Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--2 Croatian/American Fruit Spreads, and a Bit About a Historic Vampire, for Some Reason

     This was yet another find from the newish deli section in my local Shop-Rite.  I was blase at first, until I saw that it was a product of Croatia.  I'm not sure I've ever done a blog post about something from this country.  If I did, it can't have been many.  Anyway, I tried a sour cherry spread, and then a tangerine spread from the Dalmatia brand.

     Dalmatia was co-founded in 1995 in Florida by Maia Magee, who hails from Massachusetts.  (I didn't discover the identity of her co-founder.)  I wasn't able to discover if Ms. Magee is Croatian in heritage, or even if she was born there, and not in the U.S.  If you're wondering, Dalmatia is a region of Croatia.  The fruit used by the brand Dalmatia is grown in Croatia, Serbia, Macedonia, and some other, unspecified Mediterranean nations.  Aside from the two I tried, Dalmatia makes a fig spread (which is their flagship product), a fig orange kind, and three new spread flavors--rose hip, hazelnut, and super berry.  Dalmatia's products are all vegan-appropriate, gluten-free, GMO free, and aside from the hazelnut one are free from nuts, even at their manufacturing facilities.  And if you order in bulk, they'll have your spreads made kosher.

     But, the most interesting thing about Dalmatia to me was the court case mentioned on their website.  Which, by coincidence, also involved the last spread I posted about, the Divina brand, and its parent company FoodMatch.  (See my post on September 30, 2023.)  From 2007-15 Dalmatia had a business partnership with FoodMatch, which distributed their spreads.  Alas, this relationship soured, and the partnership ended.  A couple of years later Dalmatia went to court against their former partners.  And so in February of 2017 a verdict was reached, finding FoodMatch guilty of misappropriating Dalmatia's recipe for fig spread, and also for flooding the market with counterfeit fig spreads falsely labeled as being "Dalmatia."  Part of this case was the first one under the 2016 Defend Trade Secrets Act.  Anyway, the jury awarded Dalmatia $2,567,000, so evidently they agreed that the actions against Dalmatia were quite serious.  So this is a new one for me--one of the companies I wrote about ripped off another company I posted about, and paid a large fine.  (I wonder why the Divina/FoodMatch website didn't mention this case?  Ha, just kidding, I obviously do know why they left this nugget of information out.)

Dalmatia tangerine spread:  Orange color, looks like typical fig spread.  Plain is nice.  Tangy and citrus-y.  On a roll was a good combo.  The bread and sweet spread complimented each other well.

Dalmatia sour cherry spread:  This one looked like cranberry sauce, but was less firm.  The flavor was rather like cranberry sauce, too.  Tangy and tart.  Quite good plain, and also pleasing on a roll.  Again, a good pairing.  Both of these were good spreads, but I liked the sour cherry one a bit more.  Both were good, but maybe a tad short of awesome.  I'd recommend each of these to anyone who likes tart fruit spreads

     As I often do, now let's discuss some famous Croatians, also known as Croats.  As I learned, there are tons of these, so I had to limit this list significantly.  Anyway, writer/director/producer Werner Herzog was born in Germany, but has some Croatian heritage.  Herzog is known for such films as "Aguirre, the Wrath of God" (1972), "Nosferatu the Vampire" (1979), "Fitzcarraldo" (1982), "Cobra Verde" (1987), "Invincible" (2001), and the documentary "Grizzly Man" (2005).  He was also once shot during an interview, and continued on like it wasn't a big deal.  Staying on those behind the scenes in movies, there's Branko Lustig.  He was born in what's now Croatia, with Croatian heritage.  Lustig won Oscars for Best Picture for producing "Schindler's List" (1993) and "Gladiator" (2000).  He also served as unit production manager/supervisor for such films as "Sophie's Choice" (1982) "Black Hawk Down" (2001), and "American Gangster" (2007).  Actor John Malkovich was born in the U.S., but has Croatian ancestry.  He appeared in such films as "Places in the Heart" (1984), "Dangerous Liaisons" (1988), "Queens Logic" (1991), "In the Line of Fire" (1993) "Con Air" (1997), "Being John Malkovich" (1999), "RED" (2010) and "RED 2" (2013), and "Bird Box" (2018).  Actress Jenna Elfman was also born in the U.S., but has significant Croatian heritage.  Highlights of her career include such films as "Grosse Point Blank" (1997(, "EDtv" (1999), "Town & Country" (2001), and "Friends with Benefits" (2015), and television shows such as "Dharma & Greg" (1997-02) and "Fear the Walking Dead" (2018-23).  Then there's singer/songwriter Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O'Connor, better known by her stage name Lorde.  She was born in New Zealand, but is of Croatian heritage.  Still active, she's already sold over 5,000,000 albums and has won 2 Grammys.

