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Welcome to the Matt Damon Column,
a forum for sharing news among Matt fans.

Updated 8/31/2001

"That Matt Damon is going places", Gregory Peck, 1998. . .

8/31/01

From Felicity:
- T(he photo shown at the top of page is) aken from Ryan's updated photo gallery Isn't it gorgeous - look at those eyes! It looks like the shirt worn at the Greenlight bash, but I don't know where or when the photo's from. It's similar to one of the Rounders pics from Details, but isn't from there.
  And hey, it doesn't really matter :-)
- From Australia's 'Who' magazine (local version of People), is this pic of Matt and his dad at the softball last weekend. And yes, that is a cigarette in Matt's hand.
Penny wrote:
Hi!! Just want to let you know that I enjoy your column. I just ran across it about a month ago. Found some pictures of Matt and his dad yesterday on People.com. Don't know if you've seen them yet. Thanks for keeping me informed and entertained.
(By the time I checked people.com, the photos were gone. I imagine the one sent in by Felicity is one of the photos referred to by Penny. Thanks for writing, Penny!)

8/29/01

Our thanks to Rutso for sending in this report:
I walked over to the softball game on Satuday and saw Matt hit a fly to the outfield. I haven't seen it mentioned elsewhere, but his father was also on his team. Matt looked great and relaxed, like any other player really. The crowd watching was no bigger than 40 people.
I should add that the places he and others were spotted in over the weekend are not hot spots in any sense, just regular places people go when they come into the center of Boston.
Goodies from Felicity:
- From the Boston Herald, commenting on the party antics of Tara Reid:
  Our spies further report that Tara seemed to have a yen for Cambridge homey Matt Damon, who was also partying at the Park, but Matt didn't display much Good Will toward her Hunt.
  ``She spent a lot of time talking to Matt's dad, kind of like a kid trying to impress a grown-up,'' said our spy. ``But Matt didn't really give her the time of day. He was hanging out with a bunch of high school pals having a blast.''
  ***
  Don't you love that Matt's dad was at the nightclub too!
- There was a segment on Extra, and another show (don't know which one) about Matt and his dad at the baseball game. Anybody have details??
- The latest Premiere includes a story on Brigitte Lacombe's photographs from an upcoming book. She did a lot of photo shoots including Matt - on the Ripley set and for magazines later. It's not available yet, but could include some good off-camera shots when released.
- Premiere also had a story on the writers of 'The Deep End', David Siegel and Scott McGehee. It mentions how they tried to do an adaptation of 'This Sweet Sickness', a novel by Patricia Highsmith, but never found financial support. Of interest because Matt has said previously that the book would be one he would like to adapt. Someone's got there first.
The Big Matt Fan wrote:
...here's an interesting quote from the recent Los Angeles Magazine article that lead to the suspension of Variety Editor-in-Chief, Peter Bart. While it may be merely hypothetical, it is something to think about when reading about casting rumors.
"When Variety reports that Leonardo DiCaprio is in talks to star in a film, for example, savvy readers know chances are good that someone is merely floating DiCaprio's name. Why? To turn up the heat on Matt Damon, say, or some other foot-dragging actor the movie studio really wants to sign. Agents and publicists often complain that Variety writes about deals before they're done. But those same people plant stories in Variety all the time in hopes of clinching a deal or killing someone else's."

8/28/01

We heard from the Big Matt Fan:
Great stuff, Felicity. Especially loved that softball photo. So adorable! Sounds like Matt had a great time this weekend.
BTW, I saw J&SBSB Saturday at noon. There were about 50 people in the theater, and I was one of only 5 females there. I thought it was a very uneven film, funniest when sharply satirical (and it really helps if you've seen his previous films), weakest when he resorts to juvenile fart jokes and adolescent fantasy. I thought the "Good Will Hunting: Hunting Season" scene was amusing, not particularly painful or offensive. Matt laments the fact that Ben talked him into the sequel, as he talked him into "Dogma." Ben scorns him for his "gay serial killer, golf-playing, pretty horses touchy-feely" movies, saying that he should do a safe movie before doing an art movie. Matt counters by calling Ben "Bounce" boy and bringing up such films as "Reindeer Games." They re-enact the "Gordon Wood" bar scene from GWH, this one ending with Will unable to pull out a comeback and responding with gunfire. The scene actually mocks the idea of sequels more than the movie GWH itself.
Frankly, I thought Matt suffers much less than Ben, whose slightly more frequent presence in the film actually makes him a much bigger target. (And I do mean bigger. Ben looks surprisingly hefty, at times.)
Anyway, I don't think this film will inflict serious damage on either of their careers.
Incidentally, anyone notice the $7.5 million opening of "Summer Catch"? Good thing Matt wasn't involved in THAT project.
Well, I hope you all had a great weekend.
From Felicity:
- A few quotes relating to Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (lots of spoilers):
  - Village Voice
    Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, on the set of Good Will Hunting 2, steal the whole shithouse simply by delivering their quips like professionals.
  - Washington Post article
    Damon to Affleck: "Hey, shove it, 'Bounce' boy. Let's remember who talked me into 'Dogma.' "
    Affleck to Damon: "I'm sorry this is taking you away from whatever touchy-feely, gay-killers-on-horses-who-play-golf flick you're supposed to be doing this week."
  - Kansas City Star
    Landing jobs as extras in the sequel to "Good Will Hunting," our boys are instructed by an assistant director: "Do not look Matt or Ben directly in the eyes. You will be fired."
  - EW
    (Matt Damon and Ben Affleck do a crackerjack self-satire).
  - Net review
    In Hollywood, they will break onto a movie studio lot and watch Ben Affleck and Matt Damon rehearse for "Good Will Hunting 2: Hunting Season." Affleck and Damon will squabble with each other, taking shots at each others movies; six ("Bounce, "The Talented Mr. Ripley," "All the Pretty Horses," "The Legend of Bagger Vance," "Forces of Nature" and "Reindeer Games") in less than 20 seconds!
  - Radio Free
    In one of the highlight moments, Ben Affleck the actor argues with Matt Damon the actor during the shooting of the Good Will Hunting sequel, with the two trading insults over their stinker films. Affleck attacks Damon for making The Talented Mr. Ripley, and Damon retaliates with Reindeer Games, until finally they're cursing their appearances in Dogma.
  - Apollo review
    Ben Affleck also makes a fool of himself, providing evidence to support the claim that he can't even act when he's playing himself.
  - NY Times
    There's also some shockingly funny stuff, like a "Good Will Hunting" parody enlivened by the participation of that film's stars, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. (It's also a kick to see what a bad actor that film's director, Gus Van Sant, is.)
  - From a Kevin Smith interview
    Seeing Affleck (whom Smith stopped in Indianapolis to see for a couple of days when Going All the Way filmed here) and Damon hurling insults at each other, as themselves, is a high point in the comedy.
    "The nice thing is, you're getting friends to do what they do normally. Like what they do off-camera. When you're friends with people, you rib them constantly. So we just basically got them to do it on camera with lines I scripted. You can really kind of go in there with a scalpel and surgically disembowel their media image, and they love it, because they're in on the joke. And they get a pass for the next two or three years. They can make crappy movies for the next two or three years, because people will be like, "Well, they did make fun of themselves in that Jay and Bob movie.' "
- Ben should be out of rehab this week, and is on the cover of the latest Conde Nast Traveler for his recent road trip.

8/27/01
From Felicity:
Boston Herald report on the softball game:
Pierce, Tinseltown team up for charity benefit
by Gayle Fee and Laura Raposa
Sunday, August 26, 2001
Hollywood heartthrobs Matt Damon, Tara Reid and Shannon Elizabeth teamed up with Boston Celtic Paul Pierce for a charity softball game at Boston's Lederman Field yesterday.
It was the jocks vs. the stars in the game that pitted Pierce, teammate Antoine Walker, and various and sundry other local sports studs and a few Colorado Avalanche against the contingent from Tinseltown: local pop star Joey McIntyre, cast members from ``Boston Public'' and ``Ally McBeal'' - including new legal eagle Julianne Nicholson, who joins the law offices of Cage & Fish this season.
The celebs, who were in town for the softball game and the Sam Adams ``Summer Jam'' over in Jamaica Plain, cut quite a swath through the city during their whirlwind visit.
Mark Wahlberg, who was in town for the Jam and a screening of his new flick, ``Rock Star,'' held court on the patio of Stephanie's on Newbury the other day, where he chowed on chowdah and fish & chips and chatted up the meter maids. That night, Wahlberg partied with Tara - and about 50 hangers on - at Whiskey Park until the wee hours.
``There were members of Matt and Ben Affleck's production company, Matt's agent, a bunch of Colorado Avalanche and a whole bunch of other people that looked like someone,'' said Someone Who Was There.
Matt, who was bedding down at The Colonnade with the rest of the Jam-mers, did Whiskey Park separately with Tara on a different night. Isn't she a lucky gal????
Damon was also spotted having a loooong dinner at Mistral with Tara and her ``American Pie'' castmate Shannon Elizabeth and hitting the links at the Braeburn Country Club in Newton over the weekend.
``Matt is incredibly nice,'' said publicist Sally Jackson, who hung with Damon at the Super Jam. ``The second he was introduced he remembered your name. He called everyone by name and is just very mannerly.''
Last night, the softball players were all invited to The Rack for a post-game beer blast. Details to follow, so stay tuned!
File Under: Hot Fun In The Summertime.

Sam Adams spill
Sam Adams czar Jim Koch doesn't remember a thing between stopping his bicycle near the BU Bridge and waking up in Massachusetts General Hospital. And the sad part is, he wasn't even drinking! ``The things you do when you're sober,'' lamented the beer baron, who was left with a broken hand and two cracked ribs after the mishap last week.
Koch racked up his bike last week during a 15-mile ride along the Charles River.
``I remember stopping at the bridge, propping up my bike, and the next thing I know, I wake up and I'm in the hospital,'' he said. ``I have no memory of what happened, but my helmet was completely cracked.''
Koch said the doctors gave him a full examination and found lots of scar tissue from previous mishaps, including accidents he had rock climbing, kayaking and hiking.
``And it dawned on me, that this stuff only happens when I'm not drinking!'' said Koch, who carries a portable Breathalyzer when he is imbibing.
``I'm really, really careful when I'm drinking but when I'm sober, I get into all kinds of trouble!''
And speaking of Koch, the Sam Adams sultan says he has no regrets partnering his brewery with Cambridge homey Ben Affleck on ``Project Greenlight'' - even though Affleck is in rehab for boozing!
``I was proud to be his partner and I still am proud to be his partner,'' Koch said.
Sam Adams had to pull a radio ad featuring Affleck after the ``Pearl Harbor'' hunk entered rehab. But the brewery, Affleck and his pal, Damon, are forging ahead with ``Project Greenlight'' - Damon and Affleck's attempt to open Hollywood's back door for aspiring filmmakers.
(The dramatic duo's first script, ``Stolen Summer'' by contest winner Pete Jones is ready to go into production.)
``Ben is a tremendous guy and he's very smart,'' said Koch. ``I think everyone's rooting for him.''

8/26/01
Felicity wrote:

The Boston Herald story has now included a photo of Matt at the softball game (see above): http://www.bostonherald.com/bostonherald/images/matt08262001.jpg
I found nothing in the Boston Globe's Sunday online edition, maybe Monday.
I've linked it before, but Ryan's updated http://damon.rseanes.com/, and it looks great. The news section includes a note from Us Weekly on Matt attending a recent party at an agent's house.

8/25/01

From Felicity:
- There's also : a pic of Matt and Jim Koch From the Boston Globe:
  Matt Damon was also on the scene, arriving in low-key fashion not with a security posse but with a bevy of blondes.
  Like Wahlberg, Damon wore a T-shirt, work shoes, and a Red Sox cap - is this the start of a new Hollywood fashion trend? Anyway, Damon, dragging on a cigarette and sipping coffee, talked about the partnership between Sam Adams and Project Greenlight, the independent film incubator he founded with Ben Affleck, one subject Damon did not have time to chat about.
  ***
  Bevy of blondes?? Mark Wahlberg's almost stolen Matt's party here. There has been some TV coverage, but I don't know where.
- There may be coverage of the softball game Saturday - also from the Globe:
  For its 10 p.m. sports broadcast, Sports Net will be at Paul Pierce's Celebrity softball game at Lederman Field in Boston tomorrow afternoon with Rick Fox and Matt Damon among celebrities expected to play ...
- Variety apparently mentioned that casting for 'Cold Mountain' will start soon, as Minghella has already set up a production office for the movie in London. Filming is scheduled to commence later this year.
- Reviews for J&SBSB are very mixed, as expected.
- After the Sam Adams event, Matt and Tara Reid (another guest) then apparently went to dinner and a bar. Mark Wahlberg was also there for some part of the evening.
- There's a photo of Matt, Chris Moore and Pete Jones in the Boston Globe's paper edition today, but not online. The event made Boston TV last night. More radio interviews would have been conducted today. Look out for news of the softball event Saturday.
- Comment from Billy Bob in the Daily Telegraph on the Pretty Horses experience: 'It cost $50 million, and it was a nightmare. The more money they give you, the more they tell you what to do.'
Val wrote: A friend of mine living in Maryland called to say that Matt was being interviewed on local radio there this afternoon in connection with the Sam Adams event. It sounds as tho he is plunging into the GREENLIGHT pub campaign alas without Ben.

8/24/01

Reader C. wrote:
There was a link you had a few days back that showed another newly released picture of the Ocean's Eleven cast with Matt in the background. Does anyone know why this is the second Ocean's Eleven picture of Matt with his mouth covered up? What's up with that? Does he have a goatee for this movie or what? Just curious if anyone knew...
(My comments: I think it's just a coincidence - there have been other pics from the shoot that showed Matt's face. But frankly I am rather disappointed at the apparently minor role that Matt took in this pic - in the pics so far he's always shown in the background behind Clooney and Pitt. The item below is another example of what I percieve as a slight to Matt (hardly mentioned).)
Val sent in this link:
Ted Casablanca reports on a screening of "Oceans".
"Kerry here again, just to say there are some new Ben pictures on www.ezuma.com showing him at 5am in the morning from a couple of weeks ago."

