A Wesley Chapel man has earned international acclaim for his movie reviews
By B.C. Manion
Jay Forry lost his eyesight when he was 28 due to complications of juvenile diabetes, but that didn’t stop him from becoming a movie critic.
Indeed, the loss of his vision may have led him down that path.
After he became blind he began attending Pasco-Hernando Community College, where someone asked him to write for the newspaper.
He decided to do movie reviews.
It was somewhat as a lark, but the reviews were popular and now, at 52, Forry’s views on movies are heard on radio stations all over the country and even on a syndicated show in the United Kingdom.
Most recently, the Wesley Chapel man appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Forry said the invitation to appear on Kimmel’s show stemmed partially from exposure he received by doing a featurette called “Using your Hearing.”
In that short film, Forry describes how he uses the sound effects in a movie — a crackling fire place, waves crashing into a ship, the sound of wind wailing in the background — to help establish what’s happening in the story.
On his appearance with Kimmel, the movie critic’s self-deprecating humor was obvious.
During the interview, Forry was telling the talk show host about his least favorite movie, which he noted, Kimmel probably had not seen.
Without missing a beat, Kimmel quipped: “Neither did you!”
The comment cracked up both men and elicited uproarious laughter from the crowd.
Forry said he enjoys all sorts of movies, with suspense thrillers perhaps being the films he enjoys the most.
His most favorite movie in recent years was “The Sixth Sense,” he said.
“I’m a little jealous, the little boy in the movie has six senses. I only have four,” he said, laughing.
His least favorite? “Battlefield Earth,” starring John Travolta. Of the hundreds of films he’s reviewed, he believes it is the only movie he has ever rated an F.
The movie was based on a book by L. Ron Hubbard, founder of Scientology.
“That movie was so bad, I always say, if I could have found the door from the theater I would’ve left,” Forry said.
Even though he can’t see the characters, he has developed favorite movie stars. When it comes to actors, Tom Hanks tops his list; among actresses, it’s Julia Roberts.
Forry estimates he reviews about 150 movies a year, typically going to one or two a week and then catching up on the all of the nominated films he hasn’t seen at the end of the year. He is a member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association and votes on the association’s Critics’ Choice Awards.
When Forry began his movie column for PHCC’s newspaper, he didn’t know where it would lead.
After completing his degree at the University of South Florida, he was featured in a number of newspaper articles, he said. Next, he was invited to write movie reviews for The Laker, then was asked to appear with a local movie critic and radio personality on a television segment about the Oscars.
One radio interview led to 50 and propelled his critic’s career.
In addition to doing movie reviews, Forry also does speaking engagements, talking about his diabetes and the life he leads.
He’s paid for some of his gigs and does the rest pro bono.
Despite his well-developed sense of humor, Forry is serious about his reviews.
“Before I go into a movie, I always make sure I do research on it, so I know the setting. I know the time period, everything like that,” said Forry, who uses a talking computer to do his research.
“I don’t want to go into a movie blind,” he said.
He attends screenings with a friend or his wife, who will sit next to him and describe action scenes, sight gags or other visuals. He attends screenings at various theaters, but considers Cobb Theatres Grove 16 & CineBistro in Wesley Chapel, to be his home theater.
The film critic does not think his inability to see hinders his ability to judge the quality of movies.
“It’s not about the 3-D or the computer graphics,” Forry said. “It’s about the plot, the story line. That’s what the movie is about – and I can hear that.
“When I listen to a movie, I can tell what’s going on. A great story – that’s what makes the movie,” Forry said. Outstanding music and sound effects help, too.
He points to “The King’s Speech,” as an example of an excellent film.
It has a “good story line. Good plot. That’s what makes a good movie. That’s what the award winners are.”
Some movies, obviously, are harder for him to rate than others because of their visual effects.
Ultimately, however, the quality of a movie rests on its story, Forry said.
For instance, “Avatar” is noted for its amazing special effects, but the story line was not as compelling, he said.
This year, he’s enjoyed most of the super hero movies, especially “Captain America: The First Avenger” and “X-Men First Class,” which both received an A.
He was less impressed with “The Green Hornet,” which he gave a B.
He also enjoyed “Rise of the Planet of the Apes,” which he rewarded an A. “I was pleasantly surprised,” he said.
In the end, he likes his movies to be balanced – with some action, drama, comedy and suspense.
“People talking for two hours is not interesting,” he said.
And, of course, everyone will always have his or her personal preferences, Forry said.
“The Black Swan” — was it a good film? Yes.
“Was it very well-made? Yes.
“Here’s the thing, I’m still a guy,” Forry said. “It was more or less a chick flick.”
//Forry’s funny ratings
Jay Forry enjoys a good laugh and has developed a rating system that shows off his good humor. He ranks movies A through F:
A: So good, blind people like it
B: I’m glad I could hear it
C: I had one eye open
D: I’m glad I couldn’t see it
F: Blindness was a blessing
To read Forry’s reviews go http://www.blindsidereviews.com/