     Moving to sports, quite a few Croatians/Croatian Americans have had significant NBA careers.  Five of them have been enshrined in the Hall of Fame, even.  Many of them first had success in Croatian or other European League teams as well.  First up, there's Croatian born Dino Radja, a power forward/center with the Boston Celtics from 1993-97.  Per game he averaged 16.7 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.9 steals, 1.3 blocks, and accumulated 14.3 Win Shares.  Drazen Petrovic was also born in what's now Croatia, and played from 1989-93 with the Portland Trail Blazers and New Jersey Nets.  A shooting guard, per game he averaged 15.4 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.9 steals, 0.1 blocks, and accumulated 21.5 Win Shares.  Tragically, he died very young in a car accident, cutting his NBA career very short.  Croatian born forward Toni Kukoc played mainly with the Chicago Bulls and Milwaukee Bucks, from 1993-2006.  His per game averages were 11.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.3 blocks, and a Win Share total of 59.6.  He also was a part of 3 NBA title teams.  Kevin McHale was born in the U.S,, but had Croatian heritage on his mother's side.  Kevin played power forward for the Boston Celtics from 1981-93.  His per game averages were 17.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.4 steals, and 1.7 blocks.  He also was named an All-Star 7 times, was part of 3 NBA title winning teams, and totaled 113 Win Shares.  Finally, there's U.S. born, but with Croatian heritage, center George Mikan, who played with the Minneapolis Lakers from 1948-56.  Per game he averaged 23.1 points, 13.4 rebounds, and 2.8 assists.  (Alas, statistics from the league's early days aren't as complete, so that's all I have.)  Mikan was part of 5 NBA title winning teams, and accumulated 108.7 Win Shares.  He was also so dominant that the NBA had to change several rules so that other teams had even a slight chance against him.

     I'll end with a tale about a mythical monster from Croatia.  Jure Grando reportedly lived from 1579-1656 in Kringa, a village in the Istria region of Croatia.  However, local lore insisted that for 16 years after his death he remained as an undead strigon, a vampire/warlock hybrid.  He terrorized his community--among other atrocities his widow, Ivana, claimed he regularly sexually assaulted her.  Attempts to kill him with wooden stakes were unsuccessful.  Eventually a villager named Stipan Milasic ended Grando's reign of terror by cutting the monster's head off with a saw.  I know, vampires, and other undead creatures aren't real, but this story is credited as one of the earlier, if not earliest, detailed historic record of an alleged vampiric-type monster.  

Extremely Difficult Trivia About "A Christmas Story"

      I realize this might be considered an odd choice for me, since "A Christmas Story" is most definitely not a horror, sci-fi, or action movie.  But, I enjoy movies from other genres, and this is one example.  No one could plausibly argue that this movie isn't a quintessential Christmas-themed film.  Anyway, today we'll be discussing Bob Clark's 1983 classic, which took over a decade, and countless airings on cable television to really become popular.  So let's get to it.  The usual format--questions first, followed by the answers.  Many SPOILERS ahead, too.

Questions:

1)    What is the name of the town where Ralph lives?

2)    And in what U.S. state is this town located?

3)    What is the name of the street that Ralph lives on?

4)    Ralph tries to put the idea for the Red Ryder air rifle in his mom's head by planting a print ad for it from one of his magazines into one of her magazines.  Name the two periodicals.

5)    Ralph's father mentions two Chicago White Sox players, one by a nickname, and one by a surname.  Name them.

6)    Ralph's dad is participating in a trivia puzzle contest.  What is the grand prize?

7)    What is the theme of this particular puzzle?

8)    What is the name of the Lone Ranger's nephew's horse?

