The OFFICIAL Aisle Seat Faq

From time to time, folks write in and ask -- what's the deal with The Aisle Seat? How long has Andre been reviewing? What are his credentials as a critic? In the current internet world, they're valid questions to ask since the online community is filled with people expressing themselves -- as they have every right to. On the other hand, some writers, bloggers, and online journalists have more expertise than others.

ANDRE DURSIN has been covering the entertainment world for a handful of print and online publications for well over a decade, in addition to working on a freelance basis with RCA Records, Sony Music, Intrada, Rykodisc and others. His work has appeared in a variety of publications and has been noted around the world.

Born October, 1974 in Warwick, Rhode Island, Andre (aka Andy) started off covering soundtracks in the early days of Film Score Monthly magazine. Along with publisher Lukas Kendall, Andre helped guide FSM through the formative years of what would become the world's only monthly publication about film music. This collaboration began back in the summer of 1990 -- while Kendall and Dursin were still high school students in southeastern New England.

While attending Boston College a short time later, Andre began reviewing for Movie Collector, a full-color British magazine published by noted cinephile Trevor Willsmer, and Home Movies, Canada's only monthly home theater publication. For nearly five years (1993-98), Dursin covered laserdiscs, soundtracks, and commented on the then-fledgling World Wide Web for both publications, reviewing everything from "The Grass Harp" to "Fright Night." He also interviewed composers and filmmakers alike, including prominent composers Alan Silvestri ("Back to the Future," "Forrest Gump"), Randy Edelman ("Last of the Mohicans"), Joe LoDuca ("The Evil Dead"), Bruce Broughton ("Silverado"), Mark Mancina ("Speed," "Twister"), and the late Miles Goodman ("Little Shop of Horrors," "Muppet Christmas Carol").

After graduating from B.C. in 1997, Lukas Kendall asked Andre if he'd be interested in writing an internet column. Since Film Score Monthly is naturally film music intensive, and soundtrack collectors are also die-hard movie buffs, Dursin thought the best idea would be to cover his true love: movies and laserdiscs (DVDs were a few months away), giving a unique perspective to FSM.

THE AISLE SEAT was then launched on May 1st, 1997 -- coincidentally marking the debut of Film Score Monthly on the web altogether! Since the Fall of 1997, Andre has been turning out columns on a regular basis (if not weekly, then certainly close), covering the world of movies, DVDs, soundtracks and the entertainment industry in general.

In October of 2004, Andre launched his own site, THE AISLE SEAT at andyfilm.com, where updates are posted weekly (ahead of their continued appearance at Film Score Monthly) and readers are invited to join in a discussion on the Official Aisle Seat Message Boards.

Over the years Andre has been invited to write liner notes for numerous soundtrack albums. Most recently he worked with RCA Records/BMG Music on several projects including DIRTY DANCING: The Ultimate Edition and REALITY BITES: The 10th Anniversary Edition. Andre has also contributed notes for the original soundtracks to beloved movies like THE CUTTING EDGE, Jimmy Buffet's RANCHO DELUXE, Henry Mancini's THE PINK PANTHER STRIKES AGAIN, Ernest Gold's IT'S A MAD MAD MAD MAD WORLD, and SOME LIKE IT HOT (all for Rykodisc Records). One of his most satisfying assignments was authoring the notes for Sony Music's CD of CLASH OF THE TITANS, the 1981 Ray Harryhausen fantasy that remains one of his all-time favorite films!

In addition to his freelance assignments, Andre worked with Barnes & Noble in reviewing albums and compiling a list of Soundtrack Essentials when they launched their online site in 1998; he also contributed reviews to VideoHound's Soundtracks Guide; worked at WJAR (NBC) 10 in Providence, R.I. (earning a special citation from MSNBC for coverage of the 9/11 attacks); freelanced for New England Film.com; and when not turning out The Aisle Seat, has written up many a college hockey game for US College Hockey Online. To top it all off, he also recently performed voice over narration for Andrew Montlack's film BOHICA.

The Aisle Seat is based out of Andre's home offices scattered across Rhode Island, a state best known for giving the world James Woods; RISD graduates Savage Steve Holland ("One Crazy Summer"), Martin Mull and Seth MacFarlane ("Family Guy"), the honorable (and convicted) Mayor Vincent A. "Buddy" Cianci; David Hedison (one-time Felix Leiter and star of "Voyage To The Bottom of The Sea"); Oscar-winning composer Bill Conti ("Rocky"); comic-actor Buddy Hackett; "Cheers" star Nicholas "Coach" Colasanto; and singer Jeffrey Osborne.

Andre can be contacted via email here -- all comments are welcome, including dissenting ones!

Happy Viewing everyone!

Don't forget to drop in on the official Aisle Seat Message Boards, direct any emails to the link above and we'll catch you then. Cheers!







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