I would like to mention a game a friend and me play via email using www.imdb.com. (a movie facts database…in case someone doesn’t know).
She will email to me the name of a movie or actor/actress (start) and the name of another movie or actor/actress (end). Then I must go to imdb.com and search for the (start) movie/actor. If it is an actor, I must follow the link of one of his/her movies, then the link of one of the actors in that movie, then one of links of that actors movies, and so on, to get to the target (or end) actor/movie. A “degree of separation” type game. I would then compare my list with my friend’s and whoever had the shortest (honesty rules) was “the winner.” An easy example: (Start) The African Queen. (End) Dabney Coleman. Procession: The African Queen. Katherine Hepburn. On Golden Pond. Dabney Coleman.
Obviously a short and easy example, but it can be really difficult with a little thought: 12 Angry Men -----> Hilary Duff, for example. It is really fun, and challenging sometimes, especially if you like movies. I havn’t yet not been able to make a connection; but on many it took a lot of thought and linking. I’m sure at least some Dopers have heard of and/or done this, but I couldn’t find any search results to the like.
Also: no outside research. No googling. Either before or after. Once you start, you can’t leave imdb for help. No eliminating links either. If you went through 6 links to make a connection and found out later you could have done it in 3 using a different actor/movie at an earlier point, you still must list all 6 links. I like to think it is a good measure of a persons movie I.Q.
You can start with either a movie or actor and end with either a movie or actor.
Lame or no? I’ll submit the first challenge and see how it goes. If it is lame and unpopular…at least I tried.
The aforementioned: 12 Angry Men -----> Hilary Duff