Billboard Hot Rock Songs – Week of July 16, 2016

July 8, 2016

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 that top 25 based on my estimation of their quality.

Original Version
1. twenty one pilots – “Ride”
2. twenty one pilots – “Heathens”
3. twenty one pilots – “Stressed Out”
4. James Bay – “Let It Go”
5. Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa, & Imagine Dragons with Logic, Ty Dolla $ign, & X Ambassadors – “Sucker for Pain”
6. X Ambassadors – “Unsteady”
7. Coldplay – “Hymn for the Weekend”
8. Disturbed – “The Sound of Silence”
9. Red Hot Chili Peppers – “Dark Necessities”
10. The Lumineers – “Ophelia”
11. Ben Rector – “Brand New”
12. The Strumbellas – “Spirits”
13. blink-182 – “Bored to Death”
14. Fitz and the Tantrums – “HandClap”
15. Kaleo – “Way Down We Go”
16. Bishop Briggs – “River”
17. Empire of the Sun – “Walking on a Dream”
18. Fall Out Boy ft. Missy Elliott – “Ghostbusters (I’m Not Afraid)”
19. The 1975 – “The Sound”
20. Bastille – “Good Grief”
21. Beck – “Wow”
22. Goo Goo Dolls – “So Alive”
23. blink-182 – “No Future”
24. Panic! at the Disco – “Don’t Threaten Me with a Good Time”
25. Cage the Elephant – “Trouble”

Jmunney’s Revision
1. Walking on a Dream
2. River
3. Way Down We Go
4. Wow
5. The Sound
6. Unsteady
7. Trouble
8. Ride
9. Ophelia
10. Dark Necessities
11. Good Grief
12. Stressed Out
13. Heathens
14. Don’t Threaten Me with a Good Time
15. Sucker for Pain
16. So Alive
17. The Sound of Silence
18. Hymn for the Weekend
19. Spirits
20. HandClap
21. No Future
22. Ghostbusters (I’m Not Afraid)
23. Let It Go
24. Brand New
25. Bored to Death

Billboard Hot 20 – Week of July 16, 2016

July 8, 2016

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.

Original Version
1. Drake ft. WizKid and Kyle – “One Dance”
2. Justin Timberlake – “Can’t Stop the Feeling!”
3. The Chainsmokers ft. Daya – “Don’t Let Me Down”
4. Desiigner – “Panda”
5. Calvin Harris ft. Rihanna – “This Is What You Came For”
6. Sia ft. Sean Paul – “Cheap Thrills”
7. Rihanna – “Needed Me”
8. Kent Jones – “Don’t Me”
9. twenty one pilots – “Ride”
10. Fifth Harmon ft. Ty Dolla $ign – “Work From Home”
11. Mike Posner – “I Took a Pill in Ibiza”
12. P!nk – “Just Like Fire”
13. Adele – “Send My Love (to Your New Lover)”
14. Florida Georgia Line – “H.O.L.Y.”
15. Lukas Graham – “7 Years”
16. Meghan Trainor – “Me Too”
17. Ariana Grande – “Dangerous Woman”
18. twenty one pilots – “Heathens”
19. Drake – “Controlla”
20. Rihanna ft. Drake – “Work”

Jmunney’s Revision
1. Cheap Thrills
2. Work From Home
3. Work
4. I Took a Pill in Ibiza
5. Needed Me
6. Dangerous Woman
7. Ride
8. Send My Love (to Your New Lover)
9. One Dance
10. Heathens
11. Me Too
12. Can’t Stop the Feeling!
13. Don’t Let Me Down
14. Panda
15. Controlla
16. This Is What You Came For
17. Just Like Fire
18. 7 Years
19. Don’t Mind
20. H.O.L.Y.

What Won TV? – June 26-July 2, 2016

July 3, 2016

jmunney Television, What Won TV? , , , , , , Leave a comment

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.

