Twister (1997)

This is one movie I've seen dozens of times, lol

Summary
-Bill and Jo Harding are storm chasers in the process of divorcing. When they learn of an extremely lethal storm system moving through the Midwest, they team up to create a highly advanced warning system to alert everyone to these potentially violent tornadoes

Cast
-Bill Paxton: Bill Harding
-Helen Hunt: Dr. Jo Harding
-Cary Elwes: Dr. Jona Miller
-Jami Gertz: Dr. Melissa Reeves
-Phillip Seymour Hoffman: Dustin Davis
-Lois Smith: Meg Greene
-Alan Ruck: Robert "Rabbit" Nurick
-Sean Whalen: Allen Sanders
-Scott Thompson: Jason "Preacher" Rowe
-Todd Field: Tim "Beltzer" Lewis
-Joey Slotnick: Joey
-Wendie Josepher: Haynes
-Jeremy Davies: Laurence
-Zach Grenier: Eddie

Did You Know?
-When actor Bill Paxton died, Spotter Network had asked 200 storm chasers to spell out "BP" with their GPS tracker blips on a radar display to honor his passing.

-Filming was temporarily suspended in Oklahoma due to the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, OK on April 19,1995. The crew went to help out with recovery effort

-The sound of the tornado was created a slowed-down camel moan

-It's said to be an urban legend, but when this movie was playing at a drive-in theatre in Stoney Creek, Ontario, a tornado struck. In reality, it was a tornado striking a drive-in theatre in Thorold, Ontario on May 20, 1996. It damaged the screen. The movie was not playing when the tornado struck, but was scheduled to play later that evening

-The town that gets destroyed here, Wakita, is an actual town in Oklahoma. Part of the downtown business district area had been destroyed by the film crew to replicate the after effects of the tornado passing. Afterwards, the studio paid to rebuild the downtown area. As for the fire truck seen here, the town kept it
-To create some of the wind, a jet engine from a Boeing 707 was used

-The instrument package used by the storm chasers, "Dorothy" is a tribute to the real instrument pack, dubbed "T.O.T.O" used by real storm chasers to leave in the path of a tornado

-Whenever there's a news report shown in the movie, the newscasters being shown are actual weathermen from Oklahoma news stations. They include Gary England, who's a chief meteorologist at KWTV in Oklahoma City and Rick Mitchell, chief meteorologist at KOCO in Oklahoma City. The footage of Gary England giving a televised tornado warning in "1969" to Jo's family is actually archived footage of him giving a tornado warning. He didn't join KWTV until 1972

-This movie only took 95 days to film

-To make the skies look like pre-tornado conditions, the scenes inside the truck cab were flooded with high-intensity lighting. Because of this, Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton suffered minor retinal burns throughout much of the movie

-Some of the considerations for the role of Bill Harding included Tom Hanks, Kurt Russell and Michael Keaton. They all lost out to Bill Paxton, who was said to, according to director James Cameron, to have a "southern every man charm"

-The siren that Dorothy releases is a combination of a standard police, fire and ambulance siren control head. These control heads have various modes including yelp, siren and phaser. The sound was used later for Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines. That same sound was used when chasing a Toyota Tundra. It was created accidentally for that movie but intentionally for this movie.
-The base camp for the storm chasers was a pig farm. Each morning, the cast and crew woke up to the smell of a 2-acre pig waste holding pond

-When Bill's truck gets stuck on a tree, the oil tanker that pushes him out of the way says "Benthic Petroleum". This is the name of the oil company Ed Harris works for in The Abyss. Ed Harris had attended the University of Oklahoma, where he majored in theatre and also where the National Severe Storms Laboratory is located

-Lois Smith, who plays Aunt Meg, is seen reading Dante Alighieri's Dante's Inferno when the twister hits Wakita. In the story, a tornado hits in the Second Circle of Hell to punish people ruined by Lust

-Jan de Bont, a producer on the film, stated he hated the scene where everyone is at Aunt Meg's house eating steak and eggs because he is vegetarian

-With Jan de Bont being a fan of Tori Amos, he had asked that some of her music be used in the film

-The instrumental playing at the end is called "Respect the Wind" and it was written and performed by Eddie and Alex Van Halen

