Can You Ace the Ultimate Film Bro Quiz?

By: William J. Wright
Estimated Completion Time
5 min
Can You Ace the Ultimate Film Bro Quiz?
Image: A Band Apart/ Jersey Films/ Miramax Films

About This Quiz

You don't have to be a guy to be a film bro. Any hardcore cinephile knows that there are movies and then there's cinema — those films that transcend genre, box office and audience expectations. Cinema is film as art, as shared emotional experience and as that intangible element that defies easy definition — cool. These are the movies that live on in our consciousness long after the house lights come up. Whether they have endlessly quotable dialogue, stunning cinematography, deft direction or memorable performances, these are the movies that become integral parts of our identities. If you've ever rewound a favorite scene, memorized a favorite quote or argued with a friend about what a movie's "really" about, you've experienced the real magic that is cinema.

This quiz is for all the film-school rejects and wannabe auteurs out there — the armchair Pauline Kaels and J. Hobermans who get that movies mean more than a night out. The movies and directors presented here are a cross-section of many styles of cinema with no preference for genre or budget. You'll find blockbusters, indie hits and cult films from directors as diverse as Stanley Kubrick, David Lynch, Martin Scorsese, Alex Cox and even Mel Brooks. Now, join us in the balcony because the lights are going down. Got your overpriced popcorn and candy? Good, because it's time to see if you can ace the ultimate film bro quiz!

Question 1 - Royale with cheese
A Band Apart/ Jersey Films/ Miramax Films
If you know what a "Royale with cheese" is, then you're probably a fan of this Quentin Tarantino film. Can you name it?
"Pulp Fiction"
"Kill Bill"
"The Hateful Eight"
"Reservoir Dogs"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In 1994, Quentin Tarantino redefined indie cinema with his second feature, "Pulp Fiction." With its nonlinear plot, compelling characters and rapid-fire dialogue, "Pulp Fiction" solidified Tarantino's reputation as a filmmaker with an uncompromising vision.

Question 2 - The Godfather
Paramount Pictures/ Alfran Productions/ Paramount Pictures
It's hailed as one of the greatest films ever made, and this gangster opus from Francis Ford Coppola spawned two sequels. Can you name this classic?
"Goodfellas"
"The Godfather"
"Casino"
"Donnie Brasco"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Based on the novel of the same name by Mario Puzo, "The Godfather" regularly tops many critics' best-of lists, rivaling "Citizen Kane" for the title of best film ever made. Directed by maverick filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola, "The Godfather" chronicles a decade in the history of a crime family.

Question 5 - Fight Club
Fox 2000 Pictures/ Regency Enterprises/ Linson Films/ 20th Century Fox
Which of these David Fincher films features soap, subversion and eight important rules?
"Se7en"
"The Game"
"Zodiac"
"Fight Club"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Based on the novel by Chuck Palahniuk, "Fight Club" stars Edward Norton as a man wasting away in mediocrity until a charismatic soap salesman named Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt) shows him a better way. Violent and subversive, "Fight Club" is equal parts action and psychological thriller.

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Question 4 - Taxi Driver
Bill/Phillips Productions/ Italo/Judeo Productions/ Columbia Pictures
Robert De Niro is hoping for a real rain to wash the scum off the streets of New York in this film from 1976. Can you name this gritty drama?
"Taxi Driver"
"Mean Streets"
"New York, New York"
"The Godfather: Part II"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Robert De Niro stars as Travis Bickle, a Vietnam vet caught in a slow descent into madness and violence, in Martin Scorsese's masterpiece, "Taxi Driver." Written by Paul Schrader, "Taxi Driver" is a bloody trek into the psyche of a man on the edge.

Question 27 - The Big Lebowski
Working Title Films/ PolyGram Filmed Entertainment/ Gramercy Pictures/ Universal Pictures
Can you name thie endlessly quotable cult classic?
"O Brother, Where Art Thou?"
"Raising Arizona"
"Barton Fink"
"The Big Lebowski"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Joel and Ethan Coen's 1998 hit "The Big Lebowski" is a contender for the greatest cult film of all time, and that's not just like our opinion, man. This story of a bowling slacker, a millionaire and a rug is celebrated yearly by dedicated fans at "Lebowski Fest" in Louisville, Kentucky.

