Last Flag Flying

Richard Linklater is one of those directors where i films i love, make me love him more than his whole filmography. Slack and Dazed & Confused are great, the Before Trilogy is great, actually most of his pre School of Rock films are great, since then i have enjoyed his films but mainly only loved a Scanner Darkly and Boyhood. This here is a great film, but not one that i suspect will stick with me, all three leads are GREAT, it is a shame non are being considered for awards, as this is a very award esque film. Went by with out much fanfare too sadly.

Downrange

It's is no where near as awesome as Versus, but Ryuhei Kitamura's latest film shows why he has a great track record. The dude makes exploitation, and Downrange to me feels like a 90s Artisan Video release. It has that down & dirty vibe to it, it makes for a good lazy day flick. Nothing special, but very solid. I hope he goes back and does something as kick ass as Versus though. For now i will gladly take a film like this, bloody, tense, and in the realm of possibility.

2018 Most Anticipated Films

1. Jay & Silent Bob Get a Reboot
Kevin Smith returns to the Askewniverse.

2. Halloweeen
Danny McBride & Jody Hill are doing a straight up sequel to John Carpenters original, i am weary that they might might change too much from the original(they claim there sequel takes place after an alternative universe ending) but it has JC's vote plus Nick Castle is back as the Shape.
Also check out The Predator. Shane Black finally directs a Predator film, if it was a Shane Black film, it would be enough for me, but him directing an action slasher that he has a passion for, all the more reason to be stoked!
Also check out Insidious the  Last Key, i don't expect much, but i love the first two.

3. Ready Player One
This is the Steven Spielberg i wanted BFG to be, one of wonder & awe. This will be pure geekgasms throughout, the amount of film, comic, game characters is insane, and not just blockbuster references like the Delorean, no sir, Spielberg directs fucking Chucky and Freddy!

4. Avengers: Infinity War
Does this really need an explanation?
Also check out Black Panther. The film that is the go home show for the Avengers!
Also check out, Ant Man & the Wasp. the film that takes place between the two last Avengers films.
Also check out, Venom. Marvel Cinematic Universe's working relationship with Sony's Spiderverse, which has no real MCU ties outside of Peter Parker.....delivers us the first Spideyverse Spin Off film.
Also check out. X Men: Dark Phoenix, the new Disney acquisitions, has to be better than the last X Men film.
Also check out. Deadpool 2, the X Men Universe's harder edged brother. Hopefully it does more for me than the last one. HOPING FOR SOME WINKS AT THE CURRENT STATE OF FOX/DISNEY/XMEN/MCU.
Also Check out New Mutants. X Men with horror, sounds sweet.
Also check out Aquaman. DC's 2018 film.
Also check out Hellboy. The non Marvel or DC superhero film!

5. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
Speaking of Spielberg, sure it isn't his film but it is still his franchise, the last one was a perfect companion the his original, this one here looks like pure dino carnage!
Also check out, God Partlicle. The third Cloverfield film, not much is known, but it is the third Cloverfield film!
Also Check out Rampage. The Rock stars in the video game of the same name, love that kaiju movies are becoming a thing in the states.

6. Sicario 2: Soldado
The first blew me away, it might be the film i recommend to people more than any other from the last five years. Hell i wish it had gotten awards attention it is that brilliant. If this one is even a smidge as tense & gripping as the first, we are in for a fantastic time. According to early word, it makes the first look like a comedy.

7. Peanut Butter Falcon
Take a fantastic cast with the likes of Jon Bernthal, Shia LeBeouf, John Hawkes, Bruce Dern & Thomas Haden Church, mix in a plot that involves pro wrestling, hell just say pro wrestling and i am there!

8. Isle of Dogs
All you need to know, Wes Anderson and Stop Motion! Nuff said!
Also Check out, Wreck it Ralph 2. One of the few DIsney CGI toons i like, hoping this one is just as awesome as the first one.

9. Solo
Star Wars........yup. Hopefully Ron Howard is too dull with it.
Also check out Creed 2. Yes, another modern sequel of a 70's property. The last one was fantastic, rumors are Drago's son is the opponent, i am stoked.

10. Hold the Dark
From the director of Green Room
Also Check out, Under the Silver Lake. From the director of It Follows
Also check out Bad Times at El Royale. From the director of Cabin in the Woods.
Also check out, The Happy Time Murders. From the director of A Muppet Christmas Carol.....about murdered puppets!
Also check out, The Irishman.....um, Martin Scorsese, that is all!
Also check out Mute. The film Duncan Jones should have made after Moon.
Also check out, THe Kid Who Would Be King. From the director of Attack the Block
Also check out, First Man. From the director of Lala Land.
Also check out Summer of 84. From the directors of Turbo Kid.
Also check out Annihilation. From the director of Ex Machina.
Also check out Alita. From Robert Rodriguez
Also check out Don Quixote. Terry Gilliam's passion project.
Also check out Nightmare Cinema. A new anthology from the minds behind Gremlins, Hard Candy, Versus, & Juan of the Dead.
Also check out The Current War. From the Director of Me & Earl & the Dying Girl.
Also check out the Beach Bum. From the director of Spring Breakers.
ALso check out Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade . From the director of I Saw the Devil
Also check out the Quiet Place, from John Krasinski

11. Oceans 8
I love Oceans 11, this looks fun.
Also check out, Mission Impossible 6. i love this series.
Also check out, Maze Runner 3. This series is superior to the Hunger Games, fight me!

12. Mid 90s
Jonah Hill's directorial debut, and it sounds amazing. 90s nostalgia is strong right now, i am very nostalgic for it(i was a little kid in the 90s)
Also check out, Wildlife. Paul Dano's directorial debut.

13. Red Sparrow
All you need to know is it is Jennifer Lawrence looking all hot & badass and kicking ass.

14. Bohemian Rhapsody
I love Queen, i am stoked Rami Malek is playing Freddy Mercury, but with the troubled production, i am a little weary.

