EntertainmentJUN 26, 2018

118 Fun Facts About Movies (Spoiler: Kate Winslet Is Especially Naughty)

Giedrė Vaičiulaitytė and Damanjeet Sethi

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Movies have the magical power of suspending our real-life problems for at least the duration of the film. Not only that, but movies can also take us to distant worlds full of fantastic characters and scenarios. So much so that sometimes you might forget that those characters are actually just people and the distant world is a film set.

The creation of a movie is a real and full-time job for the cast and crew, and same as with our lives and jobs, not only ordinary but also curious things do happen. We’ve gathered a list full of such fun facts about movies that will entertain and surprise you!

From a legendary actor going out for lunch, forgetting he was wearing robotic makeup, to a leading lady catching a nasty infection, we’ve listed some juicy movie facts that you’ll love. Behind every blockbuster is a treasure trove of behind-the-scenes antics, quirky stories, and unexpected curveballs that make for some really interesting movie facts.

So, get ready to have your mind blown as we dive into the reel and real tales, such as some Disney fun facts and horror movie facts that are quirky, bizarre, and downright cool! These fun facts about movies might even make you the reigning champion of your next movie trivia night. Grab your popcorn, folks!

#1 Guardians Of The Galaxy

Chris Pratt apparently stole his Star-Lord costume from the set, for the sole purpose of having it available so he could show up in costume to visit sick children in the hospital, who might want to meet Star-Lord.

Marvel Entertainment

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411points

#2 The Theory Of Everything

In an e-mail to director James Marsh about the portrayal by Eddie Redmayne, Stephen Hawking said there were certain points when he thought he was watching himself. In addition to his copyrighted voice, Stephen Hawking also lent the filmmakers his Companion of Honour medal and his signed thesis to use as genuine props in the film.

Working Title Films

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361points

#3 Armageddon

NASA shows this film during their management training program. New managers are given the task of trying to spot as many errors as possible. At least one hundred sixty-eight have been found.

Disney-ABC Domestic Television

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358points

#4 Dallas Buyers Club

The film's budget was so low that the makeup budget was $250. The film's artists were able to work with that, and the film's Makeup and Hairstyling won an Oscar.

Voltage Pictures

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357points

#5 The Godfather

The cat held by Marlon Brando in the opening scene was a stray that Coppola found while on the lot at Paramount, and was not originally called for in the script. So content was the cat that its purring muffled some of Brando's dialogue, and, as a result, most of his lines had to be looped.

Paramount Pictures

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341points

#6 The Matrix

Kung Fu choreographer Woo-Ping Yuen initially refused to work on the film, and hoped that by asking for an exorbitant fee, it would turn off the Wachowskis. It didn't. He next formulated what he considered an impossible request. He said that he'd agree only if he had complete control of the fights, and that he trained the actors for four months before they shoot. The Wachowskis complied with his request.

Warner Bros.

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325points

#7 Elizabeth: The Golden Age

In the film, when Elizabeth arrives at St. Paul's Cathedral, construction is going on. In real life, St. Paul's actually needed repair work. Director Shekhar Kapur decided to improvise, and gave the workers costumes and period tools to cut real stone that was being installed in the cathedral. The workers in the scene are real-life stonemasons and construction workers.

Working Title Films

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315points

#8 Django Unchained

When Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio) smashes his hand on the dinner table, DiCaprio accidentally crushed a small stemmed glass with his palm and really began to bleed. He ignored it, stayed in character, and continued with the scene. Quentin Tarantino was so impressed that he used this take in the final print, and when he called cut, the room erupted in a standing ovation.

Columbia Pictures

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306points

#9 Forrest Gump

Tom Hanks was not paid for this film. Instead, he took percentage points which ultimately netted him in the region of forty million dollars.

Paramount Pictures

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305points

#10 Titanic

After finding out that she had to be naked in front of Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet decided to break the ice, and when they first met, she flashed him.

Paramount Pictures

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276points

Interesting Facts About the Film Industry

Ever wondered just how many movies are out there or when the very first flick hit the big screen? Here are five fun facts about movies that will make you appreciate the craft even more:

How Many Movies Exist in the World?

While there is no clear way to know how many movies exist in the world, IMDb (Internet Movie Database) lists 667,381 worldwide titles as of December 2023. That’s just over half a million amazing movies! Next time you struggle to pick a title, just remember—you’ve got choices for days, literally.

