Category: Polls

Your 2005 Film Quiz
Some movie buffs say this year has been one to forget. Agree or disagree? Here’s a test to see how much you truly remember (And yes, the answers are all below)
By JOE LEYDON – The New York Daily News
Name Games
1. In “Batman Returns,” Christian Bale became the fifth actor to play the Caped Crusader in a feature film. Name the other four.
2. Name three actors who played Dakota Fanning’s father in 2005.
3. Who played the title roles in “Four Brothers”?
4. People magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive 2005” starred in two ’05 films. Name them.
5. Name two John Carpenter movies that were remade in 2005.
Whereabouts
6. “Hustle & Flow” takes place in what Southern city? (A) New Orleans (B) Nashville (C) Memphis (D) Mobile
7. In what city do the vengeful “Four Brothers” seek their mother’s killer? (A) Detroit (B) Boston (C) Chicago (D) Newark
8. “The Skeleton Key” was set in the dark backwoods just outside what city? (A) Atlanta (B) Charlotte (C) New Orleans (D) Savannah
9. Just where is Ice Cube taking those two troublesome kids in “Are We There Yet?” (A) San Francisco (B) Seattle (C) Portland (D) Vancouver
10. Cameron Diaz and Toni Collette co-starred in “In Her Shoes” as estranged sisters in what city? (A) Boston (B) Philadelphia (C) Seattle (D) Chicago
Catch a falling star
11. What native Texan played a Texas Ranger in the little-seen “Man of the House”? (A) Dennis Quaid (B) Tommy Lee Jones (C) Matthew McConaughey (D) Steve Martin
12. What star of a 2005 blockbuster also voiced the title toon character in the underwhelming “Valiant”? (A) Christian Bale (B) Johnny Depp (C) Tom Cruise (D) Ewan McGregor
13. What former “Law & Order” star fought the good fight in a long-delayed World War II drama last summer? (A) Jerry Orbach (B) Benjamin Bratt (C) Chris Noth (D) Michael Moriarty
14. She was hyped as a hottie and was notorious for nude scenes in the 1980s. In “Flightplan,” however, she cameoed as a drab and bespectacled psychologist. Who is she? (A) Greta Scacchi (B) Kim Basinger (C) Kathleen Turner (D) Sean Young
15. What actor best known for his New York-based movies stumbled badly while time-tripping through Chicago in “A Sound of Thunder”? (A) Edward Burns (B) Woody Allen (C) Robert De Niro (D) John Turturro
Real characters
16. Who is Johnny Storm? (A) The pimp-turned-hip-hopper in “Hustle & Flow” (B) “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” (C) The flaming superhero in “Fantastic Four” (D) The vengeful hulk in “Sin City”
17. What were the first names of “Mr. & Mrs. Smith”? (A) John and Mary(B) Paul and Paula (C) John and Jane (D) Dick and Jane
18.Who is Gracie Hart? (A) The crusading coal miner of “North Country” (B) The plucky FBI agent of “Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous” (C) The mother-in-law from hell in “Monster-in-Law” (D) The curvy stripper of “Sin City”
19. Tyler Perry donned drag to play what character in his “Diary of a Mad Black Woman”? (A) Madea (B) Medea (C) Madonna (D) Medusa
20. Who is Ray Ferrier? (A) The heavyweight rival of the “Cinderella Man” (B) The divorced dad fleeing alien invaders in “War of the Worlds”(C) A “Wedding Crasher” (D) “The 40-Year-Old Virgin”
Snappy patter
Who said it?
21. “Does it come in black?” (A) Johnny Depp in “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” (B) Bruno Ganz in “Downfall” (C) Christian Bale in “Batman Begins” (D) Morgan Freeman in “March of the Penguins”
22. “For the past year, I ain’t had nothing twixt my nethers that didn’t run on batteries.” (A) Jessica Simpson in “The Dukes of Hazzard” (B) Keira Knightley in “Domino” (C) Jewell Staite in “Serenity” (D) Drea de Matteo in “Assault on Precinct 13”
23. “A thong would look ridiculous on me.” (A) Michelle Monaghan in “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” (B) Val Kilmer in “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” (C) Toni Collette in “In Her Shoes” (D) Shirley MacLaine in “In Her Shoes”
24. “Trust me: Everyone is less mysterious than they think they are.”(A) Kirsten Dunst in “Elizabethtown”(B) Claire Danes in “Shopgirl” (C) Steve Carell in “The 40-Year-Old Virgin”(D) Jessica Alba in “Fantastic Four”
25. “God loves you just the way you are, but too much to let you stay that way.” (A) Michael Caine in “Batman Begins” (B) Cameron Diaz in “In Her Shoes” (C) Amy Adams in “Junebug” (D) Reese Witherspoon in “Walk the Line”
26. “You’re not stalking me, are you?” (A) Cillian Murphy in “Red Eye” (B) Orlando Bloom in “Elizabethtown” (C) Rob Schneider in “Deuce Bigalow, European Gigolo” (D) Brad Pitt in “Mr. & Mrs. Smith”
27. “There are two types of people: Those that talk the talk and those that walk the walk. People who walk the walk sometimes talk the talk but most times they don’t talk at all, ’cause they walkin’. Now, people who talk the talk, when it comes time for them to walk the walk, you know what they do? They talk people like me into walkin’ for them.” (A) Terrence Howard in “Get Rich or Die Tryin'” (B) Joaquin Phoenix in “Walk the Line” (C) Toni Collette in “In Her Shoes” (D) Anthony Anderson in “Hustle & Flow”
28. “Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in.” (A) Joe Pantoliano in “Racing Stripes” (B) Tim Curry in “Valiant” (C) Robin Williams in “Robots” (D) Cedric the Entertainer in “Madagascar”
29. “Know how I knew you were gay? You like Coldplay.” (A) Terrence Howard in “Hustle & Flow” (B) Paul Rudd in “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” (C) Mark Wahlberg in “Four Brothers” (D) Mickey Rourke in “Sin City”
30. “Tattoo on the lower back? Might as well be a bull’s-eye.” (A) Angelina Jolie in “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” (B) Chris Rock in “The Longest Yard” (C) Vince Vaughn in “Wedding Crashers”(D) Jennifer Garner in “Elektra”
Answers
NAME GAMES
1. Adam West (“Batman,” 1966), Michael Keaton (“Batman,” 1989; “Batman Returns,” 1992), Val Kilmer (“Batman Forever,” 1995) and George Clooney (“Batman & Robin,” 1997).
2. Robert De Niro (“Hide and Seek”), Tom Cruise (“War of the Worlds”) and Kurt Russell (“Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story”).
3. Mark Wahlberg, Tyrese Gibson, Andre Benjamin and Garrett Hedlund.
4. Matthew McConaughey appeared in “Sahara” and “Two for the Money.”
5. “Assault on Precinct 13” and “The Fog.”
WHEREABOUTS
6. (C) Memphis
7. (A) Detroit
8. (C) New Orleans
9. (D) Vancouver
10. (B) Philadelphia
CATCH A FALLING STAR
11. (B) Tommy Lee Jones
12. (D) Ewan McGregor
13. (B) Benjamin Bratt (in “The Great Raid”)
14. (A) Greta Scacchi
15. (A) Edward Burns
REAL CHARACTERS
16. (C) Superhero in “Fantastic Four”
17. (C) John and Jane
18. (B) FBI agent in “Miss Congeniality 2”
19. (A) Madea
20. (B) Divorced dad in “War of the Worlds”
SNAPPY PATTER
21. (C) Christian Bale
22. (C) Jewell Staite
23. (C) Toni Collette
24. (A) Kirsten Dunst
25. (C) Amy Adams
26. (A) Cillian Murphy
27. (D) Anthony Anderson
28. (A) Joe Pantoliano
29. (B) Paul Rudd
30. (C) Vince Vaughn

