The Legend's NBA Draft Report: Who Will Win It All?

Photo Credit: Sportsnaut

Coaches...I did the same thing for our MLB Draft, so please keep the following in mind: (1) I don't want to spend a ton of time on this and (2) I'll be rattling off stream-of-consciousness thoughts on each team. This isn't a work of art that belongs in the Louvre...

Team Name: WNBA
Coach: Rudy Antido

Guard play: Rudy got an absolute gift when James Harden fell to fourth overall; I think we were all shocked by that development. Harden obviously leads the way in his talented backcourt, one which also features D'Angelo Russell, De'Aaron Fox and Malcolm Brogdon. Contrary to his normal roster construction, guards are the strength of his team this time around. He has a strong mix of points, assists, threes and steals there. Grade: A.

Bigs: Jonas Valanciunas is the best Rudy has to offer, and as I mentioned during the draft, he was a DFS monster last season once he transitioned over to the talent-thin Grizzlies. I expect more solid production from him. There are some "wait and see" guys here, like Alex Len, Zach Collins and Wendell Carter Jr. This isn't a bunch of bums, but there isn't much to count on here, either. Grade: C+.

Util/Depth/Upside: Rudy will be hoping for rookie breakouts from both Coby White and Jarrett Culver - both showed an awful lot of promise in the preseason. There isn't much on his bench, one that I expect to be led by Jake Layman and Patty Mills. Coach Antido will be working the waiver wire a bit this season. Grade: B.

Overall Grade: B+

Team Name: Big Baller Brand
Coach: Mike Kirby

Guard play: This isn't a terrible group, but I'm not a Delon Wright guy. Early reports were hyping him up after the Mavs acquired him, but he's the type of guard who always finds a way to underwhelm in the box score. I think Dallas will prefer the backcourt play of Doncic, Brunson and Hardaway over time. Dejounte Murray hasn't proven he can stay healthy and consistently perform, yet. Devin Booker and Gilgeous-Alexander were safe-and-solid picks. Not a lot of pure shooting on this team, though. Grade: B-.

Bigs: Anthony Davis, Tobias Harris, Jaren Jackson Jr., Jonathan Isaac and JaVale McGee - this is some good shit, here. Cannot argue with this group at all. Olynyk has some value, too. Grade: A.

Util/Depth/Upside: I don't think I'm buying into Rui Hachimura just yet. Coach Mike will be looking for some upside from Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Grant Williams and Aaron Holiday. Landry Shamet is one of his only perimeter shooters. Grade: B-.

Overall Grade: B+

Team Name: You are Fake News
Coach: Steve Summer

Guard play: Terry Rozier is basically the only real player on the Hornets, so the only thing you have to watch out for with him is a low FG% resulting from super high volume. But, we have to expect him to fill up the stat sheet. DeRozan, Satoransky, Sexton...no complaints there. Stevo isn't super deep at guard, so he'll be hoping for Tyler Herro to continue his new "hero" storyline. Luke Kennard and Wes Matthews bring shooting. Grade: B+.

Bigs: Drummond, Gobert and Bagley...yum. That's scrumptious. Middleton is a guard-forward swing guy for this squad, too. Grade: A.

Util/Depth/Upside: As I told Steve when I spoke with him post-draft, I hate Kent Bazemore. He has a lot of 0-for-3 nights in 18 minutes of play. But, that's just one guy. Steve will be looking for upside from the aforementioned Herro, as well as Carsen Edwards, Nicolo Melli and...Markelle Fultz?? I ain't buyin' it. That kid has mental problems. Grade: B- (counting Matthews and Kennard).

Overall Grade: A-

Team Name: MaddDogs
Coach: Mike Alberts

Guard play: Tricky Mike has Lillard and Hield down in his Util - he's a funny guy. Lillard and Hield lead the way for this group, assisted by Kemba Walker and Lonzo Ball. A real solid unit. Grade: A.

Bigs: Looks like Mr. Alberts is punting big man stats. He's guard heavy, leaving Thomas Bryant, Larry Nance and Maxi Kleber as some of the leaders of his shaky frontcourt. Nothing to write home about, here. Grade: C+ (counting Jayson Tatum).

Util/Depth/Upside: This is a deep squad in terms of Util, but it gets a little thin on its bench. At least Glenn Robinson III is the starting SF for the Warriors, and Dion Waiters may get traded to a team that can use him more than Miami intends to. Grade: B-.

Overall Grade: B+

Team Name: King Martin
Coach: Matt Desantis

Guard play: Marty's on that Bogdanovic bandwagon, drafting both Bogdan and Bojan. Try saying that three times fast. Kyrie and Teague are stable point guards here, and Dragic and Rondo should bring some low-upside production, too. Grade: B+.

Bigs: Jokic, Draymond and Markkanen lead the way, here. Obviously Draymond should be much improved for fantasy purposes without Durant and Klay around. Ibaka should chip in on a thinner Raptors' team, too. Grade: A-.

Util/Depth/Upside: Not a lot of upside here, as Marty went vet-heavy with Dragic, Rondo, Caldwell-Pope, Alec Burks, Snell and Carroll. Anfernee "Half-Dollar" Simons is obviously the upside kid to watch in this unit. Grade: B-.

Overall Grade: B+

Team Name: Andrew's Team
Coach: Andrew Carrasquillo

Guard play: Coach Andrew really needs a monster rookie season from Darius Garland in Cleveland. Bledsoe and Ingles are his steady vets, while Batum's minutes are expected to be dialed back in Charlotte. This isn't a deep group, so there's a lot riding on Bledsoe, Garland and even inconsistent Will Barton. Grade: C.

Bigs: Towns, John Collins and Covington, with Paul George on the backburner. If and when PG gets healthy, Andrew will give opposing teams trouble with his star-heavy frontcourt. But, of course, productive injury returns are "ifs". Oubre showed a lot in Phoenix and we know what to expect from Rudy Gay and Trevor Ariza. Grade: B+.

