The Smartest Kid In the Room With Down Syndrome

Donald Glover talking about the comments he received during his...

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 19:46:11 -0700

Donald Glover talking about the comments he received during his campaign to be the next Spider-Man (x)

“I was talking about it with Dan Eckman, who directed my Bonfire video. Can you imagine that trailer? That would be dope. Like it makes sense… a poor black kid in Queens. Like it just fits.”

You know what my Tumblr's full of...

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 15:16:30 -0700

LOVE!!!

The top 10 matches in Wrestlemania History

Sat, 06 Apr 2013 16:30:09 -0700

Tomorrow, the biggest spectacle of half naked, greased up men, who pretend to hit each other for our amusement, takes center stage in the world of…entertainment. Sports. Entertainment. See…see what I did there?

Wrestlemania 29 is fast approaching, set this year in Giants Stadium Part Deux, (I refuse to call it Metlife Stadium) with a card that seemed extremely predictable even as long as four months ago, but should promise for a rousing night of entertainment. At least more so than Walking Dead has been this year.

In honor of the grandest spectacle of them all, I wanted to go through the years, and pick out what I felt were the greatest Mania matches of them all. I’ve seen them all, multiple times, (Ladies…) and while picking favorites is a daunting challenge, (as daunting as one can get while eating ho-ho’s..) I feel that this list is a comprehensive history into what Wrestlemania has delivered over the years in terms of quality, historical perspective, and excellent storytelling.

Does any match this year have the capabilities of cracking the top ten? Absolutely. Undertaker vs. CM Punk purely in hype, and the Shield vs. Launchpad McQuack, (Randy Orton) Sheamus, and that Guy Who’s Still Boring Even After Approximately 20 Years in the Company. (Big Show) The nature of these matches with the Shield lends itself best with the attitude era type matches of a decade ago with its relentless brutality, quick pace, and one giant spot that will awe the audience. It very well could be the show-stealer of the night.

Let’s run some honorable mentions on here though shall we?

Edge vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. Chris Jericho vs. Kane vs. Chris Benoit vs. Christian — Money in the Bank Ladder Match — Wrestlemania 21 — The first ever Money in the Bank Match happened at Mania 21 in Los Angeles. The idea itself emerged from being a complementary part of the card, to getting it’s very own PPV in the middle of the year. The first one however still remains as the best one in my view. Shelton Benjamin, a criminally underused talent while employed with WWE, was on full display of his athletic ability climbing rungs of ladders like Spiderman and dropping onto people full force. Chris Benoit, (who? exactly WWE Universe…don’t say Universe) Edge, Chris Jericho, and Christian, all amazing athletes were able to play off one another to heighten the drama, and the dangerous spots in the match. Kane was there too. So that counts…I guess. Edge went on to win this match, and in such, starting his Hall of Fame career as the Rated R Superstar.

Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Benoit — World Heavyweight Championship — Wrestlemania 20 — Probably the most overhyped main event in terms of quality. Don’t get me wrong this was a very good match, that had a super amount of pre-hype to it, but it just fell short of expectations. Rumor had it that after Benoit won the Royal Rumble, Trips didn’t feel that Benoit could carry the company as it’s champion, (He couldn’t) so he didn’t want to lose to him. After many rounds of discussion and negotiation, Vince McMahon added Shawn to the match to appease Hunter. No one knew if Hunter agreed to lay down. So before the PPV happened, there was genuine reason to believe that Benoit would lose, and Hunter would retain his title. (Which at the time, would have made Internet smarks spontaneously combust. This was the time when Hunter winning a match was due to him marrying the bosses daughter. Not due to his talent or anything…) The Madison Square Garden crowd unfortunately was dead after the colostomy bag of a match between Brock Lesnar and Goldberg earlier in the night, so the lackluster noise lessened this match’s quality. This is the “What Could Have Been” Main Event.

Randy Savage vs. Ricky Steamboat — Intercontinental Championship — Wrestlemania 3 — The first great Mania match is also it’s most overhyped. The World Wrestling Federation at the time was not known for spectacular athletics and match quality. It was about “Superstars”, MTV, and being a grand spectacle for the audience. Wrestlemania led the WWF to mainstream appeal and attention from the media, but anyone who actually watched wrestling for the quality of the athletic display, you were sorely missing out. The NWA and Jimmy Crockett Promotions throughout the 80’s had put together incredible matches with Ric Flair, Ricky Steamboat, Sting, Terry Funk, the Midnight Express etc. etc, but was never shown on a national stage like the WWF was in it’s heyday. After two successful Wrestlemania’s, Wrestlemania 3 trumped the previous two in terms of mainstream attractions and garnering an attendance of over 90,000 people watching, but little was done about the quality of the matches themselves. The Mr. T/Roddy Piper “boxing” match at Wrestlemaina II was one of the worst matches ever put on. Savage and Steamboat put on an NWA quality type match in front of a national audience and completely stole the show which was supposed to be Hulk Hogan’s night of beating the undefeated Andre the Giant. No one had seen athleticism in the ring at a high level like that…unless you were watching other promotions at the time. The audience didn’t know what to think watching these two perform, but they gave their complete appreciation after the match had concluded with Steamboat ending Savages more than year long title reign. Watching the match now however, it’s a bit dated in terms of move quality, pace, and shock factor. This match however started the term “show -stealer”, and for that it receives a ton of credit, but it’s just dated enough to leave it off the list entirely.

