Moviefone Editorial

Category: Trivia

11 Things You Never Knew About ‘Phantasm’ on its 40th Anniversary

AVCO Embassy Pictures

“Phantasm” is turning 40 years old. Despite its old age and low budget origins, this cult horror film has managed to spawn an enduring franchise and a lasting fan base. Celebrate this horror movie milestone by learning more about the making and legacy of “Phantasm.”

1. “Phantasm” was filmed on a minuscule $300,000 budget, with director Don Coscarelli saving money by renting equipment on Fridays, shooting on the weekend and returning it the following Monday so as to only pay for one day’s rental.

2. Actor Angus Scrimm is 6 foot 4, and he wore undersized costumes and modified boots to make him appear even taller during filming.

AVCO Embassy Pictures

3. Coscarelli also saved money by casting both his and actor Reggie Bannister‘s parents as extras during the funeral scene.

4. If the exterior of the mausoleum looks familiar, that’s because the same mansion was later featured in 1985’s “A View to a Kill” and 1993’s “So I Married an Axe Murderer.”

Universal Pictures

5. “Phantasm” contains multiple homages to the sci-fi novel “Dune,” including the scene where Mike is forced to put his hand inside the fortune teller’s pain-inducing black box.

6. According to Coscarelli, the original cut of “Phantasm” clocked in at over three hours. Some of the unused footage made its way into 1998’s “Phantasm IV: Oblivion,” while the rest may have been lost or destroyed.

AVCO Embassy Pictures

7. “Phantasm” was originally given an X rating by the MPAA, largely because of the iconic silver sphere scene. The rating was changed after LA Times critic Charles Champlin intervened on the film’s behalf.

8. Director JJ Abrams is a huge fan of “Phantasm” and even helped arrange the film’s 2016 restoration. Abrams chose the Captain Phasma name in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” as an homage to the film.

Lucasfilm

9. A popular rumor suggests that “Phantasm” was the inspiration for Motörhead’s iconic 1980 song “Ace of Spades.” Reportedly, songwriter Ian “Lemmy” Kilmister was inspired by the look of main character Mike Pearson and wrote out the lyrics during a screening.

10. There are currently four sequels in the “Phantasm” series, with the most recent of them being 2016’s “Phantasm: Ravager.”

11. Filmmaker Roger Avary pitched his own idea for a “Phantasm” sequel, which would have been titled “Phantasm 1999 A.D.” and featured Bruce Campbell in a major role. Unfortunately, the project was abandoned due to a lack of funding.

June 1, 2019
9 Things You Never Knew About ‘Drag Me to Hell’ on its 10th Anniversary

Universal Pictures

While director Sam Raimi will probably always be best remembered for franchises like “Spider-Man” and “Evil Dead,” he also gave us one of the best horror movies of the 21st Century thanks to “Drag Me to Hell.” That modern classic is now ten years old, so celebrate the occasion by learning a little more about the background and making of “Drag Me to Hell.”

1. The film is partly inspired by 1957’s “Night of the Demon,” which itself was based on the M.R. James story “Casting the Runes.”

2. Raimi and his brother Ivan originally wrote “Drag Me to Hell” after completing “Army of Darkness” in 1992. The film sat dormant until Raimi completed work on the “Spider-Man” trilogy.

Sony Pictures

3. Raimi actually offered Edgar Wright the chance to direct “Drag Me to Hell,” but Wright opted to focus on “Hot Fuzz” instead.

4. The 1973 Oldsmobile Delta 88 seen in the film is the same one that’s appeared in nearly every one of Raimi’s movies.

Universal Pictures

5. Ellen Page was originally cast in the lead role, but she had to drop out due to scheduling issues caused by an impending SAG strike.

6. Raimi and several of his family members have cameo roles in the film. Raimi himself appears as a ghost, while his younger brother Ted plays a doctor.

Universal Pictures

7. “Drag Me to Hell” is the first Raimi movie not to include actor Bruce Campbell. Campbell was unable to participate due to his commitment to the TV series “Burn Notice.”

8. The Greek letters seen in the Great Room scene quote a biblical passage from Chapter 12 of the Book of Revelation.

Starz

9. The film includes multiple references to the “Evil Dead” series, including Sylvia’s line “I’m going to get some,” and Clay’s mention of his parents’ remote cabin in the woods.

