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Matt Zoller Seitz: Rocking the House

msz.jpg
View image Matt Zoller Seitz.

Matt Zoller Seitz, long one of my favorite film writers and the pioneering architect of the priceless House Next Door, is moving into full-time filmmaking. That's great news, and sad news for those of us who always look forward to his byline -- and, especially, the wit and insight that unspools beneath it. I want to compile a little "best of" sampling for Matt, just in case you haven't been following him, but I'm a little in shock right now. When I consider the exceptional, collegial atmosphere among our extended network of movie bloggers, and how much we learn and grow through exposure to one another's work, there's nobody of whom I'm prouder to consider myself a "colleague." You can read more about Matt's plans at the House:

Well part of it is… you know I produced a feature film, a low-budget thriller, a few years ago and then went on and directed a little movie myself. I have been working on projects that are in various stages of completion since then and it’s been slow going for a variety of reasons. But I would like to concentrate on that exclusively. I want to concentrate on filmmaking exclusively for a while and see how it goes because I’ve never given it my all. The two features that I’ve been associated with were done while I had a full-time job and a part-time job. So my thinking is, “well if I am not doing anything but filmmaking, what might I be able to accomplish?”
Whatever it is, I'm there. We'll catch up some other time. Meanwhile, we can all be glad that Keith Uhlich is in the House.

Yesterday, Matt posted a beautiful short film called "Some Other Time" in memory of his late wife Jennifer Dawson. The moment I saw the title I knew he'd chosen the version -- the greatest recording of one of my two or three favorite songs -- and he's set the music to movie with grace and understated eloquence.

This day was just a token,
Too many words are still unspoken.
Oh, well, we'll catch up
Some other time.

Just when the fun is starting,
Comes the time for parting,
But let's be glad for what we've had
And what's to come.

See and hear it here...

Comments

Jim, thanks for posting this. I actually saw it here first. Matt's not only a fine writer and thinker, but he's already a talented filmmaker, and so though it's going to sting not having him to read even on a semi-regular basis anymore, I'm heartened by the prospect of the terrific work we're going to be seeing from him on the big screen (and the small one too) in the near future. Matt's been a good friend too, and an inspiration as a father raising his children in the shadow of losing his wife two years ago. I'm looking forward to seeing him continue to do well and continue to inspire writers like me to do better work than we think we're capable of.

I think the variety of respondents to Matt's news -- from professional critics like you, Jim, to folks like me -- truly shows the extent of his reach, both in print and online. Not every film critic can manage to create a stimulating and successful blog (I'm looking at you, Edelstein), and The House is one of the very best out there.

I've been lurking, and now I'll say: the video has been removed?
Just as well, to prevent a big dose of heartache?

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