These Go to 11 Trivia Quiz

Answer: This is Spinal Tap

Cult favorite "This is Spinal Tap" (1984) is a fake documentary and biting satire about a fictional rock band. The film follows documentary filmmaker Marty DeBergi (played by Rob Reiner, the film's actual director) as he accompanies Spinal Tap (hailed as "one of England's loudest bands") on their 1982 comeback tour. Each over-the-top encounter cleverly skewers the stereotypical excesses and pretentiousness that exemplify the rock 'n' roll lifestyle. In one memorable scene, guitarist Nigel Tufnel shows off the band's equipment to DiBergi, but doesn't understand why he isn't more impressed by the Marshall amp with dials that go to 11:

DiBergi: "Most amps go up to ten?"
Tufnel: "Exactly."
DiBergi: "Does that mean it's louder? Is it any louder?"
Tufnel: "Well, it's one louder, isn't it? It's not ten."
...
DiBergi: "Why don't you just make ten louder and make ten be the top number, and make that a little louder?"
Tufnel: [beat] "These go to 11."

In 2011, fans of the film christened November 11 as "Nigel Tufnel Day" in honor of its "maximum elevenness" (11.11.11). The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) allows users to assign ratings to films and normally displays the aggregated results on a scale of 1 to 10, with one notable exception: the IMDb page for "This is Spinal Tap" displays the user ratings on a scale that goes to 11.

Answer: The assassination of JFK

Jake Epping is a high school English teacher living in the small town of Lisbon, Maine. He has just finalized his divorce with his ex-wife, Christy, when he is approached by his friend Al Templeton (Chris Cooper) with a strange proposition. Turns out that Al has discovered a portal in his diner that allows people to travel back in time to 1960, and has been using it to attempt to alter the course of history. His aim? Prevent the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963. When a cancer diagnosis prevents Al from achieving his goal, he returns to 2016 to convince Jake to take over and complete his mission. Initially, Jake rejects Al's crazy scheme but curiosity soon gets the better of him. He goes back to 1960 and prepares to intervene in the fateful events in Dallas, Texas, but things don't always go according to plan. Whenever he comes close to changing the course of human events, he discovers that "the past pushes back" in unexpected and often dangerous ways. Is he successful? Would the world really be better off if JFK had survived? I won't spoil the ending. Just know that this series is well worth watching.

"11.22.63" (2016) was executive produced by Stephen King and J.J. Abrams.

Answer: Ocean's Eleven

Career criminal Danny Ocean (George Clooney) assembles a group of people to pull off the heist to end all heists. There's Rusty Ryan (Brad Pitt), Danny's former partner in crime, and Linus Caldwell (Matt Damon), a wet-behind-the-ears pickpocket. There's Basher (Don Cheadle), the Cockney munitions expert, Frank (Bernie Mac), the "inside man", and brothers Turk and Virgil (Scott Caan and Casey Affleck), the drivers/mechanics. Rounding out the team are Saul (Carl Reiner), the old-timer chameleon, tech expert Livingston (Eddie Jemison), Yen (Shaobo Qin), a Chinese acrobat who specializes in tight situations, and Reuben (Elliott Gould), the Vegas magnate who bankrolls the entire operation. The plan is to rob three Las Vegas casinos owned by Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia) in one night, and settle some old scores in the process, including winning over Tess (Julia Roberts), Terry's current beau and Danny's ex.

"Are you in or are you out?" proclaimed the film's marketing material. Film audiences were in, if the box office was any indication. Soderbergh's re-imagining of the 1960 Rat Pack heist movie took in $450 million worldwide from an $85 million budget, which was a bargain considering the star power present in the large ensemble cast.

Answer: The Armistice

The Armistice was observed at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918, and marked the end of WWI.

