Moviefone Editorial

Author: Jesse Schedeen

  • 11 Essential Jackie Chan Movies Every Martial Arts Fan Should See

    11 Essential Jackie Chan Movies Every Martial Arts Fan Should See

  • 8 Comic Books to Read Now That You’ve Seen ‘Shazam!’

    8 Comic Books to Read Now That You’ve Seen ‘Shazam!’

  • 12 Essential Roger Corman Movies Everyone Should See

    12 Essential Roger Corman Movies Everyone Should See

  • Every DCEU Movie, Ranked From ‘Man of Steel’ to ‘Shazam’

    Every DCEU Movie, Ranked From ‘Man of Steel’ to ‘Shazam’

  • 12 Things You Never Knew About ‘Hellboy’ On its 15th Anniversary

    12 Things You Never Knew About ‘Hellboy’ On its 15th Anniversary

    Columbia Pictures

    It’s now been 15 years since “Hellboy” blasted its way into theaters and introduced moviegoers to a very different breed of superhero. While you wait for the character to return to the big screen in the upcoming “Hellboy” reboot, here are some fun facts you might not know about the original movie.

    1. Early on in the film’s development, producers at Columbia suggested making various audience-friendly changes to the material, including having Hellboy be a normal human who transforms into a demon when he gets angry, a la the Hulk.

    2. Director Guillermo del Toro provided several voices in the movie, including the infant Hellboy, Ivan the Corpse and Kroenen.

    Columbia Pictures

    3. Following the success of “Blade II,” Del Toro was given a choice between directing “Blade: Trinity” or “Hellboy.” We’d say he chose wisely.

    4. “The Fast and the Furious” star Vin Diesel was considered for the parts of both Hellboy and Abe Sapien.

    Universal Pictures

    5. While largely based on several “Hellboy” comic storylines, the movie also makes some significant deviations from the source material. For example, Hellboy and Liz aren’t romantically involved in the comics.

    6. Makeup artist Matt Rose was able to reuse the life mask created for Ron Perlman for the 1987 “Beauty and the Beast” TV series, speeding up the creation of the Hellboy prosthetics.

    Columbia Pictures

    7. It took about four hours each day to apply Perlman’s makeup and prosthetics.  Abe Sapien actor Doug Jones had it even worse, as his process took seven hours.

    8. Abe Sapien’s voice was dubbed by “Frasier” star David Hyde Pierce. Pierce refused to be credited because he felt Jones was the one responsible for bringing the character to life and Jones replaced Pierce in the sequel.

    9. Jeffrey Tambor was a last-minute addition to the cast, as his predecessor didn’t show up for production.

    Columbia Pictures

    10. One of the tombstones in the Russian cemetery is labeled with Hellboy creator Mike Mignola‘s name and reads “Born in fire, died in fire” when translated into English.

    11. The Spear of Longinus in the movie is an exact replica of the artifact believed to be the actual spear that pierced Christ’s side during the crucifixion.

    12. The movie had to be renamed “Super Sapiens” in Malaysia because of a nationwide ban on movies containing the words “devil” or “hell.”

  • 15 Things You Never Knew About ‘The Matrix’ on its 20th Anniversary

    15 Things You Never Knew About ‘The Matrix’ on its 20th Anniversary

    Warner Bros.

    Considering how much it changed the face of blockbuster movies and the science fiction genre, it’s bizarre to think “The Matrix” is turning 20 years old. Time to down the red pill and learn some interesting facts about the making of this modern classic.

    1. The Wachowskis originally approached Will Smith in 1996 to star as Neo. Smith has since admitted he turned down the role because he didn’t understand the script and opted to star in “Wild Wild West” instead.

    2. In addition to Smith, the Wachowskis also approached Val Kilmer to play Morpheus.

    Warner Bros.

    3. The principal cast and crew members were required to read several philosophy books before seeing the screenplay, including Jean Baudrillard’s “Simulacra and Simulation.” That book can be seen on display in Thomas Anderson’s apartment early in the film.

    4. “The Matrix” wasn’t officially greenlit by WB until well into pre-production. It was only after hiring artists Steve Skroce and comic book legend Geoff Darrow to storyboard the film and visualize the mind-bending action scenes that executives signed off on the project.

    5. There’s a reason Neo’s fighting style in the first movie features far fewer kicking moves than in the sequels. Keanu Reeves was recovering from neck surgery during pre-production and didn’t have full use of his legs.

