If the question you want to ask isn't answered here, ask away...

Last Updated: January 2nd, 2009

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Q: Why do your annual movie awards have such a silly name? "The Film Bitch Awards" --What the hell?

A: It's a misleading name I know. The awards are my chance to praise rather than than bury the movies in bitchery. But all things have a history. Before the site existed, when I was first toying with being a writer, I was watching vids with my former college roommate in 1997. We had rented La Femme Nikita (1990) because neither of us had seen it. We wisely didn't want to pass from this mortal coil with only the Bridget Fonda version (1993) lingering. As the credits began to appear I gleefully shouted in surprise "Jean-Hugues Anglade?! I love him" My roommate, for whom the name rang no bells, turned to me laughing and said "You are such a film bitch!" FiLM BiTCH became the name of the zine that I started up shortly thereafter. (The first cover is to your left). The name remains as an affectionate reminder of the origins of my film writing career though it does embarrass me sometimes.

Q: Whatever became of that zine?

A: It was behind its time. By 1998, when it began, the interwebs were ready to explode and the world was never the same again. I switched over to online writing in 1999 with a Tripod site and then the site you now know began in embryonic stage in late 2000, I think. Dates are fuzzy.

Q: Do your FiLM BiTCH Awards have any special rules I should know about?

A: I follow all the Oscar eligibility and category rules except in these three ways: 1. I require a week long showing in NYC rather than in LA. 2. For foreign films I require that they open within two years of their original release in their home country to be eligible. 3. I don't allow double nominations in any category unlike the Oscars which allows them in behind the scenes categories but not in acting categories.

Q: I've noticed that the people you interview end up honored in your FiLM BiTCH Awards. Are these one-on-ones influencing your opinion of the performances and films?

A: I am only human so, yes, I am affected by meeting people -- I met Kate Winslet two years ago and now I love her even more (if that's possible). She was so sweet -- However, since I write for myself I only tend to seek out interviews of people whose performances or work I admire so they were likely to be nominated anyway. I interviewed them because I loved the movie/performance. Make sense?

Q: Can I come to your Oscar party?

A: No.

Q: Why are you so stingy with grades? I never see any "A"s in your movie reviews. The last one I remember is Brokeback Mountain. You hate movies!

A: I hate grading movies and I only do it out of peer pressure and reader expectations. I love movies. In fact, I'm usually glad to have seen something even if I only gave it a C. To me "C" means average. Anything with a B- or above you can be assured that I at least enjoyed / got something from it. And usually the C+ have distinct things within them to recommend but they didn't work for me as a whole. If it makes you feel better -- and it might (I've considered doing it myself) just bump ALL movies up one grade. "A-" become "A"s. "B+" as "A-" etcetera... It's probably more accurate to my enthusiasm level (For whatever reason, I'm stingy.)

Q: Do you ever change a movie's grade?

A: Yes. Usually only a notch up or down but there are some movies that I give a different grade to every time I see them (Adaptation in 2002 for example which I loved, then hated, than loved, than felt indifferent towards, etcetera...)

Q: What's your favorite movie of [insert year here]?

A: You can see those right here (I hope to one day add top ten lists for all years but that probably won't be completed till I'm 50... should I live or blog that long he said dramatically)

Q: Why do I sometimes get lost with dead links and why is the blog separate from the site and why is there a mistake on page ... ?

A: I am not perfect and I'm also not particularly savvy about the technical details of running an unwieldy and large website. I am a writer not a web designer. But if you see a mistake, let me know.

Q: Can I write for your site?

A: I am considering adding new voices. If you're interested send me samples of your work and understand that I might not get back to you right away and I'm indecisive. I do use guest bloggers fairly regularly and they're usually drawn from blogs I read. If you'd like to make me aware of your blog/site point me to it. But understand that I can't get back to everyone.

Q: You threatened to quit writing a year ago. What's going on with that?

A: If I do close up shop (always possible), I'll give people ample time to mourn. Including myself. I'll do a farewell tour. Like, hypothetically speaking, "the 2009 Oscar race will be the final hurrah. Site to close in February 2010" or what have you...

Q: I don't want you to quit.

A: I don't really want to either, so donate.

 

Q: Why aren't you rich and famous?

A: I have no idea. Poor business sense? If you know a shortcut, pass it along

Q: Where are you from?

A: Detroit, Michigan. But I live in Manhattan.

Q: What do you do for a living?

