The 51 Best Albums/EPs of 2022

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By Andrew Buckner

51. It’s Almost Dry

By Pusha T

50. Sad Girl Blues (EP)

By Lauren Brabson

49. Marvelous

By Yung Gravy

48. Back in Black

By Cypress Hill

47. Dawn FM

By The Weeknd

46. Laurel Hell

By Mitski

45. Lucifer on the Sofa

By Spoon

44. Spirit Exit

By Caterina Barbieri

43. Theory of Becoming

By Evgueni Galperine

42. Ramona Park Broke My Heart

By Vince Staples

41. Driplomatic Immunity

By 183rd, Nym Lo, Smoke DZA

40. Get Well Soon

By King ISO

39. The Brave

By Tom MacDonald, Adam Calhoun

38. The Gospel According to Nikki Giovanni (feat. Nikki Giovanni)

By Javon Jackson

37. Mood Swings (EP)

By Real Bad Man, Smoke DZA

36. The Three Fantastic Supermen Epics (EP)

By Killah Priest

35. SICK!

By Earl Sweatshirt

34. Cocodrillo Turbo

By Action Bronson

33. Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers

By Kendrick Lamar

32. The Elephant Man’s Bones

By Roc Marciano, The Alchemist

31. Drillmatic – Heart vs. Mind

By The Game

30. First of da Month

By The Snowgoons

29. What Has Been Blessed Cannot Be Cursed

By Big Ghost Ltd., Conway the Machine

28. Onyx Versus Everybody

By Onyx

27. Peter

By Bizarre

26. Firestarter (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

By John Carpenter, Daniel Davies, Cody Carpenter

25. Unanimous Goldmine (The Original Soundtrack of “Neptune Frost”)

By Saul Williams

24. Super Beast

By Madchild

23. Skylar Grey

By Skylar Grey

22. Continuance

By Curren$y, The Alchemist

21. He Got a Gun

By Bizarre

20. Sometimes Y

By Yelawolf, Shooter Jennings

19. Tana Talk 4

By Benny the Butcher

18. God Don’t Make Mistakes 

By Conway the Machine

17. Saturday Afternoon Kung-Fu Theater (EP)

By RZA,  DJ Scratch

16. No Fear of Time

By Black Star

15. Medicine at Midnight

By Foo Fighters

14. Forever

By Phife Dawg

13. 1993 

By Onyx

12. Sentimental Ballad

By Teagan Johnston

11. Renaissance Kings 

By The Snowgoons

10. Detroit Life 2

By Swifty McVay

9. Zhigeist

By Elzhi, Georgia Anne Muldrow

8. Czarmageddon!

By Czarface

7. Aethiopes

By Billy Woods

6. Harbor City Season One

By Crooked I, Joell Ortiz, 

5. Cost of Living

By Apollo Brown, Philmore Greene 

4. Last of a Dying Breed

By Kool G Rap

3. Cheat Codes

By Black Thought, Danger Mouse 

2. Horrah Scope 

By Killah Priest

1. King’s Disease III

By Nas

The 105 Best Feature Films of 2022

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By Andrew Buckner

*Please note: The inclusion of the films on this list is based on the criteria of an official 2022 release date in the U.S.

105. Is That Black Enough for You?!?

Director: Elvis Mitchell

104. Utama

Director: Alejandro Loayza Grisi

103. Women Talking

Director: Sarah Polley

102. Causeway

Director: Lila Neugebauer

101. Fire of Love

Director: Sara Dosa

100. Argentina, 1985

Director: Santiago Mitre

99. White Noise

Director: Noah Bambauch

98. The Fallout

Director: Megan Park

97. Empire of Light

Director: Sam Mendes

96. Jurassic Punk

Director: Scott Leberecht

95. The VHS Strangler – The Giallo Tapes

Directors: Rob Ceus, Jim Stramel, Inge Vanleene, David Strojan, Tony Newton, Joe Cash, Fabrizio Spurio, Gore Filth, Wilhelm Muller, Derek Braasch, Glen Cook, Bo Sels, Kaylan Jordan-Sen, John Migliori

