Beat boxing videos are all over youtube and everywhere, else but none of this quality. This guy is amazing. Takes some serious vocal endurance to be able to put out that kind of sound. Enjoy:
-Jarid Holliday
Monday, January 31, 2011
Sunday, January 30, 2011
NBA Players Returning to College
A rule change in 2006 stopped the flow of high school athletes to the NBA, somewhat ceasing the early transition of the likes of Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Kevin Garnett, Zach Randolf, Jermaine O'Neal, Tracy McGrady, and many other professional basketball players who have risen to the top of their sport. The ruling called for the athletes to be one year removed from high school and 19 years of age. This meant that most high schoolers would have to attend at least one year of college to become eligible for the NBA Draft. Thus many of the top high school recruits have been attending a university for one year, then moving on to the NBA the following year. Brandon Jennings has been a recent exception, as the Milwaukee guard spent a year playing in the Italian Professional league, after which he was drafted to the NBA and was named to the All-Rookie team for his sensational rookie campaign.
With many collegiate freshman leaving school to sign contracts, the number of NBA athletes with undergraduate degrees has been significantly decreasing, currently down to 21% of the NBA population. Statistics show that despite an average salary of $5.8 million in the NBA, 60% of NBA athletes are near or at bankruptcy 5 years after retirement. Similarly, 78 % NFL athletes are in the same boat after only 2 years. However, contrary to this trend, there have also been a good amount of players who recognize the thought that they will not always be able to always play basketball, and that they might have to pursue some other venture in the future. NFL players seem more dedicated to finishing undergraduate degrees, as about half of the entire NFL has a degree. This statistic is a result of many less football players getting drafted prior to their senior year, and over twice as many players returning to finish school after being drafted on average. Of the 46 current NBA players attending classes last summer, many were surprisingly at the top of the league talent-wise. Scoring phenom and former Texas star, Kevin Durant, as well as perennial all-star Chris Paul, rising point guard Russell Westbrook, and Jeff Green are just a few of the stars of the league that are setting an example.
Vince Carter, former Tar Heel All-American, caused controversy when he had to juggle preparations for a playoff game with his college graduation. After the ceremony finished, he flew to Philadelphia to play the 76ers. Carter's miss of the final shot caused the Raptors to be eliminated from the playoffs. Many fans and members of the news media questioned his priorities after that outcome, however, I personally find his choice to be a testament of his character and intentions of having a well-rounded life. Imagine an individual today missing any type of graduation for any other activity.
Despite the media controversy that this issue causes, I appreciate the select few that return to pursue higher education. Because if they can handle the class load along with the pressures of a professional sport, so can the rest of us undergraduates.
-Jarid Holliday
With many collegiate freshman leaving school to sign contracts, the number of NBA athletes with undergraduate degrees has been significantly decreasing, currently down to 21% of the NBA population. Statistics show that despite an average salary of $5.8 million in the NBA, 60% of NBA athletes are near or at bankruptcy 5 years after retirement. Similarly, 78 % NFL athletes are in the same boat after only 2 years. However, contrary to this trend, there have also been a good amount of players who recognize the thought that they will not always be able to always play basketball, and that they might have to pursue some other venture in the future. NFL players seem more dedicated to finishing undergraduate degrees, as about half of the entire NFL has a degree. This statistic is a result of many less football players getting drafted prior to their senior year, and over twice as many players returning to finish school after being drafted on average. Of the 46 current NBA players attending classes last summer, many were surprisingly at the top of the league talent-wise. Scoring phenom and former Texas star, Kevin Durant, as well as perennial all-star Chris Paul, rising point guard Russell Westbrook, and Jeff Green are just a few of the stars of the league that are setting an example.
Vince Carter, former Tar Heel All-American, caused controversy when he had to juggle preparations for a playoff game with his college graduation. After the ceremony finished, he flew to Philadelphia to play the 76ers. Carter's miss of the final shot caused the Raptors to be eliminated from the playoffs. Many fans and members of the news media questioned his priorities after that outcome, however, I personally find his choice to be a testament of his character and intentions of having a well-rounded life. Imagine an individual today missing any type of graduation for any other activity.
Despite the media controversy that this issue causes, I appreciate the select few that return to pursue higher education. Because if they can handle the class load along with the pressures of a professional sport, so can the rest of us undergraduates.
-Jarid Holliday
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Week 2 Film Special: No Country for Old Men
The most critically acclaimed film that I have reviewed or done specials on thus far, No Country's stellar performances and provocative nature make it both disliked and adored by viewers. The film was honored with many awards, including three British Academy of Film awards, two Golden Globes, and four Academy Awards for: Best Picture Best Director (Coen Brothers), Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actor (Javier Bardem). To truly appreciate the film, it is necessary to think below the surface of the events taking place and understand the context as well as the big picture of the plot. Without this way of thinking, the film can seem dull and as if the plot goes in little direction of importance. The themes of fate, circumstance, and cat-and-mouse pursuit are what truly make the film superb, in my and many critics opinions.
Release Date: 2007
Director: Ethan Coen and Joel Coen
Genre: Drama
Main Cast: Tommy Lee Jones (as Sheriff Ed Tom Bell) Javier Bardem (as Anton Chigurh) and Josh Brolin (as Llewelyn Moss)
Based On: No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy
IMDB Rating: 8.3
My Rating: 8.0
Length: 122 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: $25 million/$171 million
Plot:
The plot of the film revolves around the three main characters and their three independent themes that end up intermixing. Sheriff Bell has seen the rate of violence in his region increase significantly in the recent times. This is followed by the protagonist, Llewelyn Moss, stumbling upon a broken drug deal with multiple deaths in the countryside during a antelope hunting excursion. Looking through the wreckage and dead bodies, he finds a case with 2 million dollars in it. Instead of walking away and contacting authorities, he takes the case with him, thus initiating the following chain of events: Moss sends his wife away and starts running with the money to avoid capture. Meanwhile, hitman Anton Chigurh starts following the clues of the stolen money, killing multiple investigating officers along the way. He follows Moss to a motel thanks to a transponder located in Moss's case of money. However, Moss tricks him by staying in a different room and escapes. Moss is chased to a border-town motel where he is wounded, and taken to a hospital. Another hired man to return the money offers his assistance for the money, but is subsequently murdered soon after his meeting with Moss by Chigurh. Moss escapes to a final hotel where he is finally caught and murdered by Chigurh. Moss's wife had tipped Bell to attempt to save her husband, but Bell was too late. During Chigurh's escape with the money, he kills Moss's wife and is then involved in a car accident in which he is blatantly wounded, but he walks off none-the-less. Sheriff Bell then shares two dreams that he had with his wife that had direct correlation with the storyline of the film.
My Synopsis:
The depth and attention to tiny details of this film is incredible, as they are many forms of symbolism and connections between the characters. The simple cat-and-mouse plot kept the storyline flowing, while the superb acting by the main three actors in the film, namely Javier Bardem, caused that simple plot to seem well-thought and more complex that it was in reality. Bardem's excellency earned him an Academy Award for best supporting actor, which in my opinion was a major understatement. His acting role in this film is easily top 5 all-time in my opinion by a antagonist, if not by any character. His subtle ways of conversing with the people he was about to kill was so creepy and realistic that it nearly frightened myself. In one scene, Bardem converses with a gas station employee, confusing him immensely, before giving him the flip of a coin to decide his fate. Bardem uses this fate of the coin often throughout the film, similar to Harvey Two-Face in The Dark Knight, as well as a captive bolt pistol, a high-powered air compressed gun. The film does not have any extreme action or jump-out-of-your-seat excitement. Instead it presents the plot and character development subtly. Brolin evading Bardem throughout the film to keep his fortune until he his luck finally runs out is the prevailing theme. However, the depth of that theme is characterized by the relationship that Barden and Brolin share, even though they are the cat and mouse, they still share similarities of needing something more than the fiscal medium they desire. At the end of the film, Tommy Lee Jones' character shares two dreams that he has had with his wife, essentially concluding the film. Both the content and context of the dream characterize the essence of the film's themes, both losing money and expecting positive endings to life are addressed in the dreams.
I hope that this review has somewhat helped you understand the meaning behind the themes in this film. At least the next time you view this film you will have a better idea of what to look for below the surface of the storyline, and thus can better enjoy the film as a whole.
