Just Be There

I can remember how the room was dimly lit by the afternoon haze pushing in through a drawn curtain and a glowing out of date television with an SEC football game playing. Chairs were set up in a semi-circle around a raised bed, all of our eyes turned to the man resting upon it. I was sitting just off to the right of his left foot, toes curled slightly due to the constantly cool temperature of the facility. I couldn't take my eyes off of him; just laying and snoring, occasionally moving his mouth. The 5-oclock shadow was something none of us were used to seeing on grandpa. He was a very clean shaven guy, and that went for both his face and his life while I have known him. 

Not that we wouldn't have fun, mind you. I remember how he used to get down on the ground and chase me and my siblings around as we would try and outrun the tickle monster. Never in my life have I ever felt so much adrenaline and fear and comfort course through my veins than in those moments. Now, I sat and looked at those same hands that would once reach out and those knees that used to knock against the carpet and realized that they may never that swiftly again. How the once warm voice that once called out for his "A.B. Baker the Junk Man" may very likely simply slur "hey" or "ha ha, yeah" for the rest of the time I'll know him. 

I leaned back in my chair and crossed my leg. My mother was sitting on the edge of her dad's bed now. She was telling him all about how her classes were going that she was teaching and how my little brother had just gotten his senior pictures. She reached for her phone and called up the website so she could show grandpa how high my brother could jump in the photo of him dunking. I used the break to check my Twitter and Facebook, but soon realized that for the past 2 hours my phone had been in the car. Normally, this would prompt me to really worry because, you know...I HAVE to stay updated. I NEED to know what's going on. But in that moment, in this time, it was ok. 

This was a time I needed to be fully present. He deserves it. 

We all do, really. 

The smile is just a genetic thing, I suppose. 

The last time I saw my grandfather before the stroke was Christmas 2013. I remember sitting in a crowded basement with a ton of family members I would normally only see about twice a year. It was a very typical night with laughter, food, punch, screaming babies, annoyed in-laws, and one perturbed 21 year old who couldn't stay off his phone...at all. That was me. You see, what was important at that moment was to ignore my grandparents and figure out how to save a pretty new relationship. The only means to save it would be for me to be fully invested in the texts and potential phone calls that would come from my phone, and anyone or anything that would distract or ask about it would cause me to become angsty and, quite simply, angry. My grandma and grandpa sat back and tried to enjoy the moment, asking what I was doing and how my senior year was going. I would give a hasty reply, then sneak back to my phone. The only thing that really brought me back to reality was the only dating advice my brother has ever given me: "no matter how THAT (gestures to my phone) whole thing plays out, you'll still have tomorrow. But today THEY (gestures back to family) are here." 

I noticed Fred outside my grandpa's door. Fred was a 95 year old guy in a wheel chair that, whenever he'd get bored, would scoot down the hall and park in front of people's doors so he could watch and see what was happening. If you had guests, he'd stay longer. Why? "It's better than television for me". 

"How 'bout them Eagles?" 
Grandpa was awake now. Maybe it was the stale air that woke him. Maybe it was the lemon sponge cake that mom just got out. I looked back to him and chuckled. He was grinning that goofy crooked smile that I knew him for. It reminded me that no matter what would happen, something was secured: my memories of him. 

No matter how much the memory loss would reek havoc on his mind or the paralysis would stiffen up his right side, it can never take away the playing football in the back yard or the epic tickle fights that would ensue. Whenever I'm on the road, I always find myself buying a tastey-cake with my coffee to munch on while driving, just like he would have. It will always remind me of the times sitting at the kitchen table, eyes watering from my apparent allergy to Pennsylvania, eating a cake along with my grandpa while listening to him talk (usually sarcastically but always passionately) about his Phillies and Eagles. Only one thing would be able to really strip that from happening in the future, and that's if I would make the mistake I made a couple Christmas's ago.

There was no way I would have known that a couple months later my grandpa would be more/less taken away by a stroke. But that's just the thing. It's very easy to take the little things, the simple things, the traditions that happen each year or day for granted. To think that the staples of our lives would always be there. The sad reality is though, they won't. 

But even as I left that day to return to Vienna, I was at peace. No, it isn't easy. It never is when you leave a loved one. But I have the life lessons, the memories, the crooked smile, the love for baseball that he passed on to me. The smiles he's given. That's enough to be more than thankful for. Heck, even the memories that I have because I was told about them since I was too young to remember them, such as my grandpa correcting people when they just called me "Ray" as a baby. It was a game of sorts. They'd say "Ray", and he'd add in the "mond". Sure, when I think about all of these things it may bring a tear to my eye, but its one that is born from a deep rooted love that was showered on me before I was even born. 

The short film we made earlier this year that was inspired by my grandfather

Holidays are tough on many people because of lost loved ones. I can understand how we may get down, but remember the things that were! Remember the laughs, the tears, and the times that made that life so memorable. And then do the unthinkable: turn off the phone and unplug. Invest in the people and moments around you that day and time. Twitter will be there tomorrow. Someone will have a picture of turkey that you can double tap to like on Instagram on Black Friday. Give a hug to your parents. Tell your grandma about that one person you liked and almost asked out. Or subtly change the direction of conversation towards an embarrassing fact about your siblings. Whatever! The fact is to be in the moment. 

Unplug and be present this Thanksgiving.  

I love you, Grandpa. Happy Thanksgiving to you, my family, and to everybody! I hope that no matter where you are or who you are with, that you pause and remember all the moments and memories you have had with those people, and all the reasons you have to be thankful for them.  

