2019 in Movies: Mid-Year Review

How the hell is it already July? It feels like only a month or two ago I was finishing up my 2018 year-end lists and extensively ripping Roma anytime some poor soul happened to mention the Oscars in my presence. Now that we're six months into 2019, it's time to look back at the best and worst the world of cinema has delivered thus far.

For the most part, 2019's opening act has been quite good. The letdowns and/or complete piles of shit have been minimal, and a handful of titles are strong contenders to not only rank among my favorites of this year, but my place highly on my decade-end best list. While the back half of the calendar doesn't feature an exorbitant amount of titles I'm super excited for, the quality of both the theatrical and streaming releases to-date has me relatively optimistic that the year will close out on a strong note. Below you'll find a list of everything I've seen from January-June ranked from worst to best (w/grades) as well as an array of mid-year awards. Hope you enjoy and as always, I encourage you to share your best/worst of lists in the comment section below.  

41.Arctic (D)
40.Velvet Buzzsaw (D+)
39.Miss Bala (D+)
38.Glass (C-)
37.Pokemon Detective Pikachu (C)
36.The Kid Who Would Be King (C+)
35.Hellboy (C+)
34.Murder Mystery (C+)
33.Serenity (B-)
32.Five Feet Apart (B-)
31.Alita: Battle Angel (B-)
30.Shazam! (B-)
29.Someone Great (B-)
28.The Dead Don't Die (B-)
27.Men in Black: International (B-)
26.Godzilla: King of the Monsters (B-)
25.Fighting with My Family (B)
24.Climax (B)
23.Isn't It Romantic (B)
22.Escape Room (B)
21.The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part (B)
20.Shaft (B)
19.The Dirt (B)
18.The Upside (B)
17.Polar (B)
16.Happy Death Day 2U (B)
15.Captain Marvel (B+)
14.Dark Phoenix (B+)
13.Us (B+)
12.Cold Pursuit (B+)
11.Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (B+)
10.Child's Play (B+)
9.Rocketman (B+)
8.Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened (B+)
7.Triple Frontier (B+)
6.Toy Story 4 (A-)
5.Booksmart (A-)
4.Avengers: Endgame (A-)
3.The Beach Bum (A-)
2.Long Shot (A)
1.John Wick: Chapter 3-Parabellum (A)

Haven't seen yet, but plan to watch in the future:
A Vigilante
Aladdin
Always Be My Maybe
Anna
Beats
Brightburn
Captive State
Donnybrook
Dragged Across Concrete
El Chicano
Family
Gloria Bell
Hail Satan?
High Flying Bird
Hotel Mumbai
I Am Mother
Late Night
Little Woods
Lords of Chaos
Ma
Paddleton
Pet Sematary
Replicas
Teen Spirit
The Best of Enemies
The Curse of La Llorona
The Highwaymen
The Hustle
The Last Black Man in San Francisco
The Mustang
The Perfection
Triple Threat
Under the Silver Lake
Unicorn Store 
Wild Rose
Wine Country

Mid-Year Awards:
Best Performance: Matthew McConaughey, The Beach Bum
Best Direction: Chad Stahelski, John Wick: Chapter 3-Parabellum
Best Script: Dan Sterling and Liz Hannah, Long Shot
Best Ensemble: Booksmart
Worst Ensemble: Velvet Buzzsaw
Top Breakout Performance: Billie Lourd, Booksmart
Best Cinematography: George Richmond, Rocketman
Best Score: Michael Abels, Us
Best Visual Effects: Pokémon Detective Pikachu 
Biggest Surprise: Child's Play
Biggest Letdown: Velvet Buzzsaw 
Most Underrated Movie: The Beach Bum
Most Overrated Movie: Shazam!
Best Piece of Overacting: Tom Bateman, Cold Pursuit
Worst Piece of Overacting: Mark Strong, Shazam!
Best Performance in a Bad Movie: James McAvoy, Glass
Worst Performance in a Good Movie: Jude Law, Captain Marvel
Movie I'm Most Excited to See in the Second Half of 2019: Once Upon a Time in... Hollywood 

The Best and Worst of Marisa Tomei

“The Best and Worst of” series chronicles the career highlights and lowlights of an actor starring in one of the week's new theatrical releases. This week, I take a look at the filmography of “Spider-Man: Far from Home” star Marisa Tomei.

