Entertainment

Batman: The Dark Knight Rises was directed by Christopher Nolan and was released on July 20, 2012.

This movie follows the main character Bruce Wayne, (played by Christian Bale), and his job of protecting Gotham against Bane, (played by Tom Hardy).

In the opening scenes of the movie, it appears as Bane is abducting nuclear physicist Dr. Leonid Pavel from a CIA aircraft. This movie is now set 8 years in the future since Harvey Dent’s death in Batman: The Dark Knight with Batman being nowhere to be seen. Due to the Dent Act expanding powers to the police, crime has been eradicated in Gotham which has helped with Batman disappearing.

Bane attacks the Gotham Stock Exchange by using Bruce's fingerprints in a series of transactions that leaves Bruce bankrupt. After 8 years of hiding, Batman resurfaces only to find out that the police force would rather chase after him instead of one of Bane’s henchmen. While trying to rebuild Batman’s image to Gotham, Bruce also has to try and rebuild Bruce Wayne’s image in Gotham as now he is being pictured as a broke loser due to Bane.

How will Bruce Wayne/Batman respond to all of this? When will Bane strike next?

I would recommend this movie to those who have seen the first 2 movies and like superheroes. I would rate this movie a 4.2 out 5.

Batman: The Dark Knight was directed by Christopher Nolan and was released on July 18, 2008.

This movie follows the main character Bruce Wayne, (played by Christian Bale), and his job of being the vigilante Batman.

This movie starts out with a gang of criminals rob a bank in Gotham City which was planned by the Joker, (played by Heath Ledger). While robbing the bank, each member of the gang was told to kill one of the other gang members so that they would get a higher share of the money. Long behold, Joker was one of the members to rob the bank and was able to keep all of the money for himself.

Batman, Lieutenant Jim Gordon, (played by Gary Oldman), and Harvey Dent, (played by Aaron Eckhart), form an alliance to get rid of all organized crime in Gotham City. Harvey Dent is Gotham’s, Gotham’s district attorney, comes up with a plan to put away the entire mob if only Batman can help him get Mr. Lau, (played by Sun Feung), who is the mob’s corrupt accountant. After tracking down Lau in China, Batman brought Lau back to Gotham to testify leading to Dent being able to apprehend every mobster.

How will Joker strike next? Will Batman ever be able to catch the Joker?

I would recommend this movie to those who like high action and superhero movies. I would rate this movie a 4.5 out 5.

I would like to start this off by congratulating Patrick Beverly for talking the most trash of anyone I’ve ever seen to the team that sent him home. Still talking while sitting at home while your team blew three 20 point leads, which we’ll get to later, along with the fact that you are celebrating winning a play-in game like you came back 3-1 just offers an unimaginable amount of embarrassment. So I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate you on winning your own personal championship!

Moving on, the Timberwolves had a much needed successful season. Anthony Edwards looked like the future star that he is, and Karl Anthony Towns actually looked like a center everyone wanted on their team. I personally did not expect the Timberwolves to make the playoffs and they went out and took the Grizzlies to 6 games. This was a very successful season and Timberwolves fans should be at least satisfied with the fact that they have a future.

Although I said the season was successful, the Timberwolves should have won the series against the Grizzlies. If you don’t think so, just look at the games. The Timberwolves, in three of their losses, blew 26, 20, and 13 point leads. All of these leads came late in the second half, which equates to the Timberwolves having one of the biggest meltdowns in NBA playoff history.

The Timberwolves had a successful yet disappointing season. I don’t know how they made this possible, but if there was one team that made their fans happy yet wondering what is wrong with their franchise, it is the Timberwolves. Due to the successful season, but historic meltdown, I would like to give the Timberwolves a rating of 3.4 out of 5.

Batman Begins was directed by Christopher Nolan and was released on June 15, 2005.

This movie follows the main character Bruce Wayne, (played by Christian Bale), and his story of how he became Batman.

The beginning of this movie starts off with Bruce Wayne as a little kid in Gotham City with his parents Thomas and Martha Wayne. While leaving the opera one night, a mugger by the name of Joe Chill ran up on the Waynes and murders Bruce’s parents. Fourteen years later after killing Thomas and Martha Wayne, Chill has been let out of jail on parole for testifying against mafia boss Carmine Falcone, (played by Tom Wilkinson).

After finding out the news of his parents murder walking the streets, Bruce decides he is going to avenge his parents but as he goes to kill Chill, one of Falcone’s assisstants does it first. After confronting Falcone, who tells him that real power comes from being feared, Bruce spends the next seven years traveling the world training in combat and becoming well known in the criminal underworld. While at a Bhutan prison, Bruce meets Henri Ducard, (played by Liam Neeson), who recruits Wayne to the League of Shadows led by Ra’s al Ghul.

I would recommend this movie to anyone who likes superheroes and fantasies. I would rate this movie a 4.2 out of 5.

My favorite baseball team. Unfortunately for me it is full of absolute disappointment. Because we are the Cincinnati Reds, and can’t be happy for too long, we get rid of any superstar that comes through our town (except for Joey Votto for some reason). Every year, we are the absolute disappointment of baseball, underachieving even with low standards.

The Reds have not won a championship since the 1990 season. Since then, they have made the playoffs 4 other times, and have not since 2013. Last season they went 83-79, which was a successful season, but missed the postseason. It was the most electric baseball team, with Joey Votto, Nick Castellanos, and Jesse Winker leading the team. The starting pitching was great, but whenever the bullpen entered the game, you expected the lead to be blown. The Reds were on the verge of making the wildcard, but after a disappointing losing streak to end the season, they missed the chance at a championship.

After this season the Reds decided to get rid of any decent player on their team in the off season, leaving Reds fans in absolute dismay. Eugenio Suarez, Jesse Winker, and starting pitcher Sonny Gray were all traded. Nick Castellanos was lost in free agency, and the Reds looked to be heading towards the laughingstock of the league once more.

