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Matthew F. Leonetti

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Matthew F. Leonetti
Born
Matthew Frank Leonetti

(1941-07-31)July 31, 1941(age 82)
Los Angeles,California,U.S
Alma materLoyola Marymount University
OccupationCinematographer
Years active1970–present
RelativesJohn R. Leonetti(brother)
AwardsASC President's Award

Matthew Frank LeonettiA.S.C.(born July 31, 1941) is an Americancinematographer.[1][2][3]Accomplished and highly prolific,[1][4]he has worked on dozens of well-known and acclaimed films spanning numerous genres,[4][3]includingPoltergeist,Fast Times at Ridgemont High,Weird Science,Jagged Edge,Strange Days,andStar Trek: First Contact.[1][2]He has collaborated with directors such asTobe Hooper,Walter Hill,John Hughes,Kenneth Branagh,Kathryn Bigelow,Zack Snyder,andThe Farrelly Brothers.

Early life[edit]

Leonetti was born inLos Angeles,Californiain 1941. His father Frank was afilmmakerandcinematographerwho served as agafferandlighting technicianon low-budgetB-movieslikeThe Violent Years,Frankenstein's Daughter,andBeyond the Time Barrier.[2]

Career[edit]

Leonetti began his career working on a number of projects with his father, serving as acamera operatoron films likeAdam at 6 A.M.andThe Organization.[2][3]He soon fell in withJerry Jameson,a prolifictelevision directorwho dabbled infeature films.[5][3]

His debut as cinematographer wasThe Bat People,ahorrorB-moviedirected by Jameson and starringStewart MossandMichael Pataki,on which he also served as anexecutive producer.[6]Though the film came and went with little fanfare, it did gain a minor cult following years later after being featured on an episodeMystery Science Theater 3000.[7]Leonetti spent much of the 1970s shootingmade-for-televisionfilms directed by Jameson.[3]

In 1979, Leonetti shot his first big-budgettheatrical filmin the form of theAcademy Award-winningBreaking Away,directed byPeter Yates.[8]Three years later, he shot theAcademy Award-nominatedPoltergeist,[9]where he was responsible for creating many of the film's iconic images.[10]This proved to be his big break, and in the following years he quickly became one of the most prolific and accomplished DPs in the film industry, shooting films likeFast Times at Ridgemont High,Weird Science,Commando,[11]andJagged Edge.[12]In 1987, he began a collaboration with directorWalter Hill,which would continue of the course of several films into the 1990s. Throughout that decade, he would work with directors likeKenneth Branagh,Kathryn Bigelow,andWilliam Dear.His work on thecultscience fictionnoirStrange Days[13]earned him a nomination for Best Cinematography from theChicago Film Critics Association.He shot two entries in theStar Trekfilm franchise,and served as DP on his brotherJohn R. Leonetti's directorial debut,Mortal Kombat Annihilation.[14]

In the early 2000s, Leonetti shot a string ofblockbusterthrillerandaction films;includingAlong Came a Spider,2 Fast 2 Furious,Rush Hour 2,andThe Butterfly Effect.He shot the 2004 remake ofDawn of the Dead,which served as thefeature filmdebut of directorZack Snyder.[15]Since 2006, he has mostly worked oncomedy films,many of which are directed bythe Farrelly Brothers.In 2015, he was the recipient of a Special Honor Prize, the President's Award, from theAmerican Society of Cinematographers.[4]

Personal life[edit]

Leonetti has a younger brother,John,who is himself a prolific cinematographer and occasional film director. He is a graduate ofLoyola Marymount University.[1]

Filmography[edit]

Film[edit]

Year Title Director Notes
1974 The Bat People Jerry Jameson Alsoexecutive producer
1977 Mr. Billion Jonathan Kaplan
The Chicken Chronicles Frank Simon
1979 Breaking Away Peter Yates
1980 Raise the Titanic Jerry Jameson
1981 Eyewitness Peter Yates
1982 Poltergeist Tobe Hooper
Fast Times at Ridgemont High Amy Heckerling
1984 The Buddy System Glenn Jordan
The Ice Pirates Stewart Raffill
Songwriter Alan Rudolph
1985 Fast Forward Sidney Poitier
Weird Science John Hughes
Jagged Edge Richard Marquand
Commando Mark L. Lester
1986 Jumpin' Jack Flash Penny Marshall
1987 Extreme Prejudice Walter Hill
Dragnet Tom Mankiewicz
1988 Action Jackson Craig R. Baxley
Red Heat Walter Hill
1989 Johnny Handsome
1990 Hard to Kill Bruce Malmuth
Another 48 Hrs. Walter Hill
1991 Dead Again Kenneth Branagh
1992 Leap of Faith Richard Pearce
1994 Angels in the Outfield William Dear
A Low Down Dirty Shame Keenen Ivory Wayans
1995 Strange Days Kathryn Bigelow Nominated-CFCA Award for Best Cinematography
1996 Fled Kevin Hooks
Star Trek: First Contact Jonathan Frakes
1997 Mortal Kombat Annihilation John R. Leonetti
1998 Species II Peter Medak
Star Trek: Insurrection Jonathan Frakes
2001 Along Came a Spider Lee Tamahori
Rush Hour 2 Brett Ratner
2003 2 Fast 2 Furious John Singleton
2004 The Butterfly Effect Eric Bress
J. Mackye Gruber
Dawn of the Dead Zack Snyder
2005 Fever Pitch The Farrelly Brothers
Santa's Slay David Steiman
2006 Accepted Steve Pink
2007 Pride Sunu Gornea
The Heartbreak Kid The Farrelly Brothers
2008 What Happens in Vegas Tom Vaughan
Soul Men Malcolm D. Lee
2011 Hall Pass The Farrelly Brothers
2012 The Three Stooges
2013 Movie 43 Peter Farrelly Segments "The Pitch" and "The Catch"
2014 Dumb and Dumber To The Farrelly Brothers

