King LeBron James the Loser?

LeBron James finally apologized to the media and fans for skipping the mandatory news conference following the Cleveland Cavaliers loss to the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Sort of.

David Stern fined the NBA star $25,000 for not taking his media medicine and for refusing to discuss the Cavaliers disappointing series loss.

Stern stated, "He asked that I express to the media, the Magic and the fans his apology, and particularly the young fans, because he knows he has a responsibility to all of our fans, and that sportsmanship is appropriate whether you win or whether you lose. He understands why it was necessary for me to fine him $25,000 for missing the media availability."

Much has been made by the media and fans for LeBron James not congratulating the Orlando Magic players after losing the series, which is customary and for LeBron James leaving the arena in an insolent huff without talking to anybody.

Adrian Wojnarowski at Yahoo! Sports even went so far to call LeBron James a loser.

A...LOSER.

Not as a player in a game either...but a loser in terms of his character.

Ouch.

He has a point. Little League players are taught to congratulate each other after games. If we expect it from our kids shouldn't we expect it from our most revered athletes?

Supporters of LeBron James will say that it's his competitive fire, his fear that he'd say something he'd regret. The anger and disappointment in the series loss being too much for him to explain appropriately.

But isn't this what he's paid for?

He's paid to entertain, which includes taking his lumps when things go bad. If he gets the acclaim when they win, then he should get the blame when they lose.

It's unquestionably immature and poor behavior from someone who should know better.

The question I have is....why are we surprised?

We're talking about a guy who's nickname is "KING JAMES" and "THE CHOSEN ONE".



Seriously folks.

"THE CHOSEN ONE" as in The Savior, in essence "a basketball god".

Poseidon is the "God of the Sea". Apparently, according to the media, LeBron James is the "God of Basketball".



We're supposed to be surprised when "The King" ignores the pleas of his subjects? Or when a "god" ignores the humble prayers of his worshipers?

This is what we get when we anoint someone as all powerful.

I've stated before that I hate the media coverage of LeBron James. Not sure how the inappropriate media coverage of James got started, but it is now spinning way out of control.

We've gone from playfully calling players "Magic" and "Dr." to giving a talented player, who hasn't won a championship yet, a deity status.

I thought calling Michael Jordan, (Air) an element was pushing it.

But calling LeBron James a god?

Not only a god, but one that we must sit back in awe of and "witness"?




It's sickening.

What's worse is that the media is now shifting attention away from the deplorable behavior of LeBron James and towards the Cleveland Cavaliers so-called "crucial off-season". Crucial because the team must make moves to keep LeBron James in Cleveland.

Cause they must appease the God with a suitable sacrifice.

It's disgusting.

So...apparently... the Cavs have to give LeBron James a championship on a silver platter in order to make it enticing for him to stay?

Instead of expecting LeBron James to lead a team to a championship, the front office MUST build a "Dream Team" around him or he'll bolt to another team as a free agent.

How did things get turned around like this?

Truth is, LeBron is just looking for an excuse to leave and I say good riddance. If he wants to play in Europe or worse with the New York Knicks more power to him.

He'll learn that changing teams doesn't equal winning a championship.

Winning a championship takes unquenchable desire, overcoming intense adversity, displaying unquestionable heart and proving one's unmatched talent.

Greater players than LeBron have been unable to win a championship. Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, John Stockton, Karl Malone and Dominique
Wilkins to name a few.

It's one of the few things, LeBron, "a King" cannot summon on a whim or "a god" cannot conjure at will.

Bruno at the MTV Movie Awards

I missed the MTV Movie Award Show last night.

The reason why I missed it is because....I'm not 15 years old and I don't think Twilight should ever be nominated for any movie awards, much less win a best picture.

The net, however, has been a buzz with the antics of Sacha Baron Cohen who made an appearance at the event as his alternate persona Bruno.



Hilarious.

In case your wondering, it was all staged and Eminem was indeed in on the joke. Drew McWeeny at Motion Captured was able to get confirmation that the skit was rehearsed and planned.

I can't WAIT to watch Bruno on July 10, 2009.

The Boyfriend Experience

My friends over at Totally Sketch have created a parody trailer of the film The Girlfriend Experience starring porn star Sasha Grey and directed by Steven Soderbergh.

The clip is funny without seeing the original trailer. But for proper perspective first watch the trailer for The Girlfriend Experience.



Here's the well made parody trailer directed by the talented Michael Gallagher and starring my friend Lon Harris.



Hilarious.

