Cinematic Cuisine: "Tasty" Movies Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. "Mystic Pizza" (1988) follows the ups and downs of the love lives of three young waitresses working in a restaurant called, well, Mystic Pizza. The film is noteworthy for its cast, which includes a young Julia Roberts in just her third picture, and also stars an unknown actor who was making his film debut. Who was this now-superstar actor?

Answer: Matt Damon

Matt's role could hardly have been any smaller, as he had but one sentence worth of dialogue to speak. But, one small step for man, and all that. It would be just the first step in a mega-career, which would lead to his being awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2007.

Interesting fact: Matt Damon would later star in "Good Will Hunting" (1997), "Saving Private Ryan" (1998) and "Green Zone" (2010).

2. "Duck Soup" (1933) is a madcap comedy film. It is the story of a country called Fredonia which is teetering on the brink of bankruptcy, and whose only hope for financial salvation is the richest person in town, Mrs. Teasdale. She has promised to give the government a "bailout" of $20 million, but only if they allow the gold-digging gadabout, Rufus T. Firefly, to unseat the current president. Which great comedy team starred in it?

Answer: The Marx Brothers

At the time, The Marx Brothers were known as The Four Marx Brothers. It would be the last Marx Brothers film that Zeppo appeared in; after that it was all Groucho, Chico and Harpo. They were joined in seven of their movies by Margaret Dumont (Mrs. Teasdale in "Duck Soup"), who usually was the perfect foil for their antics.

The film was chosen for preservation in the National Film Registry in 1990.

Interesting fact: Although not particularly well received when it was released, "Duck Soup" has gained acceptance over time as perhaps the best Marx Brothers film ever. Groucho himself stated that he believed it was, and its placement in the National Film Registry would seem to lend some credence.

3. "Breakfast at Tiffany's" (1961) is a delightful romantic comedy featuring Audrey Hepburn in one of Hollywood's most iconic roles, that of Holly Golightly, who leaves home and heads to New York. She (Audrey Hepburn!) plays a prostitute, who eventually meets and falls in love with Paul Varjak (George Peppard). The movie features a haunting theme song. Name the tune.

Answer: Moon River

"Moon River" won the Oscar for Best Original Song. Audrey Hepburn's portrayal of Holly earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. (Sophia Loren won it for "Two Women").

Marilyn Monroe turned down the role of Holly because she felt playing the role of "a lady of the evening" would be bad for her image. Marilyn... Really?

Interesting fact: "Moon River" won the Grammy Award for "Record of the Year" in 1962. In 2004, "Moon River" was voted number four on The American Film Institute's "100 Years... 100 Songs List". In case you were wondering, number one was "Somewhere Over the Rainbow", from "The Wizard of Oz" (1939).

4. "Milk" (2008) is the story of Harvey Milk, a gay activist and small time politician who was assassinated by Dan White, an ex-member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Milk was the first admittedly gay man ever elected in the city. On November 27, 1978, Milk would be murdered when White, who had eluded gun detectors by breaking into the building through a window, calmly walked into his office and killed him. Besides slaying Milk, whose other life did he take that day?

Answer: Mayor George Moscone

The unstable White killed Mayor Moscone because he had refused his attempt to be reinstated to the Board of Supervisors. White was convicted of voluntary manslaughter and received a seven year sentence. "Milk" won two Oscars, one going to Sean Penn for Best Actor, plus another for Best Screenplay.

By the way, Susan Romanello is my ex-secretary and Anthony DiNozzo is a special agent on the TV series "NCIS".

On October 27, 1985, Dan White committed suicide.

Interesting fact: When Moscone was assassinated, Diane Feinstein became the new mayor of San Francisco.

5. "The Days of Wine and Roses" (1962) is a heart-breaking, hard to watch story about the effects that addiction can have on an ordinary married couple. It chronicles the trials and tribulations that Joe (Jack Lemmon) and Kristen (Lee Remick) undergo as they struggle to battle an addition that threatens to end their marriage. What is the addiction they are trying to overcome?

Answer: Alcohol

The movie was selected by the AFI (American Film Institute) as one of the top 400 pictures of all time. The film was nominated for five Academy Awards and wound up capturing one for Best Original Song.

It is a film that is shown in many schools and youth groups, in an effort to educate youngsters to the dangers associated with drinking.

"The Days of Wine and Roses" would become a top 40 hit for Andy Williams.

Interesting fact: Director Blake Edwards, who admitted to having a serious drinking problem, was so affected by the film that he became a teetotaler after its completion.

