Reprise – No. 2 pencils only! Time to Answer the Labor Day Movie Quiz
Because I’m lazy I wanted to have them all in one place, I’m pulling my earliest movie quiz posts from the old blog archive and placing them on my current. I’ll dust them off and add a bit of images and exposition to them, but the answers will remain the same. Besides, with the end of summer almost upon us, this one from early-September 2010 was tailor-made for today.
Well, it is that time again! Dennis Cozzalio over at Sergio Leone and the Infield Fly Rule has come up with a another of his very fine (and fun) film quizzes for our Labor Day enjoyment. And since he’s included something dear to my heart in another of his memorable titles for the post, I can’t help but participate (yet again):
PROFESSOR DAVID HUXLEY’S LABORIOUS, LICENTIOUS SPOTTED-LEOPARD LABOR DAY FILM QUIZ
The rules are simple enough. Anyone interested in posting quiz answers can do so in the blogpost comment section, or link there with your answers from your own blog posting.
1) Classic film you most want to experience that has so far eluded you.
The Magnificent Ambersons. I’m still waiting on a Region 1 Criterion Collection release (that’s my story and I’m sticking to it).
2) Greatest Criterion DVD/Blu-ray release ever
I can’t decide between Seven Samurai or The Third Man.
3) The Big Sleep or The Maltese Falcon?
The Maltese Falcon. While I think a Bogie and Bacall pairing is always a great thing, and Chandler’s Philip Marlowe (as done by Bogart) is a classic, I’m afraid I’ll have to fall back to Sam Spade and John Huston’s first film. That’s because The Maltese Falcon‘s story is a hell of a story, and a hell of a lot more straightforward (depending upon which version of The Big Sleep you watch). I love both films. However, sentimentally speaking, TMF was the first classic Bogart film I saw as a teen — and it made an impression. I can’t believe this native Angeleno just picked the San Francisco film over an L.A. classic (I must be more tired than I think after moving).
4) Jason Bateman or Paul Rudd?
Jason Bateman
5) Best mother/child (male or female) movie star combo
Goldie Hawn and Kate Hudson.
6) Who are the Robert Mitchums and Ida Lupinos among working movie actors? Do modern parallels to such masculine and no-nonsense feminine stars even exist? If not, why not?
Simple answer, there are none. The current (U.S.) studios don’t seem to be capable of producing their likes. Although, I’d say Chow Yun-Fat comes closest to Mitchum and Virginia Madsen could be a stand-in for Lupino.
7) Favorite Preston Sturges movie
8) Odette Yustman or Mary Elizabeth Winstead?
Mary Elizabeth Winstead
9) Is there a movie that if you found out a partner or love interest loved (or didn’t love) would qualify as a Relationship Deal Breaker?
Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen. I absolutely despise that movie.
10) Favorite DVD commentary
Easiest question for me in the whole quiz: The incomparably informative and simultaneously hilarious commentary by John Carpenter and Kurt Russell laid down for the seminal 1982 film, The Thing. I can listen to these two go on about that singular film, over and over again, because there’s never a dull moment in the entire track. It is simply on par with the film.
11) Movies most recently seen on DVD, Blu-ray and theatrically
DVD: Red Sun Blu-ray Disc: Clash of the Titans (2010) Theatre: The American
12) Dirk Bogarde or Alan Bates?
I’ll go with Donald Pleasence for the block, Peter.
13) Favorite DVD extra
The commentary track (see question 10 for a reason).
14) Brian De Palma’s Scarface— yes or no?
An enthusiastic Yes.
15) Best comic moment from a horror film that is not a horror comedy (Young Frankenstein, Love At First Bite, et al.)
It’s the ‘runaway alien head’ scene from John Carpenter’s The Thing film. After Norris’ head detaches itself, grows insect-like legs, and attempts to scurry away, the look on Palmer’s face as he watches it go by while he exclaims:
“You gotta be fucking kidding…”
… is freakin’ priceless!
16) Jane Birkin or Edwige Fenech?
Edwige Fenech
17) Favorite Wong Kar-wai movie
In the Mood for Love
18) Best horrific moment from a comedy that is not a horror comedy
That would be the ‘all tied up’ scene from Frank Capra’s Arsenic and Old Lace. It’s when a bound and helpless Mortimer Brewster is given a verbal prelude by his criminally insane sibling of what will be his slow, torturous demise:
19) From 2010, a specific example of what movies are doing right…
Machete
20) Ryan Reynolds or Chris Evans?
Ryan Reynolds. His Hal Jordan (Green Lantern) looks like a better bet than Evans’ Captain America. [Editor’s note: I was soooooo wrong on this!]
21) Speculate about the future of online film writing. What’s next?
I have no freakin’ idea. Smell-O-Vision for blogs, maybe?
22) Roger Livesey or David Farrar?
I’ll go with David Farrar for his Xerxes in The 300 Spartans (loved that movie as a kid).
23) Best father/child (male or female) movie star combo
Kirk Douglas and Michael Douglas.
24) Favorite Freddie Francis movie (as Director)
25) Bringing Up Baby or The Awful Truth?
Bringing Up Baby. How can I not go with Professor David Huxley?
26) Tina Fey or Kristen Wiig?
Tina Fey. Not even close. If I’m going to pick a smart, nerdy, (ex-SNL) comedienne, it’s going to be this brunette.
27) Name a stylistically important director and the best film that would have never been made without his/her influence.
Quentin Tarantino and Death Proof.
28) Movie you’d most enjoy seeing remade and transplanted to a different culture (i.e. Yimou Zhang’s A Woman, a Gun and a Noodle Shop.)
Gone With The Wind. Then, maybe, I’d be interested in watching the damn thing again.
29) Link to a picture/frame grab of a movie image that for you best illustrates bliss. Elaborate.
To be sure my definition of bliss was in sync, I looked it up in the dictionary:
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With that in mind (especially that last part), the particular scene became very clear to me. It is the closing sequence from Ridley Scott’s Gladiator and Maximus entrance into Elysium. His long lost re-unification with his wife and child finally occurring, after killing the man who betrayed and murdered them, was particularly sweet (though in a blood-thristy manner) for this film watcher.
30) With a tip of that hat to Glenn Kenny, think of a just-slightly-inadequate alternate title for a famous movie. (Examples from GK: Fan Fiction; Boudu Relieved From Cramping; The Mild Imprecation of the Cat People)
It’s A Just-Slightly-Inadequately Wonderful Life.
To see all of my answers to every SLIFR movie quiz I’ve participated in, click here.
Say Goodnight, Gracie.
It Rains... You Get Wet 
4 Responses to “Reprise – No. 2 pencils only! Time to Answer the Labor Day Movie Quiz”
I enjoy your quiz reprises. I’ve read them already but I like looking them over again. I think I need to start taking count of how many quizzes feature the answer The Thing. I bet it would definitely be over half… maybe more. 🙂
My deal breaker movie would be Galaxy Quest. I am suspicious of anyone who does not like that movie.
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Yeah, The Thing remains a long-time favorite of mine, Rachel. I’d agree with you about Galaxy Quest. You see where I placed it in my Star Trek movie list ;-). Many thanks.
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Awesome answers Michael! Man, I SO need to see The Maltese Falcon as you and Keith praised it so much and I totally believe both of you 😀 Oh, I’d pick Bateman too over Rudd, and of course I LOVE everything about Gladiator and THAT elysium scene is just so beautiful and powerful, plus the music is just superb!!
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Oh, yeah. I think you’ll enjoy it, a lot, Ruth. And yes, that scene in Gladiator is as you say. It’s bliss :-).
Thank you very much.
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