What got you started doing Youtube? Do you have any early videos or previous channel that's available? Who inspired you?
I was tired with all the reviewers that were constantly trashing films and wanted to offer a counter to that. James the Angry Video Game Nerd was a big inspiration, not with his game stuff but with his love of horror and monster movies.
Your name is Cecil but the name of your channel is Goodbadflicks, where did that name come from?
I was trying to convey "movies that are perceived as bad but are really good" in a catchy title. I struggled for the longest time before finally deciding on Good Bad Flicks. (I tried Good Bad Movies but that was already taken) Most people take the name as "movies so bad they are good". If I would have known I would be doing this as my full time job I may have decided on a different name. I have no idea what that would be though.
You're one of the few Youtubers who hasn't caved in showing their face, is that a conscious decision or it just never occurred to you?
A combination of things. At the time when I started I was still employed. The company I was working for was always looking for reasons to fire people (they would constantly scan social media and such) so by staying off camera it gave me plausible deniability.The other reason was that I think too many reviewers make the video about themselves rather than the movie/tv show/etc. I've seen videos where there are long segments before the video even mentions the movie. By not being on camera it helps me to keep the focus on the film rather than me.
You're incredibly knowledgeable about movies, where do you get your information from?
All over. The internet, books, magazine articles, interviews, director's commentaries, and when the opportunity presents itself, I talk directly to people who worked on the film.
You review and discuss a lot of horror movies, why is that? Is it your favorite genre? If so, why?
I love horror.
Your review style is a lot less snarky than most reviewers and very "Just the facts" while making your opinions known without being overstated is this on purpose or are you actually the most level-headed reviewer ever?
I like pointing out how much work goes into even the worst films. I like to give people the information to show that even a studio like The Asylum have a business structure. Too many folks don't know all the inner workings of filmmaking and how easy it is for the whole thing to go wrong.
I tend to judge horror movies on whether or not I'm scared, generally speaking if I can sleep soundly after watching it, I'm more or less disappointed albeit entertained. Recently, horror has had somewhat of a return to form with films like "It Follows", and "Insidious" (aside from the fact that I think "Insidious" is objectively a bad movie), and "The Babadook". Why do you think those films are so touted as Horror's return?
The best horror films are the ones that get under your skin. Movies like It Follows and Sinister use audio cues and smartly timed shots to increase the tension as opposed to and endless series of jump scares.
Do you feel like the "Torture Porn" genre, things like "Saw" & "Hostel" have ruined horror movies or caused them to embrace their "R" rating? Since things like "Saw" it seemed during that time period most horror movies were trying to put as much brutality in their movies as possible. Causing many people to believe that the Horror genre was just Blood, Guts & Gore and no real substance.
I can't stand the term torture porn. Saw has very little gore but its so heavily implied that it makes it more effective. Hostel was a more "in your face" horror film that was influenced by movies like Pieces and other gory films from the 70s. It was a throwback to the classic gore films of the time in a way to be shocking but to also express how horrific these acts were. With horror films going PG-13, they don't show the aftermath and lessen how horrific these things are. That's why so many people laugh with this new "safe" horror films. Its not shocking, its dumb.
Horror movies seem to have a cycle, we had social horror movies like "Dawn Of The Dead", paranoia horror movies like "The Things", we had the found footage bang with "The Blair Witch Project", we had the J-Horror Boom in the early 2000s, we had Torture Porn. Where do you think Horror is going nowadays?
Seems like most are trying to go back to The 80s but what are your thoughts?Movies tend to move with trends in every genre. Disaster films, biopics, etc. Mainstream horror is trying to do PG-13 remakes of famous R rated films. Indie horror is where its at, making homages to 70s-80s horror with modern sensibilities.
Technology in horror movies have always been a big issue. From the old cliche of the line being cut to the current cliche of no service cellphones. Despite your disappointment in "Unfriended" you can't say that they didn't include modern technology in a unique way that other films haven't. How many horror movie's plots would be solved if cellphones were present? But do you feel like modern technology is a hindrance to horror movies? Or do you feel like modern day horror screenwriters just need to step their game up rather than leaning on tired tropes?
The director of "We are still here" said he would never do a movie set past the 70s because cell phones ruin horror movies. Every current horror film always has to find a way to take the cell out of the picture, it get old because they are limited in what they can do. (no cell coverage, broken phone, lost phone) Unfriended was a great idea that had horrendous execution.
