Matt's Musings

October is here, and so are some of the movies that will be contending for the year's top prize. Let's take a look! Friday, October 5: A Star is Born — This re-make starring Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga could be THE movie of the month, and possibly the year. It's generated tons of buzz and has been well-reviewed thus far. Venom — This is a comic book film, but not the kind you'd expect. It's one focused on a villain, in this case played by Tom Hardy. I'm on the fence about this. The Hate U Give — This film, based on a novel, is about a police shooting and the aftermath. It looks like a powerful, emotional, and politically-charged tale. Friday, October 12: First Man — This is another strong contender for Best Picture, a biopic focusing on Neil Armstrong. This one comes from Damien Chazelle, and stars Ryan Gosling and Claire Foy. Bad Times at the El Royale — The ad campaign for this is overwhelming, but the cast looks strong and this film has a real...

I'm still in the lead, but it's still early. And there's a lot of time for me to lose this one, which I undoubtedly will. Lindsay's picks are in brackets. NFL Picks, Week 4 Rams Over Vikings (Rams) Falcons Over Bengals (Falcons) Packers Over Bills (Packers) Buccaneers Over Bears (Buccaneers) Lions Over Cowboys (Lions) Eagles Over Titans (Eagles) Colts Over Texans (Colts) Patriots Over Dolphins (Dolphins) Jaguars Over Jets (Jets) Raiders Over Browns (Browns) Seahawks Over Cardinals (Cardinals) Saints Over Giants (Saints) Chargers Over 49ers (49ers) Steelers Over Ravens (Steelers) Chiefs Over Broncos (Broncos) Last Week: 9–7 Lindsay: 5-11 Season : 28–20 Lindsay: 23-25 NFL Picks Spread, Week 4 Rams -6.5 Over Vikings Bengals +5.5 Over Falcons Bills +10.5 Over Packers Buccaneers +2.5 Over Bears Lions +2.5 Over Cowboys Eagles -3.5 Over Titans Colts -.5 Over Texans Dolphins +6.5 Over Patriots Jaguars -7.5 Over Jets Raiders -2.5 Over Browns Seahawks -3.5 Over Car...

We’ve reached the final weekend in September, and with some prestige releases just around the corner, it makes sense that studios are flooding the market with new releases. Many are family friendly. Some are themed for Halloween. All have middling Box Office prospects, as has been the case throughout the month of September. Last week in the game I thought A Simple Favor seemed like a good bet for Best Value, but I missed. The result was a Box Office haul for me of just over $50 million, which isn’t spectacular. The Nun ended up providing the Best Value, and anchoring the Perfect Cineplex, which earned more than $70 million. So I have some work to do. Fortunately I didn’t buy into Fahrenheit 11/9 , which tanked and tanked the Most Popular Cineplex option. This week four more new movies enter the fray, including a comedy, an animated film, a horror film and a modern update of a classic novel. And as always, i f you think you’re better at the game than me, I encourage you to ...

Tonight we continue our time together looking at the film "Atonement." It's a beautiful, and a difficult film. It's one that looks at this idea of forgiveness, and why we crave it and why, apart from God, we can never achieve it. It's based on the novel from Ian McEwan, and he was very much interested in this question — especially considering it apart from God. He said of his inspiration for the novel — which is on the "Time Magazine" list of the 100 most influential English language novels — that, “One important theme is the extent to which one can ever correct an error, especially outside any frame of religious forgiveness. All of us have done something we regret - how we manage to remove that from our conscience, or whether that's even possible, interested me.” The story begins in 1935 as a girl named Briony, who is 13, sees a series of interactions between her sister Cecelia and the son of their housekeeper, Robbie. She doesn't underst...

