The American equivalent of the
BBC Quarry, a distinctive set of striated sandstone slabs, dozens to hundreds of feet tall, sharply-angled and pointed at their tops. Familiar from its use as an exterior location in any number of
Science Fiction programs and
Westerns (including the films
Blazing Saddles and
The Magnificent Seven Ride Again, as well as the "Sleestak Diner" scene in
Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back), and no few automobile commercials. It is also the location where the Brandeis-Bardin Institute was composited into for the
first five seasons of
Power Rangers as the command center building. The entire town of Bedrock in
The Flintstones was constructed here. Probably best known from its several appearances on
Star Trek over the years (especially the
Original Series episode "Arena"), whence comes the popular nickname for one of the formations (and by extension the entire area). The movie
Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey specifically points this trope out by having the boys watching said episode, before their robotic duplicates drag them out to the rock to kill them.
In reality these are known as the
Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park
, in Agua Dulce, CA (conveniently located about 30 miles north of Hollywood).
Here's the Wikipedia entry, with a detailed history of "Kirk's Rock" in TV and film.
Works Featuring Kirk's Rock:
Film
- According to the the trailer it appears in The Angry Video Game Nerd Movie.
- Bill & Ted: Lampshaded: Just before the boys meet the Evil Robots, they're watching that particular episode of Star Trek on TV. When the Robots drag the boys up to the rock to kill them, we even get a recreation of the dramatic zoom out from Trek.
- In Blazing Saddles, Vasquez rocks is the site Hedy Lamarr ("That's Hedley!") recruits desperados for the attack on Rock Ridge.
- The Flintstones: The entire town of Bedrock was built here. After filming, the studio left it up for a few days and allowed tourists in to visit the set.
- In Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Federal Wildlife Marshal Willenholly is a reference to the characters Marshall, Will and Holly on the 1970's children's TV show Land of the Lost — a shout out reinforced by the subsequent appearance of the Sleestak Diner sitting in the shadow of Kirk's Rock.
- Star Trek: The landscape of Vulcan is a clear homage, with the distinctive shape of the rock formation appearing many times along the horizon.
Live-Action TV
- Charmed: In the episode "Soul Survivor", this represents a prehistoric environment into which Leo and Chris stumble through a time portal.
- Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger: There's this one concrete plaza◊ with a bunch of ramps and flat steps that has popped up several times. Parts of the Gekiranger, Carranger, and Hurricenger episodes have been filmed in it. Justified since they apparently parked the Gokai Galleon nearby.
- NCIS: Another episode has members of the team follow a lead in Arizona. In clear view behind them when talking to a local cop, Kirk's Rock.
- Roswell: The wilderness scenes heavily featured Kirk's Rock. The scenes of the town, including the Crashdown Cafe, were shot in Covina, CA.
- Sliders: Featured in the episode "Electric Twister Acid Test"
- The Trope Namer; the famous fight in the Star Trek: The Original Series episode, "The Arena", takes place here, as mentioned in the description.
- Also, this is where Lazarus' timeship is located in "The Alternative Factor."
- In The Wild Wild West episode, "The Night of the Cadre", West and Gordon defeat the fake Union soldiers at Vasquez Rocks with a knockout gas Gordon devised.
- The climactic gunfight in "The Night of the Jack O'Diamonds" takes place here also.
