Introduction 2019

My name is Scott Setchell and I love film. I'm 24 years old, I was born and raised in DeKalb, IL. After I finished my Associate's degree, I began watching films daily. I've seen over 2,500 films and a handful of TV series. In the fall of 2016, I watched an average of five films a day. I log and rate every film I see on multiple platforms. IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes and Letterboxd all have their own perks. If you're serious about keeping track of the films you've seen, I highly recommend using one or all of these platforms.

I started collecting DVDs and Blu-Rays when I was in high school, browsing local pawn shops and thrift stores searching for hidden gems. I logged my entire collection online and over the years, I've accumulated over 600 DVDs and 300 Blu-Rays. Not only do I collect movies for myself, but I collect so I can provide my peers with must-see films. One of my greatest pleasures in life is recommending and loaning out a disc and knowing it was enjoyed. I believe everyone, especially the people closest to me, should have full access to my library of media.

My biggest inspiration is Roger Ebert, film critic and historian for the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. His passion, insight and dedication to film criticism are incredibly inspiring to me. I highly respect Ebert's opinion and I read all of his reviews for the films I've seen. I plan on adopting his 4-star rating system to my written reviews. I've read his memoir "Life Itself" and watched the documentary of the same name. It's amazing that he continued to write reviews after he lost his lower jaw to cancer of the thyroid and salivary glands in 2002. Roger Ebert's favorite film of all-time was Citizen Kane, he watched it over 50 times and studied it frame by frame. I watched Citizen Kane once and then a second time with Ebert's commentary. He points out so many subtle details I completely overlooked on my first viewing. This experience allowed me to see the film from the director's perspective while watching the film. I can use this skill to look deeper into a film, by observing camera techniques, special effects and other behind the scenes details.

Georges Méliès wrote, directed and starred in A Trip to the Moon (La Voyages dans la Lune) in 1902. In 1921, Charlie Chaplin released his first feature film, The Kid. Alfred Hitchcock started directing in 1922 until 1976. In 1941 at age 25, Orson Welles wrote, directed and starred in Citizen Kane. These early directors inspired some of my favorite directors including Stanley Kubrick, Woody Allen, Clint Eastwood, Francis Ford Coppola, David Lynch, Quentin Tarantino and Christopher Nolan. Ebert had great respect for one of my favorite directors, Martin Scorsese. Ebert wrote an entire book dedicated to review and analyze all of Scorsese's works.

In no particular order, these are my top five favorite actors, actresses and films:
Actors: Jake Gyllenhaal, John C. Reilly, Keanu Reeves, Leonardo DiCaprio and Al Pacino
Actresses: Amy Adams, Diane Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Natalie Portman and Naomi Watts
Films: Donnie Darko, The Godfather, Being John Malkovich, The Shining and Walk Hard

I've had the thought that being a film critic in 2019 would be challenging since there are hundreds of critics getting paid to write for newspapers, magazines and websites all over the world. I hope to bring a fresh angle to film criticism in my reviews because of how open I am to all types of films. From foreign films to animated films to black and white and silent films, no film should be overlooked because of its cover, title or age.

There are films that will change the way you view yourself, other people and the reality we live in. Films can make you feel a wide spectrum of emotions. Films allow you to explore topics including life, love, death, relationships, politics and religion through a visual and auditory medium. A powerful film will stay with you forever.

I aspire to write reviews in a structure that will fully engage my readers. Hyperlinks to IMDb will be embedded in my reviews so my readers can understand references to actors, directors and related films. Hyperlinks to Amazon will also be included as a direct way of buying or renting the film I'm reviewing. The links are there for your convenience, download the IMDb app for even more accessibility! If you have any questions on setting up an account on IMDb or Letterboxd, send me a message and I'll gladly help you out.

This is my introduction and the first of many blogs to come. I plan to publish my reviews on my website, IMDb and Letterboxd, mixing it up with new releases as well as throwbacks from every decade. My goal is to be as informative as possible and hopefully, you will look forward to seeing the films I review. Thank you for taking the time to read this and getting to know me. I'll leave some useful links below, check them out! See you at the movies!

IMDb's Top 250

Rotten Tomatoes Top 100 by Year

Roger Ebert's Great Movies

Martin Scorsese's Film School List