SHRYKE'S THREAD - Check for the latest developments

[Shrykespeare]

Hey all.

Being without my computer for nearly a week made me realize just how much I do around here (all modesty aside), and how hard it is to catch up when I'm away. So, I'm going to start a thread, which I will be using from now on to make announcements. This does not mean that I won't be posting on other threads, far from it, but I've found that a lot of important stuff often gets lost in the shuffle once "news" gets relegated to a "previous" page.

But in the future, if I've noticed any discrepancies, changes, or just have something important to say that will affect the Fantaverse, I'll put it here. You all may, of course, comment at will.

So, on to my first batch of announcements.

1. First, my column. I was just getting set to write my "Speare's Tips" take on Up and Drag Me to Hell when my computer crashed. And darned if it wasn't Memorial Day weekend, which meant that I couldn't get my computer to my designated repairman (Graywolf until Tuesday, and I didn't get it back until Thursday. By then, writing a column was nearly impossible, given that I had to do the previous week's updates, answer e-mails regarding the June leagues, yada yada blah blah fishcakes. I regret that I missed critiquing Pixar's latest, not only because I sorely underestimated it's actual numbers, but because it (and Drag Me) were the first two films that I've missed talking about in nearly two years, going back to FM days. Hopefully, it won't happen again. I am going to star working on my next column right after I post this.

2. The Super Leagues (Round 3). I'm in a bit of a pickle as to what to do about The Maiden Heist. I probably should have seen this coming, given that this film's distributor was Yari Film Group, which went belly-up several months ago. Not surprisingly, Maiden's numbers, such as they were, were not even reported by Box Office Mojo. Which is fine, the same thing happened to The Horsemen in March. However, at this moment, this film does not even have an IMDb rating, which presents a bit of a problem.

Now, only a handful of people had this film in the March leagues, and those that did mostly did so because it was the last cheap film on the roster. And I'm happy to say, the lack of a viable User Rating does not affect, in any way, who made the various cuts and who missed them. However, it does affect who may be awarded an Immunity Marker (IM) in the Ultimate FY tournament. You see, at the moment, Walleye413 has the #2 spot locked down, and, should the current standings, well, stand, he would get the second IM in this round (along with jas_8382, who totally cleaned house). However, according to my calculations, any User Rating for Maiden over 2.8 would result in the standings shifting just enough so that it would be chugsthemonkey, not Walleye, who got the IM.

So the question is: how long do I wait? If Maiden doesn't have an IMDb rating by tomorrow, I think, I'm going to have to make the March standings final without it. Which means chugs would be SOL. Sorry, dude!

Since it doesn't look like there will ever be any box office numbers posted for this film, I will give anyone who has it in either the April or May leagues to replace it if they want. Which seems like a good idea, because if no User Rating ever materializes, makes this film as useless as the proverbial screen door on a submarine.

I will have the final results posted no later than tomorrow afternoon.


3. Super Leagues (June) - At the moment, 27 of 43 contestants have entered Round Six of the Ultimate FY, and 25 of 42 have entered the Box Office FY. I am still missing:

A_Roode (both)
BarcaRulz (both)
becs (both)
codeslinger (both)
J-Man (both)
leestu (Ult)
Mr. Informative (both)
mutard7 (both)
silversurfer (both)
Slade605 (both)
Spectre (both)
SWarehouse (both)
TBB (BO)
thegreenarrow (Ult)
thswrestler160 (both)
annyonggob888 (both)
Graywolf (BO)
wcrew2000 (BO)

Additionally, all of the above people have yet to send me slates for the HY leagues as well. At the moment, we have 32 players in the Ultimate HY2 tourney and 37 in the Box Office HY2 tourney.


4. The Regulars Leagues - There are 22 players in the Ultimate "Lost" league and 22 players in the Box Office "Alfred Hitchcock" League. But there's room for more!


