No Wonder My Allergies Are Raging Springtime Movie Quiz
Writer Dennis Cozzalio, he of the wonderfully titled Sergio Leone and the Infield Fly Rule site, is well-regarded for his in-depth knowledge and thoughtful essays he gladly shares with his readers. The extraordinary SoCal blogger remains one of my long-time reads for the moving picture. His semi-regular movie quizzes are online events that many look forward to. Me included. And well worth the furled brows many of us toil under to come up with just the right answers. For the dreaded hay fever, teary-eyed Spring season, he’s teed up another:
MISS JEAN BRODIE’S MODESTLY MAGNIFICENT, MATRIARCHALLY MANIPULATIVE SPRINGTIME-FOR-MUSSOLINI MOVIE QUIZ
As I’ve stated more than once, I treat these as interview questions. Anyone interested in film is invited to take part. You can paste the questions and craft your answers into Google’s sometime temperamental Blogger comment system in Dennis’ post. Been there, done that (thank you very much). Or, do as I’ve learned to do: post your answers on your own blog (if you have one) and leave a comment on his quiz article with a link back to your answers. As Dennis encourages:
“Miss Brodie would like to remind all participants that there are no correct answers, only thoughtful ones, though she reserves the right to arch an eyebrow in quizzical disbelief or outright cynicism if she deems your responses lazy, insufficiently elaborate or otherwise lacking in the standard of thoroughness and honor which is the hallmark of study amongst these hallowed halls. So, no pressure, only a reminder that the more windy and discursive answers are the ones most favored— clipped, blunt, one or two-word answers should be reserved for Professor Walter Hill’s upcoming class on Macho Codes and Aesthetics.”
Pencils up, and begin!
1) The classic movie moment everyone loves except me is:
From Gone With The Wind:
“As God is my witness, as God is my witness they’re not going to lick me. I’m going to live through this and when it’s all over, I’ll never be hungry again. No, nor any of my folk. If I have to lie, steal, cheat or kill. As God is my witness, I’ll never be hungry again.”
Spare me.
2) Favorite line of dialogue from a film noir
3) Second favorite Hal Ashby film
Second only to Harold and Maude.
4) Describe the moment when you first realized movies were directed as opposed to simply pieced together anonymously.*
Sitting in the Huntington Park Warner Theatre at age ten and realizing that fact as I watched this movie, first-run, in 1964. A game-changer for me growing up, as well:
5) Favorite film book
My Film Noir Encyclopedia always stays near, but of late it’s been this Taschen volume:
6) Diana Sands or Vonetta McGee?
Two beautiful actresses that left this world far too soon, but I have to go with the lovely Vonetta:
7) Most egregious gap in your viewing of films made in the past 10 years
May not qualify since it falls a little outside of 10 years, but I’ve never seen any of Linklater’s ‘Before…’ romantic dramas (Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, and obviously the upcoming Before Midnight). I know, I know.
8) Favorite line of dialogue from a comedy
“Listen the last man that said that to me was Archie Leach just a week before he cut his throat.” ~ Cary Grant as Walter Burns in His Girl Friday
Best in-joke, ever.
9) Second favorite Lloyd Bacon film
Goldingers of 1937? I’ve seen so few.
10) Richard Burton or Roger Livesey?
Natch, it’s the hard-drinking Welshman, Richard Burton.
11) Is there a movie you staunchly refuse to consider seeing? If so, why?
Oh, I reckon it’s probably now A Serbian Film. I guess being on the second half of life, and being cursed with a long memory, I’ve come to a point where there’s some things I don’t wish to see. Mainly, because I can’t un-see them (at least while I’m still walking the planet). Much like “Life is too short to read bad books.“, knowing I’m not going to enjoy something that crosses a line for me is just not worth the screen time. There are too many other good and varied film I’ve yet to see that I’d rather give the limited time I have toward. I’m sure others will disagree (which is okay), but there it is. I covered some of this in a discussion a couple of years back, here.
