Matt's Musings

  The end of August, and end of Summer in general, has been a slower time for films. This week I caught a few streaming options and I have my thoughts below! If you’d like to see more of my scores for films and thoughts, feel free to follow me on Letterboxd here . Me Time (Netflix) Starring : Kevin Hart and Mark Wahlberg Synopsis : Hart stars as Sonny, a father who supports his wife (Regina Hall) by staying home with the kids. His kids and family are his life, and he is very involved every day at school and at home creating a great environment. But he never takes time for himself. When Spring Break hits, Sonny’s wife suggests she take the kids to visit her parents while he gets a little me time. Unable to figure out what to do, Sonny heads out to connect with his old friend Huck (Wahlberg) as he celebrates his 44th birthday. Sonny gets more than he bargains for as he’s drawn into Huck’s wild life and convinced to seek revenge against a client of his wife’s (Luis Gerardo Méndez)...

  We’re rapidly approaching September and once we do, we’ll get a bevy of Fall series. Until then, we’re getting the last of the series being dropped on us this summer. But which series belong on your playlist? Let this weekly post be your guide as I look at the pilot and second episode of new scripted series this Summer. Don’t see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks. Tuesdays: Leonardo, Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on The CW (Premiered August 16) About : This series sees Aidan Turner playing the famed artist, Leonardo da Vinci. It’s meant to provide some background and context to his career, while having a weekly hook as da Vinci is accused of murder and a dogged detective (Freddie Highmore) is poking into his life and story. That all sounds well and good, but the final product is a snooze. The pilot was occasionally engaging but the second episode was stiff. It is a different kind of series for The CW, which is interesting, but the actual production didn’t resonate. Pilot Gr...

  We're only two weeks away from Monday Night Football. That makes it a good time to keep going on my 2022 NFL Preview. Today, I turn my gauze to the AFC North, which features a loaded group that figure to compete all season long. Cincinnati Bengals 2022 Prediction : 11-6 About : The Bengals were the Cinderella story of 2021. The team won only 10 games but got hot at the right time and made the Super Bowl. That great offense is in tact, and the Bengals have made strides to improve the offensive line and defense. I think they win 11 games and take the AFC North again. Baltimore Ravens 2022 Prediction : 10-7 About: The Ravens were better than their 8-9 finish in 2021. The team is lacking some depth and playmakers at receiver but if the running game is better, it won't matter. I think John Harbaugh will have his team ready to compete and I wager they win 10 games and make a return to the playoffs. Cleveland Browns 2022 Prediction : 8-9 About : The Browns made some big swings this...

  Pre-Season Week 3 : Denver Broncos 23, Minnesota Vikings 13 Pre-Season Record: 2-1 (2-0 Home) Key Play: In the Second Quarter, with 48 seconds left and the Broncos leading 10-7, Baron Browing picked up a fumble and returned it for a touchdown, giving the Broncos a 10-point lead at the half. Recap : There are a few basic goals of pre-season. The first is to stay healthy, and for the most part the Broncos accomplished that. The second is to get reps for young players to find who will make your final 53-man roster the best it can be. Often its these last pre-season games that prove the final test for the last seven or eight players. This year was no different. After a tough game last Saturday, the Broncos looked sharper in their final pre-season game. A number of young players made contributions and that's going to make the next few days, and the final roster cut downs, that much harder. Below is my fearless final prediction. Quarterbacks (2): * Russell Wilson * Brett Rypien About...

  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! Walter White : Who are you talking to right now? Who is it you think you see? Do you know how much I make a year? I mean, even if I told you, you wouldn't believe it. Do you know what would happen if I suddenly decided to stop going into work? A business big enough that it could be listed on the NASDAQ goes belly up. Disappears. It ceases to exist, without me. No, you clearly don't know who you're talking to, so let me clue you in. I am not in danger, Skyler. I AM the danger. A guy opens his door and gets shot, and you think that of me? No! I am the one who knocks! Breaking Bad (2008-2013) Starring : B...

 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! Lynn Bracken : Some men get the world. Others get ex-hookers and a trip to Arizona. LA Confidential (1997) Starring : Russell Crowe, Kevin Spacey, Guy Pearce, Kim Basinger, and James Cromwell Director: Curtis Hanson About: I love a good, hard-boiled detective drama. This film, based on the novel from James Ellroy, offers that in spades. Hanson delivered a great period piece. It's a mystery and unravels slowly and offers a great third act. I enjoyed the production and the performances. Crowe and Pearce are great here, as is Basinger. From the time I first saw this film, it stuck with me. It still does. I thought it was the best film released in 1997 and it remains one of my...