CBB_100

Sunday – Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
Monday – Full Frontal with Samantha Bee
Tuesday – Not Safe with Nikki Glaser
Wednesday – Another Period
Thursday – Jeopardy!
Friday – Comedy Bang! Bang! reached 100 episodes. Attaboy!
Saturday – A crazy, rainy Wimbeldon

This Is a Movie Review: Me Before You

July 1, 2016

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

MeBeforeYou

Me Before You is half romance, half euthanasia PSA. Will Traynor (Sam Claflin) is generally cold, but thoughtful towards the people he likes. Louisa Clark (Emilia Clarke) is cheery, but forceful. Thus, they are a perfect match, just so long as they can spend enough time to truly get to know each other. Alas, Will has been rendered paraplegic by an accident, and he is convinced that dying with dignity is his best option, so he sets about proving, in his own stubborn way, that he can treat his loved ones well as possible as he works to leave them behind. It is certainly not an easy message to swallow, but there is plenty of charm (watch out for the bumblebee tights) to make it a pleasant viewing experience.

Much of Me Before You involves characters getting to the bottom of things, which translates to a lot of scenes of looking at computer screens and reading books. These are particularly uncinematic activities, but Emilia Clarke does her best to overcome that. Her face acting is unreal. You have never seen someone process information as intensely as Louisa Clark does. It is even more striking than her fashion sense, which is, well, as striking as striking can be. It all adds up to an unusual mix of relentless, upbeat, and ominous. That’s basically a compliment.

I give Me Before You 6.5 Sessions of Physical Therapy out of 10 Overwhelming Outfits.

Billboard Hot Rock Songs – Week of July 9, 2016

June 28, 2016

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 that top 25 based on my estimation of their quality.

Original Version
1. twenty one pilots – “Ride”
2. twenty one pilots – “Heathens”
3. twenty one pilots – “Stressed Out”
4. James Bay – “Let It Go”
5. X Ambassadors – “Unsteady”
6. Red Hot Chili Peppers – “Dark Necessities”
7. Disturbed – “The Sound of Silence”
8. Coldplay – “Hymn for the Weekend”
9. The Lumineers – “Ophelia”
10. Ben Rector – “Brand New”
11. The Strumbellas – “Spirits”
12. Fitz and the Tantrums – “HandClap”
13. blink-182 – “Bored to Death”
14. Bastille – “Good Grief”
15. Kaleo – “Way Down We Go”
16. Empire of the Sun – “Walking on a Dream”
17. Bishop Briggs – “River”
18. Maggie Rogers – “Alaska”
19. Red Hot Chili Peppers – “The Getaway”
20. The 1975 – “The Sound”
21. Beck – “Wow”
22. Goo Goo Dolls – “So Alive”
23. Panic! at the Disco – “Don’t Threaten Me with a Good Time”
24. Kongos – “Take It From Me”
25. Mumford & Sons X Baaba Maal – “There Will Be Time”

Jmunney’s Revision
1. Walking on a Dream
2. River
3. Take It From Me
4. Way Down We Go
5. Wow
6. The Sound
7. Unsteady
8. Ophelia
9. Ride
10. Dark Necessities
11. Stressed Out
12. Good Grief
13. The Getaway
14. There Will Be Time
15. Heathens
16. Don’t Threaten Me with a Good Time
17. So Alive
18. Alaska
19. The Sound of Silence
20. Spirits
21. Hymn for the Weekend
22. HandClap
23. Let It Go
24. Brand New
25. Bored to Death

Billboard Hot 20 – Week of July 9, 2016

June 28, 2016

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.

