Someone was asking me what it was like to have been a full-time movie critic back in the day, and I was going to go off and do a long blather about it, but then I remembered: I had already done a long blather about it! In 1997 or so! So I tracked down that piece I wrote and am posting it here, behind the cut, because it is long (sorry, RSS readers).

Some context: In 1997, I was working for AOL as its in-house writer and editor, so this piece was written before a) getting the gig as a DVD reviewer at the Official US Playstation Magazine or my current gig with FilmCritic.com, b) before I started writing science fiction. So some of the information here about me is now dated, by, oh, almost 15 years. Yikes. Nevertheless, an interesting overview of a really fun time in my life. Enjoy.

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I’ve asked this question before, but for the life of me I can’t find the post at the moment, and also, I’d like to get the information in a slightly more systematized fashion, for my own personal long-range planning purposes. So: If you wouldn’t mind taking a quick poll and then answering a single question in the comment thread, I’d be obliged.

First, the poll:

If you can’t remember precisely, your best guess is fine.

Second, the question:

Can you remember how, specifically, you came to visit the site? Some examples might be: Recommendation from a friend, came to read a specific entry (if you remember which, let me know), read one of my books and was curious about me, a search engine link, etc. Basically I’m curious how people come here their first time.

Thanks, folks.