PROFESSOR POTTS’ CHRISTMAS BREAK QUIZ

aka PROFESSOR BERTRAM POTTS’ HELLA HOMEWORK FOR THE HOLIDAYS CHRISTMAS BREAK QUIZ


originally posted
DECEMBER 26, 2007
(old stuff from the now gone "Refined Picture Show" blogspot)


Another great quiz by Dennis Cozzalio.

1) 

FAVORITE OPENING SHOT
The opening ultra-wide lens helicopter shot of 

THE SHINING (1980). Gliding over that island and then 

to the car on the mountain highway.

2) TUESDAY WELD 

         OR MIA FARROW?
Mia is forever the most adorable.

3) NAME A COMEDY YOU'RE EMBARRASSED TO ADMIT 

MADE YOU LAUGH
SCARY MOVIE 3 (2003), I guess.

I didn't love part 1 or 4 in the series but somehow Zucker brought 

some NAKED GUN comic-timing to that middle one. Albeit still

 incredibly lowbrow.

4) BEST MOVIE OF 1947
If we're going by U.S. release dates I choose De Sica's 

SHOESHINE.. Though that technically is a 1946 movie 

in its native Italy.. Jacques Tourneur's 

OUT OF THE PAST (1947) is best domestic release 

of that year

5) BURT REYNOLDS WAS THE BANDIT. 

JERRY REED WAS THE SNOWMAN. 

PAUL LE MAT WAS SPIDER. CANDY 

CLARK WAS ELECTRA. WHAT'S 

YOUR MOVIE HANDLE?
Toby Ximenez aka "Smiley Bojangles".

6) ROBERT VAUGHN 

      OR DAVID MCCALLUM?
My Lord; Robert Vaughn! No fucking contest.

7) MOST EXOTIC/UNUSUAL PLACE/LOCATION IN WHICH 

YOU'VE SEEN A MOVIE
That T2 3-D: BATTLE ACROSS TIME thing at Universal 

Studios Hollywood. A interactive performance & 

pyrotechnics show. It's some sweetness if you can

 get in to see it

8) 

FAVORITE ERROL MORRIS?
THE FOG OF WAR (2003)

9) BEST MOVIE OF 1967
THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY (1966) was 

released in the U.S. that year so that's my pick if we're 

going by that criteria. If not, BONNIE AND CLYDE is 

a close 2nd.

10) 

DESCRIBE A PROFOUNDLY 

(OR NOT-SO-PROFOUNDLY) 

DISTURBING MOMENT YOU'VE 

HAD COURTESY OF THE 

MOVIES
In 2000 a middle school friend and I were watching 

FINAL DESTINATION near downtown Ft. Worth; I 

wanna say it was at the "Sundance" near Bass 

Performance Hall. (cool parents always dropped us 

off and bought us R rated movie tickets as long as we

 promised to not be disruptive) That was the same day 

a big tornado blew right through downtown and 

busted the Block 82 Tower.

The tornado came and went while we were in the 

theater and no one inside our screening even noticed 

because the power stayed on and the THX surround 

sound was so goddamn loud. After the movie had 

thoroughly creeped us out about fatalism, disasters, 

whatnot, we went outside to discover fallen branches, 

broken glass everywhere, & alarms going off. Fire

truck zoomed passed. Was surreal. Like the universe 

of the movie had bled over into the real world.

11) ANNE FRANCIS 

     OR JULIE NEWMAR?
Julie!

12) DESCRIBE 

YOUR FAVORITE ONE SHEET
It's the poster for the A.I.P. North American 

release of PLANET OF THE VAMPIRES. 

The large giants towering in front of the red planet & 

the use of contrasting colors are perfect. If I was a kid 

back then, that poster alone would've sold me on 

the movie.

13) 

BEST MOVIE OF 1987

14) FAVORITE MOVIE 

       ABOUT OBSESSION
TAXI DRIVER (1976)

.

