Joe Leydon’s Moving Picture Blog

by Andre Ward | Published September 24, 2007

Being a prominent movie critic and correspondent for Variety isn’t a bad gig, but aside from commenting on the specific movie at hand, it doesn’t always allow for a ton of creative license. Ever the professional, Joe Leydon sticks to the subject at hand--even in his entertaining articles for MovieMaker. So in July 2006 he began Joe Leydon’s Moving Picture Blog, an online forum to air an endless amount of hodgepodge and tangential thoughts on everything film.

Leydon has been in the business for over 20 years, working for the Houston Post and San Francisco Examiner, being featured in the New York Daily News, and in addition to his current positions with Variety and MovieMaker, serves as an adjunct professor at Houston Community College and the University of Houston. Yet, even with his full plate, Leydon finds time to update his blog daily, covering a lot of ground he would otherwise not have the chance to--like linking to lists from Entertainment Weekly and praising the mag’s taste in Westerns. The Moving Picture Blog allows him freedom from the restrictions of print publications; it’s a place where he can take potshots at lame sequels (The Descent II) and weigh in on poster art. Looking at the one-sheet for 3:10 to Yuma, Leydon approves of the moviemakers’ approach: “No attempt to hide or even soft-pedal the fact that it’s a Western, but no close-ups of top-billed Russell Crowe and Christian Bale. Instead, a dramatic rear-view of a supporting player… in a sepia-toned illustration with a vaguely Sergio Leone-ish look.”

In addition to the genuine film discussions (the comments area is often full of an engaging back-and-forth between the blogger and his readers), Leydon likes to goof around, recently posting pictures of himself downing hot wings at the Foxes Den in Toronto. Whether he’s defending spoilers or fondly remembering “Tattooed Teenage Alien Fighters from Beverly Hills,” Leydon is no holier-than-thou critic, he’s a dedicated and passionate fan.

To check out Joe Leydon’s Moving Picture Blog and catch his posts on everything film, visit movingpictureblog.blogspot.com.

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Comment by Angela on 10/19/07 at 4:47 pm

I’ve been enjoying Joe Leydon’s writing for a good while now, but I have to say that he is arguably even better in person, leading a panel or conducting an interview at a film festival or other event.

His experience and insight definitely shine through, as does his sense of humor. The thing that strikes me the most about Joe, though, is his unabashed enthusiasm for motion pictures— it’s totally contagious!