#BRANDON CAN HAVE THIS IS HIS SELF-LOVE HE MADE THIS ADAM UP THIS IS HIS SELF-CONSCIENCE & THIS IS HIS SELF-HATRED TOO THE MANIFESTATION THA

[multiverseforger]

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In November 2013, Marvel Comics announced that Kamala Khan, a teenage American Muslim from Jersey City, New Jersey, would take over the comic book series Ms. Marvel beginning in February 2014. The series, written by G. Willow Wilson and drawn by Adrian Alphona, marked the first time a Muslim character headlined a book at Marvel Comics.[2] However, Noelene Clark of the Los Angeles Times noted that Khan is not the first Muslim character in comic books, which include Simon Baz, Dust and M.[3] The conception of Kamala Khan came about during a conversation between Marvel editors Sana Amanat and Stephen Wacker. Amanat said, "I was telling him [Wacker] some crazy anecdote about my childhood, growing up as a Muslim American. He found it hilarious." The pair then told Wilson about the concept and Wilson became eager to jump aboard the project.[4] Amanat said that the series came from a "desire to explore the Muslim-American diaspora from an authentic perspective."[5]

Artist Jamie McKelvie based Khan's design on his redesign of Carol Danvers as Captain Marvel and on Dave Cockrum's design of the original Ms. Marvel.[6] Amanat requested that the design "reflected the Captain Marvel legacy, and also her story and her background."[7] Amanat stated that Khan's costume was influenced by the shalwar kameez. They wanted the costume to represent her cultural identity, but did not want her to wear a hijab,[8] because the majority of teenage Pakistani-American girls do not wear one.[9] Amanat also stated that they wanted the character to look "less like a sex siren" to appeal to a more vocal female readership.[8]

Marvel knew that they wanted a young Muslim girl, but stated that she could be from any place of origin and have any background. Wilson initially considered making her an Arab girl from Dearborn, Michigan but ultimately chose to create a Desi girl from Jersey City.[10] Jersey City, which sits across the Hudson River from Manhattan, has been referred to as New York City's "Sixth borough".[11][12][13] It therefore forms an important part of Khan's identity and the narrative journey of her character since most of Marvel Comics' stories are set in Manhattan. Wilson explains, "A huge aspect of Ms. Marvel is being a 'second string hero' in the 'second string city' and having to struggle out of the pathos and emotion that can give a person."[14]

The series not only explores Khan's conflicts with supervillains but also explores conflicts with Khan's home and religious duties. Wilson, a convert to Islam, said "This is not evangelism. It was really important for me to portray Kamala as someone who is struggling with her faith." Wilson continued, "Her brother is extremely conservative, her mom is paranoid that she's going to touch a boy and get pregnant, and her father wants her to concentrate on her studies and become a doctor."[4] Amanat added,

As much as Islam is a part of Kamala's identity, this book isn't preaching about religion or the Islamic faith in particular. It's about what happens when you struggle with the labels imposed on you, and how that forms your sense of self. It's a struggle we've all faced in one form or another, and isn't just particular to Kamala because she's Muslim. Her religion is just one aspect of the many ways she defines herself.[2]



First appearance of Kamala Khan from Captain Marvel #14 (August 2013) by Kelly Sue DeConnick and Scott Hepburn

In the series, Khan takes the name Ms. Marvel from Carol Danvers, who now goes by the alias Captain Marvel. Captain Marvel writer Kelly Sue DeConnick revealed that Khan actually made a brief appearance in Captain Marvel #14 (August 2013) saying, "Kamala is in the background of a scene in Captain Marvel 14 ... She is very deliberately placed in a position where she sees Carol protecting civilians from Yon-Rogg."[15] According to Wilson, Khan idolizes Carol so when Khan acquires superhuman abilities, she emulates Danvers.[14] "Captain Marvel represents an ideal that Kamala pines for. She's strong, beautiful and doesn't have any of the baggage of being Pakistani and 'different,'"[4] Wilson explained. "Khan is a big comic book fan and after she discovers her superhuman power – being a polymorph and able to lengthen her arms and legs and change her shape – she takes on the name of Ms. Marvel," Amanat elaborated.[16] Khan is one of several characters who discover that they have Inhuman heritage following the "Inhumanity" storyline, in which the Terrigen Mists are released throughout the world and activate dormant Inhuman cells.[17]

In the series' first story arc, Khan faces off against Mr. Edison / the Inventor, an amalgam of man and bird. Wilson created the Inventor to be Khan's first arch rival in order to mirror Khan's own complexity. Wilson characterizes the Inventor, and the overall visual look of the opening story arc as "kooky and almost Miyazaki-esque at times", owing to the art style of illustrator Adrian Alphona, which balances the drama of the threats which Khan faces with the humor of Alphona's "tongue in cheek sight gags." During the storyline, Khan also teams-up with the X-Man Wolverine against the Inventor. Because Wolverine is dealing with the loss of his healing factor during this time, Khan is placed in the position of having to shoulder much of the responsibilities, as Wilson felt this was a role reversal that would subvert reader expectations that Wolverine would take the lead in such a team-up.[18]

At the 2014 San Diego Comic-Con International, writer Dan Slott announced that Khan would team-up with Spider-Man beginning in The Amazing Spider-Man #7 (October 2014) during the "Spider-Verse" storyline. Slott characterized Khan "the closest character to classic Peter Parker,"[19] explaining, "She's a teenage superhero, juggling her life, making mistakes, trying to do everything right."[20]

Beginning in June 2015, Ms. Marvel tied into the "Secret Wars" crossover event with the "Last Days" storyline, which details Khan's account of the end of the Marvel Universe. Wilson explained, "In the 'Last Days' story arc, Kamala has to grapple with the end of everything she knows, and discover what it means to be a hero when your whole world is on the line."[21] In the storyline, Khan rushes to deal with the threat in Manhattan. However, Wilson revealed, "She will face a very personal enemy as the chaos in Manhattan spills over into Jersey City, and she will be forced to make some very difficult choices. There will also be a very special guest appearance by a superhero Kamala—and the fans—have been waiting to meet for a long time."[22]

In March 2015, Marvel announced that Khan will join the Avengers in All-New All-Different Avengers FCBD (May 2015) by writer Mark Waid and artists Adam Kubert and Mahmud Asrar, which takes place in the aftermath of "Secret Wars".[23] A second volume of Ms. Marvel starring Khan by Wilson, Alphona and Takeshi Miyazawa is also debuted following "Secret Wars" as part of Marvel's All-New, All-Different Marvel initiative.[24] Amanat said,

By the time this new launch comes around, it will have been almost two years since the premiere of Ms. Marvel—and boy, has Kamala Khan been through a lot since then. She's been slowly coming into her own, dealing with the challenges of navigating adulthood and being a super hero. But her training is over now and it's time for the big leagues; the question is can she handle it? ... As much as Kamala has a right to be there—it's still a bit of a culture shock. Dreaming of being an Avenger and then suddenly being one is a lot to take on for someone of her age. So, she'll be a little awestruck, a little overly ambitious.[25]

In March 2016, Marvel announced that Ms. Marvel would tie into the "Civil War II" storyline by releasing a promotional image illustrating a rift between Khan and Danvers.[26] "While "Civil War II" may have initiated this rift, we've known for some time that Kamala would eventually need to separate herself from her idols. Her journey centers around self-discovery and identity, and a part of that exploration includes separating yourself from those you put on pedestals. The rift between Carol and Kamala doesn't really have to do with right and wrong. It has to do with growing up and realizing that you perceive the world differently from even the ones you love," Amanat elaborated.[27]

In July, Marvel announced that Khan will join the Champions, a team of teenage superheroes who split off from the Avengers following the conclusion of "Civil War II". The team, featured in a series by writer Mark Waid and artist Humberto Ramos, consists of Khan, Spider-Man (Miles Morales), Nova (Sam Alexander), Hulk (Amadeus Cho), Viv Vision, and a teenage version of Cyclops. Waid said, "The first three are the kids who quit the Avengers proper. That was an easy get. Those three, in and of themselves, form a nice little subteam. Their dynamic is great. They all show up in each other's books, and even though they have their arguments and stress points, clearly they're good together."[28]

In August, Khan made an appearance in Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur #10 by writers Amy Reeder and Brandon Montclare. In the issue, Khan acts as a mentor to Moon Girl (Lunella Lafayette) who is also a young Inhuman that suddenly came into her powers. Amanat stated that Khan sees much of herself in Lafayette and by teaching her, Khan learns much about herself.[27]

In November, Marvel announced that Khan will join a new incarnation of the Secret Warriors in a series by writer Matthew Rosenberg and artist Javier Garron that debuted in May 2017. The team, formed in the wake of the "Inhumans vs X-Men" storyline, also includes Quake, Karnak, Moon Girl, and Devil Dinosaur. Rosenberg stated that there is some conflict and friction amongst the team members explaining, "Ms. Marvel and Quake are really fighting for the soul of the team in a lot of ways, while Moon Girl will continue to really do her own thing. They will all be tested and challenged, they are superheroes after all, but they are going to do things their way."[29]

In March 2017, Marvel announced that Khan would team-up with Danvers in a one-shot issue of the limited anthology series, Generations by Wilson and Paolo Villanelle. Wilson stated that the issue would explore Danvers' and Khan's mentor–student relationship, but "at its heart, [it] is about growing up, and a big part of growing up is discovering that your idols have feet of clay – and forgiving them for their flaws as you gain an adult understanding of your own."[30]

In December, Ms. Marvel began the "Teenage Wasteland" story arc, as part of the Marvel Legacy relaunch. Wilson said, "Since the events of 'Civil War II', there's been friction between Kamala and her mentor, Captain Marvel. In this arc, we're exploring how complicated legacies can be when they're passed from generation to generation ... She's questioning a lot about herself and her mission. Her friends end up stepping into some very important—and unexpected—roles. So in a sense, the arc is really about a bunch of chronically under-estimated teenagers who pull together to fight evil."[31]

Ms. Marvel #31, the 50th issue of Ms. Marvel featuring Khan was released in June 2018. To mark the occasion, Marvel brought in additional collaborators for the issue including writers: G. Willow Wilson, Saladin Ahmed, Rainbow Rowell, and Hasan Minhaj; and artists: Nico Leon, Bob Quinn, Gustavo Duarte, and Elmo Bondoc.[32]

Beginning in March 2019, Khan headlined a new series titled, The Magnificent Ms. Marvel, written by Ahmed and illustrated by Minkyu Jung. Wilson stated that she had been planning her departure from the series for over a year, stating that she originally anticipated that the series would only last for ten issues and was excited by the fact that she had written 60 issues. Ahmed said the new series will have much wider scope, "while still maintaining that intimate tone that people have loved about it."[33]

In July 2020, Marvel announced that Khan would star in an original graphic novel, published in conjunction with Scholastic and aimed at younger readers. The book will be written by author Nadia Shammas. An illustrator has not yet been named.[34

[peachbearies]

omg ion know if ur taking. Requests rn but I was wondering just a cute lil imagine bout zion in which the reader and him are dating and it's they're one yr aniversary or sum idk lol but just zion being a cutie and telling how much he loves her and shiii (because we all know that his ass acts all big and bad but he is a 6'4 teddy bear irl) yaa ik that was supper cringey but shehej yee okay byee (ur an amazing writer btw I've read all ur work and may I saY I stan 💖)

Promise: Z.kuwonu

Requested

›› Synopsis: it’s your first anniversary with Zion, around this trademark period it makes you apprehensive but Zion reminds you how much

›› Genre: Fluff

›› Paring: Female Reader x Zion Kuwonu

›› Warnings: Slightly hinted nsfw, lots of cursing (I mean it Zion so…), a little glimpse of toxic behavior.

›› A/N: what?! This is not cringe at all baby! I admire cheesy romantic headcanons/ imagines like this. My likes and drafts are filled with fluffs or angst to fluff🤧. I’m sorry this is a tad bit delinquent And thank you for reading my work that means a lot I’ve been exploring a lot of vocabulary words to scrutinize my writing, this may be a long one I apologize I got too into it.

The marvels of what a year could do. From going through a hurricane of songster roaring at each other, the strikes of austere comments leading up to the thunderstorm of a anguish. Your ex-fiancé cheated on, with considerable women before you found out. The ring on your finger was nothing but a reflector and leverage for him, he wanted to appear a saint to the kingdom, but a devil in the moonlight. Apologizing and buttering you up like a slice of bread, didn’t make you dawdle.

Your lucidity and rectitude were more caliber than staying, so you moved out of your shared apartment a week later, during the rotation of moving haphazardly you’ve incoherent yourself from the boys' realm, nor have your inner circle heard of you. You dissipated from the earth. And if you had to be adequate, you relished it that way, what was anyone overlooking anyways? but you were silently asking for space, you would give your leg for it.

Zion stirring in disgruntle, pushing profanities in between his gritted teeth. Don’t get mistaken he wasn’t mad you were ignoring him, just by the way your handling things on your own, he knew it had to be really fucked up if you couldn’t come to him. The veins crawling up his proffered hands outstretched for the keys. The boys jumping up in fear he may do something reckless, Brandon putting his hand in front of the boys to halt them. “Listen—even if we stop him, say anything to him or follow him, he will remotely do exactly what you think he’s going to do, you know how much he cares about (y/n), all we can do is have faith in him” Brandon confirms, but deep inside that rickety heart of his fear was kicking his ass too. They all discern Zion, once the peak of anger overflows his eyes only opines vermilion.

Zion parked in the lot, not noticing your car ghosting its rightful place. His mind was set on figuring what was wrong with you. Climbing the flight of stairs, he knocks on your door, his foot tapping the pallid base. When the door swung open it was ex-fiance, their eyes met in pique just burning to throw punches and a few sparks of curse words. “What do you want?” Your ex tempts him.

For your sake, Zion never snapped in front of him the way he should’ve. “Not you that’s for sure” commenting on his current attire, which was shirtless and some sweatpants. “Where’s (y/n)?” He queries, a scruffy ‘tsk’ pass through his lips. “Not here, that bitch moved out after she broke up with me”

Zion looked at his watch the time read 9:35 pm. “Cool, all I need is nine minutes of your time” Zion tranquility explains to him. Swinging and docking him in the throat; the girl that was staying with him bolting into the living room finding the source of the thump. She screams for Zion to get off him, after give or take six punches, Zion walks away not giving him or her the slightest sight. “If I catch you or her around y/n, better make sure you have good health care insurance and dental”

The next day he waited outside your classroom leaning his foot up against the wall; few girls noticed him but that wasn’t on his mind. When your silhouette appeared, he excused himself in a rush to catch you. “Pretty rich seeing a smile from a ghost” your heart dropped; the voice you were scared to dump your problems on.

What lie could you conjure? “Hey Zion” you breathe, turning in his direction. “That’s my fault I’m sorry, dealing with classes and moving I lost track of time” which was half correct, but it wasn’t the biggest factor. Zion tilted his head, signature hand in hoodie pocket. Closing your eyes with a heavy sigh, you knew he didn’t believe you nor did he want to push you. “Zion—“ he groped your wrist pulling you to the parking lot, he leaned on his car's hood without saying a drop of words, he wants for you to stream all your worries.

“Well, that’s half the reason. Okay, I didn't mean to go completely ghost, life just wasn't easy for me lately, I didn't want to add more dead weight to your shoulder. Sorry” zion scoffs pushing himself away from the car with no hands. But they followed the path to your jawline. ”burden on my shoulder or not, they're made for you to cry on. Stop going through things on your own alright?, as long as I'm here you don't have to sink”

Ever since you and zion grew close, a year later and he still gazes at you like a diamond. Even after a year, the astonishment gets the better of you. The insecurities start raging in, fighting in a war of love and hate. Your phone was laid upon the cherry wooden table, the vibrations frightening you, the goosebumps crawling up your arms. The name it read was “Love🤍”

“Hello?” You answer still shaken up; Zion lets out a soft scoff that vibrates through your body “you’re still in bed mamas? you should be awake beautiful” rubbing your eyes slightly, the clock flashed the numbers ‘ 2:30 pm’ your groan only makes him smile bigger.

“Goddamn I love you, look how ravishing you are in the morning” Zion's eyes shimmering in adoration. Those eyes always reflected his emotions, deep down you knew Zion loved you wholeheartedly, but the fear of having something good taken from you. That is what kept you hesitant. “No, I don’t stop lying” you stroke his ego.

“Me? Lie? Babygirl, I can’t and won’t lie to you stop playing” Zion said in a low octave, your stomach stirred in feelings “do me a favor baby” “Which is?” You reply, Zion looks over on his nightstand smiling. “Why are you smiling? Are you being mischievous again?”

“Who me? Nah” Zion shrugs off. The ringing of the doorbell distracted you from his spreading grin “answer that” sighing you walk towards the door, propping your phone on the counter, Zion moans out loud. “Maybe I should’ve slept over last night! Who told you to look that good mamas?” Ignoring his flirty antics you open the door, glimpsing at fresh bouquets of your favorite flower and a self-care basket. “Baby!!!” You screech, Zion simpers at the brightest smile on your face. The sun doesn’t shine as bright as you did at the moment.

“Why?, why are you so loving to me” you start to happy cry “Nah baby none of that, I love you too damn much for you to self-deprecate” Zion shuts your negativity down. Flipping the card over you read the message. ‘You thought I’d forget the day you changed my life? I’ve always loved you and I’ll continue to love you, but it’s not your love that I adore the most, it’s those gorgeous eyes that look back at me. Like I’m some type of angel when we all know that’s you, it’s the way you’re compassionate about others, I love your free spirit baby you’re a dove to me, even though I get under your nerves, I wouldn’t want anyone else to deal with me or my problems happy one year’

You look up at Zion, his eyes were already glossing by admiring your figure. Oh, how you wish jumping through a screen wasn’t just a cartoon thing. “Fuck” you whisper covering your face “angel, you are beautiful” Zion reminds you “stop!!! I’m in my feelings!!” You Jokingly spat at him. “What you wanna do for our anniversary it’s up to you” Zion smiles.

“Can we go to a petting zoo then get tacos?” Your eyes sparkling as your lips turn into a pout, Zion looking up towards the ceiling as his Adam’s apple points at the camera. “Yes, how could I say no” twenty minutes later Zion was at your house, complimenting you the whole car ride. Protectively and passionately rubbing circles on your knees being careful not to raise his hand any further.

“Look! Rabbits” Zion follows your finger pulling you in that direction, you sit on the bench holding the rabbit in your lap feeding it the food. Zion takes pictures of you getting the best angles, falling in love with your beauty, even more, the way the golden light bounced off your skin. It made him think twice if you were real or just a lucid dream. Feeding the monkeys were the best part, they hugged you and Zion; even gave you two kisses. The giraffes were the most exciting to you, joking to your boyfriend “wow look something taller than you”. Walking into a blue-lit aquarium a class of fish surrounded the both of you. Your finger softly touching the fish that was pressed against the glass, it followed your every move. Never realizing Zion detached his hand from yours, it hasn’t hit you until a ring was slid on your finger.

“Not an engagement ring, but soon don’t worry this is a promise ring, and I promise that you’ll feel nothing but comfort and love with me” his fingers gripped into your waist “with a side of pleasure too” you smack his shoulder while smiling ear for ear. “You promise?” “Of course I do, I wholeheartedly promise, I will never hurt or disrespect you baby, you mean too much to me”

Once you were back to the apartment your body couldn’t even make it to the bed, but Zion helped you to the bathroom. To wash off the dirt and sweat, even helped you with your skin routine. His fingers padding over every inch of your back, your soft snores in the crook of his neck. “I’m so glad to be the girlfriend of your dreams” you whisper “oh lord she’s finally figured it out!!” Zion pushes your buttons “should I send you back home?” You test him, “you wouldn’t dare, you need me tonight” Zion teases his swollen lips attacking your neck upwards your jawline, a low gruffly growl trickles down your spine.

“So is this the side of pleasure?” You press your teeth into your lower lip “if that’s what you want”

“Well, you did make a promise” wasting no time Zion straddles you, your legs wrapped around his waist, giggling at how he fumbled to remove his shirt.

