tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47532199844736021512024-03-14T12:38:32.414-04:00Arc of the CovenantA. Conroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10181413438503689145noreply@blogger.comBlogger1092125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4753219984473602151.post-28504264515789880212024-03-11T17:16:00.009-04:002024-03-11T17:36:13.601-04:00Reaction to the 2024 Oscars<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdhaPE4JsWRAVy562jFOhcKqh9WNkPkebn24vFnkU-EhXjpE3b97yp6DSlbW3NRzvhApreChqCE34WSOuqiP6VpmqEWf0xsP1xoW7ETkFB5XOvf1fXERjcnvM6ugNJy0IucBOXPoAogpazl27kAJE-1bHE8zBF2XANTn7_tFQhJo371JLS0N6DQGR6m7g/s755/oscars_ver41.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="604" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdhaPE4JsWRAVy562jFOhcKqh9WNkPkebn24vFnkU-EhXjpE3b97yp6DSlbW3NRzvhApreChqCE34WSOuqiP6VpmqEWf0xsP1xoW7ETkFB5XOvf1fXERjcnvM6ugNJy0IucBOXPoAogpazl27kAJE-1bHE8zBF2XANTn7_tFQhJo371JLS0N6DQGR6m7g/w320-h400/oscars_ver41.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>Hey, would you look at this! I'm actually doing an Oscar ceremony reaction post for the first time in forever!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I didn't want to go in super extra detail like I used to, forgoing my phone's notes app as I watched the show, but I still at least wanted to jot down my thoughts and feelings right now while I still have the energy and spirit for it.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Jimmy Kimmel was fine. Standard bland and safe comedy. His <i>Madame Web</i> joke didn't hit at all like his <i>Babylon</i> quip last year and his Sandra Huller rib about her movies in Germany are treated as rom-coms was a complete and utter dud. And then he had to stink up the joint with the show's final gag by of course continuing his stale feud with Matt Damon. The Donald Trump tweet was a killer moment though.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The show was alright overall. I appreciate the early start time and how for the most part the show kept its momentum. However, I hated the return of the five individual presenters and their "you're beautiful, fellow actor" mini speeches for all of the acting categories. Those traditional Oscar movie clips sell the actors, the nominations, and the movies themselves to the public, not some sweet nothings! Plus, it cuts down on time, which the Oscar producers are always annoyed about.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The absolute worst presenter went to Al Pacino for pulling a Laurence Olivier circa the 1985 Oscars and his anticlimactic, rambling reading of the Best Picture winner.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Favorite presenter bit is a three-way tie between John Cena's near full monty, the <i>Twins</i> reunion that turned into a staredown with Batman, and John Mulaney spoiling <i>Field Of Dreams</i>.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The "I'm Just Ken" performance will certainly live on in future Oscar recaps.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I didn't absolutely hate the In Memoriam segment like everybody else but yeah, it could have been better. Didn't like how Treat Williams and Burt Young were relegated to some small text.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">16-7 in my Oscar predictions.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I'm weirdly glad Emma Stone got Best Actress. Seems a lot more people were with me on the opinion of Lily Gladstone's performance. Very happy that <i>Godzilla Minus One</i> got Best Visual Effects, <i>The Boy And The Heron</i> easily nabbed Best Animated Feature, and <i>The Zone Of Interest</i> for Best Sound.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The only award I was sad for was when <i>Barbie</i> didn't get Best Costume Design. Man, the Academy just really didn't care for that movie beyond Best Song.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">It could be worst. <i>Barbie</i> could have been <i>Killers Of The Flower Moon</i>. Another duck egg for Martin Scorsese as his latest was totally shut out. Just like <i>The Irishman</i>.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">And that's all I have to say. See you all next year!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>A. Conroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10181413438503689145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4753219984473602151.post-33656834082134819212024-03-09T21:51:00.161-05:002024-03-09T21:51:00.134-05:002024 Oscars Predictions<div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl9zyiV6HFku93NS2AMAPXTavYMxELxQUVQXIxc1D8TzWvR53IhVrJK21pmRVwFEfE8RQFDl8z4MFpKBdmnXqEWiWR3s09dLLxoMR6xYnpz8g7U54GafwrYzcPcKqdMN4xiDs0f7lEgqT57fIiUDh082zeHelrMv9c_82Or_0P-40VcqGlo9e47ut_u1o/s755/oscars_ver41.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="604" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl9zyiV6HFku93NS2AMAPXTavYMxELxQUVQXIxc1D8TzWvR53IhVrJK21pmRVwFEfE8RQFDl8z4MFpKBdmnXqEWiWR3s09dLLxoMR6xYnpz8g7U54GafwrYzcPcKqdMN4xiDs0f7lEgqT57fIiUDh082zeHelrMv9c_82Or_0P-40VcqGlo9e47ut_u1o/w320-h400/oscars_ver41.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">As always, these are my predictions to win, not who or what movie I wish would win.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Best Picture:</b><span> <i>Oppenheimer</i></span></span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Best Actor:</b> Cillian Murphy - </span><i style="font-family: arial;">Oppenheimer</i></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Best Actress:</b> Lily Gladstone - <i>Killers Of The Flower Moon</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><b>Best Supporting Actor:</b> Robert Downey Jr. - </span></span><i style="font-family: arial;">Oppenheimer</i></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Best Supporting Actress:</b> Da'Vine Joy Randolph - <i>The Holdovers</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><b>Best Director:</b> Christopher Nolan - </span></span><i style="font-family: arial;">Oppenheimer</i></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><b>Best Original Screenplay:</b> Justine Triet and Arthur Harari - </span><i>Anatomy Of A Fall</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><b>Best Adapted Screenplay:</b> </span></span><span style="font-family: arial;">Christopher Nolan - </span><i style="font-family: arial;">Oppenheimer</i></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Best Animated Feature Film:</b> <i>The Boy And The Heron</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Best International Feature Film:</b> </span><i style="font-family: arial;">The Zone Of Interest</i></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Best Documentary Feature:</b> <i>The Eternal Memory</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><b>Best Documentary (Short Subject):</b> </span><i>The ABCs Of Book Banning</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Best Animated Short Film:</b> <i>Letters To A Pig</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Best Live Action Short Film:</b> <i>The Wonderful Story Of Henry Sugar</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Best Original Score:</b> Ludwig Göransson - </span><i style="font-family: arial;">Oppenheimer</i></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><b>Best Original Song:</b> "What Was I Made For?" - </span><i>Barbie</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><span><b>Best Cinematography:</b> Hoyte van Hoytema</span> - </span></span><i style="font-family: arial;">Oppenheimer</i></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><span><b>Best Film Editing:</b> Jennifer Lame</span> - </span><i>Oppenheimer</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Best Production Design:</b> James Price, Shona Heath, and Zsuzsa Mihalek - <i>Poor Things</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><b>Best Costume Design:</b> </span>Jacqueline Durran - <i>Barbie</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><b>Best Makeup and Hairstyling:</b> Nadia Stacey, Mark Coulier, and Josh Weston - <i>Poor Things</i></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Best Sound:</b> <i>The Zone Of Interest</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Best Visual Effects:</b> <i>The Creator</i></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Man, I don't know if it's because of the easily expected <i>Oppenheimer</i> wins or airing in March, or even my slowly evolving disappointment with this year's Eurovision, but I am not very enthusiastic for the Oscars.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I have <i>Oppenheimer</i> walking away with 8 wins for the night. Film and Director are givens, and unfortunately for us Giamatti fanatics, Actor is also now a lock for Murphy.</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Not much to say about the other acting categories. They are all locks. Still don't understand the contingents that think Emma Stone has a chance.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I think the Academy's lack of love for <i>Barbie</i> will continue with it losing out in Best Adapted Screenplay.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Oh how I wish for <i>Past Lives</i> to actually win for Best Original Screenplay. Please just grant me one wish, the Academy!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Easy locks for Animated and International Features. Moving on.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>20 Days In Mariupol</i> might likely win, keeping the trend of Best Documentary going to films focused on "current world developments and news stories" rather than actual documentary stories, but I put my bet on the more interesting offering.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Speaking of "current events", I went for that for Best Documentary (Short Subject).</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Oh what to pick for Best Animated Short Film? Hmm? <i>Letters To A Pig</i> involves the Holocaust? Well hot dog, the Academy will eat that up!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Here's hoping Wes Anderson finally gets an Oscar.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Yep, <i>Oppenheimer</i> is going to get some of the tech awards but I strongly feel and really justifiably believe that Best Sound go to <i>The Zone Of Interest</i>.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Either <i>Poor Things</i> or <i>Barbie</i> in the artistic categories. <i>Poor Things</i> will most likely get all three but I think <i>Barbie</i> will sneak away with Best Costume Design.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I really wish the <i>Godzilla Minus One</i> team get Best Visual Effects over the very forgettable <i>The Creator</i>. However, the special effects of <i>The Creator</i> are pretty excellent, hence why the film's trailer was more focused on them rather than the story.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Well, enjoy the Oscars, if you still care about them like I do. I would say stay tuned for my reaction to the awards and the ceremony on Monday but I never seem to truly follow through with that anymore.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>A. Conroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10181413438503689145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4753219984473602151.post-1065751520403208062024-01-23T17:00:00.003-05:002024-01-23T22:41:02.070-05:00Initial Reaction to the 2023 Oscar Nominations<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr4qT6_IsPfLUorkmK6-fVrd_6tWr09mM0WfAcHIFiQYt_yJuvxE_tTENY_tbgmKAQw8kMA9TQuzwU30TOkMP3Kche1wNBh61nv8OGHUK9OkgZHzQlbDulUdScX_ybDDqjbQWW0LkGqqrgQCHUN74CIO521rQy1RiIYhE5Kkke4jS1ECT3AGTOPp9grCA/s445/oscar-statue.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="325" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr4qT6_IsPfLUorkmK6-fVrd_6tWr09mM0WfAcHIFiQYt_yJuvxE_tTENY_tbgmKAQw8kMA9TQuzwU30TOkMP3Kche1wNBh61nv8OGHUK9OkgZHzQlbDulUdScX_ybDDqjbQWW0LkGqqrgQCHUN74CIO521rQy1RiIYhE5Kkke4jS1ECT3AGTOPp9grCA/w293-h400/oscar-statue.jpg" width="293" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>Oh boy, so we'll get to the big elephant in the room but first let me just sum up my feelings on today's Oscar noms: Pretty much expected and not too surprised.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">All I really wanted were just three nominations: <i>The Boy And The Heron</i> for Best Animated Film (a total lock), <i>Godzilla Minus One</i> for Best Visual Effects (a nice surprise), and Greta Lee for Best Actress (big ole nope).</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Okay, now for the biggest news of the day: Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig both snubbed! I knew it, I knew it in my bones that both would be left off the ballot and sure enough it happened.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The Academy: Gee thanks Gerwig for helping save movie theaters by making the #1 movie of the year. What? You want Best Director? Don't be absurd! You're a woman and you made a comedy. If you were a woman and made a drama, no scratch that, a dark drama that's in a foreign language, maybe we can talk. Oh, but don't worry! See, we got you a nom for Best Adapted Screenplay.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> You should thanks us for that opportunity.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I know <i>American Fiction</i> is getting a ton of raves and such but I still don't really care much for it. I kinda liked it when it was originally called <i>Bamboozled</i>. And "Wacky Deli".</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">My beloved <i>Past Lives</i>, only got Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay. Two great noms that anyone would sell their kidneys for but still a disappointment for me.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I'm happy that Jonathan Glazer is finally getting some recognition. It just sucks that he had to go the Holocaust route, which the Academy just can't get enough of, in order to draw eyes. Meanwhile, <i>Under The Skin</i> continues to grow in stature, even with its lack of Oscar love.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I like Colman Domingo but it kinda sucks his big first nom is for an Oscar bait movie that nobody cared for on Netflix (just like <i>Maestro</i>!).</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Nyad</i> had that package deal. If you voted for Annette Bening, Jodie Foster had to be included.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Would have liked to see Willem Dafoe get a nom for Best Supporting Actor just so he can continue being the king of that category.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I'm glad America Ferrera got her first nom. Her big but divisive monologue in the movie must have sealed it for voters. Honestly would have wanted Kate McKinnon instead.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">No <i>Killers Of </i></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>The Flower Moon</i> for Best Adapted Screenplay. Good.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">So very happy that the Disney bloc used their push to get <i>Wish</i> into Best Animated Feature. Really sucks that <i>Suzume</i> didn't have a chance but I am very happy for the crew behind <i>Nimona</i> and <i>Robot Dreams</i>.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I still haven't seen <i>Society Of The Snow</i> yet but I'm glad for J.A. Bayona's success, both with the streaming numbers for the movie and it getting into Best International Feature Film.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Everyone, let's all point and laugh at France! Those idiots didn't want to back <i>Anatomy Of A Fall</i> due to the director's comments back at Cannes. It got five nominations while <i>The Taste Of Things</i> got to taste nothing but stale air.</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Wow, I just realized recently and especially today how 2023 was a pretty blah year for documentaries. I never heard of any of these films!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Fucking Diane Warren. For the song nobody knows, from the Cheetos movie that no one saw and has pretty much become the biggest "bomb" ever for a streaming movie.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Seriously, no "Dance The Night"?!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Nothing for <i>Ferrari</i>. Good.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Still haven't joined the public in seeing <i>Saltburn</i> so I can't really feel too bad for it being snubbed.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Oh wow! The Academy didn't care for <i>All Of Us Strangers</i> and <i>Origin</i>?! I'm shocked, shocked!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">That about does it. Come back in March for my predictions which I obviously will fail at.</span></div><div><br /></div>A. Conroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10181413438503689145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4753219984473602151.post-41429413846289590382024-01-05T20:18:00.435-05:002024-01-21T14:32:44.774-05:00Anime Watch of 2023<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJeQB2eWRRJraUl02-X47ZWFC_CpJRqVE6Vjo8K5bA6s8VxshR__egbUSZmiDLO6UNRU6rsAF-6oUMTY3fJOGMf1YrrJaD_TzGW4IgsYFtKEY135CBBs-SVCs2iMZT56PwlubNs6yuLz8OUvhbFHBB8ypStoh3wlsOcdasgDDgg73PIk_e79OnLPVVtRI/s900/Star_Blazers_Outro.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="900" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJeQB2eWRRJraUl02-X47ZWFC_CpJRqVE6Vjo8K5bA6s8VxshR__egbUSZmiDLO6UNRU6rsAF-6oUMTY3fJOGMf1YrrJaD_TzGW4IgsYFtKEY135CBBs-SVCs2iMZT56PwlubNs6yuLz8OUvhbFHBB8ypStoh3wlsOcdasgDDgg73PIk_e79OnLPVVtRI/w400-h300/Star_Blazers_Outro.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><i style="font-family: arial;"><div><i style="font-family: arial;"><br /></i></div>Demon Slayer</i><span style="font-family: arial;"> continued its reign at the top, utilizing movie theaters to help build up the anticipation for its next season, which of course drew huge numbers. On the other hand, the debuting </span><i style="font-family: arial;">Oshi no Ko</i><span style="font-family: arial;"> had a firm hold on the anime world, largely thanks to its shocking first episode, dark storyline, and a killer opening theme. </span><i style="font-family: arial;">Jujutsu Kaisen</i><span style="font-family: arial;">, </span><i style="font-family: arial;">Spy x Family</i><span style="font-family: arial;">, and </span><i style="font-family: arial;">Vinland Saga</i><span style="font-family: arial;"> all had popular second seasons and we got to see the return of a certain red jacketed space outlaw in a highly acclaimed revival. Romance was in the air, as we saw many hearts aflutter in comedies (</span><i style="font-family: arial;">Tomo-Chan Is A Girl!</i><span style="font-family: arial;">, </span><i style="font-family: arial;">The Dangers In My Heart</i><span style="font-family: arial;">, </span><i style="font-family: arial;">Skip and Loafer</i><span style="font-family: arial;">) and dramas (</span><i style="font-family: arial;">My Happy Marriage</i><span style="font-family: arial;">, </span><i style="font-family: arial;">The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten</i><span style="font-family: arial;">) that were all well appreciated. Netflix had two regular anime hits with </span><i style="font-family: arial;">Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead</i><span style="font-family: arial;"> and and the American co-production </span><i style="font-family: arial;">Scott Pilgrim Takes Off</i><span style="font-family: arial;"> and was the toast of the summer with their popular live-action adaptation of </span><i style="font-family: arial;">One Piece</i><span style="font-family: arial;">. </span><i style="font-family: arial;">Frieren: Beyond Journey's End</i><span style="font-family: arial;"> lived up to its high expectations and became a big hit. And finally, </span><i style="font-family: arial;">Attack On Titan</i><span style="font-family: arial;"> was laid to rest, ending its protracted fourth season and the series entirely with two special episodes.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Yep, 2023 was a very good year for anime. Too bad I let the majority of it go to waste.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">As stated in my last Anime Watch article, thanks to Sony trying to consolidate Funimation and Crunchyroll together (despite the fact that they are strangely still two separate pay-to-watch entities), my paid yearly subscriptions were also combined. I could watch all of the anime that I ever wanted on Crunchyroll and I didn't have to paid a single cent until December 1, 2023. However, my energy and urge for anime just wasn't going to the television and streaming fronts. Why sit down with a long-form romantic comedy when Makoto Shinkai dazzled me in one sitting in movie theaters on my birthday? Why watch an entire Gundam series when I could get its story streamlined while blowing up mobile suits in tactical RPGs or action video games? Why check out new series when I can just rewatch old episodes of <i>MegaMan NT Warrior</i> on Twitch and YouTube via Capcom or finally check out the English dub of the second half of <i>Komi Can't Communicate</i>? Or quite simply, why watch when I can spend more time reading manga and light novels and feel more satisfied?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">So yeah, I pretty much squandered my free subscription. I didn't really watch a lot of regular anime shows, nor did I hit the anime goals that I set last year. I didn't watch <i>Spy x Family</i>, season 1 or the premiering season 2, instead settling for reading the entirety of the manga. They were second seasons for shows I previously enjoyed but I either didn't partake in them or pathetically watched only the first episode. Though I don't really feel too bad about my lack of anime watching (again, I didn't waste money on it unlike say my Max subscription), it still kinda sucks I let the majority of it escape me.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Not helping matters was all of the drama that popped up, which I spent more time looking at or watching YouTube videos about than actually watching anime. While <i>Oshi no Ko</i> was the new hot thing, the fact that the property used the real-life struggles of pro wrestler Hana Kimura, who committed suicide in 2020, as the basis for one of the characters discouraged a lot of people, most notably her mother Kyoko Kimura who called the show out for it. Resurgences of COVID affected the releases for a lot of shows, killing their momentum and the attention of viewers. Sony did another shutdown/merger when popular long-time online store RightStuf was merged with Crunchyroll's own online store. Crunchyroll sunset their digital manga section, which was a popular place at one time but quickly died a slow painful death after losing licenses to Kodansha titles. Major scandals emerged when popular anime company MAPPA was hit with allegations of poor working conditions and male idol talent agency Johnny & Associates was revealed to having a long disturbing history of sexual harassment claims, cover-ups, and blacklistings. Controversy came to American dubbing when Anairis Quiñones's role and all of her recorded lines as Yoruichi in Bleach: Thousand Blood War were being replaced by the character's original voice actress Wendee Lee, leading to anger, frustration, a whole lotta drama on Twitter, and questions about diversity in voice acting and caving to "fan" pressure. And then you had the anime shows that were just so bad, including <i>KamiKatsu</i>, <i>I Got A Cheat Skill...</i>, <i>Ayakashi Triangle</i> (broadcast version), <i>MF Ghost</i>, <i>Butareba</i>, and quite sadly the second half of the second season of <i>The Devil Is A Part-Timer!</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">But enough about about all of that, let's just move on to the small list of the anime shows that I actually did watch last year. As like before, the list goes from what I dubbed was the best all the way down to the worst. The rules are the same: The overall quality of the show and my response to it are the major factors toward their rank. However, other additional factors such as replayability, voice talent, and lasting impact can help sway their placing. Only new shows/new viewings count; rewatches are immediately disqualified and if I watch a show that I already started, only the continuing unwatched episodes will be reviewed. I treat and grade all series fairly, even ones that I haven't actually finished or may not choose to finish. If you see a * next to the title, that means I had a limited sampling of the show or didn't complete the series/franchise fully.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>1. <i>Star Blazers* </i>[eps. 1-5]</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>2. <i>Pokémon Concierge</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">3. <i>My Clueless First Friend* </i></span><span style="font-family: arial;">[eps. 1-5]</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">4. <i>Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny*</i></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-style: italic;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">[eps. 1-6]</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">5. <i>In Another World With My Smartphone* (Season 2) </i></span><span style="font-family: arial;">[ep. 1]</span></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">6. <i>The Girl I Like Forgot Her Glasses* </i></span><span style="font-family: arial;">[ep. 1]</span></b></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Yeah, as I said, not a whole watched last year. Funny how the best show I watched was something I had to glean off of YouTube. Seriously, someone really needs to bring <i>Star Blazers</i> to blu-ray now! I don't really think 4-6 were truly terrible but they all had big issues, namely pacing (<i>SEED Destiny</i>), boring Japanese voice acting (<i>Smartphone</i>), and whatever you call that animation (<i>Glasses</i>). Man, I kinda enjoy the original manga of </span><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>The Girl I Like Forgot Her Glasses</i> but GoHands is an infamous animation studio and they did quite a number on such a simple romantic comedy.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">So what to do this year? Finally watch all of <i>Spy x Family</i>, hopefully in time for the American release of the movie <i>Code: White</i>. Also maybe finish <i>SEED Destiny</i>, despite its many troubles, in time for the new movie. Watch Season 3 of <i>Iruma-Kun</i>. Catch up on all of the romantic comedies I missed out on. Watch and cheer on the second season of <i>Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki-kun</i>. Finally finish <i>Fire Force</i>!</span></div><div><br /></div>A. Conroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10181413438503689145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4753219984473602151.post-81709180271029402422024-01-01T10:00:01.573-05:002024-02-22T23:20:52.990-05:00Best To Worst Films of 2023<div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">2023 was a year in the history of mankind. There were some good things, there were some bad things, and there were some thing things.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">That's honestly all I really can say to sum up my feelings about last year overall. Now look, I'm not deliberately trying to be an asshole and just wave off the many major events and unfortunate tragedies that happened, such as the Hawaii wildfires, Russia's continuing invasion of Ukraine, the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel and resulting extensive conflict amid the Gaza Strip, or the huge spike in antisemitism and other ethnic hatred all over the world. Not to mention the sudden rise and rapid advancement of AI technology, which generated a lot of moral/ethical debates and might brings us one step closer to Skynet thanks to the money-hungry business idiots that are mostly pushing for it. But the peculiar thing is that most of this stuff happened more recently, within the second half of the year. Practically everything in the first six months of 2023 seem now to be a total blur (remember the bank crisis we briefly had?). Also not helping the matters of memory is the sheer fact that since the last January 1st, practically everyone has been suffering from the intense foreboding of 2024, especially come this November.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">However, if you had to ask me about 2023 when it comes to media and entertainment, I can tell you a lot more. It was a stellar year for video games, as there was a multitude of excellent titles including a new Zelda and Mario, but when it came to the industry itself, there were a lot of job losses, studio closures, and some rather unsavory business tactics. Music flat out sucked, dominated heavily by a lot of disappointing to terrible album releases, controversial but ultimately forgettable country trash and TikTok influenced earworms that had a shelf life far less than an one-hit wonder. The television business suffered greatly from a lot of real-life drama, numerous delays and cancellations including the Emmys, and viewers' desperation for new content this side of 2020, though there was success for </span><i style="font-family: arial;">Succession</i><span style="font-family: arial;">, Netflix, anime, long-running reality shows, and the NFL (now with an extra dose of Taylor Swift!)</span><span style="font-family: arial;">. But when it came to the movies, there was a lot to experience.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Everybody can sum up 2023 in film easily: Barbenheimer and union strikes. Movie theaters were really and truly alive again since the pandemic thanks to the release of both <i>Barbie</i> and <i>Oppenheimer</i> on July 21st. Going beyond the "one for him, one for her" intentions, the two films drew rave reviews from critics and audiences and became two of the most celebrated achievements of 2023. However, despite all of the box office money, internet chatter, and cinematic euphoria, they came out right in the middle of the heated WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. These two strikes dominated all of the attention last year and seemed to never end despite many, including myself, predicting wisely that it would eventually be resolved come the fall. Still, America had to endure a lot of ugliness, as both unions fought the big corporations over several issues including streaming profits and the usage of AI. "Ride Or Die" mentality was very high, especially with the power of the internet, as a couple of celebrities suffered severe backlashes when they nearly tried to cross the picket line, most notably Drew Barrymore. Meanwhile, the pathetic suits up top, including Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav (more on that smeghead later), proceeded to spout dumb business and P.R. bullshit while avoiding the tomatoes from their high perches. Those shmucks of course would stupidly realize that they were way too late to settle with the unions by November, causing a huge business loss for the film and television industries that will continue to effect everything going forward into this new year.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">There were some great highlights buried amid all of the turmoil. Proper video game adaptations started to finally come out and win over the skeptics, with the much hyped <i>The Super Mario Bros. Movie</i> doing so well it becomes the second highest grossing movie of the year. People's long held wishes for more mid-level affair to come to theaters started to see them slowly come true thanks to the likes of <i>M3GAN</i> and <i>Cocaine Bear</i>. Shah Rukh Khan became a bonafide megastar once again thanks to <i>Pathaan</i> and <i>Jawan</i> becoming two huge Bollywood blockbusters across the globe. Concert films became the next big thing, with A24 re-releasing <i>Stop Making Sense</i> in IMAX theaters to thunderous applause and Taylor Swift continuing her world conquest thanks to the unbelievable success of <i>Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour</i> (oh, and Beyonce did well too but just for one weekend). And Japanophiles were ecstatic at the many, mostly anime, theatrical releases spread throughout the year, crescendoing with a boffo Godzilla pic and Hayao Miyazaki getting to hold the #1 crown for one weekend.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">But sadly, there were even more lowlights besides the strikes. WBD CEO and all-around piece of shit David Zaslav spent the year enacting his terrible ideas for the company, including gutting more content from HBO Max (including deleting <i>What's Opera, Doc?</i>) and changing their streaming service's name to just Max in order to "entice" new subscribers. He also almost got away with doing another tax write-off for the company by shelving the completed film <i>Coyote vs. Acme</i>, only to face immense backlash in public and private for it. He would get the last laugh of the year unfortunately by announcing a potential merger of WBD and Paramount, which no one beside Wall Street wants (Hooray! More layoffs!).</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Disney also tried the "screw our creators" tactic when they too removed several films and shows from Disney+. The idiots at the House of Mouse also literally planned to remove <i>Howard</i>, a documentary about the late great Howard Ashman, from the streaming service on the same day as the release of their ill-fated <i>The Little Mermaid</i> live-action adaptation, only to stop the deletion one day after the announcement due to obvious backlash. But Disney had more important things to be worried about, namely their increasingly personal battle with Florida governor Ron DeSantis, the fall in popularity and quality of Marvel movies, the meh response of Pixar's <i>Elemental</i>, and their centennial catastrophe that was <i>Wish</i>. Oh, and that whole thing about <i>Steamboat Willie</i> now going in the public domain.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Jonathan Majors had the biggest seesaw year out of anyone, starting off 2023 as one of Hollywood's next big stars and getting acclaim for his performance in <i>Creed III</i>, only to end the year convicted of assault and harassment, fired from all future Marvel endeavors, and his potential Oscar hopeful <i>Magazine Dreams</i> pretty much permanently shelved. All of the major awards organizations suffered embarrassments, Best Buy further rang the death bell for physical media by announcing the elimination of blu-rays being carried in their stores in 2024, <i>Sound of Freedom</i> becomes a "surprise success" at the box office thanks to shady dealings, the DCU further spiraled downward, Universal's $400 million bet <i>The Exorcist: Believer</i> fails with everyone and finally causes David Gordon Green to be fired, there was still too damn many films having a runtime over 2 and half hours, and last but not least, Netflix saw their Oscar dreams shatter when their big Sundance acquisition <i>Fair Play</i> enjoys a cup of coffee in the big time before dropping into obscurity and <i>Maestro</i> wows critics but "bombs" on their service.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">As for me personally, my life in 2023 was just like my description of the year: some stuff was good, some stuff was bad, and the majority of it just existed. Still not doing too well in the home viewing department; didn't really touch Netflix a lot, wasted Max save for the show <i>Winning Time</i>, Peacock is for Eurovision and WWE only, and I again spent way too much time with YouTube. My beloved Netflix DVD subscription came to a close thanks to the company's decision to shutter it on September 29. I ended up with my never returned DVD of <i>Lost Weekend</i> (had it since 11/14/2017!) and a slightly scratched <i>Dark Night of the Scarecrow</i>. I, like practically everybody, didn't get any free extra DVDs from Netflix. I spent seemingly all of my time and energy into the 365 Days, 365 Songs project and finished it on time, i.e. bought all the songs, but I didn't do all of the writing that I was supposed to have up on this site at the end of each month.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">That all being said, I kind of made up for these shortcomings and disappointments by thoroughly enjoying my time at the movie theaters. I finally got to see <i>American Graffiti</i> for the first time (shocker: it's great!), I partook in GKIDS' Studio Ghibli Film Festival, and I had an amazing experience seeing <i>Stop Making Sense</i> in IMAX. I laughed, I cried, I rolled my eyes, and I did several rewatches often in order to bring others back to theaters, show them something new and different, or just to keep them company.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">My final total of 2023 films that I watched is 31. It is now time to arrange them in the order of my opinion, from the best to the worst.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Yet again, I have a true top ten films of the year, but this time it's firmly locked in. No wishy washy feelings about any of them.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQy3U5qwgSzG_Fmb6GMJMjOnQu5A7OArfdDq4O0xan3HZQROFMhmOb1aDU-nqy9SDvG8dMW9-fjJBJrzsePEselIksf-SKFhQhQs6hnNw70dTJwoonMrcSJlBhT7ZA6FMaDMhvfTr5m9GAbfphAyuDkEEQSEmS_kYxlYG2F7_js9l0yJhETW1tPQze4MM/s755/past_lives_ver2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="510" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQy3U5qwgSzG_Fmb6GMJMjOnQu5A7OArfdDq4O0xan3HZQROFMhmOb1aDU-nqy9SDvG8dMW9-fjJBJrzsePEselIksf-SKFhQhQs6hnNw70dTJwoonMrcSJlBhT7ZA6FMaDMhvfTr5m9GAbfphAyuDkEEQSEmS_kYxlYG2F7_js9l0yJhETW1tPQze4MM/w270-h400/past_lives_ver2.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><b style="font-family: arial;">1. <i>Past Lives</i></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I could go on and on about how this movie richly explores the idea of true love or personal identity or whatever that would make me a fancy pants critic. All I really want to say is that this is an exquisite debut feature by Celine Song, </span><span style="font-family: arial;">supplemented with three terrific performances, a rich screenplay, beautiful direction and cinematography, a moving score, and a magnificent ending that left me in a pool of tears.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAQOgcAtifcXid50fy3Url_rQZNlZplKKlI_hueQ_YV0cnvDzMHNxoNKvXBynqPToiMPKT47iN0qsahk_HFYRbXIwu_OhUjhghqtJkAhaY0dAZ8l0BaJFPJubLUZFGqNgFaqYtF-wLbonrloZJUUfAcasbQ3U7Du-KH9P6lZhE6JK-Hfel0e22oOhi_vY/s755/oppenheimer_ver3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="477" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAQOgcAtifcXid50fy3Url_rQZNlZplKKlI_hueQ_YV0cnvDzMHNxoNKvXBynqPToiMPKT47iN0qsahk_HFYRbXIwu_OhUjhghqtJkAhaY0dAZ8l0BaJFPJubLUZFGqNgFaqYtF-wLbonrloZJUUfAcasbQ3U7Du-KH9P6lZhE6JK-Hfel0e22oOhi_vY/w253-h400/oppenheimer_ver3.jpg" width="253" /></a></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>2. <i>Oppenheimer</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Though I still feel that it's a bog standard "rise and fall" narrative that's just jumbled up to be creative and it evaporates all of the tension by straight up telling the viewer the outcome within the opening minutes, I will not discount just how absolutely masterful this movie is and how well it achieves its ambitions. Endlessly watchable thanks to Christopher Nolan and his creative crew and a killer's row of talented actors who are all at the top of their game.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYiiaDhJGlsrY0UfzUE2rHC9KFGTJGdtNG-76SL8K5nrPPlI8XnVXod_Sc3_FyZLAfM9wRsLBG2VYlf9T2pppOV7UBjvQoJBoMFzwqVVDM8kTGG97NavMfVgpxwJGa4z4Kk78Ur4HNBbjJ1_FqN4LCnT2WF-kEqTCz0Ri6f25VgDB23H4zTAC3kcaptBA/s755/spiderman_across_the_spiderverse_ver2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="509" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYiiaDhJGlsrY0UfzUE2rHC9KFGTJGdtNG-76SL8K5nrPPlI8XnVXod_Sc3_FyZLAfM9wRsLBG2VYlf9T2pppOV7UBjvQoJBoMFzwqVVDM8kTGG97NavMfVgpxwJGa4z4Kk78Ur4HNBbjJ1_FqN4LCnT2WF-kEqTCz0Ri6f25VgDB23H4zTAC3kcaptBA/w270-h400/spiderman_across_the_spiderverse_ver2.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><b style="font-family: arial;">3. <i>Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse</i></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">A part of me believes I'm rating this way too high right now, falsely believing this will be sitting next to <i>The Empire Strikes Back</i> as the standout film of a franchise trilogy. But then I think about the all-encompassing artistry that the creators laid bare on the screen, from the watercolored backgrounds of Spider-Gwen's world to the visual wow that is Spider-Punk. Or how enthralling the chase sequence that nearly takes up the entire second half of the film is. Or how despite the ridiculous number of endings this side of <i>Return of the King</i>, the audience still has to linger on a shocking twist that was wisely set up. I don't love it as much as <i>Into The Spider-Verse</i> but I can't deny its majesty.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcx46DpVMUaw7__7WjA0DUNlAtOI3TM5p0uw7u-aQw9qJbw9rrpNnHPHnfA3e0DiewITUpVW3UspnGEVSA3mF4Ct7JEDpnBMZuzy_YiHroHWYwu6hTf9zddoAmsx1oPzgMMtGultFmIAXVII-RYXdiKpzjGtGj5d_FukSl4b5fLn2P5IZRsPnEH6V5-S8/s755/barbie_ver2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="509" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcx46DpVMUaw7__7WjA0DUNlAtOI3TM5p0uw7u-aQw9qJbw9rrpNnHPHnfA3e0DiewITUpVW3UspnGEVSA3mF4Ct7JEDpnBMZuzy_YiHroHWYwu6hTf9zddoAmsx1oPzgMMtGultFmIAXVII-RYXdiKpzjGtGj5d_FukSl4b5fLn2P5IZRsPnEH6V5-S8/w270-h400/barbie_ver2.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><b style="font-family: arial;">4. <i>Barbie</i></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">This was so, so close to being as perfect as the titular Mattel doll. Two amazing lead performances, a witty script, astonishing art direction, fantastic costume design, and a director willing to go all out. Too bad it drops the ball in the anti-climatic final act before </span><span style="font-family: arial;">desperately recovering it for a killer ending.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc8gOcugfECgDLZ09kYBWqGNp6-JXqQjxl8WZNsRp40L-Au7Zqqtv2iHoaLKnJAXhWaMFr3nkeIrQjR0fvyRB7l4Ml0WvNUUJ0OaL2RchH7_JMhz4yfF7WNy-FqKilha28GuWwR6o7mwfJYv2R5VHBKhGDm8xD_yYnVmV2VAiU_FJpVqogmA0EV-azcDY/s755/suzume_no_tojimari_ver2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="508" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc8gOcugfECgDLZ09kYBWqGNp6-JXqQjxl8WZNsRp40L-Au7Zqqtv2iHoaLKnJAXhWaMFr3nkeIrQjR0fvyRB7l4Ml0WvNUUJ0OaL2RchH7_JMhz4yfF7WNy-FqKilha28GuWwR6o7mwfJYv2R5VHBKhGDm8xD_yYnVmV2VAiU_FJpVqogmA0EV-azcDY/w269-h400/suzume_no_tojimari_ver2.jpg" width="269" /></a></div><b style="font-family: arial;">5. <i>Suzume</i></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Makoto Shinkai continues his streak of charming romantic dramas coated in magical realism, this time with a walking kiddie chair, a mischievous spirit cat, and very explicit references to the 2011 Tohoku earthquake.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8CTH5WHZR-_HSc_81mIEx5DaEsFd7xj1nbk2maBn1u8WhjVTsNpz13uo9r8cMS5hUlbeyKbJPnfWPGSaGQsnBrFejQkIJFI2hMxJH5xqB_T8R9kwdrfMgbBki7zYdp4dTShyGSzbD7yXloPVSbBPf5gOoColmvSYDAFinELXn7FuEWGXjezWOfMdHccE/s755/Boy_and_the_Heron.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="516" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8CTH5WHZR-_HSc_81mIEx5DaEsFd7xj1nbk2maBn1u8WhjVTsNpz13uo9r8cMS5hUlbeyKbJPnfWPGSaGQsnBrFejQkIJFI2hMxJH5xqB_T8R9kwdrfMgbBki7zYdp4dTShyGSzbD7yXloPVSbBPf5gOoColmvSYDAFinELXn7FuEWGXjezWOfMdHccE/w274-h400/Boy_and_the_Heron.jpg" width="274" /></a></div><b style="font-family: arial;">6. <i>The Boy And The Heron</i></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">On one hand, it's another magical experience spun from the imagination of Hayao Miyazaki. On the other, it's an endlessly fascinating exploration of an artist coming to terms with his own life, his ideals, and what he brought to the world. Of all of the big potentially final auteur movies we got last year, this is the one that refuses to fade away from my mind.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvQlU1Y9kGgJeWtKpZE8-yS9UZG7Ny-XPv82U73ZYUa1nuT4KalvTiDBjT1y8s4ul63jcusjh9hN6lXDEGWiQG6uRLts6Apa_IJLLgk-DNhZEzOZTfqvg9KSNBHzltB9bYmc_4ck8PUYUvwh_dAmBWCctQK5xQoxboBYA2zdkY_621dJ7GIPGs10o9hsU/s800/Spirited_Away_Live_On_Stage3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="566" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvQlU1Y9kGgJeWtKpZE8-yS9UZG7Ny-XPv82U73ZYUa1nuT4KalvTiDBjT1y8s4ul63jcusjh9hN6lXDEGWiQG6uRLts6Apa_IJLLgk-DNhZEzOZTfqvg9KSNBHzltB9bYmc_4ck8PUYUvwh_dAmBWCctQK5xQoxboBYA2zdkY_621dJ7GIPGs10o9hsU/w283-h400/Spirited_Away_Live_On_Stage3.jpg" width="283" /></a></div><b style="font-family: arial;">7. <i>Spirited Away: Live On Stage</i></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I don't care if you think this shouldn't qualify for this list or debate whether it is a movie or not. This filmed presentation of the recent stage adaptation of the beloved 2001 Hayao Miyazaki film was one of the most fun experiences I had in movie theaters last year and it expertly showed the true magic of theater creativity.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVRJD-FrDD5T7KRGcMnvh4RfL5PCl8WnIT61cgTe_5JCj4wZji89X7nXxtwanp_yGdoALT5JtOfXKiMYWOPniJAMg0KXIkBS5vV8DwUcuqjg6uIj2vdOkzspa4a1r_43AFuLCWIgiAD5bx4Vp5feobcYjIHrU2_mzD_txZyKZqLTcZkbHj5LfCLSrcPMM/s755/godzilla_minus_one.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="539" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVRJD-FrDD5T7KRGcMnvh4RfL5PCl8WnIT61cgTe_5JCj4wZji89X7nXxtwanp_yGdoALT5JtOfXKiMYWOPniJAMg0KXIkBS5vV8DwUcuqjg6uIj2vdOkzspa4a1r_43AFuLCWIgiAD5bx4Vp5feobcYjIHrU2_mzD_txZyKZqLTcZkbHj5LfCLSrcPMM/w285-h400/godzilla_minus_one.jpg" width="285" /></a></div><b style="font-family: arial;">8. <i>Godzilla Minus One</i></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The newest perfect example to shut up any detractor that says that a kaiju movie can't be taken seriously. An all-around exceptional epic not really seen much since the 1990s, complete with big action set pieces, historic plights, human drama, and some pontificating preaching. And as much as it's crucial to the film's themes and plot, utilizing the phrase "the war is not over" brings some unintentional hilarity for those who are fans of Rambo.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL-E3L5qQS9q0-8enGGXxPGjwD60ueN7iOTiPeB0CCL6Tgqq_jgVy667ZRiXvJEGc9XTnYiHQL8mPO6UDhyphenhyphenbWShsvTHZYvG_JbFkapckysf9STFERbsAE4lFhIURZRSk0E8viabLFT9bKkkkzUDz7Gn7nTwxm51BbXvFaBHsNI7LHtbtk5tR998jfXDmc/s755/iron_claw.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="510" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL-E3L5qQS9q0-8enGGXxPGjwD60ueN7iOTiPeB0CCL6Tgqq_jgVy667ZRiXvJEGc9XTnYiHQL8mPO6UDhyphenhyphenbWShsvTHZYvG_JbFkapckysf9STFERbsAE4lFhIURZRSk0E8viabLFT9bKkkkzUDz7Gn7nTwxm51BbXvFaBHsNI7LHtbtk5tR998jfXDmc/w270-h400/iron_claw.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><b style="font-family: arial;">9. <i>The Iron Claw</i></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Indie writer-director Sean Durkin returns to the spotlight with a warm yet troubling exploration of the Von Erich family and the 1980s pro wrestling environment that they helped shape and would later fall victim to. My star rating had to be lowered however by the complete exclusion of Chris Von Erich from the story and actor Jeremy Allen White simply not being as tall or Adonis-level handsome as the real Kerry Von Erich.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE-s060edDDtgGHAw1vopLiWGjSCxo1auVD8wcru_OJhTOL9WUfZiElx1jGH4b6CJjd0xmjOkNYcAYIjCvDzzXp66l4wp_jJ7YfulXtEHzvgRb8hjMarBO43ZvaQKbHhz7xRxoZKj-PCL7ZJHojiVBzatDA3o5FqoBjnQplZbD-69yVd_YMdU9wL8kTB0/s755/holdovers.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="510" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE-s060edDDtgGHAw1vopLiWGjSCxo1auVD8wcru_OJhTOL9WUfZiElx1jGH4b6CJjd0xmjOkNYcAYIjCvDzzXp66l4wp_jJ7YfulXtEHzvgRb8hjMarBO43ZvaQKbHhz7xRxoZKj-PCL7ZJHojiVBzatDA3o5FqoBjnQplZbD-69yVd_YMdU9wL8kTB0/w270-h400/holdovers.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><b style="font-family: arial;">10. <i>The Holdovers</i></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Alexander Payne removed some of his trademark bitterness in order to deliver a wonderfully shaggy dramedy set at a 1970's boarding school around Christmas. Paul Giamatti, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, and newcomer Dominic Sessa delivered great and funny performances and helped give the usual school plot elements a refreshing take.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Next up are nine films that I thought were pretty good to good enough to warrant a viewing. They just had a thing or two or five that kept it from making my top ten.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz6VjKU-hc_JuPEFBSuEe0vPvOSSionyOK_4Gk05wcGPjgCTxsIuo6siIRPcB09OifoVWM9JRNBUg4NPFnsbSZ-bLODxJscc9NIAduw-XVxS42E4vvB_sAiDBYi7LM30s_Hb5g06gK7CqEeiRNWv0mBAEtNq-1s-pF4tushZkWFNn1sUkLBD1hGu0jB_g/s755/guardians_of_the_galaxy_vol_three_ver2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="510" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz6VjKU-hc_JuPEFBSuEe0vPvOSSionyOK_4Gk05wcGPjgCTxsIuo6siIRPcB09OifoVWM9JRNBUg4NPFnsbSZ-bLODxJscc9NIAduw-XVxS42E4vvB_sAiDBYi7LM30s_Hb5g06gK7CqEeiRNWv0mBAEtNq-1s-pF4tushZkWFNn1sUkLBD1hGu0jB_g/w270-h400/guardians_of_the_galaxy_vol_three_ver2.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><b style="font-family: arial;">11. <i>Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3</i></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Doing what Marvel seems to be unable to do anymore, James Gunn gave us another highly entertaining superhero movie with his lovable crew of space misfits. Its provocatively dark storyline might its hurt rewatchability, plus the soundtrack was too alternative and too disappointing, but it was a great way for Gunn to end his tenure at Marvel Studios.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD_jHHYAcnH8DhP6XKmO3erjmgsKV9R8XuhRH_4MHZAwNRNtNEHowO0cwurO3pexOWll2_110qeJuU2bQvluhAZ4nbsAHmzOjOZ39tPCOsNjW5k14ZaLajLZ4bJ6EiO2Wy7SEjz6NG-TxDGufKNbe_AYesorUYFWe1hraGWw7IoVyWMAsOtC87WKBWyqc/s755/killers_of_the_flower_moon_ver2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="503" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD_jHHYAcnH8DhP6XKmO3erjmgsKV9R8XuhRH_4MHZAwNRNtNEHowO0cwurO3pexOWll2_110qeJuU2bQvluhAZ4nbsAHmzOjOZ39tPCOsNjW5k14ZaLajLZ4bJ6EiO2Wy7SEjz6NG-TxDGufKNbe_AYesorUYFWe1hraGWw7IoVyWMAsOtC87WKBWyqc/w266-h400/killers_of_the_flower_moon_ver2.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><b style="font-family: arial;">12. <i>Killers Of The Flower Moon</i></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I praise it heavily for its great acting, production design, cinematography, and music but those achievements couldn't completely overcome my lingering negativity towards this film. I felt it not to be an actual movie but a glorified HBO television series cut down into a compilation feature film. Not only does Scorsese seem to spend more redoing his usual wiseguy shtick then expand on the far more interesting Native American side of the story, he caused his own film's downfall by making way, way too long, clocking in at 206 minutes. Dear lord, I had actual walkouts at my local art theater because audience members couldn't stand how long it was! And as for Lily Gladstone, she delivers a good performance but it's certainly not the awe-inspiring, breathtaking, heavenly master class of acting every critic said or think it is.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigVtynvmuti34sUWHtxk3M9T5ljOB_352N0vR6rCONlvh2u2tB3AlpqJbs8oz6dVE5eoaD-lUwraXBVG1QfzXySewbBYvSYCeDAM66hgijpPzbo-6Nqrb2wB8xhL_HAamY1_O_0E4_5todRQFabU5vWJ6lJasq74kKYbZt380yQIlXfpCUQNmxZxnzK3g/s755/beau_is_afraid_ver2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="510" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigVtynvmuti34sUWHtxk3M9T5ljOB_352N0vR6rCONlvh2u2tB3AlpqJbs8oz6dVE5eoaD-lUwraXBVG1QfzXySewbBYvSYCeDAM66hgijpPzbo-6Nqrb2wB8xhL_HAamY1_O_0E4_5todRQFabU5vWJ6lJasq74kKYbZt380yQIlXfpCUQNmxZxnzK3g/w270-h400/beau_is_afraid_ver2.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><b style="font-family: arial;">13. <i>Beau Is Afraid</i></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">There are things that I really loved and there are things that I really loathed in this movie. Regardless, I boosted it up my rankings just for the sheer audacious of it all. I simply can't stop thinking about Joaquin Phoenix's performance or the grand finale to the picture.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVks79LhE6te-uAUC_XCvMrZY_5yP-cipj0m-b4j1c0X4z9FnJE-K8VvxU3jauyikVq3tU_EjXZaXTpxlmokLS2xQCWio7NRdXfHbi4oU56gXXZtQMUGGaRUXmFmeSKqreGA8Y9wKyOY00DH1qAFGgHzW7iWVpTVhY6IGLf0cFH4x-fBQBC6ltF9BsnVI/s755/super_mario_bros_the_movie_ver10.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="477" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVks79LhE6te-uAUC_XCvMrZY_5yP-cipj0m-b4j1c0X4z9FnJE-K8VvxU3jauyikVq3tU_EjXZaXTpxlmokLS2xQCWio7NRdXfHbi4oU56gXXZtQMUGGaRUXmFmeSKqreGA8Y9wKyOY00DH1qAFGgHzW7iWVpTVhY6IGLf0cFH4x-fBQBC6ltF9BsnVI/w253-h400/super_mario_bros_the_movie_ver10.jpg" width="253" /></a></div><b style="font-family: arial;">14. <i>The Super Mario Bros. Movie</i></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Nintendo and Illumination played it way too safe, especially with the totally unnecessary pop music needle drops. But I still had a Bullet Bill blast with all of the video game inspired hijinks and blatant fan service. Now can we please stop trying to make "Peaches" a thing?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimLjbPTH63H5ifnia-ot_28sjMJFdjUjMFPNV6RF3HeLRXpsaBeU8YCKu7VKYmoazAzEWPzl5wLErsehnYuRWbd_JgwprGaYuyxI5IvIZoY6zSpg1-39BP_3mMcVTr2fZLmcNOccsJQVaynGzQZbCaJqYpi4lGa1Na09Dt96CPhDj3HboMvz125-Tho4w/s755/knock_at_the_cabin_ver3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="477" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimLjbPTH63H5ifnia-ot_28sjMJFdjUjMFPNV6RF3HeLRXpsaBeU8YCKu7VKYmoazAzEWPzl5wLErsehnYuRWbd_JgwprGaYuyxI5IvIZoY6zSpg1-39BP_3mMcVTr2fZLmcNOccsJQVaynGzQZbCaJqYpi4lGa1Na09Dt96CPhDj3HboMvz125-Tho4w/w253-h400/knock_at_the_cabin_ver3.jpg" width="253" /></a></div><b style="font-family: arial;">15. <i>Knock At The Cabin</i></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Heavily hyped but quickly forgotten, M. Night Shyamalan delivered another effective <i>Twilight Zone</i>-like tale, carried heavily by a great turn from Dave Bautista.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQDiHKAKrReAdzWEvlNsZvQduWuCiQNoZR-t6ReGfCupnexbwL6TzU0yyLTcf_GrnmCfca_CotgByiXlv38T0bllylwzqEL1qnVZN-cIYUwi9R1xzfSRsNj7EmiBlYBlUiDvF40_5XZdIwZ-ZiCWqSW-7Q9wdS_3I7Q-1A9JaYaqgiuJLQBSLpVrB8Sps/s800/Sword_Art_Online_Progressive_2_JP2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="566" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQDiHKAKrReAdzWEvlNsZvQduWuCiQNoZR-t6ReGfCupnexbwL6TzU0yyLTcf_GrnmCfca_CotgByiXlv38T0bllylwzqEL1qnVZN-cIYUwi9R1xzfSRsNj7EmiBlYBlUiDvF40_5XZdIwZ-ZiCWqSW-7Q9wdS_3I7Q-1A9JaYaqgiuJLQBSLpVrB8Sps/w283-h400/Sword_Art_Online_Progressive_2_JP2.jpg" width="283" /></a></div><b style="font-family: arial;">16. <i>Sword Art Online The Movie -Progressive- Scherzo of Deep Night</i></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Still haven't watched the actual television series but I enjoyed this little adventure with Asuna and Kirito, even though it's a glorified television arc than an actual movie sequel.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpNUx8y7bXO-0_myceHzohn10Nfm6UAsL95pP_GMjjswe7Of6fSB8695lBtmgJk9b58X3HBaGHUE2p5_eK-MNMHzqrNtSr3mS3XPkej3vZiN3Vtg7TdxsOvvjHOwRrNfkBCSlQwdgWb4__5ePktsG4aaFI4UtlN6o_H0aNcGMiiafLwKX3xk9_rfiHuiY/s1414/Shin_Ultraman_JP.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1414" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpNUx8y7bXO-0_myceHzohn10Nfm6UAsL95pP_GMjjswe7Of6fSB8695lBtmgJk9b58X3HBaGHUE2p5_eK-MNMHzqrNtSr3mS3XPkej3vZiN3Vtg7TdxsOvvjHOwRrNfkBCSlQwdgWb4__5ePktsG4aaFI4UtlN6o_H0aNcGMiiafLwKX3xk9_rfiHuiY/w283-h400/Shin_Ultraman_JP.jpg" width="283" /></a></div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">17. </span><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Shin Ultraman</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I remembered that I liked it but nothing really stayed with me save for a memorable supporting performance by Koji Yamamoto as a wily alien in disguise and Shinji Higuchi and Hideaki Anno's desperation to copy all of the direction and ideas they had for <i>Shin Godzilla</i>.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbjU78yHVFpwnigRsB2Jq2yECvCCoNn8unkHNW_9-S0wNSDSIawZz3eemVy3sJH9BMi90lTDFDFAfvqQad8W4nOlhv5NJMkbtPwfggJY0ldgawJoka3c0mAUuP249pwDG2m57yJMNgEFSnkuHBP9aCkOPaiUeUkncuSotEunihgEkqErjDJu-3bUX7KWs/s755/cocaine_bear.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="516" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbjU78yHVFpwnigRsB2Jq2yECvCCoNn8unkHNW_9-S0wNSDSIawZz3eemVy3sJH9BMi90lTDFDFAfvqQad8W4nOlhv5NJMkbtPwfggJY0ldgawJoka3c0mAUuP249pwDG2m57yJMNgEFSnkuHBP9aCkOPaiUeUkncuSotEunihgEkqErjDJu-3bUX7KWs/w274-h400/cocaine_bear.jpg" width="274" /></a></div><b style="font-family: arial;">18. <i>Cocaine Bear</i></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">A lot of laughs and gory fun was had with this one. Too bad it kinda fades away quickly save for it being one of Ray Liotta's last performances.