Tag: AWordofDreams

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

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

The 135 Best Feature Films of 2021

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By Andrew Buckner

*The criteria utilized for the inclusion of the feature films in this list is an original 2021 release date in the U.S.*

Please note: This article is a work in progress. Please check back often, as I will be adding more films to the list from the year once I have a chance to view them.

135. Parallel Mothers

Director: Pedro Almodovar

134. Acting

Director: Sam Mason-Bell

133. Red Rocket

Director: Sean Baker

132. Flee

Director: Jonas Poher Rasmussen

131. The Year of the Everlasting Storm

Directors: Anthony Chen, David Lowery, Jafar Panahi, Laura Poitras, Malik Vitthal, Apitchatong Weerasethakul, Dominga Sotomayor Castillo.

130. Slumber Party Massacre

Director: Danishka Esterhazy

129. Come True

Director: Anthony Scott Burns

128. Fear Street Part One: 1994

Director: Leigh Janiak

127. A Journal for Jordan

Director: Denzel Washington

126. The Lost Daughter

Director: Maggie Gyllenhaal

125. Bergman Island

Director: Mia Hansen-Love

124. Werewolves Within

Director: Josh Ruben

123. Don’t Look Up

Director: Adam McKay

122. The Spine of Night

Director: Philip Gelatt

121. Being the Ricardos

Director: Aaron Sorkin

120. The Last Matinee

Director: Maximiliano Contenti

119. Last Night in Soho

Director: Edgar Wright

118. King Richard

Director: Reinaldo Marcus Green

117. Earwig and the Witch

Director: Goro Miyazaki

116. Lamb

Director: Valdimir Johannsson

115. My Heart Can’t Beat Unless You Tell It To

Director: Jonathan Cuartas

114. Agnes

Director: Mickey Reece

113. Extraordinary: The Revelations

Director: Jon Sumple

112. Zeros and Ones

Director: Abel Ferrara

111. Benny Loves You

Director: Karl Holt

110. Red 11

Director: Robert Rodriguez

109. The Night

Director: Kourosh Ahari

108. Siberia

Director: Abel Ferrara

107. Saint Maud

Director: Rose Glass

106. Unknown Dimension: The Story of Paranormal Activity

Director: Joe Bandelli

105. Attica

Directors: Traci Curry, Stanley Nelson

104. The Hand of God

Director: Paolo Sorrentino

103. The Great and Terrible Day of the Lord

Directors: Jared Jay Mason, Clark Runciman

102. The Courier

Director: Dominic Cooke

101. Jakob’s Wife

Director: Travis Stevens

100. The Mitchells vs. the Machines

Directors: Mike Rianda, Jeff Rowe

99. Raya and the Last Dragon

Directors: Carlos Lopez Estrada, Don Hall, Paul Briggs, John Ripa

98. Psycho Goreman

Director: Steven Kostanski

97. Honeydew

Director: Devereux Milburn

96. The Night House

Director: David Bruckner

95. Godzilla vs. Kong

Director: Adam Wingard

94. Nightbooks

Director: David Yarovesky

93. Copshop

Director: Joe Carnahan

92. Nobody

Director: Ilya Naishuller

91. The Voyeurs

Director: Michael Mohan

90. Stillwater

Director: Tom McCarthy

89. Oxygen

Director: Alexandre Aja

88. The Feast

Director: Lee Haven Jones

87. Respect

Director: Liesl Tommy

86. V/H/S/94

Directors: Simon Barrett, Chloe Okuno, Ryan Prows, Jennifer Reeder, Timo Tjahjanto

85. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

Director: Destin Daniel Cretton

84. Wrath of Man

Director: Guy Ritchie

83. We Need to Do Something

Director: Sean King O’Grady

82. Candyman

Director: Nia DaCosta

81. The Girl Who Got Away

Director: Michael Morrissey

80. Hail to the Deadites

Director: Steve Villeneuve

79. Clerk.

Director: Malcolm Ingram

78. Dune

Director: Denis Villeneuve

77. The Novice

Director: Lauren Hadaway

76. Malignant

Director: James Wan

75. The Eyes of Tammy Faye

Director: Michael Showalter

74. Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal and Greed

Director: Joshua Rofe

73. Lapsis

Director: Noah Hutton

72. The Card Counter

Director: Paul Schrader

71. No Time to Die

Director: Cary Joji Fukunaga

70. Enemies of the State

Director: Sonia Kennebeck

69. In the Earth

Director: Ben Wheatley

68. Violation

Directors: Dusty Mancinelli, Madeline Sims-Fewer

67. In the Heights

Director: Jon M. Chu

66. The Medium

Director: Banjong Pisanthanakun

65. Antlers

Director: Scott Cooper

64. Identifying Features

Director: Fernanda Valadez

63. Tina

Directors: Daniel Lindsay, T.J. Martin

62. Seaspiracy

Director: Ali Tabrizi

61. No Sudden Move

Director: Steven Soderbergh

60. House of Gucci

Director: Ridley Scott

59. Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)

Director: Questlove

58. Malcolm and Marie

Director: Sam Levinson

57. I Blame Society

Director: Gillian Wallace Horvat

56. Passing

Director: Rebecca Hall

55. 17 Blocks

Director: Davy Rothbart

54. Falling

Director: Viggo Mortensen

53. The Dig

Director: Simon Stone

52. One Night in Miami

Director: Regina King

51. Test Pattern

Director: Shatara Michelle Ford

50. Slalom

Director: Charlene Favier

49. Spoor

Directors: Agnieszka Holland, Kasia Adamik

48. Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain

Director: Morgan Neville

47. Boris Karloff: The Man Behind the Monster

Director: Thomas Hamilton

46. M.C. Escher: Journey to Infinity

Director: Robin Lutz

45. About Endlessness

Director: Roy Andersson

44. The Man Who Sold His Skin

Director: Kaouther Ben Hania

43. Sator

Director: Jordan Graham

42. Climate of the Hunter

Director: Mickey Reece

41. Dementer

Director: Chad Crawford Kinkle

40. A Quiet Place II

Director: John Krasinski

39. The Boy Behind the Door

Directors: David Charbonier, Justin Powell

38. C’mon C’mon

Director: MIke Mills

37. Censor

Director: Prano Bailey-Bond

36. The Archivist

Director: Eric Hand

35. Jumbo

Director: Zoe Wittock

34. The Mauritanian

Director: Kevin Macdonald

33. Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street

Director: Marilyn Agrelo

32. In Search of Darkness: Part 2

Director: David A. Weiner

31. The Power of the Dog

Director: Jane Campion

30. The Last Duel

Director: Ridley Scott

29. Belfast

Director: Kenneth Branagh

28. The Green Knight

Director: David Lowery

27. Licorice Pizza

Director: Paul Thomas Anderson

26. The Mad Women’s Ball

Director: Melanie Laurent

25. Benedetta

Director: Paul Verhoeven

24. Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror

Director: Kier-La Janisse

23. Titane

Director: Julia Ducournau

22. The Meaning of Hitler

Directors: Petra Epperlein, Michael Tucker

21. Judas and the Black Messiah

Director: Shaka King

20. MLK/ FBI

Director: Sam Pollard

19. Nomadland

Director: Chloe Zhao

18. In the Same Breath

Director: Nanfu Wang

17. Gunda

Director: Viktor Kossakovsky

16. A Choice of Weapons: Inspired by Gordon Parks

Director: John Maggio

15. Wojnarowicz

Director: Chris McKim

14. A Glitch in the Matrix

Director: Rodney Ascher

13. West Side Story

Director: Steven Spielberg

12. Spencer

Director: Pablo Larrain

11. Nightmare Alley

Director: Guillermo del Toro

10. Bring it Home

Director: Carl Kriss

9. The Father

Director: Florian Zeller

8. Quo Vadis, Aida?

Director: Jasmila Zbanic

7. Acasa, My Home

Director: Radu Ciorniciuc

6. Minari

Director: Lee Isaac Chung

5. 4 Hours at the Capitol

Director: Jamie Roberts

4. The French Dispatch

Director: Wes Anderson

3. This Is Not a Burial, It’s a Resurrection

Director: Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese

2. The Amusement Park

Director: George A. Romero

1. Ghostbusters: Afterlife

Director: Jason Reitman