Matt Bettinelli-Olpin (born February 19, 1978) is an American director, writer, actor, and musician. He is a founding member of the punk band Link 80 and co-creator of the filmmaking collectives Chad, Matt & Rob and Radio Silence. He is best known for his work in horror films, including V/H/S, Southbound, Ready or Not, Scream, Scream VI and Abigail.

Matt Bettinelli-Olpin
Bettinelli-Olpin at the 2024 WonderCon
Born (1978-02-19) February 19, 1978 (age 46)
Occupations
  • Film director
  • screenwriter
  • actor
  • musician
Years active1993–present
Musical career
GenresPunk rock
Instrument
Guitar
LabelsAsian Man
WebsiteRadio Silence

Early life

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Raised in Oakland, California, Bettinelli-Olpin attended Chabot Elementary, Claremont Middle School and Bishop O'Dowd High School. He attended college at the University of California, Santa Cruz.[1]

Career

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Music

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Bettinelli-Olpin formed the Bay Area punk band Link 80[2] in 1993. On the band's first two albums, 17 Reasons and Killing Katie, Bettinelli-Olpin played guitar, sang backing vocals and co-wrote the lyrics with singer Nick Traina.[2][3] After leaving Link 80, Bettinelli-Olpin worked as a music journalist and interviewed bands including Alkaline Trio, Dropkick Murphy's, Lawrence Arms, Avail, Blur, Violent Femmes, the Breeders, the Mars Volta and the Psychedelic Furs.[4][5]

In 2016, Bettinelli-Olpin played guitar in a Link 80 reunion for the Asian Man Records 20th Anniversary. On June 17 and 18, the band played two sold-out shows at the San Francisco's Bottom of the Hill. Before the shows, a video tribute to singer Nick Traina was shown.[6] On May 21, 2021, a Link 80 cover of Rancid's "Junkie Man" was released from Lavasock Records' upcoming 25th anniversary tribute to Rancid's punk rock classic ...And Out Come the Wolves featuring Bettinelli-Olpin on vocals.[7]

 
Matt Bettinelli-Olpin at 924 Gilman Street, 1997.

Film

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In 1999, Bettinelli-Olpin directed Alkaline Trio's first music video (Goodbye Forever) while attending the University of California, Santa Cruz and, in the early 2000s, was roommates with The Lonely Island and appeared in many of their early shorts. While working in the mailroom at New Line Cinema, he formed the filmmaking collective Chad, Matt & Rob in 2007 and Radio Silence in 2011.[8][9][10][11][12][13][14]

Chad, Matt & Rob

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Bettinelli-Olpin co-founded Chad, Matt & Rob with Chad Villella and Rob Polonsky in 2007. The group is known for their unique blend of comedy, adventure, sci-fi and horror. According to an interview in IndieWire, Bettinelli-Olpin worked in the mailroom and later as the office manager at New Line Cinema, where the group would sneak in after hours to use the offices as their sets.[15] Among their numerous short films is the viral found footage style video Roommate Alien Prank Gone Bad and five installments of their first-of-its-kind series of Interactive Adventures. Their work online has over 100,000,000 views.[16][17]

Radio Silence

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Bettinelli-Olpin in 2013

After the dissolution of Chad, Matt & Rob, Bettinelli-Olpin formed Radio Silence with Tyler Gillett, Justin Martinez and Chad Villella. The group co-directed the 10/31/98 segment of the feature film V/H/S.[18] The film premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival[19] and was released theatrically by Magnolia Pictures in October 2012.[20][21] The following year, they made Devil's Due for 20th Century Fox and in 2015, their film Southbound premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. It was released theatrically by the Orchard on February 5, 2016.[22][23][24][25] Paul Thomas Anderson called the film "a hidden gem."[26]

In 2019, Bettinelli-Olpin co-directed the well-reviewed comedic thriller Ready or Not with Tyler Gillett for Fox Searchlight. The film stars Samara Weaving, Adam Brody, Andie MacDowell, and Mark O'Brien.[27] The film was nominated for Best Horror Film at the 46th Saturn Awards.