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTSbPs5KDNMc1sgOKHeaQfg2bgqOv92Prw5_jDEBXl1ILj5EDrndVi_iw-t9xLfpmI0pWzn2zpFu8NX6xeiUM8XhTVCG5a9VXqNCPMiKsOzjKci5FbybJS9JmGUBoNba28uwW-tT7kGJtw4fmz9fAXT6kS_zHhuDok4XDGqNkdNzqQGdzxh3YHo8s9w0o/s755/creed_iii_ver4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="510" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTSbPs5KDNMc1sgOKHeaQfg2bgqOv92Prw5_jDEBXl1ILj5EDrndVi_iw-t9xLfpmI0pWzn2zpFu8NX6xeiUM8XhTVCG5a9VXqNCPMiKsOzjKci5FbybJS9JmGUBoNba28uwW-tT7kGJtw4fmz9fAXT6kS_zHhuDok4XDGqNkdNzqQGdzxh3YHo8s9w0o/w270-h400/creed_iii_ver4.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><b style="font-family: arial;">19. <i>Creed III</i></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I admired what Michael B. Jordan brought to the table as an actor and first time director, and Jonathan Majors was a tremendous menace. Unfortunately, the low stakes in the story, awkward green screening, and the total lack of Rocky Balboa caused t</span><span style="font-family: arial;">his spinoff franchise to lose </span><span style="font-family: arial;">some of its luster.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Next are the unfortunate disappointments, the ones that had a few shining moments but were overwhelmed with poor creative decisions and flat entertainment.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikfRUpWCzs7YE1BzF88_c3MgBnxlLUHTtGegJgw65pE9sEODIBJzh5WL4lNVQvRiVS4-0e3kDhPQWjz7bx1aW5juejC_0GztgJFoh1cTS14Ue24fZmFEhsyiULzjDWsKEkb2IZVvrEiJI2R-aPrbxSOiM17LKnOjfcZ8-7MWEqOXuyWck-ShGE8XOHSQg/s755/ruby_gillman_teenage_kraken.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="477" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikfRUpWCzs7YE1BzF88_c3MgBnxlLUHTtGegJgw65pE9sEODIBJzh5WL4lNVQvRiVS4-0e3kDhPQWjz7bx1aW5juejC_0GztgJFoh1cTS14Ue24fZmFEhsyiULzjDWsKEkb2IZVvrEiJI2R-aPrbxSOiM17LKnOjfcZ8-7MWEqOXuyWck-ShGE8XOHSQg/w253-h400/ruby_gillman_teenage_kraken.jpg" width="253" /></a></div><b style="font-family: arial;">20. <i>Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken</i></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">My heart really goes out to this one, as I really was enamored with the animation and the family drama. But it just didn't know what it actually wanted to be, suffered greatly by false advertising, and gave way too much time and attention to Will Forte's annoying sea captain.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizuItoEllLN4P95hxCEElIGfKDhKOISTgnbwJATux1p4JH6vBqcu2qNMLnttC2NvvQ2Sh7sY_j4LqRKSQSD6WSkj3FdbcqeEJCoA_lc-ySWIPcrebtUHnmon3cXY-32zbU3WJdoRbb8bv7bGc1CrWRTio1BDuQN8aTWYj_csoojj9wU2OBkYpS3Z5145Q/s755/asteroid_city_ver2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="510" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizuItoEllLN4P95hxCEElIGfKDhKOISTgnbwJATux1p4JH6vBqcu2qNMLnttC2NvvQ2Sh7sY_j4LqRKSQSD6WSkj3FdbcqeEJCoA_lc-ySWIPcrebtUHnmon3cXY-32zbU3WJdoRbb8bv7bGc1CrWRTio1BDuQN8aTWYj_csoojj9wU2OBkYpS3Z5145Q/w270-h400/asteroid_city_ver2.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><b style="font-family: arial;">21. <i>Asteroid City</i></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Some great performances, including a memorable cameo from Margot Robbie, but Wes Anderson's antics and ideas are now becoming very tiresome. Another big foldout picture just to say gee, the 1950's and New York theater sure were interesting, huh? That's it?!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5XZh6041AgJaHZt7FQTc6_DD65sEZep90k0V2JR4wyhw9JpxcOVKsH1-qy8JTBWri6wlfeGhHoK8CG5reVPczmhska-08q5Ouw9H2f02VqD8b-EGDwZBYbnUbRy4RoO0YLpbpHCehkuhXZyrwqL2jymSvXKGsxIjBLo3C46hvXu2jN433NmexU_4xprE/s755/infinity_pool_ver2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="510" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5XZh6041AgJaHZt7FQTc6_DD65sEZep90k0V2JR4wyhw9JpxcOVKsH1-qy8JTBWri6wlfeGhHoK8CG5reVPczmhska-08q5Ouw9H2f02VqD8b-EGDwZBYbnUbRy4RoO0YLpbpHCehkuhXZyrwqL2jymSvXKGsxIjBLo3C46hvXu2jN433NmexU_4xprE/w270-h400/infinity_pool_ver2.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><b style="font-family: arial;">22. <i>Infinity Pool</i></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">My Best Actor and Actress from last year shine again in this disturbing art indie but you can only handle so much repetitive ugly behavior from ugly rich tourists.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6gz-fD6C3xHTpOx152fuBIAKIB_z5N3rqk5axRK1WDlSe_sz4g7yzerPEOHcg0hieHbynHsEKwVCfMlBaZ53XUNKVxStCbAizSlOyXm9PicJdyaNl7QzHZqPbHPS8xq2ezwG6iuVpfzFoJzw7dAPvHkhLCBhSwfmuGObli0D30TVTAAp9TIAYLAQd53k/s755/indiana_jones_and_the_dial_of_destiny_ver2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="491" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6gz-fD6C3xHTpOx152fuBIAKIB_z5N3rqk5axRK1WDlSe_sz4g7yzerPEOHcg0hieHbynHsEKwVCfMlBaZ53XUNKVxStCbAizSlOyXm9PicJdyaNl7QzHZqPbHPS8xq2ezwG6iuVpfzFoJzw7dAPvHkhLCBhSwfmuGObli0D30TVTAAp9TIAYLAQd53k/w260-h400/indiana_jones_and_the_dial_of_destiny_ver2.jpg" width="260" /></a></div><b style="font-family: arial;">23. <i>Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny</i></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Poor Indy. The dark and depressing bits greatly outweigh the well directed action hijinks and it amazes me that the makers thought audiences would like or at least be interested in Phoebe Waller-Bridge's character. Sad to say it but this property is just too stale and unappealing for modern viewers. Need proof? Save for one small kid, who was clearly dragged by her parents, I was the youngest person by two decades in my half-filled movie screening.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEignE6MXJBwNEBZzXgw5HZ-IBo8dy_WWznO7nCcSXVePFDdNQnBSTvFa0338GE8D1_IekH7FRFEG758qDmYESAoBIeMBrLIJlesGhHbNSbHvTO5K2kwbCoguyPnD0qcJ5LsOXp_yzD8NMN_dorWlO_8GnE39hlE4L_k1Rv3q6MjkBV9D1f_ssHTirGice0/s755/demon_slayer_kimetsu_no_yaiba__to_the_swordsmith_village.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="518" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEignE6MXJBwNEBZzXgw5HZ-IBo8dy_WWznO7nCcSXVePFDdNQnBSTvFa0338GE8D1_IekH7FRFEG758qDmYESAoBIeMBrLIJlesGhHbNSbHvTO5K2kwbCoguyPnD0qcJ5LsOXp_yzD8NMN_dorWlO_8GnE39hlE4L_k1Rv3q6MjkBV9D1f_ssHTirGice0/w275-h400/demon_slayer_kimetsu_no_yaiba__to_the_swordsmith_village.jpg" width="275" /></a></div><b style="font-family: arial;">24. <i>Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba -To The Swordsmith Village-</i></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Great to see the amazing animation produced by Ufotable on a big screen but calling this a movie is really, really stretching it.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1WJ6XdS9zfbT_pTdpzjRYnNPAItasam5AhqX3SwYHMaE06U1hgE26696QQuwhAEfcGbIwNrBKrwgi_azoFlvd0WrkZe1VRvrKhnA7JTbQ4jS7H6y8ZtEqj4i8hhvZEpVQGv8qrf9IQPoJx4uMzjf4BxoAPxjTrPKTTfNhkqG75fWz8PD7yN_DaU4eU6E/s755/TTIGRAAS_The_Movie_Scarlet_Bond2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="503" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1WJ6XdS9zfbT_pTdpzjRYnNPAItasam5AhqX3SwYHMaE06U1hgE26696QQuwhAEfcGbIwNrBKrwgi_azoFlvd0WrkZe1VRvrKhnA7JTbQ4jS7H6y8ZtEqj4i8hhvZEpVQGv8qrf9IQPoJx4uMzjf4BxoAPxjTrPKTTfNhkqG75fWz8PD7yN_DaU4eU6E/w266-h400/TTIGRAAS_The_Movie_Scarlet_Bond2.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><b style="font-family: arial;">25. <i>That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime The Movie: Scarlet Bond</i></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">People who always complain about Superman being too overpowered should sit through this. You'll be begging for the red cape and undies. I literally can't believe that the heroes easily solved everything even before the midpoint of the picture and then proceed to leave just so that the dull villains can come up with a new plan and the film could end with several boring one-sided fights.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">And finally, we end with the six worst films of 2023.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkGjrh7PjZKnYY40Xfi0kU_T4ioQpEZ3Ar-FilJ_rzSCyn5_ab7Md7U79dZAwmNgDo2osBI9wvF4UpP1CeEzECsJtfSdiw69H_4bssZqQQyJpHcnrWhKa3DxumRMaJwCdQfW-Q0DI90XcyhWkEf_3dwmeswFeHd0jGOfDTGxR83gUSARAKScqKcJw6B6k/s755/trolls_band_together.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="477" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkGjrh7PjZKnYY40Xfi0kU_T4ioQpEZ3Ar-FilJ_rzSCyn5_ab7Md7U79dZAwmNgDo2osBI9wvF4UpP1CeEzECsJtfSdiw69H_4bssZqQQyJpHcnrWhKa3DxumRMaJwCdQfW-Q0DI90XcyhWkEf_3dwmeswFeHd0jGOfDTGxR83gUSARAKScqKcJw6B6k/w253-h400/trolls_band_together.jpg" width="253" /></a></div><b style="font-family: arial;">26. <i>Trolls Band Together</i></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">In one ear and out the other. Charm can only get you so far. I saw this in a packed theater full of kids and families and they were shockingly dead quiet throughout it.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiieNpaflg6BF8G-PYP7yF6NZ4DEMcUniOpaLXWOGcZEaEi2aJvKo7LUyFfjpEWA1_sO_NltTd61cEYyAgH1sGQLbt0VfJnOsq9smW5Lx6R4EUBSMx4MpgzD4jjznrHaxTB6RikQSUmYflakBDQ1_qpPt1GswKYNNNshPusTooIm67KMnwI8fif4Hk1BZw/s755/knights_of_the_zodiac_ver2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="604" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiieNpaflg6BF8G-PYP7yF6NZ4DEMcUniOpaLXWOGcZEaEi2aJvKo7LUyFfjpEWA1_sO_NltTd61cEYyAgH1sGQLbt0VfJnOsq9smW5Lx6R4EUBSMx4MpgzD4jjznrHaxTB6RikQSUmYflakBDQ1_qpPt1GswKYNNNshPusTooIm67KMnwI8fif4Hk1BZw/w320-h400/knights_of_the_zodiac_ver2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b style="font-family: arial;">27. <i>Knights Of The Zodiac</i></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Reminds me of the good old days of 90's bad video game adaptations, complete with slumming actors and laughable costumes. At least the action choreography is better and we get to see something no one thought would happen: an ultra buff Nick Stahl. Oh, and despite the title, there are only just two knights; one is good, the other is evil, and neither of them are Shiryu or Hyoga.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWu8i7XNd5Te9SdrvYZM2mi-KRtB-rQ69VHy8nU-l1BJF4Oa82WC41xGZWrJelhuEjEhQ4IK_JNDwhqMhwoZY5t4_Xt7oKEb6Q0oOUoK9NJeqP73_R4mzXjziiBtX2nrN_zk5n9a2xM63IM8mkiW5dQNQAUJuj_n1HrDiawvZHmFbo1IGxed7bspQ7ZUc/s755/flash_ver6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="509" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWu8i7XNd5Te9SdrvYZM2mi-KRtB-rQ69VHy8nU-l1BJF4Oa82WC41xGZWrJelhuEjEhQ4IK_JNDwhqMhwoZY5t4_Xt7oKEb6Q0oOUoK9NJeqP73_R4mzXjziiBtX2nrN_zk5n9a2xM63IM8mkiW5dQNQAUJuj_n1HrDiawvZHmFbo1IGxed7bspQ7ZUc/w270-h400/flash_ver6.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><b style="font-family: arial;">28. <i>The Flash</i></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I don't think it is as truly awful as other people think or say but it is still such a fascinating mess. Somebody seriously looked at the "time bubble" scenes and said yep, this is good.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRTILIPMFUVScJJg5I2o1VPGymxhwF7jBVqIdTrlhdIkpN-6ANXwBHM9buvAM5AJhLk28v2RrmYkEscZHXD1GJf81X541R1UKa5_ewsyW7ZaXAv3oWPwGybLMS7cNkKLQuq_VEyIfKhSXihvvSgTcAS8IHF_9YK3fM6B75PvNpENWELq8R4YzG6k_Rv0c/s755/my_big_fat_greek_wedding_three.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="510" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRTILIPMFUVScJJg5I2o1VPGymxhwF7jBVqIdTrlhdIkpN-6ANXwBHM9buvAM5AJhLk28v2RrmYkEscZHXD1GJf81X541R1UKa5_ewsyW7ZaXAv3oWPwGybLMS7cNkKLQuq_VEyIfKhSXihvvSgTcAS8IHF_9YK3fM6B75PvNpENWELq8R4YzG6k_Rv0c/w270-h400/my_big_fat_greek_wedding_three.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><b style="font-family: arial;">29. <i>My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3</i></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Very surprised to see this so low but quite frankly, it just isn't as funny or pleasing as the previous two. Nia Vardalos should not be in the director's chair. And to quote one of my favorite quotes from <i>MST3K</i>, just because you can edit doesn't mean you should. This film made me more fond of <i>My Life In Ruins</i>.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkCavNZrfeAQnQtOl_FdB1eUEi-n7bDZ_BAzFfjkS0ajq40_Q4pE_MT4mh_O6ShZiq2TDLGkn1C4RJTeWM_vZQjB0NBT6cXOyEaJdPTdrHloa1r3KR-2ZjqMFGnAH4cDf9dLx56nt63_0kI0OdSbzfJebVIylBDs6Lux8Zoz1ns_YX5hty9LL1f0Tz3Oo/s755/meg_two_the_trench.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="510" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkCavNZrfeAQnQtOl_FdB1eUEi-n7bDZ_BAzFfjkS0ajq40_Q4pE_MT4mh_O6ShZiq2TDLGkn1C4RJTeWM_vZQjB0NBT6cXOyEaJdPTdrHloa1r3KR-2ZjqMFGnAH4cDf9dLx56nt63_0kI0OdSbzfJebVIylBDs6Lux8Zoz1ns_YX5hty9LL1f0Tz3Oo/w270-h400/meg_two_the_trench.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><b style="font-family: arial;">30. <i>Meg 2: The Trench</i></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">You have to witness a lot of unbearably underlit "underwater" fracas and completely obvious lip service to China before you get to enjoy some dumb action fun towards the end, albeit near virtually bloodless.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii0cEUIUpkgrtqfbSFmn-wOv0tD6RSXuszAS5XpX8P9M8XwzEWxXMAfeQdPbywml7cQNLEF3NtsgXV1OWJOv4P41LImbsKNHR-WvLmXQ6gMT9GvBZ5f9ayDc-o98AfBi1a2xwbLyy6B9mxa_y3CdBpyUlM1uGs0ZCcQCRd8bC4zJN6nMReUiu4TBF9ajY/s800/Devil_Conspiracy2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="554" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii0cEUIUpkgrtqfbSFmn-wOv0tD6RSXuszAS5XpX8P9M8XwzEWxXMAfeQdPbywml7cQNLEF3NtsgXV1OWJOv4P41LImbsKNHR-WvLmXQ6gMT9GvBZ5f9ayDc-o98AfBi1a2xwbLyy6B9mxa_y3CdBpyUlM1uGs0ZCcQCRd8bC4zJN6nMReUiu4TBF9ajY/w278-h400/Devil_Conspiracy2.jpg" width="278" /></a></div><b style="font-family: arial;">31. <i>The Devil Conspiracy</i></b></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">This was my top pick for the absolute worst film of the year since last January. Never thought I would ever see a Christian torture porn horror movie in my life, complete with some Dan Brown tendencies, forced impregnation, </span><span style="font-family: arial;">a needle drop of INXS' "Devil Inside", </span><span style="font-family: arial;">a pregnant woman downing a bottle of bleach, and a Jesus Wins LOL ending.</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>A. Conroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10181413438503689145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4753219984473602151.post-32584892456423059422023-05-07T19:41:00.005-04:002023-05-09T18:16:45.541-04:002023 Eurovision Song Contest Predictions<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyTOT6fcI7M2aE8udsA34oO0aQRb01CRvE3HKmxEmSZCKT2e7eYDl1DvZ7LRnNrtOmuN44sirzQ8AIhyX2ixiyLYtCXkCE6OrUTHKrycMl2CWkvzydfX031iE6hDw5GldfPgNKvbxxlcrKE_-DYXQqC1HsiiXd76Ms5D_weNfH-JIyRotgyZi14XFo/s1000/Eurovision_2023_Logo.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="562" data-original-width="1000" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyTOT6fcI7M2aE8udsA34oO0aQRb01CRvE3HKmxEmSZCKT2e7eYDl1DvZ7LRnNrtOmuN44sirzQ8AIhyX2ixiyLYtCXkCE6OrUTHKrycMl2CWkvzydfX031iE6hDw5GldfPgNKvbxxlcrKE_-DYXQqC1HsiiXd76Ms5D_weNfH-JIyRotgyZi14XFo/w400-h225/Eurovision_2023_Logo.heic" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>Another year, another round of predictions for the Eurovision Song Contest.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I changed things up yet again and made everything more simplified. Now you can easily see my thoughts, feelings, and predictions on who will qualify in the semi-finals, who will not, and who will likely win the contest.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">To kick off these new changes, instead of usually placing them at the bottom of the article, here are my top ten favorite songs from this year's contest pre-rehearsals, in alphabetical order:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Austria</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Belgium</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Croatia</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Czechia</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Denmark</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Finland</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">France</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Georgia</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Lithuania</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Sweden</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><u>SEMI-FINAL 1 COUNTRIES THAT WILL QUALIFY TO THE GRAND FINAL</u></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Croatia</b> - Oh boy. My opinion of this has changed so many times. When I first watched Let 3's national final performance, I both rolled my eyes and was very intrigued. The song made my personal top ten thanks to its catchiness and originality but it is still a hard sell for the rest of Europe, especially the casual viewers. The Eurovision fandom think this will easily coast through with the televote but I still have reservations that it will be the next "Eat Your Salad" or worst, the next "Euro Neuro". Not helping matters is the recent decision for the band to end the performance in their undies. I still give it a pass to the grand final but I will not be shocked if it bombs and fails come Tuesday.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Czechia</b> - Still questioning why they switched from their striking and colorful costumes in the music video to a bunch of pink attire (it has to a budget thing) but I think the strength of the tune and what Vesna have performance-wise will allow the fka Czech Republic to snatch up a golden ticket.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Finland</b> - <b>POTENTIAL WINNER</b>. I love "Cha Cha Cha" and I love the national final performance. The song has become my most listened to track of the whole bunch this year. Though it has a high chance to win the contest, I expect it to instead realistically make the top five come Saturday. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Israel</b> - Man, color me shocked. I thought this would fail to qualify just based on the studio track but those rehearsal footage show that Noa Kirel is not here to muck about. Israel wants to show up "Slow-Mo" real bad and they got both guns locked and loaded.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Malta</b> - This very millennial tune will get toes a tapping but there is the question of whether it will have staying power by the end of the semi-final. I think it will but then turn around and be at the bottom come the grand final.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Moldova</b> - I like Pasha and the song but this may not qualify. Then again, we need some more ethnic bangers in this year's contest and there will be a flute-playing little person on stage.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Norway</b> - Another <b>POTENTIAL WINNER</b> but only if people want a new queen to reign, or rather a new "Queen of Kings". I really wanted Ulrikke to finally have her shot to perform on the Eurovision stage but Alessandra was a quality pick, is a bundle of joy and can really belt it out, especially with the whistle note.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Portugal</b> - Eurovision needs a happy, non-English bop to get the party started and have everybody clapping along. Portugal is right there to easily win over those hearts and minds.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Serbia</b> - I frankly barely tolerate this song, which sucks because I usually love Serbia. Could be a potential 11th place of the night but the handsome looks of the singer and the uniqueness of the song could bring it pass the finish line.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Sweden</b> - Not just a <b>POTENTIAL WINNER</b> but <b>MOST LIKELY TO WIN</b>. I mean come on, it's Loreen. The raw power and bombastic scope of "Tattoo". The epic stage design and the choreography with the "</span><span style="font-family: arial;">panini-press"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">. Everything is coming up spades for Sweden. They just had to run a piss-poor rendition of Melodifestivalen to get here.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><u>SEMI-FINAL 1 COUNTRIES THAT WILL BE ELIMINATED</u></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Azerbaijan</b> - This one was DOA upon the song's release. Even though the song is not bad if you want something cribbing the 90's sound, and the twins are quite photogenic, the whole thing feels like a total wash and is sure to do poorly with the televote.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Ireland</b> - Come on, Ireland! Get it together, will ya?! This generic as hell entry keeps massively losing steam with each bad decision by the band and the country's delegation. From the ill-thought music video to the lead singer's dreadful gold jumpsuit, they are expected to fail.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Latvia</b> - I like the band and the song, even though I was rooting for Markus Riva during the national final. Unfortunately, I feel like it will not make the top ten at all, largely due to its alternativeness. It could slip in however if the public ultimately rejects either Croatia or Serbia.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>The Netherlands</b> - If you listen to the studio track, this is a quality choice and should be an easy pick to qualify. But when you see and hear the two artists singing live, whether at the pre-parties or in the rehearsal footage, you will notice that there's no chemistry between the two and they can't really carry a tune. All that effort, including involving Duncan Laurence, and they blew it.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Switzerland</b> - Another potential stealer but I feel like the public has had enough of sad boy ballads. Not to mention that Switzerland did infamously bad with the televote last year, only getting into the grand final via a high score from the judges.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><b><u><span style="font-family: arial;">SEMI-FINAL 2 COUNTRIES THAT WILL QUALIFY</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">TO THE GRAND FINAL</span></u></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Armenia</b> - I'm giving this country the benefit of the doubt. "Future Lover" is an interesting tune and Armenia is pouring resources into the performance to snatch away people's attention. However, there is a part of me that thinks this is "Walking Out" all over again, sans several infamous pre-party performances.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Australia</b> - Going last in the semi-final will certainly help Australia but I do believe it will be middle of the pack on Saturday.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Austria</b> - This had so much steam coming into the contest and now there's a high chance of it ultimately failing on stage. Instead of getting some backup singers to help out with the highly catchy "Poe"'s and the operatic moments of "Who The Hell Is Edgar?", Teya and Salena seem to want to do everything on their own. They still have a likely chance to make it but everything could fall apart come Thursday.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Belgium</b> - Please, please, please let this not be another Ben Michael David. I'm always a sucker for a queer anthem if it's got the juice and Gustaph seems to have plenty at his disposal. I also just love his attitude and treatment of his backup singers.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Cyprus</b> - Talk about a glow up. Many a Eurovision fan were rolling their eyes and snarking at Cyprus this year, especially with their decision to get an Australian singer. And what did they do? They brought it in the staging department, at least from what we can see in the rehearsal footage. Fire, lights, and a lot of easy epicness, they really want Andrew Lambrou and "Break A Broken Heart" to stick with people.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Denmark</b> - This one is hanging by a thread right now. I really like the tune but many listeners and observers have made their issues about the artist's vocal effects and actual singing voice well known across the web. The rehearsal footage isn't helping matters but I think the bop will get some love with the televote. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Estonia</b> - I'll be honest, I don't really know exactly why I think this will make the top ten of semi-final 2. Maybe it's because Alika has a great voice and can certainly belt out "Bridges". Or maybe this is just a pleasant enough entry to get some votes, only to get stuck in the middle or place near the bottom of the scoreboard in the grand final.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Georgia</b> - Georgia is going big again but this time with a woman, where they have done better with. "Echo" is one of the songs this year that has sneaked up on a lot of people but I frankly was in awe of it upon first listen. Come on, European voters, please help break Georgia's non-qualifying streak!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Lithuania</b> - I adore this lovely song. Monika Linkyte already has a lot of love with Eurovision fans for her memorable participation in the 2015 contest and this solo attempt is sure to add to it. Not so keen on the orange dress she's expected to wear but she is sure to deliver on Tuesday and, yes, on Saturday.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Poland</b> - So much drama and controversy over a simple pop ditty. The song is very radio friendly, Blanka is beautiful and generates a lot of views, and everything looks great from the rehearsals. An easy pass. Now please, everybody, come down and relax.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><u>SEMI-FINAL 2 COUNTRIES THAT WILL BE ELIMINATED</u></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Albania</b> - This has a chance to qualify thanks to the sheer power and love of family. On the other hand, it doesn't really hold your attention very long.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Greece</b> - Let me add my opinion to the pile: Holy shit, he's only 16 years old and he has that voice?! This could work for the public but only if they get rid of his horrendous outfit. He looks like a teenage boy scout and it harshly takes away all of the energy of the song.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Iceland</b> - Diljá is great in interviews and as a human being but "Power" needs more energy put into it. Alas, it's just an adequate but standard pop number and the performance aspect leads a lot to be desired.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Romania</b> - Obnoxious. Didn't like it when it won the national final, has become worse now on the Eurovision stage thanks to a hideous outfit and god awful CG backgrounds.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>San Marino</b> - You lost everybody at "smell you like an animal." No chance at making it through and will likely end up towards the bottom of the entire contest.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Slovenia</b> - As with Latvia, I like the band and the song but I think the public will have their fill on rock this year. But as Maneskin said, rock n' roll never dies and this may sneak its way into the grand final.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><b><u><span style="font-family: arial;">COUNTRIES THAT AUTO QUALIFY</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">TO THE GRAND FINAL</span></u></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>France</b> - Some think this has a chance to win but I say top ten at best. La Zarra has "it" and the song is French pop perfection but there are competitors that are more hungry for the crown.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Germany</b> - The juries most likely will be less than kind to Lord of the Lost but I think they will get an okay amount from the televote to prevent Germany from placing dead last again.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Italy</b> - Marco Mengoni will always have a space in my heart for "L'essenziale" but I'm not a huge fan of "Due Vite". Plus, that horrendous silver shirt he plans to wear on stage will deduct so many votes from the public.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Spain</b> - Way too overhyped by the fandom, especially the large Spanish base. I like the audacity and artistic side of the tune but unless the performance is transformative and memorable, it will be forgotten by nearly everybody.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>The United Kingdom</b> - Hey look, the UK gave us a qualify followup after their stunning success last year. If everything goes right, the "host country" is sure to get another top ten placement and potentially have another crossover hit.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Ukraine</b> - This was my grower of the pack. Didn't click with me a lot when it won Vidbir but it swaggered its way into my ears since. Sure to get a lot of love with the public but not as historical as last year.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The semi-finals will take place on May 9 and May 11, both starting at 3 PM EST. The grand final will take place on May 13 at the exact same time. Americans can view all three events via Peacock if they have a paid subscription to the service. The events will once again all be hosted by Johnny Weir, who is sure to bring his great enthusiasm and flamboyance to the proceedings. I still miss hearing Graham Norton as a commentator, especially with this one taking place in Liverpool, but Weir has proven to be a great choice for American viewers.</span></div><div><br /></div>A. Conroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10181413438503689145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4753219984473602151.post-38342183503188891772023-04-30T23:53:01.300-04:002024-02-27T20:10:42.735-05:00365 Days, 365 Songs - April<div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">It's the last day of April and you know what that means. Time to reveal the next set of songs...</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">April is quite important to me because it is in fact my birth month. Due to this significance, I thought it was best to crack open a certain book titled "This Is Your Life" and pick out a collection of songs that really reflect my time on Earth and my own personal tastes.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">And the 30 songs of April 2023 are:</span></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzVK-mhUEjchkv-V8UdRRv1S1G3gP8g4ada2rKys7Z15IS36Jm7cx99nHMcmL6iQB7ZRnVGPe-er9QrAtAEDwQly6Dj2Uu5clZnrBEjy9o0WCgeiAuqMLwpKxfWWqH_DMYp4puSu1ssL1Kb1Qhh0gWF9mYxHwL4aTt9ONQxGztE2nF51qi9u9Ps-4yNhA/s900/Art_of_Noise_Peter_Gunn.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="900" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzVK-mhUEjchkv-V8UdRRv1S1G3gP8g4ada2rKys7Z15IS36Jm7cx99nHMcmL6iQB7ZRnVGPe-er9QrAtAEDwQly6Dj2Uu5clZnrBEjy9o0WCgeiAuqMLwpKxfWWqH_DMYp4puSu1ssL1Kb1Qhh0gWF9mYxHwL4aTt9ONQxGztE2nF51qi9u9Ps-4yNhA/w400-h303/Art_of_Noise_Peter_Gunn.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Art Of Noise feat. Duane Eddy - "Peter Gunn Theme"</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Billy Joel - "We Didn't Start The Fire"</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Bone Thugs-n-Harmony - "Tha Crossroads"</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Busta Rhymes - "Woo Hah!! Got You All In Check"</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Camp Lo - "Luchini - This Is It"</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibgzF8MmKUmVprrTmNeDc1Ff4-ivGZ1yuhKRUUQY1FgoXZ9o1sJ-DY8g7heMyh8hXSRPE_G5dyIj6Khr7BUV8OFH3c79U3k8StOcefttjhTq0uKWNEQJfOgm8CcCf23wjLlKceRan3ZNuTzEb6xxNcqbIIahDovL3tXnwqmv2VXRmXhiog-uFfUDm01gg/s900/Corey_Hart_Never_Surrender.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="681" data-original-width="900" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibgzF8MmKUmVprrTmNeDc1Ff4-ivGZ1yuhKRUUQY1FgoXZ9o1sJ-DY8g7heMyh8hXSRPE_G5dyIj6Khr7BUV8OFH3c79U3k8StOcefttjhTq0uKWNEQJfOgm8CcCf23wjLlKceRan3ZNuTzEb6xxNcqbIIahDovL3tXnwqmv2VXRmXhiog-uFfUDm01gg/w400-h303/Corey_Hart_Never_Surrender.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Carly Simon - "Itsy Bitsy Spider"</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>The Commodores - "Nightshift"</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Corey Hart - "Never Surrender"</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>The Disney Afternoon Studio Chorus - "Duck Tales Theme"</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Falco - "Rock Me Amadeus"</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt_qXtvPSxuv2t2fZZKCd2uoj0eROpP6P8ozNGGgFpr9bQcd3WbrhhfMEu2OHW_SrDCNy_aTWCJ2fYlQXUA8iqbu0ytFdiHU8lzR29SU-_FHnPiZsrchMVkh-N499kSrdAQRI0L-rJTNIYMydblNUkrD36uGKSBA-SFAAKPz9G7WzwULvwkygn8nfbIIQ/s900/Kriss_Kross_Jump.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="900" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt_qXtvPSxuv2t2fZZKCd2uoj0eROpP6P8ozNGGgFpr9bQcd3WbrhhfMEu2OHW_SrDCNy_aTWCJ2fYlQXUA8iqbu0ytFdiHU8lzR29SU-_FHnPiZsrchMVkh-N499kSrdAQRI0L-rJTNIYMydblNUkrD36uGKSBA-SFAAKPz9G7WzwULvwkygn8nfbIIQ/w400-h300/Kriss_Kross_Jump.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Force M.D.'s - "Tender Love"</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>George Michael and Elton John - "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me"</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Heart - "These Dreams"</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Kriss Kross - "Jump"</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>La Bouche - Sweet Dreams"</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXvJF7sbh6HxpY13a8EH8da7L8_1POXc9nJMJ5l8c42nqExFRb884K2hTaLF44ldNTqfI6xbuJnkzA6S9O7GCPWphAmGvLtwWkdjw5XNNKc7FSNvr5tcnO9IihyphenhyphenKP7phSEkMLlfhue9kedmKgTw4qA3YC7wMZvJ22sKnT_vTuGf8SCdo38GUwhaeFKNE8/s900/Marky_Mark_Good_Vibrations.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="684" data-original-width="900" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXvJF7sbh6HxpY13a8EH8da7L8_1POXc9nJMJ5l8c42nqExFRb884K2hTaLF44ldNTqfI6xbuJnkzA6S9O7GCPWphAmGvLtwWkdjw5XNNKc7FSNvr5tcnO9IihyphenhyphenKP7phSEkMLlfhue9kedmKgTw4qA3YC7wMZvJ22sKnT_vTuGf8SCdo38GUwhaeFKNE8/w400-h304/Marky_Mark_Good_Vibrations.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Level 42 - "Something About You"</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Limp Bizkit - "My Way"</b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Limp Bizkit - "Rollin' (Air Raid Vehicle)</span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Marky Mark & The Funky Bunch feat. Loleatta Holloway - "Good Vibrations"</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Meat Loaf - "I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That) [Single Edit]"</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi07TUu0gloe-GA0aYw4zXbkLqoCXvXj32jAgzQ6yor6Yq7uApd-pRWn6KLsQDLXkA3sI__SAmmBycl8mlwuq-5uN5kJKmS0Nv3-cteaw3ajQPf5TA_zt4AEQdnoAq0HkMeyBBl9RsFX4o8I5vpxgI37OOrfICouoDun1yN50uPzqd7jJfLxkwb4Sr5EUc/s900/Michael_Sembello_Automatic_Man.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="900" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi07TUu0gloe-GA0aYw4zXbkLqoCXvXj32jAgzQ6yor6Yq7uApd-pRWn6KLsQDLXkA3sI__SAmmBycl8mlwuq-5uN5kJKmS0Nv3-cteaw3ajQPf5TA_zt4AEQdnoAq0HkMeyBBl9RsFX4o8I5vpxgI37OOrfICouoDun1yN50uPzqd7jJfLxkwb4Sr5EUc/w400-h300/Michael_Sembello_Automatic_Man.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Michael Sembello - "Automatic Man"</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Mike + The Mechanics - "All I Need Is A Miracle"</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Naughty By Nature - "Feel Me Flow"</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>The Outfield - "Your Love"</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Pet Shop Boys - "Westend Girls"</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVhquih9cn6Oh2GLzhOsbdoBOcPQ0YHh3Iywzhm5SaQI5yh83KjOox8Yr18kfTqxLLO6KJS8ODLFESLirBt_z7LE8QoE9v_ogDnKHHX1EwbHP9YFjeCNqMvHfaUkD3BSGKWJy4MbKDPFiER-n1eHY3GGaC-zk47v5Eil8FTFAdA31ZP1ydA65qAvnK2kY/s900/Polaris_Hey_Sandy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="678" data-original-width="900" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVhquih9cn6Oh2GLzhOsbdoBOcPQ0YHh3Iywzhm5SaQI5yh83KjOox8Yr18kfTqxLLO6KJS8ODLFESLirBt_z7LE8QoE9v_ogDnKHHX1EwbHP9YFjeCNqMvHfaUkD3BSGKWJy4MbKDPFiER-n1eHY3GGaC-zk47v5Eil8FTFAdA31ZP1ydA65qAvnK2kY/w400-h301/Polaris_Hey_Sandy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Polaris - "Hey Sandy"</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Shanice - "I Love Your Smile"</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Stardust - "Music Sounds Better With You"</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Tevin Campbell - "I'm Ready"</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Ziggy Marley & The Melody Makers - "Give A Little Love"</b><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">As briefly seen on this site many years ago, I'm a big pro wrestling fan. Though I don't watch it religiously as I seemingly once did, I still follow the "sport"; I view some matches or old televised episodes via YouTube, Twitch or Peacock, I listen to radio shows or podcasts, and I attend the occasional house show or live televised event.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Wrestlemania</i>, the most important annual pro wrestling event for the WWE, took place on April 1st and 2nd this year. To help celebrate, and to help wash out the awfulness of Night 2's main event, I wanted to go through the history of <i>Wrestlemania</i> and get two songs that served as the official theme tune of the event. Sadly, Peter Gabriel's "Big Time" was dq'ed because I absolutely adore Gabriel's album <i>So</i>, I didn't bother to look for Saliva's "Ladies And Gentlemen", and I forgot yet again that Philip Bailey and Phil Collins' "Easy Lover" could have counted</span><span style="font-family: arial;">. Also, I don't think the mid-90s Wrestlemania theme, aka Linda McMahon's theme song, was available. Instead, I went to the WWE's Most Favorite Band (trademarked since 2003), Limp Bizkit.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I was a Limp Bizkit fan back in the late 90's/early 00's but never fully one largely due to my older brother's "ownership" of the band (bought all the CDs, dressed like Fred Durst, etc). Though I barely listen to them anymore, I still will praise the virtues of their song "My Way". You could make the case of it being the absolute masterpiece of nu metal, for better or worse. But what really makes it immortal was its usage as the theme for <i>Wrestlemania X7</i>, arguably the greatest Wrestlemania of all time, and serving as the culmination of the Stone Cold-The Rock feud and the end of the Attitude Era.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Unfortunately, I was unable to get the second theme song for a Wrestlemania supplied by Limp Bizkit, "Crack Addict", because it still hasn't been digitally released for purchase. This despite it also being the theme song to another phenomenal Wrestlemania, that being <i>Wrestlemania XIX</i>, as well being a far more enjoyable tune that practically everything on their then latest album <i>Results May Vary</i>. So instead, I got "Rollin'", the most famous song of theirs which was performed live at <i>Wrestlemania XIX</i> and served as the theme for The Undertaker for a spell.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">For the first full week of April, I wanted to explore the early years of my childhood and pick out the songs that mattered a whole lot when I was a wee lad.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Though my first favorite song was most likely something from a movie, probably "Ghostbusters" or something Disney, the song that always pops up for me is "</span><span style="font-family: arial;">Itsy Bitsy Spider" by Carly Simon. My mom loved Carly Simon, especially the album <i>Coming Around Again</i>. I vividly remember her owning the cassette version of the album and how she loved to play it in the car, often mainly so I could sing along to "Itsy Bitsy Spider". I also remember how I very slowly started to enjoy the title track of the album, which </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"Itsy Bitsy Spider" is a slight remix of, more and more as time when on. But my favorite memory is when my family went on vacation one time and we decided to do a picnic by a lake. The clouds were a bit dark and the wind was blowing more fierce and sure enough it began to rain. Guess what I wanted to listen to through the car stereo as we waited out the wet weather?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">My parents were relatively okay and fine with me listening to pop music as a little kid but they didn't share the same sentiment when it came to music videos. MTV was "banned" in my household and despite being more in-tune with their own love of adult contemporary, they plum forgot about or didn't have access to VH1. But every once in a while, I would sneak around via channel surfing and watch a full music video. And the one that really stuck with me was Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start The Fire". Still love the song despite what others say but oh boy, what a video to first see when you're young. Billy Joel all in black and mad as hell at those damn Cola Wars, the inclusion of disturbing pictures such as Nguyen Van Lem's execution, and that haunting ending. Very shocking for me at the time but my enjoyment of it and its mind-blowing nature helped prevent me from having any nightmares.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">So those were potentially my first favorite song and first music video. What about my first album? That's easy: <i>Time Has Come... The Best of Ziggy Marley & The Melody Makers</i>. I got this album solely for "Give A Little Love", a song that I loved in part because it was featured in <i>Men At Work</i>. Yes, the Charlie Sheen-Emilio Estevez film (plus Keith David!). Didn't care for any of the other songs on the album, I just wanted "Give A Little Love".</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I had to pay tribute to my adoration for animation as a kid so I went to what many still consider the greatest television block right next to NBC's Must See TV Thursday: The Disney Afternoon. Man, I loved watching that block through my elementary years and my brother and me just had a blast playing <i>The Disney Afternoon Songbook</i> album over and over again. I previously bought my favorite tune from the album, that being the theme to <i>Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers</i> sung by an uncredited The Jets, so I went to the second best Disney Afternoon theme song, "DuckTales". Oh yes, I went there. I also had to buy it because I remember having a great time seeing <i>DuckTales The Movie: Treasure Of The Lost Lamp</i> in theaters.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">"Good Vibrations" by Marky Mark & The Funky Bunch was the song that always got away from me as a kid. I really loved the high energy of it all, and that amazing sample/chorus by Loleatta Holloway, but I just never got around to getting it until illegally downloading it as a teen. I always associate the song to </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Starburst, </span><span style="font-family: arial;">a rollerskating rink that I went to many times as a kid and how whenever the DJ put the song on, I was immediately energized and ready to burst.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Ah, Kriss Kross and "Jump". That song was such a beast back in the day, especially if you were in elementary school. And yes, I did do the backwards pants thing once but never in public. One of my friends did it for a full day in school and immediately regretted it.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">To close out Child Week, I got yet another television theme song that is greatly associated with a famous television block. From the big orange couch of SNICK, I picked up "Hey Sandy" by polaris, the theme to the cult Nickelodeon series <i>The Adventures of Pete & Pete</i>. It took some time for me to really get into alternative music despite living through its heyday but I was so transfixed by this tune from day one of the show, especially with its dreamy guitars and nonsensical lyrics. I wish the TV edit version of "Hey Sandy" was also available for purchase because the full album version has some audio samples at the beginning that I frankly don't like and I always love how the TV edit version lingers on the final "Hey!".</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">For the second week of April, I chose to really celebrate my birthday by going back in time and looking at what was on the Billboard Hot 100 around that date. And woo boy, what a great collection of pop songs to pick and choose.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I had to first go with Mike + The Mechanics' "All I Need Is A Miracle". I really liked "The Living Years" growing up, even though I didn't actually know who sang it and just referred to it as "Say It Loud, Say It Clear", but this little bop has become my absolute favorite from the pop supergroup.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Level 42's "Something About You" is another one of those 80's songs I fell for after being exposed to it via VH1 Classic, 80's radio stations and 80's CD compilations. But whatever you do, don't buy the album version. It's fine but it has an unnecessary long intro (starting to see a pattern forming this month?).</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Not much to add about "These Dreams". It's a stone cold classic. I love Ann Wilson and all but I kinda like how Nancy Wilson was able to get a couple of hits for the group with herself on the lead vocals.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Ah, The Outfield. The band everyone thinks is an one-hit wonder despite them having several hit songs. I'm more of a big fan of some of their other songs, namely "Voices Of Babylon" and "My Paradise", but "Your Love" has lived forever in people's hearts. Practically hard not to enjoy.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I first heard </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Force M.D.'s "</span><span style="font-family: arial;">Tender Love" around the same time when Frankie J's "Don't Wanna Try" was a hit, which is really weird because the two sound so much alike. Also, getting this song made me realize that I really have to pull the trigger and finally watch <i>Krush Groove</i> one of these days.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">"West End Girls" is one of the absolute best songs from the 80's bar none. A fantastic song to lose yourself into and/or a perfect tune to listen to while driving at night.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">While "West End Girls" can be labeled as one of the the best songs from the 80's, "Rock Me Amadeus" can be labeled as one of the best songs to define the 80's. Falco is actually a pretty interesting artist and more than just a one-hit wonder, despite actually having a second hit here in the United States with "Vienna Calling". If you're ever interested, check out his song "Jeanny" and all of the history around it.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">After the birthday break, I chose to do another week of revisiting my youth, this time going through my tween years.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">If there ever was a movie made about my life, "I Love Your Smile", "I'm Ready", and "Feel Me Flow" would most certainly be playing in the background of scenes. That's because those three really did seem to play in the background all the time, whether in malls, stores, offices or parties. They really encapsulate the fleeting times where I was carefree but slowly starting to grow.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">After a couple years of constantly arguing with them, sneaking in some secret viewings and pushing the limit on what I could watch, my parents finally lifted the "ban" on MTV around late 1995-early 1996. Now set free, I ingested as much as I could, well except for <i>120 Minutes</i> which was too late to watch and I kinda thought it was pretentious. My taste in music rapidly started to change. I got way more into hip-hop and rap, with Busta Rhymes and Bone Thugs-n-Harmony being my true highlights thanks to their amazing music videos for </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"Woo Hah!! Got You All In Check" and "Tha Crossroads" respectively. I still couldn't buy their albums thanks to that pesky Parental Advisory sticker but I could at least settle for the singles on cassette or CD.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I also started to get more into electronic and dance music, with La Bouche being the biggest star of the latter genre at that moment thanks to "Be My Lover" and "Sweet Dreams". I thought about getting </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"Be My Lover", since I actually liked it a lot at the time and its music video used to play nonstop, but "Sweet Dreams" was a dark horse song for me at the time and it stuck like glue, eventually becoming one of my favorite 90's songs.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">There's no better way to cap my tween period than a song that has "</span><span style="font-family: arial;">This Is It" in the title. Man, I feel like I'm the only person in the world that loves </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Camp Lo's "Luchini - This Is It". The beat is so good and the lyrical flow is so fresh.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">So yeah, that's kinda where I leave my look back at my childhood. I really do mean it when I said I wanted to cap my tween years with C</span><span style="font-family: arial;">amp Lo's "Luchini". </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Not long after I got the </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"Luchini" single on cassette, my life turned upside down when my parents separated and later got divorce. I was still a kid but I suddenly no longer felt like one. And that was it.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I did think about doing a teen week to round out the month but I pretty much covered what my taste in music was during those years in my January article. Plus, if I had to do only songs released at that time, the song selection might look like something from a <i>NOW That What I Call Music!</i> CD. For example, Kylie Minogue, 311, and N.O.R.E. were in consideration.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Instead, I wanted the last week of April to cover some of my absolute favorites, including some songs that I would definitely put on my personal Top 100 of all time.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">One such song on my Top 100 would be "Peter Gunn" by The Art Of Noise feat. Duane Eddy. A great television theme song that is spruced up for the 80's by an eclectic electronic band yet still retains that amazing twang by Eddy's guitar. Further helping its case is its cinematic music video, which blends film noir, comedy and ballet well together and features Rik Mayall as a goofy gumshoe.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">"Pete Gunn" was the second single off of </span><span style="font-family: arial;">The Art Of Noise's <i>In Visible Silence</i>, an album that means quite a lot to me for two reasons. First, it's an album </span><span style="font-family: arial;">I've been waiting to get for many years now, as it remained unavailable for a long time. When I saw that it was finally available on iTunes this year via a Deluxe Edition, I was shocked and amazed. Alas, </span><span style="font-family: arial;">I will have to wait till 2024 to purchase the album fully (just a little longer "Legs" and "Paranoimia", I promise) and just settle for my favorite song for now. And secondly, </span><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>In Visible Silence</i> was originally released in April 1986.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Now for another favorite, this time from... Michael Sembello?! The guy who did "Maniac"?!! What could he possibly make that's so great, you say? Well that would be "Automatic Man"! This song, which technically charted at #34 on the Billboard chart and thus makes him a two-hit wonder, is such a delicious treat for anyone that loves 80's snythpop schlock. I like many was first introduced to it through the YouTuber Todd in the Shadows, who covered Michael Sembello in his video series <i>One Hit Wonderland</i>. And I'm so glad to be made aware of the tune and especially of its gloriously over-the-top music video. It has since become my most played track of all time on iTunes and it seems to follow me wherever I go, whether it is in music video collections or featured on Twitch streams, most notably FORGOTTEN_VCR.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I first came across Corey Hart's "Never Surrender" via a television commercial promoting <i>Cool Rock</i>, a compilation CD featuring a bunch of 80's and 90's songs that you never would call as cool or rock (Wilson Phillips' "Hold On"?). This commercial used to play so many times when I was a kid that I had it memorized and could sing along to the song clips ("Baby, come to me... / Joannnnnnna! / Ladddy in reddddddd..."). Most likely due to this lasting memory of paid advertising, I have surprisingly listened to "Never Surrender" far and away more than Corey Hart's other big hit throughout my life. I find it very fascinating that while the song is uplifting and tries to empower the listener, it's not as bombastic and/or pompous like other 80's power ballads. It keeps a hint of darkness to the proceedings, retaining the song's message of raising your voice during tough times.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Now, I fudged the rules with this next pick. For you see, I bought Meat Loaf's <i>Bat Out Of Hell II</i> album last year via iTunes, thus </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)" should be ineligible. But you see, the single edit version of the song wasn't on the original album way back when, nor on the digital album that I bought. Plus, the single edit version is much shorter and doesn't retain the album version's length at 12 minutes!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I just had to include "I'd Do Anything For Love..." here. A big chunk of myself wouldn't be here if not for that song. My dad absolutely loved Meat Loaf. One of his favorite cassettes was <i>Bat Out Of Hell</i>, which he would listen to while in his den or have on hand when driving his black sports car. Seeing how interested I was with the album, particularly with its audacious title and the incredible album artwork, he would play some of it for me. While I didn't particularly grabbed on to it immediately save for maybe "Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad", something about Meat Loaf and the musical production of Jim Steinman seemingly struck a chord. Fast forward to 1993, where Meat Loaf drops </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)" on to the world. The Earth shook when he did and I utterly adored it. I loved the single. I loved the music video. I loved that my dad got the album, on CD NO LESS! Thanks to my dad's fancy audio equipment, I was able to rip the song to one of my mixtapes, albeit having to settle with the original 12 minute version. And from that song, my tastes in art began to blossom.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I couldn't have Daft Punk be a part of this project but I was able to settle for Stardust, the offshoot project that Thomas Bangalter worked on, and their song "Music Sounds Better With You". I always remember the song as the tune that would often play in the background whenever a MTV VJ would have a brief spot to talk to the viewer or featured in the original television airings of <i>Daria</i>, one of my all time favorite shows. The song is great and all but man do I wish I was able to buy the single version. It's a lot more easier to listen and slightly less repetitive (oh the irony) than the original version.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Another song that suffered the same "too long" fate was </span><span style="font-family: arial;">The Commodores "</span><span style="font-family: arial;">Nightshift". I loved the song since first seeing its music video on VH1 Classic but the band's ode to their fallen brothers in music is a bit better 30 seconds shorter.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">And to close out the month, I went with "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me", specifically the George Michael and Elton John duet that was white hot in the early 90's. I love this version so much that I honestly can't really enjoy Elton John's original version or any other version for that matter. George Michael just kills it in the first half and then your goosebumps get goosebumps when he introduces Elton John and the crowd explodes. I don't know if I would place the song in my Top 10 but it would be very high on my Top 100.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>A. Conroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10181413438503689145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4753219984473602151.post-54535899323745456592023-03-31T23:40:01.398-04:002023-09-05T21:24:49.395-04:00365 Days, 365 Songs - March<div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">It's the last day of March and you know what that means. Time to reveal the next set of songs...</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The Oscars, one of my favorite annual events if not my top favorite, took place this month so what better way to help celebrate it than do a full month of movie songs! This was a fun one to do as soundtracks have always been my favorite "genre" of music. I also did some special mini-themes to be a bit more festive and challenging this month, though this decision would come to bite me in the end as I missed out on several big movie songs I wanted to get.