Matt's Musings

  Week 8 : Denver Broncos 21, Jacksonville Jaguars 17 Season Record : 3-5 (2-2 Home) Key Play : In the Fourth Quarter, training 17-14, Latavius Murray capped an 80-yard drive with a two-yard touchdown run, giving the Broncos the 21-17 lead. Recap : So this is what it's like to score points! The first Broncos game of the season with more than 20 points and the team gets a win. The Broncos will roll into the bye week still with issues and questions, but with a sense of relief. The team snapped a four-game losing streak, moving to 3-5 on the season. Calls for Nathaniel Hackett to be fired won't go away entirely, but they will take a break. Russell Wilson had one of his best games of the season, as well. The Broncos' offense still isn't efficient. The team is still dealing with injuries. And the Broncos need to clean up the penalties, taking 12 despite the win. But a win helps cover over a lot of things, and that is certainly the case for the Broncos this week as well. Hope

  Week 8 features only two teams on a bye, the Chiefs and Chargers. Below are the games that I'm excited to see on Sunday! Sunday Early Games: New England Patriots (3-4) at New York Jets (5-2) About : Divisional matchups are always fun but this has an extra layer of intrigue. The Patriots are fresh off a drubbing at home on Monday night Football. They also sit in last place, the only team in the AFC East below .500. Add to that something of a quarterback controversy between Bailey Zappe and Mac Jones, and the Patriots have issues. The Jets, meanwhile, are one of the league’s hottest teams. They sit at 5-2 and could be on the way to a playoff berth. They were dealt a blow as rookie running back Breece Hall tore his ACL but they traded to acquire James Robinson. How will this new back work with the team? Can they keep this win streak going against the Patriots? This one ought to be fun. Sunday Late Games: San Francisco 49ers (3-4) at Los Angeles Rams (3-3) About : The Rams and 49ers

  Welcome to this year's exploration of TV, the Best of the Small Screen. Throughout the year I'll be looking at my favorite shows in four categories: Network Sitcoms, Network Dramas, Cable Series and Streaming Series. We'll cap the exploration with my Top 10 shows of all time regardless of format. Check back each Saturday for another installment in the countdown! Eric Taylor : [voiceover]  Give all of us gathered here tonight the strength to remember that life is so very fragile. We are all vulnerable, and we will all, at some point in our lives... fall. We will all fall. We must carry this in our hearts... that what we have is special. That it can be taken from us, and when it is taken from us, we will be tested. We will be tested to our very souls. We will now all be tested. It is these times, it is this pain, that allows us to look inside ourselves. Friday Night Lights (2006-2011) Starring : Kyle Chandler, Connie Britton, Zach Gilford, Taylor Kitsch, Aimee Teegarden, Ad

  In 2022 I'm revisiting my favorite films of all time, doing a countdown of the Top 50 throughout the year. Check back each Friday for the latest installment in the countdown of films, which include releases through 2019. Agree? Disagree? Have a thought on the choice? Be sure to share in the comments below! Alicia : We're not exactly the Washington Post, okay? Michael McDougal : No, we're not. We run stupid headlines because we think they're funny. We run maimings on the front page because we got good art. And I spend three weeks bitching about my car because it sells papers. But at least it's the truth. As far as I can remeber we never ever, ever knowingly got a story wrong, until tonight. The Paper (1994) Starring : Michael Keaton, Glenn Close, Robert Duvall, Randy Quaid, Marissa Tomei, and Jason Alexander Director: Ron Howard About: I have long had a passion for the field of journalism. You saw another film about tenacious journalists, Spotlight , in this coun

  I had another good but not great week in Week 7 of the NFL Season. In terms of picking winners and losers, I'm back over .500. Let's hope that continues in Week 8! NFL Picks, Week 8 Ravens Over Buccaneers Broncos Over Jaguars Falcons Over Panthers Cowboys Over Bears Dolphins Over Lions Vikings Over Cardinals Raiders Over Saints Jets Over Patriots Eagles Over Steelers Titans Over Texans Colts Over Commanders Rams Over 49ers Seahawks Over Giants Bills Over Packers Bengals Over Browns Last Week: 8-6 Season : 55-52 NFL Picks Spread, Week 8 Ravens -1.5 Over Buccaneers Broncos +3.5 Over Jaguars Panthers +6.5 Over Falcons Bears +9.5 Over Cowboys Dolphins -3.5 Over Lions Vikings -3.5 Over Cardinals Raiders -1.5 Over Saints Jets +1.5 Over Patriots Eagles -10.5 Over Steelers Titans -3.5 Over Texans Commanders +3.5 Over Colts Rams +1.5 Over 49ers Seahawks -2.5 Over Giants Bills -10.5 Over Packers Bengals -3.5 Over Browns Last Week : 6-8 Season : 52-56

