Hahahahaha

Todays blog(Once again, really late) Comedy Movies.  I think this is going to inspire me to do tomorrows blog on being late.  Anyway, I'm doing it on comedies to continue movie blogging.  A few of my favorite comedies: Anything that Judd Apatow has directed or has had a hand in(Knocked Up, 40 Year Old Virgin, movies with those guys that are in all of the same ones like Rogen/Segel/Hill/Rudd etc...), Role Models, Tommy Boy(You can get a good look at your butcher..), Black Sheep(Farley again), Van Wilder.  On to Good, Bad and Funny
Comedies

1. Good:  Lets face it people, laughter is the best medicine.  It won't cure aids but it will definitely make you feel better.  I have a great collection of comedies listed from above.  A great thing about comedies is that they are more than likely the only genre of movies that will literally make you pee on yourself.  In my opinion, the best types of comedies are ones that don't hold anything back as far as being decent enough for the audience.  Comedies that are realistic as possible really make me laugh.  For example: I went to see I Love You Man with my boy Jon Jon.  We were the only 2 in the theater, and swore up and down to each other that how they acted in the movie is seriously how we sometimes act in real life.
2. Bad:  I don't like comedies where stuff that is very unrealistic happens.  For instance: I think The Hangover and Wedding Crashers are funny movies, but I think they are more quotable than they actually are funny.  Don't misconstrue this is me not liking these two movies but seriously, the stuff that happens in those movies could never happen.  Which makes them funny for the first few years after they come out, but they fade as time passes.  The comedies I hate the most are the ones that are(for a lack of a better word) "stupid" funny.  People say man it's so stupid it's funny.  I would put movies like Napoleon Dynamite, Tropic Thunder, any Ben Stiller movie(theres a few that are ok) and all those remedy type movies(like Not Another Teen Movie) in this category.  Once again people quote them religiously, but to me it's just not that funny.
3. Funny:  Kind of strange look I'm gonna put on the funny section of my blog today.  The funniest thing about comedies is when you make a movie a comedy that is not intended to be that way.  This applies to most movies that were made in the 80s and 90s.  If you watch them now there are so many things that you can find that are hilarious and so cheesy that its funny.  Example: Watch this.  Make sure you pay attention to the 2:23 and 2:57 marks of the video.  Great comedy meant to be serious.  Honestly, if you watch this whole video and don't laugh, then you and I do not share the same humor and I would probably consider you dull.(just kidding my dad has watched it and he didn't laugh.)

Link of the day: No Link today
Once again sorry so late and Thanks for reading,
McKinley

And the Award goes to....

Once again, really late on my blog.  I've got to get my sleep track back in order.  I'm gonna try to have tomorrows blog up in 12 hours from now....hopefully.  I decided just now to go ahead and knock out my movie blogs here in the next few days(Only 3 left).  Today I'm blogging about what I consider "great movies"  These are the movies that leave me at maximum emotion, whether it be in tears, shock, awe, happiness or whatever.  While I don't have a gun-to-my-head top 5.  There are some that I can't get out of my head when I think about great movies, and they are: The Shawshank Redemption(I just feel like I'm Andy Dufrene at the end of that movie), Forrest Gump(True southern classic...I'll love this movie til the day I die This score alone makes the movie unforgettable), Milo and Otis(Even though I hate cats, this is a true story of friendship), Avatar(Just because it is the most pleasing movie to the eye that I've ever watched), A Time to Kill(Justice is served in this movie), Miracle(So patriotic), Remember the Titans(Denzel at his best), Crash(I love the style that this movie is built in)....and way to many others to name.  Please fill me in if I've left one out that you know is my absolute jam.  On to Good, Bad and Funny.
Great Movies

1. Good: While it's obvious that all great movies have to be good before they are great, I'll list a few things that are just good about them.  I personally like to see movies like this by myself.(It doesn't matter if it's in the theater or in my own home theater...like I have a home theater)  I don't mind seeing them with a big group but I feel like I get more out of it if I'm fully focused on nothing but the movie.  I love talking up great movies to other people.  I can honestly say I've never had anyone come up to me and say "man I didn't think that was as good as you did".(Although I'm sure some people are just being nice.)  Also I think only you can be the judge of a great movie.(hence why I like seeing them by myself) If you love it, then no one can tell you it's bad.
2. Bad: There isn't much I can think of that is bad about a great movie.  I guess the only thing I can think of is when someone ruins the ending of one of your "can't wait to see" list movies.
3. Funny: The only thing funny about a great movie is how I act after I see one.  If you catch me right after a great movie, you can expose me to the fullest.  My brain is all over the place and I'm very vulnerable to criticism. (For example: The movie Seven Pounds.  I saw this in the the theater with a fairly good size group of friends(5 or 6).  I won't ruin the movie for you but let's just say Cade Hoggard and Jared Koon got a kick(always get a kick) out of my reactions to the ending.  Hint: It involves trying to not look at anyone in the eye and moistening the collar of a tshirt.