Totally Sketch comes out with funny original videos every Thursday. Check out the official site at http://www.totallysketch.com/.

Sunday Scores and More

My friend and former Mahalo.com co-worker Jon Moncrief has decided to start a radio show on the Sports Journey broadcast network.

Guess who he asked to be his co-host?

If one has visited this site before they'll note that besides movie reviews and posting trailers, I'm also an opinionated and passionate sports fan. I've always been a big follower of athletics, especially of the local teams and boxing. But since I've worked the past several years covering sports news, as well as doing extensive sports research for Mahalo.com and I have spent the majority of my life in media and theater performance, this feels like a logical next step.

The title of the show is Sunday Scores and More and our premiere episode streams at 10AM Eastern, 7AM Pacific on June 14, 2009 at http://www.sportsjourney.com/ on the Sports Journey network. Each show is archived for download so if one misses it live they can still catch it at their own convenience. The show will air at the same time every Sunday.

The host and creator of the show is Jon Moncrief. He has been in the sports industry for most of his life. He is currently a writer covering the Los Angeles Kings for Examiner.com. He has also written for publications such as That's Life Magazine, The Bergen Record, The Florida Times-Union, AllSports.com, and New Jersey Blitz Magazine. He was lead writer for 4CHOSEN The Documentary, which won Best Documentary Film at the 2008 Garden State Film Festival. Jonathan also was lead writer for North Jersey Sports Showcase in 2004.

Since he's a big East Coast guy, he has asked me to provide some West Coast flavor and perspective to the show. Besides listening to us blab, Crief (short for Moncrief) has lined up an impressive line-up of guests and personalities from the sports world.

So please visit Sports Journey.com and check out the show. Should be lots of fun.

Surrogates starring Bruce Willis - Trailer

Surrogates looks like an interesting commentary on the virtual reality, social networking community.

It's actually based on a graphic novel of the same name writen by Robert Venditti. Not sure how faithful it is to the source material however.

But an interesting premise nonetheless and a good star vehicle for Bruce Willis.

Surrogates directed by Jonathan Mostow opens September 25, 2009.

LeBron James playoff 3 point buzzer beater

I hate the "Witness ad campaign."

LeBron James is far from a savior of any kind.

He hasn't saved anything.

The NBA and Nike were financially profitable before his arrival. Same thing with Sprite or any of his other sponsors.

I guess he's been a savior for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

But that's not saying much.

He hasn't even won an NBA Championship...yet.

I've always thought of LeBron as a overhyped Scottie Pippen.

Magic Johnson in his prime would've ate him up.

But he is capable of amazing things, like last night's amazing 3 point buzzer beater.

I was lamenting the impossible hole that Cleveland would have to climb out of in the series, when LeBron pulled a rabbit out of his hat.

I still think Cleveland has a huge mountain to climb, but LeBron gave them a chance with his amazing shot.

Which means for at least for one night.... he truly was a savior.

V (Remake) Promo trailer

Since they remade Battlestar Galactica....why not "V"?

I loved the original "V" television mini-series.

Marc Singer kicked ass.

Everybody knows Independence Day totally ripped that show off.

This remake actually looks pretty good. I like the way they are incorporating the use of modern day social issues... always good when doing sci-fi.

I also like the casting of Elisabeth Mitchell and Scott Wolf.

It also looks like they are incorporating the whole sexual undertone of the original show, because if one recalls, that's all those alien lizards did was have sex with humans....that and eat mice.

Can't wait for the half-human, half-lizard baby birthing scene.

I'm bummed it's not on the Sci-Fi network though, where it would probably be given a decent chance. On a big network like ABC they would probably cancel the show after just one episode if it doesn't do great in the ratings.

Let's hope it gets a good chance.

Sherlock Holmes directed by Guy Ritchie - Trailer

This trailer is a little different then what I was expecting from a Sherlock Holmes film.

Which is a good thing.

Robert Downey Jr. is inspired casting, so is Jude Law as Watson for that matter.

I'd like to see Guy Ritchie explore the darker side of Holmes...like the fact that he was a heroin addict. The movie kind of seems like it's leaning in that direction.

One troubling aspect though is that it seems like the film is leaning more towards Holmes physicality instead of his mental prowess.

The film is scheduled for release on Christmas day 2009.

Nine directed by Rob Marshall - Trailer

I'm not a huge musical fan.

But I like a good song and dance number as much as....um...the next guy.

Nine is directed by Academy Award winning director Rob Marshall of Chicago fame.

