Rantings

Adios Netflix

2012-02-13T15:58:00.001-08:00

I have had on and off affair with Netflix for sometime now. A week or so I decided again that it was no longer time to be a member of netflix. Sure the service has a lot of great features but for me, I am no longer a member.

When I first joined Netflix they seemed to have everything....you could add friends and get recommendations from them. I really enjoyed this feature the most because my friends could tell me what they liked and I could easily add them to my future watching lists. Without any notification (at least to me and all my friends) they slowly dismantled the feature. Soon it became really hard to find out how to recommend films, then all my friends on my list just disappeared, then the entire feature was gone with no mention to me of any kind.

Soon new releases wouldn't be available right when they came out. Big studios wanted you to actually buy the DVD's and they decided netflix would have to wait a while to get their hands on the new releases. The wait for some studios new movies is very long (28 days for Warner Bros.). Ok I could somewhat live with that, I would just make sure to put the newer releases on the back burner for a while longer.

What really upset me takes a while to get too. See I was a member of netflix and all of the sudden they offered instant streaming for free, absolutely no additional cost to me. I could use or not use the feature and not pay anything more, I never signed up for anything asking me if I didn't want to use the feature so I thought it was a great little extra to what I already had. Then most recently they decided to charge for the instant streaming. Excuse me, I never asked for this in the first place so why are you charging me for this now? So now you have the choice to pay for instant streaming or just pay for the dvd's (or blurays for an additional cost). I was pretty upset about this, sure they lowered the cost of the DVD's to make up somewhat for the loss. I guess the whole time they were offering the instant streaming to get you hooked and then say, oh sorry...you will now pay us for this because you are used to it. I was pretty upset, but still decided to stick with the program because they had a lot of movies I wanted to see.

The main reasons I am leaving this time is because I am finding that I can rent a lot of the same movies they have at the library I work at. Working for the library has its perks, we have lately been getting all the new DVD's and now blurays the day after they are released. I was noticing the movies I rented from netflix would show up at the library a few days after I watched them. I just finally decided that I would be giving up netflix yet again because I can get the new releases from the library.

The instant watch feature is also being reduced in many ways. Starz movies on netflix are going to soon be gone as well, at the end of this month Starz is planning to not renew its contact with netflix instant watch. My fiance has decided to keep her instant watch, for now. I can tell you it is a good service if used to watch past seasons of TV shows. They have seemed to step up with the new TV shows but lost focus on the movies. I think the feature would be lowering its costs to stay worth the price.

If you love netflix I can honestly say I was there once. They offer some great movies and some off titles you will not find at most places (including the library). They are also lacking many titles, do not let you get your hands on new movies without a wait (then you have to wait again for the high demand to go down), don't mind that they charge for a once free service that they included (no one made them do that!). I might come back to netflix, but not anytime soon.

A Journey Through Football

2012-01-15T07:10:00.000-08:00

September 20th 2010. The second game of the San Francisco 49ers season begins with a Monday Night Football game vs. the New Orleans Saints who are just coming off their first Superbowl victory in franchise history.

Personally I am in need of some good in my life. I had lost my father in August of 2010 and we would always talk sports and life. The 49ers were a means of bonding for us. The last time the 49ers won the Superbowl I was watching it with him and his apartment. I was looking for the 49ers as a sort of way to heal me. I probably hyped this game up a lot in my head.

The 49ers are coming off their first non losing season since 2002, some 8 long years ago. The stage was set. This could be a season maybe even franchise changing game for a team looking to win under first year head coach Mike Singletary who has vowed he will change the team with smash mouth football and only having winners on his team.

The game stays very close throughout but former #1 QB Alex Smith has some struggles early on and is booed whenever he makes a mistake. Smith has the burden of being the #1 pick but has yet to show that he was worthy of being taken that high. To his credit he has never had the same offensive coordinator in consecutive seasons, has has bad coaching, and is on and off the injury list due to a bad offensive line.

The game stays close throughout and the 49ers show that they can somewhat hang with these Saints. We fast forward to the 4th quarter and the Saints are up 19-14 and are now punting the ball away. Going back even further the 49ers had a back up Tight End returning kick offs the season before, to address this problem they sign Ted Ginn a great return specialist whose job it is to return kicks and punts. Ginn goes out to injury the game before and is not available to play in the big game. Back to return the punt is rookie 7th round pick Phillip Adams (returning kick off was 2nd string TE Delanie Walker). Here is the result:

Yet! Hope still remains. Even though we can see Alex Smith and head coach Mike Singletary arguing (briefly) on the sideline and BOOS happening every time he throws an incomplete pass Smith stays in as the 49ers hold the Saints to a field goal. The score now reads: 22-14 Saints. With less then 2 minutes left Alex Smith starts leading the 49ers and shows flashes of his potential. Smith passes to Josh Morgan and Frank Gore for some long passes and makes a great sideline run to get the 49ers even closer. Gore takes the ball and runs it in with 1:19 left in the game. Score is now 22-20. Needing the 2 points the Smith passes to TE Vernon Davis who catches it near the end zone but the play is called no good! After a review they see he did cross the line and the 49ers tied it up! 22-22 but they left the Saints a little bit of time to score.

Typical Drew Brees fashion he leads the Saints to the 49ers 19 yard line with :02 left on the clock, just in time for a game winning field goal. The 49ers lose 25-22 as time expires...(below are the complete highlights of the game).

&amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;gt;I couldn't help the emotions that came about in me. Anger, Sadness, loss...I just wanted so bad to see the 49ers win this one night. The game was amazing win or loss but I couldn't keep the emotions in. I excused myself from my girlfriend (at the time) and best friend and went to the bathroom to cry. I really never do anything like this. It wasn't a playoff or Superbowl loss but for some reason the loss just got to me and I had to cry. Sure thoughts of my late father were still with me. I thought how bad I wanted them to win for him and me. After a minute or so I stopped and decided it was just a game and I was glad the 49ers played well. Maybe they lost this one but 2010 could be a great season.&amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;gt;The 49ers finished 2010 at 6-10. Mike Singletary did not last the entire season and the last game was coached by an intern. Alex Smith played average in the season and since his contract was up it looked like he would not be back, since the fans (including me) thought it was best to get some new blood in and that his time was up. Phillip Adams would be released the following season and played with 2 teams in 2011, he has not returned a punt since 2010. &amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;gt;It is amazing what one man can do. Fresh off an amazing stint as the head coach at Stanford Jim Harbaugh was on his way to be a coach in the pros, it just depended on what team not when. 49ers signed the coach and he was set to turn around this team. In a odd move the 49ers decided to keep Alex Smith at QB and didn't sign another QB (they drafted Quarterback Colin Kapernick in the 2nd round of the draft)but the team mostly remained exactly the same besides a new kicker, cornerback, and Saftey. &amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;gt;Harbaugh somehow managed to turn basically the same 6-10 team into a 13-3 team with just new coaching and some early season wins that made this team believe in what he was selling. The 49ers were now returning to the playoffs for the first time since 2002 (also the last winning team). The defensive was beyond impressive, they set an NFL record for games in a row without allowing a rushing TD. The kicker they signed went on to break the NFL single season record for field goals made, and they cornerback they signed had a career high 6 interceptions and made the Pro Bowl. &amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;gt;49ers finished with a first round bye week, and it was pretty apparent they would be facing a good team. The Saints won over the Detroit Lions and would be making the trek once again to play the 49ers. Once I saw the Saints would be here my mind flashed back to that Week 2 game from 2010. I knew this 49ers team was not that same team, but I also had doubts that Drew Brees and Saints would be so easily beat. I had faith but also much doubt....here we go again.&amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;gt;This time the game was for everything, win and move on, lose and enjoy your off season. The game was at home, in the city that won for 20 years in a row. The Saints had a record setting QB and the best offense in the NFL.&amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;gt;49ers started out up 17-0, and soon enough it was 17-14 Niners at halftime. The game would not be easy. Throughout the game I kept thinking back to the week 2 game and how we scored too fast and how I felt this would happen again. It couldn't? right?&amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;gt;The 49ers were up again. The score was 29-24 Niners with just about 1:48 left in the game. All the 49ers had to do was not give up a TD and we would be moving on. I felt this defense was ready, just don't let up a td I kept thinking. Then:

I couldn't help the emotions that came about in me. Anger, Sadness, loss...I just wanted so bad to see the 49ers win this one night. The game was amazing win or loss but I couldn't keep the emotions in. I excused myself from my girlfriend (at the time) and best friend and went to the bathroom to cry. I really never do anything like this. It wasn't a playoff or Superbowl loss but for some reason the loss just got to me and I had to cry. Sure thoughts of my late father were still with me. I thought how bad I wanted them to win for him and me. After a minute or so I stopped and decided it was just a game and I was glad the 49ers played well. Maybe they lost this one but 2010 could be a great season.