15. Thoroughbreds 
This looks like a cool flick. A smaller film, so plenty more like these will be popping up after Sundance.

All the Money in the World

Ridley Scott, oh Ridley Scott, I am not a big fan of his non genre efforts such as Alien & Blade Runner. They are solid, but that is about it, i hesitated to see this, but figure fuck it, with the controversy surrounding Kevin Spacey, might as well give it a shot. Christopher Plummer does a great job, especially considering the short amount of time he had to rehearse. Scott, gives a bland story more flair, so the two deliver a one, two punch. Kind of wish he would have directed Blade Runner 2 instead, and that Dennis Vileneuve had directed Sicario 2 but then again Alien Covenant may not have been as awesome. Man, Alien is great.......

Mayhem

WHOA, Joe Lynch, mother fucking Joe Lynch. I have always been a fan of the man, but the only films i really dug were Wrong Turn 2, a film that made that franchise, and Chillerama, i film i truly love, and a film where i met Lynch at an after party at the San Diego Comic Con. His other flicks i enjoyed, but not to the same extent. Enter Mayhem, this is the flick i kind of wanted the Belko Experiment to be, i enjoyed that flick, but this seemed to flow better. Steven Yeun from the Walking Dead, and my new crush Samara Weaving from the Babysitter, are awesome in this, the gore is great, it's a fight to the top of corporate america. Take the skyscraper badassery of Die Hard, the fuck the system thoughts of Mr. Robot, and add in splat & blood, and you have a recipe for success! 

Darkest Hour

I keep hoping for Joe Wright to give us another Hannah. His films have been solid but nothing i really enjoyed other that the aforementioned film.  Darkest Hour, the remake of the  Emile Hirsch alien flick but flick is about Germans instead for some reason. The changes are carefully done, but not worth remaking. Plus we already had a Dunkirk film this year.......i kid, it's just a remake. Seriously though, it is a solid film, and the main reason i wanted to see it was Gary Oldman, and he doesn't disappoint.

Top Shows of 2017

1. Stranger Things Season 2
This is somehow better than the first season, it is a pure event when this show hits. A horror cinephiles wet dream.

2. Mr. Robot Season 3
The second season was batshit, this one wasn't quite as crazy, but it delivered three of the best hours in television history!

3. I'm Dying Up Here
A show that truly went under the radar, if you like Martin Scorsese, check it out, feels like a project of his, but if you love the 70s or stand up comedy, check it out.

4. Happy!
Only four episodes in, but holy shit, what a batshit, insane series.

5. Z Nation Season 4
Yep, better than Walking Dead.

6. Silicon Valley Season 4
Best sitcom on TV, show gets better each year.

7. Santa Clarita Diet
I was weary of this, but wound up LOVING it. My old crush Drew Barrymore in a splatstick comedy, hell yes!

8. Game of Thrones Season 7
The show redeemed itself this year but a soso season 6.

9. Orange is the New Black Season 5
Best season of the series!

10. Vice Principals Season 2
Smartest showrunners you can find, they knew they were ending after 2 seasons, more shows need to take note.

11. Glow
A wrestling marks perfect show. It shows the silliness of my sport, but it also shows the passion. Now GLOW was more of a forefather to Lucha Underground(with the exception of LU being legit trained stars) than being a legit promotion, but i watched the legit GLOW, and i love all of pro wrestling.

12. Room 104
Another under the radar show, i am surprised with as many hipsters that love the Duplass brothers. Kind of what Twin Peaks should have been.

13. Wet Hot American Summer 10 Years Later
I ADORE the film, and this is a fan service series, a fan service that doesn't give a fuck.

14. Curb Your Enthusiasm Season 9
A couple in the middle were meh, but the final few were some of the best episodes in the entire series.

15. The Good Place
Season 2 is still on, but it is great thus far.

16. Love Season 2
Brutally honest show about modern dating.

17. Man Seeking Woman Season 3.
See above, but weirder.

18. It's Always Sunny Season 12
12 years in, and one of the best seasons of the show, which i might think every year.

19. Workaholics Season 7
Going to miss this show.

20. THe Simpsons season 29
Honestly the only reason it is on the list is to round out a top 20.

Top 50 Matches of 2017

1. Takeover: Authors of Pain vs DIY vs The Revival for the NXT Tag Titles : Takeover Orlando 

2. Authors of Pain vs DIY: NXT tag titles, Takeover Chicago

3. Wargames: Takeover Wargames 

4. Pete Dunne vs Tyler Bates: UK Title, Takeover Chicago 

5. Aleister Black vs Velveteen Dream: Takeover Wargames 

6. Pete Dunne vs Tyler Bates: UK Title NXT TV

7. Andrade Cien Almas vs Johnny Gargano: Takeover Brooklyn III

8 Nikki Cross vs Asuka: Last Man Standing NXT TV

9. Wrestlemania: The Hardy Boyz vs The Club vs Enzo & Cass vs Sheamus & Cesaro in a ladder match for the Raw Tag Titles

10. Johnny Gargano vs Lars Sullivan vs Aleister Black vs Killian Dain : NXT TV

11. Ricochet, Jason Cade, Sami Calihan, AR Fox & Desmond Xavier vs Will Ospreay, Marty Scurll, Lio Rush, Drew Galloway & Ryan Smile: Wrestlecon Supershow. 

