Can You Score 20/20? The Ultimate Australasian Film Music Trivia Quiz Challenge!

Answers Below – No Peeking!

Test your knowledge of the composers and scores from Australian and New Zealand cinema with this fun quiz! From iconic rock anthems in post-apocalyptic wastelands to heartfelt dramatic underscores, these 20 questions range from easy warm-ups to devilish deep cuts. Grab a pen and see how many you can nail!

20 Trivia Questions on Australasian Film Music

Question 1: Who composed the score for the 1979 Australian film Mad Max?

A. David Hirschfelder
B. Graeme Revell
C. Peter Best
D. Brian May

Question 2: Brian May also scored which sequel in the Mad Max franchise?

A. Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome
B. Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior
C. Mad Max: Fury Road
D. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

Question 3: Who wrote the score for Paul Hogan’s Crocodile Dundee (1986)?

A. Guy Gross
B. Nigel Westlake
C. Brian May
D. Peter Best

Question 4: David Hirschfelder scored which Baz Luhrmann debut feature?

A. Moulin Rouge!
B. Romeo + Juliet
C. Strictly Ballroom
D. Elio

Question 5: For which film did David Hirschfelder receive an Oscar nomination for Best Original Dramatic Score?

A. Elizabeth
B. Sliding Doors
C. Shine
D. Hoodwinked

Question 6: New Zealand-born Graeme Revell composed the score for which Australian thriller?

A. Picnic at Hanging Rock
B. Dead Calm
C. Wake in Fright
D. Roadgames

Question 7: Who created the score for the family hit Babe (1995)?

A. Peter Best
B. Guy Gross
C. Nigel Westlake
D. Cezary Skubiszewski

Question 8: The score for The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994) was composed by?

A. Don McGlashan
B. Peter Best
C. John Charles
D. Guy Gross

Question 9: Besides Crocodile Dundee, Peter Best scored which Australian comedy classic?

A. The Castle
B. Strictly Ballroom
C. Muriel’s Wedding
D. Kenny

Question 10: Nigel Westlake returned to score the sequel Babe: Pig in the City (1998). True or which other?

A. Doctor Dolittle
B. Charlotte’s Web
C. Babe: Pig in the City
D. There was no sequel

Question 11: Who scored Jane Campion’s An Angel at My Table (1990)?

A. Peter Dasent
B. Murray McNabb
C. Michael Nyman
D. Don McGlashan

Question 12: The score for New Zealand’s Once Were Warriors (1994) was by?

A. Howard Shore
B. Graeme Revell
C. John Charles
D. Murray Grindlay and Murray McNabb

Question 13: Which composer did the eerie score for The Quiet Earth (1985)?

A. Peter Dasent
B. Don McGlashan
C. J. Peter Robinson
D. John Charles

Question 14: Peter Dasent scored which early Peter Jackson film?

A. Braindead
B. Heavenly Creatures
C. Meet the Feebles
D. The Frighteners

Question 15: Australian jazz composer Paul Grabowsky scored which film?

A. Jindabyne
B. Bliss
C. Lantana
D. Waterproof

Question 16: Who composed the score for the Australian hit Red Dog (2011)?

A. Burkhard Dallwitz
B. David Hirschfelder
C. Nigel Westlake
D. Cezary Skubiszewski

Question 17: The score for The Dish (2000) was composed by?

A. Guy Gross
B. Paul Grabowsky
C. Peter Best
D. Edmund McDowell

Question 18: David Hirschfelder’s Elizabeth (1998) score was for a film directed by?

A. Mel Gibson
B. Ridley Scott
C. Shekhar Kapur
D. Roland Emmerich

Question 19: Graeme Revell scored which 1994 film featuring Brandon Lee?

A. Spawn
B. Ghost Rider
C. The Crow
D. Batman Forever

Question 20: Which composer scored both Shine (1996) and Elizabeth (1998)?

A. Peter Best
B. Graeme Revell
C. Nigel Westlake
D. David Hirschfelder

Answers

  1. D. Brian May – Australian composer Brian May crafted the guitar-driven score for Mad Max (1979), launching his film career. The others are fellow Australasian composers who worked on different projects.
  2. B. Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior – May scored the first two Mad Max films (1979, 1981); later ones like Beyond Thunderdome used Maurice Jarre, while recent entries have international composers.
  3. D. Peter Best – Best’s upbeat score perfectly suited Crocodile Dundee (1986), a massive hit. The distractors scored other Aussie classics.
  4. C. Strictly Ballroom – Hirschfelder’s energetic music defined Luhrmann’s 1992 debut. Later films like Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge! had different scoring teams.
  5. C. Shine – Hirschfelder earned a 1997 Oscar nomination for his piano-centric score to Shine. Elizabeth garnered BAFTA nods but no Oscar score nomination.
  6. B. Dead Calm – Revell’s atmospheric score heightened the tension in the 1989 Aussie film. The others are classic Oz horrors with different composers.
  7. C. Nigel Westlake – Westlake’s playful, orchestral score won acclaim for Babe (1995). Distractors are other prominent Aussie film composers.
  8. D. Guy Gross – Gross delivered the vibrant score for the 1994 road-trip comedy. The others hail from NZ film scoring scenes.
  9. C. Muriel’s Wedding – Best scored both Crocodile Dundee and the 1994 Toni Collette hit. The rest have different composers.
  10. C. Babe: Pig in the City – Westlake reprised his duties for the 1998 sequel, maintaining the whimsical tone.
  11. D. Don McGlashan – The NZ musician composed the intimate score for Campion’s autobiographical film. Nyman scored her later The Piano.
  12. D. Murray Grindlay and Murray McNabb – The duo’s raw score amplified the intensity of the 1994 NZ drama. Shore and Revell are higher-profile but uninvolved.
  13. D. John Charles – Charles’ synth-heavy score suited the apocalyptic sci-fi vibe of the 1985 NZ cult classic.
  14. B. Heavenly Creatures – Dasent’s haunting music underscored Jackson’s 1994 true-crime drama. LOTR used Howard Shore.
  15. C. Lantana – Grabowsky’s nuanced jazz score elevated the 2001 psychological thriller by Ray Lawrence.
  16. D. Cezary Skubiszewski – The Polish-Australian composer scored the heartfelt 2011 outback tale based on a true story.
  17. D. Edmund McDowell – McDowell’s folksy score complemented the 2000 comedy about Australia’s moon landing role.
  18. C. Shekhar Kapur – Hirschfelder’s regal score supported Kapur’s 1998 historical epic starring Cate Blanchett.
  19. C. The Crow – Revell composed the brooding industrial score for the 1994 cult film, earning a Saturn Award nom.
  20. D. David Hirschfelder – The Australian composer delivered acclaimed scores for both the 1996 piano drama and 1998 Tudor epic.

How did you do? Share your score in the comments and challenge your film buff friends to beat it!