Matt's Musings

The first weekend in February brought some viewing options, but not all of them were winners. Below is my take on the new movies I saw this week. You can keep up with everything I’m watching by following me on Letterboxd @knighthawk7734. Dracula (Theaters) Starring : Caleb Landry Jones and Christoph Waltz Synopsis : Since Bram Stoker’s novel was released in 1897, people have been fascinated by the story of Dracula. And we’ve seen that story told countless times on the big screen since the 1920s. Some of those versions have been transcendent, while others have been regrettable. We got the former in 2024 with Robert Eggers dark vision in Nosferatu. Now, we’re getting the latter version with the latest film from Luc Besson. It’s Dracula and subtitled A Love Story. That title proves more ironic the longer you watch the film, but that’s only the beginning of my issues with the film. We begin in 1480 in Eastern Europe. We’re introduced to Vlad (Jones) and his bride, Elisabeta (Zoe Bleu). The...

We’re into February, and the Winter Olympics has begun. That will grind the tide of new series the next two weeks to a near halt. But you might have some time to check out new shows and have questions about which options are for you. Let this weekly post be your guide as I review the pilot and second episode of new series this Winter. Don’t see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks. Thursdays: Field Generals: History of the Black Quarterback, Streaming Thursdays on Peacock (Premiered February 5) About : February is Black History Month, and it’s also the Super Bowl. It makes sense that Peacock, which is broadcasting the Super Bowl this year, would launch a docuseries aimed at sports fans that honors Black History Month. This series looks at the history of Black quarterbacks in the NFL. It’s a weekly series, running Thursdays on the streamer. The pilot aired Thursday, with more to follow weekly. The pilot was around an hour and was a great deep dive into the history of the game o...

The Academy Awards are coming on March 15. We got the final list of nominees on January 22, and between now and the awards I'll be looking at the 10 Best Picture nominees and their chances of winning an award. Train Dreams Starring : Joel Edgerton, Felicity Jones, and Kerry Condon Director : Clint Bentley Total Nominations : 4 Nominated For : Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Song, and Best Cinematography About : This past year was a great one for Netflix. They had a number of high-profile films drop throughout the fall and into December. They were rewarded with a pair of Best Picture nominations, including Train Dreams. While this might have been a minor surprise for some, I loved this beautiful little film based on the short story from Dennis Johnson. It's beautifully shot and pensive. It has a deeply emotional story and ended as one of my favorites of last year. That being said, I think it's a long-shot for Best Picture. But can the film win somewhere?...

It's hard to believe, but 2016 was 10 years ago. Over the next few weeks I'm going to be looking at some stand out films from 2016 that are turning 10 in 2026. Today, it's a Star Wars story. Jyn Erso : We have hope. Rebellions are built on hope! Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Starring : Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, and Alan Tudyk Director : Gareth Edwards About : How will it work having a standalone story not connected to the larger Star Wars mythology? That was the question going into Rogue One , which was meant to be the first of a series of these films. In total, we got two. And this one isn't really all that standalone, as it is basically a prequel to the original film from 1977. But it's not the fault of this film the idea didn't take off. This is a really good film, and one of the better Star Wars movies. It also led to one of the more interesting Star Wars series in Andor . It's 10 years old and remains worthy of praise!

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. No. 92: Rebel Without a Cause (1955) Original List Ranking : 59 Starring : James Dean and Natalie Wood Director : Nicholas Ray About : James Dean had an incredible appeal. His short life and career seems to have only grown that appeal for generations of film fans. Rebel Without A Cause might not be the best of his films, but it's certainly iconic. For that reason, it's not a surprise that it ended up on the original AFI List. Like so many early entries in my personal rankings, it didn't make the list 10 years later. There's a variety of reasons that could have happened, but I think it comes down to the fact this film has some iconic moments and wi...

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. No. 93: Fantasia (1940) Original List Ranking : 58 Starring : Walt Disney Director : Various About : This is another entry on the original list that didn't carry forward to 2007. It's not the highest ranked film to miss the subsequent list, but it's understandable that it was a selection on the original list. It is a classic piece of entertainment, and a unique offering. It is a fusion of animation and classical music played as a soundtrack. It's not a linear film or a linear story, but an anthology set to music. The most famous of which features Mickey Mouse and an iconic piece of music. It's a work that I enjoy and appreciate. It's daring...