I apologize for not being consistent with the blog posts this summer. This is my first post in a while, and it is already the end of July. Many know I've been trying to keep up with "The Summer Diaries," a movie watching event I'm holding over the summer where I watch one film, every day, till August 24. The link to see my progress is here; http://stevethemovieman.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=events&thread=1860&page=1 I'm proud to say that I've watch over seventy films this summer, and I'm not finished yet.
Moving on, this blog post is to basically share how I was brought up on films and why I love watching and reviewing them. This isn't necessarily an autobiography as much as it is a young memoir. Something to look back on later in life. I want to maybe share some of my experiences and just tell you all why I love films.
How I got started is a question many ask. Basically, when I was young, I used to go thru the "Tempo" section (I believe it is now called "Arts & Entertainment) in the Chicago Tribune newspaper. I used to cut out the little movie pictures of new releases and tape them into a notebook. I was fascinated at a young age by somethings like that. Eventually, I started watching TV and flicking around to watch films I've never heard of. I then found out that you can get a job watching and sharing your opinions on films. It's called being a film critic, and I was hooked from the beginning. I wanted people to hear my opinions, and I wanted people to read them and either feel motivated to see or avoid a film that I saw. The whole idea is just captivating. It's like an advice column, almost. I decided, at maybe age six, I wanted to be a film critic.
What better way to prepare yourself for being a film critic than to watch films? That's what I did. I kept going and going like the Energizer bunny. By the time I was in fourth grade, people knew I loved film, and for some reason, I became the most popular of the unpopular. Kids would come up to me and ask which films were out now and which ones were good. People also asked which ones they should see. Those two questions can still be very hard to answer to this day.
When someone asks me my opinion on a new film, it's like flipping a coin. It's fifty-fifty I've seen the movie they're talking about. I average two theater films a month. Keep in mind, I don't have a job or a car yet. My mom and I spend our bonding times at the movies on a Saturday or Sunday at the first showing at roughly 10:30am. I see them early, get home early, write the review, and still have the rest of the day. When people ask me about a movie in theaters, I hate to say "I haven't seen it," but sometimes I have to. Like I've been asked about seeing the third Transformers film and the last Harry Potter film about four times in two weeks. I haven't.
The reason for that is because I didn't keep up with either series. The Transformers franchise I have no desire to see because it has proven itself to be the downfall of film. It's nothing but a forty-five minute action sequence. The Harry Potter films are a different story. I saw the first film, liked it, but had no desire to continue watching. I think one day I'll buy the big Blu-Ray collection, watch them all, review them all, and be done with them too. Same thing with The Lord of the Rings. I was never crazy about fantasy or action films. My knowledge on them is sizable, but how many I've seen isn't enough to call myself an expert.
But because I'm one of the only kids I know who is obsessed with film, there is no other peer I can look onto an expect the same results. Basically, I go into every day not knowing if my odd hobby is going to help or hurt someone. The thing is, people have this inevitable standard I should live up to. By calling myself a "junior film critic," I open myself up to a lot of hate and negative comments about the movies I have/haven't seen. Take for example the 1994 Oscar winner Forrest Gump. One day in class someone asked me if I have seen it. I replied with a "no." You would've thought I said something derogatory about the person who asked it. BOOM, "You haven't seen it? How can you call yourself a film critic? You're not a true movie lover!" The whole class was in disbelief that I had not seen such a film.
After much pressure, and a reluctant choice I finally watched it. I liked it. It had some very interesting scenes, a phenomenal score, and a decent look to the picture. But it was nothing I was amazed with. It was a great film, but nowhere near the caliber or the hype the class said it was. My point is, when you open yourself up to such a title, you need to back it up with the material fit for the title.
The problem with me is I watch so many odd films, so many films a lot of people have heard of it's hard to read my reviews and relate to them. I pick independent films over Hollywood blockbusters. Not that I don't see many Hollywood films, but when you look at my favorite movies of 2011; you'll find Bridesmaids and Hall Pass, as well as The Art of Getting By and Hobo With a Shotgun. How many of you have heard of the last two?
The criticism I get about my likes/dislikes is hilarious, and sometimes frustrating. I think people forget that what I'm doing is showing my opinions in a written review of a film. I'm not forcing you to think what I think, I'm telling you what I thought or saw in the film. My reviews of Just Go With It and Your Highness have sparked criticism with my peers. I thought Just Go With It was a mediocre attempt at comedy having the lead be nothing but a selfish cad doing something so heartless and vile that it shouldn't be marketed as comedy, and I found Your Highness to be one of the greatest disappointments in recent film history. Mainly because of its all-star cast doing such poorly constructed performances relating to nothing but sex and drugs in the most immature of ways.
