Monday, June 23, 2025

The Four Miracles of Indiana

When the Indiana Pacers won the Eastern Conference Finals, coach Rick Carlisle uttered a phrase familiar to those who live in the state of Indiana. 

“In 49 states, it’s just basketball. But this is Indiana.” 

The game is inseparable from the Hoosier State. It’s God, basketball, cornfields, and the Indianapolis 500 here—and the priority varies by circumstance. 

We have a few patron saints of basketball. You’ve got Bob Knight, John Wooden, Gene Keady, and Brad Stevens, all generational talents who performed some extraordinary miracles on the hardwood. 

There’s Norman Dale, a fictional coach who’s just as real as anyone who has ever drawn up a play or riled up officials enough to get tossed from a game. 

The Indiana Pacers have a few patron saints of their own—Slick and Nancy Leonard, George McGinnis, Mel Daniels, Reggie Miller, Rik Smits, Jermaine O’Neal. Heck, throw Lance Stephenson in there, too. Few players were as borderline insane and beloved as “Born Ready.” 

Slick, Nancy, and Reggie were the miracle workers of the bunch, with Slick and Nancy willing the Pacers to stay in Indianapolis with a telethon and Reggie providing unforgettable moments that would somehow repeat 25 years later against the same New York Knicks franchise he delighted in tormenting. 

Yet, as charmed as the Pacers’ run in the early 1990s through mid-2000s was, something else always stood in the way. The Patrick Ewing-led New York Knicks. The Michael Jordan-era Chicago Bulls, a historically dominant franchise that won back-to-back-back titles twice, leaving little room for anyone else to represent the Eastern Conference in the Finals. 

Even when the Pacers made their sole NBA Finals appearance during the 1999-2000 season, they ran into another historic team of destiny in Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant, and the Los Angeles Lakers. They managed a couple wins in the series before losing in six games. 

The next best shot for the Pacers came during the 2004-2005 season, when Indiana had what appeared to be both the best team in the Eastern Conference and the whole NBA. This team, with Reggie taking on a reduced role as he tried to win that elusive ring, appeared ready to take the next step. 

It all unraveled with The Brawl (aka “The Malice at the Palace”). The resulting fight and media circus, which I will not deign to relive or relitigate here, led to severe punishment for the Pacers and ruined Reggie’s last, best chance at a championship.  

The Pacers made the playoffs as a sixth seed and advanced to the second round before losing to Detroit. Reggie retired at the end of the season. 

The Pacers remained competitive for the better part of the next two decades. They made it to the Eastern Conference Finals a couple times under ascending star Paul George, although the Blue and Gold ran into continued roadblocks in the form of LeBron James, a dominant player whose specter would haunt the franchise in the 2010s in the form of soul-crushing playoff exits and all-world clutch performances with both the Big Three Miami Heat and the Home Again Cleveland Cavaliers. 

From 2010 through 2020, the Pacers qualified for the playoffs in nine out of ten seasons. And while they were above average and consistently competitive, they exceeded 50 wins only once, when the Paul George-led 2013-2014 team won 56 games and advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals. 

King James, of course, made sure the top-seeded Pacers never reached the Finals. 

Trades moved star players in and out. George. Victor Oladipo. Malcolm Brogdon. Caris LeVert. Good players, some of whom even had great moments. 

But true success proved elusive. 

In the 2020-2021 season, the Pacers made the play-in round of the NBA postseason and lost to the Miami Heat.  

This marked a key turning point, as the franchise got rid of Nate Bjorkgren (a head-scratching hire in the first place) and hired Rick Carlisle, the NBA championship-winning coach who parted ways with the Dallas Mavericks. 

Carlisle had previously coached the Pacers before his unceremonious firing, when he had more hair and looked even more like Jim Carrey. He was at the helm during The Brawl and oversaw some excellent Pacers teams. 

A tough, demanding coach by reputation, Carlisle wore out his welcome in Indianapolis, which showed him the door following the 2006-2007 season. The team had missed the playoffs after making nine consecutive postseason appearances. 

Fast forward more than a decade and the Pacers, facing an imminent rebuild and a team stacked with young talent, wanted a veteran coach at the helm to pull it all together. 

During Carlisle’s return season, the Pacers acquired Tyrese Haliburton in a trade with the Sacramento Kings, a savvy personnel move that changed the trajectory of the franchise. 

The team gave up Domantas Sabonis, a talented and tough-nosed forward who could serve as a franchise cornerstone with any other team. The immediate returns weren’t evident. The Pacers missed the playoffs in Haliburton’s first two seasons. Too often, flashes of brilliance were offset by injuries or inconsistency. 

It all came together during the surprising 2023-2024 season, when the Pacers made it into the postseason as a sixth seed and beat Milwaukee and New York to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. They ran into a juggernaut in the Boston Celtics, who calmly swept the upstart Pacers en route to an NBA championship. 

That run seemed miraculous. 

But Pacers fans had no idea what the team had planned for the encore. 

These are the Four Miracles of Indiana. 

Miracle One: The Blow By (April 29, 2025) 

The Pacers held a 3-1 series lead and had the chance to close out the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 5 of their first-round series. A desperate Milwaukee team stormed out to a 17-point lead in the first quarter as the Pacers steadily worked their way back into the game. 

Haliburton tied the game at 103 with about ten seconds left. All-world scorer Giannis Antetokounmpo missed a 15-footer that would’ve won the game in regulation, sending it into overtime. 

Milwaukee took a commanding seven-point lead with 40 seconds left in the extra frame. Andrew Nembhard’s three cut the lead to four.  

Timeout, Milwaukee. 

Nembhard then stole the inbounds pass and got the ball to Haliburton, who sprinted in for a layup and drew a foul. He sank the free throw to make it a one-point game. 

Timeout, Milwaukee. 