The 49ers finished 2010 at 6-10. Mike Singletary did not last the entire season and the last game was coached by an intern. Alex Smith played average in the season and since his contract was up it looked like he would not be back, since the fans (including me) thought it was best to get some new blood in and that his time was up. Phillip Adams would be released the following season and played with 2 teams in 2011, he has not returned a punt since 2010.

It is amazing what one man can do. Fresh off an amazing stint as the head coach at Stanford Jim Harbaugh was on his way to be a coach in the pros, it just depended on what team not when. 49ers signed the coach and he was set to turn around this team. In a odd move the 49ers decided to keep Alex Smith at QB and didn't sign another QB (they drafted Quarterback Colin Kapernick in the 2nd round of the draft)but the team mostly remained exactly the same besides a new kicker, cornerback, and Saftey.

Harbaugh somehow managed to turn basically the same 6-10 team into a 13-3 team with just new coaching and some early season wins that made this team believe in what he was selling. The 49ers were now returning to the playoffs for the first time since 2002 (also the last winning team). The defensive was beyond impressive, they set an NFL record for games in a row without allowing a rushing TD. The kicker they signed went on to break the NFL single season record for field goals made, and they cornerback they signed had a career high 6 interceptions and made the Pro Bowl.

49ers finished with a first round bye week, and it was pretty apparent they would be facing a good team. The Saints won over the Detroit Lions and would be making the trek once again to play the 49ers. Once I saw the Saints would be here my mind flashed back to that Week 2 game from 2010. I knew this 49ers team was not that same team, but I also had doubts that Drew Brees and Saints would be so easily beat. I had faith but also much doubt....here we go again.

This time the game was for everything, win and move on, lose and enjoy your off season. The game was at home, in the city that won for 20 years in a row. The Saints had a record setting QB and the best offense in the NFL.

49ers started out up 17-0, and soon enough it was 17-14 Niners at halftime. The game would not be easy. Throughout the game I kept thinking back to the week 2 game and how we scored too fast and how I felt this would happen again. It couldn't? right?

The 49ers were up again. The score was 29-24 Niners with just about 1:48 left in the game. All the 49ers had to do was not give up a TD and we would be moving on. I felt this defense was ready, just don't let up a td I kept thinking. Then

Saints were up 32-29 now, Niners had the ball with 1:35 left on the clock. Just about the same amount of time the Saints had back in 2010. Only this 49ers team did not have a Drew Brees. My mind thought they could get at least a field goal but it would take a miracle to win this game now. Miracle received with a perfect Alex Smith throw to All Pro TE Vernon Davis for a 37 yard gain, which put the 49ers in position to kick a field goal or even try for a winning TD.

Clock read :14 as the niners lined up for what surly would be the last play before they would kick a game tying field goal. But what happened next was one of the best plays in many years:

I felt exhilaration. Niners got the win and were moving on into the NFC Championship game. It has been a long 9 years since the last time we even had a winning record and this game was magical. I did feel some sort of payback for the 2010 game but also that this was a new team (even with almost all the same players).

I felt my body sort of shaking, again I went into my room and sort of just kissed the urn that held the remains of my father. I felt happy and sad again. He would have love this game and I wished he was around to watch it. But in my mind he is watching every game with me and always cheering.

Thank you 49ers for giving me this and thank you dad for giving me the love of this sport.

Top Ten Movies of 2011

2012-01-14T08:11:00.000-08:00

I really did not think I would be able to make a list this year since I feel I have missed a lot of good movies that came out in 2011, but here are the top movies I saw in 2011.

1.Super 8
2.Midnight In Paris
3.Moneyball
4.50/50
5.Hugo
6.Rise of the Planet of the Apes
7.Warrior
8.The Guard
9.Rango
10.Attack the Block

Final Power Poll

2012-01-06T15:58:00.000-08:00

Just for fun I am throwing in my predictions I made at the start of the year of what I thought each teams record would be. I was pretty far off on some (I consider 2 wins apart to be pretty good) and I got 5 exactly correct! Great season for my 49ers, I will remember this season for a long time.

1. Green Bay Packers (15-1) I said... 13-3
2. New Orleans Saints (13-3) I said... 12-4
3. New England Patriots (13-3) I said... 14-2
4. San Francisco 49ers (13-3) I said... 6-10
5. Baltimore Ravens (12-4) I said... 12-4
6. Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4) I said... 13-3
7. Atlanta Falcons (10-6) I said... 12-4
8. Detroit Lions (10-6) I said... 8-8
9. New York Giants (9-7) I said... 9-7
10. Houston Texans (10-6) I said... 9-7
11. Cincinnati Bengals (9-7) I said... 3-13
12. Tennessee Titans (9-7) I said... 7-9
13. Denver Broncos (8-8) I said... 3-13
14 (Tie). Dallas Cowboys (8-8) I said... 9-7
14 (Tie). San Diego Chargers (8-8) I said... 9-7
16. Philadelphia Eagles (8-8) I said... 12-4
17. Oakland Raiders (8-8) I said... 5-11
18. New York Jets (8-8) I said... 11-5
19. Arizona Cardinals (8-8) I said... 5-11
20. Chicago Bears (8-8) I said... 8-8
21. Seattle Seahawks (7-9) I said... 6-10
22. Carolina Panthers (6-10) I said... 4-12
23. Miami Dolphins (6-10) I said... 6-10
24. Kansas City Chiefs (7-9) I said... 7-9
25. Buffalo Bills (6-10) I said... 4-12
26. Washington Redskins (5-11) I said... 3-13
27. Jacksonville Jaguars (5-11) I said... 5-11
28. Cleveland Browns (4-12) I said... 6-10
29. Minnesota Vikings (3-13) I said... 5-11
30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-12) I said... 11-5
31. Indianapolis Colts (2-14) I said... 10-6 (with Manning)
32. St Louis Rams (2-14) I said... 8-8

Movie Log 2011

2012-01-02T15:54:00.000-08:00

Complete list of every movie I saw in 2011 with grade. Last years total was 223.

218. Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011) -- B-

217. 30 Minutes or Less (2011) -- C

216. Bridesmaids (2011) -- B (II)

215. The King's Speech (2010) -- A-

214. Scrooged (1988) -- B

213. The Adventures of Tin Tin (2011) -- B

212. It's A Wonderful Life (1946) -- A

211. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011) -- B

210. Beauty and the Beast (1991) -- A-

209. Christmas Vacation (1989) -- B+

208. Bill Cunningham New York (2011) -- B-

207. Tucker and Dale vs Evil (2010) -- B-

206. The Sitter (2011) -- B

205. Unforgiven (1992) -- A-

204. Miracle on 34th Street (1947) -- B-

203. Hanna (2011) -- B

202. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) -- A+

201. The Rocketeer (1991) -- B-

200. Our Idiot Brother (2011) -- B-

199. Hell Night (1981) -- C

198. Arthur (2011) -- C+

197. Hugo (2011) -- A-

196. Major League II (1994) -- C+

195. Terri (2011) -- B-

194. Tower Heist (2011) -- C+

193. The Captains (2011) -- B-

192. Cars 2 (2011) -- C+

191. The Immortals (2011) -- C

190. The Room (2003) -- B

189. The Change-Up (2011) -- C

188. Tree Of Life (2011) -- B+

187. Duel (1971) -- B+

186. Star Trek (2009) -- A-

185. Country Strong (2010) -- D

184. A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas (2011) -- B-

183. Bad Teacher (2011) -- D-

182. Nerdcore Rising (2008) -- C+

181. Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982) -- B+

180. Repulsion (1965) -- B+

179. Johnny English Reborn (2011) -- C

178. Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight (1995) -- C+

177. Paranormal Activity 2 (2010) -- C-

176. Practical Magic (1999) -- D+

175. Rosemary's Baby (1968) -- A+

174. 50/50 (2011) -- A-

173. A Big Year (2011) -- C

172. The Howling (1981) -- B-

171. Beetlejuice (1988) -- B+

170. Garden State (2004) -- A-

169. April Fool's Day (1986) -- B-

168. Take Shelter (2011) -- B

167. Scream 4 (2011) -- C

166. Dead Of Night (1974) -- C

165. Moneyball (2011) -- A-

164. Conan O'Brien Can't Stop (2011) -- B

162. TrollHunter (2010) -- B-

162. The Guard (2011) -- B+

161. TRON: Legacy (2010) -- B- (II)

160. Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) -- A-

159. Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) -- A+

158. Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) -- A

157. The Debt (2010) -- B

156. Porky's (1981) -- C

155. October Sky (1999) -- B-

154. The Warriors Way (2010) -- C+

153. Planet of the Apes (1968) -- B+

152. Two-Minute Warning (1976) -- B-

151. Red State (2011) -- B-

150. The Cider House Rules (1999) -- B

149. A Good Old Fashioned Orgy (2011) -- C+

148. Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (2010) -- C-

147. Bottle Shock (2008) -- B-

146. Shaun Of The Dead (2004) -- B+

145. 13 Assassins (2010) -- C

144. Fright Night (2011) -- C

143. On The Waterfront (1954) -- A

142. The Birds (1963) -- A-

141. Rango (2010) -- B+

140. Super (2010) -- B+

139. Cowboys & Aliens (2011) -- C

138. To Catch A Thief (1955) -- B+

137. Love (2011) -- C-

136. Sunset Boulevard (1950) -- A

135. Insidious (2010) -- C+

134. Attack the Block (2011) -- B+ (II)

133. Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) -- B+

132. Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011) -- B-

131. American History X (1998) -- B+

130. The Lincoln Lawyer (2011) -- C

129. The Thing (1982) -- B+

128. A Bug's Life (1998) -- B

127. Rope (1948) -- A

126. Rear Window (1954) -- A+

125. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) -- B

124. Maniac Cop (1988) -- B- (II)

123. The Professionals (1966) -- A-

122. Duck, You Sucker (1971) -- B+

121. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011) -- B+

120. Galaxy Quest (1999) -- B

119. Logan's Run (1976) -- C+

118. Once Upon A Time In The West (1968) -- A+

117. Night Of The Creeps (1986) -- B+

116. Hobo With A Shotgun (2011) -- C-

115. Rubber (2010) -- D-

114. Hall Pass (2011) -- D

113. Horrible Bosses (2011) -- B (II)

112. Big Nothing (2006) -- B-

111. The Eagle (2011) -- C

110. Morning Glory (2010) -- C-

109. The Company Men (2010) -- C

108. Whip It (2009) -- B-

107. Wet Hot American Summer (2001) -- B-

106. Elektra Luxx (2010) -- C

105. Cars (2006) -- B

104. Somewhere (2010) -- B-

103. Hot Fuzz (2007) -- B (II)

102. Green Lantern (2011) -- C

101. Gentlemen Broncos (2009) -- D

100 .Midnight In Paris (2011) -- A-

99. Stand By Me (1986) -- A-

98. The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad (1988) -- B+

97. Super 8 (2011) -- A (III)

96. X-men First Class (2011) -- B (II)

95. Timecrimes (2007) -- B

94. The Illusionist (2010) -- B

93. The Hangover Part II (2011) -- C+

92. Peter Pan (1953) -- B-

91. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011) -- C-

90. Little Big League (1994) -- B

89. Blow Out (1981) -- A-

88. Pocahontas (1995) -- B-

87. The Jungle Book (1967) -- B

86. Middle Men -- C+

85. Tangled -- B-

84. Gamebox 1.0 -- D-

83. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996) -- B-

82. Thor -- B (II)

81. 127 Hours -- B+

80. Tarzan (1999) -- B-

79. Time Bandits -- C+

78. Dylan Dog: Dead Of Night -- C-

77. The Outlaw Josey Wales -- B

76. The Boys: The Sherman Brothers' Story -- B-

75. The Adjustment Bureau -- B

74. The Next Three Days -- C

73. Teeth -- C-

72. Source Code -- B

71. The Pixar Story -- B

70. Hereafter -- B

69. Your Highness -- C

68. High Plains Drifter -- B

67. Kill The Irishman -- C+

66. Green Lantern: Emerald Knights -- C+

65. From Paris With Love -- C-

64. Limitless -- B-

63. Sucker Punch -- D

62. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street -- B+

61. I Love You Man -- B

60. The American -- B-

59. Don't You Forget About Me -- D+

58. Finder's Fee -- C-

57. Battle Royale -- B

56. Paul -- B-

55. The Wolf Man -- B

54. Dog Day Afternoon -- A-

53. High Noon -- A

52. Battle: Los Angeles -- B-

51. Toy Story 3 -- A (II)

50. Fat Head -- C

49. Sword In The Stone -- C

48. Take Me Home Tonight -- C-

47. Chaos Theory -- C

46. The Strangers -- B-

45. Trick r Treat -- B (II)

44. Quarantine -- B-

43. Easy A -- C+

42. Buried -- B

41. The Town -- B+

40. Cedar Rapids -- B-

39. Hunter/ Prey -- B

38. Birdemic -- D

37. Following -- B

36. Let Me In -- B-

35. Snatch -- B+

34. The Blues Brothers -- A-

33. Hatchet II -- D

32. Unknown -- B

31. Sanctum -- C-

30. Bride Of Frankenstein -- B+

29. Monsters -- B

28. The Elephant Man -- A-

27. Red -- B-

26. So I Married An Axe Murderer -- B-

25. Big Night -- B

24. The Mechanic -- B-

23. The Burrowers -- C

22. Barney's Version -- B+

21. Waking Sleeping Beauty -- B

20. Catfish -- B-

19. Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps -- D+

18. Nowhere Boy -- B-

17. The Kids Are All Right -- B

16. Paper Man -- C+

15. Mary and Max -- B

14. 61* -- A-

13. The Girlfriend Experience -- C-

12. Salt -- B-

11. Frozen -- C

10. Greenberg -- C

9. Green Hornet -- B-

8. Cyrus -- B-

7. Scott Pilgrim Vs The World -- B+ (II)

6. I'm Still Here -- D+

5. Comic Book Villains -- C-

4. True Grit (1969) -- B

3. The Fighter -- A-

2. Black Swan -- A

1.Reservoir Dogs -- A

(#) = how many times I saw this one movie in 2011

2012 Movies

2011-12-29T08:35:00.000-08:00

2012 is already going to an amazing year for movies, so much that list will be full of movies that I am very eager to see. We have a movie I never thought would be made since it had to have 4 separate set up movies, a sequel to my all time favorite comic book movie, favorite director returns, and we should have a prequel that doesn't suck (ahem Mr. Lucas).

In no order I give you the movies I cannot wait for in 2012:

The Dark Knight Rises - July 20th -- I am very excited to see what Mr. Nolan has in store for what seems to be his final Batman storyline. Bane (Tom Hardy) is the new bad guy on the block and from what I have seen he looks to not be joking around. I expect quite a lot from this movie, seeing as how the Dark Knight was my favorite comic book movie ever. Throw in Catwoman (Anne Hathaway) and you have a lot going on. This is easily one of the movies I am most anticipating seeing in 2012.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - December 14th -- The Lord of the Rings showed that you can make a huge trilogy and make it epic and extremely well done. Once I heard someone else besides Peter Jackson was doing this movie I was already thinking how it was a mistake. The movie gods decided to shine down on this movie and Jackson came back on. He also split up the novel into two parts which means even more LOTR fun! The first three films were #1 on my list of best movies of the last decade, so you know I am eager to see this!

Django Unchained - December 25th -- How else would you ring in Christmas but with some Tarantino slavery themed fun. Needles to say Mr. Tarantino is one of my favorite directors of all time so any movie he touches is something I cannot wait to experience. This time he is doing a period piece about a free slave (Jamie Foxx). The cast is impressive: Leonardo DiCaprio, Joesph Gordon-Levitt, Samuel L. Jackson, Christoph Waltz, and Kurt Russell to name a few will be in the movie. I haven't even seen a trailer and it is easily one of the most anticipated movies for me of 2012.

The Avengers - May 4th -- Marvel films have been on a serious roll with Thor and Captain America being solid entertaining movies that came out last year. All the marvel movies were leading up to the Avengers, which has a lot to live up too. This is a movie that most of the nerd community thought would never happen. I find it extremely cool that this movie is even coming out. I can't wait to see Thor, Captain America, Iron Man, Hulk, and the rest battle to save the earth. I am also hoping for a lot more then what I have seen in the trailer, namely who is the bad guy and hoping it is not just Loki (from Thor). Avenger assemble!

Prometheus - June 8th -- Ridley Scott returning to his roots to do an Alien prequel of sorts, sign me up! Alien is easily of my favorite horror/sci-fi movies of all time. I was lucky enough to see it at the theater when it was re-released some years back and the movie plays so much better on the big screen. The cast is impressive: Charilze Theron, Michael Fassbender, and Noomi Rapace will star. The trailer had the serious Alien vibe to it and I cannot wait to see what they do with this film.

Lincoln - December (no date set) -- Spielberg directing Daniel Day Lewis as Abraham Lincoln. I am not sure what else is needed to say besides that. Reports from the set is that Lewis had not dropped the accent of Lincoln and will only respond to being called Mr. Lincoln. From the one picture I saw online he seems to have enveloped the role. I am already saying he will be nominated for best actor at the Oscars. I have some high hopes with my favorite actor and director teaming up for the first time.

