Mental Floss

MENTAL FLOSS MOVIES

Bradley Wash, Jodie Whittaker, Mandip Gill, and Tosin Cole star in Doctor Who.

Since making its BBC debut in 1963, 'Doctor Who' has entranced several generations of fans—including a few of its future Doctors—with its quirky mix of history and sci-fi.

Jennifer M Wood




Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall in Coming to America (1988).

Eddie Murphy’s hilarious performance(s) in 'Coming to America' turned a silly little film into a certified comedy classic.

Tara Aquino




Alan Rickman and Bruce Willis in Die Hard (1988).

What do you get when you mix one part action movie with one part holiday flick and add in a dash of sweaty tank top? Why, 'Die Hard,' of course.

Jennifer M Wood
Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for BET

Jason Statham's real-life career as a con man led to his first big break, which turned him into one of the preeminent action heroes of a generation.

Jason Serafino
Stephane L'hostis/Getty Images

Harrison Ford has been Han Solo, Indiana Jones, Rick Deckard, Jack Ryan, and an ass-kicking President. But the actor almost learned about plastics, and stuck a banana in a tailpipe.

Roger Cormier


Jemal Countess/Getty Images

The Oscar winner almost tested his supreme likability by playing Richard Nixon. The Oscar winner almost tested his supreme likability by playing Richard Nixon.

Roger Cormier


Marvel/Sony

Today it seems like we’ll never stop seeing Spider-Man at the movies. But back in the early 2000s, it seemed amazing that we ever saw him there in the first place.

Matthew Jackson




Olivia Colman, Mahershala Ali, and Regina King celebrate their Oscar wins at the 91st Annual Academy Awards in 2019.

The voting process that determines the Oscar nominees is a long and complicated undertaking that involves approximately 8000 voting members and hundreds of eligible films and filmmakers.

Sean Hutchinson
Tom Hanks in Cast Away (2000).

Tom Hanks earned an Oscar nomination for his role in the Robert Zemeckis classic. Sadly, Wilson did not.

Garin Pirnia


Studio Ghibli

As an Academy Award winner and Japan’s highest grossing movie of all time, Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away has captured the hearts of viewers all over the world.

Rebecca OConnell




Robin Williams and Nathan Lane in The Birdcage (1996).

'The Birdcage' marked Elaine May and Mike Nichols's first-ever—and long awaited—movie collaboration. But it was Robin Williams and Nathan Lane who really stole the show.

Roger Cormier


Molly Ringwald, Andrew McCarthy, and Jon Cryer in Pretty in Pink (1986).

By February 1986, John Hughes had established himself as the king of teen movies with hits like 'Sixteen Candles,' 'Weird Science,' and 'The Breakfast Club.' Then came 'Pretty in Pink.'

Garin Pirnia
Robert De Niro stars as Travis Bickle in Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver (1976).

Robert De Niro thought 1976’s Taxi Driver had the potential to be a movie people would still be talking about 50 years later. We’re still a few years away from knowing that for sure, but it’s safe to assume he was right.

Eric D Snider
Jason Kempin/Getty Images for EJAF

Baltimore-born filmmaker John Waters has been shocking audiences with his transgressive cult films for the past 50 years.

Kirstin Fawcett