Billboard Hot Rock Songs – Week of August 4, 2018

August 5, 2018

jmunney Billboard Charts, Billboard Hot Rock Songs, Music , , , Leave a comment

Each week, I check out the Billboard Hot Rock Songs chart, and then I rearrange the top 25 based on my estimation of their quality. I used to rank all of the top 25, now I just rank the cream of the crop.

Original Version
1. Imagine Dragons – “Thunder”
2. Imagine Dragons – “Whatever It Takes”
3. Imagine Dragons – “Believer”
4. Imagine Dragons – “Natural”
5. Portugal. The Man – “Feel It Still”
6. Foster the People – “Sit Next to Me”
7. lonelytheband – “Broken”
8. Weezer – “Africa”
9. twenty one pilots – “Jumpsuit”
10. Bad Wolves – “Zombie”
11. Panic! at the Disco – “High Hopes”
12. Panic! at the Disco – “Say Amen (Saturday Night)”
13. twenty one pilots – “Nico and the Niners”
14. The 1975 – “Love It If We Made It”
15. John Mayer – “New Light”
16. Godsmack – “Bulletproof”
17. Greta van Fleet – “When the Curtain Falls”
18. Bastille – “Quarter Past Midnight”
19. Muse – “Something Human”
20. Florence + the Machine – “Hunger”
21. Panic! at the Disco – “Hey Look Ma, I Made It”
22. Shinedown – “Devil”
23. Five Finger Death Punch – “Sham Pain”
24. Death Cab for Cutie – “Gold Rush”
25. U2 – “Love Is Bigger Than Anything in Its Way”

Jmunney’s Revision
1. Feel It Still
2. Jumpsuit
3. When the Curtain Falls
4. New Light
5. Hunger

Billboard Hot 20 – Week of August 4, 2018

August 5, 2018

jmunney Billboard Charts, Billboard Hot 100, Music , , , Leave a comment

Each week, I check out the Billboard Hot 100, and then I rearrange the top 20 based on my estimation of their quality. I used to rank all 20, now I just rank the cream of the crop.

Original Version
1. Drake – “In My Feelings”
2. Cardi B, Bad Bunny, and J Balvin – “I Like It”
3. Maroon 5 ft. Cardi B – “Girls Like You”
4. 6ix9ine ft. Nicki Minaj and Murda Beatz – “FeFe”
5. Post Malone – “Better Now”
6. Drake – “Nice for What”
7. Ella Mai – “Boo’d Up”
8. Juice WRLD – “Lucid Dreams”
9. Post Malone ft. Ty Dolla $ign – “Psycho”
10. Tyga ft. Offset – “Taste”
11. Ariana Grande – “No Tears Left to Cry”
12. Taylor Swift – “Delicate”
13. Drake – “God’s Plan”
14. Lil Baby and Drake – “Yes Indeed”
15. Zedd, Maren Morris, and Grey – “The Middle”
16. Marshmello and Anne-Marie – “Friends”
17. Ed Sheeran – “Perfect”
18. Khalid and Normani – “Love Lies”
19. XXXTentacion – “Sad!”
20. Bebe Rexha and Florida Georgia Line – “Meant to Be”

Jmunney’s Revision
1. No Tears Left to Cry
2. Boo’d Up

This Is a Movie Review: Never Goin’ Back

August 3, 2018

jmunney Cinema, Movie Reviews , , , , , , , Leave a comment

CREDIT: A24

I give Never Goin’ Back 3 out of 5 Beer-Soaked Waitress Uniforms: https://uinterview.com/news/never-goin-back-movie-review-friendship-means-crude-shenanigans-in-the-hot-texas-summer/

This Is a Movie Review: ‘Christopher Robin’ And a Silly Old Bear Remind Us of the Importance of Family

August 3, 2018

jmunney Cinema, Movie Reviews , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

CREDIT: Laurie Sparham/Disney

This review was originally published on News Cult in August 2018.

