"B" Titled Films!

Co-starring: Don Harvey, Kabir Bedi, Erick Avari, Chaim Jeraffi (as Haim Gerafi) , Shoshi Marciano (as Shosh Marciano)

When the film was made at Columbia, David Puttnam was head of the studio. By the time the film was released, Puttnam was out and 'Dawn Steel (I)' was head of the studio. As a result, the film was released in a small number of theaters under the title "The Beast".

The fire commands and terminology used by the tank crew in combat are the same as used by U.S. Army tank crews. This was to add military flavor to the movie, and give it a very realistic feel.

Captain (USMC, Ret.) Dale Dye served as the military/technical advisor on this film. He is frequently employed as such as well as actor in Oliver Stone films.

The words "Badal" and "Nanawatai" that are spoken by the rebels in the film mean "Revenge" and "Mercy".

For increased realism, 90mm blank shells were modified to fire a weight of water out of the tanks' 105mm cannons, thus causing the cannon to recoil as if it had fired a live shell.

Although in the original movie the actors use American military lingo and commands, which is quite out of place for Soviet soldiers, the Hungarian version of the movie corrected much of these errors and added authentic Warsaw Pact jargon and commands. Interestingly though, the tank commander repeatedly calls a shrapnel shell "kartács" which is an outdated word for grapeshot.

Co-starring: Ralph Waite, Tomas Arana, Michele Lamar Richards, Mike Starr, DeVaughn Nixon, Christopher Birt, Charles Keating, Robert Wuhl, Debbie Reynolds, Richard Schiff, Bert Remsen, Linda Thompson, David Foster, Towanna King, John Tesh (voice) (uncredited)

David Foster and then wife Linda Thompson, (previously Elvis's girlfriend, and Bruce Jenner's wife,) Co-wrote the lyrics and music to several of the songs in this movie. " I Have Nothing" among them. David Foster won an emmy for producing this soundtrack. Kevin Costner requested that he produce for him, after just meeting him.

Kevin Costner, during his eulogy at Whitney Houston's Feb. 18, 2012 funeral, related that when Whitney auditioned for her role, her makeup had begun running down her face. Before the audition, Whitney had hurriedly removed her movie-set makeup and had instead applied her regular show-business makeup she used at concerts so she would feel more normal. The heat of the lighting for her audition caused the replacement makeup to run. Kevin quickly halted the audition; Whitney returned to her trailer where she related what had happened to Kevin. The movie makeup was re-applied, and the audition was then successfully completed.

As of 2015, with over 37 million albums sold, "The Bodyguard" is the best-selling soundtrack of all time. "Saturday Night Fever" places second--with nearly 10 million fewer albums sold.

Rachel and Frank go and see Yojimbo (1961), which was released in the United States as "The Bodyguard".

At the fictional Academy Awards ceremony, the Best Sound Oscar goes to Mychal Smith and Kay Colvin (who were in reality the Boom Operator and Cable Person respectively), the Best Song winner is written by Nancy Garber (who was really the film's Art Department Researcher) and one of the fictional nominated songwriters was Leslie Moraes (who was really the film's Assistant Location Manager).

The wisecracking host at the fictional Academy Awards ceremony is comedian Robert Wuhl, who wrote jokes for Billy Crystal's Academy Awards hosting duties in 1990 and 1991.

Crew driver Bill Vitagliano was killed in an on-set accident when he was crushed between two colliding scissor-lifts, during the preparation for an underground parking garage scene.

Pat Benatar, Olivia Newton-John, Madonna, Joan Jett, Debbie Harry, Janet Jackson, Terri Nunn, Kim Carnes and Dolly Parton were considered for the role of Rachel Marron.

This film was originally proposed in the mid-'70s, starring Diana Ross and Steve McQueen, but was rejected as "too controversial". The film concept was to be attempted again in the late 1970s, with Ryan O'Neal and Diana Ross cast as the leads. The project fell through after only a few months because of irreconcilable differences between O'Neal and Ross, who had been dating.

Kevin Costner said that he based his portrayal of Frank Farmer on actor Steve McQueen. He even went as far as to get McQueen's trademark haircut for the role.

Whitney Houston suffered a miscarriage during production and missed a couple of weeks of production recovering.

Rachel's mansion is the same mansion as the "horse's head in the bed" mansion in The Godfather (1972).

Co-starring: Teresa Hill, Kevin West, Kylie Minogue, Dara Tomanovich, Henry Gibson, Taylor Negron, Rose McGowan, Channon Roe, Trevor St. John, Jack Black, Kyle Gass, Tucker Smallwood, Phil LaMarr, Patricia Hearst

One of the songs used in this film, Da Da Da I Don't Love You You Don't Love Me (or simply Da Da Da) was also used in the film _Thick As Thieves (1998)_ which features 'Stephen Baldwin''s brother Alec Baldwin .

The news footage about Buttercup the clown being shot is a parody of the Zappruder film, which captured John F. Kennedy's assassination.

