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October 13, 2004

Pop Culture Quiz

UPDATE! Answers to the following quiz have been posted at this link.

Since I started this blog, I've dropped a lot of pop-culture references as they relate to politics, but pretty much I've avoided really getting into pop culture at all. I'm a pop culture freak -- well, at least I'm a freak for bad male-oriented 80's-90's pop culture -- but I figured a blog needed a focus, and this blog's focus was pretty much politics.

But every time I post something having to do with pop culture, I get busloads of comments. I had no idea so many readers were starving to discuss Eddie and the Cruisers, Streets of Fire (greatest. film. ever.) or the career of William Peterson.

When I was posting at Slate's Fray, and then The Perfect World, I wrote a lot about movies. People who generally despised me for my gonzo Republicanism actually seemed to kind of liked what I had to say about, say, the Ace of Spades Superfluous Handsome Man Postulate (which says, basically, that a movie needs only one handsome young man; if it has two, then the second handsome man is superfluous and is either 1) the friend who's going to be killed partway through Act II as in Speed or 2) the villain, as in SnakeEyes).

So, I don't know. I don't want to alienate my readers who have an entirely political interest, but it does seem that I sort of have the green-light to discuss something that I'm probably even more interested in than politics. Well, I'd rather discuss politics when my side is winning, but when my side is losing ground, sometimes I'd rather talk about the homoerotic imagery in The Lost Boys.

No, this doesn't mean I'm going to stop doing politics. Don't be silly. It took me ten months of blogging to get up to a semi-respectable readership based on politics; I'm not going to just turn this into Ace's 80's Music & Movies Fan Club. But, hey, when I've got nothing much interesting to say about politics anyway, why not talk movies?

Okay, so this is a dumb little quiz I've thought about for exactly three seconds. I can't guarantee that my answers are actually right-- I'm very sketchy about this In the Dark question, for example. But, as Jack Burton says, "What the hell."

Absolutely NO GOOGLING. You either know it or you don't, Chief. Violators will be hunted down and killed.

1) Name three songs by The Fixx.

2) What was INXS's first legtimate hit? (I'm looking for the radio hit of Shaboo Shabah. That's before Listen Like Thieves and Kick.)

3) Asked before, but I'll ask again, because it's a cool question series:

a) Name the one human being who has been assaulted and/or killed by an Alien (from Alien), a Predator, and a Terminator.

b) Apart from the person who is the answer to a), name three other people who've been assaulted and/or killed by both an Alien and a Terminator.

c) Apart from the person who is the answer to a), name one other person who's been assaulted and/or killed by both a Terminator and a Predator. (This is sort of a trick question.)

4) What is the (original) Green Arrow's real name? Bonus points for the new Green Arrow's name.

5) Name as many human Green Lanterns, former or active, as you can. Don't give me those silly alien ones. Well, you can show off, but I'll have no idea if you're right or not.

6) Name the original leader of the IMF (the Mission Impossible team, not the int'l monetary fund); the actor who played him; where you've seen him lately; and (I think I know the answer to this!) why he quit the Mission: Impossible show.

7) What is the connection between Genesis' ABACAB and Billy Squier's In the Dark? (Hint: This is a music-geek question; Caveat: I only heard a DJ say this, and I have no idea if it's actually true)

8) (Asked before) Who's been defeated by James Bond, Axel Foley, and Prince?

9) How fucking hot is Joanna Whalley Kilmer, especially in The Man Who Knew Too Little in the French Maid outfit? NOTE: If you say "not hot at all," you are no longer allowed to read this site.

10) What was Val Kilmer's character's name in "Willow"? Bonus points: How bad did that movie suck?

11) What is Sylvester Stallone's improbable name in the arm-wrestling extravaganza Over the Top, and what signature move does he do to will himself to win?

12) What's Kim Cattral's name in Big Trouble in Little China? Bonus: What is Jack Burton's answer when asked, "Aren't you even going to kiss her?" as he leaves at the end of the film?

13) What are the first and last songs on Elvis Costello's Punch the Clock?

14) In Prince's U Got the Look, he says "Your face is jammin'," and "your body's" something else. What?

15) Name Badfinger's one and only hit. Who produced the record?

16) You all know Ballroom Blitz. Name another song by The Sweet.

17) Name one song by April Wine.

18) Name one song by (ahem-- no one's going to get this) by Planet P.

19) Name one song by Red Rider. It's a big one, really. And bonus: What's that guy's latest hit? That's an undeniably big one.

20) Name the only hit by Talk Talk.

21) Name two songs by Golden Earring. Everyone knows one. But I need two.

22) Duran Duran split up in the late eighties to form a couple of side-groups. What was the name of the Simon LeBon/Nick Rhodes group, and what was their hit (or semi-hit)?

23) What heavily promoted guitar prodigy sung and performed "Beat's So Lonely"?

24) What three fairly-major actors show up in bit parts in Fast Times at Ridgemont High? (I think they're all Spicoli's buddies.)

25) In Fast Times, Ratner is advised that he shouldn't care if a girl "something, something, something, or something." His toes should still be "tapping." Fill in the blanks.

26) "No, take that back." What's the context? (For some reason, we said this a lot in high school. Like, a lot.)

27) Ratner is advised that he should always, whenever possible, play a certain side of a certain album on a date. What album, which side? And: how well does he take this advice?

28) What color are Peter Parker's eyes in the comic books?

29) In Blade Runner, how many androids does Dekker's chief tell him have escaped and must be hunted down? How man androids actually seem to actually be named and accounted for in the film?

