Wednesday Movie Madness Quiz
One thing I like to do when I have a long drive is make up trivia games for myself. I’m not a big radio fan, and as much as I like my iPod, it’s too distracting when I’m behind the wheel. Today I had to drive 1 1/2 hours each way for an interview, so the game was to try to think of at least one movie that I could associate with each U.S. state. Movies with state or city names in the title counted, and the state (or city) had to play a prominent role in the movie, be central to the plot, or act as a character, if you will. For example, I was on the fence about Risky Business, which I associate with Chicago’s northern suburbs. I eventually decided it didn’t count, especially since there are several other movies which have strong, ahem, Chicago associations. I also counted made-for-TV movies, of which a few remarkable ones have strong state associations. Ok, let’s be honest — I struggled on Utah and finally came up with a TV movie that fit. Any kind of movie counts — documentary, love story, kids movie … even porn flicks!
I’ll let you figure out what that movie was for our Movie Madness quiz this week. Come on, it’s Hump Day — you’ve probably got a few things due this week, so what better way to waste a few hours than to test your knowledge of movie trivia. Besides, it’ll get those neurons firing! In fact, I came up with a great story idea while playing this game.
In the comments section only, list the U.S. state, then the movie(s) associated with it. You will earn 1 point for each movie/state you list correctly. First to name the movie/state association gets the point. Do not send your list in e-mail. Other rules:
ETA ON 1/31: * You must list the state first, then the movie. You can’t give a city or locale i.e. Mt. Rushmore/North by Northwest (a point already won by Justin). It has to be South Dakota/North by Northwest.
* Movies from U.S. states only, although I’ll let the District of Columbia slide. We’ll do countries another time.
* U.S. cities and locales that figure prominently in the movie are okay, too. Two easy examples of what counts: LA Confidential (CA) and Mystic River (Boston/MA). Just because a movie was filmed in Charlottesville, Virginia, isn’t enough — the actual location has to be integral to the plot or at least get some kind of play in the script.
* No television shows. That means no WKRP in Cincinnati, Sex and the City, or Sopranos. I don’t care that Sex and the City: The Movie is in production — it doesn’t count unless it’s a movie post-production.
* The movies I listed above — Risky Business, Chicago, LA Confidential, and Mystic River — don’t count. That made-for-TV movie set in Utah counts and the point is up for grabs.
* Let’s keep this honest — use your brain, not IMDB or Wikipedia, on this quiz. I figured out a movie for every state during a 3 hour car ride without Internet access or someone next to me helping me out. And believe me, I’m not the sharpest tool in the shed, especially when I’m craving caffeine in the middle of moose territory. You’ll be surprised what you come up with!
* I and my crack team of movie experts will have final say over the awarding of points.
* This contest is open to everyone, even if you live outside the U.S.
* The contest ends Friday, February 1, 2008 at 5:00 p.m. ET. A winner will be announced on Monday morning. And yes, there’s a small prize for the person who gets the most points. Good luck! [db]
If you liked that post, you might also like:
Jan 30, 2008 Contests
Let’s see…
Idaho – My Own Private Idaho
Mississippi – Mississippi Burning
Hawaii – Blue Hawaii
Nevada – Viva Las Vegas
Montana – Brokeback Mountain
South Dakota – North by Northwest
Arizona – Tombstone
California – Kalifornia
North Carolina – Cape Fear
Texas – Apollo 13 (Ok, maybe the “Houston, we have a problem” thing is a stretch)…
Funny…I saw the word “quiz” and my brain went totally blank!
7 years out of grad school and Test Anxiety reappears like spontaneous combustion.
Oh my God you insane person!!!!!! You are going to keep me up all night!
Delaware????? You came up with one for Delaware????
I’ve got about 32 so far … will post as soon as I get something a little more respectible …
I know, I’m awful!
Delaware was an easy one for me, although it was kind of borderline. Vermont was also hard, and I spent most of my childhood there! So was Rhode Island and Oregon. So I’ll give breaks for states that don’t have a lot of electoral votes!
And best to post what you have NOW — remember, whoever names the state/movie first gets the point.
