24 Strange Movie Facts That Will Surprise Most People
Is any form of media more entertaining than a movie? A book can’t tell a story in the same shortened format cinema does, and a television show draws out storylines, causing viewers to lose interest. But films deliver unforgettable messages with unparalleled displays of the human condition. With an art form concentrated mainly under two hours comes many weird moments. You may identify as a cinephile, but do you know these strange movie facts?
1. Psycho (1960) Has the First Onscreen Toilet Flush
CBR reports that the Hitchcock masterpiece is the first film to feature an onscreen toilet flush. However, a little clarification is needed. In 1930, comedy adaptation of the 1910 play The Aviator, Going Wild, was actually the first film to have a toilet audibly flush. In Psycho, viewers actually see the toilet flushing. The controversial latrine cameo occurs when Marion Crane throws evidence into the loo and pulls the handle. In the 1960s, this violated The Hays Code, which censored media. Hitchcock ignored the rules, though.
2. The Matrix (1999) Codes Come From Sushi Recipes
Simon Whiteley, the mastermind behind the iconic emerald green coding in The Matrix, relayed how he delivered such a stunning image. He resorted to his wife’s sushi cookbooks for inspiration and digitized the recipes to create those memorable green vines of code.
3. The Cat in The Godfather (1972) Appeared Suddenly
The feline friend resting on Vito Corleone’s lap in the infamous mafia movie appeared randomly during shooting. The cat approached the cast, exhibiting strange behavior for a stray, so Francis Ford Coppola assumed the cat belonged to a set member, scooped the feline up, and placed him on the actor’s lap, layering metaphorical value from an accidental animal occurrence.
4. The Cat in Thanksgiving (2023) Is the Same as the Pet Sematary (2019) Cat
Recall a Maine Coon cat with the enchanting sobriquet of none other than Winston Churchill (Church)? An eerie creature, planted in the middle of the road, stares into the camera, evoking dread within the viewer. Well, unfortunately, that cat passed away shortly after release of the 2019 remake of Pet Sematary. However, a counterpart that filled in as Church the cat throughout the remake, Tonic, returned to his acting career in Eli Roth’s Thanksgiving as a horror feline who subverts stereotypes.
5. Buzz Lightyear Was Almost Named Lunar Larry in the Toy Story Franchise
Imagine the line “to Infinity and Beyond” coming from a character named Lunar Larry. It doesn’t ring with the same machismo grace, does it? Before Buzz Lightyear developed into the smug, purple-cloth astronaut, his face leaned on the rotund side with swarms of curls resting on his pear-shaped head.
6. Starbucks in Fight Club (1999) Scenes
During your initial viewing of Fight Club, did you pick up on the free marketing of the popular coffee chain? The director implemented a Starbucks coffee cup in most frames, nodding toward society’s fixation with consumerism, Far Out Magazine reports.
7. Ratatouille (2007) Inspired Rat Adoption
The 2007 film about an unexpected bond between man and rat helped whisk away negative stereotypes surrounding pet rats and increase adoption rates for wise-whiskered creatures. An article published via The Independent circa the movie release quoted rat expert Steve Fairburn over the uptick in consumer interest. “It seems Ratatouille has done wonders for the image of rats and finally helped to portray the image we have long been keen to promote — which is that contrary to popular opinion, rats are one of the cleanest and least smelly pets you can own,” he elated.
8. Wizard of Oz (1939) Snow Is Asbestos
Asbestos is a toxic, white fiber that, when inhaled, can lead to lung complications and breathing trouble. Prior to this knowledge circulating to the general public in the '70s, film sets utilized the mineral for fake snow. The Wizard of Oz jump-started this trend in 1939 with the scene of Dorothy napping among the poppies.
9. 10,297 Balloons in Up (2009)
Carl, Russell, and Dug have a chance encounter when Carl's house happens to start floating through the air on a mammoth balloon display. According to Wired, the house latched onto 20,622 balloons for the notable takeoff scene, and the movie displayed collections of 10,297 flotation devices for every subsequent scene.
10. Tom Cruise Inspired Christian Bale's Performance in American Psycho (2000)
Patrick Bateman didn’t rise from nothingness. Rather, the acclaimed actor Christian Bale drew inspiration for the charismatic character from a well-known name in Hollywood: Tom Cruise. The director of the acclaimed film, Mary Herron, admitted Bale found his footing with Bateman after watching Cruise on David Letterman, suggesting he boasts a friendly face but lacks humanness.
11. Isla Fisher Almost Drowned in Now You See Me (2013)
Now You See Me centered around a group of magicians enamored with committing crimes. During a magic demonstration, Isla Fisher plunges below water in a glass tank, chained to the ground, and calls for help. The filmmakers kept the scene in the film, but if you read her lips, you make out her plea for an escape route.
12. Flynn Rider of the Tangled Franchise Inspired by “Hot Guy” Meetings
To master the impeccable “hot guy” animated character known as Flynn Rider, crew members held multiple hot man meetings to solidify Flynn’s appearance. What is a hot man meeting? Apparently, the crew brought in pictures of Hollywood’s best-looking men and stole facets from each person’s makeup.
