NFL Week 4 Power Rankings

1.New England Patriots (3-0) Week 4 opponent: Bye Week
2.Green Bay Packers (3-0) Week 4 opponent: San Francisco 49ers
3.Arizona Cardinals (3-0) Week 4 opponent: St. Louis Rams
4.Denver Broncos (3-0) Week 4 opponent: Minnesota Vikings
5.Cincinnati Bengals (3-0) Week 4 opponent: Kansas City Chiefs
6.Buffalo Bills (2-1) Week 4 opponent: New York Giants
7.Atlanta Falcons (3-0) Week 4 opponent: Houston Texans
8.Carolina Panthers (3-0) Week 4 opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
9.Seattle Seahawks (1-2) Week 4 opponent: Detroit Lions
10.Pittsburgh Steelers (2-1) Week 4 opponent: Baltimore Ravens
11.Minnesota Vikings (2-1) Week 4 opponent: Denver Broncos
12.Dallas Cowboys (2-1) Week 4 opponent: New Orleans Saints
13.New York Jets (2-1) Week 4 opponent: Miami Dolphins
14.Oakland Raiders (2-1) Week 4 opponent: Chicago Bears
15.New York Giants (1-2) Week 4 opponent: Buffalo Bills
16.Indianapolis Colts (1-2) Week 4 opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars
17.Baltimore Ravens (0-3) Week 4 opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers
18.Kansas City Chiefs (1-2) Week 4 opponent: Cincinnati Bengals
19.Miami Dolphins (1-2) Week 4 opponent: New York Jets
20.Houston Texans (1-2) Week 4 opponent: Atlanta Falcons
21.San Diego Chargers (1-2) Week 4 opponent: Cleveland Browns
22.Philadelphia Eagles (1-2) Week 4 opponent: Washington Redskins
23.Detroit Lions (0-3) Week 4 opponent: Seattle Seahawks
24.St. Louis Rams (1-2) Week 4 opponent: Arizona Cardinals
25.Cleveland Browns (1-2) Week 4 opponent: San Diego Chargers
26.Tennessee Titans (1-2) Week 4 opponent: Bye Week
27.Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-2) Week 4 opponent: Carolina Panthers 
28.Jacksonville Jaguars (1-2) Week 4 opponent: Indianapolis Colts
29.Washington Redskins (1-2) Week 4 opponent: Philadelphia Eagles
30.San Francisco 49ers (1-2) Week 4 opponent: Green Bay Packers
31.New Orleans Saints (0-3) Week 4 opponent: Dallas Cowboys
32.Chicago Bears (0-3) Week 4 opponent: Oakland Raiders

2015 Week 3 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers

Quarterback
MVP: Aaron Rodgers (Packers)
The ever-reliable Rodgers gave his owners a beautiful parting gift for Week 3 last night. Rodgers had another special performance at Lambeau Field as he carved up the Chiefs defense for 333 yards and 5 TD's. Rodgers hot start should continue as the Packers travel to the Bay Area to face the struggling 49ers in Week 4.
Honorable Mentions: Andy Dalton (Bengals), Tyrod Taylor (Bills), Cam Newton (Panthers)

LVP: Teddy Bridgewater (Vikings)
The offseason mancrushes fantasy analysts (myself included) had for Bridgewater has proved to be completely unwarranted so far in 2015. Bridgewater put up the weakest performance of his underwhelming year to-date, throwing for a career-low 121 yards, 0 TD's and an INT on Sunday afternoon against the Chargers. The most alarming part of his horrid performance was the fact that offensive coordinator Norv Turner only chose to pass 24 times with both of the Chargers top corners out of the lineup with injuries yet the Vikings still won the game handily. Unless the Vikings change their conservative, run-first offensive philosophy, Bridgewater will have little-to-no-fantasy value moving forward.
Dishonorable Mentions: Russell Wilson (Seahawks), Colin Kaepernick (49ers), Matthew Stafford (Lions)

Running Back
MVP: Devonta Freeman (Falcons)
Chalk this one up as the surprise of the week. Freeman- a popular late-round flier in this year's fantasy drafts- picked up his first start of the year in place of the injured Tevin Coleman on Sunday afternoon against the Cowboys and put up absolutely ridiculous numbers in the process. Freeman shredded a Cowboys run defense that was ranked 1st in the league coming into Week 3, putting up an absurd 193 total yards (141 rushing, 52 receiving) and 3 TD's on 35 touches. This inhuman performance should allow him to hold onto the starting job for the interim, but the famously streaky Freeman has to prove he can perform on a consistent basis before his owners can feel comfortable locking him in as a weekly fixture in their starting lineups.
Honorable Mentions: Joesph Randle (Cowboys), LeGarrette Blount (Patriots), Chris Johnson (Cardinals)

LVP: C.J. Anderson (Broncos)
Another week, another disappointment from Anderson. Anderson failed to get anything going against the Lions soft run defense as he gained a measly 27 total yards (18 rushing, 9 receiving) on 9 touches. Anderson is further solidifying his status as a major fantasy flop with each passing week and until him or his inexperienced offensive line can show some signs of life, he'll be nothing more than a low-end RB2 or FLEX option.
Dishonorable Mentions: Justin Forsett (Ravens), Jeremy Hill (Bengals), Jonathan Stewart (Panthers)

Wide Receiver 
MVP: A.J. Green (Bengals)
After letting Tyler Eifert and Marvin Jones lead the way in the first 2 weeks of the season, Green reestablished himself as the Bengals number 1 option in a big way in Week 3. Green torched the Ravens top corner Jimmy Smith all game long on his way to a career-high 227 yards and 2 TD's on 10 receptions. Green has a solid chance to go off again in Week 4 when the Bengals take on a Chiefs secondary that has gotten slaughtered by the Packers and Broncos wideouts over the past 2 weeks.
Honorable Mentions: Steve Smith Sr. (Ravens), Julio Jones (Falcons), Randall Cobb (Packers)

LVP: Andre Johnson (Colts)
There is no one in the NFL that I sympathize with more than Johnson. Despite playing with a legitimate franchise quarterback for the first time in his career, the 34-year old future Hall-of-Famer and longtime underrated receiving dynamo has been nearly invisible in his first 3 games as an Indianapolis Colt. Johnson was held out without a catch on a single target in the Colts victory over the Titans on Sunday. Johnson has looked sluggish all year long and is losing more and more targets to fast-rising second-year receiver Donte Moncrief and rookie speed demon Phillip Dorsett. Unless Johnson finds a definitive role in this offense or suddenly regains his ability to consistently separate from receivers and wreak havoc from sideline-to-sideline, he'll be the 4th-or-5th option in the Colts passing game and be nothing more than a desperation play for fantasy purposes.
Dishonorable Mentions: Torrey Smith (49ers), Anquan Boldin (49ers), Markus Wheaton (Steelers)

Tight End
MVP: Greg Olsen (Panthers)
Week 3 saw Olsen finally living up to the immense hype that surrounded him heading into 2015. Olsen roasted the Saints horrendous defense the entire afternoon, putting up 134 yards and 2 TD's on 8 receptions. Olsen is the clear go-to-guy for quarterback Cam Newton and as long as he's operating at full speed, his absurd amount of targets (25 over the past 2 weeks, which is comparable to what star wideouts Antonio Brown, Odell Beckham Jr. and Demaryius Thomas have seen over the same frame) will make him a threat to go off every week.
Honorable Mentions: Jimmy Graham (Seahawks), Rob Gronkowski (Patriots), Travis Kelce (Chiefs)

LVP: Tyler Eifert (Bengals)
Eifert finally hit a wall in Week 3 after his commanding start to the 2015 season. The 3rd-year tight end got suffocated by the Ravens talented linebackers and wasn't able to catch a single pass (he did have a TD reversed in the 2nd quarter) in Sunday's game. Eifert is starting to establish himself as the number 2 target behind A.J. Green in the passing game and all signs point to his hot start not being some kind of freak occurrence of vast overachieving. Look for him to rebound against a middling Chiefs defense in Week 4.
Dishonorable Mentions: Heath Miller (Steelers), Martellus Bennett (Bears), Kyle Rudolph (Vikings)

Defense
MVP: Arizona Cardinals
You rarely see the levels of dominance the Cardinals defense showed on Sunday against the 49ers. They started the game off by picking off Colin Kapernick twice and returning both of those INT's for TD's. That level of production didn't let up all game long, as they finished the night with an additional 2 INT's, 2 sacks and a safety. The Cardinals red-hot defense faces another highly favorable matchup in Week 4 against a struggling Rams offense.
Honorable Mentions: Seattle Seahawks, Philadelphia Eagles, Denver Broncos

LVP: Miami Dolphins
What the hell is wrong with the Miami Dolphins defense? The addition of prized free agent defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh to an already talented-loaded defense made this unit one of the most feared in the league going 2015. Through 3 games, that abundance of talent has failed to deliver on-the-field. The Dolphins got torched by the Bills in their home opener this week, allowing 35 points and failing to register a single sack or takeaway. The Dolphins have just 1 sack and 2 takeaways through 3 games, which is simply astonishing given the fact that they have players like Suh, defensive end Cameron Wake and cornerback Brent Grimes in their ranks. They have too much talent to give up on this early in the year, but what they've shown so far is extremely discouraging for their longterm prospects in 2015. They'll look to get back on track in Week 4 against a Jets team that turned the ball over 4 times in Week 3.
Dishonorable Mentions: New York Jets, New England Patriots, Kansas City Chiefs

The Best and Worst of Matt Damon

The "Best and Worst" series profiles the best and worst work of an actor starring in one of the week's new theatrical releases. This week I take a look at the filmography of "The Martian" star Matt Damon.

