Famous Movie Sequels & Prequels: List #1
My list of movies I have seen and all their companion pieces....This list will be updated continually as I see and watch more movies.....
List activity
9.6K views
• 4 this weekCreate a new list
List your movie, TV & celebrity picks.
100 titles
- DirectorMarc WebbStarsAndrew GarfieldEmma StoneRhys IfansAfter Peter Parker is bitten by a genetically altered spider, he gains newfound, spider-like powers and ventures out to save the city from the machinations of a mysterious reptilian foe.Also starring: Martin Sheen, Sally Field, Campbell Scott, C. Thomas Howell, Stan Lee,
- DirectorMarc WebbStarsAndrew GarfieldEmma StoneJamie FoxxWhen New York is put under siege by Oscorp, it is up to Spider-Man to save the city he swore to protect as well as his loved ones.Also starring: Colm Feore, Paul Giamatti, Sally Field, Embeth Davidtz, Campbell Scott, Michael Massee, Stan Lee, Chris Cooper (uncredited) Denis Leary (uncredited) Martin Sheen (uncredited)
- DirectorGraham BakerStarsJames CaanMandy PatinkinTerence StampIn 1988, Earth makes the first contact with an alien civilization. In 1991, these aliens, known as Newcomers, slowly begin to be integrated into human society after three years of quarantine.Also starring: Leslie Bevis, Peter Jason, Conrad Dunn, Jeff Kober, Roger Aaron Brown, Tony Perez, Brian Thompson, Francis X. McCarthy, Keone Young, Earl Boen, Tom Finnegan, Jasper Cole, Frank Collison
- DirectorDavid J. BurkeStarsVing RhamesTerrence HowardChazz PalminteriA notorious gangster nicknamed "Animal" must reconcile his past in order to make a future for his criminally-minded son.Also starring: Faizon Love, Wes Studi, Paula Jai Parker, Taraji P. Henson, Beverly Todd
- DirectorRyan CombsStarsVing RhamesVicellous ShannonRichard WaughJames "Animal" Allen (Ving Rhames) took the fall for the crimes of his older son (Vicellous Shannon) and is now serving a life term at Folsom Prison.Also starring: Conrad Dunn, Stephen R. Hart
- DirectorRyan CombsStarsVing RhamesNipsey HussleGillie Da KidCain's often challenged in prison by wannabes. Cain's later offered a chance to talk with kids from the hood, incl. his own son, so they don't end up in prison.Aka Animal 3
also starring: Robert LaSardo, - DirectorMichael RitchieStarsWalter MatthauTatum O'NealVic MorrowAn aging, down-on-his-luck ex-minor leaguer coaches a team of misfits in an ultra-competitive California little league.Also starring: Also starring: Jackie Earle Haley, Chris Barnes, Erin Blunt, David Pollock, Gary Lee Cavagnaro, Quinn Smith, Brandon Cruz,
- DirectorMichael PressmanStarsWilliam DevaneJackie Earle HaleyClifton JamesA troubled, rebellious teen drives his rambunctious baseball team out to Houston where they play an exhibition game and the boy meets his estranged father, and hires him as the teams coach.Also starring: Chris Barnes, Erin Blunt, Brett Marx, David Pollock, Quinn Smith, Lane Smith, Dolph Sweet, George Wyner, Jeffrey Louis Starr,
- DirectorJohn BerryStarsTony CurtisJackie Earle HaleyTomisaburô WakayamaA small-time hustler takes the pint-sized baseball team to Japan for a match against the country's best Little League baseball team, sparking off a series of adventures and mishaps.Also starring: George Wyner, Erin Blunt, Brett Marx, David Pollock, David Stambaugh, Jeffrey Louis Starr, Regis Philbin, Sonny Barnes, Shô Kosugi (uncredited)
- DirectorMartin BrestStarsEddie MurphyJudge ReinholdJohn AshtonA freewheeling Detroit cop pursuing a murder investigation finds himself dealing with the very different culture of Beverly Hills.Also starring: Ronny Cox, Steven Berkoff, James Russo, Jonanthan Banks, Stephen Elliott, Gilbert R. Hill, Art Kimbro, Joel Bailey, Bronson Pinchot, Paul Reiser, Michael Champion, Frank Pesce, Michael Gregory, Gerald Berns, Isreal Juarbe, Randy Vasquez, Damon Wayans, Rick Overton, Rex Ryon, Mike Pniewski, Douglas Warhit, Paul Drake, Tom Everett, Jack Heller, David Wells, Darwyn Carson, Martin Brest (uncredited)
- DirectorTony ScottStarsEddie MurphyJudge ReinholdJürgen ProchnowAxel Foley returns to Beverly Hills to help Taggart and Rosewood investigate Chief Bogomil's near-fatal shooting and the series of "alphabet crimes" associated with it.Also starring: John Ashton, Brigitte Nielsen, Allen Garfield, Dean Stockwell, Paul Reiser, Gilbert R. Hill, Paul Guilfoyle, Robert Ridgely, Alice Adair, Glenn Withrow, Gilbert Gottfried, Tom Bower, Hugh M. Hefner, Frank Pesce, Todd Susman, Chris Rock, Robert Pastorelli, Teal Roberts, Peggy McIntaggart, Larry Carroll, Gary Carlos Cervantes, Tommy 'Tiny' Lister, Rudy Ramos, Ola Ray, Luann Lee, Rebecca Ferratti, Sydney Urshan, and the late Bryon Weiss
- DirectorJohn LandisStarsEddie MurphyJon TenneyJoey TravoltaAxel Foley, while investigating a car theft ring, comes across something much bigger than that: the same men who killed his boss are running a counterfeit money ring out of a theme park in Los Angeles.Also starring: Judge Reinhold, Hector Elizondo, Timothy Carhart, John Saxon, Theresa Randle, Alan Young, Stephen McHattie, Bronson Pinchot, Gilbert Hill, Lindsey Ginter, Dan Martin, Al Green, Helen Martin, Hattie Winston, Michael Bowen, Julie Strain, Curtis Williams, John Singleton, Barbet Schroeder, George Lucas, Arthur Hiller, Ray Harryhausen, Joe Dante, Martha Coolidge, Yareli Arizmendi, Al Leong (uncredited), Bob Minor (uncredited), Tom Rosales Jr. (uncredited)
- DirectorStephen NorringtonStarsWesley SnipesStephen DorffKris KristoffersonA half-vampire, half-mortal man becomes a protector of the mortal race, while slaying evil vampires.Also starring: Donal Logue, Udo Kier, Traci Lords, Tim Guinee, Sanaa Lathan, Shannon Lee, John Enos III,
- DirectorLouis LeterrierStarsSam WorthingtonLiam NeesonRalph FiennesPerseus, a demigod and the son of Zeus, battles the minions of Hades and the Underworld in order to stop them from conquering Olympus and Earth.“Also starring: Gemma Arterton, Alexa Davalos, Mads Mikkelsen, Ian Whyte, Nicholas Hoult, Vincent Regan, Polly Walker, Luke Treadaway, Pete Postlethwaite, Elizabeth McGovern, Alexander Siddig, Tamer Hassan, Danny Huston,
- DirectorJonathan LiebesmanStarsSam WorthingtonLiam NeesonRosamund PikePerseus braves the treacherous underworld to rescue his father, Zeus, captured by his son, Ares, and brother Hades who unleash the ancient Titans upon the world."Clash of the Titans 2"
Co-starring: Édgar Ramírez, Bill Nighy, Danny Houston, - DirectorRidley ScottStarsNoomi RapaceLogan Marshall-GreenMichael FassbenderFollowing clues to the origin of mankind, a team finds a structure on a distant moon, but they soon realize they are not alone.Prequel to the "Alien" saga...
Also starring: Idris Elba, Guy Pearce, Ian Whyte, Patrick Wilson - DirectorPaul W.S. AndersonStarsSanaa LathanLance HenriksenRaoul BovaDuring an archaeological expedition on Bouvetøya Island in Antarctica, a team of archaeologists and other scientists find themselves caught up in a battle between the two legends. Soon, the team realize that only one species can win.Also starring: Colin Salmon, Tommy Flanagan, Ian Whyte
- DirectorColin StrauseGreg StrauseStarsReiko AylesworthSteven PasqualeShareeka EppsWarring Alien and Predator races descend on a rural Colorado town, where unsuspecting residents must band together for any chance of survival.Also starring: Ariel Gade, Kristen Hager, Sam Trammell, Robert Joy, Ian Whyte
- DirectorLarry CohenStarsFred WilliamsonGloria HendryArt LundRaised in Harlem, Tommy Gibbs becomes a successful mob boss but he clashes with the rival Mafia and his old enemy, dirty cop McKinney.Also starring: Julius Harris, Val Avery, Andrew Duggan (uncredited)
- DirectorLarry CohenStarsFred WilliamsonJulius HarrisGloria HendryA gangster in Harlem must rescue his ex-wife, who has been kidnapped by the Mafia.Aka Black Caesar 2
Also starring: D'Urville Martin, Tony King, James Dixon - DirectorTom LaughlinStarsTom LaughlinElizabeth JamesJeremy SlateBilly Jack battles a motorcycle gang in a small California beach town.Also starring: Jack Starrett, Robert Tessier, Paul Prokop, Jeff Cooper, Janice Miller, Delores Taylor (uncredited) and Jane Russell as Mrs. Shorn
- DirectorTom ShadyacStarsJim CarreyJennifer AnistonMorgan FreemanA whiny news reporter is given the chance to step into God's shoes.Also starring: Catherine Bell, Lisa Ann Walter, Steve Carell, Nora Dunn, Sally Kirkland, Tony Bennett, Christopher Draga, Noel Gugliemi, Emilio Rivera, Ron Jeremy (uncredited), Manny Perry (stunts)
- DirectorEli RothStarsJordan LaddRider StrongJames DeBelloFive college graduates rent a cabin in the woods and begin to fall victim to a horrifying flesh-eating virus, which attracts the unwanted attention of the homicidal locals.Also starring: Joey Kern, Arie Verveen, Robert Harris, Giuseppe Andrews, Richard Fullerton, Gabriel Roth, Shiloh Strong, Adam J. Roth, and Eli Roth (as David Kaufbird)
- DirectorAnthony RussoJoe RussoStarsChris EvansSamuel L. JacksonScarlett JohanssonAs Steve Rogers struggles to embrace his role in the modern world, he teams up with a fellow Avenger and S.H.I.E.L.D agent, Black Widow, to battle a new threat from history: an assassin known as the Winter Soldier.Co-starring: Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Cobie Smulders, Frank Grillo, Maximiliano Hernández, Emily VanCamp, Hayley Atwell, Toby Jones, Stan Lee, Jenny Agutter, Garry Shandling, Georges St-Pierre, Nestor Serrano (uncredited), and Gary Sinise as The Smithsonian Narrator (voice)
- DirectorChuck PattonCurt GedaVinton HeuckStarsNika FuttermanKeith SzarabajkaJim CummingsA team of miners at an outpost in deep space unearth an ancient alien artefact. After the relic is brought aboard their spaceship, the USG Ishimura, for scientific study, an alien species begins to infect the members of the ship.
- DirectorNeil MarshallStarsShauna MacdonaldNatalie MendozaAlex ReidA caving expedition goes horribly wrong, as the explorers become trapped and ultimately pursued by a strange breed of predators.
- DirectorJohn McTiernanStarsBruce WillisAlan RickmanBonnie BedeliaA New York City police officer tries to save his estranged wife and several others taken hostage by terrorists during a Christmas party at the Nakatomi Plaza in Los Angeles.Also starring: William Atherton, Hart Bochner, James Shigeta, Paul Gleason, Alexander Godunov, De'voreaux White, Clarence Gilyard Jr., Dennis Hayden, Al Leong, Robert Davi, Grand L. Bush, Rick Ducommun, Rebecca Broussard, Betty Carvalho, Tracy Reiner, Fred Lerner
- DirectorRenny HarlinStarsBruce WillisWilliam AthertonBonnie BedeliaJohn McClane attempts to avert disaster as rogue military operatives seize control of Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C.Also starring: Franco Nero, William Sadler, John Amos, Dennis Franz, Art Evans, Fred Dalton Thompson, Tom Bower, Don Harvey, Tony Ganios, Robert Patrick, John Leguizamo, Vondie Curtis-Hall, Mark Boone Junior, Tom Everett, Colm Meaney, Robert Costanzo
- DirectorJohn McTiernanStarsBruce WillisJeremy IronsSamuel L. JacksonJohn McClane and a Harlem store owner are targeted by German terrorist Simon in New York City, where he plans to rob the Federal Reserve Building.Co-starring: Colleen Camp, Larry Bryggman, Sam Phillips, Kevin Chamberlin, Aldis Hodge, Edwin Hodge, Joe Zaloom, Patrick Borriello, Ali A. Wahhab (uncredited)
- DirectorLen WisemanStarsBruce WillisJustin LongTimothy OlyphantJohn McClane and a young hacker join forces to take down master cyber-terrorist Thomas Gabriel in Washington D.C.Co-starring: Cliff Curtis. Kevin Smith, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Sung Kang, Chris Ellis, Matt O'Leary, Cyril Raffaelli, Tim Russ, Edoardo Costa, Yancey Arias,
- DirectorLes MayfieldStarsRobin WilliamsMarcia Gay HardenChristopher McDonaldAn absent-minded professor discovers "flubber," a rubber-like super-bouncy substance.Also starring: Clancy Brown, Raymond J. Barry, Wil Wheaton, Edie McClurg, Nancy Olson (uncredited cameo) and the voice of Jodi Benson as 'Weebo'
Nancy Olson, who played Betsy Carlisle in the original "The Absent Minded Professor" (1961), appears as a Secretary at Ford Company (uncredited).
During late 1993, when this movie was first announced, Steven Spielberg considered being the executive producer of this film, and have the film released under the Amblin label. But he decided not to go through with it because his only choice for the lead role, Robin Williams, was at the time in a bitter fallout with the Walt Disney Company (see trivia for Aladdin (1992) and refused to be in the film. John Hughes' first choice for the lead role was always Williams. He lined up some other choices including Christopher Lloyd, Jeff Goldblum, John Lithgow and Patrick Stewart. As soon as Williams made peace with the Walt Disney Company, Hughes immediately cast him in the lead.
Wil Wheaton was cast because he resembles Tommy Kirk who was in The Absent-Minded Professor (1961).