12) Favorite filmmaker collaboration
Robert Rodriguez, Eli Roth, Quentin Tarantino, Edgar Wright, and Rob Zombie all shot segments in this still under appreciated gem of an exploitation film:
13) Most recently viewed movie on DVD/Blu-ray/theatrical?
Theater – Oz The Great & Powerful
Blu-ray – A Few Good Men
DVD – Carnage
14) Favorite line of dialogue from a horror movie
By Geena Davis in The Fly (1986)…
“No. Be afraid. Be very afraid.”
15) Second favorite Oliver Stone film
Oh, probably this (second to JFK):
16) Eva Mendes or Raquel Welch?
No contest…
Jo Raquel Tejada, better known as Raquel Welch.
17) Favorite religious satire
Hmm… Monty Python’s Life of Brian?
18) Best Internet movie argument? (question contributed by Tom Block)
Oh, I don’t know. I guess any that seriously argue what they would do in some future zombie attack to come. That’s always worth a big laugh for me ;-).
19) Most pointless Internet movie argument? (question contributed by Tom Block)
CRASH beating Brokeback Mountain, as I spoke to here.
20) Charles McGraw or Robert Ryan?
It’s fairly obvious to me…
21) Favorite line of dialogue from a western
22) Second favorite Roy Del Ruth film
I got nothin’.
23) Relatively unknown film or filmmaker you’d most eagerly proselytize for
The Robert Culp-directed, Walter Hill-scripted under-appreciated neo noir from 1972…
24) Ewan McGregor or Gerard Butler?
My good friend Ruth of Flixchatter may hate me for saying this, but it’s the other Scot that’s my pick. You know, the one who more than not consistently performs in good movies.
Ewan McGregor
25) Is there such a thing as a perfect movie?
No. And I wouldn’t want there to be. How could us mere mortals ever truly appreciate such a thing, if there were?
26) Favorite movie location you’ve most recently had the occasion to actually visit*
Much like the movie, this was eerie happenstance. Last month, my wife and I attended a wonderful play by the famed East West Players of Los Angeles. My dear friend Pop Culture Nerd co-starred in the stage production of Christmas in Hanoi. Situated in the historic Little Tokyo district near downtown, the old church the Asian American theatre organization used for their events sent a familiar chill down my back. When I glimpsed it pulling into the parking lot next door, I almost couldn’t believe it. The prime shooting location for John Carpenter’s Prince of Darkness (1987), a long-time favorite of mine.
27) Second favorite Delmer Daves film
My colleague Colin just reviewed this last month, second only to 3:10 to Yuma†:
† and don’t get me started on the travesty that was the 2007 remake, or even compare it to Dave’s 1957 classic.
28) Name the one DVD commentary you wish you could hear that, for whatever reason, doesn’t actually exist*
It would be for the film I referenced earlier, Hickey & Boggs. And it would have had the late-Robert Culp giving his comments on the making of this 70s crime gem. His only stint as director for a big screen studio film. I’ve heard from others this was a project very close to his heart. One he took a great deal of pride in and would talk at length about to fans of the film when asked.
29) Gloria Grahame or Marie Windsor?
Do you have to ask?
30) Name a filmmaker who never really lived up to the potential suggested by their early acclaim or success
Another pretty obvious selection…
31) Is there a movie-based disagreement serious enough that it might cause you to reevaluate the basis of a romantic relationship or a friendship?*
Everyone is entitled to their opinion. Cinema shouldn’t be the cause for reevaluating (or ending) a friendship or relationship. That is with the exception of heaping any praise on pure dreck like this:
God, I HATE this particular schlock (and I once projected this in a movie theater for a week long booking long time ago).
* a classic or, if you must, recycled question from quizzes past that Miss Brodie thought might be interesting to revisit
To see all of my answers to every SLIFR movie quiz I’ve participated in, click here.
It Rains... You Get Wet 
49 Responses to “No Wonder My Allergies Are Raging Springtime Movie Quiz”
“No. Be afraid. Be very afraid.” Love it 😀
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Thanks, Tim.
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Hi, Michael and company:
1/: ‘Thelma & Louise’. Never liked the joint suicide pact at the film’s end. Gravity always wins.