Henry Gibson starred in The Blues Brothers (1980) in which the final scenes of the film had SWAT team members yelling "HUT HUT HUT" as they were moving into position. The same can be seen and heard with SWAT officers near the end of this movie, almost as if it's an indirect reference to the earlier movie.

During the "restoration of the dome" sequence near the end of the film in which Safety Dance is playing, a dwarf dressed in medieval attire is following the group. This is a direct reference to the original music video for Safety Dance, which features a dwarf in those same clothes.

A rumor later circulated that the film was originally written as a third entry in the Bill and Ted series, and re-worked after the two main stars, Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves, declined to appear.

Actors Jack Black and Kyle Gass perform together as the musical group Tenacious D in real life.

Kylie Minogue called this film her "worst career move". She said that it is the only thing she has done in her professional life that her father ridicules her for.

Alec Baldwin told Stephen Baldwin that doing this movie could be the single most career-ending decision he could possibly make.

Co-starring: Veronica Cartwright, Malcolm Atterbury, Karl Swenson, Charles McGraw, Joe Mantell, Doodles Weaver, Richard Deacon, Bill Quinn, Morgan Brittany, Alfred Hitchcock (uncredited)

A number of endings were being considered for this film. One that was considered would have showed the Golden Gate Bridge completely covered by birds.

The film does not finish with the usual "THE END" title because Alfred Hitchcock wanted to give the impression of unending terror.

Director Cameo Alfred Hitchcock: At the start of the film walking two dogs out of the pet shop (the dogs were actually his own, white terriers named Geoffrey and Stanley).

Tippi Hedren was born January 19 and Suzanne Pleshette died January 19.

According to her autobiography, Jill Ireland auditioned for the role of Melanie Daniels.

Hitchcock revealed on The Dick Cavett Show that 3,200 birds were trained for the movie. He said the ravens were the cleverest, and the sea gulls were the most vicious.

One of the little girls at Cathy's birthday party who walks and stands by the door was played by Suzanne Cupito. She later changed to her stage name, Morgan Brittany. Dallas (1978) fans may remember her as Pamela Ewing's evil half-sister, Katherine Wentworth.

Cast member Doodles Weaver was the uncle of actress Sigourney Weaver, who worked with Veronica Cartwright in Alien (1979), and with Tippi Hedren's daughter, Melanie Griffith, in Working Girl (1988).

According to Tippi Hedren, she signed an seven year contract with Alfred Hitchcock to work in "The Birds" before she even met him. She thought he meant to feature her in Hitch's TV series, but he flew in Martin Balsam to do screen tests of her in scenes from Rebecca (1940), Notorious (1946), and To Catch a Thief (1955).

Alfred Hitchcock considered Sean Connery for the role of Mitch Brenner. He did cast Connery in his next film Marnie (1964).

There is no musical score for the film except for the sounds created on the mixtrautonium, an early electronic musical instrument, by Oskar Sala, and the children singing in the school.

'Alfred Hitchcock' (I) briefly considered 'Cary Grant' for the role of Mitch Brenner, but decided against using the hugely expensive actor because he felt the birds and the Hitchcock name were the big attractions.

In the The Birds II: Land's End (1994), Tippi Hedren does not play her character in this film of Melanie Daniels but a character named Helen.

Rod Taylor claims that the seagulls were fed a mixture of wheat and whiskey. It was the only way to get them to stand around so much.

The schoolhouse, in Bodega, California, has also been known to be haunted, even back during the filming. According to Tippi Hedren, the entire cast was spooked to be there. She also mentioned how she had the feeling, while there, that "the building was immensely populated... but there was nobody there." When Hitchcock was told about the schoolhouse being haunted, according to Hedren, he was even more encouraged to film there.

When audiences left the film's UK premiere at the Odeon, Leicester Square, London, they were greeted by the sound of screeching and flapping birds from loudspeakers hidden in the trees to scare them further.

Co-starring: Martin Lawrence, Grace Jones, Geoffrey Holder, Eartha Kitt, Chris Rock, Tisha Campbell-Martin, Lela Rochon, John Witherspoon, Bebe Drake, Jonathan P. Hicks, Tom Mardirosian, Melvin Van Peebles, Reginald Hudlin, Warrington Hudlin, Daryl 'Chill' Mitchell, Gene 'Groove' Allen, Al Cerullo

The shot of Helen Strangé walking naked through an airport was originally part of a scene that took place within the film. But director Reginald Hudlin felt that the scene would be too shocking so instead a small clip is shown as if it were footage shot for her perfume commercial.

Both Halle Barry and Grace Jones played a 'Bond' girl in two separate James Bond films, Grace Jones in View To A Kill with Roger Moore (1985) and Halle Barry in Die Another Day with Pierce Brosnan (2002). Also actor Geoffrey Holder played the Voodoo Magician in the James Bond film Live and Let Die with Roger Moore (1973).

