Sunday Best: Top 5 Football Movies (repost)

   In preparation for Superbowl Sunday today, I thought I would take a look at the best football movies I have seen.

Now, two caveats:

1. I have not seen that many football movies.  There are some all-time classics like The Longest Yard and Friday Night Lights, which I haven't seen.  So if your favorite is not on this list, it doesn't mean I don't like it.  It probably means I haven't seen it.

2. I am not the biggest fan of football.  I have only recently gotten into the game on a regular basis, but I still could not tell you the difference between a tailback and a running back.  So if my choices are ones that are least indicative of the actual game of football, then you will know why.

With that said, here is my list.  All you true-blue football fans can have fun taking this list apart.

5. Horse Feathers

As a comedy, this movie is the best one on this list.  As a football movie, the Marx Brothers squeeze every ounce of comedy about a scam running around college football.  My favorite part is when Groucho approaches the huddle as if to say something inspirational or serious and says, "Don't look now boys, but I think I see the chemistry professor in the stands with the janitor's wife."

4. Remember the Titans

The thing I really like about this movie is that it shows that if you bring people together for a common goal, they can overcome their differences.  I also love Denzel's Washington's performance as Coach Boone explains why he is so hard on all of his players: "Now I may be a mean cuss. But I'm the same mean cuss with everybody out there on that football field. The world don't give a damn about how sensitive these kids are, especially the young black kids. You ain't doin' these kids a favor by patronizing them. You crippling them; You crippling them for life."

3. The Blind Side

This movie is less about football and more about the importance of love and family.  It is a movie of wonderful performances and it is an excellent feel-good film, where Sandra Bullock earned her Oscar.

2. American Underdog

This one might be higher on my list because it still fresh in my mind.  But I love how Kurt Warner loves the game of football and uses all of that love and passion to make a better life for his family.  Football becomes his gladiator arena where he proves himself as a man in battle, in a true testament to never giving up.

1. Rudy

What makes Rudy such an all-time classic is not that the main character grows into a star player like Kurt Warner.  It isn't even that Rudy makes a significant impact on the one game he plays.  Instead, this is a movie about all of the people that Rudy impacts on his journey.  He makes all of them better people as he strives to his dream.  In that, he creates a community of friends as they all do their best to reach that excellence that we all know is inside us.  Not all of us will be the biggest and the strongest.  But all of us are capable of giving it our all, like Rudy.

Thoughts?

Trailer Time: The Devil Wears Prada 2

The Devil Wears Prada is a movie that surprised me in terms of how much I liked it.  The characters were more layered than they appeared to be and there is some very sharp writing to be found.  I also like the fact that it was able to draw me into the world of fashion, a world that I normally have zero interest in.

It is also a movie that is comfortable with ambiguities in a way that I like.  Is Miranda a horrible person or is she someone who puts on a hardened persona to do the jab she needs to do?  Is Andy's progression growth or corruption?  These are things that you get to debate with other fans of the movie.

So I am looking forward to this sequel.  I especially enjoy the interactions between Miranda, Andy, and Emily.  The original is twenty years old, but the actors seem to still have the same chemistry.

Thoughts?

Sunday Best: Oscar Game 2026

 OBJECT: Get the most points!

HOW TO PLAY:  Fill out a score sheet for each category with your choice (who you want to win) and your prediction (who you think WILL win).  

CATEGORIES

1.  MAJOR AWARDS

-Best Picture
-Best Director
-Best Actor
-Best Actress
-Best Supporting Actor
-Best Supporting Actress
-Best Original Screenplay
-Best Adapted Screenplay
-Best Original Score
-Best Original Song
-Best Animate Feature



On the night of the Oscars, give yourself 1 point for each correct guess in MY PREDICTIONS.  If you get a prediction wrong, subtract 1 point.  Give yourself 1/2 (.5) point for each correct guess in MY CHOICE.  There is no penalty for incorrect guesses for MY CHOICE.


