2016 Sucked Ass!

So earlier in the year, January 3 to be specific, I wrote down in this very blog some of the celebrities that had passed away in 2015.  It seemed like a large list, but it pales in comparison to 2016.  For a time earlier in the year it seemed like celebrities, actors, musicians and the like were dropping like flies.  I was going to wait until January of 2017 to list some of the folks that left us, but I decided to do it a little earlier in hopes that I won't have to update this post.  We've had enough, 2016!!  For now, though, let's take a moment to remember a list of folks that passed and maybe share some memories of what they meant to you.

Pat Harrington Jr.
B. August 13, 1929  New York, New York
D. January 6, 2016  (aged 86)  Los Angeles,         California
Cause: Alzheimer's Disease

I never knew who Pat Harrington was until the sitcom "One Day At A Time", and I didn't follow his career afterwards.  He was always, and for me, will always be Schneider, the wise-cracking, always on the lookout for a good time, superintendent to a single mother with two daughters.  He won a Golden Globe and an Emmy for his work on that show.  In a career that started in the 1950's, he had appeared on tons of TV shows such as "The Steve Allen Show", "Make Room For Daddy", "The Munsters", "The Beverley Hillbillies", "The Man From U.N.C.L.E.", "The Partridge Family" and many, many more.

David Bowie
B. January 8, 1947  London, England
D. January 10, 2016 (aged 69)  New York, New York
Cause: Liver Cancer

There were two deaths during 2016 that shocked me to my core, one I will get to a little further on, and David Bowie.  I think much of the world was shocked at the news of the Thin White Duke's demise.  Although he had been in the spotlight for over five decades, very few knew about his health problems.  In fact, he had just released another studio album, Blackstar, just before his passing.  I wrote about my shock of this news in another blog entry the day after his death, so I won't go into what he meant to me, and others, through the years.  But it was a huge loss to the music industry, the fashion industry, the "star machine"...to all of us.

Alan Rickman
B. February 21, 1946  London, England
D. January 12, 2016 (aged 69)  London, England
Cause: Pancreatic Cancer

This one was another shock to the system, as the general population didn't even know he was sick.  It was in the movie "Die Hard" where most people first heard of Mr. Rickman, playing Bruce Willis' nemesis Hans Gruber.  It was his first major movie role, but far from his last.  His enormous talent was soon to be shown in one of my favourite movies, "Truly, Madly, Deeply".  From there came big role after big role, as a younger generation got to follow him as Severus Snape in the "Harry Potter" films.  A phenomenal talent gone way too soon.

Glen Frey
B. November 6, 1948  Detroit, Michigan
D. January 18, 2016 (aged 67) New York, New York
Cause: complications of Rheumatoid Arthritis, acute Ulcerative Colitis, Pneumonia

Another music legend gone.  Just over a week after David Bowie died, and as we were all trying to get over the shock of that, the "leader" of the Eagles leaves us.  Glen Frey was an enormous musical talent who met Don Henley back in 1970 and  they soon were asked to play in a back up band for Linda Ronstadt.  They decided to form a band soon after and the rest is rock n' roll history.  The Eagles went on to win 6 Grammy Awards and were inducted into the Rock N' Roll Hall Of Fame in 1998.

Abe Vigoda
B. February 24, 1921  Brooklyn, New York
D. January 26, 2016 (aged 94)  Woodland Park, New Jersey
Cause: Natural Causes, in his sleep

The rumours, this time, were true.  Fish had died.  Known mostly for his roles in TV's "Barney Miller" and filmdom's "The Godfather", the distinct looking actor appeared in nearly 100 shows and movies throughout his career.  Because of a People magazine article in 1982 that mistakenly claimed Vigoda was dead he had been rumoured to have died many times since.  He even got in on it when he would appear on Late Night With Conan O'Brien numerous times just to let people know he was still alive.  "For old time sake".

Maurice White
B. December 19, 1941  Memphis, Tennessee
D. February 4, 2016 (aged 74) Los Angeles, California
Cause: Parkinson's Disease

Another shocking loss from the music industry, Maurice White gave us Earth, Wind & Fire.  He founded the group back in 1970.  From then on, Earth, Wind & Fire would go on to sell more than 90 millions albums.  The band won six Grammy Awards and was nominated for 20!  It was always White's smooth vocals on some of the most recognizable songs on the 1970's including "Shining Star", "Fantasy", "Boogie Wonderland", "Let's Groove" and my favourite "September".  He had been diagnosed with Parkinson's in the late1980's but stayed on as the band's lead voice until 1994.  A tremendous talent.

Vanity (Denise Matthews)
B. January 4, 1959  Niagara Falls, Ontario
D. February 15, 2016 (aged 57) Fremont, California
Cause: Renal failure

If you grew up in the 1980's, you knew who Vanity was.  Not only did she have a monster hit in 1982 with "Nasty Girl" but you'd remember her as a part-time actress, appearing in "52 Pick Up" and "Action Jackson" among others.  She met Prince in 1980 at the American Music Awards and gave her the name Vanity because she seemed like a female version of himself.  More on Prince later...

Harper Lee
B. April 28, 1926  Monroeville, Alabama
D. February 19, 2016 (aged 89) Monroeville, Alabama
Cause: Natural Causes

She published one book, but that was all she needed to become an icon in Literature.  "To Kill A Mockingbird" was published in 1960, became an instant best-seller and won the 1961 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.  Hollywood came calling and the adaptation of her novel became a classic.  She said the screenplay adaptation was "one of the best translations of a book to film ever made".  Although she would hobnob with some celebrities in the 1960's, she led a very reclusive life, not allowing many interviews or requests for public appearances.

George Kennedy
B. February 18, 1925  New York, New York
D. February 28, 2016 (aged 91) Middleton, Idaho
Cause: Heart Disease

He started acting in 1960, and for the next 50 plus years he was one of the most recognizable "bit actor"'s of our time.  He was in everything!  "The Dirty Dozen", "Cool Hand Luke", the "Airport" series of films, and the "Naked Gun" films.  In all, he appeared in over 180 TV shows and movies.  He won an Academy Award for his supporting role in "Cool Hand Luke", which was the only time in his illustrious career that he was nominated for an Oscar.

Nancy Reagan
B. July 6, 1921  New York, New York
D. March 6, 2016 (aged 94) Bel Air, California
Cause: Congestive Heart Failure

She was more than just Ronald Reagan's wife and First Lady of the USA from 1980 to 1988.  Nancy Reagan appeared in 20 or so films and TV shows of the 1940's and '50's as Nancy Davis.  She married the president of the Screen Actors' Guild in 1952, that being Ronald Reagan.  They were married for 52 years, until his death in 2004.  Nancy's political contribution will undoubtedly be remembered for just three words, "Just Say No".  The phrase was everywhere in the '80's, bringing a new awareness to the war on drugs in the United States.

George Martin
B. January 3, 1926  London, England
D. March 8, 2016 (aged 90) Wiltshire, England
Cause: Natural Causes

He worked as a comedy record producer in the '50's for the likes of Peter Sellers and Spike Milligan.  In 1962 he was asked to listen to a new group called The Beatles.  Upon hearing them live for the first time, he wasn't sure if he wanted to work with them.  He felt their original material wasn't that strong.  He asked the fellas if there was anything they didn't like.  George Harrison said "your tie",  Lennon and McCartney joined in on the jokes and pretty soon they were signed to record contract.  If it wasn't for George Martin, there may never have been The Beatles, at least in the way we know and love them.  With Martin producing or arranging, he won six Grammys and had 30 number one singles in the UK, 23 in the States.

