Girl with a Dragon Tattoo

Preface: I knew nothing about the story going into this besides the author was murdered after completing the trilogy. I was excited that David Fincher was the director (Trent Reznor does the music as well as a crazy/cool credit sequence) and you will see the overtones of Seven in this film. Nothing is well lit, constantly taking place at night, in dimly lit rooms, or on rainy days. The cast is outstanding. Rooney Mara deserves an incredible amount for excelling in an insanely difficult role asking A LOT out of an actress. Notable actresses wouldn't have taken such a role demanding a ghastly rape scene, murder, and to carry yourself as an outcast with mental issues. I personally am a HUGE fan of Stellan Skaarsgard and in my slanted opinion he isn't used enough. Daniel Craig is excellent and you'll notice familiar faces throughout like Christopher Plummer, Robin Wright, and my personal favorite from Rambo: First Blood Part II Steven Berkoff.

The story follows mainly two people, the first a disgraced journalist found to have used tainted material (planted material) about a HUGE businessman who has since sued him successfully for $600K. That'd be Daniel Craig's character who separates himself from his magazine and lover, the married co-editor played by Robin Wright. He is offered a chance to work independently as an investigator for a rich Swedish businessman intent on finding out what happened to his niece 40-some years prior. Rooney Mara is a social outcast, but brilliant investigator, NEIGH, the best investigator at a private firm. She investigated Craig's character for the Swedish businessman who hires him for the job. They eventually set about working together on the case and it goes deeper than you'd imagine. Fantastic everything, probably my favorite film of the year. Superbly done in every way.

Bottom Line: 9.1 out of 10. Great story, cast, script, and director. A beautiful marriage of talents. One gripe, probably should end sooner, but I imagine it stayed true to the book, so that probably wasn't an option.

MI:4 =Ghost Protocol

I really enjoyed this film. I figured I'd check it out after I read a 3 1/2 star review, and I wanted to see an entertaining film as well. Very solid cast highlighted by Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg, and Jeremy Renner. Cruise doubles as an amazing stuntman climbing around the tallest building in the world like it was a play-toy. Paula Patton does very well in the first movie I've seen her in. I can't say enough about Cruise doing stunts that VERY few other legitimate stars would do. It's an amazing effort, and I'm not a real big Tom Cruise fan generally. The story line follows Cruise and his team attempting to get to Soviet launch codes before a rogue extremist "Cobalt" gets his hands on them. Inevitably things get completely fucked up and "Ghost Protocol" is enacted, meaning the U.S. Government has disavowed any knowledge or dealings with MI: 6. It's an entertaining action movie, but it really controls the ridiculous factor and doesn't get too out of hand with insane stunts that lack any hint of reality. Entertained you will be, I'd say the 2nd best of the MI series.

Bottom Line: 7.6 out of 10. Very solid and entertaining. Great story and cast that carry along effortlessly. You certainly don't feel like you've been there for 2 hours watching a film. I'd check it out in theaters, it's worth a watch.

So you're saying there's a chance?

So now the steroids setback with Braun has become insanely convoluted and we may actually have some sort of season to look forward to, if Greinke screws his head back on straight and decides to buck up, or we trade him for Hanley Ramirez. I really felt like Braun was done for and that meant the Brewers were done for, at least 50 games of struggling to score a couple runs awaited us. I really believe this will still somehow not work out and Braun will face a 50-game suspension, but how is baseball getting private medical tests that they should have no sort of access to? That's a frightening, strange occurrence that ESPN should have never ran with, but that will never stop them. Real journalism is pretty well gone and a quick quote from some cousin twice removed or some bullshit source throws something out there, I'm thinking there should be a little more fact checking involved.

Side note: I'm in a fantasy basketball league that I am struggling to get through. I realize most of my basketball knowledge isn't up to par, but this season is set to be a mess. Back-to-back-to-back games crushed into a 66-game shortened schedule means a lot of the old horses of war (Looking at you Timmay) are going to be hurting quite a bit and missing time. I went with a youth movement which at one point had Amare Stoudemire as my oldest player, currently that crown rests with Mo "Chewbacca" Williams. Check this out, offer some advice if you feel up to it: Russell Westbrook, Amare Stoudemire, John Wall, Eric Gordon, Andrew Bynum, Demarcus Cousins, Andray Blatche, David West, Stephen Jackson, Tyler Hansborough, Nic Batum, Trevor Ariza, Brandon Knight, Ed Davis, Mo Williams. Rotisserie scoring, thinking assists & assist to turnover ratio is going to be hurting, but I like the youth and expect more than a few breakouts from that squad. Roster pick-up ideas are encouraged if y'all have some ideas.