Brave - June 22nd -- I have to put any Pixar movie on my list because they have all (ok besides Cars 2) been amazing pieces of film. I have faith that Brave will be another movie that surprises me and becomes a favorite. The movie isn't about cars or toys this time around. Seems like they are doing a period piece starring a red haired young lady. As per usual the premise of the Pixar movies never seems be normal and that is why the probably work so well.

The Apocalypse - 2012(?) -- I seriously have no idea what this movie is about besides that is being directed by Seth Rogen and starring Mr. Rogen, Jonah Hill, James Franco, Jay Baruchel, Danny McBride, and Craig Robinson. All it says on imdb is "Two guys take on the end of the world." If this comes out in 2012 I am there.

The Amazing Spider-Man - July 3rd -- A reboot is a tad early but the old web head has had a few good movies and one amazing one. I am eager to see the new direction they take with a new director( Marc Webb of 500 Days of Summer fame) at the helm. The cast is intriguing with Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, and Rhys Ifans as the Lizard. I am going to go out on a limb and say Ifans will steal the show as the Lizard, but that is just a guess. Spider-Man movie, count me in!

G.I. Joe: Retaliation - June 29th -- I know the first one was a piece of shit, but this is the toys and cartoon I grew up on so I will give them another chance. The trailer looks like ball busting fun. This time it seems like they kill off most of the cast from the first movie (good move!) and throw in some The Rock! Looks like also decided to use the real Cobra Commander (not sure if Joesph Gordon-Levitt is doing a voice). Also has Bruce Willis as the original G.I. Joe. Anyway I am not expecting much here but I just an eager to see a non-stop action movie starring the toys that made my childhood.

Others: Looking forward to seeing Judd Apatow's follow up to Knocked Up, This is 40.... Also we will have a new bond movie Skyfall.... The zombie war movie World War Z stars Brad Pitt and should be good...John Carter looks like it has all the elements of a good sci-fi movie....The Expendables 2 should have more 80's star power and fun.

NFL Power Poll - Week 15

2011-12-20T14:49:00.000-08:00

These are the top of the NFL for me right now, these six teams could all make a serious run at the superbowl this season:

1. Green Bay Packers (13-1)

2. New Orleans Saints (11-3)

3. New England Patriots (11-3)

4. San Francisco 49ers (11-3)

5. Baltimore Ravens (10-4)

6. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-4)

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These teams have a good shot at making the playoffs but will need to get hot to upset the elite teams ahead of them. They are all capable of beating an elite team, with some luck:

7. Atlanta Falcons (9-5)

8. Houston Texans (10-4)

9. Denver Broncos (8-6)

10. Detroit Lions (9-5)

11. New York Jets (8-6)

12. Dallas Cowboys (8-6)

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These are teams that need a lot to go right for them to make the playoffs. Poor or inconsistent play has lead them to a point where most likely they cannot decide their own fate, but would need some other teams losses to make the playoffs.

13. New York Giants (7-7)

14. Cincinnati Bengals (8-6)

15. San Diego Chargers (7-7)

16. Seattle Seahawks (7-7)

17. Oakland Raiders (7-7)

18. Arizona Cardinals (7-7)

19. Philadelphia Eagles (6-8)

20. Tennessee Titans (7-7)

21. Chicago Bears (7-7)

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These teams are looking to build for next season. Maybe they will start trying out new guys or rookies and see who will work best for the upcoming season. A lot of these teams play the best at this point in the season because they no longer have anything to lose.

22. Carolina Panthers (5-9)

23. Miami Dolphins (5-9)

24. Kansas City Chiefs (5-9)

25. Washington Redskins (5-9)

26. Cleveland Browns (4-10)

27. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-10)

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These teams are on a serious losing streak or have been losing for most of the season. They most likely are looking to future and possible firing the coaches they have at the helm right now. Do not be surprised to see them drafting high in 2012.

28. Buffalo Bills (5-9)

29. Minnesota Vikings (2-12)

30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-10)

31. Indianapolis Colts (1-13)

32. St Louis Rams (2-12)

NFL Power Poll - Week 14

2011-12-15T09:01:00.001-08:00

1. Green Bay Packers (13-0)

2. Baltimore Ravens (10-3)

3. New Orleans Saints (10-3)

4. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-3)

5. New England Patriots (10-3)

6. Houston Texans (10-3)

7. San Francisco 49ers (10-3)

8. Denver Broncos (8-5)

9. Atlanta Falcons (8-5)

10. New York Giants (7-6)

11. New York Jets (8-5)

12. Detroit Lions (8-5)

13. Dallas Cowboys (7-6)

14. Tennessee Titans (7-6)

15. Oakland Raiders (7-6)

16. San Diego Chargers (6-7)

17. Cincinnati Bengals (7-6)

18. Arizona Cardinals (6-7)

19. Chicago Bears (7-6)

20. Seattle Seahawks (6-7)

21. Philadelphia Eagles (5-8)

22. Carolina Panthers (4-9)

23. Kansas City Chiefs (5-8)

24. Miami Dolphins (4-9)

25. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-9)

26. Buffalo Bills (5-8)

27. Washington Redskins (4-9)

28. Cleveland Browns (4-9)

29. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-9)

30. Minnesota Vikings (2-11)

31. St Louis Rams (2-11)

32. Indianapolis Colts (0-13)

Bad Trailers - The Three Stooges

2011-12-12T22:43:00.000-08:00

I don't try to be negative on here but sometimes I will see a trailer for a movie and think why is this movie even being made. Once in a while I can just sense the movie will be a failure. Case in point, the new trailer for The Three Stooges:

Anyway if you made it through the entire trailer I give you credit. You can already see how a movie like this, even with some built in audience, will most likely not make much money. Throwing in a reality star like Snooki just shows that this movie is going for cheap laughs and not going for a movie that could be seen for more then a year or so. When I heard they were doing a new Three Stooges I expected a movie more like Chaplin or a biography of the Three Stooges. Instead it seems like they just went for a modern day retelling of comedy that was funny decades ago. Not to put down physical humor but that stuff is not as funny now as it was when it was first released.

From what I heard the orginal cast was said to be Sean Penn, Jim Carrey, and Benecio Del Toro and now the movie stars a couple of non well known TV actors in Will Sasso (MADtv) and Sean Hayes (Will & Grace). I know Hayes has had some legit roles and I found his character on Will & Grace to be quite funny but Sasso is not even a C-list actor. The final main star is Chris Diamantopoulos who I really know nothing about. Sometimes going with a no namer can yield good results but I see nothing of value coming out of this role.

I also am not a big fan of the Farrelly brothers films, well at least not in the last ten years. They have not really had a movie that was decent since 2005's Fever Pitch. Since then it has been movies like The Heartbreak Kid and Hall Pass, I have seen both movies and was left unimpressed.

It is sad to see Hollywood release a trailer like this and believe an audience will flock now a days. I know you cannot always 100% judge a book by its cover, or in this instance a movie by its trailer. I have seen plenty of movies that the trailer made look bad but the actual movie was really good but I fail to see why a movie like this would be made. Oh well, we can always look back at the classic stuff and remember how good it was...

NFL Power Poll - Week 13

2011-12-06T22:15:00.000-08:00

1. Green Bay Packers (12-0)

2. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-3)

3. Baltimore Ravens (9-3)

4. New Orleans Saints (9-3)

5. New England Patriots (9-3)

6. San Francisco 49ers (10-2)

7. Houston Texans (9-3)

8. Denver Broncos (7-5)

9. Atlanta Falcons (7-5)

10. Dallas Cowboys (7-5)

11. New York Giants (6-6)

12. New York Jets (7-5)

13. Tennessee Titans (7-5)

14. Detroit Lions (7-5)

15. Oakland Raiders (7-5)

16. Cincinnati Bengals (7-5)

17. Chicago Bears (7-5)

18. San Diego Chargers (5-7)

19. Miami Dolphins (4-8)

20. Arizona Cardinals (5-7)

21. Seattle Seahawks (5-7)

22. Carolina Panthers (4-8)

23. Kansas City Chiefs (5-7)

24. Philadelphia Eagles (4-8)

25. Buffalo Bills (5-7)

26. Cleveland Browns (4-8)

27. Washington Redskins (4-8)

28. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-8)

29. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-9)

30. Minnesota Vikings (2-10)

31. St Louis Rams (2-10)

32. Indianapolis Colts (0-12)

NFL Power Poll - Week 12

2011-11-29T22:19:00.001-08:00

1. Green Bay Packers (11-0) It might not matter who else is playing in the NFC or even the NFL this year, barring a serious injury this team may go 19-0.