Justin, one of your state/movies is wrong. Whoever fixes it first gets the point.
I spoke too quickly — I was doing this all in my head. When I wrote the states out, I realized I missed a few and I’m stumped. Arkansas anyone?
Ooh, fun!
Philadelphia, PA–1776, and also the Philadelphia Story, and, um, Philadelphia
Martha’s Vineyard, MA–The Ink Well. And, of course, Jaws (though it was called Amityville in the movie)
Fargo–Fargo
Does North by Northwest count for Mount Rushmore?
New York–On the Town, Muppets Take Manhattan, Out of Towners, Moonstruck
Kansas–The Wizard of Oz
San Francisco–Foul Play. (With that classic chase scene!) For that matter, What’s Up Doc could only have taken place in San Fran, too.
The Catskills–Dirty Dancing
Biloxi, MS–Biloxi Blues
Chicago–Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Iowa–Field of Dreams
Princeton NJ–IQ
Michigan–Grosse Point Blank
West Virginia–October Sky
Okay . . . I could keep going, but it’s bedtime and I can’t keep my eyes open!
Alabama–Sweet Home, Alabama, Crazy in Alabama, Forrest Gump
Alaska–
Arizona–Raising Arizona, 3:10 to Yuma
Arkansas–Primary Colors
California–The Legend of Zorro, Sideways
Colorado–
Connecticut–A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court
Delaware–Founding Fathers
Florida–Miami Vice (Jamie Foxx, Colin Farrell)
Georgia–Gone with the Wind
Hawaii–Pearl Harbor
Idaho–My Own Private Idaho
Illinois–Rookie of the Year
Indiana–Hoosiers, Rudy
Iowa–Field of Dreams
Kansas–The Wizard of Oz
Kentucky–Seabiscuit
Louisiana–Pelican Brief
Maine–
Maryland–
Massachusetts–Fever Pitch
Michigan–Roger and Me
Minnesota–Purple Rain
Mississippi–A Time to Kill
Missouri–Meet Me in St. Louis
Montana–
Nebraska–
Nevada–Reno 911
New Hampshire–
New Jersey–
New Mexico–
New York–An Affair to Remember, Saturday Night Fever
North Carolina–
North Dakota–Fargo
Ohio–Major League
Oklahoma–The Outsiders
Oregon–
Pennsylvania–Rocky (1-6), Invincible, All the Right Moves
Rhode Island–
South Carolina–The Patriot, Shag
South Dakota–
Tennessee–Elvis and Me, The Firm, Memphis Belle
Texas–JFK, Friday Night Lights
Utah–
Vermont–
Virginia–
Washington–Sleepless in Seattle
West Virginia–We Are Marshall
Wisconsin–Kingpin
Wyoming–Brokeback Mountain
I’m Canadian, so I did cheat a little. Besides the first one, I looked up the list of American states on Wikipedia. Movies were mine though.
Arkansas = Slingblade
California = Orange County
Texas = We are Marshall
New York = Breakfast at Tiffanys
Florida = Miami Vice
Illinois = Ferris Buehlers day off (Free day in chicago)
Pennsylvania = Rocky (Didn’t he dance around the liberty bell?)
Ohio = Major League (with the cleveland indians)
Michigan = In the shadows of motown
Georgia = Ray (best song about a state ever written)
North Carolina = Cape Fear
New Jersey = All I can think of is Triumph the insult comic dog making fun of Bon Jovi.
Virginia = I got nothing here.
Washington = Sleepless in Seattle
Massachusetts = Fever Pitch
Indiana = Hoosiers (can you tell I like sports movies?)
Arizona = Raising Arizona (does that count?)
Tennessee = Nashville
Okay, it’s late and my brain hurts.
So, I thought of a few more.
Texas – Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Sugarland Express
Georgia – Gone with the Wind
North Dakota – Fargo
Pennsylvania – Witness
Arizona – 3:10 to Yuma
Philadelphia – Rocky, Philadelphia
Iowa – Field of Dreams
Whoops,
We are Marshall had nothing to do with Texas. I just thought Texas and came up with Football. How about Friday night lights?