10. The Undertaker vs. Triple H — No Holds Barred Match — Wrestlemania 27 — After two incendiary matches with Shawn Michaels at the previous two Mania’s, the Undertaker faced off against a man whom he’d already defeated at Wrestlemania 17 in Houston — Triple H. Ten years prior to this match, no one really thought Triple H had a chance to end the Undertaker’s streak. At Wrestlemania 27 however, there was a shred of doubt in the air. Trips had been a 13 time WWE Champion at that point, and if anyone was semi “untouchable” in the company, it was him. Would the WWE really end Taker’s streak? Could Triple H be the guy to do it? Will they LET him do it, was the more prevalent question. Could this match surpass both Michaels/Taker encounters? No. Not this part anyway. For the first time really at Mania the Undertaker was made to look weak. A curious decision on their part at first, but considering the sequel a year later, it was a brilliant first part to an epic rivalry. It was Stars Wars, to the Empire Strikes Back.

9. Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart — Wrestlemania 10 — The opener for Wrestlemania 10, set in Madison Square Garden. This event came ten years after the inaugural event at MSG, which propelled professional wrestling into the mainstream. A lot had changed since Hulk Hogan and Roddy Piper main evented that event however. Hogan was no longer “Hulking Up, Big Footin, and Leg Droppin” bad guys. Bobby Heenan sadly left the company. Gorilla Monsoon retired from commentary, and would unfortunately pass away a few years later. A new breed of stars came into the forefront in the “Not as many Roids, but you can definitely tell they were readily available” Era, like Shawn Michaels, Razor Ramon, and their biggest star at the time — Bret “The Hitman” Hart. Bret became the face to end all faces, giving out sunglasses to young fans at ringside, being the heartthrob for ladies who watched the product, but in addition to all that, he was also one of the best wrestlers in the world, which was a complete change of pace from the First Golden Age of Wrestling when Hogan and the Ultimate Warrior were hamming it up for the cameras. Bret did have one thing in common however with the Hulkster — I don’t remember him losing cleanly much. It was kind of a rule/dirty secret in the WWF/WWE which still somewhat stands today. The Ace of the Promotion, in most cases their best face, didn’t lose cleanly. Almost ever. You can see it with John Cena now. He’s a Superman. Bret was just about the same way back in the mid nineties only no one ever really called him out on it like they do with Cena. It’s interesting. But at MSG, Bret ended up opening the card against his brother Owen, for whom he vowed he would never face willingly. In a excellent turn of events, Bret had a title match in the main event against the winner of Lex Luger vs. the WWF Champion Yokozuna, whom Bret lost the title to at the previous years Mania. He would go on win the belt later that night. The best opener of a Mania to date with a surprising ending, that started a brilliant rivalry that year.

8. The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels — Career vs. Streak — No Holds Barred Match — Wrestlemania 26 — A funny thing happened on route to Wrestlemania 29 — The most important match of the night, shifted from the Heavyweight Championship, to a fictional streak. Since the 2nd Wrestlemania, the WWF/WWE/World Heavyweight Championship match, took center stage as the closer for the event, par for the course in pro wrestling tradition. The Champion is held in high regards as what the company feels is the person who will draw the most money, and bring people to their live events. Wrestlemania usually concluded or came damned close to concluding every event with a World Title Match, usually closing out rivalries, pitting the two biggest stars in the company against each other, or pushing who they thought would lead them into the promised land of buttloads of cash. Then Wrestlemania 25 happened. HBK vs. Taker I. This changed everything. The Streak (Undertaker being undefeated at Mania) became the story of the show, and catapulted itself into the main forefront of the hearts of the audience. Was there anyone who would be able to stop the Streak? More importantly would the WWE LET Taker lose? Taker vs. Michaels ended up being in the middle of the card, and despite being one of the best matches anyone had ever seen, it ruined the momentum of every match that followed, including both World Title contests, one of which was the main event. For the sequel, HBK put his career on the line against beating the Streak. There was genuine intrigue going into the night. No one really knew if HBK was actually going to retire. It was unthinkable at the time. The greatest in ring performer in history was going to walk away? No. Couldn’t happen. The WWE did not make the same mistake twice, as this match main evented the night. It sent some folks home happy, others sad, but everyone appreciative, of two historic careers.

