Beetlejuice is a 1988 American comedy horror fantasy film directed by Tim Burton, produced by The Geffen Film Company and distributed by Warner Bros. The plot revolves around a recently dead young couple who become ghosts haunting their former home, a quaint and quiet house on a hill overlooking the fictional town of Winter Rivers located in Connecticut. When a family of metropolitan yuppies from New York City move into the house, the ghosts seek the help of an obnoxious, devious and mischievous “bio-exorcist” named Betelgeuse from the underworld in order to scare the new living inhabitants away permanently. Beetlejuice stars Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, Jeffrey Jones, Sylvia Sidney and Michael Keaton as the titular Betelgeuse (the film’s title being a phonetic spelling of the character’s name).

After the success of Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, Burton was sent several scripts and became disheartened by their lack of imagination and originality. When he was sent Michael McDowell’s original script for Beetlejuice, Burton agreed to direct, although Larry Wilson and Warren Skaaren were hired to rewrite it. Beetlejuice was both a financial and critical success, grossing $73.33 million from a budget of $13 million. The film spawned an animated television series that Burton produced, and the unproduced Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian sequel.

Trivia:

• The receptionist in the waiting room is Miss Argentina.
• Tim Burton originally wanted Sammy Davis Jr., a favorite star of his since childhood, to play the role of Betelgeuse but studio executives didn’t like that idea at all.
• Director Trademark: [Tim Burton] [music] music by Danny Elfman
• In the wedding scene, Lydia’s dress is a bright red. According to the old rhyme about wedding dress colors, it’s “Married in red, better off dead.”
• During the sequence where Adam and Barbara enter Juno’s office and see her speaking to a recently deceased football team, a movie theater full of ghosts can be seen through Juno’s office window. When the film was first released in theaters, the scene created the illusion that the audience were themselves being watched by the ghosts. Among the ghosts in the audience are a red skeleton and a green skeleton (identical to the ones seen in Tim Burton’s later movie, Mars Attacks! (1996)), a woman with red hair, and two men in suits and Ray-Ban style sunglasses.
• Director Trademark: [Tim Burton] [dogs] The Maitland’s deaths are caused by a stray dog wandering around the bridge their car topples over.
• Michael Keaton spent only two weeks filming his part in the film, which lasts 17.5 minutes out of the 92-minute running time. It is Keaton’s favorite film of his own.
• Director Trademark: [Tim Burton] [TV commercials] Betelgeuse’s TV commercial.
• Director Trademark: [Tim Burton] [stop-motion animation] The sculptures, sandworms, and various effects.
• The original script was a horror film, and featured Beetlejuice as a winged, reptilian demon who transformed into a small Middle Eastern man to interact with the Maitlands and the Deetzes. Lydia was a minor character, with her six year old sister Cathy being the Deetz child able to see the Maitlands. Beetlejuice’s goal was to kill the Maitlands, rather than frighten them away, and included sequences where he mauled Cathy in the form of a rabid squirrel and tried to rape Lydia. Subsequent script rewrites turned the film into a comedy and toned down Beetlejuice’s character into the ghost of an Ebonics-speaking con-artist rather than a demon.
• As the Geffen logo rolls during the intro, soundtrack composer Danny Elfman is heard singing “Day-o, he say day-ay-ay-o.” This was added during post-production and is heard on the released soundtrack.
• The title character of Beetle Juice (1988) is named for a bright red star in the constellation of Orion, Betelgeuse. The studio disliked the title and wanted to call the film “House Ghosts”. As a joke, Tim Burton suggested the name “Scared Sheetless” and was horrified when the studio actually considered using it.
• The only cast member who would initially commit to the project was Geena Davis. Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, and Sylvia Sidney all said no at least once. Producer David Geffen convinced Michael Keaton’s manager to convince Michael to meet with director Tim Burton. Once Michael said yes, Tim Burton personally called Sylvia Sidney and begged her to do the movie, and he flew out to meet with Catherine O’Hara to convince her as well.
• Catherine O’Hara was a replacement for an ill Anjelica Huston as Delia. On the set she met her future husband, production designer Bo Welch.
• The original plan for the dinner party was to have the guests dance to “a song by The Ink Spots,” but Jeffrey Jones and Catherine O’Hara suggested the music be calypso.
• When Adam and Barbra are in the office, a voice on the PA systems announces the arrival of Flight 409 (“Flight 409 is arriving at Gate 3″). On October 6, 1955 United Airlines Flight 409 crashed into a mountain over Wyoming killing all passengers and crew aboard. It was the worst crash in history to that point. To this day, no one knows why it crashed.
• Director Trademark: [Tim Burton] [Claymation] The Priest, Fireplace and decomposing versions of Adam and Barbra are all Claymation.
• A toy line was released in conjunction with the film, featuring action figures of most of Beetlejuice’s incarnations, Otho, Adam (whose figure featured him wearing a red baseball cap), and the Shrunken Head Man from the waiting room, whose figure was named “Harry the Haunted Hunter” and came with a detachable head showing what he looked like before death.
• Adam and Barbara are the only spirits that look “normal”, compared to the other deceased in the Netherworld.
• Juliette Lewis auditioned for the role of Lydia. Lori Loughlin, Diane Lane, Sarah Jessica Parker, Brooke Shields, Justine Bateman, Molly Ringwald and Jennifer Connelly all turned down the same role.
• The snake scene had been filmed before Michael Keaton was cast as Betelgeuse, and the animatronic snake used bore no resemblance to the actor. After Keaton had been cast, some additional film was shot for the scene, using a stop-motion snake that looked more like Betelgeuse. This was suggested by the studio to make sure the audience knows the the snake is actually Betelgeuse and not some random monster from the afterlife.
• The number 3 is used ’3′ times: The number of times to say commands (“Betelgeuse”, “home”), the number of times to knock on the door to get to the other side, and the number of first class intersessions allotted.
• Producer Jon Peters thought of casting controversial comedian Sam Kinison as Beetlegeuse, but Kinison’s agent never told him about it.

