Popcorn Crunchers, Reel 16 Trivia Quiz

Answer: a very tall man in a diaper

In the first film of a two-picture series, "The Amazing Colossal Man" (1957), Lt. Col. Glenn Manning was exposed to radiation from an atomic bomb blast. This caused him to grow until he became 60-70 feet tall (estimates vary). It appeared he was dead at the end of the original movie but he shows up in Mexico, alive, tall and wearing a diaper, in this sequel.

Answer: Descent of the Mars Maidens

The Venusian women in "Abbott and Costello Go to Mars" (1953) are played by contestants in the Miss Universe Pageant of 1952. The only Martian in "Devil Girl from Mars" (1954) is Nyah, played by Patricia Laffan. The interior of the rocket ship in "Flight to Mars" (1951) was first used in "Rocketship X-M" (1950).

The motion picture "Fire Maidens of Outer Space" (1956) depicted the female residents of Jupiter. "Mars Maidens, Book One" is a hardback collection of sketches by artist Frank Cho. There does not appear to have been a movie called "Descent of the Mars Maidens" made in the 1950s.

Answer: invisible flying brains and spinal cords

The monsters in "Fiend Without a Face" were, at first, invisible but then (what with movies being a visual medium) they became visible in the last third of the film. They appear to be large brains dragging prehensile spinal cords with tentacles at the end of which eyes grew.

The creatures could fly (or jump) and, when they died, they left a mess like strawberry jam spilled on a kitchen floor.

Answer: Kirk Alyn

Kirk Alyn (1910-1999) was the first actor to play Superman in live-action. The character was adapted from comic books. Alyn starred in both the first and second serials: "Superman" (1948) and "Atom Man vs. Superman" (1950). He acted in other serials, as well: "Federal Agents Vs. Underworld Inc." (1948), "Radar Patrol vs. Spy King" (1950) and "Blackhawk" (1952).

He wrote his autobiography, "A Job for Superman", in 1971.

Answer: Hugo kills him.

Doctor Bronski turns his ray on some captured adults. Little Hugo, who has been turned into his slave by the ray, rebels and knocks the doctor down. Hugo then sets off several explosions and Bronski dies in the flames of his laboratory. Hugo is inexplicably rehumanized and everyone lives happily ever after.

Answer: Japan

"Godzilla" was produced and distributed by Toho Co., Ltd., of Japan. It was the first film in what would grow into a major Toho franchise. It was shot entirely in Japan.

Answer: the actors' first and middle names

Bud Abbott's birth name was William Alexander Abbott and Lou Costello's birth name was Louis Francis Cristillo. As a sort of inside joke, their characters in "Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man" were given their first and middle names.

Answer: acting

Louis Francis Cristillo (1906-1959) was known professionally as Lou Costello. He was the comedy half of the comedy team Abbott and Costello. From 1940 and 1956, the team made 36 motion pictures. A few of these were tangentially horror-science fiction films, e.g. "Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein" (1948), "Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man" (1951), "Abbott and Costello Go to Mars" (1953), "Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" (1953), and "Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy" (1955).

After the team broke up in 1957, Costello starred in "The Thirty-Foot Bride of Candy Rock", which was released after his death in 1959.

Answer: True

There was a business concern that the Hammer Films' 1958 version of "Dracula" might provoke a lawsuit from Universal Pictures. The Universal original 1931 film was still being shown occasionally in theatres. For the world premier of the Christopher Lee/Peter Cushing version in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on 8 May 1958, the distributors chose "Horror of Dracula" so as not to conflict.

Answer: volcanic eruption and lava flow

Once it is determined that the two creatures are nesting in the crater of Mount Aso, the Japanese Self Defense Forces direct military fire at the mountain in hopes of burying them alive. The military bombardment triggers a volcanic eruption. As the volcano propels lava into the air, it injures one creature's wing and it settles back into the flowing lava. Seeing the fate of its mate, the second Rodan dives into the inferno to share their death together.