Category Archives: Movies

Daily Trivia – 5/9/11

Question: What arcade game featured enemies named “Mr. Hotdog”, Mr. Pickle, and “Mr. Egg”?

Last Question: Who plays the actual mom in Mr. Mom

Teri Garr

Teri Garr played Caroline Butler, wife of Michael Keaton’s Jack Butler in this movie that John Hughes wrote (but did not direct). Jack is laid off from his job, and Caroline is forced to go to work, while Jack is forced to be a stay-at-home dad.

Here is the movie trailer:

Daily Trivia – 5/5/11

Question: On Mork & Mindy, what was the name of the title characters’ son?

Last Question:In The Cannonball Run, what was the name of Dom DeLuise’s character’s alter ego?

Captain Chaos is the alter ego of Dom Deluise’s character, Victor Prinzim. Whenever Victor or any of his friends are being threatened, Victor is instantly compelled to don his satin cape and mask to become Captain Chaos. Captain Chaos is an annoyance to his friend J.J. (Burt Reynolds). Whenever he turned into Captain Chaos, he reffered to J.J. as Kato, which is the same name as The Green Hornet’s sidekick. Because of this, Victor is explicitly forbidden from speaking the name of Captain Chaos in front of J.J., hence the reason Victor always cautiously refers to the hero simply as “…Him.” (usually followed by a twinge of magical music).

Here is Captain Chaos in action:

Captain Chaos

Top 5 Patriotic Movies from the ’80s

american_flag_guidelines-thinkstockThis is another repost from last 4th of July. On this great day, I present to you, once again, the top 5 patriotic movies of the ’80s:


5. The Right Stuff
right_stuff_ver1This movie, released in 1983, was based on Tom Wolfe’s book on the history of the U.S. Space program. It begins with Chuck Yaeger (Sam Shepard) breaking the sound barrier, and then tells the story of the pioneers of the space program known as the Mercury Seven. This had a great cast including Scott Glenn as Alan B. Shepard, Ed Harris as John Glenn, Dennis Quaid as Gordon Cooper, and Fred Ward as Gus Grissom. The story told about the Space Race between the U.S. and Russia, and showed the courage and strength of the astronauts despite their flaws.

4. Glory
glory_ver1_xlgReleased in 1989, Glory told the story of Col. Robert Gould Shaw (Matthew Broderick), during the Civil War as he volunteered to lead the first company of black soldiers. deal with the prejudices of both the enemy (who had orders to kill commanding officers of blacks), and of his own fellow officers. This is another movie that showed Americans’ resolve and strength. Denzel Washington (fresh off of St. Elsewhere) was incredible in this movie, and won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Not too shabby considering he played alongside Morgan Freeman, Andre Braugher (Homicide: Life on the Street) and Cary Elwes (The Princess Bride) also starred. This is one of my favorite Civil War movies alongside Gettysburg. The acting is outstanding, and the battle scenes are outstanding.

3. Top Gun
51hbvecdirl-_ac_ul320_sr218320_Remember when Tom Cruise could actually draw in an audience? He was at the top of his game when this movie was released in 1986. Tom Cruise played a navy pilot called “Maverick” who gets an opportunity to train at the Navy’s Fighter Weapons School along with his partner “Goose” (ER‘s Anthony Edwards). “Maverick” has a rivalry with Val Kilmer’s “Iceman”, and falls for an instructor Kelly McGillis played called Charlotte “Charlie” Blackwood.
Cruise basically plays the same character that he played in The Color of Money, Cocktail, Days of Thunder, and A Few Good Men – the arrogant, cocky jerk who erally has a good heatr, but needs a wake-up call. But this was a fun movie. Especially towards the end, when the pilots need to go into battle for real. And, you can’t go wrong with a Righteous Brothers song (“You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling”), as well as a couple of great Kenny Loggins songs – “Danger Zone”, and “Playing With the Boys”. I could have done without that volleyball scene, and Val Kilmer’s reaction when Cruise says “That’s right! Ice… man. I am dangerous.”