With the season starting, I had absolutely no expectations for this team. We surprisingly won the opening game of the year, along with one more game in a series against the Braves, which left the Reds at 2-1. Since then, a 10 game losing streak has been compiled, in which the Reds are playing so bad, it looks on purpose. They did not have a lead for 8 days during such a losing streak, in which they finally broke with a home run by Tommy Pham in the first inning. The lead lasted 8 minutes total.

All in all the Reds are a disappointment and might not win another game in the long 162 game season it stands. In reality, the Reds might win 60 games if they are lucky, as this team is just sad. With the awful off season, and showing thus far, I am going to have to rate the Reds a 1 out of 5.

The Adam Project was directed by Shawn Levy and was released on March 9, 2022.

This movie follows the main character Adam Reed, (played by Ryan Reynolds), and his journey of finding his wife through the use of time travel.

Adam Reed is a fighter pilot in the year 2050. Reed steals a time jet so that he could time travel back to the year 2018 in hope of finding his wife. Before being able to reach 2018, Reed accidentally crash-lands in 2022, where Reed meets his 12-year-old self, (played by Walker Scobell).

After finally repairing the time jet, older Reed explains to younger Reed that he is on a mission to find their wife before being interrupted by Maya Sorian, the leader of the dystopian society in 2050. While being apprehended by Sorian, both Adams are saved by their wife Laura, (played by Zoe Saldana), who reveals that she escaped an assassination attempt and that is why she had to go into hiding. Laura explains that Sorian had given herself control of time travel and the only way to stop her was for older Adam to travel back to 2018 and destroy time travel.

Will Adam travel back in time and destroy all of his dad’s hard work? Will Sorian be able to stop them?

I would recommend this movie to those who like sci-fi. I would rate this movie a 3.8 out of 5.

The Blind Side was directed by John Lee Hancock and was released on November 20, 2009.

This movie is based on a true story and follows the main character Michael Oher, (played by Quinton Aaron), and his journey of becoming 1st round NFL draft pick.

Michael Oher grew up jumping from multiple foster homes as his mother was a major drug addict. While Oher was sleeping at a friend's house, the father of the friend decided to ask Burt Cotton, the football coach at Wingate Christian School, to help enroll his son and Michael. Impressed by Michael’s size and athleticism, Cotton gets him enrolled despite his poor academic record. After being enrolled, Michael befriend’s Sean Tuohy Jr or SJ, (played by Jae Head).

SJ’s mother Leigh Anne, (played by Sandra Bullock), discovers that Michael has been sleeping outside the closed school gym. After coming to this discovery, Leigh Anne offers to let Michael sleep on their living room couch. Slowly after days of coming to family events and helping the Tuohy family, Leigh Anne decides to finally talk to Michael’s biological mother about adopting Michael.

Will Michael be able to change his life around? How will the change of scenery affect Michael?

I would recommend this movie to those who like football and heartfelt stories. I would rate this movie a 4.3 out 5.

The Duke Blue Devils are always one of the most over hyped teams in basketball. They had the chance to live up to the expectations this year, but once again, just like every other year, they fell short.

Coach K, is one of the best coaches in college basketball history, and for his farewell tour his team allowed him to go out with a loss to his most hated school. The North Carolina Tar Heels handed Duke a loss in his last home game, and his last game. They made it all the way to the Final Four, just to reach an immeasurable amount of disappointment in the loss. Duke, full of top talent, apparently is allergic to making free throws down the stretch. Instead of continuing their dancing into the national championship, Duke had to watch their rival, and fellow blue blood school fight it out.

Paolo Banchero is a projected top 3 pick, and potential number 1 pick in the NBA draft next year. So tell me why he cannot make a free throw down the stretch of any basketball game. Everyone talks about how “great” he is, but whenever I watch he never seems to be able to make a shot down the stretch. I watched this Duke team, including Paolo, falter offensively to end the game against my favorite team, The Ohio State Buckeyes. If you cannot score against Ohio State, then you are an absolutely despicable team.

As fans were left in yet another pool of their own tears, they had to watch the reason for their success walk away after 49 years of coaching. They are forced to welcome in a new coach, and hope for yet another great coach and great recruiter. Duke basketball still has a great recruiting class, so this will just be the start of another 30 years of disappointing basketball for them. Top talent coming through a top school in the NCAA, for yet another lackluster team to top them.

Due to Duke’s Final Four run and somehow bright future without Coach K, I would give them a 4.4 out of 5. However, they lost to Ohio State this year, so they are going to automatically be brought down to a 3.7 out of 5.

The Batman was directed by Matt Reeves and was released on March 8, 2022.

This movie follows the main character Bruce Wayne, (played by Robert Pattison), and how he has operated as the vigilante Batman.

On Halloween night, Gotham City mayor Don Mitchell Jr. is murdered by a man calling himself the Riddler. Batman investigates the murder alongside the Gotham City Police Department (GCPD). Also at the crime scene is lieutenant James “Jim” Gordon, (played by Jeffrey Wright), who discovers a message that the Riddler left for Batman.

Moments after discovering the message, the Riddler kills commissioner Pete Savage while also leaving another message for Batman. Gordon and Batman discover a thumb drive that the Riddler left in Mitchell’s car containing images of Mitchell with a woman, Annika Koslov, at the Iceberg Lounge. After questioning the nightclubs owner the Penguin, (played by Colin Farrell), Batman notices Selina Key, (played by Zoe Kravitz), who was roommates with Annika.

Will Batman and Gordon be able to question Annika? When will the Riddler strike next?

I would recommend this movie to people who want to see a dark turn on an already dark superhero. I would rate this movie a 4.9 out 5.

Cinderella. This simple term named after a fairy tail describes a team that makes a deep run into the March Madness NCAA tournament. Not just any team, an underdog, a team that everyone is captured by as they beat all of the best teams in basketball. This is especially true this year for the biggest Cinderella team of all time, the St. Peter’s Peacocks.

