Random Movie Trivia - Silence of the Lambs

Here is the next edition in our weekly Random Movie Trivia post.  Enjoy:

The Silence of the Lambs

• Jodie Foster claims that during the first meeting between Lecter and Starling, Anthony Hopkins's mocking of her southern accent was improvised on the spot. Foster's horrified reaction was genuine; she felt personally attacked. She later thanked Hopkins for generating such an honest reaction.
• In preparation for his role, Anthony Hopkins studied files of serial killers. Also, he visited prisons and studied convicted murderers and was present during some court hearings concerning serial killings.
• One of the inspirations that Anthony Hopkins borrowed from for his interpretation of Hannibal Lecter was a friend of his in London who never blinked which unnerved anyone around him.
• At 24 minutes and 52 seconds, Anthony Hopkins's performance in this movie is the second shortest to ever win an Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role, with David Niven in Separate Tables (1958) beating him by one minute.
• Nicole Kidman and Halle Berry auditioned for the role of Clarice, and Andie MacDowell was also considered. Meg Ryan, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Melanie Griffith turned the role down because of the disturbing subject matter.
• Buffalo Bill is the combination of three real-life serial killers: Ed Gein, who skinned his victims, Ted Bundy, who used the cast on his hand as bait to convince women to get into his van, and Gary Heidnick, who kept women he kidnapped in a pit in his basement.
• After Jodie Foster first read the Thomas Harris novel, she tried to buy the rights herself, only to find Gene Hackman had beaten her to it.
• As of 2014, the only horror film to win an Oscar for Best Picture. Only two others have been nominated: The Exorcist and Jaws.
• When Jonathan Demme filmed the scene where Lecter and Starling first meet, Anthony Hopkins said he should look directly at the camera as it panned into his line of sight. He felt Lecter should be portrayed as "knowing everything."
• John Hurt, Christopher Lloyd, Dustin Hoffman, Patrick Stewart, Louis Gossett Jr., Robert Duvall, Jack Nicholson, and Robert De Niro were all considered for the role of Dr. Hannibal Lecter. Jeremy Irons and Sean Connery turned down the role.
• The pattern on the moth's back in the movie posters is not the natural pattern of the Death's-Head Hawk Moth. It is, in fact, Salvador Dalí's "In Voluptas Mors", a picture of seven naked women made to look like a human skull.

"Yup, that is actually seven naked ladies shaped like a skull."

Who Is This? Part 37

First person that comes to mind, who is it?  No, it's not your dad.  What's wrong with you?  Okay, I'll give you a hint - he was on a TV show.  Yup, that was my greatest hint ever.  Oh wait, just the opposite.  In that case, here is a better hint - he was on a TV show where he played a crime-fighters sidekick, both of whom were winged-animal themed.  Yup, that's Burt Ward, or Robin from the original Batman TV show.  Kind of let himself go, didn't he?  Look how skinny he used to be.  What happened?

What is he up to now?  If I had to guess, living off of autograph signings at comic book conventions.

Random Movie Trivia - The Dark Knight Part 2

Here is the next edition in our weekly Random Movie Trivia post.  Enjoy:

The Dark Knight Part 2

• Christian Bale admitted he did not pack on as much muscle weight for this film as he did for Batman Begins, in part due to keeping with the new Bat-suit design, which is leaner and more flexible.
• The only Batman movie where Batman does not use a batarang and first Batman film with no live-action or CGI bats.
• Bruce Wayne's penthouse was actually shot on the ground floor of an office building in downtown Chicago. During the daytime the same exact space was re-dressed and used for Harvey Dent's press conference scenes.
• The comic book film with the most Academy Award nominations (8).
• Matt Damon was offered the part of Harvey Dent, but had to turn it down because of a schedule conflict with Invictus, another Warner Bros. film. Ryan Phillippe, Hugh Jackman, Mark Ruffalo, Liev Schreiber, and Josh Lucas were also considered for the part of Harvey Dent.
• While filming both the bank and police department scenes at the post office, an unrelated fire broke out in a top floor mechanical room and many onlookers believed that the smoke and fire was related to the filming.
• Sam Rockwell, Hugo Weaving, and Heath Ledger were the finalists for the role of joker, Ledger got the part.
• Christian Bale stated in an interview that during the interrogation scene, Heath Ledger wanted him to beat him as hard as he could to get the real feeling of what was required from the scene.
• During the hospital blow up scene Heath Ledger had to improvise after there was an unexpected delay in the explosion, there was only one chance to film the shot which was saved through Ledgers' quick thinking.
• When Harvey holds the Joker at gunpoint in the hospital scene, you can see that the Joker is actually holding the revolver's hammer with his finger, thus preventing the shot in case Harvey's coin lands on "bad" side.

