Image by Flickr user gazeronly.
It’s fall in the northern hemisphere – season of pumpkin spice lattes, crisp autumn leaves and, if you’re anything like us, a brief recovery from a summer of travel frenzy.
It’s also a great season to nestle down with a mug of something hot and some of your favorite travel movies to satisfy your wanderlust.
Thanks to LG Electronics, on October 16 I was invited to an evening of cocktails and product demonstrations at the W Hotel Chicago City Center.
On display was the LG EC9300 55” 1080p Curved Smart OLED TV (newly available in the United States market) and the not-yet-released LG EC9700 65” 4K OLED TV (with – if you can believe it or not — FOUR times the resolution of traditional HD).
LG’s EC9300 55” FHD OLED TV
Nothing makes your favorite travel movies more crisp, colorful and exciting than a curved screen. Try watching some of these films on a curved screen and try – just try! – go back to your old television set. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Travel Movies: For a good tear-jerker
Pixar Animation Studio’s Up, winner of “Best Animated Feature” at the 2010 Oscars
1. Pixar’s Up
Since the LG OLED induces less eye fatigue (because of its decreased dependence on blue light emission) — watching movies like Up in the dark (where no one can see you ugly cry) will feel just right.
The 2009 Pixar film, about a 70-something widower’s trip to South America with an unlikely companion (an 8-year-old Wilderness Explorer called Russell), beautifully articulates the joy of adventure — and reminds us of the regret that can haunt us when we fail to follow our dreams.
If any travel movie will inspire you to skip that Pumpkin Spice Latte and put the $5 into travel savings, it’ll be Up.
Travel Movies: To research your next adventure
Painted Hills, Oregon – © Smithsonian Channel’s Aerial America
Whether you already have your next destination in mind or you’re still figuring it out, Netflix’s collection of travel movies will have you (almost) believing you’ve been transported — sans passport — across the world, especially when viewed on the 55” or 65” LG OLED screen, which has been described as “the best. Picture. Ever.” by CNET.
2. National Geographic’s Secret Yellowstone*
3. CNN’s Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown*
4. Smithsonian’s Aerial America*
5. Animal Planet’s Wildest India*
Travel Movies: For a crowd-pleaser
When you’re selecting a travel movie for a group, there are a few special considerations:
-After one glass of wine, are my guests going to get bored and/or confused reading subtitles? (The answer is yes — pick a movie in English).
-After two glasses of wine, are my guests going to be frustrated with and subtle, anti-establishment undertones? (The answer is yes — pick a relatively mainstream film).
-And, finally, is my TV equipped to broadcast to a large room of people (without losing picture quality on side angles) or are my guests going to be fighting over center-stage couch space?
If you’ve invested in an LG OLED set (which has 160-degree visibility vs. the traditional 60 to 80-degrees) the view will be great for everyone.
6. Under the Tuscan Sun
Under the Tuscan Sun, the 2003 rom-com starring Diane Lane — with a brief, pre-Grey’s Anatomy cameo from Sandra Oh — is universally beloved by women (and even some men). If you don’t immediately cheer for this story of a woman starting over in one of the most beautiful cities in the world (and falling in love with a hot Italian to boot!) you’re just impossible to please!
Travel Movies: Because you just want to look at something beautiful
It’s not that the following movies don’t have interesting stories all their own: but as good as their plotlines may be, their scenery shots are just as captivating (if not more so). And since the LG OLED televisions offer the top resolutions available, you’ll practically be able to smell the flaky, buttery smell of croissants wafting into your living room.
7. Amélie* (Paris, France)
8. Roman Holiday* (Rome, Italy — that one was kind of a given)
9. Mamma Mia! (Greek Islands)
10. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (Jaipur, India)
Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck in 1953’s Roman Holiday
*Bonus points: Movies designated with an asterix (*) are currently streaming on Netflix, which is awesome, because the LG OLED comes equipped with Web OS capabilities and can connect you (with no need for additional devices) to streaming services like Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Amazon Prime.
What about you, Go Girls? What are your favorite travel movies? Tell us about them in the comments!
Editors’ Note: Ann’s post is sponsored by LG Electronics. Her views and opinions are completely her own. Click here for Go Girl’s full disclosure statement.
