Sheila

One great movie and two not very good ones with great scenery about my country... <BR> <BR>The not very good ones are "Loch Ness" with the chap from "Cheers" which is lovely and rubbish, and "Braveheart" with Mel Gibson which is worse and was filmed in Ireland to add insult to injury. <BR> <BR>The good one is "Local Hero" which is one of my favourite movies of all time. It was filmed in a little village near here, called Pennan; and on ardnamurchan where the beaches are. And it's a great movie! <BR> <BR>This year, I had an e-mail from a New Zealand girl whose husband is worjking here for a year looking for work. We've found her some. In addition we spent a weekend at my father's home in perth and he has invited her and her husband back, and next week I'm taking her on a week'd tour of the Inner Hebrides. <BR> <BR>Or, about the time my mother brought an American couple home from Church... <BR> <BR>Frankly, it happens all the time in Scotland, just like Tony said. <BR> <BR>You guys are welcome anytime. But some of your compatriots.........?

Helen

Oh, "Local Hero", it's a good one, especially since we're on the subject of distrusting vs. accepting "foreigners." A really good fish-out-of-water story.

Linda

Oh, just one more movie! "The Wings of the Dove" with Helena Bonham Carter. It came out a couple of years ago and has exquisite scenery of Venice. The plot's not bad either!! <BR>

hamlet

I think every movie I've seen has already been spoken for, but I have a story or two to share about befriending locals. A few years ago I traveled around Italy on my own. As a 20-something female traveling solo I had lots of offers, some for drinks, some for company as I walked, some for conversation and of course what might be considered "the obvious." I would always give the person a chance and spend time with them, though always in a public place, unless I found they had other ideas that I wasn't in to. Lots of these offers came from my lunch or dinner waiter. One evening in Florence the maitre d' decided I should be out with my waiter and instructed him to take me out after dinner. We hung out for a while and then he suggested we go back to his place. I did feel safe but against my better judgement I went back with him feeling very nervous. There was no reason to..... I spent 2 hours at his place trying to listen to Italian popular music and did our best to converse in my shaky Italian and then he drove me back to my hotel. Two days later in Rome my lunch waiter asked to meet after dinner. I went back that night and hung out with his friends in Trastevere and we hit it off right away, joking as if we were old friends. The next day I was going to Sorrento for a few days and he called me there since we was going to visit his family in Naples for a few days. I met him in Naples, went with him to visit his mother in the hospital and had dinner at his sisters and drove back to Rome with him. I feel really fortunate to have had this experience. We are in touch a few times a year. A few months ago I was with my boyfriend and his family in Sorrento. I took off from there to visit waiterfriend #2 who was now living and working in Pisa -- I stayed at his other sister's house in Livorno -- to visit waiterfriend #1 who was still in Florence and didn't know I was coming but recognized me as soon as I walked in the door. <BR> <BR>Conversely, I've "opened my door" to other travelers and none have ever taken me up on it! That goes for Europeans I met traveling here in the US, or other Americans I've met abroad and gave my address to should they ever come to NY. Now why is that? I always wonder.