A: Up until a few years ago, I worked full time for corporate America and came home and worked all over again predicting Oscars. Now I freelance (writing) and consult (corporate America) when my money runs out. If you are an editor with a decent budget please hire me. I write good [sic] and I meet deadlines as long as I'm not the one that sets them.

Q: Why don't you sell merchandise?

A: Good idea. I'll work on that.

Q: Why aren't there more reviews on your site?

A: Self-sabotage? Time constraints? I'll work on that, too.

Q: You're always complaining about how there are too many Oscar pundits and too much focus on predictions rather than which films deserve praise. Aren't you part of the problem?

A: YES, BUT I WAS HERE FIRST!

In all seriousness, I might be part of the problem, but that's why I so regularly discuss merit rather than just "buzz." I think the world would be a better place if people regularly investigated their reactions to entertainment and took all buzz with a huge block of salt.

Q: How old are you?

A: Younger than Nicole Kidman and older than Penélope Cruz.

Q: You're biased!

A: Dude, that's not a question. But sure. This is why I'm totally up front about my taste and quirks (examples: I think women are better actors than men, I love musicals, I think biopics are boring, I tend to enjoy the icy blond archetype character more than is healthy, I don't really understand the horror genre) If someone tells you they go into a movie with no personal tastes or external forces (marketing, other people's opinions, things they've read, other movies they've seen) affecting their reactions they are lying or clueless.

Q: When you refer to "god" do you mean...

A: No. Think Julianne Moore (see first issue of FiLM BiTCH above)

Q: What is your favorite film of all time?

A: West Side Story. You can see a growing list of my all time personal favs here.

Q: Who is your favorite living/working director?

A: Pedro Almodovar

Q: Who is your favorite actress?

A: Michelle Pfeiffer. Her beauty and stellar acting permanently warped my adolescent brain in Ladyhawke, Dangerous Liaisons, The Witches of Eastwick and The Fabulous Baker Boys. I never recovered. I love a bunch of women, though. Here's my 100 favorite in roughly ascending order in animated gif form.

Ain't they sweet?

Q: Are there any actors that you love as much as actresses?

A: Not really. Occasionally I pretend to love Warren Beatty, Montgomery Clift, Paul Newman, James Dean, Marlon Brando, Brad Pitt and Gene Kelly in a similarly obsessive way.

Q: When did you become obsessed with the movies?

A: In the mid to late 80s. The planets aligned to give me Michelle Pfeiffer, Kathleen Turner, Meryl Streep, The Redford Theater and annual Woody Allen movies. Together they done me in.

Q: Are you gay?

A: Yes, but I'm more interested in actressexuality.

Q: What is this term "actressexual" I'm reading on film blogs and did that originate here?

A: Yes. The term describes those of any gender and sexual persuasion that have an inarguable and hard-to-miss attachments to actresses in general -- think Pedro Almodovar, Warren Beatty, and presumably many of you. The term originated in this blog post and was fine tuned with friends and readers in the comments.

Q: Why do you hate Clint Eastwood, Hilary Swank, Renée Zellweger, Steven Spielberg, Cate Blanchett and Philip Seymour Hoffman?

A: I don't. (Okay maybe I hate Hilary Swank). I'm just not as enamored of them as most moviegoers. Plus, I don't believe in the concept of sacred cows. Every actor and every filmmaker is capable of less than stellar work on occasion and I automatically mistrust any raves directed towards performers/directors whose every step is showered with effusive praise. Except Meryl Streep ... I usually believe those ones.

Q: Whatever happened to that huge article you were writing on Moulin Rouge!?

A: It was such a bear. I still want to finish it. When I am done I want to package it in book form (with a few extras to make up for the lack of copyrighted imagery) for sale. Would you buy? Or donate to see it finished?

Q: Hey, I donated a year ago and you promised to write about x,y or z and you still haven't done it!

A: I keep a list and I feel tremendous guilt about this unfinished business. I am about 9 articles shy of making it up to everyone who donated in the big fundraiser two years ago and then I will hold another.

Q: Why do you ask for money? The internet is free!

A: I ask for money because writing is time consuming and I don't get paid for. Plus there's hosting fees and traffic overages.

Q: If the site costs money why do you maintain it? Why not just blog for free? Since you do blog.

A: I'm considering multiple options for 2009. But even if the site had no overhead I'd still ask for donations. You should always support writers, musicians and other struggling creative types whose work you enjoy. It's only right. Shameless Plug. Plug. Plug.

Q: Do you have any advice for young writers?

A: Band together with other talented people. It's a bitch to build a name/brand alone. Trust me, I went the lone wolf route.