According to Wil Wheaton, in the scenes that he was in with Robin Williams, they would film a take the way it was supposed to be filmed. After that take, Williams would often want to improvise scenes differently than the script, just for fun. Those scenes were not added to the actual film, but there were enough scenes to make an entirely different movie. - DirectorDavid CronenbergStarsJeff GoldblumGeena DavisJohn GetzA brilliant but eccentric scientist begins to transform into a giant man/fly hybrid after one of his experiments goes horribly wrong.Also starring: George Chuvalo, Michael Copeman, David Cronenberg
- DirectorChris WalasStarsEric StoltzDaphne ZunigaLee RichardsonThe almost-human son of "Brundlefly" searches for a cure to his mutated genes while being monitored by a nefarious corporation that wishes to continue his father's experiments.Also starring: Harley Cross
- DirectorF. Gary GrayStarsIce CubeChris TuckerNia LongIt's Friday, and Craig and Smokey must come up with $200 they owe a local bully or there won't be a Saturday.Also starring: John Witherspoon, Anna Maria Horsford, Regina King, Paula Jai Parker, Faizon Love, DJ Pooh, Vickilyn Reynolds, Ronn Riser, Kathleen Bradley, Tony Cox, Demetrius Navarro, Bernie Mac, LaWanda Page, F. Gary Gray, Reynaldo Rey, Anthony Johnson, Meagan Good, Angela Means, Jason Bose Smith, Yvette Wilson, Michael Clarke Duncan (uncredited)
- DirectorSteve CarrStarsIce CubeMike EppsJustin PierceA streetwise man flees South Central Los Angeles, heading to the suburbs and his lottery-winner uncle and cousin, to avoid a neighborhood thug with a grudge who has just escaped from prison.Also starring: Don 'D.C.' Curry, Jacob Vargas, Lobo Sebastian, Rolando Molina, Lisa Rodríguez, Tommy 'Tiny' Lister, Kym Whitley, Amy Hill, Tamala Jones, The Lady of Rage (Robin Allen), Clifton Powell, Sticky Fingaz, Ronn Riser, Michael Blackson, Michael Rapaport (uncredited)
- DirectorMarcus RaboyStarsIce CubeMike EppsJohn WitherspoonWorking as security guards, Craig and Day-Day run into the thief who stole their Christmas presents.Also starring: Anna Maria Horsford, Clifton Powell, K.D. Aubert, Katt Williams, Rickey Smiley, Terry Crews, Bebe Drake, Sommore
- DirectorSean S. CunninghamStarsBetsy PalmerAdrienne KingJeannine TaylorA group of teenage camp counselors attempt to re-open an abandoned summer camp with a tragic past, but they are stalked by a mysterious, relentless killer.Also starring: Kevin Bacon, Harry Crosby, Laurie Bartram, Mark Nelson, Peter Brouwer, Rex Everhart, Ronn Carroll, Ron Millkie, Walt Gorney Ari Lehman, Irwin Keyes (uncredited) and Tom Savini (uncredited)
- DirectorSteve MinerStarsBetsy PalmerAmy SteelJohn FureyFive years after the events of the first film, a summer camp next to the infamous Camp Crystal Lake is preparing to open, but the legend of Jason is weighing heavy on the proceedings.Also starring: Warrington Gillette, Walt Gorney, Russell Todd, Betsy Palmer, Rex Everhart (uncredited), Tom McBride, Lauren-Marie Taylor,
- DirectorSteve MinerStarsDana KimmellTracie SavageRichard BrookerJason Voorhees stalks a group of friends who have just arrived to spend the weekend at a cabin near Crystal Lake.Also starring: Larry Zerner, David Katims, Catherine Parks, Nick Savage, Gloria Charles, Kevin O'Brien, Steve Susskind, Anne Gaybis,
- DirectorJoseph ZitoStarsErich AndersonJudie AronsonPeter BartonAfter being announced dead and taken to a morgue, Jason Voorhees spontaneously revives, escapes from the hospital, and stalks a group of friends renting a house in the countryside near Crystal Lake.Also starring: Tom Everett, Crispin Glover, Corey Feldman, Joan Freeman, Lisa Freeman, Clyde Hayes, Bonnie Hellman, Barbara Howard, Bruce Mahler, Lawrence Monoson, Camilla & Carey More, Tom Savini (uncredited), Ted White (uncredited)
- DirectorCraig GillespieStarsAnton YelchinColin FarrellDavid Tennant"Fright Night" - A new neighbor moves in next to Charley, who discovers that he is an ancient vampire who preys on the community. Can he save his neighborhood from the creature with the help of the famous "vampire killer", Peter Vincent?Also starring: Imogen Poots, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Dave Franco, Reid Ewing, Sandra Vergara, Chris Sarandon,
Peter Vincent website reads: "A Las Vegas institution, a magician who works in the dark world of the occult, His show embraces every sinister aspect of the supernatural acts..his dark mysterious magic is woven from his profound knowledge of the esoteric world of the occult, gleaned from the vast collection of books & artifacts from the four corners of the mystic world...A student of the cannibalistic world, he is the single greatest authority of vampires and has studied all the various tribes that make their weird world...
Ed "evil" 's Vampire Kit List included: Wooden Stakes, Holy Water, Holy Crosses, Rosary Beads, Garlic, Bible, Leather Neck Guard, Wooden Spear, Water Guns (soakers), Flashlights, Mirrors, Torch, Torch Fuel. - DirectorJohn CarpenterStarsDonald PleasenceJamie Lee CurtisTony MoranFifteen years after murdering his sister on Halloween night 1963, Michael Myers escapes from a mental hospital and returns to the small town of Haddonfield, Illinois to kill again.Also starring: P.J. Soles,Charles Cyphers, Kyle Richards, Brian Andrews,John Michael Graham, Nancy Stephens, Arthur Malet, Sandy Johnson, Nick Castle, Goerge O'Hanlon Jr. (uncredited), John Carpenter (uncredited voice)
- DirectorRick RosenthalStarsJamie Lee CurtisDonald PleasenceCharles CyphersWhile Dr. Loomis hunts for Michael Myers, a traumatized Laurie is rushed to Haddonfield Memorial Hospital, and The Shape is not far behind her.Also starring: Pamela Susan Shoop, Leo Rossi, Gloria Gifford, Tawny Moyer, Ana Alicia, Cliff Emmich, Nancy Stephens, John Zenda, Dana Carvey, Nancy Kyes, Dennis Holhan, Billy Warlock Dick Warlock
- DirectorRob ZombieStarsScout Taylor-ComptonMalcolm McDowellTyler ManeAfter being committed for 15 years, Michael Myers, now a grown man and still very dangerous, escapes from the mental institution and immediately returns to Haddonfield to find his baby sister, Laurie.Also starring: Sheri Moon Zombie, William Forsythe, Richard Lynch, Udo Kier, Clint Howard, Danny Trejo, Lew Temple, Tom Towles, Bill Moseley, Leslie Easterbrook, Scout Taylor-Compton, Danielle Harris, Dee Wallace, Richmond Arquette, Ken Foree, Sybil Danning, Micky Dolenz, Daniel Roebuck, Sid Haig, Courtney Gains (uncredited)
Dr. Samuel Loomis: These eyes will deceive you, they will destroy you. They will take from you, your innocence, your pride, and eventually your soul. These eyes do not see what you and I see. Behind these eyes one finds only blackness, the absence of light, these are of a psychopath.
John Carpenter has not seen the film and said he would not criticize the film because Rob Zombie is a friend of him.
Tyler Mane is the tallest actor to portray Michael Myers at a height of 6'9.
Director Rob Zombie originally wanted Danielle Harris to play Laurie Strode and Sheri Moon Zombie to play Lynda.
Before reinventing the legendary Halloween, Rob Zombie made the wise choice to inform John Carpenter about it. In response, Carpenter encouraged Zombie to "make it [his] own".
'The Misfits were one of Rob Zombie's influences during his musical career, and the band's track 'Halloween II' is playing on the stereo during the kill scene while the couple are having sex in Michael's childhood home. Also, Tommy's costume is that of the Crimson Ghost character 'The Fiend'. This character has been used as The Misfit's band mascot since the band's inception.
Danielle Harris was 29 years old when she was cast as the teenage Annie Brackett. The movie was released nearly three months after her 30th birthday.
William Forsythe actually injured his leg prior to shooting, which is why his leg is in a cast in the film. In the script the character only had an arm brace, but Forsythe's leg injury was also worked into the film.
In the opening scene of the movie, the song "God of Thunder" by 'KISS' is played and young Michael Myers is seen wearing a KISS t-shirt. KISS is a major influence on Rob Zombie's music career and the inspiration for the make-up and costuming for his band White Zombie.
The inclusion of the plot line about Michael Meyers' early days at the mental institution under the care of Sam Loomis is a nod to a plot line added in by John Carpenter for the TV viewing of the original Halloween. As told by Carpenter, when the original film was first sold to TV, they demanded added scenes to replace the edited portions of the murder scenes. So Carpenter recalled 'Donald Pleasance', the original Sam Loomis to film scenes of him at the hospital taking care of Michael.
While calling 9-1-1 to get help for the injured Annie, Laurie identifies the street she is on as "Winchester Road". "Winchester" is the name of the production company which produced the horror classic The Thing from Another World by Howard Hawks. The movie prominently appears on the TV during a horror movie marathon on both this version of "Halloween" and the original film by 'John Carpenter (I)'. Carpenter later remade "The Thing". This was Rob Zombie's nod to the originals and remakes of both films.
In an early scene in the film, the movie White Zombie is playing on the TV. The band 'White Zombie', whose name comes from the film, is where Director Rob Zombie first gained attention in the 1980s and 1990s.
Adrienne Barbeau's role was cut from the final finished film.
This is third Halloween film that Danielle Harris has been in. She first appeared in Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers and Halloween 5 as Jamie Lloyd, daughter of Laurie Strode. (Her character was re-cast in Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers, and then killed off.)
Before deciding to go with Rob Zombie's version, the studio was about to green light "Halloween: The Missing Years", which would have been a prequel, set within Michael Myers' early days at the Asylum.
The movie's production was delayed due to the death of Moustapha Akkad, the producer of all 8 previous movies. Akkad died of severe injuries as a result from the terrorist attacks at Jordan in 2005.
At one point Dimension Studios considered making a crossover film featuring Pinhead from the Hellraiser series, following in the footsteps of Newline Cinema's horror crossover Freddy vs. Jason. A poll was held on the official site, but response from fans was negative and the studio dropped the concept. - DirectorRob ZombieStarsScout Taylor-ComptonTyler ManeMalcolm McDowellLaurie Strode struggles to come to terms with her brother Michael's deadly return to Haddonfield, Illinois; meanwhile, Michael prepares for another reunion with his sister.Weird Al Yankovic: I'm a little confused. Are we talking about the "Austin Powers" Mike Myers or is this someone else?
This is the first film in which Micheal Myers is seen eating.
In the director's cut, Micheal takes off his mask and yells "Die" before stabbing Dr. Loomis. Based on this scene, it marks the first time ever in the series where Michael Myers actually speaks. This is also the first time the characters face can be seen clearly.
Jeff Daniel Phillips plays two completely different roles in the movie: Howard Boggs and Uncle Seymour Coffins. He is only the third actor to ever play two different roles in the same film in the either Halloween series (the others being Nancy Kyes) and Danielle Harris). Dick Warlock actually plays three different characters, "The Shape" (Michael Myers) and Patrolman #3 (the one that hits the Michael lookalike with his patrol car) in Halloween II and "Assasin" in Halloween III: Season of the Witch.
Danielle Harris and Jamie Lee Curtis are now tied at four appearances each in the Halloween series. They are both behind Donald Pleasence, with five films.
The decision to give Laurie the name Angel as her real name was meant to emphasis her as an extreme opposite to Michael.
The young Michael Myers was replaced due to a growth spurt in the actor from the previous film.
First Halloween movie to include Michael clearly walking around without his mask on.
Tyler Mane is only the second person to portray Michael Myers twice. George P. Wilbur previously portrayed Michael in Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers and Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers.
Rob Zombie originally stated he would never do a sequel to Halloween, until the studio decided to make it. Then he signed on to write and direct, because he didn't want someone to ruin his vision.
This is Rob Zombie's last Halloween movie. A new director, Patrick Lussier will be making Halloween III.
First Rob Zombie movie not to star Zombie regulars Sid Haig, Bill Moseley and Tom Towles. - DirectorJack SholderStarsKyle MacLachlanMichael NouriClaudia ChristianA cop and an FBI agent race for answers after law abiding people suddenly become violent criminals.Co-starring: Clu Gulager, Ed O'Ross, William Boyett, Richard Brooks, Larry Cedar, Katherine Cannon, Chris Mulkey, Lin Shaye, James Luisi, Danny Trejo, Branscombe Richmond, and Jake the Dog
Claudia Christian (Brenda the stripper) likes to tell two stories about her experience in this film. First is the design of her wardrobe: the producers found her breasts visually inadequate, and so designed her costumes to emphasize her buttocks instead. Second is her eye injury: the material exploding from a prop gun scratched her cornea painfully. Because of this, whenever she had to fire a prop gun on Babylon 5 (1994) she would instinctively turn her face away when pulling the trigger, even though this was unnecessary because the Babylon 5 prop guns did not really fire, as all visual effects were to be added in later. - DirectorPaul VerhoevenStarsKevin BaconElisabeth ShueJosh BrolinA brilliant scientist's discovery renders him invisible, but transforms him into an omnipotent, dangerous megalomaniac.Co-starring: Greg Grunberg, Joey Slotnick, William Devane, Rhona Mitra, Margot Rose
Sebastian: Hey would you like to know what it's like making love to an invisible man?
Linda: It would just be like old times.
Sebastian: What do you mean?
Linda: You were never there.
This movie along with RoboCop (1987), Basic Instinct (1992) and Starship Troopers (1997) is one of four separate movie franchises in which the first movie of their series (directed by Paul Verhoeven) were successful, but their sequels (not directed by Verhoeven) all either bombed at the box office or were released 'Direct-to-DVD'.
To get the right reaction from the cast, Paul Verhoeven had speakers put in different places on the set, and had Kevin Bacon's voice come from different speakers so the cast would genuinely react to the invisible character moving around. For the scene with the invisible gorilla, the director screamed to the microphone imitating gorilla noises.
Creature effects supervisor Tom Woodruff Jr. played the gorilla Isabel, similar to the alien roles he played in the movies Aliens (1986), Alien³ (1992) and Alien: Resurrection (1997). To obtain a picture in the heat-sensitive infrared light, crew members warmed up the fur of the gorilla suit with hair dryers.
This is the first Hollywood movie of Paul Verhoeven that got an R-rating in its first submission to the MPAA. His previous American films, RoboCop (1987), Total Recall (1990), Basic Instinct (1992), Showgirls (1995) and Starship Troopers (1997) initially received X and NC-17 ratings, of which all except for Showgirls were re-cut to receive an R-rating.
An anatomically correct, totally working computer model was created of Kevin Bacon's entire body - down to the last capillary. The 3D model has since been donated to scientific researchers. - DirectorChris ColumbusStarsMacaulay CulkinJoe PesciDaniel SternAn eight-year-old troublemaker, mistakenly left home alone, must defend his home against a pair of burglars on Christmas Eve.Also starring: Roberts Blossom, Catherine O'Hara, Devin Ratray, Gerry Bamman, John Candy, Larry Hankin, Kristin Minter, Kieran Culkin,Billie Bird, Bill Erwin, Ralph Foody
- DirectorChris ColumbusStarsMacaulay CulkinJoe PesciDaniel SternOne year after Kevin McCallister was left home alone and had to defeat a pair of bumbling burglars, he accidentally finds himself stranded in New York City - and the same criminals are not far behind.Also starring: John Heard, Devin Ratray, Gerry Bamman, Kieran Culkin, Tim Curry, Dana Ivey, Rob Schneider, Ralph Foody, Rip Taylor, Bob Eubanks, Jimmie Walker, Ally Sheedy, Donald Trump, Chris Columbus, Frank Oz
- DirectorSeth GordonStarsJason BatemanCharlie DayJason SudeikisThree friends conspire to murder their awful bosses when they realize they are standing in the way of their happiness.Also starring: Kevin Spacey, Jennifer Aniston, Donald Sutherland, Colin Farrell, Ioan Gruffudd, Brian George, Chad L. Coleman, Jamie Foxx, Julie Bowen, Ron White, Bob Newhart,
- DirectorGary RossStarsJennifer LawrenceJosh HutchersonLiam HemsworthKatniss Everdeen voluntarily takes her younger sister's place in the Hunger Games: a televised competition in which two teenagers from each of the twelve Districts of Panem are chosen at random to fight to the death.Caesar Flickerman: So Peeta. Tell me. Is there a special girl back home?
Peeta Mellark: No. No, not really.
Caesar Flickerman: No? I don't believe it it for a second, look at that face! Handsome man like you! Peeta. Tell me.
Peeta Mellark: Well, there, uh. There is this one girl that I've had a crush on forever. But I don't think she actually recognized me until the Reaping.
Caesar Flickerman: Well, I'll tell you what Peeta. You go out there, and you win this thing, and when you get home she'll have to go out with you!
Peeta Mellark: Thanks, but I, uh. I don't think winning's gonna help me at all.
Caesar Flickerman: And why not?
Peeta Mellark: Because... she came here with me.
Panem is located in a post-apocalyptic North America whose land mass has been reduced by rising sea levels. It is generally agreed that the Capitol is in the Rocky Mountains, possibly Colorado, and that the District 12 town where Katniss grew up is somewhere in the Appalachian Mountains, possibly Kentucky or West Virginia.
Jennifer Lawrence was initially reluctant to take the role of Katniss due to film franchise's popularity and how the role would be a big change for her personal life.
Lenny Kravitz was cast for the role of Cinna without audition after director Gary Ross was impressed his brief performance in Precious. Because most of Cinna's scenes are with Katniss, Kravitz learned as much as he could about Jennifer Lawrence through his daughter Zoë Kravitz who appeared with Lawrence in X-Men: First Class.