Starring: Ewan McGregor, Hayley Atwell, Bronte Carmichael, Mark Gatiss, Jim Cummings, Brad Garrett, Nick Mohammed, Peter Capaldi, Sophie Okonedo, Sara Sheen, Toby Jones

Director: Marc Forster

Running Time: 104 Minutes

Rating: PG for Some Bumpy Rides on Trains and the Streets of London

Release Date: August 3, 2018

One reason the Winnie the Pooh stories have endured, particularly in cartoon form, is because of their commitment to the intense, occasionally overwhelming, wonders of the imagination. Ostensibly, the original fount of this imagination is Christopher Robin, whose stuffed animals have sprung to life in the Hundred Acre Wood. Christopher Robin the movie, starring Ewan McGregor as the grown-up title character, initially presents itself as being about the importance of retaining your inner child, as Pooh, Piglet, and the rest of the gang return unexpectedly after decades to visit their old friend. But along the way, Marc Forster’s film is powered along by the lessons of treating employees fairly so memorably espoused way back when (and year after year) in It’s a Wonderful Life. The businessmen of Christopher Robin are not quite as warped and frustrated as Mr. Potter, but they prevent people from properly enjoying their time with their spouses, children, and stuffies, and that cannot be abided.

The major conflict is that Christopher is unable to spend a weekend in the countryside with his wife Evelyn (Hayley Atwell) and daughter Madeline (Bronte Carmichael) because of work commitments. Far from a workaholic who has forgotten how to have fun, he is instead a businessman who is constantly stressed out by the demands of his bosses and his commitment to do what is asked of him. As the efficiency expert at Wilson Luggages, he is tasked with finding the most cost-effective way to lay off staff, and he must have his presentation ready by a Monday morning meeting. He gets to work fulfilling this heartbreaking task, resigned to being stuck in a rigged system. Then Pooh Bear shows up, and through a series of mishaps, Christopher is able to see this problem anew with fresh eyes and discover a way for decent, hardworking people to keep their jobs AND have paid vacation time while still retaining efficiency.

The presence of talking stuffed animals could be played to make Christopher Robin appear insane to the rest of the world, but the Hundred Acre Wood gang is too un-self-conscious to hide their true selves to anyone. Thus, Pooh’s presence is disarming to all his human friends, acquaintances, and audience. His propensity for simple wisdom in the vein of Zen aphorisms is on full display, as he remarks, “it’s usually today” when Christopher Robin screams out, “It’s tomorrow!” and later declares that today is in fact his favorite day. We all can benefit greatly from leaving room for Pooh in our hearts. When life feels like it is just making our floors sticky and breaking our glassware, we just need to take that as an opportunity to assess the situation differently and realize what is really important.

Christopher Robin is Recommended If You Like: It’s a Wonderful Life, Winnie the Pooh cartoons, Making time to vacation with your loved ones

Grade: 3.5 out of 5 Honeypots

 

This Is a Movie Review: ‘The Miseducation of Cameron Post’ is Sure of Itself, Almost Too Sure

August 3, 2018

jmunney Cinema, Movie Reviews , , , , , , Leave a comment

CREDIT: Jeong Park/FilmRise

This review was originally posted on News Cult in August 2018.

Starring: Chloë Grace Moretz, John Gallagher Jr., Sasha Lane, Forrest Goodluck, Jennifer Ehle

Director: Desiree Akhavan

Running Time: 90 Minutes

Rating: Unrated, But It Would Probably Be R for Clear (Though Not-Entirely-Explicit) Sexuality

Release Date: August 3, 2018 (Limited)

There’s something fundamentally unsatisfying about the ending of The Miseducation of Cameron Post. But it would be unfair to be too angry at this lack of resolution, as it is justified both narratively and (I would imagine) by real-life verisimilitude. Chloë Grace Moretz plays the lesbian title character who gets sent by her aunt to God’s Promise, a camp that practices gay conversion therapy. Without spoiling too much, there is hope for her and a few other camp attendees by the conclusion, though there are also still plenty of reasons to be concerned about their future. That ambiguity is fine. But there is a larger impasse at play here that makes Cameron Post feel a little incomplete despite how astute and empathetic it is.

