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The line “stranger than fiction” can really apply to cinema and filmmaking. Actors, directors and the nitty-gritty of actually shooting a movie has enough drama, crazy tales, and lore that it’s no wonder Hollywood itself is often a setting for films and television. In the pre-internet era, all these tales would be unavailable to industry outsiders. 

The “Did You Know Movies” Instagram account shares trivia and fun facts about cinema and filmmaking that you probably never knew. So scroll down, upvote your favorites, and stay until the credits to comment any bits of trivia you happen to know yourself.

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Kate Tora
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If I recall correctly he purchased one for himself and one for his co-star, Arwen's stunt double, who couldn't afford the horse but was also deeply attached to it <3 Cool dude

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Some bits of film trivia have become so deeply ingrained in popular culture that they start to generate their own memes. Who hasn’t watched through “The Two Towers” without hearing someone say “Did you know that Viggo Mortensen actually broke his toe when he kicked the helmet?” Incidentally, this isn’t the only case of on-set injury, for example, nor the only injury sustained by Viggo, aka Aragorn (he almost drowned during the same film and also broke a tooth.)

In the first Lord of the Rings film (The Fellowship of the Ring, if you somehow aren’t familiar,) actor Sean Astin, who played fan-favorite Samwise Gamgee, stepped on a large shard of glass during the scene where he chases Frodo who is attempting to sail away. He had to be evacuated by helicopter after losing a substantial amount of blood. Orlando Bloom managed to break a rib when falling from a horse and to add insult to injury, it became an inside joke due to his constant complaining about it.

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Like these stories from the filming of the Lord of the Rings, many of the fun facts in this article are the result of real stunts or practical effects. This is not to say that CGI doesn’t have a place in creating great scenes. The Lord of the Rings and, more visibly, the Matrix both used a combination of the two to achieve the scenes and visuals they wanted. The Matrix in particular was revolutionary in its use of post-production CGI, often to remove the wires the actors were attached to while flying through the air. 

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Many studios do like CGI, as it entails fewer costs, less principal photography (which means actually filming things, not taking pictures of the head of a school), and fewer risks. Actors are a lot less likely to get injured, like in the aforementioned stories, if all the “action” is generated by a computer. Filming costs are still quite high, for example, even a decade ago were up to 100 '000-250' 000$ a day.

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Alex Martin
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A113 is also a Pixar Easter Egg. It is a classroom number at California Institute of the Arts where many of the animators at Pixar learned their trade.

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When you factor in the length of time it takes to film, it's easy to see how these costs pile up quickly. Feature-length films can shoot for around a hundred days, with some taking even longer. “Eyes Wide Shut” was filmed for over 400 days, as director Stanley Kubrick was a notorious perfectionist. Studios also have to manage the potential risk of needing reshoots. 

When the grueling job of filming is complete, it was (and still is) common to say that it’s a “wrap.” This slang goes back to the 1920s, and traditionally, the crew or at least the cast would enjoy a “wrap party” to celebrate the end of filming. Whether or not actual wraps are served is unknown. The actual etymology of “it’s a wrap” is unclear, as some sources point to it meaning “wind, reel, and print,” though these things were not actually done with pre-digital film. Instead of being printed and reeled, film would be “canned,” hence the term “it’s in the can.”

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TotallyNOTaFox
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1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And that's why Henry Cavill is such a great actor, he actually cares about the source material of the project he works at

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Even after the editors have looked over the film, producers will still show what they have to a test audience before it goes to the public. At times, this can even lead to more reshoots. For example, Shaun of the Dead got roughly 15 seconds added to its final cut after test audiences disliked the ending for being too “abrupt.” Somehow, these fifteen additional seconds were enough to vastly increase the average score the film was given. 

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John Carr
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

For the running scenes, could he not have run himself? It's not as if he was going to be base jumping off a skyscraper!

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Finally, at long last, the film goes to distribution, unless there is some outstanding issue and the production company kills it. For most of the films that we view, the first step is a cinema release. The number one movie-going nation is South Korea, where people viewed an average of 4.12 movies a year, compared to the number two spot for the US (3.88 a year.) Normally, there would be a theatrical “window,” where the film was only available in cinemas and people would have to wait a few weeks to see it at home. Nowadays, streaming services have changed the media landscape from top to bottom. If you want to learn more about interesting cinema facts, check out our other articles here and here

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ShaZam Beaubien
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A universal theme song, that everyone knows, something bad is going to happen. Without it, I don't think Jaws would have been that scary.

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Shark Lady
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I've lost count of the number of times I've watched this film and I still cry everytime she reads that damn poem.

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Pedantic Panda
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The movie was based on his book, The Snow Queen, hence the characters, Hans, Kristoff, Anna, Sven.

