Movie Quick Hits

Movies

I’ve been working on making a dent on the list of movies I’ve wanted to see. I’m really far behind because I’ve been watching mostly TV shows. I should mix up my content more, I think it’ll give me more variety.

The Fall Guy

This movie had a ton of marketing leading up to its release as well as great reviews, and it ended up not helping at the box office. It was gone in the blink of an eye. I hope the home release has led to it finding it’s legs because this is a really fun movie. I can’t remember the last movie that I watched that was so earnestly refreshing, creative, and goofy in the best ways.

Ryan Gosling plays Colt Seavers, a stuntman whose life is firing on all cylinders until a bad on sight accident. A year and a half later he gets a second chance when he’s asked to work on his ex-girlfriend’s debut movie. When the star of the movie (who he used to double for) goes missing, Colt is tasked to find him and he’s pulled into a dramatic conspiracy.

Ryan Gosling is awesome in basically everything he signs up for, so his work here is not surprising. Charming, witty, expressive, and not afraid to take risks, he’s the perfect fit for Colt. The love story with Emily Blunt’s Jody is the shiny wrapping paper that holds the gift of an awesome action movie. It’s just one wild stunt after another, each one trying to out do the other. It gets so crazy that a huge fall out of a helicopter is nonchalantly played out in the background of a wide-angle shot.

The entire production is terrific which is also not a surprise because this is a David Leitch picture, the man whose name is attached to the John Wick series, Dead Pool, Atomic Blonde, and one of my other recent favorites, Bullet Train.

It doesn’t just work as an action movie. It’s funny, doesn’t take itself too seriously, and is rather adorable. Highly recommended.

Smile 2

I thought Smile (2022) was a brilliant movie when I saw it. Great horror concept that was executed really well. Striking visuals that were inventive and new paired with direction that envelopes the main character along with the audience in gruesome paranoia. The kind of body horror that would make David Cronenberg proud. Smile 2 continues to run with that baton.

Props to writer/director Parker Finn for figuring out a good way to pick up where the first movie left off and a great character to pick up the terror bug. The films are very similar but choosing a pop star as the protagonist makes this movie chart a different route to a smart ending that can set up a gnarly cap to a trilogy.

Skye Riley is days away from going on a world tour. After making some poor decisions, it’s amazing that she’s been able to pull herself together. But it’s that grief and guilt streaked past that the Smile demon latches onto when she makes the ill-fated decision to go see someone she really shouldn’t have.

I really liked how this story escalated in every way. The opening is gripping which rolls right into Skye’s introduction as a character. The stakes are clearly made, and her background is carefully spread throughout the run of the movie. There are just enough questions and answers while the paranoia naturally ramps up. Having a character that would be worried about public places, appearances, pressure to perform, and stalkers fits the psyche of this franchise really well. The gore is managed well, just like he original. There’s some really wild stuff in the third act. I also appreciate that the scariest and most unsettling part had nothing to do with the demon, but Skye’s past.

I think Parker Finn would be the perfect fit to helm a new Nightmare on Elm Street movie.

The Quiet Place: Day One

I’ve been thinking about this one for a while because I’m not sure if I liked it or not. I loved the first one, and the second was good, too, even if it wasn’t as engaging. I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s a problem of diminishing returns (see: Final Destination series).

Day One, surprise surprise, starts on the first day of the alien/monster invasion. Set in NYC, Sam (and her cat) are the focus of this survival movie. So the stakes are the same (blind aliens hunt via sound), the goal is the same (stay alive) and the hardest part is to keep yourself from freaking out because you are somehow always seconds away from being eaten, no matter what.

The thing is, this is a well-made movie. Great cast, great character relationship building/teamwork, varied danger scenarios, good tension build-up and relief, and a little bit of lore building. It just isn’t enough to keep me interested any longer. The aliens aren’t a varied threat anymore, and the mystery of their origin still isn’t important, so as a character, it’s not interesting. It’s just a constant apex predator. The same drum is being hit, just at different volumes and beats per minute to keep you awake.

Also, with a movie that features gigantic CGI aliens that can move 100 mph, the most unbelievable creature is the most relaxed and well-behaved cat in history.

Abigail

I like this take on a vampire movie. Not much of a spoiler because it’s given away in all of the ads. I do wonder if this would have been better had I not known and the reveal would have been a twist.

