FilmMattic

Say Hello to my Little Friend, Robert De Pacino        I reaffirm my faith in the beauty of cinema almost routinely. The most joyous moment in Francois Truffaut's The 400 Blows (one of my favorite films) occurred when young Antoine and his family ventured to the cinemas; cinema, as both an escape from delinquency and birth of inspiration, is one of Truffaut's most poignant and recurring themes. Fast forward to today. My fondness for film is like a rose in full bloom. "A guy told me one time, 'Don't let yourself get attached to anything you are not willing to walk out on in 30 seconds flat if you feel the heat around the corner." That's a quote from the memorable diner scene in Heat. It's one of those spectacular cinematic moments that deserves a "where were you when you watched Robert De Niro and Al Pacino square off before the camera, mano-a-mano" disclaimer. That scene represents the formative stages of my obsessive love for film....

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.

Raging Bull Or is it the fact that my head feels like a Bull just rammed it, as I tried to fastidiously figure this one out.      This is going to be a long one. "R" ushered in one of the most spirited competitions yet. Fortunately, I could immediately eliminate one of my favorites. There will be no Raider of the Lost Ark. I already sneaked that one in (check "I"). However, there's still a dozen other great "R" films that I'm considering. My head is about ready to explode (thank you Bull).        There's Hitchcock's Rear Window, one of his finest masterpieces of suspense, and then there's Rebecca; not only is it one of the most thrilling psychological tales ever to be witnessed, but it's an illustrious remnant of the Golden Age. The competition does not lesson in intensity from here because I have to consider Howard Hawk's extraordinary western, Rio Bravo (Tarantino's favorite film), which is Hawk's and John Wayne...

A Limited Hodgepodge "Ultimately, Limitless suffers from the very same implication its title suggests, an infinitely frenzied scope."       The word limitless implies an environment of boundless and unrestricted vastness. Such an implication, however broad, insinuates a certain immeasurable quality. Well Director Neil Burger's ( The Illusionist) newest film, so aptly titled Limitless, is far from illimitable discussion. Quite the contrary, Burger's visually frenetic, extravagantly plotted science-fiction thriller is easily quantifiable, unfortunately to such a finite degree, that the ambitious film markedly loses credence.

      Just so you can more intricately understand my film sensibilities, I am formulating a uniquely personalized list. It will afford you a glimpse into my favorites across the vast universe of film. Please do not confuse this with any best of list, as these selections are born from personal and purely subjective impressions. If I were to construct a list of the best films/categories, it would significantly differ from this list. Such an undertaking would require much more reasoned and sophisticated thought. I will reserve that list for a time, far far away.        These categories are mostly generic, but I will elucidate on some of my choices. I do not want this to be a bland listing. Without further ado, let's jump right into it! (This list is subject to periodic updates as I add new categories).

MVP of Sports Acting        I was recently watching the Knicks/Celtics game on ESPN and the camera panned across the arena highlighting a Murderer' Row of celebrity actors attending the game.  I got to thinking.  What happens when celebrity actors and sports collide?  Generally, a simple premise for a sports film.  And no, I'm not going to drop a Kardashian Sister's name here because none of them can act.  So other than an inane premise, where am I going with this? I asked the question and started furiously pondering in my head for answers: Who is the best sports movie actor of all time? Here are my nominees, in no particular order: 1).  Mark Wahlberg 2).  Dennis Quaid 3).  Wesley Snipes 4).  Kevin Costner 5).  Denzel Washington 6).  Paul Newman 7).  Chelcie Ross 8).  Robert De Niro 9).  Sylvester "Sly" Stallone 10).  Woody Harrelson *Just missed the cut: Robert Redford ( The...

       "My Life's a movie, call me Martin Scorsese." These are lyrics from a mainstream hip hop song, "Shut it Down," by Pitbull and Akon.  It is not this aspect of the song that sparks my interest, but the implication behind it.         It strikes me as significant that a popularized and mainstream song would include a reference to Scorsese. The primary reason behind this importance is two-fold.  Given the inherent 'geek-esque' quality of the film industry—in terms of amassing a working knowledge of cinema—it is uncharacteristic for mainstream America to incorporate or accept these references. But everyone appreciates and knows what Martin Scorsese does for a living.  This fact is irrefutable.  It is as much a result of Scorsese's genius as a filmmaker, as it is his popularity as a contributor to the film medium.        If you include a song with a reference to Alexander...