PB & Julie + Julie C. Trivia

Legend: Harrison Ford

I typically publish these posts after we’ve lost the artist, but I didn’t want to wait that long to pay tribute to one of my favorite actors, the inimitable Harrison Ford. It would be impossible to overstate the importance of Ford to my generation (X, in case you’re new here) and to me personally. He appeared in two of the era’s most iconic franchises, Star Wars and Indiana Jones, and for his portrayal of Han Solo and Dr. Jones alone, Ford deserves a place in the movie hall of fame.

But there is so much more: American Graffiti, Apocalypse Now, Blade Runner, and The Fugitive, all stone-cold classics. Witness, for which Ford received his sole Academy Award nomination. Working Girl, his successful foray into screwball comedy. Jack Ryan. POTUS. Branch Rickey. More recently, Ford has taken on fewer film roles. He’s also found a new home on television, first in the Yellowstone prequel 1923, and then on Apple TV+’s critically acclaimed Shrinking, for which he has rightfully received numerous accolades. In my opinion, his performance as senior therapist (and Parkinson’s patient), Dr. Paul Rhoades, is his best acting yet. Ford also recently joined the MCU, taking over the role of Thaddeus Ross AKA Red Hulk from the late William Hurt.

Harrison Ford was born on July 13, 1942, in Chicago and grew up in nearby Park Ridge. The son of an Irish-Catholic father and an Ashkenazi Jewish mother, Ford was a Boy Scout who achieved the second-highest rank of Life Scout (in 1989’s Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, young Indy was depicted as a Life Scout in Ford’s honor).

After graduating from high school in 1960, Ford attended Ripon College in Wisconsin, majoring in philosophy and pledging the local chapter of Sigma Nu fraternity (and getting expelled for plagiarism four days before graduation). He took a drama class in his final semester to help conquer his shyness and was fully bitten by the acting bug. He spent the 1964 season doing summer stock before heading to Hollywood.

Ford quickly landed a contract with Columbia Pictures. He made his motion picture debut as an uncredited extra – a bellhop – in 1966’s Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round. By 1967, he had landed speaking roles in western films like A Time for Killing and Journey to Shiloh, as well as television series such as The Virginian and Ironside. Unhappy with the roles he was being offered, Ford became a self-taught carpenter to support his wife and two young children.

In 1973, Ford landed his big break when he was cast in George Lucas’s American Graffiti. It was a small role, but his professional relationship with Lucas would yield massive dividends a few years later when Lucas cast him as Han Solo in a tiny little movie called Star Wars (you may have heard of it?). Lucas introduced the actor to Francis Ford Coppola, for whom Ford did some carpentry work. Coppola also gave Ford minor roles in The Conversation and Apocalypse Now.

FUN FACT: Ford’s character in Apocalypse Now is named G. Lucas as a nod to George Lucas. Lucas spent four years developing Apocalypse Now, a loose adaptation of Joseph Conrad’s novel Heart of Darkness, before putting the project on hold to make American Graffiti and Star Wars. Francis Ford Coppola later acquired the rights to John Milius’s script, and Apocalypse Now became one of Coppola’s most iconic films.

Ford as our favorite space smuggler, Han Solo

In 1980, Ford made his second appearance as Han Solo in The Empire Strikes Back and achieved what few actors do: he landed the leading role in a second iconic film franchise. Tom Selleck was the original choice to play Indiana Jones, but when CBS greenlit Magnum P.I., Selleck was forced to decline the role. Ford stepped in, and one of the most beloved characters in movie history was born.

FUN FACT: Indy was supposed to use his whip on the swordsman but Ford, like many in the cast and crew, was suffering from food poisoning and was unable to perform the stunt. Ford asked director Steven Spielberg if he could just “shoot the sucker”. Spielberg agreed, and the rest is history.

Between the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises, Ford was one of the most bankable stars of the 1980s. Not one to rest on his franchise laurels, Ford shone in SERIOUS DRAMAS™️ like Witness and The Mosquito Coast, as well as in genre films like Blade Runner and Frantic. He ended the decade with one of the most beloved sequels of all time (and my personal favorite Ford film), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

*Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade*, with Sean Connery

In the 1990s, Ford fully leaned into the action genre that made him a star, with films such as Patriot Games, The Fugitive, Clear and Present Danger, and Air Force One. And while his 21st-century movie output has been a little spottier, duds like K-19: The Widowmaker, Hollywood Homicide, and Firewall failed to tarnish Ford’s reputation.

In the past decade, Ford has revisited his three most iconic roles: Han Solo in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Rick Deckard in Denis Villeneuve’s gorgeous Blade Runner 2049, and our favorite archaeologist in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. But it’s his television work of the past few years – 1923 and, particularly, Shrinking – that’s garnering Ford some of the best reviews of his life, as well as nominations for Critics’ Choice, Golden Globe, Primetime Emmy, and Screen Actors Guild Awards. I’m not being hyperbolic when I say his performance in Shrinking is the best acting of Ford’s career (and is just generally one of the best shows on television right now).

Ford is also a five-time dad, a pilot, a conservation activist, and a lifelong Democrat, as well as a renowned marijuana consumer (and seller – upon seeing Ford in Star Wars, Michelle Phillips exclaimed, “That’s my pot dealer!”). Ford and his spouse, Calista Flockhart, maintain a home base in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, but their primary residence is Ford’s 800-acre ranch in Jackson, Wyoming.

Without further ado, here is a look at some of my favorite Ford performances, fun facts, and miscellany.

American Graffiti

Ford’s role in American Graffiti was small, but it marked his first mainstream acting success. It introduced him to George Lucas, with whom he has shared a decades-long professional relationship. And it gave Ford his first opportunity to flash that million-dollar smile at movie audiences.

FUN FACT #1: Primarily making a living as a carpenter at that point, Ford accepted the role in American Graffiti with the caveat that he would not cut his hair to match the style of the 1950s, in case he received any offers for contemporary roles. In the end, it was decided that Ford would wear a Stetson to cover up his ’70s ‘do.

FUN FACT #2: American Graffiti is the first of seven films starring Ford that have been nominated for a Best Picture Oscar.

The Frisco Kid

I was ten years old when I saw my first Harrison Ford movie, 1979’s Western comedy The Frisco Kid (I didn’t see Star Wars for the first time until a few years later). The film stars Gene Wilder as a Polish rabbi travelling across the country to the San Francisco synagogue where his new congregation awaits. Along the way, he meets bank robber Tommy Lillard (Ford) and the two forge a friendship as they flee a trio of bandits. Ford and Wilder are delightful together, and I was thoroughly entertained by The Frisco Kid.

Raiders of the Lost Ark

I turned 12 a few weeks before Raiders of the Lost Ark was released in 1981. It was the most thrilling (and, at times, terrifying) moviegoing experience of my life. From the electrifying opening sequence, in which archaeologist Indiana Jones outruns a fucking boulder, to the Nazi face-melting finale, Raiders is 115 minutes of pure movie magic. I was a Ford (and Spielberg) fan from that day forward.

I think we can all agree that more Nazis should have their faces melted off, no? Also, practical effects fucking rule.

FUN FACT #1: In George Lucas’s original draft, Indy’s last name was Smith instead of Jones.

FUN FACT #2: Paramount Pictures had low expectations for Raiders; CinemaScore polling showed little advance interest in the film, and Superman II was predicted to be the highest-grossing movie of the year. In the end, it wasn’t even close; Raiders earned almost twice as much as Superman II, which actually finished the year in a surprising third place behind On Golden Pond. Audiences gave the film an “A+”, the reviews were (mostly) rapturous, and Raiders was nominated for nine Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director.

Blade Runner

Ford’s most iconic role that isn’t Solo or Jones is Rick Deckard, the replicant hunter from Ridley Scott’s 1982 sci-fi masterpiece Blade Runner. Based on Philip K. Dick’s dystopian novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, Blade Runner garnered mixed reviews and modest box office receipts but later developed a cult following. Acclaimed filmmakers such as Christopher Nolan, Denis Villeneuve, Guillermo del Toro, and Rian Johnson have cited Blade Runner as an influence on their work.

FUN FACT: In 2007, the Visual Effects Society named Blade Runner the second-most visually influential film of all time, with only Star Wars (1977) beating it.

Witness

John Book is the only role for which Ford has been nominated for an acting Oscar. Witness received eight Academy Award nominations in all, including Best Picture and Best Director (Peter Weir), winning for Best Original Screenplay and Best Film Editing.

FUN FACT: Weir drew inspiration from the paintings of Dutch master Johannes Vermeer for the film’s composition and lighting, particularly for the scenes between Book and Rachel (Kelly McGillis) while Book recovers from his gunshot wound.

Ford and Lukas Haas both absolutely crush it in this dialogue-free scene. The moment when Book covers Samuel’s finger is just *chef’s kiss*.

Working Girl

My husband and I rewatched Working Girl a few years ago, and aside from the gloriously cheesy ’80s hair and makeup, it has aged beautifully. Ford is at his most charming, and his chemistry with Melanie Griffith is lovely. Come Oscar time, Ford’s co-stars – Griffith, Sigourney Weaver, and Joan Cusack – were all acknowledged for their performances, with only Ford left off the list of nominees. But Ford had successfully conquered another subgenre, the screwball comedy – and he was about to star in one of the most beloved sequels of all time.

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

Raiders of the Lost Ark is the best Indiana Jones movie, but Last Crusade is my favorite. In fact, it’s my favorite Ford film, period. Movie audiences agreed, giving The Last Crusade an “A” CinemaScore and making it the highest-grossing film of 1989. Everything about it is pitch-perfect, from the opening sequence featuring River Phoenix as a young Indy to the Oscar-winning sound effects to the introduction of Sean Connery as Henry Jones Sr. Despite being just twelve years older than Ford, Connery was perfect for the role and a welcome addition to the franchise. His spiky chemistry with Ford is a highlight of the film; the dramatic denouement, which tests Indy’s skills – and his faith – brings the father/son storyline full circle. Absolute cinematic perfection.

FUN FACT #1: The dog’s name really WAS Indiana – he was George Lucas’s handsome AF Alaskan Malamute.

FUN FACT #2: Ford received his chin scar in a childhood car accident. One of my favorite moments in Last Crusade shows how young Indy got HIS scar, thanks to a circus train, a lion, and his signature whip.

The Fugitive

My favorite non-Indiana Jones Harrison Ford movie and the third-highest-grossing film of 1993 (after Jurassic Park and Mrs. Doubtfire), The Fugitive was also a critical success, garnering seven Academy Award nominations and a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave The Fugitive a rare “A+” grade. And although Best Supporting Actor Oscar winner Tommy Lee Jones received the lion’s share of the acclaim for his entertaining turn as grouchy U.S. Marshal Samuel Gerard, Ford’s thoughtful, understated performance as falsely accused Richard Kimble is the glue that holds The Fugitive together (well, that and those killer action sequences).

FUN FACT #1: The Fugitive‘s director, Andrew Davis, was born and raised on Chicago’s South Side, and the film has been praised for its use of the city as a backdrop. Cinematographer Michael Chapman, who received an Oscar nomination for his work, credits Davis; per Chapman, “A lot of it really feels like Chicago, because it just has a native’s eye to it. That’s Andy’s, not mine. He knew where to look.”

FUN FACT #2: The parade sequence was filmed during the actual Chicago St. Patrick’s Day parade, as were scenes for another 1993 feature, Michael Apted’s Blink.

FUN FACT #3: The making of The Fugitive was chaotic, with scenes often rewritten on set the day of shooting. Because of Ford’s limited availability, Davis had just 10 weeks from the time filming was complete to the film’s August 6 premiere, an absolutely insane timeline that one editor couldn’t accomplish alone. Producer Peter MacGregor-Scott set up a suite of editing rooms at Warner’s Hollywood Studios, and a team of six editors worked around the clock to bring The Fugitive in on time. All six were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Film Editing; they lost – rightly – to Michael Kahn’s extraordinary work on Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List, but they certainly earned the award for “Fastest Film Editing”. Anyway, this is an entertaining look at the making of the movie from the Shit Show YouTube channel.

