TV & Beyond on 2025-06-29 01:10:00

by | Jun 29, 2025 | TV & Beyond Articles | 0 comments

TV & Beyond on 2025-06-29 01:10:00

tracking down the exact wrestling match you can see on a television screen in “Beetlejuice” (namely, a Long Beach bout between The Whip and The Spoiler Ron Starr). There’s so much that goes into filmmaking than what you see on the screen, and it’s fascinating to dive deep into the process to see what intriguing tidbits can get uncovered. 

It goes without saying that the internet has caused a bit of a misinformation issue in the modern age. That means someone can say something online, and everyone else just runs with it. These mistruths can either come from misunderstandings or someone just outright lying and no one bothering to fact-check. This has caused many so-called bits of movie trivia to populate the public consciousness that are unequivocally false, so allow us to separate fact from fiction by debunking these movie trivia “facts” that aren’t true at all. 

False: A munchkin is seen hanging himself in The Wizard of Oz

Dorothy (Judy Garland) skipping down yellow brick road in The Wizard of Oz

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

The following slide contains references to suicide.

Dark corners of the internet will tell you “The Wizard of Oz” has a scene where Dorothy (Judy Garland), the Tin Man (Jack Haley), and the Scarecrow (Ray Bolger) skip down the yellow brick road, only for a silhouette of one of the actors playing a munchkin hanging themselves in the background. It’s tough to make out in old copies of the movie, but there does seem to be something moving. Given the myriad dangers of making “The Wizard of Oz,” like asbestos being used for snow, this myth appears to add to the film’s horrors. 

However, viewers aren’t accidentally witnessing a suicide in the film. That would be a step too far even for “The Wizard of Oz.” When higher-resolution versions of “The Wizard of Oz” became more readily available, the silhouette in question turns out to be nothing more than a bird, likely an emu or crane. “The Wizard of Oz” production borrowed various birds from the Los Angeles Zoo to roam around to give the film a more whimsical feeling. 

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org

False: Heath Ledger improvised his reaction to the hospital explosion in The Dark Knight

Joker (Heath Ledger) blowing up a hospital in The Dark Knight

Warner Bros.

One of the most famous moments in “The Dark Knight” is where the Joker (Heath Ledger) walks out of a hospital as it explodes behind him. Then, the explosions stop, and Joker humorously fidgets around for a beat wondering what went on until the explosions resume again. A myth was formed, perhaps due to Ledger’s intense commitment to embodying the character, that the pause in explosions wasn’t supposed to happen, and Ledger simply filled the time by fidgeting around in a way Joker would. 

The truth is that this was all carefully planned. It needed to be because director Christopher Nolan and crew actually blew up a building for the shot, so they only had one chance to get it right. “The Dark Knight” Blu-ray release has the “Gotham Uncovered: Creation of a Scene” featurette where Nolan explains that they meticulously added a pause to give Ledger enough time to safely walk away from the building and get onto the bus in time. It’s all one take, so they needed to bide some time, adding the moment where Joker acts surprised the explosives didn’t go off like he planned. The Joker may not have a plan, but it’s a good thing Nolan did to keep his performers safe. 

False: All the clocks are set to 4:20 in Pulp Fiction

Jimmie (Quentin Tarantino) standing in front of a clock in Pulp Fiction

Miramax Films

“Pulp Fiction” posters continue to populate college dorm rooms. Perhaps one day, when some college students were engaging in some herbal extracurricular activities, one casually mentioned that all the clocks in “Pulp Fiction” are set to 4:20, the official unofficial time to smoke weed and get high. From there, an internet rumor was born, which is kind of weird because you can blatantly see in the above image that at least one clock isn’t set to 4:20. 

That’s not the only one, as there are several scenes featuring clocks and watches that aren’t set to that specific time. Best we can tell, two clocks are set to 4:20 throughout the film, but there are plenty of others that aren’t. Someone may have noticed those two and exaggerated the prevalence to make the trivia funnier, but alas, Quentin Tarantino didn’t provide sly Easter eggs for all the stoners out there. Maybe if “Pulp Fiction 2” ever gets made, they can make good on this rumor.