6. "Picnic" (1955) was the breakthrough film for the beautiful Kim Novak. In it, she plays a young woman named Madge Owens who meets a man named Hal Carter. He is, among other things, an ex-reform school kid, a college dropout and an an out of work army veteran. What's not to love? Which already established Hollywood co-star played the character who stole away Madge's heart?

Answer: William Holden

As fate would have it, Hal and Madge meet at a town picnic. The movie was an adaptation of William Inge's Pulitzer Prize winning play of 1953. The film won two Academy Awards (Best Art Direction and Best Film Editing), and was nominated for a handful of others, including Best Picture. ("Marty" would take home the Oscar). The American Film Institute's "100 Years... 100 Passions" listed it 49th on its all time list in 2000.

Interesting fact: William Holden won the Academy Award for Best Actor for 1953's "Stalag 17", and also starred in "Picnic" (1955) and "The Bridge on the River Kwai" (1957).

7. "The Silence of the Lambs" (1991) stars Anthony Hopkins as Dr. Hannibal Lecter, and is based on the 1988 novel of the same name by Thomas Harris. It also stars Jodie Foster as fledgling FBI agent, Clarice Starling. She is assigned to interview Lecter in an effort to get his help in tracking the man who has been kidnapping, torturing and murdering young women. By what nickname has this serial killer they are seeking been dubbed?

Answer: Buffalo Bill

It was the third film in history to sweep the "The Big Five" Oscars: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Screenplay. The other two were "It Happened One Night" (1934) and "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" (1975).

On March 22, 2011, a poll conducted by "People" magazine and ABC was televised, and "Silence of the Lambs" was voted the greatest picture in the category of Thriller/Suspense. Hannibal Lecter was voted the fourth greatest film character of all time. (Forrest Gump was first).

Interesting fact: The killer was given the sobriquet "Buffalo Bill" because he skinned his victims.

8. "The Deer Hunter" (1978) follows three young men, played by Robert DeNiro, Christopher Walken, and John Savage, as they are getting ready to embark on a harrowing tour of duty in Vietnam. As they bid farewell to some friends, they have no idea how their lives will be be forever changed. The film won five Academy Awards. For what sequence is it most vividly remembered?

Answer: the Russian roulette scene

Among the five Oscars won were Best Picture, Best Director (Cimino) and Best Supporting Actor (Walken). It was also nominated for four others, including DeNiro for Best Actor, and Ms. Streep for Best Supporting Actress.

Interesting fact: The nail-biting game of Russian roulette pitted Sgt. Mike Vronsky (DeNiro) against Corporal Nick Chevotarevich (Walken) in a North Vietnamese prison camp, where their captors would wager on the results.

9. The 2000 film "Chocolat" was based on the 1999 novel by Joanne Harris, and features a woman who decides to move to a small town in France and open a "chocolaterie" during the Catholic holy period of Lent. Naturally, this leaves a bad taste in the mouth of the local vicar who tries to shut her down. But the folks support her and she remains open, to (almost) everyone's delight. Who is the delightful French actress who plays this sweet entrepreneur?

Answer: Juliette Binoche

Ms. Binoche, whose character is named Vianne Rocher, won the European Film Award for Best Actress and also won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy. Johnny Depp also appears in the film as a gypsy named Roux who, for a brief time, becomes Vianne's lover.

Interesting fact: Juliette Binoche won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in "The English Patient" (1996).

10. "With Six You Get Eggroll" (1968) is a lighthearted romantic comedy starring Doris Day and Brian Keith. The story revolves around Abbe McClure (Day) who is a widowed mother of three. She meets up with Jake Iverson (Keith), an old acquaintance, who has one child and is, coincidentally, a widower. In the film Abbe owns her own business. What is it?

Answer: She owns a lumberyard.

Doris Day owning a lumberyard? Really? Oh, well, it is Hollywood.

It turned out to be one of the more financially successful films in Ms. Day's career, finishing as one of the 10 top grossing films of all her 49 pictures. The movie was the first acting gig for funnyman George Carlin.

Less than a year after the film's release, the body of Brian Keith, who had been suffering with lung cancer, was found in his Malibu home where he had died as a result of a self-inflicted gunshot.

Interesting fact: This was the last movie that Ms. Day made. She quit her Hollywood film career since her TV program, "The Doris Day Show", began airing in September 1968, shortly after the movie opened.

Source: Author paulmallon

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor jmorrow before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

There's just something about going to a flick that seems to whet the appetite. (Popcorn anyone?) The title of each film will contain either a specific food, drink or meal. Bon appetit and enjoy the movies!

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