​Temptation is always out there and the only thing keeping you from giving into it is self-control. Even though it does not seem like sometimes you're capable of exercising self-control, you don’t always do what you want because deep down you know that it is wrong, and there are consequences. But there is always that little voice in the back of your head that begs you to do it, especially if you know that you will not be caught. That is the inner battle that we all have to deal with on a daily basis and even though most people can win the fight, there are a few that give in and suffer the consequences. 
​
Watching as his family is leaving for the beach without him, Evan has plenty of work to do and wants to get it done before the weekend comes to a close. With the house quiet, Evan is getting plenty accomplished when he hears a knock in the distance. Heading to the door and seeing two innocent looking girls shivering in the rain, Evan decides to do the decent thing and let them come in and dry off. Telling Evan that they are looking for a party, the two seductresses Bell and Genesis are showing plenty of interest in the older man. Trying to get the two young women out of his house as soon as possible, Evan gives in to their woes and is about to experience a night that will change his life forever.

Waking up and finding that the girls are still in his house, Evan tries to get them to leave, but they are not planning on going anywhere. Getting a call from his wife, Evan tries to keep a cool head, but Bell and Genesis are not making it easy for him. Threatening to call the police to get his new guests to leave, Genesis plays the card of underage assault since both girls are younger than eighteen. Watching as the girls tear up his house, Evan is forced to be a little more assertive and makes the call anyway. Seeing that he is serious, the girls agree to leave, but they are not done with their new friend. Getting back into the house, Evan gets thrown into a dangerous game that he will not walk away from.

I was not as impressed with this movie as I wanted to be when I first saw the trailer for it last year. I was hoping for a ton of suspense and frightening moments, and while there is a little bit of that, it was not enough to make the movie scary at all. It was more of a dark comedy, a very dark comedy that was supposed to frighten you about succumbing to temptation. While the buildup was pretty good, the second half of the movie seemed to get away from the story and any moral messages it was trying to get across. It was however, still an entertaining viewing experience, but this kind of story is not for everyone. 

Five Takeaways

1. Don’t open your door for anyone at one A.M., especially if it is a dark and stormy night.
2. When strange girls want to get busy with you, there is always an agenda.
3. Always check ID.
4. When you can tell that you are in trouble, just call the police, no matter if it gets you into more trouble or not.
5. When making your last speech before you die, don’t compare women to pizza, it is just silly.

​Our closest friends often times mean as much to us as our family. Heck...we usually refer to them as family because these are incredible people who have shared equally incredible moments with us, and that's precisely why we will drop anything on a moment's notice to be near those friends and help them in their time of need, regardless of the situation. 

We do it because we love them, and because we will go the extra mile for anyone that matters that much in our lives, and sometimes when we step in to support our surrogate family, we find ourselves angry because they have been wronged...and when they are close enough to us, we will do anything and everything to avenge and ease their pain and just how far we are willing to go to set everything right...was explored in great detail in the grand finale of the Ocean's Trilogy...Ocean's Thirteen.

Danny Ocean and all of his friends have returned to Las Vegas for one somber reason; their longtime pal Reuben Tishkoff, has suffered a massive heart attack. But unfortunately for the gang, they're not merely in town to just lend support and a helping hand, they're concerned and angry, because Reuben's heart attack was not a matter of poor health, it was instead brought on by a grand double cross by Hotel Magnate Willy Bank, and Willy's move all but ruined Reuben's finances, and after turning down an opportunity to set things right and make Reuben whole once again...the gang decides it is high time to teach Willy Bank a lesson he will never forget...

I have to admit that every single time I watch this film, I always wonder if it was made to truly close out the Ocean saga...or if it was put together to wipe away the bad taste and reception of its predecessor because Thirteen takes us back to Sin City and removes any traces of the darker and edgier film that came before it and well...that's not necessarily a bad thing. This saga was always about making revenge and thievery fun and silly and well, this film certainly delivers when it comes to that. 

