20 best movies of the decade: extra credit

20. I am Legend- Overall, a very enjoyable movie to sit through and watch. I like the bond that Will Smith forms with his German Sheppard, Samantha. It added a lighter element to the movie. I think of Will Smith as a chameleon. He blends in with any role, no matter what it might be, and performs very well.

19. Elephant- I found this movie by mistake actually. I was flipping channels around 1 AM and found this movie on a random channel. Right off the bat I could tell it was a low-budget film and not a hollywood motion picture. This movie had a very creepy, and oftentimes still silence which was unnerving. Based off the Columbine shootings, this movie was very realistic and in my opinion, a must watch.

18. Snatch- This movie is about a group a different people wanting to steal a prized diamond. It has an all-star cast with Brad Pitt and Jason Statham. Brad Pitt is simply hilarious in this movie simply because you can’t understand what he is saying at any point with his Scottish accent. This movie has laughs, action, and even moments where you say to yourself “what the hell?”  For me, it fits perfectly at number 18.

17. Pans Labyrinth- A great fantasy movie set in Spanish with subtitles. Very good acting between the little girl and the rest of the cast.

16. Training Day- For all the cop movies produced in the last decade, this was surely the best one. Denzel Washington plays a dirty narcotics cops on the streets of Los Angeles, and delivers a stellar performance. This movie is authentic and feels raw, which is why I like it.

15. 300- this movie is pretty much a moving comic book. The visuals in this movie speak for themselves and look fantastic. Watching this movie makes any average guy want to hit the gym and immediately start doing crunches and bench presses. Overall, great action,  and great special effects. Oh by the way, THIS IS SPARTA!!!

14. SAW I- I know, I know- we have all had enough of the SAW legacy and simply want to forget about it and move on. The reason they signed up for many SAW movies was because of the first one. Personally, I loved this movie and thought the ending was simply brilliant. In its defense, its hard to replicate a great horror movie six more times.

13. Meet The Parents- In my opinion, this is a classic. Some of the situations in this movie make you feel embarrassed and make it hard to watch at some points. Ben Stiller is enduring a weekend of hell and trying to make it out alive.  He loses a cat, burns the wedding alter, breaks his sister-in- laws nose, loses his luggage, and breaks Jacks’s mothers fern filled with ashes. Absolutely hysterical.

12. Bad Boys II- I will probably catch some heat for this movie even making the list, but for me it’s actually a good Michael Bay film. Some of the action may be tacky- but Martin Lawrence and Will Smith were born to play these roles. The chemistry they have on-screen is awesome and makes them so funny. I have seen this movie a good 26 times. I still enjoy it.

11. District 9- walking out of the theatre, I didnt know what to make of this movie. After thinking about it, I realized that the premise of the movie was different which is why I liked it so much. I’m tired of watching every alien movie be about the invasion, and the destruction, and the chaos. This movie twists it and makes the humans the bad guy. Nice ending, possible a second movie could come out.

10. Find Nemo- I can’t say enough about this movie. Everyone has a movie that simply makes you feel good, for me it’s Finding Nemo. It doesnt quite add up to the Lion King and Toy Story films, but I love what Pixar has done with this film. Not since “UP” has Pixar made that many good films like Finding Nemo.

9. Wedding Crashers- wedding Crashers is a very funny film, however it can get very repetitive if you watch it multiple times. But when you watch it that first time, you just simply cannot stop laughing. Vince Vaughn is the reason this film is so funny.

8. Thank You For Smoking- I like how this movie makes the audience feel sympathy for the bad guy, in this case, Aaron eckhart, a tobacco lobbyist. I find it wierd, but I can’t point out the exact reasons why I like this film, I just do. Not the most recognized movie, but a very interesting movie to watch and hard not to like.