Who Is This? Part 36

Super easy one.  Oh wait, just the opposite.  Super hard one (hehe).  I'll give you a hint to help you out.  He is actually from Africa and only acted in one movie in his career.  Got it?  Of course not, you're an idiot.  How about this hint?  The one movie he acted in, he wore an alien costume.  Yup, that's Bolaji Badejo, or the guy who played the original alien in Alien.  He was cast because he is really tall and really skinny, as you can see below.

So, what is up to know?  Fuck if I know.  Oh wait, he passed away in 1992.

Random Movie Trivia - The Dark Knight Part 1

Here is the next edition in our weekly Random Movie Trivia post.  Enjoy:

The Dark Knight Part 1

• Takes place roughly nine months after Batman Begins ended.
• In preparation for his role as The Joker, Heath Ledger hid away in a motel room for about six weeks. During this extended stay of seclusion, Ledger delved deep into the psychology of the character. He devoted himself to developing The Joker's every tic, namely the voice and that sadistic-sounding laugh (for the voice, Ledger's goal was to create a tone that didn't echo the work Jack Nicholson did in his 1989 performance as the Joker). Ledger's interpretation of The Joker's appearance was primarily based on the chaotic, disheveled look of punk rocker Sid Vicious combined with the psychotic mannerisms of Malcolm McDowell's character, Alex De Large, from A Clockwork Orange.
• During the scene where the Joker crashes Bruce Wayne's party for Harvey, when he first appears in the elevator Alfred was meant to have some lines, however this was the first time Michael Caine had seen Heath Ledger with the Joker make up on, you can even see the shocked expression on his face as the Joker walks past him.
• In the early minutes of each film in the trilogy the main villain (Ra's Al Guhl, Joker, Bane) disguises himself as one of his own henchmen and there is a conversation about said villain in each scene.
• The first comic book movie to ever win an Oscar for achievement in acting (Heath Ledger).
• While the movie was filming a chase scene on Lake Street, the Chicago Police Department received several calls from concerned citizens stating that the police were involved in a vehicle pursuit with a dark vehicle of unknown make or model.
• Made more money than Batman Begins's entire domestic run in only 6 days of release.
• Whilst filming in Chicago, Wanted was the neighboring production, and Morgan Freeman worked concurrently on both films.
• Paul Bettany, Lachy Hulme, Adrien Brody, Steve Carell, and Robin Williams all publicly expressed interest in playing the Joker, little knowing that Christopher Nolan always had Heath Ledger in mind.
• The first Batman movie that does not feature Bruce Wayne's mansion, although it is mentioned.
• Even though Christopher Nolan offered her the part, Katie Holmes decided not to reprise her role as Rachel Dawes. Instead, she opted to co-star with Diane Keaton andQueen Latifah in Mad Money (2008) that same year. Sarah Michelle Gellar, Isla Fisher, Emily Blunt, and Rachel McAdams were all considered for the role before Maggie Gyllenhaal stepped in.

Who Is This? Part 35

Alright, I know without a doubt that you know who that is.  NO?!  What the hell, man (or lady, can't forget them)!  Would a crappy hint help?  Of course it will.  She has only done one thing that you have probably heard of.  I know, I know, I did say it was going to be a crappy hint.  I'll give you the real one now.  She was the title star of a show about an orphaned girl who could be described as "Punky".  Yup, that's Soleil Moon Frye, or as you know her, Punky Brewster.  She grew up to be a nice looking woman even if she doesn't look anything like you remember her.

So, what has she been up to lately?  Believe it or not, but she has been working steadily since Punky Brewster left the air.  She does a lot of voice work, especially on something called Bratz.  Also, she was on 66 episodes of Sabrina, the Teenage Witch.