In fact despite Reuben's predicament, there's laughs to be found everywhere in this film, so many chuckles in fact that it borders on outright comedy in some places, and really, that's just one reason of many to enjoy this motion picture. Not to mention, the con in this one is the most complex one of all in this series in order to keep the gang five steps ahead of the many enemies that return for this film, including Toulour and Terry Benedict and let's be honest here, Al Pacino steals the show as Willy Bank. As an actor who rarely plays a villain he absolutely relishes this role, and Bank is truly the most vile human being that the Ocean Gang has ever dealt with since it's all about fortune and glory for this man, making the final act of the film incredibly satisfying when the team's plan for revenge finally comes together.  

As an added bonus, this film is once again a visual feast since The Bank Hotel and Casino is unlike anything we've ever seen in Las Vegas but all visual beauty aside, this is truly my favorite film in the franchise, because this time the story revolves around a noble cause. While the first film featured hints of revenge, it was at its core about getting Danny and the gang out of the game before the sequel had them saving their backsides. But this time...they truly band together as one to exact the right kind of revenge on a man who values his Five Diamond Awards over people and since he gets everything he deserves...it makes this film the most satisfying entry in the series and it is a wonderful way to wrap up the wild adventures that we enjoyed with Danny Ocean and his lovable band of thieves.

The funny thing about revenge, is that it can quickly become cyclical in nature. Someone wrongs you, you take vengeance upon them, they can't deal with your retaliation and the next thing you know...they exact their own revenge upon you and the cycle just goes on and on, and unfortunately sometimes other people get dragged into the mess as well as the escalation of revenge continues along.

But, when all is said and done, it's not a matter of who can 'one up' and break their enemy, it's more important to figure out how to avoid revenge in the first place. The obvious answer to that...is to turn the other cheek and move on so conflict never arises, but if one does find themselves in the middle of a Vendetta War, how does one end or escape it? Well that's a question that was explored in detail in the fascinating sequel to Ocean's Eleven...Ocean's Twelve.

Danny Ocean and his merry band of thieves are enjoying the good life. They're rich beyond their wildest dreams thanks to the heist they pulled on Terry Benedict's casinos and have simply moved on. But unfortunately for Danny, someone has leaked information about the robbery and Terry has gotten wind of it, and now that he knows who was responsible for robbing him blind, he confronts Danny and demands his money back plus interest or else the entire gang will face dire consequences. This revelation sends the group to Europe for what should be a quick and easy heist to get Terry what he needs, but there's competition waiting for them across the pond, which means that Ocean's Eleven will need to enlist a little bit of help in order to outwit one of the world's finest thieves, so they can settle up with Terry and save their hides.

Truth be told, the first time I saw this film, I really didn't like it, simply because of the fact it was such a vast departure from the original. Its tone is far darker than Eleven's and come on, lives are on the line here. But Twelve is a film that grows on you, because once you get past the dreariness, you're treated to quite the complex masterpiece, one that introduces us to a world we never knew existed and it also provides us with perhaps the most complex con I've ever seen when it comes to heist movies. 

Now, the world we knew nothing about, is where Danny has spent most of his professional life, where thievery is a solid career choice, and in this world other thieves network on a regular basis, and they respect one another and their specific targets. At least that is until the whole mess with Terry Benedict comes into play, since it leads to a breach of protocol pitting one thief against another all in the name of machismo and bravado since The Night Fox (Baron François Toulour) cannot stand the thought of being second best since Danny's heist is so well respected in the thief community and his attack on the Ocean gang is what brings us to the complex con in this story, one that surpasses the original film's heist and one that requires your full attention because it is a true 'blink and you'll miss it' moment. I'll say nothing more about that con, because...that would be a blog post in and of itself and quite frankly, it's best experienced on film. But when all is said and done, the attention to detail in this film and the building of this 'World of Thieves' is downright fascinating and it's a shame that the story didn't explore it further.

