Saturday Speaks (and Links) (with Movie Trailers) (some baseball) (and Bill Murray): "It's Football Time in Tennessee" Edition

I got to go to a baseball game last weekend. Our local minor league team, the AA Cubs affiliate Tennessee Smokies beat the Jacksonville Suns on a 3-run homer in the top of the 9th. It was my first since early July. I was jonesing. Lucky for the wife and I, we are spending Labor Day in Cincinnati. Catch a Reds game. Make a day trip out of it. Need one more MLB game before football completely takes over.


Speaking of football. This:

#GBO #3rdDownforWhat? #unintentionaltwins

University of Tennessee football every weekend but one from now to December. The mood is excited around these parts. "It's Football Time..." today, at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, against Bowling Green. Friends and food (and beverages) and football on a Saturday. Nothing better. It's especially fun at work the Friday before, when the Big Orange pride comes out. This young scholar and I seem to match a lot on Fridays.

Speaking of students and sporting events. This:

Bill Murray is part-owner of the New York Yankees' Single-A affiliate Charleston Riverdogs. The kid on his left is a starting pitcher for the Dogs. Name of Matt Marsh. He is from my hometown. My wife had him in her American history class when he was in 8th grade. We couldn't be more proud...jealous. Our visit to "The Joe" had no Bill Murray.

And since I said Bill Murray. This:

Athens, Georgia's own space-y Southern psych-rockers, featuring my first cousin on lead guitar, showed up in Knoxville last Friday night. After a long week at work, it was awesome to have a good dinner and a few pints with some killer live tunes and a good chat with family we don't see that often.

As for local entertainment. This:



Frank Hall Green's festival hit Wildlike is the Opening Night Selection at the Knoxville Film Festival. In only its third year, this small festival draws a decent crowd and, if my experience last year is any indication, runs some fine under-the-radar films. I'm debating whether I want to go or not. Last year, the newspaper I write a column for bought me a pass. They haven't offered yet this year.

Then, there's this:



What a piece of weird genius this most likely is. This thing looks like a, well, I don't know...I think we may have a bit of a new visionary in Greek filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos, who scored an Oscar nomination with his brilliantly disturbing debut, 2010's Dogtooth. His first English language film, The Lobster stars Colin Farrell (now on a bit of a hot streak after his success on HBO's True Detective) as a man who desperately needs to find a woman or face the consequences.

And speaking of women. This:



Marion Cotillard as the master plan-wielding Lady Macbeth of Shakespeare fame. Michael Fassbender as her doomed husband. Justin Kurzel's new adaptation of The Bard's tragedy looks stunning. I have my college Shakespeare anthology sitting right next to me. I am inspired to read it once more. Now a must before this one drops.

Last but not least. This:



Cary Fukunaga's Beasts of No Nation is about to blow people away. Mark my words. This trailer straight screams words like harrowing and gritty and profound. As far as I'm concerned, Idris Elba can have any damn role he wants. Will we hear is name in January?

Blogger Links

Drew over at A Fistful of Films dropped 2014 Four Ways and wrapped up Four Ways a Best Picture, a project in which I played a small role. (The results may shock you!)

Rhys over at Feeling Fuzzier and I are eye-to-eye on American Ultra.

Sati at Cinematic Corner talks the trailers for The Danish Girl and The Lobster, among other things.

Khalid at The Blazing Reel and Wendell at Dell on Movies paid tribute to Wes Craven.