2012 NFL Season Recap: AFC North

My preseason predictions:

1.Baltimore Ravens (12-4)
2.Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6)
3.Cincinnati Bengals (9-7)
4.Cleveland Browns (4-12)

Final Standings:

1.Baltimore Ravens (10-6)

2.Cincinnati Bengals (10-6)

3.Pittsburgh Steelers (8-8)

4.Cleveland Browns (5-11)

 

Baltimore Ravens: 2012 has been a strange year for the Baltimore Ravens. Early season they looked great blowing out the Bengals picking up in the season opener and a clutch victory over the Patriots. Recently, they had been playing very underwhelming football with three straight losses to the Charlie Batch-lead Steelers, Redskins, and Broncos before rallying in week 16 to blowout the Giants and break the negative direction they were headed in. This pretty sums up the 2012 season for the Ravens, You never know what your going to get with them. The offense, in particular, had some problems. Joe Flacco is one of the spottiest quarterbacks in the NFL. At times, he looks elite and seems like a guy that could lead them to a title. At other times, he looks like a flustered mess who shouldn't even be playing football on the professional level. Superstar running back Ray Rice looked good most of the year, but he even had a slightly off-year with his lowest overall yard total since he became the starter in 2009. The defense survived huge season-ending injuries to linebacker and emotional leader Ray Lewis and cornerback LeDarius Webb and manged to hang in there. This isn't the same dominant defense of just a few years ago, but the Ravens still have a pretty decent amount of talent and they can make stops when they need to. Baltimore wasn't quite as good this year was they were during their 2011 campaign that led them to the AFC Championship Game, but this is still a talented team who is amongst the best in the AFC.

Cincinnati Bengals: 2012 was almost a mirroring season to 2011 for the Bengals. They made a late surge and are once again headed to the playoffs. Second-year quarterback/wide receiver pair Andy Dalton and A.J Green continue to progress. Green was absolutely lights out all season and even with only two years under his belt, Green has already proven to be one of the most explosive, reliable, and just plain best wide receivers in the league. When an elite veteran talent like Brandon Marshall says he watches your game film to try and better himself, you know you are a special player. Dalton is showing a lot more confidence at quarterback and bested his impressive rookie season in almost ever stat category. As long as Dalton and Green continue to progress, The Bengals will be annual contenders. The Bengals also benefited from a solid year from new running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis. Green-Ellis proved to be than up to challenge at being the feature back in his first year with the Bengals. The X-factor for the Bengals was the play of their defense, especially in latter stages of the season. Geno Atkins was an absolute beast. I mean seriously what interior lineman gets 12.5 sacks in a season? That's unheard of. Carlos Dunlap and Michael Johnson were also effective pass rushers and Rey Malaluga and rookie Vontaze Burfict played very well at linebacker rounding out their dangerous front 7. The Bengals continue to get better and they should be a perennial playoff team if they keep up this level of play.

Cleveland Browns:Another year, another losing season for the Browns. This team just doesn't really have much going for it and they really did best they could with the roster they had. I completely agree with the firing of general manager Tom Heckert, but I think it's really unfair that head coach Pat Shurmer got fired. Shurmer gave it his all with a weak roster and he really is not accountable for their lack of success. As expected, Trent Richardson was pretty much the lone bright spot. Even with a slightly disappointing rookie season and failure to meet the lofty expectations set for him, the offense ran threw him and he is definitely a rising talent with the potential to be a future superstar. Josh Gordon has also given the Browns a legitimate top wideout and came out of nowhere to have a great rookie year. That was about there was all to cheer about in Cleveland this season. Brandon Weeden was passable at quarterback, but he never showcased any type of great talent and the fact that he is a 29-year old rookie means he is all but doomed for the rest of his career. The defense has a few skilled players, but is mostly below average. The Browns are pretty much a broken football team and they need to dump most of their roster if they want to have any type of success in the future.

Pittsburgh Steelers: 2012 was a year to forget for the Steelers. They had a ton of momentum in the middle of the year and looked poised to return to the playoffs yet again, then Ben Rothelisberger got injured against the Chiefs and it all went to hell. They only won once after that game and a bunch of stupid mistakes in close games cost them a playoff spot. Outside of a few stupid choices in the last few games, Rothelisberger had a solid year in 2012 and was one of the main reasons they were in the playoff picture. What killed them was the fact that everyone in the receiving corps besides tight end Heath Miller had a disappointing year. Mike Wallace was effective at times, but had a bunch of key drops and was a non-factor in the last month of the season. Wallace's performance at the end of the year definitely doesn't make a strong case for him being re-signed by the Steelers and they will probably let him hit test the free agency market before making him a big money offer (which he desperately wants.) Antonio Brown did miss some time with injury, but for the most part had a huge dropoff from his breakout 2011 season. Emmanuel Sanders was mediocre throughout the year after being a great third wideout last year. If the Steelers want to win, the receiving corps needs to step up. On the other side of the spectrum, the defense was absolutely outstanding. This team survived injuries to Troy Polamalu, Ike Taylor, James Harrison, and many others and finished as the best overall defense in the league (second against the run and first against the pass.) Finishing as the best defense in the league when you are that banged-up with that many key injuries to key players is nothing short of remarkable. The Steelers were without a doubt the biggest disappointment in the AFC and need to play much better offensively if they want to get back to the playoffs in the future.

2012 NFL Season Recap: AFC East

 My Preseason Predictions:
1.New England Patriots (14-2)
2.New York Jets (10-6)
3.Buffalo Bills (8-8)
4.Miami Dolphins (4-12)

Final Standings
1.New England Patriots (12-4)
2.Miami Dolphins (7-9)
3.Buffalo Bills (6-10)
4.New York Jets (6-10)

Buffalo Bills: The Bills had another year to forget. At least this year they didn't suffer from the epic collapse that derailed their 2011 season. The bad news is that they didn't really have anything to collapse from. Their defense that was supposed to be dominant after signing defensive ends Mario Williams and Mark Anderson in free agency and drafting coveted cornerback Stephon Gilmore in the first round has been wildly inconsistent. Williams got off to a horrible start, but started to come around in mid-October and finished the year with 10.5 sacks. Gilmore has been passable and shown flashes of top-level talent, but he definitely needs more time to grow. Meanwhile Anderson has been pretty much useless only playing in five games and registered only 1 sack. Adding to the inconsistency has been the play of quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick started the year off pretty well, but some severe duds in middle of the season led to some super conservative playcalling in order to try to limit his turnovers which has made their offense pretty stagnant. Fitzpatrick has talent, he just needs the right coaching to work on his turnover problems. One of the few bright spots for the Bills this season has been the emergence of running back C.J Spiller. Spiller has been dominant all season and made up for the absence of Fred Jackson (who was injury-plagued all season.). Next season when Jackson returns and can stay healthy , The Spiller/Jackson tandem could be the most lethal two-back system in the league. Star wideout Stevie Johnson also managed have another good year despite Fitzpatrick's inconsistent play. The Bills are definitely a work in progress. They have some talent to work with, They just need to play a consistent level and a head coach that can inspire confidence in his players.

Miami Dolphins:The Dolphins had a far better season than I expected this year. They were never dominant, but they quietly had a pretty decent season. Their secondary needs some improvement, but other than that they had a top 10 run defense and have a consistently effective pass rush. Cameron Wake had another Pro Bowl season and proved once again he is the most underrated defensive player in the NFL. Offensively they didn't make a lot of noise, but were still able to move the ball. Reggie Bush finished just shy of a 1,000 yard season and Daniel Thomas has emerged as a solid third down back that can score in the red zone. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill didn't put huge numbers in his rookie year, but he didn't make a whole lot of mistakes and he's been serviceable all year. He's established a nice chemistry with Brian Hartline and Anthony Fasano and he has some mobility that allows to him contribute with his feet from time to time in addition to his arm. Tannehill should continue to grow and he has the tools to be a solid, albeit not superstar quarterback in the league for a long time. Miami isn't flashy and there are only a few great players on the roster, but head coach Joe Phillbin has this team headed in the right direction.

New England Patriots: Not Surprising: The Patriots won the division easily and are once again in the hunt for a title. Surprising: The Patriots have more of an identity crisis than ever before. The Patriots certainly were dominant at times (their beatdowns against the Bills and Jets on the road and most impressively, their blowout victory against the AFC-leading Texans on Monday Night Football.) At other times, you didn't know if you were watching a team coached by Bill Belicheck with Tom Brady under center (their blunder-filled loss to the Cardinals in Week 2 and pathetic narrow victory over the Jaguars last week.) Even with the uncharacteristic poor play and coaching at times, The Patriots still had a great season. Their offense was overwhelmingly dominant as always. Rob Gronkowski was an unstoppable force before suffering a broken forearm against the Colts that sidelined for the rest of the regular season, Wes Welker started off a bit slow, but ended up anchoring the receiving corps as usual, and Aaron Hernandez has stepped up big time in Gronkowski's absence after return from an injury himself. Keep in mind that all this was happening while Tom Brady is having an underwhelming year (from Tom Brady's standpoint that is.) The surprise this year for the Patriots is the emergence of Stevan Ridley as a legitimate running back. The Patriots haven't been able to run the ball like this since Corey Dillon retired. He makes the Patriots more dangerous now that they can actually run the ball for the first time in years. The biggest improvement on this team though is clearly the defense. Their run defense has played pretty well all year and a lot of players have made a big impact. Rookie defensive end Chandler Jones has given them their first elite pass-rusher since Richard Seymour was traded to Oakland after the 2008 season. Making just as big of impact has been the position changes of Rob Ninkovich and Devin McCourty. Moving Ninkovich from outside linebacker to defensive end was a brilliant decision. Ninkovich explodes off the edge and has been far more effective as well become a big playmaker since moving to end. McCourty has actually found a bit of a groove since being moved from cornerback (where he was arguably the worst in the league) to safety. His speed is more important at safety than his extremely poor coverage skills which has payed dividends for his production and value to the team. Really the only downside to the Patriots this year is their secondary while improved a bit thanks to their mid-season trade for veteran cornerback Aqib Talib and the aformentioned McCourty move to safety can still be pretty easily beaten and the lack of involvement free agent pick-up wide receiver Brandon Lloyd has had in in the offense. With Tom Brady at quarterback you will always be contending for a championship and 2012 was no exception for the New England Patriots.