-Jarid Holliday
Release Date: 2007
Director: Ethan Coen and Joel Coen
Genre: Drama
Main Cast: Tommy Lee Jones (as Sheriff Ed Tom Bell) Javier Bardem (as Anton Chigurh) and Josh Brolin (as Llewelyn Moss)
Based On: No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy
IMDB Rating: 8.3
My Rating: 8.0
Length: 122 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: $25 million/$171 million
 |
| Left to Right: Brolin, Jones, Bardem |
The plot of the film revolves around the three main characters and their three independent themes that end up intermixing. Sheriff Bell has seen the rate of violence in his region increase significantly in the recent times. This is followed by the protagonist, Llewelyn Moss, stumbling upon a broken drug deal with multiple deaths in the countryside during a antelope hunting excursion. Looking through the wreckage and dead bodies, he finds a case with 2 million dollars in it. Instead of walking away and contacting authorities, he takes the case with him, thus initiating the following chain of events: Moss sends his wife away and starts running with the money to avoid capture. Meanwhile, hitman Anton Chigurh starts following the clues of the stolen money, killing multiple investigating officers along the way. He follows Moss to a motel thanks to a transponder located in Moss's case of money. However, Moss tricks him by staying in a different room and escapes. Moss is chased to a border-town motel where he is wounded, and taken to a hospital. Another hired man to return the money offers his assistance for the money, but is subsequently murdered soon after his meeting with Moss by Chigurh. Moss escapes to a final hotel where he is finally caught and murdered by Chigurh. Moss's wife had tipped Bell to attempt to save her husband, but Bell was too late. During Chigurh's escape with the money, he kills Moss's wife and is then involved in a car accident in which he is blatantly wounded, but he walks off none-the-less. Sheriff Bell then shares two dreams that he had with his wife that had direct correlation with the storyline of the film.
The depth and attention to tiny details of this film is incredible, as they are many forms of symbolism and connections between the characters. The simple cat-and-mouse plot kept the storyline flowing, while the superb acting by the main three actors in the film, namely Javier Bardem, caused that simple plot to seem well-thought and more complex that it was in reality. Bardem's excellency earned him an Academy Award for best supporting actor, which in my opinion was a major understatement. His acting role in this film is easily top 5 all-time in my opinion by a antagonist, if not by any character. His subtle ways of conversing with the people he was about to kill was so creepy and realistic that it nearly frightened myself. In one scene, Bardem converses with a gas station employee, confusing him immensely, before giving him the flip of a coin to decide his fate. Bardem uses this fate of the coin often throughout the film, similar to Harvey Two-Face in The Dark Knight, as well as a captive bolt pistol, a high-powered air compressed gun. The film does not have any extreme action or jump-out-of-your-seat excitement. Instead it presents the plot and character development subtly. Brolin evading Bardem throughout the film to keep his fortune until he his luck finally runs out is the prevailing theme. However, the depth of that theme is characterized by the relationship that Barden and Brolin share, even though they are the cat and mouse, they still share similarities of needing something more than the fiscal medium they desire. At the end of the film, Tommy Lee Jones' character shares two dreams that he has had with his wife, essentially concluding the film. Both the content and context of the dream characterize the essence of the film's themes, both losing money and expecting positive endings to life are addressed in the dreams.
I hope that this review has somewhat helped you understand the meaning behind the themes in this film. At least the next time you view this film you will have a better idea of what to look for below the surface of the storyline, and thus can better enjoy the film as a whole.
-Jarid Holliday
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Baseball: The Minority of Homosexuality
In posting on this topic, I am not taking sides or being critical towards one side or another. In my neutrality, my hopes were to present an illustration that is very indicative of the state of homosexuality throughout the history of Major League Baseball. Granted it is obviously not a popular thing to come out in a masculine professional sport, the statistics were staggering to me:
2 players. 2 players in the history of baseball have admitted to being homosexual. That fact astounds me, despite the many who have not came out for privacy reasons. Take from it what you will, gays have definitely been the minority throughout baseball history.
-Jarid Holliday
2 players. 2 players in the history of baseball have admitted to being homosexual. That fact astounds me, despite the many who have not came out for privacy reasons. Take from it what you will, gays have definitely been the minority throughout baseball history.
-Jarid Holliday
PVC Pipe Instrument Collaboration
This kid performs a very nice collaboration/mash-up using a homemade percussion/bell-type instrument using PVC pipes. Great memory and coordination coupled with a very creative sound made this performance an excellent one. I did think that his friend's duet at the end slightly ruined the show, especially when he couldn't keep up, but it was still very well done overall. This is not completely original, however, as the Blue Man Group has done many performances using similar instruments.
The construction of this instrument was most likely time consuming enough, but I give more props for memorizing the 6+ minutes of difficult chord progressions, rhythm, and timing.
-Jarid Holliday
The construction of this instrument was most likely time consuming enough, but I give more props for memorizing the 6+ minutes of difficult chord progressions, rhythm, and timing.
-Jarid Holliday
Highest Grossing Films in History
In a lot of my reviews I tend to comment on the total gross that a film produces, as it is often comparable to the quality of the film. The following graph illustrates the Top 10 in history, with a link below giving the Top 50:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_highest-grossing_films
Top 10:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Other points of note: Film #10 (Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows, Part 1) on the list is still currently in theatres, thus it has great potential to move up significantly on the list. No film prior to 1977 is in the Top 50, largely to to inflation rates since that time. Unofficially the 3 most expensive films of all time are Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End ($300 million), Tangled ($260 million), and Spider-Man 3 ($258 million). These exponential sums show how important it is to make an impact on the audience during a film's box office.
-Jarid Holliday
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_highest-grossing_films
Top 10:
1.
10.
Other points of note: Film #10 (Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows, Part 1) on the list is still currently in theatres, thus it has great potential to move up significantly on the list. No film prior to 1977 is in the Top 50, largely to to inflation rates since that time. Unofficially the 3 most expensive films of all time are Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End ($300 million), Tangled ($260 million), and Spider-Man 3 ($258 million). These exponential sums show how important it is to make an impact on the audience during a film's box office.
-Jarid Holliday
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Week 2 Album Review: Breaking Benjamin-Dear Agony
Released on September 29th, 2009, Dear Agony continues the line of great albums put out by the rock band, Breaking Benjamin. Their fourth studio album proceeding Phobia, Dear Agony produces similar depth of vocals and powerful guitars and drums. However, I think that Dear Agony has a better overall sound and more quality songs than any of their three previous excellent albums. Writing began in 2008, and since its release in '09, it garnered over 130,000 purchases in the first week, more than that of Phobia. It also peaked at #4 on the Billboard Top #200. With Dear Agony nearing platinum at present time, its one-millionth sale will be the band's third of their their career. The cover of the album shows frontman Benjamin Burnley's skull x-ray.
1. “Fade Away”
2. “I Will Not Bow”
3. “Crawl”
4. “Give Me a Sign”
5. “Hopeless”
6. “What Lies Beneath”
7. “Anthem of the Angels”
8. “Lights Out”
9. “Dear Agony”
10. “Into the Nothing”
11. “Without You”
“I Will Not Bow", “Give Me a Sign”, and “Lights Out” were the three singles off the album. “I Will Not Bow” and “Give Me a Sign” are my two favorites off the album. The album does have a more of a softer feel than that of their previous albums, but I also thought that it gave more meaning to the lyrics and vocals.
Breaking Benjamin is:
Benjamin Burnley - vocals, guitar
Aaron Fink - guitar
Mark Klepaski - bass
Chad Szeliga - drums, percussions
Breaking Benjamin's impressive career thus far seems to be continuing on a similar trend with their latest release. Hopefully big things are in store in the future for the rockers so that they can keep putting out great music.
-Jarid Holliday
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Baseball: A Game of Nicknames
Ever wonder why a sports team is named what it is? There are many factors that go into naming a team, many which have to do with the geography, state, and culture of the area of the team. While the following graph does not give reasoning, it does a good job of showing the connection between many of MLB's teams:
-Jarid Holliday
Now when your friend who is a Giants fan is hating on your Royals, you can tell him that the two teams have more in common that he thinks...
-Jarid Holliday
Zombies...
No this is not all about Call of Duty Zombies, which would vary on this chart, depending on their level. It is about the difficulty of evading/killing zombies in popular horror films, however. I was disappointed to see that the author did not include recent film The Crazies, however, I did feel like the rest of the list is rather comprehensive. The below chart shows a list of films and their respective categories the zombie figures are included in. Enjoy:
Looking at the Top Right or Bottom Left should somewhat give an idea of the horror quality of the film. Thus, the easier to kill the zombie, the more comical/worse the horror the film is.
-Jarid Holliday
Looking at the Top Right or Bottom Left should somewhat give an idea of the horror quality of the film. Thus, the easier to kill the zombie, the more comical/worse the horror the film is.
-Jarid Holliday
Week 2 Film Reviews
Another week gone by, 8 more films viewed. There were really no failures in the group in general, with A-Team impressing me the most and Bounty Hunter and Twelve Monkeys the least. The rest of the films were all above average for the most part and worth viewing. Another point of interest was the fact that the first three installments of the Terminator series were watched on consecutive nights, making it easier to differentiate between their weaknesses and strengths.