12. Christopher Daniels vs Adam Cole 15th Anniversary Show

13. The IELD vs the Bar: No Mercy for the Raw Tag titles 

14. Finn Balor vs AJ Styles: TLC

15. Cody Rhodes vs Christopher Daniels ROH: Title Best in the World 

16. Kushida vs Marty Scurll TV Title: Best in the World

17. Marty Scurll vs Jay Lethal: Final Battle

18. Usos vs New Day: Hell in a Cell for the Tag Team Titles

19.  Kushida vs Will Ospreay: WCPW World Cup Finals 

20. Sanity vs Authors of Pain: NXT Tag Titles: Takeover Brooklyn III 

21 . Kevin Owens vs Shane McMahon: Hell in a Cell 

22. Andrade Cien Almas vs Johnny Gargano: NXT TV 

23. Aleister Black vs Hideo Itami: NXT Takeover Brooklyn III 

24. Marty Scurll Vs Will Ospreay: Power Struggle 

25. Bobby Roode vs Shinsuke Nakamua: Takeover San Antonio  

26. John Cena vs AJ Styles: Royal Rumble 

27. Omega vs Ishi US Title G1 Special

28. The Bar vs Hardyz 

29. The Briscoes vs Tommy Dreamer & Bully Ray: Final Battle 

30.. Brock Lesnar vs AJ Styles: Survivor Series

31. Pete Dunne vs Johnny Gargano: NXT TV UK Title 

32. Kevin Owens vs Roman Reigns: Royal Rumble 

33. BROCK LESNAR VS BRAUN STROWMAN VS ROMAN REIGNS VS SAMOA JOE : WWE UNIVERSAL TITLE: SUMMERSLAM 

34. OKADA VS KENNY OMEGA IWGP TITLE: DOMINION 

35. KAZUCHIKA OKADA VS KENNY OMEGA: WRESTLE KINGDOM 

36. KAZARIAN VS HANGMAN PAGE VS PUNISHMENT MARTINEZ VS CHRIS SABIN VS CHEESEBURGER VS SILAS YOUNG: 15TH ANNIVERSARY SHOW

37. MATT TAVEN VS WILL OSPREAY: FINAL BATTLE 

38. Randy Orton vs Luke Harper: Elimination Chamber

39. Pete Dunne vs Mark Andrews: NXT TV

40. Austin Aries vs TJP vs Jack Gallagher vs Mustapha Ali in a number one contenders match for the cruiserweight title. 205 Live

41. Tye Dillinger vs Eric Young: Steel cage NXT TV

42. Martin Kirby vs BT Gunn vs Travis Banks vs Doug Williams vs Ricochet vs El Ligero vs Marty Scurll: WCPW Bulletproof

43. Keith Lee vs Donovan Dijack Evolve 84 

44 Killshot vs Dante Fox: Lucha Underground 

45 Christopher Daniels vs Jay Briscoe on ROH TV

46. Yano, Ospreay, Hashi vs Cody Rhodes, Marty Scurll, Kenny Omega ROH TV 

47. Marty Scurll vs Matt Sydal ROH TV Title, War of the Worlds

48. Adam Cole vs Kyle O'Reilly: Wrestle Kingdom 

49. Christopher Daniels vs Adam Cole vs Zack Sabre JR: Bulletproof

50. Tyler Bates vs Jack Gallagher: NXT Tv: UK TITLE

Match of December

1. Pete Dunne vs Tyler Bates: UK Title NXT TV

2. Johnny Gargano vs Aleister Black vs Lars Sullivan vs Killian Dain

3. Marty Scurll vs Jay Lethal: Final Battle

4. The Briscoes vs Tommy Dreamer & Bully Ray: Final Battle

5. Matt Taven vs Will Ospreay: Final Battle

David Lynch Ranked

So i recently watched David Lynch: The Art of Life, great documentary of a man that influenced me greatly as a teen and young adult.

Eraserhead
His most influential on me!

Blue Velvet
His best!

Dune
His most hated, but i love it!

Inland Empire
Possibly his most bizarre.

Mulholland Drive
THe film that got me into Lynch, kept reading about this film and it led me to renting the rest of his filmography.

Lost Highway
Great horror film with a great soundtrack.

Wild at Heart
One of his coolest flicks, weird yet somehow accessible

Fire Walk With Me
Twin Peaks prequel but not as tight nit as the series.

Elephant Man
Such a strange follow up to Eraserhead, but perhaps that is what makes the film feel strange was this choice. Not as surreal as the rest but just as good.

John Waters Ranked

As a teen i loved John Waters films for the trash they were, then as i got older i began to see a bit of satire in them, these days, i still enjoy them but not nearly as much as  i used to. He is still a high influence on me, but not all of his films hold up, atleast when watching em in a binge. I saw him last week live, little let down that the show was only 80 minutes and he barely covered film making but it was a good experience regardless.


Pink Flamingos
His opus. Trash? Yes. Brilliant? At times! Funny? Yes! Influential? You damn right!

Cecil B Demented
A cinephile & aspiring filmmakers essential viewing should be this film, it is a pure labor of love for the medium, and celebrates cinema.

Pecker
Besides Flamingos, probably the one i have seen the most. It used to be on Comedy Central, i honestly love this period of Waters career along with Cecil B Demented. 

Serial Mom
One of his most quotable and one of pure passion, his love of the macabre is seen throughout.

Polyester
His most innovative of his trash films!

Cry Baby
The one many assume is his cult film, when all really are. This one is a tad more accessible for, not the masses, but for nerds not quite weird enough for Flamingos.

Hairspray
The fiilm that set him on his course of being respected, sure broadway had a bit to do with it, but this is one of his best. 

Female Trouble
Pink Flamingos but not quite as shocking or good. Still enjoyable

Desperate Living
See above!

A Dirty Shame
Pretty a pure exorcise in fetish 101

Multiple Maniacs
A tad more refined Mondo Trasho

Mondo Trasho
His earliest feature, defineitely rough around the edges.

The Greatest Showman

The Greatest Showman is a visually stunning film with a great cast, spectacular sets, and a timeless underdog story. With that said, as entertaining as a film as it is, the musical numbers are to be desired, great production, fine music, but the lyrics truly lack. If would almost be better if it were not a musical, however without being a musical i doubt the film would have been made, the story kind of called for it, to give it that extravagance. I think it would have been handled better by someone that had films under their belt, as this was a first time effort from Michael Gracey. I had passion behind it for sure, just the songs needed to be better.

