Matt's Musings

We're in June, the heart of summer, and there are plenty of blockbusters coming our way. Friday, June 7: X-Men: Dark Phoenix: This is the latest in the X-Men saga, and it is sort of a do-over to the story in "X-Men: The Last Stand." This one has the "First Class" cast and promises to take things in a thrilling new direction. It's been delayed a few times, but I still have high hopes. Late Night : This comedy features Emma Thompson as a late night host and Mindy Kaling, who wrote the screenplay, as her first female comedy writer. Kaling has delivered some great material on "The Office" and "The Mindy Project," and I think this looks like a cinematic delight. The Secret Life of Pets 2: This has been a big year for animated films, but we haven't had a big one since the Spring. This sequel is the first big animated domino of the summer, and will likely be a spot of fun. But it's not the biggest animated film of the month. ...

We’re at the end of May, and we’re getting to the heart of the remaining blockbuster season. Once we hit about Fourth of July weekend, the kind of summer spectacle you get begins to change. People are traveling. Back to school sales are beginning and the Box Office becomes a toss up. But we’re not there yet, and this weekend we get four new films in the game, one of which features the “King of the Monsters.” But more on that in a minute. For the holiday weekend last week, Aladdin was the big release and was in daily scoring, of sorts. It was split between the first half of the weekend (Friday-Saturday) and the second half (Sunday-Monday). And I thought because of that, John Wick Chapter 3 might be the best anchor. It wasn’t. Aladdin exploded out of the gate, bringing in more than $100 million opening weekend. And it’s strong performance on Sunday and Monday were enough to create Best Value. So let’s just say I was a bit off the pace. Hopefully, like Godzilla , I can return to ...

Here's a look at the new movies I saw this week. Aladdin Starring : Will Smith, Naomi Scott, Mena Massoud, Marwan Kenzari, Navid Negahban, and Nasim Pedrad Synopsis: In 1992, the Disney animated machine offered the film "Aladdin," which featured an iconic performance from Robin Williams as the genie. For the past few years, Disney has been breathing new life into these classics by turning its animated films into live-action adventures. Already this year we've gotten "Dumbo," and in July we'll get a new version of "The Lion King." But for Memorial Day Weekend, it was "Aladdin's" turn. This version, a full on musical, comes from director Guy Ritchie and features Will Smith in the role of the Genie. It was met with middling reviews, currently sitting at 57 percent , and plenty of skepticism. But it also made more than $100 million over the holiday weekend and has a 94 percent audience score. So it's a film that didn't s...

We're past Memorial Day, and that means that the summer slate is heating up. In these weekly posts I look at the pilot and second episodes of new scripted series this summer. Don't see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks. Monday Nights: The Hot Zone, Airing nightly at 9 p.m. on NatGeo (Premiered May 27) About: This limited series airs over three nights beginning last night (Memorial Day). The six-episode series looks at the origin and reaction to Ebola landing on U.S. shores in 1989, mere miles from the Capital in Washington, D.C. The show features a large cast that includes Noah Emmerich, Topher Grace, Liam Cunningham and James D'Arcy, and it's led by Julianna Margulies, who plays Col. Nancy Jax, a researcher who uncovered the outbreak and tried to contain it. The pilot and second episode, which aired Monday, both begin in Africa in the past, showing how some of these virulent strains were first discovered. That adds a component of history and intrigue t...

Now that the NFL Draft is over, we're moving closer to the start of the new NFL Season. It seems a good time to take a look at these teams, post draft, to see where they're at. Over the next eight weeks, I'll be looking at one division at a time. Today, it's the NFC North. Chicago Bears Key Draft Picks: David Montgomery, RB, Riley Ridley, WR About: The Bears rose up and won the NFC North last season, and they look poised to compete for years to come. The defense will have to contend with the loss of Vic Fangio, but is still loaded. On offense, the team moved Jordan Howard, but re-loaded with Montgomery and Mike Davis, alongside Tarik Cohen. And with Allen Robinson, Taylor Gabriel, Anthony Miller and Ridley, along with Trey Burton, they have plenty of weapons for Mitch Trubisky. But they won't catch anyone by surprise this year. Minnesota Vikings Key Draft Picks : Garrett Bradbury, C, Irv Smith, TE, Alexander Mattison, RB About: With Kirk Cousins aboard the...

