DID YOU KNOW?

The piercings (including multiple ear, eyebrow, and nipple piercings) that Rooney Mara sports as Lisbeth Salander are real, not cosmetic simulations. Mara got the piercings in a series of sessions in Brooklyn and Sweden. The ear, nose, eyebrow, and lip piercings were removed after shooting completed, but she kept the right nipple piercing for possible sequels. "It's not something I want to ever get re-pierced," she said. "So I'm going to keep it in."

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/111495805/super-sale-rooney-mara-w-magazine-cover?ga_search_query=rooney&ref=shop_items_search_1

CLAIRE HEFFER DESIGN: BIRTHDAY TRADITION

DID YOU KNOW?

The tradition of putting candles on a cake is believed to have begun with the ancient Greeks. They would offer moon-shaped cakes to Artemis, the goddess of the moon. And to symbolize the moon’s glowing light, the Greeks lit candles and placed them on the cake. As for why we blow out birthday candles and make a wish, this likely got its start in ancient times. Many cultures believed that smoke carried your thoughts and prayers to the heavens. Today, if you’re able to blow out all of the candles on your cake in one breath, it’s said the wish you make will come true. Well, it’s worth a try!

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/535849336/birthday-cake-birthday-card-greeting?ga_search_query=BIRTHDAY&ref=shop_items_search_5

FILM 2010: DEAR JOHN

FILM 2010: DEAR JOHN

TRIVIA: On its opening weekend in the United States, it went to number one, becoming the film to finally end the reign of James Cameron's Avatar (2009), which had sat at the top of the box office for seven consecutive weeks.

"Dear John" is military slang for a letter from a girlfriend breaking up with a soldier.

The character of Alan was inspired by writer Nicholas Sparks' son, who is afflicted with Asperger's Syndrome, a form of autism.

Amanda Seyfried wrote the song Savannah sings to John. Titled "Little House," the whole song is featured on the movie's soundtrack.

FILM 2009: GHOSTS OF GIRLFRIENDS PAST

FILM 2009: GHOSTS OF GIRLFRIENDS PAST

TRIVIA: This is the second time that Christa B. Allen has played the younger version of a character played by Jennifer Garner. The first was in 13 Going on 30 (2004).

Originally set up at Walt Disney Pictures with Ben Affleck attached to play the lead character, and Kevin Smith to direct. Production was to begin in the fall of 2003, but budgetary concerns and the failure of Gigli (2003) forced the studio to cancel the film one month prior to shooting. Ironically, when the film did get made years later, Affleck's wife Jennifer Garner appeared in it. And the role Affleck was supposed to play, was instead played by his Dazed and Confused (1993) co-star, Matthew McConaughey.

The movie features Lacey Chabert as the bride and Rachel Boston as a bridesmaid, who both now regularly star in romantic comedies featuring weddings filmed for the Hallmark Channel.

FILM 2006: BLOOD DIAMOND

FILM 2006: BLOOD DIAMOND 

TRIVIA: Colonel Coatzee is named for the Nobel Prize-winning South African author and anti-apartheid campaigner.

Solomon's son's name is Dia, which means "expensive" in Krio, the adapted language of Sierra Leone.

Colonel Coetzee has several lines of dialogue in Afrikaans, Arnold Vosloo's first language.

FILM 2005: KISS KISS BANG BANG

FILM 2005: KISS KISS BANG BANG 

TRIVIA: Shane Black's directorial debut.

As a show of support for Robert Downey Jr.'s recovery from alcohol and drugs, Val Kilmerrefused to drink during the entire production.

The film was given a standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival.

Val Kilmer's depiction of Gay Perry is generally considered to be the first openly gay character to front a Hollywood action movie.

Robert Downey Jr.'s favorite movie of his own.

In reference to the "Ike, Mike, and Mustard" quote, Mike and Ike are boxed candies in mixed colors of black and white and are also diner slang for salt and pepper shakers. Also, pre-1950s, an "Ike, Mike, and Mustard" joke was an off color joke, generally with sexual references, that wouldn't be told in polite or mixed company.

