It’s finally here! You can only get a couple of glimpses of each character but still, this upcoming season of Game of Thrones looks amazing. Tyrion is in Essos, Arya is training to become an assassin, Jon Snow is doing his thing, and of course Khaleesi is even more beautiful/badass (if that’s even possible). Plus y’know Dragons and Whitewalkers and magic and whatnot.
I finally got around to watching The Interview (it’s now on Netflix btw), and it was pretty much what I expected. It’s a pretty funny movie, but it’s nothing extraordinary. There was a lot of controversy surrounding the film’s release, and honestly I think it was all blown out of proportion. This is a comedy after all, the political issues definitely take a back seat to the silly jokes and gags in the film.
The movie was funny, but I wouldn’t put it in the same category as Superbad or the Pineapple Express. The film had its moments, and I did laugh multiple times, but overall the jokes were nothing special. Basically, it made me laugh, but it wasn’t anything I hadn’t seen before.
Seth Rogen and James Franco as always have fabulous chemistry on screen. These weren’t necessarily the best or the funniest characters that they’ve portrayed together, but their friendship in the movie is actually pretty heartwarming.
The movie’s plot was pretty straightforward, there were no real surprises or plot twists, I already knew what was going to happen, I just wanted to actually see it take place.
I wish they could have gotten more out of the supporting characters, but I really did enjoy the celebrity cameos early on in the film.
Overall, The Interview is a funny movie that is good, but not great in any single area. If you’re a fan of Seth Rogen & James Franco’s previous work then I’d definitely recommend it, but I know this isn’t the type of movie that will appeal to a broad audience. (3.5/5)
Now this movie looks really really good. Child 44 is based on a novel by Tom Rob Smith. The cast is amazing, with actors like Tom Hardy, Noomi Rapace, & Gary Oldman I don’t see how this could be a bad film. The plot seems really interesting, I’m always a fan of mystery thrillers, and period pieces. The film is set in Soviet Russia and I like the fact that even though the characters are talking in English they speak with a Russian accent, which I appreciate. It’s always bugged me when in period pieces characters seem to talk in a British accent no matter what time period or place they are in. Having the characters speak with an accent helps add a bit of authenticity in my mind. I’m really looking forward to this movie.
Child 44 is set to come out in theaters on April 17th.
This is the first trailer for the new reboot of the Fantastic Four movie franchise. I’m still not sure how I feel about this movie yet. I like the cast, but I don’t know if they would have been my first choice for their roles. The trailer doesn’t show much, but seeing the actual 4 characters does get me a little bit more excited for things.
Fantastic Four is set to come out in theaters on August 7th.
This is the man that will be fighting Anderson Silva on Saturday. Nick Diaz is one of MMA’s most polarizing figures. He has a very brash and unique personality, and he rubs certain people the wrong way. At the same time though, he is one of the toughest, most talented fighters in the world. Diaz has great boxing skills, he has some of the best body shots in MMA and can throw slick combinations with ease. Nick has one of the best gas tanks in MMA, he never seems to get tired. His elite cardio combined with his relentless output makes Diaz a very formidable challenge. He is also a high level black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, he’s tapped out several top opponents with creative submissions like when he got PRIDE champion Takanori Gomi in a gogoplata (3:54). Diaz has never been able to put it all together, and his wrestling has always been a weakness in his game. He might never be a champion but like him or not, goddamn he fun to watch.
Diaz fights the legendary Anderson Silva this Saturday January 31st @UFC183 live at 10PM on PPV.
#2 Alexander Gustafsson is without a doubt the 2nd best 205lb fighter in the world. In UFC165 he gave Jon Jones the most difficult fight of his career, it was unmistakeably the fight of the year and most people were split on who had won the battle. The judges gave the decision to #1 Jon Jones who has since then defended his belt 2 more times. Gustafsson on the other hand has only beat #14 Jimi Manuwa since his loss to Jones. He has been patiently waiting for a rematch against the champ and was even scheduled to fight him at UFC178 but Gustafsson got injured and was replaced by #3 Daniel Cormier. Now Gustafsson must defeat the beast that is Anthony Johnson in order to earn another title shot.
