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Let’s Go, Golden Girls

30 Jan

Believe it or not, 80 for Brady is a bit of an underdog movie. And that’s appropriate, given that it’s centered around Super Bowl LI, the game where the New England Patriots took on (and beat) the Atlanta Falcons.

The film stars Hollywood legends Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Sally Field, and Rita Moreno as a group of friends who, for years, have gotten together every Sunday to cheer on the Patriots, and who are particularly fond of the GOAT himself, TB12. They’re a spirited and superstitious bunch, as devoted to each other as they are their favorite quarterback. (And yes, Tom does play himself in the movie — as do Rob Gronkowski, Danny Amendola, and Julian Edelman.)

When the Pats beat the Steelers in the AFC Playoffs, the women hatch a plan to get down to Houston for the big game — and wouldn’t you know it, they score four tickets. What happens next is a series of far-fetched scenarios and sitcommy twists designed to show our gals a good time and get them to the stadium to see Tom and the team live and in person.

Continue reading →

Heroes and Villains

4 Aug

On the surface, the two new movies Suicide Squad and Gleason would seem to have very little, if anything, in common.

One is a big, loud comic-book movie about a group of meta-human villains, and the other is a true-life documentary about the devastating effects of ALS on a former NFL football player. One is about some very bad characters acting sort of heroically and the other is about an actual hero acting even more heroically.

But at their cores, both movies are about flawed heroes. Heroes overcoming their own challenges.

And here they both are in theaters, presenting discriminating moviegoers with a choice. Which one should you see? Here are my reviews. Continue reading →

Bizarro Super Bowl World

4 Feb

In an alternate universe — the same one where the Cleveland Indians are the 2007 American League Champions, perhaps — the New England Patriots are the 2008 Super Bowl Champions.

Where is this bizarro world, you ask?

It’s in Nicaragua, Romania, and several other countries around the world. Continue reading →

They Might Be Giants …

20 Jan

… but we can beat ’em. After all, we did just that three weeks ago.


Hey, the Pats have to beat up on someone in the Super Bowl. It might as well be a team from New York.

Lighten Up, Lady

24 Jan

In today’s Boston Herald there’s this letter to the editor:

<< I’m sure I’m one of few Bostonians happy over the results of the Patriots–Colts game (Jan. 22). I’m happy there was no post-victory rioting or needless deaths, and I’m happy that a haughty coach and legions of hubris-driven, swaggering fans have been humbled. Mostly, I’m glad to know that there will be free time available to these obsessed minions that will hopefully be used toward a more conscientious purpose in our world than sports obsession. Maybe they’ll even have time to check out the true heroes — health care and human services workers, teachers and the like — and worship them instead of billionaire, profit-driven megalomanagers and men who happen to know how to toss pigskin around. >>

Jeeeeez. What a wet blanket.

How lame can one person be?

I won’t even begin to make fun of what she’s saying, but I will take issue with her characterization of Robert Kraft as a “billionaire, profit-driven megalomanager.”

You’ll be hard-pressed to find a more generous sports owner than Uncle Bob (and his wife, Auntie Myra). The couple have donated tens of millions of dollars to a variety of philanthropic causes over the years.

This woman, this Susie Davidson of Brookline, should look into that before she makes such lame characterizations.