On Location With Jared Cowan

Production Designer David L. Snyder revisits Bill & Ted University for the first time since working on "Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey" (1991). We talk about how the futuristic Tillman Water Reclamation Plant became the setting for a 27th century location, how working on "Blade Runner" turned into a double-edged sword, using Vasquez Rocks as an homage to the original "Star Trek" series, why "Station" was unappealing, and if there's a place for Bill & Ted in the current movie climate. See Bill & Ted University at the Japanese Garden in Woodley Park. Visitor info at www.thejapanesegarden.com.

"It's a beaut, Clark, it's a beaut!" In a very special holiday episode of "On Location", "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" director, Jeremiah Chechik, returns to the Griswolds' house for the first time in almost 30 years. We talk about filming the beloved holiday classic at the Warner Bros. Ranch and what it took to create the look of an authentic Chicago winter while filming during the summer in Burbank, CA. Chechik discusses the fact that the wildly popular film was his first as a feature director, working with the great John Hughes, and why some of his favorite moments in the film are among the least comedic.

In this excellent episode "Wayne's World" director Penelope Spheeris returns to Cassell's Music, the filming location of the Aurora, IL music store where Wayne (Mike Myers) is denied permission to play "Stairway to Heaven" and Garth (Dana Carvey) gets his moment in the spotlight during an epic drum solo. We talk with Penelope about the common themes that run through her films like the celebrated punk/metal documentary trilogy "The Decline of Western Civilization," her 1983 film "Suburbia," "The Little Rascals" and, yes, "Wayne's World." Also, we make a connection between a couple of her films that no one else has made before; she compares Donald Trump to a Rose Queen during his cameo in "The Little Rascals"; Ed, the owner of Cassell's Music, sits in to tell an amazing story about the Fender guitar seen in the film. Party on! www.cassellsmusic.com

Academy Award-winners, Production Designer David Wasco and Set Decorator Sandy Reynolds-Wasco (2016 "La La Land") and Location Manager Billy Fox reunite 25 years later at the "Reservoir Dogs" coffee shop where Mr. Brown (Quentin Tarantino) explains the meaning of Madonna's "Like a Virgin" and Mr. Pink (Steve Buscemi) philosophizes about tipping waitresses. We learn that Pat & Lorraine's Coffee Shop was where production commenced for "Reservoir Dogs," making it the first-ever location shot for a Quentin Tarantino film. We also discuss the challenges of finding locations on a minuscule feature film budget, turning a mortuary into the film's main location, working with Tarantino on his other L.A. films, and tipping our server.

Writer/Director Savage Steve Holland meets up with us at the North Hollywood location of Pig Burgers, the fast food restaurant where love-stricken high school student Lane Meyer (John Cusack) works in Holland's 1985 fan favorite, "Better Off Dead... ." The super cool filmmaker discusses the excitement of shooting his first feature film entirely on location. We also talk about Henry Winkler, "Jaws", "Porky's", a drunk clown, and Holland gives advice about sunglasses to someone passing by.

Squad members André Gower, Ashley Bank, and Ryan Lambert sit down with us at the historic Warner Bros. town square set where they triumphantly defeated the forces of evil in the 1987 film. We talk about shooting the film on the backlot and all over Los Angeles as well as topics ranging from Pee-wee Herman and Paul Newman to "Gilmore Girls" and Cleveland.