The Moviefone Blog

Marilyn Monroe Trivia Quiz: Win a Special Screening of 'My Week With Marilyn' Plus a Boatload of DVDs

Gary Susman — 2011-11-09T10:00:00+00:00

Marilyn Monroe may be the most famous movie actress who ever lived, but there's probably plenty you don't know about her. Disagree? Prove it by testing your knowledge of Monroe trivia in the contest ahead (answer in the comments section). Moviefone will randomly select one winner from among those who get all 20 questions right. If you win, you'll get a set of Monroe DVDs as well as a free screening of The Weinstein Company's 'My Week With Marilyn' -- the new film for which Michelle Williams is already earning Oscar buzz for her portrayal of the blonde bombshell -- for you and 200 of your closest friends. We'll spot you one trivia item: In her spare time, Monroe used to take literature classes at UCLA. She was Hollywood's most deceptively smart dumb-blonde. So do her proud.

Launch the gallery to see the 20 questions.

%VIRTUAL-Gallery-138850%

RULES

· Open to legal residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older.

· To enter, take our Marilyn Monroe quiz and leave your answers in the comments.

· The comment must be left before 11/18/11 at 3 p.m. EST.

· You may enter as many times as desired.

· 1 winner will be selected in a random drawing.

· One Grand Prize Winner will receive a collection of Marilyn Monroe movies on DVD and a hometown screening of 'My Week With Marilyn' for you and an entire movie theater of your friends (valued at $2,000).

· Click HERE for complete Official Rules.

[Top Photo: Len Steckler/AFP/Getty Images]

Follow Moviefone on Twitter
Like Moviefone on Facebook
Follow Gary Susman on Twitter: @garysusman

17 Things You Might Not Have Known About 'The Lion King'

Gary Susman — 2011-09-13T17:40:00+00:00

Call it the circle of life: many kids who saw 'The Lion King' in theaters when it opened in 1994 can now take their own kids to see it when the 3D version hits the cineplex on Sept. 16. (The film hits both standard and 3D Blu-ray on Oct. 4.) Of course, it's hard to believe there's a generation that has never been exposed to 'The Lion King'; since the landmark Disney cartoon debuted, it has spawned an industry that's included two direct-to-video sequels, a TV series, several video games and a long-running Broadway musical.

To celebrate the 17-year history of 'The Lion King,' Moviefone has unearthed 17 things you might not have known about the furry film fable, including which Oscar-nominated song Elton John thought would kill his career, the supposed secret "sex" scene, what that chant at the beginning of 'Circle of Life' means, and a precedent-setting blast of warthog flatulence.

1. Originally, the movie was going to be called 'King of the Jungle,' until the filmmakers realized that lions live on the savanna, not in the jungle.

2. Initially, the film was not going to be a musical, but rather, a more realistic, National Geographic-type story. It was lyricist Tim Rice -- who'd worked with Disney on 'Aladdin' -- who suggested adding songs and hiring Elton John to compose them.

3. The film's writers referred to the film in private as 'Bamblet,' noting the similarity between their movie's plot and those of 'Bambi' and 'Hamlet.'

4. Conservative activists objected to a scene where particles in the night sky supposedly spell out, for an instant, the word "SEX." The animators have said that they were actually spelling out the abbreviation "SFX" (for "special effects") as a signature of their work that would be visible only to viewers with sharp eyes (and fast thumbs on the pause button).

5. For inspiration, the animators and artists spent two weeks in Africa, visiting Hell's Gate National Park in Kenya. They also had real lions brought into the animation studio, under the supervision of Jim Fowler, of TV's 'Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom.'

6. The song 'Hakuna Matata' originated with a phrase the animators heard from a tour guide during their African trip. Tim Rice heard the phrase (which, as every fan knows, means "no worries") and noted its similarity to 'Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo' from Disney's 'Cinderella,' and he turned it into the film's comic centerpiece. Elton John, however, was afraid the tune would mark a low point in his career. "I sat there with a line of lyrics that began, 'When I was a young warthog," John said in 1995, "and I thought, 'Has it come to this?'"

Watch the trailer for 'The Lion King 3D'

7. Hans Zimmer, who eventually won an Oscar for composing the instrumental score, brought aboard Lebo M, a South African composer and singer he'd worked with on the film 'The Power of One.' (A self-imposed exile from the apartheid regime, Lebo M was parking cars in Los Angeles when Zimmer met him.) It's Lebo M who added the African choral passages to the score, including the famous 'Circle of Life' chant that opens the movie.

8. Lebo M's 'Circle of Life' chant, translated from Zulu, means, "Here comes a lion, Father/Oh yes, it's a lion/We're going to conquer/A lion and a leopard come to this open place."

9. Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella, who were co-starring on Broadway in 'Guys and Dolls,' auditioned together, hoping to play hyenas. But the filmmakers liked their chemistry and cast them instead as Timon and Pumbaa, the meerkat/warthog comic relief duo. For the hyenas, the filmmakers initially wanted Cheech and Chong , but the stoner comedy duo had broken up by the time the movie was made. So the filmmakers stuck with Cheech Marin but used Whoopi Goldberg instead of Tommy Chong.

10. 'Can You Feel the Love Tonight' was almost a comic duet for Timon and Pumbaa, but Elton John balked. As a traditional love ballad, marking Simba and Nala's romance, the song became one of three from the film nominated for Oscars (along with 'Hakuna Matata' and 'Circle of Life,') and it won the Academy Award for Elton John and Tim Rice.

11. A musical number called "The Morning Report" didn't make it into the film (it was replaced by dialogue), but it was used in the Broadway musical and was included in the 2002 IMAX re-release and the platinum-edition DVD, accompanied by newly created footage.

12. 'The Lion King' marks the second time that James Earl Jones and Madge Sinclair played royal parents of an African prince. The first time was 'Coming to America,' where they played Eddie Murphy's dad and mom.

13. When Simba (voiced by Jonathan Taylor Thomas) tells Scar (Jeremy Irons), "You're so weird," and Scar replies, "You have no idea," the reference is to a nearly identical exchange between Ron Silver and Irons during the latter's Oscar-winning turn as Claus Von Bulow in 'Reversal of Fortune.'

14. While the characters in the movie are all hand-drawn, computers were used for assistance in some sequences, notably, the wildebeest stampede. In that sequence, a computer multiplied several hand-drawn animals into hundreds and created random paths for them. The resulting two-and-a-half-minute sequence took more than two years to create.

15. 'The Lion King' was the highest grossing movie worldwide in 1994, with a total of $772.6 million grossed around the globe. It's also the top-grossing hand-drawn cartoon of all time and the fourth-biggest animated feature of all time (behind CGI features 'Shrek 2,' 'Toy Story 3,' and 'Finding Nemo') in the U.S.

16. For a long time, 'The Lion King' held the record as the best-selling home video release, having sold 30 million copies on VHS.

Hakuna Matata
The Lion King - MOVIECLIPS.com

17. Pumbaa was the first Disney character to fart.

Follow Gary Susman on Twitter @garysusman.

20 Things You Might Not Know About the Muppets' Movies

Gary Susman — 2011-09-06T08:00:00+00:00

One of this fall's most eagerly anticipated movies is 'The Muppets.' The November 23 release marks the return of the funny, fuzzy fauna to the big screen after a 12-year absence.

The story, co-written by actor/screenwriter/fan Jason Segel, sees Segel, Amy Adams and a new Muppet named Walter play 'Muppet Show' fans who stumble across a plot by oil baron Chris Cooper to raze the dilapidated old Muppet Theater and drill for crude on the property. The Muppet fans decide to save the theater by mounting a stage-show fundraiser, but to do that, they need to reunite Kermit and the gang, who have scattered to the four winds.

In real life, it's also a story of fans saving the Muppets from obscurity. "This is the first Muppet production of any size that is really being spearheaded by fans instead of hard-core Muppet professionals," said Lisa Henson, Jim Henson's daughter and chief executive of the Henson Company, in a New York Times interview in April.

But it's not the only Muppet feature to run into obstacles during production - or to wink at those obstacles in the finished product. In their six previous features, from 1979's 'The Muppet Movie' to 1999's 'Muppets in Space,' the furry troupe was notorious for breaking the fourth wall and commenting on the action (usually, in the form of snide asides by the Muppets' in-house peanut gallery, Statler and Waldorf). Below is a list of some of those funny or quirky behind-the-scenes shenanigans, deleted scenes (including an awesome blues duet by Kermit and Rowlf) and some unexpected legal trouble that you may not have known about. Like a Muppet movie, this list is full of surprise cameos, from the likes of Bob Marley, Queen, the makers of Spam, and former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.

1. One famous cameo, in 'The Muppet Movie,' was venerable ventriloquist Edgar Bergen, along with wooden sidekick Charlie McCarthy. Bergen died shortly after completing his scene, and the film was dedicated to him.

2. Deleted scenes included several of Statler and Waldorf offering their usual insulting commentary on what we've just watched. Also deleted: a verse of Kermit and Rowlf's duet 'I Hope That Somethin' Better Comes Along' that producers deemed too risqué for kids. (Though the song is performed intact on the soundtrack album.)

3. The movie's theme song, 'The Rainbow Connection,' earned an Oscar nomination for composers Paul Williams and Kenneth Ascher. Kermit the Frog's performance of the tune rose to No. 25 on the Billboard singles chart in 1979. A couple years later, Kermit performed it on 'The Muppet Show' in a duet with Debbie Harry. It's been covered many times, by artists as varied as the Carpenters, Vera Lynn, Less Than Jake, Vonda Shepard, Willie Nelson, the Dixie Chicks, Sarah McLachlan, Jason Mraz, Jane Monheit, and Weezer.

4. In the film, Kermit sings the song and plays the banjo while seated on a log in a swamp. To perform the number, Jim Henson had to work underwater. He squeezed himself into a metal container equipped with an air hose, a rubber sleeve for his hand to manipulate Kermit and a monitor to see his performance. The scene took five days to shoot.

Check out the Kermit performing the 'The Rainbow Connection'

5. An early draft of the script had a cameo for Henry Kissinger as an aspiring actor who tries to shoehorn his way into the film in the guises of a southern sheriff, a busboy, an extra in the screening room, and a head carved on Mount Rushmore. Why Kissinger? Well, why not?

6. Miss Piggy, true to her diva self, has 10 costume changes in 'The Muppet Movie.'

7. The studio mogul who signs the Muppets to the "standard rich and famous contract," Lew Lord (Orson Welles), is a reference to Lord Lew Grade, the British media mogul who greenlit 'The Muppet Show' for production in England after American networks turned it down. Grade was also a producer of 'The Muppet Movie.'

8. 1981's 'The Great Muppet Caper' featured two elaborately choreographed numbers that were very difficult to film. The Fred Astaire-like sequence involving Kermit and his shadow took 43 takes to shoot. Miss Piggy's Esther Williams-style water ballet was also tricky, involving underwater shooting and nearly tropical temperatures. "We tried to get a dolphin to direct this part, but only one goldfish answered the ad," deadpanned the Muppets' fan club newsletter. "We then tried to get a director who also happened to be a monkey or a crocodile. One monkey applied, but he didn't like our terms (3 bananas/hour), and the crocodile ate his agent on the way to the studio."

9. The sequence at the end of 'The Great Muppet Caper' that shows multiple Muppets riding bicycles was a response to the incredulous reaction many critics had to the scene in the first movie where Kermit rides a bike. The puppeteers were flummoxed that this relatively easy feat impressed people more than such tricky stunts as Kermit performing 'The Rainbow Connection' in the middle of a swamp, Fozzie driving a real car, or 250 Muppets moving about at once during the final scene. Still, 'Caper's impressive looking bike sequence was pretty easy to do; it just required all the bikes to be hooked together and pulled across the frame by an oversized tricycle peddled by the off-screen Brian Henson, Jim's 18-year-old son.

'The Great Muppet Caper' - 'Couldn't We Ride'

10. 1984's 'The Muppets Take Manhattan' spawned the Muppet Babies, toddler versions of familiar Muppets, who were spun off into their own animated Saturday morning TV series (1984-92).

11. 1992's 'The Muppet Christmas Carol' was the first Muppet film made after Jim Henson's death in 1990. (Steve Whitmire took over performing duties for Kermit and other Henson characters.) It was also the first released by Disney (and perhaps not coincidentally, the first not to use any Sesame Street characters, to which Disney didn't control the rights.) It also marked a change in artistic direction as the first Muppet feature based on a work of classic literature, the first in which the Muppets didn't play themselves, and the first where they were supporting players to human leads. (1996's 'Muppet Treasure Island' and the 2005 made-for-TV 'The Muppets' Wizard of Oz' followed in that vein.)

12. The story hews pretty closely to Dickens, but with some Muppet-friendly alterations. Fezziwig becomes Fozziwig. Jacob Marley becomes brothers so that Statler and Waldorf can play them; the second Marley's name is Robert, an apparent reference to reggae titan Bob Marley.

13. Near the end of the film, Scrooge (Michael Caine) and company go past a store called "Micklewhite's." Michael Caine's real name is Maurice Micklewhite.

14. 'Muppet Treasure Island' got the filmmakers in legal hot water with the makers of Spam. The Hormel Foods Corporation sued over a character named Spa'am, a wild boar who was a crude savage and the high priest of a tribe that worshiped Miss Piggy. Hormel objected to the association of its product's name with a villain who represented "evil in porcine form." Hormel lost both the suit and the appeal. As the appeals court wrote in its ruling, "One might think Hormel would welcome the association with a genuine source of pork."

15. 'Muppets From Space' was the first Muppet film not to feature a score of original songs. Instead, it made use of funk classics by The Commodores, James Brown, Earth Wind & Fire, The O'Jays, The Isley Brothers, Kool & the Gang, and others.

16. After four decades, Frank Oz retired from Muppetry in 2001. (He said he wanted to spend more time on his other pursuits; he's well known as a comedy director and as the voice of Yoda in the 'Star Wars' saga.) For the last 10 years, his characters (Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Animal, and Sam the Eagle) have been performed by Eric Jacobson. Jacobson also took over Oz's 'Sesame Street' Muppets, including Bert, Grover, Guy Smiley, and (briefly) Cookie Monster. 'The Muppets' will be the first Muppet theatrical film without Oz.

'The Muppets' - Trailer No. 3

17. Why has it been 12 years since the Muppets stormed the multiplex? Blame it on corporate infighting. After Henson's death, the Muppets' partnership with Disney (which had included the distribution of 'Christmas Carol' and 'Treasure Island') was supposed to lead to Disney's purchase of the company, but that fell through when German media company EM.TV made a better offer. When EM.TV fell into financial trouble, it sold the Muppets for a song back to the Henson family, which finally did sell them to Disney in 2004. Still, it took several more years of abortive efforts before a viable movie idea came along in the form of a pitch from Segel.

