Matt's Musings

  The pick is in and the Broncos, at the ninth pick in the First Round, selected cornerback Patrick Surtain II out of Alabama. Surtain is a good player, and was a top option at the position. In three years with Alabama he recorded 116 tackles, 24 passes defensed, four interceptions and four forced fumbles . He could be a fixture in the Broncos' secondary for years to come. The surprise in George Paton's first draft pick wasn't the quality of the player, but how it fit with the Broncos' off-season. The team came into the off-season needed to address the secondary but, through free agency, that seemed to be pretty much handled. The Broncos locked up safety Justin Simmons on a long-term contract, and were able to bring Kareem Jackson back on a one-year deal. The team also added Ronald Darby and Kyle Fuller at cornerback through free agency, while returning Bryce Callahan, Michael Ojemudia, and Essang Bassey, among others. So, Surtain is a great and talented pick, just a su...

  The 2021 NFL Draft kicks off tonight and doubtless it will be full of intrigue and surprises. In anticipation of the draft, I made my final mock for Round One. Where I projected a trade, I indicate with an * by the team name. Let's see how close I come! 1.01—Jacksonville Jaguars: Trevor Lawrence, QB Clemson 1.02—New York Jets: Zach Wilson, QB BYU 1.03—San Francisco 49ers: Justin Fields, QB Ohio State 1.04—Atlanta Falcons: Kyle Pitts, TE Florida 1.05—Cincinnati Bengals: Penei Sewell, OT Oregon 1.06—Miami Dolphins: Jaylen Waddle, WR Alabama 1.07—Detroit Lions: Ja’Marr Chase, WR LSU 1.08—Washington Football Team*: Trey Lance, QB North Dakota State 1.09—Denver Broncos: Micah Parsons, LB Penn State 1.10—New England Patriots*: Mac Jones, QB Alabama 1.11—New York Giants: Kwity Paye, DE Michigan 1.12—Philadelphia Eagles: DeVonta Smith, WR Alabama 1.13—Los Angeles Chargers: Rashawn Slater, OT Northwestern 1.14—Minnesota Vikings: Alijah Vera-Tucker, OL USC 1.15—Dallas Cowboys*: Patrick Sur...

  Here's a look at the new films I saw this week. 1 Night in San Diego (Hulu) Starring:  Jenna Ushkowitz and Laura Ashley Samuels Synopsis: This limp comedy is about two best friends (Ushkowitz and Samuels) who take an ill-advised trip to San Diego. Mishaps ensue in this comedy from writer/director Penelope Lawson. There are some wild sequences but none of it is that interesting. I'm not sure what I am supposed to take away from this film, but it was barely watchable, even at 85 minutes. Rating: NA Verdict: Zero stars out of four Better Days (Hulu) Starring:  Dongyu Zhou, Jackson Yee, and Fang Yin Synopsis: This film from director Derek Tsang is about school bullying. It is a Chinese film that became the Hong Kong entry into the Foreign Film competition and was chosen as one of the final five nominees at this year's Academy Awards. It's based on the novel In His Youth, In Her Beauty , and follows a girl approaching her college entrance exams who has been bulli...

  We're nearing the end of April, which typically means longer and warmer days as we start to head toward summer. While we're nearing the end of the Broadcast Season, we're still getting plenty of new shows. But which ones are for you? Let this weekly post be your guide as I look at the pilot and second episode of new scripted shows this Spring. Don't see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks. Tuesday Nights: Cruel Summer, Tuesdays at 10 p.m. on Freeform (Premiered April 20) About: This new drama on Freeform has a unique concept. It takes place over the course of a few days in June in three different years, 1993, 1994 and 1995. It shows the long-term effects of a kidnapping on a community. Each episode focuses on the perspective of one of the characters, showing how their life has changed in those years. When the pilot first began, I was leery of the format. But as the pilot played out, I found the jumping around and singular focus compelling. By the end of ...

