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5 Reasons the New York Knicks Are Dangerous in the Playoffs
At long, long last the 2013 NBA playoffs are upon us. After one of the better regular seasons in recent memory, the post season is poised to be an absolute blast. Waiver Wire contributor, Michael Cresci, is going to be looking at a few teams over the next couple weeks and breaking down keys to their playoff chances, reasons they’ll succeed, and reasons they’re doomed. Sound off in the comments below!
Playoffs! Finally some postseason insanity has arrived! I’m ready for some chippy series, some tense overtimes and games feeling like they couldn’t matter more. There are a ton of teams with fascinating narratives as they enter the 2013 post season but, because I’m the one with the keyboard, I’m going to start with my team. The New York Knicks.
After a blistering 18-5 start the Knickerbockers played .500 ball for much of the season. Carmelo Anthony’s MVP performances came less often and his play dropped off slightly. He still passed out of double teams more than ever while remaining a (mostly) engaged defender but his case for MVP all but disappeared. Raymond Felton suffered an injury that threw off the team’s pick and roll attack, J-Kidd’s walker began to get in the way of his 3-point shot, Amar’e needed time to reintegrate and find his rhythm (before once again returning to worst contract in the league status) and Shumpert needed time to trust his knee again. It wasn’t exactly dark times in Gotham, but it certainly gave pundits plenty to criticize and allowed many to write off the hot start. Then came a 13 game winning streak and a stretch in which Carmelo Anthony (after recovering from a pesky knee injury) ripped off 131 points in just three games and began playing psychotically efficient offense all while putting up massive numbers. Tyson Chandler was out for much of the streak, but the unexpected arrival of Kenyon Martin helped steady the ship and, despite a K-Mart sprained ankle, the Knicks look like they’ll be heading in to the playoffs close to full health with many of their banged up big men set to return. Health is likely the single biggest factor for how successful the Eastern Conference’s two seed will be, but there’s reason for Knicks fans to expect big things out of their squad. Here are five reasons why:
1.) An Established Identity
For all the talk about the Knicks reliance on the three point shot (they lead the league in both threes attempted and made) their offense is actually a really creative use of their specific roster. Knicks fans has been treated to a style of play that’s unique and entertaining all year and it focuses on a few players.
Game of Thrones Season 3, Episode 1 “Valar Dohaeris” Recap
Throughout the third season of Game of Thrones, several of our writers will be on a weekly rotation giving their thoughts of the most recent episode. Some of us have read the books while others haven’t; our policy is to review GoT strictly as a television show, so please no comment spoilers from our book reading audience. As always, be aware of spoilers.
On a Sunday that featured the worst sports injury I’ve ever seen and a gruesomely disappointing finale for The Walking Dead, the season 3 premiere of Game of Thrones was a breath of fresh air (and fire and blood and all manner of nipples). It was great to have the best zombie show on television back (okay, enough TWD jokes) and “Valar Dohaeris” managed to reignite my excitement for the third season by setting up a slew of interesting plot lines and delivering some really enjoyable moments.
Many of the things that make GoT great also make it a difficult show to recap. It’s massive, sprawling and its character names aren’t fun to try to spell. Beyond that, it tends to subscribe to David Simon’s worldview of television where whole seasons matter more than individual episodes. There are standouts like last season’s “Blackwater” but the show works best when you can see the intricate puzzle being assembled by the writers as they juggle their gargantuan cast and myriad of settings. It’s best to view the table setting premier, not as a thematic indicator of things ahead (much like Matthew Weinar does with Mad Men), but rather as a delicious appetizer sampler meant to entice us for the filling, intricate meal ahead. I’m going to eschew recapping in order and just lay out the different characters time in the episode. Read more…
The Walking Dead: Season 3, Episode 15 “This Sorrowful Life” Recap
Throughout the third season of The Walking Dead, several of our writers will be on a weekly rotation giving their thoughts of the most recent episode. As always, be aware of spoilers.
Note: As all four of our writers agree that The Wire is one of the best shows ever, the character Tyreese will often be referred to as Cutty.
To read previous recaps of The Walking Dead, click here!
The television incarnation of The Walking Dead has been, at best, inconsistent. It has one of my favorite pilots ever yet also one of the worst seasons I’ve ever seen from a television show (I’m referring to season 2 and only real, golden age style TV).
