Secrets From Cult Classic Films
There are thousands upon thousands of movies in the world. Some tend to come out bigger than others. Some may even appear to be massive blockbusters. Others not so much. Then there’s an entire group of movies that were poorly received or under-welcomed when they came out, but thrive years after their release. Cult classics appear to a fringe group of viewers at first, but then go on to become beloved by millions around the globe! Whether it’s their quirky dialogue, limited availability, or bizarre plots, cult films are packed with unique charm. They also hold a weird secret or two that remind us why they’ll always be the best kind of film to watch on repeat.
Check out these secrets behind the world’s favorite cult-classic films!
Rocky Horror Picture Show
It’s astounding. Time is fleeting. Madness takes its toll…But listen closely, because we have a doozy of a secret for you. It’s no surprise that Dr. Frank N Furter has some skeletons in his closet. The mad scientist from another world came to our planet in search of love. Instead, he ended up with that ungrateful brute Rocky! No matter how you look at it, The Rocky Horror Picture Show is one of the most iconic cult films of its kind.
If you look a bit closer while watching you’ll even see that everyone gets to play an important role. Even the skeleton in the clock is a big deal! Why? It’s not a prop! That’s an ACTUAL skeleton that used to be inside a human body!
A Clockwork Orange
One of the most horrifying movies of our time is A Clockwork Orange. This dystopian tale into ultraviolence and “rehabilitation” adds layers upon layers of dread to some of the most arresting scenes to ever be filmed. It’s a real mind-bend and stomach-churner. One of the most memorable scenes involves the main character being tortured/rehabilitated by being forced to watch movies without being able to blink.
The filmmakers actually had that contraption strapped onto actor Malcolm Mcdowell’s eyes! Of course, they were anesthetized to make the process easier. But, since scenes often have to be reshot over and over again, his eyes still sustained damage.
Pulp Fiction
When making a film, a director will sometimes throw in their own property or funds to help push it into greatness. Whether it’s money or their own car, some people will go to whatever lengths possible to get their movie made. In Pulp Fiction’s case, it didn’t require too much from Quentin Tarantino. Instead of heaps of cash, it only cost him a one-of-a-kind car.
Vincent Vega’s sweet ride in the movie wasn’t a prop. It was actually Tarantino’s personal convertible! During filming the car ended up going missing. Decades later, it was discovered in a chop shop about to be sold off to someone! If Marcellus Wallace ever found out…
Donnie Darko
Donnie Darko is one of the greatest and most confusing movies to ever be released. Even after the director came out with their version to help explain stuff, a lot of the film’s plot and backstory are hidden behind the sheer absurdity of what takes place. We don’t blame people for being confused. It’s not easy writing a time travel film about the destruction of the universe without confusing a few people along the way.
Even some of the cast and crew had no idea what project they had worked on when all was said and done. Two of the film’s more recognizable names admitted they were clueless. Jake Gyllenhaal and Seth Rogen didn’t hide how little they knew about the movie, even after reading the script and talking to the creator!
Scarface
The United States of America is a pretty big place. The country is so huge that certain cities have their own flair, style, and architecture that set them apart from the others. With over fifty unique places to see and experience, it can be pretty easy to mix a few locations up. Of course, none of that matters in the world of film. Take the iconic Scarface for example.
Despite being set in Miami, Florida, a majority of the movie was shot in Los Angeles, California! Why? Despite things being “Set” in Miami, the crew was concerned about protests that could erupt. Many Cuban-American and Cuban citizens didn’t take too kindly to how the film depicted Cubans!
Blade Runner
Blade Runner smashed everyone’s expectations. It also smashed a few windows during its time as well. Watching the struggle that Daryl Hannah and the other replicants go through can be pretty touchy. The whole movie is about what defines someone’s right to live and what counts as reality to each of us. It’s also about the power of the human/replicant elbow.
Remember when Darryl Hannah’s character slipped and smashed that car window? That wasn’t a fancy prop or stunt person. She actually slipped and fell! That window was regular glass and her elbow…was just an elbow. Despite injuring it in eight places she finished the scene like a superstar!
