Appropriately, this week's 80's trivia question has a halloween theme about the Ghostbusters Movie:

A red circle bisected by a diagonal red stripe. Place this symbol over a cigarette, it means 'No Smoking,' place it over a clown, it means 'No Bozos.' Place it over a spook, and you've got the Ghostbusters logo. Like a team of metaphysical dog catchers, the Ghostbusters offer a service to haunted eighties New Yorkers every bit as essential as that of the exterminator: ridding your property of ghosts. But as the film progresses, the Ghostbusters discover that the ghoulish infestation of New York is much more serious than they originally thought. A portal is being opened to the netherworld, through which Gozer the Destructor will emerge to destroy the world. In the films climax, the Ghostbusters confront Gozer, who transforms from a haunting young woman into a gigantic monster that lumbers through the city streets. What form does Gozer assume in order to terrorize New York City and destroy the Ghostbusters?

Bonus Question: At one point in the film Ghostbusters, a teenage girl is seen celebrating her birthday at Central Park's Tavern on the Green. Who plays the part of this teenage girl?

Today's 80's trivia questions focus on one of my favorite 80's stars, the artist both formerly and currently known as Prince. Not everyone remembers Prince's second or third attempts at movie stardom, but everyone remembers his first: "Purple Rain." Prince already had a bunch of hit singles, but the success of "Purple Rain" made him a superstar. It also gave him the distinction of being the first artist since The Beatles to have the #1 album, #1 single, and #1 movie all at the same time. The #1 single was, of course, "When Doves Cry," and the lyrics to the song suggest the image of a courtyard with an ocean of "something" in bloom. An ocean of what?

Bonus Question: The film "Purple Rain" mirrors Prince's real life. One of the central themes to the film "Purple Rain" is the main character's turbulent relationship with his father, who is also a musician. As difficult as his relationship with his father is, The Kid (Prince's character) picks up on one of his dad's old tunes and reworks it. Whether this happened in real life or not, I don't know, but one of the songs on the "Purple Rain" soundtrack is used in the scenes where The Kid is trying to rework his father's song into something of his own. Which song?

The Pet Shop Boys are coming to visit us here in the Nation's Capitol on Sunday, so they are the subject of today's trivia question... What better way to make an entrance into the world of pop music than by having your first chart topping song become a timeless classic as well as going all the way to #1 on both sides of the Atlantic? Actually, it wasn't quite that easy for the duo. The first version of what would eventually become their signature song only caught on in Belgium (and one or two other places), but failed to get significant airplay in the U.S. and in the U.K. Their fortune changed when the song was re-recorded by Stephen Hague and re-released a year or so later. From that point the new version steadily gained popularity until it hit the top of the charts. So what was the name of the Pet Shop Boys first (and as far as the Billboard Hot 100, only) #1 single?

Bonus Question: The afore mentioned song may not have been #1 in "every city, in every nation," but it might as well have been. The lyrics to the song mention two geographical locations (in the next line, actually), which are stops on a railway line. What are the two locations mentioned in the song's lyrics? (Extra credit if you can cite the historical significance of this lyrical reference).

This past weekend they were showing the 2003 version of "The Hulk" on cable. If you are a child of the 80's, you might remember "The Incredible Hulk" TV series that ran from 1977 to somewhere around 1982. The show kind of shambled off the air when the ratings started to slide. Back in those days there was rarely a dramatic final episode to conclude a series, as show cancellations just kind of happened. But there was a 1988 TV movie "The Incredible Hulk Returns," followed by "The Trial of the Incredible Hulk" in 1989. So how does the Hulk of 2003 compare with the one in the TV version? CGI Hulk big. CGI Hulk smash. CGI Hulk has strange play dough like consistency. Creating a CGI Hulk wasn't a possibility back when they made the TV series, so instead they hired a bodybuilder and former Mr. Universe to play the part, covered in green make-up and frizzed out wig. He may not have had CGI Hulk's 15 foot tall stature, but he brought a level of humanity to the role. So who played the Incredible Hulk in the late 70's/early 80's live action TV version?

To help you with this week's trivia question, here's the opening segment to the 1980's Incredible Hulk TV show. It's fun to watch it again and it may just give you the answer to this week;s trivia question. Take a look...



Bonus Question: Academy award winning actress Jennifer Connelly appears in the 2003 Hulk film. Eighties fans may remember her from the 1986 film "Labyrinth." She's probably best known for her part in "A Beautiful Mind," as well as several other films from the last ten years or so, but she started her career with small acting and modeling gigs when she was still in grade school. Jennifer Connelly even had a bit part in a Duran Duran video back in the 80's. Which one?