Can You Name These Classic 1980s Films By Their Posters?
Written by Elizabeth Wylder
Last updated · 7 min play time
Tighten up your fanny pack, crank up the Duran Duran on your Walkman, and test your '80s movie IQ with this rad, poster-based quiz.
From acid washed jeans to Cabbage Patch Kids and every slap bracelet in between, 1980s trends were more than a little bit bogus. The movies were totally tubular, though. Tighten up your fanny pack, crank up the Duran Duran on your Walkman, and test your '80s movie IQ with this rad, poster-based quiz.
Quiz written by
Elizabeth Wylder1980s Film Posters Quiz Questions
30 Questions · 487.1K Plays · No comments
Question 1
Three New York City academics start new careers as ghost removal experts.
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AMy Stepmother is an Alien
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BTrading Places
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CSpies Like Us
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DGhostbusters
Ghostbusters
The original premise for 'Ghostbusters' featured Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, and Ernie Hudson as the titular ghost removal experts. The tone of the script was much darker, and the film was set in the future. It involved multiple teams of Ghostbusters bustin' ghosts across space and time, including 50 massive monsters the size of the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. Predictably, the estimated budget for that concept was massive: roughly $718 million after adjusting for inflation.
Question 2
In which of the following movies does an alien stranded on Earth struggle to find a way home?
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AE.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial
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BThe Goonies
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CFlight of the Navigator
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DGremlins
E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial
E.T.'s distinctive appearance was inspired by Albert Einstein, Carl Sandburg, Ernest Hemingway, and special effects artist Carlo Rambaldi's own painting "Women of the Delta". Before E.T., Rambaldi also designed the slobbering xenomorph from 'Alien' and the visitors from 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind'.
Question 3
Marty McFly accidentally travels back in time to 1955.
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ATeen Wolf
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BBack to the Future
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CThe Frighteners
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DBright Lights, Big City
Back to the Future
Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale's script for 'Back to the Future', about a high school student who travels through time from 1985 to 1955 in a DeLorean, was rejected four times before the savvy folks at Universal Pictures decided to turn it into a film.
Question 4
A hotheaded fighter pilot strives to be the best in his class and also get the girl.
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ARisky Business
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BThe Color of Money
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CAll the Right Moves
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DTop Gun
Top Gun
'Top Gun' was the highest grossing film of 1986, raking in over $356 million worldwide. Its soundtrack was a critical and commercial hit, too; "Take My Breath Away", co-written by Giorgio Moroder and Tom Whitlock and performed by Berlin, won the Oscar for Best Original Song.
Question 5
Star Michael Keaton ad-libbed many of his lines in this Tim Burton fantasy.
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AFirst Blood
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BThe Lost Boys
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CThe Goonies
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DBeetlejuice
Beetlejuice
The original premise for Beetlejuice was a straight-up horror film that featured the titular character as a winged, demonic reptile. In screenwriter Michael McDowell's original script, he would then turn into a small Middle Eastern man and terrorize the Deetzes.
Question 6
Two slackers travel through history in a magical phone booth.
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ABig Trouble in Little China
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BBill & Ted's Excellent Adventure
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CTango and Cash
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DOver the Top
Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure
The original concept for 'Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure' was much different than the final film. It had Bill and Ted dying and being sent to Hell. An alternate ending of the existing film also involves Bill and Ted being chased by their own personal hells. The film was also initially titled "Bill & Ted Go to Hell", which was scrapped when producers realized they'd have a hell of a time trying to market the movie with that name.
Question 7
A stodgy Southern widow grudgingly befriends her African-American chauffeur.
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AFried Green Tomatoes
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BOn Golden Pond
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CLean on Me
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DDriving Miss Daisy
Driving Miss Daisy
At age 81, Jessica Tandy became the oldest winner of the Oscar for Best Actress ever when she picked up the trophy for 'Driving Miss Daisy'. The film also won Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Makeup.
Question 8
John McClane fights to free his wife and several other Christmas partygoers who have been taken hostage.
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ADie Hard
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BCommando
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CThe Running Man
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DEscape from New York
Die Hard
Die Hard has surprising literary roots. The holiday-set action flick is based on the 1979 novel 'Nothing Lasts Forever' by Roderick Thorp, which itself was inspired by the star-studded 1974 disaster epic 'The Towering Inferno', about a massive skyscraper slowly overcome by an out of control blaze.
Question 9
Charismatic police officer Axel Foley investigates his friend's murder while wading through the culture shock of southern California.
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ALethal Weapon
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BBeverly Hills Cop
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C48 Hrs.
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DHarlem Nights
Beverly Hills Cop
Eddie Murphy wasn't the studio's first choice for 'Beverly Hills Cop's Axel Foley. First, they courted Mickey Rourke who ultimately balked. Then Sylvester Stallone got the script and turned it into a traditional Stallone picture by stripping all the comedy out and making it a pure action flick. When he walked, many of his revisions went into 1986's 'Cobra'.
