Welcome to the new Binge SportsCast! After our previous host, Luke, departed after giving us valiant service for 23 years, we finally found a couple CSers to fill the hosting void. Enter PJ and TM. After much discussion and planning, the boys recorded a show to give the lay of the land, talk about what teams their sport hearts lie with, and some current events.
This isn’t a 19 hour long BingeCast, but the boys did want to hit the ground running with this show, so let’s consider this episode, Episode 00.
Welcome back to another edition of “Working the Weekend with Luke”. Hopefully, you’ve had a good weekend thus far and are enjoying a relaxing Sunday. I’ve got my daughters this weekend, so relaxation really isn’t an option for me, but that’s okay. We spent Friday night enjoying some pizza and another viewing of Frozen, which I’m actually okay with. Seriously, it’s a good movie and watching my girls act it out is hysterical. We spent yesterday at a pumpkin festival nearby which included a parade, a few rides, and some face painting, so another win. They’re down for a nap at the moment, which is allowing me to watch some of the Cowboys game and get this out to you, so you better enjoy it. Today, I’ll be bringing you #5 in the trilogy countdown and a tribute to Joan Rivers you probably haven’t seen, but before I get to that, let’s start with the biggest day of last week.
9/11-NEVER FORGET
Since that fateful Tuesday morning, I’ve always been fascinated by September 11th. It would be very easy for me to spend a great deal of time talking about it and/or writing about it, but I won’t do that here today. Thursday marked the 13th anniversary of the terrorist attacks and I’m still captivated by the images. I still remember staying up for nearly two days straight watching the live coverage as the events unfolded in 2001. And this year, just as I do every year, I went looking through the program guide, wondering which show I would watch to remind myself, even if just for a day, what the people that were directly affected by this horrific tragedy went through. I’ve yet to decide whether or not that makes me a sick individual, but I digress. The documentary I chose to watch this year was one I’ve seen before, but I believe is one of the most interesting ones out there. 102 Minutes That Changed America gives the viewer a different perspective on the events that played out in New York, focusing on nine different pieces of footage shot from regular people. If you do plan to ever watch this, please be aware that the footage is unfiltered and can be very disturbing. There is clear footage of some of the people that jumped from the World Trade Center, so again, consider yourself warned. I really have no idea why I choose to watch these things every year. I really don’t. I didn’t know a single person in New York or Washington or Pennsylvania, but as I said previously, I’m fascinated by the whole thing.
I honestly didn’t even plan to write any of that. The whole point I was going to make was simply about the term “Never Forget”, which you undoubtedly saw on your facebook or Twitter this week, probably something similar to the picture you see above. While I’ve got zero problem with anybody putting something like this, there’s something else I want all of you to think about, and I include myself in this. I want everyone to never forget the way we treated each other after the attacks. We were all a little nicer to each other back then. We became a society, even for a few weeks, that we all wish that we were all the time. We held open a few more doors. We helped a neighbor that maybe we didn’t know before. We let go of some of the petty arguments and situations that continue to plague us all. If there’s anything positive that we could take away from 9/11, maybe that was it. Maybe we really are capable of better things. Maybe that’s why I go back and watch.
JOAN RIVERS
I know that I’m a week late on this, but I just wanted to comment quickly on the passing of Joan Rivers. I don’t pretend to be an expert on her, but what I do know is that she was a funny lady. Without her doing what she did for women comics, we wouldn’t have Whitney Cummings or Amy Schumer, so I’ll thank her just for that. If only her daughter wasn’t so annoyingly awful. If you’re a fan or Joan Rivers, then I’m sure you’ve seen all of her greatest clips, so I won’t give you those. If you really know me, then you know that I’m a big pro wrestling nerd. I’ve watched since I was a kid, so what I have for you today is a tribute I saw on WWE Monday Night Raw. Enjoy.
