...Fava Beans and a Nice Chianti... Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. The full Hannibal Lecter quotation is "A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti". In which of the series of Hannibal Lecter films is this spoken?

Answer: The Silence of the Lambs

Thomas Harris' novel "Red Dragon" (1981) is the basis for "Manhunter"(1986) and "Red Dragon" (2002), each unique adaptations. Also there was "Hannibal" (2001) and "Hannibal Rising" (2006).

Hannibal Lecter is a psychiatrist who is a pathological killer known to eat the bodies of his victims. The line is spoken to Clarice Starling, a neophyte FBI agent in "The Silence of the Lambs".

2. "The Cook, the Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover" (1989) is a true cinema experience which, in its time, pushed the envelope. Viewers were sometimes surprised by the mixture of violence, sex, nudity, rotten meat, cannibalism, and dark, satiric humor. Which of these characters is 'eaten' by which character?

Answer: The Lover by the Thief

Because of the Wife's unfaithfulness, the Thief arranges for the bookishly gentle Lover's death. In vengeance, the Wife has the Cook prepare a ghastly meal that the Thief is forced to eat at gunpoint. After a few bites, the Wife dispatches the Thief.

3. "Delicatessen" (1991) is an apocalyptic black comedy, set in a vague area of the world. The butcher shop always needs a handyman. A former out-of work clown applies for the job. What is his fate?

Answer: To be cannibalized

Handymen don't last too long in this meat-starved society. They seem to disappear and everyone eats better for a few days. The grim outcome is more suggested than seen. The tenants take a liking to the clown, not because he is a clown but because of his nature and helpfulness, even though they know his fate.

The clown and a young wallflower have a tender romance and the film is laced with interesting characters.

4. In the film "Nobel Son" (2007) a Nobel Prize winning father berates his son because of the son's obsession with cannibalism. Who played the arrogant womanizing father?

Answer: Alan Rickman

His son after being kidnapped chooses to side with his captor in order to split the money. His kidnapper also claims to be the illegitimate son of of Rickman's character. The film was poorly received and got only a 23% approval from "Rotten Tomatoes". Free copies were distributed to promote the film. Rick does not approve of his son's Ph.D. dissertation on cannibalism.

Alan Rickman made his breakthrough screen role as the villain in the original "Die Hard" and is familiar to audiences as Severus Snape in the "Harry Potter" series.

5. "Alive" (1993) tells the true story of survival after a plane crash in the Andes Mountains. A national sports team is headed for a competition in Chile. Eventually, they must turn to cannibalism to survive. What country's athletic team was involved?

Answer: Uruguayan rugby team

On the whole the film takes the high road and concentrates on the survival instincts and heroism rather than the sensational aspects. The Uruguayan castaways are creative in their adaptation in the rugged mountain terrain. Piers Paul Read wrote the 1974 book on the 1972 incident, upon which the film was based. Read, as a survivor, also acted as a technical consultant during the film.

6. Sweeney Todd may or may not have been a real person but lives on in legend, plays, ballets, silent and sound films, television, and a Broadway musical. As a mad barber, he dispatches his victims with his trusty razor awhile his accomplice, Mrs. Lovett, converts the remains into delicious meat pies that she vends through her shop. On what London street do these alleged events occur?

Answer: Fleet Street

The full history of Sweeney Todd is too complex to detail but there were serials in magazines as early as 1846. The play "String of Pearls" appeared in 1847. The first silent film was in 1926 and in the sound era in 1936. It was produced as a ballet in 1959.

The musical first appeared in 1979 and has had many major productions and revivals. The 2007 film version starring Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter entitled "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" reached the widest audience. The musical won numerous Tony and drama awards.

7. Robin Williams once had a one-liner that he would throw at his audience: "Donner Party, your table is ready". Sometimes it would go over the heads of his fans. In 2009 "The Donner Party" was filmed. What actor played the lead part as William Foster?

Answer: Crispin Glover

The quote and the film were based on a true incident. Eighty-seven people became trapped by snow in the Donner Pass in 1846. Although several rescue attempts were made, only 47 of the party of 87 survived. The survivors ate the bodies of those who had died. Many of the survivors denied that the cannibalism occurred.

The film was unsuccessful. It was shown at a few film festivals and drifted into DVD and back TV channels. The movie lost funding during its production and its original scope and quality was diminished. It was filmed in the area where the events happened.

Crispin Glover as an actor is renown for his eccentric portrayals. His breakthrough films were "River's Edge" (1986), which explored indifference, and "Willard" (2003), where he raised rats - lots of them.

8. What Shakespearean drama filmed in 1999 and starring Anthony Hopkins had an underlying theme of cannibalism?

Answer: Titus Andronicus

The title was shortened to just "Titus". Titus Andronicus, a fictional Roman general, learns that his daughter, Lavinia, has been raped and mutilated. Titus kills the two men, Demetrius and Chiron, who were responsible. He also kills his daughter to put her out of her misery. Demetrius and Chiron are then cooked and served to their parents, Saturninus and Tamora.

The play is considered the bloodiest of Shakespeare's output. It fell into disfavor and has been seldom produced except in recent years. The film did receive one Oscar nomination for best costuming and some minor film societies nominations. It garnered $2 million in box office receipts compared to the $20 million spent on its production.

9. In "Eating Raoul" (1982), a couple down on their luck accidentally kill an intruder, keep his money and valuables, and dump the body down the apartment complex trash compacter. Realizing the potential, they advertise as a dominatrix to lure unsuspecting men to their apartment. Later, Raoul becomes a third partner. What weapon is used to kill the unlucky men?

Answer: A frying pan

Raoul has methods of assisting the couple. He sells the bodies to a dog food plant, sells their cars, and uses keys to burglarize the deceased's homes. When Raoul attempts to rape the wife, the husband kills him with - guess what - a frying pan. Guests begin arriving for supper and they have no food in the house. With no time to properly dispose of Raoul, he becomes the main course. Did I mention that it is a black comedy?

10. "Enchanted Island" was advertised with the tagline "He dared to love a cannibal princess". It was a dumbed-down film adaptation of a popular 1846 semi-adventure/travel book by a powerful American writer. The theme is sung by "The Four Lads" and Jane Powell is miscast as the princess. The name of the original book was "Typee". Who was the author?

Answer: Herman Melville

"Typee" was Melville's first commercial success. "Typee" was followed by a sequel "Omoo" in 1847. It was four years before he penned his 'great American novel' "Moby Dick". Melville visited the island for three days but expanded it to four months for literary purposes. The film by all reports was quite forgettable. Ironically, "Typee" and "Omoo" were more popular than "Moby Dick" during Melville's life time.

Source: Author Rehaberpro

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

Cannibalism has been used as a theme in a number of films. Here are a few to whet your taste buds. Bon appetit!

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