The ’80s have been earlier than my time, however a few of my all-time favourite films — like Heathers and Beetlejuice — come from this period.
Listed here are 40 attention-grabbing behind-the-scenes details about iconic ’80s films:
1.
The well-known High Gun volleyball scene almost price director Tony Scott his job. On THR’s Behind the Display podcast, editor Chris Lebenzon stated, “That scene was scripted as an actual recreation. They stored rating and every little thing, and Tony shot it like a industrial, and so they have been offended.” Editor Billy Weber stated, “The studio was so pissed off. The top of manufacturing, Charlie McGuire, he stated, ‘I am gonna hearth him’…as a result of he spent a complete day taking pictures this scene…After which, after all, it seems it is one of the vital well-known scenes within the film.”
2.
When Harry Met Sally… initially ended with the 2 leads strolling away from one another, however director Rob Reiner modified the ending after he fell in love. He advised the AV Membership, “They did. As a result of at the moment, I could not determine how I used to be going to get with anyone, so I simply had them strolling in reverse instructions on the finish. After which I met the girl who turned my spouse through the making of the film, and I modified the ending.”
3.
There is a longstanding rumor that the younger solid of The Goonies weren’t allowed to see One-Eyed Willy’s pirate ship till the cameras have been rolling in an effort to seize their real-life reactions. Nonetheless, at a reunion panel throughout 2025 Superior Con, Sean Astin stated, “I used to be kind of offended that they’d that concept, that they would not let the children see the pirate ship, in order that they may seize their actual response. Like, what? We do not know the way to do actual? We did actual reactions on a regular basis. However I keep in mind desirous to carry out in such a approach, as a result of I had had a sneak peek of it. So I wished to carry out in a approach that actually made them suppose that they’d captured the sincere reactions, so they’d for 40 years be like, ‘Oh, we obtained these children to do that factor!'”
Nonetheless, Martha Plimpton added, “I hadn’t seen it. My efficiency was sincere…One [take]. [That’s] all they wanted, child.”
4.
Christian Slater advised Leisure Weekly that he and Winona Ryder “tried” courting after wrapping Heathers. Winona stated, “We by no means went out! He was courting Kim Walker. And I had, like, such a giant crush on him…It is humorous, the final time I watched the film, I used to be like, ‘God, we have now actually nice chemistry!”‘ And I’m wondering if it was partly to do with the truth that, you realize, I wished I may. There have been a few occasions the place we tried to exit, however there was all the time some kind of drama. Nothing occurred till after the film. Then I do keep in mind, like, making out with him a number of occasions after he broke up with Kim.”
5.
Matthew Broderick and Jennifer Gray, who performed siblings in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, publicly dated IRL after the film’s launch. In her memoir Out of the Nook: A Memoir, Jennifer revealed that they really secretly dated whereas everybody stayed in the identical resort throughout filming. She wrote, “All of the sudden you are dwelling a kind of bed room farces, padding down the carpeted hallway, barefoot in your gown, or in numerous phases of undress. The row of peepholes on the opposite friends’ doorways can really feel like a military of eyeballs watching your each transfer.” They have been engaged in 1988 however broke up shortly after.
Nonetheless, they weren’t the one couple to return out of the film. Per Enterprise Insider, Lyman Ward and Cindy Pickett, who performed their onscreen dad and mom, obtained married in 1986. Nonetheless, they divorced in 1992.
6.
On the set of 9 to five, Dolly Parton composed her music of the identical title utilizing her acrylic nails as an instrument. On The Graham Norton Present, she stated, “I used to be bored all the time in between ‘trigger they’ve a lot time between setups with lighting, and also you simply sit round. And what are you gonna do? You possibly can’t actually get, you realize, into a great ebook or something ‘trigger you do not know once they’re gonna name you. So, on the set, I’d watch all people, as a result of this was all about girls within the office. And a part of my cope with Jane Fonda, if I used to be within the film, that I’d get an opportunity to proper the theme music. So, I did not have an opportunity to get my guitar, return to the trailer on a regular basis, so I’d simply kinda roam round on the set watching every little thing that was happening. And I’d take my nails as a result of with the acrylic nails, it makes, like, a percussive sound…”
She continued, “It gave the impression of a typewriter too, so I simply began to write down little phrases and issues that I’d see and issues I’d suppose that will match with that day-to-day, nine-to-five job — getting up and ingesting your espresso, stumbling to the kitchen and all. So then, I would return at evening into my resort room after which put these issues down. However I did that over a time period, and after we recorded the music, I introduced all the ladies down that was on the present, and I performed my nails. So I’ve a credit score on the again of the album that claims, ‘Nails by Dolly.'”