2. Red Dawn (’84)
This 1984 film showed what we never thought could happen, the U.S. gets invaded by Russia. This movie had a great cast including Patrick Swayze, Charlie Sheen, C. Thomas Howell, Lea Thompson, and Jennifer Grey.
It was freaky to see the Russians parachute in a field outside a high school. And then they open fire on a teacher when he goes out to confront them. The main characters escaped, and equipped themselves, then returned and began an armed resistance against the occupation forces—calling themselves “Wolverines” after their high school mascot. They defy the odds, and become a thorn in the Russians side. With their numbers dwindling, the Wolverines decide to escape the area and try to get more help. It seems that brothers Jed (Patrick Swayze) and Matt (Charlie Sheen) sacrifice themselves to get the rest of the gang free. It doesn’t show them being killed, but in the epilogue of the movie, it mentions that the U.S. successfully repelled the invading forces. And it says “… In the early days of World War 3, guerrillas – mostly children – placed the names of their lost upon this rock. They fought here alone and gave up their lives, so that this nation should not perish from the earth.”

1. Rocky IV
517z2bl9j9dl-_sy300_It seems kind of silly, but if you think about it, this 1985 movie, had underdog Americans against steroid pumped Russians (There’s no truth to the rumor that Ivan Drago went on to become a Major League Baseball star). It had a patriotic song – “Living in America” by James Brown. Not to mention, it had Rocky himself – who was from Philadelphia, home of Benjamin Franklin, the Liberty Bell, and cheese steaks! The fact that the boxers don’t know how to block punches in the Rocky movies makes them more exciting. And it is funny how Rocky, through his strength and perseverance, eventually gets the Russian fans on his side.


“He’ll Be Back” – If the Script is Right

The following is from Entertainment Weekly:
He’ll be back… if the script is right. Arnold Schwarzenegger has given Hollywood agency CAA approval to discuss a potential new Terminator movie with studios, a source close to the star confirms to EW, but until Schwarzenegger sees a script and specifics about the project, he will not fully commit to it. Director Justin Lin (who helmed this weekend’s Fast Five) is reportedly attached to direct the film, but it does not yet have a screenwriter.

The rights to the franchise were sold to hedge fund Pacificor last year in a deal worth $29.5 million after Halcyon Holding — which had acquired the franchise in 2007 — declared bankruptcy. Sony and Lionsgate had attempted to jointly bid for the property, but the bankruptcy judge awarded it to the Santa Barbara, Calif.-based hedge fund management company instead.

The most recent film in the sci-fi franchise, 2009′s Terminator Salvation, grossed $371 million worldwide, but did not star Schwarzenegger (although his computer-generated likeness did make a brief cameo in the film’s final act). The former California governor’s last starring role was in 2003′s Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (global gross: $433 million), and he continues to be strongly identified with the cybernetic assassin that helped propel him to superstardom. EW reported exclusively last month that Schwarzenegger’s first post-governor gig would be the animated series The Governator, a play off of the title combining “governor” and “Terminator” that became synonymous with his tenure running California’s government before he even had the job. “When I ran for governor back in 2003 and I started hearing people talking about ‘the Governator,’ I thought the word was so cool,” Schwarzenegger told EW last month. With so many speculating over what live-action role he will take on first now that he’s left the governor’s mansion, it’s not a huge surprise that while the 63-year-old is done being governor, he may not quite be done being the terminator. (Reporting by Benjamin Svetkey)

Daily Trivia – 4/29/11

Question: What British foursome had a hit with “I Want Candy”?

Last Question:In the original Arthur, what veteran actor played the butler named “Hobson”?

Answer: Sir John Gielgud

Sir John Gielgud (April 14, 1904 – May 21, 2000) was a legendary British actor. He is one of the few entertainers who have won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy, and Tony Award.

He won an Oscar for his role as Hobson in Arthur.

Here is one of my favorite scenes:

Here are the other awards he won:

Emmy Awards

1991: Winner for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie, for Summer’s Lease

Tony Awards



1961: Winner for Best Director (Dramatic), for Big Fish, Little Fish, a play by Hugh Wheeler

Grammy Awards

1979: Winner for Best Spoken Word, Documentary or Drama Recording, for Ages of Man – Recordings from Shakespeare

Daily Trivia – 4/26/11

Question: Can you fill in the blank: “Nothing comes between me and my ______.”

