Matthew Lillard Movies
Making a career out of playing either sociopaths or the hyperkinetically weird, Matthew Lillard has established himself as one of the more promising, to say nothing of idiosyncratic, actors of his generation. Originally hailing from Lansing, MI, where he was born on January 24, 1970, Lillard was raised in California. His first break came in the form of Ghoulies 3: Ghoulies Go to College (1993), in which he was credited as Matthew Lynn. More auspicious work followed in John Waters' lovably warped Serial Mom (1994), which cast Lillard as the gore-obsessed son of the decidedly unhinged Kathleen Turner. The role was one of the first in which Lillard played the type of superficially normal yet profoundly wacked-out character that was to become his trademark. It was followed by a minor role in the Drew Barrymore/Chris O'Donnell doomed love vehicle Mad Love (directed by Antonia Bird in 1995) and a cyberpunk turn in Hackers (also 1995). Next up was the film that would make him famous, Wes Craven's Scream (1996). The film, in addition to simultaneously parodying and reviving the teen horror genre, helped to enhance the careers of more than a few of its actors, including David Arquette, Courtney Cox, Neve Campbell, and Skeet Ulrich.Lillard's next project of any acclaim (following such disappointments as Dish Dogs, The Curve, and Senseless, all made in 1998) was Robert Towne's Without Limits (1998), the critically lauded, if little-seen, story of the life of runner Steve Prefontaine (played by Billy Crudup, with Donald Sutherland as his coach). Lillard's subsequent film, SLC Punk! (1999), met with similarly good reviews, with praise being singled out for both Lillard's performance and that of his co-star, Michael Goorjian. The film told the story of two punks growing up in staid Salt Lake City during the Reagan years, and contained the type of small-budget charm lacking in Lillard's next two projects, Wing Commander and She's All That. Both films featured Lillard co-starring with Freddie Prinze Jr., as well as a score of bad reviews. However, while the former also succumbed to dismal box-office performance, the latter met with widespread success, virtually guaranteeing future work for Lillard and his young co-stars. Following the release of such efforts as Summer Catch and 13 Ghosts (both 2001), Lillard would take on the role of the fragile-nerved Shaggy in the live-action adaptation of the enduring cartoon Scooby-Doo in 2002. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide
- 2009
Matthew Lillard (Scooby Doo) stars in this National Lampoon comedy about a hapless surfer who loses his prized board. When JD (Khan Chittenden) comes up from a wipeout, his board is nowhere to be found; a quick search of the shore reveals that a thief has swiped it and taken it deep inland. Now JD and his friends must quest to the valley to get back what's theirs. ~ Sandra Bencic, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Matthew Lillard, Khan Chittenden, (more)
- 2008
A lovable loser finds his future looking up after meeting the woman of his dreams, only to find that he will have to work overtime in order to prevent true love from slipping through his fingers. Herman Spooner (Matthew Lillard) is about to turn thirty. He sells used cars for a living, and still lives at home with his parents. As much as they love him, Herman's parents have set a hard deadline for their son to strike out on his own. That line is Herman's thirtieth birthday. Even worse, Herman's boss has threatened to give him the axe should he fail to improve his numbers and move more cars. When Herman wakes up on the morning of his thirtieth birthday, he assumes that it will be one of the worst days of his life. But then he meets Rose, and all of his fears simply fade away. As the pair sets out on the perfect date, Rose drops a bombshell: she's about to leave for the Philippines. Realizing that he's got precious little time to show Rose how much he really cares, Herman casts all of his fears and doubts aside in a last ditch attempt to convince her their love was meant to be. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Matthew Lillard, Nora Zehetner, (more)
- 2007
A young couple desperate to conceive enters into a slow-burn battle of wills with the surrogate mother who agreed to help them, and the man who has subsequently fallen in love with her, in director Abe Levy's intimate family drama. When a childless thirtysomething couple discovers that they are unable to birth a child, they enlist the aid of a willing young woman in bringing their baby to term. Trouble soon arises, however, when the man's boss unexpectedly falls for the surrogate and decides that he's fairly keen on fatherhood as well. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Josh Randall, Claire Rankin, (more)
As Eloise begins preparation for her sixth birthday celebration, the planning for her extravagant party suddenly goes awry with the arrival of a young Japanese violin prodigy who inadvertently steals the spotlight away from the birthday girl in this animated tale of friendship and understanding featuring the voices of Lynn Redgrave and Tim Curry. Eloise is certain that her sixth birthday party will be the best bash ever, but when young Yuko arrives in the Plaza and floors her peers with her truly spectacular musical skills, the soon-to-be birthday girl takes it upon herself to show the new arrival just how fun the Plaza can be with a little imagination and a healthy dose of creativity. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mary Matilyn Mouser, Lynn Redgrave, (more)
