As part of their never-ending quest to trick grown-ass adults into believing that they’re 10 years old again, this week Disney released X-Men ‘97, a continuation of the classic Saturday morning cartoon series. People seem to be enjoying the new show, which could in turn inspire them to revisit the original movies, which are still pretty enjoyable so long as you never think about Googling any of the directors who made them (seriously).
Weirdly, the original cinematic incarnation of the X-Men shares a connection with another iconic movie hero: drunken trust fund leech-turned-academic achiever Billy Madison. What could a team of mutant badasses possibly have in common with a goofy Adam Sandler character who subscribes to Drunk Chicks magazine? Well, they just so happen to live in the same mansion.
Yup, the Madison estate and Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters are one and the same. Meaning that Professor X, Cyclops and Jean Grey taught mutant children how to control their powers in the exact spot where Billy Madison hallucinated that giant penguin. Which is, um, kind of a super power, I guess.
Disney
Universal Pictures
Both movies were shot in and around Toronto; the mansion in question is Parkwood Estate in Oshawa, Ontario. It was once the home of “Canada’s only auto baron” Samuel McLaughlin. When it was built in 1917, the house boasted an indoor swimming pool, a squash court and a bowling alley with “one of the first automatic pin setters,” and McLaughlin’s numerous VIP guests included King Edward VIII. It is now a National Historic site that’s open to the public — and by the public, we mean fans of X-Men and Billy Madison, mostly.
While Parkwood Estate was used for the exterior shots of the Madison house and Xavier’s school, oddly enough, both productions also used the same building for their interior scenes: Toronto’s Casa Loma. You see, back in the early 20th century, a wealthy Canadian, and Knight of the British realm, named Sir Henry Pellatt built a giant castle for himself to live in. But then the Great Depression hit, forcing him to sell all his stuff and move out after just 10 years. The government seized the castle due to $30,000 in unpaid taxes, and now it’s a popular location for movie shoots. For example, fans of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World might recognize it as the spot where Scott brawls with Lucas Lee.
Incidentally, Casa Loma now boasts a makeshift museum featuring several (possibly haunted) wax replicas of celebrities who appear in movies that have been filmed there, including Chicago, Crimson Peak and The Love Guru. Yes, this historic building now includes a tribute to Mike Myers’ cinematic dumpster fire The Love Guru.
While Billy Madison somehow didn’t make the cut, Casa Loma does have a life-sized Wolverine and a Professor Xavier who’s standing up, either because they ran out of money for a wheelchair, or nobody putting together the display had ever seen an X-Men movie.
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