Where Movies Are Made

I recently saw the latest "Rise of the Planet of the Apes," and was impressed first of all by the animation but second by the beautiful San Francisco setting. Over the summer I visited San Fran and had my fair share of sightseeing, tours, and adventure. So, when I sat in the movie theater, I couldn't help but nudge my neighbor and tell him all about the places shown in the movie. I knew facts about the Golden Gate Bridge and could remember standing under the same massive trees of Muir Woods. My personal experiences made the movie that much better. This had me thinking about other movies set in popular travel destinations. How about our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man? Set in New York City, this trilogy features countless landmarks and sites that a regular city-goer could point out easily. In the first Spider-Man, Uncle Ben is killed just outside of The New York Public Library, then later in Spider-Man 3, Mary Jane and Spider-Man share a scene on the little bridge in Central Park. But the one New York City location seen over and over again is the Empire State Building. Spider-Man, the mighty King Kong, and Giselle from Enchanted all fight glorious climactic battles on this cultural icon. I did some research and it turns out New York City even has a tour centered solely around sites from popular TV shows and Movies. You get to check out the brownstone used in I Am Legend and visit The Original Soup Man from Seinfeld. From the point of view of a dedicated movie buff, this tour couldn't be any more appealing. A little costly at $38, but with entertainment for over three hours long and the ratings racking up 4.5 stars, it's definitely worth it. So, next time you sit down to watch a good movie, pay attention to the setting because you never know when you might find yourself standing outside Peter Parker's apartment!
Ellen Studer
BestWeekends.com