Jonathan P. Hicks was cast as Lady Eloise's butler after the original actor fell sick. Hicks is a reporter for the New York Times and a friend of Hudlin's.

Halle Berry was the only actress to audition for the part of Angela. Murphy and Hudlin cast her immediately after seeing her screen test. Vanessa Williams was considered for the role of Jacqueline.

The studio was nervous about Robin Givens being cast as Jacqueline. At the time, she was labeled as a cold-hearted golddigger by the media and the general public during her marriage to Mike Tyson. Hudlin felt her public image made her perfect for the part because she could be seen as a strong woman who could control Marcus.

This film features two actresses who have played Catwoman.

Also starring: Richard Dysart, Richard Basehart, David Clennon, Ruth Attaway, Alice Hirson, James Noble, Basil Hoffman(uncredited)

After the novel's release and the subsequent purchase of rights to the book, Peter Sellers successfully lobbied for the lead role by sending a telegram to author Jerzy Kosinski with the message, "Gardener available for work". It was during casting and after the success of the later Pink Panther movies that Sellers became the only choice for the lead role.

When the gay partygoer, who thinks Chance has suggested his interest in watching gay sex, says "You wait here: I'll go get Warren," this may be a dig at 'Warren Beatty'. Beatty's heterosexual activity was legendary, and the professional and personal relationship between him and Hal Ashby was at times virulent, with Ashby refusing to see Beatty during the waning months of his life.

In the scene where Chance decides to try kissing Eve, he is watching The Thomas Crown Affair (1968) from 1968 on television as his example. Hal Ashby, the director of this film, was the editor of that film.

Originally there was a different last shot planned for the funeral sequence at the end of the film. Director Hal Ashby was chatting with another director one day about filming when he commented how well everything was going. "It's like walking on air," he said, then suddenly was struck with a thought. He changed the last shot to the one that appears now in the movie.

It took Peter Sellers nearly nine years to get this movie made by a studio, mainly because by the 1970s Sellers' career had hit rock bottom and no studio in Hollywood would work with him. After the revival (and success) of the Pink Panther movies, Lorimar Pictures finally greenlit the project.

Peter Sellers patterned the voice for Chance the gardener after his idol, Stan Laurel.

Peter Sellers was nominated for the Oscar for Best Actor. Some said the reason Sellers lost was because of the outtakes at the very end of the movie as the credits are rolling. Sellers himself later said the outtakes "broke the spell" of the movie.

Despite Peter Sellers' repeated requests, the producers would not remove the outtakes from the version they submitted to Cannes.

In different versions, the end credits are either shown over retakes of Chance saying a line that was not in the movie (the message from Raphael, restored to the home video version) or shown over TV white noise. Peter Sellers was at the film's screening at the 1980 Cannes Film Festival and was furious with director Hal Ashby and the producers for including the outtakes version of the end credits at this performance as well as the audience's reaction to them. This incident may have finally made the producers change their minds. When the film opened soon after in Australia in late May 1980, the entire end credits were removed from all prints (leading to a deafening thud on the soundtrack after the film's final line). These prints were all replaced with versions including the "white noise" end credits, including the film's main theme by composer Johnny Mandel.

Final films of actor Richard Basehart and actress Ruth Attaway.

Also starring: Tom Sizemore, Marc Anthony, Mary Beth Hurt, Cliff Curtis, Nestor Serrano, Aida Turturro, Martin Scorsese, David Zayas, Queen Latifah, Michael Carbonaro

Before writing the script, Paul Schrader went out on several ambulance runs to get a real flavor of what the crews have to put up with on a normal night. The first night he rode with them, he had to contend with the grisly sight of seeing a homeless man who had been cut in half by a subway train.

The film cast includes three Oscar winners: Nicolas Cage, Martin Scorsese and Patricia Arquette; and one Oscar nominee: Queen Latifah.

Joe Connelly, the N.Y.C. paramedic who wrote the book and served as technical advisor, has a cameo. In the E.R. waiting room scene where the security guard Griss controls the chaos, aided by his shades, Joe is a catatonic patient walked past the scene by a nurse. He is wearing a brown suede coat and faces forward before being led away.

Nicolas Cage said that what originally attracted him to Bringing Out the Dead was the opportunity to work with Martin Scorsese.

Martin Scorsese has admitted that he didn't enjoy shooting the film at all. Most of it was filmed at night in mid-December so conditions were continually harsh.

Martin Scorsese and Nicolas Cage rode along with real NYC paramedics in preparation for filming Bringing Out the Dead.

This, along with Sleepy Hollow (1999), was the last movie to be released on the LaserDisc format.

Nicolas Cage and Patricia Arquette were husband and wife at the time of filming. They would divorce two years later.

Martin Scorsese said the reason he wanted Paul Schrader to write the script is because he felt Schrader was best at writing about "New York in the middle of the night".

Screen-writer Paul Schrader's first choice for the role of Frank Pierce was Edward Norton.

