To know Joey Magidson is to know you have a friend. The loyal readers of The Awards Circuit have read Joey’s work for years but, all you know is Joey the writer. When I became part of the staff on this amazing site, I began a friendship with Joey and got to know Joey, the person.

Joey the writer is professional, witty, smart, open minded and his best quality; he listens to all of your opinions. He doesn’t throw his opinion in anybody’s face or tell you that you’re wrong; he takes what you say and thinks about it. Joey the person is caring, honest, funny, a great listener, pessimistic while being occasionally optimistic, a romantic, unique and just a genuinely good person. He will go to any length for a friend and will do anything to make you smile and laugh.

Joey attended Stony Brook University and earned his Bachelor’s degree in Cinema Studies. He currently resides in New York and spends most of his time cooking delicious meals, exercising, seeing movies, writing about them for your viewing pleasure and writing a few screenplays. (I read one, and it is really good)

Writing and The Awards Circuit is Joey’s life. He is such a great writer and gives such insight to the world he loves. He devotes himself 110% to the Awards Circuit and to being the best writer he can be. Just look at his reviews and the blog, he constantly keeps the readers informed on what’s going on around them so they don’t miss a thing. He is someone you, the reader, should never take for granted.

I am truly jealous at how amazing of a writer Joey is. He impresses me with each piece of work he puts out. I aspire to be a great writer like he is, give me a few years to improve but I probably won’t ever get close to great like he has.

I wish you all had the chance to get to know the person I’ve spent 5 months becoming good friends with. Luckily, I had the opportunity to interview my good friend and give him a chance to let you into his life. I have asked Joey a series of questions ranging from his love of movies to his favorite sports team. Hopefully, this will give you some insight to who, Joey Magidson, the person, really is.

Anna: Why did you want to become a writer?

Joey: I never wanted to, per say, but from an early age I was praised for my writing, be it short stories in Elementary School and Junior High or my unique takes on things in High School and College. By the time I started at The Awards Circuit, I’d already written a few dozen short stories and 2 short films, along with a handful of film related essays. It just came naturally. To paraphrase Matt Damon in Good Will Hunting: I can’t play the piano, I can’t paint you a picture, and I probably can’t hit a home run…but when it comes to writing: I could always just play”.

Anna: Nice quote. What made you love film?

Joey: The fact that anything is possible in film. The guy gets the girl, the hero saves the day, etc. Not only is it wish fulfillment, but you can see literally any image that someone can dream up. There’s no limit to what a movie can contain, and I love that.

Anna: Did your family have any influence on you becoming a writer or did they want you to pursue something else?

Joey: My family is supportive but it’s just not their thing (aside from the movie aspect for my grandfather). They’re not ones to read what I write usually, but they do ask what’s new in the world of Oscar Prognostication and such.

Anna: How did you become a part of the Awards Circuit staff?

Joey: I was a reader way back in the early days of the site when it was still The Oscar Igloo. A call was put out for new writers and I applied. The former editor Johnny Alba requested 1 review and 1 article to see if I had the chops. I sent him a review of 28 Weeks Later (3 stars FYI), and a summation of the past year’s Oscar race. He said he liked my voice and hired me on the spot. The rest is Circuit history…

Anna: Who are your top 5 favorite actors? Top 5 favorite actresses?

Joey: My 5 favorite actors are:
John Cusack, Ryan Gosling, Emile Hirsch, Tom Cruise, Mark Ruffalo

My 5 favorite actresses are:
Zooey Deschanel, Anne Hathaway, Scarlet Johansson, Maria Bello, Zoe Kazan

Anna: Who are your top 10 favorite directors?

Joey: My 10 favorite directors are:
Cameron Crowe, Darren Aronofsky, Woody Allen, Kevin Smith, David Fincher, Frank Darabont, Paul Thomas Anderson, Jason Reitman, Quentin Tarantino, David Gordon Green

Anna: Nice choices. What are your top 5 favorite films?

Joey: My 10 favorite films are:
The Shawshank Redemption, Chasing Amy, Pulp Fiction, The Fountain, Almost Famous, Annie Hall, Magnolia, Clerks, Star Wars, Leaving Las Vegas

Anna: Why do you love the Oscars?

