Only The Brave
This is a movie that is a great example of a story that should be told, and takes you somewhere you have never been before. Both are huge checks in the plus column.
Toss in a GREAT cast, lead by Josh Brolin, Jeff Bridges, and Miles Teller, and you have a really strong early fall flick. This movie makes us all pause and again give thanks for the fearless folks who fight fires of all kinds, including suburban, city and wildfires. This movie is the true story of the Arizona Granite Mountain Hot Shots. All were lost in a terrible wildfire a few years ago.
I won't give too much away, but this tells you exactly who these guys are, and who their families are, as they are all in the lifestyle together. These are truly the Navy Seals of firefighters. They fight fires without water, and go places that most would never dream of going daily, putting themselves in incredible danger.
Brolin and Bridges are terrific, and the story is powerful and on point. To this movies extreme credit, this movie is far more story and substance as opposed to special effects. This movie is very careful to get it right, and spends far more quality time on what they should do...and not what they could do.
Only The Brave. I loved every frame of this movie.
The Foreigner
It is so good to see Jackie Chan back making movies. With all due respect to the half action, half comedy movies he has made and had great success with. This is the Jackie Chan I really like.
This is the story of a very sad man, (Chan). His entire family has been killed over the years all by political means. After his youngest daughter is killed in England, our hero decides he has had enough and sets out to avenge years of horrible events. The last killing has ties to the political wars in Ireland and England, and this is backdrop of our story.
Chan is still remarkable as he continues to amaze us with his physical talent, and his overall charm and likability. This also stars Pearce Brosnan, who I thought was terrific in this movie. This has action, and a strong story, and more than that, it marks the return of the Jackie Chan we have been waiting for.
The Foreigner. Very good, and is set up for more!
Wednesday, October 18, 2017
Monday, October 9, 2017
I Will Miss Tom Petty
It's been about a week since Tom Petty died. And because of recent events, it's now I am more comfortable about sharing this. And why not, as you will hear a Petty song covered at about any Country concert you go to, and have for years.
I was a fan. I'm not the fan that can tell you song 3 on album 4, and its length. But a fan nonetheless. I was a big fan of his music, and of who he was. He was just a guy with his crew that simply recorded good music. When he hit in the 70's everything was simpler, and musically it was a very good time especially for rock music. The music was where the sole emphasis was. Straight out of the garage, to the bars, and to hopefully better days ahead. And he went up against the big boys on the charts and did very well. Somehow we didn't view him as such. But now we know he was one of the big boys, and so do those who are still around, at long last.
I feel Tom Petty maybe the most underrated rock star of all time. We all just thought he'd be here forever. He never became dated, or a caricature of himself. It never became hard to watch him on stage, as it has many others. He aged well, and never left his musical roots so far behind we didn't recognize who he was. I respected that. He remembered he was Tom Petty.
If Tom Petty came out today, he probably would not be a star. He was not a heartthrob. His shows were good, but there were no dance routines, no fluff, nothing that distracted you from the music. They were playing music, and not relying on ancillary diversions making you think the music and the stars were better than they really were.
Petty's music stayed relevant till the end. For every reason there is, when his music was introduced to new and younger audiences, they loved it. Jerry MacGuire gave Free Fallin' a huge resurgence. As did a terrific Superbowl Halftime show. I'm not sure anyone got more out of, or appreciated an appearance there more than Petty. By the iconic picture of he and his Heartbreakers at shows end, they understood the moment clearly, and climbed a mountain they never thought they would. The word was they were not the first choice that year by a long shot, and they knew it, and they didn't care. They played with incredible confidence and joy.
Petty was a heavy influence as well on many of today's Country Stars clearly. Although Petty's recorded music and vocals are more aggressive than even the most rockin' country stars, the beat and the Petty idea of many songs is apparent. Petty even wrote a top 20 country hit years ago recorded by group Southern Pacific called, Thing About You, that featured Emmylou Harris. Cool song. Being from Gainesville, Florida, Petty understood Country, and in he end, had the Southern Rock feel to much of his music, that is clear in much of today's Country.
I will miss the music, and the kind of guy we knew. Where he was out front of his band, where the music he made was the star - and it was out in front of him. Guys like him in music just don' really exist anymore.
I will miss Tom Petty.
I was a fan. I'm not the fan that can tell you song 3 on album 4, and its length. But a fan nonetheless. I was a big fan of his music, and of who he was. He was just a guy with his crew that simply recorded good music. When he hit in the 70's everything was simpler, and musically it was a very good time especially for rock music. The music was where the sole emphasis was. Straight out of the garage, to the bars, and to hopefully better days ahead. And he went up against the big boys on the charts and did very well. Somehow we didn't view him as such. But now we know he was one of the big boys, and so do those who are still around, at long last.
