Originally from Palmyra, PA, I first became interested
in reviewing movies in 1994 at the age of eight, when I noticed that I disagreed with many of the reviews from grown-up Harrisburg
Patriot critic Sharon Johnson. She gave the loveable family comedy "North" a review of "Not on Your Life,"
how dare she?
I
began writing my own reviews for my elementary school newspaper in the fifth grade, a trend that continued throughout middle
and high school. I graduated with the superlative of Most Likely to Become a Millionaire.
From 2002 until its closing in 2009, I worked at Cinema Center of Palmyra, a movie theater that nurtured my love
of film. The job also taught me a lot about greeting customers and quickly sending them on their way, a skill that would come
in handy in my 20's when the whole "Millionaire" thing didn't work out.
In 2006, I was published in my first newspaper: The Hershey Chronicle
of Hershey, PA. They were willing to take a chance on me and my bold opinion that "The Da Vinci Code" wasn't worth
the hype.
In 2008,
I graduated from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, where my favorite professor was the late great Robert
Sklar, with a Bachelor of Arts in Cinema Studies and a minor in Creative Writing. I loved living in the city, but detested
classes, homework, and academic anxiety. When it came to NYU, I liked the NY, just not the U.
It was that same year that I began writing semiprofessionally for
The Sun of Hummelstown, PA. I also began submitting my reviews to a distribution network of newspapers across the country
- a list that has since grown to over 100 publications.
In 2011, I officially moved from Palmyra to New York City so I could have access to a
wide array of movies and theaters. I was very adept in finding opportunities for fun, not so much professional success.
I now work full-time as a Sales
Associate at Hershey's Chocolate World in Times Square, but I assure you I still have a passion for reviewing movies. Though
I will admit that my tastes have crept ever-closer to Johnson's as I've matured. I can't believe I ever thought "North"
was worth anything other than a "Not on Your Life."
If you are an editor or publisher of a newspaper or other publication and would
like to receive my column every week free of charge, please call me at 717-679-2767 or email me at rrg251@nyu.edu. Thank You.
