Did You Know?
Unlike many other science fiction films, the behavior of fire in zero gravity is depicted quite realistically.
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The film was originally titled "Alone". During pre-production the title was changed to "Mars", changed again to avoid confusion with Mission to Mars, and finally changed to "Red Planet".
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Warner Brothers and Village Roadshow needed to get the cast in place in order to take advantage of benign weather conditions or risk delaying production for several months.
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The main lyric to The Police song used during the "still" scene is, "When the World is Running Down (You Make the Best of What's Still Around)," an apt description of the movie's plot.
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Many of the Mars scenes were filmed in Wadi Rum, Jordan, a desert valley several miles long.
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The song that Gallagher hums (that he learned from his grandfather) is "19th Nervous Breakdown" by The Rolling Stones, released in February, 1966.
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Pettengill's name was probably inspired by astronomer Gordon Pettengill, who did much research observing Mercury from the Arecibo radio telescope in Puerto Rico.
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On the screen of one of the handheld info devices can be seen the phrase HAB GPS GROK. "Grok" is the only Martian word in Robert Heinlein's novel about a Martian-raised human, Stranger in a Strange Land.
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Val Kilmer and Tom Sizemore began feuding during production. According to reports, it all began when Kilmer got annoyed about a fancy exercise machine that Sizemore wanted shipped from England to the set in Australia. Eventually the two hated each other so much Kilmer would not come out of his trailer if Sizemore was on the set. Many of their scenes together were filmed over shoulders of photo doubles. Kilmer reportedly refused to say Sizemore's character's name, saying instead "Hey, you!"
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When Gallagher gets back to the ship and gives Bowman the rock, she asks if it is a 'memento'. Carrie-Anne Moss (Bowman) starred in the movie Memento made in the same year.
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