Follow us on Google News
Get the latest updates directly in your Google News feed
One of the most surprising films in Sandra Bullock’s early filmography has to beDemolition Man.At a time when she gained a reputation for her rom-coms and sweet films, she starred in a project alongside Sylvester Stallone and Wesley Snipes. It is safe to say that the combination was an unlikely one.
However, the film has become somewhat of a classic, and fans have been fawning over it for years. The film had several iconic scenes that have stayed in the back of their minds; however, one seems to be the most peculiar.
For years, fans have been trying to understand the mystery behind the toilet seashells in the film, and the answer seems to have finally been revealed.
Demolition Man’sbiggest mystery has troubled fans for years
Demolition Manwas certainly a successful film. The film had an estimated budget of $57 million (viaIMDb) but managed to exceed tremendously in its box-office run, making $159 million worldwide, according toThe Numbers. Considering this, it is only natural that the film has had every single scene analyzed by fans time and time again.
One of the most peculiar moments throughout the runtime of the film, however, is the affair with the seashells. At one point,Sylvester Stallone’scharacter, John Spartan, goes to the restroom while with the San Angeles Police. Here, he realizes that there is no toilet paper and turns to the officers to ask for some.
This quickly turns into him being left out of an inside joke, with the officers laughing at him. Instead of toilet paper in the washroom, there were three seashells, placed in an organized manner near the toilet. Rob Schneider’s character began to make fun of Spartan, joking that he did not know how to use said seashells.
Sandra Bullock Almost Starred Alongside a James Bond Star in a Movie She Could Tragically Relate To: ‘She could relate to so much of it’
John then went on to a very creative method to deal with his business, yelling out profanities to get fine slips that he could then use. While the sequence was not brought up again, fans have been wondering about what exactly was the use of these seashells.
Thankfully, they have finally gotten the answer—or at least the origins of how they made their way into the film.
A convenient decoration has had fans scratching their heads for decades
The screenwriter ofDemolition Man,Daniel Waters, made an appearance at The Egyptian in Hollywood (viaComicBookMovie), where he talked about the three seashells. Unfortunately for fans, he started the conversation by stating that he would not reveal how they are intended to be used. However, he would tell fans where the idea came from.
I was having trouble, so I called my buddy, another screenwriter across town, asked him if he had any ideas. Ironically enough that guy was taking a dump when he answered the phone, looked around his bathroom and said ‘I have a bag of seashells on my toilet as a decoration?’ I said ‘Ok, I’ll make something out of that.’
Waters revealed that when he was first writing the film, he wanted there to be a unique element to the restroom experience in the future. For this, he wanted Sylvester Stallone’s character to find something peculiar in the washroom. Although he kept wracking his brain, he was unable to come to a conclusion about what he should add to the film.
I won’t tell you the actual secret, but I’ll tell you where it came from. There’s a scene where Stallone has to use a restroom. I’m trying to come up with futuristic things you’d find in there.
Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger Were Bitter Rivals, but Sandra Bullock’s $159M Movie Gave the Highest Honor That Almost Became a Reality
That was when Waters called one of his friends, asking him what he should add to the washrooms in the future. Ironically enough, his buddy was also using the washroom when the screenwriter called, which allowed them to be creative on the spot. His friend told him that he had a bag of seashells in his washroom that he used as decoration.
Immediately jumping on the idea, the concept for the three seashells was formed. While it is very likely that fans will never find out the true meaning of the seashells, it would seem that not a lot of thought was put into them in the first place.
Demolition Manis available for streaming on Apple TV.
Ananya Godboley
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2219
Ananya Godboley is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on TV shows, with over 2,000 articles published. She has been an entertainment journalist for the past two years. Currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in psychology from K.R. Mangalam University, Ananya also likes to fangirl as a full-time job. She covers news and analyses on anything from Rick and Morty to Hannibal and even Arcane. In between these lines, she also enjoys superheroes and Taylor Swift.A philosophy enthusiast, Ananya enjoys digging deeper into the media she consumes, trying to understand the root of her favorite characters' behavior.
