Matthew Frank Leonetti A.S.C. (born July 31, 1941) is an American cinematographer.
Background Leonetti was born in Los Angeles, California.
His younger brother, John R. Leonetti, is also a prolific cinematographer and occasional film director.
Their father Frank was a filmmaker and cinematographer, who served as a gaffer and lighting technician on low-budget films like The Violent Years, Frankenstein's Daughter, and Beyond the Time Barrier.
Leonetti is a graduate of Loyola Marymount University.
Career Leonetti began his career working on a number of projects with his father, serving as a camera operator on films like Adam at 6 A.M. and The Organization. He soon fell in with Jerry Jameson, a prolific television director who dabbled in feature films.
His debut as cinematographer was The Bat People, a low-budget horror movie directed by Jameson, on which Leonetti also served as an executive producer. Though the film came and went with little fanfare, it did gain a minor cult following years later after being featured at an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000. Leonetti spent much of the 1970s shooting TV films directed by Jameson.
In 1979, Leonetti worked on his first big-budget theatrical film with the Academy Award-winning Breaking Away, directed by Peter Yates.
Leonetti later shot the Poltergeist, where he was responsible for creating many of the film's iconic images. This proved to be his big break, and in the following years he quickly became one of the most prolific and accomplished DPs in the film industry, shooting a large number of iconic films of the 80s.
Leonetti served as DP on his brother's directorial debut, Mortal Kombat Annihilation.
In 2000s, Leonetti shot a string of blockbusters, from thrillers to action, as well as comedy films.
Filmography Film Year Title Director 1974 The Bat People Jerry Jameson1977 Mr. Billion Jonathan Kaplan The Chicken Chronicles Frank Simon American Raspberry Bradley R. Swirnoff 1979 Breaking Away Peter Yates 1980 Raise the Titanic Jerry Jameson 1981 Eyewitness Peter Yates1982 Poltergeist Tobe Hooper Fast Times at Ridgemont High Amy Heckerling1984 The Buddy System Glenn Jordan The Ice Pirates Stewart Raffill Songwriter Alan Rudolph1985 Fast Forward Sidney Poitier Weird Science John Hughes Jagged Edge Richard Marquand Commando Mark L. Lester 1986 Jumpin' Jack Flash Penny Marshall1987 Extreme Prejudice Walter Hill Dragnet Tom Mankiewicz1988 Action Jackson Craig R. Baxley Red HeatWalter Hill 1989 Johnny Handsome1990 Hard to Kill Bruce Malmuth Another 48 Hrs. Walter Hill 1991 Dead Again Kenneth Branagh 1992 Leap of Faith Richard Pearce1994 Angels in the Outfield William Dear A Low Down Dirty Shame Keenen Ivory Wayans 1995 Strange Days Kathryn Bigelow1996 Fled Kevin Hooks Star Trek: First Contact Jonathan Frakes 1997 Mortal Kombat Annihilation John R. Leonetti1998 Species II Peter Medak Star Trek: Insurrection Jonathan Frakes2001 Along Came a Spider Lee Tamahori Rush Hour 2 Brett Ratner 2003 2 Fast 2 Furious John Singleton2004 The Butterfly Effect Eric BressJ. Mackye Gruber Dawn of the Dead Zack Snyder2005 Fever Pitch The Farrelly Brothers Santa's Slay David Steiman 2006 Accepted Steve Pink2007 Pride Sunu Gornea The Heartbreak Kid The Farrelly Brothers2008 What Happens in Vegas Tom Vaughan Soul Men Malcolm D. Lee 2011 Hall PassThe Farrelly Brothers 2012 The Three Stooges 2014 Dumb and Dumber To
Short film Year Title Director Notes 2000 Bear to the Right Matthew F. Leonetti Jr.2013 The PitchPeter FarrellySegments of Movie 43 Truth or Dare
Television TV movies Year Title Director Notes1974 The ElevatorJerry Jameson Hurricane Terror on the 40th Floor It Couldn't Happen to a Nicer Guy Cy Howard1975 The Secret Night Caller Jerry Jameson Search for the Gods Jud Taylor The Deadly TowerJerry Jameson The Lives of Jenny Dolan1976 High Risk Sam O'Steen The Call of the Wild Jerry Jameson1977 The Spell Lee Philips Flight to Holocaust Bernard L. Kowalski The Hostage Heart Bernard McEveety1978 Superdome Jerry Jameson Ruby and Oswald Mel Stuart Special OlympicsLee Philips With John V. LaBarbera The Comedy Company A Fire in the Sky Jerry Jameson1979 The Triangle Factory Fire Scandal Mel Stuart Willa Joan DarlingClaudio Guzmán Son-Rise: A Miracle of Love Glenn Jordan 1980 Turnover Smith Bernard L. Kowalski1981 Crazy Times Lee Philips Stand By Your Man Jerry Jameson1982 Mae West Lee Philips Hotline Jerry Jameson E.T. and Friends: Magical Movie Visitors Malcolm LeoAndrew Solt Documentary film 1983 HappyLee Philips1986 American Geisha Under the Influence Thomas Carter 1988 Secret Witness Eric Laneuville
TV series Year Title Director Notes 1975 Bronk Richard Donner Episode "Pilot" 1976 Jigsaw John Allen ReisnerReza BadiyiCharles S. Dubin 3 episodes 1978 The American Girls Lee Philips Episode "The Phoenix Connection" 1982 Tucker's Witch Peter H. Hunt Episode "The Good Witch of Laurel Canyon" 1983 Lottery! Lee Philips Episode "Being a Winner" 1984 Jessie Richard Michaels Episode "Pilot" 2008 Unhitched The Farrelly Brothers Episode "Pilot"
Bibliography Kay Weniger: Das große Personenlexikon des Films, Band 4, Page 690, Berlin (2001)
Awards and nominations Year Award Category Title Result Ref. 1995 Chicago Film Critics Association Best Cinematography Strange Days 2015 American Society of CinematographersPresident's Award
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