2016 NFL Preview: NFC East

Dallas Cowboys:

2015 Record: 4-12 (4th place in NFC East)

Head Coach: Jason Garrett (6th season)

Notable Additions: DE/DT Cedric Thornton, RB Alfred Morris,  ILB Justin Durant

Notable Departures: DE Greg Hardy, QB Matt Cassel, G Mackenzy Bernadeau

Offense:
The return of quarterback Tony Romo and wide receiver Dez Bryant for the start of the 2016 season is a major sigh of relief for this franchise. The absence of Romo and Bryant for a majority of the 2015 campaign resulted in "America's Team" putting together a miserable 4-win season full of limited scoring (they averaged 15.8 points in the 12 games that Romo didn't play in) and terrible play from every skill position player not named Darren McFadden, who proved the long-standing theory that any schmuck with a sense of direction and functional legs can run behind the Cowboys loaded offensive line by picking up his first 1,000+ yard season since 2010. The shitshow that was the 2015 season proved just how vital Romo and Bryant are to the success of this offense, but there's absolutely no guarantees that they're going to be able to return to form this season. Romo just turned 36 and the two separate breaks of his collarbone he suffered last season was the latest in a seemingly endless list of injuries he's suffered over the course of his 10 years of being a starting quarterback in the NFL while Bryant's foot injury is the type of ailment that can permanently hinder a player's speed and cutting ability, which is obviously a vital part of his game as a top wideout. If they both return to form, the Cowboys will likely recapture the success of the 2014 season in which they won the division title and were one controversial play away (DEZ CAUGHT IT DAMN IT) from advancing to the NFC Championship Game. If they don't, the recklessness they both displayed in returning prematurely from injuries in 2015 will be thrust back into the spotlight and their fans will be left wondering what could've been if the team's two best players displayed the patience to heal fully before returning to the field.

The only sure thing about the 2016 Cowboys is that they're going to run the ball into oblivion. Jerry Jones blew off the plethora of pressing defensive needs that have been plagued his team for the past several years by using the fourth overall pick (their highest pick since 1989) in the NFL Draft to select highly-touted Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott. Elliott is the one of the few true three-down backs to enter the NFL in the 2010's so far and his vast skill set combined with the fact that he's running behind the best offensive line in football puts him in a prime position to excel from the jump.

The Cowboys also sured up their depth at the position behind Elliott and glass-boned McFadden by bringing in former Redskins starter Alfred Morris in free agency. Morris' total yards and yards per carry went down in each of his 4 seasons with the Redskins, but he's a durable, proven veteran option that should help take some of the pressure off of Elliot's shoulders and could step into to handle the brunt of the carries if their rookie bellcow suffers an injury or unexpectedly undergoes some growing pains transitioning to the pro's.   

Defense:
Jerry Jones' obsession with shiny offensive toys has once again caused him to gloss over the glaring holes that are present throughout his defense. Adding a top-tier defensive prospect to a unit that finished 17th in total defense (348.1 YDS per game), tied for 22nd in run defense (120.9 YDS per game) and tied for 25th in sacks (31) a year ago seemed to be the obvious choice, but of course Jones has to go against all reasonable logic by adding a running back to the only team in the league that doesn't need a talented running back to have an effective running game. Jones did shift his focus over to defense with the team's next pick, but still managed to confuse the hell out of the football world by selecting Notre Dame linebacker Jaylon Smith, who suffered a torn ACL and LCL during the Fiesta Bowl in January, in the second round. Even if Smith ends up turning into the premier talent he was projected to be before the injury, he's more than likely not going to play until 2017, if not later.

Jones complete neglect of adding players who can help the defense immediately in the offseason (Unless you count the addition of Eagles castoff defensive lineman Cedric Thornton as a game-changing move) has put this unit into a state of complete disarray. Defensive coordinator/the NFL's most patient man Rod Marinelli has somehow been handed a bigger pile of shit than ever before as defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence, inside linebacker Rolando McClain and outside linebacker Randy Gregory have all been suspended for at least 4 games (McClain and Gregory are out for 10) and Jones failure to address the lack of depth that exists at every single position on the defense is going to force him to start raw, young players like Ryan Russell and Charles Tapper who have zero experience starting in the NFL out of sheer desperation. If Marinelli is able to get this defense full of less-than-stellar veterans and raw young players to generate any semblance of a consistent pass rush and finish outside of the bottom 10 in the league in points/yards allowed, he should be enshrined into Hall of Fame immediately

The only piece of positive news for this unit heading into 2016 is the return of cornerback Orlando Scandrick after missing all of 2015 with a torn ACL and MCL. Scandrick's excellent coverage skills and relentless motor is a godsend for a mostly inept secondary that gets torched anytime they're tasked with facing half-decent competition. The thought of pairing a healthy Scandrick with second-year cornerback/safety Byron Jones (aka the only other promising player on the Cowboys defense) is probably the only reason Marinelli hasn't ran far away from Jerry World yet.

Bottom Line:
With Romo and Bryant's questionable health and a defense mostly comprised of below average veteran journeyman and unproven first and second-year players, the Cowboys are a complete and total mystery heading into 2016.  

New York Giants:

2015 Record: 6-10 (3rd place in NFC East)

Head Coach: Ben McAdoo (1st season)

Notable Additions: DE Oliver Vernon, DT Damon Harrison, CB Janoris Jenkins

Notable Departures: CB Prince Amukamara, WR Rueben Randle, G Geoff Schwartz

Offense:
The Giants offense has become one of the most predictable in the league after Victor Cruz tore his patellar tendon on October 12, 2014. Without a competent rushing attack and the likes of Reuben Randle and kick-returning specialist Dwayne Harris being forced into prominent receiving roles in Cruz's absence, the Giants offense has almost exclusively ran through wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. for two consecutive seasons. This experiment has largely worked as Beckham has decimated opponents despite facing near-constant double and triple coverage and Eli Manning has enjoyed two of the best years of his career as a result of his dominance, but the lack of offensive options has rendered their offensive basically useless whenever #13 was shut down and/or had an off day.

The end of Beckham's exclusive reign on the offense may be in sight for the Giants and no, it's not because of the projected return of Cruz after an almost two-year absence. The Giants potential liberation from the struggle of having just one playmaking receiver on the roster comes in the form of rookie Sterling Shepard. Shepard is a sure-handed, quick wideout with excellent route-running skills who seems to be the slot receiver the Giants have desperately needed since Mario Manningham had his career derailed by injuries following the 2010 season. If Shepard can come in and contribute to this offense right away, Beckham Jr.'s game should be able to soar to the next level. He has regularly dominated opponents while having the tremendous pressure of being a young player called upon to be the sole catalyst for his team's offense. The thought of the level of damage  OBJ-who has put up 1,305 and 1,450 yards respectively in his first two seasons in the league- could do with a productive number two that would inevitably take pressure off of him and force the extra defenders that have followed him around since he entered the league to the other side of the field is truly horrifying to imagine.

Defense:
Anyone that followed the Giants a year ago knows that their season was ruined by losing close games and blowing leads in the 4th quarter. In a majority of those games, their horrific defense that finished  in the bottom three of the league in just about every major category (sacks, pass defense, yards and points allowed per game) was the reason they lost. Aside from cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul, there was no one on the defense that finished the season healthy that should've been starting games in the Arena League, let alone the NFL. The collective failure of their defense played a major role in their fourth straight season missing the playoffs and the team brass forcing head coach Tom Coughlin to resign after 12 years with the team.


With his job and the future of the franchise on the line, general manager Jerry Reese went against his usually reserved approach to free agency and doled out an INSANE amount of money to try and patch up the plethora of holes on the Giants defense. The Giants committed $105.3 in guaranteed money (spread out over the next 5 seasons) to defensive Oliver Vernon, defensive tackle Damon Harrison and cornerback Janoris Jenkins. Vernon and Harrison are amongst the brightest young talents at their respective positions and while Jenkins is a tad bit overrated and has a tendency to take unnecessary risks in crunch time situations, he still represents a major upgrade over the clowns the Giants trotted out to play corner alongside Rodgers-Cromartie last year. It can be argued that the Giants overpaid for all of these guys, but they took a necessary risk by bringing in promising young players with high ceilings at positions that are at an absolute premium in the current NFL climate. If at least two of these guys come in and make an immediate impact, Reese's aggressive spending is going to look like a stroke of genius.

The Giants defense should also benefit from the return of Jonathan Hankins and a fully healthy Pierre-Paul to their lineup. Hankins is a versatile menace who thrives against both the run and the pass who was in middle of his best season as a pro before going down for the year with a torn pectoral muscle in Week 9. The combination of him and Harrison in the middle of the defensive line could give the Giants one of the most potent interior defensive line tandems in the NFL.

As for Pierre-Paul, he greatly exceeded expectations after returning to the field following the July 4th fireworks accident that cost him his right index finger. He only mustered a single sack in 8 games, but he constantly applied pressure on the quarterback and was consistently excellent in defending the run. Pierre-Paul is one of the most instinctive and physically-gifted defensive ends in the league right now and now that he's had an entire offseason to work on playing with his ailment, he seems poised to return to the level of production he put up before the accident.

Despite all of the free agent pickups and return of key contributors from injury, there's still plenty of reasons to be concerned to be about the Giants defense going into 2016. Their linebackers are laughably bad (their projected starters are the dream team of ineffective incumbent outside linebackers J.T. Thomas and Devan Kennard and newly-signed inside linebacker Keenan Robinson, who was well below average throughout his 4-year stint with the Redskins) and the young safety group seems likely to be among the league's worst, unless rookie (and potential starter) Darian Thompson's range, speed and takeaway ability immediately carries over to the NFL. The incompetency of two entire units could potentially derail the Giants attempt to get their defense back on track this season.

Bottom Line:
The combination of supreme talent and potentially suffocating weaknesses makes the Giants the hardest team to gauge in the NFL once again. I wouldn't be the least surprised if they won as few as 5 or as many as 11 games. Let's at least hope that Ben McAdoo can manage the clock better than Coughlin did last season.

Philadelphia Eagles
2015 Record: 7-9 (2nd place in NFC East)

Head Coach: Doug Pederson (1st season)

Notable Additions: G Brandon Brooks, S Rodney McLeod, CB Leodis McKelvin

Notable Departures: RB DeMarco Murray, CB Byron Maxwell, ILB Kiko Alonso

Offense: 
The Eagles really committed to their identity change after a turmoil-filled 2015 campaign by trading in the furious tempo and high-flying acrobatics of former head coach Chip Kelly's system to the beyond vanilla offensive stylings of new head coach Doug Pederson. Pederson's scheme may lack the excitement and splash plays that Kelly's offense regularly delivered, but at least he's not an egomaniac with a system that doesn't translate to the NFL and a flare for clashing with any players that questioned his flawed philosophy.

Pederson's risk-averse, run and screen-pass driven offense worked with the Chiefs because Alex Smith excels in the short passing game and happened to have the deepest group of running backs in the league led by the elusive speedster Jammal Charles. With the Eagles, Pederson is nowhere near as fortunate. While the Eagles offensive line is an undeniable step-up (and got even better with the addition of ex-Texans guard Brandon Brooks in free agency) from any of the units he had during his entire three-year tenure with the Chiefs, his running back committee led by solid, but injury-prone Ryan Matthews and pass-catching specialist Darren Sproles aren't exactly world beaters and all three of his quarterback options (Sam Bradford, Chase Daniel and rookie Carson Wentz) lack the consistency, efficiency or accuracy Smith brings to the table. 

Even if Bradford or Daniel put an end their cycle of subpar play or Pederson breaks his promise and trots out the promising, but largely untested Wentz-who the team gave up a zillion draft picks to trade up and select- out onto the field at some point this season, the Eagles receiving corps inspires little confidence that they're passing attack is going to be effective this season. Outside of tight end Zach Ertz,who has steadily improved each season since he entered in 2013, no receiver on this roster is even remotely trustworthy. Nelson Agholor looked lost throughout his entire rookie campaign and it would be a huge shock if he suddenly found his footing in year two, third-year receiver Josh Huff lacks the route-running skills or size to be anything more than a deep threat and best of all, general manger Howie Roseman decided to double down on shaky handed receivers by bringing in ex-Giant receiver Reuben Randle to (presumably) start alongside Jordan Matthews, who has become the posterboy for ugly, untimely drops over the course of his first two years in the league. Unless Ryan Matthews manages to stays healthy and the play of at least a majority of the Eagles wideouts dramatically improves, Pederson's conservative, clock-eating scheme is pretty much doomed in Philly.

Defense:
To say that the outlook for the Eagles defense is a lot rosier than the offense would be a severe understatement. The 2016 offseason was full of victories for the Bird Gang's defense as Roseman pulled off an A+ screw job by somehow convincing the Dolphins to take on the terrible contract of cornerback Byron Maxwell and injury-prone inside linebacker Kiko Alonso in the same trade, Pederson tapped Jim Schwartz- who was the architect behind the imposing defense of the 2014 Buffalo Bills- to be their defensive coordinator and they were able to sign a handful of solid players (safety Rodney McLeod, cornerback Leodis McKlevin, outside linebacker Nigel Bradham) to team-friendly deals in free agency.


Out of all the intelligent offseason moves the Eagles made to help their defense, the addition of Schwartz is likely to make the biggest impact. Bringing in a blitz-happy defensive coordinator to a unit that got 37 sacks last season and has pass-rushing virtuosos including Vinny Curry, Brandon Graham and human wrecking ball Fletcher Cox within its ranks at his disposal should have the Philly faithful salivating over the possibilities for this season. If Schwartz's system can even come in the vicinity of matching the production levels of his Bills unit from a couple of years ago, the Eagles should have the type of front that wreaks relentless havoc on opposing quarterbacks and covers up any flaws that may exist on the backend of the defense.

Bottom Line:
The lack of offensive weapons and lasting fallout from Chip Kelly's drastic roster overhaul from a year ago will more than likely keep the Eagles out of the race for the division crown in 2016.

Washington Redskins

2015 Record: 9-7 (1st place in NFC East)

Head Coach: Jay Gruden (3rd season)

Notable Additions: CB Josh Norman, TE Vernon Davis, DE Kendall Reyes

Notable Departures: QB Robert Griffin III, DT Terrence Knighton, RB Alfred Morris

Offense:
The fate of the Redskins offense in 2016 is going to come down to 3 burning questions. 1.Is Kirk Cousins a legitimate NFL starting quarterback or was his success last year just a fluke? 2.Can Matt Jones handle being the go-to-guy in the running game? 3.Can Jordan Reed finally escape the shadow of his checkered injury history and become the top-flight tight end he's had the potential to be since he entered the NFL in 2013? My answer to all three of those questions is "I have no fucking clue". 2015 was the first year Cousins looked liked a legitimate NFL starter after sucking it up for 3 years spot-starting in relief of the brittle quarterback formerly known as RG3, Jones showed flashes of potential in the early part of last season (headlined by an impressive 123-yard outing against the Rams in Week 2) before fading into anonymity for the second half of the season and while there's no denying Reed's athleticism and tremendous receiving ability, he has yet to play a full season in his three-year career so far and there's no reason to believe that he's suddenly going to become durable now. With a sketchy offensive line outside of perennial All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams and a wide receiver group headlined by the soft-tissue injury waiting to happen also known as DeSean Jackson, perpetually declining veteran Pierre Garcon and 2016 first-round pick Josh Doctson-who I feel is a prime bust candidate-unlikely to have a much of a positive impact on the offense, the play of Cousins, Jones and Reed will ultimately determine whether or not the Redskins can build on their surprising NFC East title run last year or if they're going to re-establish their position as the laughing stock of the division.  

Defense: 
The Redskins received the greatest gift of the offseason when cornerback Josh Norman quickly agreed to a monster deal (5 years/$75 million/$50 mil guaranteed) to join their team after unexpectedly hitting free agency in mid-April when the Panthers rescinded the franchise tag they placed on him in early March. Norman gives the Redskins one of the league's handful of true shutdown corners and should serve as a perfect complement to highly underrated third-year Bashaud Breeland, who previously was the only member of the Redskins secondary that wasn't complete and utter garbage. The addition of Norman marks an immediate upgrade to one of the Redskins weakest areas and his presence should be enough to at least elevate them to the realm of respectability in 2016.

Aside from the addition of Norman, this is pretty much the same unit took the field in 2015. They've got a talented group of pass-rushers led by young guns Preston Smith and Trent Murphy that should be better this year if Ryan Kerrigan can return to form after an underwhelming 2015, a rush defense that regularly fluctuates between being solid and a complete liability, and a weak-ass safety group that is made up of Denver Broncos castoffs (David Bruton, Duke Ihenacho), young guys trying to find their way in the league (Deshazor Everett, rookie Su'a Cravens) and a 32-year old former cornerback who is one hit away from evaporating into a cloud of flashy, but largely overrated dust (DeAngelo Hall). This unit's bizarre mix of promising talent and complete liabilities should lead to another year full of inconsistent play across the board.

Bottom Line:
A tougher schedule and question marks surrounding their key offensive contributors makes the Redskins a top candidate for regression in 2016.     

Projected Standings:

1.New York Giants (8-8)

2.Washington Redskins (8-8)

3.Dallas Cowboys (7-9)

4.Philadelphia Eagles (6-10) 

THE 2016 NFL PREVIEW SERIES IS COMING

I'm happy to report that the 2016 edition of my annual, rambling NFL preview series will be starting tomorrow. Given the uncertainty of the Ryan Fitzpatrick situation with the New York Jets and the massive effect his presence (or lack thereof) will have on their season, I'm going to break tradition and kick things off with a look at the NFC East. Hope you check back often throughout the coming weeks for a series full of labored (and sure to be somewhere between 75 and 90% incorrect) predictions and takes so hot that you'll need to keep a fire extinguisher by your computer, phone or tablet.

Movie Review: Star Trek Beyond

Director J.J Abrams defied the odds in 2009 with the reboot of Star Trek by taking a beloved established property and successfully broadening its appeal without sacrificing the heart and soul of the source material. Abrams and his screenwriting team (Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman and Damon Lindelof) exited the franchise after completing the second film in the rebooted franchise, Into Darkness, in 2013 and the sting of his departure can be felt throughout the latest chapter Beyond, which marks a huge step back for this previously triumphant series.