Shane Black read several stories by Raymond Chandler when writing this script. As a result, the story is divided into chapters and the chapter titles come from Chandler works. Specifically: 1. "Trouble is My Business", 2. "The Lady in the Lake", 3. "The Little Sister", 4. "The Simple Art of Murder", and Epilogue: "Farewell, My Lovely".

The phrase "kiss kiss, bang bang" appeared in the 1960s as an overseas slang for spy movies, especially James Bond movies. It was popular in Europe and Japan. It first appeared as a film title for Kiss Kiss - Bang Bang (1966), a 1966 spy comedy made in Spain with Italian financing. It was also the title of famed critic Pauline Kael's second published collection of reviews. Kael wrote that she chose the words as her title because they are "perhaps the briefest statement imaginable of the basic appeal of movies."

Early in production, Warner Brothers considered Benicio Del Toro for Harry, and Hugh Grant for Gay Perry.

The film is credited as being based (very loosely) on Bodies Are Where You Find Them, by Brett Halliday. This was the fifth novel (of more than 70) in the Mike Shayne detective series, originally published in 1941. Brett Halliday was the pen name of Davis Dresser, who created the character and wrote the first thirty novels, stepping down from the job in 1958. Dell Publishing hired other writers to pen the rest, sometimes assisted by Dresser; all of them continued to use the Brett Halliday pen name. The book covers of the Johnny Gossamer paperbacks created for the film are based on Dell's cover design for the Mike Shayne series from the early 1950s to mid 1960s. Bodies Are Where You Find Them was reprinted by Dell with this cover design in 1959.

CAMEO: Laurence Fishburne: Voice of the bear in the fake beer commercial.

FILM 2004: OCEAN'S TWELVE

FILM 2004: OCEAN'S TWELVE 

TRIVIA: The Night Fox's mansion is on the shores of Lake Como in Italy. The name of the city overlooking Lake Como is Bellagio. The city and the lake were the inspiration for the design of the Bellagio casino in Las Vegas, site of the heist in Ocean's Eleven (2001).

While on production in Rome, Brad Pitt and George Clooney were not allowed back into the hotel because the doorman thought they were vagrants after the actors were caught in a rain storm while jogging.

George Clooney was 42 years-old at the time of filming the scene in which the other actors guess his age.

Six of the Ocean's Twelve have won Oscars: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Matt Damon, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Casey Affleck.

The drysuits used by the gang were custom made for the production in two weeks by husband-and-wife team Gareth and Tina Roberts of Gryphon Watersports in Staffordshire, England. Only one of the ten suits ordered had to be fully functioning and waterproof, but the tight deadline still meant that the couple had to work round the clock to get the suits ready in time for the shoot in Amsterdam.

Five cast members also guest starred on Friends (1994-2004) including Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Bruce Willis and Elliot Gould

FILM 2002: PANIC ROOM

FILM 2002: PANIC ROOM

TRIVIA: According to David Fincher, Kristen Stewart grew more than three inches during filming of this project. She was smaller than Jodie Foster when the production started and towered over her when the final shots were done.

Nicole Kidman was originally cast in the role of Meg Altman and Hayden Panettiere was cast as her daughter, Sarah. Before filming began, Panettiere was replaced with Kristen Stewart, who beat out Daveigh Chase for the role, as director David Fincher found her "irritating". Then, only eighteen days into filming, Kidman had to leave the film as well, due to a recurring knee injury, suffered during the filming of Moulin Rouge! (2001). Fincher suggested that the studio close the production and collect the insurance, but the studio decided to go on. Jodie Foster was offered the role. She was due to be the president of the Cannes Film Festival jury but withdrew to work with Fincher, with whom she was originally supposed to work on The Game (1997) in the role now played by Sean Penn. Foster had only nine days to prepare for the role. Kidman left a small mark in the film nevertheless, however, as the voice of the girlfriend of Foster's husband in the movie, heard answering the phone when Foster's character calls him in a desperate attempt for help.