7. The Rock vs. Steve Austin — No DQ, No Count-Out — WWF Championship — Wrestlemania 17 — The two biggest stars in the history of the industry. Both at the peaks of their careers. Squaring off in front of 80,000 people at the height of the second Golden Age of Wrestling. That’s really all that needs to be said.

6. The Dudley Boys vs. The Hardys vs. Edge/Christian — TLC Match — WWF Tag Team Championship — Wrestlemania 17 — It may not be the greatest tag team match ever, but it may be THE GREATEST TAG TEAM MATCH EVER! Sorry. This match still after twelve years gets me amped. Brutality, violence, mayhem, unpredictability, and that’s just from my ex girlfriends. Heyo! Is this thing on? I’ll quit while I’m behind. These three teams would feud over the tag team championships (Remember Tag Teams?) through the 00-01 year, and in the process revolutionized the industry with Ladder and TLC Matches. This was the sequel to their match at Summer Slam 2000. These matches had been done on a small scale at ECW events and smaller WWE Pay Per Views, but never at a Wrestlemania. The crowd reactions are still the best part of this match.

5. The Undertaker vs. Triple H — Hell in a Cell Match — Wrestlemania 28 — The Empire Strikes Back/Dark Knight/Gremlins II. The sequel to a year long storyline, in which the Undertaker did not appear on camera for an entire calendar year to sell the injuries (real and kayfabe) that he suffered at the hands of Triple H a year previous. Taker demanded a rematch from Triple H. Hunter said no. He begged. Pleaded. Stood outside of his house with a boombox/Ipod, playing Peter Gabriel. (or One Direction…whatever the hell the kids listen to these days) Nothing worked. Until Taker mentioned the mere notion that he wasn’t as good as his best friend Shawn Michaels. (He wasn’t. Then again no one is.) Shawn having almost beaten Taker in two straight Mania’s, pride took over and Hunter accepted the rematch on condition that it be a Hell In a Cell Match. Alrighty then. Shawn was also booked to be the special guest referee, a decision I questioned at the time, but with his involvement, the storyline became much more grand in scope especially once the match started. Would Shawn help his best friend end the streak? Wisely the WWE placed this match in the middle of the card as to not dwarf the main event of Rock vs. Cena. It was dwarfed regardless. On a side note, Taker has a very interesting history with the company. Historically he has never been the ace of the promotion. The top dog. He was the specialty guy on the card. The carnival show. He’s clearly the greatest big man ever to step foot in the ring. It’s not even close really. But never from his debut in 1991, to present time, was he considered the most important guy in the company. Until now. He comes out once a year, for the biggest show. He seemingly is the main attraction, if not the main event of the show. John Cena is considered the ace, because he has the most main event matches, and he makes the most money in terms of merchandise. But Taker can be considered the most important wrestler in the promotion. It’s a fascinating career. If this match really was “The End of an Era” as the company described, it was such a fitting end.

4. The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels — Wrestlemania 25 — When I first moved to Los Angeles, a buddy of mine said that a local bar screened Wrestlemania every year and that we should tag along. I had never watched a Mania with a large group of people before, and figured it could be a great time. The card was solid, the beer was flowing, and they served a pretty damned good cheesesteak. So far so good. For added comedic value there was a guy in a lucha libre mask demanding cans of Tecate Light ala Stone Cold, downing them, then putting up two middle fingers. I wish I had recorded that. Anywho. Taker/Michaels came up on the card. Now we were all fairly intrigued by this match. In 1997, they fought in the first ever Hell in a Cell Match, a brutal, unforgiving affair which saw Michaels lose approximately his weight in blood that night. It was more a showcase debut for Kane, who appeared at the end of the match, but the fight was extraordinary. So we knew that this match could be really good. We didn’t realize how good it would be though. The bar crowd started off ok, but then became more jazzed after every couple of minutes. By the three quarters point, we were full on marks. It was sensational. The aftermath of the match remains ingrained in lore. This is the match that for better or for worse, caused the audience to care more every Wrestlemania about who is going to face Taker, than about the WWE Championship. For me that’s fine. For everyone who was in that bar that night, we would never forget it. Now where’s my Tecate…

