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A file that has all movies up to 1994 - Tells you
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Archive-Name: movies/trivia-faq
Version: 1.11 (June 1994)
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MOVIE TRIVIA
Frequently Asked Questions
Copyright (C) 1994 Murray Chapman
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Compiled by Murray Chapman (muzzle@cs.uq.oz.au), from sources too numerous too
mention. Thank-you one and all.
INTRODUCTION
------------
This is a list of interesting trivia, ``did you notice''-type things for
movies.
The list will be posted monthly to: alt.cult-movies, rec.arts.movies, rec.arts
sf.movies, rec.answers, news.answers.
This, and MANY other FAQs are available for anonymous FTP wherever news.answers
is archived, for example:
rtfm.mit.edu:/pub/usenet/news.answers/movies/trivia-faq
Sites in Europe include:
nic.switch.ch
cnam.cnam.fr
ftp.win.tue.nl
The followup field is set to rec.arts.movies.
Additions and suggestions welcome: if you can confirm any rumors, or dispute
any ``facts'', then please do so! Just read the notes at end before you submit
anything. Thanks!
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The rec.arts.movies database consists of the following lists:
List | Maintained by | Updated
---------------------|--------------------------------------------|----------
Actors | Col Needham <cn@ibmpcug.co.uk> | 05/31/94
Actresses | Col Needham <cn@ibmpcug.co.uk> | 05/31/94
Alternative Titles | Michel Hafner <hafner@ifi.unizh.ch> | 05/27/94
Biographies | Mark Harding <ccsmh@ss1.bath.ac.uk> | 06/10/94
Character Names | Steve Hammond <shammond@indirect.com> | 01/24/94
Cinematographers | Michel Hafner <hafner@ifi.unizh.ch> | 05/27/94
Composers | Michel Hafner <hafner@ifi.unizh.ch> | 05/27/94
Costume Designers | Michel Hafner <hafner@ifi.unizh.ch> | 05/27/94
Crazy Credits | Mark Harding <ccsmh@ss1.bath.ac.uk> | 04/28/94
Directors | Col Needham <cn@ibmpcug.co.uk> | 05/27/94
Editors | Col Needham <cn@ibmpcug.co.uk> | 05/27/94
Goofs | Michael Gaines <render1@teak.njit.edu> | 06/10/94
Movies | Michel Hafner <hafner@ifi.unizh.ch> | 05/27/94
Plot Summaries | Colin Tinto <colint@spider.co.uk> | 03/09/94
Producers | Andre Bernhardt <ujad@rz.uni-karlsruhe.de> | 06/10/94
Production Designers | Michel Hafner <hafner@ifi.unizh.ch> | 05/27/94
Quotes | Lars J Aas <larsa@colargol.edb.tih.no> | 06/17/94
Ratings | Col Needham <cn@ibmpcug.co.uk> | 06/17/94
Running Times | Gene Volovich <volovich@netcom.com> | 06/01/94
Soundtracks | Ron Higgins <rhiggins@carroll1.cc.edu> | 06/17/94
Trivia | Murray Chapman <muzzle@cs.uq.oz.au> | 02/01/94
Writers | Jon Reeves <reeves@zk3.dec.com> | 06/10/94
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The lists are available via anonymous FTP from:
cathouse.org in pub/cathouse/movies/database
ftp.funet.fi in pub/culture/tv+film/lists
SEARCHING THE DATABASE
======================
The movie database frequently asked questions list contains more information
on the whole movie database project. For a copy send an e-mail message with
the subject "HELP FAQ" to <movie@ibmpcug.co.uk>. Here is a summary of the
ways to access the database:
(1) e-mail interface
For details send a message with the subject HELP to <movie@ibmpcug.co.uk>
(2) WWW interface
The database is available via the World Wide Web. Access is via a
"browser". The two main WWW browsers are Mosaic and Lynx...
Mosaic (X windows, MS-Windows, Mac, Amiga) ftp.ncsa.uiuc.edu /Web
lynx (vt100) ftp.wustl.edu /packages/www/lynx
From your browser, OPEN or GO to the any of the following documents:
http://www.cm.cf.ac.uk/Movies/ (European users prefered)
http://www.msstate.edu/Movies/ (USA/rest of world prefered)
http://ballet.cit.gu.edu.au/Movies/ (Australian users *only*)
See the comp.infosystems.www FAQ for more information on the WWW.
(3) local installation (Unix/Amiga)
The movie database package enables you to install the data locally and
provides a variety of search tools. It is available via anonymous FTP:
cathouse.org in /pub/cathouse/movies/database/tools/moviedb-3.0.tar.Z
ftp.funet.fi in /pub/culture/tv+film/lists/tools/moviedb-3.0.tar.gz
see the README file in the same directories for more information. The Amiga
version is in the file mdb_Amiga_2.8.lha.
(4) local installation (MS-DOS)
The CineBASE program provides an MS-DOS interface to the database and is
also available via anonymous FTP:
cathouse.org in /pub/cathouse/movies/database/tools/cb130a.zip
ftp.funet.fi in /pub/culture/tv+film/lists/tools/cb130a.zip
(note: the format of the cast lists has just changed, so temporarily the
cast data cannot be loaded into CineBASE. The author is working on new
version which will be available shortly)
(5) telnet access via WWW
There are several telnet'able WWW servers. Here are some examples;
telnet info.cern.ch
then type go http://www.cm.cf.ac.uk/Movies/
telnet www.njit.edu (login: www)
then type g http://www.cm.cf.ac.uk/Movies/
telnet ukanaix.cc.ukans.edu (login: www) needs vt100
then look under "by Subject" then "Movies"
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CONTENTS
--------
1. Director's Trademarks
2. Film Trivia
- DIRCAMEO: Directors appearing in their own films
- DIRTRADE: Director's trademark [with tag]
- ACTTRADE: Actor's trademark
- CAMEO: cameo role
- SMITHEE: see below
- BOOTH: see below
The ``Crazy Credits'' section has been removed. It is now being looked after
by Mark Harding (ccsmh@gdr.bath.ac.uk).
A NOTE ABOUT CAMEOS:
A ``cameo'' is a small, unbilled role. If their name appears in the credits,
it's NOT a cameo. A cameo is NOT defined a famous person with a small role,
despite the fact that this may be interesting. If they are billed, then
please don't send it in as a ``cameo'', but decide if it's signifcant enough
to be included in the trivia section.
A NOTE ABOUT ``SMITHEE''.
The DGA contracts that directors operate under require that a name be given for
the director of a film. If the actual director of the film wishes to disown
the film, he or she typically uses the name ``Alan Smithee'' (An anagram for
``The alias men'').
A NOTE ABOUT ``BOOTH''
Writers who refuse to have their name appear in the credits typically use the
the standard pseudonym ``Judas Booth'' (derived from ``Judas'' and ``John
Wilkes Booth'').
A NOTE ABOUT ``GOOFS''
There is a separate list for technical and plot errors in movies. It is kept
by Michael Gaines (render1@teak.njit.edu). Please send goofs to him.
THIS FILE CONTAINS SPOILERS
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DIRECTOR'S TRADEMARKS
# Abrahms, Jim
- See 'David Zucker' (qv).
# Allen, Woody
- Often makes films about a director making films, casts himself in lead role.
- Frequently plays a neurotic New Yorker.
- Frequently casts 'Diane Keaton' (qv) and 'Mia Farrow' (qv).
- Often talks to the camera directly.
# Argento, Dario
- All the killers' hands shown in murder scenes in his films are his own.
- All narration in his films is his own voice.
# Branagh, Kenneth
- Frequently casts his wife 'Emma Thompson' (qv).
- Frequently gives small roles to 'Patrick Doyle' (qv), his composer. [doyle]
# Brooks, Mel
- Frequently casts himself, 'Gene Wilder' (qv), 'Harvey Korman' (qv),
'Rudy Deluca' (qv), and 'Madeline Kahn' (qv).
# Burton, Tim
- His films often have a Gothic feel to them.
- Frequently [always?] uses composer 'Danny Elfman' (qv).
# Carpenter, John
- Often casts 'Kurt Russell' (qv).
- Often casts his wife, 'Adrianne Barbeau' (qv).
- Likes to name characters after real life people: directors, etc [names]
# Cameron, James
- Strong female characters.
- Frequently casts 'Michael Biehn' (qv), 'Lance Henriksen' (qv),
'Bill Paxton' (qv), and 'Jeanette Goldstein' (qv).
- His films frequently feature scenes filmed in deep blues.
- Likes to make nice/effective cuts [nice cut]
- Likes to show close-up shots of feet or wheels, often trampling things [feet]
# Cronenberg, David
- Films often include explicit carnage.
- Frequent references to ``the flesh'' [flesh]
# Crowe, Cameron
- Promised to give 'Eric Stoltz' (qv) a part in every one of his movies.
# Dante, Joe
- Always casts 'Dick Miller' (qv) in a cameo or supporting role. His films are
therefore good for playing the ``spotting Dick Miller'' game.
- Frequently has films/TV shows with themes similar to the movie in various
scenes.
# Demme, Jonathan
- Frequently casts 'Charles Napier' (qv).
- Frequently casts 'Chris Isaak' (qv).
- Frequently casts 'Buzz Killman' (qv) in a cameo role.
- Frequently uses 'Tak Fujimoto' (qv) as his director of photography.
# DePalma, Brian
- Many 'Alfred Hitchcock' (qv) homages, using similar locations and camera
techniques.
- Frequently casts wife 'Nancy Allen' (qv).
# Eastwood, Clint
- Frequently casts one-time partner 'Sondre Locke' (qv).
# Harlin, Renny
- Includes references to Finland, his country of birth [finland]
# Hitchcock, Alfred
- Has a cameo in most of his films.
- likes to insert shots of a woman's hairstyle, frequently close-ups. [hair]
- Toilets are often a plot device; often a hiding place or a place where
lovemakeing is prepared for. Hitchcock also frequently uses the letters
``BM'', which stand for ``Bowel Movement''. [toilet]
# Howard, Ron
- Frequently casts brother 'Clint Howard' (qv) in small roles.
# Huston, John
- Frequently gives his father 'Walter Huston' (qv) a small role [father]
# Kubrick, Stanley
- His films have a common theme of dehumanization.
- Symmetric image composition and long ``zooming out'' and/or ``zooming in''
sequences [zoom].
- Constructs three-way conflicts [three-way].
- Extreme close-ups of intensely emotional faces [faces].
# Landis, John
- The phrase ``See You Next Wednesday''. Supposedly, the phrase is the title
of a film that Landis had an idea for at the age of 15. The title is a
direct reference to a line in '2001: A Space Odyssey' (qv). He describes the
film as the kind of movie that a 15 year old adolescent boy would have made.
He sometimes uses ideas from this movie, and when he does he puts the phrase
in as a ``homage''. It is not in all of his movies [SYNW].
- Airport scenes in _Into The Night_ (qv) and _Coming To America_ (qv) have a
call over the PA system for a ``Mr Frank Ozkerwitz'' to pick up the white
courtesy phone. This is 'Frank Oz' (qv)'s real name. Landis has a fetish
for Oz and The Muppet Show.
- Music: ``The Girl from Ipanema''. [ipanema]
# Lee, Spike
- All his films examine black people and their lives.
- Has appeared in every single one of his films, usually as a weak character,
contrasting the strong lead character.
# Leone, Sergio
- Frequently works with 'Tonino Delli Colli' (qv) and 'Ennio Morricone' (qv).
- Major characters' entrances are accompanied by variations of the theme
music. [theme]
- Invented the extreme close-up in western-style films. [close-up]
# Lynch, David
- Frequently casts: 'Kyle MacLachlan' (qv), 'Laura Dern' (qv),
'Jack Nance' (qv), 'Everett McGill' (qv), 'Isabella Rosselini' (qv).
- Finds small-town USA fascinating.
- Has a taste for low/middle frequency noise, dark and rotting environments,
distorted characters, a polarized world (angels vs demons, Madonnas vs
whores), and debilitating damage to the skull or brain.
# Milius, John
- Frequently casts 'Gerry Lopez' (qv).
