Demon or Director? The David Fincher Quiz

Estimated Completion Time
3 min
Demon or Director? The David Fincher Quiz
Image: TMDB

About This Quiz

For decades, David Fincher has brought a dark vision to Hollywood. His films feature ominous overtones (and sometimes violent gore) that haunt audiences long after the movies end. How much do you know about this famous director's work?
When was David Fincher born?
1958
1962
1967
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Fincher was born in Denver, Colorado in 1962. Even as a child, Fincher knew that he wanted to be in the filmmaking business.

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Fincher grew up near which filmmaker?
Steven Speilberg
George Lucas
Francis Ford Coppola
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Fincher spent his formative years in California, where he lived near George Lucas. He and his friends witnessed Lucas in action as he directed movies.

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How old was Fincher when he received his first video camera?
5 years old
8 years old
12 years old
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

For his 8th birthday, Fincher received the gift of a Super 8 video camera. He immediately set about finding new ways to capture the world around him.

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What did Fincher's mother do for a living?
garbage collector
mental health nurse
lawyer
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Fincher's mother was a mental health nurse and his father was a writer. It's easy to see how their occupations influenced their son's work.

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"Alien 3" was nominated for which Academy Award?
best directing
best visual effects
best music
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The movie (Fincher's first big film) was nominated for the award for best visual effects. It lost to a film called "Death Becomes Her."

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Fincher is well-known for his frequent collaborations with which actor?
Keanu Reeves
Brad Pitt
Tom Hanks
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Fincher and Brad Pitt have frequently worked together since the 1990s. Together, they've made films that have grossed hundreds of millions of dollars.

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During his early career, Fincher did NOT contribute work to which of the following films?
"Superman III"
"Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom"
"Return of the Jedi"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Fincher didn't work on "Superman III," but he was part of numerous other major Hollywood productions. He honed his directing skills by making music videos.

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Fincher has said that his filmmaking style is meant to make audiences feel what?
uncomfortable
enlightened
adventurous
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Fincher likes to make his audiences comfortable. He once said, "Some people go to the movies to be reminded that everything's okay. I don't make those kinds of movies."

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As he fine-tuned his music video direction, Fincher notably directed a documentary for which famous musician?
Prince
Rick Springfield
Madonna
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Fincher was hired to direct the Rick Springfield documentary titled "The Beat of the Live Drum" in 1985. During this time he also directed many commercials for large companies.

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How old was Fincher when he had his directorial debut as part of a major Hollywood movie?
28 years old
30 years old
36 years old
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

At the tender age of 30, Fincher took control of "Alien 3," which was released in 1992. The film was financially successful but received very mixed reviews.

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Fincher's film "Gone Girl" is set in which state?
Missouri
New Mexico
Montana
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Set in Missouri, the movie follows the story of a man whose wife suddenly disappears. The movie was a huge blockbuster for Fincher.

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As a young director, Fincher directed a public service announcement commercial for which organization?
Alcoholics Anonymous
Mothers Against Drunk Driving
American Cancer Society
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Fincher was no stranger to edgy material, even from a young age. For the American Cancer Society, he created a clip in which a fetus smokes a cigarette.

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"Zodiac" is a movie about a serial killer who stalks people in which area?
Florida
New Jersey
California
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In the 1960s and 70s, a serial killer roamed California. The movie follows law enforcement who are trying to catch the murderer before he strikes again.

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Fincher did NOT direct which of the following music videos for Madonna?
"Express Yourself"
"Like a Prayer"
"Vogue"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Fincher didn't direct "Like A Prayer." But he did direct four Madonna videos, including the visually arresting "Vogue."

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How long was one of the early cuts of "Zodiac"?
nearly five hours
more than three hours
more than four hours
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Fincher created one version of "Zodiac" that ran more than three hours. Under pressure from the studio, he cut the version to "only" two hours and forty minutes.

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How does Fincher feel about the movie "Alien 3"?
loves it
lcompletely indifferent
lhates it
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Fincher agreed with many critics -- the movie wasn't any good. But he blamed studio interference for turning the film's creation into a disaster.

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After "Alien 3," what did Fincher say he'd rather do than direct another film?
fall from a skyscraper
develop cancer
die on a deserted island
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Fincher so despised the directing process of "Alien 3" that he said he'd rather get sick with colon cancer than repeat the turbulence of the movie directing process.

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Which Fincher film was released in 1995?
"Panic Room"
"Seven"
"Fight Club"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In the autumn of 1995, Fincher released "Seven," a gritty film about a serial killer. The movie helped turn Fincher into a Hollywood celebrity.

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Which of Fincher's films was NOT a film adaptation of a book?
"Gone Girl"
"The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo"
"The Social Network"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Both "Gone Girl" and "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" were based on popular novels. "The Social Network," however, was based on the phenomenon of social networking and Facebook.

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Which Michael Jackson video did Fincher direct?
"Black Or White"
"You Were There"
"Who Is It?"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Fincher directed The King of Pop's "Who Is It?" in 1993. The song was part of Jackson's "Dangerous" album, which was released in 1991.

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Which of his movies did Fincher say is all about death?
"Seven"
"Fight Club"
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" has a love story intertwined in its plot, but Fincher says in the end, the movie is really about the concept of dying.

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Which actor starred in Fincher's 1997 film called "The Game"?
Tom Cruise
Robert DeNiro
Sean Penn
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Sean Penn starred alongside Michael Douglas in "The Game." The movie got great reviews and made a fair amount of money, propelling Fincher towards even bigger gigs.

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"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" received how many Academy Award nominations?
four
eight
13
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" was nominated for a whopping 13 awards, including best director. It won three of the awards, but Best Director went to Danny Boyle for "Slumdog Millionaire."

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How many children does Fincher have?
zero
one
three
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In the early 1990s, Fincher was married to Donya Fiorentino, with whom he had one daughter. Phelix Fincher was born in 1994.

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In 1999, Fincher directed "Fight Club," starring Brad Pitt. How did this movie fare at the box office?
a bomb
a disappointment
a blockbuster
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Fincher's "Fight Club" was expected to be a huge hit, but it was a disappointment for the studio. After the film was released on DVD, it found a massive audience and much more lucrative commercial success.

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Who was originally slated to play the lead role in Fincher's "Panic Room"?
Angelina Jolie
Meg Ryan
Nicole Kidman
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Nicole Kidman was meant to play the part but had to withdraw after suffering a knee injury. Instead, the role went to Jodie Foster, and Fincher heavily altered the film's approach to match the star's style and mannerisms.

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Which Nine Inch Nails music video did Fincher direct?
"Closer"
"Only"
"The Hand That Feeds"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In 2005, Fincher directed "Only" for Nine Inch Nails. The video featured groundbreaking visual effects.

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Which film was the first movie that Fincher shot using mostly digital cameras?
"Zodiac"
"Panic Room"
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"Zodiac," released in 2007, was Fincher's first foray into all-digital shooting (with the exception of a few slow-motion scenes shot with film). The movie received outstanding reviews from most critics.

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How many Academy Awards did Fincher's "The Social Network" win?
three
two
one
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

2010's "The Social Network" won three Academy Awards. The movie's storyline followed the development and legal conflicts behind Facebook.

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Which actor did NOT star in Fincher's film "Gone Girl"?
Rosamund Pike
Brad Pitt
Ben Affleck
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Pitt wasn't in "Gone Girl." The movie was released in 2014 and became Fincher's most financially successful film, with more than $330 million in box office receipts.

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You Got:
/30
TMDB