(could also argue it's about alienation/loneliness though)

15) YOUR IDEAL CHRISTMAS 

MOVIE TRIPLE FEATURE
A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS (1965), 

SCROOGE (1970), and GREMLINS (1984)

16) MONTGOMERY CLIFT 

          OR JAMES DEAN?
That's a tough one.. I choose James Dean.

17) 

FAVORITE LES BLANK MOVIE
BURDEN OF DREAMS (1982)

which I believe is even better than FITZCARRALDO (1982).

18) THIS PAST SUMMER FOOD 

CRITIC ANTON EGO MADE 

THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT: 
"IN MANY WAYS THE WORK OF A CRITIC IS EASY. 

WE RISK VERY LITTLE YET ENJOY A POSITION 

OVER THOSE WHO OFFER UP THEIR WORK 

AND THEIR SELVES TO OUR JUDGMENT. WE 

THRIVE ON NEGATIVE CRITICISM, WHICH IS 

FUN TO WRITE AND TO READ. BUT THE 

BITTER TRUTH WE CRITICS MUST FACE IS THAT, 

IN THE GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS, THE 

AVERAGE PIECE OF JUNK IS MORE MEANINGFUL  

THAN OUR CRITICISM DESIGNATING IT SO. BUT 

THERE ARE TIMES WHEN A CRITIC TRULY RISKS 

SOMETHING, AND THAT IS IN THE DISCOVERY 

AND DEFENSE OF THE NEW. LAST NIGHT, I 

EXPERIENCED SOMETHING NEW, AN 

EXTRAORDINARY MEAL FROM A SINGULARLY 

UNEXPECTED SOURCE. TO SAY THAT BOTH 

THE MEAL AND ITS MAKER HAVE CHALLENGED 

MY PRECONCEPTIONS IS A GROSS 

UNDERSTATEMENT. THEY HAVE ROCKED ME TO 

MY CORE. IN THE PAST, I HAVE MADE NO 

SECRET OF MY DISDAIN FOR CHEF GUSTEAU'S 

FAMOUS MOTTO: ANYONE CAN COOK. BUT I 

REALIZE THAT ONLY NOW DO I TRULY 

UNDERSTAND WHAT HE MEANT. NOT EVERYONE 

CAN BECOME A GREAT ARTIST, BUT A GREAT 

ARTIST CAN COME FROM ANYWHERE." 
YOUR THOUGHTS?
I especially like his sentiments about critics 

having an important job when it comes to 

promoting new talent. I think that is true of 

all criticism.

To expose people to new ideas and new voices. Championing 

new talent and defending under-appreciated or misunderstood 

films is essential. That's usually how I know who my favorite 

writers of film criticism even are. The ones who've exposed me 

to the most new stuff.

19) LAST MOVIE YOU 

WATCHED ON DVD? 

IN A THEATER?
At the theater was THERE WILL BE BLOOD. 

At home it was A SCANNER DARKLY (2006) 

on blu-ray.

20) BEST MOVIE OF 2007
THERE WILL BE BLOOD

21) WORST MOVIE OF 2007
EPIC MOVIE

Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer probably shouldn't 

be allowed to make movies anymore. It's that heinous a shit 

dump.

22) DESCRIBE THE STAGES 

OF YOUR CINEPHILIA
Real young, from about kindergarten to 3rd grade, 

I loved any & all movies about people being shrunken 

down small. Anything my parents could rent with 

that common theme. Things like THE WITCHES (1990), 

INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN (1957), HONEY I 

SHRUNK THE KIDS (1989), and INDIAN IN THE 

CUPBOARD (1995)

And then I discovered Spielberg's JURASSIC PARK 

movies. After that I loved anything with a giant 

dinosaur or monster in it; regardless of special effects 

quality of the era it was released in. That lead into an 

appreciation of lots of older black & white sci-fi.

Then in middle school when I started to get real into 

depressing rock music I also discovered Romero's dead 

trilogy. And those movies blew my mind. After that I 

was obsessed with zombies and gory movies in general.