Who Is This? Part 34

Alright, whadda ya got?  I'll make it easy on ya and give you an awesome hint.  The only movie he has been in that you know of, he played baseball.  Great hint, right?  You disagree?  Well, screw you, I thought it was great, but I'll give you another one just to make you feel better.  In that movie I mentioned, he played baseball and then was caught in the parking lot by Ben Affleck and his friends and got paddled.  Yup, that's Wiley Wiggins, aka Mitch Kramer from Dazed and Confused.  You see it now, don't you?  The glasses threw you for a loop, but that's definitely him under there.

So, what is he up to now?  Well, in the past 20 years, he has been in nine movies and only one of them I have heard of (The Faculty) in which he played "F'%# Up #2".  That makes me believe he has not been doing too well in his acting career.  I guess that means he is living off of Dazed and Confused royalties, which can't be all that bad.

Random Movie Trivia - Independence Day

Here is the next edition in our weekly Random Movie Trivia post.  Enjoy:

Independence Day

• The President's speech was filmed on 6 August 1995 in front of an old airplane hangar. The hangar once housed the Enola Gay, which dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima exactly 50 years earlier on 6 August 1945.
• Roland Emmerich admitted that during the movie's premiere at the White House, he gave his seat next to President Bill Clinton to Bill Pullman, fearing Clinton's reaction to the on-screen destruction of the White House.
• The film was banned in Lebanon under pressure from Hezbollah, because it included scenes where Israeli and Iraqi soldiers joined forces.
• Jeff Goldblum uses one of his lines from Jurassic Park in this film: "Must go faster, must go faster!"
• Shot in 72 days, an unusually short period of time for such a big blockbuster.
• The character of President Whitmore was originally intended to be a Richard Nixon-like figure. The role was originally written for Kevin Spacey, co-writer Dean Devlin's friend from high school. An executive at Fox refused to cast Spacey, insisting he didn't have the potential to be a big star. The part was re-written and Bill Pullman was then cast in the role.
• Producer Dean Devlin said that well over half of the dialogue in the scenes Jeff Goldblum shared with Judd Hirsch and Will Smith was improvised.
• Director Roland Emmerich was notified one day that Robert Loggia was very upset and refusing to leave his trailer. Days earlier, producer Dean Devlin accidentally suggested to Loggia that he watch Airplane! (1980) for inspiration when he actually intended to suggest Airport (1970). Not familiar with either film, Loggia rented Airplane! and after watching it thought that he had unknowingly been participating in the production of a "spoof" movie.
• Matthew Perry was originally offered the role of Captain Jimmy "Raven" Wilder but pulled out at the last minute.
• Originally Russell Casse (Randy Quaid) flew his crop duster in the final battle, because the military had rejected him as a pilot. He appeared with a missile attached to the crop duster, then flew the crop duster into the alien ship. But when it was screened to test audiences, they felt it was too comedic, so they re-filmed the scene.

Who Is This? Part 33

Alright, whadda ya got?  Something, anything?  No!  Okay, a hint then.  You would never guess who her dad is.  Good hint?  Of course not, I never give you a good first hint.  Ha!  Here's the real one.  She's now considered one of the sexiest women alive and stole her husband away from America's sweetheart, oh and she's an actress and her dad is Jon Voight.  Yup, that's little Angelina Jolie.  Guess what, I just learned her full name is actually Angelina Jolie Voight.  I feel like that is kind of obvious, but somehow I didn't know that.  Also, I have never seen her sex appeal, unless you are into that whole "crazy hot chick" thing, than sure, but not me.

So, what is she up to now?  Well, she just directed some movie I'll never see and she has Kung Fu Panda 3 and Salt 2 in production.  Oh, and she's still banging Brad Pitt.  In other words, she's doing just fine.

Who Is This? Part 31

This is a much easier than the last one.  Who ya got?  Nothing?  I'll help you out then.  She has much bigger boobs now.  I know that did it.  No?!?  Damn it.  Fine, here's a better hint.  Her much bigger boobs landed her on a show about lifeguards that ran in slow motion a lot.  Yup, that's Pamela Anderson.  Can you believe that she is 47 years old?  It feels like just yesterday that she was solid spank bank material.  What happened to our youth?