  The NFL Season is barreling toward us. We are only a couple weeks away from games! As such, I continue my divisional previews. Today I'm staying in the East and swinging to the AFC, where there is one great team and three teams that are trying to build something around a young core. Buffalo Bills 2022 Prediction : 12-5 About : The Bills won 11 games and took the AFC East in 2021. They were agonizingly close to making the AFC Championship Game. I still love the roster and the potential, and I think that they can go a step or two further in 2022. I suspect they win 12 games and earn the top seed in the AFC going to the playoffs. Miami Dolphins 2022 Prediction : 8-9 About : The Dolphins brought in a new coach in Mike McDaniel and a new weapon in receiver Tyreek Hill. I like the makeup of the team and the potential, which is why it's probably surprising to see that record prediction. There are just too many good teams in the AFC. I think the Dolphins will have their moments but f...

  We’re in the dog days of August, meaning new releases are hit-or-miss. This week I stuck mostly to smaller and streaming films, also catching up on a few films I missed earlier that are now available to stream. If you’d like to see more of my scores for films and thoughts, feel free to follow me on Letterboxd here . The Black Phone (Theaters/Peacock) Starring: Ethan Hawke, Mason Thames, Madeline McGraw, and Jeremy Davies Synopsis: This horror thriller, directed by Scott Derrickson, was released earlier this summer. It’s still playing in theaters but it also made its streaming debut on Peacock, which is where I finally caught it. The film is set in Denver in the late 1970s where there have been a string of abductions of young boys and no leads. When Finney (Thames) is taken, he finds himself trapped in a basement with a masked man (Hawke) as his captor. He gets a series of calls on a black phone from boys previously abducted which help give him tips to survive. Meanwhile, hi...

  We’re in the dog days of August, but the landscape for new TV shows has been anything but boring! If you’re looking to dive into a new series, you might be wondering which to choose. Let this weekly post be your guide as I review the pilot and second episode of new scripted series, and select unscripted series, this summer. Don’t see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks. Tuesdays: Leonardo, Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on The CW (Premiered August 16) About : This isn’t your typical CW series. It’s an import that aired elsewhere in 2021, but it tells the story of Leonardo da Vinci. The cast features names like Freddie Highmore, while Aidan Turner plays the role of Leonardo. We start in the future as the famous artist and designer is accused of murdering Caterina de Cremona (Matilda De Angelis). Then the series quickly winds back to show Leonardo’s life, his relationship with Caterina and, presumably, how we got to this point. Turner is a decent lead and I like the idea of the s...

  The NFL Season is quickly approaching, so my preview tour continues. After looking at the South, it's time to turn my gaze to the East. Today I start that with the NFC East and the Cowboys. Can they fend off the upstart Eagles? Let's see. Dallas Cowboys 2022 Prediction : 11-6 About: The Cowboys won 12 games and took the East easily in 2021. There hasn't been a back-to-back division champ in some time. I suspect it won't be as easy in 2022 but I can't quit these Cowboys. I think Dallas has the best team and ends up winning the NFC East once again. Philadelphia Eagles 2022 Prediction : 10-7 About : The Eagles won nine games and were a surprise playoff team in 2021. They won't be a surprise this year. The team added A.J. Brown to bolster the offense and a slew of players on defense. The Eagles will challenge for the division title and could get there. I think they fall just short, win 10 games and make the playoffs. Washington Commanders 2022 Prediction : 8-9 Ab...

  Pre-Season Week 2 : Buffalo Bills 42, Denver Broncos 15 Pre-Season Record : 1-1 (1-0 Home) Key Play : With the first half winding down and the Broncos trailing 21-6, Bills' quarterback Case Keenum found O.J. Howard in the end zone to push the halftime score to 28-6. The Broncos never came back. Recap : The first week was a cake walk for the Broncos but the second week was a lopsided affair. Nathaniel Hackett decided not to play any starters, and while that accounted for the spread early in the game, the Broncos second and third team didn't fare well against their Buffalo counterparts, either. That makes things tough as the Broncos will cut five more players this week and then have one more game next Saturday before getting down to the initial Final 53. The rash of injuries coupled by some pitiful defensive performances have to give the team pause. I hope to see more bubble players fighting hard next week as the Broncos make the final push. For now, I've revised my project...

  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! Lorne Malvo : Mister, we're not friends. I mean, maybe we will be someday. But I gotta say, if that were me in your position? I would have killed that man. Lester Nygaard : Well, now... Come on. Lorne Malvo : You said he bullied you in high school, right? Lester Nygaard : Four years. Gave me an ulcer. You know what, one time, he put me in an oil barrel and rolled me in the road. Lorne Malvo : Seriously? And now he tells you that he had relations with your wife. He bullies you again in front of his children. This is a man who doesn't deserve to draw breath. Lester Nygaard : Yeah, okay, but, uh - Here's ...