In March 2020, it was announced that Bettinelli-Olpin would co-direct the fifth installment of the Scream franchise, alongside Tyler Gillett, with Kevin Williamson serving as executive producer.[28] The film was released on January 14, 2022.[29][30] The film was nominated for Best Movie at the 2023 MTV Movie & TV Awards.[31]

In 2022, Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett directed Scream VI which was released on March 10, 2023, by Paramount Pictures.[32] The film won Best Movie at the 2023 MTV Movie & TV Awards and ranked #3 on The Hollywood Reporter's list of "The Best Slasher Movies of the Decade".[33][34]

In 2023, Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett directed Abigail which was released on April 19, 2024, by Universal Pictures.[35] The film was nominated for Best Wide Release Movie at the 2024 Fangoria Chainsaw Awards.[36] and included on many best of 2024 lists including Variety's "The Best Horror Movies of 2024", Screen Rant's "10 Best Horror Movies Of 2024", Bloody Disgusting's "The 10 Best Horror Movies Released in the First Half of 2024", Time Out's "The Best Horror Movies of 2024" and SlashFilm's "The 19 Best Horror Movies Of 2024 So Far".[37][38][39][40][41]

In all of their films, Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett have used music from Asian Man Records artists including Alkaline Trio, Link 80, MU330 and Laura Stevenson and the Cans as well as music from the Bay Area including Too Short, The Atom Age, Link 80, The Jacka, Kamaiyah and P-Lo.

Bettinelli-Olpin portrays Michael Myers in Scream in the film within a film Stab 8 and Ghostface on the TV news segment in Scream VI.[42]

Bettinelli-Olpin is also a producer on V/H/S, V/H/S/94, V/H/S/99 and V/H/S/85.

Discography

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Filmography

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Film Year Director Writer Actor Editor Producer Notes
Chad, Matt & Rob 2011 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
V/H/S 2012 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Segment "10/31/98"
Devil's Due 2014 Yes No No No No
Southbound 2015 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Ready or Not 2019 Yes No No No No
V/H/S/94 2021 No No No No Yes
Scream 2022 Yes No No No No [a]
V/H/S/99 2022 No No No No Yes
Scream VI 2023 Yes No No No No [44]
V/H/S/85 2023 No No No No Yes
Abigail 2024 Yes No No No No

Accolades

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Year Award Category Work Result
2012 SXSW Midnight Audience Award (shared with Ti West, Adam Wingard, et al.) V/H/S Nominated
Sitges Film Festival Best Motion Picture Nominated
Golden Schmoes Awards Best Horror Movie Nominated
2016 iHorror Best Direct Release Horror(shared with David Bruckner, Roxanne Benjamin, et al.) Southbound Nominated
2019 Sitges Film Festival Best Motion Picture Ready or Not Nominated
Fright Meter Awards Best Horror Movie Nominated
Golden Schmoes Awards Best Horror Movie Nominated
Golden Schmoes Awards Biggest Surprise of the Year Nominated
IGN Summer Movie Awards Best Horror Movie Nominated
Fantasy Filmfest Best 1st or 2nd Feature Nominated
St. Louis Film Critics Association Awards Best Horror Film Nominated
2020 Fangoria Chainsaw Awards Best Wide Release Nominated
Hollywood Critics Association Film Awards Best Horror Film Nominated
Hawaii Film Critics Society Awards Best Horror Film Nominated
Columbus Film Critics Association Awards Best Overlooked Film 2nd Place
Music City Film Critics Association Awards Best Horror Film Nominated
2021 Saturn Awards Best Horror Film Nominated
Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films Best Horror Film Nominated
2022 MTV Movie & TV Awards Best Movie Scream (2022) Nominated
People's Choice Awards Best Movie Nominated
Hollywood Critics Association Midseason Film Awards Best Horror Nominated
The Queerties Best Studio Movie Nominated
St. Louis Film Critics Association Awards Best Horror Film Nominated
GLAAD Media Awards Outstanding Film Wide Theatrical Release Nominated
Saturn Awards Best Horror Film Nominated
2023 MTV Movie & TV Awards Best Movie Scream VI Won
Hollywood Critics Association Midseason Film Awards Best Horror Nominated
Saturn Awards Best Horror Film Nominated
MTV Millennial Awards Best Movie Nominated
2024 People's Choice Awards The Drama Movie of the Year Nominated
Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films Best Horror Film Nominated
Critics' Choice Super Awards Best Horror Movie Nominated
Golden Schmoes Awards Best Horror Movie Nominated
Music City Film Critics' Association Awards Best Horror Film Nominated
Astra Film Awards Best Horror Feature Nominated
DiscussingFilm Critic Awards Best Horror Film Nominated
Fangoria Chainsaw Awards Best Wide Release Abigail Nominated
7th Astra Midseason Movie Awards Best Horror Movie Nominated