False: Leonardo DiCaprio smeared real blood on Kerry Washington’s face in Django Unchained

Stephen (Samuel L. Jackson) laughing next to Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio) in Django Unchained

The Weinstein Company

“Django Unchained” has an infamous scene where Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio) smashes his hand against glass, causing it to bleed. It is, in fact, true that DiCaprio sliced his hand while filming, and you can see that cut in the film. However, some sites take this trivia too far and state that the actor proceeded to wipe his actual blood on co-star Kerry Washington as he continues monologuing. 

Washington explained on “The Drew Barrymore Show” that while some of DiCaprio’s actual blood is in the movie, anything on her face is fake. “Quentin [Tarantino] wasn’t sure if he wanted to use the take with the blood or not, so every moment after that moment in the movie we shot twice,” she explained. “We’d shoot completely bloody with him touching my face — with fake blood — and then we’d have to take everything off and shoot it again totally clean.” We’re not sure how this became a myth because, obviously, an actor wouldn’t be allowed to smear their real blood over someone else purely for sanitary reasons. 

False: An extra improvised chucking a beer can at John Malkovich in Being John Malkovich

John Malkovich clutching his head in Being John Malkovich

USA Films

Pro tip: If you ever hear a piece of movie trivia about someone improvising something that winds up in the final cut, take it with a grain of salt. “Being John Malkovich” is a wonderfully surrealist comedy that was born out of Charlie Kaufman smashing two scripts together, and a persistent rumor is that the scene with a person throwing a beer can at John Malkovich wasn’t supposed to happen. According to legend, the extras got drunk that night, and one thought it would be funny to chuck something at Malkovich out of a car window.

It’s reasonable people would assume this. The rumor was born out of the movie’s fake director’s commentary track, but in reality, it was in the script for someone to throw the can at the actor. Malkovich explained in a 2013 Reddit AMA that director Spike Jonze wanted to cut the scene because “he felt no one would be able to hit me on the head with a half full can of beer from a passing car.” John Cusack’s writing partner is the one who took the shot, and amazingly, he got it on the first take. The true story’s more impressive than the rumor.

False: They used milk as the rain in Singin’ in the Rain

Don Lockwood (Gene Kelly) singing in the rain in Singin' in the Rain

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

This myth should’ve been debunked right away. For years, people have stated that the rain in 1952’s “Singin’ in the Rain” is actually milk because water wouldn’t have shown up well on film. However, Gene Kelly didn’t dance in milk because that would’ve been gross. It also would’ve been unnecessary because there was a far more effective and innovative solution to ensure audiences could see the rainfall around him.

Water refracts light, so any light sources in front of the rainfall wouldn’t have allowed it to show up on camera. That’s probably where the milk myth originated because cinephiles knew there had to be some other solution for making the rain be visible. Instead, the crew backlit the rain, putting light sources behind it instead of in front of, so that audiences everywhere could enjoy one of the most magical movie musical numbers of all time. 

False: Anthony Hopkins never blinks in The Silence of the Lambs

Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) blinking in The Silence of the Lambs

Orion Pictures

Anthony Hopkins delivers a chilling performance as Hannibal Lecter in “The Silence of the Lambs.” Despite the character’s depraved acts, he remains incredibly calm and still throughout most of the time he’s on screen, which might be how the myth of him never blinking materialized. But he absolutely blinks in the film. He blinks a bunch actually.

Hopkins definitely doesn’t blink a ton. He appears to exert a more controlled blinking where he’s more inclined to stare straight ahead at Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster). Additionally, the conversations between Hannibal and Clarice are edited in such a way that the two are rarely in the same frame together. It usually cuts back and forth between the two, meaning if you’re not really paying attention, you may not see it when Hannibal blinks. In fact, he blinks pretty noticeably after saying, “I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti,” the most famous line in the film.

