Product Code Database
Matt Pizzolo (born on Long Island, New York) is an American film director, screenwriter, film producer, bestselling comic book writer, playwright, and entrepreneur, best known for his work as writer of the speculative politics comic books Calexit and Young Terrorists, creator of the transmedia franchise Godkiller, writer-director of the indie movie Threat, and director of music videos for Atari Teenage Riot. "Atari Teenage Riot- Rage (WTO)," YouTube. Accessed Nov. 30, 2011.
He co-founded and runs Independent film Film studio HALO 8 Entertainment with producing partner Brian Giberson and comic book publisher Black Mask Studios with partner Brett Gurewitz and creative director Steve Niles.
In 2012 Pizzolo was selected by Wired as "World's Most Wired Comics Creator" for his work synthesizing genre media with street politics ("anticorporate DIY production") and innovating new storytelling technologies ("engineering the transmedia spine that will take comics into the future").
Pizzolo became involved in political organizing in 2017, leveraging the momentum of his comic book series Calexit. He formed the political action committee "Become The Government" to support first time political candidates in the 2018 midterm elections (initially funded by his Calexit royalties), ran interviews with first-time candidates and grassroots organizers in the non-fiction backmatter of Calexit, and hosted Indivisible to run voter registration at his booth on the showfloor of San Diego Comic-Con.
He intended to shoot Hi8 footage of the principal characters, and cutting their dialogue and reaction shots against footage stolen from obscure films, creating a unique project built on film sampling (a common practice in the indie rock music of the time). As the project developed, Pizzolo discarded the sampling format and instead directed it on 16mm film as a traditional independent film despite the fact that its massive scope of location and action was quite ambitious for no-budget indies of the time which generally focused on a single-location, talking-heads format.Manley, Brendan. " Culture Clash: NY Filmmakers Tackle Race, Politics, Sex and Social Unrest With 'Threat'". Long Island Press. January 12, 2006.Handelman, Jon. " All Hell Breaks Loose On The Lower East Side ". McGill Daily. February 3, 2006.Williams, Jonathan. " Threat ". Gothic Beauty Magazine. Volume 21, Spring 2006.Campion, Chris. " The Sundance Survivors ". London Daily Telegraph Saturday Magazine. February 5, 2000.Young, Dylan. " Itty bitty Indie ". Hour Weekly. February 2, 2006.Null, Christopher. "Threat" . Film Critic. January 24, 2006.Kulkarni, Neil. " Threat ". Terrorizer Magazine. Issue 144 2006.Jones, Preston. " Threat". DVD Talk. January 24, 2006.Mitchell, Wendy. "Threat Of A Deal". IndieWire. September 2004.
Threat attracted controversy for allegedly glorifying violence and class conflict. When Threat opened at Montreal's Cinema du Parc, Kevin Laforest of the Montreal Film Journal stated, "Films like La Haine, Menace II Society or Fight Club also portray people raging against the machine, but they ultimately show that violence doesn't solve anything. Whereas Matt Pizzolo's flick openly glorifies murderous revolt, literally telling the audience to go out and beat up random people, just because."Laforest, Kevin. "Threat". Montreal Film Journal. January 27, 2006. When Threat premiered in US theaters, Suicide Girls commented, "Matt Pizzolo shook up Hollywood with his indie movie Threat and the guerrilla tactics he used to produce and distribute it. A defiant and confrontational movie about class war and unbridled youth violence, Threat is not exactly the type of film you might expect to earn its writer-director a multi-picture deal with Sony, but that's exactly what Pizzolo managed to accomplish along with his filmmaking partner Katie Nisa and their Kings Mob multimedia militia."Jihad, Vegan (May 5, 2006). "Matt Pizzolo, director of Threat". Suicide Girls.
Threat went on to tour the US and Europe several times. After screenings, Pizzolo and filmmaking partner Katie Nisa would teach DiY Filmmaking Workshops for aspiring guerrilla filmmakers. Over time, the filmmaking workshops became a focus of the events and Pizzolo invited local independent media-makers to teach various DiY-instructional workshops.
One of the first films Pizzolo championed at HALO-8 was the controversial and embattled Your Mommy Kills Animals, a critically acclaimed documentary about the animal rights movement. Although widely praised for its unbiased approach, the film drew the ire of Washington lobbying firm Center for Consumer Freedom, who waged a costly legal campaign to block release of the film. Despite Amazon.com, Netflix, and numerous other retailers, film festivals, and movie theaters' decision to drop the film when faced with legal threats and intimidation, Pizzolo stood by the film and continued its distribution despite fierce, ongoing opposition.Hays, Matthew. " Dealmakers Scouting Fantasia". Playback Magazine.July 11, 2007.Goldstein, Gregg. " Halo-8 Lettings 'Animals' Out Of Their Cages". The Hollywood Reporter. July 13, 2007.Martin, Peter. " 'Your Mommy Kills Animals' DVD Pulled by Amazon". Cinematical. November 14, 2007.Yahoo! News. " 'Your Mommy Kills Animals' DVD Hits Shelves Today... Maybe". Yahoo Finance. November 13, 2007.Martin, Peter. " Indie Online: Netflix, Televandalism and Jaman". Cinematical. May 21, 2008.Rosenthal, Phil. " Halo-8 Launches Digital Movie Portal 'TELEVANDALISM.com' with Controversial Flagship ". Elites TV. May 21, 2008.
