Quiz: test your movie knowledge

[Drifter]

Heh heh heh. Another possible game - just to try it out: some test your movie knowledge questions, if anyone cares to give them a go. Some trivia, some intriguing details, some… some maybe more difficult than others – not sure of what level to set them at. Maybe too obscure, but hopefully a couple may pique one's curiosity. Anyway, see how it goes. When / if answering, please quote the question in full. New questions will be added depending on how any response is.


1) In which biographical period-epic is the lead character never actually seen on camera but events sometimes depicted through his point of view? Why?

2) For which film was the rock-star / writer initially scheduled to play the lead role replaced by another rock-star? Who were the two people?

3) Name two Japanese films by Akira Kurosawa based on plays by Shakespeare (and the plays they are based on). SOLVED

4) Which hugely-expensive film was such a disastrous box-office flop that it bankrupted its studio and was also credited with ending the dominance of directorial freedom as a credo in American filmmaking? SOLVED

5) The makers of this science fiction film reportedly sought litigation against George Lucas and Star Wars claiming that R2D2 was a rip-off of the robots in their movie. Name the movie and the robots. SOLVED

6) Anthony Hopkins is commonly identified with the serial killer character Hannibal Lekter (sp?); but which actor first played the notorious cannibal and in which movie? SOLVED

7) Which English-language American remake of a French movie has a misleading title (in English) that appears briefly in the film, painted on the door of a truck, but in another language?

8) The ultimate Vietnam War movie Apocalypse Now! is actually based on which much-studied-in English-Lit-courses pre-WW1 novella? Who wrote it? SOLVED

9) When Dennis Hopper came to direct this movie, he was straddled with an actor who thought the film was primarily about his character. Hopper contractually indulged the actor knowing full well that he would cut out most of his performance to get at the bit he needed. Name the film (and the actor).

10) The American cinema of terrorism is effectively bookended by two films thirty-odd years apart that concern terrorist threats to American football events, the different endings being ironic indicators of changing attitudes in the interim. Name the two movies.

:)
ANSWERED:
Ed W.: 2
HoundsOfLove: 1
Lizard Drinkin: 1
Tsar: 1

[Ed W]

3) Name two Japanese films by Akira Kurosawa based on plays by Shakespeare (and the plays they are based on).


I know Ran and Throne of Blood are based on Shakespeare. Ran = King Lear, Throne of Blood = Macbeth, I think (not sure).


5) The makers of this science fiction film reportedly sought litigation against George Lucas and Star Wars claiming that R2D2 was a rip-off of the robots in their movie. Name the movie and the robots.


I'm pretty sure R2D2 was based on Huey, Dewey and Louie from Silent Running (one of my favourite early sci-fi movies).

[HoundsOfLove]

4) Which hugely-expensive film was such a disastrous box-office flop that it bankrupted its studio and was also credited with ending the dominance of directorial freedom as a credo in American filmmaking?


Heaven's Gate - Micheal Climo??

[Lizard Drinkin]

1) In which biographical period-epic is the lead character never actually seen on camera but events sometimes depicted through his point of view? Why?

I haven't seen it but I suspect it might be "the Elephant Man?" Probably to evoke the audience's empathy and amplify the universal revulsion with which he is greeted. Stab in the dark there... :rolleyes:

4) Which hugely-expensive film was such a disastrous box-office flop that it bankrupted its studio and was also credited with ending the dominance of directorial freedom as a credo in American filmmaking?

"The Adventures of Baron Munchausen" - Terry Gilliam?

8) The ultimate Vietnam War movie Apocalypse Now! is actually based on which much-studied-in English-Lit-courses pre-WW1 novella? Who wrote it?

"Heart of Darkness" by Joseph Conrad.

[Lizard Drinkin]

I'm pretty sure R2D2 was based on Huey, Dewey and Louie from Silent Running (one of my favourite early sci-fi movies).
Mine too, getting a bit of profile on this forum lately I must say.

[harvs]

4) Which hugely-expensive film was such a disastrous box-office flop that it bankrupted its studio and was also credited with ending the dominance of directorial freedom as a credo in American filmmaking?

