Week 12 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers: 2021 Edition

 Quarterback

MVP: Josh Allen (Bills)

Outside of a couple picks, Allen put together a pretty impressive performance (260 YDS, 4 TD, 43 Rushing YDS) against the reeling, injury-depleted Saints on Thanksgiving. All eyes will be on Allen- whose had a very up and down season to date-on Monday night when the scorching hot Patriots and their top ranked scoring defense come into Buffalo for a pivotal AFC East clash. 

Honorable Mentions: Aaron Rodgers (Packers), Dak Prescott (Cowboys), Matthew Stafford (Rams)

LVP: Jalen Hurts (Eagles)

The unsung hero QB of the 2021 Fantasy Football Season posted a rare, thoroughly unexpected dud (129 YDS/0 TD/3 INT/77 Rushing YDS) against a bad Giants team on Sunday that put his owners that have relied on his 25+ points per game average in a really rough spot. Making matters worse, Hurts hurt his ankle at the end of the game and might be out of action for this week's prime matchup with the Jets. The Eagles do have a bye in Week 14 and Gardner Minshew is one of the more reliable backups in the league, so it wouldn't be shocking if they decided to Hurts a couple weeks off to heal up and help the team make a charge for the NFC's hotly contested final Wild Card spot.  

Dishonorable Mentions: Cam Newton (Panthers), Lamar Jackson (Ravens), Ryan Tannehill (Titans)

Running Back

MVP: Leonard Fournette (Buccaneers)

With Tom Brady and the receivers struggling all game long, the Bucs turned to Leonard Fournette to help them fight off a feisty Colts squad and he delivered in a big way. Lombardi Lenny turned his 24 touches (17 carries, 7 receptions) into 131 scrimmage YDS and 4 TD's in what ended up being a 38-31 victory for the defending champs. This explosion truly came out of nowhere as Fournette hadn't found the endzone since Week 7 or handled over 20 touches since Week 6. Fournette is a famously streaky player and it's very possible this gem could snowball into a huge stretch run for the Bucs top back.

Honorable Mentions: Joe Mixon (Bengals), Cordarrelle Patterson (Falcons), Elijah Mitchell (49ers)

LVP: Najee Harris (Steelers)

Another miserable outing from Ben Roethlisberger and their defense made the Steelers turn away from Harris very early in Sunday's contest with a resurgent Bengals team, leaving the rookie running back with a light workload and statline (11 touches for 37 YDS). A stout Ravens front that just completely shut down the Browns dynamic duo of backs could lead to another quiet day at the office for Harris. 

Dishonorable Mentions: Aaron Jones (Packers), Nick Chubb (Browns), Kareem Hunt (Browns)

Wide Receiver 

MVP: Jaylen Waddle (Dolphins)

The Panthers dynamic secondary quite simply had no answers for Waddle on Sunday. The rookie wideout was making plays all over the field all game long-securing 9 catches for 137 YDS and a TD in another huge W for the Dolphins. Waddle has really come on strong over the past month-finishing with 60+ YDS in 6 of the last 7 games and if the Dolphins are going to fight their way back into the AFC Wild Card race, he's going to have to keep playing at this level.

Honorable Mentions: Deebo Samuel (49ers), Adam Thielen (Vikings), Tee Higgins (Bengals)

LVP: Chris Godwin (Buccaneers) 

While Godwin managed to outgain (27 YDS to 16) and outtouch (4 to 3) his running mate Mike Evans, he had the misfortune of losing a fumble in the 1st quarter that led to him leapfrogging Evans on the fantasy WR shitlist. With Evans likely to draw most of the coverage from the Falcons sleeper stud corner A.J. Terrell on Sunday, Godwin should be able to soak up the bulk of the WR targets and have a nice bounce back game.

Dishonorable Mentions: D.K. Metcalf (Seahawks), Mike Evans (Buccaneers), DeVonta Smith (Eagles)

Tight End

MVP: Dawson Knox (Bills)

The master of the TD-vulture TE statline put together another finesser gem in Week 12 against the Saints, finding the endzone twice despite only registering 3 catches for 32 YDS on the night. Knox will be in his usual boom-or-bust TE1 spot for Monday's matchup with the Patriots.

Honorable Mentions: Mark Andrews (Ravens), Dalton Schultz (Cowboys), Rob Gronkowski (Buccaneers)

LVP: George Kittle (49ers)

Kittle was completely sidelined from the 49ers passing attack in Week 12, only securing 1 of his 2 targets for 13 YDS in the 49ers victory over the Vikings. This snapped a 4-game TD streak for Kittle and was his first real dud since returning from injury in Week 9, so expect him to be more heavily involved against the DOA Seahawks in Week 13-especially with Deebo Samuel already being ruled out with a groin injury.

Dishonorable Mentions: Noah Fant (Broncos), Kyle Pitts (Falcons), Hunter Henry (Patriots)

Defense/Special Teams:

MVP: Dolphins

The Dolphins defense and special teams were relentlessly disruptive in Sunday's 33-10 decimation of the Panthers- registering 5 sacks, 3 INT's and a blocked punt that was returned for a TD. They'll be on the fantasy radar again in Week 13 when they square off against a poor, mistake-prone Giants offense.

Honorable Mentions: Patriots, Broncos, Buccaneers

LVP: Steelers

While Ben Roethlisberger's poor decisionmaking and inability to sustain drives certainly contributed to their poor performance against the Bengals, that doesn't excuse what proved to be another unacceptable outing for a defense (35 points and 198 rushing YDS allowed, 2 sacks, INT) that looked borderline dominant only a few weeks ago. A Week 13 showdown with the struggling Ravens offense would feel like a great get right spot under normal circumstances, but there's no reason to believe that this group is capable of producing against anyone right now. 

Dishonorable Mentions: Rams, Colts, Panthers

Quick Movie Reviews: Belfast, King Richard, Bruised, House of Gucci

Belfast: Belfast's current status as the Best Picture frontrunner makes almost too much sense. It's an easily digestible, tear-jerking crowd-pleaser that uses the backdrop of a horrific historical event (the beginning of the Troubles conflict in Northen Ireland in 1969/70) to tell a story about the love between a family and how even in humanity's darkest moments, there's no place like home. Kenneth Branagh's largely autobiographical film is also one of the most underwhelming dramas released all year long. By choosing to tell its story through the eyes of a 9-year-old boy (Jude Hill), Branagh makes an aloof film with an emotional core that solely consists of sentimentality, inspirational platitudes and weepy monologues about love that are tailor made for an Oscar clip. The whole thing is so predictably sappy that it isn't until the closing title card paying tribute to those who died and/or stayed in Northern Ireland throughout the conflict that Belfast bothers to acknowledge the true horrors of the Troubles. While it's understandable that Branagh chose to focus on his fond memories of the period and the bittersweet feelings his family had towards leaving the home they've always known, his schmaltzy approach turns a potent hook into a hollow, insincere film that has little on its mind other than how many gold statues it can collect in January-March of next year. 

Grade: C

King Richard: With an ongoing pandemic and political unrest dominating the current landscape, rousing crowd pleasers seem to be positioning themselves as the bulk of the favorites in this year's awards field. If one of these sunny films does end up taking home the biggest prize in cinema, I hope it's King Richard. 

This story of the role Richard Williams (played beautifully by Will Smith) played in planting the seeds for his daughters Venus and Serena's incredible tennis careers is the rare sports biopic that puts nuanced character portrayals alongside the obligatory feel-good underdog elements. Over the course of the film which covers everything from the family's early years training on the public courts near their Compton, California home up to the start of Venus' pro career in 1994, Williams is shown to be a loving father who instills his daughters with confidence, a sense of self-worth and an unrelenting work ethic, a shameless self-promoter who used his daughter's gifts to build his own brand and a man who used his limitless bravado to shield his fears of failure and past sins. These are just a few of the many sides of Richard that Smith's layered performance and the thoughtful script from Zach Baylin allow to shine through without undercutting the prominent role their mother Brandy Price (Anujanue Ellis) or the generational athletic gifts Venus and Serena had played in their journey. King Richard is the first truly great sports film of this decade and will likely end up remaining among the top of the heap when the 2020's are in the rearview.     