  The 93rd Academy Awards were last night, and it was an evening that had highs, lows and some big surprises. Below are some of my thoughts on what we saw last night. Nomadland : The film won Best Picture and Best Director, which was expected, and snagged a Best Actress win for Frances McDormand. I liked McDormand in the role, and she's good in pretty much everything she does, but it was certainly a surprise to hear her name called. Still, a great showing for this film, which took three of the night's biggest awards. Small Film Wins : Another Round winning for Best Foreign Language Feature was expected, but it was a deserved win. And the speech from director Thomas Vinterberg was one of the emotional high points of the night. Another win that I was excited about was If Anything Happens I Love You in the animated short category. I loved that film and thought it was incredibly powerful. Promising Young Woman : While I was thrilled that Emerald Fennell won for Original Screenpla...

  The Academy Awards take place, finally, tonight at 8 p.m. EST. Below are my predictions for tonight's awards. These are simply picks for who I think WILL win. BEST PICTURE The Father Judas and the Black Messiah Mank Minari Nomadland Promising Young Woman Sound of Metal The Trial of the Chicago 7 Will Win : I'm going with Nomadland . It's the front-runner, and I think it will win. Possible spoilers are Minari and Promising Young Woman . ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE Riz Ahmed, Sound of Metal Chadwick Boseman, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom Anthony Hopkins, The Father Gary Oldman, Mank Steven Yeun, Minari Will Win: This award is going to Chadwick Boseman. ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE Sacha Baron Cohen, The Trial of the Chicago 7 Daniel Kaluuya, Judas and the Black Messiah Leslie Odom, Jr., One Night in Miami... Paul Raci, Sound of Metal Lakeith Stanfield, Judas and the Black Messiah Will Win: This is going to Daniel Kaluuya. ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE Viola Davis, Ma Rainey's B...

  2021 is the year I turn 40. As part of my celebration, I'm looking back at 40 years of movies, picking my favorite film from each year I've been around! To learn more about the criteria for this process, check this introduction. Each post will feature my pick, plus three runner's up. So check back over the next 40 weeks of this journey! 1990: Miller's Crossing About: For me, the 1990s might be the peak of the prowess of the Coen Brothers. While my favorite Coen Brothers film comes later, the 1990s include many of their films I love. That starts with Miller's Crossing , released in 1990 and the third feature from the brothers. It's an incredible work that features some great performances and dialogue. I like the story and I love the artistry. I've been in love with the film since I first saw it when I was in college. It's probably the most under-rated Coen Brothers film, and it's my favorite film of 1990. Other Considerations: Home Alone About: Kev...

  The Academy Awards are coming! Nominees were announced on Monday, March 15 and the awards will be held on Sunday, April 25. From now until then I'll be looking at all eight nominees for Best Picture and handicapping their chances. Nomadland Starring : Frances McDormand Director: Chloe Zhao Total Nominations : 6 Nominated For : Best Picture, Best Actress (McDormand), Best Director (Zhao), Best Adapted Screenplay (Zhao), Best Editing, and Best Cinematography About : And now we come to the final profile, the favorite in Nomadland . Is it a lock to win? Hardly, but I think this film will win Best Picture and will be a worthy Best Picture winner. But that's not the only prize this fascinating tale about a group of people in America who dealt with loss the best way they could will win. Zhao is pretty close to a lock for Best Director, and she is a GREAT choice. I don't think she wins the screenplay award, but she's in the mix. McDormand winning Best Actress would be a mil...

  The NFL Draft is a week away, and the Broncos currently hold the No. 9 overall pick. So what will the team do with it? Below are a few options I think could be considered. Quarterback: Is Denver sold on Drew Lock? Probably not. This is a good quarterback class, so what could that mean for the Broncos? Trevor Lawrence figures to go at No. 1 to the Jaguars, and BYU's Zach Wilson seems a lock at No. 2 to the New York Jets. The San Francisco 49ers traded three First Round picks to get up to the No. 3 pick, which figures to be Justin Fields, Trey Lance or Mac Jones. Personally, I think it's Fields. So the Broncos would need to probably give up a lot to get to No. 4 to take the fourth quarterback off the board, either Fields, Jones or Lance. Or the team could hope one falls to No. 9. Either way, I just don't think the Broncos end up with a quarterback, despite some of the rumors. I especially hope the team doesn't give up a huge package, up to and including three first roun...