Steroids, the New Vitamin C

Upon the recent news Ryan Braun just punched every Brewer fan in the back of the skull testing positive for some substance MLB has banned, I've taken the approach that everyone is guilty, some are just better at hiding it. If you just assume everyone is taking PED's (Performance Enhancing Drugs for people who aren't sports junkies) it's easier to not want baseball to burn in it's own flaming hell. Somehow the sports is growing in popularity despite Bud Selig being ugly, old, and behind the times. Was blissful ignorance the best way to go about things? I don't think so, but I really hate watching the ensuing shit-show of positive tests we are privy to. A-Rod, Manny, Big Papi, and Bruan are perennial fan favorites and legitimate superstars who aren't smart enough to dodge testing, or good enough to not have to use PED's. For whatever reason each one of these megastars have decided to juice up and roll the dice. Braun is the most painful for me, not only because I'm a Brewer fan, but he was so young and promising. This will follow him for the rest of his career and life. Who knows if people forgive/forget with time, but currently that steroid tag is keeping a shit-ton of great baseball players out of the Hall of Fame, all hatred for the voting fuckfaces aside.
He cripples a small market franchise for 50 games, or enough to severely fuck them if they can't score runs. This is the last year this team is a contender, and that's with two enormous holes to fill at 1B (more importantly the clean-up spot) and SS. Aramis Ramirez was an enormous signing, but without Braun or Fielder I fail to see it having a huge impact. Hopefully they can tread water for 50 games and stay above .500 and turn it on with a healthy Braun for the last 112 games, but if things start going South there's going to be a fire sale on Grienke and Marcum probably and the Brewers will be a few years from being much of anything unless lightning strikes twice and they find willing traders of quality pitching.
Not sure how Ramirez is going effect Taylor Greene being on the club, but I was a fan of Greene. Compact, quick swing, and pretty athletic. Not sure on his outfield/first baseman ability, but I liked his swing and hope he can turn into a productive player ASAP.
Braun is the villain for now as details will come to light and blame will be thrown around. Damage isn't done for sure, but nobody has won an appeal. I'd like for someone to admit it was their urine and lay on this grenade for us, but since that isn't possible or feasible, we probably just witnessed the failure of our only legitimate shot to win the World Series in my lifetime, last year being excluded.

Baseball Hall of Fame Voters- Unfuck yourselves

Ron Santo has been denied the Hall of Fame for the last 27 years. The year after he passes away, he's in the Hall of Fame, voted in by the same fucking clown shoes shitheaded idiots who've denied him the last 26 years. Did Santos start playing again at 70 and improve his stats in 2010? NOPE, he just died, and for some reason rather than letting a lifetime "baseball man" and damn fine player in THE HALL when he could enjoy it while alive with his family and friends, some other player gets to eulogize him for a Hall of Fame speech. It fucking sickens me. Buck O'Neil had the privilege of announcing 17 Negro League players into the Hall of Fame in 2006, but he didn't get in, he fell short of the needed votes, though posthumously he got THE FUCKING PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOM for his efforts. Anyone see an issue here? These fucking idiots who never played baseball sit in a luxurious room with fine wines and smell the farts from one another while pontificating and acting better than everyone else. They have no real code or standards, just bullshit and people they like, or don't like. Mark Mcguire played in a steroid littered era and admitted using androstenidine (something like that), which was legal, but he's not in the hall despite worthy numbers due to his steroid use, yet felonies and violent racism isn't enough to keep people out of The Hall. The Era they played in and the stats provided should be the major determining factor. You shouldn't need a fucking media campaign to get voted into The Hall like Bert Blyleven. Shameless begging and pandering hasn't gotten Pete Rose in, who played the game as hard as anyone and left the career hits leader among a litany of other accomplishments, but HOLY SHIT, he gambled on baseball games while being a manager and 26 years later he hasn't learned his lesson or been forgiven. He should plan on being put into the ground before he gets in, so hopefully he selects someone to give a good speech on his behalf. Fuck the Voters and expand the veterans committee before I run around beating the shit out of writers I find out have voting rights.

General Summary: Each voting cycle, qualified members of the BBWAA name no more than 10 eligible players whom they consider worthy of Hall of Fame honors. To be enshrined, a player must be named on at least 75% of the voters' ballots. Currently, players are removed from the ballot if they are named on fewer than 5% of ballots or have been on the ballot 15 times without election.

Qualified my fucking ass.

Adjustment Bureau

Matt Damon kicks some ass as a NY politician who is running for Senate. He meets a girl in a bathroom after losing the election of 2006, they kiss, he becomes infatuated with her, but can't be with her because men in hats tell him he can't. They tie together religion in an interesting fashion with the "Adjustment Bureau" because essentially they are angels who lead you into decisions and make sure "the right things happen". Excellent cast and a good, unique story that we never get these days. Damon is great as always and nobody else disappoints on any level. I was a big fan of this movie. It's dynamic and combines action with a love story. It's so rare we get something unique and decent, it was refreshing.

Bottom line: 7.7 out of 10. Really worth a rental or it's currently running on HBO.