Now that the NFL Draft is over, we're moving closer to the start of the new NFL Season. It seems a good time to take a look at these teams, post draft, to see where they're at. Over the next eight weeks, I'll be looking at one division at a time. Today, it's the AFC North. Baltimore Ravens Key Draft Picks : Marquise Brown, WR, Miles Boykin, WR, Justice Hill, RB, Jaylon Ferguson, DE About : The Ravens finished the season strong, riding rookie Lamar Jackson into the playoffs. They didn't win, but it became clear the Jackson was going to be the future, the Ravens had work to do. They shipped out Joe Flacco, and drafted receivers and a running back in Hill. They also signed Mark Ingram, and are hoping to be poised to take a step forward in Year Two with Jackson. Pittsburgh Steelers Key Draft Picks: Devin Bush, LB, Benny Snell, Jr., RB, Diontae Johnson, WR, Justin Layne, CB About: The Steelers somewhat imploded in 2018 after coming in with lofty expectations. Le...

Last week was Upfronts Week, where every network unveils its fall schedule. A total 16 new shows will air on the five networks this Fall. Below is my pick for the three I think look the best and the three I think will last the least amount of time. For a full look at all the new Fall series trailers, click here .  For my full take on NBC , FOX , ABC , CBS and The CW , just click the link for each individual network. Without further ado, here’s my take on the new series. Each list is in Alphabetical Order. Most Promising:  Evil, Thursdays at 10 p.m. on CBS About: My favorite new show from the 2018–19 season was God Friended Me , a CBS drama that explored themes of life and faith. Evil , a new drama coming to CBS this Fall, looks to cover the same kind of material from a new angle. And it also had one of the most compelling trailers and casts. It comes from Robert and Michelle King ( The Good Wife ) and looks like it could be quite engrossing and compelling. I’m hopin...

Last week it seemed clear that John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum was poised to unseat the Avengers at the top of the Box Office. It did just that, racking up more than $56 million. It also looked like it had the potential to be the Best Value. It wasn’t. That Best Value instead when to Shazam! on the lower end. Meanwhile I thought The Sun is Also A Star might have some value. But it didn’t. It flopped with $2.5 million and was near the bottom of the value list. So I missed the mark with my Cineplex, again ending $30 million off the Perfect Cineplex Pace thanks to bonuses. Hopefully this week I can get back on track. This is Memorial Day Weekend, meaning a four-day Box Office haul. And there are three new films, but the biggest by far is the live-action re-make of Aladdin , coming from director Guy Ritchie. And it’s in daily scoring, sort of, but will it carry your Cineplex? Let’s find out. As always, if you think you’re better at the game than me, I encourage you to join ...

Here's a look at the new movies I saw this week. Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile Starring: Zac Efron, Lily Collins, Haley Joel Osment, and John Malkovich Synopsis: By now everyone is pretty familiar with Ted Bundy and his various horrible crimes. And yet Netflix's new drama, "Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile" seeks to explore new ground by focusing on Bundy (Efron) and his relationship with Seattle single mom Liz (Collins). They are in love and engaged and then Bundy is arrested and charged with a heinous crime. He pleads his innocence, and Liz wants to believe him, and yet he's convicted. And as the evidence mounts, Bundy continues to plead his innocence, but he becomes harder to believe as his monstrous acts become clear. The film winds up with his trial in Florida, where Bundy drew applause from the gallery, and yet was convicted of more crimes and sentenced to death. It's during that sentencing that the film draws its title from a...

Last week was Upfronts and finales for the Networks, which will transition to more summer shows beginning this week. But we weren't without new shows entirely. Instead, we got a couple new streaming series. In these weekly posts I look at the pilot and second episode of new scripted shows this summer. Don't see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks. Streaming Series: Catch-22, Now Streaming on Hulu (Premiered May 17) About: Joseph Heller's famous novel has become a cultural reference point thanks to its narrative and storytelling. And now it's getting revisited in a new Hulu mini-series, a six-episode exploration that dropped on Friday. Among those involved are George Clooney and Grant Heslov, who served as producers, direct some episodes, and both take roles in the production. For the most part it follows Capt. John Yossarian (Christopher Abbott) and his quest to survive World War II, which is an ever moving target. The cast includes Kyle Chandler, Kevin ...

“You are my queen, now and always.”  — Jon Snow The eighth and final season of Game of Thrones kicked off on Sunday, April 14. Each week during the final season I’ll recap episodes, look at highlights and make predictions for what’s to come. All good things must eventually come to an end. For Game of Thrones the series, that end came Sunday night. It’s an episode — and a season — that has caused a lot of debate, and likely will for years to come. And it’s a finale that likely makes those who read the books want to see George R.R. Martin’s finished vision in print even more. But in the end, we can’t judge the show we wish we had, only the one we got. It wasn’t perfect in total, but I thought elements of this finale were fitting and beautiful. Doubtless others will feel differently. But let’s take a look at what we got as this show winds its way to a conclusion. The Ultimate Showdown The show has been building to a confrontation between Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) and...

