Matt's Musings

  Animated Films have come a long way over the years. It's a genre and format that presents a wide range of styles and stories. This year, I'll be taking a look at my 50 favorite Animated Films, offering a new one from No. 50 to No. 1 each Saturday in 2024. Join along and feel free to add your own thoughts in the comments! Gandalf the Grey : Surely you don't disbelieve the prophecies because you helped bring them about? You don't really suppose, do you, that all your adventures and escapes were managed by mere luck, just for your sole benefit? You're a very fine person, Mr. Baggins, and I'm very fond of you, but you're only quite a little fellow in a wide world, after all. The Hobbit (1977) Starring : Orson Bean, John Huston, Theodore Gottlieb, and Richard Boone Director : Jules Bass and Arthur Rankin, Jr. About : Where would we be without Rankin and Bass, especially when it comes to animation? This might not be the first of their films to come to mind or on...

Do you like a good Western? It's a classic genre in film and this year I've decided to look at some of my favorite Westerns. So, join me each Friday as I count down my favorite Westerns from No. 50 to No. 1.  Captain Kidd : See all those words printed in a line one after the other? Put 'em all together and you have a story. News of the World (2020) Starring: Tom Hanks and Helena Zengel Director: Paul Greengrass About: Here we have a more modern film, and one that some might not think of right away. This film stars Hanks as a Civil War veteran who makes a living traveling from place-to-place to share the news of the world with them. He reads from the papers and helps connect them to the larger story of the country. Along the way, he encounters a young girl who doesn't speak the language. Yet, he decides to risk himself to get her back with her people. It touches on a lot of familiar tropes and themes in the genre. Greengrass does a nice job of framing the story and ac...

  This year films from 2009 are celebrating a 15th Anniversary. I will be looking at five films from 2009 that I've enjoyed as part of an anniversary celebration. Today, I'm looking at Watchmen. Edward Blake : Once you realize what a joke everything is, being the Comedian is the only thing that makes sense. Watchmen Starring: Patrick Wilson, Malin Akerman, Billy Crudup, Matthew Goode, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and Jackie Earle Haley Director : Zack Snyder About : As an artistic property, Watchmen has long been revered. It's on Time's list of the greatest American novels. It's a powerful and often dark story. It transcends the medium of comic book. Snyder's 2009 film is a faithful adaptation. When it comes to Snyder and comics, we often think first of the Snyderverse, his take on the D.C. Extended Universe. But this was his first foray with D.C., and I think it's one of his best films. The style of the adaptation worked well for me. So well, in fact, that I saw ...

  It was a solid week for new releases as we had a big blockbuster and some interesting streaming options. Below is my take on the new films I saw this week. You can keep up with everything I’m watching by following me on Letterboxd @knighthawk7734. Asphalt City (Theaters) Starring : Sean Penn and Tye Sheridan Synopsis : It isn’t easy saving lives, though our depictions of fire-fighters and paramedics on TV often makes it look at least a little glamorous. That’s what helps set apart Asphalt City, a new film that opens in theaters on Friday. The film is based on the novel from Shannon Burke. The book, Black Files, was based on his time as an actual medic working in Harlem in the 1990s. It’s a raw, honest look at the job and the toll it takes on those who live through it. The film follows Ollie Cross (Sheridan), rookie paramedic who is using it as a steppingstone to a career in medicine. He hopes to be a doctor but is using this job for experience—and a paycheck—while he’s trying to ...

  We’ve come to the end of March and are blasting into April. The past week saw another flood of new scripted series on streaming and cable. But which of these new series are worth your investment? Let this weekly post be your guide as I review the pilot and second episode of new scripted series this Spring. Don’t see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks. Thursdays: We Were the Lucky Ones, Streaming Thursdays on Hulu (Premiered March 28) About : We’ve seen an uptick in Holocaust stories over the past year, with more yet to come later this Spring and Summer. In this case, it’s a new eight-episode limited series based on the novel from Georgia Hunter about a Jewish family in Poland that tries to survive World War II. We begin at the end, knowing that at least one sibling (Joey King) has made it. Quickly, we whisk back to just before the outbreak of war to see how this family, which includes five siblings, fares during the war. One (Logan Lerman) is in France, while the rest ...

  This year films from 2009 are celebrating a 15th Anniversary. I will be looking at five films from 2009 that I've enjoyed as part of an anniversary celebration. Today, I'm looking at The Invention of Lying. Mark Bellison : Anyway. The story you're about to see takes place in a world where the human race has never evolved the ability to tell a lie. This is a typical town in that world. As you can see, people have jobs and cars and houses and families, but everyone tells the absolute truth. There's no such thing as deceit or flattery or fiction. People say exactly what they think. And sometimes that can come across as a bit harsh. But they've got no choice in the matter. It's their nature. The Invention of Lying Starring : Ricky Gervais, Jennifer Garner, Louis C.K., Tina Fey, and Rob Lowe Director : Ricky Gervais and Matthew Robinson About : You either like the Gervais style of comedy or you don't. I have often found it funny, even if the subject is challeng...

  Today is Easter. It's one of the most important dates on the Christian calendar. It's a day to stop, remember Jesus' sacrifice and what it means to us and for us. It is weird to, for the first time in more than a decade, not be working. But I am looking forward to worshipping and remembering today. As has often been my tradition, I will leave you with some lyrics that have been meaningful to me from the song "Christ is Risen." May your day be reflective and blessed. Oh death, where is your sting? Oh fear, where is your power? For the mighty King of kings has disarmed you Delivered and redeemed Eternal life resounds Oh, praise His name forever Hallelujah Christ is risen from the grave Hallelujah Christ is risen from the grave