On this day in 1975, Jaws, a film directed by Steven Spielberg, was released in the US. It was a blockbuster hit and started a tradition of big-budget films being released in the US in the summer. This quiz is all about “summer blockbusters”.
Summer screenings
1 Harvey Spencer Stephens was the unlikely central character for the biggest summer hit of 1976, a role played by other actors in the two sequels. In which film did he play the lead role?
2 In which summer blockbuster of the ’80s is the title character’s face a combination of the faces of poet Carl Sandburg, Albert Einstein and a pug dog?
3 Which huge summer hit was inspired by an article in California magazine by Ehud Yonay. It featured aerial photography by Charles Heatley, which detailed life in a military base in San Diego? A sequel is scheduled for release at the end of 2020.
4 The biggest hit of 1996 was banned in Lebanon because it included scenes, towards the end, of Israeli and Iraqi soldiers joining forces, and Lebanon has a strict policy of boycotting any entertainment that features Israelis. Name the film.
5 Which blockbuster’s climactic scenes were shot at the Observation Towers, a location at the New York State Pavilion that was specifically built for the 1964 New York World’s Fair?
6 This 1993 film was a huge hit, making over a billion dollars worldwide. It also remains the biggest sum of money ever made by a single individual from a movie. The director made $250 million from the film and actually directed someone who had beaten him to a Best Picture Oscar a few years ago. Name the film.
7 This hit film, released in the summer of 2002, originally had teaser posters with the New York skyline prominently featuring the twin towers. After they went down in September 2001, the posters were all recalled by Sony. But the few that remained in the market are hugely valued. Name the film.
8 Which summer hit of the ’70s features two gangs — the T-Birds and the Scorpions — and is set in 1958?
9 This ’80s film, remade a few years ago, is about three professors who decide to take on a different profession. The hit title song was apparently made in just two days, and the singer and composer, Ray Parker Jr, claimed that a commercial from a drain company inspired him to write the lyrics. Name the film.
10 The DMC DeLorean was a sports car designed by Giogetto Guigiaro, which featured gull-wing doors and brushed stainless-steel body panels. Its performance, however, did not match up to its looks. In which ’80s film did the DeLorean play a key part?
Answers
1The Omen. He played the role of Damien Thorn, and earned a Golden Globe nomination for best acting debut as a six-year-old.
2 E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, directed by Steven Spielberg.
3Top Gun, starring Tom Cruise as Maverick.
4 Independence Day; they came together at the end to counter-attack the alien forces.
5Men in Black; the final scenes include a giant cockroach escaping on a flying saucer on the tower.
6 Jurassic Park. Steven Spielberg’s E.T. lost to Richard Attenborough’s Gandhi in the ’80s. Attenborough played John Hammond in Jurassic Park.
7Spiderman.
8Grease, starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John.
9Ghostbusters. The song is all about who to call when you are in trouble.
10 It was the time machine used by Marty McFly in Back To The Future.
Joy Bhattacharjya is a quizmaster
Twitter: @joybhattacharj