Some Movies I've Been Watching Quiz

Answer: Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising

"Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising" was the sequel to "Neighbors", a 2014 movie that told the story of a married couple who end up in a feud with a fraternity that moves into the next-door house. "Neighbors 2" is along similar lines, but the fraternity is replaced by a new sorority, led by Shelby (Chloë Grace Moretz), Beth (Kiersey Clemons) and Nora (Beanie Feldstein). Returning characters from the original movie include the feuding couple, Kelly and Mac Radner (Rose Byrne and Seth Rogen) and Teddy Sanders (Zack Efron), a prime mover from the erstwhile fraternity who hasn't moved on with his career after college and offers the sorority his expertise in partying and raising money. The Radners want to sell their house and fear the sorority will scare off their buyers. The escalating feud between the households involves theft, fraud and vandalization, before being resolved to mutual satisfaction.

This movie is not for me. Not sure who it is for. The characters' motivation and behavior feel forced, and I didn't find it remotely funny. I feel that it was a waste of some good talent. It did OK at the box office, though.

Seth Rogen has starred in many comedy movies, including "Pineapple Express" and "The Green Hornet". Zack Efron moved on from "High School Musical" to a starring role in "The Greatest Showman". Chloë Grace Moretz caused a sensation in her appearances as the very young and violent vigilante in the two "Kick-Ass" movies, and also starred in the "Carrie" remake. Nicholas Stoller has directed multiple movies including "Get Him to the Greek" and "Forgetting Sarah Marshall".

The picture is of a terrace of houses in Manchester, England.

Answer: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

"Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" is the third movie in the franchise. Uniquely in the series, Voldemort doesn't make an appearance. Rather, the story of Harry's third year at Hogwarts largely focuses on the threat to him from the escaped prisoner Sirius Black, Harry's godfather, who had been sentenced to life in Azkaban Prison for his role in betraying James and Lily Potter to Voldemort. The terrifying creatures known as dementors from Azkaban are sent to guard Hogwarts, and Harry finds their presence particularly harrowing. It emerges that Sirius had been framed and Harry has to work with Hermione, making use of her magical device, the Time-Turner, to go back in time to save his godfather's life. New characters include schoolmates of Harry's parents Sirius Black (played by Gary Oldman), new defense against the dark arts teacher Remus Lupin (David Thewlis) (DADA teacher is the "Harry Potter" equivalent of the "Spinal Tap" drummer), and villain and part-time rat Peter Pettigrew (Timothy Spall). Michael Gambon takes over from the late Richard Harris as Dumbledore.

This is probably the best in the series and can stand alone as an excellent movie. Director Alfonso Cuarón brings cinematic flair and gets great performances out of the youngsters in the cast along with the stellar acting greats around them. The introduction of the Knight Bus, a magical fast-moving vehicle that gets thinner to get through gaps, the Marauders' Map, which shows where everybody is in Hogwarts, the Time-Turner, and Harry inflating his loathsome aunt so that she flies away over England, are just part of a truly entertaining movie.

Gary Oldman's movie roles include Joe Orton in "Prick Up Your Ears", villain Norman Stansfield in "Léon: The Professional", and Smiley in "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy". David Thewlis's movies include "The Big Lebowski", and "RED 2". Timothy Spall has appeared in multiple Mike Leigh movies, including "Topsy-Turvy" and "Mr. Turner". Alfonso Cuarón's other movies include "Y tu mamá también" and "Children of Men".

Answer: Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore

In order to extend the "Harry Potter" movies into the "Wizarding World" franchise, Warner Brothers and J.K. Rowling had the bright idea of developing a series of movies loosely based on Newt Scamander, the fictional creator of the fictional book "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them", which had been created by Rowling for the "Comic Relief" charity. "Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore" was the third and final of the "Fantastic Beasts" movies, which acted as prequels to the "Harry Potter" story, and the eleventh in the franchise. The movie concerns the machinations by the dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Mads Mikkelsen) to become the Supreme Mugwump, the head of the International Confederation of Wizards, so that he can enact his apartheid policies against non-Magic people, and become a global dictator. Working to frustrate his ambitions is Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law), who had been very close to Grindelwald. Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) comes into this, because of his discovery and protection of a qilin, a magical creature that sort of chooses the person who is worthy of becoming the Mugwump.

This is a pretty entertaining movie, with Jude Law dominating the screen as Dumbledore - dashing, mysterious, and exciting. The supporting cast are good - Dan Fogler and Alison Sudol as lovers across the magic/non-maj divide, are particularly entertaining. The set pieces are done well though the outcome is a foregone conclusion.

David Yates is best known for his triumphant steering of the final four "Harry Potter" movies and went on to direct all three "Fantastic Beast" movies. Eddie Redmayne won an Oscar playing Stephen Hawking in "The Theory of Everything". Jude Law's movies include "The Talented Mr. Ripley", and "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows". Alison Sudol is known for performing as a singer under the name A Fine Frenzy - I recommend "Almost Lover" - and for acting on TV in "Transparent".

