Movies in Movies That Have Other Movies in Them Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. In David Fincher's brilliant true-crime drama, "Zodiac", Detective David Toschi (played by Mark Ruffalo) attends the screening of a film that bears a disturbing similarity to the murder case he is investigating. What film does Toschi go to see?

Answer: Dirty Harry

In "Zodiac", the legendary detective David Toschi goes to see a special screening of the Clint Eastwood classic, "Dirty Harry". The Scorpio Killer in "DH", played with gleeful malevolence by Andrew Robinson, is clearly based on the elusive Zodiac killer that Toschi is trying to identify and capture. Troubled by the resemblance, Toschi walks out of the screening. Though the Zodiac was never found, the psychotic Scorpio killer is tracked down and killed by Eastwood's Dirty Harry Callahan. Things often turn out better in the movies than they do in real life.

2. In "L.A. Confidential", Detective Bud White (Russell Crowe) takes a break from detecting and joins his girlfriend Lynne Bracken (Kim Basinger) at the movies. They go to see a beloved romantic comedy from the early 1950s. What film do Bud and Lynne go to see?

Answer: Roman Holiday

Audrey Hepburn won an Oscar for her transcendent performance as Princess Ann. Bored and feeling hemmed in by her protective handlers, she escapes into a free-spirited Rome and falls in love with a pre-Atticus Finch Gregory Peck. It's a vivid and romantic fantasy that mprovides a much needed escape from the dark and troubling lives led by Bud and Lynne in "L.A. Confidential".

3. Tim Burton's "Ed Wood" tells the story of enthusiastic but hopelessly untalented film director Edward D. Wood. Burton's film climaxes with the premiere of Wood's most famous film, often referred to as the worst film ever made. What film are we talking about?

Answer: Plan 9 from Outer Space

Having never been able to sit through the entire film, I cannot describe the plot. Here's what IMDB says: "Evil aliens attack Earth and set their terrible "Plan 9" in action. As the aliens resurrect the dead of the Earth to destroy the living, our lives are in danger." Hmmm. Sounds like it should be a better movie. I highly recommend "Ed Wood", however. Johnny Depp is terrific in the title role and Martin Landau absolutely deserved his Oscar for his performance as Bela Lugosi.

4. Moments after the first bank robbery (and first murder) in 1967's "Bonnie and Clyde", our criminal heroes (Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway) and their sidekick C.W. (Michael Pollard) find themselves in a movie theatre, watching Ginger Rogers, Ruby Keeler, and a line of chorus girls singing "We're in the Money". What movie are Bonnie and Clyde watching?

Answer: Gold Diggers of 1933

"Gold Diggers of 1933" is one of the classic Warner Brothers' musicals. There is little or no plot but lots of singing and dancing, making it a perfect escape for downtrodden citizens of the Depression, Bonnie and Clyde included. "Gold Diggers" was directed by Mervyn LeRoy, who also directed the gangster classics "Little Caesar" and "I Was a Fugitive from a Chain Gang".

5. In George Roy Hill's charming "A Little Romance", the male half of the teenage romantic couple is a film buff obsessed with Robert Redford. In the opening sequence of the film, we discover him watching a Redford film dubbed into French. What film is he watching?

Answer: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

"Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" chronicles the outlaw career of Robert Leslie Parker, aka Butch (Paul Newman) and Harry Longbaugh, aka Sundance (Redford) and was, of course, a megahit. For film buffs, its appearance in "A Little Romance" is a bit of an in-joke as it was also directed by George Roy Hill. Hill's "The Sting" also makes a brief appearance.

6. If you know your American History, you'll probably know this one even if you haven't seen Michael Mann's "Public Enemies," a chronicle of the criminal career of John Dillinger (Johnny Depp). In the climactic sequence, Dillinger goes to the movies--big mistake as it turns out, as is he shot to death as he leaves the theatre. What film does Dillinger go to see?

Answer: Manhattan Melodrama

"Manhattan Melodrama" is the movie that bank robber John Dillinger had just seen before he was gunned down in front of Chicago's Biograph Theater on July 22, 1934. Its role in American history makes it easy to forget what a terrific film "Manhattan Melodrama" really is. Clark Gable and William Powell play childhood friends who grow up on different sides of the law. Powell's Jim Wade is a crusading district attorney and Gable's Blackie Gallagher is a ruthless criminal.

A suitable send-off for Dillinger.

7. In "Hannah and her Sisters", Woody Allen's character Mickey makes a pathetic attempt at suicide. It fails, and to calm himself down, he goes to see a movie that manages to bring him out of his doldrums. What classic Marx Brothers' comedy does Mickey go to see?

Answer: Duck Soup

Revered by many as the Marx Brothers best and funniest movie, "Duck Soup" tells the story of the bankrupt nation of Freedonia and its newly inaugurated president, Rufus T. Firefly (played by Groucho). Not that the plot matters at all. It's just an excuse for the wonderfully zany antics of the Marx Brothers.

8. In Peter Bogdanovich's "The Last Picture Show", this classic western is the last picture show referred to in the title. What western are we talking about?

Answer: Red River

The great Howard Hawks directed the unlikely pair of John Wayne and Montgomery Clift in this rousing tale of a cattle drive to Missouri. Easily one of the greatest westerns ever made, Bogdanovich beautifully uses footage from "Red River" in his own masterpiece.

9. This timeless silent film by George M�li�s shows up again and again in Martin Scorsese's valentine to moviemaking, "Hugo". What is the name of the film?

Answer: A Trip to the Moon

George M�li�s is actually a character in "Hugo", sympathetically portrayed by Ben Kingsley. M�li�s, of course, was a French illusionist who became fascinated with moving pictures way back in the 19th century. He made profound contributions to the art of the cinema back in those early days--multiple exposures, time-lapse photography, dissolves, and hand-painted color--these were all M�li�s' innovations and all are on vivid display in his most famous film, "A Trip to the Moon".

10. In Woody Allen's "The Purple Rose of Cairo", our heroine Celia (MIa Farrow) finds solace in the movies. At the film's end, facing what seems to be a bleak future, she nonetheless finds comfort by watching a classic musical of the 1930s. What film, featuring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers singing and dancing to "Cheek to Cheek", brings a smile to Celia's sad face?

Answer: Top Hat

"Top Hat" usually gets the vote as Rogers and Astaire's greatest film. This is not because of the mundane plot--an American dancer comes to London and falls in love. I suspect that our affection for "Top Hat" has a lot more to do with the "Cheek to Cheek" number. Written by Irving Berlin, it is beautifully sung by Astaire and danced with such grace and beauty by Fred and Ginger that it literally takes your breath away.

Source: Author matriplex

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

Can you name the real-life movie within the movie? I'll give you the film it shows up in and a few details. You identify the title of the film within the film.

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