/24-7PressRelease/ - March 18, 2008 - Looking for a taste of Hollywood without the Hollywood "scene"? In this month's Orbitz Insider Index (www.orbitz.com), the Insiders look beyond New York City and Los Angeles, to find some of the top film-friendly cities in the U.S., where travelers can visit the sites of some unforgettable blockbuster films as part of their vacation.

"Big cities are often popular backdrops for movies, and some, like Washington, D.C. and San Francisco, are among those that can provide a Hollywood element to any vacation," said Tom Russell, group vice president of brand marketing, Orbitz Worldwide. "To visit roadways, attractions and other landmarks you may have seen numerous times in a favorite film is a great experience for travelers who love movies."

As culture-rich cities like Boston and Chicago have been the settings for some memorable movies like Good Will Hunting, The Departed, The Untouchables and many others, cities like Las Vegas and Austin are also climbing the ranks. To further recognize Las Vegas as a fashionable film destination, Orbitz is partnering with Sony Pictures and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) on the release of the new movie, 21, filmed in Las Vegas. During this "21 Trips in 21 Days" promotion, Orbitz will award one trip per day for 21 days to participating consumers (see details below).

Orbitz's Favorite Film Cities

To help travelers plan a getaway to some of America's top movie locales, the Orbitz Insiders are highlighting some of the best places to relive your favorite films.


The Orbitz Insider Index
Film City Destination Picks

Las Vegas, NV
Boston, MA
Chicago, IL
Austin, TX
San Francisco, CA
Washington, DC


Las Vegas, NV
The ostentatious display of money, casinos, and mega-hotels that signify Las Vegas and "The Strip" make it the perfect setting for movies, ranging from classics such as Elvis: That's the Way it Is and Diamonds are Forever to Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery and the Ocean's series of movies (Ocean's Eleven, Ocean's Twelve and Ocean's Thirteen). Las Vegas was also the backdrop for films such as Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Casino, and Leaving Las Vegas, where landmark hotels such as the Mirage and the Bellagio are featured prominently. In addition to their "role" in Ocean's Eleven, the famed "Fountains of Bellagio" made their way into a number of other productions. The upcoming release of 21 is set on the blackjack tables and other locales in and around Las Vegas casinos.

Boston, MA
Boston's charm, history and personality have long made it a popular spot for movie producers. The numerous colleges and universities in Boston have provided a collegial backdrop for movies such as Good Will Hunting, which was filmed on the campus of MIT. Visitors to Boston can ride the same Red Line train that carried Matt Damon in Good Will Hunting and Martin Sheen in The Departed, and disembark at Park Street Station to visit the State House and its golden dome shown in The Departed as well as Amistad. No trip to Boston is complete without a visit to historic Fenway Park, which played a leading role in the movie, Fever Pitch. The city recently offered tax breaks to Hollywood, which may inspire more future productions to consider Boston.

Chicago, IL
The picturesque Chicago skyline and infectious excitement of Wrigley Field were immortalized in eighties classics like Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Risky Business, Sixteen Candles and The Breakfast Club. Not since Ferris Bueller's Day Off has a movie shown as expansive a view of Chicago, which notably inspired a tour that begins in the suburb of Glenview and stops at the Sears Tower, the Chicago Art Institute, the Board of Trade and Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs. The classic Al Capone movie, The Untouchables, features an epic scene at Union Station, while the elevated train system known as "the El" provided the backdrop for films including While You Were Sleeping, The Fugitive and others. The Windy City has continued to set the stage for more recent movies such as The Break-up in 2006. Batman Begins was also filmed in Chicago with a chase scene shot along Lower Wacker Drive, and the upcoming Batman sequel, The Dark Knight, again turns Chicago into the foreboding and fictional Gotham City.