Edward Scissorhands is a 1990 comedy-drama fantasy film directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp. The film tells the story of an artificial man named Edward, an unfinished creation, who has scissors for hands. Edward is taken in by a suburban family and falls in love with their teenage daughter Kim. Supporting roles are portrayed by Winona Ryder, Dianne Wiest, Anthony Michael Hall, Kathy Baker, Alan Arkin and Vincent Price.

Burton conceived the idea for Edward Scissorhands from his childhood upbringing in suburban Burbank, California. During pre-production of Beetlejuice, Caroline Thompson was hired to adapt Burton’s story into a screenplay, and the film began development at 20th Century Fox, after Warner Bros. passed on the project. Edward Scissorhands was then fast tracked after Burton’s success with Batman. Before Depp’s casting, the leading role of Edward had been connected to Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks, Robert Downey, Jr. and William Hurt, while the role of The Inventor was written specifically for Vincent Price.

The majority of filming took place in the Tampa Bay Area of Florida, which generated over $6 million for the local economy. Edward’s scissor hands were created and designed by Stan Winston. The film is also the fourth feature collaboration between Burton and film score composer Danny Elfman. Edward Scissorhands was released with positive feedback from critics, and was a financial success. The film received numerous nominations at the Academy Awards, British Academy Film Awards, Saturn Awards, as well as winning the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation. Both Burton and Elfman consider Edward Scissorhands their most personal and favorite work.

Trivia:

• The houses used in the film were a real community in Florida, completely unchanged except for their garish exterior paint.
• This was Vincent Price’s last screen appearance and his last moment ever on screen is a death scene. He actually fainted on the set as it was filmed. Tim Burton decided the take was fine and kept it for the morbidity of it.
• The first draft of the film was written as a musical.
• Johnny Depp had to lose a reported 25 pounds for the role of Edward Scissorhands.
• Johnny Depp said only 169 words in this film.
• Director Trademark: [Tim Burton] [music] music by Danny Elfman
• The idea for the movie was inspired by a drawing Tim Burton had done when he was a teenager.
• For her role as the religious zealot Esmeralda, O-Lan Jones also arranged and actually played the organ music her character performs on-screen.
• Some of the topiary that Edward makes in the movie can be seen permanently at the New York City restaurant Tavern On the Green.
• When Edward goes to have his hands sharpened, the storefront was that of an actual hardware store called Crowder Brothers in Southgate Shopping Center. At the time of the filming, they did offer a sharpening service, and they did have a giant motorized Victorinox in the window.
• The Southgate Shopping Center is located in Lakeland, FL while the neighborhood was filmed at the Carpenter’s Run subdivision in Lutz, FL.
• The neighborhood is based on Burton’s hometown, Burbank.
• Tom Cruise, Jim Carrey and Robert Downey Jr. were all considered for the role of Edward Scissorhands.
• Composer Danny Elfman said of all the films he’s composed music for, Edward Scissorhands is his favourite.
• Edward Scissorhands is Tim Burton’s favourite of all his films.
• Director Trademark: [Tim Burton] [Black and white stripes] Jim’s shirt collar at dinner.
• The restaurant that the family eats at was, at one time, a real restaurant; a national chain diner called “Sambo’s”. It was located directly across the street from Southgate Shopping Center, as appears in the movie. Due to the controversial nature of the name and interior design, the diner (and entire chain) closed sometime in the late 70′s/early 80′s. It remained an abandoned building for many years, until Tim Burton came to town to film “Edward Scissorhands”. Burton’s crew unboarded the doors and windows and redressed the interior to look like a working restaurant again.