For example:
Category

BEST DIRECTOR

-MY CHOICE = Ryan Coogler, Sinners
-MY PREDICTION = Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another

BEST ACTOR

-MY CHOICE =Timothée Chalamet, Marty Supreme
-MY PREDICTION = Ethan Hawke, Blue Moon

BEST ACTRESS

-MY CHOICE = Kate Hudson, Song Sung Blue
-MY PREDICTION = Kate Hudson, Song Sung Blue

If Paul Thomas Anderson wins Best Director, gain 1 point for a correct guess in MY PREDICTIONS, but no points for an incorrect MY CHOICE  (total points = 1)

If Timothée Chalamet wins Best Actor, gain 1 point, for a correct MY CHOICE, but subtract 1 point for an incorrect MY PREDICTION (total points = [-.5])

If Kate Hudson wins Best Actress, gain 1 points for correct MY CHOICE and 1 correct MY PREDICTION.  (total points =1.5)

If Jessica Buckley wins Best Actress, lose 1 point for an incorrect MY PREDICTION, but lose no points for an incorrect MY CHOICE (total = [-1])

You may NOT make a guess for a MY CHOICE in a category if you have not seen any of the films in the category.  You may, however, make a blind guess for the MY PREDICTION section even if you have not seen any of the nominees.



2.  TECHNICAL AWARDS

-Best Editing
-Best Cinematography
-Best Visual Effects
-Best Sound Editing
-Best Sound Mixing
-Best Makeup
-Best Costumes
-Best Production Design

-Best Casting (new category)

For these, give yourself 1/2 point (.5) for each correct guess in MY PREDICTIONS.   Give yourself 1/2 point (.5) for each correct guess in MY CHOICE.  There is no penalty for incorrect guesses for MY PREDICTIONS or MY CHOICE.

3.  MINOR AWARDS

-Best Documentary Feature
-Best Documentary Short
-Best Animated Short
-Best Live Action Short
-Best International Feature Film


For these, give yourself 1/5th of a point (.2) for each correct guess in MY PREDICTIONS.   Since so few people have seen these, there is no MY CHOICE section.  There is no penalty for incorrect guesses for MY PREDICTIONS.


PARTICIPATION:

Fill out the below score sheet and send it to me.  I will be the designated score-keeper.  You may change any choice up until the broadcast begins.


The winner will receive bragging rights and recognition on this blog.

You can fill out the google form here.

I will publish my selections before Oscar night so that everything is on the up and up.  Usually I would have done so already, but I am still thinking things through.

New Evangelizers Post: Practicing the Presence of God in the Eucharist

                                    

I have a new article up at NewEvangelizers.com.  

When I was in grade school, once a month we would gathering around the Blessed Sacrament in adoration. And when we would go there for our holy hour, my grade-school self would tell you: I was so bored. I would kneel, close my eyes, and count the seconds until it ended.

You have to understand: I was raised Catholic all my life, but the Eucharist was not important to me. My parents would have to drag me kicking and screaming (sometimes literally) to Sunday mass and I was a terror to them for long because I was SOOO bored. I couldn’t wait to get out of there and get back to all of the fun things I had waiting for me back home like my action figures, comic books, Nintendo (Princess Peach wasn’t going to rescue herself!). Eventually I made my first communion and from that point on when we went to mass I would walk up the communion line and the minister would say “Body of Christ,” I would mindlessly respond “Amen.”

I look back on my younger self and I see someone who was in the presence of God, but I had no awareness of it.

Hebrews 12:22 says that we have come to Mount Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem. When we are around the altar, with us are countless angels with all of the souls in heaven. In this room with us are Sts. Peter, Paul, Michael, Joseph, Mary Magdalene, Carlo Acutis, Therese of Lisieux, Francis of Assisi, Maria Gorettie, Joan of Arc, and so many others. And yet, how often do we come here unaware of their presence.

At least, that’s what I was, until I was 17. I made a retreat where things changed. At one point on that weekend, we had a Eucharistic Adoration like I had in grade school. And just like all throughout grade school, I knelt and closed my eyes, and began counting the seconds until it ended. What I didn’t know was that the group I was with were Charismatic Catholics. For those who have never been with the Charismatics, they can be very vocal about their faith. So as we knelt, I was surrounded by people shouting their prayers towards the Blessed Sacrament saying: “Praise you, Jesus, Glory and honor to you, Jesus, I love you Jesus, my Lord and my God!”

I remember thinking: this is weird. I was incredibly uncomfortable as I continued to count the seconds until it ended. But then as they kept shouting their praise and I knelt in silence, a thought occurred to me. I have been Catholic all my life and every time I went to communion and they said “Body of Christ,” I would respond, “Amen.” My thought was this: If I really believed what I said I believed, how could I not be filled with joy in the presence of God?”

And then I opened my eyes and I saw Jesus. I don’t mean I had an apparition. But when I looked at the Host, I was given the eyes of faith and I experienced the presence of God. Faith is gift. I didn’t earn it and I don’t deserve, but it was given to me that night. And that is when everything changed for me. I began to mass every day. It set me on the path that led me to my life as a theology teacher and God willing soon an ordained deacon.