Simpson Busts Out with Best Cleavage
LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) Forget about Jessica Simpson’s purported rocky marriage. There are a couple other things on people’s minds now.
The pop/movie star’s bosom has been named the Best Cleavage, according to a hard-hitting Hollywood poll by In Touch Weekly.
“With a pair of perfect double Ds, Jessica sets the standard for busty bombshells,” declares the celebrity publication.
Despite the negative media attention for her princess-like behavior on “Newlyweds” and rumors of her troubled marriage with Nick Lachey, Simpson has generally received positive attention for her rack. Even dad/manager Joe Simpson once voiced his appreciation for his daughter’s assets: “She just is sexy. If you put her in a T-shirt or you put her in a bustier, she’s sexy in both. She’s got double Ds! You can’t cover those suckers up!” Okay, eww.
For her big-screen debut in “Dukes of Hazzard,” she covered the song “These Boots Are Made for Walking,” and sings about her double-Ds — referring to the Daisy Duke initials of course.
Runners-up on the busty poll include Latin beauty Salma Hayek, Carmen Electra, actress/mother/activist Angelina Jolie, “Monster’s Ball” star Halle Berry, “Ghost Whisperer” sensitive Jennifer Love Hewitt, “Lost in Translation’s” Scarlett Johansson, diva Maria Carey, the 59-year-old Susan Sarandon and “Desperate Housewives” star Nicollette Sheridan.
Simpson, 25, appeared with her husband on “Newlyweds” and on variety and USO specials on ABC. She made her silver screen debut as Daisy Dukes in this summer’s “Dukes of Hazzard.”