  A new superhero film and a romantic comedy starring George Clooney and Julia Roberts highlight this week’s new films. I give my thoughts on those and other films I saw this week. If you’d like to see more of my scores for films and thoughts, feel free to follow me on Letterboxd here . Black Adam (Theaters) Starring : Dwayne Johnson, Aldis Hodge, Pierce Brosnan, Sarah Shahi, Quintessa Swindell, and Noah Centino Synopsis : The latest film in the D.C. Extended Universe has been a long time in the making. Johnson takes the titular role, a slave named Teth Adam who is granted superpowers by the same wizards who gave them to Billy Batson in Shazam! In fact, they use the same catch word, too. Teth Adam fights an evil king and defeats him before he can use a magic crown, then both he and the crown were sealed away. Now 5,000 years later, Teth Adam is released. He comes out ready to fight and that draws the attention of the Justice Society—led by Hawkman (Hodge) and Dr. Fate (Brosnan)—who

  The nights are getting longer—and coming earlier. The leaves are falling from the trees and the temperatures are just falling. It’s the perfect time to cozy up on the couch and watch a new show—and believe me we have plenty this Fall. But which one should you pick? Let this weekly post be your guide as I review the pilot and second episode of new scripted series this Fall. Don’t see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks. Tuesdays: Professionals, Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on The CW (Premiered October 11) About: This series originally aired in Europe in 2020 and now makes its way to The CW. The network has used spin-offs and imported series to fill a mostly re-shaped Fall schedule. They get good timing here as the series stars Brendan Fraser, who is in the middle of an awards season campaign. That might have brought some eyeballs—so, too, would having former Superman Tom Welling—but it takes more than that to get viewers to stick. That’s where Professionals comes up a bit short.

  Week 7 : New York Jets 16, Denver Broncos 9 Season Record : 2-5 (2-2 Home) Key Play: In the third quarter, with time winding down and the Broncos trailing by a point, Brett Rypien's pass was intercepted. On the ensuing drive, the Jets boosted the lead to 13-9 and never looked back. Recap : It's hard to watch this team. Russell Wilson missed the game due to injury. Some suspected that with Rypien we'd see something better, asserting for some reason that Wilson was the problem. He's not. It was obvious in watching the Broncos' offense struggle, once again, that the issues here run deeper. The Broncos need better coaching. The Broncos need better player management. And I'd guess the new owners are weighing all that. In the meanwhile, the Broncos have good defense but look possibly worse than they did with Vic Fangio a year ago. The team is in last place in the AFC West and about to travel to London. The worse news is the hardest part of the schedule hasn't e

  Week 7 of the NFL Season sees the Buffalo Bills, Philadelphia Eagles, Los Angeles Rams and Minnesota Vikings on bye. It also features three meh Prime Time games. But here's the game's I'm highlighting this week. Sunday Early Games: Indianapolis Colts (3-2-1) at Tennessee Titans (3-2) About: It’s a battle for the top of the AFC South. Last season, the Titans swept the Colts in the first half of the season which turned out to be key in winning the division. This will be the teams’ second battle in four weeks. The Titans won the first matchup and since then the Colts have won two games, including getting the passing game going in a victory over the Jaguars in Week 6. The Titans had a week off to prepare and now will be looking for the sweep on Sunday which will vault them into first in the AFC South and give them the tiebreaker. There’s plenty of intrigue riding on this game. Sunday Late Games: Seattle Seahawks (3-3) at Los Angeles Chargers (4-2) About: This is a crucial

  Welcome to this year's exploration of TV, the Best of the Small Screen. Throughout the year I'll be looking at my favorite shows in four categories: Network Sitcoms, Network Dramas, Cable Series and Streaming Series. We'll cap the exploration with my Top 10 shows of all time regardless of format. Check back each Saturday for another installment in the countdown! Richard Winters: Captain Sobel, we salute the rank, not the man. Band of Brothers (2001) Starring : Damian Lewis, Ron Livingston, Donnie Wahlberg, and Scott Grimes Previous Position : Cable Series, No. 5 About : Here we are with my overall Top 10. We've gone on a journey, looking at the Top 10 in four different categories: Network Sitcoms, Network Dramas, Streaming Series and Cable Series. Here begins the journey where I pull my Top 10 overall. The first of these is Band of Brothers . When making the overall list, it wasn't easy. There are a lot of great series. Some were locks for the list, but in lookin

