“It’s about a guy in night shining armor except he lives in a world where knights don’t exist anymore.”-Robert McCall
Before the movie started, my fellow critic Landon Burris warned me that The Equalizer looked like “diet” Denzel. Thankfully, Mr. Burris was wrong. This movie rocks and it does so on the heels of another commanding performance from Washington, reteaming with his Training Day director, Antoine Fuqua for a simple yet highly enjoyable action experience.
Sony Pictures
By simple, I don’t mean it settles for cheap thrills or denies the viewer fun. It’s easy on the eyes, keeps the action moving and Denzel elevates any kind of material. He plays Robert, a seemingly nice wise fellow who works at a hardware store, looks out for his fellow employees and likes to go out to his neighborhood diner for hot tea and a book. Robert also can’t sleep and that is due to a past that slowly reveals itself as the 130 minute running time unfolds. This is where Washington excels with these action heroes. He doesn’t try to wax Oscar pathos on a fun action role. He supplies just the right amount of weight to the old lion hanging around the young man’s den. (more…)
Few films can go to dark places and resist becoming melodramatic or weighing down a viewer in the process. William H. Macy’s directorial debut(he also co-wrote the script with Casey Twenter and Jeff Robison) stays balanced by pulling the best work from Billy Crudup in years and infusing the viewer with great music to produce a part bleak part uplifting take on the healing power of music.
Samuel Goldwyn Company
Crudup plays Sam, a successful businessman who calls his kid after a big deal goes through and wants to meet him for lunch, college work be damned. When the kid doesn’t show up. Sam happens to see a television with a school shooting on it and that’s all we get before seeing Sam spiral out. We see him next on a boat working manual labor and keeping to himself. It’s not until his ex-wife(played well by Macy’s wife Felicty Huffman) that Sam starts to come back to life. She gives him his son’s books of music lyrics and demo tapes. (more…)
It’s a rare feat when a movie is so well done and powerful that it forces you to take a walk after seeing it, thus delaying the rest of your day. Sometimes, movies take a piece of you with them and hold onto it for dear life. They make you ask yourself tough questions, rediscover why you love film, and look at other films like boys playing a man’s game. Right as the summer heat kicks in, Fruitvale Station kicked down my door, snuck up inside my body, and bought real estate in my soul. This true story tale will amaze, haunt and stick with you for days. Truth be told, it will kick your ass. When you see it, leave the Kleenex at home and wear the tears that shed from your eyes like a badge of honor. There’s no shame in showing emotion for this poetic tragic tale of 22 year old Oscar Grant and the last day of 2008 in his world.
The Weinstein Company
Do yourself a favor and avoid reading about the details of this true story. Writer/Director Ryan Coogler did the hard leg work, left nothing out, and gives you the visceral story in a quick moving tense 86 minutes. This movie will hit harder if you know the end or not, but try to see it on fresh terms. The best thing Coogler does here(except for creating an Oscar worthy movie, yes you heard that right) is he leaves the kool aide at home and just tells the story. (more…)
Olivia Wilde and Jake Johnson are so good as Kate and Luke that you nearly forget you are merely watching actors play best friends. As the sentence finishing and lingo infused duo of a brewing company who have been drowning a burning attraction for years with laughs, food and a LOT of beer, the actors are pure revelations. The material is simple enough. They are friends and their spouses and co-workers are simply waiting for the dynamite stick of romance to drop. Whether it does or not is writer/director Joe Swanberg’s magic trick that will keep you looking until the final pin drop. This isn’t your normal romantic comedy people. Please don’t write it off as just another “they will get together in the end and the latest coolest pop ballad will fill the background with a smooth digestive flavor”. Drinking Buddies moves in mysterious ways and the reason it works so well is the top flight acting crew assembled, anchored by the new kids on the block to real drama and that’s Wilde and Johnson.
Magnolia Pictures
You may know the two. Wilde is the drop dead gorgeous beauty who battled aliens with Daniel Craig and romanced Ryan Reynolds while Jason Bateman was stuck inside his body. Johnson spins bottles with Zooey Deschanel on Fox’s New Girl and has dabbled in supporting roles in films such as 2012’s Safety Guaranteed. Here, the two are joined by the always reliable Kendrick and Livingston (so cool on screen that he appears to be floating through air while making his lines up as he goes). This is a four part play set inside a movie. (more…)
When you sit down for dinner this weekend and start selecting your portions, keep a spot open in your stomach for this latest slice of Statham mayhem. A throwback to the old school guns blazing bone crunching action flicks of the 80’s, this movie delivers on the promise it made in the trailer. Bad ass Statham,a daughter, and lots of mistakes made by feeble bad men who think fighting this seasoned action stud is an easy task.
