Friday, October 30, 2015

Concert Review: Verge Campus Tour (Rae Sremmurd/Mike Stud/KaneHoller)-- Salem, MA-- October 29th, 2015

Salem State University got a rare moment of big-school glitz when the Verge Campus Tour featuring Rae Sremmurd, Mike Stud and KaneHoller rolled through the small, suburban Massachusetts campus last night. This was the first time since I transferred to Salem State in the fall of 2012 that a major concert was held on campus, so naturally I was excited to finally get the experience that so many of my friends that attended other universities had every year they were in school. Unfortunately, the show that ended Salem State's major concert dry spell ended up being a thoroughly underwhelming experience.

California-based electropop duo KaneHoller opened up the night. Before KaneHoller came out, the show's host went on a long rant about keeping the energy up the whole night. Based on the level of enthusiasm this speech was met with, it seemed liked the crowd was going to honor his request. However, as soon as KaneHoller came out and started playing, the electric atmosphere that was in the room instantly vanished. KaneHoller's performance was about as energetic as a nursing home cribbage game. Every single song featured the same lo-fi synth beat on a loop and lifeless choruses that were repeated to the point where I seriously contemplated vomiting in the middle of the floor. Adding to the sterile nature of their music was the fact that both members of the group stood around the stage like there were in the most boring trance in human history. The only time the group or the crowd showed any life was when they broke out into a random 5-minute techno instrumental interlude in the middle of their set. Given how poorly their normal songs were received, this seemed like a cheap gimmick to win over the crowd and while it certainly worked for most of the audience, it just left me cringing. Synthpop is a genre that I normally have a soft spot for, but KaneHoller lacked the intensity and memorable hooks that's required to make it work.

Mike Stud was up next. This kid has emerged out of nowhere recently to become a viral sensation, so I was intrigued to check out his set and see what all the hype was about. Stud came out and got about 20 seconds into his first song before his mic malfunctioned, which caused him to leave the stage for nearly 10 minutes while the problem got resolved. Once the technical difficulties were figured out, Stud came out and finished the rest of his set without incident. While Stud didn't put on an objectively bad show (his stage presence and rapping/singing were respectable), his style of poppy, fratboy-friendly hip-hop just didn't click with me. Stud writes nothing but cheesy, formulaic songs about drinking and getting girls that are solely made for high school and college kids who typically don't listen to rap. In other words, he's cornering the market on cornball white party rap now that Sam Adams and Asher Roth have faded into obscurity. Music like this can be fun once in a while, but it gets old really quick. If you're a fan of Stud's work, you'll enjoy the hell out of his performance. If you're not, his live show will do nothing to change your mind.

Headliner Rae Sremmurd took the stage to wrap up the night after a surprisingly brief 10-minute changeover. While I'm a pretty big fan of their debut album SremmLife, I was kind of nervous to see them because I've heard rumblings that they're a terrible live act. These rumors proved to be true. I can say with total certainty that Rae Sremmurd are amongst the laziest and most unpolished performers I've ever seen. They spent the duration of their 45-minute set lip-syncing, jamming out to their music and yelling out random shit about Halloween and smoking weed while only occasionally bothering to actually rap along with their overpowering backing tracks. Live shows are a huge part of being a professional musician and if you can't be bothered to actually perform your music for your fans who dished out their hard-earned money to see you, you don't deserve to have a record deal or bask in the glory of fame and fortune. Don't get me wrong, both Swae Lee and Slim Jimmy have a shitload of energy and are experts at hyping up a crowd, they just don't care enough about their craft to put any legitimate effort into their live performance. I'll still listen to Rae Sremmurd's studio material because it's a whole lot of fun to listen to, but I wouldn't even entertain the thought of seeing them live again.

Scores:
Kane Holler 2/10
Mike Stud 4/10
Rae Sremmurd 2.5/10

Setlist
Rae Sremmurd (missing 4-5 songs, but I'm sure they closed with "This Could Be Us" and "No Type"):
Lit Like Bic (intro played over PA)
Come Get Her
No Flex Zone
Blase (Ty Dolla $ign cover)
My X
YNO
Nightcrawler (Travi$ Scott cover)
Safe Sex Pay Checks
Throw Some Mo (left during this song)

Thursday, October 29, 2015

The Best and Worst of Bradley Cooper

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 "Burnt" star Bradley Cooper.

Film starring Bradley Cooper that I've seen:
Wet Hot American Summer
Wedding Crashers
The Rocker
Yes Man
The Hangover
The A-Team
Limitless
The Hangover Part II
Hit and Run
The Words
Silver Linings Playbook 
The Place Beyond the Pines
The Hangover Part III
American Hustle 
Guardians of the Galaxy
American Sniper
Aloha

Best Performance: Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
Like most of the moviegoing public, this was the first time I began to take Cooper seriously as an actor.  Cooper's turn as Pat Solitano, a bipolar man trying to get his life back together after a violent episode in which he beat up the man his wife was having an affair with, is one of the most sensitive, emotionally-deep and spellbinding performances I've ever seen. This performance was critical in Cooper's transformation from the guy who stars in nothing but third-tier romantic comedies to one of the finest dramatic actors working today and I firmly believe that if Daniel "All I Do is Win Oscars" Day-Lewis wasn't nominated, he would've taken home Best Actor in 2012.

Worst Performance: Hit and Run (2012)
Cooper took this role as a favor to his good friend Dax Shepard, who wrote and directed this film. In hindsight, he should've done audiences a favor and passed on the role. Cooper overacts the shit out of his role as the film's antagonist, Alex Dimitri, a professional bank robber looking to seek revenge on his onetime getaway driver (Shepard) who testified against him in court and sent him to prison years earlier. Armed with fake dreadlocks and a pair of sweet sunglasses, Cooper tarnishes the quality of an otherwise solid movie with his obnoxiously over-the-top performance.
 
Best Film: Wet Hot American Summer (2001)
As someone who loves absurdist comedies, it doesn't get much better than Wet Hot American Summer. Armed with a fantastic ensemble of then mostly-unknown actors including Cooper, Elizabeth Banks, Paul Rudd and Amy Poehler, Wet Hot American Summer unleashes an onslaught of quirky characters and out-of-left-field humor to create a consistently hilarious film that's unlike anything I've seen before. The thing that strikes me the most about this film is how much better it gets on repeat viewings. The jokes are thrown out at such a rapid pace that it takes multiple viewings to absorb all of them and once you do, the film goes from great to all-time great.

Worst Film: Aloha (2015)
Aloha is one of those movies where you'll be left scratching your head at how so many talented people were able to make a film that's this horrible. Despite boasting a great director Cameron Crowe (Almost Famous, Jerry Maguire) and an ensemble cast featuring top-flight actors in Cooper, Emma Stone, Bill Murray, Rachel McAdams and Alec Baldwin, Aloha still manages to be a catastrophic failure. The film is remarkably corny, the tone is all over the place, the story is absolutely absurd and everyone besides Baldwin gives uncharacteristically lifeless performances. Aloha is easily the worst thing anyone attached to this film has ever been involved in and is bound to live in infamy as one of the biggest wastes of talent in the history of cinema.

 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 "Trumbo" star John Goodman.    