Alexander Payne Ranked

I am an Omaha native, as is Alexander Payne. I am an Omaha film maker, as is Alexander Payne. He makes films that get great reviews, i have friends wear dresses and stab each other. He is one of the folks in charge of bringing my favorite theatre back, and i just had to see his latest film and said theatre.

1. Election
Funny flick, witty flick, great cast, oozes Omaha. Very quotable, his best script and in my opinion his best film.

2. Citizen Ruth
Pretty much all the reasons to love Election, work for this film aswell.

3. Sideways
His most mature, i loved it when it came out, but upon getting in to wine, i have grown to enjoy it more.

4. Downsizing
Quirky sci fi film, getting mixed reviews, but this is easily one of his most enjoyable films. Great ideas in this motion picture.

5. Nebraska
His most raw, i love the blakc & white, the minimalist nature of it, and the bitter feels of each character.

6. About Schmidt
I think this is a very well made film, and one i followed production on by attempting to sneak onto sets at a 14 year old, but it is one that i need to revisit.

7. The Descendants
It was good, that's about it. 

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle

I grew up in the 90s, so of course i saw Jumanji in theatres as a wee lad, i liked it, that was about it. At many birthdays and hangouts, it would be played on VHS, so i became familiar with it. The remake didn't bother me, then it was announced it was a sequel....and it is. The plot directly ties in to the ending of the original, except the transforms into a game, and instead of the game invading out world, we are fully immersed within the game. The cast is great, Jack Black steals the show, i love Karen  Gillan, the Rock is always the shit, and Kevin Hart....well, he is passable here, sorry not a fan of his. The plot is fun, the real life characters have a Breakfast Club vibe, and the tributes to Robin Williams & the original are very well done. Some of the jokes work, most feel dated but overall, super fun flick!

Guillermo Del Toro Ranked

1. Blade 2
I love the Blade films, in fact as much as i would love to see him in the MCU, i am hesitant cause of my love of the first 2 Blade flicks. Del Toro did an amazing job here, it oozes style and has some great gotchic imagery.

2. Hellboy 2
Pretty much everyone reason i love Blade 2 fits in for Hellboy 2, this one is more traditionally Del Toro in themes but i prefer Blade.

3. The Shape of Water
Part Creature from the Black Lagoon, part King Kong, but way more erotic than both. Crazy how much awards buzz it is getting, but well deserved.

4.  Devil's Backbone
As far as Spanish Del Toro films go, this one here tops the list everything with this......
5. Cronos......and this are the reason i fell in love with the auteur known as Del Toro

6, Hellboy
It is not a perfect film, but it was there for me as a teen and i wanted to see indie comics getting film adaptations.

7. Pan's Labyrinth
I was really stoked for this film in 2006, i love the fantasy elements but the war plots kind of drags at times.

8 Mimic
Really fun horror flick from an era of post modern teen slashers.

9 Pacific Rim
Highly underwhelming but still enjoyable.

10. Crimson Peak
Style over substance.

Bright

David Ayer is interesting, Harsh Times is a solid flick, as is his follow ups Street Kings & End of Watch, gritty crime flicks. Sabotage sort of sabotaged his career, it is enjoyable, but the response hasn't left. Suicide Squad honestly might be his worst, but it is also my favorite of his. THe Suicide Squad began his new found sci fi years, which brings us to Bright. It too is getting shit on by critics but for no reason, it has a great style to it, it is a fun film, the acting is what you would expect but it has really good social commentary. Glad netflix ordered a sequel, as i will gladly watch a second one. I didn't love this flick, but i liked it, you can like a film, and not love or hate it. If this had been released in the 70s, 80s, or 90s it would not be getting hate, but modern nerds with their internet connections and thoughts of grandeur cause they are fed byproducts of Disney. Critics still may have been harsh, but atleast it would have found an audience, it still might, but there will be plenty of detractors.

Christmas Story

So yeah, doing Live versions of movies is getting old, or doing Network remakes of musicals, or even worse live musicals. Grease, Dirty Dancing, Hairspray, Rocky Horror, now we a Christmas story. Chris, this was tough to sit through, it lacked all the charm & wonder of the original, the new Ralphie was a pain to watch, the musical numbers were even worse.

Final Battle & the Clash of the Champions

The end of 2017 saw two very different ppvs.

Final Battle

1. Matt Taven beat Will Ospreay

The right man won, the Kingdom is only moving up, the best line up yet in my opinion, love the new gimmick.

2. War Machine beat the Addiction

Not a bad match, War Machine impressed me here.

3. Jay Lethal be Marty Scurll

Amazing match, amazing tribute to Eddie.

4. Motor City Machine Guns beat Best Friends 

Not as good as it could have been, but a great match regardless.

5.Silas Young beat Punishment Martinez, Kenny King & Shane Taylor 

I was pulling for Martinez, it was a sloppy match but he shined. Easily Silas's second best match this year, not a huge fan of his but he impressed here, match was still sloppy.

6/ Briscoes beat Bully Ray & Tommy Dreamer

Fantastic hardcore match, blood shed, Hammerstein Ballroom, lightsabers. Thank you Bully, if it is your final match.

7. Hung Bucks beat Dragon Lee, Titan & Flip Gordon 

Amazing six man. I would have booked the post match a little different with Scorpio Sky joining the Addiction to jump the Hung Bucks and Flip. Bullet Club needs to just be face. 

8. Dalton Castle beat Cody Rhodes.

I marked the fuck out with the Dalton win.

Clash of Champions

1. Mojo Rawley beat Zack Ryder

Mojo has the future, i get it, but fuck, i hate him.

2. Dolph Ziggler beat Baron Corbin & Bobby Roode

I am glad Dolph is champion, i am not a Corbin fan. Roode will win it on SD soon.

3. Usos beat Rusev/English, New Day & Shelton/Gable

Best match of the night....only good match of the night? Rusev is massively over, so thought English had the win a few times, he was made tonight. 

