New Hulk Trailer

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"I hope I die before I get old" (although not really)

**Update...now with video for those interested.

Last night I watched part of Bob Costas's special on media and sports on HBO (yeah...for some reason we get HBO in the Batcave--although I almost always forget about it). It was pretty engaging..from what I saw of it...but the segment that caught my attention was the one on sport blogs. They ran a small cover story about sport blogs (where they did highlight one of my favorite sport blogs--Fire Joe Morgan) and subsequently had a round table discussion afterwards featuring Will Leitch of Deadspin (supposable the most popular sports blog although I wasn't too familiar with it), Buzz Bissinger (author of "Friday Night Lights") and Braylon Edwards (yeah...I didn't quite get that either).

Needless to say Buzz Bissinger is a complete lunatic. I don't care if he's considered a top notch author I will never read one of his books. He made a complete ass out of himself. Of course his take is that sport blogs (and he lumped them altogether) is the equivalent of a shit sandwich. Actually he might have exactly said that because every other word out of his mouth was a expletive. I know the special was on HBO but that doesn't mean you have to act like a raving lunatic. Plus it ran counter to his argument that one reason he doesn't have much respect for sports blogs is that they are vulgar. I'm a little confused why a vulgar man would have a problem with a vulgar sports website.

It was just completely an over the top performance--although I guess it really wasn't a performance. He was just the typical crotchety...pissed off old fart...where nothing is as good as back in the old days. I just waned to punch him the face and the dude from Deadspin would have been (almost) justified in doing so.

I would tear into his argument but he really didn't have one. But he did have several illogical assumptions.

1. You cannot lump all sports blogs into one neat little category. Yes there are sports blogs that do stink...that have bad writing...that are low-brow crap...that are nothing but sensationalized garbage. But there are some that are very informative (Stampede Blue)...very funny (Fire Joe Morgan) and very insightful (Baseball Prospectus). It's just like every other medium...some of the stuff stinks...some of the stuff is great...and the rest is just in between those two points.

2. You also cannot confuse the merit of an actual blog article to the comment section. Costas even did this to a degree. That's like tying a sportwriter's column to every letter-to-the-editor that gets sent in about that column. Those are two separate entities. For the most part comment sections are ridiculous and I hardly ever read them on the various sports blogs that I read anyway.

3. I also didn't agree with his assumption that sport blogs are trying to eliminate traditional sports mediums--like newspaper reporting and newspaper columnists. The guy from Deadspin tried to make this point that sport blogs are a compliment to traditional sports sources. And that both of those notions can be appreciated...and I completely agree with that.

I'll concede that if somebody was only getting their sports news from blogs than they aren't getting a well rounded take on a sports story, team or person. That would be problematic. And I can also see why a successful author, who cares about the craft of writing, would be frustrated by people who aren't very good writers (in some cases) but getting their stuff published and having their stuff read.

But...one can't assume that just because one writes a blog that one isn't a good writer. I'm not a fan of espn.com's Bill Simmons but he's a good writer and he has built a strong audience.

Ultimately my anger from seeing last night's show is not so much about blogging..and sports blogging...but...seeing a 50-something year old man rant and rave about a subject that he knows nothing about. But more than that Ol' Buzz's ego won't allow him to accept a new medium simply because he (or his generation for the most part) doesn't have a strong voice with the phenomenon of a 21st century cyber-world. It's just complete bullheadedness (and I realize that I can be quite stubborn at times--but nothing like that) on his part.

Well I think I've lost track with what I was ranting about.

Now it is OK to rant as long as you don't make an ass out of yourself...and I hope I didn't in this case.

"Baby Mama" movie review

In the last week before the unofficial early start to the summer movie season, we watched Baby Mama (PG-13). The movie stars Tina Fey as a career woman looking for a surrogate mother (Amy Poehler) to carry her baby. First time director Michael McCullers directs Romany Malco, Sigourney Weaver, and Steve Martin costar.

Andy: The summer season can't get here soon enough, as this is likely the last questionable movie we'll have to watch for a while. It seems like I've been writing “first-time-director” a lot lately, and the results have not generally been good. This is no exception, as the movie is uninspired, poorly put together, and not all that funny. It's not horrible, but it doesn't really do any one thing very well.

Ryan: If the premise of Baby Mama would have been compressed to a Saturday Night Live skit or to a sub-plot on 30 Rock it might have made for some interesting and funny TV. But as a feature film Baby Mama fails to leave an impression. It isn't a terrible movie but it certainty isn't a memorable one. Through no fault of the two leads, the movie plays like a mediocre sitcom. It has a few laughs but it's too predictable, too stagnant and too boring to fully recommend being seen on the silver screen.

Andy: I would not be so quick to absolve Fey and Poehler. Fey did little but show that she can't (or isn't willing) to step too far from her 30 Rock character. As for Poehler, I think she has potential as a comedic actor, but I also think I've never seen her live up to that potential.

