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Friday, September 25, 2015

Week 3 Picks: Limited Mass Appeal...


OK, so I saw Black Mass. And it was good, but by no means great. Here's what holds it back:

*Johnny Depp is a great actor. Fact. But he's just too big a star for this role. You're very aware that you're watching Johnny Depp playing Whitey Bulger, and that just shouldn't be. Personally, I would have liked to have seen Jonathan Banks in that role. But I have a cinematic man crush on that talented bald bastard, so naturally my opinion is skewed. Probably didn't help that Banks' Breaking Bad cohort, Jesse Plemons, is the first person you see when the movie boots up, either. Depp does a fine job. But, yeah. Jonathan Banks (or just a lesser known actor) would have been better. There, I said it. Twice...

*The female characters were fairly useless. Harsh, I know. But there it is. The performances themselves were fine. But the women in Black Mass just weren't very important characters, and seemed to be have their stories forced into the script merely as an attempt to prevent the audience from thinking that South Boston was/is a complete sausage fest. Which, to that end. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!


*The music didn't deliver, either. Maybe I'm spoiled by Scorsese, but I expect my gangster films to be accompanied by no fewer than 3 songs composed and performed by The Rolling Stones. One of which HAS to be Gimmie Shelter. House of the Rising Sun should probably be played, too. And something from Clapton. But none of that happened. Which was disappointing...

and finally...

*There just wasn't enough meat on the proverbial movie bone. Namely, none of the characters had nearly enough depth for my liking (that's usually my #1 beef with any film I don't love). Maybe it's because I was already so familiar with Whitey's life; having read several books, seen several documentaries and having lived my whole life in Massachusetts. I don't know. I mean, it's not as if I was expecting new information. But I guess I would have liked to have seen more of what made the man, and what made him tick. Rather than just a replay of his notorious acts, which have been discussed and dissected ad nauseam for the better part of the last quarter century. Depp plays the Whitey we already know to a tee. And that's good, for what it is. I was just hoping for a little more depth. Maybe an unrealistic expectation on my end. But there it is...


As for the better performances, I have to give the nod to Joel Edgerton as John Connolly and a criminally brief appearance by Peter Sarsgaard as Brian Halloran. Rory Cochrane does some solid work as Steve Flemmi, too. And Earl Brown is good as notorious Winter Hill hit man, John Martorano. None of their performances scream "award" to me. It's just more that those guys are great actors, and were suitably cast. So props there. Ya know, minus not giving the reigns to Whitey Ehrmantraut...

...oh and Adam Scott was a questionable call, too. I'm usually a fan of his brand of comedy. But it seemed like a reach to cast him against type like that in such a serious film. I saw what they were goin, for, I just don't think that they, or he, were able to pull it off...

So, yeah. I'd give it somewhere in the 6-6.5/10 range. A solid film that was cast well and pleasing to the eye cinematically. But nothing revolutionary. And definitely not a film I'd expect to ever crack my Hot Mun-Hundred. So there ya go...

Now, it's onto the picks...

Friday, September 18, 2015

Week 2 Picks: A Quick Batch...

Welcome back for week 2, my damies. As promised, I've got all of the picks that are fit to print. Granted, I didn't do any write ups on any of the games because I'll be spending the time that I'd normally allot for that on the golf course. But I kind of promised that, too. When I told you last week that I'd be easing back into my blogging routine. So, yeah. I'm one of those promise keepers. At least in as much that I am "golfer" and a "capable handicapper" (there's a reason that's basically an oxymoron). So there's that...

Week 2 Picks
New England Patriots (pick) @ Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears (+2) vs Arizona Cardinals

San Diego Chargers (+3) @ Cincinnati Bengals

Tennessee Titans (-1) @ Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions (+3) @ Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints (-10) vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers

New York Giants (-2) vs Atlanta Falcons

Pittsburgh Steelers (-5.5) vs San Francisco 49ers

St. Louis Rams (-3) @ Washington Tedskins

Carolina Panthers (-3.5) vs Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars (+6) vs Miami Dolphins

Oakland Raiders (+6) vs Baltimore Ravens

Philadelphia Eagles (-5) vs Dallas Cowboys

Green Bay Packers (-3.5) vs Seattle Seahawks

Indianapolis Colts (-7) vs New York Jets


Last Week: 8-7-1

ALL TIME: 1278-907-72 (.582)



And if I'm anything in addition to a promise keeper and a golfer, I'm a cinephile. Which sounds dirty, but it really just means that I like movies more than I like most people...

In keeping with that, I'll be seeing Black Mass this weekend. So you can be on the lookout for my review somewhere in the near future. Whether it be on here, or on Twitter. Either way. I expect to be at least semi positive with something along the lines of "Joel Edgerton is such a boss!". Though there's a good chance I mention Benedict Cumberbatch, too. Mostly because I like saying his name. And by "saying", I obviously mean "singing it to the tune of Nickelback's Photograph". Because that's how it's done. You can actually do that with any word, name or phrase with 6 syllables. I call it "Nickel-batching", though I'm not sure if anyone else does. Seemed like the most appropriate moniker, though. So I'm stickin' with it. And it's fun! You should try it. Like, "Georgia Tech Notre Dame!" See? It's fun! No? Well, I know every time that I do it, it makes me laugh. So I'll always have that goin' for me. Which is nice...

