Interesting movie tidbits

[Pacman000]

An early draft of Back to the Future Part II was set in the 60's, not the 50's, and had Marty's parents as hippies.

[Allhallowsday]

FRANK LANGELLA exposed himself off the set of DRACULA (1979) to LAURENCE OLIVIER ...who laughed... 

[Pacman000]

Republic picked their leads for serials based on how closely the actor resembled Republic's main stunt man.

[Trevor]

There is a South African film archivist who claims to know the makers of Nukie, Space Mutiny and The Demon. Personally. 

[claws]

In order to get funding for a scene in Alien: Resurrection (1997) that Fox didn't like to begin with, Sigourney Weaver and Winona Ryder barged in on a chairman meeting at 20th Century Fox. They sat on executives' laps playfully begging for more money. Their stunt was a success and Fox paid the money for the scene.

[Pacman000]

In an early draft of Back to the Future, the time machine was powered by Coca-Cola.

This is referenced at the end of the movie; where Doc Brown pours a cola into "Mr. Fusion" to power the machine. 

[AoTFan]

There is a South African film archivist who claims to know the makers of Nukie, Space Mutiny and The Demon. Personally. 

How'd they (the guys from Space Mutiny) feel about their movie being picked for a MST3K ep? 

[AoTFan]

I may have mentioned this bit of trivia on another thread, but still, it's pretty neat and (I think) worth repeating.

One of the most iconic scenes in The Godfather is Don Corleone (played by Marlon Brando) sitting in a chair stroking a white cat while talking.  Interestingly, the cat is NOT in the script for the film, nor is it in the book on which the movie is based.  The cat was just a stray that hung around the movie set that Marlon befriended.  He told the director he felt Don was the type of guy who'd own a cat like that and so they wrote it into the movie.  Many of the scenes with the cat had to be redubbed though, as he was purring so loud some of the dialogue couldn't be heard.

Another neat Godfather fact, in the wedding scene there's a fellow sitting in a chair reciting his speech that's he's going to give Don.  The same actor later gives the speech but flubs his line due to being nervous about acting with Marlon Brando.  Coppola kept the flub in the scene though, figuring in real life a guy would be nervous talking to a man of Corleone's power.

Another one straight from imdb.com. Gianni Russo used his organized crime connections to secure the role of Carlo Rizzi, going so far as to get a camera crew to film his own audition and send it to the producers. However, Marlon Brando was initially against having Russo, who had never acted before, in the film; this made Russo furious and he went to threaten Brando. However, this reckless act proved to be a blessing in disguise, because Brando thought Russo was acting and was convinced he would be good for the role.

[Allhallowsday]

http://youtu.be/-qHXloT9FNk
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[Trevor]

There is a South African film archivist who claims to know the makers of Nukie, Space Mutiny and The Demon. Personally. 

How'd they (the guys from Space Mutiny) feel about their movie being picked for a MST3K ep? 

One of the producers asked me if we held any material on this film - we don't, not even a VHS - and she asked me if it was true that it had been spoofed on an American TV show with robots. I said, yes, it had and the film has taken on a life of its' own. Apparently they were not aware of this. 

[Pacman000]

An early draft of Star Wars listed Splinter of the Mind's Eye as a sequel. While it was never made as a film, Alan Dean Foster was commissioned to write a novel, which the film would've been based on. The novel was released, so you can get an idea of  what the Star Wars universe might've been like had things gone differently. Hint: Luke and Leia might not have been siblings. 

[Chainsawmidget]

The studios at one point where interested in making Jay and Silent Bob meet Hellraiser saying it would be like a modern Abbott and Costello meet Frankenstein. 

Kevin Smith turned them down.   

At one point Micheal Jackson wanted to star in a film adaption of Phantom of the Opera.  I would have watched it. 

Godzilla vs Satan and Godzilla vs Batman were both pitched as potential sequels. 

[Allhallowsday]

Most of the electrical equipment in YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN was the same equipment used in the original FRANKENSTEIN.   

[Paquita]

I share a birthday with Harrison Ford (July 13, both born in Chicago, he was born exactly 40 years before me).  I've noticed in a couple of his movies possible nods to July 13.  I swear there were at least 2 I knew for sure, but I can only remember one from the library in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade the number of the markers VII, X and III (7 and 10+3=13).  I'll alert everyone when I remember the other.

[claws]

At one point Micheal Jackson wanted to star in a film adaption of Phantom of the Opera.  I would have watched it. 

MJ also wanted to play Edward in Tim Burton's Edward Scissorhands.

MJ was a frequent visitor on the set of The Goonies.

Nancy Allen was supposed to play Carrie White in Carrie, and Brian de Palma wanted Sissy Spacek to play Chris. However, Spacek's audition for Carrie White blew everyone away so de Palma switched Allen and Spacek's parts.

An oldie but always worth mentioning: Michelle Pfeiffer was first choice to play Clarice in The Silence of the Lambs, but she turned down the offer.