Question 7 - Die Hard
Gordon Company/ Silver Pictures/ 20th Century Fox
Which of these nontraditional holiday classics was directed by John McTiernan?
"Night of the Comet"
"Black Christmas"
"Die Hard"
"Christmas Evil"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Bruce Willis smashed the buff and fearless '80s action-hero archetype as everyman New York cop John McClane in "Die Hard." John McTiernan's 1988 yuletide action thriller has become an alternative holiday classic for movie fans who like a little blood in their eggnog.

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Question 15 - The Silence of the Lambs
Strong Heart/Demme Production/ Orion Pictures
Which of these movies by director Jonathan Demme is one of only three films in history to win Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actor and Best Actress?
"The Silence of the Lambs"
"Philadelphia"
"Beloved"
"The Manchurian Candidate"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Jonathan Demme's 1991 adaptation of the Thomas Harris novel "The Silence of the Lambs" is in the enviable company of 1934's "It Happened One Night" and 1975's "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" as one of only three films to earn the coveted big five Academy Awards.

Question 12 -  Alien
20th Century Fox/ Brandywine Productions/ 20th Century Fox
Can you name the Ridley Scott film in which a deep space mining tug answers an ancient distress call on a desolate moon?
"Blade Runner"
"The Predator"
"Lifeforce"
"Alien"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Directed by Ridley Scott from a screenplay by Dan O'Bannon, "Alien" is a terrifying blend of horror and science fiction. With an unforgettable creature design by artist H.R. Giger and a star-making performance from actress Sigourney Weaver, the film spawned countless rip-offs, sequels and spin-offs.

Question 3 - Full Metal Jacket
Natant/ Harrier Films/ Warner Bros./ Columbia-Cannon-Warner
Which war film features a wisecracking private who's "trying to suggest something about the duality of man"?
"Platoon"
"Hamburger Hill"
"Casualties of War"
"Full Metal Jacket"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Stanley Kubrick brought his inimitable style to the war film with his epic Vietnam drama "Full Metal Jacket." Matthew Modine stars as Private Joker, a Marine Corps journalist with a sardonic wit. With a peace button on his flak jacket and "Born to Kill" on his helmet, Joker is into "the Jungian thing."

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Question 8 - Batman Begins
Warner Bros. Pictures/ DC Comics/ Legendary Pictures/ Syncopy/ Patalex III Productions/ Warner Bros. Pictures
Can you name the film in which the son of a slain billionaire takes a deep dive into the underworld in order to wage a vengeful war on crime?
"Momento"
"Inception"
"Batman Begins"
"Insomnia"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Christopher Nolan returned Batman to his gritty roots with 2005's "Batman Begins." Christian Bale stars as the Caped Crusader in the first of three successful Batman films from Nolan. With its dark and brooding tone, "Batman Begins" is the most detailed cinematic telling of the superhero's origin.

Question 29 - The Matrix
Warner Bros./ Village Roadshow Pictures/ Groucho II Film Partnership/ Silver Pictures/ Warner Bros./ Roadshow Entertainment
What's the title of the 1999 sci-fi action film that reveals how far down the rabbit hole goes?
"Dark City"
"Contact"
"The Matrix"
"The Astronaut's Wife"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Filmmaking dynamic duo the Wachowskis took the classic hero's journey from mythology and fused it with cyberpunk style with their 1999 blockbuster "The Matrix." Keanu Reeves stars as Neo, an ordinary man who becomes humanity's hope when the true nature of reality is revealed to him.

Question 17 - Lethal Weapon
Silver Pictures/ Warner Bros.
Mel Gibson is a loose cannon cop in this film by Richard Donner. Can you name it?
"Tequila Sunrise"
"Conspiracy Theory"
"Lethal Weapon"
"Payback"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Richard Donner's 1987 action epic "Lethal Weapon" is the buddy cop movie to end all buddy cop movies. Mel Gibson stars as an unhinged cop with a deathwish who partners with a burned-out homicide detective (Danny Glover) to bust a drug cartel in a story that is both action-packed and touching.

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How Well Do You Remember the Dollars Trilogy of Westerns?
Produzioni Europee Associati / Arturo González Producciones Cinematográficas / Constantin Film
This director of Spaghetti Westerns introduced us to Clint Eastwood as "The Man With No Name" in 1964's "A Fist Full of Dollars." Who is he?
Mario Bava
Dario Argento
Sergio Leone
Lucio Fulci
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

By combining the uniquely American Western genre with an unmistakably European style, Italian director Sergio Leone created a highly stylized vision of the Old West. Labeled "Spaghetti Westerns," Leone's films launched Clint Eastwood to international stardom as a nameless antihero.