Ryan: I made (what proved to be an inaccurate assumption) that because Fey was starring in the movie that she had contributed some material to the story. After all she is one of the most successful comedic television writers in Hollywood. The lone writing credit belongs to Micheal McCullers, who also directed the movie. And while I'm sure that Fey and Poehler had some input into the movie-making process, the bottom line is that this film belongs to McCullers; thus the film's shortcomings can be attributed to him as well. This is his first directorial effort and the results (or lack thereof) speak for themselves.

Andy: We've piled on pretty heavily here, and that may be a little unfair. This is not a movie completely devoid of laughter. It has moments that are pretty entertaining (mostly scenes with Romany Malco), but it does not have a compelling enough story to overcome the lack of consistent laughter. However, there is no doubt that this movie will be quickly forgotten once the big movies start coming out in the next few weeks.

Ryan: The movie opened number one and I think that's alright in this case because I like the two leads—especially Tina Fey. I just would have preferred that Fey and Poehler could have starred in a more suitable vehicle that would have better suited their comedic abilities. Like I said earlier the movie isn't a complete debacle. It is very watchable and it's moderately entertaining. Although it simply glosses over the issues of a surrogate pregnancy, it does at the very least push the issue into the mainstream consciousness.

Baby Mama is a below average comedy. Final grade: C-.

Vevay Getaway

Jenny and I had a little weekend getaway this past Sunday and Monday. We stayed a night at the Belterra Casino Resort & Spa in Vevay, IN. The gambling was really just an afterthought (we only spent about 30 minutes on the boat playing nickel and penny slots)...we just wanted a relaxing getaway and we got that. Our king-size deluxe room included a jacuzzi bathtub, a flat-screen TV in the bathroom, an ipod compatible alarm clock and a telephone next to the commode (I guess--one never knows when one might have burl problems). It was a very relaxing and enjoyable getaway. Our room as well as the entire casino was very nice. On a side note...apparentely Belterra really likes Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp. All through out the hotel lobbies and food places, classic rock was constantly being played. They would play a Springsteen song...then a Mellencamp song...then about 5-6 songs by other artists and then back to Springsteen and Mellencamp. So I really couldn't complain about that (but I would have if they would have played "Our Country" by the Coug). Of course it's no surprise that they were playing classic rock as I'm pretty sure that Jenny and I were two of the youngest people there. I know that when we were eating at the buffet that we were the two youngest people there (who weren't working).

The only hiccup was the buffet. The breakfast buffet was fine...they even had an omelette bar...which was cool. But the Sunday evening buffet didn't sit so well with the two of us. It didn't really cause any big problems but led me to speculate that I'm no longer a fan of buffets. I know this will probably surprise a great number of people as the perception exists that I really like buffets (and it makes since because I like to eat...and buffets have lots of food). But anymore the idea of a buffet doesn't sit well with me (the gluttony of it and the waste of it). Plus it seems that the food really isn't that great...and that's a problem. Their are exceptions. The Argosy Casino buffet in Lawrenceburg is top notch. For the most part I like Chinese buffets--especially The Great Wall in Greensburg. And I would have to say that I still dig breakfast buffets. I think those are hard to screw up. But other than that I'm off the buffet bandwagon. I'm not saying that I won't eat at one...just that...I'm going to be more selective.

On a positive food note we ate at GG's in downtown Vevay prior to our arrival at the boat. It was cool. It's a relative new downtown diner that has sandwiches, soups and desserts. The food (my Texan burger and Jenny's mushroom and swiss burger) were very good. The portions were just right as well. And it was relatively inexpensive.

But all in all we had a very good time.

"Can't Stop This"

Some links for the weekend...



--Obama balling in Kokomo. He has some skills.



--Interesting article about hoops and politics in Indiana and North Carolina. (Good job Calbert Cheaney and Michael Jordan).



--the new The Dark Knight poster. Awesome



--The only way to actually watch (and enjoy) the NFL Draft.



--Maybe Law & Order: Special Victims Unit isn't a bad show.

Campaign 2008 Fatigue

I officially have campaign hangover. Months of an up and down campaign battle between Obama and Clinton has left me numb. I know it’s been good theatre and I feel that Jenny and I are on first name basis with the dozen or so CNN analysts but I feel somewhat burned out by what has turned into a lengthy process. And I realize that I should be excited now that Indiana will be in the spotlight and that my vote is going to have a lot meaning. There’s no question of the importance of Indiana. Weeks ago conventional wisdom said that Indiana was a Clinton state (with her support of the Democratic leadership) but now it’s being played out as a toss up. It’s safe to say that an Obama victory in Indiana would be a big coup and would significantly slow the Clinton momentum from her win in Pennsylvania. I think it’s also safe to say that he does have a legitimate shot at winning Indiana.