  In 2022 I'm revisiting my favorite films of all time, doing a countdown of the Top 50 throughout the year. Check back each Friday for the latest installment in the countdown of films, which include releases through 2019. Agree? Disagree? Have a thought on the choice? Be sure to share in the comments below! Ryan Bingham : [trying to convince Jim to marry Julie after he got cold feet as Kara watches through the window of the closed door] If you think about it, your favorite memories, the most important moments in your life... were you alone? Jim Miller : No, I guess not. Ryan Bingham : Hey, come to think of it, last night, the night before your wedding, when all this shit is swirling around in your head, weren't you guys sleeping in separate bedrooms? Jim Miller : Yeah, Julie went back to the apartment, and I was just by myself in the honeymoon suite. Ryan Bingham : Kind of lonely, huh? Jim Miller : Yes, it was pretty lonely. Ryan Bingham : Life's better with company. Jim

  I did better in Week 6 though the last two games of the week hurt my momentum. Let's see if I can build on success in Week 7. NFL Picks, Week 7 Cardinals Over Saints Bengals Over Falcons Cowboys Over Lions Colts Over Titans Packers Over Commanders Buccaneers Over Panthers Giants Over Jaguars Ravens Over Browns Broncos Over Jets Raiders Over Texans Chargers Over Seahawks Chiefs Over 49ers Dolphins Over Steelers Patriots Over Bears Last Week : 8-6 Season : 47-46 NFL Picks Spread, Week 7 Cardinals -1.5 Over Saints Falcons +5.5 Over Bengals Lions +7.5 Over Cowboys Colts +3.5 Over Titans Packers -5.5 Over Commanders Buccaneers -10.5 Over Panthers Giants +2.5 Over Jaguars Ravens -6.5 Over Browns Broncos -2.5 Over Jets Raiders -6.5 Over Texans Seahawks +6.5 Over Chargers 49ers +3.5 Over Chiefs Steelers +7.5 Over Dolphins Bears +7.5 Over Patriots Last Week : 11-3 Season : 46-48

  The end of Halloween is here…hopefully. In addition, there were some films released that were really good. Below are my thoughts on the films I saw this week. If you’d like to see more of my scores for films and thoughts, feel free to follow me on Letterboxd here . Halloween Ends (Theaters/Peacock) Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis, Andi Matichak, Rohan Campbell and Will Patton Synopsis: Back in 2018 director David Gordon Green began a journey. It was 40 years after the original Halloween , and Green returned star Curtis to the world as an older, grizzled and haunted Laurie Strode. She was waiting for her menace, Michael Myers, to return after all this time. And return he did. It was a fantastic film, meant to be a direct sequel to the original, that breathed life into the franchise. That, understandably, created excitement for what was planned as a trilogy. The second film, Halloween Kills , dampened some of that enthusiasm upon its release last October. Now, Friday, we got the final

  October is in full swing, so is the busiest time of the television year. We’ve got a full load of network programming, a number of cable options and some streaming series to boot. All that can create more content than time in the day. So, what should you chose to watch? Let this weekly post be your guide as I look at the pilot and second episode of new scripted series this Fall. Don’t see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks. Tuesdays: Professionals, Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on The CW (Premiered October 11) About: Not for the first time, The CW is filling its Fall schedule by plucking shows that previously aired. This one, starring Brendan Fraser as a billionaire and Tom Welling as a former intelligence officer, is the latest addition. It was produced in 2020 and aired elsewhere, now it gets a second home on The CW. The cast is likely a part of the draw but the pilot felt stale and predictable. I like Fraser, who’s having a big year in film, but his schtick was about the only

  Week 6 : Los Angeles Chargers 19, Denver Broncos 16 Season Record : 2-4 (2-1 Home) Key Play : In overtime, on a punt, P.J. Locke was pushed into returner Montrell Washington, who muffed the punt. The Chargers recovered and kicked the 39-yard field goal to get the win. Recap : Where to begin. The Broncos look bad. The team is winless on the road, now 0-3. The team is 1-3 in Prime Time. The team continues to lead the league in stupid with penalties, bad plays and inconsistent offensive performances. Nathaniel Hackett seems out of his depth, and it's not getting any better. The Broncos had 10 penalties for 151 yards. This has been a trend for six weeks and we're not seeing improvement. The defense is playing hard and continuing to do well to keep the opponents production low. The problem is the offense for the Broncos remains stuck in the mud. Russell Wilson started the game 10-for-10 for 116 yards as the Broncos led 10-0 after one quarter. In nearly four full quarters after (in

