Girl on the Train

I was skeptical watching this one since I hadn't read the book and it was in the 50's on Rotten Tomatoes, but I persevered. I'm a big Emily Blunt fan and I knew the book was a huge hit. The premise is a woman rides a train, OBVIOUSLY, but the train goes past her old house where her husband currently lives with his new wife and child. She stares out the window at them, but also their neighbor, a young beautiful woman who was recently married. She begins to feel like she's a part of their lives. She watches them and fabricates stories in her mind. The movie then starts being told from the "other" women's point of view. Her husband's new wife and the hot neighbor. The story boils over when the gorgeous neighbor is murdered and the "train lady" saw her with a mysterious man who wasn't her husband that day. Further complicating things is that train lady is a drunk who rides the train only to appear to be employed to appease her "roommate", aka lady letting her live with her. The story unfolds and new details are introduced slowly, but it weaves an interesting web that ties together well. It's very mysterious, so I don't want to talk about the plot much, but it has excellent performances by Blunt, Haley Bennett, Justin Theroux, and Luke Evans. Bottom Line: 7.5 out of 10. I was a bigger fan than I expected. I can imagine if someone read the book they may not enjoy the film since the book would do a much better job of unveiling things and explaining emotions and thoughts.

Hacksaw Ridge

I came it with fairly low expectations for Hacksaw Ridge. I'm not a big Andrew Garfield fan, so to have him playing an American war hero originally drew my ire. I was pleasantly surprised with his performance, it's very good, as are all of them. I really like Vince Vaughn, and Sam Worthington is also very good. The film tells the story of Desmond Doss. Desmond is raised in the hill country of Virginia, so he's not a Rhodes Scholar. His father fought in WWI, or THE GREAT WAR as it's referred to as. He's played expertly by Hugo Weaving. His dad's a drunk from the fact that he's unable to come to grips with his friends dying in France. He has a brother, younger or older is never said, though they are close in age. Desmond falls in love with the nurse who draws blood at the nearby hospital (5 miles). After his brother enlists it's the final straw and he decides to enlist shortly after as a medic. He's interested in human anatomy, etc., and more importantly he refuses to kill another man, or even pick-up a weapon. This causes all sorts of issues during basic training, but after a court order and Brigadier General's note, he's set to head off to Okinawa. Okinawa was crucial, like all of the contested islands, to get within bombing distance of Japan. This movie was particularly meaningful as I watched it on Veterans Day. It helped remind me of how awful my Grandpa's role was in WWII. He was an "Island Hopper", a role that I used to explain as the beach landing of Saving Private Ryan, only in the Pacific islands. He suffered tremendously with what he saw, did, and experienced. He left with a full head of hair and came back bald. His unit had a survival rate of between 10-15%. The Pacific Islands were definitely one of Dante's Spheres of Hell. Something that even after watching Hacksaw Ridge, which from what I can tell is the most accurate depiction of what happened in the Pacific Islands regularly, you can't possibly grasp the true horror of what occurred regularly. Getting back to the movie, what happens on Hacksaw Ridge is after a push to secure a good part of the "Ridge" the Japanese burrow underground for the night. At first light they charge and force Doss' unit off the Ridge, leaving many men wounded on the Ridge while battleships bombard it. Doss works tirelessly throughout the day and night to lower wounded troops down the cliff to safety all while being unarmed. It's totally amazing. The sum total of his efforts produces 75 wounded men lowered to safety. I'm not certain if all survived, etc., but that's a gargantuan effort for a group of medics, but Herculean for one man. Bottom Line: 8.6 out of 10. Believe the Rotten Tomatoes scoring, it's another rock solid movie from Mel Gibson, that crazy racist drunk.

Sorry, but Another Sharp Departure From the Norm

Today, and I'm not sure why, I'm compelled to make a sharp turn from my normal talk of movies and television to talk about people that I'm in awe of and that I admire greatly. There are certain professions that amaze me, and today I'm going to dive into one of them that I feel like deserves tremendous praise. This isn't to say there are numerous other roles in our society that deserve me recognition, but today I'm focusing on the role of the PICU (Pediatric Intensive Care Unit) nurse. My sister-in-law made a life change seven years ago that I was in awe in. She took herself out of working for a company that managed very large retirement accounts (similar to a hedge fund) and decided to go back to school for a nursing degree. I feel like that profession is a calling, not a choice, and her decision perhaps even more than an amazing and incredibly admirable career in nursing. She works in a PICU unit that sadly often sees tragedy more often than many other units. Children (anyone under the age of 18) that has severe "issues" because I'm not sure how to define the "regular" case they deal with, are assigned to this particular unit. NICU is also an amazing profession too, but I'm focusing on PICU for now, though I greatly respect the people that work in the health care profession. I try to talk about her "job" that deals with tragedy that would probably cripple most people. An example, that is far from ordinary, but is the type of "case" they deal with would be a child that has a skin condition that prevents any physical contact. Hours are spent changing bandages because their skin blisters and bleeds with the contact of even gauze bandages, yet those bandages need to be changed at least daily despite the pain it causes. They are responsible for providing care and I'll go as far as saying love to those tough cases. I can't possible imagine going to work on a daily basis with the knowledge that patients in my care might not see tomorrow, or the next week or month. I'm in absolute awe and in total admiration of the amazing fortitude and resolve that those people show on a daily basis. I can't imagine the difficult moments and conversations had within that wing that occur regularly. I am so appreciative of the people who go to work knowing that their worst case is tragedy, yet they face it with such courage and compassion that it is totally amazing. I sincerely hope that nobody I know would ever deal with a situation that their child may be one of those cases, but I also want to highlight how amazing the people are that are on the front lines of such tragedy. If anyone knows someone that's amazing in a similar way, please reach out and share your thoughts and admiration with that person. Thank you for allowing me to share my heart today with you.

