Breaking
Author

Keets

Browsing
Movies

Scorsese’s ‘The Irishman’ Has Everything We Need In A Mafia Movie

By

This post contains spoilers

As mentioned in one of the early scenes in The Irishman, I didn’t really know anything about Jimmy Hoffa going into this movie. All I had really heard was that his body was rumored to have been dumped into the site of Giants Stadium while it was under construction. I figure most people know about that much, at least. However, the 3 1/2 hours I put into watching this miniseries – I mean movie, answered just about every question you could have about Hoffa.

The stars of this movie are Robert De Niro (Frank “The Irishman” Sheeran), Joe Pesci (Russell Bufalino), and Al Pacino (Jimmy Hoffa)…plus it was directed by Martin Scorsese. All three are outstanding in the film, which spans roughly forty years from the 50’s to the 90’s. And if you’re wondering “all three of the actors you mentioned are well into their seventies in age…how were they able to portray men in their forties and fifties for most of the movie?”. And the answer to that question leads to my biggest criticism of the film: not well.

Now, the historical aspect of the movie is spot-on. It’s based on the 2004 book I Heard You Paint Houses, which references the cover that Sheeran held as a “union” member. The book was written by Charles Brandt, a former homicide prosecutor, investigator and defense attorney, and details the life of Frank Sheeran. Obviously he didn’t actually paint houses. He was a hitman. The film gets into how he goes from being a meat truck driver to the main man of Jimmy Hoffa.

The story itself was badass, and you will truly learn everything about the Teamsters and Hoffa in the 1960’s and 70’s. I kinda hate all these historical movies because I just keep learning about how corrupt many people in power were, specifically post-WWII. I had already sorta known that JFK was elected because of the mob, but seeing how Hoffa’s union, plus mob ties – shoutout Drake – factored into everything was super interesting.

Side note – the Kennedy’s have been through some SHIT. The Kennedy Curse is scary real. There’s no way in hell I’d ever get on a plane or be a politician if I were a Kennedy. The family track record in both of those areas should deter you if you’re someone who ohh I don’t know…likes to live?

Now, Scorsese used a de-aging technique in the movie for flashbacks that helped to an extent, but didn’t completely sell me. And I get it. Flashback scenes are tough because using a younger actor can confuse the audience if not used well. There was one scene where De Niro portrayed a twenty-something-year-old Sheeran where they definitely could’ve used another actor, but didn’t take away from the scene too much.

Where I had a problem with the ages of the actors was in the heart of the movie, when 76 year-old Robert De Niro was supposed to pass for a guy in his forties. There’s a scene in the film where Sheeran (De Niro) goes to kick some guy’s ass, and there was no point where I thought “that’s definitely a guy in his forties”; it 100% looked like a 76 year-old man trying to look badass. I’m honestly shocked that scene made the final cut of the movie because of how unrealistic it looked. And if it sounds like I’m hating on Bobby D, I’m not! He’s old! A 76 year-old man shouldn’t be able to move like he’s still forty, which is why I’m more mad at the editors. Can’t do my mans like that.

As for the other characters, Bufalino and Hoffa, they were a little older in real life, so I guess it’s not as bad? I mean, it still looked like old dudes trying to play guys 20-30 years younger than they really are, but it wasn’t as big of an issue to me. Now, it sounds like I hated the movie. I didn’t. I just had an issue with the de-aging, which took away from the movie just a liiiitle bit for me.

Overall, it was a very good movie. I thought it would drag due to the length, but since the scandals surrounding Hoffa were so extensive, there was never a dull moment. The fact that a studio didn’t pick this up, and Scorsese had to resort to Netflix’s financing is absurd to me. Not sure how you could deny a film with De Niro, Pesci, and Pacino starring. Maybe they weren’t all attached at the time he was pitching it to studios, but with Scorsese’s track record of legendary mafia movies (Goodfella’s, The Departed, Casino) I’m not sure how he was doubted. Once again, De Niro and Scorsese didn’t disappoint.

Keep Reading
By
Sports

The Rams Season Is Dead. Culprit: The Baltimore Ravens

By

It pains me to say it, but the Rams are done. Season over. Smell ya later. I’m writing this with two minutes left in their Monday night game against the Ravens, and honestly they should just knee it and run out the clock. At least that way no one will get hurt more than their self-esteem’s already are.

Aaaand Jimmy Smith just picked Goff, god dammit.

I wrote last week about how their possible path to the playoffs, but after watching this game I have zero hope for any playoff appearance. They just got absolutely embarrassed by Lamar Jackson on defense. I’m pretty sure they scored on every offensive possession. Yeah Jackson is good but the Rams defense has to put up some kind of fight there.