12 Monkeys
Earning a living by working in Hollywood can be pretty difficult. Millions of people flock to California to experience this dream. Most don’t make it. A lucky few will reach insane levels of success. Once you reach those heights, money might not be the main motivation for starring in a film. In the case of 12 Monkeys, one of the leads did the movie without getting paid beforehand!
Bruce Willis, along with a few others, really wanted the chance to work with Terry Gilliam. They were even willing to give up their fancy actor paychecks for the opportunity! While Willis did eventually get paid, it wasn’t until after the film was released.
The Big Lebowski
Not every film needs an action-packed story to get things done. Sometimes, all it takes is an interesting narrative and a rug that ties everything together. The Big Lebowski is a shining example of a cult classic. It’s an adventure about kidnapping, bowling, and mistaken identity. It also features a cast that any director would dream of having at their disposal.
Not only did Jeff Bridges deliver great dialogue and scenes, but he worked perfectly with the rest of the all-star cast. They stuck to the script pretty closely, too. Every single utterance of “man” or “dude” was written on the page! The only improvisation that even made it to the final cut was the oddly specific description of someone being “human paraquat”.
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
What unites us all as a species, regardless of background or belief, is our ability to appreciate a good story. Even when things seem their bleakest or most weird, as long as we get a good story out of it, an adventure is worth it. That’s also kind of how gonzo journalism got its start. Writing about the news from a first-person perspective was a pretty eye-opening choice. When Hunter S. Thompson released his infamous account on the Hell’s Angels, he knew journalism had changed for good.
Obviously, a movie about his life would eventually be made. That’s part of the backstory for Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. To follow his life for the film, Johnny Depp went to the source and met with Thompson. He even went so far as to wear the reporter’s actual clothes in the film.
The Elephant Man
While being human can be fun, it also has its downsides. One of the important lessons everyone eventually learns is that humans are cruel. Even when some people are nice, there’s a cruelty in everyone that’s hard to stamp out. People just tend to lash out at things they don’t understand. Even when that thing is another person that looks different, some people will go so far as to try and kill them! What a wild world.
The Elephant Man showcases human cruelty in an incredible way. It also shows off a makeup job that took far too long to accomplish. To get the iconic look, makeup artists had to work for seven hours a day on prosthetics alone! It was such an ordeal that John Hurt had to take a break from filming every other day just to recover from all the cosmetics!
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Some of the best movies are made on a shoestring budget and a prayer. Monty Python and the Holy Grail may not be the most bombastic in terms of effects. However, it makes up for that with the iconic moments which turned it into one of the most beloved movies of all time. The film is uproariously funny. It was also filmed in a few choice precarious locations.
Due to the budget, actors sometimes had to forgo safety regulations to get the shot they needed. Remember when a few people were chilling on top of a steep-looking cliff? That wasn’t movie magic, they were actually balancing up there! All in the name of art, right?
Being John Malkovich
One of the coolest superpowers actors have is the ability to completely disappear into their roles. It doesn’t matter the genre or character, a good actor can fade away to let the new persona shine on the stage or in front of a camera. This was put to the test during the film Being John Malkovich. In between takes, actors don’t usually take off their costumes or makeup. It’s too hard to get everything back on and in the same position as before.
It’s easier to just let people walk around as their characters when the cameras aren’t rolling. That doesn’t always mean people are prepared. Despite her recognizable face, voice, and mannerisms, Cameron Diaz was completely invisible to people on set. As it turns out, people didn’t recognize her in her costume!
Clerks
Have you ever worked so much that it felt like you were living at the office? For Kevin Smith, that was his life while they filmed Clerks. This classic cult film that introduced us to Jay and Silent Bob wasn’t all shot on a set. The convenience store in the film was also Kevin Smith’s place of business! During the days he would work at the store as an employee.
After closing, they’d turn it into a movie set! Due to the proximity of his two jobs, and the lack of time, Smith only got a couple of hours of sleep a night for almost an entire month! Being a workaholic doesn’t always pay off. Though in Kevin Smith’s case it kind of did.
The Breakfast Club
Some of the best moments in film can’t be scripted. Watching an entire room of actors go completely off-script and carrying the film off their instinct alone is always fun to watch. Though we never know what those moments are until we’re told after the fact. Remember the scene in The Breakfast Club where everyone’s revealing why they got detention?