Question 10
Hijinks ensue at a "members-only" golf club.
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AThe Razor's Edge
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BRevenge of the Nerds
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COverboard
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DCaddyshack
Caddyshack
Co-stars Bill Murray and Brian Doyle-Murray and director Harold Ramis all worked at the same golf club as teens which served as co-writer Doyle-Murray's inspiration for the film's script about the trials and tribulations of a posh, members-only golf course and its wacky staff.
Question 11
One unlucky family's home is besieged by ghosts.
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AChild's Play
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BCreepshow
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CThe Shining
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DPoltergeist
Poltergeist
Celluloid conspiracy theorists believe that the 'Poltergeist' film franchise's production was cursed; several of the film's stars died unusual deaths, including Dominique Dunne (Dana Freeling) and Heather O'Rourke (Carol Anne Freeling).
Question 12
Struggling actor Michael Dorsey poses as a woman to land a job on a soap opera.
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ARain Man
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BIshtar
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CFamily Business
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DTootsie
Tootsie
Jessica Lange snagged the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her turn as Julie, the co-star and love interest of Dustin Hoffman's struggling actor who impersonates a woman in order to get work. The film was also nominated for Best Picture, Actor, Actress, Director, Original Screenplay, Cinematography, Sound, Editing, and Original Song for Dave Grusin's "It Might Be You".
Question 13
A suburban Chicago high schooler takes the sick day to end all sick days.
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AWar Games
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BBiloxi Blues
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CThe Freshman
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DFerris Bueller's Day Off
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
The Bueller family got close on the 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off' set. Really close. Matthew Broderick (Ferris) and Jennifer Grey (Jeanie) got engaged prior to the film's premiere. They were never married. The actors who played their parents, were, though. After the film's shoot, Lyman Ward and Cindy Pickett married and had two children before divorcing in 1992.
Question 14
New kid Ren shakes up the status quo when he moves to a small town where dancing and rock 'n' roll are forbidden.
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AFootloose
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BShe's Having a Baby
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CFlashdance
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DDirty Dancing
Footloose
'Footloose' is, uh, loosely based on the true story of Elmore City, Oklahoma, where dancing was forbidden for close to 90 years until a group of high schoolers reversed the ban so they could have prom.
Question 15
This film is a look at the rise and fall of a self-sabotaging prizefighter.
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AMidnight Run
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BRaging Bull
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COnce Upon a Time in America
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DAngel Heart
Raging Bull
Robert De Niro won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his gutsy portrayal of self-destructive boxer Jake La Motta, beating out Robert Duvall (The Great Santini), John Hurt (The Elephant Man), Jack Lemmon (Tribute), and Peter O'Toole (The Stunt Man). That's some stiff competition.
Question 16
The serious students at a preppy boys boarding school in New England are shaken up by an inspiring English teacher.
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ADead Poets Society
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BGood Morning Vietnam
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CFast Times at Ridgemont High
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DSchool Ties
Dead Poets Society
Both Dustin Hoffman and Liam Neeson were attached to the part of English teacher John Keating, which ultimately went to Robin Williams. Keating himself was a composite of two of screenwriter Tom Schulman's real life teachers: one from the Actors and Directors Lab and one from his Nashville prep school.
Question 17
Ellen Ripley returns to help a ragtag group of space marines battle extraterrestrials.
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AThe Terminator
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BThey Live
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CAliens
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DPredator
Aliens
Bill Paxton, who plays Private Hudson, improvised his famous "Game over, man! Game over!" line. He and his fellow space soldiers trained with actual marines to get ready for this sequel to 'Alien'.
Question 18
This baseball film put "If you build it, he will come" into the American lexicon.
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AMajor League
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BThe Natural
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CBull Durham
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DField of Dreams
Field of Dreams
'Field of Dreams' was originally titled "Shoeless Joe", but test audiences hated the name. They were probably right. "Shoeless" Joe Jackson was a member of the notorious Chicago "Black Sox" who were suspected of throwing the 1919 World Series to the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for cash. Jackson maintained his innocence until his death in 1951.
Question 19
An ex-cop is tasked with hunting down a group of human clones called "replicants" in future Los Angeles.
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AWitness
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BFrantic
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CBlade Runner
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DLadyhawke
Blade Runner
'Blade Runner' is based on Philip K. Dick's 1968 novel 'Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?'. Dick initially hated screenwriter Hampton Fancher's script for the film. A re-write by David Webb Peoples managed to change the author's mind.
Question 20
Innocent victims are stalked by a disfigured serial killer who invades their dreams.