13. There Are 5,000 Gallons of Fake Blood in It Chapter Two (2019)
Jessica Chastain committed to the bloodbath during a jarring bathroom scene where she faces a former abuser. Gallons of blood rush into the stall as she hops on the toilet, trying to escape. As 5,000 gallons of fake blood pour in, Chastain submerges into the sticky, cold substance for a record-breaking moment.
14. Call Me by Your Name (2017) Earpiece
Timothée Chalamet has been hopping through Hollywood since 2014, yet he catapulted into stardom following his 2018 role as Elio in Luca Guadagnino’s Call Me by Your Name. The film inserts viewers into a love affair between precocious 17-year-old Elio and the older, alluring 24-year-old Oliver. Their love progresses but falls through as flings do, yet Elio processes the pain harsher than Oliver. The latter informs him he’s engaged, leaving Elio to process the news alone in front of a fireplace. The film ends with Chalamet, deep in reflection and regret, listening to one of the most haunting Sufjan Steven’s songs. Chalamet wore a hidden earpiece that played “Visions of Gideon” to descend farther into his character’s emotional reaction.
15. Us (2019) Gloves Calls to Krueger, OJ, and Jackson
Jordan Peele’s 2019 psychological horror, Us, follows a family venturing to Santa Clara for a summer vacation. Soon, they pick up on clones targeting them and discover a horrifying truth about their long-lost gloved twins. Peele admitted the worn leather gloves adorned by the tethered individuals call out to three symbols in mainstream media, reported Far Out Magazine. They are Michael Jackson, O.J. Simpson, and Freddie Krueger. All three known for wearing gloves.
16. The Home Alone (1990) Art Director Dressed His Son in a Wig
Producers and the director of Home Alone stood up for feminism in the 1990 feature. Kind of. When Kevin picks up a picture of Buzz’s girlfriend, he “woofs” at her, commenting on her unpleasant appearance. The crew decided that mocking a girl’s appearance crossed their morals, so they searched for a resolution. The art director’s son decided to toss a wig on and pose for the infamous photograph.
17. Jason Statham Almost Drowned in the Expendables 3 (2014)
Another near-drowning moment happened on the set of the third installment of the crime-action series, The Expandables. Jason Statham buckled into a large truck to floor it toward the Black Sea. Unfortunately, the brakes malfunctioned, and the truck nosedived into the sea. Luckily, Statham could exploit his diving skills and surfaced.
18. E.T. (1982) and Poltergeist (1982) Came From the Same Idea
Envision this. A writer developed “E.T. phone home” and “They’re here” from the same draft. Steven Spielberg ruminated on an idea about a family affected by an otherworldly being. His initial thought materialized in E.T. with aliens. However, there was another idea in there to flesh out. This time about the ghosts of Poltergeist.
19. Michael Myers's Mask in Halloween Franchise Is William Shatner's Face
Does Haddonfield’s worst criminal bear a resemblance to your favorite sci-fi character? Is Michael Myers a Star Trek fan? Yes. Halloween’s legendary killer, Michael Myers, dons a replica of a Captain Kirk death mask modeled after William Shatner’s face.
20. Jack Nicholson Fed Cheese Sandwiches for The Shining (1980)
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and only cheese sandwiches made Jack Nicholson a mad actor. Stanley Kubrick’s directing methods have generated buzz surrounding their ethics for years. For example, Kubrick discovered how much Jack Nicholson despised cheese sandwiches, so he tapped into that hatred and only served Nicholson with the delicacy, hoping Nicholson would enact the vile character expertly in The Shining (1980). It worked.
21. Hannibal Lecter Doesn’t Blink in The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Anthony Hopkins’ bone-chilling portrayal of Hannibal Lecter appears about 16 minutes throughout The Silence of the Lambs’ (1991) 118-minute runtime, but he manages to terrify audiences with a minute onscreen role. Another aspect that petrifies horror hounds is that Hopkins never blinks during his scenes.
Hopkins once said, in an interview with Barbara Walters, “It's a trick I learned because, if you don't blink, you know you can keep the audience mesmerized. It's not so much not blinking, it's just being still. Stillness has an economy and it has a power about it. And I have learned that by watching other great American actors.”
22. Quentin Tarantino Filmed a Pulp Fiction (1994) Scene Backwards
Tarantino has a knack for gore. Uma Thurman’s overdose scene in Pulp Fiction finds her unconscious after overdosing on an illicit substance. John Travolta’s character swoops in, saving her with a jolt of adrenaline. Tarantino harped on the genuine appearance of the scene. He wouldn’t allow any cheap shots of revival into his movie, so he asked Travolta to place the needle above Thurman’s skin and draw it backward. When this sequence reversed, it appeared as if he had brought her back to life.
23. Charlie Sheen Stayed Awake for Two Days For a Scene in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)
The best way to look intoxicated is to avoid the nag of sleep for two days. At least, according to Charlie Sheen. The actor refused to submit to sleep’s solace during the filming of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986), resulting in sunken bags cushioning his bloodshot eyes, evoking a drunken look.
24. Leonardo DiCaprio Cheated On Veganism for the Revenant (2015)
Widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of all time, Leonardo DiCaprio continues to follow through on that sentiment. In his 2015 film, The Revenant, he abandoned his veganism to drive home a role that won him his first and only Oscar. Deep in the woods, DiCaprio’s character consumes a raw bison liver to fuel his journey through a bitter winter.
