5 Iconic Movie Scenes With Hilarious Test Runs

4 The Phantom Menace Podrace Looked Like A Terrifying Kids Show

The Scene:

In the midst of rushing to thwart an intergalactic conspiracy, Jedi Knight Qui-Gon Jinn decides that rather than, say, slicing the slave-owning Watto in half with his lightsaber, the best way to save Anakin Skywalker is to bet on him in a lethal drag race. And it's good thing he does, because the podrace is one of the few exciting parts of The Phantom Menace. After all, it features no discussion of tariffs whatsoever.

Anakin emerges victorious in the cosmic Ben-Hur race, leaving the other pilots, like Sebulba, to live with the grim knowledge that had they not eaten his dust that day, they would have literally prevented multiple genocides.

The Test Run:

This early assembly of the race sequence was comprised of rough effects and test footage. Apparently, even Industrial Light and Magic's process involves creating stuff that looks like a janky '80s TV show. Take the announcer aliens, who originally weren't CGI, but rather two dudes in masks seemingly bought at a Spirit Halloween.

3 A Batman v. Superman Fight Looks Like A Ugandan Action Movie

The Scene:

At the end of Batman v. Superman: Dawn Of Justice, we finally get to see Batman do his thing after patiently sitting through him plotting intricate alien murder and doing bizarre CrossFit routines. The Dark Knight full-on Arkham-style stomps his way through a bunch of goons to save Superman's mommy, who *gasp* has the same name as his mommy.

The Test Run:

The filmmakers fully staged this scene in advance, albeit in a warehouse filled with cardboard boxes and with a guy who couldn't even be bothered to throw on a Batman T-shirt. (We have like 12; we'd have loaned you one.) The scene also includes rough visual effects, including explosions and gunfire, making the whole thing look like a Wakaliwood movie set in an IKEA.

2 The Previsualization Of The Matrix Reloaded Car Chase Is A Wacky Nintendo 64 Game

The Scene:

After weathering a film that was mostly techno raving and techno babbling, audiences finally got a kickass chase scene toward the end of The Matrix Reloaded. Morpheus and Trinity escape on a freeway with the "Keymaker" (sadly not played by Rick Moranis), pursued by two Agents and the "Twins," rogue programs that look like the unholy love children of Predator and Michael Bolton.

The Test Run:

The previsualization process for this scene included planning every shot using sophisticated computer technology. But since this was 2003, that advanced tech made everything look like a sad mod for GoldenEye.

1 Alien -- There's a Screen Test Where The Alien Is A Dude In A Speedo

The Scene:

The Alien alien is without a doubt one of the scariest movie monsters of all time. Even after 40 years of spinoffs, sequels, prequels, and a commercial in which the vicious beast is placated by a can of soda, the acid-blooded killing machine is still terrifying. But back during the production of the original Alien, the filmmakers presumably didn't know whether the titular creature skulking around the halls of the Nostromo would come off as scary or just downright goofy.

The Test-Run:

In '79, the producers filmed a screen test for actor Bolaji Badejo on the set of the Nostromo. It starts out creepily enough, with the alien slowly lurching like a drunken Frankenstein or a normal Gary Busey.

But when he gets closer, we can see that they didn't spring for a full Xenomorph costume for this test. In fact, the dude is wearing nothing but a Speedo, plus a headpiece that looks like a homemade costume made out of a punching bag stuffed with his dignity.