94. Infinite Storm

Directors: Malgorzata Szumowska, Michael Englert

93. Men

Director: Alex Garland

92. See How They Run

Director: Tom George

91. Emily the Criminal

Director: John Patton Ford

90. Triangle of Sadness

Director: Ruben Ostlund

89. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

Director: Rian Johnson

88. Operation Mincemeat

Director: John Madden

87. The Last Thing Mary Saw

Director: Edoardo Vitaletti

86. The Whale

Director: Darren Aronofsky

85. Deep Water

Director: Adrian Lyne

84. You Are Not My Mother

Director: Kate Dolan

83. The Sadness

Director: Rob Jabbaz

82. Straight to VHS

Director: Emilio Silva Torres

81. Studio 666

Director: BJ McDonnell

80. Scream

Directors: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillet

79. Hellbender

Directors: John Adams, Zelda Adams, Toby Poser

78. Flux Gourmet

Director: Peter Strickland

77. Nezura 1964

Director: Hiroto Yokokawa

76. Belle

Director: Mamoru Hosoda

75. RRR (Rise Roar Revolt)

Director: S.S. Rajamouli

74. We’re All Going to the World’s Fair

Director: Jane Shoenburn

73. You Won’t Be Alone

Director: Goran Stovelski

72.  VHS Love: Cult Cinema Obsession

Director: Tony Newton

71. The Found Footage Phenomenon

Directors: Sarah Appleton, Phillip Escott

70. Fall

Director: Scott Mann

69. Bones and All

Director: Luca Guadagnino

68. Armageddon Time

Director: James Gray

67. Pearl

Director: Ti West

66. Shakespeare’s Sh*tstorm

Director: Lloyd Kaufman

65. Clerks III

Director: Kevin Smith

64. Beavis and Butt-head Do the Universe

Director: Mike Judge

63. Nope

Director: Jordan Peele

62. Speak No Evil

Director: Christian Tafdrup

61. The Black Phone

Director: Scott Derrickson 

60. Terrifier 2

Director: Damien Leone

59. Apollo 10½: A Space Age Childhood

Director: Richard Linklater

58. Elvis

Director: Baz Luhrman

57. Strawberry Mansion

Directors: Albery Birney, Kentucker Audley

56. X

Director: Ti West

55. Cow

Director: Andrea Arnold

54. All Quiet on the Western Front

Director: Edward Berger

53. Devotion

Director: J.D. Dillard

52. Vesper

Directors: Kristina Buozyte, Bruno Samper

51. The Menu

Director: Mark Mylod

50. A Wounded Fawn

Director: Travis Stevens

49. Barbarian

Director: Zach Cregger

48. Fiddler’s Journey to the Big Screen

Director: Daniel Raim 

47. Aftersun

Director: Charlotte Wells

46. Prey

Director: Dan Trachtenberg 

45. Piggy

Director: Carlotta Martinez-Pereda

44. Resurrection

Director: Andrew Semans

43. Lady Chatterley’s Lover

Director: Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre

42. Pennywise: The Story of It

Director: Chris Griffiths 

41. Nocturna: Side A – The Great Old Man’s Night

Director: Gonzalo Calzada

40. Luci and Desi

Director: Amy Poehler

39. Downfall: The Case Against Boeing

Director: Rory Kennedy

38. A Hero

Director: Asghar Farhadi

37. Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom 

Director: Pawo Choyning Dorji

36. Cyrano

Director: Joe Wright

35. Weird: The Al Yankovic Story

Director: Eric Appel

34. Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon

Director: Ana Lily Amirpour

33. Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths

Director: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu

32. Something in the Dirt

Directors: Justin Benson, Aaron Moorhead 

31. Sr.

Director: Chris Smith

30. Decision to Leave

Director: Park Chan-wook

29. Crimes of the Future

Director: David Cronenberg

28. Petite Maman

Director: Celine Sciamma

27. The Woman King

Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood

26. Uncle Sleazo’s Toxic & Terrifying T.V. Hour

Director: Lucky Cerruti

25. The Man in Room 6

Directors: Trevor Juenger, Carrie Juenger

24. The Northman

Director: Robert Eggers

23. The House

Directors: Paloma Baeza, Emma De Swaef, Niki Londroth von Bahr, Marc James Roels

22. Marcel the Shell with Shoes On

Director: Dean Fleischer-Camp

21. Disorienting Dick

Director: Richard Griffin

20. The Outfit

Director: Graham Moore

19. Soft & Quiet

Director: Beth de Araujo

18. Nitram

Director: Justin Kurzel

17. Nocturna: Side B – Where the Elephants Go to Die

Director: Gonzalo Calzada

16. The Worst Person in the World

Director: Erik Vogt

15. Higher Methods

Director: Nathan Suher

14. Jurassic World: Dominion

Director: Colin Trevorrow 

13. Babylon 

Director: Damien Chazelle

12. Tar

Director: Todd Field

11. The Banshees of Inisherin

Director: Martin McDonagh

10. Till

Director: Chinonye Chukwu

9. She Said

Director: Maria Schrader

8. The Innocents 

Director: Eskil Vogt

7. Happening

Director: Audrey Diwana

6. Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio

Director: Guillermo del Toro

5. Mad God

Director: Phil Tippett

4. The Fablemans

Director: Steven Spielberg

3. Neptune Frost

Directors: Saul Williams, Anisia Uzeyman

2. Moonage Daydream

Director: Brett MOrgen

1. Vortex

Director: Gaspar Noe

Runners-Up:

All Jacked Up and Full of Worms

Director: Alex Phillips

Ash and Bone

Director: Harley Wallen

Blonde

Director: Andrew Dominik

Bodies Bodies Bodies

Director: Halinah Reijn

Brian and Charles

Director: Jim Archer

Emancipation

Director: Antoine Fuqua

The Eternal Daughter

Director: Joanna Hogg

Everything Everywhere All At Once

Directors: Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert

Hatching

Director: Hanna Bergholm

Jackass Forever

Director: Jeff Tremaine

The Leech

Director: Eric Pennycoff

Scare Package 2: Rad Chad’s Revenge

Directors: Aaron B. Koontz, Anthony Cousins, Rachele Wiggins, Alexandra Barreto, Jed Shepherd

To Leslie

Director: Michael Morris

Troll

Director: Roar Uthaug

The Wonder

Director: Sebastian Lelio

The 25 Best Books of 2022

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By Andrew Buckner

25. Comedy Comedy Comedy Drama: A Memoir

By Bob Odenkirk

24. Quicksilver

By Dean Koontz

23. Diablo Mesa

By Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child

22. Road of Bones

By Christopher Golden

21. Stella Maris

By Cormac McCarthy 

20. Monstervision: The Films of John and Mark Polonia

By Douglas Alan Waltz

19. Fight or Play Basketball: every shot counts

By Mike Messier

18. The House Across the Lake

By Riley Sager

17. The Girl Who Outgrew the World

By Zoje Stage

16. Sundial

By Catriona Ward

15. Gwendy’s Final Task

By Stephen King, Richard Chizmar

14. Bless the Daughter Raised by a Voice in Her Head: Poems

By Warsan Shire

13. Sparring Partners

By John Grisham

12. All the Flowers Kneeling

By Paul Tran

11. The Passenger

By Cormac McCarthy

10. Devil House

By John Darnielle

9. Liarmouth: A Feel-Bad Romance

By John Waters 

8. The Kaiju Preservation Society

By John Scalzi 

7. Feel Your Way Through: A Book of Poetry

By Kelsea Ballerini

6. The Pallbearers Club

By Paul Tremblay

5. Hell Spring

By Isaac Thorne

4. Fairy Tale

By Stephen King

3. The Boys from Biloxi

By John Grisham

2. The Rise and Reign of the Mammals: A New History, From the Shadow of the Dinosaurs to Us

By Steve Brusatte

1. Cinema Speculation

By Quentin Tarantino

Runners-Up:

