Wulfgar's Movie Awards 2008, Nominees, Part 1

It is early in the award season, and I currently only have seen 54 movies that I consider eligible, so, here is the list of my current nominees and the eligible films that I have seen.

Best Movie
1. Slumdog Millionaire
2. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
3. Recount
4. The Dark Knight
5. Forgetting Sarah Marshall
6. Frost/Nixon
7. Valkyrie
8. Wendy and Lucy
9. Doubt
10. Vicky Christina Barcelona
11. Wall*E
12. Mongol

Favorite Movie
1. The Dark Knight
2. Cloverfield
3. Forgetting Sarah Marshall
4. Iron Man
5. Recount
6. Wendy and Lucy
7. Wall*E
8. The Strangers
9. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
10. Slumdog Millionaire
11. Valkyrie
12. Frost/Nixon
13. Vicky Christina Barcelona
14. Seven Pounds

Best Actor
1. Kevin Spacey (Recount)
2. Javier Bardem (Vicky Christina Barcelona)
3. Colin Farrell (In Bruges)
4. Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire)
5. Brad Pitt (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
6. Tom Cruise (Valkyrie)
7. Will Smith (Seven Pounds)
8. Michael Sheen (Frost/Nixon)
9. Ewan McGregor (Deception)
10. Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man)
11. Jason Segel (Forgetting SarahMarshall)
12. Tadanobu Asano (Mongol)
13. Anton Yelchin (Charlie Bartlett)

Best Actress
1. Michelle Williams (Wendy and Lucy)
2. Cate Blanchett (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
3. Sally Hawkins (Happy-Go-Lucky)
4. Scarlett Johansson (Vicky Christina Barcelona)
5. Meryl Streep (Doubt)
6. Natalie Portman (The Other Boleyn Girl)

Best Supporting Actor
1. Heath Ledger [The Joker] (The Dark Knight)
2. Frank Langella (Frost/Nixon)
3. Philip Seymour Hoffman (Doubt)
4. Brendan Gleeson (In Bruges)
5. Bill Nighy (Valkyrie)
6. Tom Wilkinson (Recount)
7. Jared Harris (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
8. Hugh Jackman (Deception)
9. Denis Leary (Recount)
10. Wally Dalton (Wendy and Lucy)
11. Tom Wilkinson (Valkyrie)
12. Robert Downey Jr. (Charlie Bartlett)
13. Eric Bana (The Other Boleyn Girl)

Best Supporting Actress
1. Rosario Dawon (Seven Pounds)
2. Mila Kunis (Forgetting Sarah Marshall)
3. Rebecca Hall (Vicky Christina Barcelona)
4. Michelle Williams (Deception)
5. Julia Ormand (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
6. Penelope Cruz (Vicky Christina Barcelona)
7. Taraji P. Henson (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
8. Amy Adams (Doubt)
9. Ellen Page (Smart People)
10. Tilda Swinton (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
11. Alexis Zegerman (Happy-Go-Lucky)
12. Scarlett Johansson (The Other Boleyn Girl)
13. Gwyneth Paltrow (Iron Man)
14. Kat Dennings (Charlie Bartlett)

Best Ensemble
1. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
2. Recount
3. Vicky Christina Barcelona
4. Valkyrie
5. Frost/Nixon
6. Doubt
7. In Bruges
8. Slumdog Millionaire
9. The Dark Knight
10. Forgetting Sarah Marshall
11. The Other Boleyn Girl
12. Charlie Bartlett
13. Iron Man

Best Drama
1. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
2. Wendy and Lucy
3. Valkyrie
4. Slumdog Millionaire
5. Recount
6. Frost/Nixon
7. Vicky Christina Barcelona
8. Doubt
9. Seven Pounds
10. Deception
11. The Dark Knight
12. In Bruges

Best Comedy
1. Forgetting Sarah Marshall
2. Tropic Thunder
3. In Bruges
4. Pineapple Express
5. Baby Mama

Best Sci-Fi / Fantasy
1. Cloverfield
2. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
3. Hellboy II: The Golden Army
4. Wall*E
5. Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
6. Iron Man
7. The Incredible Hulk
8. Speed Racer
9. Best Horror
10. The Strangers
11. Cloverfield

Best Action
1. Cloverfield
2. The Dark Knight
3. Iron Man
4. Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
5. Speed Racer
6. The Incredible Hulk
7. Valkyrie

Best Animated
1. Wall*E

Best Non-Theatrical Movie
1. Recount
2. Dr. Horrible's Sing-A-Long Blog

Worst Movie
1. The Happening
2. Doomsday
3. Eagle Eye
4. Made of Honor

Worst Performance
1. Mark Wahlberg (The Happening)
2. Tilda Swinton (Burn After Reading)
3. Brad Pitt (Burn After Reading)
4. Amy Poehler (Baby Mama)

Best Hero / Anti-Hero
1. Christian Bale [Bruce Wayne/Batman] (The Dark Knight)
2. Robert Downey Jr. [Iron Man] (Iron Man)
3. Harrison Ford [Indiana Jones] (Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
4. Tom Cruise [Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg] (Valkyrie)
5. Syvester Stallong [John Rambo] (Rambo)
6. Dev Patel [Jamal Malik] (Slumdog Millionaire)
7. Nathan Fillion [Captain Hammer] (Dr. Horrible's Sing-A-Long Blog)

Best Villian
1. Heath Ledger [The Joker] (The Dark Knight)
2. David Bamber [Adolf Hitler] (Valkyrie)
3. Luke Goss [Prince Nuada] (Hellboy II: The Golden Army)
4. Hugh Jackman [Wyatt Bose] (Deception)
5. Cloverfield Monster
6. Neil Patrick Haris [Dr. Horrible] (Dr. Horrible's Sing-A-Long Blog)
7. Ralph Fiennes [Harry Waters] (In Bruges)
8. Jeff Bridges [Obadiah Strane] (Iron Man)

Hottest Female Performance
1. Isla Fisher [April Hoffman] (Deffinetly, Maybe)
2. Mila Kunis (Forgetting Sarah Marshall)
3. Michelle Williams [S] (Deception)
4. Anne Hathaway (Get Smart)
5. Maggie Gyllenhaal [Rachel Dawes] (The Dark Knight)
6. Gwyneth Paltrow (Iron Man)
7. Christina Ricci [Trixie] (Speed Racer)
8. Elizabeth Banks [Miriam Linky] (Zack and Miri Make a Porno)
9. Kirsten Bell (Forgetting Sarah Marshall)
10. Kat Dennings [Susan Gardner] (Charlie Bartlett)

Coolest Male Performance
1. Javier Bardem (Vicky Christina Barcelona)
2. Christian Bale [Bruce Wayne/Batman] (The Dark Knight)
3. Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man)
4. Matthew Fox [Racer X] (Speed Racer)
5. Brad Pitt [Benjamin Button] (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
6. Colin Farrell [Ray] (In Bruges)
7. Jason Segel (Forgetting Sarah Marshall)
8. Syvester Stallone [John Rambo] (Rambo)
9. Anton Yelchin [Charlie Bartlett] (Charlie Bartlett)

Best Couple
1. Mila Kunis and Jason Segel (Forgetting Sarah Marshall)
2. Ewan McGregor and Michelle Williams (Deception)
3. Dev Patel and Freida Pinto (Slumdog Millionaire)
4. Cate Blanchett and Brad Pitt (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
5. Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks (Zack and Miri Make a Porno)
6. Anton Yelchin and Kat Denning (Charlie Bartlett)
7. Edward Norton and Liv Tyler (The Incredible Hulk
8. Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow (Iron Man)

Best Director
1. David Fincher (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
2. Jay Roach (Recount)
3. Danny Boyle and Loveleen Tandan (Slumdog Millionaire)
4. Ron Howard (Frost/Nixon)
5. Bryan Singer (Valkyrie)
6. Martin McDonagh (In Bruges)
7. Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight)
8. Sergei Bodrov (Mongol)
9. Gabriele Muccino (Seven Pounds)
10. Jon Favreau (Iron Man)
11. Woody Allen (Vicky Christina Barcelona)

Best Screenplay
1. Simon Beaufoy and Vikas Swarup (Slumdog Millionaire)
2. Eric Roth (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
3. Danny Strong (Recount)
4. Mark Bomback (Deception)
5. Forgetting Sarah Marshall
6. Woody Allen (Vicky Christina Barcelona)
7. Ben Stiller and Justin Theroux (Tropic Thunder)
8. Deffinetly, Maybe
9. Gustin Nash (Charlie Bartlett)
10. Martin McDonagh (In Bruges)
11. Jonathan Raymond and Kelly Reichardt (Wendy and Lucy)
12. John Patrick Shanley (Doubt)
13. The Dark Knight
14. Wall*E
15. Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon, Zach Whedon, and Maurissa Tancharoen (Dr. Horrible's Sing-A-Long Blog)

Breakthrough Performance
1. Mila Kunis (Forgetting Sarah Marshall)
2. Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire)
3. Anton Yelchin (Charlie Bartlett)
4. Kat Denning (Charlie Bartlett)
5. Isla Fisher (Deffinetly, Maybe)
6. Rebecca Hall (Vicky Christina Barcelona)
7. Amanda Seyfried (Mamma Mia!)
8. Craig Robinson (Zack and Miri Make a Porno)

Best Youth Performance
1. Anton Yelchin (Charlie Bartlett)
2. Amanda Seyfried (Mamma Mia!)
3. Kat Denning (Charlie Bartlett)
4. Abigail Breslin (Deffinetly, Maybe)
5. Bill Milner (Son of Rambow)
6. Will Poulter (Son of Rambow)
7. Madisen Beaty (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)


