On the Block with Shawn Levy
Shawn Levy watches movies. Lots of them. Probably more in a year than you will in a lifetime. And in between watching movies he writes about them. A lot. He has also penned seven full books and is hard at work on his eighth. His latest, DeNiro: A Life, is based on Levy's unprecedented access to De Niro's personal research and production materials and explores the legendary actor's process with Levy's characteristic wit and unparalleled film IQ. From 1992 until 2013, he wrote for The Oregonian, serving as Film Critic from 1997 to 2012. Prior to that, he was Senior Editor of the late, great American Filmmagazine. He currently reviews movies for KGW-TV. Shawn has written about film, pop culture, books and sports for the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the Guardian of London, the Independent of London, the San Francisco Chronicle, Premiere, the Village Voice, the Hollywood Reporter, Portland Monthlyand many other publications. The dude is a walking film museum. A living shrine to the gods and goddesses of celluloid. But movies are only a part of what makes Shawn Levy who he is. He is also a devoted father, a soccer maniac, and a board member of Operation Pitch Invasion, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to filling recreation deserts in and around Portland with new and restored soccer fields and futsal courts. In this episode, we discuss which is the good Rocky, what makes a film relevant over time, and how his passion for soccer has made him a more compassionate, empathetic human being. Stay tuned for a surprise visit from another one of Portland's legendary film reviewers (and current comic book auteur), David Walker, midway through the episode. Shit gets really wild right around then.