Jurassic Park

When Steven Spielberg unleashed his dinosaur masterpiece in 1993, he completely changed the landscape of visual effects forever. By seamlessly blending massive, real-life animatronics with groundbreaking computer generation, he essentially brought dinosaurs back from extinction right before our eyes. The movie is a pure cinematic miracle, but the actual behind-the-scenes stories are just as wild as a theme park breakout. Grab a flare and hold onto your hats, because we are diving into fifteen fascinating facts about the creation of this legendary film.
Jurrasic Park

  1. Spielberg discovered the story by total accident. He was working on a script that would eventually become the hit television show ER with author Michael Crichton, who casually mentioned his new dinosaur book, prompting Spielberg to immediately buy the film rights.

  2. The director was essentially forced to make the movie. Spielberg desperately wanted to direct his passion project, Schindler’s List, but the studio president would only give him the green light if he agreed to film his dinosaur blockbuster first.

  3. A theme park ride inspired the original plan. The initial idea was to build every single dinosaur as a massive, full-size robot, heavily inspired by the King Kong ride at Universal Studios, but the team quickly realized it would be way too expensive.

  4. The iconic logo was borrowed from the book. Unlike most movie adaptations that invent their own poster, the famous T. rex skeleton logo was taken directly from designer Chip Kidd’s artwork for the original novel’s cover.

  5. A real hurricane shut down production. The cast and crew were trapped in their hotel when the massive Hurricane Iniki struck Hawaii during filming, and Spielberg actually used some footage of the real storm in the final movie.

  6. The T. rex roar is an absolute animal mashup. To create that terrifying, bone-chilling screech, the sound design team recorded and blended the noises of a baby elephant, a snarling tiger, and a gurgling alligator.

  7. The animatronic T. rex had a mind of its own. Because the giant robot skin soaked up water during the rain scenes, it would randomly shudder and twitch to life all by itself, completely terrifying the crew working on the dark set.

  8. The famous rippling water cup was a nightmare to film. To get that iconic vibration as the dinosaur approached, a special effects expert had to lie on the floor of the car and pluck a guitar string attached to the dashboard.

  1. An accident made it into the final cut. When the giant T. rex breaks through the plexiglass roof of the kids’ car, it was completely accidental. The robot hit the glass way too hard, losing a tooth and getting genuine screams of terror from the young actors.

  2. The self-driving cars were a total illusion. The futuristic tour vehicles were not actually on a track. Instead, they were driven by a crew member who was hidden completely out of sight in the trunk of the car.

  3. Dinosaurs barely have any screen time. Even though the movie feels packed with prehistoric action, there are only about fifteen minutes of actual dinosaur footage in the entire two-hour runtime.

  4. The velociraptor noises are surprisingly awkward. If you think the raptors sound terrifying when they communicate with each other, you might laugh to know the sound designers achieved those noises by recording tortoises mating.

  1. Harrison Ford almost took a trip to the park. Spielberg originally offered the lead role of Dr. Alan Grant to the Indiana Jones star, but Ford turned it down because he felt the part was not the right fit for him.

  2. Jim Carrey auditioned for the chaotic mathematician. Before Jeff Goldblum stepped into his iconic leather jacket, comedy legend Jim Carrey actually read for the role of Dr. Ian Malcolm.

  3. The ending was a massive last-minute change. The original script had the humans killing the raptors to escape, but Spielberg realized the audience loved the T. rex too much, so he rewrote the finale to let her swoop in and save the day.

 

Sources and References:

Mental Floss: https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/49904/20-things-you-might-not-have-known-about-jurassic-park

IGN: https://www.ign.com/articles/jurassic-park-wfh-theater-joseph-mazzello-t-rex-blooper-tim-murphy-sequel

IGN: https://www.ign.com/articles/jurassic-park-30th-anniversary-dino-dna

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Martin Roháček

Star Wars

When George Lucas first pitched his ambitious space opera in 1977, many people in Hollywood heavily doubted the risky project would ever succeed. Instead, it completely transformed into a massive global cultural pillar that changed the landscape of cinema forever. From groundbreaking special effects to characters that feel like old friends, the magic of that galaxy far, far away continues to captivate generations. Let us explore fifteen fascinating behind-the-scenes secrets about the original trilogy that every fan should know.
Star Wars

  1. The story was heavily inspired by an old film. George Lucas struggled with how to tell his massive space opera on a relatable scale, so he borrowed the perspective idea from director Akira Kurosawa’s 1958 film The Hidden Fortress, telling the story from the viewpoint of the two lowliest characters, the droids.

  2. Chewbacca was inspired by a real dog. Lucas based the loyal, furry Wookiee companion on his own pet, an Alaskan Malamute named Indiana, who used to sit upright in the passenger seat of his car.