9)    Who in the Parker family knew the answer to the previous question?

10)   In another effort to trick his parents into buying him the air rifle, Ralph says someone saw a grizzly bear in town.  Near where?

11)   After Ralph's mom expresses doubts about buying an air rifle, Ralph asks for something else as a gift as a ruse.  What is this alternate gift idea?

12)  In Ralph's fantasy, who leads the gang of thugs that threaten the Parker house?

13)   In the fantasy Ralph kills most of the gang.  (It's not graphic--they're shown with "x's" over their eyes.)  How many thugs does he kill?

14)   What car company does Ralph's dad prefer?

15)   What is the name of Ralph's teacher?

16)   What book is Ralph's class shown learning about?

17)   Daring someone to do something can have up to a 6 part sequence, starting from least intense to most.  Name the proper sequence.

18)   One of Ralph's classmates indicates to the teacher where Flick is, when Flick is stuck to the pole.  Name them.

19)   Ralph claims that bully Scut Farkus has yellow eyes.  What color are they really?

20)   What is the name of Scut's toady?

21)   Ralph says the Bumpus family owns how many dogs?  (It's an obvious exaggeration.)

22)   Ralph's dad knows someone who works at the freight depot.  Name them.

23)   At this point, Ralph's dad mentions two other possible trivia puzzle contest prizes.  Name them.

24)   After receiving and setting up the leg lamp, Ralph's old man talks to a neighbor outside.  What is this person's name?

25)   What time does the Little Orphan Annie radio program start?

26)   The Red Ryder air rifle that Ralph craves has two other built-in features, besides the shooting BB's part.  Name them.

27)   According to the owner, how many trees are on his Christmas tree lot?

28)   While tree shopping, Ralph's dad mentions a neighbor who bought a green plastic tree.  Name them.

29)   What is the license plate number of the Parker family car?

30)   How much time is Ralph's dad aiming to change the flat tire in, to imitate the Indy 500 pit crews?

31)   And how much time does it actually take him to change it?

32)   Ralph imagines 5 punishments for saying the bad "F" word in front of his dad.  Name them.

33)   What soap is Ralph's favorite to have put in his mouth as a punishment?

34)   And what is the worst brand of soap for this?

35)   How far away does Ralph's friend Schwartz live?

36)   Who countersigned the letter signifying that Ralph was now a member of the Little Orphan Annie fan club?  (Aside from Annie herself, clearly.)

37)   How old is Ralph?

38)   When Ralph first tries to decode a message from Little Orphan Annie, what combination is he instructed to set his decoder pin to?

39)   According to the date inscribed on the back of the decoder pin, what year is this movie set in?

40)   What present does Flick buy his dad for Christmas?

41)   What grade does Ralph earn for his "What I Want for Christmas" theme?

42)   According to Ralph's dad, who are the Chicago Bears playing on Sunday?

43)   What is the name of the department store that the Parkers go to?

44)   How late is Santa working on the night that Ralph and Randy visit him?

45)   What does Santa say he hates the smell of?

46)   On Santa's lap, Ralph initially forgets that he wants the Red Ryder rifle.  What gift does he agree that he wants when Santa suggests it?

47)   What two gifts do we see Ralph's dad open?

48)   What is the name of Ralph's school?

49)   According to Ralph's father, how old was he when he got an air rifle?

50)   Ralph counts off 6 turkey-related dishes after their turkey is destroyed by the Bumpus' dogs.  Name them.

51)   What is the name of the Chinese restaurant that the Parkers eat Christmas dinner at?

52)   Ralph, of course, sleeps with his beloved Red Ryder rifle.  What present does Randy sleep with?

53)   What is the full proper name of the air rifle that Ralph so covets?

54)   What company manufactures this air rifle?

55)   The actor who played Santa in this movie, Jeff Gillen, co-directed a very different sort of movie in real life.  Name it.

Answers:

1)    Hohman, which is based on author Jean Shepherd's real life hometown, Hammond.

2)    Indiana.  Which is the state that Hammond (see Answer to Question #1) is located in.

3)    Cleveland Street.  Again, Jean's real life street.  He lived at #2907 on Cleveland.

