{"id":62,"date":"2016-12-16T05:03:08","date_gmt":"2016-12-16T05:03:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.deepfocusreview.com\/?page_id=62"},"modified":"2025-05-29T13:59:10","modified_gmt":"2025-05-29T18:59:10","slug":"about","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.deepfocusreview.com\/about\/","title":{"rendered":"About"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dear Readers,<\/p>\n

As many of you undoubtedly know, a deep focus in filmmaking creates a significant depth of field by presenting the image’s fore, middle, and background in sharp clarity.<\/p>\n

When I launched Deep Focus Review (DFR) in 2007, I set out to do something similar when writing about movies. In addition to a textual analysis of what appears onscreen, nearly every review or appreciation on DFR will contain some extratextual consideration of a movie\u2019s production, its makers, or its relevant place in culture or history.<\/p>\n

Some would argue that this approach is counterintuitive to watching a movie\u2014that movies should be watched for nothing else besides what we see before us. However, another philosophy, one I subscribe to, considers movies, and indeed all art, to be multi-textual. Factors such as technique, artistic intent, box-office performance, the auteur theory, or the culture that made the movie can inform a reading, layering it from beyond the screen.<\/p>\n

Through DFR\u2019s reviews and essays, I hope to stimulate critical thinking about films and foster an increased appreciation for the art form in general. I write to enable readers to think about movies as more than entertainment. To be sure, all movies, whether high or low examples of the art, are texts for aesthetics, history, politics, culture, and countless other disciplines.<\/p>\n

To properly analyze and thoroughly write about a movie, I sometimes engage in spoilers. My reviews are intended to meet at the intersection of the traditional movie review and critical analysis. I am interested in more than just a star rating or a recommendation, so I will often discuss films in detail. When I discuss the particulars in a new release review, you will be forewarned if I reference a plot twist. Elsewhere, The Definitives column regularly summarizes the complete story in detail, as those critical essays are designed to be comprehensive analyses of well-established films.<\/p>\n

My objective goes beyond supplying a recommendation; I hope to enhance your viewing experience. If someone discovers a great film because I have written about it, I have done my job. If a budding movie fan visits DFR and starts looking at cinema from new and varied perspectives, I have done my job. If a longtime cin\u00e9phile reads a critical essay in The Definitives about one of their favorite films, and it helps them see the movie from a new perspective, I have done my job.<\/p>\n

I realize these are not modest ambitions for an independent film critic and historian. And admittedly, I sometimes fail to reach these lofty motivations when writing a review. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy DFR and, after visiting, find that you think more about movies and feel more engaged in your moviegoing experiences.<\/p>\n

Thank you for your readership, and happy viewing!<\/p>\n

Brian Eggert
\n<\/strong>Critic, Essayist, Founder
\nbrian@deepfocusreview.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Brenda Harvieux<\/strong>
\nEditor<\/p>\n

\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Brian Eggert is a national award-winning film critic and scholar. He is Tomatometer-Approved<\/a> and belongs to several critical and scholarly associations, including: the Society For Cinema and Media Studies, Minnesota Film Critics Association<\/a>, Online Film & Television Association<\/a>, International Film Society Critics<\/a>, National Coalition of Independent Scholars<\/a>, and the Large Association of Movie Blogs<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Additionally, Brian is a member of the Independent Film Critics of America<\/a>, who honored him with the 2024 Critic of the Year award. Read the announcement.<\/a><\/p>\n

Brian lives in Minnesota with his wife, Brenda Harvieux (DFR’s copy editor), and their dog. He is an occasional programmer and regularly appears on the NBC affiliate in the Twin Cities, KARE 11, to review and talk about movies. He also appears on the KARE 11+ show,\u00a0The CineFiles<\/em>.<\/p>\n

A lifelong cin\u00e9phile, he earned his BA in 2006 from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, where he studied Art History, Studies in Cinema & Media Culture, and Cultural Studies & Comparative Literature. Brian received a Master’s degree in Film Studies from Tiffin University, where he was the 2018 winner of the Award of Excellence<\/span>\u00a0in<\/span>\u00a0Graduate<\/span>\u00a0Education.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dear Readers, As many of you undoubtedly know, a deep focus in filmmaking creates a significant depth of field by presenting the image’s fore, middle, and background in sharp clarity. When I launched Deep Focus Review (DFR) in 2007, I set out to do something similar when writing about movies. In addition to a textual analysis of what appears onscreen, nearly every review or appreciation on DFR will contain some extratextual consideration of a movie\u2019s production, its makers, or its relevant place in culture or history. Some would argue that this approach is counterintuitive to watching a movie\u2014that movies should be watched for nothing else besides what we see before us. However, another philosophy, one I subscribe to, considers movies, and indeed all art, to be multi-textual. Factors such as technique, artistic intent, box-office performance, the auteur theory, or the culture that made the movie can inform a reading, layering it from beyond the screen. Through DFR\u2019s reviews and essays, I hope to stimulate critical thinking about films and foster an increased appreciation for the art form in general. I write to enable readers to think about movies as more than entertainment. To be sure, all movies, whether high or […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-62","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nAbout | Deep Focus Review<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn about Deep Focus Review founder and critic Brian Eggert and what inspired him to launch his independent film criticism website in 2007.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.deepfocusreview.com\/about\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"About\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Learn about Deep Focus Review founder and critic 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