New York Jets: I don't know why I had so much confidence in this team. They had gotten over their internal problems that derailed their 2011 seasons, they were healthy, and Rex Ryan's confidence and poise coaching this team had me optimistic about their 2012 season. I was horribly wrong. Outside of dominant wins against the Bills in the season opener and the playoff-bound Colts in Week 6, The Jets were for the most part sloppy as all hell for the rest of the season. Pretty much everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. First off, They lost two of their best players, Santonio Holmes and Darrel Revis within the first five weeks of the season to year-ending injuries. Secondly, they completely failed to incorporate Tim Tebow into the offense. Tebow is clearly not a great quarterback, but he is an incredible athlete and could have been very dangerous in the wildcat if he had been properly utilized. Most importantly though, Mark Sanchez played absolutely awful. I was optimistic that Mark Sanchez would get back into his 2009/2010 form when then the Jets went to back-to-back AFC Championship Games, but that didn't even come close to happening. Sanchez did have the unfortunate task of dealing with a group of inexperienced and not particularly dynamic receivers once Santonio Holmes went down in Week 4, but that's still no excuse for how poorly he played. The Jets season was pretty much salvaged by their defense. They still had one of the best passing defenses in the league even without Darrel Revis, which I found to be very impressive. Antonio Cromartie is a shutdown corner and his play has been elevated all year to make for Revis's absence. Laron Landry has also proven to be a worthy pickup making the Jets secondary even better. Amidst their otherwise terrible offensive play, running back Shonn Greene has managed to have a pretty good season getting high volume due to their quarterback woes. Unfortunately for the Jets, the word is that Greene is going to leave in free agency leaving them with the decent, but still unproven Bilal Powell as their starting running back. The Jets are going to have to have a busy off-season if they want compete in the AFC again.

Movie Review: Django Unchained

Quentin Tarantino has done it again. His latest project, Django Unchained, a spaghetti western set in slavery times is his finest work since Kill Bill Vol. 1 and the best film I've seen The Departed.

Django Unchained is about as well-rounded and deep as they come in the world of cinema. It goes from emotionally heavy to disturbing to badass to hilarious at the drop of a hat. Tarantino brilliantly paces this near three-hour film so there is never a dull moment. It's crazy that Django Unchained is 165-minutes long yet feels far shorter and never outstays it's welcome. The premise is a simple one: A slave named Django (Jamie Foxx) is granted his freedom by German dentist turned bounty hunter Dr King. Schultz (Christoph Waltz) in order to track down his former owners the Brittle Brothers ( M.C Gainey, Cooper Huckabee, and Doc Duhame.) After finding and killing the Brittle Brothers, Schultz agrees to accompany Django to Mississippi save his wife Broomhilda (Kerry Washingtion) from the clutches of her twisted owner Calvin Candie (Leonardo DeCaprio). Tarantino's storytelling is nothing short of masterful.  The story isn't overly complex, but it's beyond effective. It's a revenge movie with a bit of love story behind a serious backdrop that exposes in detail the atrocities of slavery. Tarantino is exploring a serious topic in an engaging and often darkly humorous way (This is honestly the funniest movie he's ever done.) It may be loaded with blood, a quest for vengeance, and a lot of humor, but he never loses sight of the importance this film has. The topic of slavery is really overlooked and kind of sugarcoated in this country. Clearly this isn't a true story, but this film does a great job of showing how ugly slavery really was. It's really hard to watch to sometimes, but I'm glad that Tarantino went for authenticity and didn't gloss over how brutal the torment slaves went under was. Slavery wasn't a glamorous time for the United States and this film gives viewers an idea of just how awful it really it was.

Besides writing an excellent script and his distinct tight direction, Tarantino did a fantastic job casting and got top-notch performances from all of his actors. Jamie Foxx captures the rough and quiet nature of Django. He's not an in-your-face character and Foxx understands that with a subtle and gritty performance. I'm glad Foxx got the role over Tarantino's first choice Will Smith. Don't get wrong I really like Will Smith as an actor, I just can't see him in this role. Leonardo DeCaprio makes a great nemesis to Django as the charming, but demented plantation owner Calvin Candie. DeCaprio completely immerses himself in the role. This marks the first time he's played the villain in a film and I would like to see him play off-type more often, he nails it here. Samuel L.Jackson also does a great job as Calvin Candie's right hand Stephen, who is the only black man that Candie trusts and despite being black, fully believes in slavery. Jackson delivers a lot of amazing lines with his signature pissed-off tone and it's just plain awesome. He is easily the funniest character in the movie and this is hands-down his best performance since Pulp Fiction. However, I found that Christoph Waltz steals the show as Django's mentor, liberator, and friend Dr. King Schultz. Waltz gives Schultz an impeccable energy and his character is loaded with charisma and sharp dialogue. His performance might even better here than it was in his breakout and Oscar-winning role as Nazi general Hands Lunda in Inglorious Basterds. In just a few short years appearing in American films, Waltz has emerged as one of the best actors in Hollywood. As he continues to mightily impress, I can see more and more high-profile roles coming his way.

Django Unchained is a truly flawless film that is the epitome of the term masterpiece. Quentin Tarantino creates a thoroughly entertaining, unexpectedly hilarious, and just plain riveting film that captivates while also exposing the horrors of slavery to modern audiences. From the first frame to the incredibly satisfying ending, This film had the special quality of giving me chills throughout. As I mentioned earlier in the review, I haven't felt that way seeing a film since The Departed in 2006. I can't wait to see it again. It's nothing short of a perfect film and has already become one of my all-time favorites. Bravo Mr. Tarantino, You've shown once again why you are the best director in the game right now.

5/5 Stars

Movie Review: This is 40

In the summer of 2007, Judd Apatow unleashed one of the funniest movies of all time in Knocked Up. Five years later, he gives two of the side characters, married couple Pete (Paul Rudd) and Debbie (Leslie Mann) their own film. While not quite as amusing as Knocked Up, This is 40 is still a hilarious and insightful comedy. I'm glad that Judd Apatow decided to further explore Pete and Debbie. Outside of Seth Rogen's characters friends, They were the best part of Knocked Up. Their charm and hilarity carries over to this movie. They fight clearly and they have some pressing problems within their lives, but they make it work and their isn't a moment where you dislike either of them. The likeability of their characters can be attributed to how likable Rudd and Man are as actors. They are always relatable and it's pretty much a guarantee that you know someone like them It also helps that they have a easy and very natural chemistry that is amongst the best in recent film history. The biggest similarity This is 40 has to Knocked Up is a great cast of supporting characters. Albert Brooks is his usual funny self as Pete's leech father while John Lithgow plays it straight as Debbie's estranged father who's finally starting to get to know her. Jason Segel, Chris O'Dowd, and Melissa McCarthy also get big laughs in their bit parts. Hell even Megan Fox has some good lines here! Apatow has a gift for casting extremely talented comedic actors and this is no exception. Apatow is also able to balance the dramatic elements better here than in the past. Funny People's dramatic sections seemed kind of strained at times, while here they are much more fluid and better developed. This is 40 never reaches the heights of Knocked Up (nor did I expect it too because those expectations would have been far too lofty), but it's still an extremely funny and honest film. Definitely a great addition to Judd Apatow's filmography and near the top-tier of films I've seen in 2012.

4/5 Stars 

2012 in Music: A Year in Review

2012 had a tough act to follow after the incredible year that 2011 was, but it was able to hold it's own. 2012 was an especially strong year for hip-hop. I actually can't think of the last time there was this many great hip-hop albums within a single year. Of course being the metalhead that I am, 2012 produced a good amount of great metal records as well, but unfortunately it didn't really hold a candle to 2011 for the most part. A lot of acts surprised me with the quality of their records (including Whitechapel, Killer Mike, Kendrick Lamar, and Sylosis) while others disappointed mightily (Meshuggah, Nile, Baroness, Devin Townsend, All That Remains, and did I mention Baroness?). One thing that I did find impressive about 2012 was only a mere 13 full-length and 2 EP's got below a 3-star rating from me. This shows that while 2012 might not have as many top-level albums as 2011, It did give it a run for it's money in terms of depth. Well with delaying any further, Here is my list of every LP and EP I listened to 2012 from worst to best complete with star ratings.   

