Night Court (1984)

This hilarious show from the 1980s, about a court room that took care of cases at night, has just been remade. The series debut aired last night; I, for one, can say that I'm not impressed. The new version is not all that funny. It's kind of ignorant. I prefer the original because it's funnier and just better. 

Supposedly, in the new remake of the show, Melissa Rauch, who is best known for playing Bernadette Wolowitz on The Big Bang Theory, is the daughter of former judge Harry Stone and she's just been appointed to his bench. And she wants former attorney Dan Fielding (John Larroquette) working in her courtroom because he worked with her dad.

Summary

-A fun loving judge and his crew of odd employees preside over a night court and the misadventures that go on there

Cast

-Harry Anderson: Judge Harry Stone

-John Larroquette: Dan Fielding

-Richard Moll: Nostradamus "Bull" Shannon

-Charles Robinson: Mac Robinson

-Markie Post: Christine Sullivan

-Marsha Warfield: Rosalind "Roz" Russell

-Selma Diamond: Bailiff Selma Hacker

-Paula Kelly: Public Defender Liz Williams

-Florence Halop: Florence Kleiner

Did You Know?

-According to commentary on the season 1 DVD, it is mentioned in the first episode that Harry Stone is a big fan of Mel Torme. Friends and relatives of the legendary jazz/pop singer called Torme and let him know he was referenced on a TV show. He was so flattered that when the show contacted him about appearing on an episode or two, he didn't hesitate to do so. He gladly accepted. Torme also stated that with his appearance on Night Court, his audience was getting steadily younger and younger. He could state that his newfound popularity was because of the show.

-There's one episode where Dan Fielding (John Larroquette) is stuck in a motel with a woman with mental problems who acts out movie scenes. On the TV, an announcer states, "We'll return to 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre'". He responds, "Seen that already." He was the narrator in both the 1974 and 2003 remakes of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

-After Selma Diamond, who played Selma Hacker, passed away after season 2 finished up, she was replaced by Florence Halop, who played Florence Kleiner. She was hired because of her very similar mannerisms to Selma. But Florence passed away after completing season 3. Producers decided to hire a younger actress and thus, they brought in Marsha Warfield, who plays Roz.

-When Richard Moll, who plays Bull, auditioned for the show, he had a shaved head because of his role in Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared-Syn (1983). Producers liked the look, so they asked him to keep it.

-According to producer Reinhold Weege, when Harry Stone is appointed to the bench as a judge, it's loosely based on a real-life incident in Los Angeles. The then mayor of the city filled the remaining judicial posts with under qualified candidates in order to hurt his replacement, who was a bitter political rival. It was decided on the show that Harry would be appointed to the bench, despite having barely the required amount of experience practicing law

-When the final episode was completed on a Friday, the cast were sent telegrams telling them to have their dressing rooms cleared out by Monday or else their belongings would be thrown out

-Bull Shannon was said to have an IQ of 181

-Prior to the start of season 7, Markie Post discovered that she was pregnant. Rather than hide it like some TV shows, producers wrote her pregnancy into the script. It was a story involving Christine falling in love with and getting married to Det. Tony Giuliano (Ray Abruzzo)

-Series creator Reinhold Weenge named the hookers and pimps after his friends

-Prior to Harry Anderson being cast as Judge Harry Stone, the character was a huge fan of Mel Torme and loved magic and whose name was Harry

-The picture on the wall in Harry's office is actress Jean Harlow

-When Charles Robinson and Markie Post died, they both passed nearly a month apart. Charles Robinson was 75 when he died on 7/11/2021 and Markie Post was 70 when she died on 8/7/2021

-Prior to having occurring roles as Buddy Ryan (Harry's dad) and bum Phil Sanders, John Astin and William Utay often appeared playing different characters