“You damn right I made a promise, and I’ll show you how serious this promise is” Zion kisses up your stomach “I love you”

Your hands cupping his jaw the breathing becoming erratic “I love you too”

[tabloidtoc]

National Enquirer, April 19

You can buy a copy of this issue for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks

Cover

Page 2: Michael Douglas' short-term memory loss and frail frame have wife Catherine Zeta-Jones fearing for her older husband's well-being -- Michael once declared he'd beaten oral cancer, but harsh chemotherapy and radiation treatments have left him a shell of his former self and he has even admitted to suffering memory problems -- he was also affected by the 2020 death of his father Kirk Douglas and he hasn't been the same since his dad died -- this is a guy who cheated death with a horrific cancer ordeal, and he's had other medical issues over the years and some serious domestic dramas that have taken their toll -- Catherine always knew that their age difference would mean her taking care of him one day but she didn't expect it to be so soon

Page 3: Reese Witherspoon has ditched her wedding ring during recent outings, sparking rumors her marriage to Jim Toth is on the ropes but she feels their relationship isn't down for the count and refuses to give up the fight to keep their family together but they may not make it -- the desire to make things work is still there on both sides and they've been able to pull it all together all these years, even with personalities as different as theirs mainly for the sake of their family and they got on each other's nerves while cooped up together during the pandemic, but they don't bicker in public and that's one thing they have going for them

Page 4: Ryan Seacrest creeped out his pals when he gushed over Maria Menounos when she sat in for Kelly Ripa on Live recently -- Ryan thinks Maria is the smartest, most talented and beautiful woman to walk the planet and he can't help but swoon over her but Ryan understands Maria is happily married to TV writer and producer Keven Underago and he'd never cross the line and he doesn't want to date Maria, but he makes no secret he'd be dancing on air to have someone like her, which is kind of creepy, but he can't help it -- Ryan would never make moves on someone else's girl, but he does try to imitate her husband Keven's qualities like how funny and creative and sensible he is and Ryan adores Kelly and thinks she's great but he wouldn't mind if she takes more time off just so he can gaze at Maria

* Miley Cyrus' recent boozy night out with party pals, including British punk rocker Yungblud, has loved ones fearing she's slipping back into dangerous territory -- she was spotted at Hollywood's famous Rainbow Bar & Grill, drinking shots and beer chasers, just months after she admitted to her struggles with addiction and after fellow addiction-challenged singer Demi Lovato announced she was California sober, claiming she was safely able to drink in moderation, Miley didn't see any reason why she couldn't do the same -- her family and sober friends are deeply concerned for Miley's well-being and are begging her to stop drinking now

Page 5: Newly robust Celine Dion has her health back on track following a dangerous few years where she looked like a walking skeleton -- she has beefed up her wraith-like frame by making healthier choices during lockdown -- she went through a rough time of transition after husband Rene Angelil's death and lost a lot of weight, but lockdown has given her a chance to rest and focus on taking care of herself and now she looks 15 to 20 pounds heavier and seems in good spirits and is looking forward to rebooting her Courage World Tour when the pandemic ends

Page 6: Fitness fanatic Tim McGraw is a changed man since he kicked the bottle in 2008, but he's now hooked on working out and sculpting the perfect bod and he's publicly admitted exercise is what gets him flying high but his quest to get ripped to the max is now a 24/7 obsession and he spends hours in the gym and he's already flexing a muscular body most men would die for, but he doesn't want to stop until he's an Adonis and he works out twice or three times a day and packs his diet with energy-boosting smoothies and veggie juices and some might say he's going overboard with the workouts, but Tim craves those feel-good endorphins and he considers his workouts to be fun -- he loves the way he looks and thinks he can do better and he does spend a lot of time in front of the mirror admiring himself and tends to wear tight T-shirts that show off his pecs and six-pack abs, and wife Faith Hill loves the results -- a lot of people say he's traded one addiction for another

Page 7: Nearly six years after their bitter divorce, Miranda Lambert has finally extended an olive branch to ex-husband Blake Shelton, but she's still pretty envious over his professional success with fiancee Gwen Stefani -- last year, Blake and Gwen took home the collaborative video prize at the Country Music Television Awards for their duet Nobody but You, and also scored a Top Ten hit with their single Happy Anywhere and it makes Miranda jealous to see Blake making hay on the charts with Gwen but their success also made Miranda recall Over You, her hit collaboration with Blake, which won Song of the Year at the 2012 Country Music Association Awards and during a recent interview, Miranda affectionately blew kisses toward the camera as she recounted how her ballad with Blake was inspired by his grief over the loss of his older brother; still, Miranda also harbors a competitive streak and said she's angling to transform herself and husband Brendan McLoughlin into entertainment movers and shakers just like Blake and Gwen -- Miranda plans to enroll Brendan in acting school and Miranda wants them to act together and they are looking for scripts to make a television movie and even planning to launch a production company in Nashville and Miranda recognizes the musical chemistry Blake and Gwen share, and she believes she and Brendan can match that success on-screen -- meanwhile, as Blake and Gwen prepare to wed, Miranda is finally in a place where she can wish them well and Miranda carried a lot of animosity toward Blake and Gwen, especially since she suspected they started something before she and Blake split up, but she's very happy with Brendan so maybe all that pain she and Blake went through in ending their marriage was for the best

* Reba McEntire is reaching out to save her friend and former daughter-in-law Kelly Clarkson from suffering through a divorce that eerily mirrors Reba's own breakup -- Kelly split from husband and manager Brandon Blackstock in June 2020, and the divorce battle has them fighting over custody of their two kids as well as Brandon suing her for $1.4 million in unpaid commissions, but Reba has seen this before: Brandon's dad, Narvel Blackstock, dumped her in 2015 after 26 years of marriage, and despite initially agreeing to continue as her manager, dumped her as a client weeks later and Reba knows all too well how petty and conniving Narvel and Brandon can be, and her heart goes out to Kelly -- Kelly admits to Reba there are times when she just wants to run away and hide and Reba tells her to run away to me and it means the world to Kelly to have Reba in her corner -- Narvel and son Brandon head Starstruck Entertainment and are adamant that Kelly owes them big bucks for helping her land both her talk show and a coaching spot on The Voice, but with Reba's help, Kelly is fighting back and Reba learned the hard way the pitfalls of mixing business with family life and she's trying to help Kelly because she hates to see another woman suffer at the hands of a Blackstock

Page 8: Sicko Jeffrey Epstein has been accused of a horrific new litany of abuse by a woman who claims he forced her into unwanted genital surgery, raped her in front of her child and threatened to feed her to alligators -- the woman, identified in court papers as Jane Doe, is suing the late pervert's estate, claiming he and his alleged madam Ghislaine Maxwell, groomed her for their sordid pleasure -- in the suit, she claims Epstein drove her to pick up her 8-year-old son and took them to a lake, where he threatened to feed her to alligators, as had happened to other girls in the past, if she dared to squeal on him -- at the time, the woman said she was 26, but she looked much younger and Epstein told her to say she was 17 and he also arranged for a man with a Russian accent to perform an unnecessary vaginal surgery to pass her off as a virgin to a client and this violent and illegal procedure was botched, leaving her mutilated, in pain, disabled, and permanently sexually dysfunctional

Page 9: Ghislaine Maxwell has been slapped with yet another sex trafficking charge and it's got her former pal Prince Andrew sweating bullets -- the new indictment details how Jeffrey Epstein's alleged madam reportedly groomed a 14-year-old for him, but crucially for Andrew, it expands the time frame of Ghislaine's alleged crimes from 1994 to 2004, a span that includes her meeting the British royal in 1999 and then introducing him to Epstein and that time frame also includes the period in which "sex slave" Virginia Roberts Giuffre claims she slept with Andrew three times, charges he's denied -- the new charge also opens the floodgates on other celebrities, politicians and high-profile figures who were in Epstein's orbit at the time and the new indictment widens the pool for Ghislaine and her defense attorneys because who wouldn't want to bring down all of these fat cats and who wouldn't be that desperate?

Page 10: Hot Shots -- Rumer Willis got to the root of her gardening needs in L.A., Michael B. Jordan and Chante Adams got cozy as they shared a snack while shooting Journal for Jordan in NYC's Central Park, Heidi Klum in L.A., Mario Lopez tossed the ceremonial first dice roll at the opening of the Mohegan Sun Casino in Las Vegas, Christopher Meloni shot his onscreen spouse's funeral scene for Law & Order: Organized Crime

Page 11: Tony Bennett has a secret weapon in his fight against Alzheimer's disease: his close pal and collaborator Lady Gaga -- Susan Crow Benedetto, 54, the wife of the 94-year-old singing legend, has enlisted Gaga to help keep Tony's faculties sharp as he struggles with advancing dementia because Gaga's telephone calls have always helped cheer Tony up and keep him focused and they laugh together, reminisce and sometimes sing and it always puts a smile on Tony's face and it's great therapy -- when asked whether Tony still recognizes the pop star, Susan joked that Gaga is hard to forget -- Gaga has also played a critical role in keeping the aging crooner active and creative by working with him and they plan to release their second album of duets this spring as a follow-up to their 2014 smash hit Cheek to Cheek

* Worried friends feared ailing rock god Ozzy Osbourne is coming unstrung while wife Sharon Osbourne's career goes into a death spiral -- Ozzy has been plagued by crippling illnesses over the years, including Parkinson's disease, and has to walk with the aid of a cane and now he's at wit's end and pushing himself into a danger zone as his wife fights tooth and nail after leaving The Talk amid a racism scandal and Ozzy's been under a great deal of distress over Sharon's problems over at The Talk and he worries and fusses over her and can't focus on anything else and it's left many in his circle very concerned for his health which is fragile enough already -- the bashing Sharon received during the scandal has the aging rocker concerned she may never work again and he'll have to be the breadwinner

Page 12: Straight Shuter -- five years after Angelina Jolie filed for divorce, she's still battling Brad Pitt over custody of their five youngest kids, now she's filed new court documents claiming she has proof of domestic violence against Brad and accusations like these would kill anyone else's career, but not in this case: Hollywood is 100 percent behind Brad and the sense in the industry is Angelina has weaponized the kids against Brad but Brad is very well respected in Hollywood, and most people find these new allegations hard to believe and if anything, Angie is only hurting the children and herself

* Real Housewives stars featured in the upcoming spinoff are cashing in and Bravo will pay Luann de Lesseps, Teresa Giudice and the others a sweet $200,000 for one week's work in Turks and Caicos and that's more than double what the ladies usually get for filming, plus they get a free trip to a tropical island

* American Idol could be on the chopping block because in just seven weeks the show has lost 2 million viewers and it's simple math: Idol cannot survive with its current budget and ABC has two options which are cancel the show or cut costs, which would mean hiring cheaper judges and a cheaper host to replace Ryan Seacrest and both options are being explored

* Britney Spears' beau, personal trainer Sam Asghari, shows off his toned abs in L.A. (picture)

Page 13: Palace insiders fear Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's vendetta against the British monarchy will take a shocking new turn: they'll bankroll a lurid movie about Princess Diana's death and the conspiracy theories that suggest the royal family was involved -- the rights to the movie script are owned by Hollywood producer Ben Browning, who was just hired by Harry and Meghan to run their film company Archewell Productions -- the controversial movie centers on Princess Diana's lover Dodi Fayed's father, former Harrods' boss Mohamed Al-Fayed, investigating his son's death and his belief that Dodi and Diana were murdered because she was pregnant and planning to marry, and The Firm did not want a Muslim in the royal family

Page 14: Crime

Page 15: Alabama Shakes drummer Steve Johnson has been busted on charges of willful torture and abuse of a child and was also charged with cruelly beating or otherwise maltreating a child under the age of 18 -- his arrest came just a year after he was slapped with a one-year suspended sentence and two years' probation after pleading guilty to menacing his ex-wife Whitney Lee, who called him mentally unstable -- Johnson helped the Shakes score three Grammys in 2016 for their album Sound & Color but the band has been on hiatus since singer Brittany Howard started a solo career in 2018 and Steve was lost after that; he went from playing in front of 50,000 people to playing in bars again -- even if the Shakes reunite, it's highly unlikely Steve would be invited back -- Steve remains in county jail awaiting his court date and his attorneys said Mr. Johnson maintains his innocence

* Danny Masterson and his lawyers believe they are victims of anti-Scientology bias and cannot get a fair trial in his Los Angeles rape case -- celebrity attorney Tom Mesereau, who successfully defended Michael Jackson against child molestation charges two decades ago, claimed his client has been treated unfairly because of his ties to the church, and that the police or district attorney's office leaked damaging details of the case -- Danny and his lawyers feel persecuted and that everybody in Hollywood who isn't a Scientologist is after them -- LAPD Robbery and Homicide Division Capt. Jonathan Tippet said his organization is keeping a tight lid on all information surrounding the case to ensure Masterson gets a fair trial

Page 16: Mormon church officials are being accused of corporate greed for using members' charitable donations to secretly create a $100 billion tax-free fund -- James Huntsman, the son of a prominent Mormon family, is suing the church for fraud, claiming donations solicited to finance charity work were actually used to fill church coffers -- the church boasts at least 15 million members worldwide, including celebrities like Gladys Knight, Donny and Marie Osmond, Katherine Heigl, Julianne Hough, Christina Aguilera, Ryan Gosling, Amy Adams and Aaron Eckhart and many could have tithed money that ended up in the tax-free fund

Page 17: Jen Shah of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City was recently fingered by the feds as the bogus businesswoman behind a multi-state fraud scheme dating back to 2012 -- the Bravo blowhard, known for her extravagant parties, designer outfits and extensive entourage, and her first assistant Stuart Smith were arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering -- the U.S. Justice Department alleged the Park City resident and Smith of Lehi generated and sold lead lists of innocent individuals for other members of their scheme to repeatedly scam, and claimed the greedy creeps defrauded hundreds of victims -- the terrible twosome targeted older adults and computer illiterate folks by using both telemarketing and in-person sales teams to peddle nonexistent online services and then fight the refund efforts of wronged consumers -- if convicted, Shah and Smith each face up to 50 years behind bars

Page 18: American Life

Page 20: L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva triggered a cover-up scandal when he revealed his investigators determined why Tiger Woods drove off a California cliff, then refused to explain what happened, citing the golf legend's privacy -- Villanueva said the black box in the Genesis SUV that Tiger was driving when he flew off a suburban L.A. highway in the early morning helped determine the cause

* Hollywood Hookups -- Bethenny Frankel and Paul Bernon engaged, Melissa and Joe Gorga appear to have reached the finale of their marriage, Fernanda Flores and professional boxes Noel Mikaelian dating

Page 21: Britney Spears said she broke into tears after seeing bits of the new documentary about how she has been in the grips of a conservatorship for years, saying she was embarrassed by the light they put her in and she cried for two weeks and still cries sometimes

* Generous Hollywood legend Dick Van Dyke put a happy face on job seekers in Malibu when he handed out fistfuls of cash -- Dick was spotted withdrawing bills from a bank before driving to the Malibu Community Labor Exchange, a nonprofit that helps unemployed locals find day jobs and he stayed in his car as he handed out money to masked folks who were lined up to look for work

Page 22: The late Aretha Franklin left behind a royal mess of paperwork, including a newly discovered fourth will that has thrown her $80 million estate into fresh turmoil -- the eight-page document, titled The Will of Aretha Franklin, was apparently drawn up not long before her death in 2018, and was recently found among the files of the singer's onetime attorney Henry Grix along with the paperwork describing the terms of a trust but both items are stamped draft and neither has Aretha's signature but Michigan law changed seven years ago, and it made the admissibility of a document like this more flexible -- currently there's a bitter beef among Aretha's four adult sons over how their mother's assets should be divided

Page 23: The battle over Prince's $300 million fortune rages on, and the late pop star's siblings, and legal heirs, fear there won't be anything left after lawyers, accountants, administrators and the IRS take their cut -- five years after he died from a fatal fentanyl overdose without leaving a will, an avalanche of deals and court hearings have left his massive cash stash in limbo -- sadly Prince's distrust of lawyers and other professionals now means that millions will be spent paying those same people to try to sort out the mess he left behind and this could go on for a decade

Page 26: Weird Body Language -- stars cope with bizarre deformities -- Denzel Washington, Steven Tyler, Ashton Kutcher, Matthew Perry

Page 27: Lily Allen, Mark Wahlberg, Karolina Kurkova, Scar Service -- Tina Fey, Padma Lakshmi, Joaquin Phoenix

Page 32: Health Watch

* Ask the Vet -- Watch out for xylitol

Page 34: Just months after John Travolta's beloved wife, Kelly Preston, passed, the actor has been shattered by another death in the family -- his nephew Sam Travolta's badly decomposed body was found in his Wisconsin apartment last September, weeks after he died from a suspected heart attack -- John has suffered through so much loss and Sam's death was another huge blow but he's strong and has a deep faith in Scientology and the church brings him solace and comfort

Page 36: Shark Tank star Barbara Corcoran has stepped up to get a tenant in one of her buildings back on his feet -- Barbara and building co-owner Alex Rodriguez came under fire after Ryo Nagaoka's possessions were reportedly tossed while he was hospitalized with COVID-19 and when Ryo got home he found only his piano and pet tortoise in his cleaned-out crib -- emptying Ryo's apartment was necessary because it had become a health hazard and had a biocleaning crew scrub it -- Barbara donated $12,000 to a GoFundMe page for him, while A-Rod has seemingly not yet contributed anything and Barbara also said the building's management company has renovated Ryo's apartment

Page 38: Beloved game show host Peter Marshall made a miraculous recovery from COVID-19 to celebrate with friends at his 95th birthday party -- Peter was in and out of the hospital for ten weeks and he was at death's door and doctors didn't give him much of a chance but Peter beat the odds to enjoy a Zoom party attended online by Leslie Uggams, Loni Anderson, Sandy Duncan, Ruta Lee, Karen Valentine, Rich Little, JoAnne Worley, Jack Jones and more

* Accused sex freak Armie Hammer's career is in the crapper and he's beginning to believe that's where it will stay -- the kink king was fired from the thriller Billion Dollar Spy amid sexual assault allegations and the release of social media messages claiming he has dark fetishes including cannibalism -- Armie has already gotten to boot from the movie Shotgun Wedding and the series The Offer, and more trouble may be on the horizon: Armie was accused of sexual assault by a woman called Effie, who alleged the actor violently raped her and Armie's attorneys issued a statement denying the claims, saying Effie's own correspondence with Mr. Hammer undermines and refutes her outrageous allegations -- Armie has been keeping a low profile at a Caribbean resort, but fears his entire career is in trouble

Page 42: Red Carpet -- Carrie Underwood

[phantomofthepairofdice]

The Rosscars 2020

Wow. It’s that time of year again, only this time it’s different because it’s on a blog that no one will read! (hold for applause) Welcome to the first annual online publication for the Rosscars (hold for applause while the reader acknowledges how positively droll it is that I combined my name with “Oscars”). Who can forget such indelible Rosscar memories like when Steven Soderbergh surprised us all and won Best Director for Out of Sight or Bill Irwin’s beautiful speech upon winning Best Supporting Actor for Rachel Getting Married?! The Rosscars mean something different to everyone, but we all know that they mean quality choices made by a committee of one schmuck. This year’s Rosscars are bizarre because in an effort to be more like the Academy guidelines, film’s nominated have been released between January 1, 2020 and February 28, 2021. As usual, theatrical windows be damned, streamers are welcome. Of course, I have my gripes. I like categorizing movies by release year – specifically, when they become available to the plain old public like yours truly – not at festivals, limited runs in NYC and LA. Well, the Oscars are still weeks away and I feel like everybody wants to forget about last year and move onto this one that we’re already three months into - So here are my awards for the films, performers, and craftspeople that stood out in a pretty exceptional year for movies even though distribution was stranger than ever. 

**A few caveats and guidelines to Rosscar newcomers (which I imagine is just a formality since we all know the Rosscars so well)**

The rules and categories are a little different around here. First, not every category is honored directly. That’s for a few reasons, chiefly that I don’t feel qualified to reward the technical categories properly – I suppose I should say that I feel less qualified to do so than the “above the line” categories. In keeping with the Academy standard, there are five nominees in each category, except for Best Picture, Best Non-Fiction/Documentary Feature, and Best Ensemble Cast which allow up to ten. Every category, save those three, will have the possibility of honorable mentions, because I want to highlight some things that just barely missed the cut. The narrowing down of a lot of these categories was awfully tough.

Nominees are listed alphabetically, and the winners are in bold and italics.

Also, it’s important to keep in mind that I couldn’t see everything (this isn’t a job and it’s still $20 to rent The Father, y’all) and that these are just the opinions of one (self-described) “bozo on the internet.” If you’re a reader and have different picks, feel free to share!

Special Commendations for some things that I want to recognize: • Ludwig Goransson for his Tenet score which is an absolute banger • The costumes of Emma. (Alexandra Byrne), Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Ann Roth), and Small Axe (Jaqueline Durran, Sinéad Kidao, and Lisa Duncan) all struck me as exceptional • Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross with their scores for both Soul and Mank. Crazy that Pixar is working with the guy who made “Closer” • The cinematography of Da 5 Bloods (Newton Thomas Sigel), First Cow (Christopher Blauvelt), Beanpole (Kseniya Sereda), and A White, White Day (Maria von Hausswolff)

The Rosscars red carpet was, as usual, a bizarre affair. People filed into the theater and it seemed like the only encounters were awkward ones. Vin Diesel showed up in character as Bloodshot, Aaron Sorkin started getting really verbose about what a lovely night it was, and it became clear that most of the celebrities in attendance didn’t read their invitations closely enough to realize that this was not, in fact, the Academy Awards.

Everyone’s seated, and the show is under way. After a medley about the nominees this year by Common and Seth McFarlane that was more corny but clever than it was funny, the first official category is here, and the presenter is none other than... Ross!

Best Supporting Actor:

1. Chadwick Boseman for Da 5 Bloods

2. Matthew Macfadyen for The Assistant

3. Jesse Plemmons for Judas and the Black Messiah

4. Paul Raci for Sound of Metal

5. Glynn Turman for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Honorable Mentions:

• Lucas Hedges for Let Them All Talk

• Orion Lee for First Cow

• Bill Murray for On the Rocks

Best Supporting Actress:

1. Vanessa Bayer for Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar

2. Candice Bergen for Let Them All Talk

3. Gina Rodriguez for Kajillionaire

4. Amanda Seyfried for Mank

5. Yuon Yuh-jung for Minari

Honorable Mentions:

• Jane Adams for She Dies Tomorrow

• Charin Alvarez for Saint Frances

• Talia Ryder for Never Rarely Sometimes Always

• Debra Winger for Kajillionaire

Everyone loves a montage. The audience gets comfortable in their seats as the video screens start to show a montage of some of the most famous moments from Hollywood’s most magical movies. Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers waltz, gliding across a dance floor like two hovering angels. There’s a clip of Leo declaring himself king of the world in Titanic, the flying bicycles in ET, Bogart stares longingly into Bacall’s eyes, and then there’s some scene where Tom Cruise rides a motorcycle from 2010′s Knight and Day. The audience all seems confused how that last one got in there. The John Williams music swells as little Kevin McAllister screams when puts on aftershave. We see clips of Robert De Niro in Taxi Driver, Carrie Fisher’s Princess Leia embrace Harrison Ford’s Han Solo, Bruce Lee smoothly declares that boards don’t hit back and... wait... was that a clip from Michel Gondry’s Green Hornet with Seth Rogen? And that’s a clip from What Happens in Vegas... Bad Teacher... Vanilla Sky... Shrek 2... Any Given Sunday... Everyone is flummoxed. The last clip fades out and a sole editing credit appears: Cameron Diaz. The lights come up and there’s some applause, but mostly confused murmurs. 

The ceremony has had a bit of a misstep, but nothing it can’t recover from, especially as the next category is announced over the PA, and it looks like the presenter is... Ross!

Best Ensemble Cast:

1. Bacurau

2. Da 5 Bloods 

3. Kajillionaire

4. Let Them All Talk

5. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

6. Minari

7. Nomadland

8. Pieces of a Woman

9. Small Axe

Best Original Screenplay:

1. Danny Bilson and Paul Dameo & Spike Lee and Kevin Wilmott for Da 5 Bloods

2. Lee Isaac Chung for Minari

3. Brandon Cronenberg for Possessor

4. Sean Durkin for The Nest

5. Kleber Mendonça Filho and Juliano Dornelles for Bacurau

Honorable Mentions – a very difficult task to weed this down to five.