hamlet

I think every movie I've seen has already been spoken for, but I have a story or two to share about befriending locals. A few years ago I traveled around Italy on my own. As a 20-something female traveling solo I had lots of offers, some for drinks, some for company as I walked, some for conversation and of course what might be considered "the obvious." I would always give the person a chance and spend time with them, though always in a public place, unless I found they had other ideas that I wasn't in to. Lots of these offers came from my lunch or dinner waiter. One evening in Florence the maitre d' decided I should be out with my waiter and instructed him to take me out after dinner. We hung out for a while and then he suggested we go back to his place. I did feel safe but against my better judgement I went back with him feeling very nervous. There was no reason to..... I spent 2 hours at his place trying to listen to Italian popular music and did our best to converse in my shaky Italian and then he drove me back to my hotel. Two days later in Rome my lunch waiter asked to meet after dinner. I went back that night and hung out with his friends in Trastevere and we hit it off right away, joking as if we were old friends. The next day I was going to Sorrento for a few days and he called me there since we was going to visit his family in Naples for a few days. I met him in Naples, went with him to visit his mother in the hospital and had dinner at his sisters and drove back to Rome with him. I feel really fortunate to have had this experience. We are in touch a few times a year. A few months ago I was with my boyfriend and his family in Sorrento. I took off from there to visit waiterfriend #2 who was now living and working in Pisa -- I stayed at his other sister's house in Livorno -- to visit waiterfriend #1 who was still in Florence and didn't know I was coming but recognized me as soon as I walked in the door. <BR> <BR>Conversely, I've "opened my door" to other travelers and none have ever taken me up on it! That goes for Europeans I met traveling here in the US, or other Americans I've met abroad and gave my address to should they ever come to NY. Now why is that? I always wonder.

Debbie

Well, I'll be keeping the local video store in business over the next few months! Thanks for all the suggestions. <BR> <BR>BTW, I'm Australian ( a Sydney girl) for those of you who assumed I was American (there's nothing like this forum in Australia - not as much demand, I suppose).

Dayle

Debbie, one more for great Venice scenes and costumes "Dangerous Beauty".

s.fowler

Thank you lisa for mentioning the Macedonia film "After the Rain." Not only is the theme of Slav-Albanian enmity timely, it should the incerdible scenery around the Monastery church of St. John the Theologian in Ohrid. <BR> <BR>Macedonia is well worth visiting. I hope the current crisis abates so more of you on this list can join me in Skopje for a glass of rakija! <BR> <BR>We will be going back this summer to teach at a seminar sponsored by the Soros Open Society Institute. <BR>

Juan

Did anyone mention "Roman Holiday" yet? I don't think so. That's a cute film with Audrey Hepburn and shows off Roman quite nicely. I vote too for "Enchanted April" and "Cinema Paradiso". There is an old Bobby Darin/Rock Hudson film called "Come September" that shows off Tuscany nicely. I was very disappointed in how very little of Barcelona is shown in the film "Barcelona". "Local Hero" I like quite a lot too but no one I have ever shown it to has liked it....the humor is rather quirky so some people don't get it. <BR>

graziella

Debbie, it is true people are hospitable, but of course times have changed...Once, a few years ago, <BR>in the Island of Rhodas we hired a taxi with another couple for sightseen during a full day ( instead of taking the expensive excursions offered by the <BR>cruise ship ) at a certain point he took as to his home, introduced us to his family, offered delicious limonade and cookies, this was more that we had bargain for..... also the tour was perfect. <BR>It was fun and interesting.Chau.Graziella

Anna

<BR>Hi Debbie, <BR>two more movies for your collection. <BR>The first one has just been released (is that the word) in Italy and I suppose will be available soon abroad. The title: Un the con Mussolini (a tea with Mussolini), will show you an unforgettable Florence and Tuscany in the fascist era <BR>The second one is older. the title is Mediterraneo, directed by Gabriele Salvatores is another Italian movie shot in Greece, in the wonderful island of Castellorizo <BR>have fun!

Donna

One more movie? fairly new, action, violence, but a few scenes of Paris and several great scenes of the area around Nice. You know, how the streets to up and down and around through the neighborhoods as you are trying to get off the hills down to the water. Name of movie is Ronin, stars Jean Reno who I find fascinating, and Robert DeNiro. <BR> <BR>Patriot Games, with Harrison Ford, comes to mind as one with some scenes of London, a few desolate Ireland scenes (or made to look like we are there), great movie. <BR> <BR>My gosh, don't miss "Mission Impossible" with the TGV roaring through the countryside to the Chunnel. Also Jean Reno is in the movie, Tom Cruise, others. <BR> <BR>More, more, more.