18. Not that the Muppets have been idle in the past 12 years. There have been numerous TV specials, a Disney World attraction, and a host of viral videos - most notably, a 2009 Muppet cover of Queen's 'Bohemian Rhapsody' that has been viewed 22 million times and which helped convince Disney that the venerable felt-and-foam hand puppets still have a fervent following in the digital era. Still, the Muppets themselves seem mostly happy about being back in movies. "Not only is it a big project but we get to be big on the screen," Kermit told the Los Angeles Times earlier this year. "It's good for all of us except Piggy. She's not crazy about being any bigger."

The Muppets: 'Bohemian Rhapsody'

19. 'The Muppets' is directed by James Bobin, director of HBO music spoof series 'Flight of the Conchords,' and Conchord Bret McKenzie composed four new songs for the film, which will also feature performances of such classic Muppet tunes as 'The Rainbow Connection' and "Mah-Na, Mah-Na.'

20. Like the previous films, this one is full of star cameos, including Alan Arkin, Jack Black, Emily Blunt, George Clooney, Billy Crystal, Zach Galifianakis, Ricky Gervais, Donald Glover, Kathy Griffin, Dave Grohl, Ed Helms, John Krasinski, Mila Kunis, Rico Rodriguez, Mickey Rooney, Kristen Schaal, Ben Stiller, Eric Stonestreet, Wanda Sykes, and Danny Trejo. One scene alone includes walk-ons by Whoopi Goldberg, Neil Patrick Harris, Judd Hirsch, and Selena Gomez. Also in that scene: politico James Carville. Which suggests that maybe this could have been the Muppet movie that finally gave Henry Kissinger his shot at big-screen fame.

Follow Gary Susman on Twitter @garysusman.

20 Things You Might Not Know About 'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory'

Gary Susman — 2011-07-01T16:45:00+00:00

Confession time: I saw 'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory' in the theater when I was 4 ... and it scared the daylights out of me. All those horrible things happening to the kids -- especially Augustus Gloop nearly drowning in the chocolate river, then getting trapped in that tube -- haunted my dreams.

As an adult, however, I was able to watch the film again and pick up on its sly humor, particularly Gene Wilder's subtle, mischievous performance, as well as in the film's satire of the adult world as being just as greedy, grasping, and gluttonous as the world of candy-grabbing children. Nowadays, I thoroughly enjoy watching the movie, which wasn't the movie I thought it was at all.

As it turns out, the beloved cult favorite that we've enjoyed for four decades now (it just had its 40th anniversary) isn't the movie any of us thought it was. There are a lot of things people don't know about the familiar film, from its origins as a candy infomercial to its links to 'The Omen,' the 1972 Summer Olympics and the Boston subway system.

Are you ready for a list of 20 things you might now know about 'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory?' As Wilder's candymaker said during Augustus Gloop's ordeal, "The suspense is terrible. I hope it'll last."

1. Watch the opening credits closely, and you'll see that the film's copyright was initially held, not by a Hollywood studio, but by the Quaker Oats company. The cereal maker behind such sweet morning treats as Life and Cap'n Crunch was launching a line of candy bars and had been talking to film and TV producer David L. Wolper about vehicles to promote it.

2. At the same time, director Mel Stuart took up his 10-year-old daughter's suggestion that he approach family friend Wolper in order to make a film of Roald Dahl's children's novel 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.' Quaker Oats had never made a movie before, but the company bought the film rights from Dahl and spent nearly $3 million making the movie (a fairly hefty film budget back in 1970).

3. Dahl himself was hired to write the screenplay. Although the finished product bears his sole credit, Stuart actually had the screenplay rewritten by a then-unknown, David Seltzer, who would go on to write 'The Omen' (about the ultimate bratty kid) and 'Lucas' (about a Charlie Bucket-ish underdog, played by the young Corey Haim).

4. Dahl was said to be so unhappy with Seltzer's rewrite (he felt it focused too much on the Wonka character and not enough on Charlie, and that it had sweetened his story's dark tone) that he refused to allow the movie to be remade again in his lifetime or to sell the film rights to the sequel, 'Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator.' (Dahl died in 1990, 15 years before his estate allowed Tim Burton to remake the 1971 film.)

5. Why was the title changed from the book's 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' to 'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory'? There are two competing stories. One says that the change was to play up Wonka's name because Quaker's new candy line was called Wonka Bars.

6. The other claim is that the filmmakers worried that the name "Charlie" was seen in some quarters as a derogatory racial term for black people.

The Acid-Trip Boat Ride:

7. Dahl's first choice to play Wonka was wacky British comedian Spike Milligan. His second choice: Ron Moody, who had just starred as Fagin (another dubious role model for naughty children) in the film 'Oliver!'

8. Producers nixed Milligan, and Moody turned them down, as did Jon Pertwee (then committed to TV's 'Doctor Who,' another tale of a mysterious man and a young companion who travel in a magical glass booth).

9. Producers auditioned Joel Grey to play the chocolate mogul but decided he didn't tower over the children enough.

10. Finally, Gene Wilder came along and won the part, which he accepted only on the condition that he be allowed to make his entrance with the fake old-man limping gait that turns into a somersault. "I knew that from then on the audience wouldn't know if I was lying or telling the truth," he recalled in 2005.

11. Ever wonder where the strange middle-European village is that seems to be home to a population of English adults and American kids? It's Munich, where producers filmed because it was cheap and, yes, disorienting. Peter Ostrum, who played Charlie, recalled that a highlight of the five-month shoot in Germany was watching the construction of Munich's Olympiapark, where the Olympics would be held two summers later.

12. Sammy Davis Jr. had wanted to play the candy shop owner who sings the opening song, but producers turned him down. Nonetheless, he made that song, "The Candy Man," part of his act, and in 1972, his version became the only single of his 40-year recording career to hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

13. The famed chocolate river, created on a soundstage, was two feet deep and consisted of 150,000 gallons of water mixed with chocolate and cream. The resulting mixture quickly spoiled and filled the soundstage with a foul stench. (Guess I was right to feel bad for Augustus.)

Augustus Gloop and the Chocolate River:

14. Despite Dahl's complaints, the finished film was plenty dark and weird, maybe too much so for small children (hello!) or potential Wonka candy consumers. The movie earned just $4 million at the box office and was widely considered a flop.

15. In the late 1970s, Paramount let its distribution rights expire, and Quaker Oats sold its interest in the film to Warner Bros. for just $500,000. But then, in the 1980s, Warners' repeated licensing of 'Willy Wonka' for TV broadcasts and its release of the movie on home video turned the movie into a profit-making cult hit and allowed Warners to be the studio that ultimately released Burton's 2005 remake.

16. Of the five kids who toured Willy Wonka's factory, only Julie Dawn Cole (who played Veruca Salt) stuck with acting, primarily on British soaps.

Veruca Salt and the Golden Geese

17. Of course, her character was also the inspiration for '90s alt-rock band Veruca Salt.

18. Peter Ostrum gave up acting after 'Willy Wonka,' turning down a three-picture deal. The Cleveland native became a veterinarian and moved to the small farming village of Lowville, N.Y. Preferring to keep a low profile, he seldom discusses the movie that made him briefly famous, though he couldn't avoid the spotlight shown on the original cast members when Burton's splashy remake came out six years ago.

19. Ostrum was lured out of obscurity in 2009 by Dunkin' Donuts, which recruited him for a promotion that had him standing in a Boston subway station giving away CharlieCards (the fare cards Boston commuters use, which are named not for Charlie Bucket but for the hapless subway rider of the folk tune 'The MTA Song'). Ostrum gave out free fares and one Wonka-esque golden ticket, good for a year's worth of unlimited subway rides and free cups of Dunkin' Donuts coffee.

Peter Ostrum Gives Away CharlieCards for Dunkin' Donuts:

20. Quaker Oats sold the Wonka candy company to Nestlé in the 1980s. Nestlé relaunched the brand last year with a line of fancy, premium chocolate bars called "Wonka Exceptionals." Along with those bars and such familiar products as SweeTarts, Laffy Taffy and Pixy Stix, Wonka also sells Everlasting Gobstoppers, inspired by the movie.

Follow Gary Susman on Twitter: @garysusman.

2011 Oscars Trivia Quiz: Test Your Knowledge of This Year's Nominees

Moviefone Staff — 2011-02-26T11:00:00+00:00

The 2011 Oscar nominations were announced on Jan. 23, which means you've had a full month to brush up on all of this year's big nominees.

For those feeling confident heading into Sunday night's ceremony, Moviefone has decided to test you to find out how well you really know Oscar.

Think you know who the first choice was to star in 'The King's Speech'? Or the name of Amy Adams' first movie role?

Take our 2011 Oscars Trivia quiz to find out. And when you're finished, click here to find out the answers.

1. Annette Bening met husband Warren Beatty on the set of which Oscar-winning movie?
A. 'Bugsy'
B. 'The Grifters'
C. 'Love Affair'

2. Helena Bonham Carter was previously nominated for which movie?
A. 'Howard's End'
B. 'A Room With a View'
C. 'The Wings of the Dove'

3. Jennifer Lawrence had a significant role on which short-lived sitcom?
A. 'The Bill Engvall Show'
B. 'Hope and Faith'
C. 'Life With Bonnie'

4. At age 14, Hailee Steinfeld is the ninth-youngest Best Supporting Actress nominee of all time. Who is the youngest?
A. Mary Badham
B. Quinn Cummings
C. Tatum O'Neal

5. True or False: John Wayne won an Oscar for the original 'True Grit.'
A. True
B. False

6. How many times have the Coen brothers been nominated for an Oscar?
A. 10
B. 13
C. 16

7. John Hawkes and Mark Wahlberg previously appeared together in which movie?
A. 'Boogie Nights'
B. 'I Heart Huckabees'
C. 'The Perfect Storm'

8. Which of the following universities has James Franco NOT attended?
A. Brooklyn College
B. Princeton
C. Warren Wilson College

9. Natalie Portman received her first nomination in 2005 for 'Closer.' Who beat her?
A. Cate Blanchett
B. Rachel Weisz
C. Renee Zellweger

10. Jesse Eisenberg is related to which famous TV commercial personality?
A. Life cereal's Mikey
B. Pepsi Girl
C. Progressive Insurance Lady

11. True or false: Nicole Kidman was the first Australian-born actor to win an Oscar.
A. True
B. False

12. Colin Firth was reportedly the third choice for 'The King's Speech' lead. Who was the first?
A. Ralph Fiennes
B. Hugh Grant
C. Michael Sheen

13. Christian Bale reportedly lost how many pounds to play Dicky Ecklund in 'The Fighter'?
A. 30
B. 40
C. 50

14. Three-time nominee Amy Adams made her film debut in which movie?
A. 'Cruel Intentions 2'
B. 'Drop Dead Gorgeous'
C. 'Psycho Beach Party'

15. Javier Bardem is married to Penelope Cruz, who won an Oscar for which movie?
A. 'Nine'
B. 'Vicky Cristina Barcelona'
C. 'Volver'

Click here for the answers

How Long Was Bill Murray Stuck in 'Groundhog Day'? The Answer May Surprise You

Peter Hall — 2011-02-02T13:20:00+00:00

Sometimes obsession can be a good thing (scientific breakthroughs, for one), sometimes it can be a creepy thing (don't stalk me, bro), but when it comes to film, obsession is almost always a fascinating thing. After all, some movies are just too dang vague, so it takes a focused film geek to fill in the gaps. For example, how many days does Bill Murray's character spend trapped in a time loop in 'Groundhog Day'?

The film never gives us a final tally. Director Harold Ramis once stated that it must have been around 10 years, but he later amended that by saying 10 years was far too short. So what's the real answer?

Enter Obsessed With Film writer Simon Gallagher's ridiculously thorough examination of all of the evidenced presented in Ramis' film: how long it would take to learn to throw playing cards (six months at a conservative estimate of four or five hours a day of practice), how long it would take to become a master ice sculptor (seven years at four to five hours per day), how long it would take to watch a movie 100 times and so on and so on.

And after all that math (he even accounts for the extra day in leap years, though would leap years really matter if he's stuck in a world that never fully orbits the sun?), what's the final count? A whopping 12,403 repeated days, which is just shy of some 34 years stuck in timeless, existential limbo.

Again, click here to see just how much energy Gallagher put into discerning that number. Oh, and Happy Groundhog Day!

101 Things You Didn't Know About '101 Dalmatians'

Eric Larnick — 2011-01-27T15:30:00+00:00

This week marks the 50th anniversary of the Disney animated classic '101 Dalmatians.'

If you've somehow forgotten, the 1961 movie focuses on Pongo and Perdita, two proud Dalmatian parents, and their search for their 15 puppies, who have been kidnapped by the nasty Cruella De Vil.

De Vil wants to skin the dogs for her luxurious new fur coat but gets no help from her bumbling sidekicks, Jasper and Horace. Along their adventure, Pongo and Perdy team up with a countryside full of farm animals, rescue 84 additional stray Dalmatian pups, and return to the home of their owners, the Radcliffes, with a family in the triple digits.

You may think you know everything about the beloved family film, but did you know about the dogs' alien adventures or their connection to the rock band Styx? With sequels, TV shows, remakes and a stage show under its belt, '101 Dalmatians' has amassed a long and impressive history, full of surprising nuggets of trivia.

In celebration of the film's 50th anniversary, we present you with 101 things you didn't know about '101 Dalmatians.' But first, refresh your memory by watching a trailer for the classic movie.

1. Technically, the official title is 'One Hundred and One Dalmatians,' but since it's a chore to write that out, it often gets shortened to '101 Dalmatians.'

2. The film is based on the 1956 book 'The Hundred and One Dalmatians' by English novelist Dodie Smith.

3. Dodie Smith herself was the proud owner of nine Dalmatians, including one named Pongo.

4. At one point, Pongo did have a litter of 15 puppies. One of them was stillborn, but Smith's husband managed to revive it.

5. Smith was inspired to write the book after a friend told her "Those dogs would make a lovely fur coat."

6. Smith's story was first serialized in 'Ladies' Home Journal' as 'The Great Dog Robbery.'

7. In the book, Pongo and Perdita are not the parents of the puppies. In the book, the couple is Pongo and Missis Pongo; Perdita is a stray, who had her puppies sold away, and she becomes the wet nurse for Missis' 15 pups.

8. Perdita's long-lost love is named Prince.

9. In 1967, Smith published 'The Starlight Brigade,' a sequel.

10. In 'The Starlight Brigade,' the Dalmatian family teams up with a few strays and some "honorary dogs" (aka cats) to investigate the mystery of why every human in the country -- including their owners, the Dearlys, and Cruella De Vil -- has fallen into a deep sleep, unable to wake up.

11. Then they are visited by Sirius, Lord of the Dog Star, an extraterrestrial dog who appears as the breed of whatever dog is speaking to him.

