A Deep Dive into Weirdo Cinema [12] Quiz

Answer: Heather Graham

After Mike Myers' Austin Powers gallivanted around the casinos and outskirts of Las Vegas with Elizabeth Hurley in "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery" in 1997, Powers faced a horrible truth, awakening wed to Hurley's Vanessa but discovering that she was a fem-bot the whole time. When his new mission sent him back to the 1960s to face Doctor Evil and his tiny clone, Mini-Me, he rendezvoused with Felicity Shagwell (as played by Heather Graham), teaming up to face his nemesis.

After the unexpected success of the first "Austin Powers" film, "The Spy Who Shagged Me" arrived in theatres only two years later, becoming the top-grossing of the trilogy. Loaded with eminently quotable moments, it proved to be one of the big comedy mainstays of the late 1990s and was followed by one more sequel, "Austin Powers in Goldmember", in 2002. That one featured Beyonce Knowles in the Powers Girl role (and her debut film role).

Answer: The Louisiana bayou

One of the earliest movies directed by Adam Green, "Hatchet" brought in a who's who of horror icons, having them cameo or outright face down gruesome (and dead) backwoods murderer Victor Crowley, who painfully killed anyone who stepped foot in his bayou. One young woman, Marybeth (played by Tamara Feldman), took a swamp tour with the intent to find her missing father, inadvertently getting trapped in the bayou with an unwitting group of tourists.

For fans of campy slasher horror, "Hatchet" brings its knowing eye for Jason Voorhees-style killings. Green would follow up the story of Victor Crowley with a handful of sequels. It's intentional; Crowley was played by Kane Hodder, who portrayed Jason in four "Friday the 13th" films.

Answer: A Tale of Two Sisters

Considered one of the best-regarded horror films to come out of South Korea for a generation, "A Tale of Two Sisters" was one in a pile of Asian horror films that received remake treatment in North America, but the original holds itself on a pedestal above. Following the story of a family living in a remote country house, the focus is placed on the two sisters of the title, one of whom returns home from a mental hospital. The catch is that the pair are forced to contend with the destabilizing force of their stepmother and, potentially, a haunting in their home.

The remake, "The Uninvited", was released in the U.S. seven years later at the tail end of the Asian horror wave seen in the decade. In this one, the sisters were played by Emily Browning and Arielle Kebbel; their stepmother was played by Elizabeth Banks. While the remake was considered to be quite a middle-of-the-road film, the original received acclaim, being nominated for numerous awards on the horror festival circuit in 2003 and 2004.

Answer: Videodrome

One of Cronenberg's classics from the 1980s, "Videodrome" was his first to dwell not only on body horror, but technology, as it forced Toronto TV studio owner Max Renn (played by James Woods) to contend with terrifying conspiracies, brainwashing, bodily malformations, and gruesome hallucinations, all while a supposed cult tried to kill those who indulged in violent media. The film failed to recoup its budget in the box office despite becoming an art classic.

But is it worth seeing? For those looking for a critique on media consumption, on musings on reality, and on technological excess, you can do much worse than watching Cronenberg, even if it is tough to look at at times. The third of his films to be picked up for distribution by The Criterion Collection (after "Dead Ringers" and "Naked Lunch", it would remain one of his most accessible and memorable works, an essential for '80s sci-fi/horror viewers. "Long live the new flesh!"

Answer: Shivers

"Shivers", or "Frissons" (as it was titled in Montreal, where it was filmed) actually had multiple titles, also including "They Came from Within" as one of the alternative names. In this movie, set almost entirely in an apartment complex in Quebec's largest city, an engineered parasite starts to propagate amongst the residents, growing as a separate organ within the bodies of those it inhabits and causing its hosts to spread it, aggressively, through sexual activities.

One of David Cronenberg's earliest film, this 1975 Canadian horror movie proved to be a success not only in the box office, but in awards circles, winning him Best Director at the Sitges Film Festival. At one point, it was the most profitable movie in Canadian filmmaking history.

