Several other outdoors movies such as Love Thy Nature A Walk in the Woods, and Southbounders will also push you out the door, welcoming what Mother Nature has provided or is ready to dole out. Coming out July 1 in theaters and on Video on Demand is Buddymoon formerly known as “Honey Buddies.” (Watch the trailer) This bromantic comedy finds two buddies, one jilted a week before his wedding, hiking in Oregon’s Columbia River Gorge---the intended honeymoon. This hilarious movie will not only have you belly laughing, it’ll inspire you to hike and camp along the Eagle Creek Trail with its myriad number of waterfalls and moss covered logs under a dense canopy of trees. The next thing you know; you’ll be on-line ordering items at REI thanks to the inspiration of this film. (Available on demand via iTunes and Amazon beginning July 1, 2016)
Perhaps you’re more the creature-comfort type of traveler. Well, Steve Coogan’s comedy, The Trip to Italy, will inspire you to see Italy in a non-touristy yet luxurious way. (Watch the trailer) As he and his travel companion, Rob Brydon, banter and bicker, they find hidden treasures while hopping to and from B & B’s and eating gourmet meals paired perfectly with a well-balanced Sangiovese. You begin to imagine yourself in a convertible, zipping along winding country roads, passing through quaint villages along the sea, and replicating exactly what these comedians do---minus the bickering, of course! (Available on DVD)
We’ve all put off traveling because of our daily responsibilities, but what if you didn’t have another year to take that dream trip? One Week, available on Netflix, creates just this scenario. Ben Tyler (Joshua Jackson) is given a fixed amount of time to live. He’s never seen the ocean or traveled far from home. He buys a motorcycle and has an adventure of his lifetime, reminding us to live for the day and experience the world. If this doesn’t inspire you to pack your bags, nothing will.
Perhaps you are extremely adventuresome and need to see the corners of the world as it truly is our oyster with plenty of pearls to be found. Iceland is one such hidden gem experiencing an increase in tourism thanks to films like The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and Land Ho. Seeing Ben Stiller’s character skateboard down volcanic mountain roads with a chill in the air and beauty surrounding him is a vision most of us wouldn’t have previously attributed to Iceland. Land Ho takes it a bit further as two older gentlemen, Mitch and Colin, with polar opposite personalities find backcountry natural pools and springs, party-life in the city, and then connect with nature and each other as they also explore their deepest fears, regrets, and hopes. (Watch the trailer) It’s a touchingly hilarious film that just may prompt you to explore this tiny overlooked country. (Available on DVD)
Flula Borg in “Buddymoon"
Photo credit: Buddymoon
Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon in “The Trip to Italy” Photo Credit: Sundance Film Festival
“Land Ho” Photo courtesy of Sundance Film Festival