PoolMan's Memories

Walk with us now, as we revisit some of our favorite and personal memories about Mutant Reviewers!

NAME AND MRFH NICKNAME (IF ANY)
Sean Poole aka The PoolMan

If you gotta pee, hold it.

TELL US ABOUT HOW YOU FIRST DISCOVERED MRFH, WHAT YOU THOUGHT ABOUT IT, AND HOW YOU CAME ON BOARD AS A WRITER.
I'm pretty sure it was a Google search (ah, remember those early days of Google as an unproved contestant to Yahoo?) for info on Monty Python's Holy Grail. I remember liking the site immediately, with its swirty red, green, and black decor and fun personalities.

There was a link up encouraging people to submit a review and join the crew, which was exactly what I did. My submission was for Holy Grail (seemed appropriate, seeing as that's what had lead me there), and before you know it, I'm in!

SHARE ANY FAVORITE MEMORIES OF "BEHIND THE SCENES" MRFH EVENTS OR INTERACTIONS WITH OTHER MUTANTS.
The first (and, really, ALL) Mutant Summit(s). That first go 'round of "Hmmm... have I made a really expensive mistake visiting a total stranger in a strange land?" fear evaporated very quickly in the face of actually meeting J face to face.

I've always been especially fond of my friendship with Clare, too, before and after her departure from the site. She and I have met in real life, too, and let me tell you, it's as much fun as you might think.

I enjoyed my tenure as a "MRFH Overlord" very much. Even though I never paid anyone a cent, it was my first shot at helping manage a group of people to a common goal. There's a lot more to that than one might think at first.

WHAT WERE SOME OF YOUR PERSONAL FAVORITE ARTICLES & REVIEWS THAT YOU WROTE, AND WHY DO YOU LIKE THEM SO MUCH?
Me and Justin's viewing of Crossroads (the Britney Spears movie) remains a highlight for me. I still get the giggles when I think back to having watched that movie with him. It was so bad it gave us nigh-uncontrollable laughter that just couldn't be held back. Reading the article now totally brings me back to the moment.

V for Vendetta's screen vs comic article was a late favourite of mine. I did a fair whack of research for that (more than usual, that's for sure) and although it's not really at all funny, I felt it was informative and a reasonable approach to the topic.

I don't really have favourites of my reviews. I'm sure if I spent the time looking back I'd find ones I really feel stand out, but the articles tended to be much more unique to me, you know?

And while not an article per se, the Mutant Reviewers from Canada still leaves a golden glow in my heart.

SHARE ANY INTERESTING ENCOUNTERS OR E-MAILS THAT YOU HAD WITH MRFH READERS – GOOD OR BAD!
Death threats following the Canadian takeover. Ah, those were the days. We had to convince the guy that "PoolMan" was really Justin's nom-de-plume to voice different opinions and writing styles under.

And for whatever reason, there's a growing contingent of women out there who either A) email me, or B) use their "bonus comments" section of the annual MRFH awards to let it be known that my legs/kilt/bod/whatever are exceptionally hot. Usually spelled "HOTT". These women plainly have never met me in real life.

And thank you to those courageous few who wrote me over the years to say you enjoyed something I wrote. It means much more than you know.

WHAT ASPECT OF MRFH DO YOU THINK MAKES IT UNIQUELY SPECIAL APART FROM THE REST OF THE INTERNET?
The people. End of story. At any given time, the MRFH has had the most interesting and odd characters writing for it. The sense of community is inclusive, not exclusive, and if a reader's willing to have fun with the rest of us, we'll have fun with them.

WHAT WAS THE WORST FILM YOU REVIEWED FOR MRFH, AND WHY?
Doom Generation, because Justin made me.

Seriously, there aren't many movies that, when they weren't utterly boring me to death, actually made me physically retch while watching.

IF YOU HAD A FRIEND WHO WAS TRYING TO GET INTO CULT CINEMA, WHAT FIVE FILMS WOULD YOU RECOMMEND TO THEM TO WATCH FIRST, AS A PRIMER?

• Ghostbusters
• Aliens
• Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back
• A Christmas Story
• Office Space

I know, I know, not exactly "cult". But darn it, these are some of the movies that are core to my being.

HOW DO YOU THINK MRFH HAS CHANGED OR GROWN OVER THE YEARS YOU'VE KNOWN IT?
It's gotten lots more organized and professional feeling. The early days were very "look ma, a free GeoCities page!"-ish, but the gang really worked towards more sophisticated writing, a more organized writer base, and better presentation.

Plus, since DnaError left, there's so much less cheese everywhere!

IF MRFH HAD A THEME SONG, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
I'm picturing something along the lines of the Mighty Mouse theme. Ah, and there's the accompanying visual of Justin in tight, yellow spandex. Wonderful.

ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE TO ADD? (STORIES, FAVORITES, QUOTES, ETC.)
This has been one of the most satisfying projects I've ever taken part in. It's hard to put into words why, but it's brought me laughs, friends, movies I'd never have seen on my own, and a sense of accomplishment. That's not easy to come by, so I'm grateful for having had the experience.