Original Version
1. Drake ft. WizKid and Kyla – “One Dance”
2. Justin Timberlake – “Can’t Stop the Feeling!”
3. Desiigner – “Panda”
4. The Chainsmokers ft. Daya – “Don’t Let Me Down”
5. Calvin Harris ft. Rihanna – “This Is What You Came For”
6. Sia ft. Sean Paul – “Cheap Thrills”
7. Fifth Harmony ft. Ty Dolla $ign – “Work From Home”
8. Rihanna – “Needed Me”
9. Kent Jones – “Don’t Mind”
10. twenty one pilots – “Ride”
11. Mike Posner – “I Took a Pill in Ibiza”
12. P!nk – “Just Like Fire”
13. Lukas Graham – “7 Years”
14. twenty one pilots – “Heathens”
15. Ariana Grande – “Dangerous Woman”
16. Rihanna ft. Drake – “Work”
17. Florida Georgia Line – “H.O.L.Y.”
18. Meghan Trainor – “Me Too”
19. Adele – “Send My Love (To Your New Lover)”
20. Drake – “Controlla”

Jmunney’s Revision
1. Cheap Thrills
2. Work From Home
3. Work
4. I Took a Pill in Ibiza
5. Dangerous Woman
6. Needed Me
7. Ride
8. Send My Love (To Your New Lover)
9. One Dance
10. Heathens
11. Me Too
12. Can’t Stop the Feeling!
13. Don’t Let Me Down
14. Controlla
15. This Is What You Came For
16. Just Like Fire
17. Panda
18. 7 Years
19. Don’t Mind
20. H.O.L.Y.

The Best of SNL Season 41

June 26, 2016

jmunney Saturday Night Live, SNL Season Recaps, Television , , , Leave a comment

snl_season_41_cast_photo

Most Valuable Cast Member
Kate McKinnon
Runner-Up: Cecily Strong
Honorable Mention: Larry David

Best Sketches
For my full thoughts on the best sketches, click here.
1. Yo, Where Jackie Chan At Right Now?
2. Mafia Meeting
3. FBI Simulator
4. bern your enthusiasm
5. Dead Bopz
6. Chad and Mrs. Douglas Show
7. Oprah Winfrey: A Life of Love
8. Screen Guild Awards
9. Close Encounter
10. Farewell, Mr. Bunting

Best Dress Rehearsal Cuts (AKA The “Kyle ‘Cut for Time’ Mooney” Award)
For my full thoughts on the best dress rehearsal cuts, click here.
1. Establishment Shuffle
2. New Studio
3. Not Scared
4. March Madness
5. Bieber Concert

Best 10-to-1 Sketches
1. Dead Bopz
2. Oprah Winfrey: A Life of Love
3. Miley Wedding Tape

Best Hosts
1. Larry David
2. Fred Armisen
3. Ariana Grande

Best Monologues
1. Fred Armisen
2. Elizabeth Banks
3. Tracy Morgan

Best Musical Guests
1. Disclosure
2. Courtney Barnett
3. The 1975

Best Weekend Update Segments
1. Drunk Uncle
2. One-Dimensional Female Character From a Male-Driven Comedy
3. Bruce Chandling

Best Episodes
1. Tracy Morgan/Demi Lovato
2. Fred Armisen/Courtney Barnett
3. Larry David/The 1975
4. Ariana Grande
5. Brie Larson/Alicia Keys

Best Lines
For my full thoughts on the best lines, click here.
13. “Why do we have to labia everything?” – The Girl You Wish You Hadn’t Started a Conversation With at a Party (Cecily Strong), on Weekend Update
12. “Happy Birthday to Mitt Romney who today turns 69. Which for Mormons is a sin.” – Colin Jost, on Weekend Update
11. “We’re at the point where we’re-” “finishing each other’s sente-” “pedes. Human” ““centipedes. Favorite Christmas movie!”” – Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, in their monologue
10. “Am I dating a girl, or am I dating … a pop quiz?” – Bruce Chandling (Kyle Mooney), on Weekend Update
9. “How far along are you, Theresa? You look like you’re about to pop.” “We think 2 months, we haven’t been keeping count.” “What?” “We don’t really know how it works, and we don’t believe in doctors. We’re just kinda winging it.” – Baby shower guest (Sasheer Zamata) and Theresa (Vanessa Bayer), in Baby Shower
8. “Jackie Chan was in movies as well as karate.” – Kenan Thompson, in Yo, Where Jackie Chan At Right Now?
7. “My tongue’s not as long as Gene Simmons, but my penis is even shorter.” – Ace Chuggins (Larry David), in Last Call
6. “All of you knuckleheads are getting cars.” – Oprah (Mike O’Brien), in Oprah Winfrey: A Life of Love
5. “God bless you.” “He never has and he never will.” – Colin Jost and Olya Povlatsky (Kate McKinnon), on Weekend Update
4. “Quick, somebody give that hologram a Holo-Grammy. Not my joke, guys, I’m just laser beams.” –Bing Crosby hologram (Beck Bennett), in Dead Bopz
3. “Paul Robeson of Porgy and Bess fame was one of the great singers and civil rights leaders of his day. We used a computer to make him sing ‘Trap Queen.’” –Bing Crosby hologram (Beck Bennett), in Dead Bopz
2. “Poetry should not be fun. It should be oppressive and the reader should hate it. Poems are from a hundred years ago. They were written by a bunch of dead men to punish children. The arts in general are for women and homosexuals. When you read a poem you should never feel emotion. In summary, poems stink.” – Mr. Kellogg (Beck Bennett), in Farewell, Mr. Bunting
1. “Can a bitch get a donut?!” – Kevin Roberts (Larry David), in FBI Simulator

