5 Films from The Catskills

Many films are set in one location yet made in another. But even when landscapes are recreated, it is the storytelling that sets the tone. Rural settings are as interesting, fun, creepy and dark as any, and here are five films that showcase how true that is.

1. Dirty Dancing (1987), set in a summer resort, it tells the story of a young guest who falls for the handsome hired help.  Love has no boundaries and neither does Frances "Baby" Houseman.
2. Heavy (1995), Life suddenly changes for a rural overweight cook who falls for a beautiful girl when she suddenly appears in this small country town. Shyness keeps Victor from making a move, but his sparked desire takes him further than he knew he could go.
3. Martha, Marcy, May, Marlene (2011), a woman damaged after fleeing from a cult continues to have flashbacks and fears that keep her unsettled. Martha struggles to assimilate into normal life, which is anything but.
4. A Walk on the Moon (1999), a couple and their family go to their annual summer camp retreat, only this year Pearl finds herself wandering outside of her marriage while her husband is busy following the first man to walk on the moon. Dreams lost, found and lost again.
5. The Cake Eaters (2007), two interconnected families come to terms with love in the face of loss. Ceci's death exposes the love gained and lost through a series of grief and new chances from her husband and sons.

These films span 24 years between them and what they continue to share is a countryside that begs to be visited and explored. Thankfully film makers agree, as they scour new locations nearby that will help them set the stage for the stories they want to tell.