War Dogs

War Dogs follows a premise I enjoy. Taking a strange, yet historically unique event, and expand on it. War Dogs follow two friends from youth as they embark on an amazing adventure. Due to the Halliburton scandal (Dick Cheney selling defense contracts to friends/former colleagues) our military contracts were open for bid on the internet to various licensed gun dealers. Insert Myles Teller and Jonah Hill. Two twenty-somethings with no clue how far over their head's they are. They start small by winning minor contracts for generally small arms. They gain experience, contacts, and knowledge. They fly to Jordan to smuggle an arms shipment to Iraq and our troops for Beretta's to use with the Iraq army being trained. They bid on I presume one of the largest contracts in history to outfit the Afghan national army and they win. Millions of dollars is on the line to supply a variety of weapons and ammunition and they have everything figured out, or so they think. Bottom Line: 6.7 out of 10. It was pretty interesting, though it's tough to believe some of it, it's just an amazing time and story. I'd pay attention when it's on cable.

The Nice Guys

The Nice Guys attempts to bridge the gap somewhere between L.A. Confidential and every buddy cop movie. Ryan Gosling plays the smart, fragile detective and Russell Crowe reprises his role from L.A. Confidential as the Muscle. He beats people up and Gosling tries to be funny and smart. The film focuses on the attempt to find a girl named Amelia and the death of porn star Misty Mountains. Gosling is hired to look for Misty Mountains, but is coincidentally searching for Amelia when Crowe beats him savagely because he was paid by "Amelia" to make two strange men stop following her. There are a few twists and turns, some comedy, but nothing too special. I'd await it's arrival on cable before committing two hours of your life. Bottom Line: 6.7 out of 10. Wait for TBS to pick it up.

Paper Towns: TEENAGE ANGST Part 891

Paper Towns follows the story of Cara Delevingne (Margo, such an exotic name she must be complex and a unique rebel) and Q. Neighbors since they were 8, Q has a crush on Margo, but they grow apart in town and rarely speak now that they are seniors in high school. Margo takes Q on a tale of revenge against her cheating boyfriend and her friends, but after their night of fun and debauchery, SHE DISAPPEARS. In typical Margo fashion she leaves clues for Q, but he works to piece them together and find her. He has a couple friends, like in all angsty, nerdy, teenager movies that are with him throughout. The acting is pretty solid surprisingly and Delevingne definitely has a career acting if she wants it. It's harmed by being similar to every other movie of this genre ever made, but that doesn't mean it isn't alright. Bottom Line: 6.4 out of 10. Take a flyer on this one when it hits the cable circuit. It's worth that much.

Don't Breathe: (The Movie, I'm not telling you to stop breathing)

Don't Breathe is an interesting movie focusing on three 18-ish year olds living in Detroit. One of them dreams (Rocky, but it's a female) of moving away to L.A., but is raising capital (Financial term I think sounds fancy here) by robbing homes that her friend Alex, has keys and information on since his dad owns a security company. They keep theft under $10,000 to avoid federal prosecution (The second movie I've seen that rule preached in this month, which is weird) and therefore much attention. They stumble upon a house on an abandoned block in Detroit where the man living there received a large settlement (not generally public knowledge) from his daughter being hit and killed by a drunk driver, who happens to have very wealthy parents. The man is a veteran who was blinded by grenade shrapnel. They throw all rules out and decide to try to find the cash. Coincidentally the man is Stephan Lang, who is awesome in the role and is the only reason the movie is viable. Despite being blind, he is still terrifying and extremely capable. His home is his castle and he doesn't need vision to find his way around. They find themselves trapped and some twists and turns ensue. Bottom Line: 7.1 out of 10. Worth seeing in theatres, though when I went someone made a really loud farting noise, maybe it was the pleather seat, but it was hilarious and mood ruining all at once. Lang is fantastic and that's worth the price of admission alone. It made me wonder if I could win a fight if he were truly blind? I'd cheat and grab something to hit him with, but I think he'd beat my ass all things being equal. I'd do better than Alex though, I know that much.

Hell or High Water

Sorry for the unintentional hiatus, but I've still been watching movies. I just saw Hell of High Water yesterday and felt like I should talk about since it's a pretty good independent film that won't get a lot of attention. It's a very simple film centering around two brothers who look nothing at all like brothers (Chris Pine and Ben Foster, who is awesome). Foster is the slightly crazy and regular prison inhabitant older brother and Pine is the quiet, shy, boring younger brother. You jump in immediately on a bank robbery, but they only take small bills ($20 or smaller) from two small, local banks. It isn't the bank robbery you normally think about. It stirs up little attention other than from a retiring Texas Ranger (Jeff Daniels). He drags his partner into this seemingly minor case and digs in. You learn the rest of the plot along the way, but it's very simple and well done. The scene of quiet, open, Western Texas is generally pretty. Foster is excellent and Pine is pretty good (shockingly) as a couple of simple brothers trying to make life a little better. Bottom Line: 8.5 out of 10. Solid film that's pretty believable, which is rare. The cast is excellent. It's refreshing that nothing is extravagant at all, it adds credibility.

