General questions about movies, TV and more

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I am trying to identify the title of a film. The film ends with a climactic battle between archers and armored soldiers. The soldiers are in a field with shields held over their heads to protect against volleys of arrows. The archers then begin firing horizontally, taking out the ever-dwindling soldiers until all are dead. I remember it as being a B&W film, but I could be wrong. I do know it is quite old, 1960's or before.

Answer: It could be "The 300 Spartans." See http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055719/.

Sereenie

What is the name of the movie where a British army officer asks a nurse in an army hospital to write a love letter to a fictitious soldier that, along with a satchel of other documents, this officer later deliberately drops while being pursued on camel back in the African desert. It is intended to make the Germans believe the WW II invasion of Europe will occur somewhere other than Normandy.

Answer: Although the plot you describe is slightly different, this sounds to me like "The Man Who Never Was", made in 1956. Operation 'Mincemeat' involved the acquisition of a human cadaver, dressing it as a 'Major William Martin, R.M.' and putting it into the sea near Huelva, Spain. Attached to the corpse was a brief-case containing fake letters suggesting that the Allied attack would be against Sardinia and Greece. When the body was found, pro-German Spaniards passed the papers to the German Intelligence Service who passed them on to their High Command. The ruse was so successful that the Germans still believed that Sardinia and Greece were the intended objectives, weeks after the landings in Sicily had begun. The film starred Clifton Webb as Lt. Cmdr. Ewen Montagu, Gloria Grahame as Lucy Sherwood, Robert Flemyng as Lt. George Acres, Josephine Griffin as Pam, Stephen Boyd as Patrick O'Reilly, Laurence Naismith as Adml. Cross, Geoffrey Keen as Gen. Nye, André Morell as Sir Bernard Spilsbury, Michael Hordern as Gen. Coburn and William Squire as submarine commander Bill Jewell. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Man_Who_Never_Was.

Andy

I'm looking for the name of a film and in it there was a detective investigating a snuff movie. It ISN'T 8mm. There's a bit where one of the characters jumps / falls down a lift shaft to hide from the bad guys and there's a load of dead bodies hidden in the lift shaft all cut up.

Answer: This sounds like "Mute Witness" (1994). A mute makeup artist working on a horror film in Russia witnesses an on-set murder/snuff filming. Has a cameo by Alec Guinness at the end.

Sierra1

I remember a magic show that was set in a warehouse hosted by a man in a mask. After each trick he'd show how he did it, one of his tricks included him getting into a wooden box and it was blown up by an explosive. Does anyone know the name of this show?

Answer: This was called "Breaking the Magicians' Code", with the subtitle of "Magic's Biggest Secrets Finally Revealed". It was hosted by Mitch Pileggi from The X-Files, with an initially unknown character known simply as "The Masked Magician" doing the tricks and revealing the secrets behind them. The show created a great deal of controversy among the magical fraternity for revealing many long-guarded trade secrets. At the end of the final show, the Masked Magician was revealed as a magician named Val Valentino, who was immediately blacklisted by every magic organisation in America, leading to the effective destruction of his career in the US.

Tailkinker

I'm trying to identify an old movie. I believe it was made for American network TV in the early or mid 1980s. It was about a group of children on a spaceship headed away from earth toward a new planet, called 'Demeter'. Along the way, something happens which causes them to pick up an adult straggler and they become imprisoned by a man who turns out to be the brother of a female crew member. There is a cage fight involving a belt with an electromagnetic forcefield hidden inside, after which everyone escapes and the movie ends with one of the kids finding a way to make the telescope images of Demeter clearer, and the images are shown to resemble earth.

Answer: Earth Star Voyager (1988).

Grumpy Scot

I remember seeing a trailer for a film involving a woman with one breast in the middle of her chest. It seemed like a comedic film. Any ideas?

Movie_Freak 1

Chosen answer: This is "Kung Pow: Enter the Fist."

Phixius

Ive seen a film years ago and want to know the name it. All I can remember is that there was a group of kids that made a machine that can make a bubble surround you and lift you into the air. They make craft from old fairground parts and make the bubble surround it and fly into space. They meet a group of aliens and one resembles a banana (i think). Any idea or am I just a freak?

Answer: This movie is "Explorers" from 1985.

Phixius

Several years ago I saw a movie about a black optometrist in England who had been adopted by a black family. When her adoptive mother died she researched her origin, and found a white working class dysfunctional family. At first they rejected her, but the woman finally admitted that she had had a one night stand during the war with a black American soldier. Her entry into their lives resolved all their problems. Can you identify this film?

Answer: The film is "Secrets And Lies" by Mike Leigh.

Ioreth

I'm trying to find a movie I was sure it was 'Ghost' but it's not. The main character dies in a car crash (I vaguely remember a bridge) and becomes a ghost. He returns to his family and they can see him when the light are off. In the end his daughter/wife gets hurt and becomes a ghost and he tells her to go back to her body then finds his own at the hospital. Sorry there is not much detail. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Answer: I am pretty certain you are referring to "Ghost Dad" starring Bill Cosby. You can find more info at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099654/.

