Popcorn Crunchers, Reel 176 Trivia Quiz

Answer: Ghosts

All of these films are comedies which feature ghosts. While Noël Coward's play "Blithe Spirit" was written before "The Headless Ghost," the other two closely followed it, suggesting that "The Headless Ghost" may have influenced them both. "Spukschloss" is German for "haunted house".

Answer: Godzilla vs. Yokai

The feature-length movies "Godzilla" (1954), "Godzilla, King of the Monsters!" (1956), and "Godzilla Raids Again" (1955) are all actual, not-made-up, existent, and authentic motion pictures. It is unlikely that there would be a feature-length motion picture named "Godzilla vs. Yokai." "Yokai" is a Japanese word of broad meaning.

It may describe ghosts, demons, shapeshifters, tricksters, monsters, and supernatural beings. "Yokai" are mysterious and from beyond the human realm. While it might be possible to describe a particular "daikaiju" (a monster like go-ji-ra) as "yokai," it would be unusual. "Daikaiju" is a Japanese term meaning "giant strange beast" or "great strange beast."

Answer: A cross in his coffin turns him into dust

Jessica Burns restores Gideon Drew's head to his body. He rises from his coffin and prepares to kill Gordon Hawthorne. Gordon pulls out the talisman cross, causing Gideon to cower in fear. Gideon backs up and falls backwards into his coffin. Gordon drops the talisman/cross into the coffin on top of him and Gideon disintegrates before their eyes. Gordon retrieves the talisman/cross from the coffin and places it around Jessica's neck to protect them both.

Answer: Phyllis Coates

The motion picture begins as newspaper reporters Clark Kent (played by George Reeves) and Lois Lane (played by Phyllis Coates) arrive at a drilling site in the small town of Silsby. The world's deepest oil well is being drilled. When two furry, bald, dwarf humanoids emerge from the shaft, they scare the night watchman to death. Lois Lane sees them because they glow in the dark but no one believes her because she is a woman.

At the film's conclusion, the Mole Men seal up the drill shaft so as not to be further disturbed in their subterranean life. Lois Lane says "It's almost as if they were saying, 'You live your lives ... and we'll live ours.'" Phyllis Coates reprised her role as Lois Lane on the first season of the television programme "The Adventures of Superman" but was then replaced by Noel Neill because she was unavailable to the next season's shooting schedule.

Answer: He spoke rudimentary English

The Gill Man is severely burned by fire during his capture. His wounds are bandaged in the OR on board the Vagabondia III. His gills are essentially destroyed by the flames but appears to have rudimentary lungs and is able to breathe room air. A tracheotomy makes this easier and Dr. Barton says, "We are changing a sea creature into a land creature." The creature appears to have human skin under his burnt-off amphibian skin.

His hand is less webbed and has more defined fingers. His eyes appear to be mutating toward more human organs.

It seems that Dr. Barton spoke correctly.

Answer: Bert I. Gordon's initials were "BIG"

Director Bert I. Gordon specialised in low-budget cheap-special-effects films (like "King Dinosaur") which were especially popular with teenagers and were often shown as double features in drive-in theatres. Gordon, who lived to be 100 years old (1922-2023), made movies such as "King Dinosaur," "The Amazing Colossal Man" (1957), Earth vs. the Spider" (1958), "Village of the Giants" (1965), and "Empire of the Ants" (1977).

The website "TV Tropes" called him "The King of the Giant Monster Movie." With typical humility, he titled his 2010 autobiography "The Amazing Colossal Worlds Of Mr. B.I.G.: An Autobiographical Journey."

Answer: William Fitzgerald and Frances Girard

Dr. Charles Girard, played by Francis Lederer, and his wife Frances, played by Greta Thyssen, are estranged. Frances determines to leave her husband and leave the island, as well. Frances and William Fitzgerald, played by Richard Derr, feel the stirrings of love between them. Frances reveals her intention to escape to William and asks for his help. In the last scene, William and Frances walk together along the beach where her husband has just been killed and he tells her that it will soon be daylight, which is perhaps symbolic of the dawn of their relationship.

Answer: Acting

Barbara Shelley (1932-2021) acted extensively on television and in films. She played Leonora Johnson, the woman who turned into a leopard, in "Cat Girl" (1957) and played in another cat-related film "Shadow of the Cat" (1961). She began to work for Hammer Films in (1958) with "The Camp on Blood Island." Other roles included the films: "Blood of the Vampire" (1958), "Village of the Damned" (1960), "The Gorgon" (1964), "Dracula, Prince of Darkness" (1966), "Rasputin, the Mad Monk" (1966), "Quatermass and the Pit" (1967), and "Ghost Story" (1974).

She also appeared in nine Italian films, speaking fluent Italian. She was born and died in England.

Answer: Largely negative

The Movie Database wrote, "If laughter were food, this would be a full-course meal for Worst Films connoisseurs." "Serpent Island" was featured in 1969 on an Australian television hosted horror movie programme "Aweful Movies with Deadly Earnest" (1967-1973). Ralph Baker, who played the character Deadly Earnest, found nothing redeeming in the film. British movie critic Dave Edwards wrote, "Miserable boat trip in the first half and a snooze of an island adventure in the second. Good for Bert. I Gordon completionists but no one who values an hour of their life." In "Letterboxd," Fred Barrett wrote, "Excruciatingly boring made-for-television schlock that seems to run twice as long as its 63-minute runtime. Even as far as low-budget, bait-and-switch creature feature garbage from the 50's is concerned, Serpent Island is shockingly unentertaining." No positive review was discovered.

Answer: Scotland Yard

As soon as the spaceship Q-1 crashes back to Earth, Scotland Yard dispatches Inspector Lomax to investigate the disappearance of astronauts Reichenheim and Green. Lomax was played by Jack Warner (1895-1981), a British actor who ought not be confused with the Jack Warner who was one of the founders of Warner Brothers. Warner made a movie and television career out of playing police officers, as he did in "The Quatermass Xperiment." Lomax refuses to treat the case as anything but a murder investigation ... at first.

As a sort of leitmotif, Lomax is repeatedly frustrated in his attempts to shave with his electric razor. By the end of the film, his face is darkened by a five o'clock shadow.