The pandemic did its fair share of damage, that’s for sure. There’s no way around it, it was a catastrophe of epic proportions. However, even something as awful as COVID ends up having some positive effect on some people’s lives. Me, I became a Zoom quiz master. Now that I’ve been doing this for about three years, I’ve gathered the best questions I’ve come up with and published them in a book titled “Quiz Games that Make You Think and Learn – A Book about Everything”. And I’ve got to say that being a movie buff, I found it really hard not to include too many film-related questions!
Now, I would like to present to you 40 of the best film-questions that – hopefully – cineastes will appreciate!
Part 1
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1. In 1994, "Star Trek: Generations" became the first movie to be promoted in what way? (This is one of those questions you can figure out the answer to if you think logically.)
2. What is the resolution 2,160 x 3,840 pixels better known as what?
3. The BBC has lost/deleted 97 episodes of what famous TV show?
4. Why is a (movie) trailer called a trailer?
5. What former English diver (as well as avid football player and martial artist) made his feature film debut in "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels"?
6. Back in 1999, a certain category of film fans would buy a ticket for "Meet Joe Black", but then leave the cinema before the film could even start. Why?
7. What movie has the following tagline? “For Harry and Lloyd, every day is a no-brainer.”
8. Why weren’t the Soviets allowed to see "Star Wars"?
9. What do Jonathan Pryce, Christopher Lee, Famke Janssen, Christopher Walken, Robert Carlisle, Christoph Waltz, Mads Mikkelsen and Sophie Marceau have in common?
10. What 1986 fantasy movie had a legendary soundtrack by Queen?
2. What is the resolution 2,160 x 3,840 pixels better known as what?
3. The BBC has lost/deleted 97 episodes of what famous TV show?
4. Why is a (movie) trailer called a trailer?
5. What former English diver (as well as avid football player and martial artist) made his feature film debut in "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels"?
6. Back in 1999, a certain category of film fans would buy a ticket for "Meet Joe Black", but then leave the cinema before the film could even start. Why?
7. What movie has the following tagline? “For Harry and Lloyd, every day is a no-brainer.”
8. Why weren’t the Soviets allowed to see "Star Wars"?
9. What do Jonathan Pryce, Christopher Lee, Famke Janssen, Christopher Walken, Robert Carlisle, Christoph Waltz, Mads Mikkelsen and Sophie Marceau have in common?
10. What 1986 fantasy movie had a legendary soundtrack by Queen?
X
X
X
ANSWERS:
1. It was the first movie to have its own website.
2. 4K.
3. "Dr Who".
4. Because when the first movie previews were shown in cinemas, they would come after the movie, not before (hence trailing).
5. Jason Statham.
6. The movie was preceded by the trailer for "Star Wars – Episode I: The Phantom Menace". Some fans couldn’t wait and bought tickets just to see the trailer.
7. Dumb and Dumber.
8. The movie was deemed to be an allegory on the Soviet-American conflict, the USSR obviously being the baddies. Reagan calling the Soviet Union “empire of evil” didn’t help, either.
9. They all played Bond villains.
10. Highlander.
2. 4K.
3. "Dr Who".
4. Because when the first movie previews were shown in cinemas, they would come after the movie, not before (hence trailing).
5. Jason Statham.
6. The movie was preceded by the trailer for "Star Wars – Episode I: The Phantom Menace". Some fans couldn’t wait and bought tickets just to see the trailer.
7. Dumb and Dumber.
8. The movie was deemed to be an allegory on the Soviet-American conflict, the USSR obviously being the baddies. Reagan calling the Soviet Union “empire of evil” didn’t help, either.
9. They all played Bond villains.
10. Highlander.
Part 2
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11. What historic event (from the 1920s) is to blame for the introduction of popcorn as the classic cinemagoers’ snack?
12. What HBO horror show ran from 1989 to 1996 and featured guest appearances by Tom Hanks, Whoopi Goldberg, Demi Moore, Kirk Douglas, Michael J. Fox, Christopher Reeve, Daniel Craig, Brad Pitt, Ewan McGregor and even Arnold Schwarzenegger (as well as many, many other movie stars)?
13. "Clueless" and "Batman & Robin" actress Alicia Silverstone has never done a nude scene in her career. And yet, in December 2022, she decided to make an exception and pose naked for a series of posters for a non-profit organisation. Can you guess which one?
14. "Love", a 1927 movie based on Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina, was released in two different versions. Can you guess what the difference between the US and the European version was?
15. What 1984 sci-fi movie was so complex that cinemas were asked to distribute explanation sheets to the moviegoers?
16. What was the name of the movie based on Pink Floyd’s album "The Wall"?
17. The famous film critic Roger Ebert would always rate movies on a four-star scale, four being the best one. However, once, after watching a particularly nauseating horror film, he refused to give it a star rating at all, stating it “occupies a world where the stars don't shine”. What was the movie in question? (Bear in mind, he died in 2013.)
