Ten walking tours let you be the star on the greatest movie set in the world. From Truffaut and Godard to Hanks and Hepburn, Paris has been a magnet for filmmakers and movie stars, whose careers don't seem complete unless they've made at least one film in the world's most romantic location. Now see it from a whole new angle through the lenses of famous directors. Four walks take you past all of Paris's famous sites while telling which stars walked these same streets before you and where they paused to kiss or kill. Four more explore hidden nooks that tourists often overlook, and two offer a taste of the Old Paris of '30s and '40s film classics. In addition, a Further Afield chapter features locations that allow you to explore some of Paris's flea markets, green spaces, suburbs, and other areas of interest to visitors and moviemakers. Along the way, the author provides commentary to enrich your appreciation of what you're seeing as you sip a glass of wine or enjoy a coffee at a sidewalk cafe. Each walk starts and ends at a Metro stop for easy access from wherever you may be staying in the City of Light. Maps make it easy to follow the routes, and a film index guides you to the locations used in 160 films, ranging from The Bourne Identity, The Da Vinci Code, and The Devil Wears Prada to oldies but goodies like Charade and Sabrina and such French New Wave classics as Breathless and The 400 Blows. A fresh, fun, low-cost way to explore Paris-for the first time or the fiftieth.
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Editorial Reviews
Review
A definite gem for any film buff thinking of a trip to the City of Light. --Tassoula E. Kokkoris, Cinebanter, July 5, 2009
A fresh, fun, low-cost way to explore Paris. --Turner Classic Movies, Movie News column, TCM.com, September 2009
A terrific and most original book with ten walks in different arrondissements that feature Paris movie locations. --Richard Nahem, I Prefer Paris, July 8, 2009
A valuable book for the movie lover traveling to Paris, or...the person who just wants to find interesting walks. --Vera Marie Badertscher, A Traveler's Library, August 17, 2009
An informative and entertaining read...[it] gives regular historical and cultural asides....Like going on a walk with the [author]. --Adam Roberts, Invisible Paris, June 5, 2009
Educates, informs, and entertains...It's a good set of walks....Useful recommendations on cafés, restaurants, and nightlife round it out. --Andrew Robertson, Eye for Film, July 2009
Enough points of interest...[to] make me determined to pack this book on my next trip to this beautifully photogenic city --Marilyn Ferdinand, Ferdy on Films, July 14, 2009
French film buffs will LOVE this book--and so will everyone else who has any interest in the city of Paris. --France on Your Own Newsletter, August 2009
Fun and helpful book. --Monique Buensalido, The Philippine Star, July 31, 2009
Impressively extensive guide to Parisian movie settings... You'll walk in the steps of some of your favorite actors... [and] see the sights of Paris. --Kristin Dreyer Kramer, Nights and Weekends.com, February 2, 2010
It's a wonderfully unique travel guide that will easily fit into your carry-on bag. --Jen Johans, Film Intuition, LLC, August 3, 2009
On aime le guide Paris Movie Walks. --Famous Québec, Juillet 2009
This excellent guide to some of the most celebrated Parisian-set movies is a delightful way to see Paris through cinematic eyes. --June Sawyers, The Resourceful Traveler, Chicago Tribune, January 10, 2010
Unlike many a movie travel book, this one feels like a vacation many of us might actually want to take. --Roger Moore, OrlandoSentinel.com, May 30, 2009
A fresh, fun, low-cost way to explore Paris. --Turner Classic Movies, Movie News column, TCM.com, September 2009
A terrific and most original book with ten walks in different arrondissements that feature Paris movie locations. --Richard Nahem, I Prefer Paris, July 8, 2009
A valuable book for the movie lover traveling to Paris, or...the person who just wants to find interesting walks. --Vera Marie Badertscher, A Traveler's Library, August 17, 2009
An informative and entertaining read...[it] gives regular historical and cultural asides....Like going on a walk with the [author]. --Adam Roberts, Invisible Paris, June 5, 2009
Educates, informs, and entertains...It's a good set of walks....Useful recommendations on cafés, restaurants, and nightlife round it out. --Andrew Robertson, Eye for Film, July 2009
Enough points of interest...[to] make me determined to pack this book on my next trip to this beautifully photogenic city --Marilyn Ferdinand, Ferdy on Films, July 14, 2009
French film buffs will LOVE this book--and so will everyone else who has any interest in the city of Paris. --France on Your Own Newsletter, August 2009
Fun and helpful book. --Monique Buensalido, The Philippine Star, July 31, 2009
