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Quiz about The Film History of Steven Spielberg
Quiz about The Film History of Steven Spielberg

The Film History of Steven Spielberg Quiz


Steven Spielberg is one of Hollywood's most prolific directors, and the box-office success of his films is virtually unparalleled. This quiz deals only with the films Spielberg himself directed...good luck!

A multiple-choice quiz by thejazzkickazz. Estimated time: 4 mins.
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Time
4 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
190,951
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
7 / 10
Plays
1826
Awards
Top 20% Quiz
Last 3 plays: Guest 176 (9/10), Guest 87 (7/10), blackandgreen (7/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. Since Spielberg is known for his Hollywood blockbusters, why not start with the 1975 film 'Jaws'? More to the point, is it true that 'Jaws' was the first film to achieve over $100 million in box office rentals?


Question 2 of 10
2. In 1977, Spielberg hit box-office paydirt once again with his otherworldly 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind'. In addition to casting Richard Dreyfuss in the lead role as Roy Neary, Spielberg made a very interesting casting selection for the French UFO expert Claude Lacombe. Which famed French director played this role? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. From one blockbuster to the next, we now arrive at 1981's 'Raiders of the Lost Ark'. Spielberg directed this film that was co-written by close acquaintance George Lucas. This marked the first time that these long-time friends would work together in any official capacity.


Question 4 of 10
4. In 1982, Spielberg produced and directed one of the biggest box-office smashes of all time, namely 'E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial' (redundant name, hmm?). This film was the first to have a budget of over 100-million dollars.


Question 5 of 10
5. In 1985, Spielberg took a turn away from the action/adventure/sci-fi genres and decided to try his hand at drama. The result of this venture is the film 'The Color Purple'. Upon whose novel was this very humanistic tale based? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. Now comfortable in the dramatic film arena, Spielberg decided to take on another challenge with the critically-acclaimed 1987 war drama 'Empire of the Sun'. In which country did the story for this film take place? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. From 'Empire of the Sun' to Spielberg's true masterpiece 'Schindler's List'. Which of the following actors did NOT star in this wonderful work of filmmaking from 1993? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. While continuing to churn out the blockbusters ('Jurassic Park', for example), Spielberg also pressed on with his love for historical dramas. In 1997, he made a film recounting an 1839 revolt of Africans aboard an illegal slave ship and the aftermath of said insurrection. What was the name of the slave ship and the film? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. In 1999, Steven Spielberg finally took home his first Oscar (after four other nominations) for his directing work in the World War II film 'Saving Private Ryan'.


Question 10 of 10
10. One of the stars of 'Saving Private Ryan' was Tom Hanks. In which of these other Steven Spielberg-directed films does the Oscar-winning actor make an appearance? Hint



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Most Recent Scores
Mar 09 2024 : Guest 176: 9/10
Mar 07 2024 : Guest 87: 7/10
Mar 03 2024 : blackandgreen: 7/10
Feb 22 2024 : Guest 199: 9/10
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Score Distribution

quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Since Spielberg is known for his Hollywood blockbusters, why not start with the 1975 film 'Jaws'? More to the point, is it true that 'Jaws' was the first film to achieve over $100 million in box office rentals?

Answer: Yes

Indeed, before Spielberg started creating his big, money grossing films, the term 'blockbuster' hardly had developed its modern day definition. Spielberg essentially developed the idea of the 'summer blockbuster', and 'Jaws' did not disappoint in this regard.

The highest grossing film up to the summer of 1975 and the release of 'Jaws' was the 1972 film 'The Godfather' (over 85-million dollars). Of course, adjusted for inflation, movies like 'Gone with the Wind' and 'The Sound of Music' achieved the equivalent of the 'Jaws' box-office take, but in real-dollar terms they did not exceed the 100-million mark.
2. In 1977, Spielberg hit box-office paydirt once again with his otherworldly 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind'. In addition to casting Richard Dreyfuss in the lead role as Roy Neary, Spielberg made a very interesting casting selection for the French UFO expert Claude Lacombe. Which famed French director played this role?

Answer: François Truffaut

You may have heard of Truffaut for his directing work in 'The 400 Blows' (Les Quatre Cents Coups) or 'Breathless' (À bout de souffle), but in the case of 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind', Truffaut chose the route of acting. Truffaut does well alongside the manic Dreyfuss, the latter playing a suddenly UFO obsessed civilian while the latter portrays a film version of the French UFO expert Jacques Vallée.

'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' garnered Spielberg his first of several Academy Award nominations for Best Director. He failed to win an Oscar for this film.
3. From one blockbuster to the next, we now arrive at 1981's 'Raiders of the Lost Ark'. Spielberg directed this film that was co-written by close acquaintance George Lucas. This marked the first time that these long-time friends would work together in any official capacity.