2. Pittsburgh Steelers (8-3) Hard not to see this team going far into the playoffs again, they have Ben and they have that defense.

3. New Orleans Saints (8-3) Brees and the Saints keep on rolling with another impressive home win over the Giants.

4. Baltimore Ravens (8-3) Call them Pittsburgh part 2, they are very similar and could also go far.

5. New England Patriots (8-3) After all the struggles here they sit 8-3 and in first place.

6. San Francisco 49ers (9-2) A good team but still not sure they can hang with the teams above them on this list.

7. Houston Texans (8-3) Down to third string QB yet they still won, they need to find some help at QB or TJ Yates needs to step it up.

8. Atlanta Falcons (7-4) I think they are the surprise team who could upset other come playoff time (like the Packers of last year). Are 4-1 in last 5 games.

9. Oakland Raiders (7-4) The Raiders finally deserve to be up higher on my list because they handled some decent teams lately, all this with no McFadden.

10. Dallas Cowboys (7-4) Cowboys can still beat anyone they play and easily as they could lose to anyone they play.

11. Chicago Bears (7-4) The Cutler injury hurts but I still think they have a solid chance to make the playoffs.

12. Detroit Lions (7-4) What the Texans are to QB's the Lions are to RB's.

13. New York Giants (6-5) Giants have had a really tough schedule (Patriots, 49ers, Eagles, Saints, with Green Bay and Dallas to come) that seems to have broken, and not made them.

14. Cincinnati Bengals (7-4) Still holding their ground in a tough division, this team could become something special in a few years (and many Raider #1 picks later).

15. Denver Broncos (6-5) For all the talk Tebow just wins games, I would rather have him and make the playoffs then have Michael Vick and miss them.

16. New York Jets (6-5) Sort the Cowboys Part II here.

17. Tennessee Titans (6-5) CJ2K finally woke up and earned his pay with 190 yards in the last game. With all the Texans issues, could they make a playoff push?

18. Buffalo Bills (5-6) Remember when everything was going well in Buffalo? Yeah me either.

19. Philadelphia Eagles (4-7) They really shouldn't be this bad, I hear fans started chanting "Fire Andy" (Reid).

20. San Diego Chargers (4-7) How in the hell is Norv Turner still coaching here?! This team was 4-1 at one point..

21. Seattle Seahawks (4-7) The storied 12th man home field advantage has lost some of its luster after another home loss.

22. Miami Dolphins (3-8) This team continues to play well and suffer some close loses.

23. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-7) 5 losses in a row has all but taken this young team out of the playoff hunt.

24. Cleveland Browns (4-7) There was a Peyton Hillis sighting at the Browns game, and he actually decided to play some football.

25. Kansas City Chiefs (4-7) I had no idea they got Kyle Orton and even more no idea whey they didn't start him considering they have yet to score a TD for three weeks.

26. Arizona Cardinals (4-7) When will the opposing teams learn not to punt to this Patrick Peterson kid (he has 4 punt return TD's, which ties the NFL record)?

27. Washington Redskins (4-7) Another Grossman lead win, this guy is special.

28. Carolina Panthers (3-8) The Panthers prove they are no longer the worst team in the NFL and barley beat the Colts, good job guys!

29. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-8) It's gotten pretty bad when your first round QB has been benched in favor of Luke McCown.

30. Minnesota Vikings (2-9) They had no Adrian Peterson for the game, it got so bad they were giving goal line carriers to WR Percy Harvin.

31. St Louis Rams (2-9) On a good note, WR Brandon Lloyd has played in just 6 games for the Rams and has 31 catches for 396 yards and 4 TD's.

32. Indianapolis Colts (0-11) I bet if they signed Jeff Garcia he would at least get them 1 win, so if this exact team had Peyton Manning at QB, how many wins do you think they would have? I am guessing somewhere around 4-6 at least. What will they do if they get the #1 pick in the NFL Draft? Take Luck? Trade Manning? Have Manning mold Luck? So many questions!

NFL Power Poll - Week 11

2011-11-22T08:55:00.001-08:00

1. Green Bay Packers (10-0)

2. San Francisco 49ers (9-1)

3. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-3)

4. New Orleans Saints (7-3)

5. New England Patriots (7-3)

6. Baltimore Ravens (7-3)

7. Houston Texans (7-3)

8. Chicago Bears (7-3)

9. Atlanta Falcons (6-4)

10. Detroit Lions (7-3)

11. Dallas Cowboys (6-4)

12. Oakland Raiders (6-4)

13. New York Giants (6-4)

14. Cincinnati Bengals (6-4)

15. Denver Broncos (5-5)

16. New York Jets (5-5)

17. Tennessee Titans (5-5)

18. Philadelphia Eagles (4-6)

19 Buffalo Bills (5-5)

20. San Diego Chargers (4-6)

21. Seattle Seahawks (4-6)

22. Miami Dolphins (3-7)

23. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-6)

24. Cleveland Browns (4-6)

25. Kansas City Chiefs (4-6)

26. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-7)

27. Minnesota Vikings (2-8)

28. Arizona Cardinals (3-7)

29. Washington Redskins (3-7)

30. Carolina Panthers (2-8)

31. St Louis Rams (2-8)

32. Indianapolis Colts (0-10)

NFL Power Poll - Week 10

2011-11-16T08:23:00.001-08:00

1. Green Bay Packers (9-0)
2. San Francisco 49ers (8-1)
3. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-3)
4. New Orleans Saints (7-3)
5. New England Patriots (6-3)
6. Baltimore Ravens (6-3)
7. Houston Texans (7-3)
8. New York Giants (6-3)
9. Chicago Bears (6-3)
10. Cincinnati Bengals (6-3)
11. New York Jets (5-4)
12. Atlanta Falcons (5-4)
13. Detroit Lions (6-3)
14. Dallas Cowboys (5-4)
15. Oakland Raiders (5-4)
16. Buffalo Bills (5-4)
17. Tennessee Titans (5-4)
18. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-5)
19 San Diego Chargers (4-5)
20. Denver Broncos (4-5)
21. Seattle Seahawks (3-6)
22. Kansas City Chiefs (4-5)
23. Arizona Cardinals (3-6)
24. Philadelphia Eagles (3-6)
25. Cleveland Browns (3-6)
26. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-6)
27. Minnesota Vikings (2-7)
28. Miami Dolphins (2-7)
29. St Louis Rams (2-7)
30. Carolina Panthers (2-7)
31. Washington Redskins (3-6)
32. Indianapolis Colts (0-10)

NFL Power Poll - Week 9

2011-11-11T10:12:00.000-08:00

Sorry, had this done on Tuesday but forgot to post:

1. Green Bay Packers (8-0)
2. Baltimore Ravens (6-2)
3. San Francisco 49ers (7-1)
4. New Orleans Saints (6-3)
5. New York Giants (6-2)
6. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-3)
7. Atlanta Falcons (5-3)
8. Detroit Lions (6-2)
9. New England Patriots (5-3)
10. New York Jets (5-3)
11. Houston Texans (6-3)
12. Chicago Bears (5-3)
13. Cincinnati Bengals (6-2)
14. Buffalo Bills (5-3)
15. San Diego Chargers (4-4)
16. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-4)
17. Dallas Cowboys (4-4)
18. Oakland Raiders (4-4)
19 Tennessee Titans (4-4)
20. Kansas City Chiefs (4-4)
21. Philadelphia Eagles (3-5)
22. Cleveland Browns (3-5)
23. Denver Broncos (3-5)
24. Minnesota Vikings (2-6)
25. Carolina Panthers (2-6)
26. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-6)
27. Washington Redskins (3-5)
28. Arizona Cardinals (2-6)
29. Seattle Seahawks (2-6)
30. St Louis Rams (1-7)
31. Miami Dolphins (1-7)
32. Indianapolis Colts (0-9)

Halloween 2011 Recap

2011-11-02T13:41:00.000-07:00

I love the Halloween season, it gives me a month long time frame to watch the horror movies that make me laugh or scream and I always try to add some classic horror movies I have never seen. Last year I ended up seeing 23 films that had to do with the mystery/horror/suspense genres (click HERE to read these) .

This year I did not plan to do try and see a ton of those type of movies but the season did hit me and I tried to watch some movies that would get me into the mood of the month. I was having a great time following two people who did an amazing job of making October really special.

My brother aka Colonel Mortimer wrote a blog on horror movies for every day in October, click HERE to check it out! I also am happy to be a huge fan of James Rolfe (aka the Angry Video Game Nerd) who daily reviewed a horror movie sequel, he calls it Monster Madness. I knew that everyday in October I could wake up and look forward to reading a blog or watching a video, it all made for a fun and educational month of October.