7. Open Water- Open Water is my sleeper pick of the top 20 movies of the decade draft. I can bet that hardly many people even know what this movie is about at all. Well, if you like the idea of a couple  being stranded out in the middle of the sea on a disaster snorkeling trip being attacked by Caribbean Reef sharks, then this movie is for you. Did I mention it’s shot like Paranormal activity and Blair Witch Project? It’s a movie that sticks with you after watching it.

6. Black Hawk Down- Quite possibly the best war movie since Saving Private Ryan, and there have been quite a few that have come out. This movie seems to do everything right, and surprisingly, Josh Hartnett, delivers a convincing performance. This movie had great special effects and was based on a true story. Did I mention that Ari Gold is the helicopter pilot??? The more reason to watch this movie, although he plays a minor role and doesnt yell at Lloyd and make hysterical one-liners.

5. 40 Year Old Version- Steve Carell is extremely funny in this movie. The title speaks for itself. I tried watching this movie on the channel USA the other night, and I felt like I was watching a different movie. This film needs to be watched on DVD uncensored to really get the full humorous effect. Definitely deserves to be at number 5.

4. The Dark Knight- Heath Ledger gave quite possibly one of the greatest performances ever as the joker. At some points I was confused during the film, but still one of the best movies of the decade. The Joker nearly steals away from every shot that hes in- that’s how good it is. It is no wonder why it is one of the best-selling movies of all time.

3. The Departed- This movie has an all-star cast and is perfection. Leonardo DiCaprio, along with Matt Damon and Jack Nicholson make it easily one of the greatest movies of the decade. One of the reason’s I liked it so much was the ending. It was an ending I would have never saw coming. From start to finish you cannot help but to enjoy this movie. It’s Scorsese- whats not to like?

2. The Hangover- I’m being generous with this ranking but that’s how much i cried during this movie. Not laughed- cried. I have never seen a movie which made me laugh so hard. At some points during the movie, you couldnt even hear what was going on because people were still laughing from scenes which occurred 5 minutes ago! And the credits; I didnt know they were allowed to show pictures like that during a movie. Theres one picture showed in the credits which made my jaw drop. This movie, in terms of comedy, was perfection.

1. Lord of the Rings: Return of the King- This was probably a predictable pick, but it really does deserve to number 1. Even the first two movies of the saga were really good. This film was put together amazingly from the acting, to the special effects. The biggest thing for me was that I didnt mind the length of the movie. I usually cannot sit during a movie beyond 2 and a half hours, and for this movie I didn’t mind. Thats saying a lot. This might be the best movie of the decade, but the best movie to EVER come out is Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. That movie is simply a classic.

Playmakers series finale episode 11: “Week 17″

Writing this blog, I am not the happiest person. For one, the Jets suffered possibly the worst football loss i have witnessed in all my years of watching football. Okay back to the series- Playmakers is officially in the books. Looking back at the series, I realized how much I enjoyed this series. It had all the elements which makes for a good tv show. From good story lines, to convincing characters, to unexpected surprises and football action- this show had it all. I would most definitely recommend this series to people who enjoy this kind of television show. I was always curious to see where this show was taped. They always show the field and sometimes the neighborhood. I alway thought it was filmed in Montana, or in an area with lots of land. When I looked it up, it said they had filmed in Canada which surprised me. I wouldnt have thought this series was filmed outside of the US.

If this series had a second season, you can bet id drive up to Best buy and pick it up. But thats the issue, there was never a second season.  I dont understand how a good show can stop dead in its tracks and not have a second season. Well, I researched it in search of reason which is what I found. Firstly, the NFL did not like how the characters on the show were portrayed, and they believed it presented a bad image to the league. Deion Sanders, a notable NFL superstar also spoke out against the show. In a way, I am torn about this decision. While there were some major issues being presented in the show, I feel that it still made for a great series. I guess they felt like it was sending a message that all the players in the NFL were involved with these issues such as domestic violence, homosexuality, drug abuse, and steroids. While I dont believe that all players are involved, I do believe that a considerable number of players have dealt with these very same issues.