Grade: A-

Bruised: Halle Berry the director fails Halle Berry the actor, who impressively commits to the role of Jackie Jackie-a disgraced MMA fighter trying to mount a comeback-in this middling sports drama that coldly and clumsily trots out melodramatic cliches at an incredible rate in an attempt to sell the viewer on just how much adversity Justice is facing. The reliance on such a cheap tactic is especially depressing since Bruised shows glimpses of real redemptive grace as Justice attempts to win back the trust of her estranged son (Danny Boyd Jr.) and strikes up a close relationship with her new trainer (Sheila Atim), but these moments are ultimately fleeting as Berry and the shaky script from Michelle Rosenfrab return to the familiar misery well (Justice's complicated relationships with her abusive alcoholic boyfriend and cruel addict mother, revelations of childhood trauma that come completely out of left field) seemingly every time the story starts to show off the true humanity of Justice. Most MMA fans will probably enjoy the impressively staged final fight scene between Justice and Lucy "Lady Killer" Chavez (real life UFC champion Valentina Shevchenko), but everything leading up to this big title bout is so frustratingly average and forced that really caring about the outcome becomes kind of impossible. 

Grade: C

House of Gucci: Anyone that was worried about Ridley Scott causing some kind of catastrophic unbalance in the universe by releasing 2 great films in just over a month's time can sleep easy knowing that House of Gucci represents the nearly 84-year-old cinema icon at his most unwieldy. Where The Last Duel was a polished, laser-focused medieval drama that effectively uses its gaudy 150+ minute runtime to tell the same story from 3 different perspectives, House of Gucci is a breezy mess that details how constant backstabbing, shameless greed and the introduction of an ambitious, manipulative woman (Lady Gaga) into their ranks put an end to the Gucci's involvement in the global fashion empire that bears their name with no consistency or efficiency whatsoever. Nobody from Scott all the way down to his starry ensemble of actors (Gaga, Adam Driver, Jared Leto, Al Pacino, Jack Huston, Jeremy Irons, Salma Hayek) can decide if they're making a prestige biopic or a trashy soap opera (it's far better at being the latter-especially when seasoned overactors Leto and Pacino are sharing the screen) and it pulls off the always impressive feat of being too long yet not developed enough to feel like a complete story. If it had went into a full camp direction, this easily could've morphed into a wildly entertaining romp instead of just the decent film with a huge identity crisis that it ended up being but committing to a tone on back-to-back films is clearly just too much to ask of Scott.  

Grade: B-

2021 NFL Power Rankings: Week 12

 ()= previous ranking

1.(3) Arizona Cardinals (9-2) Week 12 opponent: Bye

2.(4) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-3) Week 12 opponent: Indianapolis Colts

3.(2) Dallas Cowboys (7-3) Week 12 opponent: Las Vegas Raiders

4.(1) Tennessee Titans (8-3) Week 12 opponent: New England Patriots 

5.(5) Green Bay Packers (8-3) Week 12 opponent: Los Angeles Rams

6.(9) New England Patriots (7-4) Week 12 opponent: Tennessee Titans 

7.(10) Kansas City Chiefs (7-4) Week 12 opponent: Bye

8.(7) Baltimore Ravens (7-3) Week 12 opponent: Cleveland Browns

9.(8) Los Angeles Rams (7-3) Week 12 opponent: Green Bay Packers 

10.(6) Buffalo Bills (6-4) Week 12 opponent: New Orleans Saints 

11.(13) Los Angeles Chargers (6-4) Week 12 opponent: Denver Broncos 

12.(14) Indianapolis Colts (6-5) Week 12 opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

13.(11) Pittsburgh Steelers (5-4-1) Week 12 opponent: Cincinnati Bengals 

14.(19) Minnesota Vikings (5-5) Week 12 opponent: San Francisco 49ers

15.(18) Cincinnati Bengals (6-4) Week 12 opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers

16.(20) San Francisco 49ers (5-5) Week 12 opponent: Minnesota Vikings

17.(16) Cleveland Browns (6-5) Week 12 opponent: Baltimore Ravens

18.(17) Denver Broncos (5-5) Week 12 opponent: Los Angeles Chargers 

19.(12) New Orleans Saints (5-5) Week 12 opponent: Buffalo Bills

20.(15) Las Vegas Raiders (5-5) Week 12 opponent: Dallas Cowboys 

21.(23) Philadelphia Eagles (5-6) Week 12 opponent: New York Giants

22.(21) Carolina Panthers (5-6) Week 12 opponent: Miami Dolphins

23.(25) Washington Football Team (4-6) Week 12 opponent: Seattle Seahawks

24.(28) Miami Dolphins (4-6) Week 12 opponent: Carolina Panthers

25.(22) Atlanta Falcons (4-6) Week 12 opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars

26.(24) Seattle Seahawks (3-7) Week 12 opponent: Washington Football Team

27.(26) Chicago Bears (3-7) Week 12 opponent: Detroit Lions 

28.(27) New York Giants (3-7) Week 12 opponent: Philadelphia Eagles 

29.(31) Houston Texans (2-8) Week 12 opponent: New York Jets

30.(29) Jacksonville Jaguars (2-8) Week 12 opponent: Atlanta Falcons

31.(30) New York Jets (2-8) Week 12 opponent: Houston Texans

32.(32) Detroit Lions (0-9-1) Week 12 opponent: Chicago Bears  

Week 11 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers: 2021 Edition

 Quarterback

MVP: Justin Herbert (Chargers)

Not only did Herbert put together a monster fantasy performance (382 YDS, 3 TD's, 90 Rushing YDS) on Sunday night against the Steelers, he made NFL history by becoming the 1st ever quarterback to throw for 350 YDS and rush for 90 in a game. This was a much-needed explosion for Herbert-who outside of a strong showing against the Eagles in Week 9 had been really struggling since Week 6. Despite this incredible outing, fantasy owners should lower their expectations for this week as Herbert will have the difficult task of going into Denver and squaring off against the Broncos tough secondary-who has surrendered the 4th fewest fantasy points to QB's this season. 

Honorable Mentions: Aaron Rodgers (Packers), Kirk Cousins (Vikings), Jalen Hurts (Eagles)

LVP: Dak Prescott (Cowboys)

The promise of an epic shootout between 2 of the league's best QB's in Kansas City on Sunday really flopped as the game turned into a battle of the defenses and kickers after the 1st quarter. While Patrick Mahomes wasn't particularly sharp either (260 YDS, 0 TD, 1 INT, FUM Lost), Prescott looked much worse-turning the ball over 3 times (2 INT's and a fumble) and throwing for 216 scoreless YDS as the 'Boys suffered their 2nd deflating loss in the last 3 weeks. The absence of both CeeDee Lamb and Amari Cooper for Thursday's showdown with a tough Raiders secondary makes a bounceback seem very unlikely.

Dishonorable Mentions: Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs), Ryan Tannehill (Titans), Russell Wilson (Seahawks)

Running Back

MVP: Jonathan Taylor (Colts)

What Taylor did to the Bills on Sunday afternoon was borderline cruel. The Colts back took advantage of a soft, overrated Bills front and their willingness to turn the ball over (3 INT's, 1 lost fumble) by amassing a preposterous 214 total YDS (185 rushing, 19 receiving) and 5 TD"s (4 rushing, 1 receiving) on 35 touches. Taylor has been on a superhuman tear after a reasonably quiet September-registering over 100+ scrimmage YDS and at least 1 TD in 8 straight games. A matchup with a stingy Bucs run D seems like the logical ending point for such a streak, but Taylor is playing at such a high level right now that it feels like an injury could be the only thing that's capable of slowing him down.  

