Thanks to everyone who saw the film. We unfortunately have no plans to make video copies for sale, but if this situation changes in the future, we'd like to let you know. Please send us a postcard with your name, address and phone number to:

The Green Monster c/o
Matador Films
625 Broadway 12th Fl
NY, NY 10012


The Green Monster

Matador Films announces the broadcast debut of its first production, a sixty minute documentary entitled "The Green Monster."

"The Green Monster" depicts the life and auto racing career of Art Arfons. Without a high school diploma, engineers, or even blueprints, this small-town Midwestern prodigy of practical mechanics designed, built, drove and broke land-speed records in a series of supercharged jet cars he dubbed The Green Monster.

The film will be broadcast nationally on P.O.V. (Point of View) on PBS, Tuesday June 29th, 1999 at 10PM (check local listings to confirm).


The story behind Matador Films

Lyle and Brett Vapneck (old tyme matador employee) saw a rough cut of the film at the Independent Feature Market in NYC and Chris and Gerard decided to launch a film production "company" to help complete the project.

Matador Films is currently not considering any new projects. That is, not until they can secure Tom Hanks to play Chris Lombardi in "Matador In Space."


The Clip

This scene comes just after Arfons has been talking about the effects of high speed travel on the human body. He knows he's getting older and might not be able to handle the stress. He talks to a friend of his who is an airline pilot about what to do to make sure he's capable. The friend tells him professional pilots are not allowed to fly without first riding in a centrifuge if they've not piloted for two weeks. He suggests renting a ride in a centrifuge.

Arfons discovers the rental rates for centrifuge rides cost tens of thousands of dollars. Knowing he'll need to take a few dozen rides over the years and being the ingenutive man he is, Arfons decides it would be more to his advantage to build his own centrifuge. In this clip, he straps himself in and goes for a ride while his wife talks about his fear of amusement park rides.

The music in the background is "Grease Gun," a new track from Pell Mell, who wrote and play the original soundtrack, with additional songs by Southern Culture on the Skids.

Quicktime 1 Meg (Low Quality)
Quicktime 4 Meg (High Quality)

Real Video G2

Real Video 5.0 (56k)
Real Video 5.0 (112k)


Matt's Commentary

Do see this film. Instead of soaking up more sensationalist Dateline filler, switch over to PBS and watch The Green Monster. It's an excellent documentary: gorgeously filmed, skillfully edited, and with a smart use of archival footage. Arfons is a fascinating character, driven and yet reserved -- he and his family tell the wry story behind Arfons' obsession with an odd sense of pride and wonderment.

Here is a man, a mechanical genius without a high school diploma, who managed to break barriers even teams of designers and engineers couldn't muster. All this brought him for a time into the strange and brief light of American celebrity, an unlikely hero of the 60's. What is most impressive about Arfons and the film is that he is well into his later years and is still building and racing his cars against time. What a fitting portrait of a man in a country that shuns its old and celebrates only youth.