Cleopatra (1963) - Joseph Mankiewicz ?

[Drifter]

Ed W is right on both counts.

Hounds is right with Heaven's Gate (Michael Cimino being the director credited with ending the age of the American auteur-director)

Lizard is right with Conrad's book, but not with The Elephant Man.

harvs - Cleopatra was indeed a huge box-office flop but Hounds got the film this question was referring to.

Will update solved in a sec. :)

[harvs]

harvs - Cleopatra was indeed a huge box-office flop but Hounds got the film this question was referring to.


Ah well, it was the first one that came to mind. Hell, it forced 20th Century Fox to shut down for four months! Flop, indeed. And good work, Houndsy.

[billystorm]

Anyone thats good at this may want to check out the Video EZY Comp (http://forums.eyo.com.au/showthread.php?t=113547) with a trip to Hollywood and other prizes up for grabs begins May 23 :)

[Tsargrad]

6) Brian Cox - Manhunter

[Tsargrad]

9) Catchfire - Jodie Foster (is also called something else, but I can't remember)
an absolutely terrible film, beyond bad

[Drifter]

9) Catchfire - Jodie Foster (is also called something else, but I can't remember)
an absolutely terrible film, beyond bad

Not the one the question's referring to. The film in question on US DVD has a Hopper commentary track in which he discusses this male actor's belief that the film was about something other than Hopper intended.

Right on Brian Cox and Manhunter of course though. :)

[all about eve]

2) For which film was the rock-star / writer initially scheduled to play the lead role replaced by another rock-star? Who were the two people?


Film: Rock Star
Originally: Brad Pitt
Replaced: Mark Whalberg

?

[Drifter]

Film: Rock Star
Originally: Brad Pitt
Replaced: Mark Whalberg

?


Interesting. But not what the question was referring to. The film in the question is way, way before Marky Mark. Even before MTV. A rock star turned screenwriter also, basing the script on his band's album: he was considered (and perhaps expected) to play the lead role, but was replaced by the singer of another band who had just slowly risen up the charts with a hit or two - UK not USA.

[Drifter]

An update with some new questions for the upcoming week. Tried a few more - mainly titles and people at this point, but may look into other varieties of question types. The first five questions are hangovers from the original posting - the remainders are new. Clues may be added to those that remain on the board for some time (too soon yet).

1) In which biographical period-epic is the lead character never actually seen on camera but events sometimes depicted through his point of view? Why? CLUE: think religion

2) Which English-language American remake of a French movie has a misleading title that appears briefly in the film, painted on the door of a truck, but in another language? CLUE: drive a truckload of unstable nitro-glycerine across a dangerous winding mountain road? why not?

3) When Dennis Hopper came to direct this movie, he was straddled with an actor who thought the film was primarily about his character. Hopper contractually indulged the actor knowing full well that he would cut out most of his performance to get at the bit he needed. Name the film (and the actor). CLUE: 1980; punk rock and Hopper in incestuous mode; the actor was Ironside

4) The American cinema of terrorism is effectively bookended by two films thirty-odd years apart that concern terrorist threats to American football events, the different endings being ironic indicators of changing attitudes in the interim. Name the two movies.

5) Akira Kurosawa’s classic Samurai film Yojimbo has inspired at least three various-degree remakes: an Italian western (SOLVED as Fistful of Dollars), a gangster film (SOLVED as Last Man Standing) and a low-budget science fiction movie (CLUE: an obscure Rutger Hauer movie). Name these three (only two remaining).

6) The director of this movie was once considered one of Britain’s best. However, when he made this notorious horror movie, the same British critics savagely turned on him and denounced the film as a sensationalist and lurid wallow and his career was virtually ended, forcing him to take refuge and make films in Australia. :) Many years later, thanks to the efforts of Martin Scorsese and others, this once-detested horror film is now considered one of the finest and most complex of movies, ever. Name the movie. CLUE: another name for a voyeur is a... SOLVED

7) When it came to this film, the original screenwriter (a famous American author / essayist) was so disgusted with the resultant film that he insisted his name be taken off the credits. The uncut film remains banned in Australia. Name the film. (a bonus point for naming the dejected original author).