12. He explains that he has come to Earth to rescue all dogs from the threat of nuclear war and owner abuse, by taking them to outer space with him.

13. A council of dogs, led by Pongo, must deliberate on whether to leave the planet or not.

14. They decide to remain on Earth. To ensure their safety, Sirius has all pets returned safely to their owners and gets every stray dog into the Battersea Dogs & Cats Home.

15. Battersea is the United Kingdom's oldest animal shelter. Established in 1860, the shelter survives entirely on public donations; it took in almost $20 million in 2009.

16. One reason Smith wrote the sequel is because Walt Disney kept sending her letters urging her to make more Dalmatian stories they could adapt.

17. '101 Dalmatians' has the distinction of being the first animated Disney film to take place in a contemporary setting.

18. A newspaper gag in the film about Captain Henrik Kurt Carlsen and the Flying Enterprise freighter, which sank into the Atlantic, places the movie's events in 1952.

19. Getting 'Dalmatians' made into a movie was not easy; Disney was undergoing a budget crisis after their previous film, 'Sleeping Beauty,' had been deemed a commercial failure.

20. Prior to the production of this movie, Disney's animation staff had been cut from over 500 to less than 100 animators.

21. Production was finally made possible due to the development of Xerography.

22. Xerography-based animation was developed when legendary Ub Iwerks began experimenting with Xerox photography. In 1959, he developed a Xerox camera that could transfer animator's drawings directly to cells, forgoing the need for inking.

23. The xerography style resulted in hard, scratchy outlines on the final drawings, which then forced Disney animators to change the look of their characters from softer and rounder to more angular and stylized.

24. This new style became the Disney standard, used all the way up until 1977's 'The Rescuers,' when updated technology allowed them to change the look.

25. Walt Disney reportedly disliked the Xerox-based style.

26. Still, the Xerox technique allowed the film to come in on budget.

27. All of the moving cars in the movie are based on live-action footage of cars painted black and white.

28. Then they were Xeroxed onto animation cells and re-colored.

29. Animators painted all the Dalmatian spots by treating them as constellations, forming a fixed pattern design.

30. Pongo sports 72 spots, Perdita sports 68, and each of the 99 puppies has exactly 32 spots.

31. For the movement of dogs in background shots, animators created a handful of animation loops and Xeroxed them in differing sizes and directions.

32. Individually animating each of the 101 Dalmatians would have more than doubled the film's cost.

33. Due to a continuity goof, the final scene of the movie features more than 101 Dalmatians; there's at least 150 animated spotted dogs in the background.

34. Walt Disney hired actors to perform live-action scenes of all the human characters to serve as a reference for the animators and to find out if those scenes were feasible to animate.

35. The animators didn't like working this way; they thought it limited their creativity.

36. Traditionally, Disney's top team of animators -- known collectively as "the Nine Old Men" -- each animated a single lead character for the entire movie. This was the first production where they teamed up on characters together.

37. Seven of the nine animated Perdita.

38. The only one of the Nine Old Men who worked on his own individual character was Marc Davis, who animated Cruella De Vil.

39. Cruella De Vil's look and personality was inspired by manic Golden Age actress Tallulah Bankhead.

40. Bankhead had caused a scandal in 1932 when she told 'Motion Picture Magazine': "I haven't had an affair for six months. Six months! Too long ... If there's anything the matter with me now, it's not Hollywood or Hollywood's state of mind. The matter with me is I want a man. Six months is a long, long while. I want a man!"

41. Another one of her famous quotes: "There have been only two geniuses in the world: Willie Mays and Willie Shakespeare. But, darling, I think you'd better put Shakespeare first."

42. Tallulah Bankhead's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is located at 6141 Hollywood Blvd.

43. Cruella was ranked 31st on the American Film Institute's List of 100 Greatest On-Screen Heroes and Villains.

44. In Italy, she is known as "Crudelia De Mon" -- a play off the word "demon." In France, she is known as "Cruella D'Enfer" -- meaning "From Hell."

45. Synth-metal band Deadsy wrote a tribute song to her entitled, 'Cruella.'

46. The thunder that claps when she first appears is a sound effect from 'Bambi.'

47. Cruella was voiced not by Bankhead but by actress Betty Lou Gerson; she was honored as a "Disney Legend" in 1996.

48. After Gerson retired from showbiz, she used her voice for a telephone answering service at her husband's company.

49. The film was different from previous Disney films in that it featured only three songs, just one of which -- Cruella's theme song -- was performed in its entirety. Several more songs were composed by Mel Leven that have never been heard.

50. Captain the Horse (the equine friend of Tibbs the Cat and Colonel the Sheepdog) is voiced by Thurl Ravenscroft. You might know Thurl as the voice of Tony the Tiger, and as the uncredited singer of 'You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch.'

51. Clarence Nash -- who famously voiced Donald Duck -- provided all the dog barks used in the movie.

52. J. Pat O'Malley provides the voices of the Colonel and Jasper, meaning when they come face to face with each other, O'Malley is talking to himself.

53. This is the first Disney animated feature to be credited to one writer: Bill Peet, who also helped write: 'The Jungle Book,' 'The Sword in the Stone,' 'Sleeping Beauty,' 'Peter Pan,' 'Alice in Wonderland,' 'Cinderella,' 'Mickey and the Beanstalk,' 'Song of the South,' 'The Three Caballeros,' 'Dumbo,' 'Fantasia' and 'Pinocchio.'

54. Lady, the Tramp, Jock, Peg and Bull from 1955's 'Lady and the Tramp' all make cameos during the "Twilight Bark" sequence.

55. Roger Dearly and Pongo make a cameo in Disney's Dickens-by-way-of-canines 1988 hit, 'Oliver & Company.'

56. '101 Dalmatians' was released on Jan. 25, 1961.

57. The film premiered at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.

58. The movie maintains a 97 percent "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

59. 'Dalmatians' became the 10th-highest-grossing film of 1961, earning $6,400,000 domestically that year.

60. It was re-released in theaters in January 1969, June 1979, December 1985, and July 1991.

61. The 1991 re-release brought in $60 million and was the 20th-highest-grossing movie of the year.

62. Over its lifetime of theatrical screenings, it has amassed a worldwide box office take of $215,880,014.

63. Adjusted for inflation, its roughly $145 million domestic draw equates to $794 million, good for 11th on the all-time list, according to Box Office Mojo. This even puts it ahead of 'Avatar' in terms of total number of tickets sold.

64. The film was released on VHS on April 10, 1992, as part of the "Walt Disney Classics" video series.

65. Then, it was re-released on video tape on March 9, 1999, as part of the "Walt Disney Masterpiece Collection" video series.

66. Then, it was released on DVD on Dec. 19, 1999, as part of the "Disney's Limited Issue" DVD series.

67. Then, it was released on DVD for a second time, on March 4, 2008, as part of the "Walt Disney Platinum Edition" two-disc DVD series.

68. There is no official release date yet for the release of the film as part of the "Walt Disney Diamond Edition" three-disc DVD/Blu-ray Combo series.

69. The movie is officially out of the "Disney Vault" for the time being, but once it returns to its fortified holding cell, it will not be available for sale at any commercial outlets for a minimum of seven years.

70. Selena Gomez performed 'Cruella De Vil' for a bonus music video, included on the Platinum Edition DVD.

71. During the first VHS release, a large number of tie-in merchandise was sold to the public with the misspelling "Dalmations."

72. The movie got an official sequel 40 years later on Jan. 21, 2003, with the direct-to-video/DVD film '101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure.' It was not based on Smith's 'The Starlight Brigade.'

73. In the new story, puppy Patch is accidentally left behind during a Dalmatian relocation. He finds his family with the help of Thunderbolt, a canine television star. Think 'Home Alone' meets 'Bolt.'

74. 'Patch's London Adventure' was re-released on Sept. 16, 2008, as a special-edition DVD.

75. In 1996, 'Dalmatians' was remade as a live-action modern-day film. The official title this time around, was simply '101 Dalmatians.'

76. In the remake, Jeff Daniels' Roger Dearly is a struggling video-game designer, instead of a struggling jazz songwriter, and the Dalmatians cannot talk.

77. Glenn Close portrays the iconic Cruella De Vil, while Hugh Laurie stars as her bumbling henchman Jasper. The film was written and produced by John Hughes.

78. The 1996 version used 20 adult Dalmatians and 230 puppies.

79. Glenn Close's first day on set in the full Cruella costume genuinely scared the dog playing Perdita.

80. In order to get the puppies to lick him on cue, crew members had to rub raw hot dogs on Jeff Daniels' face.

81. John Hughes' contract for this movie allowed him to gain a cut of the merchandising profits.

82. Over 17,000 pieces of merchandise were made for the film.

83. Not surprisingly, then, '101 Dalmatians' turned out to be John Hughes' most profitable writing assignment.

84. The 1996 version grossed over $320 million worldwide, but has received a "rotten" rating of 41 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.

85. That movie's success led to the November 2000 sequel, '102 Dalmatians.' Even though Close was the only star to return, the installment still grossed over $183 million worldwide.

86. One of the characters in '102 Dalmatians' is Oddball, a completely spotless dalmatian. The puppy-actor's spots had to be digitally removed, one by one, by a team of 55 computer artists.

87. A spin-off animated series, '101 Dalmatians: The Series,' was launched in September of 1997, as part of the Disney Afternoon syndicated block, and blends elements of the original novel, the animated feature and the live-action remake.

88. The TV show stars three puppies in the lead: Lucky the leader, Rolly the fat one (he's smart, too!) and New Age-y sister Cadpig. The trio, along with their brothers, sisters and farm animal friends, contend once again with Cruella De Vil, who has now become a corporate villain.

89. The dogs have been the stars of two video games: '101 Dalmatians: Escape from De Vil Manor' for the PC, and '102 Dalmatians: Puppies to the Rescue' for the Sega Dreamcast and Sony Playstation. Both games mash-up the animated and live-action versions.

90. The canine family also appears in the wildly successful original 'Kingdom Hearts' game. Pongo and Perdita ask Sora to help locate their 99 puppies, which have been lost among the worlds of the universe since their home planet was destroyed by darkness.

91. According to the 'Kingdom Hearts' wiki: "It is not a requirement to find all of the puppies in 'Kingdom Hearts,' but doing so yields various rewards, which includes unlocking the secret ending, an Aero upgrade, as well as a full Gummi Block collection." We have no idea what that means.

92. In 2009, Purina Dog Chow sponsored a live theatrical musical based on Dodie Smith's original novel; first premiered at Minneapolis's Orpheum Theater, before embarking on a national tour that culminated with a 2010 engagement at Madison Square Garden.

93. 'The 101 Dalmatians Musical' featured lyrics from Styx frontman Dennis DeYoung, 15 actual Dalmatians and simulated dog perspective via the use of stilts.

94. The production received mixed reviews.

95. Dalmatian breeds have experienced a continuous boost in domestic popularity since the movie phenomenon began.

96. Dalmatians are active dogs that require a large amount of outdoor activity. Their loyal and athletic dispositions have made them ideal for rescue and guarding.

97. Unfortunately, many Dalmatian owners are undereducated about proper breeding responsibilities. Because many homes are not capable of raising such high-energy dogs, massive numbers of Dalmatians have been abandoned to animal shelters.

98. Many Dalmatian rescue organizations have arisen to take care of unwanted Dalmatians and find proper housing for them.

99. The breed of dogs originated in the Dalmatia region of the Republic of Croatia, then were brought to England. They served as guard dogs and guides for horses and firefighters.

100. There are 113,760 frames of film in the original '101 Dalmatians.'

101. The final tally of Dalmatian spots in all those frames of film: 6,469,952.

Buy or rent '101 Dalmatians' today!

Jeffrey Dean Morgan: He's Everywhere!

Annette Bourdeau — 2010-11-25T16:00:00+00:00

Can you spot Jeffrey Dean Morgan? No, that wasn't him spitting in that cute little dog's face in 'Due Date.' And no, he didn't romance Julia Roberts in 'Eat, Pray, Love.' But it does seem like this dead ringer for Robert Downey Jr. and Javier Bardem has been in pretty much every other movie coming out lately.

You probably know him best as Katherine Heigl's sickly love interest Denny on 'Grey's Anatomy,' or Mary Louise Parker's dead husband on 'Weeds.' Since his endearing stint on 'Grey's', he's been working so steadily it's starting to feel like he's everywhere. Not that I'm complaining.

You can find him in two movies coming out between now and Christmas alone: 'Shanghai,' a '40s period piece co-starring John Cusack, and 'All Good Things,' a thriller with Ryan Gosling and Kirsten Dunst. And if you're worried about post-holiday JDM withdrawal, relax. He stars as Hilary Swank's creepy, obsessive landlord in 'The Resident,' due out in early 2011, and in the remake of the '80s cheese-fest 'Red Dawn,' set to open - well, whenever the studio decides to release it (It keeps getting mysteriously pushed back).

I'm still waiting for a flick where he, RDJ and Bardem play three incredibly handsome brothers. I don't really care what it's about. I just want it to happen. Until then, though, here's a totally random quiz to test your ability to tell the three fine thespians apart.

1. He squeezed into a badass black leather suit to play The Comedian in 'The Watchmen.'

a) Jeffrey Dean Morgan
b) Robert Downey Jr
c) Javier Bardem

2. He squeezed into an impenetrable red suit that gave him superhuman powers in 'Iron Man.'

a) Jeffrey Dean Morgan
b) Robert Downey Jr
c) Javier Bardem

3. He was once romantically linked to Sarah Jessica Parker.

a) Jeffrey Dean Morgan
b) Robert Downey Jr
c) Javier Bardem

4. He was once engaged to Mary Louise Parker.

a) Jeffrey Dean Morgan
b) Robert Downey Jr
c) Javier Barden

5. He scared everyone with his haircut from hell in 'No Country for Old Men.'

a) Jeffrey Dean Morgan
b) Robert Downey Jr
c) Javier Bardem

6. His middle name is Angel.

a) Jeffrey Dean Morgan
b) Robert Downey Jr
c) Javier Bardem

7. He has appeared on 'Ally McBeal.'

a) Jeffrey Dean Morgan
b) Robert Downey Jr
c) Javier Bardem

8. He has appeared on 'The O.C.'

a) Jeffrey Dean Morgan
b) Robert Downey Jr
c) Javier Bardem

9. He is NOT from a theatrical family.

a) Jeffrey Dean Morgan
b) Robert Downey Jr
c) Javier Bardem

10. He has won an Oscar.

a) Jeffrey Dean Morgan
b) Robert Downey Jr
c) Javier Bardem

Answers: 1: a); 2: b); 3: b); 4: a); 5: c); 6: c); 7: b); 8: a); 9: a); 10: c)

Quiz: How Much Do You Know About the Culkin Clan?