4)    Ralph's magazine was "Boy's Life," and his mom's "Look."  Both were real magazines.

5)    "Bullfrog," and Shottenhoffer.  I couldn't find a real MLB player named Shottenhoffer, but there was a guy nicknamed "Bullfrog," who played for the White Sox from 1936-46.  He was pitcher Bill Dietrich.

6)    $50,000.

7)    Great characters in American Literature.

8)    Victor.  Online sources said this answer was accurate, and that Victor was the son of Silver, who was the Lone Ranger's horse.

9)    Ralph's mother.  (Incidentally, throughout this quiz I'll have to refer to Ralph's parents as "Ralph's mom," "Ralph's dad," etc. because their real first names are not provided.)

10)   Pulaski's candy store.

11)   Tinker toys.

12)   Black Bart.

13)   4.  Black Bart survives, however, and possibly one other cohort.

14)   He's an Oldsmobile man.

15)   Miss Shields.

16)   Silas Marner, the 1861 book written by "George Eliot" (which was Mary Ann Evans' penname).

17)   It starts with a dare, than a dog dare, than a double dare, a double dog dare, a triple dare, and then the triple dog dare.  (Although, as in this case, kids occasionally skip a step or two.)

18)   Esther Jane.

19)   It's tough to say.  Scut seems to be squinting most of the time, so it's hard to see.  Actor Zack Ward claims his eyes are really green, although other sources say blue.  Maybe they're bluish-green?  They're definitely not yellow, and no yellow contact lenses were worn by Ward, or anything like that.

20)   Grover Dill.

21)   785.  In reality it appears there are probably around 5-7.

22)   Ernie McCloskey.

23)   A Spanish adobe house in Florida, and a bowling alley.

24)   Swede.

25)   6:45 pm.

26)   It has a compass in the stock, and "this thing which tells time."  The latter being a sundial.

27)   300.

28)   Zudoc.

29)   56  498.

30)   4 minutes.

31)   8 minutes.  Although it may have been quicker if Ralph hadn't accidentally dropped the lug nuts.

32)   The guillotine, hanging, the chair, the rack, and Chinese water torture.

33)   Lux.  Which was a real brand, but was discontinued in the 1990's.

34)   Lifebuoy, which is real and still made.  Palmolive was the brand in between Lux and Lifebuoy in flavor.

35)   3 blocks away.

36)   Pierre Andre, who was a real life radio announcer.

37)   9 years old.

38)   B-2.

39)   1940.  Although this isn't absolute--the filmmakers wanted the time to be vague-ish, in the late 1930's/early 1940's.  Several other brands, references, and products were from years other than 1940 exactly.

40)   A rose that squirts water.

41)   A C+.

42)   Green Bay (Packers).

43)   Higbees.   Which was a real store, and still exists, but it changed its name to Dillard's in 1992.

44)   9 pm.

45)   Tapioca.

46)   A football.

47)   The blue bowling ball, and a can of Simoniz (it appears to be Simoniz's car wax).

48)   The Warren G. Harding School.

49)   8 years old.

50)   Turkey sandwiches, turkey salad, turkey gravy, turkey hash, turkey ala king, turkey soup.

51)   The neon sign reads "Bowling Chop Suey Palace Co.", but the "w" in "Bowling" is burnt out, leaving the more appropriate-sounding "Bo Ling Chop Suey Palace Co." as the name, for a joke.

52)   His toy Zeppelin.

53)   The Red Ryder carbine-action 200 shot range model air rifle.

54)   Daisy, which again, was a real company.

55)   1974's "Deranged," a loose adaptation of real life killer Ed Gein's exploits.  See my post on June 16, 2013 for more information about this movie and about Gein himself.

     Also, for a post about yet another Bob Clark movie, "Deathdream," (aka "Dead of Night") check out my post on August 17, 2019.  Otherwise, Merry Christmas to all those that celebrate it, and happy holidays to everyone in general.

   

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--International Sweet Rolls

      Several weeks ago, while in the deli section of my local Shop-Rite, I saw something new.  They were called Hawaiian sweet rolls, from the King's Hawaiian company.  Looking back, I can't recall discussing any bits of Hawaiian cuisine, so I picked up a pack.  They were also the company's "original" Hawaiian sweet rolls.