Here is the movies I saw in October that made it a fun month:

Troll Hunter (2010) -- A pretty cool Norewigan movie that I saw a preview for a while ago and thought it looked interesting. Pretty much shot in the found footage type of genre. I thought the movie used the special effects well and the acting was good. A fun little movie. I hear its being remade for the USA already.

Dead Of Night (1974) -- I had this one on my netflix for a while, it was mostly because it was directed by the late Bob Clark (A Christmas Story) and I read about it in a few books. The movie is about a man coming back from war, but he is not the same man. I found it interesting but slow at times. Also found out it is called Deathdream in some places.

Scream 4 (2011) -- I started to wonder why netflix didn't really have a long wait considering I got this movie a day or so after it was released. I now know why....OK the movie is not total garbage but it has many flaws. If you like the other scream films the movie will be right up your ally since it has whoever has lived through the first 3 movies. I really enjoyed the opening credits, you are really never sure what is going on at that point. The rest of the movie is just a rehash of the other 3 movies.

April Fool's Day (1986) -- I had seen the movie a long time ago when I was younger so I knew all about the ending. I found this to be an entertaining movie. It is about a bunch of college kids going to a cabin in the woods...sounds very cliche and most of it is. Still a fun watch.

Beetlejuice (1988) -- It is really weird to see Alec Bladwin being so young, he seemed to never take on a role or be in a movie like this one again. I feel the movie is a good comedy and has all the Burton elements he would go on to use in his later films. I wish Michael Keaton could have had more of a starring role, for being the character the movies name after he is only in around 20 minutes of it. Still a great movie to watch to see Burton when he wasn't just doing remakes.

The Howling (1981) -- I put off seeing this one for a while, but urged on because of my brother's blog I finally watched it. Starts off sort of slow but overall I thought this was a fresh take on the Wolfman movies.

Rosemary's Baby (1968) -- I just love it, it was a masterpiece. The acting was perfect! I cannot believe that I had never seen it before since it was so renowned. I really like how you can feel for Rosemary and how no one will believe all the strange things she is seeing. I can tell why this is a classic.

Practical Magic (1999) -- Is what you watch when you are hanging out with two females who decide they want to watch a scary movie. You have two future oscar winners (Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock) be witches with a curse on them.

Paranormal Activity 2 (2010) -- I figured I would watch this one since I watched the first one. Overall if you can get past the really slow pace and some bad acting (especially from the dad) then it is somewhat okay. I liked most of all how it tied into the first films and gives and ending to that movie.

Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight (1995) -- When I first saw this as a 15 year old it was perfect for me. A movie that had some gore and action but mixed with that right amount of humor. Seeing it again as an older man I still found enjoyment but could also see how the 15 year old me would love it. Overall this is still a fun movie but maybe not as a good as I once thought.

Trick'R Treat (2007) -- This underrated movie is like Creepshow but if it was for just Halloween. I still enjoy the movie even though I know everything that is going to happen throughout it. I shared it with my girlfriend, who seemed to not hate it! It is becoming must watch movie every October.

Repulsion (1965) -- After Rosemary's Baby I wanted to see more of director Roman Polanksi . Repulsion is about a woman who is home alone and slowly starts seeing and hearing weird things, as she slips slowly into madness. It was very uncomfortable movie to watch (which it was going for), great directing here again.

Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982) -- Another Halloween time favorite! Halloween III is slowly getting a good buzz, well at least with the people I show it too. I have shared the movie with a few friends, this year it was my roommate who I showed it too. I just love this movie and feel it is always fun to watch around Halloween. Atkins rules!

Well that is it for this year. I wasn't trying to watch a certain amount of movie this time but overall they all added to the enjoyment of the season.

NFL Power Poll - Week 8

2011-11-01T08:36:00.001-07:00

1. Green Bay Packers (7-0) The only team left undefeated, for how much longer?

2. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2) A huge win over the Patriots makes the Steelers back as the class of the AFC.

3. San Francisco 49ers (6-1) The team just wins games!

4. New England Patriots (5-2) A loss on the road in a tough environment, but the team seems to be lacking something this season.

5. New Orleans Saints (5-3) Got beat by the Rams, only reason I can think of is that the Rams wore the throwback jerseys (they should just wear them every week).

6. Detroit Lions (6-2) Blasted the Tebow led Broncos, this might give them back some of the swagger after two losses in a row.

7. Baltimore Ravens (5-2) Whew, almost lost to Arizona at home...big concerns with the passing game and Flacco have emerged.

8. Atlanta Falcons (4-3) They were on a bye week but I still feel they are better than a lot of others in the NFC.

9. New York Jets (4-3) Joe McNight is getting my vote for return man pro bowler!

10. Buffalo Bills (5-2) Shut out the Redskins in Canada!

11. San Diego Chargers (4-3) Lost in OT to the surging Chiefs, why is Norv Turner still coaching this team?

12. New York Giants (5-2) Had a close win against the bad Dolphins.

13. Houston Texans (5-3) Texans remain perfect agaisnt the AFC South with win.

14. Kansas City Chiefs (4-3) I never counted this team out but thought the injures would too much to get back in this, but hey that why they play the games.

15. Oakland Raiders (4-3) Had a bye week to get Carson Palmer ready.

16. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-3) Another team on a bye week.

17. Chicago Bears (4-3) Yet another team on a bye week!

18. Cincinnati Bengals (5-2) This team is doing surprisingly well with the young talent they have, and wow they get two more first round picks for trading Palmer.

19 Philadelphia Eagles (3-4) Ah the Eagles coming off a bye week never lose, is this the game that signals the turn around?

20. Dallas Cowboys (3-4) This team is so inconsistent.

21. Tennessee Titans (4-3) Chris Johnson is averaging 2.8 yards per carry but this team is still winning.

22. Cleveland Browns (3-4) They are down to their third string running back now.

23. Minnesota Vikings (2-6) The tough loss team finally is able to pull out a close win, Ponder looks much better then McNabb.

24. Carolina Panthers (2-6) Panthers could be a team to reckon with, but maybe starting next year.

25. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-6) MJD leads the AFC in rushing (and fumbles?)

26. Washington Redskins (3-4) Look, record with Beck is 0-2...I think we all know it is time for Grossman to step back in!

27. Seattle Seahawks (2-5) They were almost never beat at home last year, this year 1-2 at home.

28. St Louis Rams (1-6) Throwback jerseys lead to a huge win over the Saints.

29. Denver Broncos (2-5) Tebow gets credit for a win last week and should take the blame for loss this week, welcome to the NFL kid.

30. Arizona Cardinals (1-6) Had a good game agaisnt the Ravens on the road but ultimately the proved to be who we thought they were.

31. Miami Dolphins (0-7) They sure are playing like they would like a certain future QB.

32. Indianapolis Colts (0-8) They are sure playing like they miss a certain hall of fame QB.

NFL Power Poll - Week 7

2011-10-27T08:29:00.001-07:00

1. Green Bay Packers (7-0)

2. New England Patriots (5-1)

3. New Orleans Saints (5-2)

4. San Francisco 49ers (5-1)

5. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2)

6. Baltimore Ravens (4-2)

7. Atlanta Falcons (4-3)

8. Detroit Lions (5-2)

9. New York Jets (4-3)

10. San Diego Chargers (4-2)

11. Buffalo Bills (4-2)

12. Oakland Raiders (4-3)

13. New York Giants (4-2)

14. Houston Texans (4-3)

15. Dallas Cowboys (3-3)

16. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-3)

17. Chicago Bears (4-3)

18. Cincinnati Bengals (4-2)

19. Kansas City Chiefs (3-3)

20. Philadelphia Eagles (2-4)

21. Tennessee Titans (3-3)

22. Cleveland Browns (3-3)

23. Carolina Panthers (2-5)

24. Washington Redskins (3-3)

25. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-5)

26. Seattle Seahawks (2-4)

27. Denver Broncos (2-4)

28. Minnesota Vikings (1-6)

29. Arizona Cardinals (1-5)

30. Miami Dolphins (0-6)

31. St Louis Rams (0-6)

32. Indianapolis Colts (0-7)

NFL Power Poll - Week 6

2011-10-18T23:46:00.000-07:00

1. Green Bay Packers (6-0)

2. New England Patriots (5-1)

3. Baltimore Ravens (4-1)

4. New Orleans Saints (4-2)

5. San Francisco 49ers (5-1)

6. Detroit Lions (5-1)

7. Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2)

8. San Diego Chargers (4-1)

9. New York Jets (3-3)

10. Buffalo Bills (4-2)

11. Oakland Raiders (4-2)

12. Atlanta Falcons (3-3)

13. Tennessee Titans (3-2)

14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-2)

15. Houston Texans (3-3)

16. New York Giants (4-2)

17. Cincinnati Bengals (4-2)

18. Dallas Cowboys (2-3)

19. Chicago Bears (3-3)

20. Philadelphia Eagles (2-4)

21. Washington Redskins (3-2)

22. Kansas City Chiefs (2-3)

23. Cleveland Browns (2-3)

24. Seattle Seahawks (2-3)

25. Carolina Panthers (1-5)

26. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-5)

27. Arizona Cardinals (1-4)

28. Denver Broncos (1-4)

29. Minnesota Vikings (1-5)

30. St Louis Rams (0-5)

31. Indianapolis Colts (0-6)

32. Miami Dolphins (0-6)

#1 Movie I wanted to like is...

