About This Quiz
Each year, Hollywood cranks out big blockbuster hits by the dozens. Some of them fit neatly established categories -- others are a little harder to pin down. Can you match these movies to the right genre?In 1977, "Star Wars" hit theaters and immediately entranced audiences with its blend of action scenes and science fiction twists. Now, the decades-old franchise is stronger than ever.
Christian Bale's turn as Batman injected fresh life into this superhero series. The action/thriller is dedicated to actor Heath Ledger, who died from a drug overdose before he got to view the finished film.
Sure, in "Forrest Gump" the title character winds up going on all sorts of crazy adventures. But at its heart, this is a love story with both humor and melancholy, and it's a comedy-drama featuring -- who else? -- Tom Hanks.
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Starring Mickey Rourke, 2008's "The Wrestler" portrays a pro wrestler who will stop at nothing to try and relive his glory days in the ring. The movie helped to resuscitate the career of Rourke, who'd been relegated to has-been status.
In 1987, "The Princess Bride" was released. This romantic fantasy movie features tons of action, too, and the humor is so outstanding that many of the film's lines are still common catchphrases. It wasn't huge at the box office but has gained cult status.
"The Godfather" is often regarded as one of the best movies ever made. This crime series details the mob as they cut deals and cut down opponents at a frenetic pace.
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Tom Hanks and a group of WWII soldiers set off to track down Private Ryan, whose brothers have all been killed in battle. Their objective? To pull Ryan from the war so that his family won't have to suffer yet another combat death.
In 2000, Russell Crowe wielded a sword to great effect (and carnage) in "Gladiator." This historical drama portrays the violent conflicts in the Roman Empire.
"Schindler's List" is a historical drama based on the real life of Oskar Schindler, who helped save more than 1,000 refugees from the Nazis during World War II. It's a modern movie filmed in black-and-white, and yes, it's often super depressing.
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Paul Walker and Vin Diesel were the "driving" force behind the first "The Fast and the Furious" movie. Their zippy little cars drove California cops crazy … and they drove straight into our hearts.
A man is unjustly imprisoned and sentenced to death in "The Shawshank Redemption," a 1994 drama starring Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman. Will there really be redemption … or will this sad story have a tragic end?
Leonardo DiCaprio went down with the ship in this romantic disaster film from 1997. Twenty years later, his reanimated corpse reappears … and he's dating, of all people … his "Titanic" co-star Kate Winslet. (We made that part up.)
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Jim Carrey's normally a pretty funny guy, right? But in 2004's "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," a sci-fi drama, he'll make you reconsider your life choices in the most depressing way possible.
I'll be honest, I confused "Sleepless in Seattle" with "You've Got Mail," both of which are romantic comedies starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. Bonus points if you can actually tell these films apart.
1995's "Braveheart" stars Mel Gibson as the wild-eyed William Wallace, a Scottish warrior/Mad Max-lookalike who ultimately gets eviscerated by his enemies. Oh, the glories of war.
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"Dances With Wolves" is an epic Western film that won seven Oscars and made Kevin Costner look like a Hollywood genius. We hope we never have to repeat the last part of that sentence again.
Remember the '90s movies that launched Adam Sandler into worldwide fame? "Happy Gilmore" was a sports comedy for the ages, following the exploits of a hockey player turned pro golfer.
Tom Cruise ditches the rat race in "Jerry Maguire" and finds financial success on his own terms. Oh, and he hooks up with Renee Zellweger, too, making this a blend of sports drama and romantic comedy.
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Pixar Animation hit a home run in 1995 with "Toy Story," an animated comedy-adventure film that follows the fun and mishaps of a group of "living" toys. The film made major stars out of Woody and Buzz Lightyear.
"Pineapple Express" is a comedy-action breakout role of sorts for Seth Rogen. It follows the drug-addled misadventures of a guy named Dale after he witnesses a murder.
With its zany weirdness, "Zoolander" is one of the most ridiculous -- and hilarious -- movies of 2001. Sadly, the sequel was nowhere near as funny as the original.
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In 1939, "The Wizard of Oz" hit theaters and changed the way the world thought about movies. This fantasy/drama film isn't just a movie -- like "Star Wars," it is now intertwined with many aspects of pop culture.
"The Hangover" is a comedy, for sure. It's also a life lesson that imparts ageless wisdom -- in America, no males ever truly grow up.
"The Hurt Locker" is a war film that follows the exploits of teams that disarm unexploded booby traps and bombs in Iraq. Note to self: never sign up to disarm bombs in Iraq.
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Director David Fincher has a penchant for dark material, as evidenced by "Seven," a crime thriller that features more than a few disturbing scenes. The story is all about a serial killer who is obsessed with the concept of the Seven Deadly Sins.
"Groundhog Day" finds Bill Murray playing a conceited weatherman who is trapped reliving the same day over and over again. If that sounds like your worst nightmare, relax, this movie is actually pretty funny.
In 1984, "Ghostbusters" brought supernatural hilarity to theaters around the world. It stars Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver and other celebrities who would eventually become even bigger Hollywood names.
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Director M. Night Shyamalan used to make good movies, and none is better than "The Sixth Sense," starring Bruce Willis and Haley Joel Osment, who sees dead people. Oh yes, yes he does.
Some of the scenes in "Full Metal Jacket" might make you think you're watching a horror movie. But it's not -- it's Stanley Kubrick's vision of troubling events of the Vietnam War.
In 1992, Clint Eastwood decided to star in and direct "Unforgiven" an unrelentingly dark vision of the trite Hollywood Western film. Do we cheer for the anti-hero? Or hope he winds up full of lead just like the men he guns down?
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