But back to my hangover. I am just so completely frustrated with Hillary Clinton and her campaign. I can’t stand to look at her. I can’t stand to hear her talk. She’s obviously gone negative and while voters claim they don’t like negative attacks the fact remains that they work. Unfortunately…and I’ve said this before…this puts Obama in a Catch-22 because going negative against her is counter to his message (of rising above this kind of politics) but he also has to show that he can deliver some punches and not be seen as weak.

Also adding to my frustration is the realization that this isn’t going to be decided until the convention. While both candidates have made some in roads into each other’s bases the fact remains that the Democratic party is divided. The same thing just keeps happening (to varying degrees) in state after state (that’s why Indiana is such a wild card). Clinton wins the Latino, working class white, elderly and single women vote while Obama wins with Blacks, college-educated people, the young and independents. I don’t believe that this divide is healthy with the party. Whoever the nominee is going to be is going to need both coalitions to defeat McCain. If they don’t unite the party he or she is not going to win. One can’t assume (and some polls are showing this) that whoever is the nominee is not going to automatically receive the full support of the loser’s base. A large portion of the Democratic party is going to be disenfranchised. That’s not good. I fully believe that Obama can bring the party together better than Hillary but whoever the nominee is…is going to have a difficult time healing the battle scars.

What is also bothering me is the Hillary Clinton argument that she’s giving to the Super-Delegates. That’s the argument that she should be the nominee because she wins the big states…and the big states that are swing states (Ohio). Of course the Obama camp counters that some of those big states (California and New York) are going to go Democratic anyway—and that’s probably true. But Clinton’s argument does have a lot of merit. She has won almost all the big states (not Illinois) and more than likely would have also won Florida and Michigan. The fact that she has repeatedly outperformed him in these big states is an argument worth listening too. What prevents me from completely buying into it is the fallacy that recent Democratic nominees (Gore and Kerry) have fallen into—that of just campaigning in certain states. It doesn’t leave room for any error and adds greater significance to the swing states. Obama has performed excellent in red states and I think there’s no reason to assume that he couldn’t turn some of those red states into blue states. But it does concern me that he hasn’t done better and some places like Ohio and Pennsylvania because he’s going to need those states (or one or the other).

Yet another item that’s bringing me down…and this is probably the one that I’m having the hardest time dealing with is…that I’m not sure if I can handle an Obama nomination while living in Greensburg. This isn’t a racial thing. It’s mainly a combination of Greensburg being conservative and people being…I’m trying to be nice here…misinformed (or brainwashed by Fox News) about Obama. Not to put anybody down…and I come across a lot of people…but I have heard some ridiculous, misinformed and boarder-line offensive comments about Obama. Yes I’ve been pleasantly surprised by some good things I’ve heard from some citizens but the vast majority of statements just make me cringe. But the reality is that there are a lot of Greensburg residents who would never vote for a Democrat (and I realize that this is true elsewhere)—and while I think that is silly—I do understand the reality of it. These notions are killing me. At times I just want to argue with these people…even yell at them…and yes maybe even punch them in the face. But I just ignore it and bottle it up (mainly because the work place isn’t a good place to have an argument about politics—because you have to see your co-workers everyday and you don’t want to piss off your customers). If Obama is the nominee I know it’s just going to get worse.

At this point I just need to channel my frustration into something constructive. I think I’ll start and place my extra Obama yard sign on the corner of Main and Lincoln. I think Jenny and I are going to go vote on Saturday…I know that’s kind of dorky…but I’m eager to vote. I should probably look into doing something more as well.

Well I feel better after this rant. It’s time to get work and help Obama to an Indiana victory.

"Forgetting Sarah Marshall" movie review

Judd Apatow's latest production is the crass romantic comedy, Forgetting Sarah Marshall (R ). When Jason Segal is dumped by his famous actress girlfriend (played by Kristen Bell) he takes a retreat to a Hawaiian resort, whereas fate would have it, his ex is staying with her new rock star boyfriend (Russell Brand). The movie also co-stars Mila Kunis, Bill Hader, Jonah Hill and Paul Rudd. Nicholas Stoller directs.

Ryan: After seeing the mess that was Drillbit Taylor I was slightly concerned that Apatow and Co. were losing some of their luster. That was premature. Forgetting Sarah Marshall is on par with The 40 Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up and Superbad. I would take that one step further and say that's it's the most complete of those above-mentioned movies. If one is a fan of one any of those films than one is going to like Forgetting Sarah Marshall. The movie continues the trend of Apatow films that are not only very funny but genuinely sincere.

Andy: Forgetting Sarah Marshall has been getting positive comparisons to last year's hit movies Superbad and Knocked Up. The comparisons are inevitable, not just because of the involvement of many of the same people (including producer Judd Apatow), but because of the niche it fills. American audiences has fallen back in love with the rated-R romantic comedy and this film fits that bill just as well as the other two.