Season 3′s first half was refreshingly stark and the show managed to provide some decent characterization for the first time in a long time but it came back from its midseason hiatus with a whimper, providing two consecutive duds. Then, in TWD fashion, two really strong episodes, “I Ain’t No Judas” and “Clear”, aired. ”Clear” may have been the series’ finest hour and “I Ain’t No Judas” established the stakes for the rest of the season and rid the group of some of its infuriating indecision. So it makes sense that right after that, two more weak episodes followed. Now the show’s truly mastered its inconsistency with “This Sorrowful Life” a mixed bag of an episode with plenty to like and plenty to complain about.
Cresci Reviews…Identity Thief
Our resident film critic, Michael Cresci, is transporting his (non) award-winning film review blog, “Cresci Reviews…” to its permanent new home, The Waiver Wire! You can also hear Michael Cresci and co-host Vinny Ginardi talk movies and television on their Waiver Wired podcast, “Short Commercial Break“. To read previous reviews click here! This week some fellow Waiver Wire contributors will be lending their own thoughts on the film.
If there is one thing in the world of comedy I love, it’s Arrested Development. I love it so much that I try to support everything all of its cast members have gone on to do. This includes their television work like David Cross’s interesting, and sometimes excellent, The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret or Jessica Walter’s Lucille-esque role on Archer (one of my favorite comedies on TV). I’ve seen a ton of Michael Cera movies (and the ones I liked, I really liked), laughed through Horrible Bosses and built a shrine to Henry Winkler. I’m explaining all this to emphasize how truly demoralizing I found Jason Bateman’s newest vehicle, Identity Thief.
The film, directed by Seth Gordon, is a mismatched duo road trip film centering on two immensely talented comic actors. Melissa McCarthy and the aforementioned Michael Bluth. On paper they should be the perfect duo, McCarthy’s blustering Chris Farley like humor should be the perfect complement to Bateman’s masterful straight man routine. To some extent they do work together, but it’s a testament to their talents that the movie is even semi-watchable, and their abilities are beyond wasted in this stale, jokeless excuse for a comedy.
The Walking Dead: Season 3, Episode 11 “I Ain’t a Judas” Recap
Throughout the third season of The Walking Dead, several of our writers will be on a weekly rotation giving their thoughts of the most recent episode. As always, be aware of spoilers.
Note: As all four of our writers agree that The Wire is one of the best shows ever, the character Tyreese will often be referred to as Cutty.
To read previous episode recaps of The Walking Dead, make sure to check out our TWD Page in our Pop Culture section!
This is my first crack at season 3b and I’ll keep my thoughts on the previous episodes short. First episode back? Terrible. Last week’s? Not bad. Of the four rotating recappers for TWD I have the most complicated feelings because after watching the whole series (liked a lot of it but hated most of season 2) I read the comics and fell in love. I always judge the show on its own merits but reading the comics hasn’t helped what is often my biggest criticism of the show, terribly developed characters. With that out-of-the-way let’s get to “I Ain’t a Judas.”
So why did I take the time to explain my hyper specific feelings on the series? So when I say that I really dug this episode, it carries the appropriate weight. After the Governor’s red shirt slaughtering attack on the prison, the gang is ready for full-scale war. One aspect I truly enjoyed from last night’s episode was the group’s unified and persistent belief that the Governor has to die. Outside of Andrea’s attempts at peacekeeping there was no debate, not dissent and no moral meditations. The Governor has to get it, and that means war.
Television Roundup- The Walking Disappointment, Brilliant Girls, and The Americans’ Way
I tried to find a way to start this piece off with a “Winter is Coming” joke in honor of Game of Thrones’ impending return but nothing came to mind. As new seasons of television start to invade our screens some interesting things have happened, from great bottle episodes to terrible returns and one really fantastic pilot. I’m going to try to cover some of the big happenings in the world of television with an appropriate mix of dumb jokes, thoughtful criticism and rampant, unending disappointment with The Walking Dead. Let’s get started:
RETURN OF THE SHOWS
A bunch of really good television has come back in one form or another, and few more great shows are on the horizon. I’ll talk about each in return.
