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September 2014
News and pop quizzes from your American Film Institute.
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APPLY TO THE 2015 AFI DIRECTING WORKSHOP FOR WOMEN
Each year, this prestigious, highly selective workshop offers talented women who have established themselves in the arts a tuition-free training program comprising classroom learning, hands-on production experience and the opportunity to direct a project and advance their careers as visual storytellers. This year, the program will accept eight total participants, split between shorts and episodic.
We are now accepting applications for the 2015 Workshop.
Application deadline: January 7, 2015
For more information, visit AFI.com/DWW. -
WIDE SHOT (WEB STORIES THAT CAUGHT OUR EYE)
Dick Smith, the renowned "Godfather of Makeup," has died at the age of 92. Smith was a legend in the field, pioneering an astonishing number of different techniques and trickery in-camera. He’s best known for his work on an impressive list of classics, including AMADEUS (AFI's 100 Years…100 Movies), THE EXORCIST (AFI's 100 Years…100 Thrills), THE GODFATHER (AFI's 100 Years…100 Movies) and TAXI DRIVER (AFI's 100 Years…100 Movies).
Dick Smith 1922-2014 The Godfather of Makeup has passed away.French filmmaker François Truffaut once called Werner Herzog "the most important film director alive." As an AFI DOCS Advisory Board member, Herzog and his bold style continue to inspire future generations to rethink classic cinema styles. With the recent release of “Herzog: The Collection,” which brings 16 of Herzog’s films to Blu-ray, we find a comprehensive examination of his film on “The Dissolve.”
Breaking down the new Herzog collection, one chart at a timeWe often postulate that artists are born with a vision that is only enhanced by technical training. Look no further than these recently published storyboards by an 11-year-old Martin Scorsese (AFI LIFE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD 1997) creating masterpieces from his imagination using nothing more than his Crayola crayon box.
See the Epic Movie an 11-Year-Old Martin Scorsese Wanted to Make. -
AFI CLOSEUP: SANDRA EBEJER
Sandra Ebejer is relatively new to the American Film Institute, having recently taken on the role of Director of Foundation Relations earlier this year. On a typical sunny Los Angeles day, she welcomed us into her new office for a short chat. Amidst photos of her family and several iconic movie and tv posters (one from the 4th season of THE WIRE which she describes as "the best season of a television show ever"), Sandra talked to us about her important role at AFI.
What do you do at AFI? My title is Director of Foundation Relations, and I oversee two areas: I raise funds through foundations for all of AFI's programs, and I also oversee the management of the scholarship program for advancement. I assist in the fundraising for scholarships and also ensure the Conservatory knows how much money we have to distribute and what the donors' needs are, and I make sure the donors know who received the scholarships and that they're involved in the process as much as they want to be.
What are you working on today? Because of the nature of foundations and the length of time it takes to fundraise, we're always looking about a year out, so I'm doing a lot of research right now into possible funders for AFI DOCS in 2015, AFI FEST in 2015 and some of our ongoing programs, like digital preservation. I'm also looking into possible funders for our scholarship programs. And the Conservatory is winding down on the distribution of this year's scholarships, so we're ramping up for what's coming next year.
How long have you been at AFI? I started in January of this year, so seven months or so.
What did you do before you came to AFI? Most recently, I spent about eight years at Center Theatre Group, which is a nonprofit that operates the Ahmanson, Mark Taper and Kirk Douglas theaters, doing foundation and corporate fundraising.
Where did you grow up? Boston. I'm from Dorchester and South Boston.
What don't your colleagues know about you? Well, I've only been here seven months, so they don't know much about me at all. I would say, my first job. I started at a bank when I was a sophomore in high school. I worked at the bank for seven years, every Saturday and Sunday from 7:30 in the morning until 6 at night. That's where I first got to experience what it's like to work in an office setting.
What is your favorite movie? It's really hard to answer that question. When I was in high school, I saw THE GODFATHER and THE GODFATHER PART II for the first time, and those were the films that inspired me to go to film school, so I'd go with those — together.
Who would you cast to play yourself in the film story of your life? When I was in my late teens, early twenties, I was told, occasionally, that I looked like Winona Ryder, so I would go with her. I'm also a fan of her work.
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9.30.14: IT’S ANGIE DICKINSON’S BIRTHDAY! LET’S CELEBRATE WITH A SCREEN TEST!
