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Danny currently writes for the Here’s Your Ticket weekly insert which appears in the Houston Community Newspapers and the Houston Chronicle. Danny has served as a critic for almost 20 years on television, radio, print and online.
He considers himself blessed that not only do people like to hear his opinions, but that he can count himself as a member of such a talented group of film lovers as the HFCS as well.
As Jr. Mintz, Doug Harris writes and voices film reviews and entertainment news stories for NASA’s Third Rock Radio and Made in Texas Radio, in addition to interviews and special features. As Doug Harris, he co-hosts The Smart Guyz film-focused podcasts with Leonard Courtright. A member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association and a Texas Radio Hall of Fame inductee, Harris served as President of the Houston Film Critics Society from 2020 until 2022.
Joe Leydon has been a film critic for Variety since 1990, and a lecturer at Houston Community College and University of Houston since 2001. He also is a contributing editor for Cowboys & Indians magazine and a blogger at MovingPictureShow.com.
He has been a panel moderator and Q&A host at the Nashville, Denver, Dallas and WorldFest/Houston film festivals, and a contributing critic for Leonard Maltin’s Movie Guide. From 1982 to 1995, Leydon was film critic for The Houston Post. He also has written for CNN.com, The New York Daily News, Los Angeles Times, Newsday, The Boston Globe, and MovieMaker magazine.
Louis is a founding member of the HFCS. He has been a film critic, film writer, and features reporter for several publications, including 29 years with the Houston Chronicle. He lives near Wimberley, Texas. He still sneaks snacks into the movies.
Michael Bergeron is a writer in Houston. Bergeron has had articles published in Public News, Free Press Houston, the Houston Chronicle, and SXSWorld. He currently writes for CathodeRayZone.com.
Pete battles the existential dread of 21st century existence by writing movie reviews and think pieces about the Spice Girls. He’s worked for the Village Voice and a bunch of other places that no longer exist, but you can currently find him lurking at the Houston Press and can read his first novel on Amazon real soon now. Honest.
Regina is a film journalist, lecturer, seminar panelist, festival judge, and critic. She is a founding member of the HFCS, and formerly the Senior Film Critic and host of Music From The Movies on KUHF Radio.
Regina has worked with the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston Community College, Houston Cinema Arts Festival, Prairie View A&M, Houston Seminar, Alamo Drafthouse, Sam Houston State, and University of Houston. She thinks Quentin Tarantino is overrated, Otto Preminger underrated, and is happy to talk about movies from any era.
Scott has been reviewing films for Coming Soon for over 15 years and is a founding member of the HFCS. A fifth generation Houstonian, Scott is a graduate of Texas A&M University.
He was a co-founder of the Star Wars fan site The Force in 1995 and IGN’s Movie site in 1999. He alsoco-founded the comic book publisher Red 5 Comics in 2009. Scott’s comic Afterburn is being adapted for film alongside several other titles from the publisher. Scott lives in Cypress with his wife and three children.
Sean, aka “The Movie Guy”, has been reviewing films for KFDM-TV since 1997. His reviews can currently be seen in Southeast Texas, Idaho and Montana at a number of newspapers and television stations.
Before becoming a film critic, Sean worked in the film industry as an assistant editor at the Leucadia Film Corporation. He is a member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association and one of the founding members of the Houston Film Critics Society.
Adam was born and raised in Kalamazoo, Michigan in the age when video stores were alive and flourishing. In high school, he worked weekends at the local cinema and the nightshift in a 3-story movie palace named Video Hits Plus. Adam studied film and journalism at Western Michigan University and took filmmaking courses at Houston Community College, but he credits the majority of his film knowledge to consuming an insane amount of movies, watching special features, and reading books about cinema.
In 2013, Adam started writing film criticism under the name "Salty Winters," and he quickly became the Senior Film and Theatre Critic of the website Nerdlocker, where he remained for ten years. In 2015, he was accepted into the Houston Film Critics Society and since 2019, he’s served as the HFCS Liaison to the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Adam uses movies as vehicles to travel through space and time, and he’ll watch anything, but his favorite destinations are classic movies, independent films, and international cinema. He has a passion for instant photography (Polaroids) and his latest venture, SaltyWinters.com is preparing to launch in 2024.