It’s one of the more vulnerable and funny moments of the film, and wasn’t scripted at all! Each of the kids put their spin on what was originally intended to be the reason they were there. Almost everything that made it to the final cut was ad-libbed! The only way this could be cooler is if the dance scene was spontaneous as well.
The Princess Bride
Most of the fighting we see in the movies is fake. Sorry to break it to any action fans out there. Cary Elews isn’t saving the world and mending his bones on a daily basis while looking ageless. Everything’s scripted, angled, mirrored, and computer-generated. It’s safer that way. That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s all smoke and mirrors. There was a ton of fighting happening on the set of this cult classic.
Okay, a little fighting. There are some mild action scenes. It’s a great movie, but it does have some real injuries to its name. When Westley is hit over the head, actor Cary Elwes was literally knocked out! Count Rugen struck his co-star so hard that he had to go to the emergency room!
Eraserhead
Sometimes, a movie becomes a cult classic due to how weird and out-there it is. After Eraserhead went from mainstream release to a midnight masterpiece, people began to pay attention to its grotesque themes and bizarre style a bit more closely. There’s quite a bit of the director’s own life in the movie! Despite being shot in an almost entirely abstract format, audiences can see glimpses of the directors’ intentions.
Oddly enough, they’re less fantastical and more based on memories from living in a rough neighborhood! David Lynch said that the imagery and themes in the film were based on his time living in Philadelphia. Now that we know that, the entire film feels more like a therapy piece than anything else.
Napoleon Dynamite
Not every actor is a triple threat these days. It’s hard to find someone that can naturally act, sing, and dance. Jon Heder of Napoleon Dynamite is one such actor (kind of). The entire film is already a weird and wacky love letter to his past. However, Heder takes it one step further when he busts a move in the school talent competition. Napoleon’s dance routine is the stuff of legends.
Watching a rhythmless guy completely destroy the competition through sheer willpower and confidence is a refreshing sight. It’s also all the more amazing when you realize the dance was improvised! Heder did a few smaller routines to different music before everything was spliced together.
The Boondock Saints
The Boondock Saints isn’t a movie for the faint of heart. It’s a gritty and somewhat dark take on vigilantism, crime, and family bonds. While there’s some positivity in there, a lot of the movie revolves around vengeance and standing up for those closest to you. Believe it or not, the concept for the film was based on real events. Troy Duffy conducted an interview and said he experienced a moment that helped him create the classic film.
One of the residents passed away in the hallway of his apartment building one day. Before anyone came for them, a narcotics dealer arrived and robbed the body! This happened IN A PUBLIC SPACE. Something like that will mess you up or cause you to create a hit film.
Office Space
They say never meet your heroes, idols, or stars that you look up to. Even in the entertainment industry people can’t help but be enamored by people they think they’ll never work with. Funnily enough, the universe has a way of making things happen. While working on the set of Office Space, Ron Livingston got his wish to meet his idol.
The day Jennifer Aniston came to the set he was apparently star-struck that she was there. For a couple of days, he was able to maintain his composure and professionalism. Something happened that caused him to cave and admit to Aniston just how grateful and impressed he was to work with her!
Heathers
Teen suicide, don’t do it. The message behind Heathers is pretty clear. They basically parade it around every chance they get. There’s also a more subtle message about bullying and fitting in. The events of the movie seem pretty fantastic and hard to believe. Unfortunately, some films happen to be based on reality.
Shortly after getting and reading the script for the film, Winona Ryder experienced her own brush with teenage suicide! A student at her high school at the time sadly took their own life. Apparently, this has a profound effect on the actor. When the news broke she was emboldened to take the part in the film!
The Evil Dead
Horror movies are created in ecosystems that thrive off of fear. Even when the story is completely fictional, people on set live like they’re filming a documentary. But the cabin from The Evil Dead wasn’t just a set. It was also where the crew ate and slept during production! It’s similar to how the actors from The Blair Witch Project were sleeping in the woods they made the movie in.
This wasn’t a fun camping experience either. The cabin in the film was a mess. There was no plumbing or heat during the entire stretch of filming. This resulted in people frequently getting ill and stinking to high heaven!
