A Trivia Nerd's Dream

My life is fairly stressful, not a whole lot of "me" time. So I like to devote as much of my free time as possible to good old-fashioned silliness. My intellectual side is generally satisfied by my job, my often dour coursework & an occasional serious book.

The fun part of me wants to read funny books & watch stupid-silly movies. Nary a day goes by that I don't quote The Simpsons. I'm one of those annoying people who frequently reference movies most popular with teenage boys. I have successfully surrounded myself with like-minded people who share my love of all things ridiculous.

And I love trivia, although I'm not really a force to be reckoned with in that arena. Have I also mentioned that I'm sometimes the last to know about cool stuff, since I'm often in my own little world?

You're probably wondering why I'm boring you with this. Well, I've recently made a delightful discovery: The Internet Movie Database is chock full of cool trivia & quotes. And it's not limited to movies but includes your favorite television shows as well.

I may not always have time to sit down & watch an old favorite, so IMD lets me steal a moment to relive the funniest scenes & the best lines. It's also inspired some unique & sure-to-be-appreciated gift ideas this Christmas season.

Some of the pages I've recently visited:

Quotes from CB4, one funny movie. Chris Rock, Phil Hartman & Chris Elliot -- could anyone poke fun at gangster rap, right-wing conservatives & clueless wannabes better? Well, no.

Airheads is a cameo-laden exercise in stupidity & I absolutely love it. All of your favorites are here, from the obscure (Ed & His Dead Mother) to the classics (Animal House, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Caddyshack) and the contemporary goofs (Billy Madison, Dodgeball, Old School, Happy Gilmore).

Goodfellas is one of my personal favorites but I'd also like to call attention to one of the most underrated gangster flicks of all time: New Jack City. Memorable line from Nino Brown, referring to his girlfriend: "Cancel that bitch. I'll buy another one." Love it.

Cruel Intentions is totally underrated as well. This story has everything & is no-holds-barred cruel to everyone. An exercise in sarcasm & satire but very entertaining indeed. Great Quote from Cecile: "He took down my pants & started writing the alphabet but he was writing it with his tongue!"

In addition to the entertainment value, I'm learning stuff as well -- useless stuff, my absolute most favorite kind of knowledge.

For the Scrubs fans out there, did you know that (916) Call-Turk is a real number? A voicemail recording is set up to give you the latest information about the show. The cell phone is normally lying around the set & is occasionally answered by cast or crew members who enjoy chatting with fans.

So next time you need a laugh or just a few minutes respite from the world, give it a try.