The Dark Night at Busch Stadium Is Over

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It’s amazing how fast things can go dark at a baseball game.   Less than 24 hours after winning their 5th series in a row, the Cards get blasted for 6 runs in the first inning and everybody steps onto the ledge at Busch and tries to jump off.  So many bandwagon fans get their name because they can’t understand the effect of one game.  The 10-0 loss tonight is one game and its over with.  The Cards are 22 games over .500 and still in first place.  Anyone expecting the Reds to roll over, play dead and cough up a sweep doesn’t know that team.  They came out tonight, dominated and did so against our best pitcher.  They made a statement, got back into the race and redefined why baseball is the toughest sport to follow.  Every night, things can change and momentum can be turned over to a different team.  Celebrations last less than 24 hours and one player’s actions can turn a team’s tempo and mood around.

I am talking about Brandon Phillips.  Sure, his pregame antics had the look of a spoiled child firing back venom at a harmless reporter doing his job.   After the first 2 innings, you saw how maybe his words set a fire under the Reds and had them winning this game handily before the Cards took an at bat.  I could be wrong but Phillips is well known for getting under the skin of Cardinals fans and acting as a true nemesis to our team.  Honestly, I like Phillips, think he is a helluva 2B and likes to stir the pot for the love of the game.  His attack on the scribe was uncalled for, but a week from now may be seen in Cincinnati as the breaking point the Reds needed to get out of that ghost mode they seemed to fall into for two days.  Making errors like the Cubs and sleepwalking through important games wasn’t on the agenda for the fiery defending NL Central champs.  They have a chip on their shoulder and want to contend.  Walt Jocketty had to leave St. Louis with a little pep in his step.  Beat our ace in vicious style, get the last word and hop on the bus out of town on a higher note than you were last night.   It’s one game in the standings but for the Reds may have been a jump start.

Adam Wainwright got shelled.  So what?  It happens.    Felix Hernandez gave up 8 runs today.   Waino gave up 9.  He hit the mound and never looked comfortable until he struck out his only two batters of the night with the bases empty and down 9-0.   He lasted 2 innings, didn’t throw 60 pitches and offered no excuses.  He is an ace and knows the drill.  He lost the game before it ever started.   Opposing pitcher Homer Bailey was sharp and took the cushion and turned it into a win.  What I don’t need to see is fans jumping on Waino’s last start as reasoning behind his bad outing.   It is so easy to say, “well, he threw 128 pitches on Friday, so maybe he is just tired and out of energy tonight”.   That’s not a crazy statement but a typical defense.  A more logical approach is noting his command was off, the Reds put together some hits, and jumped on the Ace early.  If the Padres jump you for 9 runs, be a little worried.  If the Reds do it, just accept defeat.  Waino got shelled at home in the first inning by the Cubs in July, giving up 4 in route to a loss.  Tonight was worse by far but teams know the time to get Waino is early if his command is off.  It wasn’t a result of Friday’s performance.  He routinely throws 110-115 pitches per start.  Tonight, his stuff wasn’t good enough and a good hitting team pounced.    Figuring out the mechanisms and recovery of pitchers even in this day and age is a tired task and shouldn’t get much attention.  Take it as it is and roll on.

Michael Wacha made a statement tonight for a start next week by pitching 4 innings and striking out 7, including 2 of Phillips.  Wacha was the fireman tonight, coming in and cooling off the red hot bats of Cincy and telling Cardinal nation how bright the future is with him in it.   Tyler Lyons was solid on Monday but Mike Matheny must take a hard look at Tuesday’s start.  Reds hitters hadn’t seen Wacha yet this year but sure looked fooled by his heat propelled fastball and decent dishes of breaking balls.  In my opinion, if Mo doesn’t want to hit the waiver wire for another starter, Wacha could provide you with impact starts down the stretch or at the very least, give you some action on Tuesday.  Lyons and Carlos Martinez will be here anyway but Wacha deserves a start.  He has looked very good in short and long duty in the bullpen.

The bats were silent.  Regulars were out of the game before the mid point.  Pete Kozma played left field.  Yadi Molina probably got into street clothes after the 7th inning.   David Freese ordered IMOS in the 8th inning.  Pete Kozma played left field.   Matt Holliday was chalking his hands for a workout in the 9th inning.  All of this is comedic speculation(it’s okay to laugh Cardinal nation) but it’s safe to say this was a weird chaotic night at Busch Stadium.  Rough for fans in attendance and easy for the ones sitting at home to turn off or mute.  Sure we were capable of a comeback but it became apparent that wasn’t in the cards(on a roll now).   Baseball gods don’t care what you did last night.  Every game is a challenge, even for the esteemed Cardinal franchise that has dominated at home during the second half.

Cardinals fans think we have to win every night.  Any blowout is just wrong and can’t be handled by 3/4 of the fanbase.   This is what happens when your organization is built on the expectation of excellence.   A night after proclaiming victory of the United Nations on August 27th, get on twitter tonight and you will hear from a heavy majority of the Best Fans in Baseball(not really) that this team in a freefall.   That is not true.  The Cards are fine.  They got beat up and dropped for a knockout.   They will get back up, get on a plane and head to Pittsburgh for another big series.  With a half game separating the division lead, every series is big.  Every game matters.  If you face a fellow contender, the challenge will be stiff.  If you face a bad team, all you have is a spoiler wrecking ball in your path.   Every night will bring no guarantee of a happy ending.   If you want a happy ending, watch An Officer and A Gentleman.  Watch When Harry Met Sally.  Don’t watch baseball too closely because it, and sports as a whole, will break your heart.  That’s part of the experience.

This is why I admire people like my dad who can watch and easily let a bad loss go by doing something else for the rest of the night.   I don’t have to explain in detail that tonight’s game made me grumpy and a slight bore.   My wife made a great homemade pulled pork pizza and I said it was good without further feedback.  She was in a good mood and I was in a flat one.   She talked proudly about our son, who played like a silent heroic ninja 23 month old with his train set for 2 hours, and I felt like going to the basement to do laundry and lose a staring contest with the wall.  When the Cards lose, I let it get personal but I don’t lose sight of logic.

Tonight’s loss was rough but only counts as one.  Adam Wainwright will take the hill again in Cincinnati next week for revenge and this team will let the big dog eat at the plate soon enough.   Mike Matheny will smile in a few days and September will take us into the final painful stretch of games.

I can tell you Fernando Salas doesn’t have to pitch another game in a Cardinals uniform but Matheny has a bond with him like he did with Boggs and will find a way to get him into games.  Remember that piece of corn stuck in your teeth for hours.  That’s Salas.  He threw 2 innings tonight and allowed a home run because what is a Salas appearance without an earned run allowed.  He has no business on this team(words of my fine Cards friend Carlin) but keeps coming back.  When I think of Fernando Salas, I think of the Cards in Game 6 of the 2011 World Series.  He.  Just.  Won’t.  Go.  Away.

What else?  The light will shine tomorrow morning.   Skies will be blue by noon.  The game of baseball will leave one black and blue for it shall always know what is best for you.  Now you see what lopsided losses do to me.

