Matt's Musings

  The number of teams looking for a new Head Coach went down by one on Thursday as the Denver Broncos filled their Head Coach opening by hiring Hackett, who served as Offensive Coordinator for the Green Bay Packers the past three seasons. Hackett has never been a head coach on any level but comes with plenty of coaching experience in the NFL and collegiate ranks. Hackett began his coaching career at UC Davis, then spent three years at Stanford before moving to the NFL as an Offensive Quality Control Coach with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Buffalo Bills. After three years at Syracuse, he returned to the NFL as Offensive Coordinator for the Buffalo Bills from 2013-2014. He spent four years in Jacksonville from 2015-2018 at quarterbacks coach and Offensive Coordinator before coming to Green Bay in 2019 at Offensive Coordinator. He led the Jaguars’ offense that made it to the AFC Championship Game in 2017 and made the NFC Championship Game with the Packers in 2019 and 2020. Over his ti...

  We made it through the first month of the new year. How is 2022 treating you? We didn't get a ton of big movie releases, and much of what we got was just OK. But February things start heating up, particularly over President's Day Weekend. Let's dive in! Friday, February 4: Moonfall (Theaters) : The latest from Roland Emmerich finds the Earth in trouble again. This time the moon drops out of orbit and threatens to hit and destroy the earth, leaving a team to try and safeguard humanity. I love a good disaster film, so go ahead and count me in! Jackass Forever (Theaters): I feel like they've been advertising this film forever, likely because of its many COVID delays. But the prank series film starring Johnny Knoxville is finally debuting the first Friday in February. If you liked the others, you're welcome. Book of Love (Amazon Prime): This one centers on a popular English writer whose latest book has become a hit in Mexico. As he travels there, he soon learns the p...

   Welcome to this year's exploration of TV, the Best of the Small Screen. Throughout the year I'll be looking at my favorite shows in four categories: Network Sitcoms, Network Dramas, Cable Series and Streaming Series. We'll cap the exploration with my Top 10 shows of all time regardless of format. Check back each Saturday for another installment in the countdown! Liz Lemon : Why are you wearing a tux? Jack : It's after 6 o'clock Lemon. What am I, a farmer? 30 Rock (2006-2013) Starring : Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, Tracy Morgan, Jane Krakowski, and Jack McBrayer Favorite Episodes: "The Rural Juror," Episode 1.10, "Black Tie," Episode 1.12, "MILF Island," Episode 2.11, "Subway Hero," Episode 2.12, "Anne Howard Shaw Day," Episode 4.13, "Live Show," Episode 5.04, "The Tuxedo Begins," Episode 6.08, "Last Lunch," 7.12 About: I remember the year 30 Rock launched. NBC was offering two new serie...

  In 2022 I'm revisiting my favorite films of all time, doing a countdown of the Top 50 throughout the year. Check back each Friday for the latest installment in the countdown of films, which include releases through 2019. Agree? Disagree? Have a thought on the choice? Be sure to share in the comments below! Trinity: I know why you're here, Neo. I know what you've been doing... why you hardly sleep, why you live alone, and why night after night, you sit by your computer. You're looking for him. I know because I was once looking for the same thing. And when he found me, he told me I wasn't really looking for him. I was looking for an answer. It's the question that drives us, Neo. It's the question that brought you here. You know the question, just as I did. Neo: What is the Matrix? Trinity : The answer is out there, Neo, and it's looking for you, and it will find you if you want it to. The Matrix (1999) Starring : Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Laurenc...

  Well, we’ve made it to the penultimate weekend of the NFL Season. I know what you’re thinking, the Super Bowl is in two weeks. That’s true, but the week between the Conference Championship Games and the Super Bowl is reserved for the Pro Bowl, which is technically a game but doesn’t really count for much. So, what I’m trying to say is savor this weekend. After Sunday, we only have one meaningful game left in the season. Last weekend’s Divisional Round was incredible. We got four extremely close games, and I went 2-2 in picks. Now we’re at Championship Week, and my quest is to nail both these picks. We’ll see how close I can come. AFC Championship Cincinnati Bengals (10-7) at Kansas City Chiefs (12-5) About: The Bengals have certainly overachieved all season long. They went from worst to first to win the AFC North and then beat the Raiders and Titans in the playoffs to advance to the championship game. And now they get to face an opponent they’ve beaten already this season...

  The month of January is almost over, meaning we’re quickly moving through our new year. This week is a mixture of awards contenders, new 2022 releases and even my first Sundance Film! Check out reviews of the new films I saw this week. If you’d like to see more of my scores for films and thoughts, feel free to follow me on Letterboxd here . A Chiara (Limited) Starring: This film from Italy focuses on a 15-year-old girl, Chiara (Swamy Rotolo) whose world is turned upside down when her father disappears. The film earned some strong reviews and is a contender for several Independent Spirit Awards, including best feature. Rotolo is strong in the lead role, and much of the film relies on her ability to carry the narrative through her emotional responses. It’s an interesting journey that is beautifully shot but ultimately the story didn’t land with the power the filmmakers intended. I appreciated the lead role and the look of the film but ultimately it came up a bit short for me. ...

