Choose The Best Movies And We'll Guess Your Sign
- by Jessica Rae
- – on
- in Movies and TV
Making small talk is really easy for some people (who seem to have a natural gift when it comes to talking to strangers) and for others it's something that they need to work on in order to perfect. Good topics for small talk are usually current events, the weather, and, of course, movies. Because almost everyone enjoys watching movies it's a good question to ask if we are trying to get to know someone. Once we find a shared interest conversation should flow quite easily! The sort of movies that a person enjoys might tell us a lot about what type of things interest them and what they enjoy doing during their spare time.
With so many different genres of movies, and with new releases coming out all the time, talking about movies and actors is always a good idea when we want to fill that uncomfortable silence.
For today's quiz we've lined up a list of popular current movies and all we need our readers to do is to rate these films. Once they've finished giving their opinion on these films we'll see if we can guess what their sign is. Who thinks that we can get it right? Let's try!
Super 8:
The main characters in this 2011 sci-fi flick were a group of young teenagers (played by Joel Courtney, Elle Fanning, and Kyle Chandler) who set shoot their own movie using a Super 8 camera. In the film, which is set in 1979, they witness a train derailment while making their movie and are lucky to escape alive. But soon after the train crash, strange things start to happen in their small Ohio town. Super 8 was directed by J.J Abrams and produced by Steven Spielberg.
Alice in Wonderland:
Alice in Wonderland was written by Lewis Carroll in 1865 which means that the story has been around for over 150 years! It was first made into a silent movie back in 1903 and since then has recreated for film and TV dozens of times (Wikipedia). The latest version of this classic story was made in 2010 and was directed by Tim Burton who used the original story as inspiration. This film starred Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter, and Crispin Glover.
The Lego Batman Movie:
The Lego Batman Movie was the first spin-off installment of The Lego Movie franchise and was a big hit with moviegoers, who seemed to enjoy it just as much as the first film judging by the box office returns. The movie raked in over $312 million off the back of an $80 million budget. It featured the voices of Will Arnett (once again as Batman), and Zach Galifianakis (as the Joker) as well as Michael Cera, Rosario Dawson and Ralph Fiennes.
Zootopia
According to Wikipedia, Zootopia is the seventh-highest-grossing animated film of all time. It made $1.024 billion at the box office (off the back of a $150 million budget) and was also the fourth-highest-grossing film of 2016. The story is set in Zootopia, a mammal metro city where all kinds of animals live and work alongside each other. The film featured the voices of Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba, Jenny Slate, Nate Torrence, Bonnie Hunt, Don Lake, Tommy Chong, Alan Tudyk, and Shakira.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory:
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory tells the story of a young impoverished boy, Charlie Bucket, who finds a Golden Ticket and wins a tour of a chocolate factory. The story was written by acclaimed children's author Roald Dahl in 1964. Tim Burton directed the 2nd live action version of the movie in 2005, starring Freddie Highmore (who also starred in Bates Motel) as Charlie and Johhny Depp as Willy Wonka, the eccentric owner of the chocolate factory. Rate this movie:
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle:
In this 2017 adventure fantasy film, four teenagers find themselves transported inside a video game called Jumanji and must work together in order to find their way home. The movie starred Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, Nick Jonas, and Bobby Cannavale. The film is a sequel to the 1995 film Jumanji, which starred Robin Willaims. The film was well-received by audiences and become the fifth-highest-grossing film of 2017, grossing $962 million at the box office. Give this movie a rating:
Inception:
In this 2010 science fiction thriller, Leonardo Di Caprio plays the role of Dominick "Dom" Cobb, a professional thief who specializes in entering into his targets dreams to steal information and trade secrets using high tech equipment. He gets offered the chance to have his criminal history erased in exchange for one last job but this time he needs to do something different, this time he needs to implant an idea, rather than steal one. This movie also starred Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy, Dileep Rao, Cillian Murphy, and Marion Cotillard.