Link of the day: All you need for movie links Click here

Thanks for reading,
McKinley

America's Pastime

This is the latest I've ever done a blog.  I've been so busy today that I literally haven't had the chance to sit down and do it.  What took up most of my day was a baseball game.(Also special shout out to Paul Thorn who just put on a heck of a show at Elvis Fest).  As of this second, the Tupelo 49ers(American Legion baseball team I help coach) are a perfect 2-0.  I'm very happy with this and I am excited about our team this summer.  If I had to choose one sport to be apart of this would be it, and I'm happy to finally blog about it.  On to Good, Bad and Funny.
Baseball

1. Good: Where do I begin?  To me, baseball is the the purest sport ever played.  I love the look of the field, the sound of a mitt popping, the roar of the crowd, the camraderie of the dugout, going to the field on Friday looking for a win and I love waking up Saturday morning when you've found one and everything else about this game.  Its a simple game but also a complex one.  One of the better coaches I've been around once told me "It's a game within a game".  This is hard to understand for non baseball enthusiasts but it makes so much sense to those of us who love this game.  I've grown up around this game my whole life and I still learn something from it everyday.  I am obviously a huge MSU baseball fan(even though they're down right now, the horizon looks good).  I'm also a passionate Atlanta Braves fan.(I can still remember watching games on the living room floor with my mom when I was 5.  Can't talk about them without bringing this guy up....The Legend)  Most people think its crazy to follow one team so strongly but I think it's good for the soul to take part in something you can't control.  
2. Bad: Just like any major professional sport, baseball has it's fair share of problems: from the kid from Detroit getting his perfect game taken away the other night, to players worrying about their contracts and appearance instead of winning games, to steroids becoming so integral to a players success..  Amongst these 2 things, the one thing that gets me upset more than anything about this game is when someone disrespects it.  There are many styles and theories to how teams go about winning, but there is truly only one way to play this game.  It can't be described in a few short sentences, but effort and passion are what drive it.  If you do not love this game, you shouldn't be a part of it.(This guy knows what I'm talking about)
3. Funny: This is a wacky game.  I can't tell you how many funny stories I have a from baseball games.  You can't play this game the right way without having fun after all.  (Heres a funny video if dropped flyballs are your thing....there's just something funny about confused looks on old men's faces trying to catch a little ball.

Link of the day: This gives me goosebumps...so I give you Lou Gehrig...if you don't know the story look it up because its a good one.

This blog was much shorter than I would have liked for it to be because I could talk about it for days.(I'll probably do a follow up at some point)  But it's late and I've got to hit the hay before church tomorrow morning.
Thanks for reading
McKinley

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's just another generic marvel comics movie

Today I'll continue with my movies blog.  I figure since horror was my last movie blog, that I'll continue on with another genre that I usually don't care for: Hero/Marvel Comic Book Movies.  Since they are on such a comeback swing the past decade, I figured they at least deserve a blog.  I'm gonna go ahead and continue on to Good, Bad and Ugly.
Hero/Marvel Comic Book Movies

