Bad Days Quiz | Movies | 10 Questions

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1. 'Why do bad days last forever and ever And why do they happen to such sweethearts like us?' One man and his wife certainly experience never-ending misery, to the point where he is driven to suicide. His uncle Billy loses $8000 of funds from the family business, and he is forced to appeal to the richest man in town for a loan, only to be refused, He tries to kill himself by jumping off a bridge, but is saved just in time by an angel. In which film, often viewed as a Christmas classic, does he appear?

Answer: It's a Wonderful Life

The suicidal man in question is George Bailey (James Stewart). He is rescued by a friendly angel, Clarence Odbody (Henry Travers), who shows him what the world would have been like if he had never been born. In the George-less timeline, the Bailey Brothers' Building & Loan has closed down, a pharmacist has been imprisoned for manslaughter because George wasn't around to stop him giving out contaminated medicine, and his brother died before the war. George begs for his original life back, and the Building & Loan is saved thanks to the townspeople coming together to raise the funds required. And Clarence earns his angel wings!

2. 'It's lucky for me you're stronger than Superman...' Which of these actors has NOT played Superman on film?

Answer: Michael Keaton

Christopher Reeve, perhaps the most iconic Superman on screen, played the Man of Steel in 'Superman' (1978), 'Superman II', 'Superman III', and the lesser-known 'Superman IV: The Quest for Peace'. Brandon Routh starred in 'Superman Returns', while British actor Henry Cavill wore the famous suit and cape in 'Man of Steel', 'Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice', and 'Justice League'. Michael Keaton might not have played Superman, but he has played a superhero; specifically, Batman in 'Batman' (1989) and 'Batman Returns'.

3. 'When I need you most, You turn into Sherlock Holmes and save the day.' Who directed the 2009 version of 'Sherlock Holmes', starring Robert Downey Jr. as Holmes and Jude Law as Dr Watson?

Answer: Guy Ritchie

Guy Ritchie is more known for his gangster films, such as 'Snatch' and 'Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels', but he also directed this film and its sequel, 'A Game of Shadows'. 'Sherlock Holmes' also featured Rachel McAdams as Irene Adler, Eddie Marsan as Inspector Lestrade, and a mystery actor providing the voice of Professor Moriarty.

Other actors who portrayed Holmes onscreen include Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Ian McKellen, and Christopher Plummer.

4. 'Who needs Batman?' Batman has been played by many actors over the years. Can you put these actors in the correct chronological order of the films in which they played him? Not all actors who have played the role are included.

Answer: Adam West, Val Kilmer, George Clooney, Christian Bale

In order: Adam West, who had also appeared in the 'Batman' TV series, played the Caped Crusader in 'Batman' (1966), with most of the TV cast reprising their roles except Julie Newmar, who played Catwoman; she was replaced by Lee Meriweather.

Val Kilmer starred in 'Batman Forever' in 1995, replacing Michael Keaton; the film also included Jim Carrey as the Riddler, Tommy Lee Jones as Two-Face, and Chris O'Donnell as Robin.

O'Donnell in 'Batman & Robin' in 1997, but this time, Batman was played by George Clooney. Alicia Silverstone played Batgirl, Arnold Schwarzenegger was Mr Freeze, and Uma Thurman was Poison Ivy.

Finally, Christian Bale starred in 'Batman Begins', the reboot of the 'Batman' film series, in 2005. The cast also included Michael Caine as Alfred, Batman's butler, Gary Oldman as Commissioner Gordon, and Liam Neeson as Ra'as al Ghul. He also appeared in 'The Dark Knight' and 'The Dark Knight Rises'.

5. 'Jason and the Argonauts? I've got you, what more could I ask for?' Who played Jason in the 1963 version of 'Jason and the Argonauts'?

Answer: Todd Armstrong

This cult classic was a loose adaptation of the Greek myth, and featured all kinds of weird and wonderful monsters, from the multi-headed hydra and the skeleton warriors, or Spartoi, to the bronze giant Talos. The film was directed by British director Don Chaffey. Patrick Troughton played King Phineus, a blind king tormented by harpies; Niall McGinnis played the god Zeus, and Douglas Wilmer played Jason's evil uncle Pelias. Music was composed by Bernard Herrmann, who had also worked on several Alfred Hitchcock films and 'The Day The Earth Stood Still'.

6. When I'm feeling lost and outnumbered by 100/1, and all my nerves are gone, And all I want to do is run for cover, You appear from nowhere like the genie with the magic lamp, My three wishes all in one, Take me on your magic carpet and save the day.' "You'll never have a friend like me!" sang the Genie of the Lamp in Disney's 'Aladdin'. Robin Williams was the Genie's voice actor, but which songwriting duo wrote the music and lyrics to 'Friend Like Me'?

