Category Archives: Entertainment

TV, Movies, etc

Watching a Classic Movie with Someone That’s Never Seen It Before

My friend came over the other day to hang out and we ended up watching a movie. We debated on what to watch for a while before settling on Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. A couple minutes into it, I mentioned how much I loved this movie. She confessed that it was her first time watching it. My mind was blown. How can you go through your life without seeing Ferris Bueller? It’s an iconic teen movie that’s still relevant thirty years after it was made. It’s a part of pop culture. And she had never seen it before. WTF, bro? But watching a classic movie with someone that’s never seen it before is a good way to determine how good the movie actually is.

A lot of your favorite movies from your childhood were pretty terrible and you only like them because you look back on them with fond memories. She was a clean slate. She had no attachment to the movie, no reason to appreciate it. But she did. She loved it. And she’s quoted it and talked about it nonstop since then. It’s become a little annoying quite frankly.

I’ve seen Star Wars a thousand times. The only way that I can watch it now is with someone who hasn’t seen it before. It makes it more interesting. It makes you remember what it was like to watch it for the first time. It’s hard to recreate that magic. You have to experience it through somebody else. It’s the best way to re-experience a classic flick.

Critically Rated at 15/17

Written, Rated, and Reviewed by Brendan H. Young

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The Best Motivational Song of all Time

Music has the power to uplift and inspire. Some songs motivate you more than others. “Eye of the Tiger” seems to get everyone riled up for instance. But the best motivational song of all time is “You’ll Have Time” by William Shatner of his album Has Been. Yes, Captain Kirk is responsible for the best motivational song. To be fair, he had some help from Ben Folds, but that doesn’t take anything away from this achievement.

“You’ll Have Time” is about accepting your mortality. Not just accepting it, embracing it. He tells you to live life like you’re going to die, because you’re going to. You don’t know how, you don’t know when, but it’s going to happen. He sings about how you might die. He sings about a bunch of people who have already died. He reminds you that they all thought they were going to live forever, but none of them did. They all died. And you will too.

Somehow he makes it a happy song. It’s morbid but humorous. It’s worth a listen, and it’s worth remembering. Live life like you’re gonna die, because you’re going to. Thanks for the advice, Bill.

Critically Rated at 16/17

Written, Rated, and Reviewed by Brendan H. Young

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That Was Our Song

 Once upon a time, a few years back, I was walking down the sidewalk with my girlfriend at the time when a bum starting following us and singing “My Girl” by The Temptations. It’s a great song, but that was a lousy version so I didn’t give him any cash. Nonetheless “My Girl” became our song. Each time we heard it, it was like the universe was playing it for us and us alone. I loved that song because it reminded me of her. Then we broke up. I could no longer stand that song. Every time I heard it I would think of her. I hated that song because it reminded me of her. It took quite a while to be able to listen to it again. I can tolerate it in small doses now but it will never be the same way again. That was our song. It still is. That’s why I don’t want to hear it.  

 Critically Rated at 7/17

Written, Rated, and Reviewed by Brendan H. Young

  

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Snowpiercer

Snowpiercer is a 2013 sci-fi action film based on the French Graphic novel Le Transperceneige. It takes place in a future where mankind has created a new ice age, the whole world has frozen over, and the only survivors are stuck on the Snowpiercer, which is a super train that never stops running. The train is kind of a metaphor for society. The poor passengers are stuck in the slum-like tail section and the elites have a life of luxury in the front cars. Chris Evans stars as Curtis Everett, one of the poor tail-bound passengers who leads a revolt against the elites. The poor work their way up the train with the main goal of reaching Wilford, the creator and controller/captain guy. That’s the basic plot. I don’t want to go into too many details, because I think you should watch it. I’ve seen your Facebook profile, I know your taste. Snowpiercer is right up your alley.

Snowpiercer is not your typical dystopian action flick, mostly because it’s not a Hollywood film. It’s a South Korean film directed by Bong Joon-ho. Don’t worry though, most of the dialogue is spoken in English. It just has a different style of editing that’s different from the quick cuts and over-the-top action sequences that you’ll find in Michael Bay films. It didn’t get a big reception in the US, mostly because of Harvey Weinstein being a dickhole as usual, but the critics seem to like it. I like it and I’m very critical. I watched it on Netflix, you can too.

Critically Rated at 14/17

Written, Rated, and Reviewed by Brendan H. Young

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Daredevil (TV show)

Daredevil (or Marvel’s Daredevil) is an original Netflix series about the Marvel Comics superhero. If you don’t know who Daredevil is, I’ll give you a brief little introduction. Daredevil is the alias of Matt Murdock, lawyer by day and vigilante at night. He’s also blind because every superhero needs a schtick. I know the concept of a blind guy fighting crime in a costume sounds stupid, but he’s one of the coolest Marvel characters when he’s done right. This Netflix show gets it right.