Util/Depth/Upside: Looks like Kurucs and Bjelica are the foreigns to watch, here. Grade: B- (counting Barton and Gay at Util).

Overall Grade: B-

Team Name: ImSoMelo
Coach: Billy Valeriano

Guard play: Trae Young and Russell Westbrook form a star duo atop Billy's depth chart, as he awaits the injury return of Oladipo. The latest report on 'Dipo from Rotoworld is that late-November isn't out of the realm of possibility for a return. Malik Monk should see some big minutes on a thin Hornets' team, but there's no depth here on Billy's roster. Grade: B+.

Bigs: Marc Gasol, Porzingis and Barrett will have to do an awful lot with Zion and Kuzma on the sidelines. However, Kuzma should be back sooner rather than later. We can't know what to think about Zion yet; can he return strong from injury? Marcus Morris and De'Andre Hunter bring value here, too. Grade: B.

Util/Depth/Upside: Obviously most of the upside here comes from players returning from injury. If Billy puts Young, Westbrook, Oladipo, Porzingis, Zion and Kuzma together, he's going to be a real problem during the second half of our fantasy season. The question is...will that ever come to fruition? In the meantime, Billy looks for upside from Knox and Hernangomez. Grade: B-.

Overall Grade: C+ with injuries, A- at full strength

Team Name: Walking Buckets
Coach: Dan Tancredi

Guard play: Nothing negative to say about Holiday, LaVine, Richardson and Lou Will. Danny sniped me on LaVine, as I believe he can emerge as one of the best players in the Eastern Conference this season. Gordon Hayward is iffy, but he's not bad as your 4th or 5th guard in a 14-team league. Grade: A.

Bigs: Vucevic, Adebayo and Sabonis...I like. I was very interested in both Vucevic and Sabonis, but wasn't able to grab them in time. Keep an eye on youngster Brandon Clarke, here. Not a crazy amount of depth, though. Grade: A-.

Util/Depth/Upside: Not in love with Monte Morris, Clarkson, Bembry or Caruso. Dan will have to continue making moves during the year. Grade: B-.

Overall Grade: A-

Team Name: Lawnmowers
Coach: Pete Kirby

Guard play: Lot of veteran minutes here, between Conley, Jimmy Butler, Beverley and Danny Green. VanVleet obviously has a ton of offensive upside on a Raptors' team sans Kawhi Leonard. Petey did a nice job, here. Grade: A-.

Bigs: This is a small team whose best bigs are really LeBron, Otto Porter and Gallinari. I like Zubac too; nonetheless, Pete is going to get destroyed in rebounds and blocks. This is a good pure scoring team, though. Grade: B-.

Util/Depth/Upside: T.J. Warren should get all he can eat while Oladipo is out. Crowder is in a good fantasy spot in Memphis; someone has to put up stats there. Hood, Jeff Green and Royce O'Neale are all valuable bench players in a 14-team structure. Grade: B+.

Overall Grade: B+

Team Name: Knicks Depression
Coach: Frank Valeriano

Guard play: Donovan Mitchell, Eric Gordon, Lowry, Rubio, Hardaway Jr. and Dinwiddie...solid. Should be a good mix of guard-specific stats, there. Grade: B+.

Bigs: Giannis, Griffin and Randle...I wasn't happy to see that I'm playing Frankie in Week 1. His team looks pretty scary, and he's also a huge Nets fan with both Dinwiddie and DeAndre Jordan. He has about 43 Knicks or ex-Knicks, too. Grade: A-.

Util/Depth/Upside: He'll get value out of Dennis Smith Jr. OR Elfrid Payton, depending on how those point guard minutes shake out. I think Kaminsky might outplay Saric over time in Phoenix. Avery Bradley and Josh Hart will get minutes, too. Grade: B.

Overall Grade: A-

Team Name: Flawless Blackjack
Coach: Jamie Garland

Guard play: Hmm, Jamie forgot you're supposed to have point guards. CP3 is his only true point guard, and he's going to be missing games for "load management" quite often. If not, he will be traded to a team that needs him less than the Thunder actually do. Hymee is using Kawhi as a guard, and of course he's the best all-around player in the world with Kevin Durant out of commission. But, again, load management. Lamb was a good pick. He'll need something from both Huerter and Derrick White. Grade: B (counting Kawhi).

Bigs: Embiid, Horford, Favors and Mitch Robinson...nice. But...again...load management with Embiid. Let's be real, here - Hymee's gonna be tearing his hair out when all of his best players are sitting at the same time without actual injuries. Grade: B+.

Util/Depth/Upside: Yeah, ummm, no. I guess Dwight Powell is the guy to watch, here. Grade: D.

Overall grade: B-

Team Name: Fightin' Zyls
Coach: Matt Zylbert

Guard play: Curry and Morant...that ain't half bad. I like Dwayne Bacon-Egg-and-Cheese because again, the Hornets don't have anyone to compile stats. Bacon is usually an aggressor when he's out there. Gary Harris is a pretty safe pick. Dillon Brooks sucks ass. Grade: A-.

Bigs: Myles Turner, Ayton and K Love...pretty solid. Harrison Barnes and Anunoby should produce, too. Grade: A-.

Util/Depth/Upside: Jabari Parker will rack up stats if the Hawks let him - they play an up-and-down style which suits his particular skillset. Marquese Chriss is the most interesting of the rest - I told Steve Summer that I think Chriss could potentially become the fourth-best player on the Warriors without Durant, Klay and Willie Cauley-Stein. There's a major void after Steph, Russell and Draymond. Grade: B-.

