Shawarma!

On August 20th, 2007, I started an unassuming movie blog named after a Franz Ferdinand song. At the time, I didn’t know if I’d be able to keep it up for six weeks, let alone six years.

Here we are though, more than half a decade later, and what started as something unassuming has become a pretty big part of my identity. I’m grateful for everyone who has helped me build it, everyone who has stopped by to read it, and everyone who has encouraged me to keep it going.

In honour of this site’s sixth year, I thought I’d look back a little bit. This isn’t any sort of list or “best of”, just a glance over my shoulder at six films I’ve watched and written about through the years that have had an effect on who I am, what I watch, and how I write.

Interestingly, they’re all about a similar topic.

So thanks for dropping by, and hopefully you enjoy this little detour down memory lane. Here are six that have stuck with me…

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moonrise

They too seem to understand the importance of that moment between holding the hand and kissing the lips. Nobody in the film is winking, nobody breaks into a meta smirk. Like the stones around a campfire, they all circle around the juvenile actors at the centre of the film and act as supporting players in their tale of young love.

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control

Normal people aren’t supposed to be rock stars. Rock stars are supposed to be larger than life. They are supposed to be lost boys who never want to grow up. They are supposed to be people that live a life of excess and epitomize their fans’ wildest dreams of a famous life…

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tree

As a child begins to grow, the parent is all-knowing – a light like the abstract image of a flame that breaks up the chapters of this film. However, as the child ages, they begin to question their faith. Like a sheep that decides to stray from the shepherd, they start to think that mom and dad don’t know everything after all. Then where are they supposed to go for guidance?

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500

Love sucks sometimes, y’know that? Oh sure, love all starts out by comparing what bands you both love, and afternoons browsing around Ikea…but that seldom lasts. Once love has had its fill of Poäng chairs and Smiths records, love will leave you standing there and move on with its day. But not before kicking you in the coins first.

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flore

Do you believe that this is all there is, and that if things don’t pan out that you could have done something about it? Or do you believe that we’re all a part of some greater cosmic loop, and that there are forces at play in our daily lives that are far outside of our control?

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midnight

Does loving someone allow you to crack wise when they’re trying to be serious, and sometimes frustrate them even further? Does loving someone come with moments where blame will be assigned and fingers will be pointed? And does loving someone give license to question the veracity of the love they profess? The answer to all of these questions is the same: Yes – yes it does.

37 Replies to “Six Pack: The Matinee Turns Six Years Old”

  1. So you’re a whole seven months older than me in blogging years… according to the internet that’s like a billion years in human years…

    So I salute my elder and say many happy returns…

    1. This place wouldn’t be the well-oiled machine it is without your wicked mechanical skills. Thanks VERY much for being so supportive – I owe you many pints of beer.

  2. Yaay congrats man! 6 years- woaaah! And I love love love the movies you’ve listed here.
    The Matinee is one of my favourite blogs and I love reading and listening to your stuff (of course months later than they are published- thanks India!), and here’s to many more years of that 😀

    1. Thanks Nik – Keeping up with your class of bloggers and the endless amounts of energy and enthusiasm y’all show is what keeps me driven. Don’t ever change, OK?

  3. Congratulations Ryan! I started mine (or at least gathered all my film crap into one place) in March 2007 but just because mine’s older doesn’t mean it’s better. You’ve worked your ass off while I’ve sat on mine. Keep up the good work, my friend!

    1. Thank-you sir.

      The whole caper really found a whole new gear when I met you and the rest of the local brood in late 2008. Y’all kept me hungry to keep cranking out the content.

    1. Thanks Dan – sometimes I feel a bit like a freak when I see so many bloggers give it up in months (forget about years). You’ve been a huge inspiration over the last few, so thanks a mil for inspiring me to keep the content coming.

  7. Hearty congratulations, Hatter! The internet is measured in cyber-dog years, so this is like you’re turning 75 or something. Technology changes like crazy – faster and faster as time goes on – and you are constantly adapting while simultaneously honing your craft. I don’t visit the Matinee because I know you, I come here because I choose to – and you’ve never let me down.

    Cheers to the next 6! Let’s find you a sponsor!