  The Academy Awards are on Sunday, and a category that often gets lost in the shuffle are short films. This week, I wanted to offer a review of a couple Academy Award nominated Short Films I had a chance to watch that you can find streaming right now. Live Action Shorts Feeling Through (https://www.feelingthrough.com/) Starring: Steven Prescod and Robert Tarango Synopsis: This beautiful film is an incredibly powerful story of human kindness and connection. A young man (Prescod) who is struggling to find a place to stay comes across a blind and deaf man alone in the city. Feeling compelled to not leave him on his own, what at first begins as a burden turns into a profound and beautiful connection that is uplifting to him and the audience. This film, written and directed by Doug Roland, is a profound emotional experience. It's beautifully shot, acted and put together. It is one of the best films I've seen this year and I hope it wins an Academy Award on Sunday. It's free t...

  We’re rapidly careening through April and the flood of new shows has hit a fever pitch. That includes offerings on networks and an uptick in new series on the streaming services. But which, if any, of these shows is worth your time? Let this weekly column be your guide as I review the pilot and second episode of new scripted series this Spring. Don’t see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks. Tuesday Nights: Chad, Tuesdays at 10 p.m. on TBS (Premiered April 7) About: This new comedy, originally developed for FOX, features Nasim Pedrad in the lead role as a 14-year-old Persian boy. Yes, you read that correctly. This is the TBS answer to PEN15 , the surprise comedy hit on Hulu. Pedrad is creative force behind the series as well, and clearly has a passion for it. But the pilot was insufferable at times and, shockingly, the second episode was more of a slog to watch. This is an epic miss for me. Pilot Grade : D Second Episode : D- Wednesday Nights: Kung Fu, Wednesda...

  The Academy Awards are coming! Nominees were announced on Monday, March 15 and the awards will be held on Sunday, April 25. From now until then I'll be looking at all eight nominees for Best Picture and handicapping their chances. Promising Young Woman Starring: Carey Mulligan, Bo Burnham, Clancy Brown, Jennifer Coolidge, Alison Brie, Max Greenfield, and Chris Lowell Director: Emerald Fennell Total Nominations: 5 Nominated For: Best Picture, Best Actress (Mulligan), Best Original Screenplay (Fennell), Best Director (Fennell), and Best Editing About : We're into the week of the Academy Awards, which take place on Sunday. I'm down to my last couple Best Picture nominees to preview. Today I look at my favorite film of the group, and Friday I'll look at the front-runner ahead of making my picks for the awards on Sunday. Today's film, Promising Young Woman , was my favorite of 2020. It's nominated for five Academy Awards and I think it is a great film. Some hav...

  As some of you know, I have been a frequent guest host on the Music City Drive In Movie podcast this summer. We've been looking at movies since 2000, re-nominating the Academy Awards. That got me thinking about the actual fields of the awards themselves. In a new weekly series, I'll be looking back at the last 40 years of Oscars and reviewing the choices at Best Picture, Best Director and the four acting categories. 2010: Best Picture: * The King's Speech * The Social Network * Inception * The Fighter * True Grit * Black Swan * 127 Hours * Toy Story 3 * Winter's Bone * The Kids Are All Right About: This was the year The King's Speech won. It's a fine film. The Social Network should have won, and is my pick. Best Director: * Tom Hooper * David Fincher * Joel and Ethan Coen * Darren Aronofsky * David O. Russell About: Hooper won here, but I'm going with David Fincher. Best Actor: * Colin Firth * Jeff Bridges * Javier Bardem * Jesse Eisenberg * James Fran...

  2021 is the year I turn 40. As part of my celebration, I'm looking back at 40 years of movies, picking my favorite film from each year I've been around! To learn more about the criteria for this process, check this introduction. Each post will feature my pick, plus three runner's up. So check back over the next 40 weeks of this journey! 1989: Christmas Vacation About: We've reached 1989, and this is a year that had a lot of options. But, for me, it comes down to my favorite Christmas comedy of all time. This is actually the third film in the National Lampoon's Vacation franchise with Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo in the lead, but it's also the best. Clark (Chase) just wants to throw the hap-hap-happiest Christmas, but nothing goes right. I watch this at least once every year, and I think it gets funnier every time I see it. So it was the only logical choice to top the list this year for me. Other Considerations: Batman About: Michael Keaton takes the ...