May 29, 2019
15 Things You Never Knew About ‘Alien’ on its 40th Anniversary

20th Century Fox

It’s now been 40 years since “Alien” hit theaters and kicked off one of the most popular sci-fi movie franchises of all time. From the unexpected downsides of the Xenomorph costume to the Hollywood stars who almost appeared in the movie, here are 15 things you might not have known about the making of “Alien.”

1. The original screenplay featured the title “Star Beast,” but writer Dan O’Bannon decided “Alien” was more effective and direct.

2. Harrison Ford was originally offered the role of Captain Dallas but turned down the part.

Warner Bros.

3. According to director Ridley Scott, Meryl Streep was also strongly considered for the role of Ripley and may well have been cast if not for the sudden death of her partner, John Cazale.

4. Jon Finch was originally cast as Kane, but had to drop out on the first day of filming due to complications from diabetes.

20th Century Fox

5. H.R. Giger‘s original Xenomorph design included visible eyes, but this was removed in order to give the creature a more inhuman appearance. Scott also purposely avoided filming the Xenomorph straight-on, in order to emphasize its terrifying nature.

6. In order to create the set for the Xenomorph egg chamber, the crew borrowed a set of laser lights from The Who, who were rehearsing on a nearby sound stage.

20th Century Fox

7. The facehugger was originally meant to be painted green, but O’Bannon liked the stark, humanoid look of the unpainted puppet and chose to leave it as-is.

8. Many of the gore effects were achieved by using raw animal parts, including cattle hearts and sheep intestines. That helped fuel the actors’ genuine reaction of fear during the infamous chestburster scene.

20th Century Fox

9. The names for the Nostromo crew members were chosen in part because they’re gender-neutral. None of the characters have a specified gender in the screenplay.

10. The crew had to design a special swing for actor Bolaji Badejo because his Xenomorph costume made it impossible to sit down in between takes.

20th Century Fox

11. One of the early shots of the interior of the Nostromo features a coffee grinder hanging on a wall. That prop was later used to create the Mr. Fusion engine in “Back to the Future.”

12. Most of the creatures models had to be repainted every single day due to the corrosive effects of the slime used to coat them.

13. The Space Jockey prop measured a full 26 feet tall. Unfortunately, it was accidentally destroyed when a discarded cigarette set it on fire.

20th Century Fox

14. One of the many deleted scenes from “Alien” features Ripley and Dallas having casual sex as a way of relieving the boredom of their journey. Scott eventually re-purposed that idea for 2012’s “Prometheus.”

15. The Xenomorph only appears on-screen for a total of four minutes in the theatrical cut.

May 25, 2019
15 Things You Never Knew About ‘Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade’ on its 30th Anniversary

Lucasfilm

It’s been 30 years since “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” hit theaters. Or as some fans refer to it, “The only good Indiana Jones sequel.” Wherever this blockbuster hit falls on your Indy rankings, celebrate this big anniversary by learning more about the making of “The Last Crusade.”

1. When Steven Spielberg and George Lucas first began discussing ideas for a third Indiana Jones movie, Lucas suggested using a haunted mansion as a major set piece. However, Spielberg rejected the idea, having recently completed work on 1982’s “Poltergeist.”

2. Chris Columbus wrote a very different sequel screenplay in 1985 called “Indiana Jones and the Monkey King,” which revolved around Chinese folk hero Sun Wukong and the fabled Garden of Immortal Peaches.

20th Century Fox

3. Spielberg was once slated to direct both “Big” and “Rain Man” but had to drop out of both projects due to his work on “The Last Crusade.”

4. River Phoenix was Harrison Ford’s personal choice to play the young Indy, as Ford had previously worked with Phoenix on 1986’s “The Mosquito Coast.”

Lucasfilm

5. Similarly, Spielberg always envisioned Sean Connery playing Henry Jones, Sr. Spielberg has long held a desire to direct a James Bond movie, and casting Connery as the elder Jones was a way of reflecting the Bond franchise’s influence on Indiana Jones.

6. In another Bond tribute, the gun used to shoot Henry Sr. in the temple is a Walther PPK, Bond’s trademark weapon.

EON

7. Connery didn’t play Henry Sr. in the prologue sequence. The character was instead played by Alex Hyde-White, with Connery later dubbing over his lines.

8. Spielberg also wanted legendary British actor Laurence Olivier to play the Grail Knight, but Olivier had become too ill by the time of filming and passed away not long after “The Last Crusade” hit theaters.

