How is ‘Friends’ a part of the Julia Roberts starrer ‘Leave the World Behind?’

Julia Roberts’ newest venture takes real-life anxieties and throws them into impossible situations. Based on the book, Leave the World Behind, the Netflix film finds a way to make the potential for cyber attacks even more terrifying.

Roberts plays Amanda Sanford, a mother intent on getting her family on vacation. She convinces her husband, Clay (Ethan Hawke), and their two children to head to a vacation home for some rest and relaxation. But after settling in, the world is thrown into jeopardy as a series of cyber attacks threaten their way of life. Things get even more complicated when a family arrives, claiming to own the house.

G.H. Scott (Mahershala Ali) is a New York financial advisor who has a hunch that the city-wide blackout portended dire circumstances. He arrives on the doorstep with his daughter Ruth (Myha’la), and they are not greeted warmly. Amanda doubts that they own the house, considering their arrival in the middle of the night. The tensions surrounding the families are high, improved upon by Barack Obama’s helpful character notes for the film. Even more unexpected is the way America’s most beloved sitcom made an imprint on the film.

How is Friends involved with Leave the World Behind?

Image via Netflix

A cultural touchstone that can touch any generation, Friends continues to resonate. The sitcom was part of NBC’s Must See TV and catapulted its stars to monumental success. Ultimately earning each actor a million dollars per episode, Friends lasted for a decade of laughs, love, and heartache. Though the series ended in 2004, it is quite a pivotal point in Leave the World Behind. Esmail explained to USA Today how including the series came to be.

“The whole ‘Friends’ thing was a just passing remark, really, in (Rumaan Alam’s) book, so we turned it into a storyline.”

The first indication that something is amiss in the vacation home — and all around the world — is the failure of the WiFi. This is particularly devastating for young daughter, Rose (Farrah Mackenzie), who is on the series finale of Friends. When the episode aired in real-time, virtually no one missed it, and because of the glitchy Wi-Fi, Rose could not see the emotional send-off that was 10 years in the making. Her older brother, Archie (Charlie Evans) is less than sympathetic to Rose’s plight, but Esmail explains where Rose is coming from emotionally.

“I felt that Rose’s attachment to ‘Friends’ was very human and comforting. In a way, that is the heartbeat of the film: Rose’s yearning to escape to that comfort zone.”

There is even another connection to Friends that some might not think about initially. At the height of her fame, Roberts guest starred in one season 2 episode opposite her boyfriend at the time. The relationship between her and Matthew Perry didn’t last, but the two always spoke highly of each other. Esmail’s attempt to offer some levity in such a dark film was ultimately quite effective.

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What role did Barack Obama play in Sam Esmail’s ‘Leave the World Behind?’

The Creator of USA’s innovative Mr. Robot, Sam Esmail, has the habit of creating terror out of modern society. The man who was tasked with rebooting the sci-fi classic, Battlestar Galactica, has done it again with the Netflix film, Leave the World Behind, but this time with the aid of former U.S. president, Barack Obama.

Based on the Rumaan Alam book of the same name, the film stars Julia Roberts and Ethan Hawke in the wrong place at the wrong time. Intent on getting her family on a vacation, Amanda (Roberts) packs their bags and heads to a vacation house she booked. But amid catastrophic cyberattacks that shut down the world, a family arrives, claiming to own the property. The Sandford family treats Ruth (Myha’la) and G.H. Scott (Mahershala Ali) with suspicion, as there is no way to verify these claims.

Stuck together at the end of the world, Leave the World Behind takes familiar dystopian themes of lies and mistrust with a sci-fi spin. These elements alone are a recipe for a captivating film, but someone unexpected gives an additional level of realism to the project.

How was Obama involved in Leave the World Behind?

Screengrab via YouTube

After retiring from his duties as a two-term president, Barack Obama has lent his talents to the entertainment industry. He and Michelle Obama have a production company, Higher Ground Productions, that was involved with the film. Esmail shared with USA Today that the former president gave him notes for his new film regarding what reality would look like at the end of the world.

“Here we have one of the most brilliant minds on the planet making sure we kept focusing on this cautionary tale about mistrust. He’s a movie lover and a fan of the book, so what he really wanted to emphasize with me was hitting on this point about how lack of empathy that can happen in a crisis and what that means for us all.”