Question 31 - The Usual Suspects
Bad Hat Harry Productions/ Blue Parrot/ Spelling Films International/ Gramercy Pictures/ Spelling Films International
Can you ID the Bryan Singer heist flick that poses the question "who is Keyser Söze"?
"Apt Pupil"
"The Usual Suspects"
"Public Access"
"Lion's Den"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Brian Singer's 1995 crime movie, "The Usual Suspects" focuses on a botched heist that leaves 27 men dead on a burning boat. Told in flashback, the film reveals that a mysterious crime lord named Keyser Söze is pulling the strings in a complex revenge plot.

Question 33 - Tim
Python (Monty) Pictures/ Michael White Productions/ National Film Trustee Company/ EMI Films (UK)/ Cinema 5
What's the name of the enchanter whom King Arthur and his knights encounter near the end of their journey in "Monty Python and the Holy Grail"?
Merlin
Gandalf
Elric
Tim
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

King Arthur as played by Graham Chapman and his knights encounter a powerful, fireball-throwing mage named Tim the Enchanter on their quest in 1975's "Monty Python and the Holy Grail." The eccentric wizard, played by John Cleese, leads the knights to the cave of the killer Rabbit of Caerbannog.

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Question 14 - Aliens
20th Century Fox/ Brandywine Productions/ 20th Century Fox
Can you name the James Cameron movie in wich Sigourney Weaver goes toe-to-toe with the baddest mama of all time?
"True Lies"
"Terminator 2: Judgment Day"
"The Abyss"
"Aliens"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"Aliens," James Cameron's 1986 sequel to the 1979 horror hit "Alien," upped the action with hoards of xenomorphs fighting a ragtag squad of space marines. Sigourney Weaver returns as Ellen Ripley, the sole survivor of the previous film.

Question 32 - Blazing Saddles
Warner Bros.
Do you know which Mel Brooks farce featured Madeline Kahn as a seductive German singer?
"Blazing Saddles"
"Young Frankenstein"
"High Anxiety"
"Silent Movie"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The late Madeline Kahn earned an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her role as the Teutonic Titwillow, Lili Von Shtupp in Mel Brooks' 1975 Western satire "Blazing Saddles." Channeling Marlene Dietrich, Kahn's a scene-stealer as the seductive saloon singer.

Question 20 - Animal House
Universal Pictures
D-Day, Otter, Flounder and Bluto are all characters from which film directed by John Landis?
"The Kentucky Fried Movie"
"The Blues Brothers"
"Animal House"
"Schlock"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

If you don't know the answer to this one, turn in your pledge pin. D-Day, Otter, Flounder and Bluto are all members of Faber College's most notorious frat Delta Tau Chi in the 1978 comedy "Animal House."

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Question 35 - Swingers
Independent Pictures/ Alfred Shay Productions/ Miramax Films
"Iron Man" director Jon Favreau wrote the screenplay for which of these movies?
"200 Cigarettes"
"Go"
"Swingers"
"Party Monster"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Jon Favreau wrote the screenplay for 1996's "Swingers" as a vehicle for his acting career. Set against the lounge revival of the '90s, the film focuses on the lives of underemployed actors in Hollywood. A critical hit, "Swingers" helped launch the careers of Favreau, Vince Vaughn and Ron Livingston.

Question 9 - Scarface
Universal Pictures
Brian DePalma directed this edgy 1983 remake of a classic gangster film from 1932. Can you name this action-packed crime thriller?
"Scarface"
"Cape Fear"
"Angels With Dirty Faces"
"Little Caesar"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Armed with a script by Oliver Stone, filmmaker Brian De Palma transformed the plot of the 1932 Paul Muni gangster flick "Scarface" into a classic for a new generation. Starring Al Pacino as Cuban refugee turned coke-fueled crime lord, "Scarface" is a must-see for fans of crime films.

Question 25 - Repo Man
Edge City/ Universal Pictures
If you know this one, you're all right! Can you name the cult film in which Emilio Estevez plays a suburban punk whose new job takes a cosmic turn?
"The Man Who Fell to Earth"
"Maximum Overdrive"
"Repo Man"
"That Was Then, This is Now"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Alex Cox's 1984 cult hit "Repo Man" stars Emilio Estevez as Otto, an aimless suburban punk who becomes the protege of a jaded auto repossessor (Harry Dean Stanton). Otto's new career takes a turn for the weird when he crosses paths with a Chevy Malibu that may contain the bodies of dead aliens.