Girls- HBO’s critically acclaimed, oddly divisive, comedy series is back with a matured, greatly improved second season. I was a big fan of Lena Dunham’s, who writes, directs, produces and stars in the show, first season but it was a mixed bag that clearly learned as it went. This season has been far more assured. It featured the best episode since season 1′s ”The Crackcident”, the cocaine fueled “Bad Friend” (I don’t know what it is about Girls and drugs but they seem to be a nifty pair) and, more recently, a brilliant bottle episode. ”One Man’s Trash” was atmospheric, dream like and great exploration of Hannah’s character. It was so different from most of what you see on television and functioned as a sort of fascinating short film. I feel like any people who really disliked the episode are sort of like people who don’t like Breaking Bad‘s genius bottle episode “Fly.” They’re entitled to their opinion, but they’re sort of missing the point. In both episodes great writing and character work, especially within specific confines, expand the people we’re spending time with every week in really fascinating ways. In Girls’ case we saw both Hannah’s romanticized idea of herself and its subsequent deconstruction when she has her very first world problem’s outburst in which she realizes she, like any old boring person, wants to be happy. The show is hyper relatable to post collegiate 20 somethings like myself but it’s also just crafting great stories, generation gaps be damned. Read more…
The Slow and Symbolic Death of ‘The Office’
What is the single most important thing for a company? Is it the building? Is it the stock? Is it the turnover? It’s the people, investment in people. My proudest moment here wasn’t when I increased profits by 17%, or cut expenditure without losing a single member of staff. No. It was a young Greek guy, first job in the country, hardly spoke a word of English, but he came to me and he went ‘Mr Brent, will you be the Godfather to my child?’ Didn’t happen in the end. We had to let him go, he was rubbish. He was rubbish.- David Brent, The Office (UK)
The first thing that needs to be said about the US version of The Office is that it seemed like a really bad idea at the time. Ricky Gervais’ game changing hit was basically a perfect series, two short seasons and a final special to wrap it all up. Tim (one of the early signs that Martin Freeman is perfect) and Dawn have their heartbreaking end, and then end up together in the excellent Christmas special. Gervais’ David Brent goes out the way that the sprawling, interminable, style of American TV comedy could never allow. He gets fired for being a terrible manager, same as Michael Scott (a skilled salesman who fell victim to the Peter Principle) should have been countless times. The fact that this was a “bad idea” was never more obvious than during the first episode of the US version, which came across as a hollow clone of its predecessor, replacing British droll with a shameless American impression. Steve Carell was a relative unknown at the time, a Daily Show correspondent who had recently broken out with his amazing performance as Brick Tamlin in Anchorman. At the time there was no way to know that he’d emerge as a consummate comedic actor, able to bring heart to buffoonery and craft an iconic television character. That was still to come.
The second thing that needs to be said about the US version of The Office is that during its peak it was one of the better comedies ever made. The mockumentary style has invaded television via Parks and Recreation (a show that started as an Amy Poehler clone of The Office and quickly evolved into the better show, arguably network television’s best comedy), Modern Family, etc. and The Office was a major factor in its widespread growth as a way to shoot a show. The point was never “Who is filming this?” Dunder Mifflin isn’t The Island, we were never craving an exploration of the show’s mythology. Later on when I lament the show’s aggressive decision to jump the shark by exposing the camera crew and adding a heretofore unseen dynamic that no one with a brain wanted, I’ll breakdown why things have gone so off the rails. For now I want to talk about the good because for three seasons The Office told a heartfelt, funny, awkward, human story. And for four or five seasons it maintained a standard of comic excellence.
Cresci Reviews…The Top Ten Films of 2012
Our resident film critic, Michael Cresci, is transporting his (non) award-winning film review blog, “Cresci Reviews…” to its permanent new home, The Waiver Wire! You can also hear Michael Cresci and co-host Vinny Ginardi talk movies and television on their Waiver Wired podcast, “Short Commercial Break“. To read previous reviews click here!
For last year’s top 10 list click here.
2012 wasn’t, much to the chagrin of people who don’t understand ancient calendars, the end of the world. It was, however, a great year to be a film fan. Whereas 2011 felt a little thin, its sequel was chock full of great movies including a summer full of solid blockbusters and a jam-packed Oscar season. So let’s lay out some criteria for my top ten films of the year. In my reviews, I attempt to blend an analysis of a film’s artistic merits with its popcorn entertainment factor. My top ten list is in that spirit. A dense thinker of a film like The Master may have stimulated me intellectually and had a lot going on thematically but it lacked the pure movie going joy to make this list. To take an example from the same director in another year, There Will Be Blood would absolutely be on the list because it’s a brilliant work of art that also tickles my popcorn flick itch. I’m delivering a top ten plus a runner-up, mostly because I want to talk about the runner-up. With that in mind, let’s get started:
RUNNER UP- Lincoln (Or Skyfall. I’m just choosing to write about Lincoln because I have a bit more to say)
Director: Stephen Spielberg
Lincoln was an enjoyable film about a crucial moment in American history and I’m going to talk about that in a minute. There’s a reason it’s not in my top ten despite all the Oscar buzz; it’s a good movie elevated by an otherworldly performance. Daniel Day-Lewis who continues to prove he is the most talented actor of all time (not my personal favorite, but the man disappears into roles like no one else).
