A Bypremier Book Review

Despite popular belief, yours truly doesn't just watch movies and sports. Occasionally, I also read. Sure, I read books about movies and sports...but it still counts as reading.

Anyway, this years book review comes courtesy of 'The Sports Guy". That's right. Famous sport writer, twitterer, and podcaster...Bill Simmons.

Mr. Simmons recently wrote his second book. The follow up to his book about the Red Sox was a mammoth, seven-hundred page book on basketball. Fittingly titled, "The Book of Basketball". So after plowing through the book in only six months (it was a Christmas gift), I am here to give you readers my faithful review.

First off, let me preface this by saying I'm a huge basketball fan. It's my favorite sport to play.

Secondly; let me say when I first got the book, I skimmed through it...saw Simmon's pyramid rankings and could not help myself from reading his thoughts on the players I knew. So technically, I read the book out of order. Once I ran through the rankings, I read the book from the start. That's why it took me so long to read the book.

Anyway, back to the book. It's broken down into several chapters:

1. Simmons history with basketball.
2. The secret of basketball.
3. His thoughts on ending the Wilt vs. Russell debate once and for all.
4. MVP redo's.
5. His thoughts on redesigning the NBA Hall of Fame.
6. His debatable pyramid rankings.
7. Best Teams of All time.
8. Players that make up his all time team.
9. Closing thoughts.

So let's get to review already...bypremier's final take: The book is a great read. Simmons definitely knows basketball and is probably one of the most knowledgeable basketball people living. The rankings are the highlights. There is definitely a bit of homer/bias to the book: Simmons loves the Boston Celtics. However, he is fully aware of this and tries to curb his bias (for example, ranking Magic above Bird...Kareem above them both). But you can't write a book based on your opinions without your own personal biases seeping in. That's understandable and Simmons doesn't knock you over the head with it. Some of the other parts are a little slow (Wilt vs. Russell debate, best teams of all times...), but still enjoyable to read because Simmons absolutely does his homework and backs it up with intersting stats. And that's argubly the most impressive thing about the book. Simmons has really done everything he could to write this back. He's read every relevant book (including placing a listing of all the books and their helpfulness). He's watched thousands of hours of game film. He's even talked to almost every person imaginable about the sport. So give him credit for putting his heart and soul into the book. So all that boring stuff aside, let me just finish this review with a few intersting thoughts.

1. If you are a writer (or a wannable writer like me), you've probably tried to write a ranking or list about a certain topic. For me, I like to write a column for my fantasy football league and I try to include everyone in my league in my writing. And you know what? It's hard to write for some people...and very easy to write for other people. After reading Simmons pyramid rankings, I thought the same thing. For some people in his rankings, he wrote wonderfully. Particularly, the current players and any Boston old-timers. However, some other people (mostly very old players) were not very well written and had short paragraphs. Because it's not easy to write something great for everyone.

2. Nobody...and I mean nobody...compares sports to pop culture better than Bill Simmons. My favotire comparison of his was Magic vs. Bird to the two Shannons (Whirry and Tweed). My favorite growing up with Shannon Whirry.

3. My favorite part of the book was when Simmons thanks everyone involved in helping make the book possible. Simmons is a talented writer and extremely funny. But he also gets help. His friends make him infinitely funnier. When he thinks of a great idea or someone passes along a great idea, he gets input from his 'creative team' to come up with funny thoughts, good names to talk about, and basically write his brillant responses. So I'm glad he thanked his friends. I think if I ever was able to write professionally, I would do the same.

So overall, I highly recommend the book. It's a great read for any sports fan. A must read for any basketball fan. And an absolute read for any fan of the Sports Guy.

Lastly, I can't wait for the revised edition. Another beauty to the book: You can revise it multiple times and milk it for everything it's worth. Kind of like the guy who wrote the book "1001 Movies to see before you die" and updates it every year for that year's movies. Talk about a money maker. Another idea that goes into the "Why Didn't I Think of That" category.

Why I Belong In the Movie Business

The buzz and hype following "Inception", which for the most part has lived up the expectations, has cast aside the fact that the movie business has been terrible as of late. Former big name movie stars don't carry as much weight as they used to. Big budget special effects spectacles don't fool audiences anymore, since they see through the lack of story and character. So with everything from redos (A-Team), Tom Cruise (Knight and Day), and Jerry Bruckhiemer (Sorcerers Apprentice and Prince of Persia) failing, what's left for Hollywood to do? Come talk to bypremier...that's what.