Led by head coach Shaheen Holloway, the Peacocks were able to win their conference title, despite not being the favorites to win the conference. A team that had only made the NCAA tournament three other times in existence was dancing into the tournament. This looked to be short lived, as they were given a 15 seed, and had to play Kentucky. This seemed like a death sentence to the Peacock’s season, as they had to face the blue blood and the national player of the year.

Instead of laying down, the Peacocks not only kept the game competitive, but became the 11th 15 seed to ever win in the NCAA tournament, as they took down Kentucky. David had slain Goliath, but they were not finished, as they went on to beat Murray State in the next round, and finally made history by beating Purdue in the sweet sixteen. The Peacocks had made the elite eight, and they were the first 15 seed to ever be in this position. They ultimately fell short against North Carolina, but they had left a lasting impact on the history of college basketball.

As fans we were left with mustache mania from Doug Edert, a scrappy team with little funding that was doing the impossible, and the thought that maybe it was possible for this little school to go all the way. It captured everyone's heart and attention, as everyone became a Peacock fan for a short time. They were able to change history and keep their season alive for a few more weeks. However, because of all these incentives, they lost their head coach to his alma mater, Seton Hall.

For this season I would like to give the St. Peter’s Peacocks a 5 out 5, as they are the only team in the country that had everyone on their side.

Interstellar was directed by Christopher Nolan and was released on October 26, 2014.

This movie follows the main character Cooper, (played by Matthew McConaughey), and his journey in space as he tries to save the human race.

The year is 2067, shortage of crops and dust storms threaten human survival on Earth. Cooper, a former Nasa pilot, is a farmer that grows corn with his son Tom and his daughter Murph. After a dust storm, Cooper deduces a pattern in the dust on Murph’s bedroom floor that were caused by gravity variations and that they represent geographic coordinates.

Cooper follows the coordinates to a secret Nasa facility headed by Professor John Brand, (played by Michael Caine). Professor Brand has two plans on keeping the human race alive. The first plan is developing an anti-gravitational propulsion theory to propel settlements into space, while Plan B involves launching the Endurance spacecraft carrying 5,000 frozen human embryos to settle a habitable planet.

Will Cooper be able to find a habitable planet? How much more time do humans have on Earth?

I would recommend this movie to people who like science fiction and want to learn more about space. I would rate this movie a 4.8 out 5.

The Longest Yard was directed by Peter Segal and was released on May 27, 2005.

This movie follows the main character Paul Crewe, (played by Adam Sandler), and his life after the NFL now that he is in jail.

Paul Crewe is a former NFL quarterback who was accused of shaving points. Crewe was placed on Federal probation for five years. One night while at a party, Crewe was drinking and decided to go out for a joyride which would eventually lead to a police chase and a car crash. Crewe has his probation revoked and is sentenced to three years in prison.

Warden Rudolph Hazen, (played by James Cromwell), used his influence and contacts to make sure that Crewe would be transferred into his prison. Hazen wished to use Crewe as a coach for a football team composed of prison guards hoping that it boosts his reputation for future elections as State Governor.

Will Crewe take Hazen’s offer? How would this team do against an NFL team?

I would recommend this movie to people who like movies with football. I would rate this movie a 4.2 out of 5.

War Dogs was directed by Todd Phillips and was released on August 19, 2016.

This movie is based on a true story and follows the two main characters David Packouz, (played by Miles Teller), and Efraim Diveroli, (played by Jonah Hill), and their journey of selling guns.

David Packouz is a massage therapist in Miami, Florida with a pregnant wife. Packouz spent all of his life savings on high-quality bed sheets to resell to retirement homes. After running into his old friend Efraim Diveroli, Packouz’s life changes dramatically.

Diveroli is an arms dealer that sells guns to the US government for the ongoing war in Iraq. Diveroli asks Packouz to join him in building a company called AEY Inc.. After starting the business and bidding on military equipment that the US military asked for, Packouz realized how much danger this can put them in.

Will Packouz be able to get out of the company before it goes bad? What will happen to Diveroli if the company does collapse?

I would recommend this movie to people who like learning about how the military gets their guns. I would rate this movie 4.5 out 5.

The Frozen Ground was directed by Scott Walker and was released on August 23, 2013.

This movie is based on a true story and follows the two main characters Sgt. Jack Halcombe, (played by Nicolas Cage), and Robert Hansen, (played by John Cusack).

Robert Hansen was an American serial killer who would abduct women and then would rape them. After raping his victims, Hansen would release them into the wilderness and would hun them down like they were prey. Hansen killed 17 women, while also raping 31.

Sgt. Jack Holcombe was called to Alaska to investigate a female body that was found in a bush, half eaten by bears. After investigating the body and finding out about all the other females that have already been killed, Holcombe has a suspension about Hansen. Unfortunately for Holcombe, he has a very difficult time assembling a case due to the evidence being circumstantial.

Will Holcombe ever be able to catch Hansen? How will Holcombe prove that it is Hansen?

I would recommend this movie to people who like learning about serial killers and how they did their killing. I would rate this movie a 4 out of 5.

I have no words to describe this season. You could call it a success because of the outcome of making the playoffs, or you can call it a failure for getting embarrassed by every good team they faced. The Eagles did not beat a single playoff team this year throughout their entire season. Beating up on the weak opponents allowed them to slip into the playoffs, just to be exposed for the frauds that they were.

Jalen Hurts cannot be a good NFL quarterback. He is a glorified running back, as he led his team in rushing yards, and he cannot throw an accurate pass to save his life. Not one time have I sat back and said, “wow this was a good pass” when watching Jalen Hurts play football. He is genuinely one of the most painful quarterbacks to watch in the league. The only thing that I can thank him for is garbage time fantasy points, which he would consistently get as his team was always losing. If Hurts could actually go through his progressions, and throw an accurate ball past 10 yards down the field, he might actually be a serviceable quarterback.