EP's

7.Chelsea Grin-Evolve (1.5/5)

6.TesseracT-Persepective (2.5/5)

5.Hodgy Beats-Untitled EP (3.5/5)

4.T.R.A.M-Lingua Franca (3.5/5)

3.Brother Ali-The Bite-Marked Heart (3.5/5)

2.Down-Down IV Part I: The Purple EP (3.5/5)

1.Revocation-Tertrogenesis (4/5)

LP's

80.Baroness-Yellow & Green (1.5/5)

79.The Mars Volta-Noctourniquet (2/5)

78.Curren$y-The Stoned Immaculate (2/5)

77.Soundgarden-King Animal (2/5)

76.Trash Talk-119 (2.5/5)

75.Van Halen-A Different Kind of Truth (2.5/5)

74.Chiddy Bang-Breakfast (2.5/5)

73.All That Remains-A War You Cannot Win (2.5/5)

72.The Safety Fire-Grind the Ocean (2.5/5)

71.Schoolboy Q-Habits and Contradictions (2.5/5)

70.Devin Townsend Project-Epicloud (2.5/5)

69.Sleigh Bells-Reign of Terror (2.5/5)

68.Joey Bada$$-1999 (2.5/5)

67.Lacuna Coil-Dark Adrenaline (3/5)

66.Miss May I-At Heart (3/5)

65.Thy Art Is Murder-Hate (3/5)

64.Nile-At the Gate of Sethu (3/5)

63.Meshuggah-Koloss (3/5)

62.Napalm Death-Utilitarian (3/5)

61.OFWGKTA-OF Tape Vol.2 (3/5)

60.Psycroptic-The Inherited Repression (3.5/5)

59.Big K.R.I.T-Live From the Underground (3.5/5)

58.Texas in July-Texas in July (3.5/5)

57.Jack White-Blunderbuss (3.5/5)

56.The Ghost Inside-Get What You Give (3.5/5)

55.Pig Destroyer-Book Burner (3.5/5)

54.Monuments-Gnosis (3.5/5)

53.Eluveitie-Helvetios (3.5/5)

52.Aborted-Global Flatline (3.5/5)

51.Cancer Bats-Dead Set On Living (3.5/5)

50.Glass Cloud-The Royal Thousand (3.5/5)

49.Municipal Waste-The Fatal Feast....Waste in Space (3.5/5)

48.Cannibal Corpse-Torture (3.5/5)

47.War of Ages-Return to Life (3.5/5)

46.The Acacia Strain-Death is the Only Mortal (3.5/5)

45.JJ Doom-Key to the Kuffs (3.5/5)

44.The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza-Danza IIII: The Alpha- The Omega (3.5/5)

43.Frank Ocean-Channel Orange (3.5/5)

42.Shadows Fall-Fire from the Sky (3.5/5)

41.Spawn of Possession-Incurso (3.5/5)

40.Aesop Rock-Skelethon (3.5/5)

39.Macklemore and Ryan Lewis-The Heist (3.5/5)

38.Big K.R.I.T- 4eva N A Day (3.5/5)

37.Cattle Decapitation-Monolith of Inhumanity (4/5)

36.Code Orange Kids-Love Is Love// Return to Dust (4/5)

35.El-P-Cancer 4 Cure (4/5)

34.Parkway Drive-Atlas (4/5)

33.Gaza-No Absolutes In Human Suffering (4/5)

32.Testament-Dark Roots of Earth (4/5)

31.Goatwhore-Blood for the Master (4/5)

30.Hour of Penance-Sedition (4/5)

29.Gojira-L'enfant Sauvage (4/5)

28.Job for a Cowboy-Demonocracy (4/5)

27.Black Breath-Sentenced to Life (4/5)

26.3 Inches of Blood-Long Live Heavy Metal (4/5)

25.Whitechapel-Whitechapel (4/5)

24.Overkill-The Electric Age (4/5)

23.The Sword-Apocrophyon (4/5)

22.Death Grips-No Love Deep Web (4/5)

21.The Contortionist-Intrinsic (4/5)

20.Brother Ali-Mourning in America and Dreaming in Color (4/5)

19.Deftones-Koi No Yokan (4/5)

18.The HAARP Machine-Disclosure (4/5)

17.Veil of Maya-Eclipse (4/5)

16.Killer Mike- R.A.P. Music (4/5)

15.Nas-Life Is Good (4/5)

14.God Forbid-Equilibrium (4/5)

13.Converge-All We Love We Leave Behind (4/5)

12.Dying Fetus-Reign Supreme (4/5)

11.Coheed and Cambria-The Afterman: Ascension (4/5)

10.As I Lay Dying-Awakened (4/5)

9.Kendrick Lamar-good kid, m.A.A.d city (4/5)

8.Periphery-II (4/5)

7.Every Time I Die-Ex Lives (4/5)

6.High on Fire-De Vermis Mysteriis (4.5/5)

5.Sylosis-Monolith (4.5/5)

4.Lamb of God-Resolution (4.5/5)

3.The Faceless-Autotheism (4.5/5)

2.Death Grips-The Money Store (4.5/5)

1.Between The Buried and Me-The Parallax II: Future Sequence (5/5)

Albums I plan on checking out in the future:

Gorod-A Perfect Absolution

The Smashing Pumpkins-Oceania

The Offspring-Days Go By

MellowHype-Numbers

Ensiferum-Unsung Heroes

Nerousis-Honor Found in Decay

The Agonist-Prisoners

Demon Hunter-True Defiance

Kreator-Phantom Antichrist

Fear Factory-The Industrialist 

Nachtmystium-Silencing Machine

7 Horns 7 Eyes-Throes of Absolution 

Xibalba-Hasta La Murete

Unleashed-Odalheim

Alleageon-Formshifter

Chimp Spanner-All Roads Lead Here

Trioscapes-Seperate Realites

Ne Oblisicaris-Portal of I

Becoming the Archetype-I Am

Bison-Lovelessness

 

Movie Review: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Nine years after the original Lord of the Rings trilogy, Peter Jackson is back at helm for The Hobbit trilogy. If An Unexpected Journey is any indicator, This franchise will be underwhelming and not even come close to the quality of the original trilogy.

The Hobbit's really only has one problem, but it's a substantial one: It's a god damn snorefest. During it's 169-minute runtime, next to nothing happens. I mean seriously if there wasn't any action, I would've fallen asleep in the theater (Hell I might even have drifted off once or twice unbeknownst to me .) It seems that ever since the second half of Return of the King Peter Jackson has loaded his films with filler. This film never reaches the level of filler or overall boredom of his 2005 King Kong remake, but it does suffer from the same lack of excitement problem. Most of the first hour of this film is made up of the group of dwarves that Bilbo accompanies on the titular journey and Gandalf eating a meal at Bilbo's house. I know that sounds absolutely ridiculous, but that is not an exaggeration. After what seems like the longest dinner scene in movie history, It doesn't really get much more exciting. The film is essentially Bilbo and Gandalf assisting the aforementioned dwarves reclaim their home after it's taken from a dragon named Smoag. Along the way they run into trolls (which makes for one of the film's many pitiful attempts at humor), get hunted by orcs, Bilbo has an encounter with Gollum, and they set up the next film with the cheesy and somehow very popular "Villain that was presumed dead waking up> Roll credits." That pretty much sums up the movie so you don't even need to read the Wikipedia summary. This somehow chews up almost three hours of screen time (although it feels like an eternity). Although I've never read the book, Jackson shows with this bloated film that it's stupid to push out a 310-page book into a trilogy. There is probably a little under an hour of legitimate content here amongst the time-wasting pointless conversations and previously mentioned marathon potluck supper.

What almost single-handily saves this film from being a complete waste of time is the action scenes. These sequences are really the only time flashes of the original trilogy shine through. Hopefully there is more of a focus on the orc, troll, dragon, etc battles in the next two instead of the mindless, plodding, empty storytelling that plagues most of this film. I also have to praise the casting. Martin Freeman is perfectly cast as Bilbo and Ian McKellan is a great presence just as he was in the originals as Gandalf. The visuals are also impressive, but were kind of bogged by down the high-frame rate 3D format that I saw it in. The technology is pretty damn impressive, but at the same time it makes it look too realistic and I didn't like slo-mo effect it gave the film. It made some of the effects look like pure shit as well, which is kind of a shame because most of the effects are great.

The Hobbit isn't a terrible film, It's just an incredibly boring one. Peter Jackson really needs to cut down on the length and just get to the damn story and not stuff to the gills with pointless shit. I'm not writing off the franchise just yet and I'll see the other two, but An Unexpected Journey is an overlong and average film with some great action scenes.

2.5/5 Stars      

Impact of NFL Rookies

I wrote an essay for a final about the impact of rookies on the NFL season. I had lot of fun writing this and I'm really proud of the finished product. Even though it's very long, I decided to post it here and share with the readers of my blog. If you take the time read this, I really appreciate and I hope you enjoy it.

Every April, The NFL Draft is held in New York City. Over 200 young men from each draft class enter the league as rookies ready to make an impact on the professional level. Clearly some succeed and some don't. Some draft classes are going to be average and not really change the balance of power, while others are ripe with talent that change pretenders into instant contenders. The rookie class of 2012 is already proving just how talented they are early in their careers and the impact and talent levels the top rookies are possessing is nothing short of staggering.