Because the sets had been designed with Nicole Kidman in mind, who is much taller than Jodie Foster, the green safety lasers on the panic room door ended up exactly at the level of Foster's eyes, constantly blinding her as she entered and exited the room.

The shot of Sarah's medical bag sliding along the floor outside the panic room took 103 takes.

All of the indoor scenes were shot entirely in the sequence in which they appear in the finished film.

Shot over a period of 120 days, the longest shoot in Jodie Foster's career.

Fincher stated he wanted the film to look and feel as realistic as possible. This lead to an increase in the films budget and a longer than planned filming schedule. The apartment was built in whole and the panic room was built and modeled after real life panic rooms. The real life set and action lead to several minor injuries to the actors during filming as Fincher insisted on doing several scenes without CGI.

The phone number that Meg dials to order pizza from Patsy's Pizza is mentioned to be 579-3000. The area code for Manhattan is 212; the number 212-579-3000 is, in reality, for Patsy's Pizzeria.

Nicole Kidman replacement Jodie Foster substantially altered the tone of the film. Beforehand director David Fincher saw his heroine as a glacial Hitchcock/ Grace Kelly role model. With Foster in the lead, however, the part instantly became much grittier, more political.

The house, which is located at 38 West 94th street in NYC was only used for exterior shots. The house is still there and fans can visit to check it out. It is not currently on the market but if it was it is estimated to cost $7,287,881.

Despite being released in 2002, a year after the 9/11 attacks, the world trade center towers can be carefully spotted in the opening credits sequence.

Despite being remembered as a decent David Fincher film, Panic Room has yet to receive a Blu-Ray release.

Howard Shore did the music for Panic Room. He also did the music for The Silence of the Lambs, which also starred Jodie Foster.

FILM 2000: IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE

FILM 2000: IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE

TRIVIA: Filming was shifted from Beijing to Macau after Chinese authorities demanded to see the completed script. Director Wong Kar-wai never used scripts.

Maggie Cheung wears a different cheongsam dress in each scene. There were 46 dresses in total, though not all made it to the final cut.

During filming, director Wong Kar-wai improvised often with the actors, crafting the story and mood of the film as he went along. Originally, In the Mood for Love (2000) was a much more obvious romance film, with the actors throwing witty dialogue at each other and engaging in several scenes of lovemaking. Eventually, the actors and director decided to tone the mood down to the more subtle version that was released in theaters.

Maggie Cheung's hair and makeup took five hours each day to apply.

The number of the hotel room where Chow (Tony Leung) stays is 2046. Director Wong Kar-wai's next feature length film was 2046 (2004), which also starred Tony Leung.

The film was ranked #2 in BBC's "100 Greatest Films of The 21st Century" list, and the highest ranking non-English film.

The film is included among the "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die," edited by Steven Schneider.

The film's original Chinese title, meaning "the age of blossoms" or "the flowery years" – Chinese metaphor for the fleeting time of youth, beauty and love – derives from a song of the same name by Zhou Xuan from a 1946 film. The English title derives from the song, "I'm in the Mood for Love". Director Wong had planned to name the film Secrets, until listening to the song late in post-production.

FILM 1998: SMALL SOLDIERS

FILM 1998: SMALL SOLDIERS

TRIVIA: Joseph Mazzello was the original choice to play Alan Abernathy.

The piranha next to Alan's computer is a reference to Piranha (1978), also directed by Joe Dante.

Burger King agreed to market the film with its kids meals, before it was rated PG-13. The film was released soon after Oregon teen Kip Kinkel killed his parents, then went on a shooting rampage at Thurston High School in Springfield, killing two students and wounding 25. The Kip Killigan action figure was not distributed in Oregon.

This movie featured music by Led Zeppelin, a band notoriously strict about how their music is used in films, games, and other media.

