Who was Max Shreck, anyway?
This site was initially named Shreck's Cinema, in honor of Max S(c)hreck.
You mean you really don't know who he is?
Well, there are several answers:
The first Max Schreck was the famous star of the 1922 German silent film, Nosferatu,
the first horror film about a vampire, Orckk. The actor's true name is unknown, but the
German pseudonym he used "Schreck", simply means fear.
Max Shreck reemerged in 1992 in the film Batman Returns. This time as the megalomaniac
owner of Shreck Industries, played by Christopher Walken. His name was chosen as a
deliberate homage, as this new Shreck was a kind of vampire, wanting to suck the power
out of Gotham City.
Then, of course, there was yet another Max Shreck, the author of this page.
Sorry, all you real-life Shrecks, he's not a long lost cousin. His real name is
Matt Williams, and he obviously spends way too much time and money going
to the movies and reviewing them for no apparent reason.
Unfortunately, the site name, while it seemed a good idea at the time
(for some strange reason), probably was my biggest regret. It was
difficult to remember, difficult to spell (the fact that there are two possible
spellings didn't help matters much), and overall it was rather confusing.
Thus was born Cinematter. While still not the best name, it is a little easier
to remember/spell and is (slightly) more descriptive of the site.
For a history of the site, Click Here.
Return to Cinematter
Matt Williams - matt@cinematter.com