8/23/01
From Felicity:

More on this week's upcoming events from the Boston Herald:
A tasty Jam for Hub
Boston will be Celebrity Central starting tomorrow when two high-profile events bring Cambridge homey Matt Damon, ``American Pie 2'' hotties Tara Reid and Shannon Elizabeth, cast members from ``Boston Public'' and MTV's ``Jackass,'' and Thomas Jane of the HBO miniseries ``61'' to the Hub for the Sam Adams ``Summer Jam'' and Celtics star Paul Pierce's ``Celebrity Softball Challenge.''
``We have radio stations from across the country coming in to broadcast live from the Sam Adams brewery,'' said Skip Perham, a publicist for the Jam. ``And we're bringing in lots of celebrities because Sam Adams is the celebrity of beer.''
The Summer Jam kicks off tomorrow and goes through Saturday, concluding with a private VH1 concert at the FleetBoston Pavilion featuring Fuel and Train.
Also on Saturday is Pierce's charity softball tournament at Boston's Lederman Field featuring Damon, Jane, Harvard grads Jessalyn Jilsig and Rashida Jones from ``Boston Public'' Aisha Tyler from E!'s ``Talk Soup'' and local pop star Joey McIntyre. Paul's raising dough for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Boston, the Mass. Sports Partnership and the City of Boston Scholarship Fund.
Damon, who's scheduled to participate in both events, will be giving interviews to some 30 radio stations from across the country tomorrow and Friday to discuss the partnership between Sam Adams and Project Greenlight.
Damon and his homey, Ben Affleck, founded Project Greenlight to unlock Tinseltown doors for aspiring filmmakers. Don't expect Affleck, who's in rehab for boozing, to put in an appearance at the brewery. Wouldn't be prudent.
But do expect a lot of questions for Damon on the state of his pal's psyche.
We'll drink to that!
Another report on the theatre project from the rival NY paper, the Daily News:
Talk about star power. Paul Newman has lassoed Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman, Joanne Woodward, Matt Damon, Brian Dennehy, Alec Baldwin and James Naughton to perform a little-known piece by Ernest Hemingway and Aaron Copland at Lincoln Center on Nov. 19. "The Work of Nick Adams" hasn't been seen since its 1957 premiere on CBS. Now Hemingway biographer A.E. Hotchner has created a version for this one-time-only production with orchestra. The evening benefits Newman and Hotchner's Hole in the Wall Gang Camps for kids with life-threatening illnesses. ...
Ben went out of rehab again to watch a Sox game against the Angels yesterday.

8/22/01
A feast of items from Felicity:

From Liz Smith's column in the NY Post:
BEN AFFLECK's pal Matt Damon was quite tender with his friend's kid brother, Casey, while Ben has been undergoing the public revelations of his addictions. Matt took Casey and two other young guys for comfort food at L.A.'s Red on Beverly Boulevard. They had chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, collard greens, and it was a meal to remember in fanatic health cuisine California.
***
I hardly think the tone of this true. Matt and Casey are good friends and equals.
From the Las Vegas Sun:
Uh-oh. Is Matt Damon jockeying for the Ben Affleck Award for most celebrity visits to Vegas?
Damon was in town again this weekend to celebrate the birthday of a girlfriend (a girl who's a friend, I'm told). The actor and about 30 of his pals spent hours at Nobu at the Hard Rock hotel on Saturday night -- ultimately ringing up a $9,000 tab.
Another person in Matt's circle is unwell - Winona was admitted to hospital this week, and is currently the subject of speculation as to her health. The Sun's got a story on her: http://www.thesun.co.uk/bizarre/ and it includes these paras:
But yesterday one of Winona's friends told me: "We are all concerned about her health. She has been pretty secretive about what is wrong with her. Winona loves to burn the candle at both ends.
"She has been feeling ill for some time and she needs to slow down and think about her health."
Winona, 29, was struck down two nights after attending last week's after-show party for the Planet Of The Apes London premiere.
Looking shaky and nervous, she was sweating profusely as she chain-smoked in a corner of the party's VIP section all evening.
It was a far cry from how I remember her at other events when she had a fuller figure and looked more confident.
***
She does look very thin lately - I didn't recognise her at first glance in a photo from last week.
(According to here), Matt's made another friend on the Ocean's Eleven set. Excerpts from an interview with Scott Caan:
``Ocean's Eleven'' will see Caan and Casey Affleck playing a couple of ``goofy go-between driver'' brothers who help the Ocean gang pull off three casino heists.
And no matter what Soderbergh (``Traffic'' and ``Erin Brockovich'') has planned next, Caan says he'll be there if asked. ``I just talked to someone doing his next movie and I told him, 'Tell him I'll come and do one line.' The cast was amazing. I found that all the most talented people are also really the nicest people.''
Not everyone in the business will work in the smaller, less visible, less lucrative world of theater, admits Caan. Some don't like the medium, he says. Others, like Clooney, are too busy.
``I got pretty close to Matt Damon,'' says Caan. ``If someone told him that he couldn't do a movie for six months, I guarantee you he'd be in the theater trying to do something.''
From the AP review of J&SBSB (the last comment is all a matter of opinion): One of the few truly funny scenes takes place toward the end, when Jay and Silent Bob finally make it to Hollywood and wander onto the set of ``Good Will Hunting'' sequel.
Matt Damon and Smith regular Ben Affleck play exaggerated versions of themselves, trading insults about each other's career choices. (Again, you need to have seen all of Damon's and Affleck's movies to get the joke.) But it's fun watching these longtime friends play off each other so effortlessly - and at the same time, sad to realize how many lousy movies they've made since their Oscar-winning ``Good Will Hunting'' four years ago.
Interesting story at inside.com about the payscales for actors, again based on Colin Farrell receiving $5 million for an upcoming film.
It has a chart on the earnings of top actors - Matt's quoted as receiving $10million for Bourne Identity (we knew that), but no figures are given for Ocean's Eleven or Third Wheel, both called a no quote deal, described below. He's also included in the list of actors who are "media favorites who haven't yet translated their paparazzi popularity into big box office receipts". Ben's actually included in a sentence with Tom Hanks and Tom Cruise for the most bankable (that's not true).
A disclaimer with the article: A no quote deal is a deal in which the actor's agent or lawyer has specified that the studio cannot discuss the deal publicly. It usually means that the actor took a pay cut to do the project, and wants to protect what he feels is a fair quote.
Some scarily high (or low) prices for these films and actors:
```
Mark Wahlberg        $10 million       The Truth About Charlie
                     $5 million        Planet of the Apes

Bruce Willis         $22.5 million     Hart's War

Will Smith           $20 million       Ali

Brad Pitt            $15 million       Spy Game

Nicholas Cage        $20 million       Windtalkers

Billy Crudup         $700,000          Charlotte Gray (good book and part)

Ed Norton            $8 million        Death to Smoochy

Joaquin Phoenix      $1 million        Gladiator

Paul Walker          $3 million        Timeline

Ed Harris            $2.5 million      Enemy of the Gates
```
Julia Stiles (who co-starred in "Bournce") is on Letterman Wednesday.
I've just received (via ebay again) an interview with Matt from the Vol 3, Issue 2, 2001 issue of 'Flair' magazine. It has Penelope on the cover, and a separate interview with Matt inside - it was released at the time of 'Pretty Horses' in the US.
The main photo with the interview (see today's feature pic) is new, and was shot by the same guy as the 'singlet' Us Magazine photo of years ago. As he looks really young, I presume it's also a couple of years old. I'll re-type the whole interview, as there is some new information. It's the 'Home Issue', so thus the number of questions re domesticity.
Welcome Matt
No longer a Hollywood neophyte, actor Matt Damon loses his identity, but finds a home.
By Robert Tardy
If a permanent state of transition is man's most noble condition, as a deep thinker once thought, Matt Damon's blood must be as blue as the day is long.
For the last four years, roughly the time since Good Will Hunting catapulted Damon into Hollywood's version of the S&P 500, the actor with the megawatt grin has been a true transient, living out of a duffle bag and flying from movie set to movie set like an exceptionally well groomed hobo. Only recently has that started to change, wth Damon's purchase of his first home, a million-dollar loft in New York's Greenwich Village. So now that the Cambridge, Masschusetts native is landed, is he ready to take the plunge into full-blown domestication?
"The place is almost done, thankfully," Damon says during a week-long sabbatical from the set of his new movie, The Bourne Identity. "I slept there last night, so that's something."
Relaxing in a midtown Manhattan hotel suite, Damon looks haggard, but not as haggard as you might expect someone to look who just flew in from Europe. Therein lie the recuperative virtues of having your own digs, even spartan digs.
"The bed's in there, but nothing else," Damon continues. "I'll probably get furniture in three months when I'm finished working. Maybe I'll bring some rugs from overseas. Persian rugs, maybe? That seems like something you'd put in a loft."
His latest project, The Bourne Identity, based on Robert Ludlum's bestselling novel - the kind of facile page-turner you might start and finish on the LAX to JFK red-eye - promises to be one of the fall's most anticipated thrillers. Damon stars as Jason Bourne, an amnesiac American spy who attempts to piece together his identity after waking up on a beach with several bullet holes in his body. German actress Franka Potente (Run Lola Run, Blow) plays his love interest, a mysterious woman whom Bourne kidnaps and later enlists in his quest to achieve total recall.
The actor - who droped out of Harvard 12 units shy of graduating to pursue acting - is a fan of the original 1988 TV production of The Bourne Identity, which starred miniseries king Richard Chamberlain (Shogun).
"In a broad sense, it has the same themes as The Talented Mr Ripley - an identity crisis, obviously, and a confusion of self," Damon says, comparing this current role to his Oscar-nominated 1999 film. "The difference is, this is good ol' fashioned visceral entertainment. Jason Bourne is trying to find himself, as opposed to Tom Ripley, who was trying to lose himself. It's more heroic."
Damon is fond of losing himself on occasion, too, most famously on America's interstate highways, where he and pal Ben Affleck occasionally make the 60-hour automotive pilgrimage from west coast to east coast, and vice versa. These road trips serve as informal script meetings - Damon and Affleck wrote much of Good Will Hunting on one such drive.
"It started with me and Ben flying to New York from Boston for auditions when we were younger, and we had one rocky flight and that was it," says Damon, whose non-Affleckian relationships have included Winona Ryder, Minnie Driver and, if you believe the tabloids, Penelope Cruz. "Our disdain for flying festered and it got way, way out of control. We've driven across the country I don't know how many times. And I don't mind it. I'm fine if I'm behind the wheel."
Everything about Damon - from his travel anecdotes to his relaxed, self-possessed charm - speaks of someone who is internally anchored, who feels just at home in, say, a Moroccan hostel as he does at his parents' place in Cambridge. Somebody who isn't homebound, in other words. Still, with experience he has accumulated things, and things demand a shelter.
"It was awesome the past four years not to have any material attachments and just move around. It felt right," Damon insists. "But now, I definitely want to get a couch and put my feet up and have a home. I want a place to put my stuff."
***
Also included the singlet pic and the red mini pic from Bourne Identity.

8/21/01
From Felicity:

A gossip note from a local mag claimed that Matt, who's staying at Ben's place in LA, has de-alcoholised the place, removing the Guinness tap, and all other kinds of liquor. It also claimed that Matt's had a nose job (hey, I just report the news).
"Jay and Silent Bob" has received horrendous reviews from the trades, but very good reports from the fans who saw it at the sneak preview last weekend. Many who have seen the film claim the sequence with Matt and Ben is one of the film's best.
Sam Adams Brewery to Become Mecca of Entertainment at the Third Annual Summer Celebration
Oscar Winner Matt Damon, American Pie 2's Tara Reid and Shannon Elizabeth, E!'s Aisha Tyler & Boston Celtic Star Paul Pierce Headline Sam Adams World-Class Summer Jam, August 23-25
Event to Close with VH1 Concert Featuring Modern Rock Favorites Fuel and Train on August 25
BOSTON, Aug. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- The summer has been a hot one and Boston's own Sam Adams is about to turn up the heat at its third annual World-Class Summer Jam. On August 23-25, Sam Adams will transform the Sam Adams Brewery into the ultimate outdoor lounge, and will host Boston's largest convergence of radio DJ's, lucky radio listeners, VH1 guests, actors, athletes and major recording artists. This year's list of guests who are slated to attend includes a who's who of talent, including Oscar winning actor Matt Damon, American Pie 2 stars Tara Reid and Shannon Elizabeth, Good Will Hunting and American Pie 2 producer Chris Moore, E! Talk Soup host Aisha Tyler, Boston Celtic star Paul Pierce, VH1's Rebecca Rankin, cast members from MTV's Jackass show, Stanley Cup winning Colorado Avalanche players and many others. Matt Damon will be making special appearances on both Thursday and Friday to talk about the partnership between Sam Adams and Project Greenlight. Damon co-founded Project Greenlight with Ben Affleck to unlock Hollywood's back gate for aspiring filmmakers. In February of this year, Project Greenlight selected Pete Jones' script for "Stolen Summer" out of 10,000 other screenplays. "Stolen Summer" is currently in production and is slated for release in the spring of 2002. In addition to the celebrity visits, guests will listen to great live music from national artists Stabbing Westward, Brand New Immortals, Kay Hanley, and The Push Stars, and can participate in a variety of activities including an oxygen bar, a dunk tank filled with Sam Adams beer, Velcro wall, and bungee run. The event is not open to the public. On Saturday night, August 25, there will be a private concert for the radio station winners who have been flown in from all over the country. The concert will be held at Fleet Boston Pavilion and will feature Fuel and Train. Fuel's current hit single "Bad Day" reached Number 12 on the Billboard Modern Rock chart, and the group's latest LP, Something Like Human, peaked at Number 17 on the Billboard 200 album charts. Train's single "Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)" is currently Number 1 on the Billboard Top 40. Locally, WBCN-FM is distributing tickets for the concert to lucky listeners in Boston. "For the third consecutive year we are excited about bringing friends like Matt Damon and Chris Moore, DJs, their listeners, and other national celebrities and musicians like Fuel and Train to a party here at our brewery where Sam Adams beer flows all weekend long," said Jim Koch, Brewer and Founder, Samuel Adams. Jim Koch founded The Boston Beer Company in 1984 to brew the Company's flagship beer, Samuel Adams Boston Lager(R). Today, The Boston Beer Company, winner of more than 170 international awards, is America's leading brewer of world-class beer. For more information, visit the web-site at http://www.samadams.com .
***
It was also the weekend of Paul Pierce's charity softball game, so there could also be press for that event, scheduled for Saturday.

