PFCS Board of Directors | PFCS Members | PFCS Membership Information
Learn about the members of the Phoenix Film Society and their outlets and background and find out about our membership requirements and qualifications.
Victor Moreno | Vique Rojas | Bob Leeper | Gayle Bass | Joseph J. Airdo
Bryan Dawson | Michael Dixon | Jim Ferguson | Jonathan Fujii |
Bill Goodykoontz | Patrick King | M V Moorhead | Zach Pope | David Ramsey
Frances Rimsza | Bruce St. James | Nicholas Spake | Herb Stratford
Eric Valdez | Gareth Von Kallenbach
PFCS Board of Directors
Victor Moreno – President
Victor Moreno is a life-long film fan who developed his taste in independent and off beat film growing up in Southern California in the 1980’s. Graduating with a double major in English and History from UCLA in 2002, Victor started his professional association with motion pictures after graduating working with Yari Film Group Releasing on the marketing and promotion of many of their film releases like The Illusionist, Haven, Resurrecting the Champ, and Kickin’ It Old School. Working with other studios like Miramax, Paramount Vantage, Warner Brothers, Summit Releasing, Columbia Pictures in the early 2000’s, Victor was one of the early adopters of marketing films via social media outlets to gain word of mouth and traction for independent studios.
Moving to Arizona in 2006, Victor has been heavily involved in promoting independent film exhibitions for over a decade. Victor graduated from the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University in 2008 with a Juris Doctor in Law. Since then, Victor has promoted film events at venues such as Chandler Cinemas, MADCAP Theaters in Tempe, The Royale in Mesa and Pollack Tempe Cinemas. He programs Cult Classics AZ, the Valley’s longest running monthly revival film series which was established in 2011. Victor and his film events have been featured on Fox 10 News, Buzzfeed, Mashable, one of the “Top Geeky Things To Do in Phoenix” according to the Arizona Republic and consistently make the Phoenix New Times’ top events in the Valley. Victor has won 2 Best of Phoenix Awards from The Phoenix New Times for Best Cult Film Series in 2014 and in 2012. He was also a finalist for the Phoenix New Times “Big Brains Award” for Visual Arts in 2012. His popular film podcast “Cult Following” was also named one of the best 10 podcasts in Phoenix by the Phoenix New Times.
Victor is also heavily involved in the local Phoenix geek community. He is one of the creators of Geekly Phoenix, a large online community that spotlights cool off beat events in metro Phoenix. He also hosts live podcasts on film and geek topics at many local comic book conventions in the Phoenix area every year, as well as pop up film events at many local nightlife spots and barcades throughout the Valley. He also has spoken at many events in the Valley on design and film topics such as Ignite Phoenix, Ignite Phoenix After Dark, the Phoenix Art Museum Circles Speaker series, and at PechaKucha Night Phoenix.
Websites:
CultClassicsAZ.com
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Vique Rojas – Vice President / Treasurer
Vique’s lifelong love affair with movies began at the tender age of 3 or 4, when one of her first memories was watching movies with her mother, late at night. By 5 years old she had no problem sitting up alone watching late night horror films, while waiting for her musician father to come home from his nightclub gig.
That love of movies and entertainment was the foundation for a career that has included staring in local stage productions, a broadcasting degree from ASU and last but not least becoming a member of the Phoenix Film Critics Society. From the beginning of her broadcast career, it seems she was destined to become a film critic, though that was never the plan.
While a scholarship student at Arizona State University, she worked as a Production Assistant/Writer for various productions including working for Phoenix Film Critic, Literary Scholar and TV host of Cinema Classics, Nick Salerno. It was in this capacity that she met her first bonafide film icon, Debbie Reynolds!
While working as a crew member at KPHO-TV5, she made a huge production impact on two locally hosted movie shows: Hollywood Greats and Family Classics. Between takes, she impressed host Bill Rocz so much with her film knowledge that the persnickety perfectionist tapped Vique to review a movie during his absence on the super popular Rita Davenport Show.
During her career at KTVK-3TV, Vique earned 18 Rocky Mountain Emmy Awards and entry into the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences’ illustrious Silver Circle. But Vique does more than talk the talk; she walks the walk, having participated as writer and director in local film making contests with award winning results.
