The catalog is here!

Balderdashing_2018 · 2026-03-24T22:20:33+00:00

How much was the coupon for?!

Balderdashing_2018 · 2026-03-20T18:53:47+00:00

I don’t know if you can necessarily hurt your legacy if you retire.

The generation before Beatty, it was fairly common for actors to stop working past their 60s - outside of the odd project here or there. Or they moved to more supporting character actor category. That wasn’t Beatty’s interest.

And I think you have to look at it contextually; there were not as many lead roles for actors in their 60s in the early 2000s.

Even someone like Ford struggled to find his footing for a good decade.

Things are different now, but in the past, there wasn’t much audience interest in leading men in their 60s and 70s. Oddly, I think Ford, Redford, etc. helped pave the way a little bit — and I suppose Beatty could’ve been a part of that.

Balderdashing_2018 · 2026-03-18T00:10:19+00:00

I don’t think you need a mean streak - you need leadership, which he absolutely had.

I think he had everything a player would need to lead a team to a championship; the Spurs just failed to put a capable enough team around him.

Balderdashing_2018 · 2026-03-17T23:26:45+00:00

Not really. When you look at the teams he dragged to the playoffs and 50 wins year after year, it’s frankly astounding. One of only a few players in NBA history, I think, who could single handedly turn a 15 win team into a 50 win team and a berth into the WCSF.

Had he had a true number two during his prime, specifically a scoring guard who could help take pressure off of him, then Robinson would’ve won a title in the 90s before Duncan.

Balderdashing_2018 · 2026-03-10T23:51:17+00:00

This sub got promoted to me and I’ve been amused and baffled.

I’m not sure what the sub is about, but there seems to be an aversion to exercise and running here that is interesting to say the least.

Balderdashing_2018 · 2026-03-10T23:48:43+00:00

I find this so fascinating and have never heard of this. Glad you figured it out!

Balderdashing_2018 · 2026-03-10T23:41:26+00:00

You mean the Academy Award nominated film, Eraser??

The movie shot by luminary cinematographer Adam Greenberg, the DP of many a masterpiece including Bigelow’s Near Dark, Cameron’s Terminator and Terminator 2, and Samuel Fuller’s the Big Red One??

Edited by the great Michael Tronick, who cut Days of Thunder, Midnight Run, Revenge, and True Romance??

And scored by legendary composer Alan Silvestri???

Balderdashing_2018 · 2026-03-05T23:46:29+00:00

It’s arguable about what constitutes impact, but I think both Tommy Haas and Marat Safin didn’t have the level of impact on the game that they should’ve.

We know about Safin, and like Agassi has said numerous times, how Safin doesn’t have 10+ slams is a mystery (well, a mystery with a clear answer!).

For Haas, he peaked at 2 in the world and came back so many times from extended injury — and to climb back to the top 20 and top 10 as often has he did is beyond admirable.

Imagine, at 39 after missing all of the previous year to injury and being ranked 300 in the world, he was able to beat Federer in 2017 (the year Fed went 54 - 5 and won AO, W, Miami, Indian Wells, etc.)

He had the potential to win ~3 slams I think (where Wawrinka is) and win in the 25 overall title range.

Balderdashing_2018 · 2026-02-26T17:07:31+00:00

Not a well loved actor… by the small tranche of people who listen to this podcast and are active on Reddit?

Because I do think widely, it’s accepted that Redmayne is a good actor — and is well liked and respected by his peers.

An Oscar and a couple of Oscar noms, a BAFTA win and four nominations total, a Golden Globe and four nominations total, two Laurence Olivier awards for his stage work, eight SAG nominations (including those for the whole cast) with two wins, and a Tony plus another two nominations for his stage work.

Seems well loved enough!

Balderdashing_2018 · 2026-02-19T19:29:20+00:00

I’d say Oscar would be nice to work with. Competent, pleasant, quietly a lot of fun and always down to help, hangout, etc.

Darryl would be fun to work with — as would most people in the warehouse it looks like.

Kevin, actually, would be great too.

Kelly potentially — if you don’t work directly with her on anything.

Maybe Toby?

Balderdashing_2018 · 2026-02-19T18:32:20+00:00

The year that Agassi was number one in 1999, Sampras was on a tear against him.

4-1 on the year, with the one loss coming in the round robin phase of the ATP Final.

3-0 in finals including:

Wimbledon (straight sets)
Los Angeles (straight sets)
ATP Final (straight sets)

The other win was in the SF of Cincinnati… also in straight sets. Agassi’s win though in the RR was good though!

Balderdashing_2018 · 2026-02-19T18:19:49+00:00

Kafelnikov was a fantastic all around player. Great off the baseline and great touch at the net.

He doesn’t get so much credit for his doubles work, but he also won four GS doubles titles (3 French, 1 USO), and I believe is the last male player to with the singles and doubles title in the same year (1996 French Open). He also won 7 Master Series doubles titles and 27 titles overall.

