Remember to call us with your questions/comments/suggestions for the show #708-316-8822
The first 2 rounds (well 3 I guess) of the NCAA Tournament are in the books! We go thru all the games while drinking booze. We discuss the upsets, and who we like moving forward. There are new sounders for your earholes as well!
The BSV machine provides Us with a good topic to discuss, so we discuss it. and agree, to disagree.
Remember to call us with your questions/comments/suggestions for the show #708-316-8822…
0:00 – PJ has the Swine Flu and is on the Bench like Malcom Butler, so TM brings back Jack Valley to discuss more Breaking News…McDaniel to stay in NE? What happened to Indy? The Results of the ‘Beat PeteMC Prop Pool are in…and the winner is…?
9:42 – BSV – New Caller! and a couple old ones…Keep em coming people
28:00 – Malcom Butler Convo
33:00 – Super Bowl discussion and thoughts on the season as a whole
1:08:45 – *NEW SEGMENT* NFL Quarterback Carousel! Which QB’s will be playing Where next season?
You didn’t think you were getting off without me, did you? Wait, what? Okay, let me try that again. Welcome to another edition of Highlights of 2016: The Luke Norris Edition. That doesn’t go against my third-person count, does it?
In any event, I figured that since I used to write the weekend column at this here site, I’d wait until today to get my list of things for 2016 out there. I’ll get to some movies and TV here in a bit, but seeing as I’m the sports guy I’ll go ahead and start there. It just so happens that my favorite thing of 2016 came from the sports world anyway and I don’t think anybody will be surprised by it.
The Cubs Win The World Series
Moreno said it earlier in the week and he was absolutely right. Just saying that the Chicago Cubs won the World Series is still a very strange thing to say and probably will be for a while but that doesn’t mean that I won’t keep doing it. For those that know me, you know how much the Cubs mean to me and to say that watching them win that epic Game 7 was a very special moment for me. I’m trying to keep these short today so I won’t go into as much detail as I did in my “What The Cubs Winning The World Series Means To Me” piece I wrote over at The Luke Norris Experience (shameless plug and I don’t feel bad about it) but it was something that I will never forget and was easily one of the biggest and best stories of the year in any form of entertainment.
The End Of An Era In The NBA
There’s a lot of people out there that simply don’t like the NBA anymore, or just don’t like the NBA at all, but it’s always been something that I’ve followed closely and 2016 marked the true end of an era as three of the all-time greats in Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett all retired, making this current season the first since Bill Clinton’s first term not to have at least one of these three in the league. While Kobe Bryant embarked on a farewell tour, including his 60-point closing game, Tim Duncan stayed true to form and just quietly walked away. I think KG really wanted to play another season but after 21 years of intensity, his body just couldn’t take anymore and he joined his fellow future Hall of Famers as spectators. In the end, these three played a combined 40 seasons, scored 86,210 points, won four MVP awards (how that total isn’t higher is beyond me), played in 48 All-Star Games and won 11 titles. Incredible.
The Dallas Cowboys
Outside of the Los Angeles Lakers, my sports teams have had a pretty good 2016. The Cubs did what they did. Michigan football, while losing their last two games, put themselves in title contention and look to be headed back towards what they used to be and the Dallas Cowboys have surpassed every expectation coming into this NFL season and no matter what happens tomorrow against the Eagles will go into the playoffs with the best record in the NFC. And while I knew that Ezekiel Elliott would do well, especially behind that amazing offensive line, Dak Prescott has shocked everyone with his poise and control as the field leader of this offense. When Tony Romo went down in the preseason, I don’t think anybody could have expected what’s happened since. Obviously, I’ll have to wait until 2017 to see how all of this plays out but the Dallas Cowboys in the Super Bowl could be an early contender for one of my favorite moments of the new year.
The Passing Of Icons
We all know that 2016 has seen a lot of celebrity deaths and the sports world wasn’t immune as a few of the biggest icons in sports history were lost this year. One of the best hockey players in history, Gordie Howe, died on June 10 and it really didn’t get the coverage that it deserved, but that was mainly due to the fact that Muhammad Ali passed only seven days before. And trust me, I could sit here and write for hours on Ali’s legacy but there’s plenty of documentaries and films out there if you’re not as familiar as you’d like to be about him. And yes, they’re all worth watching. And I know I don’t have a big audience for it here, but the death of Arnold Palmer in late September was a big deal to those of us that follow golf and a true loss for the sports world.
