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What Is This? Every week, I search for new films and television shows that are targeted at the so-called ‘family-friendly’ audience and then, when I see something noteworthy, write about it from my perspective as a film critic for the past 20 years. So if I don’t find anything I want to write about, I won’t be cluttering up your in-box.

In addition, I watch and research family-friendly noir films (?!) from the 40s and 50s (Concrete Falls) and family-friendly movies released in my favorite film decade (70s Rewind). These entries appear less frequently during periods when I am primarily occupied with, er, other things, like health issues, personal matters, and sleeping.

Who Am I? My name is Peter Martin. I have been watching and reading about films and television shows since early childhood. I have been writing about films and television shows for more than 20 years, first at my website A Better Tomorrow, which focused on Hong Kong movies, next at Mobius Home Video Forum, where I wrote a weekly column 'From Hollywood to Hong Kong,' then I began contributing to a website that is now known as Screen Anarchy, focused primarily on indie and intentional genre films. I have been serving as Managing Editor there since 2014 and write news, reviews, and features

In addition, I contributed to the much beloved Cinematical for several years, writing news, reviews, and features. After that site was closed, I began contributing to Fandango, where I have written news, columns, and features since May 2011. 

On the local front, I created Dallas Film Now in 2010, where I continue to serve as editor and also write reviews of current releases, in theaters and on streaming services, alongside my colleague Joe Baker. 

Everything But Horror? Yup. Even before I suffered a stroke in November 2020, I was drawing away from horror films in general. 

What initially drew me to horror films was not the 'horror,' per se, but the suspenseful thrills that accompanied the various horrors that were depicted. I always shied away from anything depicting supernatural events and excessive blood and gore, and made a conscious decision to avoid reviewing any such titles to the extent possible, though I still admire the craftsmanship, skills, and talents involved by everyone, both in front of and behind the camera. 

Most horror filmmakers that I've met have been kind and gentle people with an appealing sense of humor. Still, especially after my stroke and the extremely personal effects upon my body and soul that I have been experiencing, I have no compelling desire to watch modern horror movies. 

So, this newsletter will be a horror-free zone.

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A critical guide to family-friendly viewing: reviews and recommendations, published periodically.

People

60s kid, 70s teen; now 21st-century writer. Managing Editor @ScreenAnarchy. Member @DFWFilmCritics. Bylines: @Fandango, @DallasFilmNow. Formerly LA, NY.