He used his experience in the Oval Office to dissuade Esmail from using elements that were not as realistic in an end-of-the-world scenario. But as a movie buff himself, his notes on characters were instrumental. President Obama had a unique perspective about how high-intensity situations could turn people against each other. As one of the most powerful people in the United States, he naturally would have experience with high-pressure situations and how that would affect characters emotionally.

In this movie specifically, this comes in handy. Tensions rise between the two families who are forced to cohabitate with each other as well as their prejudices. Amanda particularly shows a vicious racist side, disbelieving that a family of color could own such an impressive estate. A social commentary for the current era, Leave the World Behind should not be missed when it premieres on Netflix.

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Who plays the Oompa Loompa in ‘Wonka?’

Wonka barely got the time for promotions after the double industry-wide strikes ended. But that has not hindered the film from impressing critics or gracefully establishing itself at the box office. Or stopped people from wondering who is the green-haired Oompa Loompa in the film.

Apart from the initial teasers and official trailer that sparked a fresh controversy with the identity of the prime Oompa Loompa, the SAG-AFTRA strike ensured that subsequent interviews to promote the film couldn’t drive in dislike casting. So, if you are also one of the many who have forgotten who bagged the role in the Paul King film, spoiler ahead from Wonka which is finally in theaters.

In the past adaptations of Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, the tiny humans who worked tirelessly at Wonka’s factory in exchange for cocoa beans were played by actors with dwarfism – actors like George Claydon, Rusty Goffe, etc in the 1971 version and Deep Roy (who portrayed all the Oompa Loompas) in 2005’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. 

But when the remake Wonka hit the floor, while the revelation of Timothée Chalamet playing the titular role was welcomed with excitement, the trailer presenting a digitally pint-sized Hugh Grant as Lofty, the Oompa Loompa sparked rightful rage from actor George Coppen who pointed out how at least such roles should go to actors with dwarfism since Hollywood majorly shies away from giving them everyday roles.

Image via Warner Bros.

As for Grant, he has admitted — though gauging the sincerity or the hidden humor in his words is difficult here — that he “hated” playing Lofty in Wonka. In a chat with Metro, the actor explained that the special effects process administered to his character had him making a “big fuss.”

“It was like a crown of thorns, very uncomfortable. I made a big fuss about it. I couldn’t have hated the whole thing more… and frankly, what I did with my body was terrible, and it’s all been replaced with an animator.”

Now, whether or not Grant loved or hated portraying the orange-skinned and green-haired enemy-turned-ally of Wonka, his quirky choice to play the part has only added to the film’s campy tone. He enters the plot with the intention of exacting revenge on Wonka who left him drowning in debt for his own gain but soon transitions into his biggest supporter and friend as he aids him in beating those plotting the aspiring chocolatier’s doom.

Wonka is now in theaters.

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Did Julia Roberts and Kevin Bacon ever work together? The 1990 psychological horror that starred the actors, revisited

The 1990s: A bygone era of mom jeans, hypercolor shirts, and only 151 Pokémon. The decade came roaring back to television screens recently when Julia Roberts and Kevin Bacon reunited for Netflix’s psychological apocalyptic freakout, Leave the World Behind.

You can’t reunite without uniting in the first place, leading many viewers to ask themselves which project Bacon and Roberts had teamed up for in the ‘90s. It’s easy to lose track of these things. The whole decade was a blur. We were all out of our minds on Surge Cola and Sprinklin’s Yogurt. Don’t worry, boo. We’ve got you.

Julia Roberts and Kevin Bacon’s Flatliners: A severe concussion of a movie

Flatliners is one of those movies that, if you don’t remember to watch it every couple of years, starts to feel like a weird dream you had while you were getting your wisdom teeth out. Directed by Joel “Sorry about Batman and Robin” Schumacher and — spitting in the face of the odds — not based on a short story by Stephen King, it stars both Bacon and Roberts, alongside Kiefer Sutherland. Other, more surreal credits include “young Oliver Platt” and “Billy Baldwin in an actual movie.”

