Step-Chad and Step-Dad sit down for a heart to heart about all the new releases. That includes THE MEG, BLACKKKLANSMAN, EIGHTH GRADE, SLENDER MAN (kind of), and more. Is this the highest rated episode of BingeViews ever in that Chad C gives the best scores of all time for any given week? You don’t know. Find out.
This column will introduce you to the most popular movies that are coming out in theaters this weekend and why you should go see them.
What movie will you see this weekend?
The Fate of the Furious
Fast 8. Furious 8. F8 of the Furious. Furiou8. Anyway, Dom is back again. However, it seems Dom may be switching sides. Dun Dun Dun. Starring in this elaborate car chase/heist flick are Vin (I am Groot) Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, Charlize Theron, Jason Statham, Scott Eastwood, Kurt Russell, Michelle Rodriguez, Helen Mirren, and more. Directing Fast 8 is F. Gary Gray. Gray has directed A Man Apart, The Italian Job, Be Cool, Law Abiding Citizen, and Straight Outta Compton. It seems Gray has worked with Vin, The Rock, and Charlize before. Go see F8 this weekend.
The Lost City of Z
You’re lost. Ok Jax, relax. Based on a true story, The Lost City of Z is about a British explorer who goes missing while searching for a mysterious city in the 1920’s. Starring in this real-life action adventure tale are Charlie Hunnam, Robert Pattinson, Sienna Miller, Tom Holland, Ian McDiarmid, and more. James Gray is the writer/director of this flick. Gray has written and directed The Yards, We Own the Night, Two Lovers, and The Immigrant. Use that GPS and don’t get lost on your way to the theater this weekend.
This column will introduce you to the most popular movies that are coming out in theaters this weekend and why you should go see them. Which one will you see?
Don’t Breathe
Reasons to see this:
Don’t breathe while reading this write up. Kidding. Don’t Breathe is a horror/thriller about three friends who break into a rich, blind mans house to rob him. Sounds easy enough, right? WRONG. This blind man is not who he appears to be. The cast includes: Jane Levy(Evil Dead 2013), Dylan Minnette(Prisoners), Daniel Zovatto(It Follows), and Stephen Lang(Avatar). Fede Alvarez is the writer and director of this film. He has directed the 2013 Evil Dead remake/new-make and an episode from the TV series, “From Dusk Till Dawn”. Go get scared this weekend.
Hands of Stone
Reasons to see this:
Hands of Stone is another boxing movie. This biographical sports drama is about boxer Roberto De Niro…..sorry, its Roberto Duran and his legendary trainer Ray Arcel. Duran is played by Edgar Ramírez and Arcel is played by Robert De Niro. Also starring in this flick is Ellen Barkin, John Turturro, and Usher Raymond. Yup, Usher. Hands of Stone was written, directed, and produced by Jonathan Jakubowicz. Need a sports movie to fill the Olympic void? Well, go to the theater to catch this movie.
Mechanic: Resurrection
Reasons to see this:
Mechanic Part 2, brings back Jason Statham as Arthur Bishop who must travel the world to make three assassinations look like accidents, in order to save his girlfriend(played by Jessica Alba). Also starring in this action packed thriller is Tommy Lee “Grumpy Face” Jones. Dennis Gansel is the director of this flick. Gansel has written and directed several films and a couple of shorts. In the mood for some Statham action this weekend…then hit the theater and go see Mechanic: Resurgence…..Resurrection.
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.
I have an extremely large hard-on for THE EXPENDABLES—always have, always will. After nearly a decade of not seeing my childhood heroes on the big screen (at least, consistently), here they were, larger than life, and all together in the same movie! It was a wet dream come true. Least to say I had an incredible amount of anticipation for last summer’s THE EXPENDABLES 2 (EX2). I was lucky enough to check it out a few weeks before it came out in theaters at a private screening, and being drunk off of hype and my own personal anticipation, I came out of the theater boasting about how freakin’ awesome EX2 was and how everyone should go see it. But after a day or so, the more I thought about the movie, the more I didn’t like it, and by the time people actually saw it and the reviews started flowing in, pointing out all the crap that I so drunkenly over-looked, I came to realize that I actually didn’t like EX2 as much as I thought I did. Boo.