-There were a lot of Star Trek references on the show due to Brent Spiner, who appeared on Night Court playing Bob Wheeler, the leader of a hillbilly family who was routinely brought in for the strangest reasons and on Star Trek: The Next Generation, playing Lt. Commander Data. The best-known reference to Star Trek is when a group of people attending a Star Trek convention get into a fight simply over what series is better: Star Trek or Star Trek: TNG. There is even one person in the group of people dressed like Data. Ironically, John Larroquette was also affiliated with Star Trek. He appeared in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. He played a Klingon who Capt. Kirk promises to kill later, but doesn't

-Initially, Bull was supposed to be a man who was intimidating because of his immense height and high intellect. As time went on, Bull became more of a dim witted, kindhearted soul whose IQ was limited to useless information

-Four of the characters had names shared with the actor or actress who played them. The first two female bailiffs were Selma Hacker and Florence Kleiner. The actresses who played them were Selma Diamond and Florence Halop. Judge Harry Stone was played by Harry Anderson. Court clerk Mac Robinson was played by Charles Robinson

-During the entire run of the show, Dan Fielding, played by John Larroquette, was supposed to be a real ladies' man whose broom closet was used for a bachelor's pad. He even had a nickname: Ever Ready. In reality, John Larroquette was married, only once, to a woman named Elizabeth Ann Cookson. He's been married to her since 1975

-Marsha Warfield, who played bailiff Roz, outlived Selma Diamond and Florence Halop. 3/5/2019 was Marsha Warfield's 65th birthday. Selma Diamond died at age 64 and Florence Halop died at age 63

Marsha Warfield

Florence Halop

Selma Diamond

-In the opening credits, the subway train seen is an R40 Slant A Train. This is the most common and, thus, iconic of all subway trains in New York

R40 Slant A Train

-The City Courts Building on the eighteenth floor, where Harry holds his court, is not a real building. The building fitting that description most closely is the Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse at 500 Pearl Street in Lower Manhattan

-There have been many cases where groups of school children have come before Judge Stone. As the New York Night Court typically operates from 5pm-1am, children seen in court would not be out of the ordinary, at least for the first few hours

-During the opening credits, there is a brief view of the World Trade Center prior to the destruction of them on 9/11

-As of January 2023, the only remaining cast members who are still alive are Richard Moll, who played Bull Shannon, John Larroquette, who played Dan Fielding and Marsha Warfield, who played bailiff Roz

-In season 2, Selma and Bernie (Selma Diamond and Martin Garner) had a light romantic relationship. They both also appeared in Twilight Zone: The Movie. They appeared as Mr. & Mrs. Weinstein in the second segment, "Kick the Can", where an old man gives a group of elderly seniors the chance to be young again for a short time

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

This hilarious 1990s sitcom starred Will Smith as a young man from the streets of Philadelphia who was sent to live with family on the West Coast.

Summary

-After some trouble in their Philadelphia neighborhood, a young man is sent to live with rich relatives in the Bel-Air neighborhood of California

Cast

-Will Smith: Will Smith

-James Avery: Phillip Banks

-Alfonso Ribiero: Carlton Banks

-Tatyana Ali: Ashley Banks

-Karyn Parsons: Hilary Banks

-Joseph Marcell: Geoffrey Butler

-Daphne Reid: Vivian Banks

-Janet Hubert: Vivian Banks

-Ross Bagley: Nicky Banks

-DJ Jazzy Jeff: Jazz

-Vernee Watson: Viola "Vy" Smith

Did You Know?