     King's Hawaiian is a moderately old business.  Back in 1950, a man named Robert R. Taira opened "Robert's Bakery" in the Hawaiian town of Hilo.  His baked goods were an immediate hit, and he began to grow the business.  In 1963 Taira moved production to King Street in Honolulu, and so he renamed his company "King's Bakery."  In 1977 Taira expanded into the mainland part of the U.S., as he started a manufacturing center in Torrance, California.  The business was then renamed yet again, to King's Hawaiian Bakery.  In 1992 all production ceased in Hawaii.  Then the company moved east--by 2011 a factory was begun in Oakwood, Georgia.  King's Hawaiian selection has also expanded over the decades.  Their rolls include some more offbeat types, such as pretzel rolls, and jalapeno rolls.  The company also markets cookies, holiday fruit cakes, bread pudding and coffee, teas, butters, jellies, mustards, and hot sauces.  Sadly, Robert Taira is no longer with us, as he passed in 2003.  His creation remains in his family's hands, however.

     The flagship product of King's Hawaiian remains the type I tried, their original sweet roll.  These are a kind of Portuguese sweet bread.  But it's more convoluted than that, as the Portuguese settlers in the Azores islands then came up with their own take on Portuguese sweet bread, called Massa Sovada ("kneaded dough"), which is a roll often served on holidays.  Azorean immigrants to Hawaii continued to make their signature Portuguese sweet bread rolls.  There's just one issue.  Portuguese sweet bread is known for its very brief fresh period.  In fact, the Azorean kind in Hawaii was known as "stone bread," since it becomes hard as a rock if not eaten within a day.  Somehow, and it's presumably a trade secret, Robert Taira was able to make Portuguese/Azorean sweet rolls that had an extended freshness life span.  And, while Robert Taira was born in Hawaii, his heritage is Japanese.  So, all in all, the rolls I got are a mix of Portuguese, Azorean, Japanese, Hawaiian, and American cultural influences.

King's Hawaiian original Hawaiian sweet rolls:  These looked like regular small rolls--a yellow interior, and brownish top and bottom.  They were square, about 5 cm./2.25 inches to a side.  I had some plain at first.  They were good rolls, soft and fluffy, with a noticeably sweet flavor to them.  Or quite tasty.  I then tried some with a tangerine spread, and then as a sandwich with capicola and ranch dressing.  Both these sweet and savory complements were also very good.  So overall I enjoyed these, and would recommend them.  

     As a fan of the Philadelphia Phillies major league baseball team, I was pleased to learn that a former member of the team, Shane Victorino, was a spokesman for King's Hawaiian in 2014.  It's a natural choice--Victorino was also born in Hawaii, and like Robert Taira also has some Japanese heritage.  (Shane's ancestry also includes Portuguese and Hawaiian.)  For his career, which stretched from 2003-15, Victorino slashed .275/.340/.425, with an adjusted OPS of 102+.  He also was named to 2 All Star teams, won 4 Gold Gloves as an outfielder, and was part of both the Phillies' 2008 World Series winning team, and the Boston Red Sox's world series winner in 2013.  "The Flyin' Hawaiian," as he was known, accumulated 31.5 WAR for his career.   Additionally, King's Hawaiian produced and released an animated children's Halloween-themed movie, called, "The Legend of Hallowaiian" in 2018.  Voice actors included Mark Hamill, Vanessa Williams, Tia Carrera, and Noah Schnapp.  If you're curious, its Rotten Tomatoes score is blank for critics, and 36% (out of 100%) from the general audience.  IMDB has it as a 5.1 out of 10. 

 

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--Gabagool (Aka Capicola)

      The first time I recall hearing about gabagool was on the episode of "The Office" when Michael Scott orders it at a restaurant while interacting with a guy he thinks is in the Mafia.  (SPOILER--the man is actually just an insurance salesman.)  I was vaguely aware that Michael clearly got this word from "The Sopranos," or "Goodfellas," or some other Mob-related program or movie, but it wasn't until a subsequent viewing of "The Sopranos" that I definitely heard the term again.  Anyway, I looked for gabagool at the local grocery stores without success.  But when I did a little googling, and found out that it was another word for "capicola," I was able to find some without much difficulty.  Specifically, I tried some ham capicola from the Black Bear brand, which I think is one of the Shop-Rite store brands.