The story follows a group of medical students who get up to some malarkey, deciding to try to find out what’s on the other side of mortality by stopping their hearts, then resuscitating one another at the last possible second. This sort of behavior doesn’t just confirm that kids were stupid before TikTok challenges. It also, as tends to happen in horror movies about science, makes some magic happen. The fresh-faced thrill seekers soon find themselves bringing something back with them from the other side. Everyone gets a bad case of the jeeblies. Jeeblies, all around.

Flatliners didn’t set the box office on fire when it hit theaters in 1990. On a budget of $26 million, it pulled in a little over $61 million. Similarly, despite finding some cult appreciation later down the road, it was met with less than stunning reviews, splitting critics on Rotten Tomatoes directly down the middle with a 50% approval rating. It’s about as obscure as a film can be while still featuring some of the biggest stars of its day.

Still, if there’s one thing that studios have agreed on over the last 20 years, it’s that you don’t need an audience to recognize your property to try and cash in on audience recognition. In 2017, Elliot Page and Diego Luna starred in a soft remake/sequel to Flatliners, also called Flatliners. The film was shot for less than the original ($19 million) and made less at the box office ($45 million). Kiefer Sutherland returned. Roberts and Bacon were unavailable. It’s unclear whether anyone bothered to try to get Billy Baldwin on the horn.

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Is ‘The Mummy 4’ releasing in 2025 and will it star Brendan Fraser? The rumors, explained

After spending years in obscurity, Brendan Fraser has reclaimed his throne and revitalized his career by proving his mettle as an exceptional actor. So, it was only a matter of time before the discussion around The Mummy 4 also resumed and it finally has.

But not in the way long-time fans of Rick and Eve would have wanted.

It all started when a poster for the said sequel started doing the rounds on social media.

‘THE MUMMY 4’ is currently in development… pic.twitter.com/CygoZrHlJj

— My Movie HQ (@MyMovieHQ) December 6, 2023

Not very professional-looking, but an accompanying logline for The Mummy 4, the lingering hope in hearts wanting to see the franchise back to life, and excitement at seeing Rachel Weisz returning as Evelyn proved to be a lethal combination as many readily accepted the “announcement.” The logline in question stated the film, supposed to come out in 2025, is going to be “a gripping tale of family, danger, and the unyielding pursuit of hope” as Rick and Eve would have to embark on yet another impromptu adventure – to rescue their son from the “malevolent forces” that have been holding him captive for the last three years. 

And what are these so-called evil entities hiding and what was Alex seeking? The “Fountain of the Persian Knights.” Ooh, sounds so enticing and very much in line with the first three The Mummy films. But sadly, there are no such plans in place. Neither Universal Pictures nor any of the supposed star cast of the “film” has made any official announcements. 

With Fraser’s revived fame in the background and 2017’s The Mummy (starring Tom Cruise), Universal flaunting every single step of the sequel – if it is ever made – would be a no-brainer, especially if the studio does manage to rope in Weisz whose absence and replacement in the third film contributed to the negative reviews it garnered.

Disappointing, we know. But what it’s worth, this fake news does put The Mummy 4 back on the map, and with Fraser already ready to come back as the bold Rick O’Connell, Universal might finally see the never-ending love fans still have for the franchise.

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James Gunn’s DC universe is already recasting potential ‘Fantastic Four’ star Pedro Pascal with a long-term MCU veteran

We don’t even know if Pedro Pascal‘s MCU future is certain, following reports The Last of Us star was in talks to star in the Fantastic Four reboot, but James Gunn is already eradicating all chances of Pascal ever returning to the DC universe, with a bit of casting that won’t surprise any of his fans.

Deadline is reporting that none other than Sean Gunn, James’ brother and frequent collaborator, is all set to play the role of evil businessman Maxwell Lord in the newly refurbished DCU. Exactly where Sean Gunn — most known to superhero lovers as Kraglin in the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy — will make his debut as Lord is unclear, but a cameo in Superman: Legacy isn’t being ruled out. Deadline claims that the character will be referenced in some form in the film, however, before definitely appearing in future DC projects.

