Grand slam for charity

Watt's up? J.J. dishes on Deshaun, teammates with baseball potential, and his home run dreams

Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt takes to a different field on Saturday as the three-time AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award-winner heads to Minute Maid Park to host his 5th annual competitive softball tournament, the J.J. Watt Charity Classic.

Proceeds from the event benefit the J.J. Watt Foundation, which provides after-school opportunities for children in the community to become involved in athletics, so that they may learn the basic character traits of accountability, teamwork, leadership, work ethic, and perseverance.

It’s a cause familiar to actor and former governor of the state of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, who is scheduled to be in the stands. Schwarzenegger’s own charity, After-School All-Stars, also provides after-school athletics for children.

Thirty-one of Watt’s Houston Texans teammates are stepping up to the plate in support of charity. Although subject to change, the lineup boasts Alfred Blue, Duane Brown, DeAndre Hopkins, and Braxton Miller on Team Offense. Jadeveon Clowney, Brian Cushing, Shane Lechler, Whitney Mercilus, and former wide receiver Andre Johnson, who retired in April and is back living in Houston, are among the players listed to play alongside Watt on Team Defense.

Olympic gold medalist swimmer Simone Manuel will throw out the first pitch at the game, which starts at 7 pm, with a home run derby at 6 pm.

Through his foundation, Watt has helped kids in 28 states, raising more than $2.7 million and donating items from jerseys and uniforms to entire baseball fields and gymnasiums.

Watt took time out of his schedule to speak with CultureMap about the upcoming J.J. Watt Charity Classic, and answered some of our most pressing sports questions.

CultureMap: You’ve been posting Snaps about how much you want to win the home run derby trophy (for the first time). How do you feel about your chances this year?

J.J. Watt: I’m very disappointed in my past performances and am looking to avenge my last four years of losses. I’m going in confident and with an optimistic attitude, and hope to come out on top.

CM: You started off playing this game at the Sugar Land Skeeters' minor league stadium and it got so big that you moved it to Minute Maid Park. What’s it like to play this game at a major league baseball stadium, and the home of the Houston Astros?

JW: It’s great and it helps raise money for a great cause. Our players and fans have a lot of fun with it.

CM: What does it mean to have so much support for this cause from your teammates and the city of Houston?

JW: It’s incredible. My teammates are awesome, making it a special event. And the fans are great to help us raise money for kids.

CM: Which one of your Houston Texans teammates would have the best shot at being a Major League Baseball player?

JW: Shane Lechler. And Brandon Weeden is impressive as well. He was actually drafted (as a pitcher by the New York Yankees).

CM: This will be the first time fans have seen you in any kind of action since your unfortunate injury last season. How are you feeling physically, and how excited are you to get back on the football field in 2017?

JW: I feel great. I can’t wait to get back out there — it’s been too long. I can’t wait to get back in front of the fans and with my teammates, and get back to doing what I love.

CM: What are your thoughts on quarterback Deshaun Watson being drafted by the Texans?

JW: I think it’s exciting. It’s nice that he doesn’t have to start right away and has time to learn and grow. I hope that he turns into a very successful player.

The 5th annual J.J. Watt Charity Classic is Saturday at Minute Maid Park. Tickets, priced from $5-$200 per person, are on sale here.

J.J. Watt hosts the 5th annual J.J. Watt Charity Classic on Saturday.

Houston, 5th annual JJ Watt Charity Classic, May 2017, J.J. Watt in baseball uniform

Courtesy photo

J.J. Watt hosts the 5th annual J.J. Watt Charity Classic on Saturday.

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Movie Review

Over-the-top acting and incoherent plot drag down Her Private Hell

Photo courtesy of Neon

Sophie Thatcher in Her Private Hell.

Danish filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn is not someone who plays nice with the general film world. His 2011 film Drive introduced him to American audiences in a big way, but that pulsating thriller was followed up with artier films like Only God Forgives and The Neon Demon that eschewed coherent plots in favor of moody, atmospheric pieces.

Winding Refn, who hasn’t made a feature film in 10 years, has gone fully down the rabbit hole with Her Private Hell. Taking place in a liminal space that kind of resembles Earth but also feels like someone’s dreams/nightmares, the film focuses on Elle (Sophie Thatcher), an actor currently starring in a sci-fi film. Staying at a hotel with newcomer Hunter (Kristine Froseth), the two bond over their shared passion and the legend of Elle’s father, Johnny Thunders (Dougray Scott), who’s now married to Elle’s friend Dominique (Havana Rose Liu).

After spending a good amount of (mostly incomprehensible) time with that group, Refn introduces Private K (Charles Melton), who seems to be living in post-World War II Japan. He is looking for his daughter, who might have been taken by a mysterious figure known as “Leatherman,” and he will stop at nothing to find her, fighting whoever stands in his way.

It becomes clear almost right away that Winding Refn has no desire to engage in traditional storytelling in this film. The main characters wander through neon-drenched streets and buildings, which are often surrounded by a mist that is referred to on multiple occasions but never explained. Everyone speaks as if in a constant state of wonderment, and there are many moments where it’s unclear if events are actually happening, part of a movie-within-a-movie, or something else entirely.

Unlike his previous films, Winding Refn has taken the characters in this film completely out of the real world, with every scene taking place in a sparsely decorated room or street that is obviously a movie set. While there are moments where this decision really works, especially the striking first shot of a human-like figure mixed in with a cityscape and clouds, most of the time it only adds to the stilted nature of the film as a whole.

In fact, the entire movie has the feel of an avant-garde theater exercise. Every actor seems to be trying to outdo the others with awkward performances and out-sized reactions. Two very specific characters make appearances in both sides of the story for seemingly no reason other than to inject their weirdness into both spaces. The shocking violence that crops up on occasion would have more of an impact if it was related to anything intelligible.

Thatcher (Companion) and Liu (Tuner) are among the young stars who have had breakout moments in recent years, but neither of them is served well by this hot mess of a movie. They, along with Melton, still demonstrate the talent they possess, but the oddity of the film weighs them down. Scott makes an impression for all the wrong reasons, while Froseth is called upon to play a character who might as well not be there at all.

If there’s any kind of message that Winding Refn was trying to convey with Her Private Hell, it’s lost among the flashing lights, overload of pink, and jewel-like structures. Filmmakers who try to make art for art’s sake have a place in the world, but this film too often feels like people are making things up as they go, with no real goal in mind.

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Her Private Hell opens in theaters on July 24.

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