Matt's Musings

 We’re making our way through July, which means we’re officially in the slow season. This is the beginning of a new Emmy year, and a few months from the Fall kickoff. But with temperatures sweltering, you might be looking for something to pass the time in the air conditioning. So, 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 summer. Don’t see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks. Mondays: Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro, Mondays at 8 p.m. on ABC (Premiered July 13) About: This spin-off series, hosted by reigning champion Robert Irwin, is about finding the next Dancing With the Stars pro. It features Mark and Shirly Ballas as judges, with a rotating set of guests from the main show. The first week was Derek Hough, the second Brandon Armstrong. There were 12 dancers vying for a spot, with two eliminated in the premier and one last week. Each week we see the dancer...

 There weren’t any major wide releases this weekend in July, but there were a few interesting films. Below is a look at the new movies I saw this week. You can keep up with everything I’m watching by following me on Letterboxd @knighthawk7734. The Dink (Apple TV) Starring: Jake Johnson, Mary Steenburgen, and Ed Harris Synopsis: We all have dreams and sometimes, they don’t work out. When that happens, it can haunt us for the rest of our lives. But what happens if you remain stuck in what might have been? Well, that’s the struggle for Dustin Boyd (Johnson) in The Dink. Dustin, once dubbed The Hammer, was a great tennis prospect. He rose quickly through the junior ranks with the tutelage of his father, Chuck (Harris). He finally turned pro and seemed poised to set the tennis world on fire. But his first matchup with a young Andy Roddick pushed him in another direction. Now, decades later, he’s a tennis pro at his father’s club. He has a best friend, PJ (Aaron Chen), is more of a devo...

This year Star Trek turns 60. For decades, it has enthralled and entertained audiences. Part of that legacy is 13 feature films. Over the next few weeks, I'll be looking back on each of the feature films in the franchise, including where I place them in my personal rankings! Spock : You misunderstand. It is true I chose not to feel anything upon realizing my own life was ending. As Admiral Pike was dying, I joined with his consciousness and experienced what he felt at the moment of his passing. Anger. Confusion. Loneliness. Fear. I had experiences those feelings before, multiplied exponentially on the day my planet was destroyed. Such a feeling is something I choose never to experience again. Nyota, you mistake my choice not to feel as a reflection of my not caring. Well, I assure you, the truth is precisely the opposite. Star Trek: Into Darkness (2013) Franchise Ranking : 7 Starring: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, John Cho, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg, Anton Yelchin, Bruce Gr...

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 the start of a franchise. Ethan Hunt : Can I ask you something, Kittridge? If you're dealing with a man who has crushed, shot, stabbed, and detonated five members of his own IMF team, how devastated do you think you're gonna make him by hauling Mom and Uncle Donald down to the county courthouse? Mission Impossible Starring: Tom Cruise and Jon Voight Director: Brian De Palma About : It's almost hard to believe the Mission Impossible franchise began 30 years ago. It wrapped up (probably) with the eighth film just last summer. But this is the one that started it all. It began with Cruise as Ethan Hunt in a film with a style and story that ended up being radically different than what it became. De Palma took the reigns here and delivered a solid franchise film. There are some iconic sequences he...

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. Opening Title Card : "Modern Times." A story of industry, of individual enterprise - humanity crusading in the pursuit of happiness. Modern Times (1936) Original List Position : 81 Starring: Charlie Chaplin Director: Charlie Chaplin About: For the second time this month, we get a Chaplin film on the countdown. This one puts the focus on the industrial revolution and the changing scope of work in America, specifically factories and a changing economy. This one was a few places below City Lights on the original list, but while City Lights jumped way up a decade later, this rose just three spots to No. 78. And yet, I have it higher on my personal list. It...

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. Rhett Butler : Take a good look my dear. It's an historic moment you can tell your grandchildren about - how you watched the Old South fall one night. Gone With the Wind (1939) Original List Position : 4 Starring : Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh Director : Victor Fleming About : The year 1939 was an epic year for films. There are a number of iconic films from that year, and many of them ended up on this list. When you think of iconic American films, for many Gone With the Wind would be on the short list. It was No. 4 on the original list and fell only to No. 6 a decade later. It tells a sweeping story of people in the South before, during, and after the Civil W...