Answer: Howard Ashman and Alan Menken

Howard Ashman and Alan Menken's first collaboration was in 1979 on a musical based on Kurt Vonnegut's book 'God Bless You, Mr Rosewater', followed by 'Little Shop of Horrors'. Menken wrote the music, and Ashman wrote the books and lyrics, and also directed both productions. Ashman and Menken provided music for other films during the 'Disney Renaissance' period of the '90s, including 'The Little Mermaid' and 'Beauty and the Beast'. 'Aladdin' was released after Ashman's death from AIDS in 1991, and featured three of his songs, one of which was 'Friend Like Me'.

In 1994, the 'Aladdin' soundtrack won the Grammy Award for Best Musical Album for Children.

7. 'Who needs a magic wand?' Harry Potter and his friends certainly did, and a trip to Ollivander's is a must for any budding witch or wizard. Who played Garrick Ollivander, the shopkeeper who regularly supplies Hogwarts pupils with wands, in the 'Harry Potter' films?

Answer: John Hurt

We first meet Ollivander in 'Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone', when he gives Harry his wand and explains to him (and the audience) how wands work. He also inspects the wands at the Triwizard Tournament in 'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire', and is kidnapped and tortured by Voldemort and the Death Eaters in 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince'.

All the other answers have appeared in the 'Harry Potter' films; David Thewlis played Professor Remus Lupin, Michael Gambon played Professor Albus Dumbledore - replacing the late Richard Harris - and Jason Isaacs played Lucius Malfoy, the father of Harry's rival Draco.

8. 'A pair of ruby slippers? I've got you, what more could I ask for?' Many film fans will be familiar with the famous ruby slippers that belong to Dorothy in 'The Wizard of Oz', but what about other red shoes in film? 'The Red Shoes', which came out in 1948 - nine years after 'The Wizard of Oz' - features such a pair. It was directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, starred Moira Shearer as Vicky Page, and was focused around which type of dance?

Answer: Ballet

Before there was 'Black Swan', there was 'The Red Shoes'. It is based on a Hans Christian Andersen story about a pair of evil red shoes, and the woman who wears them being forced to dance until she dies. In the film, Vicky Page (Moira Shearer), the heroine, is a ballet dancer who performs in a ballet based on 'The Red Shoes' and falls in love with Julian, a young student (Marius Goring), who provides the music. Vicky ends up being hit by a train, and asks Julian to remove her shoes as she dies, like the woman in the story. Fans of Kate Bush may be interested to know that this film inspired her album of the same name.

9. 'Who needs a silver bullet?' According to folklore, silver bullets should be used to kill werewolves, as werewolves are vulnerable to silver. In one British werewolf movie, the hero uses a silver letter opener to kill a werewolf. Which film, starring Kevin McKidd, Sean Pertwee and Liam Cunningham, is this?

Answer: Dog Soldiers

'Dog Soldiers' is a werewolf movie with a difference. The main characters are a group of British soldiers who have been dropped off in the Scottish Highlands to complete a training exercise, only to find that the SAS squad they will be training with have been killed and eaten by werewolves. 'Game of Thrones' fans will know Liam Cunningham as Davos Seaworth; here, he plays Captain Richard Ryan, the only surviving member of the SAS group and a soldier who has been sent by the government to capture a live werewolf, only to eventually become one himself.

He is stabbed in the chest with the silver letter opener by the hero, Private Lawrence Cooper (Kevin McKidd). Sean Pertwee plays Sergeant Harry Wells, who is bitten by the werewolves, but kills himself and most of the other werewolves in an explosion.

10. 'Garlic and a holy cross? I've got you, what more could I ask for?' You'd certainly need these things if you encountered one of the vampires from Anne Rice's books! Some of these books, including 'Interview with the Vampire' and 'Queen of the Damned', have been made into films. Which R 'n' B singer, who died in a plane crash before the film was released, played Akasha, the Queen of the Damned?

Answer: Aaliyah

Aaliyah Houghton played Akasha, an ancient Egyptian vampire and one of the progenitors of the vampire race in Anne Rice's lore. Stuart Townsend played Lestat, one of the main vampire characters in Anne Rice's vampire books, who was originally played by Tom Cruise in 'Interview with the Vampire'.

This version of Lestat is a 20th century rock star, rather than an aristocrat. Jonathan Davis of Korn (who has a minor cameo in the film) wrote the band's music. Aaliyah died in a plane crash in the Bahamas, after filming the video for 'Rock the Boat'; her brother Rashad re-dubbed some of her lines in the film, and it was dedicated to her memory.

Source: Author Kankurette

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor skunkee before going online.
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Bad Days Trivia Quiz

This quiz is part of my lyrics series. It is based around the Space song 'Bad Days', which makes reference to several items and characters from various films.

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