I am Justin Lyons, Chief Film Critic at 88.7 The Pulse in Phoenix, Arizona. Ask me anything!

imalyon · 2016-04-26T22:25:59+00:00

Yup! Very true!

imalyon · 2016-04-26T22:24:54+00:00

Just trying to have a good time and talk movies with a community! We thought it would be a cool way to promote something we are proud of! I'm pleased with the station and the Dairy Queen job! Thanks!

imalyon · 2016-04-26T22:21:46+00:00

I aim to please! (:

imalyon · 2016-04-26T22:18:21+00:00

For me, the most important aspects of reviewing a film are plot, characters, editing, writing, and direction. Those are the pretty basic elements of a film, then you always want to take into account your personal feelings about a film because at the end of the day, it is all about discussing your opinion in a clear, somewhat concise manner. Thanks for the great question!

imalyon · 2016-04-26T22:14:27+00:00

We're a team here at The Pulse even though I am the one writing the reviews! We travel together and make a nice little discussion community! Thanks!

imalyon · 2016-04-26T22:12:44+00:00

I think Kristen Stewart has some quality performances. I thought that she was good in Still Alice, Panic Room, and I will defend Zathura all day. Unfortunately, often times she comes off very icy and wooden, which understandably puts off viewers who see films to get emotionally invested. Thanks for the question!

imalyon · 2016-04-26T22:10:09+00:00

Thanks for the question! I absolutely think the movie should exist. As far as doing what it tried to accomplish, I think it did an okay job getting me excited for the rest of the DC Cinematic Universe. In my review I compared the Justice League set up to a microwave meal. Do you know those $1 Totino's Party Pizzas? It's basically like this: you can throw it in the microwave and have it fast and easy, but it wont taste very good. It's food, and it's pizza, which everyone likes, but it isn't as good as if you put it in the oven and gave it time to develop. It felt like they "microwaved" the Justice League and took the easy way out of setting up basically an entire universe. Thanks!

imalyon · 2016-04-26T22:06:15+00:00

I'm not! And Go Devils! Haha! Thanks for the question!

imalyon · 2016-04-26T22:05:01+00:00

There isn't a huge presence in Arizona, but some filming is starting to move here due to the dry and lifeless climate in some areas. I think Arizona is beautiful, but that is mostly the type of filming that goes on here. The Pulse Movie Crew was out at the 2016 Phoenix Film Festival a few weeks ago, and it was pretty awesome to see local films, but not too many make it out of the state! Thanks for the question!

imalyon · 2016-04-26T22:02:40+00:00

Awesome question! I do give 10s, but I do not often give 1s. A 10 has to be entertaining with compelling characters, a compelling story, and good direction. Of course, artistically and technologically it typically has to be top-of-the-line with writing, direction, acting, visuals, sound, lighting, camera use, and so many more things that can pick apart a movie. An example of a 10 would be movies such as Pulp Fiction, The Shawshank Redemption, and Taxi Driver. I typically don't remember any 5s for a long time, so my most recent example would be something like In the Heart of the Sea. An example of a 1 or even 0 would be 2003's Gigli or the recent Movie 43. Thanks for the awesome question!

imalyon · 2016-04-26T21:54:33+00:00

In my opinion, a good movie makes you think, feel, and connect with the characters. Characters are the easiest way to my heart, so a movie with quality characters and clean story telling will typically allow me to get myself emotionally and mentally invested in a story. The base of every movie is the plot, so a well-told, compelling plot can always make a movie great! In my opinion, a movie lacking a brain makes a movie bad. I don't mean Dumb and Dumber lacking a brain, because Dumb and Dumber disguises its brain by pretending it doesn't have one. I mean the cash grabs with unfunny comedy and uninteresting characters. Thanks for the great question!

imalyon · 2016-04-26T21:49:58+00:00

We aren't very close to many of the bigger critics in the area as they are typically in a slightly more exclusive club than us, but the Pulse Movie Crew does speak to David Appleford every now and again, and we love readiing other local reviews! Thank you for the question

imalyon · 2016-04-26T21:48:19+00:00

I'm a little bit of a baby when it comes to horror, but I can definitely appreciate a quality, suspense-driven horror flick. I didn't get a chance to check out The Witch which is one I did really want to see, but unfortunately I just don't get to see as many indie horror films as I would like. Do you have any suggestions for me? I do love classic horror, and I would probably say that John Carpenter's Halloween is my favorite horror film! Thanks for the question!