-According to TV Guide's "50 Greatest TV Dads of All Time", Philip Banks was ranked #34

-Unlike his character, who is charismatic, self-confident, Will Smith said that, as a teenager, he was shy, awkward, and very insecure about dating girls

-Initially, the script said "Carlton dances" and Alfonso Ribiero invented the famed "Carlton dance". He said it was inspired by Eddie Murphy's white boy dance and Courtney Cox dancing in the video for Bruce Springsteen's "Dancing in the Dark"

-The season finales for the third-fifth season were written as respectful farewells in case the show was not renewed for television. The sixth season finale was written with the knowledge that the show was ending and would not continue

-Jada Pinkett Smith auditioned for the role of Lisa, but did not get the role due to her lack of good work with Will Smith. Later on, the two would marry, have two kids and stay together to this current day

-Joseph Marcell, who played Geoffrey, said he intended to quit his role and return to the UK and this led to the rest of the cast quitting their roles and thus, ending the series after season 6

-Inspired by the vast array of emotional moments on Roseanne, Will Smith encouraged the writers to create more serious and dramatic episodes

-The law firm that Uncle Phil works for is Firth, Wynn & Meyer. It's a play on legendary R&B group Earth, Wind & Fire. Quincy Jones, who is an executive producer, is a big fan of this group

-The full name for the character Nicky is Nicholas Andrew Michael Shawn Nathan Wanya Banks. The group Boyz II Men, who performed at his christening, is who he is named after

-According to Alfonso Ribiero, who plays Carlton, the whole cast was like a big family. Janet Hubert, who played Aunt Vivian, was especially difficult to work with. James Avery, who played Uncle Phil, constantly reminded her that the show was "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air", not "Phillip and Vivian of Bel-Air"

-Tension started building between Tatyana Ali and Will Smith on set at first because he constantly messed his lines up

-Alfonso Ribiero, Tatyana Ali and Karyn Parsons all have Trinidadian heritage

-During the first three seasons of the show, Will Smith had to owe 70% of all earnings to the IRS to pay for back taxes and to pay debts accrued from his music career

-Ross Bagley, who plays Nicky Banks, also appeared alongside Will Smith in Independence Day (1996), playing his stepson

-Strangely, season three had the highest ratings while season six had the lowest ratings

-Most if not all of the cast members preferred working with Daphne Reid, who later played Aunt Vivian. She was more subdued than Janet Hubert's more colorful and stronger Aunt Vivian

-The title of the show, "Fresh Prince" is a nod to the rap name Will Smith used during his days as a rap artist in the 1980s

-The show portrays Will's father not being there at all for him. In reality, his father was there for him and the two were very close

-On the episode "Papa's Got a Brand New Excuse", the breakdown that Will suffers was ad-libbed and inspired by friends of his who never knew their fathers and never having fathers in their lives. James Avery and Will Smith hugging was genuine and not being in character

ER

This is a definite throwback to the 1990s. I actually watched this show and, combined with Trauma: Life in the ER, was the reason I wanted to pursue medicine as a child. Although, sadly, Trauma: Life in the ER no longer exists on TLC (The Learning Channel). The only thing I learned from the Learning Channel is that that channel keeps making nobodies famous for stupid reasons, such as being overweight, being 40+ years of age and wanting to date younger men or having dozens of kids

Summary

-The lives and misadventures of the doctors and nurses at Chicago's busy County General Hospital

Cast

-Noah Wyle: John Carter

-Laura Innes: Kerry Weaver

-Maura Tierney: Abby Lockhart

-Goran Visnjic: Luka Kovac

-Anthony Edwards: Mark Greene

-Eriq La Salle: Peter Benton

-Alex Kingston: Elizabeth Corday

-Julianna Margulies: Carol Hathaway

-Parminder Nagra: Neela Rasgotra

-George Clooney: Doug Ross

-Gedde Watanabe: Nurse Yosh Takata

-Ellen Crawford: Nurse Lydia Wright

-Mekhi Phifer: Gregory Pratt

-Deezer D: Nurse Malik McGrath

-Ming-Na Wen: Jing Mei Chen

Did You Know?