3. Shawn Michaels vs. Kurt Angle — Wrestlemania 21 — Execs in Titan Tower: Hey I have an idea. Why don’t we put our two best wrestlers we have against each other in a match? That could be fun right? This is followed by 48 seconds of silence. Another exec: My god…that’s a great idea. Why didn’t we think of this sooner? Exec: Cause we’re bumbling morons who push the Great Khali. Everyone laughs. Then Vince McMahon hits that exec with a steel chair, 42 times. A no brainer idea. The two greatest American in ring performers of all time, wrestle for the first time. Simple. Elegant. This is just purely one of the greatest encounters in Mania history. The drama that unfolds in this match rivals almost any match to date. Before Taker vs. Michaels I, this was the last great match the WWE had put on. The weird transition to Cena being the ace of the promotion, didn’t at the time provide many main event moments, so the mid card or lower main event had to step up their game. Angle/Michaels had two other fantastic matches in 2005 that blew away most others for years to come.

2. Razor Ramon vs. Shawn Michaels — Ladder Match — WWF Intercontinental Championship — Wrestlemania 10 — A match that’s been talked about ad nausuem but still needs to be addressed. This match happened almost 20 years ago, which makes me feel ridiculously old, but it still holds up today, unlike Savage vs. Steamboat. Pro Wrestling was the first athletic event (not sport) I was ever introduced to. I was captivated by the theatricality, grace, and drama of it. Which is probably why I gravitated towards the film and tv industry so heavily in high school and college. My uncle, who introduced me to wrestling, and I were watching Wrestlemania 10, and we were curious as to what could happen in a Ladder Match. We had never seen one before, and didn’t know what was about to happen. Even as a youngster I knew I was watching something special. My uncle had no clue what to think. He was raised on territorial wrestling, the NWA and Jimmy Crockett Promotions. This was a foreign concept to him. The stuff that Razor and Michaels were doing were just mindblowing. A lot of people tend to forget considering all of the personal issues he’s been dealing with, but Scott Hall (Razor) was an amazing wrestler for a guy his size. He matched up with Michaels perfectly. There was just something there with them. They destroyed each other in this match, and for the first time, audience members realized what Michaels could do in the ring, and maybe WWF/WWE officials did too, as he main evented the next years Mania. A match that was at least 4 to 5 years ahead of it’s time. Even McMahon and Lawler were sometimes speechless watching this. They had no clue what they unleashed. But it’s legacy will always remain intact.

1. Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin — I Quit Match — Wrestlemania 13 — The most important match in WWE history. Let me explain. Bret had been the ace of the promotion for the previous four years along with Shawn Michaels, but unfortunately he had to follow the Hulk Hogan/Rock N Roll Wrestling/First Golden Age era. The WWE wasn’t making near as much money as they had been used to, due to Hulk leaving for WCW. Bret becoming the main guy, was the reaction to the Vince McMahon steroid trial in the early nineties. Smaller wrestlers. More athletic. And while the matches were better, the casual fan became disinterested. It’s different when your heroes were larger than life like in Hogan’s time as compared to Bret’s. Bret looked average in comparison to other athletes, as did Shawn Michaels. I’m as big as Shawn was. The money and gate revenue suffered as a result. When Stone Cold Steve Austin won the King of the Ring in 1996, the aftermath of one little speech started the spark of the Second Golden Age/the Attitude Era. Vince McMahon is smart. He knows which way the wind was blowing. And it wasn’t in Bret’s direction. It was in Austin’s. So at Wrestlemania 13, in essence a rematch from Bret’s comeback match against him at Survivor Series 96, Bret faced Austin in an I Quit Match. But something bigger was to be done on the horizon. They would pull the very very rare double switch. Bret would become the heel, and Austin would become the face near the end of the contest. An extremely convoluted and different feat to pull off. Austin however was gaining traction as a face, strange at the time considering he was a heel. The match was intense, and fantastic. Both men beat each other up a ton. At the end, Bret took the victory, but Austin gained the praises and gained respect for the future. For the nasty cut he got during the match, to the standing ovation he received afterwards. Shortly after, Austin became the biggest icon in wrestling history, and the leader of the Attitude Era. Bret shortly after would leave for WCW after the Montreal Screwjob, and unfortunately had his career altered, all while the WWE became the largest company in wrestling. Basically, because of one match. Also a little side note: Submissions in the WWE were counted by the refs, and by shaking your head yes if you had given up. This was a terrible visual for the audience, especially if you were watching it live. Ken Shamrock being the special guest referee, and being from the UFC, introduced the concept of tapping out, which is what we see today in the WWE as a visual cue for when an opponet gives up. Huge improvement. Very visual. Another reason this match is the greatest Wrestlemania match of all time. Unless another match can change the course of a company, all while making a massive star out of someone, while introducing a completely new concept at the same time, I doubt that any match will claim the top spot from this one.