Pause Before You Post

What is one of the best things about social media is the fact that it can give a voice to those who may not otherwise be heard. One of the worst things about social media is that it gives a quick reactionary voice to many people who may speak before they take a chance to be informed, and consequently never become informed. The events of recent days have brought this out of many people once again. 

Now, it is very tempting to take a soap-box to this blog and find a cute or quippy way to spin the recent Syrian refugee situation. We could do that, or we could do what this blog was intended to do. In my first post, I said that this blog was here to "not here to necessarily solve [everything], it is to show the flipside...This is simply a place to help shine light in a new way on things we may/may not encounter in our daily lives." What is surprising (but should not be, really) in this situation is that the flipside of this discussion is the side not many people go to: the facts. 

"Ipsa scientia potestas est", or rather "knowledge itself is power"-Sir Francis Bacon, 1597. 
This is true both in science, the classroom, talk radio, the water cooler, and this particular situation. 

His knowledge of breakfast food is a thing of legend.

What is the vetting process for refugees, both to be in the USA and the EU? Where does it actually say that the P.O.T.U.S. can bring this many people in? Instead of simply regurgitating whatever flavor of news we choose to consume, why don't we go to the facts ourselves? So that's what this post is for, to help all of us gain power in this situation; power that comes through knowledge of the facts, not just opinions. 

Here are some links to help you get started on your quest for knowledge and facts in this situation:  
USA Refugee Vetting Process Link #1
USA Refugee Vetting Process Link #2 

European Union Refugee Vetting Process #1
European Union Refugee Vetting Process #2

Immigration and Nationality Act of 1982 (how the POTUS can do what he's doing) 

Presidential Memorandum on Refugees for the Fiscal Year 2016 

Background Briefing on the United States Refugee Admissions Program 

Syrian Refugee Fact Sheet: World Vision 

Syrian Refugee Fact Sheet: Amnesty International 

Map: Resettlement Centers in the USA

Who is taking in refugees? Country by country breakdown (via CNN)

This is what I urge you, me, everyone to do. 
First, pray. Pray for those who are uncertain where they will live tomorrow or even the next day. Pray for peace in uncertain times. Pray that both the refugees and those seeking to take advantage of the situation will come to know the true God and will live changed lives for the better. Pray for wisdom of both the refugees and those working with them.

Become informed. Before forming an official opinion and taking to the comment sections and mentions to put down everyone from right wing strangers to your weirdly liberal aunt that gets a little too into Bonnaroo each year and shows it all over Facebook, take a day and read up on the subject and process what you have read.

Once you and I are read up on the subject, I would encourage you to take action, whether that is by making your voice heard by calling your congressman or senator or by donating or volunteering to help both here and abroad. 

Finally, as you go back to Twitter and Facebook, I would encourage you to be civil and realize that although people may disagree with you, perhaps the better means of discussion is person-person, not comment to comment. Typing behind a screen gives people a boldness that tends to lead to the leaking of less-than-stellar language and conversation. 

No matter where you end up falling on this issue, remember that we are called to be both "shrewd as snakes and innocent as doves" (Matthew 10:16) and "not be afraid of them...Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in Hell." (Matthew 10:26, 28). That One is the One who calls those who believe in Him "son" and "daughter", and the One who seeks a relationship with everyone. 

Pondering Life Moments: Fast Food

In the fabled magical land of jacked up trucks, glorious chemical plants, and a plethora of prestigious institutions of higher learning known as the Mid-Ohio Valley, I found myself sitting in the comfort of my own valiant vehicle known as Bonnie idling in line. As I gazed upon the luminous ora of the intoxicating lights at this wonderful and popular establishment that had managed to draw in quite a congregation both in its lobby and drive through, a curious thought began to percolate inside my mind. Beefy 5 layer burrito or cheesy potato burrito? (Just kidding, that was easy: cantina power bowl, chicken, no guac or whatever that green ooze is they call guac) (WAIT, IS THAT THE GREEN OOZE THAT COULD TURN ME INTO A TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLE????) 

Speaking of 90s nostalgia, remember the Burger King Kids Club? Good times, good times. 

Oh, right, the thought that percolated in my mind: 

The name "fast food" doesn't really make sense. 

It was not the fact that the average time at our regional Taco-Bell is an astounding 14 minutes (whether you order 10 quesarito burrito big-boxes or 1 tiny cheesy roll), but rather the fact that fasting is a lack of food. If fasting is not having any food, then what is fast food? Wouldn't fast food then be no food, since that is the food of fasting? Breakfast is breaking your fast with waffles and coffee, or just coffee. So what happens if you break your fast with fast food, but that's truly no food so you didn't break your fast, so you had no breakfast? 

Or maybe it is a warning that fast food is really worth nothing nutritionally, but I digress. 

So here is what I'm thinking: why don't we give it a name that actually fits what fast food truly is? Why don't we call it "full-food"? Or "cheap eats in timely fashion"? "Grease for the least"? 

One of these might catch on, or they won't. Regardless, you can now get a chance to break your fast all day at the golden arches. That's something, no matter how fast or slow the line may be, we all need to take advantage of. Thanks Obama. 

Raymond's Frightful Film Guide

In case the scent of pumpkin spice, the random pumpkins on porches, and the big inflatable spider that haunts your local Walmart haven't been enough to tip you off, it is Halloween time. Actually, today is THAT very day. One big question that seems to haunt everyone trying to celebrate today is "what do I do if the lady across the street is just giving out Dots?" In that case you smile and say thanks, then find a way to pawn them off on your siblings. 

Another bigger question is "what movie do I watch to set the proper mood?" This is an important question, because depending on your audience and their scare limits, you may want to just stick with Charlie Brown instead of Jason Voorhees. And sometimes you're in the mood for something different than usual, and that can be as risky as trying to save an eclair from the trash. 

