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The Films of 1987

Trivia, Word Search, and a Quiz

Leonard Part 6 becomes one of the biggest box office flops of all time, grossing only $4 million against its budget of $24 million. It is so bad that Bill Cosby, who is the writer, producer and star of the film, publicly urges his fans not to go see it. The film went on to win three Razzie Awards which Cosby personally collected on a Fox television show.

But it seems Cosby had the last laugh. If he was to become the first actor to actually claim a Golden Raspberry, he insisted the $5 plastic original actually be worth something. The foundation relented. They had his awards made out of 24-carat gold and Italian marble at a cost of $27,000 — all paid for by the Fox network.

Here's some more trivia from the world of cinema in 1987:

  • Michael B. Jordan, future star of Creed (2015), is born this year. Also born are actresses Blake Lively and Hilary Duff.
  • Patricia Arquette makes her film debut in A Nightmare on Elm Street 3, as do actors Chris Cooper in Matewan, Stephen Dorff in The Gate, Nathan Lane in Ironweed, David Spade in Police Academy 4, and Colm Meaney in The Dead (which is the last film directed by John Huston who dies this year). Peter Jackson directs his first feature film Bad Taste.
  • Vincent D'Onofrio sets a new record for the largest weight gain for a film role, when he gained 70 pounds for Full Metal Jacket. This beats the previous record of 60 pounds held by Robert De Niro when he bulked up for Raging Bull (1980).
  • On October 16 The Whales of August is released and Lillian Gish becomes the oldest actress to ever take on a leading role. This is her final film. Her first was 75 years earlier, the short silent film An Unseen Enemy (1912).
  • Hollywood rebel John Huston, director of flim classics like The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948) and Chinatown (1974), dies on August 28. A day later Lee Marvin, who won the Oscar for Best Actor in Cat Ballou (1965), also dies.

1987 Films Word Search

The films in the following two word searches were films released in 1987. Just like all the films on this page (unless otherwise noted).

The first word search is easy: 20 film titles hidden in a small 22 × 20 letter grid. The second is more challenging: 36 film titles in a large 34 × 32 letter grid.

So load your printer with standard 8.5" × 11" paper, download, hit print and start solving. Our PDF files print out beautifully and are always free to download on our site.

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More Word Searches

These word search puzzles are on particular films from 1987. They each have 36 terms hidden in a large 34 × 32 letter grid.

Wall Street Dirty Dancing Fatal Attraction Good Morning, Vietnam

10 Question Quiz on 1987 Films

How well do you know what came out on the Silver Screen in 1987? Take our quiz and find out. There's no time limit and no scoring. Just have fun!

1. How do Tom Selleck, Ted Danson, and Steve Guttenberg come into possession of Mary the baby in Three Men and a Baby?

A. Won her in a bet
B. Result of a wish
C. They kidnap her
D. She appears on doorstep

2. What is The Untouchables about?

A. Political elite
B. Gangster Al Capone
C. India's caste system
D. Football team

3. How long is the experimental film The Cure for Insomnia?

A. 9 hrs
B. 22 hrs
C. 33 hrs (1.4 days)
D. 87 hrs (3.6 days)

4. Which actress plays Danny DeVito's Momma in Throw Momma from the Train?

Hint: she is an ancestor of Mayflower Pilgrim William Brewster and her uncle was U.S. Ambassador David S. Smith.

A. Ann-Margret
B. Anne Bancroft
C. Anne Ramsey
D. Angela Lansbury

5. What is the subject matter of The Lost Boys, starring Jason Patric, Corey Haim, Corey Feldman, and Kiefer Sutherland?

A. Vampires
B. Pirates
C. Rock band
D. Runaway orphans

6. In Lethal Weapon, LAPD detective Roger Murtaugh (played by Danny Glover) is partnered with reckless and genuinely suicidal Martin Riggs (played by Mel Gibson). At the end of the film Riggs gives Murtaugh an item which indicates he is no longer suicidal. What is this item?

A. Straight razor
B. Hollow-point bullet
C. Electrical cord
D. Poison

7. Some Kind of Wonderful involves a love triangle between teenagers Keith (Eric Stoltz), his girlfriend Amanda (Lea Thompson), and his best friend, a tomboy drummer (Mary Stuart Masterson) who he ends up with at the end of the film. What is his new girlfriend's name?

A. Frankie
B. Charlie
C. Watts
D. Jules

8. Which singer's life is depicted in the biographical drama La Bamba?

A. Julio Iglesias
B. Ritchie Valens
C. Gloria Estefan
D. Ricky Martin

9. What does John Lithgow's family adopt in Harry and the Hendersons?

A. Bigfoot
B. Leprechaun
C. Superhero child
D. Talking barbie doll

10. Who directed Nicolas Cage and Holly Hunter in the slapstick comedy caper Raising Arizona which saw the pair try to keep a stolen baby while dodging escaped convicts and a Harley-riding bounty hunter?

A. Mel Brooks
B. Ron Howard
C. Rob Reiner
D. The Coen brothers

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