Thursday, July 31, 2008
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Jane's Bitch Slap interview and Anthony's Critic review
Jane, I enjoyed your Bitch Slap interview. As soon as I saw the poster I thought of "Grindhouse." I'm surprised that they're going in that direction since "Grindhouse" did so poorly at the box office. Often it seems like if one kind of movie fails then studios will be afraid to touch other properties like it.
Anthony I share your fondness for "The Critic." I think a lot of what it's doing we see being done now on "Family Guy," a show for which I have a lot of mixed feelings. (Sometimes I love it, other times I just loath it.)
Anthony I share your fondness for "The Critic." I think a lot of what it's doing we see being done now on "Family Guy," a show for which I have a lot of mixed feelings. (Sometimes I love it, other times I just loath it.)
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
"Step Brothers" review
Here.
P.S. I'm almost done with something big film-criticism wise and you guys will be the first to know about it. :-)
P.S. I'm almost done with something big film-criticism wise and you guys will be the first to know about it. :-)
Non-Film Reviews
Being a film critic is fun for the same reason as being a food critic, book critic, or any kind of critic. There's a sense of satisfaction when you express what you think and additional satisfaction when it makes a difference in someone's decision to try something. For me, my web site is a film review site, but because of this enjoyment of saying what I think of anything, my site has a section called "Other Reviews" where I put in miscellaneous reviews of TV shows, video games, and anything that is "film-like." It's obviously not the main area os the site but I have it in case anyone is interested in a little extra stuff.
With that, I'd like to present my latest non-film review: the short-lived TV animated show called The Critic.
http://www.anthonysfilmreview.com/Other/The_Critic.htm
I am sharing this as a dedication to us and other film critics out there. In addition, in case you haven't heard, the popular film review show Ebert and Roeper will be ending soon because neither critic will continue the show. It made me think of Siskel and Ebert, which then made me think of The Critic. :-)
(Note: As an advance notice, I will finally see The Dark Knight with a friend this weekend because he'll finally be free that time. I will post my review of it likely next Monday.)
With that, I'd like to present my latest non-film review: the short-lived TV animated show called The Critic.
http://www.anthonysfilmreview.com/Other/The_Critic.htm
I am sharing this as a dedication to us and other film critics out there. In addition, in case you haven't heard, the popular film review show Ebert and Roeper will be ending soon because neither critic will continue the show. It made me think of Siskel and Ebert, which then made me think of The Critic. :-)
(Note: As an advance notice, I will finally see The Dark Knight with a friend this weekend because he'll finally be free that time. I will post my review of it likely next Monday.)
Monday, July 28, 2008
Jane's Interview with the "Bitch Slap" Girls
These girls were fun. Caught up with them the day before they started handing out Bitch Slap swag at Comic-Con.
http://www.filmgecko.com/exclusive-the-bitch-slap-girls-interview/
http://www.filmgecko.com/exclusive-the-bitch-slap-girls-interview/
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Back from vacation, "Step Brothers" review forthcoming
Hey everyone. Sorry I haven't posted anything the past couple days. My beloved and I took a vacation down to Patoka lake in Southern Indiana. I was without TV, internet, and even cell phone. It was wonderful.
I'll be leaving in about 20 minutes to go see the new Will Ferrell movie and be doing my review on that this week. I've also got a few blog posts to get out of me. Hope you've all been well.
I'll be leaving in about 20 minutes to go see the new Will Ferrell movie and be doing my review on that this week. I've also got a few blog posts to get out of me. Hope you've all been well.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Jane's X-Files Review
Posted my X-Files review. Disappointing...
http://www.filmgecko.com/the-x-files-i-want-to-believe-review/
jane
http://www.filmgecko.com/the-x-files-i-want-to-believe-review/
jane
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Links From Anthony's Film Review
Ladies and gentleman, I've updated my site with links to all of your sites from the links page at my site (http://www.anthonysfilmreview.com/Links.htm). I have links to David Swindle's reviews, CineSnob.net, MoonStar Film Reviews, Black Sheep Reviews, Reel Life With Jane, and Salty Popcorn. If I missed anyone and you want to be listed, let me know. Also, if there is an error in my description of your site, let me know as well.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Sunday, July 20, 2008
BLACK SHEEP REVIEWS THE DARK KNIGHT
Written by Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan
Directed by Christopher Nolan
Starring Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Morgan Freeman
Alfred Pennyworth: Some men simply want to watch the world burn.