Film starring Matt Damon that I've seen:
Good Will Hunting
Chasing Amy
Saving Private Ryan
Dogma
The Legend of Bagger Vance
Ocean's Eleven
Stuck on You
The Bourne Identity 
Ocean's Twelve
The Bourne Supermacy
The Departed
The Bourne Ultimatum 
Ocean's Thirteen 
The Informant!
Green Zone
True Grit
The Adjustment Bureau
Contagion
We Bought a Zoo
Elysium
The Monuments Men
Interstellar

Best Performance: Good Will Hunting (1997)
Damon's major film debut was as strong of a first impression as you can possibly make in Hollywood. Will Hunting is one of the recognizable and celebrated big-screen characters of the past two decades and Damon's sensitive and multi-layered performance is largely responsible for that. Damon's ability to convey a wide range of emotions and make a very flawed human being so likable and sympathetic makes this performance an absolute wonder to behold.

Worst Performance: Stuck on You (2003)
Damon can do comedy well, but you wouldn't know that from watching Stuck on You. Damon completely misses the mark as a conjoined twin who's reluctantly moves to Hollywood so his brother (an equally bad Greg Kinnear) can pursue his dream of being an actor. Damon is stiff and awkward in the role and somehow manages to be the worst part of a movie that fails on just about every conceivable level.   

Best Film: The Departed (2006)
In the three months I've been doing this series, this was the hardest pick I've had to make. Damon's filmography is loaded with phenomenal films (Dogma, True Grit, Ocean's Eleven, Saving Private Ryan, the aforementioned Good Will Hunting) that are amongst my all time-favorites. After some fierce internal debate, I opted to go with Martin Scorsese's The Departed. The Departed is pretty much the perfect crime drama with an engaging, multi-faceted story, lively characters, sharp dialogue that's loaded with fantastic one-liners, some well-placed moments of brutal violence and most importantly, note-perfect performances from everyone in the film's A-list acting ensemble. Scorsese's legacy is largely defined by his work in the gangster film genre and while others are bound to disagree, I think The Departed is easily the most captivating and well-crafted mobster tale he's ever crafted. 

Worst Film: Ocean's Twelve (2004)
I will never forget the disappointment I felt after watching Ocean's Twelve. It was the night of my 13th birthday and my mom took me to Blockbuster after we went out to dinner to rent this. I had seen Ocean's Eleven on TNT a few months beforehand and given the fact that nearly all of the cast and crew from the original were returning, I figured the sequel would be similarly great. After watching it, I desperately wished I had chose another movie to celebrate my birthday with. How could the sequel to a movie that was so fun and well-written be so boring and inept? It's been 10 years since I saw Ocean's Twelve and I'm still perplexed by how this film turned out to be such a colossal failure. Ocean's Thirteen absolved some of Ocean's Twelve's sins of by giving the series a worthy conclusion, but that doesn't detract from how much of a soul-crushing disappointment this was.

 Thank you for reading this week's installment of "The Best and Worst of". Next week, I'll take a look at the best and worst work of "Pan" star Hugh Jackman.

 

Album Review: Lana Del Rey-Honeymoon

"We both know that it's not fashionable to love me"
This lyric kicks off the title track of Lana Del Rey's fourth studio album Honeymoon and provides a dead-on analysis of how she's viewed in the music industry. Despite all of her commercial success, Del Rey's gloomy, vintage-inspired sound and image has made her one of the most maligned artists on the planet. Those detractors will have even more ammo to attack her with after Honeymoon, which is easily the bleakest and most retro-influenced effort she has put forth to-date.

Honeymoon filters the melancholy sound of 2014's Ultraviolence through the string and synth-based production of her 2012 breakout album Born to Die. With this combination of sounds, Del Rey is able to create her most stirring tribute to old-Hollywood noir to-date. It's no secret that Del Rey has spent her entire career trying to emulate the styles of 50's and 60's pop stars such as Billie Holiday, Nina Simone and Nancy Sinatra, but this is the first time where's she been able to make something that truly sounds like it came from that era.

The production-which was handled by Del Rey and her longtime collaborators Kierion Menzies and Rick Nowels- creates a raw, nostalgic atmosphere that makes the album sound like it was recorded in a desolate piano bar in the mid 60's. The subtle and lush soundscapes subsequently brings out the best in Del Rey's vocals. The beauty and wide range of Del Rey's vocals have always been the most endearing aspect of her music, but the bare bones production style employed on Honeymoon showcases just how powerful her vocals truly are. Her performances on "Terrence Loves You", "The Blackest Day", "God Knows I Tried" and "Music to Watch Boys to" are particularly chilling and leave the listener in absolute awe of her immense vocal capabilities. In the hands of a lesser vocalist, the repetitive and barely-present instrumentation that runs through the entire record would've made this a dull and exhausting listen, but Del Rey's powerhouse vocals make Honeymoon a consistently captivating and haunting record.

Perhaps the biggest change on Honeymoon is the tone and subject matter of Del Rey's lyrics. On her previous records, Del Rey regularly wove tales of her being involved in relationships where she was treated like an object and beaten. This lyrical storytelling approach has led to her being criticized as an "anti-feminist" who promotes abusive relationships. On Honeymoon, Del Rey largely shifts her attention away from her relationships and breaks into more personal subject matter. Over the album's 13 tracks, she covers topics like trying to avoid the media scrutiny and claims that she is a no-talent fraud after her disastrous Saturday Night Live appearance in 2012 ("God Knows I Tried"), her new friends in Hollywood ("Art Deco") and embracing her newfound independence ("High by the Beach"). Even when she discusses relationships, she focuses more on the aftermath of her turbulent breakups and whether or not her partner truly loves her or not than being objectified and abused. While there's still come clunky, sophomoric lyrics along the way (the lyrics in "Salvatore" and "24" are flat-out cringeworthy), it's refreshing to see her lyrical concepts and worldview grow alongside her music.

Honeymoon may not have as many home-run tracks and massive hooks as Ultraviolence and Born to Die, but for what it lacks in flashy highlights, it makes up for with a stronger sense of consistency, maturity and cohesion. Del Rey is starting to become much more comfortable in her skin as an artist and that confidence shows with the bolder risks she took with the songwriting and production choices on this album. Honeymoon further validates Del Rey as one of the torchbearers for modern pop music and much to the chagrin of her detractors, she's a musical force that's not going anywhere anytime soon.
4/5 Stars
Standout Tracks
1.The Blackest Day
2.Music to Watch Boys to
3.Swan Song 

The Best and Worst of Adam Sandler

The "Best and Worst" series profiles the best and worst work of an actor starring in one of the week's new theatrical releases. This week I take a look at the filmography of "Hotel Transylvania 2" star Adam Sandler.

Film starring Adam Sandler that I've seen:
Coneheads
Billy Madison
Bulletproof
Happy Gilmore
The Waterboy
The Wedding Singer
Big Daddy
Little Nicky
Mr. Deeds
Eight Crazy Nights
50 First Dates
Anger Management
The Longest Yard
Click
Reign Over Me
I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry
You Don't Mess with the Zohan
Funny People
Grown Ups
Just Go with It
Zookeeper
Jack & Jill
That's My Boy
Hotel Transylvania
Grown Ups 2
Blended

Best Performance: Reign Over Me (2007)
It's largely glossed over because of the bad reputation he's acquired after years of putting out poorly-received comedies, but Sandler is a seriously great dramatic actor. The strongest example of his rarely-used acting abilities came in Reign Over Me, where he plays a New York-based widower who lost his entire family on 9/11 and has spent the five years after the tragedy pretending his past life didn't exist in an attempt to numb the deep pain of his losses. The scene where his character finally opens up to his former college roommate and best friend (Don Cheadle) about the day where his wife and two daughters passed away is absolutely devastating. With the approach director Mike Binder took to this scene, it could've very well been overly melodramatic and disingenuous, but Sandler's powerful and deeply human performance make the scene deeply emotional and completely unforgettable.

Worst Performance: Jack & Jill (2011)
As someone who grew up with and has found a lot of joy in the films of Adam Sandler, I find it hard to severely criticize his work. He's starred in his fair share of clunkers over the years, but even in his lesser works, he tends to be at the very least passable in whatever role he's given. His performance as twin brother and sister in the 2011 family comedy Jack & Jill is the rare exception. Sandler is so god damn obnoxious (especially as Jill) in this movie that I strongly considered ripping my eyes and ears off while I was watching it. It boggles the mind how an actor that is so consistently likable could manage to play a set of characters that are so annoying and vile.

Best Film: Happy Gilmore (1996)
This pick was a no-brainer. Sandler's early filmography is full of laugh-out-loud comedies (Billy Madison, The Waterboy, Big Daddy), but for me, Happy Gilmore is easily his finest achievement. The characters are memorable, the film is quotable as hell and most importantly, the film's hilarity only increases on subsequent viewings. Happy Gilmore has been one of my all-time favorite comedies since I was a kid and I don't see that ever not being the case.  

Worst Film: Jack & Jill (2011)
Whether or not you're a fan of his work, there's no denying that Sandler's name is pretty synonymous with crap movies. Hell, at least a quarter of the projects he's released in the past decade have ranged from below-average to cinematic abominations. Jack & Jill falls in the latter camp. This is a film so tasteless and moronic that it makes both Grown Ups movies look like high art. Everyone involved with this project should be embarrassed and I really wish that the Neuralyzer from Men in Black was real so I could permanently erase this disasterpiece from my memory.  

 Thank you for reading this week's installment of "The Best and Worst of". Next week, I'll take a look at the best and worst work of "The Martian" star Matt Damon.