Facing intense pressure from the Pacers, the Bucks finally inbounded the ball to Kevin Porter Jr. He swung it to AJ Green, who tried to get it to Gary Trent Jr. on the sideline. Trent, who’d made Indiana’s life miserable all night with a barrage of threes, couldn’t handle the pass, which went through his hands and darted out of bounds for the turnover. 

Timeout, Pacers?  

Absolutely not. 

The team used the dead ball to sub Pascal Siakam in for Jarace Walker. With 10.1 seconds left, Haliburton took the inbounds pass and dribbled past midcourt. 

A high screen from Siakam had Antetokounmpo, an All-NBA defender, switch to Haliburton. But the Pacers guard hit him with a crossover dribble, got to his right, and blew by Antetokounmpo to hit the game-winning field goal with 1.3 seconds left. 

Indiana advances. Milwaukee goes home. Final score: 119-118. 

Miracle Two: The Heart-Taker (May 6, 2025) 

After winning Game 1 against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Pacers stared down another huge deficit in Game 2. It ballooned to 20 points in the second quarter, as the top seed in the Eastern Conference dominated Indiana. 

The Pacers trailed by 14 points going into the fourth quarter. The Cavs finished the regular season with 64 wins and appeared to be well on their way to evening the series at one game apiece. 

Cleveland led 119-112 with under a minute left. Yes, the Pacers had come back, but the Cavs answered each time, including a Max Strus three and free throws from star Donovan Mitchell to keep Indiana at a distance. 

When Pascal Siakam drew a foul with 48 seconds left, it looked like the perfect opportunity for the Pacers to score points with the clock stopped. 

Siakam proceeded to miss the first free throw. 

And the second. 

But do-it-all forward Aaron Nesmith crashed in from the top of the key, skied for the rebound, and threw down a vicious dunk. The play stunned the Cavs and their fans. Nesmith’s athletic putback erased Siakam’s free throw misses and made it 119-114. 

On the ensuing inbound play, Mitchell caught the ball on the sideline and tried to go through Nesmith, elbows flying. The resulting collision knocked both players to the floor, and the officials whistled Mitchell for an offensive foul. 

The call held up on review (Nesmith’s putback dunk had also been reviewed and upheld earlier). 

Siakam’s driving layup cut the Cavs’ lead to three, 119-116. 

Timeout, Cleveland. 

Nembhard stole the next inbounds pass with 27 seconds left. He got the ball to Haliburton, who drove toward the basket and drew a foul with 12.1 remaining. 

He sank the first free throw to make it a two-point game at 119-117.  

The second one went off the front of the rim; Myles Turner tipped the ball to Haliburton. 

Timeout, Pacers? 

Absolutely not. 

Haliburton backed out toward the top of the key. With Cleveland’s Ty Jerome in front of him, he calmly stepped back and drilled a three with 1.1 seconds left to give the Pacers a one-point lead. 

The Pacers take a 2-0 series lead. The Cavs have their hearts ripped out. Final score: 120-119. 

Indiana would win the series in five games. 

Miracle Three: The Three-Smith Choke (May 21, 2025) 

Facing a rowdy crowd at Madison Square Garden, the Pacers dug themselves a hole in the fourth quarter, and it looked like they wouldn’t be able to dig out of it this time. The Knicks led by 14 with 3:44 left and took another 14-point lead with 2:51 left off a Jalen Brunson three. 

Haliburton hit a three, the Pacers got a stop, and Nesmith hit from long distance to make it an eight-point game at 119-111. The Knicks kept answering, but the Pacers kept getting the ball to Nesmith, who got on one of the all-time heaters in NBA playoff history. 

During the memorable close to the game, Nesmith buried six threes and hit a couple free throws to bring the Pacers back to life. That’s 20 points in the span of about five minutes, and while it’s not 8 points in 8.9 seconds, it sure as heck is just as impressive. 

These weren’t wide open looks, either. 

The Knicks consistently got a hand in his face and often knocked him down as each unlikely shot hit the bottom of the net. 

Nesmith closed out his scoring run with a pair of free throws to make it 124-123 New York. 

Siakam fouled OG Anunoby with 7.1 seconds left; Anunoby missed the first but hit the second to make it a two-point lead at 125-123. 

Timeout, Pacers? 

Absolutely not. 

Haliburton raced down the floor, drove into the lane, and then, just as he had against Cleveland, took a step back shot. 

This time, the ball hit the back of the rim, bounced straight up, and hung in the air for an eternity until it hit the bottom of the net. 

Hali gave the Knicks fans his version of Reggie Miller’s iconic “Choke.” 

A review showed Haliburton’s toe was on the line, so the clutch shot “merely” tied the game at 125 instead of winning it. The Pacers captured the overtime period (Nembhard scored seven points and had a key assist) to win Game 1. 

The Pacers take a 1-0 series lead. The Knicks cope with “Choke 2.0.” Final score: 138-135.  

Indiana would go on to win the series in six and advance to the NBA Finals. 

Miracle Four: The Point-Three Killer (June 5, 2025) 

In Game 1 of the NBA Finals, the Pacers looked completely overmatched.  

The Oklahoma City Thunder, the top seed in the playoffs with an NBA-best 68 wins in the regular season, played at a speed unlike anything the Pacers had faced the entire season. 

Watching a team on film doesn’t prepare you for the reality of seeing them on the court. With the raucous crowd at the Paycom Center firmly behind them, the Thunder stormed out to a 12-point halftime lead. 

The Pacers kept turning the ball over. In the first half alone, they gave the ball away 19 times against OKC’s smothering defense. They cleaned it up considerably in the second half, finishing with 25 total turnovers on the night. 

The Thunder, collected and calm, had just seven turnovers in Game 1. 

Oklahoma City extended the lead to 15 points with less than ten minutes left in the fourth quarter. They had a 97.9% chance of winning the game. 