There can only be one Batman and as I sat amongst a full crowd that was silent in awed anticipation at the crack of the film, it is clear that director, Christopher Nolan’s Batman is the one. In BATMAN BEGINS, Nolan (whom at the time he attempted to revive the franchise had only directed a handful of indie projects) took an icon and made him human. Batman, and of course his real life persona, Bruce Wayne, was damaged. He had fears; he had frustrations; he had to find himself. What he found with a little push from Nolan was a flawed figure but also a man whose heroism was defined by his humility and relentless pursuit of justice for those incapable of demanding it for themselves. With the arrival of THE DARK KNIGHT, Nolan has finished with his foundation and taken to the vertigo-inducing heights on the tallest of Gotham’s buildings to analyze the city and all its inhabitants. Gliding both gracefully and dauntingly through all of it is the dark knight himself (reprised by third time Nolan collaborator, Christian Bale). What he sees from his unique view that becomes our privileged spectacle is world of delineating lines and order that is about to torn apart by chaos and chance.
Gotham City must be pretty far down the list of safest places in America to live. Not only does there seem to be nightly violence at the hands of common street thugs but all the crazies seem to end setting up shop there too. Enter the Joker (Heath Ledger). We know nothing of what made him the homicidal maniac he is nor does he have any regard for human life. In fact, he has nothing but disdain for it. Humanity’s rules and order may disgust him but they also make it possible for him to predict how people will behave, allowing him the chance to throw out loops to throw them off and laugh at their expense. The Joker is frightening enough in concept but Ledger’s performance is down right terrifying. As he constantly licks his lips with self-assured cynicism, he cuts to the chase in every scenario. He has no time for any games other than the ones he orchestrates himself and commands control everywhere he goes. His idea of playing always involves games with the ultimate consequence and the highest of stakes. In order to win these games, you must reject what you know and become everything you denounce. Only winners will know the rewards of living both sides of the coin and the Joker is counting on fear to prevail so that he can finally have someone to play with.
Along with his brother, Jonathan, Nolan has crafted a dark, twisted dissection of duality and morality that is often shocking, unexpected and intricately detailed. In every superhero tale, everyone always wants to know the man behind the mask. The mask itself, the creation of another persona other than the one that sits safely behind it, initiates the duality that permeates the notion of the superhero figure. Batman is the dark knight. He only comes out at night and no one would suspect the man he is by day might be one and the same. The Joker’s chaos theory ruptures Batman’s controlled existence and forces him to think in a darker fashion than he has ever had to before. Thinking that darkly though can leave you stranded in that space and this is what the Joker is counting on. What makes THE DARK KNIGHT so rich is that almost every character has conflict and questions their actions and motivations. No answer is the clear right answer and deceit seems to play a role in even the most well-intentioned decisions. The greatest irony is that the darkest character actually has the purest of souls while the would be clown seems to have no soul at all. This is perhaps what makes them such worthy adversaries and why they both almost seem to enjoy the challenge.
When THE DARK KNIGHT feels like it might be ending, the anxiety mounts because you won’t want it to end. It has an enormous scope but is somehow still subtle. It is incredibly complex but yet still simple. The film itself is steeped in just as much duality as its hero. Nolan never loses control of his dualistic duty – to create a Batman film that pleases both the masses and the fans, that encompasses the grandness of a blockbuster with the darkness of the independent spirit and wows without resorting to cheap tricks. Once again, Nolan has grounded the sensational on a very firm footing by never allowing Batman to be anything other than a man. We can then stand on the same level ground as the giant bat and feel a satisfaction that is both real and incredible.
GRADE: A
Directed by Christopher Nolan
Starring Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Morgan Freeman
Alfred Pennyworth: Some men simply want to watch the world burn.
