The True Stories Behind Unforgettable Scenes
From the very dangerous set of The Wizard of Oz to Heath Ledger's shocking preparation for his role in The Dark Knight, these films have the craziest behind-the-scenes stories.
It turns out that movie-making isn't always the fantasy it's cracked up to be.
Scream (1996)
In Scream, Drew Barrymore actually dialed 9-1-1 for real. For her iconic opening scene, the prop master gave her a phone that they'd forgotten to unplug. During the many takes, she dialed 9-1-1 multiple times, screaming into the speaker. Eventually, the confused authorities called back during one of the takes.
Scream (1996)
Skeet Ulrich played the role of Billy in Scream—and he had one very painful take.
As a child, Ulrich had to have open-heart surgery. So, in the scene where he gets an umbrella in the chest, the umbrella missed his protective vest and hit his old wound, which was extremely agonizing.
Titanic (1997)
Reportedly, in Titanic, Leonardo DiCaprio messed up his lines during the famous drawing scene where Jack sketches a portrait of Rose. He initially instructs Rose to lie on the "bed" when he was supposed to say the "couch".
In the film, he says, "over on the bed... the couch," which director James Cameron decided to keep in the final cut.
Titanic (1997)
Another fun behind-the-scenes fact about Titanic is that director James Cameron was the talented hand behind all of the artwork produced by the character Jack. He even drew the gorgeous portrait of Kate Winslet, which can be seen multiple times throughout the film. In 2011, the drawing sold for £10,000.
Titanic (1997)
Perhaps one of the most infamous stories to come out of the production of Titanic was when the cast and crew chowed down on clam chowder—but not just any clam chowder.
Titanic (1997)
Apparently, this staff meal contained PCP, which became a major health concern as people began hallucinating. Even James Cameron and Bill Paxton were victims of the laced chowder. Many even had to be sent to the hospital.
Titanic (1997)
One of the painters on set, Marilyn McAvoy, recalled, "The chowder was unbelievable. People were going back for second bowls. I really thought about going back because it was so good. And I think that was part of the problem: people ate a lot more than usual because it was so delicious".
The Princess Bride (1987)
In The Princess Bride, Mandy Patinkin played the role of Inigo—a man seeking revenge on the man who took his father's life. In the scene where Inigo finally gets to slay the Six-Fingered Man, Patinkin allegedly channeled his grief for his own father who'd passed from cancer.
This gives the moving line, "I want my father back," a whole new meaning.
20th Century, The Princess Bride (1987) Apocalypse Now (1979)
1979's Apocalypse Now, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, has some notorious behind-the-scenes stories. It surely wasn't a walk in the park for any of the cast members, especially Martin Sheen.
American Zoetrope, Apocalypse Now (1979)
Apocalypse Now (1979)
On his birthday, Sheen filmed the opening scene—but unfortunately, he had drunk too much. Not quite stable, the actor punched a mirror and suffered the consequences. He injured his hands badly, causing blood to flow everywhere. But Sheen made the most of it.
American Zoetrope, Apocalypse Now (1979)
Apocalypse Now (1979)
Despite his wounds, Sheen didn't want to stop filming. However, he had to beg Coppola to let him continue: “He said he couldn’t do it and they had a nurse standing by. And I said, ‘Please. I must do this for myself'. And he did. And he allowed me, in a sense, to wrestle with some demons that I had been wrestling with for quite a while. Now, I was doing it in a public forum, and in a sense, I got them out".
Therefore, the scene where Sheen smears his face with blood is all too real.
American Zoetrope, Apocalypse Now (1979)
The Host (2006)
The Bong Joon-ho film The Host has some disgusting behind-the-scenes stories. According to the DVD commentary, the sewer scenes were shot in real sewers located close to the Han River.
The cast and crew all required tetanus shots, and some of the actors even got drenched in raw sewage.
Chungeorahm Film, The Host (2006)
Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983)
1983's Twilight Zone: The Movie might have one of the most tragic behind-the-scenes stories of all time. While filming a scene, Vic Morrow and two child actors, Myca Dinh Le and Renee Shin-Yi Chen, met a horrific end.
Amblin Entertainment, Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983)
Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983)
In this particular scene, Morrow had to cross a river with the two children, with a real helicopter following them. However, one mortar effect severely damaged the helicopter, causing it to lose control and crash. The consequences were heartbreaking.
Amblin Entertainment, Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983)
Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983)
The helicopter fell right on top of the three actors, crushing Chen and decapitating Morrow and Le. Such a devastating accident led to some serious investigations, and action was taken against the filmmakers.
