Sarah, 26, originally hails from the land of the free and the home of the brave, no not Scotland, the good old U.S. of A. Tampa Bay, Florida to be exact. She met her husband while he was on holiday in the sunshine state and decided to seek her fame and fortune, with him, back here in Blighty. Sarah works as a graphic designer/editorial artist & illustrator for a local daily newspaper up t'north and is trained in graphic design, illustration and animation.
Sarah says, "I was introduced to the wonderful world that is Home Cinema by my husband many years ago. It was back in the days of Pro-Logic and Laserdisc, but as soon as DVD came on the horizon I thought this is the future of film in the home home. My husband wasn't convinced and simply wouldn't believe anything could top his beloved Laserdisc. He eventually succumbed to my pestering and sold the old set-up and bought into a bright new DVD future. We haven't looked back since... score one for the wife!".
Sarah can be contacted on
Scott Bennett, Reviewer
Scott, 27 is an unemployed artist who although having some creative genius never really got the hang of the corporate 9 to 5 thing. Scott has been interested in cinema from an early age, mostly the special-effects side of things and has been awaiting a home video format which provides as near a cinematic experience as possible for quite some time. Laserdisc was never really an option for Scott as it was too expensive and the flipping side of things never appealed. So when DVD was released he could safely say that it answered most of his prayers as a movie enthusiast.
Scott says: "I think DVD has long been overdue as can be seen from the massive popularity it has gained in a fairly short time period. People were crying out for a decent home format and DVD at this time is the answer".
Scott can be contacted on
Kelvin Pope, Reviewer
Kelvin is a Network Analyst within the University of Sussex Computing Service with a keen interest in new technology in all fields including home entertainment. The area of audio/visual media transmission by various media including DVD is a part of not only the working day but also any spare time available.
Within the commercial DVD presentation area, Kelvin is particularly interested in furthering the quality of media and content available to the general public and believes that this is made all the more possible by the work of sites such as DVD Reviewer.
Kelvin can be contacted on
Peter Gee, Reviewer
Peter has been involved in the world of DVD right from the format’s very
early days. A keen film buff, he is a regular contributor to DVD Reviewer
and has got at least one devoted fan.
Peter says, "I can remember trawling through the many UK-based DVD web sites trying to find a central point of contact for news and reviews. When I stumbled across DVD Reviewer, I was initially impressed by its uncluttered look and the quality of its content. Now, as part of the reviewing team, I can honestly say that I am justly proud with how the site has developed and how excited I am as we look to the future. Stick with us and you will get so much more out of your DVD investment and maybe save a few quid by reading our reviews before you make a purchase. I am always open to your comments and criticism and welcome any suggestions as to how we might improve the quality of our service to you."
Giles Manton, Reviewer
Giles' dad bought a Toshiba surround sound telly in 1992 - the first of its kind, and he has been hooked since then. Whilst his dad has remained with 'old faithful', Giles' aspirations went a great deal further; first acquiring a Laserdisc player in 1994, "it's clunky, whirrs a lot, costs a fortune, but is better than VHS." He then built up a semi-decent pro-logic system with a widescreen telly, and was wooed by DVD in early 1999. This eventually led to a full on Dolby Digital & DTS system in his mid-terraced house - much to the avid pleasure of the neighbours.
Giles says, "Finally there is a software system that fully realises what Laserdisc hinted at in a convenient 1 or 2 disk format. Not only can it give excellent picture quality and a sound quality to match or better your local cinema, it can also offer extra features which can give you an insight into the hows, whys and wherefores of the making of a film. Combine this with DVD-ROM content and the ability to play games with arcade style graphics and sound, plus the fact your DVD player is a CD player - this really is a one-stop electronic media which just keeps getting better, and, as its name states, more versatile."
