PROF. KINGSFIELD’S HOLIDAY MOVIE QUIZ

aka PROFESSOR KINGSFIELD’S HAIR-RAISING, BAR-RAISING HOLIDAY MOVIE QUIZ


originally posted
DECEMBER 24, 2008
(old stuff from the now gone "Refined Picture Show" blogspot)


Another great quiz by Dennis Cozzalio.












1) WHAT WAS THE LAST MOVIE YOU SAW THEATRICALLY? ON DVD OR BLU-RAY?
Theatrically: 

CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

Bluray: 

ADVENTURES OF BARON MUNCHAUSEN

2) HOLIDAY MOVIES— DO YOU LIKE THEM NAUGHTY OR NICE?
Naughty!

It must be the Loki mischief demon within me.

3) IDA LUPINO 

OR MERCEDES MCCAMBRIDGE?
Ida Lupino.

Especially as a director. She was one of the greatest of all time.

4) FAVORITE ACTOR/CHARACTER FROM TWIN PEAKS
The Log Lady.

5) IT'S BEEN SAID THAT, RATHER THAN REMAKING BELOVED, RESPECTED FILMS, HOLLYWOOD SHOULD CONCENTRATE MORE ON RIGHTING THE WRONGS OF THE PAST AND TINKER MORE WITH FILMS THAT DIDN'T WORK SO WELL THE FIRST TIME. PRETENDING FOR A MOMENT THAT MOVIES ARE MADE IN AN ECONOMIC VACUUM, NAME A GOOD CANDIDATE FOR A REMAKE ON THIS CRITERION
The story from this old made-for-TV movie called GARGOYLES (1972) could make a cool movie now. With modern special effects and some tweaks to the story. Same thing goes for Frankenheimer's PROPHECY (1979).

6) 

FAVORITE SPIKE LEE JOINT
DO THE RIGHT THING (1989)

7) LAWRENCE TIERNEY 

                OR SCOTT BRADY?
Boss Tierney any day!!

8) ARE MOST MOVIES TOO LONG?
If the movie is bad, I always feel like it's too long.

9) FAVORITE PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR PORTRAYING A REAL-LIFE POLITICIAN
Philip Baker Hall as Nixon in SECRET HONOR ('84)

10) CREATE THE MAIN EVENT CARD FOR THE ULTIMATE GIANT MOVIE MONSTER SMACKDOWN
The CLOVERFIELD monster VS Mechagodzilla

11) JEAN PETERS 

                 OR SHEREE NORTH?
I prefer Sheree.

12) WHY WOULD YOU EVER WANT OR NEED TO SEE A MOVIE MORE THAN ONCE?
With a beloved film, it's just fun to revisit and experience it again. I like to pay attention to little details I missed during prior viewings.

Many films that aren't even that great are even worth repeat viewings sometimes. There might be a surface detail or odd quality about it that's just entertaining or worth appreciating. Like a favorite actress or some technical work. (Design, music, effects work, etc) 

13) FAVORITE ROAD MOVIE
TWO-LANE BLACKTOP (1971)

14) 

FAVORITE BUDD BOETTICHER
THE TALL T (1957)

15) WHO IS THE ONE PERSON, LIVING OR DEAD, FAMOUS OR UNKNOWN, WHO INFORMED OR ENCOURAGED YOUR APPRECIATION OF MOVIES?
Both of my parents first & foremost. They were always renting me whatever videos or film books I wanted at a young age. Also buying me props and camera things I needed to make my own movies. They understood I was obsessed and passionate. They both still talk movies with me regularly

Also in middle school Phaidon press put out this huge picture book about world film called The Movie Book. That thing blew my little mind when I found it!

I flipped through the pages completely glued to images of movies I had never seen or heard of. Right away I compiled a handwritten list of things I needed to find at the video store. I believe this was around 1998 or 1999. I didn't really know how to utilize the internet yet to find these gems. I had to track down a lot of them manually. So the team that compiled & edited that book solidified my appreciation of movies even further

16) FAVORITE OPENING 

                  CREDIT SEQUENCE
Saul Bass's credits for PSYCHO (1960)

and then THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE UGLY (1966) a close 2nd

17) KENNETH TOBEY 

                     OR JOHN AGAR?
John Agar.

18) GODARD ONCE SUGGESTED THAT THE MORE POPULAR THE MOVIE, THE LESS LIKELY IT WAS THAT IT WAS A GOOD MOVIE. IS HE RIGHT OR JUST CRANKY? CITE THE BEST EVIDENCE ONE WAY OR THE OTHER
I think he is generally a proud & cranky elitist but that observation has definitely rung true before. Just a few years ago that DA VINCI CODE movie was the highest-grossing thing around and that's a terrible movie.

19) 

FAVORITE JONATHAN DEMME
STOP MAKING SENSE (1984)

20) TATUM O'NEAL 

                   OR LINDA BLAIR?
Linda!

21) FAVORITE USE OF IRONY IN A MOVIE. (THIS COULD BE AN IDEA, MOMENT, SCENE, OR AN ENTIRE FILM)
Kubrick's use of music in most things but especially in A CLOCKWORK ORANGE (1971). Beethoven during the Nazi footage is especially on the nose.

and then the entirety of Verhoeven's STARSHIP TROOPERS (1997) is my favorite use in general.

22) FAVORITE CHABROL FILM
LA CEREMONIE (1995)

23) 

THE BEST MOVIE OF THE YEAR TO WHICH VERY LITTLE ATTENTION SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN PAID
Jeff Nichols' SHOTGUN STORIES.

24) DENNIS CHRISTOPHER 

                OR ROBBY BENSON?
Dennis.

25) FAVORITE MOVIE 

                ABOUT JOURNALISM
Ron Howard's THE PAPER (1994).

26) WHAT'S THE DVD COMMENTARY YOU'D MOST LIKE TO HEAR? WHO WOULD BE ON THE AUDIO TRACK?
Paul Thomas Anderson on his last 3 films.

27) FAVORITE MOVIE DIRECTED BY CLINT EASTWOOD
UNFORGIVEN (1992). I don't think he'll top it.

28) PAUL DOOLEY 

             OR KURTWOOD SMITH?
Clarence Boddicker!!

29) YOUR CLAIRVOYANT MOMENT: MAKE A PREDICTION ABOUT THE OSCAR SEASON
Pixar's WALL*E is a shoe-in for Animated Feature

30) YOUR HOPE FOR THE MOVIES IN 2009

I hope all the movies slated to come out in 3D next year aren't a result of this post-conversion treatment. It looks like garbage. Like a pop up book-- flat 2D planes cut out into 3D space. If you're film is not shot for 3D (or animated) you shouldn't be allowed to release it that way

31) WHAT'S YOUR TOP 10 OF 2008? (IF YOU HAVE A BLOG & HAVE YOUR LIST POSTED, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO LEAVE A LINK TO THE POST)
(See here also!)

*1) HUNGER dir. McQueen

2) LET THE RIGHT ONE IN dir. Alfredson

3) WENDY AND LUCY dir. Reichardt

4) THE UNFORESEEN dir. Laura Dunn

5) RACHEL GETTING MARRIED dir. Demme

6) HAPPY-GO-LUCKY dir. Mike Leigh

7) WALL*E dir. Andrew Stanton

8) WALTZ WITH BASHIR dir. Ari Folman

9) 

STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE dir. Morris

10) CHE dir. Soderbergh

BONUS QUESTION (to be answered after Dec.25):

32) WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE MOVIE-RELATED CHRISTMAS GIFT THAT YOU RECEIVED THIS YEAR?
all year movie passport from Variety children's charity!