Posted by Greg on Jun 27, 2013 in
Op-Ed Being a Central Florida resident, it’s near impossible to escape the George Zimmerman trial. With a low volume of work on my plate this week, I’ve found myself glued to the George Zimmerman trial. I am not proud of this statistic, but sadly it has been much of what I’ve watched since Monday. To be fair, I’m a Jack Bauer Republican who firmly supports the right to bear arms and defense. That being written, I still feel like we have a gun-crazy culture and that far too many people wield weapons that shouldn’t. Moreover, I’m a devoted pacifist and cannot ever fathom picking up a concealed weapon. Read more…
Posted by Greg on Mar 14, 2013 in
Music,
Op-Ed I was pretty disappointed to learn that last week American Idol advanced the mediocre Paul Jolley and failed to advance Elijah Liu, but I am esteemed by the enormous amount of female talent. In many ways this is a big year for American Idol. A female hasn’t won since Jordin Sparks and the most talented finalist hasn’t won since Jordin’s year as well. Read more…
Posted by Greg on Feb 26, 2013 in
Music Someone tell me whose idea it was to give this guy the chance to create a solo record. Good grief. City By The Sea is Vinnie Caruana’s debut solo effort and if these are the best six songs he can muster, then quite frankly, maybe I Am the Avalanche was a better career choice. The EP does have its charms. Album closer “Kingwood” has a jaunty organ, “Boy, You’re in Heaven” is string-laden, while “City By The Sea” has some luminescent piano work. For those that like singalongs, there’s a couple of those too. Read more…
Posted by Greg on Feb 13, 2013 in
Music For the last half-decade, many have told me to listen to said British band. Being the curmudgeon that I am, I refused. I figured I’d go to the band on my own when I felt ready. As it happens, their new album Holy Fire was sent over and so I decided to listen. I guess now I felt ready (whatever that means). So, three listens. Time for a verdict.
All I can say right now is over-freaking-rated. Read more…
Posted by Greg on Feb 9, 2013 in
Movies Leave it to provocateur Steven Soderbergh to muck up a potentially tremendous film. Side Effects, the latest from the director of Traffic, Haywire and countless others, takes a potentially convincing story and railroads it to pieces. How exactly the film has gotten such rave reviews befuddles me. Read more…
Posted by Greg on Jan 21, 2013 in
Op-Ed Dwight Howard was ejected last night during the Lakers loss. The team is now so far removed from playoff contention, they will have to pull off a miracle to make the playoffs. As an Orlando resident, no one is happier about this than me and the rest of my fellow Orlando residents. Howard’s ongoing soap opera about wanting an exodus from Orlando was tiring and a distraction. While he’s a tremendous loss, it’s far nicer to see a team of harmonious, team-driven athletes trying to overachieve and prove people wrong. Read more…
Posted by Greg on Jan 21, 2013 in
Op-Ed The real tragedy –– or oversight ––– in the Manti Teo girlfriend hoax is that people are losing sight of what really happened here. A college student got mixed up in something online ––– whether complicit or victim ––– and let it get away from him. Whether this means he’s pathological, detached from reality or something far more sinister, the sad reality is, he really is just a kid. In his apology this weekend he wrote that he was afraid to admit to his father that the relationship was fake because he was worried his father would end it. Whether this is all a big hoot and the farthest thing from the truth, it reminds us that college football players really are just kids. While it’s easy to lose sight of this, given how much we glorify them on Saturdays and during the bowl post-season, these really are just youthful adolescents just beginning to enter their formative years. Read more…
Posted by Greg on Jan 14, 2013 in
Movies Golden Globe Thoughts
Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz was easily the best part of Django Unchained and if you ask me, he’s one of the best actors around. So any time he gets hardware, I’m a happy dude.
Actress in TV Show: Maggie Smith in Downton Abbey. An amazing TV show and an awesome actress. Definitely happy she won. To be fair, of all the nominees, its the only show I was intimately familiar with.
Best Miniseries/TV Movie: Game Change winning is fine, but Hatfields and McCoys most definitely deserved it. Jay Roach is a great director when he wants to be serious, and when he wants to really bring it.
Read more…
Posted by Greg on Jan 13, 2013 in
Uncategorized Saw the much-ballyhooed David O. Russell film The Silver Linings Playbook last night and came away quite impressed. Though it is a romance at heart, there’s tons of charm here without being saccharine and over-the-top (i.e. Nicholas Sparks). As much a romance as it is a familial drama, there’s a zest in each of the lead actors (Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper) as well as the supporting cast (Robert DeNiro, Jacki Weaver, Chris Tucker, et. al). I haven’t seen romantic chemistry as strong or as realistic as Lawrence and Cooper in this film. Russell has certainly continued his recent hot streak and seems to be coming into his own as a filmmaker. Between this and The Fighter, he has made two monstrous, character-driven films that are absolutely worth seeing. If anything, the film makes me more interested in Matthew Quick’s book.
Posted by Greg on Dec 2, 2012 in
Music Once upon a time country music was brimming with young female stars who could belt and wore their country roots proudly on their sleeve (read: Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, Tammy Wynette). These days that reality feels quite distant. Contemporary country queen Carrie Underwood, who vaulted into the limelight courtesy of American Idol, began her career with earnest, prairie-inspired fare (”Jesus Take the Wheel,” “All-American Girl,” “Some Hearts”). But these days those chart-toppers seem like a distant memory. Case in point, her latest disc Blown Away. Read more…