Box Break: 2025 Topps Series 1 Jumbo Hobby Box

See what I pulled from the massively expensive box.

Box Break: 2025 Topps Series 1 Hobby Box

 Breaking my first hobby box!

Early Game Review: 'PGA Tour 2K25'

Big swings are the theme in "PGA Tour 2K25," a thoroughly impressive golf sim that manages to capitalize on much of the momentum the series has gained in the last entry, from two years back. The game is due out Feb. 28.

Following suit of the wildly successful NBA 2K franchise, the dev team emphasizes customizability. MyCAREER and MyPLAYER modes have you simulate the odds and ends of golf life both on the course and off. You can, say, get texts from your agent, who helps you shape your public persona. Talk a big game and match it on the green and your popularity will soar. On the other hand, you could see opportunities pass you by if you fail to make your mark on either pop culture or the leaderboard.

The game sets you up to succeed from the outset. A helpful tutorial, narrated by a supportive Bubba Watson, gets you cooking from the tee box. You can choose from a variety of swing methods, and as a three-click guy, I was pleased to see my favored mode given high prioritization and seasoning. The hypnotic concentric circles involved with the mode make it far more fascinating and relatable than recent updates to kicking game in this year's football sims.

The roster of pro golfers is impressive, with the likes of Tiger Woods, Max Homa, Matt Fitzpatrick and Will Zalatoris headlining the squad. While it's nowhere near as stacked a group as the "Tiger Woods" EA games boasted in their heyday, it's a strong enough roundup to make you feel like you're watching the Golf Channel on a between-majors tourney on a Sunday morning.

The 26 official courses included boast some bucket list gems, such as Oakmont Country Club and Royal Portrush Golf Club, with many more planned as DLC.

The commentary and presentation echo trends in golf broadcasts, and pull relevant material into the chatter. I usually switch the volume off in golf games, but I appreciated the sights and sounds that the dev team painstakingly captured, adding to the sense of realism.

While it will take months to see how online modes and community backing support "PGA Tour 2K25," the opening swing nails the green on the par-3. It would be hard to imagine a better start for the latest entry in the franchise that has quickly risen to the forefront of the golf sim realm. I'm looking forward to making the game part of my weekly driving, chipping and putting routine.

Publisher provided review code.

Hot on Home Video: 'Mufasa: The Lion King,' 'Nosferatu'

MUFASA: THE LION KING

Barry Jenkins directs this CGI-fest, which both precedes and follows the story of "The Lion King" to mixed but largely successful effect. The voice cast includes the likes of Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, Donald Glover, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, and John Kani reprise their roles from the remake; new cast members include Aaron Pierre, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Tiffany Boone and Mads Mikkelsen. Lin-Manuel Miranda also chips in some music, helping the visual dynamo take on a majestic tone. 

While the film won't come close to replacing the original film, or even its remake, in hearts of film lovers, it thrives as a strong companion piece.

NOSFERATU (2024)

Writer/director Robert Eggers reimagines the seminal 1922 horror film with a chilling and captivating take on the material, which was based on the Bram Stoker novel. Exquisite cinematography blends with minimalist performances and psychosexual dynamics to craft an exquisite exploration of themes of mortality, obsession and love. 

Nicholas Hoult, Lily-Rose Depp, Bill Skarsgard and Willem Dafoe make up the dynamite cast. While not overtly scary, the film drives home its themes via insinuation, leaving a haunting aftertaste that begs for the film to be rewatched.

Bonus features include an extended cut of the film, the featurette “Nosferatu: A Modern Masterpiece” and in-depth segments on the film’s look, character design and acting.

Studios provided screeners for review.

Broadway in Tucson Review: 'Some Like it Hot'

 

A timeless classic updated with surgical precision to suit modern themes, the touring musical production of "Some Like it Hot" seems built to draw laughs and poke at countercultural taboos for several more decades.

Based on the 1959 Billy Wilder film and the 2022 Broadway musical it inspired, the show is a tap dance fan's delight, bursting at the seams with expertly choreographed numbers, hummable songs and over-the-top comedic performances. 

Subtly dazzling stagecraft, including twinkling stars in the night sky and revolving doors employed for a show-stopping climax tops off a delightful production that oozes sweetness and a sense of shared social progress.

Powered by lead performances from Matt Loehr, as Joe/Josephine, and Tavis Kordell, as Jerry/Daphne, the show tells the story of con artist musicians who witness a gangland murder, then escape retribution by masquerading as women and joining an all-female jazz band.

Chemistry between the leading men is a necessity, and Loehr and Kordell capture an easy sense of friendship with aplomb. Other standouts include Tarra Conner Jones, who impresses as band leader Sweet Sue, and Leandra Ellis-Gaston, who belts out stunning tunes as the lead singer, Sugar.

While many hokey themes and gags from the original film manage to survive, the book benefits from decidedly 21st century touches, including a bold penchant for recasting the homophobic and anti-trans themes from the earlier work in supportive and understanding ways.

"Some Like it Hot" bubbles with fun from curtain to curtain, managing to overcome some filler songs and a severely dated premise in order to revitalize it as something that finds truth to the human condition and social consciousness as its evolved since the mid 1950s. 

This modern take on "Some Like it Hot" manages to exhibit a winning sense of cool.

"Some Like it Hot" plays through Feb. 23 at Centennial Hall. Buy tickets here.

Box Break: 2024 Topps Heritage Baseball Value Box

False alarm of an Aaron Judge autograph.

 

Box Break: 2024 Bowman Baseball Value Box

See what I pull from a 2024 Bowman box. 

Box Break: 2023 Topps Chrome Baseball Value Box

Check out my finds when I dig into some 2023 Topps Chrome Baseball.

 

Book Report: 'Greenlights'

 

Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I prefer audiobooks to eye reading, and I usually acknowledge it as a matter of personal preference. In the instance of "Greenlights," though, it's absolutely crucial that you listen to the audiobook to get the most out of it.

Narrated by Matthew McConaughey, in his distinctive cowboy philosopher rhythms and intonations, you feel as though he's sitting at a bar with you, spinning yarns off the cuff as he recounts his wild past and doles out hard-earned advice.

It's refreshing to hear from an author who is so sure of his station in life, his approach and his priorities. He advocates taking risks, acting on gut instincts, taking the harder road for the sake of its difficulty and tossing aside comfort in favor of invigorating challenge.

It's hard to believe everything he says he has done is true, but also impossible not to be captivated by the truth that lurks behind his possible exaggerations. It's more fun to take McConaughey at his word and just hang on for the ride.

"Greenlights" is a glorious effort, and feels like undiluted truth from a bright and driven man's heart. I would listen to this again five or six times and cherish every moment.

View all my reviews

Box Break: 2024 Topps Allen and Ginter Value Box

Digging through the nostalgia for a few gems.