Mention Jason Statham and people either shake their head in disbelief or nod in approval. I laugh when people associate his name with acting in these certain action showcases. If you want to see him act, watch Snatch, Bank Job or Revolver. If you want to see sit down and see him kick ass and take names, watch this movie. He is so convincing during his fight scenes that he heightens the material. Unlike most action stars who rely on hours of choreography and still look awkward, Statham is in his comfort zone when taking on 2-3 guys at a time. Ever since he dished his first real kick in The Transporter, he has owned the action hero genre. Sylvester Stallone seems to think so. He wrote this film specifically for the bullet headed Brit and it shows. This is the kind of vintage good/bad/ugly flick that Sly made an artform back in the day. Statham is a necessary and reliable action hero. (more…)
Certain movies ask for the viewer to take a leap of faith when the theater goes dark and the show goes on. This is the world of make believe and creation, so it’s important for a film addict to consider that when walking into any film. Jason Reitman’s latest film, Labor Day, is a film that the cynics will have a field day with but a story that old fashion romantics like myself will step out of their seat and participate in this real life slice of escapism.
Paramount Pictures
I credit Kate Winslet’s performance as the highlight of this film. When we first meet this single mom, Adele, she seems wounded and allergic to human interaction and exposure to conversation. Griffith, who plays her son Henry, is the only man in her life and this bird needs more love than that to take flight. Throughout the course of the film, Winslet runs the gauntlet of human emotion, from fearless happiness to complete sadness. It’s a marvelous and restrained performance. When an actress can show restraint and still convey a heavy dose of emotion, that’s a special event. (more…)
Welcome to the early morning hours of Whatever the hell I want to talk about. No politics or religion. Just random surges of consciousness followed by ridiculous stretches of ineptitude. I like to think of these whatever blogs as my chance to unwind and not play by the rules. Here’s what I mean.
When I do radio hits on 96.7 River Country in Arkansas or CBS 920 in St. Louis, I can’t say FUCK or really truly unleash. I have to calm it down. Sponsors don’t like the four letter word that says it all. I also can’t whip that out for most of the websites I write for and contribute to. Enter the dose.
After a last minute podcast with Carly Schaber Sunday night on the ever slowly growing DOB pod hub at Blogtalk Radio, I wanted to come here and address the flurry of questions sent in by another fine Dan. That is Dan Reilly, STL resident Blues addict and drummer extraordinaire. We met and correspond via Twitter. He asked me a few things and we couldn’t get to them on the pod(30 minutes goes by quick when you are making threats to managers with long hair), so I wanted to come here for a DOB Overtime Session. Let’s get right to it before you click out of this to check your email or text.
@buffa82 Why do sportswriters get all the hot chicks?
Easy question. It’s because we write so much BS that we have an answer for everything. I married my wife 11 years ago and still think it’s the best move ever. Removing the maple syrup from that comment, let’s just say a wise writer doesn’t let a good lady go. As far as picking up multiple hot chicks, I have no clue. My game was retired years ago.
Yes, but that doesn’t mean shit in make believe land. In a land of sorcerers who like to get naked(the red haired chick to be precise), Snow can come right back and go back to being the imperfect yet well meaning heroic son we all know him to be. Kit was on set and is in the trailers. For the story, it would be best if he stayed dead because it’s better for the story and other characters, but once Agent Caulson came back anything was possible.
Sports are painful brother. Bad. They exist to raise our blood pressures and anxiety levels. It’s not easy being a real fan. I grew up next to my dad being a halfway passionate sports fan. He’d watch, get fed up, and easily cut off from it. I watched, got sucked in, and was shattered. That’s the buy in at this table of sports. You sit down, push your heart into the middle of the table and dare to see it crushed. EVERY YEAR! The Blues will prevail over the Hawks. In seven games. Book it.
@buffa82 what incriminating evidence does Paajarvi have on Hitchcock and/or Armstrong?