Movie Fans Vote Rourke ‘Man of the Year’
LONDON – British movie fans have voted Mickey Rourke “man of the year” for his portrayal of the swaggering down-on-his-luck Marv in “Sin City.”
“Batman Begins,” the most recent adventure of the comic superhero starring Christian Bale in the title role, was voted top film of 2005.
The movie fought off competition from “Star Wars: Episode III √≥ Revenge of the Sith” to land the No. 1 spot in the poll of 15,000 film fans by Total Film magazine. The poll was released Sunday.
Scottish actor Ian McDiarmid, who played Supreme Chancellor Palpatine in “Revenge of the Sith,” was named best movie villain; 11-year-old Dakota Fanning was named best child actor for her role in Steven Spielberg’s “War of the Worlds”; and the nut-eating squirrels in Tim Burton’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” were named best movie animal.
“`Batman Begins’ was a smart but funny reinvention of an iconic figure and had fantastic performances. It was also excellently directed by Christopher Nolan,” said Total Film editor Nev Pierce.
“Film fans want more and `Batman Begins’ overcomes the horrible taste that previous outing `Batman & Robin’ left in people’s mouths,” Pierce said.

Hollywood movies misfire with core audience–study
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Males under 25 years-old, a core movie audience, saw fewer films this past summer but watched more DVDs, played more video games and surfed the Web more often than previously, according to a study released on Monday.
The research by Online Testing eXchange, or OTX, could help explain the recent slump at box offices. The summer movie season, which runs from the first of May through the U.S. Labor Day holiday in September, is a key period that generates up to 40 percent of its total annual box office.
This past summer, ticket revenues fell to $3.62 billion, their lowest level since 2001 and the estimated number of tickets sold — 541 million — was the lowest level since 1997, according to box office tracker Exhibitor Relations.
Two hits were director Steven Spielberg’s “War of the Worlds” and Tim Burton’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” Flops included action films “Stealth” and “The Island.”
In its study, OTX found that males aged 13 to 24 saw 24 percent fewer films in summer of 2005 than in summer of 2003, a year for which similar data was available.
“This (group), more acutely than any other, is weighing the value of the in-theater experience compared to many other lower cost, more immediate and convenient entertainment options,” Shelley Zalis, co-founder of OTX, said in a statement.
The OTX study found that in 2003, 60 percent of the males under 25 said the movie choice that summer was “excellent,” whereas only 35 percent believed 2005’s summer films were in the same league.
OTX’s research found that the young men watched 47 movies on DVD or video this past summer compared to 30 in summer 2003. The group also learned that videogame playing and Web surfing is increasing.
Rising costs also factored into the decreased attendance, as did people preferring to wait to see a movie on DVD rather than going to see a film in theaters, according to the study.

‘Showgirls’ Sex Scene Named Cinema’s Worst
LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com)- England’s Empire magazine has crowned Elizabeth Berkley’s “Showgirls” tryst with Kyle MacLachlan as the worst sex scene in cinematic history.
In the famous scene, Berkley’s Nomi Malone and MacLachlan’s Zack Carey flop around in a garish Vegas swimming pool, thrusting and flailing and splashing up a storm.
“It’s supposed to be the best sex in the world but, as Berkley thrashes around in the water, it looks more like the first ten minutes of ‘Jaws,'” Empire says.
Second place in the poll goes to the escalatingly violent encounter between Oscar winners Jeremy Irons and Juliette Binoche in “Damage,” while Heather Graham and Joseph Fiennes take third with a scene from 2002’s “Killing Me Softley.”
It’s unclear how those two moments could have been worse than the forth place ugly bump in “Body of Evidence,” which expects viewers to get turned on by Madonna pouring hot wax on Willem Dafoe. Kathleen Turner’s “Crimes of Passion” sex romps get fifth, somehow worse than Sharon Stone doing Sylvester Stallone in the shower in “The Specialist.”
The staff at Empire scientifically compiled the list after going through a vast selection of cinematic humping. The complete list appears in the magazine’s issue which will be available on Friday (Sept. 30) in the U.K. and eventually at fine booksellers worldwide.

