Marshall and the Movies

This entry in “The Origins Project” comes from Tom Clift of “Plus Trailers.” Tom is an Aussie who led one heck of a LAMBcast on Pixar a few weeks ago – so epic it had to be split in two!  His site is great too, looking at the future but also glancing back at the past.  Be sure to check out his site and read his answers!

What movie began your love affair with cinema?

My favourite film of all time is Christopher Nolan’s Memento – I remember watching it and then halfway through thinking to myself: “this is the best movie I’ve ever seen”. I’ve loved movies since I wasa little kid, but my passion for “cinema” probably began when I was about 14. I bought myself the book “1001 Movies You Have To See Before You Die” and read it cover to cover, and I started trying to watch as many of them as possible. Memento was one of the first from the book that I watched.

When did you start blogging?

December 2008.

Why did you start blogging?

In my second last year of high-school a bunch of us put together a weekly student newsletter, and I began writing reviews for that. It only lasted two issues, but I just kept writing reviews and posting them to Facebook. Eventually I decided I needed a better home for them, and so I started my blog.

What has kept you going?

Getting feedback from people. It’s always a great feeling knowing people are reading what you write. Also I just plain love writing and getting my opinion out there!

Has there been a particular person (or people) that has helped you along the way?

All the people over at the LAMB have been big sources of inspiration.

What’s the best part of being a blogger? The worst?

The best part is the sense of community. I’ve joined the LAMB, participated in of a couple of different movie podcasts, gotten pretty active on twitter, etc. It’s awesome being able to discuss films with passionate individuals from all around the world, and I’ve had the chance to interact with a lot of pretty cool people. The worst part is probably the sense that your site is never going to be noticed amongst the thousands of blogs out there.

Has blogging increased or diminished your passion for movies?

Definitely increased. I see so many more movies now because I always want to have a new review up on my site. Being part of the blogging community has also made me aware of smaller movies that I might not otherwise have heard of, which I always appreciate.

What’s your proudest moment as a blogger?

Probably being part of the first ever episode of the LAMBcast. Getting to talk over Skype to bloggers on the other side of the world from me, who I’d never met before, was a pretty cool experience.

What advice would you give to someone looking to follow their passion? To someone starting a blog of their own?

Don’t use white text on a black background! I’ve always regretted picking that template for my own blog, but I’m too lazy to overhaul the whole site now. One of these days I’ll get around to it. Aside from that, try and be as active in the blogging world as possible – if you want people to find your site, go and find theirs!