The premise of Beyond is business as usual for this series: The crew of the USS Enterprise led by Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) and Commander Spock (Zachary Quinto) gets into trouble in the bowels of space when an alien warlord named Krall (a heavily made-up Idris Elba, who makes Oscar Issac's hamtastic turn in X-Men: Apocalypse look restrained) boards their ship and causes it to crash land on his home planet of Altamid, splitting up the Enterprise crew and kidnapping Lieutenants Uhura (Zoe Saldana) and Sulu (John Cho) in the process. Despite possessing a familiar setup and the exact same set of central characters, Beyond largely fails to recreate the magic of both of its predecessors. New screenwriters Doug Jung and Simon Pegg-who plays Enterprise engineer Scotty-establish a corny yet stone-faced tone that is the polar opposite of what Abrams and co. put forth in the previous two films. Fans of the series will likely be delighted by the return to the series' campy roots, but it just reminded me of why I never could get into any of the old-school series or movies. The film tries to remain dead serious while its trotting out a treasure trove of awful one-liners and touting a villain that is so cartoonishly over-the-top that nothing he does or says can be perceived as legitimately menacing. My love of cheesy movies is well-documented, but I can't get behind films like this that try to sell their ridiculousness with a straight face.  

The saving grace of Beyond comes in the form of director Justin Lin (Fast and Furious 3-6). The choice of Lin to helm Beyond was widely criticized because the Fast and Furious films are considered to be cinematic poison in fanboy circles, but his supreme talent as an action director keeps the film afloat amidst all the bad writing and grating corniness. Lin's flare for staging and shooting huge, spastic action sequences effortlessly transitions to the world of outer space. He's handled dozens of scenes with flying cars and human beings pulling off superhero-esque feats, so staging similar scenes with spaceships and aliens was an easy task for the veteran director. If Abrams doesn't return to the fold (which admittedly is unlikely) for the recently-announced fourth installment, Paramount would be wise to bring back Lin for another go-round. The quality of the action scenes and the likability of the members of the Enterprise crew make Beyond a passable watch, but the sheer disappointment I felt after watching it can not be understated. In a summer slate full of pleasant surprises and occasional flashes of brilliance, Star Trek Beyond is the first true letdown.

3/5 Stars       

The Best and Worst of Kathryn Hahn

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 "Bad Moms" star Kathryn Hahn.

Films starring Kathryn Hahn that I've seen:
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy 
Step Brothers
The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard
Our Idiot Brother
Wanderlust
The Dictator
We're the Millers
Afternoon Delight
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
Bad Words
This is Where I Leave You
Tommorowland
The Visit
The Do-Over

Best Performance: Afternoon Delight (2013)
The trend of comedic actresses giving noteworthy performances in dramas that's emerged over the past few years was arguably started by Hahn in Afternoon Delight. Her turn as an unemployed housewife who tries to overcome a rough patch in her marriage by developing a close relationship with a young stripper (Juno Temple) is emotionally-dense and riveting to watch. Hahn's excellent performance is enough to overlook the pretty significant issues with the script and make Afternoon Delight worth watching. 

Worst Performance: This is Where I Leave You (2014)
Hahn has developed a reputation as one of modern comedy's unheralded, consistent scene-stealers thanks to her excellent supporting turns in films like Step Brothers, We're the Millers and Bad Words. The charm and zaniness that has made her one of the most in-demand character actresses in Hollywood was completely absent from this awful comedy/melodrama hybrid. Hahn is reduced to a one-note bitchy, impatient wife character that gets way more screen time than she deserves given how dull and inconsequential her story arc was to the events of the main plot. Just about every member of This is Where I Leave You's large ensemble cast was handed a terrible role, but Hahn is up there with Timothy Olyphant and Tina Fey for the distinction of being the single biggest waste of this film's abundance of top-end acting talent.

Best Film: Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
Any doubt that Will Ferrell could successfully transition to movies from Saturday Night Live was shattered with the release of Anchorman. Anchorman is the gold standard for stupid, irreverent comedy with a cast of unforgettable characters anchored (no pun intended) by Ferrell's turn as the titular dimwit, sexist nightly news anchorman and a rewatch value that is unrivaled by 99.9% of the other comedies ever made.

Worst Film: Tommorowland (2015)
Ever wondered what would happen if Steven Spielberg tried to make a family sci-fi/adventure without any sense of creativity, fun or coherency?  Well if you have, then Tommorowland is the movie for you. The entire film unfolds at an agonizingly slow pace and features about as much as excitement as a round of cribbage with an elderly relative that you have no semblance of a relationship with. How this film largely escaped the ire of the most vicious film critics and internet movie circles completely boggles my mind.
 
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 "Suicide Squad" star Will Smith.

Concert Review: Intronaut-- Worcester, MA-- July 23rd, 2016

Lineup: Intronaut/Entheos/Moon Tooth/Pathogenic/Merthius
Venue: The Palladium Upstairs, Worcester, MA
Date: July 23rd, 2016

Merthius: Arrived late and missed their set.

Pathogenic: I got into the venue during their last song, so I can't really assess their performance. From the brief portion of their set that I saw, they sounded just as solid as they did a few years ago when they were the local opener for the Worcester stop of Summer Slaughter.

Moon Tooth: Very nice kick-off to the lineup of touring bands. Their sound was a lot more technical than most prog metal bands out right now and their vocalist brought a unique, old-school metal flare to the proceedings. I'm definitely going to check out their recently released debut LP Chromaparagon as soon as possible.

Entheos: As I had just seen Intronaut on the previous leg of their headlining tour in March, Entheos was the top reason I was excited for this show. Their debut LP, The Infinite Nothing, is one of the best albums of 2016 so far and I was intrigued to see how their spastic brand of prog-tinged tech-death translated live. As optimistic as I was for their performance, they managed to blow away any expectations that I had for their set.

Like their studio material, the catalyst for Entheos' live performance was vocalist Chaney Crabb. Her vocal performance was phenomenal with her high screams in particular being an absolute thing of beauty for death metal nerds like myself and her stage presence established the set's blistering, insanely fun tone. Crabb is a special talent that elevates the chaos Entheos offers up into something really special.

Further sweetening Entheos' performance was the excellent setlist they put together. The group played a majority of the highlights from The Infinite Nothing including "Perpetual Miscalculations", "New Light" and "An Ever-Expanding Human" and the two best songs from their 2015 EP Primal ("Specific Meaning in a Group of Dots" and "Chemical Flashbacks".) To be completely honest, I can't remember the last time where I was this satisfied with an artist's setlist the first I saw them live.

The most surprising aspect of their set was how well they were received by the crowd. Their standing as a frantic extreme metal act makes them a pretty unconventional choice to tour with a pair of prog bands, but the crowd ended up greeting them with a level of enthusiasm that was about comparable to what Intronaut received. Seeing Entheos live was one of the highlights of my year so far and I'd love to see them again in the very near future.

Intronaut: Intronaut is one of those acts that I don't think I'll ever grow tired of seeing live. Every time you buy a ticket to one of their shows you know that they're going to kick ass and this performance was no different than the previous four times I'd seen them.

Like their last headlining tour, they played The Direction of Last Things in its entirety at this show. The Direction of Last Things is an utterly immense album that sounds even better in a live environment, so it was really special see them play from front-to-back for the second time. This performance wasn't quite as sharp as their March show at the Middle East Downstairs due to a murky vocal mix that rendered Dave Timnick's vocals almost completely inaudible, but the incredible musicianship and the sheer power and density of the material from The Direction of Last Things allowed Intronaut to overcome these issues relatively unscathed.

If you get the chance to, please go out and see this show (the tour runs through August 7th). All three bands are excellent and don't get nearly enough as much as shine as they deserve. Without question, one of the best shows and talent-loaded bills I've seen so far this year.

Scores:
Moon Tooth: 7.5/10
Entheos 9/10
Intronaut 8.5/10

Setlists:
Entheos:
Perpetual Miscalculations
Specific Meaning in a Group of Dots
New Light
Chemical Flashbacks
The Infinite Nothing
An Ever-Expanding Human
Neural Damage

Intronaut:
Fast Worms
Digital Gerrymandering
The Pleasant Surprise
The Unlikely Event of a Water Landing
Sul Ponticello
The Direction of Last Things
City Hymnal

Encore:
Core Relations
Milk Leg
The Literal Black Cloud

Album Review: Revocation-Great is Our Sin

There are not too many active musicians in the present day who can match the blue-collar work ethic that Massachusetts-based extreme metal outfit Revocation has exhibited throughout their career. They've released a whopping seven projects (six full-length albums and an EP) in the past eight years and have not displayed an ounce of fatigue along the way as they continue to push the limit of what they're capable of as musicians with each new release they put out. Their latest offering Great is Our Sin-their third LP released in the last 35 months-is yet another booming, logic-defying success story for the death/thrash quartet.

The key to Revocation's longevity and consistency is their ability to make subtle changes to their sound without abandoning the unique combination of thrash and technical death metal that's defined them since their inception. Great is Our Sin is no different as it sees the band putting out their most thrash-influenced record since their 2009 breakout album Existence is Futile. Centerpiece tracks including "Theatre of Horror", "Communion" and "Copernican Hersey" grant guitarist/vocalist David Davidson and new drummer Ash Pearson (ex 3-Inches of Blood) the opportunity to run wild on their instruments and bring back the full-on aural assault vibe of their back catalog gems like "Deathanomics" and "Pestilence Reigns". There are a solid amount of departures into other genres throughout the album (the sinister, straight-up death metal of "Only the Spineless Survive, the unexpected, bizarre prog of "Cleaving Giants of Ice", the melo-death of "Monolithic Ignorance"), but Great is Our Sin is ultimately driven by fast, energetic and pissed-off songs that go full throttle at the listener's throat and never let up.  