Ryan: Forgetting Sarah Marshall is a coming out party for its three TV-star leads. Major props should be given to Jason Segal who not only stars in the movie but also co-wrote the screenplay. His performance is atypical (with his over-sensitivity and self-absorption) of a rom-com leading man but he delivers. Both Bell and Kunis could have just been pretty faces in this movie but in a few key scenes they more than demonstrated that they have the skills to take their talent to the silver screen.

Andy: It's nice to see Segal, who's been only a peripheral character in most of his performances, is able to play the lead in a movie. He's not full-time leading man material, but he fits pretty well in this type of comedy. His slightly embarrassing everyman status makes him easy to root for, and he was able to write to his strengths as an actor with the script. He takes a plot that seems like it's going nowhere and crafts a pretty good movie out of it.

Ryan: Further enhancing the film is the supporting cast of characters. Every time the movie started to slow one of the supporting cast members would show up to liven up the film. Whether it's the always enjoyable Paul Rudd or Superbad's Hill and Hader, the movie is littered with funny moments and one-liners by these characters.
Normally this is the part of the review where I would lament on the film's shortcomings but I don't believe the film has any noteworthy weaknesses. I would only qualify that the movie with it's contemporary vulgarity (and it is rated R for a reason) might not be for every casual moviegoer. Ultimately Forgetting Sarah Marshall is the highlight of the spring. Final grade: A-.

Andy: This movie is definitely not without flaws, but a missed joke here and there and a story that isn't as tight as it could be is not enough to overshadow the fact that the movie is very entertaining, and has several laugh out loud moments.
Forgetting Sarah Marshall is not the best comedy you'll see this year, but it's a great diversion while we're waiting for the summer movie onslaught. Final grade: B.

"The Spirit" teaser trailer

Here's the first look at the Frank Miller directed, The Spirit.



Miller is widely knows for his comic book work but he co-directed Sin City with Robert Rodriguez and I guess that experience has propelled him to take up the director's chair on his own.



Looks like he's following the Sin City template.

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Marissa Miller at Wrigley Field. . . (FACE!).

In your face Marty Brennaman. Yet another reason why the Cubs are infinitely cooler than the Reds.




Here's some follow up to Marty's comments that he made on Wednesday Night during the Cubs-Reds game.


Here's my take...probably not going to surprise anybody.

In recent years I've come to like Marty but it's evident that the older he gets the more cranky and unbearable he gets.

1. There is absolutely no correlation between fandom and winning and losing on the baseball field. If that was the case the Florida Marlins would not have two World Series titles.

2. Marty has no right to criticize Cubs fans without looking in the mirror. Reds fans are some of the most fairweather fans in sports. Their attendance is terrible (even though they have a nice ballpark). And when the Cubs come to town they outnumber Reds fans...that is simply ridiculous...that just shouldn't happen at a home park. Because of that Marty is nothing but jealous...because he knows that Cubs fans are far more passionate than Reds fans.

Yes it is inexcusable throwing crap on the field...and what happened on Wednesday night was stupid. Can Cubs fans be annoying...certainly...but so can every other team's fans. I rather have annoying fans than fairfeather fans (or no fans at all).

Midwest Quake

Early this morning around 5:30 AM Jenny and I were awoken to our windows rattling and our house shaking. It wasn't a violent shaking but definitely one knew that something wasn't quite right. It only lasted a few seconds but it felt longer than that. My initial thought that it was storming outside and maybe it was just the wind. But that wasn't the case. Jenny thought there might have been an explosion somewhere or a sonic boom but we didn't hear anything like that prior to the shaking and rattling of the house. And it wasn't a train either...we are used to that noise...and we know what that's like. Before we rolled over and went back to bed I said it kind of felt like an earthquake.

Lo and behold that's what it was. A 5.2 quake originated in Southern Illinois (West Salem) and was felt some 350 miles away--as far as Chicago and Cincinnati. Pretty wild stuff. Thankfully no injuries have been reported or significant damage of any sorts.

McLovin' Fund

The Boss Has Spoken

Via CNN.com...

Rocker Bruce Springsteen has endorsed Barack Obama for president.

“At the moment, critics have tried to diminish Senator Obama through the exaggeration of certain of his comments and relationships,” said the New Jersey native, in a statement posted on his Web site Wednesday. “While these matters are worthy of some discussion, they have been ripped out of the context and fabric of the man's life and vision… Over here on E Street, we're proud to support Obama for President.”

In February, Springsteen had resisted making a choice between Obama and Hillary Clinton, telling USA Today that "there are two really good Democratic candidates for president. I admire and respect them both enough to wait and see what happens."

But he praised Obama, who cited Springsteen as the person he would most like to meet in an interview with People magazine.