Last Question: In what movie did Michael Keaton play the title character that only appeared in the movie for about 17 minutes?

Answer: Beetlejuice

Beetlejuice starred Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Winona Ryder, and Michael Keaton as Beetlejuice (whose name was really spelled Betelgeuse. The movie title was the phonetic spelling of the character’s name.

The movie was directed by Tim Burton, with a $13 million budget. The movie went on to make over $73 million, making it a huge success. Burton went on to direct Batman after this, which also starred Michael Keaton as the title character.

In Beetlejuice, Barbara (Geena Davis) and Adam (Alec Baldwin) Maitland die in a car accident. When they go back to their house as spirits, they find that their house was sold, and there is an obnoxious people living there. The new family consists of Charles (Jeffrey Jones), aspiring sculptor and Charles’ second wife Delia (Catherine O’Hara), and Charles’ goth daughter Lydia (Winona Ryder) from his first marriage.
Lydia is the only one who able to see able to see Adam and Barbara, and they become friends. But, the ghostly couple wants the crazy family out of the house. So, they hire Betelgeuse, a freelance “bio-exorcist” ghost, to scare them away. But Betelgeuse becomes more interested in marrying Lydia so that he can re-enter the land of the living. Things got out of control, and the Maitland’s and Lydia finally defeated Betelgeuse and banished him permanently to the afterlife.

I love this movie, and it has a lot of great quotes, such as:

Adam: What are your qualifications?
Betelgeuse: Ah. Well… I attended Juilliard… I’m a graduate of the Harvard business school. I travel quite extensively. I lived through the Black Plague and had a pretty good time during that. I’ve seen the Excorcist 167 times, and it keeps getting funnier every single time I see it. Not to mention the fact that you’re talking to a dead guy! Now what do you think!? You think I’m qualified?

Betelgeuse: We’ve come for your daughter, Chuck. Wah-ha-ha-ha-ha!

Betelgeuse: (kicks over tree in graveyard) Nice F*ck*n model (as he grabs his genitals)

Betelgeuse: I’m the ghost with the most, babe.

Lydia: They don’t want to come down.

Otho: Why not?

Lydia: I think the reason is that they were trying to scare you away, and you didn’t get scared.

Delia: Please, they’re dead. It’s a little late to be neurotic.

Betelgeuse: Let’s turn on the juice and see what shakes loose.

[why he can’t tell Lydia his name]
Betelgeuse: Because if I tell you, you’ll tell your friends, your friends are callin’ me on the horn all the time, I gotta show up at shopping centers for openings and sign autographs and shit like that and it makes my life a *hell*. Okay? A living hell.

[Head spins wildly and begins shrieking]
Betelgeuse: Don’t you hate it when that happens?

Preacher: Do you take this woman do be your wedded wife?
Betelgeuse: [Runs off to the side mumbling to himself] Oh geez, I don’t know. I mean, it’s kind of a big decision isn’t it? I mean, I always said if I ever did it, I was gonna do it once and that was it.
[Runs back to the altar and stands next to Lydia]
Betelgeuse: Sure, yeah. Go ahead.

Betelgeuse: [to Lydia, about the owner of the finger he pulled out of a wedding ring] I’m tellin’ ya, honey, she meant nothin’ to me. Nothin’ at all!

Betelgeuse: It’s Showtime!!

[last lines]
[in the waiting room, Betelgeuse is sitting next to a witch doctor, who is next in line]
Betelgeuse: Pardon me. Did you do that?
[points to explorer with shrunken head]
Betelgeuse: That’s very nice work. Let me ask you something. How do you get them so sma… Hey, there goes Elvis! Yo, King!
[as the doctor looks away, Betelgeuse switches numbers]
Betelgeuse: Well, looks like I’m next. Good thing, too. I gotta do a photo shoot for GQ in about an hour and a half. Yeah, they’ve been after me for months. Doin’ some underwear deal. I don’t know what…
[the witch doctor sprinkles some powder on Betelgeuse’s head; it starts shrinking]
Betelgeuse: [voice getting higher as head gets smaller] Whoa, hey! What are you doing? Hey, stop it! Hey, you’re messing up my hair! C’mon! Whoa! Whoa! Stop it! *Whoa!*… Hey, this might be a good look for me.

