I remember when I was trying to find a movie reviewer that I could trust because most of them out there were truly dreadful along with so many of the movies made these days. I was delighted to find you were doing it as a regular gig, because I'd read many of your articles before and I knew you were an Objectivist. I knew what you wrote would be an honest assessment of the movie coming from a philosophical base I agreed with. I wasn't ever disappointed except when I found out you had left Box Office Mojo, and would no longer be writing reviews as a regular thing.
As to 'just a movie' - movies, like all art, are incredibly important. As with so many things in life, I thank Ayn Rand for this perspective. She is the first one to make it clear to me just what art is philosophically, how important it is to our lives, and why so much of what was currently being put out in all forms was absolute dreck. And I finally understood why some stories moved me so, and made me feel good about myself and hopeful about our culture no matter how degraded it was becoming.
So, writing about movies is damned important because it can assist all of us in truly understanding these tiny windows into our philosophical premises, which, if done well, can help improve all our lives.
I remember when I was trying to find a movie reviewer that I could trust because most of them out there were truly dreadful along with so many of the movies made these days. I was delighted to find you were doing it as a regular gig, because I'd read many of your articles before and I knew you were an Objectivist. I knew what you wrote would be an honest assessment of the movie coming from a philosophical base I agreed with. I wasn't ever disappointed except when I found out you had left Box Office Mojo, and would no longer be writing reviews as a regular thing.
As to 'just a movie' - movies, like all art, are incredibly important. As with so many things in life, I thank Ayn Rand for this perspective. She is the first one to make it clear to me just what art is philosophically, how important it is to our lives, and why so much of what was currently being put out in all forms was absolute dreck. And I finally understood why some stories moved me so, and made me feel good about myself and hopeful about our culture no matter how degraded it was becoming.
So, writing about movies is damned important because it can assist all of us in truly understanding these tiny windows into our philosophical premises, which, if done well, can help improve all our lives.
Thank you, Russell. This is beautifully written. Now you know why.
It was fun, entertaining, and enlightening to read about your journalistic journey! Hey, I like that, lol.
I see what you did there, Randy. Glad you enjoyed reading this. It all started with you.
Scott: Thanks for the mention! Have you compiled a list of the movies you have reviewed, during the years?