My Eyes! They Burn! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Egypt

The film was a joint venture between France and America, and was directed by Roland Emmerich, a German. It starred Kurt Russell, James Spader and Jaye Davidson. The film began with the discovery of a portal in the Egyptian desert, near Giza, which led the investigating team to a pyramid in the middle of another desert but in another world.

The film led to several spin offs, including the television series 'Stargate SG-1', a comic book and other films, which were made for television and released on DVD.

Answer: Phoenix

'The Flight of the Phoenix' starred James Stewart, Richard Attenborough, Peter Finch, Ernest Borgnine and Hardy Kruger. After the crash, Kruger's character claims that he is an aircraft designer and comes up with a plan to rebuild and fly the plane. The others reluctantly agree, only to discover that his design experience is in creating model aircraft.

The film was remade in 2004, with Dennis Quaid in the Stewart role, and with the location moved to the Gobi Desert.

Answer: Horse

Having acquired the Ark, the Nazis are driving across the Sahara to Cairo. Indiana chases after them on an Arabian stallion, jumping from the horse into the truck transporting the Ark. The film starred Harrison Ford, of course, and was directed by Steven Spielberg. Among the other actors were Karen Allen, Paul Freeman and John Rhys-Davies at his normal height, unlike his appearance as Gimli in 'The Lord of the Rings' series.

The film came out in 1981 and sequels featuring Indiana have come out in 1984, 1989 and 2008.

Answer: Gregory Peck

Directed by King Vidor, the film was written and produced by David O. Selznick. It starred Jennifer Jones as Pearl, with Joseph Cotten as Jesse McCanles and Gregory Peck as his brother, Lewt. Jesse falls in love with Pearl while Lewt lusts after her, leading to tragedy.

The film ends with Pearl and Lewt shooting each other, and both dying. John Wayne was not known for playing villains and Cary Grant does not seem to have appeared in any westerns. Errol Flynn did, notably portraying George Custer in 'They Died with their Boots On' in 1941.

Answer: David Lean

The film was based on the experiences of Thomas Edward Lawrence during World War One, when he was based in Cairo. It starred Peter O'Toole as Lawrence with Omar Sharif as the fictional Sherif Ali. David Lean won the Best Director Oscar for the film. Among his other directing credits are 'This Happy Breed' (1944), 'The Bridge on the River Kwai' (1957) and 'Dr. Zhivago', which reunited him with Sharif, in 1965.

Answer: Australian Outback

The film starred Jenny Agutter and was directed by Nicolas Roeg. A girl in her teens and her younger brother are left alone after their father kills himself in the desert. They are helped by a young Aborigine, played by David Gulpilil. Jenny began her career in her teens, with an early film appearance in 'The Railway Children' in 1970.

She has worked regularly in both film and television ever since. The title ought to have pointed you towards Australia, as walkabout is the term given to the wanderings in the desert undertaken by Australian Aborigines.

Answer: John Mills

Set during the Second World War, the film tells the story of an assorted group of British people, including soldiers and nurses, driving across the desert. Their base in Tobruk has come under German attack, and has been evacuated with the group trying to reach the British lines. En route, they pick up a man who claims to be South African, but is discovered to be a German infiltrator.

After a series of adventures, most of them reach Alexandria for the ice cold beer of the title. The film also starred Sylvia Sims and Anthony Quayle. John Mills was the father of actresses Juliet and Hayley.

Answer: Anthony Minghella

Based on the novel by Michael Ondaatje, the film focusses on a badly injured man, played by Ralph Fiennes, and believed to be English. During flashbacks, we discover that the man is actually Hungarian and had been mapping the Sahara. Minghella won the Best Director Oscar for the film and was also the director for one of my favourite films, 'Truly, Madly, Deeply' from 1990.

He also directed 'The Talented Mr. Ripley' (1999) and 'Cold Mountain' (2003). Sadly, he died in 2008, following an operation for cancer, at the early age of fifty-four.

Answer: Sting

An adaptation of Frank Herbert's novel, and directed by David Lynch, 'Dune' was a science fiction film about a planet covered by desert. Among the stars were Brad Dourif and Kyle MacLachlan. Sting has made quite a few films, although being better known as a singer. These include 'Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels' in 1998, and 'Plenty' from 1985, which starred Meryl Streep.

Answer: Raising Arizona

All the films listed are comedies from 1987, and Nicolas Cage also appeared in 'Moonstruck', but alongside Cher. 'Raising Arizona' had the unlikely plot of Cage's criminal marrying Hunter's policewoman. They then kidnap a baby, one of quins, presumably thinking the parents wouldn't miss just one.

After a series of complications, plots and counter plots, they return the child to his rightful home. 'Baby Boom' starred Diane Keaton and 'Adventures in Babysitting' featured Elisabeth Shue.