I am disappointed to say the least with the cancellation the series by ESPN. There were so many questions left open at the end I almost feel like I watched this show for nothing. Some questions left open at the end of the series were- 1) Did Coach George make a recovery from prostate cancer, 2) Did Leon Taylor land his job as a news anchor or did he get asked to play again OR did he take the front office job? 3) Did Olczyk come up with a solution to the paternity problem. Will Jenna go through with the pregnancy? How did this affect his relationship with Beth? 4) Does Buffalo continue to lose weight or does he put up more weight in order to be at a proper weight for his position? 5) Does Demetrius Harris change his ways once and for all, or will he always continue to get away with everything and be an ass? 5) Does O’Connell continue to succeed with the Cougars? 7) Does Guerwitcz finally get the respect from the league and players even though he is gay? Last and finally- 8) How did everyone on the Cougars  react to Phoenix winning (if they won) Do or do they not make the playoffs!?!?

The very end of the show was my favorite part. The Cougars make a run for the playoffs winning six straight games. In order to make the playoffs, they must beat this team and have Phoenix lose in the process. The Cougars win the game and celebrate in the locker room with champagne. coach george puts on the tv in the locker room to show Phoenix losing by several points. They then show Phoenix scoring and taking the lead. The locker room goes silent. All the celebrating, all the sweat and tears, the fights- for nothing. The players stair on a the tv is disbelieve, and Coach George says “Chambers, turn it off”.

This show did exceed my expectations. I am happy with my choice in picking Playmakers. Overall, I rate this episode a five out of ten and this series a four out of ten. I enjoyed watching the episodes and didnt feel like I was doing schoolwork. At the same time, this is a major, major, MAJOR let down. A show which brings up so many points and issues should tie up the loose ends. However, I bet the producers thought the show would last several seasons, which it easily could have. In the end, great show. I wish more shows were like this and showed a different side to professional sports. It seems that shows like this simply do not exist anymore, with this level of realism.

Playmakers Episode 10: “Tenth of a Second”

I watched this episode in my living room, flashing back and forth to check the days football scores and highlights. This episode touches on something that happened in previous episodes past. Demetrius Harris’ friend Cal, shot and killed a man in a nightclub. They wrongfully accused the wrong guy and sentenced him to jail for life. In this episode, we see how character development has changed. Harris said that he would never give up his friend Cal, and that he would stand by him. That would all change. Harris eventually gave up his friend which showed a different side to his personality we have never seen. For once, he did the right thing.

This episode introduced a new character, Demetrius Harris’ brother. This character was none other than the famous rapper Snoop Dogg. When they showed his character, my reaction was like “are you kidding me”. When I really like a show, like Playmakers, I like to have real actors play parts of the characters. I just find it more believable and realistic. For instance, I gave the new series Melrose Place a look, but when I saw Ashley Simpson was one of the main characters, it made me almost instantly stop watching the show. I feel like they could have had nearly anyone else play the part, but they chose Snoop Dogg. Okay whatever I guess, I figured lets see how he does in his role this episode. Surprisingly, his part seemed to fit. His character ends up getting shot in the end- such a surprise (can you pick up the sarcasm?)

My favorite part about the show was when Leon Taylor tried to show that he is still not some washed up old player. He goes through a mini combine which looked similar to the NFL combine which scouted players out of college go through. In the show, he is 30 years old and seems he is going to find trouble playing for any team in the near future due to his age. In the show, he is still portrayed as very talented running back despite his age. I do not agree with the validity in this area of the show. In the current NFL, there are running backs who are past 30 years old who are still playing for teams with success. Fred Taylor, Corey Dillon, and from my New York Jets-Thomas Jones, are past 30 years old and will continue to play for a few more seasons.

I would rate this episode a three ut of five. There is only one more episode in the season and I am very anxious to see how it ends. I really hope this season ends in a “bang”. Although some episodes in this series have been a let-down, I feel like the series finale will make up for it.