-The first music video playing in Dusty's van is "Motherless Child" by Eric Clapton. Later it's "Child in Time" by Deep Purple. This song is not only playing loudly on his loudspeakers, but the video playing it as well is from the 1974 California Jam (CalJam) Festival in Ontario, California. This is from the Glenn Hughes/David Coverdale era where the band had taken the stage ahead of the time they were supposed to and Ritchie Blackmore, already infuriated at everything running ahead of schedule and not to his particular liking, was further incensed by a camera getting to close to him on his right side. He stuck his guitar head through the camera, destroying it, as a warning to back off

 

 

-The ironic thing is that as the team heads out to chase after a tornado, Dusty starts playing "Child in Time" by Deep Purple on his loudspeakers. The video footage, however, was at the California Jam Festival on April 6, 1974. Deep Purple did not play "Child in Time" during their gig there. The song was performed by Ian Gillan, who was not with the band at the time.

-During the initial scenes of the movie, which were supposed to be 1969, the weatherman states the tornado could be as high as an F-5. The Fujita Scale, which measures the intensity of tornadoes, was not invented until 1972

Saturday Night Live's 60 Biggest Rock Moments

Everyone probably watches Saturday Night Live, sometimes because a certain person is on there or because of the guest musician or whatever. Here are 60 of the Biggest SNL Rock Moments, according to Ultimate Classic Rock. I might not put all of them because that would be too much on the eyes.

Paul McCartney: 2/13/1993

-He guested on SNL four times. This is a nod to an episode in Season 18 for two major reasons: 1.) His incredibly touching take on "Hey Jude" and 2.) he was comedic during "The Chris Farley Show" sketch

Queen: 9/25/1982

-This is shocking to all, I'm sure. This was the final live performance by Queen with Freddie Mercury. The band had taken the stage, but Mercury had blown his voice out after having a heated argument with his partner the previous night. To quote a Queen song, "You Can't Stop Me" were the perfect choice of words for the band as they blazed through a blistering set, including "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" with the more mellow "Under Pressure". The parts that were supposed to be sung by David Bowie were actually sung by drummer Roger Taylor

The Rolling Stones: 10/7/1978

-They were pulling major double duty here, acting as both host and musical guest. Despite appearing in two sketches that night, they still rocked out hard. They played some music from their then-released album Some Girls, which included "Beast of Burden", "Shattered", "Respectable".

Aerosmith: 2/17/1990

-Wayne's World, before it was a two-movie smash hit, got its start on Saturday Night Live. Mike Myers and Dana Carvey played two heavy-metal fans and friends who ran a live music television show called Wayne's World in the basement of Wayne's mom's house in suburban Aurora, Illinois. On this particular episode, Garth's cousin Barry, played by Tom Hanks, is a roadie with Aerosmith. He convinces Aerosmith to appear and appear they do! During their skit, they play a hard rock version of the Wayne's World theme song. But later when Aerosmith does their musical guest duties, they blaze through "Janie's Got a Gun" and "Monkey on My Back".

AC/DC: 3/18/2000

-Here's one band I bet you never thought you would hear or see here. That's right, AC/DC took the SNL stage in 2000. Despite the band forming in 1973 and SNL premiering two years later, this band went more than 25 years without coming up to play. They playing an explosive set, including "You Shook Me All Night Long" and the title track from their 2000 album Stiff Upper Lip

David Bowie: 12/15/1979

-This is one image that I am sure will shock you: David Bowie in a dress and heels!! His SNL set was considered to be the strangest one of all. Backup singers said to look like aliens while a robotic pink poodle walks around. Strangest of all is singer David Bowie wearing a button-up dress and heels, while singing "TVC15" and "Boys Keep Swinging". Of course, all the strangeness is what makes David Bowie, well David Bowie

Elton John with Johnny Cash: 4/17/1982

-Two stars at different points in their careers. Cash was seemingly on his way out while John was seemingly on his way in. Their dual appearance on SNL was said to be a sort-of passing of the torch, from one generation to the next. In a polite nod of respect to Cash, who was the host that evening, John wore cowboy-inspired attire during his performances. Of course, Cash did the same thing for John, nodding respect to the younger rocker by wearing a pink feather boa, sequined robe and gaudy eyeglasses