#5 Anthony Johnson has had an up and down career in the UFC. He used to fight at 170lbs and was accustomed to cutting ridiculous amounts of weight. He was always known as a talented fighter with serious power, but he had consistency issues, especially with making weight. In 2012 after a failed attempt to make weight at 185lbs, coupled with a loss to #5(MW) Vitor Belfort Johnson was released by the UFC. After his release from the organization, Johnson decided to move up to 205lbs and went on an absolute tear picking up 6 wins in a row and 4 KO’s (including a win at heavyweight over former UFC HW champion #8 Andrei Arlovski). The UFC re-signed Anthony Johnson in 2014 and he’s quickly established himself as a legitimate title contender with frightening knockout power. He dominated #6 Phil Davis in his first fight back in the UFC and he scored a vicious KO over #13 Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (For a GIF of the KO click HERE). Now in his 2nd stint in the UFC Johnson seems to have finally fulfilled his potential and is 1 win away from a title shot at 205lbs.
#2 Alexander Gustafsson vs.#5 Anthony Johnson – This is easily the most important and interesting fight of the evening. This fight will decide who the next man to face Jon Jones will be.This is a showcase of 2 of the best fighters in the world fighting each other in their prime. Both men prefer to strike which should lead to a stand-up battle. Gustafsson is known for his great footwork and striking at range while Johnson is known for his scary KO power and strike versatility. I just can’t see how this ends up a boring fight, plus the title implications make it that much more exciting.
Fighter Most Likely to Win:
#7 Gegard Mousasi – This might be a surprise pick to some since he is facing an MMA legend in #11(LHW) Dan Henderson, but I really see Mousasi winning this fight with ease. Dan Henderson has only won 1 fight in the last 3 years (a fight he was loosing up until the KO by the way). Henderson hasn’t fought at 185lbs since 2010 and hasn’t had a win in the division since his legendary KO of #10 Michael Bisping@UFC100 back in 2009. Dan Henderson is 44 years old, and he isn’t allowed to use Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) anymore, which hurt his chances even more. Simply put Dan Henderson is past his prime and just doesn’t have what it takes to beat elite competition anymore. Unfortunately for Henderson that’s just what Mousasi is, elite. Gegar Mousasi is a very underrated fighter with a very impressive record. He only has 2 losses in the UFC, and they are against elite fighters in #3 Jacare Souza & #4 Lyoto Machida. Mousasi is a special talent and he’s still only 29 years old. He might never have what it takes to become a champion in the UFC but he’s definitely one of the best fighters in MMA. I just don’t think Henderson has anything to threaten Mousasi with except maybe a lucky punch.
Most Underrated Fight:
#22 Neil Seery vs Chris Beal – The first fight of the night should be an exciting one. These two flyweights (125lbs) are sure to put up a great fight. The Irishman Seery is 1-1 in the UFC and has yet to be in a boring fight. Chris Beal is a former Team Rousey member from the Ultimate Fighter Season 18. He didn’t win the show, but he has been undefeated so far in the UFC. Beal had arguably the greatest KO of the year in 2014 when he landed a sweet flying knee against Patrick WIlliams and knocked him out cold (For a GIF of the KO click HERE). The lower weight fighters are always more active and put on more exciting fights so I see no reason why this fight should be the exception.
How to Watch:
Saturday, January 24th
The first fights of the night will start at 4:15PM EST and can be seen on UFC Fight Pass.
The Televised preliminary fights will start at 5:00PM EST and can be seen on Fox Sports 1.
The Main Card starts at 8:00PM EST and can be seen on FOX.
Get Hard is an upcoming comedy featuring 2 of the funniest men in the world, Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart. I have to say, this looks really really funny. The plot isn’t the most original, it reminds me a bit of Malibu’s Most Wanted & Let’s Got to Prison, but it still looks hilarious. With those two leading men, I could see this movie doing big numbers in the box office. I can’t wait to go see it.
Get Hard is scheduled to be released in theaters on March 27th.
Last night was the UFC’s 2nd event of the year, UFC Fight Night 59 in Boston. The main event was a number 1 contender fight between the Irish superstar, #6 ranked Featherweight Conor McGregor and his opponent the German kickboxer, #11 Dennis Siver.