There can only be one Batman and as I sat amongst a full crowd that was silent in awed anticipation at the crack of the film, it is clear that director, Christopher Nolan’s Batman is the one. In BATMAN BEGINS, Nolan (whom at the time he attempted to revive the franchise had only directed a handful of indie projects) took an icon and made him human. Batman, and of course his real life persona, Bruce Wayne, was damaged. He had fears; he had frustrations; he had to find himself. What he found with a little push from Nolan was a flawed figure but also a man whose heroism was defined by his humility and relentless pursuit of justice for those incapable of demanding it for themselves. With the arrival of THE DARK KNIGHT, Nolan has finished with his foundation and taken to the vertigo-inducing heights on the tallest of Gotham’s buildings to analyze the city and all its inhabitants. Gliding both gracefully and dauntingly through all of it is the dark knight himself (reprised by third time Nolan collaborator, Christian Bale). What he sees from his unique view that becomes our privileged spectacle is world of delineating lines and order that is about to torn apart by chaos and chance.
Gotham City must be pretty far down the list of safest places in America to live. Not only does there seem to be nightly violence at the hands of common street thugs but all the crazies seem to end setting up shop there too. Enter the Joker (Heath Ledger). We know nothing of what made him the homicidal maniac he is nor does he have any regard for human life. In fact, he has nothing but disdain for it. Humanity’s rules and order may disgust him but they also make it possible for him to predict how people will behave, allowing him the chance to throw out loops to throw them off and laugh at their expense. The Joker is frightening enough in concept but Ledger’s performance is down right terrifying. As he constantly licks his lips with self-assured cynicism, he cuts to the chase in every scenario. He has no time for any games other than the ones he orchestrates himself and commands control everywhere he goes. His idea of playing always involves games with the ultimate consequence and the highest of stakes. In order to win these games, you must reject what you know and become everything you denounce. Only winners will know the rewards of living both sides of the coin and the Joker is counting on fear to prevail so that he can finally have someone to play with.
Along with his brother, Jonathan, Nolan has crafted a dark, twisted dissection of duality and morality that is often shocking, unexpected and intricately detailed. In every superhero tale, everyone always wants to know the man behind the mask. The mask itself, the creation of another persona other than the one that sits safely behind it, initiates the duality that permeates the notion of the superhero figure. Batman is the dark knight. He only comes out at night and no one would suspect the man he is by day might be one and the same. The Joker’s chaos theory ruptures Batman’s controlled existence and forces him to think in a darker fashion than he has ever had to before. Thinking that darkly though can leave you stranded in that space and this is what the Joker is counting on. What makes THE DARK KNIGHT so rich is that almost every character has conflict and questions their actions and motivations. No answer is the clear right answer and deceit seems to play a role in even the most well-intentioned decisions. The greatest irony is that the darkest character actually has the purest of souls while the would be clown seems to have no soul at all. This is perhaps what makes them such worthy adversaries and why they both almost seem to enjoy the challenge.
When THE DARK KNIGHT feels like it might be ending, the anxiety mounts because you won’t want it to end. It has an enormous scope but is somehow still subtle. It is incredibly complex but yet still simple. The film itself is steeped in just as much duality as its hero. Nolan never loses control of his dualistic duty – to create a Batman film that pleases both the masses and the fans, that encompasses the grandness of a blockbuster with the darkness of the independent spirit and wows without resorting to cheap tricks. Once again, Nolan has grounded the sensational on a very firm footing by never allowing Batman to be anything other than a man. We can then stand on the same level ground as the giant bat and feel a satisfaction that is both real and incredible.
GRADE: A
Revised list of Best of 2007
- There Will Be Blood
- No Country For Old Men
- 300
- Michael Clayton
- Eastern Promises
- Superbad
- Juno
- I Am Legend
- Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Ranking the 2008 movies so far
I posted this list on my WTHR blog. Thought I'd post it here too:
- The Dark Knight
- WALL-E
- Iron Man
- The Incredible Hulk
- Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay
- Forgetting Sarah Marshall
- The Spiderwick Chronicles
- Hellboy 2: The Golden Army
- Dr. Seuss's Horton Hears a Who!
- Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
- The Ruins
- Kung Fu Panda
- Cloverfield
- 21
- Hancock
- Semi-Pro
- Sex and the City
- The Happening
- Jumper
- Meet the Spartans
- Untraceable
- 10,000 BC
- Speed Racer
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Jane's Dark Knight review
Here.
