GUEST POST OVERVIEW: While traveling, one of my favorite guilty pleasures is tracking down movie filming locations… like the time I visited James Bond Island in Thailand. In this guest post, Steve takes you on a tour of London via filming locations from several famous movies including Harry Potter, the Italian Job, and the James Bond series. Take it away, Steve!
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“The city of London is home to some of the most famous landmarks in the world, many of which feature in some of the best action films ever made. So if you love London, and you’re a fan of fast-paced adrenaline-filled movies, you’re going to have loads of fun checking out the various locations around the city that played host to some of the biggest movies of all time.
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The Long Good Friday – 1980
The British gangster film, The Long Good Friday features some of the most iconic locations in London. Towards the end of the movie, the luxurious Savoy Hotel along The Strand is the location for Harold’s meeting with the American Mafia.
(Savoy Hotel photo by Phoenix Wolf-Ray)
One of the greatest railway stations in the UK – Paddington Station – is also shown in the movie. The amazing architecture of the arches in the station is pretty awe-inspiring and a pleasure for anyone catching a train there every day.
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The Italian Job – 1969
Although it’s called The Italian Job, much of the original version of the movie was actually filmed in and around London. The most famous scene in the movie is undoubtedly the blowing up of the white van that features the classic quote, “You’re only supposed to blow the bloody doors off”.
This takes place nearby the television transmitter mast at Crystal Palace Park. Other locations that feature in the film are Charlie and Lorna’s flat in Notting Hill, and the dentist scene that was shot in Twickenham.
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James Bond – 1962 – 2012
As the home of 007’s headquarters, London features in several James Bond movies. The MI6 building can be found at Vauxhall Cross, and has been seen on screen in GoldenEye, The World is Not Enough and Die Another Day.
The Whitehall building in Westminster is where Bond received his mission in Octopussy, A View to a Kill and Licence to Kill. Meanwhile, in The World is Not Enough there is a famous boat chase scene across the River Thames. Keep your eyes peeled in Skyfall –Bond’s latest movie – for more scenes filmed around the city including Trafalgar Square and Big Ben.
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Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels – 1998
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels helped to put some of the lesser known places in London into the spotlight. One of the gang’s hangouts in the movie, Howard’s End, can be found opposite the famous Borough Market down Park Street.
The cobbled streets and steps that lead to the rundown railway bridge at the bottom of Pedley Street in Shoreditch also feature. The bustling area of Camden also makes an appearance within the Stables Market, just inside the Chalk Farm entrance.
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Harry Potter – 2001 – 2011
Ok, it’s not strictly an action movie (more a thriller perhaps), but there are still lots of action scenes in many of the Harry Potter films that were filmed in London.
No Harry Potter fan can visit London without taking a trip to Platform 9 ¾ at Kings Cross Station. Meanwhile, just next door is the Neo-Gothic façade of St Pancras International that featured the Weasley’s flying car in the Chamber of Secrets.
(Harry Potter at Kings Cross Station photo by John Jones)
The Reptile House at London Zoo is the place where Harry discovers his gift for communicating with snakes in The Philosopher’s Stone, while the Millennium Bridge is seen collapsing at the beginning of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
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If you’re planning on taking a trip to London, make sure you check out the many famous places that have featured in some of the greatest action movies of all time. Visit Hotels4u for the latest hotel deals in the city that are a great base for exploring the capital.”
About the Author: Steve Alexander is a London-based writer who has visited most of Europe on his travels. He enjoys getting off the beaten track and discovering some of the lesser known attractions wherever he goes.
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