Matt's Musings

"Westworld" began its second season on April 22. The series, created by Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, is based on the film from Michael Crichton, and is poised to be HBO's next big dramatic series. Each week I'll be exploring the episodes through recaps of season two. "Have you ever seen anything so full of splendor?" - William, "Westworld" I talked last week about the idea that "Westworld," like a lot of Michael Crichton's work, took a cautious view of technology and scientific advancement. There is danger in thinking you can control everything, and for the Delos Corporation, like so many others in Crichton narratives, that danger became all too real in the Season One finale. But that doesn't mean there's not a sense of wonder about the creation, too. I was 12 years old when I went to see "Jurassic Park" on the big screen. I remember the first time that we, like Dr. Grant, Dr. Malcolm and Dr. Sattler, got t...

The 2018 NFL Draft is in the books, and the Broncos along with 31 other NFL Teams went through seven rounds and grabbed players they hope will improve their team's fortunes. As always, the draft is unpredictable. Now it's time to reflect on the players Denver took! This will partly be a draft remembered for who the Broncos didn't take. They didn't take a quarterback. Heading into the draft, it seemed most national pundits — and many fans — wanted the Broncos to take a quarterback, and expected it to happen. I didn't. At least I didn't think it would happen, and from a certain standpoint I didn't want it to happen. The Broncos signed Case Keenum — investing $36 million over the next two years. Let's see what he's got. Taking a quarterback in the Top 5 of the draft starts a ticking clock on him before he's even gotten to play. That hardly seems right or fair. The option should have been to sign a premier free agent, or to draft high. Not bot...

Earlier in March I discussed a series of 10 posts on the best winners for Best Picture since 1970. Each Saturday for the next six weeks I'll be counting down my favorites and discussing the rationale. As always, if you have thoughts, or other favorites, please feel free to comment and share. 5. Million Dollar Baby (2004) Starring: Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, and Hilary Swank About: Clint Eastwood, as a director, went through a strong stretch in the early 2000s. He delivered "Mystic River" in 2003, and the pair of films "Flags of Our Fathers" and "Letters From Iwo Jima" in 2006. Right in between, he delivered an epic Best Picture winner in "Million Dollar Baby." The film won four Academy Awards, including Best Actress for Swank, Best Supporting Actor for Freeman, Best Director for Eastwood and Best Picture. In addition, Eastwood was nominated as an actor and screenwriter Paul Haggis was nominated for the script. It could have won ...

The Marvel Cinematic Universe, which began with Iron Man in 2008, spans a decade and 18 films so far. The 2018 Summer Movie Season gets under way today with the release of Avengers: Infinity War . (For a look at how this blockbuster opening will do at the Box Office, check out our Fantasy Movie League preview .) This movie promises to be a huge new chapter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which began in 2008. And this film, combined with the next Avengers saga due out in May 2019, will likely be the final chapter for some of the most memorable players. Whenever a big new Avengers film comes out, it’s a chance to look back and reflect on the world that Marvel has built over the last decade. That world spans 18 feature films (including Black Panther , which was released in February). In celebration of Avengers: Infinity War , and the the past decade of Marvel films at the Box Office, I’m offering my take on which films rose to the top, and which ones have room for improvement...

What a weekend. Tonight, the NFL Draft begins with what should be a thrilling first round. And then we get to continue that draft on Friday and Saturday. The NBA playoffs and NHL playoffs are in full bloom. Major League Baseball is kicking into gear. May is on the horizon, and with it summer. And, oh by the way, the Summer Movie Blockbuster season begins with Avengers: Infinity War . I may not sleep until Sunday. You can read plenty on this site about the NFL Draft, including our final staff Mock Draft , and look for live coverage of Round One tonight. But I’m here, as I do every Thursday, to try and guide you through the choppy waters of the Fantasy Movie League. This week sees the return of daily scoring, but more on that in a bit. First, let’s consider last week. There have been many times so far in 2018 where, by the time we get to Thursday, the Best Value seems to pop out. Sometimes we want to dismiss that, but of late I’ve given into it. That was the case last week, wh...

Here's a look at the new movies I saw this week. I Feel Pretty Starring: Amy Schumer, Michelle Williams, Lauren Hutton, Tom Hopper, and Rory Scovel Synopsis: In the last weekend before blockbusters come to dominate the Box Office for the summer, Amy Schumer's latest comedy, "I Feel Pretty," was the biggest new release. It finished a modest third at the Box Office opening weekend, and will quickly fade away. That's what should happen. I remember a couple years ago when Schumer was red hot, and summer fare like "Trainwreck" was eagerly anticipated. But her movies have cooled of late, and there was little about the plot and premise of "I Feel Pretty" that seemed like it was going to work well. And if you've seen the film, you know that's pretty much how it played out. The film is about a woman who's more like a normal woman than a super model, and she feels like she doesn't fit the model and definition of beauty being provid...

