Matt's Musings

It's hard to believe, but 1996 was 30 years ago. Over the next few weeks I'm going to be looking at some stand out films from 1996 that are turning 30 in 2026. Today, it's a horror classic. Ghostface : What's your favorite scary movie? Scream Starring : Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox, David Arquette, Skeet Ulrich, and Matthew Lillard Director: Wes Craven About: This is a classic. It's also an important film in cinema history. Laugh all you want, but Scream redefined the modern slasher and became the cornerstone of a movement of films that persists to this day. It's a franchise that is seven films strong and still going. That's an impressive history. This is the first of those films and still the best. It was wildly creative, and the use of Drew Barrymore changed expectations for this type of film. If you haven't seen it, this is a great one to check out for spooky season!

Back in 1998, the American Film Institute unveiled its list of the 100 greatest films as voted on by members of the cinematic community. The year, I'm looking at the films on that list, re-ranked according to my preference. Check back Fridays and Saturdays throughout the year as we walk through this list of classic films. Walsh: Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown. Chinatown (1974) Original List Position: 19 Starring: Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, and John Huston Director: Roman Polanski About: This is a complicated film. The story is great. The performances are great. The sequences, many of them, are iconic. But it is somewhat hard to think about the Polanski of it all. This is one of his iconic early films, and remains wildly popular. It was No. 19 on the original list and listed at No. 21 on the follow up list. It isn't much lower than that for me, and was certainly one of the films I pointed to in my look at films from the 1970s. I enjoy Nicholson here in a part that...

Back in 1998, the American Film Institute unveiled its list of the 100 greatest films as voted on by members of the cinematic community. The year, I'm looking at the films on that list, re-ranked according to my preference. Check back Fridays and Saturdays throughout the year as we walk through this list of classic films. Jimmy 'Popeye' Doyle : All right, Popeye's here! Get your hands on your heads, get off the bar, and get on the wall! The French Connection (1971) Original List Position : 70 Starring : Gene Hackman and Roy Scheider Director: William Friedkin About : There is no one like Popeye Doyle. Hackman brings the character to life in an iconic way, and Friedkin brings the story to life with flair. There are some great action sequences here. The story is gritty and might not be for everyone, but if you followed my look at 1970s films, you'll know this is one that speaks to me. Does the film hold up? I still enjoy it quite a bit. It did slip to No. 93 on the u...

It's Week 3 of the NFL Season and so far I've been steady with my picks. Let's see if that remains the case this week. NFL Picks, Week 3: Packers Over Falcons Bills Over Chargers Panthers Over Browns Lions Over Jets Texans Over Colts Chiefs Over Dolphins Giants Over Titans Bengals Over Steelers Seahawks Over Commanders Jaguars Over Patriots 49ers Over Cardinals Buccaneers Over Vikings Cowboys Over Ravens Saints Over Raiders Broncos Over Rams Eagles Over Bears Last Week : 11-5 Season : 22-5 NFL Picks Spread, Week 3 : Falcons +6.5 Over Packers Bills -7.5 Over Chargers Panthers -2.5 Over Browns Lions -6.5 Over Jets Texans -2.5 Over Colts Chiefs -11.5 Over Dolphins Titans +3.5 Over Giants Bengals -3.5 Over Steelers Seahawks -6.5 Over Commanders Jaguars -2.5 Over Patriots 49ers -8.5 Over Cardinals Buccaneers +1.5 Over Vikings Cowboys +2.5 Over Ravens Raiders +3.5 Over Saints Broncos +2.5 Over Rams Eagles -2.5 Over Bears Last Week : 9-7 Season : 18-14

 It was a busy weekend for new movies, with a couple rising above the crowd. Below is my take on this week’s new movies. You can keep up with everything I’m watching by following me on Letterboxd @knighthawk7734. Resident Evil (Theaters) Starring: Austin Abrams Synopsis: For decades, people have been drawn to Raccoon City and the antics of the Umbrella Corporation. The world of Resident Evil has been the basis for countless games and at least seven films in the past. It’s been a popular and bankable brand. And now it’s getting another iteration. It’s fair to say this new take—from director Zach Cregger—is unlike anything that’s come before. And it turns out that’s a very good thing. The new film follows Bryan (Abrams), a medical courier who is having a rough night. He’s in a fight, of sorts, with his girlfriend. She presented him with some big news, and he didn’t respond well. But he’s trying to focus on work. After making a delivery he’s offered a chance to make another to Racco...

 It’s mid-September, and we’re getting a flood of new shows. The Network season is beginning and we’re starting to get all kinds of options on a weekly schedule and in streaming drops. But which of these new shows is worth your time to check out? Let this weekly post be your guide as I review the pilot and second episode of new series this Fall. Don’t see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks. Mondays: Line of Fire, Mondays at 10 p.m. on NBC (Premiered September 21) About: This new series is about a family of law enforcement professionals embroiled in a big case. It’s the latest Monday night drama for NBC, coming behind The Voice , which is a swell lead-in. The series follows a family of law enforcement agents stretching across the US Marshals Service, FBI, Secret Service, and Department of Justice. The series features Peter Krause and Hope Davis, among others. It's clear all of them, despite being in different agencies, are going to be pulled together on the same case. Th...