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Dial M for Meta

◆◆ · By woozy · Published 2023-05-13T03:42:57.358Z

Meta Prompt
The answer to the meta is two movies. Name both. The first movie gives you instructions to solve the meta and how to find the second movie (and itself... sort of). In the grid there are eight other movies by the same director hidden as Easter Eggs.
The answer to the meta is two movies. Name both. The first movie gives you instructions to solve the meta and how to find the second movie (and itself... sort of). As well the puzzle has eight other movies by the same director hidden as Easter Eggs. Good luck searching for those as well.
This was a challenge by Josh Rubin to make a meta based on this director. Here's my attempt. It's not the most elegant but I think it has some clever moments. Crosshare fought with me for the grid every step of the way but I ultimately subdued it.
Checking for previous play data...

Leaderboard (updated hourly)

  • Hector solved 2023-05-13T20:56:54.751Z
  • Carolyn solved 2023-05-15T19:43:12.407Z
  • Pair O Ducks solved 2023-05-15T19:59:06.735Z
  • rjy solved 2023-05-17T14:58:48.638Z
  • KayW solved 2023-05-19T17:24:01.883Z
  • whimsy solved 2023-05-19T19:10:41.130Z
  • markhr solved 2023-05-19T20:18:31.814Z
  • I K Snamhcok solved 2023-05-24T14:53:43.148Z
  • Laura M solved 2023-05-24T21:44:28.369Z
  • Tyrpmom solved 2023-05-24T23:34:03.371Z
  • HeadinHome solved 2023-05-25T03:21:46.906Z
  • PuzNewbie solved 2023-05-26T06:00:35.779Z
  • lbray53 solved 2023-05-27T02:20:06.574Z
  • Madhatter5 solved 2023-05-28T05:44:36.878Z