Christmas Eve is drawing near, and when the Plaza's most famous six-year-old vows to put on the best holiday show ever a last minute cancellation threatens to sink the elaborate holiday celebration in an animated tale that offers holiday fun for the whole family. A variety of traditions from various cultures promise to make this year's show the biggest holiday event in Plaza history, but in the ensuing chaos Mr. Salamone is prompted to cancel the show just plans begin falling into place. Now it's up to Eloise to keep the spirit of Christmas alive, and as the kids scramble to save the show and Eloise ponders whether her surprise guest will truly show up, everyone is about to learn the most important holiday lesson of all. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mary Matilyn Mouser, Lynn Redgrave, (more)
Gotham City has Batman and New York has Spiderman, but what dark hero protects the gritty, future Tokyo? The answer is the Karas, the main characters of this feature-film-length anime of the same name. Blending 2D cell-shaded animation and 3D computer graphics, Karas: The Prophecy finds the delicate balance between the humans of Tokyo and the ghostly beings that inhabit the city in a parallel universe suddenly disrupted. For thousands of years, the peace has been kept by noble beings called the Karas, who strive to make both the dark and light sides live in harmony. Power breeds corruption however, and now Eko, the current Karas -- who once swore to protect the city and maintain the balance there -- has since grown bitter and vengeful. He has granted some malicious poltergeists physical bodies so that he can personally rule the humanity he once served. The incarnate of the city, Yurine, must come to the people's aid and so she creates a new Karas to battle the old one. Two Karas have never existed in the same city before, and as a battle for the fate of humanity ensues, it is certain that only one will remain. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jay Hernandez, Matthew Lillard, (more)
The anime film Karas: The Revolution concerns a man whose job it is to maintain an uncomfortable peace between humans and demons as they co-exist in Tokyo. When the evil Eko starts a plan for world-domination, our hero, Karas, must risk his life to save everyone. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jay Hernandez, Matthew Lillard, (more)
- 2002
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What would life amongst the Muppets have been without their unofficial leader Kermit the Frog? That's the question posed by this made-for-TV confection, which not only spoofs the Yuletide classic It's a Wonderful Life, but also takes satirical aim at such pop cultural phenomena as Moulin Rouge and Fear Factor. The plot is set in motion when typically evil banker Rachel Bitterman (Joan Cusack) forecloses on the Muppets' famous variety theater, with the intention of building a gaudy nightclub. But Bitterman's machinations take a back seat when apprentice guardian angel, Daniel (David Arquette), shows Kermit (voiced by Steve Whitmire) what conditions would have been had Kermit never existed. Without going into full detail, suffice to say that a Kermit-less world would have found Miss Piggy (voiced by Frank Oz) running a fraudulent psychic hot line, Fozzie Bear as a homeless derelict, and Sam the Eagle as a caged dancer at a rave. Decked out with cameo appearances by everyone from Whoopi Goldberg to the cast of the TV series Scrubs, It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie debuted over NBC on November 29, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steve Whitmire, Frank Oz, (more)
- 2001
A twenty-something who has spent several years staring failure in the face tries to put his life back in order in this independent comedy-drama. Linc (Donny Terranova) is a struggling young writer who decided to drop out of college so he could devote his time to writing the great novel he was certain lurked within him. Four years down the line, however, Linc's novel remains unfinished, and he scrapes together a living in Los Angeles writing a column for a low-rent porn magazine. When Linc's father dies unexpectedly, he comes home for the first time in years to attend the funeral. While in town, Linc runs into Dena (Dawn Cochran), whose brother was Linc's best friend back in the old days. As Linc tries to figure out what his next move in life should be, he finds himself increasingly attracted to Dena, who is also interested in him, though both Linc and Dena have to deal with Julie (Nicole Eggert), Linc's former flame who still believes she has a claim to him. Triangle Square won the Audience Award at the 2001 Dances With Films Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Donny Terranova, Jon Cellini, (more)
