PROFESSOR GOPNIK'S HANUKAH QUIZ

aka PROFESSOR LARRY GOPNIK’S POST-HANUKAH, PRE-CHRISTMAS, POST-SCHROEDINGER, PRE-APOCALYPSE SLIFR HOLIDAY MOVIE QUIZ


Another great quiz by Dennis Cozzalio.

1) FAVORITE UNSUNG 

          HOLIDAY FILM
RARE EXPORTS (2010)

2) NAME A MOVIE YOU WERE 

SURPRISED TO HAVE 

LIKED/LOVED
Michael Bay's PAIN & GAIN (2013)

With few exceptions I usually don't love his output. The 

blessing of a great screenplay can go a long way & it mixed so 

well with Bay's chaotic action style. Funny ensemble too.

3) NED SPARKS 

OR 

EDWARD EVERETT HORTON?

Edward Everett Horton.

4) 

PECKINPAH'S CONVOY-- 

         YES OR NO?

A very big Yes.

& I don't understand why it isn't held in high regard.

5) WHAT CONTEMPORARY ACTOR 

WOULD BEST FIT INTO 

A POPULAR, ESTABLISHED 

GENRE OF THE PAST

I think Tom Hiddleston would've fit perfectly 

into the silver screen era. Especially 1940s 

English cinema.

To my eyes. McGowan & Alexa Davalos also 

look classic Hollywood.

Lennie James's face cries out 

to be in old westerns.

6) 

FAVORITE NON-DISASTER 

MOVIE IN WHICH BAD 

WEATHER IS A MEMORABLE 

ELEMENT OF THE FILM'S 

ATMOSPHERE
I'm honestly torn between 

THE ICE STORM (1997) 

and MAGNOLIA (1999).

7) 2ND 

FAVORITE VISCONTI MOVIE
LA TERRA TREMA (1948)

ROCCO &

HIS BROTHERS (1960) is my #1.

8) WHAT WAS THE LAST MOVIE 

YOU SAW THEATRICALLY? 

ON DVD/BLU-RAY?

in Theaters: 

BROKEN DOWN CIRCLE BREAKDOWN

Bluray: 

TOYS IN THE ATTIC (2009)

9) 

EXPLAIN YOUR REACTION WHEN 

SOMEONE ELOQUENTLY OR 

NOT-SO ELOQUENTLY ATTACKS 

ONE OF YOUR FAVORITE 

MOVIES
If a critique is well articulated I will usually try to 

consider their perspective. Actually attempt to hear 

them out, because you'll occasionally find some merit 

to what someone's beef is. But sometimes even great 

minds are just dead wrong & you have to shrug and 

admit to yourself that not everyone is going to like the 

same things all the time. It's good to not always live in 

an echo chamber. Hearing contrary ideas about the 

things we love is normal & healthy. However, someone 

just shit-talking a beloved movie without any 

semblance of critical thought can be downright 

grating. If it's a complete stranger it's better to just 

leave it be and move on.. But sometimes it's a colleague 

or family member doing the attacking in this manner, 

and then things can get ugly. haha

"Why do you say such things 

when you know I will kill you?" 

- General Zerg

10) JOAN BLONDELL 

OR GLENDA FARRELL?
Blondell.

11) 

MOVIE STAR OF ANY ERA YOU'D

MOST LIKE TO TAKE CAMPING 

Chris Farley.. because I'd laugh my ass off 

the entire trip.

12) 2ND FAVORITE 

GEORGE CUKOR MOVIE
ADAM'S RIB (1949).

13) YOUR TOP 10 OF 2013

1) A TOUCH OF SIN

 (Zhangke Jia)

2) TO THE WONDER

 (Malick)

3) VIOLA 

(Matías Piñeiro)

4) THE WIND RISES

 (Miyazaki)

5) BEFORE MIDNIGHT 

(Linklater)

6) LEVIATHAN 

(Castaing-Taylor/Paravel)

7) INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS

 (Coen Bros)

8) BASTARDS 

(Denis)

9) THE WORLD'S END 

(Edgar Wright)

10) DRUG WAR

 (To)

14) 

NAME A MOVIE YOU LOVED 

(OR HATED) UPON FIRST 

VIEWING, TO WHICH YOU 

EVENTUALLY RETURNED 

AND HAD MORE OR LESS 

THE OPPOSITE REACTION
As a kid I used to love this Schwarzenegger movie 

called ERASER (1996).. I saw it again recently and 

it really blows. haha. Not one of his best.