Films starring Marisa Tomei that I've seen:
My Cousin Vinny 
Four Rooms
In the Bedroom
Anger Management 
Wild Hogs 
The Wrestler
Cyrus
The Lincoln Lawyer
Crazy, Stupid, Love
The Ides of March
Trainwreck
The Big Short
Captain America: Civil War
Spider-Man: Homecoming
The First Purge

Best Performance: The Wrestler (2008)
The Wrestler is unquestionably anchored by Mickey Rourke's performance as emotionally-and-physically broken wrestler Randy "The Ram" Robinson. Even though she picked up an Oscar nomination for the part, I think Tomei's contributions to this masterful character study are underappreciated. Her uncompromising turn as Cassidy, a stripper who develops a bond with Ram in part because of their shared status as "has-beens" in their respective professions, raises the emotional stakes of the film and helps make the conclusion even more gut-wrenching  

Worst Performance: Wild Hogs (2007)
Even those who are fortunate enough to act for a living appear to hate their jobs from time to time. Tomei is rocking a look here that alternates between being perplexed and ashamed-which is a natural reaction to have when you're an Oscar winner starring in the movie equivalent of a bad CBS sitcom.

Best Film: The Wrestler (2008)
Mostly known for being a provocative filmmaker that puts audiences in a mental vice grip, a grounded human drama like The Wrestler marked a huge departure for Darren Aronofsky. This raw character study centered around an aging wrestler (Mickey Rourke) who is struggling to cope with his failing health, fading fame and lack of finances allowed him to show a different side of his visceral directorial style. His no-holds-barred storytelling style creates this thorough understanding of the immense emotional and physical suffering wrestlers go through to keep their careers going as well as the struggles with human connection that develop from living such an isolated lifestyle. I believe The Wrestler is every bit as good, if not better than his most acclaimed pieces of mindfuckery (Requiem for a Dream, Black Swan, Pi), and would love to see him make another grounded human drama at some point.

Worst Film: Wild Hogs (2007) 
Middle aged suburbanites embarking on a cross country motorcycle trip full of crotch kicks, heated confrontations with a real biker gang and William H. Macy getting repeatedly humiliated didn't exactly make for comedy gold. While it never reaches the level of ineptitude or obnoxiousness as some other movies its stars have appeared in (Be Cool, Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son, Lucky Numbers) the yucks and entertainment value are still very minimal.

Thank you for reading this week's edition of “The Best and Worst of”. The next victim of my praise and ire will be “Crawl” star Kaya Scodelario. 

2019 NBA Free Agency: Top 10 Players Available

The legal tampering period for NBA free agency officially starts on Sunday at 6:00 PM EST. Here are the 10 guys that I believe are the biggest available prizes in this star-filled class.

10.Al Horford, power forward/center (2018-19 team: Boston Celtics)
While his middling (13-15 PPG) scoring output earned him some detractors during his 3 year stint with the Celtics, Horford is an exceptional passer, rim protector and locker room presence that should be able to carve out a key role on a contending team.
Possible Destinations: Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, New Orleans Pelicans, Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets, Golden State Warriors

9.Nikola Vucevic, center (2018-19 team: Orlando Magic)
The long unheralded Vucevic finally got to bask in the glory of some national attention after making the 1st All-Star and playoff appearances of his 8-year NBA career last season. Now he'll look to parlay that newfound respect into the 1st big payday of his career. The 28-year old has averaged a double double in 5 of the past 7 seasons (including a career-best 20.8 PPG and 12.0 RPG last season) and has the floor-stretching capabilities teams covet in a big in this perimeter-driven era of the NBA, so a $100 mil+ deal seems likely.
Possible Destinations: Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Mavericks, New Orleans Pelicans, Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, Sacramento Kings  

8.Tobias Harris, small/power forward (2018-19 teams: Los Angeles Clippers/Philadelphia 76ers)
Harris kind of flew under the radar following a mid-season trade to the 76ers, but make no mistake-this guy is an explosive, well-rounded offensive presence that is on the cusp of entering his prime.
Possible Destinations: Philadelphia 76ers, Indiana Pacers, Brooklyn Nets, Utah Jazz, Denver Nuggets, Atlanta Hawks  

7.Khris Middleton, shooting guard/small forward (2018-19 teams: Milwaukee Bucks)
Is Middleton likely to remain in Milwaukee? Without question. However, Middleton's lethal outside shooting, consistency as a secondary scorer and respectable defense will make him a desirable option for any team that's looking to bring in a high-end running mate for an established star.
Possible Destinations: Milwaukee Bucks, Indiana Pacers, Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, Denver Nuggets, Utah Jazz  