Playmakers Episode 9: “The Outing”

I watched this episode in my living room while the New York Giants were playing the New Orleans Saints. This was a very powerful and controversial episode. Guerwitcz, the teams tight end, is hiding a huge secret from the team- that he is gay. The Cougars become aware of his homosexuality when Guerwitcz lover spoke out about the issue. The entire episode Guerwitcz has to deal with hazing from the team. Players verbally bash him and also bash him on the practice field. The players make it clear that they do not accept that a homosexual is part of their team.

When watching this episode, I wondered how a real NFL team would treat this manner. Since the Cougars represent a real NFL team, it made me think that the same situation would play out the way it did. The ownership on the team did not support him either, and wanted him to go on injury reserve to basically take him off the playing field.

My favorite part of the episode was when they showed the cougars practicing for an upcoming game. I understand that most of the athletes on the show are actors, but they do a great job at impersonating real NFL players. Their movements and gestures and very accurate to the way a real football player would move. I can imagine that they used real coaches and players to help these actors achieve this realism on the show. Even the play calling seems to be accurate. The quarterback would call formations in the huddle which seem realistic- not just the “blue 42″ which is so tacky. The players on the show also fit the physical description of athletes. For the most part, they are muscular and look built for football.

Overall i rate this episode a four out of five.

With nine weeks in, I definitely consider this a typical show I would watch. Anything that is sports related or reality tv seems to be right up my alley. Many of the issues on this show are realistic and only help with the authenticity of the show. I wish there were more shows like this on tv. Friday Night Lights seems to be a show that is similar Playmakers since it deals with football but on the high school level. Im sure the issues on that show are merely teen drama, and not like the issues seen on Playmakers.

Playmakers Episode 8: Down and Distance

I watched this episode at home on football sunday by myself in my living room. It seems only appropriate to watch a show about football on a day where football is broadcasted nearly all day ( Go Jets!) . My favorite part about this episode is the scene showing all the players in the workout room. These are such simple scenes which I feel contribute greatly to the show. It adds a sense of realism showing the players working out and bonding as they would on a real NFL team.It creates a lighter mood from so much of the seriousness presented in the show. My least favorite part about the episode is the ongoing domestic dispute being Leon Taylor and his wife. In this episode, Leon was offered a deal- to either plead guilty and continue playing football, or fight the charges and add more negative publicity. I wish the show would not drag this out from episode to episode.

For the first time all season, the show doesnt focus on Demetrius Harris. While watching this episode, I was waiting for the moment for his character to appear. It was almost refreshing not to see his character for an episode since he usually is always involved in some  sort of drama or conflict. With eight episode done, I feel like I can relate myself to Leon Taylor the most. I consider myself to be a standup guy- as is Leon. I have always been very athletic and Leon is a very talented running back. Out of all the characters on the show, he  seems to be the most level headed one. A lot of the other characters on the show seem to have such strong personalities.

Also, while watching this episode, I realized that there is rarely any music on this show. The only times I can recall music are of course the opening theme music, or while they are playing music in a car, the weight room, or the strip club. With some other series, there is music in nearly every scene. In my opinion, the absence of music creates for a much more serious mood, and forces to viewer to focus on what he character is saying. Going back to the theme music-I think it is perfect for this series. I do not know the name off the song but it almost feels like music is being played to pump someone up before a football game, which is why I like it so much.

Overall I rate this episode a two out of five. There were no new issues presented in this episode, but more of the same stuff we are used to. With only three more episodes, I am interested in knowing where the series ends up, and what happens to each character.