Directed by the Radio Silence duo, this movie has a similar setup and follow-through as one of their previous movies, Ready or Not. The main character(s) is brought to a location under false pretenses and then the trap is sprung; cue the mayhem and the body count. Here, a group of criminals are hired to kidnap the young daughter of a wealthy and powerful man and hole up in a mansion to wait for the random to come through. The thing is, there is no ransom, they’ve been brought together so they can be hunted for sport. Vampires do get bored and her dad is kind of a jerk, so you can’t really blame her.

More of an action movie than a horror movie, Abigail is a good time. There’s not too much to it which I rather liked. It’s great for a rainy day watch. You get to meet the characters with their colorful personalities and then it’s a game of the order of their deaths and how they get taken out as they try to escape the mansion. I’d like to see more movies set in this world, as the ending leaves things wide open, and they give only the basics of Abigail’s family. It would be easy to expand on it, especially with what her father does. Now that What We Do In The Shadows is over, there’s a vampire void that needs to be filled.

It’s Been A Long Time Again!

NY Rangers

I’ve been meaning to get back to this and what do you know, two months blow buy. I wanted to write about the Rangers the most and with each wild week there’s a lot to talk about. I’ll keep it simple as the trade deadline just passed and there’s some considerations that I need to think about first. But, here’s the current record.

31-26-5 (67 points)

That puts them right on the edge of the playoffs. With 20 games left, they could make it. A lot has to go their way. The 5-14 massacre of a record was devastating and still is. They’re playing better since the trades started (with Trouba and Kakko, the list is big now), but the flaws are still there. Too many big players aren’t making big plays. There’s some actual fight in their game now but is it enough? Adversity seemed to scare them half to death and I don’t know if that professional attitude is back yet. They went toe to toe with Washington in the last game and lost in OT. While every win is desperately needed, getting one point against the #2 team in the league is an accomplishment.

But if they do squeak into the playoffs, it’s likely a Carolina or Washington match up. The odds of getting swept are real and I’d rather avoid that. I mean, the number of early goals against us is insulting. Staring up a hill all the time is exhausting.

Merlin’s Beard It’s Been A Long Time!

Life, NY Rangers

My last post was six months ago, just after the NHL season had finished. A quiet summer was expected, but that turned into a serious slide.

My intention was to keep my usual pace during the 24-25 NHL season. Things started well for the Rangers, but just like their luck, I’ve hit a bad patch myself. I was in a car accident, which threw everything off course. Nothing broken or torn, but recovery is taking me much longer than expected. Getting back on my feet has brought back pain back (I don’t think I ever wrote about that; it started last year) and now my left knee hurts. It also feels like my right knee isn’t taking kindly to the added strain I’ve been putting on it. I found out I have a lot of arthritis in my left knee (I seem to be collecting it like it’s gold for some reason; it’s in my back and hand, too) and possibly/probably damaged ligaments. The ligament (acl/mcl/all of the cl’s) issues are a long time coming based on the long-term quality of my knees. Something I was hoping was never going to happen again. I’m also having a problem with my right cornea, so it’s been way more doctor visits than I’ve liked in the last 3 months.

I’m also without a car, which changes things a lot, too. Have you seen the price of cars today? It’s ridiculous.

As an added bonus, the New York Rangers are one of the worst teams this season. Started out 8-2-1. Then 12-4-1 I think the collapse that’s been going on for 2 months now sees them at 16-19-1. I can’t remember a time when they’ve been this bad. Everything is wrong. A book can be written about it. This post is already a bummer, so I won’t give my full thoughts, but it looks like a rebuild has just started right now. Bad off-season moves poisoned the locker room, and there’s no end in sight. Since writing about individual games is pointless now, maybe I’ll do team updates on what changes to the team happen.

It’s New Year’s Eve; let’s hope for a better 2025 for everyone.

The Season Is Done Man

NY Rangers

With a gap of a month between posts, it should be obvious that the Rangers lost to the Panthers. I was going to write a post after the game 6 loss but felt too dejected to do it. Then, it was almost a week before the final round started, and I figured I’d just wait until the end to write my thoughts.

After winning their second game, the Rangers couldn’t get any traction against Florida. It was like they were skating uphill the entire series.

