Movie Film Trivia

[Dixie Flatline]

Dustin Hoffman was almost cast by Ridley Scott as Rick Deckard in the movie adaptation of Philip K. Dick's Do Android Dream of Electric Sheep?, before Scott decided that Hoffman wasn't right for the role. The original scriptwriter, Hampton Fancher, pictured Robert Mitchum, Christopher Walken and Tommy Lee Jones in the role. Hoffman worked on the film with Scott, Fancher and executive producer Katherine Haber for months before Hoffman dropped out of the role.

Scott did not read Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? before making Blade Runner. Scott tried to read it but couldn't finish it. On the flipside, Philip K. Dick didn't like Fancher's screenplay when he was provided a copy, but after rewrites to the script (including rewrites from David Peoples) Dick started to loosen up. Dick saw a preview screening of the movie before post-production was completed and absolutely loved it. Unfortunately, he died before the movie was publicly released.

The producers approached Philip K. Dick to write a novelisation of the film, but a condition was that publication of the source material would be suppressed. Dick refused the condition and Dick refused to give his permission to allow another writer (such as Alan Dean Foster) do the novelisation.

Test screenings of Blade Runner did not go over well, so the producers Bud Yorkin and Jerry Perenchio hired a third writer, Roland Kibbee, to write the script for a voiceover to be provided by Harrison Ford. Urban legend has it that Ford purposefully delivered a lacklustre delivery of the voiceover in an attempt to ensure that it would not be used. Ford has never confirmed this, but he has publicly stated that he hated doing the voiceover work, that he felt the movie worked well enough without it, and the voiceover was being done at the behest of people who did not represent the interests of Ridley Scott (even though Ford did not get on well with Scott during filming).

In the theatrical cut of the film, the final scene of Deckard and Rachel driving through the countryside is pieced together by Scott from out-takes of The Shining.

The term "Blade Runner" is never used in Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?. The film's title is derived from a story written by Alan Nourse called The Bladerunner. Nourse's story is about a black market for medical services. Scott simply liked the name well enough to buy the rights to use it as the title of the movie. The working title was "Dangerous Days".

Those companies that used the movie as a platform to promote their goods or services did not fare too well, giving rise to the "Blade Runner curse". Atari and Pan Am eventually went bust. Cuisinart and Bell Phones also suffered from a downturn in business, while Coca-Cola had to withdraw "New Coke" from the market in 1985 after it bombed.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

Steven Spielberg was attached to direct Interstellar when the project was under the control of Paramount Pictures. However, when DreamWorks was acquired by Disney in 2009, Spielberg dropped out and Christopher Nolan was engaged to direct the film written by his brother, Jonathan.

Spielberg was initially engaged to direct American Sniper but he dropped out when his vision for the film did not match the budget attached to the project by the film's backers.

Spielberg acquired the rights to make The Curious Case of Benjamin Button back in 1991 and he was going to cast Tom Cruise in the title role. However, Spielberg dropped the project in favour of Jurassic Park and Schindler's List.

In 2000, the CEO of Warner Bros, Alan Horn, offered Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone to Spielberg. Spielberg wanted to make an animated feature film that combined the first two books, and he wanted to cast Haley Joel Osment as Harry Potter. Warner Bros and J.K. Rowling did not like Spielberg's vision for the film and he left the project.

Spielberg earned a credit as a producer of Cape Fear (starring Robert De Niro and Nick Nolte), but he was initially also going to direct the film. He dropped out to concentrate on Schindler's List and Jurassic Park.

Spielberg was almost tapped on the shoulder to make The Taking of Pelham 1-2-3 for United Artists, but it was decided by studio executive David Picker that Spielberg wasn't quite experienced enough to make the film, so assigned Joseph Sargent to it instead. Spielberg directed Jaws.

According to screenwriter Ronald Bass, Spielberg began working with Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise on developing Rain Man, but he dropped out to make Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

Spielberg began developing a sequel to E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial called E.T. II: Nocturnal Fears. Spielberg created a nine-paged treatment of the film that followed evil aliens that arrived on Earth to kidnap Elliott and his friends, only to have E.T. to return to save them. Spielberg decided that the original film would suffer by comparison if the sequel was made, so he dropped the idea.

