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Movie Set Travel / Brad Pitt / Cate Blanchett / → All Tags

The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button

It was a long time in the making--decades some say--but Brad Pitt's "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" hits theaters tomorrow, just in time for awards season--and to challenge Tom Cruise's "Valkyrie" at the box office.

Pitt plays the title character, taken from an F. Scott Fitzgerald story about a man who ages backwards. The film follows his life from his birth in New Orleans in 1918 to the eve of Hurricane Katrina. Along the way, he falls in love with a ballerina (Cate Blanchett) and has a fling with a mysterious woman (Tilda Swinton) in Russia.

Directed by David Fincher ("Fight Club" and "Zodiac"), the film is getting good reviews for its light-handed use of computer effects and its epic story. We're of course more interested in its portrayal of New Orleans, Pitt's temporary hometown during filming and home to a number of curiosities:

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Movie Set Travel / Harrison Ford / Indiana Jones / Shia LaBoeuf / Cate Blanchett / → All Tags

Movie Set Travel: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Finally! Our favorite archaeologist/adventurer Dr. Henry "Indiana" Jones returns! This week's pick is definitely one of the best ways to ring in Memorial Day weekend. "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" opens nationwide today and we are hearing it's got the same cool stunts and cinematography as the previous versions of the series we've come to know and love. (Even if some critics were less than impressed.)

This time a crystal skull (obviously) was stolen from a lost city in the Amazon guarded by the living dead. Whoever returns the skull gains control of the lost city. Cate Blanchett nails her role as Russian operative Agent Irina Spalko and teen heartthrob Shia LeBeouf holds his own with Harrison Ford.

As this one was shot all over the US, we've picked some of the highlight spots for you to have your own Indy-style adventure:

Where To Get Briefed: Peabody Museum, Yale University Yes, in the movies, Indy's at "Marshall College," but really it's Yale U in New Haven. Make like Dr. Jones and take in the institution's Peabody Museum which "advances understanding of the earth's history, life and cultures." Families can enjoy Science Saturdays for their mini-Indy's. Make sure you bring your safari outfit.

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Celeb Travel / Cate Blanchett / Indiana Jones IV / Cannes Film Festival / Airport Photo Shoots / LHR / → All Tags

Airport Photo Shoot: Cate's Precious Cargo

Sometimes, you really only need one carry-on--or someone in the background to carry your other luggage. Cate Blanchett arrived at Heathrow earlier this week to travel to the Cannes Film Festival with her one-month old son Ignatius in a baby harness.

With her all-black ensemble, Cate has nothing to fear should her wee baby need burping. Just wipe it off! She later donned a not-so-spill-resistant Armani Prive gown for the Cannes premiere of "Blindness." Her movie "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" screened at the fest on May 18.

Related Stories:
· Indiana Jones IV Trailer Travel [Jaunted]
· Post-Oscars Travel: There Will Be Partying [Jaunted]
· Airport Photo Shoots coverage [Jaunted]
· Celeb Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: GossipGirls.com]

Movie Set Travel / George Clooney / Cate Blanchett / → All Tags

Movie Set Travel: George Clooney in The Good German

George Clooney is back today (does the man ever sleep?) posing as a journalist in post-war Berlin in The Good German. Clooney is covering the Potsdam Conference and gets involved with a murder investigation in which his former mistress (Cate Blanchett) and driver are already entangled.

Already we're hearing good things about this one: be sure to be mesmerized, if not by George, then by Tobey McGuire, who also has a role. The film opens nationwide today after a previous limited release.

As this whole thing was (yawn!) filmed in LA, we offer you some fun things to do in the real Berlin.

Where to Stay:
Art Hotel Charlottenburger
Located in West Berlin, this hotel's not the lap of luxury, but extremely clean and sensibly designed. Bright rooms are the epitome of modernism with prints by Kandinsky, Mondrian, and Miro and come with a computer with high-speed DSL. Not bad. Through March they offer early booking specials with good discounts.

Where to Eat:
Dressler
Run on over to Unter den Linden and check out this "arts conscious" bistro modeled after pre-war Berlin. Think decadence (turbot with champagne vinaigrette, pheasant breast with Riesling sauce), sink into the leather banquettes, and order big.

What to See:
Reichstag
One of the city's greatest landmarks, the Reichstag is home to the German parliament and was built in the late 1800s. Don't miss a walk to the top of its scenic glass dome, just refurbished completely in 1999.

[Photo: Rotten Tomatoes]