Additional photography

Year Title Director DoP.
1988 Elvira: Mistress of the Dark James Signorelli James B. Campbell
1992 Freejack Geoff Murphy Amir Mokri
1993 Demolition Man Marco Brambilla Alex Thomson
1999 Pushing Tin Mike Newell Gale Tattersall
2007 Halloween Rob Zombie Phil Parmet
2008 College Road Trip Roger Kumble Theo van de Sande
2010 The Expendables Sylvester Stallone Jeffrey L. Kimball

Television[edit]

TV movies

Year Title Director
1974 The Elevator Jerry Jameson
Terror on the 40th Floor
It Couldn't Happen to a Nicer Guy Cy Howard
Hurricane Jerry Jameson
1975 The Secret Night Caller
Search for the Gods Jud Taylor
The Deadly Tower Jerry Jameson
The Lives of Jenny Dolan
1976 High Risk Sam O'Steen
The Call of the Wild Jerry Jameson
1977 The Spell Lee Philips
Flight to Holocaust Bernard L. Kowalski
The Hostage Heart Bernard McEveety
1978 Superdome Jerry Jameson
Ruby and Oswald Mel Stuart
Special Olympics Lee Philips
The Comedy Company
A Fire in the Sky Jerry Jameson
1979 The Triangle Factory Fire Scandal Mel Stuart
Willa Joan Darling
Claudio Guzmán
Son-Rise: A Miracle of Love Glenn Jordan
1980 Turnover Smith Bernard L. Kowalski
1981 Crazy Times Lee Philips
Stand By Your Man Jerry Jameson
1982 Mae West Lee Philips
E.T. and Friends: Magical Movie Visitors Malcolm Leo
Andrew Solt
Hotline Jerry Jameson
1983 Happy Lee Philips
1986 American Geisha
Under the Influence Thomas Carter
1988 Secret Witness Eric Laneuville

TV series

Year Title Director Notes
1978 The American Girls Lee Philips Episode "The Phoenix Connection"
1982 Tucker's Witch Peter H. Hunt Episode "The Good Witch of Laurel Canyon"
1983 Lottery! Lee Philips Episode "Being a Winner"
1984 Jessie Richard Michaels Episode "Pilot"
2008 Unhitched The Farrelly Brothers Episode "Pilot"

Literature[edit]

  • Kay Weniger:Das große Personenlexikon des Films,Band 4, Page 690, Berlin (2001)ISBN3-89602-340-3

References[edit]

  1. ^abcd"Matthew Leonetti | Biography and Filmography | 1941".Hollywood.com.2015-02-06.Retrieved2017-08-18.
  2. ^abcd"MATTHEW LEONETTI".www.cinematographers.nl.Retrieved2017-08-18.
  3. ^abcde"Camera Op to Cinematographer: Matt Leonetti & His Road to Hollywood Success".www.productionhub.com.9 October 2014.Retrieved2017-08-18.
  4. ^abc"ASC Announces Four Cinematogaphers To Receive Special Honors".Variety 411.2014-09-27.Retrieved2017-08-18.
  5. ^Hart, Henry (2000-04-22).James Dickey: The World as a Lie.Macmillan.ISBN9780312203207.
  6. ^"The Bat People".TVGuide.com.Retrieved2017-08-18.
  7. ^"Episode guide: 1010- IT Lives By Night « Satellite News".www.mst3kinfo.com.Retrieved2017-08-18.
  8. ^"CINEMATOGRAPHER LEONETTI BREAKING AWAY FROM THE MOLD -".2016-09-06.Retrieved2017-08-18.
  9. ^Galluzzo, Rob (2017-07-14)."Confirmation? Who Really Directed Poltergesit?".Blumhouse.com.Archived fromthe originalon 2017-09-01.Retrieved2017-08-18.
  10. ^"Poltergeist (1982) / Matthew Leonetti, ASC, and Richard Edlund, ASC - The American Society of Cinematographers".theasc.com.Retrieved2017-08-18.
  11. ^"Commando".TVGuide.com.Retrieved2017-08-18.
  12. ^"Matthew F. Leonetti – One. Perfect. Shot".oneperfectshot.wordpress.com.23 January 2015.Retrieved2017-08-18.
  13. ^"Strange Days".Rolling Stone.Retrieved2017-08-18.
  14. ^"Mortal Kombat Annihilation - About The Filmmakers".www.filmscouts.com.Retrieved2017-08-18.
  15. ^"DAWN OF THE DEAD - Festival de Cannes".Festival de Cannes.Retrieved2017-08-18.

External links[edit]

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