Keith Emerson
B. November 2, 1944  Yorkshire, England
D. March 11, 2016 (aged 71) Santa Monica, California
Cause: Suicide

He was one of the founders of possibly rock's first progressive band.  Teaming up with Greg Lake of King Crimson and Carl Palmer of Atomic Rooster, Emerson, Lake & Palmer became a monster success and is sited as a major influence to many well known bands that followed.  From 1970 to 1979, their work was regarded as some of the most innovative of the decade.  He went solo in 1980 and work with movie producers on soundtracks, also appearing on many collaborative albums through the years.  If you have never sat down and listened to ELP's "Brain Salad Surgery" then do yourself a favour and download it!

Garry Shandling
B. November 29, 1949  Chicago, Illinois
D. March 24, 2016 (aged 66)  Los Angeles, California
Cause: Heart Attack

A stand-up comic, actor, writer, producer, he did it all.  Before there was "Curb Your Enthusiasm" there was "It's Garry Shandling's Show" and the unbelievably inventive and hilarious "The Larry Sanders Show".  In 1973, working as an advertising agent, he wrote scripts for "Sanford & Son" and "Welcome Back, Kotter".  His first stand-up routine was in 1978 at the famous Comedy Store in L.A..  He would appear on The Tonight Show multiple times, even subbing in for Johnny Carson on a few occasions.  His two shows mentioned above were nominated for over 20 Primetime Emmy Awards.

Patty Duke
B. December 14, 1946  Elmhurst, New York
D. March 29, 2016 (aged 69)  Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
Cause: Sepsis from a ruptured intestine

She was a known actress in her teens.  She was a major star after the 1962 film "The Miracle Worker" in which she played Helen Keller and won an Academy Award for her performance, at the age of 16!  She would go on to appear in more than 140 movies and TV shows, including a show named for her, "The Patty Duke Show", which ran from 1963 to 1966.  Throughout her career she was nominated for 10 Emmy Awards, winning three, and two Golden Globes.  In 1982 she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and spent most of her latter years trying to educate people about mental health issues.

Merle Haggard
B. April 6, 1937  Oildale, California
D. April 6, 2016 (aged79)  Palo Cedro, California
Cause: Complications from Pneumonia

For over 50 years, Merle Haggard was among the greats in the world of Country Music, a genre that I don't listen to much, but some of the greats are hard to ignore.  His first big hit came in 1964 when he recorded Wynn Stewart's "Sing A Sad Song".  From there on he would record no less than 38 Number One records on the Billboard Country Charts.  He has gained many accolades including a Kennedy Center Honor, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and inducted into the Country Music Hall Of Fame.  He was working right to the end, having had recorded his last song on February 9, 2016.  He will always be remembered for his recording of "Okie From Muskogee".

Doris Roberts
B. November 4, 1925  St. Louis, Missouri
D. April 17, 2016 (aged 90) Los Angeles, California
Cause: Stroke

I had no idea Doris Roberts was as old as she was!  I figured 70, maybe 75, but then I remembered that "Everybody Loves Raymond" was about 15 years ago so, yeah.  She won 4 Emmy Awards playing the role of Raymond's mother, Marie.  But she had started in the business many years before that, appearing in over 150 TV shows and movies throughout her career.

Chyna (Joan Laurer)
B. December 27, 1969  Rochester, New York
D. April 20, 2016 (aged 46) Redondo Beach, California
Cause: Drug Overdose

Even if you had a cursory knowledge of professional wrestling, you probably still knew the name Chyna.  She was six foot monster of a woman that, because she was so much bigger than most other women in the industry, would perform with many of the men.  She was a pretty big deal during the late '90's and early 2000's, making appearances up to 2011.  She then performed in a few pornographic films before she passed from taking too many anxiety pills.

Prince
B. June 7, 1958  Minneapolis, Minnesota
D. April 21, 2016 (aged 57) Chanhassan, Minnesota
Cause: Fentanyl Overdose

I mentioned how surprised I was at David Bowie's passing, and was just as shocked of another's.  That shock came when the news of Prince passing came out.  I was stunned, stopped me right in my tracks.  Prince was one of those artists that was ever-present in my life.  When I was younger I remember when videos for "Little Red Corvette" and "1999" came out.  I remembered his movie "Purple Rain" and the great music that came from that.  I remembered "Raspberry Beret" and "Sign O' The Times" and "U Got The Look" and "Batdance" and "Cream" and "Diamonds And Pearls" and so many others.  To me, he was the funkier Jimi Hendrix, an absolute master on the guitar and a non-stop showman.  As I write this I'm stunned that I have to live in a world without Prince.

**We got out of May without a major celebrity dying, although that gorilla was shot, so, there's that.

Muhammed Ali (Cassius Clay)
B. January 17, 1942  Louisville, Kentucky
D. June 3, 2016 (aged 74) Scottsdale, Arizona
Cause: Septic Shock

He was a fighter, a boxer who was considered by many as the greatest of all-time.  But he became so much more than that.  It would be easy to say he was one of the most important sports figure ever.  Muhammed Ali stood up for what he believed in.  He fought foes in the ring and out during the Civil Rights movement.  He refused to go to Viet Nam because it wasn't his war and he wasn't going to kill people.  He fought every day for the betterment of his race.  And he could taunt his challengers like nobody else, making it into an art form that played out on TV sets all over the world.  He was, three times, the Heavyweight Champion Of The World, but his battle with Parkinson's Disease was one battle too many, diagnosed in 1984.  We all knew his time would come.  And we all cried when it finally did.

Gordie Howe
B. March 31, 1928  Floral, Saskatchewan
D. June 10, 2016 (aged 88)  Sylvania, Ohio
Cause: Natural Causes

Two sports LEGENDS within a week, first the greatest boxer who ever lived, then, to many, the greatest hockey player to ever live.  In the 1950's and '60's there would be little dispute to this claim.  He was the first player to tally 90 points in a season in 1953.  He was the first to score 600 goals for a career, and first to score 700 and 800 for that matter.  He played 25 years for the Detroit Red Wings before signing for more money in the upstart WHA with the Houston Aeros.  In 1977 he signed with the Hartford Whalers of that league to play with his two sons.  When the WHA folded in 1979 they joined the NHL and, during the year, Howe turned 52 years old, the oldest ever to play in the NHL.  His opponents would tell you he was a mean son of bitch to play against.  But away from the ice, he was one of the nicest guys you'd ever want to meet.  Gordie Howe, to this day, still ranks 2nd all-time in goals scored and 4th all-time in points.

Michael Cimino
B. February 3, 1939  New York, New York
D. July 2, 2016 (aged 77)  Beverly Hills, California
Cause: Unknown

The name may not be familiar to you, but you've probably heard and/or watched some of his movies.  Cimino directed "The Deer Hunter", a film that won 5 Academy Awards including Best Picture.  He also directed a movie that changed the way films were financed afterward.  The film "Heaven's Gate" is a western he directed in 1980 that was famous for it's excessive spending that would tighten the purse strings of movie studios in the future.  Although it is more appreciated today, at the time of it's release it was panned by just about every critic working.  He spent more than $40-million on the movie and it took in only $3-million at the Box Office.  It just about bankrupted United Artists and ruined his reputation.  He lead a pretty reclusive life after his last movie, "Sunchaser", in 1996.

Garry Marshall
B. November 13, 1934  The Bronx, New York
D. July 19, 2016 (aged 81) Burbank, California
Cause: Pneumonia after a stroke

He did it all; producer, director, actor.  If Garry Marshall had a toe in your TV show or movie, it was destined to be popular.  He created "Happy Days", one of the most beloved sitcoms of my generation.  He directed a bunch of romantic comedies that may have been critically panned, but made tons of money; "Pretty Woman", "Runaway Bride", "The Princess Diaries".  He started out in 1959 writing jokes for comedians and kept going right up to his death, making an appearance in the new version of "The Odd Couple", which was a show he produced way back in 1970.  Some other TV shows he was responsible for include "The Dick Van Dyke Show", "Gomer Pyle, USMC", "Laverne And Shirley" (starring his sister Penny), and "Mork & Mindy" just to name a few.