8/20/01

From Felicity:
Not the greatest pic ever, but today's NW magazine has a shot of Matt (and unknown others) next to a small story on Ben - caption:
"Matt Damon and a friend went to visit Ben in rehab"
Nothing clearer in the original picture: there's obviously someone walking in with them as well (arm on right of pic), but no clues.
Alina wrote:
The link that was provided in your very informative and enjoyable Matt page leads to an archived article. In order to access it, one has to do a tedious search and then say goodbye to a few bucks.
However, I got the article from another website, in case some of the readers might be interested to know what was so nasty (and yes, it is nasty)
Reeling: 12 steps for Ben Affleck
08/17/2001
By CHARLES EALY / The Dallas Morning News
Reeling would like to wish you, Ben Affleck, the best of luck as you struggle with your drinking problems in the posh rehab clinic known as Promises Malibu. Reeling knows that it must be tough for you to stay in a place that charges $1,000 a day and features a Jacuzzi and tennis courts. So Reeling wants to help you recover with a modified 12-step program that will improve not only your life but also the lives of all of us moviegoers.
1) Admit that you are powerless to discern a good script from a bad one and that your screenwriting Oscar with Matt Damon was a fluke.
2) Acknowledge that no power on Earth can make you into a believable leading man.
3) Turn over your career to independent directors who can cast you in more suitable character-actor roles.
4) Make a moral inventory of all your wrongs, including the dumping of Gwyneth Paltrow and the off-key singing in Armageddon.
5) Admit that you have become a money-grubbing star of awful "event" movies and promise not to star in anything scheduled to open July 4 ever again.
6) Get over yourself.
7) Humbly acknowledge that your shortcomings are not only physical but also intellectual.
8) Make a list of everyone who has sat through one of your "hit" movies and promise to make amends.
9) Better yet, follow George W. Bush's lead and send them a refund in the mail.
10) Vow to stop associating with talent-impaired producers and directors such as Jerry Bruckheimer and Michael Bay.
11) Pray for a hit that ends up No. 1 at the box office because it's actually good and not because it was hyped by a studio.
12) Go to the blackboard and write 1,000 times: "My bad, dude."
Hope this is of use to you.
Cheers and keep up the good work,
(Thank you for sharing the article! The link was not yet archived when it was first posted. Apparently it is now. )

8/19/01

Wrote Felicity:
- More on the Hemingway project from Liz Smith's column:
  PAUL NEWMAN and A.E. Hotchner are gathering big names to join their Nov. 19 "Hole in the Wall Gang" benefit for ailing kids. With them will be Julia Roberts, Meryl Streep, Matt Damon, Morgan Freeman, Brian Dennehy, Alec Baldwin, Joanne Woodward and James Naughton. With Paul, they'll do a staged re-creation of a 1957 TV broadcast of "The World of Nick Adams." This was a play based on Hemingway short stories, dramatized by Hotchner, scored by Aaron Copland. Frank Corsaro is to direct and Leonard Slatkin to conduct. Call (212) 573-6933 for the $250 tickets.
  The charity's homepage is: here. Hotchner and Naughton are on the Board of Directors, Woodward's on the Advisory Council, and Newman's a major contributor and founder.
- An interesting comparison of Matt v Ben (the self-proclaimed centre of the universe) here from an interview with Kevin Smith in the Chicago Sun-Times. Matt has said before that he refuses to watch dailies:
  OK, this isn't exactly a plot that'll win an Oscar for best screenplay, but Smith doesn't care. He had fun writing and acting in it and got to work with friends such as Ben Affleck, who recently checked himself into a rehab center for alcohol abuse.
  "Affleck is absolutely OK," says Smith. "I just talked to him the other day. He lives for being a movie star and would never let anything derail his career. Ben has always been his own biggest fan, but not in an arrogant, egocentric way. He's very charming. Most actors don't like to go watch dailies of the scenes they shot the previous day. But Affleck would always be there front row center with a big bowl of popcorn loudly appreciating his own performance. If you're watching his dailies and hear someone going, "Mmmm. Genius!" you know it's Affleck. Its so cute."
- This was from Gina, of a George Clooney site. The pic of George and Brad is available at her site.
```
----- Original Message -----
From: "g g" 
Sent: Saturday, August 11, 2001 10:19 AM
Subject: o11 pic and article from premiere mag

> Here's the whole article and pic. two differenet sizes
>
> Ocean's Eleven
> STARRING George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Andy Garcia,
> and Julia Roberts; directed by Steven Soderbergh
> (Warner Bros., December7)
> "Our whole thing was, 'Wouldn't it be cool to recall those Irwin Allen
> movies where there used to be 15 stars?' " says director Soderbergh
> {Traffic), who opted for a grittier look over the gloss of the 1960
> original. Though this heist picture is set in the present day, "you don't
> feel an era," Clooney says. But reconceiving the Rat
> Pack classic has its risks. "I'm gonna take the knocks from people who
say,
> 'He's playing FrankSinatra,'which, ofcourse, I'm notdoing," Clooney says.
> "But we feel we'll cover the coolness of those guys with a much smarter
> script and, no knock on the original, a much better filmmaker." Pitt,
then,
> is not playing Dean Martin; Damon is not playing Peter Lawford; Cheadle is
> not playing Sammy Davis Jr.; and Roberts is not playing Angie Dickinson.
But
> the plot still focuses on a group that aligns itself around Danny Ocean
> {Clooney) to rob a Las Vegas casino tycoon {Garcia) , who now squires
> Danny's ex-wife {Roberts). "Vegas is a much different place than it was
> then, and this is a completely different movie. There are laughs all
through
> it," says producer Jerry Weintraub {The
> Specialist), who commissioned "many different scripts" during the film's
> long development process. The winning version splits the story into setup
> and actual heist, which takes place against the backdrop of a prize
> fight-and mixes in some dark hues with the comedy. "Steven said, 'Read it,
> because I know how to do it,' " Clooney says. "Everyone had to cut their
fee
> [though the key players have back-end deals]-it was like, 'Let's go do
this
> and have a blast.' "Casino Royalty: Due to scheduling problems,Alan Arkin
> was replaced by Carl Reiner, as the master thief lured out of retirement.
> Now the studio is so pumped about Reiner that they're touting him fora
> best-supporting-actor nod.
> End of article
> Enjoy!
> g
>
> Because nice matters!
> DDOGC
> http://itallea317.tripod.com
```
- Did you see this one of a few days ago - it's the first (mini) interview for a few months, and is quite interesting, and almost sad.
  A note about Matt in reel.com's column with Jeff Wells:
  Jett, Dylan, and I drove out Monday to an ADR studio in Glendale to talk to the formidable Mr. Mewes. He was there recording some sanitized dialogue for the TV version of Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. (Talk about your creative challenges.) We sat down with him just outside the studio during breaks. I found him cool, candid, confessional. The guys were thrilled ("You're my hero," said Dylan). And then Matt Damon showed up. (etc)
  And then Damon, there to dub dialogue for his cameo scene in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, was suddenly standing next to the table. He asked the kids for their names, and then introduced himself. When he said his first name, Dylan said, "I know!"
  Damon said he was on his way to a screening of Ocean's 11, the Steven Soderbergh caper flick - due from Warner Bros. in late December. He co-stars with George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Don Cheadle, and several others. He said as far as he knows it's "pretty much done," but that Soderbergh is showing it for the time being only to "anyone who's not in the business . no agents, no studio people."
  Having seen a few isolated scenes, he said Soderbergh - acting as his own cameraman - "shot most of it in masters. He started doing eye-level shots early on . and then as the movie progresses and the characters get deeper or more heroic, he dropped the camera down a bit so it would be looking up at them."
  When I asked him if he'd be attending tonight's Jay and Silent Bob premiere in Westwood, he said he's "trying to figure out what I should do. The whole reason I did this unbilled and for no money was, I thought it would be funnier. But if I go to the premiere, there'll be all these questions about Ben [Affleck]" - i.e., his co-star's recent decision to check into a rehab facility. We talked about the gap between what Damon regarded as "journalists of integrity" vs. the entertainment TV shows that, he feels, often go for the sensationalistic angle.
  Then he was gone, and we were back into it with Jay.
Val sent in this article:
Gridlock Looms for Star-Laden Holiday Pics

8/18/01

Kelly wrote (many thanks): Ran across this old cartoon on the internet, thought you might find it interesting. I think it was mentioned on The Column, but it was never shown.
Val sent in this article of Media coverage on Pene which has some mentioning of Matt.
Also from Val: Another one steps into Matt's shoes.
Colin Farrell Is Newest Irish Star
From Felicity:
- Oceans reviews:
  - now up at AICN. A few talk about how Matt is underused, one about a fun mock-fight scene between his and Bernie Mac's character. The film looks good, but we won't see much of Matt. It may have been the same screening mentioned in the Reel.com story. See here.
  - And there's a review by Moriarty, in which he raves about the film, likes the whole cast, and says this about Matt: Damon does nice quiet work, delivering in each moment he must ...
    Brad Pitt and George Clooney will be the stars in the press, Pitt especially. But it will be good for Matt, in a small ensemble role, to be part of a successful fun flick. This review at here .
    And I guess that's Matt in the back of one of the stills in Moriarty's review. He also talks about dialogue between Pitt and Clooney being of a 'more sophisticated version' than that between Matt, Ben and Gus in J&SBSB.
  - A new review on Corona is actually quite negative, and is virtually the polar opposite of the above reviews.
    There will probably be more reports on AICN and Dark Horizons, but they're not up yet.
- Separate note: a press release on a USA Films exec mentions a project currently in development at the company: (an) untitled project being developed by Billy Bob Thornton, Todd Harris, and Tom Epperson with Matt Damon, Angelina Jolie, and Penelope Cruz set to star.
  Haven't heard anything on that one for months.
- The poster for Ocean's Eleven is now up at aint-it-cool. It looks simple but original, and there's a very noticeable "names in alphabetical order" before the top guys are listed. Andy Garcia has now made it to the top list (but not on the website).
- A really nasty article about Ben in the Dallas Morning News - it's just not necessary.
- This was in the NY Times Friday:
  AUG 17, 2001
  Hotchner/Hemingway Redux
  When the script and the conductor's score for a 1957 television program surfaced at the Library of Congress several months ago, it gave the novelist and Hemingway biographer A. E. HOTCHNER an idea: Why not revive it?
  Mr. Hotchner, who had written "The World of Nick Adams" as a dramatization of Hemingway's Nick Adams stories for CBS, called his friend PAUL NEWMAN (they had met when Mr. Newman was cast in an earlier Hotchner dramatization of Hemingway). Mr. Newman lined up a cast for a Nov. 19 performance at Avery Fisher Hall that will include JOANNE WOODWARD, MERYL STREEP, MATT DAMON, JULIA ROBERTS and MORGAN FREEMAN.
  The other day, having finished adapting his adaptation for the stage, Mr. Hotchner reminisced about the original production and about the telephone call he placed to Hemingway in Cuba to tell him that no less a figure than Aaron Copland had agreed to write music for it.
  "There was a pause," Mr. Hotchner said, "and then he said, `Is he a starter or is he from the bullpen?' He always talked in baseball language with me. What's all the bullfight language? I said, `Ernest, I promise you, he'd be the Whitey Ford of the concert hall.' "
  ***
  An amazing cast if it's true, and great company. I presume there will be lots more information closer to the time. Avery Fisher Hall is the home of the NY Philharmonic (Lincoln Center), and the event is not on official ticket schedules yet.
  I wonder if this puts in doubt any future movie projects (for the next few months, anyway). Daredevil, for example, is due to start mid-October, and is now planned for Vancouver. It may be a guide to Matt's future plans.
- As you would all know by now, Matt didn't attend the Jay and Silent Bob premiere, and neither did Ben. EW's fall movie preview issue is out today, and should include information on Ocean's Eleven, and possibly Third Wheel (now rumored for an October release).
Kathryn also sent in the AICN links to the Oceans reviews - thanks as always!
Courtesy of AICN: It looks excellent; the reviews are positive... can't wait to see it. I'm interested to see how Soderbergh will handle it (and of course the abundance of good-looking men is never a bad thing ;)
The first pic on http://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=9870 (shows) Matt (in the back ground, if you look closely).