Overall grade: B+

Team Name: Sall's Scraps
Coach: Chris Pearsall

Guard play: Simmons, Beal, McCollum, Redick, Augustin and Ish Smith...very nice mix of guard stats, there. This group should touch all the bases. Grade: A-.

Bigs: Capela, Steven Adams, Whiteside and Tristan Thompson lead the way here - nothing sexy but they should get the job done vs. the smaller teams in our league. Not sure what to think about Kanter in Boston, with Theis and Williams getting minutes at the very same position. Grade: B.

Util/Depth/Upside: Sall is all-in on Cam Reddish in this department. He should get opportunities with a young Atlanta squad. Ed Davis will clean up the glass in Utah, and I've always liked Skal Labissiere - no team ever seems to commit to him, though. (Aside: I'd put Labissiere in an "under-used" group with Chriss, Christian Wood, Willy Hernangomez and Boban.) Grade: B- (including Ish and Augustin).

Overall grade: B+

Team Name: The Legend.
Coach: John Frascella

Guard play: I didn't really want to take Jamal Murray, but Pearsall sniped me on McCollum, and I felt it was just a tad early for Morant. I may come to regret the latter. However, Murray is the second-best player on a strong Nuggets' squad, and he's joined by Luka Doncic, Caris LeVert, Brandon Ingram, Marcus Smart, Dennis Schroder and Reggie Jackson in my crowded backcourt. My goal is clear: take players who are relied upon by their teams - Doncic is the Mavs' franchise player, LeVert gets a heavy workload without Durant; same for Ingram sans Zion. I think Schroder was a steal - especially when CP3 inevitably gets traded. Grade: A.

Bigs: Everyone kept beating me to the punch, here. I'll be leaning heavily on Siakam, LaMarcus Aldridge, Brook Lopez and Dewayne Dedmon. Keep in mind, though...the Nuggets traded a 1st round pick for Jerami Grant - I expect a lot of usage, there. Grade: B+.

Util/Depth/Upside: Honestly the best in the league. I looked at every single player on every single roster in our league, and no one else had 6 players they could actually use on their bench. Bryn Forbes is the starting shooting guard for the Spurs (on my bench). Moritz Wagner and CJ Miles are two of the few actual rotation players on an ugly Wizards' team. Same for Grayson Allen and Bruno Caboclo in Memphis. Last but not least, on my bench, Brandon Knight is expected to start for a depleted Cleveland squad. I'm deep, and not just philosophically. Grade: A.

Overall Grade: A-

Preseason Power Rankings:

Tancredi: A-
Steve: A-
Frank: A-
John: A-
Mike K: B+
Rudy: B+
Marty: B+
Pearsall: B+
Zylbert: B+
Alberts: B+
Pete: B +
Andrew: B-
Jamie: B-
Billy: C+ for now

Best of luck to all!

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood: What Was Tarantino Trying to Say?

Photo Credit: YouTube

Part I: A Slow First Half

**SPOILERS AHEAD - BEWARE! **

Being one of the world's most famous filmmakers -- if not the most famous -- buys you an awful lot of leeway. 

The first third -- and you could argue even the entire first half -- of Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood is noticeably slow. If I wasn't watching a Quentin Tarantino film, I might have checked out mentally. If I wasn't watching Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie -- exactly the kind of megastars a Tarantino production commands -- I might have given up altogether. 

I know Tarantino was trying to build his three primary characters -- has-been actor Rick Dalton (DiCaprio), his loyal stuntman Cliff Booth (Pitt) and the late Sharon Tate (Robbie), but there was simply too much lag time. Too many scenes lingered past their expiration dates. There was far too much meaningless "filler" -- and if Tarantino is as great as everyone thinks he is, why did he need so much of it?

When Dalton struggles with his dwindling career in the first half, I couldn't help but think of Tarantino himself. Did QT know he was thin on material, here? When Dalton reads a book that mirrors the fall of his own career, is Tarantino getting extra meta, there?

A couple of scenes are necessary to set up future events -- namely one with a dog, and another with a blow torch -- but much of it feels like wheels spinning. Actually...literally. There are too many extended scenes of characters driving their cars. I'm sure there were artistic reasons; but again, it's filler. 

Mike Moh (as the legendary Bruce Lee) jumps in to provide a temporary jolt of entertainment and excitement, but it doesn't last long. I give the first half of Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood a 3 out of 10. 

Part II: A Violent - and Funny? - Conclusion

For me, things started to come together during a quiet-but-illuminating sequence following Tate around Hollywood Hills. She's known for her devastating beauty and burgeoning career as an actress, but she isn't yet a superstar. She decides to pop in to watch a movie she's in, is about to pay for admission, then thinks twice and says, well, what if I'm IN the movie?

Of course, the magic doors open for her, and she begins to enjoy her minor celebrity status. When patrons laugh during the film, she's tickled. Margot is great - Tate comes across as warm, luminescent and entirely unironic. There were many complaints about her lack of lines in the film, but I disagree wholeheartedly - no matter what the tabloids say, Tarantino and Robbie were clearly on the same page, here. Tarantino absolutely wanted us to know that Tate's fate was the wrong fate. She picks up strangers and drops them off at random places. She worries about her neighbors. She's polite with friends, fans and basically everyone. This was a rising star and good person who met an unfair, untimely end. I'm certain Robbie and Tarantino did her family proud. 

DiCaprio also kicks into high gear in the second half, playing many of his lines for well-earned laughs. This is where the early character building pays off -- but again, this is a 2 hour, 40 minute movie that could have been much tighter and better at exactly 2 hours. Yes, many of the second-half punchlines land, but that doesn't mean the first half had to be as slow as it was. 

Pitt has a tense sequence at the Manson family commune, then of course the big finish which rewrites history. I'll leave the specifics of the spoilers out, where that is concerned.

These are three great actors giving good performances, but is Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood a great film?

Part III: What Exactly Was Tarantino Going For?

