Mental Floss

MOVIES





Benedict Cumberbatch in Sam Mendes's 1917 (2019).

It makes sense that master filmmakers keep returning to old wars to tell new stories, as war movies have all the elements needed for a compelling tale. From medieval epics to modern thrillers, here are 25 of the best of them.

Matthew Jackson


George Rose, Getty Images

Versatile comic actor John Candy broke out in 1984's 'Splash,' but you might not know he was once targeted for a Sylvester Stallone movie.

Jake Rossen


Michael Blann/iStock via Getty Images

Find yourself getting restless during a film? It might be because we've become conditioned to expect movies to entertain us for a very specific amount of time.

Jake Rossen
Cary Grant is pictured in a publicity photo circa the 1940s.

Cary Grant reportedly took LSD more than 100 times and was prone to cutting the buttons off his dress shirts. Those two things are probably not related, but you never know.

Jake Rossen


Oscar Isaac stars in Joel and Ethan Coen's Inside Llewyn Davis (2013).

From legendary auteurs like Martin Scorsese to newcomers like Barry Jenkins, moviemakers found new ways to amuse, shock, and thrill us over the past decade—making it a very good time to be a cinephile.

Eric D Snider






Miramax

'Serendipity,' which features John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale as star-crossed lovers who meet once in New York City then reconnect a few years later through a series of events, has become a holiday staple for rom-com fans.

Garin Pirnia
Leonard Cohen in London in June 1974.

In the 35 years since its release, Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" has been covered by more than 300 artists in a variety of genres and become a staple of TV singing shows. Not bad for a song that Cohen's own record label hated.

Kenneth Partridge








American ornithologist James Bond, circa 1974.

On January 4, 1900, a child was born in Philadelphia. His name was Bond. James Bond. He would grow up to become an ornithologist, and lived a fairly quiet, normal life—until someone borrowed his name.

Matt Soniak
Disney

After an agonizing two-week wait, Disney has finally released official merchandise featuring Baby Yoda from 'The Mandalorian.' And while everyone seems to love Baby Yoda, not all fans are happy with the selection.

Michele Debczak
Kyle MacLachlan stars in David Lynch's Dune (1984).

After several different filmmakers tried (and failed) to adapt Frank Herbert's 'Dune' for the big screen, the movie finally arrived via David Lynch, a then up-and-coming filmmaker who’d never been tested on a film of that size and scope.

Matthew Jackson