CALEB RAVES REVIEWS "WRESTLEMANIA 31"

Last Looks

I know I'm a nerd but I have always been a huge professional wrestling fan. I don't care if its fake its real to me damn it! Really I think there is a great amount of athleticism and  performance capabilities to this grappling art and I have a great deal of respect for sports entertainment. It's Wrestlemania season but for some reason it feels like Christmas in July. The special aura for the showcase of the immortals has just not been there this year. Mostly due to a lackluster build with rare appearances from part time talent who will be in main events this year has prohibited this Wrestlemania from being must see. There are matches I really want to enjoy such as Sting vs HHH and Taker vs Wyatt, but honestly up until Brock Lesnar broke the news he had signed a new contract earlier last week I wasn't excited to see the World Heavyweight Championship match. I knew it had been predetermined that Roman Reigns was winning this match since last years Wrestlemania and WWE had went all in on trying to put Reigns over and making him the next face of the company. I am a huge Reigns fan and think he has the "It Factor" but creative has not done him any favors by shoving him down our throats and writing him awful fairy tale promos. Now with the news of Lesnar's new contract it at least puts the doubt in our minds that Reigns is actually going to lose. A lot of different scenarios and I'm pretty much ready for anything at this point. Lets get Ready to Rumble!

Ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship
Wade Barrett vs Dolph Ziggler vs Luke Harper vs Daniel Bryan vs R Truth vs Dean Ambrose vs Stardust

The spot fest we all thought it would be. I hope that with all of the participants going after the belt it adds some prestige to the title. Even though I wanted Bryan in the main event I think it was the right call giving him the title because I think WWE would have lost the the crowd had they not done so. Its crazy how much the reaction of Bryan dictates so much of the story lines. I think Bryan having the belt will add instant credibility to a championship that was once very prominent.
Winner- Daniel Bryan 

Style Points

Stardust's jacket

Wade Barrett bull hammering every one

Ziggler with the zig zag off the ladder

Luke Harper powerbombs Dean Ambrose through a ladder

Ziggler and Bryan headbutting each other to finish. 

Rollins vs Orton 

Good match and everything I expected from two stellar workers. Orton has been my favorite wrestler for some time now and even though I think he is a better heel he can tween and be face if needed. The only issue I had was I felt Rollins should have won. This Wrestlemania had newcomers vs veterans and I thought if one of the younger guys were to win it should have been Rollins being that he had the MITB briefcase and should be booked very strong. Still solid match between the two.
Winner-Randy Orton

Style Points 

Orton double ddt off the apron on the floor to J and J security

Rollins moonsault to the outside

Orton with a rope ddt to Rollins

Rollins attempts a curb stomp and jumps 10 feet in the air and Orton counters to an RKO 

Nose Candy

"The greats make it look easy"

Sting Vs HHH

This match stole the show and to me was the best of the night. Some may say it was too gimmicky but who cares. Thats the special aspect only sports entertainment can provide and did so to perfection. It was everything you could imagine. I marked out when DX and NWO faced off. Sometimes you just need two big names and the rest will take care of itself. I hope this is not Sting's last match because he worked at a very high rate and can still go. A classic match between two legends. I didn't like the handshake at the end because I don't think the chapter in this rivalry is over and HHH had to use the sledgehammer but outside of that this was pretty much a perfect match
Winner HHH

Style Points

Sting's awesome drum entrance 

The fact Sting didn't wear a T-shirt

HHH terminator entrance was awesome the bromance between Hunter and Arnold Schwarzenegger lately is kind of strange  

Sting with a cross body on DX from the top rope

Nwo and Dx face off

The HBK superkick was great!

Unanswered Questions
How did DX win full custody of Xpac? 

Nose Candy 

"You can go down with the ship but nobody remembers the name of the captain of the Titanic"

Backstage Promo

This was great to see. Legendary Intercontinental champs chanting yes with Daniel Bryan. This was a little cheesy but the geek in me was chanting too. Like I mentioned earlier having Bryan with the title adds instant  credibility.

Paige and Aj vs the Bella twins

Give divas a chance has sparked a change in the way the women have been booked for the past few weeks. I'm glad to see the ladies get a chance to show what they can do on the grandest stage. This was a pretty good match it was a little short but I think they told a good story in the amount of time they were given. I know the Bellas get a bad rap for just being reality show stars but they have greatly improved and Nicki I think deserves the title because of how over she has gotten as a heel and she can work a quality match. Great outing from these 4 gals!
Winners -Paige and Aj

Style Points 

Vertical suplex from the Bella twins on Paige

Paige flip off the apron

Nice black widow by Aj for the the win

Nose Candy 

"Two great individuals always beat a good team"-JBL

"The Bellas have been twins for most of their lives"- JBL

Rusev vs John Cena

Wow Lana is gorgeous. My WWE crush never looked better. Ok now that I got that out of the way very good match here. Cena does so good at performing in front of hostile crowds. Its become "cool" to sing John Cena sucks during his entrance. Cena has always been a favorite of mine and has so many high profile matches to prove he does not suck. Really great outing from him and lets not leave Rusev out as he showed up big time too and displayed he can hang with a big star in a high profile match. I agree with Cena winning even though it is a risk to ruin an up and coming star. But this will help Rusev in character development as this was the first time he was pinned and can stop utilizing the "Im the big bad evil undefeated russian" character. Now we can see what Rusev can do without those elements and gain a lot more depth. As for Cena similar to the Intercontinental title I hope he adds relevance to the US championship.
Winner-Cena.....but Rusev still has Lana so technically  he never loses. 

Style Points

Rusev on the tank

John Cena sucks being sung by the crowd 

Rusev rollover suplex 

Lets go Lana chants

Rusev jumping knee.