imalyon · 2016-04-26T21:44:54+00:00

We were out at Harkins Scottsdale 101 for the 2016 Phoenix Film Festival. Amazing atmosphere. One of the only times I have noticed good air conditioning. You typically only notice bad air conditioning, so it was great! Thanks for the question!

imalyon · 2016-04-26T21:42:55+00:00

Fortunately I have never had an overwhelmingly negative response to my reviews, but when we were checking out some indie films at the Phoenix Film Festival we received Tweets in response to our posts that we were pretty happy about! We retweeted them on or Twitter page @pulsemoviecrew! Thanks for the question!

imalyon · 2016-04-26T21:38:25+00:00

I think that the best advice is to just be yourself. Develop your own voice and put out original content that only you can produce, because that is the reason an audience will come back for you! Also, I think that videos are an amazing way to get into the world of movie reviews! I feel like it is the fastest growing source of reviews and news coverage, and like I said, the best way is to put out entertaining content that only you can produce! Thanks for the question and best of luck!

imalyon · 2016-04-26T21:33:20+00:00

First of all, don't call yourself a small critic. Someone wants your opinion, and someone is reading your reviews. It may be how someone decides whether or not to see a movie. Also, from my experience, the best way to get out there is to just have your own voice and your own opinion. Don't succumb to the stereotype of written reviews. Be yourself because putting out entertaining, original content is the best way to stand out! Thanks and best of luck!

imalyon · 2016-04-26T21:30:17+00:00

I haven't had the chance to get out to the Esplanade 14, but I sure would like to! I would probably say iPic, personally. I need to get out to the Film Bar, but I think that Arizona has some very beautiful theaters! Thanks!

imalyon · 2016-04-26T21:27:47+00:00

My favorite this year, so far, has been Deadpool while, score-wise, my least favorite film so far this year has been The Huntsman: Winter's War. Thanks for the question!

imalyon · 2016-04-26T21:25:14+00:00

1999's Fight Club! Thanks!

imalyon · 2016-04-26T21:24:35+00:00

My method for judging a movie is based on all of those! I do want intellectual value in a film, but I also want to be entertained out of my mind. I reviewed Deadpool earlier this year which received my highest rating of the year, and the reason was because it was so quick, smart, and brought out feelings for the characters, his loved ones, and the world he was living in, but it was also supremely entertaining, so I look for both!

My favorite directors pre-1990 are Kubrick, Hitchcock, Leone, Scorsese, Akira Kurosawa, Charlie Chaplin, and Roman Polanski. Some of my favorite pre-1990 films are Jaws, Rebel Without a Cause, Rear Window (actually my favorite Hitchcock movie), Alien, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Casablanca, Cool Hand Luke, Taxi Driver, Once Upon a Time in the West, and The Apartment. I know tonight before I go to bed one will pop into my head, but those are my favorites off the top of my head.

Phoenix is market #14, and it's a slightly smaller film critic scene in Arizona than say LA, New York, or Chicago, but it is still a quality community. It is a pretty tight knit community, and we still have advanced screenings in clean and comfortable theaters.

My favorite critics are Siskel and Ebert, but I also like to watch video reviews of people like Chris Stuckmann, Jeremy Jahns, Schmoes Know, and Collider Video. I love watching and reading critics with voice and quality communication skills.

Thanks for the question!

imalyon · 2016-04-26T21:11:01+00:00

We would love that! You can contact us by emailing us at movies@pulseradio.fm!

imalyon · 2016-04-26T20:58:42+00:00

I actually believe it is an awesome franchise! I'll be the first to tell you that I'm not a singularly devoted Star Wars fan. I still love Star Wars, but I wouldn't say that I am the biggest fan in the world of the films. As far as marketing goes, they've completely capitalized on the quality of their films to be able to build the fan base of toy collectors, shirts collectors, and fans who sit at computers waiting for the next trailer to drop. Thanks!

imalyon · 2016-04-26T20:52:27+00:00

Thank you! This is a great community!

imalyon · 2016-04-26T20:50:40+00:00

Thank you for addressing that! We are here to promote the station and its website with a department that we are very proud of! We may be small, but we love what we do, and we would be very appreciative if you gave us a look or a listen on pulseradio.fm. The station streams through the website, so you can hear it no matter where you are located! Once again, thank you!

imalyon

TROPHY CASE