  The Academy Awards are coming! Nominees were announced on Monday, March 15 and the awards will be held on Sunday, April 25. From now until then I'll be looking at all eight nominees for Best Picture and handicapping their chances. Minari Starring: Steven Yeun, Yeri Han, Alan S. Kim, Yuh-Jung Youn, and Will Patton Director : Isaac Lee Chung Total Nominations : 6 Nominated For : Best Picture, Best Actor (Yeun), Best Supporting Actress (Youn), Best Director (Chung), Best Original Screenplay (Chung), and Best Original Score About: Minari is a beautiful and timely tale. It's also a tale that captures the struggle and experience of many who came to America and tried to build a better life for them and their families. It's a powerful film with powerful performances, and one of the true dark horses in the Best Picture race. I wouldn't be shocked to see it win. But I don't think it's a front-runner. That's true of a few of the nominated races. Chung would win as...

  As Uncle Ben once told Peter Parker, "With great power comes great responsibility." That piece of advice was something Peter weighed each day as he served as Spider-Man. And it's something we've seen from heroes time and again. The power of their position and skill is a responsibility that must be weighed. It's no secret I have been down on John Walker (Wyatt Russell) since his appearance in the first episode of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier . The actor is great, the character, and what he represents, are awful. And we saw it go off the rails for him in episode 4 as he took the Super Soldier serum and committed an act of violence from which he can't recover. What made Steve Rogers such a great choice for Captain America was his selflessness. He didn't seek power. In fact, the act that convinced Dr. Abraham Erskine he was the right choice was jumping on a grenade. Steve didn't see power, he sought to be of use, to help those in need, with no thoug...

  Here's a look at the new film I saw this week. Thunder Force (Netflix) Starring: Melissa McCarthy, Octavia Spencer, Jason Bateman, Bobby Cannavale, Taylor Mosby, and Melissa Leo Synopsis: This new comedy on Netflix marks the fifth cinematic collaboration between McCarthy the star and Ben Falcone, her husband, the director. It's been a mixed bag in those five films, with some being amusing and some being a disaster. Their most recent collaboration, Superintelligence , debuted on HBO Max in the Fall and was quickly forgotten. Thunder Force brings together a high-profile cast and an amusing idea, but it's not what we might have hoped. It's a touch better than Superintelligence , but about on par with the duo's first collaboration, Tammy . Spencer is a great actress, and McCarthy has been great in comedies, but somehow this pairing, or perhaps the pairing with this material, doesn't work. There are amusing moments and ideas here, but it doesn't coalesce into ...

  Spring has sprung, and as we typically get deluged with showers in April, our TV benefactors are showering us with new content. Favorites are returning on networks and streaming sites, and plenty of new offerings are jumping into the fray as well. This week alone there are 10 new scripted series in their first or second episode that I'm discussing. So how do you know what's worth your time? Let this weekly column be your guide as I explore the Pilot and Second Episode of new scripted offerings. Don't see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks. Tuesday Nights: Chad, Tuesdays at 10:30 p.m. on TBS (Premiered April 6) About: Nasim Pedrad is a talented comedian, but this new series is a disaster. It was originally conceived of as a coming-of-age story about a young Persian boy that was going to air on FOX. Instead, it's become something of a gender reversed PEN15 that is airing on TBS, where Pedrad plays a 14-year-old boy. Yes, you read that correctly. The result i...

  The Academy Awards will take place on Sunday, April 25. The nominees were announced on Monday, March 15. Between now and the awards, I'll be previewing the different races. Today I'm looking at the Acting Races. Best Actress: * Carey Mulligan, Promising Young Woman * Frances McDormand, Nomadland * Viola Davis, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom * Andra Day, The United States vs. Billie Holiday * Vanessa Kirby, Portrait of a Woman About: This is the most wide open race in all the Oscars, and it's a good one, too. Mulligan, McDormand, Davis and Day have all won major awards in the run up to the Academy Awards, and it wouldn't be a surprise to hear their name, or Kirby's name called on Oscar night. That being said, Mulligan gave my favorite performance of the year in my favorite film of the year. She is who I want to win, and honestly I don't want to live in a world where she doesn't win. Best Actor: * Chadwick Boseman, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom * Anthony Hopkin...