Jane seemed to have liked "Dark Knight" as much as I did but she thought it was too long. I disagree. I really could've taken more if Christopher Nolan wanted to give it. I was pretty sucked in the whole time. I think length can be a real problem with many of these event, big-budget, Summer franchises. ("Spider-Man 3" and the last two "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies come to mind.) Really I only think length is usually a problem if the film's themes can't sustain it. Spider-Man and Pirates were just excessive but had they been as deep as Dark Knight their length would have been acceptable. Instead they were just popcorn and after awhile all the action and special effects just got boring. It's kind of like if you get a big bag of one flavor of life savers. You'll enjoy it for awhile but by the time you get to the bottom of the bag you're sick of it and ready for another flavor. What's the solution? Get a bag of candy with a half dozen or even a dozen flavors. That's basically what "The Dark Knight" is. Agree? Disagree?
Jane seemed to have liked "Dark Knight" as much as I did but she thought it was too long. I disagree. I really could've taken more if Christopher Nolan wanted to give it. I was pretty sucked in the whole time. I think length can be a real problem with many of these event, big-budget, Summer franchises. ("Spider-Man 3" and the last two "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies come to mind.) Really I only think length is usually a problem if the film's themes can't sustain it. Spider-Man and Pirates were just excessive but had they been as deep as Dark Knight their length would have been acceptable. Instead they were just popcorn and after awhile all the action and special effects just got boring. It's kind of like if you get a big bag of one flavor of life savers. You'll enjoy it for awhile but by the time you get to the bottom of the bag you're sick of it and ready for another flavor. What's the solution? Get a bag of candy with a half dozen or even a dozen flavors. That's basically what "The Dark Knight" is. Agree? Disagree?
Black Sheep Talks WALL-E and Hello Dolly
This is a nice post.
Great job here, Black Sheep. You've written a nice piece about "WALL-E." I really like the angle you took with it. Just fantastic. Everyone should be sure and check it out. :-)
Great job here, Black Sheep. You've written a nice piece about "WALL-E." I really like the angle you took with it. Just fantastic. Everyone should be sure and check it out. :-)
Cine Snob's review of The Dark Knight
Here.
He gave it a B+ and appears not to have been quite as impressed as I. (I just finished my review and will probably be submitting it later today or tomorrow.)
I really think "The Dark Knight" is the best superhero film not only of the summer but yet made. (I make the case for this in my review.) Agree? Disagree? Which film in the genre is better and why?
He gave it a B+ and appears not to have been quite as impressed as I. (I just finished my review and will probably be submitting it later today or tomorrow.)
I really think "The Dark Knight" is the best superhero film not only of the summer but yet made. (I make the case for this in my review.) Agree? Disagree? Which film in the genre is better and why?
Anthony's Review of "Inside Man"
Here.
Anthony, it's so ironic that you wrote about "Inside Man" just recently. It's one of my favorites of the past few years and one I own and seen multiple times. I was just thinking about it the other day when I ran into one of my bosses in the men's room at work. We made the usual chit chat and started talking about movies. He said how much he liked Denzel Washington and I insisted that he check out "Inside Man." (I might bring it in for him to borrow sometime.)
One of the things about the film that I like the most is that it's so different than any other film Spike Lee has made. It's his first thriller and genre picture. All of his other films are either a drama, comedy, or documentary. It's nice for well known directors to step out of their comfort zones and usual territory because it really shows the pure filmmaker within. Another example of this idea in a different film is David Cronenberg with his recent Eastern Promises. (I mention it in my review here.)
Your point about film as a timeless art is also important. Recently my editor gave me a blog so I could write DVD reviews and thoughts on older films. I really love having it. My most recent post ranks the films of 2008 that I've seen so far. Right now The Dark Knight is at the top, followed by WALL-E and Iron Man.
Anthony, it's so ironic that you wrote about "Inside Man" just recently. It's one of my favorites of the past few years and one I own and seen multiple times. I was just thinking about it the other day when I ran into one of my bosses in the men's room at work. We made the usual chit chat and started talking about movies. He said how much he liked Denzel Washington and I insisted that he check out "Inside Man." (I might bring it in for him to borrow sometime.)
One of the things about the film that I like the most is that it's so different than any other film Spike Lee has made. It's his first thriller and genre picture. All of his other films are either a drama, comedy, or documentary. It's nice for well known directors to step out of their comfort zones and usual territory because it really shows the pure filmmaker within. Another example of this idea in a different film is David Cronenberg with his recent Eastern Promises. (I mention it in my review here.)
