A View from the Wall Trivia Quiz

Answer: Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise, born in Syracuse, New York in 1962, was never one to shy away from controversy nor could he be described as uninteresting; from his involvement with the Church of Scientology to jumping on furniture to legal cases regarding his sexuality, Cruise made sure he was always in the public eye.

The 2008 offering 'Valkyrie' was another in a long list of films set in Germany during World War II. The film focused on the 20 July Plot (or just July Plot), an event in which Claus von Stauffenberg, a colonel in the Wehrmacht, was the main instigator of the failed assassination attempt of Adolf Hitler. The film ends with the chilling scene of the colonel's execution followed by the description of the fate of other individuals portrayed in the film.

Perhaps Cruise's most successful role is that of Ethan Hunt in the 'Mission: Impossible' series of films. In 2011, a fourth film in the franchise was released called 'Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol'. Simon Pegg, who was seen in 'Mission: Impossible III', was also credited for his role in the fourth film.

Answer: Johnny Galecki

In 2007, 'The Big Bang Theory' brought physics into the lives of millions of viewers and in so doing successfully managed to reveal the fun side of the subject and those who study it. Johnny Galecki plays experimental physicist, Leonard Hofstadter, a socially inept man sexually attracted to an aspiring actress, Penny, who lives in the flat opposite him. That said, Hofstadter is made to look like a social deity when compared to Sheldon Cooper, played by Jim Parsons.

Sheldon struggles to understand various protocols, conventions and etiquette and, to comic effect, sarcasm goes way over his head.

Answer: Halle Berry

Halle Berry starred alongside Benjamin Bratt and Sharon Stone in a film which everybody loves to criticise, 'Catwoman'. The film was considered to be so bad that it won in four categories at the 2005 Golden Raspberry (Razzie) Awards and this included the Worst Actress category! The best way to deal with being awarded a Razzie is to turn up to the ceremony, accept the award and join in with the light-hearted mockery - and this is exactly what Halle Berry did! This moment was captured in the well-known image (to those who know it well) of Berry holding up a Razzie in one hand and her Oscar statuette in the other! She was awarded the Best Actress Oscar in 2001 for her portrayal of Leticia Musgrove in 'Monster's Ball'.

Answer: Glee

'Glee', the show that musically illustrated the virtues of tolerance and the dangers of an unbalanced curriculum, was first broadcast on American television in 2009 and went on to become a worldwide success. Through characters such as Finn Hudson (played by Cory Monteith), a jock who liked to sing, and Artie Abrams (played by Kevin McHale), a wheelchair user who liked to dance, the show flew in the face of stereotypes. That said, there are examples where stereotypes were partially validated. Perhaps the most obvious example was gay character Kurt Hummel (played by Chris Colfer), a camp student with a passion for musical theatre. Even though the character exhibited stereotypical traits and interests, 'Glee' attempted to show that he was not rigidly defined by them.

Answer: Revolutionary Road

Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio will always be best known for their roles in the hugely successful 1997 film 'Titanic'. Kate Winslet played Rose DeWitt Bukater, a first class passenger in an ostensibly happy relationship with steel magnate Caledon Hockley (played by Billy Zane). Sink beneath the surface (I won't apologise for the pun) however, and Rose is desperately unhappy; unwilling to maintain the façade of opulent bliss, she makes her way to the back of the ship and contemplates throwing herself into the icy Atlantic waters below. In comes DiCaprio's Jack Dawson, a poor but fortuitous Wisconsinite who won his ticket in a game of cards, who talks Rose out of her suicidal desires. Rose later discovers that she enjoys the honest company of third class passengers more than she does the stifling formality of the rich and eventually she falls in love with Jack.

Eleven years later, Winslet and DiCaprio starred together in 'Revolutionary Road' and this time their relationship was not nearly as plain sailing (OK, I'll apologise this time). With their marriage on the verge of failure, Winslet's character, April Wheeler, felt so helplessly trapped that she self-induced an abortion with crude equipment. Winslet picked up a Best Actress Golden Globe for her performance in 'Revolutionary Road'. This was the first time the Best Actress Golden Globe was awarded to a performer who was not nominated for an Academy Award for the same role since Shirley MacLaine in 1988.

Answer: Anna Paquin

'True Blood' is an excellent TV adaptation of the series of books authored by Mississippi-born Charlaine Harris. The programme follows the lives of the weird and wonderful residents of Bon Temps, Louisiana, with special attention paid to Sookie Stackhouse, a telepath of fairy descent played by Anna Paquin.

In addition to fairies, Bon Temps has counted vampires, shapeshifters, witches, werewolves, maenads and most shockingly of all, humans, amongst its visitors.

Answer: Confessions of a Shopaholic

P. J. Hogan directed 'Confessions of a Shopaholic', a 2009 "Rom Com" starring Isla Fisher and Hugh Dancy. The film, which wasn't particularly well received, is an adaptation of a book in the 'Shopaholic' series by Sophie Kinsella. An online review from Rotten Tomatoes had this to say of the film, "this middling romantic comedy underutilizes a talented cast and delivers muddled messages on materialism and conspicuous consumption". So there! If however you are not looking for the lecture notes from a course on materialism from the London School of Economics, then this film is a reasonably enjoyable way to pass a couple of hours.

Answer: Hotel Babylon

'Hotel Babylon' ran for four series between 2006 and 2009 and the regular stream of celebrity guests featuring as visitors to the 5-star London hotel made the show somewhat believable. Such guest stars include Joan Collins, Paula Abdul, John Barrowman and the very irritating Michael Winner.

'Hotel Babylon' had four general managers over the course of the four series:
Rebecca Mitchell (played by Tamzin Outhwaite)
Charlie Edwards (played by Max Beesley)
Jack Harrison (portrayed by Lee Williams)
Juliet Miller (portrayed by Anna Wilson-Jones)

Answer: Wes Craven

Successful horror, thriller and slasher films almost always have a memorable villain and this is certainly the case for the 'Scream' franchise. Or should it be said for the case of 'Scream', villains, as the iconic mask is not donned by just one person but conceals the identity of multiple killers.

The first four 'Scream' films were all directed by thriller specialist Wes Craven, who also directed the 1984 classic 'A Nightmare on Elm Street'. Craven usually has a cameo role in his 'Scream' films and it is always good fun to play "spot the director" - blink and you'll miss him! Though if you really "want to play a game" maybe another successful slasher franchise is for you!

Answer: Dr. Wilson

The relationship between Gregory House, played by Hugh Laurie, and oncologist James Wilson, played by Robert Sean Leonard, is a strained one at best. House is a notoriously difficult person to get on with and despite Wilson's best efforts to keep House on the straight and narrow, the oncologist often ends up enabling him.

In my research for this question I discovered that 'The Simpsons' character Apu Nahasapeemapetilon holds a PhD in computer science and is thus granted the title of doctor. Apu obtained his PhD from the amusingly named Springfield Heights Institute of Technology (I shall not state the institution's acronym here).