Let’s start with the voice. Historical record backs up that Lincoln had a high speaking voice that was often described as melodic when delivering speeches or telling one of his many stories and this small detail was a big part of what made Daniel Day-Lewis so great. He delved into the man, not the myth. His Lincoln is a sweet man who is prone to brooding and not letting anyone too close. He has a habit of telling great stories that don’t quite connect to the situation at hand and his presence is enormous. His death (history spoilers!) feels so impactful and the end of the film because Lewis successfully makes you realize the magnitude of the man who just died. On that note, it was a major mistake for Spielberg to avoid showing the assassination. Yes, the film was as much about the battle to pass a historic law as it was about the President but this could have been the definitive film about Abraham Lincoln. Instead he left out one of the most iconic moments in US history. Baffling.
The film itself functions almost like a courtroom procedural, showing the process of acquiring the votes and swaying the necessary congressman. John Hawkes and James Spader play small roles but are among the movie’s more memorable moments and Tommy Lee Jones delivers a great performance The film does a nice job of selling the moment as a real thing that happened as a the result of bribery, hard work and passion. Decent movie. Mind blowing performance.
10.) ParaNorman
Director: Sam Fell and Chris Butler
ParaNorman sort of snuck under the radar throughout 2012 but it’s a delightful, beautifully animated (stop motion) film with a great message and an understated tone. The film center on Norman, a lonely boy living in the town of Blithe Hollow who can see and interact with ghosts and, as a result, is considered a weirdo and outcast. No one believes Norman, of course, and it seems he’s had it all his life as he’s not afraid of the ghosts and socializes with them. He watches TV with his dead grandma, greets dead neighbors, etc. It’s a nice touch to not focus on his discovery of his gift, or his need to accept it, but rather have him already be okay with what he can see and use that as a jumping off point. It gives the film an original tilt and allows the story to focus more on Norman’s outsider status and the way we treat people who are different. That and a fun plot involving a witch’s curse and some misguided zombies. If you’re a fan of stop motion (and this is some of the best I’ve seen) then check out this sweet, funny film that’s good for families but definitely not aimed exclusively at children.
9.) 21 Jump Street
Director: Phil Lord and Chris Miller
What a pleasant surprise this remake of the 80′s television show was. I groaned when I first heard they were making this film but the first trailer showed promise and the result was a laugh out loud funny action/comedy that doubled as one of the better buddy movies to hit theaters in years. Channing Tatum displayed some legitimate comedy chops and is a credible action lead and Jonah Hill is a surprisingly perfect counterpart. Their chemistry is fantastic and their relationship actually grounds the movie. The conceit of the film is that two young police officers are enlisted to go undercover has high school students to find the source of a new drug. Tatum’s character was a popular jock in High School and Hill’s was an unpopular nerd but they’re surprised to find that nerd culture and sensitivity have become mainstream and being a jock stereotype gets you labeled as a jerk. Hill joins the popular crowd while, much to his chagrin, Tatum ends up befriending the school’s tech geeks. It’s an interesting dynamic that nods at the way some clichés have changed since the 80′s and it also sets up the conflict between the two leads. A lot of laugh out loud moments and fun set pieces were enough to land it at number nine.
8.) The Dark Knight Rises (Christopher Nolan)/The Avengers (Joss Whedon)
Yeah, yeah. I’m cheating. But it’s my list so deal with it. Here we have the two biggest blockbusters of the summer, two long awaited superhero epics, and two very different films. So different, in fact, that picking between them became too hard so I decided to lump them together and let ParaNorman onto the list.
The Avengers was an insanely ambitious task. This crossover film featuring starts from previous Marvel movies works in part because of its great cast (Mark Ruffalo was a perfect addition as the Hulk), but a world’s worth of credit goes to Joss Whedon for getting this fanboy wet dream right. The action is a blast and it’s shot in a way where you can actually tell what’s happening (I’m glaring at you Michael Bay) and Whedon’s signature humor gives the mismatched team of heroes an organic feel.