Hocus Pocus
Come little children, we’ll take you away, into a land of enchantment! It may not read as eloquently, but Sarah Jessica Parker can sing that like no other. Hocus Pocus is an iconic and campy Halloween movie with lots of great 90s special effects. Sparks, black-flame candles, and flying witches – it has everything! What makes it so much fun is that a lot of the effects were pretty realistic.
To get the Sanderson Sisters airborne, production put the actors in harnesses and lifted them into the air! Parker found hers so comfortable she opted to not come down between takes. Instead, she’d read the paper and get caught up with crosswords while suspended.
Coyote Ugly
If you don’t remember Coyote Ugly then you’re missing one of Tyra Banks’ best films. That may not be saying much, but it’s a really good time. A lot of the movie centers around someone other than Banks trying to become a songwriter and bartender. It was a fantastic opportunity for actor Piper Perabo. But she almost didn’t get the part! Prior to Perabo being cast, another star was being considered.
Jessica Simpson almost became the biggest name on the project. But during the audition process, she made it known she wasn’t comfortable with a love-making scene in the film. After the movie came out, most of that scene had been cut! Did things get ugly in Hollywood after that happened?
Wayne’s World
Comedy is an interesting business. While it’s literally about having fun and making people laugh, there are some serious rules to follow, too. No matter how funny you are, you won’t always be the star of your show. Working well with others, and giving industry veterans their due, is part of the comedy game.
Mike Myers learned this after he joined the SNL cast and started bringing his Wayne’s World character to the masses on TV. He wasn’t famous enough to carry the story on his own. Since castmate Dana Carvey was more popular, the character Garth was created just to get Myers’ idea off the ground and into viewers’ homes! He wasn’t thrilled, but it looks like it paid off in the end.
Galaxy Quest
Putting an extremely serious and well-respected actor into a silly situation can be cinema gold. It’s a risky move since it could also be a huge mistake. Thankfully, Galaxy Quest exists to show us that Alan Rickman could also be ridiculous without breaking his own tightly-laced persona. Despite not being a fan of sci-fi, Rickman was drawn to the movie’s script.
He said it was just too funny a film to pass up! After watching it, it almost plays out like a celebrated actor’s descent into late-career convention life. If anything, the first part could be marketed under a completely different genre.
The Crow
The Crow is one of those movies that will forever live in infamy. Say what you will about the story, vision, or final cut, it’s an interesting movie. A lot of the intrigue comes from the fact that the star was accidentally shot and killed during filming. Everyone knows about the accident that ended the life of Brandon Lee. What most don’t know is the other actor involved also suffered some trauma.
Even after the case was closed, Michael Massee (who was holding the gun in the first place) refused to watch the movie. He also stopped acting for a year following the incident. Once he passed in 2016, it was revealed that he never watched the film.
Dazed and Confused
It’s a fun adventure to watch in the movies, all that partying would probably kill a normal human being. That didn’t stop people on the set from trying to get there. Most of the beer and partying seen in the movie actually happened! All of the adults were slamming back cans of beer during, before, and after scenes were filmed. That must’ve been the most exciting film set they’d ever been on!
One of the only adults not to party was actor Jason London. Despite being in a party scene in a party movie on a party set he chose to sit out. London was working through giving up smoking and wasn’t partial to drinking those days either. Good for him!
Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion
Mira Sorvino is an Academy Award-winning actor. She’s a brilliant entertainer with a serious list of accomplishments and titles to her name. While she excels in dramatic work, one of her best movies ever is Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion. This lighthearted and campy film is all about two friends traveling to a reunion while trying to reinvent themselves to sound successful. It’s fun. It’s touching. It’s hilarious. It’s also a love letter to sci-fi fans.
Sorvino is a big Trekkie. While she loves Star Trek, it was hard to incorporate it into the movie. But if you look close enough at her wardrobe, you may find an Easter egg. One of the symbols on her outfit is based on the Starfleet insignia!
Jennifer’s Body
One of the most magical things about cinema is how realistic some characters end up looking. Even in the most fantastical or horrifying genres, movies have the power to convince us these characters could actually be real! This requires a lot of work from the actor as well. These people have to fully commit to transforming themselves into someone else. To do that, some people may even go to extreme lengths to prepare.