However, despite the fact that I eventually came to appreciate this motion picture, my chief complaint about it remains the same...the reveal of the Twelfth member of the Ocean gang is just downright silly. I say that, because this particular moment in the film, albeit chuckle worthy, is just too meta and over the top for its own good. I'm all for a good joke and surprising your audience but that...well it completely detracts from the strong and gritty elements I made mention of a moment ago. But, it's a weird enough moment that it's forgettable and it doesn't ruin an otherwise intelligent heist film, one that challenged its predecessor and really, one has to appreciate the real payoff when it comes to the decision to delve into darker territory for this sequel; the fact that this harrowing adventure brought this team closer together because that would prove to be extremely important when it comes to the big surprise that awaits them in the next film...

As much as we seem to lament them in this day and age, remakes and reboots are here to stay and the fact of the matter is...they never really left in the first place. Just look back through the years and you'll find plenty of films from just about any decade that are a reimagining of an idea from ages ago. They're simply an important part of storytelling. We love to look at ideas from a different angle and sometimes a fresh interpretation is successful and sometimes it's an outright failure. 

But we often tend to lock in on the failures over the successes and that's a shame because once in a great while a wonderful remake comes along, one that manages to maintain the spirit of the original, all while giving us something wonderful and new to enjoy, as was the case when George Clooney brought back to life a Rat Pack classic, in 2001's Ocean's Eleven.

​Daniel Ocean, has more or less hit rock bottom. His wife has left him. He just wrapped up a stint in jail and now he's back in the regular world, without a penny to his name and with a bad taste in his mouth regarding his chosen profession of thievery. This unfortunate chain of events has led him to believe that it is high time to retire from a life of crime and he puts into motion an incredible plan to travel to Las Vegas to rob three casinos blind in a single night. But in order to pull this off, he'll need a crack team of thieves to accompany him on one last heist that will make all of them rich beyond their wildest dreams.

It cannot be an easy task to remake a Rat Pack film, considering the respect and awe that Frank Sinatra and his buddies still command in this day and age, yet somehow Director Steven Soderbergh managed to assemble a cast to rival the star power of the first film, and crafted a movie that paid full respect to the original, while taking the story in a bold new direction and the end result of Steven's hard work is an absolutely magnificent motion picture.

Because everything about this movie is fun, which is ironic considering that in essence, this is a dark heist film, motivated purely by revenge. But it never feels like a dreary film, because the characters are good people at heart, and honorable thieves who are merely looking for the only way out of this industry that they can think of and truth be told...Terry Benedict is a jerk through and through, and there is a sense of satisfaction in knowing that he gets his just desserts, and all of this works and works well courtesy of a whip smart screenplay that rewards the audience for their time and attention and further puts the main characters upon a pedestal since the grand reveal of how they pull off this epic heist demonstrates just how smart they really are. 

Not to mention, the movie is a visual feast as well, perfectly capturing the glamour and glitz of Las Vegas and some of the images in and of these iconic casinos outright take your breath away. In the end however, Ocean's Eleven is a wonderful popcorn flick. There's no deeper meaning to be found here, just a story about eleven guys trying to improve their lives, and taking down a jerk in the process and well...since no one outside of Terry's bank account is harmed, that more or less makes this movie an ultra rare wholesome heist movie, and it's one that you should absolutely own or enjoy if you haven't had the opportunity to do so yet. 

As I grow older and see my family and friends start their own families, I always seem to hear one playful complaint when talking about their new life experiences in having a child...the fact that they have to watch children's movies over and over and over again...and they have nothing to offer the adults that enjoy them alongside their kids.

Now granted, that makes a certain level of sense. After all, kids films are geared toward kids and there's nothing wrong with that, but over the past few years I've noticed a bit of a change in children's movies, that there are more adult themes being injected into the stories, so that people of all ages can enjoy everything about these tales and recently I had the opportunity to see one of these hybrid films myself...the delightful, Sing. 

This is a film that transports us to a world filled to the brim with animals that live their lives like human beings do, they work hard, raise their families and also...dream big dreams. Enter Buster Moon, a koala who believes in the wonder of showbiz and has always dreamed of putting on an incredible show in the theater he owns in his home town, but after a string of box office failures, the theater is in danger of foreclosure, forcing Buster to think outside the box to save his theater and fulfill his dream...by hosting the greatest singing competition this town has ever seen.