According to Tom Sizemore, he and Marc Anthony did not get along and almost had a physical altercation on the set.

Also starring: Kent Smith, Nehemiah Persoff, Robert Emhardt, Anthony Caruso, Adam Williams, and UNCREDITED: Roberto Contreras, Richard Devon, Ann Doran, Sam Edwards, Karl Swenson

Also starring: Lon Chaney Jr., Charles Bronson, Felicia Farr, Roy Roberts, Willis Bouchey, Robert Bray

Motion picture debut of actress Felicia Farr, credited onscreen as Randy Farr. The following year she would "debut" as Felicia Farr in 'Jubal' (1956) also co-starring Charles Bronson.

Also starring: Jack Starrett, Robert Tessier, Paul Prokop, Jeff Cooper, Janice Miller, Delores Taylor (uncredited) and Jane Russell as Mrs. Shorn

Banned in Sweden for its violence in 1968, 1972 and 1975.

Tom Laughlin used the pseudonym T.C. Frank for his director's credit. The name stands for his three children, Frank, Teresa, and Christina

When Billy Jack and Vicky Barrington meet the astrologer in the restaurant, he asks Billy when his birthday is. Billy replies "August 10th." This is the birthday of Tom Laughlin, who plays Billy Jack. ”

Also starring: Julius Harris, Val Avery, Andrew Duggan (uncredited)

Tommy Gibbs: You can sleep until noon, if you want anything, just press a button.

Mama Gibbs: Me? Live in this apartment? Why they'd hang me right off that terrace, Jew folks ain't even allowed here.

Originally offered to Sammy Davis Jr., who turned it down.

The name Caesar is never spoken in the movie.

Cameo: Andrew Duggan as 'man at shoeshine.'

The scene where Tommy Gibbs is beaten by the group of punks was originally cut from the original film. It just showed Tommy wandering the slums and then fade to the city skyline with the caption "August 22, 1972". The scene was restored on the 2001 DVD release.

Also starring: Luis Guzman, Leland Orser, Bobby Cannavale, Ed O'Neill, and Phillip Noyce (uncredited)

Angelina Jolie has admitted in interviews she shot nude scenes for this movie but the director cut them feeling they distracted from the story.

When Amelia jumps into the river to rescue the old man and his grand daughter, she was actually jumping into a heated pool. A vegetable dye was added to give the water its appearance.

John Benjamin Hickey (Dr. Barry Lehman) and Luis Guzmán (Eddie Ortiz) also co-starred with Denzel Washington in "The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3", (2009).

Director Cameo Phillip Noyce: a man browsing through books in the bookstore that Angelina Jolie enters.

Also starring: Jason Schwartzman, Terence Stamp, Jon Polito, Delaney Raye, Madeleine Arthur, James Saito

In the 1990s Tim Burton, a Keane artwork collector and later director of the film Big Eyes (about Keane), commissioned the artist to paint a portrait of his then-girlfriend Lisa Marie.

Amy Adams replaced Reese Witherspoon in the lead female role. She previously replaced Witherspoon in Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009) and The Master (2012).

In 1998, cartoon series the Powerpuff Girls debuts by animator Craig McCracken, featuring leads based on Keane's "waifs" (and a character named "Ms. Keane").

Kate Hudson and Thomas Haden Church were previously attached to play the lead roles. They were replaced with Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Reynolds. After a year in development, Witherspoon and Reynolds dropped out and Amy Adams and Christoph Waltz took the lead roles.

The amount of sales of Margaret Keane Paintings soared ahead of the release of the film, with small paintings being sold for $8,500 a piece. Director Tim Burton also owns an extensive collection of her work. Keane has also painted portraits of Burton's partner Helena Bonham Carter and Burton's former Chihuahua.

When Margaret and Walter are painting in front of the San Francisco palace of Fine Arts, the real Margaret Keane can be seen reading a book on the park bench behind them.

Also starring: Joaquim de Almeida, A Martinez, Geoffrey Palmer, Jorge Russek, Josefina Echánove, Nicolas Jasso, Gerado 'Chiquilin' Zepeda (uncredited)

One of six feature films that have starred both Bob Hoskins and Michael Caine. The films include Blue Ice (1992), Last Orders (2001), Mona Lisa (1986), Sweet Liberty (1986), Beyond the Limit (1983) and for television, World War II: When Lions Roared (1994).

About six hundred actresses were interviewed for the role of Clara. Mexican actress Elpidia Carrillo was cast in the movie after having recently appeared with Jack Nicholson in The Border (1982).

The Paramount Pictures studio changed the film's title from "The Honorary Consul" to "Beyond the Limit" for the film's American release. They did this because they believed that public audiences would not generally know what a 'consul' or an 'honorary consul' was. John Mackenzie and others involved in the making of this movie were against the American title change.