The Babysitter Lives

By Stephen Graham Jones

Celest

By Sandy Robson

Child Zero: A Novel

By Chris Holm

City on Fire

By Don Winslow

Stinetinglers: All New Stories by the Master of Scary Tales

By R.L. Stine

The 25 Best Short Films of 2022

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By Andrew Buckner

25. “Two Wrongs”

Director: Damien Nembhard

24. “New Years”

Director: Kris Salvi

23. “Heart Shot”

Director: Marielle Woods

22. “Life’s Good”

Director: Jackson Tsi

21. “Erax” 

Director: Hebru Brantley

20. “When the Daemon Takes Hold”

Director: Jackson Batchelor

19. “The Time Travelers”

Director: Killarney Traynor

18. “Not Waving but Drowning”

Director: Thara Popoola

17. “Briefcase Paranoia 2”

Director: Nicholas Hatch

16. “Wanna Play a Game”

Director: Brad Case

15. “Nightcap”

Director: Sam Mason-Bell

14. “A Christmas Card From a Hit Woman in Leominister”

Director: Kris Salvi

13. “Forgive Us Our Sins”

Director: Ashley Eakin

12. “He Comes to Kill”

Director: August Anthony Aguilar

11. “Lux Aeterna”

Director: Gaspar Noe

10. “Scribbles After Midnight”

Director: Jeremy Arruda

9. “Private”

Director: Steve Blackwood

8. “Step Right Up”

Director: Kris Salvi

7. ”Night Owls”

Director: Gabrielle Rosson

6. “Sighs from the Depths”

Director: Richard Griffin

5. “113 N Indigo Dr (Chapters 1-3)”

Director: Adam Michael

4. “The End is Nigh” 

Director: Jamie Lyn Bagley

3. “Amityville: The People of New York vs Ronald J DeFeo Jr.”

Director: Rob Levinson

2. “The Blood of the Dinosaurs”

Director: Joe Badon

1. “Theater 4”

Director: Adam Michael 

The 80 Best Feature Films of 2022 (So Far)

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By Andrew Buckner

*All feature films included herein are based on the criteria of an official 2022 release date in the U.S.*

80. Father Stu

Director: Rosalind Ross

79. Incantation

Director: Ke Mengrong

78. The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent

Director: Tom Gormican

77. Brian and Charles

Director: Jim Archer

76. The Batman

Director: Matt Reeves

75. Watcher

Director: Chloe Okuno

74. Dashcam

Director: Rob Savage

73. Monstrous

Director: Chris Sivertson

72. Cyst

Director: Tyler Russell

71. Death Count

Director: Michael Su

70. Dead by Midnight (Y2Kill)

Directors: Davi Crimmins, Eric Davis, Hannah Fierman, Greg Garrison, Melissa Haas, Torey Haas, Jay Holloway, Jenna Kanell, Anissa Matlock, Tony Reames