While Jalen Hurts certainly is not the greatest quarterback, his wide receivers did not give him much help. DeVonta Smith is the only capable receiver (and Hurts still didn’t want to throw him the ball), and this is completely due to a pathetic front office. The Eagles gave away their legendary tight end Zack Ertz earlier this year, virtually for nothing, and kept Dallas Goedert. Goedert is a good tight end so this wasn’t the worst move in the world, but this doesn’t take away from one of the worst front offices in football.

I had to make the drafting choices in its own section. The Eagles have three first round picks that they will certainly waste this year. Just look at the past year's drafts and you will understand exactly what I am talking about. Jalen Reagor getting picked one spot ahead of Justin Jefferson might be one of the most boneheaded moves in NFL history. Justin Jefferson has made the pro bowl team in his first two seasons and been well over 1000 yards in both of his NFL seasons. Reagor struggles to even catch a football. This pick was so bad that the Vikings front office literally laughed when Reagor was picked over Jefferson. They also picked JJ Arcega-Whiteside, who doesn’t play, over a number of receivers. To list a few: DK Metcalf, Diontae Johnson, Terry McLaurin, and Hunter Renfrow. All these receivers are leagues ahead of Whiteside. These two picks are just the surface of terrible decisions by the Eagles front office.

If it wasn’t for a Super Bowl victory in the last 10 years, the Eagles would be one of the most miserable franchises in sports right now. However, they were able to lift up the Lombardi, so this will give them a few extra points. I will rate the Eagles a 2.4 out of 5.

Home Team was directed by Charles and Daniel Kinnae and was released on January 28, 2022.

This movie is based on a true story that follows the main character Sean Payton, (played by Kevin James), and the story about how Payton continued on with his life after being suspended.

The year is 2012, Sean Payton and the New Orleans Saints are still one of the top teams in the NFL after winning the Super Bowl just two years ago. Unfortunately for the Saints, their head coach Sean Payton has just been suspended for the 2012 season for his involvement in Bountygate. Bountygate was a scandal that involved players being paid “bounties” for injuring opposing players.

After receiving his suspension from the NFL commissioner, Payton decided to coach his 12-year-old son’s Pop Warner football team. During this time, Payton would realize how much time he has lost with this family while he coaches the New Orleans Saints.

Will Payton ever be the Super Bowl winning coach again? How will this suspension affect his future in the NFL?

I would recommend this movie to people who like football and want to learn more about the Bountygate scandal. I would rate this movie a 3.6 out of 5.

There is no way to kindly put it, the Green Bay Packers are the most disappointing franchise in football. Year after year the Packers put on a show in the regular season, just for them to go into the playoffs and lose prematurely. It is a sorry sight to see, but at the same time, Packers fans will forever be humbled because of this. Seeing Packers fans on the verge of tears, after rubbing in how good they are all year, brings a smile to my face.

The Packers finished the regular season with 13 wins, but ended the season with a loss to the Lions. This didn’t seem like a big deal at the time, as it was the last week of the season, but it was foreshadowing what was to come. The Packers took this loss into the postseason, and decided to top it. They lost to the 6th seed 49ers, after being the one seed themselves, all because of terrible special teams. Putting 10 people on the field with your season on the line might be the fastest way to get fired, yet, the Packers decided this was the best way to try and block the field goal to win the game. They were unsuccessful of course.

Aaron Rodgers once again shows how great he is, in the regular season. He will win his second straight MVP, which would be such an impressive feat, if he could win a single playoff game. Since winning the Super Bowl in 2010, Aaron Rodgers has 0 appearances in the big game, along with four losses in the NFC championship game. Rodgers had the chance to show how great he was by leading his team to a championship this year, and possibly re-enter his name in the G.O.A.T. conversation, but he put an end to that in its entirety. The only successful thing Rodgers was able to do this year was avoid going 0-5 in the NFC championship game (which of course was done by losing earlier).

There isn’t much else to say about the Packers. They had a great defense, great offense, but fell short because of their awful special teams play. Scoring 10 points is still unacceptable in an elimination game, but with good special teams the Packers would have seen themselves back in Lambeau the next week. Every person that has to do with running special teams needs to be fired, along with some rearrangement on the special teams units. Never would I have thought such a great team be ended by incompetence, but I was proven wrong.

With Aaron Rodgers’s future now in jeopardy this very well may have been the Packers last chance at a Super Bowl for a long time. Unless Jordan Love is another hall of fame quarterback waiting for his turn (which I am really hoping isn’t the case), the Packers aren’t going to be contenders for a few years. This will lead me to lower their rating, however there are still few holes on the team for the moment. With a lackluster future awaiting them, I will give the Packers a rating of 3.5 out of 5.

The Social Network was directed by David Fincher and was released on October 1, 2010.

This movie is based on a true story that follows the main character Mark Zuckerberg, (played by Jesse Eisenberg), and the creation of the famous social media platform Facebook.

After being dumped by his girlfriend, Zuckerberg returned to his dorm and wrote an insulting post on his LiveJournal blog. Zuckerberg would end up being given six months of academic probation after crashing parts of Havard’s computer network with his new campus website called Facemash. With Facemash’s popularity, Zuckerberg is approached by twins Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss about working on Harvard connection, a social network exclusive to Harvard students and is aimed at dating.

After learning about the Havard connection, Zuckerberg approaches his friend Eduardo Saverin, (played by Andrew Garfield), with an idea of Facebook. Facebook is a social network website that is exclusive to Ivy league students. After finding out about Facebook, the Winklevoss twins are enraged, believing that Zuckerberg stole their idea while misleading them by stalling the development of the Havard connection website.

Will the Winklevoss twins sue Zuckerberg? How will Zuckerberg and Saverin continue to build Facebook?

I would recommend this movie to people who like drama and want to learn how Facebook came to life. I would rate this movie a 4.6 out of 5.

How bout dem boys. The Dallas Cowboys finish off yet another season just how everyone predicted, except for their fans of course, with disappointment.

