Another Wednesday, another packed house at Time Rift Arcade for Trivia Night. This week we threw four wildly different categories at the room: Harry Potter, Men in Black, The Big Bang Theory, and a deep dive into the 1990s. Wizards, aliens, physicists, and free AOL discs all in one night. The scoreboard took a beating and a few overconfident tables got humbled. Here’s how it all went down.
Harry Potter Trivia Recap
We opened the night at Hogwarts, and it didn’t take long to find out who actually read the books and who just “saw the movies once.” The early questions lulled a few tables into a false sense of confidence before the deep cuts showed up and started taking names. Wands out.
Q1: What position does Harry play on the Gryffindor Quidditch team?
A1: Seeker
Q2: Which character is more concerned about being expelled than being killed?
A2: Hermione
Q3: What sort of animal is Hedwig?
A3: Owl
Q4: What magical object tells students which Hogwarts house they belong in?
A4: Sorting hat
Q5: Which London train station is home to Platform 9 ¾ for the hogwarts express?
A5: King’s Cross Station
Q6: Ultimately, who’s side was Snape really on, Voldemort or Dumbledore?
A6: Dumbledorf
Q7: The spell known as Expelliarmus is meant to do what function?
A7: Disarm
Q8: Ron Weasley had a pet named Scabbers. What sort of animal was it?
A8: Rat
Q9: What creature guards the Chamber of Secrets?
A9: Basilisk
Q10: Who teaches Potions during most of Harry’s years at Hogwarts?
A10: Severus Snape
Q11: What is the name of Hagrid’s giant cowardly dog?
A11: Fang
Q12: What magical map shows everyone’s location inside Hogwarts?
A12: Marauder’s Map
Q13: What is the name of Voldemort’s snake?
A13: Nagini
Q14: Which house-elf was originally owned by the Malfoy family?
A14: Dobby
Q15: What is the name of the village located near Hogwarts where students can visit on weekends?
A15: Hogsmeade
Q16: The core of Harry Potter and Voldemort’s wands are feathers that come from the same bird. What sort of bird was it?
A16: Phoenix
Q17: Harry Potter received a prequel of sorts with the Fantastic Beasts movies. How many were made?
A17: 3
Q18: Not featured in the movies, but heavily featured in the books were a type of magical creature, which Malfoy once described as “who wouldn’t want pets that can burn, sting, and bite all at once?” What were they called?
A18: Blast ended skrewts
Q19: Of the 3 main characters, Harry, Ron, and Hermione, only one of them was raised in the wizarding world. Which one was it?
A19: Ron
Q20: Who was the first person Harry met that could also see the Thestrals?
A20: Luna Lovegood
Men in Black Trivia Recap
From Hogwarts to headquarters, we traded wands for neuralyzers and aimed at the stars. This round rewarded the people who didn’t just catch the first movie on cable but actually stuck around for the sequels. The easy points went fast, then the deep cuts came out swinging and a few tables got flushed. Last dignified act, anyone?
Q1: When MIB headquarters is compromised, it fills with water and transports people to safety far outside the building. What is this process called?
A1: Being Flushed
Q2: Agent J and K meet an interesting couple that run a video store in order to check out a film called Light of Zartha. When done, they neuralize them both and Agent J tells the man to take the girl to Cambodia and buy her what?
A2: Lobster dinner
Q3: What device does MIB use to erase people’s memories?
A3: The Neuralyzer
Q4: After Agent K has his memory erased and he returns to civilian life, where does he end up working?
A4: Post Office
Q5: What is the name of the villain who escapes from a lunar prison in Men in Black 3?
A5: Boris the Animal
Q6: What is the name of the alien who runs a pawn shop and has to regrow his head when Agent K shoots it off.
A6: Jeebs
Q7: When somebody is involved in some sort of temporal fracture, what beverage do they crave?
A7: Chocolate Milk
Q8: What famous building did Agent J have to jump off of in Men in Black 3?
A8: Chrysler Building
Q9: When Agent J arrives in 1969, how does he obtain a car?
A9: Steals it
Q10: What kind of giant animal sneezes and blows Agent J through a window and then tries to eat him?
A10: Fish it
Q11: Jeff was a giant 600 foot worm that lived in the New York Subway tunnels. Agent J tried to use a tranquilizer on him, but it didn’t work. Why not?
A11: It was expired
Q12: Which character said this line “A person is smart. Peopl
A12: Agent K
Q13: If you are in a fight with a Balchinian, where do you kick them?
A13: Chin
Q14: Boris the Animal has a pet that lives inside his body, what body part does it live in?
A14: His Hand
Q15: What is the name of the talking Pug Dog?
A15: Frank
Q16: What is the name of the alien who can see various outcomes at once?
A16: Griffin
Q17: The theme song for Men in Black, which was often played on the radio around the time of the movie’s release, is actually a parody of what song?
A17: “Forget Me Nots” by Patrice Rushen
Q18: The galaxy was hidden on Orion’s belt. Who or what did Orion turn out to be?
A18: Cat
Q19: What famous singer wanted to join the MIB and be named agent M?
A19: Michael Jackson
Q20: When the Men In Black use the neuralyzer, what do they use to protect themselves from its effects?
A20: Sunglasses
The Big Bang Theory Trivia Recap
Bazinga. We swapped intergalactic threats for the comic book store and a roommate agreement nobody read closely enough. This round was a minefield of sitcom trivia, and it sorted the binge-watchers from the people who caught a rerun once. Sheldon’s three knocks (times three) had a few tables second-guessing their math, and the deep-cut guest stars separated the contenders from the rest. Knock knock knock.
Q1: Which of Raj’s many girlfriends was into horror movies?
A1: Emily
Q2: What is the name of the restaurant that Penny and Bernadette work at during the early part of the show?
A2: Cheesecake Factory
Q3: When Sheldon gets robbed he decides to move to another city only to get robbed again and come home. Where did he go?
A3: Bozeman Montana
Q4: What famous scientist does Sheldon make friends with by playing a game called words with friends?
A4: Stephen Hawking
Q5: Which of the regular Big Bang Theory characters is played by an actor who has an actual PHD in a science field?
A5: Mayim Balik
Q6: When Leonard is given tickets to go see the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland, and decides to take Penny, Sheldon becomes very upset because their contract says Leonard must take him. What is that contract called?
A6: Roommate agreement
Q7: When Sheldon goes out to look for a monotonous job to help him think, where does he end up working?
A7: Cheesecake Factory
Q8: Which of the main characters is often made fun of because he only has a masters degree?
A8: Howard
Q9: Many former actors from Star Trek have appeared on the show. But which one has appeared most often?
A9: Wil Wheaton
Q10: When Sheldon knocks on a door, how many times in total does he knock? (think carefully)
A10: 9 times
Q11: Which celebrity and personal hero did Leonard meet and start crying as a result?
A11: Bill Gates
Q12: So far there have been 3 spinoffs of The Big Bang Theory. Name at least one of them.
A12: Young Sheldon, Georgie and Mandy, Stuart Fails to Save the Universe
Q13: Which character eats bananas sideways because her mother said “that’s how good girls do it.”
A13: Amy
Q14: Leonard briefly dated a woman by the name of Joyce Kim. However she turned out to be a spy. What country did she belong to?
A14: North Korea
Q15: In one episode, Bernadette forces Howard to help out at a soup kitchen. As a result he ends up meeting a celebrity that he was very fond of. Who was it?
A15: Elon Musk
Q16: Sheldon is thrown in jail for contempt of the court. However, he changes his mind and decides to apologize to the judge promptly after seeing what in his cell?
A16: The Toilet
Q17: In an attempt to get back at Leonard, Sheldon invites a homeless man named Theodore to live in their apartment. What famous actor played this part?
A17: Christopher Llyod
Q18: In one episode Raj meets a nice lady named Isabella at work at the university in the telescope room and tries to romance her. However, he’s somewhat ashamed of her job, which turns out to be what?
A18: Janitor
Q19: Which geologist at the university won the McArthur Genius Grant?
A19: Bert
Q20: What is the name of Sheldon’s rival scientist at the university who also has a speech impediment?
A20: Barry Kripke
1990s Trivia Recap
We closed out the night by cranking the time machine all the way back to dial-up tones and free AOL discs. This round was pure nostalgia, and it had the room split between people who lived it and people who’ve only seen it in documentaries. The pop culture lobs felt easy until the history and headline questions snuck in and humbled a few overconfident tables. Talk to the hand.
Q1: Which boy band released the hit song “I Want It That Way” in 1999?
A1: Backstreet Boys
Q2: Which movie which premiered in 1997, won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1998 and was highest grossing film of the decade after becoming a global box-office phenomenon?
A2: Titanic
Q3: What internet company was famous for sending millions of free trial CDs in the 1990s?
A3: lions of free trial CDs in the 1990s? A: America Online
Q4: A religious cult committed mass suicide in March 1997 in a California mansion, believing they would ascend to a spaceship trailing the Hale-Bopp comet. What were they called?
A4: Heaven’s Gate
Q5: Which singer’s debut album included the hit “…Baby One More Time”?
A5: Britney Spears
Q6: What handheld gaming device dominated the decade with games like Tetris and Pokémon?
A6: Gameboy
Q7: In what year did the Soviet Union officially dissolve?
A7: 1991
Q8: Which U.S. president served most of the 1990s?
A8: Bill Clinton
Q9: Which beloved British royal died in a car crash in 1997?
A9: Princess Diana
Q10: In 1995, a federal building was bombed by a terrorist, killing 168 people. What city was it in?
A10: Oklahoma City
Q11: What was the name of the computer bug involving date codes that everyone feared would cause havoc when the year changed over to 2000?
A11: Y2K / Millennium Bug
Q12: What infectious dance craze took over the world in 1996 thanks to a song by the Spanish duo Los del Río?
A12: The Macarena
Q13: What was the codename for the 1991 U.S.-led military operation that liberated Kuwait from Iraqi forces?
A13: Operation Desert Storm
Q14: In June 1994, a popular NFL star was accused of murdering his wife and escaping in a Ford Bronco. What was his name?
A14: O.J. Simpson
Q15: Which presidential candidate played the saxophone on The Arsenio Hall Show to appeal to younger voters?
A15: Bill Clinton
Q16: Which large computer company almost went bankrupt in 1997, only to return to profitability later?
A16: Apple Computer
Q17: What 1998 electronic toy became the subject of widespread rumors that it could record private conversations and act as a spy device?
A17: Furby
Q18: In April of 1992, there was a large riot in Los Angeles after a court acquitted several police officers for beating whom?
A18: Rodney King Jr.
Q19: In 1993 there was a standoff between federal agents and a religious cult known as the Branch Dividians. What Texas city did that occur in?
A19: Waco
Q20: Which girl group had members nicknamed Sporty, Scary, Baby, Ginger, and Posh?
A20: Spice Girls
Think you’ve got what it takes to top the leaderboard?
Thanks to everyone who came out, built a team, and argued over answers like the trophy was real. Whether you ran the table or got buried by the Blast-Ended Skrewts, you made the night. Trivia Night happens every Wednesday at 6:30 PM here at Time Rift Arcade. Round up your smartest friends and come prove your crew is the best in Bedford. See you next week.