Release Date: 1995
Director: Terry Gilliam
Genre: Thriller
Main Cast: Bruce Willis (as James Cole) Madeleine Stowe (as Kathryn Railly) and Brad Pitt (as Jeffrey Goines)
Based On: La jetée by Chris Marker
IMDB Rating: 8.1
My Rating: 5.5
Length: 129 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: $30 million/$169 million
Being one of the biggest negative differences between my and IMDB's ratings, this film was a pretty big disappointment to me. Ranking in the top 250 ranked films on IMDB's ratings and grossing just under a solid $140 million, there are many critics that thought highly of the film. I was not impressed with the storyline above all. Having seen a lot of time travel films recently, I have seen some films with some above-average plots within the storyline. The plot of the story included multiple time travels going into different times that didn't really correlate with where the story was going, in my opinion. Also, the acting of both Willis and Stowe was less than superb, as their relationship seemed forced and slightly fake. One of the few positives in the film was Pitt's acting, as usual. His mentally crazed character was very off-the-wall, appropriate for the mental institute he was originally in. The flow of the film and the graphics that went with it were probably its biggest downfall. Many of the occurrences did not seem to fit, and the graphics of the futuristic world were not believable. The ending also leaves the audience on their own to decide the moral and what the film accomplished. A disappointing film to start the week, in my opinion.
Release Date: 2010
Director: Phillip Noyce
Genre: Action
Main Cast: Angelina Jolie (as Evelyn Salt) and Liev Schreiber (as Ted Winter)
IMDB Rating: 6.5
My Rating: 7.3
Length: 100 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: $110 million/$294 million
Being a huge fan of Jolie's action films, I was expecting a lot before I viewed this film. Although it didn't end up being quite the high quality of action film as Wanted and Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Salt did do a good job at presenting action along with a complex plot of Russian conspiracy. How the whole second half of the film's plot revolved around that conspiracy kind of started to get old, and didn't seem terribly realistic with modern day storyline. The plot would have been a little more believable had it occur closer to the Cold War era. Jolie also saved the film with her per-usual athleticism in her action sequences. A lot of her evasion and hitwomen-type killing was very well done. Another good film for Jolie to add to her action-domination resume.
Twelve Monkeys
Director: Terry Gilliam
Genre: Thriller
Main Cast: Bruce Willis (as James Cole) Madeleine Stowe (as Kathryn Railly) and Brad Pitt (as Jeffrey Goines)
Based On: La jetée by Chris Marker
IMDB Rating: 8.1
My Rating: 5.5
Length: 129 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: $30 million/$169 million
Being one of the biggest negative differences between my and IMDB's ratings, this film was a pretty big disappointment to me. Ranking in the top 250 ranked films on IMDB's ratings and grossing just under a solid $140 million, there are many critics that thought highly of the film. I was not impressed with the storyline above all. Having seen a lot of time travel films recently, I have seen some films with some above-average plots within the storyline. The plot of the story included multiple time travels going into different times that didn't really correlate with where the story was going, in my opinion. Also, the acting of both Willis and Stowe was less than superb, as their relationship seemed forced and slightly fake. One of the few positives in the film was Pitt's acting, as usual. His mentally crazed character was very off-the-wall, appropriate for the mental institute he was originally in. The flow of the film and the graphics that went with it were probably its biggest downfall. Many of the occurrences did not seem to fit, and the graphics of the futuristic world were not believable. The ending also leaves the audience on their own to decide the moral and what the film accomplished. A disappointing film to start the week, in my opinion.
Terminator
Release Date: 1984
Director: James Cameron
Genre: Action
Main Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger (as The Terminator) Michael Biehn (as Kyle Reese) and Linda Hamilton (as Sarah Connor)
IMDB Rating: 8.1
My Rating: 7.1
Length: 107 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: $7 million/$78 million
After watching the first 3 installments of this series in consecutive days, the progression of the series gave me a very good idea of the quality of each individual film. The timing of the releases of the films was also critical in examining the how great the content was. The pilot film was not supposed to be such a box office success, and in 1984, was considered a horror film for its themes of murder and gore. The first Terminator was thus one of the first films to utilize computer graphics for use in action-type films. Because it was one of the first of its kind in in the 80's, the computer graphics are quite a bit worse than today's, especially during the scenes of the fighting with the terminator, but this is expected due to the timing of its creation. The plot of this film does a good job of initiating the series, and stays together well through the time travels. The acting is above-average throughout the film, with no real stand-outs or poor performances. The ending also closed well for a film soon-to-be the start of a series.
Release Date: 1984
Director: James Cameron
Genre: Action
Main Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger (as The Terminator) Michael Biehn (as Kyle Reese) and Linda Hamilton (as Sarah Connor)
IMDB Rating: 8.1
My Rating: 7.1
Length: 107 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: $7 million/$78 million
After watching the first 3 installments of this series in consecutive days, the progression of the series gave me a very good idea of the quality of each individual film. The timing of the releases of the films was also critical in examining the how great the content was. The pilot film was not supposed to be such a box office success, and in 1984, was considered a horror film for its themes of murder and gore. The first Terminator was thus one of the first films to utilize computer graphics for use in action-type films. Because it was one of the first of its kind in in the 80's, the computer graphics are quite a bit worse than today's, especially during the scenes of the fighting with the terminator, but this is expected due to the timing of its creation. The plot of this film does a good job of initiating the series, and stays together well through the time travels. The acting is above-average throughout the film, with no real stand-outs or poor performances. The ending also closed well for a film soon-to-be the start of a series.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Release Date: 1991
Director: James Cameron
Genre: Action
Main Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger (as The Terminator) Linda Hamilton (as Sarah Connor) Edward Furlong (as John Connor)
IMDB Rating: 8.5
My Rating: 7.7
Length: 137 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: $102 million/$520 million
The second part of the series, T2 combined superb action with 7 years of improved graphics to put out the highest-rated film of the series, as well as one of the best grossing films of all time. The first Terminator had opened the door for the series, and T2 benefited heavily from this by having near-unheard of box-office success. The Terminator returns in this film as an antagonist, helping the Conners escape from more advance technology. The acting in this film is a little more distinct, with Linda Hamilton's character turning somewhat crazy from her time in the mental hospital. The stress involved with character slightly hurt the ability of her performance. Young Edward Furlong played a very solid role making a connection with the robotic Terminator. That connection actually seemed heartfelt, especially in the end were the Terminators were destroyed. The plot stayed very similar to the first part, protecting the Conners for their roles in the future.
Director: James Cameron
Genre: Action
Main Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger (as The Terminator) Linda Hamilton (as Sarah Connor) Edward Furlong (as John Connor)
IMDB Rating: 8.5
My Rating: 7.7
Length: 137 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: $102 million/$520 million
The second part of the series, T2 combined superb action with 7 years of improved graphics to put out the highest-rated film of the series, as well as one of the best grossing films of all time. The first Terminator had opened the door for the series, and T2 benefited heavily from this by having near-unheard of box-office success. The Terminator returns in this film as an antagonist, helping the Conners escape from more advance technology. The acting in this film is a little more distinct, with Linda Hamilton's character turning somewhat crazy from her time in the mental hospital. The stress involved with character slightly hurt the ability of her performance. Young Edward Furlong played a very solid role making a connection with the robotic Terminator. That connection actually seemed heartfelt, especially in the end were the Terminators were destroyed. The plot stayed very similar to the first part, protecting the Conners for their roles in the future.
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
Release Date: 2003
Director: Jonathon Mostow
Genre: Action
Main Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger (as The Terminator) Nick Stahl (as John Connor) and Claire Danes (as Kate Brewster)
IMDB Rating: 6.6
My Rating: 7.2
Length: 107 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: $170-200 million/$433 million
The third part of the series and the lowest rated of the quadrilogy, Terminator 3 still held the attention of audiences with a solid box office and above-average gross. It has the worst of the 4 acting in my opinion, as Stahl and Danes did not do much to add to their characters roles. Schwarzenegger continued to perform a consistent mechanical robot as the Terminator T-800 that is hard to critique as bad. I did feel like the plot of this film might have been the best of the first three, as there was more than just running away to protect the Conners for the future. I really like some of the final scenes in the underground nuclear attack facility, and I felt like they left the ending open enough to allow the series to end or continue with the recent Terminator: Salvation. Overall the series is one of the best action series in history, shown by its induction into the National Film Registry for preservation.
Director: Jonathon Mostow
Genre: Action
Main Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger (as The Terminator) Nick Stahl (as John Connor) and Claire Danes (as Kate Brewster)
IMDB Rating: 6.6
My Rating: 7.2
Length: 107 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: $170-200 million/$433 million
The third part of the series and the lowest rated of the quadrilogy, Terminator 3 still held the attention of audiences with a solid box office and above-average gross. It has the worst of the 4 acting in my opinion, as Stahl and Danes did not do much to add to their characters roles. Schwarzenegger continued to perform a consistent mechanical robot as the Terminator T-800 that is hard to critique as bad. I did feel like the plot of this film might have been the best of the first three, as there was more than just running away to protect the Conners for the future. I really like some of the final scenes in the underground nuclear attack facility, and I felt like they left the ending open enough to allow the series to end or continue with the recent Terminator: Salvation. Overall the series is one of the best action series in history, shown by its induction into the National Film Registry for preservation.