Lucasfilm

9. While the treasure hunter who gives Indy his trademark fedora is only listed as “Fedora” in the credits, the original screenplay reveals him to be Abner Ravenwood, father of Karen Allen’s character Marion Ravenwood.

10. The Nazi uniforms used in the book-burning sequence are actually authentic WWII relics. Designer Joanna Johnston discovered a cache of old uniforms while scouting in Eastern Europe.

Lucasfilm

11. The thousands of rats used in catacombs scene are a mix of live creatures and animatronic props. The production team had to specially breed the live rats in order to ensure none of them would be carrying communicable diseases.

12. In the scene where Donovan’s wife appears and reminds him he’s neglecting his guests, a character can be heard in the background playing “The Imperial March” from “The Empire Strikes Back” on the piano.

13. Donovan’s iconic death sequence is the very first all-digital composite sequence in film.

Lucasfilm

14. The horses used in the final scenes outside the temple were loaned by none other than King Hussein of Jordan.

15. While Spielberg admitted he made “The Last Crusade” for less than glamorous reasons (including the need to complete a three-picture deal with Lucas), he’s also named the sequel as his favorite movie in the series.
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May 23, 2019
13 Things You Never Knew About ‘Terminator Salvation’ on its 10th Anniversary

Warner Bros.

When it first hit theaters, “Terminator Salvation” provided a grim view of humanity’s future. Now that the movie has been out for ten years, it instead showcases a past that never came to be. That’s the funny thing about this time travel-obsessed franchise. Celebrate the tenth anniversary of this reboot with some interesting facts you might not know about the making of “Terminator Salvation.”

1. While he wasn’t directly involved with the reboot, James Cameron consulted with director McG about “Salvation,” recommending both actor Sam Worthington and art director Martin Laing.

2. The plot was much different in earlier drafts of the screenplay, with John Connor himself not appearing until late in the film. Christian Bale was initially approached to play Marcus Wright, but after he expressed more interest in the John Connor role, the story was altered to focus more heavily on him.

3. “Salvation” proved to be the final film legendary special effects artist Stan Winston worked on before his death in 2008.

4. According to Bale, “The Dark Knight” co-writer Jonathan Nolan was called in to significantly rework the script. Unfortunately, because of the 2007 WGA strike, most of Nolan’s ideas never made it into the final version.

Warner Bros.

5. This is the only “Terminator” movie not to feature Arnold Schwarzenegger as the iconic T-800. Schwarzengger’s likeness was digitally recreated for the T-800’s debut scene, but Schwarzenegger himself (then serving as governor of California) declined to participate in the film.

6. Salvation is also the first “Terminator” movie to not use time travel as a plot device and the first to feature John Connor and his father Kyle Reese in the same scene together.

Warner Bros.

7. There’s a reason Michael Ironside’s character General Ashdown never sits down in the movie. Ironside broke several vertebrae in an accident shortly before filming and was in intense pain.

8. While the audio recordings of Sarah Connor feature the same dialogue from the original “The Terminator,” the recordings themselves were done specifically for “Salvation.” Linda Hamilton re-recorded the lines in an uncredited cameo role.

9. “Salvation” was intended to serve as the start of a new trilogy of “Terminator” movies. However, those plans were cut short after The Halcyon Company filed for bankruptcy and the franchise rights were sold to Pacificor.

Warner Bros.

10. At the time of release, “Salvation” was the most expensive independently financed film ever released, with a budget of nearly $200 million.

11. A leaked early draft of the screenplay featured a very different ending. Rather than Marcus sacrificing his life and giving John his cybernetic heart, that version ended with John dying and the Resistance transplanting his skin onto Marcus’ body, allowing Marcus to trick the world into believing the leader of the Resistance is still alive.

Warner Bros.

12. In response to that leak, McG revealed an even darker alternate ending that very nearly wound up in the final version. This version of the movie ended with John’s body being taken over by Skynet after his heart transplant, forcing him to murder his fellow Resistance members.

13. Though “Salvation” never got any film sequels, its story was expanded upon in several comic books, novels and even an animated web series. Most notably, the comic book series “Terminator Salvation: The Final Battle” serves as a direct sequel to the movie.
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May 21, 2019
11 Things You Never Knew About ‘Maverick’ on its 25th Anniversary

Warner Bros.

“Maverick” may not be the most critically acclaimed Western released in the ’90s, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find a more enjoyable trip back to the Wild West and the days of rascals, card sharks and lawmen. Celebrate the 25th anniversary of this it Western by learning some fun facts about the making of “Maverick.”