-During an interview on PBS for the series Pioneers of Television, Noah Wyle was in Africa, filming some of the storyline for his character Dr. John Carter. While there in the Kalahari Desert, the real medic on set passed out from the heat. Wyle (who had been simulating medical procedures for his role on ER), put these skills to use and actually inserted an IV and hooked up the medic to a saline drip, thus saving their life

-After producers were unable to come up with a proper Croatian name, Goran Visnjic named his character Luka Kovac after his nephew Luka and his best friend Kovac

-The front desk clerk, Frank, always talked about life on the "force" as a Chicago police officer. In the first episode, he played a police officer who was shot in the line of duty and treated by the doctors

-Doug Ross always appeared to have his head hanging low, appearing thoughtful, private or ashamed. This was because George Clooney had taken to the habit of writing his lines on sheets of paper and other props, especially when it came to the complicated medical terminology

-Despite being filmed mostly at Warner Bros Burbank studios, cast and crew flew to Chicago each season to shoot exterior shots and make it more realistic. The shooting would be done on Sunday mornings to avoid causing traffic issues

-In 1997, the baseball game that George Clooney was watching in the breakroom on the live broadcast that year was the Cubs-Astros game, which was also live broadcasting on TV that night

-Gloria Reuben, who played Jeannie Boulet and Erik Palladino, who played Dave Malucci, left the show after feeling their characters didn't appear enough and were under used. Kellie Martin, who played Lucy Knight, left the show because it became too hard and painful to work in a medical show after the death of her sister

-Dr. Chen is the only character who refers to Carter by his first name

-Anthony Edwards was the initial choice to play Dr. Mark Greene. At the time of the pilot for this show, he was filming a movie. By sheer luck, the film had been pushed back and he was able to film this show

-Two of George Clooney's family members appeared as guests in the two hour pilot episode. His cousin, Miguel Ferrer, appeared and his aunt, Rosemary Clooney (Ferrer's mother), guest starred in the second episode

-Julianna Margulies initially read for the part of Dr. Mark Greene's wife, not Carol Hathaway

-Anthony Edwards left the show near the end of the 2001-2002 season because his real life wife Jeanine Lobell gave birth to their daughter and he wanted to spend more time with family

-The basketball hoop in the ambulance bay of the ER was George Clooney's idea. He used that hoop to unwind between filming. As a result, it was put into an area of the Warner Bros lot in Burbank, California. It quickly became a part of the series

-Initially, the set for the pilot episode was supposed to be a rundown hospital in East Los Angeles because the crew couldn't afford to build a proper set. The rooms were small and required the use of the Steadicam, which has now become a trademark of the show. Real members of the public, such as punk gangs, pulled up outside, thinking this was a real, working hospital

-In Season Three, Episode One, "Doctor Carter, I Presume", the heard but not seen Dr. Karubian was played by David Schwimmer, who plays Ross on Friends

-Due to a lack of money, the pilot episode was filmed in the former Linda Vista Community Hospital in Los Angeles, an old hospital that ceased business in 1990

Dr. Carter's birthday and Noah Wyle's birthday are almost identical. Dr. Carter's birthday is June 4, 1970 while Noah Wyle's birthday is June 4, 1971

-The helicopter used on this show does, in real life, belong to the University of Chicago Hospital. It's a 1989 Aerospatiale SA365N-1 Dauphin. As of 2017, this helicopter is still being used by the University of Chicago Hospital

-Robert Carradine appeared in the episode "Sleepless in Chicago" in the first season as a psychiatric patient pretending to be a doctor until he's discovered. Ironically, he and Anthony Edwards appeared in the Revenge of the Nerds series of films. Edwards had chosen not to appear in Revenge of the Nerds 3 because he was shooting ER at the time

-In the novel that spawned this series, Dr. Lewis is a man, not a woman and Dr. Benton is not African American

-Whenever local news would be shown on TV, the local Chicago news station, WMAQ, was always used

-One of the possible choices to play Dr. Benton was Tony Todd, famous for the horror movie Candyman

-In the pilot episode, Miguel Ferrer's character is given a cancer diagnosis by Sherry Stringfield's character, Dr. Susan Lewis. Eerily, Ferrer died of throat cancer in 2017

