FILM 2022: AMERICAN ANIMALS

FILM 2022: AMERICAN ANIMALS

TRIVIA: This is a true story about college students who stole a priceless book from Transylvania University, which is located in Lexington, Kentucky. Though the movie was filmed in North Carolina.

During filming the actors were not allowed to meet their real life counterparts because the director feared they would sympathise and/or play them in a certain light.

The movie was filmed in the Davidson College Library during the week of Spring Break of 2017. Through the chaos of equipment, actors, extras, and all the technical people it takes to make a movie, the library staff continued to perform their jobs. Some of the staff were asked to submit their head shots to be cast in the film which resulted in one person being asked to be in the film. However, it was inconvenient for staff to take the time away from their jobs to be in the film, so, therefore, no staff person was in the film. But, if you look closely in the shots filmed in the library, there are offices with their blinds down. Staff are behind those blinds working diligently making sure the library still functioned.

John Waters named this film second among his top ten favorite films released in 2018.

Darren Keith revealed Warren asked him for help with the heist as well but he denied the offer in hopes of pursuing his acting career.

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 1841: BODY PARTS

FILM 1841: BODY PARTS 

TRIVIA: Body Parts is very similar to a 1971 episode of Night Gallery titled "The Hand of Borgus Weems."

Advertisements for the movie were cancelled in Wisconsin due to the Dahmer killings.

FILM 1772: REINDEER GAMES

FILM 1772: REINDEER GAMES

TRIVIA: In October 2007, Charlize Theron said in an interview in Esquire magazine that "Reindeer Games" was her least favorite of all her films. She said: "That was a bad, bad, bad movie. But I got to work with John Frankenheimer. I wasn't lying to myself - that's why I did it."

According to Danny Trejo, the reason Vin Diesel was replaced in the role that Donal Logue wound up playing was because Diesel was offered a starring role in The Fast and the Furious (2001). Diesel wisely went with The Fast and the Furious (2001), and was discharged from this movie.

John Frankenheimer's last feature-length, theatrically distributed film.

Originally planned for a Christmas 1999 release, but delayed until February 2000 after a poor test screening in mid 1999.

The film cast includes three Oscar winners: Ben Affleck, Charlize Theron, and Isaac Hayes; and one Oscar nominee: Gary Sinise.

DIRECTOR_TRADEMARK: [people falling through ice]: A crucial moment of drama in this film.

PODCAST: UNTOLD: THE DANIEL MORGAN MURDER

PODCAST: UNTOLD: THE DANIEL MORGAN MURDER

SEASON ONE & TWO

The Untold Story

The phone hacking scandal that closed News of the World was big, but that was just the tip of the iceberg.  At the bottom of that iceberg of 'dark arts' - hacking, burglary, bugging, and bribing bent cops - is the body of Daniel Morgan. 

It’s been described by an Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police as “one of the most disgraceful episodes in the entire history of the Metropolitan Police Service.” 

Over the three decades since Daniel was killed, five failed police investigations and an ongoing panel inquiry, his has become the most investigated murder in British history.

The story moves from back streets of London, through the highest echelons of Scotland Yard, to the offices of Rupert Murdoch's best selling newspapers, to the doors of Number Ten Downing Street. 

If you haven't heard this story, ask yourself, why? 

MY VERDICT: I listened to both seasons straight after one another and I binged the whole thing pretty quickly. That was a problem, as the second season does go back over a lot of the information from the first. However this was my problem and not something that the makers of ‘Untold’ can be blamed for.

The podcast is very well made and the story is fascinating. There is so much more to this story than a straight forward whodunit, probably because all involved are pretty sure they know who was responsible for the murder of Daniel Morgan, instead we delve into a world of underhand tactics by not only private investigators but also the police and the media. 

I would thoroughly recommend this podcast and found it refreshing to hear a story based in England, it meant a little more to me to know the places and people involved than the predominately American podcasts I had listened to in the past, and it’s nice to hear an English voice for a change. Even if you’re not from England, I think the storytellers give a good enough description of things that even those unfamiliar with newspapers like The News of the World will still be able to follow. However, be warned, there is a lot of information to digest, a lot characters to remember and after five full investigations a whole lot to process, hopefully with more to come this will all be worth it.

