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Shawshank Redemption
Based on Stephen King's novella , the 1994 film The Shawshank Redemption is widely celebrated as a cinematic classic, though it was an initial box office disappointment.
The iconic mud Andy crawls through to escape was actually a mix of chocolate syrup and sawdust.
The posters of Rita Hayworth, Marilyn Monroe, and Raquel Welch in Andy's cell served as more than just tunnel camouflage.
They visually represent Andy's evolving journey and the passing decades.
Morgan Freeman's real-life son, Alfonso Freeman, appears on-screen in two distinct instances. He is one of the inmates shouting "fresh fish" during Andy's arrival and is pictured in the mugshot attached to Red's parole papers.
The character of Red was originally written as a white Irishman, and producers initially considered huge stars like Clint Eastwood, Harrison Ford, and Paul Newman for the role.
The movie was filmed largely in Mansfield, Ohio, at the historic Ohio State Reformatory.
It only grossed roughly $16 million during its initial theatrical run against a $25 million budget.
Its reputation grew immensely following its seven Academy Award nominations (including Best Picture and Best Actor), allowing it to earn millions more in subsequent re-releases.
In one scene, Warden Norton offers Tommy Marlboro cigarettes that feature a Surgeon General's warning.
However, these warnings did not actually appear on cigarette packaging in the United States until the 1970s, while the scene takes place in the late 1960s.