History Trivia / Explorers

* TroubledProduction: The film's production was thrown into turmoil when three top executives at Paramount Pictures left to join other studios -- Michael Eisner and Jeffrey Katzenburg for Disney, and Barry Diller for 20th Century Fox. As a result, Creator/JoeDante -- who had already been working on a time crunch by joining the project in late 1984 with a projected August 1985 release date -- was [[ScrewedByTheNetwork told by Paramount]] that the release had been pushed up to early July and that the cast and crew were to just stop working; whatever they had managed to finish would be what they would put in theaters as the final cut. Not surprisingly, ''Explorers'' would be criticized for its [[ObviousBeta patchy story and underwhelming climax]]. It also had the misfortune of being both released on the same weekend as UsefulNotes/LiveAid and the weekend after the release of megahit ''Film/BackToTheFuture1'', sealing its fate as a BoxOfficeBomb.

* TroubledProduction: The film's production was thrown into turmoil when three top executives at Paramount Pictures left to join other studios -- Michael Eisner and Jeffrey Katzenburg for Disney, and Barry Diller for 20th Century Fox. As a result, Creator/JoeDante -- who had already been working on a time crunch by joining the project in late 1984 with a projected August 1985 release date -- was [[ScrewedByTheNetwork told by Paramount]] that the release had been pushed up to early July and that the cast and crew were to just stop working; whatever they had managed to finish would be what they would put in theaters as the final cut. Not surprisingly, ''Explorers'' would be criticized for its [[ObviousBeta patchy story and underwhelming climax]]. It also had the misfortune of being both released on the same weekend as UsefulNotes/LiveAid and the weekend after the release of megahit ''Film/BackToTheFuture'', sealing its fate as a BoxOfficeBomb.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: The film was originally going to be directed by Creator/WolfgangPetersen, but disagreements with the studio caused him to bow out (specifically, he wanted to film it in Germany to avert CaliforniaDoubling).

* ProductionPosse: It wouldn't be a Creator/JoeDante film without Creator/DickMiller being cast in a significant role. Additionally, this makes Dante regular Creator/RobertPicardo's second film after ''Film/TheHowling'', and is Creator/JerryGoldsmith's third movie score for Dante after ''Film/TwilightZoneTheMovie'' and ''Film/{{Gremlins}}''.

* TroubledProduction: The film's production was thrown into turmoil when three top executives at Paramount Pictures left to join other studios -- Michael Eisner and Jeffrey Katzenburg for Disney, and Barry Diller for 20th Century Fox. As a result, Creator/JoeDante -- who had already been working on a time crunch by joining the project in late 1984 with an August 1985 release date -- was [[ScrewedByTheNetwork told by Paramount]] that the release had been pushed up to early July and that the cast and crew were to just stop working; whatever they had managed to finish would be what they would put in theaters as the final cut. Not surprisingly, ''Explorers'' would be criticized for its [[ObviousBeta patchy story and underwhelming climax]]. It also had the misfortune of being both released on the same weekend as UsefulNotes/LiveAid and the weekend after the release of megahit ''Film/BackToTheFuture'', sealing its fate as a BoxOfficeBomb.

* TroubledProduction: The film's production was thrown into turmoil when three top executives at Paramount Pictures left to join other studios -- Michael Eisner and Jeffrey Katzenburg for Disney, and Barry Diller for 20th Century Fox. As a result, Creator/JoeDante -- who had already been working on a time crunch by joining the project in late 1984 with an August 1985 release date -- was [[ScrewedByTheNetwork told by Paramount]] that the release had been pushed up to early July and that the cast and crew were to just stop working; whatever they had managed to finish would be what they would put in theaters as the final cut. Not surprisingly, ''Explorers'' would be criticized for its [[ObviousBeta patchy story and underwhelming climax]]. It also had the misfortune of being released on the same weekend as UsefulNotes/LiveAid, sealing its fate as a BoxOfficeBomb.