# Miller, George
- Subliminals, often of eyeballs bulging.
# Paris, Jerry
- Frequently appears in a small (often one scene) role.
# Pollack, Sydney
- Frequently casts 'Robert Redford' (qv).
# Raimi, Sam
- Raimi is a huge fan of The Three Stooges. He made many super-8 films that
blatantly ripped-off classic Stooge shorts. He uses Stooge-like sequences
in many of his movies. [3-stooges]
- Often credits a character called a ``Shemp'', a homage to the Three Stooges.
Most frequently it is a ``Fake Shemp'', a reference to the Three Stooges
shorts where a stunt man was used in place of 'Shemp Howard' (qv). [shemp]
# Ramis, Harold
- Frequently casts himself in bit parts.
- Frequently casts fellow SCTV alumni: 'Bill Murray' (qv), 'John Candy' (qv),
'Dan Aykroyd' (qv), 'Mary Gross' (qv), 'Eugene Levy' (qv), etc.
# Reiner, Rob
- His production company is called ``Castle Rock Productions'', named after
``Castle Rock'', a fictitious town where many 'Stephen King' (qv) stories
are set. (Reiner's _Misery_ (qv) was based on the book by King, Reiner's
_Stand By Me_ (qv) was based on ``The Body'' by King, and featured a place
called ``Castle Rock'').
- Often includes references to his previous films.
# Russell, Ken
- Frequent snake imagery [snake].
# Scorsese, Martin
- Frequently casts 'Robert De Niro' (qv), a student of his from film school in
New York.
- His mother appears in most of his films.
# Spielberg, Steven
- frequently uses music by 'John Williams' (qv) [music].
- often shows shooting stars [stars].
# Woo, John
- Slow motion or freeze-frame sequences.
# Yaglom, Henry
- Usually makes films about himself, sometimes about himself making films.
# Zemeckis, Robert
- Generally finds a role for 'Wendie Jo Sperber' (qv) and/or
'Marc McClure' (qv).
- Likes to cite/imitate famous movies/commercial spots [citation].
# Zucker, David
- Films usually feature puns, slapstick, and visual gags.
- Frequently casts 'Leslie Nielsen' (qv) and 'Lloyd Bridges' (qv).
- David and Jerry's mother is frequently cast in a small role.
# Zucker, Jerry
- see _David Zucker_ (qv)
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FILM TRIVIA
# 'Crocodile' Dundee
- The wild and ferocious buffalo that Mick Dundee pacified was drugged.
- The ``quotes'' around ``Crocodile'' in the title were added for the American
release to ensure people didn't think that Dundee was a crocodile.
- SEQUEL('Crocodile' Dundee II)
# 'Crocodile' Dundee II
- SEQUEL-OF('Crocodile' Dundee)
# 1492: Conquest of Paradise
- Columbus is an Italian, living in Spain, played by a French actor speaking
English.
# 1900
- Original uncut version is 5.5 hours long, and features pornographic sequences
with Alfredo, Olmo, and [Stefania Casini]. It also featured prepubescent
boys examining each other's erections which would probably qualify as child
pornography in the US.
# 200 Motels
- Filmed in the same studio as _2001: A Space Odyssey_ (qv). The black
monolith from that film is visible.
# 2001: A Space Odyssey
- This film was made before man walked on the moon.
- The first 22 minutes of the film contains no dialog.
- Director 'Stanley Kubrick' (qv) originally planned narration for the
prehistoric scenes.
- Kubrick planned to have 'Alex North' (qv) (who wrote the score for Kubrick's
_Spartacus_ (qv)) write a musical score especially for the film. During
filming, Kubrick played classical music on the set to create the right mood.
Delighted with the effect, he decided to use classical music in the finished
product. North's score has subsequently been released as ``Alan North's
2001'' (Varese/Sarabande 5400).
- Generally panned by critics when first released. Kubrick subsequently cut
20 minutes for its public release, but still failed to win over the film
critics. Public reaction however, was completely different.
- Incrementing each letter of ``HAL'' gives you ``IBM''.
'Arthur C Clarke' (qv) (co-screenwriter) claimed this was unintentional, and
if he had noticed it before it was too late, he would have changed it.
- Kubrick had several tons of sand imported, washed, and painted for the moon
surface scenes.
- Multiple references to birthdays: Dr Floyd's daughter, Frank Poole, HAL.
- Clarke once said: ``If you understand 2001 completely, we failed. We
wanted to raise far more questions than we answered.''
- CAMEO(Vivienne Kubrick): [daughter of Stanley] Dr Floyd's daughter.
- DIRTRADE(Stanley Kubrick): [zoom]: retrieving Frank Poole's body.
- DIRTRADE(Stanley Kubrick): [three-way]: man vs HAL vs aliens.
- DIRTRADE(Stanley Kubrick): [faces]: Dave Bowman going through the Star Gate.
- SEQUEL(2010)
# 2010
- One of the characters is ``Kirbuck'', which is an anagram of ``Kubrick''.
'Stanley Kubrick' (qv) directed _2001: A Space Odyssey_ (qv).
- CAMEO(Arthur C. Clarke): sitting on a park bench in front of the White
House, feeding the pigeons.
- CAMEO(Arthur C. Clarke): on the cover of Time Magazine, as the
American President.
- CAMEO(Stanley Kubrick): on the cover of Time Magazine, as the Soviet
premier.
- SEQUEL-OF(2001: A Space Odyssey)
# 3 Men and a Baby
- When Jack's mother comes to visit Mary, you can see in the background what
appears to be a little boy standing in a doorway. There is a rumor that
this is the ghost of a little boy who died in the apartment in which the
film was shot. This rumor is false, as the interiors were all shot on a
sound stage in a movie studio. The ``ghost'' is actually a cardboard cut-out
of Jack wearing a tuxedo. This prop appears later in the film, when Mary's
mother comes to collect her.
- SEQUEL(3 Men and a Little Lady)
# 3 Men and a Little Lady
- SEQUEL-OF(3 Men and a Baby)
# 39 Steps, The (1935)
- DIRCAMEO(Alfred Hitchcock): about 7 minutes in, tossing some litter
as Richard and Annabella run from the music hall.
# About Last Night...
- The original title of this film was ``Sexual Perversity in Chicago'' (taken
from the play it is based on). The title was changed after many newspapers
and TV stations refused to run ads for a film with such a title.
# Abyss, The
- Director 'James Cameron' (qv) contacted 'Orson Scott Card' (qv) before filming
began with the possibility of producing a book based on the film. Scott
initially told his agent that he doesn't do ``novelizations'', but when she
told him that the director was Cameron, he agreed to consider it. The
script arrived, and Card signed on after receiving assurances from Cameron
that he would be free to develop his ``novel'' the way he wanted to. After
a meeting with Cameron, Card immediately wrote the first three chapters,
which dealt with events concerning Bud and Lindsay Brigman that occured
before the events in the film. Cameron gave these chapters to
'Ed Harris' (qv) and 'Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio' (qv), who used it to
develop their characters.
- The masks were specially designed to show the actors faces, and had
microphones fitted so that dialog could be recorded as the action happened.
- Most of the underwater filming took place in a half-completed nuclear
reactor cooling tank in [?] Carolina. The cast and crew frequently spent
enough time underwater to force them to undergo decompression before
surfacing. The tank was filled to a depth of 40 feet, but there was still
too much light from the surface, so billions of tiny black plastic beads
were floated on the surface to block the light.
- A ``special edition'' is available on videotape, and was released
theatrically in 1994. It features an extra 28 minutes of footage including:
- the Deep Core crew singing a country and western song as they ``truck'' the
rig to the abyss
- more details about Bud and Lindsay's breakup
- further development of the tension between the USA and the USSR, including
a naval collission
- a massive tidal wave caused by the NTIs
- Fluid breathing is a reality: the rat actually did breathe liquid, although
the suit that Bud wore was a mock-up.
- DIRTRADE(James Cameron): [nice cut]: at the beginning of the movie,
the blue ``Y'' from the opening credits extends and then fades to the
underwater scenery with the submarine.
- DIRTRADE(James Cameron): [feet]: when the soldiers arrive at the
supply ship and jump out of the helicopters. See also _Aliens_ (qv).
# Accidental Hero
- CAMEO(Chevy Chase): owner of the TV station.
# Adventures of Baron Munchausen, The
- 'Robin Williams' (qv) played the King of the Moon. The credits list ``Ray
Ditutto''. This is the English transliteration of the Italian phrase ``Re di
Tutto'', which means ``King of Everything'', which was how the King of the
Moon introduces himself to the Baron. Williams performed the part as soon
as he arrived in England after a trans-Atlantic flight.
# Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension, The
- 'Jamie Lee Curtis' (qv) played Buckaroo's mother in a flashback, but this
scene was cut.
- Supposedly this movie was inspired a great deal from 'Thomas Pynchon' (qv)'s
book ``The Crying of Lot 49''.
# After Hours
- DIRCAMEO(Martin Scorsese): shining a spotlight from a platform in the
club.
# Age of Innocence, The (1993)
- Originally to be relased in fall of 1992, but was held back by over a year to
allow directory Maritn Scorsese more time to edit.
- DIRCAMEO(Martin Scorsese): the photographer taking May's wedding
picture.
# Aladdin (1992)
- The genie impersonates the following people: 'Jack Nicholson' (qv),
'Arsenio Hall' (qv), 'William F. Buckley Jr' (qv),
'Arnold Schwarzenegger' (qv), 'Rodney Dangerfield' (qv), 'Ed Sullivan' (qv),
and 'Robert De Niro' (qv).
- The stack that Jasmine's father plays with is sitting on a toy of the
Beast from _Beauty and the Beast (1991)_ (qv), another Disney animated movie.
Sebastian from _The Little Mermaid (1989)_ (qv) and _Pinocchio (1940)_ (qv)
can also be spotted.
- Aladdin's animator claimed she based his character on 'Tom Cruise' (qv).
- When the Genie changes Abu into a car, the license plate reads ``ABU 1''.
- The lyrics of the opening song, ``Arabian Nights'', were changed for the
video release due to pressure from groups who were offended by the original
lyrics. The original lyrics were: ``Where they cut off your ear if they
don't like your face. It's barbaric, but hey it's home.'' The new lyrics
are: ``Where it's flat and immense and the heat is intense, it's barbaric,
but hey it's home''.
- The two men in the crowd the genie pushes through are caricatures of a
couple of the animators; the original plan was to use film critics
'Gene Siskel' (qv) and 'Roger Ebert' (qv), but they couldn't get permission.
- There is a rumor that after Aladdin climbs up the balcony and gets confronted
by the tiger, the view shifts to Jasmine, and Aladdin softly says ``Take off
your clothes.''
# Alien (1979)
- The alien's habit of laying eggs in the stomach (which then burst out) is
similar to the life-cycle of the tsetse fly.
- The entire plot is identical to the science fiction story ``Voyage of the
Space Beagle'', by 'A. E. Van Vogt' (qv).
- Much of the dialog was ad-libbed.
- An early draft of the script had a male Ripley.
- In the scene where Dallas, Kane and Lambert are leaving the ship, the actual
actors walking past the Nostromo's landing struts are 3 children (two of
whom were director 'Ridley Scott' (qv)'s children) dressed in scaled down
spacesuits. This has the effect of making the ship look bigger.
- A sex scene between Dallas and Ripley was in the script, however was not
filmed.
- The front (face) part of the alien costume's head is made from a real human
skull.
- Only 'John Hurt' (qv) and the crew knew exactly what was going to happen
during the stomach-bursting scene, so reactions are totally genuine.
'Veronica Cartwright' (qv) gets hit in the face by some ``blood'' (visible
in the movie), and is quite shaken. When Scott called ``cut'' at the end of
the scene, the cameraman turned around and vomited. There is a persistent
rumor that the script originally had Lambert as the hero of the story, but
after this incident, 'Sigourney Weaver' (qv)'s Ripley became the hero.
- ``Nostromo'' is the title of a 'Joseph Conrad' (qv) book. See also
_Aliens_ (qv).
- Apparently, in the final scene with Ripley and the Alien, the sounds of
people having sex can be heard.
