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Favorite Films Set in Vienna

September 28, 2011 By 2 Comments

In my previous installment in which I list my favorite movies in locations I will soon be traveling to, I ran off a few films that are based in Berlin.

The next city on my cinematic ‘Grand Tour’ is Vienna (Wien). This city presented a bit of challenge for me. In the end I could only come up with three films. Lucky enough for me I have previously mentioned each of these three films in other posts. If you click on the link of the title, you will see my related blog entry.

And now, in no particular order, are my top 3:

  1. Before Sunrise
  2. The Third Man
  3. Letter From An Unknown Woman 
Did I miss anything? Please submit your suggestions in the Comments field below.

 

 

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Favorite Films Set in Berlin

July 14, 2011 By 9 Comments

 

As many readers may know, I have recently returned from a trip to London. A natural consequence of my excursions is a renewed wanderlust – no sooner am I back in the States am I contemplating my next trip.

After some deliberation and consideration I have decided on Central Europe. In anticipation of this trip, I have put together a list of my favorite films from each of the cities I plan to visit. Over the next several months I will compile lists of my favorite films from each of these locales.

The first location I will focus on is Berlin. The criteria I have used in the case of Berlin is a bit loose in that the film only needed to be set in Berlin and not necessarily shot there – although I think that at minimum that criteria is met.

Without further ado .. here are my SIX films (stills below):

M (Fritz Lang, 1931) German Expressionism at its finest.

 

A Foreign Affair (Billy Wilder, 1948) Fine example of what a romantic comedy should be. The film was principally shot in Soviet occupied zone (source: Wikipedia). Features one of my favorite leading ladies of the era, Jean Arthur.

 

The Big Lift (George Seaton, 1950) As the title suggests, the Big Lift  takes places during the Berlin Air Lift (1948-9). Shot on location in Berlin, really seems to capture the scale of devastation and the recovery efforts made post-war.

 

Torn Curtain (Alfred Hitchcock, 1966) While not one of his finest outings, there are some great set pieces. One that immediately springs to mind is the scene where Paul Newman and a civilian go about the very difficult task of killing a baddie. According to Hitchcock, he wanted to show just how difficult it is to kill someone. This also marks the one-time-only pairing of one of my favorite directors and actors (Newman).

 

Bourne Supremacy (Paul Greengrass, 2004) A frenetically paced spy-story. In many ways, breathed new life into a somewhat stale genre.

 

The Lives of Others or Das Leben der Anderen in German (Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, 2006) Don’t know what to say about this film except that I really really liked it. It was my first glimpse into seeing what life in GDR was probably like.

What do you think of the list? Is there anything that you think I left out? And before anyone says Wings of Desire or Run Lola Run please note I have not seen either (I know, for shame!)

 

UPDATE: Honorable mention to The Edukators and The Baader Meinhof Complex

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Travel Advisory

July 1, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Rue the Rue (de Paradis)On a recent trip to Paris, I thought it would be a great idea to take a location shot of one of my favorite recent films Taken. The task was simple enough a sign of the infamous “Rue de Paradis.” The execution left a lot to be desired. I got hopelessly lost in my quest and soon realized why that location was selected for the particularly scene in the movie. Not that I thought the area was entirely bad but as a non-native visiting a city you really should feel comfortable navigating your way around your environs.  Just as I would not expect tourists to go to certain areas of my nearest city, New York, the same rule holds for other international cities.

So in short, that is my travel advisory when you are “scouting” locations that have been featured in famous films: Know where you are going!

Happy Travels and Filmgoing!

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Grace Kelly Coming to the V&A London

April 13, 2010 By Leave a Comment

A highlight of the summer museum season HAS to be the exhibit that is coming soon to the V&A Museum in London. The name of the exhibit is entitled “Grace Kelly: Style Icon.” There will be clothing and other artifacts from her fantastic (but all too short) film career.

There has been a great deal of buzz about this exhibit including a piece in The New York Times as well as the cover story of this May’s Vanity Fair.

And as luck would have it I am traveling to London next month to see this exhibit. I will take as many photos as possible and be sure to post them here on iluvcinema!

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On Location – NYC

July 10, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Since I live in the greater NYC area, I have a wealth of “On Locations” to report. This first installment is probably one of my favorites from a favorite director of mine.

I already have featured one location from the masterpiece that is Vertigo. The second Hitchcock film I will refer to is “North by Northwest.”
Here is a photo of the corner of 5th Avenue and 42nd Street as it is now (from my cell phone) …

42nd 55th new

… and a few years back when Nat Sherman was there …. 59271535_884f7d9f2c

In the film, it was a passing shot pretty early on. There are plenty of other NYC locations that Hitchcock used throughout the filming of NbNW, but for me, a frequent passerby of the area, I felt a nice little connection to the location. In my research it is no doubt a “shout out” to the store. According to Cigar Aficionado, Hitch was a huge fan of cigars.

As for Nat Sherman, it has moved a few hundred feet to a less conspicuous location – along 42nd Street.

nat new

Here is a really cool site I discovered that listed many of the location shots from North by Northwest.

I also found this awesome compendium of film locations. Using this guide as a resource, you may even be able to plan a nice trip around a film or two!

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On Location – Paris

July 2, 2009 By 1 Comment

This is a close up picture of “Winged Victory” at the Louvre in Paris. However, fans of Audrey Hepburn may remember that this as a famous scene in Stanley Donen’s “Funny Face.” as she is descending the stairs in that lovely red dress. Who could forget?

Wnged Vic

My Shot

The Shot from "Funny Face"

The Shot from "Funny Face"

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On Location – San Francisco

May 21, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Here is an “on location” shot from 1959′s Vertigo.  It is the Palace of the Legion of Honor Museum; it is one of the many locations in San Francisco where James Stewart follows Kim Novak.

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Photograph Taken August 2007

This film was great in capturing the spirit of San Francisco.  In fact, several tours will take you to the various locations in and around San Fran where Hitchcock shot. Here is about.com‘s guide to the many real life locations featured in the film.

There is also a great book about Vertigo and San Francisco (Footsteps in the Fog).  It is recommended reading for any fan of San Francisco or Alfred Hitchcock.

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On Location – Florence

May 13, 2009 By Leave a Comment

I have decided to add a section called “On Location.”  I will post photographs I have taken at locations from some of my favorite movies.  Some you will recognize, while others, maybe not.

For my first entry, here is a shot (albeit at night) of the Piazza della Signoria in Florence from Merchant Ivory’s A Room With a View (1985).  This is used in the scene where Lucy Honeychurch sees the Florentine murdered and she passes out, to be aided by George Emerson.

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Piazza della Signoria

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