Need TV Recs? Here’s What Tenafly Teachers Are Binge-Watching Right Now

It’s hard to imagine our teachers not working on grading projects, creating lesson plans, or trying to decipher our awful handwriting on essays. However, besides the  questionable movies they premiere in class, THS teachers surprisingly watch some great films and shows besides PBS documentaries. 

First off, we have Dr. Kennedy. Dr. Kennedy’s favorite show to watch is The Blacklist. “I’ve been watching The Blacklist since it started. It’s about a guy who joins the FBI to help them find people on the blacklist,” Kennedy said. “I like the way the people interact and the storylines.” His favorite movie? Christmas Vacation, just in time for the holidays. His reason for this movie choice is simple: “Because it’s Christmas time.”

Mr. Toale, Tenafly’s acclaimed football coach and history teacher, has already embraced the Christmas chill of the season. “My favorite Christmas movie currently is Home Alone,” Toale said. “When I was younger, I used to try to set up booby traps like he would set up like somebody was actually coming.” Fortunately, Mr. Toale’s tarantulas and BB guns were never needed. When asked about his favorite show, Mr. Toale immediately named The Sopranos: “It’s entertaining. It’s got a lot of different aspects to it,” said Toale.

“

I think students should watch [it]. It’s a classic tale. It’s the original one. It’s got stuff about relationships with teenagers and their parents. It’s not just about Goofy. These movies have a message under them.

— Mr. Toale

Finally, his movie recommendation for students: A Goofy Movie: “I think students should watch [it]. It’s a classic tale. It’s the original one. It’s got stuff about relationships with teenagers and their parents. It’s not just about Goofy. These movies have a message under them,” said Toale. Truly touching. 

Heading to the Health department, we have Mr. Cord, whose favorite movie of all time is Mighty Ducks D2. “Why? Because it’s the best plotline in the history of movies,” Cord said. And in case you didn’t get it the first time, let me specify: “Not the first version, but D2.” His favorite show? Exactly like Mr. Toale’s:  The Sopranos. “I am rewatching The Sopranos, and that’s my favorite thing to watch right now,” Cord said.

Now, onto our very own Journalism teacher, Mr. Whitehead. His favorite show currently is Portrait Artist of the Year. “It’s kind of like Top Chef but for portrait painters,” Whitehead explained. “I like it because I used to paint. It makes me want to paint again.” Said like a true artist. His favorite movie is an obscure one about shamans and camels: “I love a movie called The Story of the Weeping Camel, which is set in Mongolia. It’s about a family who has a baby camel, but the mother won’t nurse the baby camel. The family has to figure out how to get this camel fed.” Imbued with stunning visual landscapes and peculiar storyline, this movie possesses a nuanced touch like no other. ”I like it because it depicts a culture that’s completely foreign to me, and I love the landscape of the place, too,” Whitehead said. Like many other of our teachers, Mr. Whitehead loves The Sopranos. “It’s such an influential show. It’s one of those shows that make you root for somebody who’s an anti-hero.”

Next, Tenafly’s beloved Humanities history teacher, Mr. Hutchinson. His favorite movie currently is Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Like us, Hutchinson is a huge fan of DiCaprio’s face…I mean movies.  “I think Leo DiCaprio was awesome. He does desperation so well,” said Hutchinson. His favorite movie of all time? That would be Chimes at Midnight. “It’s an Orson Wells version of the Henry the IV Shakespeare play,” said Hutchinson. Listen up kids, Mr. Hutchinson has got some television advice for the young’uns. Instead of rewatching Squid Game or The Vampire Diaries an unhealthy number of times, Mr. Hutchinson encourages kids to branch out into new movies and TV shows. “Keep an open mind,” he said.

Mrs. Capone is a big fan of action and musicals, her favorite being Mama Mia, “Because it’s so uplifting.” As a Hawaii lover, Ms. Capone is a huge fan of Hawaii Five-O. “One, I love Hawaii; and two, I’m definitely into cops and robbers and detectives. Like, I like NCIS Los Angeles and plain NCIS,” Capone said.  Like all of us, Mrs. Capone enjoys a classic, blockbuster Liam Nesson thriller. “I’d say anything Liam Neeson is in… You’re just like ‘what’s going to happen?’,” Capone said. Her other recommendations include “Will Smith movies like The Pursuit of Happyness and I’d recommend that type of stuff. Oh, and Bad Moms.”

Not only does Mrs. Oppedisano boast amazing taste in novels (shoutout to Humanities 2019), but she also has great taste in movies and shows. So start taking notes. Her favorite movies—or trilogy of them, to be exact—to watch are The Lord of the Rings. “At this time, I usually get nostalgic about rewatching The Lord of the Rings trilogy because I still remember going to the theater and watching each iteration of it and how that felt. I typically try to build in that marathon sometime during winter break,” she said. As baking show fanatics ourselves (who concerningly binge through marathons of cooking shows), it was a relief to hear that we were not the only baking show enthusiasts. Mrs. Oppedisano loves The Great British Baking Show. “It has been something that I feast on, (no pun intended) during times of stress,” Oppedisano said. “I had this bad habit of trying to procure the dessert that will go along with what they are making and then I can pretend to be living the dream.” So do I, Mrs. Opped, so do I. Speaking of pastries and baking, Mrs. Oppedisano’s favorite movie, Amelie, is French! “I feel like it’s just a beautiful, lovely movie in a time and place that still endures. She’s very much an introvert, so I remember the first time I watched that film feeling like ‘Oh this is a visual portrayal of how my head sometimes works’…It’s funny, it’s sentimental, it’s got all the works,” Oppedisano said. And for all you romantic comedy devotees, you are not alone. “A guilty pleasure of mine, Love Actually… I could watch that over and over again and never get tired of it,” Oppedisano said. Her favorite show of all time is The Haunting of Bly Manor, specifically season 4. Now, what you have all been waiting for, Mrs. Oppedisano’s show recommendations: Bojack Horseman and The Wire. “Bojack Horseman…It feels like a good satirical look at what growing up in the spotlight and celebrity culture looks like and what LA could do to someone, and childhood trauma…I would say every person should watch The Wire at some point in their lives. Helps you understand socioeconomic differences in life and then how it feels to try to make yourself out of that. It’s a good show.” 

Last but not least is Mr. Oppedisano. Right off the bat, Mr. Oppedisano was flabbergasted by our questions. So much to choose from and so little time. His favorite movie currently? “ I would say The Shining. I think it is shot really well. I think the movie works. That’s all.” Simple and sleek—I like it.  We all love the anti-heroes, the characters we want so desperately to love but also hate at the same time. Mr. Oppedisano’s current obsession, Succession, has exactly that. “It’s really, really smart. You hate and love every character in the show. They are all horrible people, but you’re kind of rooting for them at the same time because you see how they became that way.” One favorite movie of all time? Phfttt, how about three favorite movies of all time? Mr. Oppedisano’s top three? “My top three are The Shining, Alien by Ridley Scott, and The Royal Tenenbaums by Wes Anderson. The first one that came out in 1979.” Mr. Oppedisano’s favorite shows of all time are Sealab 2021 and The Wire. One is comedy and another is serious; we’ll let you guess which is which.  Now to the recommendations. A show recommendation? No. How about a movie recommendation? No, what do you think this is? Rotten Tomatoes? Think again. How about video game recommendations? Right on the dot. For all you gamers out there  Mr. Oppedisano recommends Radiohead’s The Kid A Mnesia Exhibition. It’s free on Playstation 5, PC, and Apple TV.  

So, next time you are bored at home, after rewatching Outer Banks for the ninth time, check out these recommendations! Whether you want a thriller, comedy, romance, or are just in the mood for some  sci-fi, we’ve got you covered! You might just find your new favorite.