References

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  1. ^ Bettinelli-Olpin additionally makes an uncredited cameo appearance as Halloween antagonist Michael Myers in a film within the film within a film Stab 8.[43]
  1. ^ G4 Attack of the Show ("Around the Net") https://revver.com/video/919676/cmr-on-g4-tvs-attack-of-the-show/
  2. ^ a b Punknews.org (28 May 2004). "Link 80 - 17 Reasons". www.punknews.org.
  3. ^ Punknews.org. "Link 80". Punknews.org. Retrieved 2022-09-02.
  4. ^ "Campus Circle - Alkaline Trio". Campus Circle. Retrieved 2022-09-02.
  5. ^ "Campus Circle - Richard Butler". Campus Circle. Retrieved 2022-09-02.
  6. ^ Link 80 (20 June 2016). "Nick Traina (Memorial Video)". Archived from the original on 2021-12-13 – via YouTube.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ "Stream Link 80's "Junkie Man" cover from upcoming Rancid 'And Out Come the Wolves' tribute LP". brooklynvegan.com. 2021-05-21. Retrieved 2021-05-21.
  8. ^ "- YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 2022-09-02.
  9. ^ "The Lonely Island". www.thelonelyisland.com. Retrieved 2022-09-02.
  10. ^ "Scare-A-Thon: The Stories Behind "V/H/S," The Best, Most Unique Horror Anthology Movie In Years". Complex. Retrieved 2022-09-02.
  11. ^ "V/H/S" directors, Radio Silence, take on Found Footage Frankenstein Story Archived 2013-06-04 at the Wayback Machine
  12. ^ "Radio Silence Eyes Frankenstein Found-Footage Film". 25 April 2012.
  13. ^ quint. "Quint thinks V/H/S, a found footage horror anthology, is the first great horror flick to screen..." Aint It Cool News. Retrieved 2022-09-02.
  14. ^ Jeff Weiss (May 24, 2011). "Music is one big joke to the Lonely Island". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 6, 2014.
  15. ^ Erbland, Kate (2019-08-21). "How Radio Silence Went From YouTube Celebrities to Studio Auteurs". IndieWire. Retrieved 2022-09-02.
  16. ^ Lawton, Christopher (2009-02-04), "Video Sites Entice Users To Stay and Play." Wall Street Journal
  17. ^ Miska, Brad (2011-12-02). "[OMFG] Our Film 'V/H/S' Will Premiere at Sundance 2012, First Look!". Bloody Disgusting!. Retrieved 2022-09-02.
  18. ^ Zeitchik, Steven (2011-10-13), "Wingard, West headline new Bloody Disgusting film." Los Angeles Times https://latimesblogs.latimes.com/movies/2011/10/ti-west-inkeepers-bloody-disgusting-adam-wingard-youre-next.html
  19. ^ Barnes, Brooks (2011-12-01). "Delusional Teenagers and Other Sundance Offerings". The Carpetbagger. Retrieved 2022-09-02.
  20. ^ Lowe, Justin (2012-01-27). "V/H/S: Sundance Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2022-09-02.
  21. ^ Fernandez, Daniel Miller,Jay A.; Miller, Daniel; Fernandez, Jay A. (2012-01-26). "Sundance 2012: Magnolia Pictures Acquiring Horror Flick 'V/H/S' for North of $1 Million (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2022-09-02.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  22. ^ "The Orchard Buys Anthology Horror Movie 'Southbound' After Toronto Debut". 2015-10-08. Retrieved 2022-09-02.
  23. ^ "New film from "V/H/S" standouts Radio Silence gets date". Fangoria. 14 May 2013. Retrieved 14 May 2013.
  24. ^ "First Generation "V/H/S": Radio Silence". Diabolique. 6 August 2013. Retrieved 6 August 2013.
  25. ^ Erbland, Kate (11 August 2015). "Toronto International Film Festival Reveals Midnight Madness and Vanguard Slate".
  26. ^ Fangoria (Volume 2, Issue 3) Fangoria https://twitter.com/bradmiska/status/1110741195880308737
  27. ^ Miska, Brad (October 18, 2018). "Adam Brody Joins Samara Weaving In Radio Silence's 'Ready or Not'". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  28. ^ Gemmill, Allie (March 12, 2020). "'Scream 5' Scores 'Ready or Not' Team Radio Silence to Direct (& Scare Us Silly)". Collider. Archived from the original on April 29, 2020. Retrieved March 15, 2020.
  29. ^ Miska, Brad (August 28, 2020). "Relaunch of 'Scream' Slashing Into Theaters on January 14, 2022!". BloodyDisgusting. Retrieved August 28, 2020.