8/9/01

From the Chicago Sun-Times:
Affleck was likely rehab candidate
August 7, 2001
BY BILL ZWECKER SUN-TIMES COLUMNIST
While many of Ben Affleck's fans may be surprised the actor checked himself into rehab, close friends and associates of the Oscar winner were not shocked by the news.
At the May premiere of ''Pearl Harbor'' in Hawaii, Affleck's co-star Tom Sizemore, himself successful in recovery for the past several years, shared his concerns about Affleck at the big post-premiere bash. ''The guy really looks totally out of control,'' said Sizemore, who has helped other stars who have battled addiction. The actor, who made ''The Relic'' in Chicago and scored raves for his performance in ''Saving Private Ryan,'' has helped both Chris Penn and Robert Downey Jr. enter rehab programs at different times.
Before entering the prestigious Promises clinic in Malibu, Calif., Thursday (where Paula Poundstone also is undergoing treatment), Affleck spent several booze-bleary days in Las Vegas--a popular recent destination for the actor and his fellow Oscar-winning buddy and partner, Matt Damon. Affleck reportedly won $800,000 at the gaming tables at the Hard Rock Hotel, owned by his friend Peter Morton. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that Affleck has a $150,000 betting limit at the Hard Rock, though Morton allows some flexibility, letting him double the house limit of $10,000 per play. As he usually does, Affleck helped share his winnings--handing out an estimated $150,000 in tips while on his big roll.
Ironically, the actor played a recovering alcoholic in last year's ''Bounce,'' also starring his former girlfriend Gwenyth Paltrow. According to my Hollywood sources, it was Paltrow--still close to Affleck--who played a major role in convincing him he needed to get some help with his drinking problem. The actress, now vacationing on the Spanish island of Mallorca with her new beau, Luke Wilson, reportedly has phoned several times, checking on Affleck since he entered rehab.
***
Salon's Nothing Personal column:
Did Affleck hit $800,000 jackpot?
Columnist reports that troubled Ben won big bucks in Vegas.
By Amy Reiter
Aug. 8, 2001 | Ben Affleck may admit to being an alcoholic and a gambler. But call him an alcoholic gambler and his people may have a few choice names for you.
The actor's publicist has hit out at a report in the Las Vegas Review-Journal alleging that Affleck was on a "boozy gambling binge" in Vegas in the days before he checked into rehab last week.
Columnist Norm Clarke reported that, with good buddy Matt Damon by his side, Affleck amassed $800,000 in wins at the Hard Rock Hotel by playing three $20,000 blackjack hands at once. And Affleck, a serial big tipper, subsequently distributed about $150,000 in gratuities.
That sounds rather sweet to me, but Affleck's flack, David Pollick, has called the report "inaccurate and irresponsible."
And while the actor's Hollywood friends are coming out of the woodwork to swear they never saw ol' Ben sip anything stronger than iced tea, Damon has reportedly already schlepped out to the tony Promises rehab center in Malibu to pay his troubled friend a visit.
Good karma hunting?
***
A reasonably nasty story from the National Post:
Ben Affleck checks into rehab for alcohol problems
Shinan Govani
National Post
Here are two words that Mariah Carey is probably quite happy to hear right about now: Ben Affleck. With news trickling out over the weekend that the Pearl Harbor lad has checked himself into rehab, at least Meltdown Mariah can take comfort in the fact that the tabloids now have a new celebrity-in-crisis to sink their fangs into. Given Ben's reputation for exuberant partying, his voluntary admission to California's Promises rehabilitation facility probably doesn't come as a surprise to most people -- especially in Montreal. Matt Damon's best pal was in that city shooting a film for a few months this year, and the stories of his debauchery were practically non-stop. Consider that just two months ago, on a Saturday in early June, Benny was on hand at the super-trendy Globe Restaurant & Bar on St-Laurent Blvd.-- a regular haunt of his -- performing various feats behind the bar. He was dancing on top of the bar itself for a bit, a witness tells me, and seemed "a little over the edge." At one point, Affleck bought everyone at the bar a round of drinks. Another source, who crossed paths with the movie star at many different bars and clubs, is absolutely convinced that alcohol was the least of his problems. Who knows for sure? To be fair, the crash is somewhat understandable, given the circumstances.
***
Alcohol's the least of his problems? The rumors roll on. There are various stories today about the Sam Adams ads being pulled from the air.
From Val:
E! Channel is running a story supposedly discussing Ben and Mariah's problems tonight at 7 PST. I don't receive the E channel so maybe someone could watch and report back tomorrow.
Also, Anita Talbert incinuated on her radio show this morning that Ben will also be treated for gambling. She also incinuated that Matt is most likely the "enabler" in Ben's problem. She was sort of joking saying that he's probably the one driving Ben from Casino to bar and back to casino. Aghhh! (my personal reaction)
From Kari:
According to News Askew, the release of "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" has not been delayed. In fact, it has been moved up, from August 24 to August 22.

8/8/01

From the Big Matt Fan:
Saw the Jay and Silent Bob Strikes Back commercial yesterday, and I'm not enthralled. Basically, it has Ben in front of a computer reading the fact that Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are going to be in a movie, with subsequent scenes showing Smith and Mewes running around. Though initial reviews are positive, I really hope the marketing execs come up with a much better commercial, or this movie won't sell.
(One wonders how this film will be promoted. Smith and Mewes really aren't quite megastars, and while the film does have a lot of famous names, their shock cameo value may be diluted if they're used in marketing materials. Ben's in the commercial, but he may be unavailable for the junket, and no doubt, questions about him will be asked. I wonder if Matt will promote the film, though he only has a days worth of work in it.)
Variety had a small note that "Oceans 11" dailies are available on the web. It didn't say where, but it is something to keep a look-out for.
From Felicity:
Did anyone see E! News Monday? It had a story on Ben with lots of celebs showing support.
By looking at recent dates and appearance, some more questions arise (you know I analyse these things too much!):
1. Thursday 26 August - Matt tells the Greenlight party organiser that he can't attend on Saturday 28 August due to a remote shoot.
2. Saturday 28 August - Ben sighted in Vegas, then attends Greenlight party. Matt also at Vegas during some point of weekend.
3. Tuesday 31 July - Ben checks into rehab at some point during the day. Matt seen buying coffee for two during premiere (around 6pm?), and is not seen looking too unhappy.
4. Thursday 2 August - Sam Adams releases a press release advising of the appearance of M&B at a beer promotion.
5. Friday 3 August - Statement released on Entertainment Tonight. Matt advises father, initial press reports.
***
I'm just curious because the timing is strange. Sam Adams would not have released their press notice if they had known of Ben's condition (I'm sure of it). Someone should have been in full press alert from Tuesday, advising PGL sponsors, family etc. Ben's grandfather wasn't advised until the press asked him on Friday. And Matt didn't tell his father until Friday, while Casey's rarely scored a mention so far.
My question, basically, is what happened between Tuesday and Friday.
From zwire.com:
Ben Sent Words Of Support
(c) 2001 WORLD ENTERTAINMENT NEWS NETWORK.
Aug 05, 2001 (WENN via COMTEX) -- Troubled actor BEN AFFLECK has been sent several messages of support as he begins his 30-day treatment in an alcohol addiction centre.
The PEARL HARBOR star checked himself into PROMISES REHAB CENTRE in Malibu, California, following a four-month spree of partying and gambling.
Affleck will now spend his 29th birthday at the clinic next week (begs13AUG01). His treatment began with detoxification which will be followed by daily sessions of group and individual therapy and physical workouts.
Pals GWYNETH PALTROW and MATT DAMON have sent good wishes to Ben.
A film industry representative says, "Ben is carrying a lot on his shoulders right now. Pearl Harbor was not the movie it was expected to be and he didn't really shine. Everyone had bigger hopes for the film."
***
Matt's name is getting dragged badly into the mud by this - sample report: Affleck's 30-day stay at the Malibu clinic that Robert Downey Jr currently calls home follows a four-month party in which he and Matt Damon have lived the high-life in the casinos of Las Vegas.
***
Ben's had a party, yes. But I think (and hope) Matt just went along occasionally for the ride.
And the Big Matt Fan's reaction says it all:
Matt really should issue some kind of statement. Many people will speculate on his role in this, or perhaps even blame him, and he should have something to say. Sadly, from now on, people will probably raise an eyebrow whenever he has a glass of alcohol in his hand.
One wonders if the J&SBSB release delay was related to all this. It would, no doubt, have dominated the discussion during a press junket or premiere.
One also wonders what Matt will do next. Will he return to Argentina to finish Jerry? Will he keep his public appearance commitments in the next month? And what will he say, if anything, about the events of this week?
(Sigh!) I guess we'll have to wait and see....
Carima wrote:
In all fairness, I just saw a clip of Ben shopping the shops in Malibu and he really did not look disheveled, scruffy, and depressed, as reported by the Scottish Daily Record.
And the latest from Felicity:
I'll just keep the stories coming. A few denials here:
From USA Today:
Ben, a betting man?
By Ann Oldenburg and Andy Seiler
A Las Vegas columnist says Ben Affleck was on a ''boozy gambling binge,'' winning $800,000 at the Hard Rock Hotel, a few days before entering an alcohol rehab center last Tuesday.
The Pearl Harbor star is known to like gambling and has been showing up frequently in Vegas the past two years. According to Las Vegas Review-Journal columnist Norm Clarke, Affleck, who was with longtime buddy Matt Damon, made the big score by playing three blackjack hands at a time at $20,000 a pop. Clarke says Affleck gave away about $150,000 in tips.
Affleck's publicist David Pollick denounced the story Monday, calling it ''inaccurate and irresponsible.''
As for Clarke writing that an unnamed celebrity (not Damon) took Affleck, 28, to rehab after he continued partying in L.A. over the weekend, Pollick says that's not true. Affleck voluntarily checked himself into the center, says Pollick.
Affleck's father, photographer Tim Affleck, is a recovering alcoholic who checked himself into rehab in 1990 and now works as a counselor, but Pollick would not comment on whether Dad has helped his son over the past week.
Kevin Smith, who directs Affleck in his new film Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, said Monday that he was surprised to learn Affleck was in rehab. ''I've known Ben for six years, and I've never seen him with a drink in his hand more than twice. He is a big player with the women . . . and he's a fantastic blackjack player. The dude bets $1,000 hands and $5,000 hands.''
***
From Foxnews.com's Roger Friedman:
Affleck's Family and Friends Rally Around Actor
Well, the good news is that Ben Affleck is getting a lot of support from friends and family during his rehab stay.
Affleck's publicist announced last week that the Pearl Harbor star checked himself into the Promises clinic in Malibu, Calif., for alcohol addiction.
Now I am told that Matt Damon, Ben's best friend and co-winner of the Oscar for Best Screenplay for Good Will Hunting, has already visited him at Promises and is keeping tabs on his progress.
Affleck's family, a source says, "was well aware of the situation" that was developing with Ben.
Affleck, as I've written, was literally part of the furniture at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. One mutual friend of ours left him at the gaming tables late one recent night and found him still at it the next morning.
It's been a sharp rise to fame and wealth for Affleck and Damon, who were completely unknown kids from Cambridge, Mass., until Good Will Hunting made them household names in 1998.
Since then, Affleck more than Damon has gotten caught up in the Hollywood shuffle, making two blockbuster movies for Jerry Bruckheimer - Armageddon and Pearl Harbor. He's since gone on to star in Paramount's next Tom Clancy movie, The Sum of All Fears.
Nevertheless, both guys have continued to be very down-to-earth, friendly and seemingly unaffected by the monumental changes in their lives. But getting millions of dollars thrown at you, as well as lots of complimentary perks, can be damaging to any normal 29-year-old male. It's only compounded if you're a movie star.
"These are the things we worry about," the parent of another star said to me yesterday. Luckily, Affleck has a strong support network to see him through this crisis. Ironically, his father, Tim Affleck, works as a drug rehabilitation counselor in California at ABC Recovery, where he reportedly once worked on Robert Downey Jr.'s case.
It was Tim Affleck's drinking that Ben, according to reports, blamed for his parents' divorce. Affleck Jr., at least in 1998, had given up drinking. He told a reporter: "I just wanted to stop. I started regretting some things I did when I was drunk. It's funny to be obnoxious or out of control, but then it's like, 'I think I hurt that person's feelings, 'I made a fool of myself' or 'I didn't want to kiss that girl.' I have almost no inhibitions, so it's dangerous for me."
His mom, Chris Affleck, told her local newspaper, the Cambridge Chronicle, the same year: "After a while the fame really isolates you. Everyone you meet feels like they already know you and it's a very unequal thing. Then you don't want to go out and meet people. You have to hang out with other famous people. As a mother, a part of you thinks, 'how is that going to change his life.'"
***
I think they said Jason Mewes was just visiting at Promises. Did you also see that last weekend, while in rehab, Ben went shopping for a couple of hours and also saw 'Planet of the Apes'? How strict is the clinic?
They had the J&SBSB junket a few weeks back, so no answers will be forthcoming there (and Kevin Smith's denied everything). The premiere should still be next week. The Sam Adams ads are now off the Project Greenlight site (and radio broadcasts).

