Movie Trivia

• Did you know "In 1895 the cinema was born in Paris when the Lumiere Brothers presented the world's very first screening of a motion picture to a paying public"

• "Film is a uniquely powerful medium which informs, entertains and inspires, and we want to ensure that the widest range of cinema is accessible to all sections of the community." said Pete Buckingham, Head of Distribution for the British Film Council

• "Film clubs, societies and mobile cinemas often provide audiences with much needed film choice, particularly in rural areas where there might not be an accessible local cinema" added Pete Buckingham, Head of Distribution for the British Film Council

• The most successful war movie of all time is Saving Private Ryan, which grossed $479million.
• The Great Escape star Donald Pleasence was a real prisoner of war during World War Two.
• Mark Wahlberg asked to be shocked for real in his Three Kings torture sequence.
• It took six months longer to build the movie replica of the Bridge On The River Kwai than it did to build the real one.
• Force 10 From Navarone was the last film that actor Robert Shaw completed before his death.
• In The Great Escape, Steve McQueen also plays one of the Nazi motorcyclists chasing his character, Hilts.
• Harrison Ford got his famous chin scar in a car crash caused when he was trying to buckle his seatbelt while driving.
• The most successful action movie of all time is Jurassic Park, which grossed $920million
• Tom Cruise is the first actor to have five successive films break the £100million mark.
• Sylvester Stallone was originally signed to play the lead in Beverly Hills Cop.
• Former US President Ronald Reagan was approached to play the mayor in Back To The Future 111 but turned the role down.
• The scars on Russell Crowe’s face during bits of Gladiator are real – his horse backed into a tree.
• Sean Connery got $250,000 for two days work on Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. He gave it all to charity.
• The most successful superhero movie of all time is Spider-Man, which grossed $807million.
• The Karate Kids Mr Miyagi, actor Pat Morita, was a former stand up comic and didn’t know any karate.
• The main street in Back To The Future is also the main street in Gremlins.
• The cigarettes smoked by the kids in Stand By Me were made from cabbage leaves.
• Gene Hackman originally planned to both direct The Silence Of The Lambs and play Hannibal Lecter.
• Anthony Hopkins’ 16 minutes in The Silence Of The Lambs is the shortest performance ever awarded the Best Actor Oscar.
• Charlie And The Chocolate Factory author Roald Dahl wrote the script for You Only Live Twice.
• The ruby red slippers in The Wizard of Oz were sold off at auction for $660,000.
• Forty eight baby pigs were used in the filming of Babe.
• In Groundhog Day, Phil Connors (Bill Murray) is seen going through the same day 34 times.

• The never ending discussion on the best selling films ever. Based on 2004 figures the actual results are as follows: