Matt's Musings

As we've completed the pre-season, we enter a difficult couple of days for many in the NFL. Teams sit at around 90 right now. By 4 p.m. EST on Saturday, it will be 53 per team. That's 37 people on 32 teams whose dream of being on an NFL team will be dashed despite months of hard work and leaving it all on the field. And, of course, the fourth pre-season game changed some perceptions. Some for the good, some for the bad. As I have throughout this camp season, I'll offer my best guess for the final Broncos' roster. We'll see how close I come tomorrow. There were some difficult decisions here, and I could see it going a lot of ways. I'm also thinking the Broncos will make a run at trades here before the final cuts must be made, especially gauging the market for Paxton Lynch. Quarterback (3): Case Keenum, Chad Kelly, Paxton Lynch. I think it would be better for the Broncos to keep two quarterbacks. And I think they only need two. In past weeks I've gone...

Pre-Season, Week 4: Broncos 21, Arizona Cardinals 10 Pre-Season Record: 2-2 (0-2 Home) Key Play: Late in the third quarter, with the Broncos trailing 7-6, Paxton Lynch connected with Jordan Leslie on a 16-yard TD strike. He completed the two-point conversion, too, to give the team a 14-7 lead. Recap : The last week of the pre-season is simple. Most of your roster is set, and your starters and key players don't even see game action. The guys that do have two missions. First, you want to end the game healthy. Second, if you're on the bubble, you really want to go out and impress. Many Broncos on the bubble did that, including third-year quarterback Lynch, who finally looked like an NFL player. It came in the second half of the finale meaningless pre-season game, but for a guy who looked DOA the day before, it was impressive.Will it be enough? Later today I'll give my final roster projections, then the Broncos will pare the roster down to 53 guys by 4 p.m. EST on Sat...

Not all movie weekends are created equal, and while Memorial Day is a time when blockbusters come out, Labor Day is a time when even movie companies know there won’t be many at the theater. It’s the end of summer, the last chance for trips and lazy barbecues, and it’s also the beginning of the College Football Season. Those things matter, and are often a reason that Labor Day weekend ushers in a slower period at the movies. In fact, we saw that begin last weekend as the “biggest” new release — the odd puppet erotica of The Happytime Murders  — flopped at the Box Office, finishing in third place with $9.5 million. I didn’t advocate playing that film last week, and it turned out to be good advice. Crazy Rich Asians continued to thrive and finished with nearly $25 million, serving as the best anchor and the Best Value. The Perfect Cineplex has Crazy Rich Asians x2, The Meg , Slenderman x2, Equalizer 2 x2 and The Incredibles 2 . It was better than mine, where I bet on the value i...

I'm excited to begin another round of Faith in Film, this time teaching with my partner in crime, Junior. Of course the movie we begin with, "The Young Messiah," is billed as a Christian movie, but that doesn't mean it has good or even OK theology. It doesn't. But that can be part of the journey of learning when it comes to these films. "The Young Messiah" was released in 2016 to little fanfare and modest Box Office Returns. It was adapted by Cyrus Nowrasteh, who said his goal with the film was to convey," how our film seeks to present a realistic portrait of Jesus as a child both grounded in faith and consistent with the adult Jesus revealed in the Bible." Those who've seen the film would realize that whatever his aim, the film falls short of consistency with Jesus as seen in the Bible. The film is based on the 2005 novel by Anne Rice, "Christ The Lord Out of Egypt." Rice is best known for her popular fiction, such as ...

Here's a look at the new movie I saw this week. The Happytime Murders Starring : Melissa McCarthy, Maya Rudolph, Elizabeth Banks, Leslie David Baker, and Bill Barretta Synopsis: Jim Henson was a wonderful creator. He gave the world "The Muppets" and "Sesame Street," among others. These are characters and titles that are part of our culture and endure. But that legacy, aside from involving puppets, has nothing to do with "The Happytime Murders," a new endeavor from his son, Brian. It was produced through his company called "Henson Alternative," and it's certainly different from what you usually expect to see when the name Henson and puppets are involved. This is a broad comedy built out of what's supposed to be a pulpy detective story set in Los Angeles. The gag is that it's a world where puppets are living with humans, and they aren't exactly a well-respected class of folks. One puppet, Phil (Barretta), was the first to ...

It's finally happened, we're at the end of our Summer TV Roundup. But, never fear, next week begins our Fall TV Roundup including the new Amazon series, "Jack Ryan." But for now, we're still considering the offerings of summer. It's been a long, hot, and difficult summer for many, and there haven't been break-out hits. Yesterday I chronicled a couple of the bigger ones that ended their summer run. But this weekly post is all about new series, reviewing the pilot and second episode of scripted series this summer. Don't see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks. Streaming Series: The Innocents, Now Streaming on Netflix (Premiered August 24) About: The latest Netflix series is a co-production with the BBC and it's about as high concept as it gets. A pair of teens (Sorcha Groundsell and Percelle Ascott) run away together from their families to start a new life together. But along the way, it becomes clear that June (Groundsell) has a spe...

If Memorial Day Weekend represents the unofficial kick-off to summer, Labor Day Weekend writes its finish. And with Labor Day looming just a week from today, it makes sense that the series of summer are making their way to a conclusion, preparing to turn over the reigns to the fall (and, of course, football). It's been an uneven summer, one in which I've followed very few new shows to completion. But today I thought I'd circle back and look at two of the biggest, which got people talking and added a level of prestige to their networks. Sharp Objects (HBO) About: This series, based on the novel from Gillian Flynn, was adapted to series by Flynn and TV vet Marti Noxon. The entire series was helmed by Jean-Marc Vallee, the director who brought another novel, "Big Little Lies," to life in fine fashion for HBO in 2017. Here he brought his talents to the story and gave it an edge, but the plot was a bit of a hold up since it was overwhelmingly depressing. But th...

The third pre-season game, or the regular season preview, is in the books. Next week will be key for many fighting for jobs, but for now here's a look at my projection for the final 53. Quarterbacks (2): Case Keenum, Chad Kelly. Kelly solidified his position as No. 2, and the fact the Broncos are comfortable with him, by getting First Team reps this week. The Broncos need the roster space and Paxton Lynch isn't cutting it. It will be better to ride with just these two. Running Back (4): Royce Freeman, Devontae Booker, Phillip Lindsay, DeAngelo Henderson. Freeman, Booker and Lindsay all ran with the first team offense, and are locks. And Henderson also looks good. The Broncos have a good group here, hopefully with David Williams joining the practice squad. Fullback (1): Andy Janovich. Only one guy here, and Janovich continues to prove his worth as a blocker and contributor on Special Teams. Wide Receiver (6): Demaryius Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders, Courtland Sutton, DaeSe...

Pre-Season Week 3 : Broncos 29, Washington Redskins 17 Pre-Season Record : 1-2 (0-2 Home) Key Play: In the second quarter, with the Broncos leading 10-3, on second and five, Case Keenum flipped the ball to Emmanuel Sanders on an end around, who took it 27 yards for a touchdown to boost the lead to 17-3. Recap : There are a couple things you're looking for in the third pre-season game. First, you're hoping no one gets a major injury, and the Broncos did OK on that front. Brandon Marshall got dinged, but returned. And Derek Wolfe got dinged, but should be OK. Unfortunately young safety Shamarko Thomas was injured and had to go to the hospital. But, overall, it could have been worse. The other thing you're hoping to see is that the team looks like they're ready for a good season. And on that front, it was a big success. For the second week in a row the Broncos allowed 14 garbage points late in the game, but for the second week in a row they dominated in the run up t...

I have always been drawn to stories—particularly the way stories come alive in film. To this day, I can easily recall vivid memories of a number of different films I saw for the first time. I remember the way they made me feel and how they stirred an emotional response, and I’m not the only one who’s felt that. The power of a good story is that it draws you in and connects with you on an emotional level. My favorite film critic, Roger Ebert, once said, “If a movie is really working, you forget for two hours your Social Security number and where your car is parked. You are having a vicarious experience. You are identifying, in one way or another, with the people on the screen.” That’s why we’re drawn to films, TV shows, books, music and other creative arts—the stories they tell connect with us on a deeper level. They challenge the way we see each other, the way we see the world, the kind of people we want to be and, if we’re paying attention, our faith. That’s an idea I first ex...

Well, last weekend was interesting. It seemed like The Meg was a strong choice for anchor. But it wasn’t. And it seemed like Alpha was an after thought. But it wasn’t. Fortunately I ended up with both options in my Cineplex. I had The Meg x2, plus Alpha and some filler. It wasn’t terrible, as Alpha was the Best Value. But it was far from perfect. That belonged to the Cineplex that used Crazy Rich Asians  — which bested projections — as an anchor, and added Alpha x7. Those bonuses really put that option way over the top. So I missed on that one, but it’s time to turn the page to another week as the summer draws to a close. If you think you’re better at the game than me (and it wouldn’t be hard), I encourage you to join me in a Fantasy Life App Blog league! You can join the league here . This week there’s only two new entries to the game, and neither is generating a lot of buzz. Welcome to the late summer doldrums. New at the Box Office: As I noted, there’s two ne...

Here's a look at the new movie I saw this week. Crazy Rich Asians Starring: Michelle Yeoh, Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Gemma Chan,  and Awkwafina Synopsis : "Crazy Rich Asians" was a popular novel long before it was a film, but it's been one of the most anticipated films of the summer. It opened last Wednesday and still dominated at the Box Office thanks to a good story, strong characters, a fun presentation and a great nod to a culture that many probably don't know much about. While the setting and some of the cultural practices are different, what ties the story together is the themes are universal. This is a story of a girl (Wu) and a boy (Golding) who fall in love despite coming from different worlds, and have to find a way to reconcile those worlds. Rachel (Wu) is an American-born and educated economics professor, while Nick (Golding) is the son of a wealthy family that calls Singapore home. He invites Rachel to attend a friends wedding and meet his f...

As we make our way toward September, we're seeing the Summer TV offerings wind down. But the new shows aren't completely gone. In these weekly posts I review the pilot and second episode of new scripted series this summer. Don't see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks. Tuesday Nights: Carter, Tuesdays at 10 p.m. on WGN America (Premiered August 7) About: This latest series for WGN is a co-production with Canada. It's about an actor (Jerry O'Connell) who, after years of playing a detective on TV, returns to his small home town and gets invited to be an actual detective with the police department. The pilot set up the characters and world, and the second episode settled into the template for the series. O'Connell is a good lead, and affable, but there's not a lot compelling about the series. I've heard it described as a more police procedural version of "The Grinder," the short-lived FOX sitcom. That's somewhat fair, but this ...

With one more game in the books, roster projections are moving closer to reality. There are still 90 guys on the roster, but by September 1 it will be down to 53. But who will those 53 be? As I will each week of the pre-season, I will attempt to project the Broncos' final squad. Quarterback (2): Case Keenum and Chad Kelly . This is a change, and a big one. I think the Broncos will likely only keep two quarterbacks, and neither will be Paxton Lynch. Lynch slipped from second to third on the depth chart and still stank up the joint on Saturday. He's regressed and isn't a good fit for the Broncos. It's time to move on. Runningback (4): Devontae Booker, Royce Freeman, Phillip Lindsay, DeAngelo Henderson. This quartet feels pretty locked in. I haven't seen enough from David Williams to think he'd jump Henderson. Lindsay was the best player on the field Saturday, and feels like a lock. Booker looked solid, and Freeman has a good future and should be the goallin...

If you're a regular reader of this blog (or my Facebook page), you'd know that we're just finishing "Sharknado" week on SyFy. I previewed the first five nights of original films on Friday , but now it's time to talk about the big kahuna. Back in 2013, "Sharknado" debuted on SyFy in July. SyFy by then was known for its niche making sort of "B" (or more likely "C") level creature films. I didn't often watch, and I didn't watch "Sharknado" when it debuted. But I read about the film, or rather the fact it was a Twitter phenomenon, and decided to catch the re-airing the next night. I was taken with it. It wasn't good, per se, but it was bad in the right way to make it fun. They story was crazy, but the performances were earnest and it was a lot of fun. That's what made it an event film. But, of course, part of what made it work is the people making the movie didn't realize they were making the kind ...

The Broncos played their second pre-season game last night. Some of it was a lot better than the first. Some of it left me feeling cold. Pre-Season Week 2: Chicago Bears 24, Denver Broncos 23 Pre-Season Record : 0-2 (0-2 Home) Key Play: In the second quarter, with the Broncos leading 13-7, Chad Kelly connected with Courtland Sutton on a 16-yard TD pass to put the Broncos up 20-7 at the first half was drawing to a close. Recap: Last week was a bit alarming in what we didn't see from the Broncos on offense. But patience was preached as the first team didn't really play much. But the clear star of Week 1 was Kelly, who was promoted to QB2 for this week. And this game had to leave Bronco fans feeling a lot better. Von Miller played, and though Chris Harris sat out the Broncos, the defense looked better, getting pressure, making stops and getting turnovers. And the offense actually showed up, too. Case Keenum moved the team well, and got some folks involved. It was nice to ...

Earlier this month the Academy Awards announced a new category— Popular Film—beginning this year. It's unclear what the precise guidelines will be for the category, but it's never too early to start guessing which movies might make the cut. So here's five fearless suggestions: * Black Panther — The highest grossing film of the year so far, and also one of the best. This film had great reviews, incredible audience reaction, and really got people talking. It was one of the best Marvel films in years, and seems like the kind of film this new category was made to honor. *A Quiet Place —While I would love this Spring thriller too be nominated in the big category, I think it's more likely here. This is another one that blew away audiences and has some spectacular performances. * Mission Impossible Fallout —This is another big summer film, and one that's been strong at the Box Office and even stronger with critics. It had an incredible score, and this is the kin...

It's "Sharknado Week" on SyFy. If you don't know what that means, basically it's a celebration of hideous shark movies in anticipation of the sixth and final installment of the king of B Shark Movies, "Sharknado," which airs Sunday. As an officianado and fan of these sorts of movies,  I've given it a whirl. Here's a look at the first five nights in all their "glory." Night One: Sunday, August 12—"Deep Blue Sea 2" Recognizeable Star : Michael Beach ("Third Watch," "The 100," "Pitch," and about 100 other shows) About: This one was a sequel of sorts to "Deep Blue Sea," which was released in 1999 and is in the pantheon of the greatest shark movies ever. This one is, well, not good. Beach stars as a scientist experimenting on sharks at a special facility in the middle of the ocean. Things go terribly wrong from there — and that's just the acting. I kid, I kid. But, no, seriously, ...

Well, last week was interesting. I had a feeling The Meg was being undervalued a bit, but it seemed like BlacKkKlansman was a clear value, too. Turned out both things were true. BlacKkKlansman would have been a great value, were it not for the huge showing by The Meg. The film was projected at about $26-$27 million. It made $44.5 million in the U.S. alone. It was, obviously, the Best Value for the week. I played a lineup of The Meg and BlacKkKlansman x7. That was good. The Perfect Cineplex was better. It had The Meg x2, BlacKkKlansman x3, The Incredibles 2 and The Darkest Minds, with one screen open. I was close, but not quite close enough. I don’t want to sound like a broken record, but if you think you’re better at the game than me (and it wouldn’t be hard), I encourage you to join me in a Fantasy Life App Blog league! You can join the league here . This week, a highly anticipated Rom-Com will battle a pre-historic shark for Box Office supremacy. New at the Box...

Here's a look at the new movies I saw this week. BlacKkKlansman Starring : John David Washington, Adam Driver, Robert John Burke, Ryan Eggold, Jasper Pääkkönen, and Ashlie Atkinson Synopsis: Spike Lee is a talented filmmaker who has never shied away from making bold political statements about our culture. In that sense, he's an ideal choice to direct "BlacKkKlansman," the true story of a black police officer in Colorado Springs in the 1970s who went undercover and helped infiltrate the local branch of the KKK. The story of Ron Stallworth, played in the film by Washington, is a fascinating one, and the stuff of a book and legend. The film takes quite a few liberties with the story, moving the time frame and changing characters around, but remains true to the idea. Washington is great in the lead role, and Driver is great as his partner, who ends up doing the in-person under cover part of the story. Also a bit of fun is Topher Grace in the role of David Duke. But ...

Summer is almost over. In many parts of the country (including here) kiddos are already back to school. And if not now, Labor Day is right around the corner. But still we're getting some new scripted premiers trying to establish themselves and grab and audience before the new fall onslaught begins in September. In these weekly posts I review the pilot and second episode of new scripted series this summer. Don't see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks. Monday Nights: Lodge 49, Mondays at 10 p.m. on AMC (Premiered August 6) About : This latest series for AMC, which follows the exploits of Dud (Wyatt Russell), his sister (Sonya Cassidy), a down-on-his-luck salesman (Brett Jennings) and the rest of the colorful folks that call Lodge 49 home isn't the most conventional series. It doesn't fall into a typical genre, and it moves at a genteel pace that is all its own. The pilot took a long time to lay out the characters and the central conflict, and the second ep...