Author: Michael Grace

catch me in indiana taking pictures of my pigs
Music/Movies

If Cartoons Were Walking Around In Our World Right Now, You Would Not Be Chill About It

by Michael Grace1 Comment on If Cartoons Were Walking Around In Our World Right Now, You Would Not Be Chill About It
If Cartoons Were Walking Around In Our World Right Now, You Would Not Be Chill About It

I will start by saying I have no plans to see Sonic the Hedgehog, but I morally support the career of James Marsden. He is now a two-time cartoon-in-reality film star. Prior to Sonic, Marsden was in the brutally-seasonal Easter Bunny film, Hop.

Cartoons interacting with the real world is no new venture, but sometimes I get the feeling that our human counterparts are too damn chill about being in the presence of a sentient drawing.

Let me be clear- if this happened to you, the only result is instantaneous cardiac arrest.

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Sports

The NBA had PLENTY of Time to Prepare for Zion Lateef Williamson

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The NBA had PLENTY of Time to Prepare for Zion Lateef Williamson

Now let me pray to keep you from
The perils that will surely come
See life for you my prince has just begun

Ms. Lauryn Hill, “To Zion”

I was asked a few times yesterday what I thought Zion Williamson would have to average per game in order to steal the rookie of the year award from Ja Morant. My answer was, of course, absurd. I said 22 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists. Last night was Zion’s long-awaited debut. He didn’t hit 22/10/6, but uh… he made that look extremely possible.

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Music of Star Wars, Music/Movies

The Music of Star Wars, Episode VI: Revenge of the Sith (2005)

by Michael GraceLeave a Comment on The Music of Star Wars, Episode VI: Revenge of the Sith (2005)
The Music of Star Wars, Episode VI: Revenge of the Sith (2005)

Author’s note: When I took this project on, I did not take into account the fact that I would have little means to write about the score for The Rise of Skywalker without (a) writing out a lot of spoilers and (b) having any accuracy for cues without seeing the movie at least three times. So it’s January, and Star Wars hype has cooled, so lets dust off this saga and continue.

So… some stuff happened in that second movie, I guess. I was a chore to get through, but there was that lovely theme as well as some allusions to themes established in the original trilogy. So in Revenge of the Sith, we the viewers finally get to the destination we knew we would arrive at someday. This is the “good one” of the prequel trilogy, but let us not lose sight of how much we rationalize when that label is applied. This movie, much like The Phantom Menace has a scene at the end that almost fools you into believing you didn’t waste your time. In that scene, John Williams is at his best.

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Sports

Picking the NBA Team of the Decade, No All-Stars Allowed

by Michael GraceLeave a Comment on Picking the NBA Team of the Decade, No All-Stars Allowed
Picking the NBA Team of the Decade, No All-Stars Allowed

Back in December, the NBA world was bombarded with content about the team of the decade, like it’s somehow profound to decide that LeBron James, Steph Curry, and Kevin Durant are in fact worthy of that distinction. Great, that’s cool, and I’ve read them all despite redundancy. But what about the guys who worked their ass off all decade long and never made it to the All-Star Game? They’re the real heroes, holding the Association together while the stars tear it apart.

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Sports

The NBA was not prepared for Temetrius Jamel Morant

by Michael Grace1 Comment on The NBA was not prepared for Temetrius Jamel Morant
The NBA was not prepared for Temetrius Jamel Morant

“Tell that motherfucker about me,” said the rookie point guard. He had just been challenged to take an open three by James Harden, Tuesday night in Memphis. Harden, one of the game’s premier shooters, tried to get into the head of Morant. Instead, he boosted the confidence of a young man who had already proven himself on the big stage. Even in the age where (almost) everyone can shoot the deep ball, where (almost) everyone has some sort of deceptive layup package, the NBA was still not prepared for Ja Morant.

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Misc.

EYE ON PLAINFIELD: IM PRETTY SURE THATS A FOX IM LOOKING AT

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EYE ON PLAINFIELD: IM PRETTY SURE THATS A FOX IM LOOKING AT

I’m not quite sure, but I’m pretty sure that’s a fox I’m looking at. I was unaware we had them around here, but I’ll be honest I’m not really paying attention to nature all that much. It looks kinda small for a dog, but kinda big for a cat, but when I first saw it I swear there was a collar or something around its neck.

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Music of Star Wars, Music/Movies

The Music of Star Wars, Episode V: Attack of the Clones (2002)

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The Music of Star Wars, Episode V: Attack of the Clones (2002)

After a hiatus, TMOSW is back with *sigh* the most exhausting film in the rewatch. At some point, Anakin aged 10 years and Padme aged 3, so now they’re close enough in age to be lovers. John Williams executes a fantastic theme for their union. If you have started your own rewatch in anticipation of Episode IX, you’re likely already past this one, and that’s for the best. In the last few years, there has been a renaissance of appreciation for these prequels, even Episode II. I can assure you, it is soaked in irony. This movie is bad, but find solace in knowing that it contains yet another fabulous work by Williams.

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Music of Star Wars, Music/Movies

The Music of Star Wars, Episode IV: The Phantom Menace (1999)

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The Music of Star Wars, Episode IV: The Phantom Menace (1999)

The build up to the release of The Phantom Menace was one of the most exciting times in my childhood. I loved the movie, especially the podracing scene. Yeah, that was cool. Well, I’m not twelve anymore. I’m old, cynical, and finally understand what the hell is going on in this movie. The problem is, its boring as shit. BUT THAT’S NOT WHY I’M HERE TODAY. Folks, this movie ends with a blitz that almost makes you forget you just watched 100+ minutes of deadpan dialogue delivery, and John Williams is the main reason why.

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Advice

You Should Refrigerate Your Doritos

by Michael Grace3 Comments on You Should Refrigerate Your Doritos
You Should Refrigerate Your Doritos

Life holds many mysteries. One such treasure is the undiscovered delicacy of culinary experimentation. We all know well the magnificent combination of sweet and savory. But what happens when, by mere lapse in motor skill judgment, we stumble upon transcendent greatness? I accidentally tossed some Nacho Cheese Doritos in the fridge. What happened next changed my life forever.

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Music of Star Wars, Music/Movies

The Music of Star Wars, Episode III: The Return of the Jedi (1983)

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The Music of Star Wars, Episode III: The Return of the Jedi (1983)

The great thing about the original trilogy of Star Wars is how it builds the universe within the plot of the three movies in a way that seems natural. In Empire we saw new creatures, strange planets, and a city floating in the clouds. In Return, we focus mostly on one forest moon and a space battle above it. For all of the lush, atmospheric scoring of the second chapter, John Williams gives the third room to breathe. At times, the music is more demanding and pronounced than ever. In others, its absent where earlier in the series music would have been a driving force. So lets get to The Return of the Jedi, and the end of the Empire.

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