What was the message, here? Was it all simply a set up to rewrite history, the way Tarantino did in Inglourious Basterds? But that was a much better movie. The dialogue sung. Pitt was in that film, too, and his character (Lt. Aldo Raine) was more entertaining and more memorable. Who was Cliff Booth supposed to be in Once Upon a Time - a relic of the past? A symbol of the old guard? A warrior born in the wrong era? 

So many questions, and so many of those questions appear to have empty answers. 

I enjoyed the second half of the film, and I like the way plot strings tied together, but the entire experience felt empty. If there was a message, I simply don't think it landed. Of course I'll watch this one again in the future, but for now it's a generous 6.5 out of 10. 

Part IV: Frascella Ranks All the Tarantino Films He's Seen

1. Inglourious Basterds: 10 out of 10

2. Django Unchained: 9.5 out of 10

3. The Hateful Eight: 9 out of 10

4. Jackie Brown: 8.5 out of 10

5. Kill Bill: Vol. 1: 7.5 out of 10

6. Kill Bill: Vol. 2: 7.5 out of 10

7. Death Proof: 7 out of 10

8. Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood: 6.5 out of 10

9. Pulp Fiction: 5.5 out of 10

10. Reservoir Dogs: 4.5 out of 10

MY UP-TO-DATE ARCHIVE OF ALL REVIEWS AND SCORES

(The Top 200 series will continue, but the list below includes ALL of my past reviews and scores.)

1. Inglourious Basterds (10/10) - Review Coming Soon
2. Up in the Air (9.5/10)
3. Steve Jobs (9.5/10)
4. Django Unchained (9.5/10) - Review Coming Soon
5. Collateral (9.5/10)
6. No Country for Old Men (9.5/10)
7. The Wrestler (9.5/10)
8. The Drop (9.5/10)
9. Zodiac (9.5/10)
10. Kramer vs. Kramer (9.5/10)
11. Margin Call (9/10)
12. Office Space (9/10)
13. The Hateful Eight (9/10) - Review Coming Soon
14. Hannah and Her Sisters (9/10)
15. Mystic River (9/10)
16. L.A. Confidential (9/10)
17. Lady Bird (9/10)
18. Stay (9/10)
19. Gone Girl (9/10)
20. Nocturnal Animals (9/10)
21. 45 Years (9/10)
22. The Edge of Seventeen (9/10)
23. Bernie (9/10)
24. Lucky Number Slevin (9/10)
25. Tape (9/10)
26. A Perfect Murder (9/10)
27. Wanderlust (8.5/10)

28. War Dogs (8.5/10)
29. The Founder (8.5/10)
30. Jackie Brown (8.5/10) - Future Review
31. In Bruges (8.5/10)

32. Split (8.5/10)

33. Bad Moms (8.5/10)

34. Basquiat (8.5/10)
35. Love, Actually (8.5/10)

36. Moonlight (8/10)
37. Pretty Woman (8/10)
38. Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (7.5/10) - No Review Available
39. Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (7.5/10) - No Review Available
40. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (7.5/10)

41. The Revenant (7.5/10)
42. The Good Shepherd (7.5/10)

43. The Shallows (7.5/10)
44. Focus (7.5/10) 

45. The Night Before (7.5/10)
46. The Walk (7/10)

47. 10 Cloverfield Lane (7/10)
48. Loving (7/10) - No review available
49. Death Proof (7/10) - No review available
50. Hail, Caesar! (7/10) - No review available
51. Once Upon a Time... In Hollywood (6.5/10)
52. A Most Violent Year (6.5/10) - No review available
53. The Shape of Water (6/10) - discussed in this review
54. The Boy (6/10) - No review available
55. The Accountant (6/10) - No review available
56. Bridge of Spies (6/10) - No review available
57. The Firm (6/10) - No review available
58. Muhammad Ali: Say My Name (6/10) - No review available

59. Joy (5.5/10)
60. Taking Lives (5.5/10) - No review available

61. La La Land (5.5/10)
62. Pulp Fiction (5.5/10) - Future Review
63. The Visit (5/10) - discussed in this review
64. The Mule (5/10) - No review available
65. 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi (5/10)
66. Make Love Great Again (5/10) - No review available
67. Molly's Game (5/10)
68. Set It Up (5/10)
69. Get a Job (5/10) - No review available
70. The Interpreter (5/10) - No review available
71. Eric Clapton: Life in 12 Bars (5/10) - No review available
72. Reservoir Dogs (4.5/10) - Future Review
73. Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates (4.5/10) - No review available
74. Brooklyn (4.5/10) - discussed in this review, and this review
75. Ocean's 8 (4/10)
76. Everything Must Go (4/10) - No review available
77. Why Him? (3.5/10) - No review available
78. The Program (3/10)
79. Open Water 3: Cage Dive (3/10) - No review available
80. Pitch Perfect 3 (2/10)
81. Shut In (2/10) - No review available
82. Premonition (2/10) - No review available

83. Rings (1.5/10)
84. Mother's Day (1.5/10)
85. I'll Always Know What You Did Last Summer (0/10) - No review available

My 200 Favorite Movies: Reviews of Office Space & Wanderlust

Photo Credit: Entrepreneur 

This will probably be the last multi-film installment; they'll be singles, the rest of the way out. Here's how we got here:

Three Best Picture nominees: L.A. Confidential, Mystic River and Hannah and Her Sisters
Three Oscar winners: No Country for Old Men, Kramer vs. Kramer and The Wrestler
Three "Sleepers": Bernie, The Drop and Lucky Number Slevin
Two Rom-Coms: Pretty Woman and Love, Actually
Two Crime Dramas: Zodiac and Collateral

And now? Two comedies...