Social Network
Release Date: 2010
Director: David Fincher
Genre: Drama
Main Cast: Jesse Eisenberg (as Mark Zuckerberg) and Andrew Garfield (as Eduardo Saverin)
IMDB Rating: 8.2
My Rating: 7.4
Length: 120 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: $40 million/$203 million
Facebook being an integral part of my life, just like the majority of the rest of the world, made the storyline of this film not a big surprise, as most of us know the current status of the social monstrosity. However, I did think that this film did a very good job at portraying the early days of the company and the issues that it had, particularly Zuckerberg's relationships with his fellow founders and the ensuing lawsuits. I also thought that this film did an excellent job of getting good acting out of lesser-known names that played the characters. There were really no blemishes in the individual acting, and Eisenberg played a good ass-hole type person that Zuckerberg supposedly is. Hence the reason why he was a millionaire at 19. Again, a good overall production, but not something that is going to blow you off your feet, mainly due to Facebook's major relevance in society today.
Director: David Fincher
Genre: Drama
Main Cast: Jesse Eisenberg (as Mark Zuckerberg) and Andrew Garfield (as Eduardo Saverin)
IMDB Rating: 8.2
My Rating: 7.4
Length: 120 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: $40 million/$203 million
Facebook being an integral part of my life, just like the majority of the rest of the world, made the storyline of this film not a big surprise, as most of us know the current status of the social monstrosity. However, I did think that this film did a very good job at portraying the early days of the company and the issues that it had, particularly Zuckerberg's relationships with his fellow founders and the ensuing lawsuits. I also thought that this film did an excellent job of getting good acting out of lesser-known names that played the characters. There were really no blemishes in the individual acting, and Eisenberg played a good ass-hole type person that Zuckerberg supposedly is. Hence the reason why he was a millionaire at 19. Again, a good overall production, but not something that is going to blow you off your feet, mainly due to Facebook's major relevance in society today.
The A-Team
Release Date: 2010
Director: Joe Carnahan
Genre: Action
Main Cast: Liam Neeson (as John "Hannibal" Smith) Bradley Cooper (as Templeton "Face" Peck) Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (as Bosco Albert "B.A." (Bad Attitude) Baracus)
Based On: The A-Team television series
IMDB Rating: 7.0
My Rating: 8.4
Length: 107 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: $110 million/$177 million
This film lived up to the hype of the top action film of 2010, very similar to its counterpart The Expendables. I thought that it had more of a plot than The Expendables but was less of a shoot-'em-up. The actions sequences in this film were some of the best I have seen, namely the tank-drop out of the airplane, the helicopter doing insane maneuvering, and the final fight scene with the container ship explosions. The plot is very good for the most part throughout, with some minor straying towards too much government conspiracy/corruption in the middle. I thought that possibly another member to the team could have helped out the character development some, and I would have like to have seen scenes in the 8 year stretch of completed missions that they skipped. Beyond those additions I thought the acting was nearly flawless on all ends. Neeson and Biele were both their usual excellent, while Rampage Jackson impressed me in his first major film gig. I will be excited to see if they decide to put out a sequel or even a prequel for this film, as it would certainly add to the continuing storyline.
Director: Joe Carnahan
Genre: Action
Main Cast: Liam Neeson (as John "Hannibal" Smith) Bradley Cooper (as Templeton "Face" Peck) Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (as Bosco Albert "B.A." (Bad Attitude) Baracus)
Based On: The A-Team television series
IMDB Rating: 7.0
My Rating: 8.4
Length: 107 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: $110 million/$177 million
This film lived up to the hype of the top action film of 2010, very similar to its counterpart The Expendables. I thought that it had more of a plot than The Expendables but was less of a shoot-'em-up. The actions sequences in this film were some of the best I have seen, namely the tank-drop out of the airplane, the helicopter doing insane maneuvering, and the final fight scene with the container ship explosions. The plot is very good for the most part throughout, with some minor straying towards too much government conspiracy/corruption in the middle. I thought that possibly another member to the team could have helped out the character development some, and I would have like to have seen scenes in the 8 year stretch of completed missions that they skipped. Beyond those additions I thought the acting was nearly flawless on all ends. Neeson and Biele were both their usual excellent, while Rampage Jackson impressed me in his first major film gig. I will be excited to see if they decide to put out a sequel or even a prequel for this film, as it would certainly add to the continuing storyline.
Salt
Release Date: 2010
Director: Phillip Noyce
Genre: Action
Main Cast: Angelina Jolie (as Evelyn Salt) and Liev Schreiber (as Ted Winter)
IMDB Rating: 6.5
My Rating: 7.3
Length: 100 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: $110 million/$294 million
Being a huge fan of Jolie's action films, I was expecting a lot before I viewed this film. Although it didn't end up being quite the high quality of action film as Wanted and Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Salt did do a good job at presenting action along with a complex plot of Russian conspiracy. How the whole second half of the film's plot revolved around that conspiracy kind of started to get old, and didn't seem terribly realistic with modern day storyline. The plot would have been a little more believable had it occur closer to the Cold War era. Jolie also saved the film with her per-usual athleticism in her action sequences. A lot of her evasion and hitwomen-type killing was very well done. Another good film for Jolie to add to her action-domination resume.
Bounty Hunter
Release Date: 2010
Director: Andy Tennant
Genre: Comedy
Main Cast: Jennifer Aniston (as Nicole Hurley) and Gerard Butler (as Milo Boyd)
IMDB Rating: 5.3
My Rating: 4.9
Length: 111 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: $40 million/$156 million
Similar to a last week's romantic comedy How Do You Know, this film was hardly worth watching. Very few laughable parts, a plot that jumped around and had little-to-no purpose, and an ending resolution that hardly made any impression, much less a good one. I have never been impressed with Butler's acting in romantic comedies, I always thought he was a much better action performer. This film's terrible acting by him reminded me of Twelve Monkeys earlier in the week, little meaningfulness and a forced effort. Aniston's character was the usual for her, using her attractive figure to give a false impression of good acting. Not much good to say about this film. I sometimes question producers and directors motives when they put out a similar below-average film such as this. Granted they are probably still going to make money, but if they want to make the big money like the very successful directors and producers out there, they have to, and I repeat have to make an impression in the minds of the audience. Causing the audience to be moved is going to result in more box-office success as well as higher gross when the film hits the shelves. They should be spending more time making a film an audience can be in awe of instead of throwing a film that will be forgotten days after the viewing.
Until next week, watch films informed, not oblivious.
-Jarid Holliday
Release Date: 2010
Director: Andy Tennant
Genre: Comedy
Main Cast: Jennifer Aniston (as Nicole Hurley) and Gerard Butler (as Milo Boyd)
IMDB Rating: 5.3
My Rating: 4.9
Length: 111 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: $40 million/$156 million
Similar to a last week's romantic comedy How Do You Know, this film was hardly worth watching. Very few laughable parts, a plot that jumped around and had little-to-no purpose, and an ending resolution that hardly made any impression, much less a good one. I have never been impressed with Butler's acting in romantic comedies, I always thought he was a much better action performer. This film's terrible acting by him reminded me of Twelve Monkeys earlier in the week, little meaningfulness and a forced effort. Aniston's character was the usual for her, using her attractive figure to give a false impression of good acting. Not much good to say about this film. I sometimes question producers and directors motives when they put out a similar below-average film such as this. Granted they are probably still going to make money, but if they want to make the big money like the very successful directors and producers out there, they have to, and I repeat have to make an impression in the minds of the audience. Causing the audience to be moved is going to result in more box-office success as well as higher gross when the film hits the shelves. They should be spending more time making a film an audience can be in awe of instead of throwing a film that will be forgotten days after the viewing.
Until next week, watch films informed, not oblivious.
-Jarid Holliday
Dante Bucci and The Hang
Granted the Indie/World genres are not in most people top favorites, but in listening to something new, opening your mind, you might find something you like.
-Jarid Holliday
Monday, January 24, 2011
Diego Stocco: Music Ingenuity
Videos:
Experibass
Music From a Tree
Music from Sand
Stocco's talents have been broadcasted well through the collaborations and pieces he has done through mainstream media. However, the recognition he has received from these projects is insufficient for the imagination and creativity that he brings to these projects. Hopefully the above videos gave you a better sense of his ability.
-Jarid Holliday
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Week 1 Film Special: Inception
Similar to the Fight Club review earlier this week, I will be posting a weekly review special going farther in depth with a film that deserves more recognition. This week's film is Christopher Nolan's recent blockbuster, Inception. Inception hit the ground running grossing $21 million in its first day and $63 million that weekend alone. Nolan spent around 9 years working on the script of the film and directing other fantastic films (Batman Begins, The Prestige, The Dark Knight) in order to gain experience for the Inception project. Filming took place across 6 countries and in 4 continents. That coupled with the concept of dream-stealing, a concept not-oftenly portrayed in films, garnered the critical acclaim for the film that allowed it to do so well in its premier.
