PROF. BRAINERD’S CHRISTMAS VACATION QUIZ

originally posted
DECEMBER 16, 2005
(old stuff from the now gone "Refined Picture Show" blogspot)


Another great quiz by Dennis Cozzalio.

1) DESCRIBE THE MOMENT WHEN YOU KNEW YOU LOVED THE MOVIES
Very early childhood.. From about 1992 onward all my elementary school birthday parties were movie themed. Always themed after a big blockbuster that was my favorite for the year. (Ex. 1992: BATMAN RETURNS, 1993: JURASSIC PARK, 1994: THE LION KING, etc.) A big moment for me was my parents taking me and about 16 other school friends to see JURASSIC PARK. Truly a magic CINEMA PARADISO-esque memory. It was pure monster movie escapism. How I imagine kids must have felt watching KING KONG in 1933.

 

2) WHAT PROP OR COSTUME FROM A FILM DO YOU MOST COVET?*
Those damn Nikes from BACK TO THE FUTURE II ('89)!

3) TAKE A FAMOUS ROLE & RECAST IT (FOR EXAMPLE, AUDREY HEPBURN INSTEAD OF ANDIE MCDOWELL IN FOUR WEDDINGS & A FUNERAL)
I know he didn't have star power at the time, but it would have been awesome to see Edward James Olmos play SCARFACE (1983) rather than Pacino.

Dennis Quaid as Joker in Tim Burton's BATMAN (1989)

Brooke Adams as Lois Lane in SUPERMAN (1978) instead of Margot Kidder.

Henry Silva would've been much better than Cliff Robertson in OBSESSION (1976).

& just for curiosity sake; Imagine a world where Pam Grier played Ripley in ALIEN (1979).

4) CHARLTON HESTON 

          OR GEORGE KENNEDY?
Judah Ben-Hur.

5) BEST PERFORMANCE IN AN OTHERWISE TERRIBLE MOVIE
I don't know if I'd consider these films "terrible" but they are less than stellar to me personally: James Remar is great in his segment of TALES FROM THE DARKSIDE: THE MOVIE (1990)

Anna Faris in SCARY MOVIE 1 and 2.

Tim Curry as Pennywise in IT (1990). They really blew it with that movie though.

Evan Rachel Wood in THIRTEEN (2003).

Seann William Scott in AMERICAN PIE (1999)

Whoopi Goldberg in GHOST (1990).

Raul Julia in STREET FIGHTER (1994).

Ian McKellan in APT PUPIL (1998).

Chris Farley was amazing in BEVERLY HILLS NINJA (1997)

6) WORST PERFORMANCE IN A FAMOUSLY REVERED OR OTHERWISE GREAT MOVIE
Rooney in BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S ('61).

7) CHRISTOPHER LEE 

                OR PETER CUSHING?
Dracula.

8) 

FAVORITE WALTER HILL MOVIE
THE LONG RIDERS (1980)

9) FAVORITE MUSICAL 

         SCORE FROM A MOVIE
John Williams score for E.T. (1982)
>play

close 2nd would be Morricone's GOOD, THE BAD, & THE UGLY (1966)
>play

10) DESCRIBE THE MOST SCARED YOU'VE EVER BEEN IN A THEATER, OR THE SCARIEST MOMENT YOU RECALL SEEING IN A MOVIE

The scariest experience I've ever had at a cinema was just last month! During Kiyoshi Kurosawa's PULSE. I was the only one at the Dallas Magnolia seeing it at a midnight showing, so I was all alone in the theater. & let me just inform you that the film deals with the concept of everybody on Earth eventually vanishing. Entire cities become abandoned ghost towns. The moment where the guy is all alone in the Arcade and this dark silhouette starts moving around in the background had me paralyzed with fear in my seat.

