FilmMattic

Fighting The Good Fight       A traditional high school film unfurls with less excitement than a trip to the dentist, a dentist, in fact, with credentials best exemplified by this smiling buffoon of Bond lore . Convention elucidates, often blithely, a celebration of Mr. Drab and Mr. Dull, figures whose genetic code reads, in the strictest interpretation: Minutia of mundanity. Boring and banal, let's be honest, are two words deathly undeserving of cinematic treatment. Thankfully, an exhilarated gasp and animated fist pump later, Chris Shimojima's ( Director of Madeleine Zabel, reviewed by yours truly ) newest short, JT vs. the Good Guys , competently circumvents convention, revealing a nontraditional high school film with gusto.

Mad-dy World, Mad-dy World       The world, beginning with the aughts, has been indoctrinated into the far-reaching tentacles of a seismic cultural realignment, byproducts of an impertinent mass consciousness. The ripple effects have decimated doctrines of normalcy, replaced conventions with hysteria, and necessitated an oversaturated media whose lifeblood is celebrity mania. No short film has ever conveyed this sense of, what I'll call, the madness of the media, better than director Chris Shimojima's Madeleine Zabel. 

Frankly, My Dear, I Give A Damn (*Spoilers*)       I hate to pull a Ruben Studdard with what will be a litany of " I'm Sorry For's, " but I must apologize for my four-millionth GWH  reference. Just as Will Hunting steals Sean Maguire's great line, "I have to go see about a girl," I too have to steal an infinitely more famous line to properly title my review. Also, I'm sincerely sorry to all the Clark Gable enthusiasts (I'm certainly one of them). And I apologize for the anachronistic usage (I mean, it's not like I'm directing Your Highness) . If you drop me like a bad habit and stop reading from this point forward (please don't because this short film deserves your attention), I'd understand. I'm sorry, but the power of the banner compels me.

Where There's Smoke, There's Fire       Last week, I received an email from a budding Belarusian filmmaker by the name of Grzegorz Cisiecki. What excited me most about this email, beyond the ensuing realization of a unique visual talent, was the email itself. The impetus for this email exchange is tantamount to the very nature of my blog. My primary goal is to provide unique film-related content. As a self-ascribed film geek, I value any opportunity that lets me interact with the film community.