Brie Larson Ranked

Welcome to "Ranked", a weekly series where I rank a franchise or filmography from worst to best and hand out assorted related superlatives. This week, I'm profiling the work of Brie Larson-whose latest project "The Marvels" is in theaters now.

Brie Larson's Filmography Ranked:

16.The Glass Castle (C)

15.Unicorn Store (C+)

14.Don Jon (B-)

13.Free Fire (B-)

12.The Gambler (B)

11.Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (B)

10.Captain Marvel (B)

9.Fast X (B+)

8.Kong: Skull Island (B+)

7.Avengers: Endgame (A-)

6.Trainwreck (A)

5.Just Mercy (A)

4.The Spectacular Now (A)

3.21 Jump Street (A)

2.Short Term 12 (A)

1.Room (A)

Top Dog: Room (2015)

The film that earned Larson her Oscar also happens to be my favorite thing she's ever done. Room handles the harrowing struggle of escaping an unspeakably abusive domestic situation along with the difficulties that people who've escaped that situation have with reacclimating to a "normal life" with such raw power, empathy and grace that it makes the film really difficult to shake for hours, if not days after watching.     

Bottom Feeder: The Glass Castle (2017)

Despite some solid performances from a talented cast toplined by Larson, Woody Harrelson and Naomi Watts, The Glass Castle is ultimately too melodramatic and insincere with its messaging to be the tearjerker family drama it aims to be.  

Most Underrated: Short Term 12 (2013)

Larson, LaKeith Stanfield, Kaitlyn Dever, Rami Malek and Stephanie Beatriz all lent their then-unknown talents to Destin Daniel Cretton's-whose also leveled up a bit since 2013-remarkably powerful feature debut about the meaningful connections forged and life lessons learned between the people running a short-term group home for troubled teenagers and the kids they're in charge of. How Short Term 12 has continued to fly under-the-radar despite all of the success its cast and writer/director have enjoyed in the years following its release is completely beyond me. It's currently streaming on a number of streaming services including Prime Video, Tubi and Peacock and I highly recommend seeking it out if you haven't seen it.        

Most Overrated: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010)

The appeal of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World isn't lost on me. A stylish, hyperactive graphic novel adaptation that feels like an over-the-top cartoon-y fighting video game mixed with a snarky offbeat comedy and features a whole host of funny and cool actors including Michael Cera, Mary Elizbeth Winstead, Kiernan Culkin, Anna Kendrick and Aubrey Plaza doing funny and cool shit on screen is hard to dislike. However, I just feel like it's not as clever, engaging or fun as the rest of Edgar Wright's movies and doesn't live up to the excellent reputation its developed over the years courtesy of its increasingly large cult fanbase.    

2023 NFL Mid-Season Awards+Updated Playoff and Super Bowl Predictions

Top Player: A.J. Brown (Eagles)

The Eagles offense has been kind of a roller coaster ride this season as Jalen Hurts, DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert and their entire rushing attack have all had their pronounced struggles at times. Brown's remarkable play has allowed them to power through their problems and remain one of the best teams in the league. Anytime they needed a big play, they went to Brown and he delivered nearly every time-which is a big part of why he's already over the 1,000 YD mark for the year. His record-breaking streak of 6 consecutive games with 125+ YDS receiving is also one of the more incredible achievements I've seen during my time watching football.     

Honorable Mentions: Tyreek Hill (Dolphins), Myles Garrett (Browns), Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs)

Top Offensive Player: Tyreek Hill (Dolphins)

Hill is actually slightly ahead of Brown in receptions, YDS and TD's with his 69 REC/1,076 YD/8 TD start to 2023, I just found what Brown has done to be more impressive since the Eagles offense hasn't performed as well as the Dolphins has on the whole. The Cheetah continues to be the most explosive playmaker in the game and that's precisely why he's threatening to become the first 2,000+ YD receiver in league history. 

Honorable Mentions: Stefon Diggs (Bills), Raheem Mostert (Dolphins), Christian McCaffery (49ers)

Top Defensive Player: Myles Garrett (Browns)

Could this be the best start to a season that Garett has ever had? Honestly, I believe it is. The Browns edge-rusher extraordinaire has been a certified game-wrecker (25 tackles, 9.5 sacks, 8 TFL's, 18 QB hits, 22 pressures, 4 forced fumbles in just 8 games) that is chief among the reasons this defense has improved so much in 2023. If Garrett keeps this up the rest of the way, he's got an excellent chance of finally securing the DPOY honor that's been alluding him over the past few seasons.