8) This recent horror sequel (to a famous original) was made with one director but remade with the same cast and a different director when the producers felt the first version wasn’t scary enough. Name the film. SOLVED BUT BONUS POINT STILL AVAILABLE: (a bonus point for naming both the original director and the man who eventually directed the released version).

9) Director Quentin Tarantino called it “my favourite score”; director Brett (Rush Hour) Ratner once had the same score’s theme music on his answering machine. The score to which film? and who composed it? CLUE: think Bruce Lee in America; composer recently toured Oz - if you have Foxtel you can see his "Jazz Meets the Symphony" concert on Ovation


ANSWERED:
Tsar: 4.1
Lizard Drinkin: 3.1
Ed W.: 3
HoundsOfLove: 1

[harvs]

10) This recent horror sequel (to a famous original) was made with one director but remade with the same cast and a different director when the producers felt the first version wasn’t scary enough. Name the film. (a bonus point for naming both the original director and the man who eventually directed the released version).

Carrie 2: The Rage ?
Original director - Robert Mandel
Final director - Katt Shea

Edit: Crap! I just read the question again and it says "the man"... and Shea is a woman. Dang. Scrap that idea then.

[Lizard Drinkin]

2) For which film was the rock-star / writer initially scheduled to play the lead role replaced by another rock-star? Who were the two people?
A rock star turned screenwriter also, basing the script on his band's album: he was considered (and perhaps expected) to play the lead role, but was replaced by the singer of another band who had just slowly risen up the charts with a hit or two - UK not USA.
Aha! It was "The Wall". Dave Gilmour from Pink Floyd was replaced by the Boomtown Rats lead singer Bob Geldoff - I think, marijuana was heavily involved with the acquisition of this memory :rolleyes: .

[Lizard Drinkin]

11) Which Steven Spielberg film was originally a project for Stanley Kubrick but went to Spielberg when Kubrick passed away following the completion of Eyes Wide Shut?

That'll be "AI: Artificial Intelligence"

12) Director Quentin Tarantino called it “my favourite score”; director Brett (Rush Hour) Ratner once had the same score’s theme music on his answering machine. The score to which film? and who composed it?

Ooh, tempted to guess at an Ennio Morricone score but I think it would have to be the "Supafly" soundtrack by Curtis Mayfield? It's my favourite, anyway. :D

[Tsargrad]

6) One James Bond film has always been the subject of much copyright debate, the rights not wholly being owned by Ian Fleming or the “official” Bond producers Broccoli and Saltzman – name the original Bond film and the non-official Bond remake.

Thunderball. Was remade an a non-official Bond as Never Say Never Again, and was even rumoured to be in production a 3rd time in 1999.


10) This recent horror sequel (to a famous original) was made with one director but remade with the same cast and a different director when the producers felt the first version wasn’t scary enough. Name the film. (a bonus point for naming both the original director and the man who eventually directed the released version).
The Exorcist: The Beginning. No idea on direction, unless I use imdb which I won.

[Drifter]

2) For which film was the rock-star / writer initially scheduled to play the lead role replaced by another rock-star? Who were the two people?
...
Aha! It was "The Wall". Dave Gilmour from Pink Floyd was replaced by the Boomtown Rats lead singer Bob Geldoff - I think, marijuana was heavily involved with the acquisition of this memory .

ahh, the weed and memory: right movie, Geldof was the replacement, but not for Gilmour - for the morosely self-indulgent they-took-my-daddy-from-me Roger Waters. Floyd music and mary jane hmmm - maybe worked a little better before Roger Waters' depression took the band over. :)

Lizard is right on A.I; but not for Mayfield and Superfly (which is a :cool: score nonetheless).

Tsar is right on the Bonds and on Exorcist The Beginning...I'll leave the bonus point for directors up for a while to see if the title now triggers a memory (think Cat People remake versus Deep Blue Sea).