planbeeeee

[planbeeeee]

2020 Oscars Predictions

Inspiration.

I’ve been thinking about inspiration the last two weeks. 

I, like many of you, spent the better part of January 26-28, overwhelmed with the tragic passing of Kobe Bryant, his daughter, Gigi, and 7 other victims of a helicopter accident in California. It was information overload that day. Refreshing the social feeds didn’t help. News went from bad to worse. No rollercoaster of emotions, this just felt like a pit. 

The news dominated Sunday.

But long lost clips of interviews and heartfelt stories took over on Monday and Tuesday, and I was truly blessed by it. There was one clip I saw more than any other. It wasn’t Kobe dropping 81 against the Raptors, or him scoring 60 on his final game. It wasn’t the lob to Shaq, the dunk over Dwight, the free throws after tearing his achilles. No, it was of him and his daughter Gigi sitting courtside at a random Haws-Nets game at the end of last year. Just talking ball, father to daugher, mentor to mentee... inspiration to inspiration.

Kobe Bryant, one of the greatest basketball players to ever play the game, won an Oscar in 2018 for Best Animated Short Film for his retirement announcement letter put to music and illustration called Dear Basketball. The final words of his acceptance speech he speaks to his wife and daughters in Italian and tells them he “loves them with all his heart” and that they are his “inspiration.” 

You see inspiration is that enthusiasm you get from someone or something that drives you to create something extraordinary. It is not earned or deserved. Inspired work stands apart from everything normal. 

That’s exactly what appeals to me the most about the Oscars. We get to look back in the year that was and award those truly inspired pieces of art through film. The value beyond this is that inspiration is, as David Brooks in his NY Times Op Ed put it:

“...a beautiful contagion that passes through individuals. The word itself comes from the Latin inspirare, meaning “to breath into.” One inspiring achievement — say, the space program — has a tendency to raise the sense of possibility in others — say, a little boy who dreams of being an astronomer. Then the one who is inspired performs his own feats and inspires others, and so on down the line.” 

In truly contagious fashion, this year we may see a former athlete win an Oscar for his Animated Short Film called Hair Love. Matthew Cherry tells a heartfelt story of an African American father learning to do his daughter’s hair for the first time. It is worth ALL 6 minutes and MORE. 

Cherry, a former NFL player, has spoken very openly about how he was inspired by Kobe’s film... and here we are. 

A basketball legend inspired by his daughters 

A daughter inspired by her father to pursue basketball

A former athlete inspired by a former athlete to create a short film

“Success is not just what you accomplish in your life, it is about what you inspire others to do.”

---

Bee’s 2020 Oscars Predictions

Year 7! Last year was tough even though I got 5/7 correct. I included Best Documentary Feature last year so it helped my numbers but since I didn’t see any of the full length documentary films this year I’m crossing it out and replacing it with Best Animated Feature. Got to 44 movies in 2019, 1 shy of last year’s total. So close. 2019 was a really bad year in movies for a while but then Q4 turned up the heat and it ended up being one of the better years in recent memory. So let’s dive in!

Best Picture

Will Win & Hope Wins: Parasite- It comes down to Parasite and 1917 for me. I LOVED them both. Any other winner would be just absurd here. Parasite is a 100% lock to win Best Foreign Language Film, and I believe it is well deserving of becoming the first film ever to win both that and Best Picture. Director Bong Joon Ho created a masterpiece that is now in my Top 10 movies of All-Time. It is the best film I’ve seen since 2015 (The Big Short) and I think the depth of storytelling, suspense and symbolism is just near perfection. 

Lead Actress

Will Win & Hope Wins: Renee Zellweger, Judy- Here’s the answer to the inevitable question “Where has she been this whole time?” Renee Zellweger did take a 6-year acting hiatus from 2009 to 2015. Her portrayal of an overwhelmed Judy Garland is in many ways representative of her own struggle with the rigors of Hollywood. Judy was a subpar, biopic but Renee Zellweger was extraordinary in it. 

Lead Actor

Will Win & Hope Wins: Joaquin Phoenix, Joker- No one on earth could play Joker like that. It was such an intense performance on his part. The movie was hard to watch at times but you just couldn’t take your eyes off him. Usually biopics are the way to go for winning best acting oscars. The Lead Actor category has had a winner in biopic films in 6 out of the last 7 Oscars. Joaquin will make it 6 for 8. If for no other reason to hope he wins, that acceptance is going to be entertaining to say the least!

Director

Will Win: Sam Mendes, 1917- The “one-shot” was better than any movie has ever done it. Some saw it as a gimmick but I just thought it worked so seamlessly with the plot of the movie. 1917 goes down as one of my favorite war movies of all-time. Mendes has one Oscar for directing already for American Beauty and he’s definitely deserving of this year’s prize as well. 

Hope Wins: Bong Joon Ho, Parasite- I’m a member of the Bong Hive. What can I say?! It’s so hard to make a movie with no clear protagonist or antagonist. You’re not rooting for anyone, as the audience you are most literally along for the ride. I should also note that weeks later the movie sticks with you like glue but I honestly forgot it was all in Korean. The linear storytelling and purposeful nature of every scene and dialogue comes so clear in his work. 

Supporting Actress

Will Win: Laura Dern, Marriage Story- Marriage Story just didn’t work for me. Laura Dern was fine but I really think people are overvaluing her performance. I tried my hardest to empathize with the circumstances surrounding their ugly divorce but unless you have a kid and are consumed with your work, I don’t think you can relate. The acting was good but there were so many unnecessary elements. I’ll just say for those that watched: Box cutter?!

Hope Wins: Scarlett Johansson, Jojo Rabbit- It’s the year of Scar Jo! Nominated for Lead in Marriage Story, Supporting in Jojo Rabbit, and was a part of the highest grossing film of all-time in Avengers: Endgame. She really came into her own this year flexing her acting muscle. She was so good in Jojo Rabbit. Presented strength and weakness in such a believable way. She’s never been nominated before so all the more reason to pull for our Black Widow here.

Supporting Actor

Will Win & Hope Wins: Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood- Pitt has been around acting in enjoyable movies for such a long time now (Seven, Fight Club, Snatch, Troy, Ocean’s, Moneyball, etc) but he has no Oscars hardware to show for it. He was in Best Picture winning 12 Years a Slave but that award was for the film as a whole. It’s time Pitt deserves his recognition. Both his role and Margot’s were almost pseudo leads. Also the rest of the competition in the category is relatively weak (Hopkins in Two Popes was great though). 

I should point out as well that his production company has for years now been involved in moving the needle on diversity in film. 12 Years a Slave was the breakthrough but since then they’ve produced:

Selma

Moonlight

Okja

The Last Black Man in San Francisco (should have nominated for Best Picture over Ford v. Ferrari)

Would love to see Pitt and his production company get its due. Oh by the way the name of said production company:

Animated Feature

Will Win: Toy Story 4- I didn’t see it. But I heard it’s not as good as Toy Story 3.

Hope Wins: Klaus- In the mold of Polar Express and Home Alone, this could be a yearly Christmas-time watch for me. It was entertaining and different and meaningful all wrapped into one animated feature film. It’s on Netflix so if you haven’t seen it, don’t even wait for Christmas to watch it.

---

Best Picture Films Ranked

Parasite- 9.1

1917- 8.7

Little Women- 8.4

Jojo Rabbit- 8.2

Joker- 7.7

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood- 7.7

Ford v. Ferrari- 7.5

The Irishman- 7.1

Marriage Story- 6.8

My Top 9 Movies of 2019

Parasite

1917

Blinded By the Light

The Farewell

Avengers: Endgame

Little Women

Jojo Rabbit

Us

Always Be my Maybe

*Endgame better win best Visual Effects. This slight against comic book movies is so tiring. See you next year!

#Oscars #Academy Awards #Movies #Films #Film #Predictions

[planbeeeee]

Fight Finished

Welcome to the District of Champions!

The 2019 Washington Nationals are World Series Champs!!!

Two weeks are in the books and the sun still shines bright in the DMV. The Washington Nationals have brought joy back to this sports town once again!

I’m going to take a moment and talk to you about...windows. If you’re like me then these are openings in a wall that need blinds or shades to close them off permanently. #TeamDarkness. But in sports, windows are mentioned in terms of windows of opportunity or further, “championship windows.” Studies show that, in baseball, a team’s championship window usually lasts about 6 years. Your window starts with success (Usually the first playoff birth in a while). It continues until there are back-to-back years of lack of success (again, usually playoff births). 

The Washington Nationals opened their proverbial window in 2012. Fast forward those sweet 6 window years later and guess what happened? The Nationals under a new manager had their worst record in all 6 years. And the window was closing. The Nats were still one of the favorites to win the NL East entering 2019 but the experts were cooling off on them with the up-and-coming Braves and beefed up Phillies heating up in the division.  

It didn’t take long for those experts to pat themselves on the back. You know about the 19-31 start through the first 50 games but have you stopped to think about how far that is into the baseball season, and how bad that really is? That’s just over 30% of the entire season, and let me just put it this way, no team in MLB history has ever won the World Series starting that poorly in their first 50 games. In fact only 1 team has ever even made the playoffs!

Davy’s on the hot seat

Nats are moving players in and out of the IL

Key players like Rendon, Strasburg, Zimmerman and Kendrick have expiring contracts

They are the oldest team by average age in baseball

The tea leaves were screaming: “REBUILD”!

The window...that championship window, was all but shut, with just the ever so slightest crack. 

...”So you’re saying there’s a chance?!”

It was ‘Baby Shark’ 

It was dancing in the dugout

Hugs and red/gold Bubly sunglasses

Davy fighting; and the team fighting for Davy

4-deep pitching rotation just dominating

The bats FINALLY coming alive

It all added up to the Nats finishing the regular season with the best record in baseball since May 24... the day after 19-31.

---

They stayed in the fight and punched their ticket for October baseball with a wild-card matchup. 

Juan Soto delivers a top 5 sports moment of my life in the bottom of the 8th down 3-1 with the bases loaded. I’ll never forget watching at a friend’s house in Virginia right after hearing Coach Joe Gibbs talk in-person about the glory days. 

Dodgers up next. 

Two elimination games were served up for the fighting Nats.

Insert Top 5 sports moment of my life Part 2. This time thanks to Howie Kendrick’s GRAND SLAM in the 10th. I’m sitting at the watch party in Nats Park on a night I almost decided wasn’t worth the trip to DC in the rain. You better believe it was worth it!

St. Louis in the NLCS.

4-0. Sweep. Dominance all around. It’s WORLD SERIES TIME.

---

The opponent is the 107-win Houston Astros. The best team in baseball. Just two years removed from their World Series title. 

No matter what happens, I’m SO PROUD of this team.

They take 2 in Houston

They give away 3 in DC

I’m there for Game 5. Max Scherzer can’t dress himself. They lose bad to Gerrit Cole.

Starting catcher (Suzuki) injured, Robles compromised, Scherzer in doubt and two elimination games loom in Houston again

What does this team do?

They fight. 

---

Bregman carries his bat / Soto responds

Strasburg dialed in

Turner BOGUS interference call / Rendon says “ball don’t lie” with his HR/ Davy almost kills an ump

Nats pour it on...and we’re headed to Game 7!

I’m reminded of April 14, 2005- Opening Day for the Washington Nationals. Back in DC since 1971.

I vaguely remember March 30, 2008- The Grand opening of Nats Park. Ryan Zimmerman, of course, hits a walk-off home run.

June 8, 2010: Stephen Strasburg strikes out 14 batters without a walk and earns the win in his Major League debut vs. Pittsburgh.

Oct. 11, 2012: Jayson Werth walk-off blast in the ninth inning, giving the Nationals a 2-1 win in Game 4 of the NLDS. I’m watching this in the Apple Store in Columbia Mall (by myself) and go absolutely nuts when it happens.

Oct. 13, 2016: The Nats lose to the Dodgers 4-3 in the NLDS. Eliminating them. I’m in the seats at Nats Park witnessing the longest 9-inning playoff game in MLB history (4:32).

---

The Nationals carry with them the notion that DC isn’t a sports town. That their TV deal is held hostage. That their face of the franchise, Bryce Harper, took his talents to a division rival.

They’re here in Game 7 of the World Series having defeated the Dodgers (whom they lost to in 2016) and the Cardinals (in 2012). 

They’re playing by the mantra of “Staying in the Fight” and going 1-0 every day. 

This season, this franchise...the journey here has been up and down but bumpy roads sure do lead to beautiful places!

“Swing and a miss, swing and a miss, swing and a miss...remember where you are so you remember where you are...”

when the 2019 Washington Nationals won their FIRST WORLD SERIES!

5-0 in elimination games.

All 5 wins coming from behind.

Beat Houston in Houston all 4 times.

8 straight road wins to take the trophy.

“Add it all up, and we just witnessed one of the most improbable postseason runs in baseball history by one of the most entertaining teams in recent memory. In a season of supercharged megateams, the eventual champion was the one nobody saw coming — the team that simply couldn’t be killed, no matter how high the odds were stacked against it.”

