Isthmus, Elbonia and 12 other places you can’t visit

by Scott Carmichael on

Planning your summer vacation destination yet? Here are fourteen destinations you won’t be able to add to your list. Despite being home to 193 different countries, many movies and TV shows steer clear of insulting anyone by basing their stories in fictional locations. Here are some of the best places you can’t visit:

Republic of Isthmus – Home to a gorgeous casino and nasty drug dealer Franz Sanchez in the James Bond movie License to Kill.

Elbonia – Anyone that has read a Dilbert strip knows everything there is to know about Elbonia.

Far Eastern Republic – No – this is not the name of the band behind 2010 hit “Like a G6”, The Far Eastern Republic is from Mission Impossible episode “Commandante”. Mission Impossible is another of those 80’s series that never used real countries for their plot.

Genovia – Good luck finding this fictional nation on any maps of Europe. Genovia is where Mia Thermopolis learns she is the sole heir to the throne in The Princess Diaries.
Gnubia – The MacGuyver writers were clearly afraid to insult any real nations. Almost every single one of their episodes took the master of turning pencil sharpeners into helicopter blades to nothing but fictional nations.

Loompaland – Even though Loompaland is named after its most famous residents, the place is also home to dangerous Snozzwangers, Hornswogglers, Verminous Knids, and wicked Whangdoodles. Yes – this is of course from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.

Fantasy Island – No introduction needed. Can only be reached by “ze plane!!! ze plane!!!”

Ohtar – Goldie Hawn saves the day when she discovers a murder plot against the Emir of Ohtar in 1984 movie Protocol.

Petoria – When Peter Griffin hears that his home on Spooner Street is not actually part of Quohog, he declares his plot “Petoria”. Once he captures the pool in his neighbors house, he names that “Joehio”.

Qumrun – A fictional Middle-Eastern nation regularly used in the fantastic BBC comedy series Yes Minister.

Sahelise Republic – Thankfully, nobody in the real West Wing ever tried to attack this fictional nation.

San Marcos – Showing a real lack of creativity, this fictional country has been used in numerous movies and TV shows like the A-Team, MacGuyver and Bananas (by Woody Allen)

Val Verde – Another popular choice in action movies – it has been used in Commando, Predator and Die Hard 2

Voodoo Island – home to Mr. Big and his weird tarot card reader Solitaire from James Bond movie Live and Left Die

Just Go With It Review: A mid-winter escape to Hawaii, with some Hollywood enhancements

by Don George on

If you’re tired of cold, bitter winter weather, Just Go With It – the new Adam Sandler-Jennifer Aniston film — might be just the antidote. It’s a frothy, fizzy, cocktail-with-a-paper-umbrella kind of warm-hearted comedy set in a lush tropical setting – and who couldn’t use a little of that right now?

The script isn’t Oscar-winning material, but it does what it needs to: A single L.A. plastic surgeon (Sandler) pretends to be unhappily married so he can score with sympathetic women. When he meets a woman he thinks he really might want to marry, he has to prove to her that he’s going to divorce his wife. He coerces his long-suffering single-mother-of-two assistant (Aniston) to play the role of the wife, her kids get thrown into the ruse, and soon everyone ends up at the Grand Wailea resort on Maui bonding as a prelude to ending one marriage and starting another.

If you love Jennifer Aniston and/or Adam Sandler, you’ll probably like this movie. And if you love Hawaii, as I do, you’ll definitely get your aloha fix from the scenes shot on Maui and Kauai. The massive Grand Wailea gets diva treatment, with eye-candy shots of its verdant sprawling grounds, luxurious lobby, sumptuous suites, and enticing pool. There’s also a great extended luau sequence that shows dining on the lawn under the stars, complete with tiki torches and hula dancers. And speaking of hula, one of the best scenes in the film is an indoor hula competition where Jennifer Aniston ends up squaring off against Nicole Kidman. Yes, you read that right: Nicole Kidman, doing the hula. And doing it hip-shakingly, grass-skirt-twirlingly well, I might add.
For me, the highlight of the movie was the scene shot on Kauai, where the motley extended family visits a remote waterfall in an almost impossibly lush setting of trees and ferns, with an idyllic pool at its base. Not only does this provide inspiration for Brooklyn Decker to show off her SI-swimsuit-issue sartorial style, it’s a little visual Valentine to us all: the quintessential piece of Hawaiian paradise.