So here are some things that need to happen.

1. Cuba Gooding Jr. can't even get a movie role anymore. John Singleton hasn't lived up to the hype of "Boyz N The Hood". They both were at their best in the beginning. Why not bring them back together with a gritty, urban drama. Imagine the marketing possibilities.

2. M. Night Shyamalan is almost a joke now. A one hit (or two hit) wonder who is a one trick pony (slow beginnging...surprise ending). I think he's a talented man who got too much success too quickly and fell into his own massive ego. So what should he do? Go back to the models for the two hits that brought the best out of him. And that's combine his talents with an A-list talent. That's right...did you know, M. Night's two biggest success were "The Sixth Sense" and "Signs", which also happened to be stars Bruce Willis and Mel Gibson's careers highs. And since A-listers, with the exception of Will Smith and Johnny Deep, can't guarantee box office anymore, why not pair M. Night with another "A-lister". I'm thinking someone like a Tom Cruise or even Tom Hanks.

3. Speaking of Will Smith, the man should do another romantic comedy. He was fantastic in "Hitch". Sure, I'd love to see another Sci-fi movie or a "Men in Black 3", but he should also do another "Hitch"-esque film.

4. Stop making comic book movies based on characters that are too niche. "Kick-Ass" was a great movie. But not successful. Others like "Jonah Hex" were just bad decisions. Just because Iron Man 2 worked, doesn't mean every comic book will work.

5. Since nothing is original anymore in Hollywood, follow Christopher Nolan and Quentin Tarantino's lead. Let the talented men do what is 'original'-esque. I say 'original'-esque, because as great as "Inception" and "Inglorious Basterds" were, they were Nolan's and Tarantino's take on other movies. They didn't steal, so much as copy what inspired and moved them and put their own twists and takes on them. And that's how Hollywood does original ideas these days. So let Nolan And Tarantino to continue to do what they do. But also let James Cameron, Ridley Scott, Michael Mann, and Kathryn Bigelow do their thing.

6. Call this the Lebron James factor. Or the "Expendables" Model. Basically, put a dream all-star lineup together in one movie. Give the fans what they want. Fans want to see all the old 80's stars in one movie. Because it's not like the 80's/early 90's when Seagal, Arnold, Sly, Bruce Willis, and Van Damme would all show up in their own action movies and find enormous success, the new millenium doesn't work that way anymore with the advent of CGI and other special F/X. So give Sly credit for thinking of putting everyone in the same movie. But the truth is there are other examples. People were excited when Jackie Chan and Jet Li made a movie together. So why can't this work in a million other ideas. For example:

a. Julia Roberts and Meg Ryan in a romantic comedy. Two of america's former sweethearts together at last. Have it written and directed by Nancy Meyes...even better.

b. You think "The Grown Ups" were an all star comedy lineup. Imagine some combination of Eddie Murphy, Steve Martin, Bill Murray, Chevy Chase, Bill Cosby, Jerry Seinfeld...or throw in Jim Carrey for good measure. Heck, have it be written and directed by Woody Allen. I know what you're saying...didn't Judd Apatow do this with "Funny People". I didn't say it had to be a drama about comics. Just let them be funny as older aged men.

c. Non-caucasian women who have managed to rise up above their races and be seen as able to play any part, not just parts designed for their race/color. I'm thinking Halle Berry for the African Americans, Lucy Liu for the Asian Americans, Eva Mendes for the Latin Americans. Put them into a cross-racial film and the possibilities are endless.

d. How about an all-star cast of true method actors who aren't necessarily box office giants. I'm thinking Russell Crowe, Christian Bale, Edward Norton, Clive Owen, and the best actor alive...Daniel Day Lewis. That would be oscar bait and then some.

e. Just for the heck of it...Harrison Ford and Clint Eastwood in a film together.

f. Heat 2: De Niro, Pacino, Hackman, Hoffman. Make this happen Michael Mann...why not? These heavyweightsw all need one more opportunity to go out on top.

g. Connery, Pierce Brosnon, and Daniel Craig in a spy thriller. You wouldn't see a single article without mentioning James Bond...andI know Connery is retired, but who cares.

