Christmas Special #1, Christmas Movies: answers and sources
Spoilers ahead! Play the video first. Here is every answer, the fun fact and the source we checked it against.
Scores: 0-19: Lump of coal · 20-29: Elf in training · 30-39: Head elf · 40+: Movie night legend. Don't forget your Couch Wager. Spotted a mistake? Email hello@ahaville.com with the question number.
Level 1: The classics
- 1
Let's start easy: in Home Alone, where is Kevin's family flying?
Paris In Home Alone 2, they fly to Miami instead.
Source: wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_Alone · wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_Alone_2:_Lost_in_New_York
- 2
Which actor plays Buddy in Elf?
Will Ferrell Buddy grew up with Santa's elves at the North Pole.
Source: wikipedia.org/wiki/Elf_(film)
- 3
In Elf, which city does Buddy travel to, to find his dad?
New York City His dad works in the Empire State Building.
Source: wikipedia.org/wiki/Elf_(film)
- 4
Who plays the Grinch in the 2000 movie?
Jim Carrey His makeup took up to 2.5 hours a day.
Source: wikipedia.org/wiki/How_the_Grinch_Stole_Christmas_(2000_f...
- 5
Which town's Christmas does the Grinch try to steal?
Whoville He lives in a cave on Mount Crumpit, above it.
Source: wikipedia.org/wiki/How_the_Grinch_Stole_Christmas_(2000_f... · wikipedia.org/wiki/How_the_Grinch_Stole_Christmas!_(TV_sp...
- 6
Whose glowing red nose guides Santa's sleigh?
Rudolph In the 1964 TV special, his dad is Donner.
Source: wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudolph_the_Red-Nosed_Reindeer_(TV_spe...
- 7
What brings Frosty the Snowman to life?
A magic hat A rabbit named Hocus Pocus saves it in the 1969 special.
- 8
In A Christmas Story, what does Ralphie want for Christmas?
A BB gun Everyone warns him: you'll shoot your eye out!
- 9
In The Polar Express, where does the train take the children?
The North Pole On board, they're served hot chocolate.
- 10
Last easy one: in Home Alone, who are the two burglars?
Harry and Marv Together they're known as the Wet Bandits.
Source: wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_Alone
Level 2: Who's who
- 11
In Home Alone, who realizes on the plane that Kevin was left behind?
His mom Catherine O'Hara plays her.
Source: wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_Alone
- 12
Which actor becomes Santa in The Santa Clause?
Tim Allen He gets the job by putting on Santa's suit.
- 13
In the 1964 Rudolph special, which elf wants to be a dentist?
Hermey Later, he pulls out the snow monster's teeth.
Source: wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudolph_the_Red-Nosed_Reindeer_(TV_spe...
- 14
In A Christmas Story, who gets his tongue stuck to a frozen pole?
Flick Schwartz had made it a triple dog dare.
- 15
In The Muppet Christmas Carol, which Muppet plays Charles Dickens?
Gonzo Rizzo the Rat tells the story with him.
- 16
Which character shouts "Son of a nutcracker!"?
Buddy the Elf Bob Newhart plays his adoptive dad, Papa Elf.
Source: wikipedia.org/wiki/Elf_(film) · aol.com/lifestyle/60-elf-quotes-ll-christmas-200700829.html
- 17
In Home Alone, who gives Kevin's mom a ride home?
A polka band John Candy plays the band's leader, Gus.
Source: wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_Alone
- 18
In Klaus, what is Jesper's job?
Postman He must post 6,000 letters within a year.
Source: wikipedia.org/wiki/Klaus_(film)
- 19
Which actor is Santa in The Christmas Chronicles?
Kurt Russell Goldie Hawn plays Mrs. Claus.
- 20
Last one: in Home Alone 2, which hotel does Kevin check into?
The Plaza He pays with his dad's credit card.
Level 3: Quick: finish the title
- 21
- 22
- 23
- 24
- 25
How the Grinch Stole ___
Christmas
Source: wikipedia.org/wiki/How_the_Grinch_Stole_Christmas!_(TV_sp...
- 26
- 27
- 28
- 29
Santa Claus Is Comin' to ___
Town
Source: wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Claus_Is_Comin%27_to_Town_(TV_sp...
- 30
Level 4: Behind the scenes
- 31
Who plays Santa in Elf?
Ed Asner He also voiced Carl in Pixar's Up.
Source: wikipedia.org/wiki/Elf_(film) · wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Asner
- 32
Elf's director also directed which Marvel hit?
Iron Man Jon Favreau also voices the narwhal in Elf.
Source: wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_Favreau · wikipedia.org/wiki/Elf_(film)
- 33
Who directed the 2000 Grinch movie?
Ron Howard It won the Oscar for Best Makeup.