- Conceptual artist H. R. Geiger's designs were changed several times, becuase
of their blatant sexuality: the top of the eggs resembled a vagina too
closely.
- Extra scenes filmed but not included, due to pacing problems:
- Ripley finds Parker and Brett cocooned. Brett is covered in ``maggots'',
and begs Ripley to kill him. She does so with a flame thrower.
- Ripley and Lambert discuss whether Ash has sex or not
- Alternative death scene for Brett: Ripley and Parker come across an alive
Brett being lifted from the ground
- Ripley finds cocoons (one of which is Dallas) and destroys them with a
flame thrower.
These extra scenes were not restored to the re-released version, probably
for this reason, but possibly because it would conflict with the
subsequently released _Aliens_ (qv)' view of the alien's life-cycle.
- Scott described the film thus: ``There's a dreadful alien lose on the
spaceship, excuse me while I go in this dark room, on my own, for a moment.''
- SEQUEL(Aliens)
# Alien 3
- Multiple proposed scripts caused misleading advertising which inferred that
the movie would be set on Earth. 'William Gibson' (qv) (who wrote
``Neuromancer'') drafted a script in which Ripley spent most of the film in
a coma.
- SEQUEL-OF(Aliens)
# Aliens
- A draft of the script had Gorman being paralyzed by a stinger on the tail
of an alien, rather than being clobbered by falling equipment.
- The ``special edition'' includes extra scenes: Newt's parents discovering
abandoned alien ship on LV-426, scenes of Ripley discussing her daughter,
Hudson bragging about his weaponry, robot sentry guns repelling first alien
raid, Hicks and Ripley exchanging first names. Also included is a scene
on LV-426 where a child rides a low-slung tricycle similar to one ridden
in _The Terminator_ (qv), also directed by 'James Cameron' (qv).
- The mechanism used to make the facehuggers thrash about in the stasis tubes
in the science lab came from one of the ``flying piranahs'' in one of
Cameron's earlier movies
_Piranah II - The Spawning_ (qv). It took 9 people to make the face hugger
work; one person for each leg and someone for the tail.
- The APC was modeled after an airplane tug.
- ``Sulaco'' is the name of the town in 'Joseph Conrad' (qv)'s ``Nostromo''.
See also _Alien_ (qv).
- Hicks was originally played by 'James Remar' (qv), but 'Michael Biehn' (qv)
replaced him a few days after principal photography began, due to ``artistic
differences'' between Remar and Cameron.
- ``She thought they said `illegal aliens' and signed up...'' said Hudson.
This line (directed towards Vasquez) was in inside joke amongst the actors.
'Jeanette Goldstein' (qv) (Vasquez) had gone to the audition thinking the
film would be about illegal immigrants. She arrived with waist-long hair
and lots of makeup. Everyone else was wearing military fatigues.
- The ``special edition'' includes the sound of a face-hugger scurrying from
left to right as the final credits fade.
- DIRTRADE(James Cameron): [nice cut]: a few minutes into the movie, we see
Ripley lying in the cryo-tube, and then the scene fades to the picture of
the earth; the earth directly fits into the silhouette of Ripley's face.
- DIRTRADE(James Cameron): [feet]: When the soldiers arrive on LV426
and jump out of the armored vehicle. See also _The Abyss_ (qv).
- DIRTRADE(James Cameron): [feet]: When Ripley drives the APC, she
crushes an alien's head under one of the wheels.
- DIRTRADE(James Cameron): [feet]: close-ups of the power-lifter's feet.
- SEQUEL-OF(Alien (1979))
- SEQUEL(Alien 3))
# Alive
- Director 'Frank Marshall' (qv) was discussing the film on his car phone,
when he was cut off my a truck with a bumper sticker that read ``Rugby
Players Eat Their Dead''. Marshall decided to make the film, saying ``You
have to go with those kinds of things.''
- CAMEO(John Malkovich): The narrator.
# All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
- A sequence with 'Zasu Pitts' (qv) was included in the silent version, but
cut and refilmed with 'Beryl Mercer' (qv) when sound was added.
# All the Right Moves
- 'Tom Cruise' (qv) and 'Lea Thompson' (qv) had body doubles for the sex scene.
# Altered States
- Author 'Paddy Chayefsky' (qv) disowned this movie.
- The book was partially based on dolphin researcher John Lilly, who invented
the isolation tank, and first started taking drugs while ``tanking''.
- DIRTRADE(Ken Russell): [snake]: the dream sequence
# Always (1989)
- When Dorinda returns home in the plane, she is dressed like Ripley from
_Aliens_ (qv), and similarly, she has a ginger tom cat. The cat, however, is
named ``'Linda Blair' (qv)''.
- DIRTRADE(Steven Spielberg): [music]
# Amazon Women on the Moon
- Subtle crossovers between sketches [...]
- The name ``Don 'No Soul' Simmons'' keeps popping up.
- The ``release date'' for the movie keeps changing: ``We now return to our
feature film, the 1957 [19XX] classic, Amazon Women on the Moon...''.
[Lots of cameos]
# American Graffiti
- License plate on John Milner's car is ``THX-138''. _THX 1138_ (qv) is a film
also directed by 'George Lucas' (qv).
- There is a rumor that while Lucas and a co-worker were editing the film, the
co-worker asked Lucas for ``Reel Two, Dialog Two'', which abbreviated to
``R2D2'', a name which surfaced in Lucas' later film _Star Wars_ (qv).
- SEQUEL(More American Graffiti)
# American Werewolf in London, An
- All the songs in this film have ``moon'' in the title.
- DIRTRADE(John Landis): [SYNW]: the porno film showing when David
meets Jack and his zombie friends. A poster for the film appears in the
London Underground when the man is killed.
# Annie Hall
- The working title was ``Anhedonia'' (the inability to feel pleasure).
# Another Stakeout
- 'Richard Dreyfuss' (qv) won an Oscar for his role in
_The Goodbye Girl_ (qv). One of his lines in that movie was ``And I don't
like the panties hanging on the rod''. In this movie, Chris repeats this
line, while standing in front of a line of drying panties.
- SEQUEL-OF(Stakeout)
# Apartment, The
- To create the impression of a very large bureau in the scenes where Baxter is
behind his desk, director 'Billy Wilder' (qv) used dwarf actors and specially
designed furniture.
# Apocalypse Now
- Director 'Francis Ford Coppola' (qv) proposed this film ten years before he
was given funds to do it. The studio didn't think he could handle such a
large production, so he went and made _The Godfather_ (qv) and
_The Godfather Part II_ (qv), becoming extremely famous, rich, and respected.
- Originally scheduled to be shot over six weeks, ended up taking 16 months.
- 'Martin Sheen' (qv)'s scenes in his hotel room were intentionally performed
drunk, and were entirely ad-libbed. Sheen did not mean to smash the mirror
with his hand; this was a result of his drunken stupor.
- 'Harvey Keitel' (qv) originally cast as Captain Willard. Two weeks into
shooting, Coppola replaced him with Sheen, claiming Keitel was ``too
assertive''.
- A typhoon destroyed sets, causing a delay of several months.
- Filmed in the Philippines, where Ferdinand Marcos agreed to supply the
helicopters and pilots. Marcos's government also needed them for fighting
the rebels, and sometimes withdrew them during filming, sending different
pilots not familiar with the filming.
- 'Marlon Brando' (qv) paid $1 million in advance. Threatened to quit and
keep the advance. Coppola told his agent that he didn't care, and if they
couldn't get Brando, they would try 'Jack Nicholson' (qv),
'Robert Redford' (qv), and then 'Al Pacino' (qv). Brando eventually turned
up late, drunk, 40kg overweight, and admitted he hadn't read the script or
even ``Heart of Darkness'', the book it was based on. Read Coppola's
script, and refused to do it. Argued for days over single lines of
dialog. They eventually agreed on an ad-lib style script, and this was shot.
- Sheen had a heart attack during the filming; some shots of Willard's back
are actually of someone else.
- 'Sam Bottoms' (qv) was on speed, LSD, and marijuana during the shooting
of parts of the movie.
- 'Denis Hopper' (qv) was originally going to play Willard's predecessor, but
he was too affected by drugs to play a military type, so Coppola wrote him a
part as a crazy photo-journalist. Hopper and Coppola argued over whether it
was possible to forget your lines when you didn't learn them in the first
place.
- Kurtz's Montagnards were played by Ifugao people. Coppola's wife Eleanor
saw them performing animal sacrifice, and convinced her husband to use this
in the film.
- Scenes of animal slaughter were inserted after Coppola saw the extras
performing this as a part of a religious ceremony.
- Coppola invested several million dollars of his personal wealth after the
film went severely over budget.
- Coppola threatened suicide several times during the making of the film.
- There are three different treatments of the ending and credits. In the 35mm
version, the credits roll over surrealistic explosions and burning jungle
as the air strike occurs. The 70mm version has none of this, no credits,
nothing but a one-line copyright notice at the end. The home video version
has credits on a plain background.
- There are no opening credits or titles. The title of the movie appears as
graffiti late in the film.
- Entire set of scenes cut, where Willard and company find a river-side French
colony. Made the ``journey back through time'' symbolism more apparent:
Vietnam War to French Colony to Jungle Culture.
- 'Carmine Coppola' (qv) (director's father) wrote the score for this film.
- 'Harrison Ford' (qv)'s character wears a name badge which reads ``G. Lucas''.
'George Lucas' (qv) directed Ford in _American Graffiti_ (qv) and
_Star Wars_ (qv), two films which made Ford famous. 'G.D. Spradlin' (qv)'s
character is named ``R. Corman'', after producer 'Roger Corman' (qv).
- DIRCAMEO(Francis Ford Coppola): filming a war documentary.
- Coppola's wife Eleanore filmed and recorded the making of this film, and has
been released as a feature film called ``Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's
Apocalypse''. It includes clips from the movie, as well as later interviews.
# Army of Darkness
- The magic words Ash must use to claim the Book of the Dead are ``Klaatu,
Barada, Nikto'', the same words used to command the robot Gort in
_The Day the Earth Stood Still_ (qv).
- Director 'Sam Raimi' (qv) shot two different endings. One ending has Ash
battling a she-demon in a department store in the present. The alternative
ending has Ash imbibing a secret potion that would make him sleep one
century for each drop of the potion he drinks. He then goes to a cave to
sleep. However, he drank one drop too and wakes up to find a barren
post-apocalyptic landscape. The final shot is Ash screaming in rage at a
red sky. [GB video = potion US theatres = she-demon]
- CAMEO(Bridget Fonda): Linda
- DIRTRADE(Sam Raimi): [shemp]:
- DIRTRADE(Sam Raimi): [3-stooges]: The skeletons do a classic routine.
- SEQUEL-OF(Evil Dead II)
# Around the World in 80 Days
- Origin of the term ``cameo'', meaning in this case a small part by a famous
person.
- The following famous people appear in small parts in the film, and are
credited: 'Red Buttons' (qv), 'A.E. Matthews' (qv), 'Alan Mowbray' (qv),
'Andy Devine' (qv), 'Basil Sydney' (qv), 'Beatrice Lillie' (qv),
'Buster Keaton' (qv), 'Cesar Romero' (qv), 'Charles Boyer' (qv),
'Charles Coburn' (qv), 'Col Tim McCoy' (qv), 'Edmund Lowe' (qv),
'Edward R. Murrow' (qv), 'Evelyn Keyes' (qv), 'Fernandel' (qv),
'Finlay Currie' (qv), 'Frank Sinatra' (qv), 'George Raft' (qv),
'Gilbert Roland' (qv), 'Glynis Johns' (qv), 'Harcourt Williams' (qv),
'Hermione Gingold' (qv), 'Jack Oakie' (qv), 'Joe E. Brown' (qv),
'John Carradine' (qv), 'John Mills' (qv), 'Jose Greco' (qv),
'Luis Miguel Dominguin' (qv), 'Marine Carol' (qv), 'Marlene Dietrich' (qv),
'Melville Cooper' (qv), 'Mike Mazurki' (qv), 'Noel Coward' (qv),
'Peter Lorre' (qv), 'Red Skelton' (qv), 'Reginald Denny' (qv),
'Richard Wattis' (qv), 'Robert Morley' (qv), 'Ronald Colman' (qv),
'Ronald Squire' (qv), 'Cedric Hardwicke' (qv), 'John Gielgud' (qv),
'Trevor Howard' (qv), 'Victor McLaglen' (qv).
# Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)
- In the scene where Mortimer Brewster is sitting on a tombstone in the
graveyard outside his Aunt's home, one of the headstones behind him reads
``Archie Leech''. 'Cary Grant' (qv)'s real name is Archie Leach. See also
_His Girl Friday_ (qv).
# Assault on Precinct 13
- The editor is credited as James T. Chance, which was the name of
'John Wayne' (qv)'s character in _Rio Bravo_ (qv), on which this film was
based, but the actual editor was director 'John Carpenter' (qv).
# Awakenings
- 'Robin Williams' (qv) accidentally broke 'Robert De Niro' (qv)'s nose during
a rehearsal of the scene where Dr Sayer tries to get Leonard to go back on
the drug.
# Back to School
- CAMEO(Kurt Vonnegut): himself [credited?]
# Back to the Future
- 'Eric Stoltz' (qv) originally cast as Marty McFly, but changed because he
didn't act enough like a teenager. When 'Michael J. Fox' (qv) was cast, his
costume was completely revamped.
- Time travel inevitably creates paradoxes.
- The ``main street'' is the same one used in _Gremlins_ (qv).
- The device in Doc Brown's lab that Marty plugs his guitar into is labeled
``CRM-114'', which was the name of the message decoder on the B-52 in
_Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb_ (qv).
- Doc Brown's dog is named Einstein. This may be a vague reference to
_Chitty Chitty Bang Bang_ (qv), where the inventor of a miracle car owned a
dog named Edison.
- The mall where Marty McFly meets Dr. Brown for their time travel experiment
is called ``Twin Pines Mall''. Dr. Brown comments that old farmer Peabody
used to own all of the land, and he grew pines there. When Marty goes back
in time, he runs over and knocks down a pine tree on the Peabody's property.
When he comes back to the mall at the end of the film, the sign at the mall
identifies the mall as ``Lone Pine Mall''.
- Farmer Peabody's son is named Sherman. Sherman was the name of the little boy
time traveler in one segment of Jay Ward's cartoon show, ``The Rocky &
Bullwinkle Show.'' The dog who owned his time machine was named Mr. Peabody.
- One scene only shown in a 1990 TV was the 1955 Doc investigating his 1985
counterpart's suitcase, discovering a hairdryer and a copy of Playboy.
- The dialogue where Lorraine says that when she grows up she'll let her kids
do anything they want was cut.
- Another deleted scene shows Marty peeking in on a class in 1955 and seeing
his mother cheating on a test.
- The scene where Marty asks if he and Jennifer become ``assholes'' in the
future was reshot for television.
- Poster artist Drew Struzan designed at least four posters distinctly
different from the final poster that was used for the movie.
- The newscaster on TV in the opening sequence is 'Deborah Harmon' (qv), who
appeared in director 'Robert Zemeckis' (qv)' _Used Cars_ (qv).
- When Marty gets back to 1985, he spots a bum on the bench. He calls him
``Red'': ``Red Thomas'' was mayor in 1955.
- The radio in Marty's room plays ``Back in Time'', by Huey Lewis and the News,
who wrote and performed some songs for the film.
- The ``Mr Fusion Home Energy Converter'', which is sitting on the DeLorean
when Doc returns from the future, is made from (among other things) a Krups
coffee grinder.
- CAMEO(Huey Lewis): the high-school band judge.
- CAMEO(Steven Spielberg): The driver of the pickup truck that gives
Marty a lift to school.
- SEQUEL(Back to the Future Part II)
# Back to the Future Part II
- Filmed at the same time as _Back to the Future Part III_ (qv). In the five
years since the original was made, 'Michael J. Fox' (qv) had forgotten how
to ride a skateboard.
- A movie theatre advertises ``Jaws 19'', directed by ``Max Spielberg''.
Executive producer 'Steven Spielberg' (qv), who directed _Jaws_ (qv), has a
son Max.
- 'Crispin Glover' (qv) played George McFly in the original, but was replaced
by 'Jeffrey Weissman' (qv) in Part II and Part III. There is a rumour that
Glover had some emotional/mental problems which caused this.
- When Marty arrives in 2015, he looks in the window of an antique store, where
there is a Roger Rabbit doll and a _Jaws_ (qv) Nintendo game.
_Who Framed Roger Rabbit_ (qv) was also directed by 'Robert Zemekis' (qv).
The old man who wishes he had bet on the Cubbies is played by
'Charles Fleischer' (qv), who did Roger Rabbit's voice.
- A 1990 TV special showed some sequences cut from the film:
- Biff fades out of 2015 after stumblind out of the DeLorean and behind some
trash cans
- Marty discovers the destroyed Hill Valley High School
- The two police officers are named Reese and Foley, which are the names that
Zemekis and screenwriter 'Bob Gale' (qv) use for any police or government
agents in the films they have written.
- SEQUEL-OF(Back to the Future)
- SEQUEL(Back to the Future Part III)
# Back to the Future Part III
- Filmed at the same time as _Back to the Future Part II_ (qv). In the five
years since the original was made, 'Michael J. Fox' (qv) had forgotten how
to ride a skateboard.
- 'Crispin Glover' (qv) played George McFly in the original, but was replacedo
by 'Jeffrey Weissman' (qv) in Part II and Part III. There is a rumour that
Glover had some emotional/mental problems which caused this.
- The Editor of Hill Valley's newspaper in 1885 is ``M. R. Gale'', a tribute to
trilogy screenwriter 'Bob Gale' (qv).
- The sign at the train crossing in 1985 identifies the location as ``Eastwood
Plain''. Marty used the name ``'Clint Eastwood' (qv)'' in 1885.
- References to _Chitty-Chitty Bang-Bang_ (qv): the train sprouts fins similar
to the Professor's car.
- Director of Photography 'Dean Cundey' (qv) plays the photographer who takes
Marty and Doc's picture in 1885.
- DIRTRADE(Robert Zemeckis): [citation]: When Marty walks along the
railroad tracks and finally reaches the town, he comes to the railway
station. Then he walks into the town, while the camera slowly rises up
above the station and finally shows Marty at a large distance walking into
the town. This scene is shot exactly the same way as the scene in
_Once Upon A Time In The West_ (qv), when Jill arrives at the station.
- SEQUEL-OF(Back to the Future Part II)
# Bad and the Beautiful, The
- 'Lana Turner' (qv) plays an actor whose career started as a movie extra.
Turner started her own career as an extra in _A Star is Born_ (qv).
- Director 'Vincente Minelli' (qv) and star 'Kirk Douglas' (qv) also teamed upo
in another movie about Hollywood, _Two Weeks in Another Town_ (qv).
- James Lee ('Dick Powell' (qv)) won the Pulitzer Prize for his book ``A Woman
of Taste'', about his late wife Rosemary ('Gloria Grahame' (qv)).
# Bagdad Cafe
- The shadow of the camera crew is visible while the credits for the
cinematographer are on the screen.
# Bambi
- Some scenes of woodland creatures and the forest fire are unused footage from
_Pinocchio_ (qv).
# Barfly
- CAMEO(Charles Bukowski): in the bar where Henry and Wanda meet for
the first time.
# Barry Lyndon
- Director 'Stanley Kubrick' (qv) did not use any artificial lighting when he
shot this film.
# Barton Fink
- 'John Turturro' (qv) plays the title role. In _Miller's Crossing_ (qv) (also
directed by 'Joel Coen' (qv)), Turturro played a character who met a man at
an apartment building called ``The Barton Arms''.
# Basic Instinct
- 'Kim Basinger' (qv) was originally cast as Catherine Tramell.
- 'Michael Douglas' (qv)' character watches [_Hellraser_ (qv) or
_Brain_ (qv)?].
# Batman (1989)
- 'Adam West' (qv) (the star of the TV series) wanted to play Batman, but
'Michael Keaton' (qv) was given the role after getting the nod from
Bob Kane, the creator of the original Batman comic strip.
- Heavy security surrounded The Joker's makeup.
- 'Sean Young' (qv) originally cast as Vicki Vale, but broke her collar bone
while filming a horse-riding scene with 'Michael Keaton' (qv). The scene
was subsequently rewritten out of the script.
- Most shots of Batman in costume are a stunt double.
- Spanish subtitles convert ``6 foot'' and ``108 (lbs)'' to metric.
- Kane was scheduled to make a cameo appearance, but he couldn't make the
shoot. The drawing that the newspaper report holds up of the ``Bat-Man'' was
drawn by Kane.
- CAMEO(Prince): rumor unconfirmed as of yet.
- SEQUEL(Batman Returns)
# Batman Returns
- 'Danny DeVito' (qv) forbidden to describe The Penguin's makeup to anyone,
including his family.
- The bad guy's name is Max Schreck. 'Max Schreck' (qv) played the vampire in
_Nosferatu (1922)_ (qv).
- The film was been branded `anti-semetic' in an opinion piece in the New York
Times because of the Jewish references in The Penguin's character:
- He has a big nose
- He likes to eat herrings
- He is 33 years old: the same age as Christ
- He is discovered floating down the underground river in a basket, much
like Moses
- He plans to kill the first born of all the elite citizens of Gotham,
reminiscent of the Passover story
- carries his umbrella into the graveyard the same way Christ carried the
cross.
- 'Sean Young' (qv) very much wanted the role of The Catwoman. During
preproduction she arrived at the studio in a Catwoman costume to confront
the makers of the movie. She used other people scouting the studio grounds,
using walkie- talkies to communicate, to track down the producers. See also
_Batman (1989)_ (qv).
- SEQUEL-OF(Batman (1989))
# Battle Beyond the Stars
- Plot borrowed from _The Magnificent Seven_ (qv), which borrowed the plot from
_The Seven Samurai_ (qv).
# Beaches
- CAMEO(Hector Elizondo): Justice of the Peace
# Beauty and the Beast (1991)
- ``Be Our Guest'' was originally animated with Maurice (not Belle) as the
guest, but they decided not to waste such a wonderful song on a secondary
character.
- ``Chip'' originally had only one line, but the producers liked the voice so
much that they had extra lines written.
- Tiny Toon Adventure script writer Sheri Stoner was used as the model for
Belle. See also _The Little Mermaid (1989)_ (qv).
# Bed and Bread
- CAMEO(Jacques Tati): Monsieur Hulot. M. Hulot is the main character
of many classic Tati's movies.
# Beetlejuice
- Title role originally written for 'Sammy Davis Jr.' (qv).
- When Barbara and Adam are in their case worker's office, through the blinds
you can see Elwood and Jake from _The Blues Brothers_ (qv).
# Being There
- Every contract 'Peter Sellers' (qv) signs includes a clause which stipulates
that his accommodation must allow his bed to face East-West. Chance
says: ``I like to sleep with my head facing North''. The attorney he's with
says ``But this bed is facing west!''
# Ben-Hur (1959)
- The rumor that the 'Stephen Boyd' (qv)'s double was killed during the
chariot race is false.
- The chariot race segment was directed by legendary stunt-man,
'Yakima Canutt' (qv). One of Canutt's sons doubled for
'Charlton Heston' (qv). During one of the crashes, in which Judah Ben-Hur's
horses jump over a crashed chariot, the younger Canutt was thrown from his
chariot onto the tongue of his chariot. He managed to climb back into his
chariot and bring it back under control (his only injury was a cut on the
chin). The sequence looked so good that it was included in the film, with a
close-up of Heston climbing back into the chariot. The cut on Canutt Jr's
chin was the only injury in the incredibly dangerous sequence. Canutt Sr
won a lifetime achievement Oscar for this work - the only stunt man ever to
win an Oscar.
# Beverly Hills Cop
- Axel Foley originally going to be played by 'Sylvester Stallone' (qv).
