Chris Hayner, at Gamespot, came up with a piece called Demolition Man Easter Eggs: All The References And Things You Didn’t Know. My guess, is our SZoners will know most of these, but then again, unless you click over, how can you be sure? At any rate, here are three of my favorites and thoughts on them…
3. Modern-day LA almost looked very different: When John Spartan goes in to capture Simon Phoenix, he’s brought to the scene by helicopter. Originally, director Marco Brambilla and his team planned to use a blimp in the scene. However, due to the fire effects used in the scene and the presence of heavy winds, it was decided that would be too dangerous.
(While I think blimps are cool, that helicopter scene with Stallone bunging jumping to the rooftop while under fire set the tone for a great action movie! I wish Demolition Man had leaned harder into that than some of the comedy elements. – Craig)
5. Another Simon Phoenix: According to many sources, including AMC, Snipes was not the first choice to play the villainous Simon Phoenix. Stallone actually wanted Jackie Chan in the role. However, Chan reportedly turned it down because he didn’t believe his fans wanted to see him play a bad guy.
(Jackie Chan would have made a great Simon Phoenix, but I’m glad the role went to Snipes. My guess is if Chan had accepted the part, the comedy elements would have increased. – Craig)
10. Sandra Bullock wasn’t the first choice for Huxley: Originally, Lori Petty (Tank Girl, Point Break, A League of Their Own) was cast in the role and even shot a scene. “It just wasn’t working,” the director said.
(Bullock was perfectly cast, but I would love to see the scenes shot with Petty. – Craig)
