Dear Friends of the Pub Quiz,
One of the bonus benefits of being your Quizmaster is all the incidental research that I get to conduct as I write 31 original questions for you every week. I would say that this work has made me more attentive to my surroundings, to the overheard conversations of strangers, and to the associations that present themselves (and that I record using a variety of means) as I go about my week. This past Saturday, for instance, I gave a public lecture at the Roseville Public Library on the 1995 novel Wonder Boys by Michael Chabon, as well as the film that the novel inspired. We focused on the film, a Michael Douglas vehicle that the critics enjoyed but which was largely unwatched by American filmgoers. Taking place in Pittsburgh, and featuring music by Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan, it’s the only film that has ever presented the future Spider Man (actor Toby McGuire) in bed with the future Iron Man (actor Robert Downey, Jr.). I took mental and actual notes wile presenting the film on Saturday, and I am sure that everything I mentioned above will appear in a future Pub Quiz question (though not this week, for usually I let such question topics incubate while I consider the arrangement and wording of questions for a Monday night). Is there a film that you have seen multiple times that you feel has been unfairly underrepresented on the Pub Quiz?
Tonight you can expect multiple questions about movies, sports, and internet culture. Expect also to have your understanding of the following topics tested: scandals, The Matrix, bunnies, hair, wartime presidents, Miami in music, actresses who you might be surprised to discover are still alive, college basketball, salt, Academy-Award-winning actors, X-Men, members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Zooey Deschanel, Harry Potter, Hummer rivets, the oceans of the world, Woodland history, daily newspapers, British masterpieces, cruel Aprils, art history, revolutions, KDVS (which has its fundraiser from April 18th to 24th), Latin phrases, Spanish lyrics, physics, the confluence of local roads, Stephen King as a metaphor, South Africa, successful pitchers, pit bulls and other dogs, Shakespeare, sons and lovers, and Chinatown.
The sell-out crowds of the last couple weeks have further boosted the energy of the Pub Quiz. When we have more people, I make sure that we give away an 8th place prize (another bottle of wine), and I often reward a team (for my own whimsical reasons, usually noisy enthusiasm) with a bonus serving of sweet potato fries. If any of this appeals to you, I hope you will join us tonight.
Your Quizmaster
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Here are five questions from last week’s quiz:
1. Mottos and Slogans. “Fresh Italian Cooking” is the commercial slogan of mall food court restaurant chain that has recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection? Name it.
2. Internet Culture. In the US, what is the name of the automated music recommendation service that is custodian of the Music Genome Project?
3. Newspaper Headlines. What American company announced today that it plans to hire 50,000 workers in one day, thus taking an even larger bite out of the unemployment rate?
4. Four for Four. Which of the following, if any, was a Greek hero who was the son Zeus? Achilles, Heracles, Memphis, Perseus.
5. Actors and Actresses. What 30-year-old Academy Award-nominated actor appeared in City Slickers in the 1991, Donnie Darko in 2001, and Source Code in 2011?
Friends of the Pub Quiz, and those curious about all the fun and fuss associated with the Pub Quiz, should come to de Vere’s Irish Pub in Davis (217 E Street), the highly esteemed pub and restaurant that fills up every night because of the superb quality of food, drink and company that can be found there. The de Vere’s Irish Pub Pub Quiz takes place every Monday at 7pm, though players are encouraged to arrive early to claim a table. As always, find out more about the Pub Quiz by visiting https://www.yourquizmaster.com. For more on de Vere’s Irish Pub, visit http://deverespub.com/.