Matt's Musings

Recently I chronicled my favorite Best Picture Winners since 1970. Now, for the next 7 weeks, I'll be sharing my 10 favorite films that fell short of Best Picture despite being nominees since 1990. 7. The Social Network (2010) Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Rooney Mara, and Armie Hammer Director: David Fincher About: 2010 was an interesting movie year. It's been a while since the film was released, and looking back "The Social Network" seems even more like the best and most important film of that group. But, since it's on this list, you know it didn't win. Instead, that honor belonged to "The King's Speech," which is a fine film. At the time I preferred "The Social Network," and that sentiment hasn't changed with time. Working on a script from Aaron Sorkin and directed by David Fincher, the film chronicled the story behind Facebook. That's something that's only become more interesting, and more culturally...

We've reached July, basically smack dab in the middle of summer. And, as you'd expect, the month will be full of a number of big tent pole blockbusters. Wednesday, July 4: The First Purge --This is the fourth installment of "The Purge" franchise, but won't be the end, likely. (There is also a weekly TV show coming.) This one takes things back to the beginning to see how The Purge began. These movies have always been part horror film, part social experiment and part commentary on our society. Expect that to continue here. Friday, July 6: Ant-Man and The Wasp --I wasn't a huge fan of "Ant-Man," either the character or the film. But here he gets another stand alone film, this time with and expanded role for Evangeline Lilly as The Wasp. It looks like some summer fun. I remain hopeful. Friday, July 13: Skyscrapper --This one stars The Rock as a former FBI Agent turned security consultant who brings his family to the tallest building in the world...

Well, last weekend was interesting. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom had some modest projections, which it beat, while Incredibles 2 wasn’t quite as incredible in Week 2 at the Box Office. So it goes this summer for Fantasy Movie League players. In the end I thought Ocean’s 8 might have some value, and it turned out to be the Best Value. I played it across four screens, which worked out swell. But Saturday wasn’t the best day of Jurassic World , that was Sunday, and Won’t You Be My Neighbor? was better than projected but not incredible. So my Cineplex was solid, but not the best. That honor (by less than $10 million including bonuses) belonged to Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (Sunday) x2, and Ocean’s 8 x6. I was close, but not quite there. I’ll try for better this week as we have a trio of new films, but none predicted to be better than third at this weekend’s Box Office. But first, an announcement. I know many of you have probably longed for a weekly competition wit...

Here's a look at the new movies I saw this week. Spoiler: one was great, one was not. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom Starring: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Rafe Spall Synopsis: This is the one that was not. And it's a bummer for me because I was looking forward to this as, perhaps, the film of summer. But it just didn't pan out. Those who've read me for a long time know the special place that "Jurassic Park" has in my heart. I was 12 when I first saw it in the theater, and it was a game-changing experience for me. I love the story (and have read the novel), and it's always been a Top 10 film for me, personally. I was skeptical of "Jurassic World" when it bowed in 2015, and though I initially struggled a bit with some of the plot points, it's come to be a movie I also love. I saw it four times in the theaters the summer it was released. But in the same way "The Lost World" was a huge come down to me from "Jurassi...

We're in the midst of summer, and the swell of summer shows is starting to take off. This week we got a trio of new entries all hoping to make a connection with viewers this summer. In these weekly posts I take a look at the pilot and second episode of new scripted series. Don't see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks! Tuesday Nights: Love Is____?, Tuesdays at 10 p.m. on OWN Network (Premiered June 19) About: This latest series for OWN comes from creator Mara Brock Akil, and is based on her real life romance with husband and producing partner Sam. The series takes place in two time frames. In one we see Nuri (Wendy Davis) and Yassir (Clarke Peters), who are celebrating 30 years of marriage in 2027 by remembering how their journey began. So we go back to 1997 to see how Nuri (Michele Weaver) and Yassir (William Catlett) first met and fell in love. The pilot was just a cursory look at their initial meeting and relationship, and interviews in the future that help ...

"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. “Seems you’ve begun to question the nature of your reality.” -Delores, "Westworld" All good things must come to an end. And for season two of "Westworld," that end came last night with the 90-minute finale "The Passenger." And boy was it a doozy. It was an episode full of big reveals and game-changing moments. And, like all good Nolan projects, there was plenty to digest as we look toward the future. First to a couple of the big payoffs, which I'm going to go over in bullet form (SPOILERS BELOW). *Delores (Evan Rachel Wood) and William (Ed Harris) are reunited. And it doesn't feel great. William is half crazy, cutting his arm open to be sure he's not a...

We are more than a month away from Training Camp, and more than two months from the start of the regular season. But it's never too early to start projecting the races. And so, today I'm offering a WAY TOO EARLY look at the AFC. (To see the NFC, check my post from Friday.) Expect that these predictions will change as I get ready to make my final, official, predictions closer to the start of the season on September 9. AFC North: 1. Pittsburgh Steelers 2. Baltimore Ravens 3. Cleveland Browns 4. Cincinnati Bengals About: I have liked the Steelers as the best team in AFC by the talent the last few years. And I think they should have finished better last year. Le'Veon Bell, Big Ben, and Antonio Brown won't stay together forever. The clock is ticking. And I think this is the year that the Steelers have to take control. Elsewhere in this division, I think the Ravens will be solid and I actually like the Browns to have a frisky season. I don't think they're a pla...

Recently I chronicled my favorite Best Picture Winners since 1970. Now, for the next 8 weeks, I'll be sharing my 10 favorite films that fell short of Best Picture despite being nominees since 1990. 8. L.A. Confidential (1997) Starring: Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, Kim Basinger, James Cromwell, and Kevin Spacey Director: Curtis Hanson About: "Some men get the world. Others get ex-hookers and a trip to Arizona." That was one of the last lines of "L.A. Confidential," an excellent film released in the late 1990s and based on the novel from James Elroy. It's a gritty film noir that features some great performances and a great third act resolution. I loved this film when I saw it the first time, and I still think it was the best of the films nominated for Best Picture in its group. But it didn't win that prize. "As Good as it Gets," "Good Will Hunting" and "The Full Monty" were all nominated for Best Picture, but it was ...

We are more than a month away from Training Camp, and more than two months from the start of the regular season. But it's never too early to start projecting the races. And so, today I'm offering a WAY TOO EARLY look at the NFC. I'll tackle the AFC on Sunday. Expect that these predictions will change as I get ready to make my final, official, predictions closer to the start of the season on September 9. NFC North: 1. Green Bay Packers 2. Minnesota Vikings 3. Chicago Bears 4. Detroit Lions About: This might be one of the toughest complete divisions in the NFC. I think the Packers, with a healthier season from Aaron Rodgers, will end up on top, and will be back in the playoffs. Right now I'm projecting about 11-5 and a No. 3 seed. The Vikings were one of the best stories of 2017, falling just short of being a home team at the Super Bowl. This off-season they added Kirk Cousins, and they'll have a strong offense. However, I don't love their schedule. I t...

After a lull since late April, the Box Office finally had some juice over the weekend thanks to the Incredibles. The sequel 14 years in the making proved worth the wait, making a mint on opening weekend and carrying a lot of Box Office excitement. I had considered that Sunday seemed like a shot at value, and that proved correct. Sunday was the Best Value. However my bet on the value in Solo was off. My Cineplex —  Incredibles 2 (Sunday), Tag , Solo x4, Superfly did well. But the perfect option was Sunday x2, Solo x2, Avengers x2, Hotel Artemis x2. So I came up about $22 million short. Close, but not close enough. We again have daily scoring this week as Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom hits theaters. And it should have some fierce competition after the record-breaking week The Incredibles 2 put up. New at the Box Office: There are a couple new movies this week, and both are huge for different reasons. The biggest, though, is Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom , ...

Here's a look at the new movie I saw this week. Tag Starring : Ed Helms, Jeremy Renner, Jon Hamm, Jake Johnson, Hannibal Buress, Isla Fisher, Leslie Bibb, Annabelle Wallis, and Rashida Jones Synopsis : George Bernard Shaw said, "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." I bring that up both because it's a quote that's used (to varying attribution) throughout the film "Tag," and because it's an apt life philosophy that the film embraces. And it makes you want to embrace it, too. On the surface this is a wild idea. The film focuses on a group of friends who have been playing the same game of tag across the country for the last 30 years. It began when they were kids, but each May the game has kept them bonded as adults. Through marriages, funerals, births and everything in between, the ritual of tag has kept these five friends connected. Well, it's kept four of them connected and given the fifth (Renn...

We're nearing the longest day of the year (that should be Thursday), which means we're in the heart of summer. And we're still getting new summer TV options, but are they any good? I explore the pilot and second episode of new scripted series this summer. Don't see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks. Wednesday Nights: Condor, Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on Audience Network (Premiered June 6) About: We've reached an era of peak TV where everyone is producing original content, and trying to find a story to hook viewers. Audience Network is the original content channel that is provided by DirecTV for its viewers, and they've had some limited success coming up with series. "Condor" is their latest attempt to provide value and hook viewers (remember, with the rise in streaming services Cable and Satellite providers have to find a way to provide an edge, hence the forays into original programming). "Condor" is loosely based on the Robert...

"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. "What is a person but a collection of choices? Where do those choices come from? Do I have a choice? Were any of these choices ever truly mine to begin with?" - William, "Westworld" In his novel "Anna Karenina" Leo Tolstoy wrote, “All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” I thought about that last night as "Westworld" put the focus on William (Ed Harris) and his family during its penultimate episode. William was a successful business man, admired by the community who seemingly had it all with a beautiful wife (Sela Ward) and a strong daughter (Katja Herbers). But below the surface, things were darker; William was darker. ...