Eligible Films I Have SeenCloverfield
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Iron Man
Speed Racer
Baby Mama
Made of Honor
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Happening, The
Incredible Hulk, The
Mongol
Hancock
WALL*E
Wanted
Get Smart
Sex and the City: The Movie
Hellboy II: The Golden Army
The Dark Knight
Brideshead Revisisted
Eagle Eye
Righteous Kill
Valkyrie
Slumdog Millionaire
Other Boleyn Girl
Charlie Bartlett
10,000 BC
Dr. Horrible's Sing-a-Long Blog
Forbidden Kingdom
Definetly, Maybe
Smart People
21
In Bruges
Strangers, The
X-Files: I Want to Believe
Mamma Mia!
Recount
Son of Rambow
Rambo
Doomsday
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day
Bangkok Dangerous
Traitor
Deception
Burn After Reading
Pineapple Express
Tropic Thunder
Zack and Miri Make a Porno
Frost/Nixon
Happy-Go-Lucky
Seven Pounds
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Doubt
Vicky Christina Barcelona
Wendy and Lucy

2009 Theatric Film Critics Awards

San Diego Critics Society
Best Director - Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire)
Best Actress - Kate Winslet (The Reader)
Best Actor - Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler)
Best Film - Slumdog Millionaire

Southeastern Film Critics Association
Best Director - Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire)
Best Actress - Anne Hathaway (Rachel Getting Married)
Best Actor - Sean Penn (Milk)
Best Film - Milk

Austin Film Critics Association
Best Director - Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight)
Best Actress - Anne Hathaway (Rachel Getting Married)
Best Actor - Sean Penn (Milk)
Best Film - The Dark Knight

Phoenix Film Critics Society
Best Director - Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire)
Best Actress - Meryl Streep (Doubt)
Best Actor - Sean Penn (Milk)
Best Film - Slumdog Millionaire

Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association
Best Director - Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire)
Best Actress - Anne Hathaway (Rachel Getting Married)
Best Actor - Sean Penn (Milk)
Best Film - Slumdog Millionaire

Toronto Film Critics Association
Best Director - Jonathan Demme (Rachel Getting Married)
Best Actress - Michelle Williams (Wendy and Lucy)
Best Actor - Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler)
Best Film - Wendy and Lucy

Washington, DC Area Film Critics Association
Best Director - Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire)
Best Actress - Meryl Streep (Doubt)
Best Actor - Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler)
Best Film - Slumdog Millionaire

New York Film Critics Circle
Best Director - Mike Leigh (Happy-Go-Lucky)
Best Actress - Sally Hawkins (Happy-Go-Lucky)
Best Actor - Sean Penn (Milk)
Best Film - Milk

Los Angeles Film Critics Association
Best Director - Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire)
Best Actress - Sally Hawkins (Happy-Go-Lucky)
Best Actor - Sean Penn (Milk)
Best Film - WALL-E

National Board of Review
Best Director - David Fincher (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
Best Actress - Anne Hathaway (Rachel Getting Married)
Best Actor - Clint Eastwood (Gran Torino)
Best Film - Slumdog Millionaire

2009 Golden Globe Awards [Theatrical Nominees] (Announced 1/11/09)

Best Motion Picture - Drama
1. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
2. Frost/Nixon (2008)
3. The Reader (2008)
4. Revolutionary Road (2008)
5. Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy
1. Burn After Reading (2008)
2. Happy-Go-Lucky (2008)
3. In Bruges (2008)
4. Mamma Mia! (2008)
5. Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama
1. Leonardo DiCaprio for Revolutionary Road (2008)
2. Frank Langella for Frost/Nixon (2008)
3. Sean Penn for Milk (2008)
4. Brad Pitt for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
5. Mickey Rourke for The Wrestler (2008)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama
1. Anne Hathaway for Rachel Getting Married (2008)
2. Angelina Jolie for Changeling (2008)
3. Meryl Streep for Doubt (2008)
4. Kristin Scott Thomas for Il y a longtemps que je t'aime (2008)
5. Kate Winslet for Revolutionary Road (2008)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy
1. Javier Bardem for Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)
2. Colin Farrell for In Bruges (2008)
3. James Franco for Pineapple Express (2008)
4. Brendan Gleeson for In Bruges (2008)
5. Dustin Hoffman for Last Chance Harvey (2008)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy
1. Rebecca Hall for Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)
2. Sally Hawkins for Happy-Go-Lucky (2008)
3. Frances McDormand for Burn After Reading (2008)
4. Meryl Streep for Mamma Mia! (2008)
5. Emma Thompson for Last Chance Harvey (2008)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
1. Tom Cruise for Tropic Thunder (2008)
2. Robert Downey Jr. for Tropic Thunder (2008)
3. Ralph Fiennes for The Duchess (2008)
4. Philip Seymour Hoffman for Doubt (2008)
5. Heath Ledger for The Dark Knight (2008)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
1. Amy Adams for Doubt (2008)
2. Penélope Cruz for Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)
3. Viola Davis for Doubt (2008)
4. Marisa Tomei for The Wrestler (2008)
5. Kate Winslet for The Reader (2008)

Best Director - Motion Picture
1. Danny Boyle for Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
2. Stephen Daldry for The Reader (2008)
3. David Fincher for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
4. Ron Howard for Frost/Nixon (2008)
5. Sam Mendes for Revolutionary Road (2008)

Best Screenplay - Motion Picture
1. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Eric Roth, Robin Swicord
2. Doubt (2008): John Patrick Shanley
3. Frost/Nixon (2008): Peter Morgan
4. The Reader (2008): David Hare
5. Slumdog Millionaire (2008): Simon Beaufoy

Best Original Song - Motion Picture
1. Bolt (2008)("I Thought I Lost You")
2. Cadillac Records (2008)("Once in a Lifetime")
3. Gran Torino (2008)("Gran Torino")
4. WALL·E (2008)("Down to Earth")
5. The Wrestler (2008)("The Wrestler")

Best Original Score - Motion Picture
1. Changeling (2008): Clint Eastwood
2. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Alexandre Desplat
3. Defiance (2008): James Newton Howard
4. Frost/Nixon (2008): Hans Zimmer
5. Slumdog Millionaire (2008): A.R. Rahman

Best Animated Film
1. Bolt (2008)
2. Kung Fu Panda (2008)
3. WALL·E (2008)

Best Foreign Language Film
1. Der Baader Meinhof Komplex (2008)
2. Maria Larssons eviga ögonblick (2008)
3. Gomorra (2008)
4. Il y a longtemps que je t'aime (2008)
5. Waltz with Bashir (2008)

2009 Independent Spirit Awards (Announced 2/21/09)

Best Feature
1. Ballast (2008): Lance Hammer, Nina Parikh
2. Frozen River (2008): Chip Hourihan, Heather Rae
3. Rachel Getting Married (2008): Neda Armian, Jonathan Demme, Marc E. Platt
4. Wendy and Lucy (2008): Larry Fessenden, Neil Kopp, Anish Savjani
5. The Wrestler (2008): Darren Aronofsky, Scott Franklin

Best Female Lead
1. Summer Bishil for Nothing Is Private (2007)
2. Anne Hathaway for Rachel Getting Married (2008)
3. Melissa Leo for Frozen River (2008)
4. Tarra Riggs for Ballast (2008)
5. Michelle Williams for Wendy and Lucy (2008)

Best Male Lead
1. Javier Bardem for Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)
2. Richard Jenkins for The Visitor (2007/I)
3. Sean Penn for Milk (2008)
4. Jeremy Renner for The Hurt Locker (2008)
5. Mickey Rourke for The Wrestler (2008)

Best Supporting Female
1. Penélope Cruz for Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)
2. Rosemarie DeWitt for Rachel Getting Married (2008)
3. Rosie Perez for The Take (2007)
4. Misty Upham for Frozen River (2008)
5. Debra Winger for Rachel Getting Married (2008)

Best Supporting Male
1. James Franco for Milk (2008)
2. Anthony Mackie for The Hurt Locker (2008)
3. Charlie McDermott for Frozen River (2008)
4. JimMyron Ross for Ballast (2008)
5. Haaz Sleiman for The Visitor (2007/I)

Best Director
1. Ramin Bahrani for Chop Shop (2007)
2. Jonathan Demme for Rachel Getting Married (2008)
3. Lance Hammer for Ballast (2008)
4. Courtney Hunt for Frozen River (2008)
5. Thomas McCarthy for The Visitor (2007/I)

Best Screenplay
1. Padre Nuestro (2007): Christopher Zalla
2. Savage Grace (2007): Howard A. Rodman
3. Sugar (2008): Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck
4. Synecdoche, New York (2008): Charlie Kaufman
5. Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008): Woody Allen

Best First Screenplay
1. Ballast (2008): Lance Hammer
2. Frozen River (2008): Courtney Hunt
3. Milk (2008): Dustin Lance Black
4. Rachel Getting Married (2008): Jenny Lumet
5. The Wackness (2008): Jonathan Levine

Best Cinematography
1. Ballast (2008): Lol Crawley
2. Chop Shop (2007): Michael Simmonds
3. Medicine for Melancholy (2008): James Laxton
4. Milk (2008): Harris Savides
5. The Wrestler (2008): Maryse Alberti

Best First Feature
1. Afterschool (2008): Antonio Campos, T. Sean Durkin, Josh Mond
2. Medicine for Melancholy (2008): Barry Jenkins, Justin Barber
3. Padre Nuestro (2007): Christopher Zalla, Per Melita, Ben Odell
4. Sleep Dealer (2008): Alex Rivera, Anthony Bregman
5. Synecdoche, New York (2008): Charlie Kaufman, Anthony Bregman, Spike Jonze, Charlie Kaufman, Sidney Kimmel