The sound design and imagery work masterfully to create a unique apocalyptic atmosphere. Once again, it was a midnight film; So it let out around 2am and everyone was gone. Just like in the movie! No cars. No people. Dead silent.. If you've ever been to the Dallas Magnolia you know that you have to walk across a street to get to the parking garage, so when the movie was over I had to walk across a pitch black street in eerie silence & through an abandoned parking garage. Every shadow became dark ashen figures out to get me in my imagination. Ha. It was like everything in the film was now effecting my world! (goosebumps)

The scariest movie experience I ever had at home was when I was 8 or 9. I don't know why they let us do this, but my folks allowed my big sister Allison and I to stay up late Halloween and watch the Philip Kaufman remake of INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS (1978). The whole movie & just concept in general had us terrified to the point where we felt the need to hold each other, but it was the very end that had us screaming in terror out loud. (Just like Veronica Cartwright's character!).. The camera zoom into Sutherland's mouth that becomes the dark end title card. The sound of the plant breathing in the darkness. It chilled us to the bone.. Mom had to console us for an hour and let us sleep with the lamps on!

11) INGRID PITT 

             OR BARBARA STEELE?
Barbara Steele forever.

12) FAVORITE HOLIDAY MOVIE (DOESN'T HAVE TO BE CHRISTMAS ORIENTED)

GREMLINS (1984)

13) WORST HOLIDAY MOVIE (DOESN'T HAVE TO BE CHRISTMAS ORIENTED)
LOVE ACTUALLY (2003). 
Contrary to what you've heard, it's trite garbage. An empty Hallmark card

14) YOUR ALL-TIME 

   FAVORITE HAMMY ACTOR
Peter Lorre. haha.

15) FAVORITE FEDERICO FELLINI
LA STRADA (1954)

16) 

YOUR FAVORITE FILM CRITIC
Favourite of all time would be Kent Jones..

Fav current writer is Ed Gonzalez at Slant Magazine.

17) 

JASON LEE OR JASON MEWES?
I feel like I personally know Jason Lee.. Like an old schoolhouse chum or something.

18) BEST USE OF NATURAL LOCATION SETTING IN A MOVIE
The Vasquez Rocks in BILL & TED'S BOGUS JOURNEY (1991). which in itself was a direct hat tip to the Gorn episode of Star Trek.

19) WORST SQUANDERING OF A NATURAL LOCATION SETTING IN A MOVIE
Malibu Creek State Park in BATTLE FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES (1973).

20) 

FAVORITE SONG FROM A MOVIE
I'm going to assume this means a song written specifically for a movie? I love Elliot Smith's "Miss Misery" from GOOD WILL HUNTING (1997). He should have won the Oscar that year.

My favourite song from a musical is "Skid Row" from LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS (1986).

21) MADELINE KAHN 

                      OR TERI GARR?
I find Teri more attractive but Madeline was the funniest.

22) FAVORITE CORMAN MOVIE

Of the few I've seen; 

THE ST. VALENTINE'S DAY MASSACRE (1967)

23) BIGGEST MOVIE-STAR CRUSH
Angela Bassett.. 
The most beautiful human to ever walk the Earth i.m.o.

24) DIRECTOR YOU'VE ALWAYS FELT DESERVED MORE ATTENTION THAN HE/SHE EVER GOT OR HAS GOTTEN UP TO THIS POINT, AND A HIGHLIGHT FOR YOU FROM HIS/HER CAREER
David Gordon Green!

I really feel his debut GEORGE WASHINGTON (2000) is one of the great American films.

25) MICHELLE YEOH 

                         OR ZIYI ZHANG?
Ziyi Zhang is precious but Michelle Yeoh is just one of the greatest living actresses.

26) IF THE MOVIES' WERE TO GIVE YOU A CHRISTMAS GIFT, OR A GIFT FOR 2006, WHAT WOULD IT BE? (I MEAN "THE MOVIES" IN THE MOST GENERAL SENSE--- THE FILM INDUSTRY, THE ACTORS, A DIRECTOR MAKING A CERTAIN FILM, WHATEVER)
With Chris Nolan's BATMAN BEGINS being a hit & Bryan Singer's upcoming Superman movie to do likewise, I hope Warner brothers finally makes a Green Lantern movie. And cast Will Smith as John Stewart!

Quiz courtesy of SLIFR University