6.Jimmy Butler, small forward (2018-19 teams: Minnesota Timberwolves/Philadelphia 76ers)
His now infamous tenure with the Timberwolves demonstrated just how cancerous of a locker room presence Butler can be when things aren't going great on the court, but his status as a hard-nosed wing that makes valuable contributions on both ends of the floor is enough to overshadow the comical lack of maturity he's shown when faced with adversity. The losers of the Kawhi Leonard sweepstakes are all likely to make a hard push for the 4x All-Star .
Possible Destinations: Philadelphia 76ers, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Clippers, Brooklyn Nets, New York Knicks,  Indiana Pacers, Atlanta Hawks 

5.Kevin Durant, small/power forward (2018-19 team: Golden State Warriors)
Oh how a serious injury can change the long term outlook for an athlete. The dominant forward was set to be the most coveted free agency asset this summer as recently as the beginning of this month. After suffering an Achilles injury in Game 5 of the NBA Finals that's going to keep him out until at least the start of the 2020-21 season, Durant-who will be 32 the next time he steps onto the court-is now a massive flight risk that might not ever be the same. A team that's currently very far removed from winning a title as currently constructed like the Nets or Knicks can afford to roll the dice on a player with massive upside, but there's a very real chance that whatever max deal Durant ends up signing ends up going down as an all time bad contract.
Possible Destinations: Brooklyn Nets, New York Knicks, Golden State Warriors

4.Klay Thompson, shooting guard (2018-19 team: Golden State Warriors)
An unfortunate injury in the latter stages of the NBA Finals has also put a dent in Thompson's stock, but I'm a lot more optimistic about his chances of returning to full strength in 2020-21 than I am Durant's. Barring some unexpected complications during his rehab from a torn ACL, Thompson's killer instinct, defensive prowess and absurd outside shooting ability should allow him to continue to be a perennial All-Star for the next several years.
Possible Destinations: Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers 

3.Kemba Walker, point guard (2018-19 team: Charlotte Hornets)
Teams in the market for a star point guard this summer have the luxury of choosing between Walker and Kyrie Irving. While he's a couple years older and a less efficient shooter than Irving, Walker's durability and high character paired with only a slight downtick in scoring output (23.6 PPG over the past 3 seasons compared to Irving's 24.4) could make him a more appealing option for a team that wants to prevent a morale-killing melodrama like the one that sunk the 2018-19 Celtics from unfolding in their locker room.
Possible Destinations: Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks, Charlotte Hornets, Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns 

2.Kyrie Irving, point guard (2018-19 team: Boston Celtics)
As long as you can deal with his erratic personality and don't anoint him as a leader in the locker room, Irving will be a fantastic addition to a roster. He's proven to be an absolute assassin in crunch time over the years and his ability to create his own shot is pretty much unparalleled in the league right now.  
Possible Destinations: Brooklyn Nets, New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers 

1.Kawhi Leonard, small forward (2018-19 team: Toronto Raptors)
After an ugly 2017-18 campaign with the Spurs where he shut himself down for the year after appearing in just 9 games, Leonard spent 2018-19 reminding everyone why he is arguably the most complete player in the league right now. With the Warriors dynasty on the brink of collapsing, his decision to stay in Toronto after winning a title or go elsewhere to start a new superteam could ultimately be what decides who ends up sitting atop the NBA's currently vacant throne for at least the next 3-5 years.
Possible Destinations: Toronto Raptors, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Brooklyn Nets, New York Knicks 

