mov·ie n. 1) a) A sequence of photographs projected onto a screen with sufficient rapidity as to create the illusion of motion and continuity.

b) A connected cinematic narrative represented in this form.

2) A showing of a movie.

e·van·gel·ist n. An enthusiastic advocate.

The Mov·ie E·van·gel·ist p.n. Someone who believes passionately that movies are both an art form and an entertainment, and are not only best appreciated but enhanced in a good quality cinema with a good quality fellow audience in attendance.

Cinema seems to have gotten a bad reputation in recent years; with more and more people taking up the home cinema option, something is in danger of being lost. So many people seem to think that you spend two hours sitting in a poorly lit room, with people talking, using mobile phones and eating sweets very loudly, and paying exorbitant prices into the bargain. I believe it’s not like that any more, if it ever was, and that people who’ve defected away from the cinema should give it another chance.

In the first four years of my serious cinema-going, I’ve seen over 400 movies, some of them terrible, but most of them very good, and the vast majority enhanced for having seen them in an actual cinema. So I want to share some of that enthusiasm – to spread the word for the benefits of cinema, and maybe even convert a few people to the cause of regular cinema going. And hopefully not to stretch the religious metaphor too far in the process.

There is also a sense of “why?” in the amount of movies I see at the cinema in an average year. Hopefully, if one other person has been assisted in making a decision whether or not to see the movie having read my review, then watching it has not only benefited me, but someone else as well. And that’s what makes the internet oddly wonderful.

The Movie Evangelist is available for weddings, funerals, bar mitzvahs, supermarket openings, crisp packet openings and any other kind of openings with a PG rating or lower. My only published print writing to date was a letter that appeared in Issue 17 of Total Film; someday that may change. I have a full time job outside the world of film, but am always keen to further my cinema writing and to help others to explore their own viewing. I have hosted two Q & A sessions at my local Picturehouse cinema and they are still talking to me, which is a bonus.

What you’ll find on this blog

Most of the writings here are mine; I am always happy to accept contributions from other writers. I have so far attracted one movie disciple, Twinklytoes, who will be offering reviews; Mrs Evangelist also reviewed Sex And The City 2 to save me the effort of seeing it, and I’m hoping she’ll contribute again one day.

Reviews If I see something at the cinema for the first time then I will review it here. Expect to get a pitch (a one line idea of what it’s about), a review (no more than four paragraphs – the reason I love movies and not books is I have  a short attention span, and that’s OK in my book), a reason why you should see it in the cinema, rather than anywhere else, and a score out of 10. The ratings guide explains how I’m levelling these. In addition, if I see the movie in 3D or IMAX (or both in some cases) then I’ll also give a handy guide to whether it’s worth the extra cash or not. Just occasionally, I will knock one out (a review, I mean) over something that’s film related, rather than an actual film.

Evangelism Occasional blogs on why going to the cinema is just so flipping great. I have 25 Blu-rays and over 600 DVDs at home, and a decent home cinema – but while this is good, nothing matches the cinema experience, and hopefully I can explain why over the course of time.

Oscars Countdown While not necessarily a fan of the Oscars as such, I have found I do enjoy writing about them. Hopefully you in some way enjoy reading what I wrote about them.

The Friday Encourager In my aforementioned role as enthusiastic advocate, I feel that I should occasionally give you a gentle shove in the direction of your nearest flicks. I will do this on a Friday if I’m going to. Apart from when I once did it on a Sunday. I am very bad at remembering to do this.

Movie Memories In addition, I’ll be occasionally thinking back to those times I went to the cinema that really stuck in the memory, and really made the experience worthwhile. That will be some memory of the film, but also some of the actual cinema, or the people, or why it should have been experienced. Think of me as the slightly less interesting Alan Bennett of film blogging. (Cup of tea, anyone?)

Mild ranting I’m British, and we like to complain whenever given half a chance. (I can’t believe they only give out half chances these days! Grr.) I rant only about those things that I feel need improving to make the cinema trip even more pleasurable, though – at least, that’s the intention.

Obsession I do rather take things to extremes sometimes, but I do this so you don’t have to. Although if you’d like to be as mad as me, I will try to post some helpful tips to explain how.

Movie-Con The British Film Institute and Empire Magazine run an annual movie convention called, unsurprisingly, Movie-Con. In 2010 I attended and wrote a series of articles before, during and after, so you could share the experience if you weren’t there. In 2011 it became BIG SCREEN, but most of us still called it Movie-Con.

Blogalongabond Blogger extraordinaire The Incredible Suit has started an initiative to get bloggers across t’internet to write about a Bond movie a month until the new one comes out. What we do with our lives after that is anyone’s guess, but for now we have a guarantee of a post a month we can write for the next two years.

BlogalongaMuppets With stunning originality, I started an initiative to get bloggers across t’internet to write about a Muppet movie a month until the new one came out. Five superb, intelligent, slightly worse-for-wear bloggers joined me for part or all of the effort; their thoughts are all catalogued here.

That’ll do for now, more categories will appear as my brain continues to go off on more cinematic tangents.