When it comes to the game of football, no one makes a bigger impact on the game than the quarterback. The top two draft picks this year, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck and Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III have already made a huge splash in their first season in the league. Both men have turned around their teams much faster than anyone anticipated. Luck has lead the Colts back from their abysmal 2-14 record last season and proven to be a more than worthy replacement for future Hall of Famer and fellow former number one overall draft pick Peyton Manning, who was released by the Colts prior to the 2012 season after 14 seasons with the team after a serious neck injury held him out for the entire 2011 season (Manning is now the quarterback for the Denver Broncos). Luck has already made more of an immediate impact than Manning. Just this past Sunday, Luck became the first quarterback to be drafted number one overall to win eight games in his rookie season. Luck's stats this year have cemented him as an instant star. Going into Week 14 of the Regular season, He's fourth in the league in passing yards, ahead of superstars such as Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers. Despite throwing 16 interceptions (including eight in the past five games), Luck has thrown 17 touchdowns and added an additional five rushing touchdowns. Luck has wowed the NFL with his stellar play and has put the extremely young Colts team in the playoff hunt far sooner than anyone expected. Robert Griffin III (also known as RG3) has also exhibited elite skills and had great success in his debut year in the NFL. Unlike Luck who was lauded to be the best quarterback prospect to enter the NFL in years, there was some skepticism amongst scouts about Griffin's game translating to the NFL. No one doubted his athleticism, but some scouts were worried he wouldn't be able to adapt to the bigger, stronger, faster defenses in the NFL because of the short pass heavy offense he ran in college at Baylor. Griffin has already completely silenced his critics with his incredible arm, poise, intelligence, and rushing ability. Going into Week 14, Griffin is tied for fifth in the league for completion percentage (67%), ahead of established greats including Drew Brees, Eli Manning, and Tom Brady. Griffin has thrown 17 touchdowns with just four interceptions and proven to be incredibly dangerous in the running game as well with 714 yards and six touchdowns. The Redskins are currently 6-6 and are currently on a three-game win streak catapulted by the return of Griffin's favorite wide receiver, Pierre Garcon, who missed six games with a lingering foot injury. Garcon's presence has been a vital key to Griffin's success this year. The Redskins are 5-1 when Garcon has played and just 1-5 when he has been out. Griffin has finally brought a long-suffering Redskins the franchise quarterback they have lacked for much of the past two decades.

Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III haven't been the only rookie quarterbacks to set the league ablaze this season, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson has also made a major impression with his stellar play this season. Unlike Luck and Griffin, Wilson was a third-round draft pick who was not the starter going into training camp. Wilson was able to win the job over veteran quarterback Matt Flynn during the preseason. Flynn was brought in as a free agent and was supposed to be the Seahawks starter for the foreseeable future, but Wilson's strong play made quite the impression and head coach Pete Carroll gave him the starting job. Wilson has made the most of his opportunity as the starting quarterback. Through Week 14, he is leading all rookies with 19 touchdowns and has yet to lose a game on his home field of Qwest Field in Seattle. His play has taken a bit of the offensive pressure off their elite running back Marshawn Lynch and given their offense a more balanced attack. Their more balanced offense that runs through Wilson is a major reason the Seahawks are 7-5 (it could be debated they should be 6-6 because of their controversial win over the Packers in Week 3 at the hand of a blown call by the replacement referees.) and contending for a playoff spot. Though he hasn't been getting the attention that Luck and Griffin have received, Russell Wilson has been just as vital to his team's success.

Quarterback is far from the only offensive position where rookies have been an impact. Rookie running backs have made a huge impact as well. The running back class has been lead by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Doug Martin and the Washington Redskins' Alfred Morris. These men are ironically tied for third in the league in rushing yards with 1,106. Their success is about the only thing these two dynamic rookie backs have in common. Martin was a late first-round pick (31st overall) who was the expected starter going into the season. He is a relatively small, but strong back with a knack for making big plays. His small stature and powerful running style has earned him the nickname of “The Muscle Hamster.” Martin even came close to setting an NFL single-game rushing record with his 250 yard, four touchdown performance against the Oakland Raiders in Week 9. Morris, on the other hand, was a late sixth-round draft pick out of small college Florida Atlantic who really emerged out of nowhere. He was expected to be the third or fourth-string back this season, but after the release of veteran Tim Hightower, an injury to last year's starter Roy Helu, and the poor performance of second-year back Evan Royster in the preseason, Morris was given a chance to start and he thrived immediately. Morris has emerged as a powerful running back who burns defenses in small chunks. He won't break out for huge runs most of the time, but he has hurt defenses with relatively consistent five-to seven yard gains on every carry. His play along with fellow standout rookie Robert Griffin III has made the Redskins instant playoff contenders after years at the bottom of the league. Martin and Morris might have different running styles, but they have shared similar success and already cemented themselves as two of the top running backs in the league while bringing back their previously hurting teams back to relevance .

Despite not being as successful as Martin or Morris and having a slightly disappointing season, Cleveland Browns running back Trent Richardson has also showed a good amount of success thus far in the NFL. The expectations were unreal for him coming out of college and being touted by scouts as the best running back prospect since Adrian Peterson (who is arguably the best active NFL running back) ensured he was not going live up to those massive expectations out of the gate. That being said, Richardson has performed well rushing for 827 yards through Week 14, and has been one of the few bright spots on a lowly 4-8 Browns team. He is currently on pace to become the first Cleveland running to back to rush for 1,000 yards in a season since Jamal Lewis in 2008. Richardson has shown quite a bit of the potential that earned him so much hype coming into this season and as he continues to grow, he could very well end up being the top back he was made out to be when he was drafted.

Though offensive players have made the biggest impact amongst rookies this season, rookie defensive players haven't exactly been slouches. The defensive standouts this year had the daunting task of following the 2011 draft class which produced such defensive heavyweights as Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller, Houston Texans defensive end J.J Watt, San Fransisco 49ers linebacker Aldon Smith, and Arizona Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson. While not quite as talented as last year's insanely gifted class, this year has seen solid production for rookie defenders. Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly has been the standout for this year. He is currently fourth in the league with 114 tackles and has played a key role in improving Carolina's defense from last in the league in 2011 to 14th in 2012. Seattle Seahawks defensive end Bruce Irvin, New England Patriots defensive end Chandler Jones, and Houston Texans linebacker Whitney Marcelius have all made ample contributions as well. All three of them are great pass rushers that are amongst the top 50 in the league in sacks. Irvin was seen by many as the most questionable pick in the first round of the draft, but has silenced his critics by getting seven sacks so far this season and giving the already great Seahawks defense another weapon to terrorize opposing quarterbacks with. Jones has bolstered the previously awful Patriots defensive line giving them their first legitimate pass rusher since Richard Seymour was traded after the 2008 season. Jones has six sacks so far this year (he has missed the past two games with an ankle injury, but is set to return for this week's game against the Houston Texans) and looks primed to be a force for the Patriots for years to come. Marcelius has been overshadowed in Houston by the absolutely incredible season defensive end J.J Watt has had, but Marcelius has contributed his fair share to the Texans as well. He has five sacks this season and has helped the Texans defense continue to be one of the best in the league even after the season-ending injury to star linebacker Brian Cushing and the departure of two-time Pro Bowl and All-Pro defensive end Mario Williams to the Buffalo Bills in the offseason.

This season has proved to be one of the best for rookies in my lifetime. I can't remember the last time there were this many rookies that shook up the league and made an instant impact. The talent of guys like Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, Doug Martin, Alfred Morris, and Russell Wilson is just astonishing. These guys are already looking like future hall of-famers and they have just started playing. Saying these guys have bright careers ahead of them would be a gross understatement. These are the type of guys you build a franchise around and win championships with. The 2012 draft class has exposed some of the most exciting and exceptional players the NFL has seen in a long time and I can't wait to see what type of legacy these guys build up over the next decade or so.

Movie Review: Wreck-It Ralph

 

Video games have always been a huge part of my life. I've been playing them ever since I was 5 and I don't think there will ever be a time in my life where I stop playing them. So naturally with my enjoyment of video games, I was excited to check out Wreck-It Ralph which is centered around video games. Unfortunately, I didn't really connect with Wreck-It Ralph. It is definitely an affectionate and well-animated throwback to old-school gaming which I appreciated, but besides that I really didn't find much to like here. It's not particularly funny at all and it relies heavily on tired fart jokes which is very uncharacteristic of Disney's animated films. Clearly I'm not expecting ever kids film to have razor-sharp wit and absolutely hilarious jokes, but about 90% of the humor in this film misses the mark. The emotional elements to the story are also really overdone and cheesy. It is occasionally touching and sweet, but a lot of time it's melodramatic to a ridiculous extent and takes away from the few moments that actually make an emotional connection. The biggest failure of Wreck-It Ralph though is it's inability to create characters that I actually cared about. Ralph (voiced by John C.Reilly) is just about the only character that I had any kind of attachment to, but that only lasted for the first half-hour when it's focused on his origins as a villain (and his desire to stop being the bad guy) before he meets the incredibly obnoxious Vaneople Von Schweetz (voiced by Sarah Silverman) and gets thrown to the way side. I normally like Silverman, but her presence here was obnoxious and I couldn't stand when Von Schweetz was on screen. If they hadn't included Von Schweetz and the whole subplot with her game Sugar Rush and just focused strictly on Ralph, I probably would've liked it a lot better. Wreck-It Ralph really is just a wasted opportunity. It had potential to be a fun nostalgic trip back to 8-bit gaming, but it's lack of strong characters, laughs, and a solid script really squander any of the fun that could've been had and what we're left with is just average .

2.5/5 Stars

Movie Review: Silver Linings Playbook

Every and once a while a movie will come along and genuinely move you and make you feel like a winner upon leaving the theater, Silver Linings Playbook is one of those films.