Okay, I’ll stop with the sports stuff for a minute and get to some TV. I’ve mentioned before on a few podcasts that I’m a very impatient person when it comes to television and I miss out on a lot of conversations because of it. It’s why I don’t watch a lot of new TV, even with all of the amazing shows that are out there right now. I’ll often wait until a series is completely over until I even start an episode because I don’t like waiting nine or ten months before it returns. But I did make a few exceptions this year, and will likely make a few more in the upcoming year, and I’ll start with another obvious entry.
Better Call Saul
It’s no secret that I’m a big Breaking Bad guy and I could write and talk for hours upon hours about that show. And yes, I’ll go ahead and take the blame for falling behind on those podcasts that we were doing. We had some scheduling conflicts and I had some computer issues and we just got away from it. Sorry. But I love everything about that universe and although I was scared in the beginning that Better Call Saul wouldn’t be able to live up to the hype, I’m okay with being wrong on this one. While the first season was very solid, the second was exceptional and I can’t even imagine what the third has in store for us. Bob Odenkirk and Jonathan Banks have both been brilliant and the supporting players are carrying their own weight and then some. There isn’t a scene that I don’t look forward to and while we may question them in real time, every one ends up having a purpose in the overall story. And then you add Gus Fring to the mix coming up. Damn.
The Path
And since we’re on Breaking Bad a little bit, I have to mention how much I enjoyed The Path. I’ve made no secret of the fact that Jesse Pinkman was my favorite character on the show and I hoped that Aaron Paul wouldn’t fall off the map after the show ended. After a role like that, it’s easy for an actor to only be looked at as that one character and I’m extremely happy that both Paul and Bryan Cranston have found success beyond Breaking Bad. Paul’s role as a husband and father on this show is obviously very different than what he did before and he’s doing it well. I won’t get into the plot points or anything here for those who haven’t seen it, but I highly recommend watching the first season before the second gets going here in a few weeks. Very nice surprise.
Stranger Things
Honestly, I really had no plans to watch Stranger Things right away. But after everyone and their mother started talking and posting about how much they enjoyed it, Shawshank and I sat down one night and started it, figuring we’d watch an episode to get the feel of it and go from there. Nope. I think we stayed up until about 2 or 3 in the morning watching five or six episodes that night and I’m pretty sure we finished it the next day. That kind of show normally isn’t my thing but throw in all of the 80s goodness, Winona Ryder, Matthew Modine and I’m in. Another fun surprise.
O.J.: Made in America
I don’t know if they’re classifying this as TV or a movie but I really don’t care. O.J.: Made in America was absolutely phenomenal. I watched these events unfold in the mid-90s as a teenager and I was captivated by it then. As a sports fan (and a Naked Gun fan as well), I knew who O.J. Simpson was but as his football career was before my time, I really didn’t know a ton about him except that he was one of the all-time greats. I knew he was an actor and a celebrity and that everyone seemed to like him, which is obviously what made those murders the big deal that they became. And this documentary captured all of it. From his time in college to his pro career to his acting days and his personal relationships, every single aspect of this man’s life was covered. Mix all of that with the controversial history of the LAPD and the trial coverage and you’ve got one of the best documentaries of the year. It took me back to my high school days when I couldn’t get enough of the coverage and I learned so much more. Outstanding.
Yeah, I know once I get rolling that these things get a little long but I just want to mention a few flicks and I’ll let you out of here. Now, there’s a couple of the awards season contenders that I haven’t gotten to yet and while I will mention a couple of those below, I first want to quickly talk about a couple of movies that will obviously not be a part of that conversation.
I’m always looking for fun, stupid movies. Movies that you can hit up on a Sunday afternoon when you’re hungover and don’t want to have to think about anything. And I found a couple of those year.
Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping
I love the Lonely Island and their brilliance is on full display here. Following all of their albums and music videos and such, it was only a matter of time before they tried it out on the big screen and I’m so happy that they did. Outside of the guys themselves, this flick is full of outstanding cameos (I think Seal might be my favorite…”Fucking wolves”) and crazy awesome tracks that I’ve got no problem admitting I listened to repeatedly just so I could get all of the lyrics down. Don’t judge me.
Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates
I really had no idea what to expect from this one but I sat down and gave it a chance one day and I’m glad that I did. Again, there’s not much substance here but I’m okay with that. You’ve got Aubrey Plaza and Anna Kendrick playing crazy chicks who like to drink (I’m sold right there) and a very funny dude in Adam DeVine. And then you’ve got Zac Efron. Now, I don’t know who exactly it was that decided he was going to start being in all of these comedies, but I want to shake that person’s hand. He’s the only thing that’s good about the Neighbors movies and he upped his game even more in this one. And you’ve got Aubrey Plaza and Anna Kendrick playing crazy chicks who like to drink. Wait, did I say that already?
The Magnificent Seven
Was this remake necessary? Certainly not. But did I enjoy the hell out of it? Absolutely. I’ve always been a big Denzel fan and watching him in this role only proved that this guy can do it all. He’ll likely get an Oscar nomination for Fences, which will be well-deserved I’m sure, but he was cool as hell here. And I did mark out a little bit seeing him and Ethan Hawke back onscreen together as I’m a big fan of Training Day. Throw in Chris Pratt in the Steve McQueen role and you’ve got gold. Really fun flick. And watch Seven Samurai already, will ya?
The Birth of a Nation
Just getting this film made was a difficult task for writer/producer/director Nate Parker, but the end result was amazing, even if it became a disappointment at the box office. There were always going to be people out there that wouldn’t like it for a variety of reasons, including the controversy surrounding Parker himself, but strictly from the perspective of a moviegoer, I was captivated from start to finish. To me, it was everything that 12 Years A Slave wasn’t. And yes, I’m aware that the latter took home numerous Best Picture awards but I could never get into it. Although the source material was great, I was never connected to the characters and it always felt very flat to me. It was the complete opposite for me here. The story of the relationship between Parker’s Nat Turner and Samuel, played brilliantly by Armie Hammer, was told very well and the supporting players were excellent. I may be in the minority here but I really dug this flick.
Hell or High Water
As I mentioned earlier, there’s still a few movies from this year that I’ve yet to get around to but this is my favorite film of 2016. It’s got a very No Country for Old Men feeling to it without being No Country for Old Men. Jeff Bridges is always going to do his thing but underappreciated actors Ben Foster and Chris Pine absolutely slay it in this film. It’s unfortunate that so many people will only ever see Pine as Captain Kirk because he’s got so much more versatility than he’s given credit for. I dug him next to Denzel in the underrated Unstoppable and he showed he’s got some comedic chops as well in last year’s Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp. I’m hoping the attention this movie’s going to get during awards season wakes people up a bit. And Ben Foster was phenomenal in this flick. I remember seeing him in a couple of episodes of Boston Public when he was a youngster years and years ago and he’s been killing it ever since. This is another one I could go on and on about…the direction, the acting, the cinematography…everything was superb here.
Okay, I think I’ve held you up long enough. Happy New Year to everyone in our little slice of paradise here at Binge Media.
I just recently watched HOOSIERS with my kids for the first time and still find it amazing the amount of emotion this movie brings out of me. Say the word “Picket fence” or “I’ll make it.” to me and I melt like a blowtorched snowman. So inspired was I that it was time to get off my ass and contribute to this site that I helped create. Let’s watch the scene in question first.
The end of this film is what makes it my favorite sports movie of all time. That final game is as epic as any championship game ever filmed and it has everything to do with Jimmy Chitwood putting his big boys pants on and lighting South Bend up like a fireworks display. The dude misses one shot all game. From Coach Dale’s pre-game speech to the moment he realizes he called the wrong play at the end solidify him as the greatest movie coach of all time. Simply put, this movie is the everything of all time for me. Everything. Enough talk – lets play.
Are you guys sick of me yet this week? Welcome back once again to Binge Sports. After a crazy couple days of wild card action, we’re now down to eight in the race for the right to be called World Series champions. Today, we’ll take a quick look back at the wild card games and how you voted and we’ll look ahead at the matchups for the division series that get underway in just a little while. Let’s get to it.