The Panther’s defensive capabilities were simply too much. Faster to the puck, able to see plays develop and interfere to stop them before any offensive pressure could start, it was like Florida had an extra man on the ice. The Rangers were never able to get positioning in the slot, as they were more or less shoved to the outside at every chance. Playing the Panthers’ way meant that they were able to keep control, making their opponent constantly run around while they pivoted and pushed into place. Once the Rangers got tired, the Panthers would score and then rely on the defense to sit on the lead.

Shesterkin did everything he could to keep his team in the lead, but with Panarin and Zibanejad being smothered and Kreider not able to get anything going, the skill offense didn’t contribute. Goodrow and Lafreniere carrying the team for another two wins was never going to happen. All season, the Rangers were a team of opportunity; making a mistake would often mean the Rangers would pounce and make things happen. In the games they won against Florida, the Panthers had made mistakes. They’re so aggressive that they can be exposed in forcing them to turnover for a breakaway, one of Bobrovsky’s few weaknesses. When they don’t make mistakes, the Panthers are the best team in the league.

All of those trends continued in the Finals with the Edmonton Oilers. The Panthers shut out the Oilers 3-0 in the first game, just like they did to the Rangers. Edmonton played better in the next two games but lost those as well. The puck never bounced their way, Florida was faster, their defense nearly flawless, and they kept McDavid, arguably the best player in the league, bottled up so he couldn’t do anything.

And then the fourth game played out. Most thought a sweep was inevitable. The Oilers had made changes though. New strategies that blew the game wide open. 8-1 Oilers. It was unreal. For the first time, it looked like the Panthers didn’t know what was happening around them. The Oilers were flying around, easily challenging or beating the Panthers to the puck. Great passes, pulling the Panthers out of position, intercepting passes that left Bobrovsky all alone on breakaways. The Oilers special teams came alive. In the next game, the score was much closer, but the Oilers were in control for most of the game. Game 6, another clinic by the Oilers. It looked like for possibly the 5th time in the history of the NHL, the Oilers would be the team to reverse sweep the final series to win the Stanley Cup.

The Panthers returned to form in Game 7, winning 2-1. Everything they did wrong in the last 3 games, stopped. Except for the mistake that led to the Oilers only goal on a breakaway (which was scored on the next play after the Panthers took the 1-0 lead.

It turned out to be the best Stanley Cup Final in many years, and the best team in the league got the much deserved win. This marks the 4th team in 7 seasons to win their franchise’s first Championship.

It was a great and fun to watch season for the Rangers though. They set a bunch of records, finished the season first in the league, went undefeated against the Devils, and embarrassed the Capitals in the Playoffs on their way to going deeper into the postseason. Making it to Round 3 while denying Carolina another chance at the Cup is way better than losing to the Devils in Round 1. You gotta take your wins when they happen. The disappointment is still palpable in losing to Florida the way they did, but next season is a chance to address the team’s deficits for another great run for the Cup next season.

Tomorrow is the NHL draft in Las Vegas where the next class of future hockey stars will be called up. It’s not expected for the Rangers to make any major moves here, but free agency starts on Monday and I think we can expect some aggressive changes to the roster to happen in the next few weeks.

Pre-season starts on September 22. With the Playoffs taking two full months to complete, that’s less than three months from now. There is no rest for the weary.

Clash Of The Titans

NY Rangers

Florida won game 1 in a shutout, 3-0. The score is deceptive as it was mostly a tight, one goal game. Florida was the better team with the Rangers unable to get any traction. It was a game of which whoever made the fewest mistakes would win. When Florida scored first it felt like the Rangers were skating uphill for the rest of the game. The huge error, Igor leaving his net–going far out–he messed up his pass/clearing attempt in a rush because of Florida’s aggressive forecheck. This led to him scrambling back, a weird bouncing shot, and Lafreniere accidentally hitting the puck between Igor’s legs. That was demoralizing, to say the least, and made a comeback in a hard game that much tougher. A quick empty net wrapped that one up.

