CINEZINE
CINEZINE (1996-2001)
This could and probably should be a more colorful recounting, but I prefer the basics at the moment.
It began as Vidiots, a digital magazine - or lovingly, an e-zine - filled with film commentary and reviews. Created by four friends who met in screenwriting class in the early days of the interweb, the intent was to write about movies for anyone (really, anyone) who was willing to read.
We eventually ended Vidiots to create Film Threat’s online e-zine, which turned out to be a lot less fun than we expected. We had no issue with being provocative, we did had an issue with being inflammatory with unnecessary hyperbole. So we jumped ship and started CINEZINE. It took us some time, but we found our groove.
What began as a weekly magazine emailed to a few hundred people grew to a weekly magazine emailed to thousands. (At one point, we angered AOL and had to fight with them over the volume of our email list.) Eventually we built a website to house the growing back issue database, not to mention that websites were becoming relevant and meaningful entities. We carried on building our readership for years.
Only, as an early, independent internet content provider, we had no idea how to build a business with our passion. Eventually, the schedule of juggling real life and CINEZINE got to us, one by one. Mike, one of the founders, was the first to leave. We carried on, adding outside writers to help build our content. At some point, the internet just exploded and competing against those with Hollywood budgets and big backers like Yahoo took its toll. In 2001, myself and the two remaining founders/publishers/writers decided to close the virtual doors. In a fight with the hosting company the site came crashing down, even though there was always intent to leave it up forever.
One day, if we all agree, maybe the material will return to the web in some form or another. And perhaps some day, it will live again with new material. Until then, wait for the Gas Monkey appearance. He is the sign.
CE
Cinezine: The Reel Thing / 2011
