The SLIFR Spring Break Movie Quiz

Or, by its full moniker: Professor Fate's Spring-Loaded Great-Racing Spring Break Movie Quiz!

Just as I was fretting over what to choose for my eight desert island DVDs (brought to my attention courtesy of Mike Lippert and You Talking To Me), my Spring-soaked cold head's snapped by a whopping thirty-seven sanity-bending questions thanks to the nefarious Professor Fate, aka Jack Lemmon, aka Dennis Cozzalio and the always brilliant Sergio Leone and the Infield Fly Rule.

For the curious, my answers to some of SLIFR's earlier quizzes can be found here (Summer '09), here (Christmas '08) here (Summer '08), and here (Memorial Day '08)

But enough of the stalling through linkage...let's get to the questions (pictures forthcoming)!


Growing up during a time when My Three Sons was a constant presence in the house, and for the great roles in Preston Sturges and Frank Capra's films, I gotta go with William "Uncle Charley" Demarest. 

2) What movies improve when seen in a state of altered consciousness? (Patrick Robbins)
Bad ones.  The good ones I prefer to see sober.

3) Favorite studio or production company logo?
As a kid I loved seeing the Tr-Star logo appear.  Nowadays I love the old RKO blinking antenna tower and, if you'll allow it, the 1-2 punch of the Criterion logo followed by the Janus Films seal.

4) Celeste Holm or Joan Blondell?
Who?  I gotta admit, these completely stumped me, even afgter checking out their Wiki pages.  I recognize Celeste Holm, but will go with Joan Blondell based on her resume.  But honestly, no preference.

5) What is the most overrated "classic" film? (Tony Dayoub)
I have zero love for GONE WITH THE WIND.  Can't stand it.  But I wouldn't think to argue with anyone who considers it a classic - I just personally hate it.  Other than that, I don't have much use for Charlton Heston's Bible epics, so take your pick.

6) What movie do you know for sure you saw, but have no memory of seeing? (Patricia Yokoe Cozzalio)
I know (though not why) I saw POSTCARDS FROM THE EDGE in the movie theater with some high school friends.  I can't remember a single thing from it - does someone fall off a piano?  I'm actually more concerned with why a a group of high school kids would actively go out and seek POSTCARDS FROM THE EDGE.  Was there nothing better out there at the time?

7) Favorite Hammer Film?

Depends on the day.  either THE HORROR OF DRACULA or THE CURSE OF THE WEREWOLF (thanks Tony Dayoub!)

8) Gregory Itzin or Joe Pantoliano?
Even when you remove all the great work he's done in the past 10-15 years, you have THE GOONIES, LA BAMBA, and EMPIRE OF THE SUN, all of which he stood out in over the higher-billed stars.  Joey Pants!  

9) Create a double feature with two different movies with the same title. No remakes. (Peter Nellhaus)

CRASH comes most readily to mind.

10) Akiko Wakabayashi or Mie Hama? (Ray Young)
Huh?  (scratches head, goes back to sleep). Without resorting to IMBD, how's this: Mei Hama reminds me of soccer player Mia Hamm.  She was kinda hot back in the day, so her.

11) Can you think of a (non-porn) movie that informed you of the existence of a sexual act you had not known of prior? (Bob Westal)
LAST TANGO IN PARIS enlightened me to the fact that hot women will have sex with old, dumpy guys.  Thank God. 

12) Can you think of a black & white movie that might actually improve if it was in color? (Patrick Robbins)

"Might" being the operative word here, LOST HORIZON?

13) Favorite Pedro Almodovar Film?

TALK TO HER

14) Kurt Raab or Udo Kier?

I sheepishly admit to not knowing who Kurt Raab is.  Udo Kier  never fails to elicit a smile whenever I see on him on screen, so he wins by default.

15) Worst main title song (Peter Nellhaus)
Damn.  I'm sure there are more than a few despicable James Bond theme songs out there (the recent ones by Chris Cornell and U2 are retched), but nothing specific comes to mind.

16) Last movie you saw in a theater? On DVD, Blu-ray or other interesting location/format?
In the theater it was HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON in IMAX 3D, which was ridiculously able to throw me right back to my childhood. On a television set it was DIRTY HARRY streaming in HD thanks to Netflix. Huddled under the covers in bed with my laptop it was DRESSED TO KILL thanks in no small part to Mr. Peel's Sardine Liqueur.

17) Favorite movie reference within a Woody Allen movie? (Larry Aydlette)
The entirety of STARDUST MEMORIES, which wonderfully plays on 8 1/2, but particularly the alien confrontation where they repeat the fans' admission that they prefer his "early, funny ones."

18) Mary Astor or Claudette Colbert? 
I never understood how Bogart could fall so hard for Astor in MALTESE FALCON (Effie, however...hot cha!), but as soon as COLBERT shows her leg in IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT you just get it.