What really appeals to me though is the participation of Daniel Day Lewis, who does a film once every couple of years. Which affords him the energy to throw everything he has into a role.

Lots of iconic female co-stars in the film too.

In the trailer we get a glimpse of Sophia Loren, Judi Dench, Penelope Cruz, Kate Hudson, Stacy Ferguson, Marion Cotillard and Nicole Kidman.

The film is an adaptation of the hit play, which was inspired by the classic film 8 1/2 directed by Federico Fellini.

The motion picture is due out November 25, 2009. I assume to capitalize on Awards season buzz.

Whatever Works Trailer

Larry David and Woody Allen, that's a comic team I can't miss.

Whatever Works opens in theatres in New York and Los Angeles on June 19, 2009.

Star Trek directed by J.J. Abrams

Star Trek directed by J.J. Abrams marks the return of one of the most beloved and cherished franchises in entertainment history.

Not only is it a successful return, it also invigorates and reinvents the franchise to heights never imagined.

The film works as a pure summer action film, as well as makes a significant contribution to the Star Trek Universe.

Let's first acknowledge that fans of the Star Trek Universe are notoriously fickle.

There is a significant population of fans who frown on the very notion of disregarding or altering the continuation of Gene Roddenberry's created universe. The television show Enterprise was never fully embraced by fans because it was burdened with and failed to accurately depict the continuity of the earlier established Star Trek universe. Never mind that the task is arguably impossible considering that the fictional universe was molded by at least five different shows and several films all with different writers, producers and creative visions.

Enter J.J. Abrams who attempted to reinvigorate the Mission Impossible franchise. He was tasked with doing the same with this troubled franchise which was at its best seen as an archaic niche fetish for sci-fi fans and at its worst...dead.



Before I begin my actual review let me first state that I am a Star Trek fan.

Actually, fan is not accurate. I'm a Treker. I've never been to a convention, have never worn a costume or pointed ears. But in terms of information and trivia, my Star Trek knowledge, especially of the original series can stack up comparably to most of the people that do take their appreciation for the show to the extreme.

I know that in the opening credits of the series the titles were yellow in the first two seasons and in the third they turned blue.

I know Pavel Chekhov doesn't appear in the series till the second season. Harcourt Mudd appears in two episodes in the original series.

My favorite five episodes from the original series are:

#5: "Space Seed" - which marked the debut of Khan

#4: "The Menagerie" parts 1 and 2 - the original Star Trek Pilot altered into two episodes.

#3: "Balance of Terror" - The first appearance of Romulans in the Universe

#2: "City on the Edge of Forever" - The Hugo Award winning episode featuring Joan Collins

And my #1 favorite episode is "Amok Time" which featured a hand to hand fight between James T. Kirk and a unbalanced Mr. Spock in heat.



I used to record the series on betamax tapes and fall asleep watching them...um...every night.

No joke.

I bought and read Star Trek encyclopedias and reference books on the series. I collected the episodes on tape and cataloged them in my own system.

I've seen every original cast and Star Trek Next Generation episode and movie.

I love Star Trek. Despite all its faults.

So if anyone has a right to nitpick about a reboot it's me.

But I can't. I loved this movie.

Not only did I love it, I think the changes that were made actually improve the franchise.

In all honesty, I will admit, the movie owes more of its inspiration to the recent "Battlestar Galactica" series then to the original 1960's series.

However, the movie doesn't completely neglect the major characteristics of the original universe either.Captain Pike is still the previous Captain to the Enterprise. All the major characters are present. They all still say their famous catch phrases and they all look relatively similar to the original cast members. Starfleet is still a peace keeping and scientific organization. Kirk still cheats in the Kobayashi Maru test. The Enterprise hull still looks the same.

But make no mistake about it. There are several significant changes.




Spoilers follow.

Ultimately, I think the alterations that were made are not only re-invigorating but also logical. Beginning with the death of Kirk's father. Raised as a fatherless child, James T. Kirk now has a lethal chip on his shoulder.

Fantastic.


Next, the sexual relationship between Uhura and Spock.

Wow.

What a stroke of genius. I'm not sure why it never occurred to previous writers, but in retrospect this seems like a no-brainer. Spock is half human. His mother, the most significant female in his life IS human. Wouldn't it make sense that he would be attracted to a talented, strong HUMAN woman like Uhura? I know in the original series they flirted with the idea of Nurse Chapel liking Spock. But wouldn't Spock only go for the hottest chick in the fleet?

Another major change, Vulcan is destroyed.