     So what is gabagool/capicola?  It's a type of cured meat.  Some describe it as being a cross between prosciutto and sausage.  More exactly, "capicola" is a good description, since it reveals where the cut of meat comes from on the pig's body.  "Capo" is "head" in Italian, and "colla" means "shoulder."  (Or at least one article I read said this.  When I tried out some online Italian to English translation dictionaries sometimes they didn't agree with this.)  And this cut of meat comes from the area between the neck and the 4th or 5th ribs (on the shoulder).  There seems to be some variation about the production method, but the following one seems to be the most common.  The meat is cured for a bit (maybe around 10 days), and then placed in a brine which contains garlic, wine, and spices, and then this whole thing is encased in salt.  After being refrigerated, it's rinsed, and then re-seasoned, typically using red or black pepper, fennel, coriander, paprika, and anise.  Then this is put back into natural pork casings (perhaps intestinal lining?) and dry cured for 4-6 months.  Reportedly it was first made in the area around the Northern Italian city of Piacenza, but since it's now made throughout all of Italy, the French island of Corsica, Switzerland, Argentina, and other areas with significant populations of Italians, such as New York and New Jersey in the U.S.  Capicola/gabagool has a relatively high fat content, meaning it's a bit juicier, creamier, and has less gristle than some other cured meats.  Nutritionally the meat has high amounts of protein, iron, and Vitamin B-12, but on the negative side it's also very high in sodium, and of course, fat.

     As for the alternate name, Dan Nosowitz did a deep dive about this in an article for Atlas Obscura titled, "How Capicola Became Gabagool: The Italian New Jersey Accent, Explained."  Long story short, Italian American immigrants, as was their practice, tended to drop the final vowel, and garbled the "c's" into "g's."  And the "p" became a "b."  And the final "o" sound was drawn out and emphasized.  And I for one think this bastardized version is better--I definitely think it's more fun to say "gabagool" than "capicola."  Probably because it sounds so ridiculous and nonsensical.  But, for the record, this cured meat has a few more alternate names, as some refer to it as "coppa" or "cotta."  Which aren't very entertaining, either.  I'll stick with gabagool, thank you.

Black Bear ham capicola/gabagool:  This was sliced into disc shapes (around 4 inches/10 cm. in diameter) and had a pinkish-brown color, with some whitish streaks (which are the fat) and a reddish-brown rind.  The taste was a lot like ham, only better.  The spiciness was quite nice, and it was noticeably juicier than most cured meats.  I had some plain, and then as part of a sandwich with ranch dressing on it.  I came away impressed.  If you like cured meats, I think you'll find this is one of the stronger ones.  Although given its relatively high sodium and fat content, it's probably better as an occasional treat, rather than a daily staple.  Finally, readers are no doubt getting tired of hearing me rave about anise-flavored drinks.  It didn't escape my attention that I enjoyed a meat that also uses anise as a flavoring.  (And I checked the label on the meat I ate--anise was one of the spices mentioned in the ingredient list.)  Also, even if you don't want to eat it, you can still have a good time just saying "gabagool" over and over again.  Try it!

Extremely Difficult Trivia About "Die Hard 2" (1990)

      About two years ago, on December 25th, 2021 to be exact, I did a trivia quiz about "Die Hard."  Well, it's December again, so let's do a sequel post about the sequel movie.  Many fans of the series were disappointed by #2, but I'm not one of them.  I thought it was a more than solid sequel--not as great as the first one, but still very good.  I actually prefer the second one to the third one.  And the less said about the 4th, or 5th one, the better--they totally went off the rails.  (Or at least I thought the 4th one was pretty bad, and heard universally negative things about the 5th movie.)  And yes, this one may resurrect the argument about whether or not the first two "Die Hard" movies are Christmas movies or not.  Close enough for me.  Usual format--questions first, followed by the answers, and these are all about incredibly obscure, and well, trivial details.  Many SPOILERS ahead.  Enjoy!

Questions:

1)    The film opens with the car that John McClain is driving (owned by his mother-in-law) to the airport being towed.  What is this vehicle's license plate number and letters?

