Last Stop for Paul is an often hilarious movie chronicling a trip around the world taken by two friends with a mission to scatter the ashes of a third. It opens in New York City (and Los Angeles) late next winter. For a chance to win one of 10 DVDs, fill out this form. Also, visit the film’s official Web site — www.laststopforpaul.com — for more details on the film, opening dates, relevant theaters and a chance to win a trip around the world for two (not a AAA-affiliated contest).

Car & Travel recently spoke to the film’s director, scriptwriter, central character and overall leading light Neil Mandt. Instantly, we realized this man loves—loves—to travel. In Last Stop for Paul, the friends, and the ashes of their friend, visit Jamaica, Antigua & Barbuda, St. Lucia, Chile, Germany, Greece, Egypt, Jordan, Japan, Vietnam and Thailand.

Car & Travel: In the film, the two central characters help facilitate their journey by scamming hotel rooms pretending to be writers for Frommer’s. Was this what you did in reality?
Neil Mandt: No. And we even mention in the film that Frommer’s writers never ask for free rooms. We asked Frommer’s for permission to use their name. The film basically is a collection of travel anecdotes that either happened to me or to people we met along the road, but in order to make a film people would want to see, we needed a running theme that would link these stories together in a meaningful way, and that was when we came up with the idea of scattering a deceased-friend’s ashes and pretending to be travel writers. The stories all happened, though, every one of them.

C&T: What was the most memorable part of the trip?
Mandt: The whole thing was one gigantic blast, but Thailand was special. The film finishes at the huge Full Moon Party held, obviously, once a month on the Thai island of Koh Phangan [also spelt Ko Pha-Ngan on some maps—C&T]. Up to 10,000 people attend, and it is one fantastic experience. In fact, I felt the initial shots we took of the party did not do the event justice, the sheer madness and scale of it all. I needed more wide-angled shots. I was truly not happy with the original filming there, which of course all gave us the excuse of going back. [The next Full Moon Party, by the way, is on September 26. See www.fullmoonparty-thailand.com for more details.—C&T]

C&T: What was the most memorable stop in regard to the filmmaking process?
Mandt: It was very interesting shooting at the Acropolis, in Athens, Greece. There are hundreds of signs there that say “no filming”, so we were very nervous. We shoot with a professional camera, albeit a small one, but still, we were looking over our shoulders all the time. Some of the shooting was done several years ago, and it made me laugh when we heard that the director of the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002) claimed that it was the first film to shoot scenes at the Acropolis. At the risk of sounding petty, I would like to state that it wasn’t. Ours was. The camera shoots 24 frames per second, and the finished product looks like film, even though it is video.

C&T: How did the film come into existence?
Mandt: After I had the initial idea, we first filmed scenes in Moscow and Athens, which both appear in the finished cut. I pitched the idea to the Travel Channel, who were very interested and ordered 18 programs, each of which would have been a complete episode, that is, one story. The relationship between the Travel Channel and us did not develop, however, and that was when I came up with the idea of combining all the separate tales, or episodes, into one film.

C&T:  How many countries have you visited, and which is your favorite?
Mandt:  I have been to 72, but I have no answer to the second part of that question. I would say that each country has a different feeling, which is what makes you carry on traveling. In India, for example, you must be ready for a high degree of travel madness.

C&T: Does the film have a message?
Mandt: It is probably the message of friendship. My friend, Mark Carter, who plays the other central character of the film, and I get along very well. When you are on the road, the connections you make along the away do last a lifetime. It is possible to feel connected with other travelers in a very personal way, even if you will never see them again. I can barely remember school pals, but I always remember those I meet traveling. There is one episode in the film, set in Chile, in which we are traveling with two Irish guys. We met them in Vietnam, and while we were chatting and sharing a beer, they told us a fantastic tale of their time in South America. I liked them immediately, so asked them if they wanted to re-create it for the film. Initially, I think they thought we were insane, but then when they realized we weren’t, they jumped at the chance. I bought plane tickets, and off we all went to Chile.

C&T: Where would you like to travel to tomorrow?
Mandt: I have never been to Alaska. Yes, Alaska during the summer time, so I can go fishing. The first place I visited was Spain as part of a high-school spring-break trip, and that was it. I was hooked. Travel was immediately addictive to me, and I made my family go crazy asking if I could go back. I did, and then I went to France, and then I continued traveling for another three months. I also made time to go all around the United States and have been to every state except for Alaska, Hawaii and Idaho.

C&T: What advice would you have for people wishing to embark on a similar round-the-world trip, or even just a one-country visit?
Mandt: To just get out and go. I personally am not opposed to going to Europe for a long weekend. If you want it enough, having little money is rarely an obstacle, at least in my opinion. Along the lines of more practical advice, I would offer these tips:
a) Purchasing a round-the-world ticket, which often costs around the $3,500 mark, is the cheapest way of circling the globe, but be prepared for a lot of phone time when you are planning and buying them. And do not zigzag north-south-north across the planet. Tickets have a mileage limit and require you to keep traveling east or west, but careful planning within the mileage limit allows you to see more countries on the same ticket.
b) Use ATM cards when you need money. Very few regions do not have them, and they often, if not always, offer the best exchange rates. Make sure that if you use your credit card, that transactions are done in front of you. Scams in which credit cards are copied and then used fraudently seem to be increasing.
c) Make sure you have adequate medical and travel insurance.
d) Have fun, and bring sun block.