I hope the lovely illustration by Maria Louise Kirk for Frances Hodgson Burnett's classic book "The Secret Garden" helped you.

Answer: Hot Fuzz

"Hot Fuzz" is the second of the so-called "Cornetto Trilogy" of comedy movies, all of which were co-written by Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg, directed by Wright, and starring Pegg and Nick Frost. It features Nicholas Angel (Pegg), a high-flying policeman with the Metropolitan Police, reassigned to a sleepy Gloucestershire village because he made his colleagues look bad. The village, Sandford, is, on the face of it, a quiet, normal place, but a series of deaths causes Angel to uncover some very unpleasant secrets.

This is a joy of a movie. The cast is first class, including Pegg, Nick Frost as Danny, the fellow policeman with whom he bonds, Timothy Dalton as a self-satisfied supermarket manager, and Jim Broadbent as the Sandford Police Inspector and Danny's father. Billie Whitelaw, Edward Woodward, and David Bradley are all great fun as Sandford locals. The scene where Nicholas is transferred features Martin Freeman, Steve Coogan, and Bill Nighy as increasingly senior policemen who are so keen to get rid of the irksome over-achiever. The buddy scenes with Nicholas and Danny apparently use dialogue that was planned for a romance that was taken out of the movie, and left unaltered, to great comic effect. The film-makers are clearly in love with US buddy cop movies and England, with excellent use made of filming on location in Wells.

The other movies in the "Cornetto Trilogy", so-called because someone eats a Cornetto ice-cream in each of them were "Shaun of the Dead" and "The World's End". Edgar Wright also directed "Baby Driver" (2017). Simon Pegg starred as Scotty in the J. J. Abrams "Star Trek" movies. Nick Frost's other movies include "Fighting with My Family" (2019). Timothy Dalton played James Bond in two movies in the 1980s - arguably the best actor to have played the role.

The picture is of some Scotch bonnet peppers. They are hot.

Answer: 50 First Dates

"Fifty First Dates" is a 2004 romantic comedy treatment of the amnesia-based movie, following "Memento" and "The Bourne Identity", which were released in 2000 and 2002 respectively, and similar to "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind", which was about memory erasure, and was released the same year. Adam Sandler plays Henry, a Hawaii-based veterinarian who habitually has romances with short-term visitors to the islands to avoid commitment. He has a comfortable life with his assistant (Rob Schneider) and the marine animals he cares for. He comes across Lucy (Drew Barrymore), who lives on Hawaii, and they make an instant connection over a meal at a restaurant which makes him change his habit and agree to meet her again the next day. When she shows no sign of recognizing him, the restaurant staff explain that she had been in an accident that gave her anterograde amnesia - she has her long term memories but cannot recall new events. Each day her brother and father and the restaurant staff collude in hiding her condition and making Lucy think she is experiencing the same day anew over and over again. Henry attempts to meet with Lucy several times, which causes her family to warn him off. He wins them over by proving his love for Lucy and develops a strategy to explain her condition through a video she should look at first thing each day. After some reversals, things get resolved happily.

This is one of the better Adam Sandler comedies. It has had more thought put into it than most, and the romantic comedy elements are delivered expertly by director Peter Segal. The chemistry between Sandler and Drew Barrymore is excellent, with Barrymore delivering a funny and touching performance.

Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore had previously starred together in "The Wedding Singer" (1998) and later worked together for a third time on "Blended" (2014). Rob Schneider, a regular co-star with Sandler, is known for "Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo" (1999). Peter Segal directed several comedic movies including "Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult" (1994),

The picture shows some dried dates.

Answer: Zombieland

"Zombieland" is set in a dystopian future where mad cow disease has mutated to infect humans and turn them into zombies. A pair of men, Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) and Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) come across a pair of sisters, Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) and Wichita (Emma Stone). The sisters trick them and steal their vehicle. After some further friction the two pairs join forces and head for an area of Los Angeles that is supposedly free of zombies.

This movie is pretty good. The rules the survivors abide by in their frequent violent encounters with zombies are an entertaining element. Their scenes with Bill Murray (as himself) where the star, disguised as a zombie, gets killed accidentally is very funny. When asked by Little Rock, "Do you have any regrets?" Murray replies, "'Garfield' maybe".

Ruben Fleischer also directed the sequel "Zombieland: Double Tap" (2019) and "Venom: Let There Be Carnage" (2021). Emma Stone went on to memorable roles in "Crazy, Stupid, Love" (2011), "Birdman" (2014), and "Poor Things" (2023). Jesse Eisenberg's other movies include "Now You See Me", and the acclaimed "A Real Pain" (2024), which he also wrote and directed. Bill Murray's long and storied career includes "Tootsie" (1982) and "The Royal Tenenbaums" (2001).

Answer: The Dead Don't Die

"The Dead Don't Die" is a comedy in which a small town is steadily overwhelmed as the dead rise up as zombies to kill the living. Its cause may be due to polar fracking affecting the earth's orbit, changing animal behaviour, and disrupting the day length and climate. The main characters are the police who have to react to the extreme circumstances.

