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Across the Universe ~ Tid Bits

Great Trivia facts about my new fave movie 'Across the Universe' - Courtesy of IMDB.com of course!

Although in the scene outside the high school everyone was dressed in jackets, coats, hats etc... It was actually near 80 degrees while filming. In fact, when the camera cut, they brought umbrellas over the principle actors to keep them in the shade.

Even though this is an obvious observation, most of the characters are named after different Beatles songs (Jude, Mr. Kite, Dr. Robert, Lucy), along with the title of the movie.

90% of the songs were recorded live on-set and were not dubbed with studio recordings in post-production. Evan Rachel Wood's version of "If I Fell" is totally live, and was successfully completed on the first take.

Early versions of the script included a segment involving a prison guard named Sgt. Pepper, with "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" set to accompany the scene. The entire idea was scrapped as the script was finalized for production.

Salma Hayek specifically requested to appear in the film. When director Julie Taymor mentioned the role of the Bang Bang Shoot Shoot Nurse, Hayek replied, "Just ONE of the nurses, Julie?"

The shipyard employee that gives Jude his paycheck says he thought he'd be doing something different when he was sixty-four, an allusion to the song "When I'm Sixty-Four."

Prudence first enters the apartment through the window, a reference to "She Came in through the Bathroom Window."

When Max and Jude first see their apartment, Sadie comments that Max seems harmless, but could have murdered someone with a silver hammer, and in another scene Max is shown holding a silver hammer, both homages to the song that lends Max his name, "Maxwell's Silver Hammer."

The cavern area where Sadie and her band performs is a reference to the Cavern Club, where the Beatles performed for the first time.

Apple Records, the studio owned by the Beatles toward the end of their career as a group, is also referenced when Jude is trying to draw a green apple, then slices it in half and tries to draw it again, thus producing the two logos of the company.

The rooftop concert toward the end of the film is also a reference to the Beatles' rooftop concert atop Apple Records' headquarters, their final public appearance.

Just before Jude goes up to find Lucy gone, when he is talking to JoJo in the street, the background is the same as the cover of 'Abby Road'.

When Sadie plays at the Filmore, she is billed as Sadie and the Po Boys, a reference to the Creedence Clearwater Revival album "Willy and the Poor Boys."

During the number "With a Little Help From My Friends," a prominent poster of actress Brigitte Bardot is a reference to John Lennon's life-long obsession with her.

When Jeff Beck's instrumental cover of "A Day In The Life" plays, Jude is reading a newspaper - a reference to the lyric, "I read the news today, oh boy."

The number of the building where the rooftop concert takes place is #9. This could be an allusion to the song "Revolution 9" in the White Album.

In the middle of "With A Little Help from My Friends", the music changes to a cover version of the song done by Joe Cocker, who makes a cameo appearance in the film. This version was also used as the theme song for the television show "The Wonder Years" (1988).

The character of JoJo is a clear reference to Jimi Hendrix. Jimi moved to New York and that's where his career really began. Also JoJo's guitar playing style is exactly like Hendrix. Also Sadie dresses him up in the purple shirt and bandanna -- one of Jimi's most famous stage customs.

Sadie, with her fiery red hair and passionate temper, is a reference to 'Janice Joplin' . Sadie is even seen drinking directly from a Jack Daniels bottle during her downward spiral, an action that Janice did on a regular occurrence. Even Janice's throaty singing voice is used by Sadie in the movie.

Posted on 10/03/07 by: quelbellrw 03:27 PM