It’s been
a busy weekend and I’m a little under the weather so this is gonna be a short
blog, I’ll do better next week I promise!
MVC Cross Country
I
traveled with our coaching staff out to the MVC Cross Country Championships in
Carbondale, IL, this weekend and we came back with mixed emotions.
The MVC
has become a very strong conference in distance running recently and our team
has improved as well. Our women ended up
in fourth place with our men placing fifth.
As you look at the team scores it’s easy to see how things could’ve been
different. Our women had a good total
score of only 94 points and was just 23 points from second. Our men also had a nice score of 116 and was only
six points from fourth (and also two points from seventh).
I know
Coach Hunter and the cross country team was disappointed in the final result
but we all knew they ran their hearts out and sometimes the cards don’t fall
how you want them. Still, WSU placed
higher than last year on both sides so congrats to the Shocks! Kudos to the Bradley women and the Indiana
State men who won well deserved titles.
With just the regional and national CC meets left the track season is
just around the corner!
“J” Movies
This is
the 10th of a 24 part series (if I don’t bore you all to death) where I list
movies I own by letter (I don’t have any movies that begin with Q, X or Z but I
do have some that start with numbers). I
currently own a small collection of 168 movies (and growing most weeks) on DVD.
Most of
the movies I own I had previously seen and enjoyed immensely. Some are movies that I had not seen but was
curious about. Some were gifts from
people with bad tastes in movies.
I own
five “J” movies so here is the list from best to worst …..
Movie Name (year made, length,
MPAA rating, IMDB rating, Box office)
Jaws (1975, 124 min, R, 8.1, $470m) –
One of my all-time favorite movies is still a very effective horror movie
today. This was one of Steven
Spielberg’s early movies and the story of how difficult it was to make is about
as interesting as the movie itself! What
I wonder about is how effective would it have been without the simple musical
notes that foreshadowed Jaws’ arrival throughout the movie? Either way I love this movie!
The Jerk (1979, 94 min, R, 7.2, $73.6m) –
Another classic movie from the 1970’s starring Steve Martin who “was born a
poor black child in Mississippi.” I’ve
had a few friends that told me they didn’t think this movie was that great and
I have no idea what they are talking about.
There are tons of great scenes and funny lines and an ending that is
appropriate for the “Jerk”. My favorite
scene is near the end when Martin is walking out and keeps taking a few things,
saying he doesn’t need anything, well except this, and this, and that.
Juno (2007, 96 min, PG-13, 7.6, $231m)
– Directed by Jason Reitman (who also did Up in the Air), this was the breakout
movie for Ellen Page that took a sensitive subject (abortion and teenage
pregnancy) and made it funny as well as touching. Michael Cera did a nice job as the cross
country runner and father of Page’s baby.
I guess you could categorize this as a romantic comedy and if so, I
would say it’s one of the best of that genre.
“Uhhh, I hate it when adults use the term "sexually active."
What does it even mean? Am I gonna like deactivate some day or is it a
permanent state of being?”
Jerry Maguire (1996, 139 min, R, 7.3, $273m) –
This popular movie stars Tom Cruise as a sports agent and Cuba Gooding Jr as
his only (eventually) athlete he represents.
I thought this movie was very well done and gave us the great line,
“Show me the money!” I’m not a fan of
all the sappy stuff so I could’ve done with more of the behind the scenes
sports action but I still give this movie a favorable review.
The Jesse Owens Story (1984, 174 min, NR, 6.8, $?) – I
think this was a made for TV movie that I saw as a kid and a couple years ago I found
it at a store for $2 and grabbed it up!
It’s not a bad biopic for one of the most famous Olympic track and field
athletes of all time but being a made for TV movie it had its limitations. I’ve heard there is a new Jesse Owens movie
in production that is scheduled to come out in 2015. Hopefully it will be done as well as the
recent movie about Jackie Robinson (42).
All five
of these movies are very good and this list includes both a track AND cross
country athlete. Win-Win!
Next week
Hopefully
I’m not sick! And I also have five "K" movies that are VERY diverse. Check back for those!
Until
then thanks again for reading, Go Shocks!!!
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