Also starring: James Farentino, Kristen Wilson, Bill Nunn, Monica Potter, Xander Berkeley, David Labiosa, Conrad Goode, Sven-Ole Thorsen (uncredited)

Originally pitched as a project for Ice-T to star in.

James Woods' was originally chosen to play Frank Colton, but had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts with Ghosts of Mississippi (1996).

When Keats and Moses are in the bar, one mentions that his kebab meat "looks like something out of Jeffrey Dahmer's refrigerator." Jeffrey Dahmer was a serial killer who would cut up his victims and would sometimes keep parts of them in his refrigerator.

Also starring: Jackie Earle Haley, Chris Barnes, Erin Blunt, David Pollock, Gary Lee Cavagnaro, Quinn Smith, Brandon Cruz,

Tanner Boyle: All we got on this team are a buncha Jews, spics, *beep* pansies, and a booger-eatin' moron! Ogilvie: Tanner, I think you need to be reminded from time to time that you are one of the few people on this team who is not a Jew, *beep* *beep* pansy or booger-eating moron. So you'd better cool it or we may be disposed to beat the crap out of you.

The Bears were the only team in the league whose nickname and colors were not borrowed from a major league baseball team. This helped reinforce their status as misfits and underdogs.

Kristy McNichol was originally offered the role of Amanda; after successfully auditioning, the producers told her when they would begin filming and to start preparing, but McNichol says over one weekend they changed their minds and she got the disappointing call they were giving the role to Tatum O'Neal.

Bill Lancaster's screenplay was based on his experiences with his father, Burt Lancaster. Buttermaker was based on Burt, who was known for his grumpiness and the character of Amanda was based on himself. Burt Lanacster would later be cast as an aged version of early 20th Century ballplayer, Archibald "Moonlight" Graham in Field of Dreams.

When Coach Buttermaker (Walter Matthau) is getting into his car after leaving Councilman Whitewood's office, there's a sign in the background for a production of "Hello, Dolly!". Matthau played Horace Vandergelder in Hello, Dolly!.

Also starring: Chris Barnes, Erin Blunt, Brett Marx, David Pollock, Quinn Smith, Lane Smith, Dolph Sweet, George Wyner

Kelly Leak: The team's in trouble back at the hotel. Mike Leak: How can you get in trouble at a hotel? Kelly Leak: You don't know the Bears.

During the game at the Astrodome, a Toros player comments that Jimmy Feldman looks like "one of the Marx Brothers". Brett Marx, who plays Jimmy, is the grandson of Gummo Marx, a brother of the Marx Brothers.

Gary Lee Cavagnaro played Engleburg in the original The Bad News Bears. By the time it came to film 'The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training', he had grown about 4 inches and lost a tremendous amount of weight. Since he no longer looked like his character, the part had to be recast.

Also starring: George Wyner, Erin Blunt, Brett Marx, David Pollock, David Stambaugh, Jeffrey Louis Starr, Regis Philbin, Sonny Barnes, Shô Kosugi (uncredited)

Abe Bernstein: Marvin, if I take off my shoes, I'm going to get athlete's foot! Marvin Lazar: Well, that'll be the only part of you that is an athlete.

The Paramount mountain changes into Mount Fuji before the opening credits begin.

Also starring: R.H. Thomson, Gordon Pinsent, Kenneth Welsh, Hal Holbrook, Gordon Clapp, Ron Lea

Also starring: Martha Scott, Hugh Griffith, Sam Jaffe, Frank Thring, Finlay Currie, Cathy O'Donnell

[first lines and off-screen]

Balthasar: [narrating, off screen] In the Year of our Lord, Judea - for nearly a century - had lain under the mastery of Rome. In the seventh year of the reign of Augustus Caesar, an imperial decree ordered every Judean each to return to his place of birth to be counted and taxed. The converging ways of many of them led to the gates of their capital city, Jerusalem, the troubled heart of their land. The old city was dominated by the fortress of Antonia, the seat of Roman power, and by the great golden temple, the outward sign of an inward and imperishable faith. Even while they obeyed the will of Caesar, the people clung proudly to their ancient heritage, always remembering the promise of their prophets that one day there would be born among them a redeemer to bring them salvation and perfect freedom.

Cameo May McAvoy: Esther from the original Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1925) is the only member of the original MGM film to appear in Ben-Hur (1959) as well. She's an extra in a crowd scene. This was to be her last film of May McAvoy.

Shiek Ilderim's 4 horses names are Aldebaran, Altair, Antares & Rigel. Their mother's name is Mera.

Sergio Leone has an uncredited second unit director credit. In later years, he claimed that he directed the chariot race scenes, but that is an apparently self-serving exaggeration (Leone had a reputation for stretching the truth).

During filming, director William Wyler noticed that one of the extras was missing a hand. He had the make-up department construct a prosthetic that included a protruding false bone to cover the man's stump for the scene where the galley was rammed by a pirate ship. Wyler made similar use of an extra who was missing a foot

According to his memoirs Stewart Granger was offered the role of Messala but claimed that he turned it down on the advice of his agent who recommended Granger not to play a supporting role to Charlton Heston.

