Matt's Musings

 We had some high-profile projects drop this week at the movies. Below is my take on the new films I saw this week. You can keep up with everything I’m watching by following me on Letterboxd @knighthawk7734. Animals (Netflix) Starring: Ben Affleck, Kerry Washington, and Gillian Anderson Synopsis: This is a new drama for Netflix co-written, directed by, and starring Affleck. He’s an LA Mayoral candidate whose son is kidnapped. Except it wasn’t his son, it was another boy who was mistaken for his son. Now that boy is being held for ransom, forcing him to make some potentially costly decisions. If that sounds familiar, it’s because it’s essentially the plot of High and Low, a classic Akira Kurosawa film. That film was already re-made by Spike Lee and Denzel Washington last year. That re-make was OK but lacked the pop of the original. This one makes some changes to the basic plot and especially to the ending, and it’s another in a line of diminishing returns. Affleck is fine here as ...

 We’re into October and we’re getting the full-on flood of new shows, including the heart of the Network TV season. But what 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 shows this Fall. Don’t see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks. Mondays: Private Eyes: West Coast, Mondays at 8 p.m. on The CW (Premiered October 5) About : This new series is a spin-off of a previous series. The show retains the same leads—Jason Priestly and Cindy Sampson—but moves from Toronto to Vancouver and changes the set up a bit. It some light, enjoyable entertainment. The cases are breezy and the rapport between the leads works well enough. If you were a fan of the original, or are a fan of Canadian dramedies, this will be for you. Pilot Grade : C+ Second Episode : C+ Tuesdays: NCIS: New York, Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on CBS (Premiered October 6) About: This is the latest in the NCIS universe, but it’s relying a ...

Week 5: Denver Broncos 23, Los Angeles Chargers 17 Season Record: 3-2 (2-0 Home) Key Play: In the fourth quarter, with time winding down and the Broncos leading 20-17, Justin Herbert threw and interception to Brandon Jones on fourth down. The play allowed the Broncos to milk the clock and kick a field goal to push the lead to six points. Recap: Sean Payton took over the playcalling because there was "meat left on the bone" with the offense. It didn't look like an improvement on Sunday. The team looked lost for most of the game, then used some Special Teams and defensive intensity to manage a comeback and a win. I'm not sure winning is the best thing for this team. Don't get me wrong, I like to win. But this team played badly. They look bad. And getting a win feels like a reward for bad behavior. That's not the kind of football that helps you get to and win in the playoffs. This team feels lost and the offense feels like a mess. A Thursday matchup with the Sea...

It's hard to believe, but 1991 was 35 years ago. Over the next few weeks I'm going to be looking at some stand out films from 1991 that are turning 35 in 2026. Today, it's a classic comedy. Mitch Robbins : Value this time in your life kids, because this is the time in your life when you still have your choices, and it goes by so quickly. When you're a teenager you think you can do anything, and you do. Your twenties are a blur. Your thirties, you raise your family, you make a little money and you think to yourself, "What happened to my twenties?" Your forties, you grow a little pot belly you grow another chin. The music starts to get too loud and one of your old girlfriends from high school becomes a grandmother. Your fifties you have a minor surgery. You'll call it a procedure, but it's a surgery. Your sixties you have a major surgery, the music is still loud but it doesn't matter because you can't hear it anyway. Seventies, you and the wife r...

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. Forrest Gump : My momma always said, "Life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get." Forrest Gump (1994) Original List Position : 71 Starring: Tom Hanks, Sally Field, and Robin Wright Director : Robert Zemeckis About: This was a big movie for me when I was in high school. I remember seeing it on the big screen. It was a sensation. It even altered the kind of projects we did in school. It will always hold a special place for me because I remember that experience. But as an adult, I appreciate the craft and storytelling. It's epic and crowd-pleasing. It was No. 71 on the original list, slipping to No. 76 a decade later....

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. Henry Hill : [Narrating] As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster. Goodfellas (1990) Original List Position : 94 Starring : Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro, and Joe Pesci Director : Martin Scorsese About : Scorsese has been a fixture on this list. We've seen him deliver masterpieces in different decades and genres. That's the case with Goodfellas, which is another of his signature films. It was No. 94 on the original list, moving to No. 92 just 10 years later. I have it significantly higher, and I have it as my highest of his films on this list. It's a very different kind of mafia movie than The Godfather , and yet it feels like the c...