Tigerland: Colin Ferrell's Start

I found Tigerland for under $2.00 and jumped in. I remember this is what Ferrell's big break was, then all of the sudden he was in Minority Report, Phone Booth, and Recruit, SWAT and Alexander. Tigerland follows a group through their initial training in the Army knowing that at the end of training they are heading right to Vietnam. Colin Ferrell is Roland Bozz, a dissenter who has a penchant for getting people excused from service. He doesn't get himself excused, but tell him your story and he may be able to get you excused from the Army. It's very odd, but it follows them through basic training and into "Tigerland", the closest training to real, live combat action the Army can create. The different characters in the unit become exposed and you'll recognize Shea Whigham, Clifton Collins, Tom Guiry, and Michael Davis, though none are "stars", they pull together a very good cast. It's a good mix of characters coming from different places and circumstances. Bottom Line: 6.8 out of 10. Glad I re-watched it to see how a lot of the cast is now known, but nothing amazing.

Michael Moore: Who We Should Invade Next

The pinnacle of Smugness, Mike Moore, made a documentary highlighting a bunch of strengths of other countries and how much better these ideas are than how they are done in America. It highlights workplaces, schools, even how we approach our shameful history of slavery. The part that always gets in the way is Moore himself. He's insufferable, self-serving, and always debatably leads people into what he wants. His editing tactics have always come under fire, most notably from Marilyn Manson and the South Park guys who after being interviewed by him and having their words twisted, blew him up on Team America: World Police. I can't stand him, therefore this movie wasn't for me. It should surprise not a single person that other countries are better at a few things than America and watching Moore parade himself around looking like Rosie O'Donnell's homeless, fatter, uglier brother is awful to watch. Bottom Line: 2.3 out of 10. Read about it, don't bother watching it. Synopsis: Sweden has better schools than us because kid's get to do what they want and have no homework, Italy is a better place to work because you get six weeks vacation and don't have to work as hard, Germany is better than us because they teach their children in school about the evils of the Nazi regime and Holocaust, Iceland is better than us because women have more political power and they punish their white collar criminals. There you go, saved you wasting almost two hours.

X-Men: Apocalpyse

There was excitement with the introduction of an excellent villain in Apocalypse. Then, I noticed it was Oscar Isaac, who I really like, but they didn't DO enough to him. He was short, with a big coat and some blue facepaint. He looked too human for my liking. Interesting premise in that he existed for centuries accumulating various mutant powers throughout, yet he consistently fails in using them well... Fassbender is awesome in being domesticated Magneto. I like McAvoy's Professor X. I really like Jennifer Lawrence in any capacity. This tries way too hard to introduce various X-Men themes and it ends up being exhausting and sloppy. It's like Singer took a bet to see how many X-Men plotlines he could tie into this thing. The simple premise is Apocalypse is trying to end the world by gathering his Four Horseman and getting to it, but the subplots really get in the way. It's a pleasure to see Olivia Munn as Psylocke, but she is seldom used. I enjoyed some of the film, for the most part besides a sloppy scene with a ship and containers the CGI is top notch. The acting is generally decent. There's just too much stuff getting thrown into the pot for this film that for me, it ruined the stew. Bottom Line: 6.5 out of 10. Just not much to be impressed by and those fleeting moments get furthered buried by 34 different subplots.

Captain America: Civil War

The much awaited Avengers-esque movie was a little different from the others. There is friendship tested and affirmed. It's very odd watching these heroes as they are forced to fight each other on grounds that neither is willing to budge on. The cast is excellent as always, adding Daniel Bruhl (Inglorious Basterds, Rush, and Bourne: Ultimatum) and Chadwick Boseman (42 & Get on Up) who are also excellent. The movie centers around the potential that Bucky Barnes/the Winter Soldier has returned and bombed a peaceful meeting, killing T'Challa's (Boseman's) father and many others. Bucky has been in hiding and completely off the grid, so it's a surprise. The debate is also raging on about the Avenger's unlimited global scope and scale on which they operate, under their own control and direction. These issues reach a boiling point and the Avengers split along those lines. Friends fight it out to keep Bucky out of prison, but also for their own future as a group. Who could be trusted to be in charge of the Avengers and what would they let them do? Can they really be told what to do by normal people? Interesting questions are brought up and, as always the special effects/CGI do not disappoint. It's another excellent movie to sit down, eat some popcorn, and be entertained for 2.5 hours to. I did have some beef with how quickly these "brother's in arms" were willing to start punching each other in the face. Similar to Batman vs. Superman, you simply refuse that reason couldn't prevail between friends who have fought side-by-side. Bottom Line: 8.8 out of 10. Another great offering from Marvel, but a cut below the others. Possibly because the eleven year old Jeff was greatly bothered by watching Iron Man and Captain America fight it out, but maybe on the absurdity of things evolving that quickly, I do have a valid point? You be the judge because it's worth watching on the big screen.

The Jungle Book: Not the Cartoon One

Went to the Jungle Book last night based on the strength of Rotten Tomatoes ratings, and they were not far off. This Jungle Book is heavy with CGI, but it's very good. It features Bill Murray as Baloo, Idris Elba as Shahir Khan, Scarlett Johansen as Kaa, Ben Kingsley as Bagira, and Christopher Walken as King Louie. They do a great job, the animation is excellent, and it's a fresh enough take on the story that you aren't bored by. Murray carries a good chunk of it as Baloo. Neel Sethi is excellent as Mowgli and I'm guessing he'll be in some other movies in the near future. John Favreau does a great job with this one. I think I'm going to start referring to fire as "the red flower" and think I'm pretty cool. Bottom Line: 8.4 out of 10. Really solid, but it's not as kid-friendly as the Disney one as a precaution. Worth paying a few bucks to see it in theatres in my opinion. There was a lack of children at the the one I saw interestingly enough.

