Despite growing up in an independent movie-loving college town, Jim Shilander didn’t necessarily become a movie lover until later in life. A reporter and writer who has worked for newspapers in three different states, Jim has written on subjects as diverse as life as a kindergarten student, a crusading 90-year-old rape victim and documentary subject, the growth of wind turbines in the Midwest and high school football in Southern California.
While he enjoyed many of the same cultural touchstones as others growing up, like Jaws, Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark or The Breakfast Club, Jim didn’t necessarily fall in love with film until seeing Wes Anderson’s Rushmore in high school, which he made his parents rent over and over again. It was something about seeing someone doing something seemingly new and different, and something so “in Jim’s wheelhouse” that made this attractive.
Attending nearby Albion College, Jim would sometimes take in marathon movie sessions from the school’s library offerings, but he didn’t pursue much in the way of film other than taking in the occasional blockbuster that made its way to the small college town or was still in theatres when he was home.
After college however, Jim began exploring different areas of the country and taking in the work of masters. Eventually making his way to Los Angeles, Jim is happily taking in all that the city can offer, especially the local film scene, as well as making his way through the old masters on his Netflix queue.