THE TRILOGY COUNTDOWN
#10-THE INFERNAL AFFAIRS TRILOGY-IF YOU MISSED IT, CLICK HERE
#9-THE NAKED GUN TRILOGY-IF YOU MISSED IT, CLICK HERE
#8-THE LECTER TRILOGY-IF YOU MISSED IT, CLICK HERE
#7-THE MAN WITH NO NAME TRILOGY-IF YOU MISSED IT, CLICK HERE
#6-THE KARATE KID TRILOGY-IF YOU MISSED IT, CLICK HERE
#5-THE BACK TO THE FUTURE TRILOGY
BACK TO THE FUTURE, BACK TO THE FUTURE PART II, BACK TO THE FUTURE PART III
Okay, here we go with the top five in my favorite trilogies. You had to know that this was coming at some point. It’s the 80s at its finest. It’s Michael J. Fox. It’s Christopher Lloyd. It’s Crispin Glover. It’s Lea Thompson. It’s Back to the Future and it’s #5 on the countdown.
To put it simply, the original is a classic. If you’ve seen the top 15 movie lists going around facebook the past few weeks, then you’ve probably seen this movie on at least a few of your friends’ picks. If you can get past the creepiness of a high school kid hanging out with an oddball scientist and nobody batting an eye at it, then it’s nearly impossible not to love this movie.
There’s not much I can say about this movie that you don’t already know, so I won’t bore you with a full synopsis. We’re in 1985 and then we’re in 1955 and Marty McFly is making sure that he doesn’t screw anything up. Chaos ensues, his mother tries to bang him, he nearly evaporates, but makes it back to his own time after a serious lightning storm. Damn, if I were to try to sell a movie to a studio right now with that description, you think they’d go for it? But seriously, this film really is what entertainment is supposed to be. It gives you some great comedy, some great drama if you really pay attention, and some amazing quotes. Come on, you can’t tell me that even to this day, that you don’t use “HELLO! MCFLY?” from time to time. But my favorite quote comes from perhaps my favorite character. Classic Glover.
Back to the Future Part II continues the saga where the first movie left off. Doc has taken Marty into the year 2015 to solve a problem with one of his kids. More chaos ensues, Biff is crazy rich due to a sports almanac that seems way too thin to have that many years of scores in it, flying cars, and more. In fact, with this date coming up next year, I’m hoping to open an exact replica of that kick-ass 80s café they were hanging out in. While I still think the original is the best in the trilogy, there are a lot of people that would list this one instead. For those that do think that part two is the best, I can’t blame you and I’ll give you two reasons why. For those who grew up with these flicks, you can’t tell me that you never wished you had one of these.
No, not the shoes, but those are pretty badass too. But if you’re around my age group and you didn’t somehow try to invent a hoverboard, your childhood was awful or you’re just a stone-faced liar. Reason number two should be quite obvious for those who know me.
The Cubs win the World Series! I love Hollywood.
While Back to the Future Part III is widely regarded as the weakest of the trilogy, I still enjoy it. Maybe it’s because I’m a big fan of the Old West, but the last entry closes things out rather nicely. Michael J. Fox even gets to use a really bad Irish accent. There’s a gunfight, a train rundown, and hey, Doc deserves a chick too. We’re taken back to the beginning of the clock tower and the story comes full circle. Marty returns home to 1985 for the final time and he and Jennifer watch the final destruction of the Delorean. Doc and Ted Danson’s wife show up in a train time machine with two creepy-looking kids and some great advice. All is well in Hill Valley and all is awesome in the #5 entry in the trilogy countdown.
Well, I’m outatime (damn, I’m clever) for today. Do you have any thoughts on 9/11, Joan Rivers, or Back to the Future? Leave them in the comments section below, or just follow me and tweet @THElukenorris. But as always, before I go, here’s your Beverly Hills, 90210 clip of the week. That’s right, I’ve still got Tiffani Thiessen on the brain.