Blade Runner 2049:
Blade Runner 2049 is a sequel to the original 1982 cult classic Blade Runner. It stars Harrison Ford (who reprises his role from the first film) and Ryan Gosling and featured Dave Bautista, Jared Leto, Ana de Armas, Sylvia Hoeks, Robin Wright, Carla Juri, and Lennie James in supporting roles. The film was nominated for five Academy Awards, eventually winning for Best Cinematography and Best Visual Effects. In this film, Ryan Gosling plays a new blade runner for the Los Angeles Police Department who uncovers a secret that could threaten what is left of the population.
The BFG:
In this 2016 fantasy adventure film, a young called Sophie meets a huge giant and at first, she is naturally afraid of him. But she comes to realize that he is good-natured giant although there are many bad ones around. She and her new friend decide to travel to see the Queen in order to ask for her help with the bad giants. The film was based on the children's book The BFG written by Roald Dahl in 1982 and directed by Steven Spielberg.
Wild:
The screenplay for this 2014 movie was based on a true story documented in the 2012 memoir Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail written by Cheryl Strayed. It tells the story of a young woman who decides to hike 1,100 miles in order to heal herself from her troubled past. The role of Cheryl is played by Reese Witherspoon with Laura Dern (as Strayed's mother), Thomas Sadoski, Michiel Huisman and Gaby Hoffmann in supporting roles. Rate this film:
Gravity:
In Gravity, two NASA astronauts are left stranded in space when their shuttle is in a collision with space debris. They are outside conducting a spacewalk during the time and although they manage to survive they have no way to communicate except with each other. The movie stars Sandra Bullock and George Clooney and was the eighth highest-grossing film of 2013. It received ten Academy Award nominations and won seven including Best Director, Best Original Score, Best Cinematography and Best Visual Effects.
Looper:
This film is set in the future where time travel has been invented but also made illegal. It is used by crime syndicates to clean up evidence of their activities and those who work for them in the present day are known as "loopers". Joseph Gordon-Levitt is one such looper who goes on the run with his future self (played by Bruce Willis). This science fiction flick also features Paul Dano and Emily Blunt in supporting roles. Rate this movie:
The Lego Movie:
In this 2014 computer-animated film a Lego figurine called Emmet (voiced by Chris Pratt) discovers a strange artifact, something that looks like it doesn't belong in his world. He then meets a girl who tells him that he is the only one who can save their world from being glued in place forever by their creator. The film also featured the voices of Will Ferrell, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, Alison Brie, Charlie Day, Liam Neeson, Nick Offerman, and Morgan Freeman.
La La Land:
In La La Land, Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone play two aspiring performers who fall in love while trying to make it big in Los Angeles. The film was a commercial success earning $446 million at the box office from a $30 million budget. It was nominated for a whopping 14 Academy Awards and won for Best Director (Damien Chazelle), Best Actress (Emma Stone), Best Cinematography, Best Original Score, Best Original Song, and Best Production Design. Give this film a rating:
Black Panther:
In this 2018 superhero film, T'Challa (played by Chad Boseman who first made an appearance as this character in the 2016 film Captain America: Civil War) returns to his homeland after his father passes away. He takes his rightful place as king of Wakanda but his sovereignty is soon threatened by an old enemy. Apart from Boseman the film also stars Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman, Angela Bassett, Forest Whitaker, and Andy Serkis.
Silver Linings Playbook:
In this 2012 romantic comedy, Bradley Cooper plays the role of Pat, a man who is trying to get back together with his estranged wife. He meets a widow called Tiffany (played by Jennifer Lawrence) who offers to help him if he enters a dance competition with her in exchange. The film was nominated for eight Academy Awards, including for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay, and Lawrence won for Best Actress. Give this film the rating it deserves:
The Martian:
In this 2015 science fiction flick, Matt Damon plays an astronaut who is left stranded on Mars accidentally when his crew loses sight of him during a storm. When he is finally able to communicate with Earth he learns that it will take months for him to be rescued and he needs to find ways to survive until then. The film was based on a book of the same name written by Andy Weir and was directed by Ridley Scott.
