Latest news with #movieanniversary
CBS News
22-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
New Hampshire city where "Jumanji" was filmed celebrates 30th anniversary
Keene, New Hampshire, a city of about 23,000 people in the southwestern corner of the state, is celebrating its ties to the 1995 movie "Jumanji," this weekend in honor of its 30th anniversary. Scenes for the film starring the late Robin Williams were filmed in Keene. Filming of "Jumanji" Madeline Murphy remembers the instructions she was given on the set of "Jumanji" when she was an extra some 30 years ago: "Pretend you're frightened and you're screaming because an elephant's coming after you." So, that's what she did in the Central Square of Keene, running back and forth, over and over, on a long day in November 1994. "I was pretty tired by the end of the day, and it was cold," said Murphy, 61. She got a check for $60.47 — and several seconds of screen time. Murphy was one of about 125 extras cast in the classic Williams film. It has spawned several sequels, including one planned for next year. Keene, New Hampshire celebrates "Jumanji" anniversary This weekend's festivities include a parade, scavenger hunt and a "Rhino Rumble Road Race" saluting the film's stampede scenes of elephants, rhinos and zebras. Runners in inflatable animal costumes sprinted about a quarter mile (less than half a kilometer) around the square Saturday. Juniper Thurston and her daughters Elska and Madison Christgau wore rhino costumes, which they said were difficult to run in but better ventilated than expected. Thurston, who lives in nearby Hancock, was 13 when "Jumanji" was filmed, and she remembers visiting Keene to watch her friends perform as extras. "It was literally right here -- it was amazing," Thurston said. "It was just wild, and to be here today and be able to have a small part our own stampede is kind of awesome." Elska Christgau, 9, said everyone in her family loves the film, and that her favorite part is "the mystery and the Jumanji game" itself. Why Keene was picked for "Jumanji" Based on the 1981 children's book by Chris Van Allsburg about a mysterious jungle adventure board game, the movie version of "Jumanji" is set in the fictional small town of Brantford, New Hampshire. Veteran location manager Dow Griffith was crisscrossing New England in search of the right spot. A coffee lover who grew up in Seattle, he recalled feeling desperate one day for a good brew. He was a bit east of Keene at the time, and someone suggested a shop that was near the square. "I took my cherished cup of double dry cappuccino out to the front porch, took a sip, looked to my left — and by God — there was the place I had been looking for!" he told The Associated Press. "So really, we have coffee to thank for the whole thing." Scenes were filmed at the square that fall and the following spring. The fall scenes show a present-day town that had declined. Extras played homeless people and looters, in addition to panicked runners fleeing from the jungle animals. Joanne Hof, now 78, had needed her son's help to spot herself behind the elephants, running with her hands up. Hof, a reading specialist, bought a videotape of "Jumanji" and showed it to the kids she worked with. "They were very impressed that I was in the movie," she said. The spring scenes, appearing early in the film, depict the town in 1969. Extras drove classic cars around the pristine-looking square and others walked around, dressed for that time period. "I told the makeup person, 'Do you know how to do a French twist?'" recalled Kate Beetle, 74, of Alstead, who said she can be seen for "a microsecond" crossing a street. "They just found me the right lady's suit and right flat shoes, and then the hair is kind of what I suspect did it." How Keene transformed for "Jumanji" The "Jumanji" crews worked well with the city in getting the permits to transform Central Square into a dilapidated, neglected piece of public property, recalled Patty Little, who recently retired as Keene's clerk. "They brought in old, dead shrubbery and threw it around and made the paint peel on the gazebo," she said. Items such as parking meters and lilac bushes were removed and a large Civil War-era statue was brought in to cover a fountain. Graffiti was on the walls, and crumpled vehicles in the stampede scene were anchored in place. Everything was restored, and fresh flowers were brought in the following spring, she said. Crews spent a total of about a week in the city for both settings. Little, whose classic 1961 