FILM 1972: DEAD CALM

FILM 1972: DEAD CALM

TRIVIA: Before filming began, Nicole Kidman took lessons from the owner of the Storm Vogel on how to operate the ship. During the storm sequences near the end of the film, she is actually piloting the yacht.

For the scene where Hughie rips off Rae's shorts, Billy Zane really did rip off Nicole Kidman's shorts through his own sheer strength without any alterations made to the shorts to make them easier to rip.

Sam Neill met his wife, Noriko Watanabe, in the making of this film.

FILM 1949: FRANKENWEENIE

FILM 1949: FRANKENWEENIE

TRIVIA: This is Tim Burton's first film since Big Fish (2003) not to feature Johnny Depp, his first since Sleepy Hollow (1999) not to feature Helena Bonham Carter and his first since Mars Attacks! (1996) to feature neither of them.

One of Tim Burton's regular actors, Christopher Lee, did not take part in this film, but archive footage of him in Dracula (1958) is watched by Victor's parents on television.

The mayor of the town is Mr. Burgermeister, which means "mayor" in German. His name/appearance is also a homage to Burgermeister Meisterburger, the antagonist of the stop-motion film Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town (1970).

A turtle named "Shelley" is buried in the pet cemetery. Mary Shelley wrote "Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus," the novel on which this film is loosely based.

Winona Ryder did her own singing. She agreed to do it when Tim Burton said the singing had to sound imperfect.

Tim Burton created the Weird Girl ("Staring Girl") in his book "The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy & Other Stories" (1997).

This film is loosely based on a live action short film of the same name, written and directed by Burton in 1984.

FILM 1918: PEE-WEE'S BIG ADVENTURE

FILM 1918: PEE-WEE'S BIG ADVENTURE

TRIVIA: Tim Burton and Paul Reubens brought on Danny Elfman as composer after Burton had attended concerts by Oingo Boingo, of which Elfman was lead singer and songwriter. Elfman was originally apprehensive, having no formal music training, but he was assisted by Boingo guitarist Steve Bartek as orchestrator. Elfman later said that hearing his music performed by an orchestra for the first time was one of the most thrilling experiences of his life.

Jan Hooks improvised the dialogue for her scenes as the Alamo tour guide.

This was Tim Burton's directorial feature debut. He had previously directed some short films.

The Drive-in sequence was filmed at the Studio Drive In, formerly located in Culver City CA. The Studio was built in the 1930s, and was the first Drive-in Theatre constructed in California. It served as a set for several films, including Grease (1978). It was closed in 1993 and demolished in 1998. No trace of this Drive-in remains.

The rock band whose video shoot Pee Wee rides his bike through is Twisted Sister.

During the magic shop scene, Mario shows Pee-wee heads of different sizes. The largest head that he shows Pee-wee last is actually Aleister Crowley.

The Mr. T cereal eaten by Pee-Wee actually existed. It was not something made up for the film.

Elizabeth Daily (Dottie) would later go on to provide famous cartoon voices such as Buttercup in The Powerpuff Girls (1998) and The Powerpuff Girls Movie (2002)

CAMEO: Cassandra Peterson: (a.k.a. Elvira) Biker Mama at the Biker Bar.

CAMEO: Tom Berenger: Patron that turns around in the diner after the Large Marge sequence.

CAMEO: Phil Hartman: reporter interviewing Francis at the drive-in is "Captain Carl" from Pee Wee's TV shows.

DIRECTOR CAMEO : Tim Burton: the thug who accosts Pee-wee just before he enters the fortune teller's studio.

FILM 1762: SNATCH

FILM 1762: SNATCH

TRIVIA: Brad Pitt, who was a big fan of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998), approached director Guy Ritchie and asked for a role in this film. When Ritchie found Pitt couldn't master a London accent, he gave him the role of Mickey the Gypsy.

When Guy Ritchie told Brad Pitt that he would be playing a boxer, Pitt became concerned because he had just finished shooting Fight Club (1999) and did not want to play the same type of role again. Pitt took the role anyway because he wanted to work with Ritchie so badly.

Brad Pitt's character and indecipherable speech was inspired by many critics' complaints about the accents of the characters in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998). Guy Ritchie decided to counter the criticisms by creating a character that not only couldn't be understood by the audience but that also couldn't be understood by characters in the movie.

Every mistake that Sol, Vincent and Tyrone make were inspired by various late-night TV shows about real-life crimes gone horribly wrong.

The producers couldn't afford enough extras for the boxing match sequences. Whenever a camera angle changed, the extras had to move around to create an impression of a crowded house.

When Vinny and Sol are sitting outside Brick-Top's Bookies, about to give him the diamond, the man that approaches the car is not really Bullet-Tooth Tony, it was a look-alike. Vinnie Jones didn't show up for shooting that day because he was in jail for fighting the night before.

The role of Brick Top was originally offered to Sean Connery. Connery liked the script and was curious to see Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998), so producer Matthew Vaughn hastily arranged a screening for him at extreme short notice. Connery duly turned up and watched the film, before emerging with his judgment: "That is a good film", he said, "and (in a stage whisper) you're not going to be able to afford me." Cue Alan Ford.

During the opening credits, the Hasidic-clad diamond thieves are discussing the Virgin Mary. This is a reference to Reservoir Dogs (1992), where during the opening scene the thieves are discussing the Madonna song "Like a Virgin".

The pub where Bullet Tooth Tony is accosted by Sol and company is the same Pub used in Shaun of the Dead (2004). The Winchester, as it was known, is where Shaun and his friends took refuge from the flesh eating zombies.

Brick Top is seen to be involved in dog fighting, at one point torturing a dog. In real life, Alan Ford is a vegetarian and animal rights activist.

Director Cameo: Guy Ritchie: In the back of the bar when we are first introduced to Doug The Head. Ritchie is the man reading the newspaper.

TOP FIVE: DOGS

1. I WUFF YOU CARD

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2. CUTE

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3. LABRADOR DOG, PRINTABLE PAPERCRAFT TEMPLATE. "MAN'S BEST FRIEND", SPECIAL DIY GIFT FOR FATHERS DAY. 2018 YEAR OF THE DOG

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4. DASCHUND DOG SHAPED IPHONE 5 AND 5S PROTECTIVE CASE

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5. A FRIEND IN TEA MUG IN DOGS

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FILM 1708: GERALD'S GAME

TRIVIA: The woman from the dream Jessie describes as standing over a well during an eclipse is Dolores Claiborne, the main character from Stephen King's 1992 novel of the same name.

Gerald refers to the dog as Cujo, which is a reference to the Stephen King book by the same name.

Features virtually no soundtrack during the course of the film.

This is the fourth collaboration between Kate Siegel and Mike Flanagan since Oculus(2013), Hush (2016) and Ouija: Origin of Evil (2016).

http://www.missmoss.co.za/2017/06/21/kirsten-sims-saturn-return/

FILM 1685: KNOCK KNOCK

TRIVIA: Colleen Camp and Sondra Locke, two of the producers of this movie, starred in Death Game (1977), the original movie, on which "Knock Knock" is based.

Eli Roth's wife Lorenza Izzo portrays Genesis.

The Taiwan Chinese title translates to "When Babes Come Knocking".

At some point in the movie, Genesis writes "it was NOT a dream" on a mirror, but the colored shirt she wears reads: "it was all a dream".