7. The Karate Kid remake was a huge success. So why not remake some other beloved, cultish 80's movies...I'm thinking of "The Goonies", but there are probably at least ten others.

8. I'm calling this right now, "Tron: Legacy" is going to be a huge hit. Surprisingly, since Tron was considered a flop. But it was way ahead of it's time. But that would also qualify for other early special F/X flicks that could be re-imagined with the latest special F/X. I'm thinking of "Flight of the Navigator", "Logan's Run", and "Flash Gordon".

9. Raunchy comedies are making a bit of a comeback. Look at "The Hangover" or "Hot Tub Time Machine". Why not comine this fad with the untapped MILF market. "Cougar Town" is a decent hit on TV. Why not copy that mold as a movie in a raunchy comedy. Imagine a Sharon Stone, Michelle Pfieffer, Kim Basinger, or even Jennifer Aniston...in such a movie. Older women would come out and you know the men would too.

Yes, I know imagining the possibilities in movies are easier than making them a reality. There probably aren't scripts or even interests on the parts of any of the named actors/actresses above. But wouldn't you rather see some of this happen and have people put the time and effort into making it real, then to see another crappy romantic comedy, unecessary sequel, or stupid action/revenge flick. I know I would...and maybe that's why I don't work in Hollywood.

Fantasy Football: July 2010

Since my fellow blog brother finally initiated the "hard launch" on his fantasy football blog...http://sdubsports.com/...I thought it was time to give you a true experts thoughts on the upcoming season.

And since all experts love to compare people to past performers, here you go.

RUNNING BACK:
The #1 RB at the end of the year will be Ray Rice.

#2 will be Jamaal Charles - who will be this years Chris Johnson. Don't worry about Thomas Jones, JC will finish with over 2,000 yards from scrimmage.

Chris Johnson will be this year's Michael Turner. Justifiably hyped in the pre-season as a top back. Question marked for overuse in the previous year. Will have a good season, but will not match prior year's production.

If you have one of the top 6 RB's (CJ2K, AP, MJD, Rice, Gore, Charles), then I'd wait to get a 2nd RB. There is tons of value in the Matt Forte/Michael Bush/Justin Forsett/Donald Brown/Ahmad Bradshaw/Arian Foster/Montario Hardesty/Fred Jackson/Clinton Portis group. All guys will go in rounds 5 or later and produce just as well as the Ronnie Brown's/LeSean McCoy's/Joseph Addai's of the fantasy world.

QUARTERBACK:

If you sleep on Kevin Kolb, you will regret it like everyone who passed on Aaron Rodgers the year after he took over for Brett Favre.

QB is a pretty deep position this year, so if you can't get one of the top 5 QB's (Roders, Brees, Peyton, Romo, Brady) then I would wait and double stack on two up and coming QB's in hope one breaksout. That list includes Kolb, Chad Henne, Joe Flacco, Matt Leinart, Matt Moore, and Jason Campbell.

WIDE RECEIVER:

This year's Sidney Rice...Jacoby Jones. Both play for teams with three solid WR's. Both have excellent QB's (top 7 fantasy QB's in Schaub and Favre). Both play for offensive powerhouses.

Vincent Jackson will be this year's (and the year before) Brandon Marshall. A guy people stay away from due to suspensions, but ends up with over 1,000 yards and is a great value pick. Vjax is missing 3 weeks. I know rumors say he may hold out. I say if you stack up on a RB and QB early in your draft, I'd take a flier on Vjax as you number 1 WR. He might not be better than say Santana Moss. But the reward is far greater and you don't win fantasy football championships by playing it safe.

Out of all the breakout wide receiver candidates, I like Michael Crabtree the most. He has the best shot at jumping to the tier 1 category of fantasy WR's. I like what I saw from him last year. I expect Vernon Davis to regress this year, so more balls for Crabtree. I think the 49ers will have an easy schedule playing against the NFC West. And the 49ers defense will work wonders at providing the offense with excellent field position.

There are many sleeper picks I like: Devin Aromashodu, Golden Tate, James Jones, the aforementioned Jacoby Jones, Mike Wallace, Kenny Britt, Malcom Floyd, Chaz Schilens, Jabar Gaffney, Nate Burleson, Devin Thomas. I think if you're in a deep league (say 12-14 teams), then my game plan would be to get two stud WR's early. Wait on your #3 WR and get one of these guys. That way you can load up on QB/RB/TE. Who knows you may even get two of these sleepers and have the luxury of mixing and matching.