In Jennifer’s body, Megan Fox gives a chilling performance. There’s a ton of rage and anger packed into her small frame. It’s even more surprising of a job after people learned Fox had to LOSE weight for the role. The already very petite Fox went all the way down to 97lbs (44kg) to prepare for the role.
TRON
Ready to head back to The Grid? TRON is a visually delightful and fast-paced CGI adventure about surviving in a computer world. Of course, the remake in the 2000s isn’t the original. The first iteration of the series came out in the 80s! During that time, Disney was very concerned that using computers to do most of the work would put people out of the business. They were right, but not for a couple of decades.
After Disney closed the hand-drawn wing of its animation studio, people screamed “I told you so!” Thankfully, when the new Creative Director came on, he reopened the closed positions. All it took was a computer graphics person to say something was missing for things to go back to a classic formula.
Blue Velvet
One of the most important things when making a movie is keeping it professional on stage. We often hear cast and crew say things like “the atmosphere on stage was charged” or “the director was a nightmare to work with”. That’s why some directors try their best to keep everything on the down low so that the actors can do their job without distractions.
David Lynch had a very interesting way of doing that. Instead of cursing on stage whenever he felt like it, he would simply point to the word in the script and say “that word”. Which is kind of funny when you think about it. Sounds like something you would do if there were kids around, but not with adult actors.
Blade Runner
Blade Runner is like watching a riddle being told, solved, then twisted into something deeply philosophical. Plus, it has Harrison Ford. While he may have been a star (out of many) in the film, our favorite character only slithered around for a few scenes. Remember the replicant Zhora? She played a pretty key role for a second there.
She also had a companion that seemed comfortable with her! The snake that’s sharing the scene with her knew the actor quite well. How so? That snake was actress Joanna Cassidy’s pet! Does this mean the snake gets acting credits too? Since they were/are part of her family, did they get paid as well?
Apocalypse Now
Apocalypse Now is a pretty intense film. There’s action, despair, and some pretty recognizable names. Back when it was made, a lot of the actors involved weren’t as big as they are today. Even Lawrence Fishburne was still getting himself together. Despite being one of his earliest films, he almost missed the casting call. Fishburne was a bit too young to be acting.
That didn’t stop him, If anything, he saw it as an audition! How grown-up could he act to ensure he stayed in the movie business? It must have worked out pretty well. Nowadays he’s in just about everything worth watching! Life lesson: lying doesn’t pay off, unless you’re Lawrence Fishburne.
Se7en
Oftentimes we don’t know what’s going on behind the scenes of a film set. We come to the theater, watch and enjoy the cinematic adventure, and go home. If it’s a great movie we might even talk about it with our friends and family and possible strangers online. But we think it’s important to appreciate the hard work that goes into each and every movie.
The ending of Se7en was great, but did you know that it was almost changed by the executives? Luckily Brad Pitt stepped in and announced that he won’t take part in the movie if they change the ending. Can you imagine that story ending any other way? We don’t want to.
10 Things I Hate About You
Julia Stiles is the queen of the late 90s and early 00s cinema. If you’d like to disagree please file your complaint in the nearest trash can. Also, watch 10 Things I Hate About You. This modern retake of Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew” is pretty dope. Not only is the cast ridiculously talented, but they’re all pretty cool. During filming, everyone got along really well!
The only tears shed happened around the time Kat is reciting the poem for the camera. That scene seems pretty well-rehearsed. However, you wouldn’t know it from the movie. The scene used in the film was the very first (and only) take they did. When Kat is getting misty-eyed at the end those turned out to be real tears!
Dirty Dancing
Dirty Dancing isn’t just about being dirty…or how to dance. It’s a combination of the two and how they relate to a wild summer of discovering oneself. It’s a feeling. It’s an experience. It’s a cinematic event that almost didn’t happen! Patrick Swayze may be light on his feet and strong on the lifts, but his personality isn’t always the best for some. According to Jennifer Grey, she almost refused to be involved with the project because of Swayze.