From start to finish, Silver Linings Playbook is absolutely brilliant. I figured this would be a strong film, but I didn't except it to come out and completely floor me. Writer/director David O. Russell (The Fighter, I Heart Huckabees) is able to write one of the most heartfelt, funny, honest and just plain best scripts in recent memory. Russell manages to expertly balance comedy and drama while creating characters that seem like they are real people in real situations. Writing genuine, realistic characters is one of the most difficult things to do in Hollywood, but Russell make it look effortless here. He also manages the story very well and his attention to detail is impeccable. There's a lot going on the whole movie, but nothing is underdeveloped or feels rushed or crammed in with no purpose or explanation. As good as the writing is, the power of Silver Linings Playbook is driven home by the acting. The whole cast is just pitch-perfect and they pretty much all deserve Oscar nominations, if not Oscar wins. Bradley Cooper absolutely nails his role as the main character Pat, who is severely bipolar and has been put in a mental facility after attacking the man who he caught having an affair with his wife. Cooper, who I believe is the single most underrated modern actor, gives such life, likability and emotional depth to this character. Pat is an incredibly flawed character, but you are rooting for him to conquer his issues at every turn no matter how ugly it gets. Cooper's performance is the best I've seen all year and I really want him to see win an Oscar for this role. Jennifer Lawrence also shines as the other lead Tiffany, who is also mentally unstable after the death of her husband and establishes a powerful bond with Pat. Lawrence beat out actresses that are ten year her senior and for good reason, She has acting chops and maturity that are far beyond her years. She puts everything she has into every performance and with this performance further solidifies herself not only as one of the best young actresses in Hollywood, but one of the best overall working actresses. It was also great to see Robert De Niro back in top form. His work as Pat's OCD, Philladelphia Eagles-obsessed father is his best work in at least a decade. Seeing vintage De Niro come out after a long absence made this already amazing film that much better. Silver Linings Playbook is a touching, hilarious, emotionally strong, engaging, and most importantly, authentic film that is a contender for the best film that I've seen in 2012 thus far. Please go see this movie, It's brilliant and I can't remember the last time I left a movie theater feeling this good.

4.5/5 Stars 

50 Best NFL Player Names

It's been a while since I made a list post, So I figured I would remedy that situation by bringing you fine people the dumbest idea for a list I've had to date. This is a list of what I believe are the 50 best names of active NFL players. One note before I post the list, I excluded players who go by ridiculous nicknames (ex. Pacman Jones, Bear Pascoe). With further ado, Here are my picks for the 50 best names of NFL players.

50.Paul Posluszny (Jacksonville Jaguars)

49.Mohammad Sanu (Cincinnati Bengals)

48.Ben Hartsock (Carolina Panthers)

47.Guy Whimper (Jacksonville Jaguars)

46.Dan Orlovsky (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

45.Darnell Dockett (Arizona Cardinals)

44.Juqua Parker (Cleveland Browns)

43.Ras-l Dowling (New England Patriots)

42.Olindo Mare (Chicago Bears)

41.Ryan Succop (Kansas City Chiefs)

40.Sione Puha (New York Jets)

39.Jeremy Trueblood (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

38.Haloti Ngata (Baltimore Ravens)

37.Tarvaris Jackson (Buffalo Bills)

36.Cortland Finnegan (St.Louis Rams)

35.Winston Justice (Indianapolis Colts)

34.Dexter McCluster (Kansas City Chiefs)

33.Atari Bigby (San Diego Chargers)

32.Kevin Ogletree (Dallas Cowboys)

31.Davone Bess (Miami Dolphins)

30.Benjarvus Green-Ellis (Cincinnati Bengals)

29.Brock Osweiler (Denver Broncos)

28.Stephen Hauschka (Seattle Seahawks)

27.Leonard Hankerson (Washington Redskins)

26.Shaun Suisham (Pittsburgh Steelers)

25.Golden Tate (Seattle Seahawks)

24.Jarmarca Sanford (Minnesota Vikings)

23.Mathais Kiwanuka (New York Giants)

22.Billy Bajema (Baltimore Ravens)

21.Plaxico Burress (Pittsburgh Steelers)

20.Knowshon Moreno (Denver Broncos)

19.Zoltan Mesko (New England Patriots)

18.Montario Hardesty (Cleveland Browns)

17.Brady Poppinga (Dallas Cowboys)

16.Michael Hoomanawnui (New England Patriots)

15.Richie Incognito (Miami Dolphins)

14.Roscoe Parrish (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

13.LaRod Stephens-Howling (Arizona Cardinals)

12.Dane Sanzenbacher (Chicago Bears)

11.Jaquizz Rodgers (Atlanta Falcons)

10.J.R Sweazy (Seattle Seahawks)

9.Devin Aromashodu (Minnesota Vikings)

8.Yerimah Bell (New York Jets)

7.Leodis McKelvin (Buffalo Bills)

6.John Kuhn (Green Bay Packers)

5.Shaun Draughn (Kansas City Chiefs)

4.Kai Forbath (Washington Redskins)

3.Sherrick McMannis (Chicago Bears)

2.Frank Zombo (Green Bay Packers)

1.D'Brickshaw Ferguson (New York Jets)

Album Review: The HAARP Machine-Disclosure

British act The HAARP Machine has gained a lot of buzz amongst the metal community simply by signing with the upstart (and often both heavily praised and criticized) record label Sumerian Records. Their long-awaited and also long-delayed debut album, Disclosure, shows that Sumerian has added another quality up-and-coming band to their ranks.

The HAARP Machine is a mainly progressive metal band with hints of technical death metal, jazz fusion, and Middle-Eastern influences. The progressive and death metal aspects of their sound compliment each other very nicely. The heavier death metal elements to their sound, while rarely the main focus of their sound, are well-executed and make them standout from a lot of the other new wave progressive metal acts. What struck me the most about The HAARP Machine though was the guitarwork and vocals. Guitarist Al'Mumin completely shreds to say the least. You can hear a lot of influence from his Middle-Eastern background as well as contemporary progressive rock and metal acts in his playing, which is awesome. He has influences from all across the board musically and it shows in his dynamic style of playing. Besides guitar, He also plays sitar, which gives The HAARP Machine a really distinct sound and a lot more room to experiment with instrumentation. Al'Mumin has already established himself as one of the great modern metal guitarists with his unique style of playing and amazing technical abilities. Adding to the diversity in their sound is vocalist Michael Semsky. Semsky's clean vocals are very powerful and would fit in perfectly with any traditional progressive rock act while his screams are full of extreme metal intensity. It's rare that you see a vocalist with that type of drastic contrast, but Semsky absolutely nails both melodic singing and death growls.

The best moments of Disclosure are when all of The HAARP Machine's influences converge. Album opener "Esoteric Agenda" shows just that. It opens with a sitar before shifting into a progressive metal anthem with a couple bursts of screaming. The album keeps plugging right along with "Lower the Populace" which leans more towards their tech-death side and is arguably the heaviest thing on this followed by the single "Pleidian  Keys" which again is The HAARP Machine at their finest throwing curveballs and crafting well-written and exciting progressive metal. The album takes a little bit of a lull in the middle with some solid, but overall not spectacular tracks before closing strong with "Extension to One" and the epic closer "Machine Over" which features the best solo of the whole record from Al'Mumin, jarring shifts from beautiful, atmospheric prog to punishing tech death and a great hook that will be beaten into your head immediately.

Disclosure is an impressive debut for these young Brits also known as The HAARP Machine. These guys are super talented, expertly balanced the progressive and death metal sides of their sounds without sacrificing the power of either side of their sound, and most importantly, have created an album full of ambition and great songwriting. Really the only issue Disclosure has is that it's too damn short with only eight tracks and clocking in at just under 35 minutes. I have a feeling with Sumerian backing them and the right exposure on tour, The HAARP Machine is going to be the next big thing in progressive metal. Disclosure is a hell of a way for The HAARP Machine to make a first impression and very well could be the best debut album of 2012.

4/5 Stars
Standout Tracks
1.Machine Over
2.Lower the Populace
3.Pleiadian Keys 

Update

I'm in the midst of my finals so I unfortunately haven't had the time to post anything. I'm going to try and post something next week, but I promise I will make up for my absence of posts starting on the 14th when I'm done with school for the semester. I have reviews for Silver Linings Playbook and some album reviews in the works right now as well as year-end lists and if all things go according to plan, reviews for Django Unchained, This is 40, and The Hobbit when they are released. Thanks for reading and I look forward to coming back to writing and reviewing with a vengeance.

Chris Maitland 

December in Film

December brings a close to a great year of films. It also brings a slate of very intriguing movies to end the year on. Here are my thoughts on the crop of December releases.

Films I want to see:
6.The Guilt Trip (12/19)-This movie looks like a good old-fashioned, fun,  road trip comedy. The trailer is amusing, Seth Rogen and Barbara Streisand seem like are a great comedy pairing, and writer Dan Fogelman wrote last year's surprisingly very funny Crazy, Stupid, Love. Should be an enjoyable comedy that is perfect for the holiday season.

5.The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (12/14)- I am no where near as excited as I should be for The Hobbit, but since I loved the first Lord of the Rings movies, I will absolutely still see this.

4.Jack Reacher (12/21)-Tom Cruise is back in ass-kicking mode, which is always a good thing. This is a cool-looking thriller with an interesting premise and a proven writer/director in Christopher McQuarrie. Sounds like a winner to me.