The Cowboys were able to exceed my expectation and win their division, however, this was completely overshadowed by the annoyance of their very own fan base. The fan base of the Dallas Cowboys is what makes me so overjoyed to write about how awful they are. While the obnoxious Cowboys fans said it was their year (Which they’ve said for the last decade), everyone else waited for their impending loss in the wildcard.

The Cowboys success can be seen when their quarterback is able to play at the level he’s paid at, which so happens to be 40 million dollars a year. This is not often against a winning team, and is most common against his own division. While Dak Prescott is able to beat up on his division foes, he is just incapable of playing quarterback in the big games. Losses to the Chiefs, 49ers, and a beat up Cardinals team just prove my point when it comes to Dak’s mediocrity in big games.

To me the most prevalent issue on this team is at running back. As an Ohio State fan it hurts to say it, but Tony Pollard is just better than Ezekiel Elliot. He runs harder, breaks off the big runs, and just looks faster. Elliot has had his successful seasons, and games, when he rushes behind one of the best offensive lines in football. However, when he is running behind just a middle of the line group, he has just been anything but good.

Now the elephant of the room when it comes to the Cowboys, Trevon Diggs. Diggs is an elite ball hawk, however, he lacks skills when it comes to prevention in yards. While Diggs’s 11 interceptions (first in the NFL) is an impressive feat, the over 1000 yards allowed in coverage (last in the NFL), just kills the stat for me. When a player is this hit or miss it just gives an unreliable factor on the defense. Dallas could not stop the opposing offense when it mattered most, and this led to the eventual defeat in the Wildcard.

I will end this by talking about coaching. Running a quarterback draw with 14 seconds left and no timeouts to end the season is poetic. The absolute dumpster fire of penalties, poor play calling, and horrific clock management finally caught up to the Cowboys. I am convinced that anyone that has played Madden in the past has better clock management than Mike McCarthy.

I would rate the Cowboys a 2.5/5, but due to their obnoxious fans, who constantly over-hype their team, and an owner with no recollection of a successful season, I give them a rating of 1 out of 5.

An ending to yet another pitiful season in Cleveland. This is something that the fans of the Cleveland Browns are used to. The Browns got to see their season end week 17 of the NFL regular season when the Bengals went out and beat the Chiefs. This all but eliminated the Browns from the playoffs, which would later be solidified with a loss to the Steelers in Heinz field.

Still, despite not making the playoffs, the Browns had a chance to knock out the division rival Steelers. Instead, they decided not to run the ball with Nick Chubb (who was averaging over 6 yards a carry in the game), but to pass with Baker Mayfield. Mayfield once again showed us how mediocre he is, starting 1/11 with an interception. If this wasn’t painful enough to watch, the Browns took tanking to another level by taking out Nick Chubb with 8 minutes left in the first half.

This common theme of misplaying Nick Chubb was apparent throughout the season. The amount of times my friends and I all have said “Is Nick Chubb hurt?” is astounding. I physically cannot handle watching this football team for an entire season every year for the rest of my life. The team is reminiscent of watching Defiance football play Saint Marys, which is by all means a sad sight.

While watching yet another team, that made the playoffs, sit their starters against the Browns last week, Browns fans were once again reminded that two good things in a row cannot happen. The Browns, who made the playoffs last year, only improved their roster, but got worse on the field. Watching Baker Mayfield try and throw an accurate pass had Browns fans absolutely hornswoggled. This Browns team is almost trying to assemble the team with the most disappointment in all of football. They are trying to send their fans into cardiac arrest while they try to put together a team full of players with potential that is going to be used on another team.

This Browns team reminds me so much of the past it’s sad. The only difference is there is an actual future in Cleveland. The Browns have drafted well in the past 5 years, despite this they have still found failure. However, if the Browns coaching decides to keep their superstar running back in the games next year, while giving him the ball, they have hope. So from one Browns fan speaking for the entire fanbase, we plead you to give Nick Chubb the ball next year.

Due to being used to disappointment, and the future alone, I am going to give the Browns a rating of 1.5/5.

Don’t Look Up was directed by Adam Mckay and was released on December 5, 2021.

This movie follows the main character Dr. Randall Mindy, (played by Leonardo Dicaprio), and his goal of showing the world his life-threatening discovery.

One night Dr. Mindy and his student Kate Dibiasky, (played by Jennifer Lawrence), made a discovery of a comet that is orbiting inside Earth’s solar system. After finding the comet, they both made a quick realization that the comet would eventually hit Earth in a couple of months. This is a huge problem especially when half of the people that you decide to tell do not care.

Once Dr. Mindy and Kate told President Orlean, (played by Meryl Streep), about the comet, she was all about making sure the comet would not hit Earth. But after Peter Isherwell, (played by Mark Rylance), told the President that there were very expensive minerals on the comet that could make the U.S. millions of dollars, she decided to downplay the comet by using it in her campaign while rerunning for President. President Orlean used the slogan “Don’t look up” while Dr. Mindy was going onto the news talking about the comet.

How will Dr. Mindy and Kate prove the comet is real? Will the world finally believe?

I would recommend this movie to people that like movies that keep you on your toes. I would rate this movie at 4.3 out of 5

American Underdog was directed by Andrew Erwin and was released on December 25, 2021.

This movie is based on a true story that follows the main character Kurt Warner, (played by Zachary Levi), and his journey of making his dream come true by making the NFL.

As a kid, Warner always wanted to be a NFL quarterback as he would watch his hero Joe Montana win a Super Bowl. Warner would end up being the starting quarterback for his college team the Northern Iowa Panthers. He would go undrafted in 1994 before being picked up by the Green Bay Packers just to be cut the very next day.

After not making it to the NFL, Warner went back to Iowa and became a stock boy at a grocery store. Kurt and his soon to be wife Brenda Meoni, (played by Anna Paquin), were at their lowest after going bankrupt and having to move back in with Kurt’s mother. Warner would finally decide to accept a job to be the quarterback for the Iowa Barnstormers in the Arena Football League.

