How to Play 'Hollywood Degrees'

Before my wife and I wed nearly five years ago, one of our greatest interests had always been movies, and we were always trying to challenge each other as to how much we knew and how much we didn't know. Overall, we were no Roger Ebert or Leonard Maltin, but for the average person we did very well. So, one night after watching a movie or two, we began seeing just seeing how far our understanding went, and we found out that there were new and interesting ways to find out. This is when we created the game, and I am going to teach you step-by-step how to play the game in a person vs.person and a party situation. So, get your thinking caps on as I show you how you can show just how much you know about movies and have something to brag about while you are standing around the water cooler at the office.

First, I will explain the mechanics of the game and how it works so you will know exactly what to do. The game is based upon being able to make what I call a 'connection'. A connection is being able to take two celebrities and connect them either to each other in a film or to another celebrity and/or seperate films which they may have starred in together with the first two celebrities. Now, connections can start with as much as one (*which is the easiest) all the way to a ten-connection(*which is the most difficult). Play is based on being able to make a certain amount of connections by sum per level, and the levels of play are very much like the same way that a person would go through their college career, which is by years. The levels of play advance after a person makes a certain amount of connections. For instance, a one-degree connection is what I call Undergraduate, while a two-degree connection and three-degree connection would be Associate's, and so on. The Ten Degree connection is what you will need in order to graduate, and you will only have to answer one of these in order to win the game. Now, while that may seem impossible, it isn't. In my spare time one day, just by thinking about it, I had managed to make a 45-Degree connection, and that was no small feat! So, before you make it seem impossible, give it a try.

Now, to make a connection, here's what you need to do:

1) Think of two celebrities to start, and then think of the film. It would be considered a One-Degree connection, as you are merely just naming the film.

2) If your opponent names it, they win the point. But, if they fail, it means that they miss a turn and then it will be your chance to try.

Here is an example of a One-Degree: Morgan Freeman+Ashley Judd=?

If you answered 'High Crimes', then you would have been right! See how easy that was?

Now, for a Two-Degree, this is a little different. Not only do you need to name the celebrity that connects them, you will also need to name the seperate films that they starred in together. The gameplay still works the same, but you have to give your opponent a little more time to answer the question as it will require some thought.

Here is an example of a Two-Degree: Tommy Lee Jones+Mark Hamill

It looks the same, right? It may look the same, but as I stated above the play is different. Here was the answer you were looking for:

Tommy Lee Jones+Harrison Ford= 'The Fugitive'

Harrrison Ford+Mark Hamill= 'Star Wars: Episodes IV,V, and VI

Now, the only thing that you cannot do in making a degree is overlap celebrities or films, and you also cannot use films that are in multiples, as they are not worth as many points. I only did it above as an example just to show you how to create one. You also cannot use films where the Two-Degree can be turned into a One-Degree. An example:

Brad Pitt+Angelina Jolie=

This will not work, as the two starred together in the action film, 'Mr.&Mrs.Smith'. If you cannot come up with a Two-Degree immedaitely, the points go to the opposing team and you will be left to answer one of their questions, and this will put them closer to advancing to the next level. The play continues until one of you either makes it to Graduation or until one of you can reach as high as you can go. This can be a great time-wasting game, but it should only be done as long as you feel comfortable and as long as your brain can remain relaxed. There were times that even I had to call a game because of overload, so do not be ashamed if you have to. There's no sin, as this is supposed to be a casual game, and not one that should be used to put someone down or to be a show-off becaause you know more than your opponent.

Now, the point system and question amount are extremely negotiable. If you feel like just making it a short game, just include one in each category and take it from there. If you want to make a night of it, increase the amount of questions (*except for the Graduation question) and the amount of points needed to advance to the next level. The rules are also adaptable, as this is a game where the rules are not 100% fixed except for the ones that I stated above.

Now, in a party setting where you have more than yourself and one other person, this is the time to discuss team play. In team play, the rules are a little more set as there will be more people participating and there will need to be ground rules set and the rules need to be acceptable to everyone. For this, you will need a list of things:

1) A large piece of poster paper (*this will be for the Graduation question if you make it that far) and a hard surface to tape it to. (*Note: A blackboard or eraseable marker board works, too)

2) A gamekeeper to total the points

3) Someone to give the connections

Now, here's how team play works: Organize the room into teams, and make sure that every team has approximately the same amount. The 'connection man' will name off a connection to start, and then all teams will have a chance to answer the question after conferring with their teammates. Then, the answer will be asked for. If all three teams answer it right, then all three teams get the point. It is not until one team misses a question that the other teams have the chance to advance while the others stay behind. The game ends when one team can make it all the way to Graduation or the highest level that they can reach, time permitting.

Now, what you will have to remember is that after the Two-Degree Connections, the other connections can become extremely difficult, and to make them that way, this may require research. To help you in your quest, look to your current DVD collection and look through the cast lists. See how many connect or overlap, and that will help you when you are trying to come up with connections for the game. Use a notebook to keep notes and/or diagrams of the connections, and always double-check to make sure that you have them right and there is no other way to connect them. I also found a website that may be of some use for you: http://www.imdb.com This website contains every movie, television show, celebrity, and just about anything else that you would want to know about movies. It is a fantastic site, and has great information to help you find those really hard questions that you will want for your game.

Sometimes, there are other ways to make the connection, where it may be the same celebrity but a different film, or there may be an answer that is totally different from what you have. I call these 'Double Takes', as they are answers that the gamekeeper did not take into account. If it works, these answers are worth double the points and can make for a great point score for you and your team in the end.

Now, in the event of a tie at any level, the gamekeeper has the right to invoke what I call 'The Brainsmasher Challenge'. These are questions of the most difficult variety, and unless you have someone on your team that is very adept at film, they can be a real headache! A Brainsmasher is a connection that most people would not know, and it could come from the most non-descript film or actor that there is out there. It may be a foreign film, or lesser-known animated film. It could also be voice-overs for all you know. In any event, be prepared! If your team can answer these questions to beat the tie, then it is worth triple the points!

If you find that this game is too difficult or you don't know as much, don't lose heart. There are some people (like my wife and I) that have spent a great amount of time watching movies, as movies are their passion. If you find that you can only reach the Associate level, don't be too hard on yourself. Consider it an achievement, as there could be someone that knows less than you, and if you can make a Three-Degree connection on the first play of the game, that is quite a feat in itself.

So, even if you are into movies or you're not, give this fun game a try! It may be that you know more than you realize, and that could just make you feel real good!