  As some of you know, I have been a frequent guest host on the Music City Drive In Movie podcast this summer. We've been looking at movies since 2000, re-nominating the Academy Awards. That got me thinking about the actual fields of the awards themselves. In a new weekly series, I'll be looking back at the last 40 years of Oscars and reviewing the choices at Best Picture, Best Director and the four acting categories. 2009: Best Picture: * Up In the Air * Avatar * The Hurt Locker * Up * An Education * The Blind Side * A Serious Man * Precious * Inglorious Basterds * District 9 About: This was the first year the Academy expanded the field and The Hurt Locker won the top prize. There are some great films in this group, but the standout for me was Up In The Air , which is my pick. Best Director: * Jason Reitman * Kathryn Bigelow * James Cameron * Quentin Tarantino * Lee Daniels About: Bigelow got the win here, but I'm going with Tarantino for Inglorious Basterds , which I t...

  2021 is the year I turn 40. As part of my celebration, I'm looking back at 40 years of movies, picking my favorite film from each year I've been around! To learn more about the criteria for this process, check this introduction. Each post will feature my pick, plus three runner's up. So check back over the next 40 weeks of this journey! 1988: Die Hard About : This was an easy choice. Die Hard is one of my favorite films of all time, so seeing it come up for 1988, it was easy to pick this as my favorite of the year. Starring Bruce Willis as a grizzled NYPD Detective caught up in a hostage situation at a Christmas Party in Los Angeles, this is a classic. It's got a great blend of humor and action, plus a great story. This is one of the best Christmas movies, too. So, this is easily my favorite film for this year! Other Considerations: Young Guns About: That's not to say there aren't other movies from 1988 that I enjoy. This western features Emilio Estevez as Bi...

  The Academy Awards are coming! Nominees were announced on Monday, March 15 and the awards will be held on Sunday, April 25. From now until then I'll be looking at all eight nominees for Best Picture and handicapping their chances. The Trial of the Chicago 7 Starring: Sacha Baron Cohen, Jeremy Strong, Eddie Redmayne, Frank Langella, Mark Rylance, and Michael Keaton Director: Aaron Sorkin Total Nominations : 6 Nominated For: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Cohen), Best Original Screenplay (Sorkin), Best Original Song, Best Editing, and Best Cinematography About: Netflix has long sought to win the big prize at the Academy Awards, and despite Mank grabbing 10 nominations, this film might be their best chance in 2020. But I don't think it happens. I liked The Trial of the Chicago 7 , a film written and directed by Sorkin based on true events. I think it's a timely exploration for the season we were in that features some good performances and some good moments. I also...

  The Walking Dead wrapped up the six bonus episodes that capped its chopped up 10th season with a bit of backstory for Neegan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) in an episode titled "Here's Neegan" on Sunday night. It's the final episode left with fans until the last season starts sometime this Fall, and it left on a doozy. Since his appearance at the end of Season 6, Neegan has been a lightening rod of a character. And for good reason. His introduction was one of the most unsettling and brutal episodes of a show that never shied away from brutality. And yet, in the years since, we've seen Neegan's character change. One of my favorite arcs was the Season 8, which began with an episode called "Wrath." It was a season-long showdown between Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and Neegan. In the finale, titled "Mercy," Rick ultimately leaves Neegan alive, saying "My mercy overcomes my wrath." It was a beautiful sentiment, one which Rich wrestled with after bei...

  Here's a look at the new movies I saw this week, including a deep dive into some new Nicholas Cage B-Movies on streaming. Biggie: I've Got a Story to Tell (Netflix) Synopsis: This new documentary looks at the career, life and death of Christopher Wallace, otherwise known as Biggie Smalls or the Notorious B.I.G. Wallace was gunned down in 1997 at the age of 24, and his murder remains unsolved. It's been the subject of a TV mini-series and movies in recent years, but this documentary is more concerned with exploring the man behind it. Through a series of interviews with friends and relatives, it helps to show him in a different light and paint a more full picture of the man behind the artist, the son and father who was lost. It's an interesting retrospective, especially for those who were fans that want to know more about his story. Rating:  R for pervasive language, and drug content. Verdict: Two stars out of four Concrete Cowboy (Netflix) Starring: Idris Elba, Lorra...