Movies 101

The program began mid-1999, as KSFC started establishing itself as a separate news and information service. As KSFC as matured, so has Movies 101. The program now airs Saturday evenings at 6 on KSFC, and Fridays at 6:30 p.m. on KPBX.

A few people have written in with their opinions on what the reviewers have said, and Bob hopes that continues. “Call, e-mail, beat us on the head with responses,” he says. “I’d eventually like to be the Car Talk of films, where people can call in on the air.” Bob is used to getting responses to his reviews. “My kids call me on what I’ve said. When my son was eight, he heard me pan “Who Framed Roger Rabbit.” He wrote a letter to the station, and the next week the announcer read the letter on the air: ‘My father is a terrible reviewer.’ And my 29-year-old daughter just got me for giving away the ending to a movie.”

So what does it take to go from film fan to film critic? Bob says a lot of study of the history of film and the different structures. “You need to have spent some time dealing with the historical development, each era of film, in a number of different countries. There are so many genres … Film Noir, Neo-Noir films, Hollywood Musicals … you treat each film as an art form, being aware of its complexities. Then, you need to be acquainted with the bulk of directors and actors who created that art form. For example, you need to know WHY Charlie Chaplin was the genius he was, as opposed to other good comedians,” he says.

“Today, we tend to devalue film. We can go at any time, watch a video. We tend to take it for granted.” Hopefully, he says, Movies 101 will help people consider the writing, directing, and acting, and help people know how to articulate what they think of a movie."