As we come to the end of another year, we pause to reflect on the highlights from 2015. The next few days will certainly be filled with introspection, goal setting and quality time with our families, but let us take just a moment to ponder another important aspect of the past 365 days of our lives: the best movies of the year!
In this blog, I'll count down my favorite movies of 2015 - and I'll do it Twitter-style - in 140 characters or less. (Disclaimer: Keep in mind that I did not see every movie that came out this year, nor am I listing every single show that I watched.) With no further ado, here are my top 15 movies. Let's get to it!
It's on days like today when I wonder to myself why on earth I like sports. Although watching your team win the big game can be one of the most exhilarating experiences imaginable, let's be honest - that only happens once in a blue moon. In fact, as I thought quietly on my drive home from work today, I determined that devoting a lifetime to watching sports has brought me sadness and disappointment probably 95% of the time. I can think of one time - just one - in my entire life that "my team" has ever won a championship. Surely, the team that I have wanted to win has won occasionally, but only one time in my entire life has my actual team ever claimed the right to be called "number one." Those ain't good odds.
Imagine my elation when my Texas Rangers - a team that I have heavily invested in over the past several years - went from being the worst team in the Major Leagues to winning the pennant in the American League West a few weeks ago. Oh man, that was awesome! They made the playoffs and went nuts against the Toronto Blue Jays, who many picked to be the odds-on favorite to win this year's World Series, in the first two games of the five-game American League Divisional Series. We were up two games to zero, just one win away from a spot in baseball's Final Four - the American League Championship Series. Could it truly be happening? Were the Rangers the Team of Destiny? The series was shifting back to Arlington and there was no way they'd let the Blue Jays win three straight games.
Right??
The Rangers vs the Blue Jays (2015)
The Rangers came out flat in Game Three, losing 5-1 in Texas. I was really excited to watch this game because it was the one game in this entire series that I could actually watch live; the others were all televised at 2 in the afternoon, while I was at work. I was ready to break out my broom for the sweep last Sunday night, but it was not meant to be. I figured it was a rough outing and we'd get 'em Monday. But the Blue Jays came out swinging again and won Game Four, 8-4, shifting the series back to Toronto for a win-or-go-home Game Five today. Again, the game started in the afternoon and I was forced the follow the game via a combination of updates from MLB At Bat, Twitter, ESPN.com and my family members, who were watching the game at home.
The Rangers jumped out to an early lead, which was pretty dang exciting for me. I caught a little bit of the game early on during my break at work and all was well. Then the seventh inning happened and my phone started blowing up. Apparently, I heard, the Rangers had scored on a fluke play where Toronto's catcher, Russell Martin attempted to throw the ball back to the pitcher, but accidentally hit the bat of Texas' Shin-Soo Choo. The ball was declared live and the Rangers plated a run, extending their lead and prompting the Toronto fans to start throwing garbage onto the field. Classy!! But the good times wouldn't last long. Soon thereafter, I'm told, the Rangers had three fielding errors in the bottom of the seventh and Jose Bautista blasted a three-run shot, putting the Blue Jays up for good. The Rangers etched their names in sports history as one of the only teams to ever choke away a 2-0 lead in a five-game series. Why? Why did this happen to me??
On a side note, after Bautista's monster home run, he flipped his bat in a manner that, in any other sport, would have penalized his team with a technical foul or a flag for excessive celebration/taunting, and that straight up ticks me off. I never had a strong opinion of the self-proclaimed "Joey Bats," but watching him in the ALDS has sure painted him in a negative light. The dude seems like a first-class whiner and a major jerk. Watch the video. See for yourself.
Ugh. So the Rangers are out and I hate sports... For now.
Today's disheartening outcome got me thinking about all the other horrible sports memories I've ever had. I don't know why so many bad things happen to the teams I love, but it seems to be my lot in life. If ever you think that your life is no good, just take a look at all the times I've had my heart ripped out and stomped on. Maybe it will help you realize that your life could always be worse.