What better way to help the masses than to make a user friendly scale with scary films? Based on the ever popular Department of Homeland Security Advisory System, here are different levels of fright from yours truly, ranging from the not too scary (green) to the "I may need to sleep with the lights on...when I get the nerve to sleep eventually" level (red). 
First, a few rules about the list. 
1) The "traditional" Halloween favorites have been all but excluded from the list. We are going to assume you know about Halloween, Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, It's the Great Pumpkin, Scream, etc. 
2) This list is definitely not exhaustive and will merely provide 1-2 films per level. 
3) Lower tier movies have a max rating of PG-13, while the upper 3 levels will have a rating of up to R. 
4) No touching of the hair or face. 

So have no fear! (Or, prepare to embrace it!) Here's the "Raymond Frightful Film Guide"!

GREEN (LOW)
Monster House  (2006, PG)

Monster House is one of my fall time staples. One of the more underrated Dreamworks productions, it was produced by Steven Spielberg, and you can tell. Kid main character has some underlying parental issues and goes on a big adventure with an overweight pal and a girl, and by the end we see that the characters come of age.

What I love about this is that it has enough scare factor in it to make you and your kids/siblings jump, but you won't have to worry about them not wanting to ever go into another house again (unless you would want to convince them that any stranger's house could come alive at any moment, then it may be effective). Kevin James, Nick Cannon, and John Heder all have hilarious cameos in it too. Definitely worth throwing in after watching a RED level movie, just to clear the system. 

BLUE (GUARDED) 
Corpse Bride (2005, PG)

"Excuse me: did you say this ISN'T Nightmare Before Christmas 2?"

Why does this get a blue rating on the scale? I'll come right out and say it: claymation is just creepy as all get out. I used to have this recurring nightmare that involved a claymation rabbit that would crawl out of the tv and chase me up the stairs, and no matter what I did I COULD NOT GET UP THOSE STAIRS WITHOUT FALLING HELP MOM ITS BACK AGAIN.



Sorry about that. 



So yes, Corpse Bride. This is Tim Burton's answer to Nightmare Before Christmas, or Tim Burton saying "Hey guys, you know that movie you think I directed but didn't? Well, here's one that's better!" Is it better? I'll let you decide. The story is solid, the animation in the underworld is creepy, and the way the plot is resolved is also quite chilling for a kids movie. It will make your skin crawl, your kids chuckle, and the songs are...well I hate musicals. Moving on. 


YELLOW (ELEVATED)  
Zombieland (2009, R) 

So full disclosure: when the promos came out for this in 2009, I remember saying "that looks utterly idiotic. I wouldn't enjoy that." This was also at a time where my snack of choice was a spam and cheese sandwich. Safe to say I was wrong about a few things. 
This movie is gory, ridiculous, yet refreshing in its take on the zombie genre. Even though it's a comedy or sorts, it in no way shies away from scaring you by the finale, the gore, and that opening title sequence. My gosh. If you make it through that without looking away, you should be good to go. 
It stars Lex Luthor, Haymitch Abernathy, Gwen Stacy, and the girl from Little Miss Sunshine too, so there's that. 
If you're looking for a nice movie with some nice scares, some laughs, and some good ole American blood 'n guts, check this one out. If someone you're with says "I'd rather watch a love story tonight", then pop this in the ole DVD player or get it on whatever device you can and watch the most heartwarming love story of a boy and his Twinkie. I'm serious.

Wake in Fright (1971, R)

Did you say...COFFEE?

This is the one film I would be surprised anyone has seen. I didn't hear about it until last year when I read a list of "13 Essential Films Set in the Australia Outback" from Tribeca. The story is of a teacher in Australia in need of a break, so with an extended weekend decides to go on a road trip. He finds a small dive on his trip, and while there meets violent drunk men that push him to limits he never dreamed possible. It's scares come from an eeriness that's tough to explain. Imagine going to a small town and having everything go wrong, and the worse case scenario you think of happens. It's like that...except in the outback...and Crocodile Dundee isn't there to save you. 

Most horrifying? The fact they ruthlessly kill kangaroos. Yeah. That happens. 

ORANGE (HIGH)
Psycho (1960, R)

Yeah, this one. What is there to say about this classic that you don't know? How about this: when it was originally released, Alfred Hitchcock had an agreement with the theaters that nobody was to be admitted to the film late in order to keep the atmosphere of the theater at peak scare condition and to keep the twist in tact. Crazy, right? 
I recently bought this on Blu-Ray and watched it and it freaked me out. It slowly builds, but from the moment you get to the Bates Hotel until the final stare, it will chill you to your core. What's amazing is how effective it is for the year it was made. This is a classic for a reason, and is a great launching point if you want to get into classic films (which I would highly advise you do). 

Paranormal Activity 3 (2011, R)

Bet you didn't know the Peanuts gang ghosts were in this, did you? 

Kids, believe it or not, there was a time when the Paranormal Activity movies were good. The first installment had an incredible final 5 minutes. The second had weird scary stuff throughout. This third film combined the shock of film 1 and made it as frequent as the stuff in film 2, making this the best of the series. 
Set as a prequel to explain some family history, this takes place in the 1980s and features 2 daughters (which, side note, scary movies with kids automatically become even scarier), their mom, and a step-dad that has no idea what he's getting into. The finale freaked me out so bad that my hands covered my eyes and I was yelling "NO NO NO" in a theater. I was saved by an even louder funnier man at the end of the row that yelled "WELL, THATS WHY I'M STAYING SINGLE" at the end. Watch it and you'll understand. 

RED (SEVERE) 
The Strangers (2008, R)

Carl, this is an intervention. We love you..