8/7/01

My apologies to Kerry. It was Kerry who sent in the photos, one of which is shown above. And she also wrote:
Hi there is a boy poll at the below address, where everyone needs to vote for Matt!!!!! ... Now! And also its me who sent in the pics of Matt, not Stacey. I'm Kerry :) http://www.theboypoll.dot.nu/
From Felicity:
There are actually some worrying signs about Matt - he was with Ben on the drink-fueled Vegas weekend that put him in rehab, and he wasn't the person ('celebrity friend') who 'checked Ben in'. I'm started to be concerned about the upcoming tabloid and investigative stories that will no doubt be released in coming days.
From Foxnews.com's Roger Friedman:
Ben Affleck Gambles on Good Advice
What a relief to hear that Ben Affleck has entered rehab in California for alcohol. I suspect, based on reports from this year, that Affleck has developed a fondness for the gaming tables as well.
You may recall that a few weeks ago I reported that Affleck was once again stationed at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, where he was gambling all night, for hours on end, and rewarding waitresses with huge tips. It was cute the first time he did that last year. It sounded scary that he'd continued to do this over and over again on breaks from filming Bounce, Changing Lanes and Sum of All Fears.
Most of the time when you hear about a young star going into rehab you snicker because these people have such ridiculously hedonistic lives - while we're all scraping together pennies to pay for a tank of gas. But I will tell you that in the five or six years since Affleck and Matt Damon burst on the scene with Good Will Hunting they have been nothing less than stellar to work with and to know. Affleck in particular is a nice guy, well grounded with a good sense of family.
But imagine being 29, single with no responsibilities, and producers keep handing you $10 million at a clip to be in their movies. It's like winning the lottery over and over, or Who Wants to Be a Millionaire times 20. Affleck's crash was inevitable. I've met his family, and I can only say if they were responsible for pulling the plug on Ben's long, wild night, god bless 'em. They nipped it in the bud. We wish him only the best.
***
From the Scottish Daily Record:
BEN, YOU REALLY HAVE TO GET AFF BOOZE
BROKEN man Ben Affleck is a shambling wreck as he is escorted to the shops from his booze clinic in California.
The actor who made his name as a clean-cut American heart-throb was unshaven, scruffy and clearly depressed as he shuffled along clutching a bottle of water.
The decline has been dramatic for the Pearl Harbor hero, who looked a picture of health as he posed with co-star Kate Beckinsale at the movie's premiere in May.
A worker from the exclusive Promises clinic in Malibu escorted Ben, 29, to keep an eye on him.
The star admitted on Friday that he is being treated for alcohol problems.
He is expected to spend a month at the clinic, which is also home to Robert Downey jnr.
Downey, 36, was sentenced last month to spend a year there to try to beat his cocaine addiction. Former patients include another Hollywood bad boy, Charlie Sheen.
Friends told how Ben was forced to get help after months of drinking and gambling.
He and best pal Matt Damon were said to have spent fortunes on wild weekends of partying in Las Vegas.
Hollywood insiders say Ben's massive workload and rising profile may have worsened his problems.
He is preparing for the release of The Sum of All Fears, based on the 1992 Tom Clancy spy novel.
One source said: "Ben has a lot on his shoulders right now."
He's expected to be visited at the clinic by ex-lover Gwyneth Paltrow, who is still a close friend.
And by the look of him, he needs all the support he can get.
***
The photo is at The Sun's website: http://www.thesun.co.uk/bizarre/
From the Las Vegas Review Journal:http://www.thesun.co.uk/bizarre/ Gambling binge preceded actor's rehab entry
Actor Ben Affleck won $800,000 during a boozy gambling binge at the Hard Rock Hotel a few days before entering an alcohol rehab center.
"It was just a matter of time before he crashed and burned," said a local source familiar with Affleck's gambling trips.
Affleck, who starred in "Pearl Harbor," has been showing up in Las Vegas frequently the past two years, mostly at the Hard Rock. He has a $150,000 betting limit at the Hard Rock but I'm told owner Peter Morton allows him some flexibility and lets him bet double the house limit of $10,000 per play.
"He's one of those guys who can be up or down $200,000," said the source. "But he's usually so drunk he gives it all away."
Affleck, in town with pal Matt Damon, made the big score by playing three blackjack hands at a time at $20,000 a pop, the source said. And for the second time in less than a year, he gave away about $150,000 in tips.
Another source who saw Affleck at the Hard Rock's high roller area said the actor appeared to have been on a prolonged party.
Affleck, 28, continued his partying in Los Angeles over the weekend before a celebrity pal -- not Damon -- checked the Oscar winner into a live-in rehabilitation facility for alcohol abuse in Malibu, Calif., on Tuesday.
***
That report scares me. A similar version is in the Boston Herald:
Affleck hits $800G at blackjack in days before rehab
by Gayle Fee and Laura Raposa
Monday, August 6, 2001
Cambridge homeboy Ben Affleck scored $800,000 during a booze-soaked blackjack binge at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino a few days before checking into rehab the other day, according to reports out of Sin City.
``It was just a matter of time before he crashed and burned,'' a source told Las Vegas Review-Journal celeb columnist Norm Clarke.
The ``Pearl Harbor'' hunk, who turns 29 on Aug. 15, is such a fixture at the Las Vegas blackjack tables that he has a $150,000 betting limit at the Hard Rock, says our fellow gossipeuse. And owner Peter Morton allows him to bet double the house limit of $10,000 per play!
``He's one of those guys who can be up or down $200,000,'' said Clarke's Deep Deal. ``But he's usually so drunk, he gives it all away.''
Affleck, who was in town with buddy Matt Damon, made the big score by playing three blackjack hands at a time at $20,000 a pop, the source said. And for the second time in less than a year, he gave away about $150,000 in gargantuan ``Good Will'' gratuities.
Well, at least Ben - the son of a reformed sports bettor - isn't one of those tight-wad Tinseltown tippers!
Another of Norm's sources who saw Affleck at the Hard Rock's high-roller area last weekend said the actor looked like he was ``on a prolonged party.'' Which ended last Tuesday in La-La when a Hollywood pal - not Matt - escorted Ben to Promises, a Malibu live-in residential rehab spot for a 30-day sobriety stint.
Sudbury homegal Paula Poundstone and Robert Downey Jr. are both being treated there.
Affleck, who filmed the ``Ocean's Eleven'' remake with George Clooney and Brad Pitt in Las Vegas earlier this year, reportedly made more than a dozen trips back to Sin City in the past few months - a few with Damon, his co-star in the upcoming ``Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.''
The gambling missions were ``brief'' and ``involved hours at the blackjack tables,'' say reports out of Casino Central.
But Lady Luck isn't always shining down on the Oscar-winning box office star, said Strip sources.
In March, Ben allegedly blew more than $50,000 in a matter of minutes at the Bellagio, and in May, he was again spotted making (and losing) $10,000 bets. And then two weeks ago, he and his ``Good Will Hunting'' star were holed up in the Hard Rock Casino's VIP area with a stack of $1,000 chips, according to published reports.
***
And this one from the Las Vegas Sun's columnist Kate Maddox:
It was sad to learn late last week that Ben Affleck had entered a Malibu, Calif., rehab facility to undergo treatment for alcohol addiction.
After months of Affleck sightings around Vegas (most from eyewitnesses who included words such as "bleary," "drunk" and "out of control" in their descriptions of the actor) it seemed clear to many people that the good time party-boy was indeed treading in dangerous territory.
Affleck reportedly made more than a dozen trips here in the past few months -- most were brief and involved hours at the blackjack tables and little else. In March he allegedly lost more than $50,000 in a matter of minutes at Bellagio, and in May he was again spotted making (and losing) $10,000 bets. Just a couple of weeks ago a tired-looking Affleck hunkered down in the Hard Rock Hotel's VIP area, with pal Matt Damon and a stack of thousand-dollar chips, and gambled through the night.
***
Main questions:
- What's Matt's role in all of this? Is he also gambling/drinking heavily?
- Even if he's not gambling, why wasn't he curtailing Ben's actions? Or was it just another boozy Vegas weekend? He may not have had any sway over Ben for years, and thought he could handle it. - How will this affect their future relationship? You would almost expect that Matt will limit his drinking too, at least around Ben.
We know from the comment by Kent Damon that Matt recognised Ben had a problem for a while. But why didn't he do anything (presumably) about it before now? Has he been encouraging or abetting him by going on these Vegas jaunts? Who was the person who finally made him go into rehab? Will Matt ever finish Jerry?
All to be resolved before long, I presume. What's the guess - People and Us Weekly covers next Friday? Interesting side-note: Casey's birthday is on 12 August and Ben's is on 15 August.
Separate non-issues: Penelope's on the cover of the next Vanity Fair.
"Good Will Hunting" was shown on commercial Australian TV last night, and virtually nothing was different from the cinema version. In the first few minutes, a couple of swears were silenced, but after that, all were included (including the pub joke). I think a couple of scenes were shortened, but that's it. Our censorship laws must be very different from the US.
(My thank to several others who sent in similar Ben news
Val sent in an article in which Matt was mentioned:
Cruz Discusses Personal Life

8/6/01

More reaction to news of Ben's rehab:
From a reader:
It is my humble guess that if Matt is in California as indicated by the Access Hollywood footage, he was actively involved in Ben's decision and assisted him through the beginning of this rough period.
A sidenote: I have already begun to read articles indicating that Matt has a problem as well.
From Felicity:
Reports are that Ben's in rehab for 30 days (including his birthday), and that Matt's in LA - so he's either come back from Argentina, or he never went. One local article claims it was 'friends' who pushed Ben into treatment - we'll wait for more info (or the likely People cover) to get more info.
This was the first report which mentioned Matt's support - from zap2it.com:
MALIBU, Calif. (Zap2it.com) - Academy Award-winning screenwriter and prolific actor Ben Affleck has entered a rehab facility because of alcohol abuse troubles, Affleck's personal publicist confirms.
"He has chosen to seeek out professional assistance and is committed to traveling a healthier road with the support of family, friends and fans," said Affleck's publicist David Pollock on Friday.
Affleck, who won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for his film "Good Will Hunting," with his friend Matt Damon, went into the rehab facility voluntarily, unlike Robert Downey Jr., who was sentenced to the same rehab facility.
It is also the same program that comedienne Paul Poundstone went to after facing charges alleging child abuse last month. Poundstone and Downey are reportedly still at the facility which overlooks the beaches of Malibu.
It's not clear if Affleck will be in the facility for his 29th birthday, which is on Aug. 15, but his friend Damon is in Los Angeles and is being supportive of his best friend.
***
And from the Boston Herald, the stories they've hidden emerge:
Ben Affleck - who recently starred as a 12-stepper in ``Bounce,'' a movie he made with sometime galpal Gwyneth Paltrow - has gotten a rep as a party boy who likes to pound drinks, play blackjack and enjoy a night at the strip clubs.
Sources at Club Chez Paree in Montreal, where Affleck just finished shooting Tom Clancy's fourth Jack Ryan flick, ``The Sum of All Fears,'' told the Herald that Affleck was a regular.
``He spent a lot of money and spent a lot of time in a private room,'' said one source.
Affleck, his father's son, also has a gambling jones.
``At the end of the football season,'' the actor told Vanity Fair in 1999, ``there would be either tough times or we'd get a VCR.''
Which may explain why last summer while playing blackjack at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Ben quickly racked up $100,000 in winnings and proceeded to hand it out to the croupiers and cocktail waitresses.
More recently, he shelled out $90,000 for expensive watches for family and friends after scoring big at The Mirage, according to the Las Vegas Sun.
***
More personal details from the Boston Globe:
Damon told his family yesterday that Affleck had entered rehab. ''I think Matt's very much aware of the situation and is glad Ben is starting to do something about it,'' said Damon's father, Kent. ''That's a plus that he's taking some control of it.''
But the news of Affleck's drinking problem surprised other friends, who said they did not see it coming. ''It hasn't been too long since I've been with him ... and there wasn't anything alarming to me,'' said Marc McGovern, 32, a high school friend of both Affleck and Damon. ''And I'm a social worker. I pick up on these things.''
McGovern, who played an extra in a scene filmed at the L Street Tavern in South Boston for ''Good Will Hunting,'' noted that Affleck's father struggled with alcohol. ''Ben was well aware of what alcohol can do to someone.'' Tim Affleck became sober some years ago, and is now a drug treatment counselor in Los Angeles. A onetime janitor at Harvard and a former bartender, he and Chris Affleck divorced when Ben was 12. Chris Affleck, a Cambridge teacher, could not be reached for comment last night.
McGovern, who said he last saw Affleck last winter, said he was sure he ''hadn't hit rock botton.''
''The fact that he's doing this on his own makes me feel better,'' McGovern said. ''And I trust him. He's a very self-aware and intelligent person who will do what he feels is in his best interest, personally as well as professionally. I support him 100 percent. All the stuff written about [Ben and Matt] having a close-knit group of friends is true, and I'm sure we will rally around him.''
One of those friends, Aaron Stockard, was en route to California yesterday to be with Affleck. ''He wants to spend some time with Ben,'' said Jim Stockard, whose son has been friends with Affleck since high school and worked as a production assistant on ''Good Will Hunting.''
''Ben's a very solid young man,'' said Stockard, who lives in Cambridge. ''He's a terrific young guy, and if this is something he feels he needs to deal with, I'm sure he'll do a good job of it.'' He added that his son and Affleck are part of a ''terrific network of young men who have been very, very close and very supportive of each other.''
At Promises, the 30-day treatment begins with detoxification, followed by a daily regimen that includes group and individual therapy as well as physical workouts. Meals are prepared by a gourmet cook, according to the rehabilitation center's brochure.
Affleck's hits include ''Armageddon,'' ''Shakespeare in Love,'' ''Chasing Amy,'' and ''Dogma.'' Today, he commands $10 million per movie.
The actor once told Details magazine that his extracurricular activities as a teen included ''underage drinking, pot smoking, and all the attendant shenanigans.''
''I'm not a paragon of virtue,'' he said.
In a Talk interview last fall, he said the script of ''Bounce'' - in which he plays an aggressive, difficult Type A personality - appealed to him because he'd just come out of a ''crazy time in my life where everything just seemed very out of control.''
''My life changed so much so quickly that I lost any sense of who exactly I was,'' he said.
''You struggle. ... Then you can afford a new car and a nicer place, and what you're left with is the realization that that actually wasn't your problem. I made some poor choices in terms of the direction I took my life in.''
And in an interview with the Globe last fall in New York to promote ''Bounce,'' he talked about the pressures in his life. ''It's hard to get rid of that sense of `make hay while the sun shines' because you spend so much time - so much time - struggling. ... You just kind of want to keep going. I have finally managed to, like, take some days to relax a little bit.''
Affleck also discussed the importance of taking time to maintain relationships with friends, family, and romantic partners. ''One of the dangers is that you can engender a constant imbalance in your personal life, where you're always the one with priorities, you're always the one running around, and that's not how relationships work,'' he said.
A writer for Premiere magazine wrote in 1998 about spending a night drinking and gambling with Affleck, who reportedly has an affinity for blackjack. ''He's a strategist who believes he's figured out a way to beat impossible odds,'' wrote Christine Spines. ''Affleck conveys a distinctly American optimism, a conviction that he will succeed by sheer force of his persistence, desire to win, and smarts.''
When ''Pearl Harbor'' was released in May, Affleck was filming the Tom Clancy thriller ''The Sum of All Fears.'' He soon will be seen opposite Samuel L. Jackson in ''Changing Lanes.'' And he was at work on ''Gigli,'' in which he plays an LA hitman.
Once, asked about his personality traits, he replied: ''Generosity, the capacity for consumption and spending money, and the desire to keep busy and work.'' Those traits, he said, have been ''exacerbated by success.'' His worst trait, he said, ''is the difficulty I have in letting other people talk.''
Yesterday he was letting others do the talking for him.
More from Felicity:
From the Boston Herald: From the Boston Herald:
Bringing `History' to the people
by Gayle Fee and Laura Raposa
Saturday, August 4, 2001
Novelist Howard Fast, filmmaker John Sayles and left-leaning screenwriter Paul Laverty are developing scripts from former BU prof Howard Zinn's ``A People's History of the United States'' for HBO.
The project, which is being co-produced by Zinn, his former neighbor, Cambridge-homey-turned-Hollywood-hottie Matt Damon, (who stole his barroom rap in ``Good Will Hunting'' from ``A People's History''), ``Pearl Harbor'' hunk Ben Affleck and GWH producer Chris Moore, will bring three segments from the book to the small screen, reports the Cape Cod Times.
Fast, who has written eight novels based on the Revolutionary War, will write a script about the War of Independence. Sayles, of ``The Secret of Roan Irish'' fame, will pen the script on Lowell's female mill workers; and Laverty, who wrote the flick ``Bread and Roses'' about Latina union organizers, will do a segment about Christopher Columbus.
Bringing `History' to the people
by Gayle Fee and Laura Raposa
Saturday, August 4, 2001
Novelist Howard Fast, filmmaker John Sayles and left-leaning screenwriter Paul Laverty are developing scripts from former BU prof Howard Zinn's ``A People's History of the United States'' for HBO.
The project, which is being co-produced by Zinn, his former neighbor, Cambridge-homey-turned-Hollywood-hottie Matt Damon, (who stole his barroom rap in ``Good Will Hunting'' from ``A People's History''), ``Pearl Harbor'' hunk Ben Affleck and GWH producer Chris Moore, will bring three segments from the book to the small screen, reports the Cape Cod Times.
Fast, who has written eight novels based on the Revolutionary War, will write a script about the War of Independence. Sayles, of ``The Secret of Roan Irish'' fame, will pen the script on Lowell's female mill workers; and Laverty, who wrote the flick ``Bread and Roses'' about Latina union organizers, will do a segment about Christopher Columbus.
File Under: Power To The People.
Kelly wrote:
You can view the entire Matt Damon Cable Guy clip here:
Also, you can buy the a ... copy of the original 1997 MTV special "Jay & Silent Bob's Secret Stash" on ebay here: I bought it a few months ago and loved it! Can't wait for the new movie to come out!

