Caffeinated Clint
)
Losing someone is hard, no matter who it is that’s moved on, but I think you’ll agree that when it’s someone close it’s like having having your heart punched by an ogre.
Long-time friend and supporter Ali sadly lost her fight last week.
She left a mark.
Wanted to say a few words.
And shit, this is harder to write than I thought it would be.
We may jump around a bit.
Where to start?
Ali, always up for a challenge had been contributing to Moviehole for the better part of fourteen years. She would come and go, depending on what was happening in her life, but would always pick up where she left off – as if a day hadn’t passed.
Sadly, she fell very ill last July.
A brave soul that fought her debilitating illness till the end – never losing that optimistic attitude or smile – she was a strong girl… woman. Impossibly so.
I only wish I’d have been as good keeping in touch, and dropping her an SMS and message, as she was. Man, did I suck at that. Still do.
More on that later.
Ali was just one of the very strong and gifted women we’ve been lucky to have at Moviehole, and I can’t think of a better way to honor her than to acknowledge just some of these special women. I know she’d have liked this, too.
Here are some of the wonderful female writers who’ve been a part of the Moviehole family in recent years :
Alicia Malone
We share a wine whenever I get back to L.A – but that’s never quite enough time to catch up one all the exciting things Alicia’s been doing since relocating from Australia. Now one of the most in-demand journalists and TV presenters in America, Alicia really helped Moviehole get on the map internationally! (We also did a short-lived Aussie TV show together – robbed at the Logies, that was).
Ashleigh Davies
One of the most efficient, knowledgeable and brightest additions to the site, Ashleigh answered the call at the end of 2013. She quickly became our news editor, and eventually, co-editor. She also brought me the best chicken lasagna for dinner on occasion. ‘My shadow’, as they would call her, would also go on to run a magazine with me and work as my trusted assistant at work for several years. She’s now a marketing superstar.
K.T Simpson
Ah, K.T – where do I start!? This bright personality first pulled up a WordPress page here in 2016. From that very first meeting at the Jam Factory, it was clear the then twenty-something with a laugh to wake a baby was the perfect sidekick to Caffeinated Clint’s unrelenting ramblings. Since then, K.T has made a name for herself as one of our most popular contributors – – soo much so she even had to block her twitter from a few creeps. K.T juggles her career in high-end real estate with entertainment journalism, writing articles somewhere between meetings with clients and getting silly texts from me.
Robyn Candyce
What a lovely soul, what a wonderful writer. Robyn is our New York correspondent, filing interviews with those on the red carpet, on camera and at conventions. We’ve since gone on to collaborate in other areas, too. If filmmakers ever want an amazing host to open their film in New York, you know who to call!
Ashleigh Hill-Buxton
One of the most passionate and gifted writers we’ve ever come across, Ashleigh kicked off her journalism career at Moviehole in 2011 – and was the envy of all, interviewing such talent as Jason Bateman and Steve Carell – and I couldn’t have been any prouder of her as she worked her way up the ladder. I believe “The Hunger Games” film franchise also owes her a few bucks!
Mandy Griffiths
A former movie publicist, Mandy joined Moviehole over a decade ago and quickly became one of our most reputable and entertaining writers. From her columns on “Veronica Mars” and “Buffy” to her reviews of the latest films, her words were always laced with flair and punch. In recent years, Mandy’s had her hands full with her kids – having K.T Simpson coming in to replace her as head local interviewer. Mandy’s spesh to us, so she can take a decade leave if she wants to. Doors always open.
Lisa Carroll
A Los Angeles-based film and music expert, Lisa Carroll joined Moviehole in the early days – about 2005 if my memory serves me correctly. You’ll still spot Lisa’s byline regularly, with her interviews – largely with the gifted behind-the-scenes folk you don’t hear enough about – appearing on the site quite often. It was a hoot to have you at my birthday party at El Compadre, Lisa!
Justine Browning
A walking encyclopedia on film, television and the entertainment industry as a whole, Justine made Moviehole one of first stops on her way to superstardom. We had some fun podcasting there for a while, too. Justine is now with one of the industry’s most popular publications, Entertainment Weekly – so yes, she’s done pretty darn well for herself!
Olivia Marne
A big fan of film and music, Olivia Marne really excelled at her opinion pieces and news features, reporting daily on the latest goings on in Hollywood. She only wrote for us for a short time, about 18 months, but during that time she made many a fan (especially with the publicists, who loved working with her), got better at her writing with each and every piece, and became a special part of the Clint clan.
Katie Butkins
One of the coolest cats this side of the The Sayers Club, Katie has been contributing to Moviehole for years – dishing up movie news, providing interviews, and even volunteering for such dodgy jobs as collecting my license when I leave it behind in hotels in L.A. When in Hollywood, I recommend taking Katie to the movies – there’s always a lot of laughs to be had!
And there’s been so many, more too (Emily, Kimberley, Ashley H, Robyn ..)… I could go on for pages.
and of, course, Ali.
To finish, I want to get a bit personal.
Between us, and the walls, there were a couple of years there that Ali and I didn’t talk – and it was a shame. Silly. Nothing significant happened – it just happened. Before we knew it, we’d Caspered each other. But proving she was stronger than she believed, Ali was always the one to reach out first – insist we catch up, acknowledge she’d like me back in her life, and volunteer to help out wherever she could be of use (she went on to admin work for my business, contribute to the website, and even do unit publicity on a film I produced). I was simply glad to hear from her.
If her life had ended without reconnecting, and carving out a strong bond before she moved onto a higher plane, I don’t know that I’d be able to type this.
To y’all, I say this : No matter how many years it’s been, no matter how obdurate it may feel, that bond you had with someone way back when likely still exists – you’ve just got to relight the match. Don’t just drop off the face of the earth, and out of someone’s life because you’ve gotten too busy for a friendship or feel strange about keeping in touch after a hiccup. Life is too short.
Thanks for reminding me, Ali. Thanks for always looking out. Thanks for being part of Moviehole’s family – and thank you for being part of mine.