- SEQUEL(Beverly Hills Cop II)
# Beverly Hills Cop II
- SEQUEL-OF(Beverly Hills Cop)
- SEQUEL(Beverly Hills Cop III)
# Beverly Hills Cop III
- SEQUEL-OF(Beverly Hills Cop II)
# Big Chill, The
- Flashback scenes with 'Kevin Costner' (qv) as Alex filmed, but cut.
# Big Picture, The
- CAMEO(Martin Short): agent.
- CAMEO(Eliot Gould): lawyer in the first student film.
# Big Sleep, The (1946)
- Director 'Howard Hanks' (qv) and star 'Humphrey Bogart' (qv) got into an
argument as to whether one of the characters was murdered or committed
suicide. The sent a wire to author 'Raymond Chandler' (qv) asking him to
settle the issue, but he replied that he didn't know either.
# Big Steal, The (1990)
- A TV can be heard to be showing _Malcolm_ (qv), which has the same producers.
# Big Trouble in Little China
- Some of the lightning forms a Chinese symbol as it disappears. The symbol
translates as ``carpenter''. This film was directed by
'John Carpenter' (qv).
# Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey
- The original title of this film was ``Bill and Ted go to Hell'' but was
changed for obvious reasons.
- Bill's grandmother, ``Gramma S. Preston, Esquire'' is played by
'Alex Winter' (qv).
- 'William Sadler' (qv) (``Death''), also plays a bit role as an Englishman
when we see various spots around the world when the Battle of the Bands is
shown.
- Sadler wrote the ``Reaper Rap'', which is played over the closing credits.
- There are statues of 'David Niven' (qv) and 'Michael Powell' (qv) in heaven.
- References to _A Matter of Life and Death_ (qv), _The Seventh Seal_ (qv).
- SEQUEL-OF(Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure)
# Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure
- SEQUEL(Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey)
# Billion Dollar Brain
- 'Michael Caine' (qv) performed most of his own stunts. During the final ice
flow scene, he almost slipped and fell into the water which is at 30C below
zero.
- Caine had originally signed a five picture deal, but when he was
reluctant to return to the role, producer Harry Saltzman let him out of the
contract.
# Birds, The
- DIRCAMEO(Alfred Hitchcock): at the start of the film walking two dogs
past the pet shop (the dogs were actually his own).
- Hitchcock tried to hire 'Joseph Stefano' (qv) (writer of _Psycho_ (qv)) to
write the script, but he wasn't interested in the story. The final
screenplay (from a 'Daphne Du Maurier' (qv) story) was written by
'Evan Hunter' (qv), best known to detective story fans under his pen name
'Ed McBain' (qv).
- Hitchcock spotted 'Tippi Hedren' (qv) in a diet drink commercial.
- The scene where Hedren is ravaged by birds near the end of the movie
took a week to shoot. The birds were attached to her clothes by long
nylon threads so they could not get away.
- The film does not finish with the usual ``THE END'' title because Hitchcock
wanted to give the impression of unending terror.
- An intended final shot with the Golden Gate bridge covered in birds was
not filmed because of cost.
- The poster for the movie said: ``THE BIRDS IS COMING!'' irritating English
teachers nationwide.
- Hendren's daughter 'Melanie Griffith' (qv) claims she was given a present
by Hitchcock during the filming. It was a doll of her mother in a coffin,
which Hitchcock intended as a joke.
# Black Hole, The
- At the end of the film, there is a scene which reputedly shows Reinhardt and
Maximillian ``burning in hell''.
- Dr Reinhardt's ship is called the ``U.S.S. Cygnus.'' The first black hole
discovered was named ``Cygnus X-1.''
# Black Widow (1986)
- CAMEO(David Mamet): playing poker with Debra Winger
# Blackmail (1929)
- DIRCAMEO(Alfred Hitchcock): being bothered by a small boy on the
subway.
- The film was Hitchcock's and England's first talking picture.
- 'Anny Ondra' (qv)'s voice was dubbed by 'Joan Barry' (qv) because she had a
thick German accent. Barry had to stand just off the set and read Ondra
s lines into a microphone as the film was shot.
# Blade Runner
- LOTS of stuff: check out the Blade Runner FAQ in rec.arts.movies,
alt.cult-movies, news.answers, etc. Available by anonymous FTP as
rtfm.mit.edu:/pub/usenet/news.answers/movies/bladerunner-faq.
# Blazing Saddles
- Scriptwriter 'Andrew Bergman' (qv) originally named the lead character
``Tex X''.
- Director 'Mel Brooks' (qv) plays a character called ``Le Petomane'', which
is the name of a popular French performer at the beginning of the 20th
century. His specialty was telling stories punctuated with flatulence.
- In the shot where the showbill for ``Lili von Schtupp, The Teutonic
Titwillow'' appears, the tune played on the honky-tonk piano in the
background is ``Springtime for Hitler'' from _The Producers_ (qv), also
directed by Brooks.
- The ``stinkin' badges'' line is from _The Treasure of the Sierra Madre_ (qv).
- The TV release has two extra scenes that weren't in the theatrical release.
- When Sheriff Bart is trying to capture Mongo, after he delivers the
``CandyGram for Mongo'', it then shows a ``draw on the dummy sheriff'' game
that fires a cannon at Mongo, and then a scene Bart convinces Mongo to
go diving down a well for Spanish Doubloons and Bart stops pumping air
to the diving suit because it's time for his lunch break.
- Everyone in the town of Rockridge's last name is ``Johnson''.
- CAMEO(Count Bassie and band): the jazz band in the desert.
- DIRCAMEO(Mel Brooks): the aviator in the bad-guy queue.
# Blind Date (1984)
- 'Madonna' (qv) and 'Sean Penn' (qv) were approached to star together in this
movie, but producers wanted to cast 'Bruce Willis' (qv) in the male lead, so
Madonna backed out.
# Bloodbath at the House of Death
- References to: _An American Werewolf in London_ (qv) [more!]
# Bloodsport (1987)
- 'Jean-Claude Van Damme' (qv) was well-known in Europe as a kickboxer, but an
unknown in Hollywood. He spotted producer 'Menahem Golan' (qv) coming out
of a restuarant and getting into his car. He introduced himself, and then
did a 360 degree spinning kick, narrowly missing Golan's head. Golan signed
him immediately for _Bloodsport_ (qv).
# Blue Iguana, The
- CAMEO(Dean Stockwell):
# Blues Brothers, The
- Has many famous people in the cast:
- 'Frank Oz' (qv): prison officer
- 'Cab Calloway' (qv): Curtis
- 'James Brown' (qv): the Reverend of the First Rock Church
- 'Irene Cara' (qv) [Chaka Khan?]: church soloist
- 'Paul Reubens' (qv) (Pee Wee Herman): wine waiter
- 'John Lee Hooker' (qv): musician on Maxwell Street
- 'Aretha Franklin' (qv): proprietor of the ``Soul Food Cafe''. The three
backing
singers are her sisters.
- 'Ray Charles' (qv): Ray from ``Ray's Music Exchange''
- 'Twiggy' (qv): blonde in sports car
- 'Steven Spielberg' (qv): Cook County Assessor
- 'Joe Walsh' (qv) (lead guitarist of Eagles): first prisoner to jump up and
start dancing
- The ``Blues Brothers Band'' consists of already well-respected musicians, who
have recorded and written with the likes of Eric Clapton and Otis Redding.
- 'John Belushi' (qv) was extremely disappointed at the film's reception, and
it is rumored that this contributed to his ``accidental'' (?) death from
cocaine. The film went on to become a definitive ``cult'' movie, still
drawing crowds years later. Recently, the authentic ``Blues Brothers Band''
has been touring the world, playing gigs after showing the film.
- Every time we see the window in Elwood's apartment a train goes past.
- When the police car flips over in the mall, the police officer says ``Hey,
they broke my watch!'' This line is repeated after every major car crash.
- ``Murph and the Magictones'' have a pink Cadillac with the name of the band
painted on the side. After they re-join the Blues Brothers, the car has
``The Blues Brothers'' crudely spray-painted on it.
- Elwood never takes off his sunglasses, and Jake never takes off his hat.
- This film holds the world record for the number of cars crashed.
- DIRTRADE(John Landis): [ipanema]: the music in the elevator.
- DIRTRADE(John Landis): [SYNW]: the message on the billboard that the
cops were hiding behind.
# Bob Roberts
- Writer/Director/Actor 'Tim Robbins' (qv) wrote a song called ``Revape
Amerika'' for _Tapeheads_ (qv). It was performed by ``Bob Roberts''.
Robbins reworked the song into ``Retake America''.
# Bodyguard, The (1992)
- This film was originally proposed in the mid-70's, starring 'Diana Ross' (qv)
and 'Steve McQueen' (qv), but was rejected as ``too controversial''.
- Rachel's mansion is the same mansion as the ``horse's head in the bed''
mansion in _The Godfather_ (qv).
- Rachel and Frank go and see _Yojimbo_ (qv), which was released in the United
States as ``The Bodyguard''.
# Bonfire of the Vanities, The
- 'Alan Arkin' (qv) (Judge Myron Kovitzky) was replaced late in preproduction
by 'Morgan Freeman' (qv) and the character renamed; mostly because of
scheduling problems. This decision cost over $2 million.
- 'F. Murray Abraham' (qv)'s contract for this movie stipulated that his name
appear above the title in the advertising, or not at all. Since the
producers already had 'Tom Hanks' (qv), 'Melanie Griffiths' (qv),
'Bruce Willis' (qv) and Freeman above the title, Abraham chose not to be
credited.
- The production is extensively documented in ``The Devil's Candy'' by Julie
Salamon (ISBN 0-385-30824-8)
# Boomerang (1992)
- DIRCAMEO(Reginald Hudlin): hustler
- CAMEO(Washington Hudlin): hustler
# Born on the Fourth of July
- CAMEO(Abbie Hoffman): a war/draft protester.
- CAMEO(Ron Kovic): WWII veteran in the parade at the beginning.
- DIRCAMEO(Oliver Stone): a TV reporter.
# Boy and His Dog, A
- Screenplay started by 'Harlan Ellison' (qv), who wrote the novella on which
it is based. Ellison encountered writer's block, and so producer
'Alvy Moore' (qv) and 'L.Q. Jones' (qv) took over and wrote the script.
Ellison saw nothing of the film until the premier, at which he was sitting
next to Moore. Ellison praised the film, to the relief of Moore, but there
are rumors that Ellison later condemned the film.
# Boy Friend, The
- CAMEO(Glenda Jackson):
# Boys in Company C, The
- Drill Instructor played by 'R Lee Ermey' (qv), a former US Marines Drill
Instructor.
# Boyz N the Hood
- DIRCAMEO(John Singleton): the mailman.
# Brain Eaters, The
- CAMEO(Leonard Nimoy):
# Brainstorm (1983)
- 'Natalie Wood' (qv) died before filming was complete, thus the ending had to
be constructed from scenes shot earlier.
# Brazil (1985)
- Jack's daughter Holly played by director 'Terry Gilliam' (qv)'s daughter.
- lots of significant names:
- Mr Kurtzman (German for ``short man''): small in stature and success. Named
after the editor of ``Help'' (Harvey Kurtzman), a magazine that Gilliam
worked for in the mid-60s. It was at a photo shoot for this magazine that
Gilliam met 'John Cleese' (qv), who would later invite him to join the Monty
Python team.
- Mr Helpman: ``helped'' Sam
- Mr Warrenn: works in a rabbit-warren style place: a maze of corridors
- Gilliam had trouble with studio producers over the black ending he wanted on
the film. The producers wanted a ``happy Hollywood'' film which eliminated
(among other things) the final transition and a critical line of dialog which
reveals the fate of Jill. These changes were made, and this ``butchered''
version was shown on US television at least once. Gilliam threatened to
disown the film, and consequently the cinematic release and all videotape
versions show the film essentially as he intended it to be seen (although
the US cinematic release still omitted the line about Jill).
- The ``young Mrs Lowry'' was played by both 'Kim Griest' (qv) and
'Katherine Helmond' (qv).