7.
The Outsiders actor C. Thomas Howell advised Leisure Weekly, “There is a second initially of the film after we’re on the drive-in theater, and Matt Dillon leans again in his chair and falls. I flip and snort proper into the digital camera. I assumed they’d minimize, proper? Effectively, after all, Francis [Ford Coppola] would not, as a result of these are the moments that he searches for.”
8.
Whereas taking part in Bender in The Breakfast Membership, Judd Nelson went technique. Not breaking character between takes, he bullied his castmates, particularly Molly Ringwald. Within the ebook You Could not Ignore Me if You Tried, she stated, “I’m not a way actor, however I may see it was so clearly what [Judd] was doing that I believe I used to be simply kind of rolling my eyes…It actually did upset John [Hughes]…He was extremely protecting of me…I’ve by no means, ever seen him so offended. He was actually irate…Everyone kind of rallied collectively – myself included – and pleaded with John to not hearth him…I actually wished Judd in that half. There was no one who obtained that half the best way he did.”
9.
Eric Stoltz was initially solid as Marty McFly in Again to the Future, however his technique performing and drama expertise did not translate to screwball comedy in addition to manufacturing hoped. So, a pair weeks into filming, director Robert Zemeckis and author Bob Gale made a cope with studio head Sid Sheinberg behind his again — they’d preserve filming with him till they may convey within the lead actor they actually wished — Michael J. Fox. In keeping with the ebook We Don’t Want Roads: The Making of the Again to the Future Trilogy, Eric reportedly took the information fairly laborious.
Forward of the announcement, some solid and crew members allegedly felt that one thing was “off” on set. Cinematographer Dean Cundey stated, “There have been indicators, particularly the final week or so. Once we would arrange a shot and we’d shoot Chris Lloyd’s angle, however we would not do the reverse on Marty. I would say, ‘Don’t we’d like the angle?’ and Bob would say, ‘No, no, no, let’s not fear about that.’ It didn’t take lengthy for me to see that we have been saving our power for what would come subsequent.”
10.
Reese’s Items weren’t initially a part of E.T. the Additional-Terrestrial. Director Steven Spielberg advised Leisure Tonight, “I wasn’t in direct communication with M&Ms. I merely made the request. It was M&Ms within the screenplay.” Nonetheless, as a result of he was making an attempt to maintain E.T.’s look underwraps, he did not need to ship the script to Mars, Inc., which in the end led them to say no the product placement. Steven continued, “I used to be simply advised that we weren’t given permission to make use of M&Ms, so I stated, ‘Effectively, what’s my subsequent favourite sweet?’ Which [has] now change into my most favourite sweet, as a result of I have been consuming it now for 20 years, and that is Reese’s Items. [Hershey] stated sure, and that turned the sweet of the hour.”
11.
Per Digital Spy, the Die Laborious producers have been contractually obligated to supply the main function to Frank Sinatra, who was 70 on the time, earlier than another actors may very well be thought of. The provide needed to be made as a result of he starred within the 1966 movie The Detective, which was based mostly on the ebook that preceded Nothing Lasts Ceaselessly. Die Laborious was tailored from Nothing Lasts Ceaselessly, making it a free sequel to The Detective. Nonetheless, the singer turned it down — as did Clint Eastwood, Sylvestor Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Richard Gere, James Caan, and Mel Gibson. Bruce Willis really declined the function at first, however after his present Moonlighting needed to pause manufacturing to accommodate his costar Cybill Shepherd’s being pregnant, he accepted.
12.
Per Leisure Weekly, the boulder in Raiders of the Misplaced Ark was 500 kilos of fiberglass, and it was 22 toes huge. To create the sound, sound designer Ben Burtt slowly drove his Honda Civic over gravel.
13.
