5 December 1999

No, it's not what you think. I'm not retiring, like Mike D'Angelo - or rather I am "retiring" like Mike D'Angelo, i.e. continuing to write, only in a less structured, less time-consuming format.

I recently gave up on the idea of writing scripts for a living, and have been in a full-time job since July - which is not necessarily a barrier to maintaining this site, as Charles Francois so regularly proves. It's just that my job, unlike Charles', involves constant writing - more than 10,000 words a week, plus various administrative tasks - so I'm pretty much burned-out by the time the weekend rolls around. In fact the site has become something of a nightmare in recent months, hence this new format.

Here's the deal : instead of devoting a separate page to each film I'll just do what Mike does, listing all the films I see in a given month, with a few comments on each. There won't be any minimum length, as there was with the old reviews, nor will I be trying for any particular 'style' : I'll just say whatever I have to say (usu. within a couple of days of seeing the movie), then move on. Simple as that.

Hopefully the result will be fairly similar to the old format - but it doesn't have to be, which is precisely the point. Basically, it gives me the freedom to blow off movies where I don't have anything to say, and to write in a conversational style without worrying overmuch about Wit'n Wisdom.

Sorry if you feel I'm downgrading the site (I suppose I am, in a way) but it can't be helped. Like the man said - Things Change ...