---

I’ve invested deeply in the Washington Nationals since 2011, much more so than the Capitals. I’ve experienced with my Nats faithful the good and the bad and the window almost shutting before being completely broken open. 

I can safely say that if this is the pinnacle of sports moments in my life, if it doesn’t get any better than this, I can look back to the 2019 Nationals and say: It was all worth it. 

My fandom. DC Sports fandom. Redskins, Wizards, Terps, Nats, Caps fandom. It was worth it for this. This Nats title checked my fandom heart’s box.

Just don’t be surprised if the wave isn’t ready for the shore just yet!

#Washington Nationals #DC Sports #Nationals #Nats #MLB #World Series

[planbeeeee]

2019 Oscars Predictions & Reviews

They used to be called ‘actuality’ films.

Motion pictures that were meant to “document reality.” To show its audience things as they actually were. A behind the scenes look at history. Made for observation and education, but never really for entertainment. Documentaries were always ‘films’ but never ‘movies.’

But times have changed. 

2018 was the year of the Documentary! 

Gone are the days when the latest production from Michael Moore was your only choice.  Today you have a diverse set of thought being covered, with production value as good as any drama movie you can find. Plus...you have it at your fingertips.

True crime docs like Making a Murderer, The Staircase and Wild Wild Country.

Podcasts like Serial and Up & Vanished

Mockumentaries like American Vandal (BTW...was The Office a mockumentary???)

Early returns on 2019 is that it may continue the trend for the genre. The Fyre Festival docs will go down as one of the most talked about movies of the year. But lets stick to 2018...

Of the 30 highest-grossing documentaries in box office history (1982-Present) ... 5 came from 2018! No other year has had more than 3! It’s either these documentaries were THAT GOOD or living real life in 2018 felt like enough of a fantasy world that we wanted any semblance of “realness” we could get.

In my reviews you’ll see a common theme. 2018 in film... stank. Black Panther wasn’t my favorite movie of the year but it delivering on the crazy hype was my highlight of the year. Aside from that, there was a whole lot of... meh. I watched all 8 nominees for Best Picture. I liked 5, “more than liked” 2...but even they were on the borderline.

This thirst for greatness is what drove me to the documentaries. And I’m so glad it did. The best movie of the year for me was a documentary! One that kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. One that made me literally sweat. Like palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy.... mom’s spaghetti... Lose yourself in the moment... you own it...

you get it..

This film was Free Solo.  

Move over Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps... Alex Honnold now owns the GREATEST ATHLETIC FEAT... EVER! I could go on and on about this film but I’ll leave it at this... if you’re looking for direction in life, if you’re at a crossroads and feel tentative about taking that leap of faith, this movie is for you. Find your passion, pursue your passion... that’s the heart of this, my favorite, movie of the year!

Let’s get going with the predictions:

Bee’s 2019 Oscars Predictions

It’s year 6 for me with my Oscars Predictions. Last year I went 5/6 again. This year I’m officially adding a new category to the mix: Best Documentary Feature. I was lucky enough to get to see 45 movies released in 2018. My new all-time high!  TBQH 2018 movies did not deserve my time. But anyway, here we are...

Best Picture

Will Win: Roma- It fits the bill. Black and white. Cinematic brilliance with camera shots and angles. Moving story of an unsung hero. For me, it was a drag. Only silver lining would be Netflix winning its first Best Picture award.

Hope Wins: Vice- I’m here for whatever Adam McKay directs. Vice was my favorite of the Best Picture nominations. Sensational acting, educational, drama-filled with comedic relief. Vice hit on all the notes for me. Dick Chaney was the absolute WORST! Oh and somehow this is the same person...

Lead Actress

Will Win & Hope Wins: Lady Gaga- Full disclosure: I didn’t see The Wife so Glen Close’s performance (the odds on favorite to win) is lost on me. Really though, how does Gaga not get this? How many people can own THAT role as well as she did. In her first shot at acting on this scale?! A Star is Born came out earlier in the cycle but I just can’t forget coming out of that theater and being 100% convinced she was a lock for this one. I’m sticking to the underdog here.

Lead Actor

Will Win & Hope Wins: Rami Malek- I want to be bitter that the fully Indian Freddie Mercury was played by an Egyptian-Greek, American but... he’s Mr. Robot. Can’t be made at the genius of Eliot. Rami deserves this one even though Bohemian Rhapsody was a flop for me. This is the top of the acting mountain for him, would love to see him get his.

Director

Will Win: Alfonso Cuaron- Cuaron had his fingerprints all over Roma.  It’s basically autobiographical for him. Roma just seems like it’s destined to be the darling of the year. Cuaron will benefit from that.

Hope Wins: Spike Lee- The Spike Lee Joints have been hot waaay before Blackkklansman so I’m rooting hardest for this one. Talk about a guy deserving of the honor. Blackkklansman was good, it’s not his best (Inside Man, Malcolm X, Do the Right Thing) but I think it was good enough to merit Spike getting his due. I absolutely vibe with Spike’s artistic genius!

Actress in a Supporting Role

Will Win & Hope Wins: Regina King- Beale Street was my biggest Oscars snub of the year. So having Regina King win as representation of the goodness of that movie will have to do. Regina was absolutely powerful with her presence. Thank God, Joel Embiid didn’t steamroll her...she’s got an Oscar to win!

Actor in a Supporting Role

Will Win & Hope Wins: Mahershala Ali- You’re behind the 8-ball if you don’t know the name. Mahershala won it in 2016 for Moonlight, and he’s been killing the game ever since (True Detective included). The film is neck deep in controversy but his performance cannot be denied. The role was so insanely nuanced, he could have been nominated for Lead Actor and I’d have wanted him to win.

Documentary Feature

Will Win & Hope Wins: Free Solo- I’m a little disappointed that the Mr. Rogers documentary didn’t get a nomination, but even if it did, Free Solo deserves the crown here. I’d be fine with RBG or Minding the Gap picking up the win but my heart is with the feat of Alex Honnold.

Here’s where we dive in. If you’re like me the attention span is already faded. Keep a tab open here and come back for the film reviews!

***SPOILERS TO FOLLOW***

Bee’s Best Picture Reviews

8. The Favourite- 18th century British stories just don’t cut it for me. I truly loved the powerful acting by the trio of women (Olivia Colman, Rachel Weisz, Emma Stone) but nothing seemed to captivate me. Fisheye lens shots were impressive and would love to see a better movie incorporate it but just nothing about the royal culture was redeeming, I couldn’t have cared less about their love triangle, and what the heck is up with the rabbits?!

7. Roma- I know comparing Roma and The Artist (Best Picture winner from 2011, shot in B&W, not much hype around it) is unfair but I just can’t help myself. I didn’t enjoy The Artist and the same goes for Roma. It was a beautifully shot film and at times I forgot I was even watching a movie, which I think was what Cuaron was going for.  Almost a documentary type feel following the life of maid during troubling times in Mexico City. But no matter what kind of movie, I can only take so much of the emptiness of certain scenes. Roma had waaay too much of it for me. It was a drag but I will say that beach scene at the end was still powerful.

6. Bohemian Rhapsody- Bryan Singer controversy aside, I hate to rehash the past ills of the Academy but how are you going to nominate this and not Straight Outta Compton in 2015?! Bohemian Rhapsody and Black Panther even being nominated is somewhat comical but at least I loved Black Panther. This movie was tailor-made for Rami Malek to win his Oscar. It was a fun film with its fair share of artistic liberties mixed in with the historical storytelling. I can live with that but I didn’t like how the music was such a forgotten part of the movie until the very end. ‘We Will Rock You’ was cool but I felt the need for more of that.

5. A Star is Born- LADY GAGA... Lady FREAKING Gaga! Loved her performance. She carried this movie from start to finish. Cooper and Gaga had chemistry, Shallow is great...shoot, the whole soundtrack is great. It can’t win Best Picture since it’s the 4th iteration of the same story, but I didn’t know that going in and I enjoyed it. I thought the series of events did seem rushed and a bit unbelievable in its quick developments (She went from zero to hero in the blink of an eye it seemed). Cooper played his role well but that character just took annoying to a whole new level.  By the way, if there was any message I took from this story it’s this... Don’t let alcohol off the hook! It’s not just a tragic story, it’s a call to action to preempt the tragedy by kicking the habit of drinking.

4. Black Panther- Let’s get a few things straight:

I enjoyed Black Panther for Wakanda, Shuri and the soundtrack.

I loved Black Panther for what it represented. It lived up to the hype as a Marvel movie but more importantly it lived up to the expectation of showing us what an all-black cast can do. It provided us with a picture of POWERFUL, RICH and ROYAL black characters. Look at the list of Best Picture nominations in the decade that have a predominant black cast and tell me what compares:

The Help

Django Unchained

12 Years a Slave

Selma

Moonlight

Fences

Get Out

Great films, no doubt, but the beauty is embedded in the struggle of it all. Not so with Black Panther.

Where it fell short was its cookie-cutter Marvel script and Michael B. Jordan. How this man is being considered as the best MCU villain is beyond me. He wasn’t even the 2nd best “villain” in the movie! (Klaw and M’Baku).

3. Green Book- If Die Hard is a Christmas movie than so was Green Book. I’m a sucker for a feel-good story. Look, it was redundant, oozing in controversy, and utilized the “white savior” script but it worked for me. Mainly because Mahershala Ali and Viggo Morentsen were amazing, but also because it spoke to me about truly valuing individuality. The main character is a gay, black artist living in high society. He doesn’t live within the stereotypical box. The scene that made the movie for me was when Tony claimed he was “blacker” than Don. Don took offense, asking Tony to pull over so he could get out in the pouring rain. Eventually this gem of a quote came from Don:

"...rich white people pay me to play piano for them, because it makes them feel cultured. But as soon as I step off that stage, I go right back to being just another n****r to them. Because that is their true culture. And I suffer that slight alone, because I’m not accepted by my own people, because I’m not like them either! So if I’m not black enough, and if I’m not white enough, and if I’m not man enough, then tell me Tony, what am I?!”

You are you! And that’s enough!

2. Blackkklansman- Spike Lee is in my Top 5 directors of all time. Spike really toned down the Spike-ness for this one and I actually missed some of the flare. The story seemed oddly cookie-cutter-like for me and the acting was way overrated. Adam Driver for best supporting actor?! How?!? What I really liked about it was its contextual relevance and its utterly satisfying conclusion. The movie kept me interested enough throughout to get me on the edge of my seat for the end...and it paid off! Bombs not working as planned, KKK folks embarrassed, good guys win. Then there was the pre-credits footage that tied the bow on what we already knew Spike was getting at. America isn’t over its hateful past. 

The moment that pierced through the heart for me was just one line from Ron (John David Washington) to Flip (Adam Driver). Flip, of course, being a Jew and very much in the crosshairs of the KKK’s hate but not really feeling it because he looks white. Ron asks him the question every immigrant, every minority, shoot... EVERY AMERICAN, should be asking themselves when they see social injustice happen time and time again...

“Why you acting like you don’t have skin in the game?”

1. Vice- You have to be American and you have to have lived through the Bush-Cheney era for this movie to mean anything to you.  I was in high school during the era. I still remember laying out what I thought was a Nobel Prize worthy argument in favor of the Iraq War.  The references and themes of the film strike a responsive chord in my memories so that’s why it all worked for me. I’m an Adam McKay fan...even though I could have been without the Shakespearian scene...ugh. He’s sooo good at mixing within a film humor, drama and education. Having the story told by a narrator we know nothing about and ends up being Cheney’s heart donor was absolutely genius.

Sure this was a movie about a “heartless” figure in American politics that has forever been wielding his power in the shadows. But this was also about how we have gotten here. How the rise and actions of Donald Trump were assisted by the notorious political maneuverings of Cheney.  The film didn’t present a burden of guilt or larger call to action that I would personally need to make, but for as much as a bio-pic can give, it left me in awe about how flawed the American political “democracy” can be.

Like I said in the opening, it was my favorite among the Best Picture nominees but that is like picking your favorite Kardashian... there’s just no winning in that game.

To End...

Here were my Top 8 Movies of 2018 (in order):

Free Solo

Vice

Blackkklansman

Sorry to Bother You

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Avengers: Infinity War

Green Book

Black Panther

Here’s to hoping 2019 will be better than 2018!

See you next year!

#Oscars #Movies #Predictions #Films #Best Pictures

[planbeeeee]

Our Cup

A WASHINGTON DC SPORTS TEAM HAS WON A CHAMPIONSHIP!

Your Washington Capitals are Stanley Cup CHAMPS!

It’s been a week now since you were on F street until 2am that night. High-fiving and dapping up strangers that were closer than brothers for that one magical night. Stepping on broken glass and trash, and buying the morning’s paper from a random guy with hundreds of copies fresh off the press. Internally debating whether or not you could successfully climb a light post. Pushing your way through a sea of fans to reach your mountaintop...the Portrait Gallery steps!

