Remnants of the Past
@remnantsofpast • 20,958 subscribers
Exploring iconic movies across every era. Commentary and stories from the world of cinema.
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Daniel Craig's charismatic performance in Layer Cake (2004) caught the attention of Bond producer Barbara Broccoli and helped pave the way for his casting as James Bond. Craig initially hesitated to make Layer Cake, but after reading the script, he discovered how much fun it was. When asked about it years later, he recalled: “I mean again, another film I was dragged kicking and screaming it. Seems to be my MO, doesn’t it? Look, the way it turned out was fantastic but I thought it was sort of all sort of popular kind of something or other and actually it what it what it did for me was it freed me up in a way that I couldn’t have imagined. You know it’s sort of not serious, but it’s a kind of it’s a sort of funny film. It’s a comedy to a certain degree and it I just I don’t know what happened, when I got into it and I started reading and I went God, this is so much fun. And I kind of allowed myself to enjoy it sounds like kind of like I’m some sort of stoic.”
Remnants of the Past2,449,425 views • 3 days ago
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When Christina Hendricks was repeatedly asked whether her breasts were real or the result of implants, she found the speculation rather bizarre. In a 2011 interview, she responded: “It’s so bizarre that people are constantly asking if my breasts are real or fake. They’re so obviously real that anyone who’s ever seen or touched a breast would know.”
Remnants of the Past8,771,822 views • 20 days ago
While filming The Girl Next Door (2004), Elisha Cuthbert was still best known for playing Kim Bauer on 24. When she was first approached about the film, however, she wasn't convinced it was the right move. “When they said to me, ‘What about a teen comedy and you play an adult-film star?’ And I went, ‘Guys, we’re heading in the wrong direction here. I don’t know who briefed you guys, but this is not the right film.’” After reading the script and meeting director Luke Greenfield, Cuthbert began to see the possibilities: “This could be really cheesy, or this could be really amazing.” Greenfield convinced her, saying: “It’s going to be amazing.”
Remnants of the Past1,107,617 views • 4 days ago
By 1998, Salma Hayek had already appeared in several successful films, but the roles she was being offered still weren’t what she wanted. She had made an even bigger impact in From Dusk Till Dawn, but producers still struggled to imagine a Mexican actress in anything other than roles specifically written for Mexicans. As Hayek recalled, after one audition they praised her as “the best audition we’ve ever had,” only to tell her, “we just don’t think that this character can be Mexican.” Dogma (1999) finally became a breakthrough for her: Serendipity was not written as a Latina character. She plays a muse who inspired the world’s greatest artists. And a special mention today: Happy Birthday, Salma Hayek!
Remnants of the Past1,041,194 views • 7 days ago
In Charlie's Angels (2000), Cameron Diaz had an unusual challenge during the bedroom dance scene. After waking from her ballroom dance dream, she starts dancing around her room, but director McG wanted her to make the dancing increasingly worse with every take. That proved surprisingly difficult for Diaz, whose extensive ballroom dance training made dancing badly harder than it sounds.
Remnants of the Past5,671,283 views • 28 days ago
Jennifer Love Hewitt on her unforgettable first day working with Ray Liotta, playing the seductive secretary 'Wendy' who gets caught in his zipper in Heartbreakers (2001): “Coming out of teen movies, and spending the last three years of my life with a guy and a hook, my first two days of work were not exactly the norm.” “I was a redhead as 'Wendy' dressed in a skintight, tiny little dress with stockings, garters and the whole works, and in the first moments it's like 'Hi, nice to meet you, Mr. Liotta, now I'll be attached to your pants for the rest of the day. How's it going? Good. How're you doing up there? Great.” “But I have to say, that if you have to be attached to an actor's pants, Ray Liotta's are the best! He really made it fun and easy, and hopefully it will be one of the movie's funniest scenes.”
Remnants of the Past2,185,135 views • 18 days ago
During rehearsal in The Graduate (1967), Dustin Hoffman unexpectedly put his hand on Anne Bancroft’s breast without her knowing it. Mike Nichols laughed, while Hoffman turned toward the wall and banged his head trying to hide his laughter. Nichols kept the spontaneous moment in the film. Hoffman later recalled: “Before we shot the hotel scene in ‘The Graduate,’ Mike Nichols asked me about the first time I touched a woman’s breast.” After describing an awkward experience, Nichols simply told him: “Do that.” Hoffman did, and Bancroft never broke character. As Hoffman recalled: “Anne Bancroft is even more brilliant because she just sits there, cleaning her sweater. Doesn’t even acknowledge it.”