Will Warner ever make it to the NFL? Will Brenda continue to support Kurt throughout this hard journey?

I would recommend this movie to people that love football and an underdog story. I would rate this movie a 4.8 out of 5.

Elf was directed by Jon Favreau and was released on November 7, 2003.

This movie follows the main character Buddy, (played by Will Ferrell), and his goal to reconnect with his birth father Walter Hobbs, (played by James Cann).

As a baby, Buddy was an orphan that was able to crawl his way into Santa’s sack and ended up being taken back to the North Pole. Buddy grows up thinking that he is an elf, but after many years he comes to the realization that he is a human being.

Once finding out that his father Walter is on the naughty list, Buddy makes it his goal to go to New York and help him be taken off the naughty list. While at work, Walter is confronted by Buddy about how he is his son. Walter mistakes him as a Christmas-gram messenger and has him removed from the building.

How will Buddy bring the Christmas spirit back into his fathers life? Will Walter ever believe Buddy?

I would recommend this movie to people who like Christmas movies. I would rate this movie a 4.8 out 5.

The Browns once again seem to be finding the best way to disappoint an entire fanbase.

Going into the season the browns were seen as a lock for the NFL playoffs. Now they would be lucky to even make it as the seven seed. They are struggling to score the ball and this is due to the lack of offense and defense when it really matters.

You have to wonder how the Browns, with the best running back duo in football, don’t run the ball late in games. In their last game against the Ravens, Nick Chubb (who was third in the NFL in rushing yards) got eight carries in a Sunday night football game. Against a division rival! The frustration is just mounting within the fanbase and the general manager's office.

They constantly decide to throw with a quarterback that is hurt and decide to play through injury after injury. Not only is this just ignorant, but it is hurting the team as well. Loss after loss because of bad throws and decision making put the Browns at 6-6.

Not just this, but when the offense does show up, the defense seems to play like Defiance’s very own high school football team. The Browns score 42 and still find a way to lose a game against the Chargers (who scored 47), along with losing a game against the Patriots 45-7.

Even special teams have decided games, a prime example is when the punter dropped a snap that would lead to Kansas City’s game winning touchdown.

Just a reminder Jamie Gillan (the Browns punter) makes 1,765,000 dollars this year.

Now with Morgan’s Mention I do ratings, so I am going to rate my favorite football team an astounding 1.3 out of 5.

The Polar Express was directed by Robert Zemeckis and was released on October 30, 2004.

This movie follows the main character Hero Boy, (played by Tom Hanks), and the rest of the kid’s journey to the North Pole by taking the Polar Express.

On Christmas Eve, Hero Boy decides to get on this magical train called the Polar Express that’s heading to the North Pole. All the kids on board are very excited to tell Santa Claus what gifts they want for Christmas this year.

While on their trip to the North Pole, there are many events that take place on the Polar Express. Some of these events cause the train to stop like when a herd of caribou are blocking the tracks or when a frozen lake was covering the tracks so they had to make it to the other side of the lake before the ice decides to break.

Will the Polar Express be able to make it to the North Pole on time? What will the kids ask Santa Claus for Christmas?

I would recommend this movie to people who like Christmas movies. I would rate this movie a 4.5 out 5.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay (Part 2) was directed by Francis Lawrence and was released on November 20, 2015.

This movie follows the main character Katniss Everdeen, (played by Jennifer Lawrence), and her continuous journey to take down the Capitol.

After rescuing Peeta and Johanna from the Capitol, Katniss has realized that things are not the same with Peeta since the last time she saw him during the Quarter Quell. Peeta has been tricked by the Capitol into believing that Katniss and District 13 are the enemies.

After Katniss and the Star Squad make their way into the Capitol, many of the members of the squad are killed by booby-trapped pods placed around the Capitol. Katniss and Gale decide to infiltrate President Snow's mansion but are recognized by some Peacekeepers.

Will Katniss be able to bring back peace to Panem? How will she do it?

I would recommend this movie to people that like fighting and movies with strategy. I would rate this movie 3.4 out of 5.

Zodiac was directed by David Fincher and was released on March 2nd, 2007.

The movie follows reporters Robert Graysmith (played by Jake Gyllenhaal) and Paul Avery (played by Robert Downey Jr.) along with detectives David Toschi (played by Mark Ruffalo) and William Armstrong (played by Anthony Edwards).

This star studded movie follows these characters getting obsessed with the zodiac killer and finding out his true identity.

This movie is not like other serial killer movies, as it does not follow the killer much. The first hour of the movie reenacts the killer’s brutal crimes, but after this hour the killer is just in the background. Instead, the movie goes into great detail on the procedures used to attempt to find the zodiac.

The obsession of the crimes from Robert Graysmith was the best part of the movie in my opinion. Jake Gyllenhaal does a fantastic job at making the character seem as though he is slowly slipping into this obsessive state. He constantly becomes so obsessed with the killer that he loses himself in the case.

This movie is great if you want to see both the side of the killer and the police officers. Like mentioned before, it goes into great detail on how the police went about looking for the Zodiac Killer. All in all I would rate the movie a 4.4 out of 5.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay (Part 1) was directed by Francis Lawrence and was released on November 21, 2014.

This movie follows the main character Katniss Everdeen, (played by Jennifer Lawrence), and what has happened to Panem after the Quarter Quell.

After the crazy events that happened at the end of the games in the last movie, Katniss is being taken back to District 13 with Finnick Odair, (played by Sam Claflin), where she is told that Peeta was captured by the Capitol.

With the news of Peeta being captured, Katniss agrees to become the Mockingjay and help show the other districts hope. Alma Coin, (played by Julianne Moore), is the President of District 13 and she is planning to start a rebellion against the Capitol by trying to make the Districts join each other.

Will Katniss be able to save Peeta? How will the Capitol respond to District 13 and the rebellion?