  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! Red : [to Andy] Let me tell you something my friend. Hope is a dangerous thing. Hope can drive a man insane. Andy Dufresne : [in letter to Red] Remember Red, hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies. The Shawshank Redemption (1994) Starring : Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, Bob Gunton, William Sadler, Clancy Brown, and James Whitmore Director : Frank Darabont About: When most people think about Stephen King, they think about horror films. King is, indeed, good at writing horror stories, but his library of work extends far beyond that. The Shawshank Redemption is based on one of his short stories, and it's as powerful in print as it is on sc...

  As we near the NFL Season, I'm making my way through each division, from worst the best. I started with the AFC South, and now I'm making my way to the NFC South. Sure, the division has one great team, but it also has plenty of question marks. Let's dive in. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2022 Prediction : 12-5 About : The Buccaneers had a roller-coaster of an off-season. The team lost in the Divisional Round and then saw quarterback Tom Brady retire to start the off-season. Then, just as surprisingly, Brady decided not to retire. Then coach Bruce Arians retired, giving way to Todd Bowles as Head Coach. The Buccaneers brought back Leonard Fournette, pieces on defense and added Julio Jones and Russell Gage. I think they're good enough to win the NFC South and make a deep playoff run in what I imagine will be the final season, for real this time, for Brady. New Orleans Saints 2022 Prediction : 9-8 About : There must be something in the water in the NFC South. The Saints also saw ...

  We’re into August and we’re getting a torrent of new films on streaming and in theaters. Below are five 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 . Bodies Bodies Bodies (Theaters) Starring : Amandala Steinberg, Maria Bakalova, Rachel Sennott, Chase Sui Wonders, Pete Davidson, Myha’la Herrold, and Lee Pace About : The latest from A24 is a horror comedy, of sorts. It follows a group of friends who gather for a Hurricane Party. Sophie (Steinberg) is rejoining her group of friends with a new girlfriend (Bakalova) after a stint in rehab. David (Davidson) is hosting the party and full of angst, not exactly on solid ground with his girlfriend (Wonders). Alice (Sennott) brought her new beau (Pace), a much older man. And Jordan (Herrold) just seems a little bitter. They play some drinking games but when one turns up dead, the stakes go through the roof as the storm begins to intensify. This is part horror,...

  We’re in the middle of August as the summer winds down and we prepare for the Fall. That doesn’t mean the flow of new shows has ended. If you find yourself with some free time, waiting on the football season, you might be looking for a new show to check out and wondering what’s worth your time. Let this weekly post be your guide as I review the pilot and second episode of new scripted, and select unscripted, series this summer. Don’t see a new show below? Check previous weeks. Mondays: Legacy: The True Story of the Lakers, Streaming Mondays on Hulu (Premiered August 15) About: Earlier this Spring we got Winning Time , an exploration of the Jerry Buss years with the Lakers. It was a fun and engaging scripted series. But some of those portrayed didn’t love the way their story was told. Earlier this year we got a documentary series on Lakers’ guard Magic Johnson and now we’re getting a documentary series on the Lakers. This features interviews and file footage of those involved...

  Pre-Season Week 1 : Denver Broncos 17, Dallas Cowboys 7 Pre-Season Record : 1-0 (1-0 Home) Key Play : With the Broncos leading 7-0 and 5:24 left in the First Half, Josh Johnson connected with Kendall Hinton on a 24-yard touchdown pass to give the team a 14-0 lead. The Broncos never looked back, winning the opener 17-7. Recap : Pre-season is always an unknown. The result doesn't matter so much as what you see. In the case of this opening game, what we saw is encouraging. The Nathaniel Hackett era began with most of the starters on the bench, but the team still looked solid. Josh Johnson looked strong as the potential backup quarterback, while the receiving corps looks promising. Baron Browning was also a star at linebacker. I'm excited to see the rest of the pre-season and dreading the first wave of cuts this week. Below is my projection for the Final 53. QB (2): * Russell Wilson * Josh Johnson About : I like Brett Rypien, but I think the Broncos will stick with two QBs and Jo...

  “You’ve gotta keep your eye on the horizon…”— Molly Cobb It’s not easy to be a Stevens. It wasn’t for Gordo (Michael Dorman) and Tracy (Sarah Jones), though they got their heroic ending in the Season 2 finale. As we’ve launched forward into the 1990s, it isn’t easy for their sons, Danny (Casey W. Johnson) and Jimmy (David Chandler). Both have struggled with rage and grief, and both have made catastrophic decisions they can’t walk back. This final episode of the season brought those decisions—as well as the decisions made by Margo (Wrenn Schmidt)—home to roost. They can’t all make it forward, and this finale, like the finales before, saw that not everyone will make it home. On Mars, everyone is rallying around Kelly (Cynthy Wu). She is near to giving birth and HAS to get off the planet. But there continue to be issues with the craft meant to carry them. Of course, one of those hiccups is getting the right part. That means retrieving it from a nearby North Korean probe. Excep...