The issue is with the protagonist. To be entertaining, a movie does not require a dynamic, changing lead character, but it does require that if it wants to take us on a journey. Writer/director Desiree Akhavan does want to do that, but Cameron Post is rather static. Moretz does exactly what is asked of her. She is broken up over her family’s inability to embrace her true identity, but she will never believe any of the lies that God’s Promise feeds her. She recognizes emotional manipulation for what it is and is strong-willed enough to withstand it. She is like that when we meet her, and she remains so throughout. Her two closest friends (Sasha Lane, Forrest Goodluck) are similarly just as sure of themselves.

On the one hand, it would make more sense if Akhavan focused more on characters who are having a more difficult struggle. There would be no shortage of options, as multiple attendees attempt to buy into the camp’s teachings while ultimately unable to suppress their urges, some of them resorting to self-harm to deal with the conflict. But on the other hand, I appreciate that we get to spend more time with the kids who are defiantly certain about who they are. There is a low-key hangout vibe in what would otherwise be an emotional minefield. It’s a pleasant enough film, but it sometimes it takes unpleasant confrontation to make a difference.

The Miseducation of Cameron Post is Recommended If You Like: Saved!, Hangout Sitcoms with Dark Undertones

Grade: 3.5 out of 5 Icebergs

Billboard Hot Rock Songs – Week of July 28, 2018

July 28, 2018

jmunney Billboard Charts, Billboard Hot Rock Songs, Music , , , Leave a comment

Each week, I check out the Billboard Hot Rock Songs chart, and then I rearrange the top 25 based on my estimation of their quality. I used to rank all of the top 25, now I just rank the cream of the crop.

Original Version
1. Imagine Dragons – “Whatever It Takes”
2. Imagine Dragons – “Thunder”
3. Imagine Dragons – “Believer”
4. Portugal. The Man – “Feel It Still”
5. Foster the People – “Sit Next to Me”
6. twenty one pilots – “Jumpsuit”
7. twenty one pilots – “Nico and the Niners”
8. lovelytheband – “Broken”
9. Bad Wolves – “Zombie”
10. Weezer – “Africa”
11. Panic! at the Disco – “High Hopes”
12. Panic! at the Disco – “Say Amen (Saturday Night)”
13. Imagine Dragons – “Natural”
14. John Mayer – “New Light”
15. Godsmack – “Bulletproof”
16. Two Feet – “I Feel Like I’m Drowning”
17. Florence + the Machine – “Hunger”
18. Bastille – “Quarter Past Midnight”
19. Panic! at the Disco – “Hey Look Ma, I Made It”
20. Shinedown – “Devil”
21. Greta van Fleet – “When the Curtain Falls”
22. Five Finger Death Punch – “Sham Pain”
23. Death Cab for Cutie – “Gold Rush”
24. Walk the Moon – “Kamikaze”
25. Gorillaz ft. George Benson – “Humility”

Jmunney’s Revision
1. Feel It Still
2. I Feel Like I’m Drowning
3. Jumpsuit
4. When the Curtain Falls
5. New Light
6. Humility
7. Hunger

Billboard Hot 20 – Week of July 28, 2018

July 28, 2018

jmunney Billboard Charts, Billboard Hot 100, Music , , , Leave a comment

Each week, I check out the Billboard Hot 100, and then I rearrange the top 20 based on my estimation of their quality. I used to rank all 20, now I just rank the cream of the crop.

Original Version
1. Drake – “In My Feelings”
2. Cardi B, Bad Bunny, and J Balvin – “I Like It”
3. Maroon 5 ft. Cardi B – “Girls Like You”
4. Drake – “Nice for What”
5. Ella Mai – “Boo’d Up”
6. Juice WRLD – “Lucid Dreams”
7. Post Malone – “Better Now”
8. Ariana Grande – “No Tears Left to Cry”
9. Post Malone ft. Ty Dolla $ign – “Psycho”
10. Drake – “God’s Plan”
11. Ariana Grande – “God Is a Woman”
12. Taylor Swift – “Delicate”
13. Tyga ft. Offset – “Taste”
14. Zedd, Maren Morris, and Grey – “The Middle”
15. XXXTentacion – “Sad!”
16. Lil Baby and Drake – “Yes Indeed”
17. Bebe Rexha and Florida Georgia Line – “Meant to Be”
18. Marshmello and Anne-Marie – “Friends”
19. Ed Sheeran – “Perfect”
20. Drake – “Nonstop”