Best Foreign Film
1. Entre les murs (2008): Laurent Cantet(France)
2. Gomorra (2008): Matteo Garrone(Italy)
3. Hunger (2008/I): Steve McQueen(UK/Ireland)
4. Graine et le mulet, La (2007): Abdel Kechiche(France)
5. Stellet licht (2007): Carlos Reygadas(Mexico/France/Netherlands/Germany)

Best Documentary
1. The Betrayal - Nerakhoon (2008): Ellen Kuras, Thavisouk Phrasavath
2. Encounters at the End of the World (2007): Werner Herzog
3. Man on Wire (2008): James Marsh
4. The Order of Myths (2008): Margaret Brown
5. Up the Yangtze (2007): Yung Chang

John Cassavetes Award
1. In Search of a Midnight Kiss (2007): Alex Holdridge, Seth Caplan, Scoot McNairy
2. Prince of Broadway (2008): Sean Baker, Darren Dean
3. The Signal (2007/I): David Bruckner, Dan Bush, Jacob Gentry, Alexander Motlagh
4. Take Out (2004): Sean Baker, Shih-Ching Tsou
5. Turn the River (2007): Chris Eigeman, Ami Armstrong

Truer Than Fiction Award
1. Anvil! The Story of Anvil (2008): Sacha Gervasi
2. Loot (2008): Darius Marder
3. The Order of Myths (2008): Margaret Brown

Someone to Watch Award
1. Barry Jenkins for Medicine for Melancholy (2008)
2. Nina Paley for Sita Sings the Blues (2008)
3. Lynn Shelton for My Effortless Brilliance (2008)

Producers Award
1. Lars Knudsen, Jay Van Hoy for Treeless Mountain (2008), I'll Come Running (2008)
2. Jason Orans for Goodbye Solo (2008), Year of the Fish (2007)
3. Heather Rae for Frozen River (2008), Ibid (2008)

2009 Screen Actor Guild Award [Theatrical Nominees] (Announced 1/25/09)

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
1. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
2. Doubt (2008)
3. Frost/Nixon (2008)
4. Milk (2008)
5. Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
1. Richard Jenkins for The Visitor (2007/I)
2. Frank Langella for Frost/Nixon (2008)
3. Sean Penn for Milk (2008)
4. Brad Pitt for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
5. Mickey Rourke for The Wrestler (2008)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
1. Anne Hathaway for Rachel Getting Married (2008)
2. Angelina Jolie for Changeling (2008)
3. Melissa Leo for Frozen River (2008)
4. Meryl Streep for Doubt (2008)
5. Kate Winslet for Revolutionary Road (2008)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
1. Josh Brolin for Milk (2008)
2. Robert Downey Jr. for Tropic Thunder (2008)
3. Philip Seymour Hoffman for Doubt (2008)
4. Heath Ledger for The Dark Knight (2008)
5. Dev Patel for Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
1. Amy Adams for Doubt (2008)
2. Penélope Cruz for Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)
3. Viola Davis for Doubt (2008)
4. Taraji P. Henson for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
5. Kate Winslet for The Reader (2008)

Award Movies to Watch

15/47

Ashes of Time Redux (DVD - 3/3/9)
Australia - (DR)
Ballast - (DVD - April 2009)
Bolt(R)
Burn After Reading
Cadillac Records(R)
Changeling (R)
Chop Shop (R)
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Defiance (T - 12/31)
Doubt
The Duchess
Frost/Nixon
Frozen River (DVD - 2/10/08)
Gran Torino (R)
Hamlet 2 (R)
Happy-Go-Lucky
The Hurt Locker (T - 2009)
In Bruges
I've Loved You So Long (T - Oriental 12/25)
Kung-Fu Panda (R)
Last Chance Harvey (T - 12/25)
Let the Right One In (DVD - 3/10)
Mamma Mia!
Medicine for Melancholy (T - 2009)
Milk (R)
Nothing But the Truth
Pineapple Express
Rachel Getting Married (DVD - March 2009)
The Reader (T - Downer 12/25)
Revolutionary Road (DR)
Sangre De Mi Sangre (DVD - 12/16)
Savage Grace (DVD - 12/23)
Seven Pounds
Slumdog Millionaire
Sugar - (T - April 3, 2009)
Synecdoche, New York (DVD - March 2009)
The Take (DVD - January 2009)
Towelhead (DVD - 12/30)
Tropic Thunder
Valkyrie
Vicky Christina Barcelona
The Visitor (DR)
The Wackness (DR)
Wall-E
Wendy and Lucy
The Wrestler (T - 1/16/9 Oriental)

Wisconsin Election Tracker

National Election Tracker

Funny Vote Obama Ad (Moveon.org)

Tai Mai Shu - Chinese Rap

This is great, I hadn't heard it in years.

Freestyle Rap Battle Translated

Check this out!!

Alabama Scrimmage Highlights 8-9-8

There's some pretty good stuff here. Some crips passes, good catches, decent running, and nice hits. I'm all jazzed up for the season to start, and its only three days away.

Reservation Road Ends in Ditch

Reservation Road

Reservation Road is the story of a man who’s son is killed by a driver while filling up the car with gas. The accident is a hit and run and the father spends the rest of the movie trying to track down who the person was who killed his son while nearly loosing his marriage and almost getting arrested.

He finally tracks down the man, who we have known throughout and by “coincidence” it happens to be his private detective that he has hired to track down the murderer. Eventually, the father discovers this fact and goes to the man’s house to kill him. However, after brining him to a nearby lake in his trunk, he is unable to kill the man who at this point is near the breaking point having filmed a good bye video to his son and almost having turned himself into the police a couple of times.

This movie is watchable enough, but never really gets me going. Joaquin Phoenix isn’t very good in the role and doesn’t seem to get into the role enough to make it believable. Jennifer Connelly is passable as his wife, but isn’t given enough to do here. Mark Ruffalo again isn’t great here, but his problems seem to be even more based in the script problems.

This movie has been made many times before and I was surprised that this cast wasn’t able to give a better go at it than they were. However, as stated earlier, the script didn’t help as the characters seemed to say one thing, but do another and the true feelings and emotions of the tragic event never seemed to set in and affect their actions.

I can’t really suggest anyone to see this film, but it wasn’t terrible, just underwhelming. I give Reservation Road a 6.

I Know the Score, EPL, Week 1

The following were my predictions as listed on www.iknowthescore.com.

Arsenal 2 – 0 West Brom
Bolton 1 – 0 Stoke City
Everton 1 – 1 Blackburn
Hull City 0 – 1 Fulham
Middlesbrough 1 – 2 Tottenham
West Ham 1 – 1 Wigan
Sunderland 1 – 2 Liverpool
Chelsea 3 – 1 Portsmouth (Insurance Chip lowest possible is 0)
Aston Villa 1 – 1 Manchester City (Banker’s Chip x3 points)
Manchester United 3 – 0 Newcastle

2008-2009 Barclay's Premiership Season Starts, Arsenal 1 - 0 West Brom after 4 minutes.

So, here we are, starting a new EPL season and after only 4 minutes, Arsenal are on the board.

Updates to come throughout the day.

Attack of the Sexual Tension

I've seen these two get a bit frisky on air before verbally, but this is the first time I've seen it get physical.

Free Bird Conclusions

I have come to the following conclusions on Free Bird today on my way to work.

1) It follows Baba O'Reilly rather well.

2) It should be played in the entryway to work every morning (guitar section at end) to pump up everyone and get them going.

3) It should be against the law to cut off the guitar section of the song at any point for any reason.

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince Trailer

This is looking pretty good so far. I like the tone and the style of what I'm seeing in the trailer. The fifth movie was the best with only the third being also decent. I'm hoping that they keep up the quality of the last film here and its looking like the will.

Movies in Local Theaters and New Movies

Movie’s in Theater:

1. IPIC
a. Pineapple Express *
b. Mamma Mia!
c. Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 *
d. The Dark Knight *
e. Mummy 3 *
f. * Star Wars: Clone Wars


2. Rosebud Theater
a. The Dark Knight
b. * Mamma Mia!


3. Times Cinema
a. Mummy 3
b. * The Dark Knight
c. ** Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life (8/16)


4. Fox Bay Cinema Grill
a. The Dark Knight
b. Mummy 3
c. Tropic Thunder
d. * Star Wars: Clone Wars


5. AMC
a. The Dark Knight *
b. Mamma Mia! *
c. Mummy 3 *
d. Pineapple Express *
e. Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 *
f. Swing Vote
g. Tropic Thunder *
h. * Henry Poole is Here
i. * Mirrors
j. * Star Wars: Clone Wars
k. * Vicky Christina Barcelona


6. Oriental Theater
a. American Teen *
b. The Dark Knight *
c. Mamma Mia!
d. * Bottle Shock


7. Downer Theater
a. * Vicky Christina Barcelona


8. Budget Silver Cinemas
a. Strangers


9. Oak Creek Value Cinema
a. Strangers *


10. North Shore Marcus Theater
a. The Dark Knight *
b. Mamma Mia! *
c. Mummy 3 *
d. Pineapple Express *
e. Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 *
f. Swing Vote
g. Tropic Thunder *
h. * Bottle Shock
i. * Mirrors
j. * Star Wars: Clone Wars
k. * Vicky Christina Barcelona


11. Northtown Marcus Theater
a. The Dark Knight *
b. Mamma Mia!
c. Mummy 3 *
d. Pineapple Express *
e. Tropic Thunder *
f. * Mirrors
g. * Star Wars: Clone Wars


