FILM 1969: SHOPLIFTERS

FILM 1969: SHOPLIFTERS 

TRIVIA: The original title of the film, Manbiki Kazoku, literally translates as Shoplifting Family.

First Japanese movie to win the Palme d'Or since The Eel (1997) in 1997.

Official submission of Japan for the 'Best Foreign Language Film' category of the 91st Academy Awards in 2019.

FILM 1786: HEREDITARY

TRIVIA: In Peter's first scene at school, the words "Escaping Fate" is on the chalkboard with the teacher discussing it. This is a reference to Halloween (1978), where the main character discusses the same thing in class. Appropriately, this movie was released the same day as the trailer for Halloween (2018).

In an interview, Alex Wolff explains that he wanted to actually break his own nose for the scene where his character slams his head into a desk. Director Ari Aster respectfully declined that offer and told Wolff they'd give him a soft, cushioned desk for the scene. When it was time for the scene to be shot, Wolff slams his head into the desk only to discover that it was not soft nor made out of foam that resulted into Wolffs actual blood gushing down to his knees

Allegedly a trailer for the film was accidentally shown at a screening of Peter Rabbit(2018) in Australia. However, a very similar event supposedly happened in 2007, where a trailer for The Hills Have Eyes Part 2 was allegedly shown to a theatre full of small children ( source: moviefone.com/2007/04/06/theater-accidentally-shows-hills-have-eyes-2-to-little-kids/amp/ ) Similar stories have been reported several times since then, even reported by reputable news sources, with a graphic horror film allegedly being shown to a group of small children, who were at the theater to see a kids' movie. In all alleged instances, the theatre is said to give free movie vouchers for all present. The similarities of these stories have made some speculate that it is nothing more than an urban legend.

This was director Ari Aster's feature debut.

Ari Aster was heavily influenced by the film The Cook, the Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover (1989).

Toni Collete (Annie) is actually 22 years younger than her on screen husband, Gabriel Byrne.

FILM 1615: BOYHOOD

TRIVIA: Richard Linklater cast his daughter Lorelei Linklater as Samantha because she was always singing and dancing around the house and wanted to be in his movies. At about the third or fourth year of filming, she lost interest and asked for her character to be killed off. Linklater refused, saying it was too violent for what he was planning (Lorelei eventually regained her enthusiasm and continued with the project).

Had Richard Linklater died during the 12-year shoot, Ethan Hawke would have taken over the directorial duties.

Ellar Coltrane, who plays the boy of the title, was 7 years old when the movie started filming and 19 when it finished.

Boyhood (2014) is one of only 11 movies to receive a Metascore of 100, the highest possible score that can be attained from professional movie critics on the review aggregate Metacritic, and so far the only film to receive this score upon its original release.

Ethan Hawke presents his fictional son with the gift of the Black Album on his fifteen birthday. In real life, Ethan Hawke compiled the individual Beatles songs into the Black Album to help his daughter Maya deal with the breakup of his marriage with Uma Thurman.

None of the actors were contractually obligated to return to the film each year due to the De Havilland Law under California Labor Code, which makes it illegal to contract employees for more than seven years of work.

According to Patricia Arquette, Richard Linklater asked her not to have any plastic surgeries, since it wouldn't make sense for her character.

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

FILM 1476: FANNY AND ALEXANDER

TRIVIA: The part of Bishop Edvard Vergérus was written by Ingmar Bergman with Max von Sydow in mind. When the screenplay was completed, von Sydow was contacted about playing the role, which would have been his first in a Bergman film since The Touch (1971). Von Sydow was willing and, in fact, very excited about playing the role. However, Bergman was not aware of this, since von Sydow was in Los Angeles at the time, and could only be reached through his agent who, acting in what he perceived as von Sydow's interest, told Bergman and his producers that von Sydow would only play the role if he could have a percentage of the film's profits, in addition to his salary. The producers, already stretched to their financial limits, of course balked, and told the agent that, sadly, there could be no such compromise, and began looking for other actors to play the pivotal part. By the time von Sydow had learned why his beloved role had been taken from him, Jan Malmsjö had already been cast as the Bishop, and von Sydow lost his chance to star in what would later be known to be Bergman's "last film" (although he would play key roles in The Best Intentions (1992) and Private Confessions (1996), both written by Bergman). Von Sydow was furious about the incident, and, by certain accounts, still harbours a bitter grudge about it to this day.

Ingmar Bergman's first draft of the script, completed in 1979, consisted of about 1,000 handwritten pages.

At the time, the largest film ever made in Sweden (with 60 speaking parts and over 1200 extras) and the most expensive, with a budget of $6 million.

Famous Swedish song-and-dance man Jan Malmsjö, who is playing the evil bishop Vergerus, thought it was strange that director Ingmar Bergman approached him for a role very much different from anything he had done. He asked Bergman about it, who replied: "Well, I sense some hidden dark and evil streaks inside you, Jan. You have it, I have it, all of us have."

After playing Alexander, Bertil Guve decided not to pursue a career in acting. He is now a doctor of economics.

Director Ingmar Bergman suffered serious bouts of hypochondria during shooting, and imagined he had gotten both testicular and stomach cancer at the same time.

Although she is an eponymous character, Fanny isn't mentioned in the theatrical version of the film until nearly an hour into its running time. Conversely, in the television version, her name is the first word spoken.

Peter Stormare makes an uncredited appearance as one of the men helping Isak with the trunk.

FILM 1451: A VERY BRADY SEQUEL

TRIVIA: Denied a family-friendly certificate in the UK because of a fleeting appearance of nunchakus. (Any depiction of this weapon in any film is banned in Britain.) This meant the film did not receive a UK cinema release.

This was the first film that Jimmy Fallon auditioned for. He hoped to be one of the lifeguards.

FILM 1448: THE JUDGE

TRIVIA: Someone rhetorically mentions Atticus Finch. A reference to To Kill a Mockingbird (1962), which was Robert Duvall's screen debut, playing Boo Radley.

The screenplay for this film was featured in the 2012 Blacklist; a list of the "most liked" unmade scripts of the year.

First feature release from "Team Downey", Robert Downey Jr. and wife Susan Downey's production company.

Vera Farmiga and Robert Downey Jr. play characters who are supposed to be the same age but she is 8 years younger than him. Leighton Meester who plays Farmiga's daughter is just 13 younger than Farmiga while Sarah Lancaster who plays Downey's wife is 15 younger than him.