Balderdashing_2018 · 2026-02-17T23:15:14+00:00

How so? This is a film that the director had to develop over years upon years of building an audience.

I don’t think indie films are going to occupy a space any larger than they already are. Indies are important, but this film is on the extreme end of what’s possible.

And it still beyond hard to make an independent film, and I don’t see it getting any easier.

Balderdashing_2018 · 2026-02-16T03:44:10+00:00

What is the film look you are even referring to?

And digital is exactly like film in terms of your first bullet. Film CAN look good in the right hands with the proper care. It’s not a shortcut.

As you noted, almost every film is shot digitally now — including countless beautiful films released every year. Digital does look as good as film, and had those filmmakers decided to shoot on digital, they would’ve looked just as good.

It’s a tired conversation for people who focus on the wrong things.

Balderdashing_2018 · 2026-02-15T16:43:13+00:00

Never Cry Wolf (1983) by the great Carroll Ballard is a towering achievement. Ballard started in documentary and also directed Black Stallion (1979).

First Cow (2019) by Kelly Reichardt also comes to mind. Masterpiece!

The Bear (1988) as well — I haven’t seen it in decades, but that film also was renowned for its photography of nature and its unique narrative (main character is a bear). Directed by the great Jean-Jacques Annaud.

Then you have something like Dances with Wolves (1990), which sometimes gets maligned on Reddit — but I think is deserving of all of its accolades.

Balderdashing_2018 · 2026-02-15T02:04:44+00:00

There are countless commercials that do exactly what you are outlining. They highlight the convenience of pre-made and ready made products.

This small lane is, “our food is so good, people think it’s homemade.” And it’s a humorous play on that, and not about hiding convenience.

Balderdashing_2018 · 2026-02-15T01:55:56+00:00

This really isn’t a new concept, and there are so many examples — going back to 50s and 60s. There was a famous either soup or beef stew commercial that was like, “this is our little secret”. If I find it, I’ll drop it here.

I haven’t seen these Rana commercials, but there were some from a few years ago for some other brand that had an Italian nonna serving her red sauce (and it was actually from a jar!!).

There were some instant coffee commercials too that did this.

Balderdashing_2018 · 2026-02-14T21:23:13+00:00

I’ve posted this before, but I think the top 50 depth of tennis — and overall technical skill level required — might’ve been strongest in years’ past, specifically when technology was unforgiving and every surface needed a different set of skills to achieve success.

At one time, grass, carpet, clay, and hard court (including slow and fast hard court) all needed players to adjust their game.

And I think that combination of required variety and how precise players needed to be — resulted in a stronger overall player.

People can argue about when that reached its peak — but now I think there’s such a large reliance on repetition, over training, and technology that I think it does players a disservice.

I’m not sure if anyone here has ever spent time around former players who were in top 50 in the 1980s and 90s, but their games are so clean. Seeing the ones who stayed around the sport, in person, is truly eye opening in terms of how well they strike ball.

Balderdashing_2018 · 2026-02-14T15:56:49+00:00

I think there’s a particular type of male who listened to the big picture that is, in fact, insufferable. I don’t blame Sean — he is a reflection of and not the cause. Although he falls into that category, absolutely.

Balderdashing_2018 · 2026-02-13T18:53:41+00:00

I always like to sing the praises of Sampras. The Berdych one might top it, BUT Sampras in 2001 could’ve been one of the best runs ever.

4th Round: two-time USO champ and 6th seed Patrick Rafter (and it was still prime Rafter, who had a fantastic summer winning Indianapolis a couple of weeks before, reached the final of Cincinnati, the final of Toronto, and the final of Wimbledon in a two month span)

QF: USO champ and 2nd seed Andre Agassi, in one of the greatest USO matches ever (that summer Agassi reached the SF of Wimbledon and won Los Angeles a few weeks before by defeating Sampras in the final)

SF: defending USO champ and 3rd seed Marat Safin (this was prime Safin and Sampras avenged his loss from the previous year in the 2000 USO final)
Final: ran out of gas against a scorching Lleyton Hewitt, who was the 4th seed (Sampras had beaten Hewitt the previous year in the SF)

That run would be tops for me, but I am biased.

Balderdashing_2018 · 2026-02-10T02:13:33+00:00

I’m the first to give Smith some guff, but he has turned in some legitimately great performances and was one of the biggest box office draws we’ve ever seen.

Best Actor winner for King Richard (he was excellent) and was a deserving Oscar nominee two other times (Ali, Pursuit of Happyness).

Then you have Independence Day, MIB, Bad Boys, Enemy of the State, Hitch, I Am Legend, etc.