2011-10-17T19:12:00.000-07:00

I often find myself stuck on a movie that I like part of but just cannot say to myself that I liked it enough to think it was a good movie. I wandered on that for a while and came up with a list of movies that I wanted to like really bad, but for reasons that will be revealed I did not. I decided to jut come up with a top 5 list, so here it goes

1. Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999) directed by George Lucas

Why I wanted to like it:

Because in 1999 I was 19 years old and Star Wars was a huge part of my life. I had tons of Star Wars toys and video games and was so excited to see the movie I felt like I had been waiting forever for. Star Wars movies were finally coming back onto the big screen for the first time since 1983. I was at that age where I had just graduated a year ago and was starting college with my two friends who were both Star Wars fans. We would have long talks about how we thought the movies would play out and what things they needed to show. This movie was huge not just for me but for everyone who wanted to see how Star Wars came to be, we were all thinking these movie would be better then the others because they would explain how Darth Vader came to be. I didn't think this movie could do any wrong, the internet buzz was staggering. I just kept hoping it would come out so I could say I saw the Star Wars prequels when I was 19 and tell my kids all about it, similar to how my dad would retell the stories of how he went to see the first Star Wars movie and how it blew him away. This would be my story to tell, this would be amazing..

Why I didn't like it:

The Phantom Menace is a terrible name for one thing. To be honest when I was done seeing this movie for the first time I was on a nerd high and thought it was one of the best movies I had ever seen. There was no way I would listen to the little voice in my head that was disapointed and confused. Why did I care about trade federations and senators? I just wanted to see a pissed of kid Darth Vader going around and being badass. I felt the movie tried to take on too much and was just a complete disaster. Lucas made sure to make this movie appeal to kids, he needed to sell those toys! Jar Jar Binks is the worst character in the history of Star Wars, no questions asked. I think the Sarlaac Pit from Return of the Jedi acted better in the 5 minutes he acted. Anakin was played by Jake Lloyd who did not know how to act at this point in his career. Usually good actors like Ewan McGregor and Natalie Portman phoned in expressionless performances as well, it was mind boggling that such good actors could not convey any emotion.

The CGI was decent, I will give Mr. Lucas that. But was it needed for every little thing in the entire movie? If I had to say there was a good part of the movie it would be the Pod Race scenes (when no one was talking) and the final duel between Qui-Gon Jin (Liam Neeson), Obi Wan Kenobi, and Darth Maul. Maul was the most intriguing character from the movie and is subsequently killed off in the end, which means he would not be appearing in the other prequels. The only hope I had is knowing that there would be two more movies to wrap up the series and I was hoping they would be better then this one and I could just erase this from my memory.

I own this movie, I bought it when it was first released on dvd because I just wanted to try and watch it again hoping I would find more to it I liked. Whenever the movie comes on cable I just shake my head and cannot come to watch much of it. In 1999 this was the movie I wanted to like the best out of any movie I had ever seen and it let me down bad.

NFL Power Poll - Week 5

2011-10-12T08:45:00.001-07:00

1. Green Bay Packers

2. New England Patriots

3. New Orleans Saints

4. Detroit Lions

5. Baltimore Ravens

6. San Diego Chargers

7. Buffalo Bills

8. Houston Texans

9. New York Jets

10. San Francisco 49ers

11. Pittsburgh Steelers

12. Oakland Raiders

13. Tennessee Titans

14. Cincinnati Bengals

15. Washington Redskins

16. Atlanta Falcons

17. Dallas Cowboys

18. Chicago Bears

19. New York Giants

20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

21. Kansas City Chiefs

22. Carolina Panthers

23. Philadelphia Eagles

24. Cleveland Browns

25. Seattle Seahawks
26. Arizona Cardinals

27. Denver Broncos

28. Minnesota Vikings

29. Jacksonville Jaguars

30. Indianapolis Colts

31. St Louis Rams

32. Miami Dolphins

Movies I wanted to like #2

2011-10-10T10:15:00.000-07:00

2. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) directed by Steven Spielberg

Why I wanted to like it:

Well it is Indiana freaking Jones! I, like most others, love the whole Indiana Jones trilogy for its fun action adventure storylines. The last Indy movie was released in 1989 and fanboys have long heard rumors that there would be another Indy movie once George Lucas and Steve Spielberg had the time. Since Lucas was working on Star Wars again it seemed as if the long awaited 4th movie would never materialize. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull had to be one of the most anticipated movie ever for me! I just knew that having Indiana Jones back would be awesome, no matter what he was doing. Once they previews were released the movie looked decent enough and since it was Spielberg directing I knew Lucas could not single handily be in charge of messing this one up. I was so eager to see what Professor Jones has in store for his rabid fans! I went to see the midnight showing of this, just so I could say that I was there when it was first opening.

Why I didn't like it:

Well, the magic had just somewhat vanished from the Indiana Jones of old. Harrison Ford looked much older and tired but that wasn't the main reason I didn't like the movie. I guess it was mostly the plot that involved Jones looking for a skull that was tied up with aliens. Jeeze Spielberg, we get it...you love aliens!!!! Okay, so I know that the Indy movies are not realistic by any standard but it was cooler when Indy was after artifacts that actually were rumored to exist or were lore. I just felt Indiana Jones and aliens was not the mix I was looking for.

The movie also reeked of Lucas, too many over the top sets and you could tell when CGI was used. For having almost 20 years between movies you really think they could have done a much better job. Not that Spielberg did his best work here either. Shia LaBeouf (who I like in some roles) was made to be the long lost son Indy never knew he had. I thought they were just trying to set up this monkey swinging kid to take over the mantle of his dad. Once again like Superman Returns I did not care to see if the hero had a kid. I would rather see the hero return to what he does best, kicking some Nazi ass.

The movie did go on to make a killing at the box office. Sure I own the dvd but have seriously never even thought about watching it. A few months back the movie poped up on some cable station and I started watching it again. It does have definite moments that are well done, like the car chase through the jungle scene but even those scenes have to throw in some cheesy moment. Overall the wait just wasn't worth it.

Movies I wanted to like #3

2011-10-06T14:47:00.000-07:00

I often find myself stuck on a movie that I like part of but just cannot say to myself that I liked it enough to think it was a good movie. I wandered on that for a while and came up with a list of movies that I wanted to like really bad, but for reasons that will be revealed I did not. I decided to jut come up with a top 5 list, so here it goes

3. Superman Returns (2006) directed by Bryan Singer

Why I wanted to like it:

With the success of Batman Begins in 2005 it seemed as if DC Comic characters were in for a great set of movies. You had Bryan Singer directing and he made one of my favorite comic book movies in X-Men 2 as well as a personal favorite The Usual Suspects. The movie seemed to be cast very well and I agreed with most of the choices. Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor seemed genius and Superman himself would be played by a new comer Brandon Routh who looked like a clone of the original Superman actor Christopher Reeves. I also knew Singer wanted this to be a sequel to Superman I & II not a total reboot which seemed like a fresh idea at the time. Everything seemed to point as this not only being a good movie with the right people in front of the camera and behind the scenes but knowing it could also be a huge money maker and lead to even more comic book films with Superman.

Why I didn't like it:

Routh looked the part but his acting was not on par with the hopes of this fanboy. Luther was not really as evil as I was hoping for and the movie really lacked a defining action scene that made the audience say WOW. In fact the movie lacked action, but instead focused on Superman and Lois Lane's child. I think the whole son of Superman thing was the worst aspect of the film for me. I wanted to see Superman and Luther go at it, not a plot about Superman's kid and if he had powers.

Seeing Superman in a hospital bed waiting and knowing he would get better anyway seemed like a waste of time. After first viewing I felt that maybe I missed something and would end up giving the film another shot a few weeks later. The second viewing was a tad better but I still felt that no matter how much I wanted to like Superman Returns that it was not a movie I would like as much as I wanted too.

Since it was released Superman Returns did make quite a lot of money, but not as much as the studio was expecting it too. Singer has said he felt he could do better and was long trying to get a sequel done. Over time a new Superman movie was hatched, this time being directed by Zach Snyder of Watchmen and 300 fame. I only hope that this new movie can address the problems that Superman Returns did wrong.

