by Logan Butts | Feb 23, 2013 | News Slider, Opinion
With his new film Snitch, director Ric Roman Waugh takes a well-worn film plot (family man goes out of his way to do whatever he can for his distressed family member) and adds something that is rarely seen in these types of movies: a little heart. On most occasions in this sub-genre of film, the violence outnumbers the heart tenfold, which I have no problem with. Sometimes, it’s great to walk into a film like Taken knowing exactly what you are going to get — nonstop action and little else. However, when a movie attempts to break the boundaries of its genre and turn the usual tropes upside down, I will applaud it. Now, don’t get me wrong. Snitch was not some sort of game-changing film for the “father-vigilante” genre that has been going strong since the seventies. I don’t even know if I would recommend the film due to its clichéd dialogue and unexciting action sequences, but it did try something different. I have to give credit where credit is due. After his son (newcomer Rafi Gavron) is arrested for distributing drugs and sentenced to ten years in prison, John Matthews (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson) is forced to strike a deal that involves him going undercover to infiltrate a drug cartel. Johnson finally seems to be accepting the tough guy persona that was thrust upon him when he broke into acting, as this is one of many recent outings in the action genre after a string of family-friendly movies. What brings Snitch an unusually present heart for its genre is the cast. It is a slow building movie with dialogue...
by Logan Butts | Nov 9, 2012 | Opinion, Sports
The 2012 NFL season has already provided for more truly memorable moments than entire seasons have in the past. Due in large part to the presence of the mostly incompetent ‘replacements refs’ through the league’s brief referee lockout, the first half of the season has been equal parts enthralling and chaotic. There have been overtimes, converted onside kicks, last-second ‘Hail Mary’s, controversial calls and even a sequel to the ‘Music City Miracle’ – all of that coming from the Titans 44-41 victory over the Lions during week three. A brawl almost broke out in the Rams-Redskins game. The Panthers have been running the option with Cam Newton. If Bill Belichick had ripped off his sleeveless hoodie to reveal a Patriots uniform underneath and caught a game-winning touchdown pass from Ton Brady, I would not have been the least-bit surprised. Not only were the games extremely entertaining, but the storylines were as intriguing as ever. Peyton Manning has reclaimed his spot on the league’s Mount Rushmore of quarterbacks, while rookie Robert Griffin III is making a case for his inclusion. The two pre-season Super Bowl favorites, the Packers and the Patriots, did not have a winning record through week six. The presumably lowly Cardinals were undefeated going into their fifth game. The ‘Bountygate’ punishments handed out to the winless Saints have proven to be worse than the experts previously thought. On top of all that, SportsCenter has barely mentioned New York Jets QB Tim Tebow for the last few weeks, which has to be some sort of record. To celebrate the madness that has occurred throughout the first half of the...
by Logan Butts | Oct 26, 2012 | Opinion, Sports
For the decade after Michael Jordan’s last game in a Bulls jersey, the NBA went through constantly declining ratings, a lack of stars, boring playoff games, a referee fixing scandal and a number of other problems. However, the last few years have seen a return to form for the NBA. Some experts are even claiming that the NBA is now on par with the golden age of the late ‘80s/early ‘90s (or at least getting close). This season looks to be a continuation of that trend with more interesting storylines, competitive teams and talented players than the league has seen since that golden era. Eastern Conference 1. Miami Heat: Who else? After LeBron James finally played to his full potential and figured out how to effectively balance the main scorer and facilitator roles, the results were devastating. They added sharpshooters Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis to the offense in the off-season to bolster their star-studded roster. Also, a healthy Dwyane Wade will be key. 2. Boston Celtics: Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett are not getting any younger, but luckily for the Celtics, Rajon Rondo went into full superstar mode during last year’s conference finals against the Heat. The Celtics will need more of that if they want to get past the Heat this year. 3. Indiana Pacers: The Pacers are just about as deep as anyone in the league, but the NBA is a league of stars, and who is going to take that role on this team? Danny Granger? Roy Hibbert? Somebody has to. 4. New York Knicks: They have possibly the best pure scorer in Carmelo Anthony...