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Week 8 NFL Power Rankings

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

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

2015 Week 7 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers

Quarterback
MVP: Tom Brady (Patriots)
Shocker of the century: The Tom Brady revenge tour is still in full swing. Despite a slew of bad passes and costly drops by Brandon LaFell and Julian Edelman, Brady still finished with 355 YDS and 2 TD's against a stout Jets defense that ranks near the top of the league in every major category. Brady also managed to tear it up in the running game, rushing for a team-high 15 YDS and a TD. After 4 consecutive seasons of being merely a decent fantasy option, Brady is now back being to being an elite QB1. Brady faces a recently improved, but still very beatable Dolphins defense in Week 8.
Honorable Mentions: Ryan Tannehill (Dolphins), Phillip Rivers (Chargers), Andrew Luck (Colts)

LVP: Drew Brees (Saints)
The Saints may have won pretty handily against the Colts in Week 7, but their star quarterback was once again relatively quiet. Brees threw for just 255 YDS, 1 TD and 1 INT in this stellar matchup against the Colts weak secondary. It could've been a much bigger day for Brees, but tight end Ben Watson got brought down at the 1-yard line on 2 separate long receptions. Brees hasn't been playing terrible in 2015, but his lack of TD's (he's only thrown multiple TD's in 2 of his 6 starts) make him a less-than-ideal fantasy option at the moment.
Dishonorable Mentions: Blake Bortles (Jaguars), Eli Manning (Giants), Russell Wilson (Seahawks)

Running Back
MVP: Lamar Miller (Dolphins)
Lamar Miller seems like he's responded especially well to the presence of interim head coach Dan Campbell. In the 4 games with Joe Philbin at the helm, Miller didn't rush for more than 53 yards, had 0 TD's and was averaging just 11.8 touches per game. In the 2 games under Campbell, Miller has 2 100+ yard rushing games, 3 TD's and averaged 19 touches a game. Miller's Week 7 performance was a fantasy masterpiece (236 total yards, 2 TD's) that brought no shortage of joy to his owners. Miller is suddenly at the top of the fantasy running back and has handsomely rewarding any owners that were patient with him as he worked through his early-season struggles. Miller faces another juicy matchup in Week 8 when the Dolphins take on the Patriots weak rush defense.
Honorable Mentions: Todd Gurley (Rams), Arian Foster (Texans), Darren McFadden (Cowboys)

LVP: LeGarrette Blount (Patriots)
It's no secret that LeGarrette Blount is one of the biggest enigmas in fantasy football. The Patriots tendency to commit to a different running back each week paired with Blount's erratic play when he's actually on the field make him the classic boom-or-bust player. Blount was at his absolute worst in Week 7 against the Jets, managing just 3 carries for -3 yards on the afternoon. Luckily for Blount, no Patriots running back got the job done (1 yard on 5 RB carries), which led to Tom Brady leading the team in rushing for the 1st time in his 16-year career. Look for Blount to fair much better in their Week 8 contest with the below-average Dolphins.
Dishonorable Mentions: Rashad Jennings (Giants), Frank Gore (Colts), DeMarco Murray (Eagles)

Wide Receiver
MVP: T.Y. Hilton (Colts)
The Colts 2015 campaign has been largely disappointing from both a reality and a fantasy perspective. One of the few bright spots for this Colts this year has been the play of their number one wideout T.Y. Hilton. Hilton had his best game of the year so far in Week 7, putting up 150 YDS and 2 TD's on 4 receptions. Despite his strong play of late, Hilton's hot streak will more than likely come to a close in Week 8 when he goes up against the Carolina Panthers elite shutdown corner Josh Norman.
Honorable Mentions: Jarvis Landry (Dolphins), Mike Evans (Buccaneers), Amari Cooper (Raiders)

LVP: Larry Fitzgerald (Cardinals)
Sometimes even the greats can't take advantage of prime matchups. Despite facing the bottom-ranked passing defense of the Baltimore Ravens in Week 7, the resurgent Larry Fitzgerald was held to just 39 yards on 3 receptions. Fitzgerald is having one of the best years of his storied career in 2015 and it would come as a huge shock if this was anything more than a bump in the road. Fitzgerald will be a solid WR2 play in Week 8 against the Browns banged-up secondary.  
Dishonorable Mentions: Travis Benjamin (Browns),DeAndre Hopkins (Texans),Jordan Matthews (Eagles)

Tight End
MVP: Jordan Reed (Redskins)
Jordan Reed made one hell of a return to the field after missing 2 games with a concussion, sparking the Redskins improbable comeback victory over the Buccaneers with his 11 REC/72 YD/2 TD performance. Reed is one of the most injury-prone players in the NFL, but when's he on the field, he's one of the better tight ends in the league. Reed is owned in between 20-50% of leagues right now depending on what site you play on, so if you're having tight end problems and are willing to roll the dice on him being healthy for the rest of the year, he's definitely worth a look. 
Honorable Mentions: Rob Gronkowski (Patriots), Ladarius Green (Chargers), Eric Ebron (Lions)

LVP: Julius Thomas (Jaguars)
A week after making his first notable contribution as a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Julius Thomas disappeared in Week 7. Thomas reeled in just 1 of his 5 targets for 4 yards in the Jaguars narrow victory over the Bills. Thomas reportedly sustained a groin injury early in the game, which explains why he was only on the field for 37 snaps and looked sluggish at times. Thomas will continue to be a matchup-dependent TE1 when the Jaguars return from bye in Week 9 as he continues to find his role in this young upstart offense. 
Dishonorable Mentions: Charles Clay (Bills), Jordan Cameron (Dolphins), Jimmy Graham (Seahawks)

Defense
MVP: St. Louis Rams
The stellar production of the Rams defense has gone relatively unnoticed in 2015 as the dominant defensive play of the Broncos and Cardinals have garnered a majority of the attention in fantasy land. However, the Rams absurd performance in Week 7 should finally get them the moment in the spotlight that they've long deserved. The Rams surrendered just 6 points and picked up 4 sacks, 4 fumble recoveries and a touchdown against a Browns offense that has been surprisingly solid for a majority of the 2015 season. The Rams potent defense has another excellent matchup in Week 8 as they take on the lowly 49ers offense at home.
Honorable Mentions: Seattle Seahawks, New York Giants, Kansas City Chiefs

LVP: Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers defense has pleasantly surprised fantasy owners this year with their consistent productivity. This week snapped their streak of impressive performances as they posted their weakest performance since their Week 1 loss against the Patriots. The Steelers allowed 23 points, mustered just 2 sacks and failed to get a takeaway against a Chiefs offense that has struggled mightily since running back Jammal Charles went down with a torn ACL in Week 5. The Steelers defense is worth hanging onto for the long term, but they aren't worth starting in Week 8 as they face a Bengals offense who has only surrendered 6 sacks and turned the ball over 6 times this year. 

Dishonorable Mentions: Houston Texans, Washington Redskins, New England Patriots 

Monday, October 26, 2015

Movie Review: Steve Jobs

Since Apple co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs passed away in 2011 from pancreatic cancer, Hollywood has churned out films about his life at a breakneck pace. From the 2013 biopic Jobs starring Ashton Kutcher as Jobs to a dozen or so documentaries, the polarizing tech billionaire's accomplishments and upbringing appear to have been tackled at every conceivable angle. Director Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire) and screenwriter Aaron Sorkin (The Social Network, Moneyball) are the latest to throw their hats in the Jobs' biopic ring and their film- aptly titled Steve Jobs-is by far the most compelling and complex of the bunch.  

Steve Jobs is structured more like a stage production than a traditional film. Boyle and Sorkin tell Jobs' story through a trio of long-cut scenes that take place behind-the-scenes at the product launches for three of his most important: the original Macintosh computer in 1984, the NeXT computer in 1988 and the iMac in 1998. The formula may sound like it skims on the details, but each scene is stuffed to the brim with insight on Jobs' career and more importantly, what made him tick. By focusing on a microcosm of Jobs' life instead of telling his entire life story in two hours, Steve Jobs is able to provide a very interesting and original take on the biopic.

Through the series of conversations and events that take place backstage at these product launches, the fillmmakers highlight the relationships and characteristics that defined Jobs as a man and document how he became one of the wealthiest men in the world. Sorkin's writing has a way of accentuating a notable person's brilliance and impressive accomplishments without shying away from their flaws and Steve Jobs is no different. For every bit that portrays Jobs as a tech-visionary and marketing genius, the film also shines a spotlight on his holier-than-thou attitude to his associates at Apple and disowning of his first-born daughter and ex-girlfriend, who were on welfare around the time he became a billionaire. Steve Jobs doesn't hold back from damning details and legitimate criticism of its subject and Sorkin's ability to expose those human character flaws makes the film so much more realistic and satisfying than most biopics.

