Now Screening - What Are You Watching Right Now?

[struth]

The Bourne Identity, 2002... The name Bourne came from Ansel Bourne, a preacher in Rhode Island, the first documented case of "dissociative fugue", a condition not unlike dissociative amnesia or dissociative identity disorder (multiple personality disorder). One day in 1887 he forgot who he was, started a new life in Pennsylvania under the name Brown, and opened a convenience store. About three months later, he woke up and not only remembered his life as Bourne, but forgot all of his life as Brown... and needless to say was quite confused as to why he was in Pennsylvania.






Matt Damon climbed down the last 30 feet of the building himself, without a stunt double. He called it "the most gruelling thing I had to do."

Matt Damon trained in the Filipino martial art Kali for the movie, as well as some Jeet Kune Do. Kali involves using the aggressor's energy against him and conserving your own energy.

[struth]

Stagecoach, 1939. Director John Ford...






Yakima Canutt explained how the stunt was accomplished where, as an Apache warrior attacking the stagecoach, he is "shot", falls off his horse, and then gets dragged underneath the stagecoach: "You have to run the horses fast, so they'll run straight. If they run slow, they move around a lot. When you turn loose to go under the coach, you've got to bring your arms over your chest and stomach. You've got to hold your elbows close to your body, or that front axle will knock them off." After the stunt was completed, Canutt ran to director John Ford to make sure they got the stunt on film. Ford replied that even if they hadn't, "I'll never shoot that again."
In his 1981 film Raiders of the Lost Ark, Steven Spielberg paid homage to Canutt, recreating the stunt when stuntman Terry Leonard (doubling for Harrison Ford) 'dropped' from the front of a German transport truck, was dragged underneath (along a prepared trench) and then climbed up the back and round to the front again.

The hat that John Wayne wears was his own. He would wear it in many westerns during the next two decades before retiring it after Howard Hawks' Rio Bravo (1959) because it was simply "falling apart." After that, the hat was displayed under glass in his home.

As the movie began I thought to myself, "Hmmm, this transfer doesn't look all that great." There was an occasional run in the film, and there were moments of heavy grain. Then, as I was going through the special features, I watched the original theatrical trailer and saw how bad this transfer could have been: washed out, faded, generally indecipherable. I watched the movie again at this point, and was positively gobsmacked. This may not look reference quality, but it could have looked a lot worse.

[struth]

Stuntman Yakima Canutt was an amazing guy and amazingly lived til he was 90.



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakima_Canutt

[struth]

Groundhog Day, 1993. Director Harold Ramis...






Bill Murray was bitten by the groundhog twice during shooting. Murray had to have anti rabies injections, because the bites were so severe.

According to Director Harold Ramis, most of the time, when he tried to explain a scene to Bill Murray, Murray would interrupt and ask, "Just tell me - good Phil or bad Phil?"

Phil at the piano teacher's house, when he is fumblingly playing Sergei Rachmaninoff's "Rhapsody on a Theme by Paginini," is actually Bill Murray playing. He does not read music, but he learned that much of the song by ear. The same rhapsody, specifically its 18th Variation, was also used in another time fantasy movie, Somewhere in Time (1980).

[struth]

Papillon, 1973.





Steve McQueen insisted on performing the stunt where he jumps off a cliff. McQueen once said that it was "one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life".

Henri Charrière was present for the shoot in Jamaica, but he died of lung cancer in July 1973, a few months before the film was edited and released. He never got to see the finished product.

The crew took advantage of the abundant marijuana that was readily available in Jamaica. Not content to merely smoke it, they boiled it down to mix in drinks at a party. Several people got sick from that, particularly Director Franklin J. Schaffner, causing a day's delay in shooting.

Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman did have some difficulties, despite their determination to behave professionally toward each other. When Hoffman began one speech at breakneck speed, McQueen stopped him and said, "Less, man, less. Toss that shit out, you don't need it. Keep it simple." Another time, Hoffman invited a few close friends to watch a day's filming. McQueen had them thrown off the set. Nevertheless, Hoffman called their relationship "friendly rivalry" and later said his co-star "was a wonderful guy. Off screen, he was the nicest, classiest man. On the set itself he became very intense." Another time, however, he referred to McQueen as "that son of a bitch".

[Barry]

Good film. I saw it in the cinema on its release. Now have it on DVD. Always watchable.

[struth]

Little Big Man, 1970.. Director Arthur Penn...






The role of Old Lodge Skins was initially offered to Marlon Brando, who turned it down. Other sources claim Arthur Penn's first choice for the role was Sir Laurence Olivier. When that didn't work out, Richard Boone was slated for the role. When Boone backed out at the last minute, Chief Dan George was given the part and earned an Oscar nomination. He became the first Native American to receive an Academy Award nomination for acting.

Little Big Man was the name of an actual historical figure. He was a Native American, an Oglala Lakota, who was a fearless and respected warrior who fought under, and was rivals with, Crazy Horse. He also fought at the Battle of Little Big Horn, a battle which is depicted in this film.

Although Dustin Hoffman plays the "younger" adopted son of Faye Dunaway's character in the film, he's actually four years older than Dunaway. Hoffman was born in 1937, while Dunaway was born in 1941.

When Dustin Hoffman played Jack Crabb as an old man his face was covered with a 14 piece latex mask,created by Dick Smith, which took 5 hours a day to apply.

[Macca]

'Return Of The Saint'

Ian Ogilvy takes over the role from Roger Moore, first broadcast 26/11/1978

Really I didn't rate this even back then. Best thing about it is the opening theme titles and music, and his white Jaguar XJS. I always wanted one until I went into the trade and discovered that the engines leak more oil than the Torrey Canyon.

[walpurgis]

'Return Of The Saint'

It's pretty lame.

[struth]

The Bourne Supremacy, 2004.






To give this movie its gritty, documentary-style appearance, director Paul Greengrass used mostly handheld cameras, and a muted color palette. Greengrass also made sure to avoid computer graphics at all costs, and all of the stunts shown in the movie were achieved practically. Unlike the James Bond franchise, all the devices that Bourne uses are real and can be purchased by the average citizen. (well in America)lol

Matt Damon accidentally knocked out Tim Griffin who played the CIA interrogator John Nevins during the scene in the consulate when Bourne takes him and a security guard down after being captured.