  Where has January gone? The first full month of 2022 is almost in our rearview mirror. And with this month has come a flood of new content. Are you fighting to catch up? If so, you might be wondering what’s worth binging and what’s worth skipping. Let this weekly post be your guide as I look at the pilot and second episode of new scripted series this winter. Don’t see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks. Mondays: The Gilded Age, Mondays at 9 p.m. on HBO (Premiered January 24) About : The latest series from Julian Fellowes ( Downton Abbey ) is set in the 1880s in New York. It’s another series tackling the cultural divide, with some core characters the wealthy elite living in palatial mansions and some those living in the serving quarters. The added wrinkle here is the class warfare among the elite, with the old money rejecting the new money—in particular the Russell Family who have built an opulent home in the midst of an old money neighborhood. The cast is loaded, t...

  What a weekend of football. After a Wild Card Round that was mostly predictable, with five of six home teams prevailing and four of six games ending in blow out wins, the Divisional Round was anything but predictable. Three of four road teams won and every game came down to the final play. It was exciting, interesting and, at times, heart-breaking. What we're left with is the Bengals at the Chiefs in the AFC and the third meeting between the 49ers and the Rams in the NFC. All that will lead to an interesting Super Bowl, but we'll have plenty of time to reflect on that later. For now, here's a few take aways from the Divisional Round. * We need to look at the overtime rules. The end of the Bils-Chiefs game was great. In 1:54 to end the Fourth Quarter, we saw 25 points scored. Then the flip of a coin determined possession, the Chiefs scored quickly, and the game was over. The Bills had a chance to win and should take a hard look at the defense played in the last 13 seconds....

  "We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful what we pretend to be." -- Adam Martin, Yellowjackets One of the best pilots I saw in the Fall was for the Showtime drama Yellowjackets . It debuted in November, paired on Sunday nights with Dexter: New Blood . It gave the cable network its best Sunday night lineup in quite some time, a pair of engaging shows that worked well together. Dexter wrapped up its run January 9, while Yellowjackets finished its first season, a 10-episode adventure, on January 16. When I first saw the pilot, I was quickly drawn into the action. The series is set both in the present and in 1996, where a high school girls soccer team is on the way to Nationals when their plane crashes in the mountains. It's clear some crazy stuff happens post-crash, and not everyone makes it back. In the present, we catch up with survivors who are struggling with the past while trying to push forward into the future. The pilot, directed by Karyn Kusama, deliv...

 Welcome to this year's exploration of TV, the Best of the Small Screen. Throughout the year I'll be looking at my favorite shows in four categories: Network Sitcoms, Network Dramas, Cable Series and Streaming Series. We'll cap the exploration with my Top 10 shows of all time regardless of format. Check back each Saturday for another installment in the countdown! Tobias Fünke : Okay, Lindsay, are you forgetting that I was a professional twice over - an analyst and a therapist. The world's first analrapist. Arrested Development (2003-2019) Starring: Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, Michael Cera, Jessica Walter, Tony Hale, Portia de Rossi, David Cross, Alia Shawkat, and Jeffrey Tambor Favorite Episodes : "In God We Trust," Episode 1.08, "Pier Pressure," Episode 1.10, "Good Grief!" Episode 2.04, "Afternoon Delight," Episode 2.06, "Arrested Development," Episode 3.13 About: I loved Arrested Development . The sight gags, the une...

  In 2022 I'm revisiting my favorite films of all time, doing a countdown of the Top 50 throughout the year. Check back each Friday for the latest installment in the countdown of films, which include releases through 2019. Agree? Disagree? Have a thought on the choice? Be sure to share in the comments below! Walter Stratford : Hi... where're we going? Bianca : Well, if you must know... a small study group of friends. Walter Stratford : Otherwise known as an orgy? Chastity : Mr. Stratford, it's just a party! Walter Stratford : And hell is just a sauna. 10 Things I Hate About You (1999) Starring: Heath Ledger, Julia Stiles, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, David Krumholtz, Larisa Oleynik, Andrew Keegan, Allison Janney, and Larry Miller Director : Gil Junger About: When I was younger, movie experiences were a big deal. I remember the first time I saw 10 Things I Hate About You . We were able to rent it on Pay-Per-View, which was a thrill. Naturally, I recorded it on our VHS so I could ...