Impressively extensive guide to Parisian movie settings... You'll walk in the steps of some of your favorite actors... [and] see the sights of Paris. --Kristin Dreyer Kramer, Nights and Weekends.com, February 2, 2010
It's a wonderfully unique travel guide that will easily fit into your carry-on bag. --Jen Johans, Film Intuition, LLC, August 3, 2009
On aime le guide Paris Movie Walks. --Famous Québec, Juillet 2009
This excellent guide to some of the most celebrated Parisian-set movies is a delightful way to see Paris through cinematic eyes. --June Sawyers, The Resourceful Traveler, Chicago Tribune, January 10, 2010
Unlike many a movie travel book, this one feels like a vacation many of us might actually want to take. --Roger Moore, OrlandoSentinel.com, May 30, 2009
From the Author
Paris has probably been explored and mapped more thoroughly than any other city on the globe. Yet it is full of "hidden" sights: street corners, cafés, and urban beauty spots where famous movie scenes were shot. Though often unremarkable in themselves, these sights have given many of us our first idea of the look and feel of the real city. And in the process, they have made us eager to follow Jason Bourne, Amélie, and hosts of other favorite characters to see the sights for ourselves.
The walks in this book let you follow in their footsteps. On the way, you'll also learn a few things about the sights and the city itself--occasionally even about modern French life and culture in more general terms. But I can promise you one thing: there will be no endless lists of French monarchs and their annoying mistresses. Instead, you'll find ten walks, divided into the three categories mentioned above in the product description, along with a chapter that takes you a bit further afield to street markets, green spaces, and the like. My hope is that they will give you the opportunity to experience the sights, the sounds, and the smells of the city, and to feel its buzz. As someone who knew a lot more about Paris than I once said: "Paris is a moveable feast." Enjoy!
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
By bookprincess
Format:Paperback
I have wanted to go to Paris my whole life. My dream came true last year. My first trip to Paris was upon me. I was anxious to see all of the places I had seen in the movies: Charade, DaVinci Code, Funny Face, Sabrina (both of them), The Bourne Identity, etc. I looked through each and every tour guide I could find. Some of them gave little tips here and there and usually on only the very popular movies. As a result, I ended up creating my own movie-walk guide, which worked well about 20% of the time.
Enter Paris Movie Walks: Ten Guided Tours Through the City of Lights! Camera! Action!. If you do not know this yet about Paris, it is a city best seen on foot. And for anyone who wishes to retrace all of the scenes of your favorite movies, this is the perfect guide for several reasons:
1)The book is divided into 10 different, easy to reference walks, allowing you to simply open up to a section and begin your walk. It can be done in order, but by no means has to be (it also includes a 'Further Afield' section that covers areas of interest that are not part of any walk in particular, but may be of interest to the reader).
2)Each walk contains the all-important metro directions for both the start and end of each walk (a metro map is also included in the back of the book, though not in color),along with a map showing the walking route and the metro locations (the importance of both of these is not to be underestimated). I took a moment to highlight the different metro routes in different colors for quick reference purposes.
3)The book will not leave you on your own to guess what took place in which film. It will guide you step by step (literally), and then tell you about the spot you are standing on. For example, "Walk to the bottom of the stairs, turn right....this is where Amelie (from the film of the same name)does her shopping....". The book reads well overall, making each walk interesting and engaging, not dry in the least.
4)Not just the trendy movies are highlighted in this book. Also highlighted are the not too well-known/well-received movies(How surprised I was to see the not so great remake 'The Truth About Charlie' alongside the exceptional original Charade). The author really did his homework here.
5)The well-organized index allows you to simply do a quick reference in the back of the book for your favorite movie (all movies are bolded in black).
6)Probably most importantly, this book is lite to carry, and will fit easily in your daypack. It will not weigh you down as many of the Paris tour books tend to do. I took 3 last summer and each day had to decide which was the lucky one that got to come with me. They were all heavy, and together were unmanageable. This is the book I will be taking this summer and it will be the only book I need.