Keep in mind the Pirates play tomorrow and if they win, the series starting on Friday will begin with a tie for first place.   What other way could we have it?  All I can say is the Cards owe the Pirates a beatdown in their own park so Pittsburgh better go pick up its shoe shine box.

This was more of an old fashioned rant than a thoroughly thought out game wrap up.   Exactly what a BLOG is for.  Thanks for reading and enjoy the day free of Cardinals baseball fueled pain tomorrow because it is one of the last idle days of the summer for the Rogues in Red.

Sincerely,

Your United Cardinal Bloggers correspondent,

Dan Buffa

“They never said it was going to be easy.”-Mike Shannon

Read my interview with fellow U.C.B. writer Bill Ivie and other Q & A sessions right here for different representations of Cardinal love.

www.unitedcardinalbloggers.com

 

 

 

Q & A with Bill Ivie For United Cardinal Bloggers

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This week, I had the chance to send some questions to a veteran Cardinal writer and passionate fan Bill Ivie.   I asked him about his love for the game and the details that make him feel the need to write about the team in his free time.   Here is what we came up with.   Ivie’s answers are in BOLD.

1.) When did you fall in love or become addicted to this Cardinals team?
I was a military brat when I was young and my dad, who was in the army, moved us around quite a bit.  He was born and spent his youth in Southeast Missouri so that’s where we settled.  My first Cardinal game was during the 1985 season in September.  The vibe around the stadium was amazing.  Later that year, “Go Crazy, Folks” happened and I was hooked.  I grew up in the bleachers of Busch II over countless summer days.
2.) What drove you to want/need to write about this team?  With me it was a long time hunger and need to inform.  What was your initial push to blog on the Cards?
I have always loved to write and, at one point in my youth, thought I would go to school for journalism/broadcasting.  Life led me a different direction but in 2007 I decided to give writing a shot for another blog, CardsDiaspora.com.  I contact Hooks and did some work there before moving on to Baseball Digest and eventually starting my own site over at i70.
3.) Favorite Cardinal of all time and why?  I won’t question you if its Rene Arocha or Bud Smith, haha.
I always feel like this is one of the hardest questions out there.  To make it sound completely corny, I love the name on the front of the jersey.  When players are here, I will support them and wish them the best.  When they leave, they will always be remembered for wearing the birds-on-the-bat, but they no longer hold high distinction.  I can say this: I was raised on defense, so players that are known for their defensive abilities draw my attention more than others.  Over my life, I have enjoyed Ozzie Smith, Tom Pagnozzi, Mike Matheny, Yadier Molina, Jim Edmonds, and Scott Rolen, just to name a few.
4.) What do you feel the Cardinals biggest need is for 2014?
To value their prospects correctly.  If a guy is going to be “untouchable” when you are discussing trading for established, productive major leaguers, then he better be a sure thing.  It’s frustrating seeing guys come to the team that are a product of a great farm system but are not star-quality players.  I’m excited to see Kolten Wong and Oscar Taveras on this team, but I sincerely hope they are all they are built up to be if we have refused to trade them for other, established players.
5.) Who is a bigger threat not this year but in 2014?  Pirates or the Reds?
The Pirates, hands-down.  They are a young team that improves with each year.  They continue to gain experience going deeper into the playoff race and that makes them more and more dangerous.  The Reds are getting older and show no sign of replenishing that with a very weak farm system.  Pittsburgh may be here for years to come.
6.) Go Albert Pujols or Rot Away in LA?  Which side are you on?
Can I shoot right down the middle?  I feel the way he departed St. Louis leaves me with a lot less respect for him.  I don’t wish him ill-will and hate to see him injured and struggling, but I’m not pulling for him to continue to be great, either.  I would say i am fairly ambivalent to Mr. Pujols going forward.
7.) What is your full time occupation and how do you manage to mix that career with your writing?
I work for a major software company in the Kansas City area.  My job keeps me busy but I find time to write during down-times, breaks, and at night when I get home.  I stay fairly busy most of the time I’m awake, it seems, but I’m learning that it is okay to say “no” to some opportunities.
8.) Last but not least, what was your most memorable live moment at the ballpark?
Now I can get obscure with you.  I was at a game in the early 90’s, sitting in the RF bleachers with my parents when Felix Jose launched a home run that hit the scoreboard that hung above our heads.  The loud noise that the ball made when it ricocheted off the metal, the dent that it left behind, and the acknowledgement the next day that he was only the second player in the history of the ball park to do that was pretty amazing.  There are a lot of memories like that from my childhood that I will never forget.
*You can read more of Bill Ivie’s work at http://www.unitedcardinalbloggers.com.
*Here’s additional information on Ivie-
Bill Ivie
Founder | I-70 Baseball
Freelance Writer | i70baseball | Yahoo Contributor Network
President | Baseball Bloggers Alliance

“Man, I did love this game. I’d have played for food money. It was the game… The sounds, the smells. Did you ever hold a ball or a glove to your face?…I used to love traveling on the trains from town to town. The hotels, brass spittoons in the lobbies, brass beds in the rooms. It was the crowd, rising to their feet when the ball was hit deep. Shoot, I’d play for nothing.”

 

Quick Takes on the Cards

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As the afternoon burns through my Italian skin and reminds me that STL brings the heat more than any Cardinal reliever in August, I throw out some quick thoughts on my first place team via the bullet.

