FilmMattic

An Impressive Look Inside the Mind of An Auteur       A few weeks ago, the Director's Guild of America, perhaps to coincide with the release of Super 8, held "A Tribute to Steven Spielberg," which features J.J. Abrams and James Cameron discussing Spielberg's influence on their careers. What's more impressive is the fact that Spielberg offers a very candid and extensive look at his own, very unique filmmaking perspective, a perspective that Abrams refers to, quite eloquently, as "child-like," not in terms of maturity, but inspiration. Child-like, Abrams elucidates, is a "manifestation" of that ephemeral feeling, palpable during our formative years, which projects a "tangible" sensation of wonder and awe. It was a powerful, honest moment. Spielberg, rightly so, was quite touched.

The Magic 8 Ball Knows All (Minor Spoilers)               Ask the magic eight ball a question: who is J.J. Abrams? J.J. Abrams is a purveyor of mystery and suspense. It is certain. But a more arresting realization can be gleamed from the co-creating mind of Lost . Beyond the scope of fortune-telling toys, I posit this belief: J.J. Abrams is a spectacular visual artist, a storytelling savant who wields his magical wand under the unique rubric of filmmaking. He is a tenured, world-renowned professor, the Indiana Jones of imagination, and he teaches a master's level course. He calls it, brashly but befittingly, the art of a movie. Beyond a terrifying waiting list, a number that's equivalent to the legion of Miami Heat haters, what does that all mean exactly? 

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...

Some Like It Hot, Seven Samurai, Seven, Saving Private Ryan, Scarface, Spider-Man 2, Snatch,  Superman (1978), Serpico, Solaris (1972)       I mistakenly thought the glutton of great films ended at "R"... Big mistake. Yet again, I must cull as aggressively and shrewdly as I can. For starters, I'm purposely avoiding any titles that start with "The" because it would be virtually impossible otherwise (if you don't believe me, see the contenders above). I do realize I broke this rule a few times already, but those were three very special and extenuating cases for three absolute film classics. I've already awarded Star Wars Episode V: The E mpire Strikes Back, so my pick's not coming from a galaxy far, far away. I love classic westerns—what can be better than the film that launched John Wayne's career—but sadly, Stagecoach doesn't earn my spot. And Some Like It Hot is a timeless comedy from the versatile mind of Billy Wilder, but it has been so l...

Lawrence of Arabia        Excluding The Godfather , this film became the easiest selection for placement in my Great Alphabet. It is the film, quite simply, that defined the epic. Often considered one of the "greatest and most influential films in the history of cinema," 1 Lawrence of Arabia is a superior and beautiful examination of humanity, specifically, the humanity of one very complex man, T.E. Lawrence. It's not a chronology of the life of Lawrence. On the contrary, it is a riveting exploration of a man's struggle to understand his own identity in the face of untold violence, brought upon by the brutalities of war. David Lean's film etched an indelible mark in the hearts of aspiring filmmakers. We need not look any further than the words of Steven Spielberg to substantiate the enormity of how great this film truly is: "the mirage sequence is still the greatest miracle I've seen on film...and maybe the greatest screenplay ever written for the ...

The Killing       I apologize to the Tarantino loyalists, but Kill Bill (Vol. 1 or 2) is not my "K" film. I look at it from two angles. For one, I'll make it up to Tarantino when we get to "P." And secondly, if I can neglect both King Kong (1933), which doesn't hold up to modern standards despite its landmark significance, as a stunning example of stop-motion animation, and an influential monster-adventure epic, and The King of Comedy— well, because I've already extensively written about that —then I can shed no contrition for dismissing Tarantino's tremendous two-part action thriller. 

 Jurassic Park          For me, this selection was easier than "I" because there were really only two formidable contenders. However, there's still a difficult choice to be made. It's either Steven Spielberg's landmark science-fiction film Jurassic Park, or Steven Spielberg's watershed thriller Jaws. Either way, Steven Spielberg owns the "J" category of film. What the "J" category represents is a kind of battle of generations, or at the very least, a tangential appraisal of cinematic history. Does a moviegoer value the birth of the "summer blockbuster" more than the inventiveness of tangibly real, special effects driven extravagance—the latter, which reflects the modernized "blockbuster?"

Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark       Determining which movie would represent the letter "I" was extremely difficult for a number of reasons. For one, how do I decide which Indiana Jones movie is the best because The Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade are almost equally good? How can I justify the omission of It's A Wonderful Life, which is arguably the most I nspirational film of all-time, thanks to Frank Capra's wonderful spirit of goodness, and the greatest "everyman" to ever grace a screen, James Stewart? I claim to be the biggest Christopher Nolan fan, so how can I neglect the inclusion of Inception ( I'll make it up to him at "M")? Independence Day marked for me, a time when I could venture to the theater free of an adult, so long as one of my older brothers accompanied me. To this day, I still remember vividly that early July day when I first watched Will Smith become a superstar; "I have got to get me on...