What does Kate Miller, Dickinson’s character in Brian De Palma’s DRESSED TO KILL, have in common with Janet Leigh’s Marion Crane in Hitchcock’s PSYCHO?
Correct! The 1980 film is considered De Palma’s homage to the master of suspense.
Incorrect. The correct answer is she's slashed to death early in the movie. The 1980 film is considered De Palma’s homage to the master of suspense.
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COMMON DENOMINATOR
What search term or story element do the following movies have in common?
THE IDIOT, THE TWELVE CHAIRS, MEAN STREETS, THE TERMINAL MAN
Correct! The central nervous system disorder appears in the summaries of these four films and five more in the AFI Catalog of Feature Films.
Incorrect. The correct answer is epilepsy. The central nervous system disorder appears in the summaries of these four films and five more in the AFI Catalog of Feature Films.
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9.28.14: IT’S NAOMI WATTS’ BIRTHDAY! LET’S CELEBRATE WITH A SCREEN TEST!
Name the film for which Watts received her first Oscar® nomination.
Correct! She plays Cristina Peck, a suburban housewife and mother whose life is changed by an automobile accident, in the 2003 film co-starring Sean Penn and Benicio Del Toro.
Incorrect. The correct answer is 21 GRAMS. She plays Cristina Peck, a suburban housewife and mother whose life is changed by an automobile accident, in the 2003 film co-starring Sean Penn and Benicio Del Toro.
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9.27.14: IT’S WILFORD BRIMLEY’S BIRTHDAY! LET’S CELEBRATE WITH A SCREEN TEST!
Name the profession of Brimley’s character, William Devasher, in THE FIRM (1993).
Correct! He tries to track down Tom Cruise’s Mitch McDeere in Sydney Pollack’s version of the John Grisham novel.
Incorrect. The correct answer is Security Chief. He tries to track down Tom Cruise’s Mitch McDeere in Sydney Pollack’s version of the John Grisham novel.
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9.26.14: IT’S OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN’S BIRTHDAY! LET’S CELEBRATE WITH A SCREEN TEST!
Name the film Newton-John made next after GREASE.
Correct! She plays a Greek muse incarnate in the 1980 musical about one man’s dream to create a disco roller rink.
Incorrect. The correct answer is the son of XANADU. She plays a Greek muse incarnate in the 1980 musical about one man’s dream to create a disco roller rink.
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9.25.14: IT’S WILL SMITH’S BIRTHDAY! LET’S CELEBRATE WITH A SCREEN TEST!
As Paul in SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION (1993), who does Will Smith claim to be?
Correct! He fools a wealthy Manhattan couple who take him in after he claims to have been stabbed in Central Park.
Incorrect. The correct answer is the son of Sidney Poitier. He fools a wealthy Manhattan couple who take him in after he claims to have been stabbed in Central Park.
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THREE-FILM MONTE
Drag the following films into the chronological order of their theatrical release:
Note: The boxes will turn green when the answer is correct; red, when incorrect.
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WHAT'S THAT FROM?
Name the movie that includes the following dialogue:
“I’m not a drinker; I’m a drunk.”
Correct! As Don Birnam, Ray Milland utters the line to Jane Wyman’s Helen as he battles alcoholism in Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett’s screenplay for the 1945 film.
Incorrect. The correct answer is THE LONG WEEKEND. As Don Birnam, Ray Milland utters the line to Jane Wyman’s Helen as he battles alcoholism in Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett’s screenplay for the 1945 film.
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PLACE THE FACE
Drag the headshot below into the correct film poster from one of the artist's movies and the name of the artist will appear below.
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Anthony Quinn (1915-2001) was born in Mexico, raised in Los Angeles and became an international film star in the 1950s and ‘60s, receiving two Academy Awards®. He specialized in ethnic roles and appeared as Auda Abu Tayi, an Arab warlord, in LAWRENCE OF ARABIA (1962).
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9.21.14: IT’S BILL MURRAY’S BIRTHDAY! LET’S CELEBRATE WITH A SCREEN TEST!
Name the film in which Murray’s character says: “Can you keep a secret? I'm trying to organize a prison break. I'm looking for, like, an accomplice. We have to first get out of this bar, then the hotel, then the city, and then the country. Are you in or are you out?”
Correct! As faded movie star Bob Harris, Murray delivers the speech to Scarlett Johansson’s Charlotte in the 2003 film by Sofia Coppola.
Incorrect. The correct answer is LOST IN TRANSLATION. As faded movie star Bob Harris, Murray delivers the speech to Scarlett Johansson’s Charlotte in the 2003 film by Sofia Coppola.
