The Moviefone Blog

Famous Movie Locations: Kellerman's Resort from 'Dirty Dancing' (Pembroke, Virginia)

Michael D. Ayers — 2010-04-09T12:30:00+00:00

In 1987, the low-budget release 'Dirty Dancing' came out of nowhere, becoming a massive box office hit and the gold standard for musically-themed romance movies. Set in 1963, the film follows 17-year-old Frances "Baby" Houseman (Jennifer Grey) as she vacations with her parents at Kellerman's Resort in the Catskill Mountains of New York. Bored and looking for something to do, Baby discovers that the resort's dance instructor, Johnny Castle (Patrick Swayze) has an off-hours habit of dancing ... dirty. Baby soon finds herself entangled in Castle's world, much to the chagrin of her disapproving father, leading to the film's famous climax, where Johnny and Baby dance to Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes' 'I've Had The Time of My Life.' In 1987, the low-budget release 'Dirty Dancing' came out of nowhere, becoming a massive box office hit and the gold standard for musically-themed romance movies. Set in 1963, the film follows 17-year-old Frances "Baby" Houseman (Jennifer Grey) as she vacations with her parents at Kellerman's Resort in the Catskill Mountains of New York. Bored and looking for something to do, Baby discovers that the resort's dance instructor, Johnny Castle (Patrick Swayze) has an off-hours habit of dancing ... dirty. Baby soon finds herself entangled in Castle's world, much to the chagrin of her disapproving father, leading to the film's famous climax, where Johnny and Baby dance to Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes' 'I've Had The Time of My Life.'

Location as Character: The film wasn't shot in New York; it was filmed at Mountain Lake Resort in Southwest Virginia. While they traded the Catskills for the Appalachian Mountains, the film's setting needed to provide two key elements: a feeling of isolation, where the characters are forced to interact with each other because of this, as well as a retro feel to the establishment. Mountain Lake Resort was built out of an antiquated stone, with a pronounced red roof, creating a more authentic '60s feel.

Historical Significance: While the location might have appealed to budget-conscious director Emile Ardolino, they shot the film over 44 days during the tail end of summer -- and in this part of Virginia at this time of year, the weather can be a bit unpredictable. The cast was plagued with 105-degree days at the beginning, but autumn quickly rolled in, thus making the leaves change colors. Set designers had to spray paint tree leaves green to keep with the short, summer time frame the film depicted. It was also chilly during the filming of Baby and Johnny's famous dip in the lake scene; it was actually shot in October, so Swayze and Grey had to appear like they were enjoying a summer romp in a lake, when in reality they were suffering brisk temperatures.

Fun Fact: Mountain Lake Resort doesn't shy away from its 'Dirty Dancing' affiliation. Each year, they host several 'Dirty Dancing' weekends, where you dine in the Hotel Dining room, get dance lessons, enjoy a barn dance and have the opportunity to beat other 'Dirty Dancing' enthusiasts at trivia.

Directions: Should you want to try your hand at dancing dirty, the closest airport to Pembroke, Virginia, is Roanoke Regional Airport, which is about 75-minute drive. From there, drive south on Interstate 81, take exit 118 B, towards Blacksburg/Virginia Tech. Follow US460 for 18 miles to Route 700, Mountain Lake Road. Mountain Lake is a winding 7 miles down.

Visitor's Info: Mountain Lake Resort is open year-round, with plenty of outdoor activities available, including paddle boat, whitewater rafting and golf, and is situated on the Appalachian Trail-perfect for avid hikers.

'Season of the Witch' Trailer: Nic Cage Gets Medieval (VIDEO)

Michael D. Ayers — 2009-11-30T15:15:00+00:00

Are you into hell, people that look like birds and Nicolas Cage? Good news! Lionsgate has released the trailer for 'Season of the Witch,' a supernatural thriller that pits Cage against one of humanity's most evil foes -- the black plague. And let's not forget witches.

Cage plays Lavey, a crusader who's called upon to transport an accused black witch (Claire Foy) to a group of monks who will then perform an exorcism of sorts that should restore everything to a plague-free society. 'Hellboy' alum Ron Perlman co-stars as Felson, Cage's crusader buddy. Are you into hell, people that look like birds and Nicolas Cage? Good news! Lionsgate has released the trailer for 'Season of the Witch,' a supernatural thriller that pits Cage against one of humanity's most evil foes -- the black plague. And let's not forget witches.

Cage plays Lavey, a crusader who's called upon to transport an accused black witch (Claire Foy) to a group of monks who will then perform an exorcism of sorts that should restore everything to a plague-free society. 'Hellboy' alum Ron Perlman co-stars as Felson, Cage's crusader buddy.

While it would be easy to speculate that the black witch has been falsely accused, from the looks of this trailer she seems to be a solid face of evil. Attacking wolves, pentagrams and the ability to turn iron cages into hot rods makes this one tough journey for Cage and Perlman. As far as quests involving the eradication of evil witches go, this looks decent enough. But some questionable dialogue already shows up -- when asked, "How many more are going to die?" Cage stoically replies, "None, if I can help it." A sign of a true warrior. And possible cheese.

Cage has been in the news recently for his financial woes but is receiving critical acclaim for his portrayal of Terrence McDonagh in 'Bad Lietenant: Port of Call New Orleans.' Will 'Season of the Witch' be the film that digs him out of the money pit? Not likely. The 2010 release of Disney's 'The Sorcerer's Apprentice' will probably be his next big box office cash cow -- and if that doesn't work, there's always 'National Treasure 3' to fall back on. Which we strongly suggest he sign onto.

