15 Simple Fun Facts About Movies and Pop Culture
Pop culture is full of little details that make familiar movies, characters, and entertainment moments even more interesting. Some of the biggest stories in Hollywood came from accidents, unexpected decisions, or ideas that almost never made it into the final product. There are also plenty of details hiding in movies that audiences have watched dozens of times without noticing. From famous movie sounds with surprisingly ordinary origins to behind the scenes stories involving some of the world’s biggest stars, these facts are easy to enjoy and even better when you have someone to share them with.
Dorothy’s Shoes in The Wizard of Oz (1939) Were Originally Silver
In L. Frank Baum’s original book, Dorothy’s magical shoes were silver, but the filmmakers changed them to ruby red so they would stand out against the yellow brick road in Technicolor.
Toy Story (1995) Was the First Fully Computer Animated Feature Film
Pixar made history with Woody and Buzz Lightyear’s first adventure, becoming the first studio to release a feature length movie created entirely through computer animation.
The Shining (1980) Used 148 Takes for One Scene
Stanley Kubrick made actor Scatman Crothers repeat a conversation with Danny Lloyd 148 times, setting a Guinness World Record for the most retakes of a dialogue scene.
The Lord of the Rings Used 200,000 Digital Fighters
The enormous battle scenes in Peter Jackson’s trilogy were created with a special computer program called Massive, which simulated more than 200,000 individual fighting characters.
The Lightsaber Sound in Star Wars Came From a Projector
Sound designer Ben Burtt created the iconic lightsaber hum by combining the sound of an old movie projector motor with interference recorded from a television set.
The Famous Wilhelm Scream First Appeared in 1951
That recognizable scream heard in countless movies was originally recorded for Distant Drums (1951), but it got its famous name from a character called Private Wilhelm in a 1953 Western.
E.T. Was Supposed to Eat M&M’s
Steven Spielberg originally wanted Elliott to use M&M’s to attract the alien in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), but Mars declined the opportunity, so the filmmakers went with Reese’s Pieces instead.
The Cat in The Godfather (1972) Was a Stray
The cat Don Corleone pets during the opening scene wasn’t originally part of the script, as Francis Ford Coppola found it wandering around the Paramount studio lot and spontaneously placed it in Marlon Brando’s lap.
The Matrix (1999) Used 120 Cameras for Its Famous Bullet Time Scene
The iconic sequence showing Neo dodging bullets was filmed using 120 specially modified cameras arranged around the action to create the illusion of time slowing down.
The Mechanical Shark in Jaws Had a Name
The malfunctioning mechanical sharks used during production were nicknamed Bruce, and their constant technical problems forced Spielberg to find creative ways to build suspense without showing the creature.
The Code A113 Appears in Many Pixar Movies
The mysterious combination appears throughout Pixar productions as an inside joke referencing classroom A113 at the California Institute of the Arts, where many of the studio’s animators studied.
Nintendo Started Out Making Playing Cards
Long before Mario and Pokémon existed, Nintendo was founded in Kyoto, Japan, in 1889, as a company that manufactured traditional Japanese Hanafuda playing cards.
Barbie Was Named After a Real Person
Ruth Handler, the co-founder of Mattel, named the famous doll after her daughter Barbara, who inspired the original idea behind the toy.
Mickey Mouse Was Almost Named Mortimer
Walt Disney initially wanted to call his famous mouse Mortimer, but his wife Lillian thought the name wasn’t right and suggested Mickey instead.
Titanic Spent More Than $3 Million on Stunts
James Cameron’s 1997 blockbuster dedicated over $3 million of its enormous production budget to stunts, including a complicated sequence involving 100 stunt performers during the ship’s sinking.