"I always look at my work as trying to measure the distance between American promise and American reality," he told the paper. "And I think (Obama's) inspired a lot of people with that idea: How do you make that distance shorter? …”

Springsteen backed Sen. John Kerry's unsuccessful 2004 presidential bid.

Addai Time

I kind of hate myself for posting this. The last thing that I want to do is to get caught up in the hype machine that is the NFL. For poop sake...Sportscenter had a two hour special yesterday afternoon to coincide with the release of the schedule--simply ridiculous.

But here it is...the Colts 2008 schedule. My main reason for getting this out there is that it's never to early to think about our Colts Rotation--that I think worked out quite well last year. (I guess we'll be losing Reiger--for awhile...but gaining the Stuckey's--maybe Reiger will let Andy "borrow" his TV). Hopefully by then, 129 S. Vine will have also upgraded their TV ( I hope Jenny doesn't read this).

WK DATE OPPONENT TIME (ET)
1 Sun, Sep 7 Chicago 8:15 PM
2 Sun, Sep 14 at Minnesota 1:00 PM
3 Sun, Sep 21 Jacksonville 4:15 PM
4 Bye
5 Sun, Oct 5 at Houston 1:00 PM
6 Sun, Oct 12 Baltimore 1:00 PM
7 Sun, Oct 19 at Green Bay 4:15 PM
8 Mon, Oct 27 at Tennessee 8:30 PM
9 Sun, Nov 2 New England 8:15 PM
10 Sun, Nov 9 at Pittsburgh 4:15 PM
11 Sun, Nov 16 Houston 1:00 PM
12 Sun, Nov 23 at San Diego 8:15 PM
13 Sun, Nov 30 at Cleveland 1:00 PM
14 Sun, Dec 7 Cincinnati 1:00 PM
15 Sun, Dec 14 Detroit 1:00 PM
16 Thu, Dec 18 at Jacksonville 8:15 PM
17 Sun, Dec 28 Tennessee 1:00 PM

I'm predicting 13-3.

"Smart People" movie review

This week we take a look at the dramedy Smart People. Dennis Quaid is a pompous college professor who gets into a relationship with a doctor (Sarah Jessica Parker). Ellen Page and Thomas Hayden Church costar. First time director Noam Murro directs.

Andy: Smart People is ultimately a film about how dumb smart people can be. The successful literature professor and his straight as an arrow daughter watch their lives start to crumble as the deadbeat adopted brother (Church) seems to be the most well adjusted member of the family. This movie seems like it’s tailor made for indie movie audiences, and because of that it feels contrived and formulaic in a way indie audiences usually don’t like very much.

Ryan: With a title like Smart People this movie could have been one of those films that's too smart for its own good. Thankfully it's not that, but it's also far from a brilliant movie. All in all it's mostly an OK film. It has some tender moments, some laugh-out-loud moments and some witty moments. It's an indie film that's not going to garner much indie credit. But like last week's Leatherheads, Smart People is a welcome break from the low-quality flicks that have been invading local cinemas.

Andy: Smart People stars Dennis Quaid, and that puts a movie in a hole from the beginning. Generally speaking, having Dennis Quaid be star of your movie is not a good idea. He’s only sometimes awful (Cold Creek Manor), but he’s rarely really good (In Good Company). Building a movie around him seems like a risky proposition, and the risk doesn’t exactly pay off. He’s okay, there are even a few really good scenes, but you need a performance that’s better than okay to carry a movie.

Ryan: At first I thought Dennis Quaid was miscast as a surly elitist professor. Slowly, his performance won me over. This is not an award-worthy performance but it is a noteworthy performance that helps to erase his uninspired performance in Vantage Point (from earlier this year). While Quaid's performance anchors the film, it's Thomas Haden Church who steals the picture. If one thought Sideways was a fluke, it wasn't. Church's on-top-of-his-game performance is what elevates Smart People from a mediocre film to a decent film.

Andy: there is no question that Church is the highlight here. And I Don’t think it’s an overstatement to claim that he saved the movie. The plot never quite takes hold the way you want it to, Ellen Page is amusing as the snarky, right-wing high school student, and Sarah Jessica Parker is simply doing her thing. None of this is particularly bad, and it is even entertaining, but it is Thomas Hayden Church that takes things to a different level. He is aloof, endearing, compassionate, and obnoxious, sometimes all in the same scene. Without Church, Smart People would be very questionable.

Ryan: While Smart People is a pleasant diversion from the normal spring duds, it's also a movie that should have been better than it ended up being. Part of the problem with the movie is its cinematic appearance. Take out some of the big words used in the script along with some of the sub-plots and one has a pretty mainstream atypical Hollywood dramedy. Smart People is basically a Cliff Notes version of Sideways or Wonder Boys. Unfortunately it fails to capture the charm and depth of those two pictures.

Smart People doesn’t cash in on its potential, but it is also a pretty entertaining diversion. Final grade: B-.

