"Career prep"

When I was a little kid, all I wanted was to be a film critic. I imagined a world where all I had to do was see movies and tell people about them as a dream. I would sit with my Dad on Saturday afternoons and watch episodes of "Siskel and Ebert" that were followed by episodes of "American Gladiators". I never wanted to be a gladiator though. No. I wanted to join the balcony.

Somewhere down the line, my attention was pulled elsewhere. I was pulled away from Journalism and into teaching. These days, I wish I had a foot still in the film world. I still see movies from time to time but the passion just isn't there. Still, I'm at my most animated when I'm discussing film. I can go on and on about classic movie theaters I love. I can tell you about the crazy little movies I've seen in Chicago or at the old Burton Theater in Detroit (R.I.P.) I can tell you story after story about my Dad and I going to movies... or double features... or even triple features. I can tell you about the VHS tapes that recorded films like "Dawn of the Dead" (the 70s version) and "A Clockwork Orange" so that a 10-year old me could consume them over headphones while my brother and sister ran around and played. I can talk about spending $25 for a widescreen VHS copy of "Pulp Fiction" at Media Play.

I can also tell you about my Dad taking me out of school early the day that "Star Wars: The Phantom Menace" came out. The reason that he wrote down for why he was pulling me out of school: "Career prep"

While film journalism might not be my career, I can sure act like it is. I have a MoviePass. I have decent movies near me. I have a lot of caffeine and not much use for sleep. I have a lot of words and opinions I'd like to share with you.