Some of my friends ridiculed me for not liking those films, and one even told me to "watch the film again and actually pay attention." Believe me, I pay attention to every film I watch. And both of those aren't funny or good in any way.
Though my writing at a young age has impressed not only a number of my mom's friends, but also a number of my friends' parents. That I'm very pleased with. Some of my friends will even get mad at me because I talk to their parents more than them sometimes. It's nothing against them, I just can't have a talk with them like I do with adults. I talk a lot, I believe I'm well-educated in quite a few entertainment fields, (not professional or close to a genius) and I believe adults see that I can speak fluently and carry a conversation with them. I'm mature for my age, and I'm damn proud of that.
I think the reason for that is I never had to play second banana to any siblings. My whole life I've been talking to my parents, obviously adults, not younger brothers or sisters. I was brought up the simple, traditional, Caucasian way of life. I was taught simply to respect elders, treat women like queens, stand up for myself, and all in all, be a good person. Simple enough.
Aside from my very consistent writing career, I currently have two Youtube shows that generate a few hundred views each. I reached 1,000 subscribers earlier this year, and my mind was blown. Never did I think I'd achieve such an honor and a rare case to get over a thousand subscribers. Just a small town male, growing up fast and pale. Took the Youtube train and could achieve an-y-thing. My Youtube shows are called Front Row Steve, a weekly show where I sit town and talk about a topic relating to film sharing my opinion on it and letting viewers share there's. And Blog on Cam, an entirely opinionated show that has me voicing my opinion on one or two topics.
Ever since an unexpected rant from one of my message board friends that even left my website when I made a Blog on Cam episode talking about Video Games, I state at the end of every episode;
"My name is Steven Pulaski I say whatever comes to my mind. Don't like it? Don't watch it, this is an entirely opinionated show. Thanks for watching..."
I feel obligated to do this because so many people forget what I'm speaking is my opinion. Even if I am really for something, I try and take a non-biased, centrist view on a subject. That shows greatly in my video talking about Film Critic Roger Ebert's comment on the death of Ryan Dunn (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QS8bTJj78Lk&lc). I didn't side with Bam Margera's view on the incident or Roger Ebert's I said. Neither are at fault because neither did anything wrong. I love Ebert, and I love Margera. Why do I need to choose who is right and who is wrong?
This blog got way longer than I thought it would be, I just wanted to tell you guys a little more about my life and experience with films. I appreciate all the support I've garnered over the short time of three years on the web, and to those on my message board, you've done nothing but help make a small community of people a large and opinionated group. My gratitude will never cease. The obsession began, and isn't over. I got my whole life ahead of me.
Moving on, this blog post is to basically share how I was brought up on films and why I love watching and reviewing them. This isn't necessarily an autobiography as much as it is a young memoir. Something to look back on later in life. I want to maybe share some of my experiences and just tell you all why I love films.
How I got started is a question many ask. Basically, when I was young, I used to go thru the "Tempo" section (I believe it is now called "Arts & Entertainment) in the Chicago Tribune newspaper. I used to cut out the little movie pictures of new releases and tape them into a notebook. I was fascinated at a young age by somethings like that. Eventually, I started watching TV and flicking around to watch films I've never heard of. I then found out that you can get a job watching and sharing your opinions on films. It's called being a film critic, and I was hooked from the beginning. I wanted people to hear my opinions, and I wanted people to read them and either feel motivated to see or avoid a film that I saw. The whole idea is just captivating. It's like an advice column, almost. I decided, at maybe age six, I wanted to be a film critic.
What better way to prepare yourself for being a film critic than to watch films? That's what I did. I kept going and going like the Energizer bunny. By the time I was in fourth grade, people knew I loved film, and for some reason, I became the most popular of the unpopular. Kids would come up to me and ask which films were out now and which ones were good. People also asked which ones they should see. Those two questions can still be very hard to answer to this day.
When someone asks me my opinion on a new film, it's like flipping a coin. It's fifty-fifty I've seen the movie they're talking about. I average two theater films a month. Keep in mind, I don't have a job or a car yet. My mom and I spend our bonding times at the movies on a Saturday or Sunday at the first showing at roughly 10:30am. I see them early, get home early, write the review, and still have the rest of the day. When people ask me about a movie in theaters, I hate to say "I haven't seen it," but sometimes I have to. Like I've been asked about seeing the third Transformers film and the last Harry Potter film about four times in two weeks. I haven't.
The reason for that is because I didn't keep up with either series. The Transformers franchise I have no desire to see because it has proven itself to be the downfall of film. It's nothing but a forty-five minute action sequence. The Harry Potter films are a different story. I saw the first film, liked it, but had no desire to continue watching. I think one day I'll buy the big Blu-Ray collection, watch them all, review them all, and be done with them too. Same thing with The Lord of the Rings. I was never crazy about fantasy or action films. My knowledge on them is sizable, but how many I've seen isn't enough to call myself an expert.