One day Jack (Matthew Lillard) shows up at the antiques-laden warehouse apartment of Max (Vincent D'Onofrio) and Jamie (Valeria Golino), two ruthless low-level criminals with higher aspirations than the two-bit thieving they do now. Jack insists he's Max's brother, but Jamie, whose hobby is collecting poison, has her doubts. When Max arrives to find Jack tied to a chair, it's revealed that Jack isn't Max's brother -- he's a hoodlum with a line on a briefcase with a million dollars and a priceless, mysterious antiquity called the Spanish Judges; all he wants is Max and Jamie's help recovering the loot. But when the plan goes awry, and violently so, suddenly loyalties and motives are called into question. Was this Jack's plan all along, or did Jamie have something to do with it? ~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Vincent D'Onofrio, Valeria Golino, (more)
- 1995
In this drama, a young professional photographer, Diane Di Sorella, must suddenly return to her long- abandoned family home in New Jersey after her mother unexpectedly dies. Once back amongst her fellow Italian-American neighbors she begins to rediscover the heritage she rejected some many years before. She also begins to remember her embittered mother whom she abandoned. This is a tough time for Diane and she finds support with the best friend of her late grandmother who gives her a secret journal kept by Diane's mother. It is in Italian so the woman must read it to Diane. Passages from it are illustrated via live action vignettes and through puppet shows. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Poolhall Junkies actor/writer/director Mars Callahan once again pulls triple duty with this battle of the sexes comedy starring Cuba Gooding, Jr., Sean Astin, Matthew Lillard, Gina Gershon, and Anne Hesche. It's Valentine's Day, and Sarah (Victoria Pratt) has just kicked longtime boyfriend Tom (Gooding, Jr.) to the curb. Now, as Tom's friends Sal (Lillard), Ken (Callahan), George (Astin), and Wayne (Andrew Daly) drop by to discuss the shortcomings of the female gender, Sarah and her friends congregate in the bathroom to bond over stories about sex and relationships. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cuba Gooding, Jr., Matthew Lillard, (more)
Five longtime friends enjoy a few days of celebratory carousing as they try to forget their adult responsibilities in this slice-of-life comedy drama from director/writer/actor Edward Burns. Paulie (Burns) is a working-class guy from Long Island who has learned that his longtime girlfriend (Brittany Murphy) is pregnant, and he decides he should do the right thing and marry her. Paulie has asked several of his best friends to stand with him at the wedding, and shortly before the big day, they get together at a local watering hole to give Paulie a proper send-off. Over the course of a weekend, the guys knock back a lot of beer, play a little softball, swat some golf balls, head out fishing and share their thoughts, with each man having some unresolved baggage to deal with. While Paulie is excited about his upcoming marriage, he's scared of how parenthood will change his life. His older brother, Jimbo (Donal Logue), has been arguing with his wife and spending his time in topless bars, but inside he's worried about the fact his wife hasn't been able to get pregnant, and he's convinced it's his fault. Des (Matthew Lillard) is a seemingly happy husband and father, but he seems to be more interested in getting his old rock band back together than spending time with his family. Mike (Jay Mohr) wants to settle down and have kids, but he can't imagine doing so with any woman other than the girl who dumped him some time ago. And while T.C. (John Leguizamo) goes out of his way to like one of the guys, he doesn't have the nerve to tell his best friends that he's gay. The Groomsmen received its world premiere at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Edward Burns, Brittany Murphy, (more)
- 2006
- R
- Add Bickford Schmeckler's Cool Ideas to QueueAdd Bickford Schmeckler's Cool Ideas to top of Queue
Reclusive college freshman Bickford Schmeckler (Patrick Fugit) is a virtual fountain of cool ideas, and he records every single one of them in his prized, steel-bound notebook. When the notebook is stolen by hedonistic sorority girl Sarah (Olivia Wilde) during a toga party and subsequently comes into the possession of schizophrenic campus eccentric Spaceman (Matthew Lillard), the desperate Bickford embarks on a frantic quest to recover his most prized possession and prevent his life's work from being credited to someone else. John Cho and Fran Krantz star in a cinematic labor of love from writer/director Scott Lew - an ambitious first-time feature filmmaker who worked for eight years to bring his creative vision to the big screen. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Patrick Fugit, Cheryl Hines, (more)