Vique’s movie reviewing career took off in the early 2000’s when she became the official movie critic for My Sweet Connection, a local version of iVillage for valley women. Shortly after she was accepted into the Phoenix Film Critics Society. As a member of PFCS, she has been a regular judge of the Scottsdale International Film Festival.
Pre-pandemic, Vique’s movie reviews were a regular feature on 3TV’s lifestyle show, Your Life A-Z. Currently her reviews can be heard on Beth and Friends, Friday mornings on 99.9fm KEZ and seen on AZTV7’s Arizona Daily Mix with Brad Perry.
One thing that hasn’t changed in all her years of watching movies: Vique often enjoys the worst old B movies just as much as she does today’s best of the best.
Websites:
Bob Leeper – Secretary
Bob writes movie reviews and other odd pop cultural musings for Arizona’s original “geek” blog, Nerdvana. He is the co-owner/manager of Arizona’s award-winning pop culture and alternative art network, Evermore Nevermore, and he is the co-creator of the Valley’s popular art events: ENCREDICON and Steampunk Street. Bob also curates the Facebook fan site The Arizona Cave – AZ Fans of Edgar Rice Burroughs.
In the mid-nineties, with his early website, “Bob’s Weekly Movie Review,” Bob began writing about films as a way to teach himself web programming and to share his lifelong love of cinema. He is a 12-year veteran Navy Photographer with a wide range of multimedia experience and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Information Technology.
An Arizona native, some of Bob’s most cherished cinema experiences happened right here in Phoenix: like watching Star Wars and Alien at the original Cine Capri, seeing Jaws and Superman at the Chris-Town Mall Theatres, and The Towering Inferno and The Poseidon Adventure at Thomas Mall.
Bob once drew the ire of the entire Buddhist population with his negative review of Kundun. His favorite films include the original King Kong, 1931’s Frankenstein, Planet of the Apes, Unforgiven, Unbreakable and John Carter. He’s also one of the few people in the world who loves Jar Jar Binks.
Websites:
NerdvanaMedia.com
EvermoreNevermore.com
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
PFCS Members
Gayle Bass
Gayle Bass brings a background in talk radio and television as well as a master’s degree in journalism to the RightThisMinute team.
A pioneer in reporting news of the Web to listeners, Gayle became known as “The Click Chick” on KTAR radio in Phoenix, breaking down the hot, newsworthy and interesting news of the Internet.
She also co-hosted a political roundtable on radio, spent eight years as a co-host of Your Life, A to Z on Phoenix’s KTVK-TV and was a film critic and served as host of The Screening Room and Weekend Wrap (entertainment and film review shows for KTAR-FM).
Websites:
rightthisminute.com
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Joseph J. Airdo
Joseph J. Airdo is an Arizona native, having grown up in New River where he began writing movie reviews for local weekly newspapers at a very young age. He followed his passion for motion pictures to Arizona State University where he attended the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication and the Barrett Honors College as a student of several film courses.
After graduating summa cum laude in 2006, Joseph took the position of news editor at a national newspaper chain where he covered issues concerning the communities of Anthem, Cave Creek, Deer Valley and North Scottsdale. In 2009, Joseph signed on as a film critic for Examiner.com and shortly thereafter appeared in a big screen commercial for National CineMedia.
At that time, Joseph became a member of the Phoenix Film Critics Society and joined forces with his friend and colleague Stan Robinson as a film columnist for AZ Weekly Entertainment Magazine, a position that eventually led him to obtaining the title of lead film writer for The Entertainer! Magazine – a position that he still holds today.
Joseph’s radio career began in 2011 with a series of costumed guest-segments on The Daily Blender (KXAM-AM) before he landed a long-term gig as film critic, producer and on-air personality for Breakthrough Entertainment (KPHX-AM), a talk radio show airing 11 a.m. to noon Saturdays on KPHX-AM and BreakRadioShow.com that shines a spotlight on the practical perspective of the topics and themes explored in movies.
Meanwhile, Joseph also leads an active social life, organizing group outings to Arizona Snowbowl, Fossil Creek, Havasu Falls and Salt River as well as plenty of parties where absolutely anything can happen. He also has a pet duck named Frozen who is as opinionated about movies as he is.
Websites:
KPHX-AM – BreakRadioShow.com
The Entertainer – EntertainerMag.com
Bryan Dawson
Bryan Dawson has been writing professionally for 30 years. He started his career as a video game journalist, and has since added film and TV coverage, working for Penguin Random House, Prima Games, DirecTV, IGN, AOL, the British Government, and various other organizations.
