September 13, 2016
jmunney
Billboard Charts, Billboard Hot 100, Music
Billboard, Billboard Hot 100, Gold, Kiiara
Each week, I check out the Billboard Hot 100, and then I rearrange the top 20 based on my estimation of their quality.
Original Version
1. The Chainsmokers ft. Halsey – “Closer”
2. twenty one pilots – “Heathens”
3. Major Lazer ft. Justin Bieber and MØ – “Cold Water”
4. Sia ft. Sean Paul – “Cheap Thrills”
5. The Chainsmokers ft. Daya – “Don’t Let Me Down”
6. twenty one pilots – “Ride”
7. Calvin Harris ft. Rihanna – “This Is What You Came For”
8. Adele – “Send My Love (to Your New Lover)”
9. Rihanna – “Needed Me”
10. Charlie Puth ft. Selena Gomez – “We Don’t Talk Anymore”
11. Drake ft. WizKid and Kyla – “One Dance”
12. DJ Snake ft. Justin Bieber – “Let Me Love You”
13. Shawn Mendes – “Treat You Better”
14. D.R.A.M. ft. Lil Yachty – “Broccoli”
15. Ariana Grande – “Into You”
16. Justin Timberlake – “Can’t Stop the Feeling!”
17. Drake ft. Rihanna – “Too Good”
18. Ariana Grande ft. Nicki Minaj – “Side to Side”
19. Tory Lanez – “Luv”
20. Kiiara – “Gold”
Jmunney’s Revision
1. Gold
2. Cheap Thrills
3. Side to Side
4. Into You
5. Needed Me
6. Cold Water
7. Ride
8. Broccoli
9. Closer
10. Let Me Love You
11. Don’t Let Me Down
12. Send My Love (to Your New Lover)
13. Too Good
14. One Dance
15. Can’t Stop the Feeling!
16. This Is What You Came For
17. Luv
18. We Don’t Talk Anymore
19. Heathens
20. Treat You Better
September 12, 2016
jmunney
Son of Zorn, Son of Zorn Episode Reviews, Television
Alangulon, Cheryl Hines, Jason Sudeikis, Johnny Pemberton, Margaret Miles, Son of Zorn, Son of Zorn 101, Son of Zorn Season 1, Tim Meadows, Zorn
September 11, 2016
jmunney
Television, What Won TV?
Ann Coulter, Atlanta, Better Things, Maria Shriver, Mr. Robot, Roast of Rob Lowe, The Eric Andre Show, US Open
In this feature, I look back at each day of the past week and determine what shows “won TV” for the night. That is, I consider every episode of television I watched that aired on a particular day and declare which was the best.
Sunday – US Open here and there
Monday – Maria Shriver’s face during Ann Coulter’s Rob Lowe Roast set
Tuesday – Atlanta
Wednesday – Mr. Robot, especially Angela and Elliot on the subway
Thursday – Better Things
Friday – Doth my nugs bequeath me? It’s The Eric Andre Show!
Saturday – US Open: Ladies Final
September 11, 2016
jmunney
Billboard Charts, Billboard Hot Rock Songs, Music
Billboard, Billboard Hot Rock Songs, Phantogram, You Don't Get Me High Anymore
Each week, I check out the Billboard Hot Rock Songs chart, and then I rearrange that top 25 based on my estimation of their quality.
Original Version
1. twenty one pilots – “Heathens”
2. twenty one pilots – “Ride”
3. Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa, & Imagine Dragons with Logic, Ty Dolla $ign ft. X Ambassadors – “Sucker for Pain”
4. Coldplay – “Hymn for the Weekend”
5. twenty one pilots – “Stressed Out”
6. X Ambassadors – “Unsteady”
7. Disturbed – “The Sound of Silence”
8. The Lumineers – “Ophelia”
9. Fitz and the Tantrums – “HandClap”
10. Kaleo – “Way Down We Go”
11. Bishop Briggs – “River”
12. Red Hot Chili Peppers – “Dark Necessities”
13. blink-182 – “Bored to Death”
14. Panic! at the Disco – “Bohemian Rhapsody”
15. Metallica – “Hardwired”
16. Green Day – “Bang Bang”
17. Cage the Elephant – “Trouble”
18. Bastille – “Good Grief”
19. The Head and the Heart – “All We Ever Knew”
20. Skillet – “Feel Invincbile”
21. Glass Animals – “Life Itself”
22. Beck – “Wow”
23. The 1975 – “Somebody Else”
24. Phantogram – “You Don’t Get Me High Anymore”
25. Young the Giant – “Something to Believe In”
Jmunney’s Revision
1. You Don’t Get Me High Me Anymore
2. River
3. Wow
4. Life Itself
5. Way Down We Go
6. Unsteady
7. Dark Necessities
8. Somebody Else
9. Something to Believe In
10. Ride
11. Trouble
12. Good Grief
13. Stressed Out
14. Ophelia
15. Hymn for the Weekend
16. All We Ever Knew
17. Bang Bang
18. The Sound of Silence
19. Hardwired
20. Heathens
21. Feel Invincible
22. Sucker for Pain
23. Bohemian Rhapsody
24. HandClap
25. Bored to Death
September 11, 2016
jmunney
Billboard Charts, Billboard Hot 100, Music
Billboard, Billboard Hot 100, Gold, Kiiara
Each week, I check out the Billboard Hot 100, and then I rearrange the top 20 based on my estimation of their quality.