This may be the most straightforward thrash project they've released in ages, but the finest moments of Great is Our Sin end up being the sprawling, multi-genre tracks. "Profanum Vulgus" features balls-to-the-wall aggression and speed broken up by a staggering progressive mid-section while "Crumbling Imperium" regularly shifts between blistering sweep-picking and melodic riffing/soloing before ending on a death metal groove riff so punishing that it makes the finale of their 2013 standout track "Invidious" look like something from the Cats soundtrack. Revocation excels at playing a lot of different metal subgenres and despite their many successful forays into single-genre fare, they're at their absolute best when they're combining a number of styles on the same track.
  
It really shouldn't be the case given their track record, but the unwavering quality of Revocation's music continues to surprise me. Revocation's consistency is a welcome anomaly at a time where a lot of modern metal bands seem to be losing their killer instinct and flare for creativity faster than ever. Every generation of metal has an unheralded act that never gets the level of attention or praise they deserve and Great is Our Sin further solidifies Revocation's grasp on that unfortunate yet commendable distinction for the 2010's.    

4.5/5 Stars
Standout Tracks
1.Crumpling Imperium
2.Profanus Vulgus
3.Only the Spineless Survive

5 Highly Ranked Players to Avoid in Fantasy Football: 2016 Edition

We may still be a week away from the opening of training camp and about a month and a half away from the start of the regular season, but it's never too early to start speculating about what quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, tight ends and defenses are being overvauled in the wonderful and often confusing world of fantasy football. Here are the five players that I think should be avoided at their current draft position.

Quarterback: Carson Palmer (Cardinals) (Average Draft Position: Yahoo!: 54.7, NFL.com: 54.0, ESPN: 73.7)
Palmer has looked revitalized since joining the Cardinals in 2013 and was a legitimate MVP contender for a majority of last season. However, he ended the 2015 season on a horrendous note with a trio of terrible performances (6 TD, 7 INT, 55.5 CMP%, 65.3 QBR) punctuated by a 4 INT performance against the Panthers in the NFC Championship Game. The shakiness Palmer demonstrated down the stretch paired with his age (he'll be 37 in December) and checkered injury history makes his status going into 2016 murky at best. Taking a quarterback in the first half of the draft isn't the ill-advised decision many self-proclaimed fantasy gurus make it out to be, but if you're going to spend a precious early-round pick on a QB, they shouldn't carry the vast level of uncertainty Palmer has surrounding him. 

Running Back: Jammal Charles (Chiefs) (Average Draft Position: Yahoo!: 17.0, NFL.com: 19.0, ESPN: 14.9)
The days of Charles being a stalwart fantasy player could be in jeopardy. He turns 30 in December and is coming off of a season that was shortened by a torn ACL (the 2nd of his career). Charles has the advantage of not having the wear and tear most bellcow running backs have at this point of their career (he didn't become a full-time starter until his 3rd season in the league in 2010) and playing in a rush-first offense that has a shortage of playmakers, but with the emergence of Charcandrick West and Spencer Ware in his absence last season and the uncertainty of his surgically-repaired knee will hold up over the course of an entire season, Charles is unlikely to perform at the level fantasy owners have come to expect from him in 2016.

Wide Receiver: Julian Edelman (Patriots) (Average Draft Position: Yahoo!: 34.4, NFL.com: 44.5, ESPN: 41.4)
Despite having only 1 1,000+-yard season and zero double-digit touchdown seasons over the course of his 7-year career, Edelman is perennially coveted as a top-end WR2 that sometimes flirts with WR1 value. With Tom Brady suspended for 4 games and concerns about the status of his surgically-repaired foot, that value should be in question for 2016. With guys like T.Y. Hilton, Sammy Watkins and Brandin Cooks-who have similar floors and much higher ceilings- going in the same area, taking Edelman this high in any non-PPR league doesn't make much sense. 

Tight End: Jordan Reed (Redskins) (Average Draft Position: Yahoo!: 40.4, NFL.com 41.9, ESPN: 34.1)
Reed is one of the most gifted pass-catching tight ends in the league as evidenced by his 87 reception, 952-yard, 11-TD breakout season in 2015. Unfortunately, he's also one of the biggest wild cards in the league. He has yet to play a full season since he entered the league in 2013 and his play before last season was very erratic. Reed is an unnecessary risk at the stage of the draft he's typically being selected at, especially when you can wait a round or two and select a more seasoned, less injury-prone player with similar upside such as Greg Olsen, Delanie Walker or Travis Kelce.
 
Defense: Carolina Panthers (Average Draft Position: Yahoo!: 72.2 NFL.com: 78.3, ESPN: 80.9) 
The Panthers defense was one of the most pleasant surprises of 2015. While they should be solid once again, I don't think they'll be able to match the high level of production they put up for most of last season. Their revamped, Josh Norman-less secondary is unlikely to scare any competent opponent they face and it would be kind of miraculous if they were able to put up another 44-sack season with only one elite pass-rusher (Kawann Short) on their front. I think the Panthers defense will ultimately be fine in 2016, I just don't think they should be considered an elite fantasy option.

Movie Review: Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates

2016 has been a banner year for comedies so far and the movie gods have blessed moviegoers with yet another vulgar, consistently hilarious gem in Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates. Like other recent comedy standouts Popstar and Keanu, Mike and Dave boasts a unique premise (After placing an ad on the internet looking for dates for their sister's wedding in Hawaii, two hard-partying brothers end up bringing two harder-partying girls posing as conservative, "nice girls" in order to get a free vacation to the ceremony) that serves as the perfect playground for the cast to flex their comedic muscles. The four leads (Adam DeVine, Zac Efron, Anna Kendrick and Aubrey Plaza) switch off stealing scenes throughout the film thanks to their tremendous improv skills and the supporting cast is full of colorful, insane characters that perfectly complement the zany brilliance of the top-billed actors. This is one of the most stacked top-to bottom ensemble casts to appear in a comedy in recent memory and the film does a great job of disturbing the laughs fairly evenly and giving each member of the group their time to shine. The often over-the-top obscene and inane humor of Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates will definitely prevent it from resonating with some audiences, but it should do the trick for comedy fans looking for a fun twist on the typical bro comedies that populate multiplexes this time of year.

4/5 Stars

Happy Retirement Charles Tillman

Veteran cornerback Charles Tillman announced his retirement from the NFL yesterday after 13 seasons (12 with the Chicago Bears, 1 with the Carolina Panthers). Tillman holds a special place in my heart because of the integral role he played in me becoming a Bears fan over a decade ago. He never commanded the spotlight like his teammates Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs did during the Bears reign of defensive dominance from 2005 through 2010, but his excellent cover skills, relentless physicality and trademark "Peanut Punch" that led to a remarkable 44 forced fumbles for his career made him a force and the unheralded heart and soul of those havoc-wreaking, takeaway-happy units. In addition to being one hell of a player, he's the rare athlete that's a legitimately great human being. His track record with charity work is remarkable and you'll be hard-pressed to be find a person involved with the NFL in any capacity that has anything but glowing things to say about him. It was a privilege to watch Tillman play for all of these years and I hope he enjoys a prosperous and happy retirement.  

The Best and Worst of Anton Yelchin

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 late"Star Trek Beyond" star Anton Yelchin.

Film starring Anton Yelchin that I've seen:
Alpha Dog
Charlie Bartlett 
Star Trek
Terminator Salvation
Like Crazy
The Beaver
The Smurfs
Fright Night
Star Trek Into Darkness
Green Room

Best Performance: Charlie Bartlett (2007)
Yelchin's first true leading role (he co-lead Alpha Dog with Emile Hirsch and Justin Timberlake) ended up being the moment where Hollywood realized that he was going to enjoy longevity in the industry. This Ferris Buller-inspired comedy centered around the title character's (Yelchin) unlikely rise to popularity after becoming the resident therapist to the student body of his high school largely works because of Yelchin's performance. He gives the type of magnetic performance here that makes you overlook the by-the-numbers quirky comedy vibe and story structure and just enjoy the ride for what it is.

Worst Performance: Like Crazy (2011)
I don't know if it was because of the poor material he was handed or it was simply a case of an actor phoning it in, but Yelchin's performance in Like Crazy was inexplicably terrible. He played this role with the lack of conviction and effort that you don't usually see out of a talented, established actor. Like Crazy is an epic stinker on Yelchin's otherwise very impressive resume.

Best Film: Star Trek (2009)
J.J Abrams worked his cinematic magic to the fullest extent with his 2009 reboot of Star Trek. Abrams pulled off the unbelievable feat of making the Star Trek franchise more accessible to the masses without dropping the complex, epic feel that hardcore fans have become accustomed to over the series' 50-year run. This version of Star Trek raised the bar for modern blockbuster entertainment and is by far the best large-scale pure sci-fi film to be released since The Empire Strikes Back.