12. South Shore Marcus Theater
a. The Dark Knight *
b. Mamma Mia! *
c. Mummy 3 *
d. Pineapple Express *
e. Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 *
f. Swing Vote
g. Tropic Thunder *
h. * Mirrors
i. * Star Wars: Clone Wars


13. Southgate Marcus Theater
a. The Dark Knight *
b. Mamma Mia! *
c. Mummy 3 *
d. Pineapple Express *
e. Tropic Thunder *
f. * Mirrors
g. * Star Wars: Clone Wars

EPL Week 1 and Week 2 Fixtures and TV Schedule

EPL – Week 1 Fixtures

Saturday:
Arsenal vs. West Brom (6:45) [Set]
Bolton vs. Stoke City (9:00)* [Set] {3:00r}
Everton vs. Blackburn (9:00) [FSC]
Hull City vs. Fulham (9:00)* [Set] {1:15r}
Middlesbrough vs. Tottenham (9:00) [Set]
West Ham vs. Wigan (9:00)* [FSC] {1:30r}
Sunderland vs. Liverpool (11:30) [FSC]

Sunday:
Chelsea vs. Portsmouth (7:30) [Set]
Aston Villa vs. Manchester City (9:00)* [FSC] {1:00r}
Manchester United vs. Newcastle (10) [FSC]


Spanish Super Copa:
Valencia vs. Real Madrid (3) [FSC]


EPL – Week 2 Fixtures

Saturday:
Blackburn vs. Hull City (9:00)
Liverpool vs. Middlesbrough (9:00) [Set]
Newcastle vs. Bolton (9:00)* [Set] {11:15 r}
Stoke City vs. Aston Villa (9:00)* [FSC] {1:30 r}
Tottenham vs. Sunderland (9:00) [FSC]
West Brom vs. Everton (9:00)* [Set] {3:00 r}
Fulham vs. Arsenal (11:30) [FSC]

Sunday:
Wigan vs. Chelsea (7:30) [Set]
Manchester City vs. West Ham (10:00) [FSC]


Spanish Super Copa:
Real Madrid vs. Valencia (3) [FSC]

US beats Japan 1-0 in first Olympic Group Stage Match

Check out some of the highlights from the first day of mens action.

Exclusive Summer Olympics news & widgets at NBC Olympics.com!

Notes from the Library #2: WWZ: Behind the War

World War Z by Max Brooks

So, here we are, we have learned how to prepare and what to do if a zombie attack occurs and now we are sent into the future where this has actually happened. We start off with some accounts of odd occurrences in Asia before things start to get out of hand and before we know it, zombies are in small segments throughout the world with Asia now dealing with a horde. Before long, this becomes the case over much of the planet as zombies get the upper-hand on many populations. Once this happens you get to find out how the leaders of the countries deal with this unthinkable occurrence.

In the beginning of the book, we find out that the author is an expert on WWZ who travelled around the world in the aftermath of the war gathering data and stories about the event. He compiled it all for a report to the government. However, after looking at the report, they told him to cut out all of the personal stories and just leave the numbers. He was irate as they wanted him to cut out the very humanity that separates us from the undead. However, it was quickly pointed out to him that the numbers were what was needed for the report and nothing was keeping him from publishing the stories on his own, so that’s what he did.

He continued travelling and bringing in more stories from around the world to add to his oral history of the zombie war. The book organizes these stories in somewhat chronological order from talking to a former doctor and a human smuggler in Asia to a submarine crew, an astronaut on the International Space Station, a young Palestinian boy who took refuge in Israel, and a soldier in the battle of Yonkers, NY among many others.

This is a great book and exactly what I was hoping for after reading the Zombie Survival Guide. The stories are great and help you to track what was going on in the war as occasionally the interviewee will talk about other areas of the world along with their own immediate situations when discussing what happened.

It is hard to go too in depth here as these are just pieces of the puzzle to give you a small insight into what happened in this fictional war. However, a couple dozen stories still stick out in my mind weeks after reading. This was a really good book that I would highly advise to anyone who enjoyed the Zombie Survival Guide and to anyone who enjoys watching or reading about zombies, the undead, or the supernatural.

Notes from the Library #1: So You Think You Can Survive a Zombie Attack?

The Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks

One day at work I was talking with a couple of friends about movies and then about zombie movies when one stated that she had her bag ready in case zombies did start walking the Earth. The other friend agreed and I was astounded by this declaration and wondered where they had come up with this idea from.

A short discussion followed with both citing The Zombie Survival Guide. This was one of a handful of books suggested by one of them over the past couple of months. About a month ago, I was wasting time before seeing a film and decided to stop by a local bookshop where I finally decided to break down and purchase it. I read the beginning over dinner before the movie and got hooked. A few days later I had read it through.

The Zombie Survival Guide assumes not only that zombies are real, but that they are very specific and not at all like the zombies in most movies. Not only are they real, but they have been documented in the past which has led to most of the information in this book.

According to the book the origins of zombies are unknown, but what is known is that they are formed when a human is bitten by a zombie or a zombie’s fluids are introduced into the human body in another way. Other animals are not immune to zombies, they just die before being turned and therefore avoid them like the plague they are.

Zombies come into being by the virus Solanum being introduced to the fluids of human from a zombie. Once introduced, the virus spreads through the system shutting most of them down. The brain mutates to a state that leaves the host thirsting for flesh (preferring human to any other) however, it needs nothing to survive. Even the flesh eaten is just stored in their body until it either dies or the intestines/stomach explodes since the body stops digesting its food.

Zombies have one goal and one goal only, to eat. Their mind reverts to a completely primitive state where only extremely limited thought remains. If shut in a room, the zombie will bang into the door, walls, and windows until either one breaks or the zombie dies. The door could be unlocked and the window merely shut or too high to allow the zombie to walk or fall out and it would still not be able to escape.

So, with such debilitating intelligence, how do they survive and feed? Well, they take advantage of their new abilities to move in darkness just as well as light, ignore pain, cause fear with their moan, and overrun with numbers that their moan draws.

So, how do humans survive such beasts? This depends on the person or group, but mainly by using their advanced thought process to take advantage of any circumstances that favor them and by preparedness to deal with the menace. This is what a majority of the book deals with.

The book breaks down a multitude ballistic weapons along with blunt and edged weapons, points out the advantages and weaknesses of each, and suggests the best weapons for a given situation.

It also deals with modes of transportation in the same manner. Although roads would be clogged and blocked in an outbreak of any size, it still shows which means of travel are the best and worst.

Another large section of the book deals with how to prepare including fitness, knowledge to obtain, your kit, and your initial and fallback positions. This goes into what sort of training would be beneficial to have before an outbreak occurs, how to be prepared before one occurs, and what to do in the early stages.

This was a fun book that takes the fantastical premise of this very specific idea of zombies actually existing. The author does as he must and never breaks you from the reality of zombie existing and constantly reinforcing that you must be prepared if you want to survive.

There is no real story to be found here as it is meant as a guidebook for the situation which leaves you wanting more information on the supposedly recorded outbreaks. You get a piece of this at the end of the book with supposedly factual accounts of zombie attacks from the past, but this is what you really want more of when the book is done. Luckily Mr. Brooks was aware of that and I will discuss his follow-up book in my second review.

Last Comic Standing Final Performance

Last Week on Last Comic Standing
1. Adam Hunter
2. Iliza Shlesinger
3. Louis Ramey
4. Jeff Dye
5. Ron G
6. Jim Tavare
7. Sean Cullen
Marcus (immunity)

In the Beginning

The show opens with a silly Last Comic Standing song by three men to get the crowd going. Towards the end of the song, all 8 performers from the last episode come out say who they are and why they will be the last comic standing.

After the silly song is complete, Billy Bellamy comes out and tells the crowd that all eight comedians will be performing tonight although only 5 have gotten the votes to actually be in the final (Marcus was automatically in, bringing the total to 6).

This is stupidity personified. One of the two comedians going home could come out with an amazing set and tear the place down, but since they really shouldn’t have been there to begin with, they won’t even be eligible.

The producers of this show are really starting to stretch my patience as the idea of the last show being voted on was stupid and this new wrinkle is ridiculous. If I hadn’t been watching from the beginning, I probably would have stopped now. They have constantly filled the space they were given of 1 ½ hours in the beginning and 2 hours in the semi-finals with crap and kept the actual performances to a minimum.

Marcus

So, after the break, they are quickly back with a short piece on Marcus. It goes through his growing up in Salt Lake City, UT and working for free at a radio station before getting talked into performing at a local comedy club where he started.

Marcus won the playboy bunny nursery rhyme to gain a free pass to the finals last week with a pretty funny coming attractions think that he did with voices, but that seemed a bit over the top as a prize when the news came out that they would all be performing to get in except for him. Either way, he is there and therefore can finish no worse than 6th.

He has proven so far to be really funny in short bursts, but hasn’t had to perform a set yet on the show. He would still have to be the odds on favorite to win, but can he put together the performance he needs to win.

Marcus’s performance is pretty good, but as I had doubts about, he was not nearly as good in a set as he is one a one or two joke basis. His part about not understanding music today was pretty funny and he seemed determined not to bust out the big impressions, which is odd. This may have been him trying to show he is funny without them, but I don’t know if it will pay off for him.

Ron G

Next up is Ron G of Columbus South Carolina. We quickly get into his video showing where he grew up in a very rural home and how he came from there to become a comedian.

Ron G has to be the biggest underdog at this point and for good reason. Out of the 12 that made it to the house in L.A. he ranked near the bottom, probably around 10 or 9, so he lucked out by not getting called in to perform in either of the two eliminations.

He has had a funny joke or two so far, but nothing at all to show that he has any shot of winning this. However, he has been cocky throughout, but timid when having to perform in the smaller challenges. His performance last week was probably just enough to get him through to the final 6, but if the caller’s backed one of the lesser performers that night, he may be performing dead in the water.