Donald Sutherland saw the script by accident and when he read it, he lobbied for the role of President Snow because the the script reminded him of Stanley Kubrick's Paths of Glory. He succeeded in getting role after he wrote a letter of plea to Gary Ross explaining why he should be cast.
Jennifer Lawrence was paid what was, for her, the high fee of $500,000. It took her three days before she accepted the role because she was unsure how the role would clearly affect her career, since her background was largely on the indie film circuit. For The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, she was paid $10 million, 20 times more than the initial offer.
Woody Harrelson is a vegetarian in real life. In scenes where Haymitch is seen eating, he eats either dessert or vegetables, or just drinks.
The four-note melody that Katniss uses as her signal with Rue (and that plays at the end of most trailers) is G-Bb-A-D.
During a New York Magazine interview, Wes Bentley said that the extremely unusual beard he wore as Seneca was styled from his own real beard, not created from applied pieces or extra hair. Bentley said that while he was in North Carolina filming the movie, he would often go to the local Target (a national department store chain) to buy things like baby formula while still sporting the "Seneca beard."
WILHELM SCREAM: Heard from one of the victims when Katniss cuts off a tree branch and the nest of tracker jackers fall onto some of her opponents.
The first name of the main character, Katniss Everdeen, is derived from the name of a group of edible plant species, genus "Sagittaria", commonly known as "arrowhead". This is a reference to the character's archery skills. Her surname is a reference to Bathsheba Everdene who is the lead female character in Thomas Hardy's novel "Far from the Madding Crowd". Suzanne Collins, who wrote the novel that The Hunger Games is based on, said "The two are very different, but both struggle with knowing their hearts". - DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsHarrison FordKaren AllenPaul FreemanIn 1936, archaeologist and adventurer Indiana Jones is hired by the U.S. government to find the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis can obtain its awesome powers.aka Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
Also starring: Denholm Elliott, Alfred Molina, Wolf Kahler, George Harris - DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsHarrison FordKate CapshawKe Huy QuanIn 1935, Indiana Jones is tasked by Indian villagers with reclaiming a rock stolen from them by a secret cult beneath the catacombs of an ancient palace.Also starring: Roshan Seth, Roy Chiao, Ric Young, Philip Tan, Dan Aykroyd, Ray Singh, Uncredited: George Lucas, Frank Marshall, and Steven Spielberg
- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsHarrison FordSean ConneryAlison DoodyIn 1938, after his father goes missing while pursuing the Holy Grail, Indiana Jones finds himself up against the Nazis again to stop them from obtaining its powers.Also starring: John Rhys-Davies, Julian Glover, River Phoenix, Michael Byrne, Kevork Malikyan, Bradley Gregg, Jeff O'Haco, Michael Sheard (uncredited)
- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsHarrison FordCate BlanchettShia LaBeoufIndiana Jones becomes entangled in a Soviet plot to uncover the secret behind mysterious artifacts known as the Crystal Skulls.Also starring: Jim Broadbent, Igor Jijikine, Andrew Divoff, Chet Hanks, Sasha Spielberg, Ernie Reyes Jr., Pasha D. Lychnikoff
- DirectorShane BlackStarsRobert Downey Jr.Guy PearceGwyneth PaltrowWhen Tony Stark's world is torn apart by a formidable terrorist called the Mandarin, he starts an odyssey of rebuilding and retribution.Tony Stark: [narrates] You can take away my suits, you can take away my home, but there's one thing you can never take away from me: I am Iron Man.
Director-writer Shane Black explained the concept of the Mandarin being a front for Aldrich Killian as a play on perceptions and expectations: "I wanted to do an interesting story choice, something that was about our own fear and our own ways of viewing villains. What if he's sort of this all-things-to-all-people uber-terrorist? What if he is the myth, and in the end that is what we're dealing with: a created myth perpetuated and cobbled together from popular consciousness?" Producer Kevin Feige admitted it was a huge risk to do, "but it's sometimes important to break with tradition, even at the risk of alienating some purists. Shane had really great ideas about identity and anonymity and false faces."
With Mark Ruffalo's cameo as Dr. Bruce Banner in the post-credit scene, this marks the first time that an actor has played the character in more than one theatrical film (Eric Bana and Edward Norton only played him one time a piece.)
The film's plot incorporates a number of storylines from "Iron Man" comics, namely:
The 'Extremis' arc, which involved Tony Stark developing and using the Extremis virus, a nanotech version of Captain America's serum
Tony Stark is ousted and rendered a homeless vagrant, and while wandering around befriends a civilian who inspires him
The Mandarin seeks to use Extremis as a WMD
The 'Invincible Iron Man' arc, where Stark goes on the run and War Machine and Rescue appear in his place
The 'Armor Wars' arc, where Tony Stark fakes his death due to constant harassment by Firepower
The 'Enter the Mandarin' arc, where Iron Man clashes with the Mandarin.
Tony suits Pepper up in his armour to protect her from Savin's attack. This is a reference to Pepper Potts becoming the superheroine Rescue in the comics, where Tony gifts to her a suit of armor and she uses it as a superhero during the "Invincible Iron Man" comic book series from 2009-2012, though she retired just before that series run had ended.
Stan Lee: The Iron Man creator plays the beauty pageant judge. Of the three Iron Man movies, this is the only one in which Lee's cameo does not involve him playing/being mistaken for another celebrity.
Whilst in the comics Tony Stark dons a number of bulkier armours to battle the Hulk (e.g. Hulkbuster armour), none of these appear in the film. The largest suit shown is known as Igor (Mark 38) and is designed to be used for heavy lifting
This is the first Iron Man film to not feature Nick Fury, Agent Phil Coulson or any member of SHIELD. SHIELD's database is mentioned by JARVIS when Tony searches information on the Mandarin.
In the comics, Ellen Brandt is an agent of AIM who tried to steal from biochemist Ted Sallis... who turned into the supernatural Man-Thing and burned her face off. In the film she is just sent in pursuit of Stark; however, she has minor scars on her face in homage to her comic portrayal.
Kevin Feige described the film's core theme as a love story: "The love triangle in this movie is between Tony, Pepper and his obsession with those suits, and the obsession with technology. Yes, there's a bad guy. Yes, the stakes are very very high. But the real stakes are, is Tony going to be able to set aside spending every day in that workshop tinkering with the suits in order to focus on Pepper, the one thing that matters most?"
Including the bonus post-credits scene in The Incredible Hulk, this is Downey's fifth portrayal of Tony Stark/Iron Man. This briefly ties him with Hugh Jackman's and Samuel L. Jackson's record of theatrical appearances as a comic character; however, Jackman will retake the record less than three months later with his role in The Wolverine.
The Mandarin bears a tattoo on the back of his neck of Captain America's shield with an anarchist "A" symbol in the center instead of a star.
Tony tells a young child with glasses that he loved him in A Christmas Story. 'Peter Billingsley', who played Ralphie in the movie, was an executive producer on Iron Man and played a small role in the first film.
The Extremis enhanced henchmen seen in the movie are based on minor Marvel villains, who each have completely different back-stories than what is seen in the film:
Savin (James Badge Dale) is based on Eric Savin, aka Coldblood, originally a cyborg assassin who was not tied to any one particular Marvel comic book.
Brandt (Stephanie Szostak) is based on Ellen Brandt, the ex-wife and villain to Man-Thing.
and Taggert (Ashley Hamilton) is based on Jack Taggert, aka Firepower, who was African-American in the comics (not white as in the film) and had his own armored suit to fight Iron Man.
A.I.M. (Advanced Idea Mechanics) is the scientific organization headed by Aldrich Killian. In the comics, it was a straightforward terrorist organization and the evil counterpart to S.H.I.E.L.D., which originally was an offshoot of Captain America's World War II enemies HYDRA.
Kevin Feige described the film as "a full-on Tony Stark-centric movie... He's stripped of everything, he's backed up against a wall, and he's gotta use his intelligence to get out of it. He can't call Thor, Cap or Nick Fury, and he can't look for the Helicarrier in the sky." Robert Downey Jr. further described the character as influenced by a post-The Avengers world: "What are his challenges now? What are some limitations that might be placed on him and what sort of threat would have him, as usual, ignore those limitations?"
In the comics, the Iron Patriot was an alias used by Spider-Man's nemesis, the Green Goblin Norman Osborn. In this film, it is a new set of Iron Man armor that bears Captain America's color scheme. Kevin Feige described it as a post-Avengers government response: "These crazy heroes the Avengers saved the day, not the government. The government felt they needed a hero of their own - they have a military officer that has one of these suits, and they paint it red, white, and blue. It gave us a place to go with Rhodey and his split loyalties between his friend and his duty, and you also get to be reminded of the trust and friendship between Rhodey and Stark in great buddy-cop fashion."
According to Kevin Feige, the Mandarin is inspired by Colonel Kurtz from Apocalypse Now: "He wants to represent this sort of prototypical terrorist, someone who worked for the intelligence community, who went nuts in the field and became this sort of devotee of war tactics." - DirectorJudd ApatowStarsSeth RogenKatherine HeiglPaul RuddFor fun-loving party animal Ben Stone, the last thing he ever expected was for his one-night stand to show up on his doorstep eight weeks later to tell him she's pregnant with his child.Also starring: Jason Segel, Jay Baruchel, Jonah Hill, Martin Starr, Charlyne Yi, Iris Apatow, Maude Apatow, Joanna Kerns, Harold Ramis, Alan Tudyk, Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader, Ken Jeong, Craig Robinson, Tim Bagley, Loudon Wainwright III, Adam Scott, Stormy Daniels, Nautica Thorn, Jessica Alba (uncredited) Steve Carell (uncredited) Andy Dick (uncredited) James Franco (uncredited) Eva Mendes (uncredited) Ryan Seacreast (uncredited) Dax Shepard (uncredited)
- DirectorJudd ApatowStarsPaul RuddLeslie MannMaude ApatowPete and Debbie are both about to turn 40, their kids hate each other, both of their businesses are failing, they're on the verge of losing their house, and their relationship is threatening to fall apart.Also starring: Jason Segel, Megan Fox, Charlyne Yi, Graham Parker, Tom Everett, Tim Bagley, Albert Brooks, John Lithgow, Derek Basco, Tatum O'Neal, Ryan Lee, Wyatt Russell, Melissa McCarthy, Bill Hader (uncredited)
The main characters from "Knocked Up", Ben (Seth Rogen) and Alison (Katherine Heigl), do not appear in this "sort-of sequel", but references to both characters are made: A picture of Alison can be seen on the wall and Pete plays Scrabble on his iPad with Ben and later mentions getting marijuana cookies from Ben. Four other, more minor characters from Knocked Up, do appear in this movie as well: Charlyne Yi's character Jodi (an amiable stoner in Knocked up; now an employee in Debbie's store), Jason Segel's character Jason (one of Ben's best friends with a crush on Debbie in Knocked Up; now Debbie's personal trainer) ,Tim Bagley reprises his role as OB/GYN Dr. Pellagrino. And Bill Hader makes a bit cameo appearance in this film (he is Megan Fox's customer) but as a different character and it's uncredited. - DirectorGeorge MillerStarsMel GibsonJoanne SamuelHugh Keays-ByrneIn a self-destructing world, a vengeful Australian policeman sets out to stop a violent motorcycle gang.Also starring: Tim Burns, Roger Ward, Sheila Florence, Vincent Gil, Geoff Parry, Lulu Pinkus, Max Fairchild
- DirectorGeorge MillerStarsMel GibsonBruce SpenceMichael PrestonIn the post-apocalyptic Australian wasteland, a cynical drifter agrees to help a small, gasoline-rich community to get rid of a horde of bandits.Also starring: Vernon Wells, Kjell Nilsson, Emil Minty, Virginai Hey, William Zappa, Harold Baigent, Max Fairchild, Arkie Whiteley
- DirectorGeorge MillerGeorge OgilvieStarsMel GibsonTina TurnerBruce SpenceAfter being exiled from the most advanced town in post apocalyptic Australia, a drifter travels with a group of abandoned children to rebel against the town's queen.Also starring: Frank Thring, Angelo Rossitto, Paul Larson, Angry Anderson, Robert Grubb, George Spartels, Edwin Hodgeman, Helen Buday, Tom Jennings
- DirectorJay RoachStarsBen StillerRobert De NiroTeri PoloMale nurse Greg Focker meets his girlfriend's parents before proposing, but her suspicious father is every date's worst nightmare.Jack Byrnes: Oh, geez. I just thought of something.
Dina Byrnes: What?
Jack Byrnes: Pam's middle name.
Dina Byrnes: Martha... Oh, no.
Jack Byrnes, Dina Byrnes: Pamela Martha Focker.
The MPAA would not allow the name 'Focker' unless the film makers could find an actual person with that surname.
Julia Stiles auditioned for the part of Pam, but dropped out due to filming 10 Things I Hate About You.
Greg's MCAT scores are (out of 15): 14 Verbal reasoning, 13 Physical Sciences, 15 Biological Sciences, and an R on the Writing Sample (very high).
Christopher Walken was the second choice for Jack Byrnes.
According to the DVD commentary, the car chase scene was originally meant to be a spoof of Ronin. When the filmmakers go to the location, they saw how quickly the lights changed, realized it would be a funnier joke, and rewrote the scene (the lights really do change from green to red as fast as they are shown in the movie).
The home video footage of Teri Polo during the opening credits was filmed by her ex-husband Anthony Moore.
Writer Jerry Stahl, whom Ben Stiller portrayed in Permanent Midnight, co-wrote the "cat milking" scene.
At one time Jim Carrey was slated to star as the lead and even contributed jokes to the screenplay, such as the main character being named 'Focker'.
Part of Greg's prayer is from the song played while he was in store with Jack. - DirectorJay RoachStarsBen StillerRobert De NiroBlythe DannerAll hell breaks loose when the Byrnes family meets the Focker family for the first time.Greg Focker: You meet some of the... eh... some of the cousins?
Jack Byrnes: I met some, yes. I met some... Dom?
Greg Focker: Yeah, Dom Focker, that's my dad's... uh... first cousin. You meet his kids, Randy and Orny?
James Brolin was originally approached for the role of Bernie but turned it down. When director Jay Roach went to approach Dustin Hoffman for the role, Hoffman was talking non-stop and even out of the point which made him the instant choice for Bernie.
The close-up of Bernie Focker's license plate, as he and Greg are driving away, reveals the letters TMI, a subtle reference to Bernie's propensity for overly detailed explanations and descriptions of personal information. TMI is the literary abbreviation for Too Much Information.
The flight attendant is Kali Rocha the same actress from Meet the Parents. That's why Greg gives her an odd look when she offers to take his bag and be helpful.
The horn on the Byrnes' RV plays the tune of "Puff the Magic Dragon", about which Greg and Jack had a conversation in Meet the Parents.
Alanna Ubach, who plays Greg Focker's former nanny, Isabelle, is actually 10 years younger than Ben Stiller. - DirectorChris KentisStarsBlanchard RyanDaniel TravisSaul SteinBased on the true story of two scuba divers accidentally stranded in shark infested waters after their tour boat has left.This film is inspired by a true story about an American couple, Tom and Eileen Lonergan, who in 1998 went with a scuba group (Outer Edge Dive Company) to an area off the coast of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. They were accidentally left behind due to a faulty head count taken by the dive boat crew. There were 26 other divers and 5 crew members who failed to notice that the couple was not on the boat. It was not until two days later on January 27, 1998, that the pair was found to be missing after a bag containing their passports and belongings was found in the dive boat. A massive air and sea search took place over the following three days, but failed to find them. The couple was never found.
- DirectorDaniel MannStarsJames CoburnLee J. CobbGila GolanWhen scientists use eco-terrorism to impose their will on the world by affecting extremes in the weather, Intelligence Chief Cramden calls in top agent Derek Flint.[Also starring:
Benson Fong, Sigrid Valdis, Rhys Williams, Russ Conway, James Brolin (uncredited), Joe Gray (uncredited), Chuck Hicks (uncredited), Roy Jenson (uncredited), Tura Satana (uncredited) and Dick "Mr. Charmin" Wilson (uncredited)
On the official studio soundtrack album, the song 'Galaxy a Go-Go' was written by a young Randy Newman, who is in fact the nephew of Lionel Newman, the head of 20th Century-Fox's Music Department at that time.
