Every film has those lists of "Did You Know?" type facts. Here is a list of facts about your favorite films that you may or may not know.
The Notebook
-Summary: Two people, a poor man and a rich woman, fall in love but have to keep away from each other because of their social differences
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| Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams couldn't stand each other. He tried to get her kicked off the set |
The Mummy
-Summary: An American serving in the French Foreign Legion, at an archaeological site in Hamunaptra, accidentally unleashes an ancient mummy, who wreaks chaos looking for his lost love
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| Brendan Fraser almost hanged himself doing his own stunt. In the scene where Rachel Weisz's character is debating with the Egyptian gentleman on releasing Rick O'Connell, she looks down to see O'Connell is hanging. He was slowly losing oxygen and he started to pass out |
Titanic
-Summary: Two star-crossed lovers, a poor artist and a seventeen year old socialite, fall in love aboard the ill-fated ocean liner the RMS Titanic
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| The entire cast was high on PCP because someone had slipped it into the chowder they were eating during a celebratory dinner |
How The Grinch Stole Christmas
-Summary: A Christmas-hating resident known as The Grinch, who lives on the outskirts of Whoville, is determined to ruin Christmas
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| Jim Carrey had to undergo anti-torture training for the process of applying the makeup to become The Grinch. It took eight hours a day and Carey had to undergo anti-torture training just to survive |
Cannibal Holocaust
-Summary: A professor, who is in the Amazon rainforest on a rescue mission, encounters a lost film shot by a documentary crew, who disappeared under mysterious circumstances
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| The director was arrested for murder because police thought he killed the cast. It didn't help that a clause in their contract stated they'd disappear for a full year to make it seem like they'd actually been killed. He had to hire someone to go and find the actors and have them breach their contract, just to bring them to court to prove they were still alive |
The Wizard of Oz
-Summary: Dorothy Gale and her dog Toto are swept away from their Kansas farm to the magical Land of Oz, where they meet the Tin Man, The Scarecrow and The Cowardly Lion. Together they go to The Emerald City to see the Wizard so she can return home
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| The little people who played the Munchkins of Munchkin Land were paid even less than the dog playing Toto. The dog was paid more than the little people and even the normal-sized human actors |
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| Jack Haley, who played the Tin Man, had to have surgery because of the silver paint, which contained aluminum to make him look as though he were made of tin, got into his eyes. As a result, the paint caused a severe infection |
Singin' in the Rain
-Summary: A silent film star falls in love with a chorus girl just as he and his partner are trying to transform from silent films to talking films aka "talkies" in 1920s Hollywood
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| Debbie Reynolds was bullied by her co-star Gene Kelly until she cried because he remarked on her dancing abilities. She studied dancing with legendary dancer Fred Astaire to get better |
Candyman
-Summary: A skeptic researching the Candyman myth accidentally unleashes this murderous killer with a hook for a hand
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| Anytime bees came out of Tony Todd's mouth, they were live bees. There was a special plastic bit in his mouth to hold the bees, but that didn't stop him from getting stung a few times. In fact, he negotiated that for every sting he got, he earned an extra grand. He walked away with $23,0000 as a bonus |
The Crow
-Summary: A man who was brutally murdered is brought back to life and given a chance to avenge he and his fiancee's murder
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| Brandon Lee died as a result of a prop gun being defective. He had a stunt involving a gun and it was supposed to be a blank, but it was a real bullet instead. When the gun fired, Lee was shot in the abdomen, where he later died |
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| Michael Massee, who was holding the ill-fated gun that took Brandon's life, took a year long break from acting after accidentally killing his co-star and he never watched the completed movie |
Poltergeist
-Summary: A family's home, built on a desecrated graveyard, plays host to demonic spirits
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| In the swimming pool scene, real skeletons were used because fake ones were too expensive. None of the cast knew those skeletons were real people |
Now You See Me
-Summary: An FBI agent and an Interpol agent work together tracking a team of illusionists who also pull off high end heists during their shows and give the reward money to their audiences
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| During the scene where Isla Fisher was in the giant tank, she almost drowned. After that, people had to learn to read body language to know if someone needed assistance |
Ray
-Summary: The man, myth and legend himself, Ray Charles, this biopic tells the story of his life, from humble beginnings to his going blind at age 7 to his rise to success in the 1950s and 1960s
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| Jamie Foxx had someone from the crew glue his eyes shut |
The Shining
-Summary: A family heads to a hotel in the mountains to oversee it during the winter season. An evil presence pushes the father to violence while the clairvoyant son sees visions from the past and future
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| Stanley Kubrick bullied Shelley Duvall to the point of tears throughout the whole production |
Home Alone
-Summary: Accidentally left at home by his family, who was going to Paris for the Christmas holidays, an eight year old outsmarts home burglars
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| In the scene where Marv and Harry finally confront Kevin at his neighbor's house across the street, already flooded with water, Joe Pesci accidentally gave Maculay Culkin a scar on his finger when he goes to bite him |
Apocalypse Now
-Summary: During the Vietnam War, a US Army officer is given a special assignment-take out a rogue Special Forces colonel who thinks of himself as a god
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| Martin Sheen had a heart attack and nearly died during production. He was under severe stress, going through physical and mental duress. He was even locked away for a few days and told some dark things to help him get into character. He feared dying so he called in a priest to administer final rights if he didn't make it through |
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (original 1970s-era film)
-Summary: On their way to visit the grave of a grandfather, five friends encounter a sinister presence armed with a chainsaw in an abandoned house in rural Texas
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| For the last few days of shooting the film, the cast was physically sick from the Texas heat and rotting animal corpses strewn about the set |
The Exorcist
-Summary: After playing with an Ouija board, a young girl is possessed by a demonic entity
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| Linda Blair developed permanent back injuries which morphed into scoliosis and life long rehab as a result of this movie |
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| Paul Bateson, who worked as an extra and a radiographer on the set, was a convicted murderer who was sentenced for his crime after the movie finished |
Shark!