Inception
Release Date: 2010
Director: Christopher Nolan
Genre: Thriller
Main Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio (as Tom Cobb) Joseph Gordon-Levitt (as Arthur) and Ellen Page (as Ariadne)
IMDB Rating: 9.0
My Rating: 9.8
Length: 142 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: $160million/$823million
The following illustrations do an amazing job of allowing you to visualize the progression of the plot of the film. The graphics might be a little too small to view in their entirety on this page, however, opening it in another tab or page will allow for easy viewing. I think that these graphics also might help many of those confused by the plot, as the multi-layer dreams and many characters cause the storyline to seem complex at times.
Inception
Release Date: 2010
Director: Christopher Nolan
Genre: Thriller
Main Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio (as Tom Cobb) Joseph Gordon-Levitt (as Arthur) and Ellen Page (as Ariadne)
IMDB Rating: 9.0
My Rating: 9.8
Length: 142 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: $160million/$823million
The following illustrations do an amazing job of allowing you to visualize the progression of the plot of the film. The graphics might be a little too small to view in their entirety on this page, however, opening it in another tab or page will allow for easy viewing. I think that these graphics also might help many of those confused by the plot, as the multi-layer dreams and many characters cause the storyline to seem complex at times.
Plot: To begin the story, Leonardo DiCaprio's character Tom and his partner Arthur are inside of a man's two-layered dream attempting to steal information for their current employer. The dream starts to fall apart because of both Mal, Tom's deceased wife who appears in Tom's dreams, and the subconscious of the man being stolen from, Mr. Saito. After they leave the dream state, they are captured by Saito who proposes them a job opportunity of inception of a large corporation heir, the planting of an idea in someone's subconscious through dreams. Cobb accepts the proposition on the stipulation that he is granted amnesty to return to the US to live with his children, who were taken from him after his wife's suicide and wrong accusations toward him. Cobb and Arthur then travel to complete their team for the Inception. They hire Cobb's friend Eames, a forger, Yusuf, a chemist, and Ariadne, a prodigy architect. Eames does work forging documents to get the team into places necessary, Yusuf is in charge of the sedatives required for the dream, and Ariadne creates the settings of the dreams. The team practices and builds their skills while planning the process the the job. Throughout the story, Cobb has reoccuring issues with Mal in his dreams, as they had spent much time in dream-states which eventually led to her suicide prior to the present time. The team all creates and/or possesses their totems which are small objects that differentiate reality from dreams. Once the team's plans are in place, Cobb and his associates board a plane with the heir on board as he is going to attend his fathers funeral. Saito joins them to make sure the job is done right. The plan leads the team through 3 levels of dreams, each with a different amount of convincing done to the heir, Fischer, to break up his father's monopoly. Within the three dreams, they run into many obstacles, including Saito getting shot by Fischer's subconscious projections, who chase the team throughout the job, as well as Mal in Cobb's subconscious. Saito ends up dying from his wounds, and Fischer is shot and killed by Mal, thus sending them into limbo. Cobb and Ariadne save Fischer and finish the planting of the idea. The team must all kick out of the dreams to wake up in reality, thus, they form different forms of kicks in the different levels, including a van falling off a bridge and an explosion in an elevator. Cobb stays to find Saito, who has aged in the dream timeframe. Saito and Cobb finally kick back to reality and join the rest of the team on the plane. The team then arrives at the airport, after which Cobb is reunited by his children. However, to test reality, Cobb spins his totem on the dining room table. The top continues to spin as the film ends, but shows some signs of wobbling when Cobb is distracted by his children.
My Synopsis: This film, similar to last weeks, was another mind-blower. After watching it in the theatres for the first time, my mind was almost literally in shock as I walked out of the theatre, it was hard to process all that had happened in the two-plus hours. It was also very difficult to comprehend what was reality and what was not, as the entire film questioned the essence of that situation. I took me a solid month of going over the scenes and plot to actually get a grasp on the extremity of what took place in the film, and watching a second and third time really helped clarify some things that I hadn't understood the first time. The magnitude of the changes in physics and changes in reality during the dreams was incredible, more than mind-boggling. Ariadne's part in the film was instrumental, as her ridiculous architecture-building skills gave the film the special-effects that got it nominated for the Best Motion Picture in the Golden Globes. My only slight issue of the film is the absence of a antagonist, someone in the film that you can truly hate. In many films, that character is irrelevant, but in many of the great films, the villain is the character who truly makes the film. Inception does an excellent job making do without a bad guy to cause problems, but I do think that it would have been that much better with one, as the projections in the dreams do not do much for an antagonist role. I also felt that the individual performances of the actors and actresses were nearly flawless by everyone involved, with standouts being DiCaprio and Ellen Page. DiCaprio is superb in nearly every film he does, Blood Diamond and Shutter Island are two more recent films that he has excelled in. Since her role in Juno, Ellen Page has evolved as a versatile actress that can handle the stress of thriller roles. The poise she presents throughout the film does a great job of balancing DiCaprio's out-of-control character who is more caught up in past regrets than with his present situations. Their conflicting personalities throughout the film end up equalizing most discrepancies. I was impressed with the settings of the dreams, specifically the snow scene. The action in that scene by Tom Hardy's character was superb as well as the location of the base in the snowy mountains. Finally, the closing scenes drew much skepticism and differing opinions. Many critics believed that Cobb's totem of a top that seemed to continue spinning signified that he was still in a dream state, thus meaning that Cobb stayed and was locked in limbo and that he had never left Mal nor returned to reality. This version of the ending seems to be a more realistic ending than the alternative, as Cobb had issues accepting reality after the passing of his wife. However, the only reasoning for Cobb wanting to return to reality was to stay with his children, causing the other version of the ending to seem more logical. Many people think that in this version, Cobb's totem starts to wobble and he sees the faces of the children, both proving that he was actually in reality. Both versions of the ending have their own logicality, and I personally like to take the optimistic road and believe it was the second. The position of the top is the determination of the whole attitude and desire of Cobb's fate, and by leaving it spinning Christopher Nolan allows the audience to determine Tom Cobb's fate themselves.
Decide for yourself, as I have done...
-Jarid Holliday
Bosox World Series Illustration
In the following few posts, I am going to be posting about a couple different illustrations I came across on a site entitled www.flipflopflyin.com/flipflopflyball/index.html. The site has an incredible amount of very interesting illustrations/graphs that are both informative and sick to view.
The following Boston Red Sox Illustration gives a good representation of their teams from 1995 to the present. It also shows the correlation between the World Series winning squad and the rosters in the years that they did not win a world championship. Being a huge Red Sox fan myself (I attended a game in 1999 at Fenway and became hooked, thus I am not a bandwagoner as they were horrible then), it is interesting to see both the familiar and the somewhat forgotten members of my beloved team. Stay tuned for more illustrations pertaining to baseball from the flipflopflyball site, as well as other sports posts in the future.
RED SOX NATION
-Jarid Holliday
The following Boston Red Sox Illustration gives a good representation of their teams from 1995 to the present. It also shows the correlation between the World Series winning squad and the rosters in the years that they did not win a world championship. Being a huge Red Sox fan myself (I attended a game in 1999 at Fenway and became hooked, thus I am not a bandwagoner as they were horrible then), it is interesting to see both the familiar and the somewhat forgotten members of my beloved team. Stay tuned for more illustrations pertaining to baseball from the flipflopflyball site, as well as other sports posts in the future.
RED SOX NATION
-Jarid Holliday
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Malk
Totally random short film from the Julian Smith youtube page. Rather comical:
Going from such a peaceful situation to guns being drawn and threats of suicide makes this short outrageous. My only question is, what does "My hand is like a best friend to you!" even mean?
Next time you ask for mIlk...
-Jarid Holliday
Going from such a peaceful situation to guns being drawn and threats of suicide makes this short outrageous. My only question is, what does "My hand is like a best friend to you!" even mean?
Next time you ask for mIlk...
-Jarid Holliday
Friday, January 21, 2011
Film Minimalist Posters
I came across this site in my browsing, pretty interesting concept of movie posters. It obviously only pertains to you if you have seen the film, but many of them are slightly comical. The 300 and Dumb and Dumber ones are my favorites. The Link is below, along with a few of my own:
Doesn't take much, but it does show the simplicity (or complexity) of a film and it's plot/themes. Sometimes the best way to look at a film is also the simplest.
-Jarid Holliday
Ataque de Pánico! (Panic Attack!) Short Film
Released in 2009 by independent filmmaker Fede Álvarez from Uruguay, Ataque de Pánico! is a science fiction short about an alien robot invasion of a city. The critical response of the short was incredible considering it is only 4:48 in length and was filmed on a $300 budget. With help from Kanye West's blog and widespread media coverage, Álvarez immediately received numerous offers from Hollywood studios including a $30 million offer to direct a full length film. Below is the short film itself:
Next time you have an extra $300 and incredible computer-generated imagary talents, you'll know how to use it...