Calponia harrisonfordi, Pheidole harrisonfordi, Tachymenoides harrisonfordi

Ford has been the namesake for multiple species. In 1993, arachnologist Norman I. Platnick named a species of spider after Ford to thank him for narrating a documentary for the Natural History Museum in London. In 2002, entomologist Edward O. Wilson named a new ant species in honor of the actor’s conservation work. Best of all, a new species of Peruvian snake was named for Ford in 2023.

What Lies Beneath

Ford, who in person is charming and affable (if a little gruff), rarely plays the villain. As a psychopathic professor who murders his mistress when she threatens to expose their affair, Ford – ahem – kills it (though I still prefer him as a hero). A nifty Hitchcockian thriller with a supernatural twist, featuring a terrific Michelle Pfeiffer as the wife haunted by the dead mistress’s ghost, What Lies Beneath rules.

FUN FACT: What Lies Beneath was made during a break in the filming of Robert Zemeckis’s Cast Away; production for that film was suspended for a year while Tom Hanks lost fifty pounds and grew a beard. I’m not dissing Cast Away, but What Lies Beneath is definitely my favorite Zemeckis film of 2000.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

I was never the biggest Star Wars fan, but I was stoked for hubby and I to attend a screening of J. J. Abrams’ The Force Awakens, the seventh chapter in the Skywalker Saga, especially when I learned that Ford would be reprising his role as Han Solo. OG characters like Leia, Chewbacca, R2-D2, and C-3PO returned, as well. The Gen-X nostalgia factor was off the charts there.

FUN FACT: Ford lobbied George Lucas to have Han Solo killed off in 1983’s Return of the Jedi, feeling that “[Han’s] sacrifice for the other characters would lend gravitas and emotional weight.” More than thirty years later, Ford finally got his wish with The Force Awakens. And although it wasn’t a huge surprise, Han’s death at the hands of his and Leia’s son Ben AKA Kylo Ren was still gut-wrenching.

2019 Climate Change Speech

Ford is vice-chair of the environmental nonprofit Conservation International and a fervent conservationist and climate change activist. This rousing speech, from 2019’s Global Climate Action Summit, perfectly highlights his passion for the cause. How can you not be inspired by this man?

Shrinking

Ford with *Shrinking* co-star Lukita Maxwell

There aren’t enough superlatives to describe the Apple TV+ dramedy Shrinking. Equal parts hilarious and heartbreaking, Shrinking earns every laugh and every tear. The entire cast – star and co-creator Jason Segel, the peerless Jessica Williams, the ageless Christa Miller, Ted McGinley, and Wendie Malick, just to name a few – knock it out of the park episode after episode. But there’s a special place in my heart for Harrison Ford’s Dr. Paul Rhoades, a senior therapist and oft-exasperated mentor to our grief-stricken protagonist who has recently learned he has Parkinson’s disease. Ford’s poignant performance is note-perfect, and earned him numerous accolades, including his first ever Primetime Emmy Award nomination.

THIS IS HOW YOU WIN AN EMMY, MY FRIENDS!! [He didn’t win, but this is how you do it, nonetheless.]

Pop Quiz: Pride Edition Answers with Fun Facts

ROUND ONE: NAME THAT LGBTQ+ THEMED MOVIE (PICTURE ROUND)

1. *The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert*

Heavenly Creatures, directed by Peter Jackson, is based on a 1954 true crime case out of New Zealand. Juliet Hume (played by Kate Winslet in the film) and Pauline Parker (Melanie Lynskey) met at Christchurch Girls’ High School, where they bonded over their respective childhood illnesses. The pair created a rich fantasy world, which the film depicts vividly, writing stories and plays. The intensity of their friendship – and a possible sexual relationship – concerned their parents enough that they sought to keep them apart. To circumvent their separation, Pauline and Juliet bludgeoned Pauline’s mother to death with a brick. Because they were underage at the time of the murder, each served just five years in prison. After her release, Juliet returned to her native UK, assumed a new name, Anne Perry, and became an award-winning mystery novelist.

ROUND TWO: WHAT A DRAG!

This American drag queen, whose 1993 debut single reached #2 on the Billboard Dance Club Hits chart, is the recipient of 14 Primetime Emmys, three GLAAD Media Awards, and a Tony. RUPAUL
It’s not certain whether she was a trans woman or a drag queen, but there’s no doubt the titular character in this song by the Kinks blew our protagonist’s mind. LOLA
I Like to Watch, a web series created by Netflix for their YouTube channel, is hosted by which two iconic drag queens and RuPaul’s Drag Race contestants? TRIXIE AND KATYA
What actor and playwright won two Tonys at the age of 30 for Torch Song Trilogy, about a Jewish drag queen and torch singer, and another at age 50 for portraying Edna Turnblad in Hairspray? HARVEY FIERSTEIN
This 1990 documentary feature, filmed in the mid-to-late 1980s, is an essential record of the Golden Age of drag balls in New York City, as well as an examination of the intersection of race, class, gender, and sexuality. PARIS IS BURNING
What is the name of the Peabody, Emmy, and GLAAD Media Award-winning HBO series that features drag queens traveling the country and recruiting small-town residents for drag shows? WE’RE HERE
This heroine of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, who disguises herself as a young man named Cesario, shares her first name with the female protagonist of 1998 Best Picture Oscar winner Shakespeare in Love. VIOLA

In Shakespeare’s time, women were not allowed on stage, so teenage boys typically played the female roles. So, Viola was a woman played by a man disguised as a woman disguised as a man. This was depicted in Shakespeare in Love, in which a different Viola (Gwyneth Paltrow, who won the Best Actress Oscar for her performance) pretends to be a man named Thomas Kent to appear on stage in a Shakespeare production and inspires the bard to write Twelfth Night.

*Shakespeare in Love’s* Viola de Lesseps disguised as Thomas Kent

ROUND THREE: LGBTQ+ HISTORY

This ancient Greek poet, who lived on the island of Lesbos, was sometimes referred to as “The Tenth Muse”. SAPPHO
The first US pride parades, timed to coincide with the first anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall riots, were held in which two American cities? CHICAGO AND NEW YORK CITY
Speaking of the Stonewall uprising, what drag queen and activist, known as “The Mayor of Christopher Street”, was an instrumental figure in the riots and later co-founded the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR) with her close friend and fellow activist Sylvia Rivera? MARSHA P. JOHNSON
She was the first American woman to fly in space and the youngest American to do so, having completed her first spaceflight at the age of 32. SALLY RIDE
The 2003 Supreme Court ruling Lawrence v. Texas decriminalized what sex act in the US? SODOMY
The self-proclaimed “Mayor of Castro Street”, he served for eleven months on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, sponsoring a bill to ban discrimination in public accommodations based on sexual orientation, before his assassination on November 27, 1978. HARVEY MILK
This English mathematician and computer scientist, who was instrumental in the breaking of Nazi Germany’s Enigma codes during WWII, was prosecuted in 1952 for the crime of homosexuality. ALAN TURING

Alan Turing, one of the founders of theoretical computer science, was born in London and educated at Cambridge and Princeton, where he earned his PhD. During World War II, he worked at the Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park, where he helped crack German Enigma codes and played a significant role in helping the Allies defeat the Axis powers and ultimately win the war. After the war, Turing worked at the National Physical Laboratory, where he designed the Automatic Computing Engine, one of the first stored-program computers. Turing was prosecuted in 1952 for homosexual acts and accepted chemical castration as an alternative to imprisonment. He died by self-inflicted cyanide poisoning on June 7, 1954, two weeks shy of his 42^nd birthday. If you want to learn more about Turing, check out the 2014 film The Imitation Game, which features an exquisite, Oscar-nominated performance by Benedict Cumberbatch.

ROUND FOUR: ICONS

This English pianist, singer, and songwriter had a great year in 1994, winning an Oscar for Best Original Song for “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” from The Lion King and getting inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. ELTON JOHN
The 2013 HBO film Behind the Candelabra, which won eleven Emmy Awards, dramatizes the relationship between Scott Thorson and this flamboyant pianist and nightclub entertainer who died of AIDS in 1987. LIBERACE
In 2014, who became the first transgender person to be nominated for an acting Emmy, as well as the first to appear on the cover of Time magazine? LAVERNE COX
Widely regarded as the greatest playwright of the Victorian era, this Irishman is best known for the 1890 novella The Picture of Dorian Gray and the plays An Ideal Husband and The Importance of Being Earnest, as well as his 1895 conviction for “gross indecency.” OSCAR WILDE
Born Farrokh Bulsara, his family fled the Zanzibar Revolution in 1964 and moved to Middlesex, England. In 1970, he formed an iconic rock band with guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor. FREDDIE MERCURY
Her novel Orlando: A Biography, about an Elizabethan-era nobleman who spontaneously changes genders and lives for centuries, was inspired by her close friend and lover Vita Sackville-West. VIRGINIA WOOLF
This transgender woman, who helped develop the Moog synthesizer, is best known for her 1968 album Switched-On Bach and for scoring films like A Clockwork Orange, Tron, and The Shining. WENDY CARLOS

Born and raised in Rhode Island, Wendy Carlos studied physics and music at Brown University before moving to New York City in 1962 to study music composition at Columbia. It was there that she learned about transgender issues and gave a name to the gender dysphoria she had experienced since the age of 5. Carlos began living openly as a woman in 1968 and had gender affirming surgery in 1972. She was a key player in helping Robert Moog design the Moog synthesizer, the first all-electronic instrument, which she used to produce her first album, 1968’s Switched-On Bach. The album was a smash, reaching #10 on the Billboard 200, staying at the top of the classical album chart for THREE YEARS, and earning Carlos three Grammy Awards. She is believed to be the first transgender person to win a Grammy. She later composed the music for Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange and The Shining, as well as Disney’s TRON.

ROUND FIVE: PRIDE ANTHEMS BY LYRICS

“When we’re out there dancin’ on the floor, darlin’ / And I feel like I need some more / And I feel your body close to mine / And I know my love, it’s about that time ” – Sylvester, 1978 “YOU MAKE ME FEEL (MIGHTY REAL)”
“I’m up and jaws are on the floor / Lovers in the bathroom and a line outside the door / Black lights and a mirrored disco ball / Every night’s another reason why I left it all” – Chappell Roan, 2020 “PINK PONY CLUB”
“You can get yourself clean / You can have a good meal / You can do whatever you feel” – The Village People, 1979 “Y.M.C.A.”
“God bless Mother Nature, she’s a single woman too / She took off to heaven and she did what she had to do / She taught every angel and rearranged the sky / So that each and every woman could find her perfect guy” – The Weather Girls, 1982 “IT’S RAINING MEN”
“Don’t be a drag, just be a queen / Whether you’re broke or evergreen” – Lady Gaga, 2011 “BORN THIS WAY”
“Holly came from Miami, F.L.A. / Hitch-hiked her way across the U.S.A. / Plucked her eyebrows on the way / Shaved her legs and then he was a she” – Lou Reed, 1972 “WALK ON THE WILD SIDE”
“I’ve got to show the world / All that I wanna be / And all my abilities / There’s so much more to me” – Diana Ross, 1980 “I’M COMING OUT”

After seeing CHIC in concert with her daughters in 1979, Diana Ross commissioned Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards to write and produce material for her next solo album. After seeing drag performers dressed as Ross at a nightclub called The Gilded Grape, Rodgers and Edwards decided to write a song that would serve as an anthem for her gay followers. “I’m Coming Out” went to #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and is considered one of the most iconic pride anthems in history.