2/: ‘The Last Seduction’. “Anyone check you for a heartbeat recently?”
3/: ‘Shampoo’. With ‘The Last Detail’ at #1.
4/: The long tracking shot in Kubrick’s ‘Paths of Glory’.
5/: “The Psychotonic Encyclopedia’. Superb reference text for many or any genre of film.
6/: Vonetta McGee.
7/: Losing faith in Spielberg. Lost fait with Lucas.
8/: “Gentlemen! You can’t fight here. This is The War Room!” ‘Dr. Strangelove’.
10/: Richard Burton.
11/: ‘Schindler’s List’ and ‘E.T’. Already seen ‘Shoah’ and ‘The Wannsee Conference’.
I’ve never been a fan of cute, friendly aliens or monsters.
16/: Racquel Welch.
20/: Robert Ryan.
23/: Excellent choice with ‘Hickey & Boggs’.
I always go to bat for ‘The Big Combo’ by John H. Lewis. And Stephen Frears ‘The Grifters’. Both could do with a full blown Blu-Ray treatment with commentary, discussions of angles, shots and dialogue.
27/: ‘Destination Tokyo’. Yes, it’s an unabashed flag waver. But it still works!
28/: I’d love a full blown commentary on Alan J. Pakula’s ‘The Parallax View’. Still one of the best conspiracy films of the 1970s.
29/: Gloria Grahame.
30/: Definitely Shamaylan. Runner up would be De Palma.
31/: I’ve had arguments over Michael Powell’s ‘Peeping Tom’. But not to the point of wrecking a relationship.
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Some fantastic answers, Kevin! Mind if I post them in a comment over at Dennis’ blog? They’d be great additions. Thanks, my friend.
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Sure thing, Michael.
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It’s done. Thanks, Kevin.
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For an answer to a quiz, that wound up a really good read, Le0p! LOL. Some nice choices in there, man. 😉
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Thanks, Fogs. You ever consider participating? You’d be good at it.
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YOu haven’t seen BEFORE SUNRISE yet?!!!
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I figured you’d latch on to that one, J.D. I am planning on finally rectifying that gap, my friend. Thanks.
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Brilliant. That is all.
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Cheers, Mike 🙂
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No worries mate! 😀
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You are a gentleman and a scholar, Mike :-).
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Shhhh! Don’t tell anyone, it’s supposed to be a secret! LOL
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Great stuff Michael – really, really enjoyed this – and especially with regards to Robert Cult and HICKEY & BOGGS I would give the same answers.
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Great to hear you too are a fan this neglected neo noir, Sergio. Many thanks.
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Great answers, as usual! Thanks so much for taking part for all these years. My own responses (i hope to write ’em tonight) have been pre-empted a couple of times with answers that have come up in other quizzes. You, Tony Dayoub and the Self-Styled Siren all mentioned A Serbian Film, and I suspect, as a veteran of Salo, that I will too. But I really appreciate being reminded of The Last Wagon, which I think is outstanding– that may be my favorite Daves movie! What to do? And thanks also for that ravishing pic of of Ms. Tejada– that’s a pretty convincing case you make!
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The pleasure has been all mine, Dennis. These have been a real highlight for me to participate in. Great hear you’re another fan of ‘The Last Wagon’. And isn’t that a great pic of the still stunning Ms. Tejada? Many thanks for continuing to offer your readers a shot at these always entertaining and intriguing movie exams :-).
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Great post & great idea, thank you for sharing this Michael. If it makes you feel any better…I’ve not seen any of the Before (time of day) movies either. Never been a huge fan of either of the leads 🙂
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Thank you, Paula. And I hope you give this wonderful quiz series a shot. I know you can come up with some grand answers.
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Love that scene in UNFORGIVEN. Powerful stuff.
I’ve still never seen HICKEY & BOGGS. I’ve heard so many good things about it. I’m going to have to track it down someday.
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I never tire of that scene, or that film. Powerful, indeed.