Batman vs. Superman

I felt like I needed to see this in theatres despite noticeably mixed reviews. I like Zach Snyder's stuff generally, so I thought I'd give it a shot. Ben Affleck I actually enjoyed as an aging Batman, perhaps past his prime. Henry Cavill is a rather unfeeling Superman, but acceptable. Dude is at least shredded up, as is Ben. Amy Adams is rock solid as Lois Lane, Laurence Fishbourne is underutilized as Perry White. Great casting for Jeremy Irons as Alfred and Holly Hunter as a random Senator. Jesse Eisenberg I generally hate, but he's acceptable as Lex Luther. The story weaves a tale about how it's possible to turn Batman vs. Superman since both heroes refuse to believe either are as good as they try to be. It's frustrating to believe that two heroes as great as Batman and Superman could screw up so badly that they'd want to fight and destroy each other, but here we are. Bottom Line: 6.8 out of 10. Entertaining and solid acting for the most part, but the script and plot fall short. Gal Gadot is excellent for Wonder Woman and I can't believe I didn't add that earlier. Things are looking up for the Justice League at least.

Brooklyn

Brooklyn is a simple, but beautiful movie. It's great on all the basics. Brooklyn follows the journey of Eilis (pronounced A-Lish) from Ireland, where she is quiet and working Sundays in a grocer/bakery, to America. We follow her as she grows tremendously as a person. She starts dating and goes to night classes. She falls in love with an Italian plumber named Tony. I want to tell very little about the story because I don't want to ruin any part of this movie. The movie is gorgeous with amazing shots of New York and Ireland. Saoirse Ronan is unbelievable in her first big-time role. She's outstanding in conveying feelings, but maintaining her Irish stoicism. Bottom Line: 8.8 out of 10. It's a simple, beautiful, and well done film. There is no weaknesses in my opinion other than the fact that nothing "WOWS" you. It just plays out slowly and beautifully.

Vacation: Ed Helms isn't Chevy Chase

I really enjoyed Vacation, the movie picking up where Rusty Griswold has a family of his own. Ed Helms is Rusty, Christina Applegate is his wife, and there are wonderful cameos from Chris Hemsworth particularly and Beverly DeAngelo, Norman Reedus, Ron Livingston, Charlie Day, Keegan Michael-Key, and Chevy Chase. The tale jumps into Rusty's life where things are boring suburbia heaven and he wants to go on that magical trip to Wallyworld made 30 years earlier with his own family. There are a bunch of really funny gags and a few recurring ones that are great as well. The story is very similar to one we've seen before, but it's much edgier and racier. I love that they reintroduced the filthy mouthed kid in this one to a whole new generation. Hemsworth steals the show for his cameo. HE really just wants to show of his huge abs... Bottom Line: 7.7 out of 10, particularly if you're a fan of the other Vacation movies. It's a worthy remake that really has enough funny stuff going on to carry the same story you've seen many times before. Worth watching for sure.

Warriors Looking for 73 and Why I'm an Old, Bitter Man About It

The Golden State Warriors are knocking on the door of 73-9 for an NBA season. Amidst all the studies showing all the travel and back-to-backs are worse than other sports and hard on the players we have a team looking to break what seemed unbreakable. A team that's perfectly adapted to what the league gives you. NO handchecks or contact on the perimeter and great passing and shooting. It's a team that would be successful in any era, but I feel like that 1995-97 Bulls team, if played in the 90's, would beat the Warriors. I'm not sure about this era, but I still think they'd win in a seven game series since Michael Jordan in that stage of his career never lost a series. The Warriors are a great team featuring the best shooter, and probably another top ten shooter of all-time with Curry and Thompson. Draymond Green is VERY underrated and so versatile it's always impressive to see him play. He defends larger players, sometimes the offense runs through him, and he hits 3's, like just about everyone on the team. Their second unit is VERY underrated with Shaun Livingston and Leandro Barbosa never allowing the other team to breathe as two veteran point guards that control the tempo and essentially guarantee a lead won't slip away while their out there. Bogut in a reduced role offers a VERY good defensive big who also is still an excellent passer in the post. Andre Igoudala has to be the most overqualified role player ever as in his prime with the 76ers he was a top ten player. They move the ball so well and Curry can get off a shot in a phone booth while being defended. They move without the ball incredibly well too. Mo Speights and Festus Ezeli gives them two more bigs to throw if a team tries to rough it up on them. I still think Jordan, Harper, Pippen, Kukoc, and Rodman with Kerr, Longley, THE MAYOR (Freddy Hoiberg), Randy Brown, Bill Wennington, Judd Buechler (THIS IS ALL FROM MEMORY BY THE WAY) and whoever I have forgotten would win in a seven game series. The significantly bigger guards would limit Curry's shots, though he can pull-up from 35 feet with accuracy akin to most player's open jumpers. I feel like the Bulls wouldn't need to utilize their bench much, but that bench could hold it down in short stretches when the starters rest. Rodman on Green would be interesting since Rodman rarely spent time on the perimeter, so that does fascinate me. I also wonder if 90's rules vs. 2010's rules would differ the outcome greatly or not? This has been a random process of typing thoughts down, but that's where I'm at with this. Hopefully the Warriors lose on Wednesday night.

