The best fictional shopping malls of all time

Technically, we're talking about the parking lot of the fictionally famous shopping mall from Back to the Future. At 1:21 a.m., Oct. 26, 1985, Doc Brown's dog, Einstein, became a time traveler after his DeLorean reached 88 miles per hour. Of course, it was also where Doc was apparently shot by Libyan terrorists, although Marty McFly's time traveling helped him reverse history and save the day. While we never got a feel for the traditional mall experience here, this parking lot essentially started a film franchise. 

This forgotten made-for-television high school drama might be best known as one of Ron Howard's earliest directing projects. At one point, underdog pop-rock band Cotton Candy plays in a local "Battle of the Bands" at a suburban Dallas shopping mall. However, the campiness of the scene is highlighted by popular rockers Rapid Fire and frontman Torbin Bequette (Mark Wheeler), who made his entrance coming up an escalator flocked by a girl and his bandmates then rode to the stage on a mall golf cart.

The shopping mall Santa Claus is one of the most special Christmas traditions. Of course, not all mall Santas are in it for the holiday spirit. Take Willie T. Soke (Billy Bob Thornton) and his elf pal Marcus (Tony Cox), who pose as those Christmas characters to rob the Saguaro Square Mall in this 2003 black comedy holiday classic. It's your basic mall setup, but it has a popular shop known for pedicures. 

Indoor shopping malls, or gallerias (if you live on the West Coast), are a good place to get lost. Unless, however, futuristic killing machines that look like humans are on the hunt for a young soldier-in-waiting John Connor (Eddie Furlong). In the case of this mega-popular 1991 sequel to The Terminator, the mall itself ends up being the victim when two terminators go head-to-head for the first time in the film. 

Located in downtown Danville, it's often visited by Phineas, Ferb, and friends. Not to mention their sister Candace. Notable stores include the Lab Coat Emporium, Hail Britannia, Had D Har Toy Store, Squat and Stitch, and Mr. Slushy Burger. In terms of animated fictional shopping centers, the GoogolPlex Mall has something for shoppers of all ages. It's also animal friendly, especially when the occasional stampede rolls into town. 

Quentin Tarantino made good use of the real-life Del Amo Fashion Center, located in Torrance, Calif., with his underrated 1997 gem.  And we're not just talking about his time devoted to the best aspect of any mall: the food court. Especially here, when Jackie (Pam Grier) and Max (Robert Forster) have a bit of a heart-to-heart. 

Paul Blart (Kevin James) takes his job as mall security very seriously, especially when patrolling the West Orange (New Jersey) Pavilion Mall on his Segway. However, mall shoppers don't reciprocate. He was caught in the middle of a jewelry heist and hostage situation, where he had a chance to be a hero. Sometimes it pays to have a bumbling, semi-authority figure be the right man for the job. The sequel was primarily set in Las Vegas and pretty much unnecessary.  

How did Hawkins, Ind., get such a cool, totally 1980s shopping mall? Well, Stranger Things isn't steeped in reality. Still, those who loved hanging at the mall during the '80s should enjoy this nostalgic look back. All the classic stores (some still around today) like Sam Goody and Waldenbooks are there. A stellar food court and the show's own twist with the popular Scoops Ahoy ice cream parlor. As the promo spot notes, "Starcourt Mall has it all." That's until it was destroyed by a demon from an alternate dimension. 

Whether talking George Romero's classic from 1978 or the 2004 remake that features Crossroads Mall, Dawn of the Dead had an obvious solution to the zombie problem. While amidst a zombie apocalypse, find the nearest shopping mall, hide, set up camp, then try to save the world. These are must-see movies for horror fans and those who enjoy spending time in a shopping mall.

From 1986, Chopping Mall might be a forgettable slasher flick with a sci-fi twist. Then again, it has a hint of originality with security guard robots that turned into killing machines and terrorized employees of the stores at Park Plaza Mall. Now, it does feature some of the stereotypical teen slasher film moments. Perhaps it's not wise to have sex in a mall furniture store after hours, especially when the "Killbots" are on the loose. When the mall pet store gets wrecked, and the snakes and spiders get free, then the fun really begins.

When Brodie (Jason Lee) and T.S. (Jeremy London) needed to hide out from dreaded mall security guard LaFours and his fellow goons, it was time to hit "dirt mall," as it's affectionately known in the fictional world of the View Askewniverse. It's mildly seedy and a bit raunchy but a haven for cheap comics, Clerks hats, "good buys, great people, earthy aromas." And, of course, for a non-so nominal fee, one can receive some X-rated sage and perhaps life-changing advice from Miss Ivannah (Priscilla Barnes).

Maybe it wasn't a good idea when Ted "Theodore" Logan (Keanu Reeves) and Bill S. Preston, Esq. (Alex Winter) dropped off new friends and historical figures like Sigmund Freud, Ludwig van Beethoven, Genghis Khan, Joan of Arc (played well by Go-Go Jane Wiedlin), and Abraham Lincoln at the mall to get accustomed to life in San Dimas. Well, mayhem ensued. Khan really enjoyed the sporting goods store, while Beethoven had the entire mall rocking. That was just some of the fun unleashed in one of the great movie mall scenes of all time.

Back in the early 1980s, in southern California, there was no place more fictionally seen than the massively popular Ridgemont Mall. Whether grabbing a bite at Perry's Pizza, blowing your money at the awesome video arcade, or checking out a movie (though we hear all the action is on the other side of the mall), Ridgemont Mall was the place to be. If you were also looking to score those hard-to-get concert tickets, you came to the right place. Blue Oyster Cult fans might be out of luck, though.

We were never told the fictional name of the mall that the Blues brothers destroyed during their famed police chase. Still, as Jake (John Belushi) said, "this place has got everything." From Toys "R" Us to an Oldsmobile dealership, Jake was right. However, the fictional version of the former Dixie Square Mall in the far south suburbs of Chicago was left in tatters after the Blues' outran the cops and essentially took out every store and kiosk in the mall. Of course, it did make for one of the movie's iconic scenes, so let's call it a push.

We touched on Brodie's "dirt mall," but the true star of 1995's Mallrats is the Eden Prairie Mall — the name of the real-life shooting location, which was actually in Minnesota, not New Jersey. Doesn't matter. In the annals of fictional shopping malls, one should never be bored when entering. There are popular stores like Buy Me Toys, Rug Munchers Carpet Outlet, Fashionable Male, and the Burning Flesh Tanning Salon. Plus, on any given occasion, Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny will be around, 3D art to check out, famous comic-book creators signing autographs, and even a game show. Just watch your kids on the escalator.