In 2016 we highlighted historic sites that played a role in Oscar-nominated flicks, but there were great films in 2015 and early 2016 that received less attention from the Academy, or were not even nominated for any awards at all.

Below, we shine the spotlight on the historic sites that make an appearance in these under-appreciated works that nonetheless deserve recognition.

"Creed"

Nominated for: Actor in a Supporting Role

A spin-off of the four-decade-long Rocky series, Creed tells the story of an aspiring boxer who becomes a student of Rocky Balboa, a friend of his late father. Like Rocky, Creed features iconic shots of the hero running through Philadelphia’s 9th Street Italian Market.

The market's roots date back to the 1880s, and today, it lays claim to the title of the country's longest continually operating outdoor market.

"Straight Outta Compton"

Nominated for: Writing (Original Screenplay)

Meanwhile, the music biopic Straight Outta Compton chronicles the meteoric rise of N.W.A. from South-Central Los Angeles to hip-hop stardom during the 1980s.

Several of the cultural landmarks shown in the film are now gone, so others stood in for them during filming. Catch One, a recently closed disco, stands in for Dooto’s, the club where Dr. Dre and Ice Cube first performed.

Meanwhile, N.W.A. played their first official concert at Skateland USA, a skating rink and music venue in Compton. Because the structure had deteriorated, a different, but similar-looking one—Glendale’s Moonlight Rollerway—was used in the film.

Finally, in the scene where N.W.A. plays one of its most popular songs in defiance of the police, the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena stood in for Detroit's Joe Louis Arena.

"Love & Mercy"

Nominated for: Not nominated.

Another music biopic that features some historic scenery is Love & Mercy, the moving, true story of Brian Wilson, the songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and vocalist of Beach Boys fame. In the last scene, Brian Wilson is shown performing at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles. The theater was also used in many other films, such as The Social Network.

"Anomalisa"

Nominated for: Animated Feature Film

Charlie Kaufman’s Anomalisa was a truly groundbreaking production. Neither a children’s film nor a satire, the stop-motion animation feature deals with mature topics like loneliness, insecurity, and mid-life crisis.

In an early scene, the protagonist is in a taxi. Despite his disinterest, the cabbie bores him with detailed descriptions of how wonderful Cincinnati chili is, and how he can’t leave the city without trying it. Indeed, the Ohio metropolis is known for its unique chili.

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