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Oh, and Loreen won Melodifestivalen. Gee, what a shocker! It's not like all of the other songs weren't up to snuff and she was deliberately primed by the show's producers to be the top choice. Now watch and see as she wins this year's Eurovision and become a two-time champion. Seriously though, she has a very, very strong chance of doing just that!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">And the 31 songs of March 2023 are:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbaeZrD0MRmCOwIw0sXTbhTMJbwmqGpKBsYsPxYegjnG-k1x0RG2PSnUs-f28a7MlOR1SRO1kKBaqzng1lnFeRAX_kBeVoowmK45SiZr5d-YUQVTthR6ol83KNADCp1T4rNoZCglZMs_AgXCkFZ3YWZiXv4W6LrdmEmvvwCgEGTU3pbyXXazUnYm--rR8/s1000/AR_Rahman_Suzanne_Kash_n_Krissy_Naina_Miley.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="420" data-original-width="1000" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbaeZrD0MRmCOwIw0sXTbhTMJbwmqGpKBsYsPxYegjnG-k1x0RG2PSnUs-f28a7MlOR1SRO1kKBaqzng1lnFeRAX_kBeVoowmK45SiZr5d-YUQVTthR6ol83KNADCp1T4rNoZCglZMs_AgXCkFZ3YWZiXv4W6LrdmEmvvwCgEGTU3pbyXXazUnYm--rR8/w400-h168/AR_Rahman_Suzanne_Kash_n_Krissy_Naina_Miley.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>A.R. Rahman, Suzanne, and Kash n' Krissy - "Naina Miley"</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>The Bangles - "Hazy Shade Of Winter"</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Bobby Brown - "On Our Own"</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Bryan Adams - "Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman?"</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Bryan Adams, Sting and Rod Stewart - "All For Love"</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHn76Uo6dHlJ8hFZX56OEDBmJ7wUjwcG3vHvPdQIBrRFtig2-dlUZfSmLKnM2-nMYSbXMzSVhAzDLPcDeT9jbYT-MsWTlHNYMWzbM9uhf1azUHPZVgAWgVYW3DagIxx692YxWRCInTlJzUIkMpvTIQJrJQ5ZRndEUrqr1NnI6NVzfv12vOEZcYEtFcWwo/s1000/Corona_Rhythm_Of_The_Night.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHn76Uo6dHlJ8hFZX56OEDBmJ7wUjwcG3vHvPdQIBrRFtig2-dlUZfSmLKnM2-nMYSbXMzSVhAzDLPcDeT9jbYT-MsWTlHNYMWzbM9uhf1azUHPZVgAWgVYW3DagIxx692YxWRCInTlJzUIkMpvTIQJrJQ5ZRndEUrqr1NnI6NVzfv12vOEZcYEtFcWwo/w400-h240/Corona_Rhythm_Of_The_Night.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Cher and Peter Cetera - "After All"</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Corona - "The Rhythm Of The Night"</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Diana King - "Shy Guy"</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Diego Boneta - "Undercover Love"</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Dolby's Cube feat. Cherry Bomb - "Howard The Duck"</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp_PuPYxQWQfGCXbzmjY36TdaA6tpseltDA9S-aSImbVxarcok4nPt9pI68Qw_TTYrBtF91WTlWVkQkFRPUpOlAwryepOd9Qh7d31_wO9lyeNdQw-yYMbw1Sjz4g9eFIHVTotnpklmUyzGwJdUBbdaFsb0B5oBuIbELnsB7GS-KwoxftZvbodDWng9NZQ/s1000/Henry_Mancini_Moon_River.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="561" data-original-width="1000" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp_PuPYxQWQfGCXbzmjY36TdaA6tpseltDA9S-aSImbVxarcok4nPt9pI68Qw_TTYrBtF91WTlWVkQkFRPUpOlAwryepOd9Qh7d31_wO9lyeNdQw-yYMbw1Sjz4g9eFIHVTotnpklmUyzGwJdUBbdaFsb0B5oBuIbELnsB7GS-KwoxftZvbodDWng9NZQ/w400-h225/Henry_Mancini_Moon_River.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Henry Mancini - "Moon River"</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Hugh Grant - "Pop! Goes My Heart"</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Jon Bon Jovi - "Blaze Of Glory"</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>MC Hammer - "Addams Groove"</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Mental As Anything - "Live It Up"</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx21YMMn7dgUs6-yR3UGRSRoWB9Ft1Frd4wSYiKk1tx-dCXsb3_A2mqOJq7Jn1G9dDNWDTDPqIX8Z4tiFRTgkleLiFE21_E7f49YMhjRIih1FGzcCI51Ie4c8ImdNSN2KuKn2uWZLwsZDDhjMvuSVOgcNrXjm9ueKoktS6SiGxnYlb8I68MSnWoLAJTUw/s1000/Nitin_Raikwar_Nisha_Simmie_Excuse_Me.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="434" data-original-width="1000" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx21YMMn7dgUs6-yR3UGRSRoWB9Ft1Frd4wSYiKk1tx-dCXsb3_A2mqOJq7Jn1G9dDNWDTDPqIX8Z4tiFRTgkleLiFE21_E7f49YMhjRIih1FGzcCI51Ie4c8ImdNSN2KuKn2uWZLwsZDDhjMvuSVOgcNrXjm9ueKoktS6SiGxnYlb8I68MSnWoLAJTUw/w400-h174/Nitin_Raikwar_Nisha_Simmie_Excuse_Me.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Nitin Raikwar, Nisha and Simmie - "Excuse Me"</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>NSYNC and Gloria Estefan - "Music Of My Heart"</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Oliver Onions - "Yor's World"</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Olivia Newton-John - "Twist Of Fate"</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Partners In Kryme - "Turtle Power"</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi8yIx6sH9MNR-nKQ60po2_MEc07nIAidV1_LWIfzWnELlh72iGIbBMibai3loEjd1KNVm-KFzN-xRca9a6z70EHnbdSfUnUlt8ofsiZHVcJJJyrPbWWzLjdUDKGlZfUgR7eqtUaM-mbeKP_-KTbmzKPwZXhNpC38-mzqHcwNEjv6vs1HBRwj8h5VnQyU/s1000/Public_Enemy_Fight_The_Power.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="1000" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi8yIx6sH9MNR-nKQ60po2_MEc07nIAidV1_LWIfzWnELlh72iGIbBMibai3loEjd1KNVm-KFzN-xRca9a6z70EHnbdSfUnUlt8ofsiZHVcJJJyrPbWWzLjdUDKGlZfUgR7eqtUaM-mbeKP_-KTbmzKPwZXhNpC38-mzqHcwNEjv6vs1HBRwj8h5VnQyU/w400-h216/Public_Enemy_Fight_The_Power.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Pia Zadora - "It's Wrong For Me To Love You"</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Public Enemy - "Fight The Power (Soundtrack Version)"</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Ray Parker Jr. - "Ghostbusters"</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Roxette - "It Must Have Been Love"</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Starship - "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now"</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwZUAosZ62_VfEt2dlEY8oHiMgIw0vDlp_dTg8ar8qsLa6TL7JDZeYGKH8I-QKTkapFqwzmB3P7mMGLmc_tuQGQM8LWKVerqEOBK4e__GhRkA-At0j7eqoxSHO-Vh7-rtpcFYU3b2ebzktZQ0aI64uDA2A1GXkAkZAbaMa9-qOr5QvdKy-IzKf6PHAfpA/s1000/Time_Jungle_Love.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwZUAosZ62_VfEt2dlEY8oHiMgIw0vDlp_dTg8ar8qsLa6TL7JDZeYGKH8I-QKTkapFqwzmB3P7mMGLmc_tuQGQM8LWKVerqEOBK4e__GhRkA-At0j7eqoxSHO-Vh7-rtpcFYU3b2ebzktZQ0aI64uDA2A1GXkAkZAbaMa9-qOr5QvdKy-IzKf6PHAfpA/w400-h225/Time_Jungle_Love.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Steven McClintock - "Edge Of A Dream"</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>The Time - "The Bird"</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>The Time - "Jungle Love"</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Vanilla Ice - "Ninja Rap<br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Village People - "Can't Stop The Music"</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>The Wonders - "That Thing You Do!"</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Out of all of the movie songs available for purchase, what do you think I kicked off the month with? Who would you call up first? "Ghostbusters"!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I just had to start with "Ghostbusters", a beloved movie anthem that I surprisingly didn't already own. I literally grew up with this song, whether it was from the many rewatches of the movie via a "taped off from HBO" VHS to hearing it all the time whenever <i>The Real Ghostbusters</i> aired on television. Quite shockingly, it has never gotten old with me at any time.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The second reason I had to start off the month with "Ghostbusters" is because I didn't want to go out of order chronologically. For you see, the song I really wanted to start with and a song I have really put off from buying was "On Our Own" by Bobby Brown, aka the theme song of <i>Ghostbusters II</i>.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I watched <i>Ghostbusters II</i> nearly as much as the first one but strangely "On Our Own" never caught on with me as a kid. I always watched the ending credits where the song plays but I just never got hooked on it or remembered it all. It was probably buried within my subconscious, waiting for the time to explode, as it really wasn't until I started dipping my toes as a teen into new jack swing when the song started to stick. Bobby Brown has his issues but the stuff he was putting out in the late 80s always enthralls me, including this song. Also, dig that unique music video with its selective green screening of NYC locations and numerous celebrity cameos.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I don't care what anyone says, I fucking love <i>Purple Rain</i>. When I rented that movie at my local video store (Video World RIP), I literally watched it three times in a row. I was so blown away after the first viewing that I just had to stay up all night and watch it again and again. Once I finally had my fill, I broke the cycle by watching an episode of <i>Gumby</i>, which was airing in the wee morning hours </span><span style="font-family: arial;">every Saturday </span><span style="font-family: arial;">on Nickelodeon</span><span style="font-family: arial;">.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I purchased the <i>Purple Rain</i> soundtrack not long after that glorious weekend only to be gravely dismayed when looking over the tracks: It was just the songs performed by Prince & The Revolution! The Time were completely snubbed! No Morris Day! No "Jungle Love"! No "The Bird"! I was now fully hooked on Prince but I really wanted the two songs that greatly pick up the party side of the movie. I refused to purchase The Time's Ice Cream Castle at the time (heh) which had the songs so I settled by being a bad boy and getting them through Kazaa. I should be at ease now that I have the two songs and am able to create my own <i>Purple Rain</i> playlist but the third major soundtrack snub, Apollonia 6's "Sex Shooter", is still not available for purchase, not even after Prince's death.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">There are many songs that just scream the 90's; one of those is Diana King's "Shy Guy". I used to hear that song on the radio all the time and just adored it as a kid, even though I never knew who actually sang it. Then I later find out that it became popular mainly because it was included on the soundtrack to <i>Bad Boys</i>. People really kinda forget just how big <i>Bad Boys</i> was when it first came out. Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, the two biggest young black male stars of television, doing a bombastic R-rated buddy cop flick directed by some hot shot music video director named Michael Bay. It literally oozed cool and was a pop culture moment, hence why the series refuses to die.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">To help countdown to the Oscars, from August 6th to the 12th (the night of the event), I decided to get seven of my favorite movie songs that were Oscar nominated for Best Original Song. And the first one up was... Bryan Adams' "Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman?" Are you kidding me? Yeah, the song is a bit of weird and gets made fun of a lot nowadays but as I've said again and again here, I grew up with it and still love it to this day. I haven't seen <i>Don Juan DeMarco</i> save for catching its ending one night on HBO but I'm not exactly currently in the mood to watch a Johnny Depp movie.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"> "Blaze Of Glory" pretty much had the exact same journey as "On Our Own". I have more cherished memories of the movie it came from than the actual song. I vividly remember going to a beloved local movie theater, the "last chance" mini-plex that was Cine 10, to go see <i>Young Guns II</i>. I don't recall if I watched all of it there or if I had one of my infamous naps that plagued me as a kid when I went to "special events". All I can remember was I watched up to a sequence involving a nighttime shootout. Anyway, I didn't really fall in love with the song until much later when I was very interested in exploring all of Billboard's #1 hits while also rewatching the movie whenever it aired on HBO.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">One of these days, I will finally sit down and watch Tom Hanks' directorial debut <i>That Thing You Do!</i> But until that day happens, I will continue to listen to the title track, which translated very well to the radio in 1996 and has since out-lived the film. You know your movie about a fake one-hit wonder band is a total success when the band's one hit song literally becomes a hit song in the real world.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">"After All" was another childhood favorite (seeing a pattern here?). It was one of those songs that played all the time on adult contemporary radio stations or in waiting rooms when I was a kid before eventually fading into the ether. It came back into my life, funnily enough, when I decided to watch an old 1990 episode of Siskel & Ebert about that year's Oscar nominees. I say funnily enough because the song comes from <i>Chances Are</i>, a 1989 movie where a widow's dead husband is reincarnated into a young man... who just happens to be the college boyfriend of her daughter. Yeah, that's pretty icky. Just stick with the song. Also, give a watch of the song's performance at that year's Oscars, where James Ingram and Melissa Manchester take over for Peter Cetera and Cher respectively and do an alright job.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div style="font-family: Times;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I warned you back in January and now she's here again: Diane Warren is one of most famous American songwriter still working today though her peak popularity and quite frankly creativity have long passed. But the Academy and its voters think otherwise and have treated her very well with 14 (!) nominations for Best Original Song, with the majority of them coming within the last decade. Unfortunately, those latter nominated songs aren't very good and her failure at getting a real Oscar (the 2022 honorary one doesn't count) has given her the new nickname as "The Susan Lucci of The Oscars". Randy Newman certainly knows that feeling.</span></div><div style="font-family: Times;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Times;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Despite my constant eye-rolling at seeing her name come every Oscars nowadays, she did make some great movie songs and there were two of them that were Oscar nominated and hold a special place in my heart and mind: </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" and </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"Music Of My Heart".</span></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">You might call me a stupid apologist and wish to burn a scarlet letter on to my chest for spouting heresy but I frankly just plain enjoy Starship. Yeah, yeah, yeah, Jefferson Airplane selling out during the 80's certainly struck a fatal blow for a lot of grown-up flower children but I'm always a huge sucker for synth-rock and arena butt rock.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">That all being said, despite them giving us the so-called musical travesty that is "We Built This City", practically everyone nowadays seem to love or at least have a soft spot for "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now". This despite the sheer fact that it came from <i>Mannequin</i>, a critically panned 1987 film that reeks of the 80's yet has gone on to cult classic status. As for myself, the song always either makes me smile or get in the groove.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Oh, and to anyone that just loves to shit all over Starship and how it "ruined" the legacy of Jefferson Airplane, how about you try and listen to the reunited band's 1989 self-titled album and their lead single "Planes" and tell what really is the drizzling shits.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">"Music Of My Heart" should not have worked for me. It was the lead soundtrack single for a Meryl Streep drama (directed by Wes Craven!) that no one really cared about at the time or have since. It was pushed heavily on MTV via <i>TRL</i> and especially on VH1 due to the film's encouragement of music programs in public schools. It is largely "Because You Love Me" 2.0. And more importantly, it was sung by NSYNC (I was a secret Backstreet Boys fan at the time). But god damn it all, it stuck like glue to my soul as a teenager. It was a big ole guilty pleasure for me at the time, largely thanks to those damn fine harmonies and that blasted key change. Oh, and because Gloria Estefan sang it on, and she's always great.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">And to help celebrate Oscar night, I bought one of the best Oscar songs if not one of the best American songs of all time, "Moon River" from <i>Breakfast At Tiffany's</i>. Mickey Rooney's racist performance aside, <i>Breakfast At Tiffany's</i> is on my all-time list of favorite films and is probably the only true blue romance flick on it. Now as for what version of the song, I went with Henry Mancini and his unknown chorus. Yes, the Audrey Hepburn version is far more popular but whenever I watch the film and it gets to the ending where the Mancini version blares out right when Holly and Paul find Cat in the rainy alley, I nearly always burst into tears of happiness.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Well, I did a week devoted just to Oscar nominated songs so why not go the opposite way and do a week devoted to songs that were nominated for the Razzies? They incredibly suck nowadays but the Razzies were once a big part of my movie lifestyle and helped fuel my curious exploration into the trashbins of cinema. Plus, my 2017 listicle about the worst Razzie noms and winners is one of my most popular non-Christmas articles I have ever done on this site and I'm pretty proud of it. I was only able to find five worthy songs; I had a sixth song and a track from a score picked out but I decided to move them to a more worthy month down the line. I also considered getting "Wild, Wild West" but Will Smith is still currently on my shit list to a certain degree.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I started off by going to the very first big winner of the Razzies, <i>Can't Stop The Music</i>. The infamous musical all about The Village People is certainly one of the absolute worst films I have ever seen but it's also one of my absolute favorite cult films. Seriously, I have seen this movie as about as many times as <i>The Thing</i>, and that's really saying something about myself. Unfortunately for myself and Village People fans, the soundtrack still has not come out on iTunes or streaming services save for the catchy title track, which plays during the movie's unbearably long finale.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Ah, Pia Zadora. The most famous target of the Razzies. I still haven't seen her "magnum opus" <i>The Lonely Lady</i> but I did see and own a DVD copy of her "debut" feature film <i>Butterfly</i>. It's pretty icky with its maybe-or-maybe-not incest plotline and is largely boring but I did enjoy the score by Ennio Morricone and the "love theme" that Zadora sings over the ending credits. She's dreadful as an actress but Pia Zadora certainly could sing.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">IN YOR'S WORLD! HE'S THE MAN! God bless you Reb Brown, god bless those crazy Italian musicians that gave us "Yor's World", and god bless that editor that plays the track when Brown hang glides with a dead giant bat or when he does circus swing tricks in <i>Yor, The Hunter From The Future</i>.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">When I think of <i>Howard The Duck</i>, I always recall the VHS tape of the movie that my maternal grandparents had in the cabinet underneath their television and the one time I tried to watch it there only to either get bored/horrified by it quickly or to have it stopped by someone after the infamous duck tits scene in the film's opening. I eventually got around to watching it all and yeah it sucks big time but the soundtrack largely produced by Thomas Dolby is a real hoot.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">My family had MC Hammer's second album Too Legit To Quit on cassette and I just remember how I would chiefly just play "Addams Groove" a lot. Eventually, with the help of my dad and his big fancy audio equipment, I had it copied on to a mixtape for myself and played it some more. I sadly couldn't get the track off the album on iTunes, apparently because the song was a cassette-only inclusion, but I was thankfully able to get it via Hammer's Greatest Hits.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">To keep the "worst movie songs" train going, I then picked up three tracks that could have or should have been nominated for a Razzie. First up was "Twist Of Fate" from the 1983 bomb <i>Two Of A Kind</i>, sung by one of its stars, the late great Olivia Newton-John. Her last hit song, it's a real treat for 80's synth-pop fans or for those looking for more from the <i>Xanadu</i> era of Olivia.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Next up was Vanilla Ice, who was nominated for a song from <i>Cool As Ice</i> but strangely wasn't for "Ninja Rap" from <i>Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret Of The Ooze</i>. Like "Addams Groove", this is one of those 90's movie rap songs that plagued the nation but were too earwormy to truly hate.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">And last was a song that would have been nominated if the 1988/89 film was actually noteworthy upon its release. It didn't become more well known until the great cast and crew of <i>Mystery Science Theater 3000</i> dug it up and lampooned it in one of their most famous episodes (and my #1 favorite). That's right, I'm talking about <i>Space Mutiny</i> and its "great" credits song "</span><span style="font-family: arial;">Edge Of A Dream", which is thoroughly mocked in the episode. I was so surprised at the fact that I could actually buy the song on iTunes. God bless you </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Steven McClintock, you B-to-Z movie musician you.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">And again, god bless Reb Brown.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Yeah, yeah, it's the epitome of the big dumb pop sound of the 90's but dammit, I still like "All For Love". Plus I'm always a huge sucker for duets/collaborations of major music stars.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Despite only watching it once, <i>Crocodile Dundee</i> often pops up in my brain from time to time and I don't exactly know why. It was really good but not a movie that I absolutely adored. I think it mainly has to do more with my love for "Live It Up", the pop tune that pops up during a party scene.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Another movie that has a strange residence in my head is <i>Music & Lyrics</i>, a fairly forgettable rom-com for the most part save for its pretty good soundtrack and its amazing opening credits sequence. Seriously, this movie contains one of my absolute favorite openings (move over <i>Touch Of Evil</i>!). If you ever want to show someone why Hugh Grant is an absolute gem, show them this opener, where he sings (for real) and mugs at the camera as Not Andrew Ridgeley in an on-point recreation of 80's new wave music videos.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I still really, really don't like <i>Rock Of Ages</i>. But largely thanks to my semi-love for bad musicals, the damn bomb still hangs around with me. However, I do enjoy "Undercover Love", the supposed-to-be-bad (but is actually kinda good) NKOTB inspired original song that actually rocks more than any of the other tracks.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I thought about doing a Bollywood week but there sadly isn't a lot of songs that I would actually want to buy, not unless I want it to be the entire soundtrack from <i>Bang Bang!</i> So I settled with just two: "Naina Miley" and "Excuse Me". The internet was all a buzz in 2010 when the trailer for <i>Robot</i> (aka <i>Enthiran</i>) went viral. I was luckily enough to see it when a soon-to-be-dead movie theater started showing Bollywood movies. The film itself is a bit of a mess but it has its moments, with the "Naina Miley" number being my favorite. And yes, I went with the Hindi version instead of the original Tamil version aka "Irumbile Oru Idhaiyam" because, well, it's more pleasant to my ears.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">As for "Excuse Me", it comes from a very forgettable 2001 movie called <i>Style</i>. Yeah, with a title like that, you are most assured to have no cultural impact with movie audiences. Anyway, I came across the song and its musical number from a Bollywood jukebox DVD that I picked up from a local Indian grocery store in the late 2000's. Not exactly one of the best Bollywood songs ever but I really like the playful lyrics of the tune and it is one of the few Hindi songs that I can sing-a-long to.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I seriously can't believe that I was all ready and willing to buy "Ninja Rap" yet nearly forgot to pick up "Turtle Power". You know, the ending credits song that totally energizes you as a kid when you got done watching <i>Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles</i> on VHS for the umpteenth time?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The Bangles' amazing rock cover of "Hazy Shade of Winter" is definitely one of my absolute favorite songs. Along with the performances of Robert Downey Jr. and James Spader, it's one of better things to come out of the otherwise mediocre <i>Less Than Zero</i>.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Man, it really sucks how no one is able to buy the <i>Pretty Woman</i> soundtrack on digital storefronts. That album went triple platinum yet it remains locked up in EMI's vault. Luckily, there is a way to pick up and enjoy Roxette's </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"It Must Have Been Love". The utterly fantastic song should never, ever be locked away from the public. Now just give the rest of the soundtrack!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Beau Travail</i>, the so-called 7th best film of all time according to the 2022 Sight and Sound poll. It most certainly is not. I first checked out Claire Denis' loose adaptation of <i>Billy Budd</i> during my film studies in college. It's fine but I roll my eyes at how the film cranks its artsy fartsy and homoerotic dials all the way to 11. However, I will say that this film does in fact have one of my favorite movie endings of all time. I never would have expected for Corona's </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"The Rhythm Of The Night" to be so integral to a French film.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">And to conclude the month, I bought Public Enemy's "Fight The Power", one of my all time favorite songs from one of my all time favorite movies. I'm more well acquainted with the album version of the tune but I really wanted to get the soundtrack version, which features the uncensored third verse where Chuck D and Flavor Flav tore into Elvis and John Wayne. And I can't go out without talking about my most "cherished" memory of "Fight The Power": One day in December 1999, I was decorating the Christmas tree while I had MTV playing in the background. The channel was airing MTV's <i>100 Greatest Music Videos Ever Made</i>, where "Fight The Power" placed at #75. I was grooving and singing with the tune when a member of my extended family came right up to me. They shouted at me to knock it off because, in their bizarre mind, the song was endorsing the killing of white people. No joke.</span></div><div><br /></div>A. Conroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10181413438503689145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4753219984473602151.post-28180534223013413722023-03-11T19:42:00.275-05:002023-03-11T20:17:46.528-05:002023 Oscars Predictions<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTkk3yxsQE3zpPbrhClpZCeQf9TGqa4MNMtIrVayAdJa7NmzVK3vRgzNKwZvtNK20nUCtqc-tzikNoC3IDv-uqgn_84UFoZIUpP5gB-0IW8uTNJipSvggTF-acbt-rZyCbZCWekDPsvth_SLmQ4VSOoCYIoRvSg1ygQnzZ-IL8C4klnEWkHsokfnnw/s1125/Oscars_2023_Official_Poster.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTkk3yxsQE3zpPbrhClpZCeQf9TGqa4MNMtIrVayAdJa7NmzVK3vRgzNKwZvtNK20nUCtqc-tzikNoC3IDv-uqgn_84UFoZIUpP5gB-0IW8uTNJipSvggTF-acbt-rZyCbZCWekDPsvth_SLmQ4VSOoCYIoRvSg1ygQnzZ-IL8C4klnEWkHsokfnnw/w320-h400/Oscars_2023_Official_Poster.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">As always, these are my predictions to win, not who or what movie I wish would win.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Best Picture:</b><span> <i>Everything Everywhere All At Once</i></span></span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Best Actor:</b> Austin Butler - <i>Elvis</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Best Actress:</b> Cate Blanchett - <i>Tár</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><b>Best Supporting Actor:</b> Ke Huy Quan - </span><i>Everything Everywhere All At Once</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Best Supporting Actress:</b> Kerry Condon - <i>The Banshees Of Inisherin</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><b>Best Director:</b> Steven Spielberg - </span><i>The Fabelmans</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><b>Best Original Screenplay:</b> Martin McDonagh - </span><i>The Banshees Of Inisherin</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><b>Best Adapted Screenplay:</b> Edward Berger, Lesley Paterson, and Ian Stokell - </span><i>All Quiet On The Western Front</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Best Animated Feature Film:</b> <i>Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Best International Feature Film:</b> <i>All Quiet On The Western Front</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Best Documentary Feature:</b> <i>Fire Of Love</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><b>Best Documentary (Short Subject):</b> </span><i>The Elephant Whisperers</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Best Animated Short Film:</b> <i>My Year Of Dicks</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Best Live Action Short Film:</b> <i>Le Pupille</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Best Original Score:</b> Justin Hurwitz - <i>Babylon</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><b>Best Original Song:</b> "Naatu Naatu" - </span><i>RRR</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><span><b>Best Cinematography:</b> James Friend</span> - </span><i>All Quiet On The Western Front</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><span><b>Best Film Editing:</b> Paul Rogers</span> - </span><i>Everything Everywhere All At Once</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Best Production Design:</b> Catherine Martin, Karen Murphy, and Bev Dunn - <i>Elvis</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><b>Best Costume Design:</b> </span>Mark Coulier, Jason Baird, and Aldo Signoretti - <i>Elvis</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><b>Best Makeup and Hairstyling: </b>Catherine Martin - <i>Elvis</i></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Best Sound:</b> <i>Top Gun: Maverick</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Best Visual Effects:</b> <i>Avatar: The Way Of Water</i></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Betting on <i>Everything</i> winning it all in the end but I do see a timeline where <i>All Quiet</i> is announced to the shock and horror of the crowd.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Butler or Fraser. The new hot thing from <i>Elvis</i> that nobody really knows or really trusts as a capable actor versus the likable, bankable former star with a great comeback story until a much better comeback story came around and people actually saw <i>The Whale</i>. What ultimately helped sway me is the sheer fact that biopics do very, very well in Best Actor.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I really want Michelle Yeoh to win. I really, really, really do. But </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Blanchett is </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Blanchett and I can easily see us having another Boseman/Hopkins debacle. Plus even I picked someone else over Yeoh when doing my own Best Actress.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Quan still has it in the bag.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Best Supporting Actress has been a toss up in recent weeks. Save for Chau who has no chance of winning. Hsu and Curtis will likely cancel each other out, however the latter has been on an upswing after winning at the SAGs. I would love for Bassett to win but the anti-superhero bias that Academy has, plus the fact that her character/performance is no Ledger Joker, has everyone giving up on her. That's why I think Condon is going to win.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The Academy doesn't really like directing duos. Unless they want to give <i>Everything</i> a big total, I expect Spielberg to be treated to his second Oscar for Best Director.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Everything</i> is pegged to win Best Original Screenplay but I think the Academy would rather treat the award to something less sci-fi/action heavy. I have <i>Banshees</i> winning but I would not be shocked if <i>Triangle of Sadness</i> snatches it instead.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I feel bad for Sarah Polley, even though I like the rest of the world don't really care or want to watch <i>Women Talking</i>. <i>All Quiet</i> is going to eat its lunch when it comes to Best Adapted Screenplay.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I so want<i> Pinocchio</i> to win Best Animated Feature. I regrettably still haven't seen <i>Turning Red</i> despite having an active Disney+ account and a blu-ray of the movie. It might be a great film that I ultimately love but I really don't want Disney/Pixar to keep dominating this category all the time. They have won it here nine out of the last ten years!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">No comment needed for Best International Feature.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">God damn, the Documentary categories are tough this year. I have to go with my heart and choose <i>Fire Of Love</i>. But the Academy might want to make a political statement this year and give it either to the one featuring the plights of Ukraine (<i>A House Made Of Splinters</i>) or the plight or a Russian opposition leader (<i>Navalny</i>). Of course there's also the "save the birds/Earth" one (<i>All That Breathes</i>) and the "Nan Goldin says fuck the Sacklers" one (<i>All The Beauty and The Bloodshed</i>). But come on, nothing really beats the dangerously beauty of Mother Nature.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">As for Doc Short, I went with the animal one. Yeah, <i>Stranger At The Gate</i> has the more interesting American story and big backing behind it but never doubt a doc from Netflix.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Best Animated Short can be really tricky when there isn't a much loved Disney/Pixar entry involved. <i>My Year Of Dicks</i> has stood far out since its nomination and voters most likely would have checked it out simply because of its catchy title. But <i>The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse</i> has big time actors doing voices, was released on Apple+ on Christmas, and has won many awards. Then you have <i>Ice Merchants</i> which also picked up a bunch of awards. I still have to go with<i> Dicks</i> but <i>The Boy</i> is very close at sniping it.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Le Pupille</i> is on Disney+ and it was produced by Alfonso Cuarón. Of course it's winning Best Live Action Short.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Apparently the score in <i>All Quiet</i> had many people talking about it so it could win Best Original Score. But as much as I disliked <i>Babylon</i>, the bombastic score for it is pretty good, not to mention it's one of the few scores that stayed with me from last year.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I enthusiastically wish for "Naatu Naatu" to win Best Song. Rihanna bore me to tears, Lady Gaga had beautiful music but shitty lyrics, I and everybody else don't really remember the <i>Everything</i> song (plus I love David Byrne but he already has an Oscar), and Diane Warren is only here because of all of her friends in the Academy.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I mean come on, <i>Everything</i> has to win Best Editing. All that handling of the timelines, that amazing moment with the multiple overlaying Michelle Yeohs, the big finale, etc.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Elvis</i> is clearly going to get a lot of the tech awards though I'm still standing my ground on Best Cinematography. As much as I wish for a woman to finally win in the category, this time being Mandy Walker, I expect the voters to forgo making history chiefly in order to award yet another pretty looking "war is hell" movie.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I was originally going to have <i>Avatar</i> be shut out of all categories. However, after watching an official Oscars video on the Visual Effects nominees, as well as hearing people's opinions on the sci-fi sequel that I still haven't seen, I had to dash that hope. It will most likely win Best Visual Effects, even though I wish it would go to <i>Top Gun: Maverick</i>.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">See you on Monday with my reaction to the awards and the ceremony itself.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>A. Conroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10181413438503689145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4753219984473602151.post-47989161616495487252023-02-28T23:28:00.648-05:002023-08-22T21:22:31.797-04:00365 Days, 365 Songs - February<div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">It's the last day of February and you know what that means. Time to reveal the next set of songs...</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">February had not one but two special themes attached to it. My initial plan was to just buy all love songs to tie in with Valentine's Day. Not the most original idea out there and yeah, I kinda stupidly decided to do that instead of, oh I don't know, help celebrate Black History Month!! But plans changed when I realized that my favorite national final of the Eurovision season, Sweden's Melodifestivalen, was starting this month. I originally had Melodifestivalen as the special theme for March, chiefly so I can enjoy the alliterativeness of it all, but alas I forgot that the Swedish weekly music competition always happens in February.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Though I greatly enjoyed finally purchasing some of my favorite Melo melodies, there were two big problems that turn things a little bit sour. First, the sheer fact that I'm trying to buy Swedish songs through the American version of iTunes, meaning my choices were a bit limited thanks to those pesky issues involving global music rights. I had to forgo way too many of my truly favorite songs from </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Melodifestivalen and that truly sucks and goes against the whole purpose of this project.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">And secondly, this year's </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Melodifestivalen wasn't/isn't very good or truly exciting. The first three heats were just a bunch of so-so to mildly pleasant songs and no amount of vibrant colors, dramatic staging, key changes, high notes or expensive LEDs could hide that fact. Then the fourth heat happened where the obvious favorite of the contest (more on them later) blew everybody else away in just three minutes (more like 4:30 minutes thanks to a stage invader which caused a reset). Gee, I wonder who will win in the final come March 11th?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">But enough whining about Melo. Let's get started, shall we? And the 28 songs of February 2023 are:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiq0aT9ylA9v7m3yUCoNLyi0cNmB5jf8K1GKnervoDFZy0jMbwmkLasY2b2xzw8RlT5UVZo_O5JHwdJtLAwL4E4SGs1InmY23T8AJcaBnOvmF-wMo25YPpjgUNoJRc2HHM7JYle35sG1WuX4ktj4CVIx4CLzZEwiz7Rpofme7t20ttCxzyFoVkqz5z/s900/All_4_One_I_Swear.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="551" data-original-width="900" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiq0aT9ylA9v7m3yUCoNLyi0cNmB5jf8K1GKnervoDFZy0jMbwmkLasY2b2xzw8RlT5UVZo_O5JHwdJtLAwL4E4SGs1InmY23T8AJcaBnOvmF-wMo25YPpjgUNoJRc2HHM7JYle35sG1WuX4ktj4CVIx4CLzZEwiz7Rpofme7t20ttCxzyFoVkqz5z/w400-h245/All_4_One_I_Swear.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Alcazar - </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">Blame It On The Disco"</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Alcazar - </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">Stay The Night</span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">All-4-One - </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">I Can Love You Like That</span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">All-4-One - </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">I Swear</span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">All-4-One - </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">So Much In Love</span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjncjo_Vgl2ty8QPRQRo7XjV42brZHXzdl0ZrZ6Xu3hfdZTrRxm8M4DnLCqSDOJoj3m-tYnk2oqB4KovE13RymJOQ7ZuJRtg0goVi-0xOeIn4bHFsn52B_2Jku_rdEKeXqef8nIDr2OOxNntg8jf4DOSX_fnVeJbSvMm5Q9cLQVz9ZpsgKDD2cNdAOH/s900/Atlantic_Starr_Always.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="900" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjncjo_Vgl2ty8QPRQRo7XjV42brZHXzdl0ZrZ6Xu3hfdZTrRxm8M4DnLCqSDOJoj3m-tYnk2oqB4KovE13RymJOQ7ZuJRtg0goVi-0xOeIn4bHFsn52B_2Jku_rdEKeXqef8nIDr2OOxNntg8jf4DOSX_fnVeJbSvMm5Q9cLQVz9ZpsgKDD2cNdAOH/w400-h300/Atlantic_Starr_Always.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Anita Baker - </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">Giving You The Best That I Got</span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Anita Baker - </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">Just Because</span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Anita Baker - </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">Sweet Love</span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Atlantic Starr - </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">Always</span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Dan Hill - </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">Never Thought (I Could Love)</span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Dan Hill feat. Vonda Shepard - </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">Can't We Try</span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVH4Z1hHZ_qlegSs2tmQFb-j--jBJLq-WOo5CsX5yonvOD4QhMXssLrSHynsXnowEv6VJjYBJma0ntYUVNR93G_o8JXsWtDnhk77WjuAot87kQzFdOApw9rqxP8oa_PS2RmjnnmEdIdqD7QN49jJsN3-EHhNYoRyPiRbhOUiaMIvz9-7QByGX0oBV7/s900/Danny_Saucedo_Amazing.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="505" data-original-width="900" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVH4Z1hHZ_qlegSs2tmQFb-j--jBJLq-WOo5CsX5yonvOD4QhMXssLrSHynsXnowEv6VJjYBJma0ntYUVNR93G_o8JXsWtDnhk77WjuAot87kQzFdOApw9rqxP8oa_PS2RmjnnmEdIdqD7QN49jJsN3-EHhNYoRyPiRbhOUiaMIvz9-7QByGX0oBV7/w400-h225/Danny_Saucedo_Amazing.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Danny Saucedo - </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">Amazing</span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">David Lindgren - </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">Shout It Out</span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">David Lindgren - </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">We Are Your Tomorrow"</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Eric Saade - </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">Manboy</span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">JEM - </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">Love Trigger</span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW-LrRV-BY3UbSltBrAxlxC7YavpVYtmpWvxlCxeJT2yRPxAwY9CtxBzT53xHZno8f_7yA7tzja-GQ29VvZkvW7Ef8jnCJP7vlQR5tpAjlTWEKmXzjiCNdpzbZtxRXKjpuaD0WyKZgoESsX1nkOJ1jYo4Y2icMD2Z2ar1Jto93oZwPiif8M7FwDeFD/s900/Loreen_My_Heart_Is_Refusing_Me.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="900" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW-LrRV-BY3UbSltBrAxlxC7YavpVYtmpWvxlCxeJT2yRPxAwY9CtxBzT53xHZno8f_7yA7tzja-GQ29VvZkvW7Ef8jnCJP7vlQR5tpAjlTWEKmXzjiCNdpzbZtxRXKjpuaD0WyKZgoESsX1nkOJ1jYo4Y2icMD2Z2ar1Jto93oZwPiif8M7FwDeFD/w400-h225/Loreen_My_Heart_Is_Refusing_Me.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Lisa Ajax - </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">My Heart Wants Me Dead</span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Lisa Miskovsky - </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"Why Start A Fire"</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Loreen - </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">My Heart Is Refusing Me</span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Magnus Carlsson - </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">M</span><span style="font-family: arial;">öt Mig I Gamla Stan</span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Midnight Boy - </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">Don't Say No</span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc1GtcrWHnmlq4WYCnTt43waxYCpkp403A433LxzkdNvs4WPf23L7BvVf5lYwTPRzykd0d_wk7BNiJ35Ox5JI-9j0JVskexhKrTVgkYIezrEiiS67fFJHJHss49eqkAGzXcRj7p9MOo0tl80WUkOmieQAHP6Y0c31vItYubOsZh6-7gUr1gZU_4gNM/s900/Oleta_Adams_Get_Here.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="679" data-original-width="900" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc1GtcrWHnmlq4WYCnTt43waxYCpkp403A433LxzkdNvs4WPf23L7BvVf5lYwTPRzykd0d_wk7BNiJ35Ox5JI-9j0JVskexhKrTVgkYIezrEiiS67fFJHJHss49eqkAGzXcRj7p9MOo0tl80WUkOmieQAHP6Y0c31vItYubOsZh6-7gUr1gZU_4gNM/w400-h301/Oleta_Adams_Get_Here.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Molly Sandén - </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">Youniverse</span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Oleta Adams - </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">Get Here</span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Oscar Zia - </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">Human</span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Oscar Zia - </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">Yes We Can</span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Pernilla Wahlgren - </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">Picadilly Circus</span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2oisZ-VHTu67z0C4rXw_pH5xIGGNG-zhdL_yCa0IbalM7j_5XiiorBlcSE8PzgJTzMPwZ3mlqkF3k43eHXa_HZPBxpBUMaEm6b-rV3_mjxcQk7CEdk9DIXoKuzS5BKLjHnOa47Il4M1GzTvK8je8XpZOY8IMcXM-fcmb7CQEE82YK94L7stp-J9Pa/s900/SWV_Weak.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="900" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2oisZ-VHTu67z0C4rXw_pH5xIGGNG-zhdL_yCa0IbalM7j_5XiiorBlcSE8PzgJTzMPwZ3mlqkF3k43eHXa_HZPBxpBUMaEm6b-rV3_mjxcQk7CEdk9DIXoKuzS5BKLjHnOa47Il4M1GzTvK8je8XpZOY8IMcXM-fcmb7CQEE82YK94L7stp-J9Pa/w400-h225/SWV_Weak.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Samir & Viktor - </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">Bada Nakna</span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">SWV - </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">Weak</span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">All-4-One. How appropriate of a name for the 90's boy band. For you see, if you ever want to remember how many hits the group had, just look at their name. Yep, all they ever had were four hit songs, with only one of them going all the way to #1.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Unfortunately, those hits are what stopped the group from ever advancing further in their musical career. Their three biggest hits, which are the ones I bought this month, are actually all covers, namely from The Tymes and John Michael Montgomery. Their only original hit was "Someday", which was the ending theme song to Disney's <i>The Hunchback of Notre Dame</i>. Though it went to #30, it broke the streak of successful Disney movie songs in the 90s and proved to be the group's last ever time in the spotlight.<br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Fun trivia and music retrospective aside, let's get to chatting. I frankly adore "I Swear" and "</span><span style="font-family: arial;">I Can Love You Like That". Loved them as a kid and still love them today. The two songs often get played on my iPod and are near the top of my shortlist of karaoke songs (#1 on that list being "Baby Got Back"). I decided to also get </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">So Much In Love</span><span style="font-family: arial;">" because it did play a bunch in my childhood, though I never could remember that All-4-One sang it because there were a lot of a cappella R&B tunes in the 90s. Also not helping matters is the sheer fact that the</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> original Tymes version of the song is far, far better.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">There is one last thing to talk about when it comes to All-4-One. I vividly remember the huge debate that raged for a week in my school when it came to their two biggest hits. Some of my friends liked </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"I Swear" more than "</span><span style="font-family: arial;">I Can Love You Like That", invoking the eternal criticism that the latter song is nothing more than a copy of the former. My other friends had reversed feelings, calling out "I Swear" as a lame song for babies and suckers. I also remember how nobody seemed to actually call </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">I Can Love You Like That" by its real name, instead referring to it as "The Cinderella Song" because of its opening lyrics.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Because Melodifestivalen started on the first Saturday of February, I broke up the love song train to help celebrate the contest for the weekend, only to buy three songs instead of two (look, I really wanted to get "My Heart Wants Me Dead" and "</span><span style="font-family: arial;">Youniverse" sooner rather than later). But the first Melo song that I bought: </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Pernilla Wahlgren's </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">Picadilly Circus</span><span style="font-family: arial;">". If you ever want a 80s Swedish earworm to infect you, check out this tune and especially watch the original Melo performance (dig that amazing choreography!). Funnily enough, despite the song being the heavy favorite and later becoming a huge hit in Sweden, it lost to the good but not as memorable (save its title) schlager song "Bra Vibrationer".</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I first came across </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">Picadilly Circus</span><span style="font-family: arial;">" thanks to its inclusion in </span><span style="font-family: arial;">David Lindgren's famed song montage at the 2017 edition of Melodfestivalen. I became even more enamored with the song around the hype and release of 2019's <i>Call of Duty: Modern Warfare</i>. The reason? One of the opening chapters in the campaign is set at the famed London attraction. So whenever I was watching quick looks or streams of the specific mission, I would humorously sing the chorus all the while terrorists are being gunned down.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Now back to the love stream: God damn do I love "Always". Such a great song for lovers and weddings. I wanted to also get Atlantic Starr's "Masterpiece", a particular favorite of mine as a kid, but unfortunately it is not currently available. That is unless you want to buy a truly awful "re-recorded" version that just saps everything great about that song.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Oleta Adams will always be remembered by me for her part in the Tears For Fears' song "Woman In Chains" but everyone will mostly recall her for her one hit, "Get Here". I probably heard it as a kid during the First Gulf War but it never stuck with me until it was much later featured in a VH1 television special about bad love songs. It's a really good song but yeah that "Arab man" line is a big oof.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Yeah, I like Dan Hill but mainly only his hits. I can only stand so much sap at a given time. I could have gone with "Sometimes When We Touch" but I actually wanted songs that I truly liked and don't cause me to instantly roll my eyes while listening to them. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">Never Thought (I Could Love)</span><span style="font-family: arial;">" isn't that far off from "Sometimes..." but it has stayed with me thanks to listening to a lot of adult contemporary radio when I was a wee lad.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Man, more people need to talk about Anita Baker. She was so great and so huge in the late 80s/early 90s. I had to get a trifecta with her, nabbing her two biggest hits and also "Just Because", the latter of which has funnily enough been my most listened to lately.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">For Valentine's Day, I had to get a song that is currently in the running as my dream first wedding dance song: SWV's "Weak". So smooth, so heartwarming, so great. But don't tell that to my dad; I told him about it once and played a bit of it for him, only for him to truly poo-poo it. Also hurting its wedding chances is it clashing with my other dream wedding scenario, that of a Eurovision theme where all of the tables are the competing countries and the DJ will only play songs from the contest's history.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Once it hit midnight on February 15th, it was time to get back to the Melo music. The songs I picked out were ones I wanted, or had to settle with thanks again to those pesky music rights, but I didn't realize until it was too late that I went too hard on the pop side of Melo. I forgot to diversify it a little with some rock tunes, most notably </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Eclipse's "Runaways". Hopefully, there will be time to get them later.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">As stated earlier during the "</span><span style="font-family: arial;">Picadilly Circus" discussion, I first came across </span><span style="font-family: arial;">David Lindgren when he was the host of Melodifestivalen, namely the 2017 and 2018 editions, with the latter being the first I watched live as it was happening. He did a great job and could sing well, which is no surprise considering he has competed at the contest three times. I tried to get all three but alas "Skyline" wasn't available. Eh, it's honestly the weakest of his hits but I'm glad I got the other two.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">If you ever wanted a Swedish version of the Black Eyed Peas for some reason, I give you JEM and their song "Love Trigger". Catchy tune but holy shit what a rip-off.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">If you love ABBA and their amazing schlager expertise, but with a more modern pop interpretation, you will enjoy Alcazar. The group has competed many times at Melo but have never won. Their last real chance came in 2014 with </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">Blame It On The Disco" but they were crushed by Sanna Nielsen's "Undo", which went on to place third at Eurovision.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Look, Loreen is going to win Melofest this year with "Tattoo". You can bet on it. To help celebrate her dominant victory in Heat 4, I chose to get </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">My Heart Is Refusing Me</span><span style="font-family: arial;">", her first stab at Melo in 2011 which quite shockingly, looking through retrospective eyes, didn't make it to the final. It instead came third/fourth in Heat 2 and proceeded to lose in the first round of Andra Chansen (Second Chance). The song has now become a fan favorite and is often listed as one of the biggest snubs in the competition's history, right next to another Loreen entry "Statements". I love Loreen, as we might see come May, but I think "Statements" is very overrated. And yes, I would rather listen to the Shawn Mendes rip-off that knocked it out, that is if I can have the chance to properly purchase it!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Danny Saucedo. Poor, poor Danny. He could have been the superhero Sweden needed after the country famously didn't qualify for the Eurovision grand final in 2010. He had it made to win the 2011 Melodifestivalen with "In The Club", only to fall to Eric Saade's "Popular". Saade goes to Eurovision, places third and becomes a huge star. So Danny goes big, really big for the 2012 Melo. He gives us "Amazing", a high energetic pop song complete with an outstanding performance complete with light-up suits and choreography from dancer/budding singer Anton Ewald. The show's producers even think he has it in the bag, giving him a prime spot in the last Heat. But the 2012 competition also had Loreen with THAT SONG. She wins, goes to Eurovision, wins the whole damn thing and proceeds to help change everything for the song contest moving forward. Meanwhile, Danny proceeds to co-host the 2013 edition of Melo instead of trying for a third time and never becomes the European superstar he wanted to be. Thus is The Ballad of Danny Saucedo. (Yes, I'm skipping over his latest attempt in 2021 but that doesn't make for an interesting ballad).