3.Zero Dark Thirty (12/19 limited)-Katheryn Bigelow follows up The Hurt Locker with a film about the hunt for Osama Bin Laden. Naturally with Bigelow and screenwriter Mark Boal teamed again on a military thriller, There is a lot of potential for another brilliant movie to be made. The outstanding early reception has pretty much confirmed my hunch to be true.

2.This is 40 (12/21)-Judd Apatow is one of my favorite directors of all-time and another chapter of the Paul Rudd/Leslie Mann characters from Knocked Up. Besides Rudd, Mann, and Jason Segel returning, The cast adds a lot of talent including John Lithgow, Albert Brooks, Chris O'Dowd, and Mellisa McCarthy. This is one of my anticipated movies of the year and if It's even half as good as Knocked Up, I will be happy.

1.Django Unchained (12/25)-This is not only my most anticipated of the month, It's my most anticipated of the whole year. Saying I'm excited for this movie would be a gross understatement. Quentin Tarantino is my favorite director of all-time, the plot/trailer are amazing, and the cast is full of amazing actors including Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo Decaprio, Samuel L. Jackson, Walton Goggins, and Jonah Hill. I'll be stunned if this isn't one of the best movies of the year.

Films I'm not sure about:
Parental Guidance (12/25)-It seems harmless enough and it's good to see Billy Crystal back on the big screen, but it doesn't really look like anything special.

Films I have zero interest in:
Playing for Keeps (12/7)-Despite a pretty talented cast, This about as stale and generic-looking as romantic comedies come.

Les Miserables (12/25)-Here comes my musical bias again, Musicals are my kryptonite 

   

Album Review: Macklemore and Ryan Lewis-The Heist

Seattle MC Macklemore and his producer Ryan Lewis's path to success is a bit unusual. Macklemore has been quietly making and self-releasing music since 2000 (with a hiatus in the mid-2000's to get sober), but all of a sudden strictly online word-of-mouth his second full-length The Heist debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 charts. I was amongst the legions of people that never heard him before until recently so with this incredible wave of success and hype, I decided to check out what all the fuss was about. I can say that The Heist is definitely a worthwhile release and yet another solid 2012 hip-hop album.

The Heist is one of the more conscious hip-hop records I've heard this year. Macklemore spends the majority of the album speaking about drug addiction, alcoholism, equality for same-sex marriages, and finding what really matters in life. No matter what the subject matter, He approaches it with sincerity and honesty. He's been through or strongly believes in all of the issues he talks about the album which gives this is the authenticity that makes every song more effective. What makes The Heist and Macklemore in general interesting is his ability to have a lot of different styles. There are some songs where he flat-out spits at thunderous speeds with wordplay galore (like he does on the album's addictive standout "Can't Hold Us"), other songs where he mellows out and raps slow with a lot of emotion ("Wing$, "Neon Cathedral") and pretty much everywhere in between. I always like to see rappers that have a lot of range and Macklemore is absolutely one of those artists The production from Ryan Lewis is also impressive. Most of his beats are very subtle and understated with pretty heavy use of violin and piano, which perfectly fits Macklmore's primarily calm style. There are songs where he goes outside the box with his beats, such as the aforementioned "Can't Hold Us", which is very upbeat and almost seems like it has some gospel influences.

Even though The Heist is solid, There are a few things that hold it back from being great. The biggest issue is most of the hooks. They are way too poppy for the type of music that Macklemore is making and the placement of all of them are really awkward and seem forced. This becomes less of an issue in the second half of the album, but the first half is plagued with mostly terrible choruses. I also didn't like how some of the guest artists were used. For example, Ab-Soul only does the chorus on "Jimmy Iovine" and wasn't even given a chance to drop a verse. Ab-Soul is a great rapper and when some one godawful like Buffalo Madonna gets more time to do his thing in a song, It's doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Schoolboy Q is given a whole verse on "White Walls" and it's definitely a good one, but it just didn't really work well within the context of the song. I get what they were trying to do with the contrasting styles of Macklemore and Schoolboy Q, It just kind of backfires.

The Heist is a nice effort from Macklmore and Ryan Lewis. It definitely puts them on the map and gives them a nice building block for a long career in the hip-hop industry. This album reminds of a more poppy version of Atmosphere, Grieves, or someone else on Rhymesayers (If Macklemore was to ever sign to a record deal, It would probably be with Rhymesayers. His style fits in way too perfectly with their artists.) The production is low-key, but crisp and Macklemore is a skilled rapper with a big heart and a gift for expressing his emotions honestly and effectively. With a little bit of a slicker execution and some other small tweaks, We could be looking at one of the most important conscious rappers to hit the hip-hop scene in a long time.

3.5/5 Stars
Standout Tracks
1.Can't Hold Us feat. Kevin Dalton
2.Wing$
3.Jimmy Iovine feat. Ab-Soul

Movie Review: Skyfall

James Bond is such a storied and historic franchise that has been around for decades. It has been following a similar formula for a number of years to varying levels of success. This was a franchise that needed a change and Skyfall provides that. Skyfall is kind of the anti-Bond Bond movie. There was a different vibe and more of a flare for bigger action sequences, which I thought was refreshing. The action sequences are all done on an exciting grand-scale level and are really well-shot and executed. Another thing that separated this from other Bond movies was them showing Bond actually getting beat up. Bond gets outsmarted and gets the shit kicked out of him on a regular basis throughout this movie. The best thing about this movie though is the presence of a legitimate villain. Javier Bardem is a real nemesis for James Bond and he absolutely nails the role. His character, Raoul Silva,is a genius and his background with the MI-6 gives him an edge on Bond that challenges him as a character. Silva doesn't even enter the movie until an hour in, but his presence is so immense that you feel like he's in the entire movie. Bardem just lights up the screen every minute he's on it. I also liked that the romantic vibe from the last two was dropped. James Bond has an image of being a womanizer and I'm glad they went back to that in this movie. The larger emphasis on the romantic angle in the past two Bond films felt really forced and inorganic. Skyfall is definitely the best of the Daniel Craig Bond movies. This is a great action film that has brought some energy and originality to the franchise. I haven't seen enough of the Bond films to say this definitively, but Skyfall is the best James Bond movie I've seen.

4/5 Stars

Concert Review: Lamb of God, Boston, MA, November 25th, 2012

In January, I started off my 2012 concert going by seeing Lamb of God at the Paradise in Boston. It was only fitting that I (potentially) ended my 2012 concert going by seeing Lamb of God yet again at the House of Blues in Boston last night.

British melodic death thrashers Sylosis opened the show. I just got into them within the past couple months (their new record, Monolith, is one of my favorites of this year) and I was really excited to get to see them for the first time. They absolutely killed it. The whole band was tight as hell and they sounded exactly like they do on record. Josh Middleton is a severely underrated guitar player and every single solo he played was awesome. I was pleased to see how strong the reception was for them. The whole crowd was into their set right out of the gate and the pits maintained in intensity throughout their set. Boston was also fortunate enough to get an extra song from them, but their 25-minute set time still seemed way too short. Sylosis was a perfect way to open the night and I really hope they blow up in the near future, They are the next truly special metal band in my opinion and they are far too good to continue to fly under the radar.

Hellyeah was up next and as I expected, They pretty much sucked. They killed any momentum that Sylosis had built up. Their vocalist, Chad Gray, is such an assclown that it made their set almost amusing. Seriously that guy has to be one of the biggest faux-tough guy douchers I've ever seen in my life. His rants to the crowd about metal, drinking, and "the cowboy attitude" were almost as painful as his feeble attempts at screaming. It's a shame because the music wasn't too bad at times, but the vocals and general douchebaggery from Gray killed their set. It was cool to see Vinnie Paul play live, but besides that Hellyeah was pretty fucking bad.

After Hellyeah finished up, My friends and I went talked to Sylosis at their merch table (one of my friends also found a pick their guitarist threw on the ground randomly by their merch table). Rhythm guitarist Alex Bailey and drummer Rob Callard were both super nice guys and were stoked that we dug their music. They signed my ticket and also confirmed they will be back to the U.S next year, more than likely on a festival package tour (Mayhem Fest perhaps?).

We headed back down to the floor after that and In Flames started a couple minutes later. They brought back the momentum that Hellyeah had killed. I don't what the fuck show some people earlier on the tour saw when they said that In Flames was stagnant and the crowd was dead for them, In Flames was on fire last night and the crowd was going ballistic the whole time they were on (especially during "Reroute to Remain", "Cloud Connected", "Take This Life" and *gasp* "Embody the Invisible", so much for no one knows old In Flames anymore). Andres Friden sounded great and was his typical hilarious stuff in-between songs. The highlight was when was joking with the people in the balcony that we're sitting down saying that it wasn't the movies and there was no popcorn being served tonight (I don't remember the direct quote, but it was far funnier than what I am describing). Clearly I would've have loved to hear way more old stuff, but like I've said in the past, In Flames is such a great live band it does not matter what songs are played. Even though they are not the band they used to be in terms of quality of their studio material, In Flames is still amazing live.