69. Munich – The Edge of War

Director: Christian Schwochow

68. My Best Friend Anne Frank

Director: Ben Sombogaart

67. Fresh

Director: Mimi Cave

66. White Hot: The Rise & Fall of Abercrombie & Fitch

Director: Alison Klayman

65. Infinite Storm

Director: Malgorzata Szumowska

64. Hatching

Director: Hanna Bergholm

63. Men

Director: Alex Garland

62. Painted in Blood

Director: Aaron Mirtes

61. On the 3rd Day

Director: Daniel de la Vega

60. A Banquet

Director: Ruth Paxton

59. The Seed

Director: Sam Walker

58. The Wasteland

Director: David Casademunt

57. The Cursed

Director: Sean Ellis

56. Livid

Directors: Alexandre Bustillo, Julien Maury

55. No Exit

Director: Damien Power

54. Everything Everywhere All at Once

Directors: Daniel Kwan, Daniel Schienert

53. They Live in the Grey

Directors: Abel Vang, Burlee Vang

52. Deep Water

Director: Adrian Lyne

51. The Sadness

Director: Rob Jabbaz

50. You Are Not My Mother

Director: Kate Dolan

49. Godforsaken

Directors: Ali Akbar, Akbar Kamal

48. Ultrasound

Director: Rob Schroeder

47. Operation Mincemeat

Director: John Madden

46. The Last Thing Mary Saw

Director: Edoardo Vitaletti

45. Jackass Forever

Director: Jeff Tremaine

44. Straight to VHS

Director: Emilio Silva Torres

43. Studio 666

Director: BJ McDonnell

42. Scream

Directors: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillet

41. Hellbender

Directors: John Adams, Zelda Adams, Toby Poser

40. Flux Gourmet

Director: Peter Strickland

39. The Hurt We Share

Director: Vega Montanez

38. Nezura 1964

Director: Hiroto Yokokawa

37. Belle

Director: Mamoru Hosoda

36. RRR (Rise Roar Revolt)

Director: S.S. Rajamouli

35. We’re All Going to the World’s Fair

Director: Jane Shoenburn

34. You Won’t Be Alone

Director: Goran Stolevski

33. VHS Love: Cult Cinema Obsession

Director: Tony Newton

32. The Found Footage Phenomenon

Directors: Sarah Appleton, Phillip Escott

31. #Shakespeare’s Sh*tstorm

Director: Lloyd Kaufman

30. Beavis and Butt-Head Do the Universe

Director: Mike Judge

29. The Black Phone

Director: Scott Derrickson

28. Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood

Director: Richard Linklater

27. Elvis

Director: Baz Luhrman

26. Strawberry Mansion

Directors: Kentucker Audley, Albert Birney

25. X

Director: Ti West

24. Cow

Director: Andrea Arnold

23. The Innocents

Director: Eskil Vogt

22. Crimes of the Future

Director: David Cronenberg

21. Lux Aeterna

Director: Gaspar Noe

20. Petite Maman

Director: Celine Sciamma

19. Uncle Sleazo’s Toxic & Terrifying TV Hour

Director: Lucky Cerruti

18. Nitram

Director: Justin Kurzel

17. The Outfit

Director: Graham Moore

16. Nocturna: Side A- The Great Old Man’s Night

Director: Gonzalo Calzada

15. Luci and Desi

Director: Amy Poehler

14. The Northman

Director: Robert Eggers

13. Downfall: The Case Against Boeing

Director: Rory Kennedy

12. Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom

Director: Pawo Choyning Dorji

11. A Hero

Director: Asghar Farhadi

10. The Worst Person in the World

Director: Joachim Trier

9. Disorienting Dick

Director: Richard Griffin

8. The House

Directors: Paloma Baeza, Emma De Swaef, Niki Lindroth von Bahr, Marc James Roels

7. Cyrano

Director: Joe Wright

6. Nocturna: Side B- Where the Elephants Go To Die

Director: Gonzalo Calzada

5. Happening

Director: Audrey Diwana

4. Mad God

Director: Phil Tippett

3. Neptune Frost

Directors: Saul Williams, Anisia Uzeyman

2. Jurassic World: Dominion

Director: Colin Trevorrow

1. Vortex

Director: Gaspar Noe

DEATH COUNT (2022) – Movie Review

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By Andrew Buckner

Rating: **** out of *****.

Death Count (2022), from director Michael Su and screenwriter Michael Merino (with revisions by Rolfe Kanefsky), is a lean, efficient, captivating, and grisly take on Saw (2004) style horror pictures. After a visually bravura and claustrophobic commencing acknowledgements segment, Su’s offering even begins in a related manner to James Wan’s previously stated masterpiece. Continually, there is an explicit mention of Saw, as well as the narratively similar Hostel (2005) from director Eli Roth, in one sly late first act sequence. It involves a montage of news reports. Aside from being an opportunity to address the oft-utilized theme of the operation, the sadistic underbelly of The Internet, this short episode is also a refreshing nod to the photoplays from which it evokes motivation. The presence of Costas Mandylor, who deftly enacted Detective Lieutenant Mark Hoffman in Saw III (2006) through Saw: The Final Chapter (2010) and just as capably depicts the wonderfully ominous Warden in Su’s latest effort, greatly enhances this correlation.