Rusev headbutt from top rope

Cena rope spring board to a stunner

Nose Candy

"If Rusev hates every thing about America why is he here?"

Segment: The Authority vs The Rock and Rhonda Rousey 

Nobody knew the Rock was going to be there and the place became unglued when he came out. Always glad to see the great one. Stephanie was the star of this segment because she is so great in her role as the rich princess who always gets what she wants and owns everything. Rhonda Rousey was great mainstream promotion. Very cinematic but genius because that picture of Stephanie in Rhonda's hold is going to be on the front page of every media website. This segment kind of dragged but was worth it for the press WWE is going receive.

Nose Candy

"I would say the Rock just blew the roof off this place but there is no roof" -King

"Left your balls in Stanford Connecticut" -The Rock

"That look means that Rhonda Rousey is going to reach down your throat rip out your Aretha tube
and play jump rope with it"-The Rock

Bray Wyatt vs The Undertaker

That awkward moment when you have a lantern in the daytime. Bray's entrance with scarecrows didn't do much for me. Meanwhile that guy who got caught on stage during the Undertaker entrance is going to be in the unemployment line next week. Good match here I thought Bray carried this match but Taker showed up big here. Taker has that aura where you want him to win and do well. That mark comes out of you the moment he walks out.Taker proved he can still work at a high level and I hope he comes back next year.
Winner-Taker

Style Points 

Taker goes old school 

Bray slamming Taker and hitting the splash

Taker hitting the choke slam and tombstone made me feel like i was 10 years old again

Taker sit up vs the Wyatt hand stand crawl

Nose Candy

"The gunslinger still runs the town"

"I don't care why the Undertaker is back I am just glad that the
Undertaker is back"

Roman Reigns vs Brock Lesnar

Wow Roman took a beating. Lesnar is really stiff but Roman smiled through it. Roman has more than earned my respect as I do feel a lot of the boos and negative reaction are unwarranted. I get that he is the "chosen one" but Reigns is very talented and has that It factor. Lesnar does his normal suplex repeat sequence when Roman finally makes it interesting by fighting back and nailing a couple of spears. With both men laid out Seth Rollins decides to cash in his money in the bank briefcase and gets a pinfall on Reigns becoming the new WWE World Heavyweight Champion. I love this ending. One it was unexpected for me especially with Rollins losing earlier in the night to Orton but was the first time the briefcase was ever cashed in at mania. Rollins has come so far and I think he has what it takes to be a great champ. For Lesnar I think he still is a special attraction but 2 title defenses in over 200 days is unacceptable and I believe there should always be a full time champ because that is the face of the company. Lesnar announced he had signed a new deal and think he is still is a once in a generation athlete. He also can be used as a big name to sell out a pay per view. I can't help but feel bad for Reigns but I think now he finally has the monkey off his back. But does that mean the circus has left town? I wonder if fans will finally start to rally behind Roman now that he didn't win the big one and now its safe to like him. Whatever happens I think Reigns has a bright future and will soon hold the title and become the next man in WWE for years to come. But for now that man is Seth Rollins a great match with the right outcome. The finish could not have been executed any better.
Winner-Seth Rollins

Style Points

Roman walking down to the ring with security and matrix shot of fireworks 

Lesnar being very stiff especially the clothesline to the outside

Suplex city 

The Seth Rollins cash in and celebration

Final Score 

What can I say Wrestlemania was spectacular far exceeding my expectations. I have to give credit where credit is due. From top to bottom the show was incredible. It is no wonder why the biggest show in sports entertainment has become such a global phenomenon. I know the PG era of WWE gets a bad rap for being too corny and unoriginal and plain out of touch at times. Not for this years Wrestlemania. It's shows like this that make me proud to be a mark! Vince McMahon is a genius and still has the vision to lead WWE. Much respect. Now where do we go from here? WWE really set the bar high and it will be tough to keep the momentum going but I have new found faith in WWE. They have plenty of storylines to capitalize off of such as the elevation of the US and Intercontinental titles, the give divas a chance hype, the Rhonda Rousey mainstream tie in and Rollins with the belt with an array of hungry challengers. Being a wrestling fan is very difficult at times. But it's. shows like this why you can never "count" me out as one.

-Raves

CALEB RAVES REVIEWS "FOCUS"

