George Clooney wanted Julia Roberts for the movie Ocean’s Eleven but never met her before. Julia Roberts was charging $20 million a movie at the time so Clooney, unable to afford her, send her a script with a $20 bill with a note, ‘I heard you’re getting 20 a picture.’ She agreed to do it.
movies
The snow scene in The Wizard of Oz (1939)…
The snow scene in The Wizard of Oz (1939) used Industrial Grade Asbestos as snow. Cotton was used as fake snow until the 1920s, but was considered a fire hazard. Firefighters recommended using Asbestos because it was fire retardant.
The world’s largest film studio is Hengdian…
The world’s largest film studio is Hengdian Studios, in China. Basically a city of permanent full-scale replicas of palaces, fortresses, and towns from various periods of China’s history. Whole populations of nearby towns are often employed to be extras for period dramas & fantasy movies.
Sacha Baron Cohen once received a letter from…
Sacha Baron Cohen once received a letter from a lawyer informing him that he was being sued for $100,000 because of his role in Borat, at the end of the letter the lawyer added “P.S. Loved the movie. Can you sign a poster for my son Jeremy?”
When the Australian film The Story…
When the Australian film The Story of the Kelly Gang (the first-ever full length narrative feature film) was released in 1906, the screenings of the silent film were accompanied by live sound effects, including blank cartridges as gunshots and coconut shells beaten together to simulate hoofbeats.
80’s actress Jennifer Grey…
80’s actress Jennifer Grey (Dirty Dancing film) credits a nose job with ruining her career. Of the experience she said, “I went in the operating room a celebrity—and came out anonymous.
A significant amount of money was…
A significant amount of money was saved during the making of the movie The Mask because Jim Carey’s body movements were so flexible and cartoonish, they didn’t see the need to enhance them digitally.
The Lakota language, spoken by the Lakota people…
The Lakota language, spoken by the Lakota people of the Sioux Native American tribes, is gendered and that for ‘Dances With Wolves,’ Kevin Costner and many Native actors spoke the female-gendered language because the language tutor on set was a woman.
“Wonderwall“ is a movie from 1968 about…
“Wonderwall“ is a movie from 1968 about a lonely professor and his increasing obsession with his female neighbour, a fashion model whose life he spies on via a hole in the wall. George Harrison from the Beatles wrote the film music which in turn inspired the hit song “Wonderwall“ from Oasis.
To raise funds to produce the first…
To raise funds to produce the first Mad Max film, director George Miller went out on emergency medical calls. The budget was still too low, so some of the crew was paid in “slabs” (24-packs) of beer, and some of the props were stolen in the early morning and returned before anyone noticed.
The scenes of Kazakhstan in Borat…
The scenes of Kazakhstan in Borat, were shot in Glod, a tiny village in Romania. All the extras are villagers of Glod who got paid to be in the film and were told it was a documentary. They felt insulted by their portrayal, tried to sue the producers and threaten to kill Borat for insulting them.
William Castle, a b-movie maker…
William Castle, a b-movie maker, allowed audiences refunds if a movie was too scary. Many abused it, angering Castle. The abuse stopped when he made refund seekers go to a “Coward’s Corner” in the theater as a record screamed “Watch the chicken!” and a yellow light followed across the theater. In addition, Castle made them sign a Coward’s Certificate to get the money.