A lot of the movies you discuss are obscure to your average joe, "Silk", "The Sisterhood", "The Stuff" and many others. Are you reviewing those movies to bring them to people's attention or just to review them?
They are movies I think are a lot of fun and I like bringing them to people's attention.
You said "Catwoman" is your favorite BAD movie. What's a movie so bad you couldn't bring yourself to review it?
Battlefield Earth
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| Can't say I blame him. |
Aside from "Spice World" what other guilty pleasure movie do you enjoy?
I don't really believe in the "guilty pleasure" thing. As long as what you are doing isn't illegal, you shouldn't feel guilty for liking something. That's something that people keep pushing the "this sucks and I know I shouldn't like it but I do!" its a cop out. People should just admit they like something and not feel like they have to dismiss it first.
You don't talk much about television shows? Is there anything you're watching or are you keeping TV shows just for yourself?
Because a movie, even a long one, is 2-3 hours. Tv shows are hours and hours long. I'd like to do stuff on TV, maybe down the road.
They say that behind every film reviewer is an angry aspiring Director/Screenwriter? For me, that's certainly the case. How about yourself?
Nah. I would love to direct/write/etc some day but I'm not resentful. I'm happy just talking about movies. I've directed some small no budget indie shorts but nothing special, just done for fun.
You're a film reviewer but whose reviews do you look to for advice? Who are you watching on Youtube when you need a 2nd opinion on whether or not to watch a movie?
I don't listen to anyone else, I formulate my own opinions. There are internet folks I watch but I usually check their stuff after I've seen the movie.
Who are your favorite Youtubers? Who do you recommend?
Wreckless Eating, The Cinema Snob, Chris Sanders, Philly D. Although I don't watch a lot of youtube, I usually will check a video while something is rendering or uploading.
You've read Dean Koontz, who else do you read? What do you recommend?
James Axler, Brian Keene, Poppy Z Brite, Walter Greatshell. The Deadlands series from Axler was so good, they continued it after he died. (Axler was his pen name, real name was Lawrence James)
What's one obscure fact about you that no one knows aside from your love of Spice Girls?
When I was younger I wanted to get into radio.
What video games should be adapted to film?
Bloodrayne needs a real adaptation not the Uwe Boll versions.
Gun to your head, What GOOD movie would you remake?
Good movies don't need to be remade.
What movie would do better with a remake, aside from Dean Koontz films ?
"Nightflyers". Great concept that had their budget cut part of the way through the production. I'd love to see what they originally planned.
What movie did you watch that upon first reviewing was bad and upon second reviewing revealed that there was more than meets the eye and it was really a good movie?
Black X-mas. I went in cynical but upon reflection I saw what was good about it.
On that note, how can you tell when a movie is really worth a deeper look? Like in the case of "Blair Witch 2: Book Of Shadows"? (Link to the review)
Not sure, kind of an intuition. I've seen so many movie that I just notice when something doesn't feel right. The direction changes (usually the signs of reshoots with a different director), tonal shifts, etc. When that happens I look into things and discover the stuff that went wrong, like The Thing prequel.
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| Easily one of his best reviews, DO CHECK IT OUT! |
What's the movie you get the most requests to review?
Alien 3.
Can I recommend "Yellowbrickroad" to Explore, I didn't like it but I'd love to see if I misjudged it.
Haven't seen but I'll check it out.
I feel like these days most people in horror movies are either horrible people or too stupid to leave, which is why I consider "Tales From The Crypt" a comedy as opposed to a horror show. Do you feel sympathy for the victims has been lost in modern horror?
Yes. In the old horror films we got to know the characters first so we would feel bad for them when they were killed. Now its all about rushing into the films and murdering as many people as possible. That's why with today's horror films the audience is rooting for the killer.
What's next for your channel? How is GoodbadGames coming ? Got a short film coming or anything?
More exploring videos. Currently working on Countdown Vampires and Spider-man Web of Shadows for Good Bad Games. No new shorts anytime soon.
What's your equipment ? What do you us to edit ? Rip footage? Record?
Shure SM7B mic running through a CL-1 and into a mixer. Adobe Premiere. DVD Fab. Audition. A souped up PC I had built.
When you're not reviewing movies, what does Cecil do on his off time?
Video games, sleep, time with the family.
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