Saturday: Outtakes - random stuff tacked on to the ending of the week.
Did You Know?
"Did You Know?" is my favorite section to browse on IMDb (Internet Movie Database). Found by scrolling down the selected movie page, or by using the Quick Links on the sidebar (and clicking on Explore More), it contains:
Trivia - tidbits of information or background about the film, actors, characters
Goofs - mistakes or lack of continuity found in the film
Crazy Credits (including credit cookies!) - information about the opening and end credits
Quotes - selections of the film's dialogue
Alternate Versions - "scenes originally scripted and partly filmed but not included in the final cut"
Connections
Version of… (previous movies with that story)
Remade as… (other movies later made with that story)
References… (references within the film to other movies)
Referenced in … (other media, films, tv shows, referencing that movie)
Featured in… (specials, award shows, reviews)
Spoofed in… (shows creating a humorous imitation of the film or a scene)
My sister-in-law patiently sat with me to watch a movie's end credits. Having gone to the cinema with me a few times, she was not surprised by my desire to linger. She was, however, surprised and delighted when this time there was a credit cookie, or a "monk's reward" because it "takes monklike devotion to sit through the credits to get to it." (quoting Serdor Yegulalp in Ebert's Bigger Little Movie Glossary, by Roger Ebert)
Realizing she was new to the experience, I asked, "Why did you think I always sit through the credits?"
Her reply, "I thought you were looking for names of friends."
It reminded me of The Great Muppet Caper(1981). Flying in a hot air balloon, Kermit, Gonzo, and Fozzie observe the opening credits.
GONZO
Gee a lot of people worked on this movie!
KERMIT
Oh, this is nothing. Wait till you see the end credits.
FOZZIE
Nobody reads those names anyway, do they?
KERMIT
Sure. They all have families.
Actually, once in awhile I do see names of friends in the credits, but... (and please don't tell them) I watch the credits for the funny stuff.
Here are some favorites:
Mr. Popper's Penguins (2011): No penguins were harmed in the making of this film. Jim Carrey, on the other hand, was bitten mercilessly. But he had it coming.
Disney's Frozen (2013): The views and opinions expressed by Kristoff in the film that all men eat their own boogers are solely his own and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of The Walt Disney Company or the filmmakers. Neither the Walt Disney Company nor the filmmakers make any representation of the accuracy of any such views and opinions.
If you have time (a tad more than 3 minutes), watch all of the title credits for Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975). Since it's at the beginning of the movie, it might not be a credit cookie, but it's still comedy in the credits, and the funniest part of the entire movie.
So…the movie ended, your bladder begs attention, and the credits roll. Want to know if there's a reason to stick around? There's an app for that: Anything After.
I don't need the app, yet, because I have a tough bladder and monk-like devotion… I hold on to the very end, even if it ends up cookie-less.
Beauty is a quality in a person or thing that exalts the mind or spirit. (Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary, 1977.) That's the type of beauty I seek in film, art, music, books.
Beautiful images in film make my spirit soar. WatchingRed Beard(1965) gives the same reaction as listening to exquisite music. The shots are so artistically composed that nearly every frame of the movie could be used as a still photograph in a gallery. Films with a beautiful message also exalt the mind. Even when the theme points out pain, injustice, suffering, if it shines a light on qualities such as perseverance, forgiveness, hope, redemption, it can lift the soul. (Consider Life is Beautiful, 1997) In his documentary Why Beauty Matters (2009), philosopher Roger Scruton expresses, "Beauty is more than subjective; it is a universal need."… "I think we are losing beauty and there is a danger that with it, we will lose the meaning of life." Because film reaches the senses through multiple ways…images, movement, music, dialogue…it is a powerful art. I applaud filmmakers who use that power to exalt and add beauty to our lives.
"There are films that cost a lot of money that might be decent films. But if they don't perform in that first weekend or two, they're gone." (actor, producer, director, Grant Heslov)
That's a sad thought. Life gets busy and I often don't make it to the cinema within the first few weeks of a movie's release. Movies need an audience, and certainly voting with my pocketbook is one way to promote quality, decent, films.
Referencing films which failed to find a large audience, film critic Leonard Maltin wrote 151 Best Movies You've Never Seen. "I see more bad films than good, but the best part of my job is leading people to worthwhile movies they might otherwise overlook."
The book gives insights to a wide range of unfamiliar films, but Maltin states, "I don't present these as forsaken masterpieces: they're just good movies that I'm glad I saw."
I was amazed how many titles I'd never heard of! There were only three movies I'd seen (and loved, by the way).