ROUND SIX: PRIDE FLAGS (PICTURE ROUND)

ROUND SEVEN: LGBTQ+ FIRSTS

The first openly LGBTQ+ candidate to successfully run for political office in the U.S. was college student Kathy Kozachenko, who in 1972 was elected to the city council of what Michigan city? ANN ARBOR
This northwestern European country was the first nation to recognize same-sex marriage in 2001. NETHERLANDS
The first onscreen kiss between two men takes place in the winner of the first Academy Award for Best Picture. WINGS
Intersex but assigned female at birth, this German-Israeli man was the first person to receive gender-affirming surgery AND one of the first to gain legal recognition of their chosen gender identity. KARL M. BAER
In June 1964, which magazine became the first national publication in the U.S. to report on LGBTQ+ issues? LIFE
In 1971, Jack Baker and Michael McConnell became the first American same-sex couple known to have obtained a marriage license. In what Midwest U.S. state did Baker and McConnell reside? MINNESOTA
He was the first openly queer winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, which he was awarded twice: in 1948 for A Streetcar Named Desire and in 1955 for Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. TENNESSEE WILLIAMS

Tennessee Williams was born Thomas Lanier Williams III in 1911 in Columbus, Mississippi. As a child, Williams almost died of diphtheria; between his illness-induced frailty and his effeminacy, he was the target of violent abuse at the hands of his father, Cornelius. Williams studied journalism at the University of Missouri in Columbia, but after he failed a military training course in his junior year, Cornelius pulled him out of school. He got Williams a job at the International Shoe Company factory, where Cornelius was a salesman. The monotony of factory work inspired Williams to write prodigiously. After suffering a nervous breakdown at the age of 24, Williams re-enrolled in school, ultimately studying at the Dramatic Workshop of The New School in New York City. Around 1939, he adopted his pen name. Five years later, Williams achieved his first significant success with a Broadway production of The Glass Menagerie. Over the next two decades, Williams wrote some of the most iconic plays of the 20^th century, including A Streetcar Named Desire, The Rose Tattoo, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Suddenly Last Summer, Sweet Bird of Youth, and The Night of the Iguana. In addition to his two Pulitzers, Williams was the recipient of three New York Drama Critics’ Circle Awards, three Donaldson Awards, and a Tony.

Pop Quiz: Pride Edition

Seven rounds of Pride-themed trivia. Come back tomorrow for the answers and some fun facts!

ROUND ONE: NAME THAT LGBTQ+ THEMED MOVIE (PICTURE ROUND)

I’ll give you the year of release and a factoid about the film, you come up with the title.

1. 1994, Academy Award winner for Best Costume Design

3. 2024, Peabody Award-winning documentary

5. 1992, BAFTA winner for Best British Film

7. 1994, film debut of Kate Winslet and Melanie Lynskey

ROUND TWO: WHAT A DRAG!

This American drag queen, whose 1993 debut single reached #2 on the Billboard Dance Club Hits chart, is the recipient of 14 Primetime Emmys, three GLAAD Media Awards, and a Tony.
It’s not certain whether she was a trans woman or a drag queen, but there’s no doubt the titular character in this song by the Kinks blew our protagonist’s mind.
I Like to Watch, a web series created by Netflix for their YouTube channel, is hosted by which two iconic drag queens and RuPaul’s Drag Race contestants?
What actor and playwright won two Tonys at the age of 30 for Torch Song Trilogy, about a Jewish drag queen and torch singer, and another at age 50 for portraying Edna Turnblad in Hairspray?
This 1990 documentary feature, filmed in the mid-to-late 1980s, is an essential record of the Golden Age of drag balls in New York City, as well as an examination of the intersection of race, class, gender, and sexuality.
What is the name of the Peabody, Emmy, and GLAAD Media Award-winning HBO series that features drag queens traveling the country and recruiting small-town residents for drag shows?
This heroine of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, who disguises herself as a young man named Cesario, shares her first name with the female protagonist of 1998 Best Picture Oscar winner Shakespeare in Love.

ROUND THREE: LGBTQ+ HISTORY

This ancient Greek poet, who lived on the island of Lesbos, was sometimes referred to as “The Tenth Muse”.
The first US pride parades, timed to coincide with the first anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall riots, were held in which two American cities?
Speaking of the Stonewall uprising, what drag queen and activist, known as “The Mayor of Christopher Street”, was an instrumental figure in the riots and later co-founded the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR) with her close friend and fellow activist Sylvia Rivera?
She was the first American woman to fly in space and the youngest American to do so, having completed her first spaceflight at the age of 32.
The 2003 Supreme Court ruling Lawrence v. Texas decriminalized what sex act in the US?
The self-proclaimed “Mayor of Castro Street”, he served for eleven months on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, sponsoring a bill to ban discrimination in public accommodations based on sexual orientation, before his assassination on November 27, 1978.
This English mathematician and computer scientist, who was instrumental in the breaking of Nazi Germany’s Enigma codes during WWII, was prosecuted in 1952 for the crime of homosexuality.

ROUND FOUR: ICONS

This English pianist, singer, and songwriter had a great year in 1994, winning an Oscar for Best Original Song for “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” from The Lion King and getting inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.
The 2013 HBO film Behind the Candelabra, which won eleven Emmy Awards, dramatizes the relationship between Scott Thorson and this flamboyant pianist and nightclub entertainer who died of AIDS in 1987.
In 2014, who became the first transgender person to be nominated for an acting Emmy, as well as the first to appear on the cover of Time magazine?
Widely regarded as the greatest playwright of the Victorian era, this Irishman is best known for the 1890 novella The Picture of Dorian Gray and the plays An Ideal Husband and The Importance of Being Earnest, as well as his 1895 conviction for “gross indecency.”
Born Farrokh Bulsara, his family fled the Zanzibar Revolution in 1964 and moved to Middlesex, England. In 1970, he formed an iconic rock band with guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor.
Her novel Orlando: A Biography, about an Elizabethan-era nobleman who spontaneously changes genders and lives for centuries, was inspired by her close friend and lover Vita Sackville-West.
This transgender woman, who helped develop the Moog synthesizer, is best known for her 1968 album Switched-On Bach and for scoring films like A Clockwork Orange, Tron, and The Shining.

ROUND FIVE: PRIDE ANTHEMS BY LYRICS

I’ll give you a snippet of lyrics along with the artist and year of release, you come up with the song’s title.

“When we’re out there dancin’ on the floor, darlin’ / And I feel like I need some more / And I feel your body close to mine / And I know my love, it’s about that time ” – Sylvester, 1978
“I’m up and jaws are on the floor / Lovers in the bathroom and a line outside the door / Black lights and a mirrored disco ball / Every night’s another reason why I left it all” – Chappell Roan, 2020
“You can get yourself clean / You can have a good meal / You can do whatever you feel” – The Village People, 1979
“God bless Mother Nature, she’s a single woman too / She took off to heaven and she did what she had to do / She taught every angel and rearranged the sky / So that each and every woman could find her perfect guy” – The Weather Girls, 1982
“Don’t be a drag, just be a queen / Whether you’re broke or evergreen” – Lady Gaga, 2011
“Holly came from Miami, F.L.A. / Hitch-hiked her way across the U.S.A. / Plucked her eyebrows on the way / Shaved her legs and then he was a she” – Lou Reed, 1972
“I’ve got to show the world / All that I wanna be / And all my abilities / There’s so much more to me” – Diana Ross, 1980

ROUND SIX: PRIDE FLAGS (PICTURE ROUND)

1. Refers to individuals with a non-fixed gender identity that fluctuates over time or depending on the situation

3. Refers to individuals who experience little to no interest in sexual activity.

5. Refers to individuals who experience romantic or sexual attraction to people of any gender

7. Refers to women or girls who experience same-sex romantic or sexual attraction

ROUND SEVEN: LGBTQ+ FIRSTS

The first openly LGBTQ+ candidate to successfully run for political office in the U.S. was college student Kathy Kozachenko, who in 1972 was elected to the city council of what Michigan city?
This northwestern European country was the first nation to recognize same-sex marriage in 2001.
The first onscreen kiss between two men takes place in the winner of the first Academy Award for Best Picture.
Intersex but assigned female at birth, this German-Israeli man was the first person to receive gender-affirming surgery AND one of the first to gain legal recognition of their chosen gender identity.
In June 1964, which magazine became the first national publication in the U.S. to report on LGBTQ+ issues?
In 1971, Jack Baker and Michael McConnell became the first American same-sex couple known to have obtained a marriage license. In what Midwest U.S. state did Baker and McConnell reside?
He was the first openly queer winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, which he was awarded twice: in 1948 for A Streetcar Named Desire and in 1955 for Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.

Jaws at 50

It had all the makings of a disaster: over budget, over time, a young and inexperienced filmmaker, and a script that was constantly changing. Because Steven Spielberg insisted on shooting on the ocean (at Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts), the actors often suffered from seasickness. When composer John Williams first played the film’s iconic two-note theme, Spielberg laughed because he assumed Williams was joking. Robert Shaw, who played steely shark hunter Quint, couldn’t stop drinking (or fighting with his co-star, Richard Dreyfuss). And to top it all off, the pneumatically powered mechanical sharks, nicknamed Bruce after the director’s lawyer, were constantly malfunctioning. The crew nicknamed the movie “Flaws”. Spielberg thought he’d never make another movie.

Any one of these things could’ve derailed the film, but the end result is pure movie magic and the prototype for both the monster movie and the modern summer blockbuster. Jaws was initially slated for a Christmas 1974 release, but the planned shooting time of 55 days ballooned into 159 days, and the release was pushed to summer 1975. By the time Jaws opened on June 20, 1975, Universal Pictures had spent an unheard-of $700,000 on national television advertising, the early reviews were rapturous, and movie audiences were breathless with anticipation. By the end of 1975, Jaws was the highest-grossing film in U.S. history. It is a personal favorite of mine; watching it on the 4th of July is a yearly ritual.

Development on Jaws the movie began before Jaws the novel was even published. David Brown, a producer at Universal, read a piece about it in Cosmopolitan magazine, which was then edited by his wife Helen Gurley Brown. The write-up concluded that Jaws “might make a good movie”. Once Spielberg was hired as director, his first job was to excise much of the novel’s first two-thirds, eliminating several subplots, and focusing on the hunt for the shark.

The Jaws screenplay is credited to two writers, Peter Benchley and Carl Gottlieb, both of whom appear in the movie. Benchley, whose source novel contained several subplots which were (thankfully) chucked for the adaptation, plays a reporter, and Gottlieb, who injected some much-needed humor and character development, portrays newspaper editor Harry Meadows.

FUN FACT: Among the novel’s subplots that didn’t make it into the film were an affair between Ellen Brody and Matt Hooper, and Mayor Vaughn being forced by the Mafia to keep the beaches open.

There are two monsters in Jaws: the great white shark and Mayor Larry Vaughn (Murray Hamilton). You see, Amity Island is about to open for the summer, and we can’t let a pesky little shark stand in the way of tourist season. Hamilton, hired in part for his resemblance to Richard Nixon (who departed the White House in disgrace while Jaws was filming), was one of the first two actors hired for Jaws. The other was Lorraine Gary (Ellen Brody), who just happened to be the spouse of Universal president Sid Sheinberg.

Susan Backlinie, who plays the ill-fated Chrissie, was a stuntwoman by trade; to simulate the shark attack, Backlinie was harnessed to two ropes that dragged her back and forth in the water.

Many minor roles were played by Martha’s Vineyard residents, including future television producer Jeffrey Kramer (Deputy Hendricks) and Lee Fierro (Mrs. Kintner, the oldest mother of an eight-year-old in cinema history).