2015 Week 2 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers

Quarterback
MVP: Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers):
Roethlisberger was able to put his middling week 1 performance behind him and put on a show for Steeler nation in their home opener against the 49ers on Sunday afternoon. Roethlisberger decimated the 49ers rebuilt defense, putting up 369 yards, 3 TD's and a pair of 2-point conversions before being benched in garbage time. The scariest part about this performance was that Roethlisberger is that he was able to shred through the 49ers D without star running back Le'Veon Bell and lethal young wide receiver Martavis Bryant (they're both currently serving marijuana-related suspensions) in the lineup. Once Roethlisberger gets Bell back next week and Bryant back in Week 5, he should be nearly unstoppable for the rest of the season.
Honorable Mentions: Tom Brady (Patriots), Cam Newton (Panthers), Colin Kaepernick (49ers)

LVP: Andrew Luck (Colts)
2015 has not been kind to the 2014 fantasy MVP so far. Luck followed up his stinker in Buffalo last week with an even-shakier performance (250 yards, 56.8 CMLP %, 1 TD, 3 INT and a lost fumble) against the Jets in primetime last night. The Colts terrible offensive line has given little-to-no-time to go through his progressions and facing the stout Bills and Jets defenses out of the gate is about as rough as it gets for a quarterback who is frequently under pressure, but Luck has to stop forcing balls into tight coverage and learn to take a sack or throw the ball away when pressure collapses the pocket. Luck has a good shot of redeeming himself in Week 3 when the Colts travel to Nashville to take on a Titans defense that has a below-average pass-rush and just got carved up by Johnny Manziel.
Dishonorable Mentions: Drew Brees (Saints), Sam Bradford (Eagles), Phillip Rivers (Chargers),

Running Back
MVP: DeAngelo Williams (Steelers)
Williams apparently drank from the fountain of youth before signing with the Steelers this offseason. The 32-year former Carolina Panther was able to replicate his success from Week 1, putting up 92 total yards (77 rushing, 15 receiving) and 3 TD's on 24 touches. Williams' workload will be scaled back when Le'Veon Bell returns from suspension in Week 3, but given the piss-poor depth at running back, his fantasy owners should retain him as a solid bench option who can be relied on to start if needed.

Honorable Mentions: Adrian Peterson (Vikings), Dion Lewis (Patriots), David Johnson (Cardinals)

LVP: Jeremy Hill (Bengals)
2nd-year back Jeremy Hill has been one of the most reliable fantasy backs since he took over as the Bengals starting back last November, so it was inevitable that he was going to throw up a stinker sooner or later. However, Hill didn't just throw up a typical stinker, his performance in Week 2 is one for the fantasy lowlight annals. Hill gained just 39 yards on 10 carries on a Chargers defense that got leveled in Week 1 against the Lions and was yanked in the 3rd quarter after fumbling twice. In most leagues, Hill's rough day netted his fantasy owners negative points. Despite backup Giovani Bernard's strong performance in relief of him on Sunday, Hill's starting job shouldn't be in danger and he should continue to be a rock-solid weekly RB1 option.
Dishonorable Mentions: Lamar Miller (Dolphins), Ameer Abdullah (Lions), Marshawn Lynch (Seahawks)

Wide Receiver
MVP: Larry Fitzgerald (Cardinals)
After 2 straight middling seasons, Fitzgerald appears to be back in dominant form. Fitzgerald accounted for over half of the Cardinals receiving yards and total points, putting up a ridiculous 112 yards and 3 TD's on 8 receptions, in Sunday's contest against the Bears. The Cardinals may have a talented pair of young receivers in John Brown and Michael Floyd, but all signs point to Fitzgerald being the top wideout and best fantasy option on the team this season.  
Honorable Mentions: Antonio Brown (Steelers), Allen Robinson (Jaguars), Julian Edelman (Patriots)

LVP: Keenan Allen (Chargers)
Oh the plight of Keenan Allen. A week after logging a 15-catch, 166-yard game, Allen put up a paltry 16 yards on 2 receptions and had a costly early fumble in the Chargers loss to the Bengals this past Sunday. Allen is the uncontested number 1 option in the Chargers passing game, but his erratic play makes him one of the biggest boom-or-bust fantasy plays around.
Dishonorable Mentions: Mike Evans (Buccaneers), Charles Johnson (Vikings), Rueben Randle (Giants)

Tight End
MVP: Rob Gronkowski (Patriots)
Another week, another freakish performance for Gronkowski. The centerpiece of the Patriots took advantage of every linebacker and defensive back the Bills trotted out to cover him and put up an even more impressive performance (7 receptions, 113 yards, 1 TD) than he did in his masterful week 1 outing against the Steelers. Gronkowski is one of the biggest matchup problems in the league and with the Jaguars soft defense coming to Foxboro in Week 3, there's no reason to believe that he can't put up even bigger numbers than he did the past 2 weeks.
Honorable Mentions: Tyler Eifert (Bengals), Heath Miller (Steelers), Kyle Rudolph (Vikings)

LVP: Jimmy Graham (Seahawks)
Graham's transition from the pass-happy offense of the Saints to the run-first offense of the Seahawks hasn't exactly been smooth so far. That transition hit a new low on Sunday night against the Packers as Graham was only targeted twice and made 1 grab for 11 yards. Given the makeup of the Seahawks offense, Graham just can't be expected to put up the numbers fantasy owners grew accustomed to when he was with the Saints. 
Dishonorable Mentions: Zach Ertz (Eagles), Martellus Bennett (Bears), Ladrius Green (Chargers)

Defense
MVP: Denver Broncos
The Broncos defense come out and turned out a lot of head on Thursday night with their play against the Chiefs. The Broncos picked up 4 sacks, 3 fumble recoveries, 2 INT's and a touchdown against an offense that is widely regarded for how well they take care of the football. The Broncos defense has been nothing short of superb in the first 2 weeks of the season and with the talent they possess at every position group, they should be able to keep it up as long as they stay healthy.
Honorable Mentions: Arizona Cardinals, New England Patriots, New York Jets

LVP: Baltimore Ravens
I don't know if it was because of the loss of Terrell Suggs or they just underestimated the Raiders offense, but the Ravens defense looked absolutely awful in Week 2. They mustered just 1 sack and 1 interception in their shocking upset loss in Oakland on Sunday afternoon. Until they prove they can be perform without Suggs in the lineup, they're a shaky fantasy play at best.
Dishonorable Mentions: Miami Dolphins, St. Louis Rams, Carolina Panthers

Concert Review: Rocky and Tyler Tour (A$AP Rocky/Tyler, the Creator)-- Lowell, MA-- September 19th, 2015

In the world of modern hip-hop, you seldom see major rappers go on tour together. The reasons as to why this is are unclear and the end to this unfortunate trend doesn't appear to be anywhere in sight. On the rare occasion multiple hip-hop heavy-hitter decide to team up for a tour, you need seize the opportunity because it's a special occurrence that's only becoming more rare as time goes on.

2015's drought of major hip-hop package tours was put to end last month with the announcement of A$AP Rocky and Tyler, the Creator's co-headlining tour fittingly titled "The Rocky and Tyler Tour". The month-long trek, which also features opening acts Danny Brown and Vince Staples, kicked off this past Saturday at the Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell in Lowell, Massachusetts and delivered a highly convincing argument as to why major hip-hop tours need to happen more frequently.

While the night was fantastic on the whole, it got off to a bit of a rough start. The combination of a long line to get into the Tsongas Center and traffic on the way to the venue caused me to miss a majority of Vince Staples' set. Staples has been near the top of my must see list since I heard his Mac Miller-produced mixtape Stolen Youth two years ago and my desire to see him has only increased since the release of his brilliant Def Jam debut Summertime '06 in June, so being forced to miss a majority of his set was really disappointing. Fortunately, the three songs I was able to see were enough to prove that Staples is a great performer. The overpowering beats kind of drowned out the vocals at times, but Staples raps with a ton of passion and his songs pack the same wallop live as they do on record. Staples is the most promising up-and-coming rapper in the game right now and I really hope that I will get the chance to see a proper set from him in the near future.

Danny Brown hit the stage about 15 minutes after Staples wrapped up his set and just like the previous times I've seen him, he absolutely killed it. Brown's tremendous technical ability and precision on the mic and commanding stage presence basically ensures that all of his shows will be great. I was a bit concerned that the crowd wouldn't be as into him as the previous two times I'd seen him (this was the first time I've seen him live where he wasn't headlining), but those concerns proved to be unwarranted, as the crowd exploded into a full-on frenzy as soon as he launched into set opener "Dope Song". Brown was clearly very aware of the type of crowd this tour would attract and loaded the set with the hard-hitting, electronic-influenced trap cuts from his last album Old. The decision for Brown to tailor his set to the young, party-happy fans of the headliners was a stroke of genius that ultimately led to him getting a crowd reception that rivaled Rocky and Tyler's for enthusiasm and intensity. The lone outlier in Brown's in-your-face set was the chilled-out "Grown Up", which was a very pleasant surprise as its a fantastic song that he rarely breaks out live. Brown is one of the standard-bearers for live hip-hop acts and even on a tour that's as loaded with talent as this, he was the clear standout.

Tyler, the Creator was up next. I'm not nearly as into Tyler as I was once was, but since his group Odd Future was the first hip-hop show I attended back in October of 2011, I have a bit of a nostalgic soft spot for his music. Like his music, Tyler's live performances are erratic and batshit insane in the best possible way. Tyler runs around the stage like a crazy person, regularly alters the lyrics to his songs to make stupid jokes and screws around with different vocal deliveries for his own amusement. In most situations it would be extremely annoying to watch an artist drastically deviate from their studio material, but for Tyler, it's a large part of why his shows are so much fun.  His setlist was much better than expected, largely because he didn't play any of the weaker cuts from his ambitious, but very disjointed new album Cherry Bomb. The equal attention paid to his aggressive raps ("Deathcamp", "Yonkers", "Domo23")  and his more mellow, R&B jams ("Fucking Young/Perfect", "IFHY", "PartyIsn'tOver/Campfire/Bimmer") gave the set a nice balance and showcase the largely overlooked musical diversity that has driven Tyler's last couple of releases. Tyler, the Creator may not be the most skilled rapper or tightest live performer in the game, but he's an incredibly entertaining artist whose lack of pretension and carefree attitude makes him stand out in the crowded modern hip-hop landscape.

