Four decades of the Iguana

More recently, Quentin Tarantino shot parts of "Kill Bill Vol. 2" there and Arthur Allan Seidelman Puerto Vallarta Squeeze. The 2003 film, starring Harvey Keitel, traces an American hit man on the lam with two hapless travelers in tow. Robert James Waller, of "The Bridges of Madison County" fame, wrote the superb novel, evoking the jaded lethargy of many gringos in Mexico. Despite the story’s prowess, distributor Showcase Entertainment downplayed the movie.

Its producer Robert Katz had "the best experience possible." He continued: "I'd film there again, just not in the summer, when the heat and humidity are unbearable." Puerto Vallarta is not a hassle-free location, however. Working in the jungle can be both expensive and inconvenient. And then there’s paranoia to combat.

"A couple of the actors were afraid of the notorious kidnappings they had heard about in Mexico," Katz said. "Some of Harvey Keitel’s friends in NYC convinced him that he and his wife would be kidnapped. I explained that Puerto Vallarta wasn't Mexico City. Anyway, we hired a team of bodyguards to follow Harvey during the shoot." The star dismissed the security squad after a week, feeling comfortable in the mellow, safe state of Jalisco.

That easygoing nature can translate into production problems, though. "Running on Mexican time," is an ex-pat euphemism for "late." Late not as we know it, mere minutes past due, but days late. Excuses appear like sunburn on sorority girls beachside: the drain clogged, the burro went lame, the consulate’s only open three hours each morning and, anyway, the triplicate forms must be notarized...

Yet the country – and Puerto Vallarta in particular – has an exquisite courtesy that counterbalances the chaos. Business people exchange sunny streams of compliments and chitchat. The readers of Condé Nast Traveler voted it the friendliest city in the world, in fact. And favors – enormous, backbreaking, Rumplestiltskin-sized favors – are commonplace. "The city really cooperated with our crew. Even in the most remote regions in the mountains, we received all the help we needed and everyone was gracious," Katz recalled.

He’s not the only one charmed. Conrad Vernon, co-director of "Shrek 2" (and voice of the Gingerbread Man), considers the town a second home: "I’ve visited Puerto Vallarta three times in the past year. The beauty and friendly people keep me coming back.

"Being a filmmaker, I can’t help but notice the incredible diversity between the quaint town and the incredible lushness of the forests and jungles. Now I know why John Huston made films here and eventually lived in this great city."

Film Festival
Puerto Vallarta celebrates the 2005 Film Festival of the Americas from Nov. 7–12. More than 50 movies will screen, many free, at the Rio Cuale Island each evening. Events include a fiesta, art expo, jazz concert, fashion show and galas.

"In the spirit of my father – who worked in the studio system and outside of it – it will be about films that go against the flow," said actor Danny Huston, who supports the festival, as does his sister Anjelica.

Amanda Castleman is an award-winning freelance journalist specializing in travel, the environment and women’s issues.

Copyright 2005 Amanda Castleman. Republished with permission.

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