Adele Went Shopping at Target!…Who Cares?!?

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Photo: TMZ

This picture actually caused a breaking story on gossip sites all over the internet.

Why you ask? How the heck am I supposed to know?! This is what’s wrong in the world we live in (I know, I sound like an old fart saying that). We care so much about the ins and outs of celebrities, that we have no idea what the heck is going on in the world. And for all those people who give a damn about this junk, here’s something you might not know, we’re voting in a new President this November!

Plus, now I understand why these celebrities eventually go insane. They can’t even get groceries without a camera being shoved down their throat.

What do you think about this actually being a story? Drop us an email.

Deadpool is a Welcome Shot in the Arm (and the Head) of the Superhero Genre

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In a world were there are now superheroes at every turn and the movie release schedule is inundated with origin stories, reboots, team-ups, and the like, a film like Deadpool is a welcome change of pace and exactly the breath of fresh air that the comic book genre needs right now.

What sets this movie apart from every other superhero thing in the word these days is the uniqueness of it. First and foremost, in a market where superheros and comic books dominate the box office at every turn (with that horrible post-Mexican food skid mark of a movie Fant4stic being the exception to the rule), Deadpool was an underdog from the outset. The film lingered in development hell for more than a decade, trying again and again to get greenlit, going through multiple directors, and battling rumors floating around in 2011 that 20th Century Fox had actually cancelled the whole deal. Then, it just so happens that the test footage created by Blur Studio and featuring Ryan Reynolds in the role “leaked” one fateful Comic-Con in 2014. Fans immidiately fell in love with the over-the-top-violent, fourth-wall-breaking, comic-faithful shenanigans in the footage. The reaction was so positive, that it could be argued that the fans alone are responsible for the movie finally getting a schedule.

Next, the movie went the road less traveled by aiming for a “Hard R” rating, a move often deemed box office suicide for a movie with any kind of budget. Many also questions the merits of an R-rated superhero film in a genre that everyone apparently thought was solely for children. Could superheroes even “work” under an R rating? To the credit of those detractors, Spider-Man or Captain America as characters probably couldn’t work as an R-rated film. But Deadpool as a character absolutely could. And oh boy, did he!

Most of this movie hinges on Ryan Reynolds absolutely owning this role front to back. He loves this character, he believes in him, and you can tell he’s having a blast portraying Wade Wilson/Deadpool (Oops. Spoiler Alert: Wade Wilson is Deadpool). The rest of the film’s success owes to a full-frontal commitment to the concept. The people making this movie are 100% all-in, and it shows. There’s not a moment where it feels like the film is ashamed of itself, like certain previously-alluded-to Mexican food skidmarks are. Pulling off an ultra-violent, ultra-funny, ultra-meta movie is difficult enough as it is, but pulling it off well is even more of an accomplishment. Yet this flick knocks the ball out of the park in every category, and that’s because it’s clear everyone on-board didn’t just enjoy this character, script, and approach, but they obsessed over it and believed it could and would succeed. That’s why it did. That’s why critics love it and that’s why fans are overwhelmingly satisfied with the rendition of one of the most fun comics you can read.

The most refreshing thing about this movie is that, despite the fact that it’s another origin story, it’s aware that it’s a superhero movie in a market over-saturated with superhero movies and isn’t afraid to hang a lampshade on it. Deadpool even cracks a a few jokes about it, much to the confusion and ire of other characters. It’s also really humorous and ironic to see Deadpool being Deadpool while juxtaposed against other X-Men heroes like Colossus and Negasonic Teenage Warhead. It’s almost as if to say, “This guy reallyyy doesn’t belong in the world of superheroes.” And that’s absolutely true, and one of the big reasons Deadpool is so enjoyable. It’s different, literally for different’s sake for a change.

(SPOILER ALERT: Plot details follow in next paragraph)

Now, the movie isn’t perfect. For me, the third act fell a little flat. I know this has a lot to do with the studio suddenly slashing the budget at the last minute, but looking at the movie as a pure film, it still sticks out. In a feature where everything is zany and outrageous, the battle at the end doesn’t do anything to raise the stakes. I’m also a bit disappointed that they went for the ol’ “hero needs to rescue the girl” thing from every other movie ever. In a movie like Deadpool, where the entire premise is that this isn’t the everyday superhero romp you’ve grown used to, they do a disservice to themselves and the rest of the film by giving us a finale that is the very same thing that every other superhero movie does, in exactly the same way it’s always done. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not bad by any stretch. But Deadpool deserved something, anything, different. Rather than continue to ride the wave of the rest of the movie and set up something truly out-of-left-field, it feels like they settled, and the ending doesn’t have the thrust it needed after riding so high the rest of the time.

All in all, Deadpool rocks. It shows that you can do a self-mocking movie without being self-loathing. It’s truly different and stands out among the ever-swelling sea of comic book media surrounding us, and it’s different enough that even the weak points are elevated by association. It’s fun, funny, and sets one hell of a precedent. And if anything, it’s shown that you can do an R-rated superhero movie and still be successful. Early indications are that Fox execs are taking notice and adjusting accordingly. To that end though, the bar’s been set. Good luck getting over it.