Michael Madsen, who magnificently portrays Detective Casey, delightfully offers his gruff, commanding charm to the material. His bits of dark humor also pepper the proceedings. Yet, none of these items are employed so frequently that they take away from the superbly fashioned and anxiety-fueled tone of the enterprise. The beautifully orchestrated mood of the article skillfully permeates the appropriately brisk 81-minute attempt from the initial frame to the last.

The story concerns a group of eight strangers who find themselves in a foreign environment. They are isolated in holding cells and cannot recall how they got to be in such a situation. Their conditions become even more dire when the frightful Warden announces that they are being forced to play a deadly game. It is one which involves getting the most “likes” on social media. This is achieved by partaking in violent escapades, all of which have a ten-second time limit per unwilling contestant, that revolve around self-harm.

It’s exactly the type of plot one would expect from a tale of this ilk. The characters are also familiar archetypes. The exposition and general development they are handed is satisfactorily dispersed yet garden variety. Even the inevitable climactic reveal of why these individuals were gathered and how they are connected follows suit. The dialogue the central figures are handed is sharper and more successful. Nonetheless, it still falls under the banner of what spectators foresee from such an outing.

Notwithstanding, the film is relentless in terms of its taut pacing and same said tension. The project expertly erects its setup in the initial ten minutes of the venture. From herein, it imaginatively crafts increasingly macabre ordeals for our leads to endure. The account is just as creative in its plentiful and exceptionally well done gory bits. A courtesy of the confident guidance of the vehicle from Su, the solid script, and the all-around high-caliber performances in the construction, the suspense rarely wavers. It is smoothly concocted from the engaging and enigmatic opening to the grimly gratifying conclusion. The latter cleverly hints at a potential sequel.

What is just as impressive is the fascinating way in which the affair combines numerical, literary, and sonic clues which may aid in the contributors’ survival in the second half of the fiction. The quickness and unpredictability with which most of the cast gets slaughtered in the mesmerizing first act is just as noteworthy. Such measures create a welcome balance to the more routine beats of the composition. It also makes the endeavor far more palpable in the nerve-shredding anticipation it brilliantly builds.

From a technical perspective, the work is equally stalwart. The cinematography from Su and music from Scott Glasgow is atmospheric and immersive. I especially enjoyed the incorporation of the fitting track from Psycho Synner, the Jeremy Spencer and Shawn McGee penned “The Torture Never Stops” (2021), during the enthralling end credits. Moreover, the editing from Jeremy Wanek, costume design by Joe Lujan, sound, makeup, stunts, and effects are all outstanding.

Also identified as Numbers, Death Count is a scrappy, in-your-face midnight movie. It isn’t as groundbreaking as the features from which it derives inspiration. Regardless, it will assuredly please those of us who are always frantically searching for a stellar dose of grueling cinematic terror. A Mahal Empire, Mezek Films, and Blaen-Y-Maes Bootleg Films production, Su’s exercise is twisted fun. It’s also one of the best genre undertakings of the year.

Death Count will be released in North America on July 19th, 2022.

The 35 Best Albums/EPs of 2022 (So Far)

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By Andrew Buckner

*All albums and EPs included in this list are incorporated herein based on an original release date in 2022.

