Film Gecko

Guest Blogger: Apryl Chapman Thomas - Movie Tourism

by Jane Boursaw on June 20th, 2008

I’m happy to have the talented Apryl Chapman Thomas as a guest blogger for today’s Great b5media Blog-Off. Thank you, Apryl! Read on for her wonderful post about movie tourism: 

Hurray for Hollywood (in the South): Movie Tourism

If you love your movies, you know that sometimes the 90- or 120-minutes on the big screen isn’t long enough. You want to relive those special moments and feelings experienced from the film(s). So, you and many others set out to visit the sites and landmarks of your favorite movies.

This concept, known as movie tourism, really isn’t anything new; however in the last few years, it has gained in momentum. When you think about it, it is kind of exciting to follow the footsteps of your favorite character from “Sex and the City” movie in Manhattan, or see the “Field of Dreams” baseball field in Dyersville, Iowa.

More after the jump…

If you didn’t already know, the South happens to be one of Hollywood’s backlots. Numerous films have been shot from Texas to D.C. Given this fact, you just never know, your favorite film’s location or site just might be located here.

Here are a few sites and locations to get you started:

Okay, so Hotel Paisano located in the small Texas town of Marfa, wasn’t used in the film, “Giant,” but hey, James Dean did sleep here. When the film was shot on location in the 1950s, the cast and crew took up residence in the hotel. Even though the property has been restored (it’s also listed on the National Register of Historic Places), Dean’s room still remains popular. The hotel also features memorabilia from the movie. Oh, by the way, here’s a little nugget for film fans, “Giant” as the last movie Dean made.

Yes, the movie “Cold Mountain” was filmed in Romania, but you, dear movie fan, can see the real Cold Mountain. Located about 30 miles northeast of Asheville, N.C., the best way to see it is on the Blue Ridge Parkway at Milepost 412. You can also see it from the top of Mount Pisgah at Milepost 407.

The planned community of Seaside, Fla., a part of the Beaches of South Walton in the Sunshine State’s Panhandle, was the location for “The Truman Show,” starring Jim Carrey. Carrey stayed nearby in Dune Allen Beach.

l Who is ready for their close-up? In a true Hollywood story, The Whistle Stop Cafe in Juliette, Ga., started out as a store, but after having a major role in the movie, “Fried Green Tomatoes,” became a small cafe. The menu features good ole southern-style dishes such as Fried Green Tomatoes, Country Root Fries and Poke Side Salad.

Image: Field of Dreams, Universal Pictures, 1989; Giant, Warner Bros. Pictures, 1956

Apryl Chapman Thomas currently writes the Southern Byways blog, www.southernbyways.com. Join her as she takes you on a journey through the interstates and backroads from Texas to D.C. A freelance writer, she also pens a travel column, “Have Children, Will Travel” at Mommasaid.net.

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