Icelandic scenery in Game of Thrones (spoiler free)

I just finished watching episode 6 of season 2 of Game of Thrones. I've really liked what's done of this season. But I've been distracted by the weird feeling of seeing all those wide shots and scenes from North of The Wall, recognizing it as the area less than two hours' away from my home, where I go hiking and running regularly. Meanwhile the characters are talking about how hostile the area is, dramatically wondering who would possibly want to defend and live there. It fits the mood and story perfectly, of course, but still funny to me.

Do you guys have any stories or experience of recognizing hometowns and familiar areas in film or television, or even video games? I imagine lots of you who live in the larger cities have seen something familiar, but any input's welcome, yo.

Peace!

I just finished watching episode 6 of season 2 of Game of Thrones. I've really liked what's done of this season. But I've been distracted by the weird feeling of seeing all those wide shots and scenes from North of The Wall, recognizing it as the area less than two hours' away from my home, where I go hiking and running regularly. Meanwhile the characters are talking about how hostile the area is, dramatically wondering who would possibly want to defend and live there. It fits the mood and story perfectly, of course, but still funny to me.

Do you guys have any stories or experience of recognizing hometowns and familiar areas in film or television, or even video games? I imagine lots of you who live in the larger cities have seen something familiar, but any input's welcome, yo.

Peace!

Well, my living room has been featured on national television. They were filming some stuff in the area and needed to shoot someone looking out from a apartment window.

Don't know if that counts.

The Wire, not to mention all the countless movies that shutdown DC streets so they can be on screen for 15 seconds. while i have to find a route around the whole mess.

There are few horror movie shot in my town that blow my mind. Like they shoot the street out of order.

@AlmostSwedish said:

Well, my living room has been featured on national television. They were filming some stuff in the area and needed to shoot someone looking out from a apartment window.

Don't know if that counts.

Sure does, especially if you then saw it later.

I actually had a Japanese TV crew film some weird variety piece in my living room and kitchen, where this maid-girl cooked dinner for my family to spread the "otaku" culture around Scandinavia. So, that was weird. But I never saw the actual show, of course, or even know if it was eventually broadcast in Japan.

@EisforExtinction said:

There are few horror movie shot in my town that blow my mind. Like they shoot the street out of order.

Shit, that reminds me of this Bear Grylls episode shot here. It was supposed to be this trek of his across the country, but it made no sense whatsoever. It's a small country, so you could always tell from landmarks around him where he actually was, and the continuity was way off.

They filmed a bunch of Eureka in my town. I've seen very little of the show, but it was sort of a weird experience to see the one little street (i guess the quirkiest street in the town. it has the funny emporium full of statues and movie stuff, the bowling alley, a candy store, and a used book store on it, and it's absurdly narrow) that they film on be on national TV.

Harold and Kumar totally missed their exit on Route #1 where they could have gotten some White Castle in a fraction of the time.  Would have been a short movie, I guess.

@AhmadMetallic said:

@Penzilneck: You should've gone there and watched them film!

They actually had the area closed off for shooting. That's usually what happens, but hey, they bring money and jobs. Dozens of Icelandic extras in projects like this. Similar shooting closedowns happened for Batman Begins, Prometheus and will no doubt happen this summer when Aronofsky shoots that Noah film, along with those Tom Cruise and Ben Stiller films.

Any film set in New York City. I don't live there...but I've been there and my family goes to view the ballet there every season.

That's really funny that you recognize that place, I'm actually kind of jealous because it looks gorgeous, in a 'please god don't let me die here' sort of way.

Question: Is it actually feasible for them to be walking around without hats like that? Because it looks hella cold, and hatlessness is kind of a bad idea in that sort of weather...

That wasn't NYC you saw getting blowed up at the end of The Avengers. That was my home town. E. 9th St. in downtown Cleveland to be specific.

They spent 2 weeks filming for the new superman movie, its going to be smallville. There were explosions, helicopters, zod, us army troops. It was quite intense.

I got married at the Norman Lindsay Gallery in the Blue Mountains, Australia (about 15 min from where I live), the same venue is depicted in the 1993 Hugh Grant film 'Sirens' which I watched recently (also Elle Macpherson full nude). The way they depicted Springwood (which is not where those scenes were filmed) was somewhat hilarious.

.....Legally Blonde 2: Red White and Blonde...

@MarkWahlberg said:

That's really funny that you recognize that place, I'm actually kind of jealous because it looks gorgeous, in a 'please god don't let me die here' sort of way.

Question: Is it actually feasible for them to be walking around without hats like that? Because it looks hella cold, and hatlessness is kind of a bad idea in that sort of weather...

They did shoot there at the perfect time of year, and obviously really knew how to catch the right natural lighting. I was especially impressed with the cloud formations seen from Fist of the First men in episode 5, and the sunlight seen when Jon first has his sword on Ygritte. If I didn't know better it looked computer enhanced somehow.

When it comes to hats...

Everyone except the actors seemed to wear hats at all times, which is recommended at this altitude. It really isn't that cold, though. But they were up there for hours on end daily for two weeks. Thing is, though, that I have no idea where specifically they shot scenes, so each episode from now I'll be extra curious to see what familiar location pops up. I hope they got some good cave or ice lake shots, or even some northern lights.