Outside of these core obsessions, My older sister was 

always bringing new music, books, & indie movies 

into the home too. Plus my parents were showing 

me the old masterpieces.

My fourth and more "serious" cineaste phase begins 

8th grade. I discovered a bunch of academic books on 

international film history at our library. That's when 

I really started to appreciate a lot more dramatic & 

foreign movies. It also coincides with when i was first 

allowed to get my own Netflix account, & then I 

started to be able to track down and rent everything 

that had come so highly acclaimed.

Once you start memorizing director's names you try 

to find everything they've worked on. That 

completionist impulse began at the end of middle 

school and has now seeped into my current cinephilia. 

So that pretty much brings us up to the present; where 

now I'm trying to find more obscure genre movies 

friends have recommended. Currently I'm in love 

with Cronenberg and a lot of these Japanese 

cyberpunk movies from the 90s.

23) WHAT IS THE ONE FILM 

YOU'VE HAD MORE 

DIFFICULTY THAN ANY 

OTHER IN CONVINCING 

PEOPLE TO SEE OR 

APPRECIATE?
LOONEY TUNES: BACK IN ACTION

It doesn't matter if it's a movie aficionado friend or a co-worker 

with more pedestrian taste, they always seem repelled at the 

idea of the movie. And this reaction without having seen it! 

Either they have some prejudice against the 2 leads or they're 

angry it's not related to SPACE JAM (1996). It's a shame too, 

because it's one of Joe Dante's best movies.

24) GENE TIERNEY 

    OR RITA HAYWORTH?
Gene. but only by a hair.

25) THE JAPANESE WORD "WABI" 

DENOTES SIMPLICITY AND QUIETUDE, 

BUT IT CAN ALSO MEAN AN 

ACCIDENTAL OR HAPPENSTANCE 

ELEMENT (OR PERHAPS EVEN A 

SMALL FLAW) WHICH GIVES 

ELEGANCE AND UNIQUENESS TO 

THE WHOLE. WHAT FILM OR MOMENT 

FROM A FILM BEST REPRESENTS 

"WABI" TO YOU?
the scene in GEORGE WASHINGTON (2000) 

where title character saves the little white 

kid drowning in the abandoned pool

Everything about it is "侘寂".. The sound 

design, the framing, the performances of 

the children, etc.

26) 

FAVORITE DOCUMENTARY
KOYAANISQATSI (1983)

27) 

FAVORITE OPENING 

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

28) IS THERE A FILM THAT HAS INFLUENCED YOUR LIFESTYLE 

IN A SIGNIFICANT OR NOTABLE 

WAY? IF SO, WHAT WAS IT 

AND HOW DID IT DO SO?
Not really. Some documentaries have informed 

my consumer habits & the things I eat, but 

nothing major. The Simpsons & Aqua 

Teen Hunger Force have probably 

influenced my life more than movies.

29) GLENN FORD 

     OR DANA ANDREWS?
Love both, but I go with Mr. Andrews.

30) 

MAKE A SINGLE PREDICTION, 

CYNICAL OR HOPEFUL, 

REGARDING THE UPCOMING 

ACADEMY AWARDS
Diablo Cody's stupid screenplay for JUNO will probably 

win. Because it's "hip" and has snappy sitcom dialogue.

31) 

BEST ACTOR OF 2007
Day-Lewis in THERE WILL BE BLOOD.

32) 

BEST ACTRESS OF 2007
Carice van Houten in BLACK BOOK.

33) 

BEST DIRECTOR OF 2007
P.T. Anderson for THERE WILL BE BLOOD.

34) 

BEST SCREENPLAY OF 2007
EASTERN PROMISES by Steven Knight.

35) FAVORITE SINGLE 

   MOVIE MOMENT OF 2007
The oil derrick erupting and exploding + the ensuing 

attempt to extinguish in THERE WILL BE BLOOD 

(2007).

36) WHAT'S YOUR WISH /

HOPE FOR THE MOVIES IN 

2008?
I hope all the slated superhero movies 

don't suck!