BGraz

I'm trying to find the title of a movie I saw a few years ago. In the movie, a popular author wrecks his car outside of a small town. He is finally found by this lady, who takes him to her home to take care of him. It unfolds that the lady has actually read his books and wants him to write a new one the way she wants it to be written (plot wise). She tortures him and stuff until he will write the new book. Thanks.

Answer: "Misery" Starring Kathy Bates and James Caan.

Phixius

My dad remembers a movie from when he was younger about an old man living in someone's house while they were gone (squatting, not housesitting). He also thinks the plot somehow involved salt and pepper shakers. The movie would be older, probably 1940s or 50s; he's pretty sure it was in black and white. The title or more plot information would be much appreciated.

Answer: How about "It Happend on 5th Ave" 1943 with Don Defor and Charles Ruggles?

Do you know the name of an old German film that has "007" in the title? Not sure what year but it was one of my mum's favourites as a child and she was born in 1952.

Answer: It might be the 1966 movie 'Eispraktor 007'.

Blibbetyblip

All I can remember is near the end the female lead is living in a little house and I think she has either one or two children in bed. She goes into the sitting room of the house and starts to sew. She is also pretending to be pregnant and there is a man who is after her and her children but when he comes to get her she stabs him with a pair of scissors. I'm not sure but I think she might also be a police officer or something to do with the law.

Answer: This movie is called Taking Lives, with Angelina Jolie and Ethan Hawke.

Joel Amos Gordon

I remember watching a movie (or was it a TV show?) at my aunt's house several years ago. I forgot the name, and I am just curious to find out what it was. All I remember was the end, which involved a car that went crazy with a mind of its own (I think it took place in a desert). I remember a schoolbus somewhere in the scene, also, as well as a woman who was trying to dodge the car. And the last thing I remember is the car driving off of a cliff, and blowing up. Does this ring a bell in anyone's mind?

Answer: The film that comes to mind is 'The Car' - 1977. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075809/. Features a demnoic car that ends up flying off a cliff and exploding at the end in a ball of hellfire. Hope this is the film you are thinking of.

I saw this cartoon some time ago and I cannot remember the name. It was about 2 girls who fell down a well into a magical land. While they were trying to find their way home they encountered various people/creatures who lived there and would ask for help. One girl always helped out while the other did nothing but complain. I remember one girl was named Maria and I seem to remember a necklace being involved somehow. Can anyone remember this? Thanks.

Answer: Once Upon a Time (1976).

There was a movie I saw in the nineties but I don't know if it was made in the nineties. I believe it was about a group of friendly monsters, including Frankenstein and Dracula, who move in with a family, or something. All I really remember is the ending where the monsters are getting sucked through a portal, and the family members are trying to hold on to them, but its no good. I also remember the song December 1963 (Oh what a night) played during the credits. Does anyone know what movie I am talking about? It's not "Monster Squad".

Answer: It's "Saturday The 14" (1981) starring Richard Benjamin and Paula Prentiss.

John Cyr

Where can a person submit suggestions for movies/tv shows to be released on DVD? Does such a data bank exist for those who decide which movies will or will not be released on DVD? Who decides what movies or tv shows from the past will or will not be made available to the public?

Answer: These should be directed at the production company. These companies decide what to release based on three main qualifying factors, usually in order of priority: 1) Will it sell? 2) Do we have the rights to sell it? 3) Is the print in decent condition and if not is it worth doing any work on it in lieu of factors 1 and 2? Many film and closed TV company programme libraries have changed ownership over the years, some with no clues as to who owns the material.

Neil Jones

I am looking for the name of a war movie in which the two countries fighting sent a lone soldier to fight instead of an entire army. It took place on an island and I don't believe they had weapons. During the movie the warring factions sent another soldier to help win the fight. This was against the rules and the original combatants killed their own man out of respect. The winner was supposed to transmit a code back to the countries declaring victory. It ended with both men dying on the beach and only the transmission being sent without the code so neither side knew which man won. I saw this on tv as a kid in 70's. I know one of the soldiers was American and I think the other was Japanese.

Answer: The movie is a 1970 TV movie of the week. It is called The Challenge. It starred Darrin McGavin as Gallery (he had a double barrelled machine gun) and Mako as his opponent. There is no official relase of this movie on DVD or tape. Independent copies may be found but are very rare. Been looking for it a long time myself.

I recently watched Hitchcock's "The Birds" again. It had been a long time since my last viewing, and I thought I remembered in one of the bird attack scenes - maybe when the school is attacked - a female character with dark hair gets overwhelmed by birds and has her eyeball pecked out. I remember seeing this, because it traumatized me as a kid. The scene didn't appear this time. Could it be that I'm imagining I saw such a scene, or is it from a different film? Please tell me I'm not crazy.

Answer: There is the scene where they find Annie, the school teacher, and her eyes had been pecked. You only see this image briefly and from the side. Perhaps that's what you're thinking of.

ChiChi

I remember a sitcom from a few years ago- it was about two grandfathers who live in Martha's Vineyard. One owns a book shop and most of the scenes play there. One is quite reserved, and the other is quite a ladies man. Any one know what this is?

Answer: Sounds like "George & Leo" with Bob Newhart & Judd Hirsch. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118323/.

Volanges

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