By Stephen Pytak 

     I had a feeling there was something 
special about this film when I first caught
a glimpse of just a few images.
     They were on postcards and unusual
mouse pads that were given away at the
Fangoria Weekend of Horrors at in New
York City in January 1999.
     The cards featured images of Neo 
firing rounds in the government lobby.
     The mouse pads were really strange,
showing him covered in slime escaping 
from the pod in the power plant. The pad
contained some type of red gel for effect.
Creepy.
     I was working the day that it opened,
Wednesday, March 31, 1999. But I 
managed to finish up in time for the 9 p.m.
show. I got in my car and floored it to
the theater. 
     But when I got to the ticket booth, the 
lady there told me somehow the film broke.
     "Tape it," I said.
     For whatever reason, they couldn't fix
it until the next day.
     I protested and told them I didn't fly up
here doing 90 for nothing.
     So, they gave me a free pass to come 
back on Thursday, which I accepted of 
course.
     The next day I was treated to one of the
best cinematic experiences ever, a feast not 
only for the eyes but the intellect.
     It made me think about my own path
of existence, and the kind of fantasy I was
writing at the time. Could I ever write
something so engaging?
     Even though it contained elements of
Anime, philosophy, Bruce Lee and "Die
Hard (1988)," I've never seen anything like 
it.
     Now, five years and two sequels later,
a really cool 10-disc box set with thorough 
analysis and behind-the-scenes exploration 
has been put together with some interesting
suggestions by the Wachowskis.
     The brothers don't contribute 
commentaries over the three films. That
would have been interesting however. But
they're more curious about what they call
a search for truth.
     So, they have philosophers who dig the
flicks on one track, and critics who jab at
them on another.
     I made the mistake of watching the 
original with the critics. While they admit
it's a good film, they suggest that it would
have been more of a classic if the sequels
hadn't been made. Go figure.
     I watched "Reloaded (2003)" with
the philosophers, Dr. Cornel West, who
played "Councillor West" in the film, and
Ken Wilbur. These guys provide a track
which offers insight into the directors'
intentions, and possibly more things to 
chew on. Great brain food.
     On top of that, West and Wilbur liked
the films. They talk like fans. And they'll
appeal to anyone who spent the $50 or
$60 to purchase the set.
     The directors explain why they chose
these commentators in an open letter,
which is contained on the three movie
discs.
     The only truth I've discovered is that
people who can appreciate ideas can
really stimulate a conversation, and these
critics are bone heads.
     By the way, there are feature-length
behind the scenes documentaries for each
film. So far, I only watched the one for
the original. Now that was something.
     Sometimes it was the little things that
made this very memorable, Laurence 
Fishburne's sense of humor in particular.
     I'm slowly working my way through
the entire 10-disc set. I finished disc 9,
which contains two hour-long 
documentaries.
     One is called "Return to Source: 
Philosophy & The Matrix." It features the
abovementioned philosophers, and many
others, who dissect the meanings in all
three films. Excellent.
     The other is "The Hard Problem: The
Science Behind the Fiction." Here scientists
and others discuss technology and the 
notion of whether or not a "Matrix" is
plausible. Excellent as well.
     This series will always have its critics
and proponents. I know some people who
like the first film and hate the sequels.
     But one thing's for sure. When you see
them, you'll never look at anything the same
way again.