 

[RolandF1]

The term "Blade Runner" is never used in Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?. The film's title is derived from a story written by Alan Nourse called The Bladerunner. Nourse's story is about a black market for medical services. Scott simply liked the name well enough to buy the rights to use it as the title of the movie. The working title was "Dangerous Days".

I saw that book in a used book store a year or so ago but didn't buy it due to the ridiculous price tag. Must be reasonably rare.

Spielberg was initially engaged to direct American Sniper but he dropped out when his vision for the film did not match the budget attached to the project by the filmmaker's backers.

I heard it was because he met the real 'American Sniper' and thought he was a fruitcake.

 

[Exe Gesis]

Spielberg was also offered to be director of Return of the Jedi, but turned it down.

 

[RolandF1]

Spielberg was also offered to be director of Return of the Jedi, but turned it down.

Due to being part of the director's guild and George Lucas had fallen out with the guild when they were being pricks about Empire Strikes Back not having a directors credit at the start of the film.

 

[Exe Gesis]

Due to being part of the director's guild and George Lucas had fallen out with the guild when they were being pricks about Empire Strikes Back not having a directors credit at the start of the film.

Saved us from Ewoks on bicycles at least

 

[wally funk]

Patty Duke, upon winning Best Supporting Actress for The Miracle Worker, gave what is, to date, the shortest Oscars speech: "Thank you."

 

[wally funk]

Walt Disney holds the record for most Oscar wins by an individual in a given year, with four in 1954.

 

[worbod]

Patty Duke, upon winning Best Supporting Actress for The Miracle Worker, gave what is, to date, the shortest Oscars speech: "Thank you."

I thought Joe Pesci had also spoken only "Thank you" upon receiving his Oscar, but he actually spoke a little extra.

 

[worbod]

Here is Billy Crystal delivering the shortest introduction in Oscars history, prior to the 1992 Best Picture being awarded.

 

[Asgardian]

Imagine a movie maker wanting to film the legend of Ned Kelly, and asking the State Library of Victoria if they could borrow the original suit of armour to use in the film.

Fat chance

Well the film, The Story of the Kelly Gang (1906), did borrow that suit of armour from the custodians of the time, the Victorian Museum, and it was used extensively throughout the film.

It's a great shame that this film, the first full-length feature ever made (ignoring films of sporting events) now survives only as bits & pieces of the original, about 31 minutes of 70 minutes.

 

[Firestarter]

Dunno why but it saddens me that Sir Alec Guinness was only in Star Wars for the money. Empire of Dreams had people talking glowingly about him so that fact kinda puts a damper on those moments.

 

[RolandF1]

Dunno why but it saddens me that Sir Alec Guinness was only in Star Wars for the money. Empire of Dreams had people talking glowingly about him so that fact kinda puts a damper on those moments.

Alex Guiness didn't think much of Star Wars as high quality cinema but he did find the script a page turner that made him want to find out what happened next and liked George Lucas previous two films. I think the obsession that followed was something he hated more than anything. Didn't stop him from appearing in the sequels as a favour to Lucas.

 

[Exe Gesis]

Alex Guiness didn't think much of Star Wars as high quality cinema but he did find the script a page turner that made him want to find out what happened next and liked George Lucas previous two films. I think the obsession that followed was something he hated more than anything. Didn't stop him from appearing in the sequels as a favour to Lucas.

EVERYONE, and I mean EVERYONE, whether they worked on it, or watched it, wrote books for it, or animated cartoons for it.....falls in love with Star Wars and considers it a highlight of their lives. I am sure SirAG no different deep-down.

 

[Firestarter]

Alex Guiness didn't think much of Star Wars as high quality cinema but he did find the script a page turner that made him want to find out what happened next and liked George Lucas previous two films. I think the obsession that followed was something he hated more than anything. Didn't stop him from appearing in the sequels as a favour to Lucas.