Whereas filming the bug scene in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Kate Capshaw had a number of buckets of dwell bugs poured on her. In a behind-the-scenes featurette, she stated, “I used to be actually asking folks. ‘Is there a capsule? There should be one thing I can take to maintain myself from freaking out.’ As a result of I do not need everybody to have a look at the film going, ‘She’s on medication!’ However I did take one thing that was like a relaxant.”
14.
Michael Keaton initially turned down the titular function in Beetlejuice 3 times, however the final time he met with Tim Burton, the director stated a number of issues that caught in his thoughts. Michael advised Charlie Rose, “I stated, Give me the evening or two days,’ and I referred to as the wardrobe division on the studio…and stated, ‘Ship me a bunch of wardrobes from completely different time intervals, randomly. Simply decide a rack.’…After which I considered an thought of tooth and I considered an thought of a stroll, and I knew it had been there. And I referred to as and stated, ‘I obtained an thought, and I do not know if it’ll work or not, so let’s simply go do that factor.'”
“Here is the wonderful half about it: He by no means noticed any of it. We mentioned it. I stated, ‘I would like hair that appears like I caught my finger in {an electrical} socket.’ And to the good Ve Neill in wardrobe, I stated, ‘I would like mildew someplace…So I confirmed up for work, and I walked on the stage and stated, ‘That is both going to be approach off the mark, or he is simply gonna — I do not know what he is gonna do.’ He obtained it instantly,” he stated.
15.
Per Display Rant, in Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi, Luke Skywalker reportedly debuted a brand new inexperienced lightsaber as a result of the earlier blue design was tough to see towards the sky.
16.
Ghostbusters visible results crew member Steve Johnson advised Bloody Disgusting that designing the now-iconic ghost Slimer “was probably the most annoying, horrendous expertise [he’s] ever had working with artwork administrators, producers, and administrators, ever.” Writers Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis wished to design Slimer within the likeness of their late buddy John Belushi, who’d been solid as Peter Venkman earlier than his dying — however nobody advised Steve till the day earlier than his remaining design was due.
He stated, “I did not know till the final fucking day. I would been working for six months sculpting a whole bunch of Slimer variations, and so they lastly stated, ‘Make him look extra like Belushi, and I stated, ‘What the fuck are you speaking about?’ So I pulled out a stack of headshots of John Belushi, poured a gram of cocaine on it, and began chopping strains up. I used to be three grams into the evening and in a cocaine-induced delusional paranoia, and I actually thought that John Belushi’s ghost got here to me to assist me out.”
17.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who’s a giant fan of The NeverEnding Story, tweeted that the Falkor prop “was 43 toes lengthy, social gathering made out of airplane metal, and weighed a whole bunch of kilos (simply the pinnacle was 200 lbs.)”
18.
The Colour Purple writer Alice Walker was closely concerned with the 1985 movie adaptation of her novel. In keeping with the AFI Catalog, her contract required that half of the manufacturing be feminine, African American, or “folks of the Third World.” She additionally advocated for the casting of “lesser-known actors” as a result of she felt they’d higher relate to her characters.
19.
The Misplaced Boys wasn’t initially envisioned as a teen vampire film. Co-screenwriter James Jeremias advised the Guardian, “I would learn Interview With the Vampire by Anne Rice and was impressed by the little lady, Claudia, trapped within the physique of a five-year-old for eternity. It obtained me fascinated about JM Barrie’s Peter Pan – the place our title got here from. What if the rationale he got here out at evening, may fly, and did not develop up was as a result of he was a vampire? We took a fictional character and put him in a brand new mild. What if it wasn’t all goodness and there was some evil intent? Warner Bros paid us $375,000 for the script. A couple of 12 months later, we had a gathering with [original director, later executive producer] Richard Donner about rewrites. It was brutal.”
“We had designed the movie to be a boy’s journey, set in a time earlier than intercourse rears its head. However that is not what the studio wished. Donner wished the boys to be sufficiently old to drive. What he meant was sufficiently old to fuck. He additionally wished Star – whom we would written as a boy – to vary intercourse and be the love curiosity. He was turning our story right into a teenage vampire film. As soon as we bought the script, it was out of our arms,” he stated.
20.