Alan is a reviewer for Coming Soon, and has written for sites such as Ain’t It Cool News, CHUD, and Birth. Movies. Death., and has hosted numerous events at the Alamo Drafthouse. He resides in Missouri City, Texas with his wife, daughter, and a very fat cat.
Brooke has reviewed films for both print and online publications since 2012 and earned first place in “Comment and Criticism” for AAA newspapers from TAPME in 2015. She currently writes about film for The MacGuffin.
Cary joined the Houston Chronicle in 2017 where he writes about arts, entertainment and pop culture, with an emphasis on film and media. Originally from Los Angeles and a graduate of Loyola Marymount University, he has been a features reporter or editor at the Orange County Register, Miami Herald, and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. In addition, he has freelanced for a number of publications including the Los Angeles Times and the Dallas Morning News.
By night Christopher is the Pop Culture Editor for Absolutely Media (Fort Bend Focus, Absolutely Katy, Absolutely Brazos) and the Associate Publisher for the new Fort Bend CEO magazine. His reviews are focused on family-friendly films and can be found in the magazines as well as on Facebook. By day he is the Managing Partner of 180 Messaging, a communications firm specializing in crisis management, marketing, and branding for companies and political campaigns.
Writes for Hub Pages, GeeksHaveGame, and Slickster Magazine. Loves martial arts films and animation. References Dragon Ball on a daily basis. Writes about nothing far more often than he writes about something.
A native San Antonian, Cody's earliest movie memory was watching The Jungle Book every day when he was a child. Maybe because he wanted to find out why the air conditioner in The Brave Little Toaster always scared him as a kid, Cody earned his Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Texas at San Antonio as well as his Master’s in Counseling. Now, along with being able to dissect a film and write solid reviews, he can tell his website cohorts Kiko Martinez and Jerrod Kingery what the hell is wrong with them.
Collin is the arts and culture editor for WORLD Magazine. Before moving into journalism, he earned a PhD in history and spent about 15 years in higher education, teaching classes on the ancient world. In 2012, he started writing film reviews to think through the messages embedded in the movies his kids were watching. He was somewhat surprised to discover the reading public cared more about his opinions on movies than his opinions on Greece and Rome.
Craig reviews films for Nashville Scene and Voice Media Group. He also writes for CultureMap Houston and has his own Medium page.
Originally from Houston, Dave Morales is a nationally known broadcast personality on radio, TV, and online. Starting in radio and working in such markets as San Francisco, Los Angeles, Dallas, and Houston, Dave made the move to broadcast television in Houston, Texas on KRIV Fox 26 where he regularly broadcasts celebrity interviews and reviews of current film and streaming TV projects.
Dave also co-owns BackstageOL.com, an online news and entertainment website based in Houston, Texas.
Dave Morales is also a member of the Critics Choice Association.
With a Bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication from UNC-Asheville, after a year in Los Angeles, Dustin landed in Texas in 2009. Texas Art & Film was created with Texas entrepreneur Evan H. Zimmerman, JD, and became a platform to professionally publish Dustin’s reviews. He became the film critic for Texas’ oldest newspaper The Galveston County Daily News in 2011, and later went on to tape over 200 episodes for CW39’s NEWSFIX as their weekly on-air film critic.
Dustin has been a member of the HFCS since 2012, is also a member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association, and is a Tomato-approved critic at Rotten Tomatoes.
Hunter Lanier has routinely tricked publications like the Houston Chronicle, Houstonia, and Film Threat into thinking he has something interesting to say about movies. On an unrelated note, Hunter is an available freelance writer. Contact him for more information. He writes reviews, business copy, and clever comments on dirty car windows.
James Cole Clay has been working as a film critic for the better part of a decade covering new releases, Blu-ray reviews, and the occasional drive-in cult classic. His writing is dedicated to discovering social politics through diverse voices, primarily focusing on Women In Film and LGBTQ cinema. His works can be found at Fresh Fiction, ByLine Houston, and CutPrintFilm. Film is his first love and it shall be his last.