Or you watched it all unfold from the comfort of your home. You heard the call by Doc Emrick. You screamed for the clock to work again in the last minute. You spent the next hour or so refreshing your socials for updates on the festivities.

No matter what last Thursday night looked like, have you truly internalized what just happened? Sure the parade with 200,000+ fans helped but have you gone down memory lane to give context to the weight of this Cup win? Have you thought 10-15 years down the road and you’re explaining to your kids or grandkids that you were a part of it all?

Well gather around, kids. Thatha is going to tell you a story...

It’s a story of us.

The generation of DC sports fans that didn’t get theirs. If you were born between 1980-1996 this is you. If you didn’t fully comprehend (not old enough, not in the country, etc.) the Redskins ‘91 Super Bowl team, then this is you. If you have endured at least 10 years of full DC sports fandom to this day, this is you. You’ve got to be all in for this to mean as much though.

YOU are the biggest part of this story. Sure we have fans older and younger shedding tears of joy today too. They’ve endured the drought, they’ve invested time & money year in and year out. But the old heads have tasted the sweet fruit of success before and the millennials haven’t lived with DCppointment for long enough.

This Capital’s Stanley Cup win is bigger than hockey. This was the Nats winning, this was the Wizards winning... and dare I say... this was the Redskins winning.

I found myself unable to hold back the tears. I mean it was snot in the Rock the Red towel kind of cry. I’d call myself an above-average Caps fan but there are definitely fans more diehard than me. But when you take the cumulative effect that DC Sports misery has had since ‘92, you begin to understand the pressure mounting in the pipes.

THIS WAS OUR RELEASE.

The wait was over. Time to exhale, DMV. It was finally okay.

I love the Caps. This team was the least talented but still the best TEAM they’ve fielded in 5 years. These players, coaches and GM deserve the praise. But this could have been the Nats or Wizards (and obviously the Redskins) and we’d have seen the same outpouring of hype and support. This wasn’t about the Caps slaying their demons, this was about DC. Fans stood out elbow to elbow in the stadium, outside the stadium, at the parade just to witness success.  

This win means more for the faithful.

You can be anywhere on the fan spectrum and take pride in this. You may follow these players from their minor league days and know every draft pick. You may travel out to training camps and fan events from long distances. You may be a season ticket holder. You may have a room or shelf or space in the closet dedicated to the team.

OR...

You still don’t know anyone other than Ovechkin, Bryce, Scherzer, and Wall. You’ve never spent money on DC sports merch or tickets. Baseball just isn’t for you. You “wait and see” or want the Redskins to “show you something” before dive back in.

IT DOESN’T MATTER TO ME.

Own the jump. This is OUR BANDWAGON. You’re welcome aboard if you’ve been on the misery journey before. Your interest may have faded but that’s ok.

But...

If you’ve completely given up, for whatever reason (lack of success, social issues bothering you, whatever) feel free to enjoy it but this win wasn’t for you. Enjoy it but tip your cap to the ones that have held it down. There was a stretch where I had to do the same for the Nats and Caps. Those teams were sustained by fans more faithful than I.

The good news... you can come back. This is what sports does. It unites us. I saw black and brown DC fans losing their minds and voices all for the hockey team. That’s pretty cool, if you ask me. We may be at the start of the DC sports come up.

We’ve been walking against the wind for over 25 years. The Caps have flipped the script and turned us around.

Don’t be surprised if we finally get to ride with the breeze!

#Washington Capitals #DC Sports #NHL #Caps #Stanley Cup Champions

[planbeeeee]

2018 Oscars Predictions & Reviews

Every movie is a mystery movie.

Mystery and intrigue is the very foundation every film stands on. You may not realize it but as you watch a movie your mind is constantly asking questions. “What is going on? Who is she? What is that shiny thing?” Even comedy movies are not exempt from this. At the heart of The Hangover was the search for Doug. Rush Hour needed Lee and Carter to search for Soo-Yung. Even Dumb and Dumber would not be the same without the “Will they make it to Aspen?”

But it’s not just the content of the movie that adds to the intrigue. There’s the teaser, then the trailer, the midnight release, the endless previews, the dimming of the lights... all before our Feature Presentation. This is exactly why I believe there is no replacement for watching a movie in a brick and mortar theater with other people. I’m not here to preach and ask you to stop with the Kodi, but all I’m saying is there is no replacing the pin-drop silence or spontaneous cheering of a packed house during the movie’s climax. 

The movie is our journey we are on together. All we ask of it is to MAKE ME CARE. Make me laugh, cry, jump, or a little bit of everything. Make me see or hear a spectacle. Make me stay up at night thinking about that ending. Put the mirror in front of me and show me a part of me. Let me see the world more clearly. We give our money, time and attention to movies to make this happen and we’re often happy when expectations are met. But ever so often there comes the movie that takes you to a place you didn’t expect but was right where you needed to be.  This is the POWER of film. This is what the Academy is awarding Oscars for. This is my criteria for Best Picture. 

Now that the formalities are out of the way...

Here are my picks...

Bee’s 2018 Oscars Predictions

This is the 5th year in a row I’ve watched every movie nominated for Best Picture (Thank you, MoviePass!). I was lucky enough to see 41 movies in 2017! That’s my highest ever, I’ll take your virtual pat on the back. Last year I successfully predicted 5/6 in the major categories so my confidence is through the roof. 

Best Picture

Will Win: The Shape of Water- Absolutely deserves it. A classically made, beautiful tale of love that transcends face value.

Hope Wins: Ladybird- Flawless character development. You really feel the struggle of the mother, father, Ladybird and her friends, both individually and collectively. Talk about a movie that took me to a place I didn’t expect. That was Ladybird.

Lead Actress

Will Win: Frances McDormand- It’s this years’ Dallas Buyers Club. A bad movie that was carried by a one-of-a-kind performance. McDormand juggled rebelliousness and vulnerability about as good as I’ve ever seen it. 100% deserves this, her second, Lead win.

Hope Wins: Sally Hawkins- She played a mute and had sex with the creature from the Black Lagoon. How do you not give her the award for that alone?! You felt everything she said without saying a word. Oh, and apparently she had a Oscar nomination-worthy performance in Maudie but you can’t be nominated for the same category twice (A rule that definitely should be changed!).

Lead Actor

Will Win & Hope Wins: Gary Oldman- “You’re telling me Churchill was Commissioner Gordon???” Yup, and he played him perfectly. Kudos to the prosthetic and makeup designers but Oldman carrying around over half his body weight in that stuff and still delivering and absolutely FLAWLESS portrayal of Churchill is most deserving of this prize. 

***Snub Note: Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out) getting the nod over Tom Hanks (The Post) is crazy. Tom Hanks, one of my Top 5 favorite actors, has not been NOMINATED for Lead Actor in 17 YEARS!

Director

Will Win: Guillermo del Toro (The Shape of Water)- He was tasked with making us believe that this bestiality love was real and that a blood-thirsty creature has a redemptive quality. Even if he did some shady, copyright infringement on the movie’s script (see Let Me Hear You Whisper), I still think the end product is too beautiful to not acknowledge.

Hope Wins: Greta Gerwig (Ladybird)- It’s been 8 years since Kathryn Bigelow won for The Hurt Locker. I’m rooting for her because she’s female. Sue me. But I also REALLY loved Ladybird!

Actress in a Supporting Role

Will Win & Hope Wins: Allison Janney (I, Tonya)- Don’t think there has ever been such a sure thing as this in my years of predictions. She absolutely killed this role. She plays her villainous role brilliantly. She deserves this but I’m rooting for her because I’ll always have a soft spot for C.J. and anyone from The West Wing.

Actor in a Supporting Role

Will Win: Willem Dafoe- (Florida Project)- Full disclosure: I haven’t seen the movie, heard it was terrible. But from all accounts, Defoe was the bright spot. I thought Sam Rockwell was deserving of this win here as he played his drunken, racist, screw-the-world role well. I just didn’t like the movie all that much so I’m not rooting for this role to win.

Hope Wins: Richard Jenkins (The Shape of Water)- There is so much mystery and intrigue in this film but the struggle of friendship, companionship and purpose in life is so well portrayed by Jenkins. He’s not asked to go to great physical lengths like Rockwell or pick up where Kevin Spacey left off like Christopher Plummer but his acting is still a vital part of the movies message.

***Quick Snub note: Michael Stuhlbarg needs to get some love. He’s the guy in every movie that you think is Joaquin Phoenix (see below). He was a supporting actor in 3 of the films nominated for Best Picture! The Shape of Water, Call Me By Your Name and The Post. His best performance came in Call Me By Your Name but his role in The Shape of Water was great as well. I’m not mad that he didn’t get a nom, just want to give him credit for the diversity of his acting ability here.

Don’t close out and start checking Instagram yet, stick around and check out my breakdown of each of the Best Picture nominees (ranked from least favorite to favorite):

***Spoilers Ahead***

9. Dunkirk- I had such high hopes for this Christopher Nolan film. He’s the brains behind the Dark Knight trilogy, Interstellar, Memento, and my 2nd favorite movie of all-time, Inception. Call me heartless, but I didn’t care about a single character living or dying. Leave aside his decision to whitewash history (there were a ton of Indians fighting in the British Army, if you didn’t know), the movie was just excruciatingly boring. 

8. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri- 

Raped while dying. 

Still no arrests? 

How come, Chief Willoughby?

There, if you didn’t already see it, I saved you 2 hours. Three Billboards is a comic drama that is not funny and fake deep. Story had potential but the ending was as disappointing as can be.

7. Phantom Thread- This one irritates me just because it was on the fringe of getting a nomination and I feel like it just beat out Netflix’s Mudbound. Which was FANTASTIC! My 4th favorite movie of the year. Phantom Thread was repetitive and Woodcock was insufferable (Hopefully this is not the end for DDL). It’s a film that portrays what Love Languages are, and I appreciated that. Love is received and given in different ways. If you decide to be in a relationship and want it to work, you learn show love the ‘best’ way, and never criticize your wife’s omelette!

6. The Darkest Hour- It’s a story of what happened behind the scenes of Dunkirk. Really its a biopic of Churchill and an easy Oscar for Oldman. The character is the movie. Made for a good watch but not memorable. But if you can entertain me and educate me, then you’ve got a recipe for success in my book. I learned that Churchill faced more opposition than I remember from my World History books in 10th grade and that British elites enjoyed speaking with lisps.

5. Call Me By Your Name- Can’t see an apricot the same way ever again. I’ll leave that alone. Vulnerability is the bridge to love. The beauty of this film goes beyond its setting in Italy. Moved up to my #1 vacation destination now. The film beat the character development drum one too many times. I could have been without the 2 or 3 extra “day in the life of” scenes. But it portrayed sexuality in the way I see it, as a spectrum. You may not agree, but I implore you to just watch this film for the father’s monologue in the end. Here’s my favorite line:

“We rip out so much of ourselves to be cured of things faster than we should that we go bankrupt by the age of 30 and have less to offer each time we start with someone new. But to feel nothing so as not to feel anything—what a waste!”

4. Get Out- It doesn’t even matter that this was released over a year ago. It was the most memorable film I’ve seen in a long while. I’ve only seen it once and I can still visualize at least a handful of moments. “Give me those keys!” Bone-chilling. Its filled with suspense, comedic relief and, of course, social commentary. Every layer was woven in so well. I hope you had good friends that told you that you needed to see it without telling you what it was about, because half the satisfaction was being a part of the snowball hype that was Get Out’s release. 

3. The Shape of Water- The title tells the tale. Water, like love, has no shape or size that we can box it in to. It is all around us. It engulfs us. We fall in it, we can’t live without it. The Shape of Water presents characters (An elderly, gay man, a mute woman, and a ‘hideous’ creature) eager for acceptance. Sorry to do this again but I don’t think there has been a more impactful quote delivered without words than this interpreted by the sign language of the mute custodian:

“When he looks at me, the way he looks at me... He does not know, what I lack... Or - how - I am incomplete. He sees me, for what I - am, as I am. He's happy - to see me. Every time. Every day.”

2. The Post- “News is the first rough draft to history.” In a vacuum this is a captivating, educational film about a disgraceful moment in American history. But considering it in the context of our current climate, it elevates the message to greater heights. The struggle to empower women in leadership and spinning news into ‘fake news’ still exists 40+ years later. No wonder Spielberg wanted to rush this one out in just 7 months from start to finish. Kudos to him on the cliffhanger as well!

1. Ladybird- Life of a teenage girl in 2002 wasn’t as easy as you want to believe. This was the end of a generation, where you didn’t have a smartphone in high school. Ladybird followed this uncertain time but it was always about a special bond. This is about mother and daughter (although I could relate as an only child, son). You see Sacramento was a metaphor for her mother. She spoke ill of her hometown, she fronted like she wanted to be on the “right side of the tracks.” But at the end of the day, Sacramento (and her mother) was an irreplaceable part of her. 

Ladybird was a call to action. It proved that love and attention are linked. If you want to take one thing away from this review, and this blog post, it is this:

Call your Mom

#Oscars #The Oscars 2018 #Predictions #Movies #Films #Reviews

[planbeeeee]

Alex Smith can win us a Super Bowl

...or at least get the Redskins to play the Patriots in one.