His first joke was funny, but went on far too long with a bit of a gap as if he got a little lost. After another couple of not so good jokes (one that seemed a bit of a rip from Bernie Mac), he completely flopped on the delivery of the next.

It didn’t get much better as his injury attorney joke flopped leading him to telling the crowd they were terrible before giving one of his nervous giggles. He then went on to follow up on it with a Mexican stereotype testimonial joke. This was actually a little funny, but made me think of the hick that didn’t make the semis and I thought would be physically assaulted when he made the Japanese fighter pilot reenactment joke.

His final joke had some possibility, but he then used it to bring together his act which completely didn’t work as the characters weren’t interesting enough the first time to warrant a second helping.

Surprisingly, the crowd seemed to give him a strong applause, but I don’t know if it is because of his somewhat charming personality or because they were drunk. Either way, it was not a strong showing for Ron G that should have him near the bottom, if he made it at all.

Now for another twist on the show. I expected all 8 performers to come out and do their acts, then have the unveiling of the two who missed out before having a round up reminder at the end. However, Bellamy about to state whether or not Ron G even made it to finals (where he just performed, again this is idiotic).

So, last week, the people voted… and… Ron G was eliminated from the competition. Wow… Wow, this was worth it for the look on his face. If you couldn’t tell, his undeserved bravado in the last few episodes of the show really rubbed me the wrong way, especially since he never showed he was very funny to begin with. Wow, I have that face on pause on my TV right now and I wish I had a way to do a screen cap of it. This is priceless.

Despite how much I enjoyed this reveal, it still think that it is a terrible ploy by the producers and hope they don’t pull this crap next year. Appropriately so, the fans boo to the new news and applaud him off the stage.

Next, he is given a quick on stage interview, which he handles pretty well. He thanks the appropriate people while trying to hold his emotions together. However, you can tell how much he was shocked and hurt by the revelation.

Jim Tavare

Jim Tavare is the next comic up and due to his placement in the lineup, I can’t imagine he would not have made the final 6. I thought that he had one of the bottom two performances last week, so I’m assuming that he was probably the one to get saved by the fans. I would have to imagine that the producers have the other eliminated finalist performing 7th or 8th to build up excitement.

So, on to his video about living on a boat on the River Thames in London. He has a wife and two kids and wanted to be a professional bassist before going into comedy.

He comes out in his tux, which doesn’t bode well for him in my opinion. So far, he has been his funniest with casual jokes. However, his first joke is a good one referring to himself as The Hills Have Eyes: The Musical. I always thought he looked familiar to the guy in that film. However, the follow-up fell flat.

The next couple of musical jokes didn’t land well either. However, the joke about “I Can’t Believe it’s not Crack Cocaine” was pretty good. The next joke tanked and he seems to be loosing his composure a bit. The one joke to the next stuff isn’t the best for a short period of time like this with nothing to tie them together.

He seems to be pulling it back together a little, but his comedy is so dry that it has to be amazing and his is just not. Now he mixes a little something dirty, “I had the distinction of entering the young musician of the year, and she was none to pleased about it.” That’s a goodie, but similar to other things he had already done.

Johann Strauss in puberty just fell flat, all pun intended. Next he starts talking about Jimmy Hendrix and goes on to do a tribute, which is actually “The Star Spangled Banner.” He just does some hand movements to “Jimmy-fie” it. That was just a waste of time. Wow, the last joke took forever and in no way was funny.

In my opinion, he just barely squeaked out above Ron G for second worst so far with Marcus’s performance leaps and bounds above their own. However, we now get the reveal as to whether or not he was really even here to begin with. And of course he was. However, he should end up near the bottom tonight.

Bill Bellamy?

Now, since the show still has way too much time than it knows what to do with, they have Bill Bellamy performing. Of course since this is the best gig he can get now and had to agree to host in order to perform, I can’t complain too much.

Now to critique Mr. MTV. He definitely has confidence and a good delivery, but his material was average at best. There were not really good jokes and even Jim Tavare had a couple of zingers that beat out anything Bill brought to the table. That sounded like something he had to throw together in five minutes before the show.

Now for an in show commercial. This is for the new show America’s Toughest Jobs brought to you by the guy who does Dangerous Catch and Ice Road Truckers on Discovery channel, this show will have 13 contestants competing at a new job each week including crabbing, logging, monster truck racing, wrestling bulls, and truck driving. I wanted to hate it, but it actually looks a bit compelling. I may have to give it a go.

Wait, I thought that it was the top 5 plus Marcus, but apparently it is the top 5 with Marcus already included. This changes everything as apparently 3 were voted out last week. This makes it even more surprising that Jim Tavare made it in and leaves 3 more people to advance and 2 more to go home before the final vote. The plot thickens.

Louis Ramey

His video shows him in New York City where his has been a comic for over 20 years. Apparently he always wanted to be a comic and currently scrambles between multiple performances a night.

Decent opening joke about Amish and cheese. His follow up with Amish gangs wasn’t bad either.

He then spent the rest of his act on his Homa, LA joke. It started ok and then got a little long in the middle with thunderous applause for non-funny buildup statements. However, the second half of the joke was great. The “red-necks” taking on a foreign naval army second was great. This is the best single joke so far of the night.

However, I didn’t expect his act to already be over. He had a great joke there at the end.
I had a difficult time deciding where he should be so far in my list knowing it would be just above or below Marcus. Marcus had more funny jokes, but none that were really funny and not a great amount more. Therefore, Louis has beaten out Marcus so far in my opinion for the top spot tonight. I thought that it would be tough for him to do, but he has good material and a calm confidence that has shown throughout.

Next is the reveal that he did make the final round, which I though he should have done as the third funniest last week. Man, we are now down to four performers, two of which didn’t really make it and two that did.

Adam Hunter

Adam Hunter should have made the final round as he had the funniest performance last week, but we will see in a few minutes if this will be the case. It would be odd if they had three finalists in a row, leaving only one of the remaining three as true final round members.

Adam is from New York where he was a four time state champion wrestler. He currently coaches a wrestling team between gigs.

The first three rabid fire jokes about the Olympic flame, his drug birth, and his kidnapping all fall flat. The next three about 50 Cent sneakers and the George Bush speak and spell are equally average but play well in Vegas.

Now on to the political jokes, which are more commentary than joke and gone through so quickly that they don’t have time to land if they were good. Now onto more bad jokes about cell phone car accidents and drug use. After a few more jokes, he finally breaks out his first good one of the night. “My girlfriend always tells me I’m too rough in bed… Well, bring backup.”

Then he throws another four or five jokes out that aren’t very good. Now he steals an old joke and follows it up with a bad one. After a handful of bad jokes, he ends up with a decent one about 40 year old women being like drill sergeants in the sack.

Overall, this is going to have to be the most disappointing of the night. After coming out with a really strong set last week, he seemed to bring the back up jokes tonight. He must have spit out 30 jokes over this short period and only two or three were decent.

However, even with just a couple of quality jokes, he still ends up better than Jim Tavare and Ron G.

WOAH, back up, hit rewind, America is officially retarded. There it is, I’ve said it. They have just voted out the best performer from last week. I was sitting here thinking it logical that the person in this slot would be eliminated, but had already turned my attention to the death match for the final slot out of the last three contestants. This really throws me for a loop. At this point, I have to say that Last Comic Standing is officially a likeability contest, not a comedy contest and I will remember it as such from here on out.

Adam’s face went back and forth from hopeful to nervous and when she said he didn’t make it, there was mass confusion on his face, and for good reason. The audience gave huge boos to his exodus and I think it is one more poke at the dead animal that was Last Comic Standing this season.

Jeff Dye

Next up is Jeff Dye from Seattle, WA. He was goofy his whole life (I can believe it.) and after graduating college decided to do what he always wanted to do, standup comedy. They showed him performing at Comedy Underground, which oddly enough I had been to before to see someone who ended up being terrible.

The first joke was decent, but then wasted time introducing his parents. This idea ends up paying off, though, as he spends the next handful of jokes joking on them which really paid off. With them being in the crowd, they were better than they normally would have been.

His joke about Guess Who was decent. It had a really strong premise, but it went on way too long and lost track a few times.

He took the same chance that that Louis Ramey did by doing a little string of jokes before hitting a large topic joke. Unfortunately for him it didn’t come off the best in the world. It was still funny, though, and the stuff about his parents was good, it was a strong move on his part.

At this point, they are about to tell him whether or not he made it and it is almost impossible that he did not. I’m going 99.0% that he made the final round. Then it will be between Sean Cullen and Iliza Shlesinger as the last two which I would have to image she will be the won going to the finals from.

OK, before moving forward, I have to point out that Bill Bellamy gave a, ”Settle down ladies,” to the crowd, which I thought he was just joking about. Then they panned to these three super sexy girls two of which were staring at Jeff and the other one seemed to be dreamily hypnotized by him. Wow, he must have superpowers or something because I don’t see it.

Bellamy declares that he did in fact make the final round. He gets a hug from the co-host and looks like he is about to lay one on her as they talk.

Sean Cullen

Sean Cullen is from Toronto where he goes through a fantasy montage of everyone there knowing and loving him. They then show him with his wife and baby.

He starts off with some pretty bad jokes that seem to be getting worse. The good thing for him is that he isn’t singing. The bad thing is that he does an even more absurdist Will Farrell style of comedy and is not even Will Farrell.

Now he has resorted to a bad Sean Connery impersonation where he starts adding his own bad lines. Then, his no Australian bond villain joke starts out promising only to decline as oddly enough so does the accent.