The Pacers chipped away. With 2:52 left, the Thunder led by nine after a pair of free throws from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Indiana responded with back-to-back threes from Nesmith and Nembhard to pull within three. 

A jumper from Gilgeous-Alexander made it 110-105 with 1:27 left. Nembhard sank a pair of free throws, and the Pacers stopped OKC on the next possession after Siakam blocked SGA. 

Nembhard launched a game-tying shot attempt but missed; Siakam stormed into the lane to get the rebound and a putback to make it 110-109 OKC. 

On the ensuing possession, Jalen Williams missed a layup, but the Pacers couldn’t corral the rebound and Carlisle called a timeout to challenge the play, arguing Siakam had gotten shoved out of bounds. 

It was an unsuccessful challenge, and OKC retained possession of the ball. Gilgeous-Alexander, facing intense defensive pressure from Nembhard, missed a jumper off the back of the rim with 11 seconds left. 

Nesmith came through with a spectacular rebound. 

Timeout, Pacers? 

Absolutely not. 

Nesmith got the ball to Siakam, who passed it to Obi Toppin. Toppin handed the ball to Haliburton near midcourt. 

Hali drove to his right, found a little space just inside the three-point line, and pulled up for another cold-blooded clutch shot. 

Indiana takes a 1-0 series lead. Oklahoma City wonders what happened. Final score: 111-110. 

Epilogue

Miracles can only get you so far.

You can't rely on them--they just happen. Sometimes, they desert you.

The Pacers pushed the Thunder to seven games in a series they weren't supposed to be in. And with Haliburton dealing with a calf strain, the miracles ran out.

There would be no fifth miracle. Just heartbreak.

Still, we were believers.

On behalf of the fans, thank you, Pacers.



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Sunday, December 29, 2024

Studicus Selects 2024


Once, long ago, I posted on the internet as Studicus, an in-joke nickname related to a skit from high school. When I first started blogging, I called my year-end entries "Studicus Selects." The tradition has continued since 2005...although I skipped 2006 for some unknown reason. 
You'll find past entries here (scroll down for the 2024 picks):


Best Howard, Howard Category. We have a repeat winner this year. It's no surprise the judges unanimously selected Howard as the best Howard. We saw some changes in our little guy this year. In January, we noticed he started tearing things up at home when we were gone. We'd check the cameras at home and he'd be pacing and panting, clearly anxious about being alone. We'd come home to find cardboard boxes shredded and items all around the home displaced. We started taking him every day to Barkefellers. He looks forward to going there and socializing with the dogs. He was also named Dog of the Day earlier this year. The only negative about doggy daycare is that Howard got bitten on two different occasions when we arrived to pick him up, with a dog jumping a fence to take a bite out of his hindquarters. The business took care of his vet bills and also changed its outboarding procedures. Anne bought Howie an elevated dog bed for outdoors, and he loves that thing when it's nice and sunny outside.

Our very proud Dog of the Day

This is Howard manning the desk at Barkefellers

This frog hoodie is adorable and I think Howard hates it

Howard mugging it up inside the car

Howard spent a lot...A LOT...of time lying on his elevated bed 
Best Turtle, Northern Map Turtle Category. We have another unanimous repeat winner. Honestly, Willy was pretty low maintenance this year. We kept waiting for her to lay eggs in the spring as she had the last two years. However, once June rolled around, we didn't see any eggs and Willy never had any to begin with. We learned from her vet that it's entirely possible she just didn't develop any this time--and we're constantly learning new things about our little turtle girl. She hasn't been a big fan of the winter weather, not so much because of the temperature but because of the constant fluctuations in hot and cold weather we've had since October. Wild temperatures swings within the same week have delayed her typical brumation period, which is the semi-hibernation stage she stays in during the winter. We'll have to have her beak trimmed down at some point soon, but other than that, she's doing great.

Willy up on her basking ramp

I swear she almost always looks ticked off at me when I take her picture
Best and Biggest Surprise, Nephew Category. When my sister-in-law and brother-in-law visited my other brother-in-law in Michigan back in March, it seemed like a normal trip. Then my sister-in-law started having some stomach trouble, which she initially attributed to something she ate. But in a scene ripped straight from a Lifetime movie, she ended up giving birth to a baby she didn't even know she was pregnant with. We were soon introduced to Dean the Unexpected, the best surprise we could've ever asked for.

Dean at two months

Dean in an October snapshot
Best Trip, 2024 Trip Category. In October, Anne and I ventured forth to Grand Rapids, Michigan, to visit her brother and his family. We spent some time with the Beenkenbauers, ate at some great restaurants, and went through the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum. I learned a few things about President Ford, whose presidency had been, in my perception, somewhat of a joke (you can blame Chevy Chase for falling down the stairs, I think). It really is a great museum with some tremendous exhibits about the Ford years.

The museum featured the "Ford at 50" exhibit this year

This replica White House was pretty cool

Did you know he played football at Michigan? The museum will not let you forget

Our tickets and a brochure to the museum

The man himself in statue form
I also got to share one of my all-time favorite SNL sketches with Anne and her brother--Dana Carvey as Tom Brokaw "pre-recording" the news ahead of a planned vacation. One of the main stories was the death of Gerald Ford. Carvey's delivery is pure gold.

Best Concert, College Nostalgia Category. When Creed announced a national tour, my venerable buddy Krildog asked if I wanted to go. After all, we listened to a lot of Creed in college. Well, I should probably clarify that I listened to a lot of Creed in college. Despite the fact I've lived in the Indy area for more than two decades, I'd never been to Ruoff/Verizon Wireless/Klipsch/Deer Creek Music Center. This marked my first go, and I got the full deal: lots of walking, overpriced water, drunk people, a girl peeing next to our car--the full Deer Creek Experience. The show was overproduced just like you'd expect from Scott Stapp and company. I had a great time. One of the opening acts was 3 Doors Down, which performed some of its signature songs. Oh, Finger Eleven was also there.