Other Notable Free Agents (* indicates a restricted free agent):
Al-Farouq Aminu, small/power forward (2018-19 team: Portland Trail Blazers)
Alec Burks, shooting guard (2018-19 teams: Cleveland Cavaliers/Sacramento Kings)
Amir Johnson, power forward (2018-19 team: Philadelphia 76ers)
Anthony Tolliver, power forward (2018-19 team: Minnesota Timberwolves)
Austin Rivers, point guard (2018-19 teams: Washington Wizards/Houston Rockets)
Boban Marjonovic, center (2018-19 teams: Los Angeles Clippers/Philadelphia 76ers)
Bobby Portis*, power forward (2018-19 teams: Chicago Bulls/Washington Wizards)
Bojan Bogdanovic, small forward (2018-19 team: Indiana Pacers)
Brook Lopez, center (2018-19 team: Milwaukee Bucks)
Carmelo Anthony, small forward (2018-19 team: Houston Rockets)
Cory Joseph, point guard (2018-19 team: Indiana Pacers)
D'Angelo Russell*, point guard (2018-19 team: Brooklyn Nets)
Daniel Theis, power forward/center (2018-19 team: Boston Celtics)
Danny Green, shooting guard (2018-19 team: Toronto Raptors)
Darren Collison, point guard (2018-19 team: Indiana Pacers)
DeAndre Jordan, center (2018-19 teams: Dallas Mavericks/New York Knicks)
Delon Wright*, point guard (2018-19 teams: Toronto Raptors/Memphis Grizzlies)
DeMarcus Cousins, center (2018-19 team: Golden State Warriors)
DeMarre Carroll, small forward (2018-19 team: Brooklyn Nets)
Derrick Rose, point guard (2018-19 team: Minnesota Timberwolves)
Dewayne Dedmon, center (2018-19 team: Atlanta Hawks)
Dragan Bender*, power forward/center (2018-19 team: Phoenix Suns)
Ed Davis, power forward/center (2018-19 team: Brooklyn Nets)
Elfrid Payton, point guard (2018-19 team: New Orleans Pelicans)
Emmanuel Mudiay, point guard (2018-19 team: New York Knicks)
Enes Kanter, center (2018-19 teams: New York Knicks/Portland Trail Blazers)
Frank Kaminsky*, power forward/center (2018-19 team: Charlotte Hornets)
Garrett Temple, shooting guard/small forward (2018-19 teams: Memphis Grizzlies/Los Angeles Clippers)
Gerald Green, shooting guard (2018-19 team: Houston Rockets)
Greg Monroe, power forward (2018-19 teams: Toronto Raptors/Boston Celtics/Philadelphia 76ers)
Jeremy Lin, point guard (2018-19 teams: Atlanta Hawks/Toronto Raptors)
Harrison Barnes, small forward (2018-19 team: Sacramento Kings)
Iman Shumpert, shooting guard (2018-19 teams: Sacramento Kings/Houston Rockets)
Isaiah Thomas, point guard (2018-19 team: Denver Nuggets)
Ish Smith, point guard (2018-19 team: Detroit Pistons)
Ivica Zubac*, center (2018-19 teams: Los Angeles Lakers/Clippers)
J.J Barea, point guard (2018-19 team: Dallas Mavericks)
J.J. Redick, shooting guard (2018-19 team: Philadelphia 76ers)
Jabari Parker, small/power forward (2018-19 teams: Chicago Bulls/Washington Wizards)
Jamal Crawford, shooting guard (2018-19 team: Phoenix Suns)
James Ennis, small forward (2018-19 teams: Houston Rockets/Philadelphia 76ers)
JaMychal Green, power forward (2018-19 teams: Memphis Grizzlies/Los Angeles Clippers)
Jared Dudley, small/power forward (2018-19 team: Brooklyn Nets)
Thabo Sefolosha, small forward (2018-19 team: Utah Jazz)
JaVale McGree, center (2018-19 team: Los Angeles Lakers)
Jeff Green., small/power forward (2018-19 team: Washington Wizards)
Jeremy Lamb, shooting guard (2018-19 team: Charlotte Hornets)
Jonas Jerebko, power forward (2018-19 team: Golden State Warriors)
Jonas Valanciunas, center (2018-19 teams: Toronto Raptors/Memphis Grizzlies)
