Foremost on my mind is to point out this week's cover story on Toronto Film Scene, written by yours truly. You might be thinking: "Ada, do you ever post a blog anymore without talking about f-ing TFS?" and you're not wrong to do so, but to that I respond... in this life I try to do things that I can take pride in, my writing amongst that, so since the bulk of my writing these days is for this particular online magazine, you are going to see an influx of self-promotion and site-promotion. Now suck it up and read my piece on Pop-Culture Tourism. In fact, go read everything I've written. ;)
I was particularly pleased to write about pop-culture tourism as it combines two of my greatest loves: Movies and Travel (if only I could have worked tea and shopping in there as well...) In addition I have been known to visit filming locations during my travels. In my 2011 trip to Austria, I stopped in Salzburg to wander through the heart of the city, familiar to me from a lifetime of watching The Sound of Music. I would've leapt from bench to bench in the gazebo like Liesl Von Trapp singing "Sixteen Going On Seventeen" if only it hadn't been locked. In Vienna I retraced Jesse and Celine's steps from Before Sunrise, wanderings by the river (where the Milkshakes poem was composed) actually led me to some excellent graffiti as well. My favourite is still Postman's Park in London, a significant location setting for the play-turned-film Closer, where Natalie Portman assumes a name that she sees on one of the tablets at the Watts memorial.
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In terms of pop culture tourism, it’s not just movies, television has certainly done its part too. Game of Thrones not only has everyone flocking to HBO, but has also generated much interest in the many European destinations in which they’ve shot. Nobody could point out Dubrovnik, Croatia on a map until it doubled for King’s Landing in season 2 of GOT. Now Dubrovnik’s seeing an 11% increase in International arrivals over the last year (a fact I dug up while writing my article, and which means I need to get myself over there before the price of everything goes up!) Also seeing increased attention is Northern Ireland, where scenes of Winterfell, Dragonstone, and the Iron Islands were shot. An increasing number of websites are publishing location maps and offering tours to filming locales. Other countries featured in Game of Thrones include Malta, Morocco, and Iceland. The series will also be heading to Spain for season 5, which makes me want to go back as I've never been to Seville.
A little closer to home, you may want to drive by 1155 103rd Street, better known as Dexter’s Apartment next time you're in Miami. Or while in L.A. check out the “Murder House” from American Horror Story Season 1, it’s at 1120 Westchester Place. The latter was made famous by American Horror Story, but I didn't realize it'd long been a filming locale, series that have shot there apparently include Alfred Hitchcock Presents, CSI, Dexter, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and more.
Speaking of US travel and filming locations, I'm in Chicago for a weekend later this month, my first time as an adult so aside from the typical tourist traps I'll also have go to Union Station to check out the scene of the famous shootout in The Untouchables (which is an homage itself to Battleship Potemkin, but I never cared for that movie... however if I'm ever in the Ukraine I would go check out the site film history was made, in the meantime... reliving prohibition Chicago it is!), and maybe get a few pics of Gotham city landmarks ;) And Blues Brothers spots and The Fugitive...gee, I wonder why my vacations are never relaxing lol.
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