Five Years Of This?

Yes, as of yesterday this blog is now five years old. And what better way to mark the occasion than by thanking Wikipedia for explaining the content of a modern-day classic?

All these years and I never figured that out!

But seriously, I'll try to post some other stuff. I was thinking of a "best and worst movies of the last five years" post, but I've seen so few 2014 films...

Catching Up On Movies

Remember when I used to go see movies, and then give my opinions of them? Those were the days. As part of this return to blogging, I present the movies I've seen but haven't written about. Grades for all, a few needed comments on some. Unfortunately, the 2014 portion of the list is rather barren, in great part because of my financial situation, which is pretty horrible at this time. So I'm not sure how many more films I'll see from here on out.

2013

The World's End: B-plus
Kick-Ass 2: D-plus (If I recall, the off-beat charm and humor of the first film -- in the midst of all the violence -- was gone from this one. Juvenile and stupid.)
Lee Daniels' The Butler: B (Based more loosely on the true story than it should have been, and some of the actors portraying Presidents were jarring.)
You're Next: C-plus (Very much a mixed bag, with some good acting but a ridiculous plot.)
The Conjuring: B (Very old school. Not like today's horror films at all.)
Don Jon: C-plus (I love love love Joseph Gordon-Levitt and this film was his baby. It just got old and dumb pretty fast.)
Gravity: A
Machete Kills: C-minus (Pretty disappointing. I had to watch the first film On Demand and that was over-the-top fun. This was more over-the-top dumb.)
The Counselor: F (I walked out of this pretty fast. I didn't even make it to the scene where Cameron Diaz humped a car.)
Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa: B
Carrie: C-minus (So unnecessary. And setting it in the present, with smartphone videos and the like, didn't help.)
Thor: The Dark World: B (A little better than the first, which isn't saying much.)
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire: B (Not as good as the first, which is saying a lot.)
American Hustle: B-plus
Saving Mr. Banks: A
The Dallas Buyers Club: B-plus
Frozen: C (So, so overrated! The film is overrated! "Let It Go" is overrated! The movie took forever to get started, the story wasn't all that exceptional. It's not that the movie and song are awful. It's just that they're not special. Why did people make such a fuss over it? Overrated!)

2014

Anchorman 2: B-minus (Again, had to watch the first On Demand. Not as good as the first, but a rather clever comment on the advent of 24-hour cable TV news and what it would become.)
The Lego Movie: A (Everything is awesome!!!!)
Muppets Most Wanted: B (It's like they're making minor changes and reissuing the first Muppet movies. First came the movie in which the Muppets get together (or get back together). Then there's the sequel where a Muppet is framed as a criminal. If they make another, expect the Muppets to hit New York City again.)
Captain America 2: The Winter Soldier: B-plus (Not only did this movie turn out well, but it rejuvenated the Agents of SHIELD TV series. It's a miracle!)
The Amazing Spider-Man 2: B-minus (Why did they reboot this so soon? And why is it not better?)
X-Men: Days of Future Past: B (This was very good in a lot of ways, but I think my expectations were raised by the pre-release hype.)

This Guy...

...well, the version of him that's ten or so years older than when this picture appeared in the Flyers' 2003-04 Pictorial Yearbook (not just a yearbook, a Pictorial yearbook)...just won the Conn Smythe trophy as the Most Valuable Player of the 2014 Stanley Cup playoffs. Justin Williams of the Los Angeles Kings won his third Cup since being traded from the Flyers in 2004.

And hey, Mike Richards and Jeff Carter won their second Cup since they were traded by the Flyers. Are we sensing something about the Flyers' player evaluation over the years? But this is not about the Flyers or Richards or Carter. This is about Justin Williams. He's woefully overdressed in this photo.

I'm Back! With "Pride"

Hi there! Remember me? I used to blog. I got away from it for many reasons -- partly related to laziness, and other things I won't talk about right now (or maybe ever) -- but I want to get back to it. I need to get back to it.

So, as we go along perhaps I'll get to some other stuff I've been meaning to post. For now, though, here's a little iTunes Baker's Dozen. Not a shuffle from my collection, but from iTunes Radio's special LGBT Pride station. I'm trying to figure out exactly where the "LGBT" comes in, how this is different from any other pop-oriented radio station (other than the inclusion of the old Cher hit). Also, at some point in the near future, will Pitbull appear on EVERY song?

Rock Your Body - Justin Timberlake

I Will Never Let You Down - Rita Ora

Chandelier - Sia

Wut - Le1f

Drunk in Love - Beyonce feat. Jay Z

Into the Wild - LP

Song for the Lonely - Cher

Hideaway - Kiesza

Dark Horse - Katy Perry feat. Juicy J

Exotic - Priyanka Chopara feat. Pitbull

Summertime Sadness (Cedric Gervais Remix) - Lana Del Rey

Fancy - Iggy Azalea feat. Charli XCX

Problem - Ariana Grande feat. Iggy Azalea