NCAA Top 25 Picks
(15) Ole Miss (+6) @ (2) Alabama

(6) USC (-10) vs Stanford

(14) Georgia Tech (-2.5) @ (8) Notre Dame

Boston College (+7.5) vs (9) Florida St.

(19) BYU (+19.5) @ (10) UCLA

(13) LSU (-6.5) vs (19) Auburn

Fresno St. (+15.5) vs (21) Utah

UCONN (+21.5) @ (22) Missouri

Duke (-3.5) vs (23) Northwestern


Last Week: 3-4-0

ALL TIME: 687-465-29 (.594)


And there ya go. Hope my advice serves you well, Teds, And I'll catch ya next week...

Be good...


#BAGSMUNMAN

Friday, September 11, 2015

Week 1 Picks: Takin' the Slow Ramp...


Wubba lubba dub dubbbb!!!

I'm back, my damies! And so is football!! And so is the long awaiTed second season of Rick & Morty!!! All great things. And while I may have taken the summer to tend to my golf game and make a list of my 100 favorite films. I've returned just in time to provide you with just enough of my finely honed brand of "snark and shark" to get you ready for another exciting season of the brain crippling entertainment we so lovingly refer to as "football"...

This week, I'll be easing back into things by taking "the slow ramp". You know, as an homage to Rick and Morty, up there. That'll serve as the bulk of what this week will have to serve as"snark". The "shark", will be played by my career winning percentages (58% NFL, 59% NCAA). Which have almost reached the point in terms of sample size that they'll be nearly impossible to ignore! At least that's what all of those well balanced individuals on the Interweb message boards keep tellin' me. The man with the bouncing cleavage GIF as an avatar was particularly reassuring...

But alas. Until that day comes, and I'm properly immortalized as the legendary degenerate that I've long aspired to be, then I'll be here slaving away for ya. And as a part of said slaving, I'll usually post at least one picture per week of a scantily clad hottie. So, should all else fail, there will always be that. Which is nice. Reliability is nice...

Now, in the spirit of of reliability. It's time for me to do my job. And, yes. That timely pun was intended. Because if there's one thing I know, it's timely puns...and picking football games...and cartoons for adults...

So hop on the slow ramp to football, my friends. And enjoy...

Tuesday, September 01, 2015

My 100 Favorite Films

 **The Hot Mun-Hundred**
(updated 6/6/25)

100. Searching for Bobby Fischer
99. Wayne's World
98. Get Shorty
97. Inherent Vice
96. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
95. The Sting
94. Out of Sight
93. Good Morning, Vietnam!
92. The Fifth Element
91. Clear History
90. The Prestige
89. Burn After Reading
88. Boogie Nights
87. Rain Man
86. Moneyball
85. LA Confidential
84. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
83. JFK
82. Private Parts
81. The Nice Guys
80. National Lampoon's Vacation
79. Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
78. Training Day
77. Scent of a Woman
76. Steel Magnolias
75. Sneakers
74. Man on Fire
73. Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels
72. Wall Street
71. Philadelphia
70. Primal Fear
69. Mank
68. Dumb and Dumber
67. Scarface
66. The Truman Show
65. The Insider
64. Jaws
63. The Fugitive 
62. A Few Good Men
61. 25th Hour
60. The Man Who Wasn't There
59. Do The Right Thing
58. Malcolm X
57. There Will Be Blood
56. The Money Pit
55. Gladiator
54. Half Baked
53. Reservoir Dogs
52. The Usual Suspects
51. The Assassination of Jesse James
50. SE7EN
49. Dazed and Confused
48. Ex Machina
47. Friday Night Lights
46. That Thing You Do!
45. My Cousin Vinny
44. The Banshees of Inisherin
43. Confessions of a Dangerous Mind
42. Apollo 13
41. The Shawshank Redemption
40. The Godfather
39. Capote
38. Pulp Fiction
37. American Splendor
36. Casino
35. Munich
34. Dunkirk
33. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
32. Fantastic Mr. Fox
31. He Got Game
30. Zodiac
29. True Grit (2010)
28. The Natural
27. The Royal Tenenbaums
26. The Informant!
25. Goodfellas
24. Office Space
23. High Fidelity
22. Michael Clayton
21. The Godfather II
20. Back to the Future (I+II)
19. Snatch
18. The Princess Bride
17. Friday
16. Caddyshack
15. O Brother, Where Art Thou?
14. Miller's Crossing
13. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
12. Fargo
11. The Grand Budapest Hotel
10. Adaptation 
9. Wonder Boys
8. The Blues Brothers
7. What About Bob?
6. Raising Arizona
5. Quiz Show
4. No Country For Old Men
3. Inside Llewyn Davis
2. Jackie Brown
1. The Big Lebowski
 
#bagsmunman