What do I know? I just work here

Hello, my name is Karen, and I like bad movies.\nNot an admission that you were expecting from someone who's spent a semester editing an entertainment magazine, huh? Believe me, I've taken plenty of flack for it. But if there's one thing I've learned this semester, it's that there are no right answers when it comes to film. People like what they like.\nThat isn't to say that I don't like "good" movies, too. My two favorite movies of all time are "American History X" and "Fight Club." But for every one of those movies -- movies that are heralded by the experts as great -- there's one that I've been endlessly tormented by the film buffs that I work with for liking because it's "bad." There's "Point Break" and "What's Love Got to Do With it?" and a never-ending list of Lifetime movies that I love to watch. I suppose in admitting my appreciation for movies like those I lose any credibility I may have had to begin with. I'll tell you, I shouldn't have credibility. But neither should the experts when it comes to deciding what you like. Just like them, all I can offer when it comes to what you like or don't like is my opinion. \nEvery day, people go to the experts for the answers. And it's true, the experts can tell you anything you want to know about film. They've studied it extensively and with that education comes a great breadth of knowledge. They understand it on a level that I never will. And I love to hear their opinions about it, because they are educated opinions. But they're still opinions. To be honest, just because a film expert tells me that "Point Break" isn't a worthy film doesn't make me like it any less. Experts can tell you everything about film, but they can't tell you what you like. They can tell me that "Point Break" is filled with bad acting, worse writing and a shoddy plot. What they can't tell me is that it's still going to entertain me, because let's face it, watching Keanu Reeves play bad ass and the "Swayz" wax philosophical while waxing his surf board is damn funny. Maybe that doesn't sound appealing to you. But you shouldn't take my word for it. You should see for yourself.\nPeople take away from film what they want. While many view film as art, an equal portion of people view it as entertainment. For every film buff that analyzes the camera angles and the deeper meanings, there's someone like me who loves movies because they're entertaining -- because they're funny or thought-provoking or moving. Does that mean that I think these film buffs are wrong? Absolutely not. What I love about movies is that I can't say who's wrong and who's right. I respect people who know more than me about film, and I invite them to share their knowledge with me. After all, if it wasn't for people who view film as art we wouldn't have a majority of the most entertaining movies ever made. And if I didn't respect their opinions, I certainly wouldn't have spent a year of my life working for an entertainment magazine. \nI love that in the world of film, no one is wrong. As frustrating as it may be to people that view film as art, movies like "Con Air" will always be made because there will always be people that want to go to the theater to watch Nicholas Cage blow stuff up and speak in a bad Southern accent because they find it entertaining. As frustrating as is it may be to someone like me who can't stand to watch self-destruction for art's sake, movies like "Requiem for a Dream" will always be made because it's artful and thought-provoking to the people who love it. The great thing about film is that there's room for both. But you'll never find out if you disagree with the critics who heralded "Requiem" or the action lovers who watch "Con Air" again and again if you use the reviews as Cliff's Notes.\nReviews can be a wonderful thing if they're used correctly. They're not meant to tell you what to like. They're meant to give you more insight on the films you see by enabling you to see them through the eyes of someone else. Letting the reviews you read dictate what you see or don't see is a lazy way to love film.\nSo as I leave Weekend, after a year of reading, editing and sometimes writing the reviews that we print, my advice to you is this: I know the experts that write for this magazine. For a year, I've worked with them almost every day. You can trust their knowledge as I have, because it is quite extensive, but don't be afraid to find out for yourself if you disagree with them. Discovering your own opinion is a wonderful thing, and you might be surprised at what you learn.