Pop Culture Chronicles

Just saw this new film, expected to hit theaters this fall, entitled, The Phenom. The Phenom stars Paul Giammatti , Ethan Hawke, and Johnny Simmons. It is a baseball tale about a young highschool prodigy, named Hopper Gibson. Hopper is about to embark on future major league success and gets drafted by the Atlanta Braves. He starts out well as a rookie, but hits a slump , and gets sent down to the minor leagues, and has some performance  issues. Therefore, the team issues a top sports psychologist to help Gibson, and addresses his realtionship with this abusive father, who obsesses over him and the game of baseball, his personal relationships and personality as a whole. Hopper begins to realize that he does not  have to meet everyone's expectations and just play the game for fun, like he did as a child. Overall, the film is dramatic, exciting and heartfelt. My rating for the film is a 8.5/10. it is expected to hit theaters this fall or spring. Be on the lookout for the Phenom.

A recently new show that came out this spring of 2016 on Netflix, starring Will Arnett in Flaked. Flaked is about a Southern Californian  AA counselor , who also owners a hardware store, named Chip. Chip spends his time around the beach and partying , but after a couple of failed relationships and a serious drunk driving accident, Chip needs to find out what matters most in life and what can he do to be truly happy. The show is funny, yet has a serious and dramatic element. I highly recommend this show. My rating so far would be a 9/10. If you have Netflix, or don't but find access to watch this show, its a good one!

In a new Netflix special, a documentary on Tony Robbins, a world renowned life coach, public speaker and motivator who has changed thousands of lives with his seminars and techniques , he is documented with his most popular seminar , Date With Destiny,(2014). Date With Destiny is a 6 day seminar in Boca Raton, FL. Robbins and his guests are gone through a series of mental, psychological exercises , goal settings, and Robbins individually interacts with guests and challenges them about their biggest fears, regrets, problems, or the simplest problem that hinders that person's happiness.  Many of these guests struggle with suicide , depression, anxiety, bad relationships, family abuse, physical and emotional abuse. He also shares his life story and his battles with depression, anxiety, and family abuse and how that shaped him and wanted to help others.  I personally recommend this documentary and its now streaming on Netflix, , so check it out! Its for everyone who is struggling in li

A new series on Amazon prime follows the NFL team , the Arizona Cardinals during the 2015-16 season and a quest for a championship. The Cardinals did very well this season and won a franchise record, 13 of 16 games and advanced to the NFC Championship , one game away from the Superbowl and came up short to the Carolina Panthers, under the their dynamic quarterback , Cam Newton. Although, the Cardinals did not achieve their goal of winning a superbowl this season, don't count them out for the 2016-17 season, this fall. They are hungry and have the talent to go all the way next year. In the documentary series, similar to HBO's Hard Knocks, the camera crew interviews head coach Bruce Arians, team leaders Larry Fitzgerald who is most likely a hall of fame bound wide receiver after his career is over, and veteran quarterback, Carson Palmer. The Cardinals also have defensive leaders such as Tryann Mathieu and Patrick Peterson who are pro bowlers and just coming into their athletic pr

This summer for movies has been lackluster and hasn't been up to par for sure, but there are some movies this year, such as Sing Street, which is a musical comedy worthwhile. Sing Street takes place in the mid 80's Ireland and follows an Irish lad and his mates in highschool who are social outcasts, but through inspiration form bands such as Duran , Duran and his brother, a band assembles and turns out they have some musical talent. In addition, the main lad, the lead, Cosmo, fancies a young beautiful girl across the street and tries to get her attention by asking her to be a video girl for the band.  Cosmo and his band's young lives  starts to change and they gain attention, but he has some family problems at home , while trying to be in a relationship with his dream girl , and making and sustaining a successful band in his young 15 year old life.  Overall, the film is well done, great drama and comedy from the entire cast and great cinematography throughout the film.  My