</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">And to close out the month, I had to go with the biggest dude-bros of Sweden, Samir & Viktor. Sadly no "Shuffla", which I absolutely adored when I watched the 2018 edition of Melo, so I went with "</span><span style="font-family: arial;">Bada Nakna", aka the song about getting naked at the lake.</span></div><div><br /></div>A. Conroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10181413438503689145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4753219984473602151.post-82832208759542133542023-01-31T23:00:00.925-05:002023-03-10T22:29:45.841-05:00365 Days, 365 Songs - January<div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">It's now time to reveal the first 31 songs that I purchased as part of my new year's resolution/all-year-long project. I didn't really have any special theme for January, only to just buy a variety of songs that have long been a staple in my listening habits. However, I was being a bit selective with my choices briefly at the start and at the end of the month. More details about that down below. And the 31 songs of January 2023 are:</span></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMgqk1RI73xC7HmD8JWVEeTDtfJCyrpuzX73N4XbAxwxa3NJY5Wy4k4qLUCnCr_sH5hLE-ZUBqrteByZNF0lnGNYW36Oc67bD_7krGVQ_trt9iLHG6dBa19UiYZvKklPRATEn5frdhtHJvqBjRFXSaJN-20Z8MnhyLFVZDqyRFruc8OG2OH61xypor/s900/Belinda_Carlisle_Circle_In_The_Sand.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="674" data-original-width="900" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMgqk1RI73xC7HmD8JWVEeTDtfJCyrpuzX73N4XbAxwxa3NJY5Wy4k4qLUCnCr_sH5hLE-ZUBqrteByZNF0lnGNYW36Oc67bD_7krGVQ_trt9iLHG6dBa19UiYZvKklPRATEn5frdhtHJvqBjRFXSaJN-20Z8MnhyLFVZDqyRFruc8OG2OH61xypor/w400-h300/Belinda_Carlisle_Circle_In_The_Sand.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>America - "A Horse With No Name"</b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Belinda Carlisle - </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">Circle In The Sand"</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Belinda Carlisle - </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">Heaven Is A Place On Earth</span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Belinda Carlisle - </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">I Get Weak</span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">The Brothers Johnson - </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">Stomp!</span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw5vB1o6ANuvN9qQC9x_UvLtyKR0rmp0DxceV1bWsoD6ymlHsmLhCIo-bb1bXrmVnklDmTBAgmCB8xgJWO4S4XISbHDXVthYdyeCXKTQSigHBhjFL31yjGPS3isDFrVJjs7Qn-QqO4_RxcBwg-EpKo0f5OaAytRvcDYB3S9Pe0qcXl00-YehpFx-1V/s1288/Da_Pump_USA.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="546" data-original-width="1288" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw5vB1o6ANuvN9qQC9x_UvLtyKR0rmp0DxceV1bWsoD6ymlHsmLhCIo-bb1bXrmVnklDmTBAgmCB8xgJWO4S4XISbHDXVthYdyeCXKTQSigHBhjFL31yjGPS3isDFrVJjs7Qn-QqO4_RxcBwg-EpKo0f5OaAytRvcDYB3S9Pe0qcXl00-YehpFx-1V/w400-h170/Da_Pump_USA.heic" width="400" /></a></div></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Camouflage - </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">The Great Commandment</span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Cascada - </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">Evacuate The Dancefloor</span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Chumbawamba - </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">Tubthumping</span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">DA PUMP - </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">U.S.A.</span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Dana Dawson - </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">Romantic World</span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx8ejpGzWyeWI6P1_yDhROwWLeIhUNemAYq6uc3WhyqrtMjmhI-zTL2m50g2-MdR2lWv9fmoC1NTA0Vu01yGi5xs9tcrY-iCzS5FdirKvIEUQk-lGriIkFAmxKvbWQEEzUwkDwMlIOOi8GaAzjZCO4Z4UXhW1hZlF13X7Oo6infv2hjo-NtIJTssh4/s900/Deon_Estus_Heaven_Help_Me.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="692" data-original-width="900" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx8ejpGzWyeWI6P1_yDhROwWLeIhUNemAYq6uc3WhyqrtMjmhI-zTL2m50g2-MdR2lWv9fmoC1NTA0Vu01yGi5xs9tcrY-iCzS5FdirKvIEUQk-lGriIkFAmxKvbWQEEzUwkDwMlIOOi8GaAzjZCO4Z4UXhW1hZlF13X7Oo6infv2hjo-NtIJTssh4/w400-h308/Deon_Estus_Heaven_Help_Me.heic" width="400" /></a></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Deon Estus - </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">Heaven Help Me</span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">The Doobie Brothers - </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">What A Fool Believes</span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Evanescence - </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">Bring Me To Life</span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Extreme - </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">More Than Words</span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Gang Of Four - </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">Is It Love</span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNzo-d19RNwCnwBdFmV4tHoByDlHAHW8CmOd2k8PXCm_mjbrjNjtpmzf-pv5gfNV7IPQ6blPF5zCeErBaioh9-ikzyZ6xJSAMPoXARmZA8l-KkaP8nPa4msOVCxgPgeJCaZYT-j1SkdfGn5ha7yXSfWmqjPw7BB2faYdrDeLnhl2-s4ffCyAQ0MYCW/s900/Keith_Richards_Struggle.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="684" data-original-width="900" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNzo-d19RNwCnwBdFmV4tHoByDlHAHW8CmOd2k8PXCm_mjbrjNjtpmzf-pv5gfNV7IPQ6blPF5zCeErBaioh9-ikzyZ6xJSAMPoXARmZA8l-KkaP8nPa4msOVCxgPgeJCaZYT-j1SkdfGn5ha7yXSfWmqjPw7BB2faYdrDeLnhl2-s4ffCyAQ0MYCW/w400-h304/Keith_Richards_Struggle.heic" width="400" /></a></div></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Jaki Graham - </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">Step Right Up</span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Jasmine Guy - </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">Just Want To Hold You</span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Jermaine Stewart - </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">We Don't Have To Take Our Clothes Off</span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Keith Richards - </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">Struggle</span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">King Kobra - </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">Iron Eagle (Never Say Die)</span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF6jzyHJDUxyxs2X4bVilFPHsXHar5lYx9bTrcBw3P0fJ4yJ-F4AmrZvqO_5hI9ivY4DLfXccalYLJnUawSzg3D-n5tz3LZbvE9PJ4OlbP9RMS08ztdXIMnklbUcw0__4qlWxPNCHYEJHigm4CtZjJZgNpbkSvHP-Cer_MJp-9YtBMjauE29zfnDpN/s900/Michael_Stanley_Band_He_Can't_Love_You.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="687" data-original-width="900" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF6jzyHJDUxyxs2X4bVilFPHsXHar5lYx9bTrcBw3P0fJ4yJ-F4AmrZvqO_5hI9ivY4DLfXccalYLJnUawSzg3D-n5tz3LZbvE9PJ4OlbP9RMS08ztdXIMnklbUcw0__4qlWxPNCHYEJHigm4CtZjJZgNpbkSvHP-Cer_MJp-9YtBMjauE29zfnDpN/w400-h305/Michael_Stanley_Band_He_Can't_Love_You.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Michael Stanley Band - </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">He Can't Love You</span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Pablo Cruise - </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">Love Will Find A Way</span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Public Image Ltd. - </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">Rise</span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">The Reverend Horton Heat - </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">In Your Wildest Dreams</span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Shannon - </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">Let The Music Play</span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5OPDglO65-bF964jHlYld2bFWw6BbRYUpVF7GJ6kUcIDb0clDobPV34VIub1X_5eQLvv9eJ7kXfMCorkjpnYHBZJ9iVnKyUDZdIQjP21JOMVwkwGsaZP0BSvI5dXO3v63SxdHjEniKvlUUFjKM43NbeQYJJ6-YW_60gGR3-ut_0Je44Br6N25Is0t/s900/Split_Enz_I_Got_You.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="900" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5OPDglO65-bF964jHlYld2bFWw6BbRYUpVF7GJ6kUcIDb0clDobPV34VIub1X_5eQLvv9eJ7kXfMCorkjpnYHBZJ9iVnKyUDZdIQjP21JOMVwkwGsaZP0BSvI5dXO3v63SxdHjEniKvlUUFjKM43NbeQYJJ6-YW_60gGR3-ut_0Je44Br6N25Is0t/w400-h303/Split_Enz_I_Got_You.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Split Enz - </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">I Got You</span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Steely Dan - </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">Do It Again</span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Steely Dan - </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">Reelin' In The Years</span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Styx - </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">Mr. Roboto</span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Tommy Shaw - </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">Girl With Guns</span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">When In Rome - </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">The Promise</span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">As I said in the intro article for this project, iTunes was nice enough to kick off 2023 by focusing on rock songs for their biweekly $0.69 sale. Not willing to let a good deal go away, my first eight songs were part of that sale. Not my ideal way to start off this project (I was originally gonna have the first song be DA PUMP's </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">U.S.A.</span><span style="font-family: arial;">") but it ended working out in a different way.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">For you see, the first song ended up being When In Rome's "The Promise". Why a 80's pop song was part of a rock song sale, I don't know. That aside, I have always loved "The Promise" ever since I was a teen. I was really into 80's music at the time, greatly helped by VH1 specials, endless watching of VH1 Classic, and listening to The Buzz 104.5, my then local 80's radio station. I discovered </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"The Promise" on that very radio station, where it would routinely play and always captured my full attention. Once I figured out the artist and song title (ah, the old days before Shazam), I tried to get the song, only to not find it easily on CD or on any 80's music compilation. I also couldn't download it illegally at the time because my older brother got us banned from Napster because of the Metallica fiasco and Kazaa and Limewire didn't exist yet. So, I paid $5 to one of my friends to download it along with some other songs for me and burn it to a CD. I put it the CD in, eventually got to "The Promise", only to find out my friend downloaded an incomplete version that only goes 56 seconds. It literally ended right before the first chorus! I told my friend about it when it came time for a second CD, only to get the exact same incomplete version. Eventually, Kazaa became a thing, so I was now able to get my own songs and burn my own CDs, with the first one of course featuring a complete version of the song that I personally checked and downloaded.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I don't care how cheesy it is, I will always love "Mr. Roboto". I mean come on, it was my first taste of the Japanese language and heavy 80's synthesizers. And whenever I listen to it, I always recall the famous 90's Volkswagen commercial it was in, where a goofy guy (a then unknown Tony Hale) is talking and wildly acting out in a vehicle in a silent mall parking lot, only for his buddy to open the door and cause the song to loudly escape.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">As with everybody's childhood, there were a lot of visits to the doctor or the dentist or the barber that I had to endure. And of course, I also had to endure their waiting rooms. The slow waiting, the crummy magazines, the crappy chairs, the little to no entertainment unless you wanted to watch shitty daytime programming or play with baby toys. But as I often stewed in those chairs, I would prick up my ears and began to take mental notes on the music that was playing. Eventually, I would remember tracks and have some favorites. That's how I became very fond of "A Horse With No Name". When I eventually decided to check out Steely Dan later on as an adult, I realized that <span>"</span><span>Reelin' In The Years</span><span>" was another one of those waiting room favorites. As for "Do It Again", I must have heard it back then but I have no mental proof of it. I mainly associate it with <i>Guitar Hero World Tour</i>. However, there is another Steely Dan classic that was a waiting room favorite but it sadly wasn't on sale, so we will have to wait on that one.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">If ever there was a song that can best encapsulate my teen years, specifically when I was in high school, it would be </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Evanescence's </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">Bring Me To Life</span><span style="font-family: arial;">". Dear lord, that song was everywhere and pretty much everybody, from the cool to the uncool, had an affinity for it. Forget Linkin Park's <i>Hybrid Theory</i>, this song was the peak of nu metal. I'm happy it has lived on and remains very popular to this day, often helped by many of an internet meme.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">"Tubthumping" was probably my favorite song of 1997 and I foolishly </span><span style="font-family: arial;">bought </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Chumbawamba's <i>Tubthumper</i> just for it. If you haven't already guessed, yes, I am a big fan of one-hit wonders. And holy crap, </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"Tubthumping" was a love it or hate it song because other than being overplayed on the radio and MTV/VH1, it was featured in practically </span><span style="font-family: arial;">every single movie commercial in 1997. Also, I strangely always remember the Pete Postlethwaite intro on the album version of the song but always forget the weird outro that kinda ruins it. Seriously, only buy or listen to the single version.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">"More Than Words" was one of those songs that I heard a lot as a kid but it never really stuck with me, not really until it became a titled tune for CD compilations and featured prominently in their television commercials. I really like the song but I have a hard time </span><span style="font-family: arial;">nowadays </span><span style="font-family: arial;">separating it from the infamous bomb <i>The Love Guru</i>, where Mike Myers bizarrely/stupidly does a serious cover of it for supposed laughs.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Oh man, I was so, so happy when I discovered that Jasmine Guy's </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">Just Want To Hold You</span><span style="font-family: arial;">" was now available to purchase. Yes, that Jasmine Guy, the actress from <i>A Different World</i> and <i>Cats Don't Dance</i>. I burned this little R&B gem on to a CD as a teen and would often play it, before it was eventually transferred to my iPod and was frequently listened on there. I recently just found out that the guy she sings with right near the end of the song is none other than James Ingram!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Another "now available" tune I was happy to see is Dana Dawson's </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">Romantic World</span><span style="font-family: arial;">". I only discovered it last year but I watched the music video for it a lot on YouTube. Not well known at all here in the States but it was huge in France in the early 90's.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">When I was getting knee deep in my love of one-hit wonders, of course I came across and instantly fell for </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">We Don't Have To Take Our Clothes Off</span><span style="font-family: arial;">". Absolute 80's banger that has thankfully outlive that later dreadful Gym Class Heroes song that sampled it. I'm more of a fan of the single version of the song, as the album version has a Prince-like talking sequence that's kinda off-putting.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">When I was really into anime as a teen, I would often stay up far into the night every Friday and change the channel to Showtime Beyond. There, I would watch the likes of <i>Dirty Pair Flash</i> or a movie/OVA from Central Park Media or an episode or two of the non-anime <i>Shadow Raiders</i> (aka <i>War Planets</i>). But before I could, </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Showtime Beyond would often air a promo video for the channel set to </span><span style="font-family: arial;">The Reverend Horton Heat's </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">In Your Wildest Dreams</span><span style="font-family: arial;">".</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">No, George Michael didn't sing "Heaven Help Me". </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Deon Estus did. But George Michael does do the backing vocals for the song, as a</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">favor for his backing vocalist at the time</span><span style="font-family: arial;">. Unfortunately for Estus, though this choice helped the song get play on the radio, many people still think it is a George Michael song.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Remember Last.fm? For those you don't, it was a free music service where you could essentially create your own radio station by adding you favorite songs and having them play in shuffle form with included ad breaks. You also could listen to an </span><span style="font-family: arial;">auto-generated </span><span style="font-family: arial;">station of recommended songs. Hence how I discovered and fell in love with Jaki Graham's "Step Right Up". And then Last.fm completely fell apart by bad decisions and the introduction of Spotify.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I remember when <span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">U.S.A.</span><span style="font-family: arial;">" first dropped and became a surprise hit in Japan back in 2018, and also it being a viral fad later in the United States mainly due to the signature "Shoot" dance featured in its music video. I wanted to check the song out but I didn't until two years later where it would become my </span>top song of 2020 on Spotify. Often nowadays, it's my most played J-pop song in Japanese music rhythm video games.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Belinda Carlisle. A pretty underrated pop diva, as ridiculous as it sounds. I mean come on, she was the lead singer/cover girl of a very famous all-girl rock band, had a successful first solo album, and then had an even more successful second album with three top ten singles including a number #1 hit. On the other hand, she didn't sell out or really budge from the music she wanted to make after that success, proceeding onward into the 90's with some less than ideal singles and albums in America but earning a second life and fruitful career in the UK.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Originally, I was only gonna go with just one song from Carlisle: "Circle In The Sand". First discovered it through Last.fm, then became a music video favorite on YouTube. But when I was about to buy it, I noticed that </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">Heaven Is A Place On Earth</span><span style="font-family: arial;">" and "I Get Weak" were on sale. So I bought all three.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Honestly though, </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">Heaven Is A Place On Earth</span><span style="font-family: arial;">" is a stone cold favorite of mine and a lifelong single in my life. I had to heard/love the song as a kid because when I went got the CD compilation <i>More Pure 80's</i> and put that track on, as soon as I heard the opening "Ooh, baby...", it felt like a huge dam just exploded in my mind.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">"I Get Weak" had a different road in my life, as I do remember hearing it frequently when I was a kid. I always associated with the hair salon I would go to at my local mall, where it seemingly played there every time I went. Never knew who sang it but always remembered the chorus. "I Get Weak" is also the first Diane Warren song to appear in this project and I do expect her to pop up again.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">"What A Fool Believes" was another waiting room favorite. I always really loved the chorus and would often silently sing it to myself or do a mocking version of it. I would also hear it here and there as a kid, especially on adult contemporary radio stations which were my parents' stations of choice. Now it has become one of my favorite songs of all time.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Keith Richards certainly is not a singer and his solo stuff isn't well known. But I adore "Struggle". I love it simply because of its opening guitar riff. I first discovered the tune thanks to <i>Saturday Night Live</i>. No, I didn't watch the 1988 season premiere as a kid where he memorably performs it. But I did see the performance back when Comedy Central was actually good and would air old episodes of the show including the musical performances.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Be prepared to see more yacht rock in the future but pretty much none of them can conquer the king that is Pablo Cruise's "Love Will Find A Way".</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">As weird as it sounds, one of my favorite television shows of all time is a hourlong block of music videos. Specifically, a block named <i>We Are The Eighties</i> which aired on VH1 Classic. This was my literal jam. I would watch it whenever it was on, most notably every morning before I had to catch the school bus. And I can't count the sheer amount of times where I would scramble to find a pen and paper to write down artists and songs or thought I could mentally remember them. What made the show so great was the utter variety of music videos; it wasn't just the usual heavy hitters of the 80's or the most overplayed videos. To draw up an example, you would see a video from A Flock of Seagulls, followed by Del Fuegos, Kate Bush, Boys Don't Cry, Simple Minds, Dramarama, and Alison Moyet.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Unfortunately, at some point, the </span><span style="font-family: arial;">corporate overlords of </span><span style="font-family: arial;">VH1 Classic began to alter and destroy the channel and my beloved </span><i style="font-family: arial;">We Are The Eighties</i><span style="font-family: arial;"> was heavily affected. It then started to be nothing but the big hits of the 80's, eschewing all of the great oddities and little seen music videos. There were now more commercial breaks and pathetic consumeristic integration. I vividly remember one of the last times I watched the show: They came back from commercials, aired Cameo's "Word Up!", which had "Buy This on iTunes!" banners at the beginning and ending of the video, and then went to commercials.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">But I will always cherish those years I had with that show. My only remaining proof of that time are those beloved burned CDs of mine filled with songs I discovered thanks to the programmers at VH1 Classic. So if you're wondering why </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Camouflage, </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Gang of Four, Public Image Ltd., Split Enz, and Tommy Shaw are here, it is all because of </span><i style="font-family: arial;">We Are The Eighties</i><span style="font-family: arial;">. And even more of those discoveries will be coming to this project.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I kinda wish I discovered </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Michael Stanley Band's </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">He Can't Love You</span><span style="font-family: arial;">" via VH1 Classic but alas I found and fell in love with it via compilation videos of </span><span style="font-family: arial;">80's music on YouTube. Fun fact: </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">He Can't Love You</span><span style="font-family: arial;">" was the 47th music video to air on the first day of MTV.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">And the 31st song goes to </span><span style="font-family: arial;">King Kobra's </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span><span style="font-family: arial;">Iron Eagle (Never Say Die)</span><span style="font-family: arial;">", the very cheesy title track to the 1986 action film/ripoff of <i>Top Gun</i>. And if you felt bad for Louis Gossett Jr. while watching that movie, wait till you see him in the official music video for the song.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>A. Conroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10181413438503689145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4753219984473602151.post-51703611782237943082023-01-30T21:49:00.140-05:002023-03-02T21:33:35.139-05:00365 Days, 365 Songs - Introduction<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN_5ikbfORQeH-WoNos8uN118PYpkQ5V84OLH0PcsYHQxPcEs9fugqc-ZjBRLMTwOZ8aZ0qUD8jtSdFnSpCA9KRw4Zcd7rcIoACBaNaKpiUzG2r-E8xHFG4f1fEHttFYoclCyhOpzEyh5S7zIPlw5M8w_pnWsINr0NwbwK5m6PZ4vwQLDwhTmbERlp/s900/When_In_Rome_The_Promise.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="690" data-original-width="900" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN_5ikbfORQeH-WoNos8uN118PYpkQ5V84OLH0PcsYHQxPcEs9fugqc-ZjBRLMTwOZ8aZ0qUD8jtSdFnSpCA9KRw4Zcd7rcIoACBaNaKpiUzG2r-E8xHFG4f1fEHttFYoclCyhOpzEyh5S7zIPlw5M8w_pnWsINr0NwbwK5m6PZ4vwQLDwhTmbERlp/w400-h306/When_In_Rome_The_Promise.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>Everybody tries to follow through on their New Year's resolutions. Join a gym, lose weight, get a new job, move to a new place, go somewhere, etc. Of course, most people fail at them pretty quickly, especially if the goal is too unobtainable, has a time limit, or they just plain forget about it. This year, I have six resolutions I wish to achieve, all of which are pretty easy to do. However, even I'm about to fail one of them come February 1st largely due to my time management, the allure and excitement for </span><i style="font-family: arial;">Fire Emblem Engage</i><span style="font-family: arial;">, and a significant lack of utilizing Netflix. For those wondering, this resolution is to watch at least one premiering Netflix film in their given month. To make matters worst, this is a redo, as I tried to do this last year and also beefed it!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Thankfully, I'm currently still on course with one of my main resolutions: to make each day of 2023 special, I plan on buying one song from Apple iTunes per day. Hooray for consumerism!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">So why would I want to do this? Like anyone, I love music but I have been a cheapskate and a swindler with it for quite some time now. Instead of actually buying songs or albums from digital storefronts, or even daring to be like the cool kids and download stuff illegally, I more often than not just listened to them or watched their music videos on YouTube, over and over again. Yes, I did buy CDs back when they were still a thing but even with the convenience of iTunes, I just shied away from buying music for no good reason. And then Spotify had to come in and give me even more of an incentive. Just how bad has this affected me? It has largely been a thing since my college years, where I would stupidly refuse to buy anything from iTunes unless I got an Apple iTunes card as a gift. What a total goof I was.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Now anyone can just go on a spending spree and buy 365 songs in a small amount of time. To make the resolution matter more, I set up some ground rules. They are as followed:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>1. I must buy one song from iTunes per day.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Pretty basic and easy to understand. If there are any special sales on iTunes or I might have future plans to travel and/or be offline, purchasing songs in advance is allowed. This has already has been implemented, as there was a very convenient sale on rock songs for $0.69 each at the start of the year.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I'm also not going to penalize myself or fail the resolution if I forget to buy a song one day. All that really matters in the end is that I have a full playlist of 365 songs to represent the 365 days of the year by 11:59 PM on December 31st 2023.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>2. Each song has to be meaningful to me. It can't just be a random purchase.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">There are a lot of songs that mean the world to me. They helped shaped my life. They're </span><span style="font-family: arial;">forever tied with special memories. Or simply they </span><span style="font-family: arial;">moved me so emotionally that they have an eternal place in the jukebox in my mind. And yet, I don't have them in my purchased digital music collection. So I'm going to try and rectify that slight, </span><span style="font-family: arial;">especially if I have put off purchasing them for a long time.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">To keep this rule pure, I refuse to buy songs mainly just for the sake of it. For example, The Eagles' "Take It Easy". Yeah, unlike The Dude, I enjoy the song but it doesn't mean much to me. I could make the case that it is meaningful because it always reminds me of a 90s </span><span style="font-family: arial;">television commercial for a </span><span style="font-family: arial;">local radio station that featured a snippet of the song's chorus. But that's really it. On the other hand, I do have certain memories and stories in regards to "Hotel California" and "I Can't Tell You Why".</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>3. Full albums can not count.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Quickly filling up the list with a bunch of albums is just incredibly lame, even if they happen to be some of my favorite albums of all time. Prince's <i>Diamonds & Pearls</i>? Daft Punk's <i>Discovery</i>? The Beastie Boys' <i>License To Ill</i>? KMFDM's <i>Nihil</i>? HAIM's <i>Days Are Gone</i>? Kate Bush's <i>Hounds of Love</i> and <i>The Sensual World</i>? All amazing, all meaningful to me, and all obtained through legal means (copying from CDs or free downloads through local libraries).</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">But that also means that I have not digitally purchased them. Rather than buying them now just to fill out the playlist or even select a song or two from them, I want to treat them with the respect they and other albums deserve and just purchase them separately.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>4. No songs released in 2023 can count.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Pretty straight forward. Another easy way to just pad out the list. Even if let's say a special memory is created this year for me with a 2023 song, there are just so many other older songs and memories that richly deserve the spotlight.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">That pretty much sums everything up. Now that I let this out of the bag, I'm of course not just going to keep the rest of this resolution/project to myself. So, at the end of each month this year, I will reveal all of the songs that I purchased and explain the significance of them. To spice up matters, some months will feature a special theme. For example, one of my favorite national selection competitions for Eurovision, Sweden's Melodifestivalen, runs through every Saturday next month so expect February's list to be filled with a lot of Melopop. And of course, I hope you enjoy this journey through my musical heart and maybe find a new song or two or an old favorite to add to your own personal music collection.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>A. Conroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10181413438503689145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4753219984473602151.post-4078013611840526232023-01-24T17:48:00.003-05:002023-02-03T17:46:50.504-05:00Initial Reaction to the 2022 Oscar Nominations<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdAIcJJzaAJMTujVMOdv4rQ_Pk0lxbHUZ0S2sPSxvFwTRAiPXqI2NK1IA3GdyHFGOhS-12CRY78VACRLommQW20r9iJGvaMTkmya91gII5Sb0dbJmsYCYdDGyKopM1xdl2_izq32qY7MUJU41EiwYjTiNjm9UKb79d73LHUFvDKDk0RhYbW4PmWL0G/s445/oscar-statue.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="325" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdAIcJJzaAJMTujVMOdv4rQ_Pk0lxbHUZ0S2sPSxvFwTRAiPXqI2NK1IA3GdyHFGOhS-12CRY78VACRLommQW20r9iJGvaMTkmya91gII5Sb0dbJmsYCYdDGyKopM1xdl2_izq32qY7MUJU41EiwYjTiNjm9UKb79d73LHUFvDKDk0RhYbW4PmWL0G/w293-h400/oscar-statue.jpg" width="293" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>Once again, I'm back in the saddle to react to the Oscar noms. No big emotions either way on any of them. They were all pretty much what I expected.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I am glad <i>Everything Everywhere All At Once</i> got the headlines with the most Oscar nominations (11) but I do kinda feel that it will not win Best Picture. It thankfully will not suffer a shutout as Quan is a definite lock for Best Supporting Actor. I was very happy that Jaime Lee Curtis and Stephanie Hsu got in for Best Supporting Actress</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span>Dear lord, I've been monitoring the awards train </span>for <i>All Quiet On The Western Front</i> as it prepared to make its final stop at the Academy but I didn't expect it to transform into a Thomas The Tank Engine-like superbeast! It didn't get the most nominations (tying with Banshees with 9) but it felt like it was nominated in every single category. That's what happens when your movie title starts with an A!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Babylon</i> go rightfully shafted. I chuckled whenever I read or heard from the "awards experts" saying it would definitely get in for Best Picture. People actually need to see it, like it and like Damien Chazelle again before that could have happened. In fairness, I am glad it got in for Production Design, Costume Design, and Score. Sucks that Margot Robbie didn't get Best Actress but we will get to that category in a bit.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Oh no, the shock, the horror at <i>Black Panther 2</i> not getting a Best Picture nom! Seriously, the movie is popular but not <i>Top Gun: Maverick</i> popular. It made a lot of money but there really wasn't any truly meaningful conversation about the movie itself outside of Angela Bassett. Please let her finally get an Oscar!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Women Talking</i> was highly talked about all through last year among critics. Unfortunately for the movie, those were the only people who really cared about it quite frankly. I knew it was too dark and depressing for the Academy but hey at least they got in for Best Picture.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Now, as for the controversy surrounding Best Director. Yes, it does suck that there is not a single female director nominated after two back-to-back wins in the category. It would have been cool if someone like Sarah Polley was there. But you must always remember that the Oscars is and always will be a popularity contest amongst a closed knit industry. Though there should be diversity in the big name categories, that doesn't mean the Academy must always leave a spot open just for the sake of a token appearance.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">James Cameron didn't get a nom for Best Director. The fact that that snub is being talked about in the same breath as the no women directors discourse is so unbelievably hypocritical.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I'm happy for the somewhat surprise success of <i>Triangle of Sadness</i>. I wish Charlbi Dean or Woody Harrelson would've gotten nominated though. And yes, I would rather have Dean in contention over Dolly de Leon.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Hooray for Paul Mescal getting in for Best Actor. And though he's in the traditional British actor/career thespian nom slot, I'm happy that Bill Nighy finally got to be noticed by the Academy. Where were they after <i>Love Actually</i> came out?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">No Tom Cruise for Best Actor but that was expected.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Ana de Armas?! She's one of my favorite actresses working today but come on, the Academy. We as a true blue American society have tried to forget that <i>Blonde</i> was ever a thing.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Oh, Andrea Riseborough got nominated. Interesting.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Yeah, I'm not really shocked about the Riseborough nom. If you were following Hollywood news and gossip lately, you would have already heard about the sudden and very loud social media praise she was getting in the last couple of weeks, most notably from many very big actors and actresses.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>The Woman King</i> completely snubbed, including Viola Davis. This despite that movie being one of the very, very few profitable awards season movies last year. No Danielle Deadwyler for <i>Till</i> also sucks.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Please let this not be the only time Brian Tyree Henry gets Oscar love.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I do pour one out for Paul Dano losing out in Best Supporting Actor but Judd Hirsch is just so great in the few scenes he's in.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">No Janelle Monae! Okay, I take back the "no big emotions" remark. That's some bullshit right there.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Surely, the Oscars would give a lot of love to Jordan Peele and <i>Nope</i>, right? Insert Dean Ambrose/Jon Moxley gif here. Honestly, I knew the Academy would not treat that movie well, to the point that I just plain forget that it was snubbed until some critics pointed it out in their reaction articles. I roll my eyes at anyone who really though Keke Palmer had a chance but the fact that the movie didn't get a nom for Best Cinematography, Best Visual Effects, and Best Sound is pretty astounding.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">No <i>Inu Oh</i> or <i>Mad God</i> for Best Animated Feature. Kinda prefer one of those over <i>Puss In Boots 2</i>.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Decision To Leave</i>, <i>Saint Omer</i>, <i>Plan 75</i>, <i>The Quiet Girl</i> and <i>Bardo</i> all missed out in Best International Feature. Shame about that. Well, except for <i>Bardo</i> of course.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">No <i>RRR</i> for Best International Feature is a complete shocker, considering all of the hype and chatter it had last year. At least it's there for Best Song. Which leads too...</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">No Taylor Swift! Hooray! Now if only Rihanna and Lady Gaga weren't there as well. Seriously though, I like/love those three but their movie songs all had issues.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Of course Diane Warren found a way to get in. Remember what I said about the Oscars being a popularity contest?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>My Year of Dicks</i>. What a title! And what a great audience break for that during the nomination reveals. Only for it to get better when it is followed by <i>An Ostrich Told Me The World Is Fake And I Think I Believe It</i>.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">No <i>Top Gun: Maverick</i> for Best Cinematography! Are you freaking kidding me?! Look, I love Roger Deakins, but <i>Empire of Light</i> being nominated over <i>Top Gun</i> is ridiculous.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Hey, remember <i>She Said</i>? No? The Academy didn't either.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">That about does it. Come back in March for my predictions which I obviously will fail at.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>A. Conroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10181413438503689145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4753219984473602151.post-35618679828064430202023-01-06T21:50:00.449-05:002024-01-21T14:18:04.227-05:00Anime Watch of 2022<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiutho76I9-H4qA01q8hXBhGvGuRP4TRS2cPKXkTzzCwRo_bQDS-0n627UHGcsIJ6hPmMzV_bYuoJfroBYq_wMCA1B2B466ZCBZv9YhjvKID8NfQTj-MBBh7yTJgUW_WD3cE7nSsFdw2govzmerKJ7UtWt_lMkmGmJpN-wwM0it1EZ-8_88J98BZpsc-bI/s1280/Anime_Watch_2022.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiutho76I9-H4qA01q8hXBhGvGuRP4TRS2cPKXkTzzCwRo_bQDS-0n627UHGcsIJ6hPmMzV_bYuoJfroBYq_wMCA1B2B466ZCBZv9YhjvKID8NfQTj-MBBh7yTJgUW_WD3cE7nSsFdw2govzmerKJ7UtWt_lMkmGmJpN-wwM0it1EZ-8_88J98BZpsc-bI/w400-h225/Anime_Watch_2022.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>2022 was pretty monumental for the anime industry, especially here in the United States. After much stalling and people lamenting when the other shoe would drop, it was announced in March that Sony would consolidate their anime brands. Funimation, the long time anime distributor and licensor company which had survived both the 90s anime rush and the mid-to-late 00's dark age of anime, would be consolidated with Sony's streaming service Crunchyroll. All of Funimation's current acquisitions and airing shows? Now premiering on Crunchyroll, including the dubs. Their back catalog? Slowly being added throughout the year. The online store? Also consolidated with Crunchyroll's. The home video releases? All now under the new name and sporting the Crunchyroll logo. And their current streaming platform? Still up as of January 2023 but no new titles and will eventually be sunset.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span>I get it, the Crunchyroll name and brand is more well known across the globe but it does still suck. Despite their own history of issues, I've always liked and trusted the Funimation brand; whenever I saw their logo pop up before something, it would make me smile and give me some assurance that everything would relatively be in good hands. Unfortunately for me and everybody else, there were far more things that sucked with the Crunchyroll "takeover". First, most obviously because of the merger, Sentai Filmworks removed many of their exclusive titles from the Crunchyroll platform by the end of March, including several big shows such as the first two seasons of </span><i>My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU</i>. Then to further conquer the anime market and beef up their frankly poor online store presence, Crunchyroll bought up the popular anime online retailer Right Stuf in August and did the obvious corporate decision by immediately jettisoning their adult section. And finally, to hurt even more feelings and cause a lot of controversy, the company in September chose to not renew voice actor Kyle McCarley's contract to voice the main character of hugely popular show Mob Psycho 100 largely due to him being a member of SAG.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">All of that sucked but unless you wanted to enter pirate waters to watch anime, you just had to swallow it and move on. And the thing is, at least with me, it wasn't really that bad. I was very concerned about the merger especially since I had a yearly subscription to both Funimation and Crunchyroll. Thankfully, Crunchyroll was aware of this issue with many of their subscribers and thanks to the very helpful customer service department, I have a free subscription until December 2023. Though they took over Right Stuf, non-adult business is still usual and Crunchyroll hasn't prevented any of their competitors from having their products be listed. However, though I am happy that a lot of the Funimation crew and cast are still being retained, I do really wish that Crunchyroll start to take voice acting and unions more seriously.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Now enough about Crunchyroll, what about the anime of 2022? Well, as I said up top, is was pretty monumental. <i>Spy x Family</i> and <i>Chainsaw Man</i> were the two most popular new shows of the year and crossed over with a lot of non-anime fans. Romantic comedies were all the rage led by the pretty surprising success of <i>My Dress-Up Darling</i>. Netflix and Studio Trigger's <i>Cyberpunk: Edgerunners</i> surprised everyone by actually being very good, so much so that it helped spur sales of the infamous video game it's based on. Several cult gems popped up and became the most talked titles of the year, such as <i>Lycoris Recoil</i>, <i>Bocchi The Rock!</i>, and the non-licensed <i>Summer Time Rendering</i>. Many shows returned with another season, <i>Urusei Yatsura</i> got a modern remake, <i>Bleach</i> came back, <i>Blue Lock</i> made Americans interested in soccer and people started to care about Gundams again with <i>Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury</i>. And then you have the rich collection of anime movies that all quite surprisingly got theatrical releases here in the States, including <i>One Piece Film Red</i>, <i>Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero</i>, <i>Jujutsu Kaisen Zero</i>, <i>The Quintessential Quintuplets Movie</i>, <i>Mobile Suit Gundam: Cucuruz Doan's Island</i> and <i>Teasing Master Takagi-San: The Movie</i>.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Of course, not everything was truly rosy. Some of the new seasons/parts ended up being huge disappointments. The most notable examples: the second seasons of <i>The Rising Of The Shield Hero</i>, </span><i style="font-family: arial;">The Devil Is A Part Timer!</i><span style="font-family: arial;">, </span><span style="font-family: arial;">and </span><i style="font-family: arial;">Rent-A-Girlfriend</i><span style="font-family: arial;">; the second part of </span><i style="font-family: arial;">Ranking Of Kings</i><span style="font-family: arial;">;</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> and the final season of </span><i style="font-family: arial;">Attack On Titan</i><span style="font-family: arial;">. People were rolling their eyes and mocked the heavily censored </span><i style="font-family: arial;">World's End Harem</i><span style="font-family: arial;"> and </span><i style="font-family: arial;">Harem In The Labyrinth Of Another World</i><span style="font-family: arial;">. The highly anticipated anime adaptation of </span><i style="font-family: arial;">Lucifer And The Biscuit Hammer</i><span style="font-family: arial;"> was so bad it created a ton of vitriol online not seen since </span><i style="font-family: arial;">The Promised Neverland</i><span style="font-family: arial;"> Season 2 (wait, no, there was no second season). And truly the worst thing to happen last year for anime, worst than anything you can say about Crunchyroll, voice actor Billy Kametz passed away shortly after revealing that he had been diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">As for myself in 2022, well, though everything eventually worked out with the Funimation-Crunchyroll merger, the drama of it all coupled with my declining interest in watching anime let alone television in general hurt my anime watch. Of the six titles I mentioned at the end of my Anime Watch of 2021 article that I planned on viewing, I only saw half of them. I stupidly skipped out on </span><i style="font-family: arial;">Spy x Family</i><span style="font-family: arial;">, </span><i style="font-family: arial;">Chainsaw Man</i><span style="font-family: arial;">, <i>Love After World Domination</i>, and <i>Shikimori's Not Just A Cutie</i></span><span style="font-family: arial;"> even though I'm a fan of their respective manga. Did the same skip with </span><i style="font-family: arial;">The Genius Prince</i><span style="font-family: arial;"> and </span><i style="font-family: arial;">Trapped In A Dating Sim</i><span style="font-family: arial;"> despite being a fan of the light novel series, especially of the former. I couldn't stupidly bring myself to spend $5 for at least one month for Hi-Dive just to view <i>Call Of The Night</i> and most egregiously Season 3 of <i>Teasing Master Takagi-San</i>. And despite my praise for them in the past, I didn't watch the latest seasons of <i>Uzaki-Chan Wants To Hang Out!</i> and <i>Welcome To Demon School! Iruma-kun</i>. I spent more time last year caring about watching anime on the movie theater than I did on my computer or television. Fun note: I literally planned on making a long drive to Boston in order to see <i>Teasing Master Takagi-San: The Movie</i>, this despite again not even attempting to watch Season 3!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Since I like to capture my thoughts and feelings, I once again decided to create a list of my watched anime shows, starting from what I dubbed were the best and traveling all the way down to the ones that left me angry and/or stupefied. The rules of the list are the same: The overall quality of the show and my personal response to it are the major factors towards their rank. However, other additional factors such as replayability, voice talent, and lasting impact can help sway their placing. Only new shows/new viewings count; rewatches are immediately disqualified and if I watch a show that I already started, only the continuing unwatched episodes will be reviewed. I treat and grade all series fairly, even ones that I haven't actually finished or may not choose to finish. If you see a </span><b style="font-family: arial;">*</b><span style="font-family: arial;"> next to the title, that means I had a limited sampling of the show or didn't complete the series/franchise fully.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>1. <i>My Dress-Up Darling</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>2. <i>Komi Can't Communicate (Season 2)</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>3. <i>How A Realist Hero Rebuilt The Kingdom (Part 2)</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>4. <i>Kotaro Lives Alone* [eps. 1-2]</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>5. <i>Knight's & Magic* [eps. 1-5]</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i>6. Absolute Duo* [eps. 1-6]</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i>7. Trinity Seven* [eps. 1-3]</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">So, where do I go from here? Well, my number one thing to do in 2023 is definitely watch <i>Spy x Family</i>. Regardless if my anime fever remains low, I just have to watch that show. I definitely also want to watch Season 3 of <i>Iruma-kun</i>, maybe after rewatching Season 2 with the English dub. I do want to turn things around and watch more anime but I don't want to force it. On other hand, I don't want to watch something just when I happen to have a sudden interest in it, as that was my strategy in the second half of 2022. I'll certainly figure something out and not lose sleep on it. Besides, even if I don't watch anything in the first three months of this year, I'm not losing any money for it plus there are several titles I'm looking forward to come April. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Hopefully you get to hear my thoughts on those and more next January.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>A. Conroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10181413438503689145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4753219984473602151.post-44127202371636934552023-01-02T10:00:01.623-05:002024-01-26T15:28:55.848-05:00Best To Worst Films of 2022<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">2022... was a year. Yeah, I know that's not really a catchy way to start recapping last year. It's also a little insulting to describe it that way, especially considering how we all sadly had to experience Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the ongoing war of attrition in that region, and how a lot hearts and minds on the issue are fading away thanks to distractions, disinformation and other problems. Plus, we still had the stinking shit the Supreme Court left us with, not to mention the continuing misadventures of frivolous anger and pathetic nonsense being spouted out and promoted in public and online. But maybe it's just me being a bit too hopeful but I felt that 2022 saw us starting to turn a corner on several key issues and troubles. We're not back where we used to be but for the most part we have adapted and rebuilt a lot of lost and new ground.</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The same can sorta be said about the film industry. Okay, now that's maybe me being a little too hopeful. For you see, with every big positive gained for cinema last year, there was an even huger negative. The general public returned to the movie theaters, giving them the pleasure of experiencing some great displays of entertainment while also giving the studios and theater chains some much needed box office revenue. However, the public is now far more selective on what they </span><span style="font-family: arial;">want to watch and how to view it (why pay a premium to bring the family to see that crappy animated spaceman movie when it will come to Disney+ sooner rather than later?). This new smarter thinking</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> led to some pretty big box office bombs and too many dry months at the cinema. Genre fans got to rejoice heavily, as many anime films, horror films, and other titles with cult appeal got to hang out with the big kids in theaters and often stole their thunder with good returns, long runs, and/or the privilege of ruling the top spots in a given weekend. And sure, let's also give the Christian film industry some love (much to my chagrin) as they too performed better than anticipated. This is all fine and dandy for fans of the niche but with theaters now only catering to the small but loyal and big but fickle audiences, anyone can see that there's a huge lack of normal, easily pleasing B-level movies being offered up. You know, the kind that really keep movie theaters a float because people often want to go out and have a good night by seeing something simpler? We got a few winners here and there (<i>Barbarian</i>, <i>Ticket To Paradise</i>) but this fare either </span><span style="font-family: arial;">died a swift death like <i>Bros</i> and <i>Easter Sunday</i></span><span style="font-family: arial;"> or were relegated to streaming only. As for the streaming side... yeah, even with the surprising success stories like <i>RRR</i> and <i>Prey</i>, streaming didn't really have much positives last year.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I mean, come on, you had Netflix suffering a huge drop in viewers in one quarter, which reverberated so thoroughly throughout the nation that it hit them hard on Wall Street and now have people questioning the whole streaming industry in general. Then you had HBO Max destroying all their good will thanks to new CEO David Zaslav and an upcoming merger, with the former writing off two nearly completed movies (plus a cult animated series) as tax write-offs, removing a ton of HBO Max exclusive movies, series and even Looney Tunes in order to avoid rights fees, and just being an overall asshat to the public. Then there's Disney, oh boy oh boy Disney. They sharply canceled the theatrical run of <i>Turning Red</i> and brought it to Disney+, where it becomes a big hit with critics and audiences, meaning no new money for the Big Mouse. Their supposed red hot titles for theaters <i>Lightyear</i> and <i>Strange World</i> become the biggest laughingstocks of the year. The company again falls into the same trap with the lack of a theatrical run for <i>Hocus Pocus 2</i>. They start to poison the well of Disney+ with the likes of <i>Pinocchio</i> and <i>Disenchanted</i>. And just when we thought we saw everything, Bob Iger elbows his way back into the company!