Of course, paradise doesn’t come naturally. The film’s production notes reveal that while the waterfall was perfect, the set still required some design and decoration. The movie’s production designer, Perry Andelin Blake, explains, “It wasn’t really lush and beautiful, so we brought in plants and flowers. Everything we brought in,” he hastens to add, “was a plant that can exist in this environment.” Because the pool was also too shallow, “the solution,” says Blake, “was to bring in fake rocks to dress a deeper part of the pool.” In fact, Decker’s character lounges on some of these foam rocks after she dives into the pool.

As Blake says, “You don’t find everything you’re looking for in any location. So, we made the jungle more jungle-y, but that’s the way you do it in the movies.”

More jungle-y indeed. In a sense, the Kauai on the big screen is about as real as the love that blossoms on its cinematic shores. But that’s not really the point: In the same way that the main characters’ ultimate discovery of love reminds me of its counterpart in my actual life, so the created Kauai transports me to the dripping, muddy, fern-bright, frangipani-sweet valleys that I return to whenever I can. And since the fare is cheaper than a ticket to Lihue, for now, I’m happy to Just Go With It.

A travel guide to the 2011 Oscar movies

by Meg Nesterov on

The 83rd annual Academy Awards are coming up in a few weeks and the Oscars race is on. This year’s nominations contained few surprises, with many nods for Brit period piece The King’s Speech, Facebook biopic The Social Network, and headtrip Inception. While 2010’s ultimate travel blockbuster Eat, Pray, Love failed to made the cut, there’s still plenty to inspire wanderlust among the Best Picture picks.

Read on for a travel guide to the best movies of 2010 and how to create your own Oscar-worthy trip.

127 Hours – Location: Danny Boyle’s nail-biter was shot on location in Utah’s Blue John Canyon near Moab and on a set in Salt Lake City. Go there: Should you want to explore Moab’s desert and canyons while keeping all limbs intact, check out Moab in fall for bike races and art festivals.



Black Swan – Location: Much of the ballet psychodrama was shot in New York City, though the performances were filmed upstate in Purchase, New York. Go there: To see the real “Swan Lake” on stage at Lincoln Center, you’ll have to hope tickets aren’t sold out for the New York City Ballet, performing this month February 11-26.

The Fighter – Location: in the grand tradition of Oscar winners Good Will Hunting and The Departed, the Mark Wahlberg boxing flick was filmed in Massachusetts, in Micky Ward’s real hometown of Lowell, 30 miles north of Boston. Go there: For a map of locations in Lowell, check out this blog post and perhaps spot Micky Ward at the West End Gym.

Inception – Location: The setting of this film depends on what dream level you’re in. The locations list includes Los Angeles, England, Paris, Japan, even Morocco. Go there: There are plenty of real locations to visit, including University College London and Tangier’s Grand Souk. Canada’s Fortress Mountain Resort where the snow scenes were shot is currently closed, but you can ski nearby in Banff.



The Kids Are All Right – Location: Director Lisa Cholodenko is a big fan of southern California, she also filmed the 2002 Laurel Canyon in Los Angeles. Go there: Love it or hate it, L.A. is still a top travel destination in the US and perhaps this year you can combine with a trip to Vegas, if the X Train gets moving.

The King’s Speech – Location: A prince and a commoner in the wedding of the century. Sound familiar? This historical drama was shot in and around London, though stand-ins were used for Buckingham Palace’s interiors. Go there: It might be hard to recreate the vintage look of the film, but London is full of atmospheric and historic architecture and palaces to visit. If you’re a sucker for English period films or places Colin Firth has graced, tour company P & P Tours can show you around many historic movie locations like Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice.