This will be me during Jurassic Park 3D.

Sat, 06 Apr 2013 16:20:01 -0700

This will be me during Jurassic Park 3D.

Photo

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 10:42:13 -0700

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Tue, 02 Apr 2013 20:55:47 -0700

Favorite Films of 2012 and additional awards

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 19:46:00 -0800

I’d rather not do a ranking order of films this year. Just wanted to acknowledge my favorite films of the year, while granting a few additional awards to movies and people that deserve it.

Mind you I have not seen the Perks of Being a Wallflower, the Master, the Sessions or the Impossible yet. If they deserve to be on the list when I see them, then they’ll be included at a later time.

Argo

Brave

Frankenweenie

Life of Pi

Lincoln

Looper

Marvel’s the Avengers

The Raid

Skyfall

Silver Linings Playbook

21 Jumpstreet

Favorite Film of the Year — Silver Linings Playbook

Performances of the Year — Bradley Cooper & Jennifer Lawrence — Silver Linings Playbook

Most Well Written Film — Silver Linings Playbook — David O’Russell

Most Memorable Soundtrack — Life of Pi

Most Well Made Film — Skyfall — Sam Mendes

Funniest Film — 21 Jump Street

Best Use of Masculine Femininity — Matt Wells and Phil Obaza

The Mars Volta 2001-2013

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:29:27 -0800

Bands aren’t marriages. They’re affairs. Fiery, passionate affairs that may last the rest of your life. But usually don’t. And aren’t meant to.

I had a love affair with the Mars Volta for twelve years. Saw them six times live. Purchased every one of their albums. Some multiple times. Deloused in the Comatorium I can honestly say changed my life. Frances the Mute got me through my father passing away, which in retrospect is an extremely odd grieving album to relate to. There was just something about their music. The way they carried themselves on stage. You knew at one point in their lives, they all had been bullied, teased, and probably beaten down in life. But whenever they took the stage, they were the coolest motherfuckers in the room. And they made sure everyone knew it. They were anti-moshing, which is kind of punk rock in a way. They were pretentious but made no bones about it, however they were accessible in ways that I think other hipster-ish bands weren’t.

I mourn them breaking up. Affairs are never meant to last though. Burn brightly yes. Make impressions yes, but never last.

Thank you for making music. Thank you for being a band that had the balls to do what made you happy. Thank you for helping me in tough times.

You were one of my greatest loves.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1_1VgDVmQo

1. This is phenomenal . Thank you Rembert Browne for making me...

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 10:13:28 -0800

1. This is phenomenal . Thank you Rembert Browne for making me waste whatever little morning time I had. Bless you sir.

2. The possible Sweet Sixteen matchup between the World Series of Dice and Clayton Bigsby should be a Final Four contest. It’s a crime that they’re in the same bracket.

3.The possible second round contest up between Slow Motion and the Racial Draft is like making me choose which of my children I love the most…if I had kids. Which I don’t. None that I’m aware of…

4. What the hell is wrong with me? I should be doing something productive this morning. Anything productive. Like cleaning my apartment. Or brushing my teeth. Not wasting my time commenting on a show that’s been off the air for almost ten years, connected to a fictional Round Robin Tournament. What am I saying? This is amazing. Enjoy yo self!

5. My Final Four would be — Prince, Rick James, The Racial Draft, and Clayton Bigsby. Rick James vs. Bigsby in the Final, with Bigsby getting a close victory going 15 for 22 with 35 points and 11 rebounds. (All numbers approximate considering Bigsby is blind.)

6. The Black Delegation requests Eminem…

2013 NFL Playoff Predictions -- Or the thing I'm always wrong at...

Fri, 04 Jan 2013 16:40:42 -0800

Baltimore vs. Indianapolis: I liked Baltimore before, considering they were playing a rookie quarterback at home. I like them even more now that Ray Lewis said he’s retiring at the end of the season. Good luck…Luck. God that must have been annoying to hear growing up. Luck, who earned the distinction of becoming the ugliest quarterback in the NFL, will gain a huge amount of experience in this loss. That’s a good thing for them, trust me. Baltimore for the win.

Houston vs. Cincinnati: The Bengals just aren’t quite there yet, and Houston isn’t as bad as their last four games will lead you to believe. This team has 08 Cardinals written all over it. (Peak in November. Suck down the stretch. Crush people in the playoffs, where people wondered where the hell that was at the end of the regular season.) Houston still to me has the total package in the AFC. Houston.