It had finally come time for Lamb of God to hit the stage. As they have done the previous three times I've seen them, They savaged the audience for an hour and fifteen minutes. Their typical energy and immense stage presence was in full effect once again. This time was especially special because it was Randy Blythe's first tour since being freed from jail in the Czech Republic on false manslaughter charges. He seemed even more excited and energized on stage than ever before, Which I didn't think was previously possible. The setlist was pretty typical from them with the classics like "Laid to Rest", "Ruin", and of course "Black Label", with the notorious wall of death, mixed pretty with the newer stuff like "Desolation", "Ghost Walking", and "Set to Fail". I was stoked to finally hear "Omerta" and a deep cut like "11th Hour" live. Those were definitely amongst my favorite songs of the night and I was glad they decided to mix the set up a little bit this go-round. Lamb of God never fails to bring the house down live in a club setting and last night was no exception. If this does end up being my last show of the year, It's hell of a show to end the year on.

Scores
Sylosis 9/10
Hellyeah 3/10
In Flames 9/10
Lamb of God 9.5/10

Setlists:
Sylosis:
Fear the World
Altered State of Consciousnesses
Reflections Through Fire
Teras
Empyreal

In Flames:
Sounds of a Playground Fading
Where the Dead Ships Dwell
Reroute to Remain
Embody the Invisible
Cloud Connected
Fear is the Weakness
The Mirror's Truth
System
Deliver Us
Take This Life
My Sweet Shadow

Lamb of God:
Desolation
Ghost Walking
Walk With Me In Hell
Set to Fail
Ruin
Now You've Got Something To Die For
11th Hour
The Undertow
Omerta
Contractor

Encore:
The Passing
In Your Words
Laid to Rest
Redneck
Black Label


 

Movie Review: Prometheus

 "This could've been so much better." That's was the main thought I had the entire time I was watching Prometheus. The prequel to Alien shows signs of brilliance (particularly in the second half) , but at the end of the day it rarely rises above good. The things that work here are eerily similar to things that work in the original Alien. Prometheus greatest success is in the atmosphere of the film. The visuals are spectacular, dark, and tense and are able to create the sense of imminent danger throughout. Ridley Scott is a master of creating creepy and landscapes and it's good to have him back at the helm of this franchise. The acting is also pretty damn good. Noomi Rapice does a solid job in her first leading American role as the hero of the story Dr. Elizabeth Shaw and Charlize Theron makes a good (human) villain as the corrupt businesswoman on board Meredith Vickers, but Michael Fassbender shines brightest as the android butler of the ship David. Even in a strong cast including Rapice, Theron, and Idris Elba, Fassbender easily outacts everyone. With every movie he is in, He continues to show how special of an actor he is. Every problem with Prometheus lies in the script. The whole story is really underdeveloped. The mythology and origins of the Alien franchise are only narrowly explored. The origins of the alien and "The Engineers" are really cloudy and not particularly well-thought out. Considering the movie is centered around exploring an alien planet, You really don't find out much about basically any discovery that they make. There is a lot of intrigue in the mystery, but not really much in the way of satisfying or thorough answers. Prometheus is still worth seeing, but the numerous flaws in the script prevent this from being great.

3.5/5 Stars     

NFL Thanksgiving Predictions

Houston Texans over Detroit Lions: The Lions have been playing much better recently thanks to Matthew Stafford waking up a bit from his slow start and they are playing at home, but the Texans defense are going to be out for blood after a poor performance in their narrow overtime win against the Jaguars last week. It also doesn't help the Lions subpar secondary that Matt Schaub is coming off a 527-yard performance against Jacksonville. It should be pretty close, but I like Houston in this matchup.

Washington Redskins over Dallas Cowboys: The outcome of this game will depend on what Cowboys team comes out tomorrow. It it's the team that came out last week against the Browns, Then the Redskins will take this. The Cowboys are lucky to be 5-5 considering their spotty play throughout the year and Washington is coming off a great performance last week against the Eagles and are looking to pickup another win in the division. The Redskins do have a weak secondary and Dallas can throw it, but I believe Robert Griffin III (coming off an excellent game last week where he only threw one incompletion) will outplay Tony Romo on the road. RG3 won the game last week with his arm, I think he will win this game with his feet and get the Skins a narrow victory in what looks like could be an offensive shootout.

New England Patriots over New York Jets: The Jets almost took one from the Patriots a few weeks ago in Foxboro, but I don't think this game will be that close. The Patriots did lose Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez also might not play again, but Tom Brady has so many weapons on offense that he can hurt you no matter what. The Jets are coming off a solid outing last week against the Rams and they tend to play the Patriots to close games, but I don't think they have enough off a defensive presence to stop the Patriots. Look for the Patriots to ride their running game past the weak Jets run defense to victory.

Update

I am currently in the midst of the last few weeks of the semester at school so I've been busy and will only continue to become increasingly busy until about mid-December. Combine that with the lack of albums I've listened and movies I've seen recently and it's made my writing pretty infrequent over the past month. I am going to try to bang out as many reviews as possible as I use my brief Thanksgiving break to catch up on some records from this year I have checked out and hopefully see a few movies as well. I assure you I will put as much time as I can possible put into my reviews over this time period. Thanks for reading as always and check back for some new content soon!

Chris Maitland

Album Review: Deftones-Koi No Yokan

Deftones returned with a vengeance in 2010 with Diamond Eyes after staying relatively quiet for a while following their lackluster 2006 record Saturday Night Wrist. Bassist Chi Cheng's tragic car accident seemed to rejuvenate the band after years of underwhelming releases (or as what I like to call that period of their career, the post-White Pony funk). Their resurgence of creativity and energy continues on their latest release Koi No Yokan, A dreamy and experimental release that is a worthy addition to the Deftones catalog.

Koi No Yokan is actually very different from it's predecessor Diamond Eyes. Where Diamond Eyes was crushing and sometimes melodic, Koi No Yokan is primarily mellow with only the occasional heavy moments. Koi No Yokan is essentially vocalist Chino Moreno letting his indie/dream pop influences run wild and take control of the music and it works to varying results. There are tracks like "Tempest" and "Rosemary" that are beautiful. Moreno's emotion-filled vocals and some great atmospheric riffing from Stephen Carpenter drive these tracks and make them something special. The problem is that the other strictly slow songs like "Entombed", "Graphic Nature" and "What Happened to You?" plod along and are just immensely boring. These songs are just way slow, stagnant, and indie-based for my liking. As expected being the ignorant whore metalhead that I am, I found myself gravitating more towards the heavy songs on the record. "Poltergeist" and "Leathers" are straight chaos while "Goon Squad", "Swerve City", and "Gauze" are a bit slower and refined, but still retain that heavy edge that sets them apart from the calmer material. Don't get me wrong, Their slower stuff is great most of the time, but their heavy stuff just always grabs you with it's combination of intensity and beauty and just about always manages to make a lasting impression.

Koi No Yokan is a solid, but somewhat disappointing record. This record is in the same vein of Saturday Night Wrist except much better in the execution. This is the indie, mellow side of the Deftones getting out after the release of their heaviest record in 15 years with Diamond Eyes. I respect them trying out different things with each record and this record will especially please fans of their softer material. Personally, I prefer their heavier side. My biggest complaint about this record is the lack of skull-crushing riffs from Stephen Carpenter and Chino's trademark shriek, but Diamond Eyes had plenty of both of those so it's completely cool that they favored their more artsy, melodic side on this record. Just like Diamond Eyes though, I have a feeling that Koi No Yokan will take some time to grow on me and it very well could end up being one of my favorite Deftones records. Koi No Yokan shows that the Deftones aren't going anywhere anytime soon as they continue to reinvent themselves almost twenty years into their career.

3.5/5 Stars
Standout Tracks
1.Leathers
2.Poltergeist
3.Goon Squad

NFL Midseason Awards

It's about a week too late, but I figured I'd go through with this anyways. This has been an exciting and unpredictable season and I'm sure the second half will have just as many surprises and thrills.

MVP: Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos-I was a complete skeptic of Peyton Manning coming off a serious neck injury at age 36 and I was proven dead wrong. It just shows you can't do anything to bring down an all-time great like Manning. He's on track to have one of the best seasons of his career and the Broncos keep improving as a team week in and week out. If Manning continues to play at this high level for the rest of the year, He should easily get his fifth MVP award and potentially lead the Broncos to a deep playoff run.

Honorable Mentions: Matt Ryan Atlanta Falcons, Drew Brees New Orleans Saints, Aaron Rodgers Green Bay Packers

Offensive Player of the Year: Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings-Like Peyton Manning, Adrian Peterson was coming off a major injury (torn ACL) and proved the critics (myself included) wrong. This beast just can not be stopped. He's embarrassed top-notch rush defenses including the Seahawks, Lions, and Buccaneers and only looks to be getting more dominant as the season goes on. The fact that he's going to probably run for 2,000+ yards on a bum knee is nothing short of incredible and locks his position as the best running back in the league.