The scariest films are the ones that are most believable and play off of our fears. For instance, we are more scared of Dick Cheney with a shotgun than we are of Godzilla because we all have that one grandparent we know might accidentally mistake a cousin for a quail at a family dinner. It's closer to home. That's why a film with no cinematic soundtrack that's about humans terrorizing a couple in a cabin is the scariest of them all. 
This film was the scariest movie I had ever watched until this year. A couple goes to a cabin (in a place that looks like it's out by my own grandparent's farm house) where they are visited by a trio or deranged silent killers that terrorize them all night long for no apparent reason. I say killers, but...

SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS. SKIP AHEAD TO THE NEXT PARAGRAPH IF YOU WANT TO AVOID THIS POTENTIAL SPOILER. but...they only actually kill 1 person. 

The masks are frightening. The music (or lack thereof) is haunting. Liv Tyler is adequate. Watch this with a friend, in the daylight, in the middle of a metropolis, then watch Hey Arnold for 5 hours afterwards. 

The Babadook (2014, UNRATED)

Aussies know their stuff, man. Listen to this sound. Go ahead. I'll wait.

Now, change your pee pants. I'll wait again. 

That sound is enough to make anyone wish they lived in the world of My Little Pony. I had nightmares for the first time since elementary school after watching this movie. Ask my roommate about the first time I watched it. To say I was a mess is an understatement. I was a mess before even seeing the creature in the film, it was that bad. What makes it even better, however, is the symbolism and greater message of the film. Unlike many scary movies that are all about the scares and little on the story, this one has a purpose for why it is scary. This is something that any film lover can appreciate. 
A mom finds a book called "Mister Babadook" in their home and reads it to her son for bedtime. Suddenly, strange events begin to transpire as the monster begins to take over their lives. This features amazing performances by the mom and son that will leave you saying "wow, those were amazing performances". You need to check it out, but remember: once you let him in, HE NEVER LEAVES. 

That's the list. What are some of your Halloween scary movie staples? Where would you put it in this label system? Did you check out any on the list you haven't seen before, if so what did you think? Share your thoughts on that here, and if you ever have a suggestion for future posts, I'd love to hear them! 

Christian Films, We Need to Talk

It was Labor Day 2015. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and Fox News was buzzing. Why, you might ask? Well, it was because the little Christian film that could, "War Room", had conquered the liberal Satanist Hollywood box office to be the #1 movie of the final weekend of the summer! There were many "take that!" posts being typed up and "Christian film is relevant" sentences being uttered by people all across the nation. There were also many rumblings about how the big bad liberal film critics were simply rating "War Room" low because of it's grounded Christian values. The same liberals who were responsible for the atrocities of "Noah" and "Exodus: Gods and Kings" were now upset that a "REAL" Christian movie was on top. They just cannot handle it. 

I sat back and thought about it, though. As a youth pastor, it was nice to see so many faith based films being produced, and the fact that one was actually on top of the box office was cool. But then I saw a few clips from the film. I read reviews. A thought crossed my mind that many may think of as "blasphemous" or even heretical: Is it possible that the criticism is actually valid? 

*Collective gasp* 

Grab a chair and pour some coffee, Christian Film. We need to talk. 

First, here's something that sounds impressive but is actually depressing. "War Room" was indeed #1 at the box office over Labor Day weekend, but it was the lowest Labor Day weekend in terms of box office results since 2004 (totaling a mere $65,866,584 for the top 12 movies combined). It's like whenever I was playing little league baseball. One year we lost all but 2 games (to say the team was bad is a slap in the face to bad teams. We were putrid). We did, however beat the best team in the league for one of our wins. However, they only had 7 player show up, and we only won the game by one single solitary run. Under normal conditions, we would have been killed. If "Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation" is even in it's fifth week in the box office instead of it's sixth, it would have killed "War Room" (by $2 million dollars, actually).

Second, it is not personal! When you have a job to evaluate a product based against other products, you are going to give your honest unbiased opinion about the value of the product. This is the case with film critics. Since I do not have omniscience or a relationship with every single film critic ever, I cannot confidently tell you what the spiritual well being of every critic is at this time (I'm working on it, ok?). However, I am confident enough to state that despite their personal beliefs, the tend to judge fairly. That's why when I see that the average critic rating for the top 10 grossing "Christian" films since 1980 is a mere 44.5/100 (Rotten Tomatoes ratings), I do not think it is really a coincidence. 
This is fact. Facts are the truth. 

You had to see this coming.

Are the critics blasting Christian values? Actually, no. The majority of the critics talk about how the films "look like a high school production", are a "sloppily written, badly argued, unevenly acted" film, and even that  "it's not so much the plot or themes of the film that's the problem as the ham-fisted execution". 

Translation: it's not the message, it's how we are presenting it. 

The next question you may have is this: why does it even matter? So what if Christian film is not very good? It isn't hurting anybody. True, they are not literally hurting anybody (unless you are playing Jesus in "The Passion of the Christ"), but should not these films about faith in Christ or themes related to such an important matter be held to an equally as high standard? What good is it to make something that is laughable to outsiders because of the manner in which is was made, not because of the message it presented? And believe me, it is not because of the source material that these have been poor so far.

The Bible is a very cinematic book. The Book of Judges is an action movie. Ruth: a romantic comedy. Song of Solomon is...you know what? We aren't going to go there. 

But the bottom like is that stories have been a key part of Christianity all the way back to it's roots in the Old Testament. Israel was told to pass down the stories of God's power throughout their history, lest they move away from Him (Psalm 105). Jesus used parables to communicate foreign concepts of the Kingdom of Heaven, His love for mankind, and His mission on earth. These stories were not always understood by the audience (Matthew 13 shows that many do NOT understand them), but it was because of the condition of their hearts in accordance to the message presented, NOT because Jesus failed to communicate the story with faulty story telling.

