The Flickist Manifesto: or why you should care about the opinions of another chubby geek and self-confessed film nerd.

I decided my first post here should be a quick explanation of who I am, why I'm writing this blog and what my qualifications are as a film critic. First, I'm a 37 year old, married, father of four. I grew up in Delaware and wasn't a particularly athletically inclined child, hence my extensive catalog of movies watched. The first movie I remember seeing in the theater is The Empire Strikes Back, and as cliche as it sounds, I was enthralled and a love affair with movies was begun.
The second part, why I want to write this, is because I think most movie critics are not able to look at all films objectively. I think movies should be judged in par with the type of film it is. In other words, Cannonball Run cannot be judged with the same yardstick as 12 Angry Men. Both films have an audience, and both films play well to their audience. And while there may not be a lot of cultural crossover for those two films, I have seen and loved both. Simply put, I love movies, and I've seen a ton of them. Good movies, bad movies, good bad movies, deliciously campy movies, bad good movies, and everything in between. 
 If asked, I would say that Casablanca is my favorite movie overall, but it's unfair, because I can't say that I have any one favorite. It sincerely depends on the genre. However, the first official post will be a review of why I think Casablanca is a near-perfect film.
So, what kind of movies will I be reviewing here? All kinds. It will mostly be a random selection depending on my mood and what pops in my mind when I sit down. I'll also do some special selections, like a review of a particular actor or director's whole catalog. One of the first of these will be a look at the films in the View Askewniverse of Kevin Smith, and a retrospective of the highs and lows of nut du jour, Charlie Sheen. 
What I'm most excited about, and here I need your help, is a feature I call "I Watch It For You!" There are those films out there that you may want to watch, but you're not sure of and don't want to plunk down the rental fee without some foresight. Well, just use my professional stunt eyes. Drop me an e-mail at flickist@gmail.com and let me know what bullet to jump in front of for you. If I've already laid eyes on it, I'll let you know whether I think it's worth watching. I really hope this feature takes off and I can provide a good service to you, because there is nothing worse than being excited and hopeful when you make a rental choice and realizing you just wasted your money (I'm looking at you, You Again). Ok, so that's all for now. Let me know in the comments or e-mail if there are any specific review requests or other features you want to see. I'm also mulling a podcast, which, if it launches, will be posted here as well.