Maddux Wins #349

Yesterday afternoon, Greg Maddux (5 innings, 0 ER) and the Padres defeated the Dodgers 1-0 on a 95 degree day in LA. It was career victory #349 for Maddux. He improves to 2-0 in this young season.



This coming Saturday he will attempt to go for win #350...thus being only the ninth player in MLB history to win 350+ games. Good luck to him...they are playing at Arizona where, historically, he has not faired well. So hopefully that will change.



For some interesting reading about Greg Maddux...check out these articles via espn.com...article 1...article 2.

Batman: Gotham Knight DVD Trailer

Click here to view.

It's Indiana

I've been meaning to write about IU's hire of Tom Crean as coach but I think it's taken me awhile...for whatever reason... to digest the situation. Stuckey's given his take here...and I pretty much agree with his assessment.

Initially when I heard the news I was more relieved than anything. Relieved that they had finally hired a coach...and one with merit. It wasn't a sexy hire (Pitino or Bruce Pearl) but it seemed like a good hire.

But after hearing Crean at his press conference...I think that it was not only a good hire...but the right hire. Maybe it's just the moment of having a new coach...but when Crean kept saying that "It's Indiana...It's Indiana"...I got chills because Crean "gets" what Indiana basketball is about. It's just not about having a passion for the Hoosier Tradition (because Sampson had that) it's having the passion with doing things the right way and I believe that Crean is going to deliver. Is it going to take some time...no doubt about that...I've already written off next season...but that's all right. Sampson left the program a mess and it's going to take some time to clean it up.


Crean is the right man for the job. He is also buddies with Milwaukee Brewer's pitching coach, Mike Maddux. So that's cool.

Go Hoosiers!

"Leatherheads" Movie Review

George Clooney's latest directorial project is the screwball comedy, Leatherheads (PG-13). Set during the roaring '20's Clooney stars as an aging professional football player who is trying to recruit a college standout/war hero (John Krasinski) to enter the befuddled league. Renee Zellweger costars as a feisty newspaper reporter determined to uncover the truth behind Krasinski's war stories.

Ryan: I have a lot of respect for Clooney's work so when he has a new project I take notice. Whether it's fair to him or not I have strong expectations when seeing one of his films. In one regard Leatherheads is somewhat of a disappointment. The movie fails to capture the charm of a genuine screwball comedy. But on the other hand it's still a pretty entertaining flick. It has many light-hearted moments of fun intertwined with an interesting football narrative when professional football was about as exciting (or watched) as professional men's soccer.

Andy: First and foremost, Leatherheads is a welcome break from what is available in the cinemas this time of year. It is a simple romantic comedy, but it is also ambitious in that it's trying to revive the somewhat dormant subgenre of the screwball comedy. I found it to be largely successful, as it is entertaining, funny, and has a pretty interesting story. It isn't as polished as a great work of cinema should be, but it's early April and generally you just don't get to see great works of cinema this time of year.

Ryan: The biggest issue with the movie is that it's not as tight as Clooney's other directorial efforts (Confessions of a Dangerous Mind and Good Night and Good Luck). For one the story's quite clunky. The romantic triangle (crucial to movies of this genre) never fully develops. Secondly, the story's climax is reached too early as the film drags on with a snoozer third act. I'll concede that maybe I'm being too nit-picky but with the talent involved one just expects a more complete finished product.

Andy: I would be cautious in comparing this to Clooney's other films. To say that it's not as good as Confessions or Good Night and Good Luck isn't really saying much. Both of those were outstanding movies and you wouldn't expect him to maintain that high a level of work each time out. Also, those movies took themselves pretty seriously, and this is a light-hearted comedy. Making a tight, funny comedy that is also a great film is very rare. I'll admit that this movie falls short of that, but in both direction and performance I this is a nice progression for Clooney.

Ryan: Although I've seen Clooney make sub-par films (The Good German and Intolerable Cruelty) I've never seen him give a bad performance (Batman and Robin was not all his fault). He's a professional and his performances are always as good (or better) than the movie he's appearing in. With Leatherheads his performance is better than the movie--and his direction. As for the other two leads, Zellweger has proven in the past that she has the zing for period romantic comedies and her performance here reassures that point. For Krasinski, it's just nice to see him in a decent movie as his last effort was last summer's utterly forgettable—License to Wed.

Andy: I've never been much of a Rene Zellweger fan in spite of her several awards and consistent performances. I'm not sure why that is since she is almost always good, and this is no exception. She dives full into the spunky woman making it in a man's world role and nails it. Also refreshing is John Krasinski. It is nice to see him playing something other than Jim from The Office. Though his character is still very likable, he's more animated and obnoxious.

Leatherheads is fun, funny, and formulaic. It neither breaks new ground, nor successfully revitalized the screwball comedy, but it is certainly worth watching and earns a solid B.

Harvey Dent for District Attorney

I support Harvey Dent and so does Rachel Dawes...