In particular, one famous friendship was never the same again.
Amblin Entertainment, Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983)
Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983)
Steven Spielberg was a producer on the film, but he severed his connection to director John Landis in the wake of the crash.
He even commented, "No movie is worth dying for. I think people are standing up much more now than ever before to producers and directors who ask too much. If something isn't safe, it's the right and responsibility of every actor or crew member to yell 'Cut!'"
Amblin Entertainment, Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983)
Candyman (1992)
1992's Candyman used real bees—even in the most famous scene where bees fly out of Tony Todd's mouth. To ensure that he didn't swallow any, he used a dental dam. But that wasn't even the craziest part.
Candyman (1992)
Before agreeing to the dangerous stunt, Tony Todd negotiated a deal. Every time a bee stung him, he'd be paid $1,000. In the end, the bees got him 23 times.
Rocky IV (1985)
Sylvester Stallone wrote, directed, and starred in Rocky IV—and he certainly wanted the scenes to look as authentic as possible. During his fight scene with Dolph Lundgren, he instructed Lundgren to land real punches on him. Unfortunately, one nasty uppercut had chilling consequences. Stallone ended up hospitalized for nine days.
United Artists, Rocky IV (1985)
Inglourious Basterds (2009)
Inglourious Basterds almost ended in tragedy. In the fire scene, the flames were supposed to be safely controlled—but this just wasn't the case. In a terrifying turn of events, the fire raged out of control.
Universal, Inglourious Basterds (2009)
Inglourious Basterds (2009)
Actor Eli Roth later confessed, "They said if we were in there another 15 seconds, the stage we were on would have collapsed, and we all would have been killed".
Universal, Inglourious Basterds (2009)
Halloween (1978)
The famous horror film Halloween has a delightful behind-the-scenes fact. The terrifying white mask was actually a mask of William Shatner's face—or more accurately, a Captain Kirk mask. It was, of course, modified in a twisted way.
Falcon International Pictures, Halloween (1978)
Halloween (1978)
Halloween's production designer and editor Tommy Lee Wallace came across the Captain Kirk mask in a magic shop and saw its potential. He painted it white, widened the eyeholes, shaved off the sideburns and eyebrows, and made the hair darker.
Falcon International Pictures, Halloween (1978)
Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022)
The visual effects behind Everything Everywhere All at Once are stunning, especially considering they were created by a very small team. Led by Zak Stoltz (who'd never been an effects supervisor on a major film), only five people were responsible for over 80% of the work.
A24, Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)
Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022)
Ke Huy Quan made his triumphant Hollywood comeback with Everything Everywhere All at Once, but few know that he also did the majority of his stunts. With a background in martial arts, Quan displayed his skills in his memorable fight scene where he wields his fanny pack.
A24, Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)
The Godfather (1972)
Marlon Brando may be one of Hollywood's greats—but when it came to knowing his lines, he was the worst. In The Godfather, Brando had his lines printed out for him to read while filming. Call him the Cue Card King.
Paramount , The Godfather (1972)
Fight Club (1999)
If you've watched Fight Club, you may have noticed that there are a lot of Starbucks cups lying around in the scenes. The director, David Fincher, did this on purpose. According to him, a Starbucks cup can be found in every shot of Fight Club. His reason?
New Regency, Fight Club (1999)
Fight Club (1999)
In 1984, Fincher moved to LA and found it difficult to find a decent cup of joe. It wasn't until Starbucks opened that he found some good coffee... but then Starbucks locations began opening everywhere.
New Regency, Fight Club (1999)
Psycho (1960)
Psycho is one of Hollywood's best horror films, and it certainly impacted its lead actress, Janet Leigh. After seeing her chilling shower scene, Leigh no longer wanted to take showers.
Psycho (1960)
Janet Leigh later told the New York Times, "I take baths, only baths". However, if she had no choice but to use a shower, she'd make sure to lock all the windows and doors: "I'm always facing the door, watching, no matter where the shower head is".
Unknown Author, Wikimedia Commons
Pulp Fiction (1994)
Reportedly, Samuel L Jackson's audition inspired the burger scene in Pulp Fiction. Shockingly, someone on the production team approached him and said, "I love your work, Mr Fishburne". Jackson's response was unforgettable.
Pulp Fiction (1994)
In response to being mistaken as Laurence Fishburne, Samuel L Jackson arrived at his audition with a drink and a burger in hand. The look in his eye was so vehement, he intimidated everyone present.
Taxi Driver (1976)
Filmed during the sweltering summer of 1975, Taxi Driver's grimy atmosphere is completely genuine. At the time, New York City had a suffering economy. To make matters worse, the sanitation workers had gone on strike and there was a heatwave. All that garbage seen on screen was real.