Honorable Mentions: Roquan Smith (Ravens), T.J. Watt (Steelers), Maxx Crosby (Raiders)

Top Offensive Rookie: C.J. Stroud (Texans)

Even as someone who was particularly bullish on Stroud as an NFL prospect, I'm shocked by how good he's been right out of the gate. The signalcaller from Ohio State is in the midst of a historically good start to his rookie campaign-throwing for 2,270 YDS, 14 TD's and just 1 INT through 8 games. Most importantly, Stroud's play has provided the Texans organization with something that it hasn't had in quite some time: hope for the future of the franchise. 

Honorable Mentions: Puka Nacua (Rams), Sam LaPorta (Lions), Bijan Robinson (Falcons)

Top Defensive Rookie: Jalen Carter (Eagles)

Turn on any Eagles game and you're likely to see Carter make a half-dozen or so impact plays as either a pass-rusher or run-stuffer that leaves the opposing offensive line shaking their heads and shrugging their shoulders because there's just nothing they can do to stop him. The fact that he's able to pop so much while being a part-time player on the deepest, most talented front 7 in the league is the ultimate testament of how special of a player he already is.    

Honorable Mentions: Devon Witherspoon (Seahawks), Will Anderson (Texans), Brian Branch (Lions)

Top Coach: Dan Campbell (Lions)

After a couple years of fielding scrappy teams that were thorns in the sides of the contenders, Campbell has finally gotten the Lions to a place where they're the contenders. They're currently in control of the NFC North lead by 2 full games, sitting at the #2 seed in the NFC playoff picture and in position to secure their first playoff berth since 2016 and division title since 1993. To put it mildly, it's been a little bit since the last time the Lions were playing at such a high level and they wouldn't be in this prime position if it weren't for Campbell's efforts in gradually building up this team since he arrived in Detroit in 2021.  

Honorable Mentions: DeMeco Ryans (Texans), Mike McDaniel (Dolphins), Mike Tomlin (Steelers)

Top Comeback Player: Tua Tagovailoa (Dolphins)

Following a 2022 season in which he suffered 3 concussions in less than 2 months, nobody would've blamed Tagovailoa for wanting to protect his health by retiring from football. Tagovailoa elected to return to the field in 2023 and now, he's enjoying the best season of his career. He's even in the MVP conversation at the halfway point! Let's hope that he can maintain his health in the back-half of the season and continue to dazzle fans with his stellar play. 

Honorable Mentions: Chase Young (Commanders/49ers), Breece Hall (Jets), Rashan Gary (Packers)

All-Pro Teams

Quarterback:

1st team: Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs)

2nd team: Tua Tagovailoa (Dolphins)

Running Back:

1st team: Christian McCaffery (49ers), Raheem Mostert (Dolphins)

2nd team: Derrick Henry (Titans), Kenneth Walker III (Seahawks)

Wide Receiver:

1st team: A.J. Brown (Eagles), Tyreek Hill (Dolphins)

2nd team: Stefon Diggs (Bills), CeeDee Lamb (Cowboys)

Tight End:

1st team: Travis Kelce (Chiefs)

2nd team: T.J. Hockenson (Vikings)

Tackle:

1st team: Christian Darrisaw (Vikings), Penei Sewell (Lions)

2nd team: Jordan Mailata (Eagles), Lane Johnson (Eagles)

Guard:

1st team: Tyler Smith (Cowboys), Kevin Dotson (Rams)

2nd team: Joe Thuney (Chiefs), Chris Lindstrom (Falcons)

Center:

1st team: Jason Kelce (Eagles)

2nd team: Ryan Kelly (Colts)

Defensive End

1st team: Myles Garrett (Browns), Maxx Crosby (Raiders)

2nd team: Trey Hendrickson (Bengals), Micah Parsons (Cowboys)

Defensive Tackle:

1st team: Dexter Lawrence (Giants), Quinnen Williams (Jets)

2nd team: Chris Jones (Chiefs), Aaron Donald (Rams)

Outside Linebacker:

1st team: T.J. Watt (Steelers), Josh Allen (Jaguars)

2nd team: Danielle Hunter (Vikings), Haason Reddick (Eagles)

Inside Linebacker:

1st team: Roaqun Smith (Ravens), DeMario Davis (Saints)

2nd team: Quincy Williams (Jets), C.J. Mosley (Jets)

Cornerback:

1st team: Jaylon Johnson (Bears), Paulson Adebo (Saints)

2nd team: DaRon Bland (Cowboys), Darious Williams (Jaguars)

Safety:

1st team: Jessie Bates III (Falcons), Jevon Holland (Dolphins)

2nd team: Geno Stone (Ravens), Jabrill Peppers (Patriots) 

Kicker:

1st team: Brandon Aubrey (Cowboys)

2nd team: Harrison Butker (Chiefs)

Punter:

1st team: A.J. Cole (Raiders)

2nd team: Michael Dickson (Seahawks)

Return Specialist:

1st team: Kavontae Turpin (Cowboys)

2nd team: Charlie Jones (Bengals)

Special Teamer:

1st team: Miles Killebrew (Steelers)

2nd team: Brenden Schooler (Patriots)

Playoff and Super Bowl Predictions:

AFC:

1.Chiefs

2.Ravens

3.Dolphins

4.Jaguars

5.Bengals

6.Bills

7.Browns

Wild Card:

Ravens over Browns

Dolphins over Bills

Bengals over Jaguars

Divisional Round:

Chiefs over Bengals

Ravens over Dolphins

Conference Championship:

Chiefs over Ravens

NFC:

1.Eagles

2.Lions

3.49ers

4.Saints

5.Cowboys

6.Seahawks

7.Vikings

Wild Card:

Lions over Vikings

49ers over Seahawks

Cowboys over Saints

Divisional Round:

Eagles over Cowboys

49ers over Lions

Conference Championship:

Eagles over 49ers

Super Bowl:

Chiefs over Eagles

2023 NFL Power Rankings: Week 10

 ()=Previous Ranking

1.(1) Philadelphia Eagles (8-1) Week 10 opponent: Bye

2.(2) Kansas City Chiefs (7-2) Week 10 opponent: Bye

3.(4) Baltimore Ravens (7-2) Week 10 opponent: Cleveland Browns

4.(3) Miami Dolphins (6-3) Week 10 opponent: Bye

5.(5) Jacksonville Jaguars (6-2) Week 10 opponent: San Francisco 49ers

6.(11) Cincinnati Bengals (5-3) Week 10 opponent: Houston Texans

7.(7) Detroit Lions (6-2) Week 10 opponent: Los Angeles Chargers

8.(8) San Francisco 49ers (5-3) Week 10 opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars

9.(6) Dallas Cowboys (5-3) Week 10 opponent: New York Giants

10.(12) Cleveland Browns (5-3) Week 10 opponent: Baltimore Ravens

11.(10) Buffalo Bills (5-4) Week 10 opponent: Denver Broncos

12.(9) Seattle Seahawks (5-3) Week 10 opponent: Washington Commanders

13.(14) New Orleans Saints (5-4) Week 10 opponent: Minnesota Vikings 

14.(16) Houston Texans (4-4) Week 10 opponent: Cincinnati Bengals

15.(17) Pittsburgh Steelers (5-4) Week 10 opponent: Green Bay Packers

16.(18) Minnesota Vikings (5-4) Week 10 opponent: New Orleans Saints

17.(20) Los Angeles Chargers (4-4) Week 10 opponent: Detroit Lions

18.(15) Atlanta Falcons (4-5) Week 10 opponent: Arizona Cardinals

19.(13) New York Jets (4-4) Week 10 opponent: Las Vegas Raiders

20.(22) Indianapolis Colts (4-5) Week 10 opponent: New England Patriots 

21.(23) Washington Commanders (4-5) Week 10 opponent: Seattle Seahawks

22.(19) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-5) Week 10 opponent: Tennessee Titans 

23.(21) Tennessee Titans (3-5) Week 10 opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

24.(28) Las Vegas Raiders (4-5) Week 10 opponent: New York Jets

25.(25) Denver Broncos (3-5) Week 10 opponent: Buffalo Bills

26.(24) Los Angeles Rams (3-6) Week 10 opponent: Bye

27.(30) Green Bay Packers (3-5) Week 10 opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers

28.(27) Chicago Bears (2-7) Week 10 opponent: Carolina Panthers

29.(29) New England Patriots (2-7) Week 10 opponent: Indianapolis Colts

30.(26) New York Giants (2-7) Week 10 opponent: Dallas Cowboys

31.(31) Carolina Panthers (1-7) Week 10 opponent: Chicago Bears

32.(32) Arizona Cardinals (1-8) Week 10 opponent: Atlanta Falcons

Week 9 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers: 2023 Edition

Quarterback

MVP: C.J. Stroud (Texans)

Stroud has played well most weeks, but Sunday against the Bucs was his first true "holy shit" performance in the pros. The rookie QB was nothing short of magnificent as he carved up the Bucs defense for 470 YDS, 5 TDS and a 2 PT CNV in an insane comeback win for the Texans. If he wasn't on your QB1 radar already, he sure as hell deserves to be now.

Honorable Mentions: Dak Prescott (Cowboys), Jalen Hurts (Eagles), Josh Allen (Bills)

LVP: Justin Herbert (Chargers)

Herbert was relegated to game manager status (136 YDS, 0 TD's or turnovers, 17 Rushing YDS) as his defense, special teams and Austin Ekeler got all the glory in a big win over the Jets last night. He'll look to contribute more in the passing game against the Lions this Sunday.

Dishonorable Mentions: Lamar Jackson (Ravens), Tua Tagovailoa (Dolphins), Geno Smith (Seahawks)

Running Back

MVP: Rachaad White (Buccaneers)

White was the star of the Bucs offense in their tough loss to the Texans, turning his 24 touches (20 carries, 4 receptions) into 119 scrimmage YDS and 2 TD's on the ground. While his yardage totals will fluctuate due to how poor the Bucs run blocking is, his pass-catching prowess and status as the uncontested starting RB in Tampa have made him a high-floor RB2 option over the past few weeks. That being said, he could have a tough time meaningfully contributing this week versus the Titans tough front 7.    

Honorable Mentions: Josh Jacobs (Raiders), Rhamondre Stevenson (Patriots), Austin Ekeler (Chargers)

LVP: Kenneth Walker III (Seahawks)

The Ravens blowing the f'n doors off the Seahawks and completely shutting down the run game grounded Walker in a big way as he only picked up 17 total YDS (16 rushing, 1 receiving) on 10 touches. Walker will look to get back to his reliable RB1 ways against the Commanders in Week 10.

Dishonorable Mentions: Bijan Robinson (Falcons), Zack Moss (Colts), James Cook (Bills)

Wide Receiver 

MVP: CeeDee Lamb (Cowboys)

Outside of a hilarious, unfortunate fumble on the Cowboys ill-conceived Hail Mary-esque play on the final play from scrimmage, Lamb was unstoppable against the Eagles. No matter what coverage they threw at him, Lamb blew through it as he picked up 11 receptions for a career-high 191 YDS. Lamb gets another plus divisional matchup in Week 10 when the reeling Giants head to AT&T Stadium. 

Honorable Mentions: Amari Cooper (Browns), Stefon Diggs (Bills), Diontae Johnson (Steelers)

LVP: George Pickens (Steelers)

Nobody outside of Diontae Johnson had a good night for the Steelers offense last Thursday night versus the Titans, but nobody went home sadder or madder than Pickens. The 2nd year wideout hauled in just 2 catches and ended the night with a depressing -1 YDS. The recent inability to get Pickens the ball has been alarming and something Matt Canada and Kenny Pickett need to rectify heading into this week's contest with the Packers.

Dishonorable Mentions: Zay Flowers (Ravens), Chris Godwin (Buccaneers), Michael Thomas (Saints)

Tight End

MVP: Dalton Schultz (Texans)

Schultz posted a 10 REC/130 YD/TD line (on the downside, he also lost a fumble) and wasn't even the biggest beneficiary of C.J. Stroud's explosion against the Bucs as Noah Brown somehow managed to outgain him while also finding the endzone and Tank Dell caught a pair of scores. Outside of his Week 8 dud against the Panthers, Schultz has been cooking lately and deserves to be a weekly TE1 start for anybody that doesn't have Kelce, Andrews, Kittle or Hockenson on their rosters. 