• Shaka King and Will Berson for Judas and the Black Messiah, from a story by Kenny and Keith Lucas

• Steve McQueen, Alastair Siddons, and Courttia Newland for Small Axe

• Kelly O'Sullivan for Saint Frances

• Thomas Vinterberg and Tobias Lindholm for Another Round

Best Actor:

1. Ben Affleck for The Way Back

2. Chadwick Boseman for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

3. Delroy Lindo for Da 5 Bloods

4. John Magaro for First Cow

5. Mads Mikkelsen for Another Round

Honorable Mentions:

• Riz Ahmed for Sound of Metal

• John Boyega for Small Axe

• Daniel Kaluuya for Judas and the Black Messiah

• Hugh Jackman for Bad Education

• Ingvar Eggert Sigurðsson for A White, White Day

We have a break in the action and it looks like Darius Rucker has showed up to perform what he would have nominated for Best Original Song. The crowd is absolutely furious as he starts playing a song that apparently was in Trial of the Chicago Seven. An ocean of sonorous boos and curses overtakes the the once docile crowd. The Rock just ripped his chair from out of the ground. Jane Lynch somehow smuggled in a civil war era flintlock pistol that she’s now pointing at the stage! Suddenly, the crowd unifies around what started as a confident chant of one lone audience member - John C Reilly. It’s growing... Ja Ja Ding Dong, Ja Ja Ding Dong, Ja Ja Ding Dong - it’s like the macabre circus performers from Tod Browning’s Freaks, but instead of chanting “Gooble Gobble” they’re clearly pining for Darius to change his tune to the silly and delightful jam from Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga. Darius, scared for his life, leaves the stage, but here come Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams to deliver the goods. Busy Philips and Michelle Williams burst into tears. Tom Hanks nods in approval. A segment saved by brave artists placating a toxic group of fans... we’ve just witnessed a live version of the Snyder Cut, folks.

Jack Nicholson seems completely unfazed, giving a thumbs up to the camera and blowing a kiss to the next presenter. Coming to the stage is... Ross... again...

Best Actress:

1. Jessie Buckley for i’m thinking of ending things

2. Carrie Coon for The Nest

3. Han Ye-ri for Minari

4. Sidney Flanagan for Never Rarely Sometimes Always

5. Vasilisa Perelygina for Beanpole

Honorable Mentions – these cuts were especially painful

• Haley Bennet for Swallow

• Morfydd Clark for Saint Maud

• Frances McDormand for Nomadland

• Christin Milioti for Palm Springs

• Geraldine Viswanathan for Bad Education

Best Adapted Screenplay:

1. Charlie Kaufman for i'm thinking of ending things from Iain Reed's novel

2. Sarah Gubbins for Shirley from Susan Scarf Merrell's novel

3. Kelly Reichardt and John Raymond for First Cow

4. Simon Rich for American Pickle from his short story "Sell Out"

5. Mike Makowsky for Bad Education from Robert Kolker's "The Bad Superintendent"

Best Non-Fiction/Documentary Feature:

1. Boys State

2. Collective

3. David Byrne’s American Utopia

4. Dick Johnson is Dead

5. Feels Good Man

6. In & Of Itself

7. The Painter and the Thief

8. Time

Jimmy Fallon has come out on stage to do a bit about the pandemic and watching movies at home. People are just absolutely not having it. He tries not to laugh at his own jokes while doing what I guess is technically a pretty good impression of Dr. Fauci interviewing James Corden as Martin Scorsese (the less said of this impression, the better) on what is or isn’t cinema. The bit doesn’t track and Fallon is absolutely tanking. The producers cut away from the stage to spare the viewers at home from this monstrosity. We see crowd shots of Millie Bobby Brown shaking her head in dismay, Colin Firth is simultaneously grimacing and trying to stave off laughter, Cynthia Erivo is texting, and director Tom Hooper is taking notes for his next film. Corden yells, “Carpool Karaoke! Remember?!” Ron Howard has fainted. This thing is almost completely off the rails.

Coming back to the stage is the next presenter, a clearly embarrassed... Ross! He’s in a total flop sweat, but stumbles his way through a joke about how Fallon should try co-hosting the Oscars with James Franco sometime. There are scant chuckles throughout a crowd that mostly just wants to see who won and go home.

Best Director:

1. Christopher Nolan for Tenet

2. Spike Lee for Da 5 Bloods

3. Steve McQueen for Small Axe

4. Kelly Reichardt for First Cow

5. Chloé Zhao for Nomadland

Honorable Mentions:

• Kitty Green for The Assistant

• Eliza Hittman for Never Rarely Sometimes Always

• Charlie Kaufman for i'm thinking of ending things

• Thomas Vinterberg for Another Round

Best Picture

1. Bacurau

2. Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar

3. Da 5 Bloods

4. First Cow

5. i'm thinking of ending things

6. Judas and the Black Messiah

7. Never Rarely Sometimes Always

8. Nomadland

9. Small Axe

10. Tenet

Accepting the award for best picture is none other than Eve, the cow actor who played the titular First Cow! The audience is enamored with how graceful she looks in her cow gown, and her speech, though indecipherable, is likely simple, observational, and deeply profound for those who speak cow.

Wow, what a ceremony! Hearts were broken, property was damaged, dreams were fulfilled... blood was shed? Damn it, Meryl Streep came in and mugged Charlie Kaufman before absconding with the trophy. Oddly, she’s a previous winner, so the attack isn’t out of need for hardware. People are reading through articles about production on Adaptation for potential motives. Streep made time for a photo opportunity, but remains at large.

I could go on ad infinitum about all of these nominees and winners themselves and why they did or didn’t make the cut, but that’d be better served in a different piece. For now, my thoughts on most of these can be found on the Best of 2020 write-up and over on my Letterboxd. And, as always, these awards can be revoked and redistributed at will, so don’t get too cozy with that statue, Danny Bilson!

On behalf of the RAOGL (Rosscars Association of One Guy at a Laptop), thanks for reading, and stay tuned as we’re establishing a tip line for anyone has seen Ms. Streep or her stolen valor Rosscar. We’ll see you next year. Keep watching movies, and keep arbitrarily quantifying them in terms of subjective quality!

[aion-rsa]

DC FanDome: Schedule, Date, Time, and How to Watch

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Fans hoping for major DC news in lieu of an actual San Diego Comic-Con are definitely going to get just that at DC FanDome, a digital event designed to be watched at home like a real con.

Originally set up as one epic night of panels and reveals, DC announced that it will be splitting FanDome into two separate and distinct events: Hall of Heroes, which will be held in late August, and WatchVerse in mid-September.

The August date still holds most of the big-ticket items. It’s billed by DC as “an epic world designed personally by Jim Lee featuring special programming, panels and exclusive reveals from a wide variety of films, TV series, games, comics and more.” Functionally, it’s the Hall H of FanDome.

This DC FanDome trailer gives fans a good glimpse at what they can expect from the event:

Here’s everything else you need to know about DC FanDome:

DC FanDome Date and Time

The first DC FanDome event, Hall of Heroes, kicks off on Saturday, Aug. 22 at 1 pm ET. Sign up to watch here!

DC FanDome Schedule

Here’s a rundown of all the panels happening during DC FanDome: Hall of Heroes. The panel descriptions below are courtesy of DC. All times are ET:

1:00 PM – Wonder Woman 1984 Panel

“Wonder Woman 1984 stars Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Kristen Wiig and Pedro Pascal, and director/co-writer/producer Patty Jenkins join forces with Brazilian hosts Érico Borgo and Aline Diniz to celebrate the fans in a big way. They will answer questions from fans from all over the world, talk fan art and cosplay, and reveal an all-new sneak peek at the upcoming film — plus a few more surprises!”

1:25 PM – WB Games Montreal Announcement

“Gamers! You won’t want to miss this first look at an exciting new game, and Q&A with its developers.”

1:45 PM – The Sandman Universe: Enter the Dreaming Panel

“Neil Gaiman, Dirk Maggs, G. Willow Wilson and Michael Sheen discuss the legacy of The Sandman comic book series and how it has been expanded with new stories, adapted into new mediums, and enthralled audiences around the world.”

2:15 PM – Multiverse 101 Panel

“Get schooled in this engaging refresher course on the creation of the Multiverse with DC Chief Creative Officer/Publisher Jim Lee, Warner Bros. Pictures President of DC-Based Film Production Walter Hamada, and Berlanti Productions founder/DCTV mega-producer Greg Berlanti.”

2:40 PM – Flash Movie Panel

“This 101-style conversation with The Flash filmmakers Andy Muschietti and Barbara Muschietti, star Ezra Miller and screenwriter Christina Hodson will give fans a speedy rundown on the first-ever Flash feature film.”

2:50 PM – Beyond Batman Short

“The Batman of Swinging Sixties culture clashes with the Batman of the far-flung future when Batman Beyond and his mentor, Old Bruce Wayne, intercept a broadcast of the 1966 Batman TV show!”

2:55 PM – The Suicide Squad Panel

“What else would you expect from The Suicide Squad but the ultimate elimination game? First up, writer/director James Gunn takes on fan questions, then brings out Task Force X for a fast-paced, no-holds-barred Squad Showdown that tests every team member’s Squad knowledge — and survival skills!”

3:40 PM – BAWSE Females of Color within the DCU Panel

“What’s a BAWSE? Find out here as some of the hottest actresses across DC television and film sit down with celebrity DJ D-Nice and Grammy-winning singer/actress Estelle to discuss how they use their confidence and vulnerability to navigate their careers in Hollywood. Panelists include Meagan Good (SHAZAM!), Javicia Leslie (Batwoman), Candice Patton (The Flash), Tala Ashe (DC’s Legends of Tomorrow), Nafessa Williams and Chantal Thuy (Black Lightning), and Anna Diop and Damaris Lewis (Titans). Catch the entire full-length conversation at McDuffie’s Dakota in the DC WatchVerse.”

4:00 PM – Legacy of the Bat Panel

“Calling all Batman fans! Don’t miss this discussion on the wide scope of the Batman universe, including the Batman Family of characters. Key talent from comics, TV, and games will provide insight into the world of Caped Crusader.”

4:30 PM – Joker: Put on a Happy Face

“Featuring interviews with filmmakers and industry legends, discover the origins and evolution of The Joker, and learn why the Clown Prince of Crime is universally hailed as the greatest comic book Super-Villain of all time.”

4:45 PM – Surprise DC Comics Panel

TBA

5:10 PM – I’m Batman: The Voices Behind the Cowl Panel

“Everyone has their favorite Batman. But for audiences around the world, their favorite Batman has a local sound. It’s time to meet the voices behind the cowl. Hear what it’s like to be one of the many global vocal actors portraying the Dark Knight when the Super Dubbers, who lend their talents to the Caped Crusader on screens big and small all over the world, come together for the first time ever.”

5:30 PM – The Snyder Cut of Justice League Panel

“Zack Snyder fields questions from fans and a few surprise guests as he discusses his eagerly awaited upcoming cut of the 2017 feature film and the movement that made it happen.”

5:54 PM – The Flash TV Panel

“Executive producer Eric Wallace joins cast members Grant Gustin, Candice Patton, Danielle Panabaker, Carlos Valdes, Danielle Nicolet, Kayla Compton, and Brandon McKnight to discuss all things Flash with Entertainment Weekly’s Chancellor Agard. Team Flash will break down both parts of season six and look ahead at what is to come with an exclusive trailer for season seven. Fans will also get a look at the exclusive black-and-white noir episode ‘Kiss Kiss Breach Breach,’ which will be available on The Flash season six Blu-ray and DVD on August 25.”

6:10 PM – Black Adam Panel

“Star of the first-ever Black Adam feature film Dwayne Johnson sets the stage for the story and tone of the new movie with a fans-first Q&A…and a few surprises.”

6:30 PM – CNN Heroes: Real Life Heroes in the Age of the Coronavirus

“While DC features iconic fictional Super Heroes recognized around the world, CNN Heroes shines a light on real-life, everyday people making a difference in their communities. Now, as the global Covid-19 pandemic has turned all of our worlds upside down, CNN’s Anderson Cooper introduces you to the frontline workers, advocates, neighbors, and friendly strangers who are coming together to help us through this crisis.”

6:50 PM – Titans TV Panel

“’Titans are back, b*tches!’ That phrase kicked off an explosive second season of Titans that culminated with the long-awaited emergence of Nightwing as their leader and the tragic death of one of their own. And as a new mysterious threat looms, season three promises to be the biggest yet! Join executive producer Greg Walker and series stars Brenton Thwaites, Anna Diop, Teagan Croft, Ryan Potter, Conor Leslie, Curran Walters, Joshua Orpin, Damaris Lewis, with Alan Ritchson and Minka Kelly for a preview of the new season as well as a discussion on the ‘Fan Favorite Moments’ of the first two seasons.”

7:05 PM – Aquaman Panel

“Aquaman director James Wan and King Orm himself, Patrick Wilson, take a deep dive into the world of Atlantis that Wan created, revealing their favorite behind-the-scenes moments from the largest DC movie ever!”

7:15 PM – “Ask Harley Quinn”

“She has gone toe-to-toe with Batman and the Justice League, and taken down The Joker and the toughest villains of Gotham City, but at DC FanDome, Harley Quinn faces her toughest challenge yet — answering burning questions from DC’s biggest fans in her own tell it as it is, no-BS style. If you love the Harley Quinn animated series, this is one you cannot f—king miss!”

7:20 PM – Wonder Woman 80th Anniversary Celebration Panel

“As an Amazon and a god, Wonder Woman is truly timeless. So, it’s hard to believe she’s turning 80! Join Wonder Woman 1984 director Patty Jenkins and star Gal Gadot, along with a very special guest, as they reflect on the character’s influence on them personally, and look forward to the 2021 celebrations!”

7:25 – Tomorrow’s Superheroes with Jim Lee

“DC Chief Creative Officer/Publisher Jim Lee joins Bing Chen, founder of the global non-profit collective Gold House, to discuss the important contributions of Asian artists and writers in comics and comic book–inspired entertainment.”

7:40 PM – SHAZAM! Panel

“Zac Levi and the cast can’t tell you s#&t! Sworn to secrecy on the new script for their upcoming movie, Zac and a few of his SHAZAM! castmates talk with the Philippines’ #1 DC fan, Gino Quillamor, about what the next movie might be about, while commenting on everything from panels to the other Zack’s cut — and even have a few surprise guests drop in!”

8:10 PM – Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League Panel

“Will Arnett hosts the highly anticipated video game reveal from Rocksteady Studios, creators of the Batman: Arkham franchise.”

8:30 PM – The Batman Panel

“The Batman filmmaker Matt Reeves joins host and self-professed fangirl Aisha Tyler for a discussion of the upcoming film…with a surprise (or two) for the fans!”

You can check out the full DC FanDome schedule here.

DC FanDome Live Stream

While DC FanDome is free for all to enjoy, you will need to create an account on DCFanDome.com in order to watch the event. You’ll then be able to access each panel via the DC FanDome program scheduler.

Following the conclusion of The Batman panel at the end of Hall of Heroes, the Fandome schedule will then cycle back through two more times, giving you three shots to watch in a 24-hour period.

DC FanDome: WatchVerse Date and Time

DC will host a second, on-demand FanDome event called WatchVerse on Saturday, Sept. 12 at 1 pm ET. While viewers will be able to access all content in any order they please, the event will only be available for 24 hours.

This event will include the previously announced panel on the expansion of “DC’s Watchmen Universe” discussion with Damon Lindelof and Tom King talking Rorschach, a Joker War panel with Batman writer James Tynion IV and Batgirl scribe Cecil Castellucci, a Three Jokers panel with Geoff Johns and Jason Fabok, a panel on John Ridley’s exciting upcoming The Other History of the DC Universe, and more.

The post DC FanDome: Schedule, Date, Time, and How to Watch appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/34jSTev

[newagesispage]

                                                                            MARCH    2020

PAGE RIB

 The Stones are touring the U.S. again.

*****

Paul Reubens is touring with Pee Wee’s Big Adventure.

*****

Al Franken is touring.

*****

Keenan Thompson and Hasan Minhaj are bringing comedy back to the White House Correspondents dinner on April 5.

*****

Days alert: There is some casting news but most of this won’t show up until the fall. Word is a couple of newbies will be Remington Hoffman who will play Li Shin, son of Mr. Shin and Emily O’Brien may join the cast. Nadia Bjorlin (Chloe) may be on her way back. Let’s bring the original Phillip back for her!!! Brandon Barash (Stefan) will return as well as Louise Sorel ( Vivian )and Alison Sweeney ( Sami). Judi Evans is headed back. Will she play Adrienne or Bonnie?? It looks like Casey Moss (JJ), Freddie Smith (Sonny), Chandler Massey (Will) and Galen Gering (Rafe) mill head out for awhile.

*****

It looks like Friends freaks will finally get their reunion on HBO. I am glad they aren’t bringing the characters back and are just getting together to talk about their time together.

*****

Downhill hit theatres on Valentine’s Day with Will Ferrell, Julia Louis- Dreyfus and Zoe Chao. The film was written and directed by Nat Faxon and Jim Rash.

*****

The more I see of it, the more I LOVE Stumptown, the best show that nobody seems to know about. Please renew ABC!!!!!

*****

So.. Rush Limbaugh got the Medal of Freedom.  Oh my.

*****

Shadow Inc. owned by former Clinton and Obama staffers made an app that thoroughly fucked up the Iowa caucus. It was good at calculating the results but not delivering them.  And hey.. Wolf Blitzer, stay off the phone with people that are trying to get those results. Let them just do their job!!

*****

Brooklyn 99 is back and Vanessa Bayer is there!!!

*****

Rod Blagojevich is out and hitting every show that will have him. Trump pardoned him along with 10 other criminals including Ed DeBartolo Jr., Mike Milken and Bernard Kerik.

*****

Forty thousand kids won’t get free lunch because Trump threw them off food stamps. The two usually go hand in hand. Getting food stamps automatically sets a kid up for the free lunch program.

*****

Over 1000 former DOJ officials have asked Bill Barr to resign.** 70 former Senators have written an open letter to congress to tell them they are not fulfilling their congressional duties.**” Yoo Hoo! Bush, Clinton, Carter, Obama, you’re up.” –Patricia Arquette

*****

Pete Davidson and Kaia Gerber have split.

*****

Indiana Beach is closing after 94 years.

*****

Denny Hamlin won the 2020 Daytona 500.

*****

Can’t we get some real gigs for Rainn Wilson and Curtis Armstrong? Ok, so Cyrtis Armstrong was on Stumptown so thank goodness for that! They can do better than Dominoes and Little Caesars ads. And how funny is it that Dominoes, known for its very Chrustian owners use a Risky Business ( a film about prostitutes) ad for their product. Hmm.

*****Hey.. Comics, quit bringing up Trump and his former womanizing. It didn’t work with Clinton and it won’t work here. People just don’t seem to care. Focus on the real damage he is doing.

*****

Scary Clown is working on opening nearly a million acres of land in Utah for energy exploration that had been a National monument. Redford and Romney can’t be happy about that.

*****

A new animated series from a brand new production company owned by Natasha Lyonne and Maya Rudolph looks promising. Look for The Hospital.

*****

Southern Illinois University is giving Bob Odenkirk an honorary degree.

*****

Ukranian immigrants Lt. Col. Vindman and his twin brother are out. Ambassador to the EU Sonland is out.

*****

The Democrats had a debate on Feb. 7 . At Andrew Yang’s first chance to speak, he rehashed his stump speech. I mean, c’mon give us something new. There really seemed to be a restrained nervousness on the stage that night. Klobachar seemed too needy but she got great reviews. Biden called Buttigieg ‘a friend ‘ a couple of times. Mayor Pete did quite well. ** Deval Patrick is out** Andrew Yang is out.**Michael Bennet is out** Another debate was on Feb. 19.** Bloomberg/Yang? Is this true?

*****

Check out the new series, Hunters. It is awesome, funny and terrifying!

*****

Dozens of Native American women and girls have disappeared from Big Horn county, Montana over the last few years. The victims were later found dead and Trump has put a federal task force together.

*****

Grassley and Wyden are trying to get lower prescription drug prices but Moscow Mitch won’t bring the proposal to the floor. Others are looking to get some traction on HR3.

*****

JSW Steel has sued the Trump administration for refusing to exempt it from paying the levies on slabs of steel that the company imports.

*****

64 women have filed sexual harassment or discrimination lawsuits against Mike Bloomberg. I’m not a fan of the guy but it does seem sort of coincidental.  It does not seem to matter cuz all his ads seem to be working, he is picking up steam. Tom Steyer is gaining a bit of momentum as well.

*****

The corona virus has brought us Covid 19. 600 people are being held in quarantine camps that the military has set up.  Italy has new cases and the disease is spreading. Scary Clown is trying to spin it all.

*****

ICE is being sent into sanctuary cities to cause trouble for immigrants.

*****

You have to check out Horse girl with Alison Brie, Molly Shannon and Matthew Gray Gubler on Netflix .

*****

Rapper Larry Sanders AKA LV is letting us in on a miscarriage of justice he has had to live thru. LV, best known for his work on Coolio’s Gangsters Paradise, was approached by police and later put on the Calgang database. The practice put about 80,000 mostly African Americans on a sort of gang list. In a 2016 audit it was found that there were many inaccuracies including the names of babes who could not possibly be gang affiliated.

*****

Nature does not need people. People need nature. –Harrison Ford

*****

The Clark bar is back. The roll out has started in Pittsburgh and will soon spread across the country.

*****

Scientists have found some turtle fossils that are the size of a car in South America.

*****

U can donate to the Trump campaign and may win a yaqut and hunting trip with Don Jr. The Beach Boys will perform.

*****

The Oscars were held Feb. 9. Brad Pitt and the production design team won for Once upon a Time in Hollywood. Woo Hoo! Word is that Pitt has hired a speech writer to write his acceptances. JoJo Rabbit won for adapted screenplay. Little Women won for Little Women and Toy Story 4 for animated film. Laura Dern won best supporting actress. Renee Zellweger and Joaquin Phoenix too home the top actor prizes. Parasite surprised everybody and won best pic and got Bong Joon Ho a best director statue. My best dressed were Billy Porter, Antonio Banderes and his date, Janelle Monae ( her opening seemed to make some in the audience uncomfortable), Robert DeNiro, Laura Dern, Diane Ladd, Geena Davis, Regina King, Charlize Theron, Adam Driver, Joanne Tucker, Cynthia Erivo, Scarlett Johansson, Natalie Portman and Kathy Bates, I don’t know what Kristen Wiig and Idina Menzel were thinking. Wiig always has a unique style so I have to admire that. ** The ratings were down. I have heard people saying they just don’t watch award shows or late night shows anymore because they are afraid things will get political. Funny, that is part of the reason I watch!

*****

Tom Papa was pontificating about a real dog show that should have REAL dogs. It would make a great weekly show with people bringing on their dogs.

*****

The goalies of the Hurricanes were out of commission and David Ayres, the Zamboni driver was brought in to help and the won against the Maple Leafs. Woo Hoo!!

*****

Hooray for New Hampshire and their use of paper ballots. Things in the campaign got a little shook up with Bernie taking the top followed by Pete and Amy.

*****

2 years of research in Canada has brought the announcement of a new discovery. Skull fragments  that were cleaned and collected about 10 years ago have been named Thanatotheristes or the reaper of death. The discovery helps us all learn more about the early times of Tyrannosaurids, a sub group that includes T.Rex.