1. Good:  While I don't like them now, I loved them when I was a kid.  When you see one of these movies as a kid, it makes you feel like that the main hero character(s) are real.  You run out of the theater mimicking your favorite ninja turtle(I was Michaelangelo) or act like you are flying like batman.  I love that kids these days get the opportunity to see these movies, because technology and advancements in the movie making business seem to make them more enjoyable.  
2. Bad:  Note: I have many problems with this genre of movies.  I feel that along with horror movies, these are the most generic and predictable movies in today's cinematic world.(For instance: There are only so many story lines that someone can come up with for these movies to be successful.  If its the first movie of a trilogy then the first one will end with either a)the hero saving a girl and or b)the villian will appear to be dead at the end but there will be one little flicker that he/she will be back for a sequel or a whole new villain will be introduced.)  But in my opinion, that's not why people go see these movies these days.  I think they go because of the extra crap that make certain scenes...for a lack of a better word explosive.  There are always crazy explosions, new gadgets and guns, and new armored suits for heros.  And to compensate for the poor acting in these movies, all they do is make the superhero look bigger and make the villains seem more twisted thinkers(but in reality the villain still just wants to rule the world.)  I understand that these movies might be designed to attract more adults to see them, so that they can feel like a kid again.  However, I think that they have gotten so advanced with more than just the general "save the world from bad guys theme" that they might be more adult appropriate than they are for kids. (I'm giving Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter a pass because they are so well put together, and even though there is a bunch of technology used in the movies, the storylines and acting are what really grab you...Can't wait to see Deathly Hallows and The Hobbit)
3. Funny: Like I said before the acting in these movies is usually subpar.(Shame on you Don Cheadle for being in Iron Man 2....you have been such a solid actor and under the radar your whole career til now.  Please go back to being Hollywood's best unknown actor)  For instance: Michelle Rodriguez character "Trudy" in Avatar adds nothing to that movie. Seriously click here if you don't believe me, Every line she says in the movie she tries to make a catchy punchline.(However I'm also excluding this from the bad section because I thought the storyline was great and in general if you give someone 300$ million dollars to make a movie, its hard to screw up.  Another case is here: Christian Bales work as the new Batman, I mean seriously this is a joke...he takes all the credibility out of the role I loved as a child that Adam West and Michael Keaton excelled in.

Link of the Day: I'm so going to see this movie

Thanks for reading
McKinley

Just my Luck

I'm taking a break from the movie blogs because I got tired with them.  Do you ever wonder why things happen the way they do?....Why sometimes you are just in a funk and sometimes you are overjoyed?  Well, this is just life as we know it and it's hard to understand sometimes.  I'm a big believer that things happen for a reason and God has a plan for all of us, but there is a word that gets tossed around daily by people all around the world....That word is Luck.  Some are very superstitious and rely solely on luck.  Some believe that fate and destiny are the reasons things happen.(I'd say I'm in this category)  I thought about luck today because last night I was about to head to town and I cranked my dad's car(97' Chrysler Sebring Convertible...I know..I don't like the car either) and the alternator was out.  This was a problem because "my car" was already in the shop.  It then dawned on me, I'm unlucky today.  My luck changed as my night worked out fine.(thanks for letting me use your mom's tahoe bean)  So was it fate or luck that my night worked out the way it did?  I can't help but think it might have been luck.  On to Good, Bad and Funny
Luck

1. Good: It's good to have luck if you believe in it.  It seems as if it's a friendly happening.  For instance: Winning a jackpot at a casino slot machine, hitting a go ahead home run off of a dominant pitcher(Youre my boy koon...more heart than Brian Pettway...7-5 Wave), hitting a buzzer beater in the NCAA Basketball Tournament(Special shout out to Bryce Drew from Valparaiso), finding your favorite food item on sale at the grocery store.  These are all things that can be thought of that might have happened because of good luck.
2. Bad: I try not to dwell on having bad luck.  For the most part I think you make your own breaks, but bad luck is so related to sports that it's hard not to think about it when it affects you.  Example: Last night, Armando Galarraga of the Detroit Tigers threw a 27 out perfect game.(28 really because he got the next batter out)....Except the first base umpire called the very last batter of the game safe when he was clearly out at first base.  I don't know if you'd call it bad luck or not, but it sure seems as if Armando is chalking it up to that.  Maybe he'll throw another perfect game later in his career, maybe he won't but for one night he was nearly immortal pitching a baseball, but he'll never go down in history.(For what it's worth I blame Commissioner Bud Selig for a)not giving him the perfect game and b)not going to a full replay system for America's greatest game.
3. Funny:  It's funny to me how people are so superstitious.  I mean I understand why they are that way, but I'm gonna wash my socks even if my favorite team has won 11 consecutive games.(This guy used to brush his teeth between innings)

Link of the day: Please look at this womans opinion of the difference between luck and fate.  It puts a neat perspective on how to look at the two.  It's really cool.

Short blog today(sorry for that), but I've got to get ready for my church softball game tonight.  Thanks for reading and WISH ME LUCK...had to do it.
McKinley

Don't go in that room...He's in there.