Eventhough it feels like June it is indeed August. You know what August brings? That’s right…
Football
Woo hoo football! Not really. Yes I’m from Chicago. Yes I’m a Bears fan. Yes I honestly don’t give a fuck that football season is starting. I blame the NFL, and Fantasy Football. Mostly Fantasy Football. Now before you get your jocks straps in a bunch let me speak. Have you ever been around a group of people and a GoT conversation breaks out, for a good 45 minutes? How about WoW, LOTR, SW, ST? You’ve all been there, gritting your teeth, trying not to bite your tongue off wanting to scream, “SHUT THE FUCK UP ALREADY!!! For the love of god, if I have to listen to you talk about your +3 Sword of Ejaculation for one more second I’m going to kill myself!” Well I’ve reached that point, I’ve seen it from the other side, and I now get it. Don’t get me wrong, I see the fun, I played fantasy football for 10 years, I even won it all one year, but I realized that while I’m a geek, I’m not a football geek. I would rather spend 5 hrs a night at my computer trying to level in WoW or SWTOR, than participate in 20 pre-draft drafts prepping for a season that can come crumbling down with 1 horrible injury. The constant fucking coverage by the NFL to try and bring you some sort of facet of the game 24/7/365 doesn’t help either. It’s actually gotten worse than Yankees/Red Sox coverage. There are other things about the game that I’ve learned over the years that have made me like it less and less as well. Quarterbacks becoming pussies, the wide receiver becoming untouchable, and the fact that during a 3 1/2 hr event (average time) THERE IS ONLY 11:30 MINUTES OF GAME PLAY. That’s right folks, think about that for a minute. Don’t give me that, well it takes a lot of endurance to do what they do. Fuck that, talk to a hockey player, a basketball player, or even a soccer player (yes I went there). But, as in all things, to each their own, I wish all you fantasy players the best of luck this upcoming season. In the meantime I’ll be counting down the days until…
Derek
I would call Ricky Gervais a very divisive person. I would also all him one of the greatest gifts to television. The creator of television classics The Office and Extras has released the second season of his most recent show Derek, to Netflix. Now I know that it has been available for a while but I’ve been waiting for the right time to binge watch the season and there a couple of reason for this. The first is what I explained in my review of Dirk Gently, I like short seasons. The second is the overall tone of the show. The first season of Derek was 7 episodes (just over 3 hrs) and this season was 6 (just under 3 hrs) so they make for a perfect afternoon or evening of television. The problem is it’s a very emotional ride. In this show Ricky Gervais plays Derek, a socially awkward adult who spends most of his time assisting at a nursing home. He loves animals, is extremely blunt, and believes that there is good in everyone. I absolutely love this show. It’s made me laugh at some of the most ridiculous characters I’ve ever seen on television (Kevin played by David Earl being the highlight) and I’ve wept like a little bitch at least once in each season. Ultimately it’s logical, no bullshit, approach and commentary on what we find important in life should resonate with anyone who watches it. If you haven’t checked it out yet, please do.
Face Off (#teamstella)
I LOATHE “Reality T.V.”. I really do. I fucking hate it. However, I am inclined to watch this season (7) of Face Off because I just so happen to know one of the contestants. Which one you ask? That would be the pretty awesome, Stella Sensel. Now to be truthful she is a friend of my wife’s and I’ve only partied with her on a few occasions but I got the vibe she’s pretty cool. She’s also a pretty bad ass makeup artist. Which is why I’m not all that upset I have to watch the show she is appearing on, Face Off. In case you are unfamiliar, Face Off is a show where makeup artists compete each week for a chance at some grand prize. Not really sure what though. I know it’s something that a make up artist would like, I really never pay attention to that part. Anyway, week 3 just finished up and not only did Stella’s alien costume kick ass, it was this week’s winner! GO STELLA! After 3 weeks she has made the final 12 (it started with 16) and I’m sure after Tuesday’s victory she is feeling great. We wish her the best of luck and will be rooting for her and hope you will too. You can even help her win some extra cash by live tweeting during the show. You can find out more about that here. If there ever was a reality show I would recommend it would be this one, and if you wanted a reason to watch I just gave you one. You can follow Stella on Twitter @stellasensel and on Facebook. Be sure to catch her next challenge next Tuesday (and hopefully every Tuesday this season) at 9/8 CST on SyFy. You can check out her costumes from the first 3 weeks below.
That’ll do it for this week. Any comments, questions, or concerns? Leave ’em below. You can also follow me on twitter @jekupka Until next week I leave you with this…
30 For 30, 24, The Station Agent & The Goddamn Batman
Another week, another blogpost from your favorite (admit it) Binge blogger. This week was a particularly productive one, since I jumped back on the workout wagon in full force, automatically raising my weekly movie consumption by at least 70%. You see, I convince myself to stay on the elliptical by bribing my brain with a movie that I can only watch while on said machine, so it’s a win-win. While most of you were out watching the fireworks this past weekend I used my time off to bask in the glorious glow of my TV set. As a result, I was able to catch a pretty solid rash of flicks this week, both documentaries and theatrical flicks, as well as get some new I’ve been waiting on for a long time.