Joe Dante originally wanted the cast of Predator (1987) to voice the Commando Elite. Arnold Schwarzenegger would voice Chip Hazard, Shane Black would voice Kip Killagin, Carl Weathers would voice Butch Meathook, Jesse Ventura would voice Brick Bazooka, Sonny Landham would voice Nick Nitro, and Bill Duke would voice Link Static.

The murder of Phil Hartman before the premiere caused some minor changes before release. 

WILHELM SCREAM: When Brick Bazooka is firing at Alan's bike to attack Archer, and ends up getting chewed up by the tire spokes and chain, Brick lets out a Wilhelm scream as he flies away. A Commando Elite soldier emits the same scream, as he breaks apart from the EMP on Stuart Abernathy's chest.

FILM 1997: LOLITA

FILM 1997: LOLITA

TRIVIA: Jeremy Irons originally turned down the role because he knew playing this character would hurt his career. After thinking it over and being convinced by Glenn Close that working with Adrian Lyne was an experience he should not missed, he agreed to play Humbert Humbert, not before securing a good paycheck anticipating a few years of possible unemployment.

As Dominique Swain was a minor at age 15 when the movie was filmed, an adult body double had to be used for most of the sex scenes.

Natalie Portman turned down the role of Lolita.

In the novel, Lolita is only 12 when Humbert first meets her. In the film, her age was changed to 14. The same thing happened in Stanley Kubrick's Lolita (1962).

Charles Chaplin's relationship with his second wife Lita Grey was reportedly the inspiration of the novel "Lolita" as she was underage when they first started their relationship.

Melanie Griffith plays the mother of Lolita, but in real life it was a young Melanie who went off with an older man. When she was just fourteen she fell in love with her mother's co-star (Don Johnson) and the two pursued a relationship.

Over 2500 girls, including Christina Ricci and Melissa Joan Hart, tried out for the title role.

Ralph Fiennes was considered for the part of Humbert Humbert.

FILM 1996: THE FRIGHTENERS

FILM 1996: THE FRIGHTENERS 

TRIVIA: It was during filming this on-location in New Zealand, that Michael J. Fox made up his mind that he'd had enough of being away from his family making movies, and decided to head back to the small screen and star in a new sitcom (Spin City (1996)). This turned out to be his last leading role in a film.

When Fran Walsh and Peter Jackson were writing the part of the Drill Sergeant in the graveyard, they wrote the part as a spoof of R. Lee Ermey's character in Full Metal Jacket(1987) with the intention of getting an actor in New Zealand for the role. But they didn't feel the actors who auditioned were right, and finally ended up approaching Ermey himself.

Danny Elfman was so impressed with Peter Jackson's previous movie, Heavenly Creatures(1994), that he offered to do the score for one of Jackson's next movies, and agreed to this movie without even knowing what it was about.

Was originally planned as a Tales from the Crypt (1989) feature, but Executive Producer Robert Zemeckis liked the script so much, he decided it should stand on its own and not be part of a series.

The film was not released to theaters in Tasmania. The Port Arthur Massacre rather spookily mirrored the film's content and ihappened not long before the film's release. It was released on video and subsequently broadcast.

When Frank's ghost friends attack the Lyskey residence, a mini statue of Elvis Presley floats in front of Ray. Peter Dobson, who plays Ray, previously appeared in Forrest Gump (1994) as Elvis Presley.

Roughly 21 minutes into the film Michael J. Fox's character is eating by his window. If you look closely he is eating one of General Mills famed Monster Cereals. The flavor, Boo Berry which is the ghost cereal.

Cameo 

Melanie Lynskey: Star of Peter Jackson's Heavenly Creatures (1994) is the Deputy taking Lucy Lynskey's statement at the police station. Lucy's last name is a reference to the actress as well.

FILM 1995: SPECIES

FILM 1995: SPECIES 

TRIVIA: Xavier Fitch (Sir Ben Kingsley) says that the alien signal was received by the Arecibo radio telescope exactly nineteen years after an outbound message was transmitted. Since the transmissions travelled at the speed of light, that means that the alien solar system is approximately nine light-years from Earth. There are two stars which are likely candidates, Sirius and Luyten 726-8A.

