Nerding Out About: Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

• Conversation Points:
• • Gentlemen, we can’t overlook one of the most important parts of this film, which is the soundtrack
  • • What was your favorite track in the film?
    • • Hooked on a Feeling by Blue Swede
    • Movie did so well it was released on Cassette by Marvel
    • James Gunn knew that the soundtrack was paramount to grounding the film in reality, and it would add a sense of nostalgia. He compiled a list of 120 chart topping hits
    • Almost every song was determined before cameras started rolling
  • Let’s take a second to talk about the director James Gunn
  • • Gave out Play-Doh rewards to the cast and crew
    • • Says he “Loves the smell of Play-Doh, and opening a new container and smelling it puts him in a creative, child-like place.”
    • Has an interesting career, having done the movie Slither, and the Beezel segment in the Movie 43 flick.
  • I think one of the best character relationships in this film is between Peter Quill and Yondu. It’s a weird father type relationships, but it totally works!
  • • Moment when Yondu is about to kill Quill.
  • The character of Rocket was put together by four people
  • • Sean Gunn - On Set Rocket
    • Arti Shah
    • • Maz Motion Capture Double
    • Oreo the Raccoon
    • Bradley Cooper - the voice
    • • Used Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci’s character in Goodfellas) as his influence.
• Cast:
• • Chris Pratt (Peter Quill)
  • • Lost 60 Pounds for the Role
    • His audition was so great that Gunn knew within 30 seconds the role was his. So good in fact that pratt didn’t even have to lose the weight.
    • Gunn wasn’t even interested in Pratt at first, it was Gunn’s assistant that insisted he audition him.
    • Marty McFly plus Han Solo is how Pratt developed Starlord
    • Stole his costume to visit sick kids in the hospital
  • Zoe Saldana (Gamora)
  • • Olivia Wilde was originally offered the role
    • Almost broke Chris Pratt’s ribs
  • Dave Bautista (Drax)
  • • Upon getting the role, Bautista broke down crying and called to sign up for extra acting classes
    • Took 5 hours to apply his makeup (and he couldn’t sit down)
  • Vin Diesel (Groot)
  • • Groot helped him get over Paul Walkers death
    • Recorded all his lines on Stilts
  • Lee Pace (Ronan)
  • Karen Gillan (Nebula)
  • • Shaved her head for the role, and had a wig made out of her own hair
• Box Office:
• • Budget: $170 Million Dollars
  • Opening Weekend: 94,320,883 (USA)
  • Gross: 333,130,696 (USA)
  • It is the 31st highest grossing film of all time in the United States, and 51st highest grossing film worldwide.
  • • 1 - Gone with the Wind
    • 2 - Avatar
    • 4 - Star Wars
    • 5 - Titanic
• Factoids:
• • The soundtrack for this film reached number one on the Billboard charts, making it the first film soundtrack to do that without a single original song.
  • Baby Groots dance scene was actually the director in a motion capture suit
  • The flicking of the middle finger was improvised by Pratt
  • The Milano is named for Alyssa Milano
  • Apparently this film is loaded with hidden Mickey’s
• Movie Thoughts:
• • The film is remarkable in its wave-like, emotional storytelling. It has so many highly emotioal moments, killing the mother in the beginning for example, the abandoned planet introduction to the universe.. But then immediately flips to comedic
  • So why was Ronin stuck in a bathtub for so long? Was he imprisoned?