-Jarid Holliday
Upcoming Film Alert: The Eagle
With the official trailer released over Christmas, The Eagle shows signs of becoming one of 2011's premier Action/Thrillers. Directed by Kevin Macdonald and starring Channing Tatum and Jamie Bell, the February 11th premier will certainly find me anxiously awaiting the opening scene from a comfortable seat in a downtown Lincoln theatre.
Set in 2nd century Britain, the son (Tatum) of the infamous 9th Legion commander goes on an adventure to regain his father's honor and lost Eagle emblem. A good film to watch as a sort of a prequel (though they have different credits) to this upcoming film would be Centurion, an excellent 2010 film directed by Neil Marshall and starring Michael Fassbender. Below is The Eagle's trailer and the IMDB links for the two films.
Set in 2nd century Britain, the son (Tatum) of the infamous 9th Legion commander goes on an adventure to regain his father's honor and lost Eagle emblem. A good film to watch as a sort of a prequel (though they have different credits) to this upcoming film would be Centurion, an excellent 2010 film directed by Neil Marshall and starring Michael Fassbender. Below is The Eagle's trailer and the IMDB links for the two films.
Centurion:
The Eagle:
See you February 11th...
-Jarid Holliday
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Passed Before or During Their Prime
This post dedicated to my father, Tim Johnson, who kept me entranced as a child with stories and statistics similar these. Legends never die.
Regardless of the sport, performance is the number one indicator of an athlete's talent and work ethic. It doesn't matter how good you are when no one is watching, if you can't produce under the pressure of the situation in competition, you are not going to make it to the next level. When it comes to the top levels of any athletic association, Division I collegiate, ametuer, and professional, perfomance determines whether you will be compensated in the form of scholarship, endorsements, and/or income. In professional sports, much of the details of salary contracts hinge on the last year of an athlete's previous contract, thus statistics and reputation play a huge role in the amount of the contract that a player might sign. Often, the largest of those contracts are completed when athletes are going into their prime of their career, that is when the athlete produces the highest statisical seasons of his career. The theme of this post is not specifically players in or moving out of their prime, but those who were just entering or in the middle of those peak years of talent in their life. More specifically it is about those athletes that were tragically taken from that prime, those athletes whose fans never got a true taste of how good they good be, the athletes that never got a chance of etching their names in the record books as legends. I tried to include a variety of sports and time frames for these deceased athletes. This list is in no way comprehensive, there are many that I am sure I am leaving out, but hopefully it gives you a taste of some of the talent that was never fully exposed.
Steve Prefontaine
Birth-Death: Jan. 25, 1951-May 30, 1975
Age of Death: 24
Cause of Death: Automobile Accident
Sport: Track/Cross Country
Team: USA, Oregon Track Club, University of Oregon
Season Prior to Death (1974): Set American records in every race from 2000m to 10,000m
Heart. The single word that described the essence of Steve Prefontaine. His stature was not big at all, his legs were different sizes, but his heart compensated for all of this. Pre had to win, anything less than a win was a disgrace. His running strategy was the same for every race: go as hard as he could, for as long as he could. I would be insane if I excluded Pre from this list, as would any other post. In fact, my respect and admiration for him was prolly the main reason for the creation of this post in the first place. To have accomplished all that he did before even turning twenty-five is what truly drives his legend. In his only Olympic appearance, he led the last mile of the 5k until he was outkicked by three other runners in the final meters, depriving him of a medal. A 10-time NCAA Champion, he won 120 of his 153 races in his career. His quotes became infamous, as were the "Stop Pre" shirts his fans and enemies wore that he made popular. Cocky, arrogant, and purely-confident, he was the original endorser of the young company, Nike. But shortly after his only Olympic appearance, Prefontaine wrecked his car leaving a party and suffocated underneath of it, thus ending the life of one of the top American runner's in history prematurely. To this day, his legend continues in the form of multiple films and literature. His greatest legacy, however, may have been left behind in his words, as he once quoted, "A race is a work of art that people can look at and be affected in as many ways they’re capable of understanding." Pre's running career was truly an art, and more than many were affected by it.
Lyman Bostok
Birth-Death: Nov. 22 1950-Sep. 23, 1978
Age of Death: 27
Cause of Death: Murder
Sport: Baseball
Team: Minnesota Twins/California Angels
2 Seasons Prior to Death (1976): 14 HR, 90 RBI, 16 SB, .336 AVE
Bostock's career in the Majors was short, but in that time he showed the potential that allowed him to sign one of the biggest free agent contracts of the time with the California Angels. His breakout year in 1976 placed him fourth in the league's average leaders and second in 1977 after the best year of his career. Bostock's great character was also shown in the following year when he offered his April salary back to the team and then to charity after the team declined. He didn't feel like he earned it after a rough start to the season. Lyman also donated the first $10,000 of his Angel contract to charity as well. His promising career was cut short after he was murdered by a man who thought Bostock was having an affair with his wife, even though they had met 20 minutes prior to the murder.
Thurman Munson
Birth-Death: June 7, 1947-Aug. 2, 1979
Age of Death: 32
Cause of Death: Aviation Accident
Sport: Baseball
Team: New York Yankees
3 Seasons Prior to Death (1976): 18 HR, 100 RBI, .308 AVE
The heart of the Yankees organization during his 11 year stay with the Yankees, his passing is probably the closest from being out of his prime on this list. However, The Walrus' importance to both the clubhouse and the lineup is what makes his death that much more heartfelt. Beloved by every Yankee fan, respected just the same by others, Munson led his team to 2 World Series Championships out of their three appearances during his time. Munson's consistancy behind plate (127 career errors) and at the plate (5+ years of 10+ HR, 60+ RBI, and .300 BA) led to 3 Gold Gloves, 7 All-Star appearances, an MVP, a Rookie of the Year, and notoriety of one of the best catchers in the league. Munson crashed his private plane after the All-Star break in 1979 that he was practicing take-offs with, and subsequently died due to suffocation. Though 11 seasons into his career, Munson still had some fuel left in the tank for more productive years. That coupled with the his impact to Yankee fans and teammates as well as all of baseball was the reason for the tremendous elation that most felt during the time after his passing.
Nick Adenhart
Birth-Death: Aug. 24, 1986-April 9, 2009
Age of Death: 22
Cause of Death: Automobile Accident
Sport: Baseball
Team: Los Angeles Angels
Season Prior to Death (2008): 1-0 with 4 K
Birth-Death: Oct. 22, 1964-June 7, 1993
Age of Death: 38
Cause of Death: Automobile Accident
Sport: Basketball
Team: Portland Trail Blazers/New Jersey Nets/Yugoslav and Croatian Professional and National teams
Season Prior to Death (1992-93): 22.3 Pts., 3.5 Ast., 2.7 Rbd., and 1.3 Stl.
Birth-Death: Feb. 11, 1967–March 4, 1990
Age of Death: 23
Cause of Death: Heart Condition
Sport: Basketball
Team: University of Southern California/Loyola Marymount University
Season Prior to Death (1988-89): 32.7 Pts. and 13.7 Rbd. (Led NCAA Division I in both catagories)
Possibly the most stunning passing of a player on this list, Gathers was an absolute force during his time at LMU. Leading Division I in points and rebounds for only the second time in NCAA history, Gathers led his fast-tempoed Lions into the record books and to 2 conference titles. LMU still holds the top five highest scoring games in NCAA history. A sure-fire lottery pick upon announcement of plans to join the draft, Gathers seemed nearly invulnerable. But even invulnerability has its weaknesses, and Gather's was his heart. Diagnosed with an abnormal heartbeat, Gather ceased taking his beta blocker medication due to decreased performance. He fainted for the first time during a game on December 9 against UCSB. On Sunday, March 4, 1990, he collapsed again in the first half against Portland, just after scoring on an alley-oop dunk. Upon taken to the hospital, he was pronounced dead soon after, never to dominate the game again nor allowed the chance for an NBA career
Reggie Lewis
Birth-Death: Nov. 21, 1965-July 27, 1993
Age of Death: 27
Cause of Death: Heart Condition
Sport: Basketball
Team: Boston Celtics
Season Prior to Death (1992-93): 20.8 Pts., 4.3 Rbd., and 3.7 Ast.
Similar to the previous the previous basketball player, Hank Gathers, Lewis had previous issues of heart problems during his basketball career. A one-time All-Star for the Celtics, Lewis' number was retired for both the Celtics and his collegiate team, the Northeastern Huskies. A proficient scorer in both college and the NBA, he averaged 18.5, 17.0, 18.7, 20.8, and 20.8 for the Celtics each season after his rookie year and was on his way to becoming one of the top scorers in the league. Lewis collapsed once during playoff game against the Hornets in 1993, so knowledge of his problems with cardiac arrest were already known. During an off-season practice in Massachusetts, Lewis suffered sudden cardiac death and was unable to be revived by the first officer on the scene. Allegations of cocaine use were later disproved to be the cause of his hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. His legacy is relatively unknown, mostly due to his short career and the small size of the university he attended.
