Alphabetical Horror Films - G Trivia Quiz

Answer: Grave Encounters

Directed by Canadian film duo The Vicious Brothers, this film got its start in the film festivals before a short limited run and on-demand release. After picking up a number of followers upon its 2011 release, it ended up gaining the steam to go to home video, so much so that it received a sequel in 2012. "Grave Encounters" followed a handful of people filming their paranormal investigation show in a reputedly-haunted, old asylum.

When it turned out that it was, in fact, much more haunted than they ever imagined, they realized that escape would, perhaps, be impossible.

The film followed a they handycam/documentary feel typical of horror films in the late 2010s, albeit with more clever special effects tricks than normal.

Answer: Grace

Originally based on a short film by Paul Solet, "Grace" ended up falling into the horror canon in the late 2010s, appearing in several Indie festivals before seeing modest returns on DVD. Starring modern scream queen Jordan Ladd (of "Cabin Fever", "Death Proof", "Hostel: Part II", etc.), the movie involved a mother who lost her unborn child in a car crash. Opting to bring the fetus to term, she was shocked to discover that instead of being born dead, it was alive.

Unfortunately, this ended up being more a curse than a little blessing.

The movie debuted at Sundance.

Answer: The Grudge

"The Grudge", in essence, was about a curse placed upon a person who, when they died, would seek revenge and force himself upon any person, willing or not, so that they could know/experience the same suffering that they did during their death. In the original film, a woman, her son and cat were killed by the vengeful father and husband; the protagonist (and others) had to save themselves from the supernatural curse at all costs.

The American remake of the film was immensely popular and, after "The Ring", it was the most famous J-Horror remake of the 2000s earning nearly $200,000,000. Two American sequels were made (only one of which went to theaters). Both the Japanese and American films were directed by Takashi Shimizu.

Answer: Grindhouse

Promoted and released as a true double feature, "Grindhouse" received a cult following before it was even in theaters. Mimicking the exploitative style of grindhouse action cinema and B-movies, directors Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino set out to make two movies and release them simultaneously; this resulted in "Planet Terror", Rodriguez's zombie apocalypse movie, and "Death Proof", Tarantino's dialogue-heavy, high-speed action flick. Combined, the movies did poorly in North America and were a box office flop, despite having huge stars from Kurt Russell, to Rose McGowan, Bruce Willis and Josh Brolin in the sprawling cast lists. Nonetheless, spiritual sequels made from the film's faux trailers were released: "Hobo With a Shotgun" and Rodriguez's own "Machete" (starring Danny Trejo).

Answer: Ginger Snaps

Starring Emily Perkins and Katharine Isabelle, this werewolf movie set somewhat of a benchmark. At a time where werewolves were not the 'in' thing (ghosts and slashers, however...) director John Fawcett received funding from the Canadian government to create this film which, in a way, became a cult classic at the turn of the century, due to its unique approach to the werewolf mythos. "Ginger Snaps" was so popular within horror circles that two sequels, "Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed" and "Ginger Snaps Back", were created, the latter of which was a prequel. Both films saw the return of the two main stars.

In the original film, one of the two girls, Ginger, is attacked by a werewolf and quickly begins her transformation.

Answer: Ghost Ship

When an ocean liner was found in the North Pacific, one salvage crew had no choice but to reap the rewards in this 2002 movie. Unfortunately, along with a ton of gold onboard and ghostly threats, they didn't hightail it out of there. Along with Margulies, Isaiah Washington, Desmond Harrington, and Gabriel Byrne also starred.

The movie was critically panned but earned back three times its $20,000,000 budget in the box office. Particularly notable was its opening scene in which a dance floor full of ship passengers was cut in half by a length of piano wire.

Unfortunately, the film sunk after the first five minutes.

Answer: Giallo

Giallo, also the Italian word for the colour yellow, was a literary and film movement named after the colour of pulp crime novels of the time; the term was later applied to a style of horror film considered mastered by Argento in decades prior (in films like "Tenebrae", "The Bird with the Crystal Plumage", and "Four Flies on Grey Velvet"). Argento was also famous for his vibrant horror films "Suspiria" and "Inferno", parts of his 'Three Mothers' trilogy ending with "The Mother of Tears" in 2007. "Giallo" starred Adrien Brody and Emmanuelle Vaugier and involved the investigation of a dastardly killer in Turin, Italy.

Unfortunately, it was not as highly-regarded as Argento's earlier works. It premiered in film festivals but ultimately flopped in box office earnings.

Answer: The Gravedancers

Staring Dominic Purcell (of "Prison Break" fame), "The Gravedancers" started with a funeral and ended with a trifecta of curses stemming from three friends' decision to get drunk, visit their buddy's grave, and dance around a bit. Unfortunately they decided to dance on the graves of three relatively undesirable spirits-- one pyromaniac, an axe murderess, and a violent adulterer. With the help of a paranormal investigator, they tried to end the curse before they died at the next full moon. Receiving limited release only, "The Gravedancers" was one of the eight original 'Films to Die For', released (almost) annually by After Dark Films.

The film may otherwise have never been picked up for distribution.

Answer: Ghosts of Mars

Set on (where else?) a futuristic Mars, the movie followed a group transporting a prisoner (Ice Cube) to a desolate Martian mining town. When they arrived, however, they discovered that everyone was gone. Not so. The people were actually killed and possessed by alien spirits pulled up from a doorway in the mines.

The movie has been considered one of Carpenter's worst; it was a critical and box office flop. He didn't make another full movie until 2010's "The Ward". Carpenter is, of course, known for seminal horror fare including the original "Halloween", "The Thing", and "The Fog".

Answer: Gremlins

The Mogwai in question was Gizmo, a small creature which had only three rules: (1) Never expose to sunlight, (2) Never get it wet, and (3) Never feed it after midnight. Of course, all of these things had to happen; when wet it multiplied into more Mogwai and when fed after midnight they turned much more menacing Gremlins. Joe Dante also directed the sequel, "Gremlins 2: The New Batch", in 1990. Dante also directed the horror movies "Piranha" (1978), "The Howling", and "The Twilight Zone: The Movie".

The original "Gremlins", however, was quite the profitable film taking in over $150,000,000.