30) What band did Joan Jett start out with, and which band-mate from that band turned out to have a so-so career as a heavy metal chick?

31) Cory Haim has an, ahem, curious poster up on his wall in The Lost Boys. Who's on that poster? HINT: It ain't Nastassia Kinsky with the snake, I'll tell ya that.

32) What's Robocop's actual full name?

33) What TV show does Robocop's son enjoy watching, from which Robocop gets his gunslinging manuever?

34) What's Kurt Russel's character's name (first initials required!) in The Thing?

35) No one's going to get this, because it was left on the cutting room floor: In The Thing, Childs and Palmer have a joint, ahem, project together. Their mutual hobby and interest is actually never shown in the actual movie. But hey-- it's trivia. What do these two do together in their spare time?

36) Deleted from some television showings and early videotapes of The Thing is a pop song (the only one, I think) that appeared in the original movie. What was the song?

37) What is spray-painted on the broken-down tractor-trailer seen in the first few minutes of The Road Warrior? (The trailer is of course seen later on, too.)

38) Who do the Oasis Children mistake Mad Max for in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome? (Need a name; we all know what they think his job is.)

39) In the Mad Max series, it's always kind of vague about what the nature of the apocalypse was that destroyed the world. But in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, there does seem to be a clue. What's the clue?

40) What's Mad Max's actual name?

Well, that's all I have for now. Like most trivial questions, they're either too easy or too hard.

posted by Ace at 05:34 AM

Comments

1) Name three songs by The Fixx.

A: Saved by Zero, One thing Leads to Another,???

2) What was INXS's first legtimate hit? (I'm looking for the radio hit of Shaboo Shabah. That's before Listen Like Thieves and Kick.)

A: One Thing??

3) Asked before, but I'll ask again, because it's a cool question series:

c) Apart from the person who is the answer to a), name one other person who's been assaulted and/or killed by both a Terminator and a Predator. (This is sort of a trick question.)

A: Arnold Scwharzenegger

9) How fucking hot is Joanna Whalley Kilmer, especially in The Man Who Knew Too Little in the French Maid outfit? NOTE: If you say "not hot at all," you are no longer allowed to read this site.

A: 8 1/2

10) What was Val Kilmer's character's name in "Willow"? Bonus points: How bad did that movie suck?

A: MAdmartigan, worse than a 4 toothed 3 dollar whore.

14) In Prince's U Got the Look, he says "Your face is jammin'," and "you're body is" something else. What?

A: slammin

15) Name Badfinger's one and only hit.

WHo the heck is Badfinger?!?!

17) Name one song by April Wine.

A: Just etween you and me.

19) Name one song by Red Rider. It's a big one, really. And bonus: What's that guy's latest hit? That's an undeniably big one.

A; Lunatic Fringe; Life is a Highway

20) Name the only hit by Talk Talk.

A; Argggh. I know I know this. Crap....

21) Name two songs by Golden Earring. Everyone knows one. But I need two.

A: Radar Love; When the Bullet Hits the Bone

27) Ratner is advised that he should always play side 2 of Led Zeppelin 4 on a date. How well does he take this advice?

A: Wasn't it side 1?

30) What band did Joan Jett start out with, and which band-mate from that band turned out to have a so-so career as a heavy metal chick?

A; Blackhawks

Posted by: Jimmy P. on October 13, 2004 06:08 AM

1) Name three songs by The Fixx.

Save by Zero, One Thing Leads to Another, Red Skies

2) What was INXS's first legtimate hit? (I'm looking for the radio hit of Shaboo Shabah. That's before Listen Like Thieves and Kick.)

The One Thing

16) You all know Ballroom Blitz. Name another song by The Sweet.

Fox on the Run

17) Name one song by April Wine.

Just Between You and Me

20) Name the only hit by Talk Talk.

Life’s What you Make it (also did Its my Life)

21) Name two songs by Golden Earring. Everyone knows one. But I need two.

Twilight Zone is their big hit; can’t remember any others

22) Duran Duran split up in the late eighties to form a couple of side-groups. What was the name of the Simon LeBon/Nick Rhodes group, and what was their hit (or semi-hit)?

Arcadia; Election Day

29) In Blade Runner, how many androids does Dekker's chief tell him have escaped and must be hunted down? How man androids actually seem to actually be named and accounted for in the film?

Five; four (unless you assume Decker is an android too)

30) What band did Joan Jett start out with, and which band-mate from that band turned out to have a so-so career as a heavy metal chick?

The Blackhearts?

I’m amazed I remember that much!

Posted by: Kirk on October 13, 2004 07:35 AM

15. Badfinger had more than one hit depending on how you define the word, but I think you're thinking of "Come and Get It", produced by Paul McCartney. (The others were "Baby Blue", "No Matter What", and "Day After Day".)

16. *Two* more songs by The Sweet: "Fox on the Run" and "Little Willy". My God, I'm old.

21. "Radar Love" and "Twilight Zone".

25. "Comes, lays, stays, or prays". Something like that.

27. Side 1 of Led Zeppelin IV.

30. The Runaways, and Lita Ford.

34. RJ MacReady.

That's all I got.

Posted by: Kerry on October 13, 2004 08:01 AM

Snotnosed 80s punks.

30. Joan Jett started back in the 70s with the Runaways, the hottest jailbait band of all time. Her bandmates included Lita Ford. No hits 'cept maybe "Cherry Bomb."

oh, and

16. Another hit by the Sweet? Wham bam bam

22. The Duran Duran side project was Power Station, and their hit was a remake of T Rex's infinitely better (Get it On) Bang A Gong.

