With more than a hundred years of history and thousands upon thousands of movies to consider, film trivia can be a pretty complicated thing. While just about everyone can properly attribute Jack Nicholson's Johnny Carson impression to The Shining or can accurately account for Luke Skywalker's true parentage, there's a litany of obscure trivia that could stump even the most learned film buffs.
From the first Oscar-winning horror film to the first female-directed flick to earn more than one hundred million dollars at the box office, here are some movie trivia questions to which most won't know the answers.
Updated on June 2nd, 2022 by Tanner Fox: Cinema is in something of a strange spot at the moment. Recent years have changed how viewers see new movies and served to further emphasize the advent of streaming services. With plenty of quality productions now headed for Netflix, Amazon, and HBO instead of the actual box office, the movie-watching experience isn't quite as universal as it once was.
Still, film has a rich and storied history, and that isn't going to change any time soon. From the first grainy reels produced in the late nineteenth century to modern-day mega-blockbusters, there's a ton of info out there for film buffs to catch up on.
What Film Was So Scary Theater Staff (Supposedly) Carried Smelling Salts For Guests?
Phantom of the Opera. At first, many might consider a plethora of guts and gore-fests like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre or The Exorcist. The shocking truth is that the film in question isn't one of the many modern horrors, but the original Phantom of the Opera.
Lon Chaney was a genius of an actor who did his own makeup for the role. His Phantom was so terrifying in its time that, according to legend, cinemas were encouraged to keep smelling salts on hand for viewers that fainted. This may have been little more than a myth to hype up the production, but it's a legend that's been attributed to the film for nearly a century.
What Was the First Movie To Use Profanity?
Gone with the Wind. While things have definitely changed since the Golden Age of films, the profanity-laced, boundary-pushing blockbusters of today owe quite a bit to a little movie called Gone With the Wind.
At one time, the words "frankly my dear, I don't give a damn" were so scandalous they made audiences' heads spin. Even with the introduction of the rating system, the once-controversial film still walks away with a G rating. It's hilariously mundane by today's standards, but it was, at one time, almost unthinkably vulguar.
How Much Power Does It Take To Fuel The Flux Capacitor in Back to the Future?
Well, it's complicated. It would take a tremendous amount of power to fuel a time machine of any size. So, it makes sense that Doc Brown would have to reach a ridiculous measurement like 1.21 gigawatts to make that Delorean move through the time-space continuum. Not to mention the fact that the car's main time-travel component is fueled by Plutonium.
This is a ridiculously large energy requirement; according to energy.gov, Doc and Marty would need over three million PV panels or 364 utility-scale wind turbines to generate that kind of power.
What Was Charles Foster Kane's "Rosebud?"
His sled. Orson Wells' Citizen Kane is more or less mandatory viewing for cinephiles, and the movie's philosophies and deeper meanings have been the constant subject of film school discussion for the better part of eighty years.
In an early scene, newspaper magnate Charles Foster Kane is heard uttering the word "Rosebud" before passing away, and it's only revealed at the very end of the movie that Rosebud was emblazoned on a sled Kane had played with as a child. In his mind, it represented his carefree childhood for which he longed in his dying days.
What Was the First Horror Movie to Win an Oscar?
The Silence of the Lambs. With films like Get Out and Black Swan taking home Oscar gold, this thought might not seem that big of a deal. But, in 1992, the horror-thriller Silence of the Lambs didn't just take home one, but five major Academy Awards.
The film not only won Best Picture, but Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Adapted Screenplay as well, making it one of the most successful and influential films to ever grace the Oscars.
Which Director Is Considered To Have Been The Worst Of All Time?
Ed Wood. It's impossible to objectively decipher which Hollywood hack should go down as the "worst director ever," but the monicker is most popularly associated with Edward D. Wood Jr., the man behind infamous disasters such as Glen or Glenda, Bride of the Monster, and Plan 9 From Outer Space.
Though he was mostly reviled during his life, he posthumously gained a cult following, and the Tim Burton-directed 1994 biopic about him, which was simply titled Ed Wood, would go on to become a highly-acclaimed hit. Some may associate the "worst director" title with Uwe Boll or Tommy Wiseau, but Wood's movies surpass the so-bad-they're-good stereotype to become truly bizarre works of art.
What Was the First Animated Feature To Be Nominated For Best Picture
Beauty and the Beast was the result of the right combination of ingredients and collaborations that resulted in what many consider Disney's perfect film. In 1991, the film was such a hit with audiences and critics that it became the first animated feature to be nominated for Best Picture. Ultimately, however, it lost in favor of The Silence of the Lambs. It did, however, win a Golden Globe for Best Musical or Comedy.
As far back as Snow White, the academy dictated that live performances should not have to compete with animated characters, so the nomination alone was a feat for the company.
What is the Number on the Roof of the Bus in Speed?
2525. Considering one of the best action movies of all time, 1994's Speed stars Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock on a bus rigged to blow up if it drops below 50 mph. Though the bus is the primary focus of the film, even the biggest fans of this film may struggle to remember the bus number 2525 which is seen on the roof in multiple shots.
What's the significance of the number? It's actually pretty simple; 25 + 25 = 50. It's as simple as that.
How Many Meters Was The Death Star's Thermal Exhaust Port?