His jokes continue to fail and then he just has to add something about a farm into the Neil Young James Bond lyrics he comes up with. For more on this, see the previous episode. He then moves on to R.E.M lyrics which don’t play well for me either. Then, before the Bob Dylan lyrics, he has a slight pause and waiver to his voice where I believe that he just realized that his set is almost up and he’s about to be booted from the show from last week. There is no way that he can think that he was better than her last week or that the fans thought he was, so he has to know what’s about to happen.

It ended up that the Dylan lyrics were the last of his performance, so after the break we will find out if he made it or not, but we already really know that he did not for many reasons, some of which that he was not funnier, nor more popular than Iliza and with the way they laid out the show, there is no way the send out a comedian last who knows that they did not really even make it there.

As they continue to mangle their own show, the producers of Last Comic Standing have decided that even though everyone else was told whether or not they made it immediately after they performed, the final two would have two wait until they both performed. This is smart for TV after putting themselves in such an idiotic position. Why not take out the opening act and or the bad Bill Bellamy act and move the reveal of who really made it to the beginning or since you have so much time to fill the end, just before showing who the fans can actually vote for, this is ridiculous, I almost want to stop watching.

Iliza Shlesinger

Iliza, from suburban Texas was pretty average in most things and therefore eventually decided to become a comedian. Her father was a jokester and loved when his daughter decided to go into comedy.

She starts off by firing up the crowd then immediately goes from The Olympics to drinking games. Not bad jokes, but she seems a bit tired.

Another decent jokes, led to a bad faxing joke that silenced the audience for a second until they realized what she was going for.

She came back quickly though with good office jokes. The ones about the “pulling guard” manager, negative space, and wind chimes definitely worked.

So, she is done and this is going to be a tough one. There are only three comics that deserve to really be in the running at this point: Marcus, Louis Ramey, and Eliza. My decision is going to be difficult between the three. They were all funny with a couple of really funny jokes and a mostly funny act. Nobody really tore the house down tonight, but these three were head and shoulders above the rest with Jeff Dye and Adam Hunter decent around the middle and Jim Tavare, Ron S, and Sean Cullen rounding out the bottom.

So, now we find out that Sean was eliminated and Iliza made it through, theoretically. Well after an overly wordy build up and what was supposed to be a tension building pause of about 30 seconds before saying the actual name of the person to advance in order to get “emotional face” from the two, Iliza did make it through.

Now for a montage of the final 5 from tonight. It makes my decision on the rankings a little bit easier. So, now to remind people not to be stupid and call the correct numbers and a reminder that the final show will be next week.

My Rankings of the 8 Performers:

This is how I feel the comedians were tonight, this is not taking in if they should have been performing or how they were in the other rounds.

1. Iliza Shlesinger
2. Louis Ramey
3. Marcus
4. Jeff Dye
5. Adam Hunter (didn’t make the final round)
6. Jim Tavare
7. Ron G (didn’t make final round)
8. Sean Cullen (didn’t make the final round)

My Rankings of the 5 True Finalists:

This is how I though the five actually final round comedians stacked up.

1. Iliza Shlesinger
2. Louis Ramey
3. Marcus
4. Jeff Dye
5. Jim Tavare

My Rankings of the 12 Finalists Overall

Factoring in everything on the show, all the performances, challenges, and just them being funny together, this is what I thought of them.

1. Iliza Shlesinger
2. Marcus
3. Louis Ramey
4. Adam Hunter
5. Jeff Dye
6. Jim Tavare
7. God’s Pottery
8. Sean Cullen
9. Ron G
10. Paul Foot
11. Papa CJ
12. Esther Ku

Approximate Finish and Predicted Finish

This is how I believe they finished. Most went out with at least one other comedian, so I made some judgment calls and the final 5 are predictions.

1. Iliza Shlesinger
2. Marcus
3. Louis Ramey
4. Jeff Dye
5. Jim Tavare
6. Adam Hunter
7. Sean Cullen
8. Ron G
9. Paul Foot
10. Papa CJ
11. Gods Pottery
12. Esther Ku

Final Thoughts

My overall impressions from this show were that they keep stretching it and making odd choices in order to do so. Bill Bellamy would have finished 5th out of the 9 performers in my opinion if he had been in the competition tonight. It was overall a poor night of comedy from what I had expected. It was Marcus’s show to loose, he seems to be overall the best comedian there, but he didn’t have a great night the only time he needed to which opened up the door for the two other good performers.

Barry saga continues Liverpol roster shakeups

After Martin O'Neil's statement today that the Garreth Barry trade to Liverpool was back on and it was now only up to Liverpool meeting their valuation of Barry before the actual trade deadline closes at the end of the month for it to go through.

I think this forces Liverpool to go on the offensive, sell some players and bring him in before the end of the week in order for him to be ready by the end on preseason. I think something will actually happen pretty quickly, by Wednesday at the latest so they can get him a couple of friendlies before the season starts.

In my opinion, the only question is who will go. Will Liverpool work to move Xabi Alonso to get most of the money they need in one swoop or will they peice it together with sales of players such as Pennant, Voronin, and Finnan along with another player or two we haven't heard talks about yet. Or, could we get rid of multiple players such as Alonso, Voronin, and Pennant.

I think that it is time to get rid of Pennant(who can't cross the ball or steadily make it through an entire game) and Voronin(who was given many chances at the beginning of the season last year and could never show the quality that brought him to Liverpool). Sales of Alonso and Finnan could help to solidify what the teams will look like at the beginning of the year, but at this point it is all up in the air.

Until the sale goes through and we find out who will be leaving it is hard to figure out how the team will shake out, but I will to my best with what I have.

GOALKEEPER:

1. Reina
2. Cavalieri

This is by far the easiest position to figure out. Reina will start most EPL games and important Champion's League games while Cavalieri will get most of his appearances in the FA Cup and Carling Cup along with throw away EPL and CL games.

CENTERBACKS:
1. Carragher
2. Skyrtle
3. Agger
4. Hyypia

Carragher is a lock in the middle as one of the most talented fullbacks in the game. 2nd and 3rd could vary during the year, but Skyrtle has looked so well there that it will be difficult for Agger to reclaim his position in the middle. This could lead to Agger getting some time at right back this season if needed. Hyypia will play in similar situations to Cavalieri and when the other centerbacks need a break. He should get far less playing time this season if injuries stay away.

RIGHTBACK:
1. Arbeloa
2. Finnan
3. Degen
4. Agger

This position seems to be Arbeloa's to lock down even though I think that Rafa highly overrates him and I was hoping that he would be leaving before Rafa put his foot down about not letting him leave. Finnan was really good a few years ago, but after being out most of last season, can he come back to full force to challenge for the position and will he even be at the squad when the season starts. Degen is out for the beginning of the season and may even have to have surgery on his groin again after missing most of last season with an injury. Depending on whether or not we end up getting rid of Finnan or a slight chance we lose Arbeloa, we could see Agger or Carragher coming over for coverage on the right. If we can't get much for Finnan, I say let him stay, we need the coverage and I never want to see Carragher out there again.

LEFTBACK:
1. Aurelio
2. Dossena
3. Insua

This is a position where we will probably see allot of rotating as we did last season. However, if we get rid of Finnan, we could see if any of these players have the ability to play the right as well. Aurelio would have to be the favorite to win the starting position after a couple of decent stretches out there last season. However, Dossena has impressed in the preseason and could see quality time there as well. If one make the move to the right or gets injured, don't be surprised to see more of Insua over there this season. He is a strong player looking for a chance for time.

DEFENSIVE / CENTRAL MIDFIELD:
1. Mascherano
2. Barry
3. Alonso
4. Lucas
5. Plessis

Mascherano is automatic at DMF in a game of any importance. You can't figure we're going to shell out the money for Barry not to play him so, if he comes we will probably see him playing allot in central midfield or maybe even on the right. Alonso will probably go if they really want Barry to come in. They serve most of the same purpose and would really clog up the team sheet. If they are both here at the start of the season, expect an insane amount of rotation this season and a different formation look each game. If Alonso stays and Barry comes he will probably see allot less playing time this season. This would also be terrible for Lusas who managed to get some decent playing time at the end of last season. If only one stays, he could see some more time this year, but if they both are there, he will see very little time this season. Plessis is on the same wait and see. He will probably get some of the Cavalieri games, but if Alonso and Barry are in the squad even this will be difficult to find.

ATTACKING MIDFIELD
1. Gerrard
2. Barry
3. Keane
4. Lucas

This is Gerrard's position. Barry could play here when Gerrard takes a break as could Keane with his versatility. This is the position that Lucas will probably take over in the Cavalieri games.

RIGHT MIDFIELD
1. Kuyt
2. Barry
3. Pennant
4. Benayoun
5. Keane

This was Kuyt's position last year, but a Barry pickup or combination with Alonso staying could prove devastating for Kuyt. If Rafa decides to keep Alonso and bring in Barry look for a possible surprising Kuyt move unless Rafa decides to switch things this year and go without a real LMF that he always used last season. I think Pennant is all but gone and none to soon, he would get almost no time again this season. Benayoun will be the logical second choice to Kuyt in this situation unless Barry is used there instead. Keane is a final option as he looks to possibly be moved around allot this season as I would be surprised if we mainly play 4-4-2.

LEFT MIDFIELD
1. Babel
2. Benayoun

I could seriously see us switching up this year to drop the LMF at least as much if not more than the RMF after Kuyt provided so much last season and Babel not nearly as much. We could see more of Benayoun over hear as well with his strong preseason. Personally, I would like to see them start Benayoun and bring in Babel for pace in the second half.