The Rangers vs the A's (2012-2013)
Apparently I became a Rangers fan a couple years too late. After back-to-back World Series losses in 2010 and 2011, I visited my uncle in Frisco, Texas, in 2012 and fell in love with the team. They would go on to have successful seasons that ultimately fell apart in September, thanks in large part to the hated Oakland Athletics. The A's practically single-handedly derailed the Rangers hopes for a long postseason run in both 2012 and 2013, including an unfortunate series of events that led to the Rangers needing a tie-breaker ("Game 163") against the Tampa Bay Rays in 2013. The Rangers and Rays would face off in a play-in game that year, which meant that the winner would make it into the Wild Card game for the American League and the loser would get the walk of shame on national TV.
To make a long story short, the Rays beat the Rangers soundly and I cried myself to sleep. Not really, but I could have.
The Cubs vs everybody (especially Steve Bartman)
Back in the days of my youth, I was a big-time Chicago Cubs fan. One of my favorite baseball players of all time was the now-infamous steroid user, bat corker and skin bleacher, Sammy Sosa. I LOVED Sammy as a kid. That dude was awesome. I remember growing up watching Sammy, Mark Grace, Ryne Sandberg and the gang on WGN as Harry Carey sang "Take Me Out to the Ballgame"! "Who's Harry Carey?", ask the bandwagon Cubs fans of today. Psssh! Who's Harry Carey?? Just one of the most legendary broadcasters of our time! Oh yeah, the Cubs and I go way back!
As I grew older and my intellect was sharpened, I came to the reluctant acceptance of the fact that the Cubs just plain sucked. They were never good. They never won. And watching losers, lovable though they were, gets old after about 15 years. So I shifted my attention away from the Cubs and actually gave up on baseball for a few years around the time that I went on my LDS mission.
One of the most infamous moments of all, of course, was the epic failure produced by poor Steve Bartman. The Cubs were on the fast track to the World Series in 2003, up three games to two against the Florida Marlins the a best-of-seven National League Championship Series. It was game six and the Cubbies were winning, 3-0. Then this happened and all heck broke loose...
Chicago would go on to lose the series and fade from national relevance for the next 12 years. The Cubs are back in the NLCS, which will start up in a few days and I'll be backing my dear Cubbies, now that my Rangers are eliminated (if for nothing more than the potential fulfillment of Back to the Future II's 30-year-old prediction).
Also, not to brag or anything, I can truly say that I was there, watching live on MLB At Bat, for Kris Bryant's first three strikeouts, so there's that, too.
The Saints vs the Seahawks (2010)
Are you ready for some football? My New Orleans Saints certainly weren't back in 2010, when they went up against the Seattle Seahawks in the 2010 NFC Wild Card game. Oh yeah, let me remind you that these were no ordinary Seattle Seahawks - these Seattle Seahawks made the playoffs with a sub-.500 record. They lost more games than they won that year. This happened in real life. This should have been a cakewalk for the Saints, who had come a long way since their lowly days of Aaron Brooks and Ricky Williams... back when I stupidly decided to cheer for a team with a long history of being incredibly terrible. Hey - these Saints had Drew Brees, one of the best quarterbacks in the entire league, and a high-powered offense that could put up 40 points almost at will.
I never had a good feeling about this game. I felt like there was a very good possibility that the Saints would fall flat on their faces. And my mom, a lifelong Seattle fan, was watching in the room with me. It was at this time that we were introduced to something now referred to as the "Beast Quake" - a gargantuan run by Marshawn Lynch of such monumental proportions that I honestly still have flashbacks about it. Behold:
I will give the Saints props, though. They brought me my one and only championship in 2009. That was a good night. Sadly, it only lasted about four hours.
The Utes vs TCU
Why stop with professional football? Why not talk about the football game that I was most amped-up for in my entire life? I was a student at the University of Utah in 2010, when my Number Five Utes squared off against the dreaded TCU Horned Frogs, who rolled into Salt Lake City ranked Number Three. College GameDay was in town. My brother Austin and I woke up at 4:00 in the blessed A.M. to attend the live national broadcast. It felt like the freaking Super Bowl.
Until kickoff.
It didn't take TCU long to drive right down the field and score. "It can't be that bad," I thought. Then the Utes got the ball and punted. Then TCU strolled right back to the end zone and went up 14 points. It was honestly all downhill from there. The Utes got steamrolled and lost in embarrassing fashion, 47-7, for the world to see.