Worst Film: Like Crazy (2011) 
2011 marked the year where I made my deepest exploration into the world of cinema to-date by seeing about 80-85% of the notable mainstream and independent films that were released theatrically in the United States. Of the 153 films I saw from that year, none was worse than Like Crazy. Every single character is a vile human being, the dialogue is cringe-worthy and the plot is nowhere to be found. Like Crazy is a deadly cinematic bomb full of pretension and hollow observations about modern romance that shouldn't be experienced by anyone that's not a fan of inflicting immense torture on themselves.   


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 "Bad Moms" star Kathryn Hahn.

Movie Review: Ghostbusters

March 3rd, 2016 was a crucial day in world history. At approximately noon EST, Columbia Pictures released the first trailer for their female-led reboot of Ghostbusters starring Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones. The release of this trailer triggered a catastrophic event that permanently changed the face of the free world as we know it. Upset nerds came out of every corner of the internet to spew intelligent comments like "WOMEN CAN'T BE FUNNY!!!!" and beg for mercy as writer/director Paul Feig completed the miraculous task of eviscerating the precious legacy of a film that's about four people running around New York City fighting ghosts with what are essentially leaf blowers that shoot laser beams four months before it was released. The trailer went onto to become the most disliked movie trailer in YouTube's 11-year history and the level of distress and emotional damage that it brought upon the deeply oppressed fanboy community will never be forgotten.

It's poetic that all of this outlandish, bone-headed and largely sexist outrage was aimed at a film that's as gleefully silly as Ghostbusters. This movie never stoops low enough nor aims high enough in terms of comedy or plot to elicit the type of extreme reactions it's been almost universally generating. This movie was intended to be a fun, lighthearted re-imagining of a classic big-budget popcorn flick and that's EXACTLY what it ended up being. It's unfortunate that the wild biases that led to over-the-top opinions on both ends of the spectrum has ruined any chance of Ghostbusters getting a fair shake in the court of public opinion. 

As expected, the leading actors are almost solely responsible for the film's success. When the central villain (Neil Casey in a Razzie-worthy performance) starts getting substantial screen time and completely moronic primary plot kicks in around the hour mark, the talent and immense likability of the top-billed actors prevents the film from imploding. McCarthy and Wiig do a good of job playing against type as the film's straightwomen while Jones and cast MVP McKinnon do a great job of shouldering the comedic load with their electric energy and relentless zaniness respectively. The mainstream accessibility this comedy/sci-fi blockbuster genre requires and the light PG-13 they went for in order to appeal to families definitely prevented McCarthy, Wiig, McKinnon and Jones from unleashing their full comedic arsenal, but there's no denying that each role was perfectly cast and that the foursome possesses the type of believable camaraderie that can't be manufactured by Hollywood. 

The only real surprise that Ghostbusters has up its sleeve is the emergence of Chris Hemsworth as a viable comedic performer. I knew Hemsworth was a naturally funny guy from seeing him interviewed on various late night talk shows since he became a fixture in American cinemas following the release of Thor in 2011, but I never expected his turn as the Ghostbusters dim-witted receptionist Kevin to be one of the strongest parts of the film. The sense of timing and fearlessness he approaches each gag with makes him seem like a seasoned comedian instead of a dramatic actor/action hero making his first sizable venture (he had a bit part in last year's Vacation reboot) into the genre. Given how much he stands out in a cast headlined by proven comedic heavyweights, Hemsworth can officially add comedic powerhouse to his rapidly growing acting repertoire.

Ghostbusters is amusing and pleasant enough to be a worthwhile viewing experience yet not nearly funny or inventive enough to be really memorable. I urge everyone that ends up seeing it to not let the thick cloud of online negativity surrounding it or the in-name and spirit-only affiliation with the beloved 1984 original influence your opinion in any way. If you approach Ghostbusters with an open mind and reasonable expectations, you'll probably have some fun with it.

3.5/5 Stars

The Best and Worst of Kristen Wiig

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 "Ghostbusters" star Kristen Wiig.

Films starring Kristen Wiig that I've seen:
Knocked Up
The Brothers Solomon
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story
Semi-Pro
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Adventureland
Extract
Date Night
MacGruber
Despicable Me
Paul 
Bridesmaids
Her
Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
The Skeleton Twins
Welcome to Me
The Diary of a Teenage Girl
The Martian
Zoolander 2

Best Performance: The Skeleton Twins (2014)
Wiig has strayed from her comedic roots quite a bit since she left Saturday Night Live in May 2012, but none of her other forays into the world of dramatic acting have been as impressive as her award-caliber turn in The Skeleton Twins. Wiig gives a captivating yet heartbreaking performance as a manically depressed woman in her late 30' who's on the verge of committing suicide, when she's forced to reevaluate her life after reconnecting with her estranged twin brother ( an equally impressive Bill Hader) following his failed suicide attempt. The strength of Wiig's performance has forced Hollywood to start taking her seriously as a dramatic actor.

Worst Performance: The Diary of a Teenage Girl (2015)
For all of the excellent dramatic work Wiig has turned in over the past few years, there are also complete stinkers like The Diary of a Teenage Girl. None of the promise she showed in The Skeleton Twins and Welcome to Me is on display here as she sleepwalks through her role as a cliche irresponsible, hard-partying, absentee mother. While Wiig didn't portray the most vile character in this film, I still got pretty infuriated every time she appeared on screen. I really hope Wiig avoids starring in moronic, ineptly-constructed garbage like this in the future.     

Best Film: Knocked Up (2007)
Judd Apatow solidified his place in my personal comedy hall-of-fame by following up 2005's hysterical, heartful The 40-Year Old Virgin with the equally brilliant Knocked Up two years later. Knocked Up is one of those special movies I could heap praise on for hours on end without even coming up for air. The laugh-out-loud moments are abundant throughout, the dramatic elements are well-executed and feel entirely rooted in reality and above all, this film marked the moment where I realized just how great Seth Rogen, Paul Rudd, Jonah Hill, Jason Segel and Jay Baruchel are as comedic actors. Without question one of the top 3-5 funniest movies I've ever seen.

Worst Film: The Diary of a Teenage Girl (2015) 
The Diary of a Teenage Girl is one of those rare films that pissed me off to no end while I was watching it. The writing is awful, the acting rivals that of a community theater production and the characters are universally insufferable. Even as a someone who is a sucker for Sundance coming-of-age movies, I couldn't find anything redeeming about The Diary of a Teenage Girl.

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 "Star Trek Beyond" star Anton Yelchin .    

Album Review: ScHoolboy Q-Blank Face LP

Outside of Future and Chance the Rapper, no rapper's stock has soared more of late than that of South Central Los Angeles product ScHoolboy Q. His hard-partying yet edgy gangsta persona combined with his relationships with established heavy-hitters including A$AP Rocky and Top Dawg Entertainment labelmate Kendrick Lamar took him from under-the-radar favorite to breakout star with his third LP Oxymoron, which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 album charts and as of last month, has sold over 415,000 copies in the United States alone. Q's fourth LP Blank Face proves that his recent breakout success has not gone to his head as it's easily the most complex and ambitious artistic endeavor of his career so far.   

Anyone that's looking for a party jam a la "Man of the Year" or a smooth radio-ready R&B track like "Studio" is going to be sorely disappointed with what Blank Face offers up. Blank Face is an unrelentingly grim look into the mind of a man that's in a bleak mental state despite all of the success he's enjoyed in his career over the past few years. Regardless of each individual song's subject matter, the production is atmospheric and almost nightmarish and Q maintains a somber demeanor for a vast majority of the album's 74-minute runtime. It's a bold move to follow up your breakout album with a project that's this pitch-black in nature and while there's times where it's gloominess becomes overwhelming ("Kno Ya Wrong", "WHateva U Want"), you have to admire Q for being more concerned with making highly personal music than what's going to move the most units.

The almost exclusively grimy, psychedelic-tinged beats perfectly pair with Q's trademark hard-edged flow. The grit Q raps with has always been a large part of his appeal and his signature trait makes the messages on Blank Flace hit with a considerable amount of force. The  fiery, emotional verses he drops on tracks like "JoHn Muir", "Black THoughts" and "By Any Means" sees the negativity that's been building up inside him since he hit it big practically pour out of the speakers. While the rage and discontent is evident when listening to these tracks, you can also hear the level of catharsis he's achieving by putting these feelings out into the world. These feelings have plagued his psyche for the past two years and the emotional release that he experiences finally opening up about his issues is palpable throughout the record. In the hands of a lesser MC, a record with this tone and overarching message would've been an unhinged, forced disaster, but Q's ability to spit out raw verses completely from the heart allows the listener to become fully consumed in his world of internal anger and depression.

The only thing that prevents Blank Face from being one of 2016's finest hip-hop releases is the less-than-stellar series of tracks that it opens and closes on. With the exception of the excellent street anthems "Ride Out" and "Groovy Tony/Eddie Kane" and "Black ThougHts", an incredibly poignant call for interracial unity, the first seven and final four songs are pretty forgettable. There are a few standout moments (Q's first verse on "TorcH", Kanye West's absurd guest spot on "THat Part", Anderson Paak.'s stunning vocals on "Blank Face's" intro) along the way, but these songs mostly lack the polish and gut-punch impact that the album-defining run of "By Any Means" through "Neva CHange" has. Closing and opening on a strong note plays a crucial role in defining the success of an album and in the case of Blank Face, a mediocre start and finish is ultimately the catalyst for why it doesn't achieve greatness.

