Hunter Simmons (Founder/Editor)
San Diego, CA

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Favorite genres:
Action, Adventure, Animation, Comedy, Documentary, History, Romance, Sport

Eh, not diggin' it:
Horror, Thriller

Bio:
I was born and raised in San Diego, California. After completing high school, I went on to receive my bachelor's degree in history from the University of California in Santa Barbara. Next stop was the University of San Diego where I got my master's degree in education and teaching credentials in both English and social science. I am currently teaching 10th grade humanities (world literature and world history) in Escondido, CA at Del Lago Academy.

In 2008, I began collecting movie ticket stubs as a simple, time-passing hobby. Six years and over 200 stubs later, my passion for watching movies grew into the development of this website, where I hope to share my simplistic understanding of film with the rest of the world.

Hunter's Scale
Total Contributions: 151

Elizabeth Simmons
Riverside, CA

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Favorite genres:
Children's, Animations, Romance, Romantic Comedy, Drama, Classic, Action, Sci-Fi, Fantasy

Eh, not diggin' it:
Horror, Gore, Suspense, Nonsense

Bio:
I am a recent high school graduate looking forward to accomplishing my academic goals. My hobbies include music, which is evident in my passion for marching band as both a performer and spectator. I am becoming fluent in American Sign Language and I am also looking forward to going to culinary school because I want to be a baker. A lot. I know.

I like movies because they are visually entertaining along with offering viewers that brief break from reality. I especially love movies that were once books (practically all movies) because they offer a unique perspective that you may not have thought of before while reading the book.

Total Contributions: 9
Contributing since June 27, 2013

Anthony Kozlowski
Burbank, CA

Darryl Dean
San Diego, CA
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Favorite genres:
Action, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Thriller, B-Movie

Eh, not diggin' it:
Sports, War, Musical

Bio:
What series of events led to where I am now? It’s hard to say. While attending the University of California in Santa Barbara pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and Philosophy, I found myself spending an awful lot of my spare time making movies. It was never an academic pursuit, but I realized that got the most satisfaction whenever I stepped behind a camera. Call it self-therapy if you will. Five years later, I am now an independent writer, producer, editor and sound mixer who makes a living (you guessed it) making movies in Los Angeles. I wouldn’t call it the greatest city in the world, but I could have found a worse place to do what I do.

Needless to say my love of film extends far beyond my own participation in the industry. I’ve watched movies critically since I was old enough to realize that some of them weren’t all that great (I believe the culprit was “Baby Geniuses”). Since then, I’ve harbored a soft spot in my heart for the horrendously bad as well as the critical darlings. To me, both categories can produce works of art for very different reasons. Hopefully my contributions to Laymen Reviews will speak more for my taste and perspective as a filmmaker. I love movies, I love to write and maybe you’ll like what I have to say.

Total Contributions: 8
Contributing since November 10, 2013
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Favorite genres:
Action, Biopic, Comedy, Documentary, Drama, Foreign, History, Independent, Romance, Sport, Thriller

Eh, not diggin' it:
Horror, Adventure

Bio:
As a native of San Diego, I was born in Skyline and raised in Rancho Penasquitos. I received my bachelor's in Business Administration at Cal State San Marcos and recently received my MBA from Cal Poly Pomona. I hope to work in strategic analytics or business development in sports.

My love for movies began during my sophomore year in high school when I watched Oliver Stone's film, JFK. Since then, I've become an avid film collector with over 700 in my current collection. As a contributor for Laymen Reviews, I hope to connect with longtime film aficionados and those just settling into their passion for film.

Total Contributions: 6
Contributing since November 30, 2013

Tyler Burke
San Diego, CA

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Favorite movies:
Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, Part II, Annie Hall

Eh, not diggin' it:
Horror (with clowns)

Bio:
I remember taking an "Art of Film" class in high school and having to watch one movie per week and then analyze them, artistically. I thought, in my senior year, it would be a great elective to cruise through. I ended up loving it. The normal moviegoer misses so much! I wound up taking a similar film study course later in college. The study of time, music, lighting, speech, cameos and so much more are all in one movie!

I was born, raised, and am currently living in San Diego, with a huge passion for country music. You may have seen me at various country concerts. Developing such a love for it, I now work for Lincoln Financial Media's KSON 97.3 and 92.1. I also work for FM 94/9 and Easy 98.1. In addition, I take part in Entertainment at the San Diego Padres. I am blessed to work for my favorite sport and choice of music in America's Finest City!

Total Contributions: 4
Contributing since November 12, 2013

Brett Weatherington
New York, NY

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Favorite genres:
Action, Comedy, Drama, Thriller

Eh, not diggin' it:
Romance

Bio:
San Diego native, graduated from the University of California Santa Barbara with a bachelors of science in microbiology, and then moved on to New York University's College of Dentistry where I currently reside. If all goes as planned, I intend to earn my doctorate in dental surgery and either continue onto specialty school or become the owner of my own practice in California or New York. Fingers crossed.

Life is fast paced, and often overwhelming. Cinema gives me the opportunity to hit the pause button, to step in someone else's shoes (if even only for a few hours). Witnessing a character's triumph, or failure, invokes emotion and imagination which can be hard to come by these days. I hope to contribute often to this page, thanks to Hunter for letting me hop onboard.

Total Contributions: 2
Contributing since August 2, 2013

More contributors coming soon!