This film's brilliant construction and writing is amplified by career best work from Michael Fassbender.  Fassbender's performance is every bit as uncompromising and ferocious as the man he portrays. Scene after scene, Fassbender captures Jobs' intense, condescending persona by hurling pointed insults at everyone that challenges his vision and dealing with family and business issues in the poorest ways humanly possible. It's a bold, in-your-face performance that drives film's chaotic nature and is pretty much bound to stick with you for a long, long time.

The electric energy that makes Steve Jobs such an adrenaline-fueled viewing experience is also its greatest weakness. The film is such a whirlwind that you miss some of the bits of insight and interesting information that it drops along the way. The revolving door of conversations also takes away from the impact the supporting players have on the story. Seth Rogen and Jeff Daniels both have moments of scene-stealing excellence as Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak and former Apple CEO John Sculley, but their impact isn't as great as it should be given how limited their time on screen is. While this film is clearly designed to be a profile of Jobs' life and legacy, it would've been interesting if the film had spent a little more time exploring Wozniak and Sculley, who both played an integral role in Jobs' success. Steve Jobs is a masterclass in biopic filmmaking that will undoubtedly go down as one of the finest cinematic accomplishments of 2015.

4/5 Stars 

Thursday, October 22, 2015

The Best and Worst of Bruce Willis

 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 "Rock the Kasbah" star Bruce Willis.


Films starring Bruce Willis that I've seen:
Die Hard
Pulp Fiction
Die Hard with a Vengeance
The Fifth Element
Armageddon  
The Sixth Sense
The Whole Nine Yards
Unbreakable
Tears of the Sun
Sin City 
Alpha Dog
16 Blocks
Lucky Number Slevin
Planet Terror
Live Free or Die Hard
Surrogates
Cop Out
The Expendables
Red
The Expendables 2
Moonrise Kingdom
Looper
A Good Day to Die Hard
G.I. Joe: Retaliation
Red 2 
Sin City: A Dame to Kill For

Best Performance: Die Hard (1988)
Willis has played no shortage of memorable characters over his nearly three-decade career, but Die Hard gave birth to his most iconic one of all. Willis' charisma, likability and smart-ass comedic delivery made John McClane arguably the most badass action hero in movie history.

Worst Performance: Moonrise Kingdom (2012)
Calling Willis' performance in Moonrise Kingdom bad would be a stretch, but it's definitely the weakest performance I've ever seen from him. Willis' even-tempered performance just feels kind of awkward in Wes Anderson's quirky world, especially when he's sharing scenes alongside the likes of Edward Norton, Frances McDormand and Bill Murray-who are all fully committed to the zaniness of their characters.

Best Film: Pulp Fiction (1994)
There's really no way to properly articulate the love I have for Pulp Fiction without turning into a pathetic fanboy. Ever since I saw it for the first time when I was 13, I've been obsessed with it. This is the film that made me develop an appreciation for non-linear storytelling, introduced me to the brilliance of Quentin Tarintino's filmmaking and most importantly, advanced my love of film to the next level. As long as I live, I don't think another film will delight, entertain or floor me like Pulp Fiction does. 

Worst Film: Armageddon (1998)
I am one of the few jackasses on the planet that will go to great lengths to defend Michael Bay as a director. His explosion-heavy, little-to-zero substance style of filmmaking rightfully pisses a lot of people off, but I think he's a top-notch action director who has made a lot of really fun movies over the years. That being said, I simply can not defend Armageddon under any circumstances. Big-budget disaster movies are typically loud and dumb, but Armageddon takes that level of stupidity to new heights without any of the fun that's typically present in films of the genre. Armageddon plays out like a soap opera with absurd melodrama and overacting galore and by the time the final credits roll on this two-and-a-half hour cringefest, you'll be left wondering why Touchstone/Disney dumped $150 million into this project. 

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 "Burnt" star Bradley Cooper.    

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Week 7 NFL Power Rankings

() Last Week's Ranking

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

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

2015 Week 6 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers

Quarterback
MVP: Matthew Stafford (Lions)
After tormenting his fantasy owners for the first 5 weeks of the season, Matthew Stafford came alive in Week 6. Stafford embarrassed the Bears weak corners all game long, finishing with 405 YDS and 4 TD in Sunday's afternoon shootout that ended with the Lions picking up their 1st victory of the season. While his Week numbers are impressive, Stafford is likely to revert to the less-than-stellar form of his first 5 games when the Lions face the talented defense of the Vikings in Week 7. 
Honorable Mentions: Phillip Rivers (Chargers), Blake Bortles (Jaguars), Andrew Luck (Colts)

LVP: Marcus Mariota (Titans)
Marcus Mariota has had his fair share of struggles after his brilliant opening game against the Buccaneers. In the 3 games following his 4 TD, 0 INT, 158.3 QBR debut, Mariota has 4 TD, 3 INT, 2 fumbles and a QBR of 82.9. The highly-touted rookie hit a new low in Week 6 as he got manhandled by the Dolphins defense, finishing the afternoon with 219 YDS, 1 TD and 4 giveaways (2 INT and 2 fumbles lost). It was revealed yesterday that Mariota suffered a sprained MCL during the game, so his status for the Titans tough Week 7 matchup against the Falcons is unclear at this time. Even if Mariota doesn't miss any time, Mariota's spotty play makes him nothing more than a mid-level QB2.
Dishonorable Mentions: Peyton Manning (Broncos), Teddy Bridgewater (Vikings), Eli Manning (Giants)

Running Back
MVP: Devonta Freeman (Falcons)
Okay, this is just getting absurd now. Freeman has been putting up monster games like clockwork and he strung together another masterful performance (156 total yards, 2 combined TD on 18 touches) in the Falcons Week 6 loss to the Saints. Freeman has been the fantasy MVP of the 1st third of the season and there's no reason to believe that his level of production will tail off as the season progresses.
Honorable Mentions: Chris Ivory (Jets), LeGarrette Blount (Patriots), Jonathan Stewart (Panthers)

LVP: Eddie Lacy (Packers) (4 carries, 3 YDS, 2 catches, 17 YDS)
Last week I said that Lacy's time as a top-tier fantasy running back may be up. After his performance this week, I'm now starting to think that it is up. Lacy got out-touched by James Starks 11-5 and looked sluggish every time he touched the ball against a creampuff Chargers rush defense, finishing with just 20 total yards (17 receiving, 3 rushing) on 6 touches. With Starks putting up a 117-yard, 2 TD performance, Lacy's spot as the starter could very much be in jeopardy when the Packers return from bye in Week 8. If you're a Lacy owner and Starks is available in your league, add him as a handcuff ASAP.
Dishonorable Mentions: Dion Lewis (Patriots), Adrian Peterson (Vikings), Melvin Gordon (Chargers)

Wide Receiver
MVP: DeAndre Hopkins (Texans)
The most-targeted receiver in the NFL proved his worth once again in Week 6. After a quiet start, Hopkins eviscerated the Jaguars surprisingly solid secondary and ended up putting together the best game of his stellar 2015 season so far, registering an absurd 148 YDS and 2 TD's on 10 receptions. Hopkins is the number 1 ranked fantasy receiver through the first 6 weeks of the season and as long as he stays healthy, he's pretty much a lock to be a top 5/10 fantasy wideout for the rest of the year.
Honorable Mentions: Martavis Bryant (Steelers), Calvin Johnson (Lions), Alshon Jeffrey (Bears)