Jmunney’s Revision
1. No Tears Left to Cry
2. Boo’d Up
3. God Is a Woman

This Is a Movie Review: Teen Titans Go! To the Movies

July 28, 2018

jmunney Cinema, Movie Reviews , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

CREDIT: Warner Bros. Animation

I give Teen Titans Go! To the Movies 4 out of 5 Doomsday Devices: https://uinterview.com/news/teen-titans-go-to-the-movies-movie-review-underdog-cartoon-heroes-show-the-rest-of-the-dc-universe-how-its-done/

Billboard Hot Rock Songs – Week of July 21, 2018

July 21, 2018

jmunney Billboard Charts, Billboard Hot Rock Songs, Music , , , Leave a comment

Each week, I check out the Billboard Hot Rock Songs chart, and then I rearrange the top 25 based on my estimation of their quality. I used to rank all of the top 25, now I just rank the cream of the crop.

Original Version
1. Imagine Dragons – “Whatever It Takes”
2. Imagine Dragons – “Thunder”
3. Imagine Dragons – “Believer”
4. Portugal. The Man – “Feel It Man”
5. Foster the People – “Sit Next to Me”
6. twenty one pilots – “Jumpsuit”
7. Bad Wolves – “Zombie”
8. lonelytheband – “Broken”
9. twenty one pilots – “Nico and the Niners”
10. Panic! at the Disco – “Say Amen (Saturday Night)”
11. Panic! at the Disco – “High Hopes”
12. Weezer – “Africa”
13. John Mayer – “New Light”
14. Godsmack – “Bulletproof”
15. Two Feet – “I Feel Like I’m Drowning”
16. Florence + the Machine – “Hunger”
17. Bastille – “Quarter Past Midnight”
18. Shinedown – “Devil”
19. Panic! at the Disco – “Hey Look Ma, I Made It”
20. Gorillaz ft. George Benson – “Humility”
21. Sir Sly – “& Run”
22. Five Finger Death Punch – “Sham Pain”
23. Green Day – “American Idiot”
24. Walk the Moon – “Kamikaze”
25. Death Cab for Cutie – “Gold Rush”

Jmunney’s Revision
1. American Idiot
2. Feel It Still
3. I Feel Like I’m Drowning
4. New Light
5. Jumpsuit
6. &Run
7. Humility
8. Hunger

Billboard Hot 20 – Week of July 21, 2018

July 21, 2018

jmunney Billboard Charts, Billboard Hot 100, Music , , , Leave a comment

Each week, I check out the Billboard Hot 100, and then I rearrange the top 20 based on my estimation of their quality. I used to rank all 20, now I just rank the cream of the crop.

Original Version
1. Drake – “In My Feelings”
2. Cardi B, Bad Bunny, and J Balvin – “I Like It”
3. Maroon 5 ft. Cardi B – “Girls Like You”
4. Drake – “Nice for What”
5. Ella Mai – “Boo’d Up”
6. Drake – “God’s Plan”
7. Juice WRLD – “Lucid Dreams”
8. Ariana Grande – “No Tears Left to Cry”
9. Post Malone ft. Ty Dolla $ign – “Psycho”
10. XXXTentacion – “Sad!”
11. Drake – “Nonstop”
12. Post Malone – “Better Now”
13. Zedd, Maren Morris, and Grey – “The Middle”
14. Bebe Rexha and Florida Georgia Line – “Meant to Be”
15. Taylor Swift – “Delicate”
16. Drake – “I’m Upset”
17. Lil Baby and Drake – “Yes Indeed”
18. Tyga ft. Offset – “Taste”
19. Bazzi – “Mine”
20. Marshmello and Anne-Marie – “Friends”

Jmunney’s Revision
1. No Tears Left to Cry
2. Boo’d Up

Older Entries Newer Entries