And as if the game wasn’t tough enough to watch, we had to listen to Booger McFarland and Joe Tessitore absolutely suck off Lamar Jackson the entire game like he’s the second coming of Christ.

Chill out guys…yeah he’s really good at football and is definitely going to win MVP, but holy shit let the guy play a few more years before you dub him the chosen one. But then again, Booger has famously been one of the worst commentators in sports:

This is the only one I kinda liked:

When they weren’t jerking off Jackson, they were shitting on Jared Goff and the Rams (rightfully so). But that’s not necessarily what was so annoying. They really started to question what the Rams were going to do about the quarterback position after the Rams literally just signed Goff to a four-year, $134 million extension this past offseason. This is a guy who just took the Rams to the Super Bowl last year and is still only 24. And they think he’s done? LOL. I think it’s just a Super Bowl hangover year for the team and Goff feels the pressure to live up to his contract. He’ll be back to his normal self next year, I know it.

It’s pretty sad to say their season is done with 5 games left, but I don’t see them catching the Seahawks or Vikings/Packers the way those teams are playing. Rams offense is sputtering and their defense looked like absolute garbage. It might be time to get rid of that geriatric Wade Phillips and reinvent the defense, because they haven’t looked great all year. I think this game was a real wake-up call to the Rams organization, and with that stadium they’re moving into next year, they better put a winning team on the field.

Keep Reading
By
Sports

James Wiseman Doesn’t Need the NCAA Anyway

By

Can the NCAA do anything right? I mean seriously, it’s like they’re trying to have more kids skip school and go play in some foreign league before declaring for the NBA draft.

If you’re not up to date on this whole fiasco, James Wiseman, a freshman on the University of Memphis basketball team accepted $11,500 from Penny Hardaway (yes the same Penny Hardaway that is his own fucking coach) back in 2017. He also violated NCAA rules for playing in three games this season while he was ineligible. For the whole story click here.

Yeah, I understand that it was wrong for him to accept the money and that there should be consequences, but that’s not the most ridiculous part of this narrative. It’s that Hardaway hasn’t been suspended or fined in anyway when he’s the one that paid the kid! Again, I understand it was wrong to accept the money in the first place, but

  1. It was given to his family for “moving expenses”.
  2. It was a college basketball coach giving them the money.

There are so many loopholes in college athletics the family probably thought it was acceptable. I mean, wouldn’t you if a public figure like Penny Hardaway said it was okay?

Oh, and Wiseman has to give back the money and donate it to a charity of his liking. I mean, in all my years I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a ruling like that. If they needed the money to move what makes the NCAA thing they have this money to donate – plus it has to be donated before his final game, which will be way before the NBA draft. I guess now his parents will have to sell a kidney or something before he can pay him back after he’s drafted (he’s still the No. 1 prospect).

Way to go NCAA. You stupid idiots.

Keep Reading
By
Sports

Tua Tagovailoa Should Enter 2020 NFL Draft Despite Injury

By

Tua Tagovailoa should enter the 2020 NFL draft as scheduled and here is why: The next game is not promised to him. Some writers are throwing around the idea that he should play another season in college to prove he’s healthy and declare for the 2021 draft. The risk for a player like Tua is that he’s  just suffered a devastating season-ending surgery. If he should return, he could very well go out there in the first game of the 2020 season for Alabama and get an even bigger injury, possibly even career ending ….ya never know. So why not just strike while the iron is hot? Everyone has seen the talent he possesses, and he is expected to make a full recovery.

While he will no doubt take a financial cut since he will most likely not be selected as highly, he’s still going to sign for millions. Plus, when you think about endorsement deals and other streams of revenue Tua Tagovailoa is going to have thrown his way after the NFL draft, he’ll be just fine. 

Since people are also saying it could be a Bo Jackson type injury, which obviously ended Bo’s career, imagine if the same thing happened to him in college. Had Bo suffered his hip injury in college and come back to school the following year, teams would have seen that he was no longer the same electric player. I hope Tua gets healthy because I think he could do well in the NFL, but if he doesn’t return to being the caliber player he was this season, at least he’ll get some money out of it. I think a team like the Redskins or Bengals would no doubt pull the trigger and draft him…what have they got to lose? 

Tua Highlights

What a rocket arm he has. Even though running is a part of him game, even if he isn’t quite as mobile after the surgery, he’ll be able to hold his own in the NFL because of his arm alone.