I sat for minutes thinking about a State of the Union joke to start but it’s no time for long-winded introductions...

Let me start by saying... what in the world just happened???

I had a 15-step process to put the Redskins in the right direction. It sat on the foundation of drafting Baker Mayfield, Lamar Jackson, or Mason Rudolph to be our next franchise quarterback. Grooming them while Colt McCoy makes his last ditch effort in the NFL as the Redskins Day 1 starter.

Trash that...

It’s Alex Smith’s team now... and I’m cool with that.

Look...

Kirk Cousins was LONG GONE! Every time you get the urge to compare Alex Smith (who I think (right now) is better than Kirk Cousins) remind yourself of the inevitable reality that Kirk was all but out of the door. If you want to compare Alex Smith to an alternative here’s the list:

Colt McCoy (Alex Smith is better)

Free Agent QBs set to hit the market (Bradford, Bridgewater, Keenum, Tyrod)- Smith takes this one, too.

Rookie QBs- I think Baker, Lamar, and Mason Rudolph have potential to be better than Smith. I’d have taken this path but I’m fully aware that drafting is a crapshoot. Wish they drafted, but not mad enough to start burning things...yet.

So, you may have some residual frustration over the Redskins mishandling the Kirk contract situation from years back. I do not, I think they handled it right, but I can see why you would. I don’t want to get into Kirk here because, again, he was LONG GONE.  

The key to this discussion is asking yourself: Is Alex Smith THAT GUY?

People want this discussion to be about WORTH? Is he worth a 5-year, $111 million deal at $71 million guaranteed, making him the #3 highest paid QB in average salary? Worth sending away a 3rd round pick (pick #78) AND one of the best and still emerging slot CBs in the NFL, Kendall Fuller, for? Steering the discussion in this direction is necessary but only to a point. We’re not talking about a Ricky Williams or RG3 type trade here. This is a hefty, yet reasonable amount of money and trade value the Redskins are giving up. But it draws us back to the question of ALEX SMITH the quarterback.

Here’s my take on two hot takes:

He’s old- He’ll be 34 at the start of the season- Sure, it’s not ideal to have trade for a 12 year vet with 151 games under his belt, sitting as the 6th oldest starting QB in the league. But let’s give it proper context, the NFL now makes it easier for QBs to play at an older age because of the rules they’ve put in place to protect them. 34 is really the new 31, and that’s no more evident than Alex Smith’s 2017 year. The best of his career!

He’s a game manager- This needs to stop. Smith has been a prisoner to his circumstance. In SF he took way too many sacks instead of taking chances. He deserved the game-manager title. Since arriving in KC, that has changed. He has changed. Quietly, Smith has been a Top 10 QB consistently for the last 5 years. Not to mention leading KC to the playoffs 4 out of the last 5 years. He limits turnovers and has been one of the best deep-ball passers in the entire league for the last two years. 

When he’s bad he’s not losing you games (very high floor) but when he’s good he’s as good as it gets. Go back and watch Week 1 in New England. Or Week 5 in Houston. Or Week 13 in New York vs. the Jets. The guy can sling it!

The question now is, where do we go from here. 

Here’s my plan:

1. Give Alex Smith the keys

Let the man be a starting QB with no real competition behind him for at least one year! Doesn’t mean you can’t draft a QB but if it’s not Baker in the 1st, Jackson in the 2nd or Rudolph in the 4th then don’t do it at all. Also, cutting Colt McCoy will save around $3mil...this should happen.

2. Franchise tag Kirk Cousins and trade him

Kirk would love to sit back and make a decision that would be best for his family. But this is a business. The Redskins need to maximize the value of the Kirk Cousins commodity. We have spent over $40mil on him in two years and if the ROI on that is nothing but a potential 3rd round compensatory pick in 2019, I think we’ve missed the mark. 

Tagging Kirk puts the Redskins in the driver’s seat. Kirk will play the cat and mouse game but will reluctantly sign the offer-sheet. The Redskins can now shop him around. The Jets, Broncos, Vikings, Cardinals, Jaguars, Browns, and Bills are all in the mix for Kirk. A team like the Browns or Bills have a harder sell and they know that. But if they can now package a deal with the Redskins instead of selling Kirk on playing for them, it brings them deep into the derby. The Redskins pit teams against each other and maximize their ROI with a bidding war. The Patriots did this with Matt Cassel. If it’s good enough for them... it’s sure good enough for us.

Denver is what is best for Kirk. As a fan of his, I’d love to see him there. I’d love for the Redskins to be able to swap 1st round picks with Denver and get one of their CBs or Emmanuel Sanders. But really anything from a 3rd round pick and up in the 2018 draft is better than nothing. Do it, Bruce!

3. Get him weapons

Take 30 seconds and come up with the best receivers Alex Smith has had at his disposal in his career.

-

Done? Well the best you could probably come up with is Michael Crabtree. The others would be tight ends Travis Kelce and (reunited with) Vernon Davis. Maaaybe Tyreek Hill but the rest of the list is filled with Josh Morgan types. Give Smith weapons for once and let’s see what he can do. We know the Redskins have a potentially elite offensive line. Let’s bring in a stud rookie RB, a mid-round rookie WR, and a big time FA WR (Sanders or Jarvis Landry) and let him work.

-

We’ve been down this road before

Not just with McNabb but take the case of Mark Brunell:

Brunell on the last year of his contract and traded to the Redskins; Same with Smith

Brunell traded at the age of 33; Same with Smith

Brunell traded for a 3rd round pick; Same with Smith (add in Fuller though, but it’s close enough)

Jags had Byron Leftwich waiting in the wings; KC has Mahomes

Redskins commit 10-12% of their yearly cap to a long term deal on Brunell; Same with Smith

Brunell was a veteran QB that didn’t make mistakes, threw a great deep ball, and could make things happen with his legs; sound familiar?

Both Brunell and McNabb were not success stories, but just because the precedence didn’t work doesn’t mean it won’t now. The Redskins have an elite play-designer in Jay Gruden. I trust that he can get more out of this veteran, former #1 overall pick, on his last hoorah than either of the guys before him. If I’m him I’m giving this ALL I’VE GOT. This is his LAST SHOT! I’m fine getting a highly motivated guy with stuff still in the tank.

By getting Alex Smith the Redskins continue a theme of stability at the most important position on the field. Free agents would be willing to sign one year, show-me deals because of it, all while being able to potentially groom a QB behind him. 

In football there are many paths to success, this move is the first step down one of those paths.

#TrustTheProcess

#Redskins #Washington Redskins #HTTR #NFL #Kirk Cousins #Alex Smith

[planbeeeee]

2017 Redskins Draft - Go Big or Go Home

Redskins Draft Grade: A-

My 7-round Redskins Mock did not hit on a single player. I’m cool with that because I hit on basically every position drafted except TE. I mean, take the draft spot out of it. Pre-draft I would have told you Jonathan Allen, Ryan Anderson, and Samaje Perine with 3 out of the first 4 picks, would be a dream scenario. And that’s exactly what happened!

Jonathan Allen- DT- 1st Round

Instant 5-tech in base, 3-tech in sub-packages. He comes with all the intangibles but also bad shoulders. I’ll refer you to my last post on him, but I’m elated to finally have his caliber of talent on the D-Line.

Ryan Anderson- EDGE- 2nd Round

Can’t have enough edge pressure with the Redskins, something we’ve lacked for a while. Maybe I’m expecting a bit more than any NFL team actually delivers but Preston, Trent, and Kerrigan just did not affect the game as much as their 25 combined sacks would indicate. No one knows what the 2017 Redskins are going to get out of Galette but at his ceiling he’ll be a double-digit sack guy on 3rd down. Don’t think we can expect early down work for Galette. Insert Ryan Anderson. 

He’s not as explosive as former teammate Tim Williams but he has the strength to set the edge and effort to get through blocks to get to the QB. Don’t expect him to hit the field playing 75% of the snaps anytime soon. But he could be an eventual replacement for Preston Smith if another down year comes his way.

Fabian Moreau- Outside CB- 3rd Round

It’s worth the shot. Moreau tore his pec in the pre-draft process and is 90% likely to get on the PUP to start the season. Could even see him red-shirting this year entirely. We know all too well about pec injuries from Orakpo and Keenan Robinson’s histories. I wasn’t blown away by Moreau on the field and he has an extensive injury history beyond the torn pec. He’s big and physical so I’m willing to wait to see if he can put it all together at the next level. Personally, I don’t see him as the starting CB of the future. If this pick lights a fire under Breeland a little more than that alone is worth it.

Samaje Perine- RB- 4th Round

(suh-MAH-jay, P-rine) Get used to the name, he could be here for a while.

I’d have taken him the 3rd. In fact if they took him the 2nd I wouldn’t have been mad either. Perine was my #4 RB behind Fournette, Cook, and McCaffrey. He can’t do it all and that’s why he was drafted in the 4th. Needs to work on his hands and agility. But what he does well, he does better than anyone in the draft outside of Fournette. Perine makes a beeline to the endzone. Your pure north and south running back with very little wiggle but POWER FOR DAYS! His body is NFL ready but so is his eyes. His vision is a very underrated quality. There’s a reason he out-rushed AP in the Oklahoma record book and no one has ever rushed for more yards in one game in FBS history. 

I see him taking over the bulk of the carries for the Redskins by October.

Montae Nicholson- S- 4th Round

Not a fan. Think this will be a bust pick. Not good in space, didn’t show the instincts a centerfield safety would need to have. Has the size you look for but is going to struggle to find his niche early on. Xavier Woods would have made me happy here if Safety was the pick.

Jeremy Sprinkle- TE- 5th Round

If he scores in the pre-season and doesn’t do the ‘Salt Bae Celebration,’ cut him right away. Sprinkle is as fun a name as you’ll find but I just don’t like this pick. Not a very crisp player. Sloppy in breaks and after he gets the ball. Seems to fight with the ball in the air. Has the big body of a blocking TE that could be useful. Just feel this was a panic after Butt, Kittle, and Leggett all got drafted within the last 10 picks before Sprinkle.

Practice squad player.

Chase Roullier- C/G- 6th Round

It’s the first year in a while that we could wait until the 6th round before drafting our first O-lineman and the fanbase isn’t in uproar. Roullier is a great camp competition guy. Would love to see Lauvao, Kouandjio, and Roullier compete for the starting LG spot. 

Think he cracks the starting 5 a few times this year. Great late add.

Robert Davis- WR- 6th Round

A+ athlete. His measurables are off the chart. Small school and very little production gave him a late round grade but he’s a great project WR. Likely a practice squad candidate but I could see him sneaking in the Top 6 receivers to start the year if he can show value on special teams.

Josh Harvey-Clemens- LB- 7th Round

The big safety from Louisville will play a tweener role in Washington. Love that potential. I had a 4th round grade on him so to get him in the 7th is a steal. With some coaching he can give tight-ends some fight. I think he’ll contribute quite a bit this year.

Joshua Holsey- CB- 7th Round

Will not make the team. 

DE- 6′3″ 286 Edge- 6′2″ 253 CB- 6′0″ 206 RB- 5′11″ 233 S- 6′2″ 212 TE- 6��5″ 252 C- 6′4″ 312 WR- 6′3″ 219 S/LB- 6′4″ 217 CB- 5′11″ 195

Look at those measurables! You can see that the guys this staff gravitated towards checked the height/weight boxes. The Redskins Defense is set out to bully people. Manusky and his staff want to win the battle before it begins. Seeing towering figures and alpha dogs on the other side of the field can really give the defense a mental edge. 

There are a ton of new pieces to this Redskins defense from the top-down. This draft will be known for two things: 1. A step towards finally righting that defensive ship. 2. SAMAJE PERINE!

Beeeee OUT

#Redskins #nfldraft

[planbeeeee]

2017 Redskins Draft- Best of the Rest

Dream scenario. Run on offensive players and Jonathan Allen, from Ashburn, VA, falls to the hometown Redskins! Wow!

He was the best defensive player on the best defensive team. Dude has the Superman highlight play but his elite talent starts with his hands. He has Aaron Donald-type hand work from swims to pulls to stack-and-shed. D-Line in the 3-4 is about anticipating gaps, holding the point, and moving toward the ball. Allen can do all that with the best of ‘em. 

He was my #5 rated prospect overall and for the Redskins. His shoulders raise caution flags but if that holds up the Redskins got a steal. He’ll immediately plug in as the 5-tech in the base but more importantly give an inside threat as a 3-tech in the sub-nickel packages (See depth chart below).

Other than replacing Preston Smith with Galette or an edge-rusher in this package, you’re looking at how I expect the Nickel to look on Day 1. McGee would slide in the 1-tech and McClain would go 5-tech on the opposite side of Allen. Smith-Allen-McGee-McClain-Kerrigan is a pretty formidable front in the early downs. Can see the hope was to stop the run for once. 

Love the value but now it’s time where the real building begins...