- Gilliam tested more than a half-dozen actors to play the part of Jill,
interviewing or testing 'Jamie Lee Curtis' (qv), 'Rebecca De Mornay' (qv),
'Rae Dawn Chong' (qv), 'Joanna Pakula' (qv), 'Rosanna Arquette' (qv),
'Kelly McGillis' (qv), 'Ellen Barkin' (qv), and he even considered
'Madonna' (qv). Gilliam's personal favorite was Barkin.
- The book ``The Battle of Brazil'' details the production of this movie.
- References to _Potemkin_ (qv).
- The theme song (which Sam listens to in his car) was also featured in
'Brazil (1944)' (qv).
- DIRCAMEO(Terry Gilliam): the smoker in the Shangri-La tower who bumps
into Sam.
# Bringing Up Baby
- Susan pretends that she and David ('Cary Grant' (qv)) are gangsters. The
underworld nickname she gives police for David is ``Jerry the Nipper'', a
nickname that Jerry (Grant) had in _The Awful Truth_ (qv).
# Broadcast News
- 'Jack Nicholson' (qv) was niether credited nor paid for his role, at his
own request. He didn't want to distract from the leads.
# Broadminded
- CAMEO(Bela Lugosi): man whose hot dog was stolen.
# Bugsy Malone
- 'Jodie Foster' (qv)'s singing was dubbed. Director 'Alan Parker' (qv)
regrets this later, when Foster goes on to be a major star.
# Cadillac Man
- CAMEO(Elaine Stritch): widow.
# Cape Fear (1962)
- REMADE-AS(Cape Fear (1991))
# Cape Fear (1991)
- 'Robert De Niro' (qv) paid a dentist $5,000 to make his teeth look suitably
bad for the role of Max Cady. After filming, he paid $20,000 to have them
fixed.
- De Niro was tattooed with vegetable dyes, which fade after a few months.
- 'Gregory Peck' (qv), who starred in _Cape Fear (1962)_ (qv) version, appears
as Cady's lawyer.
- 'Robert Mitchum' (qv), played Max Cady in the 1962 version, and appears as a
policeman.
- 'Martin Balsam' (qv) appears in both versions.
- Scene in high school auditorium totally ad-libbed by De Niro and
'Juliette Lewis' (qv), and done on the first take.
- REMAKE-OF(Cape Fear(1962))
# Caprice
- [Doris Day] ('Doris Day' (qv)) goes to see a Doris Day film.
# Career Opportunities
- CAMEO(John Candy):
# Carlito's Way
- Director 'Brian DePalma' (qv) wanted to shoot the climax of the film at
the World Trade Center in New York, but unfortunately it was bombed, and
he had to shoot it in ``another railway station again.'' See
_The Untouchables_ (qv).
# Casablanca
- Rick never says ``Play it again, Sam.'' He says: ``You played
it for her, you can play it for me. Play it!''. Ilsa says ``Play it, Sam.
Play `As Time Goes By'''.
- 'Dooley Wilson' (qv) (Sam) was a professional drummer who faked playing the
piano. As the music was recorded at the same time as the film, the piano
playing was actually performed by 'Elliot Carpenter' (qv) behind a curtain.
- 'Hal Wallis' (qv) nearly made the character Sam a female.
'Hazel Scott' (qv), 'Lena Horne' (qv), and 'Ella Fitzgerald' (qv) were
tested for the role.
- 'Humphrey Bogart' (qv)'s wife continually accused him of having an affair with
'Ingrid Bergman' (qv), often confronting him in his dressing room before a
shot. Bogart would come onto the set in a rage.
- 'Ronald Reagan' (qv) and 'George Raft' (qv) was on the shortlist for the role
of Rick.
- Bergman complained that she didn't know who her character was supposed to be
in love with.
- Two contradicting endings were scheduled to be filmed, but the first one
worked so well that they used it.
- The budget was so small they couldn't use a real plane in the back ground at
the airport. Instead, it is a small cardboard cutout. To give the illusion
that the plane was full-sized, they used midgets to portray the crew
preparing the plane for take-off.
- This film was rewritten daily during filming, made on a shoestring budget,
hastily released, and expected to bomb.
- The actors who played the Nazis were Jewish.
- The timely real-life invasion of Casablanca was used to promote this film,
and undoubtedly contributed to its success.
- Based on a play called ``Everybody Comes To Rick's''.
- Many of the shadows were painted onto the set. [rumor]
# Casino Royale
- 'Peter Sellers' (qv) and 'Orson Wells' (qv) hated each so much that the
filming of the scene where both of them face each other across a gaming
table actually took place on different days with a double standing in for
one the actors.
# CB4
- References to: _Wayne's World_ (qv), _The Silence of the Lambs_ (qv),
_Boyz N the Hood_ (qv), _Colors_ (qv) [more?]
# Charley Varrick
- DIRCAMEO(Don Siegel): a table tennis player.
# Chase, The (1994)
- CAMEO(Ron Jeremy): The TV camerman in [Charlie Sheen]'s lawyer's office.
# Cheyenne Autumn
- Director 'John Ford' (qv) deliberately only allowed one take, so that actors
would remain nervous.
# China Syndrome, The
- Although widely panned by ``experts'' as too far fetched to be credible,
a few weeks after the film's release the plant at Three Mile Island in
Pennsylvania suffered a disaster almost identical to that described in the
movie. In one scene of the movie, Wells and Adams estimate that a meltdown
would contaminate a state ``the size of Pennsylvania''.
# Chinatown
- DIRCAMEO(Roman Polanski): the hood who slits Jake's nose.
- SEQUEL(The Two Jakes)
# Chopping Mall
- CAMEO(Paul Bartel): the same character he played in _Eating Raoul_ (qv),
another 'Roger Corman' (qv) production.
- CAMEO(Mary Woronov): the same character she played in _Eating Raoul_ (qv),
another 'Roger Corman' (qv) production.
# Church, The
- [Thomas Arana] opens a door with a key. The key ring is one of the ones
given away as a promotion for _The Adventures Baron Munchausen_ (qv), for
which director 'Michele Soavi' (qv) was the second unit director.
# Citizen Kane
- William Randolph Hearst was incensed by this movie. According to one author,
the movie was based on Hearst's life, and ``Rosebud'' was his pet name for
long-time mistress Marion Davies' clitoris. Davies was supposedly the
inspiration for Susan Alexander.
- One of the voices of the reporters watching the newsreel at the beginning
belongs to 'Joseph Cotten' (qv).
- The scene where Kane destroys Susan's room after she's left him was done on
the first take. Director/star 'Orson Wells' (qv)' hands were bleeding, and
he is quoted as saying ``I really felt it.''
- Wells privately watched _Stagecoach (1939)_ (qv) about 40 times while making
this film.
# City Slickers
# City Slickers
- 'Billy Crystal' (qv) co-wrote the story, but is not given on-screen credit.
- SEQUEL-OF(City Slickers)
- Some trailers feature a scene where someone's spurs are caught on a rail, but
this scene is not in the movie.
- The cow-giving-birth used a puppet calf, as several takes were wanted. The
shot of Norman getting to his feet was real footage taken just after birth.
Crystal actually assisted in the delivery. Six calves were used in
all, and Crystal arranged for them all to live full lives on a farm.
- SEQUEL(City Slickers II)
# Cleopatra (1963)
- 'Elizabeth Taylor' (qv) converted to judaism during the shooting, which
prevented it being shown in Egypt and other Arab countries.
# Cliffhanger
- 31 climbers were signed up, including Ron Kauk and the late Wolfgang Gullich.
Gullich performed many of the film's stunts.
- Kauk was 'Sylvester Stallone' (qv)'s stunt double and really had to bulk up.
He ate 5 carbohydrate-heavy meals a day and pumped a lot of iron. The
trainer wanted to have him eat a sixth meal in the middle of the night.
Kauk also doubled for Leon, a 6'3" black actor, and 'Janine Turner' (qv),
the female lead.
- To demonstrate his faith in the safety equipment, director
'Renny Harlin' (qv) put on a harness and flung himself out on a cable over a
cliff.
- An avid golfer, Stallone found that climbing roughed up his hands and
consequently messed up his game. He had a net on the set for practice. The
models he was dating complained about his rough hands.
- Electrical storms hit during filming, knocking down 5 crew members. Climber
Earl Wiggins was hit 3 times, but was only slightly injured. During a later
storm, crew members had fun taking pictures of each other with their hair
standing on end while the climbers pointed out the wisdom of evacuating.
- The background for many of the scenes was generated by an IBM Power
Visualization System.
- Sneak-preview audiences saw a scene where a rabbit gets killed by gunfire.
Their reaction was strong enough for Stallone to invest $100,000 of his
own money to have the scene re-shot so that the rabbit escaped.
- The credits include a message which explains that the Black Diamond harness
used in the opening scene was specially modified so that it would fail.
- The stuntman who did the air-to-air transfer (Simon Crane) actually couldn't
get inside the second plane, but good editing gives the appearance that he
does.
- One of the buckles on the horse's bridle is a piece of climbing equipment.
- DIRTRADE(Renny Harlin): [finland]: one of the parachutes looks like
the Finnish flag.
# Clockwork Orange, A
- The slang that the youths speak is based on Russian.
- _2001: A Space Odyssey_ (qv) (also directed by 'Stanley Kubrick' (qv))
soundtrack highly visible in record store.
- The book that Frank Alexander is working on when Alex and his droogs break
into is home is called ``A Clockwork Orange''. Author
'Anthony Burgess' (qv) uses a pun on the Malay word ``Ourang''. Burgess
lived for several years in Malaya.
- The photo-montage when Alex clobbers the old lady are mostly the paintings
the old lady has hanging in her room.
- Alexander's bodyguard was played by professional bodybuilder
'David Prowse' (qv). Even so, he was near exhaustion after the repeated
takes of him carrying Alexander and his wheelchair down the stairs.
- Many phallic symbols: snake crawling between the legs of the woman in the
poster, the popsicles held by the girls in the record store, the tip of
Alex's walking stick, the object used by Alex to kill the woman.
- Kubrick deliberately made continuity errors just before the author worked
out who Alex is. The dishes on the table move around to give a feeling of
disorientation to the viewer.
- The film was withdrawn voluntarily by Kubrick from the United Kingdom after
being criticized as too violent. Kubrick has stated that the film will be
released there only after his death.
- The film leaves out the last chapter of the book, where Alex starts thinking
about getting married and settling down. Reportedly, this is one of the
reasons that angered Burgess and caused him to criticize the film as one
that glorifies violence.
- DIRTRADE(Stanley Kubrick): [three-way]: Alex vs Government vs
Alexander.
- DIRTRADE(Stanley Kubrick): [faces]: Alexander, when he realizes who
Alex is.
# Close Encounters of the Third Kind
- The working title was ``Watch the Skies'', the closing words from
_The Thing From Another World_ (qv).
- Barry is shown to be surprised by the extraterrestrials. Director
'Steven Spielberg' (qv) dressed up in a gorilla suit and was off camera while
'Cary Guffey' (qv)'s reaction was filmed.
- In the original version, there is a long scene of Roy Neary tears up his and
a neighbor's back yard for materials with which to build a model of Devil's
Tower. This scene is not in ``The Special Edition'' but was replaced by a
scene (the night before) in which his wife discovers him crying, fully
clothed, under a running hot shower. A family fight ensues, but this entire
scene was not seen in the original version. Also, additional footage was
shot for ``The Special Edition'' that shows Neary inside the alien
mothership at the end of the movie.
- SFX man 'Douglas Trumbull' (qv) created the cloud effects by injecting white
paint into tanks of salt and fresh water.
- It is possible to see an upside down R2-D2 (from _Star Wars_ (qv), etc) in
part of the large spacecraft that flys over Devil's Mountain. The SFX people
needed more detail, and so supposedly there are many more such items, such as
a shark from _Jaws_ (qv) (also directed by Spielberg), etc. R2-D2 is
visible as Jillian first sees the mothership up close from her hiding
place in the rocks.
- The watch that Neary wears only shows the time when he presses a button
on it. During filming the watch remains blank. This is to avoid continuity
errors.
- DIRTRADE(Steven Spielberg): [music]
- DIRTRADE(Steven Spielberg): [stars]
# Clue
- The actor who plays Mr. Body is the lead singer of the punk band ``Fear''.