1. “Maverick” is an adaptation of the 1957-1962 TV series of the same name, which starred James Garner as Bret Maverick.

Warner Bros.

2. Garner played a very different role in this remake as Marshal Zane Cooper. The name is an homage to influential Western writer Zane Grey and actor Gary Cooper.

3. The film includes cameo appearances from many popular country music singers, including Reba McEntire, Waylon Jennings, Hal Ketchum, Carlene Carter and Vince Gill.

Warner Bros.

4. Paul Newman was originally offered the role of Bret Maverick, but ultimately turned it down when the producers failed to meet his salary requirements.

5. The steamboat is named “Lauren Belle” in tribute to director Richard Donner‘s wife, producer Lauren Shuler Donner. She also has a cameo in the film as “Mrs. D,” one of the maids in the bath house.

6. The ship used for the Lauren Belle was a fully functional stern-wheel tugboat borrowed from the Oregon Maritime Museum.

Buena Vista Pictures

7. Julia Roberts, Meg Ryan and Michelle Pfeiffer were all considered for the part of Annabelle.

8. Annabelle’s clumsiness wasn’t actually written in the original screenplay. Donner was inspired to add that element to the character after Jodie Foster fell out of a stagecoach when co-star Mel Gibson failed to help her down.

Warner Bros.

9. “Maverick” includes numerous callbacks to the “Lethal Weapon” series, including Danny Glover‘s cameo appearance and the scene where Mel Gibson’s character discovers his shirt has shrunk in the wash.

10. The film includes a deleted sequence where Maverick attempts to demonstrate his supposedly magical card-playing abilities to a hermit played by Linda Hunt. Donner opted to cut this material because he felt it didn’t mesh with the rest of the film.

Warner Bros.

11. Another deleted scene features musician Alice Cooper in a cameo role as the town drunk. Rock on!
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May 20, 2019
11 Things You Never Knew About ‘Road House’ on its 30th Anniversary

MGM/UA

It’s been 30 years since “Road House” arrived in theaters and made being a “cooler” seem like the greatest job in the world. This campy action movie’s appeal has only grown over the years, so celebrate this big milestone by learning more about the making and legacy of “Road House.”

1. Patrick Swayze injured his knee while filming “Road House,” which forced him to turn down starring roles in both “Predator 2” and “Tango & Cash.”

2. On the plus side, Swayze’s injury did motivate him to take on a less physically demanding role in “Ghost,” resulting in one of his most iconic movie roles.

Paramount Pictures

3. All the actors were trained by accomplished martial artist and stuntman Benny “The Jet” Urquidez. Urquidez was so impressed by Swayze’s natural talent that he tried to convince him to take up a new career as a professional kickboxer.

4. Though it’s never spoken in the film, Dalton’s first name is James. His full name can be glimpsed on a medical chart in the hospital.

MGM/UA

5. The film originally featured the tagline “The dancing’s over. Now it gets dirty.”, a clear callback to 1987’s “Dirty Dancing.”

6. According to Sam Elliott, the original cut of the film was well over three hours long. Some of the many deleted scenes were included in the theatrical trailers, including a sequence where Dalton trains his bouncers by forcing them to wear ballerina costumes.

20th Television

7. The “Family Guy” episode “Brian’s Got a Brand New Bag” features an homage to “Road House,” as Peter Griffin rekindles his obsession with the film. That episode is also dedicated to Swayze, who passed away a few weeks before it aired.

8. Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton earned the nickname “Road House” because he shares a last name with Swayze’s character.

9. The film received a belated direct-to-video sequel in 2006. “Road House 2” stars Johnathon Schaech as Dalton’s son Shane, an undercover DEA agent posing as a bar bouncer.

Sony Pictures

10. The “Road House 2” character Nate Tanner was originally written to be Swayze’s James Dalton. When Swayze declined to appear in the film, the part was changed and the film was rewritten to reveal that Dalton was gunned down at some point after the events of the first movie.

11. News broke in 2015 that a “Road House” remake was in the works, with Nick Cassavetes attached to write and direct and Ronda Rousey expected to star. However, the project was later canceled the following year.

May 19, 2019
15 Things You Never Knew About ‘Star Wars: Episode I’ on its 20th Anniversary

Lucasfilm Ltd.