What Won TV? – June 19-June 25, 2016

June 26, 2016

jmunney Television, What Won TV? , , , , , , , Leave a comment

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.

Deon_Cole_Cole_Blooded_Seminar

Sunday – Silicon Valley
Monday – UnREAL
Tuesday – Not Safe with Nikki Glaser
Wednesday – Another Period
Thursday – Jeopardy!
Friday – VICE, with the best use for poop
Saturday – Deon Cole teaching us something with his Cole-Blooded Seminar

This Is a Movie Review: Wiener-Dog

June 26, 2016

jmunney Cinema, Movie Reviews , Leave a comment

Wiener-Dog-Movie

Todd Solondz’ Wiener-Dog­ is a series of vignettes about a dachshund’s revolving set of owners: a contentious couple (Tracy Letts, Julie Delpy) and their sensitive, cancer-survivor son (Keaton Nigel Cooke); a new version of awkward Dawn Wiener (Greta Gerwig) from Solondz’ breakout Welcome to the Dollhouse; a hack film professor (Danny DeVito); and a regretful old woman (Ellen Burstyn). Typical for a Solondz film, each character suffers occasionally ugly physical and emotional upheaval, with the dachshund serving – as dogs do – as a conduit to all the trauma. That connection is also represented through her changing names, ranging from the charmingly literal (“Wiener-Dog”) to the unnervingly symbolic (“Cancer”). While Solondz’ approach is off-putting, his characters’ indignities are not necessarily unusual (save for a few instances that manage an uncanny mix of mundane and extreme). It is a low-key effort, with plenty of incisive moments about what it means to be human that manage to be comforting despite, or somehow because, of the darkness.

I give Wiener-Dog 3 Bones.

This Is a Movie Review: Swiss Army Man

June 25, 2016

jmunney Cinema, Movie Reviews , , , , 1 Comment

SWISS ARMY MAN (2016) Daniel Radcliffe and Paul Dano

Swiss Army Man is a lot like the recent X-Files episode, “Mulder and Scully Meet the Were-Monster,” in that a human-esque creature learns the rules that govern human civilization and then offers a rejuvenating perspective to a fully human companion. In this case, that creature is the corpse of Daniel Radcliffe,henceforth known as “Manny” (not unlike Rhys Darby as “Guy Mann”), whose presence revitalizes suicidal Hank (Paul Dano), most strikingly with the propulsive power of his flatulence. But there is so much more to Manny. He combines a blank slate, sophistication, and bluntness for a new form of wisdom. As Manny develops the ability to talk, his and Hank’s conversations tend toward the discomfort (both physical and social) of bodily urges and functions, but they are treated with the tenderness worthy of deeply connected friends. Swiss Army Man threatens to lift the veil of its fantasy, but it keeps its corpse fart-engine running, because magic exists.

I give Swiss Army Man 721 New Uses for the Human Body out of 1030 Possibilities.

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