"The cursed treasure is "Aztec Gold.". The gold pieces resemble the so-called Calendar Stone or Sun Stone in shape and general design, although the skull at the center is larger."
"Tarzan and the Valley of Gold, 1966.
Mike Henry as Tarzan. He chases the bad guys (quasi-Nazis) through the
ruins of Teotihuacan, Mexico. Some of the shots show the site as it
actually is -- mostly the Plaza of the Moon, with surrounding structures
and mountains in the distance.
But when he climbs to the top of the Pyramid of the Moon, where in reality
there is no structure, he suddenly enters a temple filled with gold
objects. The make-believe decorations and authentic-looking artifacts
are a hoot to compare to the real things.
A fun time. Horrible acting to go with the awful blend of real and Hollywood."
"Unfortunately this falls into the 'fleeting
image' category, but here it is anyway.
In the original Star Wars movie the shot of the jungle on the
rebel planet with a few 'structures' sticking up is a shot of Mayan
Temples I, II and III at Tikal, Guatemala, taken from the top of Temple
IV.
It is probably not worth watching the whole movie for this 5 second
shot, but since this is such an American classic and folks are watching
it any way, they might as well know what's there."
"Last semester I used the last few minutes of
The Last Emperor for a discussion of the Forbidden City. In
the film, the reeducated former emperor returns as a tourist near the
end of his life, buying a ticket and walking through the complex for
a final visit to the dragon throne."
"The pictures referred to in the title of this
late 70's Merchant/Ivory movie are Indian miniatures. I remember being
impressed when I saw this in video about 10 years ago. (And by now the
70's costumes are back in style!) "Wry comedy about the purpose
and significance of art, set in an Indian palace where various people
(including a British aristocrat, wonderfully played by Ashcroft) are
attempting to acquire several miniature paintings." from Leonard
Maltin Movie & Video Guide"
"Orson Welles' Othello. The movie includes
a scene(s) shot in the underground cistern in Al-Jadida in Morocco.
The film shows how reflections off the water can create confusing architectural
perspectives."