*****

New Jersey has a ban on self- serve pumps and another state is talking about getting in on the action.  The gas station attendant act has been proposed in Illinois.

*****

Van Jones was right when he said we shouldn’t give Trump any press coverage for a week. He would hate it. Trump loves the old adage of bad publicity is better than none because he just must have attention. It would never work for they just can’t resist.** Joe Mcguire is out after he warned of Russian interference. If you want to keep your job in this administration, do not tell the truth. Now at the Department of National Intelligence is Johnny Mcentee , a 29 year old former football player who worked on the campaign. He immediately called department heads and said he wanted lists of never Trumpers in their offices. ** And who is in charge of weeding out the people in the government who may be disloyal to Scary Clown? Well, it is none other than Virginia Thomas, wife of Supreme Court justice Clarence. She calls it the list of snakes. Trump is now saying he even wants liberal judges on the Supreme Court to recuse themselves when it comes to “Trump related cases”. It just keeps getting worse.

*****

Trump had fun in India. He should, his business has 5 projects going there right now worth 1.5 billion.

*****

Harvey Weinstein was found guilty of rape and criminal sexual assault. He was not found guilty of all the charges that included predatory behavior.

*****

Andrew Yang is a new correspondent at CNN. He tells us that he is getting word from former donors that Bloomberg is calling those big donors. Allegedly he is telling them they do not have to donate to his campaign because he can afford his own campaign but he still won’t forget them. He would like them to save their money and not give money to other democrats running either.** And I am so sick of talking heads trying to tell us to play it safe. We are not as stupid as we look, thank you!! ** Now there is a firestorm about Bernie telling the world that the education program that Castro implemented was a good thing. I understand the anger and it could not have come at a worse time and he did it to himself. BUT..  We are adults and we have to be able to talk about things as they really are, not in sound bites. Castro sucked and history teaches us that bad people do good things occasionally and good people do bad things once in a while. ** It seems that everyone was in agreement that we would all gather behind the winner of the democratic campaign to beat Trump. Suddenly when it could be Bernie, everybody is bitching.

*****

This month held 2 more Democratic debates. The Nevada debate got pretty heated. I see that Mayor Pete and Bloomberg are lefties (left handed that is). Pete always looked poised and articulate which I appreciate and he got in a good one when he mentioned that the party should choose someone who is actually a democrat.  Bernie seemed a little rattled by that. Later Pete really dressed down Amy Klobuchar and made himself look like a dick. Joe Biden jumped in with his credits occasionally but often seemed a bit lost. He slammed back that they were all talking about the health care plane he helped to create and that he himself had dealt with the Mexican President. His name came up after it was mentioned that Amy could not remember the President’s name. The gloves were off with Bloomberg as Elizabeth Warren called him out on Billionaires and NDA’s. I loved the interaction but realistically Mr. Mike can’t just release people from agreements they made in an NDA, especially if it did not involve him. Bloomberg sounded pompous and clueless about the world outside of his company. He got a moan when he said he couldn’t exactly use turbo tax and when he said he may have told a few jokes that women didn’t like. He brushed off his taxes much like Trump does. The former mayor of NY called out socialists as communists. Klobuchar had the best comeback of the night when she was told her health care plan could fit on a post it. She proclaimed that the post it was invented in her state of Minnesota. Again, there were people shouting from the audience as Joe tried to talk. C’mon give everybody an equal chance.

*****

The South Carolina debate was fiery as well. The CBS debate was hosted by Gayle King and Norah O’Donnell. Bloomberg was booed right off the bat about Russia helping Bernie but he late had many cheers. He and Biden and Steyer had some real support there. Tom Steyer was actually quite impressive and seemed well spoken.  He was the only one who brought up the impeachment. He had a great point that we all know that republicans who did not convict Trump are complicit in the Russian meddling. Then he ruined it all by being alarmist with his fear. He warned us off the former republican and the socialists. I loved Bernie’s ideas about small business’s getting in on the marijuana business and not letting big corporations taking it over. He is also the only one in debates that I have seen consistently bring up Native Americans.  Biden again kept jumping in to tell us that he did this or that. Amy disagreed about a bill he claimed to have written. Warren said “dig in” numerous times. She went for the jugular with Bloomberg when she said a former female employee of his said to “kill it” in response to her pregnancy. He denied it but it sure is memorable. She did make great points that he has given much money to Linsey Graham’s campaign as well as other republican runs including against her. BTW he also gave 2.3 mil to Rick Snyder, the Gov of Michigan after the water crisis was well known.  I love that Amy is always saying that we shouldn’t fight amongst ourselves but she just does not have the votes so she needs to go. Bernie got some boos about guns for he seems the softest in that area.

*****

Joe Biden won the South Carolina primary in a big way.

*****

Dick Van Dyke, Sarah Silverman and Public Enemy among others will be at the Bernie Sanders rally in L.A. on March 1.

*****

Just think what the 400 million that Bloomberg spent on his campaign could have done for the debt of the average American.  Instead of a campaign for a presidency that he can’t win, he could have helped so many get a leg up.

*****

I don’t understand why “respected” journalists like Chuck Todd don’t throw W H reps off the set when they disrespect him or his colleagues with fake news jabs.

*****

Bob Moore of Bob’s Red Mill is giving his company away to his employees. Now, that’s a boss!!

*****

Bone, Thugs and Harmony have made a deal with Buffalo Wild Wings to rename themselves Boneless thugs and Harmony. The publicity stunt is to promote boneless wings.

*****

NASA is hiring.

*****

Scotland has made feminine sanitary products free!!

*****

Is this true? There were pigeons in Nevada with MAGA hats glued to their heads??

*****

The final Criminal Minds has aired. CBS often aired double episodes which made it seem like they really wanted to get rid of it. Kirsten Vangsness and Erica Messer wrote the final episode which seemed to give special attention to Penelope and Reid as they were the originals. The other characters seemed a little overlooked but they all had happy endings. Where was Reid’s new girlfriend?  I was hoping to see Shemar Moore but it was great to see Reisgraf and Howell which are old favorites.

*****

Animal Kingdom returns to TNT on May 28.

*****

So there is a bit of a mess with the Roger Stone sentencing. Trump is hopping mad about the long sentence recommendation, Barr is said to be pretending to spar with the Prez, the DOJ is backing down and people are resigning.

*****

R.I.P. Shirley Jean Cade, Robert Conrad,  Katherine Johnson, Lyle Mays, B. Smith, A.E. Hotchner, Bashir Jackson, Ja’net Dubois, Pat Agee, victims of the Molson Coors shooting and Orson Bean.

[drnucleus]

Burn This – A Review in Thirst, Energy and Hilarity

When @leofgyth offered me to go with her and a group of friends to see Adam Driver star in Burn This on Broadway I was ecstatic. Go see our fave in person and hang out with some fellow Adam Stans/Reylos? Hell yes. Also, there be spoilers ahead so BEWARE.

So, in preparation I bought a copy of the play. I read if four times before seeing it Saturday night. Mostly because Jimmy, aka Pale – Adam’s character has dizzying monologues that rail and race along a rollercoaster of emotion that on the page make them hard to follow. I knew though, instinctually that Adam would pull off the dizzying effect to great degree.

The house music was all 80s great new wave hits that set the right tone. From Manic Monday to Voices Carry. I was immediately transported to a time when I was too young to remember much aside from the music blaring from my mom’s record player.

Now I don’t want to spend this entire review thirsting after Adam. Because believe me, no one who goes into that play comes out not thirsting to some degree. I’ll get to him soon. But first I really want to talk about the other three characters in the play. What they brought to it. How they fared up against Adam’s intensity and undeniable energy.

First up, let’s talk about Burton. He’s Anna’s off and on boyfriend. He’s a screenwriter, rich, successful, born with a silver spoon in his mouth. He’s enamored with Anna despite the fact that they seem more square peg-round hole as a pairing. He’s funny, however. His entire monologue about how there are no good movies in Hollywood and how everything gets remade every ten years is hilariously accurate even 32 years after the initial Broadway run and just goes to show that not much has changed three decades.

Burton is flawed. Entitled. Spoiled. Not used to understanding the financial struggles that Anna and Larry have gone through. But he has a good heart despite himself. He’s played by David Furr, who is almost as tall as Adam, and pretty fit too. He’s a big guy with a teddy bear like quality about him that makes you feel comfortable in his proximity. He brings that sort of energy to Burton and you kind of feel for the guy that he is the supporting lover who gets passed over and not the romantic lead. His interaction with Pale is limited to one scene of spectacular inebriated fighting and revelation. His interactions with Anna are soft, and bring out his insecurity as a writer, and the rambling disjointed way he describes his ideas hit home for a writer like myself.

Let’s move on to Larry. Oh Larry. He’s gay. A marketing exec. And dear fucking GOD he is the hidden gem of this play. I went in expecting excellent performances from Keri and Adam and they no doubt delivered. Larry consistently stole scenes from every fucking cast member, Adam included. He was so funny and his timing and delivery were perfection. From him flopping himself down on the sofa whilst playfully calling Anna a slut for fucking Pale. To him singing the song Pale sings to her to tease her about hearing the entire tryst. To his reaction to Burton’s story about getting blown by some rando guy in the snow in his twenties. To the call back to that moment with something along the lines of “Hey Burton, look, it’s snowing, wanna find a dark doorway?” He’s cheeky and enigmatic and loves Anna with a brotherly protectiveness that is so lovely.  Brandon Uranowitz is the actor who plays him and he’s a delightful surprise. When I read the play I was paying far more attention to Pale and Anna’s connection than to the wise cracking gay man she lives with. Definitely pay attention to him if you happen to be going to the play. He’s so wonderful.

Now let’s dish on Ms. Russell. At first blush you can tell she is really starting to get her bearings as a stage actress. To be frank, stage acting is very different than screen acting. You have to emote more, you have to be slightly over the top to ensure that even the person in the last row can feel the intensity of emotion you’re displaying. Whereas on a screen it’s easier to be subtle and still have the same effect. What bits of her acting style have changed since she’s started the play have shown through and shine through a beautifully nuanced performance that not even two unscripted improvisations by Adam Driver could completely throw her out of character for more than a split second to give him a “Are you fucking kidding me?” look a chuckle and then move on. She gives emotion and vulnerability as well as a gigantic emotional brick wall around herself as Anna as both Pale and Burton try to bust it down. With only Pale who is the one to break through.

She walks herself through grief. Anger at Robbie – her dance partner who dies suddenly and is the emotional center of the play as she tries to move from being a dancer to a choreographer. Desperation for connection – with Burton – only to shove him away when his enthusiasm and compassion become too much. To her frightened exchange with Pale upon their first scene together to how he busts down her walls and makes her reach out to comfort him through his pain of losing his younger brother. She holds her own against Adam’s explosive performance. She has her own moments that are just as gut wrenching but in her you feel the tight containment of her discipline as a dancer that beautifully juxtaposes Pale’s explosive grief.

I knew going to see Adam would be an experience. Having seen his performances on the big screen and the small screen I knew this was a role he would both love and find so much meat to sink his acting chops into. This is Adam at his finest. He’s an emotional trainwreck throughout the play. In his first scene he steals the audiences attention, commanding it as he paces like a caged animal, ranting about parking and pot holes, and Ray the bartender who he decked out for not shutting up to full on the floor, full body sobs with real tears and screams of grief. His dialogue is dizzying and circular, coming back around several times with the same questions. He plays inebriated, drunk, coke high and belligerent with an authenticity and veracity that makes it almost too real. Pale has no filter. He thinks it he says it. Bluntly. Boldly. It’s the exact kind of snark and sass that Adam is becoming famous for a la Adam Sackler in Girls and the explosive anger of Sackler and his even more famous character Kylo Ren/Ben Solo of the Star Wars franchise. His physicality and range of emotions in his opening scene is enough to give the audience emotional whiplash.

His acting ability in person is even more powerful than it is on the screen. You feel the emotions he sends out as a wave of energy that engulfs and enslaves the room. We laugh at his snark and quick wit, but the audience grows quiet as Pale begins to work through his intense grief. There’s a humanness to Adam’s style that makes you believe that he is not just some actor playing a part but that he IS Pale in those moments. That type of immersive acting is something I personally will never forget and am so grateful for seeing in person.

Physically, I didn’t think Adam could get more attractive than I had seen in photos, tv and movies. Oh boy was I wrong. Every review I read. Every interview with female costars I’ve read. All of that previous knowledge did nothing to prepare me for the reality of seeing him in person. The minute you hear his voice, yelling just offstage for Anna to let him in at five in the morning, the hair on the back of your neck stands up because you know an entrance™ is about to be made.

Bursting on stage he gets uproarious applause from the audience as he launches into his initial rant about pot holes, and finding parking in a city that’s dying of crotch rot. He’s so good at going from 0-100 on the emotional scale at the drop of a hat that it’s startling to witness in the same room.

From him taking off his pants to not wrinkle them your eyes immediately go to the stark contrast of his pale legs against the black socks, shirt and underwear. Or to him gliding out of Anna’s bedroom on his second visit there in her purple floral silk kimono (that he ripped the sleeve of rather accidentally) with it open to reveal more pale skin and tiny euro black briefs that made the entire audience audibly inhale. Adam’s costumes throughout the play go from sleek suits to the fun comical use of a woman’s robe to a leather bomber, jeans and shitkickers. His stage presence and physical form is a veritable feast for the eyes as his voice, intonations and blue collar diction is just as entertaining. He improvs as I mentioned before, once when he did a little twirl that seemed like it was extremely on the fly, an amused smirk on his face as Keri almost broke out laughing. And again, when they’re on the sofa together and he did something that surprised her but I can’t quite pinpoint what that was having only seen the play once.

All in all this is a play where nothing happens and everything happens. Four people processing grief in varying degrees. From Larry and Anna’s personal grief as Robbie’s found family, to Pale’s outrageous self-destructive spiral and Burton’s tangential disconnected sympathy. It makes Burn This and Lanford Wilson’s prose jump from page to stage with veracity and life that I think would make the playwright proud.

[smokeybrandreviews]

Smokey brand Movie Reviews: I’m In Lesbians With You

It occurs to me that i don’t have a proper review of Scott Pilgrim on here. I really should work through the current backlog of films that i still need to watch; Uncut Gems, The Lighthouse, Parasite, Ready or Not, but i f*cking love Scott and his shenanigans so... Scott Pilgrim it is! Considering how much i love this film and the fact that I’m just going to be gushing about it for however long this review is, let’s just get this out of the way immediately: Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is an excellent movie and you should go watch it right now!

The Outstanding

Yo, before anything, can i just express how much i adore this f*cking soundtrack? My taste in music is varies wildly but, at it’s core, my heart beats for the Indie and the New Wave and the Post Punk. For this soundtrack to be packed with so much excellent, underground, indie fair? Oh, my goodness! It’s musical sex to me. Shout out to Nigel Godrich. Motherf*cker did the best of jobs on this one!

Even more than that, the way all of this music is integrated in each scene s absolutely brilliant. There’s not one note out of place or out of line. It’s rare that happens, so deftly that i actually recognize it. Usually, it’s all background noise to accentuate whatever scene but i legit took in everything.

While on the subject of music, i want to take a minute to acknowledge the sound design as a whole. Scott Pilgrim is based on a graphic novel, which i also love, so there is a rather kinetic energy that needs to be conveyed. It’s chock full of all the spastic nonsense us Millennials grew up with like Mario token sound effects and obscure cartoon references. Integrating certain sound effects like the random game noises here or there is absolute brilliance. It lends an air of authenticity to this adaption.

While i can gush about all of the audible genius for years, i would be remiss if i didn’t speak on the goddamn eye candy of this film. Holy sh*t is thing gorgeous! And not just the Evil Ex set pieces, even though those are absolute chaotic bad-assery, this entire film is a work of art. It really is. You can frame almost every shot in this thing, it’s that gorgeous.

Speaking of gorgeous, these costumes are amazing. A lot of them are ripped right out of the comic but they’re like, real clothes. Nothing feels cartoony or comic book-ish, it all feels organic to the tone of film and characters therein. Like, i wear the same kind of sh*t Scott wears. It’s all graphic tees and jeans with me, much to the chagrin of my darling missus.

The writing in this flick is absolutely brilliant. Like, seriously, nothing feels out of place, the dialogue feels organic, and the plot is a pretty decent condensing of the graphic novels original six volumes. I have interactions like these with my friends. I legitimately talk like this. Of course, there is a little polish on some of these line but, overall, it’s pretty on point.

All of this standout awesome can be traced back to the vision of it’s director, Edgar Wright. No one believed in this little experiment so he had carte blanche to create whatever he wanted and he did just that. You can tell there was a real love for this material and while not everything from the books made it into the movie, he did an excellent job of capturing the major beats and important aspects with his absolute mad style of movie making.

The cast in this thing is weirdly perfect. All of them. Every one of them. Seriously, it’s like a who’s who of young Hollywood from way back when, almost all of whom have grown into proper A-list talent and i love it! Alison Pill, Anna Kendrick, Jason Schwartzmen, Ellen Wong, Brandon Routh, and Mae Whitman are all excellent in their respective roles. There are, of course, standouts but before i get to them, i just what to acknowledge how great the casting is, overall, in this movie. You can feel the comradery onset and it’s reflected in the fact that there are no weak performances, at all, in this flick. F*ck, dude, there’s even a Thomas Jane and Clifton Collins cameo in this thing that feels absolutely at home!

This film would be nothing without the right person in the lead. Scott Pilgrim is a neuritic, self-centered, anxiety ridden, asshole of person but still lovable in a very dry and sarcastic kind of way. There are very few that can capture that energy so when i found out Michael Cera as cast in the lead, i knew this movie was in good hands. Every movie i have ever seen him in, Cera carries that energy expertly. He is he living embodiment of Scott Pilgrim. Like, this is MCU levels of casting, for real.

The second role you had to nail to make this work was definitely Ramona Flowers. You had a little more leeway with this one but i think they still nailed it with Mary Elizabeth Winstead. I’ve been a fan of hers since way back when she was in Sky High (I actually love that movie SO much) and even further back with The Ring Two, but that’s more a deep cut than anything. Anyway, Mary is perfect as Ramona and one of the best things about this movie.

So the performances of the Evil Exes are spectacular, Particularly Schwartzman’s. His Gideon Graves was just so smarmy and condescending and disingenuous you couldn’t help but hate his guts. Dude was awesome, no doubt, but he was outshined by what Chris Evan was able to create with Lucas Lee. That’s right, Captain America himself was in Scott Pilgrim as the first Evil Ex and he f*cking killed it! I’ve loved Evans for years. Not Another Teen Movie is actual one of my favorites and he was easily the best thing about those first two Fantastic Four films but you can see him shine in this role, even if it was only a few minutes.

It’s no secret i love Brie Larson. I’ve raved about her performances in the past but it was this movie that made me take notice. Her interpretation of Envy Adams was pitch perfect. It’s melodramatic and over-the-top but at the same time, incredibly vulnerable. Natalie has one hell of an arc in the book and it’s a little short-changed in the movie, but Larson makes gold with what she has to work with. Plus, she actually performs the cover to Metric’s Black Sheep. Those are her vocals and i find that to be absolutely dope.

Of course, you can’t talk about Scott Pilgrim without talking about his gay roommate, Wallace Wells. Dude is one of the best characters in the book and is an absolute scene stealer n this film, thanks to the deft hand of Kieran Culkin. It’s hard for me to praise gay character in cinema because cats always right them as caricature but Culkin’s Wells feels real and grounded, none of that Hollywood gay bullsh*t. Dude is a person that just happens to be gay and i love that.

And last but not least, Aubrey Plaza. There’s a little picture of Julie Powers that is the spitting image of Plaza. Like, her casting is as perfect as Scott’s casting. Seriously, she is what Michael Cera is to Pilgrim. It’s rare a cast in a film is so goddamn perfect. Even the MCU has had some missed but literally every one in this film is absolutely prefect and Plaza might be best of all.

Also, all of the LGBT representation. While the movie didn’t capture all of the many, many, sexual presentations, they didn’t shy away from some of the most prominent. Pilgrim’s roommate Wallace Wells, is extra gay and he has a myriad of boyfriends throughout both the book and film. Nothing too graphic, but there are scenes with them in bed and one pretty heavy make-out sessions early in the film. Hell, they even included Ramona’s one female Ex, Roxy Richter, in one of the best Evil Ex fights of the entire movie. Bravo film, bravo.

The Verdict

I said this in the beginning and just in case the previous gushing didn’t give you a clue, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is a f*cking great film, man. It stands on it’s own as a wonderful coming of age story but it’s so much more than that. It’s a love story to music. It’s one of the best comic adaptions i have ever seen. It’s an ode to the Millennial coming-of-age journey. It’s a nostalgia bomb for kids my age, who did sh*t like play video games all day then spend all night in coffee shops that had live music and f*cking waffles. It’s an amazing representation, and unique presentation, of those early twenties when you aren’t sure of yourself or your direction or anything and you just want to drift through life for as long as possible. It’s heartbreak and new love and learning about who you are, deep down, not some shallow representation or facade. I love Scott Pilgrim because it tells a great story. It tells MY story. And it does it with a banging ass soundtrack, too.

[allthefilmsiveseenforfree]

Isn’t It Romantic?

The romcom is having a Moment right now, so it’s not surprising that a movie like Isn’t It Romantic? got greenlit to act as a sort of post-ironic, winking takedown of one of cinema’s oldest (and most old-fashioned) genres. Rebel Wilson stars as Natalie, a single gal living in New York City just trying to get through the day without too many indignities happening. Her apartment is a dump, she’s talked over and ignored at her job, and she’s bombarded with Sex Sells advertising like we all are, promising that if she just buys enough stuff, her One True Love will sweep her off her feet and she’ll live happily ever after. She’s got a realistic cynical streak, and she really, REALLY hates the glossy, over-idealized unreality of romantic comedies. At the insistence of her best friend Whitney (Betty Gilpin), she opens herself up to the possibility that the world isn’t a complete dumpster fire, and promptly gets mugged for her purse on a subway platform. In the scuffle, she hits her head and BAM - wakes up in shiny, glossy, romantic comedy world, complete with full style makeover, incredible apartment, and simmering romantic tension with her best guy friend (Adam Devine) as well as a new fling with a handsome stranger (Liam Hemsworth). I’ll admit I had high hopes for this movie, but recognized that all the signs were there for it to be a cringey trainwreck as well. As we discussed with Ready Player One, simply pointing out things that other movies have done and saying DO YOU GET THIS REFERENCE does not a great movie make. So did this end up sweeping me off my feet or knocking me out cold? Well...

