Today Cincinnati Bengals kicker Josh Brown kicked three field goals to help the Cincinnati Bengals beat the Baltimore Ravens, 23-17. Last week, he kicked to the game winning field goal to defeat the hated Pittsburgh Steelers.
Now he was not the kicker for the Bengals initially. Injuries to kicker Mike Nugent, forced the Bengals to sign a kicker in December. And an out of work Josh Brown who was cut by the New York Jets has answered the call. That's seizing the day. By the way, Josh Brown in 2010, was in the movie Jackass 3. Here's his scene.
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Worst movie of the year, 2012
I usually don't pick a worst movie of the year. But when there's a movie that's so bad, I just have to kick it again as an example of cinematic stupidity. This year the movie is Battleship.
From the hero's breaking and entering of a convenience store to the lizard Amish aliens to Rihanna's magic cap, this was one awful movie. So bad that I had to pick the dumb moments of the movie. Watch this movie for the unintentional comedy.
From the hero's breaking and entering of a convenience store to the lizard Amish aliens to Rihanna's magic cap, this was one awful movie. So bad that I had to pick the dumb moments of the movie. Watch this movie for the unintentional comedy.
Thursday, December 27, 2012
Django Unchained Review
You've got to expect certain things from a Quentin Tarantino movie. Looking for subtlety in one of his films is like asking a member of the Tea Party to say something good about President Barack Obama. It ain't going to happen. So what can one expect from writer-director Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained? If you saw Inglorious Basterds (2009), don't expect a history lesson. Tarantino's take on slavery is mishmash of spaghetti western (See the original Django (1966), Franco Nero has a humorous cameo.) and sixties blaxploitation flick. Expect Tarantino's wonderful dialogue and oh, yeah there's a "little" of that Tarantino violence.
In Django Unchained, King Schultz (Christoph Waltz), a bounty hunter frees slave, Django (Jamie Foxx), to help him locate a group of fugitives. In exchange, Schultz will give Django his freedom and help him find his slave wife, Broomhilda. (Kerry Washington) Later the two partner up and hunt fugitives together. After a winter of bounty hunts, they find Broomhilda but she is owned by a cruel master, Calvin Candie. (Leonardo DiCaprio) Their problem is how to get Candie to sell Broomhilda to Schultz and allowing him to give her to Django.
There's a certain magic to the way Tarantino writes dialogue in Django Unchained. You can't describe it, otherwise every screenwriter would have it. It's simply captures your attention. Perhaps it's the way every line has a purpose, whether it is to advance the plot or define a character. And he does this in every one of his films. His direction of the movie is also magnetic. Instead of using hand-held cameras or overusing camera gymnastics, Tarantino merely relies on the drama in the scenes to capture your attention. You can't help but be invested in this movie.
Django Unchained is also helped wonderfully by the performances of the cast. Jamie Foxx is smoldering cool as the former slave, Django seeking to free his wife and enact vengeance on whites. Kerry Washington doesn't have a lot to do but she does carry the part of damsel in distress well. It's her physical and inner beauty that makes us feel we need to save her. Leonardo DiCaprio gives his despicable character a sort of practicality. To him, slavery is just a way of life. Samuel L. Jackson plays Stephen, an old slave to Candie. He's unrecognizable and very much different than any role he has ever played. And yes, he drop the "F" bomb at the appropriate time. What did I say about this film not being historically accurate? It's good to see Christoph Waltz break free of the bad guys he's played to be a noble, slightly unhinged and at times comic bounty hunter.
But for all the good things that Tarantino does, his love for over the top action nearly derails Django Unchained. Don't get me wrong people act illogically. It's just there's a scene towards the end of the film where one of the main characters goes berserk and starts a chain of the wildest gunfights in a western. I just thought why would this character do something that makes no sense. Yes, Tarantino prepares you for the climatic gunfight with violence of slavery and other shootings. But Tarantino wallows in the ugliness of torture and violence. I stopped caring about the characters at the end of the movie but merely was flabbergasted by the copious amount of blood spilled. As for the use of the "n" word for African Americans, all I can say that's what they used back in the nineteenth century. I saw the movie with blacks in the audience and they enjoyed it, so obviously they weren't put off by it. But this black man seeking justice by killing white people isn't going to help in solving our racial problems. I don't think Martin Luther King would give Django Unchained a positive review.
Django Unchained is a well made spaghetti western and blaxploitation movie. It certainly tries to say things about race and man's inhumanity to man. But it's Tarantino's love for violence that keeps the film from being anything more than B movie fare. The grade is, of course, a B.
In Django Unchained, King Schultz (Christoph Waltz), a bounty hunter frees slave, Django (Jamie Foxx), to help him locate a group of fugitives. In exchange, Schultz will give Django his freedom and help him find his slave wife, Broomhilda. (Kerry Washington) Later the two partner up and hunt fugitives together. After a winter of bounty hunts, they find Broomhilda but she is owned by a cruel master, Calvin Candie. (Leonardo DiCaprio) Their problem is how to get Candie to sell Broomhilda to Schultz and allowing him to give her to Django.