-Gedde Watanabe is known for playing Chinese exchange student Long Duk Dong in the Chicago-set teen comedy Sixteen Candles. Years later, he appeared on ER, playing Nurse Yosh Takata

-Most of the cast used medical terminology when doing their scenes. If they used the term EPI, it stood for epinephrine. It's a medication used to jump start the heart after stopping or slowing down. Another term used was V-Tach, which means ventricular tachycardia. It's a condition that means the heart is pumping as it should during a heart attack

-The actor who plays Dr. Peter Benton's son Reese, Matthew Watkins, is deaf in real life

The Nanny (1993)

This funny sitcom from the 1990s tells the story of an entrepreneur named Fran Fine who loses her job and, to pay the bills, takes the role of a nanny to a rich English widower and his three children. She also interacts with the various staff of the house.

Summary

-Cosmetics saleswoman Fran Fine must find a way to pay the bills after being fired from her job and dumped by her boyfriend. She goes to work as a nanny to a rich English widower and his three kids

Cast

-Fran Drescher: Fran Fine

-Charles Shaughnessy: Maxwell Sheffield

-Daniel Davis: Niles

-Lauren Lane: CC Babcock

-Nicholle Tom: Maggie Sheffield

-Benjamin Salisbury: Brighton Sheffield

-Madeline Zima: Grace Sheffield

-Renee Taylor: Sylvia Fine

-Rachel Chagall: Val Toriello

Did You Know?

-When the show first aired in the UK, fans wrote in and put down Charles Shaughnessy, thinking he had a "fake" English accent and suggested working with Daniel Davis to learn to do a proper English accent. Charles Shaughnessy is a native Englishman, born in London and Daniel Davis is not; he was born in America. There is a funny tribute to this situation in an episode in the final season. Niles appears in Grace's (Madeline Zima's) school play about Cleopatra, where he gets bad reviews of his "fake" English accent

-In the final episode, it's revealed that C.C. Babcock's initials stand for Chastity Claire

-During the fifth season, Lauren Lane and Rachel Chagnall had gotten pregnant. Producers made no attempt to hide their growing stomachs. There was one instance where CC made a reference to Elaine on Seinfeld, who had been hidden by props to hide her pregnant stomach

-There was a storyline about CC being sent to a sanitarium to cover Lauren Lane's absence during the final part of her pregnancy

-Sylvia (Renee Taylor) and Morty were the names of Fran Fine's parents on the show. They just so happen to also be the real life names of Fran Drescher's parents

-When the show was initially developed, there were only two kids in the Sheffield house: Brighton and Grace. An older sibling, Maggie, was introduced so as to allow Fran to act as a sort of mentor

-The dog on the show, Chester, is Fran Drescher's dog, Chester

-Just like on the show, where Fran has an older sister named Nadine, in real life Fran Drescher has an older sister named Nadine

-Producers wanted the character of Fran Fine to be Italian American, but Drescher wanted the character to be Jewish. Val Toriello, played by Rachel Chagal, is Italian American, but in real life Rachel Chagal is actually Jewish

-The primary care physician for Renee Taylor, who played Fran's mom Sylvia, wrote a note to producers asking her to stop eating in every scene as she had gained 50 pounds. It became a joke that when Sylvia would come to the house, she'd demand food from Niles and would start stealing food from Maxwell, Niles or the kids

Heat (1995)

This movie is said to be a good one because it has both Robert De Niro and Al Pacino in it together, two largely known, successful actors.

