Test Your Knowledge Of Brian De Palma And His Most Iconic Films With Our Quiz

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Some people consider Brian de Palma a skilled imitator; others, an American cinema genius endowed with his own distinct style. The truth is, De Palma idolized Alfred Hitchcock. He is a member of the club of filmmakers who have often imitated the work of the master suspense director - or, in other words, brought it forward.

De Palma was a part of the inner circle of "New Hollywood," a creative and varied movement that arose at the end of the '60s and continued to upend the old studio structure throughout the next decade.

Along with Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, and George Lucas, De Palma was a daring and dynamic director who could experiment with his films but at the same time appeal to wider audiences.

How well do you know his films in the crime genre? Take our quiz to find out!

 


Vasilii Kulev is a digital marketing specialist during business hours and a trivia writer in his spare time. His areas of interest range from cars and music to science, history, and food. Whenever he's not busy writing quizzes, you can catch him at the local used records store or the newest craft beer bar. He also wrote this entire bio himself in third person.

Brian De Palma Films Quiz Questions

20 Questions · 109 Plays · No comments

Question 1

Casualties of War is yet another anti-war Brian de Palma film, loosely based on a 1969 essay by Daniel Lang in New Yorker magazine. Who portrays Private First Class Max Eriksson in the film?

  • A
    Guy Ritchie
  • B
    Michael J. Fox
  • C
    Sean Penn
  • D
    Don Patrick Harvey

Question 2

Starring Sissy Spacek as a timid sixteen-year-old who is often ridiculed and harassed in school, what Brian De Palma film is not about crime, but is still filled with blood?

  • A
    A Nightmare on Elm Street
  • B
    Tamara
  • C
    The Exorcist
  • D
    Carrie

Question 3

What classic Brian de Palma film follows Cuban exile Tony Montana as he lands destitute in 1980s Miami and rises to prominence as a drug lord?

  • A
    Blow
  • B
    Savages
  • C
    Sicario
  • D
    Scarface

Question 4

What famous director said that Blow Out is one of his all-time favorite films, and that after seeing Scarface he realized how to make his own film?

  • A
    Don Mancini
  • B
    Ronny Yu
  • C
    Terrence Malick
  • D
    Quentin Tarantino

Question 5

Which 2006 Brian De Palma film is an adaptation of a James Ellroy book inspired by the highly-publicized assassination of Elizabeth Short?

  • A
    American Tabloid
  • B
    L.A. Confidential
  • C
    The Black Dahlia
  • D
    White Jazz

Question 6

Carlito's Way chronicles the life of a Puerto Rican gangster who pledges to turn his life around and retire in paradise, but finds that life rarely goes according to plan. Who portrays Carlito's lawyer and best friend David?

  • A
    Al Pacino
  • B
    Luis Guzman
  • C
    Sean Penn
  • D
    John Leguizamo

Question 7

In De Palma's Scarface, Frank Lopez's mistress Elvira later marries Tony Montana. What actress portrays Elvira in the movie?

  • A
    Michelle Pfeiffer
  • B
    Jodie Foster
  • C
    Cameron Diaz
  • D
    Julianne More

Question 8

For Brian De Palma's first chapter of the Mission: Impossible film series, what band released a dance version of the movie's original theme song?

  • A
    Coldplay
  • B
    U2
  • C
    Sting
  • D
    Pretenders

Question 9

What De Palma film included many obvious references to Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 film Psycho, including a guy dressed as a woman committing murders?

  • A
    Rear Window
  • B
    Dressed to Kill
  • C
    Psycho 2
  • D
    Se7en

Question 10

Femme Fatale was a box office failure in 2002, but has since developed a cult following. Where does the film's diamond heist take place?

  • A
    Cannes Film Festival
  • B
    Hollywood Bowl
  • C
    A Bollywood Theater
  • D
    The Academy Awards

Question 11

Body Double is an erotic noir thriller starring Craig Wasson, Gregg Henry, and Deborah Shelton. De Palma dedicated the film to what famous director?

  • A
    Andrey Tarkovsky
  • B
    Stanley Kubrick
  • C
    Alfred Hitchcock
  • D
    Ingmar Bergman

Question 12

The Fury is a supernatural thriller that Jean-Luc Godard himself praised, with a score written by what famous composer?

  • A
    Danny Elfman
  • B
    Ennio Morricone
  • C
    Hans Zimmer
  • D
    John Williams

Question 13

De Palma's directorial techniques often incorporate influences from other films or genres. He is considered to be a key figure in what film movement?

  • A
    Free Cinema
  • B
    Golden Age of Hollywood
  • C
    New Hollywood
  • D
    British New Wave

Question 14

Brian de Palma not only directed some of the greatest films of the '80s, but also which music video for Bruce Springsteen?

  • A
    "My Hometown"
  • B
    "I'm on Fire"
  • C
    "Tougher Than the Rest"
  • D
    "Dancing in the Dark"

Question 15

Brian De Palma wrote and directed Blow Out which starred John Travolta and Nancy Allen, and was advertised with which of the following taglines?

  • A
    "Murder has a sound all of its own"
  • B
    "In space no one can hear you scream"
  • C
    "Check in. Unpack. Relax. Take A Shower"
  • D
    "They're young...they're in love...and they kill people"

Question 16

The story of Sisters centers on a French Canadian model whose twin is accused of being involved in a horrific murder, which is seen by a newspaper reporter. When was this De Palma film released?

  • A
    1972
  • B
    1969
  • C
    1978
  • D
    1981

Question 17

The Untouchables is yet another Brian De Palma film about Al Capone, but this time the protagonist is portrayed by De Niro. Who composed the Grammy-winning score to the film?

  • A
    Bernard Herrmann
  • B
    John Williams
  • C
    Ennio Morricone
  • D
    Max Steiner

Question 18

Every budding Hollywood director dreams of reaching the level of success of Brian De Palma and taking home Academy Awards. How many Oscars has De Palma won for his work?

  • A
    Two
  • B
    Five
  • C
    Zero
  • D
    Four

Question 19

Obsession was released in 1975, and follows a New Orleans businessman who falls in love with a woman who has an uncanny resemblance to his deceased wife. What famous film critic wrote the script?

  • A
    Aaron Sorkin
  • B
    Robert Towne
  • C
    Nora Ephron
  • D
    Paul Schrader

Question 20

What classic Brian De Palma film is a fictionalized account of the 2006 Mahmudiyah murders in Iraq?

  • A
    Green Zone
  • B
    The Hurt Locker
  • C
    Redacted
  • D
    In the Valley of Elah

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