CALEB RAVES REVIEWS "FOCUS" Director-John Requa Last Looks- don't get it. Just 5 years ago Will Smith was a huge Box Office attraction with films like Hancock and I Am Legend. Not to mention huge successes with movies like Bad Boys, Men In Black and Independence Day in the 90's. For whatever reason once Hollywood's go to guy Will Smith just can't seem to pack theaters the way he once did lately. I have always been a big fan of Smith's as I think he has always been very entertaining and diverse. I also credit Smith for giving Hip Hop a blueprint on how to be successful outside of the genre as he has been able to transcend rap and takeover Hollywood. After "After Earth" I was ready to jump off the Will Smith bandwagon but I heard some great things about "Focus" so I decided to check this one out. Besides you can't hit home runs every time and Smith's talent is still something that can't be denied on the big screen. Breakdown- Nicky (Will Smith) is a professional con artist who takes a young upstart Jess (Margot Robbie) under his wing. After becoming romantically involved with each other Nicky decides to break things off as he feels he can no longer mix business with pleasure. After 3 years Nicky and Jess's paths become intertwined as they both are scheming to con the same man. Nose Candy Nicky- " The more you drink the more you learn."  "You have to die with the lie" "There's a science to getting people to trust you and then you move in for the kill." "I once convinced a man that a warehouse was the federal reserve" "2 kinds of people in this world hammers and nails" "Normal People Lie" Style Points-I love the New Orleans shots in this film being that I live only an hour away Its cool to see familiar places when I am watching a movie. Louisiana is rapidly becoming a go to place for shooting films and It's cool to see the Crescent City being showcased in a positive light. South America was also cool and gave this film some cool international flavor.    I'm also a sucker for bar transitioning into sex scenes. This film did a good job here interjecting Nicky and Jess's journey to the bedroom as they were still drinking at a bar. Then only focusing on the lips before a fade to black before anything got too x rated was well done. Also look out for a sick mirror shot as Jess comes through the door of a boutique. If you miss it the first time they show it twice.    The twist at the end was also cool and unexpected. Yes I do spoil on my blog and I thought it was an interesting way to introduce Nicky's dad into the movie imposing as Rafael's bodyguard. They mentioned him before I believe only once in the film and thought it was a good lesson from teacher to student the dangers of getting emotions involved when gambling for it all. Role Play Will Smith- I think he still has "It" as a leading man in a film. Ever since "6 Degrees of Separation" Smith has always had that intellectual smooth criminal vibe about him. His charisma oozes out of him and slimes all over this film. Good performance all the way around.  Margot Robbie-To be so young and be able to hold her own alongside heavyweights such as Leonardo Dicaprio in "The Wolf of Wall Street" and now alongside Will Smith in this film is incredible. Even though Robbie is much younger then Smith the chemistry felt real as a young woman who was captivated by a man who was the boss of his trade then left her heartbroken after using her to obtain a huge score. To play a con artist you have to be able to switch personalities very quickly and Robbie does so convincingly. One moment she is calmly eating breakfast the next she is hysterically panicking calling for help reporting a heart attack. Also the scene where she pretends to fall for Nicky's charm only to reveal that she was faking and was no longer interested showed how much range Robbie has. It may be too early but Robbie may be the next go to leading lady in Hollywood for the next few years.  Money Shot- I'm going with the reveal where Nicky con's a rich gambler out of all his money at a football game by asking him to pick a number of any player on the field and he would have Jess pick the number of the player he picked. The look on Jess's face was priceless as she picked correctly. What was more funny was the rich mans reaction to being hustled out of huge money, praising Nicky and referring to him as his hero. I especially love the reveal afterwards of how Nicky and his team "planted" that number in the rich mans head making him vulnerable to being robbed. Final Score-I believe the Fresh Prince said it best "Girls Ain't Nothing But Trouble." All of the greats downfall has always been attributed to a woman. No but for real "Focus" is a story of following your heart even if you have much bigger at stake and the consequences it may bring. There were some really good scenes in this movie. The moments at the football game were really intense and even though you knew it was a con you as the viewer forgot for a split second which is always good. The film was a little short for me and could have went a little more in depth with the art of deception but made up for it by good performances and exciting twists. "Focus" keeps viewers attention throughout and just when you are on the verge of glancing away finds a way to pull you back in.

CALEB RAVES REVIEWS "DRAKE-IF YOU'RE READING THIS IT'S TOO LATE"