Sing is quite the unique animated feature for several reasons. First and foremost, it boasts an all star cast that is actually invested in the story and their performances. We've all sat down to see a movie like this where its clear the stars are phoning it in, but there's a special passion coming from the actors that helps to sell this film, and the characters and their plight, instantly draw you in, allowing for you to experience one heck of an emotional roller coaster ride when the highs and the lows arrive in the story because the performances are truly that top notch.

But the real magic of this film, lies in the fact that it is filled with positive...and realistic messages. The notion of following one's dreams is nothing new to cinema, if anything one could call it cliché or a trope, but Sing puts a new spin on that, pointing out the fact that dreams require hard work, discipline and sacrifice and even then...it doesn't mean they're all going to come true on a moment's notice and make you millions just like that. Sure the movie ends in the happiest of fashion, but I truly respect the fact that this motion picture put together that kind of message and reminded kids and adults alike to keep pursuing what they love and take every single risk and opportunity that comes their way because who knows what will happen when you take a chance.

When all is said and done however, this film is an absolute joy to watch and you're guaranteed to find yourself dancing in your seat and tapping your toes at the catchy soundtrack and the stellar singing performances from the cast as well. No joke, the actors here know how to belt out a tune and the bottom line is, if you haven't seen this one yet I highly recommend that you do so. Take a friend, take your family or just catch it at a matinee showing on your own, because this is that rare film that transcends age and truly has something for everyone.

“Breaking Down the Film” provides in-depth sports analysis of the greatest fictional teams and events in movie history.
 
23 years ago, Michael Jordan’s retirement coincided with a series of unfortunate events and paved the way for the most iconic and important basketball game in world history: Monstars vs. Tune Squad.
 
In October of 1993, Michael Jordan announced his retirement from the game of basketball to follow his heart and pursue a career in baseball, spurred by the dreams of his late father. Shortly thereafter, Jordan signed a minor league contract with the Southern League’s Double-A Birmingham Barons, where he played as an outfielder. Only time would tell how much his absence from the NBA would ultimately shape a battle for Earth’s freedom.
 
Aliens descended on Earth to capture the Looney Tunes. However, after a series of negotiations, the potential capture was put on the line as a wager for a basketball game. Billed as “The Ultimate Game”, the Tune Squad’s 78-77 buzzer-beating victory over the Monstars has been recounted numerous times; in coverage by ESPN and Sports Illustrated, and primarily in the documentary Space Jam.
 
The Harvard Sports Analysis Collective crunched the numbers to compile a complete box score for the game, a tremendous resource that Breaking Down the Film will rely on. This analysis, however, will take a deeper dive into the factors that ultimately shaped that box score, from lineup construction to coaching and everything in between. It will consider both the good and the bad from each team, as well as other intangibles. 

Scouting (Talent Stealing) Woes
The Monstars first stop was to Madison Square Garden to scout a game between the New York Knicks and Phoenix Suns. This decision in and of itself was a smart one. The Knicks and Suns both finished the year towards the top of their conference standings, with records of 57-25 and 56-26, respectively. During that matchup, the Monstars acquired two solid foundational pieces for their franchise’s puzzle: future Hall of Famers Patrick Ewing and Charles Barkley. That season, Ewing was averaging 24.5 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game. Barkley was also a killer, notching 21.6 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 4.6 assists. Drafting/stealing the talent from those two players was a great start to the Monstars team. However, they failed to put the best talent on the court with their other draft picks. The Monstars went on to select Muggsy Bogues, Larry Johnson, and Shawn Bradley. This is where the drop in talent begins. Bogues (10.8 p / 4.1 r / 10.1 a), Johnson (16.4 p / 8.8 r / 3.6 a), and Bradley (10.3 p / 6.2 r / 2.0 a) all posted numbers much worse than Ewing and Barkley, and other stars around the league.
 