Wild Card Results
The young Houston Astros rolled into Yankee Stadium on Tuesday night with no fear whatsoever. Dallas Keuchel looked fantastic and the bullpen was sturdy as the Astros defeated the Yankees 3-0, getting homeruns from Colby Rasmus and Carlos Gomez. The Astros won with you as well, picking up 2/3 of the fan vote.
In a big game in Pittsburgh last night, the Pirates were shut out for the second year in a row in this game, this time losing 4-0 to the Chicago Cubs. Jake Arrieta threw yet another complete game shutout and Kyle Schwarber drove in the first three runs, including a massive 450-foot homerun that left the ballpark entirely. With Arrieta on the mound last night, not many people gave Pittsburgh a chance in this game, and that certainly rang true here as well. The Cubs picked up 100% of the fan vote. Nice work.
American League Division Series
Texas Rangers vs Toronto Blue Jays
These were two of the hottest teams in the second half of the year. Both were able to continue climbing the ladder and win their respective divisions. Both made big pitching moves at the deadline, with Texas acquiring Cole Hamels and the Blue Jays bringing in David Price, who will start Game 1 this afternoon at 3:30 Eastern/2:30 Central. The Rangers will counter with Yovani Gallardo.
My prediction: Blue Jays in 4
[yop_poll id=”293″ tr_id=””” show_results=”-1″]
Houston Astros vs Kansas City Royals
Are the Astros this year’s version of last year’s Royals? They’ve got a bunch of guys that most of you have probably never heard of. They’re young. They play an exciting brand of baseball. They’re just fun to watch. Yep, that sounds pretty close to what we witnessed in the Kansas City run to the World Series last year. For most of the season, the Royals were the best team in the American League, but a slight stumble at the end of the year made things interesting, but they were able to hang on and clinch home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. This should be a fun series to watch. Game 1 gets going tonight at 7:30 Eastern/6:30 Central.
My prediction: Royals in 5
[yop_poll id=”294″ tr_id=””” show_results=”-1″]
National League Division Series
Chicago Cubs vs St. Louis Cardinals
You’ve seen me write about how great Cubs/Cardinals is before, and before I write 10,000 words on this, I’m going to stop myself and just say how excited I am for this. Forgive my bias towards this series, but growing up in central Illinois, the fandom is basically split 50/50 between these two teams, and it’s going to get crazy around here. As far as the actual matchup, these are two really good baseball teams. The Cardinals finished with the best record in baseball, and the Cubs finished with the third-best and played their way into this series with a wild card win over the Pittsburgh Pirates, who had the second-best record in the majors. Yeah, that’s how good the NL Central was this year. This epic series gets underway on Friday evening at 6:30 Eastern/5:30 Central.
My prediction: Cubs in 5
[yop_poll id=”296″ tr_id=””” show_results=”-1″]
New York Mets vs Los Angeles Dodgers
I almost feel bad for the Mets. Okay, not really, but their reward for a great year and winning the National League East is a trip to Los Angeles and a date with Clayton Kershaw and Zach Greinke. I’m not saying they can’t win these games, as the Mets have a great pitching staff of their own, but it will certainly be a challenge. However, the Mets did take four of the seven games from LA this season. We’ll see how things play out starting tomorrow night at 9:30 Eastern/8:30 Central.
My prediction: Dodgers in 4
[yop_poll id=”295″ tr_id=””” show_results=”-1″]
There you have it. You know I’ll be following the MLB Playoffs as they happen, so keep checking back for updates, and you know you can always get the latest on Twitter @BingeSports and @THElukenorris. I’ll leave you be for a few days.
Oh, you missed that logo, didn’t you? But that’s what you’re getting this week for the all-new Binge SportsCast is a whole bunch of Luke Norris.
That’s right. After a late scratch from my potential co-host for the week (no worries brother, being a dad comes first), I’m once again flying solo, not the easiest thing in the world to do, but hey, I’m a professional, and it’s Binge SportsCast time.
In a little over an hour, I hit on the MLB Playoffs after watching the Astros beat the Yankees, I prepare you for tonight’s Cubs vs Pirates game, as well as the other series that will get underway this week. From there, I move to the NFL to talk the top 5 teams, followed by a little NHL talk as the season gets underway, and my thoughts on the Stephen A. Smith rant about Kevin Durant this week.