Last Looks    If you're reading this first of all I am late. I know this project has been out for a month now but it's still so heavily played everywhere I thought I would take a stab at my first music project review. Release dates are officially played out. Consumers want their music and want it now so they are going to hack the internet to get to it as quickly as possible. Dropping a project as Drake did so suddenly is the fast track to success now a days. In a day and age where all rappers sound the same Drake goes above and beyond to be different. Drake clearly separates himself from his peers as far as talent and creativity goes. He has also gained an immense amount of popularity over the years as well. It is very rare that when you drive down the street and every passing car is playing a different cut from your project. Its gotten to the point where you look bad if you have not heard the "New Drake." So with that being said lets see how Drake's new effort "If you're reading this its too late" stacks up. The Breakdown 1. Legend- I dont mind this song starting off the album or mixtape or whater this is. Basically Drake is just touting how if he were to die today he would already be a legend reminding all of us nineties babies he has already achieved more in his life than most of us ever will... sigh. Nose candy "Money taught me spanish make it andale"  2. Energy- Drake spits fire so effortlessly over producer Boi da 1' s track about all of the enemies he has accumulated only because he is a better rapper then them. He claims they are not worth his energy but...well I guess drake didn't try too hard on this song. Nose Candy "I got niggas i gotta pretend that I like but my acting days are over so fuck them niggas for life" 3. 10 bands- Drake lets us know how much money he has now that he is a rapper and to my calculations since he already had 90 bands more then what every normal person had before he was a rapper this leaves Drake with a grand total of 627 more bands than you. Nose Candy "My ex ask me where im moving too and i say on to better things" 4. Know Yourself -A real catchy hook that will stick in your head for days. Drake talks about how he doesn't understand why people don't like him if they dont know him and narrates his early days and how he and his friends would obtain money in Toronto. 5. No Tellin -Drake raps about how great his life is and how he still doesnt believe that this is all for him. I love beats with progression Boi da 1 did his thing with this one and Drake puts on a clinic with his punchlines.  Nose Candy "Im looking in the mirror like is that really him" "My flow is on steroids i would never pass a physical" "If you're team was religious they still wouldn't cross us" "Think you are lions and tigers and bears i will put them heads on my fireplace" 6. Madonna -Another dope beat from 40 with a Genuwine "So Anxious" sample. where Drake tells a girl who he doesnt know he can make her famous as Madonna just by the fact that she is rolling with him. Then after the night is over to hurry up and get as far away from him as possible. The thing that is cool about this song is that Drake really sounds drunk so this is probably the way Drake talks to women when he is at the club.  7. 6 god -If this beat doesn't get you out of your seat and rapping lyrics in your mirror nothing will. Basically Drake tells us he is the king of Toronto for 3 minutes 8. Star 67- Drake taps into his Marvins Room phone theme. I love the fact he really did a star 69 and the beat changed for what now Drake is now becoming famous for is his ability to combine two songs into one. Im glad Drake only did this once on this project because he did that a lot on his last one. 9. Preach- Autotune lives! Another head bopping track as Party Next Door samples Henry Krinkles stay which is much better song than this. 10.Wednesday Night Interlude- Dont know why this is called an interlude since there is no skit taking place and seems like just another song on the album. But then again that maybe Drake's way of mindfucking us all to let everyone know he is smarter and from now on this is what a skit will be on rap projects. 11. Used To - Drake talks about how people love to talk about him behind his back. As Wayne comes in and takes over as he normally does with songs he does with his protege. Going all the way back to Ransom Wayne always seems to upstage Drake on tracks which is not easy to do but Wayne somehow does so effortlessly. Nose Candy  Drake -"Jewels look like i follwed a treasure map"  Wayne- "When you tell me im too famous to carry a gat i remind them of where im from" "I hot a halo over my devilhorns" "I got mind control over deebo" "Blood start shooting thats b roll" 12. 6 Man- I have no idea what is going on here Drake raps for 30 seconds about a lot of things he vows to never do then the instrumental plays for another 2 minutes Nose Candy "Im in the matrix and just took the blue pill" 13. Now and Forever -Another futuristic beat that only Drake has the guts to touch. This is my favorite track on this project because there is a deeper meaning of somewhat being trapped in your same situation and having the courage to be let free to see if you are capable of doing it on your own. Maybe I'm just playing to much into it but maybe this is Drake's way of saying deuces young money I'm doing straight OVO. 14. Company- Drake goes 2015 version of LL Cool J's I need love and opens up about how he wants a female aquantence to turn up with. Creative Force-Im still a dog cue actual dogs barking 15. You and the 6- Drake's Dear Mama joint. Drake praises his mother and Toronto for raising him as a single mother. Nose Candy "We do things people would pay to document but im not hear to give you compliments" "Never take advice that was some great advice" "I used to be made fun of because i was half black but now im not black enough" Creative Force-Drake says mama after every bar which is clever. 16. Jungle- A stand out track as Drake goes in over a mellow beat about how he hates being annoyed by women who would rather play on instagram instead of him. No but for real Drake is wondering if girls he has smashed in the past are still cool with him now that he is successful and does not want them anymore. Nose Candy "What are we supposed to do after we have done everything there is to do who is your replacement" 17. 6pm in New York- Drakes latest installment of a specific time in a certain city killing a freestyle. I love theese! Drake doesn't dissapoint with 4 minutes of freestyling hard over this unique boi da 1 beat. Nose Candy "My career is like a how to manual"  "Being number two means your the first to lose" The Verdict    Drake's creativity when it comes to song making is unparalleled. I think while so many are content with just putting out a project just to stay relevant or to please their label, Drake takes it personal as I like to call it. He is not satisfied with just putting out an album he wants to transcend music and change the culture of hip hop. I might have to give it a few more listens but this may be his best album. Making it a rare accomplishment to do in rap having every project be better then its predecessor. "The Six's Son" came through with an innovative sound and diverse subject matter to keep everybody vibing.

Caleb Raves Reviews "American Sniper"

American Sniper

Director-Clint Eastwood

Last Looks:
    American Sniper is the real life story of Navy Seal and War hero Chris Kyle through his four stints fighting in the war in Iraq. After the trial finally concluded on the death of Chris Kyle I was happy for the family getting some kind of closure. I know there is no replacement for a fallen son, brother, husband , father war hero etc. I was just glad justice had been served. My thoughts and prayers are with the Kyle family. I also hope this experience opens up eyes on post war psychological disorders and encourages more to help veterans regain there stability and find a place in society.

