FILM 2004: OCEAN'S TWELVE

FILM 2004: OCEAN'S TWELVE 

TRIVIA: The Night Fox's mansion is on the shores of Lake Como in Italy. The name of the city overlooking Lake Como is Bellagio. The city and the lake were the inspiration for the design of the Bellagio casino in Las Vegas, site of the heist in Ocean's Eleven (2001).

While on production in Rome, Brad Pitt and George Clooney were not allowed back into the hotel because the doorman thought they were vagrants after the actors were caught in a rain storm while jogging.

George Clooney was 42 years-old at the time of filming the scene in which the other actors guess his age.

Six of the Ocean's Twelve have won Oscars: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Matt Damon, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Casey Affleck.

The drysuits used by the gang were custom made for the production in two weeks by husband-and-wife team Gareth and Tina Roberts of Gryphon Watersports in Staffordshire, England. Only one of the ten suits ordered had to be fully functioning and waterproof, but the tight deadline still meant that the couple had to work round the clock to get the suits ready in time for the shoot in Amsterdam.

Five cast members also guest starred on Friends (1994-2004) including Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Bruce Willis and Elliot Gould

FILM 1928: GLASS

FILM 1928: GLASS

TRIVIA: Samuel L. Jackson said of working with James McAvoy on the movie, "As good as I like to think I am or what I do and how I do it, watching somebody transform characters in front of your eyes and have an argument with four different people is pretty amazing."

James Mcavoy based one of his twenty-three multiple personalities on a young Saoirse Ronan, whom he worked with in the film Atonement (2007).

While promoting the movie at the 2018 Comic-Con, writer and director M. Night Shyamalan noted that the film was "a once-in-a-lifetime movie in that Disney arm Buena Vista International, which owns the rights to Unbreakable (2000), and Split (2016) studio Universal Pictures, agreed to team for the film." He continued saying, "I don't think this will ever happen again, where two studios had two IPs they completely owned, and I said, 'Can we make a sequel to both, and you guys share it?' and they said 'Yes.'"

Sarah Paulson accepted her part without reading the script, even though her role was originally written for a man, for the opportunity to work with director M. Night Shyamalan. 

When David Dunn is taken into the mental hospital, the first camera feed seen is labeled H20. David's weakness is water which hints that the hospital is dangerous to him.

Although Disney owns the rights to Unbreakable (2000), director M. Night Shyamalankept the rights to any potential sequels to himself, so that the studio could not make one without his involvement. Such was his desire for creative control that he co-financed Glass (2019) by mortgaging his house.

DIRECTOR CAMEO: M. Night Shymalan played a customer at the Dunn Security store and recognized David Dunn as a former security guard at the stadium and credits him for putting him on a good path. In Unbreakable (2000), Shymalan cameoed as a drug dealer whom David has a run in with.

FILM 1881: LUCKY NUMBER SLEVIN

FILM 1881: LUCKY NUMBER SLEVIN

TRIVIA: According to the DVD commentary with Josh Hartnett and Lucy Liu, Lindsey's reaction when she walks in on Slevin with his towel open is real. The scene was scripted, but Josh Hartnett actually flashed Lucy Liu without telling her prior to filming.

Josh Hartnett (Slevin) lived with Screenwriter Jason Smilovic and his girlfriend in New York City while the script was being written. Smilovic said that he thought of having Slevin wear a towel a lot of the time because he saw Hartnett in one so often. More so it added a vulnerable quality to Slevin.

Lucy Liu said in a "Making of" featurette, that she had more fun making this movie than any of her other movies.

In promotional material for this movie, Sir Ben Kingsley's credit included his knighthood. At first, the actor was singled out for some criticism, as such things are usually omitted from professional credits. It transpired that this was a mistake by a studio executive, who was unfamiliar with the British honors system.

DIRECTOR CAMEO 

Paul McGuigan: The hand X-ray in the coroner's office is the director's hand. 

FILM 1844: THE SIXTH SENSE

FILM 1844: THE SIXTH SENSE

TRIVIA: Reportedly, Haley Joel Osment got the role of Cole Sear for one of three reasons. First, he was best for it. Second, he was the only boy at auditions who wore a tie. Third, director M. Night Shyamalan was surprised when he asked Haley Joel Osment if he read his part. Osment replied, "I read it three times last night." Shyamalan was impressed, saying, "Wow, you read your part three times?" To which Osment replied, "No, I read the script three times."