The illustrated film format Pizzolo developed with producer Brian Giberson for Godkiller merges sequential art with 3D CGI, motion graphics and dramatic voice performances in the style of a radio play.Thill, Scott. " Post-Apocalyptic Comic Godkiller Emerges as 'Illustrated Film'". Wired. October 6, 2009.Mr. Disgusting (February 24, 2009). "Cult Icons Topline Halo-8's 'Godkiller'". Bloody-Disgusting.
Godkiller featured performances by Lance Henriksen, Danielle Harris, Justin Pierre (singer of Motion City Soundtrack), Davey Havok (singer of AFI), Nicki Clyne, Bill Moseley, Katie Nisa, Lydia Lunch, and a musical score composed by Alec Empire and Nic Endo of Atari Teenage Riot.Horror, Joy (October 2009). "Interview: Matt Pizzolo". Horror News. "MAY SPOTLIGHT: Halo-8 PLUS An Interview With Founder Matt Pizzolo!" . Bloody Disgusting (May 4, 2010).Gingold, Michael. " Genre Names Speaking Up For Godkiller". Fangoria. February 25, 2009.
Once released, the first episodic DVD quickly established itself as its distributor's all-time fastest-selling release.Moore, Debi. " Halo-8 Launches H8LA Apparel Line". Dread Central. November 23, 2009.
In August 2009, it was announced the Godkiller: Walk Among Us DVDs would include serialized audiobooks of the prequel urban fantasy/speculative fiction novel Godkiller: Silent War. Set in the near future, Godkiller: Silent War tells the story of Joe Junior, a 17-year-old draft-dodger who is recruited by an armed cult of populist assassins and thrust into a secret world of international cabals, alien conspiracies, and the countdown to Armageddon.Moore, Debi. " Godkiller DVD Will Include Prequel Audiobooks". Dread Central. August 27, 2009.The Woman In Black. " Godkiller DVD Will Include Prequel Audiobooks," Dread Central. (August 27, 2009).
In May 2010, the Godkiller: Walk Among Us series of shortform illustrated film was collected into a feature-length film and distributed in theaters. It was distributed day and date with a digital release by Warner Brothers before streaming on Netflix and Hulu.
The comic book sequel Godkiller: Tomorrow's Ashes debuted in January 2012 through a hybrid digital and convention-exclusive release.MacDonald, Heidi (January 18, 2012). "Halo-8 releases Godkiller: Tomorrow's Ashes as print/digital sub hybrid". Comics Beat.
Godkiller returned in 2014 as a comic book series published by Black Mask Studios.Kit, Borys (October 17, 2014). "Grant Morrison's 'Sinatoro' Getting the Comic Book Treatment From Black Mask Studios". The Hollywood Reporter.
In November 2014, it was reported that Godkiller would be rebooted as an animated feature film trilogy directed by Pizzolo.Yamato, Jen (November 6, 2014). ‘Godkiller’ Post-Apocalyptic Comic Bound For New Animated Trilogy. Deadline Hollywood.
Though not an official prequel, Pizzolo has indicated that The Long Knives takes place in a shared universe with Godkiller and deals with several key Godkiller characters during the breakdown of society that precedes Godkiller: Walk Among Us.The oDead. "KILLER GRAPHICS #6: Interview With 'The Long Knives' Illustrator Ana Ludeshka Manicchio!" . Bloody Disgusting (May 11, 2010).
The Long Knives comic book series debuted on digital comics platform Graphic.ly in January 2011 and was distributed through a hybrid digital and convention-exclusive release.
Pizzolo and Nahuelpan followed up Young Terrorists with the acclaimed comic book series Calexit in 2017, which sold out of its initial 25,000 print run within 24 hours and is now in its eighth printing.
On July 7, 2021, Godkiller returned to comic book stores with Godkiller: Tomorrow's Ashes #1. The painted cover by Nen Chang immediately became the publisher's all-time bestseller. With an initial print run over 40,000, it sold out in its first day of release. The publisher rushed a second printing with a new cover by artist Yasmin Flores Montanez.
