Stump the movie-watching Straight Dopers

[Little_Nemo]

I’m guessing at the last four here.

The Shining, Gator Bait, Short Time, and The Freshman.

[Johnny_L.A]

Little Nemo
If one of your answers was for this:

An unemployed filmmaker gets mixed up with a mobster when he tries to sell his 500-page script to raise rent money.

Nope!

[Crunchy_Frog]

*Originally posted by Wendell Wagner *
**The clues were “set in the 1950’s, communists, child shooting adult, Murgatroyd.” I’ll add one more clue: rabbit. **

No idea. My first thought was The Manchurian Candidate cuz of the communist thing, but I’m sure that’s not it because of the other clues.

There’s some sort of mental block going on cuz you used the word “Murgatroyd” – all I can think of now is Snagglepuss.
"Exit, stage left . . . "

[CnoteChris]

Here ya go…

Bryon Fear
David Fear
Johnny Fear
Luther Fear
Russell Fear
Harmon L. Wages
William Wages

[CnoteChris]

Christ… Scratch that.

Sorry.

[SPOOFE]

Goofy ametuer TV station managers hire janitor for their hit TV show and become the #1 station in town… what movie is it?

[Crunchy_Frog]

SPOOFE

That would be UHF.

I just rented it last weekend.

[Wendell_Wagner]

O.K., besides set in the 1950’s, communists, child shooting adult, Murgatroyd, and rabbit, here’s another clue: Someone in it won the AFI award in 1989 for Best Supporting Actress. I won’t say what AFI stands for.

[Stoid]

Gotta make some rules for this! it’s getting too confusing. Here’s a simple one: If you are giving an answer, quote the hint, ok?

Hint:

Young man stops playing sports, changes the world.

stoid

[Johnny_L.A]

O.K., besides set in the 1950’s, communists, child shooting adult, Murgatroyd, and rabbit, here’s another clue: Someone in it won the AFI award in 1989 for Best Supporting Actress. I won’t say what AFI stands for.

I haven’t seen it, but Lena Olin won Best Actress in a Leading Role in 1989 for Enemies, A Love Story. But that was set in 1949.

How long do we go before we get the answer?

An unemployed filmmaker gets mixed up with a mobster when he tries to sell his 500-page script to raise rent money.

Here’s another hint: A real-life independent filmmaker makes a cameo appearance as a fictional filmmaker. He says the filmmaker in the movie looks like “a young Don Knotts”.

[Equipoise]

*Originally posted by Johnny L.A. *
**

An unemployed filmmaker gets mixed up with a mobster when he tries to sell his 500-page script to raise rent money.

Here’s another hint: A real-life independent filmmaker makes a cameo appearance as a fictional filmmaker. He says the filmmaker in the movie looks like “a young Don Knotts”.
**

Would that be Mistress with Robert DeNiro?

(Darn, I’ve been gone or else I would have gotten The Professional and The Company of Wolves. Good clues!)

[yojimbo]

The Professional is called Leon over here.

[Equipoise]

Originally posted by yojimbo
Equipoise I’ve gone to too many war film festivals for that one to get by me but I’ll leave it for somebody else. hint 2 words. 2nd word is something you’d do in orange.

It plays at war film festivals? Then it is remembered! I’m amazed. Why isn’t it considered a classic?

*Originally posted by Johnny L.A. *
**(And what was that Korean War film?)
**

Here are the clues again:

Brand new, clean-cut, scared recruit is sent to the front during the Korean war.
He meets Endore, a creepy guy who scouts by night and sleeps by day. The war is the best thing that’s ever happened to him.
Thus begins a haunting, psychological tug-of-war between the two men.

The name of the film is WAR HUNT from 1961.

This is an criminally neglected, unfairly obscure movie. Not only is it an excellent film, it marked the film debut of two very well-known actors (one of them went on to win an Academy Award many years later), and featured a few others most film buffs know (including another future Academy Award winner). Even an uncredited bit player went on to win Academy Awards. It’s never even been released on video.

