John Larsen

Biography:

They're not just moving images, they're a way of life. Fascinated by movies since he was born in a small hospital on the hill in Santa Paula, California, John Larsen has been professionally reviewing movies since 1974. As editor of his high school newspaper, Larsen developed his long-running column, "Light Views, Reviews and Previews." The column moved to the Oxnard College newspaper Campus, which Larsen helped create and served as its first Editor-in-Chief. After graduation, Larsen tagged up with the Ventura County Reporter, a large weekly entertainment newspaper based in Ventura County, California. He has been the film and video editor for the paper for the past twenty-five years. During that time, Larsen's reviews have appeared in numerous publications, television and radio shows, and on-line at eDrive and Hollywood Hotline. He's a Chief Contributor for the Video Movie Guide, the Pasadena Weekly, San Diego City Beat and Santa Barbara Bulletin, and hosts a weekly entertainment review show on KVEN Talk Radio and KBBY Radio. Larsen's "Video Views" column was one of the first columns to exclusively cover video, debuting in 1983. He also writes the syndicated "The Video Closet" column. Larsen spends most of his time in the dark, reviewing more than 400 films every year on screen and video. When he's not watching movies, he spends his time writing them. When he's not working, Larsen enjoys white water rafting (he's been down the Grand Canyon twice), acting, and stand-up comedy. He also writes and produces under a well-guarded alter ego.

Favorites:

FAVORITE MOVIES: The Exorcist, E.T., Field of Dreams, Schindler's List, Mary Poppins, Road to Perdition, Pocketful of Miracles, Pulp Fiction, Psycho, The Searchers, American Graffiti, Breakfast at Tiffany's, Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Nashville, The Sting, Taxi Driver

Publications:

Light Views