Honorable Mentions: Austin Ekeler (Chargers), Joe Mixon (Bengals), Nick Chubb (Browns)

LVP: Alex Collins (Seahawks)

Performances like this are just a reminder of how much the Seahawks miss Chris Carson. Collins failed to provide the offense with any sort of spark, managing just 36 YDS on 10 carries against a banged-up Cardinals defense. With Russell Wilson struggling mightily in both games since returning from IR and opponents making a concerted effort to stop the run to prevent the offense from getting back on track, things aren't looking great for Collins or any of the other Seahawks backs.   

Dishonorable Mentions: Mike Davis (Falcons), D'onta Forman (Titans), Saquon Barkley (Giants)

Wide Receiver 

MVP: Justin Jefferson (Vikings)

The entire Vikings offense played lights out against the Packers on Sunday, but Jefferson ended being the MVP as he went off for a season-high 169 YDS and 2 TD's on 8 catches. This unpredictable Vikings team will need him to step up again when they take on the 49ers on Sunday afternoon in a game that could prove to have massive implications in the crowded NFC Wild Card race.

Honorable Mentions: Davante Adams (Packers), Elijah Moore (Jets), Darnell Mooney (Bears)

LVP: Tee Higgins (Bengals)

Joe Mixon was the lone standout on the Bengals offense on Sunday against the Raiders as Joe Burrow only threw for 149 YDS on 20 completions. Naturally, this meant Higgins didn't have much of a role in the gameplan-as he caught 2 of the 3 targets that came his way for a paltry 15 YDS. Failing to reach the endzone since Week 2 and seeing Ja'Marr Chase siphon nearly all of Burrow's downfield targets, Higgins has been a huge letdown for the people who spent a top 50-60 pick on him.

Dishonorable Mentions: Brandin Cooks (Texans), Kenny Golladay (Giants), Emmanuel Sanders (Bills)

Tight End

MVP: Zach Ertz (Cardinals)

The continued absence of DeAndre Hopkins and Chase Edmonds paved the way for Ertz to put up the type of commanding performance we haven't seen from him since at least 2018 (8 REC/88 YDS/2 TD's) in Sunday's win over the Seahawks. The move to Arizona seems to have rejuvenated Ertz and while the likely return of Hopkins after their bye this week will undoubtedly reduce his target share, having an established redzone role in a high-volume passing offense should help him remain a weekly factor in fantasy.

Honorable Mentions: Travis Kelce (Chiefs), Darren Waller (Raiders), George Kittle (49ers)

LVP: Kyle Pitts (Falcons)

Breaking News: Bill Belichick successfully took away his opponent's top offensive weapon for the 9,000,000th time. With Cordarrelle Patterson out of the lineup, Belichick didn't even have try too hard to eliminate Pitts (he finished the night with 3 catches for 29 YDS) from the equation and make life very miserable for Matt Ryan and the one-dimensional Falcons offense last Thursday night. Even if Patterson sits again this week, there's almost no chance that Pitts isn't more of a factor against a porous Jaguars passing defense. 

Dishonorable Mentions: Hunter Henry (Patriots), Jared Cook (Chargers), Cole Kmet (Bears)

Defense/Special Team

MVP: Patriots

The aforementioned reign of terror committed on the Falcons offense also resulted in a monster fantasy performance for Belichick's defense. Aided by some horrible offensive line play, a couple of hilarious garbage time picks from both of the Falcons hopeless backup QB's (Josh Rosen, Felipe Franks) and an inexplicable illegal formation penalty that took a field goal off the board, the Pats went off for 4 sacks and 4 INT's (including a pick 6 by Kyle Van Noy on Rosen's INT) in an easy 25-0 victory. A really beat up Titans offense that just committed 5 turnovers against the lowly Texans awaits the suddenly dominant Pats defense next.      

Honorable Mentions: Buccaneers, 49ers, Colts

LVP: Bills

So much for the #1 scoring and fantasy defense... Jonathan Taylor and a few timely plays from Carson Wentz ensured that the Bills had a miserable day at the office-surrendering 41 points without getting a single sack or takeaway. A Week 11 showdown with the Trevor Siemian-led Saints is exactly the kind of soft landing spot this group needs to get their confidence back before they head into a brutal December stretch that includes the Bucs and 2 meetings with the surging Patriots.

Dishonorable Mentions: Steelers, Chargers, Titans

Salma Hayek Ranked

Welcome to "Ranked", where I rank a franchise or filmography and hand out assorted related accolades. This week, I'm profiling the work of Salma Hayek-whose latest project "House of Gucci" hits theaters on Wednesday.

Salma Hayek's Filmography Ranked:

22.After the Sunset (D+)

21.Like a Boss (C-)

20.Four Rooms (C-)

19.Beatriz at Dinner (C-)

18.Grown Ups 2 (C)

17.The Hummingbird Project (C)

16.Wild Wild West (C)

15.Grown Ups (C+)

14.Everly (C+)

13.Frida (B-)

12.Puss in Boots (B)

11.Here Comes the Boom (B)

10.Once Upon a Time in Mexico (B)

9.Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard (B)

8.Savages (B)

7.Traffic (B)

6.The Hitman's Bodyguard (B)

5.Eternals (B+)

4.Desperado (B+)

3.From Dusk till Dawn (B+)

2.Sausage Party (A-)

1.Dogma (A-)

Top Dog: Dogma (1999)

Kevin Smith's incredible 90's run ended with a frequently hilarious film that cleverly satirizes the fundamental stories and beliefs of Christianity without discarding Smith's signature dumb humor. 

Lowlight: After the Sunset (2004)

Making a dull heist film that completely drains a magnetic ensemble cast (Pierce Brosnan, Hayek, Woody Harrelson, Naomie Harris, Don Cheadle) of their abundant charisma and wastes a gorgeous Bahamian island backdrop is a hell of a magic trick that After the Sunset manages to pull off. All the credit goes to a dreadful script that has no good jokes or clever twists and stunningly flat direction from Brett Ratner for making this seemingly impossible feat look really easy.

Most Underrated: From Dusk till Dawn (1996)

From Dusk till Dawn is a sneakily powerful testament to the importance of having the right people bring a project to life. Something that starts off as a darkly comedic crime/road movie about a pair of bank robbers (George Clooney, Quentin Tarantino) on the lam after a job gone wrong before suddenly morphing into a full-on grindhouse vampire action flick in the final act almost certainly wouldn't have worked so well if it weren't in the hands of a pair of B-movie aficionados in Robert Rodriguez and Tarantino, and a group of actors (Clooney, Harvey Keitel, Cheech Marin, Juliette Lewis, Hayek, Fred Williamson) that believed in their twisted, tongue-in-cheek vision.

Most Overrated: Frida (2002)

As well-intentioned and generally serviceable as Julie Taymor's biopic is, Frida Kahlo lived too far too interesting of a life to have it dramatized so plainly. This is a woman who not only painted some of the most strikingly unique art in the history of the world, but was nearly paralyzed after a bus accident at age 18, got involved with the Mexican Communist Party in her 20's and had an on-and-off relationship with fellow painter Diego Rivera that was exactly as wild and dysfunctional as you'd expect the union between two freewheeling artists to be. Reducing Kahlo's life of adventure, reflection and pain to something so surface level is a great disservice to who she was and hopefully somebody will step up and make the introspective, vibrant portrait of her life that she deserves at some point in the future.  

Most Overhated: Wild Wild West (1999)

The sheer, unrelenting madness of Wild Wild West isn't discussed nearly enough. Kenneth Branaugh plays a wheelchair-bound Confederate general who is hellbent on disbanding the newly formed United States and has spent years kidnapping scientists and engineers to help build a giant mechanical spider that will allow him to do so. Said giant mechanical spider was put into the movie at the insistence of producer Jon Peters-who had been trying to insert a giant mechanical spider into a movie for several years prior to Wild Wild West. After the finale in which the protagonists (Will Smith, Kevin Kline) save President Ulysses S. Grant (also Kline) from being crushed by the giant mechanical spider, Grant decides to form the Secret Service. Is the movie a god damn absurd mess that's pretty staggeringly incompetent for a huge Hollywood production? Absolutely, and that's exactly what makes it an oddly fun viewing experience.