The event featured many interesting fights including a rematch between #4 Donald Cerrone and #5 Benson Henderson, but at the end of the day the night was all about one man. The Notorious Conor McGregor.
McGregor is labeled by many as the UFC’s newest superstar. He got a ton of media attention leading up to the fight, the UFC’s promotional department was firing on all cylinders putting out promos and other videos all week long to help sell the fight. McGregor clearly feels very comfortable with a camera in his face and did an excellent job in promoting the fight.
Conor was a heavy favorite heading into the fight yesterday and he showed why. His opponent Dennis Siver was no pushover, Siver has been in the UFC since 2007, he’s fought 18 times in the organization, and he’s fought top 10 contenders in both the Featherweight (145lbs) and Lightweight (155lbs) divisions. There is no doubt that Dennis Siver is a legit top 15 talent. With all of that being said he still had nothing for the Irish superstar.
Not many people thought Siver could upset McGregor, but I don’t think anybody saw him getting dominated so easily. The fight wasn’t even close. McGregor was in control from the start of the 1st round up until he TKO’d Siver early in the 2nd round.
He showed his trademark unorthodox striking style and absolutely dominated the fight in range. His movement was fluid and smooth, and when he landed he made the strikes count. Almost all of his punches were significant strikes. He figured out Sivers timing early on in the fight and he kept landing lighting fast straight left punches that caused some visible damage on Sivers face.
To be fair the German fighter did land some good strikes but he was clearly outmatched. Siver is ranked #11 in the world and he deserves that spot in the rankings, but last night showed that there is a clear gap in skill between the top 5 contenders and the rest of the ranked fighters in the division (For a breakdown of the UFC’s 145lbs divison click HERE)
What’s Next for McGregor?
With this win McGregor is now 5-0 in the UFC and has earned a title shot against the champion, one of the greatest fighters of all time #1 Jose Aldo. This is without a doubt the biggest fight in the history of the UFC’s featherweight division. UFC President Dana White has already said that they are targeting the fight for UFC 187 which is scheduled to be on May 23rd in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Aldo has always been a dominant champion but he’s never really gotten the recognition for his accomplishments. This is partially due to the fact that he doesn’t speak English and partially due to the fact that he fights at a lower weight class. This fight is huge for him as well because more people are going to be watching him fight than every before. Aldo has already beat the #2, #3, #4 & #5 ranked featherweights in the division so it makes sense for him to fight McGregor next.
As if I wasn’t already excited for that fight, the two men had a somewhat weird encounter when McGregor jumped out of the cage after his win to confront the champion who was watching the fights cageside. I absolutely loved this moment, and it made me like/respect Aldo even more. Even though McGregor was yelling in his face like a madman, Aldo didn’t even flinch once and looked like even more of a badass by just laughing at McGregor during the entire encounter. That right there is a confident man. I cannot wait for these two gifted athletes to fight in May. (To see a GIF of the confrontation click HERE).
Other Thoughts
The rest of the fights were a little underwhelming. The rematch between #4 Cowboy Cerrone & #5 Benson Henderson didn’t really live up to the hype. Neither fighter was able to consistently pull the trigger and as a result it ended up being a very close fight. All 3 judges gave the fight to Cerrone although that was somewhat controversial since a large group of people thought Henderson won. Since no one fighter really did anything to pull ahead in the scorecards I would have been fine no matter what the judges had said. To be fair though Cerrone just fought 2 weeks ago at UFC 182 so it’s understandable that he wasn’t 100% for this fight.
The rest of the card was nothing special really, although Urijah Hall did pick up another TKO win over Ron Stallings.
Overall, the night was a somewhat underwhelming but the main event made up for everything. Conor McGregor is truly a once in a lifetime athlete and its a joy to see him fight in the UFC.
This is without a doubt the movie I am looking forward to the most in 2015. The first Avengers movie is one of my favorite films of all time, and it’s the 3rd highest grossing movie ever in the US. I can’t wait for Age of Ultron to come out. James Spader seems like a fantastic choice for the villain, and I already know I love the original cast. This is going to be good.
Avengers: Age of Ultron is scheduled to come out in theaters on May 1st.
Fights & Film 