  • Last night’s win was a clear cut example of this team’s new found dogfight attitude in August.   After going 4 months without a comeback late in a game, the Cards have scored 3 huge miraculous comebacks against their tougher competition in the NL Central.   We got down 4-0 last night and things looked dismal.   Tyler Lyons was pitching well but getting bad luck before you knew it, the game was starting to fade away.  Suddenly, Matt Holliday hits a baseball halfway towards Asia and it’s a one run game.   In the 7th, with the bases and down by a run, Allen Craig stepped to the plate.   This guy thrives with the pleasure on his shoulders.  With RISP, he is hitting .433 or other words destroys pitchers in clutch spots.   He didn’t slap a base hit to score 2 or beat out an infield hit.  He cranked an opposite field first pitch grand slam that sent a jolt through Busch Stadium.  The Cards won 8-6 on the heels of solid bullpen work, Lyons’ recovering from a rough start, Mujica closing it down for save #35 and the lineup’s ability to keep pushing.  The Cards are dominating at home in the second half of the season and that’s a key factor because we play a lot of games at Busch in the last month.
  • I didn’t give Lyons much positive spin for his start because he seemed to be figured out by major league hitters in his last 4 starts.   Last night, he got better as he went and struck out 7 Reds batters.   He fooled Joey Votto twice on a breaking ball that had the MVP twitching back to the dugout.   He limited the damage after the early assault.   In my mind, he hushed a few critics and earned another start.  Michael Wacha and Carlos Martinez are holding down the long inning roles in the pen so the team has options, but Lyons earned another start with his gutsy performance.
  • Let me just say this.  I don’t think Ryan Jackson is the genuine article.   He won’t be a long term option for the team.  He will probably burn out after a certain number of at-bats.  However, if he doesn’t get called up on September 1st and doesn’t get a little playing time, I really want to get an idea of where John Mozelaik’s head is at.   Pete Kozma is exposed folks and while his defense is solid, it’s not gold glove worthy at shortstop and he is an automatic out in the lineup.    Kozma is 3-42 in the month of August with 10 strikeouts.   He has 4 total bases this month.   Kozma is a liability now so more than ever and when you look at a lineup with him in it, the opposing pitcher has two soft spots in the 8-9 positions in our lineup.    Daniel Descalso is fine but his defense(as seen last night in the 1st inning) is average and error prone.  Jackson is noted as having stellar defense and can at least provide a fresh bat in the lineup.  He has earned the right to prove his mettle at this level.   Or we can watch Kozma trip his way towards the Mendoza line.
  • The Pirates made a big move today, acquiring two cheap productive bats in Marlon Byrd and John Buck to bolster their lineup.   Their once weak looking offense is looking mighty bulky and explosive these days.   Byrd was hitting .285 with 21 HR and 70 RBI for the Mets and Buck had 15 HR and 60 RBI at the time of the trade.   The Mets are cutting major pieces after they found out ace pitcher Matt Harvey is out for the season and may require Tommy John surgery.   The Pirates jumped on this whole sale and improved their team.  Will Mo and the Cards react or stand pat?   We do lead the league in a number of offensive categories but can use some help up the middle and on the bench.  With Tony Cruz out for another week or so, finding a backup catcher may have been wise.  Buck would have been a great find but the Bucs beat everybody to him and nabbed Byrd as well.   As the final month of the season gets underway, the Pirates have positioned themselves for the drive.   Will the Reds beef up?  Will the Cards make a move?  Don’t ask Mozelaik because at…the….end…of…the….day……who knows?
  • If David Freese can find a way to explode, our offense isn’t that vulnerable.   If he can hit more and produce on a more consistent basis, the need to replace Kozma weakens a bit.   Freese is an X-Factor.  He was a huge factor when we made those late season pushes in 2011 and 2012.   If he remains stagnant this year, the lineup looks weaker because Kolten Wong isn’t ready for extended duty and doesn’t offer that game changing bat that Freese can when he is on.   We need that 2011 October Freese to step up, knock hits into RF and improve his defense.   If he can heat up, the lineup is stronger than ever.  Without him hitting, our boys look a little weak towards the bottom of the order.  When Freese is down the 7-8-9 spots of himself, Kozma and the pitcher look very easy for a decent opposing pitcher.
  • Carlos Beltran is getting hot again, stroking a double in that pivotal 7th inning last night.  He is hitting .366 in his last 10 games.
  • The Cards have 5 hitters in their everyday lineup hitting .280 or better in Molina, Craig, Carpenter, Beltran and Holliday.
  • I find myself watching Holliday HR over and over again because they are so majestic.   The one he hit last night traveled 442 feet and was simply obliterated off the bat.  Later, in the 7th inning, he drew an important walk that set up Craig’s slam.   A 3-2 pitch right off the outside corner takes guts to let sail by and Holliday did it.  His numbers are slowly perking up.   With his two 3 run bombs in the past week, Matt now has 18 HR, 70 RBI and 85 Runs and 25 doubles.
  • With 31 games remaining after last night, the Cards are in prime position to stay right in the thick of the race.   The next 12 are against the Reds and Pirates with the final 19 coming against sub .500 teams.  Things are working themselves into our advantage to secure a division title if we can split the next 12 games at least.
  • Tonight the Cards face their true 2013 nemesis(not named Francisco Liriano or Mike Minor) in Matt Latos.  He has shut us down twice this year and is 13-4 and easily the Reds strongest starter this year.   Speaking of Liriano, we face him Friday in Pittsburgh.
  • If the Cards win tonight and the Brewers can wreck the Pirates’ part, we could be 2 full games ahead of Pitt and push the Reds 4.5 games back.  These games against Cincinnati are nearly as important as the Pirates showdowns because with every win we push them further into that wild card game one off.   To tell it simple, every game matters.   Baseball is a test of endurance and not streaky skill.   You do the best with the 162 games and get into the playoffs and then go for the gold.   Where will the Cards end up?  Apparently, a lot better than the many Cards fans on twitter who were ready to bury the team on August 10th.  Fans often forget there are so many games in a baseball season.  So much time left to turn things around.  Once again, the Cards did.

That’s all from the pregame desk.   Go Cards!

-Dan Buffa

 

The NEWSROOM is Grand Television

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First, let me get a few worthy tid bits out of the way before I talk about Newsroom, Aaron Sorkin’s juicy masterpiece.

The Cards lost today.   Hard to be mad when I asked for 2 and they gave me 3.   We won an important series and are still tied for the division lead with the Reds 2.5 games back and coming into town.  13 games against the Reds and Pirates won’t define our season because we have 19 games afterwards against below .500 teams.  That’s like saying a fight with a martial arts expert will end fatal when you forget you know a few movies yourself and face a group of fat bullies on the way home.  Keep your chin up Cards fans.  The fight is only beginning.  Brandon Phillips knows his team is down again and will ignite the fan base with a tweet tomorrow.   I actually like the guy, think he’s a helluva player who likes setting fires before a series.  Good for him.  When we bury him, Ludwick, and Walt under a pile of shit in 2 weeks, the only smiles will belong to the Birds.

Lance Lynn wasn’t great today.  He also wasn’t bad.   He just wasn’t good.  He gave up 4 earned runs but didn’t get the 6.2 of average run support that he usually gets and that is a stat that leads the NL.   Lynn depends on help.  He’s like a lone soldier waiting on the helicopter to drop a bomb on the bad guys he can’t kill.   Lynn can strike guys out but he has a two cent head that renders him useless.  You can’t fix that with drugs, an ice pack and a story.  You just wait and see if he grows out of it.  He doesn’t deserve wrath.  The Cards were shut down today by Mike Minor and Craig Kimbrel doesn’t give up 3 runs in an inning.

The VMA’s are a show I will never watch.  I don’t care if DMB, BRMC and The Black Keys were playing.  They are a tromped up, glossy, shitty tasting exercise in what 2013 wants music to look like.  I’ll just get my car and listen to a Buffa mix for what I need to hear.

Peyton Manning treated the Rams first team secondary like scorched earth but could only get field goals and threw an interception on Saturday night.   I call that a win for the Rams defense, which always sees the most game time in preseason game #3.  Alec Ogletree picked off Manning and also created another turnover by striping a running back of the leather in the same half.  He is another risky college player with a big upside and an off the field danger that Jeff Fisher took a chance with.   This Rams team could be dangerous.

As much as I try I can’t get a job that I would be happy with so I apply mostly to robotic warehouse jobs.   As much as I try to convince him, my son doesn’t like sleeping in his bed alone so he wants me to come lie with him.   As much as I try to get to the gym, it takes effort after 12 hours with a 2 year old to muster the energy required to get a decent workout.   As much as I try to admit it just tastes good, I am a severe coffee addict but as long as I put little to no sugar in it I am okay.

Alright, Newsroom time.

If you haven’t watched the show yet, guess what I have good news.  You only have around 18 hours to catch up with.   Season 2 takes a break next Sunday because premium cable networks think America takes Labor Day seriously and can’t watch their Sunday shows.   If you still don’t care, read anyway because I make this as compelling as a juicy steak.