Websites:
Prima – https://primagames.com/
Geek News – https://geeknewsnetwork.net/
Michael Dixon – Founding Member
Michael Dixon, Film Critic for Fox 10-TV in Phoenix, is a veteran fine-arts critic, and an award-winning radio and television personality. He has hosted shows for CBS Radio, KAET, KQED, WETA public television, and his arts criticism and travel articles have appeared in Phoenix Magazine, Phoenix Home & Garden, and The Phoenix Gazette.
Michael has written the Program Notes and been the broadcast voice of the Phoenix Symphony, and the Arizona Opera.
A graduate in theatre from the University of California, Riverside, he spent three seasons as Artist-in-Residence with the California Inland Shakespeare Festival, and is a voting member of Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG/AFTRA).
Websites:
Jim Ferguson
BFCA Member
Originally from Chicago with a B. A. from DePaul University-Chicago and a M.ED from the University of Arizona, Jim taught Social Studies and coached basketball in the Tucson School District. He is an original Board Member for the Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA) that has been in operation for the past 22 years and presents the CRITICS CHOICE AWARDS annually on TV.
Jim has hosted various entertainment television and radio shows ranging from KMSB FOX 11 TV Tucson THE BEST OF HOLLYWOOD WEEKEND MOVIES, Public Service Talk Show, The Dish Network, The Preview Channel and the Global Internet-Asian Connections to the StudioLA.tv FILM STAR INTERVIEWS.
The Morning Blend – KGUN9 ABC
Arizona Midday – KPNX 12 NBC
The Ferguson Files – ROADHOUSE CINEMAS
Jonathan Fujii
After graduating from ASU during the initial COVID lockdowns, Jonathan Fujii launched his film channel in the fall of 2020 under the name of The Film Drunk. He quickly garnered a following through awards season where you could find him yelling too loudly about nominations and proclaiming his love/hate relationship with the Oscars.
His channel has continued to grow in a short amount of time due to his coverage of awards season and his unorthodox style of reviews. While still early in his film career, he’s already met with some amazing people and hopes to be in this industry for a long time.
YouTube Channel: TheFilmDrunk
Twitter- @thefilmdrunk
Instagram: @jonathanfujii
Bill Goodykoontz
I learned to read from my grandmother’s Addams Family collections. My plans to become a professional basketball player sadly stalled when I stopped getting any taller after seventh grade.
I’ve been a cop reporter, a city and county government reporter, a features columnist, a sports columnist, TV critic, an editor and a writer covering pop culture. Now I’m a movie critic. I think The Simpsons is the greatest TV show ever, Holy War is my favorite Matthew Sweet song and the Washington Redskins are my favorite team in all of sports. Harry Dean Stanton is always great, licorice never is. I’ve read Dracula more than once (“you are wise for one who has not yet lived a single lifetime”), and might again. I was an English major in college and love Faulkner and such, but my favorite book is Instant Replay by Jerry Kramer.
The Arizona Republic | USA Today Network
Patrick King
Patrick King is a movie reviewer for the Tucson Local Media news organization and his personal blog REEL BRIEF – Movie Reviews for Busy People. A native of Eugene, Oregon, King’s interest in movies started at the age of 9, with the release of Steven Spielberg’s thriller “Jaws” in 1975. Years later, his passion for movies led King to study American film-making and early cinema genres at Oregon State University, where he graduated from and entered the U.S. Air Force.
During his 24-year Air Force career as a lieutenant colonel, C-130 evaluator pilot, and presidential advance agent for Air Force One, King became a strong advocate for getting films shown for U.S. servicemen and women serving down range during his 16 deployments. As an aircrew member and squadron commander, he felt movies afforded military members a vital break from sustained combat operations and an opportunity to stay connected to their American culture back home.
While stationed in the Republic of Korea, King began writing movie reviews for friends and family members on social media sites. As his readership continued to grow, he launched the REEL BRIEF – Movie Reviews for Busy People website.
Seven months prior to his retirement from the Air Force, King became a freelance writer and was hired by 10/13 Communications as their film critic for the Explorer newspaper. King’s reviews continue to serve the NW Tucson area, as well as the cities of Marana and Oro Valley, Arizona.