Paul Rudd Ranked

Welcome to "Ranked", where I rank a franchise or filmography from worst to best and hand out assorted related accolades. This week, I'm profiling the work of Paul Rudd-whose latest project "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" hits theaters tonight.

Paul Rudd's Filmography Ranked:

28.Year One (D)

27.Monsters vs. Aliens (C-)

26.They Came Together (C)

25.Wake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie (B-)

24.Night at the Museum (B-)

23.Ant-Man and the Wasp (B)

22.Ant-Man (B)

21.Captain America: Civil War (B)

20.Our Idiot Brother (B)

19.Wanderlust (B)

18.Reno 911!: Miami (B)

17.The Fundamentals of Caring (B)

16.Clueless (B)

15.Dinner for Schmucks (B+)

14.The Perks of Being a Wallflower (B+)

13.This is 40 (B+)

12.Role Models (B+)

11.Sausage Party (A-)

10.Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (A-)

9.Avengers: Endgame (A-)

8.Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (A-)

7.Forgetting Sarah Marshall (A-) 

6.I Love You, Man (A-)

5.Knocked Up (A)

4.This is the End (A)

3.Wet Hot American Summer (A)

2.Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (A+)

1.The 40 Year-Old Virgin (A+) 

Top Dog: The 40-Year Old Virgin (2005)

The movie that started Judd Apatow's lengthy run as Hollywood's most influential comedic figure remains his finest piece of work as a filmmaker and maybe even the finest project he's ever been involved with period (Superbad, which he produced, is the other top contender). Apatow's script seamlessly blends laugh-out-loud raunchy humor with a really pure, potent heart and the cast from Steve Carrell as the shy, nerdy protagonist all the way down to the then-largely unknown supporting cast (Rudd, Seth Rogen, Romany Malco, Jane Lynch, Elizabeth Banks, Leslie Mann, Jonah Hill, Mindy Kaling) hit every note their character was intended to. 

Lowlight: Year One (2009)

Even without having the chance to see it yet, it's evident that honoring the memory of the late Harold Ramis-who passed away back in 2014-is a massive part of Ghostbusters: Afterlife. When reflecting on Ramis' career like Rudd and the surviving members of the original Ghostbusters team (Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, Ernie Hudson) did during their late night show appearances earlier this week, you  eventually arrive at the sad realization that his final directorial effort was Year One. While it's hardly uncommon for industry icons to end their careers with a whimper, Year One is that special kind of inexplicable bad movie that acts as an eternal stain on someone's resume. Seriously, how did the guy who made Caddyshack and National Lampoon's Vacation get an ensemble cast headlined by Jack Black and Michael Cera to make a Biblical spoof and churn out something so thoroughly unfunny? It makes even less sense in practice then it does on paper and it's really a shame that Ramis never got the opportunity to go out on a note that was more fitting of his legendary stature.    

Most Underrated: Sausage Party (2016)

Sausage Party might be the only mainstream R-rated comedy of the past 15 years that got good critical reviews and was absolutely loathed by audiences. While I get why people hated it so much, I really admired that it was a really smart and brutal takedown of organized religion that just happened to be packaged into a silly, gleefully envelope-pushing animated comedy that ends with a bunch of food items having a massive orgy in a grocery store.  

Most Overrated: Captain America: Civil War (2016)

While Marvel has made plenty of films that are much worse than Captain America: Civil War, it's undoubtedly their most frustrating. Civil War actually displays the courage to dip its toes into the muddy waters of bleak storytelling and moral ambiguity with pretty interesting results, only to abruptly pull them out at the start of the final act and get its divided house back in order before the credits roll. Given the strength of the action sequences, new character introductions (Black Panther, Tom Holland's Spider-Man) and dramatic moments prior to the "let's hug it out" climax, this could've really been something special if its flirtation with emotionally tricky material proved to be something other than an inconsequential tease.

Top Cult Classic: Wet Hot American Summer (2001)

What do you get when you cross a cast that boasts a mix of future superstars (Rudd, Amy Poehler, Bradley Cooper) and 90's favorites (David Hyde Pierce, Janeane Garofolo, Molly Shannon) with a niche spoof premise (80's teen sex comedies)? An absurdist comedy masterpiece that has held up better than 99% of the other comedies from its era. 

2021 NFL Power Rankings: Week 11

 ()=previous ranking

1,(3) Tennessee Titans (8-2) Week 11 opponent: Houston Texans

2.(7) Dallas Cowboys (7-2) Week 11 opponent: Kansas City Chiefs 

3.(1) Arizona Cardinals (8-2) Week 11 opponent: Seattle Seahawks

4.(2) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-3) Week 11 opponent: New York Giants 

5.(6) Green Bay Packers (8-2) Week 11 opponent: Minnesota Vikings

6.(8) Buffalo Bills (6-3) Week 11 opponent: Indianapolis Colts 

7.(5) Baltimore Ravens (6-3) Week 11 opponent: Chicago Bears

8.(4) Los Angeles Rams (7-3) Week 11 opponent: Bye

9.(14) New England Patriots (6-4) Week 11 opponent: Atlanta Falcons

10.(15) Kansas City Chiefs (6-4) Week 11 opponent: Dallas Cowboys 

11.(9) Pittsburgh Steelers (5-3-1) Week 11 opponent: Los Angeles Chargers 

12.(10) New Orleans Saints (5-4) Week 11 opponent: Philadelphia Eagles

13.(11) Los Angeles Chargers (5-4) Week 11 opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers 

14.(18) Indianapolis Colts (5-5) Week 11 opponent: Buffalo Bills

15.(12) Las Vegas Raiders (5-4) Week 11 opponent: Cincinnati Bengals

16.(13) Cleveland Browns (5-5) Week 11 opponent: Detroit Lions

17.(16) Denver Broncos (5-5) Week 11 opponent: Bye

18.(17) Cincinnati Bengals (5-4) Week 11 opponent: Las Vegas Raiders

19.(21) Minnesota Vikings (4-5) Week 11 opponent: Green Bay Packers

20.(23) San Francisco 49ers (4-5) Week 11 opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars 

21.(22) Carolina Panthers (5-5) Week 11 opponent: Washington Football Team

22.(19) Atlanta Falcons (4-5) Week 11 opponent: New England Patriots 

23.(26) Philadelphia Eagles (4-6) Week 11 opponent: New Orleans Saints

24.(20) Seattle Seahawks (3-5) Week 11 opponent: Arizona Cardinals 

25.(27) Washington Football Team (3-6) Week 11 opponent: Carolina Panthers

26.(24) Chicago Bears (3-6) Week 11 opponent: Baltimore Ravens

27.(25) New York Giants (3-6) Week 11 opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

28.(28) Miami Dolphins (3-6) Week 11 opponent: New York Jets

29.(29) Jacksonville Jaguars (2-7) Week 11 opponent: San Francisco 49ers 

30.(30) New York Jets (2-7) Week 11 opponent: Miami Dolphins

31.(31) Houston Texans (1-8) Week 11 opponent: Tennessee Titans 

32.(32) Detroit Lions (0-8-1) Week 11 opponent: Cleveland Browns 

Week 10 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers: 2021 Edition

Quarterback

MVP: Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs)

Mahomes picked a great time to shake off a month's worth of rust. The Chiefs star embarrassed the suddenly stumbling Raiders in their own building by ripping off 406 YDS and 5 TD's in a much-needed blowout 41-14 victory for the 2x defending AFC champs. While his recent struggles will understandably raise questions about whether this was a one-off or a true comeback outing, this was still a very reassuring performance from Mahomes with the pivotal stretch run rapidly approaching.    

