IMDb > Tricks of the Trade: Making 'Matchstick Men' (2004) (V)

Tricks of the Trade: Making 'Matchstick Men' (2004) (V) More at IMDbPro »


IMDb Holiday Movie Guide

Overview

User Rating:
7.4/10   95 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 30% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Contact:
View company contact information for Tricks of the Trade: Making 'Matchstick Men' on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
24 February 2004 (USA) more
Genre:
Plot Keywords:
User Comments:
Terrific Documentary About Moving Making more (4 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
Debra Zane ... Herself - Casting Director

Ridley Scott ... Himself - Director / Producer

Melora Walters ... Herself - 'Heather' (Audition Tape)

Sheila Kelley ... Herself - 'Kathy' (Audition Tape) (as Sheila Kelly)

Bruce McGill ... Himself - 'Chuck Frechette' (Audition Tape)
Sean Bailey ... Himself - Producer
Michael Kaplan ... Himself - Costume Designer
John Mathieson ... Himself
Dody Dorn ... Herself - Editor

Nicolas Cage ... Himself - 'Roy'
Ted Griffin ... Himself - Writer / Producer
Jack Rapke ... Himself - Producer
Charles J.D. Schlissel ... Himself - Co-Producer
K.C. Hodenfield ... Himself - Assistant Director
Tom Foden ... Himself - Production Designer
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Runtime:
72 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.78 : 1 more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
This documentary is featured on all 3 DVD releases (Fullscreen, Widescreen & 2-Disc soundtrack edition) for Matchstick Men (2003), released in February 2004 in Region 1 (USA and Canada). more
Goofs:
Factual errors: Instead of saying "July 2, 2002 - 12 Days until principal photography", it stated "June 2, 2002" instead. more
Quotes:
[6:30 A.M. - Ridley Scott arrives for the first day of shooting]
Ridley Scott: Jesus Christ! We're being filmed already.
more
Movie Connections:
References Gladiator (2000) more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
5 out of 5 people found the following comment useful.
Terrific Documentary About Moving Making, 23 March 2004
10/10
Author: Rick Umali (rgu@TheWorld.com) from Arlington, MA, USA

If you are at all a fan of DVD commentaries, then this documentary is definitely for you. This documentary ALONE is worth the price of the DVD.

This documentary was made by Charles de Lauzirika, who has produced the DVDs for many of Ridley Scott's films, including Alien, the Duellists, and Hannibal. I actually was watching the small "retrospective" short (Duelling Directors) on the DVD "The Duellists" (Ridley Scott's first film), and I was amazed that the producer of that DVD was none other than Charles de Lauzirika. He does terrific work.

The documentary neatly splits up the "Matchstick Men" movie making process into pre-production, production, and post-production. Charles gives equal weight to both, highlighting some of the key decisions that were made at each step in the movie-making process. For pre-production, we saw Ridley at a casting meeting and costume reviews. For production, we saw Ridley's first shooting day, and last shooting day, as well as a necessary re-shoot. You even got to see the author of the book Matchstick Men, Eric Garcia. For post-production, we heard from Hans Zimmer (composer) and Dody Dorn (editor), and the decisions they made in their roles.

This was a long documentary but it was hardly a marketing-driven fluff piece. This was clearly a documentary from a fan of the "behind-the-scenes" genre, for fans of the "behind-the-scenes" genre.

I wish the documentary could have been longer! I wish there could have been more about the budget process, and some more from the principal actors (a la the reality TV show about movie making, Project Greenlight).

That little bit aside, this documentary is a wonderful testimony to Ridley Scott, the legendary director. He's the star of the documentary as he should be. You got a sense of his style. You got a sense of his desire to be prepared for all aspects of the production.

For all fans of movie-making, this documentary is a superb addition to your collection.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more (4 total)

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Tricks of the Trade: Making 'Matchstick Men' (2004) (V)

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
Dangerous Days: Making Blade Runner Fallen Empire: Making 'American Gangster' Colors of the Crusade The Human Factor: Exacting Revenge of the Fallen Thelma & Louise: The Last Journey
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits IMDb Documentary section
IMDb USA section Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.