AFI Scores With “Star Wars”
The Force is strong with John Williams.
Not only was his score for 1977’s Star Wars named the number one Greatest Film Score of all time by the list-happy folks at the American Film Institute, but the music he wrote for 1975’s Jaws and 1982’s E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial also made the cut, coming in at number six and 14 respectively.
A jury of over 500 film artists, composers, musicians, critics and historians were tapped to determine which of the most memorable scores would be chosen for The Big Picture√≥AFI’s 100 Years of Film Scores, a new list commissioned by the famed institute in association with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association.
Of the movie music rounding out the top 10, a number predictably belong to some of the most beloved films ever made. Coming in at number two was Max Steiner’s majestic score for 1939’s Gone with the Wind. That was followed in third place by Maurice Jarre’s sweeping orchestrations for 1962’s Lawrence of Arabia, Bernard Herrmann’s heart-piercing composition for 1960’s Psycho in fourth, and Nino Rota’s epic score for 1972’s The Godfather in fifth.
The rest of the AFI’s top ten were respectively: Jaws, John Williams; Laura (1944), David Raskin; The Magnificent Seven (1960), Elmer Bernstein; Chinatown (1974), Jerry Goldsmith; and High Noon (1952), Dimitri Tiomkin.
A who’s who of the cinema’s best tunesmiths were represented on the list: giants like Hermann, Steiner, Bernstein, Goldsmith, Ennio Morricone, Henry Mancini, John Barry and Alfred Newman.
The committee based its selections on criteria such as its creative impact√≥i.e. “scores that enrich the moviegoing experience by bringing the emotional elements of a film’s story to life;” its historical significance, or scores that help advance the art form; and the scores’ legacy in cinema history. The works chosen also had to be from American films.
Steiner, Herrmann, Bernstein, and Goldsmith each had two films on the list.
Aside from Gone with the Wind’s second place finish, Steiner also placed 13th with the score for 1933’s King Kong. Herrmann followed up Psycho’s fourth place victory with his thrilling orchestrations for 1958’s Vertigo, which came in at number 12. While outdoing himself with the music for The Magnificent Seven, Bernstein also etched himself in cinema lore with his stirring score for 1962’s To Kill a Mockingbird, which was ranked 17th. And last but not least, Goldsmith shifted from Chinatown’s murder-mystery vibe to sci-fi with his score for 1968’s Planet of the Apes.
Some of the other notable composers on the list were Erich Wolfgang Korngold, whose swashbuckling score for the The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) ranked eleventh and helped make Errol Flynn the object of every girl’s desire; Franz Waxman, whose evocative music for noir classic Sunset Boulevard (1950) came in at 16 and revealed the darker side of Tinseltown; Alex North, who made his mark at number 19 with his score for A Streetcar Named Desire (1951); and Miklos Rozsa, who roused the masses with his work on Ben-Hur, which placed 21.
Mancini’s beloved theme from The Pink Panther (1964) landed in the 20 spot, Leonard Bernstein’s music for On the Waterfront at 22; and Morricone’s classic score from 1986’s The Mission at 23. Wrapping up the list was Dave Grusin’s score for On Golden Pond (1981) and Afred Newman’s for How the West Was Won (1962) at 24 and 25 respectively.
Here’s the complete list of AFI’s 25 Greatest Film Scores:
Star Wars (1977); John Williams
Gone with the Wind (1939); Max Steiner
Lawrence of Arabia (1962); Maurice Jarre
Psycho (1960); Bernard Herrmann
The Godfather (1972); Nino Rota
Jaws (1975); John Williams
Laura (1944); David Raskin
The Magnificent Seven (1960); Elmer Bernstein
Chinatown (1975); Jerry Goldsmith
High Noon (1952); Dimitri Tiomkin
The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938); Erich Wolfgang Korngold
Vertigo (1958); Bernard Herrmann
King Kong (1933); Max Steiner
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982); John Williams
Out of Africa (1985); John Barry
Sunset Boulevard (1950); Franz Waxman
To Kill a Mockingbird (1962); Elmer Bernstein
Planet of the Aples (1968); Jerry Goldsmith
A Streetcar Named Desire (1951); Alex North
The Pink Panther (1964); Henry Mancini
Ben-Hur (1959); Miklos Rozsa
On the Waterfront (1954); Leonard Bernstein
The Mission (1986); Ennio Morricone
On Golden Pond (1981); David Grusin
How the West Was Won (1962); Alfred Newman