Quick Occasions at Ridgemont Excessive actor Jennifer Jason Leigh reportedly advised LAHExam that, to get in character as a highschool pupil, she obtained a job at Perry’s Pizza in Sherman Oaks Gallery for 3 weeks. She additionally reread all of her outdated letters and diaries from highschool.
21.
In keeping with Empire, Beverly Hills Cop star Eddie Murphy wasn’t a espresso drinker. Nonetheless, someday on set, he had a robust cappuccino. Consequently, he improvised a monologue that was so humorous, director Martin Brest needed to go away the room and use blankets to soundproof his laughter.
22.
In his ebook As You Want: Inconceivable Tales From the Making of The Princess Bride, Cary Elwes stated that, whereas filming the scene the place Christopher Visitor knocks him out with a sword, he was struggling to time his response appropriately, so he requested the opposite actor to simply faucet him with it. He wrote, “Chris swung the heavy sword down towards my head. Nonetheless, as destiny would have it, it landed only a contact tougher than both of us anticipated. And that, of us, was the very last thing I keep in mind from that day’s shoot. Within the script, Invoice [Goldman]’s stage instructions from the top of this scene state: ‘The display screen goes black. Within the darkness, scary sounds.’ Which is exactly what occurred.”
He continued, “I awakened within the emergency room, nonetheless in costume, to the scary sound of stitches being sewn into my cranium…and, after all, Chris felt completely horrible about the entire thing, although I stored telling him it wasn’t his fault. It was my dumb thought. However you realize what? That exact take was the one which ended up within the movie. So whenever you see Westley fall to the bottom and move out, that is not performing. That is an overzealous actor really dropping consciousness.”
23.
Paula Abdul choreographed the marriage dance in Coming to America. She advised Rolling Stone, “This was one in every of my moments of getting to essentially show myself, as a result of I used to be nonetheless fairly new in my profession as a choreographer. John Landis, the director, wished the individual that choreographed Janet Jackson. I used to be nonetheless a Laker Lady. I went in and he checked out me and stated, ‘What are you, a teen?’ And I stated, ‘Sure, I’m!’ He principally was telling me, ‘What have you learnt about African dancing?’ And that is my entire factor when turning into a choreographer: ‘I am going to simply inform everybody sure, I do know precisely what I am doing, after which I am going to determine it out later.’ That is principally what I did.”
“I stated, ‘I do know a lot!’ And he goes, ‘Hmm, I do not suppose so, as a result of I used to be anticipating somebody like Debbie Allen to return in.’ And I stated, ‘I could also be younger, however I do know what I am doing.’ So he left me alone. When you concentrate on it, again then we did not have the Web, so there was no analysis you would actually do, aside from going to the library. I created my very own type of what I thought ought to be proper for the film, and John Landis cherished it. I labored with Nile Rodgers on the music, and we got here up with a drum loop. There have been numerous intensive rehearsals, and it was hardcore; it was a number of work. It was not a simple factor to perform, but it surely’s one of many issues I’m most happy with,” she stated.
24.
John Cusack was hesitant to movie the enduring boombox scene in Say Something. Director Cameron Crowe advised USA Right this moment, “[John] thought it was too subservient. The defiance that he has when he is doing the scene is what makes the scene nice. He made it work. The best way he performs it, it is simply blatantly defying you to contemplate it tacky. That is why he is so heroic in that second. He is nonetheless doubting whether or not the growth field scene goes to work in any respect. He is sort of combating for the scene.”
25.
Tom Hanks realized the rap that he does in Massive from one in every of his sons. On Friday Night time with Jonathan Ross, he stated, “It was really a factor that my son realized at summer season camp, and we have been on the lookout for one thing to throw into the film that we might each know. And I stated, ‘Effectively. how about we do that factor…?'”
26.
Christopher Lloyd would not blink as soon as in Who Framed Roger Rabbit. He advised Leisure Weekly, “A toon would not must blink their eyes…I imply, they don’t seem to be human. So I simply felt Choose Doom ought to by no means blink. It makes him much more ominous, extra scary. I simply cherished to seek out little issues that make him much more evil.”
27.