So, what is she up to now?  If I had to guess, not aging well.  Judging by how much plastic surgery she had to just to look like that, there is no way she can be looking all that great right now.  Other than that, not much.  There really isn't much of a market for 47 year old blonds with big boobs and no talent.  In other words, expect her reality show to debut soon.  Sigh.

Random Movie Trivia - Braveheart

Here is the next edition in our weekly Random Movie Trivia post.  Enjoy:

Braveheart

• The film is often cited as the least accurate historical epic of all time.
• "Braveheart" was actually the nickname of Robert the Bruce, not William Wallace.
• Mel Gibson did not want to play William Wallace, as he felt he was too old for the part. However, he could only get financing for the film if he agreed with Paramount studios to play the lead role. Mel Gibson originally wanted Jason Patric to play William Wallace.
• There is an in-joke in the film that William Wallace's private time with Isabella led to the conception of Edward III. This could not have been the case, since Edward III was born almost ten years after Wallace died.
• Director/producer Mel Gibson was investigated by an animal welfare organization, who were convinced that the fake horses used were real. Only when one of his assistants provided some videotaped footage of the location shooting were they convinced otherwise.
• Several of the major battle scenes had to be re-shot, as extras were seen wearing sunglasses and wristwatches.
• Many Scots were offended by the film's portrayal of Robert the Bruce, who is considered a National Hero of Scotland (along with Wallace).
• Real life Wallaces are extras in the movie. Mel Gibson also stayed with them during the course of the film to learn history.
• Sean Connery turned down the role of King Edward I because he was filming Just Cause.
• Blue body paint (Woad) for battles had stopped being used around the end of the Roman era - roughly 800 years before the events of the film.
• Nearly all of the movie was filmed in Ireland, apart from a few scenes of the Scottish Highlands.

Who Is This? Part 27

Oh man, this is a good one.  I'll go ahead and give you a hint because I know you are dumb, I mean, stupid.  This guy has only done one movie that was ever in theaters.  Great hint, right?  Of course not, dummy, I wasn't going to make it easy for you.  Here's another one.  The one movie he ever did, his dad went crazy and tried to murder him and his mom with an ax.  Yup, that's Danny Lloyd, the guy who played Danny Torrance in The Shining.  Yeah, you never would have guessed that in a million years without a hint.....or you cheated.  On a side note, I have never seen this movie.  How is that possible?  I feel like this is one of those movies that everyone has seen at least once in their life, but somehow I haven't.  Weird.

So, what is he up to now?  Not a clue.  I guess he quit acting after one more movie and went back to being normal and raised a family or something.  I guess I could have done a little more research, but honestly, I don't really care what he is up to now.

Who Is This? Part 26

You are going to hate yourself for not getting this one, but I'll give you a hint anyways.  She was liked by a boy in the one movie you know her from.  Got it?  Probably not, you dummy.  Gosh, you're hopeless.  Here's a better hint, idiot.  She was liked by a boy in the one movie she was known for and he tricked her into kissing him by faking that he was drowning.  Yup, that's Marley Shelton, or as you know her, Wendy Peffercorn from The Sandlot.  Just put a pair of sunglasses on her and you see the resemblance now, don't you?

So, what has she been up to lately?  Quite a lot according to her IMDB page, but nothing you have probably seen.  However, it looks like she will be in Colin Farrell's next movie, so she has that going for her.

Random Movie Trivia - Back to the Future Part 2

Here is the next edition in our weekly Random Movie Trivia post.  Enjoy:

