Aloha! That is, in case you aren’t aware, a greeting originating from the Hawaiian word ‘aloha’. Well, we like to consider ourselves a warm, friendly bunch here at AppleMagazine.
On the subject of warm, that’s one thing that many people unsurprisingly feel a lot when spending time on the beautiful islands of Hawaii. The amazing scenery and culture of these islands has inspired a large number of filmmakers; here is our run-down of notable movies you can watch to spiritually take yourself to Hawaii.
Waikiki Wedding
Now here’s what we would call a precious relic of early cinema. Not just because this musical from 1937 stars Bing Crosby, who plays a PR man with the responsibility of marketing Hawaii; it also includes the song “Blue Hawaii”. This was originally written for the film’s soundtrack and was, later in the century, successfully covered by Elvis Presley. This cover became the title track of one of the best albums of the 1960s.
South Pacific
You are probably already well-versed with the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical South Pacific; this movie adaptation hit theaters in 1958, a year before Hawaii became a US state. Film buffs who tend to follow only modern movies might not recognize many of the names among the cast, including Mitzi Gaynor, Rossano Brazzi and Juanita Hall; however, as it was shot largely on the island of Kauai, it can bring home just how timeless the Aloha State’s beauty really is.
North Shore
One of the biggest draws of Hawaii as a tourist destination is the range of watersports that can be enjoyed off the island’s coasts. If you are among the people who dream of picking up a surfboard in Hawaii, you should definitely watch the 1987 drama North Shore. We say this not only because it is – of course – a good film and follows a young surfer who aims to go professional, but also because it heavily features the island of Oahu’s North Shore, often considered the world’s surfing mecca.
Aloha
The abundant gorgeous scenery of Hawaii looks like a perfect backdrop to a love story – so Cameron Crowe, the director of this year’s comedy-drama, Aloha, presumably thought. With romantic mainstay Rachel McAdams and the likable Bradley Cooper among the cast, it isn’t lacking in star power, but controversy surrounded the choice of Emma Stone to play a supposed quarter-Hawaiian. You can read more about Aloha and its public and critical reception in the current issue of AppleMagazine.