Kim Potts — 2010-08-26T13:40:00+00:00

If this doesn't make you feel old ... that cute little blond, cherubic-faced, cheek-slapping kiddie we all loved in the 'Home Alone' flicks? He turns 30 this week! That's right ... Macaulay Culkin rings in his 30th birthday on Aug. 26. The former child star -- one of the few who has managed to navigate his superstardom relatively unscathed (and, even more remarkably, without a lengthy rap sheet) -- completed a stint in NBC's short-lived series 'Kings' last year, will star in the "military action comedy drama" 'Service Man' next year and is currently celebrating the scene-stealing performance of younger brother Kieran Culkin as Wallace Wells in the buzzed about big-screen romp 'Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.'

All that makes it the perfect time to test your knowledge of all things Macaulay and company with our Culkin family quiz ...

When you're finished, click here for a list of the correct answers.

1. Culkin family 'rents Kit Culkin and Patricia Brentup have how many children together?
A: Five
B: Seven
C: Nine

2. Which Culkin sibling is the youngest?
A: Rory
B: Kieran
C: Macaulay

3. Macaulay Culkin became the first child star to nab a $1 million salary for a movie ... for which movie?
A: 'Home Alone 2'
B: 'Getting Even With Dad'
C: 'My Girl'

4. Which Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated actress is the Culkin kids' aunt?
A: Sigourney Weaver
B: Kyra Sedgwick
C: Bonnie Bedelia

5. Which Culkin kid plays Fuller, the bedwetting cousin of Macaulay's Kevin McAllister, in 'Home Alone'?
A: Rory
B: Shane
C: Kieran

6. In 1998, Macaulay Culkin married a soap actress from which daytime drama?
A: 'All My Children'
B: 'As the World Turns'
C: 'Guiding Light'

7. Before Patricia and Kit became their childrens' "momager" and "dadager," Patricia worked as a telephone operator and Kit worked as a maintenance man at a local ________.
A: Church
B: Taxi garage
C: Theater

8. True or false: Director and screenwriter John Hughes wrote 'Home Alone' specifically for Macaulay Culkin after seeing him in an episode of the TV show 'The Equalizer'?
A: True
B: False

9. Which Culkin sibling died in a car accident in 2008?
A: Quinn
B: Dakota
C: Christian

10. Macaulay Culkin was a good friend of Michael Jackson's, and is even godfather to two of Jackson's children. How old was the 'Home Alone' star when Jackson first invited him to his Neverland Ranch and started their lifelong friendship?
A: 9
B: 7
C: 8

11. Which two Culkin brothers have been nominated for Golden Globe awards?
A: Macaulay and Kieran
B: Rory and Macaulay
C: Kieran and Rory

12. In which Michael Jackson music video does Macaulay Culkin appear?
A: 'Remember the Time'
B: 'Black or White'
C: 'Smooth Criminal'

13. Macaulay Culkin was arrested in 2004 for marijuana possession. In what city was he arrested?
A: Kansas City
B: Salt Lake City
C: Oklahoma City

14. True or false: Before any of the Culkin kids' acting careers took off, the entire family lived in one room in an Upper East Side apartment?
A: True
B: False

15. What is the name of the Macaulay Culkin-penned 2006 novel that is heavy on thinly disguised autobiographical elements, like his tumultuous relationship with his father?
A: 'Getting Even With Dad'
B: 'Junior'
C: 'The Kid'

Click here for the answers to the Culkin family quiz.

30 'Scott Pilgrim' Video Game & Pop Culture References (Did We Miss Any?)

Justin Massoud — 2010-08-11T20:08:00+00:00

'Scott Pilgrim vs. The World,' the long-awaited film adaptation of the beloved cult graphic novel series, will transport you to the frozen land of Toronto where Scott Pilgrim must defeat new girlfriend Ramona Flowers' seven evil exes in the name of love. It will also challenge your knowledge of pop culture and video game history.

We caught 30 different video game references (some obvious, some obscure) and pop culture homages to everything from comic book superheroes to The Legend of Zelda to 'Seinfeld.' Did we miss any?

Keep reading for the list, but only if you've seen the film or don't mind having some plot points spoiled. 'Scott Pilgrim vs. The World,' the long-awaited film adaptation of the beloved cult graphic novel series, will transport you to the frozen land of Toronto where Scott Pilgrim must defeat new girlfriend Ramona Flowers' seven evil exes in the name of love. It will also challenge your knowledge of pop culture and video game history.

We caught 30 different video game references (some obvious, some obscure) and pop culture homages to everything from comic book superheroes to The Legend of Zelda to 'Seinfeld.' Did we miss any?

Keep reading for the list, but only if you've seen the film or don't mind having some plot points spoiled.

1. Scott's band is called Sex Bob-omb. A bob-omb is a wind-up walking bomb that made its debut in Super Mario Bros. 2. It's no friend, but thanks to its timed explosive nature it can be used as an impromptu weapon against other enemies.

2. When Scott defeats Ramona's evil exes, they dissolve into coins. One of the earliest and most memorable video games to use the coin phenomenon is River City Ransom on the NES, where enemies would also comically yell "Barf!" upon defeat. However recent games, like the over-the-top 'No More Heroes' series, combine coins with gore: chopping enemies in half results in a fountain of blood and cash.

3. Young Neil is Sex Bob-Omb's fill-in bassist, and also a Nintendo fanboy. He can be seen playing a Nintendo DS lite, wearing a Nintendo 64 t-shirt, and lists both Tetris and The Legend of Zelda as his favorite games.

4. Scott's roommate Wallace Wells can be a bit of a jerk. Then again, he's often stuck sharing his bed with Scott -- awkward, especially when he brings home a boyfriend. When first introduced, Wallace is given a rating of 7.5 out of 10. Many video game publications consider such a score "average." It's a roundabout way of saying he's not always the best roommate.

5. Scott's sister Stacey is rated in another way: "T for Teen." The ESRB was established in 1994 to rate games in an effort to better inform parents about a video game's content and basically keep stuff like Mortal Kombat out of kids' hands. According to the ESRBs official website, "T for Teen" reflects a game that contains "violence, suggestive themes, crude humor, minimal blood, simulated gambling, and/or infrequent use of strong language." Stacey falls under a couple of those categories.

6. Wallace refers to Scott's evil ex, Envy Adams, as "she who will not be named," a reference to Voldemort in the Harry Potter series.

7. Natalie Adams (aka Envy) is lead singer of the popular (by Canadian standards, anyway) band Clash at Demonhead. Gamers who grew up in gaming's heyday (the '80s) may recall the name. Clash at Demonhead was an action-platforming game whose most memorable feature was its awful box art.

8. When Scott relieves himself in one scene to escape social discomfort, a "pee bar" pops up in the corner of the bathroom and drains as Scott drains. The Sims games include various meters to measure your character's wants and needs, with bladder emptying chief among them. However, the general concept of a bar representing any number of things (from health to magic power) in a video game is timeless.

9. Music from The Legend of Zelda games is sprinkled throughout the film. You can hear it during a dream sequence and as background music in the opening scenes.

10. Scott woos Knives and tries to pick up Ramona with the trivia tidbit that Pac-Man was originally called Puck Man, but the name was changed when it was released in America because the ease with which vandals could change an innocent "P" into an offensive "F."

11. Scott and Ramona are able to travel on subspace highways by entering a door that appears to lead to nowhere. While the door to another universe is a common storytelling device now, the earliest reference we could find to it was from H.G. Wells' story 'The Door in the Wall.'

12. Scott Pilgrim's fight scenes owe plenty to the fighting game genre, particularly the Street Fighter series. Various flourishes appear during the movie's boss battles, such as a "vs" image during the start of the fight, a combo counter for when Scott wails endlessly on an evil ex, and "reversal," which indicates a counter attack.

13. Scott dream-travels to a desert world which seems to be a reference to 'Wayne's World 2's' referencing of Oliver Stone's 'The Doors' film.

14. Matthew Patel, the first evil ex Scott must defeat, is Indian. In addition to his Bollywood-style dance moves, Patel has mystical powers, including levitation and the ability to hurl fireballs. In these ways he's similar to Dhalsim -- the yoga enthusiast from the Street Fighter series.

15. Scott beats Matthew Patel with a 64-hit combo, which references the insane combat of the Marvel vs. Capcom series.

16. A booming voice says "KO" when Scott defeats an evil ex, much like nearly every fighting game ever released.

17. Scott's wardrobe is inspired by video games. One sports a design that looks suspiciously similar to Rock Band's bass logo, and another portrays a skull using the classic Space Invaders motif.

18. The signature 'Seinfeld' music plays as Scott enters his apartment to a scene set with a laugh track.

19. The Universal Studios music theme heard at the beginning owes its existence to chiptune music used in early video games.

20. During the fight with Evil Ex Number 2 Lucas Lee, Scott convinces him to show off his skateboarding moves. The subsequent sequence is highly reminiscent of the older Tony Hawk's Pro Skater games, which allowed players to grind down long stretches of rails, effortlessly jumping back and forth between them.

21. Did anyone else notice that Evil Ex Number 3's powers seem an awful lot like the X-Men's Havok?

22. In a twist on the film's formula, Ramona scuffles with her only ex-girlfriend, Roxie Richter, in a "hasbian" vs. lesbian throwdown. Ramona whips out a giant hammer like the one Mario uses in the original Donkey Kong arcade game, while Roxie's weapon is a whip-sword similar to the one Ivy Valentine uses in the fighting game series Soulcalibur.

23. Roxie uses a teleportation power that creates a cloud of smoke very similar to Night Crawler's power.

24. At certain points in the movie, Scott "levels up" -- gaining new power and strength. On-screen text describes which aspects were powered up. This has been a staple of role-playing games since the original Final Fantasy, where characters "leveled up" after acquiring a set amount of experience points from defeating monsters in random battles.

25. Scott gets a 1-up (an extra life) that looks like him, which is standard video game 1-up procedure.

26. The leader of the evil exes, Gideon Gordon Graves, is wearing a t-shirt that transforms the three Gs of his name into three triangles, placed within the three corners of a bigger triangle. It resembles the completed Triforce from "The Legend of Zelda." Each individual Triforce contains a unique power: courage, power, and wisdom. GGG is not humble if he's wearing a t-shirt that has all three combined.

27. Scott teams up with another character during one particularly grueling boss battle. The phrase "2 Player Mode" pops up during this phase of the fight, alluding to the ability for gamers to play cooperatively in certain games. In this case, the term "drop in, drop out co-op" may be more appropriate.

28. Appropriately, the final boss has a massive life bar that drains as he's hurt. Anyone who has played classic action games like Castlevania or Ninja Gaiden should be familiar with this health display. Luckily, he doesn't have multiple, differently colored life bars stacked on top of each other like some bosses from the Devil May Cry games.

29. When Scott and other characters are hit by an attack or are close to death, they pulse red. Link from The Legend of Zelda would prefer his royalty payment in rupees.

30. The concept of a hero fighting his or her doppelganger is old hat for video games. Castlevania heroes have had to do it, as have Link, Samus Aran (Metroid Prime), and Ryu (Ninja Gaiden), to name a few. Scott eventually must face his own evil twin, though the battle ends a bit unexpectedly.

Did you find more video game and pop culture references in 'Scott Pilgrim'? Let us know in the comments.

'I'm Bruce Willis' Music Video Project

Ryan McKee — 2010-07-21T21:46:00+00:00

If you're at all like like us, your summer jam has not been by Eminem or Katy Perry -- it's 'I'm Bruce Willis' by currently little-known Kevin Bewersdorf and Jeep Cherokee. Their mash-up tribute to the tenacious Willis is an impressively intricate music video put together with scenes from at least 22 Bruce Willis films.

The music video is a perfect tribute to the actor; it makes us want to battle evil villains (or at least shadow box). Unfortunately, as movie geeks, we cannot just enjoy the finished product without dissecting it. We want to figure out from which movies the clips originate. So far no other site has posted that information; we want to be the first, but we need your help.

Watch the music video after the jump and then help us identify each clip's movie origin. If you're at all like like us, your summer jam has not been by Eminem or Katy Perry -- it's 'I'm Bruce Willis' by currently little-known Kevin Bewersdorf and Jeep Cherokee. Their mash-up tribute to the tenacious Willis is an impressively intricate music video put together with scenes from at least 22 Bruce Willis films.

The music video is a perfect tribute to the actor; it makes us want to battle evil villains (or at least shadow box). Unfortunately, as movie geeks, we cannot just enjoy the finished product without dissecting it. We want to figure out from which movies the clips originate. So far no other site has posted that information; we want to be the first, but we need your help.

Watch the music video after the jump and then help us identify each clip's movie origin.

Write down the films you recognize and the minute mark where they occur, then put it in comments. We'll update this post as we confirm the information.

Most of the video uses scenes from 'Die Hard.' Footage from 'The Fifth Element' or 'Sin City' is easy to identify. Scenes from 'The Jackal' can prove difficult because Willis' character wears so many different disguises.

We're sure these films are represented:
'Surrogates,' 'Live Free or Die Hard,' '16 Blocks,' 'Sin City,' 'Tears of the Sun,' 'Hart's War,' 'Unbreakable,' 'The Kid,' 'Breakfast of Champions,' 'Pulp Fiction,' 'The Fifth Element,' 'Armageddon,' 'Mercury Rising,' 'Death Becomes Her,' 'The Jackal,' 'Last Man Standing,' 'Die Hard: With a Vengeance,' 'Striking Distance,' 'Hudson Hawk,' 'The Bonfire of the Vanities,' 'Die Hard 2,' 'Die Hard'

We think there are clips from these films, but we're not sure:
'In Country,' 'Twelve Monkeys,' 'The Sixth Sense.'

These are other possibilities, but don't hold us to it:
'Lucky Number Slevin,' 'Perfect Stranger,' 'Hostage,' 'Alpha Dog,' 'The Whole Ten Yards,' 'The Whole Nine Yards,' 'Bandits,' 'Planet Terror,' 'The Siege,' 'Nobody's Fool,' 'Mortal Thoughts.'

Good hunting, people.

The Ultimate 'Twilight' Trivia Quiz: Put Your Obsession to the Test!

Moviefone Staff — 2010-06-21T17:00:00+00:00

Are you the ultimate expert on the 'Twilight' saga? Do you want to quiz your friends before the big premiere of the third installment, 'Eclipse'?

'Twilight' fansite owners and Moviefone's own 'Twilight' expert came together to create the best 'Twilight' test of knowledge to tide over the Twi-hards until the big day.

Print this out and quiz your friends or test your own 'Twilight' knowledge. Are you the ultimate expert on the 'Twilight' saga? Do you want to quiz your friends before the big premiere of the third installment, 'Eclipse'?

'Twilight' fansite owners and Moviefone's own 'Twilight' expert came together to create the best 'Twilight' test of knowledge to tide over the Twi-hards until the big day.

Print this out and quiz your friends, or test your own 'Twilight' knowledge.

When you're finished, click here for a list of the correct answers.

