Buffa’s Buffet, Volume 100: Movie voting, time thievery, bye Tyler, and Julia leaves the world behind

A special century mark from your favorite rambling south city resident.

Who needs a computer anyway?

With the office desktop on the fritz and the laptop being as reliable as Floyd in True Romance, we’re kicking it old school as the Buffet pumps out its 100th batch of unorganized and unfiltered prose. Follow along while we thumb this out.

MOVIE AWARDS MONTH

13 days. The seven leading up to putting in the initial ballot, and the six days that lie ahead of a film critic to vote on the final ballot before closing down the creative hatch and hibernating until April. What seems like a fun side job can be a taxing and rather chaotic this time of year, a journey that takes half a month to bring to a close, but also lasts all year.

We’re at the end of the ride, and it’s a bittersweet year. I didn’t see as much this year, but managed to watch enough to send in a competent ballot. I saw the viables and a few indie darlings. Due to the day job, it’s hard to resist the urge some nights to rewatch something familiar and drop into an mental cocoon instead on placing a bet on a strange piece of fiction that happens to be new. Movie tastes change, and that includes how often you give the time over.

Still, I love movies and reviewing them too much to slow down the engines further. When the winners come out next week, a bigger weight falls off the shoulders. And then, we begin the Christmas movie and Stallone classics binge.

Best advice from my ballot: Watch The Holdovers. Find a way.

TIME IS OUR BIGGEST THIEF

It’s talked about a lot, but time is flying. I remember talking about last year’s awards picks in January, and suddenly it’s flashed to December. A new job makes time fly, along with the trials and tribulations of life being jammed up against the good stuff.

Here’s a sign of things changing. It used to be Marvel movies that my son wanted go watch with me. That time passed. And then the dinosaurs and Godzilla phase entered. Sadly, that’s since expired. Now, I get his attention with adult human dramas. Once again, the time thievery for a working dad is real. Please send Boston Baked Beans for comfort.

BYE TYLER

I wrote that it was time for the St. Louis Cardinals-Tyler O’Neill marriage to come to an end, and then it did. The outfielder took his talents to Boston, trading his Redbirds for Red Sox.

In return, the team received a couple young, flawed, and promising relievers who should find a healthy shot to rebound here. They could have given St. Louis any combination of players, and the trade would have worked. It was time to get something before he became less valuable elsewhere. Look at the return and you’ll see the price tag more clearly.

Sure, he owns two Gold Gloves, but no one will pay you what the Canadian slugger wanted with stellar left field defense. Consistency and durability follow him to the American East. He’ll smoke his fair share of long balls over the Green Monster, but his value expired here. Take luck, Mr. O’Neill.

PATIENCE CAN BE AN ARTFORM

Sports fans need a stock load of this material that should be bottled and sold like water someday. Patience comes to baseball fans like an old car finds heat in the winter: slowly yet surely.

The Cardinals, or any team outside of the Dodgers, could acquire two studs, and the fans would find issue. They could make three notable signings in a week, and fans would scream that they acquired scrubs. They’ll lean on one season of Lance Lynn allowing 44 homers instead of the 10+ seasons where he allowed 27 or less. Negativity central.

They’ll say Kyle Gibson is average when he’s made the majority of his starts over the course of a long career, something few Cards pitchers could do in recent years. He was also pretty effective last year if you take a rough patch away from his ERA.

Cardinals fans can’t be pleased properly due to the front office spending large amounts of cash over the course of the past couple decades on teams that either disappointed or shocked. World Series titles and appearances have come down the pike, but it’s never been from the suits spending ridiculous money on starters.

They just don’t do it. Never have. The Sonny Gray contract is as pricey as they’ll go, forking out $25 million on average per year, but only over a three year period.

Those titles have come from lightning rod streaks, great deadline trades, and a once in a lifetime talent called Albert Pujols. There were guys Edmonds and Rolen, aka Arenado and Goldschmidt. There were guys who simply produced innings and made starts. No maybes or sure things; just good baseball craftsmanship.

This is a different group, and the recovery from 2023 will take more than one offseason. This current group isn’t as hopeless as this year’s squad. Baby steps. It’s the Cardinal Way, especially when little goes right and your front office moves slowly.

Act accordingly by remembering that the winning part is on them, not us.

DA BLUES?

I’d comment about the Blues team and their .500 play struggles, but I haven’t watched enough to give an honest and credible take. It’d be like asking the guy how was the runner up restaurant was. It’d be telling someone how the party that you didn’t attend was.

It’s not much of a party for Blues fans who tasted Stanley Cup flavored success, and predictably want more. The reality is that the players and roster aren’t as strong, and won’t be next year either. Jake Neighbours can score, but the defense is crap. Craig Berube can coach and Jordan Binnington has played well, but this is a .500 club playing exactly like one.

My suggestion would be to appreciate the wins and watch what you like. For most fans, it’s simply about the games and that they’re happening. I think that’s the ideal way to fan.

LAST TAKES

-The new Julia Roberts-Mahershala Ali Netflix movie is worth a look. Leave the World Behind carves into timely security fears, and exposes a few raw nerves in the human species when it comes to survival. Apocalyptic thrillers are like catnip. A big name cast is outshined by young actress, Farrah Mackenzie.

-Life after 40 is more sore. Knees bark louder. Back pain lingers. The neck goes stiff for a living.

-Shocking revelation! Burger King burgers are making a comeback. Unlike most fast food joints, they actually cook their patties and offer sandwiches that sorta resemble the picture on the menu wall.

-Heat is on Netflix. Such a temptation every time I see it. I hope Ferrari is well received so we can get Heat 2 adapted to the screen.

-The Von Erich wrestling family movie was just okay. The Iron Claw has a competent cast and first hour, but it tries to jam 14 years into two hours and the result is genuine rush that doesn’t land as hard emotionally as my preshow hype had predicted. Worthy without being noteworthy.

That’s all for now. Have a great week and tell a friend about the blog. At this point, I want a big subscriber list. It makes the writer heart grow fonder.