Beth

so many movies... so little time. <BR>I like "The Guns of Navarone" for some of the Greek countryside, and little Greek villages. Also, although its a very lame James Bond flick, "For Your Eyes Only" has the most awesome scenes shot at Meteora, where Roger Moore has to climb one of the cliffs to a monastery. <BR> <BR>has anyone mentioned "Stealing Beauty", with its wonderful views of the Tuscan countryside? and "Much Ado About Nothing", also filmed in Tuscany. Also the monastery scenes in "The English Patient" were filmed in Pienza. <BR> <BR>There are many, many more movies about England that may or may not have been filmed there, but still give you a great feel for the history, or the culture, or the countryside. Some of my favorites.. Emma Thompson's "Sense and Sensibility", "A Man for All Seasons", "Brideshead Revisited" (The BBC production filmed at one of the Great Houses, was it Blenheim?), and "Wuthering Heights".

susan

"Only You" with Marissa Tomei has some of the best Vencice, Rome and Italian countryside scenery. It's also one of my favourite films. Also Woody Allen's "Everybody Says I Love You" is a love letter to Venice and also has some wonderful Paris scenes. Of course as already mentioned "Summertime" with Katherine Hepburn is wonderful for Venice. "The Man In the Iron Mask" was filmed on location at Vaux-Le-Vicomte about 2 hours south and bit east of Paris. Don't forget "The Sound of Music" with all the great scenery from Salzburg, Austria. <BR>

elaine

beth, it's funny you mentioned "For Your Eyes Only". I saw it just after getting back from Corfu years ago and was thrilled to see footage of places I'd just seen. <BR>And "Brideshead" was filmed (the exteriors, anyway, and at least a couple of interior shots) at Castle Howard in Yorkshire. Castle Howard was supposedly what Waugh based Brideshead castle on. <BR>

Monica Richards

Speaking of Jane Austen novels, nobody mentioned Pride and Prejudice, created for A & E. It's a six hour movie, and one of the best novel conversions I've ever seen. <BR> <BR>About "Wings of the Dove". I was there! I was there! We were in Venice on our honeymoon and saw the filming of the scene where they go to the masquerade ball in the gondola. At the time we didn't know what the movie was or anything, but about a year later we were in a theater and saw the preview for the scene we saw filmed. Imagine our excitement! I wanted to scream out to everyone in the theater that I was there!!

gregoire

Do I need to tell you again that anyone who intends to come to Grenoble, in the Alpes, France, should remember of sending me an email before coming ? My wife can cook for more than 2, you know... <BR>And by the time I know you, you'd get a visa for my father's home, who welcomed every other friend of mine -he lives in Provence right now.

Donna

How could we forget Harrison Ford and the Indiana Jones films. One of the three has scenes in it from Venice that are SO GOOD. Remember when Indy and the girl go into the Library and pound on the "X" marks the spot while the librarian is stamping books? They descend into mass graves, float with the rats, and come up into a courtyard that is filled with cafe tables, umbrellas, nicely dressed people. We went to the courtyard! No people, no trace of where they came to the surface! Oh, Hollywood. <BR> <BR>I'm glad English Patient was mentioned. Excellent Italian scenes as well as sand dune scenes of northern Africa (I think, not sure). <BR> <BR>I didn't know that the Shell Seekers was a movie. I have read the book many times: great for the plane. Who stars in it and when did it come out? Thanks.

dan

"Mission Impossible" for Prague. "April in Paris" and "Madeline" are two more for Paris. I also like "European Vacation," which is a pretty funny movie. "Jefferson in Paris" (about Thomas Jefferson. "Heidi" is pretty good for Switzerland and of course the "Sound of Music" for Austria.

cheryl

Donna- <BR> <BR>The Shell Seekers was a 1989 made-for-TV movie starring Angela Lansbury and Sam Wanamaker. (I didn't know this off the top of my head, in fact I've never seen the movie, I just looked it up).