Mental Floss

MOVIES





Steve McQueen stars in The Great Escape (1963).

Celebrated as the "King of Cool," Steve McQueen climbed his way from reform school and juvenile delinquency to become one of Hollywood's biggest stars.

Jake Rossen


The von Trapp family performs on a London radio show in December 1937.

Julie Andrews immortalized the charming tale of Maria von Trapp and her musically inclined family in 'The Sound of Music'—here’s how it really went down.

Ellen Gutoskey


David Hollander in the "Welcome to My Nightmare" episode of Amazing Stories (1985).

Television shows have been trying to be their generation's 'Twilight Zone' ever since Rod Serling's trippy anthology first scrambled its viewers brains. In the 1980s, Steven Spielberg gave it a try with 'Amazing Stories'—a series that has just been reboot

Scott Beggs








Heather O'Rourke in Poltergeist (1982).

From 'The Wizard of Oz' to 'Poltergeist,' these movies were so troubled that they've developed a reputation for being cursed.

Michele Debczak


Steve McQueen drives a 1968 Ford Mustang Fastback in Bullitt (1968).

The car chase is a time-honored, frequently practiced piece of the language of action cinema, and the rise in digital wizardry in filmmaking has only helped to bolster its place on the big screen. Still, not all car chases are created equal; here are some

Matthew Jackson






Walt Disney Pictures

If you were alive during the first half of the 1980s and lucky enough to have access to HBO, you've probably seen 'Midnight Madness' more times than you can count.

Jennifer M Wood
Gene Hackman, William Friedkin, Roy Scheider, Eddie Egan, and Randy Jurgensen in The French Connection (1971).

'The French Connection' still stands as one of the greatest films of the 1970s because of its gritty visual style, powerhouse performances, and one of the greatest car chase sequences ever put on film.

Matthew Jackson