TIGHT END:

Deepest position of the draft. I'm almost inclined to let the big guys go (Dallas Clark, Antonio Gates, Jermichael Finley) and take better value later on in the draft. I think Zach Miller, Dustin Keller, Fred Davis, Tony Scheffler, John Carlson will all have just as good seasons as some of the other bigger name players (Tony G., Vernon Davis). Even better, since I count at least sixteen quality TE's available, you can wait until the very end and pick up two of the tier 3 guys and hope one breaks out. Hey, it worked for whoever took Brent Celek or Vernon Davis.

DEFENSE/KICKER:

While I agree that it is wise to wait until the very end to take a kicker and defense, I think there is an argument to be made for going one round early (if you're in a 15 round league, picking defense/kicker in some order in the 13th and 14th round). Unless there is someone you really, really, really like...then I'd jump on getting a guy or defensive unit that you can feel comfort in playing each week. Yes, you may get lucky playing the weekly matchups routine or finding a surprise on the waiver wire. But odds are there will be plenty of people in your league who carry more than one at each position. And that's not even starting to go into always figuring out who to drop. Bench spots are valuable. Playing that game can come back to haunt you.

As my former blog brother would say...only 38 days until the ROFFL draft. Better get studying.

Bron Bron

By now we've all seen the Lebron "decision". We've witnessed the fallout. The bizzare introduction at the Miami Heat arena. Just a weird two days...there is no other way to describe it. But regardless of what opinion you have (where he should have gone, Miami - good or bad decision, the manner in which he made the annoucement, etc...), I think we can all agree on this: We are glad we did not have to make that decision. I say this while I am trying justify the logic...or find any logic in the decision. And honestly, the only rationalization I can come up with is this...Lebron was in a lose lose situation. No matter what decision he made, he would have been vilified if the yet to be determined outcome (i.e. Lebron winning a championship and becoming one of the greatest basketball players ever) did not turn out in a story book fashion. And since that is the outlook Lebron is staring at, then I think it's safe to say that not one of us would want to have to make that decision. Yes; we'd all love to have Lebron's talents, we'd love to have the millions, but would we enjoy the pressure that comes with it? I doubt it. Can you imaagine the pressure when there was no right answer to this. No easy way out. Because the decision was much bigger than just Lebron. Cities, a professional basketball league, friendships, and entire franchises were hanging in the balance. And no matter what he decided (stay in Cleveland, go to New York, go to Miami, etc) he risked alienating a group of people and disappointing others. All while trying to figure out his legacy. Because there are no certainties in professional sports, just higher percentages of favorable outcomes.

So if he made the 'safe' choice and stayed in Cleveland and never brought home a title, he'd go down with the Charles Barkley/Patrick Ewing/Elgin Baylor/Karl Malone's of the NBA. He'd be just another great NBA player, but not a winner. A guy who couldn't get over the hump and people would then start to question just how good he really was. I mean people are already starting to do that after playoff exits to quality Orlando and Boston teams the past two years. Imagine if the same outcome were to happen the next five years. Would people honestly say, well at least Lebron was loyal and stayed in Cleveland. It's ok if he never won a title. Look, we've all seen how far loyalty can get you in professional sports. Kevin Garnett was loyal to the Minnesota franchise and he wasted his prime. Ask him if he made the right decision. Hundreds of players are loyal to their teams, but when they get past their primes, they come to find that their teams are no longer loyal to them...just ask Patrick Ewing or even Brett Favre. So in truth, saying he should have stayed in Cleveland isn't as simple as that. (And I say this as someone who still believes he should have stayed in Cleveland). Plus you have to remember that he plays in Cleveland (no offense Clevelanders), it's not Los Angeles or Chicago or any other major city in the US. You can't compare his situation to Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant. Not everyone is lining up to play for Cleveland. Look no further than Chris Bosh, who chose to play in Miami instead. If Bosh has picked Cleveland, than I'm sure Lebron would have stayed. But Cleveland isn't attractive to people who have no ties to the area. But people want to play in Chicago. Shaq wants to go to Los Angeles. You get my point. In this case, being Cleveland actually hurt Lebron's chances to pull in another marquee player. So that means Lebron is pretty much going at it alone with the Antawn Jamisons/Mo Williams/and JJ Hicksons of the league. Not exactly Pau Gasol level here (and remember that...Kobe couldn't win by himself until Gasol came - you can't win in this league as a one man show). So there goes option #1.