But because I'm one of the only kids I know who is obsessed with film, there is no other peer I can look onto an expect the same results. Basically, I go into every day not knowing if my odd hobby is going to help or hurt someone. The thing is, people have this inevitable standard I should live up to. By calling myself a "junior film critic," I open myself up to a lot of hate and negative comments about the movies I have/haven't seen. Take for example the 1994 Oscar winner Forrest Gump. One day in class someone asked me if I have seen it. I replied with a "no." You would've thought I said something derogatory about the person who asked it. BOOM, "You haven't seen it? How can you call yourself a film critic? You're not a true movie lover!" The whole class was in disbelief that I had not seen such a film.
After much pressure, and a reluctant choice I finally watched it. I liked it. It had some very interesting scenes, a phenomenal score, and a decent look to the picture. But it was nothing I was amazed with. It was a great film, but nowhere near the caliber or the hype the class said it was. My point is, when you open yourself up to such a title, you need to back it up with the material fit for the title.
The problem with me is I watch so many odd films, so many films a lot of people have heard of it's hard to read my reviews and relate to them. I pick independent films over Hollywood blockbusters. Not that I don't see many Hollywood films, but when you look at my favorite movies of 2011; you'll find Bridesmaids and Hall Pass, as well as The Art of Getting By and Hobo With a Shotgun. How many of you have heard of the last two?
The criticism I get about my likes/dislikes is hilarious, and sometimes frustrating. I think people forget that what I'm doing is showing my opinions in a written review of a film. I'm not forcing you to think what I think, I'm telling you what I thought or saw in the film. My reviews of Just Go With It and Your Highness have sparked criticism with my peers. I thought Just Go With It was a mediocre attempt at comedy having the lead be nothing but a selfish cad doing something so heartless and vile that it shouldn't be marketed as comedy, and I found Your Highness to be one of the greatest disappointments in recent film history. Mainly because of its all-star cast doing such poorly constructed performances relating to nothing but sex and drugs in the most immature of ways.
Some of my friends ridiculed me for not liking those films, and one even told me to "watch the film again and actually pay attention." Believe me, I pay attention to every film I watch. And both of those aren't funny or good in any way.
Though my writing at a young age has impressed not only a number of my mom's friends, but also a number of my friends' parents. That I'm very pleased with. Some of my friends will even get mad at me because I talk to their parents more than them sometimes. It's nothing against them, I just can't have a talk with them like I do with adults. I talk a lot, I believe I'm well-educated in quite a few entertainment fields, (not professional or close to a genius) and I believe adults see that I can speak fluently and carry a conversation with them. I'm mature for my age, and I'm damn proud of that.
I think the reason for that is I never had to play second banana to any siblings. My whole life I've been talking to my parents, obviously adults, not younger brothers or sisters. I was brought up the simple, traditional, Caucasian way of life. I was taught simply to respect elders, treat women like queens, stand up for myself, and all in all, be a good person. Simple enough.
Aside from my very consistent writing career, I currently have two Youtube shows that generate a few hundred views each. I reached 1,000 subscribers earlier this year, and my mind was blown. Never did I think I'd achieve such an honor and a rare case to get over a thousand subscribers. Just a small town male, growing up fast and pale. Took the Youtube train and could achieve an-y-thing. My Youtube shows are called Front Row Steve, a weekly show where I sit town and talk about a topic relating to film sharing my opinion on it and letting viewers share there's. And Blog on Cam, an entirely opinionated show that has me voicing my opinion on one or two topics.
Ever since an unexpected rant from one of my message board friends that even left my website when I made a Blog on Cam episode talking about Video Games, I state at the end of every episode;
"My name is Steven Pulaski I say whatever comes to my mind. Don't like it? Don't watch it, this is an entirely opinionated show. Thanks for watching..."
I feel obligated to do this because so many people forget what I'm speaking is my opinion. Even if I am really for something, I try and take a non-biased, centrist view on a subject. That shows greatly in my video talking about Film Critic Roger Ebert's comment on the death of Ryan Dunn (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QS8bTJj78Lk&lc). I didn't side with Bam Margera's view on the incident or Roger Ebert's I said. Neither are at fault because neither did anything wrong. I love Ebert, and I love Margera. Why do I need to choose who is right and who is wrong?
This blog got way longer than I thought it would be, I just wanted to tell you guys a little more about my life and experience with films. I appreciate all the support I've garnered over the short time of three years on the web, and to those on my message board, you've done nothing but help make a small community of people a large and opinionated group. My gratitude will never cease. The obsession began, and isn't over. I got my whole life ahead of me.
Very honest and heart-felt! Good job!
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