Answer: True

George Lucas conceived of the idea of 'Raiders' with another director, Philip Kaufman, who was originally set to direct the project during its very early stages. Eventually, the script fell into the waiting and willing hands of Spielberg, who then urged that Harrison Ford be chosen as Indiana Jones over Tom Selleck, Lucas' first choice. Things worked out for the best when Selleck left the project, having committed to 'Magnum P.I.', leaving the part of Indiana Jones in the able hands of Harrison Ford.
4. In 1982, Spielberg produced and directed one of the biggest box-office smashes of all time, namely 'E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial' (redundant name, hmm?). This film was the first to have a budget of over 100-million dollars.

Answer: False

Surprisingly, the total filmmaking budget for 'E.T.' came in around 10-million dollars. The first film to cost 100-million dollars to produce was 'Terminator II' from 1991.

The script for 'E.T.' was written by Melissa Mathison, who took dictation from co-developer Spielberg during the filming of 'Raiders of the Lost Ark'. Melissa Mathison is the ex-wife of Harrison Ford.
5. In 1985, Spielberg took a turn away from the action/adventure/sci-fi genres and decided to try his hand at drama. The result of this venture is the film 'The Color Purple'. Upon whose novel was this very humanistic tale based?

Answer: Alice Walker

Spielberg took a big chance with this film, and it paid off with great critical success. Not only was 'The Color Purple' nominated for 11 Academy Awards (though, stunningly, it won zero Oscars), but it also managed to introduce the world to both Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey. Both of them were nominated for actress Oscars in this, their collective acting debuts. Spielberg was not nominated for Best Director, but he was up for a Best Picture nomination.
6. Now comfortable in the dramatic film arena, Spielberg decided to take on another challenge with the critically-acclaimed 1987 war drama 'Empire of the Sun'. In which country did the story for this film take place?

Answer: China

Specifically, the film was based in Shanghai, China during World War II. Based on the novel by J. G. Ballard, 'Empire of the Sun' chronicles the story of a young British ex-pat who manages to survive the Japanese occupation, even while interned in a concentration camp.

This film features the acting of Miranda Richardson, John Malkovich, Ben Stiller, Joe Pantoliano and a young Christian Bale.
7. From 'Empire of the Sun' to Spielberg's true masterpiece 'Schindler's List'. Which of the following actors did NOT star in this wonderful work of filmmaking from 1993?

Answer: Harvey Keitel

Neeson, Kingsley and Fiennes brought vividly to life the characters Oskar Schindler, Itzhak Stern and Amon Goeth, respectively. Spielberg shot this film entirely on location in Poland and Israel, and really captured the moment in time and the tragedy of the Holocaust in a way that very few directors could manage (Roman Polanski's 'The Pianist' comes to mind as a close second).
8. While continuing to churn out the blockbusters ('Jurassic Park', for example), Spielberg also pressed on with his love for historical dramas. In 1997, he made a film recounting an 1839 revolt of Africans aboard an illegal slave ship and the aftermath of said insurrection. What was the name of the slave ship and the film?

Answer: Amistad

The Amistad was a merchant ship that illegally carried slaves from the Caribbean to North America. When the ship is seized by the Africans it illegally carries, and is then captured by U.S. naval forces, a row begins over who has ownership over the craft and its 'cargo'. The circumstances of the Amistad became a national issue in the United States, even reaching the Supreme Court where the case of the Africans was eloquently taken up by John Quincy Adams himself (played marvelously by Anthony Hopkins).

An underrated film by Spielberg, in my view. Aside from Hopkins' performance, look for excellent acting work by Morgan Freeman, Djimon Hounsou and Pete Postlethwaite.
9. In 1999, Steven Spielberg finally took home his first Oscar (after four other nominations) for his directing work in the World War II film 'Saving Private Ryan'.

Answer: False

Oh, that was bad of me. Of course fans of Spielberg know that his first two Oscars came in 1994 for his work on 'Schindler's List' (Best Director and Best Picture). He also won the Best Director Oscar for 'Saving Private Ryan', his second such victory. Spielberg's other nominations:

Best Director - 1978 - 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind'
Best Director - 1982 - 'Raiders of the Lost Ark'
Best Director and Best Picture - 1983- 'E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial'
Best Picture - 1986 - 'The Color Purple'
Best Picture - 1999 - 'Saving Private Ryan'
10. One of the stars of 'Saving Private Ryan' was Tom Hanks. In which of these other Steven Spielberg-directed films does the Oscar-winning actor make an appearance?

Answer: Catch Me If You Can

Hanks starred in 2002's 'Catch Me If You Can' along with Leonardo DiCaprio, Martin Sheen and Christopher Walken. In this film, based on a true story, Hanks plays an FBI agent named Carl Hanratty who spends years trying to track down a con-man named Frank Abagnale Jr., portrayed by DiCaprio. Abagnale passed himself off as everything from an airline pilot to a doctor, all for the purposes of receiving large paychecks. Quite an entertaining film, in my humble opinion.

Thank you for trying this quiz, I hope you enjoyed it and learned something in the process. Please be invited to try my various other quizzes on this website.
Source: Author thejazzkickazz

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor skunkee before going online.
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