5. Movie Reviews - I still have a lot of films on my site that have zero reviews next to them. I know it's asking a lot, but if any of you have seen ANY of these films, please, feel free to jot down your thoughts (300-700 words is fine) and send them to me. You can put it in an e-mail or a PM, and I promise, no matter how choppy you think your writing style is, I can make something out of it. Here is a list:

12 Rounds
17 Again
Adventureland
Angels and Demons
Battle For Terra
Confessions of a Shopaholic
Dance Flick
Drag Me to Hell
Dragonball Evolution
Earth
Fighting
Fired Up!
Friday the 13th
Ghosts of Girlfriends Past
Hannah Montana: The Movie (I'm lookin at YOU, Donte...)
He's Just Not That Into You
I Love You, Man
Inkheart
Jonas Brothers 3D (STILL lookin' at you, Donte...)
Killshot
Last House on the Left
My Bloody Valentine
New in Town
Next Day Air
Night at the Museum 2
Not Easily Broken
Observe and Report
Obsessed
Paul Blart: Mall Cop
Pink Panther 2
The Soloist
State of Play
Street Fighter
Tyler Perry's Madea Goes to Jail
The Unborn

Come on, that's A LOT of movies, and that's from this year alone! If you're waiting for DVD, fine. I'll taking ANYTHING at this point!

That is all for now.

[geezer9687]

Shryke didn't I do one for Observe and Report? I should get around to doing one for Up tomorrow as well.

[JackO]

Adventureland
Angels and Demons
Dance Flick
Drag Me to Hell (plan on seeing soon)
Earth
Night at the Museum 2
The Soloist
State of Play

All those are doable for me. I've got the next few days off from my internship so I will clock in and get to work.

[Shrykespeare]

Regarding The Maiden Heist... it looks like all who took it in the March leagues are simply SOL. Not only was its income not reported, but as of this moment, it doesn't even have the requisite 5 votes necessary to qualify for an IMDb User Rating. I had hoped that one would materialize by today, but it hasn't happened.

Now that the March rounds are over, however, I will give anyone who has it in the April and May leagues the opportunity to replace it. Really, there is NO reason not to do so, given that it basically deadweight on your slate, unless by some miracle it actually gets a User Rating, which is by no means a sure thing. The following people currently have it:

Ultimate FY R4: annyonggob888, Dantic, Mister Informative, packpaljs

Ultimate FY R5: annyonggob888

Ultimate HY R4: annyonggob888, Dantic, packpaljs

Ultimate HY R5: BanksIsDaFuture, annyonggob888

April Ultimate Regulars "Jim Carrey" - Thomass87, numbersix_99, packpaljs, Nightbird, wesvolk

April Box Office Regualrs "Cheese & Crackers" - Nightbird, SamIAm1000

May Ultimate Regulars "Top Gun" - MrHam, transformers2


I will not make any replacements unless I hear from you. This is on YOU guys.

[BarcaRulz]

I'll be sending in my slates before this weekend mate. Have no fear on my front.

[thswrestler160]

so what exactly is the deadline to replace meiden heist cuz the only reason I had it was for an ok IMDB and I would really start kicking myself if i traded it out and then the next day it pops up with an 8.3 or something like that.

[Shrykespeare]

No deadline. If a Rating pops up, c'est la vie. People can either choose to keep it (whatever it is) or exchange it. However, I would hope that everyone would either choose one path or the other before too long.

[transformers2]

i can bang out a review for Paul Blart:Mall Cop.

[Shrykespeare]

That would be great, tranny. I've just rented that myself so I may do one as well.

[Shrykespeare]

Well, I know the June season hasn't started yet, but I've already begun compiling a list of films for the July-September season. I've got a terrific roster planned, with no less than 73 titles on it opening from 7/1 to 9/25.

Now, last month's "panel" including the following players:

Shrykespeare
Buscemi
delfinasu
JackO
undeadmonkey
transformers2
SuperShaan
numbersix_99
jas_8382
Chienfantome


Would anyone ELSE like to join? Remember, you have to create a comprehensive pricing scheme for both Ultimate AND Box Office games, so you have to understand the subtle nuances between them. I will be sending the list out some time next week, and will need it back by the third Monday of the month. If you want to volunteer (or remove yourself from the above list), please let me know.

[W]

I'll try to put together a pricing list after I get my slates figured out, get everything ready to move, and work at a buy in Decatur today. I should be able to figure out a good amount of the films just by looking at release dates. Even if I do make one, I can't be sure that I'll be happy with my Ultimate pricing enough to send it in. But I'll try.

[englishozzy]

Ill give the pricing scheme a go.....not sure how well ill do but you can always scrap it

[A_Roode]

My work load has cleared up a bit so I can get back in the mix Shryke.

[geezer9687]

Yeah I will probably be able to put one together this month too.