1. Where is Jasper Whitlock from?
A: Texas
B: Oregon
C: Oklahoma

2. Where is Isle Esme located?
A: Off the coast of Rio de Janeiro
B: Nearby Madagascar
C: In the Gulf of Mexico

3. What is Bella's first meal as a vampire?
A: Deer
B: Mountain Lion
C: Bear Cub

4. Who was the first great Quileute Chief spirit warrior?
A: Godric
B: Vuzuella
C: Kaheleha

5. Who did Jared imprint on?
A: Ariel
B: Kim
C: Alice

6. What did Edward want Bella to challenge Emmett to once she became a vampire?
A: An arm-wrestling match
B: A hot dog-eating contest
C: A boxing match

7. Why did Esme Cullen jump off a cliff when she was human?
A: Because she was trying to fly
B: Because her baby died
C: Because her fiancé died

8. What does Edward keep as a "souvenir" from the first time he sits with Bella at the cafeteria?
A: Her Ziplock bag of Cheez-Its
B: The stems of the grapes she was eating
C: The lid of Bella's lemonade bottle

9. Who does Jacob imprint on?
A: Renesmee
B: Edward
C: Bella

10. What is Renesmee's power?
A: She can teleport to any location she wants
B: She tell you what she's thinking by a touch of her hand
C: She can read other people's minds

11. In order of oldest to youngest, who are the oldest Cullens and Hales by human birth year?
A: Carlisle, Jasper, Esme, Edward, Alice, Rosalie, Emmet, Renessme, Bella
B: Alice, Esme, Rosalie, Renessme, Bella, Emmet, Jasper, Edward, Carlisle
C: Esme, Carlisle, Alice, Edward, Rosalie, Jasper, Emmet, Bella, Renesmee

12. What was the name of Rosalie's friend, whom she envied and who had a boy with brown curls?
A: Simone
B: Vera
C: Jessica

13. Why doesn't Alice have any memory of being human?
A: She was turned when she was too young to remember
B: She used to be blind as a human and so when she turned she had no visual memories
C: She was kept in the dark all the time in an asylum

14. How many men did Rosalie say she killed while getting her revenge?
A: 7 -- Royce, his 4 friends and 2 of his guards
B: 6 -- Royce, his 3 friends and 3 of his guards
C: 8 -- Royce, his 4 friends, 1 guard and Royce's brother

15. What college are Bella and Edward enrolled at and tell Bella's parents they are attending?
A: Yale
B: Dartmouth
C: University of Washington

16. What color were Edward's human eyes?
A: Blue
B: Green
C: Brown

17. In 'Twilight,' how many takes were necessary to get the apple-kicked-up-into-hands trick done (with Bella in the cafeteria)?
A: Success on take 13
B: Success on take 2
C: Success on take 8

18. In 'Twilight,' what did Edward say about the thoughts of the people in the Port Angeles restaurant, in the correct order he said them?
A: "Money, money, sex, sex .... watering her plants."
B: "Money, sex, money, sex ... cat."
C: "Sex, sex, sex, sex ... money."

19. In 'New Moon,' where is Edward when he mistakenly thinks Bella is dead?
A: Brazil
B: Peru
C: Kenya

20. The Cullens all wear jewelry with the Cullen crest. Edward and his brothers have leather cuffs -- what about the rest of his family?
A: Carlisle - necklace; Esme - necklace; Alice and Rosalie - rings
B: Carlisle - bracelet; Esme - anklet; Alice and Rosalie - necklaces
C: Carlisle - ring; Esme - bracelet; Alice and Rosalie - necklaces

21. True or False: Bella is a vegetarian in both the books and the movies.

22. Jessica Stanley in the movies is a combination of two characters in the books. Which characters are they?
A: Jessica Stanley and Lauren Mallory
B: Lauren Mallory and Alice Cullen
C: Jessica Stanley and Rosalie Hale

23. In 'Twilight,' who is singing the vocals on the soundtrack during the scene in which Edward enters the cafeteria?
A: Nate Stewart, Kristen's brother
B: Lizzie Pattinson, Rob's sister
C: Jamie Pattinson, Rob's mother

24. In 'New Moon,' which holidays do we see take place outside Bella's window, during the scene in which she is sitting and staring at nothing after Edward left?
A: Rosh Hashanah: Charlie setting the table; Hannukah: Charlie lighting the menorah
B: Mother's Day: Bella sends her mother a card; Fourth of July: fireworks outside the window
C: Halloween: kids trick-or-treating; Christmas: Charlie dragging in a tree

25. In 'New Moon,' when Bella is looking for the meadow, what special item is clipped to her backpack?
A: A small patch of a train
B: A golden compass
C: A butterfly hairpin

26. In 'Twilight,' what did Jacob say he and Bella used to do when they were kids?
A: Make mud pies
B: Take baths
C: Run in the meadow

27. In 'Twilight,' how did Billy Black get Jacob to go to the prom and ask Bella to break up with her boyfriend?
A: He dared him
B: He threatened him
C: He paid him $20

28. True or False: All the actors who play Quileutes are of Native American ancestry.

29. In 'New Moon,' what was the original color of Jacob's house, before the set people painted it red to stay true to the book?
A: White
B: Green
C: Pink

30. In 'New Moon,' what is the name of the movie that Jacob, Bella, and Mike Newton see on their triple date?
A: 'Sock Puppets'
B: 'Moon Landing'
C: 'Face Punch'

Got any trivia questions of your own? Submit them in the comments and stump your fellow 'Twilight' fans. Click here for the answers.

Questions submitted by Kallie Mathews from TwilightSeriesTheories.com, Lori Joffs and Laura Byrne-Cristiano from The Twilight Lexicon, Leandra, A.A.C. and Karen from TwilightGuide.com, Natasha, Courtney Cullen/Black, Lozzer1908, LittleFlowerKusa, Barbara, EmmaSugar, ScienceGeek91 and Bambi from EclipseMovie.org and Moviefone's Myriam Gabriel-Pollock.

The Ultimate Pixar Quiz: How Well Do You Know Your Pixar Trivia?

Eric Larnick — 2010-06-17T18:40:00+00:00

This weekend sees the release of one of the most anticipated movies in years -- 'Toy Story 3.' The brilliant storytellers at Pixar bring us one more visit with Buzz, Woody, and the rest of the gang, capping off an era of beloved characters and imaginative ideas. From bugs to robots to race cars to monsters, the films of Pixar have captivated audiences for fifteen years. How much of an impact has Pixar had on you? Take our quiz to find out.

http://xml.channel.aol.com/xmlpublisher/fetch.v2.xml?id=896361

http://cdn.channel.aol.com/multipliers/quiz_1_1/quiz.swf

Think You're a True Pixar Geek?

Lightning McQueen finds himself stranded in what run-down town off of Route 66?

The Axiom
Clutchville
Muffler Point
Radiator Springs

Nemo is captured to become the pet for which brace-faced little girl?

Darla
Dory
Elmira
Esther

In 'A Bug's Life' what kind of insect is the rotund Heimlich?

Caterpillar
Grasshopper
Ladybug
Slug

Mike, Sulley, and the rest of the monsters from 'Monsters, Inc.' reside in what city?

Bootopia
Monstropolis
San Shriek-sisco
Spook Central

In 'Toy Story 2,' Woody gets kidnapped by Al of Al's Toy Barn, trying to rescue what broken toy?

Amnesia-suffering Buzz Lightyear
Bullseye the Horse
Dug the Talking Dog
Wheezy the Penguin

WALL-E's only companion on Earth, before he meets EVE is what insect?

Francis the Ladybug
Hal the Cockroach
Hopper the Grasshopper
Slim the stick-bug

In 'Up,' Russell gives this tall, exotic bird what name?

Andy
Doug
Kevin
Tommy

Remy the Rat's cooking abilities are aided by what special skill?

Enormous belly
Fine chopping talents
Keen sense of smell and taste
Short-term memory loss

The Incredibles' former no. 1 fan becomes this arch-nemesis --

Bomb Voyage
Gazerbeam
Gravitina
Syndrome

Once he returns to school, Nemo's new classmate is this young turtle --

Bubbles
Flik
Squirt
Sulley

In the world of 'WALL-E,' the government is taken over by what massive corporation?

Buy n Large
Dinoco
Dreamworks Animation
Pizza Planet

Lightning McQueen competes in which car-racing championship?

The Mater-National
The Piston Cup
The Pizza Planet 500
P.T. Flea Grand Prix

Remy the Rat's human friend Linguine is revealed to be the son of which former head chef?

Anton Ego
Auguste Gusteau
Buzzé Lightyey
Marcel Marceacu

Who is Buzz Lightyear's mortal enemy?

Charles F. Muntz
Commander Nebula
Emperor Zurg
Senator Hammerhold

WALL-E stands for:

Walking Animated Lifeform Longing for EVE
Walking Automaton Lifting Litter off Earth
Wandering Android Living Lonely on Earth
Waste Allocation Load Lifter-Earth-class

Which long-time Pixar director provided the voice of super-hero fashion designer Edna Mode in 'The Incredibles'?

Andrew Stanton
Brad Bird
John Lasseter
Pete Docter

What character first appeared as a stuffed animal in Boo's room in 'Monsters, Inc.'?

Dug the Talking Dog from 'Up'
EVE the robot
Jack-Jack, the Baby from 'The Incredibles'
Nemo

Randy Newman won his only Oscar for writing the song to which movie?

Get showtimes and tickets for 'Toy Story 3.'
Read the 'Toy Story 3' Family Film Guide.
Watch the 'Toy Story 3' Trailer.

Random Oscars Trivia, From Dual Ryan Binghams to One-Name Winners

Jane Murphy — 2010-03-05T14:10:00+00:00

You may think you know all the big stories of this year's Oscars: 'Avatar' vs. 'Hurt Locker,' Sandra Bullock vs. Meryl Streep, potential wins for veterans (Jeff Bridges) and first-timers (Mo'nique) alike.

But there's plenty we dug up about the 2010 nominees (aside from what they did before they were famous) that's intriguing, funny or just plain weird. So although hosts Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin promise to keep the ceremony humming, should there be a lull in the proceedings, feel free to amuse yourself by pondering some of the random trivia we've unearthed here. You may think you know all the big stories of this year's Oscars: 'Avatar' vs. 'Hurt Locker,' Sandra Bullock vs. Meryl Streep, potential wins for veterans (Jeff Bridges) and first-timers (Mo'nique) alike.

But there's plenty we dug up about the 2010 nominees (aside from what they did before they were famous) that's intriguing, funny or just plain weird. So although hosts Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin promise to keep the ceremony humming, should there be a lull in the proceedings, feel free to amuse yourself by pondering some of the random trivia we've unearthed here.

Meryl Streep: From 'Julia' to 'Julie & Julia'
Meryl Streep earned her 16th nomination as chef extraordinaire Julia Child in 'Julie & Julia,' but it's not her first trip down Julia Lane. The actress made her film debut 33 years ago in the 1977 film 'Julia,' which was also about an unusual kinship between two women. Streep didn't play the title role in that film, but she was memorable as the grating socialite Anne Marie. The actress who did play Julia in 'Julia' was Vanessa Redgrave -- and she received a Supporting Actress Oscar for the role.

Gyllenhaals Are Latest in Long Line of Brother-Sister Nominees
With her surprise nomination for 'Crazy Heart,' Maggie Gyllenhaal adds another honor to the family mantel -- her brother Jake was a 2006 Supporting Actor nominee for 'Brokeback Mountain.' The Gyllenhaals are not the only brother-sister act in Academy history. Peter Fonda has pocketed one nomination each in acting and writing, while his sister Jane has two Best Actress triumphs. Lionel and Ethel Barrymore (Drew's great-uncle and great-aunt) were both Oscar winners. Francis Ford Coppola earned the Best Director award for 'The Godfather, Part II' in 1974, while Coppola's sister Talia Shire was honored with a Best Supporting nomination for her appearance in that same film as Connie Corleone.

Christopher Plummer Tries to Win One for the Octogenarians
Though Oscar is itself an octogenarian (this year will mark the 82nd ceremony) very few 80-somethings have taken home acting honors: George Burns ('The Sunshine Boys') was 80 when he won; Jessica Tandy ('Driving Miss Daisy') clocked in at 82. If Christopher Plummer -- born in 1929 -- upsets Christoph Waltz ('Inglourious Basterds' ) for Supporting Actor, the 'Last Station' star -- and first-time nominee -- will be only the third 80-plus winner in Oscars history. Henry Fonda and Katharine Hepburn ('On Golden Pond'), Ruth Gordon ('Rosemary's Baby') and Sir John Giegud ('Arthur') were all in their 70s when they received their late-in-life statuettes (for Hepburn, the 1981 Best Actress award was the last of her record four wins).

Penelope Cruz Goes for a Rare Two-Peat
Penelope Cruz of 'Nine' has a chance to become just the second actor to win back-to-back Best Supporting Oscars (she was honored last year for Woody Allen's 'Vicky Christina Barcelona'). When Cruz was a toddler, Jason Robards won consecutive Supporting Actor awards for playing real-life wordsmiths: In the Watergate drama 'All the President's Men' (1976), Robards played Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee; and in 'Julia' (1977), he was the crime writer Dashiell Hammett.

The Curious Case of Two Ryan Binghams
Co-nominated for Best Song, for the 'Crazy Heart' theme song 'The Weary Kind,' is singer-composer Ryan Bingham, who also appears in the film with his band the Dead Horses. In the Best Actor category, George Clooney is nominated for 'Up in the Air,' playing a character named ... Ryan Bingham.

'80s Stars Come Full ('Short') Circuit
Fisher Stevens, best known for playing nerdy Ben in the '80s movie 'Short Circuit,' has recently turned his attention to producing and is up for an Oscar for 'The Cove' in the Best Documentary category. Meanwhile, 'Precious' also has an unexpected connection to an '80s movie actor. According to the Hollywood Reporter, director Lee Daniels was introduced to the work of Sapphire (whose novel 'Push' is the basis for 'Precious') by literary agent Charlotte Sheedy -- the mom of Ally Sheedy, Stevens's co-star in 'Short Circuit.'

In Morgan Freeman's World, the President Trumps God
Hollywood likes to cast Morgan Freeman in take-charge roles. But turns as a Brigadier General ('Outbreak'), the President of the United States ('Deep Impact'), and God ('Bruce Almighty' and 'Evan Almighty') failed to collect enough votes from the Academy. Freeman finally got his fifth nomination this year playing South African President Nelson Mandela in 'Invictus.'

