By CJ Tiernan Every now and then, a character will become synonymous with an article of clothing. They wear it so well, or it’s so interwoven with the plot, the two become inextricably linked. Mario and overalls. Cinderella and clear shoes. Batman and eyeliner. I’m not a big “remember what people look like” guy myself. If asked to close my eyes and reveal the hair color of friends and family I’ve held dear for decades, I’m not likely to surpass (in a statistically significa

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 With acting, as with most professions, there is typically a ramp-up period. You don’t hit the ground running, and you don’t expect to. You slowly learn and grow to reach your destiny of greatness over time. This is a list designed to honor the exception to the rule. For whatever reason, the following humans managed to blow us out of the water right off the bat (Yikes! That sentence was one idiom short of a Bingo). This is the list of my Top 11 Debuts by Actors

By CJ Tiernan Jay Dixit, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons Character actor is the term often used for people that make a career playing supporting roles rather than starring as your typical leading man or leading lady. When you call J.K. Simmons one of the most prolific character actors to ever grace the silver screen, you pay him great compliment. He has earned it. Simmons has worked alongside countless stars and held his

By CJ Tiernan A song has the power to hit you in the face; to bowl you over. It can strike an emotional chord that plucks your heartstrings like a harp. Or, sometimes it’s just really funny. Either way, when you hear a song like that, you will often seek that song out to discover more songs by the artist. Unfortunately, sometimes that song is by an artist that doesn’t exist. They have no sprawling oeuvre because they are simply a character in a TV Show or Movie. Alas, you can

By CJ Tiernan When watching a movie, in pursuit of entertainment I often try to get lost in the world of the film. Sometimes the acting is so compelling it's almost hard to fathom. An opinions gets lost in the character and absorbed by the plot and it's tough to decipher where the actor ends and the character begins. If that happens, you can feel it while watching the movie and it's incredible. Below is a list of the 11 acting performances that were so captivating and unexpec

By CJ Tiernan The Coen Brothers, comprised of actual brothers Joel and Ethan, have created an untouchably eclectic oeuvre. They can go broad and slapstick or dark and understated. They have a very unique sense of humor that helps to cut their often violent films' tension to pieces with a wood chipper. They can just as easily pull the rug out from under you. Apart from recurring cast members, you never really know what you're in for when you plop down on the sofa to watch one

By CJ Tiernan Suave. Debonair. Handsome. This actor oozes charisma and charm. He also happens to have starred in some great motion pictures. The following is a list of my Top 11 favorite movies featuring George Clooney and the dulcet tones of his deep voice. 1. Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) Why You Should Watch It: This is the greatest stop-motion animation film I've ever seen. It proved to be the perfect canvas for director Wes Anderson's unique color palette. From anthropomorph