Websites:
ReelBrief.com
Facebook | Twitter
M V Moorhead – Founding Member
M V Moorhead has won five first-place Arizona Press Club awards for criticism. His work has appeared in publications ranging from the New Times weeklies (where he was a staff writer for several years) to USA Today, from Phoenix Magazine and Wrangler News and the East Valley Tribune to the Erie Times-News, Seattle Times and Detroit Metro Times to Rewind Magazine. He was host of Another Saturday Night, a pop culture and film review show on KTAR radio.
Websites:
Wrangler News
The Entertainer
Phoenix Magazine
toplessrobot.com
phoenixnewtimes.com
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Zach Pope
Film has been major part of Zachary Pope’s life since the diaper days. Some of his earliest memories were going to the local movie theater with his family, first introducing him to all sorts of fantastic films like Toy Story, Indiana Jones, Gremlins, Creature From the Black Lagoon and of course, Star Wars.
These films were always on repeat as a child with countless VHS and DVD copies breaking and needing to be replaced. Film has always been an escape for him. No matter what else he is facing in his life, he believes that film is one of the main things that can bring people together, even the most unlikely matches.
Following this passion after high school, Zach went on in 2015 in to create his own youtube channel, which was inspired from other critics like Chris Stuckmann, Jeremy Jahns, Leonard Maltin, The Schmoes Know, Scott Mantz and even William Bibbiani. This channel was created to meet other film fanatics, discuss and dissect film, but also provide a safe place to share thoughts about movies without feeling judged.
In October of 2017 Zach partnered with John Meneghetti’s website, Sandwichjohnfilms, a website that participates in giving not only the latest movie news and reviews, but also providing advanced screenings and giveaways. The energy of his youtube channel jived perfectly with the tone of the website. He likes to look at himself as not just a Film Critic now, but also someone who loves watching and talking movies. His career has only just begun and he looks forward to wherever this journey takes him.
Websites:
sandwichjohnfilms.com
Zach Pope YouTube Channel
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
David Ramsey – Founding Member
BFCA Member
David’s love of film led him to a career that he had never considered when “Big Shoe” Stu Evans asked him to review movies on his radio show. David spent 14½ years on KMLE ‘Camel Country’ 108 with “Big Shoe” Stu. During that time he co-founded the Phoenix Film Critics Society. He is also a member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association, where he votes for the Critics Choice Awards. He has appeared on KTAR-FM as a guest film critic, as well as radio stations in Tucson, Minneapolis, St. Louis and Denver. He has been a regular on “Daybreak USA” on the USA Radio Network since Fall 2014. He wrote a DVD review column, “David’s Video Details”, for the East Valley Tribune for three years and continues to write a film and DVD column for Arizona Player Magazine. On Television, David appeared a few times on KSAZ FOX 10 Morning News before he became the film critic on KNXV ABC-15’s “Sonoran Living” in July, 2005 and on the KPHO CBS-5 Morning News in December 2006. He is also a regular guest on KAZT’s “Morning Scramble.”
David enjoys talking about film, he particularly likes telling people about great films they might not otherwise know about and warning them about the bad ones. David is a native of Phoenix, but spent about 10 years in Los Angeles and longs to go back to the beach. He is most proud of his four children and his grandchild. David’s favorite film is “Heaven Can Wait” the 1978 comedy directed by Warren Beatty and Buck Henry.
Websites:
The Snackbar
ABC15’s Sonoran Living
The Angie Austin and Mike Opelka Show
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Frances Rimsza – Founding Member
Founding member and former Treasurer for the PFCS. Her work has appeared in publications ranging from Foothills Magazine, Arizona Club Magazine, North Phoenix Rotary Magazine and RE/MAX Real Estate Newsletter.
Websites:
francesrimsza.com
Bruce St. James
Bio coming soon.
Nicholas Spake
At the age of fifteen, I launched NickPicksFlicks.com, a website dedicated to the art of film. Since then, I have worked as a published film critic for Arizona State Press, Ahwatukee Foothills News, Film Festival Today, Arizona Filmmaker Magazine, East Valley Tribune, and Story Monsters Ink.
Entertainment writing has also given me the opportunity to interview several big name celebrities, including Emma Stone, Chris Evans, J.J. Abrams, Emma Roberts, and various others.
My life hit a roadblock in 2013 when I was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, but I refused to let having cancer prevent me from writing film reviews and finishing college with a 4.0 GPA. In May 2013, I graduated from Arizona State University, achieving a BA in Theatre and a minor in communications.