Game 2 saw the Rangers start the game off right, in total control with increased speed and aggressiveness. The tide turned multiple times throughout the game. They were all over each other for 60 minutes. Play was tight, the hits were high, the shots on goal nearly the same, fierce competition. Of note, Florida scored on the power play for the first time breaking the Rangers’ fantastic penalty kill streak. This one went to overtime where everyone played on edge. With six minutes to go, Goodrow scored the game winner. Raucous applause from the home MSG crowd shook the arena.

Yesterday afternoon was Game 3 in Florida. This was a war of attrition. Florida played like Carolina, shooting at every single glimpse of an opening. By the end, the shot attempts were 108-44 Florida. Florida scored first but the Rangers rallied back. Lafreniere made up for his bungle in game one with a nasty breakaway backhand. Then Goodrow less than 30 seconds later with a Kreider-like deflection. Florida would tie it before the end of the first period.

In the second the Rangers scored two more, again with Lafreniere and Goodrow pulling out the stops, stunting on everyone. Goodrow’s in particular happened because of lazy Florida defense on a power play. And then a third period collapse.

Florida dominated for almost the entire period. It was okay until they scored about 6 minutes in or so. Then it was like the Rangers couldn’t do anything right. A ton of penalties for the night…Florida scored on two of them (Rangers with none but Goodrow’s shorthanded goal cut that red mark in half). Trouba had a terrible game and Miller wasn’t much better. For the last like 6 minutes, I think the Rangers did nothing but try and clear the puck for a line change and Florida would just move back in. Half time the clearing attempts were icings. They barely made it to the end in a tie. Igor did everything humanly possible to keep them alive, it was unreal.

And then the Panthers’ perfect defense stopped for a moment. They made a mistake. About 6 minutes into overtime, they left the center of the ice open and Alex Wennberg standing in front of the net alone. Kakko got the puck back to Lindgren up by the blue line and he let a shot fly. Wennberg deflected it in, top corner, stunning Florida into silence.

It was a grand larceny level of robbery. A miracle win, the stuff of highlight clips and legends. The Rangers managed to claw through the entire game but the odds of that happening again are basically zero. They cannot play that bad again. Igor can’t be relied on having games like that. It isn’t sustainable, his legs are going to get exhausted. The games are fast, the hits are hard and coming more frequently, so the wear and tear is adding up. Vesey has been hurt and is out for at least a week. They need to have another game 2 where they contain Florida better. Patience needs to be focused on. Don’t just turn around and fling out a clearing attempt. They have to at least try to skate it out of their own zone, or at least look where you are clearing so it isn’t intercepted 70% of the time. It’s insane how it seems like a Florida player is always in the way (i.e. in perfect defensive position).

While seeing the goals and assists spread out more is good, Laffy and Goody putting on All-Star effort and results, Zibanejad, Kreider, and Panarin need to become a threat again. They are being way too passive, so few shots on goal. Panarin is being smothered every time he’s out there so credit to Florida on their defense. Their plan is working. When he does get a chance to shoot it always seems like something happens. He completely whiffs a shot or the puck is bouncing all over the place and he can’t get a clean shot off. I’m not sure what’s happening with Kreider, he seems to disappear all the time. Zibanejad is being defended well too but it looks like he’s afraid to shoot. There’s way too much sloppy passing.

The other note is that the power play is completely dead. Those goals have given them the needed buffers in the previous series and it’s detrimental here (it should also be noted that Florida is getting few penalties). Giving up three power play goals makes that stat even worse. Special teams need to practice some new tactics.

Florida is going to be mad as hell tomorrow. It will be another war of attrition.

The Eastern Conference Finals

NY Rangers

The series against Carolina was dramatic. After the Rangers won three in a row, all by one goal, Carolina won game 4 with a power play goal. Their first in the series which made it taste that much more bitter. In game 5, the Rangers fell apart in the third period and Carolina ran away with it. It was so bad, flashbacks to last year’s series against the Devils were hard to ignore.

At it looked like game 7 was going to happen when Carolina took a decisive lead in the first period with 2 goals that made the Rangers look like they were sleep walking again. A quick Rangers goal uplifted the tri-state areas’ spirits until everything crashed back down going into the 3rd period down 3–1.

And then the Kriedering (trademark pending ) happened before our eyes. Chris Kreider with the natural hat trick to take the lead. In the span of about 6 minutes, Carolina lost control and never regained it. It was like a fever dream. There’s no way Kreider’s number won’t be lifted to the MSG rafters when he retires. It was that good. Carolina scratched and clawed to tie the game but an empty net by Goodrow sealed the ride to the next round.