A$AP Rocky put an end to the surprisingly quick set changovers of the rest of the night by taking over 30 minutes to set up after Tyler finished up. However, the wait proved to be well worth it as Rocky put on a seriously fantastic show. The first couple of songs ("JD and "Lord Pretty Flacko Jodye 2") saw Rocky relying a little too heavily on backup from his counterparts in the A$AP Mob and backing tracks, but once he took center stage on "M'$", he was incredibly sharp for the rest of the set. The clear highlight of his set was closing song "Holy Ghost", which was performed largely a capella. Rocky flawlessly hit both verses of the song with no beat and managed to make this already massive song even more immense in a live setting. Rocky is largely praised for his production and ability to craft memorable choruses, but stuff like this proves that he deserves just as much as praise for his abilities on the mic. The only problem with Rocky's set is that he spent way too much of his short set time (he was on stage for approximately 45 minutes) doing songs with the A$AP Mob. The entire mid-portion of the set was dedicated strictly to A$AP Mob tracks. While I am a big fan of Rocky and Ferg,who no longer regularly performs with Rocky due to the success of his solo career, the rest of the A$AP Mob members (Twelvvy, Nast and Ant) just aren't very good and with them getting most of the spotlight on the group tracks, it put a serious damper on the momentum of the set. Because of the abundance of A$AP Mob material in the set, Rocky only ended up playing seven of his own songs (eight if you include his verse from A$AP Ferg's "Shabba"). If Rocky set's was over an hour, I would have far less of a problem with this, but Rocky's choice to spend so much of his short set time on material that's vastly inferior to his solo stuff was frustrating. Aside from the extended A$AP Mob interlude in the middle of the set and lack of "Peso" in the setlist, A$AP Rocky put on a really fun show that vastly exceeded my expectations.   

Scores:
Vince Staples 8/10
Danny Brown 9/10
Tyler, the Creator 7.5/10
A$AP Rocky 8/10

Setlists:
Vince Staples (last 3 songs):
Norf Norf
Senorita
Blue Suede

Danny Brown:
Side B (Dope Song)
Smokin' & Drinkin'
Lie4
Handstand
Break It (Go)
25 Bucks
Dubstep
Grown Up
Attak (Rustie cover)
Dip

Tyler, the Creator (missing 2-3 songs):
Deathcamp
Tron Cat
PartyIsntOver/Campfire/Bimmer
Keep Da O's
Jamba
Domo23
IFHY 
Fucking Young/Perfect
Yonkers
Smuckers
Tamale

A$AP Rocky:
JD
Lord Pretty Flacko Jodye 2
M'$
L$D
Goldie
Hella Hoes (A$AP Mob cover)
Shabba (A$AP Ferg cover)
New A$AP Twelvy Solo Song
?
Wild for the Night
Jump Around (House of Pain cover)
Holy Ghost

Concert Review: The Fall of Troy-- Boston, MA-- September 18th, 2015

The Fall of Troy made sure their first full U.S. tour since reuniting early last year was a landmark event. The Seattle-based post-hardcore/math rock act celebrated the 10th anniversary of their breakout release Doppelganger by playing the album in its entirety. Last night this tour made its way to the Royale in Boston and the recently reformed act delivered a show that was worthy of its special event billing.


I arrived at the Royale about halfway through opener Slothrust's set. Slothrust is an act with a sound that is incredibly difficult to describe. They had a bunch of really slow indie moments that were reminiscent of the music every sad white kid with an acoustic guitar plays at open mic nights across the United States, but also had some instrumental sections with really fast drumming and crunchy riffing that wouldn't sound out of a place in a stoner rock song. Adding to the enigma was the awkward stage banter from vocalist Leah Wellbaum. Between songs she kept mumbling  off-color comments, made stupid jokes and just look like she was exremely uncomfortable on stage. Slothrust's lack of musical direction and odd stage presence made their performance one of the strangest shows I've ever seen.

Irish instrumental band And So I Watched You From Afar came out shortly after and returned a sense of normalcy to the room. I hadn't heard a single note of their music going into this show, but they managed to grab my attention almost immediately and hold it for the duration of their performance. The guitarwork was extremely intricate, the drumming was exceptional and the moments of melody beautifully contrasted the blistering technicality that drove a majority of their compositions. And So I Watched You From Afar was generally really solid instrumental post-rock/hardcore and I plan on digging deeper into their catalog in the near future.

After a pretty brief changeover, The Fall of Troy hit the stage around 8:20. Given their extended hiatus and spastic nature of their music, I was somewhat worried that their live show would be underwhelming. While the sound mix and the vocals from both Tom Erak and Tim Ward were a little suspect at times, The Fall of Troy was very impressive on the whole. The band was incredibly tight, nailing every single note of their mindbogglingly chaotic music and the group's energy level perfectly synched up with the intensity and unpredictability of their music. As expected, the material from Doppelganger made up a majority of the setlist. The Doppelganger tracks sounded excellent live ("Mouths Like Sidewinder Missiles" and "Laces Out, Dan!" were the standouts) and hearing these songs live gave me a greater appreciation for the subtleties that are buried within the many layers of the studio version. Seeing Doppelganger performed from start to finish serves as a reminder of just how special and criminally underrated of an album it is. However, being the shameless whore for technical guitar playing that I am, the clear highlight of the show for me was watching Erak play. He's one of the most technically-sound and downright wild guitar players I've ever seen play in person. He not only nails the ridiculously complex parts that appear on the studio recordings, but throws in some really cool improvised parts that further bolster the song's quality and aura of chaos. Erak's guitarwork is what made Fall of Troy's music click with me in the first place and his playing stands out even more in a live setting. The 5 years The Fall of Troy spent away from music appears to have done them a lot of good and I fully expect their upcoming album to be an absolutely triumphant return to the spotlight.

Side Notes:
-Erak confirmed at the the end of the set that Fall of Troy will release a new record in 2016. 
-This kid in a wheelchair crowdsurfed multiple times throughout the set. Unfortunately, this poor bastard was signaling for 10 minutes for people to put him down (Erak asked the crowd to put him down on his behalf four times) until someone actually did.
-Some crowdsurfer stopped and hugged Erak and bassist Tim Ward before they started playing "Macaulay McCulkin".

Scores:
Slothtrust WTF/10
And I Watched You From Afar 7.5/10
The Fall of Troy 8/10

Setlists:
The Fall of Troy (order may be a little off):
?
I Just Got This Symphony Goin' (w/ The Weeknd's "Can't Feel My Face" outro)
Act One, Scene One
?
F.C.P. R.E.M..I. X
You Got a Death Wish Johnny Truant?
?
Mouths Like Sidewinder Missiles
A Whole New World (instrumental version of the Aladdin song)
The H(oly) Tape
?
Laces Out, Dan!
We Better Learn How to Hotwire A Uterus
New Song
Whack Jacko Steals the Elephant Man's Bones
Tom Waits
Macaulay McCulkin

Movie Review: The Visit

Don't look now, but longtime Hollywood punchline M. Night Shyamalan just made a legitimately respectable film. After nearly a decade and a half of putting out nothing but uninspired and often unintentionally hilarious horror and fantasy garbage, the notorious director has rediscovered his identity as an artist with the low-budget horror/thriller The Visit.

While The Visit ultimately works, its not without its rough patches. The film's simple premise centering around two teenagers (Olivia DeJonge and Ed Oxenbould, who frequently tow the line between competent and obnoxious) making a documentary about meeting their estranged grandparents (Peter McRobbie and DeAnna Dunnagan) for the first time and becoming more and more disturbed by their unusual behavior as the visit progress is set up within the first 15 minutes. After that setup, the film feels like its going nowhere for nearly an hour. Shyamalan gives the audience a string of scenes with the grandparents acting insane and the kids becoming gradually more concerned about their safety without really advancing the narrative. Shymalan tries to offset this slow, suspense-free buildup with a healthy dose of dark comedy and family melodrama, but fails miserable as the gags aren't very funny and the attempts genuine human drama are insanely corny and forced. 

Ironically, it's the trademark Shyamalan twist that savages the film from the depths of mediocrity. Prior to the brilliantly-executed twist in the last 20 minutes, the film is seemingly a bunch of inconsequential scenes with no real narrative focus. Then all of a sudden, the twist hits and Shymalan's entire vision comes into focus. The twist gives the final act of the film some real intensity and reminds audiences of how gifted and clever of a filmmaker Shyamalan can be when he's on his game. While The Visit is far from perfect and comes nowehre touching the quality of Shymalan's seminal work The Sixth Sense, it's nice to see some signs of life from the once-promising director after watching him tread water for so long.
3/5 Stars

The Best and Worst of Johnny Depp

The "Best and Worst" series profiles the best and worst work of an actor starring in one of the week's new theatrical releases. This week I take a look at the filmography of "Black Mass" star Johnny Depp.

Films starring Johnny Depp that I've seen:
A Nightmare on Elm Street
Edward Scissorhands
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Blow 
Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl
Once Upon a Time in Mexico
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
Public Enemies 
Rango
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides 
The Rum Diary
The Lone Ranger
Transcendence
Tusk
Mortdecai

 Best Performance: Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
The role of hard-drinking, mumbling, cooky pirate Jack Sparrow was one that Depp was born to play. Deep's eccentricity, energy and flare for all things eccentric made Sparrow one of the most memorable characters in recent film history and was almost solely responsible for making Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl one of the most fun action/adventure films of all-time.

Worst Performance: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)
I still won't forgive Depp for transforming a lovable character like Willy Wonka into an awkward, creepy candy-peddler who is eerily reminiscent of Michael Jackson. Depp ramps up the eccentricity that Gene Wilder brought to the character while completely disregarding the charm that made Willy Wonka such an iconic character. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a firm reminder of why Depp should permanently stay away from Tim Burton's half-baked, psychedelic re-imaginings of classic children's films.

Best Film: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)
There's plenty of trippy, unconventional drug-based films out there, but none have the bite or the same level of fillmmaking proficiency as Terry Gilliam's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Like Hunter S. Thompson's source material, Gilliam creates a world full of colorful, strange characters that repeatedly put themselves into insane situations and it's nothing of enthralling to watch. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is a unique, unforgettable and darkly hilarious film that is as good as it gets when it comes to the world of surrealist cinema. 