Green Bay vs. Minnesota: As amazing as Peterson was this year, (let’s be real though, he should split the MVP with Peyton. No way is a running back more valuable than a quarterback. You would never pick AP first overall in a fantasy draft, where you were head coach, and you needed to win one game if your life depended on it.) he’s not playing defense against Aaron Rodgers. I mean he probably could, and be the 2nd best guy on that D, but since he won’t play both ways, Green Bay easily takes it.

Washington vs. Seattle: RG3 vs. Wilson. Two of the brightest young qb’s in the league. RG3 wins in the excitement, most upside, and ugliest categories. But Wilson has the far better team. Their running game, and defense will smother Griffen and the Skins running game, as they’ll cruise. Seattle and Patrick Dempsey for the win.

Next round predictions which I’ll be 1 for 4 —

New England vs. Houston: Not buying this Pats team. Not at all. At some point, not having a legit defense, and throwing 7 out of 8 times will hurt you in the playoffs. Especially against a ball hocking defense like the Texans. Schaub does just enough, and Foster cremates the Pats run D for the win. Houston.

Denver vs. Baltimore: The Ray retiring/win one for the gipper/let’s fuck these boys up speeches swing makes this a far better game than it should be, but Denver has too many weapons on defense, and Manning leading the charge to win. However, my old adage of never trust Peyton on a playoff game that he’s supposed to win, still adheres. I’m going to ditch it for now, and trust that he wins. Denver.

San Francisco vs. Green Bay: Easily has the potential to be the best playoff game this year. I was back and forth on this game for a while…and it hasn’t even happened yet. And very well may not happen. I need a hobby..anywho. I’m a firm believer at least in terms of the NBA, that a team needs to suffer a soul crushing loss, in order for them to take a leap to the next level and win a title. The Thunder losing to Miami last year in the NBA Finals, helped them a lot more than they care to admit. I think the Niners being two muffed special teams plays away from beating the Giants, and probably beating New England for the title, made them all the more hungry, and focused. Green Bay getting screwed out of a win in Seattle, made them determined and pissed off to get their title back. San Fran pulls this out, because Kaepernick makes some otherwordly plays, and Gore keeps the GB offense off the field. San Francisco, begrudgingly.

Atlanta vs. Seattle: Rookie QB on the road against a cohesive, better than I thought they were playoff tested team. Not even close. Atlanta in a rout.

Championships —

Denver vs. Houston: NEVER TRUST PEYTON MANNING IN A PLAYOFF GAME THAT HE’S SUPPOSED TO WIN!! Houston plays ridiculous defense, and shuts Manning down to make their first Super Bowl. Houston.

Atlanta vs. San Francisco: Don’t trust Matt Ryan at all against this defense. Maybe Tony Gonzalez should say he’s retiring at the end of this year, so he can fire up the Falcons. Until he does though, the Niners win.

Super Bowl — Houston vs. San Francisco: Two solid quarterbacks. Monster run games. Beast defenses! Welcome back 1991! We missed you! Now where’s my trapper keeper, and Arizona flannel hoodie…I don’t necessarily trust Kaepernick one hundred percent, or even seventy five percent, but this team has an 05 Steelers ring to it. Roethlistetdfbsnbdjbdjberger played horribly but the Steelers were jacked enough on defense and the running game that they slipped by a great Seattle team to win. I think the same happens here. Frisco’s defense, and relentlessness should be enough to take the victory. Not to mention Gary Kubiak is coaching on the other side against Jim Harbaugh which is like handing the script for Lincoln, to Paul W.S. Anderson, and telling him to go with his first instinct. (No one is curious for Milla Jolavich to play Mrs. Lincoln…) You know…cause Kubiak has the keys to a great team…or something. Fuck I don’t know, that was a terrible tangent. Point is. The Niners will win their 6th Super Bowl.

The best Pro Wrasslin' Matches of 2012.

Thu, 03 Jan 2013 21:15:22 -0800

The grandest of reality television since 1984.

No order for these by the way. OK by date. Just so there’s a modicum of stability.

Kazuchika Okada vs. Tetsuya Naito — NJPW 40th Anniversary Event — IWGP Heavyweight Championship — 3/4/12: This was an ” Good Old Fashioned King’s Road Wrestling Match”, or “GOFKRWM”. What horrible alliteration. It told a solid story between two really good athletes who tested themselves physically and maintained a great pace in the last fifteen minutes of the match as “GOFKRWM“‘s often do.

Davey Richards vs. Michael Elgin — Showdown in the Sun Day 2 — ROH World Championship — 3/31/12: The craziest last fifteen minutes of a match this year. It’s a miracle both guys weren’t crippled after everything was over. By all rights, they easily could have been. Completely established Elgin as one of the best brawlers around, and firmly placed Richards as one of the top 3 overall in-ring workers in the business.