Best of the Rest- My Updated Redskins Top 50

Notes:

Montravius Adams, Larry Ogunjobi, and McDowell are better than their 37-39 ranking, but the reality is with Jonathan Allen in the fold, D-Line just isn’t a priority. Allen, McGee, McClain rotating with Taylor, Lanier, Hood in the mix. Could see them double dip into the D-Line but not until Saturday.

Dalvin Cook apparently got issues. On-field talent is through the roof but his medical and character checks did him no favors. I’d love to see him drop to 17 in the 2nd but how many dream scenarios can we really expect?

Pass rush and CB are my priorities on Day 2. I’d love to see them get Budda, Teez, or King in the 2nd and scoop Tim Williams, Walker, or Anderson in the 3rd. 

Here’s the breakdown:

1-7: 2nd round hopefuls

8-16: 2nd round targets

17-21: 2nd round stretches; 3rd round targets

I’ll be ghost until Sunday. Will definitely be back for a draft wrap-up next week.

Beeeee OUT

#nfldraft #redskins

[planbeeeee]

2017 Redskins Draft Big Board

Big boards are better than mock drafts. 

Mock drafts are like March Madness brackets. It’s the casual fan’s way of feeling involved in a process we have no clue about for months. Googling “Best sleepers” in both to make yourself stand out. Trust me, I do it too. I’ve been doing 1st round mock drafts since 2004 when the Redskins drafted Sean Taylor. Mock drafts have many limitations but the biggest of which are TRADES! One Top 12 trade can completely offset the next 10-15 picks. And it will happen. Sure you can throw a trade in your mock but then again if that doesn’t happen it’s just as bad as it happening and you not predicting it. Get it? Offset City!

My other gripe is that mock drafts are asking us to predict what a team desires most. It doesn’t say WHO SHOULD BE DESIRED. I think there’s more value in that. I think you’re sticking your scouting neck on the line a lot more when you start to say, these 32 guys are the best of the bunch. Let time prove me right or wrong. I get that timing, opportunity, and the right situation make a difference in outcomes, but if we’re in the business of predicting anyway, might as well use a method that’s longer lasting. That’s Big Boards!

Here’s what we’re getting into:

Bee’s Draft Top 50 Big Board- True Best Player Available rankings.

Bee’s Redskins Top 50 Big Board- Best Player Available factoring reasonable need.

Bee’s 2017 Mock Draft- LOL! It’s just too fun.

Redskins 2017 7-Round Mock Draft Picks

2017 Top 50 Draft Big Board

Notes:

I’ve got 10 CB’s and 3 Safeties in the Top 50. 28 in my Top 100. Good draft to need coverage help!

Running backs are aplenty this year. From bell-cows to utility backs, could see 25+ taken this year. 

The elite talent goes 1-4 for me. 5 through 9 has some health question marks but odds are they’ll be stars. 10 through 30 is unprecedentedly tight. Would make for less trades than normal but this is the NFL, expect the unexpected!

Caleb Brantley and Joe Mixon are off my list for off-the-field charges. Brantley was my #1 rated DT and Mixon my #2 rated RB.

Similarly, Gareon Conley dropped about 10 spots due to rape allegations that surfaced just days before the draft.

Redskins Top 50 Draft Big Board

Notes:

Defense, defense, defense! ...or running back. That’s got to be the pick in the first round.

DeShaun Watson is the only QB I can rationalize picking in the 2nd round. Too much winning potential to pass up.

Got those 5 wide receivers bunched together. Think they’re all special but BPA w/ Reason is the name of the game. Can’t rationalize prioritizing the value of those guys over the 10 guys ahead of them for the Redskins next couple years.

Breakdown:

1-12: 1st round hopefuls

13-22: Stretches in the 1st round; 2nd round hopefuls

23-38: 2nd round targets

39-50: 3rd round targets

2017 Mock Draft

Notes:

Got two trades in there. I’d say maybe we see another in the back end. Likely to sneak up and get a QB for that 5th year option.

Cleveland trading with Tennessee makes a ton of sense. Cleveland has the picks to move, Tennessee could use a 2nd rounder. Getting in front of the Jets to get Trubisky may be a bidding war.

Washington has an extra 4th to give. Might as well move up 4 spots to secure Reddick. Could see this playing out even if McCaffrey is there instead of Reddick.

Solomon Thomas and Jonathan Allen are the biggest drops.

OJ Howard, McCaffrey, and Jarrad Davis in the Top 10 are somewhat surprises. Although I believe all 3 deserve it.

The 3-4 QBs rumored in the first are the big dominoes. Draft climate could change based on the movement of teams to go get them.

7-Round Redskins Mock Draft

Notes:

Haason Reddick- OLB- Redskins have needed a pass rush for yeeears! Preston Smith was not terrible in 2016 but he definitely didn’t meet expectations. Trent Murphy was the surprise of the year but he is suspended for the first 4 games of the year due to PEDs. Who really knows what we’ll be getting from Junior Galette if he’s healthy. Reddick provides versatility on the outside from mirroring RBs to rushing the passer. Love his instincts. I’d trade up a couple spots to go get him.

Desmond King- Nickel CB- Teez Tabor is my target in the 2nd round but he went just 3 picks before. Desmond King is a very different player than Teez but I love what I’d be getting from him. He’s listed as a safety but I’d use him as a nickel CB mirroring slot receivers and playing a pseudo-moneybacker role. Plays with such great anticipation. 

JuJu Smith Schuster- WR- The guy is in my level 1 tier at WR in this draft. JuJu is underrated because he doesn’t have that elite speed or height. But he has hands and some dawg in him. WR is not an area of need but it’s also not a luxury pick. Pryor, Doctson, and Quick all come with their question marks. Would love to get this value in the 3rd.

Stevie Tui’kolovatu- NT- I’ll learn how to say it if the pick actually happens. I LOVE THIS GUY. Leader in the locker room and beast on the field. Short for an NT but what he lacks in height he makes up for in tenacity.

James Connor- RB- Doubt the Skins hold on to both 4th rounders. Feel they’ll move up in another round with one 4th traded away. Feel the Redskins have to make a play for a RB in this draft. James Connor is just the bell-cow potential back they’d need. Overcoming cancer and getting on a team where he could instantly contribute would be a great 1st year story. 

Xavier Woods- S- Probably most confident of any pick that Xavier Woods will be a Redskin. They brought him in for a visit and have heard they really like him. I agree, feel he’s way under the radar because of his small school production. He’s got the tools to be a nice safety project.

CJ Beathard- QB- Grandson of former Redskins GM Bobby Beathard. He’s more than that though. CJ is my #4 QB because I saw a guy that can make all the throws against good competition but more importantly has a leader attribute that I want in a project QB.

Collin Buchanan- G- Don’t know anything about him. He was the best guard available on the board. One problem with my mock is the lack of guard help. Desperately need competition for that LG spot.

Ben Boulware- ILB- I see him as a 5th round guy so getting him here is a steal. Boulware has a lot of Will Compton in him but he’s a thumper and has a bit more range than Will. He’ll instantly contribute on special teams.

Jeremy Clark- CB- ACL injury ended his season early. Not sure if he’ll be the same or contribute in ‘17 but the potential is well beyond the 7th round spot. I’ll take a chance on a guy invited to the combine with a torn ACL.

Well, less than 24 hours to see how it plays out. 

In case you want a look into my raw rankings of over 150 prospects here’s my Google sheet: https://goo.gl/2CmMBe

CAN’T WAIT!

Beeeee OUT

#nfldraft2017 #redskins

[planbeeeee]

Belief is Better- Life of Pi

IT’S PI DAY! Worldwide March 14 (3/14 = 3.14 = ‘π’) is annually celebrated as Pi Day. The day is usually celebrated with a feast of pies at parties. I say, let your minds feast on this………

Admittedly, I am 5 years late on this post but it’s been sitting in my drafts for far too long so I figured, no better time than now to break down my favorite movie of 2012: Life of Pi. 

The Life of Pi was originally a book by Yann Martel that was released in 2001. In November of 2012, the film adaptation which was directed by Ang Lee was released. It remains the only PG rated film to win Best Director in the last 30 years! No, it’s not on Netflix, so if you’re not about that Kodi life, you can rent it on Amazon video for $4. Do it! The naturally befuddled feeling after watching the ending scenes led to a satisfying quest to peel apart the layers and find its purpose.  I can truly say the journey was great, but the destination was even greater.  Join me as we breakdown: LIFE OF PI   

****************SPOILER ALERT**************** 

DO NOT GO BEYOND THIS POINT IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN THE FILM! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! 

_____________________________________________________________

         The story WITHOUT the Tiger was TRUE!   The ending to Life of Pi begs its viewers to answer the question: “Which story was true?” After telling both the long-winded story with the Tiger and the story he gave to the Japanese officials, Pi asks the novelist in his home, “Which do you prefer?” To which the novelist replies, “The one with the tiger, that’s the better story.”  "And so it is with God,“ says Pi.  God and religion were mentioned early in the movie but for the majority of the film there was no mention, explaining in-part why the statement is so unexpected and profound. "And so it is with God.”  Essentially it means that choosing the Tiger Story means choosing God.  That God is the “better story.”  However, the question of truth still remains… Which story is TRUE? And the answer, I believe, is… IT DOESN’T MATTER!   In the original story there are a few details that are far-fetched or, as the novelist calls it, “incredible." 

"Bananas don’t float.” One Japanese official calls out a discrepancy in Pi’s tale where he claims the orangutan floats to the boat on a pile of bananas.  Pi sticks to his claim and says “Sure they do, try for yourself.” As minor a point as it is, the issue seems to be brought to light with some purpose.  Questions the validity of the story.

An island with an unlimited supply of vegetables growing from the roots of trees and meerkats covering every square inch while an acidic lake eats away at night?! Doubt it.

Finally, the elephant in the room. How can a boy actually survive with a tiger for 227 days???  (By the way, 22/7 =  ~3.14…. BOOM!)

On face value it seems like Pi is just trying to appease the Japanese officials in their quest for a story that is “believable” when he tells the story of his mother, the happy Buddhist, the cook, and himself stranded on the boat.  He seems to just be replacing the animals in the original story with people in the new story in order to suffice the officials’ inquiries. The story seems made up because of its parallels to the story we (the viewer) saw unfold, however, I believe there was truth permeating through that story.    Although I loved the film from beginning to end, the growing pains with Richard Parker seemed to drag on a bit too far. So if you have not heeded my SPOILER ALERT and are reading this without having seen the film just use the following Life of Pi Chart as a replacement for watching the “at sea” portion.  

At a young age, Pi was searching for God.  He was introduced to Hinduism by his mother.  Then he was introduced to Christianity by a priest after going into a church to drink the Holy Water.  He was introduced to Islam after attending a prayer service.  Finally, he is introduced to atheism or agnosticism by his father who tells Pi “Religion is darkness.” Recalling his quest for truth, Pi tells the novelist that “None of us know God until someone introduces us.”  Basically, we are introduced to organized religions from external sources.  Stories of Vishnu, Muhammad, and Jesus are experiences each of them had a long time ago and are not experiences of our own.  However, these stories are passed down from generation to generation and are applied to our lives to give our lives meaning.   

Whether its Yashoda seeing the universe in the mouth of Krishna, Muhammad’s Hijra, or Jesus in the wilderness, each experience significantly affected their lives.  Their experiences pointed them towards a relative truth.  Some beliefs can be shaken and some can be strengthened through the experience.  Like the juxtaposition of Pi’s father attributing 'Western medicine’ as the cure for his polio versus Pi’s mother using religion as her cherished connection with her displaced family.  For Pi, surviving at sea is the experience that significantly shapes his new found worldview. 

This is the key: In order to fully internalize a worldview or religion we must experience it for ourselves. Like Pi’s uncle who named Pi after the Piscine Molitor swimming pool where “a single swim there changed his life.”  Experiencing the pool himself changed his life.    

Upon landfall, Pi is seen with his face buried in the shore.  Narrating from the present day, Pi says he was starring down Richard Parker as he slowly walked away from Pi and the boat.  Before entering into the wilderness Richard Parker stopped.  At this moment Pi was hoping for a final acknowledgement of their time together. A roar or even a look-back.  But he got nothing and Richard Parker entered the expanse of the wilderness never to see Pi again.  

Just as the story was interpreted by the journalist, Richard Parker represents Pi.

This sequence is a representation of Pi’s new self leaving his old self behind. Upon entering the “wilderness of water” he found truth and no longer needed to search for meaning.

What Really Happened at Sea?

Well to put it plainly… Cannibalism.  

From Pi’s second story to the Japanese reporters we know the happy Buddhist, the cook, his mother, and he are on the boat after the shipwreck.  The happy Buddhist was wounded and put out of his misery.  Eventually, the cook, being the “resourceful” man that he was, ate the remains of the happy Buddhist.  After a few days, Pi’s mother and the cook got in a fight and the cook stabbed his mother and cast her overboard for the sharks.  All this much we know.  