Honorable Mentions: Dak Prescott (Cowboys), Josh Allen (Bills), Jalen Hurts (Eagles)

LVP: Matt Ryan (Falcons)

The roller coaster otherwise known as Matt Ryan's 2021 season officially bottomed out on Sunday against the Cowboys as he posted a brutal statline (117 TD's, 0 TD's/2 INT's) and eventually got benched for Josh Rosen in the 4th quarter. Facing the Patriots on a short week is likely the last thing Ryan wants to do right now, but alas that's exactly what's on the dance card for Week 11.

Dishonorable Mentions: Russell Wilson (Seahawks), Aaron Rodgers (Packers), Matthew Stafford (Rams)

Running Back

MVP: Darrel Williams (Chiefs)

Williams reeled in 9 passes for 101 YDS and a TD while also adding 43 YDS on the ground on 11 carries in the Chiefs obliteration of the Raiders on Sunday night. Williams has been at least as good as Clyde Edwards-Helaire was during his time as the starting back this season and could realistically be entering a timeshare with CEH if he returns to the field this week against the Cowboys.

Honorable Mentions: Jonathan Taylor (Colts), Antonio Gibson (Football Team), A.J. Dillon (Packers)

LVP: Darrell Henderson Jr. (Rams)

Sean McVay's refusal to run the ball in the early stages of the game paired with the eventual big deficit the Rams faced made Henderson a complete non-factor in last night's stunning loss to the 49ers. The University of Memphis product saw just 9 touches on the evening, which he turned into 41 YDS. Given the Rams rough showings in back-to-back losses, it wouldn't be shocking if Henderson's workload increased when they return to action against the Packers in Week 12.

Dishonorable Mentions: Myles Gaskin (Dolphins), Josh Jacobs (Raiders), Javonte Williams (Broncos)

Wide Receiver 

MVP: Deebo Samuel (49ers)

Samuel punched the Rams defense in the mouth last night, turning 10 touches (5 catches and a season-high 5 carries) into 133 scrimmage YDS (97 receiving, 36 rushing) and 2 TD's. Able to avoid the injury bug for the 1st time in his professional career to date, Samuel has been able to cement himself as the focal point of the 49ers offense and a consistent WR1 for fantasy purposes.

Honorable Mentions: CeeDee Lamb (Cowboys), Stefon Diggs (Bills), Tyreek Hill (Chiefs)

LVP: DK Metcalf (Seahawks)

Russell Wilson's return had to make an immediate impact on Seahawks offense right? Not quite... The Seahawks got shutout by the Packers on Sunday afternoon and Metcalf managed just 3 catches for 26 YDS before he got ejected in the 4th quarter following an altercation with Packers defensive backs Quincy Black and Eric Stokes. If Russ can quickly get back on track, a matchup with a beatable Cardinals secondary should provide both Metcalf and Lockett with a great bounceback opportunity.

Dishonorable Mentions: Tyler Lockett (Seahawks), A.J. Brown (Titans), Courtland Sutton (Broncos)

Tight End

MVP: Hunter Henry (Patriots)

Hunter Henry is this year's answer to Robert Tonyan. The yardage or receptions isn't there, but the man scores TD's. That was once again the case this week against the Browns as Henry propped up a 4 REC/37 YD line with 2 trips to the endzone. As the clear top redzone target for Mac Jones, Henry will be an undisputed TE1 the rest of the way. 

Honorable Mentions: Mark Andrews (Ravens), Travis Kelce (Chiefs), George Kittle (49ers)

LVP: T.J. Hockenson (Lions)

In what has to be the most disheartening statline of the season for fantasy players, Lions top receiving option Hockenson was targeted 1 time and recorded 0 catches in a tie game against the Steelers on Sunday. Again,  in 70 minutes of gametime, Hockenson failed to catch a pass and saw only 1 look. This anemic pass offense has pretty much killed Hockenson's fantasy appeal, but he'll remain rosterable simply because he's easily the most talented pass-catcher in an awful, awful group. 

Dishonorable Mentions: Mike Gesicki (Dolphins), Jared Cook (Chargers), Darren Waller (Raiders) 

Defense/Special Teams:

MVP: Cowboys 

Dan Quinn emphatically stuck to it to his former team on Sunday as his group (as well as the special teams unit) combined for 3 INT's, 2 sacks and a blocked punt that resulted in a TD in a massive 43-3 victory over the Falcons. Things likely won't be this easy again this week when they take on a Chiefs team that just might be back to their dominant ways. 

Honorable Mentions: Packers, 49ers, Colts

LVP: Rams

Does the Rams defense actually kind of stink now? That's up for debate, but they certainly looked pretty damn bad as they allowed 25 points while netting 0 takeaways and only 1 sack in last night's crushing loss to the 49ers. Owners of last year's top defense might want to consider another option as they face a brutal stretch of opponents (save for the Jaguars in Week 13) in the final 6 weeks of the fantasy season.

Dishonorable Mentions: Browns, Broncos, Cardinals

Quick Movie Reviews: Spencer, Eternals, The Harder They Fall, Red Notice

Spencer: The portrait Pablo Lorrain and Steven Knight are attempting to paint of Princess Diana in Spencer is one of a woman trying to reclaim her own identity and Kristen Stewart's remarkable performance allows them to do so. Even when Lorrain's direction and Knight's script gets too carried away with the arthouse touches (dream sequences, overt symbolism, lengthy establishing shots), Stewart's fierce dedication to portraying Diana as an individual who is not only struggling to remember who she was before she got swept up in the suffocating circus that is the British Royal Family, but wondering if she has the internal strength to make it through one final anxiety-and-scrutiny-filled Christmas weekend with people that have always viewed her as an unworthy outsider that can't be trusted before she formally separates from Prince Charles gives Spencer the grounded emotional backbone it needs to not drift too far down the pretentious indie drama rabbit hole. There's still too many contending performances that I've yet to see to declare that Stewart is the clear Best Actress favorite, but she certainly presents a mighty strong case for herself that will be hard to ignore when it comes time to turn those ballots in.  

Grade: B+

Eternals: The inclusion of real stakes, emotion and character arcs are something that have been missing from Marvel projects forever. Eternals has all of those things plus a ton of on location shooting and jaw-dropping special effects that make it perhaps the most visually striking MCU project to date. Do these great things happen to be wrapped in a very unwieldy ensemble package with underdeveloped, somewhat convoluted mythology and some characters that get completely shortchanged in the development department? Yes, but the trade-off for those notable flaws is a film with real heart, narrative surprises and maturity that represents a bold, fascinating creative swing that hits far more of its targets than it misses. These are the types of risks Marvel is going to need to keep making if they want to keep this behemoth franchise fresh as it quickly approaches its 15th year of existence and Kevin Feige would be wise to keep bringing in ambitious filmmakers like Chloe Zhao to play around in this zillion dollar sandbox.        

Grade: B+

The Harder They Fall: It's been far too long since a proper, strictly entertaining western has arrived on the Hollywood scene. British musician turned filmmaker Jeymes Samuel has mercifully put an end to that drought with The Harder They Fall. Brimming with energy and full of charismatic actors (there's too many to name, but key supporting players RJ Cyler, LaKeith Stanfield and Danielle Deadwyler are the top standouts) playing the hell out of charismatic outlaws, Samuel crafts a simple, effective revenge story that pairs the staples of the genre (gun tricks, bank robberies, massive shootouts) with some modern twists (dark humor, slick cinematography, women actually being involved in the action) and moments of sincere emotion that adds unexpected weight to the central conflict between the protagonists (Jonathan Majors, Idris Elba). Whether it's a return to westerns or something else entirely, I'll be first in line for whatever Samuel does next.    