 

 

Winona Ryder

 

Winona Laura Horowitz (born October 29, 1971), better known under her professional name Winona Ryder, is an American actress who has appeared in film genres ranging from drama and comedy to science fiction. Her first significant role was as a goth teen in the 1988 Tim Burton film Beetlejuice, which won her critical and commercial recognition. After making various appearances in film and television, Ryder continued her career with the cult film Heathers (1989), a satire of teenage life. Ryder won a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress and an Academy Award nomination in the same category for her role in The Age of Innocence. In 2000, Ryder received a star on the Walk of Fame in Hollywood, California.

Trivia:

Her real hair color is blonde but when she made her first major film, Lucas (1986), her hair color was dyed black. She was told to keep it that color and with the exception of Edward Scissorhands (1990)it has stayed that color since.

Was engaged to Matt Damon. [2000]

Her December 22, 1999, guest spot on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” (1992) was her second-ever appearance on a talk show. She did it to promote Girl, Interrupted (1999), the first film on which she served as executive producer. She clearly had jitters but settled in comfortably. She made her first appearance on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” (1986) with Mermaids (1990) co-star Cher.

Injured knee while filming Girl, Interrupted (1999). [22 March 1999]

Ranked #42 in Empire (UK) magazine’s the Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time list. [October 1997]

Chosen by People magazine as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World. [1997]

Born at 11:00am, CDT.

She briefly checked herself into a hospital when she was 20, because she was suffering from depression, anxiety attacks, and exhaustion, resulting from constantly working on films.

Graduated from Petaluma High School with a 4.0 GPA.

Received a star on the Walk of Fame in Hollywood, California, in October 2000, and was voted Best-Dressed Celebrity of the Week by Entertainment Weekly for the event.

Helped Italian designer Giorgio Armani promote his Manhattan chain of stores. [1996]

Had to turn down the role of Nina in The Object of My Affection (1998) due to scheduling conflicts. [1997]

Chosen as one of the Top Players Under 35 list by People magazine. [1996]

Began work on Girl, Interrupted (1999), which took four more years to make it to the screen. [1996]

The role of Nola in Celebrity (1998) was actually written for Drew Barrymore. [1997]

Although there was no electricity on the commune where they lived, when Winona was seven, her mother began to run an old movie theater in a nearby barn and would screen movies all day. She allowed Winona to miss school to watch movies with her.

Independent filmmaker Jim Jarmusch wrote a part specifically for her in Night on Earth (1991), as a tattooed, chain-smoking cabbie who dreams of becoming a mechanic.

She dedicated the film Little Women (1994) to Polly Klaas, a young girl from her hometown of Petaluma, California, who was kidnapped and brutally murdered. She offered a $200,000 reward for anyone with information on the subject, and remains a strong supporter of the Polly Klaas Foundation.

Auditioned for the Marla Singer role in Fight Club (1999), which eventually went to Helena Bonham Carter.

Beat poet Allen Ginsberg was a close friend of her parents.

Upset with MGM for refusing to pre-screen Autumn in New York (2000), saying she was very proud of the film and that the studio was giving it a bad name before it was even released. [2000]

Refused to do promotion for Lost Souls (2000). [2000]

Signed on to “The Girl You Want.” After a few weeks of preproduction, she received a new version of the script, which she hated, and tried to get out of her contract. Touchstone Pictures threatened to sue her if she did, and so she completed the film. The film’s title was changed to Boys (1996) and sat on the shelf for more than a year. After it finally got its release, it was released in less than 100 theaters in North America and grossed less than five hundred thousand dollars. [1995]

Her favorite book is J.D. Salinger’s “The Catcher in the Rye.” She says she owns every paperback edition and translations.

In late 1999, she started her own music company, Roustabout Studios.

Presented Best Picture contender The Cider House Rules (1999) at the 72nd Academy Awards. [March 2000]

Appeared on the season finale of “Saturday Night Live” (1975) as herself. [19 May 2001]

Presented singer Björk at the 2001 Academy Awards in the category Best Original Song.