The Social Network – Location: Another Massachusetts and California movie, this very academic film shot at many college and prep school campuses, but none of them Harvard, which hasn’t allowed film crews in decades. Go there: If you enjoyed the Winklevoss rowing scene, head to England this summer for the Henley Royal Regatta June 29 – July 3.

Toy Story 3 – Location: The latest in the Pixar animated trilogy is set at the Sunnyside Daycare. Go there: Reviews are mixed, but Disney’s Hollywood Studios has a new Pixar parade, to let fans see their favorite characters in “person.” Visit any Disney gift shop to make your own toy story.

True Grit – Location: The Coen brothers western remake may be set in 19th century Arkansas, but it was filmed in modern day Santa Fe, New Mexico and Texas, taking over much of towns like Granger. Go there: If you’re a film purist or big John Wayne fan, you can tour the locations of the original film in Ouray County, Colorado.

Winter’s Bone – Location: Many moviegoers hadn’t heard of this film when nominations were announced, set and shot in the Ozark Mountains in southern Missouri. Go there: The difficult film centers around the effects of methamphetamine on a rural family, but travel destinations don’t get much more wholesome than Branson, Missouri. Bring the family for riverboat shows and the best bathroom in the country.

[Photo by Flickr user Lisa Norman]

Nomading Film Fest seeks travel filmmakers

by Jeremy Kressmann on

Ever wanted to make a movie about your travels? Perhaps you already have? The Nomading Film Festival wants to talk to you. From now through April 2011, this new travel-focused film festival, based in Brooklyn, NY, is accepting submissions from aspiring travel-focused filmmakers everywhere.

The idea behind the Nomading Film Festival is simple. The fest’s creators “believe that stories caught on film, while traveling, are some of the most entertaining, educating, beautiful, and authentic. These are stories which should be shared, acknowledged, and awarded.” Their film festival is the embodiment of this ideal, and they’re striving to get everyone and anyone who likes travel to submit their own entry. Think you lack the movie-making skills to enter? Think again. The philosophy of the Nomading Film Fest is that we are travelers first and filmmakers second. Anyone with a simple point-and-shoot digital camera, Flip or iPhone, a love for travel and some basic editing software is encouraged to enter.

If you’ve ever dreamed of turning that vacation video or backpacking documentary into a reality, here’s your chance. Upload your 15 minutes-or-less video here (along with a nominal entry fee). Selections will be finalized by May next year and the festival will be held June 17th and 18th of 2011 in New York City. Get those cameras rolling!

Indiana Jones exhibit whips up international tour

by Sean McLachlan on

He’s everyone’s favorite fictional archaeologist. Even real archaeologists, once they’re done nitpicking his lack of scientific technique, usually admit that they love the guy. Now Indiana Jones is the subject of a new international exhibition.

Indiana Jones and the Adventure of Archaeology: The Exhibition will open at the Montreal Science Centre on April 28, 2011 to mark the 30th anniversary of the release of the first movie in the series. Tickets are already selling fast.

The exhibition will include clips and memorabilia from the movies, as well as an educational component to show the public that archaeologists don’t generally carry bullwhips and get into fights with evil cults. My own Masters program offered no classes on bullwhip technique, but that lecture I attended on Aztec human sacrifice certainly convinced me that not all religions are created equal. On one excavation I got too close for comfort to a Palestinian viper and nearly had a 3,000 year-old wall fall on me, so it’s not all libraries and dusty museums.

The educational portion of the exhibit is being planned by Frank Hiebert, the Archaeology Fellow for National Geographic. Real archaeological artifacts from Quebec and around the world will be on display and visitors will learn the painstaking processes archaeologists use to piece together the past. It’s not as exciting as being chased over a rope bridge by sword-wielding cultists, but it’s still pretty cool.

Interactive displays will explain some of the myths behind the movies such as the stories of the Ark of the Covenant and the Holy Grail.

Indiana Jones and the Adventure of Archaeology: The Exhibition will run from April 28 to September 18 before going on an international tour. Not all dates and locations are set, so check the official website for updates, and stayed tuned here to Gadling.

[Photo courtesy user Insomniacpuppy via Wikimedia Commons]