Here's a look at the new movie I saw this week. The House with a Clock in its Walls Starring : Cate Blanchett, Jack Black, Kyle MacLachlan, and Owen Vaccaro Synopsis: When you see a film is directed by Eli Roth, you usually have a certain conception of what you're about to see. After all, Roth has given the world some of the most graphic horror films in the last decade with films like "Hostel" and "Cabin Fever." And screenwriter Eric Kripke is no stranger to darker supernatural tales, having created the monster hunting series "Supernatural" for the CW. And yet, their latest collaboration, an adaptation of the John Bellairs 1973 young adult fiction novel, offers something that presents a few scares but is more fun for the whole family. And it's blessed with a great cast that includes Black and Blanchett as a warlock and witch who take a young boy (Vaccaro) under their wing, train him up, and fight alongside him when an evil warlock (MacLa...

Fall Premier Week is here, so it's time to rejoice as we're about to be immersed in a flood of new content. In these weekly posts I review the pilot and second episode of new scripted series this fall, and there's about to be a LOT more. Get psyched! Don't see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks. Monday Nights: Magnum P.I., Mondays at 9 p.m. on CBS (Premiered September 24) About: I am on record as believing this re-make of the classic series starring Tom Selleck was a mistake. Jay Hernandez is a fine actor with some good roles. But this didn't seem like a good fit or a good idea. Now that I've seen the pilot, I can confidently say it was not a good idea. "Magnum P.I." is a classic, and was a wonderful show that ideally captured its time and offered some wonderful characters. I know CBS is the home of re-makes, and some have been quite good. "Hawaii 5-0" is a show I've watched since the beginning, and one that changed the s...

Week 3: Baltimore Ravens 27, Broncos 14 Season Record: 2-1 (2-0 Home) Key Play: In the first half, trailing 14-10, Joe Flacco connected with Javorius Allen on a 12-yard TD strike to give the team a 17-14 lead. They never looked back. Recap: You can't win them all, and Denver wasn't going to win them all. But there are losses, then there are games where you shoot yourself in the foot. The officiating in this one wasn't great, which seems to be a theme of the season. Still, the Broncos at times lack composure. This is something the coaching staff is going to have to work to correct. The team was flagged for a number of penalties, totaling 120 yards. Many of them were personal fouls and costly holding penalties that sucked the life out of the offense. Those penalties also includes a personal foul on rookie running back Phillip Lindsay, who was subsequently ejected for the play. It was a big loss for the Broncos, as Lindsay has been an emotional spark plug the past two...

OK, so Premier Week begins tomorrow, which is exciting. There are 18 new shows premiering on the five networks this fall. Below I have my pre-premier rankings, one through 18. Let's see how I feel after I start grading them. 1. FBI, Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on CBS (Premiers Sept. 25) About: Why? Well, this one snuck up as I've seen more about it. Dick Wolf has a great track record, and I really liked the long preview for the series (though CBS gave away the pilot ending, which is gross). I think this will easily settle into a groove. 2. All-American, Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on The CW (Premiers Oct. 10) About: This is one of three new shows on The CW, and looks like the best. I like the concept and the potential here, and I feel like this could end up being like "Friday Night Lights," a show that just captures our hearts. 3. God Friended Me, Sundays at 8 p.m. on CBS (Premiers Sept. 30) About: I've actually seen this pilot, and I loved it more than I thought I wou...

Usually the end of August and late September is usually a slow time for TV. Summer series are wrapping up and the Fall season for the networks, and most others, doesn't begin until late September. But for the Streaming Services, it's been an explosion to start the month. There have been a flood of new shows, like "Jack Ryan" and "Forever" on Amazon, and "The Good Cop" and "Maniac," which premiered Friday and I'll cover in the new show roundup Tuesday. But for Netflix, the Fall has also been a time of shows launching their follow up seasons. Below I look at some of the returning shows that have bowed the past two weeks. American Vandal, Season 2 (Debuted September 14) About: The first season of this show caught many people by surprise. It was a mock documentary that was all about the search for who spray-painted penises on a bunch of faculty cars at the local high school. It was weird, surprising, and a lot of fun. And now it...