Fitch's comment that they made Sil female to be more docile is an in-joke that reveals his ignorance. In every predatory species known, the female is always more aggressive.

During the production, MGM opted not to shoot the "nightmare train" sequence to keep costs down. H.R. Giger was not willing to accept that, however, so he spent one hundred thousand dollars of his own money to finance the sequence.

In scenes of Dan (Forest Whitaker) talking to his therapist, there is a sign on the wall in the background that at first glance is a typical "Thank You For Not Smoking" sign. On closer inspection the text actually reads "Thank You For Smoking".

Michelle Williams dislikes this movie, due to the amount of bullying she received after it was released.

DID YOU KNOW?

David Lynch drank chocolate milkshake every day at the same restaurant at the same time for seven years… he said the sugar rush gave him many ideas.

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/213367673/david-lynch-poster-twin-peaks-graphic?ga_search_query=lynch&ref=shop_items_search_1

FILM 1994: MURIEL'S WEDDING

FILM 1994: MURIEL'S WEDDING

TRIVIA: The writer/director P.J. Hogan wanted to use the music of ABBA in the film. At first, permission for the music to be used was denied. When the director promised to fly to Europe to plead his case to the founders of the band, permission was granted, as long as the band received a percentage of the film profits. The film turned out to be a big international hit, and thus helped inspire the very successful Broadway show which became the movie Mamma Mia! (2008).

Toni Collette gained 40 pounds in 7 weeks with the help of a dietitian for this role.

Bill Hunter was filming The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994) and Muriel's Wedding (1994) at the same time, each requiring him to have different length hair, beard and to be in different parts of the country. Both films developed international cult followings and prominently featured the music of ABBA.

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

In the video store where Muriel works, a poster for the movie Strictly Ballroom is visible. Bill Hunter, who plays Bill Heslop (Muriel's father), Is also in Strictly Ballroom in the role of Barry Fife.

P.J. Hogan based Muriel's personality on himself, but Muriel's actions were inspired by his sister, who embezzled $15,000 from their father and then disappeared to Sydney to live with a friend.

Betty Heslop passes a magazine called Womans Day in the supermarket. Womans Day is a real magazine which did a feature article about the movie. The same cover (as the one in the movie) was used.

FILM 1991: SNOWPIERCER

FILM 1991: SNOWPIERCER

TRIVIA: This is based on the French graphic novel "Le Transperceneige". Bong Joon-ho discovered the comic in late 2004, during pre-production of The Host (2006), and was fascinated by the concept of people struggling on the train for survival.

The drawings in the tail section of Snowpiercer were illustrated by Jean-Marc Rochette, the original comic artist of the graphic novel Le Transperceneige.

Sir John Hurt's character's name, Gilliam, is an homage to Terry Gilliam, a director whose filmography includes similarly bleak science fiction, fantasy, and end-of-the-world titles, such as Brazil (1985), Twelve Monkeys (1995), and The Zero Theorem (2013).

Jamie Bell's character, Edgar, was named after Director Edgar Wright.

Writer and Director Bong Joon-ho explained that the protein block was made by combining seaweed, tangle, sugar, and gelatin. Jamie Bell hated it, while Tilda Swintonliked it.

There was no additional lighting used while filming the torchlight fight scene.

Mason's appearance, cold demeanor, and deadpan delivery in this movie are an intentional nod to former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Widely considered as one of the forerunners of neo-liberalism, Thatcher is famous, and often despised, for her aggressive cuts to social programs, harsh policies towards working classes in the U.K., and the end of the welfare state system.

The song "Midnight, the Stars, and You" was also played in The Shining (1980).

FILM 1990: HEARTBURN

FILM 1990: HEARTBURN 

TRIVIA: Meryl Streep's daughter Mamie Gummer was used as Annie the baby.

The film doesn't make this explicit, but in real-life, Writer Nora Ephron had been so upset by her husband's infidelity that she went into labor prematurely.