Why? She and Swayze worked together on Red Dawn in the past and it wasn’t a great experience. Sure, that movie isn’t very light on its message or tone. However, Swayze’s own run-ins with Grey while filming made things even more dramatic than they should have been. He had to personally talk to Grey and convince her to be in Dirty Dancing with him after whatever transpired on Red Dawn’s set.
Clueless
Clueless is a quintessential guide to teenage life in the 90s. If you were a tiny blonde upper-class Californian then this was all about you. This flick showed how cool and stressful it was being popular. Keeping up with social appearances takes work. There’s like totally no time to study for school. How could Alicia Silverstone know how to pronounce the word “Haitians”?
Not everyone can tough it through four years of things like reading or homework. Some just go into acting. We’re just kidding, that’s mean. Acting requires a lot of work. You have to be able to repeat yourself all the time. You should also be able to read and understand your script.
Tommy Boy
This 90s comedy starred two best buds who were already familiar with each other’s comedy style. Having both starred on SNL, you’d think this pair would get along swimmingly on set. Thing is, sometimes being super close isn’t a good thing. Jealousy might arise and resentment can grow. That’s exactly what happened when Spade and Farley filmed Tommy Boy.
Farley was jealous of the time Spade was spending with fellow co-star Rob Lowe, what followed was an intense altercation. Diet Coke was thrown and physical fights ensued. There were days of filming where the two refused to talk to one another. Sounds like a pretty awkward work setting for the rest of the crew!
Space Jam
Anyone who isn’t a fan of Michael Jordan’s family classic Space Jam please excuse yourselves. Watching Bugs Bunny shoot hoops with Michael Jordan helped shape us into the generation we are today. It’s a weird concept that just happened to work. Throw one of the greatest athletes of all time with a bunch of cartoon legends and see what happens. It started a phenomenon.
Nobody saw it coming. Warner Brothers probably didn’t see some of the star’s more interesting requests either. To do the project Michael said he needed a full-size basketball court and weight room built for him to practice in. They didn’t even bat an eye. He got his facility and the world got cinematic perfection.
Mulholland Drive
Becoming a Hollywood star might look easy, but reaching that status can be incredibly difficult if you’re not born into fame. Even if you’re talented, it’s not worth much if you don’t make the right friends in the right places at the right time. The hard work and constant rejection can be a burden too heavy to bear. So much so that countless people quit every year.
Naomi Watts was very close to ending not only her career but her life before David Lynch offered to cast her in his movie Mulholland Drive. Her career began in 1986 and it wasn’t great, she was mainly cast in commercials and very small parts. For the next 14 years, her career didn’t go anywhere until this fateful breakthrough role.
Grease
Come on greased lightnin’! Rev up your engine and peel out of the schoolyard. It’s time to max out and see how far we can fly! Grease is one of those films that somehow continues to stand the test of time. There’s just something about John Travolta that we can’t help but love. Despite all of its non-PC moments and themes, Grease still stands as one of the most quotable musicals of all time.
It was also an interesting way to portray high school. Remember all of Rizzo’s iconic scenes? Every now and then people could spot a hickey on her neck! That’s not movie magic. Those were authentic hickeys! Instead of makeup, Jeff Conaway applied them himself with his own lips!
500 Days of Summer
Some of the best romance films are the ones where we already know how it’s going to end. Bonus points if it somehow ends horribly. Extra special bonus points if the ending has nothing to do at all with the plot. No spoilers (but kind of spoilers) that’s 500 Days of Summer. It’s a neat film that takes what you know about movies and switches things up. It also has a very distinct color palette throughout the majority of the film.
What’s the significance of all that blue? As it turns out, there’s a very good reason: the lead’s eyes. With her striking eye color, the director wanted to find a way to highlight Zooey Deschanel that was unique as well as not too obvious. How would they do it? He just used the blue to highlight how vivid her peepers are!
Scooby Doo 2002
Isn’t it funny how the show is named after the dog, yet he’s not the most important part of the group? Scooby Doo is one of those shows that’s been around for decades, almost every generation is familiar with it. But no matter how many times they might change the series, Scooby and Shaggy will always stay our favorite duo.