That isn’t to say I became a saint. For those who are watching The Chosen, I love the way it shows the Apostles have a life changing experience by the presence of God, but they still screw up like we all do. But they are continually transformed by being in the the presence of God day after day.

Dr. Peter Kreeft said that the heart of the spiritual life is to practice the presence of God.

God is all around us. He is not only in the church, but He is with us when we leave, at work, school, home… His presence never leaves. But we can ignore it. I did for many years. And even now I can get so caught up with work or home life that I can still forget.

But we go to the Eucharist to help us practice the presence of God. We go to Mount Zion to experience His presence. Even Jesus gave us this model. At least four times in the Gospels, Christ would go up to the mountain to pray. Why a mountain?

Perhaps it’s because on that mountain, He was removed from ordinary life, from all of the crowds and noise and demands of daily life. He could then practice the Presence of His Heavenly Father. The Eucharistic table is our mountain. In this space we are removed from ordinary life, if we allow it. Here we can remove ourselves from the noise and demands of daily life and practice the presence of God.

And if we let it, something amazing can happen: we can let God’s presence live in our hearts. And His presence can give us peace, a peace the world cannot give. His presence can fill us with the love that is the deepest longing of our hearts. St. Augustine said that our hearts are restless until they rest in God. Our lives can change.

One of my favorite stories from the Gospels is the story of the woman with the hemorrhage. She had been suffering for 12 years but she pushed through the crowds in the street to touch Jesus’ clothing and she was healed. I love this story because Jesus was probably touched by hundreds of people in that crowd, but only one was healed. And the difference was faith. She believed in the presence of God in Him.

How many times did I go to receive communion when I was young and received the Body of Christ thoughtlessly, like I was getting a snack in the lunch line? I touched Christ, but my life was not changed. But when I practiced the presence of God, every time I received the Eucharist, my heart is touched by Him.

And here is the wonderful thing: when we experience His presence here on our Mount Zion, we can then better practice His presence when we leave this place. We can better see Him in our friends, family, and co-workers. We can even experience His presence in our work, our chores, and even our crosses. I encourage you to take this experience of God here and practice His presence every day this week. Take a moment every day to ask God to reveal His presence in your daily life.

You can read the whole article here.

Sunday Best: Oscar Nominations 2026

  

 So the nominees were announced this past week for the 98th Academy Awards.

These awards remain the most prestigious in film.  And while many of you, dear readers, are of the opinion that all awards shows are terrible and should simply be shunned, it is my perpetual hope that Hollywood will reform itself and once again nominate movies that matter.

While there were a few happy nominations, there are a few hopeful signs, but none that make me think that the redemption of Hollywood is just around the corner.  Once again, the elite in the industry will gather together, kick out the homeless from the streets, and congratulate themselves.

The movies nominated for Best Picture are:

Bugonia
F1
Frankenstein
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
The Secret Agent
Sentimental Value
Sinners
Train Dreams

The top 10 highest grossers for 2025 are:

A Minecraft Movie

Lilo & Stitch

Superman

Jurassic World: Rebirth

Zootopia 2

Wicked: For Good

Sinners

The Fantastic Four: First Steps

How to Train Your Dragon

Avatar: Fire and Ash

There is 1 movie nominated in the top ten earners of the year.  But once again, a lot of these movies have not been seen by the general public.  After Sinners, F1 is in the top 14, which is respectable.  But after that is One Battle After Another, which is #30.  Maybe this wouldn't be so bad until you consider that the disasterous Snow White remake is #24. 

And I do not mean to say that movies with small box office returns are the only ones that should be nominated.  I thought Horizon: An American Saga Chapter One was excellent and that movie flopped.  But if you look at most of these nominees, the average person will not know them.

And I don't mean that big hits should be nominated.  I thought the highest grossing movie this year was the worst.  On this blog, we are not vox populi, vox dei.  But the point is that the viewing public will be much less interested in this these awards if they haven't seen the movies.

 My own top ten of the year include:

Superman

Fantastic Four: First Steps

David

Wicked: For Good

Song Sung Blue

Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning

How to Train Your Dragon

F1

Novocaine

The Naked Gun

So below are my thoughts on some (not all) of this year's nominees.  

It is clear from the nominations that there is a strong socio/political tone to this year's awards.  This is especially the case with One Battle After Another.  