Week 2 wasn't as strong for me as Week 1, but I maintained the lead. We'll see if it holds in Week 3. As always, Lindsay's picks are in brackets. NFL Picks, Week 2: Browns Over Jets (Jets) Saints Over Falcons (Falcons) Vikings Over Bills (Vikings) Panthers Over Bengals (Bengals) Broncos Over Ravens (Broncos) Packers Over Redskins (Packers) Jaguars Over Titans (Jaguars) Eagles Over Colts (Eagles) Chiefs Over 49ers (Chiefs) Dolphins Over Raiders (Raiders) Texans Over Giants (Texans) Rams Over Chargers (Rams) Bears Over Cardinals (Bears) Seahawks Over Cowboys (Cowboys) Patriots Over Lions (Patriots) Buccaneers Over Steelers (Steelers) Last Week: 8–8 Lindsay: 7-9 Season: 19–13 Season: 17-15 NFL Picks Spread, Week 2: Browns -3.5 Over Jets Saints +3.5 Over Falcons Vikings -16.5 Over Bills Bengals +2.5 Over Panthers Broncos +4.5 Over Ravens Packers -2.5 Over Redskins Jaguars -7.5 Over Titans Eagles -6.5 Over Colts Chiefs -6.5 Over 49ers Dolphins -3.5 Over Raiders Te...

We’re early in the Fall season for Fantasy Movie League, but already it’s been a bit of a bummer. And that’s because the uneven releases with middling reviews have made it hard to handicap what audiences will go see. Not to mention the start of Fall activities, the return of College Football on Saturdays and the NFL on Thursdays, Sundays and Mondays has reduced the pool at the theater each weekend. But still we strive. And last week it seemed like A Simple Favor was the best of the new options, and it was, and Crazy Rich Asians could return the Best Value, but it didn’t. That, instead, went to The Meg, which keeps on churning. So the Perfect Cineplex ( A Simple Favor x3, The Meg x5) brought in $82 million. My option produced about $64 million. The Most Popular option produced $56 million. I wasn’t the worst, but I was far from the best. Lesson learned. So this week as four new films enter the fray, it’s once again time to determine where the value is. Without clear-cut hi...

It's hard to believe, but we begin our second third of the class this week, and we do so by making a pivot from a classic 1970s drama to a classic 1970s comedy. And a unique one at that with Monty Python's "Life of Brian." Some questioned this choice. And it certainly isn't conventional, but then again, neither are your teachers this term. It is a comedy that is set during the life time of Jesus, and pokes around the periphery of Scripture, and for that reason some view it as blasphemous. And not to defend the content, but I think if you look closer it's not so much the Scriptures and Jesus the film is poking fun at, but the people and the time period. In fact, that's something the filmmakers have said in defense of their efforts. The film contains themes of religious satire that were controversial at the time of its release, drawing accusations of blasphemy, and protests from some religious groups. Thirty-nine local authorities in the United Kingdo...

Here's a look at the new movie I saw this week. The Predator Starring: Boyd Holbrook, Sterling K. Brown, Olivia Munn, Jacob Tremblay, Yvonne Strahovski, Thomas Jane, and Keegan Michael Key Synopsis: Shane Black has had an interesting career. He started as a hot screenwriter who gave the world "Lethal Weapon." Then he disappeared for a while and came back with things like "Iron Man 3" and "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang." So it seems fitting that he'd be working to bring another 1980s franchise, "The Predator," back to prominence on the big screen. This is a sequel of sorts, but also a re-imagining. It's set in the modern time, but it reference previous encounters going back to 1987, the year the original with Arnold Schwarzenegger was released. But this isn't like that original, in fact it's more like the style of writing and film that he was first known for. There's plenty of violence and plenty of salty language, and it's...

Well it's that time of the week again, where I look at the new scripted shows of fall. And while the networks are waiting until late September to unleash the flood, the streaming services have decided to get a jump. Not only have they offered a host of new options, but a number of returning series have dropped the past few weeks. But this is about the new, and each week I review the pilot and second episode of each new scripted series this fall. Don't see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks. Tuesday Nights: Mayans MC, Tuesdays at 10 p.m. on F/X (Premiered September 4) About: This spin-off of "Sons of Anarchy" focuses on a new motorcycle gang in Southern California that is in business with a drug cartel running product from Mexico. I mentioned that there were a few aspects of the pilot I enjoyed, but it felt like a lot of story threads were being put into place in the pilot. The hole got a little bigger in the second episode, as the show also tried to f...

