Who is the Jerry Harvey of our time?

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Thanks to the internet people don't need tv channels to find these jems anymore, especially as there are plenty of bittorrent sites where you can download your favourite movies. These days you can pick & choose. If the movies are crap, no biggie. It just cost you 30 cents to burn it to a dvd....

It would be hard to find anyone else that is as avid a fan of movies as Jerry Harvey was, but many of our modern American directors are big devotees of many films. Martin Scorsese seems the most prominent (he's very much into film preservation since so many older celluloid prints have been destroyed over the years). Apparently, when he's asked about a scene from an unnamed film from the past, he's usually able to tell you the film name, what the year was and who directed it. It would be great if he had his own cable channel to showcase films he was, and is, inspired by (I'd watch it!).

Well, even though he's got some real haters out there, this question has a very easy answer: Harry Knowles of Ain't It Cool News. He grew up with parents that were in to off-beat cinema and once in awhile he mentions that he tends to watch 5-7 movies a day (for which he's apparently paid handsomely!). He's also mentioned that he 'specializes' in pre-60's cinema, which given the fact that he seems to have seen nearly every movie since he was born from around the world (exaggeration, obviously) and his site is devoted to current and upcoming releases, is kind of scary. The remarkable thing is, he gives off the impression of being a surprising well-rounded and psychologically healthy person for someone who's spent the majority of their waking life in front of a screen.

Tarantino and Scorsese are ridiculously intelligent and daring film 'watchers' as well.

Oh, and dariusTheGreat, getting your 'favorite movies' for free is quite a statement. You get pure enjoyment from a great filmmaker's work and don't think twice about helping them pay their mortgage? Movies aren't like music, which is relatively cheap to produce. If movies don't get revenue--and lot's of it--they won't be made anymore. Period. Music can and will adapt to being stolen on the internet because in lieu of an expensive studio it can ultimately be recorded on a mike and put on itunes for practically no money if it comes down to it. Movies won't--they're simply too expensive to make--and anyone who callously rips them off--not even crap movies but the great ones--without paying for them is going to be personally responsible for the downfall of 2D movies. The internet will help you find which ones to rent (for dirt cheap--$5 a movie on netflix), and in the rarest of circumstances where a gem you've read about isn't available on DVD in your country years after it's been released theatrically, bittorrent might be a morally arguable move (Tarantino has in fact said as much), but very few movies are unavailable to rent on netflix or it's equivalents.

Someone who LOVES film like Jerry did and went to bat for films that didn't get to see the light of day - and he'd give them that. Who in this day and time?

Hard to say, but I'd cast a top vote towards Sheila Nevins & Carolyn Strauss & HBO Films President Colin Callender over at HBO. Carolyn, Sheila and Colin did something for cable TV like Jerry did, and that was bring off-beat programming to HBO that everyone is STILL talking about.

Sheila was more into the documentaries while Carolyn brought forth the programming. This started back in 1979 for Sheila, 1986 for Carolyn so in some respects, they were quite in line to pick up what Jerry started -- and move it forward to pay cable TV. No lie, Sheila's documentary work for HBO is stunning and Carolyn's original programming like OZ, Tracy Takes On, The Kids in the Hall, Mr. Show etc. ahead of its time - and lets not forget the HBO made for cable movies that no one else DARED to do, that Colin did (as Exec. Producer of HBO films in NYC all the way up to HBO President)and got the top talent to take MAJOR cuts in pay to do so.

The one thing that Jerry did that NO ONE has managed to do in America as yet...was with his love of film...came ALL loves of film. Without his love of FOREIGN films and daring to show them undubbed, uncut, and in its orgianl form - controversies and all - I would never know how great cinnema OUTSIDE of America really was..and still is.

"Whoever is bitten by a werewolf, becomes one himself!"

NOBODY



Judging by all the crap playing on HBO, Cinemax, TMC, Showtime and Starz...there isnt anyone seeking out any lost gems ...NOPE ...How many times do we have to watch the same crap over and over on those channels...everything is programmed to satisfy the MTV generation....nobody gives a crap about real movie fans who scour all those channels hoping to find some quality films and never find anything worth watching ....Oh sure we'll get "Transformers" and other digitally dominated films ...It doesnt matter how strong of a picture you make these days, if the MTV aint watching, then they will create those shows for the "dumbed down generation" and continue to neglect us movie buffs who appreciate original films and something creative and challenging

I like the answer Nobody, I mean what Harvey did was unique and very special for his time. As far as appreciation goes there are a number of names out there. Harry Knowles isn't one of them, he's a fanboy with a sucessful site but he does nothing to expand film appreciation. I grew to loath him because he would only talk about genre news on ethier small b movies or big budgeted fanboy films no worth a damn, rarely discusses arthouse or foreign cinema unless it's an "in" movie to talk about. Here's a prime example, when Tideland came out there was no coverage on that film, sure they might've talked about it a couple of times but any help or good buzz he could've given on that film was wasted on Hollywood blockbusters or indie genre films. If I had to throw a name out there I'd say Robert Redford for film appreciation, his great and important work he's done for the world of film. Sundance channel, film preservation and bringing alot of attention to small an foreign films, not to mention getting recognition to little known or first time filmmakers.