19) Favorite trailer (provide YouTube link if possible)?
If I had access to YouTube at work, I would link to the wonderful trailer/preview for CITIZEN KANE.

20) Oddest double bill you either saw or saw listed in a theater
Unfortunately there weren't a lot of drive-ins near me growing up, and the few I attended all made some kind of logical sense.  The last drive I remember seeing was a double feature of COPLAND and MIMIC...I guess that's kind of an odd one.

21) Favoite Phil Karlson film?
I've only seen KID GALAHAD and BEN, and one of them has killer rats and Michael Jackson, so...

22) Favorite “social problem” picture?
If I think really hard something better might spring to mind (also SHOCK CORRIDOR was already chosen by others), so I'll go with a sentimental favorite: THE BLACKBOARD JUNGLE.  Awesome Sidney Poitier performance, and bonus points for being associated with Evan Hunter, aka Ed Frikkin' McBain. 

23) Your favourite Harryhausen film/monster? (Ali Arikan)
I'd love to be different from the rest of the pack, but how can I NOT choose JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS?

24) What was the first movie you saw with your significant other? (Patrick Robbins)
THE FISHER KING in the theater.  Couldn't have asked for a better first date, considering we've been together ever since (19 years).  

25) John Payne or Ronald Reagan?
Despite not knowing enough about Payne, the bleeding heart liberal in me refuses to say Reagan.

26) Movie you feel a certain pressure or obligation to see that you have not yet actually seen
ANTI-CHRIST.  I really don't want to see it, but feel compelled based on everything that's been written about it.  I think, though, this is one pressure I won't cave into, no matter how much I want to see the Talking Fox!

27) Favorite “psychedelic” movie (Hey, man, like, define it however you want, man…)

2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY looks like a trip (ba dum bum...I'm here all night, folks) to watch during a high.  On the other side of the coin, I imagine a horrible LSD trip would resemble for me the TETSUO films by Shinya Tsukamoto.  Some of those images still inhabit my nightmares.

28) Thelma Ritter or Eve Arden?

Thelma Ritter

29) Favorite iconic shot or image from a film?
Oh, God...so many!  Takeshi Shimura raising in bow in the rain in the climax of SEVEN SAMURAI, Errol Flynn approaching Prince John with a dead deer slung over his back in THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD, Indiana Jones coming into view over the hill as he runs away from the natives in RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, the hat drifting down the path in the opening to MILLER'S CROSSING...I could keep going. 

30) What is the movie that inspired the most memorable argument you ever had about a movie?
TRANSFORMERS 2 and DISTRICT 9.  Not for the difference of opinion, but for the logic used.  You want my blood to boil?  Be sure to do one of the following when you make your case for or against a film:  "None of that matters because it's supposed to be a dumb action/comedy/horror film (take your pick)" or "that's so unrealistic...aliens/robots/vampires/other imaginary thing you can have absolutely no factual opinion on wouldn't do that."  

31) Raquel Torres or Lupe Velez?
Based shallowly on photographs from the web, the beautiful and tragic Lupe Velez.

32) Favorite adaptation of Shakespeare to a film?
Kenneth Branagh's HENRY V for two reasons: the amazing St. Crispin's speech (add Lawrence Olivier's HAMLET and HENRY V in my "overrated" answer) and Derek Jacobi's over the top chorus - the whole opening behind the stage is fantastic.  However, if I ever get the chance to see Welles' CHIMES AT MIDNIGHT I reserve the right to change my answer.

33) Andy Warhol’s Frankenstein (in 3D)-- yes or no?
Hells yes!  Udo!

34) Favorite movie rating?
Anything other than PG-13, which has done more to bring the overall quality of movies down than Michael Bay and Brett Ratner combined.

35) Olivia Barash or Joyce Hyser?
REPO MAN be damned...Joyce Hyser ruined more VHS tapes through constant pausing during JUST ONE OF THE GUYS when I was kid than any other film.  I unabashedly love that movie.

36) What was the movie that convinced you your favorite movie genre was your favorite movie genre?

MILLER'S CROSSING solidified my love of Film Noir.  Yeah, it's a gangster/crime film first and foremost, but you can't deny the Noir elements peppered throughout the movie. 

37) Favorite Blake Edwards movie?

What's that movie with Ted Danson and Howie Mandel?  The one where Mandel acts like a dog?  Not that one.  If I had to choose, I would go with one of the PINK PANTHER movies, most likely THE RETURN OF THE PINK PANTHER or THE PINK PANTHER STRIKES AGAIN.  Although there's a soft spot in my heart for VICTOR VICTORIA for the late, great Robert Preston.

1) William Demarest or Broderick Crawford?