Summary

-After a group of thieves performing high-end heists leaves a clue at their latest scene, heat from the LAPD starts coming down on them

Cast

-Al Pacino: Lt. Vincent Hanna

-Robert De Niro: Neil McCauley

-Val Kilmer: Chris Shiherlis

-Jon Voight: Nate

-Tom Sizemore: Michael Cheritto

-Diane Venora: Justine

-Amy Brenneman: Eady

-Ashley Judd: Charlene Shiherlis

-Mykelti Williamson: Drucker

-Wes Studi: Casals

-Ted Levine: Bosko

-Dennis Haysbert: Donald Breedan

-William Fichtner: Roger Van Zant

-Natalie Portman: Lauren Gustafson

-Kevin Gage: Waingro

Did You Know?

-During the bank robbery shootout, director Michael Mann inserted microphones around the set to capture the sound of gunfire live

-During the scene where Lt. Hanna meets with Neil McCauley, that scene was not rehearsed prior to filming. Al Pacino, who plays Hanna, felt that the scene should just be shot and not rehearsed prior because the unfamiliarity between the two would make it seem more realistic. Michael Mann agreed and shot the scene of the two together

-Kevin Gage, who played Waingro, was in prison for two years in 2003 after he and a friend had gotten a license to grow medicinal marijuana. Since it was in California and marijuana is legal for medicinal use there, the federal government disagreed and sentenced him to a 41-month sentence, out of which he only served two years. Because of his role of in the movie, fellow inmates and even the prison guards referred to him as "Waingro"

-According to Al Pacino, in an early draft of the film, Vincent Hanna was supposed to be addicted to cocaine, which explains the loud outbursts

-What sold Robert De Niro on filming this was the coffee shop scene between Lt. Vincent Hanna and Neil McAuley. Later on, it was admitted that between Al Pacino, Robert De Niro and Michael Mann, that was the scene most anticipated on being filmed

-Val Kilmer was overjoyed when he found out that the scene during the bank robbery shootout, where he runs out bullets and rapidly changes the magazine, is shown on a regular basis to Marine recruits as an example of how to do that properly

-This is the first film to star both Al Pacino and Robert De Niro. Despite both appearing in The Godfather: Part II (1974), they never shared screen time together because it was done in split chronological order.

-This was filmed without the use of a soundstage

-Michael Mann had made this movie as a tribute to late friend of his in Chicago. His friend was a detective on the Chicago Police Department who obsessively tracked and killed a thief he had met under a non-violent time

-Amy Brenneman didn't want to be in the movie because she felt that there was too much blood and too little morality. It was this kind of mindset, Michael Mann told her, that would make her perfect for the role of Eady

-Danny Trejo, a member of Neil's crew, had also been incarcerated at Folsom Prison, just like Neil

-Fearing being typecast as a criminal because he was initially supposed to play Waingro, Ted Levine asked to play the role of Bosko

-Unfortunately, this movie inspired a series of real-life bank robberies in South Africa, Columbia, Denmark, Norway and even, most famously, in Los Angeles. In 1997, the North Hollywood branch of The Bank of America, was robbed by Larry Phillips Jr and Emil Matasareanu, which resulted in a shootout. They were confronted by LAPD as they exited the bank. The LAPD opened fire and killed both robbers while eleven police officers and seven bystanders were injured. During news coverage, this movie was heavily referenced as a possible inspiration

-Michael Mann stated that the reason Neil wore gray suits was so that he could not draw attention to himself and blend in with the crowd

-Jon Voight didn't want the role of Nate in the movie because he felt other actors could do this role better. Michael Mann told him that he wanted Voight for the role because he'd always wanted to work with him

-The two main characters were said to have been in the Marine Corps. During the meeting about the final robbery, Lt. Hanna (Al Pacino) is talked about while McCauley is seen possessing an Eagle, Globe and Anchor tattoo on his arm while in bed with Eady (Amy Brenneman)

-Michael Mann's first choices for Lt. Vincent Hanna and Neil McCauley were Al Pacino and Robert De Niro

-To help them prepare for their roles, Michael Mann took Val Kilmer, Tom Sizemore and Robert De Niro to Folsom State Prison to interview real-life career criminals