  3. The lightsaber sound was a happy accident. Sound designer Ben Burtt created the iconic humming noise by combining the whir of an old movie projector idling with the buzz of a broken television set he walked past with a microphone.

  4. Harrison Ford got the job by accident. Ford was originally just brought in to read lines with other actors during auditions because he was working as a carpenter for Lucas, but his natural swagger eventually won him the role of Han Solo.

  5. The biggest twist in cinema was a tightly guarded secret. To keep the truth about Luke’s father from leaking out, the actor in the Darth Vader suit actually said the line Obi-Wan killed your father during filming. Only Mark Hamill knew the real line before James Earl Jones dubbed the dialogue in the studio.

  6. Darth Vader barely appears in the first movie. Despite being the main, terrifying villain of the 1977 original film, Darth Vader is only actually on screen for about twelve minutes in the entire movie.

  7. The Millennium Falcon was inspired by a hamburger. The famous spaceship supposedly got its iconic saucer shape from a half-eaten hamburger with an olive stuck next to it after the original design looked too similar to a ship from another television show.

  8. Alec Guinness made a financial masterpiece. The veteran actor who played Obi-Wan Kenobi famously thought the science fiction dialogue was rubbish, but he smartly negotiated for a percentage of the film’s gross royalties, which made him incredibly wealthy.

  1. The TIE Fighter roar is made of elephants. That terrifying scream of the Imperial starfighters flying past the screen is actually a heavily modified recording of an elephant bellowing combined with a car driving on wet pavement.

  2. R2-D2’s language is actually human. The lovable astromech droid’s beeps and boops were created by sound designer Ben Burtt making baby noises and then filtering his own voice through a synthesizer.

  3. Han Solo was frozen for practical reasons. The reason Han was frozen in carbonite at the end of The Empire Strikes Back is because Harrison Ford had not yet signed on for a third movie, so the writers needed a believable way to write him out just in case he did not return.

  4. A fierce Imperial commander wore slippers on set. Peter Cushing, the actor playing Grand Moff Tarkin, found his rigid Imperial leather boots so incredibly uncomfortable that he wore soft slippers during filming, which is why the director only shot him from the waist up.

  1. Han Solo’s best line was improvised. His iconic response of I know after Princess Leia tells him she loves him was actually improvised by Harrison Ford on set because he felt the original, more emotional scripted line did not match his rogue character.

  2. The trash compactor smell was absolutely real. The garbage floating in the famous Death Star trash compactor scene was real, rotting garbage. Mark Hamill ended up bursting a blood vessel in his face from holding his breath under the foul water.

  3. James Earl Jones went uncredited on purpose. The booming voice of Darth Vader requested to be left off the credits for the first two films because he felt his contribution was just a small, minor special effect compared to the physical acting of David Prowse.

 

Sources and References:

Time Magazine: https://time.com/3836877/1977-star-wars-facts/

Time Magazine: https://time.com/4131635/star-wars-the-force-awakens-behind-the-scenes/

Mental Floss: https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/79553/60-facts-about-star-wars-universe-star-wars-day

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Jon Hamm

Jon Hamm’s compelling portrayal of Don Draper in Mad Men transformed him into a household name and exemplified his talent for capturing complex, layered characters. With a career spanning TV, film, and theater, Hamm remains a dynamic, respected figure in Hollywood.
Jon Hamm
  1. Jon Hamm played multiple sports in high school, including football, baseball, and swimming, showcasing his athletic versatility.
  2. Before acting fame, he worked as a set dresser on adult films, a job he credits with teaching him professionalism.
  3. Hamm auditioned seven times before landing the role of Don Draper, demonstrating perseverance.
  4. He won the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 2015 after 12 nominations.
  5. Jon Hamm is a three-time host of Saturday Night Live, earning critical praise for his comedic timing.
  6. Despite his serious roles, he has showcased a natural talent for comedy in shows like 30 Rock and Parks and Recreation.
  7. Hamm attended the University of Missouri and later studied at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco.
  8. He contributed significantly to charity, raising over $100,000 for cancer research at a Desert Smash tennis event.
  1. Hamm portrayed a suave villain in the film Baby Driver, widely applauded by critics and fans alike.
  2. He made his directorial debut in the film Becky in 2020, venturing into thriller territory.
  3. Jon Hamm earned awards from the Screen Actors Guild as part of Mad Men’s ensemble cast twice.
  4. He voiced a character in the animated series The Powerpuff Girls, showing his diverse voice acting skills.
  5. Jon grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, often visiting his mother’s favorite spots, which grounded him in Midwestern values.
  6. His intense Don Draper character was inspired in part by Hamm’s personal struggle with identity and past.
  7. Jon Hamm serves on several boards and participates actively in theater production beyond his acting roles.

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