Blank Face is a dense, finely-crafted effort that falls just short of being something really special. While the rapping, emotional heft and production are worthy of ample praise, its shortcomings on the bookends of the album and the occasional forays into overblown darkness can't be overlooked. Blank Face is a textbook example of an album that I respect more than I actively enjoy and as of right now, I doubt any number of re-listens is going to change that stance.

3.5/5 Stars
Standout Tracks
1.Dope Dealer (feat. E-40)
2.By Any Means
3.JoHn Muir

Album Review: YG-Still Brazy

Whether you're a fan of his or not, there's no denying that Compton-bred rapper YG (short for Young Gangsta) stands out in today's hip-hop climate. He's arguably the only young rapper in the game right now that's making pure gangsta rap that beckons back to the days before 2pac was murdered and Dr. Dre was spending his time making beats instead of overpriced headphones. His 2014 debut My Krazy Life had plenty of ambition and an admirable old-school vibe, but the obnoxious choruses and abundance of pop-tinged songs prevented it from being a truly enjoyable record. YG has clearly spent the past two years figuring how to properly channel his admiration for the old-school Compton classics into his music because his second LP Still Brazy is every bit of the vintage-sounding gangsta rap record he's been striving to make since he arrived on the scene.

Spinning Still Brazy for the first time is a borderline shocking experience for anyone that's familiar with his older material. Behind phenomenal production from fellow Los Angeles-area residents 1500 or Nothing, Terrace Martin, Hit-Boy and relative unknown DJ Swish, YG is able to transform himself from a middling gangsta rapper obsessed with making club-friendly bangers to the spokesperson for the G-funk revival. You can't help but thinking of but thinking of Snopp Dogg's Doggystyle or Dr. Dre's The Choronic when listening to YG drop a series of rousing songs about topics (gang-banging, dealing drugs, etc.) that are usually approached in a far more serious manner. As someone whose introduction to hip-hop largely consisted of artists from the 90's G-funk movement, Still Brazy serves as a welcome reminder of the unique joys this style of hip-hop brings to the table.

The rebirth of YG also carried over to his technical abilities on the mic. This record's collection of massive, funky beats is much better suited to his gruff yet playful flow than the widely accessible club fare that DJ Mustard trotted out for the majority of My Krazy Life. On seminal tracks like "Twist My Fingaz", "Gimme Got Shot" and "FDT",a simplistic yet wildly effective middle finger to a certain orange-faced presidential candidate, he displays an infectious flow and winning charisma that was completely absent from every project he'd put out in the past. YG is audibly in his element repping his city's defining sound and the feeling that this was a true labor of love to his neighborhood and a bygone era of hip-hip plays an essential part in the success of Still Brazy. 

While there's a few less-than-stellar tracks ("Don't Come to LA", "Who Shot Me?", "She Wish She Was") and lazy guest spots (just about every no-name rapper that appears throughout the album) along the way, it's never enough to deter from how focused and fun this record is overall. It's extremely difficult to make a vintage-inspired album that doesn't sound like a cheap gimmick yet YG is able to pull it off beautifully thanks to the immense amount of respect he has for the founding fathers of G-funk and his familiarity with the environment in which those artists were brought up in. Still Brazy is a beyond pleasant surprise and is exactly the jolt of grit and good times this dismal year in hip-hop needed to (hopefully) get back on track.   

4/5 Stars
Standout Tracks
1.Twist My Fingaz
2.Gimme Got Shot
3.FDT (feat. Nipsey Hustle)

10 Most Anticipated Films of the Second Half of Summer 2016

The first half of summer 2016 is officially over and on the whole, it greatly exceeded my expectations with a number of very pleasant surprises (Central Intelligence, Now You See Me 2) and truly brilliant films (The Nice Guys, Popstar). The final two months of the season have the potential to be even better with a loaded slate that features intriguing blockbusters, indie films and oft-kilter, mid-budget fare. Here are the 10 films I'm most excited to see for the rest of July and August.

10.The Infiltrator (7/13):
Breaking Bad star Bryan Cranston making his poetic return to the drug-driven crime drama genre has the potential to be a prime piece of gritty, smart counterprogramming to the blockbusters currently flooding the marketplace.

9.Don't Breathe (8/26)
I loathed Fede Alvarez's 2013 remake of Evil Dead, but Don't Breathe looks like such an intense and welcome departure from the supernatural horror films that have dominated the genre's landscape over the past several years that I'm willing to give his work another shot.

8.Cafe Society (7/15)
Cafe Society sees Woody Allen returning to the world of period comedies (this film is set in the 1930's) after last year's ambitious, but ultimately failed experiment with modern drama in Irrational Man. The cast is one of the most stacked Allen has ever assembled (Jeese Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Blake Lively, Steve Carrell, Corey Stoll) and the vibe from the trailer implies that Allen is in full quirky, romance mode here, which is never a bad think for fans of his work

7.Don't Think Twice (7/22)
Stand-up comedian Mike Birbiglia tackles the fascinating, ultra-competitive and often underappreciated world of comedy improv groups in his second directorial feature. With Birbiglia's notoriously smart writing and a cast led by Keegan-Michael Key, Community's Gillian Jacobs and Birbiglia himself, Don't Think Twice could end up being the brightest, under-the-radar indie gem of this summer.


6.Ghostbusters (7/15)
I've soured a bit on this widely-scorned reboot of the iconic 1984 comedy in recent weeks after seeing a bunch of weak commercials and the horrific new trailer that was attached to Finding Dory. That being said, I still have enough faith that this cast and writer/director Paul Feig can deliver a quality comedy to be pretty damn excited to see the finished product.


5.Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates (out now)
This is clearly cheating a bit since this was released on Thursday night, but I'm including it anyways since I've been highly anticipating it for a while now. The past couple of months have been excellent for R-rated comedies and with four gifted comedic actors in Adam DeVine, Zac Efron, Anna Kendrick and Aubrey Plaza leading the charge and an excellent premise rife with comedic potential, Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates is in prime position to extend summer 2016's hot streak.

4.Star Trek Beyond (7/22)
There are plenty of question marks surrounding the third installment of the rebooted Star Trek franchise (can Justin Lin keep the spirit of this series that J.J Abrams started alive, are the underwhelming trailers indicative of the film's quality or merely just bad advertising, will the various subplots surrounding the Enterprise crew and the villains that split them apart lead to a convoluted story, etc). However, the quality of the first two films in the franchise and the addition of Idris Elba to the film's strong returning cast is enough for me to overlook the potential red flags and still get really excited for this film.


3.War Dogs (8/19)
Jonah Hill, Miles Teller and director Todd Phillips are looking to spice up the dog days of summer with a fact-based dark comedy about two 20-something arms dealers (Hill and Teller) who land a $300 million contract from the Pentagon to arm U.S. allies in Afghanistan. The amount of talent on board with this project is staggering and if it's executed properly, this could very well end up being one of the most enjoyable moviegoing experiences of the year.
 

2.Sausage Party (8/12)
Seth Rogen and co.+R-rated animated film=Guaranteed over-the-top vulgar insanity that I can't wait to experience.
 
1.Suicide Squad (8/5)
I've written extensively over the past few months about my overwhelming excitement for David Ayer's villain-focused superhero film Suicide Squad. All I can do now is sit back and pray that the actual film delivers the chaos and excitement the trailers have offered up in droves.

The Best and Worst of Anna Kendrick

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 "Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates" star Anna Kendrick.

Films starring Anna Kendrick that I've seen:
Up in the Air
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
50/50
End of Watch
Pitch Perfect
Cake
The Voices
Pitch Perfect 2
Mr. Right

Best Performance: Up in the Air (2009)
The role that brought Kendrick into the limelight and earned her an Academy Award nomination also happens to be her finest work to-date. Kendrick is sensational and almost eerily believable as a naive, young HR professional who is forced to accompany a seasoned veteran co-worker (George Clooney) on a serious of trips to fire unsuspecting people from their jobs. The magnetic presence and effortless charm Kendrick displayed here instantly established her as an actress to watch and was pivotal in her eventual rise to the A-list with the Pitch Perfect series and Into the Woods.

Worst Performance: Cake (2014)
Picking a worst performance for Kendrick is difficult. Even in the weaker films she's appeared in, her likability is so infectious that you can't really criticize her. Her thankless role in the Jennifer Aniston-led drama Cake marks the only time where her presence failed to elevate a film. Kendrick's character-who dies before the film starts and is only seen as a hallucination- merely serves as a plot device to help Aniston's character through the immense grief she's experienced for years and could've easily been removed without any serious narrative ramifications. 

Best Film: 50/50 (2011)
50/50 is one of, if not the single most underrated film of this decade. Making a film centered around cancer that manages to be laugh-out-loud funny and emotionally-resonant without resorting to cliche, over-the-top melodrama is no small feat. Aside from the film's stellar writing, the acting from Seth Rogen, Kendrick and Joseph Gordon-Levitt-who should've won an Oscar for his performance in the leading role- is absolutely sensational. 50/50 is a must-see for anyone that's been personally effected by cancer or is looking to see a film that approaches battling the disease in a unique, optimistic way.  