Hard to tell from the photo, but Scott Stapp has morphed into his final form as Clive Owen
Best Blowout Game, College Football Category. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish made the College Football Playoff this year, and I can at least say I got to see them in person. I didn't go up to South Bend, however, with Mrs. Krildog buying tickets so Krildog, a couple friends, and I could see the Irish play Purdue at Ross-Ade Stadium. It's a much shorter trip to West Lafayette. Purdue was an absolute embarrassment this season, and the Irish took a 49-0 lead before the Boilermakers accidentally scored a touchdown. The final score in this beatdown was 66-7. Notre Dame started playing its second stringers at the start of the third quarter.

We had a decent view, at least
Best Indiana Jones Movie, Video Game Edition. After playing the rebooted Tomb Raider games, I always wanted one in that style starring Indiana Jones. Exploration, hunting for relics, some light combat, globetrotting exploits--it all seemed fitting for the venerable Dr. Jones. What I got instead was Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, a first-person video game featuring all of what I just mentioned and so much more. It's a great video game, yes, but more importantly it's a great Indiana Jones story and the best thing to come from the franchise since 1989. While Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis will always have a place in my heart, The Great Circle is the best Indy game out there. The story, charm, and wit put it up there with Raiders and The Last Crusade. It's absolutely incredible.
The young Harrison Ford likeness is striking, as is the performance of voice actor Troy Baker
Indy was simply trying to take a photo when these fascists showed up and wouldn't stop bothering him
Best Return to Form, College Football Video Game Category. NCAA Football 2014 was the last licensed college football game released on consoles. More than a decade later, with the rights and likeness situation sorted out, we got EA Sports College Football 25. This miracle of a game included, for the first time, real college players. Most of the big names agreed to appear, which was kind of wild. If you played as Notre Dame, for example, you had Riley Leonard at quarterback. Before, "real" players were represented by names like QB #13. I went straight into Dynasty mode and transformed Ball State into a national powerhouse, with the Cardinals moving up to the Big Ten (Rutgers got relegated to the MAC in a one-for-one swap) after a few seasons. It's not perfect, but it is fantastic.
The national champion Ball State University Cardinals, something that will never happen in real life
Saddest Goodbye, Disney Loyalty Program Category. In August, Disney announced its long-running Disney Movie Insiders program would come to an end. The loyalty program awarded members points on Disney purchases for things like digital movies, movies tickets, and Blu-ray discs. Over the years, I've added several movies to my collection by accumulating points through purchases. At least one of my final hauls was a pretty good one.
I cashed in points for these movies about a month before I learned the program was going away
Movies Year in Review. As I did last year, I'll split my list of entertainment stuff into two sections: movies we saw at the theater and stuff we watched via streaming. Let's start with the movies first. As usual, there may be some spoilers.

Dune: Part Two. A movie of the year contender, this sequel stuck the landing. Director Denis Villeneuve topped Dune: Part One with a captivating cautionary tale packed with mysticism and spectacle. Paul Atreides sees the path laid before him and resists, knowing it will lead to all-out war on an unimaginable scale. But when his enemies refuse to listen to reason, he takes the only path left, becoming the messianic figure he dreaded.

Kung Fu Panda 4. Jack Black returns for another entertaining turn as Po. While not as strong as some of the other entries in the series, it's still very enjoyable.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. The apes are firmly in charge in this installment of the long-running series. The special effects work was exceptional, as the apes are the focus of the story and the effects have to work well in order to sell it. It's mostly a coming-of-age tale that explores whether apes and humans could ever truly coexist. I'd rank it below Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and War for the Planet of the Apes but slightly ahead of Rise of the Planet of the Apes.

Twisters. Glen Powell is a star and tornadoes are still scary.

Deadpool & Wolverine. The sole Marvel Cinematic Universe movie of the year, this one packed plenty of star power and inappropriate humor into what was essentially a parody movie about the MCU itself. Ryan Reynolds Deadpooled as hard as he usually Deadpools, but it was Hugh Jackman's return as Wolverine that grounded things (well, kind of). The movie featured some big cameos, my favorite of which was Channing Tatum's unintelligible Gambit. "Woo, I'm about to make a name for myself here."

Trap. The premise was probably more enjoyable than the movie itself, which sputtered once the high-concept plot (a serial killer is trapped at a concert specifically organized to ensnare him) left the concert and headed toward its resolution.

Moana 2. Enjoyable but not as good as the first one, which is certainly not a knock on it because Moana is an all-timer. Still, the music wasn't as catchy as the first one (there was no comparable "Shiny" or "How Far I'll Go" or "You're Welcome" in this one). I liked seeing more screentime for Pua and Heihei, and I'll always enjoy the interplay between Moana and Maui. 

White Christmas. It was the best Christmas, as Bing Crosby tap-danced with Danny Effing Kaye. We saw a 70th anniversary screening in mid-December to kick off our Christmas celebration.

Gladiator II. I didn't know if a sequel to Gladiator would work, but I thought Ridley Scott pulled it off well enough. Paul Mescal steps into the Maximus role, and while he's not Russell Crowe, a strong supporting cast and plenty of spectacle aid him considerably. Denzel Washington steals the show as the scheming Macrinus. 

Streaming Year in Review. Here's a look at some of the things we watched at home.

Fallout. I never played the games, so I have a limited perspective on whether or not this was a good adaptation of the source material. As a series, however, I can say it was exceptional with compelling leads and a tremendous turn from the ever-reliable Walton Goggins as the Ghoul.

X-Men '97. A revival of the '90s animated X-Men series did just about everything right, giving us compelling storylines and imperfect characters to bring the world of mutants to life. Several cast members returned, although other characters got new voice actors. This was a stunning achievement, with my only complaint being that some storylines could've used a little more breathing room.