Worst Film: Edward Scissorhands (1990)
Depp has starred in a lot of widely-hated films (Transcendence, Mortdecai, The Long Ranger) that are well-deserving of their bad raps. However, none of those films filled me with more rage and disgust than his breakout film and first collaboration with BFF Burton, Edward Scissorhands. Burton tries so hard to make a film that parallels the plot of Frankenstein and make Edward a symbol for all of the misunderstood and wrongfully feared outsiders of the world, but the love story at the center of the film is so corny and the acting is so collectively bad that Burton's good intentions don't really matter. Edward Scissorhands is an abomination and I will never even begin to understand why it's so acclaimed. 

Thank you for reading this week's installment of "The Best and Worst of". Next week, I'll take a look at the best and worst work of "Hotel Translyvania" star Adam Sandler.
   

2015 Week 1 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers

MVP: Tom Brady (Patriots):
After going through a tumultuous offseason full of public scrutiny and a long court battle stemming from the Deflategate scandal, Brady started off the 2015 season with a noticeable bang. Brady lit up (288 yards, 4 TD's, 0 turnovers) the porous Steelers defense without much visible effort in the NFL season opener last Thursday night. While its highly unlikely that Brady will be this dominant every week, this performance is an encouraging sign that the 38-year old quarterback won't fall from grace in 2015.
Honorable Mentions: Carson Palmer (Cardinals), Marcus Mariota (Titans), Tony Romo (Cowboys)

LVP: Peyton Manning (Broncos):
The struggles that plagued Manning down the stretch in 2014 have followed him into the start of the 2015 season. Manning's struggles with accuracy and frequently poor pass protection led to him putting up an incredibly poor performance (175 YDS, 0 TD, 1 INT, 4.4 yards per completion) against the Ravens on Sunday afternoon. Manning gets a bit of a pass due to how good the Ravens defense is, but it's still pretty clear that Manning's best days are well behind him. He's a risky start this week when the Broncos travel to Kansas City to play a similarly stingy Chiefs defense.
Dishonorable Mentions: Eli Manning (Giants), Joe Flacco (Ravens), Teddy Bridgewater (Vikings)

Running Back
MVP: Carlos Hyde (49ers)
2nd-year running back Carlos Hyde had a lot on his plate in his 1st career start this week. Hyde was replacing 49ers icon Frank Gore as the team's starting running back and was expected to be heavily leaned on to take the pressure off of quarterback Colin Kapernick in this revamped 49ers offense. Hyde proved to be up to the challenge as he was the driving force behind the 49ers' offensive success in Week 1. Hyde eviscerated the Vikings defense on Monday night, picking up 182 total yards (168 rushing, 14 receiving) and 2 highlight-reel worthy rushing touchdowns. If Hyde can keep this level of play up, he'll prove be to a top-end RB1 all season long.
Honorable Mentions: Matt Forte (Bears), Chris Ivory (Jets), Bishop Sankey (Titans)

LVP: Adrian Peterson (Vikings)
It was a rough week for projected RB1's this week with guys like C.J. Anderson, Justin Forsett and LeSean McCoy all falling short of expectations. However, none of these guys were as disappointing as Peterson. Peterson's attempt to make a triumphant statement in his 1st NFL game in over a year was thwarted by the 49ers surprisingly stiff defense. Peterson put up just 52 total yards (31 rushing, 21 receiving) on a shockingly-low 13 touches in what was a rough night for the entire Vikings offense. He has a good shot to redeem himself in Week 2 against a Lions run defense that got torched by the Chargers this past week.
Dishonorable Mentions: Frank Gore (Colts), Justin Forsett (Ravens),  C.J. Anderson (Broncos)

Wide Receiver
MVP: Julio Jones (Falcons)
Jones once again proved why he is one of the league's top receivers with his dominant performance last night against the Eagles. Jones torched every single poor soul the Eagles dragged out to try and cover him, picking up an absurd 141 yards and 2 TD's on 9 receptions. Jones is an absolute target monster in the Falcons pass-heavy offense and barring injury, he'll be in the running for the top fantasy WR title in 2015.  
Honorable Mentions: DeAndre Hopkins (Texans), Antonio Brown (Steelers), Keenan Allen (Chargers)

LVP: Odell Beckham Jr. (Giants)
2014's most reliable fantasy receiver showed a rare chink in his armor against the Cowboys on Sunday night. The reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year picked up a mere 44 yards on 5 receptions and was rarely targeted outside of short-yardage situations. Beckham Jr.'s fantasy owners can take solace in the fact that his ineffectiveness can largely be attributed to how bad Eli Manning played, but it's still a disappointing start for a guy that was downright unstoppable for the last 2 months of the season a year ago.
Dishonorable Mentions: Amari Cooper (Raiders), Demaryius Thomas (Broncos), Calvin Johnson (Lions)

Tight End
MVP: Rob Gronkowski (Patriots)
The Steelers employed a bold defensive strategy this week by not trying to cover the best tight end in the NFL. Let's just say that gameplan didn't pan out too well. Gronkowski took advantage of the Steelers defensive incompetence by putting up 94 yards and 3 TD's on just 5 receptions. As long as Gronkowksi remains healthy, he's the single most deadly redzone threat in the NFL and should make his fantasy owners happy just about every week.
Honorable Mentions: Austin Seferian-Jenkins (Buccaneers), Travis Kelce (Chiefs), Tyler Eifert (Bengals)

LVP: Greg Olsen (Panthers)
With top wideout Kelvin Benjamin out for the season, it seemed like Greg Olsen was going to be the go-to-guy in the Panthers passing game. That was not the case on Sunday afternoon against the Jaguars as Olsen only a caught a single pass for 11 yards. As far as I'm concerned, this weak performance was a fluke and Olsen should return to form against a Texans team that got destroyed by Travis Kelce in Week 1.
Dishonorable Mentions: Owen Daniels (Broncos), Larry Donnell (Giants), Coby Fleener (Colts)

Defense
MVP: Carolina Panthers
The Panthers defense started 2015 off with a serious statement by terrorizing the lowly Jaguars on Sunday afternoon. The Panthers picked up 5 sacks, 2 INT's, a fumble recovery and a defensive touchdown in the 20-9 victory. The Panthers are a severely underrated fantasy defense that should be able to put up solid numbers week in and week out.
Honorable Mentions: Seattle Seahawks, Baltimore Ravens, Denver Broncos

LVP: Green Bay Packers
The Packers defense started off their 2015 season in pretty unspectacular fashion. The Packers did not duplicate the success they had against Jay Cutler and the Bears last season on Sunday, picking up just 2 sacks and an interception against their heated rivals. The Packers solid pass-rush and talented secondary make them a solid starting defense, but they will have more down weeks than your typical top 10 fantasy defense.
Dishonorable Mentions: Houston Texans, Arizona Cardinals, New England Patriots   

The Best and Worst of Adam Scott

The "Best and Worst" series profiles the best and worst work of an actor starring in one of the week's new theatrical releases. This week I take a look at the filmography of "Sleeping with Other People" star Adam Scott.

Film Starring Adam Scott That I've Seen:
The Aviator
Step Brothers
Piranha 3D
Our Idiot Brother
Bachelorette
The Guilt Trip  
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
They Came Together
Hot Tub Time Machine 2

Best Performance: Step Brothers (2008)
Scott made one hell of an impression in his first major film role. Scott matched the presence and hilarity of comedy heavyweights Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly by stealing almost every scene he was in as Derek, the arrogant, successful douchebag brother of Ferrell's character. This performance was a great jumping off point for Scott and played a large part in him becoming one of the best comedic character actors in the industry.


Worst Performance: Hot Tub Time Machine 2 (2015)
Hot Tub Time Machine 2 is the first time I've ever seen Scott flat-out suck on screen. Scott's charm and sharp comedic timing was buried in a really annoying and unfunny character and despite the film being very average on the whole, he was consistently upstaged by Craig Robinson, Rob Corrdry and Clark Duke.

Best Film: Step Brothers (2008)
 In the world of moronic comedies, few shine brighter than Step Brothers. Ferrell and C. Reilly are the perfect absurdist comedy duo and watching the two of them play off each other for 100 minutes is pure comedy nirvana. The film holds up incredibly well on repeat viewings and for my money, is one of the most quotable and downright hilarious films ever made.

Worst Film: The Guilt Trip (2012) 
The Guilt Trip's premise(a son and his estranged, widowed mother go on a cross-country road trip) didn't seem to have much promise and the final product confirmed that lack of potential. Despite all the talent involved (Seth Rogen, Scott, Dan Fogelman, Ari Graynor), this one-joke movie never finds its footing and ends up being a wholly forgettable and relatively laugh-free affair.

Thank you for reading this week's installment of "The Best and Worst of". Next week, I'll take a look at the best and worst work of "Black Mass" star Johnny Depp.

10 Best Key & Peele Sketches

After five seasons on the air, Comedy Central's brilliant sketch comedy show Key & Peele aired its series finale last night. In honor of the end of its brilliant run, here are my picks for the 10 best sketches of the entire series.

10."Slap Ass: In Recovery" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQM2joP4fsQ
9."You Can Do Anything" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlD9JYP8u5E
8."R&B Group" (sorry for the bad quality, the official Comedy Centra YouTube channel didn't upload this sketch):  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSDTmJtE-Bc
7."Menstruation Orientation" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihRHIGpyspA
6."Little Homie" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSDTmJtE-Bc
5."Pussy on the Chainwax" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=He7TnoCM7fo 
4."Negrotown" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rg58d8opQKA
3."I Said Bitch" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LGEiIL1__s
2."Pegasus Sighting" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uG9PGqaWeo
1."Gay Wedding Advice" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtgY1q0J_TQ

2015 NFL Playoff, Super Bowl, Year-End Award, and Other Miscellanous Predictions

After an excruciating seven month hiatus, football finally makes its glorious return tomorrow night when the Pittsburgh Steelers square off against the reigning Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts. In honor of football's return, here are my insane playoff, year-award and other random predictions and observations for the 2015 season.