Meryl Streep was pregnant in real life during the making of the movie.

Tony Shalhoub's first feature film role. Shalhoub had a love scene with Meryl Streep, but nearly all of his scenes were cut. Shalhoub can still be seen, though, as a passenger on a plane sitting behind Jack Nicholson.

The movie is based on Nora Ephron's real-life marriage to, and divorce from, Carl Bernstein, and the birth of their two sons. The woman with whom Bernstein had an affair was Margaret Jay, who was the wife of the British Ambassador to the United States, and daughter of British Prime Minister James Callaghan. Jay became a Baroness in 1992, and rose to become the first female Leader of the House of Lords between 1998 and 2001.

Jack Nicholson replaced Mandy Patinkin as Mark Forman. Patinkin was originally cast as the male lead, but was suddenly replaced by Nicholson after two days of shooting when Director Mike Nichols realized there was no chemistry between Patinkin and Meryl Streep.

Jack Nicholson's performance of "Soliloquy" ("My Boy Bill"), from Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Carousel", is a nod to Writer Nora Ephron's parents, Henry Ephron and Phoebe Ephron, who wrote the screenplay for the musical film Carousel (1956), which was also produced by Henry Ephron.

In Everything Is Copy (2015), Jacob Bernstein's documentary about his mother Nora Ephron's life and career, he reveals that contentious negotiations over the movie adaptation of her novel "Heartburn" extended his parents' divorce for several years longer than most divorces take. Eventually, their divorce agreement included a stipulation that the movie was not allowed to depict the "Mark Forman" (Carl Bernstein) character as anything but a good, loving, and conscientious father (whatever his failings as a faithful husband were), and Mike Nichols had to be named as a legal signatory to the divorce.

DID YOU KNOW? The longest-standing Chief Editor of American Vogue, Edna Woolman Chase, held the post from 1914-1952; she started her career at Vogue working in the mailroom. 

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/530220988/models-beach-vogue-magazine-cover-poster?ga_search_query=vogue&ref=shop_items_search_4

FILM 1975: PET SEMATARY

FILM 1975: PET SEMATARY (1989)

TRIVIA: Stephen King once mentioned that the only novel he wrote that really scared him was "Pet Sematary."

Bruce Campbell was the first choice for the role of Louis Creed.

Stephen King was present on location for most of the shooting of the film. The area it was shot in was only twenty minutes away from his home in Bangor, Maine. 

In Stephen King's novel, Judd mentions that a dog went wild in a nearby town and killed several people. This is a reference to the events of Cujo (1983), another novel by King. It is common for characters in King's novels to mention the events of his other novels.

Stephen King is a big fan of the Ramones and referenced some of their songs in the novel "Pet Sematary." In homage, The Ramones wrote and performed the theme song "Pet Sematary," which is featured in the film's closing credits. The truck driver was also listening to "Sheena Is A Punk Rocker" by The Ramones.

The idea for this story came about when Stephen King's daughter's cat, Smuckey, was killed on the highway outside their home. Smuckey's name appears on gravestones in the pet cemetery, in both the film and the novel.

George A. Romero was originally set to direct, but when filming was delayed, he dropped out and Mary Lambert stepped in and Romero directed Monkey Shines (1988).

During the film, the character played by Fred Gwynne mentions that he had a pet named "Spot." "Spot" was also the name of the family pet on the TV show The Munsters (1964), also starring Gwynne.

Director Mary Lambert said that Fred Gwynne was her first and only choice for the role of Judd Crandall.

Initially, Paramount executives wanted a pair of twins to play the role of Gage, like those chosen to play Ellie, which was the more cost-effective option. However, Lambert was very impressed with three-year old Miko Hughes, whom she felt was a natural talent despite his young age, so she lobbied the studio to accept her choice.

Tom Savini turned down the chance to direct the film.

One of the hardest elements for the production design team was the path to the cemetery as it was described as, "shining in the moonlight."

CAMEO: Stephen King: (at around 41 mins) minister at the funeral.