Kenny Baker
B. August 24, 1934  Birmingham, England
D. August 13, 2016 (aged 81) Lancashine, England
Cause: Chronic Lung Condition

The man that was inside one of the most endearing characters in movie history, R2D2, in all of the Star Wars films up to his death.  (He worked as a consultant on "The Force Awakens").  He appeared in other films throughout his career such as "Willow", "The Elephant Man", "Labyrinth" and "Amadeus".  But he will always be remembered by the geeks of this world (of which I have a membership card) as the little robot helping to save the galaxy!

Arthur Hiller
B. November 22, 1923  Edmonton, Alberta
D. August 17, 2016 (aged 92) Los Angeles, California
Cause: Natural Causes

The name may not be familiar, but this Canadian born director made it big in Hollywood.  He directed over 30 films in a career the spanned over 50 years.  During his time in Hollywood he worked with many of the stars of the time; Natalie Wood, Peter Falk, Jack Lemmon, George C. Scott, Al Pacino, and many others.  His biggest hit movie was "Love Story" starring Ryan O'Neal and Ali MacGraw.  The film earned over $130-million in 1970, which was A LOT of money!  He was nominated for an Academy Award for directing the film.

Gene Wilder
B. June 11, 1933  Milwaukee, Wisconsin
D. August 29, 2016 (aged 83) Stamford, Connecticut
Cause: Complications from Alzheimer's Disease

He was one of the funniest comic actors of our time.  His first role in film was in the rather dramatic movie "Bonnie And Clyde", but his character provided the comic relief that was needed to cut the tension in the film.  From there he seemed to be in every successful comedy in Hollywood; "The Producers", "Blazing Saddles", "Young Frankenstein", "The Frisco Kid", "Stir Crazy".  Most people will say his role in "Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory" is their favourite.  He was married to the phenomenally talented Gilda Radner, who died at an early age in 1989, and stopped making movies soon after.  He popped up in TV in 1994 for a comedy titled "Something Wilder" which only lasted 18 episodes, but made a few brief appearances in other shows as well.  If I were to rank my favourite comic actors that ever lived,  Gene Wilder would easily be in the top five.

Edward Albee
B. March 12, 1928  Virginia
D. September 16, 2016 (aged 88) Montauk, New York
Cause: Bladder Cancer

He was one of the most celebrated dramatists in America.  The winner of 3 Pulitzer Prizes for Drama (1967's "A Delicate Balance", 1975's "Seascape" and 1994's "Three Tall Women), but he possibly will be best remembered for writing the play "Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?" which won him a Tony Award for the best play of 1963.  He wrote or adapted more than 30 plays in his life including adaptations of "Breakfast At Tiffany's" and "Lolita".

W.P. Kinsella
B. May 25, 1935  Edmonton, Alberta
D. September 16, 2016 (aged 81) Hope, B.C.
Cause: Assisted Death

He wrote possibly the most famous baseball themed novel in "Shoeless Joe", which was the basis of the film "Field Of Dreams" starring Kevin Costner.  He wrote seven novels in his career, along with 19 short stories.  He was given the Order Of Canada in 1993 and the Order Of British Columbia in 2005.  He suffered from diabetes his whole life and, when it got unmanageable, was able to have a physician's assisted death.

Arnold Palmer
B. September 10, 1929  Latrobe, Pennsylvania
D. September 25, 2016 (aged 87) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Cause: Heart Disease

He turned professional in 1954 and from that time on he was considered one of the best golfers ever.  He became a superstar athlete in the '50's and '60's due to the television coverage of the sport.  During his time on the PGA Tour he won 62 titles, which placed him third behind Sam Snead and Ben Hogan.  (He was now dropped to fifth place).  He dominated the sport in the years 1958 to 1964, winning seven Major titles during those years, including 4 Masters titles.  He also won 10 Seniors PGA titles, earning his last in 1988.  His peers regarded him as not only a great golfer, but a great man.

**Nothing too major to report for October

Leonard Cohen
B. September 21, 1934  Westmount, Quebec
D. November 7, 2016 (aged 82) Los Angeles, California
Cause: Leukemia

Probably one of the most respected artists to come out of Canada.  He released 14 studio albums, including one earlier in the year titled "You Want It Darker".  He also released at least a dozen works of poetry.  He was active in the arts for 60 years, very often compared to Bob Dylan when talking about the impact of folk music and writings on society.  Although he wrote many, many songs, he will always be remembered for the hauntingly beautiful "Hallelujah" which was released in 1984 and has been covered by more than 200 artists.

Robert Vaughn
B. November 22, 1932  New York, New York
D. November 11, 2016 (aged 83) Danbury, Connecticut
Cause: Acute Leukemia

If you were to look up Robert Vaughn's name on imdb.com you would see he had over 220 credited appearances in TV and movies. In the '60's and '70's it seemed his familiar mug showed up in everything, which was a credit to how good an actor he was.  He was nominated only once for an Oscar and only twice for an Emmy award.  His most notable roles include TV's "The Man From U.N.C.L.E.", "The Magnificent Seven", "Bullitt", "The Towering Inferno", TV's "The A-Team" and his many appearances in "Murder She Wrote".

Florence Henderson
B. February 14, 1934  Dale, Indiana
D. November 24, 2016 (aged 82) Los Angeles, California
Cause: Heart Failure

If you grew up in the '60's or '70's you may have thought of Florence Henderson as your second mom.  She was cast as Mrs. Carol Brady in 1969 and stayed the sweet, understanding yet strict mother of six until 1974.  But "The Brady Bunch" would go on forever in syndication, allowing us to relive the moments we loved over and over again.  She was a lady of many talents, appearing on stage in the late '50's and singing and dancing in many TV variety shows, including "Tonight Starring Jack Paar" which was the precursor to "The Tonight Show".  In fact, after Paar left the show and before Johnny Carson took over, Henderson appeared as a guest host in 1962.  But no matter what she did before or after, she will always be Mrs. Brady.

Fidel Castro
B. August 13, 1926  Holguin Province, Cuba
D. November 25, 2016 (aged 90) Havana, Cuba
Cause: Not Released

Castro first appeared on the Broadway stage in a production of...oh, wait, wrong guy.  This list couldn't be complete without mentioning possibly the most polarizing figure in politics this century.  Millions loved him, millions hated him.  He was the self-appointed leader of Cuba from 1959 until 2011 when his brother took over.  Whether you believe he was a Socialist or a Communist, there is no denying his influence in world politics during some very heavy times.

John Glenn
B. July 18, 1921  Cambridge, Ohio
D. December 8, 2016 (aged 95) Columbus, Ohio
Cause: Not Disclosed...but he was 95!

This guy did it all.  You talk about living life to it's fullest, there would be no better example than John Glenn.  As a 20-year old he decided to quit college and enlist in the U.S. Army Air Corps after the Japanese attack of Pearl Harbour.  He never got called to duty and instead became a pilot for the U.S. Marine Corps.  He flew 59 bombing missions during WWII and was hit 5 times by anti-aircraft fire.  He flew in the Korean War starting in 1953, going on 63 combat missions.  After the war he became a test pilot and, in 1957, flew the first supersonic transcontinental flight, California to New York, in 3 1/2 hours.  In 1958 he reported to NASA to become an astronaut.  In 1962 he became the first American to orbit the Earth.  He then became a US Senator representing Ohio in 1974 and held that seat for 25 years.  The man is, and always will be, a true legend!

...And as I was compiling all these losses in 2016, one more joined the list...