Agatha All Along. I didn't expect to like this MCU show as much as I did. This magic-based show follows Agatha Harkness as she leads others down the "Witches' Road." It's a spiritual sequel to WandaVision, tackling some of the themes and resolving a few dangling plot threads from one of the MCU's best shows. If anything, watch it for "The Ballad of the Witches' Road," which is a real earworm.

Manhunt. This excellent Apple TV+ show was based on an equally excellent book about the hunt for John Wilkes Booth in the wake of Abraham Lincoln's assassination. It follows Edwin Stanton, Lincoln's devoted secretary of war, as he tracks down leads to find Booth and bring him to justice. Some characters and situations are combined or compressed, but it's a compelling miniseries that's a mix of Lincoln and The Fugitive.

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew. A relatively late 2024 release, this Disney+ show features a bunch of kids who blast off on a starship without a way to return home. Their only hope is a scatterbrained droid and Jude Law's roguish pirate-maybe Jedi-character. The young cast does a fine job, Law is sufficiently charming, and the Spielberg movie-meets-Star Wars vibe works really well.

Abbott Elementary. Thankfully, the show put Janine back at school after last season saw her split time between Abbott Elementary and the school district. It's just a fun show packed with humor and heart. 

Alien: Romulus. The latest movie in the Alien franchise returned to its horror roots. It's very, um, squishy.

Conclave. This awards contender follows a harried cardinal who oversees the papal conclave after the pope's unexpected death. Scandals bloom, factions form, and real-world politics threaten to subsume faith in this gripping thriller.

Late Night with the Devil. I don't watch a ton of horror...it's just not my thing...but the premise of this movie intrigued me. It follows the "lost broadcast" of a late-night talk show, putting a twist on the "found footage" genre. David Dastmalchian hosts a spooky Halloween broadcast that quickly goes sideways and turns shockingly sinister. It's presented as a TV broadcast with "behind-the-scenes" footage shown during commercial breaks.

Jackpot. John Cena and Awkwafina star in this goofy movie, which involves the California "Grand Lottery's" $3.6 billion prize. The winner, Awkwafina's character, can claim it IF she can survive until sundown. Meantime, anyone can steal the prize by killing her (no guns allowed!), meaning pretty much everyone statewide is trying to track her down to secure the life-altering prize. Cena plays a "protection agent" who agrees to help keep her alive in exchange for a cut of the money. Hijinks ensue.

Ricky Stanicky. Another movie starring Mr. Cena, this one revolves around a group of friends who always blame the imaginary scapegoat "Ricky Stanicky" to take the heat off themselves. When they make a major screw-up by missing the birth of a child, people question the existence of "Ricky Stanicky." The desperate friends hire Cena's character to portray their imaginary friend; Cena inserts himself into their lives in various aggravating ways. Probably most notable for a certain trait from William H. Macy's character and the related song in the end credits.
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Friday, December 29, 2023

Studicus Selects 2023

Once, long ago, I posted on the internet as Studicus, an in-joke nickname related to a skit from high school. When I first started blogging, I called my year-end entries "Studicus Selects." The tradition has continued since 2005...although I skipped 2006 for some unknown reason. 

You'll find past entries here (scroll down for the 2023 picks):


Best Howard, Howard Category. I think Howard's had a pretty successful year. Our little Chihuahua dachshund dropped a little bit of weight as recommended by his veterinarian. During the summer, he loved lying on a blanket and taking in the sun on the patio. He still experiences a bit of anxiety from time to time, and he hates being away from his mommy, but he remains, as always, the Quintessential Very Good Boy. Yes, he's a repeat winner in this category.

Howard is adept at snuggling with any blanket.

Howard with his current favorite toy, Chop-Chop.

I spent many afternoons sitting out on the porch while Howard lay on a blanket in the sun.

Just a Noble and Very Good Boy.

Snack time!

Pretty sure he was angling for some food here.

Best Turtle, Northern Map Turtle Category. After learning the surprising news last year that Willy was, in fact, a girl, we took a different approach to spring and made sure we got her out of her tank frequently to see if she needed to lay eggs. She definitely laid a few--including some in her tank--and is now in winter mode, when she sleeps more, moves less, and rarely basks. We'll still let her out for walkabouts. She also got a new canister filter this year, an upgraded model of the one we originally bought in 2017. Willy is also a repeat winner.

Willy led me on quite the odyssey through the neighborhood one afternoon.

Just a northern map turtle looking as casually as she can.

Willy laid one of her eggs on the ramp in her tank.

This is the new canister filter. Very exciting, I know.

She's never a big fan of being bothered while basking.

Most Inconvenient Moment, Four-Way Stop Category. An idiot driver rammed her SUV into Anne's car back in May. It happened at a four-way stop not far from home. No one was hurt and the car eventually got fixed. It took a month or so for the repairs, and our loaner was a Toyota RAV4. It could've been much worse, of course, and while the other driver was clearly at fault, the insurance companies reached an impasse and we had to pay our deductible. Again, could've been worse.

This is what happens when the other driver ignores the rules of right-of-way. Thanks for that, by the way.

Promised a sensible vehicle, we initially ended up with this giant Ford SUV. The rental place eventually let us swap it with a RAV4.

It was a relief to finally get the car back!

Most Inconvenient Moments, Tire Category. I thought I'd scheduled a car appointment at Skillman in Avon, except I didn't realize I'd scheduled it for the wrong Skillman by mistake. When I showed up for the appointment, I wasn't on the schedule and they couldn't squeeze me in (which is understandable). So, I headed home and less than a mile away from the four-way stop near our house, I hit a pothole and ended up with a flat tire. I was able to get the car in the next day for a new one. Then, in August, while driving on the brand-new I-65 split through downtown Indy, I hit another pothole and completely shredded the same freaking tire! A couple of people were nice enough to help me change it to the spare, and I was able to get a same-day appointment for a new tire. The rim, however, needed to be replaced.