All good things must come to an end. April 17, 2011. That was the day Game of Thrones premiered on HBO. I had never read the books, but I read about them and the show prior to watching, and honestly I wasn’t sure what to expect. There were wolves, and rumors of ice zombies. There was a king and castles, family drama and some incest. Even back then I was reviewing the pilots of new shows I’d seen. I gave the pilot a C-. It was hard to imagine then what this show would become — both in terms of popular culture and in terms of my affinity for it. And yet, here we are nine-plus years later and we’ve reached the end of the journey. Tomorrow night the finale is here. In the run up to Season Eight there was a lot of excitement. Much of it was pinned on our hopes and dreams for the series. As the episodes have played out, we’ve been forced to mourn the loss of what might have been to accept what is. For some, that has been easier than for others . I get the complaints. I was a l...

This is Upfronts Week, the time when all five major networks unveil their fall schedules to advertisers, and, of course, the public. Each day I'll be taking a look at the network schedules and weighing in on what we see and new shows. Today is The CW's turn. The CW Best Scheduling Move: For its final season, "Arrow" is moving back to Tuesday nights to be paired with "The Flash." In addition, The CW is pairing its new offering of "Batwoman" with "Supergirl" on Sunday nights. The CW is a combination of both superhero shows from the D.C. Universe and other shows, and it makes sense to me that they would create a couple strong blocks for these shows, especially with "Arrow" wrapping up its run. Most Curious Scheduling Move: There is nothing on The CW that stood out as a red flag, but I think the move least likely to succeed is moving "All-American," last year's "It" show, to Mondays at 8 p.m. It will b...

For the first time since late April, Avengers: Endgame isn’t predicted to dominate the Box Office. That’s thanks to a little hero named John Wick, who is about to go for his third adventure. But more on that and the new movies of the week in a minute. First, a minute on last week’s contest. Avengers was still projected atop the Box Office, but it was Pokemon Detective Pikachu that was in daily scoring. And Pikachu joined a host of other films that were new at the Box Office. I leaned into a Saturday play, adding Sunday and the potential for value from Long Shot and Tolkien . Turns out, the best value was The Intruder , and the best Pikachu option was Friday. So I ended up almost $30 million off the pace. Hopefully this week will be better. John Wick Chapter 3 leads the new releases, and figures to lead the Box Office. There are three new films again this week, but nothing in Daily Scoring. So it’s about finding the right anchor, and the right shot at value. As always...

This is Upfronts Week, the time when all five major networks unveil their fall schedules to advertisers, and, of course, the public. Each day I'll be taking a look at the network schedules and weighing in on what we see and new shows. Today is CBS' turn. CBS Best Scheduling Move: I didn't care for the re-boot of "Magnum P.I.," but whether you did or not, it was fair to feel it didn't fit on Mondays at 9 p.m. I like that CBS swung it to Friday nights, between Hawaii-set "Hawaii 5-0" and the Tom Selleck vehicle "Blue Bloods." If it's going to succeed, this feels like the place. It also gives them a solid Friday night of shows that all focus on crime and characters who are family. It felt like a somewhat genius move. Most Curious Scheduling Move: CBS didn't really do anything that seemed off, so this is nitpicking a bit. But I'll talk about the Monday night schedule. It didn't work great in the 2018-19 season, and CBS is...

Here's a look at the new movies I saw this week. The Hustle Starring: Rebel Wilson, Anne Hathaway, and Alex Sharp Synopsis: Summer is a time where we get comedies aplenty, and that trend continued in the second weekend in May with "The Hustle." This one is a re-make, of sorts, of "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels," itself a re-make, this time with the gender flipped to two female con-artists. Penny (Wilson) is a small-time grifter who makes her way from the United States to France, where she crosses paths with Josephine (Hathaway), who uses much more polished methods to ply the same trade. At first Josephine agrees to take Penny on as a protege, but soon their styles and personalities clash. And instead, they set their sites on a bet, trying to extract $500,000 from a new mark Thomas (Sharp). But it doesn't all go according to plan. This is a brisk 94-minutes, and makes decent use of a talented cast of performers. Both Wilson and Hathaway have a knack with com...

This is Upfronts Week, the time when all five major networks unveil their fall schedules to advertisers, and, of course, the public. Each day I'll be taking a look at the network schedules and weighing in on what we see and new shows. Today is ABC's turn. ABC Best Scheduling Move: It makes sense to drop "A Million Little Things" in between the two Shondaland Shows in the Fall. It's an experiment they came to in the winter for a few weeks, and I think the genres work well together and that gives them a stronger Thursday night. Most Curious Scheduling Move: Overall ABC's schedule makes a lot of sense for their brand and what they do. However, the network has long struggled with the Tuesday at 10 p.m. slot, seemingly finding something that worked with the drama "The Rookie," which had some more comedic elements. Instead of leaving that night intact, they decided to move "The Rookie" to 10 p.m. on Sundays opposite football, which doesn...