Now for the presumption… In the retelling of the story Pi says that the day after the cook killed his mother, he killed the cook.  He goes on to say…and hear this out… “I did to him what he did to the sailor [happy Buddhist].” He follows with the statement, “He [the cook] was such an evil man, but worst still, he brought the evil out in me.” What the cook did to the sailor was kill him AND eat him.  That’s what Pi did to the cook.

The film sets out to establish that, along with his mother and brother, Pi is a vegetarian.  At the dinner table with his family his father takes a bite of the lamb curry and says it’s the best dish on the table and everyone else is missing out. Also, when his father gets in a fight with the cook in the mess of the ship it is because Pi’s father requested a vegetarian meal for Pi’s mother and the two sons (This is when the happy Buddhist comes over to offer his rice and gravy).  Although a minor point, Pi’s vegetarianism is highlighted to be a stark contrast against his cannibalistic behavior to emphasize his struggle to survive.  

The sustenance from the mysterious island was symbolic of the fruits of his cannibalistic acts. It was not until he encountered a human tooth (paralleling the tooth in the seaweed of his story) that he felt the guilt from what he was doing.

If that hasn’t convinced you:

The name 'Richard Parker’ is associated with real and fictional stories of people being shipwrecked as well as individuals being cannibalized. 

In 1846, an apprentice by the name of Richard Parker was among the 21 victims of a shipwrecked Francis Spaight.

In Edgar Allen Poe’s only novel, The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket, published in 1838, Richard Parker is a mutinous sailor on the ship Grampus.  After capsizing in the storm, Parker suggests he and the three other lone survivors draw lots to see which of them should be killed and preyed upon.  In a turn of events, Parker himself gets cannibalized by the others. Oh and by the way, the main character of the novel, Pym, has a dog named Tiger.

Not convinced yet, how about this…In 1884 a yacht by the name of Mignonette sank. Four people survived and drifted on a life boat. The cabin boy named…you guessed it…Richard Parker, was cannibalized by the other three.  If that wasn’t enough…the yacht made a cameo in the movie! This is a PlanBeeeee exclusive screenshot you won’t see anywhere else…

Life of Pi is an epic tale and visual masterpiece that sets out to essentially describe Pascal’s Wager.  Pardon my oversimplification of it but here’s the basics:

God exists or God does not exist

If you believe in God and he exists then you’ll have an infinite reward and if God doesn’t exist you’ll lose very little in your life anyway.

If you DO NOT believe in God and he exists then you’ll receive infinite punishment and if God doesn’t exist you’ll have gained very little.

Therefore, it is rational to believe in God 

***DISCLAIMER*** 

The following is my interpretation of the desired message of the film, it does not represent my own personal views:

The film adaptation of Life of Pi is telling us that life sucks. Death and tragedy are some of its only guarantees. We humans need something MORE. Something to give us hope. We need a story that will be better than our reality. We need a BETTER STORY….”and so it is with God.” Belief in the story of God will improve our own quality of life since we are winning at Pascal’s Wager and betting on what is the “rational” choice. The truth behind whether God exists or which god is the right God, is irrelevant. Life of Pi says, beyond all things, BELIEF IS BETTER THAN TRUTH.

My Takeaway

Pi gets caught following his crush Anandi after their dance practice. Here’s their exchange:

“Pi Patel: None of the other dancers did that. What did you mean? The God of love is hiding in the forest. (Referencing her interpretive dance moves)

Anandi: No, that also means the Lotus flower. 

Pi Patel: Lotus flower is hiding in the forest? Why would a Lotus flower hide in the forest?”

This is an analogy of the message. The Lotus flower is tangible, it is the cannibalism story, it is the tragedies of your present circumstance. While still somewhat hard to believe why the Lotus flower is in the forest, or how Pi survived, or how YOU have been down on your luck, it’s still a smaller leap of faith than the alternative. 

That alternative is Richard Parker, the orangutan, zebra, and hyena. That alternative is a mysterious island and floating bananas. That alternative is BELIEF. It is the God of love hiding in the forest. 

The Life of Pi taught me that God is out there. We must seek God, in order to find Him. True belief has a foundation in experience. Every one will encounter a time in their life when they as the all important questions:

“Who am I?

Why am I here?

Where am I going?

What can I do to help?”

The story is yours now … The God of Love is hiding in the forest, go find Him for yourself!

#lifeofpi #movies #piday #bmdb

[planbeeeee]

2017 Redskins Free Agency Wishlist

“How you like me now?!”

What a difference 3 months can make. At the time I’m writing this both Kirk Cousins and Scot McCloughan are a part of the Redskins organization. Wouldn’t surprise me if both are gone by this time next week.

I’m not going to get into the front office mess because, to be honest, Scot was not the god-send I thought he’d be (for whatever reason that was). As long as the Redskins move in the direction I think they should go, then who am I to complain about their plan and execution.

One month ago I laid out this 7-step plan:

Tag and Trade Kirk Cousins

Re-sign Vernon Davis and let every other pending free agent walk including DeSean, Garcon, Chris Baker, and Ziggy Hood

Cut Kory, Lauvao, and Ricky Jean Francois - $10mil savings

Extend Chris Thompson for 3 years, $10mil

No huge free agent pickups, focus draft picks on the defense

Start Colt McCoy in 2017

Fire Jay Gruden at the end of the season

Quick updates:

Kirk Cousins has been tagged and the feeling is that a trade with the 49ers in imminent

Around midnight last night Vernon Davis did re-sign with the Redskins. Have yet to get specifics on the deal but we’re looking at a three year deal

Kory retired

No movement on Thompson

No major links to big money free agents thus far

Jay Gruden received a contract extension that....means nothing.

So far, so good based on what I think the Redskins’ plan should be. Added to the list now is:

Outside hire as GM to replace McCloughan (if the rumors of his departure are true) at the end of the 2017 season

Contract extension for Morgan Moses

Kirk Cousins

It’s simple:

Long term deal. Paying him $25 mil per year for 5 years at 40% guaranteed. Top 5 QB money accounting for 10-15% of the teams salary cap per year. You really ready to commit that to a guy that may not be the gamer you need him to be? A guy that may not really want to be here? Kirk will be fine with the extra cash but I just think the team is sticking it’s neck out too much at that price.

Play under the franchise tag again. This screams “LAME DUCK YEAR.” Are the Redskins in position to win it all this year? No chance. Prove himself or not the Redskins not making the playoffs means Kirk is on his way out to San Fran, Cleveland, or wherever else with the Redskins getting NOTHING in return.

Trade him now. Both the safe and smart choice, in my opinion. Preempt the departure and get something in return for him now.

In the last post, I mentioned my desired haul for Kirk would be a 1st and 3rd in 2017 and an early round (1-3) pick in 2018. As a quick expansion on that, I’d be happy with a high 2nd, 3rd, and 5th in 2017 and an early round (1-3) pick in 2018. More picks, that’s what I’m looking for.

Free Agency

Here’s my wishlist:

Dont’a Hightower- ILB

Brandon Williams- NT

Tony Jefferson- S

Dre Kirkpatrick- CB

Jonathan Hankins- DT

Other than the 5 guys above, I think the Redskins should sit out of the early rush this year much like they did last year (before the Josh Norman signing). I’m also not losing any sleep if the above guys are too pricey.

If the price is right on Day 3 and beyond, here are the guys I’m targeting:

Zach Brown- ILB

DJ Swearinger- S

Bennie Logan- DT

Duron Harmon- S

John Cyprien- S

Micah Hyde- CB/S

Lorenzo Alexander- LB

DJ Hayden- CB

Jarvis Jones- OLB

Kevin Minter- ILB

Terelle Pryor- WR

Kendell Wright- WR

Brian Quick- WR

The key out of this free agency period is to come out of it poised to get compensatory picks in 2018. The Redskins are strangers to comp picks because we rarely let decent UFA’s hit the market. This year you’ve got DeSean, Garcon, and Chris Baker all likely to get decent APY numbers in 2017. Could definitely see a 4th round comp come the Redskins way in 2018 if they play this year’s free agency right.

Whether the Redskins sit or swim, free agency is going to fun to watch!

#redskins #nfl #free agency

[planbeeeee]

2017 Oscar Predictions

Oscar (the statuette) is valued at $700. If a recipient goes broke and wants to sell him, they absolutely can. It just has to be back to the Academy, and for nothing more or less than $1.00. Are McChicken sandwiches still $1.04 with tax? Well, there goes poor Daniel Day Lewis’s shot at eating dinner tonight. Sell it in the open market and they’d be in over their head in legal trouble since it is illegal to sell your Oscar. “Denzel Washington, the Academy is honored to LEND you this award for your outstanding work as a lead actor.” The red carpet alone is valued at $30,000! 

But let me stop pretending like Oscar isn’t valuable. Oscar winning actors and actresses go on to immediate pay increases. Male recipients can increase their value by around 81% after winning an Oscar. Female recipients don’t get as significant an increase (what else is new?), but their value goes up around $500,000 in their next movie.

So that 24-karat (magic…..couldn’t resist), $700-worth statuette does make a difference.

On to the picks…

Bee’s 2016 Best Picture Rankings & Predictions

This is the 4th straight year I’ve set out to watch each of the Best Picture nominated movies (Worth it!). Last year I had my worst Oscar predictions ever, going 3/6 in the major categories. Yet, my confidence remains unshaken.

Best Picture:

Will Win & Hope Wins: Moonlight- Some films transcend the screen. America needs to digest this film in 2017.

Lead Actor:

Will Win & Hope Wins: Denzel Washington (Fences)- No actor can dialog for that long and still captivate. The role was made for him.

Lead Actress:

Will Win & Hope Wins: Emma Stone (La La Land)- I’ll be honest, I didn’t see any of the other actresses’ performances but it’s hard to imagine beating out Emma’s singing and dancing.

Director:

Will Win: Damien Chazelle (La La Land)

Hope Wins: Denis Villenueve (Arrival) or Barry Jenkins (Moonlight)

Actor in a Supporting Role:

Will Win & Hope Wins: Mahershala Ali (Moonlight)- Just had his first baby by the way. What a weekend this could be. Go ahead and crown the man if we’re awarding his entire 2016. Killed it for Netflix as Remy (House of Cards) and Cottonmouth (Luke Cage). He and Janelle Monae also have roles in both Moonlight and Hidden Figures. Going to be a busy night for them. 

Actress in a Supporting Role:

Will Win & Hope Wins: Viola Davis (Fences)- Viola Davis losing this Oscar to anyone else will put Beyonce losing to Adele at the Grammy’s to shame. There’s never been a surer Oscars bet. I’d have given her best lead actress over Emma Stone if she was nominated for it.

Can’t wait to see how it plays out tonight!

______________________________________________________________

If you have some extra time in the bathroom, here’s my breakdown of the Best Picture nominees (ranked from least favorite to favorite):

9. Hell or High Water- Just overall quite boring. No idea what makes it stand out over some of the other hits of 2016. Zootopia or 13 Hours come to mind as better films in 2016.

8. Manchester By the Sea- Don’t really get why Casey Affleck is in the conversation for Best Lead Actor here. Manchester didn’t move me in the way it was supposed to.The film didn’t sensationalize a very real, yet odd family circumstance, and I appreciated that, but I just didn’t care enough for any character to care for the film.

Now we’re getting to the nominees I actually liked. 

7. Hidden Figures-  Hidden Figures is a film about black women and the power of persistence. Gender and race play a role in discrimination, not just 60 years ago, but even today. The empowerment of the qualified, regardless of skin color or gender, is truly what can Make America Great Again.

6. Lion- The movie captivated me from beginning to end.  Just a great mix of storytelling and visuals. I didn’t learn much from the film, other than to maybe show my mom more love, but it’s the best way of showing you that home is truly where the heart is.

5.  Hacksaw Ridge- Faith is a verb. The film showed me that true Christians check their privilege at the door. If your theology prevents you from loving those that persecute you or those that are different than you, it’s time to re-examine your theology. Following Jesus means you’re never content with ‘good enough.’ Seeking to affect the life of “just one more!” until the day you die. A little cookie-cutter in its delivery but the story and performance by Andrew Garfield carried the film.

4. Fences- Fences is such a unique film driven by its acting. The deep character development goes a long way because by the end of the film I was able to see through the eyes of multiple characters. Denzel and Viola Davis were PHENOMENAL! Deserving of every accolade they get. With an all-black cast set in the 1950s I defaulted to assuming it was about the struggle. At times it was. The baseball on a rope symbolizing the fact that the disenfranchised can swing as hard as they can yet still see no progress. But more than that I saw the film speak to the heart of a family. Of relationships. Of Love Languages. “Some people build fences to keep others out, others build fences to keep people in.” Just powerful stuff.

3. La La Land- Films like this don’t come by every year. A musical that builds a bridge between fantasy and reality. Drawn in by the charm of Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling but actually moved by the reality that some dreams aren’t made up of the perfect love story ending. Ten years from now you’ll still be humming “City of Stars” and visualizing their first dance sequence. For it’s uniqueness, I won’t be mad if it wins it.