Answer: Phantasm

Don Coscarelli's "Phantasm" comes across like a horror movie in a dream. Set in a small, country town, it follows two brothers (and their friend, a local ice cream man) who have to get to the bottom of what's going on at the creepy, nearby funeral home. What they find is a portal to another dimension kept open and accessible by a figure known only as 'The Tall Man'.

Filmed independently (and inexpensively) and released to cinemas in 1979, Don Coscarelli, naturally, gathered a very devoted cult audience. Coscarelli would make a total of five films in the series all the way into the 2010s, all of which featured Angus Scrimm in his role as the immortal Tall Man before he passed away in 2016. The film's legacy would allow Coscarelli to make unique films down the line including "Bubba Ho-Tep" (2002) and the 2012 adaptation of "John Dies at the End".

Answer: Dario Argento

Released in 1977, "Suspiria" has been regarded by many fans as a horror classic, bringing a unique, technicolor flair to an almost fairy-tale story of a young, American woman who travels to Germany to join an elite dance academy only to discover it's run by witches. What follows is a series of terrifying stalkings of young dance students and a descent into the heart of the coven.

"Suspiria" is considered by many to be Argento's signature film though he was a noteworthy giallo director for decades (with other movies like "Phenomenon", "Tenebrae", and "Opera"). "Suspiria" was followed by two more films with "Inferno" released in 1980 and "The Mother of Tears" finally appearing in 2007. "Suspiria" itself would be remade and reimagined by Luca Guadagnino in 2018.

Answer: Japan

Although director Takashi Miike's filmography is vast and varied, his adaptation of Ryu Murakami's novel, "Audition", is perhaps the most difficult to watch due to its propensity for under-the-skin content. It starts out silly enough, following a man who fakes a series of auditions claiming to be looking for a young woman for a film role when, really, he's looking for a relationship. What results is the attention of a particularly sadistic woman who exerts her control in violent ways.

But is it worth the watch? Absolutely, if you can stomach it. Considered one of the greatest J-horror staples, it's been cited as an inspiration for numerous horror directors of the 21st century. Eli Roth stated that "Audition" inspired him to create "Hostel" in the mid-2000s, and it contributed to a wave of 'torture porn' horror movies. Miike featured in a cameo in that film.

Answer: Borat

The most popular character to emerge from Sacha Baron Cohen's "Da Ali G Show", Borat Sagdiyev appeared in his own film back in 2006 and set into motion countless comedic quotes and images that would pervade pop culture for years to come. When 2019 rolled around, it was fate that Cohen would not only start filming again at the end of Donald Trump's first term, but heading into the COVID-19 pandemic.

And so, Borat hit the road again in a satirical adventure to give his daughter to Rudy Giuliani as a bride.

Not only did the movie catapult newcomer actress Maria Bakalova to fame (and an Oscar nomination), but it acted as one of the first major comedy acquisitions from Amazon Prime Video, launching on the platform days before the U.S. election. Is it as lasting as the original "Borat" film? Maybe not, but it's a unique time capsule into a period of U.S. history that may bear the close look.

Answer: Soul Plane

While "Flightplan" was a Jodie Foster thriller and both "Passenger 57" and "Con Air" were action films of varying intensity, "Soul Plane" released in 2004 as a campy comedy with a massive ensemble cast. The movie, which featured Tom Arnold, Snoop Dogg, Kevin Hart, Missi Pyle, Mo'Nique, Loni Love, Method Man, and many more, followed the crew and passengers of the Soul Plane from arrival at the airport to an unexpected landing in Central Park while all manner of wacky hi-jinx ensued.

Unfortunately, "Soul Plane" didn't hold up in the comedy sphere quite as well as "Airplane!", which it takes a bit of its DNA from. Critically bombing, it failed at the box office. That said, if you're into raunchy comedies of the 2000s, it's a prime example of a post-"Scary Movie" comedy landscape.