I feel Tom Petty maybe the most underrated rock star of all time. We all just thought he'd be here forever. He never became dated, or a caricature of himself. It never became hard to watch him on stage, as it has many others. He aged well, and never left his musical roots so far behind we didn't recognize who he was. I respected that. He remembered he was Tom Petty.
If Tom Petty came out today, he probably would not be a star. He was not a heartthrob. His shows were good, but there were no dance routines, no fluff, nothing that distracted you from the music. They were playing music, and not relying on ancillary diversions making you think the music and the stars were better than they really were.
Petty's music stayed relevant till the end. For every reason there is, when his music was introduced to new and younger audiences, they loved it. Jerry MacGuire gave Free Fallin' a huge resurgence. As did a terrific Superbowl Halftime show. I'm not sure anyone got more out of, or appreciated an appearance there more than Petty. By the iconic picture of he and his Heartbreakers at shows end, they understood the moment clearly, and climbed a mountain they never thought they would. The word was they were not the first choice that year by a long shot, and they knew it, and they didn't care. They played with incredible confidence and joy.
Petty was a heavy influence as well on many of today's Country Stars clearly. Although Petty's recorded music and vocals are more aggressive than even the most rockin' country stars, the beat and the Petty idea of many songs is apparent. Petty even wrote a top 20 country hit years ago recorded by group Southern Pacific called, Thing About You, that featured Emmylou Harris. Cool song. Being from Gainesville, Florida, Petty understood Country, and in he end, had the Southern Rock feel to much of his music, that is clear in much of today's Country.
I will miss the music, and the kind of guy we knew. Where he was out front of his band, where the music he made was the star - and it was out in front of him. Guys like him in music just don' really exist anymore.
I will miss Tom Petty.
Saturday, October 7, 2017
The TRIBE - The Right Way
This Tribe ride we are all on is simply amazing. Last nights unimaginable win has electrified our area - yet again. As they have many times this summer.
Why is this team so fun? Why are they so successful? And why is this happening? The reason, to me, has become clear as glass. They play the game, and handle themselves the right way. Granted you need talent to get to this point, but to win this way and possibly climb the tallest mountain in sports, the intangibles are what gets you there.
These guys are not outwardly worried about being on Sportscenter, and they don't care the Cubs have a huge following. They don't mind where they play, who they play, or on what obscure network or what time. They don't care who gets the credit, and they go out every day with the idea of going on. All of this is pretty unusual in today's modern sports world with today's modern pro athlete. Isn't is funny, when you watch the Tribe play, it's not like watching sports, it's like watching life. A bunch of guys that clearly care for each other, relish each others company and celebrate each others contribution.
They play with a Little League like enthusiasm, they run out ground balls, they never give up, the bench is into the game. As a season ticket holder I have been to a bunch of games, and this fact alone you can clearly see, has other teams in this league befuddled. They just don't get it, it's all over their faces. They play positions and take on roles that Tito asks them to, and it works. Sure, Tito looks like the genius, and he is. But the guys have to buy into him, and give it all up on the field for him, for them and for us, and get it done.
What a great lesson for all us of in what we do, at work, or in life. When we believe in what we are doing, who we are with, and where we are going, it makes a difference. When you do something the right way, the right thing has the best chance of happening.
Go Tribe!
Why is this team so fun? Why are they so successful? And why is this happening? The reason, to me, has become clear as glass. They play the game, and handle themselves the right way. Granted you need talent to get to this point, but to win this way and possibly climb the tallest mountain in sports, the intangibles are what gets you there.
These guys are not outwardly worried about being on Sportscenter, and they don't care the Cubs have a huge following. They don't mind where they play, who they play, or on what obscure network or what time. They don't care who gets the credit, and they go out every day with the idea of going on. All of this is pretty unusual in today's modern sports world with today's modern pro athlete. Isn't is funny, when you watch the Tribe play, it's not like watching sports, it's like watching life. A bunch of guys that clearly care for each other, relish each others company and celebrate each others contribution.
They play with a Little League like enthusiasm, they run out ground balls, they never give up, the bench is into the game. As a season ticket holder I have been to a bunch of games, and this fact alone you can clearly see, has other teams in this league befuddled. They just don't get it, it's all over their faces. They play positions and take on roles that Tito asks them to, and it works. Sure, Tito looks like the genius, and he is. But the guys have to buy into him, and give it all up on the field for him, for them and for us, and get it done.
What a great lesson for all us of in what we do, at work, or in life. When we believe in what we are doing, who we are with, and where we are going, it makes a difference. When you do something the right way, the right thing has the best chance of happening.
Go Tribe!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
