Hey there all, Mike and I figured before we start doing film reviews, we should give a little information about ourselves and what makes us qualified to take on such an endeavor as this one. Any jackass with a computer can tell you what they think about something, with or without seeing or knowing anything about the subject, so we wanted to tell you what sets us apart.
Steve:
I am a senior at the University of Oswego with a double major in Creative Writing and Cinema and Screen Studies. Before that, I got a two year degree from NCCC in Communication and Media Arts. Tim Doherty and I ran a podcast show on movies, which was the primary reason the podcast program was approved. I've also done freelance writing work of analytical and research papers, as well as breaking down feature films down to the bare dramatic structure that can be found in most quality films. I've also been published for fiction work twice.
Mike:
I just graduated from Niagara University with a Bachelors Degree in Communications. There, I drank my face off and somehow managed to attend class nearly everyday! I started writing for my school paper, the Niagara Index, and from there interned with the Niagara Gazette (Niagara Falls, NY newspaper), hockeysfuture.com, and Buffalo.com. I also have a fantasy hockey blog and currently write for thehockeywriters.com and Buffalo.com.
Next, we'll tell you something about the films we love and why. At the end of each week, Mike and I will post two reviews, usually on different films being released that week. But at the start of each week, we'll do something a little different. We might do a DVD that is being released that week, an old favorite, a list of some sort, or maybe just a film that we both watched out of the blue. We are also open to requests, if our opinion becomes as valued as it should be.
Below, we'll both list our favorite comedy, action, and drama. We will also give a guilty pleasure film, something we just can't let go of. Finally, we'll tell you our favorite film of all time.
Comedy
Steve:
It's a tough decision on favorite comedy, first I have a tendency to go with a film that has great quality (which means structurally sound and carries a strong theme), but on the other hand it should be solid laughs all the way through. With the first line of thought, it's Swingers. With the second, it's Caddyshack. But when I combine the two lines of thought, gotta go with The Big Lebowski. When in doubt, trust in Coen.
Mike:
When I think of comedy movies, I toss them into two categories: Dumb and Smart. Grandmas Boy, Beer Fest, Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Haggard: The Movie are all dumb movies I can sit back and watch all day. But if I'm going from a smart, well written story, great characters standpoint, I love Beverly Hills Cop, Trains, Planes and Automobiles, Stir Crazy, and Blazing Saddles. Comedies are my bread and butter when it comes to movies.
Action
Steve:
I really might commit suicide for doing this, I gotta go with The Rock. I'll hate Micheal Bay til the day I die and in a lot of ways he nearly ruins this, but damn is it entertaining.
Mike:
300, Escape From New York, and Demolition Man. I'll be damned if those weren't some of the most entertaining action flicks I've watched. Also, Kurt Russel is awesome.
Drama
Steve:
I know it might be more of a romantic than straight drama, but I'm always going to love Garden State. It's one of the most authentic feeling romances of any movie I've ever seen.
Mike:
I'm a pretty big drama fan. Schindler's List would have to be up near the top for me. Mulholland Drive, I'm Not There and The Great Happiness Space are a couple more favorites.
Guilty Pleasure
Steve:
The Naked Gun. I could watch it every day til the day I die.
Mike:
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. I don't think I need to give a reason for this pick. The Naked Gun is good too; Leslie Nealson is great in everything he does
Overall Film
Steve:
I might seem like I'm taking a cheap way out by picking the last film to clean sweep the Oscar's, but to me there is no better film all the way through than Silence of the Lambs. I've written four papers on Fight Club, but through and through Lambs is just an inch better straight through.
Mike:
Eraserhead. There's no film, in my opinion, that is better shot, has better lighting, has a better mood, has a better soundtrack, is more confusing, or is generally just strange than Eraserhead.
Thanks for reading- our first review should come by the weekend. Happy weekend!