Whereas filming A Christmas Story, Peter Billingsley did not really say, “Fudge.” He advised BuzzFeed, “Oh, they’d me say ‘fuck.’ On all of the takes. I believe we looped within the phrase ‘fudge’ on prime of it, so you would get the mouth to twist to the consonant of ‘Ok’ as an alternative of ‘D.’ I used to be like, ‘Ohhhhhh, fuuuuuuck!’ I had been in Hollywood for a very long time at that time; it wasn’t the primary time I would heard it, or in all probability stated it.”
28.
Per Vainness Truthful, whereas The Blues Brothers was filming in Chicago, John Belushi — who was from town — was so in style with the locals that Dan Aykroyd referred to as him “the unofficial mayor of Chicago.” Journalist Mitch Glazer, a buddy of the 2 actors, advised the outlet, “John would actually hail police automobiles like taxis. The cops would say, ‘Hey, Belushi!’ Then we’d fall into the backseat, and the cops would drive us residence.”
29.
Inhaling the pretend cocaine in Scarface broken Al Pacino’s nostril. He advised Fox 5 Washington DC, “I knew, with Scarface, they mixed it with stuff — not actual, I imply not narcotics — however one thing else to chop it down so it was doable. However for years after, I’ve had issues up in there. I do not know what occurred to my nostril, but it surely’s modified. My respiration equipment has been kind of altered a bit of, however aside from that it was simple to do. However in moviemaking, you realize, they’ve methods of creating it appear to be it is greater than it’s. There’s simply a lot of that stuff you possibly can take.”
30.
Blue Velvet make-up supervisor Jeff Goodwin advised Leisure Weekly, “David [Lynch, the director] and I approached [the ear] like a personality within the movie. We really referred to as it Mr. Ear…My first ears I made, I really made casts of my very own ears. I made them out of fabric which was sort of the norm again within the day then, which was liquid latex. Rubber, you realize? I took them into David’s workplace. He was really on the cellphone. I put them on the desk. He is taking part in with them, them. He will get off the cellphone and goes, ‘These are nice, these are nice, however let’ s make them grownup ears.’ I stated, ‘David, these are my ears!’ He appears at my ears and says, ‘You may have the smallest ears on the planet.’ It is true. I by no means seen earlier than. I do have small ears!” So, he ended up creating Mr. Ear by casting producer Fred Caruso’s ear.
31.
Anthony Michael Corridor hit a development spurt earlier than reshoots on Nationwide Lampoon’s Trip. He advised Enterprise Insider, “We did the reshoot for Trip six or 9 months later. The humorous factor is that puberty had absolutely kicked in for me. I am actually seven inches taller. So if you happen to take a look at the film intently, you may see that my hair is darker, and I obtained taller and skinnier.”
32.
In keeping with a Fb put up from the official Stanley Kubrick web page, “To create the frilly wintery maze in The Shining, it took almost 900 tonnes of salt and crushed Styrofoam.”
33.
Gremlins was impressed by the mice dwelling in screenwriter Chris Columbus’s residence. He advised Indiewire, “By day, it was nice sufficient, however at evening, what gave the impression of a platoon of mice would come out, and to listen to them skittering round within the blackness was actually creepy.”
34.
The Karate Child was nearly an Eastwood household manufacturing. Earlier than Clint Eastwood turned down directing the movie, his son Kyle auditioned for the lead function. Kyle advised the Guardian, “I did not flip it down — I used to be really keen to do it. My father was trying on the script initially after which determined to not do it. He had talked about it to me and stated he thought it was an attention-grabbing half. He ended up passing the script on to someone else, and it ended up turning into The Karate Child.”
35.
Joan Rivers’s scene with Miss Piggy in The Muppets Take Manhattan was a problem to movie. Frank Oz advised NPR, “I used to be directing that film additionally, and we rented Bergdorf Goodman’s on a Sunday morning, and Sunday all day, and Joan needed to go away. She had an engagement that night, some efficiency she needed to do. So we solely had her for someday, and never a whole day both. So I had two cameras going and — within the scene, actually, though you did not play all of it, it ends with them hysterically guffawing and dropping management, simply laughing like two, you realize, two pals snort. And we — it simply wasn’t working. I imply, I — it is very laborious to if you happen to strive, it is very laborious to have a spontaneous laughter. It wasn’t working.”
