2008 MLB Playoff Predictions!

October is rolling around, and my Chicago Cubs are looking great. Those bats are about to start cracking, gloves will start popping, and those fastballs are going to smell as sweet as ever. Oh yeah, my little Bill Walton is cheering inside. Just switch out Wrigley for Berkley.

Though I am a National League based fan, I will make predictions for the American League as well. Also, I will do it because I want to.

NOTE: This is a movie based blog, but I'm making an exception.

American League Playoffs

Angels v Red Sox=Red Sox (in 5 games)

Can you smell the bloodbath brewing between these two? I can, and it's going to get nasty. The Red Sox, are who they are, and that's a powerhouse. The Angels are good as well, but the Red Sox are the red demons of baseball, and they are out to collect.

Rays v Twins=Rays (in 3 games)

The Twins are no match for a fully fueled Rays team, and that's an understatement. The Twins will be making the playoff's by the skin of their teeth, and once again, that's an understatement. Look for these two teams to have a short meeting in the playoffs.

National League Playoffs

Cubs v Dodgers=Cubs (in 4 games)

The Dodgers lineup will kill themselves. The pitching from both sides will be playoff caliber, and that's what the series will depend on. Don't expect the Dodgers to put up a fight against the best starting rotation in baseball, case in point: Dempster, Zambrano, Harden. The Cubs will hold it down on offense, scoring an average of four runs per game to keep it in check.

Phillies v Brewers=Phillies (in 3 games)

The Phillies are out for blood againts the Brewers, who's pitching is horrifying, except for Sabbathia. Even C.C. can only pitch a game at a time, and they'll still be riding him until his arm falls off anyways.

Paul Newman: The Legend

Yes, I have fond memories of Mr. Newman. The Hustler, Hud, Cool Hand Luke, The Color of Money, all of which ring eternal in my conscience. Even when I was young, I could feel the palpable sense of legend in his work. There was no actor more enjoyable. Paul Newman makes his case for the best actor ever, and when I say that, people would shout, "Marlon Brando is the best!" Well, you're right as rain. Marlon Brando called acting something simple, "Acting is just men acting like little kids". Paul Newman took that to a whole new level.

There is no competition for his performance in The Hustler, his air of cool in, The Color of Money. The list goes on. The Academy Awards left him unrecognized, until his late performance in The Color of Money. Same thing happened to Sir Sean Connery, who didn't receive one of his own until The Untouchables.

No matter what, Newman was also one of the most likeable guys around. His performances didn't aim to shake you, or make some air of impact finger printed on your soul, it was something much better then that. He was an entertainer, plain and simple. It's largely inconcievable to imagine a world of movies, without Paul Newman. A titan of his time, and a legend for the ages, his work is something all can enjoy.

The Best of 2007 (I know it's 08' but I couldn't help it)

No Country For Old Men
Try watching this, and not be entertained. The Coen Brothers sure know how to make the screen show some crazy things. Evil personified, Truth inhabited, Greed truthfully shown. No other movie has the shock value of this. Check out the confrontation between Chigurh and the store owner to see what I mean.
The Savages
Phillip Seymour Hoffman, and Laura Linney clash in a simple movie, about a simple situation, with an unusual outcome. I can't help but smile, when watching these two portray the real world, in "real" ways. I've never seen such a realistic portrayel of siblings, or real life occurances then in this movie. It's not "the" best, but it's quite the movie. Three times over.
There Will Be Blood
Anyone ever watch an actor, not act, but "be" something? Daniel Day Lewis twists the definition of acting, and turns it on it's head. All other actors should be ashamed to call themselves the term, if they watch this movie. Daniel Day Lewis inhabits his role, with a blood curdling ferocity that'll shake you to your core. The story ain't bad either.
The Assassination of Jesse James By the Coward Robert Ford
The most original film to come out last year, by far. Unlike No Country For Old Men, Gone Baby Gone, There Will Be Blood, those movies had some wells of knowledge to extract from. While techincally this film was adapted from a book by Ron Hansen, this film had a style, bite, and grit all it's own. Watch Casey Afflecks frightened, yet realistic dialogue with Brad Pitt in the rocking chair scene, and you'll find the stuff of legend. Brad Pitt, yeah let's face it, is one of the best out there. Fight Club proved it, and this proves it.
Michael Clayton
George Clooney is shockingly one of the best Hollywood has to offer, and here's why. Check out anything he's done, and you'll see his own identity in films like Michael Clayton. This man was meant to stand among titans, in all areas of moviemaking. Good Night and Good Luck, Michael Clayton, Burn After Reading, all of which compliment his areas of expertise, and that's being the best.
Gone Baby Gone
I can't help but love those films with the moral dilemma displayed as it's centerpiece. Dennis Lehane penned the novel, and also wrote, Mystic River. I can't help but watch it, and love every minute of it. There's a deep, dark realism to everything this movie touches, and it infects you with enough dark resemblences of the world around you. Watch it, and it will shake you, because of how real it is.
Sweeeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Johnny Depp lives on a street named, "Weird" and "Odd" in terms of his film choices. From Ed Wood, to Corpse Bride, to Pirates of the Caribbean, to Sweeney Todd. No matter the role, Johnny Depp seems to flesh it out to fit his persona. I was enthralled by this musical masterpiece, and a tragedy mirroring the best of any I've ever seen.
Once
There's a spot in my heart for originality, no matter how raw, or refined it is. This film is a great example of untamed, unwrapped talent. Simplicity is personified, and displays itself in a way that offers a gift of music to one, and a deadbeat for others. I was unabashedly grateful for this movie, a present in it's own right.

Bangkok Dangerous: The Death of Nicholas Cage's Career

Have you ever seen a Nicholas Cage movie? I have, I've seen a lot of them. And let me tell you, I've begun to wonder why this individual has a career. He's had a long list of mediocre, and forgettable films. Now I know what you're thinking, "Well there are plenty of bad actors who have jobs?" And that would be correct. But, this guy's movies...the few that make any money (National Treasure) are kids flicks. There's a saying, "No man is an island". Now that is correct, there's another one too, "No man can survive on kid flicks."

So when a man like Cage, takes roles like these...in films like these...and doesn't even do a reputable job in them...I want to know who's paying him and why. Exactly those words, WHO and WHY?

I've seen his one, only decent flick, and that's Leaving Las Vegas. His performance is memorable, and could be the only reason studio heads are ok'ing him to star, and hopefully grab some attention in their movies. Cage can't even do that. Word on the street is, Cage's real name is Nicolas Coppola. Ha! Seems like he didn't want to bring any shame to that family of prestigous filmakers (Francis Ford Coppola, and Sophia Coppola).

Who knows whay this guy's future is, but I hope it's something respectfull.