** TheCastShowoff: Robert Picardo. He just cuts loose with his impersonations and comic beats.

* ProductionPosse: It wouldn't be a Creator/JoeDante film without Dick Miller being cast in a significant role. Additionally, this makes Dante regular Robert Picardo's second film after ''Film/TheHowling'', and is Creator/JerryGoldsmith's third movie score for Dante after ''Film/TwilightZoneTheMovie'' and ''Film/{{Gremlins}}''.

* ProductionPosse: It wouldn't be a Creator/JoeDante film without Dick Miller being cast in a significant role. Additionally, this makes Dante regular Robert Picardo's second film after ''Film/TheHowling'', and is Creator/JerryGoldsmith's third movie score for Dante after ''Film/TwilightZoneTheMovie'' and ''Film/{{Gremlins}}''.

* ProductionPosse: It wouldn't be a Creator/JoeDante film without Dick Miller being cast in a significant role.

* ProductionPosse: It wouldn't be a Creator/JoeDante film without Dick Miller being cast in a significant role.
* RetroactiveRecognition:
** Robert Picardo. ''Explorers'' came out over a decade before ''Series/StarTrekVoyager''. It came out years before ''Series/ChinaBeach''.
** Creator/JamesCromwell's bigger kids movie was ten years later in ''Film/{{Babe}}''.
** Meschach Taylor before being in ''Film/{{Mannequin}}'' or the series ''Series/DesigningWomen''.

** Creator/JamesCromwell's bigger kids movie was ten years later in ''Film/{{Babe}}''.

* HeyItsThatGuy: [[DeadPoetsSociety Todd Anderson]] and [[IndianaJonesAndTheLastCrusade Young Indy]] travel to space.
** HeyItsThatVoice: FrankWelker as the father alien.
** [[Series/StarTrekVoyager The EMH/Doc Zimmerman]] is Starkiller.
** [[SilverSpoons JT Martin]] is now a bully leading a GangOfBullies consisting of [[StandByMe Eyeball Chambers]] and [[{{Film/Titanic}} Fabrizio]].
** Wolfgang's Dad is none other than Creator/JamesCromwell

** Picardo. ''Explorers'' came out over a decade before ''Series/StarTrekVoyager''. It came out years before ''Series/ChinaBeach''.
** Creator/JamesCromwell's bigger kids movie was ten years later in ''Film/{{Babe}}''.

* HeyItsThatGuy: [[DeadPoetsSociety Todd Anderson]], [[SilverSpoons J.T. Martin]] [[IndianaJonesAndTheLastCrusade Young Indy]] travel to space.

** [[StarTrekVoyager The EMH/Doc Zimmerman]] is Starkiller.

** Picardo. ''Explorers'' came out over a decade before ''StarTrekVoyager''. It came out years before ''Series/ChinaBeach''.

* ExecutiveMeddling: The film had a later release date when the studio changed hands and decided to release it earlier, when editing wasn't really finished. That's why the helicopter pilot and Lori Swan plotlines are spotty and don't quite fit. The guy on a date at the drive-in is supposed to be Ben's older brother - the one he says entered his "Jerk phase" as they walked to the top of the hill.

* HeyItsThatGuy: [[DeadPoetsSociety Todd Anderson]], [[SilverSpoons J.T. Martin]] and [[IndianaJonesAndTheLastCrusade Young Indy]] travel to space.

** Creator/JamesCromwell's bigger kids movie was Film/{{Babe}}.

* RetroactiveRecognition: Picardo. ''Explorers'' came out over a decade before ''StarTrekVoyager''. It came out years before ''Series/ChinaBeach''.

* RetroactiveRecognition: Picardo. ''Explorers'' came out over a decade before ''StarTrekVoyager''. Heck, it came out years before ''ChinaBeach''.

** [[StarTrekVoyager The EMH/Doc Zimmerman]] is Starkiller.

** HeyItsThatVoice: FrankWelker as the father alien.