Julius Randle, power forward (2018-19 team: New Orleans Pelicans)
Justin Holiday, shooting guard (2018-19 teams: Chicago Bulls/Memphis Grizzlies)
Kenneth Faried, power forward (2018-19 teams: Brooklyn Nets/Houston Rockets)
Kelly Oubre Jr.*, small forward (2018-19 teams: Washington Wizards/Phoenix Suns)
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, small guard (2018-19 team: Los Angeles Lakers)
Kevon Looney, power forward/center (2018-19 team: Golden State Warriors)
Kristaps Porzingis*, power forward/center (2018-19 teams: New York Knicks/Dallas Mavericks)
Lance Stephenson, shooting guard (2018-19 team: Los Angeles Lakers)
Malcolm Brogdon*, point/shooting guard (2018-19 team: Milwaukee Bucks)
Marcus Morris, small/power forward (2018-19 team: Boston Celtics)
Mario Hezonja, small forward (2018-19 team: New York Knicks)
Markieff Morris, power forward (2018-19 teams: Washington Wizards/Oklahoma City Thunder)
Mike Muscala, power forward/center (2018-19 teams: Philadelphia 76ers/Los Angeles Lakers)
Mike Scott, power forward (2018-19 teams: Los Angeles Clippers/Philadelphia 76ers)
Nik Stauskas, shooting guard (2018-19 teams: Portland Trail Blazers/Cleveland Cavaliers)
Nikola Mirotic, power forward (2018-19 teams: New Orleans Pelicans/Milwaukee Bucks)
Noah Vonleh, power forward/center (2018-19 team: New York Knicks)
Patrick Beverley, point guard (2018-19 team: Los Angeles Clippers)
Rajon Rondo, point guard (2018-19 team: Los Angeles Lakers)
Reggie Bullock, shooting guard (2018-19 teams: Detroit Pistons/Los Angeles Lakers)
Richaun Holmes, power forward/center (2018-19 team: Phoenix Suns)
Ricky Rubio, point guard (2018-19 team: Utah Jazz)
Robin Lopez, center (2018-19 team: Chicago Bulls)
Rodney Hood, shooting guard (2018-19 teams: Cleveland Cavaliers/Portland Trail Blazers)
Rodney McGruder*, shooting guard (2018-19 teams: Miami Heat/Los Angeles Clippers)
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, small forward (2018-19 team: Brooklyn Nets)
Rudy Gay, small forward (2018-19 team: San Antonio Spurs)
Salah Mejri, center (2018-19 team: Dallas Mavericks)
Seth Curry, shooting guard (2018-19 team: Portland Trail Blazers)
Shabazz Napier, point guard (2018-19 team: Brooklyn Nets)
Stanley Johnson*, small forward (2018-19 team: Detroit Pistons)
T.J. McConnell, point guard (2018-19 team: Philadelphia 76ers)
Taj Gibson, power forward (2018-19 team: Minnesota Timberwolves)
Terrence Ross, shooting guard (2018-19 team: Orlando Magic)
Terry Rozier*, point guard (2018-19 team: Boston Celtics)
Thaddeus Young, power forward (2018-19 team: Indiana Pacers)
Thomas Bryant*, power forward/center (2018-19 team: Washington Wizards)
Tomas Satoransky*, point/shooting guard (2018-19 team: Washington Wizards)
Trevor Ariza, small forward (2018-19 teams: Phoenix Suns/Washington Wizards)
Trey Lyles*, power forward (2018-19 team: Denver Nuggets)
Tyus Jones*, point guard (2018-19 team: Minnesota Timberwolves)
Vince Carter, shooting guard/small forward (2018-19 team: Atlanta Hawks)
Wayne Ellington, shooting guard (2018-19 teams: Miami Heat/Detroit Pistons)
Wesley Matthews, shooting guard (2018-19 teams: Dallas Mavericks/Indiana Pacers)
Willie Cauley-Stein*, center (2018-19 team: Sacramento Kings)
Wilson Chandler, small forward (2018-19 teams: Philadelphia 76ers/Los Angeles Clippers)
Zaza Pachulia, center (2018-19 team: Detroit Pistons)

