeles
Dante pretended to be McLovin, the underage character who tries to buy beer in a scene from Superbad
The 7 Days Food Store, where this scene from Superbad was set, is located in Glendale, California
Dominic, a character actor who works mostly in television, has been documenting his family's travels, taken between breaks in work and school, with photos that show them recreating famous film scenes.
It all stems back to a decision he made in 2010 when he returned from work one day and found his kids staring at the television and tablet computer in their Hollywood home.
He thought it would be fun to take them to film locations in the Los Angeles area, and the idea snowballed into something that has taken them across the US and provided lasting memories.
Dominic told MailOnline Travel: 'I've always been a fan of film, and the artists who have made so many iconic projects over the past 100 years. These artists are what have always inspired me to become an actor, so that I may one day have the same impact on someone as they have had on me.
One of the highlights of the family's travels as a visit to the Iowa farm from Field of Dreams
Tourists are lured to Dubuque County, Iowa, to visit the farm where Field of Dreams was filmed
Dominic and Geraldine recreate Pretty Woman's final scene outside the Las Palmas Hotel in Hollywood
The family's travels have taken them across the US, including the famous 'Rocky steps' in Philadelphia
Tourists flocked to the Philadelphia Museum of Art every day to recreate this scene from Rocky
In New York City, the Pace family visited the fire station featured in Ghostbusters
The fire station, which acted as a stand-in for the Ghostbusters' headquarters, is located in Manhattan
'I've always felt some of these locations were informal landmarks and tributes to the actors, directors, directors of photography and screenwriters who have done such great work.
'To stand where Pacino and Brando performed, or even The Goonies, or where John Hughes directed in Chicago, it's always been very special to me.
'The world is covered with so much negativity, and I thought it was the perfect way to sort of jump into these imaginary worlds that have given everyone so much happiness through our lives.'
Dominic said the hobby has provided invaluable bonding time with his wife, Geraldine, 40, and their sons, Dante, 9, and Benett, 6.
One of the lesser-known locations was the New Jersey setting for Camp Crystal Lake in Friday the 13th
Scenes from the opening of Reservoir Dogs were filmed in this parking lot in Los Angeles
This scene from Reservoir Dogs was filmed in a car park at a bowling alley in on Eagle Rock Boulevard
Their first visit was to Los Angeles' Griffith Park, where Dominic and Dante recreated James Dean's knife fight scene from Rebel Without a Cause.
Since then, they have visited homes from films or television programmes (The Godfather, A Christmas Story, All in the Family, Risky Business, and Michael Jackson's Thriller music video, among them), sat on the bleachers at the Iowa farm which served as the setting for Field of Dreams, and walked on the beach where scenes from Jaws were filmed.
Dominic, who has had guest roles in programmes such as NCIS, Bones, Desperate Housewives and NYPD Blue, even had his grandmother pose for a photo outside the New Jersey strip club which was the stand-in for the Bada Bing in The Sopranos.
Dominic and Dante strike a pose outside the LA home from Michael Jackson's video for Thriller
Dante and Benett sit outside the Burbank home where the fictional Arnold family lived in The Wonder Years
Of the 250-plus locations he has visited, Dominic was blown away by the town of Brownsville, Oregon, which served as a fictional town in the classic coming-of-age film Stand by Me.
He said: 'It's a town that really hasn't changed much since the film. And it's not just a house or a street, but the entire town was [featured].
'When you're there, you can really have a sense of being in one of the greatest Hollywood films. It was sad as well, as my Generation X shares the same age as the boys in the film when it was released.
Dante channels Tom Cruise's character from Risky Business outside the Chicago home shown in the film
Tom Cruise starred in Risky Business as a teen who gets up to no good while his parents are away
The Pace family's road trips usually take them to Major League Baseball stadiums all over the US
Dominic said one of his favourite locations was Brownsville, Oregon, where Stand by Me was filmed
'When you're there it's a feeling as if time has moved on and the boys have grown up, as we have … but there's still that beautiful feeling of youth and hanging out with our friends just like the characters did, without a care in the world at one time.'
Films from the 1980s – The Karate Kid, Back to the Future and any written and directed by John Hughes – hold sentimental value for Dominic, who watched plenty of them while spending summers at his grandparents' home as he grew up in Ossining, New York.
He said: 'My grandparents were very special to me, and their house was the one place where there was so much love, with family and friends coming in and out all of the time.
'Those films attach my memories to my grandparents, and some of the best years of my life I've had so far.
Dominic and his sons pose for a snap at a Los Angeles hotel featured at the end of the 1982 film Poltergeist
Poltergeist tells the story of a California family affected by strange events after moving into a new home
Fans of the classic film ET are frequent visitors to this house in Tujunga, California
'My grandmother would be cooking, my grandfather either working in his tool shed or playing solitaire watching with us. I think ultimately that's the magic of being at some of these locations, a fond memory of who I was with when I watched the films for the first time.'
But not all locations lived up to the family's expectations, given the passage of time.
An Italian restaurant in the Bronx, which was featured in The Godfather, is now a yarn store, while, and the diner from the opening scene of Pulp Fiction is no longer there.
They were unable to get close to the New Jersey lake where scenes from the original Friday the 13th were filmed, as it is now a private camp operated by the Boy Scouts of America.
Dominic and Geraldine share a kiss as they recreate a scene from Moonstruck at a New York apartment
The family home featured in A Christmas Story has been preserved as a museum in Cleveland, Ohio
The family's next trip will take them to Miami, where they plan to visit locations from Ace Ventura, Scarface, Porky's, The Birdcage and Miami Vice. In the next few years they would love to visit locations in Europe.
As they continue to scratch locations off their list, Dominic said he wants to publish a travel guide for other tourists who share his passion.
'As well as being in the business as an actor, I am equally a fan, and have a tremendous appreciation for so many brilliant actors, directors, writers before me.
'Ideally, I'd like to put together a book once I'm finished, combining not only the addresses within the states of these classic locations, but also GPS road maps to unique hotels and eats throughout the country.'
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