A couple of things that did not impress me about the book (and I do mean only a couple):
1)The author included a "What to Watch Before You Come" section. I found it rather anemic. It almost reads and looks like an afterthought. The book is good enough without it, so I don't see it necessary at all, but if the author is going to include a section like this, a greater effort should be put into it.
2) While the metro information is useful and necessary, I found the 'dining tips' awkward and unusual in a book about Paris Walks. I understand the author is only trying to helpful, and we all do have to eat, but I found the page and a half dedicated to Paris dining tips unneeded and out of place.
While these two things did not impress me, they do not garner a deduction of stars because as I said, I felt the book was great as it is without these two things. Therefore, I consider these minor overall when considering the usefulness of this book.
Paris travelers, movie lovers: This is the book we have been waiting a long time for. I cannot wait to hit the streets of Paris this summer with this book in tow!
Enter Paris Movie Walks: Ten Guided Tours Through the City of Lights! Camera! Action!. If you do not know this yet about Paris, it is a city best seen on foot. And for anyone who wishes to retrace all of the scenes of your favorite movies, this is the perfect guide for several reasons:
1)The book is divided into 10 different, easy to reference walks, allowing you to simply open up to a section and begin your walk. It can be done in order, but by no means has to be (it also includes a 'Further Afield' section that covers areas of interest that are not part of any walk in particular, but may be of interest to the reader).
2)Each walk contains the all-important metro directions for both the start and end of each walk (a metro map is also included in the back of the book, though not in color),along with a map showing the walking route and the metro locations (the importance of both of these is not to be underestimated). I took a moment to highlight the different metro routes in different colors for quick reference purposes.
3)The book will not leave you on your own to guess what took place in which film. It will guide you step by step (literally), and then tell you about the spot you are standing on. For example, "Walk to the bottom of the stairs, turn right....this is where Amelie (from the film of the same name)does her shopping....". The book reads well overall, making each walk interesting and engaging, not dry in the least.
4)Not just the trendy movies are highlighted in this book. Also highlighted are the not too well-known/well-received movies(How surprised I was to see the not so great remake 'The Truth About Charlie' alongside the exceptional original Charade). The author really did his homework here.
5)The well-organized index allows you to simply do a quick reference in the back of the book for your favorite movie (all movies are bolded in black).
6)Probably most importantly, this book is lite to carry, and will fit easily in your daypack. It will not weigh you down as many of the Paris tour books tend to do. I took 3 last summer and each day had to decide which was the lucky one that got to come with me. They were all heavy, and together were unmanageable. This is the book I will be taking this summer and it will be the only book I need.
A couple of things that did not impress me about the book (and I do mean only a couple):
1)The author included a "What to Watch Before You Come" section. I found it rather anemic. It almost reads and looks like an afterthought. The book is good enough without it, so I don't see it necessary at all, but if the author is going to include a section like this, a greater effort should be put into it.
2) While the metro information is useful and necessary, I found the 'dining tips' awkward and unusual in a book about Paris Walks. I understand the author is only trying to helpful, and we all do have to eat, but I found the page and a half dedicated to Paris dining tips unneeded and out of place.
While these two things did not impress me, they do not garner a deduction of stars because as I said, I felt the book was great as it is without these two things. Therefore, I consider these minor overall when considering the usefulness of this book.
Paris travelers, movie lovers: This is the book we have been waiting a long time for. I cannot wait to hit the streets of Paris this summer with this book in tow!
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A must for any movie buff making the pilgrimage to Paris in the future
October 13, 2009
Format:Paperback
France has a movie scene all its own, and many American fans of it will be attracted to their landmarks. "Paris Movie Walks: Ten Guided Tours Through the City of Lights! Camera! Action!" is a guide for the movie lover and Paris lover, as the tours take tours through significant spots that consist both of Parisian film spots and areas where American stars made their mark in Paris. "Paris Movie Walks" is a must for any movie buff making the pilgrimage to Paris in the future.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I am three chapters into this wonderful book... Paris, Movie Walks, and I love it! I visit Paris annually and in my mind, can easily follow the routes (unlike many others, when I'm lost on the actual street). Schurmann's sense of humor makes me actually laugh out loud while reading this book. A slight sense of irreverence coupled with detailed knowledge of Paris and cinema, makes this a unique, easy, deightful read for the armchair traveler as well as one wanting a 'non-history filled' Paris walk. It makes me want to see more moves and of course, return to Paris.
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