Matt's Musings

We're approaching the Fourth of July, we're hitting our summer stride. In terms of original programming, though, it's slow. It's always somewhat slow this time of year, but with the pandemic it figures to be slower as filming was disrupted and some summer things have been held to the Fall. But if you're looking at new content, and you're not sure, you've come to the right place. In these weekly posts I look at the pilot and second episode of new scripted (and select unscripted) series this Summer. Don't see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks. Sunday Nights: Perry Mason, Sundays at 9 p.m. on HBO (Premiered June 21) About: This limited series takes the famous character of Mason (Matthew Rhys) out of the courtroom and into the back allies of Los Angeles in the 1930s. Shell shocked from the war, and disgraced by the way he was released from military, Mason is plying his trade as a private investigator. His friend, the decorated lawyer E.B. Jonatha

Now that the draft is over, and while we have some time to fill before teams come back, it's time to once again look at the positional units the Broncos have assembled for 2020. Today I'm wrapping up with the running back group. Running Backs: On the Roster: Melvin Gordon, Phillip Lindsay, Royce Freeman, Khalfani Muhammad, Jeremy Cox, And LeVante Bellamy About: This is a group that became more clear this off-season. Last year the Broncos kept three running backs (Lindsay, Freeman and Devontae Booker) and a full back (Andy Janovich). The team let Booker go in free agency, and he signed with the Raiders. Meanwhile the Broncos dealt Janovich to the Browns. But they also added Gordon in free agency, so now it seems like it will be Gordon and Lindsay sharing the load with Freeman as a "spare." Will the Broncos keep a fourth running back? In the past few years they've been happy to roll with three and a full back, who contributed on Special Teams. That's the real

Over the next 25 weeks I'll be rolling out my favorite films of the last decade. This is, as all lists of this kind, personal selections. Agree, disagree, make a comment and share your thoughts! No. 7 Inception (2010) Starring : Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy, Michael Caine, Ken Watanabe, Marion Cotillard, and Cillian Murphy Director : Christopher Nolan Academy Award Nominations : 8 Academy Award Wins : 4 (Best Cinematography, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Visual Effects) About : Nolan is one of the best directors working, constantly giving us great and interesting films. This was his best of the last decade, a twisty tale that takes you into the mind and dreams of the characters. DiCaprio is great as the lead, and this was really an incredible visual experience when it was release. It's been a decade since it came out, and it's fair to say it's the film from that year that has stuck with me the most. Both "Inception&qu

This has been a weird off-season. First, Tom Brady actually left New England, signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Then, in April just before the draft, Rob Gronkowski came out of retirement and was traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Suddenly, the fantasy world caught fire. Previous to the Gronk trade, some had believed O.J. Howard was due for a big 2020 thanks to the arrival of Brady. Following the trade, it seemed Gronk was a hot commodity in trades, drafts and waiver wire transactions. The question is, will Gronk, Howard or neither be a viable option in 2020? Let’s weigh the evidence! The Case for Gronk This one’s pretty easy, we’ve seen it before. Prior to his one-year retirement, Gronk was one of the best and most explosive tight ends in the game, all coming alongside Brady in New England. He played nine years alongside Brady, amassing 521 receptions, 7,861 yards and 79 touchdowns . That included four times where he got more than 100 targets. It seemed the biggest drawback for

I miss football, and sports in general. I'm guessing you do, too. And in the place of actual games, we've been seeing a lot of countdowns of classic games, players, etc. And that got me thinking about my own favorite team, the Denver Broncos. I have loved the Denver Broncos since I was a little kid, more than 30 years of fandom. I started watching them in the late 1980s, and have been faithful ever since. So I thought it might be fun to take a little walk down memory lane and consider my favorite players from those teams. So this is just a personal list, that will be presented in reverse order starting at number 30. Agree, disagree, have your own stories? Share them in the comments. No. 19 Brandon Marshall (2006-2009) About: Marshall only played four seasons for the Broncos before playing for the Dolphins, Bears, Jets, Giants and Seahawks. But after his first four years in Denver, I followed him everywhere. He remained a player I rooted for, and often owned in Fantasy Football

Long time readers of this space will know that I love the Network Upfronts, a presentation that typically takes place over a week in May when each of the five networks unveils its Fall Schedule and promotes new shows. But, like so many other things in 2020, that didn't happen this year. Due in part to the Covid-19 outbreak, and a lot of uncertainty about the future, networks scrapped the annual presentation. But, slowly, over the past couple months all five have unveiled their hoped for Fall schedule. This comes with a giant caveat that many aren't declaring when shows will premier. In addition, there have been two camps. FOX and The CW announced schedules that anticipate returning shows not going into production in time to air in 2020. CBS, NBC, and ABC announced more traditional "Fall" schedules, hoping that at least by November shows will have enough filmed to debut. What will the reality be? Who knows at this point. In this post, I'm going to break down the sc