OFFICE SPACE (1999)

The quintessential Working In a Cubicle Kills Your Soul movie, Mike Judge's Office Space began as a cult classic, but has since morphed into the most well-known film about middle class malaise in the workplace. I feel like anyone who considers themselves (even a moderate) movie buff knows this movie. 

As the under-stimulated and underwhelmed Peter Gibbons, Ron Livingston -- known round these parts as Andrew Meyer's kindred spirit -- delivers a fun deadpan performance in the lead. Livingston really takes control of the movie when he decides to go rogue at work, doing the exact opposite of Lumbergh's (Gary Cole) requests.

Do I even have to mention that Lumbergh is his boss? He's probably a more famous character than Peter. "Umm, yeah, Pete, umm, about those TPS reports..."

For me, one of the highlights of Office Space is when Bob and Bob arrive at the Initech to evaluate employee performance. Played by the chameleon John C. McGinley and the Verne Lundquist-looking Paul Willson, "The Bobs" bring energy and hilarity as a perfectly cast duo. "Samir Naghe...Nagheena...Not gonna work here anymore, anyway!" gets me every time. David Herman (as Michael Bolton) and Ajay Naidu (Samir Nagheenanajar) are also memorable as Peter's co-workers and best friends. 

Simply put, this is a classic comedy that will always have its own niche in film history.

** Frascella's Score: 9 out of 10 **

WANDERLUST (2012)

This is one of the most underrated comedies of the last 20 years. This movie is laugh-out-loud funny. I love a good comedy, but I very rarely laugh out loud. This one got me more than a handful of times. 

When George and Linda Gergenblatt (Paul Rudd and Jennifer Aniston) fall upon hard financial times and are forced out of their yuppified city apartment, they decide to shack up temporarily with George's obnoxious brother, Rick (Ken Marino) and his dysfunctional family. Marino is f'n hilarious in this movie. He is over-the-top obnoxious and abrasive, in a good way. 

When things predictably go south with Rick's family, George and Linda hit the road and stumble upon "Elysium," a commune full of eclectic hippies and free spirits. Once there, supporting cast members Justin Theroux, Kathryn Hahn, Jordan Peele and Alan Alda provide a number of big laughs. Theroux is particularly outstanding as the de facto leader of the commune, the multi-talented Seth. In some ways, Theroux's character and performance remind me of one of my all-time favorite comedic characters, Aldous Snow (Russell Brand) of Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Get Him To the Greek. 

The cherry on top is Rudd's solo act in front of a mirror toward the end of the film. I will not describe it. You have to see it for yourself. If you can't laugh at that, you don't have a sense of humor.

** Frascella's Score: 8.5 out of 10 **

MY UP-TO-DATE ARCHIVE OF ALL REVIEWS AND SCORES

(The Top 200 series will continue, but the list below includes ALL of my past reviews and scores.)

1. Up in the Air (9.5/10)
2. Steve Jobs (9.5/10)
3. Collateral (9.5/10)
4. No Country for Old Men (9.5/10)
5. The Wrestler (9.5/10)
6. The Drop (9.5/10)
7. Zodiac (9.5/10)
8. Kramer vs. Kramer (9.5/10)
9. Margin Call (9/10)
10. Office Space (9/10)
11. Hannah and Her Sisters (9/10)
12. Mystic River (9/10)
13. L.A. Confidential (9/10)
14. Lady Bird (9/10)
15. Stay (9/10)
16. Gone Girl (9/10)
17. Nocturnal Animals (9/10)
18. 45 Years (9/10)
19. The Edge of Seventeen (9/10)
20. Bernie (9/10)
21. Lucky Number Slevin (9/10)
22. Tape (9/10)
23. A Perfect Murder (9/10)
24. Wanderlust (8.5/10)

25. War Dogs (8.5/10)
26. The Founder (8.5/10)
27. In Bruges (8.5/10)

28. Split (8.5/10)

29. Bad Moms (8.5/10)

30. Basquiat (8.5/10)
31. Love, Actually (8.5/10)

32. Moonlight (8/10)
33. Pretty Woman (8/10)
34. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (7.5/10)

35. The Revenant (7.5/10)
36. The Good Shepherd (7.5/10)

37. The Shallows (7.5/10)
38. Focus (7.5/10) 

39. The Night Before (7.5/10)
40. The Walk (7/10)

41. 10 Cloverfield Lane (7/10)
42. Loving (7/10) - No review available
43. Hail, Caesar! (7/10) - No review available
44. A Most Violent Year (6.5/10) - No review available
45. The Shape of Water (6/10) - discussed in this review
46. The Boy (6/10) - No review available
47. The Accountant (6/10) - No review available
48. Bridge of Spies (6/10) - No review available
49. The Firm (6/10) - No review available
50. Muhammad Ali: Say My Name (6/10) - No review available

51. Joy (5.5/10)
52. Taking Lives (5.5/10) - No review available

53. La La Land (5.5/10)
54. The Visit (5/10) - discussed in this review
55. The Mule (5/10) - No review available
56. 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi (5/10)
57. Make Love Great Again (5/10) - No review available
58. Molly's Game (5/10)
59. Set It Up (5/10)
60. Get a Job (5/10) - No review available
61. The Interpreter (5/10) - No review available
62. Eric Clapton: Life in 12 Bars (5/10) - No review available
63. Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates (4.5/10) - No review available
64. Brooklyn (4.5/10) - discussed in this review, and this review
65. Ocean's 8 (4/10)
66. Everything Must Go (4/10) - No review available
67. Why Him? (3.5/10) - No review available
68. The Program (3/10)
69. Open Water 3: Cage Dive (3/10) - No review available
70. Pitch Perfect 3 (2/10)
71. Shut In (2/10) - No review available
72. Premonition (2/10) - No review available

73. Rings (1.5/10)
74. Mother's Day (1.5/10)
75. I'll Always Know What You Did Last Summer (0/10) - No review available

My 200 Favorite Movies: Reviews of Zodiac & Collateral

Photo Credit: Shelf Talk - Word Press

Don't forget to catch up on my series to date:

Three Best Picture nominees: L.A. Confidential, Mystic River and Hannah and Her Sisters
Three Oscar winners: No Country for Old Men, Kramer vs. Kramer and The Wrestler
Three "Sleepers": Bernie, The Drop and Lucky Number Slevin
Two Rom-Coms: Pretty Woman and Love, Actually

Now it's time for a pair of crime dramas directed by two of Hollywood's heavy hitters...