The first flat here was pretty conventional.

This tire hit the mother of all potholes. Completely shredded, as you can see.
Best Trip, Old Hickory Category. While traveling to Tennessee for our annual family reunion, we decided to make a detour to the Hermitage, the home of Andrew Jackson. We really enjoyed going through the mansion and learning things about seventh president and his colorful life as a military commander and politician. We're glad the house itself is air conditioned for the modern era, but walking around the grounds on a hot, muggy day was a less gladsome tiding. 





Best Trip, Homecoming Category. It's been 20 years since I graduated from college. Anne and I hadn't been to Homecoming for a few years, so we decided to head back to mark the occasion. The campus looks great. Old Main looks great. Shirk Hall looked like Shirk Hall. We toured a few new spots--like a technology center, the new science building, and the e-sports facility. Just a handful of the Class of 2003 made the trip, but it was great to be back.

Anne and me on the FC campus

I missed it when President Moseley welcomed the Dalai Lama to campus, but now I feel like I was there all along.

The Wellhouse

Venerable Old Main

Johnson-Dietz--I used to live there
Biggest Project, Christmas Category. Back in college, I did a radio show called the Saturday Morning MattPack in which I played crooners like Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Bobby Darin. I recorded my shows on cassette so my parents could listen to them (Franklin College's radio signal was incapable of making it to Williamsburg!), and my father has continued to listen to them for years. But tapes degrade over time, and I set off to make digital copies of the shows. I spent much of December making digital recordings of the cassettes, which I planned to give to Dad for Christmas. He can still listen to the old tapes, of course, but those digital backups will last forever-ish.

Biggest Birthday, Lordy, Lordy, Look Who's 40 Category. It was somewhat inconceivable to me when I turned 40 in 2020. It's even more inconceivable that Anne turned 40 this year! Anne's birthday and my birthday fall within eight days of each other in July, so we hold a weeklong-ish celebration called "The Festival of Anne and Matt." This year's festival included trips to see Barbie and the newest Mission: Impossible movie along with stops at the Oaken Barrel and our annual pilgrimage to Red Lobster (Anne loves the Lob, but I'm kinda "meh" on seafood, so she has me take her once a year on her birthday). She didn't want me to make a big fuss, so I didn't, but that won't stop me from writing about it here.

Best Utility Infielder, Funeral Arts Category. Anne has had quite the year at work. For a time, she was assigned to a project to help modernize the record-keeping system at several cemeteries around the area. That meant frequent trips around Indianapolis to different cemeteries to catalog things. She would spend a few weeks at one place and then move on. Her "homebase" was a downtown office. Before this project, she'd worked at a cemetery on the southwest side.

Long story short, she ended up going back to the original cemetery because the person hired to replace her simply couldn't hack it there. She constantly messed things up, communicated poorly, and often yelled at people on the phone. Anne's former coworkers--now again her current coworkers--basically flashed the "Anne Signal" and are overjoyed to have her back! 

The Year in Writing. This wasn't the most productive year I've had from a writing standpoint, but I did manage to finish a book based on my experiences in college radio. The basic plot is my take on an '80s-style "slobs vs. snobs" comedy (think Caddyshack or Revenge of the Nerds) but set in 2000 at a small college in Fairlane, Indiana. Everything is a stand-in for Franklin College. The story revolves around a power-mad trustee who wants to turn the campus' non-commercial alternative rock station into a commercial news-talk station. Hilarity, I hope, ensues.
This is a temporary cover for a proof copy.
I'm not sure if I'll try to get it published or pull a Sega CD Summer and do it myself. 

Best Anniversary, Movie Category. Return of the Jedi turned 40 this year. The movie hit theaters on May 25, 1983. This has always been my favorite Star Wars movie. It was the first one I saw and one of the first memories I have of going to the movie theater. I grew up obsessed with Star Wars, and Jedi was the primary reason for that. To celebrate the anniversary, I wrote a post about the movie and also penned six original pieces of fan fiction (with accompanying commentaries) to celebrate the milestone and Jedi's influence on this Star Wars fan. You can find it all here. Disney/Lucasfilm also treated fans to a re-release in April.

The most popular short story turned out to be "An Older Code," if you were wondering.


Movies Year in Review. As I did last year, I'll split my long list of entertainment stuff into two sections: movies we saw at the theater and stuff we watched via streaming. Let's start with the movies first. As usual, there may be some spoilers.

Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania. The third movie in the Ant-Man series reached for something epic and fell short. It was enjoyable enough--Paul Rudd is always fun--but the attempt at sweeping narrative stakes doesn't work with this particular character, who excels with smaller, lighter adventures.

Return of the Jedi. Still rules.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. This was a solid wrap for the misfits in the Guardians crew. Packed with humor, action, and heart, it's one of the better MCU movies in the latest round. It's also very, very sad at times. Some very tough moments of animal abuse make it a difficult watch, and there was one moment in which everyone at my screening broke down in tears. You need a strong constitution to watch it, and even then, I doubt you'll want to revisit it.

The Little Mermaid. I almost forgot this movie came out this year. It's The Little Mermaid except with people. You've got talking, singing sea creatures. They attempt to give Prince Eric a meatier backstory and he gets an absolutely mediocre song.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. The sequel is just as imaginative and fun as its predecessor, delivering a story that spans the multiverse while delivering great characterization and plenty of surprises. Miles is a tremendous character, and it's nice to see him get his time in the spotlight--a spotlight he shares with infinite Spider-Men and Spider-Women.

The Flash. A quick aside: when I went to see this one with my buddy Krildog, the movie cut off about 30 minutes in. We'd been warned beforehand of problems with the projector, decided to risk it, and ended up with a couple complimentary movie passes before being shuffled off to a different showing and picking up the action from there.

