Oscar quiz: Best Picture category

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Movie fans love to spout trivia at least as much as sports fans.

So, as Oscar night approaches, we've created Academy Award-themed quizzes for every day this week. No matter how many answers you know now, by showtime Sunday you'll be up to scratch with the hardest-core film fans.

Here are a few stumpers centered on the best-picture category. Many were answered in recent World-Herald feature articles. Look for more questions on this subject online today at omaha.com.

QUESTIONS:

1. "Midnight in Paris" is the third Woody Allen movie to get a best-picture nomination. Name one of the others.

2. The Directors Guild of America's best-director award went to Michel Hazanavicius for "The Artist" this year. The DGA winner's movie goes on to snag best picture at the Academy Awards 81 percent of the time. The Oscar winner for best director also sees his or her movie win best picture more than 80 percent of the time. What's the last time the DGA- and Oscar-winning director's movie did not win best picture?

3. The movie this year with the most nominations is "Hugo," with 11. Two movies have gotten 11 nominations, only to go home empty-handed on award night. Name one of them.

4. Omaha native Alexander Payne's "The Descendants," with five nominations, is a leading contender for best picture this year. Only two movies with fewer than five wins have won best picture since 1970. Name one.

5. "The Help" is about race relations in the Deep South in the 1960s. What best-picture winner most recently dealt with race relations as a central theme?

6. "Hugo" is a rare best-picture nominee with a PG rating. What was the most recent PG-rated movie to win best picture? Hint: It's set in the South.

7. Over the past 20 years, what's the most likely month for a best-picture winner to have its release in theaters?

8. If "The Artist" wins best picture, it will be the first predominantly black-and-white movie to win since "Schindler's List" in 1993. What was the last purely black-and-white film to win best picture?

9. "The Artist" is almost completely silent, other than its musical score. What was the only silent film ever to win best picture?

10. Since 1966, just seven black-and-white movies have been nominated for best picture. Three are "The Artist," "Raging Bull" and "Schindler's List." Name one of the other four.

11. When was the last time a movie got more nominations than this year's leader, "Hugo," with 11?

12. "The Artist" is a French production. What was the first non-Hollywood movie to win best picture?

13. "Gone With the Wind" was the first best-picture winner in color. What was the second?

14. What was the first year that all the best-picture nominees were in color?

15. "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" is set entirely in New York City. What's the most recent best-picture winner set in the Big Apple?

16. "The Tree of Life" is the second Terrence Malick movie to be nominated for best picture. What was the first?

17. Steven Spielberg has directed a best-picture nominee seven times. Which was his first best-picture nominee?

18. "The Descendants" is Alexander Payne's second movie to be a best-picture contender. What year was his first best-pic nominee, "Sideways," released?

19. One movie won eight Oscars and yet failed to claim the best-picture trophy. What was it?

20. The directors of "The Wizard of Oz," "Giant" and "Twelve O'Clock High" each have the dubious distinction of having directed seven or more movies nominated for best picture, and yet their movies never won. Name one of these directors.

ANSWERS:

1. "Annie Hall" and "Hannah and Her Sisters."

2. 2006, when Ang Lee won the DGA trophy and directing Oscar for "Brokeback Mountain" but "Crash" won best picture.

3. "The Turning Point," in 1978, and "The Color Purple," in 1986.

4. "Rocky," with three, in 1977, and "Driving Miss Daisy," with four, in 1990.

5. "Crash," released in 2005.

6. "Driving Miss Daisy," 1990; before that, "Oliver," 1969.

7. December, seven times. November is next at four.

8. "The Apartment," released in 1960.

9. "Wings" in 1927, the first year Oscars were awarded.

10. "The Last Picture Show," 1972; "Lenny," 1975; "The Elephant Man," 1981; "Good Night, and Good Luck," 2005.

11. Last year's best-pic winner, "The King's Speech," got a dozen.

12. "Hamlet," in 1949.

13. "An American in Paris," in 1952.

14. 1957 (They were released in 1956: "Giant," "The King and I," "Friendly Persuasion," "The 10 Commandments" and winner "Around the World in 80 Days."

15. "Annie Hall," released in 1977.

16. "The Thin Red Line," in 1999.

17. "Jaws," released in 1975.

18. 2004.

19. "Cabaret" in 1972. "A Place in the Sun" and "Star Wars" won six each, but not the top prize.

20. Mervyn LeRoy ("The Wizard of Oz"), George Stevens ("Giant") and Henry King ("Twelve O'Clock High").

Contact the writer:

402-444-1269, bob.fischbach@owh.com

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