Matt's Musings

  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! Shepherd Book : [Regarding Mal's new "wife"] If you take sexual advantage of her, you're going to burn in a very special level of hell. A level they reserve for child molesters. And people who talk at the theatre. Firefly (2002-2003) Starring : Nathan Fillion, Gina Torres, Adam Baldwin, Alan Tudyk, Morena Baccarin, Summer Glau, Jewel Staite, Sean Maher, and Ron Glass Favorite Episodes : "Our Mrs. Reynolds," Episode 1.03, "Jaynestown," Episode 1.04, "Out of Gas," Episode 1.05, "Object in Space," Episode 1.10, "Trash," Episode 1.13 About : How can a...

  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! Bill : Jo. Things go wrong. You can't explain it, you can't predict it. Killing yourself wo'nt bring your dad back. I'm sorry that he died, but that was a long time ago. You gotta move on. Stop living in the past, and look what you got right in front of you. Jo: What are you talking about? Bill: Me, Jo. Twister (1996) Starring: Helen Hunt, Bill Paxton, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Alan Ruck, Lois Smith, and Cary Elwes Director : Jan de Bont About : Michael Crichton has written a number of films and screenplays. He's delivered some iconic and memorable stories that delve into science, technology and the dangers of playing God. With Twister , co-written with hi...

  The NFL Draft begins tonight. As always, the final landing spots, draft capital and opportunity for touches will tweak the rankings some but going into tonight here’s my Top 6 at QB, Top 10 at RB and Top 10 at WR. Aside from Trey McBride as the best, I don’t have a strong feeling on the tight end group. Quarterback: 1. Matt Corral, Mississippi 2. Sam Howell, North Carolina 3. Malik Willis, Liberty 4. Desmond Ridder, Cincinnati 5. Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh 6. Carson Strong, Nevada About : I know Corral likely won’t go in the First Round, but he’s still my No. 1. I like the potential with Howell, too. Willis is the hardest to rate. He might have the highest upside, but he also feels like a raw prospect. His landing spot and development will be key. Pickett is also one where I differ. He may well be the first quarterback selected, but I’m not as high as other. Running Back: 1. Breece Hall, Iowa State 2. Kenneth Walker III, Michigan State 3. Isaiah Spiller, Texas A...

  We’re inching ever closer to the Summer Movie Season. In fact, this weekend is the lull before the storm begins. But this past weekend, we saw several interesting releases. Here’s a look at all 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 . The Bad Guys (Theaters) Starring: Sam Rockwell, Marc Maron, Awkwafina, Craig Robinson, Anthony Ramos, Zazie Beets, and Richard Ayoade Synopsis: I remember seeing Steven Soderberg’s take on Ocean’s 11 . It was crazy, cool and a lot of fun. If that energy and storytelling style could be conveyed as an animated film intended for family-friendly audiences, it would be The Bad Guys . The film, a new animated release, focuses on a group of friends that are great at pulling jobs. There’s a wolf (Rockwell), snake (Maron), tarantula (Awkwafina), Piranha (Ramos) and shark (Robinson). When one of their jobs goes awry, a philanthropic guinea pig (Ayoade) pitch...

  Spring is springing up everywhere. As we turn toward May, the next TV season begins to come into focus. We’ll find out what’s cancelled, what’s coming and what we should look forward to. But that’s all the future. The present is a variety of different series debuting this Spring hoping to hook viewers. But what’s worth your time? Let this weekly post be your guide. I review the pilot and second episode of new scripted series this Spring. Don’t see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks. Mondays: We Own This City, Mondays at 9 p.m. on HBO (Premiered April 25) About : David Simon and George Pelecanos can’t work on an HBO series about the Baltimore police without inviting comparison. The Wire is one of the greatest works ever to grace the small screen, drawing on real experiences from Simon and Ed Burns, a producer for We Own This City . Where The Wire sought to explore the failure of the system on a number of levels, We Own This City is based on a book and tells the t...

