15 Songs I loved in 2015 + 5 more on the Edge of Glory

15 Songs I loved in 2015 + 5 more on the Edge of Glory
in alphabetical order

Blank Space Taylor Swift
BURNITUP! Janet Jackson with Missy Elliot
Can't Feel my Face The Weeknd
Cool for the Summer Demi Lovato
Dime Store Cowgirl Kacey Musgraves
The Eye Brandi Carlile
Fight Song Rachel Platten
Glory John Legend and Common (from Selma
I Know Places Ryan Adams
Million Years Ago Adele
Rebel Heart Madonna (favorite of the year)
Ring of Keys Sydney Lucas (from Fun Home)
She Used to be Mine Sara Barielles (from Waitress the musical)
When your Feet Won't Touch the Ground Matthew Morrison and Aiden Gemme (from Finding Neverland the musical)
You're so Beautiful Jussie Smollett (from Empire)


And 5 almost or ones that I forgot about

Delilah Florence and the Machine
FlashLight Jessie J (from Pitch Perfect 2)
The Night is Still Young Nicki Minaj
Uptown Funk Bruno Mar and Mark Ronson
WTF Missy Elliot with Pharrell Williams

Southpaw and a dozen sports movies for the non sporty

Southpaw is a movie about boxing that perhaps suffers ever so slightly because I just saw Creed a couple weeks ago.  Creed has an interesting story to tell while Southpaw bring practically every boxing cliche into one movie.   There is nothing terrible about it per se, but there is nothing we haven't seen many times before and  seen it done better.  It's all here: a boxer falls from grace to make a comeback, his wise coach reluctantly takes him on, and there is an  estranged family member.   I bet you can imagine how this will end.   There will be a boxing match and the main character will win. That's not really a spoiler because that is pretty much how it always happens unless it is a Rocky movie.  I think Jake Gyllenhaal is a great actor, and I admire his commitment, but frankly I think he was miscast in this role.  The best acting for me was done by the actor who played his  daughter, Oona Laurence.   Otherwise there isn't much special about this.

Southpaw 5 out of 10

I'm not a huge sport fan so it takes something extra to keep me entertained, so here in alphabetical order are 12 great sports movies for the non sports fan.  Their sport of choice is in parenthesis.

Bend it Like Beckham (soccer)
Creed (boxing)
Field of Dreams (baseball)
Foxcatcher (wrestling)
The Heart of the Game (basketball documentary)
Hoop Dreams (basketball documentary)
The Iron Ladies (volleyball)
The Karate Kid (karate. The 1980s version obviously)
A league of their own (baseball)
Million Dollar Baby (boxing)
Moneyball (baseball)
Murderball (Wheelchair rugby documentary)

Any that you would add?

The Top 15 TV series of 2015

The Top 15 Series of 2015. These can be comedy, drama, reality, and miniseries.

15.  Crazy Ex-girlfriend (CW)

The whole thing can be a little annoying Taylor Swift stalkery, however the songs are hilarious.   I hope this one lives to see another season.

14.  Fargo (FX)

This will be closer to the top of a litigator people's lists.  I actually preferred season 1 and some of this was out there.  I loved performances by Bokeem Woodbine, Jean Smart and especially Kirsten Dunst.

13.  Jane the Virgin (CW)

This great ensemble continues to charm in Season 2.  The show has even more heart this season.

12.  Parks and Recreation (NBC)

The Amy Poehler classic was a little uneven in its final time jumping season, but the series finale was perfect.

11.  Looking (HBO)

One of the most honest portrayals of gay men on television was cancelled too soon.  Luckily we have a HBO movie finale to look forward to in 2016.

10.  Mad Men (AMC)

The final season was a bit uneven but the last few episodes gave many of the characters resolution if not a happily ever after.  Jon Hamm finally won a well deserved Emmy for one of TVs iconic characters.

9.  Empire (FOX)

The show lost its way a bit at the beginning of Season 2, but brought it back before the mid season finale.   But in the first half of the year there was not a show that was more talked about. It deserved all the hype.  

8.  blackish (ABC)
blackish was very funny in season 1, but it came back in season 2 with something to say.  It took on church and the n word, and it always did it in a funny way.  The season finale is forgiven!

7.  The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Netflix)

It had lots of heart, but also nothing was off limits in the name of funny.  I can't wait to watch season 2 with some Peeno Noir.

6.  The Affair (Showtime)
Season 1 was more a relationship drama, but season 2 was more of a heavy plotted soap opera and there isn't any shame in that.

5. Survivor Cambodia- Second Chance (CBS)

Perhaps you have up on Survivor long ago. That's too bad because this season was the best season since the first season.

