March 30, 2010

I coulda been a contenda


Okay, I get that a bracket like this is pretty much a bit of fluff to begin with, but there are a few decisions here that I just can't let go past without comment.

First, the positives...
  • I particularly like the simple color schemes that they web guys have worked up.
  • I dig the division by sports, though the Hot Stove Region has a bunch of flicks that could destroy entire other regions.
  • I can only come up with one flick that should be in the brackets that isn't: Breaking Away.
 Now, the negatives...
  • The Hot Stove Region is far too stacked.  This is the ridiculously talented division that beats the crap out of each other before making the finals.
  • Bull Durham got robbed.  The Sandlot is a fine film, but it's not in Durham's league.
  • No way Longest Yard (74) loses to Jerry MaguireMaguire was a sappy, manipulative, chick flick of a sports film that doesn't even deserve its place in the brackets - and certainly not at a seven seed.
  • 8 Men Out also got robbed.  It would've been killed by Bad News Bears, but it deserved better than getting bumped by The Rookie.
  • I'm happy to see Seabiscuit get knocked out by Tin Cup.  I very much enjoy Tin Cup every time I get a chance to catch any of it.
  • Where's Blue Chips?
  • I'm surprised that Talledega Nights didn't come out stronger in the first round.  Tough matchup between the two similarly paced comedies right there.
  • Hoop Dreams got screwed.  In a popularity contest, though, I'm not terribly shocked.  Hoop Dreams is slow paced and not at all cheery.  It's a far better film than He Got Game, though.
  • How the hell did Caddyshack get knocked out by Happy Gilmore?
  • Both Rounders and The Hustler deserved better than the play-in game.  I'd happily have bumped Teen Wolf or Without Limits for both of them.
  •  I'm surprised that Bloodsport took down The Wrestler.  Still haven't seen The Wrestler, though.
My choices by region...admittedly, I haven't seen every flick...

Gridiron Region...

First round...(all chalk here)...
  • Remember the Titans
  • North Dallas Forty
  • Any Given Sunday
  • Rudy (begrudgingly, hate Notre Dame)
  • Brian's Song
  • Friday Night Lights
  • Jerry Maguire
  • The Longest Yard ('74)
Second round...
  • North Dallas Forty (upset, 8-1)
  • Any Given Sunday (mild upset, 5-4)
  • Friday Night Lights (chalk, 3-6)
  • The Longest Yard ('74) (chalk, 2-7)
Third round...
  • Any Given Sunday (upset, 5-8)
  • The Longest Yard ('74 - chalk, 2-3)
Fourth round...
  • The Longest Yard ('74 - chalk, 2-5)...I'm a little surprised here...the football movies aren't terribly strong entries overall.
Hot Stove Region

First round...all chalk again
  • Field of Dreams (overall #1 seed)
  • Cobb (great 8-9 matchup, though, old school versus new version of old school)
  • 8 Men Out
  • Bad News Bears ('74) - slaughter, even though I do enjoy Basketball
  • Major League
  • The Natural
  • The Sandlot
  • Bull Durham 
    Second round...still all chalk
    • Field of Dreams (chalk, 1-8)
    • Bad News Bears ('74 - chalk, 4-5)
    • The Natural (chalk, 3-6)
    • Bull Durham (chalk, 2-7 - but a tougher matchup than the 3-6 was)
    Third round...chalk reigns
    • Field of Dreams (1-4)
    • Bull Durham (2-3)
    Fourth round...regional champs...
    • Field of Dreams (1-2)
    Wild Card Region


    First round...
    • Caddyshack (though Rounders deserves better, and The Hustler deserves far better - I'd give Rounders a 12 seed and The Hustler a 4 seed in this region)
    • Talledega Nights
    • Happy Gilmore (our first first-round upset, 12-5)
    • Chariots of Fire 
    • Tin Cup (11-6, another upset)
    • Hoosiers (deserved a 2 seed)
    • White Men Can't Jump (this feels like an 8-9 game)
    • Hoop Dreams
    Second round...
    • Caddyshack (chalk, 1-8)
    • Happy Gilmore (12-4, biggest upset to the third round yet)
    • Hoosiers (3-11)
    • Hoop Dreams (2-7)
    Third round...
    • Caddyshack (1-12)
    • Hoosiers (3-2, mild upset)
    Fourth round...
    • Hoosiers (3-1, mild upset, though Hoosiers is a strong 3)
    Bloody Region

    First round... 
    • Rocky
    • The Karate Kid (minor upset, 9-8)
    • Million Dollar Baby
    • Enter the Dragon (13-4, Hurricane was drastically too long)
    • The Wrestler (Bloodsport should've been seeded higher)
    • Cinderella Man 
    • Spapshot (really, Rocky IV over Rocky III?)
    • Raging Bull
    Second round...
    • Rocky (1-9)
    • Enter the Dragon (13-5)
    • The Wrestler (6-3)
    • Raging Bull (2-7)
    Third round...
    • Rocky (1-13)
    • Raging Bull (2-6)
    Fourth round...
    • Raging Bull (an amazingly strong matchup, but Raging Bull is among the greatest movies of the decade...Rocky was the greatest movie of its year)
    Final Four...
    • Field of Dreams (easily over The Longest Yard ('74))
    • Hoosiers (tough call, but this one's personal)
    Championship matchup...
    • Field of Dreams (I changed this a half dozen times...I think the uncut Hoosiers might win, but that uncomfortable and unexplained kiss is just enough of a flaw to lose here) 
    Movies in the tourney that I haven't seen all the way through...
    • Remember the Titans
    • Heaven Can Wait
    • Something for Joey (had to look it up)
    • The Replacements
    • Brian's Song
    • The Blindside
    • We Are Marshall
    • Bang the Drum Slowly
    • Pride of the Yankees
    • Sugar (want to see it, just showed up at the library this week)
    • For Love of the Game
    • 61*
    • Chariots of Fire
    • Seabiscuit
    • Without Limits (had to look it up)
    • Miracle
    • He Got Game 
    • The Great White Hope
    • Victory
    • Million Dollar Baby
    • Ali
    • The Wrestler
    • Cinderella Man
    • Kickboxer
    So, where am I wrong?  Which flicks do I need to see?  Which movies got screwed by not being in the brackets?

    4 comments:

    joey said...

    seriously, never even HEARD of something for joey??? man, that one is a tearjerker.

    ali is meh, miracle is very very good, remember the titans is a favorite of a lot of my friends (i think friday night lights beats it for best amateur football movie.) the rookie is also surprisingly good in my opinion

    any given sunday is far and away the best pro football movie out there. al pacino is gold. i'm very happy to see it in your final 8

    coachsullivan said...

    Of the ones you haven't seen:

    Remember The Titans - tries too hard, I just couldn't fully invest myself in it

    Heaven Can Wait - cute, a little light on the sports, I was surprised to hear that it garnered some Academy Award nominations

    61* - you'd absolutely love...could have been schmaltzy but they did a great job with it.

    Chariots of Fire - pacing is a little slow (it would NEVER get made today) and they took a few liberties with the facts, but a beautiful film

    Ali - left me wanting a whole lot more...being the foremost expert on the real man of my generation, there's no way it could have lived up to my expectations...you'd be better served watching When We Were Kings, which absolutely should have been on this list

    The Wrestler - great movie, but completely draining and I'm not sure I could watch it again

    I think I have all of these on DVD except the last one if you need to get caught up.

    cmorin said...

    i think Friday Night Lights got robbed in the first bracket. I'm ok where you have it, but I LOVE that movie

    achilles3 said...

    call me crazy but how does The Last Boyscout not even make the field!!!
    travesty