The Breakdown:
   American sniper begins with Chris Kyle (Bradley Cooper) behind the scope of a gun when a woman and a child come into his vision. The woman hands the kid a grenade so Chris releases a shot and as soon as he does we cut to a young Chris Kyle and his father hunting a deer. Chris's dad stresses to him and his brother the difference between sheep, wolves and sheepdogs while inserting shots of Chris sticking up for his little brother in a playground fight. This is when Chris is instilled with the value of only using violence only when it is necessary.
   We cut to an older Chris and his little brother performing as bull riding cowboys. When they make it back home Chris encounters his girlfriend having sex with another man. Chris immediately beats the guy up and kicks him out of the house. His girlfriend claims she only cheated to get attention and she is kicked out of the house also. Chris realizes his life as being a cowboy is going nowhere. He begins watching the news of the 1998 U.S. embassy bombings and it inspires him to become a Navy Seal. Chris goes through intense military training. Meanwhile at a bar Chris meets his soon to be wife Taya (Sienna Miller) and after a drinking game they begin dating. The more Chris and Taya get closer the more Chris's shooting ability begins to increase. Chris and Taya wake up one morning to watching the horrific events of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Chris knows he is going to have to go to war and decides that he and Taya should get married so they wed shortly after. Chris then begins begins his first tour of Iraq. We cut back to the first scene of the film where Chris sees the woman hand a grenade to the kid. Chris shoots the kid and the woman dead. We now learn that this marks Chris's first two kills and the woman and child were attacking U.S. Marines. Chris then becomes more comfortable being a sniper. It is starting to become apparent that Chris is killing more then all of the other snipers combined. While talking to Taya over the phone who is now pregnant, Chris begins to comfort her and downplay the fact he is killing people. Chris is finally told that his next target is the leader of al quaeda Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. Chris and a team of Seals infiltrate a man that has insight on Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's right hand man nicknamed the butcher. While riding through Iraq Chris while on the phone with Taya is attacked she begins freaking out.
   Chris goes back home and tries to get reacclimatized with society and with his wife who is almost due now. Taya begins to worry about Chris and his behavior. Chris wont talk about anything that happened in Iraq. Chris is starting to feel bad because even though he feels the obligation to his wife and his newborn son that he needs to be in Iraq serving his country and finishing the job he started. He feels the world carries on as if there is not a war going on. Chris goes back to Iraq for his second tour and begins his mission to find the butcher again. Cut to Chris after a few years with his son who is now a toddler. Chris is approached by a guy whose life he saved. While at a tire shop every loud noise begins to trigger an emotional response. Chris has another baby this time a girl. While watching his daughter in the newborn room Chris notices the nurses are not tending to his daughter who is crying and this makes Chris extremely upset. Taya tells Chris she feels alone because he is there physically but not mentally. She begins to tell him that the war is changing him. Chris goes back to Iraq for his third stint where his car is attacked again. The butcher shoots one of his seal members injuring him and killing another. The Seal team decides to regroup. While Chris and Taya lay in bed she finally asks him why does he do this. She is starting to unravel and lets him know that if he goes back to Iraq that her and the kids wont be there when he gets back. A shaken Chris goes back to Iraq for his fourth tour. He calls his wife just to hear her voice and to tell his kids that he loves them. Chris knows the butcher is close and knows this is his time to strike however his comrades inform Chris he needs to stand down because they are not well equipped for a battle but Chris feels he has the kill and goes for it. Chris kills the butcher but it gives away his teams cover and they are immediately attacked.  In an intense shootout the Seal crew looks outnumbered. Chris calls his wife and tells her that he is ready to come home. The crew is then rescued by a manufactured sandstorm and Chris returns home for good.
   Chris sits in front of a blank television screen but all he hears is the shootouts of war in Iraq and helicopters instead of his kids playing. Chris sees a dog taking down his son and Chris immediately tries to kill the dog until he is stopped by his wife. Taya sets Chris up with a psychiatrist. Chris had spent over 1000 days and had over 160 kills while in Iraq. Chris justifies his killing because he was saving his US soldiers and protecting the country he loves. Chris is inspired to help a group of wounded veterans and begins to learn to appreciate life after Iraq and how to live life to its fullest again. Chris and his family move to a new house. Chris begins to regain his normality and plays with his kids regularly now. He teaches his son how to hunt. Chris and his wife also regain their intimacy where Taya tells Chris she is happy to have her husband back. Chris tells Taya that he is going to the shooting range with some of the wounded veterans. The film ends informing us that Chris is killed later on that day.



Nose candy:

1. " 3 types of people sheep wolves and sheepdogs" -Wayne Kyle

2. Basically every line in the Navy Seal training scene

3. " Im making memories by myself with no one to share them with even when you are here you are not here. I see you feel you but you are not here." -Taya Kyle

4. "The thing that haunts me the most are all the guys I couldn't save."

    " Im coming home." -Chris Kyle


 Performances:
    Sienna Mille-Normally the wife in these movies gets the reputation of she was only the housewife. I beg to differ Mille had an incredible transformation from the sassy young girl taking shots at the bar to the nuturing mother who was an emotional wreck trying to get her husband to return back to normality. She showed great range and had remarkable performance.

 Bradley Cooper- Hands down this was the best Bradley Cooper performance I have ever seen. I think everyone knows he is a comedic genius from movies such as Wedding Crashers and The Hangover franchise. Even though I know this was not his first, American Sniper was the first ever dramatic role Ive seen him in and he was brilliant. From the party going cowboy to the courageous war hero to the traumatized veteran to the loving family man. Cooper transitioned through out this film very well. The scene when Cooper was in the delivery room going irate at the nurses failing to tend to his daughter was incredible. Cooper's best actor nomination at the Academy Awards was well deserved. The Kyle family should be proud.


Style Points:
    I thought American Sniper was very well shot. I enjoyed the through the scope shots as one of the biggest unfair criticisms of this film was that this movie glorified Chris Kyle killing women and children. But this shot explained the harsh realities of war and put you in Kyle's position. It's not that Kyle wanted to kill he was put in the situation to save his fellow soldiers as well as protect his country. Even though I never experienced military training, I think those shots were done well as it showed all Kyle had to go through  just to be a sniper. The catch up method was cool. Aside-There is probably some real good film term for just the "catch up" method but this is when the film begins with a scene from the movie then reverts back to an initial point then revisits that scene at some later point in the movie. I thought that was significant because we saw the relevance of that first scene as that was what marked Kyle's first two kills. I thought another cool shot was when one of Kyle's fellow soldiers was shot so Kyle put him in the back of the trunk and the next few minutes was in the dark as the car rode trying to escape a violent war zone.
    In any movie where there is a lot of shooting and explosions, it is easy for directors to overdue it with special effects but I thought it was good that there was not much  through out the this film until Kyle's shot that killed the Butcher. The way the shot was slowed down as it maneuvered through the air until it finally landed made that moment stand out so much more as finally Kyle's mission was complete. Even though it was kind of hard to see and keep up with all of the action the sandstorm rescue scene provided a lot of chaos and suspense. It kept me as a viewer interested as I forgot I was watching a movie for a split second and was beginning to think was the navy seal team even going to make it out alive. The overhead bedroom shots with Kyle and Taya were good too as the couple poured out their true feelings towards each other. Also one of my favorite shots was the scene when Kyle came home for good and  he was sitting in his living room in front of the blank television screen with his kids playing so loudly behind him but all Kyle could hear was gunshots and helicopters. I was literally looking around the theatre like is anyone else watching what I am watching? Really what better way to showcase how traumatized Kyle was after his journey. Finally the original footage of Kyle's funeral was well inserted to end the film. I think it is always good to remind us as viewers the impact or legacy Kyle left behind by providing real footage of all the support and commemoration.