Alan Thicke
B. March 1, 1947  Kirkland Lake, Ontario
D. December 13, 2016 (aged 69)  Burbank, California
Cause: Heart Attack

Well, if you're Canadian, there's no better way to go out; playing hockey with your son.  It's tragic, but fitting.  Everybody knew who Alan Thicke was, mainly because of his run on the very popular sitcom "Growing Pains", which aired between 1985 and 1992.  Even though he was Canadian, that show made him "America's Dad".  Up in the Great White North, we were always proud when we heard Alan Thicke was hosting a show, from game shows to talk shows.  He had his own late night talk show for a couple of years, "Thicke Of The Night" and a popular show in Canada fittingly called "The Alan Thicke Show".  Most recently he made appearances on "This Is Us" and Fuller House".  A devastating, sudden loss.


Well, I hope that's it for the year.  I really don't want to have to edit this list!  But we should use it as a reminder that 2016 Sucked Ass!!!

What A Punch!!

So if you've been living under a rock the last couple of days you have no idea the baseball greatness you've missed!!

On Sunday evening, in the 8th inning of a ballgame between my Toronto Blue Jays and the Texas Rangers, a little bit of hell broke loose.  Even if you were intently watching the Toronto Raptors annihilate the Miami Heat to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals in the NBA, you still know what happened on that Arlington baseball field.  Twitter went nuts; Facebook went nuts; texts were flying!  Jose Bautista, hero of Game 5 of the American League Division Series from 2015 when he blasted in a 3-run home run in what was possibly the greatest inning of baseball EVER, got rocked with probably the best right hook you will ever see if not watching a professional boxing match.  The punch thrower, Roughned Odor, was, and will forever be, hated around these parts (Toronto, that is).  He hit .278 during that 2015 series, but always seemed to be on base, causing trouble and starting rallies.  He is a good player, a typical lead-off hitter that continuously makes things happen for his team.  But why the animosity??  Why throw that punch in the first place?  I've decided to try and break this down for those who seemingly know very little about the game of baseball.  I have read so many comments regarding "the play", "the punch" and "the reason".  I agree with some, but disagree with many, and those I disagree with seem to me to be part of the bandwagoners from last year's successful season.  It is my dear wish that some of these people stop espousing their uniformed opinions and listen to those that have watched and studied the game for decades.... like me!!

The Back-Story
On that wonderful October afternoon (the 14th to be precise), the Toronto Blue Jays and the Texas Rangers were battling in the fifth game of a five game series.  The winner would go on to play the Kansas City Royals for the American League Pennant.  It all came down to this.  And I WAS THERE!!!!!  I feel so fortunate to be present during the most exciting baseball game ever played in Toronto.  (This may be debated, but it was certainly the most exciting baseball game I ever witnessed live!).  The Jays fell behind early but clawed back by the sixth inning to tie the game 2-2.  Then, the seventh!  The Rangers went ahead 3-2 on a play that I have never seen before in my 43 years.  Roughed Odor (yes, THAT Roughned Odor), was on third base when our catcher, Russell Martin was about to throw the ball back to the pitcher while Shin-Soo Choo stood in the batters' box.  Choo was adjusting his sleeve, arm out, and the ball ricocheted off of his arm and on to the field.  Immediately, Odor recognized this as an opportunity to run home.  As he was running, the home plate umpire jumped out of his position and waved his arms in the air, indicating it was a "dead ball".  That would mean there should be no play that needed to be made and Odor would have to return to third base.  That's not what happened.  After reviewing the play for twenty-odd minutes, the umpiring crew deemed the ricocheted ball as "live" and that Odor's run counted.  Well, let me tell you, the fans did not agree!  Drunken jackasses started to throw beer cans down on the field, hitting people below.  The crowd booed so loudly it was like a horrific hum from a Sci/Fi Horror film.  Everybody in that stadium was pissed off, except for the Texas Rangers.  The run stood, and the Blue Jays looked as though they may lose their shot at the Pennant because of it.  But there was the bottom of the seventh still ahead.
Russell Martin lead off and reached on an error.  Kevin Pillar was next, and HE reached on an error!  Dalton Pompey was inserted to pinch run for Martin.  Ryan Goins comes up, AND REACHES ON AN ERROR!!!  Three errors in a row!!!  Bases loaded, none out, one run down in a do-or-die game!  The Rogers Centre was going crazy!!  Ben Revere hits a soft grounder to first, play at the plate...force out.  One gone, bases still juiced.  Josh Donaldson comes up, hits a looper that drops in, force out at second, Pompey scores!  It's a tie game and the place goes nuts again!  Up comes Jose Bautista, two out, men on the corners.  On a 1-1 count Jose hits a ball deep to left field.  A NO-DOUBTER!!!  This ball is not coming back!  I have never heard a noise like that, anywhere, anytime.  It scared me.  I thought the stadium would collapse under my feet.  The Jays were ahead 6-3 and would win the series.  Now, if you attended the game, and were anywhere but on the field, you did not see the "bat flip".  If you claim you did, you're a liar!  Everybody in that stadium was watching the flight of that ball....EVERYBODY!  The bat flip was only conveyed, as to many, by friends watching at home through text messages and tweets.  We had no idea it happened...but the Texas Rangers did!  And that is what we need to remember, because every one of those Rangers players saw it and filed it away!

Ok, I know what you may be thinking.  It's just a bat flip, why would the Rangers file that away?  Because that's how rivalries are born.  Bautista showed them up, whether he meant to or not.  Yes, it was a very exciting moment.  Yes, Bautista was pumped with adrenaline.  But I tell you, as a guy who played organized hockey for fifteen or so years, guys remember shit like that!  If I was slashed by someone, I remembered.  If a goalie showed me up by flamboyantly making a save, I remembered.  As an athlete (and I was on the lowest part of the athleticism scale) we remember when we're shown up!  We want to get the better of that instance.  We WANT retribution!  On a level like Major League Baseball, I can only imagine the plans for retaliation for the next time those two teams played each other.  It's a real thing, people.  Those who don't know just don't know!  Whether you think it's right or wrong has absolutely no bearing on the issue.  And by the way, I don't necessarily think it was the bat flip that pissed off the Rangers.  That pose by Jose, standing at home plate with a little "fuck you" to the pitcher Sam Dyson, in my mind, was far worse than any throw of the bat.