Bon Jovi: 1/9/1993

-Two months prior to Bon Jovi's appearance on SNL, their album, Keep the Faith, had been released. During their set, the first song played was "Bed of Roses" from their recently released album. And, of course, "Wanted Dead or Alive" was played. The comedic part is that Bon Jovi appeared in several sketches that night

George Harrison: 11/20/1976

-It's been a long running gag that SNL producer Lorne Michaels bribed the Beatles $3000 to do a reunion on the show. It must have worked, somewhat. George Harrison appeared on the show during episode 8, season 2. The show opened with George arguing with Michaels over money. The "quiet Beatle" was the music guest that night and he performed a beautiful, almost tear-jerking rendition of "Here Comes the Sun" and "Homeward Bound"

The Clash: 10/9/1982

-Their 1982 album, Combat Rock, had been released that year. And any chance to promote the music, the band was probably going to take. Since the album was inspired by the aftermath and fall out of the Vietnam War, this feeling was driven home by the veteran London punk rockers by wearing combat fatigues. Their first song "Straight to Hell" kicked off their performance in addition to Joe Strummer looking like Travis Bickle from Taxi Driver with his mohawk. Guitarist Mick Jones, however, provided lead vocals on their trademark track "Should I Stay or Should I Go"

Foo Fighters: 4/9/2011

-Singer Paul Simon had a record with SNL, probably for appearing multiple times. Dave Grohl is the only musician who could easily break that. Grohl has 13 appearances under his name for SNL. He performed such songs as "Rope", "Walk". His sense of comedy knows no bounds, however as he performed through the "Bongo's Clown Room" sketch as his hair was slicked back into a ponytail to play a strip-club announcer

Metallica: 12/6/1997

-They were probably the loudest band SNL has seen or heard. Originally, they were supposed to appear for the first time in 1987, but vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield suffered a wrist injury, forcing the band to cancel. Meanwhile, ten years later, the band was able to appear, playing "Fuel" and "The Memory Remains".

U2: 11/20/2004

-They were there in support of their eleventh studio album How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb. They blazed through "Vertigo", "Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own". And, of course, the band did their comedy sketches. But during their musical set, they also played "I Will Follow", which made SNL album Amy Poehler cry like a teenager at her first concert

Sting: 1/19/1991

-Take a close look at this picture. At first glance, it might look like Billy Idol, but it's not Billy Idol. Look at the face? Can you guess who it really is? If not, it's Sting. He has appeared on SNL four times, but his most memorable time to date was in 1991. He did double duty that night, acting as both host and musical guest. He seems to have a reputation for taking himself too seriously. On this night, however, he convinced all who watched that he does know how to loosen up and be comedic. One skit showed him being stuck in an elevator with Kevin Nealon and Dana Carvey, both of whom are fans of Sting as they attempt to sing (poorly) some of Sting's songs. The most iconic sketch that night was when Sting delivered an extremely detail-accurate impression of British punk rocker Billy Idol in a sketch called "The McLaughlin Group". During his musical set, he started with "All This Time" and ended with "Purple Haze", which showed everyone he can rock out no matter what.

Billy Idol: 1/28/1994

-Now this picture is the REAL Billy Idol. Of course, the clothing you see him wearing here is what he wore during his explosive musical set, which included "Rebel Yell" and "White Wedding"

Mick Jagger with Special Guests: 5/19/2012

-For the season 12 finale, Mick Jagger was asked to be the host. He made sure it went out well and went out with a bang. He was joined by Arcade Fire and Nikolai Fraiture of The Strokes for a rendition of the Rolling Stones song "The Last Time" while Foo Fighters joined him for "19th Nervous Breakdown" and "It's Only Rock 'n' Roll (But I Like It)". Guitarist Jeff Beck joined him for "Tea Party", an old blues song. His musical set included "She's a Rainbow" and "Ruby Tuesday"

Robert Plant: 12/15/1984

-In 1981, Led Zeppelin had effectively broken up. Front man Robert Plant aspired to create a band with a heavy blues-based sound. He certainly did just that with his band the Honeydrippers. They were out touring in support of their debut album, Volume One. Two of the songs included in their set was "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" and "Rockin' at Midnight" by Roy Brown