2. Moonlight- Remember Boyhood? Boyhood gave us a story we wanted to hear, Moonlight hits with a story we need to internalize. The title of the play it is based off tells the story. “In Moonlight, Black Boys Look Blue.” Every life is unique. We live in different situations, with different reactions, and different support groups. Moonlight taught me that people are not always what they seem. Outside perception is not reality. As much as it is a commentary on the struggles of a gay, black kid in the hood trying to figure it all out, it is a call for love. A love from a parent, mentor, or friend that takes the time to touch the life of another.

1. Arrival- Let my tombstone read: Life is more about the journey than the destination. This is Arrival in all its non-linear transcendence of time. It begs to ask the question: If you could view your life laid out before you, would you change it?  Arrival says to do your future-self a favor, LIVE LIFE NOW like you’d never want it changed.

#oscars2017 #bmdb #movies

[planbeeeee]

2017- Repeal and Replace the Redskins

We asked for a GM, we got a GM. Now it’s time to trust him. 

There exists a blurry line between fielding a competitive team and rebuilding (Unless, of course, you’re the 76ers asking their fans to “Trust the Process”). You have to keep your fan-base optimistic while still getting the right players in the right system. Scot McCloughan was hired in 2015 and inherited a Redskins team that went 3-13 and 4-12 in the two years prior to his hire. Coming in expecting to rebuild, the 2015 Redskins ended up winning the division. There goes the “starting from scratch,” it’s now about building on what got us here. In comes Josh Norman, and the audible to give 2016 all we got. We all know how that turned out...

Here we are in the 2017 with as many questions as we had two years ago, if not more. I believe now is the time to let McCloughan work. Let me start with my official stance on how I WANT this off-season to play out:

Tag and Trade Kirk Cousins

Re-sign Vernon Davis and let every other pending free agent walk including DeSean, Garcon, Chris Baker, and Ziggy Hood

Cut Kory, Lauvao, and Ricky Jean Francois - $10mil savings

Extend Chris Thompson for 3 years, $10mil

No huge free agent pickups, focus draft picks on the defense

Start Colt McCoy in 2017

Fire Jay Gruden at the end of the season

Kirk Cousins

I’m a fan of the guy. I’ve read his book for crying out loud. I hate betting against Mike Shanahan in his assessment of Kirk but I just think committing to him long-term is riskier than letting him walk. Kirk had a phenomenal year but there’s still the question of whether he’s a GAMER. Whether he’ll prove to shine brightest on the biggest stage. Committing $20+ mil per year to a guy you’re uncertain about just isn’t best practice. 

No, you’re not getting an RG3 trade haul for him but a 1st, 3rd and early round pick into 2018 will work just fine for me. Even if no suitable trade partner is available, I’d like to see Kirk play on the tag once more. 

I just hope Redskins nation sees how hard a decision this is. Kirk did prove himself last year... up until Week 17. You may feel he has improved and he could lead this team to the playoffs, but don’t tell me you’re absolutely convinced he’s your long-term QB, your promised land QB. 

Fire Jay Gruden at the end of the year

Jay would have completed the 4th year of his 5 year deal. Believe it or not, only 12 coaches in the NFL have been with their current teams for longer than Jay. Scot McC inherited Jay. We need Scot McC to pick HIS GUY. 

I’m ready to risk it all for JOSH MCDANIELS. I may be a prisoner of the moment, but that offense in New England is a thing of beauty. Lots will be said of Brady and Beli but McD was the architect of an absolutely incredible 2017 Patriots offense given the weapons (or lack thereof) that they had. I believe McD’s second stint as a coach will fare much better than his last. The timing may have to be next year when he finally hits the market again.

There’s a ton more meat to add to this off-season skeleton. Who will we draft? Who will we target in Free Agency? I’ll be back for that soon. Just wanted to get my stance out there and see what people think. Scot McC has his work cut out for him this off-season. Strap in, the news will be buzzing early and often!

Welcome to another Redskins Off-Season!

#Redskins #predictions

[planbeeeee]

Game of Thrones Reminds Me of LOST...and I Love it!

Spoiler Alert...

Had to get one post in while we’re at the halfway point of the season. As a non-book reading fan of the series I am completely unaware of what we TV watchers know that the readers don’t, and vice versa. So, I’ll just wait until Season 6 is over to post my theories. 

I just wanted to dedicate a few words to the recent path GoT has taken. If you know me, you know that I am an unapologetic Lostie. Though they slay me, yet will I love the show AND THE WAY IT ENDED! (I hope Damon sticks by his script despite the haters like GRRM himself.) So, when I compare the two, just know that it’s a compliment to the Game of Thrones. 

The game-changing moment of the season thus far came in this week’s episode when Bran warged into Hodor, and used him as a sacrifice in order to save himself while simultaneously time traveling to the moment Wyllis became our very fond friend Hodor (RIP Hodor... but I pray they don’t bring him back as a white walker). If you didn’t believe time traveling was coming to GoT after Bran traveled with the Three-eyed Raven to the Tower of Joy and called for his father, then this week’s revelation of the origins of ‘Hodor’ has to make you believe. Note too that the past episode was directed by Jack Bender. The same man that directed more episodes of LOST than anyone else, including its series finale!

Having been introduced to Hodor all the way back in Season 1, you  figure that the writers had always intended on involving some sort of time travel with at least Bran. You can’t have a man say only ‘hodor’ for so long and later on stumble into the idea like... “Hey, let’s just say Bran screwed with him in the past to make him say that.” No, that has to be a part of the plan to begin with. While warging into Hodor is a big moment, I can’t imagine this would be the end of Bran’s time traveling. Maybe he heads to the weirwood tree in Winterfell to gain access to the past to affect something in the future? Whatever it is, Bran will be back in the past at some time.

As a fan of time-travel (LOST, Terminator, Interstellar, Planet of the Apes), I feel qualified to take a second to give my interpretation of the Hodor scene:

Bran is stuck in a dream-sequence of the past with the 3-eyed Raven.

Bran has split consciousness between the dream-sequence (past) and reality (present), as he hears the voice of Meera telling him to wake up and warg into Hodor.

While split between the past and the present, the unintended consequence of Bran’s warging into Adult Hordor was that he warged into child Hodor (Wylis) as well. 

Thus creating a bridge, via Bran’s consciousness, between child and adult Hodor, that permanently shorted Hodor’s functionality leading to him only being able to say ‘hodor’ for the rest of his life.

Let me know if you disagree with any of the above.

So...GoT fans, I just want to welcome you to the world of time-travel. I know the Double D’s and GRRM will be very careful to use it sparingly (admittedly LOST went overboard with it), but nonetheless it will be a big part of how the path to the end plays out. Trust me, don’t freak out, it’ll be okay!

Game of Thrones, like LOST, had multiple characters in multiple different story-lines. As viewers we follow along through the journey because it’s entertaining enough, but we all want to know when the paths will ultimately cross and what the end will be like. Unlike Breaking Bad or The Sopranos, where it was always about Walt or Tony, Game of Thrones and LOST are about a vast array of questions that need answers. While answering them all is not necessary we at least want to know “What was the Island all about and why were they there?” For GoT it is, “Who will sit on the Iron Throne?” We know that’s where it’s heading but will it be enough to know it’s Jon and Daenerys’ to split? Or Arya and Bran’s? Maybe it’s not so much biting our nails to figure out who will be the lord of the Seven Kingdoms but rather how well (or epic) the Double D’s and GRRM can bring them to the throne.

No matter which way you look at it, the writers have a tough task of connecting the dots. I, for one, just want to see where GRRM takes us. I’m strapped in and along for the ride, wherever it goes. 

I trust that getting ‘there’ and being ‘there’ will be just as captivating. 

#game of thrones #lost

[planbeeeee]

DCppointment

Heartbreak.

It’s all I’ve known. 

These past 20 years, as a fan of Washington DC sports, have been nothing but false hope and misguided expectations, backed by DC sports spin doctors and their propaganda. Year in and year out it’s, “Coaching change here, culture change there”. Or that “game-changing” free agent that brings out the fans’ inner-Michael Corleone...

I was baptized into DC Sports fandom during the mid 90s with the Norv Turner led Redskins.  Watching Gus Frerotte was my earliest Redskins memory (Lucky me...). I’d stay up and watch Redskins Report with George Michael on Saturday Night, wake up “early” to watch FOX NFL Sunday pre-game with JB, Terry, Howie, and Jimmy, and cap it off with Sports Machine. Of course with the Redskins game somewhere in between. 

But the point is, I was 9 years old!

The only-child in me shot hoops in the driveway not pretending to be Michael Jordan but rather Calbert Chaeney, Tim Legler, and Chris Webber (Although the occasional Iverson crossover did make it into my sessions). I don’t know what started the domino effect but I was all-in on the Bullets and Redskins since then.

Two years later the Capitals made the Stanley Cup Finals only to be swept by the Red Wings (Oh, by the way, no Finals sweep has happened since). I knew Bondra, Oates, and Juneau, and Olie the Goalie was fun to say, but I wasn’t a “fan.” Ever since that finals in June 1998, the Washington DC Sports teams, MY Washington DC Sports teams have yet to make another Conference Championship. Yes, not going so far as to WINNING a Conference Championship, I mean ADVANCING TO one!

There are 13 cities/regions that have a sports team in all 4 major sports (Football, Basketball, Baseball, and Hockey). Let’s go ahead and exclude Los Angeles since their football team hasn’t played a single game yet. Of the 12 other cities (illustrated by the graphic above), Washington DC is the only city to not have a single team represented in the final four of their respective sport since 1998. Meaning, the Redskins, Capitals, Nationals (albeit they only joined the fray in 2005), and Wizards have not even made the Conference Finals of their respective sports since 1998!

Take a look at this table I put together that charts the number of championships won per city/ per sport since 1998:

Few take-away’s:

Screw Boston! They’ve got a championship in EACH of the 4 sports since ‘98

When talking about New York, I used the example of the Giants, Knicks, Yankees, and Rangers, which I believe is the most popular combination among New York fans. If your buddy is a fan of the Jets and Mets though, welcome them to the Championship Drought Club.

Quick test of general sports history would be to see how many players you could name from each of those championship winning teams. I couldn’t tell you a single player from the ‘98-’99 Stanley Cup winning Dallas Stars without Wikipedia.

So... The only other city/region with all 4 major sports teams having ZERO championships since 1998 is Minneapolis/St. Paul. The capital of the free world is lumped together with the Twin Cities of Minnesota, which is known for it’s excessively large mall in an age where even your Nana is One-Clicking on Amazon.

Dig one layer deeper and you’ll find that all 4 teams in Minneapolis (Vikings, Timberwolves, Twins, and Wild) have been to a Conference Championship game since 1998. All FOUR! Washington DC doesn’t have a SINGLE ONE! You look around and you see Oklahoma City represented with their Thunder. You see Milwaukee fans struggling with their Bucks and Brewers but even the Brewers had an NLCS run in 2011 (Not to mention that they’re all Packers fans up there anyway). Shoot, even Toronto, a friggin’ Canadian team, has representation in this year’s NBA Eastern Conference Finals! These God-forsaken regions have something to cheer for, while us hungry DC Sports fans patiently wait for the glory days to return!

It’s not like there’s a lack of talent or opportunity to acquire talent. The Redskins were big spenders of free agent dollars for over a decade, and the other 3 teams each had at least one #1 overall pick in their respective drafts in the last 11 years. 

Last table(I promise). Below you’ll see the same 12 cities sorted by the total number of #1 Overall Picks in their respective sports’ draft since 1998:

The DC teams have had 5 #1-Overall draft picks since ‘98! That’s more than the bottom 7 cities on the list...COMBINED! And it’s not like those picks have been busts (Except for Kwame “Bust” Brown, of course). Ovi, Wall, Strasburg, and Harper, these are some of the best players in their respective sports at their respective positions. The talent is there, but the chips just aren’t falling the right way at the right time.

Now I realize that the early 2000′s were an era in itself, and times are much different now. Philadelphia just isn’t what it used to be. Every team, minus the Flyers, are rebuilding now. Would I rather have that one baseball title in the last 18 years along with absolute embarrassments in every other sport or be a consistent playoff-team in all sports yet consistently coming up short? Honestly....I’ll take the consistent playoff-team. But that’s besides the point... 

I know a Conference Final birth is NOT all that I want. I know that just getting there isn’t the mountain top itself. But it’s like training for a marathon, you’re not supposed to run the full 26.2 miles in training. Your training schedule will likely ask you to run 20-22 miles with greater consistency. Once you get that close, everything inside of you wants to push to the top. 

All I ask, is to just get us close.....for now.

#Redskins #washington capitals #washington nationals #washington wizards #washington redskins #Sports #sports cities

[planbeeeee]

The Holy Grail of Hollywood

"...and the Oscar goes to..." 

The next 5 seconds will feel like an eternity for the nominees. They know that if their name is said next they'll be among Hollywood's elite. They'll instantly add a line to their legacy. They'll forever be introduced as "Oscar Winner So-and-so." Hoisting Oscar up in the air could not only lead to more roles and more bucks but a recent study shows it could add 4 years to an actor's life as well. Lost in the fanfare surrounding the award is...the award.  Poor Oscar never gets his story told. So before I get into my predictions for #Oscars2014, let me introduce you to Oscar.