8/4/01

By now I guess most of us have heard about Ben's rehab - sorry to hear it and our best wishes go to Ben. Many have sent in the news item - thanks. Here's one from The Big Matt Fan:
I guess it's not totally unexpected given his genetic history. Wonder how Matt and his brother are dealing with it in Argentina? Will they fly back to see him? Also, how will this affect the publicity for JSBSB?
And do you think Matt knew that Ben had a problem?
BTW: Here's the CNN story:
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Actor-writer Ben Affleck has entered a treatment facility to undergo alcohol rehabilitation, his publicist said.
The actor checked in to the facility, Promises, Friday.
"Ben is a self-aware and smart man who has decided that a fuller life awaits him without alcohol," said a statement released on behalf of the 28-year-old actor. "He has chosen to seek out professional assistance, and is committed to traveling to healthier road with the support of family, friends and fans."
Affleck shares an Oscar for Best Screenplay for the film "Good Will Hunting" with his good friend and frequent co-star Matt Damon.
He is currently starring in "Pearl Harbor."
His next film, "Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back," releases August 22. In it, Affleck plays two roles.
From Felicity:
A press release from Sam Adams http://news.excite.com/news/bw/010802/ny-sam-adams-92.3 includes this bit:
250 K-ROCK listeners will join Fuel & Insolence on the U.S.S. Intrepid on Friday, August 3rd. One lucky listener from the event will win the chance to travel to the Samuel Adams World-Class Summer Jam in Boston on August 23-25. The Brewery will morph into a live multi-media lounge featuring live music and interactive games. Celebrities such as Ben Affleck and Matt Damon will be on hand to share in the festivities. The World-Class Summer Jam culminates with an exclusive concert by Fuel and Train at the Fleet Boston Pavilion, an outdoor venue that sits on Boston Harbor, on Saturday, August 25.
That's the same weekend as the charity game.
From a Brazilian Matt-look-alike (see photo below)???
Hi, my name is Pau�...I live in brazil ...I so like your workmovies...Congratulations...Sorry, but my english is so badder...well, i 'd like that you send me a message .I like rap too. I miss my legs last year.But , i 'm well. I want that you see my picture and fell what is so happy...You'll love ... thathatha.....hahahahah . by
Thank you, Shelly(?), for sharing:
I just wanted to write b/c i saw a sneak preview of jay and silent bob strike back last night and matt is indeed in the film as a cameo for about five minutes. although his part is small, it is hillarious!! ben and matt are on the set of GWH2:Hunting season and the bar scene from the orginial movie has been reproduced to every minute detail, including the actor who played the "michael bolton clone" for any GWH fan that scene is worth sitting through the rest of jay and silent bob strike back. matt's scene isn't until the last thirty minutes or so. but in my opinion it was the funniest part of the movie. its good to see matt doing comedy especially the parts when ben and matt make fun of each other's choice of movie roles.
just wanted to share :)
Thank you, Kathryn, who wrote:
(I)n the latest (Jul 30) issue of People magazine, which a friend sent me from the States (I have no way of getting it here in the UK), Matt was mentioned in "Behind the Seams":
Seen: Matt Damon, lunching at LA's Highland Grounds with four young ladies and looking like a preppy poster boy in a gray crew-neck sweater, jeans, and New York Yankees baseball cap.
And a big thanks to Stacey, who sent in a batch of photos that she scanned, which will be shown in days to come. One of them is today's feature photo.

8/3/01

Stacey wrote:
I just saw the preview for Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back on tv last night. I think it was during an MTV commercial, but it didn't show Matt at all. Just Ben at a computer and he mentioned something about Matt that I couldn't make out. Says it's opening August 24th.
From Felicity:
My computer has completely crashed again so I'm out of action for a bit.
Hey - I remembered Tara Lipinski was small, just not the sport she played! Great update (yester)day: wonderful to see so many contributors.
And good to see that Matt's still in LA - what happened to the film shoot?? Nothing new on the charity softball event.

8/2/01

From Felicity:
- The EW story is online today. It really is all about Ben:
  Good Will Games
  The story behind Matt and Ben's Internet startup -- The frat pack at LivePlanet aims to make reality TV interactive by Josh Young
  After saving the planet as a World War II pilot in ''Pearl Harbor'' (a feat he'll repeat as a CIA operative in the upcoming ''The Sum of All Fears''), Ben Affleck is easing into another role: multimedia exec. Tucked away in his sparse Santa Monica office at LivePlanet, the integrated media company he and bud Matt Damon cofounded last year, Affleck has been coping with a platoon of lawyers, debating the potential legal quicksand created by the company's envelope-pushing slate of reality programs. ''It's a wonder anybody f---in' does anything, with how litigious society has become,'' sighs Affleck. ''The amount of lawyers that we've generated work for is astonishing. That's not the sector of the economy I want to be contributing to.''
  No, Affleck's goal is considerably more ambitious than padding the pockets of lawyers. The actor, who turns 29 on Aug. 15, wants to connect the Internet to the real world via TV and movies -- and, incidentally, make LivePlanet a one-stop destination for interactive entertainment. So far, so good. At least two projects are already off the ground. In January, ABC will launch ''The Runner,'' the company's attempt to reinvent reality TV. The premise: A ''runner'' competes for a $1 million-plus prize by completing a series of ''missions'' across the country, while three ''agents'' try to ''capture'' him.
  The LivePlanet-designed twist? Not only can potential contestants apply to be runners or agents online, but viewers can win a share of the pot by digging up and sharing clues about the runner's whereabouts on the Web.
  LivePlanet is also going full throttle on Project Greenlight, a kind of Head Start program for young auteurs. The project began with an online screenplay contest that drew 7,291 submissions. The winning script, Peter Jones' drama ''Stolen Summer,'' was then shot last spring on a $1 million budget with a cast that included Aidan Quinn, Bonnie Hunt, and Brian Dennehy. Now in postproduction, the film has a distribution commitment from Miramax, and the entire making-of process is being chronicled for a 13-episode HBO documentary and a book for Talk Miramax Books. ''There are a lot of symbiotic relationships, which is why having LivePlanet involved was a good thing,'' says Miramax TV president Billy Campbell, who worked on the idea from its inception.
  The company's emphasis on interactivity and a multimedia approach sets it apart. ''LivePlanet does media events, shows, and films that were impossible before the advent of the Internet,'' explains ''Runner'' creator Sean Bailey, a LivePlanet cofounder. '''Runner' couldn't have been done in 1990 because you couldn't have connected to the American public.''
  While day-to-day business at the 63-employee LivePlanet is guided by Bailey, 31, the chief creative officer, and CEO Chris Moore, 34, the Good Will Hunters have not simply licensed out their names. Affleck recently holed up with Bailey to create a TV series and online treasure-hunt game called ''Push, Nevada,'' which is in development at ABC for 2002. Damon, 30, has less direct involvement in the company's operations, though he and Affleck personally pitched ''The Runner'' to ABC. But in the end, it's Moore and Bailey who are largely responsible for making their famous friends look like visionaries...or fools.
  Why would the Oscar winners gamble their reputations and cash on a bootstrap operation? Like all other projects involving Damon and Affleck, who grew up together in Cambridge, Mass., LivePlanet starts with friendship. Damon and Moore both attended Harvard but only hooked up after landing in Hollywood, where Moore, a former ICM agent, met screenwriter Bailey. Affleck joined the quartet when Damon recommended him for a role in ''Glory Daze,'' a 1996 indie movie Moore was producing. One night over a game of pool and a few beers, the foursome promised that if they ever made it they would get a connecting suite of offices with a basketball hoop. (Today their work space not only boasts a hoop but a pool table, a kitchen, and a two-way Internet video hookup to LivePlanet's second office, in Silicon Valley's San Mateo, Calif.)
  Their early bull sessions focused on the tiredness of traditional media on the Web. ''What we would come back to was, 'Would you ever go watch a short film on the Web?''' says Bailey. ''Even if a theater showed the 10 best short films in history around the corner from my house, I wouldn't go.''
  Hoping to build a viable business that incorporated the Internet into traditional media ideas, the quartet hired the e-business consulting company Viant to write a business plan. Affleck and Damon put up about $200,000 for bare-bones start-up expenses, and the group set two hurdles for themselves: selling ''The Runner'' to a network with a deal that allowed them to own the underlying concept, and raising money in Silicon Valley. If they couldn't sell the techies, they reasoned, then the concept probably wouldn't work.
  Given the company's pedigree, Hollywood couldn't wait to chip in. Former Disney exec and Revolution Studios founder Joe Roth was an early investor. But Silicon Valley was a much tougher sell, particularly since the LivePlanet team was approaching high-tech investors last fall, just as dotcoms were becoming dot-bombs. ''Those were some dark days,'' Affleck says. ''It would be a total lie to say it all went along easily.'' The day of their first meeting at the venture-capital firm Redpoint, Pop.com (an online entertainment site backed by Hollywood powerhouses DreamWorks and Ron Howard's Imagine Entertainment) shut down after spending $50 million and failing to broadcast a single pixel on the Web. ''We used to joke that we should be shorting ourselves because every time we got on a plane to San Francisco the stock market fell 400 points,'' says Moore.
  Dave Roux, managing director of the venture-capital firm Silver Lake Partners, was initially skeptical, worried that LivePlanet might just be a vanity project. ''Over the course of six months, I was convinced they were passionate and had staying power,'' says Roux, who wound up investing by kicking in a portion of the company's $16 million start-up money. ''It would have been really easy for them to raise the money at a cocktail party in New York or L.A., but they went to Silicon Valley and got their asses kicked around by a bunch of curmudgeonly venture capitalists. The reason I invested was that it didn't look anything like a movie or TV production company.''
  Whether or not LivePlanet actually succeeds as a business venture, Moore credits Affleck's passion with putting the company on solid footing. ''Ben would say to potential investors: 'Ask me how committed I am? Well, right now, I am sitting in your office begging you to write me a check for $10 million,''' Moore recalls. ''He signed away everything except his acting money into LivePlanet. He is writing one of our projects for free. He is appearing in the Project Greenlight TV show for free. He's marketing all of this stuff for free.''
  Both Moore and Bailey understand the pressure of being partners with a couple of famous actors. ''If the company should have a big public failure, nobody will be making fun of me -- they will be making fun of Matt and Ben,'' Bailey says. ''They don't need to take that risk at this point in their lives. But they're those kind of guys.''
- From the Boston Herald's Inside Track column:
  Finally, Paul Pierce, the Boston Celtics' $85 million man, will announce today at his I'm-Still-Wearin'-the-Green press conference, that he's invited Matt Damon and a bunch of staaaahs to suit up and play ball on Aug. 25. However, no dribbling will be allowed in the 2001 Paul Pierce AT & T Broadband Celebrity Softball Challenge!
  Can't find any further information yet - should be more tomorrow. Will Matt be finished filming by then?? It's also likely that he won't be at the American Pie or Jay and Silent Bob premieres in the next few weeks.
From Stacey:
Just a quick note - nothing big, but when Felicity gave the list of people who have called Matt "down to earth" she listed Tara Lipinski as a gymnast, but she is a figure skater.
(Thankis for the correction - how soon we do forget :-))
From Kerry:
This is from Empire magazine UK version.
DareDevil
ETA: 2003
Matt Damon is tipped to don a red jumpsuit and faff around with a white cane as blind superhero Matt Murdock. Simon Birch's Mark Steven Johnson will direct.
Our thanks ro Amira, who sent in this nice note:
I dont know if you remember seeing Matt along with Jay n Silent Bob in an MTV promo back in 1997 but since the station is celebrating their 20th anniversary they are re-playing the old promos and this one just reaired. It goes a little something like this . . . Matt as a cable guy walks into electronics section of department store and asks the clerk where he should install the cable and the clerk and him exchange some insults because obviously the store is not a private residence in need of cable. Then Jay says, "I want my MTV noochie nooch" and the MTV logo comes up and as a closer, Matt, Jay and Silent Bob are watching MTV in the middle of the store and Jay says, "That Tabitha Soren is pretty hot for a smart chick." Matt responds, "Yeah I'd give her a jump." The whole thing is pretty funny.
Also, in my local paper (The Sun-Sentinel) Monday, a columnist featured Matt and Ben's project greenlight calling it a "script hatchery." Here's the portion of the article that focused on Matt and Ben:
A closed society tom jicha
There's one more thing to blame on our litigious society. Ben Affleck says it is almost impossible for new writing talent to break through in Hollywood because studios are petrified that if they even look at an unsolicited script, they could be subject to lawsuits for stealing an idea.
Affleck and his buddy Matt Damon, who beat the odds with Good Will Hunting, sought to prove their point by making blind calls without identifying themselves. After starting their pitch -- "Hey, we've got a script. Who wants to hear about it?" -- Affleck says all they heard was, "`Don't tell me anything about it. We can't know about it, because we can get sued.'"
The runaround they experienced was right out of Catch-22, according to Damon. "Just about every studio told us to [bleep] off. They said, `Go get an agent.' Then we called the big agencies and they all said, `We don't take unsolicited material, either. Call a lawyer.' So we called lawyers and they said, `You've got to be referred by an agent.'"
To give others the chance they once got, they launched a writing contest on the Internet, with the winner receiving $1 million to produce a movie. They were besieged with more than 10,000 entries. The entire process will be depicted in Project Greenlight, a 13-part reality series for HBO, which will premiere in December.
"Hopefully, it can change the way things are done, because it might prove there's plenty of good material and talented people out there," Damon says. "The system just has to make room for them. There has to be some way in which these people's voices can be heard. This is an attempt at that."
Nor is the making of just one independent film the only result of their efforts, Damon says. In addition to the winning project, Stolen Summer by Pete Jones, several of those who submitted scripts have been steered to agents and some have gotten work writing for Hollywood. One of the submissions that didn't win is going to be produced anyway.
"We always thought it would be somewhat of a failure if it was only one person [who benefited]. We wanted for all these people to get a bump, even if their movies weren't getting made. Getting representation is nothing to turn your nose up at."
He speaks from experience: "We couldn't even get anyone to pick up the phone." A lot of agents are probably ruing a grand opportunity lost. Apparently not enough, however, to change their ways.
it also had a picture, but its just a standard one from the press conferences.
And thank you, Carrie, for this contribution:
I finally may possibly be able to contribute some Matt news! (So thankful for Felicity's efforts all of the time, I feel almost guilty.) Even though I just caught the tail-end of it on Access Hollywood, Matt was sooo cute as they followed him back to his car (Ben's Cadillac, actually) where he got a parking ticket after going into somewhere and to get some coffee. Also, there was some premiere across the street that he happened to stumble upon, and said something like, "I stopped to get some coffee and stumbled upon a premiere". Then they apologized to him for giving him a ticket and he's all, "that's alright, it happens" or something as he was getting ready to start the car. He looked very, very good (of course) in his standard Matt-wear consisting of a white t-shirt and grey-ish baseball cap.
And "Matt Fan in Cali" also wrote (thanks!):
Hey there. Wanted to let you guys know that Access Hollywood did a 2 minute run on Matt getting a parking ticket across the street from the Original Sin premiere (in LA?). The piece ran on wednesday and the premiere was on tuesday. It showed matt in a baseball cap, jeans and a t-shirt with two cold-frappacino-looking drinks in his hand walking towards his car with the cameras looking. Apparently he didn't know that the premiere was going on across the street (he says so) and they show the ticket on the winshield of a black cadillac which the announcer says belongs to Ben. Some one says "sorry about the ticket" when Matt gets seated in the car and he says "that's alright" as he drives away. I know i sound like some kind of a stalker in this retelling but such harping and fascination in the lives of movie stars, i think, is itself ignited by such shows as Access Hollywood etc. I mean sheesh a parking ticket. poor matt that they caught it and felt like they had the moral obligation to report it. anyone share my view? by the way this webiste however, is more than harping and fascination. what i like about this website is that it has intellingent points and opinions on matt's career choices and how he is perceived etc. which makes it stand apart from all other fan websites. Keep up the great work, everyone who contributes.