4.  Unreal (Lifetime)
Lifetime made an excellent show that was both a scathing look at realty television and respectful soap opera.  

3.  Transparent (Amazon)
The best show of 2014 was still amazing, but I personally could've used more Maura and less of her f$&@ up kids.  Fortunately , there was also more Judith Light.

2.  Getting On (HBO)

This is one of HBO's lesser noticed shows. It is based on a British comedy about a geriatric hospital.  Alex Borstein, Niecy Nash and Laurie Metcalf were comic and dramatic gold.   Sadly season 3 was the last.   Long live Varla!

1.  Please Like Me (Pivot)

The best show on television is an Australian show on a channel called Pivot that most people don't even know they have.  Season 1 was entertaining, season 2 was a bit dark but uneven, but this year season 3 was closest thing to television perfect.   It does an amazing job of showing what it's like to be in your 20s and what it's like to be human.

Mr. Holmes and the Case of the Actors Who Should Have Oscars.

Sir Ian McKellan is an actor I wish had an Oscar.  In fact I'd have given him two.     He was absolutely robbed for the film Gods and Monsters, and his Gandalf made this non fantasy loving guy love Lord of the Rings.  As he gets older his chances dwindle, but when I hard about Mr.  Holmes with him playing an elderly Sherlock Holmes, being directed by Gods and Monsters Bill Condom and co starring another relatively deserving Oscarless actor, Laura Linney, I thought there might be hope. But it is not to be.  Sir Ian McKellan is wonderful in the film, but it has all of the dramatic tension of a lesser episode of Downton Abbey.   It is too slight to even be considered for any any major nominations.  So again, I begin to give up hope  that Sir Ian will get an Oscar.  

That had me thinking about other deserving actors who have been nominated  but have never won. Here  are a few living actors who have been the bridesmaids but never the bride.


Glenn Close:
Should have an Oscar for: Dangerous Liaisons

My favorite female actors is also One of Oscar's biggest losers.  She has been nominated six times and honestly should have probably only won for Dangerous Liaisons and possibly Fatal Attraction (but I won't lie I was cheering for Cher that year).   Since movie roles are harder to find as actresses age unless they are name Meryl, she may have to wait until her inevitable honorary Oscar.

Johnny Depp
Should  have won an Oscar for: Edward  Scissorhands, a role he didn't receive a nomination for.

Johnny Depp has been nominated three times, and though he didn't win I would've been Ok  with a win for two of those three although he wouldn't have been my personal choice.  He probably won't ever win because quite frankly he could not care less.

Amy Adams
Should've won for: Junebug, her first nomination.

I've actually grown less enamored with Amy Adams roles since she has  continued to receive 5 nominations.   She does best at comedy mixed with drama and hopefully one day she will win for a deserved role.

Sigourney Weaver-
Should've won for: Being deliciously evil as Catherine in Working Girl.

 Another winless  actress after three nominations  whose time has maybe passed is Sigourney Weaver.  She had a great shot the year she was nominated for Workung Girl and Gorillas in the Mist  in the same year but it was not to be.  She has not been nominated since.

Leonardo Dicaprio
Should've won for: What's Earing Gilbert Grape and Django Unchained

Leonardo has been nominated 5 times.   This year  may be it.   I have not seen the The Revenant yet, but I will know soon if he deserves this seemingly inevitable Oscar or if it is a makeup career award.

oh and my grade for Mr. Holmes is 6 out of 10

While the world went loco over Star Wars, here are some movie I saw.

Here are a few movies I saw recently in theaters and at home.

Creed- I must admit when I saw that Michael B Jordan was following up his Fantastic Four flop with a Rocky sequel, I thought a promising Hollywood career was about to end before it really got started. Then the reviews came in for Creed, and they were exceedingly positive, so I had to see for myself.  They were correct. Creed is the sequel (and yes it is a sequel) that the original Rocky  deserved.  My eyes glaze over for most sports movies, and Creed is good because it has more story than boxing matches.  Michael B. Jordan does a great job carrying the torch, but Sylvester Stallone is really the one here that gives the really special performance here.  The one time student becomes the teacher here and gives a heart filled performance with depth as he shows us world weary Rocky facing his mortality.  It may not happen, but I hope Stallone is up for an Oscar this year! I also want this to be the end of the Rocky series as Creed is the comeback kid of a film series that became a joke. Alas I'm sure Hollywood won't let the series go out on this note.  

Creed 9 out of 10

The connection: it's basically a French version of the French connection with Academy Award winning Jean Dujardin in the lead.  It was also pretty boring, long and not particularly interesting.  I struggled to get through the last half.