-During the armed car robbery, the "Console TV Man" was not an actor, but an actual homeless person living near the location of the scene being filmed. Local business owners usually left an extension cord behind their stores so he could plug in his television. When producers were out looking for locations for the film, they met him, and they wanted him to have a role in the film

-Jon Voight's character Nate is based on real life career criminal Edward Bunker. Bunker had starred in another heist-related film, 1992's Reservoir Dogs

-During the coffee shop scene, the actual restaurant's employees were used as extras

-Initially, Keanu Reeves was supposed to play Chris Shiherlis, the role played by Val Kilmer and so was another actor named Carsten Norgaard. But Val Kilmer was able to squeeze this into his schedule between filming Batman Forever (1995)

-Mykelti Williamson said in an interview that director Michael Mann had made an arrangement for cast to meet with real-life LAPD detectives and real-life career criminals at a restaurant in LA, where both criminals and LAPD both went. The cast playing the LAPD had dinner with the detectives and their wives one night while the cast playing the heist crew had dinner with the criminals and their wives on a different night. Williamson said that Mann arranged this so that the cast would have a much better idea on how real-life detectives and criminals interacted with each other

-Prior to having the role of "Trejo" in this movie, Danny Trejo and Edward Bunker were hired as consultants on armed robbery, since that is what both went to prison for. Michael Mann spotted Danny and he introduced him to Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Val Kilmer and Jon Voight, where they discussed career criminals and police. Trejo would end up getting this role as a result

-Mick Gould and Andy McNab, both former British Special Air Service soldiers, trained the cast in how to use weapons and perform tactics. Gould appears as one of the police officers who breaks into Henry Rollins' apartment

-Dennis Farina was a consultant on the film since he has experience working as a Chicago police officer. The film was based on the story of a Chicago police officer tracking a thief. Farina had even played a Chicago police officer in 1986's Crime Story

-Robert De Niro was the first person to get the script for the film. He showed it to fellow actor Al Pacino, who also wanted to star in it

-When Waingro is at the bar, he tells the bartender he spent time at Folsom State Prison and also the "SHU" at Pelican Bay. Pelican Bay State Prison is where the worst of the worst, the most dangerous of the most dangerous criminals in California are housed. "SHU" is the solitary confinement

-Diane Venora was amused when she heard that she had gotten the part of Al Pacino's wife in the film. The script described her character as a "languorous red head with thighs for days".

-The painting Pacific by Alex Colville inspired the scene where Robert De Niro is standing against a window, overlooking the ocean

-Prior to filming, Al Pacino had a full facelift done

-Michael Mann stated he has wanted to work with Robert De Niro ever since he saw him in the 1973 film Mean Streets

-To research her role, Ashley Judd met a number of former prostitutes who had become housewives

-While filming this movie, Hank Azaria was also filming 1996's The Birdcage. The scene he's featured in was filmed on his 30th birthday. It also happened to be Al Pacino's 54th birthday

-This is only Natalie Portman's second film

-The slicked back hair and Armani suits favored by Vincent Hanna are a tribute to Los Angeles Lakers coach Pat Riley

-An early draft of the script had the character Eady as Chinese

-It's said that both Neil McCauley and Vincent Hanna are very similar. They were both in the Marines, they are both nicely dressed, both are relentless in what they do, they both gave up romantic relationships for their jobs and before breaking down a door, they both checked their guns to make sure there was a round in the chamber

-In an interview, Michael Mann stated that the character Chris Shiherlis met Charlene while he was in Las Vegas, on a huge winning streak and Charlene was a high priced call girl

-When Neil and Nate are reviewing an application from Vincent Hanna, his date of birth is listed as 7/15/1953. In real life, Al Pacino was born on 4/25/1940. He lists his job as Salesperson, the same position that McCauley identifies as his profession to Eady

-In Vincent's office at the Major Crimes Unit, a Marine Corps plaque appears, only with the crossed swords removed