AFC Playoff Teams:
1.New England Patriots
2.Indianapolis Colts
3.Baltimore Ravens
4.Denver Broncos
5.Buffalo Bills
6.Miami Dolphins

Wild Card:
Ravens over Dolphins
Bills over Broncos

Divisional Round
Bills over Patriots
Colts over Ravens

AFC Championship:
Colts over Bills

NFC Playoff Teams
1.Green Bay Packers
2.Seattle Seahawks
3.Philadelphia Eagles
4.Carolina Panthers
5.Arizona Cardinals
6.Dallas Cowboys

Wild Card:
Eagles over Cowboys
Cardinals over Panthers

Divisional Round:
Packers over Cardinals
Seahawks over Eagles

NFC Championship:
Packers over Seahawks

Super Bowl:
Packers over Colts

Project League Leaders:
Passing Yards: Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers)
Passing TD's: Aaron Rodgers (Packers)
Rushing Yards: Eddie Lacy (Packers)
Rushing TD's: Jeremy Hill (Bengals)
Receiving Yards: Dez Bryant (Cowboys)
Receiving TD's: Randall Cobb (Packers)
Sacks: Ryan Kerrigan (Redskins)
Tackles: DeAndre Levy (Lions)
INT's: Harrison Smith (Vikings)
Forced Fumbles: Justin Houston (Chiefs)

Projected Year-End Award Winners:
MVP: Andrew Luck (Colts)
Offensive Player of the Year: Dez Bryant (Cowboys)
Defensive Player of the Year: Von Miller (Broncos)
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Amari Cooper (Raiders)
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Vic Beasley (Falcons)
Comeback Player of the Year: Sam Bradford (Eagles)  
Coach of the Year: Rex Ryan (Bills)

AFC Team Most Likely to Surprise: Miami Dolphins
AFC Team Most Likely to Disappoint: Pittsburgh Steelers
NFC Team Most Likely to Surprise: Minnesota Vikings
NFC Team Most Likely to Disappoint: Detroit Lions

Top 10 Veterans Who Need to Prove Themselves in 2015:
1.Jay Cutler (Bears)
2.Colin Kaepernick (49ers)
3.Nick Foles (Rams)
4.Keenan Allen (Chargers)
5.Jordan Cameron (Dolphins)
6.Tyrod Taylor (Bills)
7.Latavius Murray (Raiders)
8.Cary Williams (Seahawks)
9.Torrey Smith (49ers)
10.Luke Jockel (Jaguars)

Top 10 Under-the-Radar Rookies to Watch:
1.Gabe Wright, defensive tackle (Lions)
2.Trey Flowers, defensive end (Patriots)
3.James Sample, safety (Jaguars)
4.Grady Jarrett, defensive tackle (Falcons)
5.Cameron Artis-Payne, running back (Panthers)
6.Jeremy Langford, running back (Bears)
7.Tyeler Davison, defensive end (Saints)
8.Justin Hardy, wide receiver (Falcons)
9.Tye Smith, cornerback (Seahawks)
10.Neiron Ball, outside linebacker (Raiders)

Projected Top 10 Draft Order for 2016:
1.Titans
2.Browns
3.Redskins
4.49ers
5.Jaguars
6.Raiders
7.Bears
8.Falcons
9.Saints
10.Jets

2015 NFL Preview: NFC West

Arizona Cardinals

2014 Record: 11-5

Head Coach: Bruce Arians (3rd year)

Notable Additions: G Mike Iupati, DE Corey Redding, RB Chris Johnson

Notable Departures: CB Antonio Cromartie, DE Darnell Dockett, DT Dan Williams

 Offense:

The Cardinals offensive woes ultimately derailed their promising season in 2014. The offense remained stable after starting quarterback Carson Palmer tore his ACL in Week 10 against the Rams,  but once backup Drew Stanton went down with a severe knee sprain in their second contest with the Rams a month later, the offense hit a standstill in their last 3 games of the season, which culminated in a new record for fewest yards of total offense (92) in playoff history their Wild Card matchup with the Panthers.

Going into 2015, the success of the Cardinals offense is going to largely hinge on Palmer's ability to recover from a torn ACL. Palmer is now 35 years old and the ACL tear he suffered last year is the 2nd of his 13-year career. Palme has reportedly looked sharp since he training camp opened and his young, talented receiving corps anchored by Michael Floyd and potential breakout candidate John Brown should help him through his reacclimation process, but there's no guarantees that Palmer will be able to regain the polish and swagger he played with a year ago.

One thing that could save this offense if Palmer falters is their revamped rushing attack. Bruce Arians' teams are typically defined by their strong rushing attacks, so the Cardinals paltry rush offense a year ago (31st in the league) had to really tear him up. The Cardinals made their dedication to the rushing attack clear this offseason by picking up guard Mike Iupati and running back Chris Johnson in free agency and using high draft picks on tackle D.J. Humphries (24th overall) and running back David Johnson (86th overall). While Humphries and Chris Johnson are nice pickups that help bolster two areas of weakness for the team, Iupati and David Johnson have the best chance to make an immediate impact. Iupati is one of the best run-blocking guards in the league and David Johnson gives the Cardinals a hard-running powerback that nicely counteracts the scatbacks that round out the rest of the depth chart.

The man that should benefit the most from these roster moves is 3rd-year back Andre Ellington. Ellington was largely effective as a situational back in his rookie year, but when he became the feature back in 2014, it became immediately clear that his body couldn't withstand the physical toll of being an everydown back (Ellington was banged up for most of the year with a variety of injuries and was put on IR in December with a hip injury).The presence of the brothers Johnson should allow Ellington to go back to his role as a situational back and he could very well see his production from 2013 return ( 618 yards on 118 carries, 5.5 yards/per carry) in the process.

Defense:

Much of the Cardinals identity in the Arians-era has been derived from their strong defensive play. Even with the departure of defensive cordinator Todd Bowles- who played a pivotal role in building this defensive powerhouse- the defense should once again be the cornerstone of this team.

The Cardinals defense blueprint is a bit unconventional opposed to the other top defenses. They aren't loaded with talent in the front 7 like the Bills or Rams or in the secondary like the Seahawks and Broncos, they just have a a bunch of solid players who do their job well and can make huge plays. Cornerback Patrick Peterson is the face of the defense and when he's on his game, he's as good as corner in the league, defensive end Calias Campbell is one of the most productive run-stoppers in the league and new addition Sean Weatherspoon is a tackling machine who adds a much-needed veteran presence to this young linebacking corps. Losing interior run-clogger Dan Williams and pass-rushing specialists John Abraham and Matt Shaughnessy stings, but this unit has the depth and overall talent to keep on chugging.
   

The only real issue facing this unit is finding someone to replace Antonio Cromartie as the number 2 corner. Cromartie stumbled out of the gate of the last year, but once he regained the elite form that defined his stays with the Chargers and Jets, the Cardinals secondary became one of league's best. As of right now, their number 2 corner situation is pretty bleak. Projected Week 1 Starter Jerraud Powers has a solid amount of experience as an NFL starter, but he's been mediocre at best for the duration of his career. If Powers doesn't work out, the Cardinals are going to have to force special teamer Justin Bethel into a starting role or convert starting free safety Tyran Mathieau back to his college position of cornerback. Regardless of who ends up with the job, the Cardinals are going to need have to a 2nd reliable corner emerge or their secondary could potentially unravel.

 Bottom Line:

The Cardinals strong coaching and improvements to an already gifted roster make their odds of returning to the playoffs in 2014 very high.

St. Louis Rams

2014 Record: 7-9

Head Coach: Jeff Fisher (4th year)

Notable Additions: QB Nick Foles, DT Nick Fairley, OLB Akeem Ayers

Notable Departures: QB Sam Bradford, RB Zac Stacy, T Jake Long 

Offense:

The Sam Bradford-era in St.Louis is officially over. The oft-injured quarterback that lined up under center for the Rams for the past 5 seasons was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for quarterback Nick Foles at the start of the free agency period on March 10th. The move could prove to be huge for the Rams and provide the stability at the quarterback position that Bradford wasn't able to offer (Bradford has tore his ACL in each of the last 2 seasons). While Foles struggled with turnovers last season (10 INT's in 8 starts), he's just 2 years removed from a a 27 TD/2 INT season that saw him put up one of the best single season QB ratings and TD: INT ratios in NFL history. Foles also has a much stronger arm than Bradford and is not afraid to take chances on throwing the ball downfield or into tight windows, which should allow Jeff Fisher and new offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti to run a more aggressive offense than they've ran the past few seasons. It's unlikely that Foles will ever be as dominant as he was in 2013 again, but he's got a good shot to redeem himself and prove that he's a legitimate franchise quarterback this season.

The Rams rushing attack recieved a similarly drastic makeover in the offseason. The Rams shipped 2013-leading rusher Zac Stacy to the Jets after his lackluster 2014 and relived last year's leading rusher Tre Mason of his starting duties after drafting Todd Gurley in the 1st round of this year's draft. While Mason was impressive as a rookie last year, his size (5"8, 205 lbs) makes him a less-than-ideal candidate to be a permanent 3-down back in the league.  On the other hand, Gurley is essentially everything you look for in a prototypical NFL running back. He's monstrous in stature (6"1, 221 lbs), is fast as hell, runs with a lot of power, and is an excellent reciever out of the backfield.  There's concerns about his health coming off a torn ACL that shortened his junior season at Georgia a year ago, but if he can stay healthy, he could materialize into a really special back.