#11 Schindler's List

To gather costumes for 20,000 extras, the costume designer took out advertisements seeking clothes. As economic conditions were poor in Poland, many people were eager to sell clothing they still owned from the 1930s and '40s.

Universal Pictures

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255points

When Was the First Movie Ever Made?

There’s some debate around this. The honor of being the first-ever movie is usually given to Roundhay Garden Scene, a 2.11-second clip shot in Leeds, UK, in 1888. It’s a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it scene of a family walking in a garden.

However, before this, in 1878, photographer Eadweard Muybridge took multiple photographs of a galloping horse and projected them as a motion picture using a ‘zoopraxiscope,’ a very early version of a film projector. His famous clip is called Horse in Motion.

Here’s another interesting movie fact: the very first feature-length film was The Story of the Kelly Gang released in Australia in 1908. The multi-reel movie was 70–80 minutes long and became a starting point for narrative movies.

#12 The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe

Georgie Henley's reaction to Mr. Tumnus at the lamppost is genuine. She had not seen her castmate James McAvoy in his costume before the scene was filmed, so her screams and reaction were real. Georgie's first reaction to the snowy world of Narnia is also genuine. She was carried into the set blindfolded to make her first entrance, and her wide-eyed, delighted reactions to it, all are entirely her own.

The Walt Disney Company

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253points

What Was the First Color Movie?

While The Wizard of Oz (1939) is believed to be the first-ever color movie, it doesn’t even come close!

The first-ever color clip is A Visit to the Seaside from 1908. The 8-second clip was filmed using green and red filters. The results weren’t perfect, though, as all the colors couldn’t be captured. However, it was considered a huge achievement for movie-making for its time.

#13 The Dark Knight

In preparation for his role as The Joker, Heath Ledger hid away in a motel room for about six weeks. During this extended stay of seclusion, Ledger delved deep into the psychology of the character. He devoted himself to developing The Joker's every tic, namely the voice and that sadistic-sounding laugh.

Warner Bros.

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248points

What Is the World Record for the Longest Movie?

If you thought that the three-hour-long Titanic was the longest movie ever, hold on to your popcorn! IMDb cites Logistics as the longest film by running time. The 2012 Swedish film is a whopping 857 hours long. You’ll need some serious dedication to binge-watch this one.

#14 John Wick: Chapter 2

Keanu Reeves performed about 95 percent of the fight scenes himself. To prepare for the role, Keanu trained for three months. His training consisted of Judo, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, marksmanship, and driving.

Starz Entertainment

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247points

What’s the Most Expensive Film Ever Made?

Topping the charts as the most expensive film ever made is Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015). It had a jaw-dropping budget of $533.2 million. It’s also the first Star Wars movie made by Disney.

The Force Awakens surpasses Avatar: The Way of Water, widely believed to be the most expensive film of all time. Avatar 2 had a production budget of $350 million.

#15 The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring

The cast often had to fly to remote shoot locations by helicopter. Sean Bean (Boromir) was afraid of flying, and would only do it when absolutely necessary. When they were shooting the scenes of the Fellowship crossing the snowy mountains, he'd spend two hours every morning, climbing from the base of the mountain, to the set near the top, already dressed as Boromir. The crew being flown up, could see him from their helicopters.

New Line Cinema

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239points

#16 Pretty Woman

Edward (Richard Gere) snapping the necklace case down on Vivian's (Julia Roberts) fingers, was improvised by Gere, and Roberts's reaction (laughter) was totally natural. The filmmakers liked it so much, they decided to leave it in.

Touchstone Pictures

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233points

#17 Interstellar

For a cornfield scene, Christopher Nolan sought to grow five hundred acres of corn, which he learned was feasible from his producing of Man of Steel (2013). The corn was then sold, and actually made a profit.

Paramount Pictures

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222points

#18 The Terminator

One afternoon during a break in filming, Arnold Schwarzenegger went into a restaurant in downtown L.A. to get some lunch and realized all too late that he was still in Terminator makeup - with a missing eye, exposed jawbone and burned flesh.

imdb.com

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220points

#19 Star Trek

The sound of the automatic doors opening on the U.S.S. Enterprise, is a Russian train's toilet flushing.

Paramount Television

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217points

#20 The Revenant

Leonardo DiCaprio chose to devour a raw slab of bison's liver, even though he is vegetarian. He also had to learn to shoot a musket, build a fire, speak two Native American languages (Pawnee and Arikara), and study with a doctor who specializes in ancient healing techniques. DiCaprio calls it the hardest performance of his career.

Anonymous Content

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191points

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