-Summary: When a gunrunner loses his precious cargo near Sudan, he is stuck there. A woman hires him to investigate a sunken ship in shark infested waters, he jumps at the chance to make up for his losses
On the set, a stuntman was actually killed by a shark. When LIFE Magazine showed promos for this movie, the images used were photos of real shark attacks and not staged ones
Shrek
-Summary: To clear his swamp of all fairytale creatures, a Scottish-accented ogre and his talking donkey head out to speak to a mean lord, who wants a princess in order to become king
Chris Farley was supposed to be the original choice for the Scottish-accented ogre. In fact, he had up to 90% of his lines already completed and ready for the film. But he died before the film could be completed. Mike Myers came in and re-recorded everything, with a Scottish accent, thanks to inspiration from his Scottish grandmother
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| Chris Farley |
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| Mike Myers |
Noah's Ark
-Summary: The film version of the famed biblical story
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| During the flood scene, three people were killed. Over 600,000 gallons of water were dumped on the cast, to simulate the great flood. Some were able to survive the deluge, but at least succumbed to the sudden torrent of water |
Zodiac
-Summary: San Francisco is being terrorized by a killer with an unknown motive and a cartoonist becomes an amateur detective to hunt down this elusive killer
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| The shooting length and requirements to film this movie angered Robert Downey Jr. so much that he stated leaving bottles filled with urine around the set |
The Departed
-Summary: An undercover police officer and a mole, both in the Boston Police Department, try to identify the other while trying to get into a South Boston Irish gang
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| In one scene between Jack Nicholson and Leonardo DiCaprio, Jack Nicholson pulled a real gun on Leonardo DiCaprio and ended up getting a genuine reaction |
The Birds
-Summary: A small Northern California town called Bodega Bay is the site of a strange occurrence. Birds will randomly attack and in the middle is a wealthy socialite from San Francisco going after a potential boyfriend
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| Tippi Hedren had live birds thrown at her to get the look of fear on her face just right |
Charlie's Angels
-Summary: Three female police officers use their police skills and martial arts skills to retrieve voice-ID software that has been stolen
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| Lucy Liu got in to a physical altercation with Bill Murray. Murray had arrived on set in a bad mood and thought it would be okay to start poking fun at Lucy Liu. She told him that she would not be disrespected and the victim of jokes. The cast and crew had to sit down and talk things through before filming could continue |
Twilight Zone: The Movie
-Summary: A modern retelling of stories from the original TV series
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| Vic Morrow and two kids, Renee Chen and My-ca Dinh Le, died in a helicopter incident while filming a segment for this movie, Time Out, which is about a bigot who time travels to put him the place of the people he hates so much. The three died as a result of lack of safety precautions everywhere |
The Passion of the Christ
-This movie got a lot of heat for being bloody and gory. But, some people have to realize it was probably really like that back in those times
-Summary: A modern retelling of the story of Jesus Christ
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| Jim Caviezel, the actor playing the titular role of Jesus, was struck by lightning. He was examined by medical professionals and cleared to continue |
The Lord of the Rings
-Summary: A shy hobbit named Bilbo and his eight friends set off on a quest from The Shire to destroy the One Ring and save Middle Earth from the dangerous Dark Lord Sauron
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| Sean Astin, who played Samwise, was flown to the hospital after he walked over a piece of glass |
Django Unchained
-Summary: A freed slave sets out to save his wife from a brutal plantation owner in Mississippi with the help of a German bounty hunter
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| During one scene, his racist plantation owner character breaks a glass. The blood flowing in that scene is not fake-it's his actual blood flowing from his hand. He just kept going in the film |
2001: A Space Odyssey
-Summary: When a strange artifact is unearthed on the Lunar surface, a team of astronauts and super computer H.A.L. 9000 are sent to investigate its origins
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| Nearly all of the props and set were destroyed by Stanley Kubrick himself. No one knows why. $350,000 was spent to save the spaceship used in this film |
The Matrix
