What is the name of that film about the South American rugby team which crashed in the Andes and had to resort to cannibalism? Society of the Snow? Naw, I’m thinking of Alive. Let’s go!
Pop Quiz Hot Shot!
1) In 1993-1994 there was a Congressional hearing on violence in video games which was lead by Joe Lieberman and Herb Kohl. The three films that were the focus of some ire in the hearing was the very weird FMV game Night Trap, Doom, and what other fighting game of note at the time?
2) Speaking of video games. The main character in this film is played by Jon Foster, who is the brother of Ben Foster. Ben Foster played an eeeeevil wizard in what video game adapted film which we watched Live! for BMT.
3) The film is produced by someone we are very familiar with at BMT HQ. He directed such classics as Terminator Salvation and the Charlie’s Angels series. Who is this mononomous director?
4) Frankie Muniz is obviously most famous as a race car driver (right?). He currently drived for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. This is a “stock car” series. What are stock cars by definition?
5) If there is any video game series the fake one in this movie takes inspiration from it is Silent Hill. In that series there is a main villain (seen in the movies occasionally as well) which has a … hat? Helmet? Whatever, on. What is the name of this character based on this headwear?
Bonus NYTimes Listing Question: This movie premiered too late to get into the television listings. But an earlier video game film, Super Mario Bros., premiered at 8PM on Showtime on August 27, 1994. The lead-in to the film was:
What is this film?
Answers
1) That would be Mortal Kombat. I’ve played Night Trap. It is extremely innocuous. There is no blood. There are just some scantily clad ladies running away from “vampire” which look more like ninjas. If this was a hearing on scantily clad ladies in video games I would understand, but it was not.
2) That would be Warcraft. That movie was terribly forgettable. It was around the time where everyone had convinced themselves that video games were the next frontier for the Marvel-esque breakout. They weren’t really wrong … it is just that the movies have to be made for children. Like Mario or Warcraft or Sonic.
3) Do you remember McG? He just directed Uglies, which is a film based on a bad YA series well after YA series were successfully being adapted into films. Very weird stuff.
4) It actually refers to “production-model” cars, aka, cars people can actually buy, or at least made of parts they can buy. Over time, obviously, this morphed into the insanity you see in NASCAR which is like a carbon fibre chassis with a thin skin over it. Not exactly pulling that bad boy off the production line.
5) Good old Pyramid Head. I remember calling him Pyramid Head when I saw him in the movie and then only afterwards did I learn that is also what he’s called generally. Like by fans. Wild stuff. He’s also known as Triangle Head. And ha! Apparently he is in other video games like New International Track & Field. Funny.
Bonus NYTimes Listing Answer: C’mon … a caveman becomes a cool transfer student? That’s Encino Man. It is probably the best Pauly Shore film. Probably because he isn’t the main character.
I think Son-in-law is the best Pauly Shore centric film.
Bad Movie Twins 