Toni Collette has said that she was so moved by the emotional resonance of the story while filming, she did not even realize it was a horror film until after its release.

While in New York City auditioning for Bringing Out the Dead (1999), Toni Collette also auditioned for this film as an afterthought. She said the scene in the car toward the end of the film, which was the audition scene, was the scene that really drew her to the film.

According to director M. Night Shyamalan, Donnie Wahlberg lost 43 pounds for the role of Vincent Grey.

Filmed in sequence.

The movie was rented by 80 million people in 2000, making it the year's top-rated VHS and DVD title.

M. Night Shyamalan wrote the role of Malcolm Crowe with Bruce Willis in mind.

A lot of the members of M. Night Shyamalan's family are doctors. This is the reason why he cameos as a doctor, as a tribute to his family.

This was the first of two movies that Bruce Willis owed Disney, after he caused another production, "The Broadway Brawler," to be shut down, due to him firing the director. He also was paid ten million dollars, half of his usual salary at the time.

According to Michael Cera, this was the first film that he ever auditioned for. He read for the part of Cole, but the role ultimately went to Haley Joel Osment.

Included among the "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die," edited by Steven Schneider.

In 2007, the American Film Institute ranked this as the #89 Greatest Movie of All Time. This was one of the newest entries on the list (from films which were released between 1997 and 2005).

DIRECTOR CAMEO: M. Night Shyamalan: Dr. Hill, who examines Cole Sear after the "accident" at the birthday party.

FILM 1691: MERCURY RISING 

TRIVIA: Actor Miko Hughes spent time with many autistic children at a special school. He also worked with a Chicago child psychologist to understand how to portray an autistic child.

Alec Baldwin appeared in this film due to a contractual obligation to Universal Pictures. Baldwin had previously backed out of a film for Universal and signed an agreement promising the studio another film. Years later, this film was presented to him and he did it to avoid further litigation.

The scene is Kudrow's wine cellar has Kudrow accusing Jeffries of watching too many SUV commercials. The irony of this, is that both Bruce Willis and Alec Baldwin have done voice over work for those types of ads. Willis has done ads for the Toyota Tundra and Baldwin has done ads for Chevy/GMC.

Second film Alec Baldwin did with director Harold Becker. The first was Malice (1993).

FILM 1209: DIE HARD

TRIVIA: The scene in which Gruber and McClane meet was inserted into the script after Alan Rickman (Hans Gruber) was found to be proficient at mimicking American accents. The filmmakers had been looking for a way to have the two characters meet prior to the climax and capitalized on Rickman's talent.

Special, extra loud blanks were made for use in the film to add to the "hyper-realism" director John McTiernan was looking for. Unfortunately for Bruce Willis, some of these blanks were used for the scene where he kills a terrorist by shooting him through the bottom of a table where the terrorist is standing. The proximity of the gun to Willis' ear during this scene caused permanent hearing loss for Willis.

Alan Rickman's feature film debut.

John McTiernan was originally going to make Commando 2, but Arnold Schwarzenegger turned the role offer down. Commando 2 was transformed into this film; Schwarzenegger was the first actor offered the title role, but he again declined. Eventually Bruce Willis would get the part after it had been offered to Sylvester Stallone, Burt Reynolds, Harrison Ford, Mel Gibson and Richard Gere.

Director John McTiernan found it necessary to smash cut away from Hans Gruber's face whenever he fired a gun, because of Alan Rickman's uncontrollable habit of flinching from the noise and muzzle flash. If you look at Rickman's face when he shoots Takagi, you can see him wincing.

Ironically, Bruce Willis, sneered at for being an all-American hero by the head German terrorist, is actually more German than most of the villains; Alan Rickman is English and Alexander Godunov was Russian. Bruce Willis was born on March 19th 1955 in West Germany to an American father and a German mother.

Bruce Willis and Demi Moore tied the knot at the Golden Nugget hotel in Las Vegas during this shoot, Moore having recently broken her engagement to actor Emilio Estevez. Little Richard presided over the ceremony and former brat packer Ally Sheedy was a bridesmaid.