ZODIAC (2007)

The precursor to Netflix's addictive Mindhunter, Zodiac was directed with skill and superb pacing by the great David Fincher. This is a two-hour, 37-minute movie that feels like an hour and 45 minutes at most. 

Zodiac has it all -- it's an investigative journalism/detective story about the dogged pursuit of the elusive and enigmatic serial killer, but it's also suspenseful and energetic with explosive bursts of graphic violence. 

Two hard-working actors, Jake Gyllenhaal (as a journalist) and Mark Ruffalo (as a cop) are at the heart of the investigation, completely immersed in their high stakes game of cat-and-mouse with the intelligent and frustrating killer. John Carroll Lynch puts in a tricky and creepy performance as Arthur Leigh Allen. 

In my opinion, Zodiac owes an awful lot to Alan J. Pakula's All the President's Men (1976). In a classy move, Fincher pays homage with his layout and design of the San Francisco Chronicle's newsroom. If you've seen All the President's Men, you will see the intentional similarities. 

** Frascella's Score: 9.5 out of 10 **

COLLATERAL (2004)

I'm not really a Michael Mann guy. He certainly has his own aesthetic, so I can't fault him for that, but I think his movies tend to drag due to poor editing. Some directors just can't seem to let go of any of their material. 

That said, Collateral is perhaps his tightest and most entertaining film. A ruthless and interesting Tom Cruise plays Vincent, a contract killer scheduled to knock off a number of potentially-damaging witnesses in the same night. In order to complete his assigned task(s), Vincent enlists the help of an unwitting cab driver named Max (a toned down and vulnerable Jamie Foxx), who quickly realizes that he's in a situation he'd rather not be in. 

Max tries to wiggle his way out in a few different fashions, but Vincent has no plans to change drivers. As far as he's concerned, he and Max are linked for the night. Essentially, Max is Vincent's hostage as he crosses paths with characters played by Javier Bardem, Jada Pinkett-Smith and other recognizable faces. 

I like the powder keg action in Collateral, but perhaps my favorite aspect of the film is its screenplay, written sneakily by Stuart Beattie. Vincent and Max may be a killer and a cabbie, but they are complex, multi-dimensional characters who have interesting things to say. 

Collateral is an entertaining film with effective surprises and unanticipated depth. Whenever it's on, I have a difficult time turning it off. 

** Frascella's Score: 9.5 out of 10 **

MY UP-TO-DATE ARCHIVE OF ALL REVIEWS AND SCORES

(The Top 200 series will continue, but the list below includes ALL of my past reviews and scores.)

1. Up in the Air (9.5/10)
2. Steve Jobs (9.5/10)
3. Collateral (9.5/10)
4. No Country for Old Men (9.5/10)
5. The Wrestler (9.5/10)
6. The Drop (9.5/10)
7. Zodiac (9.5/10)
8. Kramer vs. Kramer (9.5/10)
9. Margin Call (9/10)
10. Hannah and Her Sisters (9/10)
11. Mystic River (9/10)
12. L.A. Confidential (9/10)
13. Lady Bird (9/10)
14. Stay (9/10)
15. Gone Girl (9/10)
16. Nocturnal Animals (9/10)
17. 45 Years (9/10)
18. The Edge of Seventeen (9/10)
19. Bernie (9/10)
20. Lucky Number Slevin (9/10)
21. Tape (9/10)
22. A Perfect Murder (9/10)

23. War Dogs (8.5/10)
24. The Founder (8.5/10)
25. In Bruges (8.5/10)

26. Split (8.5/10)

27. Bad Moms (8.5/10)

28. Basquiat (8.5/10)
29. Love, Actually (8.5/10)

30. Moonlight (8/10)
31. Pretty Woman (8/10)
32. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (7.5/10)

33. The Revenant (7.5/10)
34. The Good Shepherd (7.5/10)

35. The Shallows (7.5/10)
36. Focus (7.5/10) 

37. The Night Before (7.5/10)
38. The Walk (7/10)

39. 10 Cloverfield Lane (7/10)
40. Loving (7/10) - No review available
41. A Most Violent Year (6.5/10) - No review available
42. The Shape of Water (6/10) - discussed in this review
43. The Boy (6/10) - No review available
44. Muhammad Ali: Say My Name (6/10) - No review available

45. Joy (5.5/10)
46. Taking Lives (5.5/10)

47. La La Land (5.5/10)
48. The Visit (5/10) - discussed in this review
49. The Mule (5/10) - No review available
50. 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi (5/10)
51. Make Love Great Again (5/10) - No review available
52. Molly's Game (5/10)
53. Set It Up (5/10)
54. Get a Job (5/10) - No review available
55. The Interpreter (5/10) - No review available
56. Eric Clapton: Life in 12 Bars (5/10) - No review available
57. Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates (4.5/10) - No review available
58. Brooklyn (4.5/10) - discussed in this review, and this review
59. Ocean's 8 (4/10)
60. Everything Must Go (4/10) - No review available
61. Why Him? (3.5/10) - No review available
62. The Program (3/10)
63. Pitch Perfect 3 (2/10)
64. Shut In (2/10) - No review available
65. Premonition (2/10) - No review available

66. Rings (1.5/10)
67. Mother's Day (1.5/10)
68. I'll Always Know What You Did Last Summer (0/10) - No review available

My 200 Favorite Movies: Reviews of Pretty Woman and Love, Actually

Photo Credit: Smooth Radio

Don't forget to check out the first three installments of my series:

Three Best Picture nominees: L.A. Confidential, Mystic River and Hannah and Her Sisters

Three Oscar winners: No Country for Old Men, Kramer vs. Kramer and The Wrestler

Three "Sleepers": Bernie, The Drop and Lucky Number Slevin

Now it's time for a couple rom-coms...