Keep Reading
By
Movies

‘The Many Saints of Newark’ – ‘The Sopranos’ Prequel Movie

By

If you’re a fan of The Sopranos or just mob movies in general, then you should be extremely excited about the upcoming prequel movie The Many Saints of Newark. Jon Bernthal joined the ‘Lights Camera Barstool’ podcast in an episode released today to plug his new movie Ford v Ferrari, but shed some light on the Sopranos prequel which he stars in as well. 

Maybe it’s because the film is not set to be released until September 2020, but I feel like there is not as much hype around it as there should be. The Sopranos catapulted HBO into the industry leader it is today and is one of the best shows of all time. Similarly, we do not know much about the prequel movie, but…

Here’s what we do know: 

  • James Gandolfini’s son, Michael will portray a younger Tony Soprano in 1960’s-70’s Newark, NJ. 
  • David Chase, creator of the TV series is producing and writing the film. 
  • Several members of the “family” that were mentioned but never seen in the TV series will be represented – such as Dickie Moltisanti (Christopher’s father).

And that’s really about it. I was super excited to find out that Jon Bernthal was cast in the film not only because he’s a great actor but because he has the experience to lead a movie like this. I’m assuming he’s going to have a big role because how could you cast The Punisher and not make him an essential member of the film? He really didn’t give away any spoilers regarding the plot, but just hearing him talk about the film got me hyped up for it. 

Bernthal has portrayed several badasses over the years: Frank Castle in The Punisher, Shane in The Walking Dead, and Brad in The Wolf of Wall Street (a smaller role but still essential), and the list goes on. Based on some of the pictures that have surfaced form the set he will no doubt play a mobster and have to kick some ass – something his characters are accustomed to. 

Ray Liotta and Vera Farmiga (The Departed) are also slated to have roles in the film, and I am especially stoked for Liotta. Goodfellas is one of the best mob movies of all time, if not the best, so we know Liotta will kill it in whatever role he’s cast. 

It’s pretty clear that they are done filming, so once the trailer for The Many Saints of Newark gets released we’ll have a better idea of the plot, the hype around this movie should make it the blockbuster of the fall. 

Keep Reading
By
Movies

Ben Affleck Gets Personal in ‘The Way Back’

By

It looks like Ben Affleck has been working on a new project for some time now, and it’s called The Way Back. Warner Bros. synopsis on the movie is as follows: 

Jack Cunningham (Ben Affleck) once had a life filled with promise. In high school, he was a basketball phenom with a full university scholarship, when suddenly, for reasons unknown, he walked away from the game, forfeiting his future. Now years later, Jack is spiraling down, triggered by an unspeakable loss, and drowning in the alcoholism that cost him his marriage and any hope for a better life. 

When he is asked to coach the basketball team at his alma mater, which has fallen far since his glory days, he reluctantly accepts, surprising no one more than himself. As the boys start to come together as a team and win, Jack may have finally found a reason to confront the demons that have derailed him. But will it be enough to fill the void, heal the deep wounds of his past, and set him on the road to redemption? 

I must admit I got excited at the end of the trailer when I saw the “BRON” logo because I though it was co-produced by LeBron James somehow. Thought for sure we were gonna get a LeBron cameo as the tough head coach of the crosstown rival who would eventually taste defeat at the hands of Coach Affleck. I guess we’ll just have to wait for Space Jam to see the King on the big screen for only the second time since his legendary performance in Trainwreck. 

The Way Back is basically Coach Carter meets Crazy Heart…and I am here for it. I’m sure the story will be pretty cliché (starts off an addict, accepts the job, starts doing better/team begins to win, he falls off the wagon again, then he gives up booze for good and they win a championship or something) but I don’t care. Ben Affleck has been going through some serious personal and family shit the past few years and I think this movie is super personal for him. He himself has admitted to being an alcoholic, so I think the story really spoke to him, plus he’s teaming back up with his director from The Accountant, which was badass too. What can I say? I’m a sucker for feel-good sports movies. 

Keep Reading
By
Sports

L.A. Rams Playoff Picture Week 11

By

The playoff picture for the L.A. Rams is looking dull, but I am still holding out hope that they’ll make a run here with 6 games remaining. At this point it’s not looking good for them to be able to win the division, with the 9-1 49ers at the top of the NFC West. So that leaves the Wild Card as their best chance at making it into the playoffs. The Vikings and Seahawks, who are both in the Wild Card as of now, are both only one game behind their division leaders, showing what a tight race it is. So, even though the Packers and 49ers are leading right now, they’re just a loss or two away from shifting the standings. 