Here's a look at the new movies I saw this week. 7500 (Amazon Prime) Starring : Joseph Gordon-Levitt Synopsis : This original film for Amazon takes place aboard an international flight that departs from Germany. It doesn't take long for things to go horribly wrong, leaving the co-pilot (Gordon-Levitt) alone in the cockpit trying to make an emergency landing after terrorists attempt to seize the aircraft. This is a tense premise, and the 90-minute film makes the most of it, especially thanks to having a great actor in the lead. While there are other characters in the film, this is mostly a showcase for Gordon-Levitt, who spends swaths of time connected to the world outside the cockpit only through radio, the on-plane phone and a video monitor. Gordon-Levitt is great in this film, which features a number of difficult sequences. The tension remains high and the film moves at a good and interesting pace. This is well worth checking out. Rating:  R for violence/terror and language V

We're hitting the stride of summer, and there's some interesting offerings coming out, but the faucet has slowed to a trickle. But are the new offerings worth your time? In these weekly posts I review the pilot and second episode of new scripted series this summer. Don't see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks. Sunday Nights: Perry Mason, Sundays at 9 p.m. on HBO (Premiered June 21) About: This latest HBO series, classified a mini-series, revisits the classic character in a way you've not seen him before. The series is set in the 1930s, and Mason (Matthew Rhys) is a private investigator. The pilot begins with a gruesome crime, the death of a child, and soon Mason is asked to look into it. While he might be good at his job, he's a wreck in his personal life with plenty of issues to work out. He's got an ex and a child he isn't on good terms with, and he's struggling in other aspects of his personal life as well. But his friend, a well regarded

Now that the draft is over, and while we have some time to fill before teams come back, it's time to once again look at the positional units the Broncos have assembled for 2020. Today I'm continuing with the wide receiver group. Wide Receivers On the Roster : Courtland Sutton, K.J. Hamler, Jerry Jeudy, DaeSean Hamilton, Tim Patrick, Trinity Benson, Fred Brown, Diontae Spencer, Juwann Winfree, Kelvin McKnight, Tyrie Cleveland, Kendall Hinton, and Zimari Manning About : This is going to be an interesting and exciting group to watch in 2020. Sutton is great, and has really been coming on. In his second year, despite a tough offensive season for the team, Sutton caught 72 passes for 1,112 yards and six TDs . I think he's a great No. 1 and I look forward to him growing this season. But beyond him, in terms of receivers, the Broncos didn't have a lot going for them in 2019. That's why the team went and loaded up in the draft, taking Jeudy in the first round and Hamler in

Over the next 25 weeks I'll be rolling out my favorite films of the last decade. This is, as all lists of this kind, personal selections. Agree, disagree, make a comment and share your thoughts! No. 8 La La Land (2016) Starring: Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone Director: Damien Chazelle Academy Award Nominations: 14 Academy Award Wins: 6 (Best Actress (Stone), Best Director (Chazelle), Best Cinematography, Best Original Song, Best Original Score, Best Production Design) About:   As we move up this list, there are more directors who will be making repeat appearances. While this is the first film for Chazelle on the list, it won't be his last. The young director has delivered some powerful films in the last decade, including a pair up here in the Top 10 for me, and films I thought were the best the year they were released. The first of those is "La La Land," the musical masterpiece that was nominated for 14 Academy Awards. It won six awards, sweeping the music categories an

After the 2019 draft, Darrell Henderson was a trendy pick. In fact, by the time many rookie drafts got going, his value was pushing up into the first round. It wasn’t just his talent that got people’s attention, but the fact he seemed to be coming in to take over for Todd Gurley. The thing is, rumors of Gurley’s demise proved premature. The Rams’ star played in and started 15 games. And the hope that Henderson was going to at least carry the load never materialized. The Rams’ offense was uneven, and many who spent high draft capital had little to show for it in 2019. But Gurley moved on in the off-season, signing with the Atlanta Falcons. So is 2020 the year of Henderson? Let’s weigh the evidence. Early Optimism Henderson was taken in the third round of the 2019 draft after playing his college ball at Memphis. In three seasons, he rushed for 3,545 yards and 36 TDs . That included a stout junior year, where he rushed for 1,909 yards and 22 TDs. His potential and college production combi