Playmakers Episode 7: “Talk Radio”

Finally! Playmakers has finally delivered a curveball, something completely unexpected.  The first five minutes was very eventful. In previous episodes, the show introduces a character who plays tight end. Ive always tried to pick up on his name but its hard to pronounce nevermind spell. From when we meet him a few episodes back, we know he is in a relationship because he talks to his significant other on his cellphone but they never reveal who it is. There were several scenes in previous episodes where we see his character in clubs picking up women. The episode begins showing him on the phone with his significant other. All of a sudden the camera switches and shows whose on the other side of the phone. Surprisingly, it was guy. Clearly his character was trying to hide that he was gay by hooking up with women. There are thousands of players who play professional sports and I wouldnt imagine them being gay. But this brings up the idea that it could happen and may exist. This show brings up a lot of serious issues such as drug use, domestic violence, homicide, and homosexuality. Off the top of my head, I can name professional athletes who dealt with these very problems. Jason Kidd of the New Jersey Nets- domestic violence. Brandon Marshall of the Denver Broncos- domestic violence. Dante Stallworth of the Cleveland Browns- DUI homicide.

Demetrius Harris has finished his detox and feels he needs to some good. He goes to visit a little boy who is sick in the hospital. In this episode, Harris reaches an all time low. He steals the little boy’s pain medication when he was not looking because he is looking to take whatever kind of drug he can get his hands on. The little boy knows he took his medicine and asks Harris if he did. Harris is shocked and worried he might tell someone.

I rate this episode a five out of five. This is definitely a show which pushes the envelope. There was a sex scene in this episode which was more graphic then what we see now on television. I was really pleased with this episode but I know they all cant be this good. hopefully the rest of the season can be as entertaining as this episode.

Playmakers Episode 6: “Man In Motion”

Poor Leon. From the start of the series, nearly nothing has gone his way. In this episode we see how Leon Taylor becomes involved in a child services investigation. One of his sons was climbing the back wall in their backyard when he accidently fell breaking his arm. To refresh, Leon accidently hit his wife, hurting her arm and giving her a busted lip. When Leon brought his son to the hospital, they become suspicious when they see the damage to Leons’ wife, and son. Child services investigates Leon of beating them both, and eventually leaks it to the press. Wilbanks, the team owner, tells Leon that he and his wife must lie to reporters and deny everything. This doesnt fare too well with Leons’ wife.

Demetrius Harris is finally forced to enter rehab from his coach and Wilbanks. Hes enrolled to stay three days, and the team writes that he has flu on the injury report to keep his drug problem a secret. Surprise, Surprise, Harris paid an employee to allow him to leave rehab early. One of Harris’ friends picks him up from rehab and they do drugs in the car in an alley. One of the girls in the car Harris is in starts to overdose and is brought to the hospital. Through six episodes, his character is annoying. He consistently finds himself in bad situations every episode. The only reason he doesnt pay any consequences, is because he is too good of a player.

I am going to rate this episode a two out of five. I starting to notice how this show follows a certain pattern and heres how it goes. In every episode we find Demetrius Harris in another bad situation, but never seems to take responsibility for it. Also, Leon Taylor always encounters a new problem, making you feel bad for him. Next episode, id like this show to throw a curveball at me. All the events in the show seem rather predictable and I am still waiting for that “wow!” factor.

Playmakers Episode 5: “Halftime”

I like the way this episode has started off. The opening scene shows the Cougar locker room during a game which they are losing 21-6. Several of the Cougars are hurt, such as a no name player, Leon Taylor and Demetrius Harris. Taylor injured his right knee which has been injured in the past, and Harris is withdrawing from his use of drugs. Harris is vomiting and sweating and the team doctors are getting suspicious. When the doctors put Harris on an IV, he calls a friend from his cellphone asking him to supply him with drugs before the start of the second half. He eventually gets drugs by sneaking out during halftime and getting them from his supplier.

There is a scene which i thought was hilarious involving the quarterback and one of the team personel. The quarterback uses one of the teams staff in the booth to locate attractive women in the stands for him to sleep with. He looks with his binoculars in the stands and lets the quarterback know of three women which he thinks are attractive. The quarterback then chooses one and tells the staff member to have her taken out of the stands after the game to meet with him. I thought this was really far fetched and would never happen in a real football game. what is even more amusing is that while the staff member spoke with the woman from the stands about the situation, he realized they went to the same school and had much in common. We eventually realize he begins to like the girl.