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9.20.14: IT’S SOPHIA LOREN’S BIRTHDAY! LET’S CELEBRATE WITH A SCREEN TEST!
Name the film in which Loren’s character secretly bears three children.
Correct! She plays Filumena, a prostitute who carries on a long-term relationship with the businessman she met at 17 in a brothel during World War II, in the 1964 film by Vittorio De Sica.
Incorrect. The correct answer is MARRIAGE ITALIAN STYLE. She plays Filumena, a prostitute who carries on a long-term relationship with the businessman she met at 17 in a brothel during World War II, in the 1964 film by Vittorio De Sica.
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9.19.14: IT’S JEREMY IRONS’ BIRTHDAY! LET’S CELEBRATE WITH A SCREEN TEST!
Name the film for which Irons won the Academy Award® for Best Actor.
Correct! He played Claus von Bülow, accused of killing his wealthy wife, Sunny, in the 1990 film directed by Barbet Schroeder.
Incorrect. The correct answer is REVERSAL OF FORTUNE. He played Claus von Bülow, accused of killing his wealthy wife, Sunny, in the 1990 film directed by Barbet Schroeder.
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9.18.14: IT’S FRANKIE AVALON’S BIRTHDAY! LET’S CELEBRATE WITH A SCREEN TEST!
Name the character played by Avalon in the musical GREASE.
Correct! Imagined by Didi Conn’s Frenchy, he sings “Beauty School Dropout.”
Incorrect. The correct answer is Teen Angel. Imagined by Didi Conn’s Frenchy, he sings “Beauty School Dropout.”
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COMMON DENOMINATOR
What search term or story element do the following movies have in common?
CRUISING, THE 40 YEAR-OLD VIRGIN, BEFORE NIGHT FALLS, THE DEVILS
Correct! Cross-dressing plays a role in each of these films and dozens more, according to the AFI Catalog of Feature Films.
Incorrect. The correct answer is transvestite. Cross-dressing plays a role in each of these films and dozens more, according to the AFI Catalog of Feature Films.
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THREE-FILM MONTE
Drag the following films into the chronological order of their theatrical release:
Note: The boxes will turn green when the answer is correct; red, when incorrect.
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9.15.14: IT’S TOMMY LEE JONES’ AND OLIVER STONE’S BIRTHDAY! LET’S CELEBRATE WITH A SCREEN TEST!
Name the film they made together.
Correct! Jones played a U.S. Marine in Vietnam in HEAVEN & EARTH, a New Orleans businessman in JFK and a prison warden in NATURAL BORN KILLERS.
Incorrect. The correct answer is all of the above. Jones played a U.S. Marine in Vietnam in HEAVEN & EARTH, a New Orleans businessman in JFK and a prison warden in NATURAL BORN KILLERS.
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WHAT'S THAT FROM?
Name the movie that includes the following dialogue:
“If I were the man I was five years ago, I’d take a FLAMETHROWER to this place!”
Correct! As retired Army Ranger Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade, Al Pacino makes the line memorable in his tirade against the disciplinary committee of a New England prep school. Bo Goldman wrote the screenplay from a novel by Giovanni Arpino.
Incorrect. The correct answer is SCENT OF A WOMAN. As retired Army Ranger Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade, Al Pacino makes the line memorable in his tirade against the disciplinary committee of a New England prep school. Bo Goldman wrote the screenplay from a novel by Giovanni Arpino.
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9.13.14: IT’S TYLER PERRY’S BIRTHDAY! LET’S CELEBRATE WITH A SCREEN TEST!
Name the person who inspired Perry to write his first script.
Correct! In 1991, he saw an episode of THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW that discussed writing as therapy.
Incorrect. The correct answer is Oprah Winfrey. In 1991, he saw an episode of THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW that discussed writing as therapy.
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PLACE THE FACE
Drag the headshot below into the correct film poster from one of the artist's movies and the name of the artist will appear below.
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Paul Henreid (1908-1992) played Czech underground leader Victor Lazslo opposite Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart in CASABLANCA (1942).
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COMMON DENOMINATOR
What search term or story element do the following movies have in common?
A BEAUTIFUL MIND, THE PRIZE, THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN, MADAME CURIE
Correct! The phrase turns up in the summary of all four films – plus 22 others – in the AFI Catalog of Feature Films.