PRETTY WOMAN (1990)

Let's just get this right out into the open: I'm not going to shy away from romantic comedies or "chick flicks" simply because they aren't generally considered manly or masculine. A good movie is a good movie; there's no need to discriminate or dismiss any particular genres. 

That said, Pretty Woman is certainly considered one of the all-time classics of its genre. Carried by the breakout performance of Julia Roberts' illustrious career, Pretty Woman is a textbook example of a "hooker with a heart of gold" story. Roberts literally plays a hooker with a heart of gold named Vivian Ward, who wins the affection of a ruthless businessman named Edward Lewis, portrayed with suavity and confidence by Richard Gere. 

Perhaps the most memorable scene of the movie is when Edward sends Vivian on a downtown shopping spree, just days after Vivian had been insulted by uppity store clerks. Vivian comes out on top the second time around. The chemistry between Roberts and Gere is real and magnetic. 

** Frascella's Score: 8 out of 10 ** 

LOVE, ACTUALLY (2003)

Holiday movies are generally sappy, saccharine crap. They tend to take the easy way out in a lazy attempt to give the audience what they want: Predictable love stories, overly joyful characters and happy endings. 

Hmm, I've kind of painted myself into a corner, here. It's not that director Richard Curtis isn't going for happy endings in Love, Actually, it's just that his multiple storylines work and the payoffs aren't painfully cheesy. 

I find myself rooting for the characters in this massive ensemble piece featuring Hugh Grant, the late Alan Rickman, Bill Nighy, Emma Thompson, Colin Firth, Liam Neeson, Keira Knightley, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Laura Linney, Billy Bob Thornton -- basically every European actor who ever appeared in a Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings or Pirates of the Caribbean movie. 

I am entertained and satisfied by virtually all of the storylines, and the dramatic climaxes for The Prime Minister (Grant), Jamie the writer (Firth) and Daniel's (Neeson) son, Sam (Thomas Brodie-Sangster, later of Game of Thrones) actually work for me. 

Also, not everyone gets a happy ending. Things are bittersweet for Harry (Rickman), Karen (Thompson) and lovelorn Mark (Andrew Lincoln of The Walking Dead), whose crush, Juliet (Knightley), marries his best friend, Peter (Ejiofor). 

Ensemble love stories can go terribly wrong -- see Garry Marshall's Valentine's Day or New Year's Eve -- but this one doesn't. Love, Actually has a lot of moving parts, but they move pretty well.

** Frascella's Score: 8.5 out of 10 **

MY UP-TO-DATE ARCHIVE OF ALL REVIEWS AND SCORES

(The Top 200 series will continue, but the list below includes ALL of my past reviews and scores.)

1. Up in the Air (9.5/10)
2. Steve Jobs (9.5/10)
3. No Country for Old Men (9.5/10)
4. The Wrestler (9.5/10)
5. The Drop (9.5/10)
6. Kramer vs. Kramer (9.5/10)
7. Margin Call (9/10)
8. Hannah and Her Sisters (9/10)
9. Mystic River (9/10)
10. L.A. Confidential (9/10)
11. Lady Bird (9/10)
12. Stay (9/10)
13. Gone Girl (9/10)
14. Nocturnal Animals (9/10)
15. 45 Years (9/10)
16. The Edge of Seventeen (9/10)
17. Bernie (9/10)
18. Lucky Number Slevin (9/10)
19. Tape (9/10)
20. A Perfect Murder (9/10)

21. War Dogs (8.5/10)
22. The Founder (8.5/10)
23. In Bruges (8.5/10)

24. Split (8.5/10)

25. Bad Moms (8.5/10)

26. Basquiat (8.5/10)
27. Love, Actually (8.5/10)

28. Moonlight (8/10)
29. Pretty Woman (8/10)
30. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (7.5/10)

31. The Revenant (7.5/10)
32. The Good Shepherd (7.5/10)

33. The Shallows (7.5/10)
34. Focus (7.5/10) 

35. The Night Before (7.5/10)
36. The Walk (7/10)

37. 10 Cloverfield Lane (7/10)
38. Loving (7/10) - No review available
39. A Most Violent Year (6.5/10) - No review available
40. The Shape of Water (6/10) - discussed in this review
41. The Boy (6/10) - No review available
42. Muhammad Ali: Say My Name (6/10) - No review available

43. Joy (5.5/10)
44. Taking Lives (5.5/10)

45. La La Land (5.5/10)
46. The Visit (5/10) - discussed in this review
47. 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi (5/10)
48. Make Love Great Again (5/10) - No review available
49. Molly's Game (5/10)
50. Set It Up (5/10)
51. Get a Job (5/10) - No review available
52. The Interpreter (5/10) - No review available
53. Eric Clapton: Life in 12 Bars (5/10) - No review available
54. Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates (4.5/10) - No review available
55. Brooklyn (4.5/10) - discussed in this review, and this review
56. Ocean's 8 (4/10)
57. Everything Must Go (4/10) - No review available
58. Why Him? (3.5/10) - No review available
59. The Program (3/10)
60. Pitch Perfect 3 (2/10)
61. Shut In (2/10) - No review available
62. Premonition (2/10) - No review available

63. Rings (1.5/10)
64. Mother's Day (1.5/10)
65. I'll Always Know What You Did Last Summer (0/10) - No review available

My 200 Favorite Movies: Bernie, The Drop & Lucky Number Slevin

Photo Credit: MoviePosters2.com

Yesterday I reviewed Oscar winners No Country for Old Men, Kramer vs. Kramer and The Wrestler; today we transition to three lesser-known films. Maybe you'll find a "sleeper" to watch in here...

