What Am I Watching? Trivia Quiz

Answer: Red River

Dunson wanted to own a cattle ranch, and started small. He crossed the Red River into Texas with a bull, a cow and two other men. Over the years, his herd increased until he had more than 10,000 head of beef cattle. The movie tells of his efforts to drove his herd from Texas to market in Missouri, overcoming many obstacles, including rebellion by his cowboys, a stampede, and attacks by Indians.

The river in the photograph is NOT the Red River- it is part of the Mekong Delta in Vietnam.

Answer: Saw

'Saw' was conceived by a couple of Australians, Leigh Whannell, who wrote the script, and starred in the movie. His friend, Malaysian-born James Wan, directed and produced most of the 'Saw' series.

In the movie, the protagonists are being manipulated by a mysterious man named 'JigSaw', or simply 'Saw'. They are given brutal tests of character, where survival is not always guaranteed. Sometimes the only option is to saw your own foot off!

The picture is of an old circular saw, that was probably powered by a tractor.

Answer: On the Beach

The movie was adapted from the book by Australian author, Nevil Shute, and portrays powerful emotion and sentiments. Can you imagine the feelings knowing that everyone on Earth will be dead in just a few weeks?

A quote about the movie, falsely attributed to Ava Gardner, reads "Melbourne is the perfect place to make a film about the end of the world." Quite amusing for non-Melburnians, but a bit of a sore point with the locals.

My picture is not from Melbourne, but instead shows Glenelg Beach, in South Australia's capital, Adelaide.

Answer: The Aristocats

Duchess and her kittens (Marie, Berlioz and Toulouse) live in Paris, and their owner wills her entire estate to them when she dies. However, Edgar the butler (why is it ALWAYS the butler?), decided that he wants it instead. He tries to send the cats to the country to die, but they are helped by a mouse, a horse, a couple of geese, and a scat-jazz band, led by a cool cat named Thomas O'Malley. Good eventually overcomes bad, and Edgar ends up locked in a trunk, bound for Timbuktu.

The cats in the picture are made of coloured glass, and I found them in a small shop in Hahndorf, a charming little town near Adelaide, South Australia.

Answer: How Green Was My Valley

Miner's strikes, bitter family divisions, illicit love and underground accidents all feature in the saga of the Morgan family. Roddy McDowall started his career with this movie- he was 13 years old.

'Go Tell It on the Mountain' was a Peter, Paul and Mary song. 'Valley of the Dolls' had very little to do with valleys (or dolls, for that matter)- it was about drug use by actresses in Hollywood. 'Cliffhanger' is a Sly Stallone movie with oodles of action.

The photo you see is part of the view from Echo Point, Katoomba, New South Wales, and is a section of the Jamison Valley. The famous Three Sisters rock formation is just off to the left of picture.

Answer: Lifeboat

The movie was shot entirely in a lifeboat, which made a good script very necessary, and Hitch gave us just that. The U-Boat captain had just sunk the American freighter/passenger ship, and opinions were divided as to whether he should live or die.

I took the picture from a ferry in Sydney Harbour. It is a small part of one of the many cruise ships that visit the New South Wales capital.

Answer: The Real Macaw

The real star of 'The Real Macaw' was Mac, a blue-and-yellow macaw, who spoke with a Spanish accent.

'Pollyworld' is related to the Polly Pocket toys, and no parrots were involved. 'The Birds' is a classic Hitchcock movie and 'The Blue Bird' was one of Shirley Temple's rare movie flops.

The two birds in my picture are scarlet macaws, looking rather content in Singapore Zoo.

Answer: Monty Python and the Holy Grail

Killer rabbits, cutting trees down with herrings, French castles in the middle of England, knights who say 'NI', extremely effeminate princes and horse-trotting sounds made by the aforementioned coconut halves. I mean, what else do you need for a movie, eh?

Picture taken on Coconut Island, in the Mekong River.

Answer: Tim Allen

'The Santa Clause' is a legal contract that states that anyone who is responsible for the disappearance of Santa, must replace him for the next year. Scott is reluctant, at first, but quickly grows into the role, and he turns out to be a perfect Santa, despite being arrested for kidnapping!

The movie spawned a couple of sequels, but neither was as good as the original.

My happy snap was taken at a family Christmas party.

Answer: Australia

'Australia' is a sweeping story, set in the remote Northern Territory in the late 1930s. Nicole Kidman starred as an English Lady, who is forced to manage a large cattle station. Hugh Jackman is the tough jackeroo who helps her settle into the arduous life, and with whom she falls in love. There is a cavalcade of other Aussie big-name actors in the cast, including Bryan Brown, David Gulpilil, Ben Mendelsohn, Jack Thompson and Ray Barrett.


The beast on the left is a red kangaroo, and the big bird is an emu. The shield shows the emblems of the six states. Thanks to the Melbourne Museum for allowing me to photograph the state of arms.