Posted by: iowahawk on October 13, 2004 08:31 AM

I refuse to answer any of these on the grounds that it may incriminate me as someone who has way too many of those records.

Posted by: Andrea Harris on October 13, 2004 08:34 AM

23. Charlie Sexton? I was a huge fan of Arc Angel when he teamed up with the left overs of SRV's Double Trouble.

These are all guy questions. Channel your inner female, Ace.

What? Not a single Footloose question?

Valley Girl questions. That chick from Streets of Fire was in Valley Girl. Plus Nick Cage was so freakin' hot with that shaved chest hair.

What about the single greatest video of the 80s, John Waite singing "Change" the highly dramatic video where he saves the girl from jumping off the ledge?

The new phenomena called the Movie Sequel. Grease II, Return to Blue Lagoon, Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.

Soda Pop and Ponyboy in the Outsiders with Cherry played by Diane Lane.

Btw, lots of fun :)

Posted by: Jennifer on October 13, 2004 08:53 AM

3a) Bill Paxton
4) Oliver Queen is the original. Connor Hawke is the current Green Arrow.
5) Hal Jordan, Guy Gardner, John Stewart, Kyle Rayner, and I think Alan Scott should count. And Jade.
10) Madmartigan. It sucked seven times as much as LEGEND.
12) Gracie Law. "Nope."
28) Blue
29) Six androids are cited; ultimately, five (Roy Baty, Pris, Zhora, Leon, unnamed one said to be electrocuted breaking into Tyrell's) are accounted four. Is Rachel the sixth replicant? C'mon, even for a Philip K. Dick movie, that makes no sense.
34) MacReady, but the initials .. damn.
35) Is it the pot plants they're growing?
40) Max Rockatansky.

Try the Thing video game. It's great.

Posted by: Steve Johnson on October 13, 2004 09:07 AM

Oh fine...I will officially declare myself an 80's geek:

18) Name one song by (ahem-- no one's going to get this) by Planet P.

Off their first album (yes, they released more...) there was King For A Day (great song, a lot of fun) and their one 'hit' 'Why Me' (sort of a follow-up/sequel to Bowie's 'Captain Tom' song).

Their second album (basically Planet P was Tony Carey and his synthesizers) was a concept album called Pink World about a little boy who was a jesus figure and there's a lot of short songs on the 2 LPs (it's available on a double CD as well) about not drinking the water in some odd post-apocalyptic future.

Worth picking up for that incredible 'I remember the 80's' vibe that only the best VH1 specials ever attain.

Also recommended: Pseudo Echo ('Listening' and 'Funky Town' being their only 'hits'), Real Life ('Send Me An Angel' and 'Catch Me I'm Falling'), and King ('Won't You Hold My Hand Now' and 'Love and Pride').

Posted by: Peter on October 13, 2004 09:29 AM

I'll just cherrypick the ones that others haven't gotten yet.

6) Name the original leader of the IMF (the Mission Impossible team, not the int'l monetary fund); the actor who played him; where you've seen him lately; and (I think I know the answer to this!) why he quit the Mission: Impossible show.

His name was Daniel Briggs and he was played by Steven Hill - better known as the crusty original District Attorney (and by far the best!) on "Law and Order". As for why he left the show, I can't say for sure. What I recall hearing is that he was (is?) an Orthodox Jew and the shooting schedule of the show conflicted with his religious beliefs.

11) What is Sylvester Stallone's improbable name in the arm-wrestling extravaganza Over the Top, and what signature move does he do to will himself to win?

I remember three things about that movie: 1) Stallone's character was named Lincoln Hawk; 2) He said the memorable line, "the world don't meet nobody halfway"; and 3) Terry Funk had a prominent role in that movie.

I can't recall the arm-wrestling move.

12) What's Kim Cattral's name in Big Trouble in Little China? Bonus: What is Jack Burton's answer when asked, "Aren't you even going to kiss her?" as he leaves at the end of the film?

Her name was Gracia Law (because she was, you know, a lawyer!) and his reply to the question "Aren't you even going to kiss her goodbye?" was "Nope".

COUNTER TRIVIA! "Big Trouble in Little China" was originally intended to be the sequel to what other 80's cult sci-fi movie?

32) What's Robocop's actual full name?

Officer Alex J. Murphy

33) What TV show does Robocop's son enjoy watching, from which Robocop gets his gunslinging manuever?

Dammit, I know this one. I always thought that Paul Verhoven must have had "TJ Hooker" in mind when he thought of the show.

38) Who do the Oasis Children mistake Mad Max for in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome? (Need a name; we all know what they think his job is.)

Wasn't it Captain...something. Walton or Walker or something like that. I remember they all wanted him to fly them to "tomorrow-morrow" land.

40) What's Mad Max's actual name?

Crap. It was Max...Rocktinsy or Rockatinski. I can never remember it correctly. I believe they only alluded to it in the first of the movies - and that was fairly early on.

Posted by: Jimmie on October 13, 2004 09:30 AM

Oh yeah. One more.

20) Name the only hit by Talk Talk.