2)    According to the cop that John interacts with, how much will it cost to get the car back the following day?

3)    As John enters Dulles airport, we hear kids singing.  What famous song are they performing?

4)    What country is deposed dictator General Ramon Esperanza coming from?

5)    What is the name of the airport that Esperanza is flying out of?

6)    We see two news journalists talking about this situation on television.  Name them.

7)    What is the airline, and flight number, of the plane that Holly Gennero McClain is on?

8)    What television network does reporter Samantha Coleman work for?

9)    What details first attract John's attention toward the terrorists?

10)   The first terrorist that John kills is Cochrane.  What is Cochrane's first name and rank?

11)   The flight attendants reference two segments about the airline industry that Dick Thornberg recently did.  Name them.

12)   According to the restraining order Dick took out on Holly, exactly how far away is she supposed to stay from him?

13)   According to Captain Lorenzo, how many FAA and then D.C. regulations did John break in his initial fight with the terrorists?

14)   According to John, what new, innovative firearm were the terrorists carrying?

15)   How many Twinkees does Sgt. Al Powell have on his desk when John calls him?

16)   What is the Los Angeles police department's fax number?

17)   Before his untimely "death" in 1988, where was Cochrane stationed and trained?

18)   And what is Cochrane's special service number?

19)   What brand of chainsaw do the terrorists use to cut the electric cables at the church?

20)   What is the name and number of Esperanza's special, non-commercial flight?

21)   During his initial meeting with John, what song is Marvin the janitor playing on his record player in his basement area?

22)   Barnes is shot in his attempt to access the antennae array at the new Annex Skywalk.  Where on his body is he wounded?

23)   Colonel Stuart mentions seeing two of John's interviews, one in print, and one on television.  Name the magazine, and the television program.

24)   Stuart also uses a famous quote, "Treason is merely a matter of dates."  Who does he credit this quote to?

25)   The terrorist cause a plane to crash by providing incorrect data about how far above the ground the plane is.  Name the airline, and the flight number.

26)   Who is the sound man that Dick uses to tap into the cockpit radio?

27)   What is the name of Major Grant's special military counterterrorism team?

28)   What is the name of the Department of Justice official who meets and greets Grant as he arrives?

29)   What is the job title of Trudeau (who's played by politician Fred Dalton Thompson)?

30)   Who is the replacement member on Grant's team?

31)   Why did this man replace the previous member?

32)   What is Barnes' first name, and job title?

33)   What make and model is the two way radio (walkie-talkie) that the terrorists use?

34)   What is the code name for the terrorists' base of operations at the church?

35)   And what is the code name for General Esperanza?

36)   After his plane is damaged, what runway does Esperanza land on?

37)   What is Esperanza's plane's number?  (Not the flight number, the plane's, which is printed prominently on it.)

38)   Where on his body does John shoot Esperanza?

39)   According to Esperanza, how long did the terrorists' scheme take to plan?

40)   How many grenades do the terrorists throw in the cockpit with John?

41)   What kind of grenades do the terrorists use?

42)   Where is Holly currently employed?

43)   What television program is put on the screens in Holly's plane, to calm the passengers down?

44)   What television station does Dick call and make a report to?

45)   What famous weather forecaster does the old lady sitting next to Holly disparage?

46)   What is the name of the church that the terrorists use as a base?

47)   What is the church building going to be converted to?

48)   What hangar is the terrorist's plane in?

49)   What is Major Grant's terrorist codename?

50)   What is the name of Captain Lorenzo's brother, who is the cop who enjoyed towing John's car in the opening scene?

51)   What prayer does Holly murmur when it looks like their plane will crash?

52)   What is the ID number of the terrorists' escape plane?

53)   What song plays as the movie ends?  (Before the credits.)

54)   How many people do the terrorists kill?

55)   How many terrorists does John McClane kill?

56)   We see several trinkets in Marvin's area, including a sports team bobblehead.  Which team is it?

57)   Why didn't all the circling planes just fly to another airport, especially after the one is crashed?

Answers:

1)    TB7 639.

2)    $40, which even for 1990, seems pretty cheap.

3)    "Carol of the Bells."

4)    The fictitious, yet common-in-movies nation of Val Verde (or perhaps Valverde).

