TRIVIA TIDBITS
Welcome back to Trivia Tidbits. For those of you out of the loop, this is a little compilation of 10 movie related facts that I always find interesting. So without further ado, this weeks are…
1: Before Tom Hanks made the character of “Forrest Gump” a household name, both John Travolta and Bill Murray were considered for the part. Travolta admits it was a mistake to turn down the role. However, the author of the story always pictured John Goodman as the ideal Forrest Gump.
2: Luc Besson once called his Scarlett Johannson starring film “Lucy” as “one part “Leon“, one part “Inception” and one part “2001: A Space Odyssey“. A lot of shots in the film were mirrored after these three films.
3: Ethan Hawke is the great grandnephew of “A Streetcar Named Desire” playwright Tennessee Williams. Hawke’s great grandfather and Williams’ father were brothers.
4: James Cameron considered using Michael Biehn as the T-1000 in “Terminator 2: Judgment Day“, which would have been a reversal of the roles Biehn previously had with Arnold Schwarzenegger in the original. Eventually, however, Cameron decided against the idea on the basis that it would have been too confusing for the audience and eventually cast Robert Patrick instead.
5: Liam Neeson’s character Matt Scudder in “A Walk Among The Tombstones” is actually the second appearance of him in film. He’s a character from a series of novels by Lawrence Block. The first time he was played by Jeff Bridges in “8 Million Ways to Die“.
6: Al Pacino was so much into character (playing a plain-clothes NYC cop) while filming “Serpico” that he actually pulled over and threatened to arrest a truck driver for exhaust pollution.
7: In “The Mask“, the banana yellow suit that Jim Carrey wear is based on a suit which his mother made for him for his first attempt at stand-up comedy.
8: Don Johnson co-wrote a two-hour movie with his neighbour and renowned author Hunter S. Thompson. The movie was not picked up, but CBS ended up buying the story and turned it into the television series “Nash Bridges” in 1996 which featured Johnson and Cheech Marin.
9: In “Apocalypse Now“, James Caan was Francis Ford Coppola’s original choice to play Colonel Lucas. Caan wanted too much money for what was considered a small role, though, so Harrison Ford was cast instead. The characters name was taken from George Lucas whom Ford had already worked with on “Star Wars” and was a good friend of Coppola’s.
10: The actors who played The Munchkins in “The Wizard Of Oz“, reportedly had the time of their lives while filming – using every opportunity to get hammered and hold orgies. Producer Mervyn LeRoy reckoned “they had sex orgies in the hotel, and we had to have police on just about every floor“. Later, everybody from Judy Garland to David Niven reported the rumours as fact. However, interviews with surviving Munchkins lay the blame at a couple of German extras who liked to drink, but insist that the vast majority were well-behaved and professional.
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So there you have it. 10 esoteric Tidbits to masticate on. Some you may know. Some you may not. If you have any thoughts, stick your donations in the comment box…
(For earlier editions of Trivia Tidbits click here.)
MARKED MOVIES 
November 25, 2014 at 8:32 pm
Number 10 sounds like a typical night at The Walker Household.
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November 25, 2014 at 8:39 pm
Haha! I could swear you’ve been peeking through my curtains. 😉
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November 25, 2014 at 8:46 pm
John Goodman would have been good but I don’t see him pulling off the running scene, do you?
Caan wanted too much money??? For what? On the basis of his work in Freebie and the Bean?
Just saw Ethan Hawke in a pretty cool time travel, mindfuck of a movie. Predestination.
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November 25, 2014 at 8:58 pm
Ha! Yeah, they’d have to use a bit more CGI to convince on Goodman doing some physical activity.
Not seen Predestination yet but it looks great, Dave. As it goes, im aiming to check out some of the older Hawke movies like Daybreakers and A Midnight Clear as ive got the buzz for the guy just now after seeing his superb work in Boyhood.
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November 25, 2014 at 9:03 pm
Predestination is from the makers of Daybreakers. I love A Midnight Clear. One of my favorite war movies. Anything he did with Linklater is really good. Gattica may be my favorite of his.
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November 25, 2014 at 9:07 pm
I’ve actually seen A Midnight Clear already but its been way too long. I remember loving it and really need to revisit it.
Had no idea that Daybreakers and Predestination were linked, though. Great stuff! I must catch them both.
As for Gattaca, thats a very underrated like sci-fi. I thought that fantastic but then I’m a sucker for dystopian/Orwellian flicks.
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November 25, 2014 at 9:30 pm
Your preaching to the choir here as Brazil is my favorite film. Dark City, Blade Runner, 12 Monkeys, A Clockwork Orange, Minority Report, Robocop, Children of Men, THX 1138 and more recently Snowpiercer. Love all that stuff.
I’ve always been drawn to books like 1984, Brave New World, the work of J.G. Ballard and The Handmaid’s Tale. Would love someone to make a definitive version of Brave New World. To me Brazil is the definitive version of 1984. Even more so than Apted’s 1984 film.
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November 25, 2014 at 9:46 pm
Haha! Never has a comment summed up my thoughts and tastes as you have right here, mate. Blade Runner is one of the very best movies ever made. Im also a fan of all that you mention, especially 12 Monkey’s and Children Of Men.
