Matt's Musings

With the release of "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2," the Marvel Cinematic Universe is now 15 films deep as it works its way through its first decade. I decided it was time to look at the films and make a new definitive ranking. I watched "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" a second time to make sure I felt the same about it, and then turned my attention to the movie that I am most polarized about, "Captain America: Civil War." Many hail it as among the best of the MCU, but I've always struggled with the film. I decided to watch it with fresh eyes to see if I was being too hard. In the end, I think I was. But I also still think it's a flawed film. In part because it wants you to be rooting for Captain America (Chris Evans), but I can't. His logic is flawed and his actions are flawed. He's not the hero and I still believe that the film would have been better served with some real stakes at the end — which means that either Captain America or Th...

Here's a look at the new movie I saw this week. Wonder Woman Starring: Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Connie Nielsen, Robin Wright, and David Thewlis Synopsis: Back in the summer of 2008, Marvel Comics changed the game with the release of “Iron Man.” It wasn’t so much the film itself — though it was great — it was what it represented. It was the start of a grander vision, a cinematic universe that would change the way audiences interacted with movies. A decade later, Marvel is at the top of the Box Office heap, and their cinematic universe is now 15 movies deep. At the same time “Iron Man” was beginning for Marvel, DC was at the top of the heap. That same summer “The Dark Knight,” the second of Christopher Nolan’s Batman films, debuted to immense Box Office numbers and a posthumous Academy Award for Heath Ledger. A mere four years later, the positions had reversed. “The Dark Knight Rises” marked the end of a chapter for DC, while Marvel launched “The Avengers,” solidifying the status of t...

Over the next 12 weeks I'll be taking a look at some of my favorite TV series, broken down into three groups (Limited Run Series, Comedies, and Dramas). In my post on March 1 I laid out the ground rules for these categories and this exploration, the biggest of which is no series that are currently airing. To read the whole thing, check out the post "Best of the Small Screen" from March 1. Today I continue with a comedy that always makes me laugh. 30 Rock (2006-2013) Number of Seasons/Episodes: 7/138 Network: NBC Starring: Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, Tracy Morgan, Jane Krakowski, and Jack McBrayer Creator: Tina Fey Favorite Season/Episodes: 1.07 "Tracy Does Conan," 1.10 "The Rural Juror," 2.04 "Rosemary's Baby," 3.22 "Kidney Now," 4.07 "Dealbreakers" About: It was easy to decide "30 Rock" would be on this list, but harder to decide just where it would land. It's an interesting show that was always one of ...

We're past Memorial Day, which means we're into the throws of summer, and, sadly, summer TV. So far the new shows are still flowing, but the quality remains elusive. In these weekly posts 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. Monday Nights: Still Star-Crossed, Mondays at 10 p.m. on ABC (Premiered May 29) About : This latest drama for ABC, a seven-episode series following "The Bachelorette" on Monday nights, comes from producer Shonda Rhimes and the mind of William Shakespeare. Wait, what? That's right, it's a series that follows what happens in fair Verona after the death of Romeo and Juliette. It comes from the novel of the same name by Melinda Taub, and was one of the more intriguing pick ups at the 2016 Upfront presentation from ABC. But both the episode order (seven is half the standard 13) and the timing of its release (squarely after the 2016-2017 season) su...

"That's how I found you, Nora. I refused to believe you were gone." - Kevin, "The Leftovers" So it was a love story after all. That's all I could think, while wiping away a few tears, as "The Leftovers" concluded its three-season run on Sunday night. It was a profound, beautiful, and profoundly moving conclusion that a series that's quickly grown to be one of my all-time favorites. That's something I could never have imagined writing after the first season of the show in 2014. Damon Lindelof is a profoundly talented writer and creator. He was one of the driving forces behind "L.O.S.T.," a show that dared to tell a big story and ask the bigger questions. But he wasn't totally interested in answering those questions, which is why the final two seasons struggled with critics and audiences. And that fan reaction proved to be a bit much for Lindelof to take. With "The Leftovers," he wanted to tackle a rich narrative and c...

Philip: It's not just me having a hard time. It's you, too. The kids. We're allowed to have a life. Elizabeth: I can't. I just can't. Season five of "The Americans" ended on Tuesday night. Now we have months to ruminate on the possibilities as the show gears up for its sixth and final season. Last year the decision was made to assign an end point for "The Americans." Two more seasons and it would be over. And it was natural to wonder what that would entail. Season five was to provide a clue. But as far as moving things forward goes, season five left plenty to be desired. Some have complained about the season, which didn't have as many revelations to gripping stories as past seasons. It was slower and more focused on simple character beats. Stan got a girlfriend. Henry did well in school. Paige sunk more into the spy life. Pastor Tim moved to Central America and some stuff happened in Russia. There were no big revelations in the finale, asid...

"ometimes it's easy to forget that we spend most of our time stumbling around the dark. Suddenly, a light gets turned on and there's a fair share of blame to go around. I can't speak to what happened before I arrived, but all of you have done some very good reporting here. Reporting that I believe is going to have an immediate and considerable impact on our readers. For me, this kind of story is why we do this." — Marty Baron, "Spotlight" In December of 2015 Netflix walked into a hit with "Making a Murderer," a true crime documentary that explored a murder case, subsequent trial, and perceived injustices. The case of Steven Avery captivated viewers and has spawned a second season. But it's also spawned imitators. One of which is "The Keepers," a mini-series that debuted in late May. The seven-episode true crime documentary explored the unsolved murder of Sister Cathy, a nun and school teacher who was murdered in 1969 in Baltimore,...