    6. Both Hugo Weaving and Carrie-Anne Moss were injured during filming. Moss refused to tell anyone about her ankle injury for fear of losing the role.

    Warner Bros.

    7. The scenes where Neo first wakes up from his captivity in The Matrix were filmed last, as Reeves had to loose approximately 15 pounds and shave his head to achieve the necessary emaciated look for his character.

    8. Neo’s criminal record folder lists his birthplace as being “Capital City, USA.” While never overtly revealed in the films, the world simulated within the Matrix consists of a single, giant metropolis called Mega City.

    Warner Bros.

    9. Switch actress Belinda McCrory revealed that her character was originally intended to be played by a male actor in the real world and a female actress in the Matrix. This is one reason why the film has come to be viewed as an allegory for transgender identity.

    10. Even Neo might have been a woman had things worked out differently. Reeves’ “Speed” costar Sandra Bullock was approached to star in the film early on.

    Fox

    11. The Wachowskis cast numerous sets of twins as background extras for the “Woman in Red” sequence, as a subtle way of showing a computer program using recycled information.

    12. “The Matrix” is often compared to 1998’s “Dark City” in both story and visual style. As it turns out, many sets from “Dark City” were recycled for use in “The Matrix.”

    13. The main character in the DC Comics series “The Sandman” is also named Morpheus. The Wachowskis specifically instructed Laurence Fishburne to model his performance on that wise, inscrutable Morpheus.

    DC

    14. This is the only film in the series where Neo uses guns.

    15. “The Matrix” takes place over the course of 19 months. This is indicated by the timestamps of the phone traces seen in the beginning and end of the movie.

  • 11 Things You Never Knew About ‘Heathers’ on its 30th Anniversary

    11 Things You Never Knew About ‘Heathers’ on its 30th Anniversary

    New World Pictures

    While it didn’t get much attention early on, “Heathers” has become a bona fide cult classic and is now regarded as one of the great high school movies of the 1980’s. Celebrate the 30th anniversary of this subversive, dark comedy by learning some interesting facts about “Heathers.”

    1. Writer Daniel Waters wanted Stanley Kubrick to direct the film, believing Kubrick to be the only director with enough clout to get a three-hour cut greenlit.

    2. While Kubrick obviously didn’t sign on, the film does feature an homage to his work. The opening cafeteria scene is heavily inspired by the barracks scene from “Full Metal Jacket“.

    Warner Bros.

    3. The name “Heather” is spoken exactly 90 times during the course of the film.

    4. Drew Barrymore, Jennifer Connelly and Justine Bateman were all approached for the role of Veronica before Winona Ryder was cast. Reportedly many actors turned down parts out of concern for the film’s dark subject matter.

    New World Pictures

    5. On the other hand, Brad Pitt tried out for the role of J.D. and was rejected because he was “too nice” to be convincing.

    6. The name J.D. is an homage to “The Catcher in the Rye” author J.D. Salinger. Reportedly, Salinger refused to allow his book to be used in the film, hence why the students are seen reading the public domain work “Moby Dick” instead.

    7. Shannon Doherty was reluctant to dye her hair for the role of Heather Duke, so she and the producers reached a compromise by dying her hair red instead.

    New World Pictures

    8. Australian pop-punk band The Veronicas chose their name specifically as a tribute to Ryder’s character.

    9. “Heathers” was adapted into a stage musical in 2010 by Laurence O’Keefe and Kevin Murphy. The show had an off-Broadway run from March to August of 2014. (You might remember some of the songs from “Riverdale” a couple of weeks ago.)

    Paramount Network

    10. “Heathers” was also adapted into a TV series on the Paramount Network in 2018, though the first season was largely panned by critics who felt it failed to live up to the original film.

    11. Waters has revealed his idea for a potential “Heathers 2,” envisioning a sequel where Veronica begins working as an assistant for a US senator named Heather.  Ryder has voiced an interest in reprising her role. Could it happen?

  • 12 Things You Never Knew About ’10 Things I Hate About You’ on its 20th Anniversary

    12 Things You Never Knew About ’10 Things I Hate About You’ on its 20th Anniversary

    Buena Vista

    Apparently the easiest way to make Shakespeare accessible to modern teens is to re-imagine his iconic stories as movies about high school romance. That’s the takeaway from “10 Things I Hate About You,” a rom-com that’s stayed fresh and relevant even after 20 years. Celebrate that anniversary with a few interesting factoids you might not have known.