LVP: Antonio Brown (Steelers) (3 REC, 24 YDS)
The loss of Ben Roethlisberger has put a serious damper on Brown's production. Michael Vick's horrendous, inaccurate passing paired with Brown's inability to get on the same page as the over-the-hill quarterback have made him a complete non-factor in the last 3 games. Brown's 3 reception, 24-yard performance against the Cardinals in Week 6 was his worst performance since December 2012. With Roethlisberger more likely out again this week, Brown better hope that his rapport with 3rd-string quarterback Landry Jones is better than it was with Vick. Even though his numbers have been terrible over the few week, fantasy owners would be foolish to take Brown out of their lineups.
Dishonorable Mentions: A.J. Green (Bengals), Randall Cobb (Packers), Jeremy Maclin (Chiefs)

Tight End
MVP: Greg Olsen (Panthers)
Olsen made up for his lackluster performance in Week 4 by coming out of the bye week in top form. Olsen served as the catalyst for the Panthers comeback victory over the Seahawks, picking up 131 yards and a touchdown on 7 receptions. Olsen will put up more stinkers than the likes of Rob Gronkowski and Antonio Gates, but his status as the Panthers primary receiving threat makes him a very strong weekly TE1 play.
Honorable Mentions: Gary Barnidge (Browns), Jimmy Graham (Seahawks), Julius Thomas (Jaguars)

LVP: Richard Rodgers (Packers)
Outside of James Jones, the Packers receivers has been erratic as hell all season long. Rodgers is the latest victim of the Packers flavor-of-the-week approach, picking up just 34 yards on 2 receptions against the Chargers middling pass defense. After a couple of dynamite games in Week 2 and 4, Rodgers appears to be the clear 3rd or 4th option in the Packers passing game. Rodgers has very little fantasy value, even at a position as thin as tight end and is safely droppable in all 10-team and most 12-team leagues. 
Dishonorable Mentions: Zach Ertz (Eagles), Larry Donnell (Giants), Martellus Bennett (Bears)

Defense
MVP: Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles defense has carried them for most of this season and that was once again the case in Week 6. The Eagles were dominant against a hot Giants offense that had only turned the ball over 3 times in their first 5 games, finishing the night with 3 sacks, 2 INT's, a fumble recovery, a touchdown and just 7 points allowed. The Eagles defensive hotstreak could come to a close in Week 7 as they take on a Panthers offense that has done a pretty good job of putting up points and protecting the football in the early part of the season.
Honorable Mentions: Denver Broncos, Houston Texans, New York Giants

LVP: Baltimore Ravens (25 points allowed, 3 sacks, 0 takeaways)
The Ravens traditionally excellent defense just hasn't been the same in 2015 and their week 6 performance was perhaps the strongest indicator of their struggles to-date. The Ravens registered 3 sacks, 0 takeaways and allowed 25 points to a 49ers offense that has been extremely kind to fantasy defenses for much of 2015. The Ravens will have some good games here and there, but this bunch doesn't hold a candle to their wildly productive unit from a year ago.
Dishonorable Mentions: Arizona Cardinals, New England Patriots, Carolina Panthers

Monday, October 19, 2015

Movie Review: Crimson Peak

While Guillermo Del Toro is mostly known to American audiences for his massive blockbusters Hellboy and Pacific Rim, the majority of the Mexican-born director's work has been in the horror genre. He broke into the film industry with his English and Spanish-language horror films Mimic, Cronos and The Devil's Backbone and since his rise to prominence, he's served as a producer on films such as 2007's The Orphanage and 2013's Mama. Del Toro goes back to his horror roots with his latest feature, Crimson Peak-a blood-soaked ode to the Gothic romance films of the 1940's.  

Crimson Peak focuses on Edith Cushing (Mia Wasikowska), a young aspiring author living a quiet life with her successful industrialist father (Jim Beaver) in upstate New York. Edith's solitary existence changes after she catches the eye of Sir Thomas Sharp (Tom Hiddleston), a charming British inventor seeking funding from her father to mass produce a clay mining instrument he designed. Much to the chagrin of her overprotective father, Edith quickly falls for Thomas and they soon wed and move to Allerdale Hall-the sprawling, decrepit mansion that Thomas and his sister (Jessica Chastain) share in the British countryside. Soon after moving into Allerdale Hall, Edith is haunted by the house's various spirits and begins to suspect that Thomas may not be the man he appears to be.

While it may feature ghosts and moments of gruesome violence, Crimson Peak is far more of a Gothic-inspired romantic drama than a horror film. The film's focus on character development and the love story between Edith and Thomas instead of jump scares will leave some viewers agitated, but it makes for a unique viewing experience that's not quite like anything that's hit multiplexes this century.

Crimson Peak may not be horrifying, but it is wildly unsettling. There's a constant aura of dread running through this film that only becomes stronger as Edith further digs into the mystery behind Allerdale Hall and the Sharp's family history. The film gets under your skin and rattles you to the core in a way that so many horror films try but ultimately fail to. Things unexpectedly popping out and ear-piercing music are good for quick shocks, but Del Toro understands that the only way to create lasting terror is to establish an unwavering sense of unease that doesn't give the audience time to come up for air.

Like all of Del Toro's previous films, Crimson Peak is largely driven by its stunning visuals. The art direction and set designs are amongst the most impressive I've ever seen in a film. Alerdale Hall is so vivid and detailed that it's essentially a living, breathing entity. Everything from the crumbling walls to the long, dimly-lit hallways bristle with dark energy and are loaded with subtle hints about the true character of The Sharp siblings. Things like set design and art direction are trivial in most films, but in Crimson Peak they establish the eerie atmosphere and serve as the glue that holds Del Toro's dense vision together. 

Further adding to Crimson Peak's appeal is the strong performances from all three lead actors. Wasikowska, Hiddleston and Chastain are all perfectly cast in their respective roles and chew up the film's rich scenery with their spirited work. Their acting keeps the film humming along while it struggles to find its footing in the early going and makes the film's great final hour that much more rewarding. Crimson Peak is an engrossing and completely unique film that's perfect viewing for anyone looking for a break from the supernatural horror fare that has dominated every Halloween season in recent memory.
3.5/5 Stars  

Thursday, October 15, 2015

Album Review: Battlecross-Rise to Power

As a music critic, there are certain instances where you're reviewing something that's in a niche that you unabashedly love. You're well aware that a majority of your audience will not like it nearly as much as you and that you're likely to be widely scrutinized for praising the hell out of it, but you could care less because the artist is making music that hits all the sweet spots for you. Rise to Power, the third LP from Michigan-based extreme metal act Battlecross, is one of the strongest examples of this phenomenon in recent memory and stands firmly amongst my favorite releases of 2015 so far.

Since their inception, Battlecross has played a style of metal that is equal parts late-80's thrash and Gothenburg melo-death worship. In other words, they kind of sound like the demented, beautiful lovechild of Overkill, At the Gates, Death Angel, In Flames and Pantera. On Rise to Power, they stick to that formula and for the first time in their career, shows a complete mastery of it. The band makes the most of Rise to Power's brisk 36-minute runtime, filling each song with enough killer riffs and solos, intense vocals and in-your-face energy to fill an album that's twice the length. There isn't much in the way of innovation or varied song structure going on here, but there's no filler or gimmicky bullshit to be found, which is a refreshing change of pace in a year that has had no shortage of disappointing metal releases. Rise to Power is a breezy, frenzied, fun and easily digestible attack on the senses and i loved every god damn minute of it.