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">As for more bad film news in 2022, there was the continuing nonimpact of the Sundance Film Festival. The Golden Globes went private with no one really caring that much. The Oscars became a big fiasco, first with the announced decision to "cut" eight full categories in order to "save ratings" only for the actual show to shamble about until The Slap ruined the night. Films annoyingly become way too long as the year went on, with even the simplest film now being at least over two hours long. The Japanese film industry experienced their own day of reckoning when harsh accusations hit acclaimed directors Sion Sono and Naomi Kawase. The legacy of Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi is on the verge of being torn to shreds after he's indicated of plagiarizing the idea of <i>A Hero</i> from one of his students. <i>Don't Worry Darling</i> quickly changes from a highly anticipated movie to a bomb waiting to happen thanks to a poor showing at Venice, salacious tabloid and online drama, and of course "Spitgate". And in very worrying news for movie studios and auteurs, the American public chose to avoid nearly all of the Oscar bait and awards hopeful movies in theaters during the fall season, thus leading to an uncertain future for those months and certainly another poorly viewed Oscars.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Wow, I really laid out a lot of bad stuff that happened last year. Thankfully, none of it really affected my personal life. 2022 was a frankly okay year for me, as I mainly just coasted through all of the ups and downs that came up. Nothing was taken off my bucket list but I got to do more stuff with friends and family and enjoyed celebrating several people's milestones in life. I unfortunately did get COVID at one point but it thankfully came and went, save for an annoying cough and mucus buildup that took a while to get rid of. While that sucked, the "worst" thing that really happened to me was the now recent closure of my beloved Replay, one of the few remaining independent movie stores in my area. I racked up my credit cards to buy all of the DVDs and Blu-rays that I had put aside for a rainy day purchase or whatever was still hanging around, leaving the store several times with literal boxes of the stuff. But my love for movies didn't just end there. Thanks to Regal Unlimited, I got to savor going to the movie theaters more often than I did for the past two years and turned a profit on my subscription. Unfortunately, even with the increase in cinema visiting, I missed out on many big titles, the worst skips being <i>Avatar: The Way of Water</i> and <i>Black Panther: Wakanda Forever</i>. Regardless, I do truly treasure the cinema experience as it has really become my main source in movie watching. I don't sit down and view a ton of movies at home like I used to, often now being distracted by YouTube, Twitch and video games, so I try to overcompensate by making an effort to visit the movie theaters as much as I can. Maybe I'll do more of that this upcoming year.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">My final total of 2022 films that I watched is 28. Oh hell yeah! Bust out the champagne because I'm still increasing my year-to-year movie count! And as is now my new tradition, I will arrange the films in the order of my opinion of them, from the best to the worst.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">(<b>EDIT:</b> So I sadly never really got around to getting all of my thoughts down for this article. Rather than leave this further in draft limbo, I decided to post what I have digitally written down. Again, sorry it's not up to par with the my previous Best and Worst lists.)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">First up... a true top ten films of the year! Now granted, the first eight films were definite locks while the last two films were added to truly make it a top ten list. On the other hand, #9 and #10 do deserve their placements as they both surprisingly stuck with me throughout the year.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKVgZLsHC72AUh9b-n6JTD7Ox6xlw0gtaPC9CQtAK6DiDu61MGRRvUDaEq4gW48dr8TwB1RE9hqYWkHBQPgnhp6RmPYgmbYzmvhRw_fqV5GJRm751qqlCfXqgmryd7fMHkhsq3DrAyz_fMMtPN-WEk02d58p3FUk4ZCGcJ-UHyQW1pLRxz1LgjbuhysN8/s755/everything_everywhere_all_at_once_ver3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="510" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKVgZLsHC72AUh9b-n6JTD7Ox6xlw0gtaPC9CQtAK6DiDu61MGRRvUDaEq4gW48dr8TwB1RE9hqYWkHBQPgnhp6RmPYgmbYzmvhRw_fqV5GJRm751qqlCfXqgmryd7fMHkhsq3DrAyz_fMMtPN-WEk02d58p3FUk4ZCGcJ-UHyQW1pLRxz1LgjbuhysN8/w270-h400/everything_everywhere_all_at_once_ver3.jpg" width="270" /></a></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>1. <i>Everything Everywhere All At Once</i></b></span></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhouSp6V9w4FF4XdPdkRxY33HeBXGpBIl9tF6fJSXmfd6V-l9ZXhFi85tcKwHw3xScVtqxx4Oe9Rgu8Sbb3UwNK1cb7SjwrjIa2NaIiRiwp7MIymfy3mDRyy4KaoSZvCgQb13UEjSs_CvJv5dCMmiMSPY4ovC8xenCq9xnXIlIUonPZJnA7fLJPrXrI2-o/s755/top_gun_maverick_ver3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="509" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhouSp6V9w4FF4XdPdkRxY33HeBXGpBIl9tF6fJSXmfd6V-l9ZXhFi85tcKwHw3xScVtqxx4Oe9Rgu8Sbb3UwNK1cb7SjwrjIa2NaIiRiwp7MIymfy3mDRyy4KaoSZvCgQb13UEjSs_CvJv5dCMmiMSPY4ovC8xenCq9xnXIlIUonPZJnA7fLJPrXrI2-o/w270-h400/top_gun_maverick_ver3.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><b style="font-family: arial;">2. <i>Top Gun: Maverick</i></b></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaWcwfpqmad2qxG3Cm8Ghc6IMcM7MuR2k6oNFg2l9BqOCHZvhP2SEU4jSxsmN4Cywbd8g5KOR4z2bo9fK2GKymUz4mT9BexIF1CUCCQMi_AJng4-BoNGc-hLuvllA8U5YOrntLuK7oIYNyUZPICcw3JSLv3LtAmU6b9vKdfsZvDPWWiRoxsPTl2SADu4c/s815/BELLE_US_Poster.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="815" data-original-width="550" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaWcwfpqmad2qxG3Cm8Ghc6IMcM7MuR2k6oNFg2l9BqOCHZvhP2SEU4jSxsmN4Cywbd8g5KOR4z2bo9fK2GKymUz4mT9BexIF1CUCCQMi_AJng4-BoNGc-hLuvllA8U5YOrntLuK7oIYNyUZPICcw3JSLv3LtAmU6b9vKdfsZvDPWWiRoxsPTl2SADu4c/w270-h400/BELLE_US_Poster.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><b style="font-family: arial;">3. <i>Belle</i></b></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjySdxJsLLfDAu7tM7hAMgReTuLwnZ4RLxWWJhZPtFdhQvwtXs6iVHBWTL6C94aYLZijy4GmexpFwbZhC-9yJX7cGBTO0GggmWUz_ZtAzL_WTIC_TTKV-fW1V3ngHg4YC0Kl-BoM50shLwoc7dlV0BbjbNQjerOWhlADl8qEaWgBltWJ5mZSQEJ6hZXmGU/s755/pearl.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="604" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjySdxJsLLfDAu7tM7hAMgReTuLwnZ4RLxWWJhZPtFdhQvwtXs6iVHBWTL6C94aYLZijy4GmexpFwbZhC-9yJX7cGBTO0GggmWUz_ZtAzL_WTIC_TTKV-fW1V3ngHg4YC0Kl-BoM50shLwoc7dlV0BbjbNQjerOWhlADl8qEaWgBltWJ5mZSQEJ6hZXmGU/w320-h400/pearl.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b style="font-family: arial;">4. <i>Pearl</i></b></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHtMmAuNfI0qraMgT3tu3hQztzT0TDH9mVFsuVc1eXXRNptdEn6VgqxXNscxxl_edTViDXpmb3oo96Eye_6TJpz5gaXhpwi9vt-HucD1gZQqMOioc8v4PnZlKEOJ7vLnuhuul3N854c42AXAOJzeThlOhYAeesWbpiNu3PO70u8b5_ajvOqt78gUZAD2M/s755/nope_ver2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="477" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHtMmAuNfI0qraMgT3tu3hQztzT0TDH9mVFsuVc1eXXRNptdEn6VgqxXNscxxl_edTViDXpmb3oo96Eye_6TJpz5gaXhpwi9vt-HucD1gZQqMOioc8v4PnZlKEOJ7vLnuhuul3N854c42AXAOJzeThlOhYAeesWbpiNu3PO70u8b5_ajvOqt78gUZAD2M/w253-h400/nope_ver2.jpg" width="253" /></a></div><b style="font-family: arial;">5. <i>Nope</i></b></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdxt0i4R_xP9HhoOYaxtEoLoir812VLkc5XS_UaaBCuVBEmaRB__8VK6fgGXDBc5w7HAQIEEUxIqQzdFkmdOzF3dsJ3YRKQ3ROwEUzrf6-ZFd3-bhYyJh-j3ErwXM42anZpXHulAtIhmOx2Hs-XVKWZ0JvUH-WdM7dEVFEXmU2-MrOcqV0MY07byO_dbY/s755/menu_ver3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="504" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdxt0i4R_xP9HhoOYaxtEoLoir812VLkc5XS_UaaBCuVBEmaRB__8VK6fgGXDBc5w7HAQIEEUxIqQzdFkmdOzF3dsJ3YRKQ3ROwEUzrf6-ZFd3-bhYyJh-j3ErwXM42anZpXHulAtIhmOx2Hs-XVKWZ0JvUH-WdM7dEVFEXmU2-MrOcqV0MY07byO_dbY/w268-h400/menu_ver3.jpg" width="268" /></a></div><b style="font-family: arial;">6. <i>The Menu</i></b></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ADkNnMzz49oc1nHLYpRvisBn0wFmb0xB-hWlsv1wm_ry1BbizhyphenhyphenrGlzGc6Ju0oZJzbkrBNbxvhMzZ1XkdQYihbhSWN6o0OU2roLIq7SUTa3PSyNdOsKhba80zB0qELIFU5UMlja2s8-nTwsAGatT9lB_mmpxxNCoXIK5m_2SVbcYAmxKvQ_UpFiCDX0/s755/glass_onion_a_knives_out_mystery_ver2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="510" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ADkNnMzz49oc1nHLYpRvisBn0wFmb0xB-hWlsv1wm_ry1BbizhyphenhyphenrGlzGc6Ju0oZJzbkrBNbxvhMzZ1XkdQYihbhSWN6o0OU2roLIq7SUTa3PSyNdOsKhba80zB0qELIFU5UMlja2s8-nTwsAGatT9lB_mmpxxNCoXIK5m_2SVbcYAmxKvQ_UpFiCDX0/w270-h400/glass_onion_a_knives_out_mystery_ver2.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><b style="font-family: arial;">7. <i>Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery</i></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6FLOW0thGKJWcH3EbXc1CH60-n_EHnUZ93vUv17zzatEE2MFUzPSTuOUyJYup6GzfidQJ7paAGr8eo3ikJKlf2-Vwf2rttFj1xXkDD5ziss4b8qoLUVF-0n5lwcLrKZmpnBjhmCGHXPS1rOQqYF38CMEM7KOTxZX9zN7YksiIk7D5eI-4832TaRzN0oA/s755/fire_of_love.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="510" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6FLOW0thGKJWcH3EbXc1CH60-n_EHnUZ93vUv17zzatEE2MFUzPSTuOUyJYup6GzfidQJ7paAGr8eo3ikJKlf2-Vwf2rttFj1xXkDD5ziss4b8qoLUVF-0n5lwcLrKZmpnBjhmCGHXPS1rOQqYF38CMEM7KOTxZX9zN7YksiIk7D5eI-4832TaRzN0oA/w270-h400/fire_of_love.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">8. </span><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Fire Of Love</i></span></b></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi95_DZu1GiL1XSv44DX-DBVYqXe-06wBHXTuEjeIRKxlpim2NckNCzgJQJoNyda79UW4dQz0SczzsTE_04At91Yh1ZW5Ym7Kv6oE6azgffThjnafU9wniGvlxvFgV4TFwQbK8x_NDp7icPjvmnBPIrNcd5ymObdPHp6mXElWOvdRp-MNm5HJZI_6Fcot4/s804/Pompo_The_Cinephile.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="804" data-original-width="550" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi95_DZu1GiL1XSv44DX-DBVYqXe-06wBHXTuEjeIRKxlpim2NckNCzgJQJoNyda79UW4dQz0SczzsTE_04At91Yh1ZW5Ym7Kv6oE6azgffThjnafU9wniGvlxvFgV4TFwQbK8x_NDp7icPjvmnBPIrNcd5ymObdPHp6mXElWOvdRp-MNm5HJZI_6Fcot4/w274-h400/Pompo_The_Cinephile.jpg" width="274" /></a></div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">9. </span><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Pompo The Cinephile</i></span></b></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFM92GjIgJ3vsyk2gNdLAlCcOjGho0aCXVWvwdyhxeYT-yvwoVebBpQqbZgYT4ws6ucWom7XH0mVowDSAAzAL7fXt0Kr1jzP7tbARMmRO6wPEcceg94xV7R_QZx4ygygvb7jMG_NJhRgdLoe3UJXgKgY05c7icFUEv9cZNGkFNGEcI8DzQ1LNyOMbFx5A/s755/triangle_of_sadness_ver2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="509" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFM92GjIgJ3vsyk2gNdLAlCcOjGho0aCXVWvwdyhxeYT-yvwoVebBpQqbZgYT4ws6ucWom7XH0mVowDSAAzAL7fXt0Kr1jzP7tbARMmRO6wPEcceg94xV7R_QZx4ygygvb7jMG_NJhRgdLoe3UJXgKgY05c7icFUEv9cZNGkFNGEcI8DzQ1LNyOMbFx5A/w270-h400/triangle_of_sadness_ver2.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">10. </span><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Triangle Of Sadness</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Next up are six films that would have been placed in what I used to call The Next Ten, aka my #11 to #20 best films of the year. However, though I have very favorable opinions of all of them, they for the most part had a disappointing element or two that really affected my enjoyment.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEittO_g2SbjGOwXbpWNnh9xEU28qUesAEILYsJR5M3CDJQUNKwLWZz8CqOWDuqkry2fjsqC-fB7fSGdZFr3YbyZmSNffOPtZJWQg-bNogbLYY5AHaSRNmNN_gvLQO1VHK9PVhZDcSB3PFny-_0T18iy8kfNPEwIv8xB5KyKxOwuApuC2oDXh9L2GkzMFZA/s755/fabelmans_ver2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="477" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEittO_g2SbjGOwXbpWNnh9xEU28qUesAEILYsJR5M3CDJQUNKwLWZz8CqOWDuqkry2fjsqC-fB7fSGdZFr3YbyZmSNffOPtZJWQg-bNogbLYY5AHaSRNmNN_gvLQO1VHK9PVhZDcSB3PFny-_0T18iy8kfNPEwIv8xB5KyKxOwuApuC2oDXh9L2GkzMFZA/w253-h400/fabelmans_ver2.jpg" width="253" /></a></div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">11. </span><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>The Fabelmans</i></span></b></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOCxBNmJ_PFAUgYGGIlD5WJRfS2WOvupUUIplcItgPowJo2zeSClructeHguwu4ndDTlVfUN5v-iegvrGtJE3EHHV0_xdhN5SX2mJEScVjS8jzfRVotU-x4jKjuRQ_hH3rMUEzqi2EXdCdHy1jvpq9R10Auxn6bBsKhTCZuqoJ4fLurEE3YqkVnwUDK0E/s755/batman_ver8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="509" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOCxBNmJ_PFAUgYGGIlD5WJRfS2WOvupUUIplcItgPowJo2zeSClructeHguwu4ndDTlVfUN5v-iegvrGtJE3EHHV0_xdhN5SX2mJEScVjS8jzfRVotU-x4jKjuRQ_hH3rMUEzqi2EXdCdHy1jvpq9R10Auxn6bBsKhTCZuqoJ4fLurEE3YqkVnwUDK0E/w270-h400/batman_ver8.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">12. </span><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>The Batman</i></span></b></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit-d49JWEZgpHhzTyoPPyTnR18x4uBTB_zRZ3xVY07d30rzEPM0rt7ZrVH7rMxODJaQLMC8hKVRZMjAQuIeF5ORnkcqIt8b3aVuFouNVcSD8IlPFG-mT1a6TJFqJ2NDnq5CzoOyNYqq9PWqt_N8H2JOgjowcNXG-sMp_IqEo4BFgy_MxGC2YEFdpOBBPU/s755/northman_ver3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="510" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit-d49JWEZgpHhzTyoPPyTnR18x4uBTB_zRZ3xVY07d30rzEPM0rt7ZrVH7rMxODJaQLMC8hKVRZMjAQuIeF5ORnkcqIt8b3aVuFouNVcSD8IlPFG-mT1a6TJFqJ2NDnq5CzoOyNYqq9PWqt_N8H2JOgjowcNXG-sMp_IqEo4BFgy_MxGC2YEFdpOBBPU/w270-h400/northman_ver3.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">13. </span><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>The Northman</i></span></b></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcsnEeEiV6vBNhs7mPLYZ5me6YfKlK1n6iwit6ToH3T0rqcBs2TYW_4rc2mPb4-lop7kfg35d_hE8L_dH6rqv3W5HenGK7dyDaO8UY3Y3i19VRhJUPem2QyRSSl94Ue7SNe8uSgnXt7fyc4JiPuy6PleIqZ_s_ntNaQ8pFsep4vhIsbdArUt1so365wi8/s755/one_piece_film_red.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="533" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcsnEeEiV6vBNhs7mPLYZ5me6YfKlK1n6iwit6ToH3T0rqcBs2TYW_4rc2mPb4-lop7kfg35d_hE8L_dH6rqv3W5HenGK7dyDaO8UY3Y3i19VRhJUPem2QyRSSl94Ue7SNe8uSgnXt7fyc4JiPuy6PleIqZ_s_ntNaQ8pFsep4vhIsbdArUt1so365wi8/w283-h400/one_piece_film_red.jpg" width="283" /></a></div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">14. </span><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>One Piece Film: Red</i></span></b></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8S1KhJSUxiXrDWEZT7Ab2S5j-Av1iMIAXeVuy53-ar4hYRcdIdzF0vhHmXrMxRnpm61S29UmG5d_AjActGyBASKNcAZ2JepoGnx4erLU56pXkqWWBIFu_xa1y7xNBUUMENTM10ScHxZg0ROEqnhfx2KoYXo9kFrm9daxvX_3xkQ_jSLzVKzP1Tj0GesQ/s815/Inu_Oh_Poster.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="815" data-original-width="550" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8S1KhJSUxiXrDWEZT7Ab2S5j-Av1iMIAXeVuy53-ar4hYRcdIdzF0vhHmXrMxRnpm61S29UmG5d_AjActGyBASKNcAZ2JepoGnx4erLU56pXkqWWBIFu_xa1y7xNBUUMENTM10ScHxZg0ROEqnhfx2KoYXo9kFrm9daxvX_3xkQ_jSLzVKzP1Tj0GesQ/w270-h400/Inu_Oh_Poster.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">15. </span><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Inu-Oh</i></span></b></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeYFW4CXbfnl02jo_Bgu5nCHromNPXNtc-_Vqw3HKPIhH7cTF-YCWmn91JAg-9xhvRu1XX6dOpOW_6iX9N6ppghN_FfMP5AwrLCetjDSz1lWPK9fueCLKRKxSFNcdkVDtQLewCxa-EknxQfPSHAtonK7HZ1KrNqRHfW6frHTo4YhkS7hhjr5tvbfayRlM/s755/men_ver2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="510" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeYFW4CXbfnl02jo_Bgu5nCHromNPXNtc-_Vqw3HKPIhH7cTF-YCWmn91JAg-9xhvRu1XX6dOpOW_6iX9N6ppghN_FfMP5AwrLCetjDSz1lWPK9fueCLKRKxSFNcdkVDtQLewCxa-EknxQfPSHAtonK7HZ1KrNqRHfW6frHTo4YhkS7hhjr5tvbfayRlM/w270-h400/men_ver2.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">16. </span><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Men</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Next are the "creamy middles", the movies that were quite effective in their execution and entertainment but would just miss being in my best of the year list. These are also the last movies to cross the finish line successfully and avoid being given the "distinction" of making my worst of the year list.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMYo8tgqfaBtGOrlvBPctPXXTgrvVRUlSDxmoR8xM1RHe3qdUklKs3gO7BORlIFpGU5ZwRLTebnpQ8-qZTLhvWfMHoBnFnGuwka2cp2DccA6NmdNXwHMnSdx6h57x0ln9W94C4Tup5X8QbXI4jTXbzaTMsxoR3YowoZ6Eu-3ieQWdDKGvlxIkLsLJAOLA/s755/Dragon_Ball_Super_Super_Hero_JP_ver2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="533" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMYo8tgqfaBtGOrlvBPctPXXTgrvVRUlSDxmoR8xM1RHe3qdUklKs3gO7BORlIFpGU5ZwRLTebnpQ8-qZTLhvWfMHoBnFnGuwka2cp2DccA6NmdNXwHMnSdx6h57x0ln9W94C4Tup5X8QbXI4jTXbzaTMsxoR3YowoZ6Eu-3ieQWdDKGvlxIkLsLJAOLA/w283-h400/Dragon_Ball_Super_Super_Hero_JP_ver2.jpg" width="283" /></a></div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">17. </span><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">If I ever just want to see high octane fist-fights and a lot of stuff blow up real good in animated form, I can't go wrong with a <i>Dragon Ball</i> film. The latest film from the enormous media franchise may in part have been crafted to serve as a splendid showcase of adapting the world and characters to 3D animation. However, funnily enough, it was the plot that really wowed me, giving the spotlight to Gohan, Piccolo, and the other non-Gokus and non-Vegetas for a change and its humorous/action-filled take on superheroes secretly orchestrating events in order to get their fellow superhero off their ass.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMJ3JtT-23mNIhAFmgqCSSJPrT0TYBIbWwsNtY8iMUrLFD6FEjhgabF-VMQu4sqeJulQYNWCMD5mhOx1THGmVkuyaBk41os1hFkVO57lt6Uq4yWekgkgWCF1FYxTvtDnRQQQ2UCJG_hsCad0UYNUY8Iy9os6TDubFH3Alt5Iw00H8qElL-n5zyuWj39II/s755/bobs_burgers_the_movie_ver4_2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="510" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMJ3JtT-23mNIhAFmgqCSSJPrT0TYBIbWwsNtY8iMUrLFD6FEjhgabF-VMQu4sqeJulQYNWCMD5mhOx1THGmVkuyaBk41os1hFkVO57lt6Uq4yWekgkgWCF1FYxTvtDnRQQQ2UCJG_hsCad0UYNUY8Iy9os6TDubFH3Alt5Iw00H8qElL-n5zyuWj39II/w270-h400/bobs_burgers_the_movie_ver4_2.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">18. </span><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>The Bob's Burgers Movie</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">If this movie was made in the past three decades, it would have gone straight to video. Luckily, it was brought to theaters and has now become the best animated film based on a Fox animated series. That's not really saying much considering its competition but the film delivers a lot of great laughs, some genuinely heartwarming moments, and a couple of catchy tunes to make you feel real good inside. And before you lambast me, I was referring to</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> Fox's primetime animated series, so you <i>Batman: Mask of the Phantasm</i> fans should relax.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5aheGMPycZwuuQAMf39kuC7O37eK6yrMdDY1TDTuLRSrzgF_WEnah4r4_JecgsEktN5q9HkL7omwydDrxVvy7E9P6OrNh6hrpmsM2pIG4aGgMyQB-GJ_tBY5kNYAXCzS-g5HZXJI0ETqNVs5QAhkp8iv091M7MNyrmhKBs9leuHRQdMHJgIbWIwrmkcM/s755/jujutsu_kaisen_zero.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="533" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5aheGMPycZwuuQAMf39kuC7O37eK6yrMdDY1TDTuLRSrzgF_WEnah4r4_JecgsEktN5q9HkL7omwydDrxVvy7E9P6OrNh6hrpmsM2pIG4aGgMyQB-GJ_tBY5kNYAXCzS-g5HZXJI0ETqNVs5QAhkp8iv091M7MNyrmhKBs9leuHRQdMHJgIbWIwrmkcM/w283-h400/jujutsu_kaisen_zero.jpg" width="283" /></a></div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">19. </span><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Jujutsu Kaisen 0</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">As cool as it actually is and how absolutely amazing the animation can get in its television adaptation, I just can't really get into this shonen series. This prequel/side story film didn't change my opinion but it does have some fine anime action and an easy to digest plot to fulfill fans and newcomers. And if that doesn't work, the makers cast Megumi Ogata as the main character, who just happens to be a troubled high school student with severe issues.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEHppwYymhyphenhyphen262vBMVqmZyzKKJ-gxl19SBrugeLyEMPvMJHBbzpem9Y0coC_t_KCF0sRVFJIK_iIs8fxFE351a0DGczWgvkJ_IzcqOGI9PwbXY_27mxn7Cb-WZWivgAQw5cOE3AJMNbLFBi-cWWUjBWzT7BDhub6tSkVbdxF-FbFFBJrq7uEHpnCXSCFA/s755/sonic_the_hedgehog_two_ver6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="511" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEHppwYymhyphenhyphen262vBMVqmZyzKKJ-gxl19SBrugeLyEMPvMJHBbzpem9Y0coC_t_KCF0sRVFJIK_iIs8fxFE351a0DGczWgvkJ_IzcqOGI9PwbXY_27mxn7Cb-WZWivgAQw5cOE3AJMNbLFBi-cWWUjBWzT7BDhub6tSkVbdxF-FbFFBJrq7uEHpnCXSCFA/w271-h400/sonic_the_hedgehog_two_ver6.jpg" width="271" /></a></div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">20. </span><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Sonic The Hedgehog 2</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">This was the benchmark in my assessment of what made a film good or bad last year. The overlong dance battle sequence in the middle of the picture was pretty tedious but the rest of the film delivered the standard action and comedy you would want in a Hollywood movie. But when you remember that this is based on a video game franchise, let alone a sequel, that serviceable achievement turns into a gold trophy. Also, major props for voice actress Colleen O'Shaughnessey being cast as Tails instead of just another famous actor, even though Idris Elba was the film's standout as Knuckles.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZkyucYinaq3uO2soTCFoq_BCbnxWVUCoK4JOCGKGrYiMBzimQOEIaUqFln1pYfnW8YXeNsDlBqEsDwEwTU8kmt8Qht4MGEVOEWflYjCv1VIM3vf9ufey2gXkAQuDUbujfnNe-ave7BJ1KGxkM3N_57DpyokDpwPGfjVHm6Zwv4SI9Jad1oq_EV5S0_VQ/s755/terrifier_two.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="513" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZkyucYinaq3uO2soTCFoq_BCbnxWVUCoK4JOCGKGrYiMBzimQOEIaUqFln1pYfnW8YXeNsDlBqEsDwEwTU8kmt8Qht4MGEVOEWflYjCv1VIM3vf9ufey2gXkAQuDUbujfnNe-ave7BJ1KGxkM3N_57DpyokDpwPGfjVHm6Zwv4SI9Jad1oq_EV5S0_VQ/w271-h400/terrifier_two.jpg" width="271" /></a></div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">21. </span><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Terrifier 2</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">This film was so very close to making it on to my worst films list or at least having a special spot of its own due to my conflicting opinion. However, despite its near unbearably long running time and an uneven script, I chose to be a little kinder to this ultra extremely gory horror flick. It's a huge, huge improvement over the first film, which was far shorter yet a horrendous chore to endure. Writer-director Damien Leone ups the ante on the gore to a masterful degree, gives us characters to care about including a proper final girl, and of course gifts Art The Clown and his performer David Howard Thornton a lot of time to shine as the new faces of horror. Kudos also must be given for the sheer fact that an indie horror film like this was playing in major cinema chains.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">And finally, here are the seven worst films of 2022. Unlike 2021, I really didn't see any films that were right on the border between entertaining and disappointing last year. Instead, I had seven movies that I flat out didn't like, with the one that had absolutely no redeeming elements given the bottom slot.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQxt7liSMPC3KgJKNuyr-lVbeguuMUZ0u_UY4cWQzIhTw5xvCSel6QsPjCQWf3x2iNnTJyMLcLxmJvXDfgiEMLO_l5ZlPxKcgOBhrTjeOzROuj-tQfmUQ6XeUZGZHTkxI1nahh-vD-015EfacQPcBB3U8dPXW9OeJOW-tcns82HFRBMXFlWGKzRl2FLsU/s755/babylon_ver7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="510" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQxt7liSMPC3KgJKNuyr-lVbeguuMUZ0u_UY4cWQzIhTw5xvCSel6QsPjCQWf3x2iNnTJyMLcLxmJvXDfgiEMLO_l5ZlPxKcgOBhrTjeOzROuj-tQfmUQ6XeUZGZHTkxI1nahh-vD-015EfacQPcBB3U8dPXW9OeJOW-tcns82HFRBMXFlWGKzRl2FLsU/w270-h400/babylon_ver7.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">22. </span><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Babylon</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Ooh, look at me, I'm ruffling some feathers with this rank. I would call this the new <i>Joker</i> but a lot of people actually paid good money to see that film and many actually liked it. This however was a major boondoggle. An overlong, over-the-top cacophony of LOUD NOISES, pretentious artistry, and increasingly boring displays of debauchery. It had some merits (Margot Robbie, the score, the cross-cutting dual filming sequence) but you had to wade through a lot of gross muck, including the overflowing elephant diarrhea that opens the pic, and a never-ending stream of obnoxious behavior to enjoy them.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQwWUB-2sHvlkKVCMXk63vt98zSXh9YpTu5ciUKKiI1OWoFKmE75PvYWWQVFpyw6uPb0l9fV623vIwh7Ec8rr97qaL1qB-6OYOSFB1j8Ov1E_J6mPQqlFOIHajVD7lq9qd9huMrFc_8GpoMyftiDf1qUpTpw8tZg6tLygMUDD8aOAhcMFDeg1_70E5X8w/s755/thor_love_and_thunder_ver3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="510" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQwWUB-2sHvlkKVCMXk63vt98zSXh9YpTu5ciUKKiI1OWoFKmE75PvYWWQVFpyw6uPb0l9fV623vIwh7Ec8rr97qaL1qB-6OYOSFB1j8Ov1E_J6mPQqlFOIHajVD7lq9qd9huMrFc_8GpoMyftiDf1qUpTpw8tZg6tLygMUDD8aOAhcMFDeg1_70E5X8w/w270-h400/thor_love_and_thunder_ver3.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">23. </span><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Thor: Love And Thunder</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The movie that has seemingly squandered all of Taika Waititi's goodwill. I really don't expect him to experience a Lin-Manuel Miranda bounceback. The MCU continues to falter and unable to stay cultural relevant with this pretty flat fourth misadventure of Marvel's thunder god. When it wasn't focused on Thor, Jane Foster, and very begrudgingly Korg, the film shines (Christian Bale, Gorr's entire storyline, Russell Crowe as Zeus). Unfortunately, Waititi would rather you "enjoy" more of him, his take on the Thor-Jane relationship, and some tedious and badly lit battles, all set to the overplayed tunes of Guns N' Roses.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX86ozsdtNzyhYbCB3EOdUN3VmlxR4WhJg4CPaupvt3p5Gqo5iOItlbGx3e1RKmc6TZY_mB5wGbrnM67HGPwIF1q0fQbfujuPB0nziAA4mGJuE2Hv0Zgir7UfQSA6584DKnk3bhKe6z7oykBcsBXKROJfaTHjvOlvVfzXHKqPr3YlknJKERraqXOU-w-Y/s755/dont_worry_darling_ver2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="510" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX86ozsdtNzyhYbCB3EOdUN3VmlxR4WhJg4CPaupvt3p5Gqo5iOItlbGx3e1RKmc6TZY_mB5wGbrnM67HGPwIF1q0fQbfujuPB0nziAA4mGJuE2Hv0Zgir7UfQSA6584DKnk3bhKe6z7oykBcsBXKROJfaTHjvOlvVfzXHKqPr3YlknJKERraqXOU-w-Y/w270-h400/dont_worry_darling_ver2.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">24. </span><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Don't Worry Darling</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">We are now three for three on huge misfires from once promising directors. At least the previous two fell apart once people actually saw the final results; this one was DOA thanks to an infamous "spat" between two co-stars in public and a bad promotional tour. Florence Pugh and Chris Pine are utterly wasted in this so-called psychological thriller. I say so-called because the movie screws the pooch early on with its handling of the main character's mental state and then struggles to keep the facade up by throwing in random surreal imagery and a bizarre dance break. And then you get to the twist, which just breaks the film in two and leads to a multitude of questions that it refuses to answer. Stick to <i>The Stepford Wives</i> (the 1975 one of course) and leave this flop to the Harry Styles stans and bad movie aficionados.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0jVSYWkc1X7KS81jGnxamIMK1W1e3YW-9QOwo-dC-CGUCu6JKPYQMetrBORMBkdiXxDH-PhujtlS0YBGY3dCer_Uefkc9nL8LqYYbNoC2Hj36OLJBg10iNkQaoEU03VsXoS2ycl_8cEVG2nidqJTgOpLHlXHVgFBwbYg8rowqDX5ANnmYzMRYJnjOcdI/s755/lightyear_ver3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="509" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0jVSYWkc1X7KS81jGnxamIMK1W1e3YW-9QOwo-dC-CGUCu6JKPYQMetrBORMBkdiXxDH-PhujtlS0YBGY3dCer_Uefkc9nL8LqYYbNoC2Hj36OLJBg10iNkQaoEU03VsXoS2ycl_8cEVG2nidqJTgOpLHlXHVgFBwbYg8rowqDX5ANnmYzMRYJnjOcdI/w270-h400/lightyear_ver3.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">25. </span><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Lightyear</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">If ever I need a quick easy reminder of my dislike of this film, I just have to remember that infamous introductory title card. Dear lord, talk about an easy strategy to cause your movie to fall apart within seconds. This animated bomb would have a lot better if it jettisoned the Toy Story/Buzz Lightyear IP and instead gave us a sci-fi action comedy centered around Keke Palmer's character and Sox the robo-cat. But no, Disney wanted to squeeze more from Pixar's prized cow and gave us an inept and inert dud that quickly faded from everyone's memory once the credits hit. And to make matters worst, they also gifted us another annoying supporting performance from </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Taika Waititi.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOMR6FZRuqvkMhZieazR5tnFxQ2MDk4A92WnYRwIwdLqpHQTnhsw8bXQArCZxcH0fMuVg8L1lh1CR6_YpyCfvDUWKbHm7dqo1QX1Ut-EYXF2f5ID69QZ_90w4eawXYP8-VUUm_3KimTFZjPdWqMuWfjjVUFtVF9w1LD0oUVW_wJI08oFFXeyLTQfyoTBk/s2048/Jurassic_World_Dominion.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1420" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOMR6FZRuqvkMhZieazR5tnFxQ2MDk4A92WnYRwIwdLqpHQTnhsw8bXQArCZxcH0fMuVg8L1lh1CR6_YpyCfvDUWKbHm7dqo1QX1Ut-EYXF2f5ID69QZ_90w4eawXYP8-VUUm_3KimTFZjPdWqMuWfjjVUFtVF9w1LD0oUVW_wJI08oFFXeyLTQfyoTBk/w278-h400/Jurassic_World_Dominion.jpg" width="278" /></a></div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">26. </span><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Jurassic World Dominion</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">You know what people would love to see in the latest dinosaur movie, from a franchise all about the sights, sounds, and actions of dinosaurs? Giant bugs. A lot of giant bugs, mainly to be used for global capitalism instead of, you know, killing and eating people. Oh, and an annoying clone kid that no one will ever truly love. As with <i>Lightyear</i>, this film squanders everything going for it in its opening minutes, wiping away the dream scenario of humans vs. dinosaurs for the control of America via a fake online news segment. Awful auteur/useful human tool Colin Trevorrow then treats us to a complete slog full of sigh-inducing fan service, a severe lack of drama and stakes, and Chris Pratt being dominate over every single type of dinosaur simply by holding his hand out at them. When the Steve Jobs wannabe let the flaming, seemingly hard to kill giant bugs out into the dinosaur preserve, causing the entire place to go up in flames, I threw my hands up and was done with this Hollywood trash.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7LnCcv07Vlg-KXON-h698ukOjI_YtjVee5odmQ2BAlT2Ije2nu539kPqUP_vE5y8PZLtZAzL-N-hxHxEntbz5hVgVMlN7aC4NqDJ0vpsQkUDtJIegRSn6Xfdq0j0OW7kIZnXGSQz54yshRPElM3z4mGSx4u2VBJdTAib7PTiSo6W1mPx1cBq8oAqzT9w/s755/halloween_ends_ver2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="477" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7LnCcv07Vlg-KXON-h698ukOjI_YtjVee5odmQ2BAlT2Ije2nu539kPqUP_vE5y8PZLtZAzL-N-hxHxEntbz5hVgVMlN7aC4NqDJ0vpsQkUDtJIegRSn6Xfdq0j0OW7kIZnXGSQz54yshRPElM3z4mGSx4u2VBJdTAib7PTiSo6W1mPx1cBq8oAqzT9w/w253-h400/halloween_ends_ver2.jpg" width="253" /></a></div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">27. </span><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Halloween Ends</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I liked this movie back when it was called <i>Christine</i>. Seriously, how could David Gordon Green further fail after the disasterpiece that was <i>Halloween Kills</i>? Anyone with a brain knows that in order to make a satisfactory <i>Halloween</i> film, you just need Michael Myers, some likable protagonists, and a chilly suburban atmosphere. Instead, this concluding chapter swaps out the masked boogeyman for a pitiful social outcast named Corey who gets beat up by the town's school marching band. Oh but wait, in order to make his hero/villain look good, not only does Green give him a backstory that is less haunting and more hilarious, but he has Corey "absorb" the evil from Michael via eyesight and has him beat up Michael with ease and steal his mask. All the while you wallow in the endless misery that is Green's vision of Haddonfield, the annoying flip-flopping attitudes of the main characters, and a climax that ends via a dropped refrigerator. Man, those Rob Zombie's takes on <i>Halloween</i> are looking better and better.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqP5zFS2Y5qG6BCfU3A7-Ozxj6dJFxinIE7zfi6RF-Y8990ayDfozkZ4NCqcO8YxUPcJWnbNbAnmyGB82cLYPsolqlDQkCBolU6u6nokKLAkB1qu6l4IBUvfNbXaeDu0Gvqfna7ReiV1O3xZN1BjRR4GxTmfh1fZe96jZ5h3S0yVUsD08_3sXuRRYzKRY/s1034/Ryoma_The_Prince_of_Tennis.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1034" data-original-width="700" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqP5zFS2Y5qG6BCfU3A7-Ozxj6dJFxinIE7zfi6RF-Y8990ayDfozkZ4NCqcO8YxUPcJWnbNbAnmyGB82cLYPsolqlDQkCBolU6u6nokKLAkB1qu6l4IBUvfNbXaeDu0Gvqfna7ReiV1O3xZN1BjRR4GxTmfh1fZe96jZ5h3S0yVUsD08_3sXuRRYzKRY/w271-h400/Ryoma_The_Prince_of_Tennis.jpeg" width="271" /></a></div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">28. </span><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Ryoma! The Prince Of Tennis (Decide)</i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I rarely if ever feel embarrassed when watching a movie in theaters. But when I was sitting through this "anime" film at my local art theater, I was deathly afraid of someone, anyone coming in and giving me that "what are you watching?" facial expression. This film is supposed to be a continuation of the once popular shonen sports manga but it is secretly a fans-only joint for the people who still care for this property, that being the mainly-female audiences of the stage musicals. Yes, this is a musical, an absolutely horrible one at that as all of the songs are incredibly awful and cringe-worthy at their worst. Then you have the pathetic 3D animation, the bizarre time travel story which involves an evil mobbed-up Serena Williams, and the criminal notion of paying to see this film twice just to see the main character have a phone conversation with a different supporting character (hence the "Decide" subtitle). But I sat and squirm through it all, including the bonus so-called music videos post credits, just so I can thoroughly claim this to be the worst film of 2022.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>A. Conroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10181413438503689145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4753219984473602151.post-65694451975355651152022-05-08T16:52:00.754-04:002022-05-12T22:45:02.030-04:002022 Eurovision Song Contest Predictions<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-kXM8BvNQy7L0ycY0QHd6f5SHTiPwFKYNuEyHLdYpToSchoNaaa7DrVaAxGbvmQDyW7_JKaZUz7uhP4SPfigCk-NdV_lyH0WvjcBtCEPmSjk79_Qkvavf_R6mt4OX1fNWU_G0ryFEuvZ00PkZeErfomT2X4Hqo5MS3Yxxz2d8f-UIOZySkHukdaJ4/s1000/Eurovision_2022_Logo.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="562" data-original-width="1000" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-kXM8BvNQy7L0ycY0QHd6f5SHTiPwFKYNuEyHLdYpToSchoNaaa7DrVaAxGbvmQDyW7_JKaZUz7uhP4SPfigCk-NdV_lyH0WvjcBtCEPmSjk79_Qkvavf_R6mt4OX1fNWU_G0ryFEuvZ00PkZeErfomT2X4Hqo5MS3Yxxz2d8f-UIOZySkHukdaJ4/w400-h225/Eurovision_2022_Logo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Another year, another round of predictions for the Eurovision Song Contest.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Now normally I usually use up a ton of digital ink on my opinions of the songs and their proposed stage performances and have them categorized under special labels (The Front Runners, The Slayers, Top Ten Hopefuls, etc). Unfortunately, due to the craziness of the week being filled with major holidays and events, such as today being Mother's Day, along with sheer laziness, I will be going in a different direction this year.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I will be listing all of the participating countries in alphabetical order but put them in categories of whether or not they will qualify (outside of the Big Five), and then type out my thoughts and feelings.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><u>COUNTRIES THAT WILL QUALIFY TO THE GRAND FINAL</u></b></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Australia</b></span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">- This has jury favorite all over it but only if Sheldon Riley doesn't pull an Isaiah. Riley is going to put a lot of effort in his singing and stage presence in order to overcome the ridiculous anti-mask bias (as in he wears a stage mask when performing) and the potentially still lingering anti-Australia but I think he will pull it off. Grand final, however, I think he will be on the lower left hand side of the screen.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Bulgaria</b> - This is probably my most controversial pick. "Intention" was heavily mocked by the fandom since it dropped but I felt the song is fine but needed an extra punch in its rocking. As I expected, Intelligent Music Project is set to deliver a straight up rock concert for their three minutes and I think it will win over the televote and some judges just enough to make it through. Grand final wise, it will be towards the bottom but hey, at least they will qualify.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><b>Croatia</b></span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">- It would very nice to see Croatia qualify again, especially after last year's controversial snub. This year, the nation picked a fine Taylor Swift like tune with a real Taylor Swift like story to it. Replacing the one artful dancer from the national final with a trio of them is a fine improvement and helps give the expected performance some more life. If it does make it to the grand final, its total results would be, just like the song's protagonist, somewhere stuck in the middle.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Czech Republic</b></span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">- Despite strong love of the song among fans, We Are Domi have had a very rough time performing "Lights Off" live at fan concerts. They seem to have finally worked out the kinks in Italy and are ready to deliver a big light show to match the lead singer's big notes. But the fear still remains that this will be Latvia 2017 all over again.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Finland</b></span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">- I'm not a huge fan of The Rasmus or "Jezebel". It certainly was my fourth favorite at the national final but Finland sees something in it. Unfortunately, their run-throughs in Turin have received mixed results all around, from the weak singing to the giant balloons that keep getting in the way. I can see it making through the semi-final only to then bomb hard on Saturday.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Greece</b></span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">- This is a <b>POTENTIAL WINNER</b> for this year's contest. I have had chills with "Die Together" at nearly every stage: the music video drop, a random listen, the TikTok preview, and the YouTube preview. The sinking/melting chairs is an interesting stage design and Amanda Tenfjord easily draws attention with her powerful voice. That being said, this could potentially backfire just like Bulgaria last year. The public may not want a Billie Ellish inspired song to win or another reminder about how last year kinda sucked. They might gravitate again to something that will raise their spirits in revelry.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Ireland</b></span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">- This one has been driving me crazy from the start. It was the best song of Ireland's bunch and barely won the national finals but the performance needed a lot of work. Brooke has the charisma and talent but her live performances were mixed in the lead-up to Turin. She and her team now finally seem to get everything right so she should coast in as one of the few poppy songs of semi-final 2.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Israel</b></span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">- I had this a certified miss until seeing the Turin footage. I liked the original bare bones version of "I.M." even if it was wisely labeled as something straight out of <i>RuPaul's Drag Race</i>. The revamp hampered a lot of my enjoyment, especially the near muting of the claps, and its still basic nature looked to doom it. But bless the Israeli crew for going full into the camp factor of it all while delivering some tight choreography. I'm getting "Say Na Na" vibes from it, much to the horror of the juries and snarky commentators.</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Latvia</b></span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">- This will eat Albania's lunch (hopefully its vegetarian) and truly kick off the festivities </span><span style="font-family: arial;">in the first semi-final</span><span style="font-family: arial;">. Everything is on point for "Eat Your Salad" to steal all of the attention, especially once the video recaps repeatedly play. Plus, everyone will be eager to say <i>the</i> line. I do hope it will make the top ten in grand final but the juries are expected to hurt it outside of maybe Latvia's neighbors.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Lithuania</b></span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">- There are a lot of doubters against this country from making the final but I'm certainly not one of them. While the shimmering and mesmerizing intimacy of the national final performance might get completely lost on the big stage in Turin, I feel that Monika Liu is able to pull it off to an efficient degree. She has a very natural charisma and with some good camerawork, she should be able to steal some televotes.</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Moldova</b></span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">- Zdob si Zdub is looking to get the hat trick. Their 2005 and 2011 performances are both now etched into Eurovision history. This one unfortunately doesn't look to be on the same level as those unless they are hiding something from the rehearsals. Seriously, where are the trains? But I think the mixture of folk and rock and roll will entice some to vote for them and keep them on the track.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Montenegro</b></span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">- If I had to pray hard for one song to get into the grand final, it would be this one. I love a good ole Balkan ballad and Vladana has a hauntingly exquisite one, especially since Serbia chose to skip one this year for something completely different. What they have planned for Turin could hurt their chances but it reminds me very much of Slovenia 2014, which is a good sign.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>The Netherlands</b></span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">- Before the rehearsal week, I very much believed this had a very high chance of winning Eurovision. But the rehearsal footage showed that S10 is given a lot on her plate to carry the performance and she may botched the handling of it. I still see it making it through but it now looks like this will be a lower top ten placement.</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Norway</b></span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">- Sure to qualify. No question. Nothing more to say besides the televote of both semi-final 1 and the grand final will be very high for the intergalactic yellow wolves Keith and Jim.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Poland</b></span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">- Going to get in solely because of Ochman's voice. However, the televote remains to be seen, as the performance seems to be throwing everything but the kitchen sink to say "Water!" and "Storm!" at the viewer. Some still strangely believe he has a shot to win but those chances are sure to quickly wash away by Saturday.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Portugal</b></span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">- This was my last choice for semi-final 1 qualifiers. I enjoy "Saudade, Saudade" and it's pretty much this year's most underrated song aka Portugal Every Year In Eurovision. But I am so concerned about how it is being staged for Turin consisting entirely of Maro and her backup singers in a circle. This is a very risky choice both for the live audience and viewers. Either the performance will be a beautiful display of intimacy and melancholy or just bunch of shots of people's butts and backsides.</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>San Marino</b></span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">- Geez, late 2000's Eurovision much? "Stripper" is alright and often has me singing the chorus and Achille Lauro has rock star written all over him. But San Marino's Turin plans are to go way overboard in order to qualify, including flames, cages, risque outfits, and a working bull mechanism. I think people will eat it up in the semi but roll their eyes when it comes to the final.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Serbia</b></span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">- I adore this song. Really scratches at my Peter Gabriel/Laurie Anderson itch. Serbia and Konstrakta have only had to make the bare minimum of changes when bringing the song and staging to Turin and it still works without fail. This is going to sound so awesome live when the clapping comes in.</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Sweden</b></span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">- Could this be a <b>POTENTIAL WINNER</b>? Yes. Yes it could. But I will not be super happy by it. I have nothing against Cornelia Jakobs and "Hold Me Closer", both of which I like, but I don't really see the same hype that other Eurovision fans and critics see. I instead see it placing in the top five of the grand final, thanks to an above average mixture of jury and fan love.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Ukraine</b></span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">- This is the most obvious straight to the final pick. Luckily, the song is actually great and Kalush Orchestra have a great performance of it in the can, both figuratively and literally considering the shit they had to get through to attend this year's event. The televote in the final is expected to be quite high but I don't think Ukraine will win the contest. Best bet is a top five or ten showing.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><span><b><u>COUNTRIES THAT WILL NOT QUALIFY TO THE GRAND FINAL</u></b></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Albania</b></span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">- Oooo, this is a hot take. As said above, this will get people ready for Eurovision as the very first song of this year's contest but then Latvia will steal all of its attention and glory. It could sneak into the grand final but don't expect it to do very well.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Armenia</b></span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">- Another controversial choice. I was all for the song once it dropped. But that expected staging. Armenia looks to potentially trip up like Ireland last year, putting all of the attention on sets and gimmicks rather than the song and singer.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Austria</b></span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">- I unabashedly love to bop to this high energy dance track but watching it performed live, woof. DJ LUM!X is a black hole of charisma and Pia Maria has been struggling so much to get her singing just right.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Azerbaijan</b></span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">- This country likes to put in a lot of work and effort into their entries but this looks to miss the boat. First, the country might get the cold shoulder from voters due to the country's history with Russia. Secondly, and more importantly, the performance of "Fade To Black" is a bit troubling. It seems to rip off Azerbaijan's 2013 entry with the body mirroring of the singer but now with a big set of stairs instead of a glass box of emotion. As for Nadir Rustamli, he has the voice but he's not very handsome for the general viewer, what with his very messy and scruffy beard. It could sneak in but only juries will remember and reward it if it makes the final.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Belgium</b></span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">- Come on Belgium, you can do better than this. "Miss You" is perfect for the radio but there's nothing to really hang on to. As many critics have noted, this feels like a <i>X Factor</i> winner song. And then you have those backup dancers. Geez Louise.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Cyprus</b></span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">- Many have this as a near instant qualifier but I sadly see it as the end of Cyprus' hot streak. It is too mellow and soothing to latch on to, even with the expected giant clam set. It looks to be lost in the shuffle on Thursday and again on Saturday if it somehow wins a spot. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Denmark</b></span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">- What a snore. Perfect for playlist filler. Worthy of a golf clap in the arena but nothing else. Next.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Estonia</b></span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">- I had hope (ha) for this to make it to the grand final but the expected staging in Turin looks like total amateur hour. Who thought it will be a good idea for Stefan to run around the entire stage, especially with a guitar in hand?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Georgia</b></span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">- Easy dismissal. Sure to place dead last or second to last depending on troll votes. The song itself is alright if you into that kind of alternative rock but the whole performance is like when your uncle tries to entertain kids by walking in with those glasses with the eye springs and that's all.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Iceland</b></span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">- Though it may shock me but making it in, I think that Iceland's entry is just too mellow and forgettable for the average viewer. They would rather vote for something more soothing (Portugal) or more easily cheerful in its folk music (Moldova).</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Malta</b></span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">- Ugh. I really like "Walk On Water", Malta's song for the 2016 contest that controversially replaced its voted upon song "Chameleon". For some strange reason, Malta decided to do the dangerous tactic of swapping songs again but now with more people hating on it. Emma Muscat is a fine enough singer but they have her in an outfit suited for Junior Eurovision yet it also seems to crib from Belgium 2016. Furthermore, "I Am What I Am" is the blandest of bland when it is not stealing from Dotter's "Little Dot" (Dino Medanhodžić co-composed both songs). Just a complete mess around and a total flop from last year.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>North Macedonia</b></span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">- I seem to be one of the few people who genuinely like "Circles" but unfortunately North Macedonia's delegation decided to just have Andrea stand on stage and nothing else. And it's sad to say but she can't carry her nation's dream all on her own.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Romania</b></span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">- Maybe people will want to have a barely good enough Latin inspired dance tune for the grand final. Or maybe they will instantly reject it once they see the goofy outfit in store for WRS.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Slovenia</b></span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">- This poor band of teenagers. They have a nice song you could tap you toe to but they have no chance on the grand stage of Turin. A poorly made giant disco ball doesn't help matters.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Switzerland</b> - What the hell Switzerland?! You nearly won it last year and you chose to follow that up with a boring Louis Armstrong reject?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><u>COUNTRIES THAT AUTO QUALIFY TO THE GRAND FINAL</u></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>France</b> - Could be a total mess and bomb at the grand final or at least give everyone a chance to rave and dance with the devil. The 90's kid in me absolutely loves it. Bonus points for it being in Breton.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Germany</b> - A lot of us may be sleeping on this similar to Germany 2018. The lyrics are kinda cringey but they might resonate heavily with younger voters. Thankfully, there is no giant middle finger suit this time around.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Italy</b> - I had this as a potential winner for the longest time. From Sanremo where it easily won up until Turin. However, it seems now like it will be just a normal host entry but one that has an easier time making the lower top ten.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Spain</b> - The last <b>POTENTIAL WINNER</b> in the lot. This is the one to easily win over the public and has the biggest chance for an Eurovision song to crossover into other countries including the United States. Chanel has been putting her entire corazon into the performance and looks to at least deliver Spain's best results since 2014.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>The United Kingdom</b> - Could the UK finally do it? Can they finally bring back their old glory? I thought a total yes until I saw the spaceship prop they constructed for "SPACE MAN" and Sam Ryder's Elvis like outfit. Please don't flop.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">For those who just want the Cliff Notes version, here's what I have as my predictions for qualifying in the two semi-finals:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Semi Final 1</u></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Bulgaria</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Croatia</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Greece</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Latvia</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Lithuania</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Moldova</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The Netherlands</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Norway</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Portugal</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Ukraine</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Potential Snub: Moldova, </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Portugal</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Potential Stealer: Albania, Armenia, Iceland</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Semi Final 2</u></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Australia</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Czech Republic</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Finland</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Ireland</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Israel</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Montenegro</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Poland</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">San Marino</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Serbia</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Sweden</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Potential Snub: Australia, </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Czech Republic</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Potential Stealer: </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Azerbaijan, </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Cyprus, Romania</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Here are my top ten favorite songs from this year's contest, also in alphabetical order:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Austria</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">France</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Greece</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Italy</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Latvia</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Moldova</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The Netherlands</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Norway</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Serbia</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Spain</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">And I again asked my non-fan father to watch/listen to the official recap video and come up with his own top five:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">1. Switzerland</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">2. Portugal</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">3. Malta</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">4. Iceland</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">5. Slovenia</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The Semi-Finals will take place on May 10 and May 12, both starting at 3 PM EST. The grand final is on Saturday May 14 at the same exact time. If interested, you can view this year's contest in the United States via Peacock but you must at least have a premium plan with them. If you have 5 dollars to burn, you like me can use it to watch the whole shebang before then quickly canceling next month's auto payment.