    1. “10 Things I Hate About You” is a modernized retelling of Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew,” a play that follows the difficult courtship between main characters Petruchio and Katherina.

    2. Joseph Gordon-Levitt‘s character Cameron actually quotes a line from “The Taming of the Shrew” when he says “I burn, I pine, I perish!”

    Buena Vista

    3. The film was shot entirely on location in Tacoma and Seattle, Washington, with the real-life Stadium High School in Tacoma being transformed into Padua High School.

    4. Heath Ledger‘s fellow teen heartthrobs Josh Hartnett and Ashton Kutcher also tried out for the role of Patrick.

    Casey-Werner Distribution

    5. There’s a strange trend of actors who sing “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You” on screen later going on to play Batman villains. Ledger became the third actor to manage that feat after Christopher Walken and Michelle Pfeiffer.

    6. Apparently Julia Stiles‘ character Kat has a thing for Batman’s nemesis, the Joker. Not only did Ledger go on to play Joker in 2008’s “The Dark Knight,” but Kat also keeps a picture of actor Jared Leto hidden in her bedroom. Leto played Joker in 2016’s “Suicide Squad.”

    Warner Bros.

    7. Larisa Oleynik and Joseph Gordon-Levitt also played characters who date on the sitcom “Third Rock From the Sun.”

    8. Julia Stiles and Andrew Keegan would go on to star in another modernized, high school-oriented Shakespeare film in 2001’s “O.”

    Buena Vista

    9. Director Gil Junger also played a small role as a teacher at Padua High, but his scenes were cut from the final version.

    10. The final cut of the film also jettisoned a subplot involving Susan May Pratt‘s character Mandella contemplating suicide as a way of getting closer to Shakespeare.

    11. Despite playing a high schooler in the movie, Gabrielle Union was 26 at the time of filming.

    Buena Vista

    12. The movie was remade as a TV sitcom for ABC Family in 2009. While Junger returned to direct several episodes, Larry Miller was the only actor to reprise his role from the film.

  • Every Tim Burton Movie, Ranked From ‘Beetlejuice’ to ‘Batman’

    Every Tim Burton Movie, Ranked From ‘Beetlejuice’ to ‘Batman’

  • 10 Things You Never Knew About ‘Troop Beverly Hills’ on its 30th Anniversary

    10 Things You Never Knew About ‘Troop Beverly Hills’ on its 30th Anniversary

    Columbia

    It’s now been 30 years since “Troop Beverly Hills” arrived in theaters. Sure, the movie didn’t meet with much critical or commercial success at the time, but it’s since become a cult classic that also launched the careers of several actresses. So let’s celebrate that milestone with a few fun facts about this Girl Scout comedy.

    1. “Troop Beverly Hills” marks the acting debut of several future Hollywood stars, including Carla Gugino, Kellie Martin and Tori Spelling.

    2. Gugino lied about her age in order to land the role of Chica Barnfell, pretending to be 14 instead of 16.

    Columbia

    3. Phyllis describes her courtroom outfit as being a Van Runkle design. This is a nod to the film’s costume designer,  Theadora Van Runkle.

    4. The intro sequence was animated by future “The Ren & Stimpy Show” creator John Kricfalusi.

    Nickelodeon

    5. The film is actually inspired by the life of producer Ava Ostern Fries, who once served as a Girl Scout troop leader and even brought her troop to stay in the Beverly Hills Hotel.

    6. Fries turned down the chance to make the movie at Disney because she disagreed with the studio’s choice of star, Bette Midler.

    Buena Vista

    7. While she plays Shelley Long‘s rival in the film, Betty Thomas would later transition to directing and even directed Long in 1995’s “The Brady Bunch Movie.”

    8. Singers Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello have cameos in the movie as joggers outside the Beverly Hills Hotel. Funicello can actually be heard singing her own 1959 single “Tall Paul.”

    Columbia

    9. The Girls Scouts refused to endorse the film, with the organization objecting to the way some of the characters were depicted.

    10. Jenny Lewis, who plays the character Hannah, later teamed up with “Boy Meets World’s” Blake Sennett to form the band Rilo Kiley.