-Summary: A computer hacker named Neo is led by a beautiful stranger to the underworld, where he is shown that life as he knows it is really just an illusion made by an evil cyber intelligence
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| During filming, Carrie-Anne Moss twisted her ankle. She didn't tell anyone out of fear of losing her role and being replaced |
Gone With the Wind
-Summary: A gentleman named Rhett Butler falls for manipulative Southern belle Scarlett O'Hara amidst the Civil War
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| Vivien Leigh stated she hated kissing Clark Gable in this film because he had a mouth full of fake teeth, his excessive smoking habit and habit of eating something garlicky before filming |
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| At the 1939 premiere of this film in Atlanta, one of the main stars was not allowed to attend the premiere because of her skin color. Hattie McDaniel, who played the main maid of the film, couldn't attend because of segregation laws. Clark Gable came to her defense and got so mad that he threatened to boycott the event. McDaniel convinced Gable to attend despite the fact she couldn't be there |
Jaws
-Summary: A marine biologist is brought in to investigate possible shark attacks on the New England coast and investigating with him is the local sheriff
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| When Chrissie's remains are found on the beach, instead of using a prop arm, director Steven Spielberg decided to use a crew member, who was buried, with only her arm exposed |
The Princess Bride
-Summary: A grandfather reads to his sick grandson the story of a farmboy, who becomes a prince who encounters obstacles to reach his true love
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| Cary Elwes had to go to the hospital after getting injured for real. He had told Christopher Guest, who played Count Rugen, to hit him for real |
Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
-Summary: Luke Skywalker begins training as a Jedi with Yoda while Darth Vader and bounty hunter Boba Fett pursue him
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| While filming the Wampa cave scene, a massive snowstorm hit the set. While the cameramen filmed indoors, Mark Hamill was sent out into the cold to film |
Groundhog Day
-Summary: A weatherman who thinks the world revolves around him is shocked to find himself in a time loop on Groundhog Day, repeating the day until he gets it right
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During filming, Bill Murray was bitten by the resident groundhog twice and had to have rabies shots
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Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows
Summary: Harry Potter and his friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Grainger set out to destroy the Horcruxes, the source of power for the Dark Lord himself, Lord Voldemort
-The actor who played Vincent Crabbe, Jamie Waylett, was fired from the movie in 2009 after being arrested for growing illegal substances. He was replaced with another character from the Slytherin house named Blaise Zabini, played by Louis Cordice
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| Jamie Waylett as Vincent Crabbe |
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| Louis Cordice as Blaise Zabini |
West Side Story
-Summary: Two star crossed lovers, from different walks of life, fall in love, despite their differences
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| Even though the movie was supposed to have characters who were supposed to be from Puerto Rico, the directors didn't see the need to cast actual Puerto Ricans. Instead, they used heavy amounts of brown face paint on the Puerto Rican characters to give them the dark features native to someone of Latin origin |
Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
-Summary: A bumbling British spy from 1969 is brought out of cryogenic freezing to pursue his arch nemesis Dr. Evil
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| Joe Son, who played Random Task, was convicted of voluntary manslaughter. While in prison, he killed his cell mate and was moved to solitary confinement |
Full Metal Jacket
-Summary: A US Marine witnesses, first hand, the brutality of the Vietnam War
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| A family of rabbits was accidentally killed while filming. Stanley Kubrick was so upset by this he shut down production for an entire day |
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids
-Summary: A scientist accidentally shrinks his two kids and two neighbor kids and they must encounter obstacles as the father searches for them
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| The original script had a fifth child dying during the sprinkler scene |
A Kid in King Arthur's Court
-Summary: A Little League player is sent back in time on a mission to save Camelot
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| Kate Winslet was told to lose weight for the film, which she did. As a result, she ended up getting sick from the extreme changes to her body and the diet |
Moulin Rouge!