When it came out on video, I just happened to get a free copy of it on Blu-ray, and happily stuck it next to my 2 copies of THE EXPENDABLES on my Blu-ray shelf (the theatrical cut and the Director’s Cut). Over 6 months went by and the damn thing was still in its original packaging, so last weekend I said fuck it, it’s time to revisit EX2… maybe it’s actually better than I had remembered it being. At this point, there were two kinds of reviews out for EX2: those who thought it was pure entertainment gold, and those who thought it was a piece of rhinoceros shit. I wanted to be in the boat of those who looked positively on it, but my one-time view was tainted and my memory told me, no… it was a piece of shit. So I gave it another try and the final verdict is in: EX2 is a steaming pile of donkey shit.
This fucking movie was even more painful and horrendous the second time around than I could have possibly imagined. It was horrible… from the piss-poor script, to the lazy action sequences, to the bogus one-liners, to the storyline that was shallow and empty, everything about EX2 sucked assholes, and thanks to my impulse to revisit the flick in hopes that I liked it more… now I actually hate it deeper than any other movie to have come out in 2012. Here are the specifics:
1. Arnold Schwarzenegger: Out of all the 80s action heroes out there, Arnold is my favorite. He is literally my childhood hero. I lived in California when he ran for Governor and I voted for him just because he was Arnold Schwarzenegger—yup, I’m that guy. I’ve missed seeing him fuck shit up on the big screen, and here he was in EX2, running around fucking shit up, and it should have been the greatest thing ever. Instead, this shit is just embarrassing to watch. Painful, even. The few lines he does have include “I’m back!”, “Yippie Kay Yay!”, “My shoe is bigger than this car!”, and “Who’s next, Rambo?”, and he’s the butt-end of a “I’ll Terminate you!” joke. Ha. Not funny. The action scenes he’s apart of are OK… it’s the dialog he’s given that makes the whole thing disgusting.
2. The Constant Back-and-Forth: All these guys ever do throughout the movie is bicker like a bunch of old ladies. Seriously, Randy Couture will say something, Terry Crewes will say something back. Dolph Lundgren will say something, Jet Li (briefly) will say something back. Jason Statham and Sylvester Stallone are the worst at it, as they can’t even talk to each other without ripping on each other. And let’s not even bring up Arnold and Bruce Willis. The asshole who wrote this should have been told that a group this size has to do more than just bicker. Some back-and-forth is ok (see: THE EXPENDABLES), constant back-and-forth is tiring. Enough!
3. Chuck Norris: Why are you even in this movie? You show up as “the Lone Wolf”, you’re theme song is from a Clint Eastwood western, you tell a silly “Chuck Norris Facts” joke (about yourself), and you shoot a lot of people. You never kick anybody’s ass the way Chuck Norris should (it’s why Chuck Norris is famous to begin with, yo!), your hair and your beard are both badly dyed, and let’s face it…. you’re a shitty actor. But mostly, you have no right or reason being in this movie.
Goddamnit, the more I think about it, the more it’s apparent how horrible this movie is. On the one hand, it’s cool seeing my childhood heroes all on the big screen together at long last, on the other hand, it’s downright embarrassing to see how old these guys are parading around spouting off lines from movies 25 years ago that made them famous to begin with. There’s no nostalgia at work in EX2, just a bunch of non-sequential dialog strung together and puked out for all to hear about great action heroes of yesteryear. At least THE EXPENDABLES didn’t feature a bunch of crappy one-liners like they do in EX2, and when they did, they were original… they weren’t just rehashes from other movies.
At the end of the day, I came to realize that EX2 is a steaming pile of donkey shit, and that I was a fucking asshole for loving it when I saw it in theaters. The thought that some people went out and paid money to see this flick based on a Tweet or a Facebook post that I may have put out there boasting about EX2’s awesomeness makes me sick to my stomach. Oh the humanity, what have I done??? Never again… never again.
The Good Stuff: I’d be a liar if I didn’t find a few things good about this movie, and here they are:
1. Liam Hemsworth. The dude was a better actor than anyone else in the movie. And that makes me sick to even acknowledge. Fuck… this isn’t a good point, this is a bad one!
2. The Stallone vs. Jean-Claude Van Damme fight was decent, though… come on. JCVD would have totally won that shit.
3. The Statham vs. Scott Adkins fight was pretty awesome. It could have been longer, and it screamed Indiana Jones, but in a sea of complete garbage, it was the only real silver lining.
