The Day After The Day After: NBA Finals Game 4

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Despite a somewhat pedestrian stat line by his standards, Giannis Antetokounmpo was almost supernatural down the stretch against the Suns as Milwaukee tied up the series 2-2 with a 109-103 victory. His block on Deandre Ayton with 1:15 remaining in the game to preserve a 2-point lead my prove to be the defining moment in the Bucks' path to a championship, and will be remembered for decades as one of the most impressive and impactful defensive plays in NBA Finals history. Bolstered by a monumental game from Khris Middleton (40 points), Giannis and company withstood the breakout game I called for from Devin Booker (42 points) and head back to Phoenix with ample momentum.

A Few Thoughts

• Chris Paul is wearing down. Whether there's an actual injury hampering him (people have speculated that his wrist/hand may be injured), Paul looked outmatched and worn out by Jrue Holiday's pressure (something I alluded to here). Small guards like Paul have a history of breaking down later in the postseason, and his performances in Games 3 and 4 don't inspire confidence. The extra rest between the Finals games should help to a degree, but one has to wonder if Paul is healthy enough to hold up down the stretch against relentless pressure from Holiday.

• Devin Booker had his Finals masterpiece, but it wasn't enough to carry the Suns. With a compromised Paul, Booker will be called to shoulder an enormous offensive load in the final games of this series. I think he can (and eventually will) rise to meet such a demand, but his inconsistency throughout the past few playoff rounds makes me question whether he's ready at this stage of his young career.

• NBA officials dodged an enormous bullet with the Bucks winning Game 4 following one of the worst missed calls I've ever seen in Booker's favor in crunch time. If called, the foul would have been Booker's sixth, removing Phoenix's sole generator of offense all night. I don't really know why Booker thought it was a good idea to put himself in that position in the first place, but he was absolutely bailed out by the officiating crew in that moment. Props to Giannis for running the floor and immediately putting the rebound back in.

• Khris Middleton is an enigma. He can dominate a game offensively (as he did in Game 4) or shrink back in key moments. There's really no rhyme or reason to when he swings to either extreme, but he is spectacular when he's right. Inconsistency is what prevents good players from being superstars, but it's better to show up in a massive way at least once or twice on the biggest stage than to never have the highs the Middleton has had. He's somewhat of a known commodity at this point, but history will remember him fondly for his game-altering performances in the Finals.

Stock Watch

Stock Up: Khris Middleton

It was already largely addressed above, but you can't help but give props to Middleton for an all-time performance in Game 4

Stock Down: Chris Paul

After dominating the headlines and gaining immense goodwill from the NBA community at large throughout these playoffs, Paul has fallen off tremendously. Costly turnovers and inefficient shooting have plagued him for two straight games, and the future looks bleak if his rumored injury struggles are true.

Stock Up: Pat Connaughton

I'll give the man some shine here. Despite at times being somewhat of a meme for the struggles of white American basketball players during this postseason, Connaughton has put together a couple straight games of solid, impactful production on both sides of the ball. With 11 points and nine rebounds last game, Connaughton is playing his role exceptionally on the biggest stage. He deserves more credit than he's been getting. He's outplayed role-player aces like PJ Tucker and Mikal Bridges these past two games, and that's an unexpected boost for the Bucks. Just stop airballing open threes, please.

Series Outlook

It's hard to see Phoenix winning the series without an effective Chris Paul, but stranger things have happened and the Bucks are wildly inconsistent aside from Giannis. I picked the Suns in 6 earlier in the series, and I think I'll end up being wrong. I think if the series ends in 6, the Bucks would be the team that brings home the trophy. If it goes to Game 7, I would side with Phoenix on their home court. Regardless, let's enjoy a minimum of two more games between two good, evenly-matched teams!

Movie Review-Fear Street Part One: 1994

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How/When I Came Across It

Netflix has been promoting Fear Street pretty actively for the past few weeks, so I became aware of it through ads throughout the web. This installment was released as the first part of a trilogy that would be released over the course of three Fridays. As an aside, I think the rapid-release movie trilogy, which Netflix is experimenting with through the Fear Street series, has tremendous promise going forward in the streaming generation. The era of 30-minute episodes being released weekly is dead and gone, but the concept of spreading three films over three weeks and sustaining an audience's anticipation/excitement for a three-week window seems like a fruitful frontier to explore for streaming services in particular going forward.

Just a warning: I'm by no means a horror film enthusiast, and I'll admit that I have very limited knowledge of the genre. Feel free to disagree with any characterizations I may make about this film or any films like it, as I don't have much nuance to bring to the table about the horror genre in general.

I watched this particular film yesterday, July 15th.

Plot Summary (No Spoilers)

A group of teens from a town with a long, infamous history of murderous outbursts from random individuals become aware of a mysterious curse that seems to be involved with these sprees. The teens must band together to survive one night as multiple supernatural, bloodthirsty threats emerge and wreak havoc throughout their town.