Deb, nice ones, but as I’ve seen Jaws dozens of times (and spent summers in MV) I don’t think that one should count — although the film is shot there, MV itself doesn’t really figure into the plot. As you pointed out, they call it “Amityville.” (Big clue alert for another point!) You’ve also got to name the state with the movie, so I’m going to have to give your Fargo point to Tiffani,
Tiffani, you’re on fire! Sideways … great one. And it looks like you snagged that point for Brokeback Mountain (sorry Justin!)
Derek, Raising Arizona does indeed count. As long as the state name is in the title. Yeah, I hit a wall with Virginia, too.
Arashi, nice one on Sugarland Express.
Wyoming, Montana… Seriously, who can tell the difference?
Since Tiffani corrected me on that one, I’ll try to fill in a few of the blanks she listed (that I didn’t cover the first time around, anyway):
Alaska– 30 Days of Night
Colorado– The Stand
Maine– Every other Stephen King movie ever made… Just pick one.
Maryland– Pink Flamingos
Oregon– The Goonies
Rhode Island– Me, Myself, and Irene?
Virginia– Um, The Virginian?
Last weekend people showed up in Madison to audition their classic cars for roles in “Dillinger,” a new Michael Mann movie starring Johnny Depp that will be filmed in Wisconsin this spring. And while, as a work in progress “Dillinger” probably doesn’t count, there are lots of other movies with Wisconsin connections. I’ll list some of them now — and will probably have to return again, since this challenge will no doubt cause my mind to wander more than once in the next 24 hours.
Wisconsin – Wisconsin Death Trip
Wisconsin – Red Betsy
Wisconsin – Back to School (with Rodney Dangerfield)
Wisconsin – The Giant Spider Invasion
Wisconsin – I Love Trouble (Julia Roberts and Nick Nolte)
Wisconsin – Chain Reaction
Wisconsin – The Straight Story (the journey is from Iowa to Wisconsin + both screenwriters live here)
Not certain if I can use HTML in your comments, but I’ll try leaving a link to the car auditions story — so you’ll have something else to read while I fritter away my time thinking of still more Wisconsin movies:
http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=20792
Okay . . . here’s my try at this:
Alabama: True Romance
Alaska: Balto?
Arizona: Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, Tombstone
Arkansas: Smokey and the Bandits
California: Clueless, I Am Sam, Nothing to Lose
Colorado: Alive?
Kansas: Erin Brokovich
Maine: Jackass, The Scarey Movie Series, Cujo, The Lawnmower Man, The Shining, Pet Cemetery, Salem’s Lot, The Shawshank Redemption
Maryland: The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Bridge to Terabithia
Massachusetts: Good Will Hunting
Michigan: Robocop
Montana: Scarface
Nebraska: The Scout
New Hampshire: What About Bob?
New York: The Day After Tomorrow, You’ve Got Mail, 2 Weeks Notice, When Harry Met Sally
I’m not sure of a few of them – I used to do this for a living, but that was between 1994 and 1998 . . . a long time ago! LOL
OH man! I didn’t know it was who posted it first! Some of these might be repeats.
OK:
1. Illinois: Ferris Bueler’s day off: Illinois (set in chicago)
2. Nevada: Leaving Las Vegas, Ocean’s 11-13,
3. North Dakota: Fargo
4. Florida: Adaptation: (movie version of the Susan Orlean book, The Orchid Thief, set in Florida everglades.)
5. NY: Escape from New York
6. Washington: Sleepless in Seattle
7. Virginia: The Insider (Russell Crowe movie about tobacco guy – has scenes in Va I hope?
8. Washington DC: All The President’s Men, Broadcast News
9. Pennsylvania: Coal Miner’s Daughter
10. New Jersey: Copland
11. Connecticut: The Ref (Denis Leary movie – set in snobby CT town)
12. Massachusettes: Backdraft (set in Boston)
13. Vermont: White Christmas (Bing Crosby movie)
14. New Hampshire: The Candidate (Robert Redford movie, key scenes there)
15. Maine: Misery (Stephen King movie – I hope?) Backup: Pete’s Dragon
16. Tennessee: Deliverance
17. Texas: Debbie Does Dallas! (Thanks for the porn hint!)
18. California: Chinatown
19. Michigan; Roger and Me (Michael Moore movie set in Flint, MI)
a. Also “True Romance” begins in gritty 1980’s Detroit and “Gross Point Blank” set in swanky 90’s Gross Point. (I’m from MI!)
