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movie, The President’s Analyst. The political satire made enough fun of J Edgar Hoover, Flicker said, to get him blacklisted from the industry until the FBI chief died. Although Flicker has since traded his director’s chair for a potter’s wheel and clay, he remains in touch with the Hollywood scene as a voting member of the Academy of Motion Pictures. And should he start making movies again, Flicker knows exactly where he’ll film: Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument. An easy drive north on I-25 from Isleta Pueblo, Flicker describes it as being “like no other place in the world. Giant spires of rock are topped by smooth tent-like domes. It’s something to see. The canyon is deep and mysterious. Some places are so narrow you have to squeeze through. Somewhere in the middle is a wide opening ideal for an alfresco lunch scene.” Bring a video camera to shoot your own movie among oversized cartoonish boulders and pale yellow slot canyons. The main trail ends on top of a long teepee-like rock overlooking a narrow canyon. Stand at the edge and angle your lens slightly upward, we discovered, and you’ll get a great shot that appears to be filmed standing on a cloud hanging in a deep blue sky.

It takes a little over an hour to reach your home for the night, the oldest operating state capital in the USA – Santa Fe. Visit the Video Library first. This DVD-rental shop is paradise for silver screen buffs. Besides a big selection of off-the-grid indie films, the store has an entire wall of movies filmed in New Mexico. Rent a few; we’re taking you to a hotel with a DVD player tonight. Grab No Country for Old Men if you haven’t seen it. You’re going to the town where it was filmed tomorrow. By this point you’ll be starving, so follow Flicker’s instructions and go to Ristra for dinner. His favorite restaurant is an intimate place where the waiters learn your name, and the melt-in-your mouth steaks are cooked to order. Spend the night at La Posada. Not only is it ultra romantic, it has that promised DVD player and a big flat-screen TV to watch your chosen selection on.

It’s OK to stay in bed watching videos until final check-out time as your next destination, Las Vegas, is just one hour north on I-25. No Country for Old Men, which took home four Oscars in 2007, was filmed largely in Las Vegas. Not only did the town double for the plains of west Texas, the I-25 overpass played the US–Mexican border crossing bridge. They’ve been shooting movies in Billy the Kid and Doc Holiday’s old stomping ground for decades now. Other classics include Wyatt Earp, Easy Rider and North Country. Have a meal at Charlie’s Spic & Span Bakery & Café, where locals come to gossip between mouthfuls of stuffed sopapillas. Keep your ears open. If they’re shooting a movie in town, you’ll hear about it at Charlie’s. Plan to arrive in Las Vegas on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday, so you can watch a movie at the old-fashioned Fort Union Drive-In. It’s one of New Mexico’s few remaining drive-ins. Spend the night at the Plaza Hotel. It’s charming, historic and good value.

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GOING GREEN

Whether you are interested in being an extra in a movie filmed in New Mexico, the latest state industry news or your favorite film’s back story, visit www.nmfilm.com for comprehensive info. The website also has loads of info on New Mexico’s Green Filmmaking initiative that encourages producers to think sustainable when creating movies and TV shows here. There are even opportunities to win green-filmmaking grants.

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Take the backroad over the Sangre de Cristo mountains to Ghost Ranch, one of the top places to shoot movies in New Mexico and your final destination. Leaving Las Vegas, jump on Hwy 518 north that winds through rugged wilderness and forest land until you reach the junction with Hwy 68, then go south. When you hit Hwy 84 head north again, pass tiny Abiquiu (home of Georgia O’Keeffe) and 25 minutes later you’ll reach Ghost Ranch. It’s a Presbyterian retreat (open to the public) and a favorite location with Hollywood filmmakers. Eighteen movies have