Daredevil was first created by Stan Lee, Bill Everett, and Jack Kirby in 1964, but it was really Frank Miller’s work on the series that changed the tone. It became darker and more complex. It was no longer aimed at kids. The stories were filled with violence, sex, drugs, and crime. This show takes inspiration from the Frank Miller era, and that was a good choice.

The first season introduces us to Daredevil (Charlie Cox): who he is, what he does, and why he does what he does. We meet Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson), his best friend/law partner. We meet Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll), a young lady with a thirst for justice who ends up working at the law firm. We also meet Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio), because no superhero is complete without a supervillain. Fisk is one of the better villains of the Marvel Universe. He’s a ruthless criminal mastermind who runs his empire like a business.

Solid writing and established characters are the foundation to any good show, but you can’t skimp out on the action and fight scenes if you’re doing a project about a superhero. This show has some of the best fight choreography I’ve ever seen. The fights are realistic. The punches have impact. The characters get hurt. They get tired. They get winded. They slow down. And you actually see what is going on. They frame everything correctly. There’s no shaky camera work or rapid cuts to distract you. Check out this fight scene and tell me you’re not exhausted after watching it.

Watch Daredevil. It’s worth it. And it’s the first of four intertwined Marvel shows on Netflix. Soon Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, and Luke Cage will have series of their own, culminating in a supershow based upon the Defenders which will unite all the characters. It’s like the Netflix version of The Avengers, only with TV shows instead of movies. You don’t want to be left behind. Get on it now if you haven’t already.

Critically Rated at 16/17

Written, Rated, and Reviewed by Brendan H. Young

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Kevin Spacey’s Baseball Skills

I finally caved in and started watching House of Cards on Netflix. It’s a great show with great actors, writers, and directors. Kevin Spacey has won Oscars for his movie roles, yet his portrayal of the scheming Francis “Frank” Underwood is perhaps his finest accomplishment. Frank is a complex character. You want Frank to succeed even though he sometimes plays dirty. It takes a tremendous amount of acting skill to make a manipulative character likeable. He makes Frank Underwood seem like a real political figure. But every once in a while you get reminded that he’s just acting, like the season 2 episode “Chapter 19.” That’s the episode where Frank is set to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at the Camden Yards. There’s a quick scene where he is practicing in his backyard and it becomes quite obvious that Kevin Spacey has never played Little League. He throws like a girl. His form is terrible, almost as if he’s throwing with the wrong arm. It’s embarrassing to watch. It’s distracting. Kevin Spacey’s abysmal baseball skills cause you to lose respect for Frank Underwood and that should never happen.

Critically Rated at 5/17

Written, Rated, and Reviewed by Brendan H. Young

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Undeclared

Undeclared is a Fox sitcom that served as the follow-up to Judd Apatow’s earlier cult hit series, Freaks and Geeks. In case you’ve been living under a rock, Apatow is the genius that has written, directed, or produced some of the best comedies Hollywood has to offer. He brought us The Cable Guy, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Knocked Up, Superbad, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Step Brothers, Pineapple Express, Bridesmaids… the list goes on and on. Freaks and Geeks and Undeclared were some of his earliest projects and they laid a solid foundation for his career.

Undeclared is a half-hour sitcom about freshman Steven Karp’s (Jay Baruchel) first year at college. Seth Rogen, Charlie Hunnam, and Timm Sharp play his roommates. Carla Gallo, Monica Keena, and Tina Ellroy play the girls living in the dorm across the hall. The two groups band together and deal with all your typical college shenanigans like sex, dating, drinking, parents, partying, playing Truth or Dare, prank wars with fraternities and disgruntled R.A.s, and gaining the dreaded Freshman Fifteen. The comedic style is mostly loose and improvised, relying more on character wit than sight gags. There is no laugh track or studio audience. It’s not the game changer that Freaks and Geeks was, but it’s a funnier and sharper show.

It’s impossible to watch this show and not be reminded of Freaks and Geeks. Seth Rogen has a starring role in both shows, Jason Segel guest stars in a few episodes, and Busy Phillips, Martin Starr, Samm Levine and other Freaks and Geeks alumni pop up occasionally. There are tons of other cameos and guest spots from actors and comedians that you know and love. I won’t mention them in hopes that you watch the show and get pleasantly surprised.