4. Charlotte beat Nattie

Sloppy match, tried to advance the Riott Squad, failed.

5. Bludgeon Brothers beat Breezango

Squash. Not much of a pay off for the Fashion Files.

6. Kevin Owens/Sami Zayn beat Nakamura/Randy Orton

Clusterfuck of a match, terrible heel turn by Daniel Bryan.

7. AJ Styles beat Jinder Mahal

Even AJ couldn't carry this match. 

Z Nation Season 4

So a show that started off as an Asylum production mockbuster of the Walking Dead, soon became a more fun alternative show, and soon became a better show, is now on it's fourth season. Better than Walking Dead? Big time! More fun? Yes! Great characters? Yes sir! This season it got weirder, it got wittier, bloodier, embraced splat stick to the tee. The barbershop episode was AMAZING, the vomit, blood, humor, everything worked. We got new characters, cut ties to older characters and the show got tighter.

Star Wars The Last Jedi

Two years ago, i said nothing would be the same, the anticipation for a new SW would not match that night of the Force Awakens, it didn't for the spin off, Rogue One, and it didn't for The Last Jedi. Anticipation & payoff are two entirely different things however. The payoff for the Force Awakens led me to place it as my third favorite in the series, this here, might be number 5. That is not a bad thing, i loved it, i thought it was great. I grew up with Star Wars, they are a part of me, the figures, the comics, the books, the games, everything. So when Force Awakens opened it was like being a kid again, and the film happened to be such an event i wound up placing it over Return of the Jedi. This here is still a huge event but now we will get Star Wars yearly, it is now a cinematic universe. This one is being championed as the best of them all, it might look the second best, behind Empire, duh, but the best, it is not. The characters are better developed than the Force Awakens, that was our introduction, we knew the characters, now we get to dive into the characters. Rey is more Jedi Luke, Finn is more Tatooine Luke, Poe is Han. The battles are on par, and the fan service is done perfectly, not too much, not too little. The story unfolds greatly, and there are many ways for the plot of this film to go, but it sets us on a fantastic path for Episode 9. Alot called Force Awakens, a New Hope, nope. I call Force Awakens, the Empire Strikes Back of this trilogy, not for quality but for tone. Sure the plot structure was New Hope, but tonally, it was Empire, it ended in a down ending, this here, tonally is more on par with New Hope. Where does that lead Episode 9? Will it end with the Light, or the Dark? In two years we will find out.

Mr. Robot season 3

When Mr. Robot first debuted, i mainly tuned in due to it being at SxSw. The show was brilliant and was my favorite series that year. Last year i expected the show might cater to critics, but nope, it went off the rails and full on bonkers. I dressed up as Elliot for Halloween last year, and while Stranger Things was my favorite show of 2016(and probably of 2017) it still ranked number 2, as it does this year. This season however had atleast 3 hours that i would put up against any oscar winner, The Fight Club esque episode where Mr. Robot is kicking Elliots ass, the E Corp-Protester invasion, and the coming of age episode with Trenton's brother. All were utterly brilliant, but the show doesn't seem to be garnering Emmy Love these days, oh well, fuck em, too many good shows, leave the bonkers, cool shit for us nerds, cult tv, this is it! The stinger, holy hell, can't wait for season 4, the twists & reveals, how will it all be wrapped up? 

The Disaster Artist

Okay, i flat out LOVE the Room. I had seen it a scene of it on Tim & Eric and moved on, read alot about it online, but it wasn't until my local art house that played midnight movies(a Hall of Fame i am apart of) decided to play it in 2009. it blew my mind i loved it instantly. I began dressing up as Johnny, throwing spoons & "throwing" footballs. It was a blast seeing it on the big screen. Alot love it for the midnight experience, i love it for the film itself. for truly how bad it is. I have seen it dozens of times in theatres, countless times on dvd. I have seen all of Tommy's other work, his movies, shorts he has acted i, his series, and i have read the Disaster Artist. The film has a few changes but ultimately captures the the tone of the book, but more importantly it is a gift to the fans of the Room. Both Francos re great in this, GREAT, the directing is amazing, James Franco's best directorial film yet. It is hillarious, intentionally unintentionally, as it is hilarious but the situations had you been there while the Room was made would have made you cringe. The film is a perfect companion piece to the legit film.

South Park 21

This was a rather meh season of a fantastic series, as was last years, i think this one had some improvements, but ultimately it was still too political, and the stand alone episodes didn't pack the same punch they once did. The underlining plots still connected too much, i want pure stand alones like the first 15 or so seasons. I will say this, the finale was fantastic, i loved the 80s music bit, the hsit involving Stranger Things, IT & Rotten Tomatoes. Sadly the rest of the season are pretty bland.

Curb Your Enthusiasm

So after a 6 year hiatus, Curb Your Enthusiasm has returned. The premier was perfect, the next couple were spotty, but holy shit, the remaining episodes were BRILLIANT! This was one of the best seasons of the series, with PC culture being so high right now, and folks bickering over anything, it was the perfect time to bring it back. Larry was classic Larry here, his interactions and situations were at times unredeemable, but that is what i have always loved about this show & Seinfeld. I would love for a tenth season, i mean, most of the seasons were 2 years apart, so who cares if it takes another 6.

5-25-77

I was lucky to see the premier of a new cut of 5-25-77 this evening with director, Patrick Read Johnson, in attendance. The film is a semi auto biography of his desire & passion to be a filmmaker. The film itself is a tad rough around the edges, most jokes fall flat, the sound & picture both need editing, but i admire the ambition within the characters, the heart of the scrip & the charm of the film itself. I am actually looking forward to seeing how the final cut will be. The best portion for me was his q&a, because with the exception of Space Invaders , i am not really a fan of his films but the man himself is a fountain of knowledge. He was pretty brought up in hollywood as a teen, so he has great advice for filmmakers and some truly interesting stories. The film is due out next year, but it is one i have been waiting to see for a decade now. I didn't love it, i didn't dislike it, but the force is with it!

