Many people enjoy going to the movies, not just for the popcorn and drink but for the complete experience of losing themselves in a film for two, or three, hours. Then there are others, those people who are complete cinephiles, movie buffs who are so engrossed in a film that they know every aspect of it, from film editing and the soundtrack to the lighting and acting.
There are certain aspects to filmdom that many of us know. Just about everyone knows that James Earl Jones was the voice of Darth Vadar. But not everyone knows that he didn’t play the physical character of the Dark Lord – that honor belongs to David Prowse. Questions and answers like these may only be truly known by trivia buffs, those people who you always want on your team during trivia night.
Movies have a significant impact on pop culture. Some films were incredibly successful at the box office, while others became cult classics years after their release. But a true movie buff knows all about all films, and by brushing up on your movie knowledge, you can enjoy a kind of cultural currency, a knowledge of certain films that grants you unspoken access to a “club” of fellow cinephiles – or at least people who are also fans of the same movies as you.
The more into a film you are, the more esoteric knowledge you most likely have about it; people who’ve only seen “Star Wars” once most likely know that R2-D2 and C3PO are called Droids, but it’ll take a few more viewings before you can recall on demand that the odds C3PO tells Han of successfully navigating the asteroid field are 3,720 to 1.
If you simply want to brush up on your knowledge of movies old and new or just want to hone your trivia night skills to impress even the most hardcore cinephile, some of these trivia questions may at first leave you stumped but then you’ll be prepared to take the reigns as team leader at the next game night.
These questions aren’t too easy, but they also aren’t too. All the films mentioned were box-office successes, so there won’t be anything vague. Test yourself, test your family, and test your friends and if you want more trivia questions to challenge yourself, see if you can answer these real “Jeopardy!” questions about words.
What Movie Earned Tom Hanks His First Oscar Nomination?
Answer: “Big”
What 1927 Movie is Considered the First “Talkie?”
Answer: “The Jazz Singer”
What is the Villain’s Name in “Die Hard?”
Answer: Hans Gruber
What Phrase is Jack Nicholson’s Jack Torrance Discovered to be Typing in “The Shining?”
Answer: ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKE JACK A DULL BOY
What Movie Won Steven Spielberg’s First “Best Director” Oscar?
Answer: “Schindler’s List”
In What Movie Did Marlon Brando Say His Signature Line, “I Could Have Been a Contender?”
Answer: “On the Waterfront”
What is the Highest-Grossing Film of All Time?
Answer: “Avatar”
What Song Wakes Up Bill Murray’s Character Every Morning in “Groundhog Day?”
Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
Answer: “I Got You, Babe” by Sonny & Chef
What Song Did Tom Cruise Famously Lip Sync to in “Risky Business?”
Answer: “Old Time Rock & Roll” by Bob Seger
Source: Courtesy of Geffen Pictures
What is the Highest-Grossing R Rated Movie of All Time?
Answer: “Joker”
What Film Won the Very First Academy Award for Best Animated Picture?
Answer: “Shrek”
What is the Longest Film to Win The Academy Award for Best Picture?
Answer: “Gone With the Wind”
What is the Name of Quint’s Boat in “Jaws?”
Answer: The Orca
What Was the Full Name of Kate Winslet’s Character in “Titanic?”
Answer: Rose DeWitt Bukater
What is the Highest-Grossing Foreign Language Film of All Time?
Answer: “The Passion of the Christ”
What is Jenny’s Last Name in “Forrest Gump?”
Answer: Curran
What is the Name of The Computer From “2001: A Space Odyssey?”
Answer: HAL 9000
What Was the First Movie to Receive a PG-13 Rating?
Answer: “Red Dawn”
What is the Only X-Rated Film to Win the Oscar for Best Picture?
Answer: “Midnight Cowboy”
What is the Name of the Spaceship in “Alien?”
Answer: USCSS Nostromo
What Fictional Tropical Island is the Setting for “Jurassic Park?”
Answer: Isla Nublar
What is the Only Woody Allen Film to Win the Oscar for Best Picture?
Answer: “Annie Hall”
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
Who Was the First Black Woman to Win the Oscar for Best Actress?
Source: National Museum of the U.S. Navy, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Answer: Halle Berry
What is the DeLorean’s License Plate in “Back to the Future?”
Answer: OUTATIME
What are the Names of the Three Stranded Astronauts in “Apollo 13?”
Answer: Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert, and Fred Haise