  30. ^ Kroll, Justin (June 24, 2020). "New Scream Movie From Spyglass Media Will Be Released by Paramount (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  31. ^ Shanfeld, Ethan (June 5, 2022). "MTV Movie and TV Awards Winners List 2022 (Updated Live)". Variety. Archived from the original on June 6, 2022. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
  32. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (March 18, 2022). "Scream Sequel & Bob Marley Biopic Theatrical Release Dates Set By Paramount". Deadline. Retrieved March 18, 2022.
  33. ^ Cite error: The named reference MTV Movie & TV Award winners was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  34. ^ Newby, Richard (July 5, 2024). "The Best Slasher Movies of the Decade". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
  35. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (11 January 2024). "Universal's Melissa Barrera & Angus Cloud Monster Thriller From Radio Silence Gets Title & Trailer". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on January 11, 2024. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  36. ^ Melanson, Angel (July 8, 2024). "The Wait Is Over: Here Are The 2024 FANGORIA CHAINSAW AWARDS Nominees". Fangoria. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
  37. ^ Earl, William (June 20, 2024). "The Best Horror Movies of 2024 So Far, Ranked: 'Immaculate,' 'Late Night With the Devil,' 'In a Violent Nature' and More". Variety. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
  38. ^ Hemmert, Kylie (June 15, 2024). "10 Best Horror Movies Of 2024". ScreenRant. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
  39. ^ Navarro, Meagan (June 28, 2024). "The 10 Best Horror Movies Released in the First Half of 2024". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
  40. ^ de Semlyen, Phil (July 1, 2024). "The best horror movies and shows of 2024 (so far) for a truly scary watch". TimeOut. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
  41. ^ Film, Slash (July 1, 2024). "The 19 Best Horror Movies Of 2024 So Far". SlashFilm. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
  42. ^ u/RadioSilenceMTC (January 27, 2022). "Dreadit AMA: We're Radio Silence, the filmmaking team of Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett and Chad Villella. Directors of SCREAM (2022). AMA!". Reddit. Retrieved January 27, 2022. u/s1dneypresc0tt: Just like Wes [Craven], did you guys ever consider having your own cameos in the movie? u/RadioSilenceMTC: Yes! We actually cameo in some of the Stab8 footage that will hopefully see the light of day at some point -- but you can see Matt and Tyler in one of the thumbnails on the Youtube page! u/RadioSilenceMTC: And Matt is Michael Myers on the TV behind Movie Randy (Tyler [Gillett] took the picture and Chad [Vilella] is holding his phone flashlight to light it. Studio movie!)
  43. ^ u/RadioSilenceMTC (January 27, 2022). "Dreadit AMA: We're Radio Silence, the filmmaking team of Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett and Chad Villella. Directors of SCREAM (2022). AMA!". Reddit. Retrieved January 27, 2022. u/s1dneypresc0tt: Just like Wes, did you guys ever consider having your own cameos in the movie? u/RadioSilenceMTC: Yes! We actually cameo in some of the Stab8 footage that will hopefully see the light of day at some point -- but you can see Matt and Tyler in one of the thumbnails on the Youtube page! u/RadioSilenceMTC: And Matt is Michael Myers on the TV behind Movie Randy (Tyler took the picture and Chad is holding his phone flashlight to light it. Studio movie!)
  44. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (May 10, 2022). "'Scream' Sequel Seeing Return Of Melissa Barrera, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding & Jenna Ortega". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 7, 2022.
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