Richard Booth, Reviewer
Rich says, "I registered on the site back in July 2000 with the aim to share my DVD obsession with others on the Net, and since then have watched Reviewer grow and grow into the premier DVD site it is today. I was offered the columnist position back in April 2002, which I try and update monthly, and then I got offered the prestigous site reviewer position in May 2002. My interests are in writing screenplays that hopefully one day will make the big screen, watching DVD's, playing football and tennis, and generally enjoying life."
Anil Khedun, News Editor and Reviewer
Anil (also known as Number One Son to his Mum) was born in Derby. He's lived
in London for the past 29 years and doesn't have a trace of a Midlands
accent at all. He works in IT.
Anil says, ""I love all kinds of films and was thankful that Mum took me to the local Curzon when I was just 2-years old. Since then I've been hooked on film, laserdisc and now DVD. I love reading books about film too. Reviewing discs for Reviewer is great fun so I hope someone out there finds the reviews useful!"
Anil is the proud owner of a London based software company.
Anil can be contacted on
Sue Davies, News Editor and Reviewer
Sue says, "I graduated many years ago and did a proper job for quite a while before producing (as if by magic) 2 children. My love of the Internet brought me here and it was love at first sight. Now I feel like I've gained an extra cyber family. The forums are always full of a frank and fair exchange of views and always a great source of information. I love to be able to share my views with everybody. I try to be fair (sometimes probably too fair). I hope my reviews will entertain, sometimes educate (me included) and occasionally amuse (hopefully for the right reasons). I hope that I can communicate my love of both the medium of DVD and of the wide range of content offered on it."
"My taste varies from science fiction, romance, comedy, action-adventure and of course children's television programmes from the 1970's. I can just about cope with horror movies made before the invention of spectacular special effects-about 1983 I think! Basically I just like sitting in a darkened room with a bucket of popcorn that can be thrown up in the air at a suitable moment."
Sue can be contacted on
Chris Cox, Columnist, Reviewer and Former Region 1 News Editor,
Chris, 31 was DVD Reviewer's Region 1 News Editor from July 2000 to June 2004. He provided a daily news service of software and hardware news, covering North America and Canada. Chris still maintains a column and is one of the website's pool of reviewers. Chris also works for a local authority, in the public transport field, in which he has over 10 years experience of promoting and publicising public transport along with planning bus routes and organising education transport.
Chris says: "I was thrilled to become DVD Reviewer's Region 1 News Editor earlier this year, especially to become part of a team producing the best product in a rapidly expanding field. The release of Sony's Playstation 2 will bring hundreds of thousands of potential new readers and I look forward to helping bring them news and reviews next year, on the way taking DVD Reviewer even further ahead of the chasing pack in 2001."
Chris can be contacted on
Mike McLaughlin, Reviewer and Columnist
Mike is an undergraduate of Philosophy at Aberdeen University, where he has lived all his life.
Mike says: "I have no reputable experience in the field of DVD whatsoever. The format, as far as I`m concerned is simply the best way to currently view films away from the movie-screen and nothing else. My intentions in being a reviewer and columnist here are simply to develop a more film-centered variety of criticism than tends to be around these days and to provide readers with what are hopefully entertaining and insightful rants and critiques."
Mike can be contacted on
Jason Newington, Reviewer
Having been involved with DVD Reviewer since its beginning in November 1999 Jason, 30, has enjoyed seeing DVD Reviewer really take off whilst retaining its integrity and seems to have picked up a bit of a reputation for liking no-brain blockbusters and soft core pornos. Never afraid to call a spade a spade he has earned a reputation for honest reviewing but also feels that being a critic doesn't necessarily mean you have to be critical.
Jason is very excited about the future for DVD Reviewer: "It's amazing to think how far DVD Reviewer has come in such a short period of time, amazing but not surprising to me. I'm part of a very dedicated team who all share a common love of movies and the DVD format and with the dedication we have anything is possible. The future's going to be an interesting place indeed".
Jace can be contacted on
Michael Tsang, Reviewer
Michael, at 18 is still in full-time education, and joined DVD Reviewer's team of reviewers in summer 2000.
