Sci-fi & fantasy

22 Questions on Real Alien Mechanics, Reese’s Pieces Deal, Children Filmed Chronologically, and Government Agents

Steven Spielberg’s E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial changed how audiences view family films and sci-fi tropes. Its impact on pop culture remains significant decades after its initial theatrical release.

This quiz focuses on behind-the-scenes trivia, from the casting of young actors and the famous candy deal with Reese’s Pieces to complex topics like cinematic aging experiments and space-time theoretical physics.

If you enjoy this, check out our pages on family adventure classics, explore the history of special effects, or browse our science fiction collections to find more.

In E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, which actress played Elliott’s younger sister, Gertie?

Natalie Portman

Natalie Portman

Drew Barrymore

Drew Barrymore

Alyssa Milano

Alyssa Milano

Christina Ricci

Christina Ricci

In the film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, what nickname is given to the government agent who leads the search for the alien, identified by a distinctive item on his belt?

Boots

Boots

Keys

Keys

Badge

Badge

Flashlight

Flashlight

Which director famously filmed their cast over a period of 12 years to capture the genuine aging process in the movie Boyhood?

Steven Spielberg

Steven Spielberg

Martin Scorsese

Martin Scorsese

Richard Linklater

Richard Linklater

Wes Anderson

Wes Anderson

In E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, what specific biological or mechanical ability does the titular creature demonstrate to help the children escape the government agents?

Telekinesis

Telekinesis

Time dilation

Time dilation

Cloning

Cloning

Interstellar travel

Interstellar travel

Which candy brand did the Mars company originally decline to have featured in the movie E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, leading to the deal with Reese’s Pieces?

M&M’s

M&M’s

Skittles

Skittles

Butterfinger

Butterfinger

Hershey’s Kisses

Hershey’s Kisses

Which 1990s television series centers on FBI special agents investigating unsolved cases involving paranormal phenomena and alien contact?

The X-Files

The X-Files

Fringe

Fringe

Men in Black

Men in Black

Stranger Things

Stranger Things

What unofficial term is often used to describe the psychological delusion where a person believes their entire life is a staged reality show, similar to the 1998 film starring Jim Carrey?

Truman syndrome

Truman syndrome

The 7 Up model

The 7 Up model

The Child-Actor Continuity method

The Child-Actor Continuity method

The Chronos-Filming technique

The Chronos-Filming technique

In general science fiction tropes, which mechanical component is typically depicted as the core unit needed to repair an alien craft’s long-range signaling ability?

A holographic communications device

A holographic communications device

A biological oxygen filter

A biological oxygen filter

An airlock mechanism

An airlock mechanism

A heat-dispersal radiator

A heat-dispersal radiator

Who are the two primary government agents popularized by The X-Files?

Mulder and Scully

Mulder and Scully

Cooper and Rosenfield

Cooper and Rosenfield

The Smoking Man and Skinner

The Smoking Man and Skinner

Griggs and Agent K

Griggs and Agent K

In E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, what specific natural ability does E.T. utilize to revive dead flowers?

A robotic arm extension

A robotic arm extension

A magnetic force field generator

A magnetic force field generator

A sonic frequency emitter

A sonic frequency emitter

A glowing healing touch

A glowing healing touch

How many years of real time did it take to film the entirety of the project Boyhood?

11 years

11 years

12 years

12 years

13 years

13 years

14 years

14 years

Which highly classified US Air Force facility in the Nevada desert is most famously associated with conspiracy theories regarding the reverse-engineering of alien technology?

Pine Gap

Pine Gap

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base

Area 51

Area 51

Dugway Proving Ground

Dugway Proving Ground

In speculative biology and astrobiology, which metabolic process is most commonly proposed as a hypothetical alternative to oxygen-based respiration for organisms in hydrogen-dominated atmospheres?

Lactic acid fermentation

Lactic acid fermentation

Methanogenesis

Methanogenesis

Aerobic respiration

Aerobic respiration

Photosynthesis

Photosynthesis

What parent company owns the brand Reese’s Pieces?

The Hershey Company

The Hershey Company

Cadbury

Cadbury

Mars, Incorporated

Mars, Incorporated

Ferrero Rocher

Ferrero Rocher

While not filmed over decades, which 2017 film relied heavily on capturing the authentic, chronological development of its young non-professional lead actors?

Eighth Grade

Eighth Grade

Moonlight

Moonlight

Lady Bird

Lady Bird

The Florida Project

The Florida Project

In pop culture lore regarding government agents, what is the ‘neuralyzer’ from the Men in Black films?

An anti-gravity camouflage suit

An anti-gravity camouflage suit

A subdermal tracking chip

A subdermal tracking chip

A voice-altering synthesiser

A voice-altering synthesiser

A neural memory erasure device

A neural memory erasure device

Following the release of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, what was the estimated percentage increase in sales for Reese’s Pieces in the weeks that followed?

85%

85%

105%

105%

45%

45%

65%

65%

In hard science fiction, what is the theoretical mechanism that allows faster-than-light travel by warping space-time around a spacecraft?

O’Neill cylinder

O’Neill cylinder

Alcubierre drive

Alcubierre drive

Bussard ramjet

Bussard ramjet

Dyson sphere

Dyson sphere

Which 1998 film explores the life of a man whose every action is filmed chronologically for a global audience without his knowledge?

EdTV

EdTV

Pleasantville

Pleasantville

The Truman Show

The Truman Show

The Stepford Wives

The Stepford Wives

In UFO conspiracy theories, what is the primary mandate for government agents assigned to ‘Area 51’?

To administer national park tourism

To administer national park tourism

To manage alien technological reverse-engineering

To manage alien technological reverse-engineering

To monitor deep-sea seismic activity

To monitor deep-sea seismic activity

To coordinate international trade agreements

To coordinate international trade agreements

In science fiction cinema, what often serves as the primary thematic bridge between alien visitors, secretive government agents, and child characters?

Their shared advanced technological weaponry

Their shared advanced technological weaponry

Their physical resistance to gravity

Their physical resistance to gravity

Their need to consume organic earth metals

Their need to consume organic earth metals

Their unique communication patterns with children

Their unique communication patterns with children

Which long-running documentary series is the true pioneer for the concept of filming children chronologically every seven years?

The Up Series

The Up Series

Planet Earth

Planet Earth

Sherman’s March

Sherman’s March

The Civil War

The Civil War

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When you finish, continue your movie exploration with these selections: look through our child star archives, read up on leading directors, or visit our documentary page.

My passion for travel seamlessly integrates with my love for trivia, as I spend a lot of time on the road. I create engaging trivia quizzes based on the information I gather about new locations, food, music, customs, and people.

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