Best Matches of November

What a month, this is a tough list.

1. Wargames: Nxt Wargames

2. Aleister Black vs Velveteen Dream: NXT Wargames

3. Marty Scurll Vs Will Ospreay: Power Struggle

4. Brock Lesnar vs AJ Styles: Survivor Series

5. Pete Dunne vs Johnny Gargano: NXT TV

Martin McDonagh Ranked

I love Martin McDonagh, to me he is the new Quentin Tarantino, sharp wit, violent films full of great acting, gets great performances.

1. Seven Psychopaths
One of the most fun films you can find in the last decade. Over the top, gory, smart, meta with out being meta. Super cool film that not enough folks have seen.

2. In Bruges
Small than Psycopaths but a tighter script, and one that rightfully got recognition at the Oscars, though it didn't win.

3. Three Billboard Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Last doesn't mean worst. This is one of the best of the year, some said it looked like his oscar bait film, fuck that, this flick is pretty balls out & crazy. Every actor delivers, it is super funny at times, well shot and has gorgeous displays of violence that McDonagh has come to bring us!

Kuso

Here is a film i thought i would love, but didn't even really like it, i respected it though. I respect the weirdness, i respect the absurd humor, i respect making a film like this period. Alot of modern trash cinema feels too cheap, like hey, we know we wont get a theatrical release so lets scrape by, by the bare minimum. This has better production value than most of them, and the chocking humor works...for shocks, not so much for humor. Lots of anal jokes, jizz jokes & shit jokes, which i find funny, but the formula just didn't mesh well here.

Roman J. Israel Esq

In 2014 it seemed as though Dan Gilroy emerged as a new force in filmmaking with his debut feature, Nightcrawler. What was essentially an exploitation film quicky earned praise and Jake Gylenhaal had a bunch of support for best actor and it put Riz Ahmed on the map. I am sure i read about his next film but it went forgotten, then i saw the trailer for Roman J. Israel Esq, and it looked like your basic Densel Washington flick but something told me to look it up, i'm glad i did as it is directed by Gilroy. The film however, is as dull and boring as most Washington vehicles, it lacks the style, the atmosphere, and vision that Nightcrawler had. The acting is all wooden, and you feel as if Nightcrawler is a one hit wonder. I hope it isn't, I hope Gilroy delivers another amazing film in the next 3 year!

The Punisher

I loved Daredevil, even the slow episodes, Jessica Jones i enjoyed for her attitude and for an amazing villain, Daredevil 2 was even better, thanks in part to the Punisher. Between those series we got a boring Luke Cage and a med Iron Fist, The Defenders was enjoyable. Now along comes the Punisher, a show that started off fantastic, in the pilot, but like many shows, has too much plot in the middle. Had it not been streamable, or even the Punisher, i wouldn't have continued, the 11th & 12th episodes were really good but the finale was lackluster, some good kills, that is about it. I tried to watch the Runaways aswell but it seemed too much like an early 00s stereotypical high school show. Hell even DC shows are starting to lose steam with me, Television, i am almost over you.

Detroit

Whoa, Kathryn Bigelow does it again. When she did the Hurt Locker it was great, when she followed it up with Zero Dark Thirty, you could tell she wanted to get away from her horror/action roots. She had a knack for war films, and more or less films that are politically charged and have deep meaning. Here instead of showing terrorism from abroad it shows terrorism in our own land. Racist, hardheaded cops in the midst of riots in the 60s. Will Poulter is terrific in the role, and as the protagonist, John Boyega is fantastic. Poulter should get a nomination for sure. Bigelow more than likely will get a best director nomination and the film best picture. While i would love for more genre films to get attention, knowing the academy, many wont, so this is a safe bet. Bigelow has crafted her most emotional, intense & brutal film yet, this is a scary world we live in, and even an event 50 years ago, seems more modern than ever before, and she captures it in every scene.

LBJ

Damn, Rob Reiner, damn. You got a good performance from Woody Harrelson, but constructed a boring & tired film, it seems this is going to be the opposite of Darkest Hour. I can't say i have really enjoyed a Reiner film since Misery, and even then i am not a huge fan. I love This Is Spinal Tap, i LOVE the Princess Bride & Stand By Me. It is tough to watch his films some times, which sucks, cause i genuinely am a fan of the man himself. 

AHS Cult

So i loved the first season of this show, it was sexual, surreal, and artsy. The second season it was known, and it tried to throw too much at the series, too many plot holes, too much going on. Season three went a step back thankfully and by this time the audience for the series knew exactly what they wanted, and we got it. Interesting characters with good plots, sexy plots, weird shit, we got it. The fourth season the show became pretentious, to me it was a little better than Asylum(season 2) but not by much. The fifth season was more or less the same, it was the third best of the series, but the show needs to embrace sex & violence, not give us convoluted plots, which seasons 2, 4, & 5 gave us. Season 6, terrible, originally i was going to just binge the season, but i was suckered in by the myster plot teased in trailers. I wound up binging the final few episodes of the latest season, shit, easily the second worst season. Interesting plot, no payoff, highly pretentious characters & plots i am done with the series. I am sorry, i would love to see the Murder House/Coven Cross over, but if it is not season 8, i am done. 

NXT Takeover & WWE Survivor Series

1. Lars Sulivan defeated Kassius Ohno.
The right man won, Lars is the monster in nxt, Ohno is the hero(pun intended) that has fallen. Lars i see as a bodyguard on the main roster. Ohno, i see on a losing streak and giving him a Rocky Balboa moment winning the tag titles a year or so from now.

2. Aleister Black beat Velveteen Dream
Great match, saw it a few weeks ago at a house show. Right man won, again. Black is destined to face Lars in Philly. Maybe Donovan Dijak at New Orleans, i would have him win the Andre Battle Royal. Dream will be the top heel in nxt in a year, unless they turn him face, which was teased.

