FILM 1923: SEARCHING

FILM 1923: SEARCHING

TRIVIA: The film took just 13 days to shoot. However, it took two years to make due to the prep, editing and animating.

For the German, Spanish, French, Russian and Portuguese versions of the movie, every TV/phone/computer screen was recreated in its respective language, as well as every typing sequence, keystroke by keystroke.

While the film features computer operating systems, programs and (mostly) websites, they were re-created from scratch and animated on computers.

Since this movie takes place on a mock computer screen just like a previous film, Unfriended (2014), there is a small nod to that movie during the very first Facebook scene. The name "Laura Barns," a character from Unfriended, appears on the top right screen as a trending topic. It was shown very briefly.

This was the feature film directorial debut of Aneesh Chaganty.

Throughout the movie various news articles hint to an alien invasion that happening at the same time.

During one of the earlier Facebook scenes, trending topics can be seen at the top right corner of the screen. One of the topics is simply "The Dress". This is a reference to a photo of a dress that became a viral internet sensation in February 2015 when viewers disagreed over whether the dress was coloured black and blue, or white and gold.

FILM 1532: TERMS OF ENDEARMENT

TRIVIA: James L. Brooks received a special gift at the end of production, to congratulate him for completing his first movie. This was a book of "Life in Hell" cartoons, drawn by Matt Groening. Brooks was so impressed with the comics that he asked Groening to create cartoon shorts for The Tracey Ullman Show (1987). This gave rise to The Simpsons (1989).

Debra Winger behaved erratically on the set of this film because she was trying to get over a severe cocaine addiction. At one point, she and Shirley MacLaine got into a shoving match.

The character of Garrett Breedlove does not appear in the novel and was written specifically with Burt Reynolds in mind by writer-director James L. Brooks. Reynolds loved the script but was already committed to star in Stroker Ace (1983). Paul Newman and Harrison Ford turned down the role before Jack Nicholson signed on. Nicholson talked with a number of real astronauts while in Houston in preparation.

The role of Emma was originally written for Sissy Spacek.

James L. Brooks settled on Shirley MacLaine to play Aurora because "she was the only one who saw it as a comedy."

Shirley MacLaine and Debra Winger were both nominated for 1983's Best Actress Oscar, which went to MacLaine. On her way to the podium, she reportedly whispered to Winger, "Half of this belongs to you," to which Winger reportedly replied, "I'll take half."

James L. Brooks was the fourth director to win an Academy Award for direction on debut. Delbert Mann' was the first for Marty (1955) whilst Jerome Robbins was the second for West Side Story (1961). Others have been Robert Redford for Ordinary People (1980) and Kevin Costner for Dances with Wolves (1990).

CAMEO: Albert Brooks: the voice of Aurora's husband in the opening scene, credited as A Brooks.

FILM 1377: TAKEN

TRIVIA: Liam Neeson expected the film to bomb, but signed on in order spend four months in Paris and learn karate while playing the kind of role he'd rarely been offered in the past. Ironically, the film was a hit and created a new onscreen image for Neeson as an action hero.

The curved knife used in the final fight is a karambit. It's an Indonesian /Malaysian weapon and the finger hole in the handle makes it very difficult to disarm, which was evident in the fight scene.

http://beautifuldecay.com/2014/09/01/prune-nourrys-terracotta-daughters-reflect-gender-preference-china/

Film 907: Mildred Pierce

Trivia: Shirley Temple was originally considered for the part of Veda Pierce.

Shooting the early scenes, director Michael Curtiz accused Joan Crawford of needlessly glamorizing her working mother role. She insisted she was buying her character's clothes off the rack, but didn't mention that her own dressmaker was fitting the waists and padding out the shoulders.

Monty's Beach House, used in the key opening scene and several others, was actually owned by the film's director, Michael Curtiz. It was built in 1929 and stood at 26652 Latigo Shore Dr. in Malibu. It collapsed into the ocean after a week of heavy storms in January 1983.

Mirroring her own life, Joan Crawford had also supported herself as a waitress and saleswoman before she achieved success as an actress.

Joan Crawford was nominated and won the Academy Award for Best Actress for Mildred Pierce. She was not at the award ceremony because she was home in bed with pneumonia. However, there was a story circulated that she faked her illness. Joan did not think she would win the Academy Award and she did not want to attend the ceremony to be humiliated. It was said that after she heard that she won the award for Best Actress, she jumped out of bed, did her make up and put on her best negligee to meet the press.