Movies I wanted to like #4

2011-10-04T08:31:00.000-07:00

I often find myself stuck on a movie that I like part of but just cannot say to myself that I liked it enough to think it was a good movie. I wandered on that for a while and came up with a list of movies that I wanted to like really bad, but for reasons that will be revealed I did not. I decided to jut come up with a top 5 list, so here it goes

4. Spider-Man 3 (2007) Directed by Sam Raimi

What I wanted to like it:

I was a big fan of the previous two installments in the series, but more a fan of the awesome Spider-Man 2. When released in 2004 Spider-Man 2 instantly became one of my all time favorite comic book movies. I was pretty pumped to see the follow up and a fanboys dream came true, Venom would be the villain in this one. Spider-Man was also my favorite superhero at the time (to see who it is now, click HERE!) so needless to say I was pretty excited to see how the whole Venom vs. Spider-Man battle would play out. If anything this movie would have a lot going on it knowing that they had two bad guys for the first time in Venom and Sandman as well as Harry Osbourne stuff to tie up and the introduction of Gwen Stacey, whew that is a lot to address.

Why I didn't like it:

I should have seen the writing on the wall with this one. They tried to address too many things and the movie really couldn't focus on just one person to flesh out. We have Peter and Mary Jane, Peter and Gwen Stacey, Sandman, Venom, Harry becoming his own villain, and some where in there Peter Parker hits Mary Jane...ugh the movie was just trying to cover too much! It wasn't helped by the rumor that Raimi did not want to include Venom in the movie and felt he had to from the movie studio. I can see how this could be true since he sort of hurries along the entire Venom story arc. I feel the movie would have played out much better if it Sandman was the lone villain and they incorporated more of Harry going bad. The acting also seemed phoned it especially from the two leads Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst, to me it seemed as if they had tired of the roles or maybe they just knew the source material was not as good as the other two movies. The climax of the movie has some good parts to it but overall this movie was a huge let down after Spider-Man 2. Since Spider-Man 3 they have decided to restart the franchise from scratch and The Amazing Spider-Man will be released next year. This could be for the best since the director and actors from the other movies seemed like they were all ready to try something new.

I probably saw Spider-Man 3 a couple of time at the theater, trying to find something I might have missed the first time, trying to like it. I own Spider-Man 1 and 2 on dvd but will never buy this movie.

Movies I wanted to like #5

2011-10-02T18:45:00.000-07:00

NFL Power Poll - Week 3

2011-09-27T15:04:00.000-07:00

1. Green Bay Packers - That TE Finley went nuts with 3 TD grabs for a 27-17 win over Da Bears

2. Buffalo Bills - These truly are the best jerseys.... ever!

3. New Orleans Saints - Able to pull out high scoring win over a good opponent (Houston)

4. New England Patriots - Brady throws 4 INT's in one game, threw 4 all of last season.

5. Detroit Lions- Lions come from behind for dramatic win in Minnesota, Calvin Johnson cannot be stopped.

6. Houston Texans - Defense that I said was good proved me wrong, letting up 40 in loss to Saints.

7. Baltimore Ravens- WR Torrey Smith first 3 catches in the game were all TD's, they killed the Rams 37-7.

8. New York Jets - The mighty D gave up 34 to the Raiders and 171 rushing yards to McFadden.

9. San Diego Chargers- Took my advice and let Ryan Matthews run for 98 yards with 2 TD's, my fantasy team thanks you.

10. Pittsburgh Steelers - Probably should have beat the Colts by more than 3.

11. Dallas Cowboys - Who is NOT injured on this team?

12. Philadelphia Eagles - I know all they mention is Vick but LeSean McCoy is a very underrated RB.

13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - A nice home win against the Falcons has me thinking Bucs are in for a good season.

14. New York Giants - Last time I said they were not impressing me, this week's win in Philly has changed my stance.

15. Oakland Raiders - Raiders offense has been putting up big numbers so far, great team win against a good Jets team makes me wonder if they can contend.

16. Chicago Bears - Tough opening three games: Atlanta, New Orleans, and Green Bay...they could be in for some more wins in the near future namely at home vs. Carolina up next.

17. Washington Redskins - Rex Grossman led Redskins will not go undefeated this year!

18. Atlanta Falcons - This team's play has been puzzling to this point, perhaps Michael Turner's 20 yards on 11 carriers is a start...

19. San Francisco 49ers - Won in the first NFL game ever to finish with a 13-8 score! They are in sole possession of first in the NFC West.

20. Tennessee Titans - Win the game but have to be disappointed to lose Kenny Brit, who I just praised last week!

21. Cleveland Browns - Your 2-1 Browns, and they did it without Peyton Hillis who is suffering from Madden Curse.

22. Carolina Panthers - Panthers already with half their win total from last season!

23. Denver Broncos - Like the Cowboys, who on this team in not hurt? Tim Tebow for one..

24. Arizona Cardinals - This team may get no wins on the road this season.

25. St Louis Rams - Rams also have had a very hard schedule so far..at home vs. Ravens and Eagles and on the road against the Giants.

26. Miami Dolphins - Bright spot is rookie RB Daniel Thomas who has taken over the RB situation.

27. Cincinnati Bengals - Failed to put up many points after being in a few goal line situations vs. 49ers.

28. Jacksonville Jaguars- The Blaine Gabbert era begins with a safety.

29. Minnesota Vikings - After being up 20-0 they end up losing 26-23 in OT.

30. Seattle Seahawks- Seahawks home crowd somehow propels this team to win, may be best player on team.

31. Kansas City Chiefs - After some blowout losses they played better but still lose 20-17.

32. Indianapolis Colts - Ready or not the Curtis Painter era begins in Indy.

NFL Power Poll - Week 2

2011-09-20T15:43:00.000-07:00

1. New England Patriots - Having the same QB and coach for years means no lag to start the season for these guys.

2. Green Bay Packers - A close call playing the Panthers but were able to handle their business.

3. New York Jets - Threw a hurting on the Jags to the tune of 32-3

4. New Orleans Saints - Were able to sack Jay Cutler 6 times and the offense is clicking.

5. Houston Texans - Doesn't seem to matter who is running the ball this team is winning and has an improved defense.
6. Philadelphia Eagles - After Vick went out with a concussion the team wasn't the same, could prove to be a problem.

7. Detroit Lions- Stafford has not been sacked once in two games. They are for real.

8. Baltimore Ravens- Did a double take when I saw they lost, a huge step back to lose after taking out Pittsburgh.

9. San Diego Chargers- I think Ryan Matthews should be the #1 RB here, lost at New England... but who doesn't?

10. Atlanta Falcons - Nice bounce back win after a terrible start in Chicago. Falcons show they do not need Vick any longer.

11. Pittsburgh Steelers - Held the Seahawks scoreless, they needed that.

12. Chicago Bears - Might want to look into getting some offensive line help or a better back up QB.

13. Buffalo Bills - Still am not buying this team..yet. See how they do against the Patriots, still love the jerseys!

14. Washington Redskins - Rex Grossman led Redskins are 2-0....What?

15. Dallas Cowboys - If healthy they could be a team to reckon with.

16. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Josh Freeman is starting to get a name for himself as a come from behind QB.

17. New York Giants - Team hasn't been to impressive so far.

18. Tennessee Titans - Nice win against the Ravens at home, Kenny Britt is the real deal.

19. Oakland Raiders - Crushing loss against the Bills, I think they are missing a certain All Pro Cornerback.

20. San Francisco 49ers- Couldn't hold the lead and the offense again couldn't get the run working.

21. Arizona Cardinals - Kolb, Wells, and Fitzgerald are becoming a great combination.

22. Cleveland Browns- Peyton wins in Indianapolis, Peyton Hillis that is.

23. Jacksonville Jaguars- Managed just 3 points, Blane Gabbert already got some snaps, shocker!

24. Carolina Panthers - Played well against the Packers, you can tell things are heading up in Carloina.

25. St Louis Rams - Stephen Jackson misses the game and Rams have a hard time scoring.
26. Minnesota Vikings - Were up 17-0 at the half, ended up losing 24-20.

27. Denver Broncos - A nice home win over the Bengals shows that anyone can win at home.

28. Miami Dolphins - Reggie Bush, the best back up RB you can ever have!

29. Cincinnati Bengals - Hey, Andy Dalton and A.J. Green played well...there is hope!

30. Indianapolis Colts - No Manning, no win.

31. Kansas City Chiefs - Lose another huge player in Charles and have been outscored 89-10 on the season.

32. Seattle Seahawks- Is this the worst offense in the NFL?