To this day, that was the worst football game I have ever seen. And I was there for it. The best part of the game was, sadly, my friend making a relatively obscene gesture toward the TCU fans after the Utes scored their one and only touchdown during "garbage time" in the fourth quarter. I hate TCU. Stupid Horned Frogs.
The Jazz vs Michael Jordan (1996-1998)
Michael Jordan ruined my life. Not kidding. People think I'm joking or being a baby about it, but I'm serious. Michael Jordan ruined my life.
I love the Utah Jazz more than any team in all of sports in all of the world and they made it to the NBA Finals TWO TIMES. IN A ROW. And we lost both times to stupid Michael Jordan and the stupid Chicago Bulls! I could go on and on and on about my hatred for His Airness, Phil Jackson, Dennis Rodman and the bunch, but I won't. That's another very long blog for another day.
Just watch this video and tell me that Michael Jordan didn't push off. I dare you to watch this video and tell me that Michael Jordan didn't push off.
"Michael Jordan pushed off." I'll put that on my headstone when I die.
Sports are a silly thing to get this upset about, but WE SHOULD HAVE WON THE NBA CHAMPIONSHIP!!! We should have won! The Jazz will never make it back to the NBA Finals. I have come to this conclusion on my own accord and I accept it. It sucks, but I know it's true. We will never make it back to that stage. Not in today's NBA. Our glory days are over - and Michael Jordan pushed off.
Honorable mention: Karl Malone and DDP vs Hulk Hogan and Dennis Rodman (1996)
Because I don't want to end this blog on that sour note of hatred and disgust, I'll lighten the mood a tiny bit by mentioning the last time that I ever prayed for the outcome of a sporting event...
That's right. I prayed that Karl Malone would beat Dennis Rodman at WCW's Bash at the Beach Pay-Per-View and I'm not ashamed to admit it.
Needless to say, Karl and DDP lost and I never prayed about sports ever again. It doesn't work, people. Take it from one who knows.
I take a minimal amount of solace in the fact that the Mailman got to hit the ref, Charles Robinson, with the Diamond Cutter after the match was over. Served him right. He deserved it.
What are your worst sports memories? Misery loves company in the comments section below.
Marina Sirtis, best known for her role as Counselor Deanna Troi on "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and its movie spin-offs, made her triumphant return to Salt Lake Comic Con, Sept. 24-26, 2015. As a two-time Salt Lake Comic Con guest, Sirtis has quickly become a fan favorite in Utah - and she loves the Beehive State right back. "The people in Utah are really nice," she said in an interview for SotT: Underground. "Now, that could be because they're Mormons. ... Mormons are really nice people." She jokingly asked, "[Mormonism is] the only difference between this state and every other state, right?" But it's not just the Utah culture that Sirtis enjoys; she also has an incredible appreciation for the the way the convention is run. Her enthusiasm for the event was instrumental in helping Salt Lake Comic Con co-founders Dan Farr and Brandenburg recruit Marvel super-celebrities Chris Evans and Hayley Atwell for September's event. Referring to Farr and Brandenburg, Sirtis said, "Every
box that we want ticked as a guest at their convention, they tick ... each box
and more. They treat us so well here. They spoil us, they respect us, they get
it, you know? They realize that it’s a symbiotic relationship – that they need
us as much as we need them. So, they just get it, and so it’s always wonderful
to come back here." The Utah Symphony also took advantage of Sirtis' short stay in Salt Lake, utilizing her as a narrator for their "Sci-Fi Spectacular!" concerts on Sept. 25-26. The experience would be a unique one for Sirtis. "I
haven’t done anything quite like this before," she said. "I did a long-form poem called ‘Enoch
Arden’ with a pianist, but I’ve never done anything with a full symphony
orchestra before." Sirtis went on to explain, "What we’re doing at … Abravanel Hall is, virtually, every sci-fi theme you’ve
ever heard, but done by a full orchestra." There was one part of her upcoming opportunity that Sirtis was particularly excited for: "I
think I’m going to be the first woman who ever says, ‘Space: the final
frontier.'" That phrase, of course, is the iconic line uttered most famously by "Star Trek" captains Kirk and Piccard. Sirtis appeared as Counselor Troi in 176 episodes of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and all four of the series' companion films. She also made appearances in episodes of "Star Trek: Voyager" and "Star Trek: Enterprise." Most recently, she has provided the voice of the on-ship computer for the online series "Star Trek Continues." Of her experience as part of one of science fiction's most popular franchises, Sirtis said,"We
had no idea that we would affect people’s lives the way we have. We were just a
bunch of actors that got this great job. And I think, actually, had we known at
the time, it would not have been a good thing. I think it’s better that we
didn’t know that we were impacting people the way we were. To hear it now, it
just makes us really proud. I mean, we hear so much, 'This was family time for
us… My parents have since passed, but whenever I hear the theme song, it brings
back fond memories.' We meet people from the Forces who’ve had umpteen
surgeries after coming back from Iraq or Afghanistan, saying 'Watching your
show is what got me through and kept me going…' So, as a lowly actress, I never
imagined in my wildest dreams I would be involved in something that would
change people’s lives."
