Movie Trivia becomes Literal
Explosions and Riddles of Die Hard with a Vengeance
For a starting point of movie trivia, nothing seems better than a film submersed in puzzles. Despite its status as a quintessential Hollywood blockbuster, I have no shame letting you know that Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995) is still a personal favorite. The story is driven by riddles provided by Simon Gruber (Jeremy Irons) for John McClane (Bruce Willis) and Zeus Carver (Samuel L. Jackson) to solve or else a bomb will explode in a public place. The first riddle is a classic rhyme that can be also taken as a riddle:
As I was going to St Ives
I met a man with seven wives
Every wife had seven sacks
Every sack had seven cats
Every cat had seven kittens
Kittens, cats, sacks, wives
How many were going to St Ives?
For the answer, look at the end of the article.
It probably doesn’t come as a surprise that the original script of the third Die Hard, called Simon Says, was originally penned as a sequel to Lethal Weapon. Both series are blockbuster hits from the 80s and 90s, which follow the blockbuster formula of a succession of spectacles scattered among a cause and effect narrative that is focused on a small group of characters. It started with Jaws (1975), reached outer space in 1977 with Star Wars, and has only gotten bigger with The Lord of the Rings (2001-2003) and The Pirates of the Caribbean (2003-2007) series. You can say that many other movies follow the same formula, but it’s the extra mile that Hollywood goes to make it a true blockbuster. From your Jaws beach towel, to The Lord of the Rings video game, you will always be thinking about the movie out of the theater. This my friend, is called synergy, but deserves it own page, so I will tackle that later.
The one riddle that had stumped me in the theater but was easier to solve without the pressure of a bomb exploding was the water jug problem.
You are given a 5 gallon jug and a 3 gallon jug in front of a fountain. Measure out exactly 4 gallons of water.
The explanation in the movie is said so fast, it seems like the filmmakers were copping out. But there are in fact 2 solutions, found at the end of the article.
On a side note, Dick Cheney was under the fictional spotlight for a change when he made an appearance as a police official. Although he doesn’t speak, his presence says it all. (At press time, his scene hasn't been verified, but upon doing so, I'll let you know the point so you can fast forward).
The last riddle that stumped me and the characters (but not for good) was:
What is 21 out of 42?
I don’t expect anyone to get this without knowing the context of the riddle (the film took place in 1995). Here’s a hint: the riddle would have to be changed if the film was made a year later. The answer is at the end of the article.
This riddle reminded me of a classic puzzle that I did in school, and still enjoy today called the Equation Analysis Test created by the great Will Shortz (who gives credit to Morgan Worthy from Aha! A Puzzle Approach to Creative Thinking). These equations may be simple to one person and impossible to the next. For example:
26 = L. of the A.
Check this out for more equations like this plus the solution to the example. Until next time, always remember to use condiments when making a sandwich.
Solutions Below (With Plenty of Space In Between)
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The narrator was the only one going to St. Ives so the answer is 1. It isn’t stated that the man, nor his wives, sacks, cats, and kittens were going anywhere and are just meant to confuse.
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Fill the 3 gallon and pour it into the 5 gallon. Refill the 3 gallon and again, pour it into the 5 gallon leaving 1 gallon left in the 3 gallon. Dump out of water in the 5, fill it with the 1 gallon in the 3 gallon jug and then refill the 3 gallon to pour into the 5 gallon which now has 4 gallons.
Fill the 5 gallon jug and pour it into the 3 gallon jug, leaving 2 gallons in the 5. Dump out the 3 gallon jug and fill it with these 2 gallons. Refill the 5 and pour it into the 3 which only has space for 1 gallon, leaving the 5 gallon with 4 gallons.
By now does gallon look like its spelled wrong? Someone please explain that phenomenon.
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In 1995, there had been 42 Presidents, and Chester A. Arthur was the 21st. Zeus and McClane then knew which public school in New York City contained a bomb.
