 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
North Carolina
A Star-Studded Tour of North Carolina’s Film Trail Admit it. There’s something about celebrity that piques our curiosity. While we may not publicly admit it, most of us have seen “American Idol” and “Dancing with the Stars” at least once. When we round a corner to find movie crews, even the coolest among us are inclined to slow down and crane our necks. And we probably get a wee bit star-struck when our paths cross with a Hollywood A-lister. This fascination with celebrity might explain why so many travelers plan vacations to “silver screen” destinations. Sure, everyone knows about Los Angeles and New York, but did you know that you can also tour movie studios, visit television and movie locations, and work as a background actor in North Carolina? With more than 800 film and television credits, there are thousands of movie locations, many of which are open year-round as businesses. Two of the state’s seven full-service studios are open for public tours: Blue Ridge Motion Pictures in Asheville and EUE/Screen Gems Studios in Wilmington. Many of the same things that attract visitors also appeal to filmmakers: enter North Carolina’s majestic mountains, rolling hills, pine forests, marshlands, expansive beaches, barrier islands, lush farms, scenic lakes and rivers. And let’s not forget cityscapes, urban and suburban settings, plantations, and architecture dating back several centuries. From the Mountains to the Piedmont to the Coast, movie locations exist all across the state in small towns, big cities, rural and remote areas. Whether you are a movie buff, armchair traveler or a mildly curious skeptic, visiting TV and movie locations can be a fun and creative way to explore a destination. This roundup of “starring” attractions will help you plan a North Carolina film junkie excursion. Mountain Region
In Asheville, the Biltmore Estate radiates star quality. The largest private home in America, George Washington Vanderbilt’s historic 250-room mansion boasts more than a dozen television and movie credits. Early screen credits include “Tap Roots” (1948) and “The Swan” (starring Grace Kelly in 1956). Peter Sellers’ “Being There” (1979) used the music room and library. “Mr. Destiny” (1990) and “Hannibal” (2001) also West of Asheville in Dillsboro, the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad (GSMR) is ideal for films with trains. Perhaps the most famous cinematic train wreck is in “The Fugitive” (1993) when the bus transporting Dr. Kimble (Harrison Ford) skids off the road, down an embankment and into the path of a train. The wreckage remains for GSMR passengers to enjoy. Other films made here include “Forces of Nature” (1999) starring Ben Affleck and Sandra Bullock; “Digging to China” (1998) starring Kevin Bacon and Raleigh native Evan Rachel Wood; and “My Fellow Americans” (1996) starring James Garner and Jack Lemmon. Since the film debuted in 1992, thousands of fans of “The Last of the Mohicans” have made the pilgrimage to Chimney Rock Park. Admission into Chimney Rock Park includes a map to locations used in the film. Make sure to bring a sturdy pair of hiking boots to negotiate the Skyline Trail and Cliff Trail. Atop Chimney Rock is where Hawkeye (Daniel Day-Lewis) and Magua (Wes Studi) address the Huron chief. Another key location is Hickory Nut Falls, the backdrop for several violent scenes, including the film’s climactic battle. Just a few miles from Chimney Rock, Lake Lure is among National Geographic’s “Ten Most Spectacular Man-Made Lakes.” Its claim to Hollywood fame is the film “Dirty Dancing” (1987). Fans of the movie still travel to Lake Lure in hopes of recognizing scenery from the dance classic. While none of the “Dirty Dancing” buildings remain, Lake Lure Tours brings it back to life sharing locations, familiar scenery and insider stories. To gaze upon the film’s dance floor, visit the lobby of the Esmeralda Inn, located at nearby Chimney Rock. Other films made at Lake Lure include “A Breed Apart” (1984) and Stephen King’s “Firestarter” (1984). Breathtakingly beautiful, the Blue Ridge Parkway is cinematic from every angle. The Parkway appears briefly in “Forrest Gump” during Forrest’s run across America, filmed near Daughton Park. The Moses Cone Manor at Milepost 294 served as the Georgia Pines nursing home in another Tom Hanks vehicle, “The Green Mile” (1999). The film “Cold Mountain” (2003), based on the novel written by Asheville-born Charles Frazier, included aerial shots of the real Cold Mountain, a Parkway highlight. Piedmont Charlotte, known primarily for banking