The Connection 4 out of 10


Tangerine- Tangerine was filmed on an iPhone, but it is more than that gimmick.   It shows the Hollywood world through the eyes of two transgender women  trying to survive.  The glossy Hollywood scene is not here, and the film does a good job showing a world that any tourist could easily walk into, and not actually really even notice these people.  It's at times incredibly funny, but also amazingly sad.  I didn't think the acting was as great as some did, but Tangerine is definitely a movie I enjoyed.

Tangerine 7 out of 10

Ricki and the Flash- There was a good story here to be told and all the actors are game.  Unfortunately, too much of the story time is given to Meryl Streep and Rick Springfield performing Lady Gaga covers.  Both give nice performances when not just singing. As does the amazing Audra MacDonald in an underwritten supporting role.   The movie itself is underwritten.  Not enough time is given to Ricki's relationship with her family.  What could've been a great movie is merely decent.  

Ricki and the Flash 6 out of 10

Dope- in many ways Dope is just a entertaining 1980s styled sex comedy or John Hughes film starring a primarily African American cast.   What I liked about it though is how it turned many stereotypes on its head.  The lead character is a 90s hip hop loving nerd trying to get into college who has a hard time escaping his neighborhood.  How often do we see that kind of black character in film? Not often enough

Dope 7 out of 10

The Final Girls- I liked the idea of teenagers being pulled into the world of a 1980s slasher flick.  It has a bit too much of a Cabin in the Woods feel to me as it often heads into the absurd. However, a lot of laughs are to be had at the way it satirizes 1980s slasher movie.  The filmmakers are clearly making fun of something they love.

The Final Girls 6 out of 10.

Grading Adele 25: Track by Emotive Track

i thought about doing this when 25 came out since there was/is so much hype around it, but Entertainment weekly beat me to it.  I wanted to let the songs marinate a couple weeks so I could be as objective as possible.   I also want to put out that I am a fan of Adele, but I a not insane about her like some people. However, I'm certainly not an Adele hater.  So here we go.

1. Hello- You know it's a really nice song, but I'm probably never going to understand why it's as big as it is.  It is certainly lyrically strong while kind of so so musically.  I think it just came out at the right moment and set fire (to the rain)

Hello B+

2. Send my Love (To Your New Lover)- I like the jazzy bluesy turn that this album has taken, but my biggest complaint is how ballad heavy it is.  Rolling in the Deep is one of Adele's classics and there is very little up tempo like it  on this album.  Send Your Love is basically it and while it is no Rolling in the Deep, I like the different almost Calypso direction it goes.

Send My Love (To Your New Lover) B+

3.  I Miss You- Despite the drumbeats, this one is the perfect example of my one big complaint about this album.   There are a couple too many interchangeable ballads.   For me this is the least notable track on the album.

I miss you- C+

4.  When We Were Young- before you call me a hater, I will tell you I love this, and I hope I see many a torch song singer perform it at cabarets for years to come.  I also like that it gets away from the traditional verse-chorus hook pop song structure.  It deserves to be a classic.

When We Were Young A

5.  Remedy- Another ballad, but it's one of the better one in the album.  I like the piano on the track.

Remedy B+

6.  Water Under the Bridge- I can appreciate the little necessary pep in the step to this one, but it is tough one for me because I have a hard time with songs that have a cliche as their title.  It is a good song though.

Water Under the Bridge. B

7.  River Lea- I like the verses and the organ in this song, but I find the chorus repetitive and underwhelming.

River Lea B

8.  Love in the Dark- for me it is another interchangeable ballad that isn't particularly special.  It's fine.  I just feel like I've heard it before.  On this album.

Love in the Dark B-

9.  Million Years Ago- "He's a hater", you say.   I scoff.  I love this one.  In fact it's my favorite track on the album.  I love the bluesy sung in a divey cantina feel.  I love that Adele sings all of our regrets so we don't have to.  It probably won't be a hit track on the album.  Too bad.  It's perfect

Million Years Ago A+

10.  All I Ask- if there was just one more When We Were Young or Million Years ago on this album it would probably be my favorite album of the year.  But alas another interchangeable ballad.  Albeit a good one.  I like the Dionne Warwick feel at the end of the chorus.

All I Ask- B+

11.  Sweetest Devotion- it definitely feels like an end of the album track.  I would have liked the album to go out with a bang.   This doesn't quite accomplish that.  B-

Overall 25 is a good maybe great album that doesn't quite live up to the hype.  But what could?

25- If there was a great between B+ and B, I would give it that, but since there is not I give it a B+