Aaron Sorkin takes real news stories from the past two years, sprinkles in his views with a little nuance and provides a fictional tale to gloss over the entire season.   People either hate him or love him.  I love the guy because he is a helluva writer and treats these news stories like an investigator.  It’s almost like he is going back over the dates and events like a detective looking for clues and ways to solve a case that didn’t get justice the first time.  Sorkin isn’t like Michael Moore.  He doesn’t ram his view down your throat.   He just presents his take but presents various characters with separate and equally strong personalities that differ the more you look.   Jeff Daniels is amazingly authentic as Will McAvoy, the Republican news anchor who takes a stand against his own party and is still paying the consequences for calling America not the greatest country in the world.  He is a man who is so sure of everything but gets into trouble when it comes to the women in his life and a conscience he can’t clear.   Charlie Skinner(Sam Waterson, who should own a lot of Emmy’s when he quits) produces this news show that attacks the gritty truth that most mainstream news shows hop scotch around for the better purpose of high ratings.   Mackenzie McCale(Emily Mortimer, trading places between strong and bitchy) is a woman driven by what she has done to Will in the past and how she can repair it in the future.   Don Keefer(Thomas Sadorski) is a young producer who knows Will too well, is a good guy with a smart intellect but can’t get himself past the sexy smarts of Sloan Sabbath(the lovely and game Olivia Munn).   There’s Alison Pill as Maggie and John Gallagher Jr. as Jim Harper, two characters who in a lesser show would have already gotten together but instead find themselves stretched apart by circumstance and a willingness to be a good person instead of strive for what they really want.   Sorkin writes that tommy gun dialogue so you can get lost in it but that is what rewind is for.  Go back and take in every line of this show because it plays like an hour long debate club every Sunday night.   The second season has bee wrapped around a central story line involving a wrongful termination suit which stems from a big government cover up story called Genoa.   A news producer gets a tip about US soldiers using chemical weapons on innocent villagers when trying to extract two kidnapped soldiers and the last 8 hours have been spent chasing this lead into corners, interviews and revelations that bring the entire ACN news team to its knees.   The story is told in flashback with present day stories as well.  A team of lawyers interviewing the main players about Genoa and going back to the weeks leading up to the night that Skinner gave the go for the broadcast and the dominoes that fell during tonight’s episode.  At the heart of the tale is old fashioned news and getting it right while taking chances and throwing hail mary’s to go with it.   What if MSNBC and Fox News weren’t tepid bitches and actually interrogated people in interviews, demanded the truth and chased a story instead of reading edited news clips in order to keep their jobs.  What if is what Sorkin is asking.  What if we became the greater fool and fought the good fight?  Sorkin aims for the heart and adds a heavy measure of emotional compassion and soul to it.    He aims for the heart but doesn’t forget to stop by the brain first.  His cast is aces and his timing is never better.  The Presidential Election and Sandy Hook is coming up which presents the team with a few challenges.   If you aren’t watching this show, start now.  You have 2 weeks.

I wrote a piece about Elmore Leonard today.   Go to Film-Addict and read up.  He was the kind of writer Hollywood waited outside a door in the cold for.   Too bad he is gone.

Once again, it’s time for me to go off the air and get off this chair.  Come back next time for a Dose of Buffa and if you like the material, spread the word.  There’s 2 websites you can tell them to find me at.

So long until the next story comes along,

D.L.B.

 

 

Key to The Cardinals Turnaround

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It takes a lot for a team to climb out of the depths of late summer dog day dread, but the Cardinals have pulled it off.   They have done so by doing things that have propelled them the entire season and also incorporating some new weapons and tactics.  Let’s roll over it.

Since losing to the Cubs on Saturday at home on August 10th to lose the series and reach their worst point in 2 months, the Cardinals have gone 10-3 and won series’ against the Pirates, Cubs, Brewers and Braves.   Today, we go for the sweep of an Atlanta team that swept us in their home park 3 weeks ago.   A lot of things can change when your team gets the little things done.   Today we start the game tied with the Pirates for first place in the division after the Giants shut down the Bucs on Saturday night to help us pull even.   It’s a brand new game in the division and the Reds aren’t out of it yet.  

The Cards got this far and turned things around by introducing a few new abilities.

-They came from behind twice against the Pirates at home to win the series and show that they had a few lives after the 8th inning.  Before that first extra inning win in 13 innings, the Cards had lost every game they trailed heading into the 9th inning.   They were 24 out victims for about 4 months.  Without that series win against the Pirates, I’m not sure any of this is possible.  

-The Birds bounced back from a 7-0 defeat against the Cubs on August 16th where Jake Westbrook walked the first three batters and our bats were shut down by a rookie.  We took the next two games on starting pitching and outscoring the opponent 10-1.  

-We scored another late inning come from behind win against the Brewers only to watch Lance Lynn blow a 3-0 lead the following night and nearly saw Westbrook give back a 7-0 lead on Wednesday afternoon.   The series win against the Brewers brought us back to 20 games over .500 and into a crucial 17 game stretch against premium teams the likes of Atlanta, Cincinnati, and Pittsburgh.  

In taking the first three games of the series, the Cards have established their home dominance by taking advantage of the injury plagued Braves and taking away their much beloved long ball.  In three games, the Braves have 2 home runs that have only accounted for 3 runs.  A home run hungry team has been befuddled by Joe Kelly, Adam Wainwright and Shelby Miller to the tune of 22 innings pitched with only 2 runs allowed.   We have received timely hitting from Carlos Beltran and Matt Holliday and find ourselves starting today tied for the lead in the Central.  It took every ounce of effort to pull it back in after seeing everything spiral out of control.  

The Cards have indeed relocated their starting pitching dominance at Busch this weekend.  Look at Miller’s big game start last night in a swing contest.   He allowed a first inning home run to Freddie Freeman but proceeded to allow 2 hits over the final 6.1 innings with 6 strikeouts.  Miller was more economical with his pitches.  He didn’t try to strike everyone out.   He had around 55 pitches in the 5th inning, a plateau usually reached in the 3rd or 4th inning.   The best part of Miller’s start was the fact he didn’t allow a single walk.  It was only his second start where he allowed zero walks and the first since a win over the Phillies on July 23rd.  The rest and caution over the rookie righthander may have been worth the stress levels because if he is starting to figure out how to shut down HR happy heavy hitting MLB lineups like the Braves, the next two months could be the young man’s best moments.   

-I could tell you how brilliant Wainwright was on Friday but I am afraid a lot of people beat me to it and its something that is a given.  After struggling on the vital road trip against the Braves and Pirates, Wainwright has reestablished his dominance with two big starts.  He won the series at Wrigley a week ago with a 7 inning performance and threw his best game of the year against the Braves on Friday.   Using 128 pitches yet looking stronger and sharper than ever in the 9th inning, Wainwright threw a complete game.  He struck out 9 and walked no one.   It was the kind of big game performance you need from your ace in a crucial stretch of play.   He raised around 100,000 dollars for local charities in the morning with his fantasy football tournament and went out and threw a gem that night.   Wainwright is becoming Chris Carpenter in every way and its a great thing.   He wears his heart on his sleeve, donates plenty of time to charity, doesn’t bullshit in interviews, and happens to be a commanding presence on the mound and a hilariously loose teammate in the dugout.  If there is a leader on the team not named Molina, it’s Waino.   7 years ago those team collided at the mound for a World Series celebration.  Friday night, they did a more subtle celebration after Waino’s complete game and it reminded me how sharp and alert this franchise is.   The Cardinals don’t put out phonies and players that lack the gall to lead others.  We craft veteran minded young men ready to lead.   In Matt Carpenter and Allen Craig, you see the youth movement.  In Holliday and Beltran, there is the guided direction from proven players.   This team is one of the most well rounded teams I’ve watched in years.

