FilmMattic

Memorial Day Magic       First off, I'd like to send my sincerest blessings to all of our U.S. Service Members. I have two older brothers in the military and many close friends in the Marine Corps. I have only a faint idea of their commitment and sacrifice to our greater good, our freedom, our security, but I thank each and every one of them for their brave service. 

Fifteen Movie Questions Meme       The movie blogosphere, an arena I'm proud to navigate, is full of unusual and unique ideas. Al Gore's Internet distinguishes these ideas based on causal traits: in this case, repetitive, transmittable musings that bloggers freely share . What I'm referring to, of course, are the nifty man-made creations known as memes. The latest one to capture my unbridled attention is called "Fifteen Movie Questions." It's the brainchild of Anna from Defiant Success . And after perusing my blogroll, it came to my attention. My fellow movie buff gal deserves the J-Kidd worthy assist. Rachel  (aka [film] girl, interrupted) , a talented fireball of wit and reason, recently jumped on the meme bandwagon. And as bandwagons go—I'm talking squarely to fair-weather Miami Heat fans—others must climb aboard. Well, heeere's Johnny, and by Johnny, I mean Matty. This would be the point in time when Tony Soprano's shrink would advise me to t...

  Ask Dirk Nowitzki: Big Equals Bountiful Just like Dirk Nowitzki, a seven-foot stud whose playoff performances embody Sheen's "Winning" trademark, Too Big to Fail delivers its own game-winning performances, elevating stale, often bland dramatic non-fiction to gripping achievement.         I was poised and committed to watching game four between the Dallas Mavericks and Oklahoma City Thunder. But then a familiar slogan hit me like a ton of bricks: It's not TV. It's HBO. Unbeknownst to me, an appalling admission that I'm forced to concede, the king of premium cable was debuting its made-for-TV movie about the 2008 U.S. economic meltdown; the repercussions from the calamitous downturn are still keenly felt. As a student of the economy and a lover of cinema, this two-hour production exemplified my most impassioned plea for entertainment; a marriage of intrigue and personal edification. In other words, I passed on Dirk, Durant and Westbrook. Just lik...

Cannes Film Festival 2011 Winners       What's the prevailing message from this year's Cannes Film Festival? Terrence Malick rules the Earth. Listen up Hollywood: It's all about quality, not quantity. The Cannes jury, presided over by Robert De Niro and including Uma Thurman, Jude Law and a smattering of foreign luminaries, has selected the winners of this year's competition slate. The results are illuminating.

Super Psyched for Super 8      Directed by J.J. Abrams Written by J.J. Abrams Produced by J.J. Abrams, Steven Spielberg and Bryan Burk Starring: Elle Fanning, Kyle Chandler, AJ Michalka, Ron Eldard and Noah Emmerich Music by Michael Giacchino Cinematography: Larry Fong Editing by Maryann Brandon Studio: Bad Robot Productions & Amblin Entertainment Distributed by Paramount Pictures Budget: $45-50 million Release Date United States: June 10, 2011 in both standard and IMAX theaters.       The promotional might behind J.J. Abrams latest film, Super 8 is robust—perhaps, akin to today's massive gasoline prices. People pay more at the pump, but question the nature of the increase. That is the genius of Abrams (and no, I'm not saying he's responsible for exorbitant gas prices). He unveils just enough in plot detail to satiate the colossal intrigue of super fan boys, but never alludes to that one critical feature. It leaves even the most hard...

You Cannes Do It       My man De Niro's in charge. That's enough to get me in front of my computer, typing on a Saturday night, instead of standard weekend dance fever. If that's not an intimation of my love for movies, I don't know what is.         Held in the South of France every year, the Cannes Film Festival is one of the most respected festivals in the world. It opened this past May 11th and runs until May 22nd. There's a total of 20 films in the 'main competition' category, but many 'out-of-competition' films will also generate substantial buzz.       Cannes is a cineaste's wet dream. It is my dream. An opportunity to witness a great cinematic work of art before the rest of the world is a privilege, one that shall not be treated with casual indifference. To be one of the lucky few in Palais des Festivals et des Congrès is, in my film-centric estimation, equivalent to winning a lottery ticket. And unlike Wil...

Stop! Hammer Time!       Like Charlie Sheen at a porn convention, I am conflicted by the glut of superhero movies right now. The kid in me never thought the day would come when Marvel characters would invade the big screen. But now that it's happening, and now that I'm an adult, I don't know how to feel. How does one evaluate the efficacy of dudes in costumes wielding fantastical powers? On the surface, these superhero films exist (like any pornstar in Sheen's voracious, party-blazed eyes) as pure eye candy. Thus, the crux of the evaluation process is whether the "fun" factor takes precedence over any "profound" pretension.        Well, much to my surprise, Kenneth Branagh streamlines the evaluation process. The early 90's wunderkind, famous for early Shakespearean successes, synthesizes a story that not only appeals to that always faithful childhood enthusiast, but entertains and engages the hardest believer among adults. Thor ...

Mexico Duh, Winning!       Today, we celebrate our Independence Day! Actually, that is entirely untrue. I just really admire Bill Pullman's character in Independence Day . The common misconception about Cinco de Mayo is that it's Mexico's Independence Day. I hate to be the one to dispel the glaring misnomer, but Mexico's Fourth of July actually occurred 50 years earlier in the month of September. Instead, Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Battle of Puebla. On that fateful day in history, May 5, 1862, 5000 inadequately trained, ill-equipped Mexican peasants fought against a sizable regiment of French soldiers. Unfortunately, the French eventually occupied Mexico and defeated the Mexicans. But the Battle of Puebla showed the Mexican people that bravery and conviction could serve as lynchpins for a country yearning for unity and teetering towards nationalism.        Oh yeah, one other thing. Why does the U.S. even care? Well, May 5, ...

McConaughey Legalese "Furman's legal thriller skirts morality, remodels expectations and overhauls conventions; a man strides into court confident and leaves conscious."   Admittedly, this review is a bit tardy and I'm sorry. As you know, there was something called the A-To-Z Challenge that consumed all of my waking blogging time.               Who could've anticipated the creepy but endearing older dude from Dazed and Confused— making his feature film debut—would become one of the biggest Hollywood stars of the last 15 years. It all boils down to an admission that would land most of us in jail:  " That's what I love about these high school girls, man. I get older, they stay the same age. " It's a disconcerting confession. If any other actor spoke that line, I'd find 'em utterly detestable. Lest we not forget Quentin Tarantino's From Dusk Til Dawn character ...I mean talk about a total scumbag. But Tarantino is best se...

Recap *Tom Cruise' expression pretty much sums up how I feel.       Over the past month, I have reviewed 26 films that I consider absolute required viewings (you can find them all HERE in a neatly organized directory). And with this post, I am listing them...because well, who doesn't like a list?