  Well, that was interesting. Super Wild Card Weekend was billed as a party. Instead, we got officiating controversies and blow outs in four of the six games. But at least we got some playoff football. We’re in the stretch of the season where it’s time to savor all the games we have because there aren’t many left. In fact, there are just seven playoff games left including the four we get for Divisional Weekend. Enough dwelling on the season rapidly ending, it’s time to look ahead to the games we’ve got. I went 4-2 during Wild Card Weekend, we’ll see if I can do even better this round. Saturday Games: Cincinnati Bengals (10-7) at Tennessee Titans (12-5) The Bengals got their first playoff win in 31 years on Saturday and doubtless fans are hungry for more. The Bengals topped the Raiders 26-19 and earned a trip to battle the AFC’s No. 1 seed, the Tennessee Titans. The Titans started hot and quietly beat all comers, recording a season sweep over the Colts and beating the Chiefs ...

  January continues to be a fun month of hit-or-miss options. OK, it’s mostly been a miss. But we did get the biggest release of the year so far, and I’m continuing to make my way through award contenders. So, let’s see what I got to this week! If you’d like to see more of my scores for films and thoughts, feel free to follow me on Letterboxd here . Brazen (Netflix) Starring: Alyssa Milano, Sam Page, and Malachi Weir Synopsis: Woof, we have an early contender for the Bottom 5 of 2022. It most likely won’t stay there, but this isn’t good. Netflix had some great original films in 2021, and I’m sure they’ll have some great ones in 2022, but this isn’t one of them. It centers on a mystery writer (Milano) whose sister is a dominatrix for hire that gets murdered, along with others in the profession. Said writer becomes part of the police investigation while starting a romance with the lead detective (Page). So, yeah, it’s a very deep story. It’s based on a Nora Roberts novel and pe...

  January is flying by in part because we’ve got plenty of new options to watch. Coming off a holiday weekend, you might have exhausted most or all of your backlog (which never happens to me). So, you’re looking for something new, but what’s right for you? Let this weekly post be your guide as I review the pilot and second episode of new series this Winter. Don’t see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks. Tuesdays: Naomi, Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on The CW (Premiered January 11) About: The CW has long been home to myriad DC series. But in recent years, we’ve seen the popularity wane. So, too, have the number of programs. But with Superman & Lois returning for a second season Tuesday, the network decided to wade into the DC waters again with Naomi, a new series centered on an adopted high school girl who begins to come into some changes. As you might suspect given the connection to a superhero universe, those changes will help her go from superhero super fan to a hero her...

  The 2021 NFL Regular Season is over and the official awards will be presented at the NFL Honors prior to the Super Bowl. But in the run up to that, I’m giving my take and fearless predictions on NFL MVP, Coach of the Year, Offensive Rookie of the Year, Defensive Rookie of the Year and Fantasy MVP. Below are my picks and the reason why. We’ll see how close I come when the official awards are announced in February. NFL MVP: Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers Is it cliché? It probably is at this point. But the field of contenders all has some flaws. I really liked what Cooper Kupp and Jonathan Taylor did but given the finish for their teams, and the fact Matthew Stafford was also a contender, it was hard to settle on them. Aaron Rodgers had a strong season, too, and I wouldn’t be shocked if he got it. But I’m going with Brady because of what he continues to do in defying age and the odds. He threw for 5,316 yards and 43 touchdowns against just six interceptions . And he did it with...

  "We'll get through this. The world needs us." -- Dexter Morgan I remember when I first found the series Dexter . It was during the series' fourth season. I stumbled on the show, watching that season as it unfolded while going back to watch the first three. From then on, I followed the series all the way to the end. It was that ending that didn't sit right with me, and it turned out I wasn't alone. The series finale was a much-maligned episode, one that drew plenty of criticism over the years. But people kept talking about Dexter , wondering what if? That what if was answered as Showtime brought the series back for a limited installment, Dexter: New Blood . The question was, could it redeem the uneven ending to the original. This one picked up a decade later with Dexter (Michael C. Hall) living a simple life as Jim Lindsay in upstate New York. He kept his dark passenger in check, seemed to be a part of the community and relied on the vision of his sister, Deb...

  Welcome to this year's exploration of TV, the Best of the Small Screen. Throughout the year I'll be looking at my favorite shows in four categories: Network Sitcoms, Network Dramas, Cable Series and Streaming Series. We'll cap the exploration with my Top 10 shows of all time regardless of format. Check back each Saturday for another installment in the countdown! Dr. Cox : [to J.D] Don't ever be afraid to come to me with stuff like that. The simple fact that you actually seem to give a crap is the reason I took an interest in you to begin with. It's why I trust you as a doctor. Hell, it's... it's why I trust you as a person. Scrubs (2001-2010) Starring: Zack Braff, Donald Faison, Sarah Chalke, Judy Reyes, John C. McGinley, and Neil Flynn Favorite Episodes: "My Own Personal Jesus," Episode 1.11, "My Screw Up," Episode 3.14, "My Lunch," Episode 5.20 About: Scrubs was part of the heyday of NBC comedies, when the format was dom...