Spy

Melissa McCarthy stars in Spy, a movie following Susan Cooper (McCarthy), a woman who helps CIA covert operations from the basement, where she directs Bradley Fine (Jude Law) during his covert ops. Fine is killed by a mystery woman "Reyna", played brilliantly by Rose Byrne. This prompts Susan to jump into the field and try to find Reyna and a stolen nuclear weapon. Jason Statham jumps in as a Rick Ford, another CIA agent in the field. There's some funny stuff, but the movie struggles in my opinion since I'm not much of a McCarthy fan. The action scenes they do an alright job of piecing together since McCarthy is obviously limited when it comes to stunts and action. The comedy is pretty good at times and the story isn't terrible, though you've certainly seen it before. Byrne and Statham are good in their roles, Law & McCarthy are pretty much their standard roles. Bottom Line: 6.2 out of 10. I enjoyed it at times, but the story seemed to just drag and bore me.

The Big Short: I Finally Know What Credit Default Swaps Are! (Kind Of...)

I finally took a night to see The Big Short. Knowing I really like the financial world, I was really excited to see this one. The cast of Steve Carrell, Ryan Gosling, Christian Bale, and some Brad Pitt was also impressive. The movie jumps into the financial world in early 2007 when awkward mega-genius and hedge fund manager Dr. Michael Burry spent time investigating how bad the housing market loans really were. By investigating the sub-prime mortgage packages he determined way too many of the loans inside these packages were defaulting and the whole market was a problem. Sitting down with banks Dr. Burry negotiating creating credit default swaps insuring when the housing loans failed he'd get paid substantially, like 20/1 on it. Since the housing market was deemed infallible, he was assumed to be crazy. Only a bank employee and a couple of other hedge fund managers picked up on how bad the housing market really was. You find out about the world through primarily the eyes of Steve Carrell and his hedge fund managers. They meet mortgage brokers, explore some of the Florida homes in foreclosure, and go to a Vegas conference to meet up with the people who create the subprime mortgage portfolios. It's frustrating because, like usual, those who suffered the majority of a few people's out of control greeds backlash were primarily middle class Americans. Did the Goldman Sachs, Wells Fargo, U.S. Bank, and the other bailed out giant banks pay back the insane amount of money they fleeced by issuing brutal adjustable ARM and rates that people couldn't possibly handle. Did the CEO's pay back the variety of bonuses they continue to receive post-bailout? Of course not. There were no winner's really, but this at least shows some of the mavericks willing to work hard and not take S & P, Moody's, and other rating companies and banks at their word. Bottom Line: 8.9 out of 10. This is certainly worth watching. Bale is especially impressive, but the entire cast in excellent. The story is painful, but necessary to understand at least some of it. Understanding personal finance, loans, and investing is critically important and if YOU DO NOT KNOW WHAT YOU ARE SIGNING MAKE SURE SOMEONE EXPLAINS IT. IF THEY CAN'T EXPLAIN IT, FIND SOMEONE WHO CAN AND BUY FROM THEM.

Judgement at Nuremburg: 1961 Greatness

Turner Classic Movies (TCM) around the Oscar's brings the wood playing great classic that won various Oscar's. Judgement at Nuremburg follows the trial of German judges during WWII and the Holocaust. The issue at hand is what was their duty to their country vs. human decency? It's an incredibly difficult question that is probed in depth during this three hour drama. Maximillian Schell pulled out Best Actor for his portrayal of the German attorney defending the accused. Spencer Tracy, Burt Lancaster, Judy Garland, William Shatner (he's aged wonderfully), and Richard Widmark round out the great cast. The movie probes into Nuremburg and what was known by everyone (mistreatment of Jews/"undesirables") vs. unknown, the concentration camps mass exterminations. Emotion is laid bare and examined deeply by a great cast. Bottom Line: 9.1 out of 10. I found it riveting and excellent. Highly recommended viewing for movie fans.

Inside Out: Another Pixar Home Run

Inside Out is a tale that follows the five feelings inside a child's head: Joy (Amy Pohler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith- AKA Phyllis from the Office), Anger (Lewis Black), Fear (Bill Hader), and disgust (Mindy Kaling). Joy primarily runs shop in Riley (The child's) head as Riley grows up a happy girl in MN. Then, Riley's family moves to San Francisco and her life changes completely. The voice talent in this movie is excellent, they are all awesome. The movie attempts to bring a playful way to how someone becomes depressed and essentially lost at life. The animation and story are typical Pixar excellence. There was an awesome part extra interviewing women at Pixar describing their ascent to their current roles in the company that's also fascinating and recommended viewing. Bottom Line: 8.9 out of 10. Another Pixar movie that's essential viewing for the world. They play with your emotions like Mozart & a piano.