  The Summer Movie Season is nearly upon us! On Thursday I previewed five films I'm excited about in May and June. Today, I wrap up my Summer Movie Preview with five films I'm excited about in July and August. Films appear in release order! Thor: Love and Thunder (July 8) About: I loved what Taika Waititi did with the third Thor film. He's back as the director here in a film that returns Chris Hemsworth to the title role and adds Brie Larson's Captain Marvel and Chris Pratt's Star Lord while returning Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) in a new role. I'm pumped. Nope (July 22) About: Jordan Peele is an incredible and incredibly unique filmmaker. His latest, Nope , features a great cast and a fun trailer. It looks like it might be one of the highlights of the summer, if not the whole year. Bullet Train (July 29) About: This action film about an assassin (Brad Pitt) assigned to a deadly job on a train looks like the kind of action-oriented kick in the pants that summ...

  The NFL Draft is just days away. The fun in Las Vegas begins on Thursday, but the Broncos don't pick until Friday. The team doesn't have a First Round pick, but the Broncos do have nine total picks. It will be important to come away with impact players and depth. Here's a few positions I think the Broncos will target. Running Back : The team has just three backs on the roster currently. Javonte Williams is a budding star and should be the lead back. He'll likely be incredible, but this is about depth. Mike Boone and Damarea Crockett aren't enough. I expect the Broncos to use a pick, possibly as high as the Third Round, to grab a complimentary piece in the backfield. Tight End: The Broncos traded Noah Fant to get Russell Wilson. It made sense, and the Broncos aren't bereft of talent. I like Albert Okwuegbunam, and I think he could be a solid starter and contributor. Beyond him, the Broncos have mostly blocking options. I think the team grabs another option in ...

  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! Will Graham : I don't find you that interesting. Dr. Hannibal Lecter: You will. Hannibal (2013-2015) Starring : Mads Mikkelsen, Laurence Fishburne, Hugh Dancy, and Caroline Dhavernas Favorite Episodes : "Aperitif," Episode 1.01, "Fromage," Episode 1.08, "Savoureux," Episode 1.13, "Mukozuke," Episode 2.05, "Futamono," Episode 2.06, "Mizumono," Episode 2.13, "Digestivo," Episode 3.07, "The Great Red Dragon," Episode 3.08, "The Wrath of the Lamb," Episode 3.13 About : Hannibal Lecter is an iconic character in popular cultur...

  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! Gail : The Barden Bellas went deep into the archive for that song, John. I remember singing it with my own a cappella group. John : And what group was that, Gail? Gail : The Minstrel Cycles, John. John : Well, that's an unfortunate name. Pitch Perfect (2012) Starring : Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Brittany Snow, Anna Camp, Skyler Astin, Ben Platt, Adam Devine, Elizabeth Banks, and John Michael Higgins Director : Jason Moore About: A movie about a cappella singers? Right. That's what I remember thinking when I read about Pitch Perfect , which was based on a non-fiction book about the collegiate a cappella scene. Suffice to say none of that prepared me for what I saw whe...

  The summer movie season is nearly upon us. It's a season of blockbusters, blockbuster comedies and fun family films. It's a place to go, be entertained and escape the heat and the world for a few hours. It kicks off the first week in May and carries us through Labor Day. And with the world beginning to emerge from a global pandemic, it's time to look forward to blockbuster season at the movies again. Over two posts, I'll be looking at 10 films I'm excited to see this summer, five from May and June and five from July and August. Films appear in chronological order! Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness (May 6) About : Summer kicks off in a huge way with the next installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This one ties back to the multi-verse concept we've been seeing pop up in shows and some films for the past few years. It looks incredible and may well be the film of summer. Downton Abbey: A New Era (May 20) About: The second feature film for the on...

  The middle week in April brought us the latest from the Wizarding World and not a lot else. After a busy week for me, I only caught a couple of new films. Nevertheless, here’s a look at 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 . Choose or Die (Netflix) Starring: Lola Evans, Asa Butterfield, and Eddie Marsan Synopsis: This new horror film finds a group of people sucked into a game that has deadly consequences. This feels like a familiar set up for a horror film, and it is. There’s little originality here and little compelling about the story or production. In fact, this film is pretty marginal in every way. The violence isn’t extreme, but the whole story is icky, particularly the climatic moments. Robert Englund makes a cameo for seemingly no reasons, while Butterfield’s character feels like a waste. Evans is fine in the lead but not overly compelling in the role. The film also end...

