Behind-The-Scenes Details From 1980s Sci-Fi Movies

Ken Ralston filmed effects for 1980's Star Wars.The Empire Strikes BackHan Solo needed asteroids for his daring escape through the Hoth asteroid belt. He found some at the local grocery store.

Ralstontold author J.W. Rinzler:

They shot asteroids flying everywhere. For laughs, they bought potatoes at the store. They stuck them on rods and shot potatoes, hiding it. People never knew, but if you look right, they are hilarious. They look like the rocks; they are just smoother and fly by the cockpit.

Special effects artists Steve Rawley and Lorne PetersenRalston confirmed he used potatoesin a 2015Star Warsfeaturette.

1988'sThey LiveThey Live offers a subtle criticism of Reaganomics and the materialistic chase of the decade. John Nada (Roddy Piper) spends most of the early film in a homeless camp, befriending others society cast off.

Director John Carpenter says on the commentary track hehired real homeless peopleThe production gave them paychecks and food. Piper, joining Carpenter on the commentary, states, "I thought that was a classy thing to do."

Brian Blessed had fun on the set of 1980'sFlash GordonBrian Blessed forgot special effects were added later.Radio Timeswrites:

Brian Blessed fueled the chaos. He admits his set behavior was "absolutely off the wall," something he claims "spurred everybody along."

"I remember filming the attack on rocket ship Ajax... I said, 'Stand by, who wants to live forever Squadron 40, DIVE!' and we dove... and I went down making gun noises shooting all the monster men. The robots. They said, 'Cut, cut, cut, Brian! We put in the sound effects, not you!' - I could not live without making noises."

As an extra fact, Blessed claimsFlashwas a favorite film of Queen Elizabeth II. In 2020,Blessed told Yahoothe queen watched it every Christmas with her grandchildren. She asked him to say one of his famous lines - "Gordon'salive?"" - for them.

In 1976, theHeyday firedestroyed the St. Louis, MO manufacturing district, wrecking six buildings. The disaster left parts of the city ruined, which hurt St. Louis but helped film the post-apocalypticEscape from New York.

In aninterview with director John Carpenter, he says St. Louis officials greatly helped his crew film:

City officials gave us the city. They shut down ten blocks at a time to help us. I learned they had not hosted a major film for fifteen years; they lack a real film commission, only a Department of Tourism. They let us trash it and do what we needed.

ComedianMel Brooks spent $1 millionon making 1986'sThe FlyBrooksfilms made the movie, and Brooks is responsible for a line.Brooks is responsible for a line.The film has reused a line in countless horror movies: "Be afraid. Be very afraid."

Writer and director David Cronenberg came up with the line while discussing the script.During a 2018 panel about the film, Brooks discussed this.Cronenberg recalled this.

Mel said about that moment, "When he says, 'Don't be afraid,' the answer should be, 'Yes, be afraid, be very afraid.'" He was just reacting, not giving dialogue. I said, "Yeah, I'm going to put that in the script."

Mel Brooks finished the script for his Star Wars parody.He feared George Lucas would sue him.He worried George Lucas would sue him during a parody.In a 2012 interview with Entertainment Weekly, he revealed this.To be safe, he wanted Lucas's approval to move forward with the movie.

Lucas liked the idea but had one condition. Brooks recalls:

I sent him the script; he said, 'It’s fine.' He had one rule: 'You can’t do merchandising. You can’t have a Dark Helmet action figure because they’ll look too much like ours.' His company ILM handled all the space effects and postproduction. He praised the picture, saying, 'Take out the comedy and it really works as an adventure.'

Many people involved in the production of Predator said this.For Predator, star Arnold Schwarzenegger asked special effects wizard Stan Winston to make a new one.the first suit for the classic monster design was a failure.The head wobbled. The arms and legs could not move realistically. The stuntman inside, a young Jean-Claude Van Damme, hated it.The head wobbled. The arms and legs could not move realistically. The stuntman inside, a young Jean-Claude Van Damme, hated it.Arnold Schwarzenegger asked special effects wizard Stan Winston to make a new one.Stan Winston made a new Predator because Arnold Schwarzenegger asked him to.

Winston credited two sources for the final design. One source was art in producer Joel Silver's office showing "an otherworldly Rastafarian warrior," which gave Predator its dreadlock-like quills. James Cameron was the second source of inspiration.

Winston and Cameron were on their way to Japan to discuss their latest work, Aliens.AliensWinston had his sketchpad out. As he recalls:

We sat next to each other on the plane, and I sketched and drew the Predator.

Jim suddenly said, "You know, I’ve always wanted to see something with mandibles." I replied, "Hmm, that’s an interesting idea." I began drawing the Predator's famous mandibles. Between the Rastafarian painting in Joel Silver’s office and Jim Cameron's mandible idea, I created "Stan Winston’s Predator." I claim full credit for it, even though I did nothing.

After the light cycles left the game grid in 1982's Tron,Tron,you see and hear the Pac-Man sound on Sark's control screen.

The internet lacks details about this Easter egg. The film itself was inspired by early video games like Pac-Man.Pac-Manand specifically,PongSteven Lisberger wrote, directed, and co-produced the film, and he said the idea for "Tron" came from a sample reel.TronThe film was inspired by a sample reel of early computer-generated imagery and the launch of Atari's Pong.Inspired by a sample reel.inspired by a sample reel of early computer-generated imagery as well as the launch of Atari's Pong.launch of Atari's Pong.

Though set in a futuristic Detroit, 1987's RoboCop...RoboCopwas largely filmed in Dallas, TXFilmed largely in Dallas, TX.The scene where bad guys use advanced rifles to blow up a city street actually filmed at 2500 Elm Street.Vulture reports.

The city street the villains destroy in an explosion of action was a Dallas street already slated for demolition. This gave filmmakers freedom to go all-out. Pyrotechnics blew up close enough to Kurtwood Smith and Ray Wise that the actors earned extra pay for stunt work.

In the climactic chase scene at the end of The Road Warrior...The Road Warriorthe two prisoners strapped to Lord Humungus's car smashed into Max's tanker truck. Their heads flew off in a gruesome instant.

According to cinematographer Dean Semler...Cinematographer Dean Semler shot Mad Max 2.the crew made this effect by using dummies for the actors and replacing their heads with watermelons. Specifically, they used watermelons with wigs.

Because both films share the same director and many elements—exploitation by faceless corporate powers, human-like androids, and the use of natural resources—fans connect them to Alien (1979) and Blade Runner (1982).Alien(1979)Blade Runner(1982)

In Alien...Alienin Alien, when Ripley prepares to launch her escape pod, her computer switches from blue to a red "Purge" screen. Gaff's police car shows this same screen when he takes off.

However, as Screen Rant points out...Screen Rant points out.as Screen Rant points out, this means Ripley's Nostromo has seriously old technology, since Blade Runner takes place in 2019 and Alien happens more than a century later.NostromoNostromo is sporting seriously outdated technology, since Blade Runner takes place in 2019 and Alien happens more than a century later.Blade Runnertakes place in 2019AlienMore than a century later.