The Florida Panthers! Formidable to say the least. Stats-wise, another very close match up…but Florida has greater scoring depth compared to Carolina. Better goaltending too. This will be intense and the greatest challenge by far.

Rangers in 7.

Round Two – Fight!

NY Rangers

The second round is off to a roaring start. I’m surprised Colorado beat Winnipeg so easily and I thought Nashville would have given Vancouver a harder series. I, and most NHL fans, are happy that Dallas knocked Vegas out of the playoffs. Dallas does have their hands full with Colorado now…especially after they lost a 3 goal lead to lose in overtime.

Florida laid an egg in their first game against Boston (5-1) but bounced back tonight with a 6-1 win. Florida is favored in this match up and this rebound shows they aren’t going to be a pushover.

The Rangers and Carolina have had two fierce games with the Rangers winning both 4-3. In the first game, the Rangers dominated the ‘Canes with their special teams. Scoring two powerplays in 23 seconds is like watching a lion playing with their food. Rangers went 2/2 on the powerplay and were also perfect on the penalty kill. It was a hell of a start to the round.

Last night’s game was much closer with the Rangers playing what felt like a step behind the entire game despite scoring first. Carolina answered quickly and then took the lead, but the No Quit In New York squad pushed through to a double overtime win with their special teams again dominating. 2/7 on the power play and another PK shutout. Carolina is 0-10 on the powerplay. Igor stood on his with 54 saves. Trocheck was a monster all night, giving the ‘Canes fits and ending the night with the game winning goal. Lafreniere broke out as well with the first two goals for his team.

It’s been an incredibly physical series so far…Igor being taken down behind the net was the most egregious hit of the night. Rempe putting Carolina on notice on the next shift by stopping just close enough to Anderson to bump him did make me smile. They got the message.

Carolina is going to be rabid tomorrow night on their home ice. There’s no way they aren’t completely readjusting their special teams because if they don’t, it’s a wrap. At the same time, the Rangers can’t rely on their special teams to win every night. It’s not sustainable. They have to be better 5 on 5 and keep working on curbing the turnovers. Last night was terrible, mostly because Trouba was a hot mess for whatever reason. Carolina is way too good to leave such good opportunities like that to score.

How Sweep It Is

NY Rangers

Rangers 4 Capitals 0

The Rangers did what needed to be done. With every stat advantage going into the playoffs against the Capitals, New York wiped Washington off the ice.

The Rangers outscored the Caps 15-7. Washington held the lead for less than 4 minutes in the series. Alex Ovechkin, one of the best players in the history of the sport, had zero points and 5 shots on goal. With 50% of their offensive power just standing around the Caps had close to no offensive pressure. The fourth game was the only one that was competitive and even then it didn’t look like the Rangers were ever concerned. When they were down by a goal, they scored almost immediately. Tie games weren’t tied for long. The Rangers’ special teams were nearly unstoppable.

While a sweep was possible, most people thought the series would likely go five games. Ryan’s brother, Charlie Lindgren, did everything he could to give his team a chance but the guys in front of him didn’t do much to help him. Since winning the Cup in 2018, the Caps have made it to the playoffs five times and have been eliminated in the first round every time. They’ll keep Ovechkin around for his final two seasons to try and pass Gretzkey’s goal record and to play his entire career as a Washington Capital. The way he looked this week I have my doubts he’ll get the record. He did manage to rally for 31 goals this season which is impressive but it seems like doing so completely drained him. They’ll probably try and build around him until he retires, but this is likely the last playoff run for the Capitals for a few seasons.

The Rangers put in the work they needed to. Stayed focused, avoided most of the bait to take penalties, and worked their game to pretty easy wins. Coach Laviolette made smart changes on the fly and the team showed why they should be feared. Shesterkin played so well in every game, that I can recall only one meatball of a goal last night. Everyone is healthy and with this time off they’ll be able to get well rested and the fantastic coaching staff will get them ready for the next round of the gauntlet. They need to be more careful of penalties and turnovers. Washington was so bad that these repeated errors didn’t cost them games. The teams coming up are much more capable.