The green recruit is Robert Redford, in his film debut. The creepy Endore is John Saxon. It was also the film debut of Tom Skerritt. Sydney Pollack, back when he was strictly an actor, plays a Sergeant. Gavin MacLeod plays a Private and Charles Aidman a Captain. The uncredited bit player, one of the truck drivers, is Francis Ford Coppola!

It’s a classic film to me on its own, but why it’s obscure with such a lineup of well-known names, I have no idea! I’d give my first-born for a DVD. (Well, I’d think about it anyway).

[Johnny_L.A]

An unemployed filmmaker gets mixed up with a mobster when he tries to sell his 500-page script to raise rent money.

Here’s another hint: A real-life independent filmmaker makes a cameo appearance as a fictional filmmaker. He says the filmmaker in the movie looks like “a young Don Knotts”.

Would that be Mistress with Robert DeNiro?

Nope.

This one might be a give-away. The filmmaker who made a cameo appearance was Jim Jarmusch.

[Equipoise]

4th of July weekend in Las Vegas.
Couple fights, each goes to stay with their best friends.
Each finds other lovers, but (of course) realizes they were meant to be together.

A musical (in a weird sorta way).

[Equipoise]

Unsolved films:

Originally posted by labdude
A real life playboy bunny plays a cajun queen who enacts a little kick ass swamp justice.

Little Nemo guessed Gaitor Bait and that’s my guess too. (Um, yeah, I used to go to the drive-in a lot!)

*Originally posted by The Man Who *
A man wishes someone were trying to kill him. His buddy gets naked at airport security.

My first guess was The End but I don’t remember an airport scene like that.

*Originally posted by Wendell Wagner *
"set in the 1950’s, communists, child shooting adult, Murgatroyd, rabbit. Someone in it won the AFI award in 1989 for Best Supporting Actress. I won’t say what AFI stands for.

Johnny L.A. guessed Enemies, A Love Story. Was that right?

*Originally posted by Johnny L.A. *
An unemployed filmmaker gets mixed up with a mobster when he tries to sell his 500-page script to raise rent money.
A real-life independent filmmaker [played by Jim Jarmusch] makes a cameo appearance as a fictional filmmaker. He says the filmmaker in the movie looks like “a young Don Knotts”.

How about Fear, Anxiety & Depression by Todd Solondz?

*Originally posted by Stoidela *
Young man stops playing sports, changes the world.

I think we need a couple more clues.

[Little_Nemo]

A man wishes someone were trying to kill him. His buddy gets naked at airport security.

Not Short Time? How about Penn and Teller Get Killed?

A new one: As a Chinese man walks into a printer’s office, the press stops. When he leaves it starts up again. Coincidence or magic?

[The_Man_Who]

*Originally posted by Little Nemo *
**

A man wishes someone were trying to kill him. His buddy gets naked at airport security.

How about Penn and Teller Get Killed?
**

Ding-ding-ding! Hot Dog, we have a weiner!

You movie experts should get your hands on jmstreep’s Tough Trivia Question for Movie Experts. He sends it by e-mail or you can read it at the rec.arts.movies.past-films newsgroup. Same type of questions. Same level of film obscurity. He’s at aol, so you can probably figure out his e-mail if you’re interested.

I don’t watch many movies. I’m still trying to figure out where the blue blazes Calista Flockhart is in Quiz Show.

Cordially,

Myron M. Meyer
The Man Who

[Robot_Arm]

*Originally posted by Stoidela *
Young man stops playing sports, changes the world.

“Amazing Grace and Chuck”

[Johnny_L.A]

How about Fear, Anxiety & Depression by Todd Solondz?

From the video box:

“[maybe the next clue] as Adolpho, [is] a struggling Manhattan filmmaker who can barely pay his rent. In a desperate attempt to get cash, he puts his ridiculously long screenplay up for sale. As a result, he gets an unusual taker, Joe, a con artist played by Academy Award nominee [next time], who simply wants to be, in film biz talk, [title of the film]. In return, Joe just wants a little help with his work – stealing cars, robbing houses, and romancing women.”