Matt's Musings

  The Golden Globe Awards take place tonight. Below are my predicted winners in each of the categories! We'll see how I do. Best Picture, Drama: Oppenheimer Best Picture, Musical/Comedy: Barbie Best Director: Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer Best Screenplay: Killers of the Flower Moon by Eric Roth, Martin Scorsese Best Actor, Drama: Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer Best Actress, Drama: Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon Best Actor, Musical/Comedy: Timothee Chalamet, Wonka Best Actress, Musical/Comedy: Emma Stone, Poor Things Best Supporting Actor: Robert Downey, Jr., Oppenheimer Best Supporting Actress: Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple Best Television Series, Drama: Succession Best Television Series, Musical or Comedy: The Bear Best Actor, Drama: Gary Oldman, Slow Horses Best Actress, Drama: Emma Stone, The Curse Best Actress, Musical/Comedy: Natasha Lyonne, Poker Face Best Actor, Musical/Comedy: Jason Sudeikis, Ted Lasso Best Supporting Actor: Ebon Moss-Bachrach, The Bear Best S...

  The final week of the NFL’s regular season is here. While a number of teams have clinched playoff spots, there is still a lot left to be decided. And it will come down to a few key matchups in Week 18 to do just that. We’re done with Thursday and Monday football, but we have a pair of Saturday games and 14 games on Sunday. Below are the five that I’m most intrigued to see. Saturday Games: Houston Texans (9-7) at Indianapolis Colts (9-7) About: This one is pretty simple—win and you get in. Whoever wins this game will be 10-7 and will have clinched a playoff berth. In fact, they might win the AFC South, though they’ll have to wait until Sunday to determine that. So, we have the upstart Texans and the upstart Colts, and one of them will punch their post-season ticket. It’s also a last chance for C.J. Stroud to state his case for Rookie of the Year. I’m excited to see how it goes. Early Games: Atlanta Falcons (7-9) at New Orleans Saints (8-8) About: This is a huge matchup in the NF...

  Welcome to 2024! As has been my habit throughout the past few years, I'll be doing countdowns of some of my favorite films on Fridays and Saturdays. As I introduced yesterday, I'll be looking at Westerns on Fridays. On Saturdays, I'll be looking at my favorite animated films of all time. Animated films are one of our oldest genres, and perhaps the most diverse. We have really seen a wide variety of different kinds of animated films the past few years. We've also seen a diverse type of stories told through animation. That makes it an interesting, unique, and vibrant genre. It's also not a genre that's traditionally been high for me. Though I've seen all the big animated films, it's really been films in the past decade in this genre that have become some of my favorites. So, each Saturday in 2024 I'll reveal another entry on the list, moving from No. 50 to No. 1. This list runs through the end of 2023 in terms of release dates! And since 2023 was a s...

  Welcome to 2024. It seems weird to even write that, and yet a new year is here. And that means a new countdown to take us through the year. For 2024, I'll again be doing countdowns of 50 favorites on Fridays and Saturdays. On Fridays, it will be my Top 50 Westerns. Westerns are one of the classic styles of American film, and one of our oldest genres. In fact, many of the films that are classics in the genre come from more than 50 years ago, including a few that will make this list. This past year I spent time diving through a lot of Westerns. It was a fun exploration and I've sent time crafting my list. Each Friday I'll be revealing another film on the countdown, moving from No. 50 to No. 1 throughout 2024. The list includes both films and limited series, which I felt counted and make the cut. The list runs through 2023 and will likely include more than a few surprises for some. I hope you'll join me each Friday as I run through my favorite Westerns.

  We're at the final week of the NFL's regular season and I've been doing well. I want to finish the regular season strong to stay at or above .500 in Picks against the Spread heading into the playoffs. NFL Picks, Week 18: Steelers Over Ravens Texans Over Colts Browns Over Bengals Lions Over Vikings Jaguars Over Titans Patriots Over Jets Saints Over Falcons Buccaneers Over Panthers Bears Over Packers Raiders Over Broncos Eagles Over Giants Cardinals Over Seahawks Chiefs Over Chargers 49ers Over Rams Cowboys Over Commanders Bills Over Dolphins Last Week : 11-6 Season: 164-92 NFL Picks Spread, Week 18: Ravens +3.5 Over Steelers Texans +1.5 Over Colts Browns +5.5 Over Bengals Lions -3.5 Over Vikings Jaguars -4.5 Over Titans Patriots -2.5 Over Jets Saints -3.5 Over Falcons Buccaneers -5.5 Over Panthers Bears +3.5 Over Packers Raiders -2.5 Over Broncos Cardinals +3.5 Over Seahawks Giants +5.5 Over Eagles Chiefs +1.5 Over Chargers 49ers -3.5 Over Rams Cowboys -13.5 Over Commande...

  We’re coming to the end of the year, meaning it is time to look back on the year that was. Today, I’m sharing my Top 12 Films of 2023. In addition, Eric and I shared our Top 12 movies of the year on the This Week at the Movies podcast. Be sure to catch up with the video of our show! First, some honorable mentions: No. 20: Joy Ride No. 19: The Holdovers No. 18: Still: A Michael J. Fox Story No. 17: Dumb Money No. 16: Air No. 15: The Color Purple No. 14: Ferrari No. 13: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse No. 12: Killers of the Flower Moon About: Martin Scorsese’s film is an exploration of a bleak part of history, particularly as it concerns the Osage Nation. Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro are good here, but Lily Gladstone is the star. This is a powerful, bleak, and sometimes difficult watch. But it stuck with me, helping it land on this list. No. 11: Wonka About: I was certain we didn’t need another film about Roald Dahl’s character. Then I saw Wonka, a brightly colored mu...

  We’re coming to the end of the year, meaning it is time to look back on the year that was. Today, I’m sharing my Top 10 TV Shows of 2023. In addition, Eric and I shared our Top 12 movies of the year on the This Week at the Movies podcast. Be sure to catch up with the video of our show! First, some Honorable Mentions: No. 20: The Lincoln Lawyer, Season 2, Netflix No. 19: Only Murders in the Building, Season 3, Hulu No. 18: 1923, Paramount+ No. 17: Abbot Elementary, Season 2, ABC No. 16: A Murder at the End of the World, Hulu No. 15: Picard, Season 3, Paramount+ No. 14: The Mandalorian, Season 3, Disney+ No. 13: Schmigadoon!, Season 2, Apple TV+ No. 12: Ahsoka, Disney+ No. 11: The Last Thing He Told Me, Apple TV+ No. 10: The Diplomat, Netflix About: Keri Russell takes the lead in this Netflix series about a career operative assigned as ambassador to the United Kingdom. She’s out of her depth and unsure why she’s been placed in the post. Throughout the tremendous first season we le...