Are you a movie trivia buff? Are you the designated “movie person” at trivia night? Or are you looking to brush up on your knowledge of movies new and old? No matter whether you’re a certified film expert or a movie trivia knowledge, we bet that at least some of these 35 trivia questions are going to leave you stumped.
When a movie becomes popular, and more and more people see it, it eventually makes its way into pop culture. It becomes a kind of cultural currency, and knowledge about certain films grants you unspoken access into a “club” of fellow cinephiles – or at least people who are also fans of the same movies as you. And 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.
For today’s purposes, we’re taking a pretty generalized approach; these questions aren’t too easy, but not too hard, either. They also all refer to films that were box office successes, so nothing’s too obscure. Answer them on your own or quiz family and friends, and when you’re all done 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 His 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”
Who Won the Best Actor Oscar for Portraying Gandhi in the 1982 Film of the Same Name?
Answer: Ben Kingsley
What is the Highest-Grossing Film of All Time?
Answer: “Avatar”
What Song Wakes Up Bill Murray’s Character Every Morning in “Groundhog Day?”
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
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”
In “The Godfather,” What are the Names of Vito Corleone’s Three Sons?
Answer: Sonny, Fredo, and Michael
What is the Longest Film to Win The Academy Award for Best Picture?
Answer: “Gone With the Wind”
“Well, Nobody’s Perfect!” is the Final Line From Which 1959 Marilyn Monroe Comedy Classic?
Answer: “Some Like it Hot”
What are the Wicked Witch of the West’s Foot Soldiers & Guards in “The Wizard of Oz” Called?
Answer: Winkies
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
Film Composer Danny Elfman is Most Closely Associated With What Director?
Answer: Tim Burton
What is the Highest-Grossing Foreign Language Film of All Time?
Answer: “The Passion of the Christ”
Which Singer & Actress Did John Travolta Mistakenly Call “Adele Dazeem” At the Oscars?
Answer: Idina Menzel
What Object “Really Tied the Room Together” in “The Big Lebowski?”
Answer: A Rug
What is Jenny’s Last Name in “Forrest Gump?”
Answer: Curran
What is the Name of the Las Vegas Casino in Martin Scorcese’s Movie of the Same Name?
Answer: Tangiers
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”
Who Was the First Black Woman to Win the Oscar for Best Actress?
Answer: Halle Berry
What is the DeLorean’s License Plate in “Back to the Future?”
Answer: OUTATIME
What is the Name of the Baseball Player Portrayed by Frank Whaley and Burt Lancaster in “Field of Dreams?”
Answer: Archibald “Moonlight” Graham
What are the Names of the Three Stranded Astronauts in “Apollo 13?”
Answer: Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert, and Fred Haise