It has to be good evidence. I am not sure if it is Pete Kozma 2013 on Mike Matheny and John Mozeliak good but it’s good. Magnus Paajarvi didn’t just get ice time in too many games in 2015-16. He got premium ice time next to Vladimir Tarasenko. That’s like letting a shitty cover band step on stage with the Stones in the 60’s. Bullshit. #56 sucks hairy monkey balls.
Easiest question yet. We are a large army of balded or bearded or simple minded romantic bastards with a need to impose our will. You can’t deny us or resist us. We may not do a lot of drugs, drive fast cars or look like James Dean but we can fight and are passionate about things.
@buffa82 When are we going to finally have that drink we’ve been threatening to have for a year now?
Sometime soon. It’s been over a year and every time I come into town I am so fucking busy. I’ve visited around 5-6 times and it’s always go here, then there, and back to here. Eventually, I can just come back to the Lou and stay. Next time I come in, Reilly, we are drinking. Hopefully toasting a Stanley Cup or a Blues team that had a pulse in mid April after Game 2.
That’s all. Check out the latest DOB podcast for some extended answers and in order to hear the voice of the talented young lady, Carly ScHABer.
Thank you for the questions Dan Reilly. Keep drumming pal.
Manual Scoreboard- Manual scoreboard operators Troy Siade, left, and Danny Buffa take in the Cardinals-Giants game from their favorite spot behind the manual scoreboard at Busch Stadium Wednesday night. (Phil Carlson)
“Watch out!”
“What?”
“Mark McGwire just hit the scoreboard with another batting practice home run.”
True story, folks.
Few people in life get to work their dream job. For eight years on the Manual Scoreboard at the old Busch Stadium, I had the opportunity to watch the St. Louis Cardinals 81 games a year and get paid for it. It involved a lot of sweat and stress, but there was nothing like it.
As my colleague Jim Kleinschmidt repeatedly told us on the 100 degree August days up top the metal housing in a section of terrace reserved seating, “I can’t believe they pay us to do this.” The sentiment was shared by many. If you didn’t mind sweating through a couple shirts and working around scaffolding, the Cards paid you to watch and monitor baseball.
What did this job entail? I’d get to Busch around 4pm in the afternoon. I’d pick up the Dow Industrial numbers, notes on the Cards game and a printout of the night’s games. By 5pm, I was changing team names if needed, setting up leaderboards and getting all the starting pitcher numbers ready to rock and roll. By 6pm, it was time to head down to the Press Box. One of the perks was getting to eat there, drink all the pink lemonade the body could handle and maybe toss a few notes at Bernie Miklasz or the late Joe Strauss about a story idea I was writing up. Maybe greet an announcer or two. And then we were off.
When the Cards game was firing up, the rest of the board was brought up to speed. The East coast games needed 2-3 innings filled in and yes, the fear of dropping a number out of the board was constant. Like the players we watched, the scoreboard crew became a family. We’d scream at each other about a late risky Tony La Russa pitching change and use a bag of ice to engage in cross league ice throwing battles, but we became good friends. There isn’t a day that goes by without me pausing to think about the moments behind a board during the top of the ninth when the Birds were going to win and the building was going to go nuts.
The 2016 season marks 10 years since the Manual Scoreboard shut down. I worked the Scoreboard from 1998, when Big Mac reined, until 2005, when Roy Oswalt turned off the lights on old Busch and the Scoreboard. Here are the 10 things I’ll remember the most about working the scoreboard.
Getting a call from Tony La Russa
One night, the Cards destroyed the Cubs. Scored ten runs in one inning even. In order to rub it in, the crew left the 10 in the inning slot. The next day, La Russa called the board and believe me, I’d never seen my comical supervisor sound so stern and shocked. “Yes, Mr. La Russa, sure, you know it, yes, of course, right Tony.” Lesson: Don’t show up another team on Tony’s watch.
The Birth of #5
Albert Pujols arrived on the scene and the crew thought he was just another guy. The person who made the roster because Bobby Bonilla was hurt and McGwire liked a lot. By the end of the 2005 season, when Pujols hit the moon shot off the train against Brad Lidge, #5 was a legend. I got to see him play over 75 times a season from 2001-2005. He put together 8 straight seasons of 7 WAR or more. He averaged 42 HR, 120 RBI and 45 doubles for those 5 seasons. Pujols eventually left, but I’ll never see a better ballplayer in my lifetime come along like him.