Incorrect. The correct answer is Nobel Prize. The phrase turns up in the summary of all four films – plus 22 others – in the AFI Catalog of Feature Films.
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THREE-FILM MONTE
Drag the following films into the chronological order of their theatrical release:
Note: The boxes will turn green when the answer is correct; red, when incorrect.
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9.9.14: IT’S ADAM SANDLER’S BIRTHDAY! LET’S CELEBRATE WITH A SCREEN TEST!
Why does the rejected hockey player played by Sandler in HAPPY GILMORE (1996) take up golf?
Correct! Because of his powerful tee shot, he hopes to earn $270,000 on the PGA tour to settle his grandmother’s tax bill and save her house.
Incorrect. The correct answer is to save his grandmother's house. Because of his powerful tee shot, he hopes to earn $270,000 on the PGA tour to settle his grandmother’s tax bill and save her house.
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WHAT'S THAT FROM?
Name the movie that includes the following dialogue:
"An innocent prisoner will become more angry by the hour due to the injustice suffered. He will shout and rage. A guilty prisoner becomes more calm and quiet. Or he cries. He knows he's there for a reason. The best way to establish guilt or innocence is nonstop interrogation."
Correct! This observation is made by Ulrich Mühe as Hauptman Gerd Wiesler, a Stasi agent in the 2006 Oscar®-winning film about government surveillance in the former East Germany, written and directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck.
Incorrect. The correct answer is THE LIVES OF OTHERS. This observation is made by Ulrich Mühe as Hauptman Gerd Wiesler, a Stasi agent in the 2006 Oscar®-winning film about government surveillance in the former East Germany, written and directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck.
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PLACE THE FACE
Drag the headshot below into the correct film poster from one of the artist's movies and the name of the artist will appear below.
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Gina Lollobrigida is an Italian movie star of the 1950s and ‘60s who was called “The Most Beautiful Woman in the World.” She played Lola, a tumbler who wants to get in on the act, in the circus film TRAPEZE (1956).
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COMMON DENOMINATOR
What search term or story element do the following movies have in common?
HARLAN COUNTY, U.S.A.; JOE HILL; BIG JIM McLAIN; BROTHER JOHN
Correct! Whether pro- or anti-union, each of these films contains characters who organize workers, according to the AFI Catalog of Feature Films.
Incorrect. The correct answer is labor leader. Whether pro- or anti-union, each of these films contains characters who organize workers, according to the AFI Catalog of Feature Films.
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9.5.14: IT’S RAQUEL WELCH’S BIRTHDAY! LET’S CELEBRATE WITH A SCREEN TEST!
Where did Welch’s character travel in FANTASTIC VOYAGE (1966)?
Correct! She was among the crew of a microscopic submarine injected into the bloodstream of a wounded diplomat in order to save his life.
Incorrect. The correct answer is inside a human body. She was among the crew of a microscopic submarine injected into the bloodstream of a wounded diplomat in order to save his life.
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THREE-FILM MONTE
Drag the following films into the chronological order of their theatrical release:
Note: The boxes will turn green when the answer is correct; red, when incorrect.
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WHAT'S THAT FROM?
Name the movie that includes the following dialogue:
"You work for 30 years because you think that what you do makes a difference, you think it matters to people, but then you wake up one morning and find out, well no, you've made a little error there, you're expendable. I should be laughing."
Correct! The lines are spoken by Richard Dreyfuss as music teacher Glen Holland in the screenplay by Patrick Sheane Duncan.
Incorrect. The correct answer is MR. HOLLAND’S OPUS. The lines are spoken by Richard Dreyfuss as music teacher Glen Holland in the screenplay by Patrick Sheane Duncan.
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9.2.14: IT’S KEANU REEVES’ BIRTHDAY! LET’S CELEBRATE WITH A SCREEN TEST!
In SPEED, in which Reeves co-stars with Sandra Bullock, how fast must their bus travel to keep the bomb on board from exploding?
Correct! Fortunately, Reeves’ Officer Jack Traven is there to defuse the situation.
Incorrect. The correct answer is 50 mph. Fortunately, Reeves’ Officer Jack Traven is there to defuse the situation.
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PLACE THE FACE
Drag the headshot below into the correct film poster from one of the artist's movies and the name of the artist will appear below.
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George Raft (1901–1980) was an American actor who specialized in playing tough guys, beginning with his debut in SCARFACE (1932) and self-parodied in Billy Wilder's SOME LIKE IT HOT (1959).