Grade: A-

Red Notice: Netflix's biggest blockbuster ever (until The Gray Man releases next year) suffers from a serious case of imposter syndrome. While the presence of some sizzling star power (Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, Gal Gadot), a deliberately goofy tone and copious amounts of CGI all scream $200 million action comedy production, the execution is so innocuous that it feels more like a trailer for a movie that only exists within the world of an ultra expensive movie than the real thing. Johnson and Reynolds are a surprisingly flat buddy duo who don't seem to be particularly interested in selling the quips that fall out of their mouths every few seconds, the frantic editing paired with the onslaught of computerized imagery makes nearly every scene look like an elaborate yet awful Photoshop and Rawson Marshall Thurber has a directorial style that is so god damn plain that he make shit like Johnson dodging an RPG while hanging off the side of a helicopter or any of the 825 double crosses that this espionage story features feel perfunctory. The only thing that rises above the inherent mediocrity of this sterile affair is Gadot-who apparently didn't get the memo that this was supposed to a working vacation for the on screen talent and brings some actual magnetism to the screen. What a concept for a movie that's allegedly supposed to be fun! When the sequel comes to fruition in a few years, can everybody at least follow the lead of Gadot and actually try a little bit instead of just coasting through the production until preposterous Netflix checks clear?       

Grade: C+

2021 NFL Mid-Season Awards+Updated Playoff and Super Bowl Predictions

Mid-Season Awards

Top Player: Derrick Henry (Titans)

Even after a great road win against the Rams last week in their first full game without him, it's really hard to gauge what the Titans offense will look like or how successful they will be with Henry sidelined for the rest of the season. Through the first 8 games as the passing game struggled to get on track due to widespread injuries to their receivers and trying to adjust to new OC Todd Downing's scheme, Henry was forced to shoulder the brunt of the offensive burden and per usual, he was handling that daunting  responsibility like it a champion. He put up a preposterous 1,091 scrimmage YDS (937 rushing, 154 receiving and 10 TD's on 237 touches during his time on the field this season-which is particularly incredible since 2 of those games featured him receiving a much smaller workload than usual on account of gameflow (their Week 1 blowout loss to the Cardinals) and the foot injury that ultimately cost him his season (Week 8 against the Colts). No player in the league impacted the game on a weekly basis like Henry did in 2021 and his presence will be sorely missed the rest of the way.   

Top Offensive Player: Derrick Henry (Titans)

It may be lazy to pick Henry to for both honors he's eligible for, but look at what the other current MVP candidates have done in comparison. Matthew Stafford just imploded in primetime versus the first real opponent he's faced in about a month, Tom Brady is propping up his multiple dud outings (Patriots, Saints, Rams) with explosions against bad defenses (Falcons, Dolphins) and Dak Prescott has missed time and happens to be coming off the worst game he played this season. Henry just doesn't have those type of flaws on his 2021 season resume. Plus, it only seems right to double up now since he's effectively disqualified from winning any year-end awards.  

Top Defensive Player: Myles Garrett (Browns)

Could this finally be Garrett's time to seize Defensive Player of the Year? If he keeps playing at his current level, it seems like a very strong possibility. The dominant edge rusher has survived a rash of injuries to his defensive running mates that have brought him even more attention from opposing offenses to put up a league-leading 12 sacks -which is just 1.5 shy of his career high set back in 2018 and 33 tackles through 9 games. 

Top Offensive Rookie: Ja'Marr Chase (Bengals)

I think it's safe to say that Chase's brutal training camp and preseason performance was either a fluke or just an elaborate ruse designed to cool off the significant hype that surrounded the LSU product during the draft. Chase has been a revelation for a Bengals offense that had lacked a versatile playmaking piece in the passing game despite having a talented receiver room for years now and his home run hitting ability from all levels of the field has made Joe Burrow's return from a torn ACL go a lot smoother than expected thus far.

Top Defensive Rookie: Micah Parsons (Cowboys)

An injury to Browns linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah has effectively made this a one-horse race. Parsons is the only defensive rookie to score major playing time and consistently make standout plays all season long.

Top Coach: Kliff Kingsbury (Cardinals)

While I'm still not convinced that Kingsbury is a good coach or that the Cardinals can be taken seriously as contenders, it's hard not to be impressed by what his team has done this season. Several of their young players (Byron Murphy, Isaiah Simmons, Jalen Thompson) have taken notable steps forward, they've overcome some real adversity with key injuries on both sides of the ball-especially during last week's blowout win over the 49ers and they've popped a few of the league's best teams (Rams, Titans, Browns) during their path to a league-best 8-1 record. 

Top Comeback Player: Dak Prescott (Cowboys) 

Before last week's disaster against the Broncos and his absence the prior week against the Vikings, Prescott was among the early frontrunners for MVP. Just a year removed from the now infamous brutal ankle injury he suffered in October 2020, Prescott looked as sharp and decisive as ever under center as he led the Cowboys to an impressive 5-1 start. We'll find out before too long if last week's dud was just a speed bump in an otherwise incredible comeback campaign or the first chapter of a tragic post-Bye week decline for America's Team. 

All-Pro Team

Quarterback

1st team: Matthew Stafford (Rams)

2nd team: Tom Brady (Buccaneers)

Running Back

1st team: Derrick Henry (Titans), Jonathan Taylor (Colts)

2nd team: Ezekiel Elliott (Cowboys), Nick Chubb (Browns)

Wide Receiver 

1st team: Cooper Kupp (Rams), Davante Adams (Packers)

2nd team: Ja'marr Chase (Bengals), Deebo Samuel (49ers)

Tight End

1st team: Mark Andrews (Ravens)

2nd team: Travis Kelce (Chiefs)

Tackle

1st team: Trent Williams (49ers), Ryan Ramcyzk (Saints)

2nd team: Rashawn Slater (Chargers), David Quassenberry (Titans)

Guard

1st team: Zach Martin (Cowboys), Joel Bitonio (Browns)

2nd team: Ali Marpet (Buccaneers), Wyatt Teller (Browns)

Center

1st team: Creed Humphrey (Chiefs)

2nd team: Jason Kelce (Eagles)

Defensive End

1st team: Myles Garrett (Browns), Maxx Crosby (Raiders)

2nd team: Cameron Heyward (Steelers), Nick Bosa (49ers)

Defensive Tackle

1st team: Aaron Donald (Rams), Kenny Clark (Packers)

2nd team: Jonathan Allen (Football Team), Vita Vea (Buccaneers)

Inside Linebacker

1st team: Eric Kendricks (Vikings), De'Vondre Campbell (Packers)

2nd team: Demario Davis (Saints), Bobby Wagner (Seahawks)

Outside Linebacker

1st team: T.J. Watt (Steelers), Matthew Judon (Patriots)

2nd team: Darious Leonard (Colts), Chandler Jones (Cardinals)

Cornerback

1st team: Casey Hayward (Raiders), Jalen Ramsey (Rams)

2nd team: A.J. Terrell (Falcons), Darius Slay (Eagles)

Safety

1st team: Kevin Byard (Titans), Jordan Poyer (Bills)

2nd team: Marcus Williams (Saints), Antoine Winfield Jr. (Buccaneers)

Kicker

1st team: Justin Tucker (Ravens)

2nd team: Tyler Bass (Bills)

Punter

1st team: Corey Bojorquez (Packers) 

2nd team: A.J. Cole (Raiders)

Playoff Predictions:

AFC:

1.Ravens

2.Titans

3.Bills

4.Chargers

5.Steelers

6.Patriots

7.Chiefs

Wild Card:

Titans over Chiefs

Bills over Patriots

Steelers over Chargers

Divisional Round:

Ravens over Steelers

Titans over Bills

Conference Championship:

Titans over Ravens

NFC:

1.Buccaneers 

2.Cardinals

3.Cowboys

4.Packers

5.Rams

6.Saints

7.Seahawks

Wild Card:

Seahawks over Cardinals

Cowboys over Saints

Packers over Rams

Divisional Round:

Buccaneers over Seahawks

Packers over Cowboys

Conference Championship:

Buccaneers over Packers

Super Bowl:

Buccaneers over Titans 

Ryan Reynolds Ranked

Welcome to "Ranked"-where I rank a franchise or filmography from worst to best and hand out related accolades. This week, I'm profiling the work of Ryan Reynolds-whose latest project "Red Notice" hits Netflix on Friday.

