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About This Site This page is for all of you out there who may be wondering just what this site and the guy behind it are all about. Listed below are some frequently asked questions about me and about the site and I hope the answers provided will answer all of your questions about Matt On Movies. So, who is this Matt guy?My name is Matt Scalici and I'm the guy that runs this website. I'm a student at the University of Alabama where I am the film critic for The Crimson White, our university newspaper. I was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama and except for a short stint in Orlando have lived there my entire life. I also come from a big Italian family which accounts for my obsession with gangster movies and I'm also a devout Catholic which might explain why I love the films of Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola. I'm also probably the most hardcore football fan you will ever meet which might explain why I don't get much work done on Saturdays, Sundays or Monday nights. Why are you so obsessed with movies?Obsessed is such a harsh word. Let's say passionate. I've always loved movies ever since I can remember but one day when I was about 17, the American Film Institute released a list of the 100 Greatest Films of All-Time. Noticing that I had seen very few of the films on the list and seeing as how I had a good bit of free time and a Tivo, I decided to make a hobby out of seeing all the movies on that list. As I began watching all these great classic films, my curiosity began to grow and I began to see more and more films that weren't on the list but were still just as great. As time went by my hobby became a passion. I discovered that watching a film can be a moving, life-changing experience as much as any real-life event. Movies are not just a way to kill time; they are a vital part of the American experience, the human experience really. Watching films is not just a hobby for me, it's a part of my life. Wow, that was sappy. So how does all that lead you to this site?This site, like my interest in movies, began somewhat because of all the free time I had in high school. I stumbled across a free web- hosting service and decided I'd build a site of my own. The only problem was I needed some actual content for the site. I've always been a good writer, or so I'm told, and I obviously love movies so the only logical outcome was that I'd begin my foray into film criticism. I began by just reviewing every movie I had seen in a particular year and it eventually evolved into me actually seeing movies just to review them. So here we are now three years later and I've reviewed close to 150 movies. Beginning with the launch of this site, I have also begun a series of columns on some of the greatest classic films of all time called The Classics which begins with the film that inspired the look of this site, The Godfather. I have also begun a series of all-purpose articles called Matt On... in which I muse about everything from movies to politics to football. Is your shameless self-promoting over with yet? Good, now how about giving us some useful information like how your ratings system works?That's a very good question. To rate movies, I use a five point scale with 5 being the best and 1 being the worst. I do not give 0's because, well, it would throw off my whole system. Instead of stars or thumbs or whatever those other critics use as their points, I have decided to use a severed horse head as the unit of measurement for movie greatness. Those of you who have seen The Godfather will recall that the severed horse head plays a role as a symbol of power and ruthlessness which are two traits I like to think I possess as a critic. Plus I just think it's kind of funny. Anyway, here's a brief description of what each grade I could give a film means:
1- Take this as a public service warning. Do not see this movie ever, even for laughs. 2- This movie has a few redeeming qualities that could make it fun for a certain crowd, but most people would be better off missing it. 3- Whether or not you like this movie depends mostly on who you are. It could go either way since it has an equal number of good and bad qualities. 4- This is a good movie. You have the assurance of the reviewer that almost 99% of the people who see it will enjoy it. 5- This is a great film. Only the most unique, powerful, important films will receive a 5 from Matt. This movie will be remembered for decades down the road and is not to be missed by any true film lover. P.S. The expression "horse head in the bed" is my seal of approval much like Roger Ebert uses the phrase "thumbs up." Do you do a top ten list like other movie critics?I do make a top ten list but it's not exactly like other critics. I have a really hard time narrowing it down to ten out of all the great movies I see every year so I give out an honorary eleventh place award to all the movies that almost made my top ten but just not quite. I also give other special awards to actors, directors or movies that I think stuck out in some way during the year. You can find all this, by the way, in the Reviews section of this site by clicking on the year you'd like to see and then scrolling over to the Best of link. Who's your favorite pop singer?What? I really don't think that's a relevant question. Oh, OK...it's Britney Spears. |
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The Horse Head Ratings System