Your point about film as a timeless art is also important. Recently my editor gave me a blog so I could write DVD reviews and thoughts on older films. I really love having it. My most recent post ranks the films of 2008 that I've seen so far. Right now The Dark Knight is at the top, followed by WALL-E and Iron Man.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Just saw The Dark Knight...
... and was totally blown away. I'm planning an A+ review... Saw it on IMAX too. It was sold out and we had to wait in a long line to get into the theatre. (We'd bought our tickets a week ago online.) It was like waiting in line for an amusement park ride. In my review I plan to focus on the theme in the film of Batman being representative of authoritarianism and the Joker being anarchy.
Movies Are Timeless Works of Art
Like many other critics, I love to watch films and summarize my thoughts in writing. However, this is something I do as a hobby, not a professional career. Because of this, I cannot watch every single new release and review them in time for others to read. Hell, I'm still trying to gather a loyal readership. Therefore, I'm not the kind of person to go to for my thoughts on the latest release. For example, you will not find a review of The Dark Knight at Anthony's Film Review this opening weekend. I'm just not in a position to review all new films.
At first, this seems like a major drawback, but the more I think about it, the more I accept this limitation and am comfortable with the idea of being a retrospective film critic. Yes, I will review a newly released movie if I happen to see it, but if not, I find older films to write about.
Basically, I want to remind everyone that movies are timeless works of art. You can enjoy a movie on opening day or fifty years after it. A few friends have read what I've written and proceeded to rent some older movies based on my reviews. That's how I discovered that it's just as fun to review an older movie as much as a newer one. After all, there are so many movies that we've missed that retrospective reviews can remind us what passed us by.
So I may not have reviewed The Dark Knight, but I did review Inside Man. Yes, it came out in 2006, but I rented it recently and have shared my thoughts for anyone who's curious about it. Once again, movies are timeless works of art. If you keep that in mind, film criticism will always be inspiring.
At first, this seems like a major drawback, but the more I think about it, the more I accept this limitation and am comfortable with the idea of being a retrospective film critic. Yes, I will review a newly released movie if I happen to see it, but if not, I find older films to write about.
Basically, I want to remind everyone that movies are timeless works of art. You can enjoy a movie on opening day or fifty years after it. A few friends have read what I've written and proceeded to rent some older movies based on my reviews. That's how I discovered that it's just as fun to review an older movie as much as a newer one. After all, there are so many movies that we've missed that retrospective reviews can remind us what passed us by.
So I may not have reviewed The Dark Knight, but I did review Inside Man. Yes, it came out in 2006, but I rented it recently and have shared my thoughts for anyone who's curious about it. Once again, movies are timeless works of art. If you keep that in mind, film criticism will always be inspiring.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
FilmCritic.com
Do you guys know about this site? I think I just email and asked to be added, and I see I'm on the list now (the very bottom, but I'll take it!)
http://www.filmcritic.com/misc/emporium.nsf/reviews/links
j.
http://www.filmcritic.com/misc/emporium.nsf/reviews/links
j.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Monday, July 14, 2008
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Hellboy 2
I just got back from seeing "Hellboy 2" and am getting ready to write my review. Right now I'm planning on an A-. I'll post the link once it's written and on the WTHR site. What did you guys think? Would anyone who wrote about it like to post the link to their review and maybe talk about it?
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
The Many Styles of Film Criticism
All film critics, professional and otherwise, represent a variety of styles in writing and discussing a film. A film scholar, for instance, would describe all elements of a film in detail. Others may summarize half of the plot and say whether it's good or not. Then there are those critics who just give you the bottom line about a movie.
For me, my style of film criticism involves more of the bottom line. I don't necessarily go into detail of every element of a film. Rather, I focus on the parts that stand out. For example, a movie may be best described as one with plenty of character development but barely any plot to stir up interest, or another movie that is meant to be a comedy spends too much time with lame unoriginal jokes. My reviews are at least five paragraphs long and focus on the one or two things from the movie that stand out. Then I seal it with a bottom-line 1-through-10 rating.
In my opinion, there really is no wrong way to review a movie. The important thing is to find a style that works for you and stick with it. That way, the reader recognizes your style and identifies you with it.