Pamela Anderson named most powerful Canadian in Hollywood
Former Baywatch TV star Pamela Anderson has been named the most powerful Canadian in Hollywood by Canadian Business magazine.
Anderson, who was born in Ladysmith, B.C. in 1967, beat out other well-known Canadian stars such as Jim Carrey, Mike Myers and Keanu Reeves.
The magazine said she scored high on the magazine’s first celebrity power list because of her countless web hits, numerous press clippings, media appearances and a salary estimated at $300,000 dollars per television episode.
Anderson has appeared in more than a dozen films and television sitcoms, including Home Improvement, Baywatch, comic book legend Stan Lee’s Stripperella, VIP and her latest effort, Stacked, about a party girl working in a bookstore.
She writes an advice column for the Canadian version of Elle magazine, and also a column that’s syndicated in the U.S. magazine Jane and the UK magazine Marie Claire.
She is also famous for her much-publicized relationships with rock stars Tommy Lee and Kid Rock, along with her 11 appearances on the cover of Playboy magazine.
Other notable Canadians to make the list:
Jim Carrey (2nd)
Keanu Reeves (3rd)
Mike Myers (4th)
Hayden Christensen, who played Anakin Skywalker in two Star Wars movies (6th)
Elisha Cuthbert (11th)
Rachel McAdams (12th)
Sandra Oh (14th)

Longoria Voted Sexiest TV Star Of All Time
Desperate Housewives actress Eva Longoria has beaten off competition from Jennifer Aniston to be voted the sexiest TV beauty of all time.
The 30-year-old Latina, who claims she was the “ugly duckling” of her family growing up, was honoured for her sexy performance as Gabrielle Solis in the hit US drama.
Aniston, who played Friends’s Rachel Green for ten years, came second in the survey by British supermarket Sainsbury’s, followed by Sex And The City’s Kim Cattrall as man-eating Samantha Jones in third place.
The Top Five Sexiest Female TV Stars Of All-Time are: 1. Eva Longoria – Desperate Housewives 2. Jennifer Aniston – Friends 3. Kim Cattrall – Sex And The City 4. Pamela Anderson – Baywatch 5. Sarah Michelle Gellar – Buffy The Vampire Slayer.

BEST BEHIND
British moviegoers voting Jude Law’s butt the sexiest in a poll of the top tushes in show business. Ren√àe Zellweger rounded out the top 10.

Lucille Ball Tops List of Dead Celebs
NEW YORK – Lucille Ball is America’s most beloved dead star. The company that developed the “Q score” that broadcasters and advertisers quietly consult to measure a personality’s popularity has done a survey that tests the reputation of performers who have gone on to that big soundstage in the sky.
The redheaded sitcom star of the 1950s and ’60s, who died in 1989, has topped past “Dead Q” lists as her comedies seemingly live forever on television, said Steve Levitt, president of Marketing Evaluations, Inc., which conducts the tests.
“What is there not to like about Lucy?” he said.
Bob Hope, John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart and Red Skelton follow her on the popularity list.
For 41 years, Levitt’s company has given consumers a list of names and asked if they know the people and to rate how much they like them. From their responses they calculate the Q score, a measure of both familiarity and likability.
Advertising executives use the information to make sponsorship decisions, while broadcasters check Q scores to see how well their news and entertainment stars are connecting.
Tom Hanks has been the most popular live star in the last few surveys.
Dead stars still do business, though. Coors used film clips of Wayne in a popular commercial, while Fred Astaire has danced to hawk a vacuum cleaner.
“Some of these deceased personalities have Q scores equal to or greater than some of the live personalities we measure,” Levitt said.
Two performers are relatively new to the list: Johnny Carson and John Ritter were both ranked among the 10 most popular dead stars.
Others offer a reminder of television’s power to keep people figuratively alive; “The Honeymooners” star Jackie Gleason, who died in 1987, is still remembered and beloved.
“Peanuts” creator Charles Schulz and Michael Landon fill out the top 10.
Out of 169 personalities tested, diet doctor Robert Atkins had the lowest score. Tupac Shakur and Johnnie Cochran also have high negative ratings, Levitt said.
The national survey was conducted by mail questionnaire.