Back in September I posted a piece titled Why we do it … and is it enough?.  It flowed from a call from Rusty Mason for less focus on analysis and news and more action.  The post generated a long and lively thread.  Too lively in parts.

Anyhow, on Svi’s Inverted World thread the same demand for a more pro-active way forward at and beyond MR has surfaced via a couple of suggestions: one from JB, to whit:-

How about creating a ‘Activism’ section ?  Debating and talking among ourselves is alright but we have to expand and bring more of our people to the cause.

How about making a movie reviews section?  It would probably bring more traffic to the site.

Is there anything we can do to help you get that radio/podcasting station done?  Will Steven Palese be a regular?

... and the second from Lurker:-

Its been said before - do movie reviews on IMDb.com and vote for those you approve of.  Reviews that more people ‘find useful’ in imdb parlance get pushed up the ranks, just like on Amazon (who own IMDb).  They could be cross-posted here too.  If we knew they were there (on IMDb) we could then vote for them if we felt like it.

Now, Lurker is correct, the movie reviews idea has been floated before.  Much in the same vein the sturdy Calvin, he of the Vox Celtica, suggested concentrating reviews of appropriate books at Amazon .  We will fully support such suggestions.  I think that in response to the first time the movie reviews idea was floated I said something like, “OK, we will willingly open a page on that, linkable from the left column.  But we’ll need someone to step forward and take on responsibility for editing and generally nourishing it.”

Thereafter, silence.  But these things don’t just happen.  If you read this and think, “Hey, that would be great” and if you can write as well as or better than the average IMDb reviewer please consider whether you have the time and energy to make it work.  We will provide the platform and welcome you, cost-free, among our number.  If you can’t commit to running the thing but would relish reviewing the movies, then that again would be a fine and, obviously, necessary way to help. 

The Contact button is right there under the header bar.

In closing, the radio facility has been a bigger build than anticipated.  We are in the “any day” phase.  There are interviewees lined up, of whom the least interesting and talented will certainly be the first.