The quality of the telling is vital to getting across the most important message in all of life. When the story telling and cinematic quality are faulty, these faults cloud the message and make it unbearable to watch. We should not give up, though. 

We are called to go into the world and preach the Gospel, but that also means understanding the world we are going into and being able to communicate in such a way that the people will hear. I am reminded of Paul in Athens in Acts 17. Paul went to Athens and began to speak in the synagogue as was his custom, but it can be reasoned that he was speaking to them like he would normally speak to the Jewish people that understood basic Judaism and the old law. The response? "What is this babbler trying to say?" (verse 18). Paul then adapted to his surroundings and spoke to them regarding a statue to "the unknown God", who he then introduces them to as Yahweh. 

He did not change the message; just the delivery. 

As a Christian, I want nothing more than to see Christian film be successful. As a film fan and admitted cinephile, I want nothing more than to see quality film praised and celebrated. While movies like "War Room", "God's Not Dead", "Heaven Is For Real" and "Soul Surfer" are painful to watch (cinematically speaking), that does not mean we cannot have more "Passion of the Christ"'s come out. This upcoming fall there is a film "Captive" that is getting wide release. The film, starring Kate Mara (127 Hours) and David Oyelowo (Selma, Interstellar), is based on a true story of a lady who was captured then released after reading the book Purpose Driven Life to her capturer, who then has to make a decision about his current situation and his entire life. This film has the potential to be a very solid drama with two of Hollywood's premiere performers. And you know what? It's a Christian film. Christian themes are explored and talked about, not in a preaching or cheesy sort of way, but in a very real and relatable way: a way that is understood by people both Christian and non. Not in a trashy or indecent way, but a way that is still honoring to God and His teachings.

My prayer is for Christian film to be something that is on par quality wise with the "main stream" film industry. The quality of film that is making money is laughable, but it does not have to be this way. We can AND should hold Christian film to a higher standard, both as movie consumers and creators. We need to be honest with what we have, but hopeful for what the future may hold. We need to, as the Church, promote and help back creatives and artists that have the itch to tell stories, act out stories, and show them to the people around themselves. To present stories not in a cheesy fashion, a "happy go lucky" way that is contradictory to life; but rather stories that celebrate Christ's healing hand, His peace giving face and heroic nature in the middle of REAL life, real struggles, and real heart aches. 

Christian Film, hold yourself to a higher standard, but don't quit. Remember, "whatever you do, do it with all your heart as working for the LORD, not men..." Quality that is fit for the Creator. 

The First Annual Treymond Awards

Welcome to the most prestigious awards ceremony named after two 20-somethings that found it fun to name an award after themselves: The Treymond's. Here’s what is about to happen. We have 6 categories: Best Movie Not Nominated for Anything At All, Best Movie You Didn’t See, Best Licensed Soundtrack, Best Scene, Best Comic Book Movie, and Best Trailer from 2014 and for 2015. Each of us will nominate two, then we will pick a winner. If clarification about a category is needed, we will provide it. So, let’s stop with the pish posh tiddley winkly Tom Foolery. Here is the first ever Treymond Awards, presented by The International Society for Bearded Cinematic Geniuses: Lincoln loved the theater and we think you should too!
Raymond: Ok, so first category here is the Best Movie Not Nominated For Anything (otherwise known as the YMCA League Make You Feel Better category). My first nominee is the victim of a crime worse than J-Walking and almost as bad as plagiarism is made out to be when writing a 5th grade book report on "Where the Red Fern Grows": Edge of Tomorrow. The anticipation for this movie in my mind was zero, and maybe that is why I loved it so much. It was clever, the aliens were something I haven't really seen before, and Emily Blunt showed me why she deserved the Wonder Woman casting (wait, she wasn't? Well this is awkward). It was a really solid movie, and one Tommy Cruise needed more than speed. 

My other nominee is Chef. Holy cow, this could have easily made it into the big show as a 9th or 10th Best Picture nominee. The soundtrack? Incredible. Direction? Solid. The film: amazing. I was floored by this film, either because it was so amazing or it made me realize that I shouldn't settle for Mickey D's McRibs.

Trevor: That's right Raymond. Anybody who loves Tom Cruise will love watching him kick some alien nads. If you hated Tom Cruise, this is the best comedy you'll ever see, because you get to watch him die over and over again in several gruesome ways. This is truly the best remake of Groundhog Day ever put on screen.

Now for my 1st of 2 nominations. Raymond, I love action. Whether it's the "Merica **** Yeah" action from Die Hard or that one good scene in Godzilla, there's always a special place in my heart for watching people get compound fractures for our amusement. This nomination is so good, you don't even realize the movie isn't even in English.

Raid 2

This is the best directed action movie to come out in a long long time, and it's so fun. Sure,

the story is all over the place, but it doesn't matter. The opening Prison fight in the restroom is a master class in action directing...and it's the worst fight in the whole movie. Each action scene builds on the other one leading to a climax that is truly unforgettable (That's what she said). It should've been nominated for Best Directing and Best Foreign Film. Everyone

needs to see this.

My next nomination is the best episode of the Twilight Zone to be released this year.
Enemy
The director of Prisoners (one of my favorite movies in 2013) brings back Jake Gyllenhaal in this really trippy movie where he sees a man in a movie who looks exactly like him. Upon meeting him, they realize they have the same voice, birth marks, scars, everything.
Other than that, I can't spoil anything for you. I will say it has one of the most "OMGWTF" endings you'll ever see. Not like, in a David Fincher OMGWTF sense, but an "I don't know what is real anymore and OMGWTF" sense.
Closest thing we've gotten to a Hitchcockian film in recent years, even down to the closing credits.It'll most likely be the most underrated movie of this decade, because I don't think anyone has heard of it other than hardcore Gyllenhaal fans like myself. Everyone should check it out.