STRIKERS:
1. Torres
2. Keane
3. Ngog
4. Kuyt
5. Nemeth
6. Voronin
7. Babel

This has to be our deepest position. We have a solid midfield as well, but we have so many strikers that two played the wings last year because we had nowhere for them to go. This year we will see more 2 striker formations with Torres and Keane both top quality players, although Keane will probably get his fair share of Midfield work as well, possibly in the Kuyt role from last season. Depending on the popular formations, you could see Kuyt or Babel move back to more striker like positions, but if Ngog continue to prove his value they will have a hard time surpassing him for the #3 striking position. After being so bereft of LMF and RMF talent for the past few seasons, we could actually be looking to offload it with Pennant and Benayoun strong possibilities and Kuyt and Babel could be surprise sales to raise funds for Barry if needed.

Strongest Lineup:
GK - Reina
LCB - Carragher
RCB - Skyrtle
RB - Finnan
LB - Dossena
DMF - Mascherano
CMF - Alonso/Barry
AMF - Gerrard
LFM - Benayoun
SS - Keane
S - Torres

Probable Starting Lineup:
GK - Reina
LCB - Carragher
RCB - Skyrtle
RB - Arbeloa
LB - Aurelio
DMF - Masherano
CMF - Barry/Alonso
AMF - Gerrard
LMF - Babel
SS - Keane
S - Torres

Either way, we seem to have increased our depth at most positions and turn over some dead weight in the off season. We alos have some truely talented youngsters that could make a play for time this season and others that can't even hope for that with the depth of the team at this point. I think that to bring in Barry and keep Alonso is a bad move and if so, I think he will still be gone by next window to gain money for another back if we have injuries or at the end of the season at the latest to fund next year's incoming crop of players. I do believe that we need to get ride of 2-5 players still depending on whether or not we bring in Barry or any other signings before the window. At least Pennant and Voronin need to go and probably another midfielder or two or three as well.

I'll post again on this situation next week when we know more about what the roster will look like this season. Liverpool has two Friendlies remaining on Tuesday and Friday before full play starts on the 12th or 13th against Standard Leige in 3rd Round Champions League Qualifying followed by their EPL premier against Sunderland on that weekend.

Liverpool dominates Rangers 4 - 0

So, this morning (9 a.m. CST)I woke up to one of the final preseason matches for Liverpool FC. With only a few remaining matches before their 3rd Round Champion's League Qualifier vs. Standard Leige of Belgium and the start of the Premier season, they are now starting to up the tempo and work out their team for the start of full matches.

Liverpool started a mostly starting side with Carragher, Skyrtle, Arbeloa, Dossena, Gerrard, Kuyt, Keanne, and Torres along with playmaker Benayoun who could see more time this season, Plessis who got a few late games last year and will probably get a bit more of a look this year, and Cavaleiri in goal who will proabably get mostly Carling Cup and FA Cup appearances.

The side started well hooking up time and again in the midfield with some nice one and two touch passes. Torres opened up the scoring in the 23rd minute after Plessis blasted a shot on goal that was deflected into the path of Torres who as able to just put the ball in before the keeper could get over.

Liverpool continued to dominate the play for the rest of the half, but seemed to just be a step away from ripping the game open. There were multiple quality passes that once the player become accustomed to each other would easily be goals.

The second half eventually saw an almost entirely new team as Liverpool made 10 substitutions bringing in Ngog, Agger, Hyypia, Alonso, Darby, Insua, Spearing, Nemeth, Reina, and Pennant.

Ngog opened his account at Liverpool in the 56th by creating just a bit of space on the left and driving a shot from an awkward angle just inside the post. It was a great peice of singular work which along with the rest of his performance today showed that he will probably be the number 3 striker ahead of Voronin.

As soon as Nemeth came in, he blasted a shot on goal that was just parried by the keeper in a similar action to the first goal, which led to an easy tap in for Benayoun to put the game out of reach at 3-0 in the 58th minute.

Alonso finished up the scoring in the 70th minute putting in a Penalty Kick awarded when Alonso found Nemeth in the box and he was promptly taken down for the obvious penalty. The keeper went the correct way, but Alonso's shot was perfect for the final score of 4-0.

Player Breakdown

GOALKEEPER:

Cavaliere - He looked decent in goal, making all the needed saves and although looking a bit shaky a couple of times, aways looked composed, he could be a good one for the future.

Reina - Barely had to move in his time in the game.

DEFENSE:

Carragher - Didn't have a whole lot to do, but did seem to hold down the defense from the back.

Skyrtle - Continues to impress. I assume he will be beside Carragher in the big games until further notice.

Arbeloa - Didn't seem to do very much, but didn't get beat either.

Dossena - Did well advancing upfield and overlapping to attack and made a couple of plays. He seemed confident on defense despite not really being worked and did well getting back to cover for his keeper when Cavaliere got caught out, sweeping a leg across the line on the slide to stop a point blank shot from going in.

Agger - Not much seen

Hyypia - Not much seen

Insua - Not much seen, but did well a couple of times overlapping.

Darby - Not much seen

MIDFIELD:

Kuyt - Didn't do much on attack, but kept up the pressure that that made him such an assett last season. He pushed Rangers when they were trying to clearn and even rotated into fullback, when Dossena was caught out on a turnover and Carragher went out wide to cover. He also had a touch inside the box that should have setup a goal, but nobody expected him to get to it, so the box was empty.

Gerrard - Did decent in the center of the field moving the ball around, but seemed to be playing at 3/4 speed and not really pressing too hard.

Plessis - Still a bit hesitant on his touch in the midfield, but seems to work well distributing the ball from side to side as a true central midfielder. His shot on goal that setup the Torres goal was very nice.

Benayoun - I still can't see how this guy dosen't break into the starting line up more often. I really think we should be running him for about 65 minutes and then bring in Babel for the final 25. He had some great moves and beat more defenders by himself than the rest of the team did combined on the game. He also came up timely with his put back of the Nemeth shot to continue to lead the team in goals tis preseason with 3 while no other player has more than 1.

Spearing - not much seen

Pennant - The worst player on the field for Liverpool today. Didn't seem to be working hard and had bad touches and crosses.

Alonso - Looked to be getting back to what he did well a couple of years ago. He had a great game with solid passes and held the young second team together.

STRIKER:

Torres - Like Gerrard seemed to be playing at 3/4 speed, but this seems normal for him as he seems to only kick in the next gear when he has to. However, he did beat a couple defenders for balls using his speed and strength and was in the right place to get his first preseason goal. More and more he is staring to remind me of a young Spanish Ruud van Nistelroy.

Keane - Linked up well with Torres and Gerrard which was nice to see and seemed to be constantly near the ball. He didn't really have any good chances, but showed good promise for this setup.

Ngog - Looked really good. He seemed much more poised on the ball than I expected and I still don't know how he worked the angle he did on his goal. He could get some time as a later sub for Torres this season.

Nemeth - For a string of about 15 minutes, he seemed to be the only person on the field as he put in strong shots and got on the end of passes from Alonso. I would not be surprised to see him with Ngog in our FA Cup and Carling Cup matches and actually have a chance of advancing through them this season.

Bogus Commercials #1: Wow... what a Sham

This has to be the worst commercial currently running. To start off, the guy pushing it acts like a bastard and tries to put on no front that he is not.

Next is the obvious lie in one of the tests. He pour about a can of coke onto a peice of carpet and you can see it pool underneath. He then uses it to soak it up and shows an almost dry area underneather. However, it is obvious that there is a cut here and most of the cola is already gone as there is no longer a pool of liquid around the carpet as there was before. So, we have blatant lying or misleading, but I think it is a straight lie.

We then have the "testimonials" where "normal" people talk about how good they are after buying them at an outdoor market. However, these "normal" people give comments that are way too close to tags for the product for them to be real in the slightest.

Back to the first point, every time I see this commercial, I get the strong urge to punch this guy in the face. He's like a modern day snake oil salesman.



However, I'm willing to at least be open to the fact that the product could work, so I looked up a review on YouTube. In this video, we find out that one of the mini towels, which is still about 2 feet by 2 feet is not able to come close to retaining half a bottle of water or 1/4 liter as there is still a large amount of water remainig. They also claim in the commercial that it doesn't drip, but this one did massively. Maybe it doesn't drip until a certain point, but that's the same with most rags. As an odd side effect, the smaller blue towel also managed to turn the water yellow. Who knows if this will leave a stain on the surface or not.

So, next he empties an entire 1/2 liter bottle of water into a bowl and tests the larger version of the Shamwow to see if it can soak up the entire amount. The large towel is able to do this easily.

So, the final test is pouring a little water out onto his actual carpet. He lays the towel on the carpet and it gets a good bit of the water. He then pats it down and gets a little more. He can't tell if any remains underneath, but the carpet is still moist. So, this one is inconclusive as it did soak up water, but left the carpet damp with unknown ammounts below the surface.

He also stated that despite what the commercial states, you cannot use detergent or dry clean it, so you have to let it air dry.

Overall, this just appears to be a somewhat above average towel with some benifits and some drawbacks. For the 19.99 price, its still not a large amount, but its not the miracle sponge/towel it claims to be.

Quality Commercials #6: Where in the world is Jennifer Love Hewitt?

I was shocked when I saw this commercial for the first time. I had seen the Jessica Simpson version where she had her cute little line, but it was nothing compared to this. Jennifer Love Hewitt takes up about half of the commercial and for good reason, she is gorgeous.

The first thing that came to mind was, "Wow, she is amazingly beautiful." The second thing was, "Wait, where has she been?"

There is nothing special about the commercial itself except for her and that the product, if it works is awesome and would have been quite handy in high school.