A lot of “Star Wars” fans must be feeling their age right about now. It’s been 20 years since “Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace” roared into theaters and ushered in a brand new era for the franchise. It may have its share of detractors, but you can celebrate your love for the first chapter in the prequel trilogy by learning some fun behind-the-scenes facts.

1. Theaters were under struct orders not to show the teaser trailer before a certain date. When one Canadian theater broke the embargo, it lost the right to screen “The Phantom Menace” at all.

2. Ewan McGregor happens to be the nephew of Denis Lawson, who played Wedge Antilles in the original trilogy.

Lucasfilm Ltd.

3. An early draft of the screenplay depicted Obi-Wan Kenobi as an older, full-fledged Jedi, with Qui-Gon Jinn not appearing until the Coruscant scenes. Another version had Jar Jar becoming a Jedi (gulp).

4. “The Phantom Menace” is the only pre-Disney “Star Wars” movie where the word “lightsaber” is never spoken.

5. Benicio Del Toro was originally cast as Darth Maul, but he quit the project after George Lucas cut most of Maul’s lines from the final script. Maul actually only speaks three lines and has a mere six minutes of screen time across the entire film.

Lucasfilm Ltd.

6. Actor Peter Serafinowicz was hired to dub over Ray Park’s dialogue for Darth Maul. When Maul returned in “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” Serafinowicz was replaced by Sam Witwer, who voiced Maul in the animated series “Star Wars: The Clone Wars.”

7. In order to conserve money, sets were only built as high as the actors’ heads, with the remaining details filled in digitally. Unfortunately, because Liam Neeson is so tall he wound up costing the crew an extra $150,000.

Lucasfilm Ltd.

8. Fortunately, Neeson saved the crew a bit of money in other areas. His advanced communicator device is actually just a modified Gillette shaving razor.

9. Tupac Shakur was an avid “Star Wars” fan and campaigned for a role in “The Phantom Menace,” with some speculating that he may have played Mace Windu had he not died in 1996.

10. Michael Jackson also campaigned for a part in the movie, specifically appealing to Lucas to let him play Jar Jar Binks. Lucas was reluctant to cast such a famous and recognizable actor in the role, but he did take actor Ahmed Best to one of Jackson’s concerts in order to get the singer’s approval.

Lucasfilm Ltd.

11. Best plays another small role in the film, appearing as a Jedi Knight when Chancellor Palpatine arrives on Naboo.

12. This movie established that “Star Wars” and “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” exist in the same universe. One of the numerous platforms in the Galactic Senate chamber features several of E.T.’s alien brethren, referred to in the novel “Star Wars: Cloak of Deception” as the Brodo Asogi.

Universal Pictures

13. Actor Jake Lloyd claims that Lucas’ original cut ran a full six hours, and that only a handful of people have ever been allowed to see this version.

14. Among the many items in Watto’s junk shop is one of the space pods from “2001: A Space Odyssey.”

MGM

15. This is the only live-action “Star Wars” movie where Anthony Daniels voices C-3PO but doesn’t perform his movements. Because the droid lacks an outer shell at this stage in his existence, he was instead controlled by puppeteer Michael Lynch.

May 19, 2019
11 Things You Never Knew About ‘The Brothers Bloom’ on its 10th Anniversary

Summit Entertainment

After director Rian Johnson made his critically beloved debut in “Brick,” but before he became the man who either saved or ruined “Star Wars” (depending whom you ask), he gave us “The Brothers Bloom.” This goofy crime movie helped further cement Johnson as a rising star in Hollywood. Celebrate the tenth anniversary of Johnson’s sophomore film some fun trivia about the making of “The Brothers Bloom.”

1. Johnson began developing “The Brothers Bloom” several years before Brick materialized. He’s cited 1973’s “Paper Moon” as his biggest influence on the film.

2. The screenplay was included in the 2006 Black List, a roundup of the most acclaimed scripts yet to be produced.

Summit Entertainment

3. While the film isn’t strictly based on any existing works, the main three characters are all inspired by characters from James Joyce’s “Ulysses.”

4. Johnson originally wanted Mark Ruffalo to play Bloom Bloom instead of Stephen Bloom. Ruffalo and Adrien Brody convinced him to swap their roles.

Summit Entertainment

5. Johnson intended from the beginning for Bang Bang to have little or no dialogue. Not counting the karaoke scene, Rinko Kikuchi only speaks three words over the course of the entire movie.