It is the first movie remake to win the Oscar for Best Picture. The Departed (2006) became the second remake, 47 years later.

Audrey Hepburn visited the set during the filming of the chariot race (she was in the midst of shooting The Nun's Story (1959)). This led to the false legend that she was an extra in the crowd scenes, as a favor to William Wyler, who gave Hepburn her first starring role in Roman Holiday (1953), for which she won the Oscar. Hepburn, one of Wyler's favorite actresses and people, would make two more films for him, The Children's Hour (1961) and How to Steal a Million (1966)

Leslie Nielsen made a screen test for the part of Messala, part of which can be seen in the documentary Ben-Hur: The Making of an Epic (1993).

Stuntman Cliff Lyons worked as a stuntman/chariot driver in both Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1925) and the remake Ben-Hur (1959).

Martha Scott was 45 at the time of filming, only 10 years older than her screen son. She also played Charlton Heston's mother in The Ten Commandments (1956) three years before.

Jesus Christ was played by American opera singer Claude Heater, who went uncredited in his only feature film role, because he never spoke. He was born in Oakland, California.

Stephen Boyd, and several other actors playing Romans, wore dark contact lenses, so their eyes appeared brown.

Paul Newman was offered the role of Judah Ben-Hur but turned it down because he'd already done one Biblical-era film, "The Silver Chalice," hated the experience and said it also taught him that he didn't have the legs to wear a tunic.

MGM offered Universal-International $750,000 for the loan-out of their contractee Rock Hudson. Hudson seriously considered accepting the part until his agent explained to him that the film's gay subtext was too much of a risk to his career.

Burt Lancaster, a self-described atheist, claimed he turned down the role of Judah Ben-Hur because he "didn't like the violent morals in the story" and because he did not want to promote Christianity.

Sheik Ilderim's white horses were brought in from Lipica, Slovenia, the original home of the snow-white "Lipizzaner" horse breed. Glenn H. Randall Sr. trained 78 horses for the film, starting months before photography began.

Beowulf: You don't have to be good all the time. Just when it matters.

A futuristic adaptation of the Old English folk tale of Beowulf.

The opening of the film rips off the opening of the 1995 film "Mortal Kombat".

Christopher Lambert declined to reprise his role as Rayden in "Mortal Kombat: Annihilation" to star as Beowulf.

Also starring: Sung Kang, Sarah Shahi, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Jon Seda, Holt McCallany, Brian Van Holt,

[first lines]

James Bonomo: The guy I just saved is a cop. That's not the usual way I do things, but sometimes you gotta abandon your principles and do what's right.

Thomas Jane was brought into the project by original director Wayne Kramer. When Kramer left the project, Jane suggested Sylvester Stallone to hire Walter Hill. After Hill took over directorial duties, Joel Silver came on board the project and fired Jane because he wanted an ethnic guy for the other lead role. Sung Kang was subsequently cast.

Walter Hill's first film since Undisputed, 10 years earlier.

Christian Slater's first major role in an theatrical film in eight years since Alone in the Dark.

Sylvester Stallone's character is named James "Jimmy Bobo" Bonomo. In Oscar, Stallone's character talked about his first job, working for James "Jumpin' Jimmy" Bonomo. In both movies, Stallone has a daughter named Lisa, and both films include hitmen as central characters.

Also starring: Ice Cube, Angela Bassett, Morris Chestnut, Nia Long Jessie Lawrence Ferguson, Desi Arnez Hines II, Regina King, Vonte Sweet, Whitman Mayo John Singleton (uncredited)

Furious Styles: Why is it that there is a gun shop on almost every corner in this community?

The Old Man: Why?

Furious Styles: I'll tell you why. For the same reason that there is a liquor store on almost every corner in the black community. Why? They want us to kill ourselves.

John Singleton based Tre's childhood on his own. Singleton's father was a mortgage broker like Laurence Fishburne's character. When he was 12, Singleton moved in with his father in South Los Angeles. Like Tre, Singleton stayed out of trouble with his father's guidance and went to college.

Columbia wanted to make the picture, but at first wanted someone else to direct it. Singleton believed only he could do it saying, "They asked me if I would consider anybody else directing it?" Singleton replied, "Hell, no, I'm not gonna let somebody from Idaho or Encino direct a movie about living in south-central Los Angeles. They can't come in here and cast it and go through the rewrites and know exactly what aesthetics are unique to this film."

John Singleton originally wanted the members of N.W.A. as part of Ice Cube's entourage. Cube's departure from NWA over a salary dispute which resulted in a feud (as depicted in both Cube's Death Certificate album, NWA's 100 Miles and Runnin, and the final NWA album Efil4zaggin) forced Singleton to recast the roles for Cube's entourage including the infamous chain-snatcher scene where the character wears an Eazy-E T-shirt and is subsequently beaten.

