Matt's Musings

  We’re getting closer to the summer season and all the big releases it contains. But among those we’re getting some beautiful and creative films. That includes a release I saw this week that is the most creative film I’ve ever seen and the best film I’ve seen so far in 2022. Let’s look at that and the rest of the 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 . All the Old Knives (Amazon Prime) Starring : Chris Pine, Thandiwe Newton, and Laurence Fishburne Synopsis : This is essentially a good ole’ fashion two-hander between Pine and Newton, a pair of former lovers and spies that are playing a game of cat-and-mouse. Both are holding their cards close to the vest as they look at an incident that took place eight years prior. It was a tragedy and now someone has to be held responsible. It was also the incident that ended their relationship. But who will get the upper hand and who is really playing w...

  We’re deep into April and Easter is nearly upon us. Much of the country is beginning its transition from snowy times to rain to, eventually, sun. There’s a whiff of summer in the air. And on the small screens, while the network season is careening toward a finish cable producers continue to put out new series. Last week was a shallow pool by recent standards but, as we approach the holiday weekend you might be looking for something to binge. What’s worth your time? Let this weekly column be your guide as I look at the pilot and second episode of new scripted series. Don’t see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks. Wednesdays: Moon Knight, Streaming Wednesdays on Disney TV+ (Premiered March 30) About : Oscar Isaac takes the lead here as Steven Grant, or rather Marc Spector, or maybe both. That was left unclear to a certain degree for those not familiar with the source material even after the pilot hour. While I found the pilot to be stylishly crafted, and enjoyed Isaac...

  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 RBs. Running back continues to be one of the most important and most difficult positions. It’s hard to forecast the value shifts or who will emerge from committees, then there’s the rash of injuries and surprises. That makes the few running backs locked into defined, three-down roles incredibly valuable. With this group it gets thin early as we’re seeing some bigger names entering a phase where value is waning. 1. Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts —Taylor is an incredible workhorse back. I love his talent and production. The only question is whether Frank Reich will use him. 2. Najee Harris, Pittsburgh Steeler...

  "These are our lives. No one gets to just turn you off." - Mark, Severance Apple TV+ has been on a roll. Last year I touted several original series as among the best I saw. This year they've followed it up by being home to the Best Picture winner, CODA , and offering a number of new and compelling original series. The latest is Severance , which wrapped up its nine-episode run on Friday. The series, created by Dan Erickson, drops us into a world where a corporation called Lumon has developed a new technology that allows it to separate the minds of its workers. While on site, they have no memory of the outside world, who they are or what their lives are like. On the outside, they have no memory of what they did during the day or who their co-workers are. This process, called Severance, is controversial, as would be expected. It's the subject of much debate in the community. We're seeing the world through the eyes of Mark (Adam Scott), who volunteered for the post...

  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! Veronica : [enter Keith] And... Keith: [happy] Who's your Daddy? Veronica: I hate it when you say that. Keith : This is important, you remember this, I used to be cool. Veronica : When? Keith : '77. Trans-Am, Blue Oyster Cult in the 8-track, foxy, stacked blond riding shotgun, racing for pink slips. Wait a minute, I'm thinking of a Springsteen song. Scratch everything. I was never cool. Veronica : I don't know which bothers me more, "foxy" or "stacked." Veronica Mars (2004-2019) Starring : Kristen Bell, Percy Daggs III, Jason Dohring, Enrico Colantoni, Ryan Hansen, and Tina M...

  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! Henry Wu : Nothing in Jurassic World is natural, we have always filled gaps in the genome with the DNA of other animals. And if the genetic code was pure, many of them would look quite different. But you didn't ask for reality, you asked for more teeth. Jurassic World (2015) Starring : Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Vincent D'Onofrio, and Jake Johnson Director : Colin Trevorrow About : I have long appreciated the stories of Michael Crichton. I was leery of this sequel. It felt like a departure from the novel Jurassic Park , which made it clear this idea of creating a world and park like this was impossible to achieve. I was prepared to be angry with this movie. But, ...

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 kick off with my Top 25 quarterbacks. To say the quarterback landscape has changed in the last month is the understatement of the century. We have at least six quarterbacks that will likely get drafted later this month, and we have a couple guys waiting to see if they’ll land new teams. But it’s starting to feel like that won’t change much on this list. 1. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills —Allen has been a strong producer, both as a passer and rusher. The Bills have a great team that figures to compete for a title and Allen’s dual-threat ability makes him the clear top option. 2. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs —Mahomes is a great passer and even wit...