Rod Stewart: 5/13/1995

-Recently inducted into the famed Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, this legendary singer played both old and new songs, including "Leave Virginia Alone". He also included a fan favorite, "Maggie May" and he moved around the stage as if he were young again

Green Day: 12/3/1994

-Dookie was released eleven months prior to Green Day's appearance on SNL. This album was pivotal in the career of the Bay Area punk rockers because it introduced the world to this band, whose entire list of songs on the album reference teenage angst, masturbation, fart jokes and more. They played "When I Come Around" and "Geek Stink Breath". Billie Joe Armstrong accidentally said the word "shit" and it was missed by the censors. In reruns, it would be cut out

Linkin Park: 5/12/2007

-There's a first time for everything. And it was Linkin Park's first SNL appearance. They blew the roof off the 30 Rock studio, playing through recently created songs like "What I've Done" and "Bleed It Out". Both songs have a haunting melody that gives you chills and their performance was the biggest of the 2000-era acts

Shrek Forever After (2010)

This is, probably, the last film in the series

Summary
-Rumpelstiltskin, a creature with magical powers, tricks Shrek, who is having a mid-life crisis, into allowing himself to be erased from time and history into an alternate reality where he and Fiona never met

Cast
-Mike Myers: Shrek
-Cameron Diaz: Fiona
-Eddie Murphy: Donkey
-Antonio Banderas: Puss in Boots
-Julie Andrews: Queen Lillian
-Jon Hamm: Brogan
-Walt Dohrn: Rumpelstiltskin
-Jane Lynch: Gretched
-Craig Robinson: Cookie

Did You Know?
-The only Shrek film not released in the 2000s

-Rumpelstiltskin was, according to Fiona's parents, recommended by King Midas. In Greek legend Midas made a wish for everything he touched to turn to gold. This had backfired in more ways than one. His daughter turned to gold and all food/drink he touched turn to gold, leading him to die of starvation

-The same actors and actresses from the other three Shrek films appeared in this one as well

-Originally the idea of Puss in Boots becoming fat and lazy was met with harsh resistance until it was proven there was comedic value to it, so it was left in

-Since this movie has the issue of marriage crises in it, the production team consulted various marriage counselors to represent how the characters should behave

-One of the witch cronies used by Rumpelstiltskin is named "Baba". This is a reference to the witch of Slavic/Russian folklore Baba Yaga

-In the trailer park where Rumpelstiltskin lives, there is a sign that reads "Abandon all hope, ye who enter here." This is said to be on the gates of Hell, according to Dante Allighieri's The Divine Comedy, specifically from the first part, ironically titled Dante's Inferno

Shrek the Third (2007)

This is the third movie in the series

Summary
-When his father-in-law, King Harold becomes sick, Shrek is looked at as being the next in line to rule Far, Far Away. He does not want to do that and give up his swamp, so he, Donkey and Puss in Boots seek to replace himself with a relative named Artie as the new king-to-be.

Cast
-Mike Myers: Shrek
-Cameron Diaz: Princess Fiona
-Eddie Murphy: Donkey
-Antonio Banderas: Puss in Boots
-Julie Andrews: Queen Lillian
-John Cleese: King Harold
-Rupert Everett: Prince Charming
-Eric Idle: Merlin
-Justin Timberlake: Artie
-Larry King: Doris

Did You Know?
-In the school scene, the song "All Star" by Smash Mouth is being played. A real high school band was brought in for authenticity. The cheerleading squad routine was also based on footage of an actual local high school cheer squad running through routines

-When the princesses attack the castle, the song that starts playing is "Immigrant Song" by Led Zeppelin. The band is very hesitant in using their songs for commercial purposes. There are two other films that use this song: School of Rock and Thor: Ragnarok. The song "Barracuda" by Heart is also used in this movie, but on the soundtrack album, Fergie covers the song

-When Artie is leaving school, he utters the line that he is "building his city on rock 'n' roll". This is a modified version of the line "we built this city on rock 'n' roll", which is the title to a 1985 song called "We Built This City" by Starship

-During the knighting scene, the stained glass window in the background shows an image of St. George slaying the last dragon in England. In this case, it shows a prince slaying a dragon to save a princess or an ogre doing the same thing

-This was Justin Timberlake's first animated film