Tyra Ferrell played Morris Chestnut and Ice Cube's mother, even though she's only 7 years older than them.

Laurence Fishburne who plays Cuba Gooding Jr.'s father is only six and a half years older than him in real life

In the scene where Furious (Laurence Fishburne) and his son (Cuba Gooding Jr.) are sitting on the rocks having a father-to-son chat, Furious mentions fighting as a young soldier in Vietnam. Laurence Fishburne starred in Apocalypse Now as a young soldier in Vietnam.

In order to maintain a sense of realism (i.e. shots firing unexpectedly), Singleton never gave the actors cues as to when the shots would be fired. As such, their reactions are real.

John Singleton's Oscar nomination for Best Director at the age of 24 makes him the youngest director to ever receive such an accolade, beating Orson Welles by a good 2 years.

The self-hating black police officer was based on a cop whom John Singleton witnessed as a kid. Singleton felt it was critical to show this officer to show how racist black police could be towards black people.

Ice Cube was John Singleton's first choice for Doughboy, he approached him at a rap music concert a couple of times, and Cube was reluctant to audition via a screen test, conducted by Singleton himself. Singleton later encouraged Cube to write screenplays (based on Cube's contribution to rap lyrics) - which resulted in the successful 'Friday' film series.

Paul: All you need is a name.

Charles Bronson: What's wrong with Mickey Peterson.

Paul: You need a fighting name, like a movie star.

Charles Bronson: Charlton Heston.

Paul: Look, love. No one gives a toss about Charlton Heston. The man's a *beep* You're more of the Charles Bronson type.

Bronson was born under the name of Michael Gordon Peterson on the 6th December, 1952, in Aberystwyth, Wales.

Nicolas Winding Refn was not allowed to meet Charles Bronson in person since he is not from Britain, but was allowed to have two phone calls with him. Tom Hardy met with Bronson several times and the two became good friends. Bronson was impressed with how Hardy managed to get just as muscular as he was and how well he could mimic his own personality and voice. Bronson has stated he believes Hardy was the only person who could play him.

The line "it was absolute madness at its very best" was written by Charles Bronson himself for the film and told to Nicolas Winding Refn during one of their phone calls.

Also starring: John Hoyt, Richard Kiley, Sidney Poitier, Vic Morrow, Rafael Campos, Paul Mazursky, Jamie Farr (as Jameel Farah) Richard Deacon (uncredited) James Drury (uncredited) Emil Sitka (uncredited)

Richard Dadier: The name is Dadier. Mr. Dadier. Pronunciation is very important in English. I would hate to fail anyone who couldn't pronounce my name.

Artie West: Me too, teach?

Richard Dadier: Mr. Dadier.

Artie West: Yeah, sure.

Richard Dadier: Say it. And take your hat off in this classroom.

Artie West: You ever try to fight 35 guys at one time, teach?

Richard Dadier: [approaches West and West stands up to challenge him] Take your hat off,boy, before I knock it off.

The original novel was based on author Evan Hunter's own experiences as a teacher in South Bronx. Hunter, who found fame as crime writer Ed McBain, said "I thought I was going to give these kids who want to be motor mechanics Shakespeare and they were going to appreciate it and they weren't buying it. I went home in tears night after night".

This film launched the Rock and Roll era by using "Rock Around the Clock" by Bill Haley and the Comets as its theme music. The song was chosen for the theme after it was heard among records owned by Peter Ford, the son of the film's star, Glenn Ford. For years it was thought the producer's daughter had discovered the song, but this has since been proven incorrect. "Rock Around the Clock" went to No. 1 around the world and eventually sold an estimated 25 million copies.

Film debuts of Vic Morrow and Jamie Farr.

The lead "juvenile delinquents" were played by Vic Morrow and Sidney Poitier; in the year of film's release, Morrow was 26 and Poitier was 28.

To the end of his life, Richard Kiley regularly received collections of old jazz records to make up for the ones his character lost in this picture.

Louis Gossett Jr. was considered for the role of Gregory Miller.

Sidney Poitier, in his acting debut, played one of the troubled students and then went on to play the teacher of troubled students in "To Sir With Love".

Percival: How dare you deflower the king's daughter.

Jamal: Believe me, someone got to that flower long before I did.

Guard #1: Who be ye?

Jamal: Who be I? I be stompin' yo ass you put your hand on me one more again!

The scene where Princess Regina trips over her bed sheets was not scripted, Jeannette Weegar really did trip and fall, but the director liked it so it was kept and put in the final cut.

Chris Tucker was originally cast as Jamal Walker.

"DANCE TO THE MUSIC" Written by Sly Stone (as Sylvester Stewart) Performed by Martin Lawrence and Cast

"SOUND OFF (DUCKWORTH CHANT)" Written by Willie Duckworth, Bernard Lenzy Performed by Martin Lawrence and Cast

Loosely based in a case occurred in Mexico in 1989 of a group called "narco-satanicos" who killed at least 20 people and their bodies were used in satanic cults. They were accused of the murder of Mark Kirloy, a student who disappeared in march 1989 and killed by this group during a spring break.