Source: wikipedia.org/wiki/How_the_Grinch_Stole_Christmas_(2000_f...
- 34
When The Santa Clause hit No. 1, which Tim Allen TV show was No. 1 too?
Home Improvement That same week, his book topped the bestseller list.
Source: wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Allen
- 35
Which is the highest-grossing Christmas movie so far?
The Grinch (2018) It took the record from Home Alone.
Source: wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Grinch_(film) · wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_Alone
- 36
Jingle All the Way was inspired by the rush for which toys?
Cabbage Patch Kids The Power Rangers craze helped inspire it, too.
- 37
Klaus was the first original animated feature from which streamer?
Netflix It was nominated for the Oscar for Best Animated Feature.
Source: wikipedia.org/wiki/Klaus_(film)
- 38
Which studio made Arthur Christmas, together with Sony?
Aardman It's the British studio behind Wallace and Gromit.
Source: wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Christmas · wikipedia.org/wiki/Aardman_Animations
- 39
Who voices Sam the Snowman in the 1964 Rudolph special?
Burl Ives As Sam, he also narrates the special.
Source: wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudolph_the_Red-Nosed_Reindeer_(TV_spe...
- 40
Last hard one: in The Polar Express, what is the first gift of Christmas?
A bell It came loose from a reindeer's reins.
Level 5: Impossible
- 41
Who narrates A Christmas Story?
Jean Shepherd The film is based on his own stories.
- 42
In Klaus, which town is Jesper sent to?
Smeerensburg Klaus won the BAFTA for Best Animated Film.
Source: wikipedia.org/wiki/Klaus_(film)
- 43
Ralphie's house from A Christmas Story is a museum in which city?
Cleveland The movie itself is set in Indiana.
Source: wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Christmas_Story_House · wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Christmas_Story
- 44
The Home Alone house is in which Chicago suburb?
Winnetka Many inside scenes were shot in a school gym.
Source: wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_Alone
- 45
The man who sang "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" in 1966 also voiced which mascot?
Tony the Tiger He wasn't credited, so many thought Boris Karloff sang it.
Source: wikipedia.org/wiki/Thurl_Ravenscroft · wikipedia.org/wiki/How_the_Grinch_Stole_Christmas!_(TV_sp...
- 46
Who narrates the 1969 Frosty the Snowman special?
Jimmy Durante It was his final film role.
- 47
Why was a new scene added to Rudolph in 1965?
Viewers wrote letters They wanted Santa to pick up the misfit toys.
Source: wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudolph_the_Red-Nosed_Reindeer_(TV_spe...
- 48
In the 2000 movie, what does Cindy Lou Who nominate the Grinch as?
Holiday Cheermeister Max was mostly played by a dog Ron Howard rescued.
Source: wikipedia.org/wiki/How_the_Grinch_Stole_Christmas_(2000_f...
- 49
How old is Kevin in the first Home Alone?
8 years old In Home Alone 2, he's 10.
Source: wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_Alone · wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_Alone_2:_Lost_in_New_York
- 50
The very last one. Which of these TV specials premiered first?
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer It first aired on December 6, 1964.
Source: wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudolph_the_Red-Nosed_Reindeer_(TV_spe... · wikipedia.org/wiki/How_the_Grinch_Stole_Christmas!_(TV_sp... · wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Claus_Is_Comin%27_to_Town_(TV_sp... · wikipedia.org/wiki/Prep_%26_Landing
The Big Aha stories
- Rudolph began as a store giveaway: In 1939, the Montgomery Ward store chain asked its copywriter, Robert L. May, for a Christmas story it could give away to shoppers. May came up with a reindeer with a glowing red nose. He thought about calling him Rollo, or Reginald, before he picked Rudolph. Shoppers loved the little booklet. That first Christmas, the store handed out 2.4 million copies. Ten years later, May's brother-in-law, Johnny Marks, turned the story into a song. Gene Autry's record went to No. 1, at Christmas 1949. Sources: newsdesk.si.edu/snapshot/rudolph-red-nosed-reindeer · wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_L._May · wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudolph_the_Red-Nosed_Reindeer · wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudolph_the_Red-Nosed_Reindeer_(song)
- The movie filmed on an empty stage: In 2004, The Polar Express rolled into cinemas, based on Chris Van Allsburg's picture book from 1985. There was no train to film, and no snowy North Pole. The actors performed on a bare black stage, while cameras recorded every move they made. Computers turned those movements into the animated film. That's how Tom Hanks could play several parts, from the Conductor to Santa Claus. Guinness World Records lists The Polar Express as the first film made entirely with performance capture. Sources: guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/longest-performanc... · wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Polar_Express_(film) · wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Polar_Express
Bonus question
In Home Alone 2, what does Kevin give the pigeon lady? We reveal the answer in the pinned comment under the video.