FilmMattic

  Misadventures of a Missed Cineaste        I'm back! I don't imagine those two words conjure up memories of a famous press release from only the greatest basketball player alive? Whether they do or don't, I'm back like Die Hard: With A Vengeance . Actually, scrap that analogy...Unless we could trade Zeus Carver for Jules Winnfield? In that case "with great vengeance and furious anger," FilmMattic announces his return. Needless to say, my posting attendance record would make Ferris Bueller shriek in horror. Of course, then Brian De Palma would finally (as if he's been tirelessly in search of such a thing) have the perfect scream to conclude Blow Out . Heck, even a stoned out-of-his-mind Spicoli from Fast Times at Ridgemont High would disown me. I can hear the chants already: Truancy, truancy. And to my dismay, they're charged with the same stoic passion as the Notre Dame Football team chanting Rudy, Rudy. In other words, my unexcused absenc...

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...

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?

Yojimbo or Y Tu Mamá También       I'm going to be a little playful now that the blogging challenge finish line is only inches away. All you need to know is that the italicized titles are actual films (that I didn't pick), and the following transcript is a fictional back-and-forth between two unnamed characters. Let's begin, shall we?   " Your Highness ," Mr. Nameless said . "No, I won't address you with such cordial grace. It's The Year of Living Dangerously and I'm just a Youth in Revolt . There's no Yankee Doodle Dandy in 2011, which is to say, no one's gonna be mistaken for James Cagney. If you want Yesterday 's version of raucous, vulgar entertainment, and that oh-so wonderful slice of Americana, you'll have to tune into 2004's Young, Beautiful and Screwed Up ... what we know today as, Jersey Shore," Mr. Anonymous replied. " You Must Be Joking ? " "What, You Talkin' to Me ?" "W...

Stylish Blogger Award       Modesty goes out the window with this newest announcement. Thanks to the lovely and talented Nicole @ Electric Daze , I am now the grandiloquent owner of the "Stylish Blogging Award." I've always considered myself a trendy fella. I mean why else do most of my friends ferret out my incomparable advice when deciding which gear to rock on a Saturday Night. My buddy James used to come to my house with four different shirts—and this was before Jersey Shore turned t-shirt time into the newest, hippest, and most superficially-based, college-aged trend since....well, starter jackets, baggy jeans, and every other Hip-Hop fashion fad of my youth. 

North by Northwest       I would love to include a Coen brothers film in my Alphabet. No Country for Old Men is a tremendous contemporary film, but North by Northwest is one of the greatest films, period. Not to mention, Fargo is their best film, but Fight Club won that close contest (Sorry Coens). I also love The Natural (who doesn't love Roy Hobbs!?) and National Lampoons: Animal House (the father of the "gross-out genre") is one of the greatest comedies of all-time—my buddies and I even hosted a Toga party in honor of Blutarsky (played by the sorely missed, John Belushi). Network (the recently deceased Sidney Lumet) provides one of the most powerful scenes in the history of cinema, complements of the immortal Peter Finch, and his rousing " Mad As Hell " monologue. Lest we even forget, the 1927 film, Napoleon (Abel Gance), a landmark silent French film for its use of handheld cameras and editing. As you can clearly see, every letter presents a unique chall...

I'm About as Versatile as...Johnny Depp (Just kidding! Depp dwarfs me in that department. I mean the guy's done every conceivable role: Jack Sparrow, Edward Scissorhands, Ed Wood, Willy Wonka, Gilbert Grape, Donnie Brasco, Raoul Duke, George Jung, John Dillinger etc. etc...He's a damn good chameleon).

*****Editor's Note*****       In lieu of reaching 100 followers (thank you Marie for being the 100th!), I want to take a brief moment to send my sincerest thanks to all my newest followers and readers. You A-to-Zer's and the like have all played a very integral part in my achievement of this milestone. Thanks for joining, for reading, and for commenting! Each one of you is worthy of my "Person of the Week" honor!       I also want to give a big, special thanks to all my existing followers and readers. I applaud you all for sticking with me despite being subjugated to my cinema-obsessed rants and reviews. You guys and girls are a terrific bunch. And I especially love the routine feedback, and the regularity of unique and insightful comments!  *Me and the coolest Mexican Deliveryman giving you all a Gigantic THUMBS UP! Some of my most Loyal Followers: Dezmond @ TheHollywoodSpy Dempsey @ TheMovie411 George @ CineMa...

Good Matt Hunting for a Creative Concept *Robin Williams has a big head...not as big as mine!       TheMovie411 (run by Dempsey Sanders, male model extraordinaire), in association with 1 Minime & 1Paintme, is running a fantastic Movie Poster Contest . The details of the contest can be found @ TheMovie411 . Essentially, the purpose of the contest is for you to create a Movie Poster featuring your mug shot. It does not have to be an original poster (i.e. you can use an existing one), you just have to incorporate your own artistic spin. For all you creatively minded thinkers, this competition will be a perfect vehicle to highlight your fancy graphic skills.

The Birth of FilmMattic       For all my blogging friends, I just want to alert you to my domain change. It is no longer http://www.filmmatty.blogspot.com. My new domain is:  http://www.filmmattic.com .                I please urge all of you that follow my blog to update your links. All you have to do is eliminate the "blogspot" piece.       This is merely just a cosmetic change, though I am also excited by the prospect of increased site control. I am still going to provide the same content. Thanks a bunch!! P.S. I am going to watch Limitless later today, so expect a review very soon!

FilmMattic @ Work           The crown jewel of the film world, the Oscars will begin in a matter of moments. This Award's show carries an infectious luster. In keeping with this spirit, I have decided to live-blog the event—my first ever foray into the live-blogging realm.        Without further ado, ready yourself for a continuous onslaught of everything Oscar, and jump right into my live-blogging of the 83rd Annual Academy Awards.

        Call me an eternal optimist. Call me a delusional prognosticator. Call me an irrational thinker. I cede any pejorative title relating to my reservoir of inexperience from any reader of my blog—that is your right.        But, in the coldest of my reasoned thoughts, I call myself a calculating practitioner of manageable expectations, fashioned by a creative and smartly-premised bent. I have designs of one day honing my craft in the film business, initially as a screenwriter.        At this point, I will accept any role in the creative process. My one caveat, of course, is that it is concrete and not menial—i.e. if your looking for a gofer to fetch your coffee, I'm not your guy.  Ultimately, I would like the opportunity, as I'm sure most also do, of having my screenplay purchased from a studio and budgeted for production and wide-release. And of course, I'd be captaining the sta...

       As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be in the film business. The opportunity to broadcast my thoughts to a public audience, keen on insightful commentary, is an undertaking I have yet to explore.        Thus, my rationale for creating this blog is to gain entrance into the film community—a community fraught with smart, diverse minds. Such accessibility, I hope, will engender meaningful debates and consequently, an opportunity to cultivate my knowledge of cinema.       As an aspiring actor/writer, I am yearning for the chance to subject my work to substantive criticism. One of the foreseeable ways by which I can hone my craft as a filmmaker is to connect with individuals of diverse sensibilities. This will allow for my work to undergo an honest critique.        Additionally, this blog will possess fundamentally intellectual qualities; specifically, serving...