20. Indiana: The Music Man (set in Gary Indiana, Gary Indiana Gary Indiana let me say it once again!)
21. Wisconsin: The vince Lombardi story: TV movie on Packers coach; can’t think of title
22. Idaho; My own Private Idaho
23. Mississippi; Mississipi Burning
24. Louisiana: A Streetcar Named Desire
25. Alaska: Into the Wild
26. Hawaii: Lilo and Stitch
27. Kansas; The Wizard of Oz
28. Oklahoma: Oklahoma
29. New Mexico: The Magnificent Seven (possibly???)
30. Kentucky: Seabiscuit
31. Montana: Brokeback Mountain
32. Arizona: Raising Arizona
33. South Dakota; North by Northwest
34. Oregon: Ack – that 90s portland movie with all the grunge kids … .
oh and
Connecticut: Christmas in Connecticut
and another NJ: Freedomland
and NY: The Shop Around The Corner (and its update: You’ve got Mail,) An Affair to Remember, Desperately Seeking Susan, Tootsie, Taxi Driver, Prince of the City, Goodfellas, King Kong,
…someone make me stop ….
Dang, I got here late, but I will add:
New Jersey: Garden State (the Zach Braff movie)
Whew, HGF finally got Debbie Does Dallas!!!!
Ok, folks, I’ve still got some movies on my list that haven’t appeared here yet. No one’s claimed the made-for-TV movie set in Utah.
Jenn … Montana/Scarface? What’s that about? ARe you thinking the character Tony Montana?
It’s no longer about winning — it’s about stopping and focusing on all the work I have to do. So here are my final (and I mean final) entries:
Alabama – To Kill a Mockingbird, The Long Walk Home
Alaska – The Call of the Wild
California – Chinatown, Boogie Nights, LA Confidential, Bullitt, There Will Be Blood, Devil in a Blue Dress, Pulp Fiction, Singin’ in the Rain
Florida – Miami Vice
Illinois – The Untouchables, Young Mr. Lincoln
Hawaii – Blue Hawaii
Kentucky – Daniel Boone (starring Fess Parker)
Louisiana – All the Kings Men, A Streetcar Names Desire, A Soldier’s Story
Minnesota – The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid
Mississippi – Crimes of the Heart
Missouri – Meet Me in St. Louis
Nevada – Viva! Las Vegas
New York – Taxi Driver, King Kong
Oregon – The Oregon Trail, My Own Private Idaho (actually set in Portland)
Pennsylvania – The Philadelphia Story
South Carolina – Birth of a Nation (directed by D.W. Griffith)
Texas – The Alamo, Days of Heaven
Utah – Brigham Young (Dean Jagger in the title role)
Washington – Sleepless in Seattle
West Virginia – October Sky
Wisconsin – Stroszek (directed by Werner Herzog), The War at Home, No Sleep ’til Madison
Party’s over. I’ll tally up points over the weekend. Hope you all got your work done this week.
“Jenn … Montana/Scarface? What’s that about? ARe you thinking the character Tony Montana?”
OMG – erase that answer!!!! ::blushes:: I wondered why *Montana* kept flashing in my head. Geez. I need a cookie. I stink at games like this. LOL
I am late to this, but can Seabiscuit count for KY? The horse didn’t race in KY, he won Pimlico…although the film was shot in KY, it wasn’t supposed to BE Kentucky..(Of course, I wish I’d read the whole contest deal earlier and one state makes no diff, but I see Seabiscuit for KY twice…I’d naver have put that…Kentucky: Elizabethtown)
Barb, former Kentuckian…
Barb, this next contest has your name ALL over it. I hope you’ll participate!
Oh, I will SO be here, Diana…
Which leads me to my next question–Linda, if you got these on a three hour drive? There is no WAY you were focusing on the road!
(Editor’s note: Diana was the one who was on the 3-hour drive!)