So this guy does exactly what it says on the tin. I spoke to Calum Cooper about his fascination with movies, and of course, his reviews. Go ahead and Like his Facebook Page above if you haven’t already.
Robin Write: What movies enticed you into the film world as a little kid?
Calum Cooper: My first memory of being completely in awe at a film was the first Star Wars. That’s probably an answer a lot of people would give, but I distinctly remember my dad putting it on for my brother and I when I was abut 4 or 5 years old, and being completely wowed by it. I think that was what started my love of film generally speaking.
But I also had really deep connections with films like Monsters Inc, Bedknobs & Broomsticks, Mary Poppins, E.T, Beauty & the Beast, The Iron Giant, and Jaws, which scared the hell out of me. I wasn’t brave enough to watch it again until I was about 12.
There’s a lot of Disney and Spielberg in there, but I like to think they helped expand my horizons. I still love Star Wars as much as I did the first time, but I also know that film is so much more than just multi-coloured swords thanks to all these other films that I couldn’t put stop watching.
Did you write creatively back then, or draw comics?
I did. I’ve always been a lover of storytelling, and I used to write wee stories and read them out in class. They started off initially as my own episodes of Tom & Jerry or something, but I gradually started experimenting with my own stories and characters, eventually writing full novels just for myself from about 8 all the way up until I was about 17. Reading them back I don’t think they’re particularly good, but then again I think we’re all our own harshest critics.
So you wanted to write fiction, not about films?
Initially yes. But going to the cinema was always my favourite family outing, and as I got older I start frequenting the cinema more and more with friends. I still entertain the idea of writing fiction, but I guess my writing on film was a gradual shift that occurred over time the more films I saw and the more I started to see film as an artform.
Ever written screenplays?
I just finished the first draft of screenplay a couple of weeks ago. I’ve written some mini-screenplays before like for school projects and that, but this is my first crack at a full screenplay. Don’t know yet if it’s just for myself or if I’ll aim higher than that, but we’ll see.
That’s great! I took near 4 years out of screenwriting to build my site. I desperately want to get back to it.
Thank you! The site is looking great – loving the articles being shared through it – but it would be grand to see a screenplay from you. I think cinema is one of the most freeing forms of storytelling out there in terms of its accessibility, so the more people who can express their ideas or share their stories via screenwriting, the better.
Agreed. I’ll keep you posted. So regarding reviews you write now. Tell us about your website?
My website is essentially a bit of a glorified Facebook page, which I started managing in between my university studies in January 2016. I’d been writing reviews for myself for about 2 years by that point, and despite family and friends telling me how much they liked them, I could never quite find the courage to make a blog. It was actually my brother and two friends who made this page for me, deciding that they were going to shove me into the deep end if I wasn’t going to jump in myself.
Once it was up I began sharing my reviews, which started off as essay style observations on the films I saw rather than condensed and concise reviews. I managed to keep this up until mid 2018 when I started attending film festivals and volunteering for a Glaswegian publication called CommonSpace, who promote the reviews I write for them. I now use this page mostly as a way of sharing my CommonSpace reviews, but I do still occasionally write the essay style reviews I used to for films I don’t review for CommonSpace, such as with Booksmart.
So, where can we find you? Site, Twitter etc
My Twitter handle is @CalumTheFilmGuy, which I’m considering changing but it is what it is. There you’ll find me mostly sharing my reviews and occasionally separate thoughts as I find Twitter a bit of a scary place. In terms of sites, you can find most of my reviews via CommonSpace, and you can find additional reviews/older reviews on Calum Cooper Movie Reviews on Facebook.
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