Season 6 of Food Network's reality competition program "The Great Food Truck Race" came to an end Sept. 27, as Provo's upstart Waffle Love was edged out by Pho-nomenal Dumplings from Raleigh, North Carolina, for the show's grand prize of $50,000.
This season, "The Great Food Truck Race" pitted seven professional food trucks against one another in a race across Route 66 that spanned from the Santa Monica Pier in California to Chicago. During each leg of the race, teams went head-to-head in two challenges that combined cooking and salesmanship. At the end of each episode, the team that had earned the least money was eliminated.
Two of the season's strongest teams squared off in the final episode. Prior to the finale, Waffle Love had never finished in lower than second place after any leg of the race. On the other hand, a shaky sixth-place start in the season premiere didn't stop the Pho-nomenal Dumplings truck, which consistently improved as the season progressed. The all-female truck earned top-three finishes from the third episode onward. The season finale's first cooking competition, known as a "truck stop" challenge, took place in St. Louis, where the teams had 90 minutes to prepare St. Louis-style beef, pork and chicken dishes for a duo of food critics. While the judges said that Waffle Love's pork was "cooked perfectly," they noted that the chicken was missing a bit of salt and that the ground beef dish was a little overdone. Pho-nomenal Dumplings was picked as the winner for the event. The trucks then headed to Springfield, Illinois, where they received instructions for the competition's grand finale. The last challenge of the season — a "speed bump," as it's called on the show — required the food trucks to sell 50 Chinese dishes, 50 Italian dishes and 50 Greek dishes in designated sections of Springfield. After having sold enough food, the first team to cross the finish line would be crowned the champion. It was then revealed that Pho-nomenal Dumplings would receive an advantage for having won the "truck stop" challenge: they only needed to sell 20 Chinese dishes, which allowed the East Coast trio ample room for error and gained them a solid lead early in the challenge. Pho-nomenal Dumplings breezed through its sales and moved on to the traditional "race" portion of the competition, driving toward the finish line at Chicago's Buckingham Fountain. Upon arrival, however, the show's host, Tyler Florence, informed the women that they had been selling their Greek dishes two blocks outside of the designated area, meaning that they'd have to go back and sell 50 additional meals within the proper boundaries.