The one area where the Rams could run into some serious problems is at wide receiver. Their receiving corps- which is led by Brian Quick, Kenny Britt, Tavon Austin and Stedman Bailey- is easily one of the weakest in the league. The most reliable of the bunch is Quick and he's coming off of a major shoulder injury that ended his 2014 season after 7 games. The rest of their top targets are either mediocre veterans (Britt) or young receivers who have failed to live up their status as high-draft picks (Austin and Bailey). It's kind of astonishing to me that the Rams didn't take advantage of and use a 2nd or 3rd-round pick on a receiver. This is a unit desperately needs an injection of young talent, so drafting a raw quarterback in Sean Mannion 89th overall when potential under-the-radar studs like Ty Montgomery, Jamison Crowder and Rashad Greene were still on the board doesn't make much sense. Unless Foles is some kind of miracle worker that can cure the ills of long-struggling wide receivers, this receiving corps will once again hold back this offense.

Defense:

Like their counterparts in Arizona, any success the Rams have enjoyed over the past few years has been driven by their defense. Their defensive front anchored by defensive ends Robert Quinn and Chris Long and reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year Aaron Donald is one of the deepest and most dominant in the league. The front managed to get even scarier this offseason with the addition of former Detroit Lions defensive tackle Nick Fairley. Fairley has had some problems with consistency and conditioning over the course of his first 4 years in the league, but he's one of the most disruptive defensive tackles in the league when he's on his game. This front is a near lock for 40+ sacks in 2015 and with the addition of a interior pass-rushing demon in Fairley, they could very well end up leading the league come year's end.

The front is going to have to perform at an especially high level in 2015 because their secondary is riddled with question marks. Top cornerback E.J. Gaines has already been lost for the year with a Lisfranc injury and the slated starters aside from strong safety T.J. McDonald (free safety Rodney McLeod and cornerbacks Janoris Jenkins and Trumaine Johnson) are all wildly inconsistent. The loss of a promising young corner in Gaines is devastating to a unit that was already 19th in the league against the pass a year ago. To make matters worse, Johnson missed all of 2014 with a torn ACL and has struggled significantly in the preseason. The one silver lining is that all 4 starters for the Rams have experience as starters at the NFL and have all shown flashes of dominance at their respective positions in the past.

Bottom Line:

The Rams are continuously making steps in the right direction, but their lackluster offense and place in the toughest division in the league should keep them firmly in the middle of the league's pecking order.

San Francisco 49ers

2014 Record: 8-8

Head Coach: Jim Tomsula (1st year)

Notable Additions: WR Torrey Smith, RB Reggie Bush, T Erik Pears

Notable Departures: OLB Aldon Smith, ILB Patrick Willis (retired), RB Frank Gore

Offense:

The disappointment of the 49ers 2014 season can largely be attributed to their offense. Quarterback Colin Kapernick's play was spotty at best, their receivers outside of Anquan Boldin were practically invisible and for the first time in ages, their offensive line was riddled with injuries and could not be relied to run block or pass protect with any type of consistency.  With longtime starting running back Frank Gore and guard Mike Iupati and tackle Anthony Davis out of the picture in 2015, things could very well end being even worse in 2015.

The poor wide receiver play that plagued this team last season hasn't really been fixed headed into this season. Big free-agent pickup Torrey Smith is a premier deep-threat with the speed needed to stretch the field, but his hands are suspect (he led the league in drops last year) and he regularly goes prolonged stretches without making much of an impact. Even if Smith overachieves and shows more consistency than he did during his time with the Ravens, there's no one behind him to deploy as a 3rd receiver or emergency starter if Smith or Boldin goes down. Even last year, the 49ers could rely on veterans Stevie Johnson and Brandon Lloyd to come out and potentially do some damage in 3-to-4 receiver sets. This year, those duties are being relegated to Quinton Patton and Bruce Ellington. Patton and Ellington have a combined 12 career receptions and have not made the impact the 49ers had hoped they would when they drafted them in 2013 and 2014 respectively. It's entirely possible that 1 of these guys will catch on in extended playing time, but as of right now, it's safe to say they're both risky propositions heading into 2015.
   

The X-factor in this offense is Kaepernick. Kaepernick has the mobility to overcome their potentially shaky offensive line play (with ex-Patriot guard Jordan Devey and ex-Bills tackle Erik Pears taking over the starting roles vacated by Iupati and Davis, it's highly likely that this line will run into some problems this year), but he's going to have mature as a passer if he wants to prevent this offense from repeating their ineffectiveness from a year ago. Kaepernick's ability to read defenses and make throws in the pocket have rapidly deteriorated of late and he relied on running the ball way too much last season. His athleticism and ability to run should work as a nice complement to his skills as a passer, not be his primary asset as quarterback. The rushing attack could help take pressure off of Kaepernick if Carlos Hyde can build on his productive rookie season and Reggie Bush can return to form after suffering yet another major injury in 2014, but if that rushing attack fails to produce, the offense is going to lie squarely on Kapernick's shoulders and I'm not sure if he can handle that big of a burden. If Kaepernick can regain the form of his first 2 years as a starter when he lead the 49ers to a Super Bowl and NFC Championship in consecutive seasons, the 49ers could avoid the implosion many people around the league are predicting will occur this season.

Defense:

The 49ers defense underwent possibly the worst offseason in the history of the NFL in 2015. The first sign of trouble came when Patrick Willis decided to call it a career at age 30 after missing almost all of last season with a toe injury. Things got even more gloomy as promising young inside linebacker Chris Borland and veteran defensive end Justin Smith decided to follow Willis into retirement and cornerbacks Chris Culliver and Perish Cox and outside linebacker Dan Skuta left the team in free agency. To top it all off, outside linebacker Aldon Smith picked up 3rd DUI in 2 years at the beginning of training camp-which proved to be the final straw for the talented-but legally-challenged Smith and led to his release from the team.

Given the drastic nature of the losses they suffered this offseason, it's going to be incredibly difficult for the 49ers to recover this season. Aldon Smith and Justin Smith pretty much drove their pass-rush, the loss of Borland and Willis pisses away any depth they had at inside linebacker and Culliver and Cox were the top corners on the team by a pretty wide margin. The replacements they have lined up for these guys are largely suspect with first-time starters outside linebacker Corey Lemioner, cornerback Kenneth Acker and defensive tackle/end Quinton Dial set to lineup in Week 1. Even the veterans who have done well in spot starts (cornerback Tramaine Brock and inside linebacker Michael Wilhoite) don't seem like great choices to be permanent starters in this revamped defense. It would be a remarkable accomplishment if the 49ers were able to retain their standing as one of the best defenses in the league from a year ago.

About the only positive news the 49ers have to look forward is the long-awaited return of inside linebacker NaVorro Bowman after missing all of 2014 recovering from a torn ACL and MCL suffered in the 2013 NFC Championship Game. Based on his dominant play in the preseason and extremely impressive performance in training camp, Bowman looks to be revitalized. If Bowman can keep this level of play up in the regular season, his contributions should go long away at restoring order in this decimated defense.

Bottom Line:
The 49ers abundance of major losses on both sides of the ball this offseason makes them a near lock to be one of the league's doormats in 2015.
 

Seattle Seahawks

2014 Record: 13-3

Head Coach: Pete Carroll (6th year)

Notable Additions: TE Jimmy Graham, CB Cary Williams, RB Fred Jackson

Notable Departures: C Max Unger, CB Byron Maxwell, OLB Malcolm Smith 

Offense:

The Seahawks went out and made the biggest bombshell move of the offseason when they traded for former Saints tight end Jimmy Graham at the start of the free agency period in March. Graham gives quarterback Russell Wilson a truly lethal playmaker for the first time in his career and his presence should allow the Seahawks to deviate a bit from their run-first mentality. Graham could very well end up being the piece that pushes this offense over the top and makes them one of the scariest units in the league.

The only reason for concern in this the offense is the instability on their offensive line. The Seahawks gave up center Max Unger, their only excellent offensive lineman, in the trade to acquire Graham and are counting on a motley crew of outcasts to protect Wilson and open up holes for Marshawn Lynch and new acquisition Fred Jackson. Injuries have caused left Russell Okung to regress from the Pro Bowl form he showed in 2011 and 2012, Justin Britt and J.R. Swezy are below average guards and newcomers tackle Garry Gilliam and center Drew Nowak are both undrafted free agents with less than 3 years experience and a combined 1 start between them. The Seahawks have the benefit of having a quarterback in Wilson that can extend plays with his legs and a running back in Lynch who is essentially a human wrecking ball, but if their line can't deliver, this offense might end up hitting a wall

Defense:

The Seahawks defense has pretty much been the gold standard for the league over the past few seasons. Their defense is loaded with talented from top to bottom, has an almost unfair amount of depth and plays with a physicality that simply can't be matched by the other 31 teams in the league.

For the first time since Pete Carroll's first couple of years in 2010 and 2011, the Seahawks defense appears to be showing cracks in their armor. Worst of all, those flaws are solely contained in the vaunted secondary, largely known as "The Legion of Boom", that has generated a majority of the national attention they've received over the past few years.

Cornerback Byron Maxwell landed a huge contract from the Eagles in free agency after his strong showing starting alongside Richard Sherman last season and strong safety Kam Chancellor is currently holding out in search of a new big-money contract, a mere 2 years into the 4-year/$28 mil extension he signed prior to the start of the 2013 season. To make up for these losses (or in Chancellor's case, potential loss) the Seahawks are calling upon Cary Williams and Dion Bailey to step into the startling lineup. To say these moves are a downgrade would be a massive understatement. Williams has spent last 2 seasons getting eviscerated by opposing receivers with the Eagles and Bailey is an undrafted free agent who hasn't played a snap in the NFL and got cut from the Seahawks 3 separate times last season. These moves will prove once and for all if the Seahawks coaching staff are geniuses that can get maximum production from whatever players they have their disposal or get them to embrace just how valuable their core star players are.