-Speaking of Matt Holliday, he’s turned it on again in this series, collecting 4 hits in 11 at bats but making those hits count.   A big RBI double on Thursday.  A mammoth HR to break a tie in Friday’s game.  A big 2 run double last night.   In the #3 hole where hitters go to live or die, Holliday is doing just fine.  His work in left field isn’t that bad either.  Keep in mind he has only made 1 error there all season.   

-Per one of my radio buddies, Aaron Russell, when Edward Mujica threw those 6 innings last week before his temporary shutdown, all he needed was 42 pitches to do it.   Last night, he had to close down a game that two other relievers failed to convert and needed 3 pitches to do it.   With every appearance, Mujica is getting sharper and sharper.   I’ll say it again.  After a slight dip in July, Chief has reasserted himself as a shutdown closer in August.   His four out save to preserve a much needed series win in Milwaukee was impressive because he was doing it with considerable back pain.   Last night, he quieted fears of an extended injury with a quick blunt performance.   In 12 appearances in August, Mujica has 5 strikeouts with 1 walk and has allowed 1 earned run with 4 saves.  For the season, even for a closer, his numbers are ridiculous.   34-36 in saves, 43 K-3 BB, opponents are hitting .203 against him and his WHIP is 0.80.   Absolutely ridiculous.  Go Eddie!

Quickies before I set up for game time-

*Daniel Descalso is looking better and better the more he plays shortstop.   Made two very nice plays last night.   Pete Kozma gets the start today with his 3 hits in the month of August.  Being a light hitting defensive player is fine.  Being a non-existent hitter on a playoff team isn’t acceptable.   His days are numbered.

*I want Tony Cruz back,   No offense to Rob Johnson but he isn’t a suitable backup.  His defense is average and his bat is worse.  Cruz is a decent backup and I like him in there to give Yadi the occasional day off.

*Sorry to all the Wainwright lovers(and I am one, so this is weird) but Yadi Molina is the team’s MVP.  Waino does his work every 5th day and if he happens not to, the impact only gets lessened.   Yadi takes that spot 4 out of 5 games and delivers night in and night out.   He completely takes away the running game, even from base stealing happy foes.  He’s the best.  He also swings a big bat.  He is 14-30 in his last 7 games with 8 runs scored.  He leads the league in hitting with a .336 average.  Best catcher.  Best batting average.  Add it up.  BEST.

*The weight falls on Lance Lynn to deliver a decent start and keep the streak going.  He loves his four seam fastball and his ability to mix it in with breaking pitches against a homer happy team will be the key.  Save me his defense because the man’s 13 wins have come via good pitching but better run support.   In his last 2 starts, Lynn hasn’t been sharp.  We have a liability on this roster and its called Jake Westbrook. Lance Lynn needs to earn his keep.  Go out there today and complete sweep.  Earn the victory on the merit of your own arm.  

*With Westbrook hitting the DL, Tyler Lyons gets the start tomorrow against the Reds.   This guy is a puzzle.  He shut down the Padres and Royals but ran into better teams with better bats who had a knowledge of his pitchers in July and he was clubbed for 3 starts in a row.   He made another start weeks later and was clubbed at Pittsburgh.  He was solid in relief in Milwaukee but faces a mighty lineup on Monday.   Will he be beaten up for a 5th consecutive start or will Tyler Lyons be something else.  We’ll see.  My bets are in front of me because I see no good cards in my hand.  

That’s all I got today.  Go Cards and keep the streak going.  We beat the Braves today and we will be tied for the best record in MLB baseball again.   That’s two weeks after looking dead in the water.  That’s how fast things can change in this game.  You play every day. You can change things every single game.  The Cardinals are going to get their chance.  Let’s not settle for a series win.  Let’s go for the jugular.  I wonder what all the fans who thought we were done 2 weeks ago think now.  Hmmmm….remember the game they play and what happened in 2011 and 2012.  

Thanks for reading,

Dan Buffa

Special Dose of Buffa-Trance Movie Review

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This is another film I didn’t see in theaters.   A film-addict colleague, Landon Burris, snapped it up but Danny Boyle’s latest film seemed promising and quite intriguing.  A thriller involving hypnosis and a stolen painting with a fine cast.  Well, it came out on Blu Ray/DVD this past week and I picked it up.  Here is my review.

Film-Trance

Rating-R

Directed by Danny Boyle

Starring James McAvoy, Vincent Cassell and Rosario Dawson.

Buffa’s Take

Twisty thrillers always employ a few rugs.  In order to keep you off balance and from using your vast movie knowledge, the twists must happen abruptly and intelligently.  Think of the viewer as the bull and the movie’s script, director and cast as the mariachi holding the ever moving sash.  We get really close and the rug is pulled out from beneath our feet.  The sash is whipped up into the sky and the bull runs through.  Well, let’s just say Danny Boyle employed a lot of rugs in his latest, Trance.

What does that word mean?  An infinite case of limbo or confusion would be my guess.  I’m not looking it up.  Where’s the fun in that?  Don’t do it before you watch the movie.  Boyle and writers Joe Aherne and John Hodge cooked up a fine acid trip of a movie here and one that you will never figure out where it’s really going before the very end.  Go ahead and try as you watch it.  Piece together the puzzle.

A seemingly regular joe art auctioneer(McAvoy) tries to make a play during a robbery of very expensive painting, thus getting a shot to the head from the butt of a shotgun, held by Franck(Cassell).   The only problem is when the criminal leave the bleeding man on the floor and runs away with his partners, he later finds out the painting isn’t in the case.  Only Simon knows where it is and he kind of has memory issues.   So comes into play a hypnotist named Elizabeth(Dawson).   The three people go through a series of dreams, states of mind and several aggressive interventions before we even have an idea of where the plot is taking its root from.   That is the genius of this movie.  You may have think I spoiled the film but I have only told you about the first 20 minutes.  Everything from the point of these three characters coming into connection with another as we see in the movie is all mind games and poker faced storytelling.  It’s also very very bloody well done.

Right when you think Franck is pure bad and not just a criminal, he softens up.  Right when we think Simon is all innocent, he shows a shade of gray.   Right when Elizabeth seems to be the damsel in distress, she spins around with her own tricks.   Then they revert back to their original spot.   Boyle throws so many twists and screen shots coded in red at your face you may need a drink at the middle.   Dawson bares more than just her soul and the movie spends the majority of its time soaked in dark black and red colors to keep your eyes coated in oxidation and lust.   Filmmakers aren’t stupid.   They know we have seen it all before and have to take extra measures to keep us hooked.  Trance’s genius is we care about every character and not just one.  We feel sympathy for lowly people because throughout the entire film, all we see is chess pieces being moved around.

