All posts by Hunter Simmons

Those on the inside already know that this happened a couple of months ago, so it should give you some indication about how busy life can be balancing work and the duties of a first-time parent. In any case, I’m back, and I finally have time. As Brittany and I began to look ahead to the birth of our son, we worked towards preparing for the insane number of variables that go into the planning of delivery. How will you birth your child? Naturally? Will you use painkillers? Are youRead More

I recently went to Six Flags Magic Mountain with my brother-in-law on a whim. Upon walking through security by the entrance plaza, I saw a scene all-too-familiar within high capacity events: long bathroom lines. Typically, the line for the men’s room is nothing to fret about. The line moves relatively quickly and one can get their business done without too much of a hassle. Popular culture has indicated to us that women use the restroom for much more than simple paperwork, if you catch my drift. For women, the restroomRead More

At the age of 25, I have decided that I have my life in order. I have finished postsecondary education. I have a teaching job that I love despite the low-ish pay, but that salary will only increase over time. I have health insurance, I have a roof over my head, and for the most part, I am debt-free. And I’m having a kid. Well, not me per se. My wife, Brittany, is the one actually having it, meaning, giving birth. We met each other over five years ago andRead More

Several notable black individuals in the world of Hollywood filmmaking have come out in protest against the 88th Academy Awards this upcoming February. Director Spike Lee will not be attending this year due to the fact that all 20 actors and actresses that have been nominated this year are white. “We cannot support it and [I] mean no disrespect to my friends, host Chris Rock and producer Reggie Hudlin, president [Cheryl Boone] Isaacs and the Academy,” Lee wrote. “But, how is it possible for the second consecutive year all 20 contenders underRead More

About a year ago, I wrote about some of the pains that come with relentlessly cheering for mediocrity. At that time, the San Diego Padres were on their way to finishing their season 77-85. Those that call themselves baseball fans can understand this year’s disappointment. In 2015, life was injected into the team. The owners, in a spat of brilliance, hired the upstart AJ Preller as the team’s general manager, who did not waste too much time signing some of the biggest names in baseball: Matt Kemp, Justin Upton, JamesRead More

Dear Friends and Family, There is no easy way to share this with you. Lately, I have not been feeling myself. I have continually thought to myself, “Something doesn’t feel right.” I feel like I am in a constant state of denial. I sense that there is a hole in my heart, but no matter what I do, I remain incapable of filling it. Every day, I go on pretending like nothing is wrong. People stop and ask me how I am doing, and though I may return with aRead More

It’s April, and as is customary, the films at the box office are dismally mediocre. Let’s take a look at the top movies at the box office for April 10-12, 2015. After each movie, I have also provided the IMDb metascore and the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer: Furious 7 ($59.6 million, IMDb: 67, Rotten Tomatoes: 82%) Home ($18.5 million, IMDb: 55, Rotten Tomatoes: 47%) The Longest Ride ($13 million, IMDb: 32, Rotten Tomatoes: 29%) Get Hard ($8.2 million, IMDb: 34, Rotten Tomatoes: 29%) Cinderella ($7.1 million, IMDb: 67, Rotten Tomatoes: 85%)Read More

As a 24-year-old, standing in front of my classroom full of high school sophomores is not something I find too difficult. I haven’t been far removed enough from high school to be completely out of touch. I still keep up with the latest pop music, Internet sensations, and relevant slang. It helps that my younger siblings who are still in high school help me stay “with it.” Of course, it is only natural to compare this new generation of teens with my own, but I think it leads to someRead More

Being the movie junkie that I am, I always find the Oscars particularly enjoyable, so much so that I am able to overcome the smug ass-kissing film and television stars cannot help roll around in these days. (Did anyone do a count on how many times Lorne Michaels was name-dropped at the SNL 40th Anniversary celebration last weekend?) Regardless, there has been plenty of buzz around this year’s Academy Awards presentation, which will undoubtedly yield some fairly predictable elements. 1. NPH greatness Let’s face it, Ellen Degeneres’ hosting gig wasRead More

There has and always will be a lot of talk surrounding any film that attempts to paint a narrative of the United States’ armed engagements over the past decade or so. American Sniper is no exception. My problem? Everyone and their mother has something pretentiously groundbreaking to say about the goals of this film. There’s the, “Chris Kyle is an American hero and his efforts have been glorified with the help of Clint Eastwood,” contingency. Then, there’s the, “This film only points out the inevitable failure of the United States’Read More

November and December are more than simple holiday months. This is the time in which the cinematic heavy-hitters step up to the plate. The 2014 movie scene got off to a relatively crappy start, but here are some well-done, indie-ish films that are worth checking out:   Birdman Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu Stars: Michael Keaton, Zach Galifianakis, Edward Norton This movie just takes us on a whirlwind adventure. There is literally never a dull moment in this film. I am glad to see Keaton up and at ’em throughout this movie, andRead More

I still have yet to find the words to describe it, but Middle Earth is, in my humble opinion, an unrivaled fictional world. Tolkien immortalized his literary prowess with The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, which was only confirmed a decade ago with the popularity the film series put together by Peter Jackson. The release of The Hobbit films over the past three years has gotten me incredibly giddy, and I will start by saying that I am thrilled that this saga did not go the way ofRead More

Kudos to AMC for adding those leather (pleather?) recliners I have come to love in my movie theater-going experience. The ticket markup, though excessive to the uninformed visitor, is negligible. Just make sure you eat a cheap meal before you visit, and you’re all set. However, I feel like I truly threw my money away with the latest Hunger Games installment. Was it a terrible movie? Nah, but yikes there was a ton of unnecessary footage in there. After some extensive* research on the book series, I learned that the actualRead More

Twenty years removed from semi-cult glory, Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels return with a lukewarm revival of the iconic characters Harry and Lloyd. The sequel fell in between modest attempt and doomed from the start, but my love of the original carried me through the entirety of the film. Unfortunately, there were several key moments that simply proved Harry and Lloyd’s idyllic, moronic behavior lost its pizzazz.     1. Carrey and Daniels lost their chemistry. When living out the formative years of your life quoting every mannerism and facialRead More

Let’s be clear about one thing: Interstellar is a really good movie. I’ve heard the commentary from the naysayers out there, but from the laymen’s perspective, this is definitely a worthwhile watch. However, I have also noticed that there are some pretty strong sentiments towards certain qualities of this movie that are worth taking a look at, especially if you are still on the fence about checking this one out. The more “agrees” you side with, the more you should definitely go see Interstellar.     1. Christopher Nolan isRead More