Even for the three primary roles – Chief Brody, Quint, and Matt Hooper – Spielberg preferred lesser-known actors over movie stars. Charlton Heston expressed interest in playing Brody, but Spielberg felt Heston’s star power was too great to play an everyman police chief. Roy Scheider ultimately landed the role. Robert Shaw, who had recently appeared in Universal’s The Sting, was recommended by producers Richard Zanuck and David Brown for the role of Quint. Jon Voight, Timothy Bottoms, Jan-Michael Vincent, Joel Grey, and Jeff Bridges were all considered for the part of scientist Matt Hooper, but Spielberg’s friend George Lucas recommended Richard Dreyfuss, whom Lucas had recently directed in American Graffiti. In subsequent drafts of the screenplay, Hooper was rewritten to suit Dreyfuss’s personality.

FUN FACT: Spielberg came to view Dreyfuss as his alter ego and the pair reunited two years later for Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

**Robert Shaw, Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss**

The producers initially wanted to train a great white shark but quickly discovered that wasn’t possible. Because the mechanical sharks rarely functioned as intended, the crew was forced to improvise. That meant giving the shark less screen time (about four minutes total), a happy accident that made for a much more suspenseful movie. Spielberg later said, “The film went from a Japanese Saturday matinee horror flick to more of a Hitchcock, the less-you-see-the-more-you-get thriller.”

After test screening Jaws in March 1975, Spielberg decided the film needed one more good scare and created one of the greatest jump scares in cinematic history. I won’t show poor Ben Gardner’s gnarly head, but here’s the shot of Hooper’s reaction to it.

FUN FACT: This scene was shot in editor Verna Fields’ swimming pool after Universal refused to authorize any reshoots.

And yes, one of the most iconic lines in movie history was ad-libbed by Roy Scheider.

Jaws was the first movie to open on more than 400 screens in North America. It was the first to earn $100 million. It was the highest-grossing movie ever in the U.S. until the release of Star Wars two years later. It was one of the most critically acclaimed films of the year, garnering nominations for four Academy Awards, seven BAFTAs, four Golden Globes, and a Grammy. It won the Oscars for Best Original Score, Best Film Editing, and Best Sound. For his brilliant score, John Williams also won the BAFTA, Golden Globe, and Grammy Awards. Jaws is, quite simply, one of the most iconic motion pictures of the modern era and a must-see for any film buff.

FUN FACT: Tuba player Tommy Johnson is responsible for the two most memorable notes in movie music history.

Happy 50th, Jaws!!

The Movies of ’95, Vol. 2

These movies are all turning THIRTY this year. This list is chronological by release date, except for my personal top ten, which will appear at the end of this post.

ICYMI, here is volume one of this post: https://peanut-butter-and-julie.com/2025/05/06/the-movies-of-95-vol-1/

The Brothers McMullen

**Mike McGlone, Edward Burns, Jack Mulcahy**

STARRING: Jack Mulcahy, Mike McGlone, Edward Burns, Connie Britton, Maxine Bahns

WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY: Edward Burns

FUN FACT #1: The Brothers McMullen, Burns’ directorial debut, was made for $25,000 and was shot at his parents’ home in Valley Stream, Long Island, over the course of eight months. At the time, Burns worked as a production assistant on Entertainment Weekly. One day, Robert Redford was in the studio for an interview, and Burns approached him with a copy of the film. Redford later extended an invitation for the film to screen at the Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Grand Jury Prize.

FUN FACT #2: A sequel, titled The Family McMullen, began filming in April 2025, with Burns, McGlone, and Britton all reprising their roles.

To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar

**Wesley Snipes, John Leguizamo, Patrick Swayze**

STARRING: Wesley Snipes, Patrick Swayze, John Leguizamo, Stockard Channing, Blythe Danner, Arliss Howard, Chris Penn

WRITTEN BY: Douglas Carter Beane

DIRECTED BY: Beeban Kidron

FUN FACT: Writer Douglas Carter Beane was inspired to write the film after watching an anti-gay propaganda film called The Gay Agenda. In the film, Beane explains, “There’s a scene where they show drag queens going through a town, and the narrator is warning the viewers that these people will take over your town, and I thought, ‘Well, that would be fun’.”

Devil in a Blue Dress

STARRING: Denzel Washington, Tom Sizemore, Jennifer Beals, Don Cheadle, Maury Chaykin

WRITTEN BY: Carl Franklin, based on the novel by Walter Mosley

DIRECTED BY: Carl Franklin

FUN FACT: Shot in and around Los Angeles, the film’s famous locations include the Malibu pier, Griffith Park Observatory, and the Ambassador Hotel on Wilshire Boulevard.

Kicking and Screaming

The cast of *Kicking and Screaming* includes Cara Buono (second from right), best known these days as Karen Wheeler on *Stranger Things* as well as her Emmy-nominated turn on *Mad Men*

STARRING: Josh Hamilton, Olivia d’Abo, Chris Eigeman, Parker Posey, Jason Wiles, Cara Buono, Elliot Gould, Eric Stoltz

WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY: Noah Baumbach

FUN FACT: Kicking and Screaming was Baumbach’s directorial debut, and earned him a spot on Newsweek’s “Ten New Faces of 1996”, alongside Kate Winslet and Benicio del Toro.

Strange Days

STARRING: Ralph Fiennes, Angela Bassett, Juliette Lewis, Tom Sizemore, Vincent D’Onofrio

WRITTEN BY: James Cameron and Jay Cocks

DIRECTED BY: Kathryn Bigelow

FUN FACT: At the 22nd Saturn Awards, which honor the best in science fiction, horror, and fantasy, Angela Bassett and Kathryn Bigelow took home the Best Actress and Best Director prizes, respectively.

Get Shorty

STARRING: John Travolta, Gene Hackman, Rene Russo, Danny DeVito, Delroy Lindo, James Gandolfini

WRITTEN BY: Scott Frank, based on the book by Elmore Leanard

DIRECTED BY: Barry Sonnenfeld

FUN FACT: At the 53rd Golden Globes, John Travolta took home the award for Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical; the film itself was also nominated for Best Musical or Comedy.

Mallrats

STARRING: Shannen Doherty, Jeremy London, Jason Lee, Claire Forlani, Priscilla Barnes, Michael Rooker, Ben Affleck, Joey Lauren Adams, Jason Mewes, Kevin Smith

WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY: Kevin Smith

FUN FACT: Jason Lee, who was a professional skateboarder at the time, had no acting experience; he beat out Adam Sandler and Steve Zahn for the role of Brodie Bruce. His character’s name was inspired by the police chief in Jaws, one of Kevin Smith’s favorite movies, as well as the oft-malfunctioning mechanical shark used during its filming.

Now and Then

**Thora Birch, Gaby Hoffman, Ashleigh Aston Moore, Christina Ricci**

STARRING: Christina Ricci & Rosie O’Donnell, Thora Birch & Melanie Griffith, Gaby Hoffman & Demi Moore, Ashleigh Aston Moore & Rita Wilson

WRITTEN BY: I. Marlene King

DIRECTED BY: Lesli Linka Glatter

FUN FACT: Though not a huge hit, Now and Then made a respectable $37 million against a $12 million budget and developed a cult following once the film was released on home video (and kids, when I say video, I mean VHS). Among older millennials, it is one of the most beloved movies of their childhood.

Leaving Las Vegas

STARRING: Nicolas Cage, Elisabeth Shue, Julian Sands

WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY: Mike Figgis

FUN FACT: Nicolas Cage won the Oscar and the Golden Globe for his performance as alcoholic screenwriter Ben Sanderson, who, after losing his job and his family, drives to Las Vegas to drink himself to death.

Home for the Holidays

**Holly Hunter, Anne Bancroft, Charles Durning**

STARRING: Holly Hunter, Robert Downey Jr., Anne Bancroft, Charles Durning, Dylan McDermott, Geraldine Chaplin, Steve Guttenberg, Claire Danes, Cynthia Stevenson

WRITTEN BY: W.D. Richter

DIRECTED BY: Jodie Foster

FUN FACT: This Thanksgiving family dramedy features thoughtful direction from Jodie Foster and poignant, hilarious performances (especially from Robert Downey Jr.). While it only made about $22 million at the box office, it has attained a cult following in recent years, with critic Emily St. James describing it as “a warm, messy comedy about how warm and messy family can be.” I highly recommend this sweet and funny Thanksgiving favorite.

GoldenEye

STARRING: Pierce Brosnan, Sean Bean, Izabella Scorupco, Famke Jannsen, Joe Don Baker

WRITTEN BY: Jeffrey Caine and Bruce Feirstein

DIRECTED BY: Martin Campbell

FUN FACT: Pierce Brosnan made his Bond debut in GoldenEye, the 17th film in the series. GoldenEye also marked Judi Dench’s first appearance as M.

Casino

STARRING: Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone, Joe Pesci, Don Rickles, Kevin Pollak, James Woods, Frank Vincent

WRITTEN BY: Nicholas Pileggi and Martin Scorsese, based on Pileggi’s non-fiction book Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas

DIRECTED BY: Martin Scorsese

FUN FACT: The film’s only Oscar nomination was for Sharon Stone’s fierce, ferocious performance as Ginger McKenna.

Georgia

STARRING: Jennifer Jason Leigh, Mare Winningham, Ted Levine, Max Perlich, John Doe, John C. Reilly, Tom Bower

WRITTEN BY: Barbara Turner

DIRECTED BY: Ulu Grosbard

FUN FACT: The movie was a personal affair for Jennifer Jason Leigh; not only was the screenwriter, Barbara Turner, her mother, but her co-star was her old friend and former camp counselor, Mare Winningham. Both actresses did their own singing in the film. Leigh won the Best Actress prize from the New York Film Critics Circle and was widely rumored to be in the running for her first Academy Award nomination. Still, it was Winningham alone who received an Oscar nod for Georgia; Leigh would finally see her first nomination twenty years later, for Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight.

Heat

Michael Mann, Al Pacino, and Robert De Niro on the set of *Heat*

STARRING: Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Val Kilmer, Jon Voight, Tom Sizemore, Diane Venora, Amy Brenneman, Ashley Judd, Mykelti Williamson, Wes Studi, Ted Levine

WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY: Michael Mann

FUN FACT: Mann based the film on the story of Chicago Police Detective Chuck Adamson’s pursuit of criminal Neil McCauley, on whom Robert De Niro’s character is based. Adamson and McCauley did meet for coffee once, and their dialogue was worked into the diner scene, which was famously the first time De Niro and Al Pacino shared the screen.

Jumanji

**Robin Williams, Bonnie Hunt, Kirsten Dunst**

STARRING: Robin Williams, Kirsten Dunst, David Alan Grier, Bonnie Hunt, Jonathan Hyde, Bebe Neuwirth

WRITTEN BY: Jonathan Hensleigh, Greg Taylor, and Jim Strain, based on the picture book of the same name by Chris Van Allsburg

DIRECTED BY: Joe Johnston

FUN FACT: Tom Hanks was the first choice to play Alan, but he turned it down due to his commitment to Apollo 13. Ultimately, the studio only agreed to finance the film if Robin Williams was attached to the project. Director Joe Johnston was concerned, given Williams’ penchant for improvisation, about making sure all the story beats were hit (though he did give Williams enough extra takes to do his thing).

Nixon

STARRING: Anthony Hopkins, Joan Allen, Powers Boothe, Ed Harris, Bob Hoskins, E.G. Marshall, David Paymer, David Hyde Pierce, Paul Sorvino, Mary Steenburgen, J.T. Walsh, James Woods

WRITTEN BY: Stephen J. Rivele, Christopher Wilkinson, and Oliver Stone

DIRECTED BY: Oliver Stone

FUN FACT #1: Oliver Stone hired three key Watergate figures – Alexander Butterfield, John Sears, and John Dean – to make sure that every aspect of the script was accurate. Dean even did an uncredited rewrite of a few of the movie’s scenes.