"It's my Life" - lately remade by No Doubt (which is where my brother found it and reminded me of it)

Posted by: Jimmie on October 13, 2004 09:33 AM

9) How fucking hot is Joanna Whalley Kilmer, especially in The Man Who Knew Too Little in the French Maid outfit?
Very Hot. But if I remember correctly, she gets naked (thus, hotter) in Scandal

16)Name another song by The Sweet.
AC-DC

17) Name one song by April Wine.
I Like to Rock

20) Name the only hit by Talk Talk.
Talk Talk (All you do to me is talk talk)

24) What three fairly-major actors show up in bit parts in Fast Times at Ridgemont High? (I think they're all Spicoli's buddies.)
Forest Whitaker, Eric Stoltz...

27) Ratner is advised that he should always, whenever possible, play a certain side of a certain album on a date. What album, which side?
Rat tells him to play side 1 of Zeppelin4, he plays Kashmir from Physical Graffiti.

32) What's Robocop's actual full name?
Something Murphy

Posted by: eagle_fan on October 13, 2004 09:40 AM

Oh jesus. I was BORN in 1980...but I'm big into 1980's culture. Okay, WITHOUT looking at any other answers...and I'm only doing this because you namechecked one of my favorite 1980's albums (Abacab, no capitalization) by my favorite band in my entire 3000+ CD collection...

1.) Ha! "One Thing Leads To Another" was their first hit, then followed by "Sign Of Fire" and "Saved By Zero." Bow down before my 1980's rock/pop geekiness! Bring on the Talk Talk questions!

2.) Everyone will say "The One Thing," but it's really "Don't Change." That was an earlier 'radio' hit in America.

3.)

a.) Bill Paxton
b.) Lance Henriksen, Michael Biehn, and I couldn't name the third. Hope it wasn't from that fucking lame Alien Vs. Predator bullshit.
c.) Arnold Schwarzenegger, of course.

6.) Peter Graves?

7.) Abacab is one of my favorite 80's albums, but other than the fact that they were both released in 1981, I simply don't know. Did Hugh Padgham produce "In The Dark," perhaps?

9.) Hotter than any earthly imagination can capture.

10.) Madmartigan. It was bad, but not THAT bad. Generally, films with midgets have a pretty high suck factor, though. Kilmer was the best part of the film.

11.) Lincoln Hawk! And I have no idea. I only know his name from an MST3K reference I once hunted down.

12.) Gracie Law? And "Nope."

13.) "Let Them All Talk," "Shipbuilding." Weak album, especially after Imperial Bedroom.

15.) "Come And Get It," written and produced by Paul McCartney.

20.) Good god. I didn't even know you'd have a Talk Talk question when I made my challenge in question 1. Obviously, their only US hit was "Life's What You Make It."

21.) "Radar Love," of course and..."Twilight Zone."

22.) The Power Station, and a godawful version of "Bang A Gong (Get It On)."

27.) Side 1 of Led Zeppelin IV (the untitled one). Which makes no sense, since it's side TWO which has the better "get it on" songs.

28.) I don't read comics, but I'm guessing they were green. Just because that would be SO lame.

34.) ALRIGHT: This is one of my favorite movies, and I normally hate horror movies. Russell's name was MacReady...but the first initials? RK?

35.) They grow high-grade, hydroponic weed. Told you I was a fan! IIRC, there was also a scene cut where they torch it just to make sure, because they think it might BE The Thing. Great, great movie.

36.) DAMN. I used to know this.

Posted by: Jeff B. on October 13, 2004 10:04 AM

16) You all know Ballroom Blitz. Name another song by The Sweet.

Their highest-charting song was "Fox on the Run." You may also recognize "Love Is Like Oxygen" and another song which I won't name lest it immediately become stuck in your head.

Posted by: Salieri on October 13, 2004 10:19 AM

DAMN...somebody beat me to the comics questions; I know my Green Lantern and Green Arrow. I'll just add that, for the record, Ollie Queen (the quintessential liberal) has been back from the dead for a few years and is now teaming with Connor in a new GA series. Hal Jordan (the arch conservative when he's not offing fellow GLs) will be back from the dead starting next month, too, in a new GL series.. I know way too much about this stuff...

Great quiz!

Posted by: TSL on October 13, 2004 10:20 AM

Oh, yeah, and I thought the big Power Station hit was "Some Like it Hot?"

I was more of an Escape Club fan, myself...

Posted by: TSL on October 13, 2004 10:26 AM

I swear on my soon-to-be-resurrected grandmother (if Kerry pulls the election out) that I read no other comments before posting.

1) Name three songs by The Fixx.

Red Skies At Night, One Thing Leads To Another, Saved By Zero

2) What was INXS's first legtimate hit? (I'm looking for the radio hit of Shaboo Shabah. That's before Listen Like Thieves and Kick.)

The One Thing

4) What is the (original) Green Arrow's real name? Bonus points for the new Green Arrow's name.

What the hell is a "Green Arrow"?

14) In Prince's U Got the Look, he says "Your face is jammin'," and "your body's" something else. What?

Slammin'

15) Name Badfinger's one and only hit. Who produced the record?

They had at least two hits: "No Matter Where You Are" and "Baby Blue". Produced by George Martin or Paul McCartney, can't remember which.

16) You all know Ballroom Blitz. Name another song by The Sweet.

Love Is Like Oxygen.

7) Name one song by April Wine.

Coulda Been A Lady
Shot Down
I Like To Rock

18) Name one song by (ahem-- no one's going to get this) by Planet P.

Why Me?

20) Name the only hit by Talk Talk.

It's My Life. They also had a minor hit (in the US) with an eponymous song.

21) Name two songs by Golden Earring. Everyone knows one. But I need two.