</span></div>A. Conroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10181413438503689145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4753219984473602151.post-3871133330793834002022-03-26T19:01:00.004-04:002023-03-11T20:08:20.693-05:002022 Oscars Predictions<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsmKEkJ4T1R-2yJbiLg8ZTBZ24i2pB5dDBFVbr59X0dsIM0iOvtsnmjEXGOnGL3kb_yeHUzL-tIVXQaj2RcL_iix6bqx7dGZxdjB_w8qYU5rSCdS3J1kjpxzX6t11bS8_iGIz8hdjfcWEFMXsg4lrsF8dk9Ck9TT6kpD-1IB-ccRE02EdiDN_qhVcJ/s755/oscars_ver37.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="604" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsmKEkJ4T1R-2yJbiLg8ZTBZ24i2pB5dDBFVbr59X0dsIM0iOvtsnmjEXGOnGL3kb_yeHUzL-tIVXQaj2RcL_iix6bqx7dGZxdjB_w8qYU5rSCdS3J1kjpxzX6t11bS8_iGIz8hdjfcWEFMXsg4lrsF8dk9Ck9TT6kpD-1IB-ccRE02EdiDN_qhVcJ/w320-h400/oscars_ver37.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">As always, these are my predictions to win, not who or what movie I wish would win.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b style="font-family: arial;">Best Picture:</b><span style="font-family: arial;"> <i>The Power of the Dog</i></span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Best Actor:</b> Will Smith - <i>King Richard</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Best Actress:</b> Olivia Colman - <i>The Lost Daughter</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Best Supporting Actor:</b> Troy Kotsur - <i>CODA</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Best Supporting Actress:</b> Ariana DeBose - <i>West Side Story</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Best Director:</b> Jane Campion - </span><i style="font-family: arial;">The Power of the Dog</i></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Best Original Screenplay:</b> Adam McKay and David Sirota - <i>Don't Look Up</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Best Adapted Screenplay:</b> Sian Heder - <i>CODA</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Best Animated Feature Film:</b> <i>Encanto</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Best International Feature Film:</b> <i>Drive My Car</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Best Documentary Feature:</b> <i>Flee</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Best Documentary (Short Subject):</b> </span><i style="font-family: arial;">Audible</i></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Best Animated Short Film:</b> <i>Robin Robin</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Best Live Action Short Film:</b> </span><i style="font-family: arial;">The Long Goodbye</i></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Best Original Score:</b> Jonny Greenwood - </span><i style="font-family: arial;">The Power of the Dog</i></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><b>Best Original Song:</b> "No Time To Die" - </span><i>No Time To Die</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><b>Best Cinematography:</b> Ari Wegner</span> - </span><i style="font-family: arial;">The Power of the Dog</i></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><b>Best Film Editing:</b> Peter Sciberras</span> - </span><i style="font-family: arial;">The Power of the Dog</i></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Best Production Design:</b> Patrice Vermette and Zsuzsanna Sipos - <i>Dune</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><b>Best Costume Design:</b> </span>Paul Tazewell - <i>West Side Story</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><b>Best Makeup and Hairstyling: </b>Göran Lundström, Anna Carin Lock and Frederic Aspiras - <i>House of Gucci</i></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Best Sound:</b> <i>Dune</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Best Visual Effects:</b> <i>Dune</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Oh boy, I can't wait the most unanticipated Oscars of all time, which is sure to net its worst television ratings of all time!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Seriously though, I so don't really care for this year's Oscars even as a diehard fan. The rest of America will be more vicious and not even bother to watch or care.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Yeah, I know I just copied-pasted the two previous lines from my predictions last year but it is still true. Like seriously, Wanda Sykes = Ratings Success?! Fuck no!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">As many an Oscar podcaster have stated, either this will be a small bump up from last year or be a complete debacle. Everyone in Hollywood save for ABC and the delusion Oscar producers are royally pissed off at the subtraction of 8 awards from being fully broadcasted, the show seriously starting a hour before it goes live to the nation, the rumored presence of non-Hollywood people such as Tony Hawk, Shaun White and Kelly Slater, the addition of a "We Don't Talk About Bruno" number despite it not being nominated or having a chance to be because Disney royally fucked up, and plenty more.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I'm fine with Regina Hall as a host but Wanda Sykes is true X-Pac heat for me. Seriously, her getting such a major gig in 2022 despite doing nothing of true worth since the early 2000's? As for Amy Schumer, I don't really care for her much anymore. She's long past her peak stardom, Hollywood gave up on her after several failures and she has mostly been doing a cooking show. It would be nice for her to get a second chance but her recent very serious/not really funny crack that she wants Ukrainian President Zelenskyy to participate has made a lot of people shake their heads.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I predict the television ratings to be somewhere between 7.85 and 9.65 million viewers. And that's me being generous. If you think I'm being too cynical, look up the recent data on the viewership numbers for all of the Best Picture nominees.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Speaking of Best Picture, it is all down to <i>The Power of the Dog</i> or <i>CODA</i> to win the big cheese. <i>CODA</i> is a crowd pleaser but I thought last year the Academy would want a crowd pleaser to win and that prediction failed. Plus, the Academy is now more open and international so unless <i>Drive My Car</i> pulls a <i>Chariots of Fire</i>, <i>Dog</i> will surely win.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">But man, if Netflix fails again and Apple becomes the first streaming service to win Best Picture, that will be so soul-crushing.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Campion is a lock for Director. No discussion.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">My gut has been on Cumberbatch winning Best Actor but all of the voices and recent award wins for Will Smith has me second guessing. I very much could see another Best Actor fiasco like last year's but I think the Academy wants to finally reward Smith, similar to how they rewarded DiCaprio.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Best Actress is so incredibly hard to predict. Chastain is the favorite, especially with all of the campaigning she did, but I hear a lot of people saying it might go to Colman or Cruz. Kidman has no chance in hell and Stewart is a dark horse but I'm going with Colman. People love her as much or even more than Chastain right now.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Kotsur has eaten Smit-McPhee's lunch recently at many awards so he and DeBose are locks for the Supporting categories.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The screenplay awards are also so difficult to predict. Original Screenplay will either be <i>Don't Look Up</i> or <i>The Worst Person in the World</i> but Adapted Screenplay can go to any of them except for <i>Dune</i>.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I really, really, really want <i>The Mitchells vs. The Machines</i> or <i>Flee</i> to win Best Animated Feature but the Disney collective in the Academy is still too strong and <i>Encanto</i> has been too big in the American pop culture to ignore. <i>Luca</i> and <i>Raya and the Last Dragon</i> will surely not split the votes for Disney to win here.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">However, I really can see <i>Flee</i> making history by winning Best Documentary. <i>Summer of Soul</i> has been the heavy favorite but this is an once-in-a-lifetime event, something an Academy member would be a fool to pass up on helping make history.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Drive My Car</i> is a lock for International Feature. No chance for the yak.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Expect Netflix to pick up two of the short categories and for Riz Ahmed to finally earn an Oscar albeit for his live-action short instead of his acting.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Best Score, which so stupidly is not going to be performed and awarded live on television, is down between Hans Zimmer and Jonny Greenwood. It's either going to be part of <i>The Power of the Dog</i>'s grand collection or part of <i>Dune</i>'s potential sweep of the tech categories.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Similar as to when Sam Smith won, I expect another Bond song to "surprisingly" win Best Original Song. Lin-Manuel Miranda is just going to have to continue waiting for his EGOT.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">After being famously almost snubbed, I will laugh when it is announced that <i>House of Gucci</i> won Best Makeup and Hairstyling over <i>The Eyes of Tammy Faye</i>.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Much to the horror of your parents, <i>Belfast</i> is going to be shut out.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">And no, I don't give two shits about the Oscar Fan Favorite vote.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">See you on Monday with my reaction to the awards and the ceremony itself.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>A. Conroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10181413438503689145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4753219984473602151.post-41894238875058532192022-02-08T09:58:00.050-05:002022-02-09T16:49:15.623-05:00Initial Reaction to the 2022 Oscar Nominations<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSUinDDlZ_8mPeen5jrPe5et5FOdqc7LiwgZnIPHDPMehfIqRB0mSkkqBOmkIsvzIanWnIUrbh2fu6rmKxhHy0UNapgHNZzS5mIQdvmJqV7cnjw4dFo_KV3HpITFV9u6WSRCqfYFJwzDk/s445/oscar-statue.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="325" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSUinDDlZ_8mPeen5jrPe5et5FOdqc7LiwgZnIPHDPMehfIqRB0mSkkqBOmkIsvzIanWnIUrbh2fu6rmKxhHy0UNapgHNZzS5mIQdvmJqV7cnjw4dFo_KV3HpITFV9u6WSRCqfYFJwzDk/w293-h400/oscar-statue.jpg" width="293" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>So I'm back in the saddle to react to the Oscar noms but I'm not starting off my raves and rants first with a major snub. Sure, I'm not super jazzed about <i>Belle</i> not getting into Best Animated Feature (more on that category later) but everything was pretty much expected for the most part.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">7 out of 10 for the predictions for Best Picture. My bet on <i>Drive My Car</i> paid off but <i>The Lost Daughter</i>; <i>tick, tick... BOOM!</i>; and <i>The Tragedy of Macbeth</i> lost out to <i>King Richard</i>, <i>Licorice Pizza</i> and <i>Nightmare Alley</i>.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Really surprised but not totally shocked at <i>Nightmare Alley</i> getting in for Best Pic. That's largely because of all the news and Hollywood gossip I've been hearing about how hard Guillermo del Toro has been campaigning for it in L.A.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">If you really, truly, deeply thought that the Academy would give <i>Spider-Man: No Way Home</i> a nom for Best Picture, you really need to get out of the echo chambers you locked yourself in and see the sun again.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I should be really mad at Denis Villeneuve getting snubbed for Best Director but I honestly don't care that much. Still a shocking surprise though.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I really thought the Academy was going to do two women directors again but alas, nothing for Maggie Gyllenhaal. I somehow thought Paul Thomas Anderson had no chance but at least Ryusuke Hamaguchi got in after having a stellar 2021.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Best Actor noms were easy picks yet I stupidly thought Javier Bardem would go to Best Supporting Actor, with Joaquin Phoenix for <i>C'mon C'mon</i> taking his place.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Let's face it here and now: Will Smith will lose to Benedict Cumberbatch come Oscar night.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Jessica Chastain and Nicole Kidman locked in with ease despite my apathy for their deliberate Oscar ploys. Glad Olivia Colman, Penelope Cruz, and Kristen Stewart got in. But holy crap, no Lady Gaga?! And no Rachel Zegler?!!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I really thought Kirsten Dunst should have been included for Best Actress but she at least got in for Best Supporting Actress.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Not shocked at all for Judi Dench being included for Best Supporting Actress. I always had her as a spoiler though I really wanted Rita Moreno instead. I feel really bad Ruth Negga and Ann Dowd got snubbed (Caitriona Balfe as well to a lesser degree) but I was shocked by the inclusion of Jessie Buckley.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">No Jared Leto! Hallelujah!!!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Also no Ben Affleck as well? Huh, many people in Hollywood must really loathe him.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Very happy Jesse Plemons got in for Best Supporting Actor. And wow at J.K. Simmons getting in. From the clips I've seen of <i>Being The Ricardos</i>, he is his usually great self. He more than likely got in due to being a favorite actor in the industry plus having Aaron Sorkin as his writer/director.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I really liked Colman Domingo in <i>Zola</i> but he had no chance to break through the pack.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">More big acting snubs: Nicolas Cage for Best Actor; Bradley Cooper for both Best Actor and Supporting Actor; Alana Haim, Frances McDormand, and Jennifer Hudson for Best Actress; Jamie Dornan, Mike Faist, and Tony Leung for Best Supporting Actor; Marlee Matlin for Best Supporting Actress.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Of that pile of acting snubs, I'm really confused at the amount of people who honestly thought Jennifer Hudson would have been included. <i>Respect</i> was no <i>Ray</i>, not with the critics nor with the public.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">God damn the Disney Machine! They got all three of their films in for Best Animated Feature with ease, leaving <i>Belle</i> in the dust. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Damnit, </span><i style="font-family: arial;">Sing 2</i><span style="font-family: arial;">, you were supposed to take </span><i style="font-family: arial;">Luca</i><span style="font-family: arial;"> out of the competition!</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> It's up to </span><i style="font-family: arial;">Flee</i><span style="font-family: arial;"> and </span><i style="font-family: arial;">The Mitchells vs. The Machines</i><span style="font-family: arial;"> to try and stop </span><i style="font-family: arial;">Encanto</i><span style="font-family: arial;"> from winning which sadly is a hard hill to climb.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Also, congrats to <i>Flee</i> for making history as a nom for Best Animated Feature, Best International Feature, and Best Documentary Feature.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">No <i>A Hero</i> for Best International Feature. The hell?! Like Best Actor, everyone expected the obvious five noms but instead <i>Lunana: A Yak In The Classroom</i> took its spot. Upon investigating, i.e. checking Wikipedia, this film was already submitted and disqualified at last year's Oscars yet was able to re-submit for this year's. Again, the hell?!!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Got 4 out of 5 with Best Original Song. I wonder how many people of Twitter will be mad at "We Don't Talk About Bruno" and "Surface Pressure" from <i>Encanto</i> not getting nominated despite the sheer fact that Disney never submitted them to the Academy.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Freaking Van Morrison for Best Original Song. I would have liked it if I didn't have to suffocate on all of his other songs in <i>Belfast</i>.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Diane Warren got another nomination! Seriously, she's the Susan Lucci of the Oscars. The Academy and all of Warren's friends: Either shit or get off the pot!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I just realized that <i>West Side Story</i> wasn't nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay. That really sucks considering the effort put forth by Tony Kushner but that's a pretty stacked five.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Oh wow, <i>The French Dispatch</i> was completely snubbed. Same for <i>Annette</i>, <i>Petite Maman</i>, <i>Zola</i>, <i>Red Rocket</i>, <i>Shiva Baby</i>, <i>Last Night In Soho</i>, and <i>The Card Counter</i>.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">And the biggest snub of all goes to... <i>Paw Patrol: The Movie</i> for Best Animated Feature!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">That about does it. Tune in next month for my predictions which I obviously will fail at.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>A. Conroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10181413438503689145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4753219984473602151.post-75104402451168596612022-01-07T10:00:00.468-05:002023-02-22T12:43:00.815-05:00Anime Watch of 2021<div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">2021 may very likely go down as one of the best years ever for anime. The year was flooded with many highly acclaimed series and highly anticipated adaptations. Even when it looked like the fall season was going to be skippable, it birthed out some original titles that greatly shook viewers. Netflix started to break the chains off of their "jail" policy in order to experiment while also delivering several titles that had fans cheering up and down for. Even the movies side came in spades, from the American box office success of <i>Demon Slayer The Movie: Mugen Train</i> to global fans finally able to say goodbye to <i>Evangelion</i> and allow Hideki Anno some much needed rest.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">However, I purposefully said one of the best years ever for anime, not perfect. Because oh man were there some mammoth lowlights. Let's start by talking about the elephant in the room: the disaster that was the second/last season of <i>The Promised Neverland</i>. A catastrophe so monumental that some fans now more willingly than jokingly believe it never existed. Then you have the other "holy shit" collapses of the year, namely <i>Wonder Egg Priority</i>, <i>The Detective Is Already Dead</i>, <i>Peach Boy Riverside</i> and (depending on who you ask) <i>Fena: Pirate Princess</i>. These failures were so big and dreadful that they literally made everyone forgot all about the controversy surrounding <i>Redo of Healer</i>. And though the fall season had some surprises, the worst of them was the universal rejection of Netflix's live-action adaptation of <i>Cowboy Bebop</i>, a bomb so bad that Netflix had to announce its cancellation mere weeks after it dropped.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">As for myself in 2021, I continued my journey through anime series I missed while also partaking on newer ones that caught my eye. I kicked off the year re-upping my annual subscriptions to Funimation and Crunchyroll, though I still greatly wish that I could get a discount on them now that the two streaming platforms are both owned by Sony. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">I pretty much predicted myself not to pig out on anime as much as I did in 2020 but I expected to have a big enough haul.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> Things were going fine for the most part until I reached the end of September. At that point, I just flat out stopped watching. From then to New Year's Eve, I didn't watch anything save for one show on Netflix, not even a rewatch of an episode. After theorizing and doing some research, it appears that I've underestimated how greatly the sudden death of a beloved family member to COVID affected me. Instead of finding some comfort in anime, I went to movies, video games, YouTube, and Twitch. I do feel bad about leaving anime in the dust during this period, as I was counting on myself to finally make time for <i>Horimiya</i> after richly enjoying its first manga volumes, support <i>Banished From The Hero's Party</i> after reading its first two light novel volumes, continue my trek through rom-com with <i>My Senpai Is Annoying</i>, check out the highly anticipated (but stupidly delayed in America) adaptation of <i>Edens Zero</i>, partake in the sports insanity of <i>Sk8 The Infinity</i>, return to <i>Cell At Work!!</i> with its new brief season and its spinoff title <i>Code Black</i>, and/or see what all the hubbub was about <i>ODDTAXI</i>. Hell, I also didn't make time to finish up shows I liked in 2020, such as <i>Fire Force</i> and <i>Black Clover</i>. Regardless, I ended the year with a watch count of </span><span style="font-family: arial;">39 series.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Since I like to capture my thoughts and feelings, I once again decided to create a list of my watched shows, starting from what I dubbed were the best and traveling all the way down to the ones that left me angry and/or stupefied. The rules of the list are as follows: The overall quality of the show and my personal response to it are the major factors towards their rank. However, other additional factors such as replayability, voice talent, and lasting impact can help sway their placing. Only new shows/new viewings count; rewatches are immediately disqualified and if I watch a show that I already started, only the continuing unwatched episodes will be reviewed. I treat and grade all series fairly, even ones that I haven't actually finished or may not choose to finish. If you see a <b>*</b> next to the title, that means I had a limited sampling of the show or didn't complete the series/franchise fully. However, to shake up things from the 2020 edition, I have included shows I watched on Netflix to the list, thus giving a more fuller view of my anime habits in 2021.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">(NOTE: Like last year, I wanted to have the full list made live as soon as possible. I will be continuing to edit and include more thoughts and screenshots until fully satisfied.) </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>1. <i>Komi Can’t Communicate</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>2. </b><i><b>Welcome To Demon School! Iruma-kun (Season 2)</b></i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><b><br /></b></i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>3. </b><b><i>Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>4. </b><b><i>Oresuki: Are You The Only One Who Loves Me?</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>5. </b><b><i>Don’t Toy With Me, Miss Nagatoro</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>6. </b><b><i><span>My Next Life As A Villainess: All Routes Lead To Doom! X* [</span><span>eps. 1-5]</span></i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i><span><br /></span></i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>7. </b><b><i>Pui Pui Molcar</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>8. </b><b><i>Haganai</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>9. </b><b><i>Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>10. </b><b><i>Tonikawa: Over The Moon For You</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>11. </b><b><i>The Devil Is A Part-Timer!</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>12. </b><b><i>Suppose A Kid From The Last Dungeon Boonies Moved To A Starter Town</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>13. </b><b><i>How A Realist Hero Rebuilt The Kingdom</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>14. </b><b><i>How Not To Summon A Demon Lord</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>15. </b><b><i>Is It Wrong To Try To Pick Up Girls In A Dungeon?</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>16. </b><b><i>Toradora!</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>17. </b><b><i><span style="font-family: arial;">The Disastrous Life of Saiki K.* </span>(Season 1)</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>18. </b><b><i><span>Jujutsu Kaisen* [</span><span>eps. 1-3]</span></i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i><span><br /></span></i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>19. </b><b><i><span>Kuroko’s Basketball* [</span><span>eps. 1-14]</span></i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i><span><br /></span></i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>20. </b><b><i>The Misfit Of Demon King Academy* [eps. 1-4]</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>21</b><b>. </b><b><i>I’ve Been Killing Slimes For 300 Years And Maxed Out My Level* [eps. 1-3]</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>22. </b><b><i>The Hidden Dungeon Only I Can Enter* [eps. 1-6]</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>23. </b><b><i>Tsukimichi -Moonlit Fantasy-* [eps. 1-4]</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>24. </b><b><i>Black Clover* [ep. 170]</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>25. </b><b><i>Hundred</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>26. </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Lovely Complex* [ep. 1]</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><i style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>27. </b><b><i>Kyo Kara Maoh!* [eps. 1-3]</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>28. </b><b><i>Hortensia Saga* [eps. 1-4]</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>29. </b><b><i>High School Prodigies Have It Easy Even In Another World* [eps. 1-2]</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>30. </b><b><i>The Saint’s Magic Power Is Omnipotent* [ep. 1]</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>31. </b><b><i>Rainbow Days* [eps. 1-8]</i></b></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>32. </b><b><i>My Hero Academia* [S5 eps. 89-90]</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>33. </b><b><i>Tenchi Muyo! War On Geminar* [ep. 7]</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>34. </b><b><i>Death March To The Parallel World Rhapsody</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>35. </b><b><i>Full Dive: This Ultimate Next-Gen Full Dive RPG Is Even Shittier Than Real Life!* [ep. 1]</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>36. </b><b><i>Record of Ragnarok* [eps. 1-8]</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>37. </b><b><i>Masamune-kun’s Revenge</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>38. </b><b><i>The Way of the Househusband* [eps. 1-2]</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>39. </b><b><i>Armor Shop for Ladies & Gentlemen* [S1, Flips The Script, S2 eps. 1-7]</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">So where do I go from here? For 2022, I hope to watch and finish more series so I don't suffer a huge crash in my watch count. I least get to enjoy the second season/part two of <i>Komi Can't Communicate</i> and <i>How a Realist</i>. Plus, <i>My Dress-Up Darling</i> premieres in two days and the hugely anticipated <i>Spy x Family</i> comes out in April. As for older titles, I would like to finally sink my teeth into <i>Classroom of the Elite</i> and <i>My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU</i>. Hopefully you get to hear my thoughts on those and more titles next January.</span></div><div><br /></div>A. Conroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10181413438503689145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4753219984473602151.post-83257283127030304332022-01-04T10:00:00.074-05:002022-01-11T21:08:50.237-05:00Best Performances and the Rest of 2021<div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Since I saw many quality films last year, plus being more in the mood to celebrate them, I decided to do some of my other movie awards. Granted, as seen below, the majority of them just went to the same three films but I appreciated them so much that they richly deserve an encore.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiv8XA_aaEJMMoGEcUnR7fBUIaSGiL2HAIatbr8vsBOLs5sSGClxMped71yNfm-fCC6dM6fohIPblzbcLRFafuyC9vxdKNV4lJW0Sl9QvWY70IHqQ3kg8Uq-Hy4XJ6gEuR3MZ0mSikRkanwII1GKHNaSvJxCTnFvMdRqPw-Z7HOssomn4-pkI-Uz0kH=s1000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="416" data-original-width="1000" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiv8XA_aaEJMMoGEcUnR7fBUIaSGiL2HAIatbr8vsBOLs5sSGClxMped71yNfm-fCC6dM6fohIPblzbcLRFafuyC9vxdKNV4lJW0Sl9QvWY70IHqQ3kg8Uq-Hy4XJ6gEuR3MZ0mSikRkanwII1GKHNaSvJxCTnFvMdRqPw-Z7HOssomn4-pkI-Uz0kH=w400-h166" width="400" /></a></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>BEST ACTOR: Benedict Cumberbatch - <i>The Power of the Dog</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjGBqFZKbtDEAPjy-keHWiZ6xxZd3vxalzR-uTHnTB3R36pUAHQEphWFR5Dw-QpSXbAliHQMrjCys36j6rq9BfpJI9o39b8wX5ldA_TLbNSxHVg1Wbnw2BcndefyHZ5LIe4lgukC1DB7f-gzfs2-EbpJ3fqgTJkIJKdyYGdqL1gelbVZ4NkSkdG3tN7=s1000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="417" data-original-width="1000" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjGBqFZKbtDEAPjy-keHWiZ6xxZd3vxalzR-uTHnTB3R36pUAHQEphWFR5Dw-QpSXbAliHQMrjCys36j6rq9BfpJI9o39b8wX5ldA_TLbNSxHVg1Wbnw2BcndefyHZ5LIe4lgukC1DB7f-gzfs2-EbpJ3fqgTJkIJKdyYGdqL1gelbVZ4NkSkdG3tN7=w400-h166" width="400" /></a></div><b>BEST ACTRESS: Rebecca Ferguson - <i>Dune</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEitGCUpx9z-wLab10TUlH_rJzm4chuqO3ojNNqkPvfO54FV9VU8Vy2dlaaGV3LkJoc9yrFvQR-DpTW4u6X7CJePVxBwknZ6DUwEbLgzLS9-4hImiAXJ7GzpNlRfXopxc2rAPJQQD7zdnhA6UQ-jtyHQGvLDpiIrqtvdjLHUoYRRXqE07k7Gct_LwmcW=s1000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="417" data-original-width="1000" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEitGCUpx9z-wLab10TUlH_rJzm4chuqO3ojNNqkPvfO54FV9VU8Vy2dlaaGV3LkJoc9yrFvQR-DpTW4u6X7CJePVxBwknZ6DUwEbLgzLS9-4hImiAXJ7GzpNlRfXopxc2rAPJQQD7zdnhA6UQ-jtyHQGvLDpiIrqtvdjLHUoYRRXqE07k7Gct_LwmcW=w400-h166" width="400" /></a></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Jason Momoa - <i>Dune</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjV3ZrEpd7Xg9YcdG9X6q2iYkKQa_-lqIeARkHSch8EVcXwpq89U-7qQL36f2etQvgwP-Q2_of9ZOnO11ztQ-GesGs05OR-HHwZ0IYJdY6wWEz1X2jxreD0acVEMjbKKe_gVmDhKgDJY20rXRoTfTqplVjdtzrYx7q2EwhL989T66zkOc_yH6ZyYW7E=s1000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="417" data-original-width="1000" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjV3ZrEpd7Xg9YcdG9X6q2iYkKQa_-lqIeARkHSch8EVcXwpq89U-7qQL36f2etQvgwP-Q2_of9ZOnO11ztQ-GesGs05OR-HHwZ0IYJdY6wWEz1X2jxreD0acVEMjbKKe_gVmDhKgDJY20rXRoTfTqplVjdtzrYx7q2EwhL989T66zkOc_yH6ZyYW7E=w400-h166" width="400" /></a></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Ariana DeBose - <i>West Side Story</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhclSC_Ro44KY8VB5IqSGOXxMg_MR8s5RfshvS4TFfMZd-16jOjUBLoUPaY7w5ZYHn7U1cUYXG8iyS8NFkuhf9N_XrMPCEsZpSlCQpX0t8TH1wxkzvDgg9Mr_ayp46r9fNIdFApIuNBmqwoAJdoJ0Xr8yxmq7I1A-upwMhk70cTLRTabeS2_ohJlLpB=s1000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="417" data-original-width="1000" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhclSC_Ro44KY8VB5IqSGOXxMg_MR8s5RfshvS4TFfMZd-16jOjUBLoUPaY7w5ZYHn7U1cUYXG8iyS8NFkuhf9N_XrMPCEsZpSlCQpX0t8TH1wxkzvDgg9Mr_ayp46r9fNIdFApIuNBmqwoAJdoJ0Xr8yxmq7I1A-upwMhk70cTLRTabeS2_ohJlLpB=w400-h166" width="400" /></a></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>BEST ENSEMBLE: <i>Dune</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgtLY1sy8rHEi0kEstHYQF-DQ-GVkl7j1imNVE5_cLxc7LS6w61XEWcreD6NxDsDAKoIpKgCxwrQY-JtrDjfVY_y4zJ7WM4TYo9AWN-e8lZRB6wz2CZzyHVRmGNaT_ecMlNsUc9M1Ku9SXzNtPZUr1mdKrXJx2g2r1vwysmrZx3oTU_-zjBEffAGnDv=s1000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="417" data-original-width="1000" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgtLY1sy8rHEi0kEstHYQF-DQ-GVkl7j1imNVE5_cLxc7LS6w61XEWcreD6NxDsDAKoIpKgCxwrQY-JtrDjfVY_y4zJ7WM4TYo9AWN-e8lZRB6wz2CZzyHVRmGNaT_ecMlNsUc9M1Ku9SXzNtPZUr1mdKrXJx2g2r1vwysmrZx3oTU_-zjBEffAGnDv=w400-h166" width="400" /></a></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>BEST DIRECTOR: Denis Villeneuve - <i>Dune</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjRK8PoCQjgyiFRZV4AAQonrLIZLTGLNWufRqFL7Q23aLvVg6THELIm3fWrxVeWzqt-YMFRF8pfGycAWy42j7huV0A_ATjeBItlLXgeQlV9qupmPozK-s0QtXSf47uKNNDNuc-Gfmr8qsrxzPATAWJOvN9obKWnjj98g2YOXK8UXPF-yvQgA508D8pk=s1000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="416" data-original-width="1000" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjRK8PoCQjgyiFRZV4AAQonrLIZLTGLNWufRqFL7Q23aLvVg6THELIm3fWrxVeWzqt-YMFRF8pfGycAWy42j7huV0A_ATjeBItlLXgeQlV9qupmPozK-s0QtXSf47uKNNDNuc-Gfmr8qsrxzPATAWJOvN9obKWnjj98g2YOXK8UXPF-yvQgA508D8pk=w400-h166" width="400" /></a></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>BEST SCREENPLAY: Tony Kushner - <i>West Side Story</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjdD3kEKnxbbbGFgDemXVZoImwnR5ynUfLolBfkjMalXcadlwYvsi2Y2Nlf9qjhjAv74WxFVzagJ9ThGCnybPBWUNRodhtzUKHCjy35Duiu16K-XO1fPoW1FI6gKaCF49g2OE-CrnW9Oz2aeLmc8K_sXt6NhMY2nbBxAdUKx_LcGEIujGfFCgdYPlBw=s1000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="416" data-original-width="1000" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjdD3kEKnxbbbGFgDemXVZoImwnR5ynUfLolBfkjMalXcadlwYvsi2Y2Nlf9qjhjAv74WxFVzagJ9ThGCnybPBWUNRodhtzUKHCjy35Duiu16K-XO1fPoW1FI6gKaCF49g2OE-CrnW9Oz2aeLmc8K_sXt6NhMY2nbBxAdUKx_LcGEIujGfFCgdYPlBw=w400-h166" width="400" /></a></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>BEST SCORE: Jonny Greenwood - <i>The Power of the Dog</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj4xoAzlTvDa86bVy-Nhf3HlvuR8UeEptJDR3pzydtJ1cuIhzGrdfWJ7e42EPh1qWFqpdAgB1PjZyjl8v2OJTcOtYJvLRDHfQvYXOT2Rkwd_4Anh_G4PNT3kr5Hyo-wWOLo3zYhyEHJzc3g-_4egITnYqghJniUjIU2v1KmXcR10fbMtWGSICUiREBt=s1000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="415" data-original-width="1000" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj4xoAzlTvDa86bVy-Nhf3HlvuR8UeEptJDR3pzydtJ1cuIhzGrdfWJ7e42EPh1qWFqpdAgB1PjZyjl8v2OJTcOtYJvLRDHfQvYXOT2Rkwd_4Anh_G4PNT3kr5Hyo-wWOLo3zYhyEHJzc3g-_4egITnYqghJniUjIU2v1KmXcR10fbMtWGSICUiREBt=w400-h166" width="400" /></a></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>BEST SONG: "No Time To Die" by Billie Eilish - <i>No Time To Die</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjXx7JrLi7HvAcikK-jB9jgwZOn7hQSZmSb4FAmN-xg8z-zW21sbEXZaxvUfWx8JnW13QCoLys6pK1Z9RGARoGW61ycsgFawCjEYI1f4YY_ev0-2oT7Z9B6Y7bSt6EsbnFh6T2aXKYi_F3GIa80cKAX1HjDQhguJytvOOr1IZBXH7y501Kn6goywQz6=s1000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="418" data-original-width="1000" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjXx7JrLi7HvAcikK-jB9jgwZOn7hQSZmSb4FAmN-xg8z-zW21sbEXZaxvUfWx8JnW13QCoLys6pK1Z9RGARoGW61ycsgFawCjEYI1f4YY_ev0-2oT7Z9B6Y7bSt6EsbnFh6T2aXKYi_F3GIa80cKAX1HjDQhguJytvOOr1IZBXH7y501Kn6goywQz6=w400-h168" width="400" /></a></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>BEST TRAILER: <i>Licorice Pizza</i></b></span></div><div><br /></div>A. Conroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10181413438503689145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4753219984473602151.post-8423461711217952182022-01-03T10:00:01.043-05:002022-06-29T23:54:02.870-04:00The Films of 2021<div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: arial;">2021 didn't deliver the immediate bounce back everybody wished, prayed, and hoped for, especially after the events of January 6. We all had to suffer through a deluge of misinformation, people spewing anger and utter nonsense, and the unending waves of COVID infections and variants. And yet despite all of the head-shaking drama and complete hogwash, we are finally seeing a light at the end of the tunnel. We may have to keep pulling on all of the buffoons' hands, even when they stomp their feet endlessly or break off and suffer the eventual consequences, but we're starting to see some better results.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span>As for the film industry, well, the results weren't as kind. One of their earliest galas of self-congratulations, the Golden Globe Awards, spawned an awful edition laden with technical difficulties and led to little to none viewership thanks to the near non-factor of movies in 2020 and bizarre rule changes. The Hollywood Foreign Press suffered an even greater blow when a news report revealed the lack of diversity in their ranks, eventually leading to studios to boycott the Globes and NBC to cancel further broadcasts. The Oscars tried to shake up their stagnant presentation in order to entice the public, only to have </span>less than 10 million viewers watch an edition with no exciting stakes and a much criticized anticlimactic finale. The studios aggressively urged people to return to the cinema despite the ongoing pandemic with several theaters-only flicks only for the great majority of them, aka non-superhero pics, flopping or achieving less than stellar results. Despite great critical reviews and the monumental efforts put forth in them, save for one featuring a very old looking actor playing a teenager, every single movie musical bombed at the box office. Disney shut down Blue Sky Studios to no fanfare and continued their lambasted premium access plan to major movies via Disney+, which would come back to haunt them when Scarlet Johansson sued the company over their treatment of <i>Black Widow</i>. Netflix continued capturing the pop culture zeitgeist with their slew of original series, which greatly impacted their original film lineup when it wasn't also being overshadowed by the company's P.R. shit show. And finally, there's the still ongoing investigation and controversy over the <i>Rust</i> shooting tragedy, where a prop gun Alec Baldwin was handling discharged real rounds, injuring the director and killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">But not everything was a total wash for the world of cinema. We got to see more representation and respect for female filmmakers, with Julia Ducournau becoming the first solo female winner of the Palme d'Or, Maggie Gyllenhaal break through as a new voice, and the celebrated return of Jane Campion. Lin-Manuel Miranda was everywhere, whether you wanted him or not, and scored a lot of notices both for his usual composing expertise and his film directorial debut. An anime juggernaut finally saw its box office shattering feature released in the States where it shockingly became one of the biggest films of the year, even earning the ultra-rare distinction of being the #1 film in the entire nation. HBO Max largely succeeded last year thanks to Warner Bros' experiment of releasing their major slate of films online and in theaters simultaneously. Several Netflix original films were strong enough to break out and deliver huge streaming numbers. And though I mocked it in the previous paragraph, the human experience of going to the movie theaters is slowly starting to rebuild itself.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">As for me personally, 2021 was a better year than 2020 but the highs and lows were very wide. I got to reunite with friends and family and enjoyed their company again. I also was able to cross off something on my bucket list: I finally attended Madison Square Garden where I was lucky enough to witness the historic moment of Stephen Curry's becoming the new NBA 3-point scoring leader. However, something that I always feared would happen unfortunately came true: I lost a very beloved family member due to COVID. It was one of the most distressing moments I have had to experience in my life but luckily there was a lot of love and support to get me through it. That plus plenty of work and video games to help distract me. As per usual, my movie watching experience, even at home, continued to suffer throughout the year but I have lately been more active in breaking that curse. Having your yearly movie plan with Regal Unlimited being forcibly changed to a monthly one certainly helped spurn it.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">My final total of 2021 films that I watched is 15. Hooray, a rare increase in my viewing habits! The downside, however, is that not all of the films I watched can be labeled as good and/or be placed in a Best Films list. Therefore, similar to last year, I have arranged them in the order of my opinion.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">First up are four films that I can easily say are some of the Best of 2021 and would have been on my list.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhzGYjvseWFpyY4OXwyAEn3SZb9wk0PigzWvXCfdMTwKOQ_XZeizTIilSE29QycXZhPaeWhrecWHgMf1wWyZyEuZNic_Nya53pf_ZydfARdpUyXPMWSPhbigACB0rV07i4JsmMUVDZqxL4EkjRWOM4hYtLQ2n890GHSNr29hg5hqbHT-LVDFj_eVmJf=s755" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="509" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhzGYjvseWFpyY4OXwyAEn3SZb9wk0PigzWvXCfdMTwKOQ_XZeizTIilSE29QycXZhPaeWhrecWHgMf1wWyZyEuZNic_Nya53pf_ZydfARdpUyXPMWSPhbigACB0rV07i4JsmMUVDZqxL4EkjRWOM4hYtLQ2n890GHSNr29hg5hqbHT-LVDFj_eVmJf=w270-h400" width="270" /></a></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>1. <i>Dune</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I always love to applaud a filmmaker when they somehow are able to do the so called impossible and adapt a work largely deemed unfilmable. But Denis Villeneuve goes well above and beyond with this new take on the Frank Herbert novel, able to pour his own love of the source material and blend it with exceptional production design, a fantastic cast, an unconventional score, and CGI special effects that are far more believable and awe-inspiring than distracting. My sole issue is that I wished the film festival/opening weekend version of the film was the only cut, as the film was later changed in theaters to include the "Part One" opening credit and the bad ADR final line.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh8Rm915A_a5n-4PFmyRYxrL8j95efyTG2bHouLGKjTPScB1ffC2iTwO_-HiPPdUii-7GV0WwCgvlBKzsyeMIrncmlQRqsSeTOM3OqYU_tcit9m3-JPPhTMgI9aoMPKTZNOtuFjwX3zjJKszZ3dUDHRYkyxHAwKqRg568SL7R0Ol8vMl3OUMgwJssJv=s755" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="510" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh8Rm915A_a5n-4PFmyRYxrL8j95efyTG2bHouLGKjTPScB1ffC2iTwO_-HiPPdUii-7GV0WwCgvlBKzsyeMIrncmlQRqsSeTOM3OqYU_tcit9m3-JPPhTMgI9aoMPKTZNOtuFjwX3zjJKszZ3dUDHRYkyxHAwKqRg568SL7R0Ol8vMl3OUMgwJssJv=w270-h400" width="270" /></a></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>2. <i>West Side Story</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I was skeptical and annoyed at its announcement. Then the trailer dropped and shook up my expectations. It would then become both the most exciting and my most watched film in theaters for 2021. Steven Spielberg and Tony Kushner did a great job carefully updating the material to a degree that helps make this reimagining of the Broadway musical stand on its own from the 1961 Hollywood classic. The sole slight that prevents this from being my number one film is the less than stellar singing of Ansel Elgort as Tony.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhrnEEoDw_W50AlVgRl4G85W9JuxfPDb3a_Adqv5QosWpeymauTKz_rf8bmGePXn8R9-LpjTck-iV3axh_iI-ZRUHMbZMG4F2H790NzVStX-Ujvn-o70yBVu6IZ1yTAHblnd3zDMIm9PzxKcn6b9whT8T8-S5p-AtiOcdlDH9QUwvHbtLLGRXquKyi3=s755" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="509" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhrnEEoDw_W50AlVgRl4G85W9JuxfPDb3a_Adqv5QosWpeymauTKz_rf8bmGePXn8R9-LpjTck-iV3axh_iI-ZRUHMbZMG4F2H790NzVStX-Ujvn-o70yBVu6IZ1yTAHblnd3zDMIm9PzxKcn6b9whT8T8-S5p-AtiOcdlDH9QUwvHbtLLGRXquKyi3=w270-h400" width="270" /></a></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>3. <i>The Suicide Squad</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">This movie can be wisely labeled as being too much of a copy of the <i>Guardians of the Galaxy</i> movies but James Gunn does deliver another highly satisfying comic book romp albeit one where the executive limiters are turned way the hell off. Save for the weird abundance of bird killings, the violence is pitch perfect in its various executions, literally and figuratively. This is the kind of Suicide Squad/Secret Six story I wanted to be shared with the world.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiB5q_hoCR-AcFMHOhmbVAOb21kH4hHo2jD6xiKxmlsaunAa2PKcbzdQSN_eFoklZIeDem93JRfRUVsdD8kgNW3T5zfaY7viC9I3x_lv0tafa9GdTT-7vxVcikoYQ2wbelAv6jYuKdEU1YNLfV1IXOdfXhrbFY_-xdf2W4edEQj7R1n6Hr9xdcIXMYK=s755" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="510" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiB5q_hoCR-AcFMHOhmbVAOb21kH4hHo2jD6xiKxmlsaunAa2PKcbzdQSN_eFoklZIeDem93JRfRUVsdD8kgNW3T5zfaY7viC9I3x_lv0tafa9GdTT-7vxVcikoYQ2wbelAv6jYuKdEU1YNLfV1IXOdfXhrbFY_-xdf2W4edEQj7R1n6Hr9xdcIXMYK=w270-h400" width="270" /></a></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>4. <i>The Power of the Dog</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I would not mind in the slightest this being the big winner at the upcoming Oscars. Beautifully directed, shot, acted, and scored, it's the kind of movie that if released during a theaters-only era would have had everyone in the nation talking and debating thoroughly for weeks if not months. It also seemingly shares a tenuous but close connection to a Hitchcock movie that I quite admire. And just like that movie, my sole gripe against Jane Campion's latest is how the ending has to overexplain itself for the dummies in the audience before concluding with a devilish smirk.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Next up are seven films that I would most fittingly label as the "creamy middles" of the year; movies that would have very likely missed out on my Best of 2021 list but were quite effective in their execution and entertainment.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj6573-GIi7mpIFyc1XuFzth8yPHDDmXfzexXg6Xk_fatUH5qk0oafwZnZZ5Bn_ivS40MyNIrF8X7rwhJrQLickYG2eEZPSL1ObQ5FMfE6-Sce7XaZyHDu123Zw3zL69U2IUItAgdp5xerO2FhioSbwYWCwAnnhkh2pAc1exPl_HqBjTTsR4NXDIr9k=s755" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="510" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj6573-GIi7mpIFyc1XuFzth8yPHDDmXfzexXg6Xk_fatUH5qk0oafwZnZZ5Bn_ivS40MyNIrF8X7rwhJrQLickYG2eEZPSL1ObQ5FMfE6-Sce7XaZyHDu123Zw3zL69U2IUItAgdp5xerO2FhioSbwYWCwAnnhkh2pAc1exPl_HqBjTTsR4NXDIr9k=w270-h400" width="270" /></a></div></div><div><b style="font-family: arial;">5. <i>No Time To Die</i></b></div><div><b style="font-family: arial;"><i><br /></i></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Both a greatest hits of the entire James Bond franchise and a proper sendoff to the Daniel Craig era, this was a real treat </span><span style="font-family: arial;">in theaters.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> As many have already proclaimed, the sequence in Cuba was absolutely one of the best moments of 2021. I would even add the pretty terrifying first prologue to that list. If the makers could have had a chat with Rami Malek about his approach to Not Dr. No aka Luytsifer Safin (ugh even for 007 standards) or given some proper lighting of Lashana Lynch, this could have been higher.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjUvJd-pRdvelAzdjbu74PbYCNcVGO8lgLUAZtkEIyniCg6zspzQaTe7nUjcUqCF9SIGHsRcp2DKi_heGkgcvSUBaCV_vW-RTMOQUkpEc-aMT6bjd-IQk80-fms4pDvd2oBoGFxn3cWAe8Rgt5FM8ypNAF9_-G5fzdrUFkTC_ei12oM7H2eSN6TyMbx=s755" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="526" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjUvJd-pRdvelAzdjbu74PbYCNcVGO8lgLUAZtkEIyniCg6zspzQaTe7nUjcUqCF9SIGHsRcp2DKi_heGkgcvSUBaCV_vW-RTMOQUkpEc-aMT6bjd-IQk80-fms4pDvd2oBoGFxn3cWAe8Rgt5FM8ypNAF9_-G5fzdrUFkTC_ei12oM7H2eSN6TyMbx=w279-h400" width="279" /></a></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>6. <i>Belfast</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I can't deny the amount of great creativity and artistry Kenneth Branagh brought to what he has dubbed his "most personal film". And the acting from the entire ensemble is near excellent. But that incessant </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Van Morrison </span><span style="font-family: arial;">soundtrack really gutted some of the joy and heart I had with the picture.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjmdwJDs3px550NY8e15aTKFeYZ3FcJtBc3BxrU-vAG01rj25yBItVAKhzC3ZYUdDUVILiiakoQBdKKUkpEqsLTMJLxZlp_hqItN1pDtCyn_qRueV3-F93ibq0NItmv71sXu0ti-MXxA8U4TgFJ796jWOWGrc7gMpt5AvDCqMZ1cHPTJUIHZHHrv0Vc=s755" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="534" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjmdwJDs3px550NY8e15aTKFeYZ3FcJtBc3BxrU-vAG01rj25yBItVAKhzC3ZYUdDUVILiiakoQBdKKUkpEqsLTMJLxZlp_hqItN1pDtCyn_qRueV3-F93ibq0NItmv71sXu0ti-MXxA8U4TgFJ796jWOWGrc7gMpt5AvDCqMZ1cHPTJUIHZHHrv0Vc=w283-h400" width="283" /></a></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>7. <i>Demon Slayer The Movie: Mugen Train</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">This was the very first movie I saw back in theaters and I'm glad that even with a ton of asterisks it was able to shine brightly last year. It suffers somewhat due to it feeling less like an actual movie and more like a series of television episodes, which actually happened after some retooling in late 2021 with the premiere of <i>Demon Slayer: Mugen Train Arc</i>. But the movie delivers the amazing animation quality expected from Ufotable and excels at trying to ring every single emotion out of you. Also, come the fuck on MPA with that R rating.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhhE4XKvplj-ncHdXeQZ1Xgslzq8SlKcW-0adS_8Pttp9lZR3LX2Wd6-oj0WGGU5EIl9Nhb57n88wuL8kwr33h564xCo3gTaRyq0MMehmEsYAwBz7G5IhtLq2B3Y0UVzGjHeWno4oBiIS1vkMqFJXMXaf5trppEpFwx9ano0RveW_PxxtQH8hbFK6Iz=s755" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="510" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhhE4XKvplj-ncHdXeQZ1Xgslzq8SlKcW-0adS_8Pttp9lZR3LX2Wd6-oj0WGGU5EIl9Nhb57n88wuL8kwr33h564xCo3gTaRyq0MMehmEsYAwBz7G5IhtLq2B3Y0UVzGjHeWno4oBiIS1vkMqFJXMXaf5trppEpFwx9ano0RveW_PxxtQH8hbFK6Iz=w270-h400" width="270" /></a></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>8. <i>Zola</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Equal parts funny and harrowing, this Sundance indie finally got to see the light and bequeathed the world a stranger than fiction tale supplemented by four great performances and another interesting score by Mica Levi. Other than to help break up the anime bloc, I put this slightly lower because I quite frankly have seen this story before. I'm not talking about the initial Twitter thread that spawned the film. I mean I have watched plenty of "Florida is dirty and sucks" movies since A24 released <i>Spring Breakers</i> and this frankly is just another one</span><span style="font-family: arial;">, also courtesy of A24,</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> to add to the pile.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh1ynjoF_wwkGE3zOPih6zO900XxeFdj0thkp8QZVehCSrQcueb5GI2Cm3vnZ272AJKSfi6Na-KAAJSNZr8DdjZcSxqEtNtabnHp43QcWH_5Tf-7eYl-ho2Av98taRJ8klFqgV1P2lXWf6E25sBKrj6q8_datYQ-KLibP8aw-P42-2KEggTYcQUpk2v=s830" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="830" data-original-width="587" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh1ynjoF_wwkGE3zOPih6zO900XxeFdj0thkp8QZVehCSrQcueb5GI2Cm3vnZ272AJKSfi6Na-KAAJSNZr8DdjZcSxqEtNtabnHp43QcWH_5Tf-7eYl-ho2Av98taRJ8klFqgV1P2lXWf6E25sBKrj6q8_datYQ-KLibP8aw-P42-2KEggTYcQUpk2v=w283-h400" width="283" /></a></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>9. <i>My Hero Academia: World Heroes' Mission</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The <i>My Hero Academia</i> movies continue to fall a bit in quality with this one but it's still an entertaining shonen flick. I really liked the film's original character Rody and there are several great action sequences, particularly the city chase. And I'm always a sucker for new music from Asian Kung-Fu Generation. It's just too bad that the movie gets tripped up in the plot department, what with the initial storyline of Deku being framed for murder, the highly questionable motives and actions of the villains and how the final battle sadly boils down to "keep punching till its dead".</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj1Z6nrN8AjfrPFn2cKQs-Tn18lAV2l9-46PtLgEVlXxO0RdTXqAtGJG-68oCE9-DnXHA3R260bPY0K88octjKFBSB42WmALOgQ9-CmdZmQdlY_ZEIF56l_YRTSWiCowuzB-1y86sUus-gN81Snjx2IQv0lcTSMGd5lRY_MTX8FnQnMh8fj4XItIgaH=s755" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj1Z6nrN8AjfrPFn2cKQs-Tn18lAV2l9-46PtLgEVlXxO0RdTXqAtGJG-68oCE9-DnXHA3R260bPY0K88octjKFBSB42WmALOgQ9-CmdZmQdlY_ZEIF56l_YRTSWiCowuzB-1y86sUus-gN81Snjx2IQv0lcTSMGd5lRY_MTX8FnQnMh8fj4XItIgaH=w284-h400" width="284" /></a></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>10. <i>Sword Art Online The Movie -Progressive- Aria of a Starless Night</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">For my first dive into this incredibly popular/divisive franchise, the movie was wisely welcoming to all interested viewers and did well enough in the action and drama departments. I still have to chuckle though at how this 97 minute movie re-tells a story, albeit one from a different angle, that was told in less than half that time in the actual anime series. Plus the usage of "beater" as an insult. Oh lordy lord, that's pathetic.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg9NDdtVU9WZ18bL4NUf64m3ojTiKnwNC3V6_KGd3DOSZHMwoApgBORLyDJgOJ3MXQfpErGXHVaP40Fsa15_FsYX4pKCV1g_2hDaYeWdsA9hKKXAyEW2op_bfJJeZCBqw90r9VKz6MJLmqDmxKicAYOVvt9OFEKegPcux_1XozZQWR2TM8G5d59qYan=s755" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="510" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg9NDdtVU9WZ18bL4NUf64m3ojTiKnwNC3V6_KGd3DOSZHMwoApgBORLyDJgOJ3MXQfpErGXHVaP40Fsa15_FsYX4pKCV1g_2hDaYeWdsA9hKKXAyEW2op_bfJJeZCBqw90r9VKz6MJLmqDmxKicAYOVvt9OFEKegPcux_1XozZQWR2TM8G5d59qYan=w270-h400" width="270" /></a></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>11. <i>Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Marvel was doing a great job letting Destin Daniel Cretton and his crew craft a fun and exciting martial arts superhero movie with several winning performances and standout fights. Then they had to get their fudgy fingers into the mix and give us another tiring CGI-fueled "save the world" plot in the back half. And though I was all for the subplot with Xu Xialing, the film's stinger was so obnoxiously handled. Remember Marvel, feather touch, not POWER DRIVE.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The next batch are three films that were in the tough spot between entertaining and disappointing; the type of movies where there are elements I really liked but are hampered by the overall product. Unless I was truly desperate, these would narrowly avoid earning a spot on my Worst of 2021 list.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjGDX23iDBQVYHQ-oUmDPj5ZmiqloiFkg61EK4W2f9F0EH-M4NXnHCXN3R6rBYrHA79kp2NZFQOwOgHQvmhNsxWR6jXkYOoGojEnxvNu4ADJEihERPnS5mmjPqIdYV22ew7RBOHNAn3M_ISjwcxDwDc-eDeSyRrk6_wld8xvmJjrJamlArEhpGAM-GX=s755" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="477" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjGDX23iDBQVYHQ-oUmDPj5ZmiqloiFkg61EK4W2f9F0EH-M4NXnHCXN3R6rBYrHA79kp2NZFQOwOgHQvmhNsxWR6jXkYOoGojEnxvNu4ADJEihERPnS5mmjPqIdYV22ew7RBOHNAn3M_ISjwcxDwDc-eDeSyRrk6_wld8xvmJjrJamlArEhpGAM-GX=w253-h400" width="253" /></a></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>12. <i>Old</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Good ole M. Night Shyamalan. Pulling the same tricks to hoodwink viewers into watching his films that fall apart faster than a house of cards laced with sneezing powder. To be fair, amid all of its laughable dialogue and dumb reveals, there are a few genuine scenes of horror and I was swept up by the main couple's evolving relationship. This fits perfectly next to <i>The Village</i> in terms of the quality of </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Shyamalan's outputs</span><span style="font-family: arial;">.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEixJv0ClQnwRxTEPykZV8H_JuQ0-LW_sY3jb0iOKNiPPvyqbWgZOQg1LcOYf8wqqfKTgDbwCKYI2hsC7KYP2MxUBblktXD6mH8zlNRbpqKn-f7GwFJBgbhbqrwT0XrxkIu5sE9XxWcprpsfJhdhuGG-uwxFOzThwOglKnmVzBVT4QEwhgNIyWqEOuXo=s755" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="509" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEixJv0ClQnwRxTEPykZV8H_JuQ0-LW_sY3jb0iOKNiPPvyqbWgZOQg1LcOYf8wqqfKTgDbwCKYI2hsC7KYP2MxUBblktXD6mH8zlNRbpqKn-f7GwFJBgbhbqrwT0XrxkIu5sE9XxWcprpsfJhdhuGG-uwxFOzThwOglKnmVzBVT4QEwhgNIyWqEOuXo=w270-h400" width="270" /></a></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>13. <i>Ghostbusters: Afterlife</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I saw this in a packed theater, where the audience were completely silent throughout it all and quickly got up and left once the credits hit. Though I had some laughs and fun with it, I was also very dismayed at the endless fan service and adherence to the original film. And then there was the piss-poor third act and the CGI creation of a certain someone. Once again, <i>Ghostbusters 2</i> remains the gold standard of this franchise's disappointing follow-ups.