The Rock turns 30 today, and the urban legends about the film are wild.
Connery is an older Bond in The Rock. Fun theory which I like, but the Connery had a cabin built and stayed on Alcatraz story is bull... he slept at the Hyatt Regency.
Chem weapons were โverifiedโ by the military. Nope, the opposite happened.
Nic Cage โbanned from action moviesโ before making The Rock. No, but there was real scepticism, so he chased roles to prove himself.
It was written solely by three people. Not really. It was massively overhauled by Tarantino, Aaron Sorkin, even Dick Clement & Ian La Frenais (the writer's of porridge) were pulled in to punch up Conneryโs lines.
โAn actor nearly diedโ. Wrong again. During the SF balcony stunt, horrified locals called the cops thinking an actual murder was happening in the hotel.
What is true is that itโs one of the best action films of the 90s.
And Conneryโs last line here (and โAn act of looneysheโ) is perfect.
"Itโs my manor!"
"Not any more Harold, they're taking it away from you."
One of the great movie endings. Without a word Hoskins conveys shock, anger, denial, negotiation, depression then acceptance.
Have a better one than Harold.
Robbie Coltrane was born today in 1950!
Here he is doing an amazingly dangerous walk in The Supergrass (1985), the first full length movie from The Comic Strip.
Bullitt (1968)
Dir. Peter Yates
Editor: Frank P. Keller
DoP: William A. Fraker
Music by: Lalo Schifrin
Mustang: Steve McQueen
Charger: Bill Hickman (the driver)
Charger: #BOTD Paul Genge (shotgun)