I hope you can see HICKEY & BOGGS. I think you’d enjoy it. Amazon and iTunes are streaming it for rent/purchase a good, widescreen copy of this film. Avoid the horrid disc by A.I.P. Productions, Inc., though. It’s just a burnt copy of someone recording the pan & scan VHS picture on some TV somewhere. The MGM MOD disc that came out in Oct 2011 is the one to own at the moment (at least till we can talk the Criterion Collection folk into taking this into the fold).
Thanks.
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HO LY MOLEY that’s impressive! You tweeted you’d like to know my answers along with those of others. Hope I have a year! You’re amazing!
Aurora
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I’d be patiently waiting, Aurora :-). Many thanks.
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Nice answers!
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Thank you, my friend.
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Love this! And, here’s a photo for you: http://imgur.com/ErRzQ3s
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That is one great photo of Gloria. Y’know, the more I see her in pictures or on film, the more she impresses. Thanks, Vickie :-).
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Very entertaining list, Michael! Ahah, no I’ll never be mad at you, especially NOT about ze Butler, don’t you know I’ve broken up w/ him ages ago, ahah. I’d choose McGregor too, he constantly delivers in a variety of roles (even if his movie stinks, i.e. Jack the Giant Slayer). He’s an amazing singer too!
As for M. Night, I think he became the victim of his own hype. I do think he’s talented. I hope he’d make a comeback with something as great as Unbreakable.
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Agreed. Mr. McGregor looked like the only thing worth seeing in ‘Jack the Giant Slayer’. I, too, appreciate that singing voice of his. I was surprised by it in ‘Moulin Rouge’.
I wish one of our revival theaters would screen ‘Unbreakable’, again. That really is an under appreciated gem of a superhero film. Many thanks, Ruth.
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It’s one of my fave *superhero* films as it really got to the psyche of that genre. I really admire his work in that and also Sixth Sense and even Signs. I do think he could make a comeback, I don’t think he’s a one-hit wonder.
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And you’ve named all three of my favorite films by M. Night, too. It’d be good to see him return to that level of filmmaking. Thanks, Ruth.
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Oh awesome! Hey, great minds 😀
Btw, speaking of Asian filmmakers, I’m curious to hear your thoughts on my post today. I know you’d have an opinion about it, I hope you don’t mind me asking you. I know some bloggers have complained that I invited them to my post but I really don’t mind when people do that to me. Thanks Michael.
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No problem whatsoever. I’m happy you asked. I’ll be heading over. Thanks, Ruth.
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I knew you wouldn’t, thanks Michael. You are free to do the same here anytime, I mean sometimes we miss a post or two, so I truly don’t mind a reminder to check something out. I love this Q&A btw, I hope it was as much fun for you to work on it as it is for us to read it 😀
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I love when you fill out these quizzes. I find movies I’ve never seen and now want to
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Thank you very kindly, Marianne :-).
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thanks for sharing, i learned a lot about you and had fun
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Very kind of you to say, mummbles. Thank you, my friend.
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[…] Michael of It Rains…You Get Wet asks me to blog about something, I jump! Even if it results in a major movie […]
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I haven’t been here for a while. It’s like seeing an old friend. Great reads on the Pop we all love so much. Great quiz. Enjoyed it very much.
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Great to have you here, Herb. Many thanks :-).
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Not sure how I missed this post, Michael, but I’m glad I finally caught it. I always love these quizzes and your responses to them. One of these days I will be well-versed enough to participate. 😉
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I always appreciate you stopping by to read and giving comment, Eric. Whenever it happens. Many thanks.
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[…] friend Michael of It Rains…You Get Wet answered this thought-provoking movie quiz earlier, it was actually devised by Dennis at Sergio […]
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Great answers. Even if there is no Hickey and Boggs commentary, have you heard Culp’s commentary track for I Spy? He completely ignores the episode and just tells the story of the show, and how he got to write it. He’s a fascinating guy with a great story.
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[…] What you see below was published on a blog I used to own and it came about because Michael of It Rains…You Get Wet reached out and told me about a terrific Movie Quiz that he was taking part in. As you’ll […]
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I’m so very honored, Aurora. Awesome answers, also, as I only would have expected. Many thanks my friend! 😀
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