Had to turn down the role of Alice Sutton in Conspiracy Theory (1997), which went to Julia Roberts, because of scheduling conflicts.

The film Lost Souls (2000), though it was released in late 2000, was actually shot in 1998, and New Line Cinema kept in on the shelf for two years.

Had one date with Old 97′s frontman Rhett Miller, who wrote the song “Rollerskate Skinny” about her.

Turned down the lead role in Sabrina (1995) because she felt she could not fill Audrey Hepburn’s shoes and that the role was marked by sexism. [1994]

Her agent begged her not to do Heathers (1988), saying her career would be over.

Enrolled at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco at the age of 12.

The first house she bought was in the Hollywood Hills. She soon moved, saying she never fitted in.

Says Sarah Miles’s performance in Ryan’s Daughter (1970/I) inspired her to become a professional actress.

First auditioned for the role of Blanca in The House of the Spirits (1993) when she was sixteen, but the part went to Pernilla August. The film took years to get made, and when it finally did, August had to drop out at the last minute due to pregnancy, and Winona replaced her.

Dropped out of The Godfather: Part III (1990). She said in an interview later that year that she arrived in Rome to film and simply could not get out of bed. A doctor was called and ordered her to return home and sleep.

Dated Johnny Depp for many years. He had a tattoo of her name and after they broke up, he had it reduced to “Wino forever.”

Was considered for the part of Janet in a big-screen remake of “Three’s Company” (1977) opposite Ben Stiller and Cameron Diaz, but the project was eventually cancelled.

Suffered severe stomach pains and doubled over in pain. She was sent to her hotel room in London, England, UK, and later was admitted to the hospital and diagnosed with a severe gastroenterological disorder. She left the UK on August 24th. The sickness caused her to drop out of the (unreleased) film Lily and the Secret Planting (2002) and her part eventually went to Kate Winslet instead. Winona was said to have been very passionate about her role in the film and was heartbroken to leave. The incident brought to mind the similar 1990 stomach flu that caused her to drop out of The Godfather: Part III (1990) two days before filming began, causing a lot of controversy. [16 August 2001]

Was arrested in Beverly Hills for allegedly stealing clothing items and carrying illegal pharmaceutical drugs without a prescription. Her lawyer denied the accusations, and Winona was released later that evening on $20,000 bail. Despite her alleged crime, Beverly Hills police described her as “very friendly, polite, and cooperative” and “a nice lady.” [December 12, 2001]

Appeared on the cover of the June 2002 cover of W magazine wearing a “Free Winona” T-shirt. “Free Winona” T-shirts became popular over the Internet following her December 22, 2001 arrest, with many fans sporting them and purses in support.

Broke her arm during the filming of Mr. Deeds (2002), in the scene where she and Adam Sandler are riding bikes down a flight of stairs.

November 6, 2002. She was found guilty of vandalism and grand theft in connection with the shoplifting charges dating from back on December 12, 2001. Sentencing is scheduled for December 6, 2002. She was acquitted of a third charge, burglary.

6 December 2002 – Sentenced to 480 hours of community service, three years’ probation, $3700 in fines, and $6355 in restitution for her arrest on shoplifting charges.

Measurements: 34C-22-34 (1992- on set of “Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)”), 35C-23 1/2- 34 (1996 designer notes), (Source: Celebrity Sleuth magazine).

Was the host during Will Ferrell’s final episode as a regular cast member of “Saturday Night Live” (1975).

Dropped out of Eulogy (2004).

Turned down the role of Katrina in Sleepy Hollow (1999), which went to Christina Ricci.

A fan of the film Grey Gardens (1975).

Suffers from insomnia. She allegedly has had a habit of talking on the phone with actor Al Pacino, who also suffers from insomnia.

Suffers from aquaphobia due to trauma she suffered at the age of 12 when she nearly drowned. This caused problems when she had to act in some of the underwater scenes in Alien: Resurrection (1997). The scenes had to be re-shot numerous times because of this.

Member of jury at the Cannes Film Festival in 1998

Her friendship with best friend Gwyneth Paltrow ended in the late 1990s because their lives grew apart.

Persuaded Universal Pictures to turn the February 1994 Los Angeles premiere of Reality Bites (1994) into a benefit for the Polly Klaas Foundation. She also had enough clout to see that Louisa May Alcott’s “Little Women” – Polly’s favorite book – was made into Little Women (1994), with Winona in the title role and the film dedicated to Polly Hannah Klaas.

She is the 2,165th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Her great friend, Anthony Hopkins attended the ceremony. November 2000.

Billy Wilder and William Holden are two artists for whom Ryder has great respect.

