Mental Floss

MOVIES





© Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Mel Brooks hadn’t directed a movie in six years when he committed to 1987’s 'Spaceballs,' a joke-saturated spoof of 'Star Wars' and other popular genre films of the era.

Jake Rossen












Paramount Pictures

In the face of a looming mid-1980s writers strike, John Hughes presented Paramount executive Ned Tanen with a one-sentence pitch: "I want to do this movie about a kid who takes a day off from school and ... that's all I know so far."

Roger Cormier