Trivia: This is the first movie in human history to ever to feature a fully CG (computer generated) character when the knight emerges from the stained glass window. Computer graphics had existed prior (Wrath of Kahn), but never once to simulate an on-screen character.
Trivia: Tim Burton appears in a cameo when Pee Wee is accosted in the alley on his way to the psychic. He says to Pee Wee, "we don't take kindly to strangers on our turf!" (00:30:35)
Trivia: This film is notorious for having undertones and themes that many perceive as homoerotic, and the events of the film are often perceived by critics as a personification of the lead character Jesse being tormented by being "in the closet" and unable to be true to himself. While the makers of the film initially denied that this subtext was intentional, screenwriter David Chaskin recently admitted that the subtext was intentionally written into the script in order to give the characters and story depth.
Trivia: The car that Charlie drives belongs to director Tom Holland.
Trivia: Director Peter Bogdanovich's first choice for the part of Rocky Dennis was Anthony Michael Hall. Hall turned down the part because he didn't like the idea of hiding his face during the whole film with make-up. Eric Stoltz was then cast instead.
Suggested correction: I don't know if you are right or wrong, but I thought Eric was given the role because he sang "Rock-y" during his audition. [I'm not really asserting that you are wrong; I had to pick that option in order to be able to reply here.].
Trivia: This was Disney's first PG-rated animated film, and the company caught a lot of flak for it from parents' groups.
Trivia: Audrey Landers is not seen in wide shots of the entire cast while dancing because she was an inexperienced dancer.
Trivia: In the scene at the beginning of the regatta race, on the Barnacle, the shot changes to Laurie asking Sandy: "Mommy can I play in the basement with Yorku"? The voice however is not of Laurie, but instead is Jennifer making a young child voice. Source: http://www.fast-rewind.com/making_summerrental.htm. (01:14:40)
Trivia: The only Care Bear and Care Bear Cousin that do not make an appearance in this movie are True Heart Bear and Noble Heart Horse.
Trivia: The title of the movie (and book) is derived from the writings of Roman historian Pliny the Elder: "Out of Africa always something new" (original Latin - Ex Africa semper aliquid novi).
Trivia: This is, the way I see it, a VERY serious mistake by the filming crew of the movie. The Alaska Railroad, where the shooting of the movie took place, wanted all their logos and paint schemes of all the trains in the movie to be camouflaged. But yet, on the first shot of the locomotive of Eastbound 12 (yes, that is the shot of it before it mysteriously changes from ONE GP40 to TWO ALCo MRS's), you can see the blue and yellow paint scheme of the Alaska Railroad. On the DVD you might even be able to see the printed ALASKA on the side of the loco.
Trivia: Based only very loosely on the story "Herbert West: Reanimator" by H.P. Lovecraft, taking great liberties with the original story. This was, reportedly, one of Lovecraft's least favorite among his stories, one that he only wrote in order to "pay the bills."
Trivia: Check out the very brief appearance by one of today's most notable actors: William H. Macy. He had a very small, very brief role as the dance host's manager. This movie was made when Macy was only in his fledgeling acting years, hence his small, unimportant part in what can be considered a B-movie. He goes by "W.H. Macy" in the credits, which is what he went by in his early acting years.
Trivia: Here are some interesting tidbits about where some of the aspects of the movie came from, which is a compilation of the books following the first. Jack Pumpkinhead, the Powder of Life, the Gump, Mombi, Ozma (Tip) and the escape off the top of the roof all come from 'The Marvelous Land of Oz'. The multiple heads angle, the Gnome King's Nick-Nack game, the chicken coop, Billina, and Tik-Tok all come from 'Ozma of Oz'. The tunnel under the Deadly Desert that Mombi uses to get to the Gnome King seems to come from 'The Emerald City Of Oz'.
Trivia: In the days before ubiquitous digital technology, the majority of visual effects in film were "practical" effects using stuntmen and props on wires, springboards, flash-pots, et cetera. In "Ladyhawke" (which was decidedly on the low-end of visual effects budgets), one of the most dangerous practical effects is seen when Matthew Broderick and Rutger Hauer have a heated discussion in the woods and seem about to part company. As Broderick turns to leave, Hauer's 53" longsword sizzles past the boy's left shoulder and embeds in a tree trunk, to Broderick's horror. In fact, the steel sword was real and hurtled to its target on a guide-wire, barely 8 inches from Broderick's back. If you slow-advance the scene, you can see the sword actually changing trajectory in-flight, it was so unstable. The sword came up in a Hollywood memorabilia auction in 2002 but was not sold. http://www.icollector.com/Rutger-Hauer-prop-special-effects-sword-from-Ladyhawke_i169815.
Trivia: Gary Busey ad-libbed a majority of his lines. When director Daniel Attias told Stephen King about this, Stephen said he was OK with it.
Trivia: John Huston was nominated for the Best Director Academy Award for this movie. At the age of 79, Huston became the oldest person to be Oscar nominated for directing.
Trivia: The "smoking man" at the Shangri-La tower who bumps into Sam is the film's director, Terry Gilliam.