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Kira Okah
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

1) Almost all spiders are venomous. 2) Tarantulas will only bite you in circumstances where they are being held against your body by something else, like clothing. 3) Tarantula bites are mild, as in wash and maybe paracetamol at a push mild. 4) The biggest danger of a tarantula are the hairs if they flick them, they are barbed and really hurt. 5) Yes I have experienced both, because of other people being mean with them, the hairs are much worse. 6) They aren't going to actively hurt you, they only will if you bother them, they are docile when held and very light.

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Ada Hunter
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

this part is so powerful tbh. it goes from happy to very dark very fast, it’s like being hit with a train

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JK
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

He also pulls out a Wolverine costume as he's voiced by Hugh Jackman

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Frank Ropen
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

How about Captain Kirk mask, because the Michael Myers mask is just white painted Captain Kirk

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Robin DJW
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It doesn't need saying, but I'll say it anyway. This is one of the greatest films ever made. Thank you a million times to everyone involved in making it.

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Olivia Lisbon
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

He’s a tricoteuse, one of the women who sat and knitted while attending public executions during the French Revolution.

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Sasy
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

he was most of the characters, Arsenio did some of the others.

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Ansi
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don't think Robert Downey Jr could have made a comeback if social media and mobile phones was a thing in the 1990s. He had a horrible addiction problem, allegedly got drugs from his dad at 6 years old, and was also sentenced to 3 years in prison but ended up serving only 1 year. The director of Ironman had to fight HARD to cast a former drugaddiced, untrustful looser like RDJ... I don't think an actor would bounce back from that now.

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Colin
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Or the fact that Taika Watiti admitted that he did zero research about Hitler because "the man is a c*nt"

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Shark Lady
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I love Maggie Smith. She was going through treatment for breast cancer during filming for HP6, she thought the fans wouldn't be happy with another actress playing her role.

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Jiji The Cat
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I thought this was common knowledge? they also say countries that are waayy further off as well...

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Ansi
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And he gave his first alright, alright, alright... 🙂

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Lady Miss Pie
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Garry Marshall. “The film’s director”….?! Seriously who wrote these

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T'Mar of Vulcan
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think I may be the only person who didn't find Inception all deep and philosophical. I was bored to tears during that movie.

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Bent Screw (she/her)
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Organ failure vs millions of dollars all for the sake of entertainment... hmmm

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jiajun xiao
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not as good as Infernal Affairs. I think details like these are too literal, but that's my opinion

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ravn
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's funny because a lot of the time fakes are used in film because the "real thing" doesn't photograph well (e.g. using baby oil instead of sweat).

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troufaki13
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My tooth is chipped exactly like that! Thankfully my brother is a dentist :)

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D'oh Rae is Me
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Tom Hanks is incomparable. He is truly a master of his craft. Who else could believably play Mr. Rogers and Walt Disney and also be in a silly movie like Turner and Hooch. He is magical!

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Peter Trudell Jr
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

some actors want to work with others so much, they'll take a pay cut. Bruce Willis was uncredited in the movie Four Rooms (so they could pay him scale rather than what he usually makes) so he could work with Tarantino.

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Ansi
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Trivia. Legolas blinks on camera only once, when he got hurt.

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VonBlade
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

One dollar more than he gave his biological child, eh Steve.

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Jesus Ortiz
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Man, I think Rolex is rich enough to be associated with maniacs, sociopaths, and venture capitalists.

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scag$y
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Fincher reportedly removed them himself, thus confirming Downey's notion that he was taking the pi$$. True story.

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OmBoyGanesh
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1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I’m kinda judgmental of method acting. If you’re not a good enough actor to step onto a role convincingly without having to do crazy s**t and treat cast & crew in crazy ways, maybe there’s a ton of other actors out there who can. One’s job is “to act like” and if one needs to “become” in order to express, one isn’t actually acting. A good actor can pretend their finger hurts without having to slam it in a damn door.

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mcborge1
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The Ark of the Covanent is also in the game Bloodrayne. It shows up in a n@zi warehouse.

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Upstaged75
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

He's quite a chonker! I don't remember Godzilla being so hefty back the 80's. :)

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WrapItUp
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1 year ago

This comment has been deleted.

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Sasy
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I just binged Dark Angel this past week, loved her so much in that series, that is a show that needs a reboot, the whole concept was fantastic.

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marvellady
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The director didn’t want her to cry in the film because it made her face look “weird”

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Cara G
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Quick poll: which actor is more full blown insane? Jack Nicholson or Al Pacino? Oh you didn't know Al Pacino was insane? Hehe. Watch Johnny Depp being interviewed by James Lipton.

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Kira Okah
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1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes it would. Female villains are very popular and their toys are known to sell very well.

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Corvus
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Fun fact: Lara Croft's breast size was pretty much a mistake (that was left in the game as a joke) while her model was made for the first game, released in 1996.

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