4.5/5 Stars
Standout Tracks
1.Scars
2.The Climb
3.The Path

Week 6 NFL Power Rankings

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

Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Quick Movie Reviews: Black Mass, Sleeping with Other People, The Martian, Sicario

Black Mass: Johnny Depp is officially back. Depp makes a horrifying transformation into feared James "Whitey" Bulger in Scott Cooper's (Crazy Heart, Out of the Furnace) biopic on the feared South Boston mob boss. Depp manages to be menacing and imposing throughout without veering into cartoonishly over-the-top territory. With all of the crap he's starred in of late, it's easy to forget just how talented he is and his performance serves as a striking reminder of how brilliant of an actor he can be when he's on the top of his game. Unfortunately, the rest of the movie doesn't live up to Depp's stellar performance. The script feels rushed with its lack of substantial character development and the film's portrayal of Bulger is nowhere near as damning as it could've been. Black Mass is well-acted and relatively entertaining, but it's lack of depth and power prevent it from being the true crime epic it so desperately wanted to be .
3.5/5 Stars

Sleeping with Other People: When Sleeping with Other People premiered at Sundance this past January, writer/director Leslye Headland described the film as "When Harry Met Sally for assholes". While it's certainly a valid comparison, it also kind of sells the film short. Headland is able to build off the flashes of potential she showed as a filmmaker in her competent albeit uneven debut Bachelorette and make a romantic comedy that's refreshingly blunt, hilarious and surprisingly heartfelt. Headland's great script is brought to life by a top-notch cast anchored by a pair of star-making performances from Jason Sudekis and Allison Brie. Their chemistry is absolutely electric and both of them perfect the balance of charm and comedic chops needed to be a lead in this genre. It's a shame that Sleeping with Other People was so scarcely released because it's the type of crowd-pleasing fare that could've really flourished if it was seen by a wider audience.
4/5 Stars

The Martian: Legendary director Ridley Scott (Alien, Gladiator) has been going through a bit of rough strech of late. His last two films, 2013's The Counselor and 2014's Exodus: Gods and Kings, were two of the biggest commercial and critical misfires of the last few years and left many of his fans (myself included) wondering if his days as one of the most important directors in Hollywood were over. Thankfully, The Martian puts an end to Scott's cold streak and is by far his best film since 2007's American Gangster. The Martian will surely generate comparisons to other recent space tales Gravity and Interstellar, but in reality, the only thing it shares with those films is a setting. The Martian is a straightforward survival tale about an astronaut named Mark Watney (Matt Damon) attempting to survive on Mars after his crew (Jessica Chastain, Kate Mara, Michael Pena, Sebastian Stan, Aksel Hennie) reluctantly leaves the planet after he goes missing during a severe Martian storm. The film plays out exactly like you'd expect it to, but Damon's commanding performance, Drew Goodard's sharp script and the infectiously uplifting tone makes The Martian a journey well-worth taking.
4/5 Stars

Sicario: The fall movie season marks the glorious time of the year where studios pump out their awards-season fare. Denis Villeneuve's (Prisoners) crime thriller Sicario is the first potential awards-contender I've seen this year and if it's quality is any indication of what's to come over the next three months, 2015 is going to end on a really high note. This film is a tense, murky look at the complex nature of the war between law enforcement and drug cartels in North and South America. Sicario will likely alienate some audiences with its incredibly bleak resolution, but it's a powerful and insightful look at how deep the roots of the cartel spread in Mexico and Colombia and the drastic measures law enforcement takes to try and interfere with their operations. While the film's intelligence and edge-of-your-seat tension take center stage, the acting is also remarkable. Emily Blunt is excellent as the FBI agent recruited by a CIA SDA officer (Josh Brolin) to aid in the takedown of a powerful Mexican cartel leader (Julio Cedillo) and Benicio Del Toro gives arguably the finest performance of his illustrious career as a mysterious Colombian intelligence officer aiding the CIA with the cartel takedown. It'll be a sin if they aren't both recognized for their work come awards season. Sicario is easily one of the best and most important films of 2015 so far and I fully expect it to pick up a boatload of nominations at every major film award this winter.
4/5 Stars

Tuesday, October 13, 2015

2015 Week 5 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers

Quarterback
MVP: Eli Manning (Giants)
Even the most optimistic Giants fan probably didn't envision Eli Manning playing this well in 2015. Manning's 2014 was plagued by horrible offensive line play and growing pains learning a new offense for the first time since his rookie year. 2015 couldn't be any more different as he's fully acclimated to Ben McAdoo's offense and playing his best football since the Giants last Super Bowl run in 2011. Manning put up his strongest outing of 2015 so far against the 49ers on Sunday night, throwing for 441 YDS and 3 TD's and adding 11 rushing yards on a scamper during the Giants game-winning drive.With 1,417 YDS, 10 TD's and just 2 INT's through the first 5 games, Manning is shedding the poor fantasy reputation he's developed over the past few years and morphing into a quality QB1 that can be consistently relied on to put up solid numbers.
Honorable Mentions: Blake Bortles (Jaguars), Andy Dalton (Bengals), Tom Brady (Patriots)

LVP: Peyton Manning (Broncos

While one Manning brother is on top of his game, the other one is hitting a new low. The elder Manning is finally showing signs of noticeable decline in play in 2015 and that regression hasn't been clearer than in his horrid outing (266 YDS, 0 TD's, 2 INT's) against the Raiders in Week 5. In Manning's defense, Demaryius Thomas and Owen Daniels both dropped potential touchdown passes in the 1st half, but his ineffectiveness against a middling Raiders defense is a mildly alarming sign for his fantasy owners. Manning has a solid shot of rebounding in Week 6 against a banged-up Browns secondary. 
Dishonorable Mentions: Marcus Mariota (Titans), Matt Ryan (Falcons), Matthew Stafford (Lions)

Running Back
MVP: Doug Martin (Buccaneers)
Martin beckoned back to the glory days of his stellar 2012 rookie season in Week 5. Martin registered a remarkable 158 all-purpose yards (123 rushing, 35 receiving) and 3 TD's in the Buccaneers victory over the Jaguars on Sunday afternoon. Martin appears to have returned to form after 2 straight underwhelming, injury-riddled seasons and can be considered a top-end RB2/low-end RB1 in the current fantasy running back landscape.   
Honorable Mentions: Justin Forsett (Ravens), Devonta Freeman (Falcons), Thomas Rawls (Seahawks)

LVP: Eddie Lacy (Packers) (13 carries, 27 YDS, 1 REC, 8 YDS)
It's been a really rough year for veteran RB's that were high fantasy picks as the likes of Marshawn Lynch, LeSean McCoy and DeMarco Murray have all been injured and/or severely underperformed in the first part of the season. Lacy is the latest victim of this disheartening trend as he put up a paltry 35 yards (27 rushing, 8 receiving) on just 14 touches against a so-so Rams rushing defense. Making Lacy's poor outing even worse is the fact that Aaron Rodgers had one of his weakest games in years, throwing 2 INT's and a modest (by his standards) 241 yards. Lacy has too much upside to remove from your starting lineup, but his time as a top-tier fantasy running back may be up.  
Dishonorable Mentions: Alfred Morris (Redskins), Ameer Abdullah (Lions), Latavius Murray (Raiders)

Wide Receiver
MVP: Andre Johnson (Colts)
It's remarkable how much revenge can motivate a struggling player to turn the tide. After failing to register a catch in 2 straight games, Johnson regained his mojo against the Texans-his former employer- putting up his first solid stat line (77 yards and 2 TD on 6 receptions) as a member of the Colts. Johnson's play has been far too inconsistent on the whole to warrant a spot in his owner's starting lineups, but this performance is an encouraging sign that the 34-year old future Hall-of-Famer might not be completely out of gas yet.
Honorable Mentions: Allen Robinson (Jaguars), Odell Beckham Jr. (Giants), Julian Edelman (Patriots)

LVP: Kendall Wright (Titans)
This was an odd week as most of the B-level receivers in good matchups delivered the goods and the superstar wideouts who posted weak numbers (Randall Cobb, Antonio Brown) did so against defenses that are in the bottom 10 in fantasy points allowed to wide receivers. Wright was one of the few mid-level receivers who didn't take advantage of a good matchup, managing just 29 years on 3 catches against a Bills secondary that has surrendered huge games to Julian Edelman and Rishard Matthews this season. Wright remains the clear top target in the Titans passing game, but rookie Marcus Mariota's up-and-down play and Ken Wisenhunt's focus on spreading the ball around on offense makes him a somewhat sketchy WR3 option.
Dishonorable Mentions: Percy Harvin (Bills), Randall Cobb (Packers), Vincent Jackson (Buccaneers)

