A Movie Scene Quiz

Hi, guys! I'm out of festival production and back to earth! I'm trying to figure out the game these days (guess I have to wander back in the history!).

Hope everyone's doing well.
Wish I could've seen Theater of Blood--it was such a hoot of a movie-and being a big Price fan and huge Diana fan, well, it would great to see her daughter!

Hi, lois!



OK, now I'm officially confused: is the Streep-Hayworth-Leigh movie the same movie as the Aykroyd-McQueen-Allen movie? It doesn't seem like it could be, since one movie has a 4-word title, and the other has a 5-word title. But if not, how does the clue relate to the movie we're looking for?

Oh, I'm sorry I confused you. I should have italicized "and". I'll make it stand out. Both clues refer to the same movie.

Meryl Streep (2) + Rita Hayworth (1) and Janet Leigh (1)

Dan Aykroyd (2) + Steve McQueen (1) + Woody Allen (2)


HELLO Loislane.

Ah, I should have gotten that from the fact that you spelled out the word "and" instead of using the "+" sign! (Insert picture of me slapping my forehead in belated recognition here.)

Now that I know what I'm looking for, I'll go look for it.

The House of the Spirits (Meryl Streep) + Blood and Sand (Rita Hayworth) and The Fog (Janet Leigh)

The House of Mirth (Dan Aykroyd) + The Sand Pebbles (Steve McQueen) + Shadows and Fog (Woody Allen)

How was House of Sand and Fog? I never saw it, because I saw coming attractions for it before so many other movies, I was sick of it before it had even opened.

I thought the movie was extremely depressing, but Ben Kingsley was superb as always. I usually try to see a movie twice, but I'll not watch House of Sand and Fog again.

Loislane: We are now asking movies that were adapted from novels. I think we've covered 31 to date.

bree, I recommend The House of Sand and Fog. I felt the same way about having seen the preview too many times, but rented it a while back.

I don't want to say much about it until you've seen it...

But, Mac, I want to keep Bree in a cheerful mood. Didn't you find the movie depressing?

Yes, but I thought it was worth it for the interesting story and the excellent acting!

Roger Ebert says the only depressing movies are bad movies. I'm not sure I agree with that, but I can see how someone who sees several hundred movies a year might think so!

And Roger Ebert says this about House of Sand and Fog:

It's so rare to find a movie that doesn't take sides. Conflict is said to be the basis of popular fiction, and yet here is a film that seizes us with its first scene and never lets go, and we feel sympathy all the way through for everyone in it. To be sure, they sometimes do bad things, but the movie understands them and their flaws. Like great fiction, "House of Sand and Fog" sees into the hearts of its characters, and loves and pities them. It is based on a novel by Andre Dubus II, and there must have been pressure to cheapen and simplify it into a formula of good and evil. But no. It stands with integrity and breaks our hearts.

James Berardinelli said: House of Sand and Fog is gripping and unforgettable, one of the best movies of 2003.

So there you are, Bree. You must find out for yourself.

So please go to see the movie, Bree and let us know what you think.

OH, now I think I get it--the parenthetical number is the number of words from the movie title you are referring to and the + or and should be added into the title if nec.
OK...I'll try to jump in, Bree's turn?

I did try to make it to House of Sand of Fog, but I had to leave for a show, so I only saw the beginning, and that was intense enough. I haven't gone back yet--have to be in the right frame of mind.

Please jump in, lois. I'm having the week from hell at work (is it a law of nature that this always happens when one is just back from vacation?), so I don't have much time to play.

Oh, I forgot to mention all, that I'm going tonight to hear Andrea Marcovicci. She's doing the WW2 songs again--and I love that one! Of course, I can't shake the desire to hear her do it with a big band, or at least a small ensemble again instead of the piano/bass combo!

OK, I'm going to try one, hoping you'll get it soon since I leave at 1pm pst today! I went back and don't think you've done this one.

You don't get more bizarre than this pairing:

The + Deborah Kerr (1) + Diana Dors (1)

Loislane: I had trouble getting in here yesterday to tell you I'm so pleased you are going to see Andrea. Well, now you've seen her so please tell us about the concert. (I bought Andrea's CD "Just Kern" recently, and now have three of her CDs (and love them all).

I'm having a devil of a time with your question. All I've been able to come up with so far is "Dark Man", but feel certain that's not what your looking for. I think Dark Man was a comic book.

I See a Dark Stranger (Kerr) and The Sandwich Man (Dors)

Right after I posted, I was unable to get back in as well!


You're right, Dark Man was a comic; think classics and a light bulb will go off in your brain.

It was a great show! She did the I'll Be Seeing You-Love Songs of WW2 show, which is always great fun. Small combo ("My minimalist Big Band" she called her bass and pianist!) and great arrangements and such wonderful tunes and info about the era and songwriters. Many of this crowd knew the answers to her questions which made it great fun (sort of a Jeopardy style cabaret concert!).

Some of my favorites: the title song, a Bette Davis imitation of Either Too Young or Too Old, As Time Goes By, A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square, and the city lovesongs (the London one made everyone tear up): The Last Time I Saw Paris and London Pride.

Big fun--and an amazing white beaded dress! There was no hopping onto the piano in that puppy! There was too much beading! Dress had to cost in the $3-5,000 range easy! eek.

Well, if there's a bulb involved, could it be

The Black Narcissus (Kerr) + Miss Tulip Stays the Night (Dors)

(based on the Dumas novel)?

Now you've got it!
Your serve!

I'm trying to do both my job and my vacationing boss's job this week, so it may be a while before I can come up a new question. If anyone else wants to leap in here in the meantime, please go ahead.

Good luck with trying to do two jobs at the same time, bree. Does your boss return the favor when you go on vacation? (ha! I know the answer to that one.)

Don't hate me, but I'm on vacation thru Monday. I'm going to my family reunion in Missouri tomorrow afternoon. Back late Sunday, but putting Mom on a plane home Monday afternoon, so no work for me for five whole days!