Raymond: I just bought and watched it the other night. I was so confused and did not care that I was confused. I love this trippy thing. I need these trips ever since I quit acid.

Trevor: Acid is a hard thing to leave. Listening to Pink Floyd will never be the same again. And the winner for best Movie not nominated for an Oscar is...

Raymond: Chef! Jon Favreau was cooking something good with this flick, and it gets him his first ever Treymond.

Trevor: Category: Scene of the year
There were a lot of really awesome scenes this year Raymond, even in movies that weren't so good. And that's why we're honoring scenes that made us say "woooah dude"
My 1st nominee: I think we can all agree that the Mockingjay should not have been split into 2 movies, but in my opinion, of the part 1s that do exist, this is definitely the best one in recent memory. And it's because of scenes like this one...

I don't know where to begin with this one. This song encompasses the entire series. The way the song builds on itself as a hopeless song turns into a building force of nature and culminates in one of the greatest orchestra swells since "Ecstasy of Gold" in The Good The Bad and The Ugly. When they attack the dam coupled with the explosion, it just leaves you with a sense of **** yeah! Fight the power! And then you'll listen to Rage Against The Machine for hours.

Raymond: Oh my, I forgot how epic that was. This was a tricky scene too, because with the surge of people towards the dam, it could have easily turned into a cheesy "Let's storm the castle garrr gerrrr blahhhh" that happened in X-Men: The Last Stand. Instead, I got goosebumps.

My nominee here is one that combines humor and pure sweetness. I'll just let Jim Croce talk for me...

If I had time in a bottle, I would go back into time and make X3 never exist. This scene was as epic as it gets and more hilarious than Tammy (I mean, that's not tough, though). The special effects here are astounding. I just could gush over this all day, almost as much as water pouring from sprinklers onto a fast moving human being. All I can say is, good luck Avengers. Top this!

Trevor: I'm sure Ultron singing some Pinocchio will more than make up ground.

Raymond: There's no strings that can hold us down...from picking another scene as a nominee! 

Trevor: Yeah, Quicksilver takes it. I have a worthy honorable mention though. 

The 2001 music was such a bold choice and it really added an unexpected layer of tense feelings especially since the movie dragged for so long in the middle. This was probably my favorite scene in the movie, and it helped create one of the best teaser trailers ever.

Raymond: If we had a category for best trailer, this may get my nomination. Alas, this is one for best scene though. So, do we have a winner? (Yes, we crowned the winner for X-Men. Congrats!) 

Trevor: We could do best trailer. Why not? 

Raymond: Genius! 

Trevor: We'll do best trailer for a movie coming out in 2015 as a segue to this coming year PLUS a category for best trailer for a movie in 2014. I already have both picks. 

2014 Movie: Teaser for this masterpiece. 

The music cue at 0:39 and the final shot is absolutely chilling.

2015 pick: It's not Star Wars...

Raymond: That is one mother of a trailer. I have never seen a more epic, angry man named Max in my life.
Like I said (and what brought this category up), my 2014 one was definitely Godzilla. 

For 2015, I'm going with one that I definitely didn't consider beating up family members to watch because they were hogging the family computer on Thanksgiving weekend................

Trevor: :)
That trailer blew my mind. Practical effects. A better R2 design. Airplanes over water. 

Raymond: Genius! 

Trevor: AND THE MILLENNIUM FALCON UPSIDE-DOWN CAMERA SHOT WITH THE TAI FIGHTER GOING *NAAAAAAARROOOOOOO*

Raymond: Pew Pew! 

Trevor: Plus i heard J.J. is doing something completely different from what's already been written, so I'm really excited to be surprised. Plus, it has Andy Serkis narrating, that's awesome. AND THAT AWESOME NEW LIGHTSABER THAT STEPHEN COLBERT BRILLIANTLY EXPLAINED WHY IT WAS AWESOME. 

Raymond: Honestly, Apes was epic. It got me excited for the apes movie (although I never saw it.) Star Wars has to win for the trailers we've had for movies this year (thus far). Moving on now to the next category.....

Trevor:  Nominees for Best Robot!!
The Interstellar Smart-*** robots, Baymax in Big Hero 6, The baby in American Sniper, and Matt Damon in Interstellar.
And the winner is...Mark Whalburg in Transformers!

Raymond: Honestly, I would nominate Clint Eastwood. How does that man keep going? 
Ok, on to Best licensed soundtrack. For me, there is a clear cut winner here that I will not use because it is blatantly obvious.
I'll nominate Chef first. The music is a character itself in this movie. How good is it? I bought this soundtrack on vinyl before watching the movie. Yes, it had a little bit to do with it only being $10 at the local FYE, but that's beside the point. It's latino flair is fun and puts spunk to the movie. It's as colorful and lively as the color and foods he makes! 

A second nominee is The Amazing Spiderman 2. Someone has to like this movie, so I'll give it a nod for the Pharell Williams, Phillip Phillips, and The Neighbourhood.

The Amazing Spiderman 2 is like the ugly puppy that's been abandoned. I have too big of a heart to leave it in the alley, so I'll keep it. 

Trevor: My nominee: Whiplash. It didn't get nominated because of a technicality-many of the jazz pieces are original compositions, but the overture for the movie is also great. Here's the jazz piece titled "Whiplash." 

