I’ve always been fascinated to see some of the behind-the-scenes tricks which movie makers employ to make their finished products look so spectacular, writes our Movie Blogger Carl Jones.

Click here to see our Atonement film trailer.

Usually, it means a trek to one of the studios – I was lucky enough to get behind the scenes at Pinewood a few weeks back to see some of the leftovers from a huge car chase in The Bourne Ultimatum which opens this weekend.

But it’s not often that you find such adventure on your Shropshire doorstep.
So I urge everyone to make a B-line for Stokesay Court, near Onibury, next month when it opens its doors to stage “Atonement Tours”.

The mansion house, usually closed to the public, is opening its doors to film fans to show off some of the locations which feature in Keira Knightley’s new movie.

I’m told by owner Caroline Magnus that the production team, who spent six weeks in Shropshire, have left behind several completed sets in the house itself, plus various specially created props in the grounds.
The movie, based on Ian McEwan’s best-selling novel, is already being tipped for Oscars recognition by critics. It opens at cinemas on September 7.
Caroline says the one-hour “Atonement Tours” will begin on September 16, for groups of 20 people or more. The £12.50 per person cost will also include morning coffee or afternoon tea, and cake and biscuits.
Groups will be accommodated on Thursdays to Sundays, and on Tuesdays. The house is closed to tours on Mondays and Wednesdays, and tours must be prebooked.
Atonement is a romantic tragedy set during the second world war, about a young girl who changes the course of several lives when she accuses her older sister’s lover of a crime he did not commit.

Starring alongside Keira Knightley in the movie are James McAvoy, Brenda Blethyn and Vanessa Redgrave.
Helen O’Hara from film magazine Empire, who has already seen the movie, describes it as “complex, delicate and devastating” and believes it is the first serious contender for the best picture prize at the 2008 Oscars.

It is the opening film at this year’s Venice Film Festival, on August 29.
For more details about the Stokesay Court tours, call 01584 856238, e-mail tours@stokesaycourt.com or visit www.stokesaycourt.com