There's a certain magic to the way Tarantino writes dialogue in Django Unchained. You can't describe it, otherwise every screenwriter would have it. It's simply captures your attention. Perhaps it's the way every line has a purpose, whether it is to advance the plot or define a character. And he does this in every one of his films. His direction of the movie is also magnetic. Instead of using hand-held cameras or overusing camera gymnastics, Tarantino merely relies on the drama in the scenes to capture your attention. You can't help but be invested in this movie.
Django Unchained is also helped wonderfully by the performances of the cast. Jamie Foxx is smoldering cool as the former slave, Django seeking to free his wife and enact vengeance on whites. Kerry Washington doesn't have a lot to do but she does carry the part of damsel in distress well. It's her physical and inner beauty that makes us feel we need to save her. Leonardo DiCaprio gives his despicable character a sort of practicality. To him, slavery is just a way of life. Samuel L. Jackson plays Stephen, an old slave to Candie. He's unrecognizable and very much different than any role he has ever played. And yes, he drop the "F" bomb at the appropriate time. What did I say about this film not being historically accurate? It's good to see Christoph Waltz break free of the bad guys he's played to be a noble, slightly unhinged and at times comic bounty hunter.
But for all the good things that Tarantino does, his love for over the top action nearly derails Django Unchained. Don't get me wrong people act illogically. It's just there's a scene towards the end of the film where one of the main characters goes berserk and starts a chain of the wildest gunfights in a western. I just thought why would this character do something that makes no sense. Yes, Tarantino prepares you for the climatic gunfight with violence of slavery and other shootings. But Tarantino wallows in the ugliness of torture and violence. I stopped caring about the characters at the end of the movie but merely was flabbergasted by the copious amount of blood spilled. As for the use of the "n" word for African Americans, all I can say that's what they used back in the nineteenth century. I saw the movie with blacks in the audience and they enjoyed it, so obviously they weren't put off by it. But this black man seeking justice by killing white people isn't going to help in solving our racial problems. I don't think Martin Luther King would give Django Unchained a positive review.
Django Unchained is a well made spaghetti western and blaxploitation movie. It certainly tries to say things about race and man's inhumanity to man. But it's Tarantino's love for violence that keeps the film from being anything more than B movie fare. The grade is, of course, a B.
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays
I was first introduced to the song "The Christmas Waltz" by the Carpenters version. It's a lovely waltz that's been covered by many jazz musicians. Here's the Carpenters with "The Christmas Waltz." We miss you Karen. I'm sure she share this sentiment. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone.
Sunday, December 23, 2012
The Cincinnati Bengals are in the playoffs!
Here's the game in a nutshell. The Bengals could not run the ball. The Steelers vaunted defense was killing us. Thankfully, the Bengals defense played as well as the Steelers. It came down to the fourth quarter and the last minutes. The score was tied at ten. Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis called for a fifty six yard field goal. Now if you miss it, you give the ball back to Steelers quarterback Benji Roethlisberger to drive down the field. Bengals miss. Then the Steelers try to kick fifty two yard field goal. They miss. Bad decisions abound.
The last minute of the game. The Steelers have the ball. They're driving. Then Benji overthrows a receiver. INTERCEPTED. Bengals safety Reggie Nelson picks the ball off. Still the Bengals are a long way from a field goal attempt. Seconds left. Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton hits his great wide receiver A.J. Green for twenty one yards. Wait a minute. The Bengals make a clutch play? Bengals substitute kicker Josh Brown kicks a 43 yard field goal. (Pictured celebrating the win.) Bengals take the lead and win. Bengals win. Bengals win. Oh my God, the Bengals win!
It's been thirty years since the Bengals went to the playoffs in back to back years. They will be the final Wild Card for the AFC. Now the next goal. Win the next game. And then dare we dream? The Cincinnati Bengals- Super Bowl Champs. Here's the story with video.
Friday, December 21, 2012
The world did not end
Hey, it's December 21, 2012 and the world did not end. No rouge planet smashing into the earth, gigantic solar flare or alien invasion. Still here. I'm still alive. Time to party like it's 1999.
Prince - 1999 by djarnaldo
Prince - 1999 by djarnaldo
Conservatives and liberals must compromise on guns
First, let me say again conservatives can't and don't compromise. And here's more proof. The NRA's Wayne LaPierre spoke at a Washington news conference today. He could have agreed that there should be an assault weapons ban in light of the Sandy Hook shootings. No such luck and no surprise. He takes the radical right position. No compromise. He then went crazy and blamed video games for the murder of the innocent children.
LaPierre also made a suggestion that I used to find hilarious. He wants armed police in the schools. But I've thought about this. And I agree that armed guards, police or teachers who are trained could help. And liberals, you can show you can compromise. There's no down side to having a "good guy with a gun" as LaPierre puts it, defending our children from the evil or deranged. And conservatives must compromise here. Banning assault weapons and extended magazines can save further lives. We can all agree we need to improve our mental health system. If that means more tax dollars to make sure the mentally ill are able to get treatment then so be it.
LaPierre also made a suggestion that I used to find hilarious. He wants armed police in the schools. But I've thought about this. And I agree that armed guards, police or teachers who are trained could help. And liberals, you can show you can compromise. There's no down side to having a "good guy with a gun" as LaPierre puts it, defending our children from the evil or deranged. And conservatives must compromise here. Banning assault weapons and extended magazines can save further lives. We can all agree we need to improve our mental health system. If that means more tax dollars to make sure the mentally ill are able to get treatment then so be it.
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