We got a little February heat wave out here on the west coast this week, which means our Friday Five has some real summer vibes. We sought out movies, music, and activities that helped us forget we haven't even hit daylight savings time yet. But don't worry -- there's some good binge-worthy content for those of you that are seeking it out. And of course we couldn't forget about the biggest Sunday on the sports calendar. It's a full list this week, folks, so fire up your wings and crack open a beer for Volume 59!
White Men Can’t Jump
Although the movie world was buzzing this week from the announcements of Oscar nominees, it’s still a slow time for new movie releases. But that’s OK for us, because one of our favorites returned to streaming, just in time for its 30-year anniversary. White Men Can’t Jump returned to Hulu, and we have to say, the 1992 sports-comedy classic stands the test of time. Sidney Dean and Billy Hoyle (Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson) are still one of the most fun duos in movie history, and the style, music, and jokes from White Men Can’t Jump really hold up. Not to mention the actual basketball, which is very entertaining, especially since it takes place in the Southern California sun. Rosie Perez’s character also manages to predict the country’s obsession with the show Jeopardy!, which is just one more fun wrinkle in the plot. We’ve always had to stop and watch the Ron Shelton classic whenever it was on cable, so now we’re excited we can just stream it. There’s been a long-rumored remake in the works for a while, but until that comes to fruition, we’re more than happy rewatching the original.
Reacher
Speaking of remakes, the book-turned-movie Jack Reacher franchise hit the small screen this week, complete with some new casting and new stories. Amazon decided to go in the opposite direction from Tom Cruise’s film portrayal, choosing Alan Ritchson to play a super-sized version of the mysterious Reacher. Ritchson is most-famous for his role as the beloved Thad Castle on Blue Mountain State, and though this role is much more serious, Ritchson still brings a bit of the same humor and attitude. Willa Fitzgerald also jumps out as a co-star, and we love anytime we get to see Harvey Guillen (What We Do In The Shadows) in a new role – in this instance, playing a surprisingly funny coroner. We aren’t positive the show is necessarily “good,” but it is very entertaining, and we were hooked by the mystery of the plot right away. It’s also gotten pretty high reviews so far, so we are excited to keep watching and see how it all plays out. A fair warning though, it can get a little violent, as Reacher is no stranger to the occasional (or not-so-occasional) brawl.
Dale and the ZDubs feat. The Elovaters - This Time
The Elovaters make their return to the Friday Five, now as a featured act on Dale and the ZDubs “This Time.” We decided with the little heat wave hitting the west coast this week that we needed some summer vibes, even if it’s only February. “This Time” starts off with a very standard, almost hypnotic reggae beat, and only continues the good vibrations from there. There’s a nice guitar riff between verses, and very casual and laid back vocals. It feels like the perfect song to have in the background while drinking cocktails or driving around on a sunny beach day. And obviously it doesn’t have anything to do with the music, but the album art is also fantastic. We’ll definitely be keeping this song in mind for our summer playlists, but we will have to play it now anytime we need a little boost during the cold winter months.
2022 WM Phoenix Open
On the subject of summer vibes, this week we’ve been basking in the sun on the golf course working at the WM Phoenix Open, and we definitely recommend tuning in all weekend long. While we’ve done a lot of work on golf projects in the past (as well as another round of the Aon Risk Reward Challenge this year), actually getting to go to a tournament to produce content was awesome. The tournament teed off yesterday, but it’ll be going all weekend long as some of the top golfers in the world compete for a pretty sizable purse. Brooks Koepka is the defending champ, so you know this tournament has some clout, but he’s facing some pretty tough competition. We’ve been posting some of the content from the Phoenix Open this week, but you’ll have to check out their social feeds to see all of our work. And while golf might not be for everyone, it’s definitely a great warm-up for one of the biggest sports weekends of the year.
Super Bowl LVI
That leads us, of course, to the main event of the weekend: Super Bowl LVI. It’s no doubt a surprising matchup, with the upstart Cincinnati Bengals vs. the home-team Los Angeles Rams. There is no shortage of great storylines from Sunday’s game, either. Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford finally gets his shot to win after spending years wasting away in Detroit. LA has a chance to truly make a statement about football in the city with a win at home. The Bengals have gone from laughing stock to AFC Champ, due in large part to superstar QB Joe Burrow. And, speaking of Burrow, we can only aspire to the amount of confidence that dude has in himself. If football isn’t your thing, you still get to watch all of the commercials, which turn into an artform this time of year. Not to mention what could be a legendary halftime show – Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, Eminem, and Mary J. Blige are coming together for a massive performance that is fitting for a Hollywood Super Bowl. We also happen to have some work airing on ESPN in advance of the Super Bowl – but you’ll have to stay tuned for that! In any event, we hope you get to eat some good food and party on for the biggest Sunday in sports.
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