-Brad Pitt and Jean Reno were considered for the role of Chris Shiherlis

-William Petersen and Jean Claude Van Damme were considered for the role of Michael Cheritto. This role went to Tom Sizemore instead

-Hank Azaria based the voice Moe uses on The Simpsons on Al Pacino in Dog Day Afternoon

-Much of this movie is based on a true story. It's of Chicago police officer Chuck Adamson and a real life thief named Neil McCauley

-In the scene where Vincent catches his wife cheating, removes the television and throws it from his car is similar to a scene in 1986's Crime Story with Dennis Farina

-In an interview, Michael Mann stated that Cheritto is a heroin addict and the peacock tattoo is covering the track marks

January Birthdays

Since it's January, it's time to say Happy Birthday

Janick Gers

-Birth name: Janick Robert Gers

-DOB: 1/27/1957

-Where: Hartlepool, England

-His onstage antics, such as dancing around and throwing his guitar around, often raise criticism from fans and often have them remarking, often negatively, about his not so good guitar playing

Peter Steele

-Birth name: Petrus Thomas Ratajcyk

-DOB: 1/4/1962

-Where: Red Hook, New York

-DOD: 4/14/2010

-Where: Scranton, Pennsylvania

-He appeared in Playgirl magazine

Ian Hill

-Birth name: Ian Frank Hill

-DOB: 1/20/1951

-Where: West Bromwich, England

-He is one of the founding members of Judas Priest

Paul Stanley

-Birth name: Stanley Bert Eisen

-DOB: 1/20/1952

-Where: Inwood, New York

-He was born with a condition called microtia, which is an underdevelopment of the ears. He was rendered completely deaf on his right side until a surgery in the mid 1980s, using cartilage from his ribs, gave him a new right ear

Richie Faulkner

-Birth name: Richard Ian Faulkner

-DOB: 1/1/1980

-Where: London, England

-Previously played guitar for hard rock singer Lauren Harris

Rod Stewart

-Birth name: Roderick David Stewart

-DOB: 1/10/1945

-Where: London, England

-He's still friends with his former Faces band mate Ronnie Wood

Jimmy Page

-Birth name: James Patrick Page

-DOB: 1/9/1944

-Where: Heston, Hounslow, England

-He formed Led Zeppelin from the remains of his previous band, The Yardbirds. He intended to call his new band The New Yardbirds, but Who drummer Keith Moon told him it would go down like a lead balloon

David Bowie

-Birth name: David Robert Jones

-DOB: 1/8/1947

-Where: Brixton, London, England

-DOD: 1/10/2016

-Where: New York City, New York

-He was not born with two different colored eyes. He had gotten that as a result of a condition called anisocoria, which is known for two different sized pupils in a person's eyes. He has blue eyes, but with one being permanently dilated, it gives the impression he has one brown eye and one blue eye

James May

-Birth name: James Daniel May

-DOB: 1/16/1963

-Where: Bristol, United Kingdom

-He's usually called "Captain" something or other by Jeremy Clarkson on Top Gear

Malcolm Young

-Birth name: Malcolm Mitchell Young

-DOB: 1/6/1953

-Where: Glasgow, Scotland

-DOD: 11/18/2017

-Where: Elizabeth Bay, Australia

-He is one of the founding members of AC/DC

Kate Middleton

-DOB: 1/9/1982

-Where: Reading, England

-Amidst all of the Kate and William and Harry and Meghan drama, she has kept her opinions to herself, despite being painted in a bad light by Meghan. Frankly, she's far more beautiful and classy than Meghan Markle

Phil Collins

-Birth name: Phillip David Charles Collins

-DOB: 1/30/1951

-Where: London, England

-His daughter Lily is an actress, known for the program Emily in Paris

John Paul Jones

-Birth name: John Richard Baldwin

-DOB: 1/3/1946

-Where: Kent, England

-He worked as a session musician prior to joining Led Zeppelin