80's Movies In Other Words Trivia Quiz

Answer: The Karate Kid

Mr. Miyagi is named for Ghogyun Miyagi, who became the forerunner of karate-jutsu in Okinawa, Japan. (Imdb) Pat Morita plays Miyagi in the movie.

Answer: The Breakfast Club

Emilio Estevez was originally cast as the character Bender, Ally Sheedy was originally cast as Claire. Anthony Michael Hall's real mother and sister play the mother and sister of Brian Johnson in the movie. (Imdb)

Answer: Ghostbusters

In the scene where Sigourney Weaver's eggs jump out of the carton and start frying on the counter, there is a bag of 'Stay Puft' marshmallows sitting next to the possessed eggs.

Answer: Adventures in Babysitting

Chris Columbus directed this movie, he also directed 'Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone' and 'Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets'. In 'Adventures in Babysitting', the character Sara has a 'Gizmo' backpack. Chris Columbus wrote the movie 'Gremlins'.(Imdb)

Answer: Beverly Hills Cop

Axel Foley says he is writing an article for 'Rolling Stone' about Michael Jackson called 'Michael Jackson: Sitting on Top of the World'. In real life, 'Rolling Stone' ran an article titled 'Eddie Murphy: Sitting on Top of the World'. Sylvester Stallone was originally cast in the role of Axel Foley. (Imdb)

Answer: Cocoon

Directed by Ron Howard in 1985. My favorite scene, so funny, has the line 'Blue steel. Cat couldn't scratch it.'

Answer: Risky Business

One of the most memorable movie scenes ever, Tom Cruise in a dress shirt, socks and tighty whities, singing and dancing to 'Old Time Rock n Roll'. 'My name is Joel Goodson. I deal in human fulfillment. I grossed over $8,000 in one night. Time of your life, huh kid?' Another great quote from this movie, 'It seems to me that if there were any logic to our language, trust would be a four letter word.'

Answer: Stir Crazy

Sidney Poitier directs this hilarious movie starring Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder.

Answer: Cocktail

'I don't care how liberated this world becomes. A man will always be judged by the amount of alcohol he can consume and a woman will be impressed, whether she likes it or not.' -Doug Coughlin

Answer: Rain Man

Coincidence? The license plate on a red sports car in the beginning of the movie has the plate number 'MI 3762 4'. Tom Cruise's birthday is 3 July '62. Take it a step further and 'MI' could be 'Mission Impossible' and '4' could be 'Born on the Fourth of July'. Two later Cruise movies.

Answer: Big

When the song 'Country Grammar' by Nelly came out I recognized that 'shimmy shimmy cocoa puff' part of the song but I couldn't figure out where I'd heard it before. It is the silly song that 'Josh' and 'Billy' sing in 'Big'. To give Tom Hanks an idea of how a 12 year old would behave, Penny Marshall (the film's director) filmed each 'grown up' scene with David Moscow (young Josh) playing Hanks' part. Hanks then copied Moscow's behavior. (IMDB) Interestingly, in 'Forrest Gump', Michael Connor Humphries (young Forrest) really spoke with that slow southern drawl we all imitate, Tom Hanks copied his way of speaking.

Answer: Top Gun

From the IMDB again, 'Stunt pilot Art Scholl died when his plane crashed on 16 September 1985 while he was performing the 'flat spin' shown in the movie.' Val Kilmer didn't want to be in this movie, he was forced to by contract. Matthew Modine turned down the role of Maverick (whoops!), Tom Cruise is an inch too short to be a Navy pilot, and 3 actors in 'Top Gun' went on to star in 'E.R.' (Michael Ironside, Anthony Edwards, and Rick Rossovich.)

Answer: Footloose

Herbert Ross directed 'Footloose', 'Steel Magnolias', 'My Blue Heaven' and 'Boys on the Side'.

Answer: Splash

John Travolta, Dudley Moore and Bill Murray turned down the role of Allen Bauer. (IMDB)

Answer: Gremlins

Look for cameos by George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, an E.T. plush doll and Chuck Jones. There are many 'tips of the hat' to other movies, including the movies on the marquee 'A Boy's Life' and 'Watch the Skies', the working titles of 'E.T.' and 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind'. (Imdb)

Answer: Revenge of the Nerds

Robert Carradine (Louis Skolnick) is the son of John Carradine, brother of Keith Carradine and half-brother of David Carradine. Anthony Edwards (Gilbert Lowell) went on to star in 'Top Gun' and 'E.R.'. Timothy Busfield (Arnold Poindexter) later starred in 'thirtysomething'. Curtis Armstrong (Booger) played the campus cop in 'Van Wilder', he also played 'Miles' in 'Risky Business' and Herbert Viola on 'Moonlighting'.

Not bad for a bunch of 'nerds.' ;)

Answer: Porky's

Kim Cattrall ('Sex and the City') played Honeywell, the girl who howls and gets a gym sock stuffed in her mouth.

Answer: Stripes

'Where have you been soldier?' 'Training, sir.' 'TRAINING, SIR!' 'What kind of training?' 'Ar-my training, sir.' 'ARMY TRAINING, SIR!' 'Are you telling me that you men finished your training on your own?' 'That's a fact, Jack.' 'THAT'S A FACT, JACK!' Great, hilarious movie starring Bill Murray and Harold Ramis.

Answer: Short Circuit

'Johnny Five is alive!' 'Short Circuit' starring Ally Sheedy and Steve Guttenberg came out in 1986. Some of the movie was filmed on location in Astoria, Oregon. (Our little Hollywood of the Pacific Northwest.) Astoria is a very picturesque town located on the northwestern most part of Oregon along the Columbia River and the Pacific Ocean. 'Kindergarten Cop' and 'The Goonies' were also filmed in Astoria.

Answer: Twins

'Only there mother can tell them apart.' Danny DeVito and Arnold Schwarzenegger starred in this hilarious comedy directed by Ivan Reitman (he also directed Arnold in 'Kindergarten Cop' and 'Junior'). Heather Graham plays young Mary Ann Benedict. 'Twins' was Arnold's first comedy.