The odd, discordant guitar part played throughout the movie, which is used almost note for note nearly 20 years later by an up and coming band, is a testament to the enduring quality of the composer's music. The band, Wall of Voodoo, best known for its early 1980s hit "Mexican Radio", uses that strange note progression in its updated remake of the Johnny Cash hit, "Ring of Fire." Their version, however, is a nearly ten-minute-long experiment in what would later be termed as techno music. Its mechanical programmed background rhythm and synth-heavy adaption paved the way for later bands. But its use of the riff from this film performed nearly musically verbatim, that makes their version so intriguing.
Raquel Welch was originally considered for the role Gila Golan plays in the film.
When Flint 'relaxes' (suspending his body supported only by 2 chairs: one under his head, & one under his heels - the rest, with no support), it was not a special effects shot. James Coburn was able to do so, and it was incorporated into the script. - DirectorJohn McTiernanStarsArnold SchwarzeneggerCarl WeathersKevin Peter HallA team of commandos on a mission in a Central American jungle find themselves hunted by an extraterrestrial warrior.Blain: Bunch of slack-jawed *beep* around here. This stuff will make you a god damned sexual Tyrannosaurus, just like me.
Poncho: You're bleeding, man. You're hit.
Blain: I ain't got time to bleed.
Poncho: [Confused] Oh... Okay...
Poncho: [Poncho shoots a bunch of grenades up to the top of the cliff] You got time to duck?
According to an interview with director John McTiernan, the "hole in the jungle" appearance of the Predator was played by Jean-Claude Van Damme in a "blue screen" (actually red) suit. Van Damme quit after two days, unhappy with being cast as an uncredited special effect, but can be seen as the Predator in If It Bleeds We Can Kill It: The Making of 'Predator'. The alien was scrapped, redesigned and was eventually played by Kevin Peter Hall who was 7'2" tall.
Two of the actors portraying commandos besieged by the Predator have been elected to state governorships: Jesse Ventura (Independent) was elected Governor of Minnesota in 1998, and Arnold Schwarzenegger (Republican) was elected Governor of California in a hotly-contested recall election in 2003. In addition, Sonny Landham (Republican) ran an unsuccessful campaign for Governor of Kentucky in 2003. Both Landham and Ventura also sought to enter the Senate in 2008 in their states as, respectively, a Libertarian and an Independent. Both dropped out.
Elpidia Carrillo's character Anna tells Arnold Schwarzenegger the story of the demons that live in the forest and skin their victims on yearly basis. This is the first indication that the Predator creatures have visited earth prior to the events of this movie.
The black helicopter pilot seen at the end of the movie is Kevin Peter Hall, the actor who plays the Predator.
Sven-Ole Thorsen: Arnold Schwarzenegger's friend and frequent collaborator appears as the Russian Officer.
Peter Cullen was reluctant on taking the job of voicing the Predator as he injured his throat playing the title character of King Kong, but eventually accepted after seeing a picture of the unmasked creature.
Being the first Predator movie they only show the thermal vision and infrared vision from the Predators point of view (in Predator 2 they introduce many other vision modes for the predator), but with good attention to details you can get hints that the Predator has different vision modes even in this movie; The Predator can obviously see and avoid the trip wires they hide everywhere in the forest (which would actually not be visible if the Predator only used thermal visions). The predator can also see if the soldiers are carrying any kind of weapons or knives and if they are unarmed, indicating the Predator has a different vision mode which makes him able to detect solid metal.
Hawkins was originally supposed to wear a distinctive red beret, most likely inspired by the U.S. Army's maroon airborne berets, worn by American paratroopers. Shane Black refused to wear it, as he thought it would look ridiculous in the jungle. He later regretted the decision, as he felt it would have made his character stand out.
Shane Black hated the glasses he was given to wear as Hawkins. He wanted to wear authentic military-issue ballistic glasses worn by actual troops in the field, but the director wanted him to look as geeky as possible.
During the closing credits, Shane Black is seen prominently displaying a copy of Sgt. Rock #408 (Feb. 1986). In the DVD commentary, John McTiernan notes that at the time, Arnold Schwarzenegger had an adaptation of Sgt. Rock in production, and that's why the comics were on set, so he could read them. He described the scene where Dutch (Schwarzenegger) walks up to Billy (Sonny Landham), who senses the Predator's presence out in the bush, as a "Sgt. Rock moment".
John McTiernan admitted that actor R.G. Armstrong was too old for his part, but kept Armstrong simply because he liked him. Added to this, the actor wore "too much" tanning makeup to hide his age somewhat.
Sonny Landham was hired to work on this film, but on one condition: the insurance company insisted on a round-the-clock bodyguard for Landham, not to protect the actor, but to protect everyone else from the actor (who was prone to bar fights, etc.).
The weapon that Blain (Jesse Ventura) is using is a minigun. This is a weapon most commonly mounted on the side of a helicopter (or an aircraft carrier) and many, many modifications had to be made to make it usable in the film. It was powered via an electrical cable hidden down the front of Blain's trousers. The firing rate was slowed down to approximately 1/3rd the normal rate of fire, both to reduce consumption of blanks, and to make the spinning of the barrels visible on film. It is rumored that Ventura had to wear a bulletproof vest because of the forceful ejection of spent cartridges, but this is false. Unmodified miniguns eject out of the bottom, with the cases essentially falling out due to the force of gravity. Close examination of the film (especially the scene in which Mac fires the minigun at the fleeing predator, along with the other commandos) show that the ejection of the minigun was not changed. - DirectorMakoto KamiyaStarsMatthew MercerDave WittenbergWendee LeeSpecial Agent Leon S.Kennedy goes against his superior's orders and works to destroy a series of biological weapons being used in a war zone in Europe.JD: What I mean is being in America is a lot more fun than being here, right?
Leon S. Kennedy: I wouldn't know.
JD: The hamburgers, man. The fried chicken. The food in your country's fantastic. I could eat it everyday.
Leon S. Kennedy: Thanks for the valuable insight.
JD: And the Hollywood movies. I love those things. I have 50 DVDs. None of them are pirated.
Leon S. Kennedy: I thought you guys hated America.
JD: Sure, we hate it. But things made in America? Now that's different.
JD: It's time for me to go. But I'll be rooting for you from heaven.
Buddy: Get up, you idiot. You think that vest you're wearing is a girl's blouse? We have to get Ataman away from here.
JD: I should have guessed. Made in America. - DirectorJames WanStarsCary ElwesLeigh WhannellDanny GloverTwo strangers awaken in a room with no recollection of how they got there, and soon discover they're pawns in a deadly game perpetrated by a notorious serial killer.Also starring: Dina Meyer, Michael Emerson, Benito Martinez, Shawnee Smith, Monica Potter and Tobin Bell as Jigsaw
John: [on videotape] Hello Amanda. You don't know me, but I know you. I want to play a game. Here's what happens if you lose. The device you are wearing is hooked into your upper and lower jaw. When the timer in the back goes off, your mouth will be permanently ripped open. Think of it like a reverse bear trap. Here, I'll show you. There is only one key to open the device. It's in the stomach of your dead cellmate. Look around Amanda. Know that I'm not lying. Better hurry up. Live or die, make your choice.
The screenplay was written in 2001 as a calling card for James Wan and Leigh Whannell trying to break into Hollywood. They shot a low budget short based on a scene in the film and this proved successful enough to attract the attention of Evolution Entertainment. They immediately formed a horror genre arm called Twisted Pictures and gave Wan and Whannell a small budget and 18 days to shoot the film.
The identity of the Jigsaw killer is given away quite early on in a flashback. When Zepp says, "He's a very interesting person," on John's hospital bedside table in front of him is a diagram of the Reverse Bear Trap.
James Wan built the Jigsaw doll in the film.
According to the DVD commentary director James Wan points out that many of the scare scenes in the film were nightmares he and Leigh Whannell had as kids.
The detectives track down a fire alarm to a warehouse in "Stygian Street". "Stygian" is the name of director James Wan's first film, which also stars "Saw" co-writer/actor Leigh Whannell.
According to the DVD commentary, casting agent Amy Lippens asked director James Wan who he wanted to play the character of Amanda. On a whim, Wan suggested actress Shawnee Smith, on whom he had had a crush since his teen years. He was surprised when Lippens came back a few days later and told him that they had secured her for the role.
Producers Oren Koules and Mark Burg stated actress Shawnee Smith was battling a terrible case of the flu, complete with a fever of 104 degrees, while shooting her scenes.
Contains many references to the films of Italian horror/giallo director Dario Argento. The creepy painted puppet is a reference to Argento's Deep Red (1975), while the unseen killer's black gloves are one of Argento's trademarks and can be seen in almost all of his films. - DirectorKeenen Ivory WayansStarsAnna FarisJon AbrahamsMarlon WayansA year after disposing of the body of a man they accidentally killed, a group of dumb teenagers are stalked by a bumbling serial killer.Also starring: Carmen Electra, Rick Ducommun, Regina Hall, Shannon Elizabeth, Cheri Oteri, Lochlyn Munro, David L. Lander, Keenen Ivory Wayans, and uncredited: Bruce Mahler, James Van Der Beek
- DirectorKeenen Ivory WayansStarsAnna FarisMarlon WayansAntony AckerFour teens are tricked by a professor into visiting a haunted house for a school project.Cindy Campbell: [while fighting the possessed cat] Help! My pussy's gone crazy!
The name of the house featured in the film, "Hell House" was intended of a spoof of "Hill House," which was featured in The Haunting. The Wayans Brothers later admitted being totally unaware that the name "Hell House" was also used in a Richard Matheson novel and the film version of that novel, The Legend of Hell House.
The streets and names on the map that Cindy reads are all significant to horror films or horror lore. Hades Dr. is a reference to Hades, Greek God of the Underworld; Elm St. is an obvious reference to A Nightmare on Elm Street; and Kane Manor is either a reference to Kane Hodder, who played Jason Voorhees in four Friday the 13th films or the character Kane, from Poltergeist II: The Other Side and Poltergeist III.
According to Tori Spelling, her character, Alex Monday, was originally one of the leads. However, after refusing to do a scene where she had to be topless, Dimension Studios cut her out of more than half the movie. After that, her role was simply known as a "cameo", even though she was originally in 3/4 of the film.
The tagline for Scary Movie was "No Mercy. No Shame. No sequel." The original tagline for this film is "We lied," but was changed to "More merciless. More Shameless."
The tongue used in the spoof of The Exorcist is the tongue used in the original Exorcist movie.
Marlon Brando was paid $1 million to play Father McFeely in the The Exorcist spoof at the beginning of the film. He took the money and accepted the role, but got pneumonia a few days before shooting his scenes. He dropped out of the project, but was still allowed to keep the money, and was replaced by James Woods. - DirectorWes CravenStarsNeve CampbellCourteney CoxDavid ArquetteA year after the murder of her mother, a teenage girl is terrorized by a masked killer who targets her and her friends by using scary movies as part of a deadly game.Also starring: Matthew Lillard, Jaime Kennedy, Drew Barrymore, W. Earl Brown, Rose McGowan, Liev Schreiber, Linda Blair (uncredited), Wes Craven (uncredited), Henry Winkler (uncredited) and as "The Voice" (Roger Jackson)
- DirectorWes CravenStarsNeve CampbellCourteney CoxDavid ArquetteTwo years after the first series of murders, as Sidney acclimates to college life, someone donning the Ghostface costume begins a new string of killings.Also starring: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jaime Kennedy, Laurie metcalf, Elise Neal, Jerry O'Connell, Timothy Olyphant, Jada Pinkett, Liev Schereiber, Lewis Arquette, Duane Martin, Rebecca Gayheart, Portia de Rossi, Omar Epps, Heather Graham, Josh Jackson, Tori Spelling, Luke Wilson, David Warner, Selma Blair (uncredited voice) Wes Craven (uncredited) Matthew Lillard (uncredited) and "The Voice" (Roger Jackson)
- DirectorWes CravenStarsDavid ArquetteNeve CampbellCourteney CoxWhile Sidney and her friends visit the Hollywood set of Stab 3, the third film based on the Woodsboro murders, another Ghostface killer rises to terrorize them.Also starring: Patrick Dempsey, Scott Foley, Lance Henricksen, Matt Keeslar,Jenny McCarthy, Emily Mortimer, Parker Posey,Deon Richmond, Kelly Rutherford, Patrick Warburton, Carrie Fisher, Jamie Kennedy, Heather Matarazzo, Wes Craven, Richmond Arquette, Kevin Smith, Jason Mewes, Nancy O'Dell, Beth Toussaint (voice) and Roger Jackson as The Voice (voice) (as Roger L. Jackson)
- DirectorDale RosenbloomStarsBlake HeronMichael MoriartyScott WilsonA small-town Southern boy named Marty Preston must rescue a young beagle from his abusive owner, Judd Travers.Co-starring: Rod Steiger, J. Madison Wright, Ann Dowd, and 'Frannie the Dog' as "Shiloh"
- DirectorSam RaimiStarsTobey MaguireKirsten DunstWillem DafoeAfter being bitten by a genetically-modified spider, a shy teenager gains spider-like abilities that he uses to fight injustice as a masked superhero and face a vengeful enemy.[last lines]
Peter Parker: [voiceover] Whatever life holds in store for me, I will never forget these words: "With great power comes great responsibility." This is my gift, my curse. Who am I? I'm Spider-man.
When Uncle Ben's killer crashes the car into the gate after Spider-Man leaps off, the police car that pulls into frame on the right side has a very obvious license plate with "1927" being the only markings. This is to honor Stan Lee's great friend, Marvel and DC veteran illustrator John Buscema who was born in Brooklyn, New York on December 11, 1927. He sadly passed away on January 10, 2002.
The film's climax is based on the infamous "The Amazing Spider-Man" # 121 comic, "The Night Gwen Stacy Died." In that comic, the Goblin captures Stacy and suspends her over a bridge, and Spider-Man attempts to save her, but fails. In near-insane anger and retaliation he beats the Goblin to near-unconsciousness, and when he tries to use his sled to impale the wall-crawler, it backfires and impales him instead. In the film, the main differences are that Mary-Jane is the one held over a bridge, and she survives. At Osborne's funeral, a gravestone nearby says Stacy.
Willem Dafoe was never an intended choice to play the Green Goblin. After the script fell into his possession, he began lobbying for the role and met with Sam Raimi. Sometime later, while filming a movie in Spain, Dafoe was approached and shot some test footage inside the hotel room he was staying. It led to his being cast. Once he received the role, Dafoe asked that he be allowed to perform his own stunts so that the character and movements would feel authentic, or else the audience would notice the difference. He performed about 95% of his own stunts, and unlike many of the stunt crew, learned how to handle the Goblin Glider after just 15 minutes. Having such a great time during filming, he offered to return for Spider-Man 2 and asked if they could write him in somewhere, his character having died in Spider-Man. Sam Raimi took him up on the offer and both of them set aside a specific day of filming on Spider-Man 2 for Dafoe to shoot Norman Osborn's cameo dream sequence.
The World Trade Center Towers can be seen in the background of some scenes and once in the reflection of Spider-Man's eye. In addition, during the ending scene where he is swinging around the American trade building, you can see the towers in the far background slightly blurred. The makers of the film chose not to remove them digitally.
Dual personalities of one person looking in a mirror, also exhibited in Evil Dead II, directed by Sam Raimi.
Cameo appearances by longtime friend Bruce Campbell and by brother Ted Raimi.
Cameos:
Stan Lee: The creator of Spider-Man appears in the scene where the Green Goblin attacks the balcony at the World Unity Festival.
Nicholas Hammond: The former actor from (The Amazing Spider-Man) is also at the World Unity Festival.
Lucy Lawless: as a punk girl (director Sam Raimi was an executive producer of Xena: Warrior Princess).
In an online interview with the Planet Origo website, director Albert Pyun said that he was hired to direct "Spider-Man" for Cannon Films back in 1988. He said that his movie would have featured the origin of Spider-Man, featured Dr. Curt Connors, a.k.a. the Lizard, as the film's main villain, and that most of the movie would have been featured in the sewers of Brooklyn, where Spider-Man would chase after, and fight with, the Lizard. His plans to direct "Spider-Man" fell through when Cannon Films went bankrupt.