For me, my style of film criticism involves more of the bottom line. I don't necessarily go into detail of every element of a film. Rather, I focus on the parts that stand out. For example, a movie may be best described as one with plenty of character development but barely any plot to stir up interest, or another movie that is meant to be a comedy spends too much time with lame unoriginal jokes. My reviews are at least five paragraphs long and focus on the one or two things from the movie that stand out. Then I seal it with a bottom-line 1-through-10 rating.
In my opinion, there really is no wrong way to review a movie. The important thing is to find a style that works for you and stick with it. That way, the reader recognizes your style and identifies you with it.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Sunday, July 6, 2008
My film critic story
Hey everyone I thought I'd share a little bit about where I come from as far as film criticism goes. I first started writing reviews when I was in high school (Carmel, IN '98-'02) for the school paper. I started off just kind of writing reviews and then became the entertainment editor in charge of the reviews. (I had a wonderful co-editor who handled the entertainment features.) I even won a high school journalism award for one of my reviews (of my favorite film, "Requiem for a Dream.") It was an Indiana High School Press Harvey Award, first place for opinion/review writing.
When I went to college at Ball State University in Muncie, IN (from '02- '06) I majored in English (creative writing emphasis) and Political Science and started as an op/ed columnist for the Ball State Daily News. After a few semesters I managed to snag the film critic spot as well. My senior year a friend forwarded me an e-mail that one of the execs at WTHR, the Indy NBC TV affiliate, had sent out to communications departments at Indiana colleges. The station was seeking college film critics for its web site for which it was starting to develop original content. I was the first of a group of four or five college-age critics to write reviews for the site. (If you look at the WTHR page with the movie reviews many of the ones near the bottom are by other Indiana college students.)
Eventually -- not quite sure why or how -- I became the station's sole critic, and started writing a review each week. (This was a little over a year ago.) A few months ago I also received a film blog for me to post miscellaneous movie thoughts. In addition to film reviews I've written two story series for the website, one on blogging and another on the book trend of the "new atheists" and the clash between fundamentalists and atheists.
It is a GREAT writing gig. The pay is nice (not enough to live on but a nice supplement,) my editor is very friendly and supportive, I can review whatever I want, I have no word limit, and no deadline. With my blog I can write about anything movie-related that interests me.
I view my film criticism as one third of my writing life. The other two legs are my fiction and nonfiction projects. Right now fiction-wise I've been working on the first novel of what I'd like to be a series. It's an epic fantasy novel for the young adult age group. I'm not generally a fantasy fanatic really but I had the idea and I've been running with it for about a year and a half now. For my nonfiction writing I'm in the planning and research phase right now on a book. The research can be found on my book blog and it would basically be based off of something I began with my senior political science thesis. I'm something of a political junky so if anyone enjoys that subject as well then it's another thing I'm always enthusiastic to discuss.
As far as what you might want to know about me personally... I'm engaged and will be getting married sometime in the next year and a half. My fiancee, April, sometimes makes appearances in my reviews and accompanies me to all the movies I review. I pay the bills by working full time as a collector for Sallie Mae. She works there too when she's not in school. (She has a year left at Ball State, then we're moving for grad school.) It's an interesting job that I enjoy more than I would've expected. Eventually I'd like to be able to write full time.
So what about you guys? What are your stories?
When I went to college at Ball State University in Muncie, IN (from '02- '06) I majored in English (creative writing emphasis) and Political Science and started as an op/ed columnist for the Ball State Daily News. After a few semesters I managed to snag the film critic spot as well. My senior year a friend forwarded me an e-mail that one of the execs at WTHR, the Indy NBC TV affiliate, had sent out to communications departments at Indiana colleges. The station was seeking college film critics for its web site for which it was starting to develop original content. I was the first of a group of four or five college-age critics to write reviews for the site. (If you look at the WTHR page with the movie reviews many of the ones near the bottom are by other Indiana college students.)
Eventually -- not quite sure why or how -- I became the station's sole critic, and started writing a review each week. (This was a little over a year ago.) A few months ago I also received a film blog for me to post miscellaneous movie thoughts. In addition to film reviews I've written two story series for the website, one on blogging and another on the book trend of the "new atheists" and the clash between fundamentalists and atheists.