3. Ember Moon beat Nikki Cross, Peyton Royce & Kairi Sane
Good match, needed more time. I would have had Royce win, Moon i would have had win a womens Rumble, Nikki will go to the main roster with Sanity. Sane could have chased the title!

4. Andrade Cien Almas beat Drew McIntyre
Supposedly this was an audible, but Almas deserved it. Amazing athlete, highly underrated! I am going with a triple threat in Philly with Cole winning it.

5. Undisputed Era beat Sanity and the Authors of Pain & Rodderick Strong.
Awesome war games, best hardcore match in the wwe in years. AoP are main roster bound. Sanity will drop the tag titles to Redragon.

1. Ellias beat Matt Hardy
I hope Ellias's star keeps rising, and i hope Matt losing leads to him being woken(broken).

2. Enzo Amore beat Kalisto
Rumor is Neville is returning to the WWE, him vs Enzo is ready made.

3. Kevin Owens ^ Sami Zayn beat Breezango
Good throw away match. Gave a little rub to Tyler Breeza & Fandango. Would love for Zayn & Owens to win the tag titles and drop em to Breezango at Mania.

4. Shield beat the New Day
Cold have gone either way, really good match.

5. Raw Women beat Smackdown Women.
Glad Asuka was the sole survivor, smart booking having her against two heels.

6. Barron Corbin beat the Miz
Miz worked more of a face style, massively over which Corbin isn't.

7. Usos beat the Bar
Great hard hitting tag match!

8. Charlotte beat Alexa Bliss
Solid match

9. Brock Lesnar beat AJ Styles
Glad it was AJ and not Jinder, it would not have felt special, this match did, to former IWGP champions.

10. Raw Men beat SD men
Ugh, it gave us great teases of HHH vs Roode, HHH vs Nakamura, Finn vs Nakamura. But eliminating Roode & Nak first from SD, made no sense, should have been Orton. Cena shouldn't have been in this, he didn't even feel like a special deal, which is a shame, i am a Cena fan, but it should have been Rusev. I wish Braun would have got the pin over Shane, but if it leads to a HHH-Braun

Wonder

Stephen Chbosky delivered my favorite film of 2012, The Perks of Being a Wall Flower, based upon his novel of the same name. 5 years later he delivers again. Wonder isn't my favorite film of the year, but it is a wonder for sure. Instead of the early 90s, we are in the mid 10s, we get a minor glimpse in high school but the meat of the film comes from elementary school(well middle school here, but where i am from middle school is the seventh grade and not 5th grade). We see bullying, hypocrites, liars, fakes, and finding yourself and the friends you truly deserve to have. It is a touching film with a great heart & great acting!

Professor Martson & the Wonder Women

Perhaps it was due to the impending Wonder Mania we got this year, but we received a bio pic of sorts of the creation of Wonder Woman, her creators, their sex lives and the turbulence of the times  for female rights. This film does a great job of capturing the importance of the creation of the character, it shows kinks before kinks were out of the dungeon, and it shows how bad shit was for women while using a mirror on today's society. The AMC special that aired earlier this week also captured everything well, in a condensed version, and those that saw that, i hope check this out aswell!

Blade of the Immortal

Takashi Miike is a powerhouse, i first became aware of him through Eli Roth bringing him up so much. I had heard of Ichi The Killer, Audition & Visitor Q but had never seen em. There are still films of his i haven't seen, but i have seen a good chunk of them. His 100th film, Blade of the Immortal, looks spectacular. It seems as though he is done with extreme horror, and done with his weird phase, and is not doing spectacle, that is exactly what this film is, a spectacle!

Ladybird

I think Greta Gerwig is super cute, super funny & super talented. I am not a fan of Francis Ha, but everything else she is in, she is awesome, her debut directorial film Nights & Weekends seems more like  Joe Swanberg film(he co directed) , but now she has Ladybird! A wicked sharp coming of age film set in 2002 Sacramento in a Catholic High School. It shows early 00s post 9/11 fear, questioning moral decisions & religion, sex, homosexuality, betraying your friends, bonding with your family, loss of jobs, and finding where you belong. Saoirse Ronan is terrific in this, as she is in everything she is in. I hope Ronan gets a best actress nomination, i hope Laurie Metcalf gets a supporting actress nomination, i hope the films gets a best picture nomination, and i hope Gerwig gets nominations for directing and writing.

Justice League

To start off, the DCEU, Man of Steel is still solid, BvS & Suicide Squad are still cluster fucks, Wonder Woman is still the most coherent, this is right bellow MoS. It will be hard for DC to top Wonder Woman, but this was a fun flick. Steppenwolf is not a good villain here, rather bland, the Mother Box angle is basically the Infinity Gauntlet, and some of the battles have too much going on, why or how did Bruce Wayne know an attack was coming cause of Lex Luthor? Moving on, Ben Affleck is still a good Bruce Wayne/Batman, Gal Gadot is still a great Wonder Woman, Jason Momoa is a pretty fun Aquaman, JK Simmons in his small role is a good Jim Gordon, Jeremy Irons is a good Alfred, Henry Cavill is finally becoming a traditional Superman, the humor really works, and alot of it comes from the films MVP, Ezra Miller as the Flash. The film looks great, it looks like a comic, some shots look like great posters or paintings. The only member i am leaving out was Cyborg, dull, very dull, never been a fan of the character, comic and now film. The music choices were good, loved the use of the 89 Batman theme. The mid credit stinger was fun, the end credit stinger set up the sequel well. It still needed a more organic approach, cause seeing these characters together didn't pack the same punch as it did in the Avengers. The larger than life event film that the Avengers was, this is not, but it is still an enjoyable flick!