She serves on the Board of American Indian College Funds.

March 17, 2000, San Francisco International Film Festival awarded the prestigious Peter J. Owens Award to her for brilliance, independence and integrity.

Had several films that were announced but later canceled in the mid-2000s: Robert Altman’s “The Widow Claire,” Norman Jewison’s “Embers,” Jonas Åkerlund’s “Oskur Fishman,” and Elie Chouraqui’s “Beyond Friendship.”.

Her participation in The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things (2004) was reported by Italian newspapers months before the official announcements were made; Ryder claims she met author J.T. LeRoy in 1993 at an opera.

She was harassed her first week of junior high school when a group of bullies mistook her for an effeminate, scrawny boy.

VH1′s “100 Greatest Teen Stars” (2006) (mini) ranked her seventh.

She was given an honorary Master of Fine Arts degree from the American Conservatory Theater.

In 1995, she made yet another significant artistic departure, recording a spoken word reading of the famous diary of Anne Frank, for which she received a Grammy nomination. Winona became one of the few non-musicians to have been nominated for both an Oscar and a Grammy for different projects.

She has a younger brother Uri Horowitz (named after Yuri Gagarin), an older half-brother Jubal Palmer and an older half-sister Sunyata Palmer.

Her father’s family was originally named ‘Tomchin’, however she stated that they were wrongly assigned the name of the family that they were travelling with when they arrived at Ellis Island, in 1906.

Avid reader of 1960s literature (Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac), but also F. Scott Fitzgerald, Jane Austen, Aldous Huxley, Oscar Wilde, and many more. All-time favorite book is “The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger.

She is also into music and plays the guitar. Her favorite band at one point was ‘The Replacements’, but she also loves Tom Waits, Cocteau Twins, Wilco and many others.

She owns some of Hollywood’s stars’ most priceless possessions (Louis Armstrong’s bongo drums among others). She also has a collection of vintage Hollywood costumes, including Russ Tamblyn’s jacket from West Side Story (1961), Leslie Caron’s dress from An American in Paris (1951), Claudette Colbert’s gown from It Happened One Night (1934), Olivia de Havilland’s blouse from Gone with the Wind (1939), and Sandra Dee’s bikini from the “Tammy movies”.

Has done various commercials for cars (Subaru), coffee (Café Latté) and for Italian designer Giorgio Armani. Also participated in a clothing campaign (2003) for designer and friend Marc Jacobs (IV).

Most of her early childhood was spent in Petaluma,Sonoma county. The family spent some time in Columbia with Chilean revolutionaries in the mid-70s. They moved to a 300 acre commune in Elk, Mendocino County with seven other families in the late 1970s.

Her godfather is Timothy Leary.

Was considered for the part of Velma Kelly in Chicago (2002), but Catherine Zeta-Jones was cast instead.

Good friends with Courtney Love.

Was considered by director Neil LaBute for a part in The Wicker Man (2006). She however turned it down.

Took her last name Ryder from singer Mitch Ryder of the Detroit Wheels. She saw one of his albums in her father’s record collection.

The rock group, “The Wynona Ryders” named themselves after her.

Was offered the role of Shelby Eatenton-Latcherie in Steel Magnolias (1989). However Julia Roberts, who went on to receive a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination for her performance, was cast instead.

Michael John Douglas (born September 5, 1951), better known as Michael Keaton, is an American actor, well known for his early comedic roles in films such as Night Shift, Mr. Mom, Beetlejuice, and for his portrayal of Bruce Wayne/Batman in Tim Burton’s Batman and Batman Returns, as well as lead roles in other films including The Paper, Jackie Brown, and White Noise.

An unsuccessful attempt at stand-up comedy led Keaton to working as a TV cameraman at public television station WQED (TV) in Pittsburgh. Keaton first appeared on TV in the Pittsburgh-based public television program Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood (1975), as one of the “Flying Zucchini Brothers.”  He also served as a full-time production assistant on the show. (In 2003, following Rogers’ death, Keaton hosted the PBS memorial tribute program, Fred Rogers: Everybody’s Favorite Neighbor.)

Before his big break (while still credited as Michael Douglas), Keaton did a billboard ad for the Architect Jeans Company. In an interview in 2003 for Live from Baghdad, Keaton recalled how he and the director of the Architect commercial, Spike Jonze, became fast friends.

Keaton left Pittsburgh and moved to Los Angeles to begin auditioning for various TV parts. He cropped up in various popular TV shows including Maude and The Mary Tyler Moore Hour. Around this time Keaton decided to use an alternative surname to remove confusion with well known actor Michael Douglas, as well as satisfying SAG rules, and after reading an article on actress Diane Keaton, he decided on “Michael Keaton.”