Ambassador is caught on camera, could see everything happening from her office window. "Did I get a lot of work done? I don't know during those days," she said. Keene pays tribute to Robin Williams A crowd turned out to watch a long-haired, bearded Williams run down the street in a leaf-adorned tunic. In the movie, he had just been freed from the game that had trapped him as a boy for years. "He's shorter than I thought he was!" one viewer said, according to local chronicler Susan MacNeil's book, "When Jumanji Came to Keene." Others said, "He has great legs — muscular, isn't he? But so hairy!" and "Isn't he freezing dressed like that?" The mayor honored him with a key to the city. Williams, noticing the mayor was a bit shorter, suddenly announced at the presentation, "'I am the mayor of Munchkinland,' " with a voice to match, City Councilor Randy Filiault recalled. He stayed in character for 15 to 20 minutes, "just bouncing off the walls," approaching people in the audience and pulling their hats over their eyes. Eventually, he stopped, ending with a solemn "Thank you," Filiault said. "I am really seeing something cool here," Filiault remembered thinking. "How fortunate we were." When Williams died by suicide in 2014, people left flowers and photos beneath a painted "Parrish Shoes" wall sign advertising a fictional business left over from "Jumanji." Former Keene police officer Joe Collins, who was assigned to watch over then-child actors Kirsten Dunst and Bradley Pierce, also died by suicide, last year. Festival organizers planned a discussion about mental health and suicide prevention to pay tribute to Williams and Collins. "I think Robin would have been impressed with that," said Murphy, who met Williams and shook his hand.
The Independent
21-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
New Hampshire city in 'Jumanji' marks 30th anniversary with animal costume race
Madeline Murphy remembers the instructions she was given on the set of 'Jumanji' when she was an extra some 30 years ago: 'Pretend you're frightened and you're screaming because an elephant's coming after you.' So, that's what she did in the Central Square of Keene, New Hampshire, running back and forth, over and over, on a long day in November 1994. 'I was pretty tired by the end of the day, and it was cold," said Murphy, 61. She got a check for $60.47 — and several seconds of screen time. Murphy was one of about 125 extras cast in the classic Robin Williams film, which is marking its 30th anniversary. It's spawned several sequels, including one planned for next year. The city of about 23,000 people in the southwestern corner of the state is celebrating its ties to 'Jumanji' this weekend. A featured event is a 'Rhino Rumble Road Race' saluting the film's stampede scenes of elephants, rhinos and zebras on Saturday. Runners in inflatable animal costumes are sprinting about a quarter mile (less than half a kilometer) around the square. There's also a cast party, a parade, and a scavenger hunt, among other events. Keene gets picked thanks to coffee craving Based on the 1981 children's book by Chris Van Allsburg about a mysterious jungle adventure board game, the movie version of 'Jumanji' is set in the fictional small town of Brantford, New Hampshire. Veteran location manager Dow Griffith was crisscrossing New England in search of the right spot. A coffee lover who grew up in Seattle, he recalled feeling desperate one day for a good brew. He was a bit east of Keene at the time, and someone suggested a shop that was near the square. 'I took my cherished cup of double dry cappuccino out to the front porch, took a sip, looked to my left — and by God — there was the place I had been looking for!" he told The Associated Press. 'So really, we have coffee to thank for the whole thing.' Scenes were filmed at the square that fall and the following spring. The fall scenes show a present-day town that had declined. Extras played homeless people and looters, in addition to panicked runners fleeing from the jungle animals. Joanne Hof, now 78, had needed her son's help to spot herself behind the elephants, running with her hands up. Hof, a reading specialist, bought a videotape of 'Jumanji' and showed it to the kids she worked with. 'They were very impressed that I was in the movie,' she said. The spring scenes, appearing early in the film, depict the town in 1969. Extras drove classic cars around the pristine-looking square and others walked around, dressed for that time period. 