Joey: I love seeing my first love (film) get its night to shine, which is why I love all the precursor awards…seeing film and performers and filmmakers rewarded pleases me for some reason.

Anna: Which 10 movies do consider the worst Oscar snubs?

Joey: The 10 worst recent Oscar snubs for Best Picture are
Almost Famous, Requiem for a Dream, Into the Wild, Magnolia, The Wrestler, Big Fish, The Dark Knight, (500) Days of Summer, The Contender, Chasing Amy

Anna: Which member of the Awards Circuit staff do you have the closest relationship with?

Joey: I’d say former Staff Writer Myles Hughes and I are closest, but a close second these days is Mrs. Anna Belickis, though I have long standing relationships with the entire staff and love them each in their own way!

Anna: I do enjoy our late night conversations as well, Mr. Magidson. What goals do you have for yourself in the future?

Joey: The whole “wife and kids” thing is something I definitely am looking forward to in the future…it’s definitely the main goal in my life aside from making The Awards Circuit the best site it can be!

Anna: Who is your role model?

Joey: I have a few…in my family it’s my grandfather, he sets an example of how to live. In film it’s Kevin Smith because he sets an example of how to be creative. Lastly, in life it’s Bobby Kennedy because he sets an example of how to try to make the world a better place.

Anna: What does family mean to you?

Joey: Family is who you come home to, be it a parent or a spouse, etc. They’re your support system and who you show your true colors to, for better or worse.

Anna: Exactly right. What qualities do you look for in a woman?

Joey: Personality is paramount. Ideally they’d be into movies as well, but it’s far from a deal breaker. I’ve been lucky in that regard in the past for the most part, but I just look to see if I’m attracted to them, and go from there.

Anna: Of course they have to be into movies! Describe yourself in 3 words?

Joey: Quirky, lovable, and different.

Anna: Those 3 words fit you perfectly. What is your best quality?

Joey: My caring nature, though I think I have a good sense of humor as well.

Anna: You have a great sense of humor!! Do you enjoy cooking? If so, what’s your specialty?

Joey: I very much enjoy cooking. I’d say my favorite thing to make is some kind of seafood (my family does a great Lobster Sauté), though I’m down to make Tacos pretty much anytime as well.

Anna: I could go for a good Taco right now! What is your favorite food?

Joey: Any type of seafood is my favorite food.

Anna: I Iove lobster and shrimp. Yummy! What kind of music do you listen to?

Joey: I tend to listen to mostly classic rock, but while I’m big on Bruce Springsteen, I also like some contemporary things like Taylor Swift, She & Him, John Mayer, and certain others. I’d say my 10 favorite bands/artists right now are Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, The Who, John Mayer, She & Him, Bob Dylan, Meat Loaf, Pink Floyd, Joshua Radin, and Oasis.

Anna: What is your favorite sports team?

Joey: In Baseball it’s the New York Mets, in Football it’s the New York Jets, in Hockey it’s the New Jersey Devils, and in Basketball it’s the New Jersey Nets.

Anna: LET’S GO METS!!! What annoys you most about a bad film?

Joey: What annoys me most about a bad film is the wasted potential and resources. Alas…

Anna: What current filmmakers/performers do you see being the next generation of “greats”?

Joey: I think when the next generation looks at our crop of filmmakers, Darren Aronofsky, Jason Reitman, Christopher Nolan, Quentin Tarantino, Paul Thomas Anderson, and perhaps Judd Apatow will be looked at like we look at Spielberg, Scorsese, Allen, etc.

Anna: What movie are you most looking forward to in 2011?

Joey: There’s a dozen I’m most looking forward to at this point in 2011
The Ides of March, Moneyball, We Bought a Zoo, Like Crazy, Drive, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, 50/50,The Muppets, Shame, The Artist, Margaret, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Anna: 10 Best Picture winners of all time

Joey: Annie Hall, Rocky, Million Dollar Baby, The Hurt Locker, Schindler’s List, American Beauty, The Silence of the Lambs, The Apartment, The Departed, Platoon.

Anna: Lastly, What does the Awards Circuit mean to you?

Joey: It’s not just my place of employment…it’s the largest part of my life outside of my family and friends.

There you have it. I hope you learned a little bit more about Joey Magidson and like him just as much I do.

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