Film Quizzes: Winter Olympics/Summer Olympics

The Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics finishes today, after 16 drama-fuelled days. As with any major sporting event, there have been all stories. Records have been obliterated, heroes have appeared, legends created and dreams fulfilled. But there’s also been all kinds of disappointment on display too as years of hard work fall away in an instant. Inspired by a blog post on Vinnie H, below are 12 films on the Summer and Winter Olympics. Some are based on a true story, others entirely fictional. Can you work them out?

 Film 1 (1980s)

 Film 2 (1980s)

 Film 3 (1990s)

 Film 4 (1990s)

Film 5 (1990s)

 Film 6 (2000s)

 Film 7 (2000s)

 Film 8 (2000s)

 Film 9 (2010+)

 Film 10 (2010+)

 Film 11 (2010+)

 Film 12 (2010+)

Answers below

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Film Quizzes: One Word Films Part 2

I put up a quiz recently on one word films, ranging from 1927 to 2014. But that wasn’t enough. There really are so many really impressive ones that I just had to add an extra part. Will you do better than last time? Do you have a favourite of the 15 below?

 1. (1950s)

 2. (1960s)

 3. (1970s)

 4. (1980s)

 5. (1990s)

 6. (1990s)

 7. (1990s)

 8. (2000s)

 9. (2000s)

 10. (2000s)

 11. (2010+)

 12. (2010+)

 13. (2010+)

 14. (2010+)

 15. (2010+)

Answers below

Film Quizzes: My Favourite Films Part 2

There really were too many to fit favourite films into one post. And even then I think of some of the films I had to leave out. Will you do better better than last Part 1? Do you have a favourite among the list here? As always you comments and feedback are more than welcome.

  Film 1

 Film 2

 Film 3

 Film 4

 Film 5

 Film 6

 Film 7

 Film 8

 Film 9

 Film 10

 Film 11

 Film 12

 Film 13

 Film 14

 Film 15

Answers below

Line(s) of the Day #Prefontaine

Let me tell you something, all of my life people have said to me, “You’re too small, Pre. You’re not fast enough, Pre. Give up your foolish dreams, Steve!” But you know what, they forgot something: I have to win. There’s no fallback here, no great stride, no long legs –nothing!

Steve Prefontaine (Jared Leto) in the sporting biopic film Prefontaine (1997)

Gr8at – Desert Island Films

What three records would you like if you were stuck on a desert island?
The long distance swimming record would be a good start!

Assuming that wouldn’t work,  I’d set up a makeshift chair, split open a coconut and enjoy some very fine movies. Here are my Gr8at films if I was stuck on a desert island.

The Third Man

My favourite ever film so no chance I could miss this out. It was released in 1949 and it’s still a joy to the senses. The dialogue is outrageously sharp, the cinematography sublime, the directing imaginative and the acting of the highest calibre. A thought-provoking classic of what the fascination and drawbacks are of being immoral, and what affects it has for those caught in the middle.

Clerks

I’m always amazed when I run into people who haven’t seen this film. The Naked Gun trilogy, Airplane and the Marx Brothers set are all super funny, but Clerks is still the film that makes me laugh most. The glorious cynicism in two friends in dead-end jobs dealing with a whole spectrum of customers would be a fun way to while away time on a desert island.

Field of Dreams

I’m a huge sports fan, but have never come close to understanding people’s love of baseball. But Field of Dreams is a film that really does go beyond that. It’s a magical, sentimental and captures the beauty of daydreaming. It’s the kind of upbeat message I’d need if I was to be alone on an island.

Battle Royale

Well I just had to have this on here! It’s such an entertaining film with a brilliant premise. Just what would happen if a group of schoolkids were dropped off in an island and left to fend for themselves? What separates this from just being just an extension of Lord of the Flies is the motives for why they’re there, being both boys and girls, and the use of weapons.

Bridge on the River Kwai

I’ve always loved this film. The idea of how people act when they think no one is watching and just what constitutes a hero has always intrigued me. Add in the superlative Alec Guinness as the misguided Lt. Colonel Nicholson, an epic setting, and a storyline that builds to an explosive crescendo and you have one of the best war films ever.

The Godfather

It’s not too often that a truly great novel becomes a truly great film. The story of the Corleone family is one of cinema’s most phenomenal of achievements and a masterclass of how to adapt a literary classic. It’s also an acting extravaganza that may well be the coolest film ever. With the time I’d have spare, I might finally be able to master the legendary voice too.

Prefontaine

Not that well known in the slightest, and not even the only film to have been made about the star in question, but Prefontaine really is a superb piece of filmmaking I’d hate to go without. It’s still my favourite film for getting inside the mind of an athlete, especially before the era of high-end sponsorship. Deserves far-wider recognition.

Whatever it Takes

For a while I was between Reservoir Dogs and The Dark Knight, but I’d need a lighter movie and ‘Whatever it Takes’ always puts me in a good mood. Though the standard varies wildly, I’ve always had a soft spot for teen movies, and this loose remaking of Cyrano de Bergerac has plenty of laughs.