Daily Trivia – 4/25/11


Last Question: What 1989 James Cameron movie saw Navy SEALS encounter underwater aliens?

Answer: The Abyss

The Abyss, written and directed by James Cameron, starred Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, and The Terminator‘s Michael Biehn. In typical James Cameron fashion, the special effects were incredible in this movie – especially at the time it came out (August 1989).

This is the first movie that I ever saw at a Drive-In. I was living in California at the time, and a bunch of us piled in a car, and went to the drive in. I wish I could remember the price, but it was really cheap at the time. You would pay by car instead of by person, so that made it even cheaper. And you got to see 2 movies. The Abyss was basically the “main event”. We just caught the very end of the Rutger Hauer film, Blind Fury, which I still haven’t seen since then. But I loved The Abyss.

Daily Trivia – 4/22/11


Last Question: In Coming to America, who played “Akeem’s” father?

Answer: James Earl Jones

These great movie starred Eddie Murphy (in his prime) as Prince Akeem who travels to America, from the (fictitious) African country Zamunda, to find a bride on his own, instead of having one given to him by his parents. James Earl Jones played Akeem’s father, King Jaffe, and Madge Sinclair played Akeem’s mother, Queen Aoleon.

Yesterday, on the Facebook page, it was pointed out by a reader that this was not the only time James Earl Jones and Madge Sinclair played a queen and king. They also provided the voices of Mufasa and Sarabi, the lion King and Queen in Disney’s The Lion King.

[Thanks Kathy!!! Also Kathy runs the Men at Work Reunion Tour Facebook page. Feel free to join her group.]

There were other stars in Coming to America as well. Arsenio Hall had a breakout role playing Akeem’s uptight best friend, Semmi. There was also the pre-ER Eriq LaSalle as the Jheri curled Darryl, who was Akeem’s rival for Lisa McDowell’s (Shari Headley) affection.

Samuel L. Jackson played a would-be robber who was stopped by Akeem:

Cuba Gooding Jr. was in this classic barbershop scene. Do you recognize the other people in the scene?

And of course, one of my favorite scenes in the movie featured Don Ameche and Ralph Bellamy reprising their Trading Places roles as Mortimer and Randolph Duke. “We’re Back!”:

Daily Trivia – 4/19/11



Answer: Chevy Chase, Steve Martin and Martin Short

Hilarity ensues.

Here are some quotes from the movie:

Lucky: I’ll come back some day.
Carmen: Why?

Carmen: I like the one who is not so smart.
Other girl: Which one is that?

El Guapo: What? Are gringos falling from the sky?
[Ned falls to the ground]
Jefe: Yes, El Guapo.

El Guapo: What do you mean?
Lucky: I don’t know.
Jefe: I think he means that if you –
El Guapo: SHUT UP!

El Guapo: How many piñatas?
Jefe: Many piñatas, many!
Jefe: A what?
El Guapo: A plethora.
El Guapo: Jefe, what is a plethora?
Jefe: Why, El Guapo?

Carmen: And that you have done, now what?

Carmen: I would rather die first!
Rosita: Good! Neither does El Guapo.

Dusty Bottoms: What is it doing here?
Ned Nederlander: I think it’s a male plane.
Dusty Bottoms: How can you tell?
Ned Nederlander: Didn’t you notice its little balls?


Ned Nederlander: Wherever there is suffering, we’ll be there.
Dusty Bottoms: Wherever liberty is threatened, you will find…

And here a couple of classic scenes:

Daily Trivia – 4/7/11

Question: What show featured a courtroom bailiff named Rusty and a court reporter named Doug Llewelyn?


Last Question: In St. Elmo’s Fire, what university were the main characters alumni of?

Answer: Georgetown

I loved this movie about a group of friends that have just graduated from Georgetown University, and their adjustment to real life. But, I could really do without the “Boogada-Boogada-Boogada, Ah-Oh-Oh”. It makes me want to put an ice pick through my ears, rip out my hear, and poke out my newly repaired eyes!

Here is the trailer for the movie: