After 11 marvelous, ground-breaking, history-making films, Pixar has raised its standards extremely high. From the perspective of storytelling and animation, Pixar films have been unbeatable. That is what makes the disappointment that is Cars 2 such a unique event.
I, along with several other moviegoers, have always said Cars was Pixar’s weakest movie. Therefore, making a sequel of that film always left a question mark in my mind and putting more of a focus on Mater, the stalest character of the production company’s plethora of casts, felt like a big mistake. However, it was Pixar and they had earned enough respect to be given a little latitude.
After going to the drive-in theater in Ennis last night to watch Cars 2, I can safely say it really is Pixar’s first flop. Financially it will probably still be considered a success and kids are going to love it because of the increase in action, but from the perspective of an adult viewer it was pretty unfulfilling.
I don’t have an official one-to-ten scale score for the movie as I was busy watching over a 3-year-old little girl wanting numerous snacks, pillows, and position changes in the back of our Xterra. The film was also shown in 3D, which is not ideal for a drive-in theater. I will give the film another chance where I can give it my full attention, but for now the following is my rank of the Pixar animated feature-length films.
1. The Incredibles
2. Toy Story
3. Finding Nemo
4. Up
5. WALL-E
6. Toy Story 3
7. Monsters, Inc.
8. Toy Story 2
9. Ratatouille
10. A Bug’s Life
11. Cars
12. Cars 2
Wednesday, July 06, 2011
Friday, July 01, 2011
Michael Bay: Menace to Moviemaking or Messiah of Masculinity
Next to Uwe Boll, Michael Bay is a director most film critics and fans feel epitomize bad directing in Hollywood. His bit is to blow enough stuff up that the men in the audience are pleased and will shell out another $9 to see again the following weekend in theaters. Another M.O. of Bay’s is to feature scantily clad women who are either currently or will soon become (likely because of the popularity of Bay’s movies) a highly searched Internet queen.
As a movie fan, I am very torn on Michael Bay. I’m fully aware he is a hack at making quality pictures. Nothing he ever does will win a Best Picture Oscar. However, he is good at what he is driving at, which is entertaining the eye with spectacular visuals and non-stop thrills. Sometimes I find his antics appealing and then other times he takes it too far.
With the release of the third installment in the Transformers series, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, I recently heard one critic call Bay’s latest effort his best yet. My initial thought was, “Is that really so hard?” But let’s be fair and actually take a look at the eight feature films Michael Bay has helmed as director and rank them from worst to best. I have included the year the movie was released, the IMDb rating, and my personal rating of the movie.
8.Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009/5.9/3) – When I went back to look at my rating for this movie I was shocked, shocked I say, to discover how generous I was to give it three stars. I was also astonished that this wasn’t Bay’s worst rated on IMDb, but that distinction is saved for another bad movie. This movie is a complete mess. It is long, the plot makes no sense, characterization is nonexistent, and the Autobot twins are quite possibly the most annoying characters ever created for the silver screen. Normally, prior to watching a new sequel in theaters I will re-watch the previous movies in the series, but I’m not sure any amount of money or other motivation could make me sit through this garbage ever again.
7. The Island (2005/6.9/3) – This movie actually had a lot of potential, but it ended up resorting to one action set after another where the characters found themselves dangling from tall buildings or driving recklessly in hot rod futuristic vehicles. It never really explored the most appealing part of the movie, the characters’ journeys of self-realization. What should have been a great homage to “escape-from-dystopia” science-fiction films like Logan’s Run ends up like every other Michael Bay movie with explosions every 15 minutes and hot women showing off their sexy bodies.
6. Bad Boys II (2003/6.2/4) – The childish high jinks that resulted in disastrous comedy and/or gunplay from the first installment did not last in its sequel. Bad Boys II is mind-numbing and the partnership-on-the-rocks between the main characters is played out far too long. Since 1995 when the first movie came out, detectives Lowrey and Burnett have apparently been trained by CIA-level spies and their jurisdiction is just as far-reaching as the CIA. The jokes aren’t as funny as before, the drama isn’t as real as before, and the brotherhood between Lowrey and Burnett doesn’t feel the same as before. In fact, really the only thing that is better than the first is the amount of action (which ends up not being a good thing) and the level of hotness from the female cast (a Michael Bay specialty). Gabrielle Union is in a close race with Megan Fox and Kate Beckinsale for hottest sexpot in a Michael Bay movie.
5. Pearl Harbor (2001/5.5/5) – Visually spectacular middle-third, while the other two-thirds are wasted on a played-out love story. There is very little to like about this movie, but what Bay does right in it he does very well. The action sequences during the Japanese attack are amazing. This movie, which is not a good one but better than the ones listed before it, gets an extra one-point vote from me for personal reasons as my grandfather was stationed at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, and therefore I feel a connection to him when watching a piece of history that gives me some sort of sense of the horrors he went through on that day, even if it is pumped full of historically inaccurate testosterone.
4. Bad Boys (1995/6.6/7) – This is where the line in the sand is drawn for me between crowd-pleasing popcorn action thrillers and illogical mess of a movie. What Bad Boys II did wrong, the first in the series got right. The comedic chemistry is spot on between the two leads. The gunfights are exciting and somewhat believable. The soundtrack is catchy. And a pre-Sopranos Michael Imperioli supporting role is quite memorable. Bad Boys is just another buddy-cop movie with new actors replacing the roles of those that had come before them, but the energy is high and everything gels together well, resulting in an enjoyable two hours of fast cars, hot women, foul-language humor, and tense action.
3. Transformers (2007/7.2/7) – Keep in mind that none of Michael Bay’s work that get positive reviews from me is actually a finely made film by industry standards. They aren’t going to win awards for acting, directing, or writing, but what they will do is entertain. Transformers, despite all of its obvious flaws, is one of those entertaining blockbusters. Maybe it is childhood nostalgia or possibly I just find fast cars morphing into killer robots appealing, but Transformers is one of those movies that anytime I see it on television I have to stop whatever I’m doing and watch. Shia LeBeouf’s shtick isn’t annoying yet. Megan Fox is an unknown hotness waiting to be discovered. Optimus Prime’s introductory transformation nearly brings a tear to the eyes of all those young men who grew up on the Hasbro toy.
2. Armageddon (1998/6.1/8) – This is the movie I think of when somebody says the name Michael Bay: ludicrously dumb plot, over-the-top scenarios that lead to explosions and mayhem, greatly timed delivery of funny lines by the cast, shoehorned love story, solid supporting characters. I never saw Deep Impact (another space impact movie like Armageddon that came out two months prior), but I have to believe it tackled deeper issues than what Bay worried about with his natural disaster snuff film. The impossibilities this movie presents as “just another day at the office for meteor-drilling astronauts” is countless, however, it is reported that NASA has prospective managers point out all the inaccuracies in the film and a total of 168 have so far been found. In other words, is this movie unbelievable? Absolutely. Does it matter? Not one bit.
1. The Rock (1996/7.3/9) – There isn’t a better example of the things Michael Bay does well than in The Rock. An obligatory car chase is included in the first half of the film. The buddy cop routine is executed well between the two main leads. Comedic lines are spot on. The pacing of each gunfight is well-timed. The story isn’t too outlandish, but still intriguing enough to peak our interest. It is no wonder that this movie is Bay’s highest rated on IMDb. It is a fun thrill-ride with lots of laughs, suspense, and memorable quotes.
As a movie fan, I am very torn on Michael Bay. I’m fully aware he is a hack at making quality pictures. Nothing he ever does will win a Best Picture Oscar. However, he is good at what he is driving at, which is entertaining the eye with spectacular visuals and non-stop thrills. Sometimes I find his antics appealing and then other times he takes it too far.
With the release of the third installment in the Transformers series, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, I recently heard one critic call Bay’s latest effort his best yet. My initial thought was, “Is that really so hard?” But let’s be fair and actually take a look at the eight feature films Michael Bay has helmed as director and rank them from worst to best. I have included the year the movie was released, the IMDb rating, and my personal rating of the movie.
8.Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009/5.9/3) – When I went back to look at my rating for this movie I was shocked, shocked I say, to discover how generous I was to give it three stars. I was also astonished that this wasn’t Bay’s worst rated on IMDb, but that distinction is saved for another bad movie. This movie is a complete mess. It is long, the plot makes no sense, characterization is nonexistent, and the Autobot twins are quite possibly the most annoying characters ever created for the silver screen. Normally, prior to watching a new sequel in theaters I will re-watch the previous movies in the series, but I’m not sure any amount of money or other motivation could make me sit through this garbage ever again.
7. The Island (2005/6.9/3) – This movie actually had a lot of potential, but it ended up resorting to one action set after another where the characters found themselves dangling from tall buildings or driving recklessly in hot rod futuristic vehicles. It never really explored the most appealing part of the movie, the characters’ journeys of self-realization. What should have been a great homage to “escape-from-dystopia” science-fiction films like Logan’s Run ends up like every other Michael Bay movie with explosions every 15 minutes and hot women showing off their sexy bodies.
6. Bad Boys II (2003/6.2/4) – The childish high jinks that resulted in disastrous comedy and/or gunplay from the first installment did not last in its sequel. Bad Boys II is mind-numbing and the partnership-on-the-rocks between the main characters is played out far too long. Since 1995 when the first movie came out, detectives Lowrey and Burnett have apparently been trained by CIA-level spies and their jurisdiction is just as far-reaching as the CIA. The jokes aren’t as funny as before, the drama isn’t as real as before, and the brotherhood between Lowrey and Burnett doesn’t feel the same as before. In fact, really the only thing that is better than the first is the amount of action (which ends up not being a good thing) and the level of hotness from the female cast (a Michael Bay specialty). Gabrielle Union is in a close race with Megan Fox and Kate Beckinsale for hottest sexpot in a Michael Bay movie.
5. Pearl Harbor (2001/5.5/5) – Visually spectacular middle-third, while the other two-thirds are wasted on a played-out love story. There is very little to like about this movie, but what Bay does right in it he does very well. The action sequences during the Japanese attack are amazing. This movie, which is not a good one but better than the ones listed before it, gets an extra one-point vote from me for personal reasons as my grandfather was stationed at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, and therefore I feel a connection to him when watching a piece of history that gives me some sort of sense of the horrors he went through on that day, even if it is pumped full of historically inaccurate testosterone.
4. Bad Boys (1995/6.6/7) – This is where the line in the sand is drawn for me between crowd-pleasing popcorn action thrillers and illogical mess of a movie. What Bad Boys II did wrong, the first in the series got right. The comedic chemistry is spot on between the two leads. The gunfights are exciting and somewhat believable. The soundtrack is catchy. And a pre-Sopranos Michael Imperioli supporting role is quite memorable. Bad Boys is just another buddy-cop movie with new actors replacing the roles of those that had come before them, but the energy is high and everything gels together well, resulting in an enjoyable two hours of fast cars, hot women, foul-language humor, and tense action.
3. Transformers (2007/7.2/7) – Keep in mind that none of Michael Bay’s work that get positive reviews from me is actually a finely made film by industry standards. They aren’t going to win awards for acting, directing, or writing, but what they will do is entertain. Transformers, despite all of its obvious flaws, is one of those entertaining blockbusters. Maybe it is childhood nostalgia or possibly I just find fast cars morphing into killer robots appealing, but Transformers is one of those movies that anytime I see it on television I have to stop whatever I’m doing and watch. Shia LeBeouf’s shtick isn’t annoying yet. Megan Fox is an unknown hotness waiting to be discovered. Optimus Prime’s introductory transformation nearly brings a tear to the eyes of all those young men who grew up on the Hasbro toy.
2. Armageddon (1998/6.1/8) – This is the movie I think of when somebody says the name Michael Bay: ludicrously dumb plot, over-the-top scenarios that lead to explosions and mayhem, greatly timed delivery of funny lines by the cast, shoehorned love story, solid supporting characters. I never saw Deep Impact (another space impact movie like Armageddon that came out two months prior), but I have to believe it tackled deeper issues than what Bay worried about with his natural disaster snuff film. The impossibilities this movie presents as “just another day at the office for meteor-drilling astronauts” is countless, however, it is reported that NASA has prospective managers point out all the inaccuracies in the film and a total of 168 have so far been found. In other words, is this movie unbelievable? Absolutely. Does it matter? Not one bit.
1. The Rock (1996/7.3/9) – There isn’t a better example of the things Michael Bay does well than in The Rock. An obligatory car chase is included in the first half of the film. The buddy cop routine is executed well between the two main leads. Comedic lines are spot on. The pacing of each gunfight is well-timed. The story isn’t too outlandish, but still intriguing enough to peak our interest. It is no wonder that this movie is Bay’s highest rated on IMDb. It is a fun thrill-ride with lots of laughs, suspense, and memorable quotes.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Your Argument Is Invalid
During some downtime at work today I was reading from about The Beatles in where an excerpt from the book Living Life Without Loving the Beatles by Gary Hall expressed the author’s general disdain for those who are considered massive Beatles fans but have no general knowledge of what good music really is, given the moniker of a Grade One. Hall doesn’t blame these people for following a massive group like The Beatles because they just don’t know any better.
In his chapter about a Grade One and how to cope with their high opinions of the Fab Four, he nullifies an argument made in favor of The Beatles with an entirely moronic premise regarding lasagna. Hall claims that by stating The Beatles are the best band ever because they sold millions upon millions of albums is like believing a Marks and Spencer pasta meal is better than one from a certain mom and pop café in Italy. This mentality is beyond ridiculous.
I’m in complete agreement that record sales does not equate to quality product. Comparing the music industry to a similarly distributed, yet differently experienced medium, just because Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace made money hand over fist does not mean it is a good movie. In fact, it is God-awful and was drafting off of the legacy that the original trilogy had built over time.
However, to compare record sales to meal sales is an apples-to-oranges argument. It is not hard to believe that a homemade dish of lasagna is going to be tastier than a frozen TV dinner version of the meal. But that homemade meal doesn’t have the same outlet to sell its dish that the store-bought version does, so therefore of course it is not going to make as much money.
Yet, all bands and musicians have the same opportunity for the world to hear their music. Sure, some lesser talented artists get better management, better recording gigs, and better publicity than others and therefore reap the benefits of more records sold than those with more music aptitude and song-writing quality, but the outlet is all the same. Musical notes are put down on vinyl/CD/Internet download/whatever, and the entire masses have an opportunity to evaluate the music for themselves. Good music will likely attract the most listeners and in turn generate more records from a particular group/singer. It is a level playing field for every musician who strives for their music to be heard.
Grandma Lucella from Milan, Italy, isn’t going to stand a chance at competing with a brand name TV dinner company. Sure, anyone who tastes her meal will undoubtedly give the thumbs up when comparing it to a Marks and Spencer product, but how can she be fairly judged when her only outlet is a small café in Milan? It is not possible to bring every person in the world to her shop for a taste of lasagna, but Marks and Spencer do have the capability to reach the masses through neighborhood grocery stores. So what about packaging the Italian café meal? Then you lose the flavor of making it in-house and therefore the product is not the same.
The lasagna argument is just not the same when comparing it to music. The Beatles certainly were lucky to hit the big time when they did and many of their songs probably came in higher on the charts because of name recognition during the middle and later parts of their group’s career, but to fairly deny The Beatles as greatest band ever is going to take a greater line of reasoning than Hall’s lasagna parable.
In his chapter about a Grade One and how to cope with their high opinions of the Fab Four, he nullifies an argument made in favor of The Beatles with an entirely moronic premise regarding lasagna. Hall claims that by stating The Beatles are the best band ever because they sold millions upon millions of albums is like believing a Marks and Spencer pasta meal is better than one from a certain mom and pop café in Italy. This mentality is beyond ridiculous.
I’m in complete agreement that record sales does not equate to quality product. Comparing the music industry to a similarly distributed, yet differently experienced medium, just because Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace made money hand over fist does not mean it is a good movie. In fact, it is God-awful and was drafting off of the legacy that the original trilogy had built over time.
However, to compare record sales to meal sales is an apples-to-oranges argument. It is not hard to believe that a homemade dish of lasagna is going to be tastier than a frozen TV dinner version of the meal. But that homemade meal doesn’t have the same outlet to sell its dish that the store-bought version does, so therefore of course it is not going to make as much money.
Yet, all bands and musicians have the same opportunity for the world to hear their music. Sure, some lesser talented artists get better management, better recording gigs, and better publicity than others and therefore reap the benefits of more records sold than those with more music aptitude and song-writing quality, but the outlet is all the same. Musical notes are put down on vinyl/CD/Internet download/whatever, and the entire masses have an opportunity to evaluate the music for themselves. Good music will likely attract the most listeners and in turn generate more records from a particular group/singer. It is a level playing field for every musician who strives for their music to be heard.
Grandma Lucella from Milan, Italy, isn’t going to stand a chance at competing with a brand name TV dinner company. Sure, anyone who tastes her meal will undoubtedly give the thumbs up when comparing it to a Marks and Spencer product, but how can she be fairly judged when her only outlet is a small café in Milan? It is not possible to bring every person in the world to her shop for a taste of lasagna, but Marks and Spencer do have the capability to reach the masses through neighborhood grocery stores. So what about packaging the Italian café meal? Then you lose the flavor of making it in-house and therefore the product is not the same.
The lasagna argument is just not the same when comparing it to music. The Beatles certainly were lucky to hit the big time when they did and many of their songs probably came in higher on the charts because of name recognition during the middle and later parts of their group’s career, but to fairly deny The Beatles as greatest band ever is going to take a greater line of reasoning than Hall’s lasagna parable.
Friday, May 20, 2011
What To Do? What To Do?
I'm freaking out over what my last movie will be before the rapture hits tomorrow at 6 p.m. Central Standard Time. My wife and I are planning to go to a movie in the early part of the day, so I have to figure out whether my final cinema-going experience will be remembered as following Jack Sparrow's swashbuckling adventures in the latest Pirates of the Caribbean picture or fulfilling my geek need with the comic book movie Thor.
But to be honest, it is the movie that I will be watching as the flames and earthquakes erupt to take me up to heaven. Should I be a good Christian person and partake in a family-friendly Pixar or Disney film like Toy Story or Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs or should it be something I respect as a movie aficionado like The Godfather or Citizen Kane? Of course, an entry in the James Bond franchise would certainly be suitable. I just don't know.
I do have John Huston's gritty crime film noir The Asphalt Jungle on my DVR. That would certainly be an acceptable bow out film. I have about 24 hours to figure this out. Maybe I will make a list of the final experience I want to savor when I check out of this crazy, doomed world.
But to be honest, it is the movie that I will be watching as the flames and earthquakes erupt to take me up to heaven. Should I be a good Christian person and partake in a family-friendly Pixar or Disney film like Toy Story or Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs or should it be something I respect as a movie aficionado like The Godfather or Citizen Kane? Of course, an entry in the James Bond franchise would certainly be suitable. I just don't know.
I do have John Huston's gritty crime film noir The Asphalt Jungle on my DVR. That would certainly be an acceptable bow out film. I have about 24 hours to figure this out. Maybe I will make a list of the final experience I want to savor when I check out of this crazy, doomed world.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
The Long Search Comes To An End
Since abandoning my barber in Ennis 18 months ago and searching for a new one I think I finally found the place. After trying out my new barber shop, which is located in my childhood town of Rendon, I found it has all the amenities I enjoy plus an additional one I didn't expect. Besides the serviceable cut I expect from a barber for a valuable price, this particular coiffeur also offered a straight razor shave on the back of my neck, a warm towel wrapped around my head following the cut, and a brief electric massage on the upper back and neck. It was wonderful. The only downside I saw was the barber's a little chatty, but since the whole process took less than 15 minutes it's not that big of a deal. I am pleased with the outcome and plan on making this my new haircut home.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
The Origins Of Energy
I don’t know what made me think about this today but for some reason I asked myself the question, “If God doesn’t exist and the Big Bang Theory really is the way things started for our universe, then where did that energy come from in the first place?”
This post probably stems from the recent remark made by physicist Stephen Hawking about Heaven being a “fairy story,” but whatever the reason for my pondering it still begs the question of how our entire existence came to be if a higher power doesn’t exist. I will not hide the fact that I believe in God, have faith that He created us, and my faith will one day result in me spending eternity in that fairy story place called Heaven. My feelings on this subject have been tested in the past and I eventually decided I do believe what I was taught as a child in Sunday school.
As for my question about where the energy that started the Big Bang came from, I’m still asking. Those who disbelieve creationism, not wanting to buy into the idea that the only thing Christians have to go on in trusting that God exists is faith, in actuality have to have the same form of faith. The best answer right now to where the matter came from for the Big Bang is that it has always existed. It may have been in a different form, but since energy can neither be created nor destroyed it has to have always been in existence, so where did it come from in the first place? It is the same conundrum that Christians have when atheists ask where God came from. Our best answer is He has always been there.
However, the difference in our two answers is that with our faith we can trust that our answer is true and God will reveal how things began once we are in Heaven, whereas those who put their faith in science will never be able to answer that question with any certainty and will ultimately be forced to have the same amount of faith as Christians, just directed in a different direction.
And I’m not stating I am entirely against the idea that the universe began as the result of a Big Bang. Where I differ from those who don’t believe in a higher power is that I think God instigated the Big Bang and created the energy necessary for such an event. Again, I don’t have all the answers and am not sure where I stand on the Big Bang Theory, but what I do know is that if that is the way things began in our universe then it was God who directed the thing.
This post probably stems from the recent remark made by physicist Stephen Hawking about Heaven being a “fairy story,” but whatever the reason for my pondering it still begs the question of how our entire existence came to be if a higher power doesn’t exist. I will not hide the fact that I believe in God, have faith that He created us, and my faith will one day result in me spending eternity in that fairy story place called Heaven. My feelings on this subject have been tested in the past and I eventually decided I do believe what I was taught as a child in Sunday school.
As for my question about where the energy that started the Big Bang came from, I’m still asking. Those who disbelieve creationism, not wanting to buy into the idea that the only thing Christians have to go on in trusting that God exists is faith, in actuality have to have the same form of faith. The best answer right now to where the matter came from for the Big Bang is that it has always existed. It may have been in a different form, but since energy can neither be created nor destroyed it has to have always been in existence, so where did it come from in the first place? It is the same conundrum that Christians have when atheists ask where God came from. Our best answer is He has always been there.
However, the difference in our two answers is that with our faith we can trust that our answer is true and God will reveal how things began once we are in Heaven, whereas those who put their faith in science will never be able to answer that question with any certainty and will ultimately be forced to have the same amount of faith as Christians, just directed in a different direction.
And I’m not stating I am entirely against the idea that the universe began as the result of a Big Bang. Where I differ from those who don’t believe in a higher power is that I think God instigated the Big Bang and created the energy necessary for such an event. Again, I don’t have all the answers and am not sure where I stand on the Big Bang Theory, but what I do know is that if that is the way things began in our universe then it was God who directed the thing.
Friday, May 06, 2011
Summer Movie Preview
With the release of Thor this weekend, summer movie blockbusters have officially begun. My wife and I have made our yearly bet as to what movie will make the most money, which with Harry Potter being a candidate and Joanna getting the first pick I am likely the loser this year.
A lot of sequels and comic book films are available to viewers this season, but there is an original idea or two out there that don’t involve robots pummeling one another or mutant/Norse God/magical ring heroes saving the planet. I have counted 13 films my wife, 3-year-old daughter, and I will be attempting to see in the next three months, not necessarily all together as The Hangover Part II is a Daddy movie only. First is the list of films available worth seeing. I include Fast Five as, oddly, my wife loves that film series and swoons when she sees Vin Diesel and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, so we will be going to the theater this Saturday for a fast cars, hot bodies watching date night.
For me:
Thor – opened May 6
The Hangover Part II – opening May 26
Super 8 – opening June 10
Green Lantern – opening June 17
Captain America: The First Avenger – opening July 22
Cowboys and Aliens – opening July 29
For my wife and me:
Fast Five – opened April 29
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides – opening May 20
X-men: First Class – opening June 3
Transformers: Dark of the Moon – opening July 1
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II – opening July 15
For both parents and child:
Cars 2 – opening June 24
Winnie the Pooh – opening July 15
You might have noticed I have omitted Kung Fu Panda 2. I never saw the first one and will likely wait to see this one as well. But it is opening on May 26 if you are interested.
The film I’m probably most excited about is Harry Potter, not because I expect it to be the best of all these other blockbusters, but because it will bring to a close a story I have vested countless hours of interest in through previous movie viewings. My most anticipated release, thinking I'll be the most entertained from them, is either Super 8 or Cowboys and Aliens. I have a lot of trust in what J.J. Abrams does and Super 8 looks similar in style and substance to what Steven Spielberg was doing in his heyday of moviemaking. Cowboys and Aliens is a guilty pleasure. While the premise is stupid, I will checkout mentally and simply enjoy James Bond and Indiana Jones in the Old West kicking some alien butt.
I am afraid The Hangover Part II is going to simply rehash old jokes from the original and try to squeeze every last funny dime out of the hype that the first film created, but the previews do look entertaining enough.
Thor, X-men, Green Lantern, and Captain America are all going to be the same thing. Christopher Nolan so far is the only one to make a comic book movie dramatic and suspenseful enough to transcend the genre it falls under.
Pirates of the Caribbean and Transformers 3 have to rebound from crappy sequels, and in the case of Pirates it is two crappy sequels, but I am willing to give them a chance at redemption.
Cars 2 is questionable as it is a sequel to the weakest of all Pixar movies. While Cars is still good, it does not come close to the greatness of the Toy Story franchise or anything else the computer-animated company released in the new millennium.
While I was not a Winnie-the-Pooh fan growing up, I am excited to introduce my daughter to the characters who live in Hundred Acre Wood.
A lot of sequels and comic book films are available to viewers this season, but there is an original idea or two out there that don’t involve robots pummeling one another or mutant/Norse God/magical ring heroes saving the planet. I have counted 13 films my wife, 3-year-old daughter, and I will be attempting to see in the next three months, not necessarily all together as The Hangover Part II is a Daddy movie only. First is the list of films available worth seeing. I include Fast Five as, oddly, my wife loves that film series and swoons when she sees Vin Diesel and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, so we will be going to the theater this Saturday for a fast cars, hot bodies watching date night.
For me:
Thor – opened May 6
The Hangover Part II – opening May 26
Super 8 – opening June 10
Green Lantern – opening June 17
Captain America: The First Avenger – opening July 22
Cowboys and Aliens – opening July 29
For my wife and me:
Fast Five – opened April 29
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides – opening May 20
X-men: First Class – opening June 3
Transformers: Dark of the Moon – opening July 1
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II – opening July 15
For both parents and child:
Cars 2 – opening June 24
Winnie the Pooh – opening July 15
You might have noticed I have omitted Kung Fu Panda 2. I never saw the first one and will likely wait to see this one as well. But it is opening on May 26 if you are interested.
The film I’m probably most excited about is Harry Potter, not because I expect it to be the best of all these other blockbusters, but because it will bring to a close a story I have vested countless hours of interest in through previous movie viewings. My most anticipated release, thinking I'll be the most entertained from them, is either Super 8 or Cowboys and Aliens. I have a lot of trust in what J.J. Abrams does and Super 8 looks similar in style and substance to what Steven Spielberg was doing in his heyday of moviemaking. Cowboys and Aliens is a guilty pleasure. While the premise is stupid, I will checkout mentally and simply enjoy James Bond and Indiana Jones in the Old West kicking some alien butt.
I am afraid The Hangover Part II is going to simply rehash old jokes from the original and try to squeeze every last funny dime out of the hype that the first film created, but the previews do look entertaining enough.
Thor, X-men, Green Lantern, and Captain America are all going to be the same thing. Christopher Nolan so far is the only one to make a comic book movie dramatic and suspenseful enough to transcend the genre it falls under.
Pirates of the Caribbean and Transformers 3 have to rebound from crappy sequels, and in the case of Pirates it is two crappy sequels, but I am willing to give them a chance at redemption.
Cars 2 is questionable as it is a sequel to the weakest of all Pixar movies. While Cars is still good, it does not come close to the greatness of the Toy Story franchise or anything else the computer-animated company released in the new millennium.
While I was not a Winnie-the-Pooh fan growing up, I am excited to introduce my daughter to the characters who live in Hundred Acre Wood.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Late-April Update
With a new baby in the house, catching up on work after being out for a week, repairing damage from the North Texas storms that have been passing through, and a new series to catch up on, I haven’t had much time to do anything too interesting for a blog post. However, I feel like something is needed, so I will give a brief update.
Baby Jackson (or Buddy as I keep calling him when he is in my arms) is doing well. The disgusting dead skin on his belly button finally fell off and we gave him his first real bath last night in the kitchen sink, instead of the normal washing with a damp cloth to get dry skin to shed. He has good nights and bad nights, but a schedule is starting to be maintained with him sleeping for four or five hours at night. That isn’t too bad. I especially appreciate Joanna, who is getting up to feed him so I can get my rest for work while she is a stay-at-home mom for two more months. There is nothing abnormal to report on the little one. He is growing at an ordinary rate, eating a little more, pooping a little more.
The first set of storms that came in at the beginning of the month flipped some shingles off the roof and knocked sections of our fence down. I spent most of the vacation that was taken in order to have quality time with Jack repairing my fence and roof. I still have a few sections of fence down, but they are in the front yard and don’t affect Mona being outside. I hopefully will finish my roof work tonight before it gets too dark.
As far as that new television series I am watching, my buddy Danny lent me all five seasons of Dexter and I have thoroughly enjoyed the first season so far. I am going slower than normal when I am really into a show, but since most of my life is spent at work or watching over a newborn son or 3-year-old little girl I haven’t had much free time to enjoy TV like I used to. Such is parenthood. However, the show is great and the character Dexter Morgan might be the most interesting one TV has seen since George Costanza. I really like the show and can’t wait to watch another episode or two tonight.
While I am here, I figured I would include a brief analysis of a movie I watched last night that seems to be adored by film noir fans but to me was a second-rate B movie thriller. The movie in question was This Gun for Hire, starring Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake. It seems that those who are in love with the film cite Ladd and Lake’s performances and the quick pace of the picture as its high points. Yes, Ladd does a pretty good job of playing a cold, ruthless killer and the pace moves along well, but how hard is it to accomplish that feat when the movie is only 80 minutes long.
In general, Lake looks fantastic as the blonde bombshell of the picture, but her performance, along with nearly everyone else’s excluding Ladd’s, is wooden at best. The plot is forgettable, dialogue laughable, and I was left with a feeling that it was bad, but not so bad to be enjoyable like sci-fi B movies of the 50s or Snakes on a Plane cringeworthy. The relationship between Ladd and Lake’s characters is so unrealistic as genuine characterization would have had Lake spewing hateful obscenities at Ladd for the things he does to her and those she loves. Trust me in that if you had seen this movie you would know what I was talking about.
I had heard good things about This Gun for Hire, but ultimately it was unsatisfying and quite a letdown.
That is about it I guess. When something interesting happens I will throw it up here, but maybe I will generate something of interest to talk about before then.
Baby Jackson (or Buddy as I keep calling him when he is in my arms) is doing well. The disgusting dead skin on his belly button finally fell off and we gave him his first real bath last night in the kitchen sink, instead of the normal washing with a damp cloth to get dry skin to shed. He has good nights and bad nights, but a schedule is starting to be maintained with him sleeping for four or five hours at night. That isn’t too bad. I especially appreciate Joanna, who is getting up to feed him so I can get my rest for work while she is a stay-at-home mom for two more months. There is nothing abnormal to report on the little one. He is growing at an ordinary rate, eating a little more, pooping a little more.
The first set of storms that came in at the beginning of the month flipped some shingles off the roof and knocked sections of our fence down. I spent most of the vacation that was taken in order to have quality time with Jack repairing my fence and roof. I still have a few sections of fence down, but they are in the front yard and don’t affect Mona being outside. I hopefully will finish my roof work tonight before it gets too dark.
As far as that new television series I am watching, my buddy Danny lent me all five seasons of Dexter and I have thoroughly enjoyed the first season so far. I am going slower than normal when I am really into a show, but since most of my life is spent at work or watching over a newborn son or 3-year-old little girl I haven’t had much free time to enjoy TV like I used to. Such is parenthood. However, the show is great and the character Dexter Morgan might be the most interesting one TV has seen since George Costanza. I really like the show and can’t wait to watch another episode or two tonight.
While I am here, I figured I would include a brief analysis of a movie I watched last night that seems to be adored by film noir fans but to me was a second-rate B movie thriller. The movie in question was This Gun for Hire, starring Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake. It seems that those who are in love with the film cite Ladd and Lake’s performances and the quick pace of the picture as its high points. Yes, Ladd does a pretty good job of playing a cold, ruthless killer and the pace moves along well, but how hard is it to accomplish that feat when the movie is only 80 minutes long.
In general, Lake looks fantastic as the blonde bombshell of the picture, but her performance, along with nearly everyone else’s excluding Ladd’s, is wooden at best. The plot is forgettable, dialogue laughable, and I was left with a feeling that it was bad, but not so bad to be enjoyable like sci-fi B movies of the 50s or Snakes on a Plane cringeworthy. The relationship between Ladd and Lake’s characters is so unrealistic as genuine characterization would have had Lake spewing hateful obscenities at Ladd for the things he does to her and those she loves. Trust me in that if you had seen this movie you would know what I was talking about.
I had heard good things about This Gun for Hire, but ultimately it was unsatisfying and quite a letdown.
That is about it I guess. When something interesting happens I will throw it up here, but maybe I will generate something of interest to talk about before then.
Friday, April 08, 2011
Hello Jack!
Well, it took 13 hours of labor, two full hours of pushing during every contraction, and a vacuum to pull him out, but Jackson Harris Cook is here. He came into this world at 8:11 p.m. and weighed 6 pounds, 14 ounces. His length was 19 1/4 inches.
Hopefully we will be released soon, not because I want to spend father-son time at home or am anxious to see what normal life will be like with our new son. No, I want out of this hospital because of the fold-out bed. It is awful.
Joanna did an incredible job and fought through pain and exhaustion to keep pushing. I was so proud of her. I even cried when he was finally pulled out. It wasn't just because of the birth of Jack that I teared up, but I was overjoyed that Joanna was finally done pushing and it was also a complete release of the anxiety and tension I had felt for the day.
So far Jack has been doing well. He spent most of the night in the nursery, unless he was feeding with Joanna. I liked that he was there because it gave Joanna a chance to get some rest, which she needed.
Hopefully we will be released soon, not because I want to spend father-son time at home or am anxious to see what normal life will be like with our new son. No, I want out of this hospital because of the fold-out bed. It is awful.
Joanna did an incredible job and fought through pain and exhaustion to keep pushing. I was so proud of her. I even cried when he was finally pulled out. It wasn't just because of the birth of Jack that I teared up, but I was overjoyed that Joanna was finally done pushing and it was also a complete release of the anxiety and tension I had felt for the day.
So far Jack has been doing well. He spent most of the night in the nursery, unless he was feeding with Joanna. I liked that he was there because it gave Joanna a chance to get some rest, which she needed.
Thursday, April 07, 2011
It's Go Time
Today is the day we bring Jack into the world. Pray for Joanna as she is very anxious about the labor process she will be put through today. I will give updates when I can.
Tuesday, April 05, 2011
Rangers Continue Successful Run
Last night’s game was historic for a number of reasons.
First, it marked only the third time ever for a player to have homered in each of the first four games of the season. Nelson Cruz is now in the same category as Willie Mays and Mark McGwire, who should be discounted as he has admitted to using steroids during his career.
Secondly, little Elvis Andrus hit his first major league home run after 705 plate appearances. It was only Saturday I was telling my wife that Andrus would not hit for the cycle as he was short a home run and had never before hit one. Also, I loved that the team momentarily ignored Andrus when he made it back to the dugout. The players are having a lot of fun with each other and it shows.
Lastly, Michael Young moved into second place as the all-time games played as a Texas Ranger leader, only 60-ish games behind Rafael Palmeiro’s total of 1,573.
Include that the Rangers are now 4-0, which is something that hasn’t happened since the 1996 season, where they continued into the postseason for the first time ever in franchise history, and last night’s game against the Seattle Mariners was a great event.
I am loving the 2011 Texas Rangers.
First, it marked only the third time ever for a player to have homered in each of the first four games of the season. Nelson Cruz is now in the same category as Willie Mays and Mark McGwire, who should be discounted as he has admitted to using steroids during his career.
Secondly, little Elvis Andrus hit his first major league home run after 705 plate appearances. It was only Saturday I was telling my wife that Andrus would not hit for the cycle as he was short a home run and had never before hit one. Also, I loved that the team momentarily ignored Andrus when he made it back to the dugout. The players are having a lot of fun with each other and it shows.
Lastly, Michael Young moved into second place as the all-time games played as a Texas Ranger leader, only 60-ish games behind Rafael Palmeiro’s total of 1,573.
Include that the Rangers are now 4-0, which is something that hasn’t happened since the 1996 season, where they continued into the postseason for the first time ever in franchise history, and last night’s game against the Seattle Mariners was a great event.
I am loving the 2011 Texas Rangers.
Sunday, April 03, 2011
Wow! Just, Wow!
I know it is only three games, but sweeping the American League darling Boston Red Sox (and handily I might add) is a great way to start this season. It gives the team and its fans the confidence going forward needed for another great, competitive season.
Go Rangers!
Go Rangers!
Saturday, April 02, 2011
High Hopes, High Marks For Rangers
Opening Day in Arlington was not exactly a perfect outing for the defending American League Champion Texas Rangers, but showing they are still the resilient, tough team who will continue to be a force in the West is what most fans were hoping for during the 2011 season. Beating the Boston Red Sox 9 to 5 and David Murphy's pinch-hitting double to give the Rangers the lead in the bottom of the eighth inning was about as exciting of a moment the metroplex has had on Opening Day (even taking into consideration last year's ninth-inning walk-off hit from Jarrod Saltalamacchia). What made yesterday so special was the residual expectations fans have after making it to the World Series last year.
The few downer moments from yesterday included an error on the first play of the game from centerfielder Julio Borbon, who is not endearing himself with the metroplex as manager Ron Washington's purported heir apparent to the position, and a pretty good outing from pitcher C.J. Wilson, but not quite the lights-out work everyone wanted.
Yesterday was only one of 162 games and overreactions, both good and bad, should be kept in check, but what yesterday did show was that it likely is going to be another long season with this team staying competitive long into the season.
The few downer moments from yesterday included an error on the first play of the game from centerfielder Julio Borbon, who is not endearing himself with the metroplex as manager Ron Washington's purported heir apparent to the position, and a pretty good outing from pitcher C.J. Wilson, but not quite the lights-out work everyone wanted.
Yesterday was only one of 162 games and overreactions, both good and bad, should be kept in check, but what yesterday did show was that it likely is going to be another long season with this team staying competitive long into the season.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
A Shoutout To Jamerin!
My buddy James and his new bride Erin are in Santorini, Greece, right now and I hope they are having an excellent time.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
250 Reasons Not To Trust IMDb Blog Not Reliable
The other day I came across a person’s movie blog created to determine whether the films listed on IMDb’s Top 250 list deserved the status as best movies in the world. First off, the IMDb list is more of a popularity movie list than a credible “best of” list when it comes to moviemaking, so celebrating it as some be-all, end-all registry of great films isn’t exactly the best idea. However, for argument’s sake let’s pretend the IMDb 250 list is influential.
To claim to be a fan of film and exclude some of the movies this girl did is quite appalling. I’m not saying she had to fall in love with every movie, but even if you don’t like the content of the picture you still need to recognize the value certain movies had on the industry and the way in which they changed Hollywood for all time. I can’t stand films like Easy Rider or The Deer Hunter, but I acknowledge that they were a reflection of the times America was going through and consequently deserve a certain amount of respect.
The author’s posts consisted of the top 250 movies as of June 30, 2010. She approved of 157 movies on the list. Therefore, of the other 93 movies she considered not of quality standards to be the best in the world, some showed how naïve and subjective she was being with the appraisals. Certainly nobody is going to agree with all 250 films, but to discredit a handful of the ones she did was a crime.
A few examples include:
Pulp Fiction – gave Independent filmmakers a voice and popularized the genre
The Dark Knight – despite flaws in the movie, the best superhero film to date enhanced by bringing costumed heroes and out-of-this-world villains into a real world
The Seven Samurai – a legendary Japanese director’s epic film
Goodfellas – Martin Scorcese’s best movie with a brilliant cast, soundtrack, screenplay, and flow
North by Northwest – a classic from Alfred Hitchcock that bested its predecessors of the “innocent man on the run” theme and influenced the genre’s successors
Citizen Kane – considered to be the greatest film of all time and inspired filmmaking for all time afterward; the influence this movie has had on Hollywood is too great to tackle in only a few sentences
Saving Private Ryan – the opening scene of soldiers storming the beaches of Normandy is enough to merit this movie as one of the greatest films ever made
To Kill a Mockingbird – a pretty authentic adaptation of the novel and Atticus Finch is a legendary character played to perfection by Gregory Peck
Braveheart – Some arguments could be made as to whether the historical inaccuracies should hinder this as a great movie, but from storytelling, acting, and all other moviemaking aspects it is a celebrated entry in film
The Maltese Falcon – possibly the greatest film noir movie ever made with remarkable dialogue and strong performances from all the cast
Metropolis – this is an example of giving a little leeway to a film due to the constrictions of the time period; made in 1927 as a silent film, it could still stand up to other science-fiction movies of today in many categories of filmmaking
Jaws – the first of its kind in that it created the summer blockbuster and every year since audiences have been bombarded from Memorial Day to mid-August with action, explosions, gunplay, and car chases
On the Waterfront – one of Brando’s most inspiring performances
Scarface – another example of a movie I don't necessarily like, but respect; it oozes 80s, and that is what makes it such a classic
Toy Story 2 – one of the greatest sequels of all time that continued to prove computer animation was a new, valid form of storytelling
The Adventures of Robin Hood – today it looks over-sentimental, but Errol Flynn’s iconic role has had a huge influence, not just on the story of Robin Hood, but in Looney Tunes cartoons, a Mel Brooks comedy, and other forms of spoofery.
Some of these movies are products of the decade they were filmed in, but they are still vital to the history of cinema. A certain respect needs to be shown to these movies and others like them on the IMDb Top 250 list, even if you personally didn’t find them an enjoyable watch.
To claim to be a fan of film and exclude some of the movies this girl did is quite appalling. I’m not saying she had to fall in love with every movie, but even if you don’t like the content of the picture you still need to recognize the value certain movies had on the industry and the way in which they changed Hollywood for all time. I can’t stand films like Easy Rider or The Deer Hunter, but I acknowledge that they were a reflection of the times America was going through and consequently deserve a certain amount of respect.
The author’s posts consisted of the top 250 movies as of June 30, 2010. She approved of 157 movies on the list. Therefore, of the other 93 movies she considered not of quality standards to be the best in the world, some showed how naïve and subjective she was being with the appraisals. Certainly nobody is going to agree with all 250 films, but to discredit a handful of the ones she did was a crime.
A few examples include:
Pulp Fiction – gave Independent filmmakers a voice and popularized the genre
The Dark Knight – despite flaws in the movie, the best superhero film to date enhanced by bringing costumed heroes and out-of-this-world villains into a real world
The Seven Samurai – a legendary Japanese director’s epic film
Goodfellas – Martin Scorcese’s best movie with a brilliant cast, soundtrack, screenplay, and flow
North by Northwest – a classic from Alfred Hitchcock that bested its predecessors of the “innocent man on the run” theme and influenced the genre’s successors
Citizen Kane – considered to be the greatest film of all time and inspired filmmaking for all time afterward; the influence this movie has had on Hollywood is too great to tackle in only a few sentences
Saving Private Ryan – the opening scene of soldiers storming the beaches of Normandy is enough to merit this movie as one of the greatest films ever made
To Kill a Mockingbird – a pretty authentic adaptation of the novel and Atticus Finch is a legendary character played to perfection by Gregory Peck
Braveheart – Some arguments could be made as to whether the historical inaccuracies should hinder this as a great movie, but from storytelling, acting, and all other moviemaking aspects it is a celebrated entry in film
The Maltese Falcon – possibly the greatest film noir movie ever made with remarkable dialogue and strong performances from all the cast
Metropolis – this is an example of giving a little leeway to a film due to the constrictions of the time period; made in 1927 as a silent film, it could still stand up to other science-fiction movies of today in many categories of filmmaking
Jaws – the first of its kind in that it created the summer blockbuster and every year since audiences have been bombarded from Memorial Day to mid-August with action, explosions, gunplay, and car chases
On the Waterfront – one of Brando’s most inspiring performances
Scarface – another example of a movie I don't necessarily like, but respect; it oozes 80s, and that is what makes it such a classic
Toy Story 2 – one of the greatest sequels of all time that continued to prove computer animation was a new, valid form of storytelling
The Adventures of Robin Hood – today it looks over-sentimental, but Errol Flynn’s iconic role has had a huge influence, not just on the story of Robin Hood, but in Looney Tunes cartoons, a Mel Brooks comedy, and other forms of spoofery.
Some of these movies are products of the decade they were filmed in, but they are still vital to the history of cinema. A certain respect needs to be shown to these movies and others like them on the IMDb Top 250 list, even if you personally didn’t find them an enjoyable watch.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Star Trek Movies Ranked
No introduction. Just a list of the Star Trek films, my rating along with IMDb's rating for each film, and what makes them (not) great.
11. Star Trek: Insurrection (4/6.3; released in 1998)
Choosing to watch the ninth or tenth Star Trek movies is like having to decide between drinking your own urine or French kissing your sister: neither would kill you, but you could surely find better things to do with your time. Insurrection, the ninth entry in the series and third movie mission for The Next Generation cast, is a 103-minute morality tale updating the question of whether displacing the few for the betterment of the many is morally justified into an alien sci-fi world. Think Avatar without the mind-blowing 3D visual effects. Very little redeeming qualities can be found in this movie and it would have been better served as an hour-long TV episode for the second Trek series.
10. Star Trek: Nemesis (4/6.4; released in 2002)
Whether Insurrection turned out to be the pee-drinking or the incestuous sister-kissing example in the above metaphor, Nemesis is the other one. Deciding that Enterprise’s next generation had only four movies in them, this turned out to be the crew’s final mission on the silver screen, nearly killing the franchise. The storyline for Nemesis, the tenth movie of the series, involves a clone of Picard created by the Romulans who needs Picard’s blood to survive. A principal theme in the film is how nature vs. nurture plays out among alien races. The presence of a Picard clone, inane chase sequences, lots of action, and satisfactory visual effects can’t equate to engaging storytelling or enjoyable viewing. Even a shocking plot development is negated when it’s revealed a backdoor was left open to right the (space)ship. Nemesis was a disappointing bow out for Picard and crew.
9. Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (4/6.5; released in 1984)
Kirk and the gang hijack a wrecked Enterprise after returning to Earth from their confrontation with Khan, minus Spock who was left behind on a Genesis-transformed planet. A Klingon commander races to the same destination in hopes of turning the Genesis Device into a weapon. The Search for Spock, the third feature film of the series given a green light the day after release of The Wrath of Khan, has some elements that make it watchable. This includes good performances from the cast, a few key surprises and twists throughout the film, and plot points that contribute to the setting up of future films in the series. However, regarding said plot, it seems to trudge along at times never getting the viewer’s heart racing like its predecessor or other subsequent films of the series.
8. Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (6/5; released in 1989)
Panned by critics and fans alike as the worst movie in the series, I give the fifth Star Trek film, The Final Frontier, more credit than most. The Enterprise crew is dispatched to rescue hostages on a planet, only to find Spock’s Vulcan half-brother Sybok is behind the incident. Sybok’s true plan is to use the Enterprise and travel to the center of the galaxy in order to find the creator of all things on the mythical planet Sha Ka Ree. While everything loathed about the film, such as the dialogue, special effects, and William Shatner’s narcissistic directing, without a doubt make The Final Frontier a tough watch, the idea of searching for God in space intrigues me. There are so many groups of people who want to find our Creator and seek His presence here on Earth, so why is it such a lame concept for an alien to have the same desire?
7. Star Trek: Generations (6/6.4; released in 1994)
The potential for greatest Star Trek movie was there. Pitting two Enterprise captains against a former A Clockwork Orange maniac, what could possibly go wrong? Generations proved combining the leadership methods of James T. Kirk’s reckless endangerment and Jean-Luc Picard’s disciplined common sense did not make for good movie watching. Generations, the series seventh film, begins with The Original Series members Kirk, Montgomery Scott, and Pavel Chekov assisting in a rescue mission aboard USS Enterprise-B. Kirk is believed dead after being transported into a strip of energy called the Nexus. More than 75 years later, Picard’s The Next Generation crew, along with Kirk, must stop Dr. Tolian Soran from destroying a civilization in his attempt to re-enter the Nexus, as he was one of the ones rescued by the Enterprise-B. I can’t say exactly what makes Generations an average movie because I’m not sure what it is that hinders it. It simply doesn’t excite and intrigue like other Star Trek films.
6. Star Trek: The Motion Picture (7/6.2; released in 1979)
The pioneer mission that took Star Trek to the big screen proved that, unlike movies such as The Godfather or Jaws, the first is not always the best. The Motion Picture is an adapted storyline from the abandoned continuation series, Star Trek: Phase II. The Enterprise must determine how to stop a massive cloud of energy with a living machine at its center that is destroying all life in its path to find its maker. The Motion Picture is a smart story that unfolds slowly, which is something a lot of moviegoers weren’t interested in after the popularity of sci-fi, action hits like Star Wars and Alien. Many argue the plot is too similar to an episode of The Original Series titled “The Changeling,” but never having seen that episode I feel the film is a pleasant addition and breathed life into the series again allowing for future films and television series.
5. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (7/7.3; released in 1986)
The fourth film of the series and final part of a trilogy-arc storyline, The Voyage Home sends the Enterprise crew back in time to San Francisco in order to find now-extinct humpback whales that can answer the call of a deadly alien probe threatening Earth in their present time. As director, Leonard Nimoy does a superior job balancing the environmental message with the comedy that comes from the future crews’ mishaps with what is perceived as primitive technology and people. You can really tell the cast let loose with this movie and saw it as an opportunity to be more relaxed than in previous Trek films. The Voyage Home is a fun movie that Trekkies and non-Trek fans alike can enjoy, proving Star Trek doesn’t have to have space battles, photon torpedoes, and alien villains to entertain.
4. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (8/7.7; released in 1982)
Many believe the greatest movie of the series is the second, The Wrath of Khan. Not only a sequel to The Motion Picture, but also a continuation of the 1967 Original Series episode “Space Seed,” genetically-engineered Khan Noonien Singh seeks revenge on Kirk for deserting him and his people on an isolated planet. Where Star Trek films like The Final Frontier and Nemesis nearly killed the franchise, The Wrath of Khan had a complete opposite outcome, giving new life to the series. Ricardo Montalban’s Khan is a welcome return to the series as main antagonist and the parallel to Herman Melville’s Moby Dick is well-suited for a swashbuckling space adventure. What hurts this movie is the acting, discounting Montalban and Leonard Nimoy, and the battle sequences, which have not aged well as computer technology and graphics continue to improve.
3. Star Trek: First Contact (8/7.6; released in 1996)
First Contact is the eighth movie in the series but a first in many categories, including first to feature no cast member of The Original Series and first to highlight the cybernetic organisms known as the Borg as the villain, which had been done on television but not in film. The Borg travel back in time to colonize and conquer Earth, leading Picard and the crew of the Enterprise-E to stop it, while at the same time ensuring that the first test of a warp-drive vessel undertakes its mission without any interference. First Contact combines great action, visual effects, and time travel and ends up being one of the most thrilling adventures Star Trek has ever offered. A glaring misstep for the film is how heavily it relies on Trek-verse history and verbiage, leaving non-fans a bit in the dark on all the details, but not so much that a good time can’t still be had.
2. Star Trek (9/8.1; released in 2009)
Partly prequel, partly reboot, the eleventh film in the Star Trek series, appropriately named Star Trek, relates the origins of characters from The Original Series. The plot involves a Romulan named Nero traveling back in time and seeking revenge on the Federation planets Earth and Vulcan for events that have not yet happened. Providing a compelling story with plenty of action and humor makes this movie a well-received film by all moviegoers, but that the writers were able to seamlessly restart the series and provide an outlet for new stories is an amazing achievement. Another benefit to this film is the stellar casting for every single Enterprise crew member, especially Karl Urban’s Dr. McCoy. Obviously, Trekkies were going to compare the old and new actors, but the cast does a great job recreating the characters and adding fresh nuances to the characters.
1. Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (9/7.2; released in 1991)
One of the elements that made Star Trek such a hit in the 60s was taking real-world events and putting them into science-fiction scenarios, leading to society looking through a microscope at the problems going on around the globe. The sixth Star Trek film is in the vein of classic The Original Series episodes in that it chronicles what it would be like if the Berlin Wall coming down had taken place between alien races. The Enterprise must oversee peaceful talks between the Federation of Planets and Klingons when an environmental disaster forces the two to work with one another. The Undiscovered Country is well-paced, suspenseful as a whodunit plot unfolds, visually stunning, filled with action and comedy, and has great performances from the main cast and supporting characters, particularly Christopher Plummer as a Klingon general.
11. Star Trek: Insurrection (4/6.3; released in 1998)
Choosing to watch the ninth or tenth Star Trek movies is like having to decide between drinking your own urine or French kissing your sister: neither would kill you, but you could surely find better things to do with your time. Insurrection, the ninth entry in the series and third movie mission for The Next Generation cast, is a 103-minute morality tale updating the question of whether displacing the few for the betterment of the many is morally justified into an alien sci-fi world. Think Avatar without the mind-blowing 3D visual effects. Very little redeeming qualities can be found in this movie and it would have been better served as an hour-long TV episode for the second Trek series.
10. Star Trek: Nemesis (4/6.4; released in 2002)
Whether Insurrection turned out to be the pee-drinking or the incestuous sister-kissing example in the above metaphor, Nemesis is the other one. Deciding that Enterprise’s next generation had only four movies in them, this turned out to be the crew’s final mission on the silver screen, nearly killing the franchise. The storyline for Nemesis, the tenth movie of the series, involves a clone of Picard created by the Romulans who needs Picard’s blood to survive. A principal theme in the film is how nature vs. nurture plays out among alien races. The presence of a Picard clone, inane chase sequences, lots of action, and satisfactory visual effects can’t equate to engaging storytelling or enjoyable viewing. Even a shocking plot development is negated when it’s revealed a backdoor was left open to right the (space)ship. Nemesis was a disappointing bow out for Picard and crew.
9. Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (4/6.5; released in 1984)
Kirk and the gang hijack a wrecked Enterprise after returning to Earth from their confrontation with Khan, minus Spock who was left behind on a Genesis-transformed planet. A Klingon commander races to the same destination in hopes of turning the Genesis Device into a weapon. The Search for Spock, the third feature film of the series given a green light the day after release of The Wrath of Khan, has some elements that make it watchable. This includes good performances from the cast, a few key surprises and twists throughout the film, and plot points that contribute to the setting up of future films in the series. However, regarding said plot, it seems to trudge along at times never getting the viewer’s heart racing like its predecessor or other subsequent films of the series.
8. Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (6/5; released in 1989)
Panned by critics and fans alike as the worst movie in the series, I give the fifth Star Trek film, The Final Frontier, more credit than most. The Enterprise crew is dispatched to rescue hostages on a planet, only to find Spock’s Vulcan half-brother Sybok is behind the incident. Sybok’s true plan is to use the Enterprise and travel to the center of the galaxy in order to find the creator of all things on the mythical planet Sha Ka Ree. While everything loathed about the film, such as the dialogue, special effects, and William Shatner’s narcissistic directing, without a doubt make The Final Frontier a tough watch, the idea of searching for God in space intrigues me. There are so many groups of people who want to find our Creator and seek His presence here on Earth, so why is it such a lame concept for an alien to have the same desire?
7. Star Trek: Generations (6/6.4; released in 1994)
The potential for greatest Star Trek movie was there. Pitting two Enterprise captains against a former A Clockwork Orange maniac, what could possibly go wrong? Generations proved combining the leadership methods of James T. Kirk’s reckless endangerment and Jean-Luc Picard’s disciplined common sense did not make for good movie watching. Generations, the series seventh film, begins with The Original Series members Kirk, Montgomery Scott, and Pavel Chekov assisting in a rescue mission aboard USS Enterprise-B. Kirk is believed dead after being transported into a strip of energy called the Nexus. More than 75 years later, Picard’s The Next Generation crew, along with Kirk, must stop Dr. Tolian Soran from destroying a civilization in his attempt to re-enter the Nexus, as he was one of the ones rescued by the Enterprise-B. I can’t say exactly what makes Generations an average movie because I’m not sure what it is that hinders it. It simply doesn’t excite and intrigue like other Star Trek films.
6. Star Trek: The Motion Picture (7/6.2; released in 1979)
The pioneer mission that took Star Trek to the big screen proved that, unlike movies such as The Godfather or Jaws, the first is not always the best. The Motion Picture is an adapted storyline from the abandoned continuation series, Star Trek: Phase II. The Enterprise must determine how to stop a massive cloud of energy with a living machine at its center that is destroying all life in its path to find its maker. The Motion Picture is a smart story that unfolds slowly, which is something a lot of moviegoers weren’t interested in after the popularity of sci-fi, action hits like Star Wars and Alien. Many argue the plot is too similar to an episode of The Original Series titled “The Changeling,” but never having seen that episode I feel the film is a pleasant addition and breathed life into the series again allowing for future films and television series.
5. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (7/7.3; released in 1986)
The fourth film of the series and final part of a trilogy-arc storyline, The Voyage Home sends the Enterprise crew back in time to San Francisco in order to find now-extinct humpback whales that can answer the call of a deadly alien probe threatening Earth in their present time. As director, Leonard Nimoy does a superior job balancing the environmental message with the comedy that comes from the future crews’ mishaps with what is perceived as primitive technology and people. You can really tell the cast let loose with this movie and saw it as an opportunity to be more relaxed than in previous Trek films. The Voyage Home is a fun movie that Trekkies and non-Trek fans alike can enjoy, proving Star Trek doesn’t have to have space battles, photon torpedoes, and alien villains to entertain.
4. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (8/7.7; released in 1982)
Many believe the greatest movie of the series is the second, The Wrath of Khan. Not only a sequel to The Motion Picture, but also a continuation of the 1967 Original Series episode “Space Seed,” genetically-engineered Khan Noonien Singh seeks revenge on Kirk for deserting him and his people on an isolated planet. Where Star Trek films like The Final Frontier and Nemesis nearly killed the franchise, The Wrath of Khan had a complete opposite outcome, giving new life to the series. Ricardo Montalban’s Khan is a welcome return to the series as main antagonist and the parallel to Herman Melville’s Moby Dick is well-suited for a swashbuckling space adventure. What hurts this movie is the acting, discounting Montalban and Leonard Nimoy, and the battle sequences, which have not aged well as computer technology and graphics continue to improve.
3. Star Trek: First Contact (8/7.6; released in 1996)
First Contact is the eighth movie in the series but a first in many categories, including first to feature no cast member of The Original Series and first to highlight the cybernetic organisms known as the Borg as the villain, which had been done on television but not in film. The Borg travel back in time to colonize and conquer Earth, leading Picard and the crew of the Enterprise-E to stop it, while at the same time ensuring that the first test of a warp-drive vessel undertakes its mission without any interference. First Contact combines great action, visual effects, and time travel and ends up being one of the most thrilling adventures Star Trek has ever offered. A glaring misstep for the film is how heavily it relies on Trek-verse history and verbiage, leaving non-fans a bit in the dark on all the details, but not so much that a good time can’t still be had.
2. Star Trek (9/8.1; released in 2009)
Partly prequel, partly reboot, the eleventh film in the Star Trek series, appropriately named Star Trek, relates the origins of characters from The Original Series. The plot involves a Romulan named Nero traveling back in time and seeking revenge on the Federation planets Earth and Vulcan for events that have not yet happened. Providing a compelling story with plenty of action and humor makes this movie a well-received film by all moviegoers, but that the writers were able to seamlessly restart the series and provide an outlet for new stories is an amazing achievement. Another benefit to this film is the stellar casting for every single Enterprise crew member, especially Karl Urban’s Dr. McCoy. Obviously, Trekkies were going to compare the old and new actors, but the cast does a great job recreating the characters and adding fresh nuances to the characters.
1. Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (9/7.2; released in 1991)
One of the elements that made Star Trek such a hit in the 60s was taking real-world events and putting them into science-fiction scenarios, leading to society looking through a microscope at the problems going on around the globe. The sixth Star Trek film is in the vein of classic The Original Series episodes in that it chronicles what it would be like if the Berlin Wall coming down had taken place between alien races. The Enterprise must oversee peaceful talks between the Federation of Planets and Klingons when an environmental disaster forces the two to work with one another. The Undiscovered Country is well-paced, suspenseful as a whodunit plot unfolds, visually stunning, filled with action and comedy, and has great performances from the main cast and supporting characters, particularly Christopher Plummer as a Klingon general.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Tragic Story Out Of Japan
My prayers go out to those in Japan affected by the earthquake and resulting tsunami that hit the country's shores earlier today. It is a tragic event that gave the Japanese people little to no warning.
Even with a rush of overwhelming footage taken of the destruction in Japan that has happened thus far, it is hard to fathom what an 8.9 earthquake would feel like when some of the most devastating quakes in history measured in the sevens on the Richter magnitude scale, such as last year's Haitian shock or the great San Francisco quake of 1906.
I hope Japan is able to recover soon during the aftermath and the death toll is lower than some are predicting. As far as the U.S. goes, with any luck the amount of time we have had to prepare and the great distance the waves have traveled with lessen the impact and destructive force of the tsunami in Hawaii and the west coast of America.
Even with a rush of overwhelming footage taken of the destruction in Japan that has happened thus far, it is hard to fathom what an 8.9 earthquake would feel like when some of the most devastating quakes in history measured in the sevens on the Richter magnitude scale, such as last year's Haitian shock or the great San Francisco quake of 1906.
I hope Japan is able to recover soon during the aftermath and the death toll is lower than some are predicting. As far as the U.S. goes, with any luck the amount of time we have had to prepare and the great distance the waves have traveled with lessen the impact and destructive force of the tsunami in Hawaii and the west coast of America.
Wednesday, March 09, 2011
Ten Defining 20th Century Dates In American History
While watching a documentary last night on Operation Valkyrie and the attempt to assassinate Adolph Hitler, an interviewee stated July 20, 1944, as one of the top 10 dates in German history in the 20th century. It got me to thinking what the same criteria would result in for American history. Some are very obvious, but others I think are more subtle in their lasting effects on our current society.
The following are a list of 10 dates I believe to be monumental in our history set between January 1, 1901 and December 31, 2000. The list is in chronological order as I didn’t want to try and rank them in ascending order of consequence.
September 25, 1926: Henry Ford employs the 40-hour workweek
Though certainly not a saint and the reasons for doing so were self-serving, Henry Ford’s decision to go to an eight-hour, five-day a week work schedule revolutionized America’s labor force. The idea of working six days is hardly fathomable today and instead is seen as going far above and beyond the call of duty. This date also serves as a symbol of Ford’s other influences on the working class such as paying double the standard wage a decade earlier and implementing the assembly line, which began in 1908.
October 29, 1929: Black Tuesday
If there is any singular date in American history that defined a century, this would likely be it for the twentieth. The Wall Street Crash of 1929, also known as the Great Crash, began a decade-long Great Depression in America, leading to an unemployment rate of 25 percent by 1933, rapid rise in crime, mass migrations, and realization of President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal. Not a single person could avoid feeling the effects of Black Tuesday and many were never able to fully recover from the financial ruin the country had suffered.
December 7, 1941: “A date which will live in infamy.”
As Roosevelt put it, “the United States was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.” Said attack sent America headlong into World War II, which had already been going on for two years among European and Asian countries. The attack on Pearl Harbor represents several important dates throughout the timeline of the Second World War, including D-day’s June 6, 1944, but what brought the war to a monstrous conclusion has its own spot on this list.
August 6/August 9, 1945: Dropping Little Boy and Fat Man
Although the conclusion of World War II was officially brought about by the Japanese Emperor’s declaration of surrender on August 12, it was the setting off of two atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki a week prior that signifies the end of the war. It is estimated that approximately 240,000 casualties were reported following the bombings. The decision to use atomic weapons on Japan was obviously not universally accepted and it has been debated ad nauseum as to whether President Harry Truman was justified in doing so. The effects of nuclear armament would create a Mexican standoff for centuries to come between America and the U.S.S.R.
December 1, 1955: Rosa Parks takes a stand by staying seated
Her defiant act against a ridiculous command to give up her seat to a white passenger because she was black wasn’t the first of its kind, but it was a symbol of the ongoing African-American Civil Rights Movement that sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott. There are plenty of moments from this period of our history I could have chosen, including Martin Luther King’s August 28, 1963 “I have a dream speech,” the desegregation of the University of Alabama on June 11, 1963, or King’s assassination on April 4, 1968, but Rosa Parks rebelliousness and the resulting boycott gave the Civil Rights Movement its initial victory and made King a standout leader of the cause.
November 22, 1963: Kennedy assassination
Not being born until 1980, I’ve never understood the fascination America had with the Kennedy family. The president's record as a leader was a bit underwhelming, but he was able to quell the Cuban missile crisis and he had a charisma that exuded security giving the American people a spirit of idealism. The allure of Camelot and a stable family life was rocked when Lee Harvey Oswald shot two bullets into the president while traveling through Dealey Plaza in Dallas. It is said people can remember exactly where they were and what they were doing when they heard of the assassination, some even crying, losing their appetites, or suffering nausea.
February 9, 1964: The British are coming!
Some might think I’m over-estimating the influence the Beatles had in America on rock and roll music, but when Nielsen ratings show that 45 percent of televisions in the United States were tuned in to the band’s performance on The Ed Sullivan Show it is safe to assume that a large portion of the country were interested in the new sound. Beatlemania paved an international path for other UK bands like The Rolling Stones, The Animals, The Kinks, The Who, and countless others from the same era of music up to today’s hit musical acts.
July 20, 1969: “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”
Neil Armstrong’s message to earthlings was the culmination of a mission by President Kennedy to win a peaceful, but intense, space race between the United States and Soviet Union, hard work among the nation’s top scientists and aviators, and a national dream that mankind would travel above the heavens and explore outer space. It was a good feeling to be American because of NASA’s accomplishment and it made science fiction a reality. Everything going on in the country from the Vietnam War to the debate over free love could be forgotten for a moment and national pride reigned.
August 15-18, 1969: Woodstock/Vietnam War
The Woodstock Festival that featured such acts as Jimi Hendrix, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Who, The Band, and Janis Joplin isn’t here simply because of what it was, but more because of the time period it represents. With the Vietnam War lasting nearly a full two decades and numerous monumental historic events taking place during that time period, including the Tet offensive on January 31, 1968, the June 17, 1972, Watergate scandal, or Nixon’s resignation on August 9, 1974, the Woodstock Festival encapsulates the varied mindsets Americans had at the time. These attitudes included the idea of peace, love, and rock and roll, fighting the man, and disapproval of the war. The concert became a symbol of the decade.
November 9, 1989: A city divided no more
As Woodstock was a symbol of an entire decade, the Berlin Wall was a symbol of an undefined war between capitalism and communism. Once the wall began construction in 1961, for nearly three decades the city of Berlin was split in two and it remained that way until after peaceful demonstrations beginning in September 1989 and mass departures by East German refugees the Socialist Unity Party of Germany declared the checkpoints along the Wall open for private travel. The fall of the Berlin Wall represented the downfall and end to communism for Eastern Germany and surrounding countries. Although not the complete end of communism and not an event that directly involved the United States, it was a major moment in American history nonetheless.
The following are a list of 10 dates I believe to be monumental in our history set between January 1, 1901 and December 31, 2000. The list is in chronological order as I didn’t want to try and rank them in ascending order of consequence.
September 25, 1926: Henry Ford employs the 40-hour workweek
Though certainly not a saint and the reasons for doing so were self-serving, Henry Ford’s decision to go to an eight-hour, five-day a week work schedule revolutionized America’s labor force. The idea of working six days is hardly fathomable today and instead is seen as going far above and beyond the call of duty. This date also serves as a symbol of Ford’s other influences on the working class such as paying double the standard wage a decade earlier and implementing the assembly line, which began in 1908.
October 29, 1929: Black Tuesday
If there is any singular date in American history that defined a century, this would likely be it for the twentieth. The Wall Street Crash of 1929, also known as the Great Crash, began a decade-long Great Depression in America, leading to an unemployment rate of 25 percent by 1933, rapid rise in crime, mass migrations, and realization of President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal. Not a single person could avoid feeling the effects of Black Tuesday and many were never able to fully recover from the financial ruin the country had suffered.
December 7, 1941: “A date which will live in infamy.”
As Roosevelt put it, “the United States was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.” Said attack sent America headlong into World War II, which had already been going on for two years among European and Asian countries. The attack on Pearl Harbor represents several important dates throughout the timeline of the Second World War, including D-day’s June 6, 1944, but what brought the war to a monstrous conclusion has its own spot on this list.
August 6/August 9, 1945: Dropping Little Boy and Fat Man
Although the conclusion of World War II was officially brought about by the Japanese Emperor’s declaration of surrender on August 12, it was the setting off of two atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki a week prior that signifies the end of the war. It is estimated that approximately 240,000 casualties were reported following the bombings. The decision to use atomic weapons on Japan was obviously not universally accepted and it has been debated ad nauseum as to whether President Harry Truman was justified in doing so. The effects of nuclear armament would create a Mexican standoff for centuries to come between America and the U.S.S.R.
December 1, 1955: Rosa Parks takes a stand by staying seated
Her defiant act against a ridiculous command to give up her seat to a white passenger because she was black wasn’t the first of its kind, but it was a symbol of the ongoing African-American Civil Rights Movement that sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott. There are plenty of moments from this period of our history I could have chosen, including Martin Luther King’s August 28, 1963 “I have a dream speech,” the desegregation of the University of Alabama on June 11, 1963, or King’s assassination on April 4, 1968, but Rosa Parks rebelliousness and the resulting boycott gave the Civil Rights Movement its initial victory and made King a standout leader of the cause.
November 22, 1963: Kennedy assassination
Not being born until 1980, I’ve never understood the fascination America had with the Kennedy family. The president's record as a leader was a bit underwhelming, but he was able to quell the Cuban missile crisis and he had a charisma that exuded security giving the American people a spirit of idealism. The allure of Camelot and a stable family life was rocked when Lee Harvey Oswald shot two bullets into the president while traveling through Dealey Plaza in Dallas. It is said people can remember exactly where they were and what they were doing when they heard of the assassination, some even crying, losing their appetites, or suffering nausea.
February 9, 1964: The British are coming!
Some might think I’m over-estimating the influence the Beatles had in America on rock and roll music, but when Nielsen ratings show that 45 percent of televisions in the United States were tuned in to the band’s performance on The Ed Sullivan Show it is safe to assume that a large portion of the country were interested in the new sound. Beatlemania paved an international path for other UK bands like The Rolling Stones, The Animals, The Kinks, The Who, and countless others from the same era of music up to today’s hit musical acts.
July 20, 1969: “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”
Neil Armstrong’s message to earthlings was the culmination of a mission by President Kennedy to win a peaceful, but intense, space race between the United States and Soviet Union, hard work among the nation’s top scientists and aviators, and a national dream that mankind would travel above the heavens and explore outer space. It was a good feeling to be American because of NASA’s accomplishment and it made science fiction a reality. Everything going on in the country from the Vietnam War to the debate over free love could be forgotten for a moment and national pride reigned.
August 15-18, 1969: Woodstock/Vietnam War
The Woodstock Festival that featured such acts as Jimi Hendrix, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Who, The Band, and Janis Joplin isn’t here simply because of what it was, but more because of the time period it represents. With the Vietnam War lasting nearly a full two decades and numerous monumental historic events taking place during that time period, including the Tet offensive on January 31, 1968, the June 17, 1972, Watergate scandal, or Nixon’s resignation on August 9, 1974, the Woodstock Festival encapsulates the varied mindsets Americans had at the time. These attitudes included the idea of peace, love, and rock and roll, fighting the man, and disapproval of the war. The concert became a symbol of the decade.
November 9, 1989: A city divided no more
As Woodstock was a symbol of an entire decade, the Berlin Wall was a symbol of an undefined war between capitalism and communism. Once the wall began construction in 1961, for nearly three decades the city of Berlin was split in two and it remained that way until after peaceful demonstrations beginning in September 1989 and mass departures by East German refugees the Socialist Unity Party of Germany declared the checkpoints along the Wall open for private travel. The fall of the Berlin Wall represented the downfall and end to communism for Eastern Germany and surrounding countries. Although not the complete end of communism and not an event that directly involved the United States, it was a major moment in American history nonetheless.
Friday, March 04, 2011
Work-related Newsie Item
Some possible good news came my way today. While speaking with my boss about a friend’s upcoming wedding we veered to the topic of giving me some additional responsibilities regarding our company’s newsletter. Apparently the human resources department has been too busy to work on the newsletter, titled Factual Rumors, for the past three months. With my background in journalism and the underwriting department’s quick turnaround cycle creating plenty of spare time for me, it seemed logical to take over the newsletter.
It isn’t finalized yet, but my boss is looking into the idea. This would be a good springboard for me to continue working in a journalism capacity in case I ever am able to get back in the writing world. Since my resume has nothing regarding writing, editing, or other journalistic characteristics on it since 2009, this will be a great opportunity for me. I have gotten a lot more excited about the prospect of writing the company newsletter after thinking about it for a couple of hours. But again, it is not a done deal.
It isn’t finalized yet, but my boss is looking into the idea. This would be a good springboard for me to continue working in a journalism capacity in case I ever am able to get back in the writing world. Since my resume has nothing regarding writing, editing, or other journalistic characteristics on it since 2009, this will be a great opportunity for me. I have gotten a lot more excited about the prospect of writing the company newsletter after thinking about it for a couple of hours. But again, it is not a done deal.
Thursday, March 03, 2011
Reviewing The Town
From now on, I will lower my expectations going into every movie I see, no matter how promising and exciting a trailer looks. I will fight the urge to let my adrenaline start pumping and put a hold on my imagination running wild with a movie’s potential because, ultimately, after 100 years of moviemaking Hollywood has few new and electrifying ideas to offer the general public. Sure, technology occasionally progresses enough to provide us a new outlet, like Avatar did with 3D or The Matrix with bullet time photography, but in general it is the same plots being regurgitated with new actors for a new generation of viewers. That’s not to say movies with rehashed plots and predictable outcomes can’t be enjoyable. Take this year’s Academy Award nominated film The Fighter. The acting in that movie is so stupendous that I could look past the fact that yet another boxing movie had been made.
I state all of this because I watched Ben Affleck’s The Town last night and was underwhelmed at the final product. The story seemed very reminiscent of Michael Mann’s 1995 crime thriller Heat. The acting ranged from average to pretty good. The accents of the Bostonian characters seemed too preposterous to be believed for anyone who hasn’t resided in Charlestown. It doesn’t matter if they were so authentic one couldn’t recognize who was really from the area, like Affleck, and who wasn’t, like Jeremy Renner and Blake Lively, at times it seemed like a Saturday Night Live sketch was going on and the joke was the over-the-top accents. The characterization of supporting characters was weak and the relationship between Affleck and Renner’s parts was never really fleshed out fully.
Overall, it just wasn’t the heist/crime/relationship drama I was expecting and only one scene really had me tense up wondering what was going to happen next. This is not to say Affleck didn’t do a serviceable job both in front of and behind the camera. It just never seemed like his creation, instead picking and choosing moments and ideas from previous movies and intertwining them into a new creation. Had I been given a little more insight into Renner’s psyche, some more scenes showing the relationship between Affleck and Renner, and a smidgen more enlightenment on the work the FBI was doing to hunt the bad guys it might have been a more complete film. I realize the movie was more about the relationship between a bank robber and the unknowing hostage he begins to date after the crime, but you still need some additional plotlines to help flesh out the movie more.
On a scale of 10, The Town gets a 6, putting it on par with movies like The Departed, Ocean’s Thirteen, Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, and Forgetting Sarah Marshall. The Town is slightly above average, worth watching once.
I state all of this because I watched Ben Affleck’s The Town last night and was underwhelmed at the final product. The story seemed very reminiscent of Michael Mann’s 1995 crime thriller Heat. The acting ranged from average to pretty good. The accents of the Bostonian characters seemed too preposterous to be believed for anyone who hasn’t resided in Charlestown. It doesn’t matter if they were so authentic one couldn’t recognize who was really from the area, like Affleck, and who wasn’t, like Jeremy Renner and Blake Lively, at times it seemed like a Saturday Night Live sketch was going on and the joke was the over-the-top accents. The characterization of supporting characters was weak and the relationship between Affleck and Renner’s parts was never really fleshed out fully.
Overall, it just wasn’t the heist/crime/relationship drama I was expecting and only one scene really had me tense up wondering what was going to happen next. This is not to say Affleck didn’t do a serviceable job both in front of and behind the camera. It just never seemed like his creation, instead picking and choosing moments and ideas from previous movies and intertwining them into a new creation. Had I been given a little more insight into Renner’s psyche, some more scenes showing the relationship between Affleck and Renner, and a smidgen more enlightenment on the work the FBI was doing to hunt the bad guys it might have been a more complete film. I realize the movie was more about the relationship between a bank robber and the unknowing hostage he begins to date after the crime, but you still need some additional plotlines to help flesh out the movie more.
On a scale of 10, The Town gets a 6, putting it on par with movies like The Departed, Ocean’s Thirteen, Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, and Forgetting Sarah Marshall. The Town is slightly above average, worth watching once.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Reaction To 83rd Academy Awards
The Internet is abuzz today about the hosting job, who wore what, and winners and losers at the Academy Awards last night.
If you didn’t already know, The King’s Speech won for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Actor (Colin Firth). Inception also took home four wins, but they were in the less popular categories of Best Visual Effects, Best Cinematography, Best Sound Editing, and Best Sound Mixing. The Social Network came in third with three awards for Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score, and Best Film Editing.
I’ll agree with the consensus that the hosts, nominee James Franco and Anne Hathaway, were not near the quality of past comedians such as Bob Hope, Billy Crystal, or even Steve Martin, but at least Hathaway tried. It seemed Franco was high the entire time and had little interest in the gig. That is not to say there weren’t a few good lines throughout the night, but mostly the ceremony was a forgettable one. It was especially not helpful that no acceptance speech was memorable, minus Melissa Leo’s, but that was because of the naughty word dropped in the middle.
What I will not agree with is that The King’s Speech was the best movie of the year. I found Firth’s acting to be stellar and the movie was well made as a historical drama, but I felt there were multiple other films in the Best Picture category that should have deserved the Oscar over The King’s Speech.
Amongst my family and friends I came in first for the guessing game we play each year. I tied an all-time self best with 18 correct selections out of 24 categories, missing Best Picture (I picked The Social Network), Best Director (again, The Social Network), Best Cinematography (True Grit), Best Costume Design (The King’s Speech), Best Animated Short Film (Day & Night), and Best Live Action Short Film (Na Wewe).
Since I had The Social Network winning the Best Picture category, obviously that was one of the films I thought was more deserving than The King’s Speech. Another was The Fighter. The overall performances were better in The Fighter than The King’s Speech. I also would have accepted Black Swan or Toy Story 3 over the eventual winner.
Although I liked nearly ever nominated movie more than The King’s Speech, I knew it had a good chance of winning Best Picture. Yet, I still feel it was fifth best as far as moviemaking goes. The following are lists of how the Academy should have ranked the movies if more than just the winner was announced and showing my personal favorites regarding watchability and enjoyment.
Academy criterion:
The Social Network
The Fighter
Black Swan
Toy Story 3
The King’s Speech
Inception
True Grit
127 Hours
Winter’s Bone
The Kids Are All Right
Personal Favorites:
Inception
The Social Network
Toy Story 3
The Fighter
Black Swan
True Grit
Winter’s Bone
127 Hours
The King’s Speech
The Kids Are All Right
If you didn’t already know, The King’s Speech won for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Actor (Colin Firth). Inception also took home four wins, but they were in the less popular categories of Best Visual Effects, Best Cinematography, Best Sound Editing, and Best Sound Mixing. The Social Network came in third with three awards for Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score, and Best Film Editing.
I’ll agree with the consensus that the hosts, nominee James Franco and Anne Hathaway, were not near the quality of past comedians such as Bob Hope, Billy Crystal, or even Steve Martin, but at least Hathaway tried. It seemed Franco was high the entire time and had little interest in the gig. That is not to say there weren’t a few good lines throughout the night, but mostly the ceremony was a forgettable one. It was especially not helpful that no acceptance speech was memorable, minus Melissa Leo’s, but that was because of the naughty word dropped in the middle.
What I will not agree with is that The King’s Speech was the best movie of the year. I found Firth’s acting to be stellar and the movie was well made as a historical drama, but I felt there were multiple other films in the Best Picture category that should have deserved the Oscar over The King’s Speech.
Amongst my family and friends I came in first for the guessing game we play each year. I tied an all-time self best with 18 correct selections out of 24 categories, missing Best Picture (I picked The Social Network), Best Director (again, The Social Network), Best Cinematography (True Grit), Best Costume Design (The King’s Speech), Best Animated Short Film (Day & Night), and Best Live Action Short Film (Na Wewe).
Since I had The Social Network winning the Best Picture category, obviously that was one of the films I thought was more deserving than The King’s Speech. Another was The Fighter. The overall performances were better in The Fighter than The King’s Speech. I also would have accepted Black Swan or Toy Story 3 over the eventual winner.
Although I liked nearly ever nominated movie more than The King’s Speech, I knew it had a good chance of winning Best Picture. Yet, I still feel it was fifth best as far as moviemaking goes. The following are lists of how the Academy should have ranked the movies if more than just the winner was announced and showing my personal favorites regarding watchability and enjoyment.
Academy criterion:
The Social Network
The Fighter
Black Swan
Toy Story 3
The King’s Speech
Inception
True Grit
127 Hours
Winter’s Bone
The Kids Are All Right
Personal Favorites:
Inception
The Social Network
Toy Story 3
The Fighter
Black Swan
True Grit
Winter’s Bone
127 Hours
The King’s Speech
The Kids Are All Right
Friday, February 25, 2011
Correlation Between Oscars Best Film/Director
The 82nd Annual Academy Awards are only two days away and I am complete Oscar mode. While prepping for tomorrow’s movie marathon, where I will see the final nominees up for Best Picture this year, I was wondering in the 81-year history of the awards how many Best Picture winners didn’t correspond with its filmmaker in the Best Director category. As of last year’s ceremony honoring the best movies made in 2009, there have been 21 mismatches when it came to the best picture and best director winners, which is to say that slightly more than 25 percent of ceremonies end with the unmatched Best Picture/Director combination. While the first few years it was quite normal for the Best Director to not see the movie he helmed win the most coveted Best Picture Oscar, since about the fourteenth annual event on it has become quite sporadic.
The most disappointing example of this phenomenon was in 1998 when Saving Private Ryan didn’t win Best Picture, despite being the superior film to Shakespeare in Love, although Steven Spielberg was named Best Director of the year. Another shocking case was in 1972 when Francis Ford Coppola didn’t win Best Director for The Godfather, my favorite film of all time. However, the Academy made up for that oversight two years later with the sequel.
Below is a list of the years in which the winning director didn’t see his film win the top prize.
1928 (1st Annual Academy Awards Ceremony):
Picture – Wings (William A. Wellman)
Director – Frank Borzage (Seventh Heaven)
Note: Frank Borzage was the winner for Best Director of a dramatic film; Lewis Milestone won Best Director of a comedy for Two Arabian Knights; this was the only year the Academy separated the director awards into genres.
1929 (2nd):
Picture – The Broadway Melody (Harry Beaumont)
Director – Frank Lloyd (The Divine Lady)
1931 (4th):
Picture – Cimarron (Wesley Ruggles)
Director – Norman Taurog (Skippy)
1932 (5th):
Picture – Grand Hotel (Edmund Goulding)
Director – Frank Borzage (Bad Girl)
Note: Edmund Goulding was not up for a Best Director nomination.
1936 (9th):
Picture – Mutiny on the Bounty (Frank Lloyd)
Director – John Ford (The Informer)
1937 (10th):
Picture – The Great Ziegfeld (Robert Z. Leonard)
Director – Frank Capra (Mr. Deeds Goes to Town)
Note: Mr. Deeds Goes to Town was not up for a Best Picture nomination.
1938 (11th):
Picture – The Life of Emile Zola (William Dieterle)
Director – Leo McCarey (The Awful Truth)
Note: The Awful Truth was not up for a Best Picture nomination.
1940 (13th):
Picture – Rebecca (Alfred Hitchcock)
Director – John Ford (The Grapes of Wrath)
1948 (21st):
Picture – Hamlet (Laurence Olivier)
Director – John Huston (The Treasure of the Sierra Madre)
1949 (22nd):
Picture – All the King’s Men (Robert Rossen)
Director – Joseph L. Mankiewicz (A Letter to Three Wives)
1951 (24th):
Picture – An American in Paris (Vincente Minnelli)
Director – George Stevens (A Place in the Sun)
1952 (25th):
Picture – The Greatest Show on Earth (Cecil B. DeMille)
Director – John Ford (The Quiet Man)
1956 (29th):
Picture – Around the World in 80 Days (Michael Anderson)
Director – George Stevens (Giant)
1967 (40th):
Picture – In the Heat of the Night (Norman Jewison)
Director – Mike Nichols (The Graduate)
1972 (45th):
Picture – The Godfather (Francis Ford Coppola)
Director – Bob Fosse (Cabaret)
1981 (54th):
Picture – Chariots of Fire (Hugh Hudson)
Director – Warren Beatty (Reds)
1989 (62nd):
Picture – Driving Miss Daisy (Bruce Beresford)
Director – Oliver Stone (Born on the Fourth of July)
Note: Bruce Beresford not up for Best Director nomination.
1998 (71st):
Picture – Shakespeare in Love (John Madden)
Director – Steven Spielberg (Saving Private Ryan)
2000 (73rd):
Picture – Gladiator (Ridley Scott)
Director – Steven Soderbergh (Traffic)
2002 (75th):
Picture – Chicago (Rob Marshall)
Director – Roman Polanski (The Pianist)
2005 (78th):
Picture – Crash (Paul Haggis)
Director – Ang Lee (Brokeback Mountain)
The most disappointing example of this phenomenon was in 1998 when Saving Private Ryan didn’t win Best Picture, despite being the superior film to Shakespeare in Love, although Steven Spielberg was named Best Director of the year. Another shocking case was in 1972 when Francis Ford Coppola didn’t win Best Director for The Godfather, my favorite film of all time. However, the Academy made up for that oversight two years later with the sequel.
Below is a list of the years in which the winning director didn’t see his film win the top prize.
1928 (1st Annual Academy Awards Ceremony):
Picture – Wings (William A. Wellman)
Director – Frank Borzage (Seventh Heaven)
Note: Frank Borzage was the winner for Best Director of a dramatic film; Lewis Milestone won Best Director of a comedy for Two Arabian Knights; this was the only year the Academy separated the director awards into genres.
1929 (2nd):
Picture – The Broadway Melody (Harry Beaumont)
Director – Frank Lloyd (The Divine Lady)
1931 (4th):
Picture – Cimarron (Wesley Ruggles)
Director – Norman Taurog (Skippy)
1932 (5th):
Picture – Grand Hotel (Edmund Goulding)
Director – Frank Borzage (Bad Girl)
Note: Edmund Goulding was not up for a Best Director nomination.
1936 (9th):
Picture – Mutiny on the Bounty (Frank Lloyd)
Director – John Ford (The Informer)
1937 (10th):
Picture – The Great Ziegfeld (Robert Z. Leonard)
Director – Frank Capra (Mr. Deeds Goes to Town)
Note: Mr. Deeds Goes to Town was not up for a Best Picture nomination.
1938 (11th):
Picture – The Life of Emile Zola (William Dieterle)
Director – Leo McCarey (The Awful Truth)
Note: The Awful Truth was not up for a Best Picture nomination.
1940 (13th):
Picture – Rebecca (Alfred Hitchcock)
Director – John Ford (The Grapes of Wrath)
1948 (21st):
Picture – Hamlet (Laurence Olivier)
Director – John Huston (The Treasure of the Sierra Madre)
1949 (22nd):
Picture – All the King’s Men (Robert Rossen)
Director – Joseph L. Mankiewicz (A Letter to Three Wives)
1951 (24th):
Picture – An American in Paris (Vincente Minnelli)
Director – George Stevens (A Place in the Sun)
1952 (25th):
Picture – The Greatest Show on Earth (Cecil B. DeMille)
Director – John Ford (The Quiet Man)
1956 (29th):
Picture – Around the World in 80 Days (Michael Anderson)
Director – George Stevens (Giant)
1967 (40th):
Picture – In the Heat of the Night (Norman Jewison)
Director – Mike Nichols (The Graduate)
1972 (45th):
Picture – The Godfather (Francis Ford Coppola)
Director – Bob Fosse (Cabaret)
1981 (54th):
Picture – Chariots of Fire (Hugh Hudson)
Director – Warren Beatty (Reds)
1989 (62nd):
Picture – Driving Miss Daisy (Bruce Beresford)
Director – Oliver Stone (Born on the Fourth of July)
Note: Bruce Beresford not up for Best Director nomination.
1998 (71st):
Picture – Shakespeare in Love (John Madden)
Director – Steven Spielberg (Saving Private Ryan)
2000 (73rd):
Picture – Gladiator (Ridley Scott)
Director – Steven Soderbergh (Traffic)
2002 (75th):
Picture – Chicago (Rob Marshall)
Director – Roman Polanski (The Pianist)
2005 (78th):
Picture – Crash (Paul Haggis)
Director – Ang Lee (Brokeback Mountain)
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Top 10 Scariest Movies
Recently watching Swedish vampire film Let the Right One In and its American remake Let Me In and thoroughly enjoying both, I was curious what my favorite horror movies were. Going off of my IMDb ratings for the myriad of scary movies I’ve seen in years past, I was able to narrow things down to a list of the best ten movies to get your blood pumping.
While most of these films would sit solely in the horror genre, some cross over into other fields like science fiction or suspense. However, the entries below are my favorite examples of movies that get viewers holding tight to one another, covering their eyes in order to not see the pain and gore coming next, or even leaving a bathroom light on or double-checking a closet for monsters after the final credits have rolled. Some of the movies are the best in producing screams during the film and others have lasting effects from childhood that still haunt our dreams.
It should be noted that the title is a little misleading. While most of these movies received high marks because of the literal fright experienced from the footage onscreen, a few were simply well-made, landmark movies that replaces cheap thrills and bloodcurdling violence with quote-worthy dialogue, iconic villains, unforgettable scenes, and award-worthy performances. They aren’t on the list because they will have you crawling to your parents’ bed at night for comfort, but they are superbly done films that will have you on the edge of your seat.
Next to each title I have listed the IMDb rating for the film from myself first and then the general consensus rating.
Honorable Mention:
Some great horror movies that just didn’t quite make the list were The Innocents (8/8), Friday the 13th (8/6.3), and Misery (8/7.8).
Henry James’s novella The Turn of the Screw was superbly formatted for cinemas in 1961 as The Innocents with Deborah Kerr as governess Miss Giddens, who watches over two small children at a country estate in England. It is a splendid psychological thriller as you never are sure whether the events in the movie are actually happening or if Giddens is mad.
Although the series is a punchline now and has spawned countless copycats that have made a farce of the horror genre, the original Friday the 13th is quite chilling for a first-time viewer.
What makes Misery so great is Kathy Bates’s performance. As psychotic nurse Annie Wilkes, Bates alone is worth watching over and over again, making the rest of the film futile as all the viewer wants is more scenes with Wilkes in it.
10. Halloween (9/7.9)
Like Friday the 13th, the Halloween series, including the Rob Zombie revamp, is not worth the material it’s filmed on, minus the first in each group. After more than three decades and 10 films, the sight of an immortal, knife-wielding maniac wearing a painted William Shatner mask doesn’t get the thrills like it did in 1978. Popularizing the slasher film, John Carpenter made a “scream queen” out of then-unknown Jamie Lee Curtis, the daughter of a famous actress who stars in another movie on this list. The characteristics of this film that made it so unsettling were the lack of motive for the killer, Michael Myers never uttering a word of dialogue, the first-person camera shots to represent the killer’s point of view, and the moody soundtrack. Halloween started a new trend of moviemaking that was followed by popular hits like the Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, and Child’s Play series, and not so great slasher movies such as Prom Night, My Bloody Valentine, Sleepaway Camp, and countless others.
9. The Birds (9/7.9)
Alfred Hitchcock’s 1963 suspense movie The Birds is loosely based on the book by the same name from Daphne du Maurier. Certainly not loaded with heart-stopping thrills and gore, The Birds is more of a thriller that has the viewer questioning the “what ifs?” What if birds decided to turn on us and attack? What if a town was suddenly turned upside down by the natural inhabitants that humans tend to so easily forget they coexist with? What if there was no foreseeable end to the madness our former feathered friends would bring down upon us? It is not the movie itself that is horrifying, but the impression it leaves behind that has us curious as to whether the animals we take for granted as friendly really are as safe to domesticate as we think they are.
8. Se7en (9/8.7)
Psychological manhunt films that have police detectives chasing after a themed serial killer are normally cheesy and the payoff is a bit of a letdown. However, the Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Kevin Spacey starring, David Fincher directing film is outstanding. The seven the title is making reference to is the deadly sins: lust, envy, wrath, sloth, greed, pride, and gluttony. Despite some overacting at the end of the film, each bizarre crime scene trumps the previous one in terms of the horrors and pain each victim must have suffered at the hands of his or her killer. As the aftermath of each sin is realized and police learn more about the man they are chasing, we start to realize this John Doe character is the greatest psychopath movie audiences have seen since Norman Bates with possibly the most twisted criminal mind ever.
7. 28 Days Later (9/7.6)
Combining the two elements of zombies running fast and a virus infecting its host, which had been used before in zombie movies but never together, Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later is a frightening tale of life in a lifeless world. By 2003, zombie movies were played out and unoriginal in every way. But Boyle put the focus back on what George Romero’s original Night of the Living Dead had done so well, and that was the relationship between people during a living-dead catastrophe. Instead of trying to come up with interesting zombie deaths and mutilations that hadn’t been seen before, Boyle’s story centered around three survivors who link up with a military unit and the broken system an apocalyptic world creates.
6. Night of the Living Dead (9/8)
Let’s just get this out of the way right now: Night of the Living Dead is a terrible movie. There. I said it. If you’ve actually seen the 1968 independently made movie from George Romero and you objectively reviewed it you would have the same outlook as I do. The acting is beyond lame. The zombies are dumb, slow-moving, and generally not that scary. The makeup is poorly done. It is a B-movie like so many bad science fiction films before it, but the thing that made this B-movie stand out among the others was the characterization. It is hard to use that word characterization in a zombie movie, but if you can get past the stiff performances and shoddy dialogue and take a look at the subtext of what is taking place in the film between zombie attacks then the viewer will see that this film is an allegory for the fears and bigotry that was going on at the time. Since the original became such a hit, every director, including Romero himself, has used the allegory excuse to try and make their zombie movie stand out, but nothing has ever beat the original.
5. The Shining (9/8.5)
Jack Nicholson’s axe-wielding chase through a hedge maze. A downpour of blood emptying out of an elevator. Jack’s “Here’s Johnny” introduction in the broken door. Ghost twins eerily standing in the middle of a hotel hallway. All work and no play make Jack a dull boy. Redrum! This movie is chock-full of great moments. Slowly watching Jack’s descent into madness and the supernatural occurrences throughout the hotel hypnotically entrances the viewer. The film is open to a number of interpretations as to what is actually the cause and outcome of the film, but one shouldn’t worry too much about this and instead enjoy what is in front of them, that being some of the most bizarre happenings ever captured onscreen and a batty performance from Nicholson.
4. Psycho (10/8.7)
Another Hitchcock entry, this movie starts out as a standard dramatic film about a woman, played by Jamie Lee Curtis’s mother Janet Leigh, who steals money from her place of employment and hits the road for her boyfriend’s place. It isn’t until midway through the movie that we realize what is being viewed is a horror thriller film about a motel-running nutcase with unresolved mommy issues. The shower scene alone is worthy of getting Psycho on any top ten list when talking about suspense and horror. The soundtrack also is quite famous today, even among listeners who have not ever seen the film. Psycho also benefits from being one of the first movies to be made after the lifting of the Production Code, popularly known as the Hays Code, which allowed for scenes like the opening one with unmarried people sharing a bed giving the movie an authentic feel about it. Tame by today’s standards of horror moviemaking where gore and mutilation is substituted for substance and suspense, Psycho is considered one of Hitchcock’s best films he ever made.
3. Jaws (10/8.3)
Like Hitchcock’s The Birds, this film is terrifying because of the what if factor. I never once thought about what was out in the ocean when swimming at the beach as a kid until after seeing Steven Spielberg’s Jaws. Like so many other great horror and suspense movies, the music is what sets the chilling mood whenever the shark comes around for a bite to eat. One of the great benefits to this movie, which was unintended on Spielberg’s part, was not seeing what the antagonist looked like for most of the movie. Robert Shaw delivered one of the greatest characters ever for cinema and Spielberg crafted a sensational picture that left audience members afraid to go into the water.
2. Alien (10/8.5)
So effective was Jaws in 1975 that Ridley Scott pitched his 1979 science fiction horror film as “Jaws in space.” Trapped in the confines of a space craft as a monstrous extraterrestrial life form terrorizes the crew, Alien delivered on every level as a great science fiction, horror, suspense, and/or action movie. Like nothing audiences had ever seen before, the alien that the film’s title is speaking of is a lizard-like creature with a blade-tipped tail and elongated, cylindrical skull with secondary jaw that acts as a tongue. As if the appearance of the alien weren’t terrifying enough, the beast also has acidic blood running through its veins that eats through metal and nearly all other substances. Alien appeals to all types of audiences, ranging from the slow-paced thriller types to gore-fest enthusiasts.
1. The Exorcist (10/8.1)
Maybe it’s my religious beliefs, maybe it’s that I’m a big weenie when it comes to the horror genre, but The Exorcist is by far the most unsettling movie I’ve ever seen. The dreadful acts a demon does while possessing a 12-year-old girl have upset me so much I’ve only been able to watch the movie once. In conjunction with the disturbing premise and tremendous execution of the film itself, urban legends of mishaps on the set, some of which are claimed to be true and others were surely popularized to help promote the film, make this movie seem as if it is in fact cursed by the devil himself. An appalling shocker that should be viewed, even if once is the only number of times you can take it, The Exorcist is the greatest horror movie to ever be seen in theaters.
While most of these films would sit solely in the horror genre, some cross over into other fields like science fiction or suspense. However, the entries below are my favorite examples of movies that get viewers holding tight to one another, covering their eyes in order to not see the pain and gore coming next, or even leaving a bathroom light on or double-checking a closet for monsters after the final credits have rolled. Some of the movies are the best in producing screams during the film and others have lasting effects from childhood that still haunt our dreams.
It should be noted that the title is a little misleading. While most of these movies received high marks because of the literal fright experienced from the footage onscreen, a few were simply well-made, landmark movies that replaces cheap thrills and bloodcurdling violence with quote-worthy dialogue, iconic villains, unforgettable scenes, and award-worthy performances. They aren’t on the list because they will have you crawling to your parents’ bed at night for comfort, but they are superbly done films that will have you on the edge of your seat.
Next to each title I have listed the IMDb rating for the film from myself first and then the general consensus rating.
Honorable Mention:
Some great horror movies that just didn’t quite make the list were The Innocents (8/8), Friday the 13th (8/6.3), and Misery (8/7.8).
Henry James’s novella The Turn of the Screw was superbly formatted for cinemas in 1961 as The Innocents with Deborah Kerr as governess Miss Giddens, who watches over two small children at a country estate in England. It is a splendid psychological thriller as you never are sure whether the events in the movie are actually happening or if Giddens is mad.
Although the series is a punchline now and has spawned countless copycats that have made a farce of the horror genre, the original Friday the 13th is quite chilling for a first-time viewer.
What makes Misery so great is Kathy Bates’s performance. As psychotic nurse Annie Wilkes, Bates alone is worth watching over and over again, making the rest of the film futile as all the viewer wants is more scenes with Wilkes in it.
10. Halloween (9/7.9)
Like Friday the 13th, the Halloween series, including the Rob Zombie revamp, is not worth the material it’s filmed on, minus the first in each group. After more than three decades and 10 films, the sight of an immortal, knife-wielding maniac wearing a painted William Shatner mask doesn’t get the thrills like it did in 1978. Popularizing the slasher film, John Carpenter made a “scream queen” out of then-unknown Jamie Lee Curtis, the daughter of a famous actress who stars in another movie on this list. The characteristics of this film that made it so unsettling were the lack of motive for the killer, Michael Myers never uttering a word of dialogue, the first-person camera shots to represent the killer’s point of view, and the moody soundtrack. Halloween started a new trend of moviemaking that was followed by popular hits like the Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, and Child’s Play series, and not so great slasher movies such as Prom Night, My Bloody Valentine, Sleepaway Camp, and countless others.
9. The Birds (9/7.9)
Alfred Hitchcock’s 1963 suspense movie The Birds is loosely based on the book by the same name from Daphne du Maurier. Certainly not loaded with heart-stopping thrills and gore, The Birds is more of a thriller that has the viewer questioning the “what ifs?” What if birds decided to turn on us and attack? What if a town was suddenly turned upside down by the natural inhabitants that humans tend to so easily forget they coexist with? What if there was no foreseeable end to the madness our former feathered friends would bring down upon us? It is not the movie itself that is horrifying, but the impression it leaves behind that has us curious as to whether the animals we take for granted as friendly really are as safe to domesticate as we think they are.
8. Se7en (9/8.7)
Psychological manhunt films that have police detectives chasing after a themed serial killer are normally cheesy and the payoff is a bit of a letdown. However, the Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Kevin Spacey starring, David Fincher directing film is outstanding. The seven the title is making reference to is the deadly sins: lust, envy, wrath, sloth, greed, pride, and gluttony. Despite some overacting at the end of the film, each bizarre crime scene trumps the previous one in terms of the horrors and pain each victim must have suffered at the hands of his or her killer. As the aftermath of each sin is realized and police learn more about the man they are chasing, we start to realize this John Doe character is the greatest psychopath movie audiences have seen since Norman Bates with possibly the most twisted criminal mind ever.
7. 28 Days Later (9/7.6)
Combining the two elements of zombies running fast and a virus infecting its host, which had been used before in zombie movies but never together, Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later is a frightening tale of life in a lifeless world. By 2003, zombie movies were played out and unoriginal in every way. But Boyle put the focus back on what George Romero’s original Night of the Living Dead had done so well, and that was the relationship between people during a living-dead catastrophe. Instead of trying to come up with interesting zombie deaths and mutilations that hadn’t been seen before, Boyle’s story centered around three survivors who link up with a military unit and the broken system an apocalyptic world creates.
6. Night of the Living Dead (9/8)
Let’s just get this out of the way right now: Night of the Living Dead is a terrible movie. There. I said it. If you’ve actually seen the 1968 independently made movie from George Romero and you objectively reviewed it you would have the same outlook as I do. The acting is beyond lame. The zombies are dumb, slow-moving, and generally not that scary. The makeup is poorly done. It is a B-movie like so many bad science fiction films before it, but the thing that made this B-movie stand out among the others was the characterization. It is hard to use that word characterization in a zombie movie, but if you can get past the stiff performances and shoddy dialogue and take a look at the subtext of what is taking place in the film between zombie attacks then the viewer will see that this film is an allegory for the fears and bigotry that was going on at the time. Since the original became such a hit, every director, including Romero himself, has used the allegory excuse to try and make their zombie movie stand out, but nothing has ever beat the original.
5. The Shining (9/8.5)
Jack Nicholson’s axe-wielding chase through a hedge maze. A downpour of blood emptying out of an elevator. Jack’s “Here’s Johnny” introduction in the broken door. Ghost twins eerily standing in the middle of a hotel hallway. All work and no play make Jack a dull boy. Redrum! This movie is chock-full of great moments. Slowly watching Jack’s descent into madness and the supernatural occurrences throughout the hotel hypnotically entrances the viewer. The film is open to a number of interpretations as to what is actually the cause and outcome of the film, but one shouldn’t worry too much about this and instead enjoy what is in front of them, that being some of the most bizarre happenings ever captured onscreen and a batty performance from Nicholson.
4. Psycho (10/8.7)
Another Hitchcock entry, this movie starts out as a standard dramatic film about a woman, played by Jamie Lee Curtis’s mother Janet Leigh, who steals money from her place of employment and hits the road for her boyfriend’s place. It isn’t until midway through the movie that we realize what is being viewed is a horror thriller film about a motel-running nutcase with unresolved mommy issues. The shower scene alone is worthy of getting Psycho on any top ten list when talking about suspense and horror. The soundtrack also is quite famous today, even among listeners who have not ever seen the film. Psycho also benefits from being one of the first movies to be made after the lifting of the Production Code, popularly known as the Hays Code, which allowed for scenes like the opening one with unmarried people sharing a bed giving the movie an authentic feel about it. Tame by today’s standards of horror moviemaking where gore and mutilation is substituted for substance and suspense, Psycho is considered one of Hitchcock’s best films he ever made.
3. Jaws (10/8.3)
Like Hitchcock’s The Birds, this film is terrifying because of the what if factor. I never once thought about what was out in the ocean when swimming at the beach as a kid until after seeing Steven Spielberg’s Jaws. Like so many other great horror and suspense movies, the music is what sets the chilling mood whenever the shark comes around for a bite to eat. One of the great benefits to this movie, which was unintended on Spielberg’s part, was not seeing what the antagonist looked like for most of the movie. Robert Shaw delivered one of the greatest characters ever for cinema and Spielberg crafted a sensational picture that left audience members afraid to go into the water.
2. Alien (10/8.5)
So effective was Jaws in 1975 that Ridley Scott pitched his 1979 science fiction horror film as “Jaws in space.” Trapped in the confines of a space craft as a monstrous extraterrestrial life form terrorizes the crew, Alien delivered on every level as a great science fiction, horror, suspense, and/or action movie. Like nothing audiences had ever seen before, the alien that the film’s title is speaking of is a lizard-like creature with a blade-tipped tail and elongated, cylindrical skull with secondary jaw that acts as a tongue. As if the appearance of the alien weren’t terrifying enough, the beast also has acidic blood running through its veins that eats through metal and nearly all other substances. Alien appeals to all types of audiences, ranging from the slow-paced thriller types to gore-fest enthusiasts.
1. The Exorcist (10/8.1)
Maybe it’s my religious beliefs, maybe it’s that I’m a big weenie when it comes to the horror genre, but The Exorcist is by far the most unsettling movie I’ve ever seen. The dreadful acts a demon does while possessing a 12-year-old girl have upset me so much I’ve only been able to watch the movie once. In conjunction with the disturbing premise and tremendous execution of the film itself, urban legends of mishaps on the set, some of which are claimed to be true and others were surely popularized to help promote the film, make this movie seem as if it is in fact cursed by the devil himself. An appalling shocker that should be viewed, even if once is the only number of times you can take it, The Exorcist is the greatest horror movie to ever be seen in theaters.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Really Colin? Really?!
I don’t listen to Colin Cowherd very much. Any listening that does take place in the Herd is normally for the few minutes during a commercial break on 1310 The Ticket’s BAD Radio program during my lunch break. Since I don’t hear much of what Cowherd says I haven’t a real opinion on whether he knows what he is talking about, but my general opinion of his show is that his opinions come across as though they are supreme and anyone who disagrees is a lesser-thinking being.
During Monday's show following Super Bowl XLV Cowherd made a statement I felt pretty sure was ludicrous and after some research I have come to the decision that Cowherd’s argument, while not completely preposterous, is null.
The argument in question is that in the NFL, defenses win championships. Cowherd’s claim is he thinks that is the way things may have been in the past, but in today’s league it is all about elite quarterbacks. His wording was something similar to, “If you gave me a choice between a great defense and a great quarterback I will take the quarterback 100 times out of 100.”
While I’m one who lives under the defense wins championships mentality, I have not ever ruled out that having a great quarterback is also important to winning Lombardi Trophies. In fact, I personally think a team has to have elite, great, and better than good players in every single position to be a championship-caliber team. So where does history stand on the quarterback vs. defense argument. Let’s take a look.
I have researched all quarterbacks, offenses, and defenses since the 2000 season. I figure going back all the way to the Packers and Steelers of the 60s and 70s wouldn’t be completely fair, as Cowherd pointed out the league has changed and is now a passer-friendly game. So looking at the two teams who played in every Big Game since Baltimore and New York battled one another in 2001, here is a breakdown of the regular season statistics for every AFC and NFC championship teams. I have included the rating for each quarterback and yards gained and given up and points scored and allowed by the offensive and defensive units.
2000 Season:
QB:
Trent Dilfer (Baltimore Ravens) – Only starting eight regular season games Dilfer was ranked the 20th best quarterback in the league with a rating of 76.6.
Kerry Collins (New York Giants) – Ranked 12th among quarterbacks with an 83.1 rating.
Offense:
Baltimore – Under the leadership of two quarterbacks, the Ravens were in the middle of the pack offensively at 16th in yards gained and 14th in scoring.
New York Giants –Ranked 13th in yards gained and 15th in scoring.
Defense:
Baltimore – Considered by some to be the greatest defensive unit ever in football, this group was ranked second in yards allowed and 1st in points given up.
New York Giants – A solid group, ranking fifth in both yards and points allowed.
Summary:
It is no secret the Ravens defense won them the Lombardi Trophy and nobody denies that. Dilfer, who took over for a benched Tony Banks midway through the season, was no elite quarterback. Like Kerry Collins, the quarterbacks who led the Ravens and Giants were just good enough to get wins with the defenses doing the brunt of the work to hold opposing offenses to the bare minimum in points. This season certainly was one in favor of the “defenses wins championships” motto.
2001 Season:
QB:
Tom Brady (New England Patriots) – Not the starter at the beginning of the season but taking over for an injured Drew Bledsoe in week 2, Brady's 86.5 passer rating ranked him sixth among the leagues quarterbacks.
Kurt Warner (St. Louis Rams) – Was the highest ranked quarterback with a 101.4 rating for the regular season.
Offense:
New England – The Patriots struggled to get yards, ranking 19th in the league, but were able to put points on the board, ranking sixth overall.
St. Louis – The Greatest Show on Turf had their way with defenses, as they ranked first in yards gained and scoring.
Defense:
New England – Like the offense’s divergence in yards and scoring, the Patriot defense was mediocre in stopping teams from going up and down the field, ranking 24th in yards allowed, but were able to keep teams out of the end zone, ranking sixth in points allowed.
St. Louis – The Rams defense didn’t slack off despite knowing their offensive counterparts would have no problem scoring enough to win games, as the defensive unit was ranked third in yards allowed and seventh in points allowed.
Summary:
It is certainly clear that from the regular season’s stats St. Louis was the better team with the best quarterback, the best offense, and the better defense. New England had what would become an elite quarterback, but its offense and defense had some warts. I would say that this season likely goes to the quarterbacks, but the defenses certainly weren’t slumming it.
2002 Season:
QB:
Brad Johnson (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) – As a Cowboys fan who saw what a decrepit figure this guy was late in his career, it amazes me he was ranked the third best quarterback in the league at one time, with a 92.9 rating.
Rich Gannon (Oakland Raiders) – Doing slightly better than his Super Bowl rival, Gannon had a 97.3 regular season passerrating, putting him at second in the league.
Offense:
Tampa Bay – Despite having the third best quarterback in the league, moving the ball and scoring was difficult for the Buccaneers, ranking 24th in yards gained and 18th in scoring.
Oakland – It is odd to see the Raiders successful in the new millennium, but during this season they had a prolific offense ranking first in yards and second in scoring.
Defense:
Tampa Bay – This unit was the personification of great, ranking first in yards and points allowed.
Oakland – The defensive side of the ball for the Raiders wasn't quite as stellar as the offense, but they were able to rank 11th in yards allowed and sixth in points allowed.
Summary:
For the eventual champion Buccaneers, this is a case of having an elite squad on one side of the ball and a legitimately productive quarterback under center. Both units worked hand-in-hand to become the best team in the NFL. The Raiders mostly profited from their offense and Gannon as quarterback, but the defense was nothing to slough off. This season would go down as a tie for both the quarterback and the defense being essential to winning a championship.
2003 Season:
QB:
Tom Brady (New England Patriots) – Barely cracking the top ten, Brady finished with an 85.9 passer rating.
Jake Delhomme (Carolina Panthers) – With an 80.6 passer rating, Delhomme finished the regular season as the 14th best quarterback in the league.
Offense:
New England – Both of the conference champion teams were in the middle of the pack by the end of the regular season, with the Patriots ranked 17th in yards gained and 12th in scoring.
Carolina – The Panthers were slightly more consistent and mediocre than the Patriots, ranking 16th in yards gained and 15th in scoring.
Defense:
New England – Brady didn’t have to throw 50 touchdowns during the regular season, a feat he would accomplish later in his career, as the defensive unit was mighty good, ranking seventh in yards gained against them and allowing the fewest points per game in the league.
Carolina – The Panthers defense was functional, making it in the top third of the league in yards allowed at eighth and points allowed at 10th.
Summary:
Having Brady would lead one to assume the team’s offense was a powerhouse juggernaut, but he, along with Delhomme, were not the best passers the league had to offer and the offenses suffered for it. However, the defenses were better than average and if a winner had to be decided I would say this season goes to the defenses. While they certainly weren’t elite, they had to be better than the team they were up against since the offenses were so run of the mill.
2004 Season:
QB:
Tom Brady (New England Patriots) – Another season, another top ten finish for Brady, who ranked ninth among quarterbacks with a 92.6 passer rating.
Donovan McNabb (Philadelphia Eagles) – Prior to the very public T.O. break-up, McNabb was able to have a superstar season in 2004, ending up with a 104.7 rating that was good enough for being fourth best in the NFL.
Offense:
New England – Brady helped improve the offense from the prior season, finishing the regular season as the seventh best in yards gained and fourth best in scoring.
Philadelphia – Although the better passer according to the QB rating system, McNabb and the Eagles offense ranked lower than the Patriots, at ninth in yards and eighth in scoring.
Defense:
New England – Opposed to what the team’s offense did, the defense took a slight dip in productivity from the prior season finishing the year out as ninth best in yards allowed and tied for second place in points allowed.
Philadelphia – The Eagles were the team the Patriots tied for second in points allowed and they were slightly worse off in yards against, finishing 10th.
Summary:
Top ten finishes in every category, this season will go down as a tie for quarterback and defense.
2005 Season:
QB:
Ben Roethlisberger (Pittsburgh Steelers) – A controversial figure on and off the field, Roethlisberger quickly established himself as one of the premier quarterbacks in the league, finishing his second regular season as the third best quarterback with a 98.6 rating.
Matt Hasselbeck (Seattle Seahawks) – Coming within four-tenths of a point of Roethlisberger’s passer rating at 98.2, Hasselbeck ranked as the fourth best in the league.
Offense:
Pittsburgh – The Steelers offense generated under Roethlisberger’s leadership couldn’t quite match his individual statistics around the league as the unit was 15th in yards gained and ninth in scoring.
Seattle – The Seahawks offense was best in the league in 2005, ranking second in yards and first in scoring.
Defense:
Pittsburgh – Ultimately known for a smash-mouth defense, this Steelers unit did not disappoint, ranking fourth in yards allowed and tied for third in points allowed.
Seattle – Not being able to keep up with the team’s offense, the defensive side of the ball was 16th in yards and seventh in points allowed.
Summary:
On the surface this looks like a winner for the quarterbacks, both being in the top five for the season and generating good-to-great offenses, but if you look at the statistical line for Super Bowl XL you will see the winning quarterback played terribly. Roethlisberger went 9 for 21, threw for 123 yards total, had two interceptions and one rush touchdown. For a Super Bowl-winning performance that is dreadful and the team ultimately won because the Steelers defense was able to contain the Seahawks offense and prevent a lot of points from being scored. By doing that the Steelers scored three times and ultimately won the game. By Colin’s pretext, Hasselbeck and Roethlisberger should have been the deciding factors in the championship game because they were elite quarterbacks that year, but ultimately the Steelers defense held the Seahawks superior offense to 10 points and that was the difference in the two teams. I would have to say defense won the Lombardi Trophy that year, not elite quarterbacking.
2006 Season:
QB:
Peyton Manning (Indianapolis Colts) – Manning was the best quarterback the league had to offer, finishing with a 101 rating.
Rex Grossman (Chicago Bears) – A Dr.Jekyll/Mr. Hyde season for Grossman resulted in the quarterback ranking 24th among passers with a season rating of 73.9.
Offense:
Indianapolis – Manning was an essential part in leading the offense to be the third best team in gaining yards and tied the Bears for second in scoring.
Chicago – Despite Grossman’s rollercoaster ride of a season and the 15th ranked offense in yards gained, the Bears found enough ways to score that they were tied with the Colts at second.
Defense:
Indianapolis – Like so many of Manning’s teams, the defense played poor all season long, ranking 21st in yards allowed and 23rd in points scored against.
Chicago – Holding themselves to a very high standard, the Bears finished fifth in yards against and third in points allowed.
Summary:
Like the previous year’s Big Game, it came down to an elite quarterback against a superb defense and this year the quarterback came out on top. Therefore the quarterback will get the vote this time. I have to be fair.
2007 Season:
QB:
Eli Manning (New York Giants) – If you recall anything from this season it is likely the helmet catch Manning, who ranked 25th among quarterbacks with a regular season passer rating of 73.9, threw to David Tyree during the winning drive in the Super Bowl.
Tom Brady (New England Patriots) – If you recall anything from this season it is likely Brady, the best quarterback in the league with a 117.2 rating, going for perfect and falling short because of a helmet catch in the Super Bowl.
Offense:
New York Giants – Not surprising since Manning was middling, the offense was middling and ranked 16th in yards gained and 14th in scoring.
New England – Setting a record for touchdown passes, Brady torched defenses, sometimes running up scores on opponents, and had the best ranked offense in numerous categories, including yards and scoring.
Defense:
New York Giants – Considering the weak offense, one would think the defense is what helped win this team a championship, however, the best it could do was come in at seventh in yards allowed and 17th in points against.
New England – Despite not really needing to do too much since Brady's offense was decimating opponents, the defense was still able to come in at fourth in yards and points against, which could have been a result of teams getting behind early and becoming one-dimensional in order to play catch-up.
Summary:
Possibly one of the most favored teams to win a championship in sports history, nobody truly gave the Giants a chance to win against the Patriots, despite a close game the two teams had played in the final week of the regular season. Statistically the Patriots were the better team and had a championship been won it would have been because of quarterback Brady. Since the Giants won the game and had neither a great quarterback nor defense to do it with, I can’t honestly grade this season. I am going to have to say the championship was won because of fate, destiny, God’s will, or whatever you wish to call it. Neither side gets the vote.
2008 Season:
QB:Ben Roethlisberger (Pittsburgh Steelers) – One of two down years for Roethlisberger, 2008 saw him as the 24th best quarterback in the regular season with an 80.1 passer rating.
Kurt Warner (Arizona Cardinals) – Continuing his Cinderella story of grocery store stocker to NFL quarterback star, Warner had a 96.9 passer rating, good enough to be the third best quarterback in the league.
Offense:
Pittsburgh – With a quarterback playing poorly, it is no surprise the offense didn’t generate much to be proud of, resulting in being 22nd in yards and 20th in scoring.
Arizona – Polar opposite to the Steelers, Warner and the Cardinals offense went on the attack and finished fourth in yards gained and tied for third in scoring.
Defense:
Pittsburgh – Coming through for Big Ben, the stereotypical Steelers defense ranked first in both yards allowed and points against.
Arizona – Again differing as much as possible to the Steelers, the Cardinals defensive unit ranked 19th in yards allowed and 28th in points allowed.
Summary:
Even though the defense nearly gave the game up in the fourth quarter and Roethlisberger was Superman-like during the winning drive to victory, I still have to give the defense credit for this year’s championship. Had it not been for the defense the Steelers wouldn’t have even been in the Big Game and had the chance for the come-from-behind win. While the Cardinals offense was instrumental in getting to the championship game, it was the lack of a great defense that prevented them from holding on for the win.
2009 Season:
QB:
Drew Brees (New Orleans Saints) – Not quite Brady in ’07, but certainly was a logistical nightmare for opposing defenses, Brees was the highest rated quarterback in the league with a 109.6 passer rating.
Peyton Manning (Indianapolis Colts) – Another solid season for Manning, who was sixth best with a 99.9 passer rating for the regular season.
Offense:
New Orleans – Having the best quarterback, it is no surprise the team had the best executed offense being first in yards and scoring.
Indianapolis – Not shabby in their own right, the Colts finished the regular season at ninth in yards gained and seventh in scoring.
Defense:
New Orleans – Not exactly feeding off the offenses’ talent and electricity, the Saints defense ranked 25th in yards allowed and 20th in points against.
Indianapolis – About par for the Manning-led Colts, the ordinary defense finished at 18th in yards allowed and eighth in points allowed.
Summary:
There is no question this is a quarterback wins championships year. No debating that.
2010 Season:
QB:
Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay Packers) – Answering the question of whether he is the real deal, Rodgers was the third best passer in the league with a 101.2 rating.
Ben Roethlisberger (Pittsburgh Steelers) – Missing four games didn’t mess with Roethlisberger’s feel for the game or his connection with receivers and he finished as the fifth best quarterback, with a 97 passer rating.
Offense:
Green Bay – Despite losing a starting running back and tight end, the offense remained in the playoff hunt and finished at a respectable ninth in yards gained and 10th in points scored.
Pittsburgh – Including the four games without Roethlisberger, where the Steelers ran out quarterbacks Dennis Dixon and Charlie Batch, the offense ranked 14th in yards and 12th in scoring.
Defense:
Green Bay – If the loss of some offensive starters due to injury was tough to bear, the defensive injury hit list was soul crushing, but the team kept fighting and ultimately ranked fifth in yards given up and second in points allowed.
Pittsburgh – Not surprising the defensive unit ended the regular season as the second best in yards allowed and first in points scored against.
Summary:
After putting up outstanding numbers in 2010 and an MVP performance in Super Bowl XLV, Rodgers now has a little bit of a reason to be the cockiest player in the NFL. Yet, he was not the sole reason for bringing a fourth Lombardi Trophy to Green Bay. The defense certainly deserves some credit and ultimately the vote for who won the championship in 2010 is going to go to both.
After hours of exhaustive research and typing it has been determined that you need both a great defense and quarterback (in essence, the offense) to be a championship contender and winner. Sometimes a quarterback can overcome the failings of an entire unit, and other times it is the opposite. From 2000 to 2010, there were four votes for the defense alone winning championships, three for the quarterback alone, three for it taking both, and one no vote being tallied.
While it is close and having an elite quarterback or elite defense is going to give you a good chance at making a championship run, I would rather have 11 guys who will carry my team than one. Should the quarterback go down for a long period of time there is little hope of salvaging the season, but if you lose one defensive player, no matter how great they are, the other 10 can step up to make up the difference.
Like many of the opinions Cowherd spews on his program that sound as if they are fact, the idea that defenses don’t win championships and elite quarterbacks do is not the end all, say all. Sometimes one man can lead a team to ultimate victory, but in general you need every single guy on the team playing to their full potential.
During Monday's show following Super Bowl XLV Cowherd made a statement I felt pretty sure was ludicrous and after some research I have come to the decision that Cowherd’s argument, while not completely preposterous, is null.
The argument in question is that in the NFL, defenses win championships. Cowherd’s claim is he thinks that is the way things may have been in the past, but in today’s league it is all about elite quarterbacks. His wording was something similar to, “If you gave me a choice between a great defense and a great quarterback I will take the quarterback 100 times out of 100.”
While I’m one who lives under the defense wins championships mentality, I have not ever ruled out that having a great quarterback is also important to winning Lombardi Trophies. In fact, I personally think a team has to have elite, great, and better than good players in every single position to be a championship-caliber team. So where does history stand on the quarterback vs. defense argument. Let’s take a look.
I have researched all quarterbacks, offenses, and defenses since the 2000 season. I figure going back all the way to the Packers and Steelers of the 60s and 70s wouldn’t be completely fair, as Cowherd pointed out the league has changed and is now a passer-friendly game. So looking at the two teams who played in every Big Game since Baltimore and New York battled one another in 2001, here is a breakdown of the regular season statistics for every AFC and NFC championship teams. I have included the rating for each quarterback and yards gained and given up and points scored and allowed by the offensive and defensive units.
2000 Season:
QB:
Trent Dilfer (Baltimore Ravens) – Only starting eight regular season games Dilfer was ranked the 20th best quarterback in the league with a rating of 76.6.
Kerry Collins (New York Giants) – Ranked 12th among quarterbacks with an 83.1 rating.
Offense:
Baltimore – Under the leadership of two quarterbacks, the Ravens were in the middle of the pack offensively at 16th in yards gained and 14th in scoring.
New York Giants –Ranked 13th in yards gained and 15th in scoring.
Defense:
Baltimore – Considered by some to be the greatest defensive unit ever in football, this group was ranked second in yards allowed and 1st in points given up.
New York Giants – A solid group, ranking fifth in both yards and points allowed.
Summary:
It is no secret the Ravens defense won them the Lombardi Trophy and nobody denies that. Dilfer, who took over for a benched Tony Banks midway through the season, was no elite quarterback. Like Kerry Collins, the quarterbacks who led the Ravens and Giants were just good enough to get wins with the defenses doing the brunt of the work to hold opposing offenses to the bare minimum in points. This season certainly was one in favor of the “defenses wins championships” motto.
2001 Season:
QB:
Tom Brady (New England Patriots) – Not the starter at the beginning of the season but taking over for an injured Drew Bledsoe in week 2, Brady's 86.5 passer rating ranked him sixth among the leagues quarterbacks.
Kurt Warner (St. Louis Rams) – Was the highest ranked quarterback with a 101.4 rating for the regular season.
Offense:
New England – The Patriots struggled to get yards, ranking 19th in the league, but were able to put points on the board, ranking sixth overall.
St. Louis – The Greatest Show on Turf had their way with defenses, as they ranked first in yards gained and scoring.
Defense:
New England – Like the offense’s divergence in yards and scoring, the Patriot defense was mediocre in stopping teams from going up and down the field, ranking 24th in yards allowed, but were able to keep teams out of the end zone, ranking sixth in points allowed.
St. Louis – The Rams defense didn’t slack off despite knowing their offensive counterparts would have no problem scoring enough to win games, as the defensive unit was ranked third in yards allowed and seventh in points allowed.
Summary:
It is certainly clear that from the regular season’s stats St. Louis was the better team with the best quarterback, the best offense, and the better defense. New England had what would become an elite quarterback, but its offense and defense had some warts. I would say that this season likely goes to the quarterbacks, but the defenses certainly weren’t slumming it.
2002 Season:
QB:
Brad Johnson (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) – As a Cowboys fan who saw what a decrepit figure this guy was late in his career, it amazes me he was ranked the third best quarterback in the league at one time, with a 92.9 rating.
Rich Gannon (Oakland Raiders) – Doing slightly better than his Super Bowl rival, Gannon had a 97.3 regular season passerrating, putting him at second in the league.
Offense:
Tampa Bay – Despite having the third best quarterback in the league, moving the ball and scoring was difficult for the Buccaneers, ranking 24th in yards gained and 18th in scoring.
Oakland – It is odd to see the Raiders successful in the new millennium, but during this season they had a prolific offense ranking first in yards and second in scoring.
Defense:
Tampa Bay – This unit was the personification of great, ranking first in yards and points allowed.
Oakland – The defensive side of the ball for the Raiders wasn't quite as stellar as the offense, but they were able to rank 11th in yards allowed and sixth in points allowed.
Summary:
For the eventual champion Buccaneers, this is a case of having an elite squad on one side of the ball and a legitimately productive quarterback under center. Both units worked hand-in-hand to become the best team in the NFL. The Raiders mostly profited from their offense and Gannon as quarterback, but the defense was nothing to slough off. This season would go down as a tie for both the quarterback and the defense being essential to winning a championship.
2003 Season:
QB:
Tom Brady (New England Patriots) – Barely cracking the top ten, Brady finished with an 85.9 passer rating.
Jake Delhomme (Carolina Panthers) – With an 80.6 passer rating, Delhomme finished the regular season as the 14th best quarterback in the league.
Offense:
New England – Both of the conference champion teams were in the middle of the pack by the end of the regular season, with the Patriots ranked 17th in yards gained and 12th in scoring.
Carolina – The Panthers were slightly more consistent and mediocre than the Patriots, ranking 16th in yards gained and 15th in scoring.
Defense:
New England – Brady didn’t have to throw 50 touchdowns during the regular season, a feat he would accomplish later in his career, as the defensive unit was mighty good, ranking seventh in yards gained against them and allowing the fewest points per game in the league.
Carolina – The Panthers defense was functional, making it in the top third of the league in yards allowed at eighth and points allowed at 10th.
Summary:
Having Brady would lead one to assume the team’s offense was a powerhouse juggernaut, but he, along with Delhomme, were not the best passers the league had to offer and the offenses suffered for it. However, the defenses were better than average and if a winner had to be decided I would say this season goes to the defenses. While they certainly weren’t elite, they had to be better than the team they were up against since the offenses were so run of the mill.
2004 Season:
QB:
Tom Brady (New England Patriots) – Another season, another top ten finish for Brady, who ranked ninth among quarterbacks with a 92.6 passer rating.
Donovan McNabb (Philadelphia Eagles) – Prior to the very public T.O. break-up, McNabb was able to have a superstar season in 2004, ending up with a 104.7 rating that was good enough for being fourth best in the NFL.
Offense:
New England – Brady helped improve the offense from the prior season, finishing the regular season as the seventh best in yards gained and fourth best in scoring.
Philadelphia – Although the better passer according to the QB rating system, McNabb and the Eagles offense ranked lower than the Patriots, at ninth in yards and eighth in scoring.
Defense:
New England – Opposed to what the team’s offense did, the defense took a slight dip in productivity from the prior season finishing the year out as ninth best in yards allowed and tied for second place in points allowed.
Philadelphia – The Eagles were the team the Patriots tied for second in points allowed and they were slightly worse off in yards against, finishing 10th.
Summary:
Top ten finishes in every category, this season will go down as a tie for quarterback and defense.
2005 Season:
QB:
Ben Roethlisberger (Pittsburgh Steelers) – A controversial figure on and off the field, Roethlisberger quickly established himself as one of the premier quarterbacks in the league, finishing his second regular season as the third best quarterback with a 98.6 rating.
Matt Hasselbeck (Seattle Seahawks) – Coming within four-tenths of a point of Roethlisberger’s passer rating at 98.2, Hasselbeck ranked as the fourth best in the league.
Offense:
Pittsburgh – The Steelers offense generated under Roethlisberger’s leadership couldn’t quite match his individual statistics around the league as the unit was 15th in yards gained and ninth in scoring.
Seattle – The Seahawks offense was best in the league in 2005, ranking second in yards and first in scoring.
Defense:
Pittsburgh – Ultimately known for a smash-mouth defense, this Steelers unit did not disappoint, ranking fourth in yards allowed and tied for third in points allowed.
Seattle – Not being able to keep up with the team’s offense, the defensive side of the ball was 16th in yards and seventh in points allowed.
Summary:
On the surface this looks like a winner for the quarterbacks, both being in the top five for the season and generating good-to-great offenses, but if you look at the statistical line for Super Bowl XL you will see the winning quarterback played terribly. Roethlisberger went 9 for 21, threw for 123 yards total, had two interceptions and one rush touchdown. For a Super Bowl-winning performance that is dreadful and the team ultimately won because the Steelers defense was able to contain the Seahawks offense and prevent a lot of points from being scored. By doing that the Steelers scored three times and ultimately won the game. By Colin’s pretext, Hasselbeck and Roethlisberger should have been the deciding factors in the championship game because they were elite quarterbacks that year, but ultimately the Steelers defense held the Seahawks superior offense to 10 points and that was the difference in the two teams. I would have to say defense won the Lombardi Trophy that year, not elite quarterbacking.
2006 Season:
QB:
Peyton Manning (Indianapolis Colts) – Manning was the best quarterback the league had to offer, finishing with a 101 rating.
Rex Grossman (Chicago Bears) – A Dr.Jekyll/Mr. Hyde season for Grossman resulted in the quarterback ranking 24th among passers with a season rating of 73.9.
Offense:
Indianapolis – Manning was an essential part in leading the offense to be the third best team in gaining yards and tied the Bears for second in scoring.
Chicago – Despite Grossman’s rollercoaster ride of a season and the 15th ranked offense in yards gained, the Bears found enough ways to score that they were tied with the Colts at second.
Defense:
Indianapolis – Like so many of Manning’s teams, the defense played poor all season long, ranking 21st in yards allowed and 23rd in points scored against.
Chicago – Holding themselves to a very high standard, the Bears finished fifth in yards against and third in points allowed.
Summary:
Like the previous year’s Big Game, it came down to an elite quarterback against a superb defense and this year the quarterback came out on top. Therefore the quarterback will get the vote this time. I have to be fair.
2007 Season:
QB:
Eli Manning (New York Giants) – If you recall anything from this season it is likely the helmet catch Manning, who ranked 25th among quarterbacks with a regular season passer rating of 73.9, threw to David Tyree during the winning drive in the Super Bowl.
Tom Brady (New England Patriots) – If you recall anything from this season it is likely Brady, the best quarterback in the league with a 117.2 rating, going for perfect and falling short because of a helmet catch in the Super Bowl.
Offense:
New York Giants – Not surprising since Manning was middling, the offense was middling and ranked 16th in yards gained and 14th in scoring.
New England – Setting a record for touchdown passes, Brady torched defenses, sometimes running up scores on opponents, and had the best ranked offense in numerous categories, including yards and scoring.
Defense:
New York Giants – Considering the weak offense, one would think the defense is what helped win this team a championship, however, the best it could do was come in at seventh in yards allowed and 17th in points against.
New England – Despite not really needing to do too much since Brady's offense was decimating opponents, the defense was still able to come in at fourth in yards and points against, which could have been a result of teams getting behind early and becoming one-dimensional in order to play catch-up.
Summary:
Possibly one of the most favored teams to win a championship in sports history, nobody truly gave the Giants a chance to win against the Patriots, despite a close game the two teams had played in the final week of the regular season. Statistically the Patriots were the better team and had a championship been won it would have been because of quarterback Brady. Since the Giants won the game and had neither a great quarterback nor defense to do it with, I can’t honestly grade this season. I am going to have to say the championship was won because of fate, destiny, God’s will, or whatever you wish to call it. Neither side gets the vote.
2008 Season:
QB:Ben Roethlisberger (Pittsburgh Steelers) – One of two down years for Roethlisberger, 2008 saw him as the 24th best quarterback in the regular season with an 80.1 passer rating.
Kurt Warner (Arizona Cardinals) – Continuing his Cinderella story of grocery store stocker to NFL quarterback star, Warner had a 96.9 passer rating, good enough to be the third best quarterback in the league.
Offense:
Pittsburgh – With a quarterback playing poorly, it is no surprise the offense didn’t generate much to be proud of, resulting in being 22nd in yards and 20th in scoring.
Arizona – Polar opposite to the Steelers, Warner and the Cardinals offense went on the attack and finished fourth in yards gained and tied for third in scoring.
Defense:
Pittsburgh – Coming through for Big Ben, the stereotypical Steelers defense ranked first in both yards allowed and points against.
Arizona – Again differing as much as possible to the Steelers, the Cardinals defensive unit ranked 19th in yards allowed and 28th in points allowed.
Summary:
Even though the defense nearly gave the game up in the fourth quarter and Roethlisberger was Superman-like during the winning drive to victory, I still have to give the defense credit for this year’s championship. Had it not been for the defense the Steelers wouldn’t have even been in the Big Game and had the chance for the come-from-behind win. While the Cardinals offense was instrumental in getting to the championship game, it was the lack of a great defense that prevented them from holding on for the win.
2009 Season:
QB:
Drew Brees (New Orleans Saints) – Not quite Brady in ’07, but certainly was a logistical nightmare for opposing defenses, Brees was the highest rated quarterback in the league with a 109.6 passer rating.
Peyton Manning (Indianapolis Colts) – Another solid season for Manning, who was sixth best with a 99.9 passer rating for the regular season.
Offense:
New Orleans – Having the best quarterback, it is no surprise the team had the best executed offense being first in yards and scoring.
Indianapolis – Not shabby in their own right, the Colts finished the regular season at ninth in yards gained and seventh in scoring.
Defense:
New Orleans – Not exactly feeding off the offenses’ talent and electricity, the Saints defense ranked 25th in yards allowed and 20th in points against.
Indianapolis – About par for the Manning-led Colts, the ordinary defense finished at 18th in yards allowed and eighth in points allowed.
Summary:
There is no question this is a quarterback wins championships year. No debating that.
2010 Season:
QB:
Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay Packers) – Answering the question of whether he is the real deal, Rodgers was the third best passer in the league with a 101.2 rating.
Ben Roethlisberger (Pittsburgh Steelers) – Missing four games didn’t mess with Roethlisberger’s feel for the game or his connection with receivers and he finished as the fifth best quarterback, with a 97 passer rating.
Offense:
Green Bay – Despite losing a starting running back and tight end, the offense remained in the playoff hunt and finished at a respectable ninth in yards gained and 10th in points scored.
Pittsburgh – Including the four games without Roethlisberger, where the Steelers ran out quarterbacks Dennis Dixon and Charlie Batch, the offense ranked 14th in yards and 12th in scoring.
Defense:
Green Bay – If the loss of some offensive starters due to injury was tough to bear, the defensive injury hit list was soul crushing, but the team kept fighting and ultimately ranked fifth in yards given up and second in points allowed.
Pittsburgh – Not surprising the defensive unit ended the regular season as the second best in yards allowed and first in points scored against.
Summary:
After putting up outstanding numbers in 2010 and an MVP performance in Super Bowl XLV, Rodgers now has a little bit of a reason to be the cockiest player in the NFL. Yet, he was not the sole reason for bringing a fourth Lombardi Trophy to Green Bay. The defense certainly deserves some credit and ultimately the vote for who won the championship in 2010 is going to go to both.
After hours of exhaustive research and typing it has been determined that you need both a great defense and quarterback (in essence, the offense) to be a championship contender and winner. Sometimes a quarterback can overcome the failings of an entire unit, and other times it is the opposite. From 2000 to 2010, there were four votes for the defense alone winning championships, three for the quarterback alone, three for it taking both, and one no vote being tallied.
While it is close and having an elite quarterback or elite defense is going to give you a good chance at making a championship run, I would rather have 11 guys who will carry my team than one. Should the quarterback go down for a long period of time there is little hope of salvaging the season, but if you lose one defensive player, no matter how great they are, the other 10 can step up to make up the difference.
Like many of the opinions Cowherd spews on his program that sound as if they are fact, the idea that defenses don’t win championships and elite quarterbacks do is not the end all, say all. Sometimes one man can lead a team to ultimate victory, but in general you need every single guy on the team playing to their full potential.
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