and motor sports, is North Carolina’s largest city. Uptown Charlotte is a hub for the arts, museums, shopping, dining and nightlife. While the movie “Nell” (1994) filmed mostly in the mountains, the Days Inn-Central in Uptown Charlotte is where Nell (Jodie Foster) and Dr. Lovell (Liam Neeson) hide out in room 221. When the Farrelly Brothers brought the comedy “Shallow Hal” (2001) to Charlotte, they filmed extensively in Uptown Charlotte at places like the Bank of America Building & Plaza, which was the JPS Building where Hal (Jack Black) works. The corporate landmark can also be seen in the basketball comedy “Juwanna Mann” (2002) and the CBS movie “Shake, Rattle & Roll: An American Love Story” (1999). Other “Shallow Hal” locations in Uptown Charlotte include the Capital Grille, in the scene where Rosemary (Gwyneth Paltrow) and her parents surprise Hal on a dinner date. St. Peter’s Episcopal Church is another landmark to look for in the scene where Hal asks a pretty lady for her number. In Concord, just outside Charlotte, Lowe’s Motor Speedway is a location that has revved its way onto the big screen in racecar films, beginning with Elvis Presley’s romantic comedy “Speedway” in 1968. More recently Will Ferrell’s light-hearted “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby” (2006) sped its way into theaters. Between those two blockbusters were other motor sport flicks, such as Burt Reynolds’ “Stroker Ace” (1983) and Tom Cruise’s “Days of Thunder” (1990). Add nearly every NASCAR television special and documentary, and Lowe’s Motor Speedway has a long list of stock car credits. Winston-Salem, “City of the Arts,” lives up to its moniker with a lively performing and visual arts scene, the North Carolina School of the Arts, and a handful of film credits. In 2007, George Clooney, Renée Zellweger and John Krasinski caused quite a stir when they were in town for “Leatherheads” (2008), a romantic football comedy written by Greensboro native Duncan Brantley. Using the Winston-Salem Marriott as its headquarters hotel, the cast and crew used locations in Winston-Salem (W-S City Hall, Millennium Center, Reynolds Building), as well as in nearby Statesville (Vance Hotel, Old City Hall), Spencer (NC Transportation Museum), Salisbury (Salisbury Railway Passenger Station, St. Matthews Lutheran Church), Tobaccoville, Charlotte (American Legion Memorial Stadium), and Greensboro (War Memorial Stadium). Other productions such as “Mr. Destiny” (1990) starring Jim Belushi and Michael Caine, and “The Bedroom Window” (1987) starring Steve Guttenberg, filmed at the Stevens Center for Performing Arts in Downtown Winston-Salem. For 18th- and 19th-century period pieces, you will not find a better set than Old Salem. Not only is the Moravian village where the History Channel’s “Founding Fathers,” NBC’s “The Lottery” and CBS’s “Taking Liberty” were filmed, but it’s also among the state’s most extraordinary educational attractions. Greensboro’s World War Memorial Stadium, among the nation’s oldest ballparks still in use, claims two romantic comedies starring two of Hollywood’s hottest hunks. In 1988, director Ron Shelton and producer Thom Mount (a Durham native) used the venerable stadium in the now-classic “Bull Durham” (1988) starring Kevin Costner, Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon. Twenty years later, director George Clooney chose it as a location for “Leatherheads” (2008). About an hour south along I-85, Durham is home to the internationally renowned Full Frame Documentary Film Festival. Durham’s numerous film credits include the iconic baseball film “Bull Durham,” named the No. 1 sports movie by Sports Illustrated. While the Bulls minor league team now plays at a new stadium, the movie was filmed at the Historic Durham Athletic Park. Another busy film location in Durham is Duke University, where scenes from the films “I Know What You Did Last Summer” (1997), “Kiss the Girls” (1997), “Billy Bathgate” (1991), “The Handmaid’s Tale” (1990), “Weeds” (1987) and “Brainstorm” (1983), starring Christopher Walken and the late Natalie Wood. Coast An ancient pecan tree beckons from the side lawn of Buckner Hill Plantation, on the National Register of Historic Places. Fans of the “Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood” (2002) should make the pilgrimage to Faison, N.C., to visit the Ya-Ya’s beloved “Pecan Grove.” Nearly every room and porch of the grand house and every lawn appear in the film. Guided tours, available by appointment only, provide details about the historic home’s rich history and architecture. Upon request, owners include stories about “Ya-Ya” stars Ellen Burstyn, Ashley Judd, James Garner, and the scenes that made the house famous. Southport’s timeless waterfront enchants filmmakers with historic homes, outdoor cafes, art galleries, antique shops, and vistas of distant lighthouses and barrier islands. The town’s first big feature film was the Sissy Spacek/Diane Keaton/Jessica Lange ensemble movie “Crimes of the Heart” (1986). The historic Northrup House on Caswell Avenue (a private residence) was the Magrath house. Just a block over, a home on Lord Street was Ben Matlock’s (Andy Griffith) residence in “Matlock” (ABC, 1993-1995). Oprah Winfrey’s “The Wedding” (1998), starring Halle Berry, used the Brunswick Inn on Bay Street. The WB’s “Dawson’s Creek” (1998-2003) filmed along the waterfront to create Capeside, a quaint bayside town. The Old Smithville Burial Ground appears in “A Walk to Remember” (2002), a screenplay adaptation of New Bern, N.C. resident Nicholas Sparks’ best-selling novel, and the Old Brunswick County Jail appears in “Crimes of the Heart.” Fans of “Dawson’s Creek” should visit The Shrimp House, which appears in the show’s early seasons and in the teen thriller “I Know What You Did Last Summer.” With more than 40 film and TV credits, Orton Plantation is always ready for a close-up. In the early 1980s, the late Frank Capra, Jr. found a picture of Orton’s striking plantation home on the cover of Southern Accents magazine. He showed it to Dino De Laurentiis and the rest is history. The house was exactly what De Laurentiis needed for the CIA headquarters in Stephen King’s “Firestarter.” The manicured lawn is the setting for the Cajun party in “Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood.” Loula’s Chapel is where the wedding took place in “A Walk to Remember.” Last, but not least is Wilmington and North Carolina’s Cape Fear Coast, a historic port city with hundreds of film/TV credits and enough locations to fill several days. Every self-respecting film junkie should take a guided tour of EUE/Screen Gems Studios (only available on Saturdays and Sundays from May to Sept.), a real working studio — not a theme park. What you see depends on what is in production. Recent productions include “One Tree Hill,” “Nights in Rodanthe” (2008); “Bolden!” (2008) and “The Secret Life of Bees” (2009). Next, take the Hollywood Location Walk, a guided tour of Downtown Wilmington’s movie locations. Check out the Riverwalk, as seen in “A Walk to Remember,” “Matlock,” “Whittaker Bay” (2008), “One Tree Hill,” and more. Dine at Water Street Restaurant, which doubled as Leery’s Fresh Fish in “Dawson’s Creek.” The Graystone Inn, a bed-and-breakfast popular with celebrities, will provide guests with a list of its TV/movie credits. A great photo op exists at the Carolina Apartments building, a brownstone at 5th and Market streets. If it looks familiar, it is. Notable credits include the Deep River Apartments in “Blue Velvet” (1986) and the infamous window in “The Bedroom Window.” Another Wilmington park with a long list of credits is Airlie Gardens. The post-Victorian gardens and lakes provide romantic backdrops for “Dawson’s Creek” and “Whittaker Bay.” Wooded areas appear in “Black Knight” (2001), “28 Days” (2000) and “King Kong Lives” (1986). Nearby, Wrightsville Beach’s north end is where the temporary facade for the “Sleeping with the Enemy” (1991) house stood. On Pleasure Island, check out the Carolina Beach Boardwalk, where scenes from “Matlock,” “Dawson’s Creek,” “The Bedroom Window” and “Silver Bullet” (1985) filmed. Near Kure Beach, the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher appears as the New England Aquarium, in “Dawson’s Creek” and in the NBC series “Surface” (2005) as the aquarium, where Miles works as an intern to be close to his unusual pet. Other credits include “The Bedroom Window,” “Weekend at Bernie’s” (1989), and documentaries about the legendary Fort Fisher Hermit. These are but a few of North Carolina’s starring attractions that are always ready for a close-up. Best of all, it only takes a few hours to drive to these locations. Hooray for “Hollywood East!” PN
|
 |
 |
 |
Hooray for ‘Hollywood East’
filmed in the library. “Richie Rich” (1994) shot scenes in the tapestry gallery and billiard room. Biltmore’s grounds cover 8,000 acres that appear in “The Last of the Mohicans” (1992), Academy Award Best Picture “Forrest Gump” (1994), “My Fellow Americans” (1996) and “Patch Adams” (1998). Elsewhere in Asheville, you can grab a quick bite at Hot Dog King, a downtown eatery seen in “Hannibal.” On Saturdays, you can tour Blue Ridge Motion Pictures’ four soundstages.