8/1/01

Felicity's news:
- From the always unreliable ananova.com:
  Matt Damon to play 'Daredevil' superhero
  Matt Damon is set to play a superhero in the action adventure Daredevil.
  The movie will be based on the long-running American cartoon strip.
  It is likely to be directed by Mark Steven Johnson.
  Damon, who has just finished making the thriller The Bourne Identity, will be partnered in Daredevil by Scream star Neve Campbell.
  The central figure, played by Damon, is blinded in an accident as a teenager.
  But against all the odds he transforms himself into a saviour-like character in a red jumpsuit.
  A senior source told Ananova: "Matt was fascinated with the idea because of the complexity of the character and his terrible handicap.
  "Neve also loved the idea of being the indispensable right-hand girl who gets him out of dangerous situations."
  The film is due to go into production next spring.
  Even if this is partly true, I doubt Neve Campbell would be Elektra, who's the leading female role. She's just not famous enough for the part (nor deserving of her own likely spin-off movie). I doubt the news is true - AICN or ign will have it first.
  Other UK sites are printing the story, but not with any new information, and their source is the above.
- LivePlanet's expanding again - a press release titled "LivePlanet Builds Technology Factory to Support Integrated Media Model": at here.
And Kathryn of Edinburgh also sent in the bit from ananova.com (thanks!), plus this:
Talking of ATPH, I actually got the chance to see it when I was in the States (on cable TV). I didn't enjoy it, and that was because of the editing, which was diabolical. If the studio had left the running time at four hours, I would have enjoyed it a lot more. It seemed extremely rushed; no time was given for characters to really develop and for the audience to feel some kind of connection with them. Despite not being the biggest fan of Western-style films, I was disappointed with it. The acting was very good, however (I have never come to expect anything less from our man), and the cinematography stunning. I hope to get the chance to see the four-hour version on DVD.
And from the Big Matt Fan:
This just appeared on aint-it-cool news.
DAREDEVIL casting stories online False!
Hey folks, Harry here... inevitably you will be seeing rumors about Matt Damon and Neve Campbell in Mark Steven Johnson's DAREDEVIL movie popping up all over the place. Because the GUARDIAN has picked this up, you can bet that many other outlets will repeat the story word for word without further research. But I ran the story by Mark Steven Johnson, who tells me that there is absolutely no truth to the rumors at all. He says Neve Campbell's name has never even been discussed as a possibility before, and that Matt Damon, while on a very short list of possible actors to play DAREDEVIL, that no offers have been made to any on the list, which does include Guy Pearce apparently. Mark did not comment further on the production or where it is at the moment, but if he is to start shooting in the fall/end of the year, he'll need to cast soon so that training for the actor can begin. BELOW is a letter about the false rumors. If you see these rumors on other sites, newspapers or magazines... discard them. It's bollocks.
So Matt is in contention, though no offer has been made. It is reassuring to know that Neve is NOT involved. Personally, I think she has limited range and even less appeal.

7/31/01

From Felicity:
- Vince Vaughn went to the GWH premiere and party in NY a few years back (well circulated pic of Matt and Vince together there), and has been at a few social events with Matt in recent years. And I just found a reference to him being called the "counterculture Matt Damon".
- Another premiere to watch out for: 'American Pie 2', which is produced by Chris Moore (LivePlanet), and includes Casey Affleck in a minor role. It opens on August 10, and the screening should be next week.
- This was the initial notice about the 'boy-band' project, from E-online (I don't think it went on the site):
  Pickup Shots: Ben Affleck tells me he, his brother Casey and close pal Matt Damon, who last starred together in Good Will Hunting, may reunite as stars and producers of an indie boy-band spoof. They better hurry. As I reported earlier, Marlon and Shawn Wayans are also penning a boy band-themed movie in which they disguise themselves as white pop stars...
  It does sound very similar to "Josie and the Pussycats", and would presumably cover very little new ground. Critics for Josie said it was an area ripe for a take-off, and although the script didn't exploit the situation as well as it could, it was generally considered slight, forgettable and fun.
  I can see how it would interest M/B/C as a fun project, and if they're going to get "slammed" for their next writing endeavour, it might as well be for this. But you have to remember the old Coppola line "It takes just as much time to make a bad film as it does to make a good one". They really could be doing something more productive and challenging.
- For Australian readers:
  Saturday 3 August - Courage Under Fire at 8.30pm on Channel 7 Sunday 4 August - Good Will Hunting at 8.30pm on Channel 9
And a bonus from Felicity: a dissertation on Matt the nice guy:
And I echo the response from the Big Matt Fan, as follows:
Thanks for the news and word analysis, Felicity. I know that to a certain extent, nearly all celebrities are described in glowing terms by co-stars and directors, etc.. However, what makes me believe that Matt really is the nice, down-to-earth guy he's rumored to be are the throwaway comments from those like Big Brother 2's Hardy.
I think Matt does try very hard to be a pleasant, inoffensive guy. As he admitted in Premiere, "I think I care too much what people think." However, as long as he doesn't compromise his values, is that such a terrible flaw? It ensures that he treats everyone he meets with courtesy and kindness, not a bad thing in a world where the slightest indiscretion can be splashed across world tabloids.
... Such a fascinating mix of contrasts, our Matty. Sharp, savvy, and street smart -- yet with an earnest, unspoiled air of innocence about him. Generous and kind to others, but critical and stingy toward himself. How can you not fall in love?
And Val also followed up on the thread:
Your thoughts on Matt's "nice guy" image were right on. I cannot even imagine the pressure Matt must feel to maintain a 'consistent' persona and to remain grounded. Very few "stars" seem to escape the image control by agents and publicists. I am glad Matt is so conscious of who he is and chooses not to "believe his own hype". I always remember his comments about the telephone and how it has stopped ringing for "more talented and better looking" actors than him.
Also from Val:
There is a good picture of Matt and Ben in this week's US Magazine with Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt on the cover. It is from the tv press event.
And more from the Big Matt Fan:
Took a look at the Casey article in Details magazine. It's the basic "kid trying to step out of his brother's shadow" angle, though there was this interesting bit of info relating to Matt. According to Casey, a few years ago, he, Matt and Ben rented "Oceans 11." It wasn't a good movie, and apparently, Matt started talking about how he would remake it. Now, ironically, two of the three of them are in the remake.
Two early reviews (of "Oceans 11") from aint it cool news. The second one (and more enthusiastic one) includes the following paragraph:
Clooney and Pitt, as the Dr. says, have perfect chemistry across the whole film, Matt Damon does a great job as the new guy of the crew (and I think is better than what Wahlberg would have been), Julia Roberts, with limited screen time and a very late introduction, does wonderfully with her scenes, and what a unique pleasure to see Carl Reiner playing an end of his rope con man.