However, both the Vikings and Packers are locks for the playoffs, regardless of who wins the division because their schedule to end the season is ridiculously easy – Packers play 4/6 sub .500 teams, and Vikings play 3/5. Those should all be easy wins. So what it really comes down to for the Rams is the Seahawks choking down the stretch. Seattle has a decently tough schedule to finish the season, as they face the Eagles, Vikings, Rams, Panthers, Cardinals, and 49ers. Even though Russell Wilson has been unreal this year, they have had a few games that they narrowly won against much inferior opponents. I could easily see them losing three or four of these last six games (including against the Rams). 

Now, the Rams could just as easily fold in these last six games, as they’ll play the Ravens, Cardinals, Seahawks, Cowboys, 49ers, and Cardinals. But you can’t count them out of any of these games. They should have two wins against the Cardinals, and that leaves four tougher games that could go either way. If they consistently show up as the team that beat the Saints in Week 2, there’s no reason they wouldn’t be able to win at least three of these tougher games. Say the Seahawks do go 3-3 in these last six games, and the Rams win out? Off to the ‘yoffs babyyy! 

And I know Goff hasn’t looked great lately, but the Rams defense will always keep them in the game. All the tools are there for them to make a run at the playoffs…it’s just about being able to nut up. 

Keep Reading
By
T.V.

We Need Another Season of ‘Master of None’ ASAP

By

Master of None Needs A Season 3

Master of None in my opinion, is one of the best shows not only on Netflix, but TV altogether. It’s a real shame that a third season doesn’t even sound like it’s in the works right now. Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past couple of years, you’d know that the show was put on hiatus after show creator/lead actor Aziz Ansari was Me Too’d back in early 2018. This obviously led to Aziz being forced to shut down any and all shows (he is also a stand-up comedian) and delay a third season of Master of None.

I don’t even know which tense to use when talking about the show, because I’m still holding out hope that it’ll come back. So for now I will use “is”. Like I was saying – damn is Master of None a great show. And that’s not even just me saying that; in two seasons it’s been nominated for 12 Emmy’s, winning three. But I have to admit that while I’m a fan of Aziz’s stand-up, he probably doesn’t even crack my top 5-10, so I really didn’t expect him to put out such a smart comedy. Especially coming from a show like Parks and Recreation, I thought he was just some other dopey sitcom actor. Not the case at all.

Like I said…Master of None is such a smart comedy, in how it addresses issues that face the Indian community, and society as a whole. The show does get serious in addressing these issues, like in Season 2’s “Thanksgiving” episode. But behind the seriousness, there is always comic relief to alleviate the tension. Not to mention that Season 2 left us with one of the biggest cliffhangers in TV history. I mean damn Aziz! You can’t just leave us with a shot of Francesca in your bed with no engagement ring and expect us to not want more.

Now that Aziz has released a stand-up special on Netflix where he essentially clears the air about the allegations against him last year, I’m hoping that’s Netflix’s way of hinting that it’s time he does a Season 3. That’s all I need. Obviously I’d love if this show continued for several more seasons, but all I need in one more season to tie up the loose ends that season two left us with.

Also, I know the supporting cast has nothing else going on and are ready to get back to work. Except for Arnold…my man booked himself an Oculus commercial (probably a nice payday), but we all know Big Bud needs to be back with Little Bud.

 

Pleaseeee Aziz, if not for me (and the fans) do it for your your co-stars. Seriously imagine going from being on an award-winning hit TV show to being subjected to doing Oculus commercials? I mean, work is work, but as for the other actors, I haven’t seen them in a show or movie since. These were the best roles of some of these actor’s lives, and now they’re back to the grind. I guess that’s Hollywood for ya, but man, would that be a bummer.

Keep Reading
By
T.V.

The Wire is THE Most Underrated Show of All Time

By

I just finished watching The Wire. I’ve watched all the best shows out there…Game of Thrones, The Sopranos, Breaking Bad, and the list goes on. None have felt more real to me than The Wire. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that show-runners David Simon and Ed Burns not only lived and worked in the city of Baltimore, but that they also did extensive amounts of research to keep the show authentic. Most critics and websites now have it listed as one of, if not the best t.v. show of all time, which makes it all the more interesting to me that the show wasn’t well received by audiences and never won a Golden Globe, Emmy, or even a SAG award for chrissake. This is why The Wire is THE Most Underrated Show of All Time.