http://www.untoldmurder.com

FILM 1743: MIDNIGHT RUN

TRIVIA: Paramount Pictures originally owned the rights to the film, and they wanted a big name star to appear opposite Robert De Niro, in order to improve the film's chances at the box-office. It was suggested that the character of John "Duke" Mardukas be changed to a woman, and be played by Cher, who had had recent box-office success with The Witches of Eastwick (1987), Suspect (1987), and Moonstruck (1987). It was felt that casting Cheropposite De Niro would lend some "sexual overtones" to the relationship between the two characters. Director Martin Brest however, rejected the gender switch idea, so Paramount Pictures suggested giving the role to Robin Williams, who had recently had a big hit with Good Morning, Vietnam (1987). Williams read and liked the script, and agreed to audition. In the meantime, however, Brest had auditioned the less famous Charles Grodin, and had liked Grodin's interaction with De Niro. As such, Brest cast Grodin without auditioning Williams, and Paramount Pictures decided to drop out of the project, selling the rights to Universal, who went ahead with the De Niro and Grodin casting.

The idea to have Jack Walsh (Robert De Niro) continually checking his watch, and the whole back-story related to his habit, was all De Niro's own idea.

Charles Grodin has permanent scars resulting from the real handcuffs he had to wear for a great deal of the film.

After doing The Untouchables (1987), Robert De Niro was looking for some lighter material to do next. Initially, he wanted to play the lead in Penny Marshall's Big (1988), but the studio wasn't interested in having De Niro play the role. He was then offered this movie, which he liked, and agreed to make.

Bob Maroff, the taxi driver who snubs Jack in the last scene, played alongside Robert De Niro in Taxi Driver (1976).

The Blue Angel Motel in Las Vegas was demolished in 2012 to make way for ninety-one thousand square feet of retail stores, restaurants, and entertainment venues. The motel had seen better days, but its iconic statue of a blonde woman wearing a blue dress was preserved. Adored by locals and visitors alike, the statue was designed by Betty Willis, who also designed the Stardust Casino sign, and the world-famous "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" sign.

DIRECTOR CAMEO: Martin Brest: Ticket clerk who serves Marvin (John Ashton): "smoking or non smoking?"

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FILM 1742: THE ROCK

TRIVIA: Sir Sean Connery insisted the producers build a cabin for him on Alcatraz, as he didn't want to travel from the mainland to the island every day. He got what he asked for.

Quentin Tarantino was an uncredited screenwriter on this film, along with Jonathan Hensleigh, who wrote the shooting script, and Aaron Sorkin.

The premiere of the movie was held in the Prison Recreation Yard on Alcatraz.

Michael Bay's favorite movie of his own.

Dedicated to Don Simpson, who died during production.

Don Simpson was largely responsible for creating the critical General Hummel character. Simpson watched a 60 Minutes (1993) segment about the U.S. government's refusal to acknowledge soldiers who had died during covert overseas missions, and later read Colonel David H. Hackworth's memoirs which harshly criticized U.S. planning during the Vietnam War. He combined these elements into Hummel's character and, as Jonathan Hensleigh described, created "a really compelling villain: a soldier with a noble end, but, unfortunately, psychotic means."

In the scene in the interrogation room where FBI agent Stanley Goodspeed introduces himself to John Mason (Sir Sean Connery), John replies "But of course you are". This was exactly the same line he used when he met Plenty O'Toole in the casino scene in the Bond film Diamonds Are Forever (1971).

The guy who gets his car stolen by Sean Connery is the same guy who got his car stolen by Ed Harris in National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007), another of Jerry Bruckheimer's movies which also starred Nicolas Cage and Ed Harris.

Cinematographer John Schwartzman is one of Nicolas Cage's cousins. Schwartzman's step-mother, Talia Shire is Cage's aunt.

FILM 1591: 25TH HOUR 

TRIVIA: Tobey Maguire bought the rights to the original novel with the intent of starring. He later decided to do Spider-Man (2002), although he did stay on this film as a producer.

Writer David Benioff said in a BBC interview, "The first time I saw [Edward Norton] on set he pulled back his hair and showed me his widow's peak. In the book, Monty Brogan has a widow's peak, but I hadn't mentioned it in the script. But Edward so wanted to be in character that he wore a prosthetic widow's peak for the entire shoot."

Monty's line, "Champagne for my real friends, and real pain for my sham friends," is a Francis Bacon quote.

David Benioff, who wrote the original novel is one of the two creators of the Game of Thrones series on HBO.

The film cast includes two Oscar winners: Anna Paquin and Philip Seymour Hoffman; and one Oscar nominee: Edward Norton.