My first flicks were a pair of documentaries from the 30 for 30 series. The first was the Nancy Kerrigan/Tonya Harding (seen above, in all her glory) flick “The Price of Gold,” which was very solid. Sports controversy doesn’t get much juicier than this and the documentary does a good job of giving you the background on what went down as well as the bullet points of the crime and subsequent criminal trial. I’m no figure skating fife but there’s no denying those fuckers have some serious athleticism which comes across pretty well here. 8 on 10 all day.
The second 30 for 30, titled “The Announcement,” was all about Magic Johnson and his journey with HIV. I know this sounds really naive but I had no idea there was a large contingency of people that live with HIV, staying alive through medication and strict care. If anything, this documentary taught me a little bit about the disease, which is great. Documentaries should highlight something you don’t know about the world around you and I’m glad this flick did that for me. I also appreciate the hell out of true sportsmanship, seen here with some of the interviews with MJ and Larry Bird. I’m a moderate Celtics fan, but an even bigger fan of Larry Bird highlights, so I know of the Johnson/Bird rivalry, but the fact that Bird shows up here and gives the man his due is awesome and something I love to see in sports. Except in reference to Eli or Peyton Manning, fuck those douchebags.
24 is about to round out it’s final episode this coming Monday and I couldn’t be more excited. I’ve seen season 1 and this Live Another Day miniseries and that’s it, but I’ll be goddamned if I’m not loving some Jack Bauer ass-kicking. I’m just having a great time with it, despite the logic gaps and plot holes, because they stick to their fucking guns on that show. The showrunners have been doing it so long that the confidence of the writers and Sutherland is all over every moment of this season. Also, is there anything more tense than the ticking clock noise? Fucking genius, still works like a charm.
I think, because of Game of Thrones primarily, from here on out I’m a Peter Dinklage mark. A buddy of mine told me years ago to give The Station Agent a watch and I finally got around to it this week. Was it worth the watch? Absolutely. This is a difficult flick to recommend because the movie lives and dies on the backs of the cast and, literally, nothing else. Simply put, you need to either like or, at least, be intrigued by Dinklage, Patricia Clarkson and the always charismatic Bobby Cannavale. Ever since he played Gyp Rosetti on Boardwalk Empire I’ve liked this dude. He’s shown up on the Rich Eisen podcast a couple times and despite his New York fandom I feel like I could drink with this guy. Anywho, it’s tough to criticize this movie for being anything other than a hidden gem, one that got a lot of fanfare back when it was released but not enough love nowadays. 9 on 10, easily, for this great little flick.
As for video games, I’ve decided to jump back into a replay of Batman Arkham City, this time on my Mac. The game is just as amazing as I remember it the first time round, being somehow more operatic and grandiose than the first play-through. This was, of course, a direct result of the glorious Steam Summer Sale, which I am still reaping the benefits of now. Speaking of which, does anyone out there play Tropico? I grabbed Tropico 4 and can’t figure out how to get past the first level. I’m down with RTS but this game seems like a magnificent clusterfuck, created solely for the purpose of making me lose sleep at night. Not about to give up on it, but anyone with some pointers, give me a shout.
It’s finally happening, Batfans! The original 1966 Bill Dozier Batman series has finally been given a street date for later this year, some time in November, and I couldn’t be more stoked. This is the missing piece of Bat-film that most collectors, myself included, have been dying to get their hands on. For those of you not in the know, the show has been in syndication quite a bit over the past 50 years but never released, officially, on home video due to some issues with the rights to the show. Last year, when all that cleared up, the action figures started getting released, and now we’re finally getting into the real meat and potatoes. I’ve never seen the entire series in all its cheesiness but you bet your ass I’ll have this thing when it hits the street.
Another week down. What does the future hold? Who the fuck knows. Keep reading and I’ll keep writing, until next time!