FUN FACT #2: To cut costs, Stone leased the White House sets from Rob Reiner’s The American President (more on that one in a bit).

FUN FACT #3: The film tanked, earning just $13.6 million against a $44 million budget, and critics derided Anthony Hopkins’ hammy portrayal of Nixon (that accent, holy fucking shit), but it nevertheless earned four Oscar nominations: Best Actor (Hopkins), Best Supporting Actress (Joan Allen, who played Pat Nixon), Best Original Score (John Williams), and Best Original Screenplay.

Dead Man Walking

STARRING: Susan Sarandon, Sean Penn, Robert Prosky, Raymond J. Barry, R. Lee Ermey, Scott Wilson

WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY: Tim Robbins, based on the non-fiction book by Sister Helen Prejean

FUN FACT: Susan Sarandon won the Best Actress Oscar for her performance as Sister Helen Prejean; the film was also nominated for Best Director (Tim Robbins), Best Actor (Sean Penn), and Best Original Song (Bruce Springsteen).

AND NOW FOR MY TOP TEN:

#10 – Sense and Sensibility

STARRING: Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet, Alan Rickman, Hugh Grant

WRITTEN BY: Emma Thompson, based on the novel by Jane Austen

DIRECTED BY: Ang Lee

FUN FACT #1: With her win for Best Adapted Screenplay, Emma Thompson became the first person to win Oscars for both acting and writing. Sense and Sensibility was also nominated for Best Picture, Best Actress (Thompson), Best Supporting Actress (a luminous, 19-year-old Kate Winslet), Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, and Best Original Score.

FUN FACT #2: Though he spoke little English, Taiwanese director Ang Lee was hired based on his 1993 film The Wedding Banquet. Lee secured the job by telling producers he wanted the film to “break people’s hearts so badly that they’ll still be recovering from it two months later.” Mission accomplished.

FUN FACT #3: Thompson had hoped to cast real-life sisters Natasha and Joely Richardson as the Dashwoods, but the studio insisted Thompson play Elinor. Winslet, whose work in Heavenly Creatures Lee disliked (WHAT???), was supposed to audition for the part of Lucy Steele, but at the audition, she pretended she was reading for Marianne and nailed the part.

#9 – 12 Monkeys

STARRING: Bruce Willis, Madeleine Stowe, Brad Pitt, Christopher Plummer

WRITTEN BY: David and Janet Peoples, inspired by the 1962 French short film La Jetée

DIRECTED BY: Terry Gilliam

FUN FACT: Terry Gilliam was hired because executive producer Robert Kosberg thought the director’s style was a good match for the film’s nonlinear timeline and time travel subplot (Kosberg wasn’t wrong). Gilliam’s choices for the two leads were Nick Nolte (in the Bruce Willis role) and Jeff Bridges (in the Brad Pitt role). The studio suggested Nicolas Cage and Tom Cruise, but Gilliam balked (THANK FUCKING GOD). Gilliam wasn’t sure about Brad Pitt, but the casting director convinced him. When production on the film began, Pitt wasn’t well-known; however, by the time 12 Monkeys was released, Pitt had established himself as one of Hollywood’s biggest stars through films like Interview with the Vampire, Legends of the Fall, and Se7en. Pitt was well rewarded for his bonkers performance, taking home the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor and earning his first of four acting Oscar nominations.

#8 – The American President

STARRING: Michael Douglas, Annette Bening, Martin Sheen, Michael J. Fox, David Paymer, Samantha Mathis

WRITTEN BY: Aaron Sorkin

DIRECTED BY: Rob Reiner

FUN FACT: The American President is an early example of screenwriter Aaron Sorkin’s famous “Walk and Talk” and contains many of the elements – including Martin Sheen – that would be seen on The West Wing four years later. The film, carried by the marvelous chemistry between the two leads, earned five Golden Globe nods, including Best Picture – Musical or Comedy, Best Director (Reiner), Best Actor (Douglas), Best Actress (Bening), and Best Screenplay (Sorkin). In 2002, the American Film Institute ranked The American President #75 on its list of America’s Greatest Love Stories.

#7 – Toy Story

STARRING: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Annie Potts, John Ratzenberger, Don Rickles, Wallace Shawn, Jim Varney

WRITTEN BY: Joss Whedon, Andrew Stanton, Joel Cohen, Alec Sokolow

DIRECTED BY: John Lasseter

FUN FACT #1: The film that launched not only a franchise but a movie studio, Toy Story was the first fully computer-animated feature film. It was a smash hit, earning almost $400 million at the box office, making it the second-highest-grossing film of 1995, and it carries a 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

FUN FACT #2: John Ratzenberger, best known as Cliff Clavin on Cheers, made his first of 22 appearances in Pixar animated features in Toy Story, voicing Hamm the piggy bank. Among his other Pixar voices are Yeti in the Monsters franchise, Construction Foreman Tom in Up, and Juan Ortodoncia in Coco.

FUN FACT #3: John Lasseter, Toy Story‘s director, was famously fired by Disney for “promoting computer animation”. During his tenure at Disney, two friends showed Lasseter their computer animation work on Tron, awakening him to the possibilities of the medium. Lasseter floated the idea of using computer animation for 1987’s The Brave Little Toaster – and was promptly, unceremoniously dismissed. He found a job with LucasFilm’s computer graphics department, producing groundbreaking special effects for 1985’s Young Sherlock Holmes, which later became the basis for Pixar.

These effects rule just as hard today as they did 40 years ago

#6 – To Die For

STARRING: Nicole Kidman, Joaquin Phoenix, Matt Dillon

WRITTEN BY: Buck Henry, based on the novel by Joyce Maynard

DIRECTED BY: Gus Van Sant

FUN FACT #1: David Cronenberg, best known as the director of body horror classics like The Fly, Scanners, and Videodrome, plays the hitman hired to dispatch Nicole Kidman’s murderous celebrity wannabe.

FUN FACT #2: Kidman won her first of six Golden Globe Awards for her performance in this razor-sharp satire of tabloid celebrity and true crime.

#5 – While You Were Sleeping

STARRING: Sandra Bullock, Bill Pullman, Peter Gallagher, Peter Boyle, Glynis Johns, Jack Warden

WRITTEN BY: Daniel G. Sullivan and Fredric Lebow

DIRECTED BY: Jon Turteltaub

FUN FACT #1: Bill Pullman attempted to quit the film after a disastrous table read that producer John Glickman referred to as “the worst table read of all time”; Pullman’s agent informed him that he was contractually obligated and couldn’t quit. And thank goodness, because the film just doesn’t work without Pullman. But what I wouldn’t give to see that table read (though I’m sure Disney hasn’t voluntarily released that footage).

FUN FACT #2: Demi Moore, Julia Roberts, and Meg Ryan – the holy trinity of ’90s rom-com A-listers – all turned down the role of Lucy before it was offered to Sandra Bullock, who earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy for her utterly charming performance.

FUN FACT #3: The original screenplay, titled “Coma Guy”, was set in New York City. The setting was changed to Chicago, where it was shot entirely on location, for budgetary reasons. By the way, the CTA “L” station where Lucy Moderatz collected tokens was the now-defunct Randolph/Wabash station. That station also appeared in 1987’s Adventures in Babysitting, another PBandJulie favorite, as well as a 2015 Apple commercial.

#4 – The Usual Suspects

STARRING: Stephen Baldwin, Gabriel Bryne, Benicio del Toro, Chazz Palminteri, Kevin Pollak, Pete Postlethwaite, Kevin Spacey

WRITTEN BY: Christopher McQuarrie

DIRECTED BY: Bryan Singer

FUN FACT: “Who is Keyser Söze?” asked the word-of-mouth marketing campaign for The Usual Suspects. Audiences were breathless with anticipation, and the critical response was rapturous (except Roger Ebert, who inexplicably gave it 1.5 stars). The film earned $67 million against a $6 million budget and won both Oscars for which it was nominated, Best Original Screenplay (Christopher McQuarrie) and Best Supporting Actor (Kevin Spacey). In his acceptance speech, Spacey said, “Well, whoever Keyser Söze is, I can tell you he’s gonna get gloriously drunk tonight.”

Several years ago, after learning my parents had never seen The Usual Suspects, I insisted on watching it with them so I could see their faces when they figured out the twist (I was not disappointed)

#3 – Apollo 13

STARRING: Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, Bill Paxton, Gary Sinise, Ed Harris, Kathleen Quinlan

WRITTEN BY: William Broyles Jr. and Al Reinert, based on the non-fiction book Lost Moon: The Perilous Voyage of Apollo 13 by Jim Lovell and Jeffrey Kluger

DIRECTED BY: Ron Howard

FUN FACT #1: Jim Lovell imagined himself being portrayed by Kevin Costner (based on looks alone). John Travolta reportedly asked for the role; Ron Howard politely declined. Tom Hanks ultimately won the role, and what he lacks in physical resemblance, he makes up for with his acting skills. Shockingly, Hanks’s performance wasn’t nominated for any major awards.

FUN FACT #2: Hanks was so inspired by the astronaut program that he reteamed with Ron Howard and Brian Glazer to produce the 1998 Emmy-winning docudrama miniseries From the Earth to the Moon.

FUN FACT #3: Apollo 13 was one of the most critically and commercially successful films of 1995. Earning more than $350 million worldwide, it was the third-highest-grossing movie of that year. It was nominated for nine Academy Awards, winning in the categories of Best Film Editing and Best Sound. At the 2nd Screen Actors Guild Awards, Apollo 13 earned the top prize, Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture, which generally predicts the ultimate Best Picture Oscar winner – but not that year.

#2 – Empire Records

STARRING: Anthony LaPaglia, Maxwell Caulfield, Debi Mazar, Rory Cochrane, Johnny Whitworth, Robbin Tunney, Renée Zellweger, Liv Tyler, Ethan Embry

WRITTEN BY: Carol Heikkinen

DIRECTED BY: Allan Moyle

FUN FACT: Tobey Maguire had a role in Empire Records, but partway through production, he asked director Allan Moyle to be released from his contract so he could seek help for his alcohol addiction. All of Maguire’s scenes were cut from the movie, and he’s been sober ever since.

For more on Empire Records:

Happy Rex Manning Day!

#1 – Se7en

STARRING: Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Gwyneth Paltrow, Richard Roundtree, R. Lee Ermey, John C. McGinley, Kevin Spacey (uncredited)

WRITTEN BY: Andrew Kevin Walker

DIRECTED BY: David Fincher

Here it is, my favorite movie of 1995. Was there ever a doubt? Se7en was tailor-made for me: serial killer thrillers are my favorite film subgenre, and this particular one introduced me to my favorite filmmaker. A happy, fun-time movie this is not; it is grimy, grim, and unrelentingly bleak, with one of the most shocking twists in cinematic history.

FUN FACT #1: Set to a remix of Nine Inch Nails’ “Closer” – a Gen-X siren song if ever there was one – Se7en has the coolest opening title sequence I’ve ever seen. In 2011, IFC ranked Se7en as the third greatest title sequence of all time, behind A Hard Day’s Night and Vertigo.

FUN FACT #2: In 2002, New Line Cinema floated the idea of a Se7en sequel titled Ei8ht, which would have seen Detective Somerset (Morgan Freeman) pursuing a psychic serial killer. Freeman, Pitt, and Fincher all balked at the idea, with Fincher saying, “I would be less interested in that than I would in having cigarettes put out in my eyes.” That script was ultimately developed as a stand-alone movie called Solace, which was a critical and commercial flop.

FUN FACT #3: In an era when internet spoilers weren’t much of a thing yet, I managed to spoil Se7en‘s twist for myself (if I recall correctly, the culprit was an issue of Entertainment Weekly) because I didn’t see it in the theater. Knowing the twist in advance doesn’t dull the impact of that gutwrenching final scene in which John Doe coaxes Detective Mills into completing his “seven deadly sins” project. The studio begged Fincher to make the ending more upbeat, but after studio interference with his first feature film, Alien³, Fincher refused to direct the film unless the original ending remained intact.