The Only Living Boy In New York

In 2009 500 Days of Summer had me head over heels, i loved quirky indie comedies, they were my bread & butter, hell they still are. When he was announced to direct Amazing Spider Man, i was stoked. Use his hipster mentality on Peter Parker, and it worked...for Peter Parker. He returned to small film making this year with Gifted, a sweet & charming flick, but it didn't feel like him. Now we get the Only Living Boy in New York. This feels like the film he should have made post 500 Days, but you know what, perhaps he will do more films like this, cause this was really good. It has huge influence from the Graduate, with the kid fucking an older woman, except instead of it being his girlfriend's mom, it is his dad's mistress. I can't help but want to watch  Garden State every time i hear The Only Living Boy in NY, great song and used in great films.This isn't quite as quirky, witty or charming as 500, but it has his hipstery sensibilities in it, and Jeff Bridges is great(as usual) in this. I hope this finds an audience, cause it really seems to be under the radar. 

Brigsby Bear

This was a pretty charming film, a socially inept man that was forced to live in a underground house by his fake parents and his only outside connection was a fake series. After they are arrested he meets his real family and their friends, forming a ragtag group of outcasts that set out to make a feature film based on the fictional series he watched his entire life. At times it is hilarious, at other times touching & sad. Great acting, smart script, full of heart. A rather inspiring film about filmmaking and finding your place in the world. 

The Beguiled

I wasn't much a fan of the original, and i like Sofia Coppola but don't love her. Together i was not too excited for this but i figure, fuck it, give it a shot. The acting is good, as it should be with this cast, it looks great, as it should with Sofia, but ultimately is was rather dull.

Better Watch Out

Christmas & Horror go together perfectly, Silent Night Deadly Night, Gremlins, Black Christmas, Silent Night Bloody Night, Body, and now one more can be added, Better Watch Out. If you were a fan of The Babysitter, this is the reversal of that. It is fun, not as light though, about an obsessive & clingy 12 year old with his baby sitter. I read to not watch the trailer, so i didn't, and i am glad i didn't. This film has some legit shocks in it, not for pushing boundaries or anything, but in terms of it being a totally different film than i though. The violence isn't done in a comedic & splatstick way like the babysitter, instead you feel the shock the characters do when they see the killings happen. The main character is twisted, and the crimes he commits are not ones you would normally see in even a horror film, bravo. Great tension, it leads you one way, and pulls the rug from under you, great gore, and a highly satisfying ending.

Vice Principals

The first season started off as a mixed bag but quickly became great, the second season started great, had a couple spotty episodes but a great final few episodes. Danny McBride & Jody Hill found a great formula, have an end game in sight, 2 seasons, 18 episodes, cut to the chase. Great characters, shocking violence, hilarious bits. Thank you for two seasons of solid television!

THe Killing of a Sacred Deer

Yorgos Lanthimos is a director i respect but don't love. Dogtooth is a weird & solid film, his english language the Lobster was more of the same, but honestly tested my limits with the pretentiousness of it. The Killing of a Sacred Deer, is that and then some. It is super creepy, pretty disturbing and at times really funny, but it takes forever for anything to happen. It is an art school horror film, i dig it, but don't love it, i respect it, but i don't know how much i like it to watch it or any of his other films a second time. Super tedious, yet ambitious, well acted yet wooden, it is a conundrum. I wish he would do a straight up comedy, i think it would be interesting.

Halloween Pussy Trap Kill! Kill!

I became aware of this film via Rue Morgue last month, the cover looked cool, the plot sounded cool, and the name was cool. I rented it tonight, it looks cool, the plot is tired & cliche, but the name is still cool. Basically is it Hostel meets Saw, and alot of it reminded me of a better version of 31, i say better lightly, as this film is pure shit. I thought it would be cheap, but it has good production, unfortunately in having good production it means that not as much can be forgiven. The acting, plot, gore, all is awful. It isn't a boring film by any means, it is just a shitty film & a waste of time.

Wonderstruck

Todd Haynes first came to my attention as a teen, like many, with Velvet Goldmine. Since then i have devoured his filmography, and while all his films have been solid to great, nothing has grabbed me to make me say, "wow, that was amazing", until now. Wonderstruck is his best since Goldmine, and while i prefer the former, the later might be better actually. The acting, especially from children is great, it looks gorgeous. Two different stories, with similar plots are played throughout the film, both involving deaf runaways to New York, one is a silent black & white film set in the 20's, the other is colored, has sound and set in the 70's. When the two tales intertwine, it damn near moves you to tears. Brilliant film making and easily one of the best films of 2017!

Murder on the Orient Express

Kenneth Branagh is a director & actor i highly respect, yet alot of his film i don't love, i did Frankenstein & i love Thor, that is about it, but Murder on the Orient Express is a fun ride. Super stylish, good acting, and pretty damn funny aswell. Branagh steals the show when he is on     screen, everyone is good in this, he however, is great. The climax is a bit rushed, but the climax to    me was a bit more satisfying than the original was. Plenty are writing this off as a bore from the  trailers, fuck it, it moves fast, has witty dialogue and is gorgeous to watch, both the cast and the     cinematography. The role seems custom made for Branagh, Classical, intelligent and humorous, and he injects those qualities into the film itself.

The Deuce

You know, i honestly had no idea last weeks episode was the finale. The pilot showed so much promise, i loved it. James Franco was great, Maggie Gyllenhaal was great, Margarita Levieva was really great, but as the show went on, Franco's characters got tired, Maggie seemed as bored as her characters sex life but Margarita was still a bright spot. I loved how authentic the show felt, the Scorsese grittiness of it, but besides the pilot, it didn't really do much. I did finish the season so it did more for me than many shows do. 

Match of October

1. Finn Balor vs AJ Styles: TLC

2. Usos vs New Day: Hell in a Cell for the Tag Team Titles

3. Kevin Owens vs Shane McMahon: Hell in a Cell

4. Andrade Cien Almas vs Johnny Gargano: NXT TV

5. Cody Rhodes vs Kushia: Global Wars