Imagine a sandbox and feeling like the confused one each time you step on either side of the line in the sand.  Right when you think you figured out the plot, the rug gets pulled out from beneath you.  Are the characters playing each other or is this movie playing you?    With 20 minutes left, I tweeted that Boyle has only a few twists left to convince me this trip is worth it and that this is a good movie.   Well, when the end credits finally do roll after 101 well spent minutes building tension and a bit of romance, you will know its a great movie.  At least I did.  I didn’t feel tired.  I felt empowered.  I took a 20 minute drive after I returned this movie.  I blasted music like Dirty Paws by Of Monsters and Men and Baba O’Riley from the Who.    Great movies or hours of television make you create a need to think and decompress what was digested.   Good films can be enjoyed and discarded.    Movies like Trance require an introspection of why you got into the racket of film to begin with.  As a movie critic, this one is all pleasure and no work.

Trance reminded me of Inception and Vanilla Sky(one of Tom Cruise’s most underrated films).  A combination of those two doozies.   It’s a real trip that is redeemed by an unexpected romance at the heart of the story.   Right when you think it’s all thriller and no love, it flips a switch.   Credit Boyle and the writers with that one.  I feel like buying them a steak and drowning their minds in red wine so I can see what’s in there next.

Boyle can hop genres like a jungle cat.  He won an Oscar for Slumdog Millionaire but also created the weirdest drug addiction film in Trainspotting and one the best zombie stories from the past 20 years in 28 Days Later.   He directed the underrated “Save the Earth by Unlocking the Sun” sci-fi gem, Sunshine.  He combines all those different pieces here for in my eyes, his finest work yet.  Trance.  He drains the film in ultraviolet light, inserts some gangster swagger and goes heavy on the gruesome blood shots.  In the end, this is Boyle unplugged.  His cinema flair running on full blast.

The cast is aces.   McAvoy is becoming the latest ultra reliable Everyman in film by taking on a host of different characters.  He plays Simon as a tortured soul that has more to him than we think.  We just don’t know what causes him so much pain.   Cassell is one of those mastermind character actors that will get a Film-Addict spotlight soon enough.   His snake eyes looks and dirty ways are so good that he LOOKS every part without effort.   The real star making performance here comes from Dawson.  Without her performance, the film falls apart at the end.   She must convince us to follow until the end because her character is the moral compass of the story.   She bares her entire body in the film but more important bares her soul in the performance.  She makes it all work.

See this movie.  Rent it.  No bonus features on the disc because none are needed and would only spoil the feeling you get afterwards.   What great magician wants to come back on stage and explain their trick?   Boyle doesn’t and I don’t blame him at all.  Trance is one of the better movies of 2013.

Read Film-Addict critic Landon Burris’ take right here.

http://film-addict.com/news-and-reviews/a-dose-of-buffa/item/1577-trance

Thanks for reading and enjoy your next trip to the movies.

-DLB

Max Scherzer is The AL’s Best. My Reasons follow.

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I know what you are thinking.  What the hell?  We all know this and some have already voted for the St. Louis native who now pounds strikeouts and collects wins like bottles of water for the Detroit Tigers.  Some people don’t get why Max Scherzer is so damn good and forget to include that in their debates.   The Cy Young award winner isn’t only linked to just their win total or they shouldn’t be.   Don’t misjudge this for a girlfriend telling her best friend about this new guy she met and only including the physical traits and forgetting that the guy has a killer sense of humor and does work for a charity instead of getting drunk and plastered with his friends.   Basically, don’t disregard the good old fashioned stats that are sitting right in front of you on any player profile page.  Scherzer has broke out of the decent starter for a good team mold and turned into a Cy Young award caliber talent.  Yes, his team scores runs for him and he takes them with open arms and turns them into wins.  However, a pitcher must pitch effectively and consistently to accumulate a record of 18-1 on August 24th.  Here are the reasons I think he is the best and you may have heard them before.

To go with the 18-1 record, he has put together a 1.88 ERA this month, which means he isn’t wearing down but simply sharpening up for the long haul.  He has a better ERA on the road than at home.  He pitches better at night than during the day.   More precisely, he has put togther very good stats.

2.73 ERA

185 K-38 BB

Opponents bat only .191 off him.

He has given up only 14 home runs in the offense friendly American League.  Yes, he does pitch in a pitcher friendly park but still he faces DH heavy lineups every night.

He doesn’t have shutouts or complete games but he has pitched 177.2 innings this year and consistently bangs out quality start after quality start.

His WHIP(average of hits and walks allowed per inning) is .091.  He doesn’t offer a lot of free passes.

He has struck out 10 or more batters in a start 6 times this year.

Fielding independent ERA is 2.66, which is pretty solid for an AL pitcher.

His individual numbers are right there with the perennial favorite Felix Hernandez.  Felix has more walks and a worse WHIP.  Hold off on the praise for him because I know he plays for a bad team but still, individual stats are what is being explored and not win totals.

Today, Max pitched 6 innings, struck out 11 and allowed 3 hits and the Tigers are shutting out the Mets in New York.  Oh yeah, Max has an RBI double.

And then there is the 18 wins(soon to be 19) to go with all the other stats.   In my opinion, Max Scherzer is the Cy Young Award winner because he has the showy numbers and the much needed more detail oriented stats to go with it.

Yu Darvish and Hernandez are credible candidates but unless Scherzer has a horrible September, he is the Cy Young Award winner this year.  I am taking about 2013’s best pitcher in the AL.  Not the past few years.   This may sound like I am simply agreeing with others but I am not.  I looked at the stats and made a choice.

Check back for more blogging later on tonight…..as always, GO CARDS!

Next I break down whether Adam Wainwright deserves the Cy Young award attention over Matt Harvey or is there a silver lining in there?

-Dan Buffa

 

 

Cards Game Reaction and More

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When Ben Affleck was announced as Batman in the 2015 sequel to Man of Steel, this addict’s radar went off and I had to depart a very good game.  I did return from Gotham in South Boston to rewatch the highlights and report that tonight’s game produced a stream of thoughts.  Here is a quick rundown of what happened tonight.

My Take From the Cards Win-

*Pete Kozma still has 3 hits in August, yet continues to start.  Unlike Dan Uggla, this .219 hitter can’t bash home runs out of the yard.   Daniel Descalso came into the game early and got a hit in 2 at bats.  Kozma is .057 for August.  He needs to go and it’s finally the hour for a Ryan Jackson appearance.  He has the defensive skills and might have a slightly better bat than .219.

*Joe Jelly Kelly provided another solid start.  Solid if not great work from a guy who continues to impress.  He has pitched 12 innings and allowed 2 runs total against the best team in baseball(record wise at least).   He went 6, allowed 2 runs on 7 hits, and struck out 3 batters and walked 2.  He delivered what was expected.  The base line for the opportunity to win.  He’s as good as bottled water right now.