Remnants of the Past1,261,978 views • 14 days ago
![The on-screen chemistry between Cybill Shepherd and Robert Downey Jr. in Chances Are (1989) was helped by the rapport they developed off-screen. Shepherd helped the young Downey slow down and become more comfortable with taking his time during scenes. Downey had become accustomed to playing fast-talking characters, while Shepherd showed him that he didn't need to fill every moment with dialogue. As Downey later explained: “I think it was more that she taught me to take my time. Because I got so used to playing characters who talk fast. In movies they take so much time setting up shots and stuff, and I understand they’re doing their thing. Some DPs [directors of photography] take an hour to light a cigarette. It’s O.K. to take your time, I’m not saying it’s all right to be self-indulgent, but that’s what you’re there for, and sometimes you feel hurried. Everything’s hurried so that you can go around and wait until they’re ready.”](https://image.24vids.com/tw-2093719940389863738/amplify_video_thumb/2093719241094533120/img/UndqgJF_H51EDiz9.jpg)
The on-screen chemistry between Cybill Shepherd and Robert Downey Jr. in Chances Are (1989) was helped by the rapport they developed off-screen. Shepherd helped the young Downey slow down and become more comfortable with taking his time during scenes. Downey had become accustomed to playing fast-talking characters, while Shepherd showed him that he didn't need to fill every moment with dialogue. As Downey later explained: “I think it was more that she taught me to take my time. Because I got so used to playing characters who talk fast. In movies they take so much time setting up shots and stuff, and I understand they’re doing their thing. Some DPs [directors of photography] take an hour to light a cigarette. It’s O.K. to take your time, I’m not saying it’s all right to be self-indulgent, but that’s what you’re there for, and sometimes you feel hurried. Everything’s hurried so that you can go around and wait until they’re ready.”
Remnants of the Past605,464 views • 12 days ago
While filming Splash (1984), John Candy once arrived late to the set and delayed filming, which was unusual for the actor, who was known for being professional. According to Ron Howard, Candy profusely apologized when he arrived, and Howard told him it was fine and that they would begin shooting. Candy then revealed that he had not slept and was actually drunk. The night before, he had gone to a bar where he encountered Jack Nicholson, who recognized him and proceeded to buy him drinks throughout the night. Candy had told Nicholson, "But I've got to go shoot." Nicholson simply replied, "You're going to be all right, kid. Don't worry about it." Candy then went on to film his scene on the racquetball court, where he was hit by the ball, and managed to get it right in just three takes.
Remnants of the Past2,043,741 views • 1 month ago
Steve Zahn described the butt-touching scene with Jennifer Aniston in Management (2008) as “supposed to be the most awkward scene in the world.” When asked whether Jennifer Aniston used a butt double, he joked: “No, that would have been ridiculous. Because then I would have used a stunt hand.”
Remnants of the Past1,120,395 views • 21 days ago
The bed scene in Bandidas (2006) proved difficult for Penélope Cruz, Salma Hayek, and Steve Zahn to film without breaking into laughter, which ultimately took three days to complete. Despite Bandidas being their first film together, Cruz and Hayek had been good friends for many years before making the film.
Remnants of the Past1,533,940 views • 1 month ago
Dennis Hopper cast Jennifer Connelly in The Hot Spot (1990) after being impressed by her performance in Some Girls (1988). But he was even more impressed once he began working with her. While filming in Texas in 1989, Hopper was already convinced she was destined for stardom, telling reporters: “She’s a 19-year-old Elizabeth Taylor, but she can act better and she’s prettier.”
Remnants of the Past562,069 views • 14 days ago
Troy's (2004) centerpiece is the inevitable duel between Achilles and Hector, Troy's greatest warrior. Brad Pitt and Eric Bana performed the meticulously choreographed fight themselves without using any stunt doubles, rehearsing for months until every move became instinctive before filming. In a 2004 interview, Pitt said about the accidental hits: "We made a deal with each other that we're just going to go for it. We decided that we would pay off for slight infractions 50 bucks and for major hits, if one of us clobbered the other, it would be 100 bucks." Bana later showed a faint scar on the right side of his nose. "I've got a little Brad Pitt scar here," he said. "It's called a full-fledged backhand fist to the face. Luckily for us it was probably about 85 percent through that fight sequence because it does dull your confidence." Asked how much he owed Bana after the six-day shoot, Pitt replied: "750."