Ryan Reynolds' Filmography Ranked:

29.Criminal (D)

28.The Voices (D)

27.Green Lantern (C)

26.Self/Less (C)

25.Detective Pikachu (C)

24.The Change-Up (C+)

23.X-Men Origins: Wolverine (B-)

22.Definitely, Maybe (B-)

21.The Croods (B-)

20.The Croods: A New Age (B-)

19.Life (B-)

18.The Proposal (B-)

17.National Lampoon's Van Wilder (B-)

16.R.I.P.D. (B)

15.Just Friends (B)

14.Adventureland (B)

13.Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard (B)

12.Deadpool (B)

11.Mississppi Grind (B)

10.6 Underground (B)

9.Free Guy (B)

8.The Hitman's Bodyguard (B)

7.Waiting... (B+)

6.Safe House (B+)

5.Deadpool 2 (B+)

4.Buried (B+)

3.Hobbs & Shaw (A-)

2.Smokin' Aces (A)

1.Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle (A)

Top Dog: Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle (2004)

The 2000's stoner comedy boom provided some of the most beloved cult movies (How High, Grandma's Boy, Pineapple Express) of the last 20 years or so and Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle is certainly near the top of that list in terms of quality. The perfectly matched John Cho and Kal Penn instantly made the titular duo a classic buddy pairing and combining an absurdist sense of humor with a road movie plot that organically changes scenery every few minutes leads to plenty of scenes that have huge, unpredictable comedic payoffs.      

Lowlight: Criminal (2016)

Idiotic, boring and completely unwilling to embrace the absurdity of its premise, Criminal very well could be the single most forgettable piece of shit action movie of the 2010's.

Most Underrated: Buried (2010)

Reynolds gets typecast as the smartass action hero so often that it's easy to forget that he has real dramatic acting chops. The completely hidden gem Buried features what remains his finest performance to date as Paul Conroy-an American civilian truck driver working in Iraq who has to fight for his life after he wakes up in a wooden coffin that's slowly filling with sand. Reynolds powerfully conveys the fear, anger and helplessness of a man who is fighting against the clock to survive, and the raw urgency and emotion behind his performance elevates Buried above most other tense, claustrophobic thrillers. 

Most Overrated: Deadpool (2016)

Parts of Deadpool's terrific reputation are well-earned. Wade Wilson/Deadpool is the perfect vessel for Reynolds' gifts as a performer and its blockbuster success gave studios the confidence to greenlight more R-rated superhero projects (including its own excellent sequel). While the heavy lifting done by Reynolds' performance and the comedy value of its meta writing is enough to make the movie work, it can't atone for its boring villain (Ed Skrein's Ajax), mediocre action sequences and a depressingly strict adherence to the standard genre formula that it mocks throughout.

Best Cinematic Bastard Child of Quentin Tarantino: Smokin Aces' (2006)

Making crime movies that employed Tarantino's energetic hyperlink style of storytelling was an all too common move from the late 90's all the way up until about 2010. With its collection of colorfully chaotic characters, bursts of graphic, hyperstylized violence and snark-heavy dialogue, Smokin Aces' can proudly take the title of the film from this era that most authentically replicated the rhythm and flow of a Tarantino project.  

Biggest Missed Opportunity: Detective Pikachu (2019)

At the start, Detective Pikachu positions itself as a pretty fun spoof of noir detective stories that just happens to feature a talking version of Pikachu (Reynolds at his most engaging and charismatic) as its main character. Sadly, that promising setup quickly gives way to a convoluted, largely humorless conspiracy mystery plot that quickly stomps out the goofy charm it had going for it. 

2021 NFL Power Rankings: Week 10

 (Note: Previous Rankings will be discarded for this week since I didn't post any for Week 9)

1.Arizona Cardinals (8-1) Week 10 opponent: Carolina Panthers

2.Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-2) Week 10 opponent: Washington Football Team

3.Tennessee Titans (7-2) Week 10 opponent: New Orleans Saints

4.Los Angeles Rams (7-2) Week 10 opponent: San Francisco 49ers 

5.Baltimore Ravens (6-2) Week 10 opponent: Miami Dolphins 

6.Green Bay Packers (7-2) Week 10 opponent: Seattle Seahawks

7.Dallas Cowboys (6-2) Week 10 opponent: Atlanta Falcons

8.Buffalo Bills (5-3) Week 10 opponent: New York Jets

9.Pittsburgh Steelers (5-3) Week 10 opponent: Detroit Lions

10.New Orleans Saints (5-3) Week 10 opponent: Tennessee Titans

11.Los Angeles Chargers (5-3) Week 10 opponent: Minnesota Vikings

12.Las Vegas Raiders (5-3) Week 10 opponent: Kansas City Chiefs 

13.Cleveland Browns (5-4) Week 10 opponent: New England Patriots

14.New England Patriots (5-4) Week 10 opponent: Cleveland Browns

15.Kansas City Chiefs (5-4) Week 10 opponent: Las Vegas Raiders

16.Denver Broncos (5-4) Week 10 opponent: Philadelphia Eagles

17.Cincinnati Bengals (5-4) Week 10 opponent: Bye

18.Indianapolis Colts (4-5) Week 10 opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars

19.Atlanta Falcons (4-4) Week 10 opponent: Dallas Cowboys 

20.Seattle Seahawks (3-5) Week 10 opponent: Green Bay Packers

21.Minnesota Vikings (3-5) Week 10 opponent: Los Angeles Chargers

22.Carolina Panthers (4-5) Week 10 opponent: Arizona Cardinals

23.San Francisco 49ers (3-5) Week 10 opponent: Los Angeles Rams

24.Chicago Bears (3-6) Week 10 opponent: Bye

25.New York Giants (3-6) Week 10 opponent: Bye

26.Philadelphia Eagles (3-6) Week 10 opponent: Denver Broncos

27.Washington Football Team (2-6) Week 10 opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

28.Miami Dolphins (2-6) Week 10 opponent: Baltimore Ravens

29.Jacksonville Jaguars (2-6) Week 10 opponent: Indianapolis Colts

30.New York Jets (2-6) Week 10 opponent: Buffalo Bills

31.Houston Texans (1-8) Week 10 opponent: Bye

32.Detroit Lions (0-8) Week 10 opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers

Week 9 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers: 2021 Edition

 Quarterback

MVP: Justin Herbert (Chargers)

Herbert got back on track in a big way after a shaky Week 8 performance against the Patriots by continuously dismantling a stingy Eagles defense for 4 quarters (356 YDS/ 2 TD's, 14 Rushing YDS/1 TD, 1 2-PT CNV) in a nice road victory for the Bolts. The 2nd year stud will be a top 5 option in Week 10 when he goes up against a Vikings defense that has really struggled against the pass this year.

Honorable Mentions: Lamar Jackson (Ravens), Carson Wentz (Colts), Matt Ryan (Falcons)

LVP: Josh Allen (Bills)

Allen's performance against the Jaguars on Sunday wasn't just disappointing, it was flat out embarrassing. He played like somebody who thought he could just waltz in and beat a bad team without even breaking a sweat and his terrible statline (264 YDS/0 TD/2 INT, 50 Rushing YDS/FUM Lost) reflects that misplaced cockiness perfectly. As good as Allen has been since the start of last season, he's still very prone to putting up turnover-happy stinkers like this and his owners shouldn't expect that to change anytime soon. 

Dishonorable Mentions: Matthew Stafford (Rams), Jalen Hurts (Eagles), Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs)

Running Back

MVP: James Conner (Cardinals)

Injuries to DeAndre Hopkins, Kyler Murray and his backfield mate Chase Edmonds were apparently all Conner needed to go from an effective goal line back to dual threat superstar. He was the clear focal point of the very shorthanded Cardinals offense in Sunday's surprising blowout victory over the 49ers-posting 173 scrimmage YDS and 3 TD's on 26 touches. With Edmonds being out for at least the next few weeks with a high ankle sprain, Conner will be instantly elevated to weekly RB1 status.