I close up shop with a personal achievement I reached this week and salute….well, just take a listen. Enjoy. As always, keep up with all the latest @BingeSports and @THElukenorris.
Here it is, folks. The inaugural Binge Football League is now in session, and what better way to kick things off than bringing you an all-new edition of the Binge SportsCast. Join me as I bring you an NFL preview disguised as the fantasy football draft for the BFL. Not only does Tom Brady’s publicist, Episode IV Jack Falvey, join me, but for the first time in Binge SportsCast history, I also welcome a few of my listeners to the program to join us for the live draft. Art Murillo, Chad Forsythe, and legendary hypeman Denny Luis join Jack and I as we make our picks, break down the NFL, and discuss some important topics like the difference in rooting for your fantasy team versus the actual team you root for. And let me tell you, shit gets real.
Before you listen to the show, let me break down how things will go for the BFL this season. If you listened to my previous show, or follow @BingeSports and @THElukenorris on Twitter, you know that after getting a few guys on the staff to join, I opened this league up to my listeners, and they responded very quickly to get this thing filled up. Hell, I even had to take it from 10 to 12 teams and there were still people who wanted in, but we just couldn’t add anybody else. After listening to the show, come right back here to check out the rosters for each team and make your pick at the bottom of the page on which team you think will win the inaugural season of the BFL. Every week, I’ll be bringing you that week’s matchups, the updated standings, and perhaps the best smack talk of the week. And if you could have seen the board while we were drafting, believe me, you’ll want to see more. So take a listen to this ground-breaking edition of the Binge SportsCast and keep coming back every single week to check in on the BFL. Also debuting this week is the Binge Sports Pick ‘Em Contest, where you have the chance to win new Binge Media merchandise, which I will personally buy for you. To check out the rules and get in on the action, click HERE.
Enjoy the show, and don’t forget to come back to check out the rosters and cast your votes for the Week 1 matchups and the team you think will take it all in the inaugural BFL season.
RB-Jamaal Charles, Chris Ivory, T.J. Yeldon, Ryan Matthews, Rashad Jennings
WR-Demaryius Thomas, Jordan Matthews, DeAndre Hopkins, Allen Robinson, Nelson Agholor
TE-Delanie Walker
K-Matt Prater
DEF-Arizona Cardinals
VATOS LOCOS (owned by Art Murillo)
QB-Sam Bradford, Russell Wilson, Colin Kaepernick
RB-C.J. Anderson, Darren McFadden, Reggie Bush
WR-Golden Tate, DeSean Jackson, Larry Fitzgerald, Stevie Johnson, Rueben Randle
TE-Jason Witten, Heath Miller
K-Phil Dawson
DEF-Green Bay Packers
WAYNE’S AWESOME TEAM (owned by Wayne Dew)
QB-Drew Brees, Matthew Stafford
RB-DeMarco Murray, Doug Martin, Chris Johnson, Knowshon Moreno
WR-Brandon Marshall, Jeremy Maclin, Marques Colston, Torrey Smith, Dwayne Bowe
TE-Vernon Davis, Larry Donnell
K-Greg Zuerlein
DEF-Kansas City Chiefs
WEEK 1 MATCHUPS
VS
[yop_poll id=”252″ tr_id=””” show_results=”-1″]
VS
[yop_poll id=”259″ tr_id=””” show_results=”-1″]
VS
[yop_poll id=”254″ tr_id=””” show_results=”-1″]
VS
[yop_poll id=”255″ tr_id=””” show_results=”-1″]
VS
[yop_poll id=”256″ tr_id=””” show_results=”-1″]
VS
[yop_poll id=”257″ tr_id=””” show_results=”-1″]
Okay, you’ve got what you need for the start of the BFL season. Now let’s take an early vote on who you think can win the whole thing. The top eight teams will get into the playoffs. Who’s it gonna be?
Last week, I wrote an entire column basically describing how fan boys are assholes and try how they might to ruin a film for you before you even see it. It is almost like they say ‘I know. I will put down (insert movie title) because (insert person anticipating it) is really looking forward to it.’ It is a real ineffective way to live your life and if you are one of these types of people, please stop reading this and any future columns of mine right now because you are an asshole.