Much more the former than the latter, mainly due to a smart script that is more interested in developing Natalie as a real, interesting, three-dimensional woman who is able to grow and change in ways that feel authentic and earned. Combined with excellent supporting performances (especially from a giddily hilarious Hemsworth) and dazzling production design, the end result leaves you feeling the best kind of fizzy happy that only a good romcom can provide.

Some thoughts: 

Oh god, the youths sitting behind me didn’t recognize that the movie Whitney is watching is The Wedding Singer and I just died a little inside.

I was so pleased that Natalie is an architect instead of like, a handkerchief designer, or a magazine florist, or some other bullshit made up job for women in romantic comedies.

One of the best things about the entire production design of this movie is the little details in the background. The parking signs change to things like FROM NOW TO ETERNITY, FALL IN LOVE, and TIL DEATH DO US PART. Or the posters on the subway that say “See someone, say something” - that really killed me.

And there are some fantastic homages to romantic comedy hall-of-fame, like the outfit Natalie wears from Pretty Woman to go home from the hospital. Pretty much all her clothes are amazing, honestly, and since we live in a world where it STILL remains nearly impossible for plus-sized women to find fashionable clothes that actually fit and are meant to convey a sense of confidence and self-worth, this is really remarkable. 

I know some reviews complained that all the references to other romcoms were lazy, or simply pointing out “hey this is a thing in romcoms” and expecting that to be the joke, but I actually disagree? I thought it was a refreshing look at tropes that, when compiled together, can be really harmful. Like the Gay Best Friend having no plans whatsoever, ever, or the main conflict at work being gearing up for “The Big Presentation.” It’s pointing out that for a romcom to actually encourage any real emotional honesty, there needs to be recognizable stakes and characters that go beyond two-dimensional stereotypes, and then putting its money where its mouth is.

Priyanka Chopra might honestly be the most beautiful woman in the world, and it’s unfair that she’s got pretty great comedic timing here too.

It’s unnerving how much Liam Hemsworth sounds exactly like Chris Hemsworth. If you close your eyes, their voices are nearly indistinguishable. Since I’ve only seen him in the Hunger Games franchise, it was pretty delightful getting to hear his actual accent!

Related, what is in the water in the Hemsworth household, because it just doesn’t seem fair that the whole family is this charming, talented, funny, and gorgeous. I have a lot more respect for Liam’s comedic chops after this film, and I can’t wait to see what he does next.

Maybe the best line reading I’ve seen so far this year was Brandon Scott Jones’ “...Do you want weed?” I think I laughed so hard I cried. 

I honestly loved this movie. It felt sweet in all the best ways, and the giant climactic “I love me” moment actually felt earned. I think this is the movie that I Feel Pretty wanted to be but failed so miserably at. It feels revolutionary in a way that doesn’t feel forced - a plus-size female lead who’s not being made the butt of the joke but is simply human, a person learning and growing and becoming better by demanding better. The filmmakers take the groundwork laid before and say “this was good, but wouldn’t it be better if...?” and deliver something modern and interesting that doesn’t feel pandering. This was one of my favorite surprises so far of 2019, and I only hope it paves the way for more romcoms of this type in the future.

[tabloidtoc]

Globe, May 25

Cover: Murder Hornets Take U.S. By Swarm 

Page 2: Up Front & Personal -- Heidi Montag, Janeane Garofalo is stuck in the ‘90s, Antonio Banderas 

Page 3: Adam Sandler, Ireland Baldwin in a mask stocks up on Coors beer, Casey Affleck grabs himself while out in L.A. 

Page 4: After four weeks of loony lockdown with ex Demi Moore Bruce Willis finally reunited with wife Emma Heming at Demi’s Idaho estate, Gwyneth Paltrow’s marriage is in crisis because she keeps giving the cold shoulder to husband Brad Falchuk and she’s sharing her deepest secrets with girlfriend Jessica Seinfeld instead of Brad and it’s rubbing Brad the wrong way 

Page 5: Bashful bombshell Penelope Cruz claims she gets uncomfortable when people call her beautiful because she doesn’t think of herself in those terms, Casey Anthony busted for speeding in West Palm Beach 

Page 6: Cover Story -- Hornet horror stalks America 

Page 8: Lonely Prince Harry rushed to psych ward -- frazzled prince breaks down after revealing he’s friendless -- the stress of quitting his royal duties for an unknown life in L.A. with American wife Meghan Markle triggered PTSD in the fragile prince and he was secretly rushed to a California psychiatric facility for urgent treatment 

Page 10: Angelina Jolie’s skin-and-bones revenge -- bitter Angie has alarmingly shriveled to a skeletal 90 pounds by purposely starving herself as a weird revenge against estranged ex-hubby Brad Pitt 

Page 11: Guy Ritchie’s crowning glory seems to have a little more glory sparking buzz that he has secretly undergone a hair transplant, Fox News’ Tomi Lahren got a case of cold feet and handed back her $50,000 engagement ring to congressional candidate Brandon Fricke

Page 12: Celebrity Buzz -- Robert Blake grabbing a meal in Beverly Hills, Emmy Rossum held a funeral for a dead street rat and used a designer Gucci shoebox as a coffin after her dogs killed the rat on their final walk of the night and she was weirded out by the slaughter, famously perky Katie Couric delivered a not-so-subtle diss slamming Jennifer Aniston and her new Apple TV series The Morning Show by saying she wished they made her more charismatic, Joe Manganiello is going against the grain and shaving his signature masculine facial hair, Beach Boys singer Mike Love is trying to unload the palatial $8.7 million 11-bedroom mansion he owns in Rancho Santa Fe with longtime wife Jackie, just miles away is the oceanfront getaway Bill and Melinda Gates just snapped up in nearby Del Mar for a staggering $43 million 

Page 13: Eric Dane quarantines in Brentwood with The Amazing Race’s Kimberly DeJesus, Shakira out in Barcelona, Natasha Alam exercises in L.A., real estate whiz kid Ellen DeGeneres and wife Portia de Rossi are flipping a quirky two-bedroom investment home they bought in Montecito for $3.6 million and are selling it for $6.9 million 

Page 14: Julianne Hough’s husband Brooks Laich overshares that after a day of self-isolating in Idaho he doesn’t have a sexual charge, Tiffany Haddish was caught using the bathroom while on a video conference call, Fashion Verdict -- Laura Dern 9/10, Shay Mitchell 4/10, Nicole Richie 5/10, Hailee Steinfeld 8/10, Alicia Keys 2/10

Page 16: Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell’s nuptials axed after brutal brawl is caught on camera

Page 17: Duane “Dog” Chapman swore he’d never remarry after the death of his wife Beth but 10 months after Beth died he’s engaged to Francie Frane, Joe Pantoliano narrowly cheated death after suffering a head injury when hit by a car 

Page 19: 10 Things You Don’t Know About Kate McKinnon, Katy Perry’s ultrasound shows her daughter giving the middle finger, Michelle Pfeiffer is mourning her beloved dog Freddie who passed away at age 18 

Page 20: True Crime 

Page 23: Kim Kardashian is ready to quit Kanye West unless couples therapy can save their crumbling marriage, Joe Giudice reveals his heart is aching after his latest deportation appeal was denied 

Page 24: Tinseltown’s Secret Twins -- stars’ special sibling bond uncovered -- Gisele Bundchen, Ashton Kutcher 

Page 25: Scarlett Johansson, Kiefer Sutherland, Rami Malek 

Page 26: Alanis Morissette, Joseph Fiennes, Laverne Cox 

Page 27: Vin Diesel, Parker Posey, Linda Hamilton, Jon Heder 

Page 32: Madonna’s Mental Meltdown -- her risky behavior during the coronavirus plague including flouting social distancing rules has alarmed friends and they’re urging her to get help right away, when asked what advice he would give his younger self Tiger Woods did not say anything about the sex scandal that killed his marriage and dented his career -- instead he said not to run so much because running 30 miles a week destroyed his body and his knees 

Page 34: Health Report 

Page 38: Real Life 

Page 42: Stir-crazy Cara Delevingne handed out her phone number to fans on social media

Page 44: Straight Talk -- Bill Cosby continues to be an arrogant lowlife by claiming he should be one of the prisoners Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf was releasing early due to the spread of coronavirus in prisons

Page 45: Natalie Wood’s daughter Natasha Gregson is lying when she says she believes her mom’s drowning death was an accident and her stepdad Robert Wagner had nothing to do with it charges a deception expert 

Page 47: Hollywood Flashback -- 1942′s Ride ‘Em Cowboy starring Abbott and Costello, Bizarre But True 

[cookiedoughmeagain]

Haven DVD Commentaries; 5.24 - The Widening Gyre

Commentary with Nick Parker (writer for episode), Shireen Razack (writer for the previous episode) and Josh Brandon (script co-ordinator and writer)

NP: I laboured over what to name this episode, because stuff is going so wrong, and ended up pulling from one of my favourite poems, The Second Coming, and The Widening Gyre is about things falling apart. It’s a weird falconry term, I guess? I always liked the way it sounded. SR: It was really fun watching Nick really tear out his hair over the title of this episode. NP: Yeah. Titles are always tough for me for some reason. I feel like I end up thinking about titles more than most of the writing. SR: Or it’s our way of procrastinating.

SR: The cool thing about this episode, that I really really love, is that the stuff that happens between Audrey and her dad, all takes place in this one room for the entire episode. It’s two people talking to each other and normally if that happens on any other show it is the most boring thing you could imagine. But when I watched this I just thought it was so compelling. I could not look away. Nick did an incredible job of crafting these scenes. NP: Oh that’s so sweet of you. We talked a bit with the last episode about how we had to shoot that really fast and that was why we went with the security camera footage idea that ended up working really really well. For this episode in order to get it done quickly we had to basically have a bunch of two handers in static locations. So we’ve got Audrey and Croatoan here, we’ve got Vince and Howard in the Herald, and then we’ve got Duke and Nathan basically, in the station. All conversations between two people in a single room. It was a lot of talking. SR: For a writer that’s doing TV that can be the most terrifying thing on the planet. But when you’ve got a great writer like Mr Nick Parker, then what you see on screen is compelling that you don’t care that there’s not a lot of movement. NP: Thank you very much. I think it was also aided greatly by the fact that we have a legend in the sci-fi genre, William Shatner, holding some of these scenes up. He was so much fun to write with. My dad is a huge Star Trek fan. I used to watch The Next Generation with him when I was growing up, and he used to watch the Original with his dad back in the day. So when I found out I was going to be able to write for him and I told my dad on the DL, and he just kept asking me questions; Are you going to get to meet him? How much do you get to write for him? He was so excited. JB: We did get to meet him briefly when he came into the office. SR: Of course that was the day I was out of the office. NP: He is just awesome. I don’t even know how old he is ... JB: He’s 83 NP: And apparently these days were pretty brutal, they were working and working and working. And he was great - there is a reason that he is a legend. SR: Now that I think about it, both of my brothers are huge Star Trek fans, as am I, and I don’t think I’ve told them that I got to write for William Shatner. How is that possible? NP: It’ll be a great surprise for them when the episode comes on.

[McHugh throws a chair to Dwight who smashes it over Duke’s back to stop him attacking Nathan] JB: Oh that was awesome! NP: Yeah that was definitely a callout to the wrestling. WWE fans will know, but for those that don’t know, Adam Copeland and Christian were tag team partners in WWE for years, so we wanted to have a moment where we had a little tip of the hat to their wrestling past. So Christian tosses Edge a chair and it just seemed very wrestly SR: It was beautiful. NP: I was afraid it might be cheesy SR: Not between these two. They know how to sell it. NP: They made it work. McHugh ended up being a really fun character too, so thank you for giving us that character Shireen. McHugh’s cool.

SR: The thing that I don’t understand, is why isn’t Croatoan serving Audrey pancakes? NP: Because Mara hates pancakes. And he wants Mara back. SR: Oh, right. NP: Audrey is just an imitation to him. SR: She’s a real girl now.

NP: I think production did a really good job with this room that Croatoan and Audrey are in. It’s pretty but creepy SR: It’s very Laura Ashley NP: Yes. Any time you start to throw in a floral wallpaper, you’re going to terrify me. It feels like an old horror movie, set in my grandmother’s house.

NP: These were fun scenes to write between Audrey and Croatoan because when we were going through the revision process, Matt McGuinness was having some problems with his back so wasn’t coming into the office. So I went over to his place and spent a whole day working just with him which was really fun because Matt is the father of three daughters so he gave me a lot of good guidance on talking with your daughter, which is an experience I do not have, so that was good. SR:  It’s really interesting when you’re on a writing staff and half the staff are parents and the other half are single, and footloose and fancy free. NP: Yes, functionally still children. SR: That too. So Matt’s got three daughters, Speed has triplets, and hearing the stories that come from them as opposed to the stories that come from us are polar opposites. NP: Yeah like when I start talking about my weekend like; I woke up at 10, went to play basketball. And you can just see Matt’s blood slowly starting to boil. SR: Yes, exactly.

NP: This was a fun story line {Vince and Howard] because we got to really … well the difficulty of an episode this late in the series is that you’ve still got a lot of mythology you want to pay off, but you don’t want to get all talky and boring becasue too much mythology can be really cumbersome. But it was fun to have basically the guy from the other world who knows how everything works, with the guy who’s spent his whole life protecting Haven (the lore keeper of Haven) talking to each other. That was a lot of fun to write SR: I remember in the room, once everyone realised that was what was happening it was like; Holy crap of course - this is what the story is! NP: And then we were pitching the idea that Vince becomes the New Barn’s Controller. And at first it was like; Oh man that’s huge, how do you get your head around it. But then as we talked about it more in the room it started to really make sense and fit. And then really just informed all the scenes previous because we knew what we were working towards. SR: Yeah. Basically when you came up with that, it was another light bulb moment, and everyone was just like: Of course, that’s it, that’s what has to happen! JB: It has to be that way.

[Nathan sitting down to talk to Duke in the interview room] NP: I’m always a sucker, as you can probably tell in this episode, for scenes where there’s two things happening on both sides of a one way mirror. It’s a total cop trope at this point, but I still think it’s so much fun. SR: Especially when on the other side of the mirror is someone who’s completely possessed/ NP: A total monster, yes.

[Croatoan: I loved your mother. She wasn’t destroyed by me. She was contaminated by weak minds] NP: Yeah, he really sells it. I’m so glad we got him. NP: I don’t think any of us thought it was really going to happen. They were talking about it for a long time. He came in and met everyone. He sat down with Matt and Gab and kind of quizzed them about the show for an hour. But I still think everyone thought it would be too hard and we wouldn’t get him. And then he said Yes. NP: It worked out great. He’s also sitting a beautiful table - look at that. SR: And the house that they found for the exterior of this, is just perfect. NP: Oh I know. It was like; We’ve got to find a place that looks isolated, kind of innately creepy, but also Haven. And then; this house that is totally alone on a cliff side? Perfect. SR: Our location scouts are amazing. NP: Yes. That’s a great example, and then there’s that spa that we shot at a couple times. It’s this crazy place where they were going to build this huge getaway place up in Nova Scotia there and I guess the real estate bubble crashed in 2008 or whenever that happened. And so, seriously, you walk in and there’s blue prints lying around. Uninstalled light bulbs. They just stopped paying the workers and people stopped coming in, so it’s just this giant concrete, unfinished … it’s humongous, halls and halls and halls of it. It’s crazy looking. SR; Which episodes did we shoot there? NP: 4.11. And also … something in the first season. And we go up there for exteriors every so often.

NP: I think the shroud ended up looking really cool. I think I’ve said that before but it ended up looking amazing. I really like it. SR: Yeah it’s really cool. It doesn’t look like a visual effect. It just looks like Los Angeles fog.

[Nathan; Whatever Croatoan did to you it’s wearing off.] NP: No, it’s not. Boo. SR: That’s my favourite line; Boo. NP: Oh thanks. But really the way he acts, the way he’s teasing Nathan and everything, was absolutely informed by your sing-song dialogue in the last episode. Because, we were really the ones that were responsible for setting up how he’s going to be through to the end. So the Evil Duke character you conceived really helped me write these scenes, so I couldn’t have done it without that. SR: Oh, thanks.

[Duke: Sometimes Audrey likes the bad boys. And now that I’ve found my true self, well, we might go all the way this time] SR: Doesn’t it just always go back to Colorado? NP: Yeah, pretty much. That one scene in Colorado … the actual scene was probably like three minutes long, but the amount of time we’ve talked about it since then, it’s like three hours of on screen content. SR: And back then, I was a fan then [before working on the show], so I’m watching it as it’s airing, Screaming at the television; What are you doing? No! NP: Yeah, we can all blame Shernold for that JB: Everyone does, it’s so unfair. NP: Poor Shern. One of my favourite people in the world. Even though she did put Duke and Audrey together. And she did start the whole Team Waffles thing I guess. SR: That’s true. And I think in the commentary that we did together … You know, I fully own my Naudrey-ness, but Shern refuses to own her Daudrey. NP: I mean, she is the originator of the Daudrey movement. She has to admit it. JB: But just so everybody knows - these decisions are not made by one person. NP: No, that’s true. And she’s not even here to defend herself, poor thing.

NP: I love the way that post-apocalyptic Haven looks. Like; Well, we’d better throw some garbage on the street. JB: But I love that because so many times you see - and one of the best examples is Dark Knight Rises, the place is on lockdown and nobody does anything for months. But still there’s no garbage, nothing piles up, there’s nothing on the street.

[Howard; By your calendar it was several centuries ago] NP: Oh, here’s comes the info dump. Get ready SR: But hey, there’s something very important about this info dump. NP: Well and it is nice that he gets to talk to Vince about this. Vince is the right guy to hear this stuff. SR: And even more important is that this connects to the awesome comic book that is the insert to the DVDs that you wrote. NP: Yes, the season four comic book. What I loved in that is that Maurice [who plays Howard] has an awesome look and his mustache is excellent. But the season four comic book was set way back, in the fifteenth century or whatever, so then he is in fifteenth century garb, and with a mustache that’s twice as big and goes all the way down to his chin. So it’s like; Yes, that’s the classic look. And it’s funny how we really got to push a lot of mythology in the comic books. Like; We’ll tell that story there - OK, great, that’ll be fund, it’s actually a really important story! JB: What was it called? In The Beginning? NP: Yes. The other one was After The Storm, which tells what happens between seasons three and four. And then the season four comic book told the story of Mara and William’s first time in Haven. It was funny because, between three and four it was easy becasue there was a six month gap between the seasons so we could tell the story of what happened right after three ended. But between seasons four and five - no time passes whatsoever. JB: Yeah, what can we tell in this one hour? NP: So we’ve got to go back, we’ve got to go way back.

SR: Is that Dwight’s new crossbow that he was talking to Jason Priestley about? NP: Yeah that might be the one he wanted Chris Brody to see. Adam has got a long career ahead of him. He’s just so good. And built like a giant brick house. He’s great. And, the nicest person you will ever meet. SR: And Adam and Christian are awesome on screen together. NP: Yeah you can tell they have a lot of history together. They’ve been friends forever.

*Some joking around about the idea of Mara drinking black coffee as a child and that maybe that is what messed her up, and perhaps black coffee isn’t that different from aether anyway* JB: You should put some milk in your aether so you can tell them apart

[Audrey stabs Croatoan in the next] JB: Oof, that looked good. NP: He just looks like such a bad ass here SR: Daddy’s not happy [Croatoan breaks Audrey’s arm] NP: Oh god SR: That looks nasty. NP: Yeah I feel like I had to work in the bone breaking moment. Just because, I love on TV whenever you hear a bone breaking, because the folio people do such a great job to make that bone breaking sound. It always sounds so brutal SR: There were some conversations in the writers’ room about how much of the bone should be poking through the flesh. And I think Standards and Practices might have pulled us back. NP: Well in the original script it was just hanging at an impossible angle. And then we were like; Let’s go as gruesome as possible. SR: And I also remember there being a lot of conversations about what Croatoan should wear. And ultimately it was a beautifully tailored suit, and he looks awesome! NP: Yep, gotta look classy. JB: I remember on the prep schedule, one of the first things it had - because Shatner is always dressed by … he either has a tailor or he does something with Mens Wearhouse or whatever. And so it even said on the prep schedule; Shatner arrives and is taken immediately for fittings at Men’s Wearhouse. Although he was not listed as Shatner on the prep schedule. We won’t say what it is, but he travels under an assumed name so that people don’t mob him. NP: Yeah it never said “Shatner” on the scripts or anything.

[McHugh; Some Guard buddies of mine have Old Troubles that can make Duke talk] NP: McHugh doesn’t have a lot of lines in this script, but what he has to work with, I think he did a great job with. He’s just efficient, just like; Let’s make it happen - let’s torture the shit out of him and find out what’s going on. SR: We’ve played with that a couple different times in different episodes, and it’s even been cut from certain episodes JB: The ethics of it? SR: Using Troubles to torture people. NP: Yeah because for this one we had talked about going back through the old Trouble catalogue. I think the character’s name was Ginger Danvers, from 3.10 - Burned. Ginger was named after one of Matt McGuinness’s kids. And her power was that anything she said that you had to do, you had to do it. So she inadvertently kills several people, and then she uses the power on Jordan at one point to make her tell the truth. So we were like; What if we bring Ginger Danvers back? But we had to keep it simple, we really could only have a few people in each scene.

[Vince draws Dwight a map of the old farmhouse where he thinks Croatoan will be hiding out] JB: That was a very quick reference to the old mis-labelled East Haven, West Haven map. West Haven is where East Haven should be, and vice versa. It’s a quirky thing. So in case you’re wondering why West Haven is written on the East Side of that map - it’s deliberate. NP: It’s very Haven.

SR: The thing that I thought was really interesting about the final cut of this episode is that normally the act outs (where you go to commercial) are usually on Audrey, or Nathan, or Duke. But a lot of the act outs in this one went out on Vince. And I thought it was a really nice send off to the character, because he is the one that has the worst dilemma but also the most heroic moment. NP: Yeah. It’s something I thought about a lot writing this. Functionally, the fact that Audrey is in the scenes with Croatoan makes that the A story, but really there’s three A stories in this episode. And while we’re getting a bunch of information from Croatoan and there’s a lot of emotional movement in their story, and obviosuly Duke and Nathan are going through a lot as well … but then all the while going on in the background is this Vince story where he is making this huge sacrifice that no one else is really aware of because they’re so caught up in their own stories. So that I think was why we ended up putting the act outs where they are. It kind of gives him that impact.

[Croatoan; I created you] NP: That was scary. SR: This is the best part; “Twice.” His evil little giggle at the end, just sold it so well. NP: Yeah, he really held those scenes.

