Matthew Frati
Bio
Primarily a poet, but I also write prose. I've self published three books of poetry and a novel. I love and write about all kinds of music, art, literature, films, television and comic books.Stories (9/0)
What's Next for the Man of Steel?
Ok, so if you're a diehard DCEU fan like me (meaning you like MOS and BvS and not only WonderWoman), there's a good chance that you weren't blown away by Justice League. Yes, the film accomplished what it set out to do, namely unite the core members of the league and also bring Superman back from the grave to join his costumed cohorts in time to save the world. I enjoyed the film for what it was (a straight-forward superhero action film), but I still find myself feeling shortchanged by the thought of what this team up of DC's greatest heroes should've been: an epic cinematic masterpiece. The film's weak box office performance is proof that studios need to let their directors make the films they set out to make rather than forcing them to readjust their films in a desperate attempt to mimic another, massively popular comic book film universe (which shall remain nameless).
By Matthew Frati6 years ago in Geeks
Justice League
Well, the moment that diehard DC Comics fans have eagerly awaited most of their lives finally arrived this past week with the release of the feverishly anticipated Justice League film. The fans knew that the stakes were high; everything would be riding on the success or failure of the first ever cinematic team up of DC's greatest heroes, but the critical and commercial success of this past summer's Wonder Woman, the first ever film of its kind and the first film in the DCEU with a deliberately lighter, more inspirational tone than previous films, buoyed people's hope that the DC's cinematic universe was finally on the right track with audiences.
By Matthew Frati6 years ago in Geeks
I Am Also a We
Have you ever met someone and right off the bat felt such an immediate and deep connection to them as if you'd known them your entire life, as if you were sharing the same thoughts, the same feelings? Could it be that you knew the person in a past life or could it be that you're both tapping into the collective unconscious, famed Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung's concept of a universal unconsciousness shared by all humans? He posited that beneath our individualistic unconscious, there exists a universal unconsciousness based on shared human concepts. Might this explain how people from different corners of the world and walks of life can experience a collective longing for the same things at the same time?
By Matthew Frati7 years ago in Geeks
You Want It Darker
2016 was a dark year full of, among other bad omens, the deaths of many icons of the musical community. Among the many musical legends we lost that year was Leonard Cohen, the legendary Canadian singer/songwriter and poet who passed away on November 7th, a day before Trump won the presidency. Cohen's passing was but the latest in a long line of music deaths and it only served to further the notion that 2016 was a terrible year. Before he left us however, Cohen released You Want it Darker, his fourteenth and final studio album. Released just 19 days before his passing, the album gives us Cohen's final musings on life with nine of his most strikingly poetic and darkly prophetic songs delivered by a man not quite ready to go gently into that good night.
By Matthew Frati7 years ago in Beat
An "Atypical" Review
One of the greatest features of Netflix is the constant stream of new films and shows available to watch. A few weeks ago, I happened to stumble upon a Netflix original series called Atypical. I'm not exactly sure what made me linger on it long enough to read the description, but once I did, I was intrigued enough to start watching. I'm so happy that I did because within the show's opening minutes, I already felt myself becoming hooked.
By Matthew Frati7 years ago in Geeks
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
It's been almost a year and a half since Zack Snyder brought the world's two most famous superheroes, Batman and Superman, together on the big screen for the first time ever in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, but it seems that even now, the film is still the subject of fiery debates between its many critics and supporters. There seems to be little middle ground when it comes to this film; people seem to either vehemently hate it or believe it to be a masterpiece within the comic book film genre. Since it premiered in theaters on March 25th of last year, critics have been outspoken about the many flaws they consider the film to have, some of which have merit and others which point to a complete misunderstanding of the film's major themes and overall message.
By Matthew Frati7 years ago in Geeks
Introducing The Jam
What if I told you there was a band that combined the best elements of three of the most influential English bands of the sixties, namely the mod sound and driving rhythm of The Who, the catchy melodic pop of The Beatles, and the English sensibilities of the Kinks and fused them with the ferocious speed and raw energy of Punk? The band in question is The Jam, perhaps one of the greatest bands that most people outside the UK have never heard of. Rising out of the obscurity of Woking, a town in Surrey, England, The Jam made their first big splash in 1977, widely regarded as the year when Punk Rock violently exploded into the mainstream. Led by guitarist and lead vocalist/songwriter Paul Weller, only eighteen at the time, the band also featured Rick Buckler on drums and Bruce Foxton on bass. Together, this pop-punk power trio successfully married the speed and immediacy of punk with the more polished sound and lyrics of British pop music and to create a wholly unique and timeless sound among the punk/new wave landscape.
By Matthew Frati7 years ago in Beat
