Niche Niche Niche: A Place for Everything Else
Hi, Did Somebody Order Another Substack?
Hello, it’s me, Simon Abrams, film critic, author, cat dad.
If you’re reading this, I am likely dead…tired of trying to convince assigning editors with no freelance budgets to make space for semi-regular coverage of worthy titles that aren’t already presold to their inconstant readership. Not just Asian pop, though that’s become my beat over the years, mostly because I don’t see many other freelancers doing it and it does interest me...
For more than 16 years now, I’ve written about a variety of new and old movies from around the world, with a regular focus on movies from China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, India, and Indonesia. That’s partly because I write a lot about genre movies, particularly horror and action. It’s also because I wish more cinephiles knew about the exciting options available to them, either through national movie theater chains, like AMC and Regal, or international streaming services, like Hulu, Netflix, and Prime Video. Freedom of choice, it’s what you’ve got...
I’m reluctant to start one of these monetized newsletters, mostly because I strongly dislike the idea of turning what I still consider to be a profession into a crowdfunded hobby. I also know that this is very much a Me Problem, so what the hell, let’s give this dumb thing a shot. And by the way, if you have suggestions for viable Substack alternatives—I’m not wild about sharing a platform with Nazis either—by all means, let me know.
The first hurdle I had to clear before drafting this first newsletter was coming up with an idea for what type of content I might curate for you, something that deserves, like, $5 a month. $5 a month! That’s like a monthly streaming service, albeit one that maybe you don’t watch more than once or twice every three months. In any case, what exactly can I do for you?
For starters, if you follow me on Letterboxd (simonsaybrams), you’ll know that I watch a lot of movies, but don’t always write about them all. I used to write a little about everything, as an exercise for myself. Sometimes it would be only a sentence or two, other times there would be full-length blog posts (RIP Extended Cut dot Blogspot dot com). I also listen to a lot of new music, from a range of countries and genres.
With your encouragement, I think the best thing to put here, beyond playlists and links to new and old writing—and links to upcoming events, and new blu-ray supplements, etc.—is *exclusive* new writing about some of my favorite new (and old) movies, TV shows, and music that I’m not currently being paid to write about. Some editors use the buzzword “niche” to describe topics that they consider too small time for their budgets. Stuff like the new wave of Indonesian horror movies—many of which are Muslim or Muslim-themed—or the ongoing renaissance in Malayalam-language Indian cinema. There’s just not enough room or financial incentive to write about this stuff in detail, and while I’m not wild about doing a lot of writing without the aide of a semi-professional editor…that’s not exactly a new professional obstacle, y’know?
The pandemic has depleted a lot of my regular outlets’ freelance budgets. And while I’d love to sit on my hands and wait for a staff job or better short-term prospects to materialize, I also worry about paying my rent, because there’s a real chance that I’m moving in either three months or in a year or so. I’ve saved up and also invested some money, but yeah, it’s obviously not a bonanza…
I can assure you that, if enough people cough up, I mean pay for this newsletter, I can get as ambitious or as service-oriented as possible. There would be polls and playlists and detailed, research-oriented written-through pieces, like my primer on Hong Kong Category III shockers, my tribute to Hot Ones, or my mock celebration of Glenn Danzig’s horror comics. I’ve always wanted to write about more TV stuff—like Bar Rescue, The Eric Andre Show, Knife or Death, 7th Heaven, that goofy ‘80s Spider-Man cartoon that only lasted about a season—and gosh, there are so many worthy new movies that I never get to write about…Maybe this newsletter will be the kick in the pants I need to schlep out to Edison, NJ, where the Big City Cinema chain has a theater that regularly shows new Indian movies that don’t otherwise play in NYC. (RIP Flushing’s Bombay Theatre and the Jamaica Multiplex, two pandemic casualties) I like to imagine that I already do a lot more of my due diligence than most, but I’d love to do even more…
That all being said, I would understand if you’re hesitant to give me money. Annoying, sure, but you can support me by other means. Like, you could repost or recommend this newsletter to anyone whose tastes run a bit niche. That would be nice, too.
In the meantime, I don’t know how often I’ll be posting. I suppose it will depend on who signs up and how financially viable this all is. I have some ideas—at least once a week, maybe up to five times a week—but I first want to see what kind of interest I can drum up first…
In the meantime, spread the word, give me suggestions, and oh yes, your money. Give me your money.