This haunted house chiller is the second feature from Dark Castle Entertainment, the mid-budget outfit put together in 1999 to remake the cheesy horror genre pictures of William Castle by his daughter, Terry Castle, and producers Gilbert Adler, Robert Zemeckis, and Joel Silver. Financially ravaged and widowed by a fire that is consuming him with guilt, Arthur Kriticos (Tony Shalhoub) is left to raise two kids on his own: beautiful teenager Kathy (Shannon Elizabeth) and grade school student Bobby (Alec Roberts). Good news suddenly drops into their lives when a lawyer visits and reveals that they have inherited a lavish home from a late uncle, Cyrus (F. Murray Abraham), an eccentric ghost hunter. The Kriticos family moves into the remote house only to discover its odd secret: the dwelling contains a state-of-the-art, elaborate system of moving glass walls that trap spirits inside. Soon the ghosts, which can only be seen through the use of special high-tech spectacles, are loose in the elaborate contraption and are none too thrilled about their predicament. With the exits sealed, the family members try to learn the secret of Uncle Cyrus' bizarre mansion and survive supernatural assaults with the help of sassy housekeeper Maggie (Rah Digga), neurotic psychic Rafkin (Matthew Lillard), and Kalina (Embeth Davidtz), an activist championing the civil rights of ghosts. The eyeglasses through which the spirits can be viewed in Thirteen Ghosts (2001) were part of a ballyhoo gimmick involving pairs of spectacles handed out to audiences for screenings of the 1960 original, which was presented in "Illusion-O." ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tony Shalhoub, Embeth Davidtz, (more)
A first feature from the man best known as the host of the hugely successful reality-TV series Survivor, Jeff Probst's twisty thriller is centered around the world of card-playing and con men. A street artist, Tepper (Erik Palladino), finds a wallet outside his apartment building one rainy New York night and phones a number he finds inside. He finds out it belongs to Avery Phillips (James Earl Jones) but notices it contains a lottery ticket worth six million dollars and foolishly tells his garrulous pal Fishman (Matthew Lillard). On the night of their poker game, two more men enter the equation: Quigley (Ryan Reynolds), a divorced sad-sack, and Bolan (Dash Mihok). After Tepper phones him, Avery decides to sit in on their game, unaware that Tepper has his winning lottery ticket. As their game progresses, Tepper's sense of ethics is put to the test, as are the loyalties of the men at the game. Robert Forster co-stars as a street cop thrown into the proceedings, and Carly Pope appears as Tepper's longtime girlfriend Carla. ~ Jason Clark, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Erik Palladino, James Earl Jones, (more)
What's it like being the only punk rockers in the biggest Mormon community in the world? Stevo (Matthew Lillard) and Heroin Bob (Michael Goorjian) provide the answer to this and other questions in SLC Punk. Stevo and Bob (whose name is actually an ironic reference to his fear of needles) are two friends fresh out of college who sport mohawks and blue hair, listen to hardcore and try to live up to their own anarchist ideals while figuring out what to do with their lives. Which wouldn't make them unusual in New York or Los Angeles, but they're fish out of water in Salt Lake City, Utah, where they drink beer, chase women and pick fights with "rednecks" along side a mixed bag of metalheads, hippies, hicks and posers who are fellow outcasts in the most clean-cut community in America. In the midst of all this, Stevo's dad hopes his son will follow in his footsteps and study law at Harvard; while Stevo surprisingly has the grades, he's not sure if he wants to go. Featuring a soundtrack of mid-80's punk from The Ramones, Minor Threat, The Dead Kennedys and others, SLC Punk was chosen as the opening-night feature at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Matthew Lillard, Michael A. Goorjian, (more)
Dan Rosen directed this thriller, filmed in and around Baltimore, based on the college urban legend that you get a cool 4.0 semester grade if your roommate commits suicide. Roommates Rand (Randall Batinkoff), manipulative Tim (Matthew Lillard), and good-guy Chris (Michael Vartan) are seniors at a university where this legend is legit. Since Rand mistreats his pregnant girlfriend Natalie (Tamara Craig Thomas), he's the obvious choice. Tim gets Cliff to assist in Rand's "suicidal" leap from a cliff -- but with that foul deed done, Tim points the police in Chris's direction and then seduces Chris' girlfriend Emma (Keri Russell). After Natalie really does commit suicide, students, cops, and the campus psychiatrist (Dana Delaney) begin to ask probing questions. Track tunes include The Cure, Suzanne Vega, Joy Division, and The Smiths. Shown at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Matthew Lillard, Michael Vartan, (more)
Fast-talking, fast-thinking, fast-living -- oh to be a career dishwasher, without a care in the world other than getting the grime and grease off other peoples' dinner plates. Morgan (Sean Astin) and Jason (Matthew Lillard) have found the Zen in their chosen profession as itinerant dishwashers, scrubbing pots and pans at restaurants at night and by day chasing their dream of finding the perfect wave to surf. They travel up and down the West Coast, insouciantly eschewing a more staid and steady lifestyle, choosing instead to move from one eatery to the next. They brag about what little money and earthly things they possess, and they revel in their romantic freedom. Their peripatetic dishwashing comes to a bubbly stop once Morgan meets topless dancer Anne (Shannon Elizabeth) and decides to make her his -- although she refuses to have anything to do with him. Naturally, a conflict arises with Jason, as this courtship goes against their shared philosophy of rootless rebellion. Can the boys come to a mutually beneficial agreement, or is this the end of the proud "dish dogs"?