*Quiet down about Matt Holliday losing some production back in the #3 hole.  He was 2-3 with a walk tonight including a huge RBI double in the 6th.  He will hit anywhere.  Just let him be.  Sometimes Holliday haters just talk so they can be seen, like annoying umpires in a game of rivals.

*Mike Matheny didn’t receive much wrath from Twitter tonight and it seems like every time Kelly starts, the young skipper makes better decisions.  It must be nice knowing your starter will deliver what is expected.  I didn’t see that many bunts tonight.  Fact.

*Carlos Beltran is heating back up at the right time.   In his last 10 games, Beltran is hitting .341.

*David Freese continues to starve off desperation with a hit and 2 RBI tonight.  I still say he needs to light it up to get starts because Kolten Wong offers you a little more but the Imos Boy faithful is still strong.

*Matt Carpenter continues his wickedly hot table setting ways.  2 hits, his 42nd double, and 2 runs scored.   He is hitting .312 and looking mighty confident doing so.  Where did we find this guy?  2 years ago he was nowhere on the depth chart and boom, now he is our leadoff guy for the foreseeable future.  It starts and ends with his ability to work the count and play solid defense.

*Trevor Rosenthal is showing some signs of wearing down but he has appeared in 58 games and still gets the job done.  He allowed a hit tonight yet threw 10 pitches and finished off the 9th inning.  He has allowed 5 earned runs in his last 10 outings but is still a strong reliever.  I trust the guy.

*Paul Maholm is an average pitcher and Atlanta’s worst starter.  He no hit us for nearly 4 innings before we woke up and scored 5 runs off him.   This series was set up perfect because we got their worst to start and don’t face their best, Mike Minor, until Sunday.

*Add to that The Braves are walking wounded.  Jason Heyward got beaned with a pitch in the jaw and will miss 6 weeks.  Dan Uggla may return this weekend but who knows what his eye sight will yield.  B.J. Upton is struggling.  Justin Upton hits a home run(as seen tonight) or is a quick out.  This team is already without its ace, Tim Hudson.  This is a time to get the best of them.

*There are only a few things better for a Cards addict than finding out the game you are going to see live tomorrow night features Adam Wainwright.   The true Carp. Jr takes command of a game and will help a dad trying to get at least 6 innings in with a 2 year old in attendance.

*The Pirates jumped SF’s Matt Cain and won tonight.  The Reds won.  No worries.  All we have to do is stay close.  The next 16 games are crucial.  Braves, Reds and Pirates.  We get through that with at least 9 wins then we are solid for the final stretch.

*The Reds lost Jonathon Broxton and Johnny Cueto for at least the regular season today, so their fragile pitching corps took a huge hit.  I am not afraid of that team at all, especially at Busch Stadium.  The advantage is ours.

*Edward Mujica is fine.  It’s just a muscle in his back, located near the traps and lats near the mid section.  With therapy and meds, he will be fine.  Judging by the way he finished off his game on Wednesday, I have tons of faith in him getting the job done.  The solo home run he allowed on Wednesday was his first earned run allowed in August, spanning 8 outings.  He also pitched 2 innings three separate times last week, which can lead to a back spasm or two.  He has recovered from a rough July and returned to stellar form.  He is 33-35 in save opportunities which is quite incredible when you take into account his history and this team’s sudden need for a fix in April.  Without Mujica, this team may not sit as pretty.  Team MVP goes Molina, Carp Jr., Mujica, Craig.

*Most errors on the Cards.  Carpenter and Descalso each have 11 errors.

*Mike Shannon’s heart surgery was shocking but hearing he is out of it and recovered and ready to roll is great news.  Radio calls without Shannon wouldn’t seem right.

The Random Bits-

*My son Vinny turns 2 years old on September 14th and I can’t believe its been that long.   I’ve become a diaper changing ninja, car seat specialist, and overall hands on mechanic with this kid but he throws me curveballs every day.  I may not Hollywood’s idea of a superhero, but to this kid I am just that and I am cool with it.

*The Spectacular Now and Drinking Buddies are very good movies.   Each are 95 minutes or less.  One you can watch at home.

*Ben Affleck already played a tortured superhero, portraying George Reeves in the underrated crime film Hollywoodland.  He was excellent in that film.  He wasn’t my first choice but I understand the move and like the bold flavor of it.  Affleck will throw little Henry on his shoulders and make sure its done right.  All he has to do is step on set and say, “Argofuckyourself”.

*One advantage of having my own site/link/domain is owning that particular name and being able to build an actual site off it one day.  I do plan to build a site around my material and make it legit.  First step was securing a domain.  You can type dose of buffa into google and my words will hit you at the top.  Small if solid accomplishment.

*The word, Buffa,means an Italian comic opera, according to google.   This is what happens when you google yourself.  Madness.

Alright, I am bringing this wildly unplugged and slightly less than spectacular entry to a close.  Thanks for reading and goodnight.

-DB

Fresh Buffa Movie Reviews

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These are two of the better films I’ve seen in 2013.  Here is your Buffa review write up.

The Spectacular Now

Rating-R

Running Time-95 minutes

Directed by James Ponsoldt

Cast-Miles Teller, Shailene Woodley, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Andre Royo, Kyle Chandler and Mary Elizabeth Winstead.

Plot-This is the tale of Sutter Keely (Miles Teller), a high school senior and effortless charmer, and of how he unexpectedly falls in love with “the good girl” Aimee Finecky (Shailene Woodley). 

Buffa’s Take-Remember the name Miles Teller.  The young actor gives a breakout performance in this sly touching and deeply revealing tale of young love found in the midst of the transformation from teenager to the land of isolated aduts.  Teller’s Sutter Keely is the center of the story, the high school party animal who carries an antique set of hidden demons behind his easy going charm and outgoing personality.  Sutter talks fast and thinks in a reality based only out of the NOW and has little regard for his future.  In a nutshell, he is off the ground.  Only when he meets the sweet, smart, strong and grounded Amy(Woodley, effortless feeling flowing from her pores) does Sutter began to slow down.

Director James Ponsoldt teamed up with the writers of the superb 500 Days of Summer(Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber) to adapt Tim Thorp’s novel and the result is an engaging blend of true end of innocence romance and misery that never tugs too hard on your heartstrings and doesn’t dwell into sentimental manipulation.  This material lives and dies on the abilities of the two central young actors to pull off tough roles.  The good news is they are both sensational.  They don’t just play a part.  Great actors lend a piece of themselves to a role and that happens here.

Teller will instantly remind you of a taller stockier Shia Laboeuf until the final third of the film when he has to really transcend and give a performance that stretches outside the land of gimmicky facial expressions and energy.  Woodley wooed us in The Descendants but will have her coming out party in 2013 and this is the perfect start.  Amy is exactly what Sutter needs and the final act of the film reminds you how tough that is to make work even in the land of make believe.  Sutter parties and is a legit alcoholic who lives under a disguise of carelessness that slowly gets broken down.  The matter in which his defense becomes undone isn’t exactly how you’d think and that comes from the true work of the actors.  Leigh and Chandler lend their versatile talents to smaller roles, The Wire’s Royo has a few good scenes but this is a two act show.