Usually in this weekly space I look at new scripted series, but the schedule affords us a small break in the flood of new original content. Don't worry, more new shows premier this week (starting tonight, actually), so we'll be able to start our summer roundup next week. But for now, I thought I'd pause a moment and highlight some of the veteran shows that are back, or are about to be back, that are available for you to binge and enjoy. The Americans, Season Six, Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on F/X (Premiered March 28) About: This is the final season for "The Americans," the fine period drama on F/X that focuses on a couple of Russian sleeper agents (Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys) in Washington, D.C. in the 1980s. The final season bowed a few weeks ago, and is nearing the mid-point of its 10-episode final season. If you haven't seen this show, I recommend going back and catching the first five seasons. But for fans, it's thrilling to see how this story is g...

"Westworld" began its second season on April 22. The series, created by Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, is based on the film from Michael Crichton, and is poised to be HBO's next big dramatic series. Each week I'll be exploring the episodes through recaps of season two. Dolores: What is real? Bernard: That which is irreplaceable. HBO has long been the home of prestige drama series. Whether "The Sopranos" and "Six Feet Under" in the past, the critical favorite "Deadwood," or now "Game of Thrones." The network clearly has hopes that "Westworld" will be the next big chapter in that history. The show was announced well before it premiered in October of 2016. The first season was met with great expectations and a decent critical and audience reception. But the show didn't return in 2017. Production took a long time and, it actually likely worked out better for HBO, which had a season of "Game of Thrones...

"The Lord turned to him and said, 'Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?'" — Judges 6:14 This week we continued our series on seven figures from the Bible with the story of Gideon. His is an interesting story, one that shows what can happen when you rely on God fully. But Gideon's story doesn't start out in that place. Instead, Gideon is in a hole threshing wheat when God finds him. His people have been greatly oppressed and can't do things out in the open without fear of being attacked. In fact, many of them live in caves. And things aren't great. In fact, many of the people had forgotten God, and thought God had forgotten them. In fact, Gideon said as much when the Angel of the Lord found him. In verse 13, he responded to the Angel with a litany of complaints. “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that ...

Earlier in March I discussed a series of 10 posts on the best winners for Best Picture since 1970. Each Saturday for the next six weeks I'll be counting down my favorites and discussing the rationale. As always, if you have thoughts, or other favorites, please feel free to comment and share. 6. Forrest Gump (1994) Starring: Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Mykelti Williamson, and Sally Field Director: Robert Zemeckis About: And now we get our first of three entries from the 1990s. And this one might be controversial. It's also definitely possible that this film carries a more special place for me because of my age. I was in middle school when I first saw it, and I thought the story was magical. I still think the performances are great and there's some beauty and magic to the way the film was made, even if it isn't as great as I once thought. Also, it probably wasn't the best film nominated for Best Picture the year it won. 1994 was an exceptional year for film, a...

We're moving closer to the start of the 2018 season, and that is highlighted by the schedule release. The Draft is next Thursday, and I'll have some reactions to that next weekend. But for now it's all about who the Broncos are going to play. Here's a few schedule highlights. * Starting Strong. The Broncos open with the Seahawks and Raiders at home, then head to Baltimore to tussle with the Ravens, and return home to face the Chiefs on Monday Night Football. That's a brutal stretch, and one that could be make or break for the Broncos, who will have used three of their eight home games in the season's first four weeks. *The stretch to the bye. The good news is the Broncos have a Week 10 bye, much more mid-season than last year. The bad news is that after that brutal opening stretch, the team plays three of five on the road heading into the bye. It starts with a game at the Jets, which should be winnable, but the Broncos return home to face the Rams, which ...

Next week, the Summer blockbuster season begins as Avengers: Infinity War opens. Until then, we have a week with three new releases, but none that’s expected to take the top spot at the Box Office. But before we get to that, it’s time to look back at last week. Things didn’t exactly go as planned. Sure, A Quiet Place was the right anchor, and the Best Value, but my combination of A Quiet Place and Sherlock Gnomes wasn’t the Perfect Cineplex. That honor went to A Quiet Place x2, Black Panther x2, Acrimony , The Miracle Season x2, Love, Simon . So I know there’s still work to be done! And that continues this week as I Feely Pretty leads the three new entries to the game and the Box Office. But what’s the right anchor and best value? Let’s take a look. New at the Box Office: The biggest new release this week is I Feel Pretty , the comedy starring Amy Schumer. But big isn’t the greatest word to describe expectations, starting with the reviews, which have the film at 3...