Option #2 was to go to another team not named Miami (Chicago, New York, LA Clippers, or Dalllas). I group them all together because the impact/hatred would have been a little less than going to Miami. At least he'd be going to a team where'd he still be the alpha dog and that team's success/failure would still lie squarely on his shoulders. So say he did that? Again, no guarantee of championships...not even the best odds (although you could argue Chicago had better odds than Miami, but then you're arguining that a complete team is better than having 3 of the top 20 players in the league...Rose/Noah/Lebron does not compare with Wade/Bosh/Lebron). On top of that, you still alienate the Cleveland fans, because you left. And if you fail to bring home a championship (which would have been extremely difficult if he went to New York or LA Clippers), then you would be regarded as a failure and not one of the best ever to play. So there goes option #2.

Which brings us to option #3. Miami!!! A cheap way out by any true fans account, but you can understand why he would decide to go there. He basically did the opposite of what Kobe did. Instead of being the guy that other superstars come to play with, he choose to be the superstar that leaves to play with another superstar. He had to make that choice, because Wade wasn't coming to Cleveleand. Bosh wasn't coming either. Nobody in that level wants to play in Cleveland. Plus Cleveland didn't have the money. So if he can't get people to play for Cleveland, then he has to leave and go where they are. Instead of being Kobe, he was Gasol. Does that make him a villian...absolutely. Will people think he took the easy way out...yes. But in the end, if he wins multiple championships...it won't matter. He'll still be up there with Shaq and Hakeem as one of the best 10-12 players ever. Just not one of the top 3 players ever. And maybe he's ok with that. It was the easiest pick, yet also the hardest. He had to turn his back on his home town. He had to become a hated man. He had to tarnish his legacy and his reputation. But he did what 'felt' right and what made him happy. And nobody ever said that the 'right' and 'happy' decision was always the easiest one to make.

Only time will tell how we view this decision and Lebron as a player and person. And that's the problem Lebron had with the decision in the first place. He wouldn't know if he made the right answer until he was too old to change it.

World Cup Thoughts

I don't know about you, but the World Cup has me hooked. Consider me a huge soccer/futbol fan. Beforehand; I never quite understood the appeal of the sport. But after seeing a majority of the games in the World Cup, I finally get it. I love the artistry of the game. The beauty and difficulty of scoring a goal. The drama of the penalty kicks. The magic tricks some of the guys play with the ball. I also enjoy the fact that the game will only last about two hours (baring sudden death penalty kicks). And that their are no timeouts/very few replays/and the clock keeps running.

But the moment that truly won me over was the same moment that inspired United States fans around the country. Yes, I'm talking about that moment. During the 91st minute of the Algeria game. Right around 11:51 am EST. The greatest goal in US Soccer history. Landon Donovan who nails home the rebound and sent fans into a frenzy. I can't say enough of the goal. Mainly because I missed it at the time. I was on a plane about to take off for Mexico, but I was following on my phone. I saw ESPN refresh, US 1 - Algeria - 0, and knew it was a huge moment even without seeing it live. All I could think about for the next five hours was seeing the highlight in my hotel room. But in Mexico, the game was just another World Cup game being played. Much like how the America's ESPN wouldn't go crazy over an amazing Uruguay game. Finally sometime during a quick recap on CNN, I finally saw the clip. But it was just a clip. I didn't fully comprehend the moment until I got back home. Until I saw the YouTube clips that Bill Simmons so nicely linked to in his article. I saw the crowds reactions. And you know what? I've seen it at least thirty times. And every time it still gets me. It sends chills up my spine. It makes me proud to be an American. And as it writer and sports fan, it makes me want to put the moment in context.

Because very few times can you remember when a sport took off or returned to prominence.

In Basketball, it was when Bird-Magic met in the NCAA championship in 1979.

In Baseball, it was in 1998 when McGwire and Sosa took steroids and blasted some baseballs out of the park. (Baseball was always popular after all)

In Swimming, it was in 2008 when Micheal Phelps won 8 gold medals.

