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On Tuesday, March 19, 1996, USA Today featured Roger along with several other "On-line Celebs" in the Life section of this daily national newspaper Here is the article reproduced in full:

TEEN FILM CRITIC LETS OPINIONS ROLL

"Hello and Welcome to Teen Movie Critic," begins Roger Davidson's home page.

The Minneapolis teen (17 last month) has been "fanatically interested in movies since I was very young," so he decided a year ago to post his reviews on the Net, mainly for other kids (http://www.dreamagic.com/roger/teencritic.html). "Most critics are adults. I just think some of their opinions are pretty Jurassic."

He's done 200 reviews in a year, more videos than new movies "since I can't afford to go that often." He likes all genres: classics, foreign, Westerns, science fiction, animated childrens's films. What he looks for is "not style and glitter, it's more the story."

Among his favorites are Schindler's List, Pulp Fiction and Blue Velvet, which some might not consider suitable. But his parents don't believe in censorship, he says: "If you try to censor your kid from a movie, he'll just think, 'Hmmm...it must be good.'

"Teenagers are just like adults," he says. They like all kinds of things, despite what the media's stereotype is - no offense." None taken. Davidson doesn't beat around the bush when it comes to expressing his opinions. "Now listen up," he writes. "These are my criticisms. If you don't like them, then you don't have to continue reading this page." His directness and ambitious output - four reviews a week in addition to schoolwork and his hobby, kickboxing - have made him a recognized personality on the Net. On the page he also tells about himself and his 14 brothers and sisters (some from his parents' previous marriages).

He gets about 50 e-mails a day from correspondents including critic Roger Ebert, actress Christina Ricci (disputing his review of her Casper) and director John Singleton, who invited Davidson to Los Angeles in May to see a movie being made. He'll also check out UCLA; he's considering studying film.

Davidson grudgingly admits he might be a Net celebrity, "but it's not the type of celebrity that gets hounded by his fans on the street."

Although a lot of his mail is positive, from teachers or readers wishing him well, he's found that fame can be a double-edged sword. Some people "don't like me for some reason; they call me all kinds of names." He figures it's "sort of like jealousy, seeing this kid's doing something and thinking, 'What's this kid got that I don't have?' "

To write Roger about this page or anything else,
contact rdj1138@hotmail.com (Roger Davidson)
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