Interview: JoBlo of JoBlo.com

JoBlo.com is the ultimate movie website. It features news, reviews, interviews, and a whole helluva lot more. I first stumbled upon JoBlo.com nearly six years ago. It was just beginning to explode. Of course, I was immediately hooked and spent far too much time on the message boards debating whether or not Freddy Krueger could beat up Jason Voorhees. The site started as a hobby for Berge Garabedian (a.k.a. JoBlo). Today, it attracts thousands of unique visitors on a daily basis. It has even won the accolades of celebrities (Steven Spielberg is quoted as saying that he's a fan). I got the opportunity shoot off a dozen or so questions in JoBlo's general direction. Here's what he had to say for himself...

Dom Coccaro: I want to start off by discussing the size of JoBlo.com. It started with a staff of one almost eight years ago. I just browsed your staff list and wow! That's a lot of people. Has delegating certain tasks made things simpler or more complicated?

JoBlo: Good question, as you would think that it would make things "simpler," but overall, it has complicated matters slightly as well, as we now have between 20-25 "employees" (most everyone is part-time, like freelancers) and most everyone has a personality of their own, with their quirks, working habits, etc... Overall, it has definitely made my own life easier, as I can now concentrate on the 300+ emails I get every day and the corresponding responsibilities that come with those requests, delegations, etc..., but it's not entirely ideal either, since people tend to come and go at times, so the hiring process has to be real exact.

DC: You recently hired a journalist, Tim Goernert, to review most of the films currently in theaters. I know you had a health setback that forced you to make this decision (that's right, I don't pull punches - I'm the Barbara Walters of freelance writer geeks!). What is your prognosis? How soon will it be before you can tackle the bulk of these reviews yourself?

JB: I wish I knew, broseph. I've been struggling with this health issue since mid-2004, but after a horrible 2005 where I spend a lot of time in the hospital, I finally decided this year, that I should really take some time off from reviewing movies, at least, so that I can concentrate on getting better and not have to worry about missing screenings or reviews for our readers. Ultimately, I was feeling damn guilty about not posting any reviews to the site (due to my health), so I hired someone to "replace me" until I improve. I actually have NO IDEA when I'll get better, but 2006 was better than 2005, so hopefully 2007 will hold the key to my better health (or a map to Mordor).

DC: What qualities did you look for when auditioning for a "replacement," so to speak?

JB: Several, but one of the most important ones was for that person to be in Montreal, Canada, as I've already connected with all of the local theaters, publicists and studio contacts in this city, so getting someone into press screenings would be MUCH EASIER than say, if I hired someone in Austin, Texas, where I would have to start from scratch, finding the contacts, etc... Obviously, the person's writing abilities, humor, flexibility in hours (the person must be able to attend morning and night screenings) and finally, CORRELATION OF TASTE to my own, were also important elements. It wasn't easy, let me tell you, but then again, life isn't easy...right, right???

DC: How much blood would you give to see Jennifer Love Hewitt drop her top?

JB: I'd probably give my right testicle to charity for that, although I would likely give both nuts for some Jessica Alba action, or better yet, a lesbian love-triangle flick starring Salma Hayek, Monica Bellucci and Jessica Simpson (yeah, toss a blonde in there for kicks!)

DC: There have been a few additions to JoBlo.com. Movie Hotties and MyJoBlo have been the most substantial adjuncts. What inspired the creation of these two add-ons?

JB: They just came about organically, I would say. We were always running tons of news on hot chicks, etc..., and finally decided that with all of the positive feedback, why not simply dedicate a sister-site entirely to that, so that we can also concentrate more on "just movies" on JoBlo.com (although granted, we still like to jack it up with hot chicks whenever we can). Same with My JoBlo.com, which developed from the success of communities like MySpace.com online, as well as our own discussion forums and the members' desire to get to know each other better. I usually have half a dozen such ideas running through my little brain at all times, but I like to take my time when developing them, as I don't like to half-ass anything on which we're gonna print our name.

DC: You published your first book with The 50 Coolest Movies of All Time. Is there a follow-up in the pipe? If so, what will it focus on?