I'm gonna go ahead and continue blogging about movies today and today's genre is not one I'm crazy about but here goes.  Today, I'm blogging on horror movies.  I'm gonna move on to Good, Bad and Funny because most of my material will fall into those categories.
Horror Movies

1. Good: Like I said I'm not a big fan of most of these movies but I do like a few(most are really old and I'm also gonna include a few that just freak me out but aren't exactly scary), such as: Se7en(yeah I added the graphic...that movie really wigs me out plus its got 2 top notch actors in it), The Sixth Sense(no one saw that ending coming), The Ring(hands down freakiest movie I've ever seen, Even the trailer is creepy, check it out), The Shining(Jack Nicholson at his best), The Exorcism of Emily Rose(just downright evil), The Exorcist(probably the scariest movie I've ever seen).  I also got into the Saw movies but I thought they really dropped the ball with 3rd through 5th installments of the movie.  1 and 2 were awesome and 6(the last one) were really good.  I'm kinda ready for it to end with 7 though.
2. Bad: It's easy to talk about how bad most horror flicks are.  For instance: I can give you the setting for 75% of horror movies that come out these days.  There is always a house out in the middle of nowhere and its either haunted and a new family moves in or there are people that crawl upside down on all fours and have 100 teeth.  I will never take a chance on a movie like Splice(which opens this weekend).  I have been led in the wrong direction before on movies I thought might be decent.  Example: The two worst movies I've ever seen are Wolf Creek(koon and I were almost cussing each other because we were so mad for sitting through that movie and we just wanted something to vent about) and Touristas(which my friend Tommy brought for a group of us to watch one afternoon...if I die two hours earlier than I'm supposed to, then I'll be mad that I watched that movie and thinking about what I could have done with that time)  Also don't go to the theater on opening night of a horror film...no offense to girls but they are obnoxious in horror movies.  They yell and talk throughout the entire movie at things that are not even that scary.
3. Funny: A funny thing about horror movies is that you plan to watch them during the day.  I highly recommend this because if you are watching one of the ones in the good section of this blog at night, you will not be able to sleep.  Another funny thing about scary movies is how you jump or scream when no one else does and they all look at you like "Dang dude you ok?"  And of course Hocus Pocus is a funny horror movie...even though for kids...probably the only Bette Midler movie I've ever seen either way.

Link of the Day: Just maximize the screen on Youtube and watch all the way to the end. You might have to get real close to the screen to follow the ball.

Thanks for reading
McKinley

The Chick Flick

I have had a pretty busy day so I haven't really had to sit down to write a blog.  As a matter of fact, I couldn't even think of a topic until about an hour ago.  Me and Bean picked up my sister and his girlfriend from the movie theater at about 9:30, there choice of movie: Sex and the City 2.  I figured since they wouldn't shut up about this movie on the way home that that's what I'd do today's blog on.(Bean and I were fresh off of a good ole fashion basketball drubbing at the New Providence Church in Tupelo...so we were in a crummy mood but not too bad...they were simply better than we were.)  I'm probably going to try to do movie blogs for the rest of the week unless something else pops up.  On to Good, Bad and Funny
Chick Flicks(or for girls Romance movies)

1. Good: As weird as it sounds, I happen to like some of these movies(I have Definitely Maybe, Love Actually, 500 Days of Summer, Sweet Home Alabama and a few more in my personal collection....Feel free to suggest more to me)  Its obviously better watching these movies with a female counterpart, but on occasion I might watch one of them.  A good thing that you can get from watching these movies is how good and bad relationships work(however, hardly anything happens like it does in the movies....I mean come on, girls can't expect us to act like Pat Swayze's character in Dirty Dancing)
2. Bad: Some of these movies are just plain dumb.  There is always a working class girl and an upper class guy and it happens to work out at the end.  There are so many tired story lines that some of these movies continue to mimic.  For instance: I just recently saw the Ugly Truth and to me it just played right into the she's good at her career and falls for the rough and rugged guy but finds out he has a softer side.  Theres only so many of these that are not cliche.  Also like I said earlier, a lot of chick flicks paint these pictures of perfect guys that hardly any of us can live up to.(I mean most of us are never gonna wake up and look like this or have the charm of this guy.)
3. Funny: There are a lot of chick flicks that you could probably label as romance comedies.(I like to call them bromance-comedies) I love movies like I Love You Man, Knocked Up and Forgetting Sarah Marshall because they offer enough no-holds-barred comedy but also provide a happy ending that guys and girls both can enjoy.

Link of the Day: Just on the general movie theme. You should check out this site and this site.  They both allow you to look at new trailers of movies and see what actors are appearing in movies in months and years to come.
Thanks for reading folks
McKinley