Honestly, it was a bit surprising to find out that the 2002 film was meant to have a heavier plot. As adult as the film tried to be, it always had its roots in children’s entertainment. We’re glad the network decided to go with the old format we all know and love.
The Wiz
Diana Ross, the Boss, also known as Ms. Ross, is a cultural icon. This diva has seen, done, and sang about it all. She’s even starred in movies! One of her best roles is from The Wiz! This retelling of The Wizard of Oz is full of great actors, singers, and dancers. It also has some pretty incredible effects for its time.
Of course, even with all the special safety measures and whatnot, people can still get hurt. During filming, Ross ended up having to be hospitalized after a scene. Apparently, a certain lighting effect was so bad it almost caused her to lose the ability to see! That would have been horrific. Thankfully, she was all right, and her sight and singing voice remained intact.
Ex Machina
Ex Machina is an interesting and “scientific” take on a pretty classic tale. It attempts to showcase that we’re still trying to understand what defines life and sentience when it comes to advanced machinery. To help blur the lines between technology and philosophy (and a bit of religion) even further, the characters are modern takes on some famous names!
Ava, Nathan, and Caleb are all based on famous biblical figures! Ava is a form of Eve. Nathan was a prophet and even Caleb appeared in the Bible (as a spy for Moses). The characters also have similar character arcs as their inspiration from the Old Testament!
Moulin Rouge!
Everyone can be a great singer and dancer! All it takes is time, dedication, pain, suffering, and a bit of talent. Before Moulin Rouge! nobody thought that Nicole Kidman was the singing and dancing type. Okay, maybe a few did, but not everyone. Proving them all wrong, she delivered a song and dance like no other and helped bring Moulin Rouge! to the big screen!
It’s a beautiful love story of gargantuan proportions! With some huge dance numbers, a few injuries may be a given. Even after fracturing some ribs and messing up her knee, Kidman knew that the show must go on! She continued to film her scenes from a wheelchair until she was well enough to get her legs back into the picture.
Four Weddings and a Funeral
The business of movies and how they’re made is pretty complicated. We can’t even begin to wrap our heads around the numbers that some of these actors and producers are netting! You need a pretty savvy accountant (or manager) to make any sort of bank in that industry. You also may need to just take an unconventional deal.
Instead of getting paid for appearing in Four Weddings and a Funeral, Andie MacDowell wanted something else. Instead of cash, she just wanted a percentage of the film’s take. That turned out to be a pretty good deal. Instead of making six figures like some of the actors, MacDowell walked away with around seven figures (i.e. millions)!
Mamma Mia!
Mamma Mia! is one of those musicals where the story doesn’t make a lot of sense, but the music is too good not to enjoy it. Basically, a young lady is getting married and walks her dad down the aisle. The trouble is she has three possible fathers because her mom doesn’t know who her dad is! When the film was announced, Pierce Brosnan was excited to take part.
However, it had nothing to do with the script. He just wanted to be in a movie with Meryl Streep! Honestly, wouldn’t we all? It seems even in the well-connected world of film, some people are still star-struck when certain colleagues make an appearance on set.
The Usual Suspects
We all remember the lineup scene in The Usual Suspects where they all read that one line and have a laugh. Well, you’d be surprised to know that it wasn’t the original vision of the director. The scene was supposed to be charged and serious, but something changed the actor’s mood completely, and after a full day of filming they just started laughing.
You might think that someone misread their lines or told a joke, but the real reason is far funnier. During the multiple takes of this scene Benicio Del Toro, according to filmmaker Christopher McQuarrie, “farted like 12 takes in a row.” He never confessed and the actors thought it was so funny they couldn’t contain their laughter anymore.
Austin Powers
Most of us don’t pay attention to the extras in the background of a movie, but perhaps we should start. You never know when that person is going to make it big, and we’re not talking about in showbiz. Joe Son is the actor who played Random Task, one of Dr. Evil’s assassins, in the first Austin Powers movie. He’s also been convicted of voluntary manslaughter!
He’s also been charged with another more gruesome crime that we’re not going to detail here. The voluntary manslaughter came after he was charged and sentenced. In prison, he killed his cellmate, which resulted in Son being moved to solitary confinement. Now that’s one seriously disturbing story.