# Coal Miner's Daughter
- 'Beverly D'Angelo' (qv) and 'Sissy Spacek' (qv) did all their own singing.
# Cold Feet (1989)
- CAMEO(Jeff Bridges): bartender
# Color Me Dead
- REMAKE-OF(Strangers on a Train)
# Color of Money, The
- The voice explaining 8-ball is director 'Martin Scorsese' (qv)'s.
- SEQUEL-OF(The Hustler)
# Comfort and Joy
- 'Mark Knopfler' (qv), lead singer of Dire Straits, wrote the soundtrack for
this film. Lyrics from a previous Dire Straits album ``Love Over Gold'' are
used as dialog in the film: ``I hear the terrible twins came to call on
you'' is similar to: ``I hear the seven deadly sins came to call on you'',
and ``The bigger they are, baby, the harder they fall on you'' are both
lyrics from the song ``It Never Rains''.
# Coming Home
- 'Jane Fonda' (qv) had a body double for her sex scene with 'Jon Voight' (qv).
# Coming to America
- Airport scenes in _Into The Night_ (qv) and _Coming To America_ (qv) have a
call over the PA system for a ``Mr Frank Ozkerwitz'' to pick up the white
courtesy phone. This is 'Frank Oz' (qv)'s real name.
- The bums that pickup the money that the Prince ('Eddie Murphy' (qv)) drops
are the ``Duke Brothers'' from _Trading Places_ (qv) (also directed by
'John Landis' (qv)). In that movie, Billy Ray Valentine (Murphy) was
responsible for The Dukes losing their fortune.
- The predatory woman in the bar was played by 'Arsenio Hall' (qv).
- All characters in the barber shop (including the caucasians) are played by
Murphy, Hall, [and another black comedian].
- DIRTRADE(John Landis): [SYNW]: on a movie poster in the subway
station (the movie claims to star 'Jamie Lee Curtis' (qv), who appeared in
Landis' _Trading Places_ (qv)).
# Commando (1985)
- ACTTRADE(Arnold Schwarzenegger): ``I'll be back, Bennet!''
# Commitments, The
- The producers wanted 'Andrew Stong' (qv)'s father to audition for one of the
roles. He brought his 16-year old son along, who then landed the lead role.
- One of the audition songs is the title song from _Fame_ (qv) (also directed
by 'Alan Parker' (qv)).
- DIRCAMEO(Alan Parker): the record producer in the studio near the end
of the film. A cardboard cut-out of him can also be seen in the background
in a video shop, and cassettes of his films are on the shelves.
# Conan the Barbarian
- 'Arnold Schwarzenegger' (qv) and 'Sandahl Bergman' (qv) did their own
stunts, as they couldn't find suitable body doubles.
- Director 'John Milius' (qv) is an avid surfer. Bergman and
'Gerry Lopez' (qv) are professional surfers.
- Schwarzenegger had to tone down his workout, as his arm/chest muscles were
so big that he couldn't wield a sword properly.
- The man who played Conan's sword master trained the actors in the art of
swordplay.
- The fake blood used in the film came in the form of a concentrate which had
to be mixed with water prior to use. Due to the cold weather, it was mixed
with vodka (as an anti-freeze) instead. In the scenes in which the actors
were supposed to spit the blood, they would swallow it instead, then go back
to the special effects man for more.
- The Mattel Toy Company started to make some Conan action figures, but after
viewing the film, the executives realized that they couldn't afford to be
associated with a film with such graphic sex and violence. They gave their
doll blonde hair, called him ``He-man'', and thus created the
_Masters of the Universe_ (qv).
- SEQUEL(Conan the Destroyer)
# Conan the Destroyer
- SEQUEL-OF(Conan the Barbarian)
# Conqueror, The (1956)
- On-site filming took place at a nuclear test site, and some of the
radioactive sand was even carted back to the studio lot for further scenes.
This radiation managed to kill off a substantial number of actors, and
probably contributed to 'John Wayne' (qv)'s lung problems.
# Conversation, The
- CAMEO(Robert Duvall): man who hires Harry Caul.
# Coogan's Bluff
- DIRCAMEO(Don Siegel): man in an elevator.
# Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover, The
- Costumes change as characters walk from room to room.
- Animal symbolism is rampant: Albert Spica drives a Jaguar, the big sign
above the restuarant says ``P&A'' (panda).
# Creepshow
- CAMEO(Stephen King): Jordy Verril (man covered in moss).
- CAMEO(Joe King [son of Stephen]): The boy at the beginning (avid collector
of ``Creepshow'' magazine and voodoo dolls).
- SEQUEL(Creepshow 2)
# Creepshow 2
- CAMEO(Stephen King): truck driver in ``The Hitcher''.
- SEQUEL-OF(Creepshow)
# Crimes and Misdemeanors
- CAMEO(Daryl Hannah):
# Crimewave (1985)
- DIRTRADE(Sam Raimi): [3-stooges]: many, including the bowling balls
rolling off the shelf onto the man's head.
# Cross Creek
- CAMEO(Malcom Mc Dowell): Maxwell Perkins
# Crow, The
- 'Brandon Lee' (qv) died during a mishap on the set. A scene required him
to load a gun, cock it, and then point it at the camera. Because of the
close-range of the shot, the bullets loaded had real brass caps, but
no powder. After the cut, the propsmaster (not the armsmaster - he had
left the set for the day) dry-fired the gun to get the cock off,
knocking an empty cartridge into the barrel of the gun. Later in the
filming, the same gun was loaded with blanks (which usually contain
double or triple the powder of a normal bullet) and fired at Lee. The
cartridge left in the barrel was blasted at Lee, who subsequently died.
Lee is the son of martial arts legend 'Bruce Lee' (qv), who died during the
making of _Game of Death_ (qv).
# Curse of the Pink Panther
- FOLLOWED-BY(Son of the Pink Panther)
- FOLLOWS(Trail of the Pink Panther)
# Curse, The
- 'Wil Wheaton' (qv) and 'Amy Wheaten' (qv), are real-life brother and sister.
- Wil Wheaten once said that the only good thing about the movie was that his
sister got a job on it.
# Cyborg
- All the major characters are named after guitar brand names.
- A stuntman sued 'Jean-Claude Van Damme' (qv) after he lost vision in one eye
during a fight sequence that went wrong. The injured stuntman claimed that
Van Damme was not the expert that he claimed to be, lacking the control
necessary for the stunt.
# Cyrano de Bergerac (1950)
- REMADE-AS(Cyrano de Bergerac (1990))
# Cyrano de Bergerac (1990)
- REMAKE-OF(Cyrano de Bergerac (1950))
# Dam Busters, The
- The RAF supplied most of the aircraft, at a cost of 130 pounds per hour.
This expense consumed 10% of the film's budget.
- An cut of the film was spiced up for the American market. Additional scenes
of a plane crashing were later removed after it was spotted that Warners had
used WW2 footage of a Flying Fortress (the RAF used Lancasters).
- The film premiered 12 years to the day from the original raid. The raid was
one of the most effective operations of WW2 (the German government were
still mopping up after the original raid when the film was in production).
- Gibson's dog ``Nigger'' was dubbed into ``Trigger'' for the US market.
# Damien: Omen II
- SEQUEL(The Final Conflict)
- SEQUEL-OF(The Omen)
# Dances with Wolves
- On the video release of this film that was sold as a McDonalds promotion at
Christmas '92, there is not a single picture of 'Kevin Costner' (qv) on the
box. On all other video releases of the film, Costner is pictured.
# Dandy in Aspic, A
- Director 'Anthony Mann' (qv) died during production and was replaced by
'Laurence Harvey' (qv).
# Dark Half, The
- In the prologue of this 'Stephen King' (qv) adaptation, Thad Beaumont wants
to become a writer and is shown writing stories. The title of his first
typewritten story is ``Here There Be Tygers'', which is also the real title
of the first short story King wrote in his career. The story can be
found in King's ``Skeleton Crew'' anthology.
# Dark Star
- 'John Carpenter' (qv) directed, edited, and wrote the music for the film,
but he uses pseudonyms in the credits for editing and the music.
# Darkman
- Director 'Sam Raimi' (qv) wanted high-school friend 'Bruce Campbell' (qv) to
play the lead role, but the producers didn't think that Campbell could
handle it. Campbell played Ash in _The Evil Dead_ (qv) and
_Evil Dead II_ (qv), both also directed by Raimi.
- CAMEO(Jenny Agutter):
- DIRTRADE(Sam Raimi): [shemp]: Last shemp: 'Bruce Campbell' (qv).
# Dave
- Author 'Gary Ross' (qv) appears as Policeman number 2.
- Many Hollywood personalities, U.S. Congressmen, and political commentators
appear in this film as themselves. The credits at the end still claim that
all characters depicted in the film were fictitious.
# Dawn of the Dead
- DIRCAMEO(George Romero): the director in the television studio.
- CAMEO(? Romero): [wife of George] director's assistant in the television
studio.
# Days of Thunder
- Many real-life NASCAR drivers (including Rusty Wallace) appear in the film.
- NASCAR driver Greg Sacks did most of 'Tom Cruise' (qv)'s stunt driving.
Cruise wanted to do his own stunt driving, but wasn't allowed to for
insurance reasons. The Chevrolets were prepared by Rick Hendrick's racing
team, which later used some of the movie cars in real races. 35 cars were
wrecked during filming.
- The scene where [Randy Quaid] approaches [Robert Duvall] on a tractor was
filmed on NASCAR legend Junior Johnson's farm.
- The scene where Cole and [Michael Rooker] race rental cars on the
beach shows birds scattering out of the way. The birds were lured onto the
beach by birdseed, and in the first take most of them were run over.
# Dead Again
- The number on Roman's prison uniform, 25101415, stands for ``25 October
1415'', the date of the Battle of Agincourt, fought by Henry V, subject of
director 'Kenneth Branagh' (qv)'s previous film, _Henry V (1989)_ (qv).
Branagh's
birthday (December 10) is shown on the first newspaper clipping in the
opening sequence.
- The cover of the LIFE magazine in Mr. Madson's shop shows
'Laurence Olivier' (qv) in _Hamlet_ (qv); another Shakespeare reference is
on the bridge where Mike and Doug fight (it reads ``Shakespeare Bridge,''
the real name of a bridge in L.A. where the movie was filmed).
- Two additional double roles (besides Mike/Roman and Grace/Margaret) are in
the film: the nun at the orphanage turns up as a snooty starlet at a party
in the 1940s, and the cop at the mental hospital is seen again as an
obnoxious party guest.
- 'Derek Jacobi' (qv)'s stuttering as Frankie/Mr. Madson is a reference to his
famous role as the stuttering Claudius in _I, Claudius_ (qv).
- Mike's apartment contains several pictures of pianists and piano keyboards,
giving away his true identity to the careful viewer.
- Lots of subtle similarities between Roman/Margaret and Mike/Grace.
- DIRTRADE(Kenneth Branagh): [doyle]: bored cop in the elevator, and
obnoxious guest at Otto's party.
# Dead Pool, The
- CAMEO(Slash): half and hour after the funeral scene. The Guns 'n
Roses' song ``Welcome to the Jungle'' is used in the film.
- FOLLOWS(Sudden Impact)
# Dead Zone, The
- Director 'David Cronemberg' (qv) had to reshoot the scene in which John Smith
has his first premonition. It showed a little girl's room burning and a small
E.T. doll could be seen on one of the shelves. The scene had to be reshot
when Universal Pictures threatened to sue.
# Death Becomes Her
- In the scene where Helen sits down onto a shovel handle, she didn't sit in
the way she was expected to do, so the SFX people had to morph the image to
make it look like the shovel handle was pushing up into her chest.
- DIRTRADE('Robert Zemeckis' (qv)): [citation]: The shots in the psychiatric
clinic where Helen is brought look exactly like those in
_One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest_ (qv).
# Death of a Salesman (1985) (TV)
- 'Dustin Hoffman' (qv) called this his favorite acting experience.
# Deer Hunter, The
- 'Robert De Niro' (qv) claims this was his most physically exhausting film.
