An Even Worse Title Trivia Quiz

Answer: Gods and Generals

"Gods and Generals" is a 2003 period-war film based on the Jeffrey Shaara novel of the same name. Set during the American Civil War, it stars Robert Duvall as General Robert E. Lee, Stephen Lang as Lieutenant General Thomas 'Stonewall' Jackson, Jeff Daniels as Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, C. Thomas Howell as Thomas Chamberlain, and many more.

It was filmed as a prequel to the events shown in the 1993 film "Gettysburg", although many of the roles star different actors.

Answer: Stargate

Released in 1994, "Stargate" stars Kurt Russell as U.S.A.F Colonel Jack O'Neil, James Spader as Daniel Jackson, Jaye Davidson as Ra, Alexis Cruz as Skaara, and Mili Avital as Sha'uri. The movie was, to industry insiders, a surprise success; this success was then used to spawn three live-action television spin-offs ("Stargate SG-1", "Stargate Atlantis", and "Stargate Universe"), as well as many novels, direct-to-DVD films, and games.

Answer: Cold Mountain

Starring Jude Law as W.P Inman, Nicole Kidman as Ada Monroe, Renee Zellweger as Ruby Thewes, and many others in a wide-ranging cast. Set in the end days of the American Civil War, "Cold Mountain" tells two stories: the tale of a carpenter who joins the Confederate Army in 1861, is seriously injured in battle, decides to desert and return home to his girlfriend, and the following travels (and travails).

The other storyline follows the small town he came from, as well as the girl he left behind. A sleeper hit, the movie made $173 million on a $79 million dollar budget, and earned Zellweger a Best Supporting Actress Award at the Academy Awards.

Answer: Blazing Saddles

Directed by Mel Brooks, "Blazing Saddles" is a 1974 satirical/comedic western. Starring Cleavon Little as Bart, Gene Wilder as Jim "The Waco Kid", Harvey Korman as Hedley Lamarr, Madeline Kahn as Lili von Shtupp, and to many others to name here, the movie made over $119 million off its (relatively) puny $2.6 million dollar budget.

Not for the easily offended, the movie features a lisping German seductress-for-hire, an often flatulent hulking minion, and several (mostly half-spoken) uses of 'the n-word'.

It would, however, give Madeline Kahn an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress In A Supporting Role, and Cleavon Little a BAFTA for Best Newcomer; in addition, it would become the tenth movie to ever make over $100 million dollars.

Answer: Minions

A spin-off of the "Despicable Me" films, "Minions" was released in 2015 with outstanding results; on a $74 million budget it made over $1.15 billion. This made it the second-highest grossing animated film ever. The movie boasts the vocal talents of such stars as Jon Hamm, Steve Carell, Geoffrey Rush, Sandra Bullock, and Michael Keaton, as well as Pierre Coffin returning as the voices of the minions themselves.

It is not only a spin-off, but also a prequel, as it follows the minions through history as they look for ever-better (or is it worse?) villains to follow, and leads up to the fateful first meeting between Gru and minions.

Answer: Dante's Peak

Starring Pierce Brosnan as Dr. Harry Dalton and Linda Hamilton as Mayor Rachel Wando, "Dante's Peak" debuted in the number two spot, making $18 million of its $116 million dollar budget back in the opening weekend, and ending up with a $178.1 box office total.

The film itself has a fairly straight-forward plot: Dr. Dalton becomes convinced that the dormant volcano (the titular 'Dante's Peak') is, in fact, getting ready to erupt. His boss, Mayor Wando, and most others disbelieve him; however, being the star of the movie, he is quickly proven right.

The rest of the movie follows the struggle of Dalton, his team, the mayor, and her children to survive.

Answer: Antz

Released in 1998, "Antz" stars the vocal talents of Woody Allen as Z-4195 (aka Z), Gene Hackman as General Mandible, Sharon Stone as Princess Bala, and Anne Bancroft as Queen Ant. Other roles were filled by the likes of Sylvester Stallone, Danny Glover, Christopher Walken, and Jennifer Lopez...truly an ensemble cast! Often compared to "A Bug's Life" (which came out two months after "Antz"), the plot is actually rather simple, if not straightforward.

A humble worker ant, Z, meets and falls in love with the heir to the throne, Princess Bala. Of course, nothing in the movies is ever easy, but after a series of (mis)adventures, everyone ends up with their true love.

Answer: Fatal Attraction

Starring Michael Douglas as Dan Gallagher (a cheating husband), and Glenn Close as Alexandra 'Alex' Forrest (the original bunny-boiler), "Fatal Attraction" is a story of obsession at its worst. Turns out having a one-night stand while your wife and daughter are out of town can have serious repercussions, as Dan soon finds out. Since the movie is a thriller, I won't give any more away, except to say that it was indeed this film that gave birth to the term 'bunny-boiler' for a certain type of person.


"Fatal Attraction" was released in 1987, and made over $321 million on a $14 million budget. It also made an impact in the academic world, with the film being used to illustrate several mental health issues even now. It was also nominated for several Academy Awards, including Best Picture, but failed to win any of these.

Answer: Vertigo

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, "Vertigo" is a 1958 James 'Jimmy' Stewart/Kim Novak psychological thriller that was based on the 1954 novel "D'entre les mortes" (variously published in English as "From Among the Dead", "The Living and the Dead", or "Vertigo") by Boileau-Narcejac.

The film follows Stewart's character, retired San Francisco Detective John 'Scottie' Ferguson as he is hired by a man to follow his wife (Novak), who is behaving strangely. In classic Hitchcock fashion, what should be a simple assignment turns into a complicated - and rather messy - one instead.

Answer: Young Guns

This 1998 western is a fictionalized retelling of incidents regarding the Lincoln County War, with a particular focus on those that involved William "Billy the Kid" Bonney. A box office hit, it grossed over $45.6 million USD on a budget of just $11 million.

The ensemble cast includes Emilio Estevez as Bonney, Kiefer Sutherland as Josiah Gordon "Doc" Scurlock, Lou Diamond Phillips as Jose Chavez y Chavez, Charlie Sheen as Richard "Dick" Brewer, Jack Palance as Lawrence Murphy, Patrick Wayne as Pat Garrett, and many others. Even with (or perhaps because of) such a cast, the movie received mixed reviews from critics and historical experts. One critic called it a "...cheerfully shallow Brat Pack western...", while at least one historian claimed it was the most accurate portrayal of Billy the Kid films up to that point.

A sequel, "Young Guns II" was released in 1990.