The Moviesite Spotlight: MikesFilmTalk

Time to turn on the spotlight again and shine it onto one of the most productive bloggers I know, Mike from MikesFilmTalk. So please click on through to an interview I had with him for this Moviesite Spotlight.

What’s the history of your site, why did you start it?
I originally decided to start a site back in 2010. My daughter was attending university and one of the things she was required to do was a weekly blog.
She hated doing it and I became interested in this “new thing” and thought I’d have a go. After a rather timid start (a two sentence statement) I then left it alone for a whole year.

What makes your movie blog different from the other ones out there?
For a start, it’s not just about the movies. I also try to add any “trivia” that I’ve picked up over the years about the folks involved in the films I watch. I also talk about books I’ve just read or about something that’s just randomly popped up in my grasshopper brain. I’ve also included the odd short story as well. It’s kind of a “blog for all seasons.”

What do enjoy most about your site and what is the reason you keep doing it?
I enjoy the challenge of writing something every day. I’ll sometimes upload 3 or more posts in one day. It’s almost like I’ve got to make up for lost time since I stopped writing anything creative or thought provoking for so long.

In which ways has your blogging changed the way you watch movies?
Good question! I’ve just started doing movie reviews for a site called Rogue Cinema (they specialize in covering independent films) and my movie viewing has gone up exponentially! I’m now watching a lot more short films than I was before.

What’s your favorite article you have written?

In keeping with my “kitchen sink” approach to my blog, my favorite post isn’t even about film. It was meant to be a review, but while researching the film I got quite fascinated by Urban Exploration (which is what the film was about). Funnily enough the article got Freshly Pressed! Oh and here’s the link: Urban Exploration: Off Limits Curiosity Can Kill

Could you name five of your all time favorite movies?
Ouch, that’s a tough one! I’m pretty sure that my all time favorite movie list has more than five on it! But, I’ll try to narrow it down:

The Searchers

Tale of Two Sisters

How many movies do you watch on average each week?
I’d say that I watch on average at least seven films each week, if not more. That includes old favorites; I have over 400 films in my personal collection and I do tend to watch a lot over and over again.

Do you own any movie related items that you are very proud of?
Years ago I had one of the original The Outlaw Josie Wales cinema posters. I was very proud of that, but, it was destroyed during one of my many moves.

Anything else you want to tell us about yourself?
I got my love of cinema from my parents and I worked as an actor for a very brief spell. I would still like to go back in front of a camera again so if there are any folks out there interested you know where you can find me. I’m also a writer who has yet to be published, mainly because I haven’t written anything “big” for a while, I’m planning on doing a collection of short stories though and I’ve been adding to them bit by bit.