The film is based on a combination of both the Ultimate Spider-Man comic series and the original Amazing Spider-Man series. For instance, this incarnation of Mary Jane Watson (the "girl next door" version) is from the Ultimates series, while this version of the Green Goblin is from the original Amazing Spider-Man universe.
When Uncle Ben drops Peter off to go to the library, a bus can be seen driving by with a promotional advertisement that reads, The Producers, a 'Mel Brooks (I)' musical. Brooks later sued Sony Pictures Entertainment for unwanted advertisement in motion-picture space.
A camera system called the Spydercam was developed to express more of Spider-Man's world and point of view. It was able to drop 50 stories (over 600 ft) and with shot lengths of just over 2400 feet or 3200 feet (for shooting in New York City, or Los Angeles), and could shoot at six frames/second to convey a sense of speed. The Spydercam was only used in this film for the final sequence, but was brought into more use for the sequels.
When Jameson's subordinates are trying to tell him about Spider-Man, one of them says, "Eddie's been trying to get a picture of him for weeks." This is a reference to Eddie Brock, a comic book character featured in Spider-Man 3.
Bonesaw, the wrestler Spider-Man fights for money, is played by real life wrestler Macho Man Randy Savage. Early in his career, Savage wrestled under the name The Spider.
The jumping spider that Peter attempts to take a picture of is an Avondale Spider, the same type used in Arachnophobia.
The scene in which Peter Parker catches Mary Jane's lunch on the tray involved no CGI. With the help of a sticky substance to keep the tray planted on his hand, Tobey Maguire eventually (after many takes) performed the stunt exactly as seen.
Mary Jane's red hair in this movie is a wig; however, Kirsten Dunst liked the look so much, she dyed her hair for Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man 3.
One of Peter's sketches for possible costume ideas is nearly identical to the black-and-white suit Spider-Man wore in the comics during the early-to-mid-1980s (which would eventually become the costume for Venom), except that the spider insignia is red, not white. Peter's note on this sketch: "Needs more color."
The film contains multiple references to future Spider-Man villains: Doctor Curtis Connors (Lizard), Eddie Brock (Venom), Harry Osborn (Green Goblin No. 2), Mendel Stromm (Robot Master).
Tobey Maguire said he had never read a Spider-Man comic book but took the role because he liked the script.
One of the reasons why Sam Raimi was a popular choice with Sony for the director's gig was because he is an avid comic book collector in his private life, with a collection of over 25,000.
Cliff Robertson plays Uncle Ben Parker. Robertson's middle name is Parker.
James Franco's hair was dyed brown to give him some resemblance to Willem Dafoe, his screen father. This decision was only made after filming had begun. Indeed, in the scene where Harry visits Aunt May in hospital, you can see that Franco's hair is his usual black.
One of the chief difficulties that Tobey Maguire experienced in the now-famous upside-down kissing scene was that his sinuses kept filling up with water as it was performed in driving rain.
Several Spider-Man costumes were created at a cost of up to $100,000 each. Four were stolen from the set in early April of 2001 and Columbia Pictures posted a $25,000 reward for their return. The costumes were not returned. - DirectorSam RaimiStarsTobey MaguireKirsten DunstAlfred MolinaPeter Parker is beset with troubles in his failing personal life as he battles a former brilliant scientist named Otto Octavius.“ [first lines]
Peter Parker: [narrating] She looks at me everyday. Mary Jane Watson. Oh boy! If she only knew how I felt about her. But she can never know. I made a choice once to live a life of responsibility. A life she can never be a part of. Who am I? I'm Spider-Man, given a job to do. And I'm Peter Parker, and I too have a job.
Cameos:
Weston Epp, Jopaul Epp: The two boys who hand Spider-Man his mask on the train are Tobey Maguire's half-brothers.
Phil LaMarr: a passenger on the elevated subway train.
Hal Sparks: The man who meets Spiderman inside the elevator (and compliments him on his Spidey outfit) is "Michael Novotny" from Queer as Folk, a gay man obsessed with comics and superheroes, who'd always dreamed of meeting one on the show. An alternative version of this scene was used in the Spider-Man 2.1 cut of the film.
Another one of Spidey's trademarks in the comic book is his homemade tracking device he can pin on people, and although it's mentioned in the script, it has yet to appear in any of the films.
According to Stan Lee, Spider-Man wears a mask so his enemies couldn't see his fear.
If you look closely at Peter's apartment, you can see the picture he took of Mary-Jane just before he was bitten by a radioactive spider. It was supposed to represent the last moment of innocence in Peter's life before it changed forever.
The script tells us that Peter rents above a TV repair shop. He doesn't live with Harry anymore since Norman's death, and Harry moved back into his father's townhouse. Harry's obsession with Spider-Man was too much for Peter to bear. This is the reason why he gets annoyed with Harry at his birthday party.
The scene where Peter is having dinner with Doctor Octavius and his wife was intended as a sad mirror of the family life that Peter wants but can never have.
When Peter dumps his Spider-Man suit in a garbage can, it's an exacting homage to a panel from "Spider-Man No More", Issue #50 from The Amazing Spider-Man.
Alfred Molina lost some weight for the role of Doctor Octopus, considering he had had to gain some for the part of Diego Rivera in Frida. He said he wanted Doc Ock to have the build of a "1950s weightlifter".
The bank used for the big action sequence where Spidey fought Doc Ock is the same bank being robbed in Police Academy 6: City Under Siege by the Wilson Heights Gang.
When Jonah Jameson offers the scruffy man $50 for the Spider-Man costume he found, he replies, "I could get more for it on eBay." In 2001, four Spider-Man costumes were stolen from the set of the first movie. They were eventually recovered after an 18 month investigation and the arrest of a former movie studio security guard and an accomplice. While Columbia Pictures offered a $25,000 reward for information leading to their return, movie memorabilia experts estimated the value of the costumes as about $50,000 each.
Tobey Maguire is a vegetarian, so for the scene in which he is supposedly eating a hot dog while police cars zoom by, he is in fact eating a Tofu Hot dog, which is a favorite among vegetarians
The phone number on Peter's helmet for Joe's Pizzeria is to a real NY Pizza place. 212-366-1182. Evidently they love the publicity.
When J. Jonah Jameson is needing a name for the newly villainous Doctor Octavius, one suggestion from Hoffman is the moniker Doctor Strange, about which Jameson is sarcastically excited, adding that the name has already been taken. This dialogue is referring to Spider-man's comic book ally of the same name who is also the other major co-creation of Stan Lee and Steve Ditko.
The name of Peter's landlord, Mr. Ditkovitch, is a reference to Steve Ditko, co-creator of Spider-man.
The film features two other villains from the comics. John Jameson (son of J. Jonah Jameson) is the Man-Wolf and Dr. Curt Connors (presumably the same Dr. Connors mentioned in the first film who fired Peter for being late too often) is the Lizard. Coincidentally, both are Jekyll-and-Hyde-type villains in that they are good people who are transformed periodically against their will into their vicious, animal-like alter-egos.
Tobey Maguire's participation was in doubt at one point because he was suffering severe back pains. Jake Gyllenhaal, was lined up to play Spider-Man and had already begun preparation, but Maguire decided to take part after all. However, according to the DVD commentary, the "My back!" joke after Peter falls from the roof was purely coincidental, as it was written into the script. - DirectorSam RaimiStarsTobey MaguireKirsten DunstTopher GraceA strange black entity from another world bonds with Peter Parker and causes inner turmoil as he contends with new villains, temptations, and revenge.“ Flint Marko: [grabs Venom in mid-swing, thinking he's Spider-Man] End of the line, Spider-Man.
Venom: [roars in his face]
Flint Marko: [seeing it's not Spider-Man, tosses him aside]
Venom: I want him dead too, Flint. That's why I've been looking for you. Oh, yeah, I know all about you. Like the fact that Spider-Man won't let you help your poor daughter. It's just - That doesn't seem right to me. Look, I want to kill the spider, you wanna kill the spider. Together, he doesn't stand a chance. Interested?
Flint Marko: Yeah.
In the comics, Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four is the one who discovered that the black and white Spider-Man costume is an alien symbiote. However, because the Fantastic Four characters are owned by 20th Century Fox, it was changed to Dr. Curt Connors making the discovery.
Originally, Dylan Baker was meant to mutate into the Lizard and become the main villain for this film. There is a lizard skeleton in Dr. Connors' laboratory that foreshadows this metamorphosis. Another hint is the fact that his right arm is missing: in the comics he tried to restore it using reptile DNA, which led to his transformation.
Emma Raimi: The girl who sells her camera to J. Jonah Jameson for $100 is Sam Raimi's daughter.
At 140 minutes, this is the longest of the original three Sam Raimi Spider-Man movies.
Sam Raimi is the first director to helm all three installments in a superhero franchise. Bryan Singer made 2 X-Men movies and Tim Burton only did two Batman movies.Christopher Nolan is second with his Dark Knight trilogy.
In the comics, the symbiote was a flowing sentient liquid ooze. Sam Raimi was very clear on the film's portrayal of the symbiote: he wanted it to have character, but not to resemble a spider or octopus. As portrayed in the film, it possesses a webbing form (it was composed of many separate CGI threads) that gives it a sense of life and an appearance of gripping onto someone's body.
Spider-Man 3 combines all three Raimi brothers. Sam Raimi as the director, Ivan Raimi as one of the writers and Ted Raimi as an actor in the role of Hoffman.
During Stan Lee's cameo in the film, he uses the catch phrase "'nuff said", which he used frequently in the comics to end short editor's notes inside the panels.
According to Grant Curtis, in early production the Vulture was originally going to be in the movie, and Ben Kingsley was involved in negotiations to play him before the character's story line was replaced by Venom.
The character of Eddie Brock/Venom, as portrayed in this film, is an amalgamation of his "Amazing Spider-Man" (an obsessive journalist) and "Ultimate" (a skinny young man with a crush on Gwen Stacy) versions. This was done to present Eddie Brock as a shadowy reflection of Peter Parker (which shows that Peter Parker, when affected by the symbiote, starts to act like Eddie).
To prepare for his role as the Sandman, Thomas Haden Church worked out for 16 months, losing ten pounds of fat and gaining 28 pounds of muscle. He based his performance on misunderstood monsters, like the Golem from The Golem, Frankenstein's monster, and King Kong.
When the symbiote attaches to Peter's motorcycle license plate, it takes on the shape of a V (for Venom). - DirectorJ.J. AbramsStarsChris PineZachary QuintoZoe SaldanaAfter the crew of the Enterprise find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one-man weapon of mass destruction.Spock: I will be brief. In your travels, did you ever encounter a man named Khan?
Spock Prime: As you know I have made a vow never to give you information that could potentially alter your destiny. Your path is yours to walk and yours alone. That being said, Khan Noonien Singh is the most dangerous adversary the Enterprise ever faced. He is brilliant, ruthless and he will not hesitate to kill every single one of you.
Spock: Did you defeat him?
Spock Prime: At great cost, yes.
Benicio Del Toro was in early talks for the role of John Harrison, but eventually declined due to monetary issues. Demián Bichir, Édgar Ramírez and Jordi Mollà were considered afterwards, before Benedict Cumberbatch was finally cast. (That answers my question on why no Latinos for the Khan role)
Paramount Pictures requested director J.J. Abrams to make the film in 3D. However, Abrams wanted to shoot the movie two dimensionally on film using IMAX cameras. The two compromised, and as a result this film marks the first time in cinema history that a movie was filmed in the IMAX format and then converted into 3D in post production.
Benedict Cumberbatch is best known for playing the title character in Sherlock. Leonard Nimoy played Sherlock Holmes on stage in the 1970s, and even makes reference to this fact in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, citing Holmes's logic that "when you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth." Cast member Christopher Plummer also played Holmes, and also speaks a trademark line, "The game's afoot." Nimoy also recorded a song in the 1970s, "The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins", inspired by The Hobbit. Cumberbatch voices the dragon Smaug in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, in which his Sherlock castmate Martin Freeman plays Bilbo Baggins.
Michael Dorn, who had played the Klingon Starfleet Lieutenant Worf, was contacted for a role during the start of filming, and was asked to play an officer. Eventually the filmmakers decided that "they didn't want to mix the old with the new" and cut him out.
The film is dedicated to post-9/11 veterans. This is due to director J.J. Abrams' connection to The Mission Continues, a nonprofit organization that serves as a framework for United States military veterans to do community service work when they return home from overseas. The organization's founder and CEO Eric Greitens makes a cameo appearance alongside other veterans at the end of the film as one of the flag folders. A section of the film's official website is dedicated to The Mission Continues.
Leonard Nimoy makes his 8th appearance as Spock in the movies. That breaks the tie with William Shatner for most appearances in the Star Trek Universe.
Christopher Doohan: The son of the original Scotty James Doohan, makes a cameo appearance in the film as a Transport Officer alongside the current Scotty Simon Pegg. - DirectorPaul VerhoevenStarsCasper Van DienDenise RichardsDina MeyerHumans, in a fascist militaristic future, wage war with giant alien bugs.Sky Marshal Dienes: We must meet this threat with our courage, our valor, indeed with our very lives to ensure that human civilization, not insect, dominates this galaxy *now and always*!
Most of the adults in authority positions in the movie are scarred in some way: Rasczak (Michael Ironside) lacks an arm; the biology teacher has scars on her face; and the recruiting sergeant has lost both his legs. Verhoeven included them as a symbol of the belligerent history of the Federation.
Features two main villains from the 'Highlander' movie franchise: Clancy Brown played the Kurgen in Highlander, and Michael Ironside played Kitana in Highlander II: The Quickening.
Some of the walls were reused from Total Recall (another film directed by Paul Verhoeven).
The song, "I Have Not Been to Paradise", (a cover of the David Bowie song "I have not been to Oxford Town") is sung by Zoë Poledouris, the eldest daughter of Basil Poledouris, the film's composer.
A miniature Millenium Falcon can be seen on the backside of one of the starships' bridges.
The scenes involving explosions and fire after the destruction of Buenos Aires were actually videos taken from the Oakland Hill fires in October of 1991.
Casper Van Dien (Johnny) broke a rib during a stunt involving jumping off a "tanker bug".
Director Paul Verhoeven and cinematographer Jost Vacano shot one take of the co-ed shower scene in the nude themselves (on a dare from star Dina Meyer). - DirectorRobert MandelStarsTom BerengerRaymond CruzWilliam ForsytheShale's Mercenary team is retired after a (not so) covert mission in Cuba. He becomes a substitute teacher at his teacher fiancee's Miami high school to get those behind kneecapping her. His team helps him.Also starring:
Marc Anthony, Cliff DeYoung, Sharron Corley,
Richard Brooks, Raymond Cruz, Rodney E. Grant,
Luis Guzman, Willis Sparks, and William Forsythe - DirectorSteven PearlStarsOwen StadeleEdoardo BalleriniChristopher CousinsA mercenary masquerades as a teacher in order to enter a tough urban school and wreak his revenge upon his brother's killer.Also starring:
B. D. Wong, Eugene Byrd - DirectorPierre MorelStarsLiam NeesonMaggie GraceFamke JanssenA retired CIA agent travels across Europe and relies on his old skills to save his estranged daughter, who has been kidnapped while on a trip to Paris.“ Bryan: I don't know who you are. I don't know what you want. If you are looking for ransom, I can tell you I don't have money. But what I do have are a very particular set of skills; skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. If you let my daughter go now, that'll be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you. But if you don't, I will look for you, I will find you, and I will kill you.
Marko: [after a long pause] Good luck.
The martial art style used by Liam Neeson is Nagasu Do. It's a hybrid martial art style that borrows from Judo, Aikido and Ju Jitsu.
The curved knife used in the final fight is a karambit. It's an Indonesian /Malaysian weapon and the finger hole in the handle makes it very difficult to disarm, which was evident in the fight scene.
Former Special Air Service (SAS) soldier Mick Gould trained Liam Neeson in combatives and weapons handling skills to prepare him for the role.
Doing this film propelled Famke Janssen to take action in the real fight against corruption. She now serves as the Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Office against Drugs and Crime.