Honorable Mentions: Cole Kmet (Bears), Taysom Hill (Saints), Jake Ferguson (Cowboys)

LVP: Travis Kelce (Chiefs)

The engine of the Chiefs passing attack didn't factor into their win at all on Sunday. Kelce caught just 3 short passes for 14 YDS and managed only 1 other target as the Dolphins forced Patrick Mahomes to find other options in the passing game-which he largely struggled to do outside of their pair of TD drives. While Kelce hasn't quite lived up to his top 10 draft pick status, he's still the best fantasy tight end around and his post-Bye slate starting with the Eagles in Week 11 is soft enough that his managers should expect big things from him during the stretch run.  

Dishonorable Mentions: Tyler Higbee (Rams), Trey McBride (Cardinals), Gerald Everett (Chargers)

Defense/Special Teams

MVP: Chargers 

In a winnable primetime spot where the Chargers are liable to implode, their D/ST showed up in a big way and prevented disaster from striking. They picked up a ridiculous 8 sacks, forced 3 fumbles and kicked the game off with a huge punt return TD from Derius Davis in an easy 27-6 win on MNF. The Bolts D/ST will go right back to being unusable in fantasy for their Week 10 tilt with the turnover-averse Lions offense and their terrific offensive line. 

Honorable Mentions: Browns, Raiders, Ravens

LVP: Bills

The Bills big return to Cincinnati didn't go as well as they had hoped. Their defense allowed 24 points, got just 1 sack and forced zero turnovers as the Bengals gave them the business on Sunday Night Football. A visit from the Broncos in Week 10 could be just what they need to get their morale (and fantasy numbers) back up.

Dishonorable Mentions: Cowboys, Seahawks, Commanders

Quick Movie Reviews: Pain Hustlers, Priscilla, The Holdovers

 Pain Hustlers: By all accounts, 2023 is looking like it's going to be a productive year for Netflix's awards hopefuls as titles like Maestro, Society of the Snow and American Symphony were all warmly received on the fall festival circuit. But considering how many resources they throw into their pursuit of gold trophies, there's bound to be some whiffs along the way-even in a year that appears to have a higher-than-usual hit rate. Opioid Crisis crime flick Pain Hustlers is among those poor doomed souls that failed to achieve their prestige pic aspirations. 

David Yates-who was let out of his Harry Potter comfort zone for the first time since 2014's The Legend of Tarzan-manages to create something kind of unfathomable: A capitalist greed saga that is too innocuous to have much of a perspective on its subject. While not going the somber drama route was probably the right call in the wake of Dopesick's success, electing to make a not particularly comedic or dramatic, surface-level exploration of sleazy assholes getting rich off selling an addictive painkiller that they've billed as a baggage-free miracle drug for people dealing with cancer treatments or any form of severe pain is just puzzling. Making a movie about people in the medical industry who made millions of dollars pushing a drug that ripped apart the lives of so many desperate, suffering people that is filled with such pervasive indifference is a clear indictment of how little vision Yates has as a filmmaker. Its starry, magnetic cast headed up by Emily Blunt, Chris Evans and Andy Garcia as the primary drug-pushers, elite production design/makeup work that brings dilapidated strip mall doctor's offices and the low-rent hacks the practice medicine out of them to life with brilliantly scuzzy detail and the inherently interesting hook of a small-time pharmaceutical company suddenly making a ton of money before their newly-formed empire comes crashing down in the blink of an eye are able to elevate things to an extent, but the complacent mediocrity that is being practiced at the top of this project is ultimately just too much to overcome.       

Grade: C+

Priscilla: Releasing Priscilla a little over a year after Elvis is pretty much the perfect unintentional artistic rebuttal. Where Baz Luhrmann's film (mostly) distilled Elvis Presley's life down to a sparkly fable about his larger-than-life presence as an entertainer and the shady manager that stole his money and got him addicted to drugs, Sofia Coppola made a quiet, grounded film about Priscilla Presley, her relationship with Elvis and how impacted it her life. You'll never guess which film feels like a more balanced portrayal of the Presley's!

