To all of my readers, thank you for helping to make my website such a huge success. I got my 1 millionth view and my 1,000th follower last month, and everything just keeps booming. I am amazed by what has happened this year, and what better time than Thanksgiving to take a minute to show my appreciation for all of you!
Humble Beginnings
I created the Deja Reviewer website in June 2011 to keep my brain from exploding. My mind never stops generating crazy ideas and odd ways of looking at films, but for years I had no way of getting those ideas out there for others to see. But after the birth of my second child, I knew something needed to change.
This website started purely as an outlet for my creativity. I just wanted to share my thoughts and see if they would resonate with anyone else. For the first three years, I had a few moderately popular articles here and there, but nothing really spectacular.
The Game Changer
That all changed on April 29, 2014 when I published an article entitled “Robocop (1987) Is an Almost Perfectly Symmetrical Film.” That struck a nerve with people. It gave them a completely new way of looking at a film they love, and it also gave the film artistic weight as more than a satire or sci-fi action film.
My website got more traffic on the day that article was published than it had received in the previous three years combined. April 29 just so happens to be my birthday, so it was a huge birthday present to have my article go viral on that exact day.
Meeting New Friends
In the past seven months, my followers have increased from about 150 to more than 1,100. I’ve been contacted by other extremely creative people who share their own amazing work with me and some who run successful websites who have invited me to write for them. I’ve had to turn down those writing jobs because I have to put my family first, and extra work might start to put a strain on my time.
To all of my readers, thank you for coming here and speaking your mind. If I ever fail to respond to your comment, it’s not because I don’t like it or I don’t like you. It can be for a lot of reasons, but mostly it’s because I’m a somewhat shy person or I completely agree with what you said, and I simply can’t think of a snappy way of acknowledging your rightness. Or sometimes (I hate to admit) I read what you say and I want to respond, but I forget to and the comment gets buried under all of the other new comments and followers I get updates about.
But I always appreciate your responses, especially when you call me out when I say something I can’t back up or if you have a different opinion or idea that I didn’t consider before. I love having my mind opened as much as I love opening other people’s minds to new possibilities in films.
An Inviting Environment
I follow the Golden Rule, so I hope you’ll never find me to be unpleasant or unkind in how I talk to you. I’ll never swear at anyone, call them inappropriate names, or otherwise be a jerk. Whenever you come to the Deja Reviewer website, you’ll always find an inviting environment because I just want to have good, clean fun here.
Thank you for making 2014 such a personally rewarding year for me. It took a few years, but now I know that there is definitely an audience for my particular brand of film analysis. My brain still won’t stop, so I’ve got many more years’ worth of topics I can’t wait to write about. I’m glad to have you along for the ride.
This is the Deja Reviewer wishing you a happy Thanksgiving.
Deja Reviewer 
Have you ever considered writing a comparison of the two movie Jokers from Batman? I’d like to read it.
LikeLike
I have never compared those two Jokers, though I did compare Christopher Nolan’s Joker and Richard Lester’s Zod in an article you may find interesting. I appreciate the idea, though. There’s a lot of possibility in talking about those two distinct takes on the same character. They both take over Gotham’s mob, and they have insane schemes to poison Gotham, either literally or metaphorically. Hmmm.
LikeLike
And congrats on the thousandth follower!
LikeLike
Thank you! It’s pretty amazing how things have taken off this year. I’m grateful to everyone who has followed my blog. 🙂
LikeLike
Congratulations, Robert. Your thoughts on so many topics are always insightful and often hilarious. I love the header above about your “Humble Beginnings,” with its hidden double meaning, since you were born at our home in a town called Humble, with only your Dad and our friend Dianne Smith to catch you. Having three bantering brothers and five beautiful sisters taught you to find your voice in a crowd, and you have carved a great place in the world with your sweet wife by your side. I hope you have a great Thanksgiving! We love you and miss you! Love, Mom
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s my mom. 🙂 Thank you so much. I got my sense of humor from you. You did an amazing job raising all of my siblings and me, even though we were all so crazy and must have given you a hard time. Being a parent has made me appreciate what you did for me.
I have an amazing life thanks to how you guided me early in my life. Thank you, Mom. I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving, too.
LikeLike
Congratulations Robert! I’m pretty sure you deserve all the good stuff that happens to you and your family. I’m excited to see what you think of all of these new films coming out.
In the past month I’ve seen Interstellar and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1, along with finally seeing Divergence. I can’t wait for the new Hobbit film either.
Good luck to your Reviewer future. It’s all looking up.
LikeLike
Right back at you! I guess the Lord really does honor those who honor him, no matter how imperfect we might be.
I loved Interstellar. That’s one of the few movies I saw in theaters more than once. I’ve got something pretty cool planned for that. As far as the other movies go, we’ll just have to wait and see. 🙂
LikeLike
Congratulations! You have an awesome blog, an awesome son and your mom is very funny!
LikeLike
You are very kind. Thank you. Yeah, my family is definitely a keeper.
LikeLike
Congrats, you have an amazing blog and deserve every success.
LikeLike
I really appreciate that. Have an awesome day! 🙂
LikeLike