# Identify these two movies for me **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** movies\ **Created:** [July 25, 2011, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-two-movies-for-me/590324 "2011-07-25T23:20:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2011, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-two-movies-for-me/590324/1 "2011-07-25T23:20:37Z")
Both are movies that I caught a little bit of on TV years ago, and have been idly wondering about for a while 1. A pretty cruddy movie about 4 or 5 high school students who gain various superpowers, and use them in petty, silly ways (the one who gets the power of command forces the school bully to … stand in a garbage can). Probably a movie from the 1990s or very early 2000s. Two word title, I think, “The \” 2. A movie from the 1940’s or 50’s that I’d actually like to see more of - the star has amnesia, and appears to be being pursued by a group of spies or criminals. In the one scene I remember best, the man sees a psychiatrist, who flatly refuses to believe that he could have amnesia, and accuses him of being a fraud or criminal. Any ideas? ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2011, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-two-movies-for-me/590324/2 "2011-07-25T23:33:45Z")
> [@Andy\_L](#): > > 1. A movie from the 1940’s or 50’s that I’d actually like to see more of - the star has amnesia, and appears to be being pursued by a group of spies or criminals. In the one scene I remember best, the man sees a psychiatrist, who flatly refuses to believe that he could have amnesia, and accuses him of being a fraud or criminal. [Spellbound](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spellbound_(1945_film))? ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2011, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-two-movies-for-me/590324/3 "2011-07-25T23:48:11Z")
> [@](#): > > 1. A movie from the 1940’s or 50’s that I’d actually like to see more of - the star has amnesia, and appears to be being pursued by a group of spies or criminals. In the one scene I remember best, the man sees a psychiatrist, who flatly refuses to believe that he could have amnesia, and accuses him of being a fraud or criminal. I think this is actually **Mirage** , from the 1960s. An excellent film (that I finally found a copy of on DVD) starring Gregory Peck and written by Peter Stone, who gave us the excellent **Charade**. This is kinda like Charade’s darker cousin, and in addition to Stone, we have George Kennedy and Walter Matthau returning from Charade, and Kevin McCarthy from _Invasion of the Body Snatchers_. It was made in black and white, which makes it look older than the color film Charade, but it was actually made two years later. > **[Amazon.com: Mirage \[VHS\] : Gregory Peck, Diane Baker, Walter Matthau, Kevin...](https://www.amazon.com/Mirage-VHS-Gregory-Peck/dp/6301987810)** > > GUARANTEED!!! > **[Mirage (1965 film)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirage_(1965_film))** > > Mirage is a 1965 American neo noir thriller film starring Gregory Peck and Diane Baker, and released by Universal Pictures. Directed by Edward Dmytryk from a screenplay by Peter Stone, it is based on the 1952 novel Fallen Angel, written by Howard Fast under the pseudonym Walter Ericson; the novel is not credited by title onscreen. Walter Matthau, George Kennedy, Leif Erickson and Kevin McCarthy appear in support. > During a power outage in the New York City skyscraper where he works, corporate ... No idea about your other film. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2011, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-two-movies-for-me/590324/4 "2011-07-26T00:01:21Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > I think this is actually **Mirage** , from the 1960s. An excellent film (that I finally found a copy of on DVD) starring Gregory Peck and written by Peter Stone, who gave us the excellent **Charade**. This is kinda like Charade’s darker cousin, and in addition to Stone, we have George Kennedy and Walter Matthau returning from Charade, and Kevin McCarthy from _Invasion of the Body Snatchers_. It was made in black and white, which makes it look older than the color film Charade, but it was actually made two years later. > > [Amazon.com: Mirage [VHS] : Gregory Peck, Diane Baker, Walter Matthau, Kevin McCarthy, Jack Weston, Leif Erickson, Walter Abel, George Kennedy, Robert H. Harris, Anne Seymour, House Jameson, Hari Rhodes, Joseph MacDonald, Edward Dmytryk, Ted J. Kent, Harry Keller, Howard Fast, Peter Stone: Movies & TV](http://www.amazon.com/Mirage-VHS-Gregory-Peck/dp/6301987810) > > [Mirage (1965 film) - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirage_(1965_film)) That’s it! Thanks, very much. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2011, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-two-movies-for-me/590324/5 "2011-07-26T01:42:51Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > I think this is actually **Mirage** , from the 1960s. Cool. I’ve added this to my Netflix queue. Thanks for the info. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2011, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-two-movies-for-me/590324/6 "2011-07-26T04:58:13Z")