The Current Story
Ok, so now it's 2016.  The Texas Rangers were scheduled to play Toronto, in Toronto, at the beginning of May, the 2nd to the 5th.  Tons of media speculated about retribution during this series.  Would Bautista get plunked his first time up to bat?  Would the Rangers take the high road and not go after him?  The "unwritten rules of baseball" definitely pointed to the former.  (A little tangent here: there are ABSOLUTELY unwritten rules, in every sport, and they have gotten us through over 130 years of professional baseball so shut the fuck up about it being silly and read a little history on the game!!!!).  (Oh my, I felt angry there).  Anyway, nothing happened.  Four game series, no apparent intentional craziness.  Ok, maybe nothing will come of it, we can all lower our guard now.
May 13-15 is another series against the Rangers, this time in Texas.  Nothing of note for the first two games.  The third game is a back and forth affair (thank you Jesse Chavez!!) when the 8th inning starts.
Out comes Matt Bush, a player who was drafted by the San Diego Padres as the first pick overall way back in 2004.  Twelve years ago!  Bush had a whole lot of personal troubles, never playing in the Majors, and landing in jail in 2012 for a drunk driving conviction.  This would be his second appearance in the Majors.  Due up first, Jose Bautista.  Nobody would ever think that Bush would go after Bautista; Texas had just gone ahead by one run and you don't put the tying run on base late in a close game intentionally, right??  On the very first pitch Bush plants the ball in Bautista's back.  Glances were exchanged, yapping from the benches occurred as Jose made his way down to first base.  The umpire came out and warned both benches, meaning if another pitch hit a player, by accident or intentional, that pitcher would be thrown out of the game.  This, by the way, is an important point!  The next batter, Edwin Encarnacion hits a fly ball, one out.  Justin Smoak comes up and hits a ground ball to third base.  Looks like a routine double play, but it became anything but routine.  Bautista goes hard into second base, being covered by Odor.  He starts his slide late and slides past the bag as Odor leaps out of the way to avoid being hit.  Last year, and for a hundred years before it, the slide by Bautista was totally legal.  Because of a freak accident from last year when Chase Utley tried to break up a double play and ended up breaking the infielder's leg in the process, this slide is now considered illegal, and the defending team is awarded an automatic double play.  Bautista knows about this rule all too well.  He was called for it twice earlier in the season.  He knew, full well, that going in hard would cost his team the chance to rally in that inning.  But he did it anyway.  Why??  Payback....and a whole lot of adrenaline!  He just got plunked by a pitch, and it was intentional.  (There is absolutely nobody that can ever convince me that Bush's pitch "got away from him").  Bush wanted to ingratiate himself to his new team.  He had the opportunity by laying down his team's payback on Bautista for showing them up the previous year, and he took it!  The call didn't come from the bench, it was Bush's idea, 100%!!  So Bautista was mad and took it out on Odor, simply because he was there.

The Punch
As a result of the hard slide into second base, Rougned Odor became very angry.  He got up and faced Bautista.  Jose doesn't say a word, but edged closer to Odor.  He shoves Bautista away, a hard shove that you could feel in your chest through the TV set.  Bautista comes back at him and Odor clocks him!  I mean, a better punch I have rarely seen!  A right roundhouse that knocks Bautista's sunglasses AND batting helmet flying off his head.  Adrian Beltre, the Rangers' third baseman, gets between Odor and Bautista very quickly and holds Jose back while both benches empty.  Beltre pulls Bautista away and a lot of pushing and shoving and name calling ensue between the players of both teams.

Now, let's answer a few questions:

1. Was Matt Bush's pitch that hit Bautista in the first place intentionally thrown?
     ABSOLUTELY!!  It was the first pitch thrown to him and it went right at him, no curve, no slide, no knuckle.  It was completely stupid, as Bush's team was holding a precarious lead.  It was also completely cowardly, as it was during the last game of the series where the two teams would not play each other again for the rest of the season.  And, more importantly, the home plate umpire warned both benches after the pitch, meaning he knew full well it was an intentional hit.  Warnings don't come to benches on pitches that "get away from" the pitcher!

2. Was Jose Bautista wrong for sliding into Odor the way he did?
     ABSOLUTELY!  He damn well knew it was an illegal play but he didn't care.  He took his own rage and revenge over the good of the team.  Bautista fully expected to get hit by a pitch at some point during the games between his team and the Rangers.  When it finally happened, he got angry.  And for those who think Bautista tried to injure Odor, you're all insane!  If he wanted to hurt Odor, HE WOULD HAVE HURT ODOR!!  It is very easy to go hard INTO a player.  Bautista went hard INTO the bag, huge difference!!

3. Did Odor sucker punch Bautista?
     ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!  A sucker punch is when you have no idea the punch is coming.  Bautista got up after the slide and non-verbally challenged Odor to do something about it.  Odor shoved Bautista.  Bautista then came back at Odor, arm cocking back, fingers in the process of making a fist. Odor probably didn't see the intentions of Bautista's fingers, but reacted quickly and punched Jose square on the left jaw.  Now I don't think Bautista was necessarily going to punch Odor in the face, but he was CERTAINLY getting ready to punch him.  Odor was just quicker.

4. Did any of this need to happen?
     Well, in the real world, of course not.  It's childish.  It's thuggish.  But you know what??  It's also BASEBALL!!  Whether you agree with it or not, this stuff happens in baseball all the time.  As I mentioned before, so angrily, there are unwritten rules to this glorious game, and the number one unwritten rule is: You stand up for your team and teammates AT ALL TIMES!!  This fight had nothing to do with how Bautista felt about Odor or vice versa.  It had everything to do with how the Rangers felt after that stare down and bat flip from the ALDS from last year.  It is why, on his first pitch in the next inning, Jesse Chavez hit Prince Fielder in the leg, getting an automatic ejection (because of the previous warnings) and getting the benches all riled up again.  That's how baseball works!  If you don't understand it, or don't like it, then don't watch it.  These kind of things happen dozens of times throughout a baseball season...maybe not to the extent as we saw Sunday night, but they happen.

Nobody was "right" throughout this whole scenario.  Bush wasn't right to plunk Bautista.  Bautista wasn't right to slide hard into Odor.  Odor wasn't right to punch Bautista in the face.  Chavez wasn't right to throw at Fielder.  None of that is right...but it was some of the best Goddamn baseball I've seen in a very long time!!!  Just ask Ty Cobb or BillyMartin or Pete Rose or Reggie Jackson or Bob Gibson or any other former player that played this game hard and mean at all times!

And, my God, what a punch!!!!!

TV Shows

So I've been thinking about TV lately.  I've watched A BUNCH of TV in my lifetime.  I never liked to read when I was a kid, so when I wasn't outside getting into trouble, I'd plop myself down in front of the Boob Tube and waste my time away.  Some people would find this a great waste of time, but I think I turned out OK.  Once upon a time there were only three stations to watch (American stations, that is); ABC, NBC and CBS.  I'd watch the CBC, the main Canadian station, on Saturday nights...if you're Canadian, you know why.  But other than that, all my favourite shows were on "The Big Three"; Happy Days, Mork And Mindy, WKRP In Cincinnati.  As I grew, so did viewing options.  A fourth big station came to be, FOX, right around the time I was in Junior High School.  This station seemed to play towards the youth of the time, giving us classics like Married...With Children, 21 Jump Street, Beverley Hills, 90210 and Melrose Place.  It was just a little bit edgier, a little bit ruder, exactly what a growing mind needed.  The Simpsons debuted on Fox in 1989 and hasn't stopped.  The Arsenio Hall Show was a major competitor in the late night talk show wars.  It was great to have more options.  Then, in the early 1990's, everything changed again, and the growth of Cable Network original programming will seemingly never end!  HBO, (Home Box Office), known for bringing movies to our TV sets, began airing original shows; Arliss, Dream On, Tracy Takes On, and the incredible The Larry Sanders Show.  The "new" station started to garner a pretty big following.  You had to pay extra for it, but the characters would swear....ON TV!!...and sometimes take off articles of clothing!  This was incredible!  In 1997, HBO aired a one-hour drama that, to this day, remains one of my favourite television experiences of all time; Oz.  This was gripping TV to say the very least.  Beautifully filmed, smartly written, phenomenal acting, this was what TV was always meant to be.  Building on the success of Oz, HBO came out with a little show called The Sopranos in 1999.  With the incredible success of The Sopranos, other stations that were known mostly for bringing us movies, began making their own shows...and they turned out to be great!  AMC, Showtime, F/X and now even Netflix produce original programming that have far outweighed the Big Four Networks in quality for many years now.  What follows are some of my favourite shows that I'm following right now on these "alternate" networks.  You will not find Game Of Thrones on this list....sorry....just not interested in dragons.  But hopefully you'll see something that you may not have heard too much about and it will pique your interest enough to binge watch the series on the weekend.  Oh, I guess I should mention,

THERE WILL BE SPOILERS!!

To start, a list of shows that are no longer on the air that, if you can, find somewhere and watch the heck out of them!