Sean Taylor
Birth-Death: April 1, 1983–Nov. 27, 2007
Age of Death: 24
Cause of Death: Burglary-Associated Murder
Sport: Football
Team: Washington Redskins
Season Prior to Death (2007): 5 Interceptions, 1 Forced Fumble, 1 Fumble Recovery, 32 Tackles, and a Pro Bowl appearence.
A 2-time Pro Bowler and a crowd favorite in Washington, Taylor 'saggressive defensive play gave him the nickname Meast: half man, half beast. Named concensus first team All-American his junior season of college for Miami, he entered the draft as the top cornerback and was drafted 5th overall by Washington. Taylor was named the hardest-hitting player in the NFL by Sports Illustrated and was also called the most athletic player that multiple of his coaches had coached. Taylor had good success in the NFL as a free safety compiling 12 career interceptions, 1 forced fumble, 1 recovered fumble, and 244 career tackles, despite have multiple run-ins with the law over alcohol and firearms. The 2007 season, however, was supposed to be Taylor's turnaround year, due to his daughter's birth. On November 26th, Taylor was shot in the leg by burglars in his Palmetto Bay, Florida home. The bullet grazed his femoral artery causing his death the next day in the hospital from the mortal wound. Taylor's death, similar to Adenhart's, caused much publicity due to the increased media coverage now as compared to decades prior. The two deaths are also the most recent to current time. Taylor's number has since been unofficially retired by the Redskins, as they do not do so officially. "[Y]ou play a kid's game for a king's ransom. And if you don't take it serious enough, eventually one day you're going to say, 'Oh, I could have done this, I could have done that, '" Taylor stated months before his death. Taylor's passion and energy he played with proved that he left the game without regrets.
Ernie Davis
Birth-Death: Dec. 14, 1939–May 18, 1963
Age of Death: 23
Cause of Death: Leukemia
Sport: Football
Team: University of Syracuse
Season Prior to Death (1961): Heisman Trophy Winner (Incomplete stats availible for the time period)
Davis, like Gathers, was the top college athlete in his sport in 1961, becoming the first African-American athlete to ever win what is often considered the most prestigious award in sports. Named an All-American twice, MVP of the 1960 Cotton Bowl, and MVP of the 1961 Liberty bowl, Davis acquired the nickname Express for his abilities to avoid defenders, also the name of a 2007 film about his life. After his highly successful collegiate career, Davis was the first pick of the 1962 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins, after which he was subsequently traded to the Cleveland Browns in hopes of him teaming with the legendary Jim Brown as a backfield tandem. However, those hopes never saw reality as Davis was tragically diagnosed with incurable acute monocytic leukemia. Davis passed away the following year in 1963 at Cleveland Lakeside Hospital. Both his Syracuse 44 and his Cleveland 45 were retired after his death.
Pat Tillman
Birth-Death: Nov. 6, 1976–April 22, 2004
Age of Death: 27
Cause of Death: Died in Action
Sport: Football
Team: Arizona Cardinals
2 Seasons Prior to Death: 1 Interception, 2 Forced Fumbles, and 109 tackles
Like baseball greats Ted Williams, Whitey Ford, and Bob Feller, Tillman accepted his call to duty and enlisted in the US Army after the fallout of the Sep. 11th attacks. I chose to post about Tillman last because of the obvious and extreme sacrifice he made for his country. Not that the prior athletes on this list don't deserve respect for their passing, but the possibility of Tillman's subsequent death with his enlistment was all-too real. Tillman's football career was stellar in its short time, including 1 All-Pro selection and career totals of 238 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 3 interceptions for 37 yards, 3 forced fumbles, 2 pass deflections, and 3 fumble recoveries. Money was never a deciding factor for Tillman as he turned down both a $9 million contract offer from the Rams out of loyalty to the Cardinals, and a $3.6 million 3-year contract from Arizona to enlist in the Army. Tillman was shot and killed by friendly fire on April 22, 2004. The cause and cover-up of his death by the US Army was put under serious investigation due to the circumstances. Despite these circumstances following his death, Tillman's loyalty to his game and country were never questioned.
ESPN 30 for 30 series did shows on both Petrovićk, Gathers, and Tillman.
Other athletes that perished and were considered for this list but seemed past their prime or too old: Lou Gehrig, Roberto Clemente, Chris Henry, Dale Earnhardt, and Darryl Kile.
The insensitivity of death coupled with the swiftness of life results in many people's lives left unlived, untapped, and forgotten. "Even the best fall down," Howie Day wrote. You can only hope that when you fall, you gave what you could in the time you could, like these athletes taken from us far too early.
-Jarid Holliday
Regardless of the sport, performance is the number one indicator of an athlete's talent and work ethic. It doesn't matter how good you are when no one is watching, if you can't produce under the pressure of the situation in competition, you are not going to make it to the next level. When it comes to the top levels of any athletic association, Division I collegiate, ametuer, and professional, perfomance determines whether you will be compensated in the form of scholarship, endorsements, and/or income. In professional sports, much of the details of salary contracts hinge on the last year of an athlete's previous contract, thus statistics and reputation play a huge role in the amount of the contract that a player might sign. Often, the largest of those contracts are completed when athletes are going into their prime of their career, that is when the athlete produces the highest statisical seasons of his career. The theme of this post is not specifically players in or moving out of their prime, but those who were just entering or in the middle of those peak years of talent in their life. More specifically it is about those athletes that were tragically taken from that prime, those athletes whose fans never got a true taste of how good they good be, the athletes that never got a chance of etching their names in the record books as legends. I tried to include a variety of sports and time frames for these deceased athletes. This list is in no way comprehensive, there are many that I am sure I am leaving out, but hopefully it gives you a taste of some of the talent that was never fully exposed.
Steve Prefontaine
Age of Death: 24
Cause of Death: Automobile Accident
Sport: Track/Cross Country
Team: USA, Oregon Track Club, University of Oregon
Season Prior to Death (1974): Set American records in every race from 2000m to 10,000m
Heart. The single word that described the essence of Steve Prefontaine. His stature was not big at all, his legs were different sizes, but his heart compensated for all of this. Pre had to win, anything less than a win was a disgrace. His running strategy was the same for every race: go as hard as he could, for as long as he could. I would be insane if I excluded Pre from this list, as would any other post. In fact, my respect and admiration for him was prolly the main reason for the creation of this post in the first place. To have accomplished all that he did before even turning twenty-five is what truly drives his legend. In his only Olympic appearance, he led the last mile of the 5k until he was outkicked by three other runners in the final meters, depriving him of a medal. A 10-time NCAA Champion, he won 120 of his 153 races in his career. His quotes became infamous, as were the "Stop Pre" shirts his fans and enemies wore that he made popular. Cocky, arrogant, and purely-confident, he was the original endorser of the young company, Nike. But shortly after his only Olympic appearance, Prefontaine wrecked his car leaving a party and suffocated underneath of it, thus ending the life of one of the top American runner's in history prematurely. To this day, his legend continues in the form of multiple films and literature. His greatest legacy, however, may have been left behind in his words, as he once quoted, "A race is a work of art that people can look at and be affected in as many ways they’re capable of understanding." Pre's running career was truly an art, and more than many were affected by it.
Lyman Bostok
Birth-Death: Nov. 22 1950-Sep. 23, 1978
Age of Death: 27
Cause of Death: Murder
Sport: Baseball
Team: Minnesota Twins/California Angels
2 Seasons Prior to Death (1976): 14 HR, 90 RBI, 16 SB, .336 AVE
Bostock's career in the Majors was short, but in that time he showed the potential that allowed him to sign one of the biggest free agent contracts of the time with the California Angels. His breakout year in 1976 placed him fourth in the league's average leaders and second in 1977 after the best year of his career. Bostock's great character was also shown in the following year when he offered his April salary back to the team and then to charity after the team declined. He didn't feel like he earned it after a rough start to the season. Lyman also donated the first $10,000 of his Angel contract to charity as well. His promising career was cut short after he was murdered by a man who thought Bostock was having an affair with his wife, even though they had met 20 minutes prior to the murder.
Thurman Munson
Birth-Death: June 7, 1947-Aug. 2, 1979
Age of Death: 32
Cause of Death: Aviation Accident
Sport: Baseball
Team: New York Yankees
3 Seasons Prior to Death (1976): 18 HR, 100 RBI, .308 AVE
The heart of the Yankees organization during his 11 year stay with the Yankees, his passing is probably the closest from being out of his prime on this list. However, The Walrus' importance to both the clubhouse and the lineup is what makes his death that much more heartfelt. Beloved by every Yankee fan, respected just the same by others, Munson led his team to 2 World Series Championships out of their three appearances during his time. Munson's consistancy behind plate (127 career errors) and at the plate (5+ years of 10+ HR, 60+ RBI, and .300 BA) led to 3 Gold Gloves, 7 All-Star appearances, an MVP, a Rookie of the Year, and notoriety of one of the best catchers in the league. Munson crashed his private plane after the All-Star break in 1979 that he was practicing take-offs with, and subsequently died due to suffocation. Though 11 seasons into his career, Munson still had some fuel left in the tank for more productive years. That coupled with the his impact to Yankee fans and teammates as well as all of baseball was the reason for the tremendous elation that most felt during the time after his passing.
