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 1847: WILD WILD WEST

FILM 1847: WILD WILD WEST

TRIVIA: Will Smith turned down the lead role in The Matrix (1999) to star in this movie, being a fan of the television series. He later said this was the worst decision he made in his career.

The film underwent costly re-shoots in an attempt to inject some humor after it was found that test audiences weren't sure if it was supposed to be a comedy.

Though a box-office failure in the U.S. (it managed to turn a profit overseas), it's commonly joked that the only reason the film earned any money at all is because unaccompanied minors would buy tickets to this film, then use them to sneak into screenings of South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (1999) and American Pie (1999).

Belle was originally cast with, and filmed with British actress Phina Oruche. Reportedly, the chemistry needed for the bathtub love scene wasn't there. The scene was recast and re-shot with Garcelle Beauvais. However, Oruche was not told, and found out she was no longer in the film at the premiere in Los Angeles.

Kevin Smith has said that the giant spider was producer Jon Peters' idea for the later-abandoned "Superman Lives" project with Nicolas Cage and Tim Burton.

Wild Wild West is featured in episode 257 of the "bad movie" podcast, We Hate Movies.

FILM 1825: FORCES OF NATURE

FILM 1825: FORCES OF NATURE

TRIVIA: About a year after the release of the movie, Sandra Bullock actually did survive a plane crash when the corporate jet she was a passenger in skidded off the runway at the Jackson Hole, Wyoming airport. She was not injured in the crash.

David Strickland's last film.

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 1639: WHITE HEAT

TRIVIA: The character of Cody Jarrett was based on New York murderer Francis Crowley, who engaged in a pitched battle with police in the spring of 1931 at the age of 18. Murdered on January 21, 1932, his last words were: "Send my love to my mother."

The unusually close relationship between Cody Jarrett and his domineering mother was inspired by real life bank robbers Kate Barker (aka "Ma Barker") and her sons.

All the locations and bearings radioed back and forth during the triangulation tracking of the gasoline truck, as it moves southwest across the Los Angeles basin, are accurate. They can all be found on a modern map of Los Angeles. Even the view of the Los Angeles City Hall shows up at the appropriate time.

The movie's line "Made it, Ma! Top of the world!" was voted as the #18 movie quote by the American Film Institute (out of 100).

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

FILM 1617: THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN

TRIVIA: To date (2016), Paula Hawkins' book that inspired this film is the fastest-selling adult novel in history.

Original author Paula Hawkins had Michelle Williams in mind for the role of Rachel Watson, which went to Emily Blunt.

The painting that Rachel Watson (Emily Blunt) is looking at in an art gallery is "The Subway" by George Tooker.

The book that this film is based on is actually set in England, and Rachel Watson gets the train into London. Emily Blunt is from London, England. For this film, the location was changed to New York but Rachel speaks with Emily's natural British accent in keeping with author Paula Hawkins' vision.

Friends (1994) reference: When Lisa Kudrow's character sees Rachel (Emily Blunt) on the train, she excitedly exclaims, "Rachel! I haven't seen you in a million years!" Kudrow's character on the sitcom, Phoebe Buffey, was best friends with Rachel Green (Jennifer Aniston). Coincidentally, Aniston's real-life husband, Justin Theroux, plays Rachel's ex-husband in this film.

FILM 1539: THE FRENCH CONNECTION

TRIVIA: The car crash during the chase sequence, at the intersection of Stillwell Ave. and 86th St., was unplanned and was included because of its realism. The man whose car was hit had just left his house a few blocks from the intersection to go to work and was unaware that a car chase was being filmed. The producers later paid the bill for the repairs to his car.

The early scene where Doyle and Russo chase down a drug dealer with Doyle dressed in a Santa Claus suit is based on a real-life tactic used by Eddie Egan and Sonny Grosso. While on stakeouts in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Egan and Grosso discovered drug dealers could easily spot undercover cops, and would often flee the scene before the cops could arrest them. One Christmas, Egan came up with the idea of dressing in a Santa Claus suit, figuring the dealers would never suspect Santa Claus of being a cop. As depicted in the film, Egan walked the neighborhood streets as Santa Claus, singing Christmas carols with local kids. When he saw a deal going down, Egan sang "Jingle Bells" as a signal to his partners to move in and make the arrest. The tactic worked beautifully, and Egan and his partners made dozens of Christmas arrests over several years.

The scene where Doyle and Russo chase down the dealer near the beginning and Gene Hackman shouts out his famous question "Did you ever pick your feet in Poughkeepsie?" is based on actual "good cop/bad cop" interrogations by the real "French Connection" detectives, Eddie Egan and Sonny Grosso according to William Friedkin in the DVD commentary. Grosso would gingerly ask a suspect direct questions about his crimes, then Egan would always butt in and yell unusual questions like the Poughkeepsie one. The suspect would get so rattled by Egan's offbeat questioning that he felt more comfortable answering Grosso's, thus, tending to eventually incriminate himself.

According to William Friedkin, the significance of the straw hat being tossed onto the shelf of the rear window in Doyle and Russo's car was that at that time it was a universal signal in New York City that the undercover cops in the car were on duty.

In at least one glimpse of the Manhattan skyline (as the car is being unloaded from the cargo ship), you can see the first of the World Trade Center towers under construction.

According to William Friedkin on his DVD commentary, the scene where Weinstock's chemist tests the heroin's purity uses actual heroin, and not flour or cornstarch or some other commonly used substitute.

Al Copeland named his restaurant chain, Popeye's Mighty Good Fried Chicken, after Popeye Doyle, Gene Hackman's character in the film The French Connection (1971). The chain that grew from the one restaurant became Popeye's Famous Fried Chicken.

William Friedkin credits his decision to direct the movie to a discussion with film director Howard Hawks, whose daughter was living with Friedkin at the time. Friedkin asked Hawks what he thought of his movies, to which Hawks bluntly replied that they were "lousy." Instead Hawks recommended that he "Make a good chase. Make one better than anyone's done."