His next key break was working alongside James Belushi in the short-lived comedy series Working Stiffs, which showcased his comedic talent and led to a co-starring role in the comedy Night Shift directed by Ron Howard. His role as the hilariously fast-talking schemer Bill “Blaze” Blazejowski alongside nerdish morgue attendant Henry Winkler earned Keaton some critical acclaim, and he scored leads in the subsequent comedy hits Mr. Mom, Johnny Dangerously, and Gung Ho.

Keaton’s role as the title character in the 1988 Tim Burton horror-comedy Beetlejuice, which co-starred Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Catherine O’Hara, and Winona Ryder, earned Keaton widespread acclaim and boosted him to movieland’s A-list. He was originally turned down for the title role in Beetlejuice but was reconsidered by director Burton. Keaton now considers Beetlejuice his favorite of his own films.  That same year, Keaton also gave an acclaimed dramatic performance as a drug-addicted businessman in Clean and Sober.  Newsweek featured him in a story during this time.

Michael Keaton’s career was given another major boost when he was again cast by Tim Burton, this time as the title superhero of the 1989 blockbuster Batman. Burton cast him because he thought that Keaton was the only actor who could believably portray someone who has the kind of darkly obsessive personality that the character demands.  Warner Bros. received thousands of letters of complaint by fans commenting that the comedic Keaton was the wrong choice for Gotham City’s creature of the night, given his prior work in comedies and the fact that he lacked the suave, handsome features and tall, muscular physicality often attributed to the character in the comic books. However, Keaton’s dramatic performance earned universal acclaim from critics and audiences alike, and Batman became the highest-grossing film of the year.

According to Keaton, he was astounded when he was first considered as Batman since he was only familiar with the 1960s Batman television series starring Adam West, but it was not until Burton introduced Keaton to Frank Miller’s Batman: The Dark Knight Returns that Keaton really understood the dark and brooding side of Batman that he portrayed to much fan approval. Keaton wore the cape and cowl again in Batman Returns (1992), which was another financial success, though controversial for being darker than the original.

Keaton was prepared to return for Batman Forever (1995), even going so far as to show up for costume fitting. However, when Burton was dropped by Warner Bros., Keaton left the franchise. He was reportedly dissatisfied with the screenplay approved by the new director, Joel Schumacher, which Keaton considered to be lighter in tone than the past two Batman movies. According to the A&E Biography episode on Keaton, after he had refused the first time (after meetings with Schumacher), Warner Brothers offered him $35,000,000 (one of the highest salaries offered to an actor at the time), but Keaton steadfastly refused. He was subsequently succeeded as Batman by Val Kilmer and later on by George Clooney in Batman & Robin (1997), which became the least successful Batman film both critically and commercially. It was not until the success of Batman Begins (2005), a reboot starring Christian Bale as the Dark Knight, that the film series was continued.

Keaton remained in demand during the 1990s, appearing in a wide range of films including Pacific Heights, One Good Cop, My Life, and the star-studded Shakespearian story Much Ado About Nothing. He also starred in another Ron Howard film, The Paper, as well as with Andie MacDowell in Multiplicity and twice in the same role, Elmore Leonard character Agent Ray Nicolette, in Jackie Brown and Out of Sight. The actor also made Jack Frost and the thriller Desperate Measures.

Keaton starred in Speechless with Geena Davis (his co-star in Beetlejuice) and Christopher Reeve, as a political candidate’s speechwriter. As with Keaton and Batman, Christopher Reeve had gained notoriety for playing an iconic comic superhero, in his case Superman. Out of Sight starred George Clooney, who succeeded Keaton in the role of Batman in Batman & Robin.

Since 2000, Keaton has appeared in several films with mixed success including Live From Baghdad for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe award, First Daughter, White Noise, and Herbie: Fully Loaded. While he continues to receive good notices from the critics (particularly for Jackie Brown), with the exception of Cars, in which he played the part of Chick Hicks, he has not been able to approach the box-office success of Batman. On New Years Day of 2004, he hosted the PBS TV special Mr. Rogers: America’s Favorite Neighbor. It was released by Triumph Marketing LLC on DVD September 28 that year.

In 2006, Keaton starred in an independent film called Game 6, a semi-thriller based around the infamous 1986 World Series bid by the Boston Red Sox. He had a cameo in the Tenacious D short film, Time Fixers, an iTunes exclusive. The 9-minute film was released to coincide with Tenacious D in: The Pick of Destiny. Keaton was announced to be the lead in Media 8 Entertainment’s film Reaper, a supernatural thriller. He reportedly agreed to star as John Target in the Matt Evans scripted No Rule To Make Target, and he has directed a drama, The Merry Gentleman.