Photo via Marvel Studios

It’s only been three years since Maxwell Lord was last on our screens, of course, as Pedro Pascal played the part in Wonder Woman 1984. Although the Patty Jenkins sequel was poorly received overall, and is doomed to be the final film for Gal Gadot’s heroine, Pascal’s casting and portrayal of the somewhat sympathetic Lord was widely viewed as one of its highlights.

Seeing as certain actors from the defunct DCEU are expected to return in Gunn’s regime — including Jason Momoa and Xolo Maridueña — it was vaguely possible that Pascal could be invited back. Especially given his enormous popularity as a performer. However, clearly the actor is not part of Gunn’s plans. Although if that’s because he’s busy working with Marvel as Mr. Fantastic, who can say? Well, Kevin Feige, that’s who.

Fantastic Four and Superman: Legacy actually come out within just a few short months of each other, with Marvel’s reboot of the beloved comic book property that launched its universe releasing on May 6, 2025 and DC’s reboot of the beloved comic book property that launched its universe arriving on July 11, 2025.

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How Darth Vader turned Clark Kent into Superman

In the late 1970’s, two major movie franchises were born. One of them was based on a long-running superhero comic, and the other was a brand new sci-fi space saga. There also happens to be something of an odd connection between the two.

In early 1977, Christopher Reeve was hired to play the lead in Superman. Reeve would go on to famously play the role in the first four Superman films, becoming a movie superstar whose name became synonymous with the role.

However, when he was first hired, Reeve had one flaw in regards to the role: His physical appearance wasn’t “super” enough. Producers had trouble finding a good actor with a good enough physique, but ultimately decided on a styrofoam-padded suit that mimicked the muscular tone they sought.

There was just one problem. The inauthentic approach irked Reeve, who ultimately refused to wear the suit and insisted he bulk up naturally for the role. Producers disagreed until Reeve threatened to leave the project altogether. So they came to a compromise and gave Reeve two months to train.

That’s when Darth Vader comes in. …Can you imagine a Darth Vader vs Superman showdown? Unfortunately, that wasn’t what happened, obviously, but Darth Vader did step up to help Superman. In fact, Superman hired him!

The 1977 Star Wars movie became a massive hit, as everyone in this galaxy already knows. Darth Vader was the ultimate villain, voiced by James Earl Jones. The man behind the mask, however, was 242lb bodybuilder David Prowse.

Prowse actually auditioned for the role of Superman only to receive a call from producers who told him they wanted to hire him to train the guy they hired for the role instead.

Short write-up that appeared in several newspapers in April 1978 / screenshot via newspapers.com

Eirik Knutzen interviewed Christopher Reeve in December of 1978 about his preparation for the role. The interview appeared in The Toronto Star that month with a follow-up — and some added quotes — printed in The Edmonton Journal a week later.

In it, Reeve explained that he hired Prowse to help him build muscle, flew to London where Prowse was living, and took on a two-month program that built his body from a 185lb guy who was “too skinny” (as producers called him, and Reeve agreed) to a super-er 219lbs.

Reeve detailed his first day to Knutzen, saying, “I worked two hours a day for eight weeks, starting by lifting every possible weight and machine in the gym. When I literally couldn’t lift a weight off the floor, Prowse said, ‘Right, that’s your starting point!’ At the end of the first two hours I promptly went and threw up. I was so nauseous it took me a half-hour to recover.”

That first day was mostly for Prowse to gauge what he needed to do for Reeve. He immediately started an excercise program for him, which included days dedicated to different areas — especially the back and neck muscles, since those would be more obvious on film, and then a day of working on just thighs and waist while Reeve’s neck muscles rested. Toning his biceps also became a priority.

Reeve said he never took any supplements other than a concentrated protein drink, but had it four times a day. However, when it was all done, he looked a little more like Superman than Clark Kent, especially when in the tight Superman suit. That styrofoam padding became completely unnecessary at that point.

Reeve continued the program throughout the shoot, which took 18 months, though that’s partly because they filmed Superman II as well. It’s a good thing Marlon Brando was only briefly required for his multi-million dollar role, as Reeve later blasted the legendary actor while discussing his experience with David Letterman.

Einik Knutzen interview with Christopher Reeve per The Edmonton Journal / screenshot via newspapers.com

Reeve laughed to Knutzen about his training, saying, “I had a difficult physical problem in getting ready for Superman. Except for the facial structure, I had nothing else going for me.” He added that his physique after the program was incomparable to what he looked like before.