The Verdict:
   American Sniper is a great portrayel of War Hero Chris Kyle. I think Clint Eastwood did a great job bringing this story to life which is not always the easiest thing to do from adaptions from books. The thing I like about this film was that it was more then just a war film. It is about family and also the struggles veterans face when they return to society. I think one thing great movies do is  make you change views on things or make you realize something that you may have never noticed. I had that revelation in a scene when Kyle returned home from his first stint in Iraq where Kyle was claiming as if the whole world continues on as if there is not a war going on and he had trouble adjusting to life because he felt that his purpose was defending his country. I think so many times society me included take our military so much for granted. No that they are looking for a pat on the back or brownie points for every little thing but they are not shown nearlllyyy enough grattitude and respect for their effort. I would like to thank all of the armed forces for everything they do to protect me and my family as well as this country. If you are looking for a film that is action packed with great acting performances as well as some sentimental moments this film definitely does not disappoint.

Caleb Raves Reviews "Selma"

Last Looks

   Selma is a film about Martin Luther King's revolutionary march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama to help secure african american voting rights. With everything going on in the nation regarding protesting I would feel remissed if I did not say. Black lives don't matter. I cant help but feel that way. Looting is not a way to protest as more of it is a way to steal new televisions. I don't think electronics could ease the pain of our fallen brothers I don't think you made a statement with your new flatscreen. As much as I would love for peaceful protests sitting around in a circle holding hands and singing koombaya but I don't feel it is going to accomplish anything. We have to stand together and claim that if you claim another black life this is not going to just go away and get swept under the rug. It's not ok and there will be steep consequences. Theres always a crooked cop trying to get a quota It's a complete injustice if you want to get away with murder in this country become a cop put on a badge and kill an african american. I don't feel safe who is protecting us from them if there job is to protect and serve? If i'm driving and i get randomly pulled over I'm not stopping because I'm resisting arrest it's because I'm literally in fear of my life. You're white I'm black your armed I'm not. To say that this is not race related is naive. Officers get trigger happy when they see young black males. Thats how it always has been. I love the way the nation has banded together in times like this but for how long? There's always a sporting event or celebrity scandel that detracts our attention. I love what the NBA has done wearing the Eric Garner I Can't Breath shirts. But we have to keep this a relative topic until one of these pigs are actually held accountable. This is a murder and in any murder there must at least be a trial. Way back during the Rodney King beating the video footage was old but there was still evidence in the Eric Garner death there was full hd evidence and still no trial. Like what is really going on? Is there a major conspiracy theory going on here? It seems as though black people only stick together in times of crisis. I don't feel comfortable calling the police because I feel they are not going to take my phone call seriously. Police come off as bullies who wouldn't try half of their deeds if they did not have a gun. Another disturbing aspect as of late is that all of the victims have been unarmed while police are not just armed with guns but other weapons such as pepper spray, batons, police training and back up. Will this ever end? Woooo ok there is my rant now lets see how this film made out.





The Breakdown

   The film opens with MLK (David Oyelowo) practicing a speech in the mirror when his wife Coretta Scott King(Carmen Ejogo) comes in. Mlk feels uncomfortable dressing up and wearing an ascot and wonders what his boys at home will think of him. He tells Coretta about all of his future plans and ambitions. Mlk is then offered the Nobel Peace Prize. Next four young girls were bombed in a church in Atlanta. Annie Mae Cooper (Oprah Winfrey) is filling out an application so she can register to vote. She is asked numerous questions by the admissions officer. She gets a question wrong and is denied her access to vote. Mlk meets with president Lyndon B. Johnson(Tom Wilkinson). The president expresses his like for Mlk's movement and wants to help. Mlk explains to him that in the south blacks are not allowed to vote. The president explains that segregation is not over in the south so we have to fix that before they can even begin to work on african americans rights to vote. Mlk explains that african americans cant serve on a jury unless they are registered to vote. MLK also wants justice for the death of those four young girls.
   Mlk then travels to Selma. Mlk walks into a building and is immediately struck int the face. King returns home to Atlanta. Coretta answers the phone where she has an anonymous death threat. Mlk tells Coretta that Selma would be the perfect place for his speech. Mlk gives a speech in front of a Selma audience. Over 50 percent of Selma is black but less than 2 percent are eligible to vote so therefore blacks remain voiceless. African Americans begin to rally in protest in Selma. They begin to focus all of their efforts on one building the Selma courthouse. Blacks sit down with their hands behind their backs. When an elderly protester cant sit and is considered unruly, a corrupt cop begins to assault his family when Ms. Cooper punches him in the face. She is finally detained and Mlk is arrested.  While in jail Mlk begins to question his self for the first time. It is there he is reminded that the ultimate goal is equality. Coretta meets in Selma with negro militant Malcom X. Malcom X assures her that even though he and Mlk do not agree with their ways of achieving equality that America will be so shocked by his way of getting goals accomplished they will in turn favor  Mlk's way. Coretta visits Mlk in prison where she tells him that she met with Malcom X and that he has changed and now wants to help. The governor of Selma decides it would be a good idea to send blacks a message by brutality attacking peaceful protesters while Mlk is away because there will be less media to cover it. A black family trying to escape police brutalist runs into a diner and pretends they were there the whole time but the police find them and fatally shoots a man named Jimmy Lee Jackson. Mlk visits Jimmy Lee Jackson's father. Mlk states in his next speech that even though that Jimmy Lee Jackson killers are anonymous he proclaims everybody is responsible and vows that his death will not be in vain and that he is going back to Washington to protest the murder.
   Mlk meets with the president again and the president tells Mlk that he set up the murder in Selma in order to go national and have an excuse to march on the state capitol. The president's people tell Mlk's people about Mlk's death threats and advise him to keep a low profile. Someone sends Coretta a voicemail of Mlk having sex with another woman. Coretta knows that it was not him because she knows his voice. Coretta explains to Mlk everything she has been through and it is difficult for her being his wife and has to deal with strangers threatening the lives of her kids. She asks Mlk if he loves her because she is not a fool and he replies yes she asks him if he loves the others and he replies no. Mlk delays the march while his house remains bugged. All sides get ready for this protest at Selma. The blacks begin a peaceful protest while police officers viciously attacked them while the broadcast went live across the nation on CBS. Mlk rallies his injured troops and encourages them that they have to go back to Selma because this is the only way to fight the injustice and invites everyone who believes in equality black or white to attend.  The president is irate and sends the word that Mlk is not to march in Selma again. Mlk proclaims that the choice was always the president's as all he needs to do is to give african americans the right to vote. Mlk leads a rally anyways but this time one third of the protesters are actually white. When the protesters walk the bridge this time the police officer stand down and allow the protest to continue. Everyone gets on their knees however Mlk turns around and calls off the protest as he believes that it is a setup. Mlk explains that he would rather have people hate him then be dead as they were upset that they did not capitalize off of this opportunity to really march and make a difference. In Selma white activist who support Mlk are now being assaulted by other white people and are being killed for supporting Mlk's movement. The president calls Mlk and is furious that he has not stopped protesting.
    Mlk says he wont stop until the president takes action. Mlk explains that people will only remember President Johnson as someone who did nothing to act in Selma not the fact that he won the presidency by the biggest landslide in history. Mlk knows that marching is not enough and knows that there has to be some real moves to be made. He is reminded that they have come to far to turn back now. In Selma the trial starts of the innocent protesters who were murdered for no reason. The prosecutor blamed Mlk for refusing to back down and continuing the march after being told not too. The judge approves a 5 day peaceful march from Selma to Montgomery upon testimonials from other civil rights activists. The governor speaks with the president about not letting this march happen. The president informs the governor that it's his responsibility because he has refused the act of equal rights in his state. The president finally realized that this was an American problem not just a negro problem. And sent to congress an act to eliminate voting bias everywhere. Mlk is asked one more time not to march because he finally got what he wanted. But he says that it is still worth it. The march in Selma takes place blacks and whites protesting peacefully. flashbacks of original marching footage. The march gets to Montgomery where Mlk delivers his speech. 5 months later the voting rights act of 1965 was passed and Mlk continued to be an activist in the civil rights movement and lead peaceful protests until he was murdered.


