25 Degrees of Maggie Smith - Part 1 Quiz

Answer: Evil Under the Sun

Apart from Maggie Smith and Peter Ustinov, "Evil Under the Sun" (1982) starred a wonderfully mean Diana Rigg (who gets to sing Cole Porter's "You're The Top" with Maggie Smith), Dennis Quilley, Jane Birkin, James Mason, and a number of other notable stars. Even though it digresses significantly from the original novel at times, it is, in its way, a perfect adaptation of the book with lots of both mystery and fun. Poirot spends his holidays in a nice hotel by the Mediterranean, but it is not long before a glamorous guest at the hotel is found murdered on the beach, and everyone seems to have a motive.

Answer: Luther

Sir Peter played the role of Frederick the Wise, Martin Luther's secret benefactor, when in real life his health was rapidly failing and he needed a wheelchair. It was his last big role before his death.
The film follows the life and times of Martin Luther, the German monk who is the father of (Lutheran) Protestantism.

Answer: Killing Me Softly

Nicci French is actually the pen name of a writing duo, wife and husband Nicci Gerrard and Sean French. I've read, and thoroughly enjoyed, a couple of their thrillers, but still have to read the book this film was based on.
"Killing Me Softly" tells the story of Alice and Adam, who get married after a very brief and intense affair. But soon Alice starts to discover things about Adam that frighten her and receives anonymous letters warning her about her husband.

Answer: From Hell

"From Hell" is noted for its very authentic atmosphere and visual power, such as the use of smoke and mist, or clever cuts such as the one where red grapes (which Jack the Ripper uses as a bait to attract his victims) blend into a beating heart.
Johnny Depp plays the main character, Inspector Abberline of Scotland Yard, and Robbie Coltrane is his faithful assistant. Also starring is Ian Holm, a.k.a. Bilbo Baggins from "The Lord of the Rings".
"From Hell" tells the story of the Ripper murders through Inspector Abberline's eyes and also offers an explanation that many conspiracy theorists view as probable.

Answer: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

The first "Harry Potter" movie is also the only movie in the series where Robbie Coltrane and John Hurt are actually in the same scene (with no real interaction between the characters, though). John Hurt reprised his role as wandmaker Mr Ollivander in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows".
"Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" was the first of eight movies based on J.K. Rowling's famous series of books about a young wizard and his friends.

Answer: Alien

Ridley Scott's "Alien" won a well-deserved Oscar for the special effects. John Hurt was famously "face-hugged" by the alien creature.
"Alien" was also one of the first movies to establish a strong female character (Ripley) as the main lead in the previously testosterone-heavy action movie world. It follows the crew of a spaceship, who heed a distress call from an uninhabited planetoid on their way back home and soon are faced with a mysterious creature from outer space.

Answer: Ghostbusters

The Oscar-nominated special effects on "Ghostbusters" were done by the same specialist who had previously worked on "Star Wars" and "Indiana Jones".
The story: Three parapsychologists lose their jobs at the university and found a ghostbusters agency in New York. Soon they find that paranormal activity is mysteriously increasing in the city and end up facing an ancient demon.

Answer: Little Shop of Horrors

"Little Shop of Horrors" is a movie based on musical based on a movie. Savvy?
The 1960 B-movie "The Little Shop of Horrors" (the film on which the musical is based) is notable for being the fastest-produced movie of all time: filming was done in two days and one night; the actors started studying their roles three days prior to shooting, and the screenplay was allegedly written in one night. Jack Nicholson has a small role (which was played by Bill Murray in the 1986 film).
The music of the musical was composed by Alan Menken, who also wrote the songs for many Disney movies ("The Little Mermaid", "Beauty and the Beast", "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" and "Pocahontas", to name just a few).
In the film version of the musical, which this question is about, Rick Moranis plays Seymour Krelborn, a small and unimportant flower shop employee, who rises to fame when he discovers "Audrey II", a constantly growing plant which feeds on human flesh and blood. Steve Martin plays the sadistic dentist Orin Scrivello, the boyfriend of Seymour's love interest Audrey and the first person to be devoured by Audrey II.