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjNQWTTecMBhmhKKPJQ39v4-zgCyrK4oxFhuqgehG9Pj_1jjrV_mgOxTeAhgWD7kidfukgqmrRXvKKhHeXRlKr1P9wj09kkYys0SiTYfN4CigEU-Tohz7Wnn40GKGvwQbhFi3BsBTKrEmgK6R_0Cn1lXkQvpM7Zp4XnvkZZlw7VrDZSvJtH4PtTMpWe=s800" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="561" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjNQWTTecMBhmhKKPJQ39v4-zgCyrK4oxFhuqgehG9Pj_1jjrV_mgOxTeAhgWD7kidfukgqmrRXvKKhHeXRlKr1P9wj09kkYys0SiTYfN4CigEU-Tohz7Wnn40GKGvwQbhFi3BsBTKrEmgK6R_0Cn1lXkQvpM7Zp4XnvkZZlw7VrDZSvJtH4PtTMpWe=w280-h400" width="280" /></a></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>14. <i>Gintama: The Very Final</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I might draw the ire of some anime fans for placing this low but I know that's all empty noise because they certainly didn't turn out to see this in theaters. The movie is so incredibly impenetrable for any non-fan of the cult manga/anime series, even with the convoluted prologue that also acts as a <i>Dragon Ball Z</i> parody. I was smiling and laughing when it got to its comedy portions but all of that is in the last third of the movie. You have to sit through a lot of so-so at best action and stale anime drama in order to get there.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">And finally, a film that would have definitely made it onto my Worst of 2021 list, albeit in a lower rank, but has now become my Worst Film of 2021 by default.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgNZSXS6jsaREDiL7D4ckWmLyrRCRsuaYFHNjp2hbYHjwYC51BrOR-ikz1LOeiUPv1rSCW8PrV__8pdMEwFMs2KMgq4FRJFQmSdmkp39YB8x2GILk4OLEqiI2e1TJf-8OdaTMwdmEvRxYtGa9IQ14pBdQPRKTYm5ai8dwqbHdJdskmJDj-s_ziZc7bS=s755" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="509" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgNZSXS6jsaREDiL7D4ckWmLyrRCRsuaYFHNjp2hbYHjwYC51BrOR-ikz1LOeiUPv1rSCW8PrV__8pdMEwFMs2KMgq4FRJFQmSdmkp39YB8x2GILk4OLEqiI2e1TJf-8OdaTMwdmEvRxYtGa9IQ14pBdQPRKTYm5ai8dwqbHdJdskmJDj-s_ziZc7bS=w270-h400" width="270" /></a></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>15. <i>Mortal Kombat</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I am so, so glad this didn't come out on my birthday. That's not as bad as when <i>Heaven Is For Real</i> really did but this was would have been such a disappointing gift for me. A violent martial arts tournament film where the tournament never takes place, led by an unbelievably boring original character despite coming from a franchise littered with personalities. I don't care how cool the prologue was, it can't make up for all of the eye rolls I had when Kano was treated as a good guy or all of the hearty laughs whenever Jax's itty bitty teeny weeny robot arms were shown on screen. This wasn't the equivalent of Mortal Kombat 9; this was the equivalent of Bloody Roar 4.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">And there you have it, my film recap of 2021. But that's not all! Tune in tomorrow to see a selection of my movie awards.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>A. Conroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10181413438503689145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4753219984473602151.post-68461769959997545122021-07-03T21:16:00.013-04:002021-07-04T22:28:49.653-04:00How A Realist Hero Rebuilt The Kingdom Anime - First Episode Thoughts<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYOsav4k4a00997lRrPJ7_9_9Rl3UKk3241maSbDArEKW0LiGanbSpDn0xKuwVuQBODLoNvuWQ7KR5p0QrEpzDZSqRFudJ8R9KwPireu3QakcWWf0KDmjHKuyyXZJtV_aytgrKURIlUgI/s1000/How_A_Realist_Ep1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="541" data-original-width="1000" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYOsav4k4a00997lRrPJ7_9_9Rl3UKk3241maSbDArEKW0LiGanbSpDn0xKuwVuQBODLoNvuWQ7KR5p0QrEpzDZSqRFudJ8R9KwPireu3QakcWWf0KDmjHKuyyXZJtV_aytgrKURIlUgI/w400-h216/How_A_Realist_Ep1.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><div><span><br /></span></div>After over a year of patiently waiting, the long anticipated anime adaptation of the Japanese light novel series </span><i>How A Realist Hero Rebuilt The Kingdom</i><span> premiered today. The series is streaming here in the United States thanks to Funimation, who clearly see big things in the series, enough to make it one of their exclusives for Summer 2021. According to eagle-eye online snoopers, the series is set to be one season of 13 episodes.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Since dipping my toes into the niche world of light novels, <i>How A Realist</i> has become a favorite book series of mine. I have purchased and read every single volume that has been so far translated via their American distributor J-Novel Club. I have even re-read several of the volumes, a rare feat for me when it comes to regular books. For those who may be wondering, my favorite volume is #6 (second season just for animated Naden, please!).</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Due to my excitement pre- and post-viewing of the first episode, I wanted to record my thoughts on it.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>BEWARE: BOOK SPOILERS/LATER EPISODE SPECULATION BELOW!</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Don't let the above image fool you. I really enjoyed the first episode. I had a big stupid grin on my face watching it, thrilled at seeing all of my favorite characters being given life.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">However, if I wasn't a big fan and had no experience with the books and manga, would I still enjoy this episode? Honestly, I would have probably thought this series looks fun and be a bit interested to see where it goes. But I would've more than likely waited to binge it properly or at least enforce the "three episode rule" before being committed to watching it weekly.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Given the sheer pace of the first episode, plus what has been revealed in the promotional videos, it is quite clear to fans that this season will just be an adaptation of the first two volumes. Thank god!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Though the opener is not a standout in the slightest, I did think the song by Inori Minase (who also voices Liscia) to be pretty good. Plus, the cameo of Little Musashibo could mean that the side adventuring party will make an appearance in the series.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">There clearly needed to be some creative decisions when adapting the book to television but this first episode featured quite a few major changes.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">So far, the show's tone appears to be more comedic and sarcastic than it is in the book. This was probably implemented mainly in order to help the show get through its introductory growing pains. Additionally, punching up the writing does help distract the viewer from the show's less than glorious animation style.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The king's mediocre abilities as a ruler is now more closer to near incompetence. It also appears that the makers decided to now leave him in the dark from the series' big twist.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I really liked how they changed Kazuya Souma's attitude to being summoned. The book basically had him shrug his shoulders and go "oh well" at the forced teleportation. Here, he gets pissed once he hears the details and reason for his summoning. His initial contempt, coupled with his blunt strategy to be the new king just for the short term, will surely be messed with in the coming episodes, making him more likable to viewers and eventually circling back to the talk about "family" brought up in the show's prologue.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Biggest shock of the first episode: the very early reveals of Roroa (and Sebastian) and the Euphoria sisters. The later pair makes a bit sense since the first episode discusses the Gran Chaos Empire and their "request" for tribute. But having Roroa just pop in at the start, coupled with the new material of what happened to the "Group B" treasures, threw me off.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Biggest disappointment: giving up the ghost of Juna being a secret spy for Excel. The makers didn't even try to have her hidden in shadow or anything. They just placed her right in the middle of a bright room and did a useless tilt up of her front appearance before cutting away from her face.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Changing the reveal of the king and queen post-abdication happily eating cake to ear cleaning kinda stunk. Still got a laugh out of me.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I knocked it a little but overall the animation is fine. Not the best of all time but serviceable enough to be pleasing. The 3D camera movements were quite interesting to say the least though they were pretty distracting.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The voice cast is pretty much the best thing of the series so far, at least according to other viewers and critics. Yusuke Kobayashi did a great job as Souma. From the small amount of Inori Minase as Liscia we got at the end of the episode, I thought she did quite well playing up the tomboyish side of the character.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I looked at other people's opinions and it seems so far most people have it around the middle, usually as a 3.0-3.5 out of 5. Most appear to have the opinion that I had above if I was a non-fan. Then you had the others that made me roll my eyes and/or shake my head: the isekai detractors who have nothing better to do than sneer at a show they didn't watch, the easy pleasers who saw the <i>Yu-Gi-Oh</i> joke and clapped at the reference they got, and the easily enragers who couldn't get past the idea that an 18-year-old teen was smarter than the royal court of a medium nation.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Also, I had quite a laugh at all of the dummies who have immediately written the show off because they believe it will just be stuck in the castle and involve nothing but office work. The comments about the queen being useless beyond smiling made me chuckle as well.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Though a good chunk of the initial reviews/comments are laughable, many fans and non-fans brought up some good criticism, such as the bombardment of world info, the intro of too many characters and how the episode lacked a big bang moment. I may laugh at those <i>Yu-Gi-Oh</i> people but I can't do the same for those who felt it was dull.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I'll of course be spending every Saturday for the next 12 weeks watching this show but this will probably be my first and last piece on it until I do my wrap-up of watched anime next year. I don't really have the intense urge to do reviews of each and every episode unless the show pulls a <i>Promised Neverland</i> Season 2 and somehow complete botch it. But more than likely, the show is in nice hands and will play out fine.</span></div>A. Conroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10181413438503689145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4753219984473602151.post-28592872981906301432021-05-16T14:45:00.787-04:002021-05-18T14:49:13.959-04:002021 Eurovision Song Contest Predictions<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4h1LwjDQ6z8O3UbrODLxw7ydT37fTd5TW5-Hp-xxvF1Ws5vcxWn3e9sEHglsQdU9o5ooSDL3DOc_6pAKSvvqvuG8MFD2xP_UZAEdXV6QuhXdNiEsEKp-BkcXI5mfCO4tao9U4zGyhi5k/s1000/Eurovision_2021_Logo.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4h1LwjDQ6z8O3UbrODLxw7ydT37fTd5TW5-Hp-xxvF1Ws5vcxWn3e9sEHglsQdU9o5ooSDL3DOc_6pAKSvvqvuG8MFD2xP_UZAEdXV6QuhXdNiEsEKp-BkcXI5mfCO4tao9U4zGyhi5k/w400-h225/Eurovision_2021_Logo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">It's really great to say this again: We are two days away from the start of the 2021 Eurovision Song Contest.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">We've already had some bumps in the road, with more happening everyday (looking at you Poland), but fans across the globe are excited to have an actual contest this year. I'm sadly still unable to attend the show live for the first time due to the lingering COVID pandemic but I'm overjoyed that the show will mostly be done live and in person with some of the fans in the crowd.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Once again, I'm jotting down my predictions both for the two semis and the grand final. Here's what I think and believe about this year's entries, grouped together into special categories that seem fitting:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u><b>THE FRONT RUNNERS</b></u></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Other than the expected "Arcade" effect, last year we were expected to see the Billie Eilish effect at Eurovision. <b>Bulgaria</b> had that covered with Victoria and her song "Tears Getting Sober". Victoria returns again with "Growing Up Is Getting Old", a song she said she starting writing in 2019 but has now become of several Eurovision songs reflecting on last year's cancellation and the COVID crisis. The song has the same magical touch as "Tears" and coupled with the outstanding staging we're seeing from the rehearsals, I believe that it is finally time for Bulgaria to get this first win. Its biggest remaining hurdle is the pervading perception that the public want a "fun" winner this year after all that we collectively went through.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Italy</b> has been hovering for a win the past three competitions, nearly nabbing it in 2019 with "Soldi". Instead of another soaring ballad like "Fai Rumore", the country is giving us Maneskin's "Zitti E Bouni". It has the flavor of 2000's rock, the first of two such throwbacks this year, but the high aggressive energy the band brings to it is highly effective. It could be another silver medal but I and many others can see it getting gold instead, especially with what they have in store for the final performance.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">At no point, from its song drop to today, did I think <b>Switzerland</b> had a chance at winning. I'm still flabbergasted that some people think it should easily win. It took me a while to truly appreciate Gjon' Tears' "Repondez-Moi" but "Tout L'Univers" remains very forgettable to me. I had some promise for a potential change when I first saw the first set of rehearsals but the second rehearsals, where we get to see more fully his "interpretive dancing", sunk that opportunity. It seems I'm not the only one, as many have started to change their tune on Switzerland's odds.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u><b>THE SLAYERS</b></u></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>France</b> should be in the above category considering the amount of press praise it has been getting. Honestly though, like Switzerland, I think they are overrating it too much. I do like "Voila" but it being very, very French is a double edge sword. Plus it's way too serious and sad. The juries will eat it up but I expect the public vote to be shockingly low.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Oh, <b>Malta</b>. What do I now want you to fail? I like both Destiny and "Je Me Casse", even though the song keeps making hum Fifth Harmony's "Worth It" instead. While I first laughed off it's high chance to win this year, I'm now gobsmacked at what I feel is heavy blinders on the press. I saw a lot of critics praise the ever loving hell out of the first rehearsals, while I and much of the public were concerned and/or bashing some of the creative decisions. With the second rehearsals, the tide has turned a significant bit and the worrying has increased. I think it will squeak by into the grand final but a part of me can vividly see the press with open jaws at its non-qualification.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Some strange press pundits think <b>Russia</b> has a good chance at winning. That's pure bull. Although, I do see Manizha doing quite well with her creative performance of "Russian Woman". She has already got some fan backing after all of the stupid controversy she had to endure in her home nation. She will get even more global fans after Tuesday and, more than likely, Saturday.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Thank god <b>Greece</b> didn't give us another "Supergirl". "Last Dance" will be the best of the 80's revival songs this year and Stefania will certainly be striking with her purple outfit and dancing alongside her heavily special effected crew.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Similar to their experience with "Fuego" albeit to a small degree, <b>Cyprus</b> is riding on some high momentum with Elena Tsagrinou and "El Diablo". Still being decried as a Lady Gaga ripoff, Elena and her delegation are putting a lot of effort into their performance and hoping to steal votes away from the other female pop singers.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Time is starting to run out a little for <b>Croatia</b>. "Tick Tock" was a big fan favorite going into the contest but has lost some steam since rehearsals. I and many fans still have faith in it but it more than likely will suffer the same fate of Belarus 2019 if it passes its semi-final.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Also coming down the standings is <b>San Marino</b>. "Adrenalina" floored the internet when it dropped and Senhit has been winning a lot of the Eurovision fanbase over the past year with her antics. However, with surprise guest rapper Flo Rida more than likely not coming to Rotterdam, she has faltered with the general public. Senhit still has a chance making it through Semi Final 2 but the reputation of her lowly country could be her undoing.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Putting <b>Azerbaijan</b> here is a bit of a joke as Efendi's "Mata Hari" doesn't slay like "Cleopatra". However, even though I am concerned about her getting swallowed up by the stage, I think Efendi and her risque dancers will do well and make enough of a statement to get into the grand final.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u><b>TOP TEN HOPEFULS</b></u></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Expected to win last year before the cancellation, <b>Iceland</b> will more than likely not be able to do it this year. "10 Years" is a great song from Daoi Freyr and his group Gagnamagnio but it is so not "Think About Things". However, the expected goofy and colorful performance will cause it to safely secure a spot in the top ten at least.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Lithuania</b> also had a chance to win last year but they are almost the opposite of Iceland this time around. "Discotheque" blows "On Fire" out of the water and The Roop are far more confident in their presentation. Crossing my fingers it will be higher up the top ten and potentially become the country's best result ever.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Ukraine</b> returns to the stage after their controversial exit from 2019 and could potentially shake up the lower half of the top ten with Go_A and their electro-folk bop "Shum". The crazy factor is high, with their expected performance to include CGI shimmering people running, a snow white forest platform, and Tron-like power discs.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u><b>FINAL FILLERS</b></u></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">It's nice to place <b>The United Kingdom</b> higher up on this category than usual. "Embers" is a great pop song that you could viably hear playing on your radio today and it always gets my toes tapping. Unfortunately, the rehearsal footage has me considered, especially with the potentially useless giant trumpets.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>The Netherlands</b> obviously don't want to host the contest again, even with the cancellation. That being said, "Birth Of A New Age" is a pretty fantastic host country song, one of the best lately.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Portugal</b> shocked everyone by picking an all English song for the first time ever. I believe they will continue to shock the world by easily making it in. Though a little sleepy at first, "Love Is On My Side" grabs your attention and crescendos at the end. I had faith in it before the rehearsals started and I've already cashed out massively on that bet. Critics gave it a pass to the final, even while still grumbling about "Telemoveis" bombing in 2019.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I might be crazy but like Portugal I think <b>Spain</b> will be doing better than expected. I getting the same kind of vibes as Italy 2013. Blas Canto has a better song than last year's attempt and the stage performance looks to do wonders for it.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Good ole <b>Albania</b> giving us another bombastic Balkan ballad. Anxhela Peristeri will do enough with "Karma" to get the country middle of the pack at the grand final.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I'm still not happy with Keiino losing out on representing them but <b>Norway</b> at least has some quality with their preferred performer. Tix looks like that YouTuber you hate but he does charisma and some decent singing chops. He's also an all-around very nice guy in general. I think my main problem with him and his song "Fallen Angel" is that it's too basic of an Eurovision entry. There's nothing that really elevates it a lot in my opinion and I think much of the public will think so too come Saturday.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I can't help but love <b>Finland</b> this year. Though the song is bit eye-rolling, I can't fully scrub my adoration for nu-metal out of my life. Plus, Blind Channel go full bore with it and like a good rock band want the crowd to go crazy with them.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Ireland</b> is one of this year's biggest "on the fence" acts. "Maps" is a strong song for the country but Lesley Roy really needs to give it all in order to pass, something she hasn't quite shown in the rehearsals. The country is going all out in the performance aspect with special effects and unique camerawork, something that has easily helped save lesser acts, but whether it will be a Russia 2016 or Iceland 2016 remains to be seen come the top ten announcements on Tuesday.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Though it should be something up my alley, I wasn't a fan of <b>Serbia</b> last year or even this year. Hurricane has the fire with "Loco Loco" but having just the trio on the vast stage is bringing bad Moje 3 vibes.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Oh how I greatly hope to see <b>Latvia</b> and Samantha Tina get through to the final. The rehearsals improved over time and Tina is still an amazing presence. She just needs to succeed with the rest of her strong block in Semi Final 2.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I don't feel hate or sorry for </span><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Germany.</b> They purposefully picked a kooky performer to perform a kooky song and match it with a kooky stage performance. It will draw some eyes and voters to keep it from the absolute bottom but not enough past #20.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />It's not fun for me to have <b>Sweden</b> this low. "Voices" certainly wasn't my pick from Melodifestivalen but I understand its draw and Tusse is a nice guy. But the song is very much in the vein of The Weeknd and the real lyrics of "a million voices" will piss off the Eurovision crowd. Plus, the rehearsals show that Tusse is now sporting a Mortal Kombat gi and can only do the Rykee dance of rapid squatting and holding in his pee. There is a part of me that really believes we will see the second ever time Sweden fails to qualify on Tuesday. Of course, that is only if the juries don't save it and then proceed to carry it chiefly in the grand final.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u><b>PAINFUL ELIMINATIONS</b></u></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Let's get the most painful out of the way first: <b>Australia</b>. Montaigne and her crew put a lot into the song and the overall package for "Technicolor" but I think her not performing live in Rotterdam (due to COVID and travel issues) will severely hurt her chances. A lot of the press think otherwise but I really do see the voting public not to be there for her because of this issue.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Also painful for me is the high chance of <b>Czech Republic</b> not making through. I'm really behind Benny Cristo and see him being a great star, even after all of those pointless revamps of his 2019 entry "Kemama". "Omaga" is another bop from him but the rehearsals have been very poor and caused many to scratch him.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Removing all of what's currently going on with the country in the news, <b>Israel</b> could be left behind by the public. Eden Alene has the star power and the chops to hit that whistle note but with so many other female pop singers in the competition, especially in her semi final, she might not make it through.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">While I still roll my eyes at <b>Estonia</b> and their sheer insistence on Uku Suviste, I will say that I do enjoy "The Lucky One", especially when the Michael McDonald-like backup singer goes "Better off alone!" But the national final performance wasn't a game-changer and the rehearsals at Rotterdam show no improvement. As many have said, maybe Uku should use that crystal ball to show him what the future lies and quickly change up things before it's too late.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I'm still not a big fan of Vincent Bueno but he is giving it all to see <b>Austria</b> qualify this year with "Amen". But the song isn't that good enough, even with some pizzazz going into the performance.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Making it two for two with "Amen" songs, <b>Slovenia</b> doesn't look to get off the blocks. Ana Soklic is in the dreaded 2nd performance position in the first semi final and her amazing voice is sure to be overshadowed by better acts.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">When you fail at making something truly memorable, don't give critics an easy layup with a bad title. <b>Romania</b> did just that with "Amnesia", Roxen's not-so-hot follow-up to "Alcohol You". The song is a bit of a wash but it is the rehearsals that greatly show that this will not stick with voters.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u><b>DEAD ON ARRIVAL</b></u></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Georgia</b>. "You" is absolutely dreadful and ponderous. The performance looks terrible. Moving on.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Poland</b> had no chance with "The Ride", even with its 80's inspired aesthetic. Rafal is a very dull singer and all of his live performance videos have received significant downvotes. The rehearsal videos have shown that the country can't make a good performance out of it either. Then to top it all off, he also will not perform live because someone from his delegation has now tested positive for COVID.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">While it's nice to have a Danish song from <b>Denmark</b>, that doesn't change the fact that "Ove Os Pa Hinanden" is a laughably bad song. Somebody brought up ABC's "The Look of Love" when comparing with it and I briefly changed my tune for a second until I remembered that that song is a masterpiece and this is a crappy ripoff of 80's schlager. Even if you have a soft spot for it or see it as a guilty pleasure, the performance looks to be a disaster. I can't believe the show producers are letting this go last in the second semi final.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Vasil has a great voice but he can't save <b>North Macedonia</b> this time around with "Here I Stand". And that obvious artistic swipe from Dotter's "Bulletproof" performance has many booing him already.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Though we have several sad, serious and somber songs, <b>Belgium</b> takes the cake. "The Wrong Place" is a polished yet boring coffee shop song and Hooverphonic come off as way too pretentious, especially with their dark and gritty performance. What is with this country and this horrible musical trend?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">My poor <b>Moldova</b> fell off a cliff once it became clear that the dancing ice cream cones from the music video of "Sugar" weren't coming to Rotterdam. Coupled with the pathetic staging and you have an easy non-qualifier.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">For those who just want the Cliff Notes version, here's what I have as my predictions for qualifying in the two semi-finals.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Semi Final 1</u></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Azerbaijan</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Croatia</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Cyprus</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Ireland</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Lithuania</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Malta</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Norway</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Russia</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Sweden</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Ukraine</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Potential Stealer: Australia, Israel</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Potenial Non-Qualifier: Ireland, Malta, Sweden</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Semi Final 2</u></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Albania</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Bulgaria</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Finland</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Greece</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Iceland</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Latvia</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Portugal</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">San Marino</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Serbia</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Switzerland</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Potential Stealer: Austria, Estonia</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Potenial Non-Qualifier: Latvia, San Marino, Serbia, Switzerland</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Here are my top ten favorite songs from this year's contest in alphabetical order:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Bulgaria</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Croatia</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Czech Republic</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Finland</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Iceland</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Italy</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Latvia</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Lithuania</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Ukraine</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">United Kingdom</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">And I again asked my non-fan father to watch/listen to the official recap video of all 39 songs and come up with his own top five:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">1. Iceland</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">2. Germany</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">3. Slovenia</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">4. North Macedonia</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">5. Portugal</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The semi finals will take place on May 18 and 20, both starting at 3 PM EST. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">The grand final is on Saturday May 22.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> You will need to check Twitter for updates or watch it live via other countries' streams.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>A. Conroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10181413438503689145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4753219984473602151.post-69356990828725952042021-05-07T10:00:00.946-04:002022-02-27T17:21:42.356-05:00NBA Showtime: NBA on NBC - All Team Rosters and Players<div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4h_WyWS4FsVmf6chnymGKEPiSgGEhib3dsRwXLHkF1L7L-j_gKrSB5uyhZT8WPzK2YewamJFFyVIcmQAGBo2poRnd-iJYyOH78xu-KExlqQNeVehh-C64YCqJ5KlXeNCYpO-CSBFIf7I/s966/NBA_Showtime_Logo.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="724" data-original-width="966" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4h_WyWS4FsVmf6chnymGKEPiSgGEhib3dsRwXLHkF1L7L-j_gKrSB5uyhZT8WPzK2YewamJFFyVIcmQAGBo2poRnd-iJYyOH78xu-KExlqQNeVehh-C64YCqJ5KlXeNCYpO-CSBFIf7I/w400-h300/NBA_Showtime_Logo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div>I'm not going to regale you with my memories of <i>NBA Showtime: NBA on NBC</i> because I had none. I saw its promotion ads a lot in video game magazines but never wanted to buy or rent it. The arcade cabinet for it was a rare beast, with my only sighting of it being at my city's sports arena. My love for arcade basketball games at the time pretty much ended with <i>Hangtime</i>; things would slightly turn around two years later with the release of <i>NBA Street</i>.</div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Instead of continuing the tradition of 2D sprites, Midway had <i>NBA Showtime</i> adopt the 3D technology that they created and used for their <i>NFL Blitz</i> series. The team no longer had to hand draw the players' heads anymore because of the advancements in face-mapping. They could now have accurate player likenesses albeit ones on awkward 3D models. Even with the change in graphics, the Jam gameplay remained largely the same.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The only new notable inclusion to the gameplay is the additional of fouls. Pushing your opponent still allow you the opportunity to take the ball but now it also caused you to earn a foul. If you earn too many in a quarter, your opponent heads to the free throw line to play a timed button press mini-game and a chance at extra points.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">As evident in the title, the game not only has the license of the NBA but also NBC, allowing it to feature probably the most iconic basketball tune, </span><span style="font-family: arial;">John Tesh's "Roundball Rock".</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>NBA Showtime</i> was released in arcades in January 1999. After some revisions, the arcade game and was bundled with <i>NFL Blitz 2000</i> in a single cabinet as part of Midway's ambitious and unprecedented </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Midway SportStation line. The game was ported to the Playstation, Nintendo 64 and Sega Dreamcast, all of which were released on November 16, 1999. A port to the Game Boy Color was released in the first months of 2000. To end with a big bang, Midway again broke their tradition by releasing the final update of <i>Showtime</i>, dubbed the "Gold Edition", to arcades in February/March 2000. This update was also bundled with <i>NFL Blitz 2000 Gold</i> for the second iteration of the </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Midway SportStation.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Finding information on the arcade release proved to be a bit tough. It's practically impossible to locate any footage or exact details of Version 1.0. Wherever you look, you see the same fun fact about it, that Dennis Rodman is on the Lakers and you could change his hair color. I couldn't prove this being a real thing because Version 1.0 doesn't seem to exist anymore. The only arcade versions that can be emulated or are still programmed in cabinets floating in the wild are Version 2.0, Version 2.1 (The SportStation update), and Version 3.0 (Gold Edition).</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The cover of the console ports prominently and purposefully features a certain athlete. After many licensing issues throughout the series, Shaquille O'Neal is finally back and playable again. A big upgrade from <i>Hangtime</i>'s cover star, an ugly caricature of Not Patrick Ewing. Unfortunately, this ended up being a foreboding sign: Midway would eventually run themselves out of business largely due to them spending more money on marketing, big promotional stars and important licenses than the actual games themselves.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Also making his return to the series, but buried away, is Charles Barkley. Too bad his reappearance coincided with the twilight years of his career.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Before I get into more about the rosters and players, it's finally time to talk about a certain something. I</span><span style="font-family: arial;">'ve been hinting at it in the previous articles but we finally reach one of the most bizarre issues with this series: the pointless reordering of the players. The PSX, N64 and Dreamcast have near exact team rosters yet they scramble the player order between the console generations for no exact reason. Hell, the PSX and N64 are identical except for the ordering of the Los Angeles Clippers. Then you get to the Gold Edition where the rosters are reconfigured again, with some teams being listed alphabetical by the player's last name while others forgo it.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The initial arcade versions featured rosters from the 1998-99 season. The console ports and the Gold Edition had updated rosters matching the 1999-2000 season. The Gold Edition makes this even more clear, advertising its roster update as being accurate "As of 2/10/2000" on the demo screen.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The PSX/N64 ports receive one home console exclusive player: Lamar Odom for the Los Angeles Clippers. The Dreamcast, however, trumps them with two home console exclusive players: Paul Pierce for the Boston Celtics and Joe Dumars for the Detroit Pistons. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">However, none of the home consoles truly have console exclusive players because both Odom and Pierce are playable in the Game Boy Color version (Joe Dumars is also playable in the original arcade release).</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">In fact, the Game Boy Color version is the only port to truly have </span><span style="font-family: arial;">exclusive players, that being Eric Piatkowski for the Clippers and Rodrick Rhodes for the Orlando Magic. Oh wow, what heavy hitters that system got. Seriously, Piatkowski was (debatably) just a body for the Clippers. Meanwhile, Rhodes didn't even play for the Magic; he was traded to them on 8/23/1999 and was waived on 10/4/1999. So much for the GBC credits screen saying that "All teams are accurate as of 10/29/99".</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Johnny Newman gets the "nobody's favorite" award for this game. He goes from the Cavs in the arcade version, to the Clippers in the PSX/N64/Dreamcast versions, to the Nets in the GBC and Arcade Gold Edition versions.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Now onto the teams. To reiterate, I have listed all of the NBA teams that are in the game by their team name, rather than by their city or by what conference they are in. I then list the players in the order that they are sorted in the game, much to my chagrin this time around.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Special thanks to the </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Retro Sports Gamer and Jet Set Willy on YouTube for providing valid info and footage for this game.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">76ers</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade</u></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Allen Iverson</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Theo Ratliff</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Aaron McKie</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Matt Geiger</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Tyrone Hill</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><u><span style="font-family: arial;">PSX/N64</span></u></div><div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Allen Iverson</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Theo Ratliff</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Aaron McKie</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Matt Geiger</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Tyrone Hill</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Billy Owens</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Dreamcast</u></span></div><div><div><div>Billy Owens</div><div>Allen Iverson</div><div>Theo Ratliff</div><div>Aaron McKie</div><div>Matt Geiger</div><div>Tyrone Hill</div></div><div><br /></div><div><u>Game Boy Color</u></div><div>Theo Ratliff</div></div><div>Allen Iverson</div><div>Billy Owens</div><div>Tyrone Hill</div><div>Matt Geiger</div><div>Aaron McKie</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade (Gold Edition)</u></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Matt Geiger</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Allen Iverson</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Tyrone Hill</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Theo Ratliff</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">George Lynch</span></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><br /></div></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Bucks</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade</u></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Glenn Robinson</div><div>Ray Allen</div><div>Ervin Johnson</div><div>Sam Cassell</div><div>Chris Gatling</div><div>Tim Thomas</div><div>Dell Curry</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><u><span style="font-family: arial;">PSX/N64</span></u></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Glenn Robinson</div><div>Ray Allen</div><div>Ervin Johnson</div><div>Sam Cassell</div><div>Tim Thomas</div><div>Danny Manning</div><div>Dale Ellis</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Dreamcast</u></span></div><div><div><div>Danny Manning</div><div>Dale Ellis</div><div>Glenn Robinson</div><div>Ray Allen</div><div>Ervin Johnson</div><div>Sam Cassell</div><div>Tim Thomas</div></div></div><div><br /></div><div><u>Game Boy Color</u></div><div>Ray Allen</div><div>Glenn Robinson</div><div>Dale Ellis</div><div>Danny Manning</div><div>Tim Thomas</div><div>Sam Cassell</div><div>Ervin Johnson</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade (Gold Edition)</u></span></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Ray Allen</div><div>Sam Cassell</div><div>Dale Ellis</div><div>Danny Manning</div><div>Glenn Robinson</div><div>Ervin Johnson</div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Bulls</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade</u></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Toni Kukoc</div><div>Ron Harper</div><div>Brent Barry</div><div>Andrew Lang</div><div>Kornel David</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><u><span style="font-family: arial;">PSX/N64</span></u></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Toni Kukoc</div><div>Ron Harper</div><div>Andrew Lang</div><div>Kornel David</div><div>B.J. Armstrong</div><div>Will Perdue</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Dreamcast</u></span></div><div><div>Will Perdue</div><div>B.J. Armstrong</div><div>Toni Kukoc</div><div>Ron Harper</div><div>Andrew Lang</div><div>Kornel David</div></div><div><br /></div><div><u>Game Boy Color</u></div><div>Kornel David</div><div>Toni Kukoc</div><div>Will Perdue</div><div>B.J. Armstrong</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade (Gold Edition)</u></span></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>B.J. Armstrong</div><div>Ron Artest</div><div>Elton Brand</div><div>Toni Kukoc</div><div>Kornel David</div><div>Will Perdue</div><div>Fred Hoiberg</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Cavaliers</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade</u></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Shawn Kemp</div><div>Brevin Knight</div><div>Bob Sura</div><div>Zydrunas Ilgauskas</div><div>Wesley Person</div><div>Johnny Newman</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><u><span style="font-family: arial;">PSX/N64</span></u></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Shawn Kemp</div><div>Brevin Knight</div><div>Bob Sura</div><div>Zydrunas Ilgauskas</div><div>Wesley Person</div><div>Lamond Murray</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Dreamcast</u></span></div><div><div>Lamond Murray</div><div>Shawn Kemp</div><div>Brevin Knight</div><div>Bob Sura</div><div>Zydrunas Ilgauskas</div><div>Wesley Person</div></div><div><br /></div><div><u>Game Boy Color</u></div><div>Brevin Knight</div><div>Shawn Kemp</div><div>Lamond Murray</div><div>Wesley Person</div><div>Zydrunas Ilgauskas</div><div>Bob Sura</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade (Gold Edition)</u></span></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Zydrunas Ilgauskas</div><div>Shawn Kemp</div><div>Brevin Knight</div><div>Wesley Person</div><div>Bob Sura</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Celtics</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade</u></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Kenny Anderson</div><div>Antoine Walker</div><div>Ron Mercer</div><div>Dana Barros</div><div>Tony Battie</div><div>Paul Pierce</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><u><span style="font-family: arial;">PSX/N64</span></u></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Kenny Anderson</div><div>Antoine Walker</div><div>Dana Barros</div><div>Tony Battie</div><div>Danny Fortson</div><div>Calbert Cheaney</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Dreamcast</u></span></div><div><div>Danny Fortson</div><div>Calbert Cheaney</div><div>Kenny Anderson</div><div>Antoine Walker</div><div>Dana Barros</div><div>Tony Battie</div><div>Paul Pierce</div></div><div><br /></div><div><u>Game Boy Color</u></div><div>Antoine Walker</div><div>Kenny Anderson</div><div>Paul Pierce</div><div>Calbert Cheaney</div><div>Danny Fortson</div><div>Tony Battie</div><div>Dana Barros</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade (Gold Edition)</u></span></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Kenny Anderson</div><div>Dana Barros</div><div>Tony Battie</div><div>Calbert Cheaney</div><div>Antoine Walker</div><div>Paul Pierce</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Clippers</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade</u></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Maurice Taylor</div><div>Darrick Martin</div><div>Stojko Vrankovic</div><div>Lamond Murray</div><div>Rodney Rogers</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><u><span style="font-family: arial;">PSX</span></u></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Maurice Taylor</div><div>Lamar Odom</div><div>Stojko Vrankovic</div><div>Johnny Newman</div><div><br /></div><div><u>N64</u></div><div><div>Maurice Taylor</div><div>Stojko Vrankovic</div><div>Johnny Newman</div><div>Lamar Odom</div></div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Dreamcast</u></span></div><div><div>Johnny Newman</div><div>Maurice Taylor</div><div>Stojko Vrankovic</div></div><div><br /></div><div><u>Game Boy Color</u></div><div>Lamar Odom</div><div>Maurice Taylor</div><div>Michael Olowokandi</div><div>Eric Piatkowski</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade (Gold Edition)</u></span></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Lamar Odom</div><div>Brian Skinner</div><div>Derek Anderson</div><div>Maurice Taylor</div><div>Michael Olowokandi</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Grizzlies</b></span></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade</u></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Shareef Abdur-Rahim</div><div>Bryant Reeves</div><div>Tony Massenburg</div><div>Cherokee Parks</div><div>Doug West</div><div>Mike Bibby</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><u>PSX/N64/Dreamcast</u></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Shareef Abdur-Rahim</div><div>Bryant Reeves</div><div>Cherokee Parks</div><div>Doug West</div><div>Mike Bibby</div><div><br /></div><div><u>Game Boy Color</u></div><div>Bryant Reeves</div><div>Shareef Abdur-Rahim</div><div>Mike Bibby</div><div>Doug West</div><div>Cherokee Parks</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade (Gold Edition)</u></span></div></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Shareef Abdur-Rahim</div><div>Mike Bibby</div><div>Othella Harrington</div><div>Bryant Reeves</div><div>Cherokee Parks</div><div>Dennis Scott</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Hawks</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade</u></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Steve Smith</div><div>Mookie Blaylock</div><div>Dikembe Mutombo</div><div>Alan Henderson</div><div>LaPhonso Ellis</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><u><span style="font-family: arial;">PSX/N64</span></u></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Dikembe Mutombo</div><div>Alan Henderson</div><div>LaPhonso Ellis</div><div>Bimbo Coles</div><div>Isaiah Rider</div><div>Jim Jackson</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Dreamcast</u></span></div><div><div>Bimbo Coles</div><div>Isaiah Rider</div><div>Jim Jackson</div><div>Dikembe Mutombo</div><div>Alan Henderson</div><div>LaPhonso Ellis</div></div><div><br /></div><div><div><u>Game Boy Color</u></div><div>Alan Henderson</div><div>Dikembe Mutombo</div><div>Jim Jackson</div><div>Isaiah Rider</div></div><div>Bimbo Coles</div><div>LaPhonso Ellis</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade (Gold Edition)</u></span></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Bimbo Coles</div><div>LaPhonso Ellis</div><div>Alan Henderson</div><div>Jim Jackson</div><div>Dikembe Mutombo</div><div>Isaiah Rider</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Heat</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade</u></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Tim Hardaway</div><div>Alonzo Mourning</div><div>Voshon Lenard</div><div>Terry Porter</div><div>P.J. Brown</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><u><span style="font-family: arial;">PSX/N64/Dreamcast</span></u></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Tim Hardaway</div><div>Alonzo Mourning</div><div>Voshon Lenard</div><div>P.J. Brown</div><div><br /></div><div><u>Game Boy Color</u></div><div>Alonzo Mourning</div><div>Tim Hardaway</div><div>P.J. Brown</div><div>Voshon Lenard</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade (Gold Edition)</u></span></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Tim Hardaway</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Alonzo Mourning</div><div>Voshon Lenard</div><div>Jamal Mashburn</div><div>P.J. Brown</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Hornets</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade/</u></span><u><span style="font-family: arial;">PSX/N64/Dreamcast</span></u></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Eddie Jones</div><div>Anthony Mason</div><div>Bobby Phills</div><div>Derrick Coleman</div><div>Elden Campbell</div><div><br /></div><div><u>Game Boy Color</u></div><div>Anthony Mason</div><div>Eddie Jones</div><div>Elden Campbell<br />Derrick Coleman</div><div>Bobby Phills</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade (Gold Edition)</u></span></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><div>Elden Campbell</div><div>Derrick Coleman</div><div>Anthony Mason</div><div>Eddie Jones</div><div>David Wesley</div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Jazz</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade/</u></span><u><span style="font-family: arial;">PSX/N64/</span></u><u style="font-family: arial;">Dreamcast</u></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>John Stockton</div><div>Karl Malone</div><div>Greg Ostertag</div><div>Jeff Hornacek</div><div>Bryon Russell</div><div><br /></div><div><u>Game Boy Color</u></div><div>Karl Malone</div><div>John Stockton</div><div>Bryon Russell</div><div>Jeff Hornacek</div><div>Greg Ostertag</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade (Gold Edition)</u></span></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Jeff Hornacek</div><div>Karl Malone</div><div>Greg Ostertag</div><div>Bryon Russell</div><div>John Stockton</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Kings</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade</u></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Chris Webber</div><div>Jason Williams</div><div>Corliss Williamson</div><div>Vlade Divac</div><div>Lawrence Funderburke</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><u>PSX/N64</u></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Chris Webber</div><div>Jason Williams</div><div>Corliss Williamson</div><div>Vlade Divac</div><div>Lawrence Funderburke</div><div>Darrick Martin</div><div>Nick Anderson</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Dreamcast</u></span></div><div><div>Darrick Martin</div><div>Nick Anderson</div><div>Chris Webber</div><div>Jason Williams</div><div>Corliss Williamson</div><div>Vlade Divac</div><div>Lawrence Funderburke</div></div><div><br /></div><div><u>Game Boy Color</u></div><div>Jason Williams</div><div>Chris Webber</div><div>Nick Anderson</div><div>Darrick Martin</div><div>Lawrence Funderburke</div><div>Vlade Divac</div><div>Corliss Williamson</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade (Gold Edition)</u></span></div></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Nick Anderson</div><div>Vlade Divac</div><div>Jason Williams</div><div>Chris Webber</div><div>Corliss Williamson</div><div>Lawrence Funderburke</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Knicks</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade/</u></span><u>PSX/N64/</u><u>Dreamcast</u></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Patrick Ewing</div><div>Allan Houston</div><div>Latrell Sprewell</div><div>Larry Johnson</div><div>Charlie Ward</div><div>Marcus Camby</div><div><br /></div><div><u>Game Boy Color</u></div><div>Allan Houston</div><div>Patrick Ewing</div><div>Andrew Lang</div><div>Marcus Camby</div><div>Charlie Ward</div><div>Larry Johnson</div><div>Latrell Sprewell</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade (Gold Edition)</u></span></div></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Marcus Camby</div><div>Patrick Ewing</div><div>Allan Houston</div><div>Larry Johnson</div><div>Latrell Sprewell</div><div>Charlie Ward</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Lakers</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade</u></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Shaquille O’Neal</div><div>Glen Rice</div><div>Kobe Bryant</div><div>Rick Fox</div><div>Travis Knight</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><u>PSX/N64</u></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Shaquille O’Neal</div><div>Glen Rice</div><div>Kobe Bryant</div><div>Rick Fox</div><div>Travis Knight</div><div>A.C. Green</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Dreamcast</u></span></div><div><div>A.C. Green</div><div>Shaquille O’Neal</div><div>Glen Rice</div><div>Kobe Bryant</div><div>Rick Fox</div><div>Travis Knight</div></div><div><br /></div><div><u>Game Boy Color</u></div><div>Glen Rice</div><div>Shaquille O’Neal</div><div>Ron Harper</div><div>A.C. Green</div><div>Travis Knight</div><div>Rick Fox</div><div>Kobe Bryant</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade (Gold Edition)</u></span></div></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Kobe Bryant</div><div>A.C. Green</div><div>Ron Harper</div><div>Rick Fox</div><div>Shaquille O’Neal</div><div>Glen Rice</div><div>Travis Knight</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Magic</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade</u></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Penny Hardaway</div><div>Nick Anderson</div><div>Horace Grant</div><div>Bo Outlaw</div><div>Danny Schayes</div><div>B.J. Armstrong</div><div>Darrell Armstrong</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><u><span style="font-family: arial;">PSX/N64</span></u></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Bo Outlaw</div><div>Danny Schayes</div><div>Darrell Armstrong</div><div>Chris Gatling</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Dreamcast</u></span></div><div><div>Chris Gatling</div><div>Bo Outlaw</div><div>Danny Schayes</div><div>Darrell Armstrong</div></div><div><br /></div><div><u>Game Boy Color</u></div><div>Rodrick Rhodes</div><div>Bo Outlaw</div><div>Chris Gatling</div><div>Darrell Armstrong</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade (Gold Edition)</u></span></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Bo Outlaw</div><div>Darrell Armstrong</div><div>Ron Mercer</div><div>Chauncey Billups</div><div>Pat