Comments

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  • Hector 12:43 · 2023-05-13T21:04:03.296Z
    Anyway very impressive to get all that in the grid, and even Hitch and Cock.
    • Hector 12:43 · 2023-05-13T21:01:04.539Z
      Partial SPOILER for those still to find the easter eggs. I see seven, all of which are symmetrically placed, with the outlier being (Lady) BUG, which should match ALI -- but I haven't thought of a movie to go with that?
      • woozy constructor · 2023-05-14T00:27:02.304Z
        The answer should be LADYBUG but the word LADY isn't in it. What happened to the LADY.
        Or did you mean you couldn't figure what ALI had to do with it? Well, who did win the fight of the century? Hint: It was not Mohammad Ali.
        • Hector 12:43 · 2023-05-14T13:11:32.196Z
          D'oh, nice one. I kept trying to make "The Ring" work, given Frazier had already been declared champ by The Ring magazine.
          • rjy 🤓31:55 · 2023-05-17T15:29:49.542Z
            Ahh, I was thinking that when Meghan stepped away from the royal family, that maybe she became a disappearing lady.
        • Carolyn 3s · 2023-05-15T19:46:23.548Z
          Very fun! Looking forward to the explanation to see if I got all the movies and the intended mechanism. Terrific puzzle!
          • rjy 🤓31:55 · 2023-05-17T15:02:23.893Z
            Very cool, esp in such a quick construction! Solved (obvs) but still searching out the Easter Eggs. Loved "Physician Orangutan"!
            • rjy 🤓31:55 · 2023-05-17T15:34:47.426Z
              Update - got 'em all! Very impressive, woozy!
            • KayW 🤓15:32 · 2023-05-19T17:26:13.917Z
              Oh for Pete's sake! It helps to know your east from west, or left from right. I finally got the NbyNW entry. And then kept trying to find movies in the grid going from bottom left to top right LOL. This was a doozy! An award worthy homage to an award winning director. Also REALLY enjoyed finding all the Easter eggs. Amazing how you fit so much content (and fun!) into one meta. Thanks!
              • whimsy 20:43 · 2023-05-19T19:19:57.895Z
                "Pecking" away at this off and on over the last week. Had about half the eggs before resorting to your last set of nudges. And I actually saw REAR WINDOW before seeing N x NW (and I knew RW was running in that direction and still not seeing N x NW!) Impressive "stuff!" :) Thanks for presenting us with this, woozy!
                • markhr 🤓27:12 · 2023-05-19T20:22:56.058Z
                  Finally collected all the eggs. Impressive puzzle.
                  • Laura M 27:52 · 2023-05-24T21:46:39.632Z
                    Wow, amazing construction! The Easter eggs were more fun (and time-consuming) to find than the meta.
                    • Tyrpmom 3s · 2023-05-24T23:36:37.824Z
                      Wow. This is amazing!
                      • SJMcK 16:43 · 2023-05-25T00:25:59.084Z
                        The meta answers just run northwest through the grid though, not north by northwest. I’m confused.
                        • woozy constructor · 2023-05-25T06:00:16.994Z
                          Poetic license. There is no such direction as North by Northwest. (There's Northwest by North [348.75 degrees] but no North by Northwest). It's just something Hitchcock thought sounded nice.
                          So what I had in mind is you go up (North) by going in a North-West direction.
                        • PuzNewbie 26:00 · 2023-05-26T06:15:07.790Z
                          What a fun puzzle! Initially, I thought that "At Sea" might be the film "Bon Voyage" and "Utopia" might be "Pleasure Garden"... but then I plotted the other films and noticed the symmetry. Lots of fun!
                          • Madhatter5 2s · 2023-05-28T05:46:31.161Z
                            Hah finally got it! I do want to say I tried "rear window and north by northwest" a while back. I didnt think to try the other way around.
                            This is probably my favorite meta ever
                            Play today's daily mini crossword
                            1A
                            Hitch up
                            1
                            2
                            3
                            4
                            5
                            6
                            7
                            8
                            9
                            10
                            11
                            12
                            13
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                            19
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                            25
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                            27
                            28
                            29
                            30
                            31
                            32
                            33
                            34
                            35
                            36
                            37
                            38
                            39
                            40
                            41
                            42
                            43
                            44
                            45
                            46
                            47
                            48
                            49
                            50
                            51
                            52
                            53
                            54
                            55
                            56
                            57
                            58
                            59
                            60
                            61
                            62
                            63
                            64
                            65
                            66
                            67
                            68
                            69
                            70
                            71
                            72
                            73
                            74
                            75
                            Across
                            1. 1A
                              Hitch up
                            2. 4A
                              Spotted beetle found in gardens
                            3. 7A
                              If you believe the tabloids Elizabeth II thought this woman would be a problem for her grandson
                            4. 13A
                              Carpool
                            5. 14A
                              Hilarious. Just hilarious. (for texters)
                            6. 16A
                              "Would you ---- -- elaborate?"
                            7. 17A
                              The established faction
                            8. 19A
                              Lubricant or lubricate
                            9. 20A
                              Son of...
                            10. 21A
                              Pooh's and St. Paul's Christophers
                            11. 23A
                              Ideal place
                            12. 26A
                              Abnormal sound in the lungs
                            13. 27A
                              Unhappy
                            14. 28A
                              Cinema sound system named for George Lucas's (who is not the meta's directory) first movie (which is not one of the meta's easter eggs)
                            15. 29A
                              Number for tea and tango
                            16. 31A
                              Cameras with accurate view finders
                            17. 33A
                              Curve shape
                            18. 34A
                              "No, that is incorrect"
                            19. 36A
                              Unconscious drives
                            20. 39A
                              All but the last 96 of the Spanish ones
                            21. 41A
                              Attorneys' org.
                            22. 42A
                              With 43A, Physician Orangutan
                            23. 43A
                              See 42A
                            24. 45A
                              --- TV (what Youtoo America is known as today)
                            25. 46A
                              Symbolic figure
                            26. 48A
                              "What is the ninth letter?" "- --"
                            27. 49A
                              They have everything for young men to enjoy. (You can hang out with all the boys.)
                            28. 52A
                              --- Nuevo (Elephant seal breeding ground)
                            29. 53A
                              "His master's voice" company
                            30. 54A
                              Dry, as wine
                            31. 57A
                              Falsehood on a computer? Or author Wiesel
                            32. 59A
                              Someone who compels (like that dyslexic friend of Finn's)
                            33. 61A
                              This guys winning streak on A. Trebek's Jeopardy was excessive
                            34. 64A
                              Mail service in the country
                            35. 65A
                              Expand like pupils
                            36. 66A
                              Cause to exist
                            37. 70A
                              Did too much of, such as what Keats did with a Grecian urn
                            38. 71A
                              Misstep
                            39. 72A
                              Stephen of "The Crying Game"
                            40. 73A
                              Public transportation for the San Francisco region
                            41. 74A
                              Winner of the "Fight of the Century" on March 8, 1971
                            42. 75A
                              Cock up
                            Down
                            1. 1D
                              Horton 10D a 1D
                            2. 2D
                              A pig pen made of crudely chipped flint?
                            3. 3D
                              How you might buy several of the director's movies in one purchase
                            4. 4D
                              --- Ray
                            5. 5D
                              She played June in "Henry and June"
                            6. 6D
                              Actress Teri who probably appears in more crosswords than movies
                            7. 7D
                              Goodman's real last name. (His first name is really Jimmy; not Saul)
                            8. 8D
                              Wage procurer
                            9. 9D
                              Expanded not like pupils
                            10. 10D
                              Horton 10D a 1D
                            11. 11D
                              Lost
                            12. 12D
                              Interminably
                            13. 15D
                              Smell
                            14. 18D
                              Total value of goods produced and services provided by a country during one year,
                            15. 22D
                              Former Spanish anti-terrorism movement. Enough is Enough!
                            16. 23D
                              Crosswards' favorite South-Westerners
                            17. 24D
                              "Yes, that is correct"
                            18. 25D
                              Adorable Wantonness Syndrome
                            19. 30D
                              Back after a cancellation
                            20. 32D
                              Dear --- or Madam (will you read my book...)
                            21. 35D
                              ---a-di, ---a-da, life goes on (in a less than uprght. manner)
                            22. 37D
                              "Tip Clo through your two lips" and "Wolfgang Amadeus Moozart" were two famous billboards from Clover Stornetta; the most popular one of these in Sonoma County, California
                            23. 38D
                              Chai for example
                            24. 40D
                              Make due return
                            25. 42D
                              Arab lateen-rigged boat
                            26. 44D
                              Boy Scout teams who... well, they explore, search and rescue
                            27. 47D
                              Sometimes it gets tedious trying to make clues for three letter acronyms without using any of the words... so let's see... this is a network of those parts of the body that send impulses and sensations. The network has a central part and one ... not central. The is the not central one
                            28. 50D
                              One who guides and teaches
                            29. 51D
                              A service provider's customer
                            30. 54D
                              Tw'nty-thr'e --'---. 20s sl'ng f'r h'rrying aw'y qu'ckly. (No, not these 20s--- the previous 20s. sigh)
                            31. 55D
                              Mexican communal farmland
                            32. 56D
                              Famous person (if you are so breezy you can't afford to utter four complete syllables)
                            33. 58D
                              Can't make an omelette without breaking these
                            34. 60D
                              Dep.'s opposite
                            35. 62D
                              Zilch
                            36. 63D
                              Actress Ward
                            37. 67D
                              Zilch
                            38. 68D
                              Surface prefix
                            39. 69D
                              Hearing organ
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