Culture & entertainment
Discover facts about culture & entertainment. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Culture & entertainment
Friends spent its development trying out other names.
Friends spent its development trying out other names. Insomnia Cafe, Six of One, and Friends Like Us were among the titles considered as the sitcom took…
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Viggo Mortensen famously broke two of his toes while kicking a Uruk-hai helmet during the filming of The Two Towers, and his genuine scream of agony was kept in the final cut of the movie.
Viggo Mortensen famously broke two of his toes while kicking a Uruk-hai helmet during the filming of The Two Towers, and his genuine scream of agony was kept…
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Blockbuster executives laughed Netflix founders Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph out of the room in the year 2000 when they offered to sell their fledgling DVD-by-mail service for a measly fifty million dollars.
Blockbuster executives laughed Netflix founders Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph out of the room in the year 2000 when they offered to sell their fledgling…
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Stephenie Meyer came up with the entire concept for the massive bestselling 'Twilight' franchise after having a highly vivid, romantic dream about a sparkly vampire in a meadow.
Stephenie Meyer came up with the entire concept for the massive bestselling 'Twilight' franchise after having a highly vivid, romantic dream about a sparkly…
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The Lion King had trouble recruiting its own animators.
The Lion King had trouble recruiting its own animators. Producer Don Hahn recalled that Pocahontas was initially regarded as Disney's more prestigious…
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Robert Pattinson questioned Twilight while becoming its romantic idol.
Robert Pattinson questioned Twilight while becoming its romantic idol. During the film's publicity, he joked about the story's logic and spoke unusually…
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Even losing a fictional fight can become a contract issue in Fast & Furious.
Even losing a fictional fight can become a contract issue in Fast & Furious. Reporting on the franchise described negotiations over how much punishment stars…
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Annabelle Wallis trained for the chance to run beside Tom Cruise.
Annabelle Wallis trained for the chance to run beside Tom Cruise. Wallis recalled that Cruise initially resisted the idea while they were making The Mummy.…
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Game of Thrones rebuilt most of its pilot before audiences saw it.
Game of Thrones rebuilt most of its pilot before audiences saw it. After an early screening exposed serious storytelling problems, the production reshot much…
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George Lucas intentionally refused to give Chewbacca a medal at the end of the original Star Wars movie because he claimed that Wookiees do not put any cultural value on physical rewards.
George Lucas intentionally refused to give Chewbacca a medal at the end of the original Star Wars movie because he claimed that Wookiees do not put any…
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Mario and Luigi's movie voices had a New York starting point.
Mario and Luigi's movie voices had a New York starting point. On the set of the 1993 Super Mario Bros., John Leguizamo described the brothers' accents as a…
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Spielberg sent a helicopter to help persuade Will Smith to do Men in Black.
Spielberg sent a helicopter to help persuade Will Smith to do Men in Black. Smith recalled the trip while explaining his reluctance to follow Independence Day…
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James Cameron filmed the desperately tragic ocean survival scenes for 'Titanic' in a giant concrete water tank that was only three feet deep, forcing the cast to act like they…
James Cameron filmed the desperately tragic ocean survival scenes for 'Titanic' in a giant concrete water tank that was only three feet deep, forcing the cast…
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E.T.
E.T. turned a trail of candy into a marketing coup. Hershey agreed to a promotional partnership featuring Reese's Pieces after the filmmakers approached the…
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The first Godzilla suit weighed around a hundred kilograms.
The first Godzilla suit weighed around a hundred kilograms. Performer Haruo Nakajima recalled the physical challenge of moving inside it while destroying…
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Master Chief's voice also belonged to a rock-radio DJ.
Master Chief's voice also belonged to a rock-radio DJ. Steve Downes spent decades in radio, including hosting on Chicago's WDRV, while voicing Halo's armored…
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Set decorators for the sitcom Friends found the iconic orange velvet couch abandoned deep inside the basement of a Warner Brothers prop storage facility before deciding to make…
Set decorators for the sitcom Friends found the iconic orange velvet couch abandoned deep inside the basement of a Warner Brothers prop storage facility…
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Indiana Jones and Gremlins helped expose a gap between PG and R.
Indiana Jones and Gremlins helped expose a gap between PG and R. Both 1984 films unsettled parents who had expected a milder experience under the PG label.…
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MTV turned its moon-landing station ident into an award.
MTV turned its moon-landing station ident into an award. The network's early on-screen branding showed an astronaut planting an MTV flag, borrowing the…
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The Golden Girls performed live for the Queen Mother in London in 1988.
The Golden Girls performed live for the Queen Mother in London in 1988. The cast brought their Miami sitcom characters to the Royal Variety Performance at the…
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The Office cast got to vote on the show's theme.
The Office cast got to vote on the show's theme. Greg Daniels offered the actors several musical options, and the cast helped choose the tune that would…
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Creators of the animated series South Park, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, purchased the actual Casa Bonita restaurant in Colorado after it filed for bankruptcy in 2021.
Creators of the animated series South Park, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, purchased the actual Casa Bonita restaurant in Colorado after it filed for bankruptcy…
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Schwarzenegger's Terminator meeting began as an audition for the other side.
Schwarzenegger's Terminator meeting began as an audition for the other side. James Cameron recalled that Arnold was proposed for Kyle Reese, the human…
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Chaplin built the Tramp from clothes that did not belong together.
Chaplin built the Tramp from clothes that did not belong together. The little mustache, small hat, baggy trousers, and oversized shoes produced a silhouette…
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