Downton had become an officers' convalescent home at the start of the second series to ease the burden on the cottage hospital, but with the war coming to an end the Crawleys face the prospect of getting their house back again. The war has taken its toll, of course. William has perished from his injuries and Matthew is left in a wheelchair. Near the end of episode six, Lord Grantham interrupts the servants' supper to inform them that the war is over. "The ceasefire will begin at 11:00 on the morning of the 11th of November," he says. "We will mark the moment in the Great Hall and I expect all of you, including the kitchen staff and hall boys, everyone, to be there." The entire household assembles at the designated time, as Robert addresses everyone. "I think while the clock strikes, we should all make a silent prayer to mark the finish of this terrible war, and what that means for each and every one of us. Let us remember the sacrifices that have been made and the men who will never come back, and give them our thanks." As the clock strikes 11, Lord Grantham and the remaining officers stand at attention, as the family and servants look on somberly. "Thank you, everyone," Robert says once the moment passes. "Remember, this is not just the end of a long war, but it is the dawn of a new age. God bless you all."

Answer: The environment

"The 11th Hour" assembled interviews with scientists, politicians, environmentalists, and activists about the dire state of the planet due to climate change, destruction of ecosystems, and depletion of natural resources. The film makes an impassioned plea that time is running out, and that the very future of the human race hangs in the balance. The desperate nature of our circumstances is summarized by Kenny Ausubel, who explains, "When we all talk about 'saving the environment', in a way it's misstated because the environment is going to survive. We are the ones who may not survive. Or we may survive in a world we don't particularly want to live in." The film ends by addressing possible ways to reverse the damage to the environment and posits that the technology to accomplish this already exists, but requires a change in mindset and strong leadership.

In 2014, Leonardo DiCaprio was named the United Nations Messenger on Climate Change for his involvement in environmental causes. I'm going to add to his accolades and name Leo the official poster boy for this quiz. After all, he was born on November 11.

Answer: "M*A*S*H" and "Cheers"

"M*A*S*H" was adapted from Robert Altman's 1970 feature film of the same name and was centered around the surgeons and staff stationed at a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital in Uijeongbu during the Korean War. "Cheers" was centered around Sam Malone (Ted Danson), a womanizing ex-baseball pitcher and recovering alcoholic, and the customers and employees who populated his Boston bar. Both shows were Emmy nominated a record-setting 11 times for Outstanding Comedy Series for each of their 11 seasons, with "M*A*S*H" winning a series total of 14 Primetime Emmys out of 109 nominations, and "Cheers" winning a series total of 28 Primetime Emmys out of a record-setting 117 nominations.

"Cheers" generated a successful spinoff sitcom that also ran for exactly 11 seasons between 1993 and 2004. "Frasier" was centered around the title character played by Kelsey Grammer, a regular patron of Cheers who moved back home to Seattle to start a new life. The show was nominated for 108 Primetime Emmys and won 37, including five consecutive wins for Outstanding Comedy Series.

Answer: The Color Purple

"Ben-Hur" (1959) follows the title character (Charlton Heston, in his only Oscar-winning role) and his journey from prince to slave to charioteer and free man. The film picked up 11 Oscars from 12 nominations, losing only in the Best Adapted Screenplay category. "Titanic" (1997) tells the story of a pair of young lovers set against the backdrop of the titular ship's ill-fated maiden voyage. It won 11 Oscars out of a record-tying 14 nominations, losing in the Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress and Best Makeup categories. "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" (2003) marked the end of a seven-year long journey to make three films chronicling J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings". The final film instalment sees the scattered remains of the fellowship from the first film working to give the ringbearer Frodo the chance he needs to destroy The One Ring in the fires of Mount Doom. The film won all 11 Oscars it was nominated for in 2004.

"The Color Purple" (1985) was directed by Steven Spielberg based on the Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Alice Walker. It chronicles the life of Celie Johnson, who faces abuse and racism growing up in rural Georgia. Together with "The Turning Point" (1977), the film set a record for the most Oscar nominations without a single win - 11.