False: Snow White is the first feature-length animated film

Snow White singing to a bird in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Walt Disney Productions

If you ask most people what the first feature-length animated film was, there’s a good chance they’ll tell you: “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” which came out in 1937. That’s not technically true, even if we are splitting hairs a bit. “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” is the first feature-length cel-animated movie, but there were several other films preceding it. 

It’s believed Argentinian animator Quirino Cristiani had made some animated features, but they’ve since been lost to time. However, we still have 1926’s “The Adventures of Prince Achmed” from German director Lotte Reiniger you can watch on YouTube in its entirety. It remains one of the most beautiful animated films of all time, utilizing a form of silhouette animation, creating shadows using cardboard and lead sheets. So the next time someone tries to give “Snow White” this claim to fame, make sure the term “cel-animated” is in the title.

False: Blazing Saddles has the first audible cinematic fart

Cowboys eating beans in Blazing Saddles

Warner Bros.

Again, this might be a case of splitting hairs. The fart sequence in 1974’s “Blazing Saddles” changed the comedy game, with director Mel Brooks pinpointing 12 farts to be the perfect number before the audience would stop finding them funny. The film typically gets credited for having cinema’s first fart joke with a scene depicting cowboys eating beans and letting it rip. It might have the first fart joke in an American movie, but Japan was ahead of the curve on this one. 

Yasujirō Ozu’s 1959 film, “Good Morning,” is packed with fart jokes. Flatulence is of the utmost importance in this story about young boys coming of age, and that includes them discovering how joyous farts can be. There’s even one scene where a group of boys engage in a allied, only for one to actually defecate in his pants. It’s a technicality, but credit where credit’s due in that fart jokes transcend cultural barriers. 

False: A stunt man was killed during the chariot racing scene in Ben-Hur

Gladiators engaged in a chariot race in Ben-Hur

Loew’s Inc.

One trivia tidbit that continues to plague 1959’s “Ben-Hur” is that a stunt performer was killed during the chariot race sequence. Reportedly, the death can be found in the movie, which has surely led to countless people trying to pause at just the right moment to watch this religious epic turn into a snuff film. However, there’s zero proof a death occurred, and the only reported injury of that sequence came when Charlton Heston’s stunt double, Joe Canutt, got cut on the chin, requiring four stitches.

It’s possible this rumor got entangled with the 1925 version of “Ben-Hur,” which was nothing short of a disaster. During production of the 1920s film, a wheel fell off a chariot, causing a stunt performer to fall on lumber and die. The film was also a nightmare for the horses, with reports suggesting as many as 100 horses were put down due to injuries. The general public may have conflated the two “Ben-Hurs,” but it does seem like things got safer in Hollywood between making the two movies. 

False: CGI was used to reduce Brandon Routh’s bulge in Superman Returns

Superman (Brandon Routh) floating in the sky in Superman Returns

Warner Bros.

Superhero outfits tend to be very form-fitting. It’s necessary for actors to show off all their muscles (or fake muscles as the case may be). But according to one rumor, Brandon Routh’s Man of Steel outfit in “Superman Returns” may have been a bit too snug. Rumors circulated around the film’s release that Warner Bros. needed digital effects artists to reduce Routh’s, um, package so that it wasn’t as prominently displayed through the tight costume. 

It is funny to think there may have been multiple Superman actors who needed body parts CGI’d away, considering Henry Cavill’s infamous mustache erasure for 2017’s “Justice League.” However, no CGI was needed for Routh. Costume designers on the film later clarified they were aware of the actor’s well-endowed status and used a codpiece and extra padding so that it wouldn’t show through as much. So in this case, the rumor is how they hid Routh’s package rather than the size of the package itself, so… congratulations, Brandon Routh!