Who Needs Two Names to Get an Oscar? Not Cher ... or Mo'Nique?
Mo'Nique is the overwhelming favorite for Best Supporting Actress for her turn in 'Precious,' and a win would make her only the second actor sporting a single name to receive an Oscar. Cher was the first one-name wonder among thespians, for her performance in 'Moonstruck' (1987). In other Oscar categories, costume designer Jean Louis (last name: Berthault) picked up a statue for his work on 'Solid Gold Cadillac'; Prince and Eminem have won for the music for 'Purple Rain' and '8 Mile' (respectively). Topol received his one and only nomination in 1971 for playing Tevye in 'Fiddler on the Roof.' Incidentally, Madonna is still looking for that elusive first nomination in either acting or songwriting; Sting has been nominated three times in the Best Song category, and Bono just once.

Celebrity Quiz: Dead or Alive in 2009?

Moviefone Staff — 2009-12-29T11:00:00+00:00

With the untimely deaths of so many young, bright stars in recent years, you may have overlooked the passing (or not) of a Hollywood legend or two. Take our quiz to see if you're on top of the latest dearly departed. You'll be surprised to see which have actually kicked the bucket, and which are just hiding away.

Hope You've Been Studying Your Celeb Obits ...

Is Elizabeth Taylor ...

Dead
Alive

Is James Garner ...

Dead
Alive

Is Gene Wilder ...

Dead
Alive

Is David Carradine ...

Dead
Alive

Is Peter Falk ...

Dead
Alive

Is Karl Malden ...

Dead
Alive

Is Martin Landau ...

Dead
Alive

Is Dom DeLuise ...

Dead
Alive

Is Lauren Bacall ...

Dead
Alive

Is Pat Hingle ...

Dead
Alive

Is Peter O'Toole ...

Dead
Alive

Is Bea Arthur ...

Dead
Alive

Is Sidney Poitier ...

Dead
Alive

Is Kirk Douglas ...

Dead
Alive

Is Ricardo Montalbán ...

Dead
Alive

Is Albert Finney ...

Dead
Alive

Is Roger Moore ...

Dead
Alive

Is Mickey Rooney ...

Dead
Alive

Is Abe Vigoda ...

Dead
Alive

Is Lena Horne ...

Dead
Alive

Is Glenda Jackson ...

Dead
Alive

Is Ruby Dee ...

Dead
Alive

Is Julie Harris ...

Dead
Alive

Is George Carlin ...

Dead
Alive

Is Polly Bergen ...

Dead
Alive

Which 'Twilight' Character Are You?

Betsey Denberg — 2009-11-13T18:40:00+00:00

We know the allegiances Twi-hards are firmly divided between Team Edward and Team Jacob ... but which character are you most like? Take our personality quiz to find out your TwI-D. And no, you can't all be Bella. We know the allegiances Twi-hards are firmly divided between Team Edward and Team Jacob ... but which character are you most like? Take our personality quiz to find out your TwI-D. And no, you can't all be Bella.

Talking-Animal Movie Quiz

Moviefone Staff — 2009-07-24T06:00:00+00:00

The new release 'G-Force' joins a fine tradition in filmmaking: the talking animal. From Frances the talking mule to the surprise summer '08 hit 'Beverly Hills Chihuahua,' Hollywood's discovered that kids (and their families) can usually be charmed by a dog, cat, pig, or other cuddly creature that can rattle off a funny line or sweet sentiment. Awww. Take our talking-animals quiz to test your conversational-creatures expertise.

How well do you know these gabbing creatures?

Which one of these animals was NOT voiced by an Oscar-nominated actor?

Aslan ('Chronicles of Narnia')
Charlotte ('Charlotte's Web')
Garfield ('Garfield: The Movie')
Stuart Little ('Stuart Little')

2. Alvin (of 'the Chipmunks') was voiced by which popular comedic actor in the 2007 movie version?

Justin Bartha
Michael Cera
Jonah Hill
Justin Long

Which talking animal movie featured Oprah Winfrey in a rare film appearance?

'Cats and Dogs'
'Charlotte's Web'
'Doctor Dolittle'
'Good Boy!'

Which budding young star was the zebra-jockey rebel in 'Racing Stripes'?

Kristen Bell
Hayden Panettiere
Kristen Stewart
Emma Stone

Which Latino star has not voiced a talking animal?

Antonio Banderas
Penelope Cruz
Salma Hayek
George Lopez

Which 'Lord of the Rings' star is the voice of the bear Iorek Byrnison in 'The Golden Compass'?

Christopher Lee
Ian McKellen
John Rhys-Davies
Hugo Weaving

Which 'Lord of the Rings' star is the voice of Rex the sheepdog in 'Babe'?

Christopher Lee
Ian McKellen
John Rhys-Davies
Hugo Weaving

Tim Allen's 2006 'The Shaggy Dog' was a remake of a film starring which actor?

Don Knotts
Dean Jones
Fred MacMurray
Kurt Russell

'Paulie' the gregarious parrot helps which cutie get rid of her stutter?

Hilary Duff
Anne Hathaway
Hallie Kate Eisenberg
Lindsay Lohan

Which talking animal movie grossed more than $200 million at the U.S. box office?

'Alvin and the Chipmunks'
'Babe'
'Beverly Hills Chihuahua'
'Doctor Dolittle'

FRIEND US ON FACEBOOK

Which 'Harry Potter' Character Are You?

Moviefone Staff — 2009-07-14T12:00:00+00:00

After seven 'Harry Potter' novels and five flicks with the Hogwarts gang, we bet you have a favorite character, or one you identify with most. Is it Potter pal Ron Weasley? Harry's pseudo-dad, Dumbledore? Or maybe the boy wizard himself? Take our Potter personality quiz and find out which 'Potter' character you're most like. After seven 'Harry Potter' novels and five flicks with the Hogwarts gang, we bet you have a favorite character, or one you identify with most. Is it Potter pal Ron Weasley? Harry's pseudo-dad, Dumbledore? Or maybe the boy wizard himself? Take our Potter personality quiz and find out which 'Potter' character you're most like. -- By Kimberly Potts

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER

FRIEND US ON FACEBOOK

Star Trek Movies Quiz

Moviefone Staff — 2009-05-05T06:00:00+00:00

What is Captain/Admiral James T. Kirk's middle name?

"Live long and prosper," a logical, pointy-eared Vulcan once said. After five different 'Star Trek' series, 10 feature films and a new prequel directed by J.J. Abrams beaming into theaters -- live long and profit is more like it.

Test your Trekker knowledge of Captain James T. Kirk, Mr. Spock, Captain Picard and Enterprise crews past and present with our 'Star'-studded quiz.

'STAR TREK' QUIZ

Test your Trekkie status with our quiz!

Disney Stars Quiz

Moviefone Staff — 2009-04-10T06:00:00+00:00

In which Tim Burton movie did Miley Cyrus have a small role?

Disney's long been known for its family-friendly fare. Multiple Oscar winner Jodie Foster got her start as a cute kid in Disney classics, as did Lindsay Lohan.

OK, so having a few Disney hits in your back pocket doesn't guarantee long-term success, but the odds seem pretty good (usually). Test your smarts on Disney stars of the past and present -- click through and take our quiz.

DISNEY STARS QUIZ

You can dream it

Which one of these celebs did NOT co-star with Justin Timberlake on 'The New Mickey Mouse Club'?

Christina Aguilera
Nick Carter
Ryan Gosling
Britney Spears

Which star of a popular J.J. Abrams TV show got her start on 'The Mickey Mouse Club'?

Jennifer Garner
Evangeline Lilly
Keri Russell
Tiffani Thiessen

Which Cheetah Girl left the group due to

Disaster Movies Quiz

Moviefone Staff — 2009-03-16T06:00:00+00:00

"Which '70s disaster movie won three Academy Awards?"

It's not often you witness a real-life disaster (thank goodness!), but on the big screen, destruction is often right around the corner, like in Nicolas Cage's upcoming action movie thriller, 'Knowing' (opens March 20). Look out! An asteroid's heading for earth! ... or the dormant volcano's gone active! ... or a deadly virus is spreading! ... or, hell, all of the above (why has no one made THAT flick?).

Take our quiz to test your skills on that most exciting of film genres, the disaster movie.

DISASTER MOVIES QUIZ

It's the End of the World ... Movie Quiz

In which film is New York City NOT severely or completely destroyed?

Armageddon
Cloverfield
Deep Impact
None of the Above

In 'Titanic,' what did Rose (Kate Winslet) use to signal the rescue boats?

Candle
Signal flares
Her voice
Whistle

Which 1997 volcano movie featured a city official named Michael Roark and a geologist by the name of Amy Barnes?

Dante's Peak
Volcano

Which disaster movie spawned Aerosmith's biggest hit to date?

Armageddon
Deep Rising
Independence Day
Poseidon

Which movie was based on a true story?

Earthquake
Outbreak
The Perfect Storm
The Towering Inferno

Which '70s disaster movie won three Academy Awards?

Airport '77
The Hindenberg
The Poseidon Adventure
The Towering Inferno

Which of these airborne-disaster flicks stars Sean Connery?

Asteroid
Deep Impact
Meteor
Panic in the Skies

The White House is obliterated in...

Armageddon
A Boy and His Dog
The Day After Tomorrow
Independence Day

The virus in which of these movies does NOT turn you into a brain-eating zombie?

Omega Man
Outbreak
28 Days Later
28 Weeks Later

A Baltimore football stadium is blown up in ...

Black Sunday
The Day the Earth Stood Still
Independence Day
The Sum of All Fears

In what tornado-threatened town does Dr. Jo Harding (Helen Hunt)'s aunt live in 'Twister'?

Amorita
Topeka
Wakita
Wichita

In which disaster movie does Ernest Borgnine NOT star?

Fire!
The Neptune Factor
The Poseidon Adventure
The Towering Inferno

Will Smith's 'I Am Legend' is a remake of what classic Charlton Heston project?

Number One
Omega Man
Planet of the Apes
Soylent Green

Which disaster movie was the only to gross more than $200 million at the domestic box office?

Armageddon
Day After Tomorrow
Deep Impact
The Perfect Storm

Which disaster movie was the only to gross less than $50 million at the domestic box office?

The Core
Dante's Peak
Outbreak
Poseidon

Pop Stars Turned Actors Quiz

Moviefone Staff — 2009-01-28T18:20:00+00:00

"What was Harry Connick Jr.'s first movie?"

For every actor with rock star dreams (we're talking to you, Billy Bob Thornton), there are a dozen pop stars who want to try their hand at acting. J. Lo and Harry Connick Jr. are two with some movie successes under their belts ... and Jessica Simpson? Well, she's trying.

Take our quiz on 18 musicians turned thespians, and see if you can add "pop culture expert" to your own bag of tricks.

POP STAR QUIZ

Pop Stars Turned Actors

True or False: 'Selena' was J. Lo's first movie role.

True
False

True or False: Janet Jackson has been nominated for an Oscar.

True
False

How many big-screen releases has Beyoncé been in?

Which was the name of Jessica Simpson's 2007 box office dud?

'Blonde Ambition'
'Blonde and Blonder'
'Blonde Girl's Bluff'
'Flying Blonde'

Which profession did Justin Timberlake have in his first movie role?

Makeup Artist
Prince
Reporter
Valet

How many Golden Globes has Madonna been nominated for?

Which award-winning actress has Mark Wahlberg NOT acted with?

Diane Lane
Julianne Moore
Hilary Swank
Reese Witherspoon

Which animal did Mandy Moore voice in 'Dr. Dolittle 2'?

Bear
Chipmunk
Deer
Raccoon

Which teen thriller marked Usher's big-screen debut?

'The Faculty'
'I Know What You Did Last Summer'
'Scream 2'
'Teaching Mrs. Tingle'

Tim McGraw's first acting role was in a movie written and directed by which former child star?

Macaulay Culkin
Jodie Foster
Fred Savage
Ricky Schroder

Jack White plays which music legend in 'Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story'?

Johnny Cash
Jerry Lee Lewis
Elvis Presley
Hank Williams

Which A-list actor does NOT appear in Norah Jones' acting debut?

Matt Damon
Jude Law
Natalie Portman
Rachel Weisz

True or False: 'Be Cool' was Andre 3000's first big-screen role.

True
False

In which raunchy teen comedy does Christina Milian appear?

'American Pie'
'Dude, Where's My Car?'
'Harold & Kumar Go to the White Castle'
'Not Another Teen Movie'

Which is JoJo's real first name?

Joan
Joanna
Joanne
Gertrude

Big Boi has starred in a movie with which other rapper, besides Andre 3000?

DMX
LL Cool J
Ludacris
TI

Which former pop star appears in Aaron Carter's first starring vehicle, 'Popstar'?

Bobby Brown
David Cassidy
Donny Osmond
Donnie Wahlberg

The Ultimate James Bond Quiz

Moviefone Staff — 2008-10-27T06:00:00+00:00

What was the name of the first James Bond movie?

Bond, James Bond. Shaken, not stirred. Fast women, faster cars, and cool gadgets. Lots of people with letters and numbers for names.

Connery, Craig and a mess of other guys who looked good in suits. That's all there is to know about 007, right? Uh, no.

Take this quiz and test your intelligence gathering about the dapper secret agent who never grows old and never, ever dies.

JAMES BOND QUIZ

Test Your Spy Smarts

Which of these musicians did NOT record a Bond theme song?

a-ha
Sheryl Crow
Lulu
Amy Winehouse

What was the name of the first James Bond movie?

Dr. No
From Russia With Love
Goldfinger
Thunderball

Which one of these Oscar winners was a Bond villain?

Robert De Niro
Jack Nicholson
Jason Robards
Christopher Walken

Besides writing the Bond books, author Ian Fleming was ...

An accountant for the Royal British Bank
An assassin for the British Armed Forces during WWII
A commander of Naval intelligence during WWII
A Fleet Street stockbroker

What's the name of the secret service that employs Bond?

Which actor played the role of James Bond in 1967's 'Casino Royale'?

Roger Moore
David Niven
Peter Sellers
Terence Stamp

Bond's martinis are made with which brand of vodka?

Absolut
Boru Irish
Grey Goose
Smirnoff

Which of these actors was considered to play Bond?

James Brolin
John Gavin
Cary Grant
All of the above.

The Bond series can take credit for inspiring the film industry to institute...

Child labor laws
The

All About Brad Pitt Quiz

Moviefone Staff — 2008-09-11T18:00:00+00:00

What was Brad's high school nickname?

Actor, doting dad, architecture enthusiast, friend of George (Clooney) and one-half of the phenomenon that is Brangelina, Brad Pitt defines the term "superstar."

If you think you know all there is to know about one of the most charismatic movie stars working, then you've got another thing comin'.

Take the quiz and see how you rate Brad-wise.

BRAD PITT QUIZ

All About Brad Pitt Quiz

Pitt is the father of how many kids with partner Angelina Jolie?

In 'Across the Tracks,' Pitt was a high school track star with a bad-boy brother played by which once famous child actor?

Danny Bonaduce
Corey Feldman
Ron Howard
Ricky Schroder

What breakout movie role won Brad enduring fame as an iconic sex symbol?

