Matt's Musings

We're in Week 10, so time is running short and Lindsay still has a gap to close. Will she do it? We'll see. Lindsay's picks are in brackets. NFL Picks, Week 10: Steelers Over Panthers (Steelers) Falcons Over Browns (Falcons) Jets Over Bills (Jets) Bears Over Lions (Bears) Saints Over Bengals (Saints) Patriots Over Titans (Patriots) Colts Over Jaguars (Colts) Chiefs Over Cardinals (Chiefs) Buccaneers Over Redskins (Redskins) Chargers Over Raiders (Chargers) Packers Over Dolphins (Packers) Rams Over Seahawks (Rams) Eagles Over Cowboys (Cowboys) 49ers Over Giants (Giants) Last Week : 9–4 Lindsay : 9-4 Season : 85–49 Lindsay : 68-66 NFL Picks Spread, Week 10: Steelers -4.5 Over Panthers Falcons -4.5 Over Browns Bills +7.5 Over Jets Bears -6.5 Over Lions Saints -4.5 Over Bengals Patriots -7.5 Over Titans Colts -2.5 Over Jaguars Chiefs -16.5 Over Cardinals Chargers -9.5 Over Raiders Dolphins +9.5 Over Packers Seahawks +9.5 Over Rams Cowboys +6.5 Over Eagles 49ers -2.5 ...

Here's a look at the new movies I saw this week. The Nutcracker and the Four Realms Starring: McKenzie Foy, Keira Knightly, Helen Mirren, and Morgan Freeman Synopsis: We've officially entered the holiday season. Once Halloween is over, and we move into November, the flood of Christmas-themed releases begin. The first this year is a new take on "The Nutcracker," a $100-million plus Disney epic that they've been marketing since last November. But is it any good? Well, that depends. From the standpoint of visuals and being light holiday entertainment, this film is fine. In fact, the visuals here are often stunning to behold and quite beautiful. And at just 99 minutes, this isn't an overly long commitment. It takes you to a bright, colorful world that is a bit of an escape. The problem here is the story is too thin to match the visuals, and the performances are curious or glossed over for the most part. Freeman is a big name, but he has an awfully small par...

In these weekly posts I look at the pilot and second episode of new scripted series this Fall. And there have been a lot, though it's slowing a bit. Don't see a new series listed below? Check previous weeks. Thursday Nights: Legacies, Thursdays at 9 p.m. on The CW (Premiered October 25) About: The last of the new shows on networks to premier this Fall, this one is a spin-off of "The Originals," itself a spin-off of "The Vampire Diaries." It keeps the world of Mystic Falls alive for CW fans, and feels like a decent pairing with "Supernatural" on Thursday nights. It's about an academy for special individuals. The pilot set some things in motion, many of which were quickly resolved in episode two, which was interesting. This feels like a show that is still finding its way narratively, but it has some decent performances. It's very much aimed at the younger audiences, and though it's not a show I plan to stick with, I can see it as be...

"I'm tired Herschel." -Rick, "The Walking Dead" "The Walking Dead" began its ninth season on Sunday, October 7. Throughout the season I'll be recapping the episodes each Monday, considering themes and where the series is headed. I have a lot of feelings about last night's episode and I'm sure I'll need more time to process it. We have known that Andrew Lincoln was leaving, and last night would be his last episode. But how would it happen? By now you should know that these are episode recaps that include spoilers, but for those who haven't watched last night's episode, please know I will spoil what happened below. You've been warned! Rick (Lincoln) is gone, but he's not gone forever. That was pretty much the biggest shock of the night, especially given how the episode prior ended. Rick was thrown from his horse and landed on some rebar, and that didn't look promising. Especially in a world like "The Wal...

Week 9 : Houston Texans 19, Denver Broncos 17 Season Record : 3-6 (2-3 Home) Key Play : In the fourth quarter, trailing 19-17 with three seconds left Brandon McManus came in for a 51-yard field goal. He missed wide right and the Broncos lost the game. Recap : This game was a microcosm of the season. The Broncos did some good things, and for the first time all season Case Keenum didn't throw an interception. But the Broncos didn't manage the clock well at the end, and McManus missed a pair of field goals. The Broncos also committed a turnover, and struggled at times. In the end, the team is 3-6 heading into the bye week. Their dim playoff hopes have been extinguished the past two weeks, and now the Broncos have a long bye week to consider what might have been. It's the end to an emotional week, one that saw Demaryius Thomas traded to the Texans. He had three receptions for 61 yards, helping the Texans get out to a hot start. The Broncos honored DT, and it was hard to se...

We've near the mid-point of the season, but it's still anyone's game. On to the Week 9 picks. Lindsay's picks are in brackets. NFL Picks, Week 9: Raiders Over 49ers (49ers) Falcons Over Redskins (Redskins) Bears Over Bills (Bears) Chiefs Over Browns (Chiefs) Vikings Over Lions (Lions) Jets Over Dolphins (Jets) Steelers Over Ravens (Steelers) Panthers Over Buccaneers (Panthers) Texans Over Broncos (Texans) Seahawks Over Chargers (Chargers) Saints Over Rams (Saints) Patriots Over Packers (Patriots) Cowboys Over Titans (Cowboys) Last Week : 11–3 Lindsay : 9-5 Season : 76–45 Lindsay : 59-62 NFL Picks Spread, Week 9: Raiders +2.5 Over 49ers Falcons +1.5 Over Redskins Bears -8.5 Over Bills Chiefs -8.5 Over Browns Vikings -4.5 Over Lions Jets +3.5 Over Dolphins Steelers +2.5 Over Ravens Buccaneers +6.5 Over Panthers Texans +2.5 Over Broncos Seahawks -1.5 Over Chargers Saints -1.5 Over Rams Packers +5.5 Over Patriots Cowboys -6.5 Over Titans Last Week : 9-5 Season:...

We’ve reached November, a magical time where we get big event films, movies for the holidays and a smattering of other releases. This week exemplifies that with new releases in all three categories. But more on that in a minute. First about last week. Well, I didn’t believe in Hunter Killer , and that was good. It bombed. I believed too much in Venom , which did well but not quite well enough. And I whiffed on what would be a good low-end value. Johnny English wasn’t, but The House With a Clock in its Walls was. So, it wasn’t a great week. I’ve been in a funk of late, and hopefully I can make my way out of it, and quickly. There are four new films joining the competition this week, including three wide releases. Time to figure out where the value lies. And as always, if you think you’re better at the game than me, I encourage you to join me in a Fantasy Life App Blog league! You can join the league here . Let’s see how this week stacks up. New at the Box Office: The...