This translated directly to the numbers put up in the big game. Monstars Pound (Barkley) and Bupkus (Ewing) dominated their teammates in points scored. Pound contributed 6 steals and 37 points total, with 15 of those points coming from three-point range.  Bupkus added another 2 steals and 34 points. Bang (Johnson) added only 6 points, while Nawt (Bogues) and Blanko (Bradley) did not score a single basket. Despite Nawt’s failure to score, he helped the team with 4 steals and a team-high 6 assists. Blanko, on the other hand, failed to contribute a single statistic all game.
 
This is not even to suggest that Moron Mountain needed to drop Bogues, Johnson, and Bradley in favor of other talent – although Bradley was pretty worthless and it might not have been a bad idea to let him go. One major criticism of the team’s GM, Mr. Swackhammer, is that he only fielded a roster of five players, well below the NBA minimum of thirteen. Sure, some NBA teams took precautions to ensure that their players were safe once news of a mysterious illness hit the league. That doesn’t let Swackhammer off the hook for not even attempting to acquire more than five players. Especially since at least five other Nerdlucks could be seen during the game, acting as cheerleaders and servants to Swackhammer. Had the Monstars looked at using those Nerdlucks to add more talent, they would’ve put forth a better balanced team with much needed bench contribution.  
​
Roster upgrades or additions were aplenty. In the 1993-94 season, Shaquille O’Neal was in his second year in the league and was second in the league in both points and rebounds, averaging 29.3 points and 13.2 rebounds per game. A Shaq-lead Monstars team is a scary thought. Moron Mountain also could have sought more help protecting the rim and added the NBA’s leading blocker in Dikembe Mutombo of the Denver Nuggets. Bogues was second in the league in assists and that showed in the game against the Tune Squad. If the Monstars wanted to open up the floor and move the ball even more, they should have gone after assist leader John Stockton. 

​Statistics aside, a couple of other useful players come to mind; specifically, those who could have been of use in countering Michael Jordan. First is Joe Dumars, one of basketball’s best lockdown defenders. When Jordan was asked who the best defensive player he ever encountered was, MJ responded: “Joe Dumars – he was the toughest guy for me to drive by”. Had the Monstars selected Dumars, they may have been able to slow Jordan down. Secondly, they should have scouted Jordan’s long-time teammate Scottie Pippen. Pippen could have awarded the Monstars a psychological advantage, along with further insight on MJ.
 
Adding Shaq, Mutombo, Stockton, Dumars, and Pippen alone would have made Moron Mountan more competitive. Even then, they would only be up to ten players and have room for three more. So top the roster off with Latrell Sprewell or Reggie Miller, David Robinson, and Hakeem Olajuwon…the Monstars would have been unstoppable.
 
Lack of Knowledge of the Game
When they were initially challenged, the Monstars didn’t even have a cursory knowledge of the game. Although they learned rather quickly, the knowledge gap hampered their preparation. The fatal flaw that ultimately doomed their team was that they overlooked Jordan because they thought he was a baseball player.
 
Knocking Down Threes
On a positive note, the Monstars’ three-point game was almost enough to give them the win. Rather than solely using their size and strength to attack the paint, the Monstars also played the perimeter and took a high number of three-point shots. Over a quarter of the 35 shots they attempted came from behind the arc. They hit all nine they attempted to, accounting for 27 of their 77 points scored. Had they relied on their hot three game a little more they may have won just by outshooting the Tune Squad, who attempted zero three-pointers. 

​Lineup Construction
Just as the Monstars struggled with building a lineup, so did the Tune Squad. Despite having more than a full roster (with about twenty players suited up), the Tune Squad did not have the best possible players on the court or in the right positions.
 
Players on the active roster who were used incorrectly
While Daffy Duck contributed 4 points and a key steal late in the game, there remains some confusion about his role on the team. Size was in short supply on the roster, forcing Daffy into the starting Power Forward role despite being much too small to contribute as a Power Forward.
 
It was also quite interesting to see Michael Jordan excel as a Center, rather than at his natural Shooting Guard position. This move made sense, however, as Jordan was easily the tallest player on the team. In Looney Tune Land, Jordan becomes the equivalent of a Kristaps Porzingis, a powerful big man who also doubles as a skilled ball-handler and a smooth shooter.
 