Nose Candy

MLK-

"Fear not we have come to far to turn back now."

"I dont have control over my own life by those who will rather see me suffer then succeed."

"They are in our bloodstream pumping our hearts"

"Our lives are not fully lived if we are not prepared to die for who we love and what we believe."


The Verdict

     The public outcry for Selma not receiving an academy award nomination for best picture is well deserved. I don't know what is more surprising the fact that Selma did not receive the nomination or that Spike Lee actually supports and likes a movie that he did not create. It's sad to say but not much has changed since 1964. One of the only rights that african americans actually have is the right to vote. Yet we would rathe stand in line for the upteenth pair of Jordans as opposed to deciding new leadership. So many complain about the problem but do nothing for the solution. I encourage people to see Selma for educational purposes as I think the film did a great job of showing everything that african americans had to go through in order to obtain equal rights.There were some really graphic scenes  with the police brutality but it was necessary to showcase the harsh realities of that time period. Also there were some stand out performances not only by David Oyelowo as MLK but  but I feel Carmen Ejogo  stole the show with her performance as Coretta Scot King. She is a beautiful woman and played her part to perfection. There were times that I couldn't even look away from the screen the imagery was that good. Not just an afro centric film Selma is a detailed story that depicts africans american struggle to gain equality and is worth checking out for moviegoers of all ages and races.

Caleb Raves Reviews "The Interview"

Last Looks
 
   Just when I thought Seth Rogen couldn't think of a more plain title then Neighbors he tops himself with his latest effort titled The Interview. With all the talk of is this movie whether it was going to come out or not really made me that much more excited to see it. The marketing strategy at the Video Music Awards using celebrities such as Nicki Minaj, Jason Derulo and Iggy Azelia really had me laughing. I for one have to admit that I had my suspicions about this movie intially. I was actually wondering was the Sony leak one huge conspiracy. To hype the movie up only to pull the plug then to release it for free on Christmas day would be genius in theory right? Buys went through the roof as it has already made the most money for a film that was released online. Those concerns were quickly put to rest in the coming weeks. Who knew that the actual North Korean government was going to get involved and make threats to movie theaters who played it and leak confidential information from Sony. North Korea felt the film promoted terrorism and shed Korea under a negative light. Terrorism has been such a sensitive topic post 911 it was risky to even touch a film like this even with the humor added to it. What ever the case maybe the first official bootleg finally came out and it went like this.