Now, back to JLH. I looked up her IMDB page to see what she has been up to and was shcocked to see that The Ghost Whisperer shows 2005-2008. I thought that it had been canceled years ago.

She has made the occassional small film that she has done well in, usually very charming, but due to her TV show, she hasn't done much.

Here's hoping that the show is either now over or will be soon so we can see her in more movies.

Quality Commercials #5: I Like My Sasquatch Shaken, not Stirred

In this commercial, a pair of golfers see sasquatch emerge from a heavily treed area. One looks at the other and then grabs a beer from the cooler. He shakes it up and asks sasquatch if he would like a “cold one”. Sasquatch is game and takes the beer, taps it, and opens it only to be sprayed thoroughly in the face. The men think that they are comic gods and giggle hysterically as they race back to their golf cart and take off. However, their glee is short lived as sasquatch steps up and knocks over their cart while they are still inside it.

Quality Commercials #4: Sasquatch Magician

I love these commercials, there have already been a handful of really funny ones and we get a couple more. In this commercial, a few kids are hanging out at a river/lake when they see the sasquatch kneel down by the water for a drink. One of the idiotic males decides to have a little fun with him, twists up his towel, and pops sasquatch in the rear. This has no effect on him, but piss him off, so he approaches the laughing kid, grabs him and tosses him out of his trunks halfway across the water.

Quality Commercials #3: Speed Up Foo’

We see a speed walker strutting his speed walk down the sidewalk in a suburban neighborhood when all of a sudden a military type jeep crashes through a wall across the street. It quickly makes its way through the yard, down the street, and catches up to the walker. Next, we see Mr. T on the back of the jeep berating the walker and then he starts cranking the gun in front of him. The gun begins shooting out Snickers at the walker who quickly speeds up to jogging and eventually to running.

Quality Commercials #2: Mr. T is for Tank

I have to say that I’m enjoying the new Snickers commercials so far with Mr. T. In this one, two teams of young players and playing soccer, when one bumps into another and the player falls to the ground. So, the next thing we know a tank is running over parked cars along a street and then busts through the walls and gate surrounding the soccer pitch. As is approaches the prone player, he stands up. The barrel comes right up to his face before who but Mr. T should come out of the hatch. He berates the player for faking and then hits him in the head with a Snickers bar.

LFCNY's MP Red Podcast

LFCNY is the Liverpool Football Club New York. They seem to be the biggest and best coordinated Liverpool Supporters Club in the United States. They are also, as far as I can tell, the only US Liverpool supporters club with its own podcast.

This podcast is of a much better quality that originally expected. The show is run by a number of fans and supporters who work to run the numerous segments of the show. The show runs weekly/bi-weekly during the season and closer to monthly in the off season. It includes sections on the games between podcasts, discussions of Liverpool and EPL topics, along with a variety of other area which all combine to make quite a good podcast. However, the segment that sets it apart from other podcasts is a section that they do each show where a long time Liverpool fan will recount one of his many experiences at a match, mostly away matches where he will describe the emotions involved and the often danger involved at the time in doing this.

I would say that this is a must have in your iTunes queue as a Liverpool fan and even many non-Liverpool fans that are just really into the game would enjoy some of the segments every week.

Off the Ball Podcast

Off the Ball Podcast is an approximately 20 minute podcast every weekday with two radio personalities from Ireland. The guy in the studio has a quick wit and speech, while the other guy who occasionally reports from outside the studio (I believe his name is Ken Early) has a slower speech pattern, but just as quick a wit and allot of soccer knowledge.

These two play off of each other extremely well to give some good laughs every episode along with the news of the day. What you get on the podcast is only a potion of the radio show cut out for iTunes.

Hopefully they will get the entire show on podcast soon as I believe this to be one of the more interesting and entertaining soccer shows out there.

World Soccer Daily Podcast

This is a podcast that has had some good times and some bad times, but in the end holds a special place in my heart.

In the summer of 2006, my interest in soccer was grabbed for the third time in my life.

The first came in the World Cup of 1998 when I was really introduced to soccer for the first time outside of kicking the ball around with friends and their playing in local youth leagues. That summer I went over to my brother’s friends house a decent bit and they always seemed to have on the games. I would take a peak now and again and even though I would watch 30-minute stretches, I never really got very excited about it.

Then, 4 years later, I was working for a video store and it happened to be a time when we were doing allot of inventories at the store. It worked out for me that that manager of the store was a former high school soccer player who loved the game and would play the matches on the TV while we worked well into the morning. Not only this, but due to the time difference, I was able to go home and watch the next match before going to sleep well into the morning.

The game had grabbed me enough at this point to give me a passing interest. I still didn’t really know anyone’s names or most of the rules, but I did buy the FIFA World Cup game for XBOX and played it for a few months. However, the World Cup was quickly over and I moved on to other things.

Everything changed in 2006. As the World Cup got closer, I saw more and more information about it. I noticed that our cable provider now had Fox Soccer Channel and casually watched a few matches that were shown. I started getting interested and looked for a podcast that would give me some good information on the game, and have fun listening to. There were a handful of podcasts that I got into at that time including The Beautiful Game, a few others, and the only one that I still listen to today from this list, World Soccer Daily.

At this point, the show consisted of Steven Cohen and Nick Geeber. Steven was the crazy guy that talked fast, was very opinionated, and I quickly found out, a Chelsea fan. The other, Nick, was funny, a little more laid back usually, but would rise to Steven often enough, and was a Liverpool fan.

I quickly downloaded their last few months of podcasts and started listening to a few a day as I used them, somewhat, as my introduction to the game. At the same time, I supplemented the podcasts with rules and information that I learned and researched online, mostly on Wikipedia and a few other sites.

So, by the time the group stages were over, I had a good idea as to how the game was played, some of the major players, and some of the strengths and weaknesses of the major teams involved.

I obviously was cheering on the USA, but knew better from my new learning to expect them to go very far, despite what I was being told by the pundits here at home. I also began following England where I quickly was able to pick up on who the player were, what club teams they played for and some of their attributes.

So, I watched all but maybe a game or two of the World Cup while following the commentary on the World Soccer Daily podcast. During this time, though, I wasn’t just getting information on the tournament, but also on the world of club football as well. They were definitely biased towards the English Premier League, but also seemed to give decent time to the Spanish Primera Division and the Italian Serie A along with smaller amounts of time to the German Bundasliga and the French League 1.

As the World Cup began to wind down, I realized that this tournament was not enough this time to quench my thirst for “The Beautiful Game.” Therefore, I found out that only a couple of months later the club leagues would start up and I began doing a bit of research as to what league I would watch and a team that I might want to follow. World Soccer Daily was integral in this process as during this time many new viewers of the sport were calling in with similar questions that I had myself.

I quickly decided on following the English Premier League mostly as I found out that Fox Soccer Channel played a few of their games every week. So, next was to see if there was any team that stood out. I had really enjoyed watching Peter Crouch in the Olympics and watching how different he was than most of the other players. I also liked the little I had seen of Steven Gerrard and that which I read about his history.

I then began doing research on the teams, how they were doing in recent history and their more distant history. After looking into the top-flight clubs, I began to quickly be drawn to one team, Liverpool. It helped that Nick was a fan and Steven hated them, so I was never left without information, praise, and criticism of the team. They also had a few of the players from the England World Cup team and had a history similar to my college football team Alabama with one of the riches histories in the sport, but with more recent difficult times and signs of a resurgence to come.

This podcast helped me then to get more and more information, not only on my new team, but also on the other 19 teams in the league. It also helped me to get an idea of what the Carling Cup, FA Cup, UEFA Cup, and Champion’s League were and how they worked.

I have listed to the show ever since with a drop for a couple of months here and there and through a few host change ups. However, it seems that now the show is stronger and more popular than ever with Nick gone who was the one who tended to change the subject off topic more and was more lewd to current host Kenny who seems at time to be a bit of Steven’s puppet, but more and more has created a personality of his own and is more likely to give what seem to be his own thoughts on many things.

The biggest positive change, though, was when they started bringing in outside people to interview and answer some phone in questions. This, I believe, seemed to start with fan favorite Georgie Bingham, but has now grown to quite a number of players, managers, journalists, commentators, officials, and pretty much people from every aspect of the game.

It is enjoyable enough today that I can listen to a show no matter what time of year and no matter how much or little is going on in the game.

If you are a fan of soccer or as referred to pretty much everywhere else, football, give this one a go. Also, if you are interested and want more information on the game, this is a great companion on your journey.

Film Spotting Podcast

Film Spotting is a podcast that I came across a few months ago. I had long since gotten ride of the few movie podcasts that I had listened to on a regular basis, and I decided to give a look around to see if there were any decent ones out there that I could sign up for.

Before long I can across this one. It is run by two former actors that now teach acting for colleges, see most new movies, and have vast knowledge on movies in general. They are a good pair to do this, as one is more of a classic critic and the other more modern to give two completely different views on many films.

This is a weekly show that incorporates spoiler free reviews of new movies, reviews of other movies in theaters and occasionally DVDs, top five lists, questions for top fives for listeners, Mattie’s Movie Minute, and Massacre Theater where they act out a famous scene with listeners e-mailing their guesses.

This is a podcast that I now look forward to seeing in my iPod queue every week at the end of the week and I have grown to enjoy it more and more as I have listened. To add to this, they occasionally have an extra show to go along with their 1 hour to 1 hour and 20 minute weekly show that goes about 40 minutes where they try to catch up on topics and review a movie at the behest of one of their winners.

If you enjoy movies, like to hear discussion on them, or like to listen to podcasts about movies, this is definitely for you. It is out of Chicago, IL and they are currently trying to set up a meeting of many of their local fans. Give it a shot, its well worth it.