18. Fill in the blank: As of 2023, Steven Spielberg has collaborated with ________________ on 29 movies.
19. There’s a TV show that Channel 4 (in the UK) describes like this: Alien oddballs. Move to earth. Trying to fit in. Totally don’t. What is the show in question?
20. When I say that Region 1 is North America, Region 2 is Europe, Region 3 is Asia, Region 4 is Australia and Region 5 is Eastern Europe, the Indian Subcontinent, Africa and North Korea, what am I talking about?
12. What HBO horror show ran from 1989 to 1996 and featured guest appearances by Tom Hanks, Whoopi Goldberg, Demi Moore, Kirk Douglas, Michael J. Fox, Christopher Reeve, Daniel Craig, Brad Pitt, Ewan McGregor and even Arnold Schwarzenegger (as well as many, many other movie stars)?
13. "Clueless" and "Batman & Robin" actress Alicia Silverstone has never done a nude scene in her career. And yet, in December 2022, she decided to make an exception and pose naked for a series of posters for a non-profit organisation. Can you guess which one?
14. "Love", a 1927 movie based on Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina, was released in two different versions. Can you guess what the difference between the US and the European version was?
15. What 1984 sci-fi movie was so complex that cinemas were asked to distribute explanation sheets to the moviegoers?
16. What was the name of the movie based on Pink Floyd’s album "The Wall"?
17. The famous film critic Roger Ebert would always rate movies on a four-star scale, four being the best one. However, once, after watching a particularly nauseating horror film, he refused to give it a star rating at all, stating it “occupies a world where the stars don't shine”. What was the movie in question? (Bear in mind, he died in 2013.)
18. Fill in the blank: As of 2023, Steven Spielberg has collaborated with ________________ on 29 movies.
19. There’s a TV show that Channel 4 (in the UK) describes like this: Alien oddballs. Move to earth. Trying to fit in. Totally don’t. What is the show in question?
20. When I say that Region 1 is North America, Region 2 is Europe, Region 3 is Asia, Region 4 is Australia and Region 5 is Eastern Europe, the Indian Subcontinent, Africa and North Korea, what am I talking about?
X
X
X
ANSWERS:
11. The Great Depression. Popcorn is incredibly cheap to make so that if you spend 15 quid (or bucks, or whatever) on raw materials, you will be able to sell about 100 quid worth of product. Before the Depression hit, cinemas would often serve proper meals, but from 1929 on, most people couldn’t afford luxuries like that.
12. "Tales from the Crypt".
13. PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals).
14. The Americans got a happy ending, while the Europeans got the one from the book.
15. "Dune".
16. Shockingly, it was called "The Wall".
17. "The Human Centipede".
18. John Williams, his "house composer".
19. "Third Rock from the Sun".
20. DVD regional codes.
12. "Tales from the Crypt".
13. PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals).
14. The Americans got a happy ending, while the Europeans got the one from the book.
15. "Dune".
16. Shockingly, it was called "The Wall".
17. "The Human Centipede".
18. John Williams, his "house composer".
19. "Third Rock from the Sun".
20. DVD regional codes.
Part 3
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21. What is the French term describing a detective drama characterised by fatalism and pessimism, frequently featuring a “femme fatale”?
22. Who am I? I was born in Oklahoma in 1940. When I was 18 and served in the army, I was sent to Osan Air Base, South Korea. One day, I saw Korean soldiers practicing martial arts, so I decided to join them. The result: I became a karate virtuoso, opened my own school, became friends with superstars like Bruce Lee and Steve McQueen, had a movie career spanning over four decades (even though almost all of my movies were of dubious quality) and wrote two memoirs about my life.
23. What dictator had a massive movie collection, comprising up to 20,000 DVDs?
24. Every year, scientists working in Antarctica gather in an outpost that was used for making a famous horror movie and watch that movie to mark the beginning of winter. What movie is it?
25. What 1980s TV show features Cybill Shepherd and Bruce Willis as private detectives who gradually fall in love with each other?
26. In what movie does Arnold Schwarzenegger utter the following phrase? “If I’m not me, then who the hell am I?”
27. In Hollywood, when the silent film era was over, lots of actors lost their job. Why?
28. Back in 1993, "Jurassic Park" was the first movie to feature DTS. Was exactly is DTS? (The question is not what the abbreviation stands for.)
29. An episode of what TV show featured a character referred to as the Soup Nazi?
30. "Sadomasochists from Beyond the Grave" was the working title of what legendary horror movie?
22. Who am I? I was born in Oklahoma in 1940. When I was 18 and served in the army, I was sent to Osan Air Base, South Korea. One day, I saw Korean soldiers practicing martial arts, so I decided to join them. The result: I became a karate virtuoso, opened my own school, became friends with superstars like Bruce Lee and Steve McQueen, had a movie career spanning over four decades (even though almost all of my movies were of dubious quality) and wrote two memoirs about my life.