RIP Charlton Heston

I know in recent years Charlton Heston...because of his NRA antics...had become somewhat of a pop culture joke. It also didn't help that he didn't age...at least cinematically...as graceful as some of his peers like Clint Eastwood or Paul Newman.

Let's not misremember that Heston was a genuine screen icon. I have not seen many of his movies but most of the ones that I have seen (sorry Midway) are truly fantastic films. In keeping with a running theme...here are my top five Charlton Heston movies (ie. movies where he was the star or c0-star).

5. Soylent Green

I know it. Probably ridiculous to include this movie but as a cheese-fest it's a pretty entertaining movie to watch. For some reason I like somewhat cheesy futuristic dystopian flicks and that movie fits that bill.

4. The Ten Commandments

Heston's Moses is his most iconic film role. Normally in an epic one performance doesn't carry (or make) a movie but Heston's performance (along with some nifty special effects) make this movie.

3. Planet of the Apes

I absolutely love this movie. Out of all of his Heston's movies, this is the one that I've seen the most. I truly believe that this is one of the all time best sci-fi flicks. It has the special effects largely with the Ape make-up...its incredible subversive with regard to organized religion...it symbolized it's time (the civil right struggle)...and...with all those parts...the movie just works. A lot of that has to do with Heston's performance. In a movie about talking apes...he takes his role seriously and that lends credibility to the story. The film also has one of the most classic endings of all time. Planet of the Apes is just a great movie.

2. Touch of Evil

Charlton Heston plays a Mexican narcotics agent. Mmmm. That probably shouldn't' have worked but under the direction of Orson Welles it does. In fact it was Welles who changed Heston's character's ethnicity. And it was also Heston who convinced the studio, Universal, to have Welles direct the movie (he was scheduled only to only act in it). The end result...not only of of the best film noir's of all time but one of the best movies of all-time.

1. Ben-Hur

Ben-Hur is the second greatest cinematic epic of all-time (Lawrence of Arabia would be first). This is a movie that is meant to be seen on the big screen and Jenny and I had the pleasure to see it on the big screen a few years ago at the Artcraft Theatre in Franklin. It was a breathtaking cinematic experience. Unfortunately the movie has not aged well--it came in at #100 on AFI's most recent list--but in my estimation it still holds up. It won Heston his only Oscar...and it was much deserved.

Top Five Tim Burton Movies

Jenny and I watched Ed Wood last night...she had not seen it...boy...that is a great movie. It got me thinking about my top Tim Burton movies of all-time. A long time ago, Burton used to be considered my favorite director simply because he directed Batman. That's not the case anymore but I still hold him to a higher regard than most directors. I'm including the live action movies only because it's been a long time since I've seen Nightmare Before Christmas ( so I don't have a good handle on it) and I haven't seen Corpse Bride.

5. Sleepy Hollow
When Burton goes big the results are normally mixed. Planet of the Apes was disappointing and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was decent but not very memorable. In Sleepy Hollow Burton has a good mix of entertaining elements with his vision of the macabre.

4. Edward Scissorhands
When I writing the review of Penelope I was racking my brain of good modern day fairy tales and for whatever reason this movie completely escaped me. After the mega success of Batman, Burton took a smaller project but made it just as relevant.

3. Big Fish
The most underrated entry of Burton's film canon. This is fantastic film with great performances. In this film Burton delves emotional deeper into the story than compared to most of his other films and the results make for some superb storytelling.

2. Ed Wood
The motivation behind this post. This movie is just so good and showcases two outstanding performances--Johnny Depp as Edward D. Wood Jr. and Martin Landau (who won an Oscar for his performance of Bela Lugosi). There's no doubt that Burton admires Wood (and maybe to some degree his work as well) but the portrayal is not sappy or overly sentimental. It's a blend of the truth (as seen threw Burton's lens) with a strong personal admiration.

1. Batman
Batman Begins has (justly so) overshadowed the original but make no mistake about it Batman'89 (now as it is commonly called) is not only an all-time great comic book movie but an all time great modern day film. Burton's gothic take of the Batman myth is not completely faithful to the comic book character but that's all right...because it still works. This was also the first film that made me aware of the movie culture. Prior to this I did not go to the movies very often nor did I get excited for new movies that were being released. Batman changed all of that.

Make Gentle the Life of This World

As many as you know Martin Luther King Jr. was shot and killed forty years ago in Memphis, TN. As the country remembers that tragic day, I'm always reminded of Robert Kennedy's impromptu speech that he gave in Indianapolis that day while campaigning in Indiana for the 1968 presidential primary. The speech has always resonated with me...it motivated me to write my senior thesis on Kennedy's Indiana campaign...and...quite frankly...is my favorite speech.



