I don’t know about you, but after watching a movie or TV series, I usually like to read about the filming process, interesting facts, I watch movie bloopers or interviews with actors, directors… And here are a few of my favorite movie facts.
Steven Spielberg and Lucas filmed “Star Wars: New Hope” and “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” at the same time. Lucas came to Spielberg after finishing Star Wars and when he saw the set he told Spielberg: “Your film will be a hundred times more successful than mine, I made a children’s film, look what you did. Let us make a bet, I’ll give you 2.5% of the Star Wars profit, if you give me 2.5% of the “Close Encounters of the Third Kind”. Who do you think still earns from this bet?
Christopher Lee was the only actor on the LOTR set to actually meet Tolkien at a bar in Oxford. He was a huge fan of Tolkien’s legendary works and was determined to be part of the film franchise. Primarily he liked the role of Gandalf, he even sent a picture to Peter Jackson dressed as a sorcerer. But of course that was not necessary because Jackson had already planned him for the role of Saruman. Christopher Lee was one of the director’s favorite actors and also favorite Count Dracula, so much that in “LOTR: The Return of the King Directors Cut” in the scene when Saruman falls from the tower, Jackson stabs him on a spike as a homage to his favorite Count.
The scene when the Joker (Heath Ledger) enters the Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) party in Dark Knight (2008), Michael Caine who played Batman’s faithful butler Alfred was supposed to say a few lines, but forgot them because he was shocked by the Joker’s appearance because it was the first time he saw him completely transformed into the famous character. As we know, Nolan left that scene.
Actor Richard Harris has turned down the role of the famous wizard Dumbledore (Harry Potter) three times because he did not want to spend the rest of his life on set. But when his granddaughter Ella heard about it, she threatened him that if he didn’t accept the role, she would never talk to him again. Unfortunately, Richard Harris acted only in the first two parts before his death, after which the role was offered to Ian McKellen, but he turned it down because Richard Harris did not appreciate him as an actor, and also at that time McKellen played the other famous wizard Gandalf.
The famous scene from “Independence Day” when Will Smith drags the alien and says the famous line – And what the hell is that smell ?! – is actually a real reaction of the actor because of the smell that spread from rotten shrimp in the nearby lake.
The most famous scenes are often random, and the most famous lines unplanned, but that makes the movies complete.
For Camera Obscura,
Elena Krstevska
Film enthusiast