23. What dictator had a massive movie collection, comprising up to 20,000 DVDs?
24. Every year, scientists working in Antarctica gather in an outpost that was used for making a famous horror movie and watch that movie to mark the beginning of winter. What movie is it?
25. What 1980s TV show features Cybill Shepherd and Bruce Willis as private detectives who gradually fall in love with each other?
26. In what movie does Arnold Schwarzenegger utter the following phrase? “If I’m not me, then who the hell am I?”
27. In Hollywood, when the silent film era was over, lots of actors lost their job. Why?
28. Back in 1993, "Jurassic Park" was the first movie to feature DTS. Was exactly is DTS? (The question is not what the abbreviation stands for.)
29. An episode of what TV show featured a character referred to as the Soup Nazi?
30. "Sadomasochists from Beyond the Grave" was the working title of what legendary horror movie?
X
X
X
ANSWERS:
21. Film noir.
22. Chuck Norris.
23. Kim Johg-il.
24. "The Thing".
25. "Moonlighting".
26. "Total Recall".
27. A lot of them were foreigners and their English wasn’t good enough to allow them to be in “talkies”.
28. It is a digital sound system that is considered to be superior to Dolby Digital – at least when enjoyed in cinemas. It stands for Digital Theatre System.
29. "Seinfeld".
30. "Hellraiser".
22. Chuck Norris.
23. Kim Johg-il.
24. "The Thing".
25. "Moonlighting".
26. "Total Recall".
27. A lot of them were foreigners and their English wasn’t good enough to allow them to be in “talkies”.
28. It is a digital sound system that is considered to be superior to Dolby Digital – at least when enjoyed in cinemas. It stands for Digital Theatre System.
29. "Seinfeld".
30. "Hellraiser".
Part 4
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31. What do the movies "Blade Runner", "Total Recall", "Minority Report", "A Scanner Darkly" and "Screamers" have in common?
32. In 1982, Disney released a movie that is now considered something of a classic, but back then, it bombed at the box office. The arcade video games based on that movie even outgrossed the ticket sales. What is the movie in question?
33. In the movie "The African Queen", what exactly is the African Queen?
34. Back in 1999, there was a teaser trailer for a movie where the voice in the background says: “In 1999, if you watch one movie, go see "Star Wars". But if you watch two movies, see ours”. What movie was that teaser for?
35. Fill in the blank: If, in the US, you’re releasing a movie that is rated PG-13, you’re only allowed to have one ________________ in it.
36. Why is it that, although CDs and DVDs are exactly the same size, DVD boxes are larger than CD boxes?
37. From all the actors that have appeared in the Marvel movies, what actress has the cheesiest name?
38. What legendary teen slasher had the working title "A Long Night at Camp Blood"?
39. In 1974, where could you hear the phrase "The shark is not working"?
40. If adjusted for inflation (!), which is the highest-grossing film of all time?
32. In 1982, Disney released a movie that is now considered something of a classic, but back then, it bombed at the box office. The arcade video games based on that movie even outgrossed the ticket sales. What is the movie in question?
33. In the movie "The African Queen", what exactly is the African Queen?
34. Back in 1999, there was a teaser trailer for a movie where the voice in the background says: “In 1999, if you watch one movie, go see "Star Wars". But if you watch two movies, see ours”. What movie was that teaser for?
35. Fill in the blank: If, in the US, you’re releasing a movie that is rated PG-13, you’re only allowed to have one ________________ in it.
36. Why is it that, although CDs and DVDs are exactly the same size, DVD boxes are larger than CD boxes?
37. From all the actors that have appeared in the Marvel movies, what actress has the cheesiest name?
38. What legendary teen slasher had the working title "A Long Night at Camp Blood"?
39. In 1974, where could you hear the phrase "The shark is not working"?
40. If adjusted for inflation (!), which is the highest-grossing film of all time?
X
X
X
ANSWERS:
31. They are all based on stories/novels by Philip K. Dick.
32. "Tron".
33. A steamboat.
34. "Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me".
35. F-bomb.
36. DVDs used to be more expensive than CDs, so the larger box was to make sure shoplifters couldn’t just stick those in a pocket.
37. Brie Larson. Get it?
38. "Friday the 13th".
39. On the set of "Jaws".
40. "Gone with the Wind". Yes, still.
32. "Tron".
33. A steamboat.
34. "Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me".
35. F-bomb.
36. DVDs used to be more expensive than CDs, so the larger box was to make sure shoplifters couldn’t just stick those in a pocket.
37. Brie Larson. Get it?
38. "Friday the 13th".
39. On the set of "Jaws".
40. "Gone with the Wind". Yes, still.