According to reports on this upcoming Terminator film, director Tim Miller had to repeatedly tell actress Linda Hamilton (returning as Sarah Connor) to stop smiling every time she fired a gun.
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Tag Archives: historical films
Joe’s Random Movie Trivia: “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” (1975)
The writer, musician and actor Richard O’Brien, who plays Riff Raff in the film, would later go on to play the villainous Mr. Hand in the 1997 scifi film “Dark City”.
Joe’s Random Movie Trivia: “Wolf” (1994)
Five facts about the werewolf makeup used in the movie.
WARNING! CONTAINS SPOILERS!
1. Rather than a film about somebody who changes into a werewolf during the full moon. The werewolf as it appears in this movie, is more less meant to represent man’s primitive side. The idea is it Will Randall (Jack Nicholson), changes every single night until the night of the first full moon. When the wolf spirit finally consumes his rational, human half. Because this character was going through such a gradual transformation throughout the film, the makeup used on him was extraordinarily simple. Simply being; yellow contact lenses, long sideburns along Nicholson’s face, pointed ears, fangs, and claws. Make up artist Rick Baker compared to the werewolf make up used in the 1935 film “Werewolf of London”. With the makeup gradually getting more and more extreme as the character continues to transform.
2. With his newfound wolf senses, the physical features of the character Randall would gradually at least appear to be getting a little bit younger after each transformation. For example one feature that is extremely noticeable throughout the film, is that the hair on his head is getting thicker. In the beginning of the film, Nicholson sports his traditional thin hair. Towards middle of the film the makeup department put powder in his hair to make it look like it was thicker. And then by the final third of the movie, Nicholson actually had to wear a toupee to further give the illusion that his character was getting some sort of youthful vitality back. Baker suggested that they actually use special wire to pull back Nicholson’s face to take some of the wrinkles out of it to give his face a kind of youthful appearance. To which Jack Nicholson smiled and replied “Absolutely not”.
3. Jack Nicholson had a severe allergic reaction to the spirit gum traditionally used to stick fake hair on people. So Rick Baker had to use a special medical adhesive before applying Nicholson’s make up. But one day Baker had accidentally misplaced the medical adhesive and gave the actual spirit gum to Nicholson. The next day Nicholson came on said he had large red welts on his face.
4. For the scene where Randall hears everybody in his office building with his newfound wolf senses, Baker strapped a couple of electrodes to the back of Jack Nicholson’s ears. And then remotely made his ears twitch to give an almost canine look to his face as his ears moved to the sounds he was receiving.
5. James Spader’s werewolf make up took a little bit longer than Jack Nicholson’s. When Spader inquired Rick Baker about this, Baker explained that Spader’s face needed more work because his face wasn’t as “animated” as Jack Nicholson’s face was. And later explain that if he just gave him the hair, the fangs, the contact lens, and the pointed ears without doing the additions to his face, Spader would’ve come out looking like “Eddie Munster”.
“Cromwell” (1970)……a half-truth
What comes to historical figure like Oliver Cromwell, Americans like myself may be a little bit naïve as to how he is portrayed in the movies. After all, this is the day and age when most people learn their history from the movies and without knowing the full history of Oliver Cromwell, one can gain the wrong conclusions from what the 1970 film “Cromwell” starring Richard Harris, can tell you about the man.
The film portrays Oliver Cromwell as a revolutionary thinker, a great military leader, and a force for radical change. He is shown almost as a true champion of democracy. But if you actually read the history books and know the full story of Oliver Cromwell, the movie itself is not historically in accurate, and it’s absolute worst it is only a half-truth.
Oliver Cromwell in truth; caused genocide, ruled England like a tyrant, and any kind of revolutionary new ideas he brought to the government by him almost immediately forgotten the moment King Charles II reclaimed the throne for the royal family. Not to mention his posthumous execution and the display of his head.
So what are the real dangers of watching the 1970 film Cromwell, is that you draw the wrong conclusions from the man.
Personally speaking, I was already aware of Cromwell’s history. And I knew this when I watched the 1970 film. But to help clarify the full story, I watched the 2003 mini series “Charles II: The Power and The Passion”. While he does not actually make an appearance in this miniseries as he dies before the main events take place. However, I think it is important that people should watch both or at least read up more on the man. Because if a historical film or a biographical film is a full on lie or in this case a half truth, you can draw the wrong conclusions from your protagonist.
Joe’s Random Movie Trivia: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Peter Parker’s teacher in “Spider-Man: Homecoming” and “Spider-Man: Far From Home”, Roger Harrington (played by actor Martin Starr) is actually the college student that let Bruce Banner use the computers in exchange for pizza in “The Incredible Hulk” seven years earlier.
Joe’s Random Movie Trivia: “The Naked Gun 2 1/2 : The Smell of Fear” (1991)
Near the end of the film, in the ensuing chaos, a man is seen randomly with a book screaming “It’s a Cookbook! It’s a Cookbook!”
The actor is in fact Lloyd Bochner, spoofing his infamous role in the Twilight Zone episode “To Serve Man”
The greatest Sherlock Holmes adaptation is not the one you’re thinking of……
Over the years there have been numerous adaptations of the adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. And some adaptations deserve more credit than others, and some adaptations are indeed more popular than others. But one of the older versions of the stories of Sherlock Holmes that deserves recognition is one that did not even come from the mind of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
Based on the book by Nicholas Meyer (Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan), came “The Seven Percent Solution”.
Unlike many other Sherlock Holmes stories, this particular tale attempts to address one of the greatest flaws of what could arguably be called fiction’s greatest detective. His drug addiction, mostly regarding cocaine.
In the story, Holmes his addiction reaches new lows. So his colleague Dr. Watson and Holmes go to Vienna for consultation from one of his peers. The acclaimed psychiatrist, Sigmund Freud. Together, the three of them, while attempting to aid Holmes in his drug addiction. Holmes attempts to help Freud solve a mystery regarding one of his patients.
Right off the bat, what actually makes this movie interesting is that this is primarily a story about Sherlock Holmes himself. Where as other Sherlock Holmes stories or other person’s stories with Holmes happening to be in it. It’s one that actually attempts to further explore the motivations and personality of the hero moviegoers have known for decades.
No why is this story so important? Because some of the more recent adaptations of Sherlock Holmes do not necessarily address his drug issue as a problem, and indeed a couple adaptations even show it as a superpower. Attempting to glorify the horrible things Holmes does to his body to alleviate the boredom.
We primarily see this in both the Robert Downey Jr. 2009 version, as well as the BBC series Sherlock with Benedict Cumberbatch. But as far as recent adaptations are concerned, the only one that ever really shows homes is addiction as a real problem, is the CBS series “Elementary” with Johnny Lee Miller in the part.
And this is a real issue that translates into today’s society. Another famous adaptation based off of Sherlock Holmes loosely, was the fictional Dr. Gregory House played by Hugh Laurie. From the TV show “House”. Showing his drug problems with an almost lightheartedness to the point where we are OK with him indulging in these narcotics. Not really issuing how much of a problem it really is.
In this bold attempt to see Holmes in a new light, this story dares to go where most versions today won’t dare go.