Teaching me just how precious life is, my disease further influenced me to reach out to others through my writing. Today, I’m happy to say that I am currently cancer free.
As of September 2014, I have worked as a freelancer writer for WatchMojo.com, which has surpassed 10 million subscribers on YouTube. This video content site has acted as a creative outlet for me to write top ten lists about movies, television, video games, and pretty much everything else. Out of the hundred scripts I’ve contributed to them so far, I’m primarily proud of the Top 10 Sci-Fi Movies of All Time, Another Top 10 Super Bowl Commercials, and Top 10 Worst Movies of 2014.
In 2015, I joined the Flickreel family as a critic and columnist. I’m overjoyed to be on the team and can’t wait to bring you all more movie reviews.
Websites:
Flickreel.com
Story Monsters Ink
Nickpicksflicks.com
WatchMojo.com
Herb Stratford
BFCA Member
Herb Stratford is the film critic for KVOA 4-NBC in Tucson. He can also be seen in print in Zocalo Magazine and on the radio at KLPX & KFMA Thursdays. He has served as a juror at the Slamdance Film Festival in Park City, UT and teaches Arts Management at the University of Arizona.
He restored and ran the Fox Tucson Theatre, a 1929 art deco movie palace and is a nationally recognized preservation professional working with historic theatres across the U.S. Formerly the Program Director at the Napa Valley Film Festival, his other projects also included starting one of the first U.S. film festivals devoted to Mexican film. He is also currently the co-producer/programmer of the Tucson Festival of Films.
Websites:
Arts & Culture Guy
Zocalo Magazine
KPLX – 96.1
KFMA – 102.1
KVOA NBC 4
KMSB FOX 11
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Eric Valdez
A native of the San Francisco Bay Area and 25-year veteran of the radio and records world, Eric came to the valley in 1996 from Sacramento CA to start a brand new radio station KPTY / 103.9 “Arizona’s Party Station”. Fell almost immediately in love with Phoenix and has been happy to call it home all these years.
Growing up Eric spent a lot of time at the movie theater and realized the impact that they made on his life after watching John Hughes 1986 classic “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”.
Fortunately, instead of taking the rest of his life off, Eric got into the wonderful world of radio at the age of 18 and has got to work in some great cities up and down the California coast as well as in Tucson and Phoenix. Eric also spent a few years working in the record industry for a few independent companies and spent 2 years traveling as the Road and Office Manager for national recording artist Stevie B.
Eric took up writing movie reviews a few years ago while working for valley radio station KMVA/Hot 97.5 & 103.9. Since then, as KMVA was sold to Riviera Broadcasting, his reviews have been added to sister radio stations KKFR/Power 98.3 & 101.9 and KOAI/95.1 & 94.9 The Oasis. His “Quick & Simple Review” can be seen on each stations Facebook pages every week.
Websites:
KMVA/Hot 97.5 & 103.9
KKFR/Power 98.3 & 101.9
KOAI/95.1/94.9 The Oasis
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Gareth Von Kallenbach
Gareth Von Kallenbach is a syndicated movie & game critic, writer, author and frequent radio guest. His work has appeared in over 60 publications worldwide and he is the creator of the rising entertainment site and publication “Skewed and Reviewed”.
He has three books of film, game reviews and interviews published and is a well-received and in demand speaker on the convention circuit. Gareth has appeared in movies and is a regular guest on a top-rated Seattle morning show.
He has also appeared briefly in films such as “Prefountaine”, “Postal”. “Far Cry”. and others. Gareth is also an in-demand speaker at several conventions and has conducted popular panels for over two decades.
Websites:
Skewed and Reviewed – SKNR.net
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube
Membership Information
We’re always looking to grow our community of professional film critics in the Phoenix. We do have prerequisites for membership, but if you meet those prerequisites, feel free to contact us below.
PRE-REQUISITES
- Must ALREADY be accredited as press (not as UGC Creator/Influencer) by the local PR agencies representing the major studios whose films we cover (Frost Communications and Allied Global Marketing)
- For online and individual critics, you must have either a website with 10,000 UMV or a YouTube channel with 10,000 minimum followers (other social media is considered UGC/Influencer, not press)
- For TV/Print/Radio, must be directly employed by local/well-regarded print source as primary representative of that outlet.
If you meet these requirements, contact us at information@phoenixfilmcriticssociety.org