It is a GREAT writing gig. The pay is nice (not enough to live on but a nice supplement,) my editor is very friendly and supportive, I can review whatever I want, I have no word limit, and no deadline. With my blog I can write about anything movie-related that interests me.
I view my film criticism as one third of my writing life. The other two legs are my fiction and nonfiction projects. Right now fiction-wise I've been working on the first novel of what I'd like to be a series. It's an epic fantasy novel for the young adult age group. I'm not generally a fantasy fanatic really but I had the idea and I've been running with it for about a year and a half now. For my nonfiction writing I'm in the planning and research phase right now on a book. The research can be found on my book blog and it would basically be based off of something I began with my senior political science thesis. I'm something of a political junky so if anyone enjoys that subject as well then it's another thing I'm always enthusiastic to discuss.
As far as what you might want to know about me personally... I'm engaged and will be getting married sometime in the next year and a half. My fiancee, April, sometimes makes appearances in my reviews and accompanies me to all the movies I review. I pay the bills by working full time as a collector for Sallie Mae. She works there too when she's not in school. (She has a year left at Ball State, then we're moving for grad school.) It's an interesting job that I enjoy more than I would've expected. Eventually I'd like to be able to write full time.
So what about you guys? What are your stories?
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Black Sheep's Top 10
Top 10 lists are so subjective and leave out so many good films but they are so much fun to make. I can't resist! So here is mine, in alphabetical order. Let's be honest though, it could probably change by next weekend ...
A bout de souffle (Breathless), Jean-Luc Godard (1960)
American Beauty, Sam Mendes (1999)
Annie Hall, Woody Allen (1977)
Brokeback Mountain, Ang Lee (2005)
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Michel Gondry (2004)
The Graduate, Mike Nichols (1967)
Pulp Fiction, Quentin Tarantino (1994)
Ratatouille, Brad Bird (2007)
Todo sobre mi madre (All About my Mother), Pedro Almodovar (1999)
West Side Story, Robert Wise & Jerome Robbins (1961)
Fairly eclectic, mostly contemporary ... that's me.
A bout de souffle (Breathless), Jean-Luc Godard (1960)
American Beauty, Sam Mendes (1999)
Annie Hall, Woody Allen (1977)
Brokeback Mountain, Ang Lee (2005)
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Michel Gondry (2004)
The Graduate, Mike Nichols (1967)
Pulp Fiction, Quentin Tarantino (1994)
Ratatouille, Brad Bird (2007)
Todo sobre mi madre (All About my Mother), Pedro Almodovar (1999)
West Side Story, Robert Wise & Jerome Robbins (1961)
Fairly eclectic, mostly contemporary ... that's me.
Youssef Kdiry's Top 10 Movies
(In no particular order)
STAR WARS
JAWS
THE GODFATHER
DIE HARD
THE EXORCIST
BLOODSPORT
HALLOWEEN
SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER
SCARFACE
THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK
Friday, July 4, 2008
Yes, I love P.T. Anderson...get off my back
Top 12 (in no particular order)
1. Magnolia
2. Boogie Nights
3. There Will Be Blood
4. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
5. American Beauty
6. Schindler's List
7. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
8. Talk to Her
9. L.A. Confidential
10. Fargo
11. Pulp Fiction
12. Shawshank Redemption
1. Magnolia
2. Boogie Nights
3. There Will Be Blood
4. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
5. American Beauty
6. Schindler's List
7. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
8. Talk to Her
9. L.A. Confidential
10. Fargo
11. Pulp Fiction
12. Shawshank Redemption
Why not just jump into it?
Hey guys, I figured we could either talk about it or do it. So for the time being I just created this blog so we could start chatting about films and our writing. Maybe in the future someone who's a bit more tech savvy than I might want to create a better site. It's basically free game as far as I'm concerned, I'm not electing myself moderator or chairman or anything. Post whatever you want. Ask whatever questions you want. If you want to do introductions then that's fine. I don't have time to write mine right now. To start the discussion, though, how about top 10 favorite film lists?
Here's mine:
Here's mine:
- Requiem for a Dream
- Crumb
- El Topo
- If...
- The Last Temptation of Christ
- Fargo
- Malcolm X
- Before Night Falls
- Jackie Brown
- Trainspotting
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