The thing to remember is that the crowd...mainly composed of blacks...had not heard of King's death. Not only did Kennedy take on the responsibility of announcing the tragic news but he took the opportunity to try to make sense of it. He did so in such a powerful way that the crowd completely soaked up what he said. And I don't think that it is any surprise that while dozens of other American cities erupted in violence...Indianapolis was spared of such acts of violence largely do to the eloquence of Kennedy's speech.



Even forty years later it is hard to make sense that both King and Kennedy both lost their lives--to acts of violence-- in the spring of 1968. I definitely think this county is better off than it was forty years ago but to think that King's Dream or Kennedy's idealism have to come to the light of the day is unfortunately not reality. While we are closer...we aren't there. But we are on the right path. Without those two this county would not be as far along on the path to racial harmony as we are now.

"21" movie review

This week we take a look at the blackjack drama 21 (PG-13). Jim Sturgess and Kate Bosworth costar as MIT students who, led by a professor (Kevin Spacey), count cards in a Las Vegas casino in order to earn extra money. Laurence Fishburne also costars, and Robert Luketic directs.

Ryan: The movie 21 is much like the game of blackjack. On the surface it's suitable entertainment but after awhile one realizes that it's not too exciting or very thought-provoking. That is how I would classify this movie. As a tale of smart college kids beating the house in Vegas, the movie works on the visceral level. But the movie only exists on that level. There's no attempt made to make the characters complex—hence interesting. There's also no desire by the filmmakers to dig deeper into the ramifications of gambling or of that lifestyle.

Andy: 21 had potential, as it is based on an acclaimed memoir (“Bringing Down the House” by Ben Mezrich) and has a pretty exciting story. Surprisingly, the movie unfolds at a slow, boring, and predictable pace. There is never really a moment of genuine surprise, even when the film takes a stab at a twist ending. It also lacks much of the suspense that seems like it should be automatic in a story about sharking cards in Vegas.

Ryan: The superficiality of the movie doesn't just exist with the story. It also extends to the lackluster performances. Kevin Spacey, who seems to be stuck in acting purgatory, gives yet another uninspired performance. Jim Sturgess, who showed promise in last year's Across the Universe, is unable to show that he can adequately carry a movie. Kate Bosworth might have the looks of a movie star but she has, up to this point, not shone the ability to match those looks with a noteworthy performance.

Andy: As Ryan mentions, a large part of the problem with the film is the acting. Sturgess is awkward at best in the lead role. Sometimes that awkwardness seems appropriate for his character, but other times, like during the film's many lengthy voice-over narration segments, it just seem slow and unconvincing. Not helping matters is Kevin Spacey, who has spent the better part of the last decade destroying his relevancy. He does further damage here, attempting to be some kind of a tough guy but only seeming two dimensional in the process.

Ryan: Another aspect of 21 that’s muddled is just how true the events are depicted in the film. It’s inspired by a true story—from the book by Ben Mezrich-- but from what I’ve read and seen the filmmakers have taken several liberties with the story (mainly with the characters and their respected motivations). Granted this shouldn’t be too surprising considering Hollywood has been embellishing “true stories” for years but that kind of filmmaking decision normally detracts from a film instead of adding to it.

Andy: Luketic's direction must be called into question as well. The generic way the story is laid out only helps to expose the movie's weak execution. There are several effects shots where cards are being tossed around the table that seem amateurish and feel like the director was trying to hard to do something “cool.” I didn't actually hate this movie, but there really wasn't anything very good about it, so it is hard to give 21 a recommendation.

For a movie about college life, making easy money and Las Vegas, 21 fails to live up to the excitement of those three notions. Final grade: C-.

Good Eats

On Saturday evening Dave and Erin Corya and Jenny and I ventured down to the Village of Spires—other wise known as Oldenburg to eat at Wagner’s. For those not familiar, Wagner’s is a restaurant/tavern in Oldenburg that is famous—or known for-- their fried-chicken. I don’t know exactly how long it’s been there but it’s been there ever since I can remember. We all had the fried chicken—it’s pan fried chicken—and it was pretty darn good. I recommend it. But really…the coolest thing about Wagner’s was that they had Chicago’s own-- 312 on tap. I couldn’t quite figure out why they had it on tap but I was definitely not complaining about it. Good stuff.

Last night to celebrate our anniversary Jenny and I traveled over to Columbus to eat sushi at New Japan. Unfortunately (or maybe it wasn’t) New Japan is closed on Monday’s. We were pretty disillusioned about that fact until we remembered Jenny’s sister, Melissa, telling us about another Japanese restaurant over by Arnie’s. We decided to check it out. The place is called Satuma. Warning—Buarl alert—it was the best damn sushi that we’ve ever had. Nothing against the other places—because they’ve all been good as well—but Satuma had the best sushi rolls that we’ve ever tasted. I’ll concede that the nigiri (and we only had a few pieces) was on par with what we’ve had before at other places. But it blew our mind just how good the rolls were. Simply outstanding.