Twilight Zone
Radar Love

22) Duran Duran split up in the late eighties to form a couple of side-groups. What was the name of the Simon LeBon/Nick Rhodes group, and what was their hit (or semi-hit)?

Asia? "I Died In Your Arms Last Night"?

28) What color are Peter Parker's eyes in the comic books?

Blue.

30) What band did Joan Jett start out with, and which band-mate from that band turned out to have a so-so career as a heavy metal chick?

Lita Ford is the heavy metal chick. Now I won't be able to sleep tonight until I get the name of that band...

Posted by: Tongueboy on October 13, 2004 10:28 AM

For those saying "It's My Life" is Talk Talk's only (US) hit...it's a good song, but I didn't think it was a hit over here. Could they have had two?

Oh well. Great band anyway. One of the best British new-wave pop groups of the era, and their last two (totally different-sounding) albums are justly considered landmarks.

Posted by: Jeff B. on October 13, 2004 10:30 AM

9. So hot that I think she contributed to global warming.

24. Eric Stoltz, Anthony Edwards, Nicholas Cage

25. "comes, stays, lays or prays"

Posted by: Steve L. on October 13, 2004 10:34 AM

I assume the Badfinger hit you're talking about is "Come and Get It," which was produced by Paul McCartney, IIRC. But they also had hits with "Day after Day" and "No Matter What." "No Matter What," of course, is also one of the greatest power-pop songs ever.

Posted by: Mike on October 13, 2004 10:48 AM

3(b) The third person on the list is the woman who played Vazquez in *Aliens* and John Connor's stepmom in *Terminator 2*. I wanna say her name is Jenette Goldstein? But I think that's not exactly right.

Posted by: David C on October 13, 2004 10:51 AM

8. A hazy guess, but Grace Jones?

Posted by: David C on October 13, 2004 10:54 AM

14. hecka slammin'

22. Arcadia "Election Day"

Posted by: Mrs C on October 13, 2004 10:59 AM

Good, good. I think everyone's got most of the questions.

On Badfinger, I confess ignorance. I meant "Come and Get It." I didn't know they had other hits.

Re: Talk Talk, I had no idea they did "It's My Life." I figured that was someone like Human League or something. I was thinking of the song Talk Talk, off the album Talk Talk.

FOLLOW UP: What classic, classic 80's comedy features Talk Talk's Talk Talk during its nightclub scene?

A lot of people are saying Power Station for the Duran Duran sub-group, but that's the other group. The Simon LeBon group was Arcadia, who hit with Election Day, as a lot of people got.

In U Got the Look, the body is "heck-a-slammin'," not just slammin'. Mrs. C got this.

The first song on Punch the Clock is Let Them All Talk but the last song isn't Shipbuilding. I don't even know if Shipbuilding is on that record at all.

Posted by: ace on October 13, 2004 11:57 AM

Oh, and I might have screwed up the INXS question. I meant "The One Thing," but as someone pointed out, that "Don't Change" might be counted as a hit too. Don't know which was first; I'll figure that out by googling.

Posted by: ace on October 13, 2004 12:02 PM

Wow. Lotta The Sweet songs. I was just thinking of Love is Like Oxygen. Now I've got Wee Willy stuck in my head.

Posted by: ace on October 13, 2004 12:03 PM

1) Secret Separation, Deeper & Deeper, Less cities More moving people

2) The Main Thing? The One Thing?

3) a) Dallas (Captain of the Nostromo), Carl Weathers, and Joe Morton b) a)Lance Hendrickson, Bill Pullman & Harry Dean Stanton? c) Lance Hendrickson again

4) ???

5) ???

6) ???

7) Both were recorded around the same time 1980/1981?

8) ???

9) Hot

10) ???; ???

11) I saw this in the theaters in the summer of 1986 with my friends, but apart from Stalone driving his truck into Robert Loggias Mansion to get his son back I forgot everything else about this movie.

12) ???; ???

13) ???; ???

14) Hell-a-Slammin

15) Day After Day; George Martin

16) AC/DC; the Six Teens; Fox on the Run; Action; Yesterday's Rain; Love is Like Oxygen

17) ???Name one song by April Wine.

18) Why Me? [hit in the summer of 1983 I think]

19) Lunatic Fringe, Power, Napoleon Sheds His Skin; Life Is A Highway

20) Its My Life

21) Radar Love; Twilight Zone

22) Arcadia; Election Day

23) Charlie Sexton

24) Anthony Edwards, Eric Stoltz [the Micheal Caine of my generation], ???

25) ???

26) ???

27) Side two of Led Zep 4; he plays side two of Physical Graffitti

28) ???

29) 6/5?

30) The Runaways; Lita Ford

31) Wacko Jacko?

32) Decker?

33) TJ Lazer

34) ???

35) Grow pot?

36) In The Midnoght Hour?

37) ???

38) ???

39) ???

40) ???

Posted by: Robert Paulson on October 13, 2004 12:22 PM

11) What is Sylvester Stallone's improbable name in the arm-wrestling extravaganza Over the Top, and what signature move does he do to will himself to win?

People have already said Lincoln Hawk but not the move.

It is hard to explain but Sly would sort of curl his fingers over the opponent's hand. I can see him doing it now.

Of course I should add that before he even sat down to wrestle, Stallone always turned his ball cap around.

Posted by: GFD on October 13, 2004 12:28 PM

Ah, memories. The good thing about those times;

We young people dressed so nice. Grunge had not yet turned us into the filthy looking ragbags which confront us today. I don't care how old that makes me seem.