Pizzolo hosted Indivisible to run voter registration at his booth on the showfloor of San Diego Comic-Con in 2018, where he unveiled the charity comic book Calexit: All Systems San Diego (referencing San Diego band Rocket from the Crypt's album) which introduced the new character Emmie-X, a pirate radio DJ in Occupied San Diego.
Indivisible San Diego adopted Emmie-X as the face of their 2018 voter outreach efforts with the "Voting Is My Superpower" campaign. Artist Emily Pearson ( The Wilds, Snap Flash Hustle, Bonding) illustrated Emmie-X for the campaign.
Pizzolo and Indivisible also organized a free "Voting Is My Superpower" event during San Diego Comic-Con at Comickaze Comics in Liberty Station for locals who were unable to afford Comic Con badges. Indivisible leader Kathy Stadler, ACLU Advocacy Director David Trujillo, and Council on American-Islamic Relations community liaison Yusef Miller joined Pizzolo for a discussion of how dystopian art can help prepare people for crises in real life.
Pizzolo has been announced as producer on the Warner Brothers feature film adaptation of the Black Mask Studios comic book series BLACK, about a world where only black people have superpowers, and the PictureStart feature film adaptation of the comic book series 4 Kids Walk into a Bank, about a 12-year-old girl who enlists her friends to rob a bank in order to prevent her dad and his friends from botching the job themselves and getting thrown back in jail.
During Halo-8's panel at C2E2, it was announced that Pizzolo would collaborate with Tim Seeley on an adaptation of the comic book series Loaded Bible.The oDead. "EXCLUSIVE: Halo-8 Releases New info On 'Loaded Bible', Tim Seeley Talks Voice Casting!" Bloody Disgusting. (April 21, 2010).
During the same panel, Pizzolo unveiled the first concept art for Medusa: Year One,THEoDEAD. "Halo-8 Plans To Re-Tell The Medusa Legend With 'Medusa: Year One'!" Bloody Disgusting. April 21, 2010. which Pizzolo describes as "A twist on the Medusa origin-story.",Hess, Michael (April 20, 2010). "Medusa: Year One Exclusive Image. Details are still few, but Matt Pizzolo's upcoming illustrated film makes up want to look on it directly" . UGO.
Pizzolo will direct an illustrated film adaptation of the comic book series Hack/Slash.Marshall, Rick (September 10, 2010). "Hack/Slash To Get The Illustrated Film Treatment". MTV Splash Page.
Pizzolo organized the Occupy Comics project featuring dozens of comics pros including Alan Moore, David Lloyd, Ben Templesmith, Molly Crabapple, J.M. DeMatteis, Charlie Adlard, Steve Niles, Amanda PalmerRao, Mallika (December 7, 2011). "Occupy Comics: Alan Moore And David Lloyd Of 'V For Vendetta' Are Onboard (SLIDESHOW)". HuffPost. and Anna Wieszczyk.Moore, Debi (January 12, 2015). "Godkiller #2 Celebrates Cosplay with Third Printing and Fan-Made Cover". Dread Central.
In July 2021, it was announced that Pizzolo will write an adult animated series adaptation of the comic book series Faust, a deconstructed superhero comic contemporaneous with Watchmen, Dark Knight Returns and The Crow, for Sony Television. The comic book launched in 1987 and is considered to be "one of the goriest, most NSFW superhero horror comic book series ever published."
In 1998, while working on Threat, he told Style Magazine, "When we were thinking of starting a DiY production company, there were no models on how to do it in independent film. So we looked to musical role-models like the Wu-Tang Clan, the punk Epitaph Records label, and the hardcore Dischord Records label. Now we want Kings Mob to be the role model we couldn't find."Campion, Chris. "Call It A Threat". Style Magazine, via Kingsmob.com. archived from the original on July 23, 2004.
In April 2007, Pizzolo was awarded the "First Feature Film - Special Mention" prize on behalf of Threat at the Rome Independent Film Festival in Rome, Italy.
Production style
Pizzolo's artistic and entrepreneurial works are reflective of his DIY ethos and belief that a subversive artist can only maintain creative control of a project if he or she also controls the business aspects including production, distribution, and marketing.Hefflon, Scott. "Threat". Lollipop Magazine. Retrieved November 13, 2018.
Awards
In October 2006, Pizzolo accepted the Grand Prize for Best Feature on behalf of Threat at the Lausanne Underground Film and Music Festival in Lausanne, Switzerland.
External links
Categories: Www.matteopizzolo.com Official Website, American Dramatists And Playwrights, Living People, People From Nassau County, New York, Film Directors From New York City, American Experimental Filmmakers, New York University Alumni, American Comics Writers, American Writers Of Italian Descent, Activists From New York City, People From Long Island, Year Of Birth Missing
|
|