NP: Just looking back on Duke’s character; he’s goes through a Lot this season. Leaves Haven, goes on this journey, comes back, loses Hailie. He has quite a journey this season. SR: Yes, and if you go all the way back to the beginning of 5A, it’s just been quite the rollercoast ride. NP: Yeah, Mara was a rollercoaster there. JB: And there are echoes of the Mara,Audrey stuff from the beginning of the season here, Duke trying to come to the surface [Nathan seeing Duke still there underneath what Croatoan has turned him into] NP: Yeah, this was definitely a callback to that kind of stuff. It’s funny, talking of Hailie - in the original concept for this episode, Duke was receiving instructions from Croatoan, but Croatoan was posing in Duke’s mind as Hailie. And there was going to be this whole big reveal. But as we got further into it we realised; We don’t really need to see that side of it, it’s enough to play all of that off of Eric Balfour’s acting, and him really selling it. And he nailed it. So I’m glad we don’t have that complicating factor. JB: And I think as well, I remember reading that and thinking; This is really cool, but it would be amazing if it was Jennifer. And knowing we couldn’t make it Jennifer, I wonder if some of the fans might have thought the same thing. NP: Yeah, we totally wanted it to be Jennifer. But it was a case of who was available. JB: She was great too though, Hailie NP: Yes she was, but just emotionally does she mean the same to Duke? JB: Exactly

SR: So, do you think, if Dave were still alive, would Vince be willing to do this? [To sacrifice himself to become the controller of the new Barn] NP: Um, yes. It is something I thought about working on this, that his sacrifice is more about Haven as opposed to some displaced or weird mourning process for his brother. I definitely think that Dave passing recently maybe put the idea in his head, but I wanted the sacrifice to be more about his relationship with Haven as opposed to his relationship with his brother. SR: Right. Actually, I guess if Dave were alive they would do it together. NP: Likely, yeah. Just high fiving on the way in. They can just play gin rummy for ever and ever. SR: And argue with each other. NP: Yep. They’re good at that.

*Some comments about how pretty the house in this is, and how pretty Nova Scotia in general is, the downsides only being that it’s cold and rains all the time* SR: When we started shooting this season it was bitter cold. NP: Yes, because we did 26 episodes this year, which was a lot to cover. So we started shooting in April, and didn’t wrap up until mid-December. So by the time we were into the last four episodes, we had maybe 6 hours of daylight, the sun went down at like 3 o’clock or something. So that’s why we have a lot of interiors. SR: And when we started - April in Nova Scotia is still really cold as well. And I remember Lucas was out there in a shirt leaning against cold steel NP: Yes where Mara had shot him and he’s leaning against the bronco, there are all these out takes of him leaning against the cold metal like; Ahhh!!! JB: And in the last couple of episodes there some stuff outdoors and everyone’s wearing big coats which you’ve never seen anyone in Haven wear before. NP: Yeah, we just couldn’t do it otherwise SR: But our actors are troopers, man.

[Duke breaking out of his chains, and walking through the table and the wall/window] NP: It’s the classic; He wanted to be captured. SR: And as it true on pretty much any type of sci-fi show, you’re always wondering how much money do you have for visual effects. And I remember this discussion of; Do we have enough money to see him go through the table? NP: Yes, it was that specific. Because originally it was; We can’t do any more special effects. And because of the structure of this episode there was not a big visual effects budget dedicated to it. So originally that was going to be practical where Duke would have jumped across the table and leapt through the window. And then they were like; Er, actually it’s going to be more trouble for us to do it that way, let’s just go with the visual effects. So was I was like; Yes, that’s what I wanted all along. JB: So that’s the answer. You have what you want in your head, but you know it’s a bit expensive. So you write a shittier version of it so they insist you re-write it. NP: Yeah pretty much. A long con.

[Duke taking the Trouble census from Nathan] SR: The amount of times that Nathan has been hit in the head. NP: Yeah poor guy. I know he can’t feel it, but. JB: I feel it. I feel for him. Also didn’t McHugh almost get killed in this scene too? NP: Yes, that was changed, so eventually we just knocked him out. JB: A bit of a shout out to Nick because he’s too modest to mention it himself, but the whole concept of what the Trouble Census looked like, Nick spent a lot of time mapping that out for the art department when we were coming up with the concept. NP: I did? Oh yeah I did. I think because I carry around a journal that looks a lot like that.

[Audrey pleading with Croatoan not to kill Nathan] NP: That was the first time Audrey called Croatoan ‘Dad’. Probably to manipulate him, in that moment, but. SR: It worked NP: I wanted to have this cut back and forth between appealing to people’s real selves. And as scripted, this fight scene between Duke and Nathan was much longer, but with the constraints of producing something it had to be tightened. SR: The other thing I remember is that part of the reason we were shooting these two episodes in 10 days is because we were banking a lot for the finale. So that the finale could be awesome for the fans. NP: Yes, we really wanted to have as much time and money as we could, to do those final episodes right. SR: And I think Matt and Gab did a bang up job NP: They turned out great. And what’s nice is because we did do that, with the constraints of the last episode and this one of just being two people in various rooms, we got to have them talk a lot and figure out where they’re coming from heading into the craziness of the final two episodes. Because there’s a lot that goes on in 25 and 26, and there’s not a lot of time to sit down and talk about motivation. So that’s why these were fun to write.

[Croatoan tells Audrey she’s free to go] SR: This was another light bulb moment, because we were trying very hard to figure out what happens at the end of this episode. NP: Yeah you really painted me into a corner with having Audrey abducted. I was like; Why does he let her go? Gotta come up with something. SR: But you did a beautiful job! NP: Thank you. SR: It make absolute sense that he would just say; Off you go - go say goodbye. NP: Yep, before I turn them all against you. And then what we see is the result of that move [Dwight walking up to the house, about to find Lizzie] NP: This has always been one of my favourite story lines; Dwight and his daughter. He just talks about her really, you don’t see much in the show, but I always liked it. SR: And you did a webisde about it. That cleared up a lot of stuff for him. NP: Yeah we got to cover a lot in that, which was fun. Got to learn a lot about the Guard and everything. SR: She’s super cute. She totally looks like his daughter. NP: What I liked about this is it’s the first example of like; How I’m going to ruin you all. This is how I’m going to manipulate you and your friends. SR: Oh so beautiful. JB: It’s more evil than violence, it’s more manipulative. NP: Yeah. And that plays out in 25 and 26 in a cool way. It gives Dwight something to really lean into.

[Vince; I know exactly what we have to do to send Croatoan screaming back to hell] SR: That is a great line. NP: I love it when he gets tough. I also love that the outfit he chose for eternity is a sweater vest, or cardigan or whatever that is. Thank you all for watching. SR: Watch the finale, you’re going to love it.

[will-work-for-music]

* 2017 ALBUMS OF THE YEAR

two thousand + seventeen birthed fantastic records that found me like friends, over + over again. these masterpieces lead me to people + experiences on adventures far better than i could have dreamed. these collections songs kept me company through the highest highs, the lowest lows + the walking in between of this year marked by hardship + madness, for most of the world. these are the tunes i smiled + screamed + cried + danced to the most, this year. i’m wildly grateful for each artist + the remarkable melody-wrapped memories they’ve gifted me. here’s to the songs that stay. 🖤

loved in no particular order:

* LOVELY LITTLE LONELY - the maine

brilliant + poetic + free. this band has been liberating me since i was seventeen. before lovely little lonely was even born i jumped at the chance to celebrate 10 years of this band of brothers who’ve grown up alongside their family of fans. to truly live the lyric: “let’s fall back in love with the world + who we are + do the things we talked about but never did before..” i’m grateful to the maine for adventures i only ever dreamed + for the soundtrack to them all.. she’s a masterpiece.

* THE SEARCH FOR EVERYTHING - john mayer

“And that ends an era. August ‘14-April ’17. I made this record for *you*. May you hear and see and feel yourself in these songs.” 🌊♥️🌊 - @johnmayer

she’s stunning from beginning to end.. i kept telling everyone this show felt like experiencing a film.. it’s surely safe to say JM has made another stellar, artistic set of songs for the soundtrack of my life. wow, wow, wow.. as he kept saying to us, “thank you, thank you, thank you.”

“[On The search for everything, Mayer] succeeds because he’s not donning a new costume: instead, he’s settling into a groove he can claim as his own, and it feels like he’s at home.” - AllMusic

* HARRY STYLES - harry styles

(on album release day) every once in awhile, a record comes along that surprises you in a great way. as i put it to my best friend, [on release day].. “oops, i think i like harry’s album.” THE cameron crowe recently wrote a truly stunning, intriguing rolling stone cover story with styles as the subject.. (the cover that my mom thought featured “a young mick jagger,” without a clue about the previous week’s SNL sketch, ha). as someone who was never into one direction (sorry, rob sheffield), i likely wouldn’t have given this album a shot, but it’s everything you wouldn’t expect to hear in a “former pop star” solo record. thanks to two of my favorite writers (rob sheffield, who penned the RS review like only he can, + crowe) for encouraging me to see harry for more than the kid from the boy band.. as crowe put it (on the RS music now podcast), “he’s a music geek, in the best way..” his love of classic rock shines through, while still capturing a sound all his own. well done, HS. “from the dining table” + “two ghosts” are early favorites.. which i chose just before ryan adams tweeted it.

Rolling Stone’s Rob Sheffield put HS at number 3 on his 2017 album list: “What a revelation to see Styles live the same week as Paul McCartney – a tutorial on the connection between joy and brilliance. So is this album. The songs are built to last, standing up to months of ridiculously heavy listening. The only rock star who can come on like Macca and Mick at the same time. The only rock star who could earn all six minutes of "Sign of the Times.” The only rock star using his hard-won artistic freedom to craft the kind of hilariously anti-commercial old-school personal statement where every song counts, making big guitar moves everybody else this year was too timid to try. The only rock star who thinks cigarettes in New York are “cheap.” The only rock star.“

* PRISONER - ryan adams

"i think ‘prisoner’ has so much more hope + sensuality in it—to me, it’s liberating. those songs are more a celebration of becoming something as it’s broken apart.”

a note to ryan, as tour came to a close:

i feel the most alive inside of these songs.. the ones that break me open + somehow heal me, all at once. RA, i know this time out on the road stole your health + your joy, at times, but the wonder with which you kept playing was magic to witness. i’m grateful for your pursuit of growth + grace, no matter what comes your way. be it bronchitis, haters or heartbreak, you never let anything keep you down. thank you for not one, but two flawless dates in two sparkling cities on the prisoner tour. rest up + stay weird.. xo

* ONLY THE LONELY - colony house

just shy of two weeks into 2017, franklin, tennessee born + bred band of brothers colony house released a creative, impactful collection of songs for the soul. the rocknroll band’s strong sophomore effort landed them spots in the year’s finest festivals across the country (homegrown pilgrimage fest, chicago’s lollapalooza, new orleans’ voodoo experience). it will be exciting to see where these driving, honest story songs take them in the coming year.

* WONDERFUL WONDERFUL - the killers

the fifth studio album from brandon flowers + co has been called their strongest in over a decade. the frontman said the lead single, “the man,” was written through the lens of what his 20-something self thought it was to be a man..“being tough + bringing home the bacon, when really it’s about being compassionate + empathetic.”

For NME, Flowers shared that the lyrics of the album are “the most personal and bare” that he has ever been: “I’m looking in the mirror on this record and focusing a lot on my own personal experiences. Instead of just drawing upon all these experiences and maybe using them in other songs, I am going straight for it with this and singing about my life and my family and that’s something different for me.” The track “Rut” was inspired by the struggle of Flowers’ wife Tana with PTSD. He said: “Usually I feel protective of her but I decided to take it head on. So 'Rut’ is about her submitting to it. That doesn’t mean that she’s gonna let it beat her, but rather that she’s gonna finally acknowledge that it’s there and promise to break this cycle.” Flowers also added that putting his wife’s battle into a song helped him understand better what she is going through. “Have All the Songs Been Written?” was originally the subject line of an email Brandon Flowers sent to Bono, in the midst of a bout of writer’s block, before the latter suggested it would make an excellent song title.“

'wonderful wonderful’ is altogether driving + poignant + strong, intricately crafted for the artist + his listener.

* METAPHYSICAL - the technicolors

as soon as i experienced the technicolors–friends/labelmates/co-creators of the maine–live, i knew they would be in my life from that day forward. it seemed previous projects couldn’t quite capture the passion + enthusiasm of that short set, so 2017’s "metaphysical” was highly anticipated by many.

the title’s defined as “relating to the transcendent or to a reality beyond what is perceptible to the senses. beyond ordinary experience.” the aptly named project evokes a raw, ethereal energy that draws outside the lines, while remaining true to a rock solid focus. “sweat,” “imposter!” + “congratulations you’re a doll” would be welcome additions to any playlist, however it’s recommended listeners follow the sparkling sonic story from start to finish.

* CONCRETE + GOLD - foo fighters the ninth record from foo fighters is born + it is a freaking force. dave says it’s motörhead meets sgt. pepper’s. i sure do dig the super crunchy guitars + layered vocal melodies. paul mccartney plays drums + justin timberlake sings bgvs, just cause he wanted to + it makes me the happiest human.

“I feel an earthquake coming on,” Dave Grohl sings on “Dirty Water,” a moment of fragile guitar poetry from Foo Fighters’ ninth album. Of course, keeping things steady amid chaos has been one of Grohl’s signature themes since the Foos were born from the wreckage of Nirvana a couple of forevers ago. Musically and emotionally, Concrete and Gold is their most balanced record yet – from stadium-punk dive bombers like “Run” and “La Dee Da” to the acoustic soul that opens “T-Shirt,” in which Grohl gets his Nina Simone on, singing, “I don’t wanna be king/I just wanna sing a love song.” “Sunday Rain” is a guitar weeper so late-Beatles great it even has Paul McCartney playing drums on it.

Adele co-writer Greg Kurstin’s production adds big-studio texture without diluting the band’s raw tumult; even Justin Timberlake’s appearance – as a backing vocalist on the space-truckin’ “Make It Right” – is subtle rather than ostentatious. The highlight is “The Sky Is a Neighborhood,” a hulking dream-metal anthem: “Trouble to the right and left,” Grohl sings, driving into the darkness with a Bic lighter raised to the heavens.“ - Rolling Stone

* HALLOWEEN - ruston kelly

ruston kelly captured me, years ago, with the single release of his flawlessly raw, haunting "black magic.” ever since, like a ghost itself, the song was never far from me.

Rolling Stone writes, “Black Magic” is a crescendoing rocker that ponders the bewitching pull of romance –and how it can easily disappear in a cloud of smoke.“

"Kelly is just as adept at making catchy country grooves – Tim McGraw and Josh Abbott Band have cut his tracks –as he is capturing life’s darkest, most introspective moments. The songwriter’s debut EP, the Mike Mogis-produced Halloween, is a solemn meditation on the inevitable end of things, and the spirits that tend to haunt us. Kelly came to Tennessee as a last-minute decision after attending high school in Belgium (he jokes that his father might have been a spy). Once he landed in town, he held tenure in the jam band Elmwood and battled addiction, writing songs on Music Row while exploring his demons on Halloween and his forthcoming full-length. Current single "Black Magic” shows a powerful grasp on storytelling gleaned from his love of the Carter Family and Townes Van Zandt, but also a more ragged rock & roll soul: it’s Americana, if your Americana is Bruce Springsteen with an acoustic guitar, sung by someone who spins a little heavy metal too. “Sometimes I wear both a cowboy hat and a Slayer T-shirt, just to throw people off,” Kelly says.“

* REPUTATION - taylor swift

"hold on to the memories, they will hold on to you” at her core, i still believe taylor to be the fiercely strong, quietly brilliant songwriter she’s always been. the power of the song comes through when you strip it down + it still shines just as bright. thank you for making music that meets me where i am + takes me away, since that very first day, at fifteen (2006). thank you for this one + for playing it for jimmy fallon + his momma (go watch that performance + weep!) i look forward to growing into this record as i have the five that came before.. i’ve never doubted her prowess as a storyteller.. + i won’t start now.

see also: Rob Sheffield’s glorious write up. i wholeheartedly agree. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/taylor-swift-reputation-sheffield-review-most-intimate-lp-w511359

rob is my favorite RS writer/author on all-things music. from his books on life through the lens of pop music–bowie, beatles + duran duran songs, respectively, i wouldn’t trust anyone else’s TS review. he articulately captures how i feel, as a fan from album one.. i look forward to better understanding 'reputation’ with each spin, though i can’t help but miss the classic introspective ballads.

* DIVIDE - ed sheeran

a fantastically diverse record. once again, sheeran proves he can break all of the boundaries + stay true to himself as an artist. he does it all so well, without appearing to care what anyone else thinks. “dive” is a bold, beautiful statement i continue to come back to + feel just the same. the record punches + dances in all the right places, from beginning to end, begging to be played on repeat.

* LIFE CHANGES - thomas rhett

thomas rhett gifted us the quintessential road trip singalong soundtrack record of the year. the day after it was born was spent on a bus from chicago to nashville, so when it wasn’t playing through my earbuds, it was spinning on repeat in my mind. the title track still stands out clear + strong, though i thoroughly enjoyed a live taste of the addictive early maren morris duet–“craving you”–back in february on the hometeam tour. it’s no wonder his career has catapulted with his seamless versatility in blending country’s storytelling with pop music’s neverending ear candy likeablity. this record excellently showcases rhett’s range from anthemic radio jams to heartbreaker ballads and true-to-life tales in between.

* FROM A ROOM (vol 1 + 2) - chris stapleton

stapleton released music this year in two parts, dubbing them “from A room” volumes 1 + 2–not just any room, “'A’ room” being nashville’s historic RCA studio A. some songs included in the collection were written up to a decade ago; ones chosen as they still ring true to the bearded, believable-as-they-come singer/songwriter.

on the authenticity of his craft, stapleton says, “I can’t really speak to why people like what we do. Hopefully, they know what we do is authentically us, and that goes over no matter what kind of music you’re playing. People will kind of hear that and connect with that in ways they wouldn’t if you were trying to be something that you think might be popular; I think that’s always a mistake in music, maybe even in life. Do something 'cause it’s in your heart, do something 'cause it’s what you’re supposed to be doing.”

“broken halos” + “second one to know” will, to me, always conjure up memories of seeing him open for tom petty and the heartbreakers at wrigley field, on their 40th anniversary tour, this summer. music is medicine and these honest-to-the-bone tunes are instant classics as well as a balm for the soul.

* FIRST CIGARETTE - travis meadows

“we rise. we climb. we shine like broken stars.”

the above is perhaps the defining statement of next-level nashville singer/songwriter, travis meadows’ 2017 studio album, 'first cigarette.’ the veteran of a different kind of war, there’s not much meadows hasn’t faced in life–cancer, heartbreak, addiction, depression.. and no story is off-limits for the wonderfully raw-voiced, honest-as-they-come artist. each song stays true to travis’ heart, some a little more uncomfortably authentic than accessible (ie radio-friendly), but that’s the way meadows prefers his craft.

“underdogs,” “pontiac,” “hungry,” + “better boat” stand out from first listen, yet each track was chosen to land where they do in the lineup + in the heart of the listener.

Rolling Stone writes, “To his most ardent fans and peers, including Eric Church, Dierks Bentley and Jake Owen, who have all cut Meadows’ songs for their respective albums, his open-book approach to his craft is his greatest gift. But Meadows lives in fear of rejection. That ever-lingering sense of distrust remains…

[On having label support backing a project for the first time]:

"It validates all of the suffering that I went through to get here,” Meadows says. “It gives it purpose.”

“I try not to be too hard on myself,” Meadows continues, “but I don’t deserve any of this. So I’m grateful for every inch I get walking that mile.”

* STEEL TOWN - steve moakler

steel town had only been out for nine days + i’d woken up with these songs in my head, every morning. i’m partial to “wheels” + “gold” + “summer without her” (co-written with + ft. my favorite-for-so-long, sarah buxton!!) + the title track, but i cannot pick a favorite, friends. the long wait from 'wide open’ to this one was oh-so-worth it. thanks for another heartfelt record filled with story songs i can spin for years + years to come. seriously, don’t sleep on this love letter to a historically hardworking hometown.

* BRETT ELDREDGE - brett eldredge

“Brett Eldredge’s self-titled third album is the Number One country album this week. The Illinois native also scored the highest all-genre chart position of his career, landing at Number Two on the Billboard 200, behind Kendrick Lamar’s LP Damn.” - Rolling Stone (August 15)

eldredge is both effortless + earnest, perfectly showcasing his ability + personality on the record he calls, “the most [himself].” from the playful first single, “somethin’ i’m good at” to the heartfelt vulnerability of “castaway,” listeners experience all-sides of the equal parts smooth sinatra, fun-loving country crooner. the standouts are story songs–“the long way” is dreamlike while “no stopping you” is wistful–both shine brilliantly on studio LP number three.

[paulbenedictblog]

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Fox news State of the Franchise: Will 49ers slay feared Super Bowl hangover? - NFL.com

Fox news

Tuesday, Would possibly well maybe also 26, 2020 07: 41 AM

Where does your franchise stand heading into 2020? Adam Sinister sets the table by offering a Suppose of the Franchise scrutinize the least bit 32 teams, zeroing in on the foremost figures to witness and atmosphere the stakes for the season to reach.

Members of the San Francisco 49ers group, Niners followers around the enviornment and these which could per chance maybe per chance be here unbiased to scrutinize if I may predict that this crew will win 3-13 once more:

After just a few seasons in the barren region, the 49ers are once more one among the NFL's model organizations. They fill a colorful young coach main the worth and a defense that is the envy of many of the league. Whereas they fell unbiased rapid of shooting their sixth Lombardi Trophy final season, they served see that they weren't handiest relieve, however as aesthetic as ever. And while essentially the most modern reboot hasn't executed the success of the teams that were on an routine basis winning titles in the 1980s and '90s (no longer lower than no longer but), there is powerful to cease up for in San Francisco.

Let's catch a transient scrutinize on the us of americaand downs of 2019:

The highs:

Making it to Massive Bowl LIV. The San Francisco 49ers were in the Massive Bowl once more!

Having fleshy battles with the Seahawks. There weren't many missteps in 2019, however one which caught with the Niners modified into a 27-24 time previous legislation loss to the Seahawks in Week 10 -- their first defeat of the twelve months after starting out with eight consecutive wins. It keep of dwelling up an thrilling take hang of at Seattle in Week 17, by which San Francisco avenged the outdated loss and secured dwelling-self-discipline attend sometime of the playoffs. Sadly, the Seahawks' loss at Green Bay in the Divisional Round of the playoffs kept us from getting to scrutinize the rubber match in the NFC Championship Game.

