Bonus episode: The Indicator plays... movie business trivia!

NPR.

This is the indicator from Planet Money.

I'm Darien Woods.

And I'm Adrienne Ma.

And I'm Waylon Wong.

And today we have a special Sunday treat to cap off our series on the movie business.

And we're joined by our summer fellow, Ella Feldman, who I heard has a game prepared for us.

That's right.

This is not your typical indicator episode.

Instead, we're going to play a little game in honor of Hollywood Week.

Today on the show, I'll be testing your knowledge of movies, specifically movie businesses.

Whelan's gonna win.

I can call it already.

I would put my money on Wayland as well.

I've also had so much cold brew this morning, so I'm like overcaffe.

Performance enhancing drugs, Wayland.

I know.

Don't tell HR.

So here's how this game is going to work.

I will describe a business featured in a movie, and the first one of you to guess the movie will receive one point.

If you're stumped, I'll give you one hint.

I'll then ask a follow-up trivia question about the movie for an additional point.

Simple enough?

Sounds good.

Are these businesses real-world businesses that have product placement in movies, or are they in-universe fictional businesses?

Or a mix of both?

They're in-universe, but the the universe might overlap with our universe is all i'll say whoa whoa blowing my mind okay okay let me do it

all right well we'll get to the game after the break

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Let's get right to it.

Our first movie business description is

a scrappy, science-based extermination company with a specialized skill set.

This unconventional team uses homemade technology and unorthodox methods to tackle frightening disturbances.

Something about Ghostmaster.

It is Ghostbusters.

I'm impressed with myself, having never watched that movie.

Really?

Parts of it.

Well, there you go.

That is one point for Darian Woods.

You haven't seen the movie, but have you tried calling Ghostbusters?

Is that what I'm saying?

I saw an actual Ghostbusters car outside the New York Public Library a couple of years ago.

It may have been a promotional stunt, but maybe this is the overlapping of real world.

Did Hi-C Ectocooler ever make it to New Zealand as a sugary drink that your parents probably would not have allowed you to have in the house?

Not that I'm aware of.

Should I try to dig it up on eBay?

Is it still good?

Is that what you're drinking right now, Whelan?

Yeah, I'm high on Ecto Cooler.

Adrian, do you remember Ecto Cooler?

I've heard of it.

I don't think I've ever had it, though.

I mean, I don't either.

I mean, we weren't really allowed to have that stuff in the house.

No ghostly, sugary drinks.

But it was like bright green.

It was bright green.

Terrifying.

Okay, I have a follow-up question for you all.

This is a trivia question.

What refurbished building did the Ghostbusters operate out of?

Firehouse.

That's correct.

One point for Waylon Wong.

Moving on to question two.

An energy company that generates its power from an alternative source.

This company relies on highly trained professionals to harvest the energy while also being sure to avoid any contact with the energy source due to fears of contamination.

Matrix.

The energy source being Keanu Reeves' body?

Incorrect.

Um, is this vibranium?

Nope.

Oh, God.

Could we hear the description one more time?

Sure.

This is an energy company that generates its power from an alternative source.

This company relies on highly trained professionals to harvest the energy while also being sure to avoid any contact with the energy source due to fears of contamination.

I mean, we're not talking about TV series here.

It's not something about stranger things.

This is movie week, Ariane.

Man, I really should have seen more movies.

There's always a hint if you're stumped.

I want to hear a hint.

So, your hint is a really important ingredient in this energy extraction is doors.

Doors?

Oh, is this Monster's Ink?

Oh, Monster's Ink!

Well done.

Yes, the energy source in question are children's screens.

And they power Monster City, Monstropolis.

Your follow-up question is, what is the name of the top scare at Monsters Inc.?

Oh, it's John Goodman's character, right?

It's not Joel.

Did I hear Joel?

Yeah.

Not Joel.

It's not Mike Wazowski, right?

It's the other one.

That's correct.

But I need a name.

You're thinking of the...