Worst Film: The Voices (2015)
Despite boasting an impressive cast led by Ryan Reynolds, Kendrick and Jacki Weaver and an interesting premise (a schizophrenic man whose internal voices manifest in the forms of his pet cat and dog goes on an unintended killing spree after accidentally killing a co-worker in a car accident), The Voices manages to be one of the weakest attempts at black comedy I've ever seen. The Voices commits the ultimate unforgivable black comedy sin by mistaking over-the-top morbidity for cleverness and it results in a film that is plenty twisted, but completely unfunny and unpleasant to sit through.

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 "Ghostbusters" star Kristen Wiig.  

Concert Review: letlive.-- Allston, MA-- July 5th, 2016

Lineup: letlive./Seahaven/Silver Snakes/Night Verses
Venue: Brighton Music Hall, Allston, MA
Date: July 5th, 2016

Night Verses: Night Verses is a band that I instantly became a huge fan of after becoming aware of them when they were announced as one of the openers for the second leg of Protest the Hero's Volition tour in early 2014. Unfortunately, they didn't end up appearing at the Massachusetts date of the Volition tour , so I had a solid two years worth of built-up anticipation to see them live heading into this show. Night Verses not only met my lofty expectations for their set, they eviscerated them.

The sheer strength of their musicianship grabbed me right away. Vocalist Douglas Robinson sounded almost exactly the same as he does on record, the guitarwork from Nick DePerro was magnificent  and this performance made me fully appreciate just how much of a beast drummer Aric Improta is behind the kit. Post-hardcore is a genre full of excellent musicians, but there are few bands that match the sheer talent Night Verses possesses throughout their ranks.

The setlist was evenly divided between songs from all three of their releases (2012's Out of the Sky EP, 2013's Lift Your Existence and their upcoming second LP Into the Vanishing Light, which will be released this Friday) and let every side of their wide-spanning sound shine through. The older material was appropriately chaotic and beautiful while the new material sounded a lot more melodic than most of the songs from Lift Your Existence without losing the unpredictable spastic edge that made that record special. Night Verses put on a spectacular performance that perfectly showcased their dynamism and made a strong case as to why they're the most exciting up-and-coming band in the post-hardcore scene right now.   
 
Silver Snakes: Silver Snakes are a band that have picked up a fair amount of traction of late as evidenced by the hype surrounding their new album Saboteur and their securing of the opening spot on Korn and Breaking Benjamin's co-headlining tour this fall. After seeing them live, it's easy to see why they've garnered so much buzz recently. Their hybrid of hard rock and post-hardcore is pretty fun to listen to and their vocalist Alex Estrada has a very unique and impressive voice. Their songs got a little bit repetitive at times and I wish Estrada utilized his excellent screams more, but Silver Snakes still managed to put on a good show.

Seahaven: Seahaven is the epitome of a band that I can understand the acclaim for, but can't personally connect with or appreciate in any way. While there was nothing objectively wrong with their music, their style of melancholy emo with bursts of post-hardcore aggression and pop punk breeziness simply isn't something that resonated with me. My lack of enthusiasm for them made me an extreme outlier in the room as the crowd went completely nuts for their set-greeting the conclusion of every song with warm applause and passionately singing along to just about every song in their 40-minute set. Unless they were opening for band that I absolutely love, I'd never voluntarily sit through another Seahaven set again.

letlive.: Going into this show I was worried about the potential effects letlive.'s more melodic, accessible new album, If I'm the Devil..., would have on their notoriously intense live show.  Thankfully the answer to that question was none. If anything, letlive.'s live show has only gotten more intense since the last time I saw them in 2013.

The centerpiece for letlive.'s chaotic live show is their vocalist Jason Butler. Outside of Greg Puciato from The Dillinger Escape Plan, there isn't a more batshit insane frontman in music. It's usually a mystery what he'll do during each show, but it always ends up being something completely bonkers and unforgettable. The highlights of Butler's one-man carnival of chaos at this show included him walking and climbing around in the rafters while singing during "That Fever Fever" and "Homeless Jazz", running and stage-diving over the barrier during "Banshee (Ghost Fame)" and "27 Club" and breaking into a freestyle rap when the group experienced technical difficulties after they played "Banshee". Butler is as electrifying of a showman as you'll see in all of music and experiencing his unpredictable antics in person alone is well worth the price of admission to a letlive. show.   

Aside from being a psycho with a flare for doing jaw-dropping stuff during performances, Butler also happens to be an incredible vocalist. Both his clean and harsh vocals were top-notch for the duration of the set and it was honestly kind of mind-blowing to hear how much sharper he was vocally at this show compared to the last time I saw them. His stage presence is understandably the primary attraction of letlive's live shows for a lot of fans, but Butler deserves just as much as praise for his damn near flawless vocal performance.

Backing up Butler's incendiary presence and standout vocal performance was an excellent setlist filled with surprising song selections. Hearing Fake History deep cuts in "Homeless Jazz" and "Enemies (Enemigos)" was surreal and the song selection from their 2013 album The Blackest Beautiful couldn't have possibly been better. Even the material from If I'm the Devil... sounded much more lively and attention-grabbing live than it does on disc. letlive.'s performance last night will undoubtedly go down as one of the most fun, insane and flat-out memorable performances that I see in all of 2016.

Scores:
Night Verses 8.5/10
Silver Snakes 7.5/10
Seahaven 4/10
letlive. 9.5/10

Setlists:
Night Verses:
Rage
Time Erases Time
New Song
A Dialogue in Cataplexy
Be Happy With Yourself, I'm Staying Here in Hell
I've Lost My Way Down

letlive.:
I've Learned to Love Myself
The Dope Beat
Banshee (Ghost Fame)
Enemies (Enemigos)
White America's Beautiful Black Market
Another Offensive Song
Younger
That Fear Fever
Homeless Jazz
Renegade' 86
Reluctantly Dead
27 Club

Encore:
Muther
Good Mourning, America

2016 in Music: Mid-Year Recap

2016 has been one strange, unpredictable year for music so far. Artists that I didn't have a particularly favorable opinion of in the past (Ariana Grande, Future, YG) have released some of the year's best albums while some of my favorite veteran (Deftones, letlive.) and up-and-coming artists (Chance the Rapper, Beartooth, A$AP Ferg) have all dropped highly underwhelming projects. Even with the handful of major letdowns that have hit the musical marketplace over the past six months, the quality of 2016 so far has been a blessing after the disheartening, spirit-crushing year that was 2015. With a tentative second half slate that is absolutely jam-packed with intriguing releases, I wouldn't be surprised if we're talking about 2016 as a landmark year for music come December. Below are my rankings of every EP and LP I've heard from 2016 ranked from worst to best with star ratings along with my picks for the 50 best songs of the year so far. As always, feel free to bombard the comment box with your own lists and whatever praise, hatred or indifference you have for my picks.  

EP's

5.Young Thug-Slime Season 3 (2/5) (Favorite Track: "With Them")

4.Charli XCX-Vroom Vroom (2/5) (Favorite Track: "Trophy")

3.TWENTY88-TWENTY88 (3/5) (Favorite Track: "Selfish")

2.Vic Mensa-There's Alot Going On (3/5) (Favorite Track: "Dynasty")

1.Michael Christmas-Baggy Eyes EP (3.5/5) (Favorite Track: "Intercontinental Champion")

LP's

53.Lil Yachty-Lil Boat (1/5) (Favorite Track: "Minnesota (remix)")

52.Future-Purple Reign (2/5) (Favorite Track: "All Right")

51.A$AP Ferg-Always Strive and Prosper (2/5) (Favorite Track: "New Level")

50.Sia-This is Acting (2.5/5) (Favorite Track: "Bird Set Free")

49.Textures-Phenotype (2.5/5) (Favorite Track: "Shaping a Single Grain of Sand")

48.Macklemore & Ryan Lewis-This Unruly Mess I've Made (2.5/5) (Favorite Track: "Light Tunnels")

47.letlive.-If I'm the Devil... (2.5/5) (Favorite Track: "A Weak Ago")

46.Lil Uzi Vert-Lil Uzi Vert vs. the World (2.5/5) (Favorite Track: "Hi Roller")

45.Deftones-Gore (2.5/5) (Favorite Track: "Doomed User")

44.Chance the Rapper-Coloring Book (2.5/5) (Favorite Track: "Angels")

43.Red Hot Chili Peppers-The Getaway (2.5/5) (Favorite Track: "The Getaway")

42.Wheeler Walker Jr.-Redneck Shit (3/5) (Favorite Track: "Eatin Pussy/Kickin' Ass")

41.The Fall of Troy-OK (3/5) (Favorite Track: "401K")

40.Beartooth-Aggressive (3/5) (Favorite Track: "However You Want It Said")

39.blink-182-California (3/5) (Favorite Track: "Los Angeles")

38.Beyonce-Lemonade (3/5) (Favorite Track: "Freedom")

37.2 Chainz & Lil Wayne-Collegrove (3/5) (Favorite Track: "Bounce")

36.Wormed-Krigshu (3/5) (Favorite Track: "Molecular Winds")

35.Anderson.Paak-Malibu (3/5) (Favorite Track: "The Season/Carry Me")

34.Architects-All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us (3.5/5) (Favorite Track: "Downfall")

33.Megadeth-Dystopia (3.5/5) (Favorite Track: "Dystopia")

32.Bury Tomorrow-Earthbound (3.5/5) (Favorite Track: "Last Light")

