Movie See, Movie Do
I'm a recent emigree from the Post's Weekend section, where I spent the last few years writing about movies and the people who make them. And I still have films on the brain.
I love watching movies filmed in beautiful or exotic places, with as much attention paid to the scenery as to the story. Among the recent flicks that piqued my wanderlust: I was fascinated by the Chinese countryside dotted with karsks -- the tall, skinny mountains -- in "The Painted Veil"; "Paris Je T'aime" and "Avenue Montaigne" made me miss the City of Lights; and "Goya's Ghosts" prompted me to add Madrid to my must-see list.
In the past, maybe I've unconsciously planned trips around something I saw in a movie or read in a novel, but this summer was the first time I intentionally tailored my itinerary to match something from a movie. While planning a trip to Prague, my boyfriend and I watched the 1996 Czech film "Kolya," about an older musician who finds himself taking care of a young Russian boy. The scenes of Prague were pretty, but what got us psyched for the trip was the musician's attic apartment with exposed beams, casement windows and views of the city's rooftops and church spires.
Charged with finding the hotel for our stay, I scoured the Internet looking for a room that looked at least a little like that gorgeous flat. That's how we ended up in an attic room at the Hotel King George near Charles Bridge, where we admired the whitewashed, slanting walls and ceiling and dark wooden beams -- though our views were more of the buildings next door than of quaint rooftops.
That got me thinking: Does anyone else plan their trips around something in a movie, a book or a TV show? Are there any movie buffs out there who pick vacation spots based, at least in part, on swoon-worthy scenes from favorite movies?
By Christina Talcott |
November 14, 2007; 6:35 AM ET
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Christina Talcott
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Posted by: Jenn in NJ (formerly SF) | November 14, 2007 12:48 PM
Why yes, I have planned a few trips and/or sought out specific locations at select destinations because of some sort of lingering feeling or desire tranferred from watching a movie. A few:
Berlin: AlaxanderPlatz and few other locations -- Wings of Desire & Bourne Supremacy
Paris: Rue de Rivoli, Tuileries, Sacré-Coeur & a few other locations -- Amelie, Frantic & Bourne Identity
West of Ireland: Cliffs of Moher & several towns -- Hear my Song, The Playboys, The Matchmaker & Into the West
The Biltmore Estate - Ashville, NC
Had to take a tour because one of my top ten movies of all time, Being There w/Peter Sellars, was shot there.
MJ
Posted by: Mordecai Jones | November 14, 2007 1:01 PM
I would like to take trips to places books have described. For example, area 51, groom lake, the secret airbase. This is an area offlimits to tourists, but a nearby hilltop would work fine. How about the San Andreas Fault Drill site near Parkfield, Ca. Havent seen any trips to that place. Geologic tours, with low fees, expert guides, would be great.
Posted by: jj | November 15, 2007 1:46 AM
No, I don't choose a vacation spot based on a movie, but we've been to a couple of places that, unbeknownst to me at the time, were featured in movies. The first place was the fountain at Martin Place in Sydney which was featured in "The Matrix" (my kids spotted that one) and the latest one was the Amphitheatre in Royal Natal National Park in South Africa which was the backdrop for "Zulu" (but was hundreds of miles away from the real site of the Battle of Rorke's Drift).
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I think the whole reason I want to go to Italy can be blamed on "Under the Tuscan Sun!" The scenery is so gorgeous and I just have to find the location where Diane Lane stood in that white dress where the waves are crashing against the wall. I will scour Positano until I find it!