Keaton reportedly was cast as Dr. Jack Shephard in the series Lost, understanding that the role of Jack would be a brief one. Once the role was retooled to be a long-running series regular, Keaton withdrew. The part was given to actor Matthew Fox.

Keaton starred in the 2007 TV mini-series The Company, set during the Cold War, in which he portrayed the real-life CIA counterintelligence chief James Jesus Angleton. The role garnered Keaton a 2008 SAG nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries. The Company also starred Chris O’Donnell, who portrayed Batman’s crime fighting sidekick Robin (the Boy Wonder was absent from the two Batman films that Keaton starred in) in Batman Forever and Batman & Robin.

Keaton is slated to join the Toy Story animated film’s cast for the upcoming Toy Story 3, providing the voice of Ken, Barbie’s friend.

Trivia:

When he realized he needed to change his name, he remembered an article he had read with a nice picture of Diane Keaton. He chose her last name with the intention of changing it later. However, the name stuck. Years later, he phoned her and thanked her. The two have never actually met.

Was in a relationship with Courteney Cox (1989-1995).

His hobbies are fly-fishing and riding horses at his California ranch.

Tim Burton cast him in the title role of Batman (1989) because he thought that Keaton was the only actor who could believably portray someone who has the kind of darkly obsessive personality that the character has. There was a great deal of fan anger over his selection, forcing the studio to release an advance trailer both to show that Keaton could do the role well and that the movie would not be a campy parody like the TV show “Batman” (1966).

Attended Montour High School.

Is the fourth actor to play Batman.

Has a son, Sean Maxwell Douglas (born May 27, 1983), with ex-wife Caroline McWilliams.

Decided to change his name when he began acting because there was already a Michael Douglas in movies and a Mike Douglas in broadcasting. While he uses a stage name, he has never legally changed his name to Michael Keaton.

One of only two actors to reprise the role of Batman in major, live-action films (Batman (1989)/Batman Returns (1992). Adam West did only one movie (Batman (1966)) as Batman (along with the live-action TV series “Batman” (1966) and voice-work) and Kevin Conroy has only done voice-work as Batman. Christian Bale is the second and most recent actor to play the role more than once with (Batman Begins (2005) followed by (The Dark Knight (2008).

Played Agent Ray Nicolette in Jackie Brown (1997) and again in Out of Sight (1998).

Started his career as a stagehand in “MisteRogers’ Neighborhood” (1968) (he operated “Picture, Picture”), and in 2004 he produced a documentary on Rogers, Fred Rogers: America’s Favorite Neighbor (2004) (TV).

Turned down the role of the ill-fated mad scientist Dr. Seth Brundle in David Cronenberg’s remake The Fly (1986). The part eventually went to Jeff Goldblum.

Is a Second City alumni – a member of the Los Angeles branch.

According to Mike Myers on “Revealed with Jules Asner” (2001), Keaton saw the comic actor perform at Second City Toronto. After the show ended, Keaton went to personally congratulate Myers and said, “Keep up the great work.” Myers would soon work with Keaton on an episode of “Saturday Night Live” (1995) when Keaton was guest host.

His son Sean plays keyboard for a band called The Hatch.

Was originally slated to play Jeff Daniels character in Woody Allen’s The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985) and actually did film some scenes, but Allen decided it wasn’t working and replaced him with Daniels.

Appeared with the late Christopher Reeve in Speechless (1994). Keaton and Reeve played DC Comics two most iconic characters, Batman and Superman, respectively.

He was originally to play the role of Dr. Jack Shephard in the TV show “Lost” (2004), with the understanding that the character would be killed off early on in the show. Keaton later had to walk away from the part when the creators decided not to kill off the doctor. Matthew Fox ended up playing the character.

Was parodied by Matthew Perry on “Saturday Night Live”.

Was considered for the role of Dr. Curtis McCabe in Vanilla Sky (2001).

Was considered for the role of Jack Crawford in The Silence of the Lambs (1991).

Was considered for the role of Capt. Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003).

Was considered for the role of Lt. Col. Kazinski in Jarhead (2005).

An avid Pittsburgh Steelers football fan, he grew up about five miles from former Steelers coach Bill Cowher’s hometown of Crafton, Pennsylvania.

Lived in his ’63 VW Bug for 2 nights in California while trying to become an actor.