He's Batman. Forever.
As for the movie itself, I thought it was a heartfelt exploration of love and loss--how we're not necessarily equipped to handle things we wish we could change. It was also great to see Michael Keaton back in action as Batman--Batman '89 still has a place place in my heart--and I found the movie very enjoyable with a heartbreaking ending. Your mileage will vary based on your tolerance for Ezra Miller and some...interesting...CGI choices, but I think it's worth a watch.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. Harrison Ford returns as his signature character for the final, final, final Indiana Jones movie. This one is about a fading hero who finds himself unable to change with the times around him. Pressed into duty one last time, Indy teams up with his goddaughter to prevent Nazis from acquiring a device purported to find "fissures in time." Though initially very grumpy, Indy does find some of his trademark charm and the movie takes a big swing at the end.

Dr. Jones
That big swing is definitely a better finale than "interdimensional beings" taking off for those "spaces between the spaces." It's more fantastical than the opening of the Ark, Temple of Doom's bridge sequence, or the discovery of the Holy Grail. They definitely went for it here, and I respect that.

Part of me, however, wishes the movie just took place in the classic Indy vs. Nazis era of the incredibly satisfying opening sequence.

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. The Transformers movie continuity is pretty much mush, but it doesn't really matter. This is a solid entry in the series, not as charming as Bumblebee, but still a good time. I'm sure fans of Beast Wars really got a thrill out of it, but I'm a Generation One guy at heart, so I say Peter Cullen forever. 

Mission: Impossible -- Dead Reckoning, Part One. A dumb title for a great movie. Unfortunately, Ethan Hunt and company got swallowed up by Barbenheimer at the box office, but you shouldn't miss this entry on the long-running "Tom Cruise tries to kill himself on camera" subgenre. The MacGuffin isn't necessarily great--we've seen the killer computer thing before--but crackling action sequences give the whole thing life. Plus, Henry Czerny is back as Kittridge!

I had no use for Ryan Gosling until Blade Runner 2049 and Barbie
Barbie. As the unexpected smash of the summer, we'll be dealing with this pop culture phenomenon for years. Margot Robbie brought Barbie to life, but for me, it was Ryan Gosling's Ken who brought life to the movie. His put-upon Ken was highly entertaining, delivering unto us the earworm "I'm Just Ken" and his Mojo Dojo Casa House. Oh, the movie also has plenty to say about gender roles and society, so it's not just empty calories. Low-key MVP: Michael Cera. 

My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3. They made another one. It was cute.

The Marvels. This one landed with a resounding thud at the box office, serving as a cautionary tale for a brand that's churned out some mediocre shows and movies lately. Two of the three main characters required viewers to sink several hours into TV shows to care about them and their backstories. Generally, it was fine and I would watch it again. But even its most "out there" idea--a planet where the native language is singing--felt undercooked, as if the filmmakers liked the idea but either didn't want to or weren't fully allowed to commit to it. For X-Men fans, though, the mid-credits sequence was pretty awesome. 

Napoleon. Hmmm. Ridley Scott and Joaquin Phoenix team up to bring us a bloated biopic about the famed military commander and French emperor. It's kind of unfocused and requires a little more geopolitical knowledge of the time period than most viewers will possess. I found it to be kind of a slog myself, keeping this figure of history at a decided distance.

Streaming Year in Review. We definitely spent a lot more time watching stuff at home than we did at the movie theater. 

Night Court. NBC resurrected Night Court, a staple of syndicated afternoon programming for my brother and me in the 80s and 90s. The new show followed the "rebootquel" format (or "legacy reboot") in which new characters are thrust into the same setting/world as a popular intellectual property with a character or two from the original version included as mentor figures.

The new Night Court drew decent ratings. I liked most of the characters and was glad to see John Larroquette back as Dan Fielding. I think the new show is enjoyable enough, tapping into some of that manic Night Court energy even though it lacks Harry Stone, Bull Shannon, Mac Robinson, and Christine Sullivan.

Perhaps the best thing about the new Night Court is that it gave Anne and me an excuse to rewatch the old Night Court, which is available on Freevee, Amazon's ad-supported streaming service. We very much enjoyed getting reacquainted with the old gang, and it was clear the old formula still worked. The show also gave us this incredible screenshot:

Rest assured, this had something to do with Dan Fielding
Frasier. Someone else got the rebootquel treatment this year--one Frasier Crane. His new show on Paramount Plus sent Dr. Crane from Seattle back to Boston to reconnect with his son. It's pretty clear what the show is going for here, portraying Freddy as a blue-collar firefighter in the vein of Frasier's father, with Frasier's penchant for high society setting up another cultural clash. While Niles and Daphne are nowhere to be seen, their son (Frasier's nephew) takes on the role of the show's nebbish character.

We have yet to make it through the new version of Frasier, mostly because we decided to watch the old Frasier and then go back to the sequel series. I can't imagine the new show touching the heights of the original one, which is absolutely brilliant and packed with memorable, lovable characters. The chemistry between Kelsey Grammer and David Hyde Pierce, in particular, is something you can't easily replicate, and John Mahoney is irreplaceable. 

Ahsoka. I'm not sure how more casual Star Wars fans will feel about Ahsoka. The show is really more of a sequel to Rebels and The Clone Wars than it is an expansion of the Mandalorian universe. Yes, the new Star Wars canon reintroduced Ahsoka in The Mandalorian, but the other characters in the show originated elsewhere.

To people who've only seen the Star Wars movies, the character of Ahsoka doesn't make much sense. When did Anakin have a Padawan? Why didn't he ever mention her in Revenge of the Sith? Who is Sabine Wren? Why is she important? Who's this Ezra guy everyone seems so worried about? The green Twi'lek lady? Who is Thrawn and why is he such a threat?