False: James Cameron didn’t cast OJ Simpson as the Terminator because he wasn’t believable as a killer

The Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger) wielding a gun in The Terminator

Orion Pictures

Arnold Schwarzenegger as the titular killing machine in “The Terminator” is pitch-perfect casting, but if the internet is to be believed, O.J. Simpson almost had the part. Not only that, but rumors suggest director James Cameron shot down the casting idea because he couldn’t envision Simpson as a killer. Given Simpson’s 1995 trial for the murder of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman, this trivia always had the air of an extremely ironic anecdote. Too bad none of it’s true. 

Cameron has gone on the record to deny Simpson was ever in serious contention for the role of the Terminator. Schwarzenegger himself has relayed the story before, seemingly lending credence to it. But it’s not like he would’ve been privy to those early conversations. While Simpson’s name was thrown out during a meeting Cameron had with an executive, he was never in serious consideration. And the football star certainly wasn’t passed over for being too nice-seeming. 

False: Edna Mode in The Incredibles is based off Edith Head

Edna Mode with fire reflecting off her glasses in The Incredibles

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Edna Mode (voiced by Brad Bird) is the iconic costume designer in “The Incredibles” who’s certainly deserving of a spinoff in her own right. Many online seem convinced the character is based off real-life costume designer Edith Head, who won eight Oscars for her work. The two even sport similar hairstyles and glasses, so without digging any deeper into this belief, it would appear to check out.

However, the director and voice actor for Edna Mode, Brad Bird, shot this myth down personally. In 2013, he took to X (formerly Twitter) to answer whether Edna Mode is based on Edith Head: “No. People from MANY countries (27 & counting) were convinced I based E on a local icon.” If one researches famous fashion icons around the world, there definitely does seem to be a trend of women with dark black bobs and glasses popping up. There’s a good chance the animators made Edna Mode an amalgamation of all these people and came out with a true legend by the end. 

False: The kids in The Goonies didn’t see the pirate ship before filming

One-Eyed Willy's pirate ship in a cave in The Goonies

Warner Bros.

A full-scale pirate ship was built for “The Goonies,” and the kids’ reactions seem so genuine that a myth materialized that they weren’t allowed to see the ship ahead of time. It’s a fun myth but one that requires a bit of nuance.

During a 2025 “Goonies” panel at Awesome Con (via Geek Tyrant), Sean Astin said he saw the ship ahead of time and jokingly mentioned, “I was sort of offended that [people] had that idea, that they wouldn’t let the kids see the pirate ship, so that they could capture their real reaction. Like, what? We don’t know how to do real?” Corey Feldman also admitted to sneaking a glimpse of the ship ahead of time. Plus, Josh Brolin reportedly dropped an F-bomb upon seeing the ship, so no matter what, they had to film that part over again. 

It seems the intention was to make the ship a surprise, even if it didn’t work out that way because kids are going to be kids. However, Martha Plimpton was apparently the only one who followed the rules and hadn’t seen the ship before, so her reaction is the only one that’s actually genuine. 

False: Brad Pitt was only paid a cup of coffee for his cameo in Deadpool 2

Vanisher (Brad Pitt) getting electrocuted in Deadpool 2

20th Century Fox

Hands-down, one of the funniest bits in “Deadpool 2” is when the invisible Vanisher gets electrocuted while parachuting, and during his brief death, it’s revealed that Vanisher is being played by none other than Brad Pitt. It’s a hilarious couple of seconds that thoroughly confused the studio with an A-list star barely appearing in this big superhero blockbuster. After the fact, legend had it that Pitt agreed to film the few seconds if Ryan Reynolds personally delivered him a cup of coffee. Hopefully, it was a good cup of joe, but this factoid ignores the fact that Pitt absolutely got paid actual money for the part.

Pitt probably commands millions of dollars per role, but for “Deadpool 2,” he agreed to do it for scale, meaning he made around $956 as well as some coffee he probably could’ve just gotten from the craft services table. But the cameo may have meant more to Pitt than coffee and a few bucks, as it allowed the actor to reunite with director David Leitch, who was Pitt’s stunt double in “Fight Club.” 

0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x