31.Weezer-Weezer (The White Album) (3.5/5) (Favorite Track: "King of the World")

30.Fleshgod Apocalypse-King (3.5/5) (Favorite Track: "Healing Through War")

29.Rihanna-ANTI (3.5/5) (Favorite Track: "Kiss It Better")

28.Riff Raff-Peach Panther (3.5/5) (Favorite Track: "I Drive By")

27.Gojira-Magma (3.5/5) (Favorite Track: "Stranded")

26.Drake-Views (3.5/5) (Favorite Track: "Weston Road Flows")

25.Anthrax-For All Kings (3.5/5) (Favorite Track: "Evil Twin")

24.Kendrick Lamar-untitled unmastered. (3.5/5) (Favorite Track: "untitled 05|9.21.2014")

23.Denzel Curry-Imperial (3.5/5) (Favorite Track: "Zenith")

22.Kanye West-The Life of Pablo (3.5/5) (Favorite Track: "No More Parties in LA")

21.Flatbush Zombies-3001: A Laced Odyssey (Favorite Track: "The Odyssey")

20.Death Angel-The Evil Divide (3.5/5) (Favorite Track: "The Electric Cell")

19.The Zenith Passage-Solipsist (4/5) (Favorite Track: "The Dissension Consensus")

18.Hatebreed-The Concrete Confessional (4/5) (Favorite Track: "In the Walls")

17.Deviant Process-Paroxysm (4/5) (Favorite Track: "Persecution")

16.Hope for the Dying-Legacy (4/5) (Favorite Track: "Flame Forged")

15.Polyphia-Renaissance (4/5) (Favorite Track: "Ivory")

14.Aesop Rock-The Impossible Kid (4/5) (Favorite Track: "Lotta Years")

13.Killswitch Engage-Incarnate (Favorite Track: "Strength of the Mind")

12.YG-Still Brazy (4/5) (Favorite Track: "Twist My Fingaz")

11.Kvelertak-Nattesferd (4/5) (Favorite Track: "Svartmesse")

10.Toothgrinder-Nocturnal Masquerade (4/5) (Favorite Track: "Diamonds for Gold")

9.Amon Amarth-Jomsviking (4/5) (Favorite Track: "On a Sea of Blood")

8.After the Burial-Dig Deep (4/5) (Favorite Track: "Mire")

7.Future-EVOL (Favorite Track: "Seven Rings")

6.Obscura-Akroasis (Favorite Track: "Perpetual Infinity")

5.Migos-Y.R.N. 2 (Young Rich Niggas 2) (4/5) (Favorite Track: "Trippin")

4.Death Grips-Bottomless Pit (4/5) (Favorite Track: "BB Poison")

3.Ariana Grande-Dangerous Woman (4/5) (Favorite Track: "Into You")

2.Entheos-The Infinite Nothing (4.5/5) (Favorite Track: "Perpetual Miscalculations")

1.Fallujah-Dreamless (4.5/5) (Favorite Track: "Adrenaline")

Top 50 Best Songs So Far (in alphabetical order)
(Note: YG's Twist My Fingaz, Future's Low Life, Killswitch Engage's Strength of the Mind and A$AP Ferg's New Level would've made this list, but they singles that were released in 2015, which disqualified them from contention): 

2 Chainz & Lil Wayne-Bounce

Aesop Rock-Lotta Years

After the Burial-Deluge

After the Burial-Mire

Amon Amarth-On a Sea of Blood

Anderson.Paak-The Season/Carry Me 

Ariana Grande-Bad Decisions 

Ariana Grande-Greedy 

Ariana Grande-Into You 

Ariana Grande-Moonlight

Danny Brown-When It Rain

Death Grips-BB Poison 

Death Grips-Bubbles Buried in This Jungle

Death Grips-Ring a Bell

Denzel Curry-Zenith (feat. Joey Bada$$)

Drake-Keep the Family Close

Drake-Weston Road Flows 

Entheos-An Ever-Expanding Human

Entheos-New Light

Entheos-Perpertual Miscalculations

Entheos-Terminal Stages of Nostalgia
Fallujah-Abandon

Fallujah-Adrenaline

Fallujah-Amber Gaze 

Fallujah-Lacuna

Fallujah-The Void Alone

Flatbush Zombies-The Odyssey

Future-Photo Copied

Future-Seven Rings

Hope for the Dying-Flame Forged

Kanye West-Famous

Kanye West-No More Parties in LA (feat. Kendrick Lamar)

Kanye West-Wolves (feat.Sia, Vic Mensa and Frank Ocean)

Killswitch Engage-Quiet Distress

Kvelertak-Svartmesse 

Migos-Commando

Migos-Plan B

Migos-Trippin

Obscura-Akroasis

Obscura-Perpetual Infinity

Obscura-Sermon of the Seven Suns

Polyphia-Ivory

Riff Raff-I Drive By (feat. Gucci Mane & Danny Brown)

Rihanna-Kiss It Better

ScHoolboy Q-Groovy Tony

Toothgrinder-Blue

Toothgrinder-Diamonds for Gold

Travi$ Scott & Young Thug-Pick Up the Phone (feat. Quavo)

YG-Gimme Got Shot

YG-Word is Bond (feat. Slim 400)

2016 in Film: Mid-Year Recap

Despite a release schedule that looked pretty underwhelming on paper, the first six months of 2016 have been very solid in the world of film. The spring was loaded with small-budget gems (10 Cloverfield Lane, Hardcore Henry, Keanu) and the summer season is off to a tremendous start with both big-budget blockbusters (Now You See Me 2, X-Men: Apocalypse) and smaller-scale original fare (The Nice Guys, Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping) delivering the goods. Of course there's been the inevitable big disappointments (Deadpool, Zoolander 2) and widely-praised films I found to be vastly overrated (Zootopia, Captain America: Civil War) but 2016 has been such a pleasant surprise on the whole that I can't really complain too much about these traditional missteps. With a promising final two months of summer that sees the likes of Star Trek Beyond, Suicide Squad and Sausage Party hitting theaters and a nice fall/awards slate still on the horizon, I'm cautiously optimistic that the second half of 2016 can at least match the quality of the first. Below is a complete list of every film that I've seen in 2016 so far ranked from worst to best with star ratings. I encourage you to share your favorite and least favorite 2016 films, trash my picks, etc. in the comment section located at the bottom of the page.     

24.The Finest Hours (1.5/5)

23.Zootopia (2.5/5)

22.Ride Along 2 (2.5/5)

21.Mr.Right (2.5/5)

20.Zoolander 2 (3/5)

19.Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice (3/5)

18.Dirty Grandpa (3.5/5)

17.The Do-Over (3.5/5)

16.Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (3.5/5)

15.Captain America: Civil War (3.5/5)

14.The Brothers Grimsby (3.5/5)

13.Eye in the Sky (3.5/5)

12.Deadpool (3.5/5)

11.The Fundamentals of Caring (3.5/5)

10.Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising (4/5)

9.The Purge: Election Year (4/5)

8.Central Intelligence (4/5)

7.X-Men: Apocalypse (4/5)

6.Hardcore Henry (4/5)

5.Now You See Me 2 (4/5)

4.10 Cloverfield Lane (4/5)

3.Keanu (4/5)

2.Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (4.5/5)

1.The Nice Guys (4.5/5)

Still Need to See:
Kung Fu Panda 3
Jane Got a Gun
Hail, Caesar! 
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
Race
The Witch
Eddie the Eagle
Triple 9 
London Has Fallen
The Divergent Series: Allegiant
Midnight Special
Everybody Wants Some!
Miles Ahead
The Boss
Demolition
Green Room
Barbershop: The Next Cut
Criminal
Sing Street
The Jungle Book
The Huntsman: Winter's War
The Meddler
The Lobster
Money Monster 
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows
The Conjuring 2
Finding Dory
Free State of Jones
Independence Day: Resurgence
The Neon Demon
The Shallows
Swiss Army Man

Movie Review: The Purge: Election Year

In the middle of the most violent, disgusting and flat-out bizarre presidential election cycle of all-time, The Purge: Election Year serves as an incredibly timely reality release that's sadly not nearly as far removed from reality as you'd think. Its social commentary about the government's treatment of poor people and minorities, income inequality, influence of wealthy corporations over government, etc. may be dealt out with not even a hint of subtlety, but it still manages to get a strong rise out of the audience, regardless of what your political affiliations are. It's refreshing to see a mainstream film that exposes and challenge a lot of the bullshit and corruption that goes on in Washington, even if it's in a pretty simplistic and obvious manner.

Political agenda aside, The Purge: Election Year succeeds because it's a self-aware B-movie that aims to provide grimy entertainment and delivers in spades. Just like with 2014's Anarchy, writer/director James DeMonaco spends almost all of Election Year focusing on the front lines of the Purge and it leads to the most satisfying, well-constructed story of the entire series. The story's bigger scope involving main characters that are from the groups that are targeted in the Purge and a presidential candidate (Elizabeth Mitchell) that's trying to eliminate the annual 12-hour crime spree makes its messages hit harder and the proceedings much more engaging than they were in the previous two films. Election Year is a highly entertaining film with a pointed and deeply effective message that should resonate with anyone currently experiencing the nastiness and chaos of the 2016 United States Presidential Election.

4/5 Stars