The Breakdown
 
    North Koreas fictional leader Kim Jong-Un is set to do a terrorist attack on the United States. He is a horrble person who puts his own people in concentration camps however his nation is infactuated with him and feels he is great . Aaron (Seth Rogen) is a talk show producer and wants to cover more serious issues instead of the usual Hollywood scandels. After Kim admits in a post that he is a fan of Aaron's produced show Skylark Tonight, Dave Skylark (James Franco) the host convinces Aaron it is a good idea to interview him to provide the show with some more serious content. After sending a request to Koreas leadership they get back in touch with Aaron and set up a secret meeting to conduct this interview. Aaron makes the trip where he is first approached by a worker of Kim's named Sook. She tells him he can only ask Kim questions he writes himself and only has 24 hours to decide. So Skylark convinces Aaron that it will be ok because the interview will be so big it doesn't matter what he wants to ask. After the announcement is made that Skylark will indeed interview North Koreas president media backlash insues as the public feels Skylark is not qualified for an interview of this magnitude. Shortly after members of the CIA approach Skylark and Aaron to assassinate their president as he is a terrorist and has a plan to nuclear attack the United States. Aaron is skeptical because the CIA lady Agent Lacey is very attractive and is trying to convince them to do something they are not supposed to. Lacey explains their master plan and assures that nobody will know that they had anything to do with the assassination. She goes about showing them how to transfer poison to the leader by handshake. The two reluctantly agree and make their way to  NorthKorea.
      Aaron and Skylark arrive in North Korea where Sook takes them on a tour of the country where they notice an unhealthy population. Afterwards they are taken to the Kim's home where the bag that contains the poison is sought out by one of his security. After convincing him the poison was gum he begins to chew the poison jeopardizing the entire operation. Aaron informs the Lacey that the poison is gone so an alternate plan is created for Aaron to meet in a secret location where a bag of new poison will be secretly transported to him. But on his way to retrieve the poison Aaron is attacked a fucking tiger! The package that was supposed to be carrying the poison was released to take the tiger out. After the Korean government hear the commotion Aaron has no other choice but to secure the package in his asshole.
    After Aaron removes the package of poison from his rectum. Skylark is finally visited by Kim who is star shocked by him and presents him with a mini statue of him. Kim and Skylark end up hitting it off and becoming friends. Kim shows Skylark his car collection and his military tank. They end up taking the tank for a spin and firing the guns. Meanwhile Aaron is given the rules for the interview and is told if any part of the agreement is violated they will hit the kill switch and end the interview. Kim and Skylark realize they had a lot in common as people think both of them are incompetent of doing their jobs. They enjoy a night with some beautiful Korean women and smoked some joints.
   The next night at a banquet Skylark is supposed to transfer the poison to Kim but is interrupted when the security guard who first took the poison passes out and dies. Which makes everyone at the banquet including Kim burst into tears. After realizing that this mission is to difficult to execute Skylark decides he does not want to do the mission any more. Aaron and Skylark get into an altercation. Aaron is saying that Kim is manipulating Skylark and really is an evil person. Skylark gets upset and discards the poison. Later when Aaron finally meets Kim he attempts the plan to shake hands with him and transfer the poison but Skylark intervenes before they could shake hands. At dinner that night Kim gets upset at the table stating his frustrations about people feeling that he is unfit to be leader and vows to kill many people to prove he is a capable ruler. Meanwhile Aaron and Sook hit it off in his room and begin to make out, however,  Aaron still has the poison in his hand so he is doing his best to make love to her without using that hand. Before they can have sex she stops and tells Aaron that she is upset at her position in the company and wants out. Skylark interrupts as he is upset at Kim because he noticed that all of the food in a grocery store is fake proving that he is a liar. He accidentally spills the plan to murder him while Sook was hiding under the covers. She convinces them that killing Kim isn't going to solve anything and that  she is going to sabotage the questions for the interview to showcase the bad side of Kim so Korea can stand up and revolt against his cruel acts.
   So the interview is finally set to happen live. Before the interview however Kim gives Skylark a puppy to sweeten him up.  As the whole world tunes in, Skylark changes his view of Kim again and begins making him look like a good person initially. Skylark suddenly switches on him and begins asking him the hard hitting questions about not feeding his people and spending millions of dollars on nuclear weapons. The producers of the show attempt to hit the kill switch but Aaron and Sook pull guns out on the crew to keep them from cutting the feed. A fight breaks out in the production room between the two sides. Meanwhile members of the Korean security attempt to barge into the production room to stop the interview. After not getting Kim to look bad on any of the questions Kim tells Skylark that everyone is right about him and is not capable of conducting a real interview. Skylark then begins to remind Kim of the neglect and pain his father caused him and Kim breaks down into tears. Proving after all he is a bad person Kim pulls a gun out on Skylark and shoots him in the chest. Kim escapes however Skylark was wearing a bullet proof vest and survives. He reunites with Aaron and Sook and they try to escape the house with North Korean soldiers attempting to kill them. After saving the puppy Skylark leads them to the tank. The soldiers along with Kim attempt to blow up the tank while other members of the North Korean military decide to shoot their nuclear missiles at America. But the tank is able to shoot a missile at Kim's helicopter killing him with Katy Perry acoustics playing in the background. Since Kim dies the word is never sent for the nuclear attack. Aaron and Skylark leave Korea however Sook stays behind to ensure that her country does not fall into the wrong hands.
   Skylark writes a tell all book about the experience. Sook and Aaron continue their relationship via Skype as North Korea regains social order.

Nose Candy

   I have been playing gay peek a boo (Eminem)

   Are you honey dicking me? (Aaron)

   They hate us cus they aint us (Dave)

Verdict

    Overshadowed by controversy The Interview did have its funny moments but did not live up to all the media hype. Im glad the film was released and did not find the film was promoting terrorism although it did have more then it's fair share of stereotypical humor on Koreans. The acting was good for the most part as I think Rogen and Franco played well off of one another and set each other up for some funny spots. I loved the Enimem appearence he is so private its amazing how he has made so few film cameos because he is extremely entertaining and really set the tone for the film. I guess theoretically the movie made sense as Aaron strives for more respect as a journalist and this interview seems to be his big break, however, they were not offered anything by the CIA for killing Kim. So what was in it for them to risk their lives in the first place? A major email leak, countless threats and 3 Korean sanctions later I wonder if Seth Rogen knew that if the film was going to be this problematic would he even ever made it. Although not the laugh out loud comedy we hoped for The Interview may not be worth the pr nightmare but is still definitely worth a download.