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 Remember School? That was crazy, huh? We basically worked a 9-5 (well, 7-3) everyday but, unlike most jobs where you learn what you’re supposed to do and it gets easier, we had to keep learning new stuff. Like, all the time. A constant barrage of new stuff. It was tough! Throw in cliques, bullies, and hormones and you’re talking about running through a non-stop, ruthless gauntlet at an impressionable age. However, now that it’s in the past, there is a wistful

By CJ Tiernan Consider this: statistically speaking, you will consume more meals off a table than any other piece of furniture. Did I just blow your mind or what? A table is both a landing pad for food, and serves as active, practical storage. Sometimes a table is for meals, other times it’s for laundry or gaming or beer pong. You could put a lamp on it or (back in the day, at least) a landline. Tables are everywhere and (outside of a Buffalo Bills tailgate) usually built t

By CJ Tiernan This two-human combo was a racing comet through sound and space. They whizzed by, lit up the night sky, and then – poof – before we knew it, it was over. Alan Menken was the composer and Howard Ashman was the lyricist for an absolute musical dream team. They wrote songs for Disney staples like The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin, as well as an Off-Broadway reimagining of Little Shop of Horrors that became the basis for the 1986 movie. That’s

By CJ Tiernan We’ve all heard of the one-hit wonder. A band has a huge hit that everyone loves and follows that single up with…nothing. They never manage to recapture the glory of that one hit. It must be an odd existence to dedicate an entire career to music and only be known for one hit. Meanwhile, John Williams is out here getting nominated for an Oscar every year or two (seriously, he’s been nominated 54 times for scoring films). Well, this list is dedicated to the musi

By CJ Tiernan Canada has exported an incredible number of actors to Hollywood. Jim Carrey, Mike Myers, Michael J. Fox, Keanu Reeves, John Candy, both Ryans Gosling and Reynolds, and Donald Sutherland are some of the laundry list of Canadian actors we've had the pleasure of being entertained by. Rachel McAdams belongs on the list. She has been nominated for an Academy Award and has starred in some of the best movies of the last two-plus decades. Below is a list of my Top 11 Fa

By CJ Tiernan The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) was one of the largest undertakings a studio has ever engaged in. At the time of my publishing this list, there are 37 movies that have been released so far, earning more than 32 billion dollars at the box office (Achoo! Sorry, that number is nothing to sneeze at). It is kind of big deal. This particular list is focused on the beginning stages of the MCU (Phases 1 through 3), ranging from the movie that started it all (Iron Ma

By CJ Tiernan Adages, Idioms, Axioms and Proverbs. These are phrases that we use, some almost daily, to convey our thoughts and our meanings. They're often things we've heard from others over and over again and they serve as a shortcut (our brain is always down to clown with a shortcut) to deliver our message, or an opportunity to avoid answering the truly daunting questions like "How are you" and "How have you been?" I am always positively smitten when I encounter a characte

By CJ Tiernan Although called names like geeks, dweebs, dorks, or bookworms, the studious character of the movie is often a fan-favorite. Whether they are helping the main character save the day, or accomplishing something great themselves, we love the movie nerd. This is my love letter to the nerds of the world! Below is a list of my 11 favorite characters in movies that exhibit the nerd qualities we've all come to know and love. 1. Doc Brown - Christopher Lloyd Back to the

By CJ Tiernan High School is one of the most formative runs of your life. Some people live it up and it's the best time of their lives while others keep their heads down and can't wait to get out. You both develop or strengthen friendships that can run through the rest of your days and create a pathway to your future. But, High School is really hard. There is a lot to balance in your life, all while hormones course, unbridled, through your system. It can be isolating, which i

By CJ Tiernan TV shows are so much fun to watch and rewatch. You get an opportunity to really spend time with the characters and become immersed in the world. It can be pretty devastating when you come to find that your time in that world is cut short, or the peril your favorite characters were placed in never gets resolved. This is a list of my favorite TV shows that never made it to season 3. 1. Better Off Ted (2009-2010) Breaking the fourth wall is one of my favorite trope