Author: Shane Vassar

At the Halfway Point of the Year, What Are the Top Five Movies of 2020 So Far?

2020 has been strange. The coronavirus pandemic has pretty much altered every single aspect of our society in major ways, including the film industry. We've seen the release dates of several 2020 films shift around the calendar (still waiting on you to figure it out Tenet), we've seen next year's Academy Awards be pushed back to … Continue reading At the Halfway Point of the Year, What Are the Top Five Movies of 2020 So Far? →

Two Things: I Have a Love/Hate Relationship With Twitter. And We Have a Really Shitty Way of Discussing Social Media in This Country – My Take

So, a few months ago I made a realization. It came after I analyzed my morning routine one day. I'm sad to say that I, like most detached 20-somethings, immediately check my phone when I wake up in the morning. I don't just check any messages or emails I may have though—I check Twitter. Truthfully, … Continue reading Two Things: I Have a Love/Hate Relationship With Twitter. And We Have a Really Shitty Way of Discussing Social Media in This Country – My Take →

The Top Ten Netflix Original Movies

Netflix's claim to the title of "New Age Entertainment King" has remained as strong as ever during quarantine. Even with the recent launch of several new streaming services such as HBO Max and Disney Plus—as well as the existence of longtime competitors like Hulu and Amazon Prime Video—Netflix has found a way to maintain their … Continue reading The Top Ten Netflix Original Movies →

AMC, Regal, and Cinemark Announce Plans to Open Theaters in July. Will Moviegoers Show Up?

It seems as if right after Warner Bros. announced they'd be pushing back the release date of the film that was supposedly going to reopen cinemas, Christopher Nolan's Tenet, theater companies began announcing plans to restore the theatrical experience. In fact, the three biggest theater chains in America have all announced plans to reopen their theaters … Continue reading AMC, Regal, and Cinemark Announce Plans to Open Theaters in July. Will Moviegoers Show Up? →

Coffee (Yup, the Whole Thing is Really Just About Coffee) – My Take

So, I don't really know how I ended up here. And I don't mean on this earth because public school health class took care of that mystery a long time ago. Ah, to be young again. What I meant though, is I don't know how I ended up writing this blog. I guess sometimes when … Continue reading Coffee (Yup, the Whole Thing is Really Just About Coffee) – My Take →

The King of Staten Island is the Best Comedy of the Year – Review

Judd Apatow and Pete Davidson's newest film, The King of Staten Island, is a warm, heartfelt comedy that felt like it was made for the at home viewing experience. While it is certainly not a perfect movie by any means, its strengths outweigh its flaws. The King of Staten Island tells a story that is largely … Continue reading The King of Staten Island is the Best Comedy of the Year – Review →

Da 5 Bloods: It’s Nice to Hear From Spike Lee Right Now – Review

Few cinematic voices carry as much weight in a time like this as Spike Lee's does. Lee has been commenting on, critiquing, and filming the issues currently at the center of our culture for over 30 years. His newest film, Da 5 Bloods—which opens with words from Muhammad Ali and closes with a speech from Martin … Continue reading Da 5 Bloods: It’s Nice to Hear From Spike Lee Right Now – Review →

Judd Apatow – Ranked

Perhaps no single person has had a bigger impact on the comedy landscape this century than Judd Apatow. Through the absurdly high number of television shows and films that he has written, directed, and produced—Apatow has created a genre unto himself, all while helping launch some of the biggest comedic stars working today. Despite his … Continue reading Judd Apatow – Ranked →

Basketball’s Back & I’m Excited For Weird-Looking Sports

Well, sports are coming back. Even with the entire country in a necessary state of disarray at the moment, the return of professional sports on television is something to look forward to. To be fair though, I do think it is a little bit dangerous to praise the return of the NBA for being a … Continue reading Basketball’s Back & I’m Excited For Weird-Looking Sports →

My Thoughts on the Importance of the Conversations Taking Place Right Now & the Role Art Can Play in All of This – My Take

Like many Americans, recently I have been consumed by the news, conversations, and protests that have taken place throughout this country in response to the murder of George Floyd and so many others before him. Also like many Americans, I have struggled to find the right words or the right sentiments needed to find any … Continue reading My Thoughts on the Importance of the Conversations Taking Place Right Now & the Role Art Can Play in All of This – My Take →

My Hottest Take: In 2016 Chris Gethard, Jason Mantzoukas, and Paul Scheer Gave Us The Single Greatest Television Episode of the Past Decade

It's almost impossible to overstate the magnitude of the transformation that television has undergone since the start of the 21st century. Shows like The Sopranos, The Wire, The Office, Chappelle's Show, Survivor, Lost and many others changed television forever in the first decade of this century. But, 2010s television certainly met—and quite possibly even exceeded—the heights that the small screen reached from … Continue reading My Hottest Take: In 2016 Chris Gethard, Jason Mantzoukas, and Paul Scheer Gave Us The Single Greatest Television Episode of the Past Decade →

The Top Ten Most Time-Consuming and Emotionally Rewarding Quarantine Activities

As the coronavirus pandemic now has us approaching our third month of quarantine, I figured I should share the ten best activities for people to partake in while staying at home. I think it's clear that we're all starting to go a little crazy due to our current situation, and while I haven't tried all … Continue reading The Top Ten Most Time-Consuming and Emotionally Rewarding Quarantine Activities →