6. Penelope’s home is actually the Peleș Castle, which is located in Sinaia, Romania.

Summit Entertainment

7. Ricky Jay, who provides the voice of the narrator, is actually a skilled sleight of hand magician himself. Johnson originally wanted to cast Jay as Maximillen Melville, but Jay’s busy schedule made that impossible.

8. Rachel Weisz spent weeks ensuring she could convincingly perform Penelope’s numerous talents in the film. That included recruiting Brody’s help in learning how to skateboard.

Summit Entertainment

9. Weisz eventually became skilled enough at card tricks to perform the single-take trick scene on her own with no assistance or digital manipulation.

10. The reason Tom Cruise is given a “special thanks” credit in the film is because Cruise expressed an early interest in the project. While Cruise never officially became involved with “The Brothers Bloom,” Johnson has said his detailed feedback significantly improved the final script.

Paramount Pictures

11. Johnson brought back “Brick” stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Lukas Haas to play cameo roles in the bar scene early in the film.

May 15, 2019
17 Things You Never Knew About ‘Apocalypse Now’ on its 40th Anniversary

United Artists

It’s now been 40 years since Francis Ford Coppola gave us one of the greatest and most mind-bending war movies of all time. “Apocalypse Now” has lost none of its power over the decades. So strap on your helmet and head up-river to learn some interesting trivia about the background and infamously troubled production of “Apocalypse Now.”

1. Writer John Milius listened exclusively to music by The Doors and Richard Wagner while he worked on the screenplay. Milius said he believed The Doors to be “the music of war,” a fact which greatly upset the members of the band.

2. The majority of the dialogue had to be re-recorded during post-production, as the jungle environments and heavy background noise made much of the original dialogue impossible to use.

3. Coppola originally offered the role of Captain Willard to “The Godfather” star Al Pacino. Pacino declined, telling Coppola he had no interest in spending months shooting in a swamp.

Paramount Pictures

4. Pacino was also one of several actors Coppola considered as a potential replacement for Marlon Brando, who repeatedly threatened to quit.

5. Harvey Keitel was originally cast as Willard and was fired after two weeks of filming. At least one shot of Keitel’s Willard made it into the final version of the film.

6. Martin Sheen largely improvised the scene where Willard has a meltdown in his hotel room. Sheen was heavily intoxicated and actually cut his hand when he punched the mirror.

United Artists

7. Sheen’s brother Joe Estevez plays an essential but uncredited role in the movie. Estevez served as a stand-in for his brother while Sheen was recuperating from a heart attack, and also provided the voice-over work for a large portion of Captain Willard’s narration.

8. Coppola opted to frame Colonel Kurtz in shadow for most of his scenes, mainly to hide the fact that Brando arrived on-set extremely overweight.

United Artists

9. The friction between Brando and Coppola became so great that Assistant Director Jerry Ziesmer eventually took over filming for Brando’s scenes.

10. Harrison Ford specifically chose his character’s name, “G. Lucas,” in tribute to “Star Wars” and “American Graffiti” director George Lucas. Lucas was once slated to direct “Apocalypse Now” himself, which he envisioned as a faux-documentary.

11. The film’s famously disaster-ridden production is chronicled in the 1991 documentary “Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse.” The production went so far over budget that Coppola was forced to mortgage his house and winery in order to finish filming.

Triton Pictures

12. Widespread drug abuse was another major problem during filming. Dennis Hopper reportedly caused a teenage Laurence Fishburne to become addicted to heroin.

13. Because the film includes no opening title card or credits, Coppola needed to include the shot of the graffiti tag “Our Motto: Apocalypse Now” in order to ensure the film could be copyrighted.

United Artists

14. The American Humane Association slammed the film with an “Unacceptable” rating after it was discovered the scene where the water buffalo is slaughtered was actually real.

15. Coppola repeatedly struggled with his vision for the ending of the movie. Originally, the screenplay ended with Kurtz convincing Willard to join him and both men dying in a military airstrike, but Coppola opted for a less depressing finale.

United Artists

16. There are several alternate versions of the film in existence. 2001’s “Apocalypse Now Redux” adds 49 minutes of deleted footage, including the lengthy sequence where Willard and his crew encounter the French plantation owners. A bootleg workprint cut includes even more deleted footage, such as a death scene for Hopper’s character.

17. 2019 will see the release of “Apocalypse Now: The Final Cut,” a 4K restoration that cuts roughly 20 minutes of footage that was added to “Redux.”

May 10, 2019