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Question 6 - Blue Velvet
De Laurentiis Entertainment Group
The last thing you want from Dennis Hopper is a love letter in this stylish crime drama from David Lynch. What's the title of this chilling, surreal film?
"True Romance"
"Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me"
"Easy Rider"
"Blue Velvet"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Dennis Hopper co-stars as the unhinged Frank Booth in David Lynch's surreal ode to film noir "Blue Velvet." A killer, a kidnapper and worse, Booth is the embodiment of the id. A "love letter" from Frank Booth is a bullet from a gun.

Question 11 - Mad Max
Kennedy Miller Productions/ Crossroads/ Mad Max Films/ Roadshow Film Distributors
A member of the Australian highway patrol takes bloody revenge on a biker gang in which futuristic thriller?
"The Road Warrior"
"Mad Max"
"Warriors of the Apocalypse"
"A Man Called Rage"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

George Miller's 1979 action hit "Mad Max" stars Mel Gibson as Max Rockatansky, an officer in the Main Force Patrol, in a dystopian Australia. Taking place before the apocalypse that characterizes later installments of the "Mad Max" series, this film focuses on Max taking on a murderous biker gang.

Question 19 - Mallrats
View Askew Productions/ Gramercy Pictures/ Alphaville Films/ Gramercy Pictures
Indie filmmaker Kevin Smith is known for wearing his love of '70s and '80s cinema on his sleeve. Which of his films is filled with tributes to "Jaws"?
"Clerks"
"Chasing Amy"
"Dogma"
"Mallrats"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Indie auteur Kevin Smith is a living pop-culture encyclopedia, and his love for '70s and '80s movies is a recurring motif in nearly all his films. 1995's "Mallrats" features characters Brodie Bruce. named for both "Jaws'" sheriff and shark, and T.S. Quint, named for "Jaws'" grizzled sharkhunter.

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Question 34 - Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Rhino Films/ Summit Entertainment/ Universal Pictures
Which Terry Gilliam film begins with the words, "We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to hold"?
"Brazil"
"12 Monkeys"
"Tideland"
"Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Filmmaker Terry Gilliam performed a cinematic miracle in 1998 when he adapted Dr. Hunter S. Thompson's 1971 semi-autobiographical novel "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" for the screen. Johnny Depp stars as Thompson's alter ego Raoul Duke with Benicio Del Toro standing in for attorney Dr. Gonzo.

Question 22 - Conan the Barbarian
Dino De Laurentiis Corporation/ Edward R. Pressman Productions/ Universal Pictures/ EMI Films
If you don't get this one, we suggest you contemplate it on the tree of woe. What's the title of the 1982 sword-and-sorcery movie co-written by "Platoon" director Oliver Stone?
"The Beastmaster"
"Krull"
"The Sword and the Sorcerer"
"Conan the Barbarian"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

John Milius teamed with Oliver Stone to write his 1982 fantasy epic "Conan the Barbarian." Based on the works of 1960s pulp writer Robert E. Howard, the film stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as the titular Hyborian Age hero.

Question 28 - Trainspotting
Channel Four Films/ Figment Films/ Noel Gay Motion Picture Company/ PolyGram Filmed Entertainment
Which of these films features a surreal descent into the worst toilet in Scotland?
"Trainspotting"
"Neds"
"Sweet Sixteen"
"The Acid House"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Based on Irvine Welsh's 1993 novel, "Trainspotting," directed by Danny Boyle, stars Ewan McGregor as Mark Renton, a young heroin addict coping with life in the slums of Edinburgh. The film brilliantly combines comedy and drama with scenes of pure surrealism including a dive into a pub toilet.

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Question 26 - True Romance
Morgan Creek Productions/ Davis Films/ A Band Apart/ Warner Bros.
Which "Tombstone" star appears as a vision of Elvis in Tony Scott's "True Romance"?
Kurt Russell
Billy Zane
Val Kilmer
Bill Paxton
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

1993 was a big year for actor Val Kilmer. In addition to playing gunfighter Doc Holliday in "Tombstone," he also took on the role of another American legend, Elvis Presley — or at least his apparition in the form of Christian Slater's conscience– in the explosive "True Romance."