It's absolutely bangin. 

Well, the winner is.....

No explanation needed. This blew the minds of nerds everywhere. 

Raymond: and common tree folk as well. 

So, lets go to the next category, shall we? Best film you didn't actually see? 

Trevor: Don't laugh....The Fault In Our Stars. 

Raymond: I'm laughing! OK. 

Trevor:  Over an 80% on Rotten Tomatoes. Other than the really odd Holocaust museum scene, it's actually supposed to be a really moving movie with well-rounded characters and a powerhouse performance from Shailene Woodley. 

But I really wish I could've seen Top Five. 

Raymond: Hmm, intersting. My top I didn't see were first off...Whiplash. Yes, I'm a film geek and I never watched it. i'm ashamed. i am in the corner now on self imposed time out. 

Trevor: Oh ***** I forgot about Foxcatcher. 

Raymond: Me too! I think that takes the cake (sorry, Jennifer Aniston) as our top unseen movie, since, well, we both haven't seen it. Congrats on the Treymond, Mr. Magic Mike! 

Ok, on to the final category and probably the most debatable one here: Comic Book Film of the Year. 

Trevor: I feel like this is going to be a straight up debate. 

Raymond: The best comic book movie of this year has to be X-Men Days of Future Past.

Think about it: it is the perfect side step of terrible movies in history. You don't like Last Stand? Forget about it! Origins: Wolverine makes you cringe? Cry no more! From the opening credits that was Bryan Singer practically screaming "Hello Boys, I'm baaaack" to the time-in-a-bottle scene to the incredibly artistic ending shot of ole Wolvie waking up, it kept me glued to the screen with a riveting story, awesome effects, and great performances. Plus, it's the first time Storm does anything useful. That's a nice touch.

Trevor: That's nice. And yes, Quicksilver does get 5 MeowMeowBeenz. The real winner here is Captain America: Winter Soldier.

But you're talking about saving a franchise, which arguably, First Class already did. Winter Soldier did something much greater. It saved the MCU from crashing and burning, AND it single-handedly kept Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D relevant. That show sucked until this movie, and then Winter Soldier came out, and then the quality shot through the roof.

Anyway, Winter Soldier finally grounds the MCU back into reality by telling a very relevant story about the dangers of something like the NSA woven perfectly in between kick-ass fight scene after kick-ass fight scene. The fight on the boat was incredible. Plus, we FINALLY got to see Nick Fury be awesome! That car chase was the best this year not counting the one in Raid 2. The elevator scene was Amaze-balls!! Also, the big twists for people like me who never read the comics were so shocking and incredible.
The movie also had some great dialogue between Captain America and Falcon, even Black Widow finally got her showcase.
You have to remember, Phase 2 included Iron Man 3 which was disappointing, Thor 2 which was only not the worst thing in the world thanks to Loki, and the TV show was starting off really poorly. This did the most for the MCU since the first Iron Man, and I would argue that this also got people excited for X-Men and Guardians because before Winter Soldier, there were A LOT of people saying the superhero market was becoming saturated. Winter Soldier shut them up and X-Men and Guardians became huge successes, and it would not have happened without the greatness that was Winter Soldier.

Raymond: I would agree that Cap helped X-Men, but I still believe that X-Men DoFP could have done just as well without the Captain. What really got me more than anything else was the pure cinematic quality that we got from Singer and the gang. The shots felt more like a legitimate film in this than most comic book movies get. I'll go back to that scene with Quicksilver and the final scene with Wolverine. Those shots were amazing cinematic quality, comic books or not. Captain was good, but I thought it was rather solid, but I didn't get as into it as most did. It was fun, it was thrilling, but I found X-Men able to do it much better.

Trevor: X-Men DoFP is basically a dumbed down Terminator 2.
Winter Soldier raised the bar for American hand-to-hand combat and brought back the gritty action that the genre desperately needed. The Russo brothers gave such a life to all the characters. Plus, no way in a million years would I have thought I'd heard Ron Howard say "Hail Hydra".

Raymond: X-Men may have been a bit like Terminator, but where it could have gone very badly with time travel (like many many movies do), this one did it well. It explained what was happening and kept 2 parallel stories going with a clarity that was difficult to get right. I mean, some directors have trouble telling one story, or any story at all! (I'm looking at you, Michael Bay).
I'll give you that point about the action. I loved the down to earth style of Captain. That movie showed why (to that point) Captain's movies were my favorite.

Trevor: Winter Soldier made everyone go "Oh crap, I can take these seriously again" and X-Men really benefited from that. Both of these flooded into Guardians which became the Star Wars of this generation.
I'm calling it. I'm late for team trivia at Applebees.

Raymond: And I'm late for my candle-lit dinner. Ok, you got me: the light is the microwave and the dinner is a Hungy-Man meatloaf special. This is a split decision, so both muscle bound protein high men in tights get to go home with a coveted Treymond award! 

That was our Treymond Awards post! What are your thoughts? Comment below where you think we were wrong, where you thought we were right, or if you even read the entire thing! 

Tiny Terrific Trophy Time

The Academy. 

This title is one of the most prestigious and more fear inducing in all of the English language. I mean, think about it. A British man walks into the dark room. You can't escape. He simply states in a deep voice "The Academy is ready". Freaks me out. 

Shoot, the barista is seeing me shudder in fear and is now freaking out. Back to the post. Where were we? Oh yeah, right. Movies. 

The Academy awards will be handed out tonight, so what else should a mid-20s film geek do with his time than to tell you why they should be handed out to the people he wants them handed to?? I will go over four of the "Big Five" (best director/actor/actress/picture) and also cover the supporting actor/actress categories. I will give you the reason I believe the certain person should win. 