HBO
The Larry Sanders Show (1992-1998) - The precursor to all those "behind-the-scenes" shows we've come to love (The Office, Parks & Rec, etc.).  Brilliant comedy with just about every star of the time coming out to play.

Oz (1997-2003) - So good!!  Hard to watch most of the time because of the brutally honest violence that one would see in a maximum security prison.  But beyond the shock of some of those scenes was a glorious study of many different characters, inmates, guards, administrators.  And you will recognize just about every one of the actors, as most of them went on to star in many shows and movies over the years.

Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000-2011) - If you watched, and liked, Seinfeld in the 1990's, there is absolutely no reason you shouldn't watch Curb Your Enthusiasm.  Larry David plays, essentially, himself, a totally neurotic man that was the basis of the George Constanza character.  For another comedy about "nothing" there is always something going on!

The Wire (2002-2008) - Oh, man, was this show great!  You really never knew what would happen minute to minute.  Watching how the Baltimore Police and the drug dealers they're chasing down were really so similar was just the start of this brilliant show.  Just like Oz, it is brutally honest in it's depictions of violence, but never gratuitously.  And, like Oz, you'll recognize just about every actor in the show because of their successes after.

Entourage (2004-2011) - Ok, I've been told this is a Sex And The City for guys.  I guess I could see that, but, for this guy, one who dreamt about going to Hollywood as a kid and making it big as an actor, Entourage brought those dreams to almost reality.  I lived vicariously through each of the main characters.  It wasn't about the parties and the girls, it was about the friendship and always sticking together.

Other big HBO series: Sex And The City (1998-2004) - never watched
                                     The Sopranos (1999-2007) - never watched
                                     Six Feet Under (2001-2005) - partly watched
                                     Deadwood (2004-2006) - never watched
                                     Rome (2005-2007) - never watched
                                     True Blood (2008-2014) - never watched
                                     Boardwalk Empire (2010-2014) - never watched

Currently Watching on HBO
Veep (2012- ) - Hilarious!!!  Brought to us from the brilliant comic minds that gave us one of the funniest movies I've ever seen, "In The Loop", the show follows Selina Meyer, the first female Vice President of the USA, and her incredibly loopy, sometimes horribly inept team.  Julia Louis-Dreyfus is perfect as the VP, but she is supported so well by a bunch of great comedic actors, including Anna Chlumsky, Matt Walsh, Kevin Dunn, Gary Cole and Timothy Simons.  I laugh out loud while watching this show!

Silicon Valley (2014- ) - Following the adventures of a group of "friends" that created a great compression program that could change their lives, and the world.  But when big business gets involved, things start to go sideways, fast.  It seems like every episode has a solution to a prior problem only to give way to an even bigger problem.  I constantly wonder how our hero, played by comedian Thomas Middleditch, is going to free himself from all his new pressures.  Very funny characters, especially Gilfoyle and Ginesh, will keep you involved.

True Detective (2014- ) - The first instalment of this show, starring Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey, was this short of brilliant!  I loved it...it was moody, gripping, violent, beautifully filmed, a definite must see.  The second season, totally different from season one, left much to be desired.  I think part of the problem was the introduction of too many lead characters.  By giving us so much to follow, the viewer becomes overwhelmed.  The story wasn't as interesting, but it was still acted very well by Colin Farrell, Vince Vaughn and especially Rachel McAdams.  I'm gonna give this show one more try when it returns next year, if it returns...

Vinyl (2016- ) - The first season of this blast-from-the-past has ended, and I have mixed feelings about it.  It stars Bobby Cannavale as Richie Finestra, the brilliant owner of a record company in the 1970's.  All is good in his world, until one coke-filled, scotch-soaked night when he beat a man to death.  Never a good thing.  The great thing about this show is it's attention to detail, much like Mad Men before it.  The fashion, the excesses, the sounds, the freakin' music, it's all there and and it's all amazing!  But there is nobody, not one character, that you're pulling for.  They're all terrible people!  I enjoyed the ride of the first season, and I'm eager to see how the second season turns out.


Ok, let's have a look at some great AMC shows that have run their course.

AMC
Mad Men (2007-2015) - Brilliant story-telling!  Brilliant costuming!  Brilliant sets!  Brilliantly acted! I never thought I'd miss a show so much after Mad Men ended.  The characters brought to life on this show will live forever, especially Don Draper, the best and worst of any man alive or dead.  Nobody but Jon Hamm could have brought this character to life.  Heart-wrenching at times and drop dead hilarious at others, Mad Men could really run the gamut, and it's so worth spending 920 hours watching it!

Breaking Bad (2008-2013) - All the accolades I just bestowed on Mad Men, double them for Breaking Bad.  I think I can say that this is the single best TV Drama in the history of the medium.  I know that's lofty praise, but I became so anxious waiting for the next episode that it started to become ALL I thought about.  There are few shows that completely wrap up everything that had been going on so brilliantly.  How can anybody feel for a drug dealer??  Not only did we want Walter White to succeed, we felt like we might die when he didn't.  When Hank finally realizes who Walter really was is probably the single greatest scene EVER, TV, movies, plays, books, any of them!  I get chills just thinking about it now.  When Breaking Bad ended, I felt both sad for never again visiting with my friends from Albuquerque, and incredibly happy for witnessing the greatest show ever filmed!

Currently Watching on AMC
The Walking Dead (2010- ) - I know a lot of people that just won't give The Walking Dead a chance.  (Much the same way I won't watch Game Of Thrones).  It's a bunch of zombies eating people or getting their heads chopped off.  Yeah, that's a big part of it.  But there's so much happening beyond that.  This group of people, thrown together by circumstance, have become a family.  They fight, they love, they watch each other's backs.  Their main goal is not to just survive in this near apocalypse, it's to live again.  To find reasons for living.  To find the strength to continue and thrive.  Yeah, it gets a little slow sometimes, but I can't remember being brought to tears so much when someone suddenly dies.  I become so involved with these characters that I actually sob when they leave.  If you didn't bawl like a pregnant woman when Beth died, you have no heart!!

Better Call Saul (2014- ) - I didn't think it was possible to love a show as much as I loved Breaking Bad, but Better Call Saul is making an argument!  It's a prequel to Walter White's escapades, following his slimy lawyer, Saul Goodman (actually Jimmy McGill...you gotta watch) as he maneuvers his way through his career.  Bob Odenkirk as Saul/Jimmy is absolutely great, but what's even greater is the introduction of one of the best written characters ever, Mike Ehrmantraut, played by the incomparable Jonathan Banks.  Mike met his demise in Breaking Bad, so we know he'll survive everything in this show, but he takes us on a ride every episode.  Just a fabulous show!

Fear The Walking Dead (2015- ) - The second season of this quasi-prequel to The Walking Dead is currently playing on AMC.  I gotta say, the first season grabbed me.  I thought it was put together brilliantly as the main family tries to understand and then deal with a strange virus that brings the dead back to "life".  I thought it asked a lot of questions that most people would be asking if this were to happen in real life.  It felt real.  Now, into it's second season, it's starting to lose me a bit.  We're only four episodes in, but we've been on a boat for most of it, and that's just not all that interesting.  Although, the last episode did introduce some new problems, so there is hope for the rest of the season.

Alrighty, how about FX?  It hasn't been in Canada all that long, but there are ways to see some of these past gems:

FX & FXX
The Shield (2002-2008) - Following another police department, this time in Los Angeles, that did whatever needed to be done to get their criminal.  Michael Chiklis was perfect as Vic Mackey and Glenn Close, in her one season in 2005, was fabulous.  It's a show that we've seen before on regular TV (NYPD Blue for instance), but the gritty nature and the unapologetic story telling kept you coming back for more.