Im with you on Brazil being the definitive 1984 too. Loved the book. Loved Brave New World and loved Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s tale (of which i hear they are making a film of?) Im an avid sci-fi reader. Always have ben since i was a youngster and Sci-Fi most always capture my attention.
You have fabulous taste sir. If I might recommend a wonderul sci-fi novel… Try William Tenn’s Of Men and Monsters. Its not quite youre dystopian tale but a great read nonetheless.
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November 25, 2014 at 8:50 pm
Ha ha ! Awesome as always. It’s true; you learn something new every day doing this blogging lark.
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November 25, 2014 at 8:59 pm
That you do, sir! I always aim to educate with these trivia posts! Glad to be of service! 🙂
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November 25, 2014 at 9:30 pm
Pretty cool. Love #10, haha!
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November 25, 2014 at 9:49 pm
Ha! Dirty little Munchkins! 😉
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November 25, 2014 at 9:47 pm
Munchkin orgies!? That one I haven’t heard!
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November 25, 2014 at 9:49 pm
Haha! Apprently so! Itll be hard for you to watch The Wizard of Oz now without at least entertaining that thought, once or twice 😉
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November 26, 2014 at 2:16 am
Hehe, oh boy, those crazy munchkins. 😛
Nice stuff here, Mark. Forrest Gump certainly would’ve been different with Goodman in the role. o.O
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November 26, 2014 at 5:26 pm
Yeah, how about those Munchkins, eh? I always knew there was something about them 😉
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November 26, 2014 at 1:33 pm
HA. Munchkin sex orgy. Best thing I’ve heard all day. Fun and interesting–all of the tidbits captured my interest. Thanks!
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November 26, 2014 at 5:27 pm
Cheers Cindy! It’ll be hard (excuse the pun) to look at those munchkins the same way again! 😉
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November 27, 2014 at 1:18 am
I’ve always thought about #2 all the time, trying to find similarities. And, perhaps, I really don’t get the Inception part. Lol.
Anyway, I really love this trivias!
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November 27, 2014 at 12:33 pm
To be honest, I haven’t seen the film yet. I’m interested in it but Luc Besson’s recent films have always been lacking something.
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November 27, 2014 at 1:57 pm
That’s it—always been lacking something.
I cant agree more with you
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November 27, 2014 at 5:31 am
Hi, Mark:
Good stuff all around!
Robert Patrick (#4) was a superb find for liquid, shape shifting bad guy in ‘T-2’. Whose special effects technology was prototyped and test flown in ‘The Abyss’.
Getting lost in a character is nothing new. (#6) Brion James wouldn’t let go of the speech patterns and gestures of his character in ‘Blade Runner’ until weeks after filming.
Most everyone notes Harrison Ford. (#9). Yet seem to forget that Robert Duvall’s Colonel Killgore was uncredited in ‘Apocalypse Now’.
Great catch on #10!
On a similar note, Tod Browning and his cast from ‘Freaks’ would raise eyebrows off sets and in the studio commissary. With few tall tales told because Browning liked and admired the unique cast. And treated them with dignity and respect.
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November 27, 2014 at 12:35 pm
Thanks for dropping by, Jack. Especially with some choice trivia of your own. Duvall was uncredited in Apocalypse Now?? Really? I had never heard of that before. I’m actually quite astonished by that!
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November 27, 2014 at 11:33 am
I don’t think I’ll be able to watch The Wizard of Oz the same way again.
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November 27, 2014 at 12:40 pm
Haha! Same here, Vinnie! Same here!
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November 27, 2014 at 6:25 pm
Wow Luc Besson is certainly….living in his own little world 🙂
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December 1, 2014 at 9:15 am
Haha! I’ll take your word for that, Sati. I haven’t seen the film yet but Besson certainly hasn’t been delivering anything noteworthy recently.
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November 29, 2014 at 9:20 am
I love these posts! No 10 is amazing.
I would have described Lucy as one part delusion, one part pretension and one part bullshit.
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December 1, 2014 at 9:23 am
Haha! Cheers Abbi. When I get around to viewing Lucy, I’ll be sure to keep your description in mind. 🙂
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December 1, 2014 at 2:58 am
Haha wow. Another great round-up good sir.
Tell me, how do you go about selecting what goes on what Trivia Tidbit? Pound some whiskey and then go for a quick perusal through IMDb. . .or how does it work? 😉
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December 1, 2014 at 9:31 am
Ha! A few beers and a perusal can often take place my man! I used to have a structure to them by sticking with current movie affairs or releases but sometimes I’ll just throw a random post together with info I’ve picked up over time. If I don’t record them when I see them, then digging solely for a post can get tedious sometimes.
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December 1, 2014 at 2:52 pm
Nice trivia as always. Number 10 is pretty unbelievable. I’m not sure I can even look at The Wizard of Oz again without picturing that.
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December 1, 2014 at 9:05 pm
Haha! You’re not alone sir! I reckon many are feeling the same. Dirty little Munchkins! 😉
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January 7, 2015 at 7:24 am
😀 There was my morning entertainment! Thank you, thank you!
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January 7, 2015 at 7:30 am
Ha! Glad to be of service 😉
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