Deadpool: A Fun Anti-Hero

Deadpool is unique in many ways, but his attempts to be an anti-hero and his own man are what it's all about. He's funny, but in a mean way. He makes jokes, often at great personal expense and in the face of danger. I knew it would often get too smirky and cute for its own good, but a lot of the jokes hit in this one. Deadpool follows the story of Wade Wilson, former Army (I think) specialist/assassin who is a "bad guy who hurts other bad guys". He falls in love with the gorgeous MOrena Baccarin (Firefly and Homeland fame) and shortly after their engagement Wade finds out he has VERY terminal cancer. In an attempt to cure himself he enters a program that will give him "powers" to heal himself, but at great cost. It forces mutation through pain and suffering and his sadist "administrator" Ajax, AKA Francis, clearly wants to be the bad guy in this film. Wilson becomes essentially like Wolverine in the ability to heal himself, but his skin becomes irreparably damaged, making him look like a burn victim of the most serious kind. Wilson finds himself unable to become part of Vanessa's Baccarin's character) life because of his "deformity". He becomes obsessed with finding Ajax, who he believes can repair the damage to his skin. He does it in an ultra-stylized manner unlike anything we've ever seen. He's very skilled and flashy, but also tries to be the biggest smartass ever the entire time. It combines his backstory while pushing forward with the story very well. Reynolds is perfect for the role and the cast is very solid. If you like trademark Ryan Reynolds humor, you'll like this film. Bottom Line: 7.6 out of 10. Humor that works, most of the time, and excellent action/effects help carry a similar story that you've seen many times in other superhero stories. Worth checking out, even as a date movie.

Bridge of Spies- That's HOW YOU NEGOTIATE

Tom Hanks and Spielberg come off the shelf to deliver another great and classic film. The movie follows the events surrounding the 1957 arrest of a Soviet "spy" Rudolf Abel and his defense by American insurance attorney James Donovan. Donovan accepts the momentous and VERY unpopular job of defending Abel in his case vs. America. Hanks fights for his release and also a reduced sentence after he is found guilty initially. His home is shot at and hostilities are everywhere while he does his job defending not only Abel, but the American justice system and human rights. Donovan is then, after going through the trial and appeal, asked to negotiate a prisoner exchange with Russia, and, out of nowhere, East Germany. It gets lost on most people who see the film how TENSE things were between Russia, East Germany, and America during these events. Russian and East Germany were demons. Communism was the ultimate evil and nuclear war was a threat to everyone. Donovan travels as a U.S. Citizen, not a government official, to West Germany to work on the negotiation to get back U-2 spy plane pilot Francis Gary Powers and innocent student Frederic Pryor, who simply made the mistake of studying Economics at a University in East Germany. Donovan's work to get a 2 for 1 exchange and get those American men out of communist countries was exemplary and impressive. It makes you want to read a biography on him when you find out all he gave to our nation in terms of a man who was willing to go into hostile areas and work to get our hostages back to safety. A great man. Bottom Line: 8. 4 out of 10. Great acting and, obviously directing in this one. Another gem of an untold story dusted off by Spielberg. Go see this movie and feel proud.

NBA All-Star Weekend: A Tradition Unlike Any Other

I'm currently watching the NBA Legends All-Star Brunch and the honoring of Tracy McGrady, Steve Nash, Oscar Robertson, and others for not only their great NBA careers, but their accomplishments away from the court. It's humbling and awesome. I love NBA All-Star weekend. The dunk contest, 3 point shootout, skills competition, and the Young Stars game. It makes an EVENT out of All-star weekend. Over 150 legends come back to be a part of the weekend, and that's what I want to highlight. The unity and ties between the pioneers of the game and the current players in so special. The respect and honor they are given is so well deserved and I feel lacking in other major sports. Hearing Oscar Robertson briefly touch on the the struggles of the early NBA and the efforts made to increase pay to players during the ABA/NBA merger was excellent. They have so much fun during the weekend, but also share in the rich history of the game. I'm a big fan of the NBA and keep trying to push people to watch the regular season because the game features the best talent on the planet. The game is much different than the early 2000's game that saw a lot of people turned off. Give it another chance! I know college basketball is special, but the NBA deserves to be noticed for being the superior game.

13 Hours: The Story of Benghazi (Libya that means)

13 Hours takes you into a formerly classified CIA base located on the outskirts of Benghazi, Libya. It's a base of operations for the burgeoning illegal weapon trade that's been going on there since Ghadafi's overthrow. The CIA has some security and then has six former SEALS, Rangers, and Army veterans who go out into Benghazi with staff to protect them offsite. The U.S. Ambassador in Libya lives away from that secret compound in a former mansion with walls, but that totally lacked necessary security. He only had three security agents with him who lacked combat experience. The six former military guys examine the compound and point out the various weaknesses and the obvious fact that it is a "sniper's paradise" with limited cover. On the anniversary of 9/11 the Ambassador's compound is attacked by Libyan rebels. The compound is quickly overthrown as the paid Libyan security detail quickly bails. The limited staff are left to attempt to stay in the safe room and hold off the rebels and stay alive. That's essentially where the movie starts and the next 90 minutes (estimate) is incredible similar to the first time you saw Black Hawk Down. There is frustration with U.S. policy and it's terrible inefficiency. The failures in certain citizen's hours of need will frustrate you. You will see real heroes and men who deserve all the accolades possible for their efforts and sacrifices. Bottom Line: 8.8 out of 10. I was nothing but impressed by the cast (Jim and Roy from The Office are outstanding, as are all the veterans) and the movie doesn't condemn anyone particularly as Bay's goal was to tell the accounts of the Veterans as accurately as possible. There will be finger pointing at Hilary and other high-ranking staff, but this movie avoids most of it, though you'll wish you could murder the station chief. Go and see this in theatres because Michael Bay movies are made for the big screen.

