I really don’t want to relive last night’s game. Instead, here’s a subject that doesn’t make me angry…

For no reason whatsoever I’ve found myself watching John Cusack movies lately. Despite a rash of bad moves, not unlike Mathew Broderick, I really can’t explain exactly why I like him so much. Something about the man’s ability to play a miserable hero and his tendency to make dark comedies resonates with me. I thought I would make my top five list of Cusack comedies. Note that Eight Men Out as I don’t consider it a true Cusack movie nor is it a comedy. Get it? Ok, here we go:

#1 Better off Dead: Sure it’s an 80’s movie and over the top but something can be said for overstated dark humor and this movie still works today. This movie’s gold is in its more subtle humor rather than it’s slapsticky humor. Unwarranted musical scene and unique characters (Mailman, drag racing Asian guys, one who talks like Howard Cosell and a bad guy actually named Roy Stalin.). Rickey Smith’s entrance during the school dance scene is one of the greatest musical entrances and dance routines ever in cinema. I had to buy that guy a new hat last time.

#2 High Fidelity: I underrated this movie for years. Probably because it featured Jack Black before audiences figured out he lacks the range to play anyone but Jack Black. (Recipe for a Jack Black role: write a scene in which his character can protrude his stomach, stick his chin out, have him point all five of his fingers and palms upward and make awkward spins and contortions singing something like, “Rickiy-ticki-do-rickey-dickey-do. How did that man become a star?) This one is somewhat morbid, dark comedy at its finest. John Cusack talking to the camera the entire film is enough to get over he and Black’s pretentious music aficionado characters. Bonus points for a pre-megastar, pre-Michael Douglas Catherine Zeta-Jones as the third love interest Charlie and of course a Bruce Springsteen cameo. Double bonus points for the deflowering of a Cosby kid.

#3 Grosse Point Blank: Minnie Driver before she was annoying and the always funny Alan Arkin as Cusack’s psychiatrist is priceless. One of my favorite all time lines “You can never go home again Oatman, but I guess you can shop there.“ Some priceless banter among characters puts this one at number three. Another one time Cusack roommate Ari Gold appearance. Points deducted for Dan Aykroyd appearance. This one just barely made number three over…

#4 Say Anything: A unconventional teen romantic movie known for the boom box over the head scene is more than the sum of it’s parts. This movie didn’t fit into pedantic ideas of what a romantic comedy is supposed to be. The father was actually a criminal (I never trusted Frasier’s father) and a great ending. Bonus points for Jeremy Piven appearance and naming the lead character Lloyd Dobler.

#5 Sixteen Candles: Not really a Cusack movie but he was in it and I could not in good conscience put One Crazy Summer in the top five, despite it being the vehicle to launch Demi Moore’s singing career. Same with Pushing Tin and America’s Sweethearts for obvious reasons. (Note: I’ve become a puzzled Asian scientist.)

Sorry for the lack of posts, I’ve been very ill (Ebola) and was unable to write the past few games and got too frustrated with Figueroa to post about the game.