Points taken.

 

[worbod]

The earliest known American pornographic film is the 1915 silent feature A Free Ride, (also known as A Grass Sandwich.) The film was directed by “A. Wise Guy” and was written by “Will She.”

 

[Exe Gesis]

Lolita (1997)

Since actress Dominique Swain was only 15 at the time of filming, a pillow had to be placed between her and Jeremy Irons' lap during all their scenes together.

Charles Chaplin's relationship with his second wife Lita Grey was reportedly the inspiration of the novel "Lolita" as she was underage when they first started their relationship.

Melanie Griffith plays the mother of Lolita, but in real life it was a young Melanie who went off with an older man. When she was just fourteen she fell in love with her mother's co-star (Don Johnson) and the two pursued a relationship.

 

[worbod]

The American Humane Association (AHA) objected to the scene in the Shawshank Redemption where the character Brooks feeds his crow a maggot. The AHA stated it was cruel to the maggot, and it required that the crow be fed a maggot that had died from natural causes.

 

[worbod]

Probably quite well known among horror fans ~ in the B grade flick The Tingler (1959) director and producer William Castle placed vibrating buzzers within selected chairs in certain cinemas. At key moments in the film the buzzers were activated, with screams and even laughter coming from those who were seated there.

 

[worbod]

John Wayne was considered for the role of Dirty Harry which was to be set in Seattle.

But Clint Eastwood got the job and the location changed to SF to be closer to his home.

Wayne later made McQ, a movie about a ma verick cop set in Seattle which had many of the hallmarks of a Dirty Harry vehicle

Frank Sinatra was also considered for the Dirty Harry role. They even toyed around with promotional posters.

 

[sherbrook]

During the making of Major Dundee (1965), Charlton Heston attacked director Sam Peckinpah with a sword.

James Coburn said that Peckinpah was a functioning alcoholic "a genius for three hours a day".

Peckinpah wanted his name removed from the credits after the studio did a re-edit which removed some exposition

 

[worbod]

One of my favourite pieces of film trivia: the only person to speak in Mel Brooks' silent film parody "Silent Movie" (1976) is Marcel Marceau, who speaks only one word.

 

[chefmeister]

Did James Spader and Jaye Davidson also bang Brigitte Neilson?

It's possible Dolph Lundgren also put one through her while she was married to Stallone.
The story goes that during the filming of a fight scene for Rocky IV, her and Lundgren were making so much goo-goo eyes at each other the Sylvester had a go at the co-star telling him in no uncertain terms to lay off his wife "OR ELSE".
Lundgren, who had a background in kickboxing then promptly laid into Stallone sending him to the hospital with suspected cracked ribs which delayed filming.

 

[Exe Gesis]

It's possible Dolph Lundgren also put one through her while she was married to Stallone.
The story goes that during the filming of a fight scene for Rocky IV, her and Lundgren were making so much goo-goo eyes at each other the Sylvester had a go at the co-star telling him in no uncertain terms to lay off his wife "OR ELSE".
Lundgren, who had a background in kickboxing then promptly laid into Stallone sending him to the hospital with suspected cracked ribs which delayed filming.

I am sure half the western world has put one thru Brigitte Neilson. Such a standout specimen of a woman happy to share it around and with a taste for. This story of yours highlights that, men fighting over her openly in front of her even as shes hitched up with one of them. People of the opposite sex going absolutely crazy for someone, all of them. Reminds me of a friend i used to have who was so good looking women threw themselves at him every minute of the day nonstop, most incredible situations and examples. Boyfriends and husbands of women fighting us in public situations because their girlfriends unashamedly threw themselves at him even while their boyfriends and husbands were right there. Me caught in the crossfire. Was unbearable being around him. Seriously nonstop.

 

[worbod]

In 2003 students at the Camberwell College of Arts in London constructed a giant sculpture of King Kong entirely out of popcorn. It took 630 hours to build and was done to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the film. The finished sculpture stood 3.9 metres high and weighed 771 kilograms ~ the weight of four real gorillas.