Tight End

MVP: Antonio Gates (Chargers)
Antonio Gates, how fantasy owners missed you so. Gates made a lot of noise in his 1st game back after serving a 4-game suspension for violating the league's substance abuse policy, dicing up the Steelers defense for an absurd 92 YDS and 2 TD's on 9 receptions. Even at ripe old age of 35, Gates is showing no signs of slowing down and this performance immediately launches him to the top-tier of TE1's in fantasy football. If he's somehow available in your league and you don't own Rob Gronkowski, Greg Olsen, Tyler Eifert or Martellus Bennett, put in a waiver claim for him IMMEDIATELY.   
Honorable Mentions: Tyler Eifert (Bengals), Gary Barnidge (Browns), Larry Donnell (Giants)

LVP: Charles Clay (Bills)
Coming off of 2 straight impressive performances against the Dolphins and Giants and with wide receiver Sammy Watkins and running back LeSean McCoy out of the lineup with injuries, Clay seemed primed to have another huge game against the lowly Titans defense in Week 5. Instead, the Bills offense completely sputtered and Clay reeled in just 1 catch on 3 targets for 7 yards. With quarterback Tyrod Taylor more than likely missing this week's game against the Bengals with a sprained MCL, Clay will be a risky TE1 play.
Dishonorable Mentions: Jason Witten (Cowboys), Owen Daniels (Broncos), Travis Kelce (Chiefs) 

Defense

MVP: Green Bay Packers
With their offense having a shockingly subpar game against the Rams stingy defense, the Packers D stepped up big time. The Packers defense pummeled the Rams lowly offense, allowing just 10 points and picking up 4 INT's, 3 sacks, a blocked field goal and a touchdown in Sunday's contest. The Packers are far from the most reliable fantasy defense out there, but they'll be a strong play once again in Week 6 as they take on the Chargers turnover-happy offense.

Honorable Mentions: Denver Broncos, Arizona Cardinals, New England Patriots

LVP: New York Giants (27 points allowed, 2 sacks, 0 takeaways)
The Giants defense didn't live up to their billing as the hot waiver wire pickup of Week 5. The G-men failed to build off their strong outings in Week 3 and 4, putting up a below-average performance (27 points allowed, 2 sacks, 0 takeaways) against the lowly 49ers offense. While there are certainly much worse options out there, the Giants defense is too young and inconsistent to be anything more than a respectable streaming option. 
Dishonorable Mentions: Baltimore Ravens, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts

The Best and Worst of Tom Hanks

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 "Bridge of Spies" star Tom Hanks.

Films starring Tom Hanks that I've seen:
Splash
Philadelphia
Forrest Gump
Apollo 13
Toy Story
Saving Private Ryan
Toy Story 2
The Green Mile
Cast Away
Catch Me If You Can
The Polar Express
Charlie Wilson's War
Toy Story 3
Larry Crowne
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
Captain Phillips

Best Performance: Cast Away (2000):
The single most impressive feat an actor can pull off is making a film compelling with no one else on screen to interact with. Hanks gives arguably the best solo performance in the history of cinema as a FedEx service engineer who is stranded on a desert island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean after getting into a plane crash that killed every other passenger on board. Armed with nothing but a blood-stained volleyball for companionship, Hanks gives a dense and remarkably human performance that resonates deeply with the viewer. You relish in his triumphs (when he makes fire for the first time and constructs a raft from a portable toilet that has washed ashore) and are crushed by his defeats (when Wilson is washed out to sea). Authenticity and emotional attachment to the character is at the root of all great performances and Hanks pulls both of those things off effortlessly here.  

Worst Performance: Larry Crowne (2011)
Hanks is one of the rare actors that doesn't really stumble on screen. Even in the lesser material he's appeared in during his 30+ year career, he tends to be one of the bright spots. However, if I had to chose a lowlight performance for him, it would have to be Larry Crowne. Hanks tries way too hard to be charming in his role as a retired Navy chef who enrolls in community college after being fired from his job at a department store for not having a college degree. The subpar material certainly doesn't help, but Hanks' shockingly bland performance makes the audience completely indifferent as to whether or not he defies the odds and accomplishes his goals.

Best Film: The Green Mile (1999)
Just like with Matt Damon a couple of weeks ago, picking a favorite out of Hanks' loaded filmography is not a simple task. Out of all the gems Hanks has starred in, Frank Darabont's fantasy crime drama The Green Mile shines brightest. I've seen the film a handful of times since I was a teenager and with each viewing, I'm still floored by it. It may be sappy and perhaps a bit overlong, but The Green Mile is also one of the most engaging, potent and brilliantly-acted films I've ever seen.

Worst Film: Splash (1984)
I'll be honest, I saw Splash when I was only 10 or 11 and I don't remember a whole lot about it. That being said, I'm able to recall enough about it to write it off as a moronic, unfunny film that serves as the perfect embodiment of everything that was wrong with 80's romantic comedies.

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 "Rock the Kasbah" star Bruce Willis.

Thursday, October 8, 2015

The Best and Worst of Hugh Jackman

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 "Pan" star Hugh Jackman.

Film starring Hugh Jackman that I've seen:
X-Men
Swordfish
X2: X-Men United
Van Helsing
The Prestige
The Fountain
X-Men: The Last Stand
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Real Steel
Butter
Movie 43
The Wolverine
Prisoners 
X-Men: Days of Future Past 
Chappie

Best Performance: Prisoners (2013):
For a long time, I viewed Jackman as a charismatic action star with respectable enough acting chops to tackle the occasional dramatic role. My view on Jackman as an actor changed dramatically after seeing Prisoners. Jackman gives an awards-caliber performance as a father driven to the brink of insanity after his young daughter goes missing. Jackman is simply remarkable in the role and his performance only become more striking as his character further descends into grief-fueled madness. Now that Prisoners has exposed how capable of an actor Jackman truly is, hopefully he will start landing more dramatic roles.

Worst Performance: Chappie (2015):
This was the first time I've ever seen Jackman turn in truly awful work. His performance as bitter, conniving tech-developer is the epitome of cartoonish overacting. The only thing missing from his archetypal over-the-top villain performance was a maniacal laugh and a massive cigar. His role is thankfully pretty small, but he was the easily the most ridiculous element of a movie that was loaded with corny characters and moronic plot developments.

Best Film: X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014):
In my eyes, X-Men is the most underrated and consistent film franchise in the vast Marvel cannon. While the series has been loaded with great films, 2014's Days of the Future Past stands out as the most impressive achievementThe film is able to balance a lot of moving parts across its time-hopping narrative without becoming overwhelming or forgetting to develop its several primary characters and the action sequences are ambitious and deeply satisfying. In a time where superhero movies are becoming more and more underwhelming by the year, Days of Future Past is a refreshingly entertaining and intelligent exception to the rule.   

Worst Film: The Fountain (2006):
Darren Aronofsky is one of my absolute favorite directors. He's made a career of making incredibly bleak yet powerful films that stick with you long after you've finished watching them. The Fountain is the only time in his career where I believe he missed the mark. While you have to applaud his ambition for creating an interlocking romantic epic that spans over three different generations and the spirited performances from Jackman and Rachel Weiz, Aronofsky tries to pack way too much plot and symbolism into a 95-minute film and it results in a convoluted and pretentious film that's more frustrating than thought-provoking.

 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 "Bridge of Spies" star Tom Hanks.

Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Week 5 NFL Power Rankings

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

Tuesday, October 6, 2015

2015 Week 4 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers

Quarterback
MVP: Phillip Rivers (Chargers)
It was a pretty unspectacular week for QB's in the world of fantasy football this week with Tom Brady on bye and early-season studs Aaron Rodgers, Andy Dalton and Cam Newton having pretty modest games. Rivers took advantage of the soft competition and emerged as the best fantasy play of the week with his excellent performance (358 YDS, season-high 3 TD's, 0 turnovers) in a shootout against the Browns on Sunday afternoon. Rivers' tendency to turn the ball over and the horrible play of his o-line so far this year makes him a less-than-stellar QB1 choice most weeks, but he'll be worth a look in Week 5 as he goes up against the Steelers porous secondary.
Honorable Mentions: Sam Bradford (Eagles), Drew Brees (Saints), Eli Manning (Giants)

LVP: Joe Flacco (Ravens)
Flacco seemed to be trending in the right direction after 2 consecutive strong outings, but instead threw up a vintage Flacco stinker in Week 4. Flacco was sloppy all game long and aside from a couple drives, failed to get anything going against a horrid Steelers secondary, finishing the game with 189 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT and a fumble. With Steve Smith- his lone viable receiving target-out indefinitely with microfractures in his back, Flacco is now officially a mid-tier QB2.
Dishonorable Mentions: Peyton Manning (Broncos), Matt Ryan (Falcons), Derek Carr (Raiders)

Running Back
MVP: Devonta Freeman (Falcons)
Fantasy owners (myself included) are likely wondering the same right thing right: Where the hell did this version of Devonta Freeman come from? Freeman proved his stellar Week 3 performance against the Cowboys wasn't a fluke by putting up his 2nd straight 3-TD, 100+ yard performance against The Texans this week. Freeman touched the ball 19 times (14 carries, 5 receptions) and kept the offense afloat during the rare off-day from star wideout Julio Jones. Now that there's basically no chance Tevin Coleman gets his job back when he returns from his rib injury, Freeman appears to have the makings of a top-flight weekly RB1 .
Honorable Mentions: Jeremy Hill (Bengals), Chris Ivory (Jets), Le'Veon Bell (Steelers)

LVP: Arian Foster (Texans)
While Freeman made a whole lot of noise for their opponent on Sunday, the star Texans back faceplanted in his 1st game of 2015. Foster put up a mere 35 total yards (10 rushing, 25 receiving) and a fumble in the Texans blowout loss against the Falcons on Sunday. The Texans' poor performance forced them to abandon the running game in the early stages of the game and subsequently prevented Foster from having the opportunity to redeem himself after his early fumble. I fully expect Foster to have a much better outing in Week 5 against the Colts weak run defense.
Dishonorable Mentions: Frank Gore (Colts), Latavius Murray (Raiders), Carlos Hyde (49ers)

Wide Receiver

MVP: Vincent Jackson (Buccaneers)
The underwhelming fantasy week that was Week 4 hit wide receivers especially hard. Case in point is Vincent Jackson's garbage time theatrics in the Buccaneers lopsided loss to the Panthers being good enough to win him the crown of the week's top fantasy WR. Jackson got the brunt of the targets as the Panthers underrated top corner Josh Norman pretty much eliminated Mike Evans from the game and ended up making the most of them as he put up 147 yards and a touchdown on 10 receptions. Despite his strong performance in Week 4, Jameis Winston's erratic play and the presence of a rising star in Evans makes Jackson a weekly boom-or-bust WR3 option.
Honorable Mentions: DeAndre Hopkins (Texans), Jeremy Maclin (Chiefs), Mike Wallace (Vikings)

LVP: Randall Cobb (Packers)
It was a depressing week to own a top-tier WR1 as Julio Jones, Antonio Brown, Odell Beckham Jr., Calvin Johnson and Emmanuel Sanders all put up underwhelming numbers. However, the most disappointing showing of any star wideout came from Randall Cobb. The Packers top dog only generated 44 yards on 5 receptions against a 49ers secondary that had allowed 329 YDS and 3 TD's to the past 2 top wideouts (Brown and Larry Fitzgerald) they faced. Cobb is a longshot for a rebound in Week 5 as the Packers go against a stingy Rams secondary that has only allowed 1 WR TD this season. 
Dishonorable Mentions: Julio Jones (Falcons), Antonio Brown (Steelers), Odell Beckham Jr. (Giants)

Tight End
MVP: Martellus Bennett (Bears)
The Black Unicorn took advantage of the return of Jay Cutler and continued absence of top WR Alshon Jeffrey to have his first dominant performance of 2015. Bennett was targeted early and often against the Raiders weak pass defense, picking up 83 yards and a TD on 11 receptions. Bennett is one of the handful of reliable weekly TE1 options in fantasy and will remain that way as long as Cutler doesn't suffer another injury. 
Honorable Mentions: Coby Fleener (Colts), Ladarius Green (Chargers), Charles Clay (Bills)

LVP: Jimmy Graham (Seahawks)
Stop me if you've heard this one before: Jimmy Graham was mysteriously absent from the Seahawks passing attack this week. Graham reeled in just 4 passes for 29 yards against a Lions defense that has gotten crucified by tight ends all season long. So far, Graham has been as inconsistent as most expected he would be in Seattle's middling passing game and unless their offensive philosophy suddenly changes, he's going to continue to be hit-or-miss all season long. 
Dishonorable Mentions: Kyle Rudolph (Vikings), Larry Donnell (Giants), Greg Olsen (Panthers)

Defense
MVP: Carolina Panthers
After 2 straight underwhelming performances, the Panthers defense came up big in Week 4. The Panthers assaulted the Buccaneers offense on Sunday afternoon, picking up 5 takeaways (4 INT's and a fumble recovery), 2 sacks and a touchdown. The Panthers are a rock solid option moving forward and will only get better after star inside linebacker Luke Kuechly returns from a concussion following their Week 5 bye. 
Honorable Mentions: Green Bay Packers, St. Louis Rams, Denver Broncos

LVP: Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals streak of defensive dominance is officially over. The red-hot defense fizzled out majorly in Week 4, registering just 1 sack, generating 0 turnovers and allowing 24 points to the below-average offense of the Rams. The Cardinals have a good shot of returning to their elite form in Week 5 against the Lions struggling offense.
Dishonorable Mentions: Houston Texans, Philadelphia Eagles, Buffalo Bills

Monday, October 5, 2015

Concert Review: Revocation-- Allston, MA-- October 3rd, 2015

Editor's Note: Due to time constraints, this is an abbreviated review. I apologize for the short review and I assure that this will not be a regular occurrence. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy this abridged review of the Allston, Massachusetts stop of "The Deathless Tour" featuring Revocation, Archspire and Black Fast. 

Coagula: Ironically, these guys were also the local opener the last time I saw Revocation headline at The Middle East Upstairs in April. While they were pretty solid when I saw them in April, they were much better this time around thanks to a much clearer sound mix and sharper vocal performance. Coagula is one of the few bright spots in Boston's metal scene at the moment and I hope they get more opportunities to open big shows in the future.

Black Fast: Really solid blackened thrash (their new record, Terms of Surrender, is a must-listen for any thrash fan) that kind of reminds me of Toxic Holocaust with more of a traditional thrash influence. The vocals weren't as crisp as they are on record, but the guitarwork and drumming were excellent and their frontman Aaron Akin's good-natured persona and high-energy level was infectious. Once these up-and-comers get another release or two under their belts,  they could very well become one of the premier acts in modern thrash. 

Archspire: This was the band I was most excited to see on the bill and they managed to blow the doors off of my absurdly high expectations. The whole band sounded incredible, as they managed to nail every note of their extremely technical music and Oli Peters' vocals were even more sinister and spastic in a live setting. Their setlist was damn near perfect as they played a majority of the best material ("Fathom Infinite Depth", "Scream Feeding", "Seven Crowns and the Oblivion Chain") off of their excellent 2014 album The Lucid Collective as well as a couple of prime cuts off of their 2011 debut All Shall Align. These beautiful Canadian bastards put on one of the best shows I've seen in 2015 so far and I hope they'll return to the United States soon. 