The singer's name in the movie is Sheerah. In Hebrew, shirah is the feminine form of the word meaning "sing". - DirectorOlivier MegatonStarsLiam NeesonFamke JanssenMaggie GraceIn Istanbul, retired CIA operative Bryan Mills and his wife are taken hostage by the father of a kidnapper Mills killed while rescuing his daughter.Bryan Mills: [from trailer] Listen to me carefully, Kim. Your mother; is going to be taken. And people are gonna come for you to.
Kim: What are you gonna do?
Bryan Mills: What I do best. - DirectorMatthijs van Heijningen Jr.StarsMary Elizabeth WinsteadJoel EdgertonUlrich ThomsenAt an Antarctica research site, the discovery of an alien craft leads to a confrontation between graduate student Kate Lloyd and scientist Dr. Sander Halvorson.Adam Finch: So, I'm gonna die because I floss?
The producers convinced Universal Studios to allow them to create a prequel to John Carpenter's The Thing instead of a remake, as they felt Carpenter's film was already perfect, so making a remake would be like "painting a mustache on the Mona Lisa". However, the prequel still has the title of the original film, because they couldn't think of a subtitle (for example, "The Thing: Begins") that sounded good.
In order to not try to compete with Kurt Russell's portrayal of the 1982 film's protagonist, R.J. MacReady, the character of Kate Lloyd was designed to have traits in common with the character Ellen Ripley from the Alien film series.
The red axe that 'Joel Edgerton' uses and eventually sticks into the wall can be seen still stuck in the wall when the Americans visit the Norwegian camp in the original John Carpenter version.
An enormous amount of screen shots from the first movie were kept on the set while filming at all times, in order to ensure that the Norwegian station would be rebuilt to the smallest details.
John Carpenter, the director of the 1982 remake The Thing, was enthusiastic about making a cameo appearance, but scheduling conflicts prevented him from making one.
Spoiler:The burnt "thing" with the two merged faces/heads that MacReady and gang find at the Norwegian site (in the 1982 Carpenter remake) is the same organism created when Wolner lowered himself onto Finch and "incorporated" the latter by joining their faces in this prequel.
Spoiler:This film may have purposely solved a long-standing mystery in the 1982 film. This film reveals that The Thing cannot replicate abiotic things such as fillings, earrings, clothes, etc. and at a pivotal moment near the end, Kate realizes that Carter's earring is missing as well as the hole for the piercing revealing him to be a Thing. At the end of the 1982 film, the character Childs still has his earring in his right ear. It can be seen just before he takes a drink from the bottle of J&B.
SPOILER: There are a few short scenes during the first part of the end credits, which tie the ending of this film to the beginning of the 1982 film. - DirectorJohn CarpenterStarsKurt RussellWilford BrimleyKeith DavidA research team in Antarctica is hunted by a shape-shifting alien that assumes the appearance of its victims.MacReady: Somebody in this camp ain't what he appears to be. Right now that may be one or two of us. By spring, it could be all of us.
Childs: So, how do we know who's human? If I was an imitation, a perfect imitation, how would you know it was really me?
William Daniels and Brian Dennehy were considered for the role of Copper. Dennehy was almost cast, but John Carpenter instead cast Richard Dysart at the last minute.
In addition to Lee Van Cleef, Jerry Orbach, Kevin Conway, Richard Mulligan and Powers Boothe were all considered for the role of Garry before Donald Moffat was selected. Mulligan's agent submitted his name directly about the role, as he had gotten a copy of the script and was eager to play it, feeling it was a major departure from his prior work. Boothe was a consideration when they were toying with Garry's age being comparable to MacReady's. Mulligan was also considered for Palmer.
Keith David wears gloves throughout most of the film. This is because he had broken one of his hands in a car accident and needed to cover up his cast.
When the film first aired on US network television, Universal executive Sid Sheinberg provided a completely different cut of the movie which included early scenes introducing each character. Naturally disowned by John Carpenter, this version no longer exists.
The X-Files episode "Ice" is a direct homage to this film.
The Dog-Thing was created by Stan Winston who declined screen credit as he didn't want to take away from Rob Bottin's work. Stan Winston receives a special thank you in the closing credits.
The Sci-Fi Channel planned to make a four hour mini-series sequel to The Thing in 2003 but nothing ever came of it
Lee Van Cleef was considered for the role of Garry. Van Cleef and Isaac Hayes were initial considerations since John Carpenter had just worked with them on _Escape From New York (1981)_.
Bernie Casey, Isaac Hayes, Geoffrey Holder, Ernie Hudson, and Carl Weathers were all considered for the role of Childs. Hudson almost landed the role, but lost it to 'Keith David'.
This movie has become part of the culture in Antarctica. It is a long standing tradition in all British Antarctic research stations to watch The Thing as part of their Midwinter feast and celebration held every June 21.
In the DVD commentary, John Carpenter said Wilford Brimley was the only cast member not initially grossed out by the autopsy scene where they used real animal organs. Brimley had been a real-life cowboy, and gutting animals and removing organs was a normal experience for him.
Nick Nolte turned down the role of MacReady, as did Jeff Bridges.
There are no female characters in the film. The only female presence in the movie is in the voice of MacReady's chess computer and the contestants seen on the game show that Palmer watches. A scene containing a blow-up doll was filmed and then left on the cutting room floor. According to John Carpenter, only one crew member was female but she was pregnant and this forced her to leave the shoot; she was replaced by a male.
There is a character name "Mac" and another named "Windows"; since the film was made in 1982, this is purely coincidental.
This is the first of John Carpenter's films which he did not score himself. The film's original choice of composer was Jerry Goldsmith, but he passed and Ennio Morricone composed a very low-key Carpenter-like score filled with brooding, menacing bass chords.
The female voice on MacReady's computer was performed (uncredited) by the wife of director John Carpenter, actress Adrienne Barbeau.
The opening title exactly duplicates the original Howard Hawks film. To create the effect of the title, an animation cell with "The Thing" written on it was placed behind a fish tank filled with smoke that was covered with a plastic garbage bag. The garbage bag was ignited, creating the effect of the title burning onto the screen.
The Norwegian dog in the film was named Jed. He was a half wolf/half husky breed. Jed was an excellent animal actor, never looking at the camera, the dolly or the crew members. Jed, however, is NOT the dog seen in the beginning chase scene, where the Norwegian is trying shoot him. Per Carpenter's commentary, this was another dog painted to look like Jed.
Donald Pleasence was the original choice for the character of Blair. Pleasence was unable to perform the role due to a scheduling conflict.
At the beginning of the film the Norwegian with the rifle is the second unit director and associate producer as well as Kurt Russell's (then) brother-in-law, Larry J. Franco. According to John Carpenter, on the commentary track, Franco is not speaking Norwegian but making up the dialog. "Schmergsdorf" as Carpenter puts it. The subtitles, however, give the impression he is speaking Norwegian. The words spoken are actually understandable for Norwegians. Albeit broken Norwegian, the line goes: "Se til helvete og kom dere vekk. Det er ikke en bikkje, det er en slags ting! Det imiterer en bikkje, det er ikke virkelig! KOM DERE VEKK IDIOTER!!" This translates to: "Get the hell outta there. That's not a dog, it's some sort of thing! It's imitating a dog, it isn't real! GET AWAY YOU IDIOTS!!" - DirectorCharles BandStarsTim ThomersonHelen HuntMichael StefaniA gruff bounty hunter travels back in time to 1980s Los Angeles to stop a twisted criminal who can transform people into zombie-like creatures.Also starring:
Telma Hopkins, Richard Herd, Anne Seymour,
Biff Manard, Richard Erdman, Michael McGrady
Bette Davis had been considered for the role of Chairman Ashe, but was unavailable for the part.
The pro-ball tooth that Ashby spits out was Biff Manard's actual tooth. Tim Thomerson gave Manard money after the shoot to get the tooth repaired.
Biff Manard was actually drunk while playing Hap Ashby, and Tim Thomerson had to literally man-handle Biff because he had no idea what he was supposed to be doing or where to go.
Jack Deth's car is a 1955 Mercury Montclair that was heavily modified by Gene Winfield, who built the spinners and full-sized cars for Blade Runner (1982).
The motorcycle scene marked the first time Helen Hunt had operated a motorcycle - DirectorStanley KubrickStarsKeir DulleaGary LockwoodWilliam SylvesterAfter uncovering a mysterious artifact buried beneath the Lunar surface, a spacecraft is sent to Jupiter to find its origins: a spacecraft manned by two men and the supercomputer HAL 9000.Also starring:
Leonard Rossiter, Margaret Tyzack, Robert Beatty,
Ed Bishop, Edwina Carroll, Kevin Scott,
and the voice of Douglas Rain as HAL 9000
Just like in Arthur C. Clarke's short story 'The Sentinel', the finding of the monolith on the moon would initially be the film's climax. This eventually became the kick-off for the movie's second half. But even during production, the ending of the movie was still under constant revision. Stanley Kubrick initially planned to show extra-terrestrials, but found out that the production's budget was quickly running out. He finally decided that it would be better to not physically show the aliens at all, stating that "you don't show God".
At the end of the film, the only spacesuit that was never used is the blue one. In 2010 (1984), the blue suit is missing its helmet, apparently because the producers thought that Dave used it in 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) when disabling HAL. Dave is actually wearing a green helmet, from the green suit which was stowed inside the emergency airlock.
Although it's commonly believed that the famous "jump cut" is from the bone being tossed in the air to a ship floating in space, it is in fact not a spaceship, it's a nuclear device circling the earth. So the bone being used as the "first" murder weapon is thrown to the "ultimate" weapon. Originally the "star child" was to detonate this device and all the other devices that were circling the earth. Stanley Kubrick decided against the ending as it was too similar to the end of his previous film Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964), where nuclear bombs are exploded.
HAL sings "Daisy Bell" (or "A Bicycle Built for Two") as he is shut down. One of the earliest pieces of electronic music, this was the first song ever programmed into a computer to be played back using a simulation of speech synthesis. The machine was an IBM 7094 that was located at Bell Labs in 1961. Furthermore, the lyrics include the phrase "I'm half crazy."
One of Stanley Kubricks additions to the screenplay which Arthur C. Clarke did not like was HAL's ability to read the astronauts' lips when they are inside the pod. Years later, he admitted that Kubrick had been right all along, after learning that at the time, computers were being developed with the ability to read lips.
Stanley Kubrick rejected Martin Balsam's interpretation of HAL as he felt that too much emotion was creeping into Balsam's delivery.
Stanley Kubrick was initially forced by MGM to have Alex North (who had written the score for Kubrick's Spartacus (1960)) compose an original score for the 2001. Kubrick, however, always intended to use classical music for the film. He allowed North to score the first half of the film before informing him they planned to use only sound effects for the second half. It wasn't until he was watching the film at its premier in New York that North discovered that his music had not been used. North later reused themes composed for 2001 in the films The Shoes of the Fisherman (1968), Shanks (1974), and Dragonslayer (1981). North's original score was unheard for 25 years until composer Jerry Goldsmith re-recorded it for Varese Sarabande in 1993. In 2007, however, Intrada, working with Alex North's estate, released North's personal copies of the 1968 recording sessions on CD.
Keir Dullea (Dave Bowman) and Douglas Rain (HAL 9000) are the only actors to reprise their roles in 2010 (1984).
The film was originally to have ended just as it had in the book, with Bowman discovering the third monolith on Saturn's moon Japetus. This idea was scrapped, however, because the special effects crew was unable to make convincing-looking rings around Saturn. Effects artist Douglas Trumbull eventually perfected a technique for making the rings after production was completed, and used Saturn's rings to great effect in his directorial debut, Silent Running (1972).
In both the book and film, HAL's creator, Dr Chandra has what is almost certainly a deliberately chosen name. Chandra, as well as being a common Indian surname, is a name of the Hindu lunar deity, and the word for "moon" in Hindi. Dr Chandra's full first name, Sivasubramanian, can be translated as "Dear priest of Shiva". Shiva, the name of a supreme Hindu deity, carries as one of its meanings "the one who admits no imperfection". Therefore Dr Chandra, the creator of a computer believing itself incapable of mistakes has a uniquely appropriate first name. Arthur C. Clarke, who spent much of his life in Sri Lanka (where Hindu is a major religion) would almost certainly have known these meanings.
Originally, HAL was to be called Athena and have a female voice. According to Keir Dullea (Dave Bowman), Nigel Davenport and Martin Balsam were hired and later replaced before Douglas Rain finally landed the role of HAL. Davenport was actually on-set in England during filming, reading HAL's lines off-camera so that Dullea and Gary Lockwood could react to them. Apparently, Stanley Kubrick thought that Davenport's English accent was too distracting, so after a few weeks he dismissed him and for the remainder of the shoot HAL's lines were read by an assistant director who, according to Dullea, had a Cockney accent so thick that lines like "Better take a stress pill, Dave" came out like "Better tyke a stress pill, Dyve". Later Balsam was hired and recorded HAL's voice in New York, but again when Kubrick heard his lines he wasn't satisfied, so he finally got Rain to re-record everything during post-production. Rain recorded in Canada, speaking his lines barefoot with his feet resting on a pillow to get the relaxed tone. For the sequel, Peter Hyams' 2010 (1984), the opposite process was used: Rain recorded all of HAL's dialogue during pre-production prior to principal photography. That's why, to this day, Dullea and Rain have never actually spoken directly to each other or met in person.
Rock band Pink Floyd was at one point approached to perform music for the film. However they turned it down due to other commitments. Yet they retain a connection with the film: much like The Wizard of Oz (1939) and "Dark Side of the Moon", it is said that Pink Floyd's song "Echoes" from the album "Meddle" can be perfectly synchronized with the "Jupiter & Beyond the Infinite" segment of the film.
The last movie made about men on the moon before Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked there in real life. 40 years later, conspiracy theorists insist that this is not a coincidence, claiming that all footage of Armstrong's voyage was a hoax film directed by Stanley Kubrick using leftover scenes and props from this movie.
In the premier screening of the film, 241 people walked out of the theater, including Rock Hudson who said "Will someone tell me what the hell this is about?" Arthur C. Clarke once said, "If you understand '2001' completely, we failed. We wanted to raise far more questions than we answered." - DirectorDanny BoyleStarsCillian MurphyNaomie HarrisChristopher EcclestonFour weeks after a mysterious, incurable virus spreads throughout the UK, a handful of survivors try to find sanctuary.Also starring:
Brendan Gleeson, David Schneider, Noah Huntley, Marvin Campbell
Major Henry West: This is what I've seen in the four weeks since infection. People killing people. Which is much what I saw in the four weeks before infection, and the four weeks before that, and before that, and as far back as I care to remember. People killing people. Which to my mind, puts us in a state of normality right now.
The film has engendered some confusion as to whether or not the virus is a worldwide phenomenon or whether it's confined to Britain. This is clarified on the DVD commentary however. When shooting began, Danny Boyle and Alex Garland intended to reveal that the virus had spread worldwide, which is why Selena mentions outbreaks in Paris and New York early in the movie. However, as filming progressed, they changed their minds and decided to render the spread of the virus more ambiguous. As such, they wrote the dialogue spoken by Sergeant Farrell (Stuart McQuarrie) when he is tied to the radiator as a counter-theory to Selena's claims, as he hypothesizes that Britain would have simply been quarantined at the first sign of trouble and that there was no way the virus could have reached America or mainland Europe. Obviously, the sequel 28 Weeks Later (2007) confirms that Farrell was entirely correct.
Alex Garland and Danny Boyle felt that the notion of the living dead wanting to eat peoples' brains was outdated. One of the original factors behind zombie movies was a fear of nuclear power and its possible effects on people. Garland and Boyle concluded that one of the biggest fears in modern society is fear of disease, especially a viral apocalypse, such as Ebola or Marburg. Garland and Boyle were specifically inspired by such incidents as anthrax and bio-terrorism scares in London and the spread of mad cow disease and foot-and-mouth disease in the UK.
Scriptwriter Alex Garland acknowledges several sources as inspiration for his screenplay, notably John Wyndham's The Day of the Triffids (1963), George A. Romero's "Dead" trilogy (Night, Dawn and Day) and The Omega Man (1971). Direct homages include Jim waking up in the hospital from The Day of the Triffids (1963), the chained infected being studied from Day of the Dead (1985), and the scene in the grocery store (people in the mall from Dawn of the Dead (1978)), the stop for supplies that saw a run-in with infected children (also Dawn of the Dead (1978)), and the military holing up against the plague with outsiders partially to deliberately include females (also Day of the Dead).