James has been a professional film critic, TV critic, and occasional music critic since 2012. He is currently the Film and TV Editor for Glide Magazine, where his reviews run every Friday, and is also a member of the Online Film Critics Society. James is a lifelong lover of film who spent his adolescence holed up in his room watching old movies and programming personal film marathons while other kids his age were doing things like going outside, talking to people, and dating. He often thinks about how odd it is that things have changed so little in the ensuing decades, though his wife would (probably) speak (reasonably) highly of his dating skills.
Jason Escamilla is a dedicated tomato-meter approved film critic and arts enthusiast who founded EskimoTV in 2017. With hundreds of reviews posted, his platform has expanded to include coverage of home entertainment (such as vinyl and Blu-ray/DVD unboxings), Broadway, plays, concerts, and opera performances in Texas.
In addition to his work as a critic/writer, Jason teaches high school Animation, Graphic Design, and Video Editing. He and his partner are also avid Disneyland aficionados, often visiting the iconic theme park. Through EskimoTV.net and his teaching, Jason continues to engage and inspire a broad audience, fostering a deep appreciation for the arts.
Jerrod is a critic for CineSnob based in San Antonio, Texas. He’s also co-host of the CineSnob podcast, which is often on unplanned hiatus. He’s also an Emmy nominated journalist and every now and then, Jerrod is a filmmaker—working primarily with puppets.
Joe works as a freelance critic, reviewing films for The Fort Worth Report (Dallas/Ft Worth market) and radio station 104.7 KVIC (Victoria/Houston). As a Tomatometer-approved critic, you can find links to Joe’s reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, including his past submissions for The Victoria Advocate. He is also a member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA) and the Latino Entertainment Journalists Association (LEJA).
Joe has written sharp and witty film criticism for College Movie Review and The Critical Critics over the past six years. When he’s not watching movies or writing reviews on them, he’s creating his own film and TV projects as a screenwriter and director. He also currently co-hosts the Really But Not Really Show with his improv troupe which can be heard on KPFT 90.1 FM every Wednesday at 10pm.
Joshua is a film critic and journalist and served as President of the Houston Film Critics Society from 2012-2019. Since 2004 he has been a staff critic for Coming Soon, one of the largest entertainment websites in the world.
A writer, creative, and cosplayer, Kevin ghostwrites for (and sometimes appears as) Grim D. Reaper (Death is his middle name), an infamous psychopomp and cinephile, happily hitting theaters to distract from a dreary day job taking souls. Reviewing since 1999, his work appears on Rotten Tomatoes and also as a member of the Online Film Critics Society.
Reaping what Hollywood sows for MovieCrypt.com
#grmdrpr #moviecryptdotcom #reapingwhathollywoodsows
Kiko Martinez is an affiliate HFCS member based in San Antonio. He has been diagnosed with OCMD (Obsessive Compulsive Movie Disorder) but is not currently seeking treatment. He earned his degree in journalism in 2003 and has been writing for a number of outlets across the U.S. including the San Antonio Current, Tribeca Film, Remezcla, Orlando Weekly, and Chicago Extra, among others.
Kiko is the editor-in-chief of CineSnob.net. Along with the HFCS, he is a member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association, Online Film Critics Society and is a founding member of the Latino Entertainment Journalists Association.
A lifelong movie fan, Leonard Courtright began his association with the Houston Film Critics as an underwriter and occasional contributor to the Critics Circle broadcasts on Radio Brave.
An honorary members of the HFCS, he now collaborates with Doug Harris to produce The Smart Guyz podcast, which takes its name from Leonard’s signature SMART scoring system by which he rates the appeal of, and his affection for, movies of all genres. An enthusiastic fan of classic movies and all things Disney, Leonard serves as the HFCS’ Marketing, Development and Underwriting Liaison.