Rescue Me (2004-2011) - I tell ya, I became a HUGE fan of Denis Leary's after watching this show.  Hilarious and highly dramatic all at once, Leary helped create a world post-9/11 through the eyes of a firefighter that was at Ground Zero.  Although a lot of the scripts contained some silly humour, the episodes almost always came around to something much deeper.  Well worth a watch even if you've never thought too much about Denis Leary.

Sons Of Anarchy (2008-2014) - I enjoyed this show much more than I thought I would...to a point.  The story bobbed and weaved a lot, bringing our hero, Jax Teller, much pain and joy.  There were some good twists and turns, unexpected deaths, more unexpected actions by some tough characters, but it all fell apart for me by the last season.  That's the big shame for this series.  It held my interest for a long time, I was enjoying it, but that last season was, in a word, terrible.  One of the worst series denouements I can recall.  I can't recommend this series just based on that.

Currently Watching on FX & FXX
It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia (2005- ) - This show started on FX and moved to FXX in 2013.  Because it's on, like, 15 times a day, I believe I've caught up on many of the episodes I missed before FX came to Canada.  It's not for everyone, I know this, but for some reason, the adventures of Charlie, Dennis, Mac, Dee and Frank bring a smile to face more often than not.  It's slapstick-y, it's loud, it's gross, but it's funny, too.  Just watching Danny DeVito getting into the crazy crap he gets into every week is enough for me to keep watching regularly.

Louie (2010- ) - I find that it's rare for a stand-up comic to make me laugh.  It seems like it's all been done before and there is very little new material that can be brought to stand-up.  I grew up in the time of Eddie Murphy, listened to old Bill Cosby, Richard Pryor and George Carlin, saw the emergence of Jerry Seinfeld and Rosanne Barr and Chris Rock.  Louis C.K. is one of the few that still bring a smile to face consistently.  This series that follows his adventures as a divorced father of two is, at times, brilliantly funny.  Sometimes it misses the mark, getting a little too serious for it's own good, but it's good far more than it's not.

Fargo (2014- ) - There are things to love about each of the first two instalments of Fargo.  The first season was fabulous with some wonderful performances from Martin Freeman, Billy Bob Thornton, Colin Hanks and Allison Tolman.  It completely kept the feel of the Coen brothers' film from 1996.  I had high hopes for the second season, and, although I didn't completely agree with the alien storyline, I still loved it!  Again, great performances from all involved, especially Patrick Wilson, Ted Danson, Kirsten Dunst and my favourite character, Mike Milligan, played by Bokeem Woodbine.  Can't wait for season 3!

Let's take a look at Showtime.  Some of their shows no longer on:

Showtime
It's Garry Shandling's Show (1986-1990) - Before The Larry Sanders Show was It's Garry Shandling, and it was great.  Maybe not as ground-breaking, maybe not as bitingly satirical, but funny as hell and certainly worth a watch.

Dexter (2006-2013) - I was a big fan of this serial killer, but I hated the last episode.  I eagerly anticipated this show every week and made sure I was home to watch it live so I didn't hear what may have happened the next day at work.  We all lived a little vicariously through Dexter, played chillingly well by Michael C. Hall.  There were some great arch enemies such as Colin Hanks in Season 6 or Christian Camargo as The Ice Truck Killer from Season 1.  But nobody, NOBODY, could top John Lithgow's turn as The Trinity Killer from Season 4!!  A really great ride, until the final episode where the writers seemed to try to wrap everything up in a tight little ball in less than an hour...and, unfortunately, failed.

Californication (2007-2014) - I absolutely LOVED this show, and I can't even tell you why.  Maybe it was because of the unapologetic script, making our hero, Hank Moody, seem larger than life and the most deeply flawed human on Earth.  Maybe it was the secondary players; the gorgeous Natascha McElhone as Hank's often emotionally abused wife Karen; Evan Handler as the almost equally horrible best friend Charlie; Madeleine Martin as the older-than and wiser-than offspring Becca.  Maybe it was the smartly written scripts that made you laugh and think, until it was time to look away because of the stupidity of Hank, played perfectly by David Duchovny.  I don't know, it's hard to explain, but I enjoyed every minute.

Other big Showtime series: Queer As Folk (2000-2005) - never watched
                                             The L Word (2004-2009) - never watched
                                             Huff (2004-2006) - watched a couple of episodes
                                             Weeds (2005-2012) - watched first two seasons
                                             United States Of Tara (2012-2014) - never watched
                                             Nurse Jackie (2009-2015) - never watched
                                             The Big C (2010-2013) - never watched

Currently Watching on Showtime
Homeland (2011- ) - Well, kind of.  I actually gave up on Homeland after the third season, although I'm told it has got better again.  But the first season was soooooooooooo good!  Claire Danes is super as Carrie Mathison, a sometimes employee of the CIA and Homeland Security trying to gain intelligence from the Middle East.  Mandy Patinkin is Saul, her sometimes boss and mentor, and he is watchable at all times!  Damian Lewis, a current day Steve McQueen in my opinion, is fantastic as well.  I think I need to pick this one up again and see how it goes...

Episodes (2011- ) - Matt LeBlanc was...ok on Friends.  He shines bright on Episodes.  Even though his character isn't necessarily central in this comedic series, he fills the gaps with some hilarious scene-stealing appearances.  The greatness of this show lies in it's writing and the under-played performances from it's two British stars, Tamsin Greig and Stephen Mangan.  Although there are some slapstick kind of moments, most of the episodes are filled with smart, hilarious writing.

Ray Donovan (2013- ) - Liev Schreiber IS Ray Donovan.  He envelopes the character perfectly and there is no doubt you're dealing with Ray in every episode.  He helps the rich fix their problems, but he has a whole lot of trouble fixing his own.  Dealing with his ever-conniving father, played brilliantly by Jon Voight, his down-and-out brothers and his failing marriage, Ray Donovan tries desperately to do the right thing...often falling short.  A really good, moody drama.

The Affair (2014- ) - A fabulous premise introduced in Season 1 fell to the wayside in Season 2, but there's still hope.  It starts off with Dominic West (he of The Wire) falling for and having an affair with Ruth Wilson.  We see how each character recalls certain moments in their relationship as things become more and more complicated.  The side stories are important, like the family of Josua Jackson's and Maura Tierney's, the ones being cheated on, but the reason to watch are the two central characters and how they try to deal with what they've done.  Season 2 jumps ahead in time, introducing more complications and more side stories that sometimes work and sometimes don't.  But the first season is definitely worth a viewing!

I have one more show to talk about, put out by Cinemax but can be viewed on The Movie Channel  here in Canada:

The Knick (2014- ) - The series is directed by Steven Soderbergh, one of my favourite film directors.  It stars Clive Owen, one of the best actors going today.  It deals with hospitals and medicine during the turn of the century, the early 1900's.  It is unbelievably interesting, realizing the "advances" in medicine from that time and how people regarded them.  Our hero doctor played by Owen, Dr. John Thackery, has a great many personal demons to work through.  He is fantastic, and his story leading to the final scene of Season 1 is incredible!  All the secondary actors are great, but it's really the stories and the look of the show that draw you in.  Can't wait for Season 3!

Well, that's that.  If you have any shows you think I should binge watch, let me know in the comments section.  And, no, I won't binge watch Game Of Thrones.  Not yet, anyway.