Ewan McGregor was the original choice to play Jim. After that didn't work out, the role was offered to Ryan Gosling, who had a scheduling conflict.
The 'design' for the symptoms of Rage was based on Ebola, which is communicable in all primates (including humans), and is transmitted through the blood. Ebola is a hemorrhagic fever which leads to a rash, red eyes and both internal and external bleeding. Indeed, in 28 Days Later: The Aftermath (a graphic novel set between 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later (2007), it is explained that the Ebola virus was being used by the scientists as a carrier for the inhibitor which mutated into Rage.
Another aspect of rendering the zombie movie more contemporary was the idea that the virus didn't necessarily affect people physically (it doesn't kill them as in traditional zombie movies), but psychologically. Both Alex Garland and Danny Boyle felt that the idea that the virus renders people zombie-like due to uncontrollable rage was a good metaphor for the contemporary phenomenon of social rage (such as road rage, air rage, hospital rage etc). They liked the idea that the virus simply amplifies something already in each and every man and woman, rather than turning them into something entirely Other, as is the traditional route in zombie movies. - DirectorJuan Carlos FresnadilloStarsJeremy RennerRose ByrneRobert CarlyleSix months after the rage virus was inflicted on the population of Great Britain, the US Army helps to secure a small area of London for the survivors to repopulate and start again. But not everything goes according to plan.Also starring:
Catherine McCormack, Idris Elba, Imogen Poots, Mackintosh Muggleton
DLR Soldier: We are headed for the green-zone, our area of security and reconstruction, designated as District One. District One is located on the Isle of Dogs. Although the Isle of Dogs is completely safe, the surrounding area of London is not. There are a large number of bodies still left to be cleared from the original outbreak of infection. Rats and wild dogs are prevalent, as is disease. New arrivals are reminded, for their own safety, it is absolutely forbidden to cross the river and leave the security zone. You will be joining 15,000 civilians who are already resident in District One. As we approach your new home, you will notice a dramatically increased military presence. The U.S. Army is responsible for your safety. We will do everything we can do to make your repatriation as easy as possible. Inside District One, however, we believe you'll be pleasantly surprised. We have hot and cold running water, 24-hour electricity, a medical center, a supermarket, and even a pub.
Danny Boyle has not discounted the possibility of a third installment. The working title is 28 Months Later, and would move the story on even further. But writer Alex Garland is a little more cynical: "I'll be honest. When we made 28 Days Later... (2002), the rights were frozen between people who no longer talk to one another. And so, the film will never happen unless those people start talking to each other once again. There is no script as far as I'm aware."
Danny Boyle couldn't direct the sequel because of his commitments to Sunshine (2007). Cillian Murphy and Naomie Harris couldn't come back for the sequel either because of other commitments.
When Danny Boyle, Alex Garland and Andrew Macdonald first began to consider a sequel to 28 Days Later... (2002), their initial idea was to do 29 Days Later, possibly using the characters of Jim (Cillian Murphy), Selena (Naomie Harris) and Hannah (Megan Burns) from the first film. This idea was dropped in favor of doing a film set within the time-frame of 28 Days Later..., focusing on an SAS team sent into London to retrieve either the Prime Minister or the Queen. Finally, it was suggested to set the film some time after the events of the initial film, and to deal with the impact Rage has had on society in general. - DirectorCatherine HardwickeStarsKristen StewartRobert PattinsonBilly BurkeWhen Bella Swan moves to a small town in the Pacific Northwest, she falls in love with Edward Cullen, a mysterious classmate who reveals himself to be a 108-year-old vampire.Isabella Swan: [to Edward] How did you get over to me so fast?
Edward Cullen: [to Bella] I was standing right next to you, Bella.
Isabella Swan: No. You were next to your car, across the lot.
Edward Cullen: No, I wasn't.
Isabella Swan: Yes, you were.
Edward Cullen: Bella, you hit your head. I think you're confused.
Isabella Swan: I know what I saw.
Edward Cullen: And what exactly was that?
Isabella Swan: You stopped the van. You pushed it away with you hand.
Edward Cullen: Well, nobody's going to believe you.
Isabella Swan: I wasn't going to tell anybody. I just need to know the truth.
Edward Cullen: Can't you just thank me and get over it?
Isabella Swan: Thank you.
Edward Cullen: You're not going to let this go, are you?
Isabella Swan: No.
Edward Cullen: Well then I hope you enjoy disappointment.
Isabella Swan: Will you tell me the truth?
Edward Cullen: No, probably not.
[Bella turns away slighly angry]
Edward Cullen: I'd rather hear your theories.
Isabella Swan: I have considered radioactive spiders and kryptonite.
Edward Cullen: All superhero stuff right? But what if I'm not the hero? What if I am the bad guy?
Isabella Swan: You're not.
[Edward smiles]
Cameo
Stephenie Meyer: The author of the original books can be seen next to a laptop ordering a vegetarian sandwich in the diner at the beginning of the scene where Charlie asks Bella if she likes the boys in town.
Dustin Milligan and Dave Franco tested for the part of Edward.
When Edward and Bella are standing in the doorway of the Cullens' kitchen, there is a chess set on the dining room table behind them with red and white pieces, like the cover of 'Breaking Dawn', the final novel in Stephenie Meyer's 'Twilight' saga.
The red contacts worn by Laurent, Victoria, and James were hand-painted by the director, Catherine Hardwicke.
Bryce Dallas Howard was offered the role of Victoria but turned it down as she found the role too small. She later took the role when Summit Entertainment fired Rachelle Lefevre from The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.
In addition to Robert Pattinson and Jackson Rathbone among the 4 finalists for the role of Edward, the other two, according to Catherine Hardwicke were Ben Barnes and Shiloh Fernandez. Rathbone was eventually offered the other role of Jasper instead.
In the scene where Bella goes to the Cullens house for the first time, when Nikki Reed's character had to break the bowl, she actually cut her hands. This is why she is wearing gloves for the scene in the film.
Peter Facinelli was the second choice to play Carlisle Cullen. When he found out that he lost out on the final round of auditions, he wrote a note to Catherine Hardwicke, saying, "I hope to work with you sometime." At the last minute before shooting, the original actor withdrew due to shooting conflicts. Hardwicke then offered the role to Facinelli, who immediately took up. He had to dye his hair blond before starting work.
When Edward enters the cafeteria, Robert Pattinson's sister, Lizzy Pattinson, can be heard singing vocals on the soundtrack.
Robert Pattinson actually plays the piano in the scene where Edward is playing "Bella's Lullaby".
Nikki Reed was the one who got the producers to add Robert Pattinson's songs to the film. Reed secretly started recording him from her laptop, while he was singing, and playing his guitar. She then took it to the film producers, were they fell in love with his songs. The next day, they asked Rob if he could sing a few of his songs for the soundtrack, and he accepted.
Stephenie Meyer had her own personal cast before all the roles were officially cast. They including Emily Browning as Bella Swan, Henry Cavill as Edward Cullen, Charlie Hunnam as Carlisle Cullen, Mary-Louise Parker as Esme Cullen, Rachael Leigh Cook as Alice Cullen, Trent Ford as Jasper Hale, Tom Welling as Emmett Cullen and Olivia Wilde as Rosalie Hale.
Stephenie Meyer wrote a parallel novel (unfinished) to "Twilight" called "Midnight Sun". It tells the story of the first book from Edward's point of view. In it, he comments that the arrival of Bella to the school has all of the boys "acting like they're in first grade and she's the shiny new toy". This thought is spoken aloud by Jessica during Bella's first lunch in the cafeteria.
Stephenie Meyer cited the band Muse as her source of inspiration to write her books, and another of her favorite groups is 'Linkin Park'. Both bands contributed a song to the movie's soundtrack.
When Bella is searching the internet and finds the link for the bookstore in Port Angeles, the link above it is for Little Brown. Little Brown is the publisher of the Twilight Saga.
Robert Pattinson stated in an interview that this is his first American role and he had no formal training to perfect his American accent.
Taylor Lautner had to wear a wig for his role as Jacob Black.
Henry Cavill was Stephenie Meyer's first choice to play Edward. However, but by the time production was to begin, he was 25 years old, and no longer looked the part of a 17-year old. He was then offered the part of Carlisle Cullen but turned it down due to his commitment with The Tudors.
Kristen Stewart has naturally green eyes. She wears brown contacts for filming to match Bella's eye color. - DirectorRob SchmidtStarsEliza DushkuJeremy SistoEmmanuelle ChriquiChris and a group of five friends are left stranded deep in the middle of the woods after their cars collide. As they venture deeper into the woods, they face an uncertain and bloodcurdling fate.Carly: [looking at the room where the inbreds' victims' belongings are] God, look at this place.
Scott: Yeah, it's like the garage sale from hell.
There's an additional scene halfway through the end credits, showing the fate of a state trooper who discovers a body in the burned-down cabin.
Emmanuelle Chriqui dislocated her shoulder performing her fall through the trees. You can hear her shoulder pop on the production track in the theatrical sound mix.
Several of the cast and crew were covered in poison ivy throughout the filming of the movie, this was due to the chairs being placed in what was first thought to be a group of weeds only later to be discovered as a patch of the rash causing plants.
Eliza Dushku did a lot of her own stunts for the movie.
When the four are running from the cabin after awakening the mountain men, Desmond Harrington broke his right ankle after landing on the opposite side of a log. This made it very difficult to shoot some of the scenes after his left leg is "shot" and he has to limp on his right leg.
The female lead character, Jessie Burlingame, was named after the heroine in Stephen King's novel, "Gerald's Game". - DirectorJoe LynchStarsErica LeerhsenHenry RollinsTexas BattleA group of reality show contestants find themselves fighting for their survival against a family of hideously deformed inbred cannibals who plan to ruthlessly butcher them all.Amber: You dont get it, do you? I'm not into men!
Jonesy: Whoa... you're a LESBIAN? How hot is that? Okay, from now on, you'll be the uptight lesbian sister I never had. Deal?
This film was designed as a homage to 80s horror sequels.
The original script involved the two surviving characters of the first movie returning. This idea was later scraped when they decided to make a DTV sequel entry.
The opening scene with Kimberly Caldwell was originally supposed to involve Eliza Dushku playing herself in a cameo.
Wayne Robson is the only cast member to return from the first movie. - DirectorJames MangoldStarsHugh JackmanWill Yun LeeTao OkamotoWolverine comes to Japan to meet an old friend whose life he saved years ago, and gets embroiled in a conspiracy involving yakuza and mutants.Also starring:
Hiroyuki Sanada, Brian Tee, Hal Yamanouchi, Famke Janssen,
Ian McKellen (uncredited) , Patrick Stewart (uncredited)
Yashida: Eternity can be a curse. It hasn't been easy for your, living without time. The losses you have had to suffer. A man can run out of things to live for. Lose his purpose. Become a ronin. A samurai without a master. I can end your eternity. Make you mortal.
Logan: What they did to me, what I am, can't be undone.
Yashida: Yashida Industries can do anything. We have reason to believe your ability to heal can be passed.
Logan: Passed?
Yashida: From you to another. You have struggled long enough, Logan.
Logan: I'm confused. I cam here to say goodbye to a man I once knew.
Yashida: I am the same man. I was not ready to die then. I am not ready to die now. But you are, aren't you?
Logan: Are you offering to kill me?
Yashida: No. Not right away. You can live and ordinary life. Fall in love, have a family, grow old. And one day, die an ordinary death. It can be done.
Logan: Yeah, look, nice to see you again. Sorry you got sick.
Mariko recounts nightmares of a kuzuri. "Kuzuri" is Japanese for "wolverine."
This will be the first time Wolverine will be in a movie without X-Men attached to the title.
This is Jackman's sixth portrayal of Logan/Wolverine.
According to James Mangold, this film is a sequel to X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) ("Jean Grey is gone and most of the X-Men are disbanded, so there's a tremendous sense of isolation for Wolverine") but with extended flashbacks.
The receptionist/owner of the hotel pets her cat behind the front desk. In Japanese culture, it is called a 'maneki-neko' (beckoning cat), a good luck charm used for all who enter an establishment.
In the comics Yukio is known for short hair and black leather outfits. In this film Yukio has long red hair and wears clothes influenced mostly by Generation X and anime.
Guillermo del Toro expressed interest in directing, being a fan of the Japanese saga in the "Wolverine" comics. He met with James Gianopulos and Hugh Jackman about directing the film, but ultimately decided he did not wish to spend 2-3 years of his life working on the film.
Jessica Biel was offered the role of Viper but a deal couldn't be reached and she dropped out.
Since he speaks fluent Italian, Hal Yamanouchi dubbed himself for the Italian version.
According to James Mangold, the film had started out as a prequel to X-Men (2000), but later he decided to make it a sequel to X-Men: The Last Stand (2006): "I wanted to tell the story without the burden of handing it off to a film that already exists and having to conform to it. The ideas of immortality reign very heavily in this story, and the burden of immortality weighs heavily on Logan. For me that's such an interesting part of Logan's character that it is nearly impossible to explore in a prequel."
According to Hugh Jackman, Wolverine being surrounded by death while being unable to die due to his healing factor is a major theme in the film: "He realizes everyone he loves dies, and his whole life is full of pain. So it's better that he just escapes. He can't die really. He just wants to get away from everything."
Hugh Jackman is a self-confessed fan of the Chris Claremont-Frank Miller "Wolverine" comic (1982), especially the Japanese saga: "There are so many areas of that Japanese story. I love the idea of this kind of anarchic character, the outsider, being in this world full of honor and tradition and customs; someone who's really anti-all of that, and trying to negotiate his own way. The idea of the samurai too, and the tradition there - it's really great. In the comic book he gets his ass kicked by a couple of samurai - not even mutants."
Famke Janssen filmed her Jean Gray cameo in three days. Hugh Jackman said, "There's no doubt that the most important relationship in his life is - we've seen through the movies - is his relationship with Jean Grey. Yes, we saw her die at the end of X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), but in this movie, she has a presence which I think is vital to the movie, particularly for him confronting the most difficult thing within himself."
Hugh Jackman said that for his shirtless scenes in the film, he wanted to look "as ripped and cut as possible". So he adopted a dehydration diet (used in bodybuilding) where he did not consume any liquid for 36 hours before filming his shirtless shots. He said it made him feel "headachy" and faint but he was pleased with the results as dehydrating tightens everything up and gave him the exaggerated muscle definition and vascularity that he wanted to show in his shirtless scenes.
Hugh Jackman said that with this film, he finally achieved the physique that he always envisioned in his mind that Wolverine should have. He said that for some reason, on each of his 5 prior takes at the character, he felt that he never had enough time to get in shape; for this film he finally had enough time, and got his body exactly the way he wanted it to look. Co-star Will Yun Lee also said that it was Jackman's best physique for the role of Wolverine.
Young Yashida gives Wolverine a samurai sword with 6 Kanji letters engraved on it. These kanji read: "Never Died, Never Aged, Never Destroyed". This is apt for Wolverine.
To prepare for the role, Hugh Jackman contacted Dwayne Johnson for advice on bulking up for the movie. Johnson suggested Jackman could gain a pound a week over six months (24 weeks) by eating 6,000 calories a day of "an awful lot of chicken, steak and brown rice." - DirectorMatthew VaughnStarsJames McAvoyMichael FassbenderJennifer LawrenceIn the 1960s, superpowered humans Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr work together to find others like them, but Erik's vengeful pursuit of an ambitious mutant who ruined his life causes a schism to divide them.Also starring:
Rose Byrne, Oliver Platt, Jason Flemyng,
January Jones, Zoë Kravitz, Álex González, Morgan Lily,
Nicholas Hoult, Caleb Landry Jones, Edi Gathegi,
Corey Johnson, Lucas Till, Matt Craven,
James Remar, Rade Serbedzija, Brendan Fehr,
Michael Ironside, Jason Beghe, Randall Batinkoff,
Sasha Pieterse, Hugh Jackman(uncredited)
Rebecca Romijn(uncredited)
With Hugh Jackman's brief cameo as Logan the Wolverine in this film, he is now the first actor to ever play the same comic book superhero in five different movies (and at least 2 more after this one). And it also makes him the only actor to appear in every single "X-Men" movie.
