I have been passionate about writing for my entire life, and passionate about film for nearly as long. Since 2010 I have combined these two loves into a side-career as a film reviewer and columnist, on the writing staff of two web sites focusing on indie and cult cinema. From 2010 through 2014 I was the principal film reviewer for the web site of the iconic Metro Detroit indie video store Thomas Video. When Thomas closed their doors at the end of a storied 40-year history, I brought my writing to The Spoiler-Free Movie Sleuth, a web site dedicated to entertainment news, reviews, and analysis without the plot spoilers that so many other sites thoughtlessly include in their material.
Below are a few favorite samples of my writing from The Movie Sleuth, representing a cross-section of the eclectic subject matters that I cover for the site. I have chosen two reviews to represent each of the recurring columns to which I contribute.
Below are a few favorite samples of my writing from The Movie Sleuth, representing a cross-section of the eclectic subject matters that I cover for the site. I have chosen two reviews to represent each of the recurring columns to which I contribute.
Criminally Neglected
A series covering great films which have been unfairly overlooked
Cult Cinema
Unreleased But Viewable
A series about films which have never received an official release, but have been somehow leaked out into the world, giving them a sort of mythical status as forbidden cinema; movies which exist outside the normal cinematic sphere
Cinematic Releases
New To Blu
Rock Docs
TV News and Reviews
31 Days of Hell
Our annual month-long series of daily horror reviews during October, leading up to Halloween
Special Articles and Op-Eds
The first in a series of articles about great films based on the works of authors often (wrongly) said to be "unfilmable." This installment looks at film adaptations of Franz Kafka. My second entry in the series examines H. P. Lovecraft in cinema.
This article was a collaborative effort, with four of the site's authors contributing two or three of their picks for the strongest, most well-curated and compelling movie soundtracks. I contributed the first two entries on the list, for The Crow and Donnie Darko.