Work is particularly crappy at the moment, Evan is a little under the weather and vomiting over everything, and I’m meant to be on a diet. What better way to lift my spirits than by resurrecting my once regular Competition Time. Yes, yes, it’s blatant bribery in order to coax comments and make me feel like people love me, but I for one am comfortable with that.
So here’s the deal. I’ve taken the taglines of ten films and run them through Babel Fish: first translating them from English into French, then from French to German, then finally from German back into an inevitably mangled English. So for example the tagline “Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water” becomes “At the time, where you thought, it was safe to turn in the water”. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to identify which film the tagline belongs to (i.e. Jaws 2).
And there are prizes. Oh yes; spectacular, glittering prizes of great magnificence and glory. Anyone who correctly identifies just one of the films will receive through the post a freshly minted CD of “Now Thats What I Call Dan Imposing His Musical Taste On Other People: Summer Spectacular Edition”. Anyone who gets two or more questions right will also receive a bonus mystery prize (provided that it gets through customs, they are cracking down on the exotic reptile trade I hear).
In an effort to complicate things further make things a little easier I’m also giving you the year of the films original release. I can also tell you that all of the films currently have a place in our DVD collection, but that’s unlikely to be helpful in the slightest.
So here we go. Good hunting people and let’s be careful out there.
- Not to continue itself the signal can. (2005)
- Buy the milk. Ring to Mum. Dodge Zombies. (2004)
- Prepare, in order outside of the water to be blown. (2003)
- 3 casino. 11 types. 150 million male. Prepare, over to win largely? (2001)
- A ring, in order to prevail all a ring, in order to find it, a ring, to bring over it bind it all and in the darkness them. (2001)
- The toy is from return to city. (1999)
- Humans with the hat are from return. And this mark brings it its dad. (1989)
- Is approximate, the previous evening of Christmas in L.A. and the action of part, which can be exploded… On the vierzigsten soil! (1988)
- It keeps taken away. It keeps killed. But it, which all ends waive themselves well. (1987)
- They were sieve - and they fought as sieved hundreds! (1960)
Closing date is Tuesday night (the 12th June), when I will also be giving the answers.
1 - Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith
2 - Shaun of the Dead
3 - Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
4 - Ocean’s 11
5 - The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
6 - Toy Story 2
7 - Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
8 - Die Hard
9 - Near Dark
10 - I have no idea.
Funny blog. Am I supposed to give my answers here? I wouldn’t want anybody else to steal them, ha ha. I’m only sure about #5 since I’ve seen the movie approximately 87 times.
4. Oceans 11?
5. LOTR
6. Toy Story 2?
8. Die Hard?
You really don’t have to send my prize across the ocean. I’m playing simply for the thrill of the game.
1. Serenity
2. Shaun of the Dead
3. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
4. Ocean’s Eleven
5. Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring
6.
7. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
8. Die Hard
9.
10. The Magnificent Seven
Still trying to figure out the last two. Interesting challenge though.
I think I Got them all!
Great Game, Dan!
1 is Serenity
2 is Shawn of the Dead
3 is Pirates of the Caribbean
4 is Oceans Eleven
5 is Lord of the Rings
6 is Toy Story II
7 is Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
8 is Die Hard
9 is The Untouchables
10 is The Magnificent Seven
Well Lise just put an end to the comments, didn’t she?
Sorry, I didn’t realize I’d ruin it for everyone else - but maybe my answers are WRONG! And Dan, I do think knowing these films are in your personal collection made a difference in my “GUESSES” - I struggled with #9, sure it was “Predator” or “Hellraiser” - but those weren’t films I thought you’d give shelf-space.
Hi Dan - I don’t think I’ve ever commented before, but I read your blog faithfully. I can’t tell you how often your insights and humor have made me laugh out loud and made the day a little brighter. Amy reminds me so much of my little sister when she was that age!
Here are my guesses…I promise I didn’t look at the comments before I posted!
– Jill
1. Serenity
2. Shawn of the Dead
3. ?
4. Ocean’s Eleven
5. Lord of the Rings:The Fellowship of the Rings
6. Toy Story 2??
7. ?
8. Die Hard
9. ?
10. ?
Maybe some way of leaving comments so that everybody else can’t see them may be an idea? Still, fun!
Yeah, to be honest I hadn’t thought people would get them that easily. I’m impressed.
Anyway, there is still number nine outstanding - it’s not the Untouchables.
OC Mom, Sci Fi Dad, Lise M and Jill (from kansas) will shortly be receiving emails asking for their addresses. You lucky people you.
I think I’ll have another go at this competition in a couple of days once I figure out how to do it better. Here are the correct answers so far, along with the original taglines and the people who got them right:
Can’t stop the signal (Serenity)
Sci Fi Dad, Lise M, Jill
Buy Milk. Ring Mum. Dodge Zombies (Shaun of the Dead)
Sci Fi Dad, Lise M, Jill
Prepare to be blown out of the water (Pirates of the Caribbean)
Sci Fi Dad, Lise M
3 Casinos. 11 Guys. 150 Million Bucks. Ready To Win Big? (Oceans Eleven)
OC Mom, Sci Fi Dad, Lise M, Jill
One ring to rule them all, One ring to find them, One ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them (Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring)
OC Mom, Sci Fi Dad, Lise M, Jill
The Toys are Back in Town (Toy story 2)
OC Mom, Lise M, Jill
The man with the hat is back. And this time, he’s bringing his Dad. (Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade)
Sci Fi Dad, Lise M
It’s Christmas Eve In L.A. And The Party Action’s About To Explode… On The Fortieth Floor! (Die Hard)
OC Mom, Sci Fi Dad, Lise M, Jill
They were seven - And they fought like seven hundred! (The magnificent seven)
Sci Fi Dad, Lise M
Anthony, my spam filter caught your comment for some reason and so i didn’t know you’d had a go too. so you get an exciting prize as well. you still didn’t get the elusive number nine right though.
9 is princess bride
And with that correct answer, the competition draws to it’s natural close.
You clever swine you.