Some of My Favorite Movies Trivia Quiz

Answer: Vertigo

The use of the dolly zoom to distort perspective helped make "Vertigo" one of the most riveting movies of its time. Director Alfred Hitchcock considered it to be one of his best works. Jimmy Stewart played a depressed, recently retired cop hired to follow a client's wife (played by Kim Novak) whom the client thought was 'possessed'.

The movie dealt with mental illness and suicide, two topics which were somewhat taboo at the time. A surprise ending kept viewers in their seats until the very end.

Answer: James Dean

"Giant" is a drama set in the wide spaces of Texas and starred Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, and in his last role, James Dean. This story of love, passion, jealously, and greed is considered a classic by most movie critics. It explores how the discovery of oil affected the area and changed many ranchers into oil men.

It also explored the bigotry and racism that was rampant in the western U.S. at that time. This movie was James Dean's last film, as he died in a car accident before the film was released.

Answer: Peter Benchley

"Jaws" was a big hit when it came out in 1975. This fictional story of a man-eating shark and its attacks on swimmers may have been inspired by the catching of a 4,550 lb. great white shark of the coast of Long Island in 1964, as well as the shark attacks of 1916 that occurred on the Jersey Shore.

This story of one man's battle against a killer ocean beast has often been compared to Herman Melville's classic tale "Moby Dick". Visits to American beaches dropped dramatically that summer as swimmers became afraid to enter the water. Peter Benchley has had other novels made into films, such as "The Deep" (1977) and "The Island" (1979).

Answer: Goodfellas

Director Martin Scorsese's 1990 film "Goodfellas" was the story of the rise and fall of a Mafia crime family. It was based on the non-fiction novel "Wiseguy" (1968) by Nicholas Pileggi. Nominated for six Academy Awards, the movie starred Robert De Niro, Paul Sorvino, Ray Liotta and Joe Pesci. Set in 1955 Brooklyn, the movie explored both the Irish and the Italian cultures which populated this area.

The movie also let viewers in on some of the rules and slang used by the Mafia as well as the repercussions for breaking these rules. Nominated for the Best Picture Academy Award, it lost to another great movie - "Dances With Wolves".

Answer: False

False. False. False. While Eastwood starred in some of Leone's classic 'spaghetti westerns', the movie "Unforgiven" is not one of them. This movie was produced, directed, and starred Clint Eastwood and is based on a screenplay by David Webb Peoples. It features Eastwood as a aging gunfighter who has put up his guns and become a farmer.

It is a dark movie which attempts to portray the ugly reality of the old west as opposed to romanticizing it, in the way that many early westerns did. The movie feature Gene Hackman as an aging gunfighter who has become a lawman, who is trying to recruit Eastwood's character, as well as another aging gunman, to become part of his posse who are out to catch a murderer.

This wonderful movie won four Academy Awards and many fans looked at the movie as a swan song for Eastwood's classic 'man with no name' character.

Answer: The Bates Motel

Anthony Perkins plays motel owner Norman Bates in this horror film directed by Alfred Hitchcock. The motel is named after his family and is a secluded, spooky edifice. Janet Leigh plays a secretary who has embezzled funds from her employer and is attempting to flee to California when she makes the fateful mistake of stopping at the Bates Motel during a thunderstorm.

The movie was groundbreaking in that it featured the flushing of a toilet, a female in a bra in bed with a man who was not her husband, as well as the famous shower scene. All caused problems with the censors, but were very popular with the viewing public.

The movie also explored the concept of multiple personality disorder and the affects of a domineering mother on her submissive son.

These are but a few of the reasons this movie is considered a classic horror movie.

Answer: Patton

This multi-award winning film is a dramatic portrayal of the adult life of American war hero, General George S. Patton. It portrays his actions in battle in North Africa as well as Europe. General Omar Bradley was used as a consultant for the film even though it was known that Bradley and Patton had many personal disputes during their lives.

In a move that surprised much of America, George C. Scott refused his Academy Award for Best Actor, voicing his dislike of any type of acting competition, believing acting to be an art form.

Answer: Lolita

"Lolita" is the story of a middle aged man, Humbert, who falls in love with a teenage girl. This movie was nowhere as explicit or provocative as the novel itself and starred 14 year old actress Sue Lyon as Lolita. A convoluted love affair takes place and the pair go on the run after the accidental death of Humbert's wife.

In the end, Lolita leaves Humbert for another older man, who Humbert subsequently kills. Lolita is left a widow and Humbert dies in prison. Starring James Mason, Shelley Winters and Peter Sellers, the movie was very popular and was nominated for numerous awards.

Answer: False

"Papillon" is the semi-autobiographical account of French convict Henri Charriere and his escape from the French penal colony known as Devil's Island. While not all aspects of the story are accepted as fact, it is known for sure that the author was sent to the island and did subsequently escape.

The 1973 movie starred Steve McQueen as Henri Charriere and earned him a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor. Because of the remote location, this movie was one of the most expensive movies to have been made, at that time.

This is a wonderful example of a wonderful novel made into a riveting movie starring one of Americas greatest actors.

Answer: Kirk Douglas

All four of these actors were in this movie, but it was Kirk Douglas who portrayed the rebellious slave named Spartacus. Directed by Stanley Kubrick, this film was a dramatized biography of the heroic figure Spartacus and the events that surrounded the Third Servile War (73-71 BC).

After many gladiatorial battle scenes, the movie ends with the crucifixion of Spartacus along with the other rebelling slaves. Kirk Douglas is usually considered to be a member of Hollywood's Golden Age of movies. In 1996, Douglas was given an Honorary Academy Award acknowledging his influence in the field of acting for over 50 years.