Austin, TX
With its combination of downtown nightlife and natural scenery, Austin, Texas is becoming a hotbed for Hollywood talent. In addition, as home to renowned film and music festival South by Southwest (SXSW), the city attracts international crowds each spring when it showcases some of the greatest new films from around the world. Aside from SXSW, local director Robert Rodriguez filmed Sin City inside his Austin studio, and Austin hotspots are depicted in a variety of popular movies, including a cult favorite, Dazed and Confused. Politically charged Courage Under Fire includes shots from Austin's state capitol building, while another popular filming locale, the University of Texas, has been home to several films, including Life of David Gale, Road Trip and Once Upon a Time in Mexico. Waggener Hall on the UT campus, Metro Espresso Bar, and Cain and Abels have also been prominently featured on the big screen.

San Francisco, CA
From the inception of film to present day big-screen productions, San Francisco has long been a magnet for producers seeking a dramatic movie location or a hilly car chase scene. San Francisco was the setting for the first "talking picture," the Jazz Singer, in 1927. More recently, films shot in San Francisco include Basic Instinct, Dirty Harry, The Joy Luck Club and The Rock, which extensively features Alcatraz Island. Fans of the Hitchcock thriller Vertigo can visit the exact spot where Kim Novak jumped into the water and was saved by Jimmy Stewart. A recent film shot largely in San Francisco is Pursuit of Happyness, which includes scenes from Candlestick Park and the Glen Park subway station.

Washington, DC
Home to historic monuments and government buildings, our nation's capital is a natural fit for films and is the setting of an impressive array of movies including American President, In the Line of Fire and The Exorcist. While the White House and national monuments are crucial backdrops for many political movies, films such as The Exorcist delve deeper into the city, showing locations such as Georgetown University, the Holy Trinity Church and the Tombs, a popular bar and eatery. In the Line of Fire includes memorable chase scenes across roof tops and through the streets of the District, and also shows Andrews Air Force Base, the reflecting pool and Old Ebbitt Grill, a famous oyster bar near the White House.

"21 Trips in 21 Days" Promotion

Orbitz is partnering with Sony Pictures and the LVCVA on the release of the new movie "21", which is based on the best-selling true story Bringing Down the House. The film tells the story of how a group of mastermind M.I.T. students, needing to pay college tuition fees, devise a plan to take black jack tables in Las Vegas for millions of dollars.

Orbitz will award 21 trips to Las Vegas in 21 days as part of the promotion. Prize packages are based on the movie and include: First-class flight to Las Vegas, two nights accommodations in a Las Vegas hotel suite, show tickets, limo from airport, VIP nightclub passes and a $100 shopping gift certificate from Fashion Show Mall. To participate, go to Orbitz.com/21movie to play a memory-based card game and you're entered to win.

The promotion launches March 17, 2008 and ends April 16, 2008.

About Orbitz:
Orbitz (www.orbitz.com) is a leading online travel company that enables travelers to search for and purchase a broad array of travel products, including airline tickets, hotel rooms, rental cars, cruises and vacation packages. Since launching its website www.orbitz.com to the general public in June 2001, Orbitz has become one of the largest online travel sites in the world based on gross travel bookings. On Orbitz, consumers can search more than 80,000 suppliers worldwide including airlines, hotels and car rental companies. Orbitz is a brand that is owned and operated by Orbitz Worldwide (NYSE: OWW).

About Orbitz Worldwide:
Orbitz Worldwide (NYSE:OWW) is a leading global online travel company that uses innovative technology to enable leisure and business travelers to research, plan and book a broad range of travel products. Orbitz Worldwide owns and operates a portfolio of consumer brands that includes Orbitz (www.orbitz.com), CheapTickets (www.cheaptickets.com), ebookers (www.ebookers.com), cheap hotels service HotelClub (www.hotelclub.com), last minute hotels service RatesToGo (www.ratestogo.com) and the Away Network (www.away.com) and corporate travel brand Orbitz for Business (http://www.orbitzforbusiness.com/). For more information, visit the Orbitz Worldwide Investor Relations website at http://www.orbitz-ir.com.

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