The Dark Knight Rises was my most anticipated film. Ever. And while it was a step down from its predecessor, and inevitably disappointed some people, I found it to be a grand epic that wrapped up the story Nolan had set out to tell and featured a show stealing performances from Anne Hathaway. Not to mention Tom Hardy’s Bane, who was a great physical threat to Batman and had a memorable voice that was a big part of my enjoyment (it’s like Lincoln all over again). ALSO, you should check out my Every Batman Ever Marathon. It’s a good time.
7.) Argo
Director: Ben Affleck
In my review of Argo (click on the title above) I mentioned that it was a very good film, nearly a perfect retelling of a true story, that was a bit overhyped. To say that another way, it’s a surefire Best Picture nominee but it would have no business winning the award.
Still, this is one hell of a good time at the movies. It’s perfectly paced, the period is excellently realized and the film is just plain fun. Affleck was clearly drawing inspiration from the political thrillers of the 70′s and he strikes the perfect directorial tone. John Goodman and Alan Arkin provide the comic relief, and the real life hostage crisis provides all the tension. Don’t have too much to say about Argo because it’s a pretty straightforward flick, but that doesn’t make any less enjoyable.
Cresci Reviews…Killing Them Softly
Our resident film critic, Michael Cresci, is transporting his (non) award-winning film review blog, “Cresci Reviews…” to its permanent new home, The Waiver Wire! You can also hear Michael Cresci and co-host Vinny Ginardi talk movies and television on their Waiver Wired podcast, “Short Commercial Break“. To read previous reviews click here!
The amount you enjoy Andrew Dominik’s darkly comic, noirish crime film Killing Them Softly, is contingent on a few factors. First and foremost might be how comfortable you are with a film’s advertising selling an action movie that is actually more of a dialogue driven thinker with bursts of less than glamorous violence. Two of my favorite movies from recent years are Drive and The Cabin in the Woods and both movies, in very different ways, featured deeply misleading advertising (Cabin to play off audience expectations and Drive to trick people/idiots into seeing an arthouse film). My point is I’m sort of tickled when a movie that looks straightforward turns out to be more of a “film.”
Though as someone familiar with Dominik and Brad Pitt’s previous collaboration, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, I’m not too surprised with the cerebral approach. The second factor is how comfortable you are with Dominik’s transparent message and his willingness to hammer it home with little subtlety. Killing Them Softly is a scathing critique of American capitalism and the politicians on both sides who prop it up as an engine for the American dream. Politics aside, I have no issue with a well made, visceral film that happens to carry a strong message that is more philosophical than liberal or conservative. If you are fine with those two factors than there’s a lot to like in this brilliantly acted, darkly funny crime film that’s more interested in desperate criminals talking to each other than shooting.
Homeland Season 2 Recap: Episode 11, “In Memoriam”
After last week’s Homeland broke the internet and saw one of the quickest mass abandoning of the bandwagon in television history, the show’s final two episodes were put in the position of saving the show or dooming it. Well, maybe “doom”, is the wrong word as season three’s already been green-lit but its reputation among those who take television’s golden age a little too seriously (me, for example) was set to suffer a terrible blow. In my last recap I pointed out that while “Broken Hearts” was a preposterous episode that dragged all of the show’s problems out into view and featured a series of implausible actions designed to boggle the mind, we shouldn’t assume that the writing staff suddenly lost all of its talent overnight. The final two episodes of the season can’t erase the goofiness but it can justify it or help us forget.
I actually had to delete most this recap and start over because I was confused by my own thoughts on the episode. In some ways it featured the very worst of Homeland in Carrie’s horror movie tunnel chase and the anti-climax of Nazir’s fate. In other ways it featured some great stuff (Jess and Brody in the car was a masterful scene). All in all this episode didn’t seem like a disaster that seals Homeland as a disappointing show but it also didn’t do anything to save it. That will come down to the finale. Some have suggested that Brody has been a terrorist all along and is still plotting against America. Some version of this would be a great story move and justify a lot (though not all) of the indefensible ways the characters have acted recently. It would devastate Carrie and provide an interesting angle while contributing to the whole “truth” theme constantly at play. If this turns out to just be some sad love story between Brody and Carrie, well that wouldn’t be very satisfying at all. Carrie’s inevitably sad ending for this season (in that Brody’s death seems all but certain and leaving him alive might be a death stroke to the show’s quality unless they’ve got something major up their sleeves) should be rooted in her own flaws and poor decision making. Not in some star crossed romance. I’m reserving judgement for the finale because “In Memoriam” was a mixed bag. Let’s take a look at why that’s so.
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