-Summary: A poor poet in 1890s Paris falls for a nightclub entertainer who also happens to be coveted by a duke
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| Nicole Kidman had gotten injured while filming. She had to film some of her scenes from a wheelchair |
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| John Leguizamo had to stay on his knees throughout many of the scenes he was in because his character was short |
The Bridge on the River Kwai
-Summary: British soldiers at a POW camp in Burma are forced to build a bridge over the River Kwai, not realizing that Allied forces are planning on destroying it
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| Director David Lean fell into a current on the river and would have drowned if it had not been for an actor on set, Geoffrey Horne, jumping in to save him |
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe
-Summary: Four children enter a wardrobe and thus, enter a magical land where they learn it is their destiny to save it with the help of a mystical lion guide
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| A swear jar was brought onto the set as swearing had gotten out of control |
The Ten Commandments
-Summary: Moses, born to Jewish slaves in Egypt, learns he is the savior of his people from slavery
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| The director of the film, Cecil B. DeMille, had a heart attack and nearly died on set. Against doctor's orders, he returned to the set two days later |
Romeo + Juliet
-Summary: Still retaining the original dialogue from the classic play, this retelling has been modernized to take place in Verona Beach, California
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| While filming, the main hairstylist for the film was kidnapped by a gang and held for a $300 ransom |
Three Kings
-Summary: After the Persian Gulf War, four soldiers head out on a mission to retrieve gold stolen from Kuwait, only to find people who genuinely need their help
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| George Clooney physically fought with director David O'Russell because of the director's volatile personality |
Inglorious Basterds
-Summary: A group of Jewish US soldiers creates a plan to assassinate Nazi Party leader Adolf Hitler in Nazi-occupied France while a theatre owner also has the same plans
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| Eli Roth, a famed horror movie director, was in this movie and was almost killed during the theatre blaze scene |
Dune
-Summary: The son of a duke leads rebels in the desert against a galactic emperor to free their world from the emperor's rule
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| The cast's leather-looking clothing was made from using old body bags. These bags were taken from an old firehouse and, creepy enough, they had been used multiple times |
The Wiz
-This is an all black version of The Wizard of Oz
-Summary: This is the retelling of the famed The Wizard of Oz story only using a predominantly black cast
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| Diana Ross, best known for her role in all girl Motown group The Supremes, was nearly blinded by all of the lighting effects used in the film |
The Adventures of Robin Hood
-Summary: When King Richard is missing in Medieval England, an outlaw becomes the leader of a band of rebels opposing Prince John
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| The director of this 1938 film ordered the sword protectors to be removed to increase the excitement. Errol Flynn angrily grabbed the director by the throat and asked if it was "exciting enough" after he had been jabbed by one of the unprotected swords |
A Clockwork Orange
-Summary: In a futuristic society, the sadistic leader of a gang volunteers for an experiment involving conduct-aversion, but things don't go as planned
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| During the scene where Malcolm McDowell's eyes are held forcibly open, anesthesia was applied by an actual optometrist who was working on the set as the person applying the devices to his eyes. But, despite the anesthesia, he suffered damage to his eyes and was rendered temporarily blind |
All Quiet on the Western Front
-Summary: A German teen, eager to serve his country in World War I, starts to change his mind when he witnesses the horrors of war
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| When this movie premiered, Nazis released rats and stink bombs into the theater as a form of protest against the film. This film would not be screened in Germany until 26 years later |
Monty Python and The Holy Grail
-Summary: King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table embark on a journey to find the Holy Grail, while encountering silly and strange obstacles along the way
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| During the scene where the group encounters the magician who asks to be called "Tim", the cliff they were on was not a man made set in a large studio. It was an actual cliff. One wrong move and this scene could have killed or maimed John Cleese |
A Streetcar Named Desire
-Summary: Mentally disturbed Blanche DuBois moves in with her sister in New Orleans, where her brother-in-law torments her and her reality is dissolving around her
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| Vivien Leigh, who played Blanche DuBois, suffered from bipolar disorder and had severe difficulty telling the difference between her real life self and her character |
Heathers
-Summary: At a high school where cliques and jocks dominate, and all of the popular girls are named Heather, a mysterious new kid and a student named Veronica exact revenge against the popular kids
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| Winona Ryder was inspired to do this film after a student from her high school committed suicide |
Cleopatra
-Summary: Queen Cleopatra VII experiences the highs and lows in Egypt while trying to resist the Roman Empire coming in
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| In the beginning, Egypt refused to let this movie be filmed in their country because the lead actress was Jewish. When they realized the film could boost their economy, they changed their minds |
The Grapes of Wrath
-Summary: An Oklahoma family migrates west toward California, suffering poverty and homelessness along the way and eventually suffering from the poverty and homelessness of the Great Depression
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| A producer of the film thought the book exaggerated conditions of the migrant camps in the Dust Bowl region of Oklahoma. After sending out investigators, he was told that the conditions were far worse than what was described |
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