Players on the active roster who definitely should not have been 
Without question, Stan Podolak – Jordan’s obnoxiously overbearing publicist – should not have been allowed anywhere near the team. Although he scored a fluke basket in the game, he was out of shape, uncoordinated, and not fit to make a basketball roster in any galaxy.
 
It is very sad to say, but Sniffles the adorable mouse probably should have been left off of the roster as well. One anonymous NBA scout said of Sniffles, “I don’t know that he has any skill other than a big heart”. Sniffles possessed all the energy and drive to always try really, really hard to be good at basketball, yet he lacked the necessary size to compete against Moron Mountain.
 
Players left off of the active roster
Aside from Jordan, the Tune Squad had very little height on the roster. Surprisingly, a number of tall, strong Looney Tunes were seen in attendance at the game, begging the question of why they were not invited to the Tune Squad’s Draft Combine. Toro the Bull likely could have been an excellent Power Forward who would provide lockdown defense, as evidenced when he charged the court and knocked a Monstars’ player into the air. The same can be said of Junior Bear, Gossamer (the hairy, orange, heart-shaped guy), and Gruesome Gorilla.
 
Strength and Conditioning
The Tune Squad’s strength and conditioning coach was a Richard Simmons VHS tape…enough said. 

​Poor Coaching, Leadership, and Staffing
As legendary as Michael Jordan was as a player, he had various shortcomings as a coach (and as a GM/owner if you ask the Charlotte Bobcats/Hornets).
 
Jordan struggled in setting a game plan and drawing up plays. Late in the game, down by 1, the only play call he can muster is “somebody steal the ball, give it to me, and I’ll score before the time runs out”.  No X’s and O’s, no call for man or zone defense, no half-court press. Just a general ask for someone to steal the ball. Had Bill Murray not stepped in to give Daffy Duck further advice on a potential turnover play, the Tune Squad very well might have lost thanks to Jordan’s poor play calling.
 
Jordan got mixed reviews for his motivational tactics. His motivating pre-game speech was simply, “Let’s just go out and have fun”, as if the Looney Tunes weren’t playing to avoid an eternity of slavery. Maybe he was trying for a less assertive and more calming approach, but it didn’t work. The Tune Squad came out to a sluggish start and an abomination of a first half. To his credit, he did respond at half time to get his team back on track by offering a water bottle full of his “Secret Stuff”, only to reveal later in the game that there was no secret stuff, but rather that the strength and talent was in the Looney Tunes all along.
 
It’s painfully obvious that the Tune Squad didn’t hire a team equipment manager either. Suiting up for the game, Tweety inexplicably uses eye black and Daffy prepares to exit the locker room wearing a suit of armor, boxing gloves, an inflatable pool toy around his waist, and cleats.
 
Locker Room Issues
Although the Tune Squad should have been strongly united as they were literally playing to avoid a life of captivity, the locker room was a divisive place. The rifts between several players on the team manifested in a number of in-game and off-the-court issues.
 
In one of the most highly publicized sports-related biting incidents (occurring just a few years before Mike Tyson bit Evander Holyfield’s ear), Sylvester attempted to eat Tweety mid-play, leading to a costly turnover and tension between the two rival teammates.
 
Another consistent factor in the locker room divide was Daffy Duck’s general animosity and arrogance. Daffy was the DeMarcus Cousins of that team, frequently drawing rumors of being hard to play with and hard to coach. Daffy yearned to be a superstar and thus felt slighted by the identity as a role player he fell into. Spats with his peers during practices and team meetings were a regular problem.
 
Finally, the team was often so disjointed that knowledge sharing which would have benefitted the team did not occur. Team leaders failed to tell player/coach Michael Jordan that Looney Tune Land was exempt from all rules of physics that prevail over the human universe, until only ten seconds remained in the game. Sharing this vital information earlier certainly would have allowed for more freedom of play and increased scoring opportunities. 

Poor Officiating
Head referee Marvin the Martian put forward the most blatantly pathetic display of officiating in the existence of basketball. He may have overcompensated in attempting to be fair, feeling the pressure of being both an alien like the Nerdlucks and a citizen of Looney Tune Land. Regardless of the reason, he went too far in his effort to remain unbiased, failing to call a single foul in the game.
 
