The Under the Radar (read: Indie) Summer Movie Preview

Hushpuppy & Beasts of the Southern Wild
are leading this summer's Indies.

For this summer I've decided not to do my normal movie preview. Partly this is because we're already a month in so I'd be late on a few films but also because we're so saturated with previews that most people generally know what movies they are & are not interested in. The majority of Americans made the correct choice in skipping the latest Adam Sandler trash, That's My Boy, & most will wisely line up to see the end of Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy in The Dark Knight Rises. There doesn't seem to quite be consensus on The Amazing Spider Man but I'm hopeful people will realize that Andrew Garfield (The Social Network) & Emma Stone (Easy A) are a pretty big improvement on Tobey Maguire & Kirsten Dunst & give this new incarnation of the web slinging superhero a chance.

Regardless after being bombarded with ads for a month what I tell you likely won't make a difference. For example if I tell most guys that Magic Mike is quite likely a better film than Ted they're still more likely to go see the movie centered around a foul mouthed teddy bear than they are the one about male strippers. So instead I will give you the rundown on the indie films on their way over the next two to three months.* In case your questioning my indie taste it should be noted I have previously recommended the hilarious Cedar Rapids, Win Win which was at least equal to Oscar winner The Descendants, Woody Allen's excellent & award winning Midnight in Paris, & another Oscar winner in Beginners. So don't you dare question me! Now onto the movies...**

*It bares mentioning that all release dates are limited, thus if you live in Tucson these movies likely won't show up for 2-4 weeks past the initial release date, & when they do they'll likely only show at El Con or The Loft

**Thanks to Rotten Tomatoes & IMDb for aiding in the summaries.

Unappreciated Greatness: LeBron James-The Best Player in the NBA

That's right LeBron, you are the best.

LeBron James is the best player in the NBA. This statement is not an opinion, it is a fact. Much like arguing against Michael Jordan being the greatest modern day (post-NBA/ABA merger) basketball player of all-time denying LeBron's place at the top merely proves one's ignorance. The problem is too often when people express this opinion they aren't scolded for their stupidity, rather their ignorance is celebrated & this bothers me. Just so we're clear it angers me not because I'm a fan of the Miami Heat (as a Bulls fan I assure you I am not), after all I'm the guy who a year ago wrote an article titled "Why Everyone Hates the Heat." No, it angers me as a basketball fan. You can hate people in sports, God knows I do, but when you are watching greatness you had damn well better respect it. So once & for all let's rid ourselves of this silliness.