Michael says: "I got my first DVD player for Christmas 1999, and soon found out how superior DVD is to VHS, VCD or any of the many film-watching mediums - possibly even cinema! I have always had an avid interest in film, and so was delighted to join DVD Reviewer to write about the good, the bad and the plain ugly of DVDs and movies. Unfortunately DVD-buying is an addictive habit, which is severely limited by my meagre student budget!".
Mike can be contacted on
Tom Gray, Reviewer
Tom says: "When not staring goggle-eyed at a 32" Widescreen Sony watching the latest DVDs, I can be found staring goggle-eyed at a 17" Iiyama monitor at one of Northern Ireland`s leading IT Solutions companies. In the IT sphere, my main interests are RDBMS and Web architecture and security."
"My taste in movies is fairly broad. I am equally happy watching a Hollywood action spectacular or a small foreign film. That said, most of my DVD purchases tend towards the spectacular to make the most of my home cinema set up.
"This is: 32" Sony TV, Ferguson FV 98 video (used primarily now for the Buffy box sets), Sony STR DB930 amp, Pioneer 505 DVD player, an occasionally used Mico (bought for its DTS and mp3 capabilities) and various makes of speakers scattered through the room which my long-suffering wife barely tolerates.
Tom can be contacted on
John Savage, Reviewer
John is a habitual student that has finally been wooed away from the lecture halls and cheap beer by money. Not a lot of money, but enough to pay off his student debts! He now lives and works in the real world (well, the Midlands) although he's managed to base himself at another university.
Why DVDs? Well as a confirmed techno-fetishist they were a natural progression from video and laserdisc and when combined with an interest in all things film became irresistible. They are also shiny.
John also climbs things and only occasionally falls off.
John can be contacted on
John Willis, Reviewer and uk.media.dvd FAQ administrator
John says, "My involvement with Reviewer stems back to not long after its inception when I was in the process of rewriting the UK.MEDIA.DVD frequently asked questions (FAQ) and was looking for sites to host the document. It was then that I became involved with Reviewer, choosing them as the official site for the FAQ and working with them to automate and assist in its distribution and management. I also write DVD and hardware reviews for the site on an ad-hoc basis and suffer from the effects of the way too expensive hobby that is 'Home Cinema' :-).
"Outside of Reviewer and home cinema my day job involves managing the Intranet of a large utility company and IT infrastructure consultancy.
John can be contacted on
Shahran Audit, Reviewer
Shahran (aka Sunny), is currently a full-time student at Enfield College doing GNVQ Advanced Media Production and Design. He found his love with the DVD format back when it was still in production in 1996. After extensive self-research on the DVD technology, and his own personal love for the movie industry, he decided to launch his own website reviewing Indian films on DVD. The site continues to be popular and has helped in changing the Indian DVD industry for the better. It has also helped in creating awareness of DVD quality and of cult titles. Now he has joined his favourite DVD review site to spread his reviews across a wider band.
His mission: To enjoy life fully, to make changes for the better and to make a name for himself in media production.
Shahran can be contacted on
Stephen Bourne, Reviewer
Stephen says, "I am 27 years old and live within the boundaries of the pottery industry in Stoke-on-Trent. I currently work in full time employment at W. Moorcroft P.L.C, which is in fact a pottery-manufacturing place that produces giftware and lamps. I work as a ceramic painter and it is my job to apply the colour to the dried clay to make the pieces look terrific and ready for sale after they have been fired up.
"My home cinema personal set-up is a Sony STR DB940 amplifier and a Sony DVP S325 and a full 5.1 channel KEF speaker set. I have used professional expensive coaxial and phono leads for all connections and ‘banana’ plugs for the speakers; money has been no object through this lot! I like all kinds of movies which shows in my 140+ titles and personally feel that my position at ‘Reviewer’ is helpful in broadening my horizons, I do have a few personal bests for example all the James Bond 007 movies, Star Wars, Back to the Future and Indiana Jones trilogies which at this time are hardly out on DVD yet and causes a lot of frustration to me.
