Oct 17, 2024
International Film Festival Tour Expands to 25+ Cities
Oct 12, 2024
Twin Pines Mall: Back to the Future Location
Located in City of Industry, California, the Puente Hills Mall served as the location for the Twin Pines Mall (and Lone Pine Mall) in the 1985 film, Back to the Future. This is the parking lot where Doc Brown first performs the time travel experiments with his custom DeLorean. As such, the mall has long been a popular site for fans of the iconic trilogy.
We visited before news broke about the sale of the mall and its intended closure. The full plans are yet to be revealed, but with much of the Puente Hills Mall already vacant it's expected that the site will be completely redeveloped, likely destroying the lot where the movie was filmed.
One of the few remaining attractions here was a replica of the Twin Pines Mall sign located inside. A small collector's shop was also the perfect spot to pick up a few Back to the Future souvenirs. I'm just glad we had the opportunity to see it before it disappeared for good.
Oct 11, 2024
Northern Lights in Medicine Hat, Alberta
This week has been an incredible time to witness the northern lights in Medicine Hat, Alberta (and across Canada for that matter). My favourite shot came from a spontaneous road trip out to Red Rock Coulee where I found the sky lit in shades of red, purple, and emerald.
Sep 26, 2024
Meatballs, Vikings, and Scandinavian Shoots
This incredible Scandi adventure through Sweden, Denmark, and Norway wrapped up back in Stockholm where it all began. I've barely scratched the surface of sharing what we fit into these weeks away, but that's always the case when you're busy having fun.
I will share what brought us here in the first place soon though - there's a bit more to that story than just the usual travel shoots. In the meantime, for our final night, we all enjoyed Swedish meatballs with lingonberries and whipped potatoes. You really can't have a more fitting Scandinavian send-off than an upscale version of what they serve at IKEA.
I found the perfect hat for only 99 krona (that's about $13 CAD) to go along with a suitcase full of random Scandinavian souvenirs. In short, the perfect ending to an unforgettable experience. Lots more to come in the weeks ahead as I finally get some time to review everything I've captured.
Sep 1, 2024
A Film School Reunion in Saskatchewan
Aug 20, 2024
I Funko'd Myself in Hollywood (Again)
My strict rules for purchasing any Funko Pops aside, I took the bait at the Hollywood Boulevard store in in Los Angeles, California and created myself in miniature vinyl form once more.
In short, this became another brilliantly kitschy souvenir from the latest Hollywood travel shoots ... and, let's be honest, one more opportunity to name-drop "Your Cinema Needs You" as the international festival tour rolls on through 2024.
Aug 2, 2024
More Travel Shoots in La La Land
Admittedly, I wasn't exactly itching for more Los Angeles, California travel content considering the number of visits (and still unreleased shoots) over the last few years. That said, if there's one place that I could go again and again and not get bored, it would be Los Angeles.
The focus of these latest shoots was "the kitsch of Hollywood". Movie studios, theme parks, theatres, and memorabilia helped to round out the set dressing for an already extensive collection of locations. As always, there was a lot to see and do and I can't wait to share more from this series in the months ahead. See more on the @editingluke Instagram.
Aug 1, 2024
Glamor Tram: Studio Tour 60th Anniversary
This year the Studio Tour at Universal Studios Hollywood in California celebrated its 60th anniversary. The limited-time event saw the return of the iconic Glamor Trams from 1964 along with nods to past attractions that once defined the studio theme park.
I snagged myself one of the 60th Studio Tour Glamor Tram popcorn buckets, which in addition to being a great kitschy souvenir, was also the most cumbersome thing I could have found to carry around a theme park for a day. I do love a throwback though - so, worth it!
Jul 28, 2024
A Gold Medal Shot With the Eiffel Tower
I love the Olympics, and while I may not currently be at the games in Paris, France, I had just enough time to get the gold medal shot with the Eiffel Tower on my most recent visit.
Jul 19, 2024
The Final Days of the Mirage Las Vegas
After 34 years in operation, the Mirage Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada closed its doors this week. The former home of Siegfried and Roy, Beatles Love, and the iconic erupting volcano is now set to become another "remember when" on the Vegas Strip as Hard Rock completely transforms the property through 2027.
Over the last few years, following the sale and eventual closure announcement, I've made a point of coming back here a handful of times to explore. It really was a unique place. Even through the cigarette smoke, the Polynesian theme made the Mirage one of the best smelling casinos.The construction of the Mirage in 1989 would forever change Las Vegas and inspire a lot of future construction through the 1990s. It was touted as the first mega-resort on the Strip and was the brainchild of Steve Wynn. It kicked off an era of spectacular free street shows - which themselves have been largely disappearing.
For me, the Mirage was cemented in my brain because of all the Vegas Vacation reruns on TBS back in the day. What a time to grow up! At least I've now got a lot of embarrassing pictures of myself here as an adult to remember it all. Farewell to the Mirage.