Welcome to The Next Watch.
Movies, film scores, trailers, movie history, forgotten gems, and the occasional rabbit hole.
If you love talking about movie culture, pull up a chair. You're among friends here. ๐ฟ
๐ฅ๐ผ๏ธ Beauty comes in many forms.
Some movies are dark, moody, and atmospheric.
Others are vibrant, colorful, and full of wonder.
What movie feels like every frame could be framed and hung on a wall?
๐๐๏ธ That's no moon. It's a... trashcan?
After Star Wars wrapped production in 1977, many props and set pieces were placed in storage. Years later, when the studio no longer wanted to pay for the space, some of those items were thrown away.
Among them was the original Death Star model seen in A New Hope.
The prop survived and eventually surfaced in a Missouri antique shop.
It was later sold to a short-lived country-western musical attraction called Star World, where the Death Star's journey eventually took an even stranger turn: it was repurposed as a trashcan.
After Star World closed, the Death Star was rescued, authenticated, restored, and eventually displayed in museums.
One studio's trash is another culture's treasure. ๐
๐บ๐ช There was a time when characters like Jason Vorhees and Leatherface were considered dangerously controversial.
Past horror icons can seem almost tame compared to what modern audiences are used to.
It's amazing how quickly standards change.
What movie gets a shrug today, but would have caused a national controversy 50 years ago? ๐ฅฑ
๐ฅโ๏ธ The Karate Kid hit theaters 42 summers ago.
For years afterward, every stump, curb, and playground platform became a chance to try Daniel's Crane Kick.
The best movies don't stay in theaters. They escape into the real world.
What movie changed the way kids played, talked, or acted?
๐ฝ๏ธ๐ญ Casting against type.
Robin Williams is one of the last actors you'd expect to play a villain.
That's exactly why he's so effective in Insomnia. The contrast between the man we know and the character he's playing makes the performance even more unsettling.
What's another actor who was brilliantly cast against type? ๐ฃ
๐ฝ๏ธ๐ฟ Every generation thinks movies peaked before their time.
Then a few years later, films like Jurassic Park, Gladiator, and Interstellar become classics in their own right.
What movie from the 2020s will still be considered a classic 20 years from now? ๐๏ธ
๐ฝ๏ธ๐ฑ The Real-Life Horror Behind The Exorcist
Before The Exorcist was even released, rumors spread that the film was cursed.
Churches warned against it. Evangelist Billy Graham denounced it, claiming that watching the movie could expose viewers to satanic forces.
When it finally reached theaters, the stories only grew. Audience members reportedly fainted, vomited, fled screenings, and in some cases required medical attention. Some people genuinely believed the film could lead to demonic possession.
But the strangest stories came from the production itself.
A statue of the demon Pazuzu was accidentally shipped to the wrong country. Sprinkler systems malfunctioned. Air-conditioning failures caused bizarre weather problems on set.
Ellen Burstyn and Linda Blair both suffered real back injuries while filming stunt sequences.
Several people connected to the production died before the film's release, including actors Jack MacGowran and Vasiliki Maliaros. Their characters also die in the movie.
Then the MacNeil family home set burned down in a mysterious blaze during production.
Only one room survived untouched.
Regan's bedroom.
Years later, background actor Paul Bateson was convicted of murder and investigated as a suspected serial killer.
The Exorcist was supposed to tell a horror story.
The stories surrounding the film turned out to be just as unsettling. โ๏ธ๐ฟ
@ImmortalisDB The Hu. Never heard of them until I saw them open for Iron Maiden a couple years ago. I bought both of their CDs after that show. Traditional Mongolian instruments, some throat singing, worth a listen for metal fans.