Two meters. When Luke, Leia, Han, and Chewbacca successfully delivered R2-D2 to the Rebel Alliance in the original Star Wars, they used the technical readouts of the Death Star he was carrying to discover the battle station's weakness, that being a small thermal exhaust port. Their plan was to have X-Wing pilots fire two torpedoes into the port to set off a chain reaction that would destroy the planet-killing battle station. The problem? The mission required the skills and precision of a Jedi.
According to Luke Skywalker, this is far from impossible, as he explains he used to bullseye Womp rats in his T-16 back home on Tatooine and that they weren't much bigger than two meters. Of course, he does with some help from Han, Obi-Wan, and The Force. The fact this port even existed was a major criticism among fans for decades until 2016's Rogue One explained it was there intentionally and how Princess Leia received the readouts to begin with.
What Was The First Sports Film to Win an Academy Award for Best Picture?
Rocky. Much like the film's character of Rocky Balboa, Sylvester Stallone's Rocky overcame the odds and fought its way to become the highest-grossing film of 1976. It then went on to win three Academy Awards in total, particularly Best Picture, which shockingly beat out contenders such as All the President's Men and Taxi Driver.
It has since become one of the most iconic sports films of all time, recognized alongside cinematic endeavors such as Remember the Titans and The Blind Side.
What Was the First Movie to be Rated PG-13?
Red Dawn. On August 10, 1984, Red Dawn became the first film to be released with a PG-13 rating. The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) announced the new category on July 1, 1984. This new addition was a response to the wave of parental complaints following the release of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom in May of the same year.
The surprisingly dark sequel to Raiders of the Lost Ark wasn't exactly what parents were expecting when taking their kids to the theater for the return of Indy, and it's clear the MPAA both heard and agreed with their complaints.
6Who Was the First Female Director to Earn Over $100 Million at the Box Office?
Big. Before becoming a director, Penny Marshall was known for her role as Laverne DeFazio in the television series Laverne and Shirley. Penny Marshall made history with her second film, 1988's Big starring Tom Hanks.
This film's success made her the first female director to have a movie earn over $100 million at the box office. She would break the $100-million milestone again in 1992 with A League of Their Own, which also starred Tom Hanks along with Genna Davis, Madonna, and Rosie O'Donnell.
What Was the Name of the Young Girl In Jurassic Park?
Lex Murphy. John Hammond's granddaughter Lex plays a huge role in Steven Spielberg's 1993 blockbuster Jurassic Park.
The pre-teen hacker survives the T-Rex Jeep attack, getting sneezed on by a long-necked dinosaur, and being hunted by terrifying 'raptors in the kitchen before helping to save the day with her computer skills. While even casual fans know her as well as her particularly famous scene at the buffet with green Jell-O, few either know or can remember her name.
In What Movie Did John Wayne First Call Someone "Pilgrim?"
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. Even though the quote is often associated with John Wayne, surprisingly, his characters didn't call or refer to other characters as pilgrims all that often. Still, the first time John Wayne used his famous address to another was in 1962's The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance starring himself and Jimmy Stewart.
John Wayne became synonymous with the western genre which gained a ton of traction in the 1950s and 1960s. All in all, Wayne would make an appearance in a total of 169 films, ending with 1976's The Shootist.
What Location Served as the Setting for Many of John Hughes' Movies?
Northbrook, Illinois. Writer, producer, and director, John Hughes was the genius behind famous '80s teen flicks like The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, and Ferris Bueller's Day Off, as well as beloved classics like Home Alone and the National Lampoon's Vacation movies.
John Hughes was also known for setting many of his movies in Shermer, Illinois, a fictional suburb just outside of Chicago. This was because John Hughes himself had lived in Northbrook, Illinois. Northbrook had originally been known as Shermerville; and, in fact, his own high school was located on Shermer Road.
What Was George Lucas' Original Last Name for Indiana Jones?
Indiana Smith. George Lucas came up with the idea for Indiana Jones around the same time as Star Wars. George Lucas pitched the idea to Steven Spielberg at a Hawaiian resort while hiding out during the release of Star Wars in May of 1977. The directors later teamed up to make the film.
However, Steven Spielberg convinced George Lucas to change the lead character's name since Smith sounded too plain and ordinary. This proved to be the right move, as the name Indiana Jones has an undeniable ring to it that calls to mind silver screen thrills and movie mystique.
What's The Highest Grossing Film Of All Time?
Avatar. In the late 2000s, 3D movies were set to transition from fanciful trend to staple experience; new tech advances were making 3D TV possible on the consumer market, and blockbusters like James Cameron's Avatar had audiences donning special glasses to take in a one-of-a-kind spectacle.
Of course, this wasn't to last, and Avatar now feels like a bit of a dated product of its era. However, new movies and video games based on the property are set to debut in the near future, so Avatar could be primed for a comeback.
What is the #1 Most Inspirational Film, According to the American Film Institute?
It's a Wonderful Life. This Christmas classic directed by Frank Capra barely made an impact at the box office when it was released in 1946. Starring James Stewart, Donna Reed, and Lionel Barrymore, It's a Wonderful Life is considered one of the greatest films of all time today and continues to inspire audiences every Christmas season.
Others may have thought of the highly-acclaimed holiday comedy-drama Miracle on 34th Street which debuted a year later. Still, others may have pondered the 1983 classic A Christmas Story which was similarly met with meager fanfare when it was originally released, only becoming a hit years later.