Even with the question marks involving half of their secondary, it's highly unlikely that this defense will bottom out in 2015. Their front led by inside linebacker Bobby Wagner and defensive end Michael Bennett is chock full of talent in the entire league and is loaded with guys that are about to enter their prime or are firmly in the middle of their respective primes and Sherman and free safety Earl Thomas are still 2 of the most dominant young defensive backs in the league. Unless some kind of mass injury bug strikes or unexpected rapid decline in play occurs, the Seahawks defense should be at the very least respectable in 2015. 

Bottom Line:

Despite walking into an unusually cloudy situation on defense, The Seahawks are still one of the most talented and well-coached teams in the NFL. It would be a massive surprise if they weren't in the thick of the Super Bowl hunt for a 3rd consecutive year.

Projected Standings for the NFC West:

1.Seattle Seahawks (12-4)

2.Arizona Cardinals (11-5)

3.St. Louis Rams (8-8)

                                                          4.San Francisco 49ers (5-11)

Movie Review: No Escape

Writer/Director John Erick Dowdle's (As Above, So Below, Quarantine) latest thriller No Escape, which centers around The Dwyers (Owen Wilson, Lake Bell, Sterling Jerins, Claire Geare)-an American family that gets trapped in the middle of a government coup in the unnamed Asian country they've recently moved to-wastes little time getting to the action. Within the first 20 minutes, all hell has broken loose and the Dwyer family is running for their lives trying to escape the armed citizen uprising. Dowdle uses his background as a horror director to craft a film that is remarkably tense and never lets up until the credits roll. However, The film's dedication to creating constantly taut set pieces comes at a price. The main characters spend so much time running for their lives and evading gunfire that Dowdle doesn't even bother trying to develop them and the reason for the citizens rebellion is only mentioned once in passing by a British intelligence agent (Pierce Brosnan, who is as badass as ever) the Dwyer family encounters in their travels and is never brought up again. No Escape is a straightforward, hollow film that is able to get by on its relentless suspense and pulse-pounding thrills.

3/5 Stars 

Hidden Netflix Gem of the Week: The Guest (2014)

The Guest (2014)
Director: Adam Wingard
Starring: Dan Stevens, Malika Monroe, Lance Reddick and Brandon Meyer
Genre: Action/Thriller/Black Comedy
Plot: The Petersons (Malika Monroe, Brendan Meyer, Sheila Kelley, Leland Orser) are a working class family reeling from the loss of their oldest child/sibling Caleb, a solider killed in action while serving in Afghanistan. A couple of weeks after Caleb's death, the Peterson's receive a visit from David Collins (Stevens), a friend of Caleb's who was tasked with checking up on the family after he passed.. While initially embracing David's presence in their home, the family becomes skeptical of who David really is once he demonstrates violent behavior towards people that have harmed their family.
 
The Guest beckons back to a time where action thrillers with complex, absurd premises ruled the B-movie marketplace. The film has the look, feel and sick sense of humor of late 80's cult classics such as Big Trouble in Little China and They Live and like those films, only becomes entertaining as the narrative becomes more and more implausible. Further bolstering the film is the electric lead performance form Dan Stevens. Stevens, mostly known for his supporting role on the PBS period drama Downtown Abbey, breaks free of his proper British gentleman shtick to deliver an absolutely terrifying performance here. Stevens is essentially a one-man tension machine that fills this film with a looming sense of dread. His performance tows the line between charming and psychotic so tightly that you never know what Collins's true intentions or character is until the last half-hour or so and that makes The Guest the rare thriller to actually serve up massive thrills. This is exactly the type of standout performance the young Brit needed to get Hollywood to notice his immense gifts as an actor (It clearly worked because Stevens was just cast in the live-action remake of Beauty & the Beast.) The complete and utter insanity of the film's proceedings will turn some audiences off, but anyone open to B-movie absurdity should have a blast with this. 

10 Most Anticipated Films of Fall 2015

After the spring and summer seasons largely fell short of expectations, the final four months of the year are going to decide whether or not 2015 goes down as a quality year for film. The prospects of the fall season making up for the slightly underwhelming first eight months of the year are bright as there are a large number of potential gems among the dozens of films slated for release from September to December. Here's a look at the 10 films I'm most looking forward to seeing this fall.

10.Steve Jobs (10/9): The life story of Apple founder Steve Jobs was already brought to the big screen (and butchered horribly) in the 2013 film Jobs. This take on the life of the technology juggernaut from screenwriter Aaron Sorkin (The Social Network, Moneyball) and director Danny Boyle (127 Hours, 28 Days Later) is all but guaranteed to be a monumental improvement over the Ashton Kutcher-led biopic from a couple of years ago. The trailer makes the film look remarkably tense and gripping and the casting of Michael Fassbender as Jobs is about as pitch-perfect as casting in Hollywood gets.

9.Snowden (12/25): NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden is without question one of the most interesting and polarizing figures in recent history and his story is one that demands to be told on the big screen. The presence of the wildly inconsistent Oliver Stone in the director's chair raises some red-flags, but the stellar cast featuring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Shailene Woodley, Zachary Quinto, Timothy Olyphant and Melissa Leo and Snowden's complex and fascinating backstory makes this film incredibly intriguing.

8.Spotlight (11/6): The story of the Boston Globe Spotlight news team that exposed the Boston archdiocese mass cover up of priests sexually abusing underage boys in 2002 is finally heading to the big screen. As resident of the Boston-area, I remember when this story broke and I'm very interested to see how the filmmakers went about dramatizing it. The sensational ensemble cast headlined by Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo and Rachel McAdams and its place on the slates of the prestigious Venice and Toronto Film Festivals indicate that the film could be something really special

7.Joy (12/25): David O. Russell is on one hell of a hot streak right now with his last three films (The Fighter, Sliver Linings Playbook, American Hustle) being amongst the best films I've seen in the past five years. With a cast anchored by his frequent collaborators Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro and another rich story documenting the life of Joy Mangano, a single mother of three who went onto become the first independently-wealthy female entrepreneur in American history, that hot streak doesn't appear to be in danger of coming to an end here. 

6.Creed (11/25): After the trailer was released last month, a lot of critics and online commentators wrote this off as looking like a cheap cash-in on the long-dead Rocky franchise. With Ryan Coogler, the writer/director of the unheralded 2013 masterpiece Fruitvale Station. at the helm and Michael B. Jordan playing the title role, it would be a complete shock if that ended up being the case. Coogler is a filmmaker who has a firm grasp on character development and crafting realistic human drama while Jordan is one of, if not the absolute best up-and-coming actor in Hollywood today. Anything less than a standout sports drama from this actor/director duo would be a massive letdown.

5.The Hunger Games Mockingjay-Part II (11/20): The Hunger Games has been the best blockbuster franchise of the past few years and the long-awaited final installment looks to be a worthy conclusion to the wildly popular series. From what I've told from non-simpletons like myself who actually read the books these films are based on, the ending is fantastic and with the same cast and crew from last year's Mockingjay Part I returning, it would be a shock if they botched the finale.

4.Star Wars: The Force Awakens (12/18): As someone who adores Star Wars, I should be unbelievably stoked about The Force Awakens. The cast features a bunch of talented actors and writer/director J.J. Abrams (2009's Star Trek, Super 8) is the most gifted sci-fi filmmaker working today. The problem is that this film is being so heavily hyped that it's almost bound to disappoint. I really hope I end up being wrong, but for now I'm grounding my expectations a bit (hence the number four ranking on this list).

3.The Night Before (11/25): I'm one of those immature jackasses that still loves Seth Rogen and gets unreasonably excited about each new project he releases. The thing that has me especially excited (aside from the fantastic redband trailer and the talented-loaded cast appearing alongside Rogen) about The Night Before is the presence of director Jonathan Levine. Rogen and Levine last collaborated on the 2011 comedy/drama 50/50, so I have a feeling that this film will have a nice dose of heart alongside its plethora of vulgarity.

2.Black Mass (9/18): Warner Brothers Pictures has had great success with fictionalized South Boston crime stories like The Town, Mystic River and The Departed . Now the studio is capturing the ultimate Southie crime story of real-life mob boss/FBI informant James "Whitey" Bulger that terrorized the neighborhood from the early 70's to 1994 and spent 16 years on the lam before being captured in June of 2011. The trailers for Black Mass have been spectacular and all signs seem to point that Johnny Deep's performance as Bulger will be a return to form for the three-time Oscar nominee after his recent string of poorly-received and financially unsuccessful films.   

1.The Hateful Eight (12/25): Quentin Tarintino is my all-time favorite director, so it's not exactly a surprise that his latest project is my most anticipated film of the fall. If The Hateful Eight ends up matching or exceeding the quality of his last two Western-influenced films (Inglorious Basterds and Django Unchained), there's no doubt in my mind that it will be the best film of 2015.

Also Interested in Seeing:
The Transporter: Refueled (9/4)
Sleeping with Other People (9/11)
The Visit (9/11)
Everest (9/18)
Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (9/18)
Pawn Sacrifice (9/18)
Sicario (9/18)
99 Homes (9/25)
The Green Inferno (9/25)
The Intern (9/25)
Mississippi Grind (9/25)
Stonewall (9/25)
The Walk (9/30)

Hell and Back (10/2)
Legend (10/2)
The Martian (10/2)
Knock, Knock (10/9)
Beasts of No Nation (10/16)
Bridge of Spies (10/16)
Crimson Peak (10/16)
Goosebumps (10/16)
Truth (10/16)
Bone Tomahawk (10/23)
Burnt (10/23)
I Smile Back (10/23)
The Last Witch Hunter (10/23)
Rock the Kasbah (10/23) 
Room (10/23)
Our Brand is Crisis (10/30)
Scout's Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse (10/30)
Brooklyn (11/6)
Spectre (11/6)
Trumbo (11/6)
By the Sea (11/13) 
Love the Coopers (11/13)
Secret in Their Eyes (11/20)
Victor Frankenstein (11/25)
Krampus (12/4)
In the Heart of the Sea (12/11)
Sisters (12/18)
Concussion (12/25)
Daddy's Home (12/25)
The Revenant (12/25)