Unfortunately, Undeclared has another similarity with Freaks and Geeks. Both shows were cancelled before completing the first season. It’s sad because the series had so much potential and it ends way too quickly. There are only seventeen episodes, and each one is so funny and entertaining that you can’t help but binge-watch. Before you know it, you have no more episodes to watch and you’re let with a void in your heart and Netflix queue.

Critically Rated at 16/17

Written, Rated, and Reviewed by Brendan H. Young

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Chef

Chef is a 2014 dramedy film written, directed, produced, and starring Jon Favreau. Favreau plays Carl Casper, a successful celebrity chef who has become stuck in a rut, cooking the same dishes over and over again. After a bad review from a notable critic, Casper goes on a rant that gets uploaded to the internet and goes viral. Casper ends up quitting his restaurant and gets his own food truck at the behest of his ex-wife, Inez (played by Sofía Vergara). Casper and his young son start to bond while fixing up the truck. Casper’s love for cooking returns and the relationship with his son becomes stronger and stronger. Casper’s food is a hit with customers and critics alike, and the film concludes with Casper opening a new successful restaurant and remarrying his ex-wife. Sorry, spoiler alert. I always forget to mention the spoiler alert.

Chef is an enjoyable movie. It was a passion project of Favreau and you can tell. I have a few complaints though. For starters, it’s too long. It takes about forty-five minutes for him to even get the truck. We didn’t need that much exposition. It shouldn’t take that long to establish that he’s a great cook and a lousy family man. And the film seems to be a commercial for Twitter, Vine, and other forms of social media. I thought I was watching a movie about food, not technology.

The supporting cast is great, although somewhat underused. Robert Downey, Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Oliver Platt, Dustin Hoffman, and John Leguizamo all play supporting roles. John Leguizamo’s character, Martin, is there in the beginning, disappears for a while, and suddenly comes out of nowhere halfway through the film to work with Casper in his truck for no money and no reason other than to give Casper more time to bond with his son. Martin seemingly does all of the prep work and does most of the cooking during the food truck scenes. He’s more of a chef than the titular chef.

Watching this film makes you hungry. Be forewarned. Make sure you have something to snack on because your stomach will be grumbling every five minutes. It’s a good movie, a little redundant at times, but still solid entertainment. I watched it on Netflix. You can too.

Critically Rated at 13/17

Written, Rated, and Reviewed by Brendan H. Young

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Leonard Nimoy

February 27th, 2015 is a sad day for nerds everywhere. It’s the day that we lost Leonard Nimoy, best known for portraying Spock in Star Trek. Now, I’m not much of a trekkie, but there is no denying Leonard Nimoy a spot in the Pop Culture Hall of Fame. I didn’t grow up watching Star Trek. I grew up watching The Simpsons and Nimoy made a guest appearance in an episode called “Marge vs. the Monorail” as a caricaturized version of himself. That was my first memory of him and it was a good one, one that will forever be etched into the happy part of my brain.

Leonard Nimoy will forever be linked to Spock and Star Trek, but he did a lot of other memorable things. He directed Three Men and a Baby. He sang a song about Bilbo Baggins decades before The Lord of the Rings trilogy was released. He wrote two conflicting autobiographies called I Am Not Spock and I Am Spock. I still don’t know which to believe.

A celebrity death is a shared death. We may not have known them personally, but you still feel like you know them. They made a mark on your life in some way. Leonard Nimoy portrayed one of the most recognized and respected fictional characters of all time. He deserves to be remembered. And you should feel like you lost somebody you care about because you did.

Critically Rated at 15/17

Written, Rated, and Reviewed by Brendan H. Young

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Knights of Badassdom

Knights of Badassdom is 2013 comedy horror film. It stars Ryan Kwanten (best known from True Blood), Steve Zahn, and Peter Dinklage as three best friends with a passion for live action role-playing games. They go on a weekend-long medieval LARP in the woods, but accidently end up summoning a succubus that goes on a murderous rampage. If that sounds awesome, that’s because it is. Any nerd would love it.

This movie was not successful at the box office. It hardly made any money. It only made $123,854 in its initial run. Baby Geniuses 2 made $9,448,644 for comparison. Knights of Badassdom is a much better movie, but it didn’t get any advertising or respect. I only know about it because I saw it on Netflix. I wouldn’t have watched it, but my friend was insistent that I check it out sometime. Today was that sometime. And I was pleasantly surprised at how good it is.

The film has heart. The characters are funny, wacky, and still manage to be relatable. Peter Dinklage’s character is a great example of that. He’s a little person but that has no bearing on the plot whatsoever. There are no midget jokes or offensive sight gags. He’s just one of the main characters and he happens to be short. They don’t talk about it and they don’t exploit it.