  Spring is springing up everywhere. We’re just past Easter and looking forward to Memorial Day and the unofficial start of summer. The Network TV season is hitting the home stretch but there’s still plenty of options coming to our TV sets. With the days getting longer and the weather getting nicer, what should keep you glued to the couch? Let this weekly post be your guide as I look at the pilot and second episode of new scripted, and select unscripted, series this Spring. Thursdays: The Garcias, Streaming Thursdays on HBO Max (Premiered April 14) About: The latest comedy for HBO Max is a sequel series to a teen comedy that aired from 2000-2004 on Nickelodeon. It returns all the original characters, jumping forward nearly 20 years to see the four siblings as adults with families of their own, and trying to balance the demands of their parents. That’s a cool connection, and it’s equally cool that this is a primarily Latino cast and production team. Telling different kinds of s...

  A shiny crop of new rookies will finally get their landing spots at the end of April. But until then, we’ve seen plenty of movement since the new League Year began in March. Now feels like a great time to look at where we stand in dynasty. I’ll be updating my positional rankings—QB, RB, WR, and TE—in a series of posts this next week. Today, I conclude with my Top 25 TEs. Tight End is an interesting position. Heading into last season, it felt shallow, with a wide gulf between a few elite options and the rest. But last season showed the depth at the position while seeing some who’d previously been distant from the pack pull back to the lead group. It feels like tight end is as deep as I can remember it, which might be good for those who are drafting. 1. Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens —Andrews had an amazing 2021, but his placement here isn’t on the basis of one year. He’s been a force for the Ravens for a few seasons and the improved passing game makes him gold. 2. Kyle Pitts...

  A shiny crop of new rookies will finally get their landing spots at the end of April. But until then, we’ve seen plenty of movement since the new League Year began in March. Now feels like a great time to look at where we stand in dynasty. I’ll be updating my positional rankings—QB, RB, WR, and TE—in a series of posts this next week. Today, I continue with my Top 50 WRs. Wide receiver is crazy deep and, at the same time, hard to rank. There is a lot of opportunity and it seems like no position has been in more flux this year—from quarterbacks changing teams to coaches and the movement of receivers themselves. It’s also the deepest position in the upcoming draft so I’ll be curious to see how this impacts people in drafts. I know in my current start up, I punted WR to later because I could still get value—guys I have in the Top 24 on this list—in the seventh round or later. 1. Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings —As a Broncos fan, I can’t help but wonder if the team should have gra...

  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! Charlie Pace : Guys... where ARE we? LOST (2004-2010) Starring : Matthew Fox, Evangeline Lilly, Josh Holloway, Terry O'Quinn, Naveen Andrews, Jorge Garcia, Daniel Dae Kim, Yunjin Kim, and Michael Emerson Favorite Episodes : "Pilot," Episodes 1.01 and 1.02, "Walkabout," Episode 1.04, "Numbers," Episode 1.18, "Exodus," Episodes 1.23, 1.24, 1.25; "Man of Science, Man of Faith," Episode 2.01; "Lockdown," Episode 2.17; "Live Together, Die Alone," Episode 2.23; "Flashes Before Your Eyes," Episode 3.08; "Through the Looking Glass,...

  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! Ellen : Clark, I think it'd be best if everyone went home... before things get worse. Clark: WORSE? How could things get any worse? Take a look around here, Ellen. We're at the threshold of hell. Christmas Vacation (1989) Starring: Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Juliette Lewis, Johnny Galecki, and Randy Quaid Director: Jeremiah S. Chechik About : I love the Christmas season, and there are a number of films I watch yearly. At the top of that list is Christmas Vacation . The Vacation series spanned four films, with this being the third. And yet, it's likely the most famous and certainly the best. I love Chase as Clark W. Griswold and the story here. It has a nu...

  Tomorrow Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore hits theaters. It’s the third film in the Fantastic Beasts series, but the 11th in the larger Harry Potter extended universe. If you’re like me, when a new film pops, it’s time to dive into what came before. Below is my personal ranking of all 10 previous films, in ascending order. Happy re-watching! 10. Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018) About: This second Fantastic Beasts movie was one I looked forward to seeing. What we got was, well, a bummer. It felt overly long, the story seemed to meander and it just didn’t work. Some of the magic flew out of the franchise. Let’s hope tomorrow’s film gets it back on track. 9. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) About: I’m on record as saying I wasn’t taken with the Harry Potter franchise at first. It felt like a kid’s movie. Having not read the books, I didn’t realize that was the point. Anyway, there is more charm for me with the first than the se...