-Note- I am only choosing from the films I have seen myself. Those selections will be bolded (see what I did there?). Here we go! 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS 

Patricia Arquette, "Boyhood" 

Laura Dern, "Wild"

Keira Knightley, "The Imitation Game"

Emma Stone, "Birdman"

Meryl Streep, "Into the Woods"

Winner: Patricia Arquette

In my opinion, this is one of the least thrilling categories this year. Meryl Streep is here because she was in something, I am convinced. Anyways, I would give it to Patricia Arquette in a close battle with Emma Stone. Why? Emma did a fantastic job (Birdman could easily sweep all the awards, in my opinion), but Boyhood was fantastic, and Patricia is a big reason for that. Her changes from early in the film to late as a character are amazing (almost as though she had 12 years to do it....wait....)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR 

Robert Duvall, "The Judge"

Edward Norton, "Birdman"

Ethan Hawke, "Boyhood"

Mark Ruffalo, "Foxcatcher"

J.K. Simmons, "Whiplash"

Winner: Edward Norton/JK Simmons

Like I stated above, Birdman could easily win it all for me. Every single person in that film played their hearts out. Edward Norton really surprised me in this film, mainly because he was the chief instigator of laughs throughout the picture! His subtly over the top performance as a boarder-line psycho method actor is so fantastic that it lifts it to new heights! Now, you may notice that I have Simmons on here too. 

"Wait, you said you're only picking from movies you have seen. You're breaking the rules!" 

Well, it's my blog and I'll cheat if I want to. 

From all that I have read, and the clips that I have watched, the only reason I am not picking Simmons as my outright winner here is because I did not get a chance to see his film. I am convinced he would blow me away. 

BEST ACTRESS

Marion Cotillard, "Two Days, One Night"

Felicity Jones, "The Theory of Everything"

Julianne Moore, "Still Alice"

Rosamund Pike, "Gone Girl"

Reese Witherspoon, "Wild"

Winner: Rosamund Pike

Now, granted, under my self imposed sanctions she is the only eligble winner in this category. This does not lessen her performance, however. Rosamund Pike, how can I say this? She...she could make Hannibal Lector call his mother from prison to tell her how scared he was of the new inmate. She makes the Joker look like your sweet old librarian that offers you sugar cookies that she baked for her dear grandson. This performance will go down as one of the truly horrifying in cinema history. The way she is able to turn on the charm and then seemingly instantaneously turn back on the crazy is incredible. She deserves to win this. 

 BEST ACTOR

Steve Carrell, "Foxcatcher"

Bradley Cooper, "American Sniper"

Benedict Cumberbatch, "The Imitation Game"

Michael Keaton, "Birdman"

Eddie Redmayne, "The Theory of Everything"

Winner: Michael "I'm Not Saying I'm Batman But I'm Birdman" Keaton

Look: he's hustling to the front to grab his Oscar now! 

Why? Why not Eddie Redmayne, who's performance as Stephen Hawking is spot on? Why not Benedict Cumberbatch and his chillingly accurate portayal in "Imitation"? Why not Bradley Cooper and his carbon copy of the true life Captain America? I'll let this excerpt from The Hollywood Reporter's article that is an interview of a longtime Academy voter say it for me: "What Keaton had to do was harder than what the others had to do because they had the benefit of playing real people. I mean, Eddie Redmayne did an amazing impression of Stephen Hawking, but Keaton created a character from whole cloth."

And that whole cloth was a beautiful tapestry. He was the perfect balance of tormented actor and reasonable human struggling to find his place. His work as the voice in his own head made it incredible to watch on screen. I cannot gush about this film enough. 

 BEST DIRECTOR

Alejando G. Inarritu, "Birdman"

Richard Linklater, "Boyhood"

Bennett Miller, "Foxcatcher"

Wes Anderson, "The Grand Budapest Hotel"

Morton Tyldum, "The Imitation Game"

Winner: Richard Linklater

Confused? I would be too. All I have done is tell you how Birdman is incredible. We have not even mention the fact that it is shot to look as though it is all one continuous shot; an incredible cinematic feat. What's even greater than that is making a film that is bare bones budget wise over 12 years. Think about that. What were you doing 12 years ago? I was 11 years old, just realized how incredible Top Gun was, and was busy thinking about how amazing it would be to be 13. 

Oh, that's when Ricky Linklater started this movie. The natural progression of his cast is amazing. The story is like a page from the family journal. It is an incredible cinematic feat that can be credited to it's creator and maker. Fantastic job, Richard. You've earned it bud. Alright alright alright. 

BEST PICTURE

"American Sniper"

"Birdman"

"Boyhood"

"The Grand Budapest Hotel"

"The Imitation Game"

"Selma"

"The Theory of Everything"

"Whiplash"

Winner: Birdman

Yes, Boyhood was a great feat. Yes, 'Mericuh freedom hoorah American Sniper. But what Birdman was as a creative force and masterpiece is something that is hard to top. I was speechless after watching this film in Athens a couple of months ago. Whether it was the score (a drum-set score, something I have not heard ever before), the unique one-shot aspect, or maybe it was the incredible performances put in by the amazing cast (Including Michael Keaton, Edward Norton, Emma Stone, Zach Galifianakis who could have easily been nominated), it does not matter. This film was solid and incredible from beginning to end. Fun, thought provoking, and an event that I certainly hope will hold up (only time will tell, but I am betting it will). This is my pick for Best Picture. 

What are your thoughts? What have you seen and who would you pick? 

Stay tuned for a post coming soon introducing the actual greatest awards: The Trevmonds! The most unique awards in cinema, featuring Trevor the Great and Powerful King and yours truly!