I would recommend this movie to people that like fighting and movies with strategy. I would rate this movie 3.5 out of 5.

Moneyball was directed by Bennett Miller and was released on September 19th, 2011.

This movie follows Billy Beane (played by Brad Pitt) who is the general manager of the Oakland Athletics. Billy is faced with the lowest salary budget in baseball and needs to find a way to compete for a world series.

Billy figures out that baseball’s traditional methods are all wrong, and teams up with Peter Brand (played by Jonah Hill) to reinvent the way they play baseball. The two use analytics to construct a cheap team that is still able to compete.

Their strategy is to get people who get on base. It didn’t matter if this was from a hit, walk, error, or hit by pitch, if they could get on base they could get a spot on the team.

The movie has aged very well as more and more baseball teams use analytics to build their rosters. Moneyball is one of my favorites, as it keeps the audience interested while still staying on script. All in all I would rate the movie a 4.8/5.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire was directed by Francis Lawrence and was released on November 20, 2013.

This movie follows the main character Katniss Everdeen, (played by Jennifer Lawrence), and what her life is like after winning the games.

A year after winning the games with her partner Peeta Mallark, the two victors must go on a Victor’s Tour. During the tour the other districts start to riot as they are the first two to win the games in the same year.

After the tour the Capitol announced the 75th Hunger Games being a Quarter Quell. The tributes in the Quarter Quell will be previous victors of the games. As Katniss is the only previous female victor for District 12, she will compete in the games with Peeta.

What will happen in the games to make it a Quarter Quell? Will Katniss and Peeta be able to win again?

I would recommend this movie to people that like fighting and a little bit of romance. I would rate this movie 3.7 out of 5.

Titanic was directed by James Cameron and was released December 19th, 1997.

This movie follows Jack (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) and Rose (played by Kate Winslet). They are supposedly two very different people, Rose being a rich girl, and Jack being the poor boy. However, they quickly find out that they have much more in common than they could ever imagine.

Jack and Rose spend more and more time together on the Titanic and even run away together to hide on the boat at one point. Rose plans to run off with Jack until the boat struck an iceberg.

As the ship sank, Jack and Rose try to make their way out of the depths of the ship while undergoing numerous difficulties. While they survive the initial crash, Jack is “unable to fit on the door” that Rose lays on top of to survive the freezing waters.

All in all the movie is a great movie. However, to me it was much too long, I found myself checking over and over how much time was left in the movie. I would give the movie a 3.5 out of 5, but I can’t get over the fact that there was room on the door for Jack.

Due to this, I give the movie a 2.5 out of 5.

The Hunger Games was directed by Gary Ross and was released on March 23, 2012.

This movie follows the main character Katniss Everdeen (played by Jennifer Lawrence), and how she volunteered as tribute for The Hunger Games.

This movie takes place in a dystopian future in a nation named Panem. Panem is divided into 12 districts and the Capitol. Every year a male and female representative between the ages 12 and 18 are picked to participate in the games.

Katniss is 16 years old with a sister, Prim Everdeen (played by Willow Shields), who is 12 years old. When the day of the Reaping came, Prim was chosen as the female representative for District 12. Katniss volunteered to take her spot and joined the male representative, Peeta Mellark (played by Josh Hutcherson), as the two representatives from District 12.

Will Katniss and Peeta be able to make it out of the games? How will they do it?

I would recommend this movie to people that like fighting and movies with strategies. I would rate this movie a 3.8 out of 5.

American Murder: The Family Next Door: Reviewed by: Nolan Morgan Published 10/29/21

American Murder: The Family Next Door is a true crime documentary directed by Jenny Popplewell and was released September 30th, 2020.

This documentary follows the Chris Watts case, which took the nation by storm in 2018. Chris Watts was a father of two kids, who were named Bella (4) and Cece (3). He was also the husband of Shannan Watts.

Chris Watts murdered both of his kids, along with his wife, with seemingly no reason. Reasoning including a marriage falling apart, Chris’s parents not liking his wife, or even an unknown affair, this documentary goes into detail on what possibly could have driven Chris into committing this heinous act.

The documentary gives not just possible closure to the crime, but it allows you to see the events leading up to the murder unfold. If you are a fan of true crime, this documentary is a perfect watch.

I would rate this documentary a 4.3 out of 5.

Hacksaw Ridge was directed by Mel Gibson and was released on November 4, 2016

This movie is based on a true story that follows the main character, Desmond Doss (played by Andrew Garfield), and his journey to receiving the Medal of Honor.

Desmond Doss was awarded the Medal of Honor at the Battle of Okinawa for his incredible bravery and regard for his fellow soldiers. Doss’s religious views and his anti-killing stance had many questioning why he was in the military.

Doss enlisted into the military to be a medic, but was put into the battlefield where he insisted not to use a weapon. Doss was reported to save approximately 75 men.

How will doss save all those men without a gun? Was Doss able to save them all?

I would recommend this movie to people that like learning about war and the sacrifices the soldiers have to make. I would rate this movie a 4.5 out of 5

The Guilty was directed by Antoine Fuqua and was released on September 24, 2021.

This movie follows the main character of Joe Baylor (played by Jake Gyllenhaal), and how he has to figure out a way to find a missing mom.

The movie takes place over the course of a single morning in a 911 dispatch call center. Call operator Joe Baylor receives a call from a mother that is in grave danger.

Baylor does everything in his power to gain information about the mothers kidnapper and how he will help save her.

Will Baylor be able to save the mother before the kidnapper kills her? What will he do to save her?

I would recommend this movie to people that like mystery. I would rate this movie a 4 out of 5.

Morgan’s Mention

Fear Street Part 3: 1666 Reviewed by: Nolan Morgan Published: 10/1/21

Fear Street Part 3: 1666 was directed by Leigh Janiak and was released July 8th, 2021.

The movie is back to covering Leena, her brother Josh, and adult Ziggy.

