Flipside Movie Emporium

[dpconker]

My name is David Congreave and I am putting together an online magazine for home business owners.

I am looking for someone from the US to write movie reviews for the "entertainment" section. This is a freelance role that, to begin with, will only pay the cost of your cinema ticket. As the circulation of the magazine increases, however, there may be the option of writing for a fee instead.

The ideal candidate will:

- Be based in the US

- Be able to visit the cinema at least twice a month

- Be capable of writing a 300-400 word review

- Have a good understanding of the difference between a good movie and a good film

If you are interested in this role, please email me at david@thenettle.com with a brief description of yourself and confirmation that you meet the above criteria. Please also list your 3 favourite and 3 worst films of all time.

If you fit the above criteria and have not included The English Patient as one of your three favourite films , you will be asked to submit some short film reviews. A competent writing style is required but, grammar and spelling are not essential as your work will be carefully edited.

Thank you.
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David Congreave

david@thenettle.com

[Danny Baldwin]

This actually sounds pretty cool, guys. I know I wouldn't mind getting my tickets paid for.
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Danny Baldwin

View My Reviews

[Michael Scrutchin]

Yeah, but do you know the different between a good movie and a good film?

I didn't think so.
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Michael Scrutchin
Flipside Movie Emporium
www.flipsidearchive.com

[Danny Baldwin]

No. I don't. But I'll cheat and look at somebody else's paper. I think Beltmann's stumped too. I'll try the guy to my left.
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Danny Baldwin

View My Reviews

[dpconker]

Here's a "for instance":

Independence Day is a good movie, but not a particularly good film.

Shawshank Redemption is a good film, but... well actually it's a good movie too.

Anyway, you get the idea. A good movie is just good to watch. A good film is skillfully made. Something like that.

What I'm getting at is I want someone who can write something intelligent about the quality of the film-making, directing, cinematography, that sort of thing, instead of just saying, "uh, yeah, the explosions were really great".

I want a film critic that is intelligent, but can still appreciate a good, fun movie, even if it isn't a Citizen Kane.
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David Congreave

david@thenettle.com

[beltmann]

The real trick is being able to discover what's entertaining about even the most challenging material. Something like Abbas Kiarostami's Ten might offer a more daunting experience than, say, Independence Day, but does that mean watching Ten isn't entertaining? Kiarostami might press more sophisticated buttons, but I'd argue that's still a form of entertainment, at least for those willing to accept the challenge.

I don't accept the priggish connotations often assigned to the terms "movie" and "film," because the distinction assumes that there's a significant difference between art and entertainment--as if Citizen Kane is too much of a "film" to qualify as entertaining. I'd argue that the best art is also the best entertainment; Kane is a masterpiece because Welles used his artistic impulses to create exhilarating drama, in the same way Kiarostami used a formal experiment to create an entertaining look at modern Tehran. As Pauline Kael once wrote, "If art isn't entertainment, then what is it? Punishment?" To me, anything shot on celluloid is both movie and film--the only distinction worth exploring is whether the picture is good art or bad art.

Eric
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"When I was in Barcelona they showed pornography on regular television. I'm assuming it's the same way in Mexico since they also speak Spanish." - IMDb user comment

[Michael Scrutchin]

Well said, Eric. I agree.
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Michael Scrutchin
Flipside Movie Emporium
www.flipsidearchive.com

[dpconker]