Popcorn Crunchers, Reel 83 Trivia Quiz

Answer: True

In Harry and Michael Medved's book "The Golden Turkey Awards" (1980), they named "Plan 9 From Outer Space" as the worst movie in film history. They also named Ed Wood as the worst director ever. The film has been faulted for lapses in continuity, uninspired acting, silly dialogue, crude special effects, and poorly constructed props (such as the Styrofoam tombstones which tip over when touched by an actor's foot). The review in Britain's "The Independent" said "the plot itself appears to be the product of insanity".

However, "VideoHound's Complete Guide to Cult Flicks and Trash Pics" (1996) said that the film "has become so famous for its own badness that it's now beyond criticism". The website "Rotten Tomatoes" said it was "The epitome of so-bad-it's-good cinema". In the on-line fanzine "Film Threat", Josiah Teal called the picture a "quintessential cult classic".

Answer: Flying Saucer Landing

"Earth vs. the Flying Saucers" (1956) involves space craft attacking Washington, Paris, London, and Moscow. "The Flying Saucer" (1950) is about a spacecraft seen in the Alaskan Territory. "Invasion of the Saucer Men" (1957) features little green men who inject humans with ethyl alcohol. "Attack of the Flying Saucer" is a short (5 minute) film made in 2011. "Fearful Attack of the Flying Saucers" (1956) is a Japanese "tokusatsu" film. "Flying Saucers On The Attack" purports to be a nonfiction book, written by Harold T. Wilkins in 2011. "Flying Saucer Landing" is a song recorded by Ubar Tmar in 1997.

There does not appear to have been a theatrical motion picture called "Flying Saucer Landing" made in the 1950s.

Answer: gigantic Moon spiders

As the crew of Moon Rocket 4 begins to explore the cave and caverns of the Moon, they are attacked by a pair of giant black spiders. The spiders drop from the roof. The crew try to stab them with knives to little effect. They are, however, killed with gunshots. Actor William Phipps played crew member Doug Smith. About the monsters, he said in a post-release interview "And that giant spider! They held it up with big ropes above us on the cave set and dropped it down on our heads.

At the time, I thought it was the most outrageous, absurd thing in the world - how did spiders get on the Moon?! It was all just incredible - I thought, 'How can anybody put this in a movie? It's gonna ruin it!'"

Answer: Bela Lugosi

"Bride of the Monster" was Bela Lugosi's last speaking role in a motion picture. His appearance in "The Black Sleep" (1956) was in a silent part. His appearance in "Plan 9 from Outer Space" (1957) used silent footage of Lugosi shot before his death. Lugosi plays a mad scientist in all of the scenes except those which required much physical action; he was ill at the time of shooting. Body doubles Eddie Parker and Red Reagan stand in for him when he has to do things like fight with his own monster.

Answer: One of him is shot, which kills both of him.

Dave Boyer, played by Dick Miller, determines that Van Ponder is an alien and shoots him once. They wrestle and he shoots him again, which kills Van Ponder. At that precise moment, the duplicate Van Polder, who was trying to seduce Sybil, also falls down dead.

Answer: a ten-page idea for a movie

Producer Walter Wanger bought the rights to produce a motion picture based on a ten-page "treatment" by Ben Hecht. Wanger was out of favour with the industry because he had shot a man for which he went to prison. The screenplay by Charles Beaumont, about a revolt against a cruel Venusian queen, is based on an idea supplied by Ben Hecht and originally titled "Queen of the Universe".

Several years later, Charles Beaumont wrote a screenplay tangentially based on Hecht's treatment. Allied Artists renamed it "Queen of Outer Space". Because Hecht was well known as the screenwriter for "Underworld" (1927), "Gone with the Wind" (1939), "Some Like it Hot" (1959) and "His Girl Friday" (1940), Allied Artists did nothing to dispute the tabloid rumour that the script was actually Hecht's.

Answer: an executed murderer brought back to life

Charles "Butcher" Benton is convicted of murder and robbery and sentenced to die in the gas chamber. After his execution, his body is unlawfully sold to Dr. Bradshaw, a biochemist in San Francisco. Bradshaw is seeking the causes and cure of cancer. He subjects the Butcher's body to 287,000 volts of electricity. This restarts his heart, revives him from death and confers superhuman strength upon him. The electricity burns out his vocal chords so he is mute. His body has become impenetrable and indestructible hence the title of the movie.

Answer: acting

Born in Austria, actor John Wengraf (1897-1974) played numerous Germanic parts in motion pictures. He lived in Austria, England and the United States, sequentially. He acted on the stage, on television and in films. His horror and science fiction film credits include Dr. Zeitman in "Gog" (1954), Dr. Carl Metz in "The Disembodied" (1957), John Meierman in "The Return of Dracula" (1958) and Dr. Erich Heinrich in "12 to the Moon" (1960).

Answer: London

Old Mother Riley runs a shop in London. Von Housen buys a manor house in London (with really cool sliding panels and secret rooms). Julia Loretti arrives in London on a ship carrying her and her map showing the way to a uranium mine. The front page of a local newspaper is shown in the film. The masthead says it is the "London Evening News" (and sets the movie in September of 1952).

Answer: The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

The motion picture "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" (1975) was an adaptation of the stage musical "The Rocky Horror Show" (1973). The opening and closing song (reprise) is "Science Fiction/Double Feature". The lyrics include the line "Anne Francis stars in (ooh-ooh-ooh) 'Forbidden Planet'".

The lyrics also include references to "The Day The Earth Stood Still" (1951), "It Came From Outer Space" (1953), "Tarantula" (1955), "Night of the Demon" (1957), and "When Worlds Collide" (1951).