“And Joan — as a result of I did not know Joan that effectively, I suppose she did not know me. So I stated to one of many manufacturing assistants, we have been near the Plaza Lodge, I stated, ‘Get about 4 Bloody Marys.’ And they also got here again after trying and I had a few Bloody Marys, and Joan had a pair Bloody Marys. And we shot the scene sort of like that. And really, then Joan left. I needed to do some pickup work. And I used to be feeling actually good, and I did not care the place the hell the cameras have been,” he stated.
36.
Per Leisure Weekly, Aliens author/director James Cameron and particular results artist Stan Winston determined to make the Alien Queen a puppet as an alternative of an animatronic for security causes. After the director sketched out what he wished it to appear to be, they examined it by constructing a 15-foot steel body, hanging It up, putting two puppeteers inside, and overlaying them with trash luggage. The ultimate Alien Queen puppet was 14 toes tall. In keeping with the Telegraph, working it required 18 puppeteers, management rods, cables, and hydraulics.
37.
Within the docuseries Arnold, The Terminator author/director James Cameron stated, “I had been advised by [Orion Pictures cofounder] Mike Medavoy that the film was all solid. ‘I obtained this all labored out. O.J. Simpson and Arnold Schwarzenegger.’ I stated, ‘Effectively, which is which?’ These two names simply sounded so improper to me.” Recalling his assembly with the director, Arnold added, “Throughout our dialog, it turned clear nobody was hooked to O.J. Simpson taking part in Terminator as a result of he couldn’t be bought as a killing machine.”
38.
Friday the thirteenth actor Adrienne King’s mother’s response to the ending helped promote the film. Adrienne advised Uproxx, “Sean [S. Cunningham, the director] allowed me to return to a screening at a small theatre the place the patrons, the pinnacle of patrons and distributors, would come to observe it, and he allowed me to convey my mother. It was the primary time I noticed it, and I noticed it along with her, and, after all, within the Monopoly scene, she will get a bit of nervous. Then we get by that. Then, coming to the top, and we’re sitting there, she begins to seize her coat as a result of it is March, and it is chilly in New York Metropolis, and I put my hand on her lap, like, ‘Chill, cool, chill down, do not stand up but.’ On the level the place Jason pops out, she launched out of her seat and screamed so loud that I circled, and there is Sean.”
“He is shaking arms with the distributor. And I knew, genetically talking, the place I obtained my scream from. It was hysterical. It could not have labored out higher. Right here he was doing me a favor letting my mother come. Effectively, my mother’s scream, I believe, bought that film. It was Warner Brothers and Paramount within the again, and so they each wished it. Remarkable. And the remaining is historical past,” she stated.
39.
After a horseback using damage pressured Sean Younger to drop out of Batman, producer Jon Peters wished Michelle Pfeiffer to exchange her. Nonetheless, Michael Keaton reportedly blocked her casting as his love curiosity as a result of they have been exes in actual life. Costar Robert Wuhl advised The Hollywood Reporter, “On the time, Michael advised me he was making an attempt to get again along with his ex-wife. Keaton was firmly, and underline firmly, towards that casting of Pfeiffer, and he and [producer Jon] Peters obtained into it.”
Nonetheless, Michael modified his tune when Michelle was solid as Catwoman in Batman Returns. She advised Leisure Tonight, “It was nice really working with him, having had a historical past, as a result of I used to be actually out of my component. Additionally, the truth that he had accomplished this sort of image earlier than, and I did not know what to anticipate. I felt actually comfy with him. I felt actually secure with him. I may go to him and say, ‘Why am I feeling so terrible? I do not know what is going on on.’ And he would clarify it to me. ‘I do know. I went by it on the primary one.'”
40.
And at last, per Common Photos All-Entry, An American Werewolf in London director John Landis was desperate to make the transformation scene not like any werewolf transformation scene earlier than. To make David Naughton’s chest hair develop, they filmed the pictures in reverse order, beginning with a bushy chest. Then, they eliminated and trimmed some hair for every subsequent shot. To make David’s physique rework from human to wolf, they made what particular results make-up artist Rick Baker referred to as “change-o-heads,” “change-o-hands,” and “change-o-backs.” These stretchy, flesh-like props had mechanisms inside them that distorted them into completely different shapes.
What’s your favourite ’80s film? Tell us within the feedback!