Legends of the Fall
Kalifornia
A River Runs Through It
Thelma and Louise

For which movie did Brad earn his only Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination?

12 Monkeys
Fight Club
Ocean's Eleven
Snatch

During the filming of Troy Brad suffered an injury to what?

Achilles tendon
Left shoulder
Neck
Right quadricep

Brad dated which woman who'd go on to marry a professional athlete?

Victoria Beckham
Robin Givens
Angie Harmon
Holly Robinson Peete

Gastronomically speaking, Pitt is a ...

Fruitarian
Unapologetic carnivore
Vegan
Vegetarian

In which African country did Angelina Jolie give birth to her and Pitt's first baby, Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt?

Cambodia
Kenya
Namibia
South Africa

What is Brad wearing on the cover of the December 2006 issue of Vanity Fair?

Formal evening wear
A loin cloth
Nothing -- he's nude but with a snake covering up his nether regions
White boxers

While a struggling actor in L.A., Brad worked various odd jobs, including which of these?

An exotic male dancer
A giant chicken at El Pollo Loco
A tour guide at Universal Studios
A used-car salesman

Brad and a co-star shared a Razzie Award for worst screen couple for which movie?

The Devil's Own
Interview With the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles
The Mexican
Meet Joe Black

When was the movie featuring Brad's first starring role released?

1987
1988
1996
1997

In order to prepare for his role in 'A River Runs Through It,' Brad practiced fly-casting in what locale?

The beach at Malibu
Big Bear Lake
The rooftops of tall buildings in Hollywood
The Russian River in northern Calif.

Brad turned down a role in which Ron Howard-directed film?

Apollo 13
Backdraft
A Beautiful Mind
Ransom

For which special-effects-laden movie was Brad considered?

Aeon Flux
The Fifth Element
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace
The Matrix

What was Brad's high school nickname?

Brad the

Hollywood Breakups Quiz

Moviefone Staff — 2008-08-11T17:00:00+00:00

Which pics of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie led Jennifer Aniston to say: "There's a sensitivity chip that's missing"?

Breaking up is hard to do. But it's even harder when you have to do it under the glare of the paparazzi flash.

For some of filmdom's biggest stars, a nasty split can quickly turn into pure public melodrama.

Test your knowledge of the famous relationships that have sizzled-then-fizzled, with our comprehensive quiz on Hollywood's biggest break-ups.

HOLLYWOOD BREAKUPS QUIZ

Hollywood Breakups

What did Nicole Kidman say she had to look forward to after her split from Tom Cruise?

Pregnant Celebrities Quiz

Moviefone Staff — 2008-08-01T16:40:00+00:00

Garner ... Aniston ... Witherspoon ... Which of these stars is expecting?

You can't read a celeb gossip site without seeing new "is that a baby bump?" speculation every day, it seems.

Usually,the answer is no, with someone refuting the story and claiming thebelly pooch is just some bloating or a little weight gain (as if!).

See if you've been able to keep track of fact and fiction of the Hollywood baby boom by taking our celebrity pregnancy test.

CELEB PREGNANCY TEST

Baby Bump

Is Uma Thurman ...

Pregnant
Not

Is Jennifer Garner ...

Pregnant
Not

Is Katherine Heigl ...

Pregnant
Not

Is Demi Moore ...

Pregnant
Not

Is Sandra Bullock ...

Pregnant
Not

Is Naomi Watts ...

Pregnant
Not

Is Gwyneth Paltrow ...

Pregnant
Not

Is Jennifer Aniston ...

Pregnant
Not

Is Minnie Driver ...

Pregnant
Not

Is Katie Holmes ...

Pregnant
Not

Is Chloe Sevigny ...

Pregnant
Not

Is Milla Jovovich ...

Pregnant
Not

Is Rebecca Romijn ...

Pregnant
Not

Is Isla Fisher ...

Pregnant
Not

Is Drew Barrymore ...

Pregnant
Not

Is Jessica Simpson ...

Pregnant
Not

Is Salma Hayek ...

Pregnant
Not

Is Reese Witherspoon ...

Pregnant
Not

Is Paris Hilton ...

Pregnant
Not

Is Sienna Miller ...

Pregnant
Not

Is Kate Hudson ...

Pregnant
Not

Batman Quiz

Moviefone Staff — 2008-07-14T06:04:00+00:00

Which 'Charlie's Angels' actress had a blink-and-you'll-miss-her role in a Batman movie?

Holy sequels, 'Bat' fan -- you probably know that 'The Dark Knight' is the sixth in the 'Batman' franchise.

And you know it stars Christian Bale and Heath Ledger (in his last completed role).

But how well do you really know the Bat? Take our quiz and test your 'Bat' flick facts.

BATMAN QUIZ

Test your knowledge of the caped crusader

In the original 'Batman' movie, which actor was first in line for the role, ultimately played by Jack Nicholson?

Nicolas Cage
Gary Coleman
Tim Curry
Gary Oldman

'Batman' was a box-office heavyweight in 1989, but how much did the actual costume weigh?

30 lbs
70 lbs
120 lbs
3.5 tons

Who was offered the 'Batman' director's chair before Tim Burton got the gig?

Burt Ward
Joel and Ethan Coen
Andy and Larry Wachowski
Adam West

How many cat suits did Catwoman (Michelle Pfeiffer) need, at a $1,000 a pop, to film 'Batman Returns'?

Which 'Batman Returns' costar was so freaked out by Danny DeVito's Penguin makeup that he had a hard time completing a scene?

Paul Reubens
Vincent Schiavelli
Trained Monkey
Christopher Walken

Which bat movie grossed the most?

'Batman'
'Batman Returns'
'Batman & Robin'
'Batman Begins'

Which director DID NOT helm a Batman movie?

Darren Aronofsky
Tim Burton
Christopher Nolan
Joel Schumacher

Pat Hingle played Commissioner Gordon in four bat flicks -- which other actor also appeared in four?

Michael Caine
Michael Gough
Michael Keaton
Michael Murphy

What unexpected problem befell the $2 million Batmobile on the 'Batman Begins' set in Chicago?

Batmobile was crashed into by a drunk driver
Christian Bale blew out the engine going 5 mph
Deep-dish pizza sauce wrecked the paint job
Stunt driver had a fender bender with a VW

Which 'Charlie's Angels' actress had a blink-and-you'll-miss-her role in a Batman movie?

Drew Barrymore
Cameron Diaz
Lucy Liu
Demi Moore

Which of these tactics did Sean Young employ when seeking to land the role of Catwoman in 'Batman Returns'?

Showed up uninvited to a pre-production meeting in a Catwoman costume
racked producers with a surveillance team armed with walkie-talkies
Confronted director Tim Burton and star Michael Keaton on the set
All of the above

Where was Val Kilmer when he learned he'd been cast in the lead of 'Batman Forever'?

Attending Batfest in Austin, Tex.
At an L.A. batting cage
In a bat cave in Africa
In the waiting room BEFORE his audition

How was the butler role re-imagined in an early script for 'Batman Begins'?

Alfred was an African-American mechanic named "Big Al"
The butler was a transvestite played by 'Rocky Horror' star Tim Curry
Alfred's role would be filled by a series of wacky "Temps"
Alfred was Batman's imaginary friend, to be played by the same actor

Which of these stars WAS NOT up for the lead role that eventually went to Christian Bale in 'Batman Begins'?

Billy Crudup
Jake Gyllenhaal
Matthew McConaughey
Cillian Murphy

What vocal trick did Christian Bale employ while doing press interviews to promote Batman Begins?

Whispered to draw in reporters
Threw his voice
Did ventriloquism with a Bat dummy
Spoke with a foreign accent

What other comic book character was Christian Bale up for prior to donning the batcape and cowl?

The Hulk
Ironman
Robin
Spiderman

Pixar Movies Quiz

Moviefone Staff — 2008-06-26T12:58:00+00:00

What kind of fish was Dory (Ellen DeGeneres) in 'Finding Nemo'?

The animation giant Pixar has already established a great cinematic history.

From their very first full-length offering, 'Toy Story,' audiences have flocked to their entrancing films, and adults love the movies as much (sometimes more!) than their children.

But there is much more to these flicks than meets the eye. Test your knowledge of Pixar lore both on- and off-screen by taking our exclusive quiz.

PIXAR QUIZ

Are you a Pixar pro?

What is 'Ratatouille'?

The French word for

Superhero Movie Quiz

Moviefone Staff — 2008-06-24T09:06:00+00:00

Which superhero star claimed he had never read the comics about his character?

Everyone's favorite season has finally arrived: superhero-movie summer.

With 'Iron Man' and 'The Incredible Hulk' already raking in tons of green and the releases of 'Hancock,' 'Hellboy II' and 'The Dark Knight' approaching, it is time to prove your allegiance to America's favorite crime fighters.

Take our quiz to show that you have the supersmarts to join the ranks of these iconic heroes.

SUPERHERO MOVIE QUIZ

Are You Supersmart?

Which superhero star claimed he had never read the comics about his character?

Ben Affleck
George Clooney
Michael Keaton
Tobey Maguire

True or false: Marlon Brando was paid $2 mil for his part in 'Superman'

True
False

Which of these actors was not on the short list to play Batman in 'Batman Begins'?

James Franco
Jake Gyllenhaal
Joshua Jackson
Cillian Murphy

What is Supergirl's alter ego named?

Lana Lang
Linda Lee
Lizzy Lowe
Lucy Luce

Which of these actors wasn't considered for Wolverine in 'X-Men'?

Aaron Eckhart
Viggo Mortenson
Clive Owen
Dougray Scott

Which superhero did Bryan Singer have appear on the 'X-Men' set as a joke?

Captain America
Spider-Man
Superman
Wonder Woman

Which actress was originally cast as Vicki Vale in 'Batman'?

Daryl Hannah
Michelle Pfeiffer
Susan Sarandon
Sean Young

Which movie did Guillermo del Toro turn down in order to direct 'Hellboy'?

Blade: Trinity
Dawn of the Dead
Exorcist: The Beginning
Man on Fire

Which actress reportedly turned down the role of Storm in 'X-Men'?

Angela Bassett
Gena Torres
Gabrielle Union
Alfre Woodard

Which composer's music is playing as Nightcrawler attacks the White House in 'X2'?

Bach
Beethoven
Mozart
Wagner

Actors' Real Names Quiz

Moviefone Staff — 2008-06-16T16:25:00+00:00

What is Natalie Portman's real name?

You know the old saying "there's a lot in a name"?

Hollywood's biggest stars seem to be pretty familiar with it. The likes of Jamie Foxx, Tom Cruise and Natalie Portman were so unhappy with their birth monikers that they had them changed.

Find out if you know their and other actors' given names by taking our quiz.

ACTORS' REAL NAMES QUIZ

Do you know celebs' real names?

What is Jennifer Aniston's family name?

Anastassakis
Aniston
Kanakarediston
Theodopolis

What is Jodie Foster's given name?

Alicia Christian Foster
Diane Jo Foster
Elizabeth Jodie Foster
Joanne Denise Foster

What is Natalie Portman's real name?

Natalie Brown
Natalie Herschlag
Natalie Gurwitz
Natalie Porter

What is Nicolas Cage's birth name?

Nicolas Adams
Nicolas Coppola
Nicolas Vogelsang
Nicolas Walker

What is Tom Cruise's given name?

Thomas Cruise Anderson
Thomas Cruise Carpenter
Thomas Cruise Mapother
Thomas Cruise Welliver

What is Demi Moore's birth name?

Demetria Guynes
Demarya Lange
Demary Moore
Demi Zitzer

What is Oscar winner Jamie Foxx's real name?

Scott Bartlett
Eric Bishop
Levon Brown
James Burwell

What name was 'Fast Times' hottie Phoebe Cates born with?

Teresa Castellenetta
Pheonicia Catisellus
Phoebe Katz
Beatrice Katzenberg

What is the real name of sexy celeb Carmen Electra?

Jennifer Astin
Carmen McDowell
Jamie Lynn O'Rourke
Tara Leigh Patrick

The actress/model/mogul we know as Elle MacPherson was born with a different name. What is it?

Eleanor Gow
Elise McFerson
Ella Pierson
Elaine Riordan

What name was Ashley Judd born with?

Ashley Anderson
Ashley Bunner
Ashley Ciminella
Ashley Greathouse

What is classic action star Chuck Norris' birth name?

Charles Norris Brown
Carlos Ray Norris
Chadwick Norris
Norris Yolk

What was indie queen Jennifer Jason Leigh's name before she took up acting?

Jennifer Jason Morrow
Jennifer Lee Morrow
Jennifer Jason Robards
Jennifer Lee Robards

What was Mrs. David Duchovny's name before she was Téa Leoni?

Elizabeth Téa Leoni
Elizabeth Téa Pantleoni
Elizabeth Tiana Leoni
Anne Elizabeth Téaleoni

What is birth name of the actor who plays Kumar, Kal Penn?

Anupen Kalrata Bakshi
Kalpen Suresh Modi
Shaheen Kalpenn
Kalrin Lakpen

What name is on Winona Ryder's birth certificate?

Winifred Ann Horowitz
Winona Laura Horowitz
Winona Jean Reicher
Winifred Ann Rider

What is Charlie Sheen's real name?

Carlos Irwin Estevez
Charles Estevez
Carlos Irwin Sheen
Martin Charles Sheen

What was Christian Slater known as before he took up acting?

Christian Michael Hawkins
Christopher Nicholson
Christian Michael Slate
Christopher Michael Slater

What was Joan Rivers' name oh so long ago, when she was a young girl?

Joanne Abramowitz
Joan Molinsky
Joan Turteltaub
Joanna Wachowski

What name was Jane Seymour given by her mom and dad?

Jane Adams
Joyce Frankenburg
Joan Russ
Janet Seymour

Goldie Hawn's not her real name -- what is?

Gloria Gold
Goldie Hawkins
Goldie Jean Studlendegehawn
Gloria Wilhawn

Can you believe her real name's not Whoopi Goldberg? What is it?

Wilma Bergman
Eugenia Frick
Caryn Johnson
Debra Thompson

What is Diane Keaton's birth name?

Diane Adamson
Diane Hall
Diane Jackson
Diane Smith

The iconic actress Audrey Hepburn's birth name was what?

Andrea Hepburn
Kathleen Anders Hepburn
Audrey Kathleen Ruston
Kathleen Audrey Ruston

Sir Ben Kingsley was not always known as that -- what is his birth name?

Krishna Banji
Bua Kharmanda
Benjamin King
Kingsley Raj

What is quirky New York director Woody Allen's pre-fame name?

Woodrow Allen
Woodson Allenberg
Allen Konigsberg
Allen Woodman

Movie Stars in Soap Operas Quiz

Moviefone Staff — 2008-06-13T10:30:00+00:00

Daytime soap operas -- ever watch them and think the acting's GOOD?