In Hockey, I wouldn't dare say it was near the Eruzione goal in Lake Placid in 1980. But it's close to the Zach Parise goal scored in the nail biting final of the US-Canada Hockey Gold Medal Game at the 2010 Winter Olympics. Think about it. Parise scored off a rebound, just like Donovan. Parise was the star of the American run to the gold medal game, just like Donovan was the star of the Americans run to the round of 16. Neither was a game ender (aka a walk off)...Parise scored with 24.4 seconds to play, while Donovan scored in the 91st minute (meaning 3 minutes were still left to be played). You could even make the parallel to the Parise goal only taking the game to overtime, where the US eventually lost...and Donovan's goal only taking the US team to the next round of the World Cup, where the team eventually lost to Ghana.

Still, that was the moment. That goal will mark the exact moment that soccer became relevant in the United States. I'm hooked. So are about 20 million others. It's finally arrived as a respected sport here and one that people will want to play and watch. So maybe not right away...or even in four years in time for the next World Cup, but soccer will see a rise in young kids playing. There will be a great American soccer player. Someone comparable to the Christian Ronaldo's and Lionel Messi's of the world. Why? Because somewhere out there...there is a kid blessed with tremendous athletic ability and the intangible soccer gene, who will actually decide to play soccer and work on the game. He won't play baseball or basketball or football. You don't believe me...baseball is already losing African American's as it sees a rise in Latino ballplayers. Football studies are showing that their is tremendous brain damage that can be done even while playing as a youth. Kids will turn to other sports, whether they be Lacross, tennis, golf, or soccer. It will happen. And you know what...there will be many who decide to play soccer. They will be inspired by Landon Donovan's goal and by the 2010 US team in general. And they will lead the American soccer revolution.

I'm writing this over a week since the goal was scored. ESPN decided to replay the game and I watched it again. And even though I knew the outcome, I still was nervous and tense in the moments leading up to the goal. And when it finally happened...it still gave me chills. It'll be a goal that I show my kids. And who knows, maybe they'll choose to play soccer too. So thank you Mr. Donovan.

Write The Future Commerical Tally

You've all seen the popular Nike 'Write the Future' campaign. But now that the World Cup is into the semi-finals, we can take a look back at the on-field success of the commerical. And you know what...I think there is a Nike curse?

You don't believe me? Let's do a quick Nike Write the Future commercial tally - Here are the prominently featured players:

Rooney (England) - zero goals, eliminated in the round of 16.
Cesc Fabregas (Spain) zero goals, team still alive in semifinals.
Christian Ronaldo - one goal, eliminated in round of 16.
Frank Riberty (France)/Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast)/Fabio Cannavaro (Italy) all eliminated in round 1.

With the exception of Landon Donovan (USA), who scored 3 goals and famously led the US team into the round of 16...none of those above players did exceptionally well in the World Cup. And to be fair, Donovan was more like an extra in the commercial. He was reading, he wasn't featured in the soccer scene, and was probably only in the commercial in an attempt to appeal to the American audiences.

The rest of the players in the commercial are not super duper stars and also had mixed results: Those being Andres Iniesta (Spain), Theo Walcott(England), Patrice Evra (France), Gerard Pique (Spain), Tim Howard (US)...not many goals scored, and only Spain is still playing, but that's largely thanks to the play of David Villa rather than Iniesta or Pique.

Listen; the commercial was great and the people were are paid very well by Nike, but don't you think any one of those guys listed above would rather be in David Villa (Spain), Thomas Muller/Bastian Schweinsteiger/Mesut Oezil (Germany), Wesley Sneijder (Netherlands), or Diego Forlon (Uruguay) shoes.

Write the Future? Not quite.

Summer Movie Preview: July 2010

Another summer month has come and gone and that means we're at the halfway point of the summer movie season. After a disappointing May, June added a little more excitement and cash flow. But only three movies stood out and excited the audiences. Let's take a quick recap:

If you haven't already, check out May and June's previews:

Hits:

Toy Story 3 - Pixar has done it again. A wonderful and touching film that made me remember why I loved (who am I kidding....I still do) my toys. The last half hour is some moving stuff...prepare to cry. In a lackluster summer, this movie has stood out even more and the grosses are showing it. It's almost at $300mm and looks headed for Shrek 2 teritory (i.e. $420mm). The probably #1 movie of the summer, with Inception having an outside shot of pulling the upset.

Twilight: Eclipse - With each movie the grosses just keep getting bigger and bigger. And they say this is the best of the franchise so far (although that's not saying much), so expect a final tally greater than the last Twilight film.

