For the past 25 years, I have been writing movie reviews (and the occasional feature piece) for a weekly publication based in Springfield, MO. The Springfield Business Journal. During that time I had the pleasure and good fortune to work with two great editors. Any writer will tell you that, along with a word processor, a lust for research, a basic knowledge of the language and a passion for the subject, a good editor is an asset that cannot be discounted. That said I would like to offer my most sincere thanks to Ms. Clarissa French and Mr. Chris Whitley (the sweet smellin' man) for the guidance and tolerance they offered me. I love them both and cannot express how much they have helped me understand and develop my craft, such as it is.
I recently resigned from my 25 year stint. (The first review I wrote concerned the John Hughes film Pretty in Pink, released in February, 1986.) After doing the math of my situation I realized I was making about $2 an hour for my efforts. And that's BEFORE taxes. So I quit and decided that working for nothing on my own was better than working for slave wages and dealing with an executive editor who didn't understand my style and sensibilities and actually, at one point, suggested that I could keep on writing reviews but they would not pay me for them.
I have no ego or delusions about my writing skills. I'm sophomoric at best. BUT, I have a passion for what I write about (film) and I research things to the point of madness.
After tendering my resignation, I realized that I had done the right thing. Not ONE person from SBJ had the common courtesy to even acknowledge my bailout. Not one person, after 25 YEARS!, had the decency to send me an email saying “thanks for the 25 years and good luck.” Nope, it's like I never existed there. Besides Clarissa and Chris, I need to thank Dorothy Gardener, Cynthia Hammond, Diane Zipf, Geoff Pickle and Maria Hoover. Dorothy is the patron saint of “taking care of business” and was always a bright spot in any of my dim days. Diane and Cynthia always laughed at my cynical jokes and they seemed somewhat scared of me but I knew that we all liked each other. Geoff and Maria are two editors still with SBJ and they have been very pleasant in our dealings.
So thanks to y'all who deserve it and as for those of you who don't...well, you and I know who you are.
So now I'm my own boss and the site is dedicated to nothing but film reviews -not surrounded by articles about who bought the Dairy Freeze and what their itemized expenses were for fiscal year 2009.
With my new power, I have decided to assign myself an offshoot column that will deal with “Must See DVDs.” Look for the first installment tomorrow.
Thanks to all of you who sent letters of encouragement over the years. Those of us who love the art of the cinema have an unspoken connection. Film is a viable, vibrant and ever evolving art form. When done properly it is a thing of true beauty. Case in point: The Last Circus.
So keep watching. The opportunities these days are boundless: DVD rentals, Netflix, online streaming, DVDs for FREE at the Spingfield/Greene County Library and the many friends you have who will gladly loan you anything from their personal library.
Must see DVD of the week is: Lawrence of Arabia. Review will be posted post-haste.
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