However, even with how hard people work at convincing you a new film is not up to your entertainment standards, sometimes our own worst enemy when it comes to watching movies is ourselves. Specifically, our own vested anticipation. How many times have you anticipated a movie for months, sometimes years, only to have the date creep up on you and you walk out feeling not nearly as fulfilled as you thought you would? It is something each film fan has experienced at least once in their lives. But why is it that we find ourselves even in that position? What are our own personal standards of how a film can be classified as personally life-changing?
I feel it is quite a number of things, mostly what kind of personal baggage we bring into each movie. Let me get the two most obvious examples out of the way quickly. One of my most memorable childhood film going experiences involved going with my father to see Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. With hardly an eye on anything other than all the times I watched Raiders of the Lost Ark on our just acquired cable network HBO, I walked in only knowing that hero Indiana Jones would probably crack his whip a lot. Seen back to back with Gremlins in a soda floored movie theater in Fairfield California, I was transfixed on each new situation Indy found himself in, and I can safely say the darkness of this film also made me fall in love with the horror genre. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, while not as life changing, was another fantastic film going experience. This time I was 12 years old and walking into a movie theater with a friend, and for the first time I was without a parent in a movie theater. I loved how the movie turned into an entertaining farce with some family values and an obvious love for history thrown in for good measure.
Flash forward to January 2008. I had just started my three year sabbatical in University living, and while surfing the net doing research for a paper, something crawled across my screen that made my eyes light up like a Christmas tree: New Indiana Jones Trailer. The way this trailer, titled Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, integrated old Indy adventures with new footage of him falling into a truck backwards and punching the driver & its passenger chilled me to the bone. It was something I watched many times, sending it to my Myspace (yep) friends at the time and even showing my father, who was also smiling from ear to ear afterwards. I then went to a screening, which I was invited to thanks to the site I was working for at the time, and walked out….well, I don’t know how I walked out of there. Dejected is not the right word. Neither is angry. In fact, it still holds the record for the most conflicted I have ever been after seeing a movie. I ended up giving the movie a fairly decent review, and took my brother to it on opening night, almost holding my head in my hands saying out loud, ‘what was I thinking?’
Looking back, I have no idea what I expected. Nearly twenty years after Last Crusade, Ford was still Indy. He was still using his whip and shooting his revolver. But in between all the swinging with monkeys and bad guys getting decimated by CGI ants, the charm and sheer wit which drew me in was missing. Now when I watch Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, I find myself halfway enjoying it. Is it the least of the films? Absolutely. But I can watch it now and think that it was not nearly as bad as I thought. In fact, my father and I had a real fun time watching it the week it came out on DVD. The anticipation for that movie changing my life like the previous two got in the way of me actually enjoying it. Did it make me love horror and want to explore history? No. But hardly any film has that kind of impact on anybody, so what the hell was my problem the first time?
And then there is 1999’s Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. Now, I have already been on record in various columns and podcasts saying I do not hold Phantom Menace, or any of the Star Wars prequels, as far deep in the barrel as most. But starting in 1984, when I read in People Magazine that George Lucas wanted to tell Darth Vader’s backstory, I was already counting down the days. By the way, if there was someone on the cover of People whom I wanted to read about, I would always beg my mom to get it for me. This particular one had, who else, but Indy. Anyway, Lucas already started the wheels in motion, and by 1997, when the original trilogy was re-released to theaters with brand new scenes, the anticipation was at an all time high. Working at a grocery store, I would scour the magazine rack looking for anything on Star Wars. I would spend hours looking on Star Wars sites. Years. Months. Weeks. Days. Of course, the question once again comes up: what the hell was I expecting? Another Empire Strikes Back? Another series of Ewok scenes? The Darth Vader mask to be the final shot of the film? No idea. Yet, when I got tickets for my father and I, we walked in that theater, and the familiar Star Wars theme blasted the speakers. It was almost magic. Yet when the movie ended, I walked out and once again declared, ‘what happened?’
I see and enjoy all three of the prequels for what they are. I won’t go into the reasons for that here. But I honestly believe the main reason people have such disdain for them, notably Phantom Menace, is because they were expecting the highest of orders. They were expecting to see everything that made one of the best villains in history tick within one film. They also were not expecting the senate hearings, and things which eventually led to the Galactic Empire being built from the ground up. Are the scenes boring? Sure. But what someone brings into the film in anticipation of it has almost everything to do with why they hate it. And of course, they were not expecting Jar Jar. Yet as I have already outlined many times, I do not hate it.