While that geographical error could have ended up being disastrous, it wasn't a big enough blunder to cost Pho-nomenal Dumplings the victory. The truck from North Carolina managed to maintain a slight lead, despite having to re-do part of the challenge, and still crossed the finish line a few minutes ahead of Waffle Love. Although the brothers from Provo didn't end up with the $50,000, they affirmed that there are some things in life that matter more than reality TV glory. The Terrys, who come from what Adam Terry described on the show as "a big Mormon family of 14 kids," were able to practice their faith as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints while on the road. Twice during the competition, the Waffle Love brothers made the controversial decision to attend church during two of the food challenges, while the rest of the teams continued to compete. “We didn’t know that they were going to [have us] selling on Sundays," Adam Terry said in an interview for the Deseret News. "In our home business, ... we’re never open on Sundays because we believe that Sunday is not a day for business." Adam Terry said that he and his brothers decided that Sunday worship, even in the middle of the competition, was non-negotiable. "That’s just our way of staying true to who we are," Adam Terry said. "We weren’t going to go out on national TV and not follow the same business principles that we’ve been following this whole time." With a dash of humor, he added, "Obviously, you could see that it was a stressful situation and we needed God in our lives more than ever, out on that ‘Great Food Truck Race.'" The Terrys were very appreciative of the show's producers, who were initially unaware that the brothers came from a very religious background. "They found out that we were [LDS] and it was cool that they were willing to embrace that part about us," Adam Terry said. "They weren’t going to make us not go to church or something, so [it was] just our choice and we were hopeful to represent well." Ultimately, the decision to take a break from business on Sunday didn't end up hurting Waffle Love in the competition. After attending church in the first episode of the season, Waffle Love still finished in first place for that leg, $1,874 ahead of their closest competitors. Religion aside, Adam Terry said that he and his brothers were able to learn a lot about their business and about themselves during their time on the show. "We learned that we can really do anything," he said. "We learned that it didn’t matter what we were making, we could find a way to adjust to it and we can do anything." He mentioned being particularly proud of the unusual grilled cheese waffle he and his brothers had to make during one of the show's food challenges. He continued, "We also learned that we can compete with anyone in the nation, head-to-head. In fact, most of the time, we’re going to beat you, head-to-head. That was cool to find out." Although the competition is over and the Terrys are back to business in Provo, Adam Terry said he remains overwhelmed with gratitude for the opportunity he had to be on the "The Great Food Truck Race." "We were just super grateful for the opportunity to make it on the show," he said. "Every day on the show was a dream come true and being able to still keep our [religious] commitments while we were out there is something that we’re really proud of. We were able to still maintain our sense of integrity and the things that are important to us." This article was picked up and published by the Deseret News on October 9, 2015.
A man in a suit lying in the jungle. His face is scratched up pretty badly and there's a chance he's at least mildly intoxicated. There's a dog nearby. There's a shoe hanging from a chute of bamboo. After shaking off his confusion, the man, Jack Shephard, makes a break for it, running full speed through the tropical forest. Finally, he reaches the beach and sees... nothing. It's just a beach. But, as the camera pans to the left, we hear faint screams, which begin growing increasingly louder. Jack makes his way across the beach through a mass of metallic wreckage. This is the site of a terrible plane crash. Chaos. Pandemonium. And Jack is right in the middle of it all. Earlier this week, I was invited to be a part of a "LOST" panel at the third annual Salt Lake Comic Con event next month. There's not time at this point for me to re-watch the entire series from start to finish like I did last winter, but I think I'll have enough time to zip through around 50 of the show's best and most important episodes. I think I'll call them the "Greatest Hits." Tonight I sat down with my boxed set of "LOST: Season 1" and booted up, in the opinion of many, one of the greatest two hours of television in the past decade and a half: the series' two-part pilot. As I've discussed in previous blogs, "LOST" has, over time, become one of the most controversial and polarizing programs in the history of television, but, despite its flaws, I truly believe it to be one of the most groundbreaking, iconic and greatest shows of all time. After watching the pilot for the third time, I figured I'd put my thoughts in writing, explaining what made that series premiere such a spectacle to behold.
