The Skolney Blog

1995: By 1995, I was getting pretty well versed in film, but I didn't quite get the hoopla surrounding Heat, Michael Mann's epic modern crime drama, which was to mark the first time legendary actors Al Pacino and Robert Deniro would share the screen together. (They were both stars in Godfather 2 but shared no scenes) Honestly, I probably hadn't seen either of them in much by then. I knew OF them more by reputation, and hell, I was many years away from seeing a Godfather movie. I didn't see this in theaters. I was dissuaded by the long runtime (and at the time I had to convince my mom to take me to anything R). Boy I wish I had seen this on the big screen though. Pacino is the grizzled LA detective. Deniro is the hard boiled criminal. They're on a collision course once Deniro's crew (including Val Kilmer) robs an armored car. The plot specifics are cool, but almost incidental to why the film works. The shootout sequence later in the film is great beca...

In theaters: WICKED FOR GOOD I had pretty much the same reaction to this movie, which is essentially the 2nd half of one large movie if we're being honest, as I did to the first. It's solidly made and mostly well acted (but Taco Grande is way out of her depth when she has to be dramatic here), but I don't think it should be in contention for serious awards. And while I'm sure it's the same in the play, what a cop out ending.  AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH The spectacle is still there, but this 3rd Avatar film disappointed me. It didn't involve me on a story level, as some of the narrative choices in the previous film that I didn't like figure in here in a big way. I simply will never care about Stephen Lang and his son, the eternally annoying Spider. James Cameron can still stage an action sequence like nobody else, but even there, this movie's action is kind of just a rehash of the original's sky fight and the sequel's water fight. This is also the longe...

VIKINGS 23 LIONS 10 The Vikings hosted a Christmas Day game for the first time in over 30 years on Thursday, and after a season of giving out a lot of.coal, they pulled off one of the weirdest wins in recent memory, eliminating the fraudulent Detroit Lions from the playoffs in the process. How weird was it? Well, the Lions had more turnovers than the Vikings had net passing yards.  With JJ McCarthy probably done for the season, it was back to starting Max Brosmer for the first time since the Seattle debacle. And, I mean, I guess he wasn't as bad as he was in that game. He at least didn't turn the ball over, but between his inability to throw the football or avoid sacks, the Vikings had negative net passing yards until deep into the 4th quarter. Brosmer was 9 of 16 for 51 yards, playing behind an OL missing 3 starters, and without a couple offensive weapons available (Hockenson & Mason). How the hell did the Vikings beat the high-powered Lions with such putrid offense? Well,...

VIKINGS 16 GIANTS 13 Sunday was the first Vikings game in years that held absolutely zero meaning playoff-wise for either participant. The Vikings were officially eliminated last week, and the Giants were pretty much eliminated in training camp, and are eyeing the #1 pick in the draft. And this was a game befitting such low stakes and poor teams, filled with very little scoring, but lots of penalties and bad football. The Vikings were just less bad. The Vikings probably could have put the game away in the first half, were it not for two big blunders. Jordan Addison dropped a TD pass, and late in the half a missed block led to JJ McCarthy getting crushed on a strip sack, the ball being run back for a score by former Gopher Tyler Nubin.  As it was, the score at half was 13-10 Vikings, with a couple of Reichard field goals and a McCarthy TD run.  The injury bug hit again in the first half, as Jordan Mason was carted off, Ryan Kelly got another concussion (he needs to retire), and...

VIKINGS 34 COWBOYS 26 The Vikings' Sunday began with bad news, as the Bears win over Cleveland officially eliminated them from the playoffs, clinching the season as a rather colossal failure. It meant the Vikings would play 4 games after being eliminated, the most such games for them since way back in 2011. So all that's left then is to play spoiler, to hope that our misery can be spread to others. And Sunday night was a good opportunity for that, playing in Dallas against a Cowboys team still clinging to their own longshot postseason hopes. I wish the game meant something for the Vikings, because for the first time all year they won back to back games, led by a very good game from JJ McCarthy (clearly inspired by me labeling him Strychnine). They're suddenly looking a bit like the team we all expected 3 months ago. It certainly didn't start like it would be another promising game. McCarthy's very first pass was picked off on a deflection, and the Cowboys used that ...

Yeah, part 1. This is a busy month.  In theaters: ETERNITY A very entertaining afterlife comedy in which a woman (radiant Elisabeth Olsen) must choose whether to spend, um, eternity with her 1st husband (Callum Turner) who died in war, or the man (Miles Teller) she married afterwards and built a family with over decades. Lots of terrific detail in how the afterlife works, very reminiscent of the great Defending Your Life.  RENTAL FAMILY Warm dramedy with Brendan Fraser working for a company that rents out employees as actors for customers' scenarios. It's kind of hard to describe it, but it makes sense. It's definitely a feel good movie.  HAMNET Considered one of the year's big awards contenders, Chloe Zhao directs this story of William Shakespeare (Paul Mescal) and his wife (Jessie Buckley, astounding) losing a young son, which inspired the play of Hamlet. I was expecting this emotional wallop from the film, but it wasn't quite what I expected. It's very Terren...

VIKINGS 31 COMMANDERS 0 The last month has been a horrible time to be a Vikings fan. Awful losses, historically dreadful QB play, uncertainty at best about the future. We needed something good to happen, something to provide a trace of hope that maybe things could get better, even though the 2025 season can not be saved. We got it with gusto. The Vikings, facing the Washington Commanders in the We Wish It Were Still 2024 Bowl, posted their 1st home shutout since 1993 and the largest margin of victory in a shutout since 1980. Back off his concussion, JJ McCarthy was starting again. Much was made during the week about how KOC was supposedly "simplifying" the offense. It's unclear exactly what that means, but it was clear today that everything was quick. Quick throws, quick runs, quick decisions. And balance. Passing and rushing totals were nearly identical.  The offense went right down the field on the opening drive, getting the first touchdown since the Chicago game 3 week...