Of course, I have many examples of these instances happening to me in which I DO fully understand the reasons why it did not live up to my anticipation. James Cameron promised a movie which would change the way movies were made in the years and months leading up to Avatar‘s 2009 release. But was it all for the better? I have watched Avatar a grand total of one time since it left theaters (I saw it two times in that capacity, both in 3D) and none since. Rewatching the movie without the experience of living in Cameron’s 3D world is a downer. The story is completely lackluster, and there are certain times I would argue that some of Cameron’s dialogue would wilt in comparison to even Lucas’s. But in looking back, was there anything more to expect from the man who had never been known as a smart dialogue writer? Not really, I guess. But in Avatar I anticipated a movie I had not seen a hundred times before in less expensive (and much better) features before it.
The 2010 remake of A Nightmare on Elm Street was another film which went on my radar the moment it was announced. Freddy Krueger was a character that, despite only being a few steps up from a poor hapless chap getting his heart ripped out in Temple of Doom, forever cemented my love for horror. But it is no secret that after an admittedly enjoyable part IV, the series quickly went into a downward spiral, until eventually being bookended by a remarkably shitty and pretentious movie called Wes Craven’s New Nightmare. So when Platinum Dunes announced they were moving ahead with a remake, I found myself getting incredibly excited. Even the first film, in watching it now, falls apart at the seams after the midway point. So how about a dark take on a character which has the potential to be one of the scariest in history? Put notable character actor Jackie Earle Haley in the fedora, and you have a winner. Right? RIGHT?!
I guess if I had a movie going experience similar to those people who say they hate Phantom Menace had, it would be this one. Not as much a remake as a stilted piece of shit and rehash of old scenes using computer graphics as opposed to practical effects, A Nightmare on Elm Street 2010 just stomped all over any sort of anticipation I may have had. Why turn the character of Freddy Krueger from a scary scar-faced entity…to a muppet-faced scumbag….is baffling, and how epic a fail director Samuel Bayer and producer Michael Bay pulled off with this remake is beyond words. Thank God there was never a sequel to squash any more dreams I had of seeing a good Freddy movie ever again.
So what is it about anticipation that gets us where it hurts? I don’t know. What I do know is that if the outside world doesn’t get you, your very own anticipation will. Just once, I would like a movie to sneak up on me. With so many cinematic influences out there, many of which are mentioned above, and social media making it harder and harder to do so, it is looking like an unending battle to once again find that lightning in a bottle.
What are some of YOUR most anticipated letdowns?
Manny Pacquiao vs Floyd Mayweather Thoughts
I know this column is already way over worded and the great Luke Norris is waiting with baited breath to get his thoughts on it out there. But I thought my feelings on last Saturday’s fight, the most anticipated in decades, kind of echoes the theme of what this entire column has been about. I felt from the beginning that this fight was held five years too late. That being said, even though I really had no dog in the fight, I still thought there was potential for it to be even better than anticipated. Coming in, all people said is that no one could take it to Mayweather like Pacquiao could. And the only way Pacquiao would have a chance is if he did exactly that, and not let Mayweather pile on points and run.
Yet, there was always the solid chance that Mayweather would not let that happen. So after paying $89.95 to see Mayweather lose, people are now calling him a coward for fighting like he did and winning like he has for 90% of his fights. Even though he has done it almost his entire career. So I will say it again: What did people expect? I better take this moment to say that as someone who did not have to pay as much to watch it, I guess my thoughts are kind of stilted.
Afterwards, retired boxer Oscar De La Hoya took to Twitter criticizing Mayweather for running like he did (even though De La Hoya did the same exact tactic in the later rounds of a 1999 fight after he thought he had Felix Trinidad beaten by points), Mayweather bragged about making $100 million on the fight, and Pacquiao made himself look even worse by saying it was a shoulder injury which prevented him from fighting like he wanted to. The funniest part of all this is that the shoulder injury will probably make Pacquiao pursue a rematch, people will still pay out of the bank to hopefully watch Mayweather lose, and the only people who lose are those aching for a big money fight to be entertaining. And then the A word starts all over again.