Se7en‘s practical effects crew built a model of Gwyneth Paltrow’s head, as the script called for the audience to see the box’s contents, but Fincher ultimately – and correctly – chose to leave things to our imagination. The mere suggestion was enough to convince people they spied Tracy’s “pretty head”. Sixteen years after Se7en was released, Gwyneth’s head model was pulled out of studio storage for use in Contagion, in which she plays patient zero in a global pandemic.

FUN FACT #4: Hawthorne James, who portrays George, the library night guard in Se7en, also plays Sam, the bus driver, in Speed. This guy always understands the assignment.

The Movies of ’95, Vol. 1

These movies are all turning 30 this year. This list is chronological by release date, except for my personal top ten, which will appear at the end of volume two of this post.

Higher Learning

**Laurence Fishburne, Omar Epps, and Ice Cube**

STARRING: Omar Epps, Kristy Swanson, Michael Rapaport, Ice Cube, Laurence Fishburne

WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY: John Singleton

FUN FACT: Laurence Fishburne won an NAACP Image Award for “Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture” for his role in Higher Learning; Ice Cube was also nominated.

Murder in the First

STARRING: Christian Slater, Kevin Bacon, Gary Oldman

WRITTEN BY: Dan Gordon

DIRECTED BY: Marc Rocco

FUN FACT: Kevin Bacon, who shines in a mediocre movie, won the Critics’ Choice Award and was nominated for a SAG Award for his performance.

Boys on the Side

**Whoopi Goldberg, Drew Barrymore, and Mary Louise Parker**

STARRING: Whoopi Goldberg, Mary Louise Parker, Drew Barrymore, Matthew McConaughey

WRITTEN BY: Don Roos

DIRECTED BY: Herbert Ross

FUN FACT: The “no boys allowed” soundtrack includes artists like Melissa Etheridge, Bonnie Raitt, Sheryl Crow, Indigo Girls, and Stevie Nicks.

In the Mouth of Madness

STARRING: Sam Neill, Julie Carmen, Jürgen Prochnow, David Warner

WRITTEN BY: Michael De Luca

DIRECTED BY: John Carpenter

FUN FACT: In the Mouth of Madness, the third installment of Carpenter’s unofficial “Apocalypse Trilogy”, is an homage to the work of H.P. Lovecraft and takes its name from the title of a Lovecraft novella called At the Mountains of Madness.

Billy Madison

STARRING: Adam Sandler, Bradley Whitford, Josh Mostel, Bridgette Wilson

WRITTEN BY: Adam Sandler & Tim Herlihy

DIRECTED BY: Tamra Davis

FUN FACT: Philip Seymour Hoffman was offered the role of Eric, but turned it down. Bradley Whitford ended up with the part, and he’s great – but I can’t help but wonder what Hoffman, with his particular brand of special sauce, would have done with it.

The Quick and the Dead

STARRING: Sharon Stone, Gene Hackman, Russell Crowe, Leonardo DiCaprio

WRITTEN BY: Simon Moore

DIRECTED BY: Sam Raimi

FUN FACT: Sharon Stone had director and cast approval. She was given a list of directors pre-approved by the studio; she returned hers with a single name – Sam Raimi. Stone apparently chose him because she’s a fan of Army of Darkness (and who could blame her?). She also fought the studio on both Russell Crowe, who was then untested in the U.S., and Leonardo DiCaprio, whom Stone was so certain about that she paid his salary out of her own pocket.

Russell Crowe and Sharon Stone were both sexy as hell in this movie

The Brady Bunch Movie

STARRING: Shelley Long, Gary Cole, Michael McKean, Christopher Daniel Barnes, Christine Taylor

WRITTEN BY: Laurice Elehwany, Rick Copp, Bonnie Turner, Terry Turner

DIRECTED BY: Betty Thomas

FUN FACT: The film features cameos by original Brady Bunch cast members Florence Henderson, Ann B. Davis, Barry Williams, and Christopher Knight, as well as Davy Jones, Micky Dolenz, and Peter Tork from The Monkees.

Heavyweights

STARRING: Jeffrey Tambor, Jerry Stiller, Anne Meara, Ben Stiller

WRITTEN BY: Steven Brill and Judd Apatow

DIRECTED BY: Steven Brill

FUN FACT: Heavyweights was parodied by South Park in a season four episode titled “Fat Camp”.

Outbreak

STARRING: Dustin Hoffman, Rene Russo, Morgan Freeman, Donald Sutherland

WRITTEN BY: Laurence Dworet and Robert Roy Pool

DIRECTED BY: Wolfgang Petersen

FUN FACT #1: Dustin Hoffman’s character was written with Harrison Ford in mind, but Ford passed (he worked with director Wolfgang Petersen just two years later in Air Force One).

FUN FACT #2: Capuchin monkey Betsy also played Marcel on Friends.

Dolores Claiborne

**Kathy Bates and Jennifer Jason Leigh**

STARRING: Kathy Bates, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Christopher Plummer, David Straitharn

WRITTEN BY: Tony Gilroy, based on the novel by Stephen King

DIRECTED BY: Taylor Hackford

FUN FACT: Kathy Bates won an Oscar five years earlier for her performance in another Stephen King adaptation, Misery. King met Bates on the set of that film and wrote Dolores Claiborne with her in mind. Bates would later say that Claiborne was her favorite role.

Tank Girl

STARRING: Lori Petty, Naomi Watts, Ice-T, Malcolm McDowell

WRITTEN BY: Tedi Sarafian, based on the comic series by Alan Martin and Jamie Hewlett

DIRECTED BY: Rachel Talala

FUN FACT: The excellent soundtrack, assembled by Courtney Love, includes artists like Love’s Hole, Björk, Devo, Portishead, Belly, and Veruca Salt.

Tommy Boy

STARRING: Chris Farley, David Spade, Bo Derek, Julie Warner

WRITTEN BY: Bonnie and Terry Turner (their second appearance on this list)

DIRECTED BY: Peter Segal

FUN FACT: Bo Derek was nominated for a Razzie Award for Worst Supporting Actress; she lost to Madonna.

Bad Boys

STARRING: Martin Lawrence, Will Smith, Téa Leoni, Joe Pantoliano

WRITTEN BY: Michael Barrie, Jim Mulholland, Doug Richardson

DIRECTED BY: Michael Bay

FUN FACT: Michael Bay, in his directorial debut, thought the screenplay sucked (he wasn’t wrong) and encouraged stars Martin Lawrence and Will Smith to improvise their dialogue on set.

The Basketball Diaries

STARRING: Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Wahlberg, Bruno Kirby, Lorraine Bracco, Ernie Hudson

WRITTEN BY: Bryan Goluboff, based on Jim Carroll’s memoir of the same name

DIRECTED BY: Scott Kalvert

FUN FACT: Besides his career as a writer, Carroll is a musician best known for the 1980 song “People Who Died”.

Friday

STARRING: Ice Cube, Chris Tucker, Nia Long

WRITTEN BY: Ice Cube and DJ Pooh

DIRECTED BY: F. Gary Gray

FUN FACT: The character of Felisha, played by Angela Means, is the source of the “Bye, Felicia” meme popularized during the early days of social media and by RuPaul’s Drag Race.

Village of the Damned

STARRING: Christopher Reeve, Kirstie Alley, Linda Kozlowski, Michael Paré

WRITTEN BY: David Himmelstein, based on the 1960 film of the same name, itself based on the 1957 sci-fi novel The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham

DIRECTED BY: John Carpenter

FUN FACT: Critics took issue with the terrible wigs worn by the children, but it turns out they weren’t wigs at all. Each child’s hair was bleached and dyed for uniformity. One of the actors later claimed they suffered hair loss as a result of the process.

Crimson Tide

STARRING: Denzel Washington, Gene Hackman, George Dzundza, Viggo Mortensen

WRITTEN BY: Michael Schiffer

DIRECTED BY: Tony Scott

FUN FACT: Crimson Tide, the first of five collaborations between Denzel Washington and director Tony Scott, earned three Oscar nominations – Best Film Editing, Best Sound, and Best Sound Effects Editing.

I love watching two acting titans go toe-to-toe

Die Hard with a Vengeance

STARRING: Bruce Willis, Jeremy Irons, Samuel L. Jackson

WRITTEN BY: Jonathan Hensleigh and Roderick Thorp

DIRECTED BY: John McTiernan

FUN FACT: The FBI questioned screenwriter Jonathan Hensleigh because he seemed to know too much about the Federal Gold Reserve in downtown Manhattan. Hensleigh insisted he took all the information from a New York Times article.

A Little Princess

STARRING: Eleanor Bron, Liam Cunningham, Liesel Matthews

WRITTEN BY: Richard LaGravenese, based on the novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett

DIRECTED BY: Alfonso Cuarón

FUN FACT: At the 21st Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards, A Little Princess was the runner-up to Leaving Las Vegas for Best Picture (more on the latter in volume two of this post). It also won the awards for Best Production Design and Best Music. Alfonso Cuarón became one of the most acclaimed filmmakers of the 21st century, with two Best Director wins – for Gravity and Roma – to his name.

Braveheart

STARRING: Mel Gibson, Sophie Marceau, Patrick McGoohan, Catherine McCormack

WRITTEN BY: Randall Wallace

DIRECTED BY: Mel Gibson

FUN FACT: Nevermind the fact that Apollo 13* should have won the Best Picture Oscar; Mel Gibson has admitted to borrowing heavily from the work of his previous directors, George Miller (the Mad Max franchise) and Peter Weir (Gallipoli and The Year of Living Dangerously), for Braveheart‘s more violent sequences and its atmospheric shots, respectively.

*or Babe, or Sense and Sensibility, or Il Postino (or Casino, or Toy Story, or Se7en, or 12 Monkeys, or To Die For, or The Usual Suspects**, none of which were even nominated but all of which are better films than Braveheart). Also, Mel Gibson is a racist piece of shit and an abuser – ALLEGEDLY – so fuck him.

**fuck Kevin Spacey, too.

Casper

STARRING: Bill Pullman, Christina Ricci, Cathy Moriarty, Eric Idle, Devon Sawa

WRITTEN BY: Sherri Stoner and Deanna Oliver

DIRECTED BY: Brad Silberling

FUN FACT: The house that stands in for Whipstaff Manor was later used in the Backstreet Boys video “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)” (specifically, the ballroom).

The Bridges of Madison County

STARRING: Meryl Streep, Clint Eastwood

WRITTEN BY: Richard LaGravenese, based on the novel of Robert James Waller

DIRECTED BY: Clint Eastwood

FUN FACT: At one point, Sydney Pollack was attached to direct with Robert Redford playing Robert Kincaid, which would have reunited the two with their Out of Africa leading lady, Meryl Streep.

Safe

STARRING: Julianne Moore, Peter Friedman, Xander Berkeley, Chauncey Leopardi

WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY: Todd Haynes

FUN FACT: Two years before she received her first Academy Award nomination for Boogie Nights, Julianne Moore gave an Oscar-worthy performance as Carol White, a suburban housewife whose unexplained illness could have environmental causes.

Clueless

STARRING: Alicia Silverstone, Paul Rudd, Stacey Dash, Brittany Murphy

WRITTEN BY: Amy Heckerling, loosely based on the novel Emma by Jane Austen

DIRECTED BY: Amy Heckerling

FUN FACT: Alicia Silverstone really didn’t know how to pronounce Haitians. Director Amy Heckerling told the crew not to correct her so they could keep the adorable mispronunciation in the film.