[BanksIsDaFuture]

I'd be down to make a pricing list

[thswrestler160]

hey shryke if you guys need another I'd like to give it a go.

[transformers2]

the Paul Blart review is complete. i might be able to complete a price list depending wiether or not im still in school because i can only do the pricing list on school computers because my dumbass little brother deleted Excel from my computer.

[Shrykespeare]

I've posted your PB:MC review, tranny (and your Up review, Geez). Keep 'em coming, you guys!

[transformers2]

Just finished up a Crank:High Voltage review. Should have a Terminator one by the end of the week.

[W]

You said we have until the 17th didn't you? I have slow internet, so it takes a while.

[transformers2]

i will swap out Balls Dont Lie for Sex Postive.

[Shrykespeare]

i will swap out Balls Dont Lie for Sex Postive.

Balls Don't Lie... (snicker)

Change made.

And thanks to geezer, mfrendo adn transformers for their recent reviews. They should all be up on TLMR now.

[Buscemi]

Someone needs to do a list of the year's worst movie titles. Ball Don't Lie is a pretty bad title and would probably make the top (bottom) ten of worst titles of 2009.

[Shrykespeare]

Bad news, I'm afraid.

My ancient computer has devloped problems, AGAIN!

As a result of a particularly nasty virus, which has resisted every single method I can think of to remove it, I do not think I will be able to do this week's updates in a timely manner. At the moment, I have access to the Internet, but nothing else. Not my Excel, not my Adobe Acrobat, which are things that are necessary for me to do them.

I am delighted to say, however, that I have ordered a new (well, used) computer, which should arrive sometime late this week. Hopefully that will put an end to these continuing problems for good.

In the meantime, I'll see what I can do to try to get the standings up some other way.

Thanks for your patience.

[Shrykespeare]

Based on Friday's numbers from BOM and some projections for today and tomorrow, here's how the Round Four Super Leagues shape up:


Box Office Full-Year

IMs go to Chienfantome and codeslinger.

Slade605 and silversurfer19 pulled out. Also eliminated will be annyonggob888, chugsthemonkey and Nycguy84. The sixth player eliminated will probably be Mister Informative, unless Transformers can manage to clear $210 million by Sunday, which is unlikely.



Box Office Half-Year

No IMs - survive, and you're in the final round.

The following players are most likely safe: Scripps, wcrew2000, W, jas_8382, mutard7, Dantic, Spectre, codeslinger, thswrestler160, Shrykespeare, Graywolf and J-man, not to mention Buscemi, who will use his IM to save himself.

The following players are most likely out: numbersix_99, brockman81, packpaljs, JohnErle, smee2000, BanksIsDaFuture and SWarehouse. And, following the most impressive hitting streak in the history of the Fantaverse, geezer9687 will fail to reach the final round of a tournament for the first time EVER. What a tremendous run. Standing O, geez.

On the bubble are jfs556, Aquamann2001, delfinasu and Ipki$$. Depending on whether Transfomers clears $180M for the weekend WILL determine who makes it.



ULTIMATE FULL-YEAR

Tough to gauge since I can't anticipate how the PTA is going to shake out, but my preliminary guesses are:

No IMs for anyone, since the top two will contain Spectre and/or Scripps and/or jas_8382, and they all already have one. Party poopers!

Slade605, thegreenarrow and silversurfer19 have withdrawn, so that leaves only three spots in the Red Zone. One will definitely be numbersix_99 (sob), and the second will more than likely be wesvolk. packpaljs is the favorite for that third spot, unless Hurt Locker and Surveillance can get those #2 and #3 spots on the PTA chart, in which case he could end up in a tie with NSpan for that last spot in the Yellow Zone.


ULTIMATE HALF-YEAR

Slade605 pulled out. Also definitely on the way out are packpaljs, brockman81, thegreenarrow, silversurfer19, leestu and BanksIsDaFuture. I think that annyonggob888 and BarcaRulz will also just miss the cut.

This means that the fifteen players who will vie for the title are: Spectre, Scripps, jas_8382, W, JackO, Shrykespeare, Aquamann2001, Chienfantome, mutard7, geezer9687, rasgriz, SuperShaan, Dantic, chugsthemonkey and J-Man


Final estimates will come in tomorrow. Final results should be posted by Tuesday.

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