Back to the Future Part 2

• The inspiration for the film largely stems from Bob Gale (wrote the screenplay) discovering his father's high school yearbook and wondering whether he would have been friends with his father as a teenager. Gale also said that if he had the chance to go back in time he would really go back and see if they would have been friends.
• Christopher Lloyd originally turned down the role of Doc Brown, but changed his mind after his wife convinced him to take the role.
• John Lithgow, Dudley Moore, James Woods, and Jeff Goldblum were all considered for the role of Doc Brown.
• When Thomas F. Wilson (Biff) is asked about Back to the Future by enthusiastic fans, he will often hand them a postcard of frequently asked questions as a timesaver.
• Tim Robbins was considered for the role of Biff Tannen.
• Biff Tannen is named in homage to Ned Tanen, one-time head of Universal, who threwBob Gale and Robert Zemeckis's script for I Wanna Hold Your Hand (1978) on the floor in a heated meeting, accusing it of being anti-Semitic. Despite the fact that Bob Gale is Jewish.
• A deleted scene shows Marty peeking in on a class in 1955 and seeing his mother cheating on a test.
• Johnny Depp auditioned for the role of Marty McFly. C. Thomas Howell and John Cusack were considered to play the role of Marty McFly.
• The main setting, 1955, is the year that Albert Einstein, the dog's namesake, died.
• Michael J. Fox is only ten days younger than Lea Thompson who plays his mother, and is almost three years older than his on-screen dad, Crispin Glover.
• Billy Zane makes his first on-screen appearance in this film as "Match", one of Biff's cronies.
• The set for Kingston Falls in Gremlins (1984) is the same one used for Back to the Future (1985).
• The film was almost titled "Spaceman from Pluto".

Who Is This? Part 25

Okay, this one shouldn't be that tough, but I'll give you a hint anyways.  His most famous movie character had a cool nickname.  Got it, right?  Of course you do.....no?  Damn it, I thought this one would be easy.  Here's another hint for you, dummy.  His most famous movie character had a cool fishy nickname and was a pledge in a crazy fraternity that was on double-secret probation.  Yup, that is Stephen Furst, aka Flounder from Animal House.  You see the resemblance now, don't ya?

So, what has he been up to lately?  Not much since 2006, but he did do over 100 episodes of Babylon 5 and almost 100 episodes of St. Elsewhere, which are both decent gigs.  I've never seen either show, but I've heard good things, plus making over 100 episodes means they get syndicated and that means free money for Stephen.

Random Movie Trivia - Back to the Future Part 1

Here is the next edition in our weekly Random Movie Trivia post.  Enjoy:

Back to the Future Part 1

• Michael J. Fox had always been the first choice for Marty, but he was unavailable due to scheduling conflicts with his work on Family Ties (1982). The producers then cast Eric Stoltz as Marty based on his performance in Mask (1985). After four weeks of filming Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale felt that Stoltz wasn't right for the part and Stoltz agreed. Fox then worked out a schedule to fulfill his commitment to both projects. Every day during production, he drove straight to the movie set after taping of the show was finished every day and averaged about five hours of sleep.
• Ralph Macchio turned down the role of Marty McFly, thinking the movie was about "A kid, a car, and plutonium pills."
• Thomas F. Wilson almost had his collarbone broken in the scene where Marty and Biff are about to fight in the cafeteria, as Eric Stoltz roughed up Tom for real, take after take, despite repeated requests from Tom to tone down the aggression. Tom later said he was about to return the favor during filming of the car park scene outside the dance, but Eric was fired before that confrontation could take place.
• When Lorraine follows Marty back to Doc's house, she and Doc exchange an awkward greeting. This marks the only on-screen dialogue that Christopher Lloyd and Lea Thompson ever have, though they have appeared together in five movies and one TV movie.
• The script was rejected 40 times before it was finally green-lit.
• Christopher Lloyd always wanted to do one more movie, in which Marty and Doc Brown time-travel back to Ancient Rome.
• When Marty is being judged at the band auditions at the beginning, the judge who stands up to say he is "just too darn loud" is Huey Lewis, whose songs, "The Power of Love" and "Back in Time" are featured on the movie's soundtrack.
• Claudia Wells, who played Jennifer Parker in Back to the Future (1985), gave her role up to Elisabeth Shue for Back to the Future Part II (1989) and Back to the Future Part III (1990) when her mother was diagnosed with cancer.
• Doc Brown refers to "jigawatts" of electricity. This is the now-obscure but once-standard pronunciation of the word "gigawatt", one billion watts. Nowadays it is usually pronounced with a hard "g" as in "gander" and "gold".
• While filming the "parking" scene with Marty and young Lorraine in the car, the production crew decided to play a practical joke at Michael J. Fox's expense. The scene called for Fox to drink from a prop liquor bottle filled with water and do a spit take when he sees Lorraine with a cigarette. For a specific take however, the prop liquor bottle was switched for one which contained real alcohol inside. Fox, unaware of this, performed the scene and drank from the bottle, only to discover the switch after-the-fact.
• Biff's catchphrases "make like a tree and get outta here" and "butthead" were improvised by Thomas F. Wilson.
• Stay tuned for more in a couple weeks.....

