As a child growing up in Australia during the 1980s/90s, I was given the privilege of movie outings. Through the generosity of my photographer brother, Jim Lee, I was also treated to the experiences of selected movie premieres, as well as shows. Back in the 1990s, I maintained a list that recorded every single movie I had ever watched, which cinema I visited and my personal movie ratings. My key influences in this area include Disney and Lucasfilm — isn’t it interesting how those two production houses are now under the Disney banner? 😉 The effort I made in compiling a list of the films I watched was discontinued once technology like DVDs became mainstream. However, for the purpose of the XBOP website, a future project may resurrect this initiative as a form of film critique.
Musicals were a rarity but made extra special by the fact that my early days of exposure was through attendance of premiere openings. The Hobbit, Phantom of the Opera and Fiddler on the Roof were the main highlights of the 90s. Later, through a university friend, I was introduced to the world of musical theatre where I was able to develop an appreciation for the art — in particular Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods. In a similar fashion to the above idea for film critiquing, a separate section for musical theatre critiques will eventually be developed.
