Movie Talk: "Somewhat Trivial Movie Trivia"

This time, a little something different: movie trivia instead of reviews or essays. The questions will be divided into five categories, five questions each, with the answers at the end. The degree of difficulty ranges from rather easy to moderately difficult. Might be a little more difficult for those without much knowledge of films of the past or a history of movies.

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HORROR

1. Before Boris Karloff was cast as the Frankenstein monster, another famous horror star was asked to play the role but turned it down. Who was it?

2. How many times has Jack Finney's novel "Invasion Of The Body Snatchers" been OFFICIALLY filmed (as distinguished from rip-offs and unacknowledged rehashes)?

3. Who was the FIRST actor to play Hannibal Lecter, before Anthony Hopkins?

4. What was the very first filmed version of Bram Stoker's novel "Dracula"?

5. In what movie did Paul Reubens (Pee Wee Herman) play a vampire?

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COMEDY

1. What are the real names of the four Marx Brothers (not counting Gummo, who was never in any of their movies)?

2. Who was the only member of the Monty Python troup who was not British?

3. Which real life rock star played himself in Adam Sandler's "The Wedding Singer"?

4. What musical instrument does Ron Burgundy (Will Ferrell) play in the movie "Anchorman"?

5. Who speaks the only word of dialogue heard in Mel Brooks' "Silent Movie"?

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FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILMS

1. Akira Kurosowa's samurai classic "Yojimbo" was the source of what famous western film?

2. There have been only two acting awards in the history of the Oscars that went to performers in foreign language films. What were they?

3. What film currently holds the record as the highest grossing foreign language film in the United States?

4. Name the American TV and film actor who played himself in the German classic "Wings Of Desire".

5. What is the title of the Spanish film about two men who meet and bond at a hospital where their girlfriends are both in comas?

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SEQUELS AND REMAKES

1. What was the only sequel to ever win a "Best Picture" Oscar?

2. Which "Dirty Harry" sequel featured the line "Go ahead, make my day"?

3. Which "Rocky" sequel featured the character of Russian boxer Ivan Drago, played by Dolph Lundgren?

4. Of the three sequels to "Jaws", how many was original "Jaws" director Steven Spielberg involved in?

5. Jane Greer, star of 1947's "Out Of The Past", played what role in that movie's 1984 remake, "Against All Odds"?

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MISCELLANEOUS

1. Legendary silent screen star Lon Chaney ("The Phantom Of The Opera") made only one sound movie, his very last. What was it?

2. Jackie Chan had a vocal role in the Chinese-dubbed version of what popular Disney animated film?

3. What movie did Bruce Willis once say in an interview was the only one he had ever been in in which the final movie as released in theatres was exactly the same as the original script, without even one word changed?

4. In addition to Mariah Carey, what other popular singer has a supporting role in "Precious"?

5. Who is the oldest person to win an Oscar as Best Director?

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You can count each question as having four points, and multiply your number of correct answers to get your total score out of a possible one hundred.

And now, the answers...

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HORROR

1. Bela Lugosi (who later wound up playing the role anyway in "Ghost Of Frankenstein")

2. Four times: as "Invasion Of The Body Snatchers" in both 1956 and 1978, as "Body Snatchers" in 1994, and most recently as "The Invasion" in 2007.

3. Brian Cox, in 1986's "Manhunter" (eventually remade with Hopkins as "Red Dragon")

4. "Nosferatu", a German film from 1922 starring Max Shreck in the title role.

5. The original (and not nearly as good as the subsequent TV series) movie version of "Buffy The Vampire Slayer".

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COMEDY

1. Groucho: Julius; Harpo: born Adolph and later legally changed it to Arthur after Hitler came to power; Chico: Leonard; and Zeppo: Herbert.

2. Terry Gilliam, an American born in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

3. Billy Idol.

4. Jazz Flute.

5. Legendary mime Marcel Marceau. (The word was "No!")

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FOREIGN LANGUAGE

1. "A Fistful Of Dollars".

2. Sophia Loren for "Two Women", and Roberto Begnini for "Life Is Beautiful". It's probably just a coincidence that both films were Italian.

3. "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", made in Mandarin Chinese with English sub-titles.

4. Peter Falk.

5. Pedro Almodovar's "Talk To Her".

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SEQUELS AND REMAKES

1. "The Godfather, Part Two"

2. "Sudden Impact".

3. "Rocky III"

4. None (he had originally talked about being involved in part II but wound up not doing it)

5. The mother of her character from the original film.

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MISCELLANEOUS

1. A "Talkie" remake of his 1925 silent movie "The Unholy Three".

2. "Mulan".

3. "Pulp Fiction".

4. Lenny Kravitz, who plays a male nurse.

5. Clint Eastwood, who was 74 when he won for "Million Dollar Baby" in 2005 (and could potentially break his own record if he wins again),

Congradulations to all the movie geeks and nerds...