Hugh Jackman accepted the opportunity to cameo as Logan the Wolverine when he learned he would be the only character in the film to use the word '*beep*'. He improvised the line, "Go *beep* yourself," after using 7 other takes to say, "*beep* off". The reaction from James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender to the different line was authentic.
In the Las Vegas with the casino party going on, the song Palisades Park by Freddy Cannon can be heard playing. One of the lyrics in this song that can be heard clearly is "we ate and ate at a hot dog stand." This may be a reference to the first X-Men (2000) film, in which Stan Lee cameoed as a hot dog vendor.
Broadway actor Benjamin Walker was previously cast as Beast, but dropped out of the role to star in the Broadway musical "Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson".
Alice Eve was originally cast as Emma Frost, but a deal couldn't be reached and she was replaced with January Jones.
Rosamund Pike was considered to play Moira McTaggert and later for Emma Frost.
The mutant Sunspot was planned to appear in this film, but was cut out as Matthew Vaughn felt there wasn't enough time or money to fit him in.
This is the second time that January Jones has been cast in 1962 opposite an actor with a pork based name. The first was in Mad Men (2007) opposite Jon Hamm and then this alongside Kevin Bacon
Though ostensibly a prequel to the entire "X-Men" film franchise, this movie deliberately ignores continuity points of X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) and X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009). Matthew Vaughn explained his intention was to "make a good film that could stand on its own two feet regardless of all the other films" and also that could "reboot and start a whole new X-Men franchise". Writer Jane Goldman looked at the film as an "alternate history" for the X-Men - though a reboot, the writers did not want to go fully "against the canon of the X-Men trilogy", citing the various approaches the comic had in over fifty years of publication.
This is only the second time in a Marvel film since X-Men 2 (2003) where Stan Lee has not had a cameo appearance
This was Álex González's first English film. He enjoyed playing a villain as most of his film roles in Spain were for "good guys".
The set for Xavier's mansion was also used in a TV series called Hex (2004), which also starred Michael Fassbender, who played a character named "Azazeal" which is much like the teleporting mutant named "Azazel".
Tahyna Tozzi was considered to reprise her role as Emma Frost from X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009).
Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy's first appearance together since Band of Brothers (2001).
Bryan Singer, who directed X-Men (2000) and X-Men 2 (2003), was approached to direct this film in October 2009, but in March 2010 declined due to his commitment to Jack the Giant Slayer (2013) and was replaced with Matthew Vaughn in May 2010. Singer however stayed on as producer.
Azazel is the modern Hebrew word for "hell", which corresponds with the character's devilish nature.
To prepare for his role as Erik Lensherr, Michael Fassbender studied Sir Ian McKellen's performance as Lensherr in the previous X-Films, but also looked through the comics as he decided to make his own version of Magneto: "You want to respect what someone else has done, especially because the fan base really liked what Ian has done with it. But while I could have gone and studied him as a young man and brought that to the performance, I don't think Matthew is very interested in that. So I'm just going my own way and working with whatever is in the comic books and the script."
Ludger Pistor and Wilfried Hochholdinger portray Nazi soldiers which Michael Fassbender's character confronts in the bar scene. Pistor and Hochholdinger also played Nazis in Inglourious Basterds (2009), and Fassbender played an Allied soldier.
To prepare for his role as Beast, Nicholas Hoult studied Kelsey Grammer's performance as Beast in X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) and Grammar's early series Frasier (1993); he also underwent training in athletics, weightlifting and boxing.
The filmmakers had only two choices for the role of Sebastian Shaw: Colin Firth and Kevin Bacon. They decided to go with Bacon as he was American and seemed more menacing than Firth.
The uniforms the X-Men wear are colored blue and yellow, in homage to the original blue/yellow suits the X-Men wore in the comics from 1963 (their debut) until (original artist and co-creator) Jack Kirby's departure from the book. After several costume changes throughout the years, the costumes used in X-Men (2000) inspired new black leather uniforms seen in the Grant Morrison written 2001 New X-Men comic).
A telepathic battle between Professor X and Emma Frost was going to be in the film, but upon the release of Inception (2010) the concept was scrapped.
Although they barely interact during this movie (and in fact are antagonists through most of it), according to the comics canon, Azazel and Mystique eventually have a child together, Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler (who was played by Alan Cumming in X-Men 2 (2003)).
During the Cerebro sequence, one of the mutants to be seen is Cyclops as a young boy playing with a glove and baseball, noticeable by his sunglasses, and the other being Storm, most noticeable by her haircut.
To prepare for his role as Charles Xavier, James McAvoy shaved his head... and learned that the filmmakers wanted Xavier to have a full head of hair in the prequel. Throughout the first month of filming McAvoy had to wear hair extensions. - DirectorGavin HoodStarsHugh JackmanLiev SchreiberRyan ReynoldsThe early years of James Logan, featuring his rivalry with his brother Victor Creed, his service in the special forces team Weapon X, and his experimentation into the metal-lined mutant Wolverine.Also co-starring:
Lynn Collins, Kevin Durand, Dominic Monaghan, Taylor Kitsch,
Daniel Henney, Ryan Reynolds and Patrick Stewart (uncredited)
[from trailer]
Logan: I'm the best there is at what I do, and what I do best isn't very nice. I'm the Wolverine.
Hugh Jackman recommended his Kate & Leopold (2001) co-star Liev Schreiber for the role of Sabretooth, describing him as having the necessary competitive streak to portray Sabretooth. During filming, they dared each other to perform more and more of their own stunts.
In the film, Logan fights in the American Civil War, WWI, WWII, and the Vietnam War. In the comics, he participates in WWI and WWII, even teaming up with Captain America in the latter.
In the flashback to Africa, a young black girl with white hair can be seen. This is the young Ororo Monroe (Storm), the future X-Men member. This scene was removed from the final film, but appears as a deleted scene in the DVD.
A "Deadpool" movie had been in the works since 2004, with David S. Goyer directing and starring Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool. Reynolds himself had dreamed of playing Deadpool, and when he heard Deadpool was given a place in the script, he immediately approached the filmmakers for the role.
This is the first time the mutant Gambit appears in an X-Film. He was planned to make appearances in the previous X-Films, but was always cut out.
Remy LeBeau (Gambit)'s last name is French for "the handsome" ("le beau"). In the comics, Gambit is well-known for his good looks and charm (in fact the comics it's considered a tactile hypnosis).
Gambit's portrayal in this film is inspired by his "Ultimate X-Men" version, where he was a retired thief and carries a Southern/Cajun accent.
In Africa, William Stryker carries out an interrogation as to the location of adamantium. Adamantium (or in its raw mineral state, vibranium) is located in the African kingdom of Wakanda, ruled by T'Challa, the Black Panther (a superhero).
The old couple Logan encounters are named Travis and Heather Hudson. These are the civilian names of Guardian and Vindicator, the leaders of Alpha Flight, a Canadian governmental mutant team (in the comics however Guardian's name is James MacDonald Hudson).
Brian Cox was interested in reprising his role as William Stryker from X-Men 2 (2003), using the digital skin-grafting VFX used in the last film on Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen. The filmmakers thought it would be easier and cheaper to cast a younger actor instead and hired Danny Huston.
Karl Urban and Gerard Butler were both considered for the part of Victor Creed.
Liev Schreiber was originally considered for the role of Colonel William Stryker, but he requested to take the role of Victor Creed as he found that role more interesting.
Michael C. Hall was at one point considered for the role of William Stryker.
Tyler Mane, who played Sabretooth in X-Men (2000), requested to reprise the role, but he was turned down by the filmmakers who wanted a younger actor for the prequel.
Gavin Hood compared the relationship between Logan and Victor Creed to the tennis rivalry between players Björn Borg and John McEnroe: Victor hates Logan because he loves and needs his brother, but is too proud to admit he wants him back.
This is the first film to be produced by Hugh Jackman and John Palermo's new production company, Seed Productions.
Tim Pocock (Scott Summers - Cyclops) describes this film as Scott's big transition moment, when Scott goes from a troubled teenager to a leader in the span of the film.
In New Orleans, Victor Creed (Sabertooth) asks Logan (Wolverine) if he even knows how to kill him to which Logan responds "I'm gonna cut your goddamn head off!" In the comics Wolverine actually killed Sabretooth that way (it doesn't happen in the film though).
With this film, Hugh Jackman emerges as the first actor to be credited as playing a comic book hero in four consecutive films since Christopher Reeve as Superman. (Patrick Stewart also appears in this film and the 3 previous X-Men films, though his appearance is uncredited, with CGI used to make him appear younger, as was used in X-Men: The Last Stand (2006).)
The telepathic mutant Emma Frost was going to have a major role in X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), but when Brett Ratner replaced Bryan Singer as that film's director, she was removed from the film. To make up for her removal, she appears in a cameo in this film and has a major role in X-Men: First Class (2011). She has been revised to be Kayla Silver Fox's sister; this indirectly explains Kayla's telepathic abilities, when in the comics Kayla only has a healing ability and weapons skills (ironically Emma herself shows no indication of telepathy in this film).
Some of the mutants William Stryker has captured and encaged are recognizable:
the tongued boy is Mortimer Toynbee (Toad, who was seen in X-Men (2000));
the teenager with the tornado is Sofia Mantega (Wind Dancer), who can summon winds;
the boy vibrating in his cage is Pietro Maximoff (Quicksilver, son of Magneto), whose power is super-speed;
and the boy with the tape over his mouth is Sean Cassidy (Banshee, who appears in X-Men: First Class (2011)), whose power is sonic-level screaming.
Daniel Negreanu: The only other poker player shown at the table other than Gambit and Wolverine when they first meet, is Daniel Negreanu, a popular real life Canadian professional poker player. He has won four World Series of Poker bracelets and two World Poker Tour titles. - DirectorMartin BrestStarsRobert De NiroCharles GrodinYaphet KottoA bounty hunter pursues a former Mafia accountant who is also being chased by a rival bounty hunter, the F.B.I., and his old mob boss after jumping bail.Jack Walsh: I can't keep you cuffed on a commercial flight, and I gotta check my gun with my luggage, but you f*%$ with me once and I'm gonna break your neck.
Jonathan Mardukas: I can't fly.
Jack Walsh: What?
Jonathan Mardukas: You heard me, I can't fly.
Jack Walsh: No, no, no. You're going to have to do better than that, pal.
Jonathan Mardukas: No, I don't have to do better than that, because it's the truth, I can't fly: I suffer from aviaphobia.
Jack Walsh: What does that mean?
Jonathan Mardukas: It means I can't fly. I also suffer from acrophobia and claustrophobia.
Jack Walsh: I'll tell you what: if you don't cooperate, you're gonna suffer from "fistophobia".
Paramount Pictures originally owned the rights to Midnight Run, and they wanted a big name star to appear opposite 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, Suspect and Moonstruck. It was felt that casting Cher opposite 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 next suggested giving the role to Robin Williams, who had recently had a big hit with Good Morning, Vietnam. Williams read and liked the script, and agreed to audition. In the meantime however, Brest had auditioned the little known Charles Grodin and had liked Grodin's interaction with De Niro. As such, Breast cast Grodin without auditioning Williams, and Paramount decided to drop out of the project, selling the rights to Universal, who went ahead with the De Niro/Grodin casting.
The boxcar scene where Jack Walsh (Robert De Niro) and John Mardukas (Charles Grodin) discuss whether or not they could ever be friends, was almost entirely improvised on set. As regards Grodin's famous "Have you ever had sex with a chicken?" line, he was told by director Martin Brest to come up with something that was guaranteed to make even Robert De Niro laugh.
Charles Grodin has permanent scars resulting from the real handcuffs he had to wear for a great deal of the film.
Danny Elfman wrote lyrics for the end credits theme "Try to believe". He sang the lead and recorded it with his band Oingo Boingo under the guise of "Mosley & the B-men". This version only appears on the soundtrack album. It was mixed by Brian Foraker
Dennis Farina shot all of his scenes in Las Vegas because he was also shooting the TV show Crime Story there as well.
Yaphet Kotto was suffering from a fever for almost his entire involvement in the movie.
The theatrical trailer for the film shows several scenes which were not included in the final cut. For example, shortly after Jack (Robert De Niro) has captured Jonathan (Charles Grodin) for the first time, there is a scene where they are driving down a city street at night, and Mardukas tries to escape from the car, causing Jack to point his gun at Mardukas and tell him to make himself comfortable, to which Mardukas responds "I'm very comfortable." Another scene involves Jack, Jonathan and Marvin (John Aston) in the car trying to escape from the helicopter, and Jack turns around and yells "They're gaining on us," to which Mardukas responds "Of course, they're gaining on us, they're in a helicopter." A third scene occurs when Jack and Mardukas get the lift from the Native Americans, and as they are traveling along the road a Native American asks them if they travel a lot, to which Jack and Mardukas look knowingly at one another.
Director Cameo
Martin Brest: Ticket clerk who serves Marvin (John Aston): "smoking or non smoking?" - DirectorJames FrawleyStarsChristopher McDonaldJulie LottJeremy LawrenceJack Walsh tries to track down two of the top con-artists around. But they know every trick in the book and Jack has trouble bringing them back to LA and getting a $45,000 pay day reward.Jack Walsh: You. What's with the weird cuffs?
Bernie Abbot: Oh, we got these at the Pleasure Chest.
Helen Bishop: Our sex life was good.
Bernie Abbot: When was that, chuckles? Remind me.
Jack Walsh: Shut up.
"MY WAY"
Written by Jacques Revaux, Claude François and Paul Anka
Performed by Frank Sinatra
"FLY ME TO THE MOON"
Written by Bart Howard
Performed by Frank Sinatra - DirectorFrank De PalmaStarsChristopher McDonaldKyle SecorEd O'RossBounty hunter Jack Walsh heads for a small rural community in Oklahoma to bring back a young bail jumper, only to discover that the entire town has united to prevent the young man's arrest.Jack Walsh: You know, I am so *sick* of you chicken fried stakes! I hate chicken! I am sick of you southern hospitality with your
[southern accent]"hiddy-ohs" and "thank yous!" And I'm especially sick of breathing air I CAN'T SEE!
Lester: Hogwash! You're not going to shoot that boy!
Jack Walsh: Hogwash?
[laughs]
Jack Walsh: I'm from L.A., remember? I kill people for cutting me off in traffic! - DirectorDaniel SackheimStarsMelora WaltersRichard HerkertJennifer ManasseriWhen an accused murderer flees to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, bounty hunter Jack Walsh is hired to bring her back, unaware that the police, a hitman and a dangerous drug lord are hot on his trail.Lorna Bellstratton: [Jack takes Lorna dancing for fun] This is really very sweet of you.
Jack Walsh: Shut up.
Lorna Bellstratton: That's okay, you don't have to be nice to me, it's probably easier that way, huh? Can you at least tell me your name?
Jack Walsh: No.
Lorna Bellstratton: Aw, come on.
Jack Walsh: [signs] ... Jack
Lorna Bellstratton: Really? That's my dog's name!
Jack Walsh: You don't say.
Lorna Bellstratton: You mean your not the Road Runner?
Jack Walsh: [laughs] I'm not even Wile E. Coyote.
[Lorna slaps him]
Jack Walsh: What the hell was that for?
Lorna Bellstratton: Who are you?
Jack Walsh: Jack. Like your dog, remember?
Lorna Bellstratton: Are you a cop?
Jack Walsh: No!
Lorna Bellstratton: Oh my God! You work for Michael, don't you?
Jack Walsh: Michael who?
Lorna Bellstratton: Don't give me that, I know exactly what's going on! He sent you to bring me back and finish the job! But I'm sorry, but, you aren't going to have that opportunity because I'm perfectly capable of killing myself, thank you.
Jack Walsh: I think we both had enough fun for one night.
IT HAD TO BE YOU
Written by Isham Jones and Gus Kahn
Performed by Melora Walters - DirectorTommy Lee WallaceStarsTom AtkinsStacey NelkinDan O'HerlihyKids all over America want Silver Shamrock masks for Halloween. Doctor Daniel Challis seeks to uncover a plot by Silver Shamrock owner Conal Cochran.