7/30/01

Sashee wrote:
Just want to tell you great job on the site. I am always fascinated that you are able to update it almost every day. Congradulations to your continual dedication. I would also like to share a concern of mine about Matt. Maybe it is just me, but in the recent photos posted, Matt seems more worn out, older, stressed than the Good Will Hunting days. I know that he has obviously been working non-stop for the past couple of years, but perhaps his bad smoking habit is slowly taking a toll on his appearance. He is just so talented and amazing, I hate to see him harming himself with this. I'm just wondering if you or any other fans see this change physically?...I just hope it won't get the best of him. Anyway, thanks again.
(My reply to Sashee, a true Matt fan: The update almost every day is strictly due to the diligence of Felicity and others who send in items regularly - all I have to do is to post them, and I too get the benefits of hearing news about Matt that I otherwise would have no clue.
As for Matt's smoking - I ranted and raved about it many times and I share your concern completely. :-()
Wrote Kathryn (another true fan):
I must have missed previous news about this project, as I'd never heard of it - it sounds absolutely ludicrous, not to mention downright bizarre. It sounds to me as if Ben is the more enthusiastic of the three, or at least, more enthusiastic than Matt; at least in terms of going so far as to dye his hair blonde, anyway. I really, really hope that this doesn't go ahead, and I'd think that Matt has more sense than to star in something like this - or to be involved in it, for that matter...
(And my response: Agreed, agreed. With our luck, they will probably go ahead with this project and it will be a complete bomb. :-()
And here comes Felicity's finds:
- Matt didn't go to the Greenlight party - Ben and Chris Moore did, and were seemingly loved by all. They said he couldn't go and it may be true - but I'm sure it's not his scene.
- Strange pic: here (also shown as today's feature pic.)
- An old quote from Jude Law:
  "Well, first of all, I couldn't have had a better person to meet because Matt is a real gentleman and a sweet down-to-earth nice guy, really. And, he's great to work with because he's such a hard worker. If anything -he'd say so himself - fame kind of gets in the way. He's just an actor from Boston and he writes a bit and he's good. Suddenly, all this [makes hurricane sound] starts going on, it gives you a lot of pressure, you know. "Poor Matt. He was so embarrassed that paparazzi would follow him around and get in the way of filming - the only time I saw him get angry - we'd be doing this intense scene in the middle of the ocean and boats would be passing by."
- From an interview with Jon Favreau in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel: Q. This is your second film with your friend Vince Vaughn. Are you two becoming the Matt Damon and Ben Affleck of the independent film world?
  A. We're friends with those guys. We all hang out. But I think they are both a little more user-friendly than us. They're easier for the public to get. Vince is unique. He's got the Jack Nicholson thing. People like it, but they don't trust it completely. And I'm a character actor who managed to shoehorn himself into lead roles in independent films. We're anomalies.
From a Big Matt Fan:
Read the Live Planet article in Entertainment Weekly. Typically, it focuses more on Ben's role since (according to the article), he is more involved with the day-to-day operations of the company. I don't have it with me at the moment, but when I do, I'll fill you in on more details.
Random movie thoughts:
1) Saw "The Score." Pretty good film. Excellent performances. Solid, intelligent plotting. I think Matt could have been good in this role if it had been offered to him.
2) Saw "Planet of the Apes." It's easy to imagine Matt in the Wahlberg role simply because the two share a similar body type. However, the apes definitely steal the show while the humans suffer in comparison. Honestly, it wasn't as bad as I'd hoped, but there was some truly mediocre dialogue (audience members actually snickered during the "a few people can make a difference" speech) and I thought the resolution was absurdly, incredulously lame (and I'm not talking about the final scene). A lot of people left the theater muttering, "It doesn't make sense!" It opened well, but it will be interesting to see if it has the legs to compete with the upcoming, "Rush Hour 2."
Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

7/29/01

From Felicity:
This 'boy-band spoof' project is sounding more likely (and that's not a good thing). From the AP wire:
NEW YORK (AP) -- Ben Affleck didn't bleach his hair just to have more fun.
The dark-haired, 28-year-old actor went blond earlier this month for a project he's planning with his younger brother, Casey, and friend Matt Damon -- a movie spoofing boy bands like 'N Sync.
"I dyed my hair for photo tests," Affleck told Us Weekly magazine for its Aug. 6 issue. "I kept it because when am I ever going to be blond again?"
Affleck and Damon won Oscars for their original screenplay for the 1997 movie "Good Will Hunting." They also co-starred in Kevin Smith's 1999 film "Dogma," and are part of the huge cast for Smith's new movie "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back," opening Aug. 22.
Larry wrote:
I've opened up a Matt Damon fan club called, "The Talented Matt Damon Club" you can check it out at any time at here. In the club, I'll post news as I find it, have polls, members can post message on the boards, it's a great thing for all Matt Damon fans. Hope to see you there. Also, I added the new "Jay and Silent Bob Strikes Back" theatrical poster to my website, and an offsite link to the trailer of the movie.

7/28/01

Tons of news from Felicity:
- The new issue of Entertainment Weekly (Apes cover) has a story on LivePlanet - as reported on chud:
  Very good article about Matt Damon and Ben Affleck's business plan with "Liveplanet".
  Can someone check it out? (I hate being so far away!)
- Someone's not telling the truth about Matt's possible involvement with Apes. From an article with producer Richard D. Zanuck in the Hollywood Reporter:
  Asked about the casting of the new film, Zanuck replied, "Mark Wahlberg was actually the only person we saw for the role of the young pilot that gets caught up in this world. He is fresh. He's energetic. He's a very good actor. Girls think he's a hunk. So we're thrilled to have him.
  I've also read that Burton says Wahlberg was the only person they looked at. Most of the reviews for Planet of the Apes are very poor, and Wahlberg's weak character and portrayal continues to be one of the main reasons.
- There's a new publication by Wizard (comic book distributor) which is specifically on Jay&Silent Bob Strike Back. It supposedly has lots of features, but I've got no idea of the Matt content. One inclusion is a set report by a Wizard contributing editor, who had a cameo on the days when Matt was shooting.
  The full story is at: here. One interesting note: Mark Steven Johnson (the upcoming director of 'Daredevil') was on the set at the same time as Matt..
  Extracts:
  8:25 AM
  Kevin introduces me to Matt Damon. He's short. Like 5-foot-8 short. But he's resplendent in a brown T-shirt, a la Will Hunting. We do a walk-through of the scene, and Tim Bird, the first assistant director, tells me the most important thing I have to do is run off camera after I deliver my lines and go stand in the corner.
  Damn pretty-boy Damon wants to steal my face time.
  10:54 AM
  Another walk-through for a new scene. Matt Damon is only in for two days, and he and Affleck can't stop playing around. When Damon adds a few lines to the script, Affleck yells out in mock anger: "Nice acting, Matt, really nice acting! Just go ahead and throw your own lines in there. Don't be shy. Gotta get more lines than me, huh? Where's my damn agent?"
  1:31 PM
  Damon and Affleck are mowing through their scenes and still having the time of their life. They can't take anything seriously. The "Lion face! RRAGH! Lemon face! Whooo!" (Trust me -- You'll love it when you see the movie) is all improvised during walk-throughs. I stand in the background and wonder if there's an Oscar for "Best Supporting Clapper/Loader."
  After each take, we all run back to "video village." Each scene is videotaped simultaneously as it's filmed for immediate playback, and a dozen director's chairs are set up to watch the replay. The monitor even has thick black strips of tape on at the top and bottom for that "letterbox" format. Everyone cracks up at lion face/lemon face. Smith makes a snap judgment, squinting tears of laughter from the corners of his eyes. "It's in," he says, barely able to talk through the laughter. "That's funny s---. That's the good stuff."
  3:30 PM We do three more takes. I nail 'em all. I only screwed up the one -- honest. Damon pats me on the back. "Good goin' man," he says. "If you were a couple inches taller, you could take Ben's place." Affleck is noticeably out of earshot.
- From a report on newsaskew - a conversation on the US version of 'Big Brother' with housemate Hardy:
  Q. If you could cast any actor to star as you in the movie of your life, who would it be?
  Someone suggested Ben Affleck for Hardy but Hardy said no way because Hardy was an extra in the movie "Dogma" and he didn't like him. He said maybe he was just all involved in learning his lines. He said Matt Damon "was a great guy"...
- The transcript of the TCA press conference for 'The Runner' is now online at the official site, under the "Press" link: http://runner.liveplanet.com/casting/casting.htm
- An extra's detailed report from the set of Ocean's Eleven, who again says that Matt was "nice" and, with George and Brad, "a class act" - from Katie's George Clooney site
- From a USA Today interview with Clive Owen (Bourne): He was lured to do The Bourne Identity, a big-budget action thriller based on the Robert Ludlum novel due next year with Matt Damon in the lead. But Owen, who plays a stealthy assassin, claims he doesn't intend to follow in Alan Rickman's villainous footsteps.
  ''A lot of people are saying it's the obvious thing where the Brit gets the independent film everyone likes and then plays the baddie in an action movie. I've never seen it like that.'' For one, it's directed by Doug Liman, who did the neo-Tarantino-esque rave-up Go. For another, much of it is shot with a handheld camera.
- And there's an unofficial Greenlight party this weekend in LA. Matt and Ben are on the guestlist, and may attend.
Hilary wrote (thanks!):
Hi! I've just stumbled onto your site, and I have to congratulate you on an entertaining, informative page. With that said, I'd like to offer a few thoughts on the phenomenon that is Matt. You asked awhile back if you thought that Good Will Hunting would be Matt's best work. I think it will be, and not because he hasn't taken quality roles since or taken roles in movies that I would call truly good (The Talented Mr. Ripley, All The Pretty Horses). However, I think GWH will be remembered as his best work because it was so true and so real. The screenplay obviously came from a soulful place and a young life's collection of wisdom. That movie came from somewhere so much deeper than anything since, and I think that's what moves GWH into the outstanding film category. Also, at the time the film was released, it was a completely, fresh, unique story with unknowns. Critics and the public at large are equally fascinated by a rags to riches story and Matt and Ben provided a story that was almost too good to be true (best friends, wrote the screenplay, insisted they star in it, insisted they shoot most of it in Boston their beloved hometown, etc.). In addition to all that, I think it will continue to remain the best because in the beginning (before all the Oscar hoopla) Matt and Ben strove to stay as far away from all the Hollywood s*** as was possible providing the movie had been backed by a major studio. I guess what I'm trying to say is that GWH was so pure that, with Matt's currrent star status, a movie like it will be virtually impossible in the future. Anyway, thought I'd share some of my thoughts. Keep up the good work!
From Kerry (thank you!):
Hi found a new Matt pic on ebay, from Kerry :) Also has Ben and Gwyneth on other side.
The Big Matt Fan sent in a link to The Bourne Identity site "Pretty basic now, but check it out."
Kelly P. (also thanks!) echoed one of Felicity's items:
There's an excellent behind the scenes look at the Good Will Hunting 2 scene of Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back over on the WizardWorld website at here
It's written by one of the people who have a small 1 line cameo appearance in the scene which stars Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. There's some very funny stuff there... Here's some highlights:

7/27/01

Our thanks to Darek, who wrote from Poland:
This is Darek � Your and above all Matt fan from Poland. Just wanted to share with You with the link to site that has few scripts of Matt movies. I myself find it very interesting after searching the internet for original screenplay for �Talented Mr Ripley�. Here it is.
Let me add that You still doing very good job � keep up doing it. Give my personal thanks to Felicity � I think that in our society of Matt Damon fans she should be rewarded at least with a meeting with Matt (I don�t know maybe she did?) . My personal thanks to Kathy also and to all active members of this forum. Darek.
From our incredible Felicity :-)
- ...the new format for 'The Runner' seems much safer. Very little info about the show was given at the TCA event; many articles have commented on how ABC is selling it on the names of Matt and Ben so far, and not on its actual merits or content. That is partly why the press is so sceptical of the show.
- From Ted's column in eonline today:
  Heavenly Dreamin'
  Celestial talk can always be counted on to be both charming and cheeky. Take Ben Affleck and Matt Damon--the Oscar-winning duo who cannot seem to stay away from each other.
  Their yummy mugs are always together, whether discovering unknown talent, acting side by side in another movie or schmoozing the gals galore at Hollywood hoedowns.
  But according to Industry insiders (who like to fancy themselves introspective), the brotherly babes are not as similar as most believe.
  "Matt is the angel," said one of their fellow party-patrollers recently, "whereas Ben, he would be the devil."
  Oh, mercy! Surely my party popper was referring to Ben-babe's devilish good looks?
- Salon's "Nothing Personal" on the Runner press conference:
  Good trend hunting
  Affleck and Damon dive into reality TV fray...
  By Amy Reiter
  July 25, 2001 | Matt Damon and Ben Affleck may be jumping on the reality TV bandwagon as executive producers of ABC's upcoming "The Runner," but don't go thinking they're shameless opportunists.
  Oh no. They have some standards.
  True, their show does pit regular people against each other in an attempt to win $1 million. (They must surreptitiously make their way across the country while completing various tasks.) But it's not, you know, like some of those other reality TV shows.
  The show won't be about "nubile young people in a house and watching them bicker," Affleck insists to the Toronto Sun. Neither will you see people "running through a pile of snakes" on their show.
  "Rather, what we thought was kind of exciting about this show was an opportunity on a grand scale to play this game, to live out this fantasy of being in a Le Carr� novel," he said, apparently taking comfort in the show's spy theme.
  He and Damon also thought it would be a good way for them to live out their own fantasies. "We're not all going to be crack CIA agents. We're not all going to be Michael Jordan," Affleck said. "But you can live vicariously to a certain extent through these entertainment mediums."
  And if you still have unfulfilled fantasies, you can always run for president.
- There's an article on Casey Affleck in the latest issue of Details (Vince Vaughn cover), and he talks about Ocean's Eleven. Can someone check it out?
- And photo 3 from Bourne Identity is attached.
From Kathryn:
No real news, but I wanted to say that the BI pictures are quite stunning - I assume that the actual film isn't in black and white? Matt suits that haircut more than I initially thought he would, too. :)
From Val:
The trailer for Jay and Silent Bob is posted at here.

This is a no-frills web site dedicated to a weekly (or so) column on Matt Damon

, the actor.
The columns are written by a fan of the actor and are stricly for the reading pleasure of others who admire Matt. Each column will address a specific topic, along with tidbits and news on Matt.
Readers' emails are welcome. Write to me at [email protected].
Guest columns are invited. If you have a column that you want to be considered to be published here, write me.

Click on a link

Still photos from Good Will Hunting

USA Weekly November 2000 article

Local boys making 'Good'

The Advocate (12/99) interview

Some of my personal favorite pictures of Matt

The Talented Mr.Ripley page

The All the Pretty Horses page

The Bagger Vance page

Matt at Fenway Park for the 1999 Major League Baseball All Stars

The Details magazine article, as appeared in the London Telegraph.

Janel Maslin's NY Times Review of GWH

An article about pre-GWH videos of Matt Damon/

Archive of Past Matt Columns

I hope you enjoy this site. Sorry if you looked for Matt photos in vain. If you like photos, see Elise's site, which has an excellent photo gallery.
Some good sources of Matt Info
The greenlight project link: The site created by Matt and Ben for online screenplay submission.

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Welcome to the Matt Damon Column,
a forum for sharing news among Matt fans.