HOLLYWOOD—So many movies are filmed in Hollywood, but the flirtation between movies and Italy seem to be the romance of the year. You can see the beautiful sights of Rome and Naples in the film “Eat, Pray, Love.” The panoramic views of Tuscany can be see in the film “Letters to Juliet.” You can also get a touch of Milan, in the film “I Am Love” starring Tilda Swinton.
No surprise that movies that are filmed in Italy go back more than a decade. The beauty of the island of Salina off the coast of Sicily can be seen in the film “Il Postino” in 1994. In the 1999 thriller “The Talented Mr. Ripley,” the film is set in Rome, Positano, Naples, Palermo, Venice and Anzio. Again the views are breathtaking, especially in Venice. Let’s not forget the “Star Wars Episode I: Phantom Menace” all set in the city of Caserta, which dates back to the 9th century. In the follow-up to “Phantom Menace” in 2002, again the Star Wars folks headed to Caserta. The scenes were impressive, since they used the Villa del Balbianello overlooking Lake Como.
In “Under the Tuscan Sun” (2003), the Italian settings are simply magnificent. The film includes settings in Tuscany (without a doubt), Florence, Arezzo, Cortona, Positano, Salerno and Montepulciano. The Italian farmhouse that Frances Mayes (Diane Lane) bought was in Cortona, which increased in popularity after the book was published. Lane’s latest film “Secretariat,” which opens on October 8, was filmed mostly in Louisiana and Kentucky.
The spirit of Italy continued until the weekend of September 25, when Little Italy in Manhattan celebrated the feast of San Gennaro. The feast lasted for a week, and it was full of energy and excitement. It is known as the mother of all festivals. The highlight of the festival, besides plenty of delicious Italian food including Zeppoles, was the presence of air-personality Cousin Brucie. The 73-year-old icon of radio is known for his infamous announcement in 1964 when he introduced the Beatles in Shea Stadium. He is currently on Sirius XM radio.
Speaking of films, one of the most-anticipated movies is “The Social Network” starring Justin Timberlake, Jesse Eisenberg and Andrew Garfield. The film is based on Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg, and is buzzing with an Oscar nod. Interestingly enough, a week prior to the release of the movie, Zuckerberg presented the mayor of Newark and the Governor of New Jersey a check for $100 million on the “Oprah Winfrey Show” for the Newark school district. The mayor, who regularly posts on Facebook, had asked for a matching donation; thus, raising a whopping $40 million, as of press time. According to the New York Post Page Six, Mayor Cory Booker charmed Facebook CEO Zuckerberg out of $100 million for his school system when they met back in July at Sun Valley. The film opened on October 1.
Rose’s Scoop: Grammy-winner Taylor Swift, 20, is in Italy for the Milan Fashion Week. She was spotted attending Roberto Cavalli’s spring/summer 2011 runway show on September 27, according to published reports.