This was not merely a case of “letting the players play”. No. Over twenty-five different types of technical fouls, flagrant fouls, and, to be honest, misdemeanors and felonies, went unchecked by Ref Marvin. Offenses include a backhand on the first play of the game, multiple dogpiles, a slew of punches, kicks, bites, and heatbutts, breathing fire to roast an opponent, defensive holding, a flying elbow drop, using one opponent as a golf club to hit another opponent, and a motorized scooter being driven onto the court. The most egregious violations were three firearms that made it onto the court, with two of those being discharged during play. Yosemite Sam brought the first gun onto the court, aiming at an opponent in transition. Later, Yosemite Sam drew and fired another firearm, this time along with Elmer Fudd in a Pulp Fiction-esque manner.
 
The only time Ref Marvin attempts to enforce any kind of rule at all is when he threatens the Tune Squad with forfeiture of the game if they cannot find a fifth player after injuries depleted their roster. The blame can’t be placed solely on Marvin, however. The regulation number of officials for an NBA game is three: one head referee/crew chief and two officials. With the number of fouls that occurred on the court, it can’t be expected that Marvin would have caught all of them (although he’s not off the hook for failing to catch one). Perhaps two more officials would’ve helped the pace and the play of the contest.
 
Injuries
Injuries took their toll on the game as well, especially on the Tune Squad side. The Tunes had racked up over a dozen player injuries by halftime (not including another to their cheerleader, Granny). The weight of a physical game and their inability to stay healthy undoubtedly altered their results on the court, in particular those in the first half. 

​Nothing sparks the imagination more than the question “what if?” and the sports world is overflowing with what if scenarios. What if the Red Sox never traded Babe Ruth to the Yankees? What if John Elway followed through on his threat to play baseball instead of football? What if Michael Jordan never retired in 1993?
 
The fate of an entire universe rested on questions like these, as “The Ultimate Game” could have swayed in any number of directions if things were done differently. If Michael Jordan never announced his first retirement, the Nerdlucks surely would have scooped up the Looney Tunes’ savior and cruised to an easy victory, enslaving the Tunes’ entire race.
 
One of the most beautiful aspects of sports is that games unfold in such a way that no movie script could be written as perfectly. Changes could have been made by either team that would have led to a different outcome. External factors could have pushed the game in a million other directions. Instead, when the Monstars took on the Tune Squad, we were treated to an instant classic. Even if you think about it every night and day, no other scenario can top the one that really happened. The one that made you believe you could fly. 

It’s that time of the year again, where the would-be film critic fills the odd lull at the beginning of January by going back and seeing all the films that they missed at the end of the previous year. A Monster Calls certainly fits the bill, since it was released limited on December 23rd, and is only just being picked up by general theatres and movie outlets all across the web.

This Spanish/American co-production, based on the novel by Patrick Ness, follows the story of Conor O’Maley (Lewis MacDougal) a creative ten year old who is struggling with loneliness and school bullies, but mostly the slowly failing health of his cancer-stricken mother Lizzie (Felicity Jones). One night, after a viewing of King Kong, Conor decides that a giant monster is the ideal way for him to deal with his problems. That night, a giant yew tree in the cemetery across from his house reveals itself to be that very giant monster (voice of Liam Neeson). His quest: to tell Conor 3 stories of grief and injustice, leading Conor to tell him the fourth, the outcome of which will decide whether Conor himself lives or dies based on his own grief.

Right away, some pretty obvious tropes make themselves present: the monster is both a metaphor for and an allegory of Conor’s mounting grief over his mother. He is always present whenever Conor does something to deal with his pain, ultimately hurting his grade school tormenter (James Melville) and his grandmother (Sigourney Weaver) in the process. This film was, at different points, marketed as a PG psychological thriller, and then as a full blown fantasy movie. But it’s really neither. Rather it is a film that explores the simplicity of child-like emotion, combining concepts found in both The Neverending Story, and Bill Watterson’s Calvin and Hobbes comic strips. Also, while the general idea behind the film is pretty obvious, you have to take a cue from what the movie itself tells you: it’s not the story, but what you take away from it.

