Doing a movie tour of a country is a pretty great way to see it, and doing a quick car hire comparison is easy to check out online, then you can do a self-drive tour. For some reason it’s really exciting to know that you’re standing on the spot where stars stood knowing millions of people have watched them. A lot of films have been set in Mexico, or had a part of them that takes place there. Because Mexico borders on the United States at the north of the country, there are many scenes where North Americans are seen crossing the border to escape something they’ve done in the States, or leaving the States to find themselves in Mexico. So why not walk in the steps of the actors from some of the best films that have been shot here?
The Magnificent Seven
The Magnificent Seven is based on the 1954 Japanese film The Seven Samurai, about a group of men who make a decision to protect a village from bandits. It was filmed partly in studios in Mexico and partly in Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico.
Kill Bill Volumes 1 & 2
There are two locations where Kill Bill Vol. 1 was shot in Mexico. The house of Vernita Green (Viveca A Fox) is at 5506 Atlas Street in the city of Pasadena. It’s not far from the hospital where Beatrix Kiddo comes round from a coma, gets into the Pussy Wagon in the car park, stares at her feet and says, in the narration, ‘wiggle your big toe.’ The hospital is no longer used as such but is instead just a film set now. It is St Luke’s Medical Center, 2632 East Washington Boulevard.
In Kill Bill Vol. 2, Beatrix finds Bill on his estate at Costa Cayeres, on the Costa Algere. But you’d be lucky to get a tour of that, as in real life it belongs to the famous couple: Seal and Heidi Klum.
Frida
Frida, although less of a blockbuster, has probably the most interesting film locations to visit. There were three UNESCO World Heritage Sites shot in Mexico; Teotihuacan, Xochimilco and Puebla’s historic town centre, in the scenes where Frida travels to town.
Teotihuacan is an ancient city well known for having the largest pre-Columbian pyramids (in particular, the Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon) as well as large residential areas. It is not known exactly what people lived here but it is thought that the civilisation may have later influenced the Aztecs.
Xochimilco is one of the sixteen boroughs of the Federal District of Mexico City. It is known for its canals, what is left of the larger network that once existed in the Valley of Mexico. It is possible to take gondola and boat rides along the canals.
Puebla is one of Mexico’s most important colonial cities. It is incredibly beautiful, having wonderful multicoloured houses in different architectural styles. It was founded in 1531.
Also filmed was the San Ildefonso National Preparatory School, where the real Frida Khalo was actually a student in 1922.
John Hutchinson has enjoyed travelling since he was a young boy when his parents first took him to visit family overseas. Since leaving home, John has tracked down family all over the world and regularly jets off to faraway lands to see distant relatives.
Image by sebpaquet