My Fellow Americans
Released in 1996
The adventure and the laughs ensue when two former presidents from opposite ends of the political spectrum become reluctant allies when they become the target of a conspirator in President Haney’s administration.
Starring:
Jack Lemmon as President Russell P. Kramer
James Garner as President Matt Douglas
Dan Aykroyd as President William Haney

Trivia
Jack Lemmon did all of his own stunts for this movie.
This was originally supposed to be another Walter Matthau/Jack Lemmon movie.
However, due to illness, Matthau pulled out and was replaced by James Garner.
James Garner was born in 1928. Garner, the youngest of three children, was born in Norman, Oklahoma.  His mother, who was half Cherokee, died when he was five years old.  After their mother’s death, Garner and his brothers were sent to live with relatives. After his father remarried the family was reunited.

Pushing Tin

Released in 1999

When a feud develops between a cocky air traffic controller and his determined colleague, the feud  inevitably affects their lives.

John Cusack stars as Nick Falzone
Billy Bob Thornton stars as Russell Bell

Did you know that Billy Bob Thornton is of Native American descent on his mother’s side? That is why you will see Pushing Tin and other great Billy Bob movies on APTN.

Charlie’s Angels
Released in 2000

Three women, detectives with a mysterious boss, retrieve stolen voice-ID software, using martial arts, tech skills, and sex appeal.

Starring:
Cameron Diaz as Natalie Cook
Drew Barrymore as Dylan Sanders
Lucy Liu as Alex Mundy
Bill Murray as John Bosley

Eighteen different writers worked on the script for this movie and it was re-written at least 30 times until one was finally accepted by the producers and director.

The actresses trained with their martial arts master for three months, eight hours a day. The actresses who finally made the film weren’t the first actresses considered for these roles. The role of Alex was originally offered to Angelina Jolie who turned it down after admitting she was not a fan of the original series. It was then offered to Jada Pinkett Smith who declined it to film Bamboozled (2000) instead. Thandie Newton was finally cast but had to leave because of bad weather that caused the Mission: Impossible II (2000) schedule to overrun. The role was eventually taken by Lucy Liu. Milla Jovovich, Alyssa Milano and Julia Roberts were among the many actresses who were forerunners for the parts of Natalie, Dylan and Alex.

The Thin Man, played by Crispin Glover, originally had a speaking role, but word on the street is that Glover didn’t like the lines, so he asked for them to be removed. The director and producer agreed to make it a non-speaking role to give the character a more mysterious feel.

The original cast of “Charlie’s Angels” (1976) – Jaclyn Smith, Kate Jackson and Farrah Fawcett – were invited to make cameo appearances, but declined. Reportedly, Fawcett said she’d only do it if she were allowed to be the voice of Charlie – now that would have been interesting!  Jackson insisted on playing the villainous role that eventually went to Kelly Lynch. Ultimately, John Forsythe and Smith did appear in the sequel, Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle (2003). Smith’s role was uncredited, however.

Jessica Biel was born in 1982 and she has become one of Hollywood’s most sought-out actresses.

Her television series acting debut on “7th Heaven” has helped her emerge as a breakout star.

As a child Jessica initially pursued a career as a vocalist, performing in musical theatre. Beginning at age nine, she starred in such productions as “Annie,” “The Sound of Music,” and “Beauty and the Beast.” A natural beauty, Jessica soon turned to modeling and commercial work.

She is of German, French, English, and Choctaw ancestry.

She can also be seen in the movie Cellular starring  Chris Evans on APTN.

Next
Released: 2007
Starring:
Nicolas Cage as Cris Johnson
Julianne Moore as Callie ferris
Jessica Biel as Liz Cooper
Peter Falk as Irv

In the scene where Nicolas Cage is zapping through TV channels, he stops at one showing the movie Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964), leaving it on for the FBI to listen to. The plot of “Dr. Strangelove” is about a rogue general attempting to start a nuclear holocaust with a wayward nuke, an obvious reference to the nuke in Next.

The Cliffhanger motel is actually a restaurant located on Highway 18 near Crestline, CA, in the San Bernardino Mountains.

Who is Irv?
Peter Michael Falk was born in 1927 and is best known for his role as Lieutenant Columbo in the television series Columbo. He appeared in numerous films and television guest roles, and has been nominated for an Academy Award twice, and won the Emmy Award on five occasions and the Golden Globe award once.
As the star of the TV series Columbo, which aired from 1971 to 1978, he has been called “everyone’s favorite rumpled television detective”.
The story goes that a theatrical agent advised Falk not to expect much film work because of his glass eye. He failed a screen test at Columbia Pictures and was told by studio boss Harry Cohn that “for the same price I can get an actor with two eyes.”

COMMANDO

Released: 1985

Starring:
Arnold Schwarzenegger as John Matrix
Rae Dawn Chong as Cindy
Dan Hedaya as Arius
Vernon Wells as Bennett
James Olson as Major General Franklin Kirby
David Patrick Kelly as Sully
Alyssa Milano as Jenny Matrix 

The shopping mall (Sherman Oaks Galleria) used is the same one that was used in Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), also starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. Since both films wrapped, the mall has been remodeled.

Martial arts expert and fight choreographer Michael M. Vendrell worked with Arnold Schwarzenegger on the film and by the end of production, Vendrell estimated that Schwarzenegger had become a second degree black belt.

The film took 45 days to shoot.

The mansion used in the final shootout between Matrix and Arius (the former Harold Lloyd estate in Beverly Hills) is the same mansion see in the final shootout between Axel Foley and Victor Maitland in Beverly Hills Cop (1984).

Training Day
Released: 2001

Starring
Denzel Washington as Det. Alonzo Harris
Ethan Hawke as Jake Hoyt
Scott Glenn as Roger
Tom Berenger as Stan Gursky
Harris Yulin as Doug Rosselli
Raymond J. Barry as Lou Jacobs
Cliff Curtis as Smiley

In a city where streets are overrun by drug dealers, those who have sworn to uphold the law are breaking them to clean up the streets. Denzel Washington plays L.A.P.D detective Alonzo Harris, a veteran narcotics officer whose methods of enforcing the law are questionable, if not corrupt. Training Day follows Harris as he trains rookie Jake Hoyt over a period 24 hours. Ethical dilemmas arise for Hoyt — is Harris’ methodology for ridding the streets of South Central Los Angeles of drugs right or wrong?

Before Antoine Fuqua was involved in the project, Davis Guggenheim was set to direct with Samuel L. Jackson as Detective-Sergeant Alonzo Harris and Matt Damon as rookie Officer Jack Hoyt. When Denzel Washington accepted the role as Detective-Sergeant Alonzo Harris, Guggenheim was replaced per his request.

Tobey Maguire was seriously considered for the part of Officer Jack Hoyt. He even followed Undercover Narcotics officers in Los Angeles for two months and gained pounds for the role. He was dropped when Ethan Hawke, Fuqua’s first choice, was finally available for the shooting schedule.

Denzel Washington has frequently said that Detective Alonzo Harris is his favorite character that he’s played.

This movie is unique in Academy Awards history, in that it’s the only time an African-American, Denzel Washington, won the Best Actor Oscar as directed by a fellow African-American, Antoine Fuqua.