Directors by Title Initialisms Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. RD (1992), PF (1994), THE (2015)

Answer: Quentin Tarantino

The three films were 'Reservoir Dogs' (1992), 'Pulp Fiction' (1994) and 'The Hateful Eight' (2015), all directed by violence-loving American director Quentin Tarantino. Whilst he has not directed as many films as some other directors, Tarantino has also written for films that he didn't direct, such as 'Natural Born Killers' (1994) and 'From Dusk Till Dawn' (1996).

2. ACO (1971), FMJ (1987), EWS (1999)

Answer: Stanley Kubrick

The three films were 'A Clockwork Orange' (1971), 'Full Metal Jacket' (1987) and 'Eyes Wide Shut' (1999), directed by Stanley Kubrick. Similar to Tarantino, Kubrick was not one to churn out movies, directing only 13 feature films in a career that lasted almost 50 years. 'Full Metal Jacket' (1987) was his penultimate feature, while 'Eyes Wide Shut' (1999) was his last.

3. PB (1991), THL (2008), ZDT (2012)

Answer: Kathryn Bigelow

The three films were 'Point Break' (1991), 'The Hurt Locker' (2008) and 'Zero Dark Thirty' (2012), each directed by Kathryn Bigelow. Despite directing more light-hearted films earlier in her career ('Point Break' is a perfect example), Bigelow's films began to focus on more serious subjects such as the assassination of Osama bin Laden ('Zero Dark Thirty') or 1960s race riots in the United States ('Detroit') later in her career.

4. CF (1991), TA (2004), TD (2006)

Answer: Martin Scorsese

The three films were 'Cape Fear' (1991), 'The Aviator' (2004) and 'The Departed' (2006), all directed by prolific director and promoter of cinema Martin Scorsese. Scorsese is known for developing relationships with his leading men that last over several projects. For example Robert de Niro starred in 'Mean Streets' (1973), 'Taxi Driver' (1976) and 'Raging Bull' (1980).

5. SS (1954), ToB (1957), THF (1958)

Answer: Akira Kurosawa

The three films were 'Seven Samurai' (1954), 'Throne of Blood' (1957) and 'The Hidden Fortress' (1958), all directed by legendary Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa. Kurosawa had a lengthy career, directing over 30 feature films and working until after his 80th birthday. Several of Kurosawa's films are based on Shakespeare plays, such as 'Throne of Blood' (based on 'Macbeth') and 'Ran' (based on 'King Lear').

6. MoN (2012), S (2014), AWiT (2018)

Answer: Ava DuVernay

The three films were 'Middle of Nowhere' (2012), 'Selma' (2014) and 'A Wrinkle in Time' (2018), each helmed by American director Ava DuVernay. DuVernay was Oscar-nominated for Best Documentary for her 2016 film '13th' which studied the prison system in the United States and the racial inequalities therein.

7. BV (1986), LH (1997), MD (2001)

Answer: David Lynch

The three films were 'Blue Velvet' (1986), 'Lost Highway' (1997) and 'Mulholland Drive' (2001), all directed by unsettling filmmaker David Lynch. Ever since his debut feature 'Eraserhead' (1977), Lynch has never been one to tie up loose ends or to explain to his audience what is going on, preferring them to make their own inferences.

In addition to films, Lynch is also the creator of the highly successful TV series 'Twin Peaks', which returned for a third season in 2017 after a 26-year hiatus.

8. FEtS (1974), FaHF (1975), TMoMB (1979)

Answer: Rainer Werner Fassbinder

The three films were 'Fear Eats the Soul' (1974), 'Fox and His Friends' (1975) and 'The Marriage of Maria Braun' (1979), all created by the German director Rainer Werner Fassbinder. Unlike some of the other directors in this quiz, Fassbinder did not hang around with his filmmaking. During the peak of his output, Fassbinder had a steady group of actors and crew that allowed him to go from one film straight into the next. Fassbinder died aged only 37, but with more than 40 directing credits to his name.

9. DtRT (1989), GotB (1996), SHM (2004)

Answer: Spike Lee

The three films were 'Do the Right Thing' (1989), 'Get on the Bus' (1996) and 'She Hate Me' (2004), directed by American filmmaker Spike Lee. A depiction of racial tensions in Brooklyn, New York, Lee's most lauded film is 'Do the Right Thing'. Lee himself stars in the film as Mookie, alongside characters played by Danny Aiello, Ossie Davis and Giancarlo Esposito.

10. IHH (2004), SLP (2012), AH (2013)

Answer: David O. Russell

The three films were 'I Heart Huckabees' (2004), 'Silver Linings Playbook' (2012) and 'American Hustle' (2013), all made by American director David O. Russell. Similar to Martin Scorsese, David O. Russell likes to stick with some of the same actors, and cast Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper in 'Silver Linings Playbook' (2012), 'American Hustle' (2013) and 'Joy' (2015). Lawrence won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her work in 'Silver Linings Playbook'.

Source: Author pagea

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor spanishliz before going online.
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Questions		Choices
1. RD (1992), PF (1994), THE (2015)		Rainer Werner Fassbinder
2. ACO (1971), FMJ (1987), EWS (1999)		David O. Russell
3. PB (1991), THL (2008), ZDT (2012)		Ava DuVernay
4. CF (1991), TA (2004), TD (2006)		Kathryn Bigelow
5. SS (1954), ToB (1957), THF (1958)		Spike Lee
6. MoN (2012), S (2014), AWiT (2018)		Stanley Kubrick
7. BV (1986), LH (1997), MD (2001)		Quentin Tarantino
8. FEtS (1974), FaHF (1975), TMoMB (1979)		Akira Kurosawa
9. DtRT (1989), GotB (1996), SHM (2004)		David Lynch
10. IHH (2004), SLP (2012), AH (2013)		Martin Scorsese

Can you match these directors to the films they've directed? Just one catch, you only get the first letters of each word in the film titles. Good luck!