2019 NFL Position Rankings: Top 20 Kickers

20.Jason Sanders (Dolphins)
19.Michael Badgley (Chargers)
18.Ryan Succop (Titans)
17.Mason Crosby (Packers)
16.Jake Elliott (Eagles)
15.Steven Hauschka (Bills)
14.Adam Vinatieri (Colts)
13.Graham Gano (Panthers)
12.Harrison Butker (Chiefs)
11.Dustin Hopkins (Redskins)
10.Kai'mi Fairbairn (Texans)
9.Jason Myers (Seahawks)
8.Josh Lambo (Jaguars)
7.Matt Prater (Lions)
6.Aldrick Rosas (Giants)
5.Will Lutz (Saints)
4.Stephen Gostkowski (Patriots)
3.Greg Zuerlein (Rams)
2.Robbie Gould (49ers)
1.Justin Tucker (Ravens)

2019 NFL Position Rankings: Top 50 Safeties

50.Justin Simmons (Broncos)
49.Tedric Thompson (Seahawks)
48.Xavier Woods (Cowboys)
47.Clayton Geathers (Colts)
46.Justin Evans (Buccaneers)
45.George Iloka (Cowboys)
44.Morgan Burnett (Browns)
43.Eric Berry (Free Agent)
42.Sean Davis (Steelers)
41.Rodney McLeod (Eagles)
40.Antonie Bethea (Giants)
39.Eric Reid (Panthers)
38.Duron Harmon (Patriots)
37.Shawn Williams (Bengals)
36.Justin Reid (Texans)
35.Jordan Poyer (Bills)
34.Patrick Chung (Patriots)
33.Quandre Diggs (Lions)
32.Damarious Randall (Browns)
31.Karl Joseph (Raiders)
30.Vonn Bell (Saints)
29.Ricardo Allen (Falcons)
28.Bradley McDougald (Seahawks)
27.Tashaun Gibson (Texans)
26.Jabrill Peppers (Giants)
25.Malik Hooker (Colts)
24.Andrew Sendejo (Eagles)
23.Marcus Williams (Saints)
22.Jessie Bates (Bengals)
21.Keanu Neal (Falcons)
20.Marcus Maye (Jets)
19.HaHa Clinton-Dix (Bears)
18.D.J. Swearinger (Cardinals)
17.Tony Jefferson (Ravens)
16.Lamarcus Joyner (Raiders)
15.Landon Collins (Redskins)
14.Tyrann Mathieu (Chiefs)
13.Derwin James (Chargers)
12.Malcolm Jenkins (Eagles)
11.John Johnson III (Rams)
10.Reshad Jones (Dolphins)
9.Micah Hyde (Bills)
8.Adrian Amos (Packers)
7.Devin McCourty (Patriots)
6.Jamal Adams (Jets)
5.Eddie Jackson (Bears)
4.Kevin Byard (Titans)
3.Eric Weddle (Rams)
2.Earl Thomas (Ravens)
1.Harrison Smith (Vikings)

The Best and Worst of Kate McKinnon

“The Best and Worst of” series chronicles the career highlights and lowlights of an actor starring in one of the week's new theatrical releases. This week, I take a look at the filmography of “Yesterday” star Kate McKinnon.

Films starring Kate McKinnon that I've seen:
Life Partners
Sisters
Finding Dory
Ghostbusters
Masterminds
Office Christmas Party
Rough Night
The Spy Who Dumped Me

Best Performance: Rough Night (2017)
While poor box office numbers have prevented the Saturday Night Live star's big screen breakout from happening, McKinnon has turned in several sensational performances thus far. Out of this bunch of standout work, her turn in Rough Night has a slight edge over the rest of the pack. Even among a great comedic cast (Jillian Bell, Ilana Glazer, Zoe Kravitz, Paul W. Downs, Eric Andre, Bo Burnham, Ty Burrell, Demi Moore), McKinnon's frenzied energy, ace timing and unreal commitment to selling every joke allows her to be the MVP of every scene she appears in.  

Worst Performance: N/A
Her relatively short list of credits may be part of the reason for her spotless acting record thus far, but I think it's more indictive of her rare gifts. McKinnon is the type of effortlessly funny, immensely dedicated performer who enhances the quality of a project simply by being there. Nearly everything that comes out of her mouth generates a smirk, chuckle or hysterical laughing fit-which makes her a powerhouse presence that commands attention at all times.

Best Film: Rough Night (2017)
Rough Night got a raw deal from the jump. This black comedy from Broad City mainstays Lucia Aniello and Paul W. Downs was unfairly compared to 1998's Very Bad Things due to its plot centered around the accidental death of a stripper at a bachelorette party-making it a popular target for criticism from people throughout the moviegoing community. Personally, I thought it was a near-consistently hilarious ride that deserves to go down as one of this decade's most underrated comedies. Its clever morbid humor, pitch perfect ensemble cast and flashes of since sentimentality underneath all of the absurd hijinks that drive the story make Rough Night a memorable raunchfest.

Worst Film: Life Partners (2014)
A base level of competency in the acting/directing department and rare representation of a close friendship between straight and gay characters can't save Life Partners from a being a middling indie romantic dramedy. Poor writing that is too reliant on contrived obstacles breaking up the relationship between the protagonists (Gillian Jacobs, Leighton Meester) and failed attempts to pull at the heartstrings crushes any chance Life Partners has of finding its footing.