Oscar stands at 13.5 inches tall and weighs 8.5 pounds.  Interestingly enough, no one really knows where he got his name from.  Most people believe the story that Academy Executive Secretary, Margaret Herrick, mentioned that the statuette looked like her "Uncle Oscar." Even though the name is a mystery what we do know is that he's a knight holding a large sword pointing down to the film-reel platform he is standing on.  The film-reel base has 5 spokes that represent: Actors, directors, writers, producers, and technicians. The industries "unknown soldier" will be a prized possession for any of its recipients (unless your'e Merryl Streep, then you're just another paper weight).

So, this is the first year I set out to watch all 9 Best Picture nominated films, and added Blue Jasmine to make it 10 because...you know...OCD and all.  Through moments of elation and depression I've come to this point to give you:

Bee's 2014 Oscar Rankings & Predictions

I'll have you know that last year I was a perfect 5/5 in my predictions (see proof below) but this year I'm adding Supporting Actress to the mix. My confidence remains unshaken. 

Before we get into the rapid fire predictions of the Top 6 categories, I want to start off by ranking the 9 Best Picture Nominations based on my overall experience watching each one. So without further adieu...here's the list.

9. Dallas Buyers Club- The one legitimately BAD movie in the bunch. For all my Breaking Bad fans that made it past the awful first season...imagine that season made into a 2 hour movie. I'm honestly surprised I didn't fall asleep. It is painstakingly slow and full of unlikable characters. The characters were ambitiously constructed to be both hated and understood at different moments. It just didn't work for me.

8. The Wolf of Wall Street- Absolutely entertaining for the first hour. The next TWO HOURS were excruciating. Had the urge to walk out of this painfully drawn-out pseudo-comedy.  How many wild/drunken/drugged up party scenes did we really need to see to get the point? If you haven't seen the film yet...Jordan Belfort is a money-hungry, drug-addicted diva. Feel free to sleep for an hour and a half in the middle of the movie. You'll thank me later. 

7. Gravity- I'm sorry, I just don't get the hype. Gravity could win Best Picture this year but I found it's story-line to be dull.  If you are watching the entire telecast of the Academy Awards tonight you may think Gravity is poised to steal the show because it will (and should) win most of the visual and technical awards.  However, the depth of the story fell extremely short for me.  I fell asleep for about 1/4 of the movie. Take what you will from that.

6. American Hustle- (See critique of The Wolf of Wall Street)...Good, not great. Christian Bale and Amy Adams stole the show but the film was building momentum for a finish that was far too simple to figure out.  I'm usually not the guy in the room that calls the big twist ending before it happens but this one stuck out like a sore thumb.

5. Nebraska- We are now stepping into my realm of true Best Picture candidates. Sometimes a simple story, told the right way can leave you oh so satisfied. Enter Nebraska.  A father and son tale from the mid-western culture mixed its purposely mundane moments with laugh-out loud ones.  The simple one-track story-line of a demented father attempting to claim his (scam) prize winnings was further simplified by its visuals. An all Black and White movie is as simple as you could get.  

4. Philomena- I want to adopt her as my Grandma.  Like Nebraska, Philomena was a simple story-line that worked on so many different levels. Comedic value, dramatic twists, emotional attachment, moral response...etc. Successfully blended lightheartedness with thoroughly emotional storytelling.  Judi Dench was phenomenal.

3. Her- Should win a few writing awards. Best Original Screenplay at least. New concept, new approach. Spike Jonze is an absolute genius for capturing the current human condition in such a profound way.  The movie is oozing of allegory and juxtaposition.  One cannot help but think of how 1). We as a society are married to our phones. 2). We should not be ashamed of love. Celebrate it, never let it go. I did catch myself calling certain moments absurd.  Like "He's doing what with his phone? Wait, what is going on right now?!" However, even through these I'm in awe of how Jonze used such a genius method of delivering a profound commentary.  

2. Captain Phillips- Riveting from start to finish.  The film knew where it wanted its audience to spend their time and took to the sea quickly.  From conquest to ransom to rescue the story was strong but the actors were stronger.  It's an absolute travesty that Tom Hanks isn't nominated. Barkhad Abdi (Somalian pirate) is a well-deserved nominee for Supporting Actor. These two made the film what it is.  If you're a hostage movies fan, Captain Phillips is as good as it gets.

...and the Oscar goes to...

1. 12 Years a Slave- It tore down the veil that hid the true embarrassment slavery was in America. The subject matter justified the chilling, hard-to-watch portrayal of slave treatment.  I could feel my emotions stirring up throughout the film until finally the last scene let them loose.  The final scene will be etched in film history. A beautifully written, genuine display of redemption.

_______________________________________________________________

Now for the predictions:

BEST PICTURE:

Will Win & Hope Wins: 12 Years a Slave.

BEST LEAD ACTOR:

Will Win: Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club)

Again, I wasn't a fan of the movie.  Ron Woodroof made Matthew McConaughey, not the other way around. Will give him a nod for losing all that weight though.

Hope Wins: Chiwetel Ejofor (Pronounced CHEW-it-tell  EDGY-o-for) (12 Years a Slave)

BEST LEAD ACTRESS:

Will Win: Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine)

She had so many layers to her character and played them all flawlessly. Really complicated role to play.

Hope Wins: Judi Dench (Philomena) 

I felt so connected to her in Philomena. She brought innocence, lightheartedness, and stubbornness all together for her role as Philomena. Loved the film, so naturally loved her as the title character.

BEST DIRECTOR:

Will Win: Alfonso Cuaron (Gravity)

It couldn't be done...until it was. Cuaron brought us to space and did it in spectacular fashion. Not many directors even dream of a project like this.

Hope Wins: Steve McQueen (12 Years a Slave)

Opened our eyes to the realities of slavery. Didn't hold back and drew out scenes to drive home the truth.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:

Will Win: Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club)

Tough to argue with a transgender, prostitute, AIDS patient. 

Hope Wins: Barkhad Abdi (Captain Phillips)

Body language spoke volumes of his dilemmas. You were convinced that he was a pirate, not by his choosing but by necessity. Great portrayal for a new actor.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:

Will Win & Hope Wins: Lupita Nyong'o (12 Years a Slave)

Responsible for many of the most moving scenes in this epic tale.

_______________________________________________________________

There you have it. Enjoy the Oscars tonight! 

BEEEEE OUT

#theoscars #TheAcademyAwards #TheOscars2014 #Movies #Films #12YearsASlave

[planbeeeee]

The Son of Man and the Man of Steel

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16

Let me start off by saying that my knowledge of the Superman story is average at best. So, the Man of Steel film was both a refresher course and learning experience for me at different moments.  To sum it up: I was thoroughly fascinated! The film married destruction and dialog extremely well and I felt a sense of empathy for the maturing Clark Kent.

With that said, what captivated me above all was the seemingly overt parallels between Clark Kent/Superman and Jesus.  Stop me when you've had enough comparisons...

Superman's given name is 'Kal-El' as he his the son of 'Jor-El.'  'El' in Hebrew literally translates to "God." Think Elohim or El Shaddai.  So, Jesus is actually the "Son of El" too.

Both were sent to Earth from the heavens to serve a higher purpose.

They arrived in a small, rural home (Smallville/Nazarath), took a journey to the wilderness (Arctic/Desert), and went about their Fathers' work in the cities (Metropolis/Roman Cities). 

Superman was given to earthly parents named Martha and Jonathan. Jesus had Mary and Joseph (Close enough for me).

They were both 33 years old when they were arrested. 

Both performed life-saving miracles.

The list goes on but what I really took away from the film was the maturation of our protagonist, the patient faith of our savior, and the HOPE we have in HIM.  

His Maturation

The growth of young Clark Kent, in eventually coming to a realization of his purpose, paints a picture of an adolescent Jesus and gives insight into the "Lost Years of Christ." The Bible, as great a library of books as it is, does not mention what happens in the life of Jesus during the years of 12-30.  Our mind's eye is left to wonder what happened in those 18 years.  

Personally, I take Luke 2:52 to be the summary of those 18 years:

And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.

Jesus kept growing. Physically, emotionally, and even spiritually.  His daily connection with His Heavenly Father brought Him closer and closer to a divine understanding of purpose.  Much like the young Clark Kent, I can imagine a young Jesus being an outcast among other children.  I can imagine there being times in His teen years when he would have been tempted to retaliate towards synagogue scoffers but mustered up the courage to turn the other cheek.   Even at the age of 33 at the Garden of Gethsemane, Christ cried out for "this cup to pass" from Him.  Pleading that if there was any other way to save humanity, He'd want His Father to take that other way.  The struggle was real and it lasted far longer than Calvary.

 Awaiting His Time-- His Leap of Faith

Deus Absconditus- Latin for 'Hidden God.' Scholars argue that if God existed and was perfectly loving and good, He would reveal Himself more clearly and disallow bad things from happening to good people. 

This is the problem young Clark faces throughout the film. He grows up with an earthly father that believes with all his heart that Clark must hide his powers because the human race would not receive him well. Whether it is saving a sinking bus or retaliating towards bullies, Clark must be patient. Even to the point of seeing his own father die, Clark waits for the right time to reveal himself.  

It is easy to imagine that the 18 "lost years" of Jesus may have been similarly trying for Him.  Even after the biblical account picks back up in His 30's, Jesus is still waiting for "His time" to be revealed.  When His mother, Mary, asks Him to create more wine at the wedding, He says to her, "Woman, why do you involve me? My hour has not yet come." (John 2:4 NIV).  Again in John 7:6, He tells His disciples, "My time is not yet here." All the while, Jesus is still performing miracles from time to time, yet He believes His time to be revealed has yet to come.  It is not until Gethsemane and His subsequent arrest does Jesus become revealed.  In fact, He tells His disciples right before Gethsemane that his "appointed time is near." (Mat. 26:18) Finally, in Matt. 26: 45 just before being betrayed by Judas, Christ says "Look, the hour has come..."

Jesus's Gethsemane experience is similar to Clark Kent's experience at the church.  A conversation with a spiritual "father" seeking out instruction and reassurance before His revelation and arrest.  In fact, we see a shot of Clark Kent talking to the priest with the above image of Jesus praying at Gethsemane in the background.  The dilemma Clark brings to the priest is whether or not he should trust humans to receive him.  To which the priest responds, "Sometimes, you must take a leap of faith. Trust will follow." Re-read Matthew 26:36-46.  You'll find a troubled Savior that is showing His human side.  Yet, He took a leap of faith! He found his closest friends sleeping when he needed them most and yet He trusted them.  He trusted His "Heavenly Father's" instruction to be the bridge between humanity and divinity.  He trusted that those he was ransomed for would believe and trust Him.  Superman may be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound but it was the leap of faith he made for humanity that is most marvelous.  

Our Only HOPE

Zach Snyder, the director of Man of Steel, shared a trivia nugget in a recent interview.  He said a survey was taken to determine what was the most recognizable symbol in the entire world.  The results showed that the "S on the Chest" representing Superman was #2, only behind the Cross representing Christ.  

Like many of you, I learned from the film that the "S" on his chest is not an "S" at all.  It is a Kryptonian symbol representing the House of El and it carries the meaning of "Hope." Superman was the only hope for humanity. His earthly father told him: "Somewhere out there you have sent another father. He sent you here for a reason."  That "heavenly father," Jor-El, encourages his son on the spaceship right before his final duel with Zod saying, "You can save her [Lois]; you can save them all."  Superman leaves the spaceship with his arms wide and feet together, resembling the form of a crucifix:

In the same way, Jesus is the HOPE for Salvation!  The apostle Paul calls Jesus "our hope" (1Timothy 1:1) and the "hope of glory" (Col 1:27).  Like Superman, Christ's life is summed up in the words of Jor-El: "You will give the people of earth an ideal to strive towards. They'll race behind you.  They will stumble. They will fall. But in time, they will join you...In time, you will help them accomplish wonders." The savior provides hope of a better life.  With Superman it is the hope that he will make earth a better place. With Christ it is the hope that he will make us into better people.  

It is not just in reaping the rewards that humanity's role resides.  Like Lois Lane believing in Superman, so too does Christ HOPE you believe in Him. 

Superman is seen standing at the focal point of the World Engine's beam. It is attempting to increase the gravitational pull onto the earth so that Kryptonians can take over.  So you could say the "weight of the world was on his shoulders." The Son of El, the ransomed savior, yells out a cry for strength and flies through the blast beam, reaches the World Engine and breaks it to shreds.  

A burden unbearable, a life undesirable, a trust unwarranted...and HE DID IT JUST FOR YOU! The savior asks but one thing in return: BELIEVE. 

Now may the God of HOPE fill you with all joy and peace in BELIEVING, so that you will abound in HOPE by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13)

   BEEEEE OUT

#superman #man of steel #jesus #christianity #religion #bible