BERNIE (2011)

Richard Linklater is one of my favorite directors, and Jack Black has really grown on me over the years. With that talented duo pulling the strings of Bernie -- a fascinating and (somehow) funny true story about Bernie Tiede (Black), a well-liked funeral director who murdered his mean old female companion, Marjorie Nugent (a game Shirley MacLaine) -- we are undoubtedly in good hands. 

Matthew McConaughey is hilariously deadpan as local District Attorney Danny Buck, the only man in Carthage, TX who actually wants Bernie to be convicted. Matthew's real-life mom, Kay, gets into the act as one of the townspeople lobbying for Bernie's acquittal. You can see where he gets it from.

** Frascella's Score: 9 out of 10 **

THE DROP (2014)

Any time I think of The Drop, the words "tight" and "lean" immediately pop into my head. Dennis Lehane (Mystic River, Gone Baby Gone) is an absolutely phenomenal crime drama writer, and The Drop represents another impressive bullet point on his resume. 

There is nothing extraneous or superfluous in this film; Lehane's screenplay is economical, and virtually everything is there for a reason. Tom Hardy is a chameleon in one of the two leads as Bob Saginowski, a Brooklyn dive bartender and right-hand man of Cousin Marv (the great James Gandolfini, in his final role). 

I won't say much about the plot, except that it may not be what you initially think it is. Matthias Schoenaerts is a standout as wannabe thug Eric Deeds, and the always excellent John Ortiz provides energy as the sharp Detective Torres, who always seems to have his eye on Deeds, Bob and Marv. This film is a great sleeper.

** Frascella's Score: 9.5 out of 10 **

LUCKY NUMBER SLEVIN (2006)

You would think a film starring Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, Josh Hartnett, Lucy Liu, Ben Kingsley and Stanley Tucci would be better known, right? 

Usually when a cast like that doesn't generate much buzz or critical acclaim, the movie is a stone cold flop. Oddly enough, that isn't the case here. I'm not exactly sure what happened with Lucky Number Slevin (though, it does have a very strong 7.7 score on IMDB), but it didn't do well in the box office and was generally bypassed by the critics. 

Anyway, "Slevin" is actually the name of the protagonist, played with relative intrigue by Harnett, who has since faded out of the limelight. Hartnett is kind of like the audience throughout the film -- he keeps getting thrown into inexplicable situations and can't quite figure out how he got there. That's part of the fun of this film; we're never quite sure who is good, bad, innocent or guilty. 

Slevin crosses paths with the mysteriously sexy Lindsey (Liu), the merciless "Boss" (Freeman), the not-too-holy "Rabbi" (Kingsley), a conflicted hitman named Mr. Goodkat (Willis) and a curious and relentless cop (Tucci). Either physically or emotionally, Slevin takes a beating from virtually all of these characters. 

Nevertheless, in the end, it's nothing a little "Kansas City Shuffle" can't fix. This is a tricky and fun film with many welcome twists and turns.

** Frascella's Score: 9 out of 10 **

MY UP-TO-DATE ARCHIVE OF ALL REVIEWS AND SCORES

(The Top 200 series will continue, but the list below includes ALL of my past reviews and scores.)

1. Up in the Air (9.5/10)
2. Steve Jobs (9.5/10)
3. No Country for Old Men (9.5/10)
4. The Wrestler (9.5/10)
5. The Drop (9.5/10)
6. Kramer vs. Kramer (9.5/10)
7. Margin Call (9/10)
8. Hannah and Her Sisters (9/10)
9. Mystic River (9/10)
10. L.A. Confidential (9/10)
11. Lady Bird (9/10)
12. Stay (9/10)
13. Gone Girl (9/10)
14. Nocturnal Animals (9/10)
15. 45 Years (9/10)
16. The Edge of Seventeen (9/10)
17. Bernie (9/10)
18. Lucky Number Slevin (9/10)
19. Tape (9/10)
20. A Perfect Murder (9/10)

21. War Dogs (8.5/10)
22. The Founder (8.5/10)
23. In Bruges (8.5/10)

24. Split (8.5/10)

25. Bad Moms (8.5/10)

26. Basquiat (8.5/10)

27. Moonlight (8/10)
28. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (7.5/10)

29. The Revenant (7.5/10)
30. The Good Shepherd (7.5/10)

31. The Shallows (7.5/10)
32. Focus (7.5/10) 

33. The Night Before (7.5/10)
34. The Walk (7/10)

35. 10 Cloverfield Lane (7/10)
36. Loving (7/10) - No review available
37. A Most Violent Year (6.5/10) - No review available
38. The Shape of Water (6/10) - discussed in this review
39. The Boy (6/10) - No review available

40. Joy (5.5/10)
41. Taking Lives (5.5/10)

42. La La Land (5.5/10)
43. The Visit (5/10) - discussed in this review
44. 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi (5/10)
45. Make Love Great Again (5/10) - No review available
46. Molly's Game (5/10)
47. Set It Up (5/10)
48. Get a Job (5/10) - No review available
49. The Interpreter (5/10) - No review available
50. Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates (4.5/10) - No review available
51. Brooklyn (4.5/10) - discussed in this review, and this review
52. Ocean's 8 (4/10)
53. Everything Must Go (4/10) - No review available
54. Why Him? (3.5/10) - No review available
55. The Program (3/10)
56. Pitch Perfect 3 (2/10)
57. Shut In (2/10) - No review available
58. Premonition (2/10) - No review available

59. Rings (1.5/10)
60. Mother's Day (1.5/10)