Are People Actually Going to Show Up to Movie Theaters Once They Reopen? (And Top Five 2020 Films I Would Most Like to See in Theaters)

As the news media and Twitter have shown us, lots of people around the country are eager to return to public gatherings despite many of the health concerns that they bring. It's clear that spending two months in quarantine with little-to-no human contact has resulted in many people going stir-crazy, and created a need for … Continue reading Are People Actually Going to Show Up to Movie Theaters Once They Reopen? (And Top Five 2020 Films I Would Most Like to See in Theaters) →

The Lovebirds Is Carried By Its Two Leads – Review

The Lovebirds was originally scheduled to be released in theaters on April 3, 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, that obviously didn't happen. Instead, Netflix acquired the film from Paramount during the pandemic, and released it on their streaming service this Friday. I'm grateful Netflix and Paramount found a way to give us this entertainment during … Continue reading The Lovebirds Is Carried By Its Two Leads – Review →

How Celebrity Killed the Movie Star – My Take

What Happened to Movie Stars? It's a fairly well-known fact that movie stars are no longer the primary catalyst behind a film's box office success like they have been in previous decades. Gone are the days of people like Clark Gable, John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart, or even Julia Roberts, Tom Cruise, and Tom Hanks being … Continue reading How Celebrity Killed the Movie Star – My Take →

Celebrating Our National Sports Lockdown With The Top Ten Worst Sports Moments I’ve Experienced As a Fan

As we all know, sports leagues around the world are currently in a state of disarray. Even though some organizations in America like the UFC and NASCAR are starting to hold events again—and certain leagues outside of America like the Bundesliga have made a comeback—most of the sports world is still on pause due to … Continue reading Celebrating Our National Sports Lockdown With The Top Ten Worst Sports Moments I’ve Experienced As a Fan →

The Safdie Brothers – Ranked

Josh and Benny Safdie's parents got divorced when the two future filmmakers were still very young. Around this time, the Safdie brother's father, Alberto, had them watch the film Kramer vs. Kramer, for the purposes of explaining the situation to his two young sons. A story like this makes it clear that, at an early age, the … Continue reading The Safdie Brothers – Ranked →

Quarantine Debates Vol. VI: Food & Drink Lightning Round

I have no idea when the day I can put an end to the "Quarantine Debates" series will come, but I hope it's soon. While I've enjoyed all of the topics I have covered in these blogs (Office vs. Parks and Rec, Best 2000s Comedy, Beer Pong vs. Flip Cup, Sports Without Fans, and Eli Manning's Hall … Continue reading Quarantine Debates Vol. VI: Food & Drink Lightning Round →

Will Christopher Nolan’s Tenet Actually Reopen Theaters in July? (And Bonus List of My Top 5 Films of the Year So Far)

Since the start of quarantine, movie theater owners have been eagerly waiting for the release of Christopher Nolan's newest film, Tenet. This is because many prognosticators have held the belief that this will be the film to reopen theaters, when its July 17th release date comes around. While many major studio releases—such as Mulan, No Time to … Continue reading Will Christopher Nolan’s Tenet Actually Reopen Theaters in July? (And Bonus List of My Top 5 Films of the Year So Far) →

The Many Problems With Debating NBA Eras – My Take

So, ESPN's The Last Dance has obviously been a saving grace for sports fans during this quarantine. The documentary has given us all something sports-related to look forward to and discuss every week, as sports leagues across the country are shut down. The discussions that have stemmed from The Last Dance though, have not been nearly as … Continue reading The Many Problems With Debating NBA Eras – My Take →

Every Season of Psych – Ranked

When I think of the most underappreciated great shows of the last 20 years, I think of Psych. The USA Network's psychic-detective comedy series was consistently one of the smartest and wittiest shows on television during its eight year run. Throughout those eight years, the show developed a cult following that has only grown since the … Continue reading Every Season of Psych – Ranked →

Giants Offseason Blog No. 5 – 2020 Schedule Thoughts and Predictions

We might not have a season, but at least we have a schedule. In all seriousness, I have made a conscious decision to remain optimistic about the chances of the 2020-2021 NFL season starting on time/being played at all. Life is pretty bleak right now so why not comfort ourselves with the thought of football … Continue reading Giants Offseason Blog No. 5 – 2020 Schedule Thoughts and Predictions →

The Top Ten Biggest Oscar Travesties of All Time

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has a tendency to, let's say, behave recklessly when it comes time to select the Oscar winners each year. It is no secret amongst film fans that the Academy usually gets things wrong more often than they get things right. This has been a problem throughout the … Continue reading The Top Ten Biggest Oscar Travesties of All Time →

Yorgos Lanthimos – Ranked

"I make films to explore concepts and raise questions, not to tell the audience what to think." - Yorgos Lanthimos Yorgos Lanthimos has been the mastermind behind some of the most eccentric and idiosyncratic films of the 21st century. A native of Greece, Lanthimos has been considered a pioneering voice in the so-called "Greek Weird … Continue reading Yorgos Lanthimos – Ranked →

Quarantine Debates Vol. V: Is Eli Manning a Hall of Famer?

I really don't want to write this. It is no secret amongst sports fans that prominent figures in sports media enjoy rehashing the same debates and the same discussion topics over and over again, until their readers and viewers would rather beat themselves with a sledge hammer than see the words "LeBron vs. Jordan" one … Continue reading Quarantine Debates Vol. V: Is Eli Manning a Hall of Famer? →