The Karate Kid - One of the surprises that I correctly predicted. Even though it's too long, the movie is a huge hit and could spawn it's own sequel. Jaden Smith will become a huge star...unless he starts hanging out with the wrong crowd.

Moderate Successes:

Grown Ups - just another in a long line of Adam Sandler hits. By few accounts is it actually good. But the cast really helped pull in big numbers at the box office.

Get Him to the Greek - some have called it hilarious...others have felt it was bland. It's made about $50mm so far, and will be considered a money maker. But it's no Hangover.

Misses:

The A-Team - supposedly the action was worth the price of admission. But the story was not well conceived and a sequel will most likely not be made.

Killers - Just didn't have the leading actor and actress to pull off a story that's been done plenty of times before...and way better.

Splice - I really swung and missed on this one. Audiences saw it as just another by the book horror movie and it will go on to live a better life on DVD.

Knight and Day - Another movie I really swung and missed on. I thought for sure this was the film that would bring Tom Cruise back to prominence. Especially after his performance on the MTV Movie Awards. But a poor title hurt it's cause. And it's shown that audiences don't love Tom like they used to.

Jonah Hex - And there goes Megan Fox's once promising career. She can't get by on looks forever.

JULY 2010:

The Last Airbender: Qualifies under #2

Starring: Dev Patel and a bunch of other people you never heard of.

Directed by: M. Night Shyamalan

M. Night Shyamalan directs his first ever feature that he didn’t write, which is a good thing. That means no surprise ending. No long, boring stretches of time wasted on building up to that surprise ending. And after “The Sixth Sense” (and arguably “Signs” and “Unbreakable”), Shyamalan seemed to become a little too complacent. Too willing to settle on that one trick pony/writing ploy. There is no denying the man has talent. So it’ll be interesting to see what he can do with this popular animated series that could lead to his own comeback story. Opening on the coveted July 4th weekend, I think this movie is going to get glowing reviews and have some sick special effects. Final gross will be $300+mm and a sequel will be in the works.

Pros: The return of M. Night. Air, Water, Fire, Earth…tailored made for 3D.

Cons: Uproar over the racial (or lack thereof) casting. (Um…they’re supposed to be Asian).


Despicable Me: Qualifies under #11

Featuring voices by: Steve Carrell, Kristin Wiig, Jason Segal, Russell Brand, Julie Andrews, and Will Arnett.

The summer’s required other animated offering to compete with Pixar. This one comes from Universal, which isn’t known for animated movies (yet). And the trailers have looked confusing so far, giving no indication of what the movie is about (or any voices). Heck, the only thing that stands out about the trailer is the rap song. Yet, with this all star lineup and a cute premise (that I had to look up) I expect this animated entry to make Ice Age money. Final gross of $190mm.

Pros: Big production animated movies like these usually do well.

Cons: A trailer that fails to excite.


Predators: Qualifies under #3

Starring: Adrian Brody, Topher Grace, Danny Trejo, Alice Braga, and Laurence Fishburne.

Based on the early trailer/preview, this could be the entry that brings the franchise back to its roots. After a lackluster sequel, followed by a couple of Aliens vs. Predators titles, we might finally see a basic man versus monster in the jungle movie. Consider me intrigued. The key will be how well the stars act as they mercenaries. Let’s face it, Arnold was awesome. But Carl Weathers and Jesse Ventura were money too. Danny Glover, Sanaa Lathan, and the girl from “24” were not so money. Can Brody, Grace, Fishburne, Trejo, and Braga pull it off? That will be the key to whether it makes $40mm or $75. I say they disappoint and the movie only makes $50mm.

Pros: Bringing the franchise back to its roots.

Cons: Would have been at least 27x more anticipated if Robert Rodriquez were the director.


Inception: Qualifies for #2, and #6

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Marion Cotillard, Ellen Page, Ken Watanabe, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

Directed by: Christopher Nolan

In this particular instance, doesn’t Christopher make him sound so much better than if he went by Chris Nolan (see Chris Weitz)? Anyway, I have no idea what this movie is about. No clue what anybody is doing in the trailer. Yet, this is probably going to be the coolest movie of the summer. Nolan does not disappoint: See Memento, Batman Begins, the Presitge, and The Dark Knight. The man is simply money. Throw in a stellar cast and prepare to have your mind blown. The only question is will people get it? Because let’s face it - some people are stupid. They want to see “Big Momma’s House 3” and “White Chicks 2” instead of having their minds challenged. Final gross will be $300mm making for Nolan’s biggest non-Batman hit.