35. Sad Girl Blues (EP) by Lauren Brabson

34. Back in Black by Cypress hill

33. Dawn FM by The Weeknd

32. Ramona Park Broke My Heart by Vince Staples

31. Driplomatic Immunity by 183rd, Nym Lo, Smoke DZA

30. Get Well Soon by King ISO

29. It’s Almost Dry: Pharrell vs. Ye by Pusha T

28. The Brave by Tom MacDonald, Adam Calhoun

27. The Gospel According to Nikki Giovanni by Javon Jackson

26. Mood Swings (EP) by Real Bad Man, Smoke DZA

25. The Three Fantastic Supermen EPics (EP) by Killah Priest

24. SICK! by Earl Sweatshirt

23. Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers by Kendrick Lamar

22. Onyx versus Everybody by Onyx

21. Peter by Bizarre

20. Firestarter (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) by John Carpenter, Daniel Davies, Cody Carpenter

19. Super Beast by Madchild

18. Skylar Grey by Skylar Grey

17. Continuance by Curren$y, The Alchemist 

16. Sometimes Y by Yelawolf, Shooter Jennings

15. Tana Talk 4 by Benny the Butcher

14. God Don’t Make Mistakes by Conway the Machine

13. Saturday Afternoon Kung-Fu Theater (EP) by Rza, DJ Scratch

12. No Fear of Time by Black Star

11. Medicine at Midnight by Foo Fighters

10. Zhigeist by Elzhi, Georgia Anne Muldrow

9. Detroit Life 2 by Swifty McVay

8. Renaissance Kings by The Snowgoons

7. Forever by Phife Dawg

6. 1993 by Onyx

5. Czarmageddon! by Czarface

4. Aethiopes by Billy Woods

3. Sentimental Ballad by Teagan Johnston

2. Horrah Scope by Killah Priest

1. I M A M C R U 1 2 by Krs-One

The 21 Best Books of 2022 (So Far)

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By Andrew Buckner

*All the books included herein are incorporated into this list based on an original 2022 publication date.

21. City on Fire

By Don Winslow

20. Comedy Comedy Comedy Drama: A Memoir

By Bob Odenkirk

19. Child Zero: A Novel

By Chris Holm

18. Celest

By Sandy Robson

17. Quicksilver

By Dean Koontz

16. Diablo Mesa

By Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child

15. Finn

By Stephen King

14. Road of Bones

By Christopher Golden

13. Monstervsion: The Films of John and Mark Polonia

By Douglas Alan Waltz

12. The Girl Who Outgrew the World

By Zoje Stage

11. Fight or Play Basketball: every shot counts

By Mike Messier

10. Gwendy’s Final Task

By Stephen King, Richard Chizmar

9. Sundial

By Catriona Ward

8. Devil House

By John Darnielle

7. Bless the Daughter Raised by a Voice in Her Head: Poems

By Warsan Shire

6. Liarmouth: A Feel-Bad Romance

By John Waters

5. Sparring Partners

By John Grisham

4. All the Flowers Kneeling

By Paul Tran

3. The Kaiju Preservation Society

By John Scalzi

2. Feel Your Way Through: A Book of Poetry

By Kelsea Ballerini

1 The Rise and Reign of the Mammals: A New History, From the Shadow of the Dinosaurs to Us

By Steve Brusatte

“Fight or Play Basketball” (2022) by Mike Messier (Book Review)

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By Andrew Buckner

Rating: ****1/2 out of *****.

Clocking in at a lean 158 pages, Fight or Play Basketball: every shot counts (2022) by filmmaker Mike Messier is a knockout novel. The 44-chapter project is a lot like the lead of the narrative, Jack Scratch. It’s authentic, scrappy, wide-eyed, ambitious, and filled with heart. Moreover, the exercise is elevated by the lively, clear, vivid, and to-the-point prose from Messier. Just as importantly, his paragraphs are never overwhelmed with unnecessary details or figures of speech. In short, his writing is perfect for a young adult audience. The pacing of the work is similarly brisk, efficient, and effective. There isn’t a single excessive or overlong sequence in the effort.

What also enhances the quality of both Messier’s auteurship and the piece overall are the sharply rendered central figures. For example, Scratch is a flawed yet likable and occasionally comedic high school senior that spectators of all ages should find relatable. Scratch’s energetic and defensive mother, Janet Trap, is a constant source of amusement in the fiction. The same can be said of the boxers which assist Scratch on his journey, Karl “Sweet Sugar” Brown and Paveli “Punch” Pangora. They offer elements of humor, inspiration, personality, and leadership to the material. There are even sparks of romance as the duo attempt to win over Trap. Scratch’s basketball coach, “Quick” Rick Steele, is comparatively more garden variety. Nonetheless, he is still a credible and wonderfully developed entity with a pivotal role in Scratch’s life. Such is the case with everyone in the undertaking. In so doing, Messier’s tapestry of realistic dialogue, situations, and characters, as well as their influence on one another, accentuates the richness of the design.