Pants were worn at the waist, in the correct size. Back then, if you saw some guy stumbling down the street with his pants around his knees and his underwear exposed, you'd call a social worker. Today that mess is considered FASHION.

Bad thing; sometimes pants were worn so high they covered the lower ribs. But whatever.

Posted by: lauraw on October 13, 2004 12:36 PM

ACE, think THE DOWD FORMULA would work here?

Posted by: rdbrewer on October 13, 2004 12:57 PM

31) Susan Summers Maha poster ? dunno why the Clashs'London Calling poster seems to jump to mind as well.

37) Earth

Posted by: Cal on October 13, 2004 01:11 PM

RD, I don't know what you mean. Please explain.

Posted by: ace on October 13, 2004 01:27 PM

Streets of Fire!

Oh man, this is my chance to wheel out this bit of personal trivia:

After I broke my wrist in seventh week of basic training (in 1984), I had to spend an extra month hanging around Fr. Leonard Wood, Missouri, waiting for the damn thing to heal.

I mowed lawns most of that time, giant multi-acre parade ground lawns, with a push mower, in Missouri, in July.

But, the good part was that I had a little more freedom than the average recruit, including the freedom to see the occasional movie at the Post movie theater.

Long story short: I saw Streets of Fire five times.

A great movie.

Posted by: H.D. Miller on October 13, 2004 01:32 PM

People have already answered most of them, but ...

26) "No, take that back." What's the context? (For some reason, we said this a lot in high school. Like, a lot.)

A: Said by Stacy to Damone after Damone claims "you wanted it as much as I did!" And his memory would appear to be correct.

27) Ratner is advised that he should always, whenever possible, play a certain side of a certain album on a date. What album, which side? And: how well does he take this advice?

A: Side two of Led Zeppelin 4? And they immediately cut to a shot of Ratner on his date, driving while "Kashmir" plays through the car stereo. But "Kashmir" is from a different album, "Physical Graffiti."

33) What TV show does Robocop's son enjoy watching, from which Robocop gets his gunslinging manuever?

A: T.J. Laser (possibly spelled T.J. Lazer)?

36) Deleted from some television showings and early videotapes of The Thing is a pop song (the only one, I think) that appeared in the original movie. What was the song?

A: "Superstition" by Stevie Wonder? I think this song was absent from home video versions until the special edition DVD.

And I also just thought I'd point out:

-The Power Station's lead singer was Robert Palmer, who passed away about a year ago. Surprised so many of you took the bait - the specific references to *two* side projects, and this one having Simon LeBon, should have alerted you that Ace wasn't looking for Power Station. Mere mortals.

-Jeanette Goldstein (sp?) could also be the answer to the trivia question: "Name an actor who was attacked by an Alien, a Terminator, and an iceberg."

Posted by: Sky on October 13, 2004 01:35 PM

Ace, meant THE DOWD-O-MATIC.

Posted by: rdbrewer on October 13, 2004 01:46 PM

Oh, yeah: "I"

Posted by: on October 13, 2004 01:47 PM

Actually, Damone told Stacy that she wanted it MORE than he did.

Here's a related trivia question:

Name the actor who was killed by a Terminator and (indirectly) a product of 20th century genetic engineering.

Posted by: Steve in Houston on October 13, 2004 02:45 PM

(related to Ace's questions, not Stacy and Damone having sex)

Posted by: Steve in Houston on October 13, 2004 02:45 PM

Actually, Damone told Stacy that she wanted it MORE than he did

Yuhp.

Okay, most questions have now been answered. I'll try to slap together the answers tonight or tomorrow.

No one's got any clue on ABACAB/In the Dark? Way Off Bass? No one?

Heck, maybe I just screwed that one up.

Posted by: ace on October 13, 2004 02:48 PM

And look, on The Fixx, don't any of you big-time (or so you say) Streets of Fire fans have anything to contribute?

Anything at all?

Was that question too deep for you?

Posted by: ace on October 13, 2004 02:49 PM

RD,

Okay, but I still don't get what you mean by the Dowd-O-Matic reference. Are you criticizing me for doing a pop culture post?

Not offended; just asking. I don't really get the connection.

I'm a moron. Explain it to me in moronic terms.

Posted by: ace on October 13, 2004 02:55 PM

Oh jesus. I wasn't thinking, Ace.

The last song on Punch The Clock is "The World And His Wife." Which is actually a pretty good song, if you hear Costello performing it acoustic.

"Shipbuilding" is indeed on that album (the best song on the album, really), but I think it ends side one.

Posted by: Jeff B. on October 13, 2004 03:17 PM

Yeah, right. I remembered that Shipbuilding was on the album; I forgot it was, because I always skipped it.

Hate that song, and I don't get why everyone thinks it's so damn good.

I like World & His Wife just fine on the album. Love the lyrics.

Posted by: ace on October 13, 2004 03:24 PM

Well, you probably are gagging on the sappy antiwar message of "Shipbuilding." But I like the Chet Baker solo, and the nice piano chord progression.

The lyrics to "The World And His Wife" are fantastic. A real Irish wake, that one is.

Posted by: Jeff B. on October 13, 2004 03:25 PM

Nah, I completely forgot it was anti-war. I hate the music.

Posted by: ace on October 13, 2004 03:27 PM

By the way, Ace, I'm immensely enjoying this pop-culture quiz. And any Dowdifying complaints notwithstanding, I'd like to see further installments. Fun stuff.

More semi-obscure 60's/70's/80's music questions, too. In fact, focus on prog rock to make it super-nerdy!