Throughout his workouts, Reeve began to worry about how Superman looked while flying on screen. He thought it would be strange to have a very muscular man flying around and wanted it to be man who, when taking to the skies, looked graceful. He explained, “This man must look as though he belongs in the air, the way a ballet dancer does. I wanted to create the impression that Superman doesn’t look quite as at home on the ground as he does in the air. To do that, I went back to the modern dance training that I had at Juilliard while I worked with a stunt coordinator on the trampoline for an hour every day.”

Reeve’s workouts and commitment to the role overall certainly paid off. His performance as Superman is a bar that will likely never be surpassed. The obvious lesson to the story is that things are always better when Superman and Darth Vader work together.

Perhaps the best quote from the Einik Knutzen interview is when Christopher Reeve humbly said about himself, “I’m more like Clark Kent in real life.”

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Where was ‘Leave the World Behind’ filmed?

Leave the World Behind might not be a typical apocalyptic thriller, but the slow-burn drama has undeniable charm.

 Its late October of 2023 premier prevented the cast from doing publicity rounds as they stood in solidarity with the Writers’ Strike of ’23. Despite its lackluster premiere, Leave the World Behind has been well received, with critics praising the acting despite the somewhat leisurely pace of the apocalyptic thriller. But, more importantly, People are wondering just where that gorgeous house is, and how they can experience those verdant green woods for themselves.

Where was Leave the World Behind filmed

screengrab via Netflix

Leave the World Behind follows Amanda (Julia Roberts) and Clay Sandford (Ethan Hawke) as they take an impromptu trip to a secluded AirBnB just off the coast of Long Island with their two teens. What starts as a leisurely holiday turns into a blackout as the family realizes the world around them seems to be crumbling. With no technology left, the family must partner with the home’s true owner, G. H. Scott (Mahershala Ali), and his daughter Ruth (Myha’la Herrold) to survive.

Most of the film is shot exactly where it is set. All filming took place in New York State, specifically around Westchester County in May 2022. Supporting scenes were captured around the area, from Pleasantville, Lewisboro, and a nearby hamlet called Katonah, nestled in the town of Bedford, New York. The Riverhead Local newspaper claims that the Riverhead Township served as the primary location for the film’s remote exterior shots.

The house itself, a 5,000-square-foot modern farmhouse, can be found in Old Westbury. The recently renovated home was designed by John Winberry, a partner at the 12-person-strong Long Island City architecture firm. The house, affectionately called the Open Corner, is designed to capture sunlight every hour of the day, leading to some spectacular open-concept looks that are perfect for the end of the world. Those surreal shots of Julia Roberts wandering through sunlight are all real, folks, no Post Processing needed.

screengrab via Netflix

The location manager, Mara Alcaly, told Curbed that she chose the home for the dichotomy it would play against the apocalypse. As chaos unfolds, the home’s manicured lines and stark white exterior put it at odds with the crumbling world. All the while, the open design of the building forces the viewer to stay keenly aware of the outside world.

Outside of home, the lush forest vistas came from FDR State Park just outside of Yorktown Heights, New York. The park has served as a filming location for a plethora of films and film-adjacent events. You might recognize the well-manicured forest from The Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind or the “Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience“ in 2022.

Most of the gorgeous waterfront views weren’t achievable without Long Island in the frame, so the crew outsourced those vistas to nearby Smithtown, Riverhead, and Lloyd Harbor.

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Darth Vader’s 10 most brutal moments in all of ‘Star Wars’

Few villains bridge the gap between Sci-fi and horror, as well as Darth Vader. Sure, the Alien Queen could give the murder machine a run for his money, but Vader just can’t be beat.

With a grasp of the force greater than any who preceded him, a knack for the blade, an impressive 6’ 7” frame, and a sword that can cut through almost anything it’s easy to see how Lord Vader is the closest thing to a boogey man the Star Wars galaxy has ever seen. The penultimate apprentice has more than earned his place as nightmare fuel for every rebel soldier out there. Over almost 50 years of Star Wars, Vader has proven time and time again the true power of the Dark side.