Some of today's biggest movie stars had roles in soap operas before hitting it big on the silver screen.

(Apparently, you have to overact before you can act.)

Take our quiz to find out if you know which daytime TV shows gave a boost to the early careers of some of Hollywood's most famous actors.

ACTORS IN SOAPS QUIZ

DAYTIME EMMYS 2008

Which Soap Operas Were These Actors In?

Before he was Angelina's baby daddy, Brad Pitt had a bit part in which soap?

All My Children
Another World

Which soap was former 'Friend' Courteney Cox in?

As the World Turns
One Life to Live

Now a scream queen, Sarah Michelle Gellar was once a soap star on which show?

All My Children
General Hospital

On which no-longer-running soap did Alec Baldwin once have a role?

Dark Shadows
The Doctors

Pre-Ashton (hell, even pre-Bruce) Demi Moore got her start on which soap?

Days of Our Lives
General Hospital

Before he was Mr. Best Actress, Ryan Phillippe appeared on which soap?

One Life to Live
Passions

On which soap did Julianne Moore first stretch as an actress, by playing sisters?

As the World Turns
Ryan's Hope

On which soap was Taye Diggs before he helped Stella get her groove back?

The Guiding Light
Port Charles

On which soap did Meg Ryan hone her crying-on-cue skills?

As the World Turns
The Bold and the Beautiful

Before she was Mrs. Sean Penn, Robin Wright was on which soap?

Passions
Santa Barbara

DAYTIME EMMYS 2008

Indiana Jones Quiz

Moviefone Staff — 2008-05-17T12:26:00+00:00

What's Indiana Jones' real first name?

Are you ready for 'Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull'?

It's been nearly 20 years since the last Indy flick, so we'd understand if you need a little refresher.

Take our quiz and find out how much you still remember about everyone's favorite big-screen archaeologist adventurer.

'INDIANA JONES' QUIZ

'Indiana Jones' Quiz

What's the first name of archeology prof/adventurer

Movie Moms and Daughters Quiz

Moviefone Staff — 2008-05-07T15:52:00+00:00

Whom did Rachel McAdams call Ma?

In Hollywood, once female actresses are "too old" to play romantic leads, they have to start playing moms.

But is that really so bad when you get to pretend that Rachel McAdams, Scarlett Johansson and Jennifer Garner inherited your genes?

See if you can pair 15 starlets with the women who reared them on the silver screen.

MOVIE MOMS QUIZ

Movie Moms and Daughters

Which Brit played American as Scarlett Johansson's mother in 'The Horse Whisperer'?

Helena Bonham Carter
Miranda Richardson
Kristin Scott Thomas
Emma Thompson

Which actress played the MILF of scorching hot sisters Rachel McAdams and Isla Fisher in 'Wedding Crashers'?

Joan Allen
Kate Capshaw
Jane Seymour
Rebecca DeMornay

Which award-caliber actress was Julia Roberts mama in 'Something to Talk About'?

Goldie Hawn
Jessica Lange
Gena Rowlands
Sissy Spacek

Which indie darling was Katie Holmes' mommy dearest in 'Pieces of April'?

Patricia Clarkson
Holly Hunter
Catherine Keener
Frances McDormand

Which 'Steel Magnolias' star was Jennifer Aniston's madre in 'Picture Perfect'?

Olympia Dukakis
Sally Field
Shirley MacLaine
Janine Turner

Which TV actress went big-screen as Jennifer Garner's mom in '13 Going on 30'?

Kathy Baker
Patricia Heaton
Allison Janney
Patricia Richardson

Which TV matriarch was Reese Witherspoon's ma in 'Pleasantville'?

Felicity Huffman
Jane Kaczmarek
Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Gail O'Grady

Which 'SNL' vet was Rachel McAdams' maternal unit in 'Mean Girls'?

Tina Fey
Cheri Oteri
Amy Poehler
Molly Shannon

Which former sex symbol hit the mommy track as Kirsten Dunst's mom in 'Virgin Suicides'?

Melanie Griffith
Bo Derek
Kathleen Turner
Sharon Stone

Which acclaimed actress was Sanaa Lathan's mom in 'Love & Basketball'?

Angela Bassett
Whoopi Goldberg
Vanessa Williams
Alfre Woodard

Who was Brittany Snow's conniving mama in the '07 musical hit 'Hairspray'?

Cher
Teri Hatcher
Michelle Pfeiffer
John Travolta

Which famous wife was mother to Amanda Bynes in 'What a Girl Wants'?

Kelly Preston
Rita Wilson
Robin Wright Penn
Catherine Zeta-Jones

Which actress played Mandy Moore's meddling mom in 'Because I Said So'?

Diane Lane
Dianne Wiest
Diane Keaton
Dyan Cannon

Who played Natalie Portman's free-spirited mother in 'Anywhere But Here'?

Ashley Judd
Susan Sarandon
Joan Cusack
Connie Nielsen

Which famous real-life mom played Teri Polo's on-screen mother in 'Meet the Parents'?

Goldie Hawn
Patty Duke
Anne Meara
Blythe Danner

All About George Clooney Quiz

Moviefone Staff — 2008-04-03T14:11:00+00:00

Which movie role did George Clooney lose to a pre-fame Brad Pitt?

If Hollywood elected a president, chances are it would be George Clooney: He's smart, funny and pretty much universally beloved.

But even Georgie has a few skeletons in his closet -- weird early roles, buttocks-baring scenes and a famous ex-fiancee to boot.

See if you know more about George than his revolving door of girlfriends do.

GEORGE CLOONEY QUIZ

George Clooney Quiz

George Clooney once tried out for which pro sports team?

Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Browns
Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Bengals

George won a ___________ Oscar.

Best Director
Best Supporting Actor
Best Actor
Best Adapted Screenplay

Which of the following was not a character George played on TV?

James Falconer
Chic Chesbro
George Burnett
Booker Ross

George was married to the daughter of which Oscar-winning actor?

Gregory Peck
Martin Balsam
Bing Crosby
Cliff Robertson

George famously got into a fistfight with which of his big-screen directors?

David O. Russell
Robert Rodriguez
Michael Hoffman
Wolfgang Petersen

George was the first guest on whose talk show premiere?

Rachael Ray
Jimmy Kimmel
Rosie O'Donnell
Craig Ferguson

2008's 'Burn After Reading' will be George's ______ Coen brothers' film.

Second
Third
Fourth
Fifth

Which movie role did George lose to his future 'Ocean's 11' co-star Brad Pitt?

'A River Runs Through It'
'Seven'
'Meet Joe Black'
'Thelma & Louise'

George suffered from which ailment as a teenager?

Scoliosis
Bell's palsy
Brittle bone disease
Celiac disease

What's the name of the company Clooney started with Steven Soderbergh?

Section Eight Productions
Maysville Productions
Smoke House Productions
Maxwell Swine Productions

During George's early years in L.A., he was a chauffeur for which singer?

Frank Sinatra
Barbra Streisand
Tony Bennett
Lena Horne

Clooney's 'O Brother' character used which hair pomade?

Pappy's Pomade
Jaunty John
Dapper Dan
Waldrip's Wax

In which flick did George bare his naked posterior?

'Out of Sight'
'Intolerable Cruelty'
'Welcome to Collinwood'
'Solaris'

How much weight did Clooney gain for his role in 'Syriana'?

15 pounds
25 pounds
30 pounds
40 pounds

Which of the following is not among the roles on George's resume?

A talking baby
A gay dog
A lip-synching transvestite
An undercover cop posing as a member of a biker gang

When did George move to Hollywood to begin pursuing an acting career?

1981
1982
1983
1984

In 'Ocean's 11,' George and co. plan to rob which three Vegas hotel/casinos?

Bellagio, Flamingo and MGM Grand
Paris, Bellagio and Caesars
Paris, Venetian and Caesars
Bellagio, Mirage and MGM Grand

George's famous pet pig, Max, died in which year?

2002
2003
2005
2006

True or false: 'Batman & Robin,' featuring George's turn as the Caped Crusader, was his first movie role after 'ER' became a hit.

True
False

George has been nominated for how many Oscars?

One
Two
Three
Four

All About Julia Roberts Quiz

Moviefone Staff — 2007-12-20T09:55:00+00:00

Who is Julia's daughter, Hazel Patricia, named after?

She's America's sweetheart, with a contagious laugh and a smile MUCH bigger than Mona Lisa's.

But when it comes to Julia Roberts, do you know which Oscar-winning role she turned down? Or how many Razzies she's been nominated for?

Rein in those runaway trivia skills and see if you know all there is to know about being Julia.

JULIA ROBERTS QUIZ

All About Julia Roberts

How long did Julia Roberts know Lyle Lovett before they married on June 27, 1993?

Three days
Three weeks
Three months
Three years

How many Oscars has Julia been nominated for?

For which movie did Julia receive her first Oscar nom?

Erin Brockovich
Mystic Pizza
Pretty Woman
Steel Magnolias

How many Razzies has Julia been up for?

When Julia called off her wedding to Kiefer Sutherland, who was the actor she went away to Ireland with instead?

Daniel Day-Louis
Dermot Mulroney
Liam Neeson
Jason Patric

Which movie is this photo from?

Mary Reilly
Michael Collins
Mona Lisa Smile

For what award-winning film did Julia reportedly turn down the lead role?

The Age of Innocence
A Beautiful Mind
Shakespeare in Love
Titanic

How many roles has Julia played that were based on real people?

With which of her leading men was Roberts not romantically linked?

Dylan McDermott
Liam Neeson
Brad Pitt
Kiefer Sutherland

For which of her films did Roberts have the biggest payday?

America's Sweetheart
Mona Lisa Smile
Notting Hill
Runaway Bride

During the filming of which early role did Julia develop spinal meningitis?

Crime Story
Miami Vice
Mystic Pizza
Satisfaction

What did Julia recently reveal on 'Oprah'?

Announcement she was retiring from acting
First-seen photos of baby Henry
Plans for her new charitable organization
News that she'd reconciled with brother Eric

On how many films have Julia and her pal George Clooney worked on together?

Who is Julia's daughter, Hazel Patricia, named after?

Danny Moder's grandmother
Danny Moder's mother
Julia's grandmother
Julia's mother

Who played Julia's brother in 'Three Days of Rain,' her Broadway debut in 2006?

Ryan Gosling
Philip Seymour Hoffman
Paul Rudd
David Schwimmer

All About Tom Cruise Quiz

Moviefone Staff — 2007-11-29T12:54:00+00:00

On which TV show did Tom Cruise guest-star?

Here's what you know about Tom Cruise:

* He's married to Katie Holmes
* He doesn't give a squat about your mom's "no shoes on the couch" rule
* He's got a lot of teeth

But how much do you know about America's most famous Scientologist? We want the truth! And we CAN handle it.

TOM CRUISE QUIZ

Test Your Tom Cruise Smarts

Which outlaw was Tom Cruise on tap to play before he had a falling out with his director?

Clyde Barrow
John Dillinger
Pablo Escobar
George Jung

Which sport has Cruise not mastered on film?

Boxing
Car racing
Football
Wrestling

What is the only TV show Cruise ever had a guest spot on?

3rd Rock From the Sun
Alias
ER
Friends

Which of Cruise's films "won" a Razzie for Worst Picture?

Cocktail
Days of Thunder
Eyes Wide Shut
Far and Away

True or False: Cruise and Brooke Shields once co-starred in a movie together?

True
False

In what state was Cruise born?

Kentucky
New Jersey
New York
Pennsylvania

Who thanked Cruise in an Oscar acceptance speech?

Daniel Day-Louis
Nicole Kidman
Paul Newman
Renee Zellweger

How many Oscar nominations has Cruise earned?

Who made a jab at Cruise during an Oscar acceptance speech?

Michael Caine
Tom Hanks
Nicole Kidman
Meryl Streep

For what film did Cruise receive his first Oscar nomination?

Born on the Fourth of July
The Color of Money
A Few Good Men
Rainman

Which of these directors has Cruise NOT worked with twice?

JJ Abrams
Cameron Crowe
Tony Scott
Steven Spielberg

Which of Cruise's films had the biggest opening weekend?

Minority Report
Mission Impossible II
Mission Impossible III
War of the Worlds

The suburbs of what city serve as the setting for 'Risky Business'?

Atlanta
Chicago
Los Angeles
New York

For which Matt Damon role was Cruise reportedly a first choice?

Jason Bourne ('The Bourne Identity')
Linus Caldwell ('Ocean's 11')
Tom Ripley ('The Talented Mr. Ripley')
Private James Francis Ryan ('Saving Private Ryan')

What country declared a "Tom Cruise Day"?

Australia
Canada
Germany
Japan

Dead or Alive? Quiz

Angie Argabrite — 2007-11-29T11:42:00+00:00

Hope you've been studying your obits ...

With each passing year, it can be hard to keep track of just which storied actors have gone on to that great cocktail lounge in the sky.

We don't mean to be morbid (OK, maybe we do), but is Kirk Douglas still with us? What about Don Knotts? Jason Robards? Lauren Bacall?

Find out how well you know your living from your dearly departed. But no betting, please. We're not THAT insensitive.

DEAD OR ALIVE QUIZ

Hope You've Been Studying Your Obits ...

Is Peter Falk ...

Dead
Alive

Is Lauren Bacall ...

Dead
Alive

Is Don Knotts ...

Dead
Alive

Is Martin Landau ...

Dead
Alive

Is Betty Hutton ...

Dead
Alive

Is Albert Finney ...

Dead
Alive

Is Jack Palance ...

Dead
Alive

Is Elizabeth Taylor ...

Dead
Alive

Is Kirk Douglas ...

Dead
Alive

Is Deborah Kerr ...

Dead
Alive

Is Maureen Stapleton ...

Dead
Alive

Is Sidney Poitier ...

Dead
Alive

Is Gene Wilder ...

Dead
Alive

Is Jason Robards ...

Dead
Alive

Is Mickey Rooney ...

Dead
Alive

Is Lena Horne ...

Dead
Alive

Is Red Buttons ...

Dead
Alive

Is Abe Vigoda ...

Dead
Alive

Is Jane Wyman ...

Dead
Alive

Is Ruby Dee ...

Dead
Alive

Is Glenn Ford ...

Dead
Alive

Is Joey Bishop ...

Dead
Alive

Is Roscoe Lee Brown ...

Dead
Alive

Celebrity Brothers Quiz

Moviefone Staff — 2007-10-15T17:33:00+00:00

Can you tell your Baldwins, Dillons and Afflecks apart?

Kevin Dillon has recently found success portraying Vincent Chase's older half-brother on HBO's 'Entourage,' while his real-life bro Matt has made a name for himself on the silver screen.

But which famous sibling rocked out as drummer John Densmore in Oliver Stone's 'The Doors'?

Test your knowledge of Hollywood's most impressive fraternal talent with our Celebrity Brothers Quiz.