FILM 1498: 12 YEARS A SLAVE 

TRIVIA: The tree where Solomon sees several men being lynched was actually used for lynching, and it is surrounded by the graves of murdered slaves.

In order to better portray an alcoholic, Michael Fassbender had his makeup artist paint his mustache with alcohol so that the other actors would react naturally to the smell, as they would to a man who had been drinking heavily.

Director Steve McQueen had been toying with the idea of writing a script about slavery, featuring a black man who had been born free and was later forced into slavery, but McQueen was struggling with the script until his wife found Solomon Northup's biography and gave it to him. Shocked that he had never heard of Northup before, he decided to adapt the book instead.

At first, Chiwetel Ejiofor turned down Steve McQueen's offer to play the leading role of Solomon Northup, but then realized he had to get over his initial fear of taking on what McQueen thought would be the role of the actor's lifetime. Ejiofor prepared for his role by immersing himself in the Louisiana plantation culture and learning how to use and play the violin.

Steve McQueen's daughter told him to hire Sarah Paulson, after viewing her audition tape, because she found her scary.

On location, shooting in Louisiana took only thirty-five days with one camera, which prompted amazed laughter from an audience of Directors Guild peers, including interviewer Kathryn Bigelow, for the startlingly efficient direction of Steve McQueen.

Brad Pitt responded to criticism that his casting in a brief heroic role was self-indulgent, given that he was one of the producers of the film. Pitt claimed that he did not insist on being cast in the part, and that it was simply easier to secure funding for the picture if he was in it.

Four years after he was freed, Solomon Northrup of "12 Years a Slave" disappeared. To this day, historians still do not know what happened to him.

12 Years a Slave (2013) is the first film from a black director to win the Academy Award for Best Picture; second film in a row, following Argo (2012), to win Best Picture and a screenplay Oscar without the Best Director Oscar; fifth film with a numbered-title to win Best Picture, following It Happened One Night (1934), One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), The Godfather: Part II (1974) and Around the World in Eighty Days (1956); twelfth movie to win Best Picture with only three Oscars, a list that includes Casablanca (1942), Midnight Cowboy (1969), The Godfather (1972), Rocky (1976), Crash (2004) and Argo (2012).

Film 941: Cloud Atlas

Trivia:  In 2005, while on the London set of V for Vendetta, Natalie Portman gave a copy of the original novel to Lana Wachowski, who became deeply interested in it. A year later, both Wachowski siblings wrote a first draft of the screenplay. Tom Tykwer, a friend of the Wachowskis, was invited to co-author several subsequent drafts with them in the following two years, constantly keeping in mind observations by the book's author himself, David Mitchell, while looking for international investors. In all those years, Portman was promised the role of Sonmi-451, but had to turn down the role at the last minute after becoming pregnant in 2010. However, she is given a special thanks in the closing credits.

Andy Wachowski and Lana Wachowski directed the 1849, 2144 and 2321 segments of the film. Tom Tykwer directed the 1936, 1973 and 2012 segments.

All cast members have several roles in the final film, spanning different times, races and even sexes. This was achieved through prosthetics, wardrobe and tight production times to switch actors between units. For instance, Halle Berry described the experience of filming as a Jewish woman in the 1930s under the direction of Tom Tykwer one day, then switching to an old tribal woman under the helm of the Wachowski siblings, and then again as a environmentalist in the 1970s, all in the same week.

One of the few films in history that has three directors working together as an original team who equally share directing credit.

Number 451 (Luisa Rey's apartment and Somni-451) comes from a classic science fiction novel by Ray Bradbury, "Fahrenheit 451". It denotes a temperature needed to burn books.

With a budget of over $100,000,000, Cloud Atlas is one of the most expensive independent films to date.

Film 859: Django Unchained

Trivia: Will Smith, Idris Elba, Chris Tucker, Terrence Howard, Michael Kenneth Williams, and Tyrese Gibson were all considered for the role of Django. Quentin Tarantino actually wrote the role with Smith in mind, and Smith's agents and manager wanted him to accept it, but Smith ultimately decided to pass. Tarantino then offered the part to Jamie Foxx, who accepted.

Kurt Russell replaced Kevin Costner. Russell and Costner appeared together in 3000 Miles to Graceland, and have both played lawman Wyatt Earp, in Tombstone and Wyatt Earp, respectively.

Although the film is technically a part of the western genre, Quentin Tarantino preferred to refer to the film as a "southern" due to the films setting in America's deep south.

Sid Haig was considered for the role of 'Mr. Stonesipher', so much so that casting director 'Victoria Thomas' informed Haig's agent "It's a lock". 'Quentin Tarantino' himself scheduled, and later canceled at the last minute, two auditions for Haig. Two months later, the role quietly went to David Steen instead. Tarantino being known for his extremely dry humor, this "prank" is presumably rooted in Haig turning down the role of Marcellus Wallace in Pulp Fiction 17 years previously.

Jamie Foxx used his own horse, Cheetah, in the movie.

Lady Gaga was considered for the role of Lara Lee Candie-Fitzwilly.

Calvin Candie refers to Samson as "Black Hercules." This was the real life nickname of Ken Norton, actor/boxer who starred in Mandingo.

Leonardo DiCaprio, whose role in the film marked the first time him playing a villain, was uncomfortable with how horrible and explicitly racist his character was. However, Quentin Tarantino convinced him to be as menacing as possible saying that if he didn't take it all the way, people would hold it against him forever.