Member Spotlight

As the “Med City Movie Guy” (a nod to my anchor town’s crown jewel: the Mayo Clinic), I am heard regularly on KROC radio. I like to say that my job isn’t to chime-in on tentpoles like “The Avengers” which have no shortage of opinions, but to amplify lesser-known films that may not be on my audience’s radar. That’s what I like best, discovering and sharing those gems.

I am the founder and editor of Nerdtropolis. Since a young age, I have had a deep passion for movies, and this led me to write my first movie reviews at the age of 11. Going to the nearest store to buy the latest VHS release became a weekly ritual, marking the start of my journey into the world of entertainment journalism.

I’m a movie journalist living in Tokyo, and I write articles such as movie reviews and interviews for Japanese movie fans in a variety of media. Through encountering new movies every day, I learn about new talents, and how to express their wonderfulness in words. It’s both painful and gratifying work, and I enjoy the reactions to my writing.

Been reviewing movies in print since I was 12. My current passion is to continue producing money making independent movies. Also, it’s football season and I have the Oklahoma Sooners to follow. I was producing a small movie called Second Chances, now available on Amazon Prime and on Blu-ray, when I was asked to take the male lead.

I’m a New Yorker who adopted LA and never looked back. I’ve written about film and TV for almost two decades and though I cover everything, I’ve specialized in the geek world. I’ve written chapters for 14 books in the PsychGeek series and several comics. I spend a lot of time at geek conventions (and book conventions) where I moderate and appear on panels.

My love for all movies was born and grown in Puerto Rico, so it’s a real privilege to each week get to talk movies with the artists who make them and share that with all the Puerto Ricans on the Island and in the States.

I am an author and a film critic and am passionate about what I do. I love being able to see so many diverse stories and terrific actors in the movies I get to review. My market is online and is read by a wide range of people.

We’ve recently expanded our media footprint to include the Milwaukee area in addition to the Chicagoland market. We have been correcting each other’s opinions about films for seven years and even though our conversations can be explosive at times, we’ve come to respect each other more and become better friends as a result. What we love most about this job is discovering a small gem of a movie and spreading the word about it.

I talk. I write. I travel! After hosting “Good Morning Arizona” (KTVK-TV 3) for 15 years, I now appear regularly on the show with just my movie reviews, celebrity interviews, and travel adventures. I also host “Behind the Screens” for Harkins Theatres (Side note: best theater popcorn EVER!) and show up periodically when some of my other CCA pals need a guest critic on THEIR shows (special shout out to Mark S. Allen and Lee Thomas).

I live and work in the greater Los Angeles area, which always seemed like a far-off fantasy land when I was growing up in Ireland (though I was born in West Virginia). Cinema nourished and sustained me even when far away from home, and to live in the midst of all of it, as I have done for a couple of decades now, remains a dream, albeit one with real-world grounding these days.