The Undertaker vs. Triple H — Wrestlemania XXVIII — Hell in a Cell — 4/1/12: The best told in-ring story of the year. Watched with a friend who hadn’t been into wrestling for almost fifteen years, and even he was enthralled by the match. By this point, Taker has dwarfed the importance of the WWE title to the company on it’s biggest stage, but it doesn’t matter and shouldn’t matter as long as he can pull these classics out once a year.

John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar — Extreme Rules 2012 — No Holds Barred Match — 4/29/12: The first wrestling match for Lesnar in almost nine years, and he completely tore the roof off the place with Cena. Whether you like Cena or don’t, he always gives you a first class performance, and gives a shit every time he steps into the ring. This was just the latest example of his continued brilliance.

CM Punk vs. Daniel Bryan — Over the Limit 2012 — WWE Championship — 5/20/12: Easily the MVP of wrestling at this moment, CM punk continued his dominant run as the overall best wrestler in the world today. This was Bryan’s first chance to truly shine grappling wise and show a mainstream audience what he can do in the ring, besides being Kane’s comedy sidekick. Not that we all wouldn’t want “Adventure Time with Kane and Bryan” mind you.

Robert Roode vs. Austin Aries — Destination X 2012 — TNA World Championship — 7/8/12: Roode’s finest singles match as a professional, as well as TNA’s only spectacular match of the year. Aries is a proven commodity in the business, and proved to a wide audience why he was worthy of being a champion on the grand stage. Great overall crowd for this match.

Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Minoru Suzuki — NJPW King of Pro Wrestling — IWGP Heavyweight Championship — 10/8/12: The match that Triple H vs. Brock Lesnar at Summerslam should have been. The traditional pro-wrestler vs. the MMA/Shootfighter. The Japanese John Cena has vastly improved his in-ring work in the last five years, and delivers easily his best match as a pro against Suzuki. Almost on par with Taker/HHH in terms of storytelling in ring.

Jay Lethal vs. Davey Richards — Glory By Honor XI — 10/13/12: “GOFKRWM” Solid as they come. Maybe Lethal’s best match he’s had.

Kevin Steen vs. Michael Elgin — Glory By Honor XI — ROH World Championship — 10/13/12: Two fantastic matches on the same card. WHAT DEVILRY IS THIS!?!? Steen and Elgin flat out just kicked the shit out of each other, as Steen continues a very interesting reign as ROH Champ. If you’ve never seen Steen wrestle, it’s quite a sight. He wrestle with a t-shirt on, is about 260 lbs, but looks 350 cause of his beer gut, but moves like a crusierweight at times, while brawling with the very best in the world. It’s extremely difficult to describe, but you can’t take your eyes off him once you start watching.

Seth Rollins/Dean Ambrose/Roman Reigns (The Shield) vs. Ryback/Daniel Bryan/Kane — TLC 2012 — Six Man TLC Match — 12/16/12: An absolute slugfest of a match that was actually never supposed to happen. CM Punk set to defend the title against Goldberg/Ryback, had to undergo knee surgery, and this match replaced what was to be the main event at the PPV. Good call guys. A fantastic way to introduce three young, rising superstars in the business. Rollins a former ROH Champ is already one of the best in-ring workers in the world. Ambrose might very well be the heir apparent to Punk in terms of promo work, who shows shades of Brian Pillman. And Reigns who is the prototypical WWE big man, but has a good amount of talent. This easily trumps what would have been a subpar Punk/Ryback one on one match.

toshiro-mifune: Toshirō Mifune on the set of Seven Samurai with...

Wed, 02 Jan 2013 22:26:55 -0800

toshiro-mifune:

Toshirō Mifune on the set of Seven Samurai with director Akira Kurosawa carrying a live blade the only type of sword he would use in his enactment as samurai in films. He would often repeat:

By carrying a live blade, it has forced me to master each movement. I must be a perfectionist. It also gives me a sense of realism.

!!!

Fri, 28 Dec 2012 20:26:18 -0800

!!!

Photo

Tue, 25 Dec 2012 08:31:26 -0800

word from a restless mind: My New York Times Op-Ed Submission

Sat, 22 Dec 2012 00:04:00 -0800

word from a restless mind: My New York Times Op-Ed Submission:

adamnrussell:

New York Times Op-Ed Submission 12/21/12

ASCEND AMERICAN:
A young Recessionist’s dreams for the future.
by Adam Nichols Russell – poet/filmmaker (www.adamnicholsrussell.com)

The end of the Mayan calendar, the edge of this figurative fiscal cliff and the impending implosion of the…

septagonstudios: Rich Kelly Breaking Bad

Thu, 13 Dec 2012 09:38:42 -0800

septagonstudios:

Rich Kelly

Breaking Bad

Good stuff right here…

Mon, 05 Nov 2012 16:52:54 -0800

Good stuff right here…

mentaldew: Looper.