I miss football, and sports in general. I'm guessing you do, too. And in the place of actual games, we've been seeing a lot of countdowns of classic games, players, etc. And that got me thinking about my own favorite team, the Denver Broncos. I have loved the Denver Broncos since I was a little kid, more than 30 years of fandom. I started watching them in the late 1980s, and have been faithful ever since. So I thought it might be fun to take a little walk down memory lane and consider my favorite players from those teams. So this is just a personal list, that will be presented in reverse order starting at number 30. Agree, disagree, have your own stories? Share them in the comments. No. 20 Derek Wolfe (2012-2019) About: As I continue my countdown, we get to Derek Wolfe. Wolfe is a modern player who has, thus far, played his entire career with Denver. Sadly this off-season he moved to the Ravens, so seeing him in purple and black will hurt. But for eight seasons he's been a

The NFL Draft is over, so it's time to go back, revisit rankings, and see how the draft spots have impacted the way we view the players at the four crucial positions heading into (fantasy) football season. Today I conclude with tight ends. Tight End is always a difficult position to field and forecast. The top of the group are sure bets for high production, in this case really just the first three names. Then there's always a group that should perform that don't and a group just below that level that end up out producing. Plus, there's always the wild card in the group you don't see coming. So forecasts this time of year can become pretty funny in retrospect. I'm sure there will be some misses here, but this is my best guess at this time! Tight End Top 25: 1. George Kittle, 49ers 2. Travis Kelce, Chiefs 3. Mark Andrews, Ravens 4. Darren Waller, Raiders 5. Tyler Higbee, Rams 6. Zach Ertz, Eagles 7. Jared Cook, Saints 8. Noah Fant, Broncos 9. Evan Engram, Giants 1

Here's a look at the new movies I saw this week. Artemis Fowl (Disney+) Starring : Ferdia Shaw, Josh Gad, Colin Farrell, Nonso Anozie, Lara McDonnell, and Judi Dench Synopsis : This film was originally going to be one of the big releases in theaters this summer, originally slated for Memorial Day weekend. It's been highly anticipated, based on the novels from Eoin Colfer and directed by Kenneth Branagh. It also boasts a high-profile cast, including Gad, Farrell and Dench. But given the current situation, it was moved to Disney+ for release instead and, in fact, that might be doing it a favor. This film it seems was meant to be the kick-off for a potential franchise. It is, however, criminally dull and hard to watch. Even though it's only about 90 minutes, it feels like a slog. There was likely some potential here, but it just doesn't work. It's hard to imagine this being the start of a franchise. It felt like a big get for Disney+, and it will likely draw plenty of

We're in the heart of June, approaching the official start of summer and the longest day of the year. Normally we're in the midst of a swirl of new content, a mix of reality, game shows and scripted fare. Like everything else, this year is different as a result of filming constraints. We have some new shows, but not the flood we sometimes have, even during the summer. But let these weekly posts be your guide as I look at the pilot and second episode of new scripted fare this summer. Don't see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks. Sunday Nights: I May Destroy You, Sundays at 10:30 p.m. on HBO (Premiered June 7) About: This new series from Michaela Cole, who takes the lead role, is set in England. It follows a writer of some renown who is facing a deadline but decides to head out for a night with friends. The next morning, she finds an injury and fractured memories, but she doesn't know what happened the night before. That is mostly how the pilot ends, but the s

Now that the draft is over, and while we have some time to fill before teams come back, it's time to once again look at the positional units the Broncos have assembled for 2020. Today I'm continuing with the tight end group. Tight Ends On the Roster : Noah Fant, Nick Vannett, Jeff Heuerman, Jake Butt, Troy Fumagali, Andrew Beck, Albert Okwuegbunam, Austin Fort About : Last off-season, the Broncos found their tight end of the future as they took Noah Fant in the first round. That gave them quite a collection of tight ends, but Fant looked like he's on the way to being the real deal. And yet, the Broncos signed a tight end in free agency (Vannett) and drafted another (Albert O.), so now they have eight tight ends on the roster, which feels like a lot. The Broncos aren't likely to have a fullback, especially after trading Andy Janovich. So that likely means a different kind of role for tight ends. It's possible the Broncos could keep four or five on the roster, but tha