Answer: Doctor Who

"Doctor Who" follows the adventures of the Doctor, a centuries-old member of a technologically advanced alien race. Together with his companions, the Doctor explores space and time using the TARDIS, a time machine that resembles a British police telephone box. The Doctor has the ability to regenerate his humanoid form whenever the need arises due to injury, illness, or old age, giving rise to a complete change in the Doctor's physical appearance. In this way, different actors have been able to portray successive incarnations of the Doctor over the show's many years on the air, with these regenerations explaining the transition between actors. "Doctor Who" had its original run between 1963 and 1989 for 26 seasons, covering the adventures up to the Seventh Doctor, and an unsuccessful attempt was made to reboot the series in the form of a 1996 TV film that introduced the Eighth Doctor. The show was successfully revived in 2005 with Christopher Eccleston taking on the mantle of the Ninth Doctor for one revived series, before transitioning to the Tenth Doctor (David Tennant) later that year. In January 2010, Matt Smith took over the reigns as the Eleventh Doctor at the end of a two-part special titled "The End of Time", and had his first full episode at the start of the fifth revived series later that year in an episode entitled "The Eleventh Hour". At the time, Matt Smith was the youngest actor to play the Doctor, and there were initial concerns over his ability to please fans of the show.

"The Doctor is a very special part, and it takes a very special actor to play him," explained producer-writer Steven Moffat. "You need to be old and young at the same time, a boffin and an action hero, a cheeky schoolboy and the wise old man of the universe. As soon as Matt walked through the door and blew us away with a bold and brand new take on the Time Lord, we knew we had our man."

Answer: Harry Potter

Harry Potter's existence for the early years of his life isn't a very pleasant one. Orphaned as a baby, Harry is sent to live with his Aunt Petunia and Uncle Dursley in Little Whinging, Surrey. His aunt and uncle dote on their own son, Dudley, and seem to resent Harry, making him perform all the chores around the house and sleep in the cupboard under the stairs. As he gets older, strange things begin to happen around Harry that he cannot explain, culminating in the events of the week leading up to his 11th birthday, when owls begin to deliver strange letters from a place called Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The letters terrify the Dursleys, who pack everyone up and move to a shack on a deserted island. That night, Harry stays up after midnight to observe his birthday, when a huge half-giant named Hagrid breaks down the door and greets Harry with a homemade birthday cake. "It's not every day your young man turns 11, now is it?" Hagrid says with a gleam in his eye. He introduces himself to Harry as Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts, but is puzzled that Harry hasn't heard of the school. "Blimey, Harry, didn't you ever wonder where your mum and dad learned it all?" he says. "Learned what?" Harry asks. "You're a wizard Harry," Hagrid replies, as Harry's eyes widen in disbelief. "And a thumpin' good one I'd wager once you've trained up a little."

And so begins Harry's seven-year adventure over eight films in the magical world created by J.K. Rowling, starting with "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's (Sorceror's) Stone".

Answer: Stranger Things

The Duffer Brothers' "Stranger Things" captured the imagination of TV audiences in the summer of 2016, with its numerous homages to Stephen King, Steven Spielberg, John Carpenter, and 1980s entertainment and pop culture. Winona Ryder and David Harbour were excellent in their roles, but the show really belonged to the group of child actors portraying the kids affected most by the bizarre occurrences in Hawkins.

In particular, Millie Bobby Brown shines in her breakout role as Eleven, an escapee from a top-secret government-run mind control program who is unversed in the ways of the world but skilled in telekinesis and astral projection. Sporting short-cropped hair and the numerals "011" tattooed on her arm, Eleven appears after 12-year-old Will Byers is abducted into an alternate dimension known as 'The Upside Down'. Will's friends don't really know what to make of this strange new addition to their group, but they recruit her in their efforts to locate Will. Eleven's special abilities eventually come in handy in dealing with the shadowy government forces watching their every move, and an otherworldly monster that they dub the "Demogorgon".