15) MOVIE MOST IN NEED 

OF A DELUXE BLURAY 

MAKEOVER
Tarkovsky's STALKER (1979).

16) ALAIN DELON OR 

MARCELLO MASTROIANNI?

Marcello. always.

17) 

YOUR FAVORITE OPENING 

SEQUENCE, CREDITS OR 

NO CREDITS
My favorite opening sequence is the entire 

wordless opening of E.T. (1982). The alien 

silhouettes working around the giant 

redwoods and spacecraft.

Their hearts glowing and humming. The title character 

daydreaming, wandering off, and getting lost. Him 

being in awe while looking out over the city lights.

Everything about it is perfect and lulls you into the 

movie's childlike wonder straight away.

favorite title credits though are still Saul Bass's for 

PSYCHO (1960). The design fetishist in me loves 

its simplicity.

18) DIRECTOR WITH THE 

STRONGEST RUN OF 

GREAT MOVIES
My choice is still John Carpenter 

from 1974 to 1988

19) IS ELITISM A GOOD 

/ BAD / NECESSARY / 

INEVITABLE ASPECT 

OF BEING A CINEASTE?
I think it's generally a bad thing. And some 

people I've come across on discussion boards, 

Flixster, & Letterboxd need to be reminded 

of that. You can simultaneously have good 

taste in film and not come across as 

a pretentious douche.

20) 

2ND FAVORITE TONY SCOTT
THE HUNGER (1983).

21) 

FAVORITE MOVIE MADE 

BEFORE YOU WERE BORN 

THAT YOU ONLY DISCOVERED

 THIS YEAR. WHERE AND 

HOW DID YOU DISCOVER IT?
Bill Douglas' MY CHILDHOOD (1972).

got that whole trilogy online through my BFI subscription. 

22) 

ACTOR/ACTRESS YOU WOULD 

MOST WANT TO SEE IN 

A SANTA SUIT, TRADITIONAL 

OR SKIMPY
lemme see Helen Mirren in 

a skimpy one asap.

23) 

VIDEO STORE 

       OR STREAMING?
Still browsing at the video store.

Physical media trumps all.

24) 

BEST/FAVORITE FINAL FILM 

BY A NOTED DIRECTOR 

OR SCREENWRITER
EYES WIDE SHUT (1999) 

for Kubrick

25) MONICA VITTI 

     OR ANNA KARINA?
That's a tough one... 

I pick Anna, though.

26) NAME A WORTHY MOVIE 

INDULGENCE YOU'VE HAD 

TO STRENUOUSLY TALK 

FRIENDS INTO EXPERIENCING 

WITH YOU. WHAT WAS 

THE RESULT?
I made most of my friends and family go watch 

AVATAR (2009) at the IMAX in 3D with me. It had 

been a long time since a movie had felt like that big 

of an event or technical achievement to me. Most 

of my friends didn't want to go 'cause they thought

 it looked cheesy based on the commercials

Even though there're things to complain about 

plot-wise, everybody enjoyed the experience.

27) 

MOVIE MADE BY A FAVORITE 

FILMMAKER THAT YOU 

EITHER HAVE YET TO SEE

OR ARE LEAST FAMILIAR WITH AMONG 

ALL THE REST
I only saw Spielberg's ALWAYS (1989) 

once in middle school and don't remember 

much about it.

28) 

FAVORITE HORROR MOVIE 

THAT IS EITHER CHRISTMAS

-ORIENTED OR HAS SOME 

ELEMENT RELATING TO 

WINTER HOLIDAY SEASON 

IN IT
It's still GREMLINS (1984).

29) 

NAME A PROP OR OTHER 

PIECE OF MOVIE MEMORABILIA

YOU'D MOST LIKE TO FIND WITH YOUR 

NAME ON IT UNDER THE 

CHRISTMAS TREE
I want that ASPHYX (1973) 

ghost trap thingy.

30) BEST HOLIDAY GIFT 

THE MOVIES COULD GIVE 

TO YOU TO CARRY INTO 2014
My cinema passport from 

       Variety Children's Charity

So I can see most theatrical movies next year for free!