The Spectacular Now is fully embodied raw pride on display while carrying a few surprises and swimming in the same heartfelt storytelling sea as 2012’s gem Perks of Being a Wallflower.  The similarity is the central character’s dilemma and their rise/fall tale isn’t sent through the smooth Hollywood washer machine and instead left out in the cold air for the audience to take at their own expense.  Sutter doesn’t cry out for help and Teller doesn’t simply work a job.  He steps into the shoes of a teenager who lives like a young man but has the cynicism of an older man.  He knows what he is and tries to keep people at a distance.  When this film gets close to being sentimental and edges towards familiarity, it wields its heartbreak city dialogue and imagery at your throat.

Miles Teller doesn’t just act in the third act.  He breaks your heart with his deft ability to underplay explosive dialogue and does it effortlessly.  I’m not saying the kid will win awards one day, but as Sutter Keely, he carves a spot in your heart the same way Michael B. Jordan does with Oscar Grant in Fruitvale Station.  Sutter has a real problem and the saddest thing is, he knows what it is and can’t win.  Woodley is great as well.  She is a gifted actress who comes off here as sweet natured and fragile but Amy knows what exactly what she wants and how to get it.  When things get dark in the third act, Woodley steps up her game and matches Teller scene for scene.

This movie is the kind of flick The Way Way Back wanted to be and failed (at least to this film-addict).  The Spectacular Now will leave you thinking about what went through your mind after high school and where your life has led you to.  It’s not award worthy material but instead a genre film that is done with originality and a blunt force conviction.  You may think you know where it’s going but it has a few “gotcha” moments along the way.  I’d see it again and may just join the advertising campaign.

Buffa Rating-5/5

 

Drinking Buddies

Rating-R

Running Time-90 minutes

Written, Directed and Edited by Joe Swanberg

Cast-Olivia Wilde, Jake Johnston, Anna Kendrick and Ron Livingston

Plot-Long time co-workers/best friends are faced with change and battle attraction when their spouses happen to meet.

Buffa’s Take-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.

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.

For the first time in a fair stretch of attempts, the heavy parts of this comedy are handled with care and never reach sentimentality.  The bar scenes are realistic.  The awkward moments of sexuality are strangled by conviction.  The actors feel like they know and love the parts they play.   When a genre is treated right, magic can happen.  Drinking Buddies surprised the crap out of me.  This is due to a nail hitting script from Swanberg and his ability to let two unproven actors take on difficult roles.

Wilde has never been this good and I can’t say I am surprised.  She was the beauty with talent, something that separated her from Jessica Biel, Jessica Alba and Megan Fox.  She barely wears any makeup in the role, drinks convincingly like a fish and plays a strong flawed woman who never shows you every one of her cards.  She is a mystery even to herself.  Johnson has never been better and puts his easy going charm to good use here and doesn’t let it hide his sudden moments of self-confliction.   When he stands still and just stares into the character’s eyes through the camouflage of his beard and Old Style baseball cap, it penetrates your senses and the screen.   This isn’t high art kids, but for a movie with this name and expectation, it comes damn near close.

Drinking Buddies is a movie I didn’t want to see end.  You think you know where it’s going in the first third of the film only to be led down a different road as the brilliantly paced 90 minute running time comes to a close.   It doesn’t run towards its conclusion but slowly walks to it.  This is as honest of a romantic drama as you will see in a long time.  I haven’t seen a genre film done so effortlessly heartfelt with a heavy dose of reality.  This movie has soul to spare.  Every romantically involved script feels like a decision is being handed down at the end on the fates of make believe characters.  In Drinking Buddies, whether you like the end or not, you must admire the authenticity.

Buffa Rating-4/5

 

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5 Reasons Ben Affleck as Batman Works

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Imagine Matt Damon picking up his phone tonight.  He looks at a text from Ben Affleck.  “How about them apples!”  A fictional thought for sure but the news from Warner Brothers tonight is that Affleck is the new Batman for the 2015 team up with Superman and Batman and the sequel to Man of Steel which will be directed by Zach Snyder and also star Henry Cavill.   This move carries a bold flavor and Warner Brothers is surely banking on an actor that has scored them three hits in a row, including a best picture and director Oscar with last year’s Argo.  Affleck has been a home run hitter for the studio and this makes the move easier to understand on many levels.  The box office prediction for this movie in the opening weekend just bumped up around 50 million.  There isn’t a career in Hollywood that’s hotter than Affleck, and that’s whether or not Runner, Runner with Justin Timberlake scores high or not.  In five quick points, I will tell you why I like this move yet understand the risk at stake and the bold flavor on the table.

*It’s been a long time since Daredevil folks.  Give him a break on the past that he has done more than enough to bury.  Since he got married and took a break, Affleck has rarely swung and missed.  He said he never would return to tights, but he also didn’t think he would have this kind of comeback either.  Comic book geeks will hate almost every single move.  They didn’t like Michael Keaton or Christian Bale and look at their work.  Give Affleck peace of mind.

*Affleck is a true box office monster these days and will help ensure the movie backs up the proposed budget of 200 million plus.  He is a big name and will throw Cavill on his shoulders if the young Brit does little to separate himself from Clark Kent in the meantime.  This is Warner Brothers ensuring that this movie will reach a ton of fans and not just the comic crowd.

*Affleck will pull off a perfect Bruce Wayne.  The bigger question is his interpretation of Batman.  Judging from the Town, he will pull off the body and suave attitude easily.  The bigger deal is the voice of Affleck’s Batman.  It has to distinguish itself from his Wayne but can’t be as baritone as Bale or simple as Keaton.  The voice of Batman will be the juiciest factor of Ben Affleck’s portrayal.

* The age factor isn’t an issue.  Affleck will be 43 years old when the film comes out and has proven to keep in great shape.  There are men that can’t play a superhero past the age of 40 and others that can make it work when they hit 50 years old.  Robert Downey Jr. will play Iron Man until he is 50.  Downey Jr. was 43 years old when he first portrayed Tony Stark in 2008.

*Remember this.  Affleck has earned this.  He came back from the dead.  Rose from the ashes of Daredevil, Reindeer Games and Gigli.  He has earned the right to put his face on a summer blockbuster franchise and definitely makes the anticipation for the movie sky rocket.  For anybody who questions the move, remember Hollywood respects a comeback.  Warner Brothers gave Affleck a chance to revive his career with Gone, Baby, Gone and watched him make back to back box office hits with The Town and Argo, while all three were critically acclaimed.  If any actor in Hollywood deserves to take batting practice with a huge role, it’s Ben Affleck.  I respect the boldness of the move and think with Snyder, Nolan and a fine supporting cast involved, this will work out just fine.

Forget about the rest of the main players.  Bryan Cranston would make a great Lex Luthor.  Jim Broadbent would pull off a fine Alfred.  Jon Hamm could do a certain District Attorney in his sleep or the mayor.   Hopefully the Joker stays at rest.  The big news right now is Ben Affleck will play Batman in Warner Brothers’ upcoming DC team up Superman/Batman film.  It surprised me at first but at the ground floor of this news is a compelling new element to the film that was missing before.  Check back here for more updates and check out my column on Affleck’s comeback below.  Thanks for reading addicts!

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Thanks for reading,

Dan Buffa