There are quite a few actors that you recognize, which is kind of cool considering the lack of budget the film had. That means that Summer Glau, Danny Pudi, and Brian Posehn wanted to do the movie because they wanted to be apart of it. It’s not a great movie, but it’s solid and better than most of the crap you see in theaters today. Add it to your Netflix queue and watch it the next time you can’t decide what to watch.

Critically Rated at 13/17

Written, Rated, and Reviewed by Brendan H. Young

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Watching Netflix

There used to be a time when people would relax at home by watching TV. That time has passed. Now we relax at home by watching Netflix. It’s so much better than TV. It streams instantly, there are no commercials, and you can binge-watch an entire season at once. Netflix has tons of shows, movies, documentaries, and original content. Most people would say goodbye to cable forever if Netflix had a sports package. I’m already ahead of the trend. I stopped paying for cable a few years ago. It wasn’t that much of a change. It sucks not being up to date on current shows like The Walking Dead, but I know that it will come out on Netflix eventually. I miss watching sports, but I’m primarily a baseball fan so I’ll throw on the radio and watch the MLB Gamecast, or I’ll catch it at the bar, or I’ll mosey on down to the ballpark and see it in person. I don’t miss cable. Netflix is easier, cheaper, and more convenient. I can watch it on my phone, iPad, or laptop any time and any place. Netflix is taking over the world for a reason, and it’s DiGiornofied the way we talk. It’s not delivery, it’s DiGiorno. I’m not watching TV, I’m watching Netflix.

Critically Rated at 15/17

Written, Rated, and Reviewed by Brendan H. Young

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The Birth of Big Air

The Birth of Big Air is a 2010 documentary about professional BMX star Mat Hoffman. It’s directed by Jeff Tremaine and produced by Spike Jonze and Johnny Knoxville as part of ESPN’s 30 for 30 series. You might recognize Jeff Tremaine, Spike Jonze, and Johnny Knoxville from their work on MTV’s Jackass. All three of them were so impressed with Hoffman’s badassery that they decided to make a movie about him. Hoffman was a pioneer in the sport. He was always creating new tricks, getting more and more big air, and pushing the sport into the mainstream. He partially saved the sport in the early ‘90s when sponsors and contests dried up. He created his own company, organized his own events, and kept on developing new tricks. He wasn’t doing it for money. He was doing it for himself.

The filmmakers stress that Hoffman is more than an athlete. He is a gladiator. He punishes his body. He’s broken practically all his bones, he ruptured his spleen, he’s been in a couple of comas, and he’s almost died several times. But he always gets back up and gets back on his bike. It’s what he does. It’s who he is. Along the way he inspired thousands of kids to get on a bike and go outside.

The documentary explores Hoffman’s influence on BMX and the X Games lifestyle. He was building his own megaramps years and getting twenty feet of air years before anyone else was brave enough to try it. He showed people that it was possible. He paved the way for the spectacle that the X Games have become. Mat Hoffman is a different breed of human. If Charlie Sheen has tiger blood, Mat Hoffman has liger blood. And yes, I just referenced Charlie Sheen’s #Winning phase and Napoleon Dynamite.

Critically Rated at 13/17

Written, Rated, and Reviewed by Brendan H. Young

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We Cause Scenes: The Rise of Improv Everywhere

We Cause Scenes: The Rise of Improv Everywhere is a 2013 documentary about Improv Everywhere and its founder Charlie Todd. If you’ve been on the internet in the last five years, you’re probably familiar with Improv Everywhere. They are the comedy/performance art group known for performing elaborate pranks in public places. They never break character to create a moment of amusing bewilderment for anyone who happens to be in the area. They are the guys that froze in place in Grand Central Terminal for five minutes, the organizers of the No Pants Subway Ride, and raiding Best Buy with an army of people wearing blue shirts and khaki pants.

Director Matt Adams takes you behind the scenes of Improv Everywhere and introduces you to Charlie Todd, the creator and founder of the group. Todd talks about his inspiration for Improv Everywhere. It started with him impersonating Ben Folds in a bar one night. A couple of girls bought into it and he wanted to share his story with as many people as possible, but he didn’t have an outlet to do it. So he wrote it down and created a website. He started thinking of more and more pranks and they got bigger and bigger. Improv Everywhere also had connections to Upright Citizens Brigade, which have proved very influential to their performances. Todd is quick to point out that Improv Everywhere was started two years before flash mobs were a thing and that the two have very little in common. Flash mobs are a trend. Improv Everywhere is art.

