Strange Movie Facts, Take 1

Did you know film’s been around since 1887? Or that an IMAX projector is so bright, if aimed upward it could be seen from space? Discover lists 20 little-known movie facts:

• Thomas Edison’s firm made the first motion-picture camera in 1891—but didn’t invent a projector.
• The mechanical shark in Jaws was tough to use, so Steven Spielberg had to settle for scenes from its perspective.

• “Audio illusions” account for many sound effects. Crunchy snow is made from cornstarch on ice; flapping gloves sound like flying birds.
• Crowd noise is called “walla,” and can be generated by a group of people saying just that over and over.
• A large buttered popcorn can deliver 1,600 calories.
• The inventors of IMAX were a group of young Canadians who won over investors by renting out and decorating classy offices.

(More film stories.)