This movie is very much an acquired taste. The signature Jarmusch style features disconnected dialogue, delivered in a deadpan style despite escalating extraordinary and dangerous events. This is particularly true of Murray and Driver, partner cops observing the chaos unfolding around them with dialogue delivered with the urgency of reading a telephone directory. Chloe Sevigny plays their police colleague who sees her zombie dead grandmother before being engulfed by zombies. Tilda Swinton is hilarious as a funeral director who strides merrily through town dispatching zombies with elan before being spirited off into a UFO. Other zombies in a starry cast are played by Iggy Pop and Carol Kane. The title song, by Sturgill Simpson, is played multiple times, to comic effect, and Simpson makes an appearance as a zombie.

Jim Jarmusch's other movies featuring Bill Murray include "Coffee and Cigarettes" (2003), and "Broken Flowers" (2005). Adam Driver also starred in Jarmusch's "Paterson" (2016). Chloë Sevigny's movies include "Boys Don't Cry" (1999), and "Kids" (1995).

Answer: Spy

In "Spy", Melissa McCarthy plays Susan Cooper, a behind the scenes CIA operative who works in a supporting capacity to her field operative partner played by Jude Law. When a mission goes wrong and her partner is missing and presumed dead, Susan must go into the field for the first time to track down a nuclear device.

This is an entertaining movie, with McCarthy, Miranda Hart as her friend and support while in the field, and Jason Statham as a fellow agent who underestimates her and gets in the way, particularly funny.

Melissa McCarthy's other movies include "Bridesmaids" (2011) and the 2016 "Ghostbusters" reboot. Jude Law's films include the 2004 remake of "Alfie", and "Captain Marvel" (2019). Jason Statham appeared in action movies such as "The Transporter" (2002) and "Crank" (2006). Paul Feig has been a regular collaborator with McCarthy, directing "The Heat" (2013), "Bridesmaids", and "Ghostbusters".

Answer: The Spy Who Dumped Me

In "The Spy Who Dumped Me", Mila Kunis plays Audrey, whose boyfriend Drew (Justin Theroux) dumps her on her birthday. Her friend Morgan Freeman (!) played by Kate McKinnon suggests they burn Drew's things, and, when they text him, he says he'll return for them. Audrey meets a man called Sebastian (Sam Heughan) who bundles her into a van and tells her that he and Drew work for the CIA and that Drew has gone rogue, before letting her go when she denies knowing anything. Drew turns up, and tells Audrey and Morgan he is an agent and is in danger, and that they need to take a football trophy to Vienna if he dies. He gets shot by a man who Morgan picked up, and the two female friends end up tied up in the world of espionage, unsure of who to trust, but knowing the stakes are high.

This movie is really enjoyable. The chemistry between the two female leads is great, and McKinnon is hilarious as the indiscreet and oversharing best friend, at one point contacting Edward Snowden for assistance.

Mila Kunis has also appeared in "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" (2008) and "Friends with Benefits" (2011). "Saturday Night Live" stalwart Kate McKinnon also starred in the movies "Finding Dory" (2016) and "Barbie" (2023). Sam Heughan's credits include "Bloodshot" (2020) and "Love Again" (2023). Susanna Fogel co-wrote the movie "Booksmart" (2019) and directed "Cat Person" (2023).

The picture is of an Australian landfill site or dump.

Answer: Free Guy

In "Free Guy", Ryan Reynolds plays Guy, who, unknown to himself, is a sentient non player character (NPC) in a large multi-person online game called "Free City". His life is the same every day, working as a bank clerk, making the same comments, and enduring frequent raids on the bank by sunglass-wearing players of the game. One day he spots a woman who he hasn't seen before and is immediately fascinated by. He follows her, and they meet up. She is the avatar of Millie, an unemployed game developer whose work has been stolen by the maker of "Free City" and whose former partner is now working for him. Guy and Millie set out to prove the theft and save the sentient NPCs and their world from deletion.

This movie is an absolute delight. I recommend it to everyone I talk to about movies. Ryan Reynolds is just perfect as the unaware Guy, who has to come to terms with a complete change of world view. Jodie Comer is brilliant as Millie - both in real life and within the game. Joe Keery is charming as Millie's former business partner, whose unrequited romantic feelings for her cause Guy's infatuation. Taika Waititi is in carpet chewing form as the villain. The jokes and special effects and surprise cameos are first class and there is a heart to this movie that caught me unawares. Go see it!

Ryan Reynolds has overcome some early bombs like "Green Lantern" (2011) to become a major attraction in movies such as "Deadpool" (2016) and "Detective Pikachu" (2019). Jodie Comer became known worldwide in the TV series "Killing Eve" (2018-2022) and also starred in "28 Years Later" (2025). Taika Waititi has directed movies "What We Do in the Shadows" (2014) and "Thor: Ragnarok" (2017), both of which he also acted in. Shawn Levy's directing credits include multiple episodes of the TV phenomenon "Stranger Things" and the 2024 movie sequel starring Reynolds, "Deadpool & Wolverine".

The picture is a mask of the type associated with the British conspirator Guy Fawkes.