The Hidden Chinatown of San Francisco

Everybody knows who Jet Li was, but few people remember his video game, Rise to Honor, that came out on PS/2 in 2004.  Even fewer people knew that a promo photo for the game was shot in Chinatown back then, probably 2003. Now, the only reminder is this photo archived on Mobygames .  The location, at least for those who lived in Chinatown for a while, is very obvious: 100 block of Waverly pl, an alley in Chinatown. Utopia Cafe is clearly visible.  This was what Utopia Cafe looked like circa 2002 Utopia Cafe is still there, albeit, rebranded with a completely different sign and awning. 

How many movies have at least one scene in Chinatown?  According to IMDB, no less than 69 . Unfortunately, some are short films, some are ancient, some are actually Chinese, and very few are well known.  In fact, a few of the more popular movies most people believed had a scene in Chinatown... Did not.  Not In Chinatown Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986) did not film in Chinatown, but adjacent to it. When Scotty, McCoy, and Sulu walked by a couple arguing in Cantonese, most people assumed this was in Chinatown. But if you look more closely, they walked past 1232 Grant " The Saloon ", just before encountering the couple. The Saloon, the oldest Blues Bar in San Francisco, is in North Beach.  So which ones really did film in Chinatown?  Did Film in Chinatown Big Trouble in Little China (1986) poked fun at all the myths and legends of Chinatown underground tunnels which are fictional. The location of Grant and Commercial is still there, now home to a Bruce Lee ...