The documentary also explores some of the group’s most famous pranks. You find out how they came up with the idea, how they pulled it off, and reflections of the aftermath. It’s a very interesting film and you can find it on Netflix. It’s hard to grab the attention of the internet and go viral. It’s even harder to do it on a consistent basis. Improv Everywhere deserves all their YouTube glory. Watch this documentary and find out why.

Critically Rated at 14/17

Written, Rated, and Reviewed by Brendan H. Young

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Rubik’s Cube

A Rubik’s Cube is the most frustrating toy ever created. When it’s completed it has six sides, each side has it’s own color, and each color has nine pieces. The cube has an internal pivoting mechanism that allows you to move the pieces around. You jumble it up and try to get the cube back to the original form so that each side is a solid color again. It sounds easy. It’s not. The twenty-six pieces can be rearranged approximately 519 quintillion different ways. There are all kinds of formulas and mathematical tricks to complete the Rubik’s cube and it’s possible to learn how to solve it in under ten seconds, but most people will never complete a Rubik’s Cube unless they peel off the stickers and rearrange them. Some people call it cheating; I call it thinking outside the box. Besides, I don’t have the patience to finish one, I just want people to think I do.

Critically Rated at 12/17

Written, Rated, and Reviewed by Brendan H. Young

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Straight Outta L.A.

Straight Outta L.A. is an ESPN 30 for 30 documentary directed and narrated by Ice Cube. It’s about the Los Angeles Raiders and the rise of gangster rap in the ‘80s and early ‘90s. This was a tumultuous time in L.A. The crack epidemic was going on, police brutality was common, gangs and violence were rampant. The Raiders were a team that was a little rough around the edges and played a little dirty, but they won games and the city of Los Angeles quickly adopted them as their own. Among those fans was a young Ice Cube and the other founding members of NWA. They were pioneers in hip-hop and brought a new, raw style of rapping that came to be called gangster rap.

Ice Cube and the rest of NWA chose to use Raiders gear as part as their image. The iconic pirate logo and powerful silver and black colors became synonymous with gangster rap, and the two became linked for better or for worse. Ice Cube’s film features interviews with Raiders legends like Al Davis, Howie Long, and Marcus Allen as well as hip-hop legends like Ice T and Snoop Dogg to tell the story of how the Raiders influenced rap music and a city, changing the world in the process.

I know a few Raiders fans. I respect them a lot more after watching this documentary.

Critically Rated at 13/17

Written, Rated, and Reviewed by Brendan H. Young

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Whatzupwitu

Eddie Murphy has had a pretty successful comedy and acting career. You might also recall that he tried to use his popularity to launch a musical career. He collaborated with Rick James on the single “Party All the Time.” That was actually a decent song. But success went to Eddie Murphy’s head and he continued unleashing terrible music upon the world, like when he collaborated with Michael Jackson for a little ditty called “Whatzupwitu.” It’s bad song with an awful accompanying music video. Eddie and Michael walk around a green-screened sky while they are bombarded by poorly animated music notes, flowers, and peace signs. It seems like there was script for filming. The director just told them to dance around awkwardly with each other and reassured them that they will fix everything in postproduction. They didn’t. The end result speaks for itself. You can watch it below. And I’m sorry if the song gets stuck in your head, I promise that wasn’t my intention.

Critically Rated at 5/17

Written, Rated, and Reviewed by Brendan H. Young

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Dredd (film)

Dredd is a 2012 sci-fi action film based on the comic Judge Dredd. It has nothing to do with the 1995 Sylvester Stallone flick. I was pretty weary of this film when it came out. It seemed like just another reboot. I didn’t have any expectations for this movie. In that regard, it was much better than I thought it would be. It stars Karl Urban (best known as Éomer, the horseback warrior in The Lord of the Rings or as Bones in the Star Trek reboot) as Judge Dredd and Lena Headey as the main villain.

Dredd is set in Mega-City One in a dystopic future. Crime is rampant. The only solution are Judges. They are judge, jury, and executioner. They are the law. Dredd is a Judge. He’s the main character. He’s tasted with seeing if a new recruit is worthy of being a Judge. They go out to investigate a triple homicide that’s part of a bigger scheme involving drugs and gangs and end up trapped in a giant skyscraper battling a powerful and eccentric villain. The plot is kind of like Training Day meets Die Hard, but with more explosions and less likeable characters.

Dredd is not a great film, however it’s still a solid action flick. It’s enjoyable. I would put it on the same level as Equilibrium. It’s not a game changer, but it deserves to be a cult classic. I liked it. I wouldn’t buy it or pay much money to watch it, but I wouldn’t change the channel if it was playing on TV.

Critically Rated at 12/17

Written, Rated, and Reviewed by Brendan H. Young

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