The first eight minutes of the episode are like a shot of pure adrenaline, with Jack running across the beach like a madman. In the series' very first scene, the young Dr. Shephard establishes himself as a man of action, a leader and, in some aspects, a savior of the people. He rushes to the aid of a man trapped below the plane's landing gear before subsequently saving a woman we'd come to know as Rose with CPR, aiding a pregnant woman named Claire as she experiences contractions and also protecting Claire and the lovable loser, Hugo "Hurley" Reyes, from falling debris. Jack's popularity would see its fair share of rises and falls throughout the series, but Jack is certainly the show's main protagonist - and he proves why in the pilot. In the midst of the chaos, we also get quick glimpses of several other soon-to-be main characters: Charlie Pace looks darn near oblivious as he stumbles dangerously close to one of the plane's propellers, Jin Kwon shouts for his wife in his foreign tongue and troubled father Michael Dawson shouts "WAAAAALT!!" for the first time. We see superficial Shannon Rutherford screaming in agony while a bald man named John Locke scrambles about the beach, helping Jack pry the aforementioned man out from under the landing gear. Shannon's brother Boone attempts to help Jack revive Rose and Hurley watches over Claire while Jack is off saving other passengers. There's a lot going on in these first eight minutes, especially if you've watched the show a few times and know what to look for. Later, we meet Kate Austen. She's adventurous, yet scared. Independent, yet clingy. She stitches up Jack while he tells her of a time when he infamously botched a surgery before learning to master his fears. If smoking a cigarette the first time you're featured on screen doesn't make you a rebel, I don't know what does. That's the case of James "Sawyer" Ford, who looks like the Island's version of James Dean with his greased-back hair. Sawyer establishes his reputation as a loner and a bully by fighting (and racially profiling) a resourceful Arab passenger named Sayid Jarrah, who he accuses of being a terrorist, and picking on other survivors like Hurely, who he at one point called "Ardo." Charlie comes off as a man starved for attention, constantly asking if anyone on the Island recognizes him from his one-hit wonder band, Drive Shaft ("You All Everybody"!!) We later learn that Charlie is addicted to drugs and was attempting to take a hit of heroin as the plane hit turbulence. Desperate to fit in, Charlie joins several excursions in the pilot episode, helping Jack and Kate search for the plane's cockpit and later helping Sayid and others search for a radio signal. The existence of an unseen and incredibly powerful monster that lives in the forest spooks the survivors. Jack, Kate and Charlie have a close encounter with the beast as they finally track down the front half of the plane. They have no idea what it is, but it's strong and it's loud and it mutilated the pilot, leaving him as a bloody heap hanging up in the trees. Charlie sums up the thoughts of practically every viewer when he asks, in horror, "What the h*** just happened??" Other mysteries abound, as well, such as the presence of a polar bear - yes, the polar bear - in the middle of the jungle, which Sawyer shoots dead. But how would Sawyer shoot it dead without a gun? What was a gun doing on the plane in the first place? Turns out, there was an air marshal on the plane, escorting a prisoner. Sayid accuses Sawyer of being the prisoner, but it turns out that it was sweet little Kate that had been arrested! So what did she do? We may never know because the marshal is bleeding to death on the beach. Geez. And what's up with these random rainstorms? It seems that the Island has quite bipolar weather - but that doesn't seem to bother John Locke! Locke is kind of an interesting dude. He doesn't talk a whole lot, but he seems to be rather good-natured and well-versed in world history. One of the series' most iconic and symbolic conversations takes place when Locke talks to a young boy named Walt about backgammon. "Backgammon is the oldest game in the world," Locke explains. "Two players, two sides. One is light, one is dark." (Oh, the ramifications that conversation would have, come Season 6!) Also, Locke tells Walt that he has a secret, but he doesn't divulge it quite yet. (Just wait for the first Locke-centric episode, "Walkabout"...) Hurley becomes an instant fan favorite with his unique blend of kindness, honesty, innocence and humor. Hurley's highlights include his misspelling of "bodies" ("B-O-D-Y-S"), his informal vocabulary (most notably, his frequent use of terms like "dude") and his low tolerance for blood. Everybody loves "Hugo." Other major characters with minor roles in the pilot episode include Jin and Sun Kwon, a married couple whose fragile, semi-abusive relationship is on full display for their newfound companions to see; and Boone and Shannon, who are eager to help the other survivors, but have trouble toning down their volatile sibling rivalry. The final plot line in the episode revolves around Sayid and his group of explorers, who scale a nearby mountain to attempt to get a signal on a radio transceiver that Jack and Kate found in the cockpit. They finally hear some static, but Sayid realizes that they can't get a signal because something else is already being broadcast. It's French. It's been repeating in a loop for 16 years and five months. And it's saying, "Please help me. Please come get me. I'm alone now. I'm on the Island alone. Please, someone, come. The others... they're dead. It killed them. It killed them all." The survivors of Oceanic Flight 815 are beginning to realize that they might be in some serious trouble. If this French woman has been stranded on the Island for 16 years with no apparent rescue, how on earth will they ever get back home? Then the episode ends as Charlie utters the immortal words, "Guys... Where are we?" LOST. Boom.
The "LOST" pilot is great for a lot of different reasons, but here are my favorite three aspects of the episode:
The mystery: So much weird stuff going on in this episode! The crash, the monster, the drugs, the comic book, the bear, the fugitive, the French distress signal. Oh man. So many different storylines to follow and so many questions to be answered! (Or to remain unanswered, depending on who you ask...) I can only imagine what it would have been like to watch Season 1 live (I didn't - I caught up while my family was in the middle of Season 3). What would it have been like to watch this thing live, one episode per week, from the very beginning? I'm sure the suspense would have been unbearable.