By the way, what was the answer to the Abacab question, by the way? I know literally everything about that album and how it was recorded, produced, played, etc. (I'm a disturbingly enthusiastic fan of Genesis.) I can tell you instantly whether you're on-target with your question or not.

Posted by: Jeff B. on October 13, 2004 03:36 PM

All right, the answer is supposed to be, if I'm remembering the right BS song, that the chord progression in In the Dark is, in fact, A-B-A-C-A-B.

Posted by: ace on October 13, 2004 03:39 PM

FUCK!

I think I may have meant Lonely is the Night!

Posted by: ace on October 13, 2004 03:40 PM

just a random stab, at the stallone armwrestling move since all the other ones i know have been answered: as has been mentioned, he like curls his fingers around the other guy's hand, but it actually snaps the guy's forearm out through the skin.
unless there's another stallone armwrestling scene somewhere, which is ceartainly a possibility

Posted by: francisthegreat on October 13, 2004 03:49 PM

Well, people keep saying that. I was looking for something simpler, that someone else mentioned, but maybe it's not right.

I was just looking for him doing the "switch-on" by turning his cap around.

Posted by: ace on October 13, 2004 04:13 PM

17) April Wine- "If You See Kay". Classic.

Posted by: Jack Grey on October 13, 2004 04:18 PM

Dude: I have a movie trivia question for YOU! What movie has the most Academy Award winners in it? The actor/actress could have won the award in the past, for that movie, and in the future. I don't necessarily know the answer, it's just something I've wondered about.

Posted by: Madfish Willie on October 13, 2004 04:19 PM

I don't know. I don't really know Academy Award trivia. I don't really keep up with that.

I watch movies that have guns and Maria Conchita Alonzo in them. They're not frequently feted at the Oscars.

Posted by: ace on October 13, 2004 04:35 PM

Guns and MCA?

So, Running Man must be one of your favorite movies?

This was a lot of fun, thanks Ace!

Posted by: Peter on October 13, 2004 04:59 PM

Back to Jimmie's 'Counter-Trivia':

"Big Trouble in Little China" originally was meant to be a sequel to "The Adventures of Buckaroo Bonzai in the Eighth Dimension" (may not have the title perfect from working memory...)

Posted by: LDH on October 13, 2004 05:01 PM

Okay, but I still don't get what you mean by the Dowd-O-Matic reference. Are you criticizing me for doing a pop culture post?

Not at all, bro. I don't see you using wordplay like a carpenter uses nails--or at all, for that matter. I thought it might be funny to parody her schtick, 80's style.

Posted by: rdbrewer on October 13, 2004 05:02 PM

Don't bother, it was "Don't Change". I blew it as well.

Posted by: Tongueboy on October 13, 2004 05:07 PM

"Big Trouble in Little China" originally was meant to be a sequel to "The Adventures of Buckaroo Bonzai in the Eighth Dimension" (may not have the title perfect from working memory...)

That's interesting, but:

1) I watched the commentary for BTILC and they didn't mention that. I do know the screenplay was not a Carpenter original, so you may be right anyway. Sometimes, and this is unbelievable to me, they buy a "screenplay" for just the nut of the notion -- "kung-fu & ghosts" -- and use nothing else from it. But the man gets paid.

2) But I think they did say it was supposed to be a period Western-- and they moved it to the modern day to make it cheaper, and more saleable.

3) The notion that there was EVER going to be a sequel to Buckeroo Banzaii strikes me as implausible.

Here's a trivia question along very similar lines:

Die Hard 3 (Die Hard with a Vengeance) was originally written as a sequel for which other action series?

Posted by: ace on October 13, 2004 05:13 PM

7) Is it that both have the same chord progressions for their chorus? ABACAB?

Posted by: mirglip on October 13, 2004 05:23 PM

mirglip,

That's what I was getting at, yes, but I don't know if it's right. Maybe I meant Lonely is the Night has the ABACAB progression.

Posted by: ace on October 13, 2004 05:37 PM

Ummm, I'm sure I was awake for at least part of theabove decades but.....Duran Duran, that would be Power Station, right?
The rest, no, I guess I was asleep. Or not in hte US. Or some other lame excuse.

Posted by: Tim Worstall on October 13, 2004 05:48 PM

1) The Fixx? I have no idea

2) Don't change - at least it was back home in Australia.

3) I dont know the answers for these off hand without googling - so I will have to pass on all Alien, Predator, Terminator.

4) Pass.

5) Pass.

6) Daniel Briggs - Steven Hill - I think because he was an Orthodox Jew and that caused conflicts. Last thing he was in "The Firm".

7) I'm not music geek enough to know that! :-)

8) Huh?

9) Well because I have miss a few I will say she is awesomely HOT - just for brownie points.

10) Madmartigan - Batman was worse. :-)

11) Probably something stupid like it was in Cliffhanger.

12) Gracie Law. I'm lucky I can remember that - much less anything said about her.

13) You mean he wrote other stuff apart from Oliver's Army?

14) Prince - blah

15) Badfinger - No Matter What or Without You. Doesn't knowing more than one song of theirs make up for not having a clue who produced it?

16) Fox on the Run - Thank you Dazed and Confused!!

17) No clue

18) Planet P - you made that up didn't you?

19) Lunatic Fringe. Didnt know Tom Cochrane had done anything after "life is a highway"

20) No clue

21) Twilight Zone, Radar Love.

22) No clue.