    1. 75, geez – I look pretty good for 3/4 of a century. And sponsorship, you say. Well, considering how well your last idea worked out for me, I’m all ears to whatever you might suggest.

      To the burger stand!

  8. Congratulations on the big six years. That’s a huge accomplishment. While Impassionedcinema hasn’t been up to date, I’m still running on Filmoria. Hope you’ve seen my writing continue and I’m amazed at your continued output. Awesome.

    1. Thanks Brittani – I don’t visit your site nearly enough, but I’ll try to drop by more often in the coming months…perhaps even get you on the podcast!

  10. Congrats on the six year mark, Ryan, you’re one of the most prolific bloggers there is.

    Thanks for the keeping up the good fight. And we all look forward to your TIFF coverage.

    1. I’ve been putting pen-to-paper on the TIFF plans throughout the day. Deciding what I want to see is easy: figuring out where I’m going when is the hard part.

      Thanks for being so supportive Colin. Here’s to another few years at least!

  11. I’m glad I found this blog three years ago, and that you’ve decided to make it an integral part of your life.

    I look forward to another six years of your writing.

    1. You’ve certainly done a lot to push me harder and further than I thought I could go young man, and I get the feeling that one day I’ll be saying “I knew Sam Fragoso when…”

      Thanks dude – this has all been a blast.

  12. I still find it so cool that your blog birthday is the day before my real birthday, haha. Congrats on the sixth birthday! That’s a huge achievement!

    1. It’s like I created the whole thing *just* for you!
      Thanks for the well-wishes Stevee. We miss you around these parts, but hopefully everything is going well for you in this hectic year.

  14. Congrats, man. The interweb is littered with the flaming wreckage of so many movie sites that crashed and burned or faded away. Six years is a hearty accomplishment. Your consistency is an inspiration to us all.

    1. I think I need to start planning the time off that this site inevitably needs to take. Not that I’m not immensely proud of posting every day for almost four straight years now, but…well..y’know.

      Thanks for all the comments and encouragement through the years sir. You’re one of those who have kept me hungry.

  15. Wow, six years is quite the run! I think it’s safe to say that you like doing this blog thing. 🙂 Here’s to another six!

  16. Congratulations! I think bloggers always are at their best when they write about movies that they care about a lot. So without having read EVERY blog post since the start, being a latecomer, I have to say that I think that this sample may very well be close to a best-of-list. The only one I haven’t read is the one about Before Midnight. Still waiting for it to arrive here, still trying to approach it without knowing too much. But I’m sure it’s brilliant and I’ll be back.

    Cheers!

    1. I wrestled somewhat with how to frame the links I chose.

      There were certain posts I was prouder of in terms of their quality, and certain moments that I felt defined me for better and for worse (I haven’t always been the most encouraging blogger out there). But these six – one for every year the site’s been up – represent moments where a film struck a certain note. I think that note comes through in the writing…or I hope so anyway.

      Regardless, thanks for everything Jessica. I doubt I’ve said this out loud, but there have been few greater influences on me as a writer and a person over the last few years than you. You’ve been a great friend and someone whose standards I continually try to live up to.

  17. Though Control didn’t have that kind of impact on me and I only really really like 500 Days, the other 4 are among my favourites of the decade (3 of those 4 taking top spot in their respective years – though I suppose 2013 isn’t quite finished yet…).

    It’s enough for me to think that #ryaniswrong might stop trending…B-)

    Keep it going man – as I said on Twitter, I think you’ve done a helluva job building up a community. And that benefits all of us. Congrats.

    1. …speaking of great friends and standards I try to live up to.

      What can I say buddy? I certainly noticed things taking a turn for the better after I met you five years ago. I owe ya. Big.

      As for Control, it’s funny – there were 2007 films that resonated with me more (Atonement and No Country come to mind), but the quality in the writing back then was…well…slightly less-than-stellar. So choosing one from that era that met both criteria left slim pickins. I did rewatch CONTROL the other night and was amazed at how stunning a film it still is.

      Anyway – thanks a mil for being such a great friend and cheerleader. We’ll toast to 5 years of our little Broken Social Scene during TIFF.

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