Original Version
1. The Chainsmokers ft. Halsey – “Closer”
2. Major Lazer ft. Justin Bieber and MØ – “Cold Water”
3. twenty one pilots – “Heathens”
4. Sia ft. Sean Paul – “Cheap Thrills”
5. The Chainsmokers ft. Daya – “Don’t Let Me Down”
6. Calvin Harris ft. Rihanna – “This is What You Came For”
7. twenty one pilots – “Ride”
8. Shawn Mendes – “Treat You Better”
9. Drake ft. WizKid and Kyla – “One Dance”
10. Rihanna – “Needed Me”
11. Adele – “Send My Love (to Your New Lover)”
12. Charlie Puth ft. Selena Gomez – “We Don’t Talk Anymore”
13. DJ Snake ft. Justin Bieber – “Let Me Love You”
14. Justin Timberlake – “Can’t Stop the Feeling!”
15. Ariana Grande – “Into You”
16. Drake ft. Rihanna – “Too Good”
17. Britney Spears ft. G-Eazy – “Make Me…”
18. D.R.A.M. ft. Lil Yachty – “Broccoli”
19. Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa, & Imagine Dragons with Logic, Ty Dolla $ign ft. X Ambassadors – “Sucker for Pain”
20. Kiiara – “Gold”
Jmunney’s Revision
1. Gold
2. Cheap Thrills
3. Into You
4. Needed Me
5. Cold Water
6. Ride
7. Closer
8. Let Me Love You
9. Don’t Let Me Down
10. Send My Love (to Your New Lover)
11. Too Good
12. Broccoli
13. One Dance
14. Can’t Stop the Feeling!
15. This Is What You Came For
16. Make Me…
17. We Don’t Talk Anymore
18. Heathens
19. Sucker for Pain
20. Treat You Better
September 4, 2016
jmunney
Television, What Won TV?
Difficult People, John Turturro, RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, The Night Of, US Open, You're the Worst
In this feature, I look back at each day of the past week and determine what shows “won TV” for the night. That is, I consider every episode of television I watched that aired on a particular day and declare which was the best.
Sunday – The Night Of, mostly for John Turturro’s closing argument
Monday – The US Open kicked off.
Tuesday – Difficult People
Wednesday – You’re the Worst
Thursday – RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars is snatching up my attention on Thursdays.
Friday – A bit of US Open
Saturday – US Open
September 3, 2016
jmunney
Cinema, Movie Reviews
Suicide Squad
There were so many hands on the final edit of Suicide Squad, so it is no surprise that it is as disjointed as it is. At least this makes it fascinatingly ridiculous, but only for the first half or so. The classic rock jukebox starts up, letting us know it is time to kick things off. Then a few minutes later, another headbanger picks up the tempo, letting us know it is time to kick things off. Then a little later, is it time to once again introduce our characters to the tune of Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath? Why yes it is!
Once that pattern sputters out, what are we left with? A race to a fairly ordinary battle royale climax. Could Suicide Squad have found success with more focus? An artistic vision would have been clearer, but the bigger issue is more fundamental. The concept of assembling the worst of the worst to fend off the even worse is ridiculous, and Suicide Squad’s fatal flaw is that it never realizes that. There is not even yet a villain for the squad to fight as it is being formed. Once that adversary emerges, there is no legitimate reason why Batman, the Flash, or Wonder Woman is not available. This may sound like nitpicking, but with its unearned and inexplicable self-seriousness, Suicide Squad invites the criticism.
I take away half of Suicide Squad’s soundtrack, and ask it to reflect upon itself.
September 3, 2016
jmunney
Cinema, Movie Reviews
Sausage Party
The conventional wisdom on Sausage Party seems to be that the satire is surprisingly effective, but it could be even better without all the juvenile humor. I say the opposite is true. Jokes are the strong suit, and the message-mongering gets in the way. The film is certainly anti-religion, but ultimately concessions are made to the “all beliefs are bad” position. The trouble is, just about every character is a stereotype, which is not necessarily a problem in and of itself (poking at stereotypes is a fine comedic tradition), but when you want a nuanced message, the characters ought to be nuanced as well. When Sausage Party gets messy and metaphysical, it is looser, more comfortable, and more satisfying. Your mileage may vary on the humor value of a literal food orgy, but the creativity therein cannot be denied.
I give Sausage Party 5 ½ Franks in 8 Buns.
September 3, 2016
jmunney
Cinema, Movie Reviews
Indignation
For anyone who is not an angry neurotic Jewish kid, exposure to Indignation (or, I’d imagine, just about any Philip Roth), is likely to result in severe culture shock. Why can’t Newark native Marcus (Logan Lerman) just enjoy sex without agonizing over it? And the dean (Tracy Letts) at his small Ohio college may be a blowhard, but why must he rebel against him with every fiber of his being? These are not criticisms, just observations. All of Marcus’ harrumphing and allergy to compromise, combined with his inability to fight back against true injustice (like his mother forbidding him to pursue a troubled classmate beguilingly played by Sarah Gadon), make for a small-scale, personal tragedy.
I give Indignation my respect and my sympathy.
September 3, 2016
jmunney
Cinema, Movie Reviews
Don't Breathe
The camera scans the entire house marked for robbery in Don’t Breathe, foreshadowing every possible twist and stumble. The motivations and character of the thieves and the victim are just as thoroughly examined, playing around with viewer sympathy in unambiguously ambiguous terms. Is Don’t Breathe making a statement about how crumbling metropolises like Detroit pit its residents against each other? The advantage of horror movies, especially ones as economical as this one, is that they do not need to underline this message for it to be effective. The genre thrills are professionally crafted, and the theses are there for the taking.
I give Don’t Breathe 2 Full-Lung Gasps per Minute.
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