Actors are a superstitious lot. For example, productions of Macbeth have a history of injuries and deaths, so to ward off bad luck, actors usually refer to it as “the Scottish play.” Here are some other theater superstitions. Leave the Light On Some theaters are old and dingy places, perfect haunts for ghosts. So it’s […]
The new fall TV season is gearing up. While a lot of new shows are getting a lot of buzz, the following shows aren’t—because they only filmed a single “pilot” episode and were rejected by the major broadcast networks. COVER GIRLS They’re a team of attractive women…and they’re also undercover secret agents. No, it’s not […]
We at the BRI have an insatiable appetite for finding misinformation, including these food myths. French Fries Myth: French fries aren’t really French—they’re Belgian. Truth: Fried, salted potato strips did originally come from Belgium (they were introduced to America by soldiers returning home from World War I). But French fries are also French. How so? […]
Uncle John knows pretty much everything—and if he doesn’t, he puts one of his many researchers on the case. So go ahead: In the comments below, ask Uncle John anything. (And if we answer your question sometime, we’ll send you a free book!) Why is it considered bad to wear white after Labor Day? Our […]
Accidents can happen at work, even on movie sets. Or, if you’re Academy Award-winning actress Halle Berry, especially on movie sets. The actress has incurred a remarkable number of (thankfully) minor injuries during the filmmaking process. Die Another Day Berry portrayed Jinx, an NSA agent in this 2002 James Bond movie. While filming an action […]
Neanderthals were a race of hominids that developed alongside early humans. They first appeared in Africa about 700,000 years ago and slowly migrated into Europe and the Middle East. They shared almost all the same genetic classifications with Homo sapiens (us), but differed in the final category, species (Homo neanderthalensis). After about 40,000 years of […]
Sure, Labor Day is great—it celebrates the workin’ folks and a lot of us get the day off. But what other holidays does September offer? Plenty…if you consider these observances to be “holidays” Sept. 1: Emma M. Nutt Day It’s a celebration of an important woman with a fantastic name. Nutt was the first female […]
Since it opened in Universal Studios Orlando last winter, Williams of Hollywood Prop Shops has offered for sale parts and pieces of rides that have been closed down or revamped. That makes for some one-of-a-kind (and very expensive) souvenirs. One of the most memorable parts of the 1996 disaster movie Twister was a very angry […]
That headline is not a joke. There’s something weird going on in Scandinavia that involves reindeer, and unfortunately it doesn’t involve Santa, red noses, or delivering presents to all the children of the world. Here’s a freak story of the powerful effects of weather and electricity. A recent thunderstorm in Norway killed 323 reindeer (including […]
Of course, every dog is special—especially yours. But the following dog breeds are truly one of a kind. Has a Nose That Can be Used in Court Bloodhounds, of course. They’re so good at following a scent—either to people or pieces of evidence—that whatever they find is admissible in criminal cases throughout the United States. […]
Beloved comic actor and writer Gene Wilder passed away this week at age 83. Here’s some stuff you may not have known about “Dr. Frankenstein,” “The Waco Kid,” and “Leo Bloom.” Wilder portrayed the title character in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, but he doesn’t appear until about halfway into the movie. Suspense and […]
Uncle John knows pretty much everything—and if he doesn’t, he heads his massive research library, or puts one of his many associates on the case. So go ahead: In the comments below, ask Uncle John anything. (And if we answer your question sometime, we’ll send you a free book!) Why do some imitation flavors, particularly […]
We usually associate the word “spinoff” with TV shows—Frasier was a spinoff of Cheers, or Laverne & Shirley was a spinoff of Happy Days, for example. But it’s an idea used in the world of restaurants, too. Or at least it was—as these three spinoffs of a very famous fast food brand all flopped. Ollie’s […]
Stagecoach travel has been glamorized by Hollywood: a handsome hero in an immaculate white shirt and string necktie, and a neatly coiffured heroine swaying gently as the stage races across the prairie. Romantic? Yes. Truthful? No. Stagecoaches didn’t race—good drivers averaged 5 mph. And passengers arrived covered with dust and aching from the bone-rattling journey. […]
Let the winning streaks and championships and longest time without a championship get the headlines. Here are some of the briefest things in pro sports history. Team with the shortest time in the NFL Based in a suburb of Buffalo, New York, the Tonawanda Lumbermen (also known as the Kardex and Lumberjacks) played in the […]
If you think this year’s presidential election has brought out people’s animal instincts, then you probably don’t live in a town that elected an actual animal to be its mayor. Stubbs In 1997, the manager of Nagley’s General Story in Talkeetna, Alaska (population: 876) found a box of abandoned kittens in the store’s parking lot […]
They’ve closed up shop in Rio, and all we’re left with are the memories…and these oddities specific to this year’s Olympics. Swimmers and divers skilled enough to compete in the Olympics are probably the least likely people on Earth to drown in a pool, and yet at the Rio Olympics they were watched over by […]
If you find this page bad and not a thriller, Uncle John respectfully suggests that you beat it. “You Are Not Alone” Released in 1995, it was the first song ever to debut at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. “Scream” Jackson was a devout Jehovah’s Witness and steadfastly refused to use profanity. “Scream,” […]
