We all have that one movie that defines our childhood and solidifies the epicenter of your humor. For me, that movie is Dumb and Dumber, which is celebrating its 25th Anniversary this year. This film is written, directed, and produced by the Farrelly brothers and starring my OG crush Jim Carrey and the brilliant Jeff Daniels. I saw the movie when I was 7 years old, which is probably WAY too young for the content in the film, but trust me, most of the PG-13 and R-rated bits went right over my head.

Growing up, my family’s vernacular heavily consisted of quotes from the movie including “Harry, I took care of it.” and “You are one pathetic loser.” and “We got no jobs, we got no food…our pets HEADS ARE FALLING OFF!” and “I like it A LOT.” and “So you’re telling me there’s a chance…YES!” and “I hate goodbyes!” and “Want to hear the most annoying sound in the world?” and “That’s a lovely accent…New Jersey?” There were always bonus points if you could do the right inflection and Jim Carrey facial expression to go along with the words.

The plot of the movie tells “the story of Lloyd Christmas (Carrey) and Harry Dunne (Daniels), two dumb but well-meaning friends from Providence, Rhode Island, who set out on a cross-country trip to Aspen, Colorado, to return a briefcase full of money to its owner, thinking it was abandoned as a mistake but was actually left as ransom money.”1

As silly as the plot and characters get, the biggest draw of the movie is the relationship and comedic timing of Daniels and Carrey. Even though the two of them are utter buffoons in the movie, you can’t help but to root for them to end up happy.

In an interview earlier this year, Jeff Daniels said that the biggest reason he wanted the role in the film was to play alongside Jim Carrey. “Look who I get to react to. Jim is a comedic genius… There were comedians that wanted it, but he wanted an actor that would make him listen because he knew it was ping-pong, it was back and forth,” Daniels explained. “So I just let him lead, and [Daniels’ character] Harry Dunne was like on a half-second delay to whatever [Carrey’s character] Lloyd would do.”2

There’s something sacred about having a movie hold up the foundation of your comedic heart. I love that my family watches Dumb & Dumber together like some people flip through old photo albums. We still crack up at our favorite parts even though we know every scene verbatim. We say the dialogue a split second before it’s uttered, catching each other’s eyes and grinning like we’re in on the best kind of secret. And maybe we are.

Happy 25th Anniversary to one of my all-time favorite and most quoted movie, Dumb and Dumber!

You can find Dumb and Dumber in our Library collection here.

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Imagine the ultimate fantasy tournament bracket: 64 champions from your favorite fandoms facing off in a series of one-on-one battles. Wizards versus warriors, mental versus physical powers, humans versus … whatever Kirby is. No, this couldn’t happen in real life, but over the past 3 weeks we collected votes from the public via online poll and paper ballots to decide the outcomes.

Rounds 1 and 2 took place all online, winnowing the field to a Sweet 16. For the day of Fandom Fest, August 17, we counted votes online and in-house for Rounds 3, 4, and 5. By the end of that day, we had selected the top two champions to face off in the FINAL battle…

All this past week, fans have voted in-person and online and we have our victor…

The initial field of 64 champions were selected by high school intern Liza Kolesnik, members of the Teen Advisory Board, and myself; with some input from the Fandom Fest committee. Three different drafts of the 64-seed bracket were produced before the final selections were made. We wanted to include women, people of color, LGBTQ people, and people with disabilities.

With so many genres (fantasy, sci-fi, videogames, Anime, etc.) and fandoms (Star Wars, Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, Doctor Who, etc.) suggested, we had hard cuts to make. We couldn’t include every hero, anti-hero and villain that we love (or love to hate), and had to leave out some favorite fandoms. While we considered characters from the popular Critical Role podcast, for instance, we ultimately cut them. No one from The Walking Dead or The Expanse (if you have not watched this amazing series then DO IT NOW!) made the cut, either.

Congratulations, Iron Man! You may not see yourself as a hero, with your laundry list of character defects, public mistakes, and damaged heart, but we love you 3000. May you reign with confidence until our next Fandom Fest.

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Greetings creatives, tinkerers, dreamers, artists, and makers! We are happy to welcome you to the Creative Studio Maker Space, now open at the Library.

This collaborative space is for you to use to learn creative software, try out an idea, pick up a new hobby, create a one-of-a-kind gift, or expand on the skills you’ve gained in one of our crafting classes. If you’re thinking, what can I even make in the space, the answer is…whatever you can dream up!

The Maker Space includes the following and more!

• Laser Cutter
  Create a masterpiece in the Inkscape software and laser cut items like your own acrylic luggage tag, a wooden bookmark, or personalized signs for your garden!
• Embroidery Machine
  Love putting your initials on stuff? Well, boy howdy is this the machine for you! Choose from a plethora of preset designs on the machine or customize one of your own. We have thread available for you to use in so many colors it makes rainbows look dull.
• 3D Printer
  There really are endless possibilities when it comes to printing a 3D model of something. For ideas to get you started, check out Thingiverse or design your own creation with Tinkercad! When you’re ready to print, you can submit a job here.
• Silhouette Cameo Cutting Machine
  Whether it’s creating a design for a mug, t-shirt, wooden sign, mailbox, popcorn bowl, or really any surface that isn’t water, the Silhouette Cameo has you covered! Using the Silhouette Studio software and Cameo cutter, you’ll design and print your project on vinyl. And spoiler alert, the vinyl comes in so many fun colors and patterns, that you could spend days trying to decide which one to use!
• Button Maker
  Give some pizzazz to a backpack, lanyard, or jacket with custom-made buttons! Making buttons is a fun and quick way to showcase your humor, support for a group or cause, or love of a fandom.
• Heat Press
  Who doesn’t love being around a super-hot square contraption that looks like it would make a mean grilled cheese? The heat press is great for those projects like making a photo-t-shirt or using the heat transfer vinyl on a tote bag.
• Poster Printer
  When an 8.5×11 piece of paper won’t cut it for your project, we have a large poster printer that can handle jobs for larger banners and images. For more information and how to submit a job today, click here.
• Janome Sewing Machines
  Hem your own pants, repurpose an old t-shirt, or make a throw pillow for a housewarming gift! There are sew (see what I did there?) many projects you can do with the sewing machine. We have scraps for you to practice on, but for larger projects, you will need to bring in your own fabric.

The Maker Space is open to everyone ages 13 and up! We encourage you to explore the Maker Space, watch YouTube tutorials, check out Creativebug, attend one of our crafting classes, and browse Etsy and Pinterest for project ideas.

Our hours of operation are Tuesday-Thursday 1-8 p.m., Fridays 1-6 p.m., and Saturdays 10 a.m.- 4 p.m.

So the only question is, what will you create in the Maker Space?

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