Be cautious going forward, there are tons of Star Wars spoilers ahead.

10. Vader Kills Obi-Wan (Star Wars: A New Hope)

This moment defined Vader as a villain. Though it was well established early on in the movie that he was bad to the bone, the murder of Luke’s mentor and sweet old hermit friend solidified Darth Vader’s place in bad guy history. It’s nowhere near as impacting as some of Vader’s later moments, there’s no way to skip this iconic movie death.

9. Vader Vs Cal

Fallen Order gives us some pretty incredible Vader moments. It might not be as violent or fatality-filled as some of his other moments, but this “fight” between him and Cal Kestis lives rent-free in gamers’ minds. Not only does he erupt out of nowhere, but the languid way he tries to off the Jedi is just brutal. It’s got to be super insulting to be maimed with your own blade.

8. Vader vs. Reva

Though much of Obi-Wan’s audience was deeply frustrated by Reva, the fight between the 3rd sister and her former master surely had at least a few fans rooting for her. Not only does Vader start the row by yanking an entire starship from the sky, he plays with her like a cat with a mouse. He never even draws his lightsaber. Instead, he steals half of hers and uses it to inflict a nearly mortal wound. Reva might survive the encounter, but there is no doubt in my mind that Vader assumed she would die an agonizing death.

7. Vader dismembers his son (Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back)

Empire stands as one of the best Star Wars movies of all time for plenty of reasons, but this brutal scene is one of the best. Luke might be a hardened fighter by this point in the series, but he’s still no match for Darth Vader. While dear ol’ dad might give Luke plenty of leeway at first, that temper still runs hot. As soon as Luke actually hits him, Vader’s immediate response is to chop off his hand and moments later reveal his parentage. Even the best kids need a little tough love, I guess.

6. Vader takes out the trash (Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order)

There is no way you made it through Jedi Fallen Order without thinking that you could save Trilla. The Second Sister might have been a thorn in Cal’s side, but that potential redemption was well worth fighting for. We’ll never know if in her final moments, Trilla realized the error of her ways. Not only is Vader spooky as heck emerging from the steam behind his failed protégé, but the merciless way he cuts her down is just cruel.

5. Not just the men… (Star Wars: The Clone Wars)

One of the first times Anakin succumbs to the dark side happens in Attack of the Clones. Sure he isn’t full Vader yet, but there is no denying that Anakin checked out after his mother died in his arms. The young Jedi goes on an absolute rampage and not only does he deliver one of the most iconic lines the prequel trilogy had, but the coup de tat of Vader’s respirator cutting through Anakin’s pain truly marks this as the beginning of Anakin’s end.

4. Vader vs. Ahsoka Tano

Listen, I will look for any reason for Ahsoka Tano to be included in anything Star Wars, but we can’t deny that Vader killing Anakin’s apprentice isn’t brutal. He taught her, protected her, and promised he would always be there for her, and when she tried to save him, he destroyed her. Ezra Bridger may have snatched Ahsoka from the jaws of death, but her encounter left a mark. Ahsoka showed us just how far her trust was eroded after her master fell to the dark side.

3. Darth Vader vs Obi-Wan (Obi-Wan Kenobi)

Star Wars fans waited with bated breath for Disney to announce that Darth Vader would menace his way onto the Kenobi set and Hayden Christensen’s long-awaited return did not disappoint. Obi-Wan’s desperate clashes with his former apprentice are brilliantly done, the garish lighting drives home the dire situation and there is no denying the nail-biting anxiety induced by watching Vader leave Obi-Wan to burn alive. If Vader hadn’t been playing with him, there is no way Obi-Wan would have walked away from this encounter.

2. Vader cuts down Rebels (Star Wars: Rogue One)

It almost feels like a copout to give this moment such a high spot, but c’mon. Rogue One changed Star Wars for with this horrifying version of Darth Vader. He’s truly a thing of nightmares as he wrecks a hall filled with rebel agents. Its deliciously impersonal and set the tone for Vader’s future on the screen.