5)    Escalan.

6)    Leonard Adkins and Amy Nicole.

7)    Northeast Airlines, Flight 140.

8)    WNTW.  She's on the Night-Time News team.

9)    He notices that one acts nervous when a cop walks by, and that one of them is carrying a gun in an airport.

10)   His first name is Oswald, and his rank is Sergeant.

11)   "Flying Junkyards," and "Bimbos of the Sky."

12)   Holly says it's 50 feet, and Dick says it's 50 yards (or 150 feet).

13)   7 FAA, and 5 D.C.

14)   A Glock 7.  Which is incorrect--gun enthusiasts online point out that they're using Glock 17s.  Also, all firearms would be picked up by metal detectors, since all have some metal parts.  Finally, porcelain is very brittle, so it's not suitable for a firearm. And, Glocks weren't that expensive, and are made in Austria, not Germany, so basically everything John says is wrong.

15)   4.

16)   555-3212.  Or, a fake number using the classic, "555" Hollywood exchange.

17)   Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Ft. Benning (GA), Saudi Arabia, Langley (VA), Afghanistan, and Honduras.

18)   1-567-70-1459.  I know, absolutely no one will know this, but I'll still throw it out there.

19)   A Stihl.

20)   Foreign Military 1.  It's also called Foxtrot Michael One, using the military code.

21)   "Old Cape Cod."

22)   His left forearm.

23)   "People" magazine, and the "Nightline" television program.

24)   He credits Cardinal Richelieu, but some think it's a quote from Napolean, or others.

25)   Windsor Airlines, Flight 114, out of England.

26)   Victor.

27)   Blue Light.

28)   Rollins.

29)   He's the Chief of Air Operations.

30)   Telford.

31)   The original man got appendicitis.

32)   His first name is Leslie, and he's the Chief Engineer.

33)   They are using the Kenwood TH-45AT, 440 MHZ.

34)   Eagle's Nest.

35)   Falcon.

36)   25R.

37)   709.

38)   In his upper right arm.

39)   2 months.

40)   Each man has 3 grenades, and they're told to use all of them.  So 9 total.

41)   RFX 55.  Which, weapons enthusiasts online note are the practice M-30 grenade versions of the M-26.

42)   She's seen reading a folder from Nakatomi, so evidently she's still working with that corporation.  Maybe she got a promotion after the events of the first film.

43)   "The Simpsons," the "There's No Disgrace Like Homer" episode (1990).

44)   WZDC-11.  Is he working for them now?  Or is it the local affiliate of his LA based network?

45)   Willard Scott, who she calls a "porker."

46)   Barnes calls it the "Hidey Lake Community Church," but later a sign indicates it's the "Highland Lake Community Church."  The latter name makes more sense.

47)   It's going to be a day care center.

48)   11.

49)   Hatchling.

50)    Vito.

51)   Psalm 23.

52)   N473 EV.

53)   "Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow."

54)   Total, it appears to be 245.  There's the church custodian, the 5 SWAT guys, the 5 members of the Windsor plane crew, the 230 passengers on the Windsor, the 3 members of the plane carrying Esperanza (killed by him), and Telford by Major Grant.  Obviously, others could have died in the rioting and such, but 245 deaths appear to be confirmed.

55)   It appears to be 24.  McClane electrocutes Cochrane, shoots O'Reilly, Mulkey, and Thompson.  Causes Sheldon to crash on the snowmobile, stabs Baker with an icicle, shoots Burke and Garber, and causes Grant to be sucked into the plane engine.  Then Esperanza, Stuart, Miller, Kahn, and 11 members of the Blue Light team die in the plane explosion.

56)   It's for MLB's San Francisco Giants.

57)   Yes, this is questionable.  The movie tries to explain that it's because the snowstorm engulfed the entire Northeast and Mid-Atlantic part of the country, so many airports were closed, or dealing with the snow.  And they mention that Atlanta, Memphis, and Nashville had taken some of the errant flights.  But given that these planes had been circling for 2 hours, they almost certainly could have flown to other airports, especially in the warmer, less snow bound South.  I know, I know, it's a movie, so they wanted to keep it exciting and dramatic.  But I'm just saying.