Crushing the Packers. Twice. Speaking of the NFC title match ... In Week 12, the 49ers humiliated Green Bay, 37-8, on Sunday Evening Football. And in the postseason rematch fully nobody wished (exterior of 49ers followers dreaming of an effortless victory), they once more made snappy work of Aaron Rodgers and Co. and coasted to the Massive Bowl.

George Kittle snuffing out the hopes and desires of some Saints defenders on a fourth-down play to put of dwelling up the winning self-discipline draw in a formidable comeback victory in Original Orleans. The Niners were able to both shake off a troublesome loss in Baltimore the outdated week and save themselves as the finest crew in the NFC.

The low:

Dropping in Massive Bowl LIV. The 49ers winning the Massive Bowl gave the impact esteem an annual tradition after I modified into in main college. But the first franchise to grab 5 Lombardi trophies has no longer won a title since the 1994 season. Which is legitimately a lifetime previously for many young 49ers followers, who're absolute self perception drained of hearing their oldsters focus on about staring at Joe Montana dominate.

Head coach: Kyle Shanahan. A twelve months previously, Sean McVay modified into the hotshot coach teams were attempting to emulate, with McVay's Rams coming off a Massive Bowl look in his 2nd season on the job. That time is previous. Now teams were attempting to secure young hotshots with trucker hats and hoodies underneath their sweatshirts. Or, no longer lower than, they must were. Shanahan won a blended 10 video games sometime of his first two seasons with the franchise, and a few wondered if his abilities were in actuality going to translate on the head-teaching stage. Those doubts were put to relaxation with San Francisco's 13 wins final season. Obviously, folk will restful point to that Shanahan has now coached two teams that coughed up leads in the Massive Bowl (between the Niners final season and the Falcons, for whom he modified into serving as offensive coordinator, in Massive Bowl LI), however any individual who dings him for that is overlooking the truth that you just've gotten to win something aesthetic to win to that stage in the first dwelling. And I am telling you aesthetic now, if Shanahan modified into on hand on the teaching market, he would be employed in about 6 minutes.

One thing else that ought to be thought of aesthetic news: Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh is returning. Meanwhile, Shanahan and general supervisor John Lynch are entering the fourth twelve months of their preliminary six-twelve months contracts, and it could per chance per chance even unbiased be time for the group to elongate these guys aesthetic now.

Quarterback: Jimmy Garoppolo. You must per chance maybe per chance snarl a guy who overcame a foremost ACL misfortune and took his crew to the Massive Bowl would be loved, however, yeah ... no longer so powerful.

Garoppolo modified into ridiculed for this screenshot, by which it seems his eyes were closed when he threw an interception in the Massive Bowl. Then you definately had those that spent the offseason engaged on conspiracy theories about Tom Brady becoming a member of the crew as a free agent. Spoiler alert: Brady went to Tampa Bay. I unbiased win no longer stamp the Garoppolo doubt. He modified into a defensive conclude or two far from being named the Massive Bowl MVP (even supposing Raheem Mostert would fill had a inform), and he's surely a franchise quarterback.

That is never any longer to declare there is no longer room for enchancment, however he's coming off his first fleshy season as a starter. Give him a gamble to grow. He's following in the footsteps of other quarterbacks who leaned on stable defenses early of their careers and finally ended up being the leaders of their teams (Ben Roethlisberger in Pittsburgh or Russell Wilson in Seattle). Shoot, even Brady himself went thru that early on in Original England. So relieve off. Jimmy G. performed almost about 70 percent of his passes. Ranked third in yards per try (8.4). Threw for 27 touchdowns. Out-dueled Drew Brees in Original Orleans. Pause being ridiculous, folk.

Projected 2020 MVP: Nick Bosa, drag rusher. There were excessive expectations for Bosa coming into the league as the No. 2 overall select in the 2019 NFL Draft, because his brother Joey Bosa had been so dominant for the Los Angeles Chargers. And then Nick regarded even better than Joey, ranking fourth in the league in quarterback pressures as a rookie. If he's healthy and no longer the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2020, I am going to be timid.

2020 breakout giant name: Deebo Samuel, receiver. If there is one participant I am attempting forward to seeing catch the soar in the impending season, or no longer it's Deebo. (Who, yes, is nicknamed after the persona from Friday. Samuel caught 57 passes for 802 yards and three touchdowns (with 14 carries for 159 yards and another three rankings on the ground) as a rookie in 2019. Right here's the twelve months for him to step up as a presence on offense, and this could well per chance maybe per chance be incumbent on Shanahan to secure various options for him to win his hand on the football.

Original face to know: Brandon Aiyuk, rookie receiver. Loved this select for the 49ers. I had San Francisco taking Javon Kinlaw and Denzel Mims in my mock draft, however I in actuality win imagine Aiyuk, selected 25th overall, is a better fit for them. (I had him going to the Packers at No. 30 in entrance of the Niners at 31, prior to San Francisco traded up to 25.) He's got a monster reach and is one among the finest route-runners on this receiver-heavy draft. Aiyuk excels at working after the take, and he goes to be very harmful to pair with Samuel and Kittle in the passing game. The crew will drag over the veteran Emmanuel Sanders, who left in free agency, however the affect of Sanders' absence shall be lessened as Aiyuk will get up to velocity.

The competitive urgency index is: EXTREMELY HIGH. The 49ers wish to grab the Massive Bowl this twelve months. Factual mediate what no longer too lengthy previously transpired with Jim Harbaugh, who put together a 44-19-1 snarl from 2011 to '14 as the Niners' head coach, including a 2012 mosey to Massive Bowl XLVII -- by which San Francisco modified into bested by Baltimore. Two seasons and one 8-8 win later, Harbaugh modified into executed, and the Massive Bowl window slammed shut, with masses of most likely closing untapped.

It be exhausting to scrutinize relieve at these fleshy teams and no longer be dissatisfied on the neglected alternatives. In particular with Harbaugh's 2011 crew, which modified into one muffed punt far from facing off with the Patriots in Massive Bowl XLVI. I win no longer wish to focus on for 49ers followers, and I stamp or no longer it's hard shedding in the Massive Bowl. But I assumed that 2011 crew modified into the finest of the Harbaugh expertise, and that could be the one which brought me essentially the most remorse. Truly, you win no longer wish to win into a the same flinch 5 years from now, questioning how you had all of this talent and could per chance maybe per chance now not win it executed.

Three key dates

Week 4 vs. Philadelphia: The Eagles can also unbiased restful be a contender for the NFC title this twelve months, and this Sunday night game can also unbiased restful be thrilling. The 49ers shall be dwelling for the first time since taking part in relieve-to-relieve boulevard video games against the Jets and Giants.

Week 10 at Original Orleans: The 49ers and Saints conducted per chance the finest long-established-season game of 2019 in Original Orleans. We were robbed of an encore in the playoffs, however we're excited for this one, which could also unbiased restful once more affect dwelling-self-discipline attend.

Week 15 at Dallas: Of the pause three non-divisional NFC teams the 49ers play this twelve months (Eagles, Saints and Cowboys), they wish to face the Saints and Cowboys on the boulevard. And all another time, this can also unbiased restful be another game that has an worthy affect on dwelling-self-discipline attend in the playoffs.

Will the 49ers have the option to ...

Care for raised expectations and the Massive Bowl hangover? Final twelve months, Richard Sherman referred to as out these in the media who doubted the 49ers on the starting of the season. Adore me. Right here is the article, even supposing. No one is doubting the 49ers this season. San Francisco could be the favourite to no longer handiest drag to the Massive Bowl, however to grab it. The Niners usually are now not any longer that 4-12 underdog. It be going to be a pleasant take a look at, radiant that each crew goes to circle the calendar wherever San Francisco seems.

And then there is that Massive Bowl hangover. Some teams work thru this better than others. The Patriots lost Massive Bowl LII to the Eagles and came relieve the following twelve months to defeat the Los Angeles Rams in Massive Bowl LIII. The Rams, in the period in-between, did now not originate the playoffs in 2019. Which reach are the 49ers going to transfer?

Rating another fleshy season from Richard Sherman? Speaking of Sherman, he's one among the finest cornerbacks to ever play the sport. A member of the 2010s All-Decade Crew, Sherman modified into listed as Reliable Football Point of curiosity' high-rated cornerback of 2020 for aesthetic draw. Quarterbacks had a passer rating of 42.8 when targeting him final twelve months, per PFF. But there were just a few performs the keep he modified into overwhelmed deep by the Packers' Davante Adams, which sparked some Twitter heat with Darrelle Revis. There were moreover just a few misses in the Massive Bowl against the Chiefs, the keep Tyreek Hill and Sammy Watkins repeatedly beat him. You win no longer wish to make exercise of just a few remoted performs from the postseason to wipe out a full twelve months the keep he modified into the finest in the industry. But my guy turned into 32 in March. That must be something the 49ers are .

Preserve a high-notch defense? Let's spread this out. As I discussed earlier, Nick Bosa is fabulous. The Niners did a fleshy job maintaining avid gamers esteem Arik Armstead and Jimmie Ward. That modified into superior. DeForest Buckner modified into traded for a predominant-spherical select that the crew feeble to snag a much less dear replace in Kinlaw, who I imagine shall be a Reliable Bowler sooner in preference to later, given the talent around him.

But -- and I hate to point this out -- now we fill considered currently that teams with dominant defenses seem to finally mosey out of steam. The Jaguars were fleshy in 2017, reaching the AFC title game with the No. 2 ranked defense, and as well they've won a crammed with 11 video games since. The Bears of 2018 had the pause defense in the league with regards to functions allowed. And while they were very aesthetic final twelve months, the crew carried out 8-8. The aesthetic news for the 49ers is that their offense is sooner than the keep the Jaguars' and Bears' were. Which leads us to ...

One storyline folk are overlooking: How aesthetic the offense in actuality modified into final twelve months. The 49ers' defense modified into lauded for the reach smartly it conducted. And it must were. But win no longer sleep on how smartly the unit modified into complemented by the offense. San Francisco ranked eighth in functions allowed and 2nd in yards allowed, while the offense modified into 2nd in functions scored and fourth in yards won. The Niners were 2nd in speeding offense final twelve months the utilization of avid gamers esteem Raheem Mostert -- no disrespect to Mostert, however he had been gash from almost about each crew in the league, or no longer lower than it unbiased gave the impact that lengthen. He modified into esteem the guy who modified into a co-giant name in all of these nice movies and then turned into a number one man on his fill. Adore attempting relieve on Seth Rogen's early work and being esteem, wow, now that dude is in all the pieces. And also you moreover fill the finest tight stop on the earth in George Kittle. Who absolute self perception is one among the finest-drag catchers in the sport. But he moreover doubtlessly loves blocking way more. Which is fabulous. It be one among the facets folk no longer valuable about Hold Gronkowski's occupation -- and I am overjoyed Kittle is getting love for it.

The backside line is, I in actuality feel esteem unique NFL followers equate aesthetic offense with throwing the ball the total time. But imagine it or no longer, there are instances when teams in actuality wish to mosey the football. And few win it better than the 49ers.

One storyline folk are overthinking: Shanahan's play-calling in the Massive Bowl. I am serious. You all wish to conclude with that stuff. If Shanny had long gone conservative and Mostert had been stuffed three instances, he would were criticized for that. He went for the take hang of. It did now not work. Recede on.

For the 2020 season to be a success, the 49ers MUST ...

Care for the entirety. Certain. It be hard to enter the season with the expectation that the relaxation lower than winning a Massive Bowl shall be an voice failure. But here we're. Windows esteem this close snappy. You must per chance maybe per chance also unbiased restful know this, having lived thru it in the outdated decade. You've to catch attend.

I doubted you final twelve months, and likewise you made me expend my words. I am distinct you'd love for me to reach disrespect you once more. But I will't win that. The 49ers fill one among the finest rosters in football. You've fleshy football minds main you, both on the self-discipline and in the entrance dwelling of enterprise. It be all keep of dwelling up for you. The ask is, can this crew catch your next step? I may declare you, I am executed doubting it.

Survey the total Action

Replay every game all season.

[headquartersforlievmuses]

► Andrea Zuckerman

Andrea is a dedicated high school student at West Beverly, who also serves as the editor of the West Beverly Blaze – the school newspaper. Engaging in a plethora of extra credit programmes and volunteering, the girl living out of district is set on reaching her goal of an academic scholarship to Yale University. Andrea is incredibly sweet and has a big heart; she is also a very logical person, which leads to her feeling socially awkward and therefore adopting a more shy nature when trying to talk to other students.

Her logical nature can leave her very blunt in her emotional expression, but she finds acceptance and a sense of self in her relationships with the gang. Her close friendship with Brandon Walsh, although their relationship is never truly platonic, changes her course somewhat – for the better – as Andrea starts engaging in the high school social life and makes friends for life.

Andrea spends her time at West Beverly working toward academic stardom and has little time for anything – or one – else. The down-to-earth nature of the Minnesota twins has a deep effect on a number of students, but Andrea's lifestyle is immediately altered by Brandon Walsh's presence in her life. After initially assuming he is superficial, Brandon makes an effort to explain his behaviour to Andrea and accidentally learns of Andrea's family situation, with her living out of district and he is there for her, the two of them developing a close bond. While maintaining they're just friends, they have an undeniable chemistry, which neither seem willing to act upon for a year.

Andrea begins to lessen her at times intense black-and-white behaviour towards others and starts opening up to the possibility of making friends at her school. This starts with Brenda, who Brandon encourages to include Andrea in a mother-daughter fashion show, hosted by Kelly's mother. While Brenda is reluctant at first, she quickly finds that they all get along well. Andrea provides a different perspective on Kelly's difficult home life when she tells Kelly that she considers her amazing, for leading the life she leads while taking on such an adult responsibility, which she shouldn't have to deal with. When Brenda later wishes to do something fulfilling in Beverly Hills, Brandon sets her up with Andrea, who works at a teen helpline.

The Blaze signs out for the summer with a meeting and cake at West Beverly, where Brandon tries to talk to Andrea about what happened between them. Brandon doesn't seem willing to immediately let go of what happened, but Andrea insists that it would be best if they just go back to being friends. Andrea is tutoring kids over the summer and decides to enroll in a summer drama class, which Brenda and Donna also take. Andrea also approaches Brandon to become a big brother to a kid at the center where she tutors kids. When Brandon finds out his mother is abusive, he seeks out Andrea and together they help find Felix a solution.

Starting her junior year, Andrea returns as the editor at The Blaze. Though she was adamant that she and Brandon should just stay friends, Andrea is visibly jealous when Brandon takes an interest in new girl Emily Valentine, who also starts working at the paper to be closer to Brandon. Although it's hard for Andrea to see Brandon with someone else, she never tells him how she really feels or changes her mind about wanting to be with him. They continue to be friends and Andrea attends the Walsh barbecue where Emily is invited, too. Later, she and Brandon watch the girls perform at 'Hello Day' together. Andrea continues to hang out with the gang, spending an evening at Casa Walsh with everyone and meeting the twins' cousin, Bobby. Brandon accidentally gets Andrea worried when he submits her work for a journalism competition and she wins, prompting an interviewer to want to visit her home, though she lives out of district.

Andrea wrestles with whether to attend Yale or CU, and ultimately decides, for financial reason, to give the Ivy League a miss and stay in Beverly Hills with the gang. Andrea, Kelly, Brenda, and Donna make an effort to pledge the Alpha Omega sorority. However, when Andrea was told by Leslie Sumner to downplay her Jewish heritage, Andrea is obviously offended and dropped out of the running. Leslie later apologized, stating she herself was Jewish, and they made up, though Andrea did not return to sorority life.

Andrea forged a bond with Donna Martin when they shared with one another their decision to wait to have sex. Andrea eventually has sex with her RA, Dan Rubin, which becomes a part of the issue leading to a minor tiff between her and Donna. Andrea and Brenda find themselves on opposite sides when Brenda joins a group which attempts to free animals from a CU test lab. Andrea works at the facility and feels betrayed by Brenda since the lab doesn't actually harm animals in the first place. This season shows Andrea growing closer to the girls in the 90210 gang, with the famous Kelly/Brenda/Donna trio including Andrea, who was previously mainly close friends with just Brandon and Brenda. She forges her own strong bonds with both Donna and Kelly, which last throughout the show's run.

Soon after starting her relationship with Dan Rubin, Andrea meets Jesse Vasquez at Jim and Cindy Walsh's 20th anniversary party and the two click instantly. While still technically with Dan, Andrea begins a relationship with Jesse. She breaks up with Dan who, still in love with Andrea, makes racial comments toward Jesse. Dan eventually moves out of the dorm and Jesse and Andrea continue to date. This leads to the most controversial, and unexpected, storyline development in the character's history. Andrea Zuckerman, having slept with Jesse only once without protection, soon finds that she was pregnant.

After months in the hospital, Andrea and Jesse are finally able to take the baby girl home. Andrea's early season 5 storylines were mostly limited to minor daycare issues, and the struggles she faced as a young mother trying to juggle a new marriage, child, and keeping up her always high marks in college. The early marriage and child story, while a high point for the character a season before, began alienating her from the gang, and Andrea's character was beginning to fade into the background.

Attempts were made during the second half of the season to inject some life into Andrea's waning story. She was thrust back into the political arena, sharing screen time once again with Brandon, a move designed to keep her more involved in campus life, and remind audiences of her once strong political passions. Her marriage was thrown into trouble when she and Jesse had difficulty getting past their religious differences; she being Jewish and he being Catholic. Later a complete physical makeover of the character was allowed; though she'd already shed the glasses a year before, Andrea's hair was suddenly blonde, and she was allowed to wear more fashion and body conscious wear, perhaps in an attempt to visually mesh her with the rest of the women on the canvas. All aspects of the once socially awkward, borderline "nerd" were now wiped clean.

Andrea knows sign language and is fairly adept at Spanish.

She mentions having a sister one time.

Verses

tba

[junker-town]

Everything we learned from the 2015 NFL Draft, five years later

Todd Gurley, Marcus Mariota, and Jameis Winston were all top-10 picks in the 2015 NFL Draft.

2015 was a bad year for first-round picks. Teams that fail to learn from it may just repeat it.

From a franchise’s standpoint, the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft was one of the worst of all time. Five years later, only seven of the Day 1 picks are settled in for their sixth season with the club that drafted them. That includes just one player from the top 10 — Washington offensive lineman Brandon Scherff.

Yes, the first round of the 2015 draft did something long thought impossible in the NFL. It made Washington look like a stable and well-run organization.

Five years ago, each of these selections was an opportunity. Now they’re a lesson. The first 32 picks of that draft presented themes which can apply to 2020.

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Jameis Winston, QB

Winston’s cannon arm led Florida State to a national championship and earned him a Heisman Trophy. He used that unquenchable desire to create big plays to become the NFL’s most turnover-prone player; he had 88 interceptions, 50 fumbles, and zero playoff appearances with the Bucs. He’s currently a free agent.

Lesson learned: Heisman winners are no safe bet ... and extremely hard to quit.

Winston was given five years to stake his claim as Tampa’s franchise quarterback and went 28-42. The Buccaneers were finally willing to let the sun set on the Winston era, in part, because a superior option cropped up in free agency. Bruce Arians is betting Tom Brady is the key to unlocking his team’s potential.

Players it applies to in 2020: Joe Burrow

2. Tennessee Titans: Marcus Mariota, QB

Mariota got stuck at “goodness” and never made it to “greatness.” The Titans finished 9-7 in four of the former Oregon star’s five seasons on the roster — a run that culminated in Mariota losing his starting job in favor of Dolphins retread Ryan Tannehill.

Lesson learned: See above.

Like Winston, Mariota has a Heisman Trophy at home, yet will likely head into a backup role after joining the Raiders.

Players it applies to in 2020: Joe Burrow

3. Jacksonville Jaguars: Dante Fowler, Edge

Fowler was more potential than production at Florida, but the Jaguars liked his power and athleticism enough to make him the centerpiece of their draft class. He missed his rookie year due to an ACL tear, then made one start in 2.5 years for Jacksonville before being traded.

Lesson learned: Potential needs opportunity.

Fowler’s injury wrecked his learning curve, and a slow start kept him trapped in the middle of the Jaguars’ depth chart. The first season in which he played more than 53 percent of his team’s defensive snaps came in 2019. He rewarded that faith with a career-high 11.5 sacks ... for the Rams.

Players it applies to in 2020: K’Lavon Chaisson, Yetur Gross-Matos, A.J. Epenesa

4. Oakland Raiders: Amari Cooper, WR

Cooper was drafted to be a No. 1 wideout in the league. Two Pro Bowl invitations in his first two seasons backed up that claim — though it took a trade out of Oakland to restore his luster after a disappointing 2017.

Lesson learned: Alabama’s Day 1 wideouts live up to the hype.

Julio Jones? Stud. Cooper? Stud. Calvin Ridley? Well, it’s still early to tell, but he’s got 17 touchdowns in 29 career games so far. All were Crimson Tide standouts.

Players it applies to in 2020: Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs III

5. Washington: Brandon Scherff, OL

Scherff played both tackle and guard in college and was the ideal Iowa blocker: big, aggressive, and tough as hell. Fifth overall may have seemed a bit high, but he rewarded Washington with three Pro Bowl honors and was retained this spring via the franchise tag.

Lesson learned: Good blocking is important, wherever it is.

Only one guard has been selected in the top five picks since 1976. Scherff played enough on the edge to narrowly avoid a place on that list, but he’s been used almost exclusively at right guard in Washington. He’s kicked ass doing it, too. With NFL QBs now more mobile than ever before and the value of blocking expanding just beyond a blindside protector, it could soon be time for a full-time guard to return to the top five.

Players it applies to in 2020: Cesar Ruiz, Lloyd Cushenberry III, Netane Muti

6. New York Jets: Leonard Williams, DL

Williams was a projected top-three pick who fell to the Jets at No. 6. He began to reach that potential in a Pro Bowl 2016 campaign, but failed to match that production in the years that followed. He was traded to the Giants last fall.

Lesson learned: Never get your hopes up, Jets fans.

Between 2012 and 2016, New York had 11 first- or second-round picks. Williams, with his lone Pro Bowl invitation, may have been the best of a group that includes Sheldon Richardson (not bad!) but also Christian Hackenberg, Darron Lee, and Dee Milliner (bad!).

The past three seasons have trended in the opposite direction thanks to the brilliance of Jamal Adams and potential of Sam Darnold and Quinnen Williams. Still, as Leonard Williams proved, early success as a Jet is no guarantee of future returns.

Players it applies to in 2020: According to our mock draft database, CeeDee Lamb, Jerry Jeudy, Jedrick Wills

7. Chicago Bears: Kevin White, WR

White was electricity at West Virginia; a 6’3 burner with a nose for the end zone. But he was raw and often injured; he played just 14 games in four years for the Bears and spent 2019 out of the NFL.