Lisa fell for film as a youngster when a woman accidentally cried, “Don’t shoot!” at Rolfe during The Sound of Music, and Lady Litton pulled the Pink Panther out of the cold cream and showed her that the girls could play it as strong as the boys. Captivated by film’s ability to influence and inspire, Lisa holds a degree in writing and is a certified coach specializing in Cinema Therapy and Positive Psychology.
She joined the reviewing press in 2009 and weaves these concepts into her work, appearing at a variety of channels including Reel Happiness, Examiner, We Got This Covered, and the HFCS radio show. (Can you spot the fun fact in that first sentence? Roll over her picture for the answer!)
Once upon a time, Mark was the youngest movie critic in Colorado (for the Aurora Sun and Sentinel) at age 14; since 1998, he has been the “Reel Dad” movie critic for Hearst Connecticut Media, a network of online and in print publications. As a certified executive coach, during working hours, he helps business leaders create organizations where people want to work. As a film critic, he helps people choose films, old and new, that inspire, involve, and inspire.
Michael Zendejas is the Senior Hybrid Acquisitions Editor for Abode Press. He received a Fiction MFA at UMass Amherst and runs the film blog, The Chicano Film Shelf. An inaugural recipient of the Rose Fellowship, a Juniper Fellow, a 2022 winner of the James W. Foley Memorial Prize and a member of the inaugural cohort of the Emerging Writers Fellowship, he consults and teaches classes on Fiction, Poetry and Screenwriting via GrubStreet. His work is featured or forthcoming in: Stanchion, North American Review, Unstamatic, Five2One Magazine and elsewhere.
Ryan McQuade is the Executive Editor of AwardsWatch. He is a film-obsessed writer, and podcaster located in San Antonio, Texas, who was raised on musicals, westerns, and spy thrillers. His taste in cinema is extremely versatile and he’s always looking to discover something he’s never seen before on the big or small screen. He has hugely fond of independent releases and director’s passion projects. Engrossed with all the aspects of the Academy Awards, he hosts the weekly AwardsWatch Podcast. He also contributes reviews and other articles for The Playlist, InSession Film and FilmSpeak. When he’s not watching movies, he’s rooting on all his favorite sports teams, including his beloved Texas Longhorns and San Antonio Spurs.
Sally’s first “official” review was Jurassic Park in 1993, but she’s been doing them in her head as long as she can remember. The lifelong film lover is a native Texan, but has traveled extensively as a Navy brat. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Houston with a degree in Communications and a minor in Film Studies. Sally has written for The Daily Cougar, The Northeast News, The Conroe Courier, and Houston Community Newspapers.
T. J. Callahan is a longtime radio personality and 2018 inductee to the Texas Radio Hall of Fame. T.J. used to stand for Traffic Jam, but she switched gears from traffic and news to steering you to the best movies as the resident film critic for The Sam Malone Show on AM 1070. So, she guesses, the T.J. now stands for Theater Junkie. You can hear her reviews live at 9:20 on Thursday mornings.
T.J. is a proud member not only of the HFCS, but also The Broadcast Film Critics Association, truly believes that EVERYTHING in life is one degree of Blazing Saddles.
Todd Smith is a media personality eager to lend his voice in the forms of political commentary, sports commentary, religious commentary, social commentary, pop culture criticism, relationship advice, lifestyle advice (with an emphasis on etiquette and fashion) and motivational speaking.
He is an active movie critic for RegalMag.com and has also ventured into acting, as he recently added TV actor to his resume, when he starred in the web television series, “Celibate… and Looking for a Serious Relationship.”
Smith also makes regular appearances on “Isiah Factor Uncensored” on Fox 26 Houston and Fox Soul and was a regular on “The Pursuit of Happiness” radio show on KPRC 950 AM in Houston.
Critic, cinephile, fitness enthusiast, and avid collector of physical media (with more than 4,000 titles), Travis has written about film for more than a decade at Inside Pulse, Examiner, BackstageOL, and Birth.Movies.Death. He also hosted over 100 episodes of the Houston Film Critics Society’s weekly broadcast The Critics Circle. When he isn’t watching, writing, or talking about movies, you’ll usually find him posting about his latest workout on Instagram. Serves as President of the Houston Film Critics Society.