Deadpool rating: 4.5/5 Chimichangas

 

(Photo Credits: 20th Century Fox)

Ronda Rousey Took Losing Pretty Hard

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When Ronda Rousey got knocked out by Holly Holm at UFC 193 in a match where she lost both her Bantamweight Championship and her dream of retiring undefeated, there were a variety of reactions. Some people laughed and lauded the loss over Rousey, thinking she’d brought it upon herself by buying into her own hype. Some folks lamented the loss as as marking the moment their hero fell from grace. Some were just surprised  and/or happy for a promising talent in Holly Holm. Joe Rogan looked like a kid who just found out Santa isn’t real. We’re pretty sure Dana White is still waiting for certain appendages to drop back into place after losing his “big money draw” that was the mythic, legend-in-the-making career of Rousey.

Doubtless, though, everyone was wondering what Rousey herself thought of the loss. She’s bee abnormally quiet since the KO, but has steadily been coming back into the public eye.

Now, with an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on Tuesday, we can hear directly from Rousey herself about how she was and is feeling.

Those are some brutal details, and the fact that she contemplated suicide shows just how deeply this loss cut into how she views herself. However, it’s encouraging to hear about what is was that made her want to end everything: her boyfriend and the thought of a life left to live.

What that demonstrates is that there is always hope and that, in Rousey’s own words, “being defeated is a choice.” That’s a good thing to glean from a loss of that magnitude.

Full Story: Ronda Rousey: ‘I was knocked out on my feet the first time I got hit’ by Holly Holm

Do You Still Doubt Batman v Superman?

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A lot of people continue to give Warner Bros. and DC Comics a hard time as they attempt to rocket into their new “connected universe” with Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, which hits theaters in just over a month on march 25th, 2016.

Well, just this morning, the final trailer for the film was released, and the results is…well, just watch…

This is easily the best trailer yet, and it immediately raises expectations for this movie. However, some might argue that the last few trailers for Man of Steel were also excellent, and that movie didn’t meet the expectations of some folks. Well, as someone who legitimately enjoyed MoS and will defend it with my dying breath, I’d argue that you’re a fool to not be excited for this film. Also, maybe you should lighten up a little.

The big thing I’m taking away from this trailer, though, is how faithful Ben Affleck’s Batman is to his comic book counterpart, at least in terms of fighting style. You have to remember, Batman is as strong and fast as Marvel’s Captain America (described as “peak human condition”), and is also the world’s premier martial arts expert, along with being an acrobat on par with Olympic gymnasts. The first 20 seconds of the trailer seem to indicate that they’ve captured that perfectly. Here’s to hoping the rest of the movie does equal justice to these characters.

Also, Wonder Woman continues to look amazing.

In any case, whatever your predisposition, you have to agree that this movie is really looking like it could be something special.

Tackling Super Bowl 50

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When I made my Super Bowl prediction last week, I was beyond confident that Carolina was going to unload on Denver. I was sure that Cam Newton and that powerful rushing attack were going to pound the pass rush of Denver into the ground.  I, in a word, was wrong. The Broncos defeated the Panthers 24 – 10. I thought the combination of the Panthers tough and explosive offense would grind their way to scores and their defense would shut down the Bronco Offense. Well, at least I was right about one thing.

The Panther defense did not allow Peyton Manning and the Denver offense to do much of anything. In fact, Denver’s offense only gained 194 yards during Super Bowl 50. They are the only team in Super Bowl history to have won the game despite less than 200 yards of offense according to Adam Shefter of ESPN.

Photo: Getty

This game, really, was decided between the Carolina Offense and the Denver Defense.  The Denver defensive front seven clogged every rushing lane and pressured Newton from the first snap. The Broncos’ secondary locked down the Panther passing attack with a fantastic mixture of man and zone defense. Carolina’s best receiver Tight End Greg Olson was held to only 41 yards on 4 catches.

So called experts, myself included, believed there was “no way” that the Denver pass rush could do to Cam Newton what they did to Tom Brady two weeks previously. There again, the experts and I were dead wrong.

Photo: FOX Sports / Kevin C. Cox

According to ESPN, Cam Newton was pressured on 42.9% of his throws! Think about that number for a second: that means that out of 10 pass plays, Newton was running for his life on over 4 of them. The 6 other attempts in this scenario, no one was open. ESPN would go on to report that when Denver pass rushers Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware were on the field at the same time, Newton was 1/12 passing, was sacked 4 times, and fumbled twice. That, ladies and gentleman, is domination.

Those numbers alone though are not why the Broncos won. Carolina’s high-powered rushing attack was held to just 118 yards, 45 of those yards belonging to Newton. The Broncos’ defensive line won on 1st and 2nd down consistently all night. Consequently, Carolina faced 3rd and long a majority of the game and thus allowing Denver to dial up the pressure and bring the heat.  Denver brought the blitz and connected routinely.

Photo: Getty

Let’s go into the numbers shall we? Von Miller: 2 ½ sacks and two forced fumbles, named Super Bowl MVP. DeMarcus Ware: 2 sacks. Darian Stewart: 1 sack. Chris Harris Jr: 1 sack. Derrick Wolfe: ½ sack. For those of you keeping score at home, that is 7 sacks. Pair that number of sacks with 3 forced fumbles and an interception and you have, like I said before, domination.

SPOILER ALERT! We Know the Winner of Superbowl 50

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Superbowl 50 is this Sunday, and everyone is wondering “Who will take home the Lombardi?”

Luckily, EA Sports have taken the wondering out of it for us. You see for years they’ve simulated the match up in the latest version of Madden, and, to much surprise, they’ve been right 9 out of the last 12 years.

So, who will win when the Panthers take on the Broncos? Give it a watch and find out.