Thank you for reading this week's edition of “The Best and Worst of”. The next victim of my praise and ire will be “Spider-Man: Far from Home” star Marisa Tomei. 

Concert Review: August Burns Red-- Boston, MA-- June 21st, 2019

Lineup: August Burns Red/Silverstein/Silent Planet ("Ten Years of Constellations Tour")
Venue: House of Blues, Boston, MA

Silent Planet: In a metalcore scene that isn't exactly loaded with excitement at the moment, LA's Silent Planet has made waves with a distinct sound that combines elements from all over the musical spectrum. There's gloomy atmospheric sections, ultra-technical spazzouts and of course, some soaring melodic hooks. Not all of it clicks (particularly vocally-where polarizing styles like spoken word and pseudo-rapping play a big part in frontman Garrett Russell's arsenal), but their experimentation and overall talent definitely commands attention. My respect for them only went up after seeing them live for the first time last night. Russell is a tremendous perfomer that brings an old-school DIY hardcore sensibility to the stage by jumping into the crowd or handing the mic to a fan to scream the words at every possible turn and some of the more emotional passages that left me cold on record are much more resonant when you get to see just how personal those lyrics are to Russell. Silent Planet is a terrific live act and I expect them to continue to rise up the metalcore ranks over the next few years.
  
Silverstein: The previous time I saw post-hardcore/emo act Silverstein play with August Burns Red on the Leveler tour in February 2012, I thought their live show was among the shittiest things that had ever graced my ears. 19-year old edgelord me was still harboring a baseless grudge that had formed sometime around when they first blew up in 2005 or 06 and silently mocked them the entire time they were stage. Now that those "lol I'm too extreme for this poppy shit" days are well behind me, I actually enjoyed Silverstein's set quite a bit. They had the cohesion and assured stage presence you'd expect from a seasoned act, a lot of the songs they played were pretty catchy and the crowd was popping off the entire time they were on stage. Apologies to these fine Canadians for illogically hating on them for such a long time.

August Burns Red: Anniversary tours might be favorite trend in music right now. Nostalgic sentimentality paired with getting to hear a bunch of songs that an artist never or rarely plays during a normal set is a beautiful combination that makes for fun-ass concert experiences. August Burns Red's 2009 LP Constellations is easily one of the finest albums in their impressive catalog and the majesty of this record was fully on display last night. With its dense songwriting, seamless transitions from track to track and expertly-deployed breakdowns, Constellations is a powerful, triumphant piece of work that displays all of the technical craftsmanship and raw emotion that has allowed August Burns Red to become one of modern metal's most popular acts. Getting the opportunity to see it performed from front to back only reaffirmed the deep-rooted love I have for this metalcore classic as well as reminded me of the greatness of some songs that I hadn't paid attention to as much in recent years ("Ocean of Apathy", "Rationalist", "Crusades").    

The only problems with their set stemmed from my dumb ass not accounting for the fact that the pits were essentially guaranteed to span the entire front of the floor. As a result of this inexplicable oversight, I ended up getting boxed into a corner for the first quarter of the set. By the time I freed myself from the confines of this overcrowded mosh prison, I had to settle for a garbage spot by ABR's merch table that rendered a decent amount of Jake Luhrs' vocals inaudible (although the  drums and guitars sounded amazing from there). While these self-inflicted problems could've been easily avoided if I had just left the killzone before they started playing, it did nonetheless put a bit of a damper on the evening. Basically if you're a frail person who gets annoyed by getting pressed into a railing for a significant period of time, stay out of the front. Otherwise, you'll more than likely have a fantastic time when this tour comes through your city.

Grades:
Silent Planet: B+
Silverstein: B
August Burns Red: B+

Setlists:
Silent Planet:
The New Eternity
Orphan
Panic Room
Native Blood
XX (City Grave)
Psychescape
Afterdusk
Depths II

Silverstein:
Retrograde
Whiplash
Smashed into Pieces
Vices
Smile in Your Sleep
A Midwestern State of Emergency
Ghost
Massachusetts
I Will Illuminate
My Heroine
The Afterglow

August Burns Red:
Thirty and Seven
Existence
Ocean of Apathy
White Washed
Mariana's Trench
The Escape Artist
Indonesia
Paradox
Meridian
Rationalist
Meddler
Crusades

Encore:
Dual Drum Solo (Matt Greiner and Dustin Davidson)
Ghosts
Invisible Enemy
Empire
Composure