Passengers:
Chris Pratt plays the role of Jim Preston, a mechanical engineer, who is one of the passengers aboard the Avalon, a sleeper ship transporting 5,000 colonists in hibernation pods, to their new planet - Homestead II, a journey set to take 120 years. But 30 years into their voyage a malfunction brings him out of hibernation, almost 90 years too early and he decides to wake up another passenger, a writer called Aurora Lane (played by Jennifer Lawrence). Rate this movie:
Wonder Woman:
In this 2017 DC superhero movie, Gal Gadot plays the role of Diana, an Amazonian warrior princess. She meets Steve Trevor, a pilot (played by Chris Pine) when he crash lands on her island home of Themyscira and he tells her about the current state of the world and the war taking place. Upon hearing about this she decides to use her powers to help end the war. The movie also featured Robin Wright, Danny Huston, David Thewlis, Connie Nielsen, and Elena Anaya.
Kong: Skull Island:
In this 2017 monster adventure film an expedition group comprised of soldiers, scientists and adventurers set off to explore an uncharted island in the Pacific Ocean. But they unknowingly find themselves in a world of giant creatures, including the mighty Kong and must fight to survive and escape the island. The cast of this movie included Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, John Goodman, Brie Larson, Jing Tian, and John C. Reilly. Kong: Skull Island was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects.
Beauty and the Beast:
According to Wikipedia, the 2017 Disney version of Beauty and the Beast was one of the most expensive films ever made, with a budget somewhere around $255 million dollars. The film starred Emma Watson as Belle and Dan Stevens as the Beast with supporting performances by Luke Evans, Josh Gad, Ewan McGregor, Stanley Tucci, Kevin Kline, Audra McDonald, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Ian McKellen, and Emma Thompson. It received two Academy Award nominations; one for Best Production Design and one for Best Costume Design.
I, Tonya:
This 2017 biographical sports movie follows the life of figure skater Tonya Harding. The role of Tonya is played by Margot Robbie and the film also stars Sebastian Stan, Allison Janney, Julianne Nicholson, Caitlin Carver, Paul Walter Hauser, and Bobby Cannavale. Margot Robbie received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress for her performance while Allison Janney won for Best Supporting Actress. The movie also received a nomination for Best Editing. It was a financial success grossing $53 million in box office returns from an $11 million budget.
Wind River:
Everyone who likes a good mystery film would have enjoyed this 2017 film. It starred Jeremy Renner as a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service tracker and Elizabeth Olsen an FBI agent, who try to solve a crime committed on the Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming. The movie also featured Gil Birmingham, Jon Bernthal, and Graham Greene. It was written and directed by Taylor Sheridan who first rose to fame playing Deputy David Hale in the TV show Sons of Anarchy.
World War Z:
In this movie, Brad Pitt plays the role of a former U.N Special Investigator who is called into action when a zombie virus sweeps through the world. He is charged with finding a cure, and that means finding the very first patient. He travels around the world at breakneck speed looking for answers before time runs out. The movie was based on the book World War Z written by Max Brooks and according to Wikipedia, it became the highest-grossing zombie film of all time.
Ready Player One:
Ready Player One is a film set in a dystopian future where overpopulation and food shortages have almost crippled the world. To escape from these problems most people spend their time in a virtual reality world called the O.A.S.I.S where they can work, play, and live out their dreams. When the creator of this world passes and leaves his fortune to the first person who can find the easter egg he hid inside this virtual world a young man named Wade takes on the challenge.
The Wolf of Wall Street:
Some people believe in earning money honestly while others might not be afraid to bend the rules a little bit for the right price. In this movie (which is based on a true story) a man named Jordan Belfort (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) starts his own Wall Street investment company and soon enjoys major success. But not everything he does is strictly legal and he soon runs into problems. This movie also featured Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie, Kyle Chandler, and Matthew McConaughey.