You know, he's like the turquoise and purple furry monster.

What is his name?

Is it like Lenny Warmer?

Billy?

Sully!

Correct!

Well done, Waylon.

All right.

Wait, wait, what was the answer?

I missed it.

Sully.

Sully, yes.

Sully.

You weren't even close with Billy, though.

You were super, super close.

I'm just trying to build up the drama where I, you know, make a dramatic comeback at the end.

So

enjoy the points while they last.

A full name of this monster is James P.

Sullivan, but he's better known as Sully.

All right, question three: This is a giant food business known for its secretive manufacturing plant.

This empire has been closed off to the public for years.

Willy Wonka!

Correct!

Willy Wonka in the chocolate factory, or if you're a child of the 2000s like me, Charlie in the chocolate factory.

That is the correct answer.

So, one point for Waylon.

Yay!

So, your follow-up question is: How many golden tickets did Willy Wonka give out?

Eight.

Incorrect.

Seven.

Also incorrect.

Correct.

The right answer is five.

I had to go through all the kids.

Can you name them all?

That's not a question.

I'm just curious.

Charlie Bucket, Violet Beauregard, Mike TV, Varuka Salt, and Augustus Gloop.

Whoa.

We are getting stinked.

Adrian, we need to join forces against when's incredibly encyclopedic vacuum when you like pull our points.

You guys, guess who played Augustus Gloop's mother in a fourth grade production of Willy Wonga and the Chocolate Factory.

Willy Mwang.

Yes, I had to stuff like a pillow under my dress, and then I had to say things like, no, Augustus.

Your German accent makes a lot of sense.

I worked with the dialect coach.

All right, we are halfway through, so I'm going to do a quick recap of the points.

In third place, we have Adrian Ma with zero points.

Bronze.

But that's the best place to start a comeback.

I'm still on.

Listen, I'm on the podium, so I'm here.

You're on the board.

In second place, we have Darian Woods with one point.

I'll hold on to that for tea alive.

And in first place with five points, we have Waylon Wong.

Yay.

But that could all change as we move into question four.

This is a sleek corporate empire at the helm of a beloved plastic product.

Behind the polished image is a boardroom where control over everything from branding to messaging

is taken very seriously.

It is Mattel.

Wow.

Where you said it would intersect with the real world because they had the fictional Mattel and the Barbie movie, but obviously it's a real company.

Ooh.

Overlap with our real world indeed.

The answer is

to play this game, Ella.

Game, aka Whaylen destroys her colleagues.

Whaylan

teased the trivia question, which is name one song on Barbie's official companion album.

Anyone?

I actually had the soundtrack because I know that Charlie XCX did a song.

Charlie XCX did have a song for that.

It was this Grammy Award, wasn't it?

At least nominated.

It was something like.

But what's the name, Darian?

Just a Ken.

Just a Ken?

I'm Justica Ken.

You've said Justin.

I'm Justica Ken.

So I think we should give it to you.

Just kin.

You haven't quite said them in the right order.

Permutation and combination of I'm a kin, we're a kin, we're all kins, there's a kin here, just a kin.

I'm just ken.

I'm just ken.

I'm pretty sure I said something very close to that.

There we go.

One point for Darian.

Moving on to question five.

This is an elite publication with a global influence.

Known for its demanding work culture and cutthroat environment, it's the ultimate training ground for anyone who wants to be successful planet

in this industry no it is not no oh

let me know if you want one more read can we have a clue already no guesses let me hear it one more time please all right one more read an elite publication with a global influence known for its demanding work culture and cutthroat environment it's the ultimate training ground for anyone who wants to be successful in this industry the spotlight with the

the Boston Globe.

It is not the Boston Globe.

The Devil Wars Prada.

Yeah!

Oh, amazing!

Okay, I didn't, I was like,

how did I know that?

I've never seen the Devil Wars Prada.

You haven't?

You have to fix it.

It's so cool.

You would like it.

But I know it takes place at a magazine and...