Has only reprised two roles in his career. First, he played Batman in Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992). Second, he played Ray Nicolette in Jackie Brown (1997) and Out of Sight (1998). Also appearing in the latter film was George Clooney, who has also played Batman.

Was offered to play either Peter Venkman or Egon Spengler in Ghostbusters (1984) but turned down both parts, which went to Bill Murray and Harold Ramis.

 

 

 

Christian Slater

 

 

 

Christian Michael Leonard Slater (born August 18, 1969) is an American actor who has starred in films such as Heathers, Kuffs, True Romance, He Was a Quiet Man and The Legend of Billie Jean.

Trivia

Birth of his son, Jaden Christopher Haddon-Slater, with girlfriend Ryan Haddon. [6 April 1999]

Half brother of actor Ryan Slater.

Chosen by Empire magazine as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history (#79). [1995]

Won the roles of the Interviewer in Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994) and Eric Draven in The Crow (1994) after the death of friend and fellow actor River Phoenix (who had been cast in the first role and turned down the second). Slater also turned down the lead in The Crow (1994), leading producers to actor Brandon Lee – who would become permanently linked with the film and its story when he was accidentally killed on the set.

Daughter, Eliana Sophia, born. [15 August 2001]

Is a green belt in kempo karate. [August 2003]

Past girlfriends include Kim Walker, whom he broke up with during the filming of Heathers (1988) for Winona Ryder, later Samantha Mathis, Christina Applegate and Patricia Arquette. Has also been engaged to actress/model Nina Huang.

His mother, Mary Jo Slater was the casting director in 4 of his feature film appearances: Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991); Murder in the First (1995); The Contender (2000) and Who Is Cletis Tout?(2001).

British stage debut as Randle P. McMurphy in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” in August of 2004, delayed by a bout of chicken pox. Received a standing ovation on his first night playing McMurphy in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” on the London stage.

Born on the same day as Oscar-nominated actor Edward Norton. He also shares a birthday with the following celebrities: Denis Leary, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Patrick Swayze and Robert Redford.

Attended Dalton School and the Professional Children’s School.

Born and reared in New York.

Made his theater debut in “The Music Man” at the age of 9.

The trousers worn by him in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991) are the same ones worn by William Shatner in Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan (1982). He noticed the name label still inside them.

Donated all of his paycheck from Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994) to River Phoenix’s favorite charities after the young actor’s untimely death at 23.

As a teenager, he appeared in the musical “Merlin,” one of the most expensive and most notorious flops in Broadway history. The show had been conceived as a vehicle for Doug Henning’s magic, with Henning playing the eponymous wizard. Slater played “Young Merlin” and “Arthur”; other stars included Chita Rivera and Nathan Lane (in what was only his second Broadway role).

The long-standing rumor about Christian’s eyebrows (that he shaved them off to look like Spock and they never grew back properly) is actually false. Christian was joking with a reporter in one of his first interviews, and it was somehow printed as fact. He actually stated that he regretted mentioning it, as he still gets asked about the “Halloween costume gone bad” nearly two decades later.

Was listed as a potential nominee on the 2006 Razzie Award nominating ballot. He was a suggestion in the Worst Actor category for his performances in Alone in the Dark (2005) and Mindhunters (2004). He failed to receive a nomination, however (had he gotten the nomination, it would have been his first in 14 years. He was previously nominated for Worst Supporting Actor at the 1992 Razzie Awards for his roles in Mobsters (1991) and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)).

He has co-starred with each of the two leads of Face/Off (1997), John Travolta and Nicolas Cage, in Broken Arrow (1996) and Windtalkers (2002), respectively. All three films were directed by ‘John Woo’ (I).

His favorite movies are The Witches of Eastwick (1987) and The Shining (1980), both starring his idol Jack Nicholson.

Is of English/Irish descent.

No relation to actress Helen Slater, who, ironically, played his sister in the movie The Legend of Billie Jean.

His favorite TV shows are “Boston Legal” and “Entourage”.

Favorite song is “A Little Less Converstion” by Elvis Presley.

During his interview and director’s commentary on the DVD for Der Name der Rose (1986), director Jean-Jacques Annaud reported that after 15-year-old Christian Slater had been cast as Adso of Melk, he was asked to read with three actresses auditioning for the role of “The Girl.” He read first with Valentina Vargas and was scheduled to read with the other two actresses the next day, but that evening, he sent his mother (casting agent Mary Jo Slater) to tell Annaud that young Christian was so smitten with the 22-year-old Vargas that he didn’t want the other two women to be considered. Annaud, amused, complied with Slater’s wish.