Lesson learned: Sometimes the universe just says no.

White’s NFL career played out like a ragged curse. He missed the entirely of his rookie season due to a broken tibia. He broke a bone in the same leg after just four games the following year. He started the team’s season opener in 2017 and promptly fractured his shoulder. By November 2018, he’d become a shell of his former self enough to make him a healthy scratch.

White had the chops to be great. The football gods had different plans.

Players it applies to in 2020: There’s no way of knowing ... but the safe money’s on whomever the Browns pick.

8. Atlanta Falcons: Vic Beasley, Edge

Beasley was a first-team All-Pro in his second season, but hasn’t lived up to that standard in the three decent, but underwhelming, years since. He signed with the Titans this spring.

Lesson learned: Sack numbers don’t tell the whole story.

There was a warning sign that predicted his 15.5-sack season wasn’t sustainable. Despite ranking first in the NFL in sacks in 2016, he was just 45th with 16 QB hits. That suggested his numbers would trend downward — and they did.

Players it applies to in 2020: Zach Baun, Alex Highsmith

9. New York Giants: Ereck Flowers, OT

Flowers was drafted to keep Eli Manning upright. He did not succeed. Flowers was released in 2018, but showed enough with Washington in 2019 l to earn a three-year, $30 million contract with the Dolphins.

Lesson learned: Pay attention to red flags, especially if you’re reaching to fill a position of need.

There were plenty of reasons not to make Flowers a top-10 pick. He was unpolished and undisciplined, eager to draw holding penalties at the first sign of getting beat. He was big and athletic, but the Giants needed someone who could make an immediate impact. Flowers was not that guy, and it’s safe to say this overeager over-reach is still haunting the Giants.

Players it applies to in 2020: Jordan Love, A.J. Epenesa

10. St. Louis Rams: Todd Gurley, RB

Gurley was a gamble — an all-world running back coming off an ACL tear that threatened to hinder his pro career. While he earned rookie of the year honors and would be a two-time All-Pro in 2017-18, those injury concerns sapped his 2019. That, and an untenable contract, led to his release this offseason.

Lesson learned: High-usage running backs with injury histories are just as risky as they sound.

Gurley was a high-risk, high-reward selection who paid off both sides of that adage in five seasons as a Ram. St. Louis/LA would likely make that bargain again — though they’d probably like to rescind his record-setting contract extension.

Players it applies to in 2020: D’Andre Swift, Zack Moss, Darrynton Evans

11. Minnesota Vikings: Trae Waynes, CB

The rangy corner displayed lockdown tendencies at Michigan State to be the first defensive back selected in 2015. He eventually became a steady, if unspectacular, starter in Minnesota.

Lesson learned: Aggression is a double-edged sword.

Waynes built a reputation at MSU as a high-level press corner, thriving by taking risks, jumping routes, and using his recovery speed to clean up messes. That strategy hasn’t paid off for him as well against the NFL’s more athletic receivers. He’s allowed more than twice as many touchdowns (nine) as interceptions (four) in his last three seasons.

Players it applies to in 2020: Jeff Gladney, Amik Robertson

12. Cleveland Browns: Danny Shelton, DT

Shelton was one of the final picks of the Ray Farmer era in Cleveland. Despite having little impact as a Brown, he’s still arguably the team’s best Day 1 pick from 2011-15. After three years and only 11 tackles for loss in 46 games, he was traded to the Patriots.

Lesson learned: You’re probably going to regret trading your draft bust to the Patriots.

Shelton didn’t prosper right away in New England, but his second season with the Pats saw him emerge as an above-average interior lineman. He set personal bests in tackles, sacks, and QB hits as an invaluable piece of the NFL’s top defense.

Players it applies to in 2020: Since there aren’t any notable Rutgers prospects this year, we’ll have to wait and see.

13. New Orleans Saints: Andrus Peat, OL

Peat was drafted as a high-ceiling offensive tackle, but struggles forced him to guard for the bulk of his career. It’s worked out well in spurts. He was one of New Orleans’ most valuable blockers from 2016 to 2018, though he backslid in 2019 (despite earning a Pro Bowl invitation).

Lesson learned: A position change doesn’t mean admitting defeat, so find someone versatile.

Like Scherff before him, Peat’s best work came as a guard. That might not have been what the Saints drafted him for, but a good team (and also Washington) finds a way to maximize talent.

Players it applies to in 2020: Any OT prospect who struggles as a rookie.

14. Miami Dolphins: DeVante Parker, WR

Parker was a reliable presence at Louisville, but his senior season — 43 catches, 855 yards in SIX games — made him a top-15 pick. He didn’t meet expectations until 2019, however, because ...

Lesson learned: Adam Gase cannot be trusted.

Parker’s value plummeted in his three seasons playing under Gase. Freed from his underachieving head coach and catching passes from a freewheeling Ryan Fitzpatrick, Parker sprang for career highs of 72 catches, 1,202 yards, and nine touchdowns last season.

Players it applies to in 2020: Whichever skill players the Jets draft. Sorry, Jets.

15. San Diego Chargers: Melvin Gordon, RB

Gordon earned two Pro Bowl honors in his five seasons as a Charger. However, his tenure there may be defined by the 2019 contract holdout that proved an undrafted free agent, Austin Ekeler, could do his job better than Gordon could.

Lesson learned: Healthy first-round running backs are risky, too.

Gordon was a workhorse at Wisconsin, playing 41 games (and taking 611 carries) over his final three years. Even though he was good for the Chargers, he never quite reached the level of greatness ascribed to a top-15 pick.

Players it applies to in 2020: D’Andre Swift, J.K. Dobbins, Jonathan Taylor

16. Houston Texans: Kevin Johnson, CB

Johnson made 10 starts for Houston as a rookie, but injuries limited him to just 19 games the following three seasons. While he played every week of the 2019 season for the Bills’ dominant defense, he played just 32 percent of the team’s defensive snaps.

Lesson learned: Even safe picks blow up sometimes.

Johnson looked every bit a star cornerback at Wake Forest. He put together a stronger college resume than almost anyone else in his draft class. Even if players like Waynes and Marcus Peters had boom-or-bust tendencies, Johnson appeared to have the lower ceiling but higher floor. Instead, he struggled as a rookie and then injuries robbed him of having a major impact in Houston.

Players it applies to in 2020: Jeff Okudah, Chase Young, Tristan Wirfs, Derrick Brown

17. San Francisco 49ers: Arik Armstead, DL

Armstead played a supporting role early in his career before moving into a full-time position on the defensive line for an ascending Niners team. After posting nine sacks in his first four seasons, he broke through with 10 last fall to help bring San Francisco an NFC title.

Lesson learned: Supporting cast matters.

Armstead came along slowly, but he blossomed when teammates like Nick Bosa, DeForest Buckner, and Dee Ford were there to soften up offensive lines and push quarterbacks into his path.

Players it applies to in 2020: Jeff Okudah, Chase Young, any Day 1 pick expected to prop up a bottom-third unit.

18. Kansas City Chiefs: Marcus Peters, CB

Peters came into the league as a high-upside coverage corner who could turn mistakes into turnovers (and allow opposing QBs to turn his mistakes into touchdowns), though his off-field record tarnished his draft stock. He’s enjoyed an up-and-down pro career that reached new heights after three pick-sixes in 2019 for the Ravens.

Lesson learned: Don’t have a knee-jerk reaction to a few bad plays.

Peters tends to gamble at corner, leading to big swings in coverage. His 25 touchdowns allowed since joining the league are second-most in the NFL in that span. That helped lead to two different low-cost trades for a two-time All-Pro with more interceptions than scoring plays given up.

Players it applies to in 2020: Jeff Gladney, Amik Robertson

19. Cleveland Browns: Cameron Erving, OL

Erving lasted just two seasons in Cleveland before being traded to the Chiefs, where he’s been a useful, if unessential, swing tackle ever since.

Lesson learned: The Browns can’t win.

Cleveland had two first-round picks and beefed up both sides of the trenches. Each pick garnered mostly positive reviews (Shelton more than Erving), but neither player lasted more than three seasons with the Browns.

The poor, poor Browns.

Players it applies to in 2020: Whomever gets the call to wear these swank-ass uniforms.

20. Philadelphia Eagles: Nelson Agholor, WR

Agholor was supposed to be the perfect playmaker for Chip Kelly. Instead, his career got off to a rough start before briefly stabilizing and then, in 2019, returning to disappointment. He’ll try to live up to his first-round status as a Raider in 2020.

Lesson learned: Some flaws don’t get fixed.

Agholor is an electric athlete and an occasional savior from the slot, but his college tape showed a player whose lapses in concentration led to frustrating drops. As an Eagles fan will tell you, that’s a problem that didn’t go away in the NFL — he had 21 drops the past four seasons.

Players it applies to in 2020: Jordan Love, Jalen Reagor

21. Cincinnati Bengals: Cedric Ogbuehi, OT

Ogbuehi was a big, quick lineman who played both guard and tackle at Texas A&M, but a torn ACL meant he brought injury concerns with him to the NFL. He never quite rounded into shape. He has appeared in only 16 games (zero starts) over the past two seasons with the Bengals and Jaguars.

Lesson learned: Maybe trust the All-Pro who says he can still play in his mid-30s?

Ogbuehi’s arrival made Andrew Whitworth expendable — and when the Bengals weren’t willing to pay his market value, he moved on to the Rams. He was an All-Pro immediately after leaving Cincinnati, then the blindside protector for a Super Bowl team at age 37.

Players it applies to in 2020: The players drafted to replace Tom Brady, Greg Olsen, Philip Rivers, or Jason Witten.

22. Pittsburgh Steelers: Bud Dupree, Edge

Dupree started his career in more of a supporting role for Pittsburgh, but 2019 marked his ascension to the spotlight. His 11.5 sacks were a career high and made him a potent cantilever to T.J. Watt’s edge rush.

Lesson learned: Trust productive guys from overlooked Power 5 teams.

Dupree turned himself from a three-star recruit to All-SEC pass rusher at Kentucky, en route to 23 sacks in his final three seasons. He was still only the fourth pass rusher selected in 2015. Five years later, he looks like the best first-round edge rusher of his class.

Players it applies to in 2020: Ke’Shawn Vaughn, A.J. Dillon, Jake Luton, Justin Strnad, Markus Bailey

23. Denver Broncos: Shane Ray, Edge

Ray was supposed to be the explosive counterpunch to Von Miller’s tackle-shredding pass rush. But he had 14 sacks in four seasons for Denver. He spent the 2019 season out of the league.

Lesson learned: Tread lightly with numbers that look too good to be true.

Ray turned himself into a first-round pick with a breakthrough 14.5-sack junior season — 10 more than he’d had in his career to that point. It also turned out to be more than he’d have in his entire NFL tenure.

Players it applies to in 2020: Joe Burrow, Alex Highsmith, Brandon Aiyuk

24. Arizona Cardinals: D.J. Humphries, OT

Humphries has been a mostly fine blocker ... when he’s on the field. He was inactive his entire rookie season and has only played 43 total games, though he showed enough in 2019 to earn a three-year, $43.75 million deal.

Lesson learned: Injury reports matter.

Humphries only spent two seasons as a starter at Florida and missed at least two games due to injury in both of them. While his five-star potential was too much for the Cardinals to ignore, second-round tackles like Donovan Smith or Rob Havenstein would have been more productive blockers in Arizona.

Players it applies to in 2020: Tua Tagovailoa, Julian Okwara, Laviska Shenault Jr.

25. Carolina Panthers: Shaq Thompson, LB

Thompson is a do-it-all inside linebacker who’s been able to stand up against the pass and the run as an NFL gap-plugger. Last season was his best year: 109 tackles, three sacks, and 11 tackles for loss despite the inherent crappiness of the 2019 Panthers.

Lesson learned: Don’t overthink things.

The Panthers took a proven, athletic young talent to fill up an unsexy position. Thompson’s versatility is a godsend for his defensive coordinators. He’s poised to carry Luke Kuechly’s torch into 2020 and beyond.

Players it applies to in 2020: Jeff Okudah, Antoine Winfield Jr., Zack Baun

26. Baltimore Ravens: Breshad Perriman, WR

Perriman was a mess for the Ravens. Injuries robbed him of his rookie campaign, and he posted just a 42.7 percent catch rate in the two years after. His value has rebounded in recent years, though he’s still never caught more than 36 passes in a season.

Lesson learned: NFL development isn’t a straight line.

Perriman looked like a bust after flaming out in Baltimore, but the past two years have provided flashes of brilliance. Redemption has come in fleeting moments with the Browns and Buccaneers (seven games with at least 70 receiving yards). The Jets are betting he can fulfill his first-round destiny after signing him to a one-year, $6.5 million deal this offseason.

Players it applies to in 2020: Everyone.

27. Dallas Cowboys: Byron Jones, CB

Jones went from UConn standout to one of the league’s top cover corners in his five years with Dallas. A salary cap crunch allowed him to hit the open market. The Dolphins obliged by handing him a then-record $82.5 million contract to head up their rebuild.

Lesson learned: Bet on the guy who set a world record at the combine.

Investing in combine stars doesn’t always pay off, but when a guy goes out and produces such an outlier performance — like Jones did with a 12’3 broad jump — he’s probably worth a bump up the draft board.

Players it applies to in 2020: Mekhi Becton, Carlos Davis, Netane Muti

28. Detroit Lions: Laken Tomlinson, G

Tomlinson was one of the more surprising selections of the first round; the useful interior lineman was expected to be a Day 2 pick. Although he struggled in Detroit, he’s since developed into a steady starter for the 49ers.

Lesson learned: Be patient, even with a polished prospect.

The Lions didn’t have a left guard on the roster when they drafted Tomlinson, which led him to be thrown into the fire as a rookie. Detroit ended up trading away a still-developing starter on a low-cost rookie contract to San Francisco for ... a fifth-round pick. That trade looks like one the Lions would like to have back.

Players it applies to in 2020: Every fifth-year senior out there.

29. Indianapolis Colts: Phillip Dorsett, WR

Dorsett was a burner at Miami, averaging 23.3 yards per catch his final two seasons. He also had only 49 catches those two years — setting the stage for a career that’s seen him be vital in spurts and anonymous elsewhere between the Colts and Patriots.

Lesson learned: Deep-ball speed can be a tough transition to the NFL.

Dorsett has had the chance to play with two top-tier quarterbacks in his career (Andrew Luck, Tom Brady) and didn’t evolve into anything more than a reliable third option. While valuable, he’s never had more than 33 catches in a season.

Players it applies to in 2020: CeeDee Lamb, Tee Higgins, Quez Watkins

30. Green Bay Packers: Damarious Randall, DB

After three decent seasons in Green Bay, Randall was traded for DeShone Kizer, which is one of the most disrespectful sentences one can write about a football player. Randall moved to safety and was a versatile player for the Browns.

Lesson learned: Don’t trade for DeShone Kizer (or anyone who throws twice as many interceptions as touchdowns).

Kizer undoubtedly had his growth stunted by a rookie season starting for an awful Browns team, and shipping a player Green Bay wasn’t interested in re-signing wasn’t a bad idea in theory. But the Packers still sent a 25-year-old starter to Cleveland for a quarterback who went 0-15 and posted an 11:22 TD:INT ratio in his debut season.

Players it applies to in 2020: Whomever gets traded for Jameis Winston in 2022.

31. New Orleans Saints: Stephone Anthony, LB

Anthony played through his second stint with the Saints in 2019 after being traded to the Dolphins two years earlier. Unlike Tomlinson, he failed to rebound; he started all 16 games for New Orleans as a rookie but has just four starts in the four seasons since.

Lesson learned: An all-rookie team appearance is no indicator of success.

Anthony was an all-rookie selection, but he’s been primarily a special teams player since 2016. While teams have been eager to kick the tires on him, the fact the Jets, Falcons, and Dolphins all either released him or let him walk away is an indicator of just how little that potential means now.

Players it applies to in 2020: Each of the upcoming season’s rookie stars.

32. New England Patriots: Malcom Brown, DT

Brown spent four seasons in the center of the Patriots’ defensive line, then last year with the Saints. In both places, he’s done his job well enough to be mostly unnoticeable while his teammates largely benefitted from the disruptions he caused.

Lesson learned: Don’t let a potential top-20 pick fall to Bill Belichick.

Brown was expected to land in the top half of the draft, but his slide to No. 32 convinced Belichick to tamp down his basest urges to trade the pick. The Texas star filled an immediate need for New England and played a key role on two Super Bowl champion teams.

Players it applies to in 2020: Zack Baun, Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs, Andrew Thomas, Tristan Wirfs, Mekhi Becton, etc.

[tkmedia]

Jets have options to retain Copp before arbitration despite salary-cap bind

WINNIPEG - This is a classic example of when last is definitely not least.After defenceman Neal Pionk inked a four-year deal worth $23.5 million ($5.875 million AAV) with the Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday morning to avoid arbitration, forward Andrew Copp is the lone restricted free agent who needs a new contract. Did we mention salary cap space is tight for Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff? According to PuckPedia, the Jets have already committed $82,865,478 to 21 players and they’re already on the hook for a bonus overage of $145,122. That means the Jets are going to need to make some moves on the periphery of the roster -- and they’re more likely to carry 22 (or maybe even 21) players instead of 23 when next season begins. Even that might not be enough to balance the books and one of the considerations for the Jets might be subjecting defenceman Nathan Beaulieu to waivers and possibly sending him to the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League. By doing so, the Jets would be able to remove all but $125,000 of Beaulieu’s $1.25 million salary from the equation, creating some wiggle room -- even after he’s potentially replaced by a veteran blue-liner making the league minimum. After an exhilarating off-season that included the arrival of Nate Schmidt ($5.75 million) and Brenden Dillon ($3.9 million) in trades, bringing back Paul Stastny ($3.75 million) and inking restricted free agent D-man Logan Stanley to a two-year bridge deal ($900,000 AAV), most of the available money has already been spoken for. And that includes a significant portion of the pool moving Bryan Little (up to $5.291 million) to LTIR will eventually provide. Pionk deserved a sizable raise from the $3 million AAV he carried during his first two years with the Jets and that’s exactly what he received. He’s ultra competitive and it’s not a stretch to wonder if a partnership with Dillon might actually allow him to continue his progression. When you consider some of the high-priced deals signed this summer, Pionk comes in at a very reasonable number. A four-year commitment is right in line with many of the other core pieces that were already secured through the 2023-24 season (and beyond). So where do things stand with Copp? That’s where things get interesting, especially with an arbitration date of Aug. 26 looming. Both Copp and the Jets would prefer to get a longer-term deal taken care of at some point during the coming weeks, but that might not be possible in this flat-cap world. What we know for sure is that both parties want to avoid a second arbitration hearing. Another round of scar tissue isn’t a desired outcome -- nor is it necessary. Which brings us to what’s behind Door No. 3. Although not optimal, inking Copp to a one-year deal for somewhere between $3.6-to-$3.85 million could be a palatable outcome for the Jets and for the player. Copp doesn’t get the security he’s earned through his play, but he knows exactly where he stands and knows he’s valued by the coaching staff and his teammates for what he brings to the table. He’d be getting a raise and the expectation would be that a bigger deal would be on the horizon. The Jets would get a highly-motivated player who has shown improvement each and every season he’s been in the NHL. With 15 goals and 39 points in 55 games, Copp was tracking to eclipse 20 goals and approach 60 points in a full season. That type of production isn’t easy to replace, especially when you consider Copp’s defensive awareness and his ability to grow into a leadership role. This isn’t the only option left for the Jets to mull over, though.

Winnipeg Jets' Adam Lowry (17) celebrates his goal with teammate Andrew Copp (9) during first period NHL Stanley Cup playoff hockey action against the Montreal Canadiens, in Winnipeg, Wednesday, June 2, 2021. (CP) Plenty of folks will suggest the Jets should consider trading Copp if they can’t sign him to a longer-term deal. Not so fast. While some might see moving Copp in a deal as a way to try and recoup some of the draft capital (two seconds and a third) that were sacrificed to trade for Schmidt and Dillon, that’s not how teams in “win-now” mode generally roll. If the Jets were to trade Copp, they’d be forced to replace a middle-six forward who contributes to both special-teams units -- and they still wouldn’t have much money to do so. Those players aren't readily available, nor are they often found in the bargain bin. Instead of trying to integrate a new player into the fold or promoting from within, Copp is a known commodity. He’s not an easy player to replace -- and that’s before you consider all of the energy he’s invested into the Jets’ program already. Copp is ready to put down roots here in Manitoba, he’s not counting the days until he can leave as an unrestricted free agent or banging on the door of the GM demanding a trade to a tropical destination. He sees the potential with a group that features an improved roster and wants to be part of a potential payoff. That’s why banking on him is the proper play for the Jets. Copp isn’t going to be thrilled with having to take a one-year deal and it would be natural for him to feel frustrated by the process. He’s seen the Jets commit to other members of the core and it’s hard not to feel slighted when one is not afforded the same recognition. On the flip side, Copp is a guy who has never lacked motivation, nor has he been shy about using those challenges as fuel to push him to greater heights. The concept of a self-rental isn’t universally loved and, obviously, comes with some risk attached to it. Stuff happens and it doesn’t always work out. The Jets do have some experience on this front -- especially during the 2018 run to the Western Conference Final, when all of Ben Chiarot, Tyler Myers and Brandon Tanev were headed toward unrestricted free agency. With the Jets in a battle against the Nashville Predators for top spot in the North Division (and the President’s Trophy), there was never any thought given to moving those roster players for prospects, players or picks. Sometimes, it’s just the cost of doing business. A one-year deal doesn’t ensure that Copp walks for nothing on July 1 either, though it obviously increases the likelihood. Consider this: if Copp is already worth somewhere in the neighbourhood of $4.5 million on a four-year deal right now, that number should only go up if he’s able to have another banner season. But what if those same top-six minutes are not as readily available with the Jets this coming season? It’s a logical question. Ice time and opportunity almost always play a role in production, but even if Copp is used fairly regularly with longtime linemate Adam Lowry on the “third line” he will still be logging power play time and receiving substantial minutes. Plus, when you consider the level of trust he’s built up over the years with Jets head coach Paul Maurice and the defensive acumen he brings to the table, Copp is almost always going to be the guy next in line to get the promotion when one arises -- if he doesn't force his way into a top-six job right out of training camp. At every level he’s played, Copp has proven the doubters wrong and continued to carve out a bigger role for himself. Don’t expect that to stop, no matter how this next step in the process turns out. Copp provides tremendous value and versatility and the Jets are a better team when the Michigan product is in the lineup. That’s precisely why this relationship should continue, even if a long-term commitment can’t currently be made. Read the full article