'Season of the Witch' is out March 19, 2010.

'Late Night' Writer and Hold Steady Singer to Adapt Chuck Klosterman Memoir

Michael D. Ayers — 2009-10-23T10:18:00+00:00

Get ready to rock, Fargo-style. The Hollywood Reporter's Risky Business blog reports that pop-culture writer Chuck Klosterman's debut memoir 'Fargo Rock City' is being adapted for the big screen by 'Late Show with David Letterman' scribe Tom Ruprecht and lead singer of the Hold Steady, Craig Finn. Klosterman will join the pair for production duties, which will mark his and Finn's transition into the film worlds. Get ready to rock, Fargo-style. The Hollywood Reporter's Risky Business blog reports that pop-culture writer Chuck Klosterman's debut memoir 'Fargo Rock City' is being adapted for the big screen by 'Late Show with David Letterman' scribe Tom Ruprecht and lead singer of the Hold Steady, Craig Finn. Klosterman will join the pair for production duties, which will mark his and Finn's transition into the film worlds.

The memoir is a funny coming of age story detailing Klosterman's youth spent in rural North Dakota, where solace was found in the discovery and subsequent love of heavy metal music. While Finn's Hold Steady is not a metal act, he was raised in a Minneapolis suburb of Edina -- many of his lyrics are narrative-driven, with themes of religion, drugs and sex weaved throughout.

Ruprecht's work outside of 'Letterman' includes contributions to the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, as well as the 2007 publication of 'George W. Bush: An Unauthorized Oral History,' a fake account of the president's life.

The film version of 'Fargo Rock City' will focus on a group of geeky high school seniors prepping to graduate and find their way with women. Finn tells the Hollywood Reporter that the focus isn't as much about music as it is about growing up. "Seventeen or eighteen is the perfect age for characters in a movie like this, because it's at that age that you have driver's licenses and a certain amount of independence, but you're still young enough that you can totally make terrible decisions," Finn said. "And you're still young enough that you can have a two-hour argument over whether Motley Crue would beat Guns 'N Roses in a fight."

Ruprecht and Finn will seek financing once the first draft is done.

What's on the 'Where the Wild Things Are' Soundtrack?

Michael D. Ayers — 2009-10-16T17:00:00+00:00

For last several weeks, the 'Where the Wild Things Are' trailer has been on fire -- literally, with its evocative use of the song 'Wake Up' from Canadian ensemble-rock act Arcade Fire. But don't expect to find it on the soundtrack. Instead, filmmaker Spike Jonze enlisted the talents of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs frontwoman Karen O to compose and perform original songs for the film. For last several weeks, the 'Where the Wild Things Are' trailer has been on fire -- literally, with its evocative use of the song 'Wake Up' from Canadian ensemble-rock act Arcade Fire. But don't expect to find it on the soundtrack. Instead, filmmaker Spike Jonze enlisted the talents of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs frontwoman Karen O to compose and perform original songs for the film.

For the unfamiliar, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs are a high energy art-rock trio that have amassed quite a following over the years; on stage, O is charming and charismatic, and at the same time a hyper mess of brashness. O and Jonze dated several years back, but that's probably not why she landed this gig. She has a carefree, childlike quality about her and loves to play dress-up. Her costumes alone scream "wild."

The 'Where the Wild Things' soundtrack itself echoes these sentiments, too. Like Kimya Dawson's music for 'Juno,' O's compositions are sparse at times, as on 'Capsize' and 'Rumpus Reprise.' But there's more of a variety here than just some stripped-down ditties. The song 'Animal' seems like a straightforward instrumental, but morphs into a dark chaos, with dialogue samples interspersed. Pop ballads such as 'Heads Up' and 'All Is Love' sound like a choir of kids are singing along -- and to a degree, they are.

The band on the album is billed as Karen O and the Kids, with the kids being a collection of musicians from indie acts such as the Raconteurs, Liars, Deerhunter, and the Dead Weather. O also slips in 'Worried Shoes,' a cover of the song by enigmatic songwriter Daniel Johnston, and steps aside for one song, 'Lost Fur,' where Carter Burwell -- who provided the score for Jonze's 'Being John Malkovich' and 'Adaptation' -- takes over.

Essentially, this is kids' music disguised as music for grown-ups, and works on both levels. The hooks are simple, yet catchy, but the sequencing follows the storyline. O and her kids have constructed a rudimentary, musical version of the narrative that will serve well as you replay the movie's scenes over in your head.

'Where the Wild Things Are' Track List:

'Igloo' - Karen O and the Kids
'All Is Love' - Karen O and the Kids
'Capsize' - Karen O and the Kids
'Worried Shoes' - Karen O and the Kids
'Rumpus' - Karen O and the Kids
'Rumpus Reprise' - Karen O and the Kids
'Hideaway' - Karen O and the Kids
'Cliffs' - Karen O and the Kids
'Animal' - Karen O and the Kids
'Lost Fur' - Carter Burwell
'Heads Up' - Karen O and the Kids
'Building All Is Love' - Karen O and the Kids
'Food Is Still Hot' - Karen O and the Kids
'Sailing Home' - Karen O and the Kids

'Where the Wild Things Are' Trailer Featuring Arcade Fire's 'Wake Up'

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