However, there's a far more impressive behind-the-scenes tidbit—and it has everything to do with Robert De Niro.
Taxi Driver (1976)
Perhaps the most iconic line to come out of Taxi Driver is "You talkin' to me?"—uttered by De Niro during his monologue in front of the mirror. However, few know that it was completely improvised.
According to director Martin Scorsese, "That wasn't in the script, it came from him". But that wasn't all.
Taxi Driver (1976)
You see, while trying to capture these wonderfully improvised lines, the production was "behind schedule". The producers even rushed Scorsese to wrap up the scene—so much so that he had to insist, "This is good. This is good. Give me five—two more minutes. One more take, one more take".
ET (1982)
For ET the Extra-Terrestrial, Steven Spielberg wanted the actors playing the doctors to be as authentic as possible, so he decided to go straight to the source. He hired doctors from the USC Medical Center for the roles.
Spielberg thought that actors wouldn't seem "natural" if they had to use medical terminology.
Universal, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
The Sixth Sense (1999)
In The Sixth Sense, the "I see dead people" scene was almost done differently. Apparently, the producer, Frank Marshall, felt that zooming in on Malcolm's face during this reveal would be a giveaway that Malcolm was a ghost.
However, when test audiences viewed the film, they didn't find it to be a spoiler. Therefore, the zoom-in stayed in the film.
Hollywood Pictures, The Sixth Sense (1999)
The Little Mermaid (1989)
The Little Mermaid is a beautiful animated movie, but it wasn't an easy feat. It required over a million animated bubbles. These bubbles were so difficult to finish that Disney had to hire outside help from Pacific Rim Productions.
Walt Disney, The Little Mermaid (1989)
Alien: Resurrection (1997)
In Alien: Resurrection, there is one unforgettable scene that is 100% real. Sigourney Weaver's character Ellen Ripley gets a basketball through the net by throwing it over her shoulder. At first, the team assured Weaver that the move could be done using CGI or another movie-magic method, but the actress wanted to do it herself.
Twentieth Century, Alien Resurrection (1997)
Alien: Resurrection (1997)
For weeks, Sigourney Weaver practiced the difficult trick shot. So, when it came to capturing the actual scene, she nailed it. Her co-star Ron Perlman was so shocked, he almost messed up the take.
Perlman later said, "Everybody on set went from total elation to total panic because I broke character".
Twentieth Century, Alien Resurrection (1997)
John Wick (2014)
The 2014 action thriller John Wick is one of Keanu Reeves's most popular films—but not many know that the film almost had a completely different title. You see, according to the screenwriter, Derek Kolstad, John Wick was supposed to be called Scorn.
Summit Entertainment, John Wick (2014)
John Wick (2014)
The screenwriter also shared, "The only reason it's called John Wick is that Keanu kept referring to it as John Wick. Marketing was like, 'Dude, that's four to five million dollars in free advertising so far, so it's John Wick instead of Scorn'. I can't imagine it being Scorn now".
Summit Entertainment, John Wick (2014)
Noah (2014)
Actress Emma Watson had a frightening encounter while filming the movie Noah in 2014. While walking in the woods on set in Oyster Bay, Long Island, a strange man approached her.
Noah (2014)
Unfortunately, this strange man just so happened to be Emma Watson's stalker, who had previously shown up at her home. When she recognized him, she let out a horrified shriek.
Noah (2014)
Though Watson's stalker made a run for it, members of security and some stuntmen chased after him. He was removed from the vicinity and warned not to trespass. But the entire situation was understandably distressing for Watson.
Goodfellas (1990)
For Goodfellas, while filming the scene in the casino, Robert De Niro was given a special privilege. Reportedly, he wasn't a fan of handling fake money. The prop master, Robert J Griffon Jr, later shared that they came up with a solution—and gave the actor real cash to use.
Warner Bros., Goodfellas (1990)
Goodfellas (1990)
Referring to the money used by De Niro, Griffon later shared, "[De Niro] had like $5,000 cash in his pocket. I went to the bank and took out a couple thousand dollars of my own, but you had to keep track of it. Like the scene in the casino, he's throwing $50 and $20 bills around. And as soon as they cut, we're trying to get them all back: ‘Everybody freeze!’"
Warner Bros., Goodfellas (1990)
Midnight Cowboy (1969)
In Midnight Cowboy, one of the most famous quotes is said by Dustin Hoffman's character: "I'm walkin' here!" However, a fun detail about this scene is that the line was completely improvised. It was only later that Hoffman shared the full behind-the-scenes story.
