Behind the Scenes
How the scenes were made: casting, stunts, cut scenes, what the actors gave up and what they got paid.
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Fairuza Balk Bought the Occult Shop Where She Researched Nancy Downs for the Craft
Preparing to play Nancy Downs took Fairuza Balk to Panpipes Magickal Marketplace, an occult shop in Los Angeles, where she researched the subject and…
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Freddy Pushing Through Nancy’s Wall in a Nightmare on Elm Street Was Spandex from a Fabric Store
Freddy pushing through the wall above Nancy’s bed in A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) was Jim Doyle pressing into spandex stretched across a…
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Dario Argento Used Disney’s Snow White as the Color Guide for Suspiria
Dario Argento asked cinematographer Luciano Tovoli to watch Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs as a color reference for Suspiria. He wanted his…
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Wes Craven Said Three Men in a Nevada Town Told Him No One Would Find His Body, and It Shaped the Hills Have Eyes
Wes Craven said 3 men in a small Nevada town shot an arrow past his head while he and his wife were traveling by…
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Tommy Wiseau Needed 32 Takes and 3 Hours to Film the Room’s 7-Second Rooftop Entrance
On The Room’s second day of filming, Tommy Wiseau needed 32 takes and 3 hours to get through a rooftop doorway while remembering his…
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Austin Abrams’ Doctor Parents Thought Acting Was “A Bit Preposterous.” Now His Family Has One Request About His Roles
Austin Abrams’ parents, both doctors, thought his becoming an actor was “a bit preposterous.” He credits his mother with helping him get there anyway,…
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After Five Weeks Inside a Whale Stomach He Couldn’t Stand Up in, Austin Abrams Wants “A Sitting Part” Next
Austin Abrams spent 5 weeks filming inside a 9-foot whale stomach he couldn’t stand up in. After Whalefall and a Resident Evil shoot that…
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Dan Aykroyd Shared His Great-Grandfather’s Séance Records and Called Him ‘the Original Ghostbuster’
Dan Aykroyd shared his great-grandfather’s séance transcripts on Twitter, giving a look at the family records that helped inspire Ghostbusters. “It was the spirit…
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Candyman’s Mirror Chant Originally Took 13 Repetitions Before Bernard Rose Cut It to 5
Director and screenwriter Bernard Rose originally wrote Candyman’s mirror chant to require 13 repetitions. After a read-through, he cut it to 5, citing Bloody…
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Robert Englund Says Freddy Krueger’s Backstory Was Changed on the Spot During the 1984 Nightmare on Elm Street Shoot
Robert Englund says Freddy Krueger’s backstory changed during the making of A Nightmare on Elm Street because Wes Craven wanted to avoid exploiting a…
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Maggie Gyllenhaal Says One Small Gesture with James Spader Changed How Secretary Was Filmed
Maggie Gyllenhaal says she placed her pinky over James Spader’s finger during a spanking scene in Secretary, then made sure the gesture ended up…
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An 11-Year-Old Fan Told Wes Craven His Movies Were Getting Softer, So He Said Yes to Scream
During an autograph session, an 11-year-old fan came up to Wes Craven and said something close to: “You should do a real goddamn movie…
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How 200 Canisters of Zyn and a Letter to ‘Chris Han-Zyn’ Got Robert Pattinson to Star in ‘Primetime’
A U.S. Zyn shortage became part of director Lance Oppenheim’s pitch to get Robert Pattinson to play Chris Hansen in Primetime. Pattinson was attached…