Wow. So the most cherished characters in the Star Trek Universe have now become endangered and are now...in this timeline more important, revered and valuable to Starfleet than ever before.

Brilliant.

But the most significant and freeing move is that due to the time travel plot of the film, the rules and the universe that was previously created by the previous movies, shows, etc are now smashed in this new timeline. It's an open book now. A clean slate. Literally...anything can happen.

Anything.

In terms of artistic possibilities, that's the greatest thing you can do with a franchise.

Yet extremely risky.

But J.J. Abrams and screenwriters Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman pulled it off.

They have delivered the best movie of the summer. Possibly one of the best movies of the year.

I guess an argument can be made that this movie may invalidate the previous Star Trek universe. But I don't look at it like that.

It's an extension. A next step in the evolution.

A part of me wonders why they even bothered to connect the two universes. Abrams could have easily just rebooted the franchise without any acknowledgment of the Star Trek Universe.

But when you really break it down, I believe because he respects the material that has come before it so much, he actually goes out of his way to connect the two universes.

Despite all its problems, he is in actuality paying tribute to the previous universe not invalidating it. He cares too much to just throw it all away and start from scratch.

Fascinating.

Make sure to catch this fun film on the big screen where it can be seen in all its visual splendor. You won't regret it.

Natalie Portman is Between Two Ferns

Natalie Portman guest stars in the latest edition of Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis.

Classic. Funny stuff.

My favorite inappropriate question from Zach Galifianakis is his query regarding her role in V for Vendetta.

Manny Ramirez Suspended for Illegal drugs

Manny Ramirez was suspended by Major League Baseball today for 50 games.

After the announcement of his suspension was made, Ramirez released a statement, he explained, "Recently, I saw a physician for a personal health issue. He gave me a medication, not a steroid, which he thought was OK to give me,unfortunately, the medication was banned under our drug policy. Under the policy that mistake is now my responsibility. I have been advised not to say anything more for now. I do want to say one other thing; I've taken and passed about 15 drug tests over the past five seasons."

Now...I believe...and reports have confirmed that "the personal health issue" Ramirez is referring to is for sexual potency. The kind of performance enhancing that Major League Baseball could care less about.

So the culprit is supposedly... a fertility drug?

Ramirez will reportedly lose about $8 million dollars for his missed time with the Dodgers.

Wow.

Now I'm not a doctor, so I don't know what positive effects a sex drug will have on a Major League Baseball player's swing, but this seems a little excessive. Doesn't it?

He lost $8 million in salary because he needed help to get it up? He's too good to use Viagra?




Reportedly, the drug in question, hCG, is also used to help an athlete restore testosterone after a steroids cycle use, to restart the bodies' natural testosterone.

Now THAT'S interesting and more than suspicious.

I know the situation says otherwise, I'm not naive or stupid but I still find it hard to believe...that a guy in Manny Ramirez's current situation would use a drug like this to cheat at baseball, especially at this point in his career. It's not like Manny was in a contract year. He JUST landed his big contract. It makes no sense for Manny to use performance enhancers now. Andruw Jones landed a big contract from the Dodgers and sucked ass last year. He's still getting his money. They don't take away money from you when you suck ass. They just get angry at you and try to get rid of you.

I know he's not the sharpest knife in the drawer but man....

It makes more sense to me that Manny needed help to get it up in the sack, not on the baseball diamond.

I'm not a famous multi-millionaire so I wouldn't know, but I assume that when you are, attractive women tend to throw themselves at you in new and creative ways. He's been a multi-millionaire for way over a decade now....that's a lot of women being creative trying to get his attention.

Something tells me he needs a little more than whispering sweet nothings in his ear to get his juices going.




Ramirez was reportedly devastated by the news, he stated "I want to apologize to Mr. McCourt, Mrs. McCourt, Mr. Torre, my teammates, the Dodger organization, and to the Dodger fans. LA is a special place to me and I know everybody is disappointed. So am I. I'm sorry about this whole situation."

I think the Dodgers will be fine without him. The ironic thing is that Manny usually takes about 50 games off during the season with a fake injury anyways. So losing him for a short while, this early won't hurt too much and the Dodgers, who play in the horrible National League West aren't in any danger of missing the post season because of this.

The damage done by this news will be on Manny Ramirez's legacy. History is not kind towards reported cheaters. No matter if he meant to cheat or not.

Ramirez will return from his suspension to the Dodgers on July 3, 2009.

I imagine he'll be in bed "working out" during this free time...getting his money's worth I hope.