Remnants of the Past2,552,312 views • 1 month ago
In a 1997 interview with Rolling Stone, months before Wild Things (1998) was released, Neve Campbell said she enjoyed kissing Denise Richards while filming Wild Things. “It was fun,” Campbell told about the movie’s famous scene. “We just sorta went in and did it. Actually, we mixed margaritas and brought a bottle of wine in my trailer and got drunk first.” Campbell also recorded her thoughts about the experience in her journal before filming: “Okay, I'm gonna make out with a girl for the first time in my life. It's so interesting that a lot of times you learn things about yourself and have new experiences when shooting a scene, because they're things you wouldn't normally do in your life.”
Remnants of the Past1,178,844 views • 1 month ago
Despite being box-office flop with an impressive cast that included rising stars Liv Tyler and Renée Zellweger, Empire Records (1995) had terrific music and and remarkably successful soundtrack. According to the movie’s music supervisor, Mitchell Leib: “I think we did end up selling 2 million records, which is unbelievable for a movie that did $147,000 at the box office.” Ironically, Empire Records eventually developed a devoted cult following, particularly in Australia. Australian audiences embraced the film after its 1995 failure, helping turn it from a forgotten flop into a movie with a passionate fan base. Over time, its soundtrack, characters and nostalgic record-store setting gave it a remarkable second life.
Remnants of the Past100,641 views • 4 days ago
Before Richard Gere and Julia Roberts became one of Hollywood’s most iconic screen couples in Pretty Woman (1990), director Garry Marshall arranged their first meeting and then deliberately left them alone to see if they had chemistry. “I was so mesmerized,” Gere later recalled. “I don’t remember Garry. I just remember the girl.” But Gere still hadn’t decided whether to take the role. As the two sat across from each other, getting to know one another. “flirty-flirty, nice-nice,” as Gere put it. Roberts wrote something on a Post-it note and slid it across the desk. It read: “Please say yes!” “It was so sweet,” Gere recalled. “I just said yes.” Ultimately, Pretty Woman became a global blockbuster and one of the highest-grossing films of its time.
Remnants of the Past236,653 views • 12 days ago
After the huge success of Titanic, Kate Winslet chose to pursue more unconventional roles, including Jane Campion's Holy Smoke (1999). Looking back, she explained why working with Campion was an opportunity she simply couldn't pass up: “There’s just no way you can say no to Jane Campion. I saw The Piano three times in the same day.” The admiration was mutual. Campion had considered hundreds of actresses for the role before Winslet auditioned opposite Harvey Keitel, but her reading immediately convinced the director that she had found her Ruth: “When Kate read, I knew she was the one.” Campion also remembered Winslet as “fearless in a fabulously young way,” seeing in her the same sense of invincibility and confidence that she herself had experienced when she was younger.
Remnants of the Past46,131 views • 2 days ago
While developing Bound (1996), the Wachowskis were told by some studio executives that they would be interested in the script if Corky were rewritten as a male character. Wachowskis turned down the suggestion, explaining, "that movie's been made a million times, so we're really not interested in it." Ultimately, Bound became the film that convinced the studio of the Wachowskis’ talent as directors, paving the way for them to make The Matrix (1999), a story they had conceived while filming their first screenplay, Assassins (1995).
Remnants of the Past699,698 views • 1 month ago
Sam Neill about slapping Isabelle Adjani in ‘Possession’: ‘The Most Distressing Thing’ I’ve Ever Done’ “I said: ‘Look, Andrzej, I have to say no. I can’t do that. You can’t ask me to do that. I have never raised a hand to another human being and I have to say no. Please don’t ask me to. I’m not going to do it,'” Neill said. “Then Adjani came up to me. She said, ‘Sam, you have to do this. You must.’ I said, ‘Please, Isabelle, do not ask me.’ She said, ‘You must do it.’ So I had to do it. I have to say it was the most distressing thing I’ve ever had to do on film.”
Remnants of the Past1,050,152 views • 1 month ago
Charlotte Rampling when asked about Sean Connery's seductiveness during the making of Zardoz (1974): "He is seductive and he wanted to seduce all the pretty girls. That’s for sure. As long as his wife wasn’t there, I think he had a pretty good time with most of them. And that was Sean. You didn’t speak about much else with Sean."
Remnants of the Past560,548 views • 1 month ago