About

I am an author, interviewer, moderator and critic based in Chicago.

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  • NEW: WANT TO SETTLE A MOVIE DEBATE, TALK ABOUT '90S FAVORITES, OR EVEN HAVE YOUR SHORT HOME MOVIE REVIEWED? BOOK A VIDEO FROM MATT VIA CAMEO

  • My new book, “Talk ‘90s with Me: 23 Unpredictable Conversations with Stars of an Unforgettable Decade” is available now in hardcover, paperback and ebook! Order it here.

  • My 2020 book “Zack Morris Lied 329 Times! Reassessing every ridiculous episode of ‘Saved by the Bell’ … with stats” features interviews with 22 cast members and is available now in paperback and ebook. Order it here.

  • In 2019, I published my debut short story collection, “This Won’t Take Long: 100 Very Short Stories of Dangerous Relationships, Impaired Presidents, Frustrating Jobs and More.”

  • I spent 11 years as the movie critic and music editor for the Chicago Tribune's RedEye, reviewing more than 2,000 movies and interviewing Will Ferrell, Brie Larson, LeBron James, Kacey Musgraves, Justin Timberlake and hundreds more celebrities. It was a lot of fun.

  • I am currently a content specialist at MDRT, where I oversee the award-winning MDRT Podcast, write for Round the Table magazine, manage content for the MDRT App and much more. I've written about topics like cybersecurity, elder financial abuse and work-life balance.

  • Since 2014, I have worked as a moderator for movie clubs of 25-30 people. I currently assign movies and lead discussions for two different groups (each meeting 6-8 times per year for two hours per session — virtually or in person as appropriate) and am available for additional groups if you or someone you know is looking for a moderator for their club.

  • Since 2006, I have been a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association.

  • I grew up in Deerfield, Illinois, and majored in journalism at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. I now live in Chicago with my wife and sons.

Looking back

  • From 2009-2019, I contributed 9-10 reviews each year to Magill's Cinema Annual.

  • From September-December 2016, I moderated post-movie discussions with Stephanie Izard, Tom Waddle and more as part of the Arclight Presents series.

  • In 2016, I interviewed Daniel Radcliffe and Paul Dano about "Swiss Army Man" for The A.V. Club.

  • In 2014, Jimmy Kimmel talked with Richard Linklater, director of one of my favorite movies (“Before Sunrise”), about my not liking “Boyhood.”

  • I spent four years reviewing movies on NBC-5 in Chicago and three years on WCIU's "You & Me This Morning."

  • In college I won a Hearst Award for this piece. Still proud of it.

 

 

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