I also think this year suffered from the strikes that delayed productions.  The delayed effects can be felt in the mediocre crop of films.  But perhaps I'm wrong about this and the poorer quality of this year's movies is simply a result of Hollywood continuing to slide into creative oblivion.

BEST PICTURE

I've only seen Sinners, Marty Supreme, One Battle After Another and F1, so I can't speak much outside of those 4.  Only one of them is in my top 10.  

If the Academy were smart, they would lean on Sinners, which was their biggest hit, even though I didn't care for it.  And it looks like they might because Sinners just made the record for most nominations for any movie in history.

BEST DIRECTOR

Chloé Zhao, Hamnet
Josh Safdie, Marty Supreme
Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another
Joachim Trier, Sentimental Value
Ryan Coogler, Sinners

As of now, I've only seen Marty Supreme, One Battle After Another, and Sinners.  While I didn't care for Sinners, it was very well directed and I think that Coogler should win.

BEST ACTRESS

Jessie Buckley, Hamnet
Rose Byrne, If I Had Legs I'd Kick You
Kate Hudson, Song Sung Blue
Renate Reinsve, Sentimental Value
Emma Stone, Bugonia

Hudson's performance is the only one I have seen and I think that she was the best actress from last year, so I'm glad she got the nomination.  Right now I think Buckley is the front runner.

BEST ACTOR

Timothée Chalamet, Marty Supreme
Leonardo DiCaprio, One Battle After Another
Ethan Hawke, Blue Moon
Michael B. Jordan, Sinners
Wagner Moura, The Secret Agent

Though I hated Marty Supreme, Chalamet was fantastic in the role.  Jordan was also very good in Sinners, as was DiCaprio in his movie.  I really think Dwayne Johnson should have been nominated for The Smashing Machine.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Elle Fanning, Sentimental Value
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, Sentimental Value
Amy Madigan, Weapons
Wunmi Mosaku, Sinners
Teyana Taylor, One Battle After Another

I think Madigan is the front-runner because her performance was so odd and creepy.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Benicio del Toro, One Battle After Another
Jacob Elordi, Frankenstein
Delroy Lindo, Sinners
Sean Penn, One Battle After Another
Stellan Skarsgård, Sentimental Value

I don't know why people were raving about Penn's performance.  Maybe I'm missing something.  Benicio del Toro was good and so was Lindo, but no one here blew me away.

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

Avatar: Fire and Ash
Frankenstein
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
Sinners

 Wicked's costume designs were the best this year and they didn't get nominated.  None of these nominees stand out to me.  I really think Superman and Fantastic Four should have been nominated along with Wicked.

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

Arco
Elio
KPop Demon Hunters
Little Amélie or the Character of Rain
Zootopia 2

I've only seen KPop Demon Hunters, but I like it enough so that I would happy if it won the award

Those are just some of my initial thoughts in some of the categories.  I'm going to try and catch up with some of the other nominees.

Thoughts?

Trailer Time: Masters of The Universe - Teaser

Some people forget that Masters of the Universe was at one point the dominant toy brand of the 1980's, eclipsing Star Wars, GI Joe, and Transformers.  And I have noticed in recent years a resurgence in the vintage toy market for these figures.

So it makes sense that an attempt at a big budget film be made.  And hopefully it will be do better than the one made by Canon films all those years ago.

I will start with the negatives:

I don't like the humor.  For me it falls falls flat, especially the scene where Adam is trying to get the sword and his name plate joke.  I really hope this movie doesn't lean too much into the comedy.

I also wish there were more practical sets and effects.  The overloaded CGI is starting to wear on me a little.

Having said that, I like most of everything else I see.  Like the first Masters of the Universe film, it looks to be partially set on earth where Adam has been sent to hide his real identity, but he is called to adventure back to Eternia.  I think that is a very interesting plot idea.

I like the design of the film.  Masters of the Universe always had a strange juxtoposition of sci-fi and medieval, and the visuals seem to capture that fairly well.  I also like how it jibes with the original cartoon design, whether it's the Sorceress' colors on the bird or the costumes for Man-At-Arms and Teela.

And so far I like the casting.  I need to see more of Nicholas Galitzine as He-Man before I make a decision, but he looks the part, along with Idris Elba as Man-At-Arms and Camila Mendes as Teela.  Not a lot to see in this short teaser, but it feels right.

Thoughts?

Film Flash: Is This Thing On

 

  

15 words or less film review (full review to follow soon)

Will Arnett gives an amazing performance in a frustrating film about middle-aged marriage