The plot revolves around Scratch: a player of immense skill on the North Providence Cougars basketball team. He has the potential to receive a scholarship from Providence College. There are even whispers that he may be chosen to become involved with the National Basketball Association. His daily muscle-building routines, such as riding his bike in the mornings through North Providence and shooting hoops in the nearby outdoors basketball court, have become a sturdy foundation for him. One morning, his single mother, Trap, is the victim of a failed robbery. The individuals who came to Trap’s rescue during this botched crime, Pangora and Brown, begin to assist Scratch with his boxing abilities at Sweet’s Sweat Box Gym, where they are prominent trainers. As Scratch fosters his abilities on the basketball court and in the boxing ring, he ponders if he should “fight or play basketball”.

Even if the article follows the familiar beats of related items, Messier does a brilliant job of reiterating Scratch’s title-referenced deliberation. Messier specifically addresses where this idea came from in the fascinating “About the Author” section at the end of the tome. Still, there is an intimacy to this inquiry, like all rulings that alter the course of our lives, that is universally relevant. What augments this thoughtful touch, which is so delicately composed throughout the entirety of the volume, is the organic manner with which Messier also taps into the inherent symbolism of this weighty choice.

Boosted by superb cover art design from Nadine G. Messier, which nicely evokes the classically gritty atmosphere of the arrangement, Fight or Play Basketball proudly wears its Rocky (1976) inspiration on its sleeve. This is spied in many of the explicit and indirect references to director John G. Avildsen’s academy-award-winning masterpiece, as well as connected fare, that pleasantly permeate Messier’s opus. Lovingly peppered into the proceedings, these welcome bits align beautifully with the events of Scratch’s story. They also deeply pleased the rampant cinephile in me.

Opening, continuing, and closing in equally strong ways, the latest literary achievement from Messier is excellent on all fronts. True to the spirit of the greatest sports chronicles, it is incessantly entertaining and genuinely motivational. It has a tough edge. However, it is a kind, joyous, and immersive read. Likewise, it doesn’t fully give into the tropes which are anticipated in its finale. The flirtatious relationship between Mindy Kim and Scratch, who bond over their shared interest in athletics, punctuates the emotional accessibility of the venture. It also makes the thematically time-tested yet sturdy construction even more layered. In turn, Messier has crafted a magnificent and passionate coming-of-age drama. It’s one of the best books of the year.

You can purchase Fight or Play Basketball in eBook, hardcover, or paperback format at the following link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09VL87KC2/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1.

The 15 Best Short Films of 2022 (So Far)

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By Andrew Buckner

*The inclusion of the short films in this list is based on an official release date of 2022.

15. “Bros for Life”

Director: Leo Powell

14. “New Years”

Director: Kris Salvi

13. “Heart Shot”

Director: Marielle Woods

12. “Life’s Good”

Director: Jackson Tisi

11. “Erax”

Director: Hebru Brantley

10. “When the Daemon Takes Hold”

Director: Jackson Batchelor

9. “The Time Travelers”

Director: Killarney Traynor

8. “Not Waving but Drowning”

Director: Thara Popoola

7. “Briefcase Paranoia 2”

Director: Nicholas Hatch

6. “Wanna Play a Game”

Director: Brad Case

5. “Nightcap”

Director: Sam Mason-Bell

4. “A Christmas Card from a Hit Woman in Leominster”

Director: Kris Salvi

3. “Forgive Us Our Trespasses”

Director: Ashley Eakin

2. “Scribbles After Midnight”

Director: Jeremy Arruda

1.“The Blood of the Dinosaurs”

Director: Joe Badon

Runners-Up:

“Two Wrongs”

Director: Damien Nembhard

“Yo!”

Directors: Hamed & Mal