What makes Priscilla work is Coppola's ability to naturally transport the viewer into Priscilla's shoes without casting any judgement towards her actions. She understands why Priscilla fell under Elvis' spell, was alright with spending years of her life alone at Graceland while Elvis made movies in Hollywood and toured internationally and eventually, grew sick of the whole charade and left. The streamlined, sequential approach Coppola uses to tell Priscilla's story provides an almost-real time look at her evolution that values her humanity and agency over showmanship and glamour at every turn, which makes the whole thing feel like an equally intoxicating and horrifying snapshot of her life with Elvis. Coppola has not been this locked in as a writer/director since Lost in Translation and it was awesome to see her at the top of her game after all the up-and-downs her career has been through in the past two decades. 

As for the stars, Cailee Spaeny and Jacob Elordi do tremendous work as Priscilla and Elvis. Spaeny nails Priscilla's transformation from naïve isolated teenager who met and fell in love with Elvis before she got the opportunity to really discover who she is to a grown woman who finally gets the courage to blaze her own trail after years of being manipulated and taken advantage of by Elvis while Elordi perfectly balances Presley's signature charm and magnetism with the insecure, controlling man that existed underneath his shiny exterior. Their performances are exactly what Coppola's simple, human approach to this story called for and a big part of why it worked so well. While I'm far too early in my awards movie journey for 2023 to make definitive declarations about any category, Coppola, Spaeny and Elordi at least deserve strong consideration for their efforts in helping make this film so great.     

Grade: B+

The Holdovers: The Holdovers is sort of a back-to-basics exercise for Alexander Payne after the massive critical and commercial failure of Downsizing. This 70's-set Christmas dramedy about an ornery hardass teacher (Paul Giamatti), a cook (Da'Vine Joy Randolph) whose grieving the recent loss of her son in Vietnam and rebellious teenager (newcomer Dominic Sessa) who are forced to spend their holiday break together at a Massachusetts bordering school while the rest of their fellow peers and students have left to spend time with their families is exactly the type of straightforward, character-driven movie that helped Payne rise to prominence. And quite frankly, it's the best one he's ever made.

There's nothing about The Holdovers that's particularly unexpected or revolutionary, it's just a story about lonely, broken people developing an unlikely bond at a time of year where it hurts the most to be sad and alone that's handled incredibly well. The arcs for all three leads as well as the development of their relationship are compelling, believable and driven by a real connection, the performances are all incredible as each performer knows what notes they need to hit in each given scene (Sessa's work is particularly impressive as he had never acted in anything but school stage productions prior to this) and the ending manages to be warm without disregarding the unfair fragility of the ecosystem that these characters operate in. Movies like The Holdovers are an increasingly rare breed these days, which is why it was particularly delightful to watch something that uses humor, heart and shared humanity to earn its status as a crowdpleaser. It opens nationwide this Thursday night and I highly recommend you go check it out ASAP.        

Grade: A

Paul Giamatti Ranked

Welcome to "Ranked", a weekly series where I rank a franchise or filmography from worst to best and hand out assorted related superlatives. This week, I'm profiling the work of Paul Giamatti-whose latest project "The Holdovers" is in select theaters now and opens nationwide on November 10th. 

Paul Giamatti's Filmography Ranked:

25.Planet of the Apes (D)

24.Big Momma's House (D+)

23.San Andreas (D+)

22.The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (C-)

21.Confidence (C)

20.Parkland (C)

19.Dr. Doolittle (C)

18.Love & Mercy (C)

17.Robots (C+)

16.Big Fat Liar (C+)

15.Lady in the Water (C+)

14.Jungle Cruise (B-)

13.The Hangover Part II (B-)

12.Private Life (B)

11.12 Years a Slave (B)

10.Win Win (B)

9.The Ides of March (B)

8.Gunpowder Milkshake (B)

7.The Truman Show (B)

6.Donnie Brasco (B)

5.Sideways (B)

4.John Dies at the End (B+)

3.Shoot 'Em Up (B+)

2.Straight Outta Compton (A)

1.Saving Private Ryan (A)

Top Dog: Saving Private Ryan (1998)

Emotional, brutal and breathtaking from a technical filmmaking standpoint, Saving Private Ryan is an essential war film that ranks among the biggest triumphs of Steven Spielberg's storied career. 