  Week 6 is here. It's the first week of byes, but it also features some fantastic matchups. Sunday Early Games: Jacksonville Jaguars (2-3) at Indianapolis Colts (2-2-1) About: When these teams met in Week 2, it was seemingly the low point for the Colts. A 24-0 loss to the Jaguars dropped them to 0-1-1 on the season, while it signified the Jaguars were heading in the right direction. Since then, the Colts have rallied with wins over the Chiefs and Broncos to move back to .500 and in contention in the AFC South. The Jaguars, meanwhile, have gone 1-2 and are coming off back-to-back losses. The Jaguars are still explosive, but turnovers and inconsistency has hurt. Can they sweep the Colts, or can the Colts keep trending in the right direction and move into the lead in the AFC South? Sunday Late Game: Buffalo Bills (4-1) at Kansas City Chiefs (4-1) About: There are only three late window games again this week, but only one matters. The Bills and Chiefs have been the cream of the cr

  Welcome to this year's exploration of TV, the Best of the Small Screen. Throughout the year I'll be looking at my favorite shows in four categories: Network Sitcoms, Network Dramas, Cable Series and Streaming Series. We'll cap the exploration with my Top 10 shows of all time regardless of format. Check back each Saturday for another installment in the countdown! Nora Durst : The best day of my life happened a few months before October 14th, but I didn't know it. It just seemed like, um, a nice day, you know, all four of us at the beach: my husband, my 6-year-old son, and my 4-year-old daughter. Their names were...are Doug, Jeremy, and Erin. The kids built a sand castle. Doug and I, we just sat on a blanket and watched them work, and it was just perfect, and it felt like, um I didn't deserve anything that good. This one Saturday, the winter before that, we all got hit with the stomach flu, the whole family. We were all feverish and throwing up, and I couldn't e

  In 2022 I'm revisiting my favorite films of all time, doing a countdown of the Top 50 throughout the year. Check back each Friday for the latest installment in the countdown of films, which include releases through 2019. Agree? Disagree? Have a thought on the choice? Be sure to share in the comments below! Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain :  Of course, I haven't known that many freed men... But those I knew in Bangor, Portland... You look in the eye, there was a man. There was a "divine spark," as my mother used to call it. That is all there is to it. Races are men. "What a piece of work is man. How infinite in faculties and form, and movement... How express and admirable. In action how like an angel. Sergeant 'Buster' Kilrain : Well, if he's an angel, all right then... But he damn well must be a killer angel. Colonel, darling, you're a lovely man. I see a vast great difference between us, yet I admire you, lad. You're an idealist, prais

  I had my best week in Week 5, so maybe I'm turning the corner. We have 14 more games for me to get it right this week! NFL Picks, Week 6 Commanders Over Bears 49ers Over Falcons Patriots Over Browns Packers Over Jets Colts Over Jaguars Vikings Over Dolphins Bengals Over Saints Ravens Over Giants Buccaneers Over Steelers Rams Over Panthers Seahawks Over Cardinals Bills Over Chiefs Cowboys Over Eagles Broncos Over Chargers Last Week : 10-6 Season : 39-40 NFL Picks Spread, Week 6 Commanders +.5 Over Bears 49ers -5.5 Over Falcons Patriots +2.5 Over Browns Jets +6.5 Over Packers Colts -1.5 Over Jaguars Vikings -2.5 Over Dolphins Bengals -1.5 Over Saints Giants +4.5 Over Ravens Buccaneers -7.5 Over Steelers Rams -10.5 Over Panthers Seahawks +2.5 Over Cardinals Bills -2.5 Over Chiefs Cowboys +4.5 Over Eagles Broncos +5.5 Over Chargers Last Week : 8-8 Season : 35-45

  It’s a big week for new releases with an anticipated theater release, a high-profile horror re-make and a new Marvel Special. Those and more are covered in my review roundup below! If you’d like to see more of my scores for films and thoughts, feel free to follow me on Letterboxd here . Amsterdam (Theaters) Starring: Christian Bale, John David Washington, Margot Robbie, Taylor Swift, Rami Malek, Anya Taylor Joy, Chris Rock, Zoe Saldana, and Robert de Niro Synopsis : The latest from David O. Russell is loosely based on a true story. How much of it is true, well that’s a question that is somewhat answered in the closing moments. Mostly, this story is a tale of friendship and true love. It focuses on Burt (Bale), a doctor whose in-laws force him to serve in Europe in World War I. There, he’s given command of a new regiment of soldiers that aren’t widely accepted by the Army. He befriends Harold (Washington) and they pledge to keep each other alive. After managing to do just that, t