Garrity</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Mavericks</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade</u></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Michael Finley</div><div>Cedric Ceballos</div><div>A.C. Green</div><div>Shawn Bradley</div><div>Steve Nash</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><u><span style="font-family: arial;">PSX/N64/Dreamcast</span></u></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Michael Finley</div><div>Cedric Ceballos</div><div>Shawn Bradley</div><div>Steve Nash</div><div><br /></div><div><u>Game Boy Color</u></div><div>Cedric Ceballos</div><div>Michael Finley</div><div>Steve Nash</div><div>Shawn Bradley</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade (Gold Edition)</u></span></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><div>Shawn Bradley</div><div>Cedric Ceballos</div><div>Michael Finley</div><div>Steve Nash</div><div>Robert Pack</div><div>Dennis Rodman</div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Nets</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade/</u></span><u>PSX/N64/</u><u>Dreamcast</u></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Stephon Marbury</div><div>Keith Van Horn</div><div>Jayson Williams</div><div>Kendall Gill</div><div><br /></div><div><u>Game Boy Color</u></div><div>Keith Van Horn</div><div>Stephon Marbury</div><div>Johnny Newman</div><div>Kendall Gill</div><div>Jayson Williams</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade (Gold Edition)</u></span></div></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><div>Kendall Gill</div><div>Kerry Kittles</div><div>Stephon Marbury</div><div>Keith Van Horn</div><div>Jayson Williams</div><div>Johnny Newman</div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Nuggets</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade</u></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Antonio McDyess</div><div>Nick Van Exel</div><div>Bryant Stith</div><div>Chauncey Billups</div><div>Danny Fortson</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><u>PSX/N64</u></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Antonio McDyess</div><div>Nick Van Exel</div><div>Bryant Stith</div><div>Chauncey Billups</div><div>Ron Mercer</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Dreamcast</u></span></div><div><div>Ron Mercer</div><div>Antonio McDyess</div><div>Nick Van Exel</div><div>Bryant Stith</div><div>Chauncey Billups</div></div><div><br /></div><div><u>Game Boy Color</u></div><div>Nick Van Exel</div><div>Antonio McDyess</div><div>Ron Mercer</div><div>Chauncey Billups</div><div>Bryant Stith</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade (Gold Edition)</u></span></div></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Tariq Abdul-Wahad</div><div>Chris Gatling</div><div>Nick Van Exel</div><div>Antonio McDyess</div><div>Raef LaFrentz </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Pacers</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade/</u></span><u>PSX/N64/</u><u>Dreamcast</u></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Reggie Miller</div><div>Dale Davis</div><div>Jalen Rose</div><div>Sam Perkins</div><div>Mark Jackson</div><div>Chris Mullin</div><div><br /></div><div><u>Game Boy Color</u></div><div>Dale Davis</div><div>Reggie Miller</div><div>Chris Mullin</div><div>Mark Jackson</div><div>Sam Perkins</div><div>Jalen Rose</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade (Gold Edition)</u></span></div></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><div>Dale Davis</div><div>Mark Jackson</div><div>Reggie Miller</div><div>Jalen Rose</div><div>Chris Mullin</div><div>Sam Perkins</div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Pistons</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade</u></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Grant Hill</div><div>Lindsey Hunter</div><div>Christian Laettner</div><div>Bison Dele</div><div>Jerry Stackhouse</div><div>Joe Dumars</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><u>PSX/N64</u></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Grant Hill</div><div>Lindsey Hunter</div><div>Christian Laettner</div><div>Bison Dele</div><div>Jerry Stackhouse</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Dreamcast</u></span></div><div><div>Grant Hill</div><div>Lindsey Hunter</div><div>Christian Laettner</div><div>Bison Dele</div><div>Jerry Stackhouse</div><div>Joe Dumars</div></div><div><br /></div><div><u>Game Boy Color</u></div><div>Lindsey Hunter</div><div>Grant Hill</div><div>Jerry Stackhouse</div><div>Christian Laettner</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade (Gold Edition)</u></span></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><div>Grant Hill</div><div>Lindsey Hunter</div><div>Christian Laettner</div><div>Jerry Stackhouse</div><div>Jerome Williams</div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Raptors</span></b></div></span></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade</u></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Vince Carter</div><div>Charles Oakley</div><div>Doug Christie</div><div>Tracy McGrady</div><div>Kevin Willis</div><div>Dee Brown</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><u>PSX/N64</u></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Vince Carter</div><div>Charles Oakley</div><div>Doug Christie</div><div>Tracy McGrady</div><div>Kevin Willis</div><div>Dee Brown</div><div>Dell Curry</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Dreamcast</u></span></div><div><div>Dell Curry</div><div>Vince Carter</div><div>Charles Oakley</div><div>Doug Christie</div><div>Tracy McGrady</div><div>Kevin Willis</div><div>Dee Brown</div></div><div><br /></div><div><u>Game Boy Color</u></div><div>Charles Oakley</div><div>Vince Carter</div><div>Muggsy Bogues</div><div>Dell Curry</div><div>Dee Brown</div><div>Kevin Willis</div><div>Tracy McGrady</div><div>Doug Christie</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade (Gold Edition)</u></span></div></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Muggsy Bogues</div><div>Dee Brown</div><div>Vince Carter</div><div>Doug Christie</div><div>Tracy McGrady</div><div>Charles Oakley</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Rockets</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade</u></span></div><div><div>Scottie Pippen</div><div>Charles Barkley</div><div>Hakeem Olajuwon</div><div>Eddie Johnson</div><div>Matt Maloney</div><div><br /></div></div><div><u>PSX/N64</u></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Scottie Pippen</div><div>Charles Barkley</div><div>Hakeem Olajuwon</div><div>Eddie Johnson</div><div>Matt Maloney</div><div>Tony Massenburg</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Dreamcast</u></span></div><div><div>Tony Massenburg</div><div>Scottie Pippen</div><div>Charles Barkley</div><div>Hakeem Olajuwon</div><div>Eddie Johnson</div><div>Matt Maloney</div></div><div><br /></div><div><u>Game Boy Color</u></div><div>Charles Barkley</div><div>Walt Williams</div><div>Tony Massenburg</div><div>Matt Maloney</div><div>Hakeem Olajuwon</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade (Gold Edition)</u></span></div></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><div>Charles Barkley</div><div>Hakeem Olajuwon</div><div>Walt Williams</div><div>Steve Francis</div><div>Cuttino Mobley</div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></span></span></span></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Spurs</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade</u></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>David Robinson</div><div>Sean Elliott</div><div>Tim Duncan</div><div>Will Perdue</div><div>Steve Kerr</div><div>Avery Johnson</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><u>PSX/N64</u></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>David Robinson</div><div>Sean Elliott</div><div>Tim Duncan</div><div>Steve Kerr</div><div>Avery Johnson</div><div>Terry Porter</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Dreamcast</u></span></div><div><div>Terry Porter</div><div>David Robinson</div><div>Sean Elliott</div><div>Tim Duncan</div><div>Steve Kerr</div><div>Avery Johnson</div></div><div><br /></div><div><u>Game Boy Color</u></div><div>Sean Elliott</div><div>David Robinson</div><div>Terry Porter</div><div>Avery Johnson</div><div>Steve Kerr</div><div>Tim Duncan</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade (Gold Edition)</u></span></div></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><div>Tim Duncan</div><div>Sean Elliott</div><div>Avery Johnson</div><div>Steve Kerr</div><div>Terry Porter</div><div>David Robinson</div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Suns</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade</u></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Jason Kidd</div><div>Tom Gugliotta</div><div>Rex Chapman</div><div>Danny Manning</div><div>Luc Longley</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><u><span style="font-family: arial;">PSX/N64</span></u></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Jason Kidd</div><div>Tom Gugliotta</div><div>Rex Chapman</div><div>Luc Longley</div><div>Rodney Rogers</div><div>Penny Hardaway</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Dreamcast</u></span></div><div><div>Rodney Rogers</div><div>Penny Hardaway</div><div>Jason Kidd</div><div>Tom Gugliotta</div><div>Rex Chapman</div><div>Luc Longley</div></div><div><br /></div><div><u>Game Boy Color</u></div><div>Tom Gugliotta</div><div>Jason Kidd</div><div>Penny Hardaway</div><div>Rodney Rogers</div><div>Luc Longley</div><div>Rex Chapman</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade (Gold Edition)</u></span></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><div>Rex Chapman</div><div>Tom Gugliotta</div><div>Penny Hardaway</div><div>Jason Kidd</div><div>Luc Longley</div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">SuperSonics</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade</u></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Gary Payton</div><div>Vin Baker</div><div>Detlef Schrempf</div><div>Dale Ellis</div><div>Billy Owens</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><u>PSX/N64</u></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Gary Payton</div><div>Vin Baker</div><div>Horace Grant</div><div>Brent Barry</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Dreamcast</u></span></div><div><div>Horace Grant</div><div>Brent Barry</div><div>Gary Payton</div><div>Vin Baker</div></div><div><br /></div><div><u>Game Boy Color</u></div><div>Vin Baker</div><div>Gary Payton</div><div>Brent Barry</div><div>Horace Grant</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade (Gold Edition)</u></span></div></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><div>Vin Baker</div><div>Brent Barry</div><div>Horace Grant</div><div>Gary Payton</div><div>Vernon Maxwell</div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Timberwolves</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade/</u></span><u>PSX/N64/</u><u>Dreamcast</u></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Kevin Garnett</div><div>Terrell Brandon</div><div>Dean Garrett</div><div>Joe Smith</div><div>Bobby Jackson</div><div>Malik Sealy</div><div><br /></div><div><u>Game Boy Color</u></div><div>Terrell Brandon</div><div>Kevin Garnett</div><div>Danny Schayes</div><div>Malik Sealy</div><div>Bobby Jackson</div><div>Joe Smith</div><div>Dean Garrett</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade (Gold Edition)</u></span></div></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><div>Terrell Brandon</div><div>Kevin Garnett</div><div>Malik Sealy</div><div>Joe Smith</div><div>Wally Szczerbiak</div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Trail Blazers</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade</u></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Damon Stoudamire</div><div>Rasheed Wallace</div><div>Arvydas Sabonis</div><div>Isaiah Rider</div><div>Jim Jackson</div><div>Walt Williams</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><u>PSX/N64</u></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Damon Stoudamire</div><div>Rasheed Wallace</div><div>Arvydas Sabonis</div><div>Walt Williams</div><div>Steve Smith</div><div>Detlef Schrempf</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Dreamcast</u></span></div><div><div>Detlef Schrempf</div><div>Steve Smith</div><div>Damon Stoudamire</div><div>Rasheed Wallace</div><div>Arvydas Sabonis</div><div>Walt Williams</div></div><div><br /></div><div><u>Game Boy Color</u></div><div>Rasheed Wallace</div><div>Damon Stoudamire</div><div>Detlef Schrempf</div><div>Steve Smith</div><div>Scottie Pippen</div><div>Arvydas Sabonis</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade (Gold Edition)</u></span></div></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><div>Scottie Pippen</div><div>Brian Grant</div><div>Steve Smith</div><div>Damon Stoudamire</div><div>Rasheed Wallace</div><div>Arvydas Sabonis</div><div>Detlef Schrempf</div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Warriors</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade</u></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>John Starks</div><div>Donyell Marshall</div><div>Erick Dampier</div><div>Bimbo Coles</div><div>Muggsy Bogues</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><u>PSX/N64</u></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>John Starks</div><div>Donyell Marshall</div><div>Erick Dampier</div><div>Muggsy Bogues</div><div>Mookie Blaylock</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Dreamcast</u></span></div><div><div>Mookie Blaylock</div><div>John Starks</div><div>Donyell Marshall</div><div>Erick Dampier</div><div>Muggsy Bogues</div></div><div><br /></div><div><u>Game Boy Color</u></div><div>Donyell Marshall</div><div>John Starks</div><div>Mookie Blaylock</div><div>Erick Dampier</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade (Gold Edition)</u></span></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><div>Mookie Blaylock</div><div>Donyell Marshall</div><div>John Starks</div><div>Chris Mills</div><div>Antawn Jamison</div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Wizards</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade</u></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Juwan Howard</div><div>Rod Strickland</div><div>Calbert Cheaney</div><div>Mitch Richmond</div><div>Tracy Murray</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><u>PSX/N64/</u><u>Dreamcast</u></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Juwan Howard</div><div>Rod Strickland</div><div>Mitch Richmond</div><div>Tracy Murray</div><div><br /></div><div><u>Game Boy Color</u></div><div>Rod Strickland</div><div>Juwan Howard</div><div>Tracy Murray</div><div>Mitch Richmond</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade (Gold Edition)</u></span></div></div></span></div></span></div><div><div>Juwan Howard</div><div>Tracy Murray</div><div>Mitch Richmond</div><div>Rod Strickland</div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></span></span></span></div></span></div></div>A. Conroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10181413438503689145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4753219984473602151.post-63614990779248122182021-05-06T10:00:00.881-04:002022-03-20T00:13:59.668-04:00NBA Hangtime - All Team Rosters and Players<div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo-4oGTeSfg7RaX2CuuXO_lhh1AWQyCTfZ3-_rfGUT_-2Wkn_xdqHq2vtiFoYwEsKta9V5qOhO-tenHOuykh1Y35bkslEUw9V_HiRXLhnjPfQxQop7GhkIRO4ehiTcYg9jnHNrfMhx43s/s965/NBA_Hangtime_Logo.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="724" data-original-width="965" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo-4oGTeSfg7RaX2CuuXO_lhh1AWQyCTfZ3-_rfGUT_-2Wkn_xdqHq2vtiFoYwEsKta9V5qOhO-tenHOuykh1Y35bkslEUw9V_HiRXLhnjPfQxQop7GhkIRO4ehiTcYg9jnHNrfMhx43s/w400-h300/NBA_Hangtime_Logo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div>I wouldn't say exactly that <i>NBA Hangtime</i> is an divisive entry in the <i>NBA Jam</i> series but it's a bit of a strange game at least for myself. I was very hyped for the game, staring at it in the preview section of video game magazines and being galvanized by its new features and updated graphics. I don't remember ever seeing it in any of my local arcades so I had to settle with a home port. At the time I still only had a Genesis and was eager to play the game once it came out. Unfortunately, I was very disappointed by the port. Purchasing the official strategy guide by Brady Games and seeing all of the notable NBA players that weren't included in my version added to the frustration. The game ultimately was a sour endnote to what I then thought was the <i>NBA Jam</i> trilogy.</div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span>However, if you look up this game online you will see a lot of people who cherished this game very dearly. Of course nearly all of them are chiefly talking about the ports released for the fifth generation of consoles. I eventually bought a Nintendo 64, the first console I paid for with my own money, but even though I spent countless hours playing it, especially when it came to multiplayer, I never though about playing or renting </span><i>NBA Hangtime</i>.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Now that I got my sour grapes backstory out of the way, let's talk about the game itself, starting off with the elephant in the room: the controversy over the name. Strap yourself in because it's a bit of a doozy and we have to address it before moving forward. First and foremost, the name <i>NBA Jam</i> is technically owned by the NBA. Midway created the series and Acclaim popularized it even more with the home ports but both of them needed a license from the NBA in order to use the name.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Some time after the release of <i>NBA Jam TE</i>, the NBA's licensing director of the electronic toys and games department asked Midway about their future plans with the series. According to Midway's side of the story, they apparently responded by saying that they wanted to do something "new" and "innovative". This loose language of their future plans allowed the director to legally go to Acclaim, who they had previously worked at, and quickly ask them. The company was committed to continue the franchise and thus Acclaim acquired the <i>NBA Jam</i> name, much to the shock and horror of the Midway staff.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">As for the director's side of the story, Midway's own licensing group explicitly told them that they weren't going to continue the franchise. The company raised no complaints when Acclaim was set to acquire the license and only did so when it was too late. Because of this deception/management failure, Midway had to strike a separate licensing deal with NBA and call their new game <i>NBA Hangtime</i>.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">All of that information comes from <i>NBA Jam</i> by Reyan Ali, published by Boss Fight Books. It's an absolutely great nonfiction novel about the history of Midway and the making of the original game and subsequent sequels.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Even with a different moniker, <i>Hangtime</i> retains the same core gameplay of the <i>NBA Jam</i> series. The new additions it brought to the court literally include the ability to do spin moves, double slam dunks, and something that was long requested, ally oops. The presentation was much improved, the soundtrack was revamped and you could play on alternate courts via secret codes.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Another long requested feature made it's way to this entry: "Create a Player". This was very groundbreaking at the time for an arcade game to have. By spending a separate amount of money from the initial "coin in", you could create your own basketball player and save it to the cabinet. You could edit the player as you saw fit, from their name, to their head design (from famous players to women to monsters), to their stats. You had to be quick about it though because you only had about two minutes with the feature.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">After every completed match, the player is given a random trivia question. For the arcade version, correctly answering them allowed the player to qualify for a contest and potentially win some prizes. However, t</span><span style="font-family: arial;">o further help the replay value of the console versions, this was changed so that correctly answering them would allow you to earn more edit points to add to the stats of your created character.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>NBA Hangtime</i> hit arcades on April 16, 1996. The Genesis and Super Nintendo received the first set of home ports at the end of the year. Around this same time, Midway changed up their strategy, releasing an updated arcade version called <i>NBA Maximum Hangtime</i>. On January 17, 1997, the second and last set of ports came to the Playstation and Nintendo 64. There is also a PC port but like with the previous game, it is hard to find info on it.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">With Acclaim gone, the home ports had to be handled by different teams. While Midway themselves handled the Playstation and Nintendo 64 ports, the Genesis and SNES ports were done by Funcom. Though playable, these earlier ports are noticeable dark and muddy, suffer from poor music and don't have the same fun and energy as the arcade or later ports. Hence my issues as a kid with the game.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The arcade version featured rosters from the 1995-96 season. <i>Maximum Hangtime</i> and all of the ports had updated rosters matching the 1996-97 season. And yet again, despite making a magnetic return to the sport at this time, Michael Jordan isn't in the game.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Hangtime</i> is like the pro wrestler Big E; having three players to a team isn't enough, they need five. I honestly think this is the best number of players to have for a Jam game. You have the two best players on the team front and center then you're given three others to offer you some balance to the matches while also giving a nice spotlight to the team's underrated members.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The Genesis and SNES ports have virtually identical rosters. But for some strange reason, Walt Williams and Tim Hardaway of the Miami Heat switch spots between the two versions.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The Genesis and SNES only receive two console exclusive players: Mark Price on the Golden State Warriors and </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Sedale Threatt on the Los Angeles Lakers.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Maximum Hangtime</i> and </span></span><span style="font-family: arial;">the Playstation/Nintendo 64 ports have one big advantage over the previous versions: The three get to bask in the glory that was the 1996 NBA Draft. Instead of doing another Rookies team, the new NBA players are assigned to their proper teams. The big highlights include Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson, Ray Allen, </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Stephon Marbury,</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> and </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Marcus Camby.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Until the </span></span><span style="font-family: arial;">PSX/N64</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> versions rectified it, it's really strange that this game broke the tradition of the Utah Jazz, having John Stockton as player one instead of Karl Malone. Same goes with Sean Elliott over David Robinson for the Spurs.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I honestly can't explain why Allan Houston is cut from the New York Knicks in the PSX/N64 ports in favor of a returning Charles Oakley.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;">For a third time in a row, Kenny Smith is unplayable in the console versions.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Rockets fans must hate <i>NBA Hangtime</i> to a degree. Their team gets gutted by the time of the PSX/N64 ports.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The Timberwolves also suffer across the versions. Additionally, having Cherokee Parks placed first before Kevin Garnett is completely laughable. I can't take Parks serious at all, largely because his name makes me think of "Cherokee Jack" from <i>Mystery Science Theater 3000</i>.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Vernon Maxwell continues his downward spiral, appearing only in <i>Maximum Hangtime</i> with the Spurs, only to then be immediately replaced by Chuck Person again.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Now onto the teams. To reiterate, I have listed all of the NBA teams that are in the game by their team name, rather than by their city or by what conference they are in. I then list the players in the order that they are sorted in the game. We're now getting into the thick of the issue with the player order of teams. At least nine teams suffer from pointless order swapping, either from the fourth to the fifth console generation or from <i>Maximum Hangtime</i> to the PSX/N64 ports.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">As for the rosters for the PC port: It's really hard finding much information on this version. Some of the teams have the the same roster as the Genesis/SNES ports, such as the SuperSonics. However, I do know that it does feature some roster differences, such as how the second player on the Knicks is "Wallace" (either Buck or Herb).</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">76ers</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade</u></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Jerry Stackhouse</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Derrick Coleman</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Clarence Weatherspoon</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Trevor Ruffin</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Vernon Maxwell</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Genesis/SNES</u></span></div><div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Jerry Stackhouse</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Derrick Coleman</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Clarence Weatherspoon</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Don MacLean</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Rex Walters</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade (Maximum Hangtime)</u></span></div><div><div><div>Allen Iverson</div><div>Jerry Stackhouse</div><div>Derrick Coleman</div><div>Clarence Weatherspoon</div><div><br /></div></div></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>PSX/N64</u></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Jerry Stackhouse</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Allen Iverson</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Derrick Coleman</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Clarence Weatherspoon</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Don MacLean</span></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Bucks</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade</u></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Vin Baker</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Glenn Robinson</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Shawn Respert</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Benoit Benjamin</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Sherman Douglas</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Genesis/SNES</u></span></div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Vin Baker</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Glenn Robinson</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Shawn Respert</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Andrew Lang</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Sherman Douglas</span></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade (Maximum Hangtime)</u></span></div><div><div><div><div>Vin Baker</div><div>Ray Allen</div><div>Andrew Lang</div><div>Glenn Robinson</div><div>Shawn Respert</div></div><div><br /></div></div></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>PSX/N64</u></span></div><div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Glenn Robinson</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Vin Baker</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Ray Allen</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Shawn Respert</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Andrew Lang</span></div></div></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><br /></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Bullets</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade</u></span></div><div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Juwan Howard</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Chris Webber</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Calbert Cheaney</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Robert Pack</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Gheorghe Muresan</span></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Genesis/SNES</u></span></div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Juwan Howard</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Chris Webber</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Calbert Cheaney</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Rod Strickland</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Gheorghe Muresan</span></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade (Maximum Hangtime)</u></span></div><div><div><div>Rod Strickland</div><div>Chris Webber</div><div>Juwan Howard</div><div>Gheorghe Muresan</div><div>Calbert Cheaney</div><div><br /></div></div></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>PSX/N64</u></span></div><div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Chris Webber</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Juwan Howard</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Calbert Cheaney</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Rod Strickland</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Gheorghe Muresan</span></div></div></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Bulls</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><u>Arcade/Genesis/SNES/</u></span><u>Arcade (Maximum Hangtime)/</u><u>PSX/N64</u></span></div><div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Scottie Pippen</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Dennis Rodman</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Toni Kukoc</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Luc Longley</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Steve Kerr</span></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Cavaliers</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><u>Arcade/Genesis/SNES/</u></span><u>Arcade (Maximum Hangtime)/</u><u>PSX/N64</u></span></div><div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Tyrone Hill</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Chris Mills</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Bobby Phills</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Terrell Brandon</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Danny Ferry</span></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Celtics</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade</u></span></div><div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Dee Brown</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Dana Barros</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Eric Montross</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Dino Radja</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Rick Fox</span></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Genesis/SNES</u></span></div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Dee Brown</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Dana Barros</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Greg Minor</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Dino Radja</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Rick Fox</span></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade (Maximum Hangtime)</u></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Dee Brown</div><div>Steve Hamer</div><div>Dana Barros</div><div>Dino Radja</div><div>Rick Fox</div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u><br /></u></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>PSX/N64</u></span></div><div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Dee Brown</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Dana Barros</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Greg Minor</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Dino Radja</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Antoine Walker</span></div></div></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><br /></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Clippers</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><u>Arcade/Genesis/SNES/</u></span><u>Arcade (Maximum Hangtime)</u></span></div><div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Loy Vaught</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Rodney Rogers</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Lamond Murray</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Pooh Richardson</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Brent Barry</span></div></div></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>PSX/N64</u></span></div></div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Brent Barry</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Malik Sealy</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Lorenzen Wright</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Pooh Richardson</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Rodney Rogers</span></div></div></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Grizzlies</b></span></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade</u></span></div><div><div><div>Greg Anthony</div><div>Blue Edwards</div><div>Byron Scott</div><div>Bryant Reeves</div><div>Eric Murdock</div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Genesis/SNES</u></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Greg Anthony</div><div>Blue Edwards</div><div>Lee Mayberry</div><div>Bryant Reeves</div><div>Anthony Peeler</div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u><br /></u></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade (Maximum Hangtime)</u></span></div><div><div><div><div>Greg Anthony</div><div>Blue Edwards</div><div>Bryant Reeves</div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>PSX/N64</u></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Bryant Reeves</div><div>Shareef Abdur-Rahim</div><div>Anthony Peeler</div><div>Greg Anthony</div><div>Lee Mayberry</div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u><br /></u></span></div></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Hawks</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade</u></span></div><div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Stacey Augmon</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Mookie Blaylock</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Steve Smith</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Christian Laettner</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Ken Norman</span></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><u>Genesis/SNES/</u></span><u>PSX/N64</u></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Dikembe Mutombo</div><div>Mookie Blaylock</div><div>Steve Smith</div><div>Christian Laettner</div><div>Ken Norman</div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u><br /></u></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade (Maximum Hangtime)</u></span></div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Mookie Blaylock</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Dikembe Mutombo</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Steve Smith</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Christian Laettner</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Ken Norman</span></div></div></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><br /></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Heat</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade</u></span></div><div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Alonzo Mourning</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Walt Williams</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Rex Chapman</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Tim Hardaway</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Sasha Danilovic</span></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Genesis</u></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Alonzo Mourning</div><div>Walt Williams</div><div>Kurt Thomas</div><div>Tim Hardaway</div><div>Sasha Danilovic</div><div><br /></div><div><u>SNES</u></div><div><div>Alonzo Mourning</div><div>Tim Hardaway</div><div>Kurt Thomas</div><div>Walt Williams</div><div>Sasha Danilovic</div></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u><br /></u></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade (Maximum Hangtime)</u></span></div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Alonzo Mourning</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Tim Hardaway</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Sasha Danilovic</span></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>PSX/N64</u></span></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Alonzo Mourning</div><div>Tim Hardaway</div><div>Dan Majerle</div><div>Kurt Thomas</div><div>Sasha Danilovic</div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Hornets</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade</u></span></div><div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Kenny Anderson</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Larry Johnson</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Glen Rice</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">George Zidek</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Dell Curry</span></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><u>Genesis/SNES/</u></span><u>PSX/N64</u></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Vlade Divac</div><div>Anthony Mason</div><div>Glen Rice</div><div>George Zidek</div><div>Dell Curry</div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u><br /></u></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade (Maximum Hangtime)</u></span></div><div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Glen Rice</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Anthony Mason</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Vlade Divac</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">George Zidek</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Dell Curry</span></div></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Jazz</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><u>Arcade/</u></span><u>Genesis/SNES</u></span></div><div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">John Stockton</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Karl Malone</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Jeff Hornacek</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">David Benoit</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Chris Morris</span></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade (Maximum Hangtime)</u></span></div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">John Stockton</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Karl Malone</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Jeff Hornacek</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Chris Morris</span></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>PSX/N64</u></span></div></div></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Karl Malone</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">John Stockton</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Jeff Hornacek</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Chris Morris</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Greg Ostertag</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><br /></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Kings</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade</u></span></div><div><div><div>Billy Owens</div><div>Mitch Richmond</div><div>Brian Grant</div><div>Sarunas Marciulionis</div><div>Tyus Edney</div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Genesis/SNES</u></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Billy Owens</div><div>Mitch Richmond</div><div>Brian Grant</div><div>Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf</div><div>Tyus Edney</div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u><br /></u></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade (Maximum Hangtime)</u></span></div><div><div><div><div>Billy Owens</div><div>Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf</div><div>Mitch Richmond</div><div>Brian Grant</div><div>Tyus Edney</div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>PSX/N64</u></span></div></div></div><div><div>Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf</div><div>Mitch Richmond</div><div>Corliss Williamson</div><div>Tyus Edney</div><div>Billy Owens</div></div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Knicks</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade</u></span></div><div><div><div>Patrick Ewing</div><div>Anthony Mason</div><div>Derek Harper</div><div>Charles Oakley</div><div>John Starks</div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Genesis/SNES</u></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Patrick Ewing</div><div>Allan Houston</div><div>Larry Johnson</div><div>Charles Oakley</div><div>John Starks</div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u><br /></u></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade (Maximum Hangtime)</u></span></div><div><div><div><div>Patrick Ewing</div><div>John Wallace</div><div>Larry Johnson</div><div>John Starks</div><div>Allan Houston</div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>PSX/N64</u></span></div></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Patrick Ewing</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Larry Johnson</div><div>John Starks</div><div>Charles Oakley</div><div>John Wallace</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Lakers</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade</u></span></div><div><div><div>Nick Van Exel</div><div>Vlade Divac</div><div>Cedric Ceballos</div><div>Elden Campbell</div><div>Eddie Jones</div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Genesis/SNES</u></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Nick Van Exel</div><div>Sedale Threatt</div><div>Cedric Ceballos</div><div>Elden Campbell</div><div>Eddie Jones</div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u><br /></u></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade (Maximum Hangtime)</u></span></div><div><div><div><div>Nick Van Exel</div><div>Cedric Ceballos</div><div>Byron Scott</div><div>Elden Campbell</div><div>Eddie Jones</div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>PSX/N64</u></span></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><div>Nick Van Exel</div><div>Cedric Ceballos</div><div>Eddie Jones</div><div>Elden Campbell</div><div>Kobe Bryant</div></div><div><br /></div></span></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Magic</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><u>Arcade/</u></span><u>Genesis/SNES</u></span></div><div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Penny Hardaway</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Horace Grant</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Nick Anderson</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Dennis Scott</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Jon Koncak</span></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade (Maximum Hangtime)</u></span></div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Penny Hardaway</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Rony Seikaly</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Horace Grant</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Nick Anderson</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Dennis Scott</span></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>PSX/N64</u></span></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Penny Hardaway</div><div>Horace Grant</div><div>Nick Anderson</div><div>Dennis Scott</div><div>Rony Seikaly</div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Mavericks</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade</u></span></div><div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Jim Jackson</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Jason Kidd</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Jamal Mashburn</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Popeye Jones</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">George McCloud</span></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Genesis/SNES</u></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Jim Jackson</div><div>Jason Kidd</div><div>Jamal Mashburn</div><div>Eric Montross</div><div>George McCloud</div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u><br /></u></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade (Maximum Hangtime)</u></span></div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Jason Kidd</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Derek Harper</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Jim Jackson</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Eric Montross</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Jamal Mashburn</span></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>PSX/N64</u></span></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Jason Kidd</div><div>Jim Jackson</div><div>Jamal Mashburn</div><div>Eric Montross</div><div>Stacey King</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Nets</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade/</u></span><u>Genesis/SNES</u></div><div><div><div>Kendall Gill</div><div>Shawn Bradley</div><div>Armon Gilliam</div><div>Ed O’Bannon</div><div>Kevin Edwards</div></div></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade (Maximum Hangtime)</u></span></div><div><div><div><div>Kendall Gill</div><div>Kerry Kittles</div><div>Robert Pack</div><div>Shawn Bradley</div><div>Ed O’Bannon</div><div>Kevin Edwards</div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>PSX/N64</u></span></div></div></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Shawn Bradley</div><div>Kendall Gill</div><div>Ed O’Bannon</div><div>Kerry Kittles</div><div>Kevin Edwards</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Nuggets</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade</u></span></div><div><div><div>Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf</div><div>Dikembe Mutombo</div><div>Antonio McDyess</div><div>Jalen Rose</div><div>Dale Ellis</div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Genesis/SNES</u></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Mark Jackson</div><div>Sarunas Marciulionis</div><div>Antonio McDyess</div><div>Bryant Stith</div><div>Dale Ellis</div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u><br /></u></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade (Maximum Hangtime)</u></span></div><div><div><div><div>Antonio McDyess</div><div>Sarunas Marciulionis</div><div>Mark Jackson</div><div>Dale Ellis</div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>PSX/N64</u></span></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><div>Mark Jackson</div><div>Sarunas Marciulionis</div><div>Antonio McDyess</div><div>Dale Ellis</div><div>Bryant Stith</div></div></span></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Pacers</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade</u></span></div><div><div><div>Reggie Miller</div><div>Dale Davis</div><div>Rik Smits</div><div>Derek McKey</div><div>Mark Jackson</div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Genesis/SNES/</u></span><u>PSX/N64</u></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Reggie Miller</div><div>Dale Davis</div><div>Rik Smits</div><div>Derek McKey</div><div>Jalen Rose</div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u><br /></u></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade (Maximum Hangtime)</u></span></div></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Reggie Miller</div><div>Eric Dampier</div><div>Jalen Rose</div><div>Rik Smits</div><div>Dale Davis</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Pistons</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade</u></span></div><div><div><div>Joe Dumars</div><div>Grant Hill</div><div>Terry Mills</div><div>Otis Thorpe</div><div>Allan Houston</div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Genesis/SNES</u></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Joe Dumars</div><div>Grant Hill</div><div>Terry Mills</div><div>Otis Thorpe</div><div>Stacey Augmon</div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u><br /></u></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade (Maximum Hangtime)</u></span></div><div><div><div><div>Grant Hill</div><div>Joe Dumars</div><div>Otis Thorpe</div><div>Stacey Augmon</div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>PSX/N64</u></span></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><div>Grant Hill</div><div>Stacey Augmon</div><div>Joe Dumars</div><div>Terry Mills</div><div>Otis Thorpe</div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Raptors</span></b></div></span></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade</u></span></div><div><div><div>Carlos Rogers</div><div>Damon Stoudamire</div><div>Alvin Robertson</div><div>Oliver Miller</div><div>Tracey Murray</div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Genesis/SNES</u></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Carlos Rogers</div><div>Damon Stoudamire</div><div>Alvin Robertson</div><div>Popeye Jones</div><div>Sharone Wright</div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u><br /></u></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade (Maximum Hangtime)</u></span></div><div><div><div><div>Carlos Rogers</div><div>Marcus Camby</div><div>Damon Stoudamire</div><div>Popeye Jones</div><div>Walt Williams</div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>PSX/N64</u></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Damon Stoudamire</div><div>Marcus Camby</div><div>Sharone Wright</div><div>Popeye Jones</div><div>Carlos Rogers</div><div><br /></div></span></div></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Rockets</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade</u></span></div><div><div><div>Hakeem Olajuwon</div><div>Clyde Drexler</div><div>Robert Horry</div><div>Sam Cassell</div><div>Kenny Smith</div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Genesis/SNES</u></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Hakeem Olajuwon</div><div>Clyde Drexler</div><div>Robert Horry</div><div>Sam Cassell</div><div>Mario Elie</div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u><br /></u></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade (Maximum Hangtime)</u></span></div><div><div><div><div>Hakeem Olajuwon</div><div>Othella Harrington</div><div>Clyde Drexler</div><div>Kevin Willis</div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>PSX/N64</u></span></div></div></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><div>Hakeem Olajuwon</div><div>Clyde Drexler</div><div>Mario Elie</div><div>Brent Price</div><div>Sam Mack</div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></span></span></span></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Spurs</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade/</u></span><u>Genesis/SNES</u></div><div><div><div>Sean Elliott</div><div>David Robinson</div><div>Avery Johnson</div><div>Chuck Person</div><div>Vinny Del Negro</div></div></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade (Maximum Hangtime)</u></span></div><div><div><div><div>Sean Elliott</div><div>David Robinson</div><div>Vernon Maxwell</div><div>Avery Johnson</div><div>Vinny Del Negro</div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>PSX/N64</u></span></div></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>David Robinson</div><div>Sean Elliott</div><div>Avery Johnson</div><div>Chuck Person</div><div>Vinny Del Negro</div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Suns</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><u>Arcade/</u></span><u>Genesis/SNES</u></span></div><div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Kevin Johnson</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Wayman Tisdale</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Danny Manning</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Wesley Person</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Michael Finley</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade (Maximum Hangtime)</u></span></div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Kevin Johnson</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Wayman Tisdale</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Danny Manning</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Robert Horry</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Sam Cassell</span></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>PSX/N64</u></span></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Kevin Johnson</div><div>Michael Finley</div><div>Wayman Tisdale</div><div>Danny Manning</div><div>Sam Cassell</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">SuperSonics</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade/</u></span><u>Genesis/SNES/</u><u>Arcade (Maximum Hangtime)</u></div><div><div><div>Shawn Kemp</div><div>Gary Payton</div><div>Detlef Schrempf</div><div>Hersey Hawkins</div><div>Sherell Ford</div></div></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>PSX/N64</u></span></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Shawn Kemp</div></span></div></span></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Detlef Schrempf</div><div>Gary Payton</div><div>Hersey Hawkins</div><div>Sherell Ford</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Timberwolves</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade</u></span></div><div><div><div>Isaiah Rider</div><div>Andrew Lang</div><div>Spud Webb</div><div>Tom Gugliotta</div><div>Kevin Garnett</div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Genesis/SNES</u></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Cherokee Parks</div><div>Terry Porter</div><div>James Robinson</div><div>Tom Gugliotta</div><div>Kevin Garnett</div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u><br /></u></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade (Maximum Hangtime)</u></span></div><div><div><div><div>Tom Gugliotta</div><div>Stephon Marbury</div><div>Kevin Garnett</div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>PSX/N64</u></span></div></div></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Cherokee Parks</div><div>Kevin Garnett</div><div>Terry Porter</div><div>Tom Gugliotta</div><div>Stephon Marbury</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Trail Blazers</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade</u></span></div><div><div><div>Rod Strickland</div><div>Cliff Robinson</div><div>Arvydas Sabonis</div><div>Buck Williams</div><div>Randolph Childress</div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Genesis/SNES</u></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Isaiah Rider</div><div>Cliff Robinson</div><div>Arvydas Sabonis</div><div>Kenny Anderson</div><div>Randolph Childress</div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u><br /></u></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade (Maximum Hangtime)</u></span></div><div><div><div><div>Cliff Robinson</div><div>Isaiah Rider</div><div>Arvydas Sabonis</div><div>Kenny Anderson</div><div>Randolph Childress</div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>PSX/N64</u></span></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Cliff Robinson</div></span></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Isaiah Rider</div><div>Kenny Anderson</div><div>Arvydas Sabonis</div><div>Rasheed Wallace</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Warriors</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade</u></span></div><div><div><div>Kevin Willis</div><div>Latrell Sprewell</div><div>Rony Seikaly</div><div>Joe Smith</div><div>Chris Mullin</div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Genesis/SNES</u></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Mark Price</div><div>Latrell Sprewell</div><div>Rony Seikaly</div><div>Joe Smith</div><div>Chris Mullin</div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u><br /></u></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Arcade (Maximum Hangtime)</u></span></div><div><div><div><div>Latrell Sprewell</div><div>Jon Koncak</div><div>Joe Smith</div><div>Chris Mullin</div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>PSX/N64</u></span></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><div>Joe Smith</div><div>Latrell Sprewell</div><div>B.J. Armstrong</div><div>Chris Mullin</div><div>Jon Koncak</div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></span></span></span></div></span></div></div>A. Conroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10181413438503689145noreply@blogger.com0