Over the next 25 weeks I'll be rolling out my favorite films of the last decade. This is, as all lists of this kind, personal selections. Agree, disagree, make a comment and share your thoughts! No. 9 A Quiet Place (2018) Starring: John Krasinski, Emily Blunt, Noah Jupe, and Millicent Simmonds Director: John Krasinski Academy Award Nominations: 1 Academy Award Wins : 0 About: As we've moved to the Top 10, we're getting toward films that I really enjoyed. "A Quiet Place" was my favorite scripted film of 2018, and one I've seen a couple times since. I am looking forward to the sequel at some point this year, too, though I remain cautious about how this story might continue. I loved the pacing and design here, and I thought this was a movie that was very creative in the way it was put together. Blunt is an extraordinary performer, and I thought she really stretched herself with this. But Krasinski was quite good as well. He has some great scenes opposite Blunt

Heading into the 2019 season, it seemed to be all coming up roses for the Browns. After finishing the 2018 season strong, the Browns had a big off-season that included trading for Odell Beckham, Jr. With him in place alongside Nick Chubb, Jarvis Landry and second-year QB Baker Mayfield, the Browns were a trendy playoff pick. Then the wheels came off the bus. The game, at times, seemed too big for the Browns and their first-year head coach, Freddie Kitchens. The team struggled out of the blocks, going 2–6 in the first half and finishing with a 6–10 record, including losing their final three games. And what’s worse, Baker when from a potential MVP candidate to looking lost in his first full year as a starter. The Browns’ flop in 2019 led to Kitchens’ exit, and now the Browns head into the 2020 season with a talented roster on paper, a new coach in Kevin Stefanski and, perhaps, some new optimism. Sophomore Slump Baker burst onto the scene in 2018, after being taken as the No. 1 overall pi

I miss football, and sports in general. I'm guessing you do, too. And in the place of actual games, we've been seeing a lot of countdowns of classic games, players, etc. And that got me thinking about my own favorite team, the Denver Broncos. I have loved the Denver Broncos since I was a little kid, more than 30 years of fandom. I started watching them in the late 1980s, and have been faithful ever since. So I thought it might be fun to take a little walk down memory lane and consider my favorite players from those teams. So this is just a personal list, that will be presented in reverse order starting at number 30. Agree, disagree, have your own stories? Share them in the comments. No. 21 Ryan Clady (2008-2014) About: And here we have a left tackle on the list. Left Tackle is arguably one of the most important positions, and for seven seasons Clady was a rock on that side for the Denver Broncos. In that time he made the Pro Bowl four times and was a First Team All Pro twice. H

The NFL Draft is over, so it's time to go back, revisit rankings, and see how the draft spots have impacted the way we view the players at the four crucial positions heading into (fantasy) football season. Today I continue with the wide receivers. This is an interesting group. There were a lot of talented rookies that entered this year's NFL, and there are a lot of high-powered pass offenses. Even going 50 deep here, I think there is incredible value. And since many leagues start three WRs and have multiple flex positions, you're gonna need the depth! The list starts with Michael Thomas, who was phenomenal in 2019 and figures to be a force in 2020. He's a beast, and like Christian McCaffrey in the running back group, has earned the right to be No. 1 until someone takes his spot. I also have a lot of guys I think are ready to take a step up and could be huge in 2020. Without further ado, here's my current Top 50 at WR. WR Top 50: 1. Michael Thomas, Saints 2. Davante

Here's a look at the new movies I saw this week. The Last Days of American Crime (Netflix) Starring : Edgar Ramirez, Anna Brewster, and Michael Pitt Synopsis: Woof! This is a perfect combination of an ultra-violent, not great film released at the wrong time in our country. It features police corruption, government suppression, and abuse-of-power, in addition to some class warfare issues. But none of those things is handled with a deft hand in this film from director Olivier Megaton, based on the graphic novel from Rick Remender and Greg Tocchini. The film exists, that's about the nicest thing I have to say. Some of the performances are OK, but the plot is a little weird and the violence is pervasive, but not in a compelling way. It's about a group that plans to pull off a heist just before a new program kicks in that will literally prevent people from committing criminal acts. Or will it? Who's to say. Either way, this movie is nearly two and a half hours, but it feels

We've hit that strange time of the early summer where there is a semi-lull in new offerings, which is likely only to get worse as we progress due to the issues with halted productions. But there are still a few new offerings, and in these weekly posts I look at the pilot and second episode of new scripted series this summer. Don't see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks. Tuesday Nights: Dirty John: The Betty Broderick Story, Tuesdays at 10 p.m. on USA (Premiered June 2) About: "Dirty John" has become a true crime anthology series. The first season featured Connie Britton and followed the narrative of the podcast of the same name. This second installment follows the unhappy marriage and dissolution from Betty (Amanda Peet) and Dan Broderick (Christian Slater). The first two episodes aired as a premier block, setting it all up. The first episode showed some of the tension between them as their divorce nears, and the second episode tells you flat out that Bett