Anyone go see Gone Girl last weekend? It’s the latest film from one of my favorite directors David Fincher (Seven, Fight Club, The Social Network) starring Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike, based off the best selling novel by Gillian Flynn (who, in a rare feat, also helmed screenwriting responsibilities for the big picture adaptation).

Unless you’ve been living underneath a rock for the past 1-2 years, it’s the book that pretty much everyone has been reading on the beach or on the train.

It’s about a married couple – Nick and Amy Dunne – who, seemingly have a perfect relationship. That is until Nick shows up to their home on their fifth wedding anniversary and finds Amy missing.

Gone. Out of thin air.

But not without signs of shadiness in the midst.

I read the book last year, and was really happy to hear when I learned that Fincher was going to be the one directing the movie. Gone Girl is a dark, daaaaaark book….and given Fincher’s affinity for dark material (The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, in addition to his films mentioned above), this pairing was/is a home run.

Without giving too much away – OMG, there’s such an epic twist!!! –  the film lives up to the hype of its predecessor.  Affleck and Pike are both amazing as Nick and Amy. And while this role is serving as sort of a “breakout performance” for Pike, she’s actually been around the block in Hollywood.  She’s no newbie.

But it’s the supporting cast who deserve some major kudos as well.  Carrie Coon, who plays Nick’s sister, Margo, is excellent (and serves as the comedic relief). Kim Dickens who plays Detective Boney is equally as impressive; as is Tyler Perry.  Yes, that Tyler Perry.  Madea Tyler Perry.

Annnnnnnnd, for the guys, if none of the above sounds remotely interesting, Emily Ratajkowski (AKA the hot girl from the video Blurred Lines) gets neked.  So there’s that.

But it’s Fincher who is the real star if you ask me.  The man can do no wrong. The pacing of the story, the cinematography, everything……demonstrates how much of a master he truly is.

For what it’s worth Gone Girl is legit. I give it a solid A, or in nerdspeak, 5/5 Lightsabers.

And now on to this week’s stuff to check out.

The Real Reason Why Tracy, Jillian, Oz, Oprah, Selter, Mercola, Food Babe, etc Are Winning the Information Game – Joy Victoria

I thought this was an excellent post by Joy, and something that I’ve been pondering myself.  I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve done my fair share of mud throwing with most of the names listed above.

Doing so is exhausting, though.  And, really, what’s the point?  The reason why the likes of Oz, Selter, Food Babe, etc are so successful with their message is because the people who listen to them have nothing to compare it to.

Joy digs MUCH deeper into this mentality, and I encourage all of you to read it.

The Science of Steroids – Greg Nuckols

I had the pleasure of meeting Greg in person at the Fitness Summit in KC this past Spring. Very cool dude.  And strong. I saw him pause squat 600 lbs beltless for a few easy reps.  Actually, I take that back. I hate his guts!!

Anyways, I am by no means a steroid expert, but I do feel there is a lot of incorrect information floating out there in the interwebz.  I felt this piece by Greg did a nice job of setting a few records straight.  It’s science heavy, so you’ve been warned.

Post Rehab Essentials 2.0 – Dean Somerset

 

Dean’s Post Rehab Essentials 2.0 is on sale through this weekend. This is without question one of the best resources for fitness professionals to learn more about assessment and programming strategies for many common injuries.

What’s more you can earn some CEUs while you watch!

And Dean will make you a cake!

Okay, I lied on that last one.