The song,"La Frontera" was written by Andrés Levin, Cucu Diamantes and Beto Cuevas and performed by Cucu Diamantes and Beto Cuevas. Cuevas played the main bad guy, "Santillan" in the film.

Frank Vega: I told you I didn't wanna fight.

Bad Ass was loosely based on the AC Transit Bus fight, which was filmed by a bystander and became a viral video on YouTube.

The name of the character "Amber Lamps" is based on a quote from the original AC Transit Bus Fight video. Upon getting hit in the face, one of the men in the video requests an ambulance but mispronounces it as "amber-lamps".

The lines "I need an ambulance!" and "You're leaking" are a reference to the original Youtube video this movie is based on.

Frank Vega's "I Am A *beep* shirt is the same exact design as that worn by the old man in the original AC Transit Bus Fight video.

The bus chase scene is a digitally altered version of the one from Red Heat.

Cal Zapata: If there is intelligent life out there and they come here, it's going to be like Columbus and the Indians, only we're the Indians.

The movie is based on the Milton Bradley game "Battleship" that has been manufactured since 1931. The original paper and pencil version of the game predates World War I.

Some of the artillery used in the film is shaped like the pegs used in the game.

Retired Army LT. Col Mick Canales is played by real life active duty Army Colonel Gregory Gadson. In March 2012 Gadson became Garrison Commander of Fort Belvoir just south of Washington D.C. in Northern Virginia. Col. Gadson is the first bilateral amputee to serve as a Garrison Commander to any post in the United States Army.

The battleship Missouri was the key plot of the movie Under Siege, where it was about to be decommissioned. In Battleship, this boat is set as a museum.

Jeremy Renner was cast as Alex Hopper, but dropped out in order to co-star in The Master, which he also later dropped out of.

Singer Rihanna's acting debut.

The veterans of the USS Missouri that Alexander Skarsgard's character mentions in the movie are real life vets of the USS Missouri, some even serving in WWII.

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)

The movie was written for Sylvester Stallone, with the character of Michael Tandino being his brother, and Jenny Summers being his love interest. Two weeks before filming was to start, Stallone was suddenly out and Eddie Murphy was in, prompting massive rewrites.

The T-shirt that Eddie Murphy wears in the film is from Mumford, an actual Detroit area school attended by one of the filmmakers. When film came out, the school received orders for the shirts from customers all over the world.

Police Chief Hubbard (Stephen Elliott) walks into his first scene carrying some rolled-up sheets of paper. It is actually one of many reworked scripts, which was given to him to memorize and rehearse only minutes before the shooting of the scene started.

Inspector Todd of the Detroit Police was played by then Detroit Police Department Homicide Dectective Gilbert R. Hill. Det Hill later ran and won a seat on and served as President of the Detroit City Council.

Originally, two men were supposed to be working in the art gallery scenes. When the director heard Bronson Pinchot's Serge impersonation, however, he thought it was so hysterical he scaled back the other part to give Pinchot more screen time. The second actor shows up only briefly with his shirt collar open too wide, on which Serge comments.

In the process of casting the characters of Rosewood and Taggart, the director paired up various finalists and asked them to do some improvisation to get a feel for the chemistry between the actors. He paired up Judge Reinhold and John Ashton and gave them the following direction: "You are a middle aged couple, married for years. You are having a conversation on an average evening." Judge Reinhold immediately picked up a nearby magazine and the two improvised the "5 pounds of red meat in his bowels" bit almost verbatim as it eventually appeared in the movie. This got them the parts.

Axel Foley was originally going to be played by Sylvester Stallone or Mickey Rourke. Stallone left the project and used some of his script ideas to make Cobra (1986). Other actors who were considered for the role of Axel Foley were Al Pacino and James Caan.

When filming the scenes in the police station sequences, Eddie Murphy became very tired. The crew offered him coffee but he refused to drink any because he refuses to take drugs of any kind. Eventually, Murphy relented and took small sips of coffee to stay awake. As a result of his first caffeine intake, Murphy became very energized and ad-libbed the "super-cops" monologue.

During his tirade at the Beverly Palms Hotel, Axel pretends to be writing an article called "Michael Jackson: Sitting on Top of the World" for Rolling Stone magazine. In real life, Playboy ran an article called "Eddie Murphy: Sitting on Top of the World."

Eddie Murphy improvised much of his comic lines, as did John Ashton and Judge Reinhold. Literally hundreds of takes were ruined by cast members or actors or the director himself, who were unable to stop laughing during shooting because of this. During the "super-cops" monologue, Ashton is pinching his face hard and looking down in apparent frustration. If you look closely, you can see that he is actually laughing. Reinhold put his hand in his pocket and pinched his thigh really hard to prevent himself from laughing.