Director Series - Alfred Hitchcock

Alfred Hitchcock

Birth Name: Alfred Joseph Hitchcock
Birth Date: August 13, 1899
Birth Place: Leytonstone, Essex, England
Date Of Death: April 29, 1980
Features Directed: 54
Features I've Seen: 23 (43%)


Alfred Hitchcock began his career in movies when he was 20 years old.  He began working for Islington Studios in London as a title card designer for silent films.  Within five years he became a jack-of-all-trades as he took jobs as a screenwriter, art director and assistant director.  His first feature film he was allowed to direct, Number 13, went unfinished.  Three years later, in 1925, Hitch directed his first complete feature film, The Pleasure Garden, which turned out to be a big flop in London.  His first real success came a couple of years later, in 1927, when he made The Lodger, a movie that portrayed the chase of a serial killer around London.  This would be the first time, in a career that would span 50 years, where Alfred Hitchcock would be known as "The Master Of Suspense".  While in London, he would go on to make many critically acclaimed and audience pleasing films up until 1939, when he moved to Hollywood.  His first feature in the States, Rebecca, won the Academy Award for Best Picture.  From then on he would direct some of the most beloved, darkly humorous, suspense-filled movies ever captured on celluloid.  He was nominated for five Academy Awards in the category of Best Director but never won.  In 1968 he was awarded the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award for his life's contribution to making films.  Although I have seen less than half of all his feature films (some of the early ones are hard to find!), Alfred Hitchcock remains one of my favourite directors for his ingenuity, his darkness, and his ability to make us laugh when we probably shouldn't.  What follows is a list of Alfred Hitchcock's movies I've seen, listed in three different categories, chronologically.  (imdb.com score in brackets):


MUST SEE
The Man Who Knew Too Much - 1934 (6.9): The original that should have been left alone.  Peter Lorre is great!!
The 39 Steps - 1935 (7.8): Intriguing from start to finish, just a fabulous thriller for it's day, and still.
The Lady Vanishes - 1938 (8.0): Another constant thrill-ride with fabulous spots of humour.
Shadow Of A Doubt - 1943 (8.0): The two Charlies causing havoc!
Strangers On A Train - 1951 (8.1): Criss-cross murders, an unbelievable merry-go-round scene and Robert Walker stealing the show.
Dial M For Murder - 1954 (8.2): Grace Kelly and Ray Milland are incredible.  Hitchcock really plays up the suspense in this one.
Rear Window - 1954 (8.5): Easily my favourite of all his films.  Perfect from start to finish!!
The Trouble With Harry - 1955 (7.2): Hilarious and suspenseful.  Just a great time.
Vertigo - 1958 (8.4): Gets better and better after repeated views.  James Stewart is awesome!
North By Northwest - 1959 (8.4): Cary Grant's best Hitchcock film, in my opinion.  James Mason is great, too.
Psycho - 1960 (8.5): Much more than just a shower scene.  Anthony Perkins IS Norman Bates.
Frenzy - 1972 (7.5): Hitchcock's return to England.  Another great thriller.

NICE TO SEE
Rebecca - 1940 (8.2): I liked it, but a lot of folk say this is one of his best...that I disagree with.
Suspicion - 1941 (7.5): Cary Grant and Joan Fontaine are great.  Hitchcock knows paranoia!
Lifeboat - 1944 (7.8): Great idea that could ONLY be done by The Master.
Spellbound - 1945 (7.7): Some great cinematography in this one, including a crazy sequence constructed by Salvador Dali.
Notorious - 1946 (8.1): Ingrid Bergman and Cary Grant, with Claude Rains.  Pretty good!
Rope - 1948 (8.0): Filmed like a stage play with only 6 edits through the whole film.
To Catch A Thief - 1955 (7.5): Grace Kelly and Cary Grant...all you need to know!
The Birds - 1963 (7.7): Scared the crap out of me as a kid, but has lost it's mph over the years.
Family Plot - 1976 (6.8): Hitch's last film is one of his most light-hearted thrillers.  Offbeat funny.

NO NEED TO SEE
The Man Who Knew Too Much - 1956 (7.5): No comparison to the original, and Doris Day becomes annoying.
Marnie - 1964 (7.2): Disappointing, especially since it stars Sean Connery.  Tippi Hedren is terrible.

And that's The Master Of Suspense.  Next up...Francis Ford Coppola.

Director Series - The Coen Brothers

So, a while ago, like almost five years ago, I started a "Director Series" on this very blog.  The idea was to highlight some of my favourite North American directors, tell you a little bit about them, let you know what I thought of their films and so on.  I started with Woody Allen, then Martin Scorsese, then Steven Spielberg...then I stopped.  I've decided to start again, at least for today.  So, the next in my series, The Coen Brothers.  By the way, if you'd like to read about the other three, here are the quick links:
Woody Allen; Martin Scorsese; Steven Spielberg

Joel Coen                                                            Ethan Coen
Birth Name: Joel Daniel Coen                            Birth Name: Ethan Jesse Coen
Birth Date: Nov. 29, 1954                                   Birth Date: Sept. 21, 1957
Birth Place: Minneapolis, Minnesota                 Birth Place: Minneapolis, Minnesota

Features Directed: 17
Features I've Seen: 16 (94%)

The brothers Coen started making films early in life.  Joel, being the older of the two, saved his money from mowing yards in their Minneapolis neighbourhood to buy a Super 8 camera.  They started making movies based on the shows they would see on TV.  After graduating from university, Joel from New York University, Ethan from Princeton, they started writing what would become their first feature film, Blood Simple.  Although, up until 2004, Joel was the one who received the director's credit, they always wrote, directed, produced and often edited all their movies together.  The Coens quickly became the new great movie makers after Blood Simple won a number of independent awards, including one at the Sundance Film Festival in 1985.  Through the years it was shown that they had a very eclectic sense of humour, both in writing and film making.  Their films have been nominated for 13 Academy Awards over the years, with the brothers winning 4 Oscars.  A new Coen Brothers movie has become an "Event" over the last few years, and they almost never disappoint.  What follows are their movies that I've seen, listed in three different categories, chronologically.  (imdb.com scores in brackets).

MUST SEE
Blood Simple - 1984 (7.7): Their first, and in many ways, their best.  Gets better with repeated views!
Raising Arizona - 1987 (7.4): A slapstick comedy with tons of inventive camera work.
Millers Crossing - 1990 (7.9): A crime drama with wonderful performances, especially from Albert   Finney and John Turturro.
Fargo - 1996 (8.2): Expanded on the brilliance of Blood Simple, with hilarious consequences.
The Big Lebowski - 1998 (8.2): It took multiple viewings for me to love this one, but I now ranking it as my third favourite of their movies.
No Country For Old Men - 2007 (8.1): Slower paced, but so smart, and so involving, and so Javier Bardem!!

NICE TO SEE
Barton Fink - 1991 (7.7): Definitely not for everyone's taste, but very quirky and funny.  John Goodman is perfect!
O Brother, Where Art Thou? - 2000 (7.8):  Loosely based on Homer's "The Odyssey" with some fabulous music.
The Man Who Wasn't There - 2001 (7.6): Rarely seen, but atmospheric, dark and wonderful.
The Ladykillers - 2004 (6.2): Panned by most critics, but I found this remake very entertaining.
Burn After Reading - 2008 (7.0): More quirky hilarity.  Too much going on for some people.
A Serious Man - 2009 (7.0): Slower and often times meandering, but quite often fascinating.
Inside Llewyn Davis - 2013 (7.4): If it wasn't for the amazing performances, I don't know if I would have liked it as much.

NO NEED TO SEE
The Hudsucker Proxy - 1994 (7.3): Trying to recapture the lunacy of Raising Arizona, but didn't.
Intolerable Cruelty - 2003 (6.3): Hugely disappointing.  Easily my least favourite of their films.
Hail, Caesar! - 2016 (6.9): Although there were some moments of greatness, the story is too jumbled and too forgettable.  A real shame, actually.

So the only Coen Brothers' movie I haven't seen is 2010's True Grit, which I really want to see, but I want to watch the original first.  When that happens, I'll add it to this list...maybe...if I think about it.

That's The Coens.  Stay tuned for more directors coming soon.