Pros: Nolan’s only original movie in between making Batman’s. IMAX. Guaranteed twists and turns that will leave your mouths open and heads scratched. The next Matrix?

Cons: Too confusing for its own good?


The Sorcerer’s Apprentice: Qualifies for #2, and #6

Starring: Nicholas Cage, Jay Baruchel, Monica Bellucci, and Alfred Molina

Directed by: Jon Turteltaub

Great, another Jon Turteltaub-Nicholas Cage-Jerry Bruckehimer movie. Just what the National Treasure fans out there needed (although, I’m sure my friend Sherm is happy). I know that was my initial reaction. Followed by the obligatory, “How the heck does Nicholas Cage keep getting these gigs?” and “This movie will suck”. But then a funny thing happened. This movie started getting good press. Early leaks have all been good. They say this will make Jay Baruchel (last seen in “She’s Out of My League”) a star. And the trailers have looked impressive. Throw in the track records of J-N-J and consider me sold. I think this movie has a chance to be the breakout hit of the summer, exceeding all expectations, and finishing with a solid $250+mm box office run (sequel alert).

Pros: From the team that brought you National Treasure. Prepare for adventure and special effects.

Cons: More crazy, over-the-top Nicholas Cage.


Dinner for Schmucks: Qualifies for #3, and #4

Starring: Steve Carrell, Paud Rudd, and Zach Galifianakis

Directed by: Jay Roach

This movie has hit written all over it. Starring one of the comedy kings of the moment (Carrell), and two up and coming comedy stars that are moving up the ladder (Rudd – who was great in “I Love you, Man” and Galifianakis – who stole the show in “The Hangover”). Throw in the director of “Meet the Parents” and “Austin Powers” and how can you not be excited? Well because the trailer doesn’t look funny at all. Actually, it looks pretty bad. This movie is more of a farce than a raunchy comedy, and I’m not sure how that’ll play out for the fans of Rudd and Galifianakis. I think this comedy has a chance to be 2010’s version of “Funny People”. A dramedy that is being sold on the stars and director, instead of the quality of the movie. Final gross will be only $50mm.

Pros: An equal comedy dream team to the “Grown Ups”, minus the SNL pedigree.

Cons: Based on a foreign film, so might not be your typical brand of humor.


Salt:

Starring: Angelina Jolie, Live Schreiber, and Chiwetel Ejiofor.

Directed by: Philip Noyce

Another movie that has been supposedly hit by production troubles. Sure, the movie has gone through several directors and stars, even going through a gender change (Salt was supposed to be played by Tom Cruise). But I don’t think this is the same as Robin Hood or Jonah Hex. All that happened prior to the movie being made. And ending up with Angelina Jolie in the type of sexy, action heroine role that fans love to see her in (her biggest hits have been “Mr. and Mrs. Smith”, “Wanted”, and “Tomb Raider”) is not a bad consolation prize. The trailers have looked pretty cool - adding the right amount of action and intrigue, all while making people want to know if Jolie is bad or good in the movie. Job well done people who make the trailer and get paid tons of money to do it. Final box office gross: $165mm.

Pros: Angeline. Jolie. Naked. (I just made up the naked part)

Cons: Trying a little too hard to be the female Jason Bourne (right down to the NYPD car chase scene).


Cats and Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore: Qualifies for #3, #11

Starring: Chris O’Donnell and Jack McBrayer

Featuring voices by: Alec Baldwin, Michael Clarke Duncan, and Bette Midler

If G-Force has taught us anything, it’s that any kind of talking animals are cute and will make a lot of money at the box office. So nine years after the first film made a decent $93mm domestic gross, a sequel is back to delight little kids yet again. Now, I haven’t seen the trailer or heard anything about the movie. But do you really need to? The title says it all. Prepare for cute dogs and cats. A couple of humans thrown in to make it live action. And let the cash flow in. Final gross will be $105mm.

Pros: Dogs. Puppies. Cats. Kittens. Sooooo cute!

Cons: Will it reach beyond the family audience?


That's all I got readers...So which ones are you most excited to see?