Answer: It's Complicated

"It's Complicated" (directed by Nancy Myers) stars Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin as her ex husband with whom she has an affair, and Steve Martin as her new love interest. Meryl Streep was nominated for the Golden Globe, raising her total number of nominations that year to two. She won the trophy for "Julie & Julia", though.

Answer: Beetlejuice

"Beetlejuice" is a phonetic transcription of "Betelgeuse", which is not only the name under which the eponymous "bio-exorcist" played by Michael Keaton operates, but also a very bright star, Alpha Orionis, in the Orion constellation (which also houses the star Bellatrix in the Gamma position - everyone who knows the "Harry Potter" books/movies will have heard that name). In "Beetlejuice", Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis play a young couple who die in a car accident and return to their house to find it inhabited by the worst kind of yuppie family imaginable. Only the daughter of the house, played by Winona Ryder, is on their side as they enlist the help of Beetlegeuse to exorcize the intruders.

Answer: Batman Returns

Tim Burton's second "Batman" movie is my personal favorite, mainly due to the memorably performances of Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman and Danny De Vito as the Penguin. Commercially, the film was only half as successful as its predecessor.
Following the first "Batman" movie, "Batman Returns" concentrates again on Bruce Wayne and his colorful adversaries.

Answer: Stardust

This fantasy gem is surprisingly little known, but every person whom I've shown this movie loved it.
Based on the novel by Neil Gaiman, "Stardust" sports wonderful actors (including Claire Danes, Robert de Niro and Mark Strong, besides the ones already mentioned), a funny and romantic storyline, and lots of little unexpected twists.
Tristan Thorne, the unlikely hero, grows up in the village of Wall, so named because an actual wall runs along it. Beyond the wall lies the kingdom of Stormhold. Unbeknownst to Tristan, his own father once crossed the wall, and his adventures there have strong repercussions on the present. When Victoria, a snobby upperclass girl on whom Tristan has a mighty crush, asks him to retrieve a fallen star from beyond the wall, Tristan sets out on an adventure that will change him forever.

Answer: Troy

Wolfgang Petersen's rendition of the Trojan War is most notable in my own book for the fact that, for once, Sean Bean plays a likeable character (Odysseus) AND does not die. (I feel that usually it is only one or the other, or neither.)
Brad Pitt and Eric Bana starred as opposing heroes, Achilles and Hector.
The Trojan War was triggered when Paris, the son of Priam, King of Troy, eloped with the wife of the Spartan king, Menelaos. The siege on Troy lasted nine years until Odysseus came up with the idea of hiding Greek warriors in the belly of a wooden horse, which they left in front of the gates while the Spartans (seemingly) retreated. The Trojans took the horse for a parting gift, brought in into the city, and had a great feast of victory. Needless to say, the Greeks climbed out of the horse at night and thus turned the tables on the war.
The principle of the Trojan horse has also found its way into the world of computers.

Answer: National Treasure

As long as you don't think too much about it, "National Treasure" is a hugely enjoyable treasure hunt, with more than a little "Indiana Jones in the big city" flair about it.
Nicolas Cage plays a character whose family has always been obsessed with (and ridiculed for) the treasure of the Knights Templar, which the knights supposedly hid and is still waiting to be found. Unfortunately, following the clues involves stealing the original Declaration of Independence...

Answer: Leaving Las Vegas

"Leaving Las Vegas" is based on the novel of the same name by John O'Brien. Nicolas Cage won a well-deserved Oscar for his very realistic portrayal of alcoholic Ben Sanderson. Elizabeth Shue and director Mike Figgis also received Oscar nominations, as did the adapted screenplay, also by Mike Figgis. Ben Sanderson (Nicolas Cage) is a down-and-out alcoholic who wants to spend his last few days in Las Vegas and drink himself to death there. Elisabeth Shue plays the prostitute Sera, with whom he strikes up a tentative but strangely intense friendship. Nevertheless, he is determined to go through with his plan.