Week 2: Broncos 20, Oakland Raiders 19 Season Record: 2-0 (2-0 Home) Key Play: With a few seconds left in the fourth, trailing 19-17, Case Keenum connected with Tim Patrick on a 26-yard pass to set up the go-ahead field goal. Recap : I was one of 75,000 plus in attendance on Sunday to watch the Broncos move to 2-0 on the season in dramatic fashion. Oh, and it was also the hottest home game in history ... And it wasn't much of a game in the first half. The Raiders were moving, but not scoring a lot. But the Broncos' offense was practically MIA as the team trailed 12-0. Fortunately they picked it up in the second half. There were plenty of mistakes, some miscues and some poor officiating, but the team made the plays that needed to be made to get the win. HOWEVER, the Broncos are 2-0 with two home wins that didn't look incredible. They need to clean up the mistakes and get more consistent production if they intend to keep on winning. And that begins with their first ...

The Emmys are Monday night and are easily the awards I most often forget about, because they are in September, and have the hardest time guessing, because unlike films in a single year this is based on shows that you may not watch anymore. But here goes nothing. Below are best guesses on what will win Monday night in the big categories. Drama Series “The Handmaid’s Tale” “Game of Thrones” “This Is Us” “The Crown” “The Americans” “Stranger Things” “Westworld” Winner: Game of Thrones. Call this a homer pick if you want, but I think the Emmys go with "Thrones." It should really be "The Americans," but I don't think it has the juice. The rest of the shows on this list had flaws, and I think the "Game of Thrones" narrative propels it to victory. Comedy Series “Atlanta” (FX) “Barry” (HBO) “Black-ish” (ABC) “Curb Your Enthusiasm” (HBO) “GLOW” (Netflix) “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” (Amazon) “Silicon Valley” (HBO) “The Unbreakable Kimmy ...

Week 1 was wild as ever, but I finished 11-5 and took a slight lead on Lindsay. Will it last? Only time will tell. As always, Lindsay's picks are in brackets. NFL Picks, Week 2: Ravens Over Bengals (Ravens) Falcons Over Panthers (Panthers) Chargers Over Bills (Chargers) Saints Over Browns (Saints) Packers Over Vikings (Packers) Texans Over Titans (Texans) Redskins Over Colts (Redskins) Steelers Over Chiefs (Chiefs) Jets Over Dolphins (Jets) Eagles Over Buccaneers (Eagles) 49ers Over Lions (49ers) Rams Over Cardinals (Cardinals) Broncos Over Raiders (Broncos) Jaguars Over Patriots (Patriots) Giants Over Cowboys (Cowboys) Bears Over Seahawks (Bears) Last Week : 11–5 Lindsay : 10-6 Season: 11–5 Lindsay: 10-6 NFL Spread Picks, Week 2: Ravens -.5 Over Bengals Panthers +5.5 Over Falcons Chargers -7.5 Over Bills Browns +8.5 Over Saints Packers -.5 Over Vikings Texans -2.5 Over Titans Redskins -5.5. Over Colts Chiefs +5.5 Over Steelers Jets -2.5 Over Dolphins E...

Sometimes you are dead on the money, sometimes you’re way off. Last week, I was dead on the money about The Nun , a film that appeared to be soaring in projections and was likely the Best Value. And it did, and it was. The film made more than $53 million and was the Best Value, and the anchor of the Perfect Cineplex. But I was also dead wrong about God Bless The Broken Road . It was a new Christian film, and it had modest projections at best. I thought those could be low, providing value. They weren’t low, they were high. The film made less than $2 million opening weekend, and me programming four screens of it did me no favors. Hey, they can’t all be winners. So it was a flat start to the new Fall Season, but there’s 12 more weeks to make up ground, beginning with this weekend. If you think you’re better at the game than me, I encourage you to join me in a Fantasy Life App Blog league! You can join the league here . Let’s see how this week stacks up. New at the Box ...