Here's a look at the new movies I saw this week. A Quiet Place Starring: John Krasinski, Emily Blunt, Noah Jupe, and Millicent Simmonds Synopsis : What would a parent do for their child? That's a question that lies at the heart of "A Quiet Place," the best new film of the year so far. Starring Blunt and Krasinski as a married couple living in a dystopic future where monsters stalk and kill anything that makes sound, they struggle to keep their children safe. It's a struggle that becomes even more pressing as Blunt is set to give birth again. The family relies on sign language to communicate, mostly, and an intricate system at their farm to keep themselves safe. The sign language already came in handy as their daughter (Simmonds) is deaf. But the creatures continue to prowl the area, and the family knows danger lies in every potential dropped dish or spoken word. This is a unique concept, based on the script from Bryan Woods, Scott Beck and Krasinski. Krasi...

We're nearing the end of April, and with it the end of the traditional broadcast season. So the flow of new shows is slowing to a trickle as the networks and streaming sites prepare to switch gears toward summer programming. In these weekly posts I look at the pilot and second episode of new scripted series this Winter/Spring. Don't see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks. Tuesday Nights: The Last O.G., Tuesdays at 10:30 p.m. on TBS (Premiered April 3) About: Tracey Morgan is a talented performer, and "The Last O.G." is his big comeback vehicle. This one comes, in part, from Jordan Peele and co-stars Tiffany Haddish. It centers on a man who went to prison for 15 years and comes out into a world that's much different than the one he left, especially in his home of Brooklyn. He also finds that he has two kids he wasn't aware of, and it's a lot harder to be a productive member of society than he'd imagined. There is plenty here to like. ...

I have been a faithful watcher of "The Walking Dead" since it premiered. While I've soured on the show in recent seasons (as have many others, based on season eight ratings), I'll be recapping each of the episodes of the back half of Season 8 as the show moves into a new chapter. "When people are gone, all we have left of them are their ideas." — Siddiq, "The Walking Dead" I'll be honest, I never really cared for or about Carl (Chandler Riggs). At the beginning he seemed annoying, then he seemed a little frightening. Then it seemed like he was a budding psycho at times. And he always seemed to be hanging out with the wrong people, like Shane and, for a time, Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan). But Carl has been integral to this season from the beginning, and though he died seven episodes earlier, he's had a presence that has hung heavy over the season through last night's finale. When all this is over, there has to be something after...

"For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?" — Esther 4:14 Do our stories matter? Do we matter in the grand scheme of things? This new series we began today looks at seven stories from Scripture through the lens of story, and the idea that God is in our story and we're in God's story. The first of those stories is the story of Esther. Esther is a unique book in the Bible for a couple reasons. First, it's one of only two books in the Bible that is named after a heroine, the other being Ruth. Second, it's one of only two books in the Bible that doesn't reference God, the other being Song of Songs. Some have in the past been critical of Esther because God is not explicitly named. But in reality, it seems to be a purposeful move to show how God is always prese...

Earlier in March I discussed a series of 10 posts on the best winners for Best Picture since 1970. Each Saturday for the next seven weeks I'll be counting down my favorites and discussing the rationale. As always, if you have thoughts, or other favorites, please feel free to comment and share. 7. Spotlight (2015) Starring: Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Liev Schreiber, Mark Ruffalo, John Slattery, and Stanley Tucci Director: Tom McCarthy About: The first three weeks I went into the past, including a pair of movies from the early 1970s before I was even born. That's not the case for this film. It was the Best Picture winner three years ago, making it the newest film on this list. And it is one I really enjoyed. Growing up, I always wanted to be a journalist. It was films like "Spotlight" that encouraged that. Specifically thinking about the power of those who seek to bring the truth to life. That was the power of movies like "All The President's Men...

We’re in mid-April, which means summer is nearly upon us. In fact, the Summer Movie season begins earlier than ever this year, with the first summer blockbuster jumping up into April. Over the next two Fridays, I’ll be giving you a preview of what’s to come in Summer, broken down into four easy to follow categories. First is the blockbusters — the big budget films we’ve come to expect from our summer at the movies. Second is the trash action films — ones that have ridiculous concepts, a couple stars and blockbuster budgets. But these aren’t prestige action films. Those are the two categories I’ll look at today. Next week I’ll tackle comedies, as Summer has become a great time for big comedies, and more serious dramatic films, which help to break up the long, hot summer. But for today, it’s on to the big spectacle films this summer. Blockbusters of Summer: Avengers: Infinity War — April 27 This is the first big film of summer. It was originally scheduled for ...