What Was Good

• Though this is a horror/slasher film, the movie includes a fairly-enjoyable coming-of-age theme throughout the course of its story. The performances from the core group of young actors are good in the sense that they realistically capture the essence of high-schoolers.

• As far as plot goes, the story is interesting and inventive while revealing just enough of the backstory surrounding "the curse" to keep the viewer interested in this film as well as building excitement for the future installments.

• As far as slasher films go, this film is not over-the-top gory or grueling to watch from a physical observation standpoint.

• The pacing of the film is very good for the most part, with the action ebbing and flowing appropriately and allowing for the more poignant moments to set in when necessary.

• Some twists and character fates throughout the film generally surprised me (in a good way), and it added credibility to the film overall that I feel some teenager-driven horror/thriller media (Stranger Things in particular) has lacked.

• While we're on Stranger Things, I cannot help but mention that this is also a beautiful movie visually. The maintenance of dark tones and variation in lighting is absolutely arresting throughout, as this movie leans heavily into the nostalgia of the 20th century heavily, for better and not for worse.

What Was Bad

• In general, I actually don't care for the sexualization of people under 18 (or over 18, for that matter). I understand that it is a real, foundational pillar of adolescence, but I could do without every major character having definitive moments of sexuality (that's all I'll say, no spoilers). I just think there are more interesting avenues that directors/writers could take to expand and develop their characters beyond that, as sexuality is one of many components of a person. Additionally, there are some scenes where intimacy between different characters diminishes some of the suspense that the movie had worked to generate.

• There are a few points in the film that almost made me roll my eyes because certain parts of the resolution to the teens' problems emerge extremely conveniently. If you take the time to watch this film, you'll understand this point a little better. Whether it is a miraculous escape (which isn't overly common in this film) or a weirdly-timed revelation of relevant information, there are moments of this film that force you to suspend your disbelief, and the rest of the movie takes extreme care to avoid this very thing.

You'll Like This Film If...

• You enjoy teen-themed, coming-of-age films. This movie is entirely teen-centric (almost to a fault) and much of the strife is addressed in a way that relates to the struggle of high-schoolers.

• You like slasher movies. Though not gratuitous in my opinion, there's plenty of violence to hold a horror fan's attention.

• You like Stranger Things, but slightly more mature. Honestly, this particular film made me wonder if it was set in the same universe as Netflix's wildly popular series. Both in tone and subject material, it very closely mirrors the pattern of Stranger Things, though it is decidedly darker.

• You like satisfying endings that allow for plenty of expansion. Especially within the context of how Netflix is phasing out this trilogy, the movie sets up a sequel almost as well as any other film in recent memory. It's very "TV show"-esque, which makes sense coming from Netflix

You Won't Like This Film If...

• Teen sexualization really bothers you. I know I addressed this already, but it's a major part of the plot in multiple ways.

• You're queasy. It's a slasher film.

• You're looking for a revolutionary storyline in the genre. While it's not directly reminiscent of any films I am aware of, it continually draws from very familiar subject material and plot lines.

• You expect to be breathlessly thrilled throughout. There is plenty of stopping and starting when it comes to action, and even the peaks of thrills aren't overly eye-opening. This film didn't scare me hardly at all (I know, I know. I'm so tough), and the horror elements are honestly pretty forgettable. This is a stylish, small-town teenager film set in a horror storyline. The emphasis, from my perspective, follows that order.

• You think character development is absolutely crucial to a film. Yes, there are defining elements to some characters in the movie, but Fear Street Part One does fall into the horror trope of neglecting important aspects of characters' motivations and attempts to backfill those characters at the last moment. I'm not above not letting them off the hook for that!

Conclusion

For the genre, I honestly was really impressed. Most of my critiques about the movie have the potential to be resolved in the future films. It grabs your attention and deftly weaves the conflicts associated with life in high school together with a taut horror story arc. It's not at all the type of movie that should be in my wheelhouse, but it somehow worked. The acting is not overstated, which can be a trap that casts like the one in Fear Street can fall into. It kept me genuinely curious and attentive to the very end, and I look forward to watching the next one!

Final Rating

7.5 out of 10

P.S. This is the debut of the "8th Wonder of the World": The JHMP. From now on, each movie will be carefully placed in the hierarchy of the pyramid. Placement is completely determined based on the rating done at the conclusion of each review, which is carefully calculated based off of my gut response to each film.

My New Favorite Plant: The Bismarck Palm

I first fully experienced the glory of a Bismarck Palm while walking throughout the Lauritzen Gardens in Omaha this summer (they grow a couple of them inside). I instantly fell in love with the shape and color of both the trunk and leaves. Native to Madagascar, these trees are actually very easily grown pretty much anywhere with lots of sun. You can even find some in the southern parts of the U.S.! Its scientific name is Bismarckia nobilis, and it is notable beyond its looks for being dioecious (has both male and female plants).

Enjoy a couple pictures taken up close in Omaha, and feel free to follow this link to learn anything more you might want to about this incredibly striking tree!