JB: None that I've fully constructed yet, although we are in the process of developing a JoBlo comic book with artists, inkers, colorists and printers in tow. We've been talking about this for a few months now, and although I don't want to get into too many details just yet, if all goes well, we might see issue #1 by the San Diego Comic Con next summer. The title: "JoBlo: The Crime Fightin', Ass Kickin', Movie Lovin' Film Critic!". It's obviously meant to be a bunch of fun and hopefully folks dig it.

DC: You've given intensive coverage on several film festivals before. In your opinion, are festivals like Sundance and Cannes becoming too mainstream?

JB: Cannes is still keeping it pretty real, but Sundance seems to be turning into a pretty major place "to be seen" for morons like Paris Hilton and others looking to grab some free swag. I think that sort of sh*t should be outlawed altogether, so people can go back to just concentrating on a little something called "movies".

DC: John Fallon oversees Arrow in the Head, the horror branch of JoBlo.com. It has become a comprehensive website in and of itself. Do you see Fallon relinquishing his throne as his acting/directing career becomes more and more demanding? Also, will you try your hand at acting or directing at some point?

JB: We've actually discussed this on many occasions (usually when we're drunk off our asses and contemplating "life"), and basically we always come down to the same conclusion, which is: we'll deal with it when it happens! I truly believe that Fallon's career is about to take off and that's actually one of the reasons that his site also has a bunch of people working on it as well. When I hired him back in 2000, it was just him, himself and more of him, but over the past couple of years, we've added folks, so that whenever he's off filming stuff, writing screenplays or traveling the world (lucky bastard!), others can upkeep the fort in his absence. Of course, he still supervises every little bit, but at least he's got a comfort there.

As for me "acting or directing", neither has ever called my name, but I have had a few cameos in movies here and there, which might be fun to continue (usually I'm a character named "Joe" and I get killed after uttering one line....fun stuff!). I would like to write a few more screenplays though (I'd written about 4-5 before I started JoBlo.com ), but I just can't seem to find the time these days. Or maybe I should polish my old screenplays and start sending them out to agents. Hmmmm....

DC: Batman Begins or Superman Returns?

JB: THE CROW!!!

DC: Monica Bellucci or Salma Hayek?

JB: Dude, you're killing me! Not sure, but in an ideal world, I would date them both over a period of time and see which one I liked better "as a person". Also, it would depend on which one wouldn't be entirely revolted by my presence around them. If all goes well though, I would marry either one (although Bellucci would have to drop-kick her awesome life-partner, Vincent Cassel, first), and have a gaggle of kids with them. If we're just talking about a handjob or something, I guess I would choose Bellucci, as she seems to have greater wrist power. I actually ran into Hayek at an airport a couple of summers ago (she was even on my plane!!) and was barely able to gather the cojones to walk up to her and say something dumb like "I really like your acting, can I have a picture?". She was nice to me, but that might've had something to do with the restraining order...hehehe.

DC: Nachos or popcorn?

JB: Easy one...nachos, beeyatch! BTW, if all goes well, nachos will play a pivotal role in the JoBlo comic book.

DC: What advice would you give to budding writers who want to build their own fansites?

JB: Sh*t changes every day, so it's hard to say, but no matter what kind of superficial exterior you have going, the most important thing (in my mind) is your vision, your ability to be unique, your work ethic and your consistency and perseverance. The Internet is truly like the wild, wild west in that nobody really knows how far it's going to go and who's gonna come out the boonies to make it big (MYSPACE and YOUTUBE both didn't exist a few years ago, and look at them now!), but as long as you're doing something you love and "keeping it real", I think that's the best way to go. I wasn't making any money for the first 3-4 years of the site, in fact, I was even losing money, but I was enjoying it as a "hobby", and the next thing you know, traffic picked up, folks returned, I was able to quit my "real job" and now we're chugging along nicely.

DC: What's in store for JoBlo.com in the coming months?

JB: I've always got ideas messing around in my head (must be the medications), and I never like to discuss them too publicly because I don't want to end up looking like a guy who only "talks the talk", but we will hopefully continue to keep the goodness going on JoBlo.com and honestly consider all other projects and off-shoots that come our way. Who knows...the future is bright and I'm wearing shades.

Thanks for the interview.

DC: No, man. Thank you!