- 'John Cazale' (qv) barely finished the film, dying of cancer soon after its
completion.
- De Niro and 'John Savage' (qv) performed the helicopter stunt themselves.
# Deliverance
- The sherrif is played by 'James Dickey' (qv), who wrote the novel on which
the film was based.
# Demolition Man
- Many of the cars in the movie were prototypes of future models, supplied by
General Motors.
- For the European Release, references to Taco Bell were changed to Pizza
Hut. This includes dubbing, plus changing the logos during post-production.
Taco Bell remains in the closing credits.
# Devil and Daniel Webster, The
- Shortly after filming had begun, 'Thomas Mitchell' (qv) managed to break a
leg, and was replaced by 'Edward Arnold' (qv). Not many scenes had been
shot, none were reshot, so Mitchell is still visible in some scenes.
# Dial M for Murder (1954)
- DIRCAMEO(Alfred Hitchcock): about 13 minutes into the film, on the
left side of the reunion photograph.
- The movie was shot in 3-D although it was never released that way until
after Hitchcock's death.
- Hitchcock arranged to have 'Grace Kelly' (qv) dressed in bright colors at the
start of the film and made them progressively darker as time goes on.
# Diamonds Are Forever
- After the failure of _On Her Majesty's Secret Service_ (qv), EON was
desperate to get 'Sean Connery' (qv) back to save the series. When he
refused, the producers considered 'Roger Moore' (qv), then
'Timothy Dalton' (qv) before unexpectedly signing an unknown American actor
'John Galvin' (qv). UA chief, David Picker, was not impressed with the
choice of Galvin and the order went out to get Connery at any price. Connery
was finally lured back with an unprecedented deal making him the highest
paid actor to date. The final contract involved Connery getting $1.25
million up front, 12.5% of the gross and a commitment from UA to finance two
non-Bond films of Connery's choice. Connery later donated his fee to the
Scottish International Trust.
- Actresses considered for the role of Tiffany Case included:
'Rachel Welch' (qv), 'Jane Fonda' (qv) and 'Faye Dunaway' (qv).
'Jill St. John' (qv) had originally been offered the part of Plenty O'Toole
but landed the female lead after impressing the director 'Guy Hamilton' (qv)
during screen tests. St. John becomes the first American Bond girl.
- The original plot had 'Gert Frobe' (qv) returning as Auric
_Goldfinger_ (qv)'s twin and seeking revenge for the death of his brother.
- The death of Bond's wife Tracy was originally planned for the opening
sequence of _Diamonds Are Forever_ (qv), but was later added to the end of
_On Her Majesty's Secret Service_ (qv) to ``tidy up lose ends''.
- Upon release, this film broke Hollywood's three day gross record.
- 'Willard Whyte' (qv) is obviously based on 'Howard Hughes' (qv). Hughes,
however, played a more substantial role behind the scenes allowing EON to
film inside his casinos and at his other properties. His fee was reputed to
be one 16mm print of the film.
- FOLLOWED-BY(Live and Let Die)
- FOLLOWS(On Her Majestey's Secret Service)
# Dick Tracy (1990)
- The only colors in the film are the six that the original comic strip
appeared in.
- CAMEO(Dustin Hoffman): Mumbles
- CAMEO(Paul Sorvino): Lips Manlis
- CAMEO(Alan Garfield): a reporter
- CAMEO(James Caan):
# Die Hard
- One cop says that John McLean ('Bruce Willis' (qv)) ``could be a fucking
bartender for all we know''. Prior to becoming a well-known actor, Willis
was a bartender.
- SEQUEL(Die Hard 2)
# Die Hard 2
- The General is from ``Valverde'', the fictitious Latin-American country used
in _Commando (1985)_ (qv).
- DIRTRADE(Renny Harlin): [finland]: ``Finlandia Hymn'' by Jean
Sibelius is used in some scenes.
- SEQUEL-OF(Die Hard)
# Diplomatic Courier
- CAMEO(Lee Marvin):
- CAMEO(Charles Bronson):
# Dirty Harry
- The title role was originally intended for 'Frank Sinatra' (qv).
- After Harry has foiled the bank robbery at the beginning of the film, he
strides over to the one surviving robber. In doing so, he walks in front of
a theatre which is showing _Play Misty For Me_ (qv), which
'Clint Eastwood' (qv) directed and starred in.
- 'Andrew Robinson' (qv) (Scorpio) had to get an unlisted phone number, and has
received a death threat.
- DIRCAMEO(Don Siegel): man running down the street.
- FOLLOWED-BY(Magnum Force)
# Dirty Money (1971)
- The opening shot closely resembles Hokusai's famous woodcut ``The Wave''.
# Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
- An entire day was spent shooting the trailer, which does not appear in the
film. The trailer shows Freddy and Lawrence walking along the boardwalk,
politely moving out of the way of other people, etc, with a voice saying
something like ``There are numerous distinguised gentlemen in the world...
refined, cultured gentlemen.... nice men....... but nice men
finish last''. As these last few lines are spoken, Freddy pushes an old lady
into the water, and Lawrence shoves an kid's face into his ice cream.
# Dog Day Afternoon
- Director 'Sidney Lumet' (qv) claims that 'Al Pacino' (qv) and
'Chris Sarandon' (qv)'s phone conversation was improvised.
# Doors, The
- Prior to the audition, 'Val Kilmer' (qv) memorized the lyrics to all songs
written by Jim Morrison.
- Kilmer wore special contact lenses which made his pupils seem dilated
in the scenes where Morrison was stoned
- Closeup shots use Kilmer's voice, long distance shots use Morrison's.
- 'Patricia Kennealy Morrison' (qv) played the High Priestess in the
handfasting scene.
- 'John Densmore' (qv) (The Doors drummer) was the recording engineer.
- 'Bonnie Bramlett' (qv) (of 60's group Delaney and Bonnie) played the
bartender.
- Director 'Oliver Stone' (qv)'s son plays the young Jim Morrison in the
accident scene.
- DIRCAMEO(Oliver Stone): Morrison's film professor.
# Double Indemnity (1944)
- Director 'Billy Wilder' (qv) originally filmed an ending where Keyes watches
Walter Neff go to the gas chamber.
# Down and Out in Beverly Hills
- 'Nick Nolte' (qv) spent five weeks as a homeless person in preparation for
his role.
# Dr. No
- _Thunderball_ (qv) was originally going to be the first 007 movie, but legal
wrangles with its co-author lead to _Dr. No_ (qv) being chosen instead.
- Author 'Ian Fleming' (qv) wanted his cousin 'Chrisopher Lee' (qv) to play
Dr. No. See also _The Man With the Golden Gun_ (qv).
- The budget was only $1,000,000 but when costs over run by $100,000
United Artists wanted to pull the plug fearing they would never recoup
its outlay.
- Fleming originally asked 'Noel Coward' (qv) to play the part of Dr. No,
Coward replied in a telegram ``Dr. No? No! No! No!''.
- Actors considered for the lead role included: 'Cary Grant' (qv),
'David Niven' (qv), 'Trevor Howard' (qv), 'Rex Harrison' (qv), and
'Roger Moore' (qv).
- 'Sean Connery' (qv) was chosen for the part of 007 after Cubby Broccoli's
wife saw him in Disney's _Darby O'Gill and the Little People_ (qv).
- After the film's release in Italy, the Vatican issued a special communique
expressing its disapproval at the film's moral standpoint.
- The voice of Honey Rider is not that of 'Ursula Andress' (qv).
- Connery is morbidly afraid of spiders. Shot of spider in his bed was
originally done with a sheet of glass between him and the spider, but when
this didn't look realistic enough, the scene was re-shot with stuntman
'Bob Simmons' (qv).
- A painting of the Duke of Wellington, stolen in 1960 and never recovered,
can be seen on the wall of Dr. No's headquarters.
- The rights to the famous theme song were bought from 'Monty Norman' (qv) for
a ridiculously low sum of money, and subsequently appeared in many later Bond
films.
- The Japanese office of United Artists originally translated the title as
``We don't want a doctor'', and even had posters printed with that title.
The mistake was discovered at the last moment.
- FOLLOWED-BY(Goldfinger)
# Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
- 'Peter Sellers' (qv) plays three roles, and was to play Captain Kong as
well. He became sick, so the role went to 'Slim Pickens' (qv).
- Based on the novel ``Red Alert'' and originally conceived as a tense
thriller about the possibility of accidental nuclear war. Director
'Stanley Kubrick' (qv) was working on the script when he noticed that many
scenes he had written were actually quite funny.
# Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story
- 'Brandon Lee' (qv) was offered the chance to play the part of
'Bruce Lee' (qv), who is his father. He approached his mother, who gave her
blessing. Before commencing work on the film, he accepted the lead role in
_The Crow_ (qv). An on-set accident during the making of that film proved
fatal. The part of Bruce Lee went to 'Jason Scott Lee' (qv), who is not
related to the other Lees.
- Jason Scott Lee had no previous Martial Arts training. He was trained
especially for this role, and had numerous stunt doubles.
# Drop Dead Fred
- CAMEO(Bridget Fonda): [rumor] Annabella.
# Duellists, The
- The swords were hooked up to batteries to produce the sparks, and
'Harvey Keitel' (qv) said he was heavily shocked more than once.
# Dune
- There are rumor of a 6-hour long director's cut, but there has never been
any concrete proof of it being released. A book by 'Frank Herbert' (qv)
himself claims that 12 hours of footage was filmed. They cut it to 6,
considered releasing it as a mini-series, but decided to cut it down to 2
and released it theatrically.
- After this film was released, 'Sting' (qv) said that he would never again
play a character who used violence to achieve his objectives.
- SMITHEE('David Lynch' (qv)): disowned the television cut.
- BOOTH('David Lynch' (qv)): disowned the television cut.
- DIRCAMEO(David Lynch): A radio operator on the mining ship that Paul
and Duke Leto Atreides rescue from a sandworm.
# E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial
- ET's face was modeled after poet 'Carl Sandburg' (qv) and Albert Einstein.
- 'Harrison Ford' (qv) played the school principal, but his scenes were cut.
There is a rumor that you can still see his back. Ford's wife
'Melissa Mathison' (qv) wrote the screenplay.
- The M&M's people refused to allow their product appear in the film, so the
producers got ``Reese's Pieces'' instead. Sales for ``Reese's Pieces''
skyrocketed after the movie's release.
- The extraterrestrial's plant collection includes a triffid (from
_The Day of the Triffids_ (qv)).
- ET's voice was performed by 'Debra Winger' (qv).
- This movie has earned a total of $965 million by 1989. As a token of their
appreciation for the movie's success, Universal Studios gave director
'Stephen Spielberg' (qv) some studios in California, which are now occupied
by Amblin (Spielberg's production company).
- DIRTRADE(Steven Spielberg): [music]
# Easy Rider
- 'Peter Fonda' (qv), 'Dennis Hopper' (qv), and 'Jack Nicholson' (qv) were
really smoking marijuana on camera.
- CAMEO(Phil Spector): the cocaine dealer.
# Easy Virtue
- DIRCAMEO(Alfred Hitchcock): walking past a tennis court carrying a
walking stick.
# Edge of Eternity
- DIRCAMEO(Don Siegel): man at a hotel pool
# El Mariachi
- This film cost $7000. Director 'Robert Rodriguez' (qv) raised $3,000 of the
$7,000 by volunteering to be a human ``laboratory rat''. He was used to test
a cholesterol reducing drug. Paid $100 a day for 30 days, he wrote most of
the script while locked in the lab. A fellow ``rat'' was cast in the lead
role. Most of the $7,000 was spent on film for the camera.
- Rodriguez claims the other actors were ``innocent'' passers by. He gave them
lines as and when they were needed.
- For the moving camera shots, Rodriguez sat in a broken hospital wheelchair
and was pushed around.
- The movie was intended to go ``straight to video''.
- Sound was recorded with an ordinary cassette recorder and mike. The sequence
with the pit bull terrier was shot specifically so that Rodriguez could
synchronize the sound with the picture later.
- Rodriguez says he made the movie to ``practise''.
- Rodriguez was producer, director, writer, special-effect man, etc, the only
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