Overall i rate this episode a four out of five. Today was football sunday and i watched many games including the horrible Jets game, which they should have won. Half time is usually around a maximum of ten minutes, however, on the show they showed a halftime clock around forty five minutes. That seems like way too much time, and me being a football fan I know how long halftime usually lasts. I feel like this aspect along with the scene involving the quarterback and girl are not very realistic, but it did add a more lighter element to the show since almost every situation on the show is serious.

Playmakers Episode 4: “The Choice, Part 2″

This episode starts off with Demetrius and his entourage at a nightclub.In the previous episode, Demetrius lied to the police about the shooting of a heckling fan inside a nightclub. He told police that the shooter ( Demetrius’ friend) was with him at the time and didnt take part in the shooting. unfortunately for Demetrius, there was another witness to the murder and knows Demetrius was lying.

Finally, Leon Taylor is looking at some playing time in an upcoming game. When the head coach said he would play, it actually got me excited. He is a character you almost feel obligated to root for, a guy who always does the right thing while also being a good talent. The only thing holding him back is age, and Demetrius Harris- which doesnt seem to ever play a bad game despite the baggage he carries off  the field. The owner of the team, Wilbanks, informs Leon that Demetrius will start over him. This infuriates Leon, and me! The decision was made so that “the league can protect its image”. When Leon learns the news, he goes ballistic in the locker room, with good reason. In this scene, he curses a lot which shocked me. Language in television shows seems to have changed over the years. I dont have a problem with scenes with cursing because it makes it feel more raw and realistic. Why is it that now we only have this in movies and cable, and not in any series?

Overall, I rate this episode a three out of five.  I wish they would show more scenes involving actual football, rather then a few seconds of a flashback. Im interested in seeing where the next episode takes Leon and Demetrius.

Playmakers Episode 3: “The Choice Part 1″

In the previous two episodes, Demetrius Harris would seemed to get by any situation whether it be on the field , or off the field. In this episode he is faced with a “choice”. Harris must choose to either stand by his long time friend or go against him. Harris and three of his friends were enjoying themselves after a bad loss due to Harris’ show boating efforts. Harris had caught what seemed to be like the game winning touchdown when he chose to taunt the defender with the ball and ended up fumbling which cost the Cougars the game. This was my favorite part of the episode. I like how Harris’ character seems to cross the line on nearly every episode. I remember seeing a play similar to his on an eagles game. DeSean Jackson, one of their wide receivers, simply tossed the ball away before reaching the end zone in a similar bone-head play. I have become a huge fan of watching athlete’s create bloopers, except when they play for the teams I am rooting for. In the end, athletes are human too, although we might always put them on a pedestal. whoever said watching them commit a blooper wasnt fun?

 At the club, Harris’ friend “Smalls”, had shot a man and killed him during an altercation. Harris told police that it couldnt have been his friend since they were together in the bathroom, which he was lying. This episode uses a series of flashbacks to portray what happened in the events of that day. It all seemed to be too cliche. Too many times have we seen this type of scenario in a film or television. Aside from this part of the show, there was also a scene where Leon Taylor made his wife accidently fall down the stairs in a heated exchange, busting her lip. This scene made me wonder how Taylors character could have changed so quickly. Taylor spent the rest of the episode trying to fix everything with him and his wife which left the episode feeling like a day time soap opera, only worse.

I would rate this episode a two out of five. I liked how every character in this episode faced a certain hardship, however, the way it was portrayed was very cliche. The Cougars started the pilot 2-0, and since then they are now 2-2. As the team add loses, the characters begin to develop different problems. This episode was rather slow, but then again not every episode can be a masterpiece, so I look forward to see what happens next.