The Broncos are wrapping up mini-camp and getting ready to take a short break before they return for Training Camp in late July, pre-season in August and then the regular season. Until then, it's time to dream about the season and look at areas of focus. Today, that focus is Special Teams. This was a disaster area for the Broncos last season. Coordinator Brock Olivo and the squad struggled mightily. In fact, there were several games where special teams gaffs directly led to losses, or put the team in a hole from which they couldn't recover. And that gives some pressure to Tom McMahon, the new Special Teams coordinator. But he also has some new toys. Brandon McManus remains in place from last year, and the Broncos have to hope for more consistency. After getting a good new contract, McManus struggled at times. The Broncos need him to be the guy they paid for. But when it comes to the other side of kicking, the punt game, the Broncos got a huge boost in Marquette King, the...

Recently I chronicled my favorite Best Picture Winners since 1970. Now, for the next 10 weeks, I'll be sharing my 10 favorite films that fell short of Best Picture despite being nominees since 1990. 9. Whiplash (2014) Starring: J.K. Simmons, Miles Teller, and Paul Reiser Director: Damien Chazelle About: There are times when a film just hits you. I went to "Whiplash" not sure what to expect and was blown away by what I saw. It's a movie about intensity and passion. And it's not an easy film to watch. But it has exceptional performances from Simmons and Teller, and it's incredibly well told by Chazelle. It was nominated for five Academy Awards, and while it didn't win Best Picture or Best Original Screenplay for Chazelle, it did collect awards for Best Editing, Best Sound Mixing and Best Supporting Actor for Simmons. It was my favorite among the films that year, and I thought it should have won Best Picture. It didn't. That honor went to "Bi...

"You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain." -Harvey Dent, "The Dark Knight" Year two of a series can be difficult. Sometimes that's because there shouldn't be a year two, like with "Thirteen Reasons Why," which I wrote about on Sunday. Sometimes it's because the issues you were willing to overlook during a first season become magnified in year two. Such is the case for a pair of sophomore series I liked a lot in year one that have fizzled a bit in year two. One is the drama, "Legion," which wrapped up its season on Tuesday. The other is "Brockmire," the wild comedy whose eight-episode season two wraps up on Wednesday. First to "Brockmire," which may right some of the wrongs with a finale that puts things back on track. So we'll have to wait and see. But the first season of the show really snuck up on me. It's about a disgraced former baseball announcer whose li...

June started off slowly. The first weekend we didn’t have any big new releases and last weekend, while Ocean’s 8 had a solid start, it didn’t blow anyone away with its Box Office number. But that might change this weekend, as we have The Incredibles 2 opening, and its projections are so strong we again have daily scoring this week. But more on that in a minute. Last week I liked Deadpool 2 as the anchor and value, placing it across four screens in my Cineplex. Turns out it was two other blockbusters —  Solo and Avengers: Infinity War (which was the Best Value) — that produced the Perfect Cineplex. The most popular option was Ocean’s 8 plus Deadpool 2 and six of Upgraded . My Cineplex finished better than the Most Popular, but wasn’t perfect. So the quest continues. This week we have three new entries to the game, but five new options for your Box Office since we again have daily scoring. That increases the challenge. Let’s look at our options. New at the Box Off...

Here's a look at the new movies I saw this week. Brace yourselves, I went quite a few times this weekend. Adrift Starring: Shailene Woodley and Sam Claflin Synopsis : This film, based on a true story, is about a young couple who are caught in a deadly storm at sea. As it opens we see Tami (Woodley), battered and bruised trying to collect herself aboard a sailing vessel that is also battered and bruised. Soon we are whisked back to a few weeks earlier, when a young Tami lands in Tahiti. It's the 1980s, and she is a young woman exploring the world. That leads her to a sailor named Richard (Claflin), and they quickly fall in love. When he's asked to sail a luxury vessel from Tahiti to San Diego, Tami's home town, she decides to go with him. But when they hit a massive hurricane in the Pacific, things go sideways in a hurry. Soon, Tami is forced to struggle to stay alive while the vessel is adrift and off course, and Richard is in bad shape. This film is really a show...

We're in the midst of summer. I know the last week of sweltering heat has made that official for me. So now we're in the midst of getting an interesting mix of new shows. Some are things that the networks couldn't make space for during the traditional season. Others are cable series trying to find an audience during a quieter time on the schedule. But are any worth your time? That's why I'm here. In these weekly posts I consider the pilot and second episode of new scripted series this summer. Don't see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks. Tuesday Nights: 100 Code, Tuesdays at 10 p.m. on WGN America (Premiered May 29) About: This latest WGN America import is a series from 2015 that stars Dominic Monaghan as an NYPD detective who has chased a serial killer back to Sweden. I thought the first episode was a little forced and a little slow, but I liked the second one a lot better. Especially since it took a plot turn that I wasn't expecting, and o...