Jurassic World:
In the 1993 film Jurassic Park the dinosaurs wrecked the amusement park before it even opened for business but in Jurassic World (which is set 22 years after the original flick) the park has been rebuilt and is now swarming with visitors. But they've also been busy with gene splicing to create new and exciting dinosaurs and once again things go wrong in the worst possible way. This film starred Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard as well as Vincent D'Onofrio, Ty Simpkins, Nick Robinson, Omar Sy, BD Wong, and Irrfan Khan.
Arrival:
This 2016 science fiction film follows the story of Louise Banks, a linguist who is called on by the U.S. Army to discover how to communicate with aliens who have arrived on Earth. The pressure on Louise is enormous as she needs to learn what the aliens intend to do before tensions between the different superpowers of the world lead to war. Amy Adams plays the role of Banks and the movie also stars Jeremy Renner and Forest Whitaker. Rate this film:
A Quiet Place:
In this 2018 horror flick, a family struggles to survive in a post-apocalyptic world infested by blind monsters who have an acute sense of hearing. In order to stay safe everyone needs to use sign language to communicate instead of speaking. The film, which starred Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, and Noah Jupe, was a commercial success, earning $340 million from an estimated budget of around $20 million. A Quiet Place was directed by John Krasinski (who is also married to Emily Blunt).
Baby Driver:
In this 2017 action film, Ansel Elgort plays a young getaway driver who uses music as a way to get his work done and stay cool at the same time. But he wants to leave his life of crime behind him and start a new life with his girlfriend so he agrees to take on one more job. Other cast members include Lily James. Kevin Spacey, Jon Hamm, Eiza González, Jamie Foxx, and Jon Bernthal. Give this film the rating it deserves:
Ocean's 8:
Ocean's 8 is a 2018 heist comedy film and a spin-off Ocean's movie trilogy. It features an all-female ensemble cast, including Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Mindy Kaling, Sarah Paulson, Rihanna, Helena Bonham Carter, and Awkwafina. In the film, a group of women led by Debbie Ocean (Sandra Bullock), the sister of Danny Ocean, plan a complicated heist at the annual Met Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Ocean's 8 was made on a budget of $70 million and brought in $297 million at the box office (Wikipedia).
Coco:
In this computer-animated Pixar film a young boy called Miguel dreams of becoming a musician but his family, who've banned music for generations, do not support his aspirations. Anthony Gonzalez provides the voice of Miguel and the film also features the voices of Benjamin BrattGael García Bernal, Alanna Ubach, Renée Victor, Edward James Olmos, and Ana Ofelia Murguía. Coco was the 11th highest-grossing film of 2017 and won two Academy Awards, one for Best Animated Feature and one for Best Original Song.
Minions:
The minions need someone to serve and when they find themselves without a master they lose direction and become depressed. One of the minions, Kevin, along with his friends Stuart and Bob decide to set out on an adventure to find a new villain to serve. The film was wildly successful; grossing over $1.1 billion worldwide and becoming the fifth-highest-grossing film of 2015. According to Wikipedia it is also the highest-grossing non-Disney animated film ever made. Give this movie a rating:
Boss Baby:
The plot of this 2017 animated film revolves around a baby who is actually a secret agent in the war for adults' love between puppies and babies. The main character in the movie is voiced by Alec Baldwin and the cast also includes the voices of Miles Bakshi, Steve Buscemi, Jimmy Kimmel, Lisa Kudrow, and Tobey Maguire. It was made on a $125 million budget and grossed $528 million in the box office. The film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature but lost to Coco.
The Greatest Showman:
This 2017 musical tells the story of P. T. Barnum's and how he created the Barnum & Bailey Circus. Hugh Jackman plays the lead of P. T. Barnum and the cast also includes Zac Efron, Michelle Williams, Rebecca Ferguson, and Zendaya. The film grossed over $434 million at the box office off the back of an $84 million budget, making it the fifth-highest grossing live-action musical of all time (Wikipedia). It received one Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song.
