Tim Buel at Critical Juncture

Another week is upon us, which means it’s time for another star-studded edition of Critical Juncture, the segment where we interview film critics, bloggers, and other assorted experts on the realm of cinema. This week’s guest is Tim Buel, a director/writer/editor who handles the duties in L.A. for the site We Are Movie Geeks.

If you’re not familiar with We Are Movie Geeks, you need to check it out. Claiming to be “all things movies…as noted by geeks,” they offer tons of cinema news and interviews, plus they cover film festivals such as Sundance, Tribeca, South by Southwest, Fangoria, and many more. They only launched in 2007, but they’ve already become a leading name for those with a celluloid obsession.

As for Tim Buel, he grew up in southern California and has been a fan of movies from a young age. He used to run the website Fliktalk, but he moved to WeAreMovieGeeks when that site closed its doors in 2009. In addition to making short films (and possibly some feature films in 2010), Tim hosts The Golden Briefcase podcast for WAMG. If you like movies, you should check it out just as soon as you finish reading this interview. You can also follow Tim Buel on Twitter, and he deserves the attention a lot more than that damned Ashton Kutcher.

Some of Tim’s fave TV shows include Dexter, The Sopranos, Lost, The Office and South Park. As for his favorite movies…well, just keep reading.

Only Good Movies: What’s the first movie that you remember seeing?
Tim Buel: Honestly I can’t remember, but the most vivid and early recollection was probably A New Hope when I was 5 years old or so.

OGM: What’s the most recent movie you’ve seen?
TB: New? Up In the Air was the last I saw in theaters. Wonderful film.

OGM: Is there a particular film which you feel is criminally underrated?
TB: Tons. But in recent years I would say The Fountain (Darren Aronofsky).

OGM: Which director do you feel has turned out the best overall body of work?
TB: Probably Martin Scorsese due to his classic stuff. I think Danny Boyle will be up there someday due to his diversity.

OGM: From an artistic standpoint, which film do you think is most important?
TB: Man. That’s tough. I would say anything David Lynch has done. He really showed people that there is a box that most people carefully think inside and how drastically he works out of it.

OGM: All artsy considerations aside, which movie is your personal favorite?
TB: Tons of top favorites, but I love The Return of the King (Extended Edition), Goodfellas, Boogie Nights, Alien. But as I said, MANY many films come in under my favorites category.

OGM: In your opinion, which film is entirely overrated?
TB: American Beauty.

OGM: Have you ever walked out of the theatre during a film? If so, what movie was playing?
TB: Naw, I always try to sit through the whole thing. Tickets are just too expensive. I may have when I was younger, but I honestly don’t think I have.

OGM: In your mind, what’s the ultimate goal of a movie critic?
TB: To share your thoughts regarding film with the general public, with hopes that they will be able to easily relate and agree (or maybe argue, who knows?). To educate is essentially the way I want to see it. Too many people view films as ONLY entertainment, when they are in fact art and entertainment. I think more people need to understand that.

OGM: Time to look into the future. Do you predict any major changes for the movie industry over the next 25 years?
TB: Not 3D, as much as people would like to believe. I think we are going to see more simultaneous format releases (DVD, Bluray, Theatrical and VOD). Just seems logical to me. Home theaters are so common now, there is often little reason to risk a rough theater experience.

OGM: Here’s another chance to predict the future. Name a relatively unknown actor or actress who’ll be a huge star within five years.
TB: He’s getting there already, but I have always loved Joseph Gorden-Levitt. That kid has chops.

OGM: Who’s your favorite movie critic to read?
TB: Roger Ebert, Harry Knowles, Peter Sciretta, David Chen, Neil Miller, Devin Feraci, and many others. I may not always agree with them, but those chaps know their films.

Thanks again to Tim Buel for taking part in Critical Juncture. Join us again next week for yet another exciting guest. Until then, why not read a few of the following:

• Jim Carter (The Movie Whore) at Critical Juncture
• DC MovieGirl at Critical Juncture
• Jack Sack at Critical Juncture

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