The Rangers have finished before anyone else. Florida knocked out Tampa tonight 4-1. It looks like the changing of the Florida guard is official. Almost all of the remaining series are 3-1 except for Oilers/Kings at 2-1 (Oilers). Carolina can finish their series against the Islanders tomorrow. It’d be great for the Isles to push Carolina to more games to help the Rangers out but it’s not likely to happen. Odds are Round 2 won’t start until Sunday, May 5th.

It’s the Stanley Cup Playoffs!

NY Rangers

We have entered 100% intensity hockey. This is peak competition people! High hopes for the Rangers who are on their best footing in years.

The games played so far:

  • WPG 1 COL 0
  • FLA 1 TBL 0
  • BOS 1 TOR 0
  • NYR 1 WSH 0
  • CAR 1 NYI 0

The Rangers won 4-1, more or less dominating the entire game. It played out as we all expected with the Rangers being so heavily favored. It was a reassuring game. The whole team looked focused and calm. I didn’t notice any major mistakes, no power play goals with the two chances, but the PK stopped all 4 chances Washington had. The big news is that the fourth line was on fire. Rempe got the first beautiful goal with assists from Goodrow and Vesey. Panarin scored, and then Vesey scored. All in just over 2 minutes in the second period. A sweet breakaway goal from Kreider sealed the door shut. With this promising start, they just need to keep the momentum going. It’s up to the Capitals to adjust.

Looking at the rest of the bracket, for the Western division, I favor Dallas to make it to the finals. They’ve been solid for the whole season and I don’t see why that should change. Vegas didn’t end the season well and I don’t think they did so by playing opossum. They aren’t as good as last season. I have a feeling Edmonton will make it to the WCF but lose to Dallas. It feels like it’s there time for a deep playoff run. They’ve put the effort together to completely turn around their season and I think that has prepared them for the Playoffs. That said, Nashville and Vancouver are steep competition.

East side, I think the biggest threats are Carolina and the Panthers. Carolina will be a huge challenge for the Rangers and I think the Panthers will be able to take Boston again. The teams that make it to the ECF will likely be beaten up from Round 2. There’s no way that round won’t be brutal 6-7 game series.

The New York Rangers Finish Their Best Season In History

NY Rangers

55-23-4

With the most regulation wins in the league, marking the most wins in franchise history, the Rangers win the President’s Trophy (4th time) with 114 points. This also means first in the Metropolitan division, which they held for almost the entire season.

The final week was a little dicey, losing to the Islanders 4-2 and the Flyers 4-1 (horrible game). That left the door open for Carolina to take over first place but the wins against the Islanders in a wild comeback 3-2 shootout win and a 4-0 shutout of Ottawa clinched the best end of the regular season possible.

The advantage in finishing first is that the series starts in New York for every round the Rangers get to. Also, the Rangers play the second wild card spot in the first round; which is always a statistical advantage. The Washington Capitals managed to win the 5 team scramble and the ice is titled against them. The most glaring stat is that the goal differential for the Caps is -37. The Rangers are +53. With a record of 40-31-11, the Caps beat out Detroit because of the tiebreaker rule. Both teams have 91 points (Detroit 41-32-9) but the Caps had more regulation wins, 32-27.

On paper, the Rangers should run over the Capitals. Washington isn’t the team they used to be, as their record shows. Ovechkin managed to turn his season around after a very slow start and goalie Charlie Lindgren (older brother of our Ryan!) worked some magic to get them this far. But this is the playoffs and anything can happen. The level of competition is raised exponentially. Plus. this is a rivalry match-up, these teams have duked it out in the Playoffs many times. It won’t be a cakewalk, but the Rangers have just about every advantage in their favor.

I think the way the season ended is important. Mentally, I think the Rangers are in the strongest condition they’ve been in a long time (plus 6 days off before the first game). They faced adversity and have been rewarded for it. They not only held off Carolina for the division, but they stayed ahead of Vancouver and Boston for first place in the league for weeks. In fact, those 2 teams stumbled so much that Dallas, Carolina, and Florida caught up with them. Six weeks ago Vegas was up there too and they bounced off a few walls to rack up many losses. I don’t think they’re the monster they were last season.

It’s going to be intense! Some fantastic teams are going to get bounced in round 1. We’ll check out the bracket when the scheduling is finalized.