Who Is This? Part 24

I'll be nice today and start off with a hint - her brother is also an actor.  Great hint, right?  Just kidding, that one sucked, so I'll give you a real one now - she's only been in one movie that you've probably seen.  Ha, got you again, here's the real hint, really - she played a redhead in a movie about drugs, sex, high school, parties, hazing, and an older guy who loved to say "Alright, alright, alright".  Yup, that is Marissa Ribisi, who played Cynthia in Dazed and Confused.  In case you are wondering about that first hint, she is Giovanni Ribisi's sister, you know, that guy from movies like Avatar, Gone in Sixty Seconds, and Lost in Translation.

What has she been up to lately?  According to IMDB, nothing since 2006.  So, take your best guess and I'll go with that.

Who Is This? Part 23

You're probably asking yourself "Didn't he do one of these posts with some twins a month ago?".  The answer to your question, dear reader, is yes.  So, that is your first hint.  Now you are asking yourself "I can't remember what I had for breakfast, how in the hell am I going to remember a stupid post you wrote a month ago?".  Good point.  Here's another hint.  Those two girls up there both played the same role in the sequel of a remake of a TV show about a kooky family.  If you haven't figured it out, that's okay, I swear I won't be mad......this time.  Those two ladies up there are Kaitlyn and Kristen Hopper, who played the baby Pubert in Addams Family Values.  Yeah, two girls played the part of a baby boy.  Crazy, right?

So, what are they up to now?  Not a clue.  Other than both of them being in one episode of Home Improvement, they appear to have quit acting and are living a normal life.  Not a bad idea considering the track record of child actors.

Random Movie Trivia - Goldeneye

Here is the next edition in our weekly Random Movie Trivia post.  Enjoy:

Goldeneye

• Features the highest bungee jump from a structure in a movie. The drop was over 722 ft. 
• Agent 007 kills 47 people in this film, making this the highest amount of people James Bond has killed in a single Bond film.
• Pierce Brosnan hurt his hand in his bathroom at home in Malibu before shooting began, so in several shots his hands were doubled by his 22 year old son Christopher Brosnan. Also, Famke Janssen broke a rib during the sauna fight scene.
• At the time the script was being written the producers were under the assumption that Timothy Dalton would be renewing the role of Bond. It was written to match Dalton's darker, more realistic portrayal of 007.
• Before Pierce Brosnan was cast as James Bond, Liam Neeson, Mel Gibson, Sam Neill, Hugh Grant and Lambert Wilson were all rumored to be in the running for the role.
• Sean Bean (006/Alec Trevelyan) previously auditioned for the role of James Bond in The Living Daylights (1987).
• "Goldeneye" is the nickname of Bond creator Ian Fleming's beachfront house in Jamaica where, between 1952 and 1964, he wrote the Bond novels and short stories.
• The only Bond film where James Bond, M and Miss Moneypenny are all recast with different actors. The only holdover is Desmond Llewelyn as Q.
• Pierce Brosnan and George Lazenby are the only 007 actors born outside the United Kingdom. Lazenby was born in Australia, Brosnan in Ireland. Unlike Lazenby, Brosnan moved to the UK when fairly young.
• Several changes had to be made to the script during production because the plot was virtually identical to True Lies (1994) which was being released at the time.
• For the scenes in which Xenia Onatopp is seen flying the Tiger helicopter, a male pilot had to be made up to look like Famke Janssen.
• Actresses considered as Bond girls were Elizabeth Hurley and Elle Macpherson.
• First of two appearances by Joe Don Baker as Bond's CIA counterpart Jack Wade, who would also appear in Tomorrow Never Dies (1997). Wade was created as a replacement for Felix Leiter, who had lost his leg (and presumably retired from field work as a result) in the previous Bond movie Licence to Kill (1989).

"He has a 'certain set of skills' that matched the part, but I can only assume him saying 'Bond, James Bond' in his accent sounded weird."