Spotlight: A Movie that Highlights Why Movies are Made

Spotlight is the story of the Boston Globe's investigative work on uncover the Catholic Priest sexual abuse scandals in Boston and the surrounding area. It has an incredible cast highlighted by Mark Ruffalo (WISCONSIN!!), Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Liev Schreiber, and John Slattery. It's a great ensemble cast needed to carry the incredible weight of this story. It's up there with the best of investigative journalist movies, All The Kings Men, and it highlights the need for for investigative journalism to continue in our world. There are trials, tribulations, and hours and hours of hard work and labor to go through the stories, clips, and interview a LOT of people. It's a great story about hard work, teamwork, and refusing to settle. This was my favorite movie of 2015 edging out The Revenant, which was also a gorgeous film. It's impossible to say enough good things about this movie for me. Bottom Line: 9.8 out of 10. It's hard for me to think about anything I would've done differently other than a little more focus on the various victims and highlight the staggering amount of suicides stemming from the abuses. Go out and see this film. I have always had a huge amount of respect and awe for excellent investigative journalism, so maybe I'm a little high on this, but it's great stuff.

Concussion: The NFL Doesn't Care About Player Safety? WHHHAAAATTTT?????

Concussion is the story of the doctor (Dr. Bennet Omalu) who first diagnoses CTE, the condition some former football players suffer brought on by repeated head trauma/concussions throughout their playing careers. It's the story of his struggle to get his research and findings recognized by the NFL and publicly. There's a part about former Steeler great and former Lodi, WI resident Mike Webster and his horrible struggles after his playing career. I knew I'd hate that part, but I was also disappointed more wasn't done to recognize his family for allowing his brain to be studied by Dr. Omalu. They helped pave the way for others to do the same and to allow the research, which they went through great lengths to show Dr. Omalu's personal costs and struggles, but didn't talk about the Webster's assistance to the research. The cast is excellent with Will Smith, Alec Baldwin, and Albert Brooks headlining and strong showings in smaller parts for Paul Reiser, Mike O'Malley, Luke Wilson, and a relatively unknown to me Gugu Mbatha-Raw. Wilson is a poor Roger Goodell impersonation and Baldwin is excellent, but can't figure out how much of a "Louisiana" (supposedly) accent to allow through, which was brutal. Besides those flaws I thought the rest of the cast did very well. The story focused a ton on Dr. Omalu, which is a great angle that deserves to be told, but as I stated earlier there were some other heroes essential to the research who got no recognition. Bottom Line: 7.9 out of 10. I liked the movie a lot. People who aren't aware of the struggle to get the NFL to admit the damage they caused by allowing players, particularly with concussions, to continue to play despite their injuries will get quite a story. Those familiar with the struggles will notice some shortcomings. The acting is strong and I'm glad this movie was made. I'm also glad with the steps the NFL and football at younger levels have done to hopefully limit concussions and the issues repeated concussions cause.

The Revenant: Leo and Alejandro's Oscar Bait

I was actually told negative things about the Revenant before heading to see it this morning. The story follows a group of fur trapper as they are off in the American Wilderness (Probably Colorado/Wyoming area?) in the early 1800's. Leonardo DiCaprio plays Glas, a scout/hunter/guide extraordinaire who brings along his son, who is 1/2 Native American. The group has a Captain in charge and the rest of men for hire, including Tom Hardy, who is a bad man. The group is attacked by Native Americans and ten men out of 39 escape. Leo is mauled by a bear, leaving him barely alive. They assign two men (Hardy and a very young man) to stay behind with Leo and his son to "watch over him as long as necessary" while he dies slowly from his wounds suffered. Hardy gets skittish because of the Native Americans who are still in the area and probably looking for them and he makes a pact with Leo to kill him, end his suffering, and let everyone else get away safe. His son catches him in the act, what ensues is ugly, and eventually Leo is drug into a shallow grave and has dirt sprinkled on him. He clearly doesn't die and the rest of the film follows the two different parties as they deal with intolerable cold and wilderness in an attempt to get back to the fort. The cinematography is breathtaking and the acting and story are excellent as well. Bottom Line: 9.3 out of 10. I was a huge fan and the film is gorgeous. I'd see this in theatres if you are a fan of film.

Joy: It's About Inventing the Wonder Mop

I checked out the most recent David Russell + Jennifer Lawrence collaboration. It's the story of the woman, who despite great odds and a family that was a total dumpster fire, manages to create the wonderfully successful Wondermop. The story spends a very long time detailing how bad her life was for awhile. Her mom is a shut-in who watches soap operas constantly and primarily stays in the same room for days. Her dad (Bobby DeNiro) is working on his 3rd failed marriage when you meet him. Her ex-husband of two years is a failing singer who still lives in her basement. Her grandma is apparently the only sane and normal person in the family. She has two children, though her daughter is the only one that garners any screen time for some reason. In my opinion too much time was spent on the bad and not enough on the upswing of success that the Wondermop surely created for her. Bottom Line: 6.3 out of 10. Primarily unimpressive. I like DeNiro, Lawrence, and Cooper in it, but as I mentioned I really felt like the story focused almost entirely on the negatives and hardships instead of triumph.