Jerome Hellman Productions, Midnight Cowboy (1969)
Midnight Cowboy (1969)
You see, the production for Midnight Cowboy was in a bit of a financial crunch. There wasn't even enough money to hire the number of extras required. Therefore, while filming on Sixth Avenue, they had to pull off what Hoffman referred to as a "stolen shot".
Jerome Hellman Productions, Midnight Cowboy (1969)
Midnight Cowboy (1969)
Hoffman and his co-star Jon Voight had to rehearse the scene, and then, while wearing radio mikes, they acted while a hidden camera captured the scene. They also had the extra challenge of timing their pace so that they hit the stoplights as they were turning green.
However, once the cameras were rolling, one unforeseen challenge inspired cinematic gold.
Jerome Hellman Productions, Midnight Cowboy (1969)
Midnight Cowboy (1969)
Speaking about the scene, Hoffman said, "And we do it, and the first take a cab jumps the light … I wound up saying, ‘I’m walkin’ here!’ But what was going through my head is: ‘Hey, we’re makin’ a movie here!'" Luckily, he stayed in character and the shot made the final cut.
Jerome Hellman Productions, Midnight Cowboy (1969)
The Dark Knight (2008)
In The Dark Knight, Heath Ledger's role as the Joker was unforgettable, especially the character's unnerving habit of licking his lips. However, it was later revealed that Ledger kept licking his lips to stop his prosthetics from moving. Every time he spoke, they'd start to loosen.
But perhaps even wilder was the actor's intense preparation for the role.
Warner Bros., The Dark Knight (2008)
The Dark Knight (2008)
To prepare for his iconic performance as the Joker, Heath Ledger went into isolation for six weeks. He stayed in a hotel room where he worked on perfecting the character's voice. He also began writing in the Joker's diary—and its contents are quite disturbing.
Warner Bros., The Dark Knight (2008)
The Dark Knight (2008)
Ledger's Joker diary included all kinds of images and written words that seemed to come from the demented mind of the character himself. These included A Clockwork Orange screenshots, pictures of hyenas, unhinged lists and ideas, and joker cards—to name a few.
Warner Bros., The Dark Knight (2008)
The Dark Knight (2008)
One of the excerpts from the diary reads, "Inside. He's laughing red and black and red and black till there's nothing left to laugh. Until, almost tenderly, he turns inside out through his mouth".
Warner Bros., The Dark Knight (2008)
The Wizard Of Oz (1939)
Behind the scenes,1939's The Wizard of Oz was a downright nightmare. Bert Lahr, who played the Cowardly Lion, had to endure his heavy costume. As it was made out of real lion hair, he sweat profusely while filming. But that wasn't all.
The Wizard Of Oz (1939)
Even Buddy Ebsen, who played the original Tin Man, had a troubling experience. His silver makeup contained aluminum—and breathing it in had horrifying consequences.
The Wizard Of Oz (1939)
The aluminum took a toll on Buddy Ebsen's lungs and he ended up in the hospital due to breathing trouble. To add insult to injury, the studio heads decided to replace him with the actor Jack Haley—who we see in the final version of the film.
The Wizard Of Oz (1939)
Margaret Hamilton, who played the Wicked Witch of the West, was the victim of a fire stunt gone wrong. She severely burned her hand and face, enduring a six-week recovery.
When she finally came back to set, she had to wear green gloves.
Interstellar (2014)
For Interstellar, there are some stunning shots of sprawling cornfields, which were not created with CGI. Director Christopher Nolan wanted the real thing and made sure that the 500 acres of corn were real. What's more?
Any of the corn that wasn't damaged during the production was sold for a profit.
Paramount, Interstellar (2014)
All Dogs Go To Heaven (1989)
1989's All Dogs Go to Heaven might be an animated film made for kids, but its horrifying backstory should only be made known to adult audiences.
Goldcrest Films, All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989)
All Dogs Go To Heaven (1989)
You see, the child actress Judith Barsi, who voiced Anne-Marie, had a troubled home life. Her role in All Dogs Go to Heaven was her very last—and for the most tragic reason.
Goldcrest Films, All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989)
All Dogs Go To Heaven (1989)
On July 25, 1988, Barsi's father took her and her mother's life, before taking his own. Reportedly, Burt Reynolds had to record one of his scenes for All Dogs Go to Heaven after Barsi's sad demise.
Heartbreakingly, it was a scene that involved some of Barsi's pre-recorded lines. Reynolds was so distraught, he had to do several takes.