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AFriday the 13th
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BHellraiser
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CA Nightmare on Elm Street
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DThe Evil Dead
A Nightmare on Elm Street
This '80s horror classic, shot in just 30 days with more than 500 gallons of fake blood, is the film debut of Johnny Depp, who replaced Charlie Sheen. Robert Englund wasn't the first choice for Freddie Krueger, either. Writer-director Wes Craven first wanted to cast a stuntman, and then cast British actor David Warner (Titanic, TRON), who ultimately passed on the role.
Question 21
This Oscar nominated film follows thirty years in the extraordinarily tough life of Celie, an African-American woman in the South.
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ATender Mercies
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BHope and Glory
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CMississippi Burning
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DThe Color Purple
The Color Purple
'The Color Purple', directed by Steven Spielberg, marks the film debuts of both Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey. Goldberg would go on to win a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for 1990's 'Ghost'. Winfrey would go on to be Oprah.
Question 22
This film is a colorful look at one of the most legendary composers in the history of music.
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ADangerous Liaisons
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BAmadeus
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CThe Killing Fields
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DThe Last Emperor
Amadeus
F. Murray Abraham, who plays the villainous Salieri, learned to conduct and read music for this 1984 Best Picture winner, which started out as a Tony award-winning play that featured Tim Curry as Mozart and Ian McKellen as Salieri. That's right: Frank-N-Furter and Gandalf.
Question 23
All Neal Page wants to do is get home for Thanksgiving with his family.
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ADirty Rotten Scoundrels
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BThe Great Outdoors
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CUncle Buck
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DPlanes, Trains and Automobiles
Planes, Trains and Automobiles
Writer-director John Hughes wrote the first draft of 'Planes, Trains and Automobiles' in three days. Don't feel bad if you still haven't gotten around to mowing the backyard, though; Hughes' script later went through as many as 20 revisions.
Question 24
A young soldier named Chris battles both the enemy and the disgruntled men of his own squad during the Vietnam War.
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AFull Metal Jacket
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BPlatoon
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CCasualties of War
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DThe Thin Red Line
Platoon
Since the United States Department of Defense didn't wish to participate in this gripping drama about a soldier's moral struggles during the Vietnam War, the filmmakers used military equipment on loan from the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
Question 25
The Rebel alliance is down but not out in this blockbuster fantasy sequel.
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AThe Last Starfighter
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BStar Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back
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CSpaceballs
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DStar Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back
Darth Vader's bombshell reveal spoiler alert for a 40-year-old film that he's Luke's father is one of the most misquoted lines in film history. Vader says, "No, I am your father," not "Luke, I am your father."
Question 26
An archaeology professor races against the Nazis to secure a precious artifact.
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AIndiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
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BIndiana Jones and the Last Crusade
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CRaiders of the Lost Ark
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DIndiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Raiders of the Lost Ark
This first installment in the Indiana Jones franchise introduces Harrison Ford as the man himself. He's been hired by the government to find the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis do. No pressure. The film co-stars Karen Allen, John Rhys-Davies, and Denholm Elliott.
Question 27
Samantha Baker's birthday is anything but sweet.
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APretty in Pink
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BSixteen Candles
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CThe Breakfast Club
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DBetter Off Dead
Sixteen Candles
Michael Schoeffling, who plays Jake Ryan, the object of 16-year-old Samantha's affection, was 23 at the time of filming. The notoriously shy actor left show business altogether in 1991 and works as a carpenter. The role of Jake almost went to Viggo Mortensen. Yep, Aragorn.
Question 28
Chris's night goes from bad to worse when she brings the kids she's babysitting along to pick up her friend Brenda who's stranded at a Chicago bus station.
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AThe Babysitter's Club
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BThe Babysitter
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CAdventures in Babysitting
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DDon't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead
Adventures in Babysitting
'Adventures in Babysitting' marks the directorial debut of Christopher Columbus, who would go to helm such films as 'Mrs. Doubtfire', 'The Help', and the first two films in both the 'Home Alone' and 'Harry Potter' franchises.
Question 29
Seven thirty-something college friends reunite in the wake of their friend's suicide.
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AStand By Me
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BThe Outsiders
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CBroadcast News
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DThe Big Chill
The Big Chill
Kevin Costner originally played Alex, whose suicide prompts his friends to reconnect, but all of his scenes were cut. Only a shot of his wrists at the funeral home made the film's final cut. Don't feel too bad for him, though; by the end of the '80s, Costner had added 'The Untouchables', 'Bull Durham', and 'Field of Dreams' to his resume.
Question 30
Aided by a revenge-seeking swashbuckler and a giant, two young lovers battle the elements and evils of the fairy tale kingdom of Florin.
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AThe Princess Bride
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BLabyrinth
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CLegend
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DThe Neverending Story
The Princess Bride
Mandy Patinkin, who plays revenge-obsessed swordsman Inigo Montoya, has said in interviews that he has his most famous line from the film "My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die." quoted back to him by fans at least twice a day, every day. Don't worry; he likes it.
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