Top 10 Things We Learned from The Movies That Made Us Season 1
#10: Shooting Took Place During Rewrites “Die Hard” (1988)
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There were quite a few hurdles to contend with when making the now-super-famous “Die Hard” action movie - and one of them was the extensive rewrites taking place during shooting. Steve de Souza was working on revisions of Jeb Stuart’s screenplay during the filming process (fun fact: Jeb Stuart was fired from his own project for being unable to inject comedic elements into the script). With only so long to complete production, the actors frequently found themselves reading from unfinished, color-coded scripts. In fact, the scene where Hans Gruber meets John McClane and pretends to be a hostage was only added because the crew found out that Alan Rickman could do a pretty convincing American accent.
#9: Vestron Video & Emile “Dirty Dancing” (1987)
Getting a studio to invest in your movie takes a helluva lot of perseverance, especially if you’re making a ‘girly movie’ in an era dominated by male-lead action flicks. When writer Eleanor Bergstein and her producing partner Linda Gottlieb approached big time Hollywood studios with Bergstein’s script for “Dirty Dancing”, they were met with 42 rejection letters. Eventually, the straight-to-video company Vesteron Video picked it up, and Emile Ardolino was hired as director. He had never made a feature film and his movie making experience was limited to a short dance documentary he created - although he did win an Oscar for it. Nevertheless, that didn’t stop the movie from being a huge success.
#8: Fox “Nakatomi” Plaza “Die Hard” (1988)
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The building of which “Die Hard” is centred around is the heart and soul of the movie - so the filmmakers knew it had to be just right. But they didn’t have to look far to find the perfect spot, they simply used the studio’s office building, 20th Century Fox’s recently-opened Fox Plaza. The crew occupied the floors that were still under construction - so when you see John McClane throwing bad guys into beams, it's all genuine. In fact, a lot of the action sequences were based specifically around the layout of the construction, including any tools left lying around by workers. Naturally, as it was still a working office building, there were a lot of noise complaints from its occupants.
#7: The Original “Ghostbusters” “Ghostbusters” (1984)
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It’s hard to imagine any other trio than Murray, Aykroyd and Ramis as the spectre slaying Ghostbusters, but the line-up - and the storyline - were almost very different. Dan Aykroyd penned the script with himself, the late John Belushi, and Eddie Murphy in mind. Tragically, John Belushi passed away while Dan Aykroyd was writing the script, and Bill Murray was ultimately cast in the role intended for Eddie Murphy. The line-up wasn’t the only thing that changed significantly: according to director Ivan Reitman, the original screenplay was far too complex and long, which led to substantial rewrites. Oh how different things could have been.
#6: John Candy Did a Favor “Home Alone” (1990)
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John Candy and John Hughes were two peas in a pod during the 80s and early 90s, and it may surprise some that superstar Candy’s iconic role as the Polka King of the Midwest in “Home Alone” was performed as a favour to his buddy Hughes. He was paid just $414 for his time - that’s less than the pizza guy got. Candy spent 23 hours on set, so it’s fair to say that the cast and crew got their money’s worth. At least he got to improvise most of his lines and play it his way, something Hughes hardly ever let anyone do.
#5: Swayze and Grey Didn’t Like Each Other “Dirty Dancing” (1987)
Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey clashed on the set of “Dirty Dancing” for a number of reasons. One, they had a history of not liking each other from the movie “Red Dawn”, which they also co-starred in. Two, Swayze was a bit of a maverick, and Grey a bit of a diva, famously requesting a cheese platter right in the middle of filming, and not doing any of her own stunts, something Swayze resented. And three, Swayze was a dancer, and Grey wasn’t. Ultimately, the animosity between the two helped fuel the passion between their characters.
#4: “Home Alone” Was Shut Down… Sort of “Home Alone” (1990)
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Movie budgets are a very delicate thing. Go over, and the studio may just pull the plug. And that’s exactly what happened on “Home Alone”. After agreeing a budget with Warner Bros., production started, but the production went over budget shortly after and it was shut down. However, John Hughes did some questionable, not-so-legal, under the table dealings with Fox beforehand, allowing them to see the script and effectively pick-up where Warner Bros. left off. There was even a moment where a Warner Bros. production manager was going room to room on set and telling everyone to pack up and go home, only to be followed moments later by executive producer Scott Rosenfelt telling them they were now a Fox property.
#3: Ghostbreakers “Ghostbusters” (1984)
Who you gonna call? Well, certainly not the Ghost Breakers, although that was almost the name of the movie. The team were unable to clear the title “Ghostbusters” due to a pre-existing property owned by Filmation, a children's sitcom from the 70s called “The Ghost Busters”. Because of this, the name of the movie was up in the air throughout production. In fact, many of the movie’s shots that featured the name Ghostbusters had to be shot twice with the name replaced with Ghostbreakers, just in case. Thankfully, Frank Price, former CEO of Columbia Pictures, had recently moved to Universal, Filmation’s parent company, and helped seal the deal. Thanks Frank!
#2: “Home Alone” Was Filmed in a School Gym “Home Alone” (1990)
Finding the perfect house for “Home Alone” didn’t come easy. The one that ultimately made it to the movie was far too small inside to fit the crew and equipment. The solution? Build a sound stage and film the interior scenes at nearby abandoned New Trier high school, the same location used for scenes in “Uncle Buck” and “Ferris Bueller's Day Off”. Aside from the exterior shots, almost everything in the movie was filmed in the school’s gymnasium. Another set was built in the school’s swimming pool to film the scene where Kevin’s neighbour’s house is flooded by the Wet Bandits. Movie magic!
#1: Bruce Willis Was a Laughing Stock “Die Hard” (1988)
The 80s were an era dominated by action star beefcakes like Schwarzenegger and Stallone. So, when the star of “Die Hard” was revealed to be small screen smartass Bruce Willis, best known for his role in “Moonlighters”, audiences were sceptical. Even the crew had their doubts, due to Willis’ track record of box office bombs and reputation as a comedic actor. Their worst fears were confirmed when the theatrical trailer for the movie hit the big screen, and audiences laughed and booed. Willis was even removed from promotional posters, in fear that it may affect sales. Of course, the movie became a huge success, and made Bruce Willis a huge action star. The customer is not always right!