The show doesn't spend much time answering these questions and expects the audience to be up-to-date on just about everything. Personally, I liked the show, but I've seen Rebels and have a passing knowledge of The Clone Wars. Finding Ezra was A Big Deal and seeing Grand Admiral Thrawn was The Big Deal for this longtime Star Wars fan.

I've wanted to see this guy in the flesh since 1991
Star Wars introduced me to Thrawn in 1991, when Heir to the Empire hit bookshelves and took us back to a galaxy far, far away. He was just as terrifying as Darth Vader, although he intimidated enemies through his intellect instead of any Dark Side prowess. A truly great villain, he first returned in animated form in Rebels. It was a thrill to see him become part of "real" Star Wars.

If I had any criticism of Ahsoka, it was that Ray Stevenson's Baylan Skoll was perhaps the show's most interesting character, yet it didn't do enough with him. I think the intention was to follow Skoll into a second season, but Stevenson died last year, which will likely leave the character's journey unfulfilled unless the show recasts him. That lack of fulfillment isn't the show's fault--no one could have known Ray Stevenson would die--but failing to fulfill the promise of the character when a second season is never guaranteed is certainly a misstep. 

The Mandalorian. I'd almost forgotten this show's third season aired in 2023. It seems like such a long time ago! This time, Mando and Grogu team up with other outcast Mandalorians to reclaim their homeworld.

It felt like some of the "side trip" episodes stalled momentum on the show's overarching plotline, but that's really nothing new for The Mandalorian, which sometimes eschews serialized storytelling in favor of a more episodic approach. But the finale really landed, and it's always terrific to see Mando and Grogu together.

A Haunting in Venice. The third outing with Kenneth Branagh as the famed Hercule Poirot takes place in Venice, as the title suggests. This mystery involves a seance and a murder, with Poirot skeptical that supernatural forces are at play. Branagh is good in the role, but I'm not sure if any more of these movies are necessary.

Fast X. The Fast franchise gets bigger, louder, and dumber with its latest sequel. We didn't get the chance to see this one in the theater, and that's fine. Sure, we missed out on some of the big-screen spectacle, but the movie was kind of a mess. At least the ever-reliable Jason Momoa got the chance to vamp around with the Fast crew. Try not to get too pissed off by the absurd cliffhanger of an ending.

Shazam: Fury of the Gods. Shazam is back. This time, he's ticked off some gods. Another box-office failure for the fizzling DCEU/Snyderverse. It still has some entertaining moments, and is worth a look on a lazy afternoon.

Blue Beetle. This DC movie also tanked at the box office. The Blue Beetle is a longtime comic book character--a kind of gadget-based Batman who's had a few different versions. I found this one enjoyable, with some earnest performances from the cast and a nice family-centric story. It's a little formulaic, though, and brings little new to the genre.

65. Adam Driver fights dinosaurs. The dude is always watchable and gives it his all, whether he's in a blockbuster, arthouse cinema, or a cheesy actioner. 

A truly glorious purpose...
Loki. Season 2 gave us more Tom Hiddleston, and I will never complain about that. The guy owns the screen as Loki, giving us some of the best MCU stuff of the year (although that bar is admittedly a bit low this year). Some great supporting players (Owen Wilson, Ke Huy Quan, Sophia Di Martino, and am I allowed to say Jonathan Majors?) complemented Hiddleston well, and the finale was the culmination of a fantastic character arc that saw Avengers Loki, over the course of two seasons, because something greater.

Secret Invasion. This should've been fantastic. Marvel's inability to turn a show with Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury into something entertaining says a lot about the current state of all things MCU.

Dark Winds. This AMC show is definitely worth watching with compelling characters and a moody atmosphere. Based on a series of mystery novels set in the Southwest, the show follows Navajo police officers as they try to unravel a conspiracy. Zahn McClarnon gives a great performance. 

Reservation Dogs. This FX show's third and final season follows a quartet of indigenous teens in Oklahoma on a series of misadventures. It's heartfelt, authentic, hilarious, and emotional. It's a shame we won't get more of these characters, but sometimes it's best to leave on top. And this show did. Dark Winds' Zahn McClarnon has a supporting role in the show.

Gen V. This spinoff of Amazon's The Boys is coarse and inappropriate like its progenitor. Gen V gives us some likable characters and a compelling central mystery. You'll find the requisite gross-out jokes, this time in a college setting, so if you can stomach The Boys, you know what to expect.

The Bear. I'm not exactly a "high art" guy, but this show is a hit with critics and people who like TV, a crossover audience that doesn't always intersect. Filled with memorable characters and tense moments, the show gave us a couple of this year's best episodes, with "Forks" and "Fishes" both topping some Best of 2023 lists.

The murder-solving trio
Only Murders in the Building. Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez return for another season of madcap mystery fun in New York. This time, Paul Rudd is the murder victim, and while one of the central twists of the show is a little predictable, the journey makes it all worth it.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. No matter your age, there is some permutation of TMNT that'll click for you. This version cribs its art style from Across the Spider-Verse, and it's a fun watch. The Turtles have terrific chemistry, and there all kinds of little nods longtime fans will enjoy.

BS High. This incredible documentary makes you want to punch a wall one minute and laugh the next. It's about Bishop Sycamore, a "high school" that somehow conned some of the country's top prep teams to put its football team on the schedule. But the school didn't exist and the players got taken for quite the ride by an unreliable, lying coach. 

Jury Duty. This Freevie show fabricated a trial and cast a regular guy to star in what he believed to be a documentary about jury duty and the court system. I don't think the premise will ever work again, but my goodness, did it strike gold. Things get more and more out of hand throughout the proceedings, and James Marsden's inclusion--playing a heightened, spoiled actor version of himself--absolutely landed. The show is full of laugh-out-loud moments.
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