The flashbacks: Arguably the most classic aspect of "LOST" is the series' episodic use of flashback storytelling. In the pilot, we see flashbacks for Jack, Charlie and Kate, which allow us to learn more about the characters, themselves, as well as the crash. We see Jack being slipped a drink from the stewardess, we learn about Charlie's addiction to heroin and find out that Kate was the handcuffed fugitive. We also see get a taste of the connections between characters by seeing that Jack was seated next to Rose (and a few seats away from Locke), and that he was bumped into by Charlie as the musician made his way to the lavatory to do drugs. The flashbacks and connections would only grow to become an integral part of the series, becoming more intricate and crazy throughout the seasons. I love me some flashbacks.
The characters: "LOST" introduces so many different characters right off the bat that there is always something going on. When you're not focusing on Jack, the hero, or learning more about Kate, the fugitive, there's always Sawyer, the rebel, and Hurley, the goofball, and Sayid, the resourceful soldier, and Charlie, the addict - not to mention the weird dynamics between Michael/Walt, Jin/Sun and Boone/Shannon. And what is up with that dude, Locke? So mysterious! The pilot episode introduces a ton of different characters, each with their own unique personalities, problems and back stories. As the series progresses, the characters get even more interesting and complex, but the pilot gives viewers enough to whet their collective whistle and leave them wanting to learn more. Little did we know, after one episode, that we had just been introduced to some of the most interesting, lovable, despicable and tragic characters of our generation.
Well, I've gone and done it yet again. I've started "LOST" over for the third time. (This time, I even have my mom's permission - and she hated the series finale more than anyone I know!) I'm setting out to watch at least 50 of the 121 episodes, which will be a tough task to accomplish while attempting to maintain a full-time job and a social life, but I think I should be able to get it done. I've got to bring my A-game to this panel and I fully intend on doing so. In case you're interested, here is my list of what I decided were the best episodes of the series - and the most important ones for me to review one more time before the convention - listed in chronological order:
Pilot
Walkabout
Confidence Man
Numbers
Do No Harm (switched for "I Do")
Exodus
Man of Science, Man of Faith
Orientation
The Other 48 Days
One of Them (switched for "The Hunting Party")
Maternity Leave (switched for "The Long Con")
Lockdown
?
Two for the Road (switched for "Enter 77")
Three Minutes
Live Together, Die Alone
A Tale of Two Cities
Tricia Tanaka is Dead
The Man from Tallahassee
The Man Behind the Curtain
Greatest Hits
Through the Looking Glass (Pt 1-2)
The Beginning of the End
Confirmed Dead
The Constant
Meet Kevin Johnson
The Shape of Things to Come
Cabin Fever
There’s No Place like Home
Because You Left
The Lie
Jughead
The Little Prince
The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham
LaFleur
Namaste
Whatever Happened, Happened
Dead is Dead
Some Like it Hoth
The Variable
The Incident
LAX
Lighthouse
Dr. Linus
Ab Aeterno
Happily Ever After
The Candidate
Across the Sea
What They Died For
The End
The plan is to watch these 50 episodes and read summaries and recaps on Lostpedia for all the ones I don't have time for. Maybe if I realize I'm ahead of schedule, I'll be able to fit a few more shows in. Guess we'll see how it goes.
What do you think? Why do you love the "LOST" series premiere? What are your favorite episodes? Do you agree with my list or am I leaving something out? Do you have a favorite "LOST" moment? Or are you still ticked off about the finale? Sound off in the comments below. I'd love to hear what you have to say.
Insurgent (2015) Starring: Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Kate Winslet, Miles Teller
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Beatrice "Tris" Prior (Woodley) and Tobias "Four" Eaton (James) continue the fight of their lives in the follow-up to 2014's summer blockbuster "Divergent." After the discovery of a box containing society's biggest secret, Jeanine (Winslet) remains bent on tracking down each and every Divergent, in hopes that their special cerebral skill set will help her gain access to the metallic mystery. Now the dynamic Divergent duo must adjust to their newfound life on the run while searching for answers and new allies in the war against the Erudite.