> [@Andy\_L](#): > > 1. A pretty cruddy movie about 4 or 5 high school students who gain various superpowers, and use them in petty, silly ways (the one who gets the power of command forces the school bully to … stand in a garbage can). Probably a movie from the 1990s or very early 2000s. Two word title, I think, “The \” I haven’t seen it, but I’ll throw out [The Craft](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0115963/)…? They’re witches though, not superheros. I have seen this movie about kids with superpowers, but not since it was first released in 2005, so I don’t remember much about it except that it was pretty entertaining, not cruddy: [Sky High](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0405325/). ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-two-movies-for-me/590324/7 "2011-07-27T22:38:55Z")
> [@Equipoise](#): > > I haven’t seen it, but I’ll throw out [The Craft](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0115963/)…? They’re witches though, not superheros. > > I have seen this movie about kids with superpowers, but not since it was first released in 2005, so I don’t remember much about it except that it was pretty entertaining, not cruddy: [Sky High](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0405325/). Good guesses, but it definitely wasn’t “The Craft” - that was all female students who had gone to some effort to get their powers, whereas in the movie I saw a bit of, it was a mixed group, who had gotten their powers by accident (a magic rock?). “Sky High” was a good movie! ---
**Author:** ![piepiepie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47774/32.png) [@piepiepie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/piepiepie)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2011, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-two-movies-for-me/590324/8 "2011-07-28T05:40:57Z")
> [@Andy\_L](#): > > 1. A movie from the 1940’s or 50’s that I’d actually like to see more of - the star has amnesia, and appears to be being pursued by a group of spies or criminals. In the one scene I remember best, the man sees a psychiatrist, who flatly refuses to believe that he could have amnesia, and accuses him of being a fraud or criminal. Could it perhaps be [The Source](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Source_(2002_film))? ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2011, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-two-movies-for-me/590324/9 "2011-07-28T21:04:16Z")
> [@piepiepie](#): > > Could it perhaps be [The Source](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Source_(2002_film))? (Assuming that you meant to quote the description of the second movie, not the first) That’s it! Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2023, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-two-movies-for-me/590324/10 "2023-02-28T01:55:59Z")
I finally watched this last night - and enjoyed it very much ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2023, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-two-movies-for-me/590324/11 "2023-02-28T05:13:55Z")
So no request for something to watch in 2035? ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2023, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-two-movies-for-me/590324/12 "2023-02-28T13:19:58Z")
Is 1 [Zapped](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zapped!)? ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2023, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-two-movies-for-me/590324/13 "2023-02-28T13:25:41Z")
> [@Equipoise](#): > > I haven’t seen it, but I’ll throw out [The Craft](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0115963/)…? They’re witches though, not superheros. Nope, that’s not it. I know exactly the movie he’s talking about, but I can’t for the life of me remember its name. LOL ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2023, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-two-movies-for-me/590324/14 "2023-02-28T13:27:48Z")
> [@Andy\_L](#): > > A pretty cruddy movie about 4 or 5 high school students who gain various superpowers, and use them in petty, silly ways (the one who gets the power of command forces the school bully to … stand in a garbage can). Probably a movie from the 1990s or very early 2000s. I believe the movie you are referring to is, [**The Chronicle**](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1706593/) ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2023, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-two-movies-for-me/590324/15 "2023-02-28T13:29:21Z")
1. Is this _Chronicle_ (2012) or _The Covenant_ (2006)? ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2023, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-two-movies-for-me/590324/16 "2023-02-28T14:23:49Z")
The correct answer was provided in 2011: > [@Andy\_L](#): > > > [@piepiepie](#): > > > > Could it perhaps be [The Source](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Source_(2002_film))? > > That’s it! Thanks!