'I told the makeup person, 'Do you know how to do a French twist?'" recalled Kate Beetle, 74, of Alstead, who said she can be seen for "a micro-second" crossing a street. 'They just found me the right lady's suit and right flat shoes, and then the hair is kind of what I suspect did it.' The city helped transform itself The 'Jumanji' crews worked well with the city in getting the permits to transform Central Square into a dilapidated, neglected piece of public property, recalled Patty Little, who recently retired as Keene's clerk. 'They brought in old, dead shrubbery and threw it around and made the paint peel on the gazebo,' she said. Items such as parking meters and lilac bushes were removed and a large Civil War-era statue was brought in to cover a fountain. Graffiti was on the walls and crumpled vehicles in the stampede scene were anchored in place. Everything was restored, and fresh flowers were brought in the following spring, she said. Crews spent a total of about a week in the city for both settings. Little, whose classic 1961 Ambassador is caught on camera, could see everything happening from her office window. 'Did I get a lot of work done? I don't know during those days,' she said. Locals watch and meet Robin Williams A crowd turned out to watch a long-haired, bearded Williams run down the street in a leaf-adorned tunic. In the movie, he had just been freed from the game that had trapped him as a boy for years. 'He's shorter than I thought he was!' one viewer said, according to local chronicler Susan MacNeil's book, 'When Jumanji Came to Keene." Others said, 'He has great legs — muscular, isn't he? But so hairy!" and 'Isn't he freezing dressed like that?" The mayor honored him with a key to the city. Williams, noticing the mayor was a bit shorter, suddenly announced at the presentation, ''I am the mayor of Munchkinland,'' with a voice to match, City Councilor Randy Filiault recalled. He stayed in character for 15 to 20 minutes, 'just bouncing off the walls," approaching people in the audience and pulling their hats over their eyes. Eventually, he stopped, ending with a solemn 'Thank you,' Filiault said. 'I am really seeing something cool here,' Filiault remembered thinking. 'How fortunate we were.' When Williams died by suicide in 2014, people left flowers and photos beneath a painted 'Parrish Shoes' wall sign advertising a fictional business left over from 'Jumanji." Former Keene police officer Joe Collins, who was assigned to watch over then-child actors Kirsten Dunst and Bradley Pierce, also died by suicide, last year. Festival organizers planned a discussion about mental health and suicide prevention to pay tribute to Williams and Collins. 'I think Robin would have been impressed with that,' said Murphy, who met Williams and shook his hand. ___
Washington Post
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
Think you know 'Jaws'? Test your knowledge with this trivia ahead of the movie's 50th anniversary
Friday marks the 50th anniversary of 'Jaws.' It remains one of the most beloved and rewatched movies of all time. But how good is your knowledge of the some of lore surrounding Steven Spielberg's 1975 masterpiece? Read on and see how much you know about 'Jaws.' Spielberg named his mechanical shark 'Bruce,' after his attorney, Bruce Ramer.
Associated Press
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
Think you know 'Jaws'? Test your knowledge with this trivia ahead of the movie's 50th anniversary
Friday marks the 50th anniversary of 'Jaws.' It remains one of the most beloved and rewatched movies of all time. But how good is your knowledge of the some of lore surrounding Steven Spielberg's 1975 masterpiece? Read on and see how much you know about 'Jaws.' What was the nickname given to the shark? Spielberg named his mechanical shark 'Bruce,' after his attorney, Bruce Ramer. Where did the title come from? When author Peter Benchley's 1974 book was going to print, he needed to choose a title. He has juggled various titles — 'Leviathan Rising,' 'Silent Fall' — before, at the last minute, choosing 'Jaws.' What did it mean? Benchley, himself, wasn't sure, he told his editor, but it was short. What's the origin of the iconic movie poster? The image of the rising shark came from the cover of the novel's paperback edition, illustrated by Roger Kastel. For his painting, Kastel went to the American Museum of Natural History to photograph a great white shark from a diorama that was laying on an easel. What was the inspiration for Amity? Though Spielberg shot 'Jaws' on Martha's Vineyard, off Cape Cod, it was the neighboring island, Nantucket, that inspired Benchley's novel. He has spent time fishing there with his father. In the book, the fictional Amity is on the south shore of Long Island. Who was first attached to direct 'Jaws'? Dick Richards was initially in line to direct the film, but producer Richard D. Zanuck said he lost the job after, in a meeting, repeatedly referring to the shark as a whale. How old was Spielberg when he began the project? 