You’d think a show that launched the careers of Idris Elba and Michael B. Jordan would have been a mainstream success, especially because The Sopranos was on HBO at the same time. I mention The Sopranos because it launched HBO into a channel with must-watch television; not to mention the fact that The Wire is also a crime thriller, it pairs perfectly with The Sopranos! 12 million people watched the final episode of The Sopranos, with viewership throughout the series hovering around 8. Now – it pains me to even say this…but only 1 million people watched the finale of The Wire, with viewership dipping to almost half that in the final season on certain episodes; the series peaked in viewership at around 4.5 million in the early seasons. I mean, what kind of disrespectful HBO subscribers in 2008 thought The Wire wasn’t a good enough show to watch….SHAME I say – adding to how The Wire is underrated.

The Wire wasn’t just a cop drama, it was so much more than that. Each season was strategically broken down to address a different aspect of Baltimore.

  • Season 1 – the drug scene / introduction to all the crews and cops.
  • Season 2 – the ports and how they’re just as corrupt as the street gangs.
  • Season 3 – the political system in Baltimore.
  • Season 4 – the school system.
  • Season 5 – how a newspaper (The Baltimore Sun) plays a role in addressing the problems within a city.

Additinoally, cop drama’s usually have a clear-cut good guy and bad guy, a ton of action, and minimal plot – The Wire was basically the opposite of that. Even though the “main” character was probably Jimmy McNulty, the show did not revolve around him in any way – whereas The Sopranos revolved completely around Tony. This just shows how many different storylines carried this show, and how many different characters were a point of interest throughout. In fact, possibly my favorite season (season 4) barely features McNulty at all.

Characters

And now for an ode to the show’s shotgun wielding-scarfaced-gangster-badass – Omar Little. The only problem I have with Omar is that I didn’t see enough of him. Every time he comes on screen is most likely the most interesting part of the episode. Maybe Simon and Burns wanted to keep his screen time limited to make the scenes he’s in more memorable. I don’t know for certain, but I think they could’ve had a whole spin-off show about him robbing drug dealers. He is the show’s anti-hero. A bad guy that you love. He steals from the bad and keeps for himself, and he is the most feared man in B-more. Omar’s impact on the overall trajectory of the show becomes abundantly clear in Season 3, although he was captivating from his first appearance in episode 3 – he also had the best Baltimore accent ever, plus some legendary lines. I mean, even Obama loves him.

On the police side, the show’s main characters are: the ideal police lieutenant, Cedric Daniels, badass chick cop Kima Greggs, fellow drunk detective Bunk Moreland, genius Lester Freamon. There’s also a couple guys I’m not sure I like: Carver and Herc. Also can’t forget everyone’s favorite junkie CI, Bubbles.

On the gangster side there’s the head of the crew, Avon Barksdale, the handsome brains of the operation, Stringer Bell, businessman Prop Joe, and the young buck Marlo Stanfield. Each of these guys plays a huge role throughout the show in the Baltimore drug scene, and the power struggle on the streets is constant from seasons 1-5.

In Conclusion

Now back to my original point – The Wire is extremely underrated and should be more appreciated. In recent years it has gained much more respect from critics, but it just makes me sad that it never got the respect it deserved while it was on the air. Awards aren’t everything, but they do validate how good a show is. The Wire deserved better, but I know, and anyone that watched this show knows that it is a masterpiece, and well worth the watch.

Keep Reading
By
Sports

Rams vs. Steelers Preview – Loser Leaves Town Game?

By

The Los Angeles Rams take on the Pittsburgh Steelers in what could be a make it or break it game for both teams. The Rams come in with a record of 5-3 and 3rd place in the NFC West standings, with the Steelers at 4-4 and 2nd place in the AFC North.

Honestly, after the Rams dropped three games in a row earlier this year, I thought they were done. With the 49ers undefeated and Russell Wilson, the frontrunner for MVP, leading his 7-2 Seahawks, the Rams are likely vying for a wild card spot at this point.

And even though the Steelers lost Big Ben early in the year and were down to their third-string quarterback at one point, I can’t believe they still have some hope in making a run at the playoffs. I guess that’s thanks to their defense, that was made even more stellar when they traded for Minkah Fitzpatrick. However, it’s hard to see them getting in the playoffs with teams like the Bills, Colts, and Raiders ahead of them in the race right now.

Ultimately, I think the Rams come out on top in this one because I don’t think the Steelers offense is good enough to beat the Rams defense, which has added Jalen Ramsey. Only thing I’ll say in Pittsburgh’s defense is that the weather may play a factor. The forecast is 54 degrees and cloudy, which could be a little nippy for the Cali boys.

Overall though, it should be a great game, especially with two stellar defenses going at it in a game that could make or break their season.

Keep Reading
By