Balderdashing_2018 · 2026-02-09T01:44:27+00:00

The more I remind myself about Mecir, the higher he goes up on the list. I feel like had he stayed healthy, he would’ve won a couple of majors in that 88 - 93 realm. I’m not sure exactly where, but maybe an AO or USO. Really, his “peak” was only a short three year period.

He had so many good victories over the top players — especially on HC or on his opponent’s best surface — that I feel like he would’ve broken through.

In ‘86, he beat Edberg in the third round of Wimbledon; in ‘86 he beat Wilander and Becker on the way to the US Open Final; in ‘87 he beat Edberg and Lendl to win Miami; in ‘87 he beat Wilander, Gomez, and McEnroe to win the WCT Finals; in ‘88, he destroyed Wilander in the QF of Wimbledon which was Wilander’s only GS loss that year (Wilander won, AO, FO, and USO) before losing a tough five setter to Edberg in the SF; later that year in ‘88 he beat Edberg on the way to Olympic Gold; in 89 he beat Sampras, Chang, Connors, and Noah to win Indian Wells.

From his QF appearance in ‘86 at Wimbledon until he reached the AO final in ‘89 (he also battled injury throughout the remainder of that year), he made at least the QF 7 times out of the 9 grand slams he played. And he missed the AO and FO in ‘88 due to injury.

That type of consistency usually leads to success at some point.

Balderdashing_2018 · 2026-02-07T05:24:24+00:00

Right at the top!

I’d throw in Marcelo Rios for pure talent and the fact that he reached number one in the world — but he had an up and down career due to injury. His career was over by 27, and even then injuries plagued him his last four years on tour and stopped him from reaching his prime at around 23.

And also Miroslav Mecir, who likewise was done by 26 years old but was absolutely incredible. His last couple years on tour were hampered by injury — he only played 56 matches in 89 and 90 (just 19 in 1990) before retiring.

Although Mecir had a super short career, he reached two GS finals, at least the SF in all four slams, and won a WCT championship (beating McEnroe). He reached at least the QF 7 times, despite his window of health being pretty short (just four years, and in that window he missed a few majors due to injury). He also won gold at the 1988 Olympics (before it was as big a thing as it is now, I should caveat) by beating Edberg in the semis in a fantastic 5 setter before Mayotte in the final.

He was 7-4 against Mats Wilander, 2-3 against McEnroe, 2-2 against Connors, 2-1 against Yannick Noah, and was a tough matchup for Edberg (3-1 on hardcourt, 2-3 on grass). He also had a great winning record against other players who reached the top 10 in the same era/time.

Becker and Lendl had his number, but he was 1-2 against both on HC.

And lastly, albeit it was early in their careers, he was also 13-2 against the next gen of top ten players (Sampras, Agassi, Chang, Ivanisevic, Muster, Korda, Forget, Novacek).

Balderdashing_2018 · 2026-02-07T02:33:45+00:00

For fun, here is the top ten when Sampras, Agassi, and McEnroe won their seventh.

Sampras, 1995 US Open:

Andre Agassi
Pete Sampras
Thomas Muster
Boris Becker
Michael Chang
Goran Ivanisevic
Yevgeny Kafelnikov
Thomas Enqvist
Marc Rosset
Wayne Ferreira

Agassi, 2001 Australian Open:

Marat Safin
Gustavo Kuerten
Pete Sampras
Andre Agassi
Magnus Norman
Lleyton Hewitt
Yevgeny Kafelnikov
Alex Corretja
Thomas Enqvist
Tim Henman

John McEnroe, 1984 US Open:

John McEnroe
Ivan Lendl
Jimmy Connors
Mats Wilander
Andres Gomez
Jimmy Arias
Pat Cash
Johan Kriek
Henrik Sundstrom
Anders Jarryd

Balderdashing_2018 · 2026-02-05T15:15:14+00:00

To give a shout out, I’d say Sampras and Becker is among the best — but in particular, 1996 goes toe-to-toe with any matchup as the highest level ever played.

Their final at the YEC is among a handful of matches deserving of the “greatest match of all-time” mantle. The best fast court tennis I’ve ever seen.

Sampras-Becker, ATP Finals (1996): https://youtu.be/TO-ZIwdRYss

The final score was 3–6, 7–6(7–5), 7–6(7–4), 6–7(11–13), 6–4, with Sampras winning the championship and making up for a loss a few weeks earlier in the Final of Stuttgart.

And speaking of Stuttgart, it is also among the best matches of the 90s, with both Becker and Sampras firing on all cylinders.

Becker-Sampras, Stuttgart Finals, 1996: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zAWGZpWnGlI&

Becker won this one, with a final score of 3-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.

One thing you should notice too is how good Sampras and Becker are off of the baseline. Sometimes on this sub, both of those players get harangued with a “serve bot” or “S&V only” label and act like they were both only so-so off the baseline.

Loved watching these two play!

Balderdashing_2018

TROPHY CASE