26. Who sought but was turned down the role of Brody? Charlton Heston wanted to play the Amity Island police chief, but Spielberg instead cast Roy Scheider. What's the name of Quint's boat? The Orca. Not coincidentally, two years after the massive success of 'Jaws,' a 1977 ripoff about a killer whale was released titled 'Orca.' What led to the shark often malfunctioning? Salt water. The shark, built by special effects artist Bob Mattey, would get corroded by the salt water of the Atlantic Ocean, leaving it unusable for times – particularly early in the filmmaking. Spielberg pivoted and instead doesn't show the shark until well into the film, an approach that ultimately led to a far more suspenseful film. Spielberg once estimated that Bruce's mechanical delays added $175 million to the movie's box office. How long into 'Jaws' does the shark fully appear on screen? It's not until one hour and 21 minutes into the movie that we really see the shark. Was the movie's most iconic line scripted? No, Schieder adlibbed 'You're gonna need a bigger boat.' Screenwriter Carl Gottlieb, though, has said the line had been percolating on set. The size of the barge carrying equipment and craft services was often slighted by the crew who felt producers weren't spending enough. Gottlieb told The Hollywood Reporter in 2016: 'It became a catchphrase for any time anything went wrong – if lunch was late or the swells were rocking the camera, someone would say, 'You're gonna need a bigger boat.'' What disaster was Quint a survivor of? The sinking of the USS Indianapolis, the U.S. Navy cruiser torpedoed by a Japanese submarine during World War II. Quint's lengthy and memorably speech in the film wasn't in the novel but was, according to Spielberg, penned by the uncredited screenwriter John Milius. Spielberg wanted a backstory to why Quint hated sharks so much. Though debate has continued over the years over who wrote the monologue, everyone has agreed Shaw synthesized it, and deserves most of the credit for the scene's power. Does Spielberg appear in 'Jaws?' The director isn't seen in the film but his voice is heard. During the finale of the film when Quint is readying the harpoon, it's Spielberg's voice on the radio. He says: 'This is Amity point light-station to Orca. Orca, come in.' Spielberg shows up in a couple other ways, too. A clarinetist in high school, he plays briefly on Williams' score. And Brody's dogs were Spielberg's cocker spaniels, Elmer and Zalman. (For his part, Benchley makes a cameo as a TV reporter during the July 4th beach scene.) How far over schedule did 'Jaws' run? The production was scheduled for 55 days but took 159 days to complete. The budget also nearly tripled, to $9 million, plus $3 million more in post-production. Though 'Jaws' become the prototype summer movie, it was originally expected to open around Christmastime the year before. What was 'Jaws' rated? Though it caused some controversy, the Motion Picture Association of America gave 'Jaws' a 'PG' rating. At the time, there was no PG-13 rating. (That only began in 1984, with 'Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom,' after a handful of other Spielberg productions, including 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' and 'Gremlins' led to the new category.) Jack Valenti, then-president of the MPAA, defended the rating by arguing that ''Jaws' involved nature's violence, rather than man's violence against man,' Valenti said. 'This is the same kind of violence as in 'Hansel and Gretel.' Children might imitate other kinds of violence, but not the kind seen in 'Jaws.'' The movie's poster carried the warning: 'MAY BE TOO INTENSE FOR YOUNGER CHILDREN.' What did 'Jaws' lose best picture to at the Academy Awards? 'Jaws' was nominated for four Oscars and won three: best sound, best editing and best score for John Williams. The competition for best picture, though, was fierce. The nominees, alongside 'Jaws,' where 'Dog Day Afternoon,' 'Barry Lyndon,' 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' and 'Nashville.' The winner was 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.'