Honorable Mentions: A.J Green Cincinnati Bengals, Arian Foster Houston Texans, Marshawn Lynch Seattle Seahawks,

Defensive Player of the Year: Charles Tillman, Chicago Bears-Charles Tillman has been flying relatively under the radar for years now, but with his insane numbers this year he has made sure he's not unnoticed anymore. He has shutdown pretty much every great receiver he has faced this year and the 7 forced fumbles, 2 INT's (both for scores) and 49 tackles through 9 games have made him a standout on a Bears defense that is full of standouts.
Honorable Mentions: J.J Watt Houston Texans, Von Miller Denver Broncos, Tim Jennings Chicago Bears

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts-Prior to a couple of weeks ago, I would've said Robert Griffin III would take this award, but Luck has played out of his mind the past few weeks and the Colts are in the playoff hunt because of it. He has been a spark plug for this offense giving Reggie Wayne career-high numbers and allowing fellow rookies like T.Y Hilton and Vick Ballard and everyone else around him to thrive. Luck's play has brought a far quicker turnaround than anyone expected and the early comparisons to Peyton Manning are beyond valid.
Honorable Mentions: Robert Griffin III Washington Redskins, Doug Martin Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Trent Richardson Cleveland Browns

Defensive Rookie of the Year: Luke Kuechly, Carolina Panthers-This has been a great rookie class, but Kuechly has made a previously awful defense a bit more stingy with his great tackling ability and insane speed coming off the outside.
Honorable Mentions: Chandler Jones New England Patriots, Melvin Ingram San Diego Chargers, Marc Barron Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Surprise Team of the Year: Indianapolis Colts: As I stated earlier, no one expected the Colts to be back in the playoff hunt so soon. Andrew Luck has been excellent and just what the doctor ordered after losing Peyton Manning, Reggie Wayne is back with a vengeance, and the defense has even played pretty decent. The emotional factor of head coach Chuck Pagano's leukemia diagnosis has made them play with even more heart and determination. Very unexpected and they have a good shot of clinching a playoff bid this year.

Honorable Mentions: Seattle Seahawks, Denver Broncos, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

 Biggest Disappointment of the Year: Philadelphia Eagles-Might be the biggest no-brainer out of all this years awards. The Eagles are just a mess. They have shown flashes of brilliance and they have the talent, they just can't seem to play good football. Their offensive line is abysmal and Michael Vick has been a turnover machine all season. Their defense has actually played pretty decent (they are ranked 11th overall in the league), but they are allowing points because of the short fields their opponents are getting. You can't win games if you turning the ball over and that is the Eagles main problem. I had high hopes for the Eagles going into the year, but those has been dashed through their god awful offensive play.

Dishonorable Mentions: Detroit Lions, Cincinnati Bengals, New Orleans Saints (though they are playing much better in the past few weeks)



 

Movie Review: Flight

Denzel Washington is one of the finest working actors in Hollywood. Pretty much everything he has ever appeared in, he has made better just from his mere presence. His most recent work, Flight, is no exception. Washington absolutely owns the role of pilot Whip Whitaker. Whip miraculously saves 96 out of 102 lives on board after a horrific plane crash. Whip is seen as a hero by the public and the survivors of the crash, but he soon comes after investigation after alcohol and cocaine was found in his system. Flight is an effective, dark character study that is driven by it's strength of Washington's performance. Whip is a twisted, complex alcoholic/drug addict who unravels more and more as the movie goes on.  He is in denial of his addiction and Washington's take on his downward spiral is tragically engrossing. Washington's performance is definitely Oscar-nomination worthy and I wouldn't be surprised if the Academy recognized him come February. The supporting cast including Kelly Riley, Bruce Greenwood, Don Cheadle, and especially John Goodman as Whip's best friend who provides comic relief in a few scenes to break up the gloom of the rest of the movie are all great as well. The lone issues I had with this movie was how it got bogged down at times. The relationship between Whip and recovering heroin addict Nicole (Reilly) wasn't fully developed. She kind of just gets over her heroin addiction instantly while Whip continues to struggle and she really does nothing to try to help him. Don't get me wrong, Reilly is great and you sympathize with her character, I just would've liked to see some more development in the relationship between Whip and Nicole.  Also near the end it kind of dragged, but the intensity and emotional payoff of the last two scenes overshadow the pacing flaws in the second half. Flight is full of excellent acting and is a pretty enthralling tale of an addict who is also a hero that saved people's lives. See it for Washington's nuanced, deep performance alone, Everything else is just a bonus.

4/5 Stars   

Album Review: Frank Ocean-Channel Orange

Although I tend to be primarily a fan of metal and rap, I am open to all types of music. I like to branch out and try listening to different stuff. Sometimes I dig it, other times I don't. Frank Ocean is about as far out of my normal musical listening habits as you can get, but his debut full-length Channel Orange made a solid impression on me.

I became aware of Frank Ocean through his singing and occasional rapping work with hip-hop collective OFWGKTA. The hook on "She" off Tyler, The Creator's Goblin last year struck me immediately and was my first exposure to Ocean's talent. I ignored his debut mixtape nostaliga.ultra last year for whatever reason, but I decided to check out Channel Orange because of his work with Odd Future and the very positive reception it had both critically and from the general public. Channel Orange quite simply works due to Ocean's amazing voice. His voice is just absolutely stunning. His vocal capabilities and wide range is what distinguished this from most R&B and is the main reason that Ocean grabbed me as a listener. Like I mentioned earlier, This is normally not my cup of tea musically, but Ocean is just such a diverse talent that it standouts out from any other R&B artist I've ever heard. The highlight of Channel Orange is without a doubt the ten-minute long, grand-scale epic "Pyramids". Ocean displays everything he has to offer as an artist from rapping to crafting great hooks to immense musical transitions to hitting every possible vocal range flawlessly over the course of a ten-minute song that tells two separate stories (The first half is about Cleopatra in Ancient Egypt cheating on a man while the second half is about a pimp and a stripper he refers to as Cleopatra). I know it's still early in his career, but he is going to have a hard time topping "Pyramids", It's absolutely brilliant. "Pyramids" is far from the only highlight on Channel Orange. "Super Rich Kids" is one of the more abstract songs on here with a lot of very down-tempo rapping from Ocean and a uncharacteristic yet still very effective verse from Earl Sweatshirt. "Sweet Life" is lively and catchy, "Thinkin Bout You" is a thoughtful, sincere love song, and "Bad Religion" is a low-key, piano-driven, emotionally powerful track. The one issue with Channel Orange is the amount of filler. There are a lot of songs that take away from the overall quality of the album. The 5-6 lackluster tracks somewhat offset the 6-7 fantastic ones.

Channel Orange is a refreshing change of pace and just about the only R&B has clicked for me as a listener. I don't listen to R&B at all, but this album had a surprising amount of appeal to me and it just flat-out works. Frank Ocean is an excellent singer and his music is full of honesty and emotion. The songs that work on here are fantastic, but unfortunately the volume of throwaway tracks keep this album from being truly great. Frank Ocean is an artist on the rise and if he can make an album full of quality material, Then he is capable of making something special.

3.5/5 Stars
Standout Tracks
1.Pyramids
2.Super Rich Kids (feat. Earl Sweatshirt)
3.Thinkin Bout You
           

R.I.P Mitch Lucker

It saddens me to hear of the passing of Suicide Silence frontman Mitch Lucker. While I wasn't the biggest fan of his band, No one that is that young deserves to die. I can't even imagine the pain his wife and young daughter are going through right now in the wake of this tragic accident. I saw his band play live six times and I had heard from fans and other bands that he was a really nice guy. My heart goes out to his family, friends, and his bandmates in Suicide Silence. R.I.P

November In Film

November marks the start of the winter season and there is a pretty exciting slate of new releases throughout the month. Here is my thoughts on all of the major November releases.

Films I Want to See
7.Wreck-It Ralph (11/2)-This looks to be a fun tribute to old-school video games. The concept is unique and it looks to be another solid animated entry from Disney.

6.Red Dawn (11/21)-It looks absolutely ridiculous (That's to be expected though, It's about a group of American high school freedom fighters fighting a foreign invasion on American soil and the original is considered to be a B-movie classic) but at the same time it looks like it could be a entertaining B-movie and the cast including Chris Hemsworth, Josh Peck, and Jeffery Dean Morgan is pretty damn good.

5.Killing Them Softly(11/30)-The trailers give off an interesting film-noir vibe and anything with Brad Pitt, James Gandolfini, and Richard Jenkins is worth checking out. I am not a fan of writer/director Andrew Dominik's previous work, but maybe this will prove me wrong.

4.Silver Linings Playbook (11/21)-The early reception/Oscar buzz has been through the roof, the cast is excellent, and David O.Russell is a very talented director. This sounds like a surefire winner to me.

3.Skyfall (11/9)-James Bond films have always been inconsistent as hell, but the early reception has been overwhelmingly postive and the trailer is great. Javier Bardem on board as the villain and the rusty James Bond fighting a fellow MI6 agent is a very intriguing plot that amps up my excitement for this film substantially.

2.The Man with the Iron Fists(11/2)-Normally I wouldn't be this excited for a kung-fu movie, but the RZA's passion for old-school martial arts films gives this the potential to the best chessy, B-kung movie to come along in a long time.

1.Flight (11/2)-Denzel Washington is one of the finest working actors in Hollywood in my opinion and you can tell from the trailer alone that he turns in another excellent performance here. The story appears to be engaging and deep and the supporting cast including Don Cheadle, John Goodman, Bruce Greenwood, and Melissa Leo is also loaded with talent.

Film I have zero interest in seeing:
Lincoln (11/9)-I'm sure Daniel-Day Lewis will be amazing as Abraham Lincoln, It's just that film looks to be monumentally boring.

Twlight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 (11/16)-At least it's the final Twilight movie.

Life of Pi (11/21)-Ang Lee is just way too artsy of a director for my taste and this movie looks to be overwhelmingly artsy even for Ang Lee.

Rise of the Guardians (11/21)-Pretty dull looking kids movie, though I think I would've loved the concept of a movie with Santa Claus, The Easter Bunny, and The Tooth Fairy when I was a kid.