1. Vader kills a bunch of kids (Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith)

There is nothing more brutal than outright genocide. Before Order 66 was issued, there were around 10,000 Jedi spread across the galaxy. While it’s safe to assume plenty were off world fighting in the Clone Wars hundreds if not thousands of children were living in the Jedi Temple. The Clone War required that Padawans were pumped through the system, so it’s safe to assume there were very few students under the age of 13 at the time of the attack. Add to the the elderly or infirm Jedi that ran the various facilities and you have, without a doubt, the most brutal thing Darth Vader has done so far.

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Who wrote ‘Blazing Saddles’ and when did it first come out?

The 21st century has seen a slew of Black cowboys as movie heroes, but long before Idris Elba and David Oyelowo were breathing life into dreamy historical gunslingers, there wasn’t much representation out there. The Blacksplotation films of the 1970s were on the rise, stomping out the few gains that groundbreaking Black actors like Sydney Poiter had worked so hard for.

The best comedy is often born out of frustration, and legendary comedian Richard Pryor has been lauded as one of the best comedians of all time for his candid approach to conversations about race.  With the help of Mel Brooks and a crack team of comedic writers, Pryor called out racists the only way he knew how; drop-dead hilarious jokes for the wildly inappropriate comedy, Blazing Saddles.

Who wrote Blazing Saddles?

For those unfamiliar, Blazing Saddles is the quintessential Western comedy. A small town is caught between a rock and a hard place when a corrupt politician, Headley Lamar (Harvey Korman) starts working with the local Railroad to evict the residents and install new ones. Lamat tries to drive out the townsfolk by hiring a Black miner, Bart (Cleavon Little) on his way to the gallows as the new sheriff. Bart partners with The Waco Kid (Gene Wilder) to save the town. But that wasn’t what the film was originally intended to be.

The initial idea came from Andrew Bergman (The Freshmen, It Could Happen to You), which he described as “H. Rap Brown (a prominent member of the Black Panther Party) meets the Old West.” The film was almost made with James Earl Jones as the main character, but it fell through at the last minute. It was then offered to Mel Brooks.

Brooks was fresh off his office flop, The Twelve Chairs, and had a newborn to support. Reluctant to take on someone else’s script but left with little choice, Brooks took the job – as long as he could rewrite the script. He was allowed, and Brooks harkened back to his early days as a writer in sketch comedy. To pull it off, he needed a crack team of comedians. He called Bergman back, tapped Norman Steinberg (Johnny Dangerously), Alan Uger (Family Ties), and most importantly, reached out to Richard Pryor.

Pryor was still in the early years of expanding his career from standup to the screen, but had already established his brand of speaking truth to power, and striking nerves over social commentary about race and the human condition. Brooks wanted Pryor’s candid commentary, and that “anything goes” spirit laced the script.

In the years since, Brooks has talked about the chaotic nature of the process; the comedians shouted outlandish ideas over one another in a desperate bid to make the others laugh. The result was a take-no-prisoners script that poked fun at everyone, liberally used the N-word (though likely less than it would have been used during the 1800s), and mocked the simple farmers, people of the land, and common clay of the West (morons) the most.   

When was Blazing Saddles released?

The Western parody was almost scrapped before its release. Brooks recalled that during the preview presented to the executives at Warner Bros., the studio’s then-head of distribution recommended that they “dump” the film and take a loss. Despite the lackluster response from the studio, the movie premiered on February 7, 1974, at a drive-in movie theatre. Gene Wilder and Clevon Little watched the film from horseback.

The movie was met with mixed reviews. Critics were torn on the quality of the jokes, remarking that it was “middling comedy”, “outrageous and tasteless,” and too stuffed with gags. Others praised the non-stop humor and outlandish jokes, and the film was popular enough to spawn a prospective television series following Black Bart. The pilot was never picked up, but curious fans can find the single episode on the 20th anniversary DVD.

The film won the Writers Guild of America’s award for Best Comedy in 1975, and it was inducted into the National Film Registry in 2006 alongside Rocky, Halloween, and Groundhog Day, just to name a few.

Like a fine wine, Blazing Saddles’ reviews have gotten better with age. It now holds 88% on Rotten Tomatoes. The film has been rereleased several times over the years. Its ‘74 run made just under $28 million at the box office. The 1976 rereleased garnered $10.5 million, and the 1979 snagged a further $8 million.  

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