(Phil Carlson) Peering through the ninth-inning box window, Danny Buffa, a manual scoreboard operator at Busch Stadium, takes in the Cardinals-Giants Wednesday night.
Troy Siade and the Jim Edmonds and Art Holliday fascination
My late friend Troy and I had a fascination with Edmonds. Nothing left us speechless longer than a classic Edmonds catch or spin away from an up and in pitch. We were mesmerized by his baseball skills, but we also couldn’t help but count the seconds it took for him to rise off the ground after a great catch. He would milk that moment for as long as he could. Troy loved Edmonds more than any ballplayer, even Pujols. Why? He was lefthanded, played center field better than Flood and was cocky. That was my friend Troy. He also almost stole a framed picture of Art Holliday from a suite once. No one knows why. When Siade passed away to Non Hodgkins Lymphoma Disease before his 39th birthday in 2004, the Cards let us spread some of his ashes in center field. Finally, he got to lay where Edmonds laid out on so many breathtaking occasions. Rest in peace my friend.
Working the Scoreboard made you a Rock Star
All my friends wanted to come up on the board, and they didn’t just want pictures. They wanted to work. One time, my dentist came up on a night where the board was shorthanded. For two hours, Dr. Anderson and his friend helped take care of an entire league. That’s how you use a scoreboard allure to your advantage.
The Bittersweet Big Mac Roller Coaster
My first year on the board featured the dramatic and ultimately bittersweet epic tale of Big Mac and Sammy Sosa. Their Ali-Frazier like slugfest in the pursuit of Roger Maris’ single season home run record. On the National League side of the scoreboard, a slot was used for the individual battle. Using two pitching numbers, one of the crew would slide in a new number when McGwire or Sosa went deep. Later on, when Mac was racking up career HR highlights, supervisor Joe Gramen would post up near the exit door where the leaderboard was or the 60 year old would run down to it when Mac went deep. I’ve never seen an old man move that fast.
(Phil Carlson) With the Detroit Tigers unwittingly lending a hand, manual scoreboard operator Danny Buffa playfully heckles one of the ushers working below during the Cardinals-Giants game Wednesday night at Busch Stadium.
Years later, I don’t care what Mac said he did or didn’t do. Those were fun seasons.
Press Box Perks
Every time I’d walk into the press box and see Jack Buck sitting by himself in the red suit and calmly taking a few moments before the game, it was a pleasure I kept in my memory bank. I’d occasionally go over to him and say hello, and he would flash that 10,000 watt smile and make me feel like the most important man on the earth. When he died, it wasn’t fair to anyone. He was truly the best. Still is.
Non Press Box Perks
Having Al Hrakosky joke to one of the crew that they put a zero in upside down. True story.
Worst moment ever
Listening to a game I couldn’t work at home and hearing Joe Buck say on the air that a number on a game was put in upside down. Uncommon but forgivable mistake. When the person working that game is your best friend that you brought on, it was a problem.
Breaking the board down after a game
When the teams left the field and fans left the seats, Busch got empty and quiet. The lights would get shut off. On the nights I’d choose to clean the board and set it up for the next day, I’d come out afterwards, sit on the retired banners concourse and just take it in. One of the underrated perks of working at a stadium is seeing it when it sleeps. Looking down on the field where so much had happened and so much would happen, it was hard to not get nostalgic. I miss those midnight hangouts.
Talking to the sportswriters
Every chance I had, I’d walk over to Miklasz, Strauss or Bryan Burwell and just bounce stuff off their shields. They were the hot stuff beat writers and commentary artists, and I was the scrappy young blogger/aspiring journalist. I’d present a theory to them and see how much it weighed. Sometimes a good conversation broke out. Sometimes, I’d look like an idiot. They were always classy and gracious. I miss those days.
I don’t miss the hair I had, the buckets of sweat I shed or banging my head seventy times a season. The Manual Scoreboard will always be the best job I ever had. It combined baseball, friends, and some cash. I was disappointed the new stadium didn’t retain the board but was quietly happy to retire after 8 grueling yet special seasons.
What are your greatest memories from the old Busch Stadium?
Dose of Buffa 