~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide
~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sean Astin, Matthew Lillard, (more)
Robert DeFranco directed this comedy-drama about two New Jerseyites who graduated from college only to operate the oven at Lombardo's Pizza. Phil (Peter Facinelli) and Dennis (Dash Mihok) soon realize that the guys they once laughed at have moved on -- while they have been left behind in Nowhere City. Shown at the 1998 Hollywood Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Facinelli, Dash Mihok, (more)
Penelope Spheeris directed this Marlon Wayans comedy, scripted by the Rocket Man team of Greg Erb and Craig Mazin. Saddled with several on and off-campus jobs, hard-working college student Darryl Witherspoon (Marlon Wayans) is aiming for a position with the Smythe-Bates brokerage firm, but twit Scott Thorpe has the right resumé and connections. A frat failure, Darryl also doesn't score at ice hockey. For extra cash, Darryl becomes a test subject for an experimental drug that heightens the senses by five times. The initial effect is a rectal irritation, but then Darryl finds his enhanced hearing enables him to pick up distant conversations, and his upgraded coordination improves his hockey game. However, an overdose literally leaves Darryl senseless, as he discovers only four of his five senses operative at any given time. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marlon Wayans, David Spade, (more)
Scream is at once a slasher film and a tongue-in-cheek position paper on the "dead teenagers" movies of the late 1970s/early 1980s that plays as half-parody, half-tribute. Sydney Prescott (Neve Campbell) is having a rough time lately: she's still getting over the brutal rape and murder of her mother a year ago, and now one of her friends (Drew Barrymore) has been killed by a lunatic who harassed her with terrifying phone calls, then stabbed her to death while wearing a Halloween costume. Soon Sydney is receiving similar phone calls, quizzing her on the arcane details of such films as Friday the 13th and Prom Night, and is attacked by the same cloaked maniac. With her father missing, she has hardly anyone on her side except her best friend Tatum (Rose McGowan) and Tatum's brother Dewey (David Arquette), a half-bright cop. As for the murderer, it could be any number of people: Syd's father; her cute but overly intense boyfriend Billy (Skeet Ullrich); Tatum's goofball boyfriend Stuart (Matthew Lillard); or Randy (Jamie Kennedy), who works at the local video store and seems to like horror movies just a little too much. Much like Halloween, Scream spawned a series of sequels and inspired a large number of similar films -- its original working title, Scary Movie, became the title of the 2000 parody film by Damon Wayans. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox Arquette, (more)
Neil Patrick Harris and Matthew Lillard star in writer/director Craig Singer's violent tale of rehabilitation gone horribly awry. When high school student Arnold Mosk (Neil Patrick Harris) is busted for using drugs, he's immediately placed in an experimental isolation program known as "The Animal Room." "The Animal Room" is a rehabilitation center where the rules of normal society don't apply, a kind-of lawless clubhouse inhabited by the most dangerous and disturbed youth imaginable. When Arnold shows up in "The Animal Room," sadistic gang leader Doug Van Housen (Lillard) immediately targets the frightened newcomer for torment. Doug is the kind of kid who's just too far gone to care what society thinks of him, and he places precious little value on human life. Should Arnold remain in "The Animal Room" he will almost certainly die. Now, it's up to Arnold's childhood friend Gary - a popular student and talented athlete - to break his old pal out of the controversial treatment program before the situation turns deadly. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Beverly Sutphin (Kathleen Turner) is the perfect suburban housewife and mother. She likes to cook, her home is immaculately clean, she's always well-groomed and cheerful, and she loves her husband Eugene (Sam Waterston) and her two children, Misty (Ricki Lake) and Chip (Matthew Lillard). There's just one problem with Beverly -- if you do anything to make someone in her family feel bad, you're dead meat on a stick. While she does a great job of hiding it, Beverly has a vicious and vengeful streak, and when she's not making obscene prank calls to the neighbors or bribing her garbagemen to save embarrassing items from her neighbors' trash, she's mowing down whoever would be so rude as to make her husband go into his office on a Saturday, break up with her daughter, or suggest that her son watches too many horror movies. Taking John Waters back to R-rated territory after the relatively sedate Hairspray and Cry Baby, Serial Mom captures a comfortable middle ground between Hollywood professionalism and Waters' subversive sense of humor, and Kathleen Turner has a field day as the sweet-on-the-outside, evil-on-the-inside Beverly. The supporting cast includes such Waters favorites as Patty Hearst, Traci Lords, Mink Stole, and Susan Lowe; Joan Rivers and Suzanne Somers appear as themselves, and all-female grunge-metal band L7 plays the all-female grunge-metal band Camel Toe. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kathleen Turner, Sam Waterston, (more)