Question 10 - Escape From New York
AVCO Embassy Pictures/ International Film Investors/ Goldcrest Films International/ AVCO Embassy Pictures
Can you name the dystopian action movie from John Carpenter that stars Kurt Russell as an ex-war hero turned criminal?
"Assault on Precinct 13"
"Big Trouble in Little China"
"Escape From New York"
"They Live"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Kurt Russell stars as Snake Plissken, a hero of WWIII turned criminal in John Carpenter's 1983 classic "Escape From New York." It's 1997, and New York has become a maximum-security prison. When Air Force One goes down in the city, it's up to Snake to rescue the President and earn his freedom.

Question 13 - Attack Crab
Allied Artists
Can you name the filmmaker responsible for such B-movie classics as "Attack of the Crab Monsters" as well as launching the careers of Francis Ford Coppola and Jack Nicholson?
William Castle
Edward D. Wood Jr.
Edgar G. Ulmer
Roger Corman
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

For seven decades, Roger Corman has been a force in indie film. As a writer, director and producer of B-movies, a distributor of foreign film and a cultivator of talents such as Jack Nicholson, Francis Ford Coppola and James Cameron, Corman is one of the most influential figures in cinema history.

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Question 16 - Straw Dogs
ABC Pictures/ Talent Associates/ Amerbroco Films/ Cinerama Releasing Corporation/ 20th Century Fox
Can you name the Sam Peckinpah film based on the 1969 novel "The Siege of Trencher's Farm"?
"The Wild Bunch"
"The Ballad of Cable Hogue"
"Straw Dogs"
"Junior Bonner"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Based on Gordon Williams' 1969 novel "The Siege of Trencher's Farm," 1971's "Straw Dogs," directed by Sam Peckinpah, is a harrowing and violent character study of people pushed to extremes. Dustin Hoffman stars as a timid academic forced to defend his home by any means necessary.

Question 18 - The Fly
Brooksfilms/ SLM Production Group/ 20th Century Fox
Which of these filmmakers made the leap from low-budget horror films to Hollywood blockbusters with the remake of a classic 1958 sci-fi movie?
Tobe Hooper
Sam Raimi
David Cronenberg
George Lucas
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

One of the most original filmmakers of the last 50 years, David Cronenberg ironically became a Hollywood player with 1986's "The Fly," a remake of the 1958 film of the same name. Cronenberg brought his patented brand of "body horror" to the familiar material to create a terrifying new experience.

Question 21 - The Killer
Film Workshop/ Golden Princess Film Production/ Magnum Productions/ Golden Princess Amusement
An assassin longs for redemption in this ballet of bullets by John Woo. Can you name this stylish action movie?
"A Better Tomorrow"
"The Killer"
"Broken Arrow"
"Hard Boiled"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Hong Kong filmmaker John Woo brought a new level of artistry to the action film with 1989's "The Killer." Chow Yun Fat stars in one of his most complex roles as a hit man who develops an unlikely kinship with a cop. The action sequences of "The Killer" are utterly breathtaking.

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Question 24 - Ran
Herald Ace/ Nippon Herald Films/ Greenwich Film Productions/ Toho/ Acteurs Auteurs Associés
In 1985, legendary filmmaker Akira Kurosawa adapted Shakespeare's "King Lear" into this samurai epic. Can you name it?
"Throne of Blood"
"The Hidden Fortress"
"Ran"
"Kagemusha"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The late Akira Kurosawa has had an immeasurable influence on world cinema. In 1985, he turned to Shakespeare's "King Lear" for the plot of his samurai epic "Ran." In the film an aging warlord divides his kingdom between his three sons to tragic results.

Question 30 - The Warriors
Paramount Pictures
A New York street gang battles across 30 miles of hostile territory in this 1979 action flick from Walter Hill. What's the name of this movie?
"Class of 1984"
"1990: the Bronx Warriors"
"Surf Nazis Must Die"
"The Warriors"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Initially met with negative reviews and audience violence, Walter Hill's 1979 action picture "The Warriors" has, in intervening decades, become an unqualified cult favorite. In the film, a summit of New York street gangs turns to chaos when the Warriors are framed for killing a rival gang's leader.

You Got:
/35
A Band Apart/ Jersey Films/ Miramax Films