One Word Titles Trivia Quiz

Answer: Alf

"A.L.F." stood for Alien Life Form and was produced by Paul Fusco who also did the voice for Alf. It was about a furry, smart alec alien who crash landed into the Tanner family's garage and the ensuing antics.

Answer: Borat

"Borat" was written by Sasha Baron Cohen who also starred in the title role; it is about a TV reporter from Kazakhstan who comes to the U.S. with a documentary crew to report on "the greatest country in the world." Cohen also did the "Da Ali G Show" on TV and the 2009 film "Bruno".

The subtitle for "Borat" was "Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan".

Answer: Chuck

Chuck Bartowski was just a pretty average computer nerd until he acquired secrets which forced him into becoming a spy. This 2007 show stars Zachary Levi as the eponymous "Chuck", with Yvonne Strahovski as co-spy and love interest Sarah Walker.

Answer: Dune

"Dune" was originally from the novel by Frank Herbert. It takes place in the year 10191 on the planet Arrakis, a sand planet (hence the name "Dune"), with the lead character, Paul Atreides, having the ability to see the future.

Answer: Elf

Will Ferrell plays an over-sized, lovable elf who was raised at the North Pole. Buddy goes to New York to find his real father, Walter Hobbs. James Caan plays Walter, an unfeeling man who is unaware that he even has a son. It also stars Bob Newhart as Papa Elf.

Answer: Frasier

Kelsey Grammer played the radio psychiatrist, Dr. Frasier Crane, who moved from Boston (and "Cheers") to Seattle. The show ran from 1993 to 2004, and was extremely well-written and won 11 Emmys, 6 American Comedy Awards, 3 Golden Globes, 2 People's Choice Awards and 2 DGA Awards, to name just a few. His "Frasier" character also appeared on the TV show "Wings".

Answer: Gremlins

In a small Norman Rockwell - like town of Kingston Falls, Billy Peltzer's father (played by Hoyt Axton) gives Billy a small creature called a Mogwai. There are just three simple caveats: "No water; no food after midnight; no bright lights". Needless to say, he violates all the rules and unleashes the "Gremlins" on the town.

Answer: Hero

Dustin Hoffman plays "down-on-his-luck" divorced hustler, Bernie LaPlante, who witnesses a plane crash and while going in to steal victims' belongings, winds up rescuing some of them. He rejects the notoriety until there is a million dollar reward, but someone else then takes the credit.

Answer: Insomnia

Al Pacino stars as an L.A. detective who is sent to Alaska with his partner to solve the murder of a teenage girl, but "the land of the midnight sun" provides no respite from the incessant daylight, causing insomnia. Robin Williams and Hilary Swark also star in this stark and scary movie. If you missed it, rent it!

Answer: Jezebel

Bette Davis won her second Oscar in 1938 for playing the role of the controlling Julie Marsden in "Jezebel". Henry Fonda co-stars as her fiancee whom she loses due to her domineering ways, but then tries to win back.

Answer: K-PAX

Prot is arrested in Grand Central Station, claiming to be from the planet
K-PAX. He is sent to a psychiatric hospital where his doctor, played by Jeff Bridges, tries to help him find the truth... but what is the truth?

Answer: Lost

An "Oceanic" flight from Sydney to Los Angeles crashes on an island in the South Pacific. The victims struggle to survive and find out the island is not nearly as deserted as they thought. It stars Matthew Fox as Dr. Jack Shephard and Evangeline Lilly as Kate Austen.

Answer: Mame

Lucille Ball plays Mame Dennis who becomes the guardian of her nephew, Patrick.
This is a remake of the original 1958 Comden-Green comedy/musical, "Auntie Mame", starring Rosalind Russell.

Answer: Norbit

This is the typical story of the milquetoast and the monsterette, but Norbit still loves the beauty he was separated from in childhood. As usual, Eddie Murphy plays several different roles. His co-star is Thandie Newton who was in such movies as "Beloved", "Crash" and "W" - all of which fit the category.

Answer: Othello

This movie, of course, was taken from the play by William Shakespeare, written in 1602. In this version, Kenneth Branagh costars as the villainous Iago.

Answer: Psycho

This was the movie that made people afraid to take showers (perhaps the forerunner of the "hippie" era). Another version was remade by Gus Van Sant in 1998 starring Vince Vaughn.

Answer: Quincy

Quincy was a coroner who investigated suspicious deaths, but without the help of modern forensics and DNA profiling.

Answer: Ransom

The movie starred Mel Gibson as rich airline owner Tom Mullen, whose son is kidnapped for a two million dollar "Ransom". When the "drop" goes wrong, Mullen instead offers a payment for whoever brings in the kidnapper.

Answer: Saw

This was the original "Saw" about a serial killer whom the police call "Jigsaw". "Jigsaw" has chained the detective to pipes in his lair and threatened him with the option of killing or having his family killed. It also stars Cary Elwes from "The Princess Bride" as Dr. Lawrence Gordon.

Answer: Taken

Neeson plays Bryan Mills, a retired Secret Service Agent who moves to California to be near his daughter. Mills allows his daughter and her friend to go to Paris where they are kidnapped by "white slavers". Realistic, no?

Answer: Ulysses

Adapted from "The Odyssey", the story tells of Ulysses' 10 year journey home after the Trojan War. Silvana Mangano stars in a dual role as both Circe and Ulysses' wife, Penelope.

Answer: Valerie

Valerie Harper played the role of Valerie Hogan, mother of David (Jason Bateman) and fraternal twins Willie and Mark. After contract disputes in real life, Valerie left the series which was then renamed "The Hogan Family" aka "Valerie's Family".

Answer: WALL-E

This is the story of how mankind has abandoned Earth which has become a huge trash pit...not so far from a possibility, eh? WALL-E finds a living plant amidst the garbage and also falls in love with EVE, a robot who was sent to Earth to find out if the planet is habitable again.

Answer: Yentl

This movie was based on the 1960 Yiddish novel "Yentl, the Yeshiva Boy" by Isaac Bashevis Singer. It contains the often used gender love confusion plot used in both Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" and "Tootsie" (1982).

Answer: Zulu

"Zulu" was based on a true story about the British army in 1879 suffering a stunning defeat when Zulu warriors killed 1500 troops, and the subsequent battle against 139 Welsh soldiers. It starred Jack Hawkins and a young Michael Caine.