What is it?

Ann Hathaway is like,

is like working their way up at the magazine.

That's like kind of what I understand about the movie.

And Meryl Streep is her grueling boss.

It's a really, really good movie.

Yeah.

Okay.

I broke the drought.

All right.

One point for Adrienne Ma.

And the follow-up question.

What is the magazine that it's based on a real magazine?

It's based on Vogue.

And Meryl Streep's character, Miranda Priestley, is based on Anna Winter.

And then the magazine is called Runway, but it's based on Vogue.

Okay, all right.

May I just osmosis to this into my brain somehow from it being in the culture?

Once again, Waylon Wong has said an answer to a question before we asked.

What is the name of the magazine from the moon?

Wait a second, can she get the point if you haven't asked the question?

Two points for Weyland.

Wow, incredible work.

I'm going to just wait some popcorn and watch.

I don't think you can get a point to a question that hasn't been asked yet.

Because it appears Weyland is the only host who knew the name of the magazine, I'm ruling in her favor.

Weyland rightfully got that correct.

You deserve that extra point.

All right.

And now on to our final business.

This family-owned business offers personalized at-home services, including tutoring and house cleaning for wealthy clients out there.

Yes!

The correct answer is parasite.

Oh, so good.

That's South Korean director Bong Joon-ho's incredible 2019 movie, which clinched Best Picture at the Oscars.

That's really good.

Great job, Darian.

Our follow-up question is: What allergy is exploited by the Kim family to secure a housekeeper job for Chung-Suk?

Cat.

Oh.

I don't know.

Milk.

Was it all nice?

I gotta guess a bunch of things for milk allergies too.

Was it stone fruit?

That's too specific.

It was some kind of, it was like food, right?

It was something.

What was it?

Peanut.

The kind of food was walnuts said

by one Wei Lin Wong.

Stone fruit.

Apricot.

Peach.

it is a stone fruit, it is peach.

We just listed lots of foods, but I'll take it.

What is stone fruit?

And then who said stone fruit?

I was like, that sounds too specific.

It's a peach.

There's a flick of the peach fuzz very dramatically.

Oh, it's peach fuzz.

Interesting.

Well, the time has come to tally up everyone's points and determine our winner.

In third place, we had Adrian Ma with one point.

Woo!

Bronze, bronze, bronze.

In second place.

I'm on the podium.

That's then,

I could have easily not placed.

So it's an honor.

In second place, we have Darian Woods with three points.

Thank you, thank you.

And in first place, with eight points, we have

Waylon Wong.

Cup Coach of Queen.

Oh, thank you.

I'd like to thank the Academy.

Well, congratulations to Whaylan, and we hope all of you listeners enjoyed playing along.

Listen to our Hollywood series if you haven't, and we'll see you next time with your regularly scheduled Indicator.

This episode was produced by Corey Bridges and me, Ella Feldman.

It was engineered by Gilly Moon and was fact-checked by Sierra Juarez.

Kate Kinkanen is our editor, and the indicator is a production of NPR.

Oh well done.

This was really fun.

If we did bird call identification I could probably beat out my co-hosts.

We'll see.

Oh man, I don't know a single bird call.

I don't believe it.

If I just like went ah, ah!

What would you guess?

I didn't hear it just now.

I think like the Zoom like

I was like, this is not fit for public consumption.

So I didn't hear it.

I just saw your mouth moving.

I was trying to imitate a blue jay.

Oh, I don't know what a blue jay sounds like.

I only know what color it is.

What's my like trivia category?

I feel like

music.

I might be better at music than movies.

Food and drink.

I feel like you're really good at like food and drink.

I do eat a lot.

No, I feel like you know your way around like interesting cocktails and like, you know.

So we just need a way, we need to...

Maybe we could just do a Sunday brunch.

And that'll be the new episode.

Oh, that sounds really nice, Sunday brunch.

We'll put brunch on NPR's dime.

Every weekend, I can get behind that.

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