Science-fiction is no longer relegated to the fringe communities at the edge of popular culture anymore. Instead, the last fifty years — and the last twenty especially — have seen a growing interest in science-fiction in popular culture, so much so that science-fiction as a genre is now an important part of any moment’s cultural zeitgeist.
With so much wonderful media out there to enjoy, it’s pretty much impossible to know everything about every bit of every single science-fiction movie, but that’s what trivia is for. How many of these do you already know?
10. Which actor voiced Megatron in Transformers?
With direction from Michael Bay and production from Steven Spielberg, 2007’s Transformers had all the makings of an exciting movie and, luckily, those promises paid off. The final product was a delightfully fun movie about the Transformers toys that everyone knows and loves from their childhoods.
Many actors were excited for their chance to take part in a revival of Transformers, including the actor who voiced the famous Megatron: Hugo Weaving, who is also known for his roles in fantasy movies like Elrond in The Lord of the Rings and action movies like Red Skull in Captain America: The First Avenger.
9. What is the name of Ripley’s cat in Alien?
Onboard the fictional ship the USCSS Nostromo, the crew keeps a ginger-orange cat around. In theory, the cat is only there to control rodents — the cat’s actual, official designation or job onboard the Nostromo — he actually does so much more.
He is also a companion to the crew members, as well as a source of affection, entertainment, companionship, and decompression. Though the cat’s name is Jones, Ripley tends to call him “Jonesy,” and they’re the only two creatures who survive the Xenomorph attack and the destruction of the Nostromo.
8. Which real-life NASA probe does Mark Watney hack?
The Martian is not only one of the greatest movies of the decade, but it is arguably one of the greatest movies ever made, based on one of the greatest books ever written, by Andy Weir. In The Martian, Mark Watney interacts with several real-life pieces of existing technology, including a real-life NASA probe: Mars Pathfinder.
He even comments on the recognizable “Twin Peaks” (no, not those Twin Peaks) when he takes Pathfinder back to his base and uses it to communicate with Earth in an effort to get himself back home.
7. How did Christopher Nolan get 500 acres of corn?
Christopher Nolan’s 2014 film Interstellar received positive reviews for its story and for its visuals, especially the latter. Christopher Nolan put a lot of work into making the settings and props seem as real and breathtaking as he could, and his huge field of corn was no exception.
Rather than use CGI or an existing cornfield, Christopher Nolan actually chose to plant five hundred acres of corn for the farm scenes in Interstellar. Not only that, but when the filming on Interstellar was completed, he also had the corn harvested and sold for a profit.
6. Which book is the movie Blade Runner based on?
The late author Philip K. Dick is synonymous with science-fiction these days, just as it was while he was still alive. He wrote some of the greatest science-fiction books and short stories of his time, including The Man in the High Castle, “We Can Remember It for You Wholesale,” and The Minority Report, all of which later became famous movies (“We Can Remember It for You Wholesale” becoming Total Recall).
He also wrote Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, sometimes reprinted as Blade Runner: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, because it was adapted to become the classic film Blade Runner!
5. What were the protein blocks in Snowpiercer actually made of?
In Bong Joon-ho’s science-fiction thriller Snowpiercer, the audience finds out that the lower classes, at the back of the train, are given little to no food while the people at the front of the train eat well. For a while, the people at the back of the train don’t get any food or water; this goes on for a month, necessitating that they cannibalize each other.
After this, the characters are given protein bars filled with gelatinized cockroaches. However, the real recipe was a little more palatable: Bong Joon-ho said the protein block was made of seaweed, tangle, sugar, and gelatin, which actor Jamie Bell apparently hated, while actor Tilda Swinton actually liked it.
4. What was the name of Luke Skywalker’s childhood friend who dies during the Battle of Yavin?
Luke Skywalker doesn’t grow up royalty on a planet like Alderaan, like his twin sister, Leia Organa, did. Instead, Luke Skywalker grows up as a moisture farmer with his Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru on Tatooine. He has many friends that he grows up with, friends that he mentions missing very much at the beginning of Star Wars: A New Hope, and one of those friends is present at the Battle of Yavin with Luke.
Tragically, he’s not only there. He also dies during the Battle of Yavin. That friend was none other than Biggs Darklighter, another classic George Lucas name.
3. When does Metropolis take place?
Fritz Lang’s 1927 film Metropolis is now considered to be one of the most influential movies in the science-fiction film canon, though it was received with mixed reviews when it first aired in the 1920s. Many loved how beautiful and innovative the movie was; many also found the plot to be silly, confusing, or just plain not good.
While that all remains to personal opinion, one exciting part of this movie is that it’s set in 2026. That must have seemed so far away when the movie came out, but now this is a mere six years away.
2. Which famous sci-fi actors appeared in both Star Wars and Ex Machina?
Two close friends appeared in multiple enjoyable science-fiction movies this decade. First starring in 2014’s Ex Machina, then going on to star in the entire Star Wars sequel trilogy — with both of them appearing in 2015’s Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens, 2017’s Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi, and 2019’s Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker — these two guys really have it all.
These two famous sci-fi actors are none other than Domhnall Gleeson (Caleb in Ex Machina, General Hux in Star Wars) and Oscar Isaac (Nathan in Ex Machina, Poe Dameron in Star Wars).
1. What brand of beer does Jim Kirk drink in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home?
In arguably the best movie in the Star Trek film franchise, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, directed by Spock actor Leonard Nimoy, Captain Jim Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise must go back in time to the latter half of the 20th century.
While in 1986, Jim Kirk goes out to eat Dr. Gillian Taylor, and she orders a large pizza and a Michelob, which Jim Kirk orders, too, following her lead. He is not, however, particularly thrilled with the taste of the beer once he actually gets it. Not a glowing review for Michelob!