Kids

STARRING: Leo Fitzpatrick, Justin Pierce, Chloë Sevigny, Rosario Dawson

WRITTEN BY: Harmony Korine

DIRECTED BY: Larry Clark

FUN FACT #1: The film, with its raw depictions of teen sex and drug use, earned an NC-17 rating from the MPAA, forcing Miramax to buy the film back from Disney, whose policy forbids the release of NC-17 films.

FUN FACT #2: Although the song doesn’t appear in the movie, Folk Implosion had a minor hit with “Natural One” after it was included on the Kids soundtrack. Folk Implosion, led by Lou Barlow of Dinosaur Jr. and Sebodah fame, also composed the film’s score.

This song is my JAM!

Babe

STARRING: James Cromwell, Magda Szubanski, Christine Cavanaugh as the voice of Babe

WRITTEN BY: George Miller and Chris Noonan, based on the novel The Sheep-Pig (known as Babe, the Gallant Pig in the U.S.) by Dick King-Smith

DIRECTED BY: Chris Noonan

FUN FACT #1: George Miller, architect of the Mad Max franchise, may not seem like the obvious choice to guide a wholesome, G-rated movie about a talking pig, but Babe was a surprise critical and commercial success. At the 68th Academy Awards, it received seven nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actor for James Cromwell. Babe also won the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.

FUN FACT #2: Speaking of Cromwell, Babe made a star out of the consummate character actor. In the years following Babe, Cromwell appeared in iconic films like L.A. Confidential and The Green Mile. He also earned acclaim – and several Emmy nods – for his television roles in ER, Six Feet Under (a personal favorite), American Horror Story, and Succession. Babe also turned the long-time vegetarian into a vegan.

Pop Quiz: Horror & True Crime Edition with Answers and Fun Facts!

ROUND ONE: SERIAL KILLER DATING PROFILES

Law student and Sagittarius. I love skiing and traveling the country in my Volkswagen Beetle. TED BUNDY
I live in Massapequa Park but I commute to mid-town Manhattan for my job as an architect. On the weekends, you’ll find me at Gilgo Beach or building furniture in my workshop. REX HEUERMANN AKA LONG ISLAND SERIAL KILLER
M.D., University of Michigan. Raised in New Hampshire, I currently live in Chicago and own a pharmacy on West 63rd Street. H. H. HOLMES
Army vet and postal worker. My hobbies include playing with my neighbor’s dog and cruising the five boroughs in my Ford Galaxie. DAVID BERKOWITZ AKA SON OF SAM

Ted Bundy with his 1968 Volkswagen Beetle

ROUND TWO: TRUE CRIME MISCELLANY

This pulp magazine, published from 1924 to 1995, shares its name with an Emmy-winning HBO crime series. TRUE DETECTIVE
This true crime book, published two years after the author’s accidental overdose death, is named for a threat made by the Golden State Killer to one of his victims. I’LL BE GONE IN THE DARK BY MICHELLE MCNAMARA
What true crime documentary trilogy details the story of the West Memphis Three, who were convicted of murder based on Satanic Panic, the flimsiest of evidence, and a coerced confession? PARADISE LOST
The 1975 murder of what Greenwich, Connecticut teenager inspired a 1993 Dominick Dunne novel and the pilot episode of the CBS series Cold Case? MARTHA MOXLEY

Becki Newton and Kate Mara in *Cold Case*‘s pilot episode, “Look Again”

In “Look Again”, the pilot episode of the CBS procedural Cold Case, Kate Mara portrays Jill Shelby, a stand-in for Martha Moxley. A few details are changed – the murder weapon is a tennis racquet and not a golf club, for example, and the older brother is the killer instead of the younger – but it’s clear the Moxley case was the inspiration for the episode.

Fifteen-year-old Martha Elizabeth Moxley was last seen in the company of Thomas Skakel on October 30, 1975; Martha’s family lived across the street from the Skakels in Belle Haven, Greenwich. Her body was found the next morning; she’d been beaten and stabbed to death with a golf club. Thomas Skakel was the prime suspect, but his father – who happened to be the brother of Ethel Kennedy, RFK’s widow – refused to allow law enforcement access to his son’s school and mental health records. Without any concrete evidence, the case went cold.

In 1991, during the rape trial of Skakel’s cousin William Kennedy Smith, a rumor surfaced that Smith had been at the Skakel home the night of Moxley’s murder. That rumor was later disproven, but it was enough to reopen the case, and in 2000, an arrest warrant was issued for Michael Skakel, Thomas’ younger brother.

Dominick Dunne began his true crime writing career in 1983, during the trial of the man who murdered his daughter Dominique. Dominique was victim-blamed, and key evidence never made it in front of the jury. As a result, her killer was convicted of manslaughter and served only about two and a half years of a six-year sentence. At the behest of journalist and author Marie Brenner, Dunne kept a journal of the trial; the entries formed the basis of an article titled “Justice: A Father’s Account of the Trial of his Daughter’s Killer”, which was published in the March 1984 issue of Vanity Fair. He later wrote several novels based on real-life events, including A Season in Purgatory, The Two Mrs. Grenvilles, and An Inconvenient Woman.

*A Season in Purgatory* was a fictionalized account of the Martha Moxley murder

ROUND THREE: FLANAVERSE FAVORITES (MATCHING ROUND)

Match the roles (numbers 1-7) to the Flanaverse favorite (letters A-G)

1. Leigh Crain, Tamerlane Usher, Bev Keane D. SAMANTHA SLOYAN

2. Frederick Usher, The Bartender/Jack Torrance, Ed Flynn G. HENRY THOMAS

3. The Storyteller/Older Jamie, Verna, Olivia Crain F. CARLA GUGINO

4. Sheriff Hassan, Owen Sharma, Napoleon Usher A. RAHUL KOHLI

5. Young Roderick Usher, Mark, Riley Flynn C. ZACH GILFORD

6. Clara Dudley, Eliza Usher, Dr. Sarah Gunning B. ANNABETH GISH

7. Erin Greene, Theo Crain, Viola Willoughby/The Lady of the Lake E. KATE SIEGEL

ROUND FOUR: SERIAL KILLERS, AS PLAYED BY…

Daniel Zovatto in Woman of the Hour RODNEY ALCALA AKA THE DATING GAME KILLER
Cameron Britton in Mindhunter EDMUND KEMPER
Charlize Theron in Monster AILEEN WUORNOS
Zach Villa in American Horror Story: 1984 RICHARD RAMIREZ AKA THE NIGHT STALKER

Cameron Britton as Edmund Kemper on Netflix’s *Mindhunter*

ROUND FIVE: HAUNTED HOUSES (PICTURE ROUND)

Name the movie or television series by a picture of its haunted house

ROUND SIX: MURDER SONGS

This 2020 country-pop murder ballad was credited with giving the Olive Garden restaurant chain a boost in buzz. NO BODY, NO CRIME BY TAYLOR SWIFT & HAIM
What alliterative AC/DC song lists all the ways a contract killer can dispose of your problem, whether a cheating spouse or a handsy high school principal? DIRTY DEEDS DONE DIRT CHEAP
This 1995 PJ Harvey song, about a woman drowning her daughter, was nominated for the Best Female Rock Vocal Performance Grammy Award. DOWN BY THE WATER
The chorus of this 1977 Talking Heads single, their first to reach the Billboard Hot 100, includes a French phrase that translates to “What is it?” PSYCHO KILLER

ROUND SEVEN: SCREAM QUEENS

This actress, the mother of another iconic scream queen, received a Golden Globe award and an Oscar nomination for a 1960 horror classic. JANET LEIGH
What modern-day scream queen has played characters named Sadie Harper, Regan MacNeil, and Natalie Scatorccio? SOPHIE THATCHER
Along with her husband, David LeRoy Anderson, this ’80s scream queen created special makeup effects for films like 2004’s Dawn of the Dead and 2012’s Cabin in the Woods. HEATHER LANGENKAMP
Among this scream queen’s credits are The Babysitter, Ash vs Evil Dead, Scream VI, and Ready or Not. SAMARA WEAVING

Sophie Thatcher as Regan MacNeil on *The Exorcist* (2016)

ROUND EIGHT: MICHIGAN MURDERS

On March 9, 1995, Jonathan Schmitz murdered Scott Amedure three days after Amedure professed his crush on Schmitz during a taping of what tabloid talk show? THE JENNY JONES SHOW
In 1974, this crime novelist and his common-law wife were murdered in their Highland Park apartment; the case remains unsolved. DONALD GOINES
In 1967, amid the 12th Street race riots, three black teens were killed by police at what Detroit motel? ALGIERS
In 1975, seven female sex workers were murdered in the Cass Corridor neighborhood of Detroit. The killer, who remains unidentified, was given what nickname based on evidence and testimony that he had large hands and feet? THE BIGFOOT KILLER

TIE-BREAKER: HORROR FRANCHISE MATH

Total number of films in the Saw franchise PLUS total number of Hellraiser movies PLUS total number of seasons of American Horror Story MINUS total number of films in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre series. (10 + 11 + 12 – 9 = 24)

Pop Quiz: Horror & True Crime Edition

I was honored to host a private event recently, a fundraiser for my cousin’s true crime and horror bookstore (https://www.deadtimestoriesbooks.com/). Printer problems meant the players couldn’t play the game exactly as I’d intended, but I think (HOPE) everyone had a great time nonetheless; I know I did!

So here is the full quiz as written. I’ll publish the answers with fun facts later.

ROUND ONE: SERIAL KILLER DATING PROFILES

Law student and Sagittarius. I love skiing and traveling the country in my Volkswagen Beetle.
I live in Massapequa Park but I commute to mid-town Manhattan for my job as an architect. On the weekends, you’ll find me at Gilgo Beach or building furniture in my workshop.
M.D., University of Michigan. Raised in New Hampshire, I currently live in Chicago and own a pharmacy on West 63rd Street.
Army vet and postal worker. My hobbies include playing with my neighbor’s dog and cruising the five boroughs in my Ford Galaxie.

ROUND TWO: TRUE CRIME MISCELLANY

This pulp magazine, published from 1924 to 1995, shares its name with an Emmy-winning HBO crime series.
This true crime book, published two years after the author’s accidental overdose death, is named for a threat made by the Golden State Killer to one of his victims.
What true crime documentary trilogy details the story of the West Memphis Three, who were convicted of murder based on Satanic Panic, the flimsiest of evidence, and a coerced confession?
The 1975 murder of what Greenwich, Connecticut teenager inspired a 1993 Dominick Dunne novel and the pilot episode of the CBS series Cold Case?

ROUND THREE: FLANAVERSE FAVORITES (MATCHING ROUND)

Match the roles (numbers 1-7) to the Flanaverse favorite (letters A-G)

1. Leigh Crain, Tamerlane Usher, Bev Keane

2. Frederick Usher, The Bartender/Jack Torrance, Ed Flynn

3. The Storyteller/Older Jamie, Verna, Olivia Crain

4. Sheriff Hassan, Owen Sharma, Napoleon Usher

5. Young Roderick Usher, Mark, Riley Flynn

6. Clara Dudley, Eliza Usher, Dr. Sarah Gunning

7. Erin Greene, Theo Crain, Viola Willoughby/The Lady of the Lake

A. Rahul Kohli

B. Annabeth Gish

C. Zach Gilford

D. Samantha Sloyan

E. Kate Siegel

F. Carla Gugino

G. Henry Thomas

ROUND FOUR: SERIAL KILLERS, AS PLAYED BY…

Daniel Zovatto in Woman of the Hour
Cameron Britton in Mindhunter
Charlize Theron in Monster
Zach Villa in American Horror Story: 1984

Cameron Britton in Netflix’s *Mindhunter*

ROUND FIVE: HAUNTED HOUSES (PICTURE ROUND)

Name the movie or television series by a picture of its haunted house

ROUND SIX: MURDER SONGS

This 2020 country-pop murder ballad was credited with giving the Olive Garden restaurant chain a boost in buzz.
What alliterative AC/DC song lists all the ways a contract killer can dispose of your problem, whether a cheating spouse or a handsy high school principal?
This 1995 PJ Harvey song, about a woman drowning her daughter, was nominated for the Best Female Rock Vocal Performance Grammy Award.
The chorus of this 1977 Talking Heads single, their first to reach the Billboard Hot 100, includes a French phrase that translates to “What is it?”

