FILM 1295: THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING

TRIVIA: In an e-mail to director James Marsh about the portrayal by Eddie Redmayne, Stephen Hawking said there were certain points when he thought he was watching himself.

In addition to his copyrighted voice, Stephen Hawking also lent the filmmakers his Medal of Freedom medallion and his signed thesis to use as genuine props in the film.

Eddie Redmayne met with Stephen Hawking only once before filming. "In the three hours I spent with him, he said maybe eight sentences," recalls Redmayne. "I just didn't feel like I could ask him intimate things." Therefore, he found other ways to prepare for the role. He lost about 15 pounds and trained for four months with a dancer to learn how to control his body. He met with 40 ALS patients, kept a chart tracking the order in which Hawking's muscles declined, and stood in front of a mirror for hours on end, contorting his face. Lastly, he remained motionless and hunched over between takes, so much so that an osteopath told him he had altered the alignment of his spine. "I fear I'm a bit of a control freak," Redmayne admits. "I was obsessive. I'm not sure it was healthy."

The quote "Daisy, Daisy Give me your answer, do" that Hawking uses while experimenting with his new speech-generating device, comes from the lyrics of the well-known song "Daisy Bell (Bicycle Built for Two)", written by Harry Dacre in 1892. This is the song that was used for the earliest known demonstration of computer speech synthesis in 1961, when it was "sung" by an IBM 704 computer. As a tribute to that event "Daisy Bell" was also sung by the fictional HAL 9000 computer in a memorable scene in 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968).

FILM 1181: A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE

TRIVIA: As the film progresses, the set of the Kowalski apartment actually gets smaller to heighten the suggestion of Blanche's increasing claustrophobia.

Vivien Leigh, who suffered from bipolar disorder in real life, later had difficulties in distinguishing her real life from that of Blanche DuBois.

Vivien Leigh had already played Blanche in the first London production of the play, under the direction of her then-husband, Laurence Olivier. She later said that Olivier's direction of that production influenced her performance in the film more than did Elia Kazan's direction of the film.

Vivien Leigh, who was only 36 at the time of filming, had to be made up to look older.

Despite giving the definitive portrayal of Stanley Kowalski, Marlon Brando said he privately detested the character. However, it should be added that Brando was an eccentric character who loved misleading people and playing pranks.

As of 2014, it is one of only two films in history to win three Academy awards for acting. The other is Network (1976).

FILM 1127: MRS PARKER AND THE VICIOUS CIRCLE

TRIVIA: The founding of the "New Yorker" magazine is a subplot in this movie; Wallace Shawn's father, William, was, for many years, editor-in-chief of the "New Yorker."

Film 1083: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Trivia: In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Jennifer Lawrence said that she, Josh Hutcherson, and Sam Claflin were very clumsy, saying Claflin fell at least once in every scene they filmed. Claflin agreed and said they could fill an entire gag reel with just him falling over.

All three of the songs Ed Sheeran submitted for the film's soundtrack were turned down.

Most of the dresses Elizabeth Banks wears in this movie are created by Sarah Burton for the famous Alexander McQueen brand.

After Gary Ross declined to return to direct the movie, Alfonso Cuarón, David Cronenberg, Bennett Miller, Tomas Alfredson, Cary Fukunaga, Duncan Jones and Joe Cornish were considered to replace him. In the end, the job was offered to Francis Lawrence.

Zoe Aggeliki and Mia Wasikowska were considered for the role of Johanna Mason before Jena Malone was cast.