Fear Street ended part two by showing Deena being thrown back into 1666. This is actually her reliving what happened to Sarah Fier.

Deena learns the truth behind the “Fier curse” and what is really causing the murders in Shadyside. With the newly found truth, Deena, Josh, and Ziggy have to avoid all the past Shadyside killers in order to stop the curse.

They come up with a plan and set up shop in the Shadyside mall. Can they stop the curse, or will they become just another crazy Shadyside killer?

This movie is entertaining from the beginning to the end. You finally get your questions from the first two movies answered at the beginning, which then sets up the conclusion of the movie.

I would end up rating this movie a 4.1 out of 5.

American Sniper was directed by Clint Eastwood and was released on December 25, 2014.

This movie is based on a true story that follows the main character, Chris Kyle (played by Bradley Cooper), and his journey to becoming an American hero.

Chris Kyle was nothing more than a Texas man who dreamt of becoming a cowboy. In his mid thirties Kyle came to the realization that his life needed something different, something where he could express his real talent.

Kyle joined the S.E.A.L.s in order to become a sniper. After marrying Taya (played by Sienna Miller), Kyle and some other members of the team are called for their first tour in Iraq.

How will Kyle perform in his first tour? Will he make it back home safely to Taya?

I would recommend this movie to people that like learning about war. I would rate this movie a 3.9 out of 5

Fear Street Part 2: 1978 was directed by Leigh Janiak and was released July 8th, 2021.

The movie covers Ziggy Berman (played by Sadie Sink), her sister Cindy Berman (played by Emily Rudd), and the rest of the campers at camp Nightwing.

Fear Street opens with Ziggy Berman getting accused of stealing and being a witch, which leads to her being hung by a rope and getting burnt. This leads Ziggy to go see Nurse Lane, who is the mother of previous Shadyside killer Ruby Lane.

Cindy Berman and Tommy Slater were cleaning the mess hall, but while doing so Nurse Lane attacked Tommy saying “he was going to die tonight.”

Cindy and Tommy go to the infirmary to investigate what made Nurse Lane go crazy. While there they run into Cindy’s old friend Alice and her boyfriend Arnie. They find a diary with a map of the camp, which shows them where Sarah Fier’s old house.

They decide to head there, where Cindy and Alice find Tommy’s name written on a stone with all the other Shadyside killers' names. Just as they find this, Tommy snaps and starts to go on a rampage.

With another Shadyside killer on the loose, Cindy has to find her sister and get out of the camp while avoiding getting killed.

This movie was much better than the first, it seemed more put together and well rounded. I would rate this movie a 4.5 out of 5.

Greater was directed by David L. Hunt and was released August 26, 2016.

The movie is a true story that follows the main character, Brandon Burlsworth (played by Christopher Severio), and his dream of playing for the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Brandon Burlslworth was considered too short and too fat to play Division 1 football. Undiscouraged, Burlsworth took a big risk and walked on at Arkansas in 1994.

Burlsworth worked harder than anybody, on and off the field, and by doing this he was able to earn a scholarship from the Razorbacks.

Will Burlsworth be able to start for the Razorbacks? Will Burlsworth make it to the NFL?

I would recommend this movie to people that like a feel good story and football. I would rate this movie a 4.1 out of 5.

Invincible was directed by Ericson Core and was released on August 25th, 2006.

This movie follows the main character of Vince Papale (played by Mark Wahlberg), and his chance of making a roster in the NFL.

Vince Papale is a lifelong Philadelphia Eagles fan, unfortunately for him, the last few years have ended as disappointment for the Eagles. This leads the Eagles to bring in a new coaching staff, including head coach Dick Vermeil.

Coach Vermeil decides to have open tryouts, where anybody can show up and try to make the team for the Eagles. Vince reluctantly goes to the tryouts and gets invited back to training camp.

Will Vince be able to make the roster for an NFL football team? Or will he fall short to the other more qualified and experienced athletes around him?

This movie gives off feel good vibes, along with giving you a sense of unknowing throughout the movie. All in all I would rate this movie a 3.4 out of 5.

Catch Me If You Can was directed by Steven Speilburg and was released December 25th, 2002.

The movie follows the main character, Frank Abaignale Jr. (played by Leonardo Dicaprio), and his endeavours of living a fraudulent life.

Frank is a young man that is able to steal millions of dollars using forged checks. While doing this, he is able to successfully impersonate an airline pilot, a doctor, a lawyer, and various other clever disguises.

Abaignale Jr. is being chased by FBI agent Carl Hanratty (played by Tom Hanks). Hanratty is constantly tricked and outsmarted by Abaignale Jr., but he has the law and a relentless attitude on his side.

The movie does a phenomenal job at giving the viewing audience memorable scenes, fantastic performances, and a nail biting plot.

All in all I would recommend this movie to anyone that has a Netflix subscription. I would rate this movie a 4.8 out of 5.

Fear Street was directed by Leigh Janiak and was released on June 28th, 2021.

The movie covers the main character, Deena (played by Kiana Madeira), her brother Josh, her friends Kate and Simon, and her ex girlfriend Sam.

Fear Street opens with a massacre at the Shadyside mall, which ignites yet another feud between the town of Shadyside and Sunnyside. Shadyside was full of crime, while Sunnysdie hasn’t had a violent crime in 30 years.

Every year the two sides (Sunnyside and Shadyside) have a football game. However, this year was a little different.

Before the game, there was a module for a former student who fell victim to the massacre. Words were exchanged, and a fight broke out. After the fight, angered and enraged, people from the Sunnyside team, including Sam, chased down the Shadyside bus.

They crashed and as Sam crawled out of the car, she touched the witches burial ground. Sam gets the Fier curse after disturbing her burial ground.

The crew of Deena, Josh, Kate, Simon, and Sam have to try and help Sam survive the curse, while surviving themselves.

This movie does a great job of providing an entertaining story and gets you involved with the characters. I would rate this movie a 3.6 out of 5.