ROUND SEVEN: SCREAM QUEENS

This actress, the mother of another iconic scream queen, received a Golden Globe award and an Oscar nomination for a 1960 horror classic.
What modern-day scream queen has played characters named Sadie Harper, Regan MacNeil, and Natalie Scatorccio?
Along with her husband, David LeRoy Anderson, this ’80s scream queen created special makeup effects for films like 2004’s Dawn of the Dead and 2012’s Cabin in the Woods.
Among this scream queen’s credits are The Babysitter, Ash vs Evil Dead, Scream VI, and Ready or Not.

??? as Regan MacNeil on *The Exorcist* (2016)

ROUND EIGHT: MICHIGAN MURDERS

On March 9, 1995, Jonathan Schmitz murdered Scott Amedure three days after Amedure professed his crush on Schmitz during a taping of what tabloid talk show?
In 1974, this crime novelist and his common-law wife were murdered in their Highland Park apartment; the case remains unsolved.
In 1967, amid the 12th Street race riots, three black teens were killed by police at what Detroit motel?
In 1975, seven female sex workers were murdered in the Cass Corridor neighborhood of Detroit. The killer, who remains unidentified, was given what nickname based on evidence and testimony that he had large hands and feet?

TIE-BREAKER: HORROR FRANCHISE MATH

Quick Hits: April 24

I am taking a step back from trivia while I work out some technical issues, which means I can devote some time to my other love, blogging. Thanks to everyone who has supported me during this hectic time! The blog has definitely taken a backseat of late; one of these days, perhaps I’ll figure out how to juggle it all.

#1 Record – Big Star

#1 Record by Big Star was released on this day in 1972. If the name doesn’t ring a bell, you’re not alone. Power pop pioneers Big Star, though critically acclaimed, never achieved the album sales they deserved; #1 Record sold less than 10,000 copies in its first pressing. Cult status came later. If you’ve never listened to #1 Record, you’re in for a treat. “Thirteen”, a poignant ode to first love in all its bittersweetness, is the album’s standout track and one of my all-time favorite songs.

FUN FACT #1: In 1967, when he was just 16, Big Star singer-songwriter Alex Chilton and his band The Box Tops topped the Billboard Hot 100 with “The Letter”. They went to #2 with “Cry Like a Baby” the following year.

FUN FACT #2: “In the Street” is one of the album’s better-known songs, thanks to its use as the theme song for That 70s Show. The creators originally wanted to use “Surrender” by Cheap Trick but couldn’t afford the rights. They settled for Cheap Trick singing “In the Street”, with a nod to “Surrender” and its refrain of “We’re all alright, we’re all alright”.

FUN FACT #3: I was introduced to Big Star via my teenage love of The Replacements’ song “Alex Chilton”, taken from their brilliant 1987 album Pleased to Meet Me. That album was recorded at Ardent Studios in Memphis, Chilton’s hometown. Chilton was present during some of the sessions and even played guest guitar on “Can’t Hardly Wait”.

The White Lotus

Sam Nivola, Sarah Catherine Hook and Patrick Schwarzenegger

There are no spoilers here, but I am still reeling from the 1-2-3 punch of the most recent episodes of The White Lotus, Yellowjackets, and The Last of Us. I just finished binging all three seasons of The White Lotus for the first time. It took me a while to decipher the tone of the show; after the first three episodes of season one, I wasn’t sure I even wanted to continue watching. I’m glad I hung in there because seasons two and three were AMAZING! If you’re looking for social satire disguised as murder mystery, The White Lotus is the cream of the crop. I hope Mike White gives us a dozen more seasons. They’re currently scouting locations for season four; indications are that a return to Europe is likely.

FUN FACT: Sam Nivola and Patrick Schwarzenegger are both nepo babies. Schwarzenegger is the son of Arnold and his ex-wife Maria Shriver, which means he’s also 1/4 Kennedy. Nivola, meanwhile, is the child of actors Alessandro Nivola and Emily Mortimer.

Yellowjackets

In contrast to The White Lotus, which I consumed over a couple weeks, I’ve been a rabid fan of Yellowjackets since it premiered in the fall of 2021. I’ve obsessed over every detail; the casting, the symbolism, the music. Who was “Pit Girl” and who was “Antler Queen”? When and how will they be rescued? Season two lost its way a bit, but recovered for the sixth episode, “Qui”, AKA “The One Where Teenage Shauna Gives Birth”. On the other hand, season three was completely unhinged from minute one – in the best possible way. I loved every moment of it.

The Last of Us

Nope. Too soon.

Richard Donner

Richard Donner and Marlon Brando on the set of *Superman*

Filmmaker Richard Donner would have celebrated his 95th birthday today. Irascible but soft-hearted, Donner was responsible for several of the most iconic movies of my lifetime, among them The Omen, Superman, The Goonies, and Lethal Weapon.

FUN FACT: Had Columbia TriStar won the rights to the 1990 Michael Crichton novel of the same name, Donner would have directed Jurassic Park.

Wednesday

Netflix just dropped a tantalizing teaser for season two of Wednesday, which will debut in two parts on August 6 and September 3. This is definitely one of my most highly anticipated series of the year.

The films of 1976

On this day in 1976, American moviegoers were flocking to theaters to see The Bad News Bears (below, left), All the President’s Men (below, center), and Family Plot (below, right), the final film directed by Alfred Hitchcock.

The Life of Chuck

Tom Hiddleston as Chuck Krantz in *The Life of Chuck*

Based on the Stephen King novella of the same name, Mike Flanagan’s The Life of Chuck will hit theaters in June. The film, which won the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival in September, is being compared favorably to iconic King adaptations like The Shawshank Redemption, Stand By Me, and The Green Mile. As a huge fan of both Flanagan and King, this is an absolute must-see for me.

FUN FACT: The Life of Chuck is actually the third King adaption directed by Flanagan. He previously helmed 2017’s Gerald’s Game and 2019’s Doctor Sleep.

Lost, “The Shape of Things to Come”

On this day in 2008, ABC aired the season four episode of Lost titled “The Shape of Things to Come”. Michael Emerson, who played Ben Linus on the series, earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama for his performance in this episode, in which Linus witnesses the shocking execution of his island daughter Alex. He lost to Damages‘ Željko Ivanek, but took home the prize the following year.

FUN FACT: “The Shape of Things to Come” takes its title from the 1933 H.G. Wells novel of the same name.

Emerson received all the accolades, but Tania Raymond (Alex) and Kevin Durand (Keamy) also crush it in this scene

Pop Quiz Answers: Oscar Edition

BY THE NUMBERS

Three films have won the “Big 5” awards (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actor, and Best Actress) – 1934’s It Happened One Night, 1975’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, and what 1991 serial killer thriller? Answer: The Silence of the Lambs
Three films are tied for most Oscar wins (11) for a single motion picture – 1959’s Ben-Hur, 1997’s Titanic, and what 2003 fantasy adventure, the final film in a highly successful franchise directed by Peter Jackson? Answer: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
What animator and film producer received the most nominations (59) AND wins (22) by an individual in Oscar history? Answer: Walt Disney
Three films are tied for most nominations (14) for a single motion picture – 1950’s All About Eve, Titanic (again), and what 2016 romantic musical that won Best Picture (for about a minute and a half)? BONUS QUESTION: This film is the third collaboration between its leads. Name either of the other movies in which the two co-star. Answer: La La Land (BONUS: Crazy, Stupid, Love or Gangster Squad)

WHAT A DEBUT

What actor and filmmaker won the Best Director prize for his debut, 1980’s Ordinary People? Answer: Robert Redford
Later nominated for his roles in American History X and Birdman, this actor received his first nod for his feature film debut in 1996’s Primal Fear. Answer: Edward Norton
What True Blood actress took home the Best Supporting Actress award at age 11 for her first screen appearance in 1993’s The Piano? BONUS QUESTION: Name her female co-star, who earned the Best Actress prize for her performance. Answer: Anna Paquin (BONUS: Holly Hunter)
Screenwriter Alan Ball and director Sam Mendes both won for their debut, this 1999 dark comedy that also won Best Picture and Best Actor for Kevin Spacey. Answer: American Beauty

OSCAR RECORDS

In 1979, eight-year-old Justin Henry became the youngest nominee ever, earning a Best Supporting Actor nod for his role in what divorce drama? BONUS QUESTION: Henry’s on-screen parents took home the Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress awards for their performances. Name either one. Answer: Kramer vs. Kramer (BONUS: Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep)
This composer, known for his work with Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, has the most Oscar nominations of any living person (and the second-most in history) with 54. Answer: John Williams
Katharine Hepburn holds the record for most Best Actress wins with four. In second place is not who you might think (Meryl Streep) but this woman, who won her first Oscar for 1996’s Fargo. Answer: Frances McDormand
The only person to win both an Oscar and an Olympic medal is what late five-time NBA champion? Answer: Kobe Bryant

ALL IN THE FAMILY

Twice in Oscar history, family members have earned nominations for the same film: Laura Dern and Diane Ladd for 1991’s Rambling Rose, and Henry and Jane Fonda for what 1981 drama? Answer: On Golden Pond
Four members of the Coppola family have won Oscars: Carmine, Francis Ford, Sofia, and this actor who uses a stage name and won Best Actor for 1995’s Leaving Las Vegas. Answer: Nicolas Cage
This actress won in the supporting category in 1999 for Girl, Interrupted; her father, Jon Voight, won the Best Actor award for the 1978 Vietnam War romantic drama Coming Home. Answer: Angelina Jolie
This “Bad Guy” singer and her brother Finneas O’Connell have won two Academy Awards for Best Original Song, for “No Time to Die” and “What Was I Made For?”. BONUS QUESTION: For what 2023 fantasy comedy did the siblings win their second Oscar? Answer: Billie Eilish (BONUS: Barbie)

BEST ORIGINAL SONG BY DECADE (USE EACH ONCE – 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s)

“Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do)”, “Up Where We Belong”, “Take My Breath Away” Answer: 1980s
“Lose Yourself”, “It’s Hard out Here for a Pimp”, “Jai Ho” BONUS QUESTION: Name any one of the films for which these songs were written. Answer: 2000s (BONUS: 8 Mile, Hustle & Flow, Slumdog Millionaire)
“Theme from Shaft”, “The Way We Were”, “You Light Up My Life” Answer: 1970s
“Beauty and the Beast”, “Streets of Philadelphia”, “My Heart Will Go On” Answer: 1990s

WHICH ONE WON? (WHICH PERFORMANCE WON THE GIVEN ACTOR AN OSCAR?)

Jennifer Lawrence – American Hustle, Silver Linings Playbook, Joy BONUS QUESTION: What filmmaker directed all three of these films, as well as The Fighter and Three Kings? Answer: Silver Linings Playbook (BONUS: David O. Russell)
Robert De Niro – Taxi Driver, The Deer Hunter, Raging Bull Answer: Raging Bull
Denzel Washington – Cry Freedom, Glory, Malcolm X Answer: Glory
Katharine Hepburn – Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, The Lion in Winter, Morning Glory Answer: Trick question, she won for all of them.

PIXAR ANIMATED FEATURES (FINAL QUESTION)

Between 2000 and 2009, five Pixar films took home the Oscar for Best Animated Feature. Name one. Answers: Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Ratatouille, WALL-E, Up)