Annual Baseball HOF Vote Bitch Session

This year the Baseball Writers of America voted in Ken Griffey Jr. at the highest percentage ever (99.3%) and the man who many people loved growing up, a man who actually made baseball fun and enjoyable, was voted in by ALMOST everyone, but of course there are a few assholes in the group that found reason to vote against the best "pure" baseball player that I've seen. Mike Piazza, the best hitting catcher ever, made the HOF despite steroid questions, which I'm happy about (not the steroid questions, but him making it). Jeff Bagwell was again denied entry into the holy land of Cooperstown by 20-some votes. Trevor Hoffman missed out despite being one of two living people with greater than 500 saves. I think this was perhaps due to the sacred cow of being voted in on your first attempt. The only reason I feel he didn't make it is because Mariano Rivera simply was better in the closer role and perhaps some writer's felt he is the only reliever that deserves a first ballot election, which I COMPLETELY disagree with. Tim Raines is on the outside looking in again by receive just under 70% of the vote. Small increases were made by Bonds, Clemens, and McGuire, who I hope at some point will be forgiven for their steroid/PED usage and given entry to Cooperstown. I again don't understand the "holier than thou" approach by writer's on this issue. I'm certain numerous member's in Cooperstown have utilized PED's during their careers, but again the players of the 90's and early 2000's are demonized for utilizing the latest and greatest PED's of their times. I would just like a forum on this debate so that the writer's can at least talk it through and figure out if they can forgive these great players and EVENTUALLY, hopefully sooner rather than later, allow them sanctuary into the sacred Halls of Cooperstown. I feel like Clemens and Bonds are no-brainers because their greatness was extended due to PED's, but not defined by them. Bonds was a three-time MVP before he started looking like a body-builder instead of the lean, mean outfielder who was a legitimate 40-40 threat every year who played Gold Glove quality defense. Clemens was always a workhouse pitcher who throughout the 80's and 90's was still one of the best pitchers in baseball before his suspected PED use started. McGuire is a tougher one since he always possessed super-human power hitting abilities, but was never healthy enough to put up sustained numbers until his suspected PED usage began in the mid-late 90's. It's also clouded by playing with Canseco, who is either a self-serving asshole who sold out other player's and friends for personal gain, or is a pioneer and the only honest player to disclose the widespread PED usage throughout baseball. The new commissioner also denied Pete Rose the right to be inducted for the near future. I again feel like he should be forgiven and allowed Cooperstown during his lifetime rather than posthumously like some other greats, the one I'm most frustrated about was Buck O'Neil. I would again plea with the writer's to open up to the possibility of allowing the Hall to celebrate the greatest players regardless of what is suspected or even proven who dominated their era of baseball. Bitch session is concluded.

Trainwreck

I was late to the party, but rented Trainwreck finally. I thought I'd be in for a treat with a cast like Bill Hader, Colin Quinn, LeBron James, and some great cameos from Marv Albert, Matt Broderick, Amare Stoudemire, The New York Knicks cheerleaders. Instead I got a movie that was all about Amy Schumer and her consistent attempt to be shocking and crass with everything is completely unimpressive. She shockingly flashes some real acting chops, but I've simply never been a huge fan of her brand and attempts at humor in large doses. I've never been able to make it through an episode of "Inside Amy Schumer". It could be my fault that I find no humor in what she does. I'm not shocked in any way by her hooking up with random men on a weekly basis, so that fails to impress me. I also didn't like a shackled Bill Hader. He was not given enough besides to fill the shell of "really nice doctor" in this movie. LeBron James excels in his cameo as Bill Hader's character (Dr. Conners) friend and patient. I honestly said out loud while watching that Marv Albert's cameo might have saved the movie for me. John Cena is also pretty good in the film, though in a minor role. Bottom Line: 5.2 out of 10. Don't believe the hype. Despite the star power this is loaded with it falls on its face due to entirely too much Amy Schumer. If you like Amy, I think you'll think better of this film than I do. I will not be watching it again in my life.

The Hateful Eight

The Hateful Eight is more of a murder-mystery than anything else. In Tarantino's 8th film (coincidentally?) he brings in a lot of the same-old crew he loves so much: Samuel L. Jackson, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, and Kurt Russell (Lumping in Grindhouse even though it's not his) and blends them seamlessly with the excellent newcomers of Bruce Dern, Walton Goggins, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Channing Tatum. The tale follows Russell, a bounty hunter known as the "Hangman" John Ruth since he brings in the accused to be hung, rather than the standard way of bringing them in dead, since it's much easier. He's travelling alone in a stage coach with Daisy Domergue, a $10,000 bounty. He comes across Sam Jackson, or former Union soldier Major Marquies Warren, and he comes aboard. With a blizzard coming they are quickly trying to make it to Minnie's Haberdashery for shelter and necessities. Roth and Warren are familiar with Minnie's and it's the last stop before Red Rock, WY, where they both intend to collect their bounties. They run into Goggins, who was a former confederate soldier and marauder who just happens to be the newly appointed Sheriff of Red Rock. He climbs aboard and they rush to Minnie's where they meet the rest of the motley crew of characters like a former confederate General (Dern), Hangman (Roth), a Mexican, and Tom Gage (Madsen). It becomes apparent someone is working to free Daisy from the Hangman and uncovering this mystery becomes a matter or life & death. Great cast, interesting story (not necessarily unique, but at least different), and a really great setting make this movie entertaining and pretty fun, though Tarantino really goes after the gross-out gore and monologues MORE than usual, which is a little unsettling and stomach churning. Bottom Line: 7.7 out of 10. It's a fun film shot in the super-rare 70mm, so it'd be interesting to see it as Tarantino intended, but it's an entertaining 165 minutes that I recommend seeing, especially if available in true 70mm in your area. Waiting until it hits rental/streaming isn't a bad option either.