By CJ Tiernan I am a man (I promise I think it’s relevant). Like so many green-grass observers before me, I covet that which I cannot have. Cling though I may to my falsetto-imbued youth, I simply can’t hit the high notes. In fact, given my lack of musical talent and know-how, I cannot be reliably entrusted to hit a single selected note along the open maw of a baby grand. I am, therefore, left to gape in awe at those who can. To surrender to their sonic beauty and envelop m

By CJ Tiernan I suppose it’s possible someone watched the Harry Potter movies without first reading the books. It’s unfathomable to me, but possible. For those of us that did read the books, we experienced a fantasy world for the ages, full of life and color and possibility. As a result, it set the stakes really high for the movies. Like, really high (James-Franco-at-the-Oscars level high). The characters in the books are so fleshed out and J.K. Rowling utilizes a very visu

By CJ Tiernan The 90s were a decade full of sweeping change and living life on the go. We coated the world in denim and flannel and dared our neighbor to look more disheveled than us. Our heads were protected from the sun in full, 360º fashion courtesy of bucket hats. Between Doc Martens and Timberland boots, our feet were ready for combat. Businesses still broke bread and spilled tea at the watercooler. It was, with the benefit of hindsight, a simpler time. This is my list

By CJ Tiernan Every single person has a name. It’s famously a common way of telling one another apart (along with finger prints, dental records, and whether you’re Team Edward or Team Jacob) and used to gather attention when shouted across a room. If it’s supposed to be a unique designation, why do we end up with so many people named John or Jack or Bort? Names, to make a long story short, need to be more adventurous. We need to normalize having names crazy enough that aski

By CJ Tiernan There is an inherent desire, lurking in every performer, to be a star. We are drawn to the center of the spotlight, to shine brighter than anyone else, to stand out. It takes a great deal of grace (or a series of failures) to willingly step aside and yield the floor to someone else. But making a movie, as with most victories, is a team game. It takes all parties pulling the rope in the same direction to be successful. Sometimes, those supporting players do the

By CJ Tiernan Shakespeare once wrote something about names and flowers (C’mon, you know the one). Anyway, he was wrong. A name can make or break the essence of a character. Han Solo tells us he’s a lone wolf. Ted Lasso tells us he’s in charge of corralling a group of individuals. Mickey Mouse tells us he’s a mouse. Sometimes, the writer just goes wild with it. Princess Consuela Banana Hammock is a name a character (who already has a name) makes up for themselves. Inigo Mont

By CJ Tiernan Production Design is the term used to describe the creation of the visual world of the film. It is the sets and props that one sees on screen. If asked to describe it like one of your French girls, you’d call it the Mise-en-scène, which translates to “placing on stage.” Long story short, it’s everything you see in front of the camera or the physical world of the film. Color, design, placement, lighting, and so much more go into sculpting a world that we believ

By CJ Tiernan It’s my estimation that when James P. Hat invented the first hat over two hundred years ago, he sat down at a picnic table in the sun, with his brow shaded, and said, “ahhh. That’s nice.” Again, I wasn’t there, I’m just guessing. Since then, the hat industry exploded. You can’t throw a stick of dynamite these days without hitting a haberdashery. Tall hats, short hats, soft hats, hard hats, there are so many hats you could put a hat on a hat (I mean, you knew I

By CJ Tiernan In the immortal words of John Mulaney, “We’re all on board. We all love mom.” Our moms are almost universally meaningful to us. Caring, nurturing, steeped in unconditional love, the mother is the quintessential symbol of familial love. All that said, it’s fun to watch a show that plays on the troupe by showing the other side of motherhood or taking love and adoration too far. Below is a list of my Top 11 Favorite TV Show Moms I’ve ever seen and, as you will no

By CJ Tiernan Nicknames of historical figures are curious. Did all of the members of his cabinet refer to Abraham Lincoln as “Honest Abe?” Did he even like that nickname? Did they just whisper it in halls of the parliament building or whatever it is or did they say it to his face? Did that nickname even exist or was it manufactured after he, so to speak, bit the bullet? I don’t know whether some of these nicknames were crafted by contemporaries or issued by historical arbit

By CJ Tiernan Will Ferrell burst on the comedy scene in the mid-'90s on Saturday Night Live. He was fearless in his commitment to the bit. It seemed as though he was willing to push the audio/visual medium as far as possible for a laugh. He quickly became the star there. He walked away in '02 to pursue a film career full time. I reckon I'm not the only one to feel this was a good decision. He was an absolute staple in comedy movies throughout the 2000s. Below is a list of my

By CJ Tiernan I am writing this on Thanksgiving, so I figure it is an appropriate topic. We all have traditions we keep on Thanksgiving and different dishes we serve. While the world seems to be a more global society every single day, it is still fun to look back at the foods that someone first whipped up within the confines of the contiguous 48. Plus, your boy is into dessert. Like, big time into dessert. Much like the black box, I wonder why we don't make the whole meal out

By CJ Tiernan Dire Straits was a British rock band formed in the late '70s and they performed on and off until the mid '90s. They featured Mark Knopfler on lead guitar and lead vocals, David "Pick" Withers on Drums and percussion, David Knopfler on rhythm guitar and backing vocals, and John Illsley on bass and backing vocals. I know you had the same thought I did: how in the world is it the only guy without a guitar in his hand is the guy nicknamed "Pick." It just feels like

By CJ Tiernan I'm writing this one on Halloween so, 'tis the season. The horror movie genre definitely isn't as inextricably linked to the calendar as Christmas movies, but they certainly get a bump this time of year. I know that some people aren't huge fans of the horror genre and I don't blame them. I go to a movie to be entertained but often it's more than just that. In a comedy, you want to be friends with the funny people. In an adventure, you want to be on that adventur

By CJ Tiernan Whether written for adults or kids, there are certain movies and stories that follow groups of children. It can be a difficult task for a film production for several reasons. One is simply that there are child labor laws that limit how much a child actor can work in a day, limiting your window to film a scene. Another reason is that it is hard to find a great child actor. They lack the experience to draw on to always be able to create and embody a character. How

By CJ Tiernan Adele was born exactly 2 weeks before me, in May of 1988. Her album titles are, or have been to date, named for the age at which she writes and composes her albums, though they're usually released a year or two after that. That means it is very easy for me to track what age Adele is when she releases these albums and compare myself at that same age to her. (Yikes! I changed my mind. I'm not interested in doing that.) Her first album was 19. Her huge, game-changi