23) No Clue

24) Nicholas Cage, Eric Stolz, Anthony Edwards

25) I need to watch this again obviously.

26) I never got that. Maybe because i went to high school in Australia

27) A side of Zepplin IV. Only a guy would give advice like that!

28) Never read a Spiderman Comic

29) Blade Runner is a movie i've never seen.

30) No clue.

31) ROB LOWE!!!!!

Posted by: Angel on October 13, 2004 06:25 PM

Went out looking for confirmation of the Big China/Buckaroo connection, and must concede that it's shakier that I recalled. The only reliable piece of evidence I seem to be finding is that Big China's script was written by the same guy who directed Buckaroo (which certainly explains the similarities in tone). Otherwise, there's just a lot of rumor (including the not-entirely-implausable idea that the Jack Burton character was originally a Blue Blaze Irregular in the nascent sequel script before being 'promoted' to a lead role in Big China...)

Posted by: LDH on October 13, 2004 06:41 PM

Angel,

Most of the ones you got were already gotten, but I think you're the first to get the three Spicoli buddies, and the first to name the subject of Corey Haim's Lost Boys poster:

ROB LOWE, indeed! With an open jacket and no shirt and in a sexy reclining pose.

Yeahhhhh... that Rob Lowe poster. The one I and all my male friends had... Because, you know... teenaged guys like putting pictures of Rob Lowe on their walls...

Posted by: ace on October 13, 2004 07:32 PM

I didn't know the answer to any of the questions.

Do I win a prize?

Posted by: Steve on October 13, 2004 11:41 PM

There seems to be a misunderstanding about #3, not that I know the answer. Yaphet Kotto?

Talk Talk had two hits, including "Talk Talk."

April Wine also did "Sign of the Gypsy Queen."

Posted by: Uncle Mikey on October 14, 2004 01:18 AM

Duran Duran never broke up. (Since 1978 they have never broken up, not even once. Their new album was released on Tuesday.) They did do side projects. One was Arcadia, that was Simon LeBon, Nick Rhodes & Roger Taylor, they charted with both "Election Day" and "Goodbye is Forever."

The other side project was The Power Station which had John Taylor and Andy Taylor joined by the late Tony Thompson and the late Robert Palmer. They charted with "Some Like It Hot" and "Bang a Gong (Get it On)" and toured the States with Michael DesBarres doing vocal duties so that Palmer could record Riptide, the album that brought him his greatest solo success.

Now that you've all been schooled on the topic of Duran Duran, go out and buy Astronaut. You know you want to.

Posted by: Dreama on October 14, 2004 05:02 AM

Hah! I don't know on most of these, but a few hit my sweet spot.

1) Off of which album? My three favorite Fixx songs are "The Strain", "Secret Separation", and "Driven Out".

2) "The One Thing"

3) Don't know on a and b, but c is Ahnold.

11) Hawk. And he would kind of release the grip and rewrap around the guy's thumb.

15) "Come and Get It". McCartney.

18) You are wrong :-) "Why Me" had a pretty good video, and it was the Planet P Project.

19) "Lunatic Fringe" was the hit. I also like "Napolean Sheds His Skin". No clue on his latest hit.

20) "Talk Talk", by the band "Talk Talk", off the album "Talk Talk".

21) "Twilight Zone" and "Radar Love"

30) I think the name was "The Runaways", and the bandmate was "Lita Ford", about who Chrissy Hynde said she has it all wrong, "rock is not about 'fuck me', it's about 'fuck you'".

Posted by: Gerry on October 14, 2004 09:40 AM

ABACAB isn't named for the chord progression -- it's the form. Ya know, part A (verse), part B (chorus) A (verse), C (interlude), etc. I guess "In the Dark" kinda sorta follows that form in the sense that lots of other tunes do, too. But oh well.

I knew "Lunatic Fringe." Didn't know that was Tom Cochrane's band before he went solo.

Posted by: on October 14, 2004 03:36 PM

1. Red Skies, Cameras In Paris, Stand or Fall, The Fool, Shuttered Room.
2. The One Thing
3a. I'll go with Michael Biehn.
3c. Schwarzenegger
4. Oliver Queen
5. Hal Jordan, Alan Scott, Guy Gardner, Kyle Rayner
7. the cheesey keyboard progression in the background during the choruses.
8. The actor who played Victor Maitland in BHC1 (I'll guess he was also in Under the Cherry Moon and a Bond flick)
9. Habanero, man.
12. Gracie Law /'No"
13. Let Them All Talk/The World And His Wife
14. Heck-a-slammin'
16. Fox on the Run
17. "If You See Kay." Seriously!
18. "The Salt in my tears," maybe?
19. Lunatic Fringe/Tom Cochran/life is a highway
20. "talk talk" (also "it's my life")
21. Radar Love/Twilight Zone
22. Arcadia/Election Day
24. Eric Stoltz, Anthony Edwards, Nic Coppola (Cage)
26. in response to claiming "it's not my baby"
27. Side 1, Led Zep IV. He actually plays Kashmir, which is on a different album.
28. brown
29. 6, one got fried while escaping. Deckard kills 4. (Zorah/pris/batty/leon), the fifth "Mary" was mentioned in a work print but not in the official cuts.
30. The Runaways/Lita Ford
32. John Murphy
33. TJ Lazer
34. R. Macready
35. They have a greenhouse
38. Captain Walker
39. a nuclear war (Max is checked with a geiger counter before entering Bartertown)
40. Max Rockatansky

Posted by: Greg on October 14, 2004 04:32 PM