Everyday I am asked to be a critic. "What's new and good?" customers call out as they swing open the door and beeline to the New Release section. "Seen any good horror movies lately?", and "My girlfriend asked me to pick up a chick flick" are other popular pleas for guidance. It's understandable. We've all taken a chance on a random video only to find it's virtually unwatchable. Even your favorite actors and directors can occasionally lead you unsuspectingly into a tremendous dud. There's just a lot of movies out there, and you need help! I get that. I never intended to be a critic, but it's part of the job. And on some level I think people trust me, because hey, I'm just a regular person. Not some real critic. That sort can't be trusted, as anyone who's seen LADY IN THE WATER can tell you. Real critics are unattractive, pompous, humorless intellectuals who develop misguided theories and miss the magic.

In all seriousness, critics get a bum rap. So it is with slight trepidation that I take my critiquing to the next level. I have joined former See Magazine writer and film critic for CBC radio Paul Matwychuk on the podcast DVD Afternoon. Every week we discuss a few of the movies being released on DVD. To be honest, I'm probably in a little over my head. I might be loud and opinionated, but I have yet to master the art of a clearly constructed and articulated film analysis. It's the movies you love and despise that are easy to review, the in-the-middle is the tricky part. So you can look forward to an onslaught of cliches, mixed metaphors and half baked conclusions from me (alongside the experienced and insightful Paul) until I start to get my bearings. In the meantime, we might discover a few gems together.

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