Someday, this film will be held up in college film classes and critical archives as the ideal example of how to tell a story using modern film techniques. That isn’t an exaggeration. After a whole summer of CG-saturated films with building-block plots surrounded by epic set pieces, this movie takes a budget of $43 million and uses the exact same techniques to tell a story that results in immersion, emotion, and heart. It is eclectic in its use of CG, not just to create the giant yew tree monster, but also to illustrate two of the three stories it tells in different art styles, disguising itself just enough to provide an interesting contrast from the rest of the film.

It also combines neatly with the live action, culminating on a practical effect in the third act which I won’t spoil, but it amounts to just about the most awesome scene I’ve seen in a fantasy film of recent memory. As great as the CG is, however, it takes a backseat to the storytelling techniques present in the reality scenes. An especially grounded subplot involving the relationship between Conor and his estranged father (Toby Kebbell) works well within the film despite having none of the more fantastical elements within it. The whole film is a filmmaker’s study of “show don’t tell” techniques, as we’re guided constantly by the atmosphere of the story, despite having basically figured things out from the beginning.

Just like the previous year’s Kubo and the Two Strings, the film justifies whatever cutting edge techniques it uses by creating for the viewer a world that contains the concept of its ingenuity: pure imagination. I was in awe of some moments, and I cried in others. Ignoring all the previous release dates, I can confidently say that this is the first great film of 2017. Watch it in the theater if you still can, and please catch it elsewhere if you can’t. It is an absolute must see. 

The sports comedy is truly something of an enigma. There are only a handful that stay with us because well...let's face facts, sports are a serious business. I really cannot think of how many times I watch my favorite teams play and find myself rolling around with laughter. Well, except for when the Broncos destroy the Raiders...that's always hilarious.  

But I digress.  I mean what I say. The men that play sports take their profession extremely seriously, and they should. They are the elite, they are hand picked to lead their team to glory and everything is on the line when they play, so it makes sense that it is extremely difficult to find humor in what they do. But the films that have managed to figure it out are well...legendary and the other night I felt the need to sit down and watch just one of those timeless classics...Slap Shot.

Reggie Dunlop has it made. He plays the sport he loves and he's even the head coach of the hockey team the Charlestown Chiefs. There's just one problem...the Chiefs are just awful and Reggie isn't that great of a coach. But when he discovers that the team is going to fold...Reggie finds a way to turn their misfortune around, by making them a team with nothing to lose.  

This movie is in a nutshell...brilliant.  There isn't a joke in this film that doesn't work and the fact that Paul Newman, a legend in every sense of the word is the star of a low budget comedy such as this one only makes the movie that much more impressive. But what separates this film from other sports comedies? That's easy. There's not only heart to this film, but in its own special way it takes the seriousness of sports and flat out parodies it without the audience even realizing it.  

Take the goofiness of the Hanson brothers for example, with their wide eyed grins as they beat the tar out of any unfortunate soul not wearing a Chiefs jersey. It speaks to the wild nature of the sport sometimes and how we cheer for the flying fists, but it is presented in such an over the top manner that you're left gasping for air when the laughter ends.  

But the other element that makes this flick so awesome, is what I mentioned earlier, the fact that it is full of heart and also grounded in reality. There are players out there in any sport that don't necessarily enjoy every aspect of it, or quite frankly hate it. We've seen it before, where someone retires because their heart wasn't in it, just like Ned Braden. It's his skill that keeps him in the game, but he always sees it as just that, a game. But while Braden's passion is missing, Dunlop's move of giving the team a purpose, of a true reason to play speaks volumes as to why we love sports and why we tune in. We want that passion and fire. We need it. For their desire to win it all, inspires us in ways we barely comprehend.  

Slap Shot works because it strips down the mysticism that surrounds our favorite sports. It takes the almost God like position we put these men in and brings them down to our level. They're as goofy as the rest of us and seeing that side, no matter how silly the situation is what makes this film a timeless classic.  ​