Honorable Mentions: Jonathan Taylor (Colts), Nick Chubb (Browns), Joe Mixon (Bengals)

LVP: Mike Davis (Falcons) 

Even with Calvin Ridley out of the equation indefinitely, Davis just can't seem to get anything going with the Falcons. The journeyman running back turned his 10 touches against the Saints on Sunday into just 18 YDS. While his goal line carries will continue to make him rosterable in 12-team leagues, he shouldn't be started unless his usage starts to change dramatically.

Dishonorable Mentions: Aaron Jones (Packers), Darrell Henderson Jr. (Rams), Khalil Herbert (Bears)

Wide Receiver 

MVP: DeVonta Smith (Eagles)

Just a week removed from a 1 catch/15 YD performance against the lowly Lions, Smith finally put up the breakout performance (5 REC/116 YDS/1 TD) people had been expecting from him for months versus the Chargers on Sunday. Even with Jalen Hurts' predictably unpredictable level of play under center, Smith has a high enough target share to project as a solid WR3 with WR2 upside the rest of the way.

Honorable Mentions: Darnell Mooney (Bears), Justin Jefferson (Vikings), Cordarrelle Patterson (Falcons)

LVP: CeeDee Lamb (Cowboys)

Dak Prescott having his worst game of the season paired with the Broncos secondary playing up to the suffocating level that they're capable of, but have rarely delivered this season made Lamb a complete non-factor (2 REC/23 YDS) in Sunday's brutal loss for the Cowboys. Expect much better results against the Falcons this week.

Dishonorable Mentions: Davante Adams (Packers), Tyreek Hill (Chiefs), Jarvis Landry (Browns)

Tight End

MVP: Pat Friermuth (Steelers)

The legend of Friermuth is really starting to build in Pittsburgh. The rookie tight end made another splash on Monday Night Football last night- hauling in 5 catches for 43 YDS and 2 acrobatic TD's in a narrow victory over the Bears. Given what Friermuth has done over the past couple weeks, it's safe to say that Eric Ebron won't be getting his job back even when he's healthy.

Honorable Mentions: George Kittle (49ers), Travis Kelce (Chiefs), Darren Waller (Raiders)

LVP: Zach Ertz (Cardinals)

The stunning return of James Conner's pass-catching abilities ruined Ertz's chance to be Colt McCoy's top checkdown target-leaving the newest Cardinal to register just 3 catches for 27 YDS against the 49ers. If it's McCoy over Kyler Murray once again this week against the Panthers, Ertz should be left on the bench. 

Dishonorable Mentions: C.J. Uzomah (Bengals), Jonnu Smith (Patriots), Dallas Goedert (Eagles)

Defense/Special Teams

MVP: Patriots

Bill Belichick took advantage of what could very well be his last opportunity to haunt the dreams of Sam Darnold. Belichick's defense picked off Darnold 3 times (1 of which was returned for a TD) and sacked him once in an easy 24-6 win for the Pats over the reeling Panthers. A Browns team that might be without Nick Chubb-who just tested positive for COVID today, but is vaccinated and has a shot to return if he can produce two negative tests by Sunday morning-awaits the Pats next.

Honorable Mentions: Browns, Dolphins, Cardinals

LVP: Saints

Is this Saints defense even really THAT good? They sure as hell didn't make a strong case for their reported dominance on Sunday as they got beat up by a Falcons offense that was coming off a downright pitiful game against the Panthers the previous week-allowing 27 points while registering just 2 sacks and no takeaways. The Saints will attempt to restore honor and respect to their name this week when they face off against a still hard to gauge Derrick Henry-less Titans offense. 

Dishonorable Mentions: Ravens, 49ers, Cowboys 

Movie Review: The French Dispatch

 

What 6 Underground was to Michael Bay, The French Dispatch is to Wes Anderson. The beloved indie auteur is at the point of his career where he has enough cache to do whatever the hell he wants and studios will just let it happen, so why not just do it? Fly some big name actors to Paris (Elisabeth Moss, Henry Winkler, Saoirse Ronan) to play completely inconsequential characters that have no more than a few lines of dialogue? Sure Wes, why not. A lengthy animated sequence depicting a police chase that could've pretty easily been depicted in live action? Done deal. An anthology-style storyline that celebrates eccentric journalists working on their craft AND provides a built-in excuse to hurl as many quirky characters/situations at the screen at once? God damn Wes, you're really going to it do them huh?  

Also just like Bay's 6 Underground, Anderson's comically excessive embrace of his own filmmaking brand leads to something that highlights the most engaging signatures (snarky absurdist one-liners, committed performances, snappy cinematography) and most insufferable elements (forced quirkiness, pretentious storytelling) of his work in equal measure. To put it more plainly: The French Dispatch is the most Wes Anderson movie of all the Wes Anderson movies , which pretty much means that it will be pure cinematic bliss or torture depending on the eyes of the viewer in question.           

Grade: B-

Movie Review: Last Night in Soho

 Ideas of the past are often inherently romantic. There's something really appealing about being able to escape from the problems of today's world and dive into the most idealistic cultural aspects of a bygone era. But is there such a thing of going too FAR with the glamorization of the past? This is the question driving Edgar Wright's Last Night in Soho and at least in the case of the events of the film, the answer is a hard yes.

The alluring nostalgic vessel Wright chooses to explore here is the swinging London nightlife neighborhood of Soho in the 60's. The protagonist Ellie (Thomasin McKenzie in another great lead turn) has become obsessed with this era/location as a way to numb the pain inflicted by her tragic upbringing that included dealing with the death of her mother at a young age and being viewed as a social outcast due to her quiet, awkward demeanor. Ellie finally gets to see what Soho is all about as she heads to the London College of Fashion, but her excitement quickly wains as she is overwhelmed by the vastness of the city and continues to struggle to make friends. Shortly after moving into an apartment off-campus on account of being overwhelmed by the people and activity at her school, Ellie's dreams finally come true as a dormant supernatural gift of hers is awakened that allows her to transport back into 60's Soho during her sleep. These adventures sees her becoming transfixed by the life of nightclub singer Sandy (Anya Taylor-Joy) and her manager turned lover Jack (Matt Smith). After a few nights of being swept away by Sandy's life (and subsequently changing her own look to reflect Sandy's), these magical moments quickly turn into crippling nightmares as Ellie begins to believe that Sandy was murdered by Jack. Thoroughly shaken, Ellie dedicates her entire existence in the present to discover the truth about what happened to Sandy-even if it comes at the expense of her own sanity and safety.

While far from Wright's most accomplished film, Last Night in Soho does provide proof that he's capable of tackling darker material without numbing the palpable giddiness that drives his craft. Wright and co-writer Krysty Wilson-Cairns (1917) penned a solid script that balances the intoxicating glamour driving this colorful era of London with critiques centering around the danger, exploitation, general seediness, etc that was sitting right underneath its posh exterior and a strong coming-of-age character arc for Ellie while the stunning neon cinematography from Chung-hoon Chung fuels this hallucinatory nightmare narrative where reality is questioned nearly step of the way. The actual meat of the time travel-based mystery isn't as strong as the visual pop or delivery of its messaging, but Wright's signature confident energy behind the camera, some clever twists in the final act and ace supporting performances from some of England's most beloved character actors (Terrence Stamp, Rita Tushingham, the late Diana Rigg) that add to the ample misdirection present prevent it from ever spiraling into negative territory. Whether or not all of the smoke and mirrors behind its central mystery will stand up to the scrutiny of the rewatch viewings that have typically elevated Wright's films to the next level remains to be seen, but for now at least Last Night in Soho is a stylish, spellbinding psychological thriller that's easy to get swept away by and hard to forget.

Grade: B+