Nick Adenhart
Birth-Death: Aug. 24, 1986-April 9, 2009
Age of Death: 22
Cause of Death: Automobile Accident
Sport: Baseball
Team: Los Angeles Angels
Season Prior to Death (2008): 1-0 with 4 K
Adenhart is easily the furthest from his prime on this list, barely having scratched the surface of his potential. One of the top prospects in the Angels system throughout his time in the minors, Adenhart was named the top Angels prospect, 68th best in the Baseball America's 2009 Top 100 Prospects list, and 3 pitcher for the Angels starting rotation in 2009. Sadly, Adenhart never got to particpate in the full season as he was killed in a hit-and-run shortly after his second start. Adenhart's tremendous potential was left untapped due to a drunk driver.
Dražen Petrović
Age of Death: 38
Cause of Death: Automobile Accident
Sport: Basketball
Team: Portland Trail Blazers/New Jersey Nets/Yugoslav and Croatian Professional and National teams
Season Prior to Death (1992-93): 22.3 Pts., 3.5 Ast., 2.7 Rbd., and 1.3 Stl.
One of the most famous European basketball players of all time, Dražen's short NBA failed to tale the full story of his basketball career. Petrović earned two silver medals and a bronze in Olympic basketball, a gold and a bronze in the FIBA World Championships, and a gold and a bronze in the FIBA European Championships. He also won four Euroscar Awards and was named Mr. Europa twice. In 1985 he received the golden badge for best athlete in the nation of Yugoslavia. Dražen made the transition to the NBA in 1989 where he came off the bench for the Portland Trail Blazers. He was then traded to the New Jersey Nets in 1991 and over the next two years averaged 20.6 and 22.3, becoming one of the better shooting guards in the league. On June 7, 1993 after his second season with the Nets, Petrović was involved in an accident on the Autobahn in Germany. He died as a passenger in the back seat of a car that was struck by a semi on rain-soaked roads with poor visibility.
Hank Gathers
Age of Death: 23
Cause of Death: Heart Condition
Sport: Basketball
Team: University of Southern California/Loyola Marymount University
Season Prior to Death (1988-89): 32.7 Pts. and 13.7 Rbd. (Led NCAA Division I in both catagories)
Possibly the most stunning passing of a player on this list, Gathers was an absolute force during his time at LMU. Leading Division I in points and rebounds for only the second time in NCAA history, Gathers led his fast-tempoed Lions into the record books and to 2 conference titles. LMU still holds the top five highest scoring games in NCAA history. A sure-fire lottery pick upon announcement of plans to join the draft, Gathers seemed nearly invulnerable. But even invulnerability has its weaknesses, and Gather's was his heart. Diagnosed with an abnormal heartbeat, Gather ceased taking his beta blocker medication due to decreased performance. He fainted for the first time during a game on December 9 against UCSB. On Sunday, March 4, 1990, he collapsed again in the first half against Portland, just after scoring on an alley-oop dunk. Upon taken to the hospital, he was pronounced dead soon after, never to dominate the game again nor allowed the chance for an NBA career
Reggie Lewis
Birth-Death: Nov. 21, 1965-July 27, 1993
Age of Death: 27
Cause of Death: Heart Condition
Sport: Basketball
Team: Boston Celtics
Season Prior to Death (1992-93): 20.8 Pts., 4.3 Rbd., and 3.7 Ast.
Similar to the previous the previous basketball player, Hank Gathers, Lewis had previous issues of heart problems during his basketball career. A one-time All-Star for the Celtics, Lewis' number was retired for both the Celtics and his collegiate team, the Northeastern Huskies. A proficient scorer in both college and the NBA, he averaged 18.5, 17.0, 18.7, 20.8, and 20.8 for the Celtics each season after his rookie year and was on his way to becoming one of the top scorers in the league. Lewis collapsed once during playoff game against the Hornets in 1993, so knowledge of his problems with cardiac arrest were already known. During an off-season practice in Massachusetts, Lewis suffered sudden cardiac death and was unable to be revived by the first officer on the scene. Allegations of cocaine use were later disproved to be the cause of his hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. His legacy is relatively unknown, mostly due to his short career and the small size of the university he attended.
Sean Taylor
Birth-Death: April 1, 1983–Nov. 27, 2007
Age of Death: 24
Cause of Death: Burglary-Associated Murder
Sport: Football
Team: Washington Redskins
Season Prior to Death (2007): 5 Interceptions, 1 Forced Fumble, 1 Fumble Recovery, 32 Tackles, and a Pro Bowl appearence.
A 2-time Pro Bowler and a crowd favorite in Washington, Taylor 'saggressive defensive play gave him the nickname Meast: half man, half beast. Named concensus first team All-American his junior season of college for Miami, he entered the draft as the top cornerback and was drafted 5th overall by Washington. Taylor was named the hardest-hitting player in the NFL by Sports Illustrated and was also called the most athletic player that multiple of his coaches had coached. Taylor had good success in the NFL as a free safety compiling 12 career interceptions, 1 forced fumble, 1 recovered fumble, and 244 career tackles, despite have multiple run-ins with the law over alcohol and firearms. The 2007 season, however, was supposed to be Taylor's turnaround year, due to his daughter's birth. On November 26th, Taylor was shot in the leg by burglars in his Palmetto Bay, Florida home. The bullet grazed his femoral artery causing his death the next day in the hospital from the mortal wound. Taylor's death, similar to Adenhart's, caused much publicity due to the increased media coverage now as compared to decades prior. The two deaths are also the most recent to current time. Taylor's number has since been unofficially retired by the Redskins, as they do not do so officially. "[Y]ou play a kid's game for a king's ransom. And if you don't take it serious enough, eventually one day you're going to say, 'Oh, I could have done this, I could have done that, '" Taylor stated months before his death. Taylor's passion and energy he played with proved that he left the game without regrets.
Ernie Davis
Age of Death: 23
Cause of Death: Leukemia
Sport: Football
Team: University of Syracuse
Season Prior to Death (1961): Heisman Trophy Winner (Incomplete stats availible for the time period)
Davis, like Gathers, was the top college athlete in his sport in 1961, becoming the first African-American athlete to ever win what is often considered the most prestigious award in sports. Named an All-American twice, MVP of the 1960 Cotton Bowl, and MVP of the 1961 Liberty bowl, Davis acquired the nickname Express for his abilities to avoid defenders, also the name of a 2007 film about his life. After his highly successful collegiate career, Davis was the first pick of the 1962 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins, after which he was subsequently traded to the Cleveland Browns in hopes of him teaming with the legendary Jim Brown as a backfield tandem. However, those hopes never saw reality as Davis was tragically diagnosed with incurable acute monocytic leukemia. Davis passed away the following year in 1963 at Cleveland Lakeside Hospital. Both his Syracuse 44 and his Cleveland 45 were retired after his death.
Pat Tillman
Age of Death: 27
Cause of Death: Died in Action
Sport: Football
Team: Arizona Cardinals
2 Seasons Prior to Death: 1 Interception, 2 Forced Fumbles, and 109 tackles
Like baseball greats Ted Williams, Whitey Ford, and Bob Feller, Tillman accepted his call to duty and enlisted in the US Army after the fallout of the Sep. 11th attacks. I chose to post about Tillman last because of the obvious and extreme sacrifice he made for his country. Not that the prior athletes on this list don't deserve respect for their passing, but the possibility of Tillman's subsequent death with his enlistment was all-too real. Tillman's football career was stellar in its short time, including 1 All-Pro selection and career totals of 238 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 3 interceptions for 37 yards, 3 forced fumbles, 2 pass deflections, and 3 fumble recoveries. Money was never a deciding factor for Tillman as he turned down both a $9 million contract offer from the Rams out of loyalty to the Cardinals, and a $3.6 million 3-year contract from Arizona to enlist in the Army. Tillman was shot and killed by friendly fire on April 22, 2004. The cause and cover-up of his death by the US Army was put under serious investigation due to the circumstances. Despite these circumstances following his death, Tillman's loyalty to his game and country were never questioned.
ESPN 30 for 30 series did shows on both Petrovićk, Gathers, and Tillman.
Other athletes that perished and were considered for this list but seemed past their prime or too old: Lou Gehrig, Roberto Clemente, Chris Henry, Dale Earnhardt, and Darryl Kile.
The insensitivity of death coupled with the swiftness of life results in many people's lives left unlived, untapped, and forgotten. "Even the best fall down," Howie Day wrote. You can only hope that when you fall, you gave what you could in the time you could, like these athletes taken from us far too early.
-Jarid Holliday
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