Mon, 29 Oct 2012 23:26:21 -0700

mentaldew:

Looper.

Hey remember when I wanted to go to film school?...

Wed, 10 Oct 2012 11:30:05 -0700

So a friend of mine recently admitted that his film degree is useless, and is going to attend school again to attempt another career.

Now I’ve admitted for a few years, that my film degree is also useless, and I get asked a lot about moving to Los Angeles, and trying to be a writer and do I have any regrets about doing it, and I absolutely don’t. I’ve grown to love it out here, and it would be hard to imagine living anywhere else. Except New York. Cause seriously Lakers fans are fucking annoying.

However…

Whenever I talk to someone about attending film school and would I do that again, I hesitate, and I impart a piece of advice that at least pertains to me and a few others:

If I had the chance to go to film school all over again, I probably wouldn’t have done it.

I tell people who want to come to Los Angeles to write, that having a film degree is almost a detriment to your writing career. Let me explain. The majority of assistants, executives, VP’s, development guys, producers, yadda yadda yadda, never went to film school. As much as we like to think that Hollywood, and making movies is about the artistic integrity of making wonderful and magical films, it’s about making money first and foremost. Just like any business. If there’s no profit from said film or TV shows, then there are no jobs, and mortgages aren’t paid.

There’s an old code of business that states that sometimes the person who can elevate your company to bigger heights, is someone who isn’t completely invested or educated about your particular product. By that I mean that someone from the outside with a different perspective that isn’t married by a particular set of ideals, or traits, sometimes is the best person to make more money for your company.

Film studios don’t have “film people” running things because they need to make money. Not create the Master every month. Marketing, business and economics majors are the people that have the power the greenlight films. Not some kid out of film school who put an homage to the 39 Steps in the finale of their senior thesis film.

So what I’m getting at, is that film school can hinder your thought process about creating a story, and also limit your life experience to tell said stories. I myself don’t know much about the world considering that I’ve never traveled outside of the United States. I know about….movies. And that’s kind of it. Also professional wrestling. Again nothing useful in life.

I tell people that I wouldn’t have attended school. I would have worked. Saved up a good amount of money. Moved to Los Angeles. Found an internship. Tried to attain a job in the industry, whether it be at an agency, a management company, a production company, wherever. Just so as long as it doesn’t deal with reality television. Make a bunch of contacts. Then write on the side. You avoid paying for school, and you start your career much faster than most college graduates out here.

You’re also not scarred by the “artistic integrity” of what a film is supposed to be. Film school loves to pound that in your head. You end up writing the scripts that you would actually pay to see. And that”s the key. I learned that very late in life sadly.

If I were to attend school, it would have been in Criminal Justice. Or Pre-Law. Or History. Just something that you can attain a mass knowledge about. So that when you do move to LA, and try and write, you can have a particular set of skills…oh christ I didn’t even realize I went there…with your writing. Staff writers on House like to have people with medical degrees. Boston Legal/Law degrees and so on and so on. People with film degrees? Not so much.

Although…

The majority of my best friends that I have out here, are from college and also from film school. There’s a camaraderie of sorts. We all went through the same bullshit. The same teachers. And we’re all struggling to make it in this insane industry that for some godforsaken reason, we chose to be in.

So I’m very glad I went to school in that respect.

Of course this is just my view on things. Which is usually wrong. That’s been well documented. There are many people who have admirably succeeded by going to film school.

For me though, unless you want to be a 2nd Key Grip on an indie feature, I’d pass on school. The director of that film probably did.

Good stuff here kids. thekennychapman: LADYBUSINESS...

Thu, 04 Oct 2012 16:53:03 -0700

Good stuff here kids.

thekennychapman:

LADYBUSINESS COMICS™

This is the first in (I hope) a series of comics based on real-life tales of awkward dude interaction. I was with some lady friends of mine a couple months back when the conversation turned to their stories of bad dates, douchebags in bars, and makeouts gone awry. All of their stories were both hilarious and cringeworthy at the same time, and each woman I was talking with seemed to have more than a few stories at the ready. As the conversation went on, someone suggested to me that I could turn their stories into comics. I don’t remember who exactly suggested it, but I do remember that my immediate response was “YES. YES I WANT TO DO THAT.” That week they sent me a few stories to illustrate, and I started working on this.

So here we are! The first of those true stories, submitted by real women about real weird dudes. Hope y’all like it! And I have plans to make more of these, so be on the lookout for those.