Bottom Feeder: Planet of the Apes (2001)

I'm not overly romantic about the original Planet of the Apes or anything, but good lord did Tim Burton's remake provide a massive stain on its legacy. This aloof, boring mess is a completely irredeemable movie that emits a potent stink which has only become more pronounced since the trilogy helmed by Rupert Wyatt and Matt Reeves in the 2010's came out and proved that this franchise still has some juice left.

Most Underrated: Shoot 'Em Up (2007)

Outside of Crank and possibly Hardcore Henry, Shoot 'Em Up is the closest anyone has come to making a hard-R, 100% live action Looney Tunes feature. The way this shit just explodes onto the scene armed with a company of actors (Clive Owen, Monica Bellucci, Giamatti, Stephen McHattie) ready to put on an absolute clinic in zany overacting, truckloads of bullets and enough caffeine to power a zillion all-nighters is just magnificent to behold and that remarkable commitment to the beautifully demented art that is over-the-top B-action filmmaking is exactly why it's such an exhilarating piece of work.  

Most Overrated: Love & Mercy (2015)

Count me as one of the miserable few who wasn't in awe of Love & Mercy. While the performances from both John Cusack and Paul Dano as Beach Boys frontman Brian Wilson are pretty great, the film is too sluggishly-paced and clunky with its time jumps to paint the sensitive, lyrical portrait of Wilson's life it aims to create.  

2023 NFL Power Rankings: Week 9

 ()=Previous Ranking

1.(2) Philadelphia Eagles (7-1) Week 9 opponent: Dallas Cowboys 

2.(1) Kansas City Chiefs (6-2) Week 9 opponent: Miami Dolphins

3.(4) Miami Dolphins (6-2) Week 9 opponent: Kansas City Chiefs 

4.(5) Baltimore Ravens (6-2) Week 9 opponent: Seattle Seahawks 

5.(6) Jacksonville Jaguars (6-2) Week 9 opponent: Bye

6.(7) Dallas Cowboys (5-2) Week 9 opponent: Philadelphia Eagles 

7.(8) Detroit Lions (6-2) Week 9 opponent: Bye 

8.(3) San Francisco 49ers (5-3) Week 9 opponent: Bye

9.(10) Seattle Seahawks (5-2) Week 9 opponent: Baltimore Ravens 

10.(11) Buffalo Bills (5-3) Week 9 opponent: Cincinnati Bengals 

11.(12) Cincinnati Bengals (4-3) Week 9 opponent: Buffalo Bills

12.(9) Cleveland Browns (4-3) Week 9 opponent: Arizona Cardinals 

13.(17) New York Jets (4-3) Week 9 opponent: Los Angeles Chargers 

14.(19) New Orleans Saints (4-4) Week 9 opponent: Chicago Bears

15.(14) Atlanta Falcons (4-4) Week 9 opponent: Minnesota Vikings

16.(13) Houston Texans (3-4) Week 9 opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

17.(15) Pittsburgh Steelers (4-4) Week 9 opponent: Tennessee Titans 

18.(18) Minnesota Vikings (4-4) Week 9 opponent: Atlanta Falcons 

19.(16) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-4) Week 9 opponent: Houston Texans

20.(20) Los Angeles Chargers (3-4) Week 9 opponent: New York Jets

21.(24) Tennessee Titans (3-4) Week 9 opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers 

22.(22) Indianapolis Colts (3-5) Week 9 opponent: Carolina Panthers

23.(23) Washington Commanders (3-5) Week 9 opponent: New England Patriots 

24.(21) Los Angeles Rams (3-5) Week 9 opponent: Green Bay Packers

25.(29) Denver Broncos (3-5) Week 9 opponent: Bye

26.(25) New York Giants (2-6) Week 9 opponent: Las Vegas Raiders

27.(26) Chicago Bears (2-6) Week 9 opponent: New Orleans Saints

28.(27) Las Vegas Raiders (3-5) Week 9 opponent: New York Giants

29.(28) New England Patriots (2-6) Week 9 opponent: Washington Commanders

30.(30) Green Bay Packers (2-5) Week 9 opponent: Los Angeles Rams

31.(32) Carolina Panthers (1-6) Week 9 opponent: Indianapolis Colts 

32.(31) Arizona Cardinals (1-7) Week 9 opponent: Cleveland Browns