Djimon Hounsou

Damn, it’s been a while since I’ve put that logo up, so it’s nice to be able to say welcome back to Working the Weekend with Luke. For the last few weeks, there’s been so much going on in the sports world that my Binge Sports columns have been substituting for this one in my normal Sunday slot. Don’t get me wrong. I love writing about sports, but it’s nice to branch out from time to time, and I do have some Binge Sports info for you, but we’ll get to that in a little while. But before I get to that announcement, I’d hate myself if I didn’t once again mention how sad I am about the death of Lauren Hill. I’ve been following her inspirational story from the start and I can never say enough about how this courageous young woman impacted me. If you missed my story on Friday afternoon, click HERE. RIP Lauren.

But what else have I been up to lately? I’m so happy you asked.

FURIOUS 7

This is exactly what an action movie is supposed to be….and more. Yeah, I know most of the guys have hit on it at one point or another over the past week, but I just couldn’t help but commenting on it. I’ll admit that when the series first started, I basically refused to see it. I don’t even think I saw the first one until maybe five years after it came out. But all of a sudden, they started to become guilty pleasures that I just couldn’t turn off. Was the acting the greatest? Come on…it was Paul Walker and Vin Diesel. But I was entertained. Give me Jordana Brewster and Michelle Rodriguez to boot. Yeah, I’m in. Then we throw in Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, and Eva Mendes in the sequel. A little more comedy and well…Eva Mendes. Sure, Tokyo Drift was the weakest in the series, but when the main cast reunited for the fourth installment, I was intrigued so I checked it out. And once again I was back in. And then you throw in The Rock and Gal Gadot and Gina Carano in the next couple flicks. Yeah, I’m in.

Then I hear that Kurt Russell has joined in. Jason Statham shows up as the new villain. Djimon Hounsou comes on board. Ronda Rousey gets a chick fight with Michelle Rodriguez. Yes please! And then tragedy strikes. In a cruel and way too ironic accident, Paul Walker dies in a freaking car crash. Wait, seriously? Now, whether or not you were a fan of Paul Walker is irrelevant. Was he the best actor in the world? Certainly not. But I’ll make the same point that Jack made on Tuesday. He was perfect for this franchise. His on-screen chemistry with Vin Diesel was fantastic. And if they had been a real life couple, he and Jordana Brewster could seriously have made some of the prettiest babies ever. On screen, this is where some of the great drama was in this film. There’s a real family element here now. Not just the “familia” stuff that Vin spouts about, but an actual man, woman, and children (minor spoiler) family. And this is really where the story gets you.

But before we get to that, let me get to the action without giving away too much. The first big fight scene between Statham and The Rock is just awesome, and I will tell you that Statham gets a Rock Bottom through a table. For you non-wrestling folks, you may not understand the reference, but as a fan, it was nice. Keep it real Dwayne! Were some of the stunts over the top? Of course they were. Did it work? Of course it did. Yeah, I know you’re all skeptical about the cars dropping out of a plane scene, but the ridiculousness is overshadowed by the brilliant comedy of Tyrese in this scene. Seriously, I don’t know what day he decided to not just be a singer, but I’m happy about the decision. He brings a different element to these movies and it’s been great. The back and forth between he and Luda is phenomenal and has been for a few movies now.

There’s almost too much to get to. There’s Kurt Russell, who you sometimes forget just how awesome he is until he pops up in movies from time to time these days. But he’s Kurt Russell, so you know it’s good. Fun fact: they tried to get Denzel but he declined. Of course, there’s the revenge story of Han. And kudos to Lucas Black for making an appearance. Then you’ve got the Dom-Leti relationship and her memory loss. Yes, the result is pretty much impossible, but it’s a nice ride (pun intended) to get where we get to with that.

But the end is really what the movie is about. After Walker’s death, I was so curious on how they could finish things up, but I don’t think it could have gone any more perfectly. Before I give the ending away, I’m going to stop and just say that you’re not supposed to get emotional at anything having to do with this franchise. You’re supposed to go to the movies for a couple hours and just have some fun and not think about anything. But knowing what you know when you go in, you can’t help but get choked up at certain points. And the very end…forget about it. It’s the perfect tribute with some perfect words from Vin Diesel. I never thought I’d write that sentence, but it’s the truth. Now I know the plan is to make three more, but I wish they would leave it alone. For a blockbuster, it really does give you everything. It would be the perfect ending to one of the most successful franchises in cinematic history.

Wow, where do I go from there?

Well, I finally made the jump. DirecTV is gone and I’m now for the most part a streaming-only kind of guy.

I went out and bought the Roku 3 and it’s what I run just about everything through. You’d think they were paying me, but they’re not, but I highly recommend this for anyone who’s not using the smart TV. It’s got the ability to run all the channels and services that you’re looking for, but I’ve found that I really don’t need that much.

 

As of right now, these are really the only ones that I need. Netflix is well….Netflix. I wish they had more newer movies to stream, but if you’re looking to binge a television show, this is the place for you. They’ve got just about everything you’re looking for on that end, not to mention their own original programming like The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, which was absolutely fantastic.

Hulu Plus lets me keep up with some of the broadcast stations, which I can still get with a little in-house antennae that I bought. But if I’m looking for Saturday Night Live or The Last Man on Earth (which is great), then I can find them here. You do have to deal with a few ads, but it’s really not that bad.

Sling TV gives me the rest. This is where I can get my ESPN, TBS, TNT, and AMC. You know I need my sports and my Better Call Saul. The original package is only $20 per month, but you can add more channels if you want to pay a little more. Overall, though, it’s really worth the price.

Overall, I’ve cut my bill by more than half every month. I have all the content I really need and I don’t have to worry about a storm screwing up my dish. I should have done this a long time ago. Welcome to 2015 Luke. Idiot.

Now, I know this one isn’t for everybody, but I also pay the $9.99 per month for my WWE Network. If you’re a wrestling guy or gal, just do yourself a favor and sign up already. I’ve had it for a few months now, and I’ve been kicking myself for not doing it sooner. Not only do you get every single pay-per-view that comes up, but they have every single one from the past. Every. Single. One. Just get on it. It’s worth it.

And that leads me to the big announcement.

 

Well, due to the great response from the Wrestlemania podcast, the Binge Sportscast will now be a regular thing here at Binge Media. I know, how many more can we fit in, right? But I’m extremely excited about the opportunity to do this. I can’t tell you that it will be a weekly thing on a certain day, but when big events are happening, I’ll be there to cover it. One definite is that Batch and I will be doing a monthly wrestling podcast right around PPV time. I’m not sure whether we’re going to do it before or after each show, but we’re working on the format now. I don’t have a definite date just yet, but Kupka and I will be bringing you constant coverage of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, so we’re excited about that. I’m also working on finding a co-host for the NBA Playoffs podcast, so stay tuned for that as well. Since I started doing the Better Call Saul show with Kupka and Jack, I’ve been having a blast. Throw in the fun that I had with Batch for the premiere of the Binge Sportscast, and I can see why all these guys want to do it all the time. So that’s the big news, and I couldn’t be more excited about it.

Wow. That was a lot to get to. But hey, I had to make up for the last few weeks. I’m sure you understand. So what do you think about all of what I just talked about? Did you love Furious 7 as much as I did? Do you have stories about cutting the cord? Are you on board with the new Binge Sportscast? Is there something coming up you’d like me to cover? Let me know below or find and follow me on Twitter @THElukenorris and @BingeSports. Believe me, you’ll be seeing a lot of me coming up as the NBA and NHL Playoffs get underway this week. I’ll see you soon.