Revocation: Consistency is becoming more and more scarce in today's live music landscape, which is why you have to cherish a band like Revocation who comes out and delivers every time they take the stage. This show marked my eighth time seeing them and at every single one of those shows they've been technically-precise, generated a raucous response from their hometown crowd, and most importantly, been fun as hell to watch. The only downside of this particular show was the setlist. While it was great to hear Deathless standout "Scorched Earth Policy" and the fantastic instrumental track "Alliance and Tyranny" from their 2008 debut Empire of the Obscene live for the first time, the complete lack of material from 2011's Chaos of Forms and their 2013 self-titled album was a bit disappointing. It's clear from their recent setlists that they aren't overly fond of either of those releases, but for the sake of diversity, it would be cool to see a few tracks from those albums make their way into the setlist during their next touring cycle. Regardless of minor setlist deficiencies, Revocation put on another excellent performance and I will continue to go see them every time they play in the Boston-area.

Scores:
Coagula 8/10
Black Fast 7.5/10
Archspire 9/10
Revocation 9/10

Setlists:
Black Fast:
Haunted Vigil
Progenitors of Predation
To Propagate the Void
Tongues of Sliver
The Fall

Archspire:
Fathom Infinite Depth
Deathless Ringing
Seven Crowns and the Oblivion Chain
Scream Feeding
Rapid Elemental Dissolve
Lucid Collective Somnambulation

Revocation:
A Debt Owed to the Grave
Scorched Earth Policy
Enter the Hall
Bound by Desire
Leviathan Awaits
Alliance and Tyranny
Empire of the Obscene
Madness Opus
Dismantle the Dictator
Witch Trials

Thursday, October 1, 2015

Album Review: Parkway Drive-Ire

After establishing themselves as a premier metalcore act on their first three records (2005’s Killing with a Smile,  2007’s Horizons and 2010’s Deep Blue), Parkway Drive decided to expand their sound on 2012’s Atlas. The incorporation of new elements such as strings, acoustic guitars and pianos alongside their trademark barrage of breakdowns and screamed vocals proved to be very successful as Atlas was amongst the best material they’ve ever made. Their newest record, Ire, sees Parkway Drive further experimenting with their sound, but with much more mixed results than Atlas.
 
The basis for Parkway Drive’s experiments are completely sound, they are just squandered by really poor execution. Just about every song on the record lacks any semblance of focus and feels more like a string of random ideas than a single cohesive song. Songs like “Crushed”, “Bottom Feeder” and “The Sound of Violence” are especially misguided as they can’t decide if they’re nu-metal, abrasive spoken-word or straightforward metalcore tracks. Even the stronger material such as “Destroyer” and “Dying to Believe” are dragged down by the hodgepodge of clashing ideas that run through them. “Destroyer” matches a riff that sounds like Van Halen-esque arena rock with the most intense screams vocalist Winston McCall has in his repertoire while “Dying to Believe” breaks its solid, super-heavy metalcore formula with periodic odes to Slipknot complete with McCall ripping off Corey Taylor’s exact vocal delivery and cadence. It’s great that Parkway Drive wanted to keep things fresh by exploring new musical territory, but the attempts to stray from their established sound on Ire are poorly constructed and largely underwhelming.

Ire is further brought down by the overwhelming corny vibe that runs through it. While Parkway Drive has has its fair share of corny elements in the past, they are ratcheted up to a completely intolerable level here. The frequent use of gang vocals and attempts at writing “deep” lyrics are just sad. When McCall bellows things like “To the left I see the rats and to the right I see the snakes/ In my ear they’re whispering sweet sermons of cruel hate” on “Crushed” and “We’ll all go to heaven in a little row boat” on “Writings on the Wall”- an absolutely laughable attempt to mimic Rage Against the Machine’s sound and lyrics about taking a stand against government injustice- you can’t help but cringe. The quality of McCall’s vocals and guitarist Jeffrey Ling’s ability to write a seemingly endless amount of spectacular riffs prevent Ire from truly bottoming out, but the scattershot, gimmicky songwriting and generally unmemorable songs make this the first misstep in Parkway Drive’s discography.


2.5/5 Stars
Standout Tracks
1.Destroyer
2.Fractures
3.Dying to Believe

Album Review: Mac Miller: GO: OD AM

The musical evolution of rapper Mac Miller has been fascinating to watch. Miller burst onto the scene in 2011 with the success of his mixtape K.I.D.S. and debut LP Blue Slide Park, which featured a breezy pop rap sound and launched a trio of frat party-friendly hits in "Party on Fifth Ave", "Donald Trump" and "Frick Park Market". Miller proceeded to shock the hip-hop world with his 2013 LP Watching Movies with the Sound Off, which saw him shed the easily digestible sound that made him famous and start making introspective hip-hop that was dominated by hazy, abstract production. Miller continues to push the boundaries of his sound on his third LP, GO: OD AM, and that wider scope make this the most impressive project the 23-year old Pittsburgh product has released in his brief career.   

GO: OD AM is essentially the coming-out party for Miller as a serious rapper. Watching Movies with the Sound Off and his excellent 2014 mixtape Faces proved to the hip-hop community that he wasn't just another white rapper novelty act. Now that he's proved his legitimacy to his doubters, he's starting to unleash his full arsenal of talents on the world.


The most noticeable improvement Miller shows on GO: OD AM is with his delivery and sharpness as an MC. Since he overhauled his sound a couple of years ago, his flow has been fairly limited. Miller only sounded truly comfortable rapping over psychedelic, cloud rap beats and every time he strayed from that sound, he sounded stilted and awkward. On GO: OD AM, Miller still spends plenty of time in his trippy cloud niche ("Clubhouse", "Time Flies", "Two Matches"), but also demonstrates an ability to rap over everything from trap bangers ("When in Rome", "Cut the Check") to piano-fueled jazz rap ("100 Grandkids", "Weekend") with equal conviction and precision. While Miller's rapping has steadily improved with each release he puts out, his newfound ability to tailor his flow to a large variety of beats allows him to make his biggest strides to-date.

Miller's artistic progression has also carried over to his lyrics. Miller still consistently bares his soul about his various struggles with drugs, depression and dealing with fame, it's just that this time around he's rapping about his demons in the past tense. Miller's approach to tackling these subjects is refreshingly subtle and the level of nuance in his lyrical approach make his messages much more poignant. Tracks like "100 Grandkids" and "Break the Law" may be seem like hollow brag raps, but they are actually a reflection on how becoming famous and wealthy at such a young age (Miller was only 19 when his career took off) made him an arrogant know-it-all jackass who believed he was invincible. "Rush Hour" and "Brand Name" use similarly effective strategies as Miller uses uptempo beats, clever wordplay and intense rapping as a guise to discuss how he's recently re-evaluated his life priorities and defeated his bout with depression and obsession with the opulent, hollow lifestyle that consumed him when he first become famous. GO: OD AM is the story of a man who still faces his fair share of internal struggles, but faced and overcame his most troublesome issues to become a better person and musician.

GO: OD AM is a striking wake-up call for the hip-hop community to start taking Miller seriously as an artist. Easy Mac with the cheesy raps is dead and an intelligent, clever and refreshingly candid MC has taken his place. Miller still needs to work on small issues (cutting down on the runtime of  his albums, making his slower songs less monotonous) before he can join the upper echelon of modern hip-hop artists, but GO: OD AM proves that Miller is the real fucking deal and that it's only a matter of time before he becomes one of the genre's finest acts.

4/5 Stars
Standout Tracks
1.Brand Name
2.Clubhouse
3.When in Rome