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The Verdict:
Simply put, "Insurgent" is just like the book it was based on - not nearly as good as its predecessor. While last year's "Divergent" brought hope for an exciting young adult fiction franchise that might rival "The Hunger Games," the sequel falls a bit flat with a slow-moving plot, sub-standard acting and shoddy CGI.
So what went wrong?
As if cut from the same cloth as Katniss Everdeen, Tris goes from a lovable, squeaky-voiced heroine to a bratty little whiner that will make you question why you ever liked her in the first place. While Woodley seems like a nice enough chick in real life, her gratingly obnoxious screams and her new Peter Pan haircut serve as equal distractions from the film. (During one particular dream sequence in the film, Woodley lets out a couple war cries that will honestly make you laugh.)
Other than James, who is, the Salt Lake City DVD Examiner supposes, as undoubtedly handsome as ever and does a good job of holding his own as the male lead in the movie, audiences will have a very tough time connecting to, really, anyone in the cast. James' good work as Four is counterbalanced by Ansel Elgort and Miles Teller, who are both flat, boring and under-developed as characters and seem to simply function as awkward, cliche-spouting supporting characters. Some of the dialogue is downright cringe-worthy.
But it isn't just the script and the acting that failed this movie. Much of the action, albeit dystopian fantasy, is absolutely unbelievable - and not in the good way - in the sense that the computer animation and green-screen scenes look obvious and cheap. They just don't look real. Even the untrained eye will be able to spot the special effects. Of course, there's got to be a lot of suspension of disbelief in movies such as "Insurgent," but some of the stuff you'll see in this movie looks like it's straight out of 2002.
For those that read the novel, there will most certainly be a lot to talk about after this movie. Discrepancies abound (was some of that stuff even actually in the book??) and there is one gigantic plot-bomb that should have been dropped at the end of the movie and inexplicably wasn't, so that was weird. The movie leaves a lot out and will likely be quite controversial in the eyes of the YA bibliophiles out there. Veronica Roth's second book in the Divergent series was hard enough to get through as it was - and the movie ain't much better. For a series so obsessed with trains, it's ironic that "Insurgent" could quite easily be the thing that derails many moviegoers' interest in this franchise.
- Audio in English, English Descriptive Audio, Spanish
- Subtitles in English, Spanish
- No other bonus features available on rental version
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Directed by: Robert Schwentke Studio: Summit Entertainment Running time: 119 minutes MPAA rating: PG-13 for "intense violence and action throughout, some sensuality, thematic elements and brief language," and including violence by and against women. Costars Jai Courtney, Ansel Elgort, Ray Stevenson, Zoe Kravitz, Octavia Spencer, Daniel Dae Kim DVD release date: August 4, 2015
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The upbeat and unorthodox singer from Salt Lake City took to the stage with a unique rendition of Mark Ronson's "Uptown Funk," but it wasn't quite enough to put him over the hump as the show's five celebrity judges searched for the evening's top seven acts.
"I think that you are a great entertainer," Klum said. "I think the whole band is great, I think you're a great singer and I think that you deserve a spot on Radio City Music Hall. I do want to see you there. I loved it."
"Alex, you know that I'm a huge fan of yours," Mandel added. "I want to wish you the best of luck and hopefully we'll see you again."
Tougher to swallow were the comments from Brown, Stern and Morgan.
"The power and the energy that was coming off the stage was just undeniable," Brown said before commenting that she felt the act seemed a bit under-rehearsed.
Stern also felt underwhelmed by the performance, saying, "You do have tremendous potential, but sometimes I think you guys slip into the wedding band schtick, and you guys kind of did this time."
At the end of the night, the top seven spots were filled by a combination of dancers, acrobats, comedians, a young singer and, believe it or not, a professional regurgitator.
Certainly, an early exit on "America's Got Talent" isn't always indicative of failure. Twitter user @chonmage drew similarities to another local act with ties to AGT, pointing out, "@piersmorgan was wrong about @LindseyStirling. He's wrong about Alex, too."
"America's Got Talent" airs Tuesday and Wednesday nights on NBC at 7 p.m., Mountain Time.
