Breaking into the Movie Business

1978 - Avon Massachusetts: As a little kid I had a reoccurring dream. There was an army of men in white armor wearing bucket helmets. They were led by a tall, dark stranger with a deep voice who carried a glowing red sword. They chased me through a series of hallways until I awoke. When I told my mother she explained that she had taken me to my first movie only a year earlier. We had seen Star Wars. While I was too young to comprehend what I had watched, the images embedded in my mind had forever changed me.

The town I grew up in was very small and known for only one thing, it had a drive-in movie theater. My parents started taking me when I was only a baby. Over the years I became a movie addict watching hundreds of films and memorizing many of them. I was deeply inspired by these works of art which motivated many of my adventures as a writer and athlete.

Selling my book "Twisted Trails" at MTB events

2023 - Sanford, Florida: Upon reaching my 50th birthday I have finally been able to take steps towards being a part of the industry that I have enjoyed so much. The first step was joining Legion M. Legion M is a fan owned entertainment company that helps produce movies, TV and digital content. It provides fans with ways to interact with the industry including chances to be on set, be extras in a movie, tickets to premieres and indirect financing.

As an investor in Legion M I have been able to indirectly contribute to major films like Tolkien, Colossal and Jay and Silent Bob's Reboot. As a huge Kevin Smith fan I was particularly excited about this opportunity. I started watching his films back in the 1990s and it was so cool to help finance one.

The next step was to become a direct investor. This opportunity took the form of a documentary about legendary actor William Shatner. The film entitled "You Can Call Me Bill," was recently showcased at the South by Southwest Film festival in Austin, Texas. It received rave reviews and started on Rotten Tomatoes with a perfect 100% score.

This project was possible because Mr. Shatner praised the idea of fans owning part of the industry. His participation has allowed us to engage and make the movies we want to see. I have watched tons of stories on the big screen involving this actor and now I get to be a part of telling his personal story.

This is just the beginning. I have decided to focus my energy on increasing involvement in the movie industry. Legion M opened the door but I'm learning that there are many other projects out there worthy of attention. I will use this blog and my social media to keep everyone updated on what I'm working on.

I want to thank my parents for bringing me to the drive-in at such a young age. My Uncle David even taught me how to sneak up to the drive-in to watch movies without paying. It turns out that these early events had a tremendous effect on my future aspirations. The little kid that used to dream about movies will now have his name in the credits.

Schwalbe Rapid Rob MTB Tire Review

Schwalbe has an excellent reputation for putting out stellar, high quality MTB tires. The up side has been their grip and superior compounds, the down side has been their prices, that is until now. The New Rapid Rob follows a long tradition of tires named with the alliterative double R, like Racing Ralph and Rocket Ron. Not a bad tradition to be a part of. So, what is different with the Rapid Rob that we haven't seen before? I bought a pair of 26 by 2.10 and put them on my bike to find out.

CST Patrol MTB Tire Review

I've always been a sucker for cheap tires. In part because I'm a starving artist but also because riders tend to pay too much when it comes to upgrading their bikes. For example: How often have you seen a recreational rider purchase top of the line tires because they save him a few grams in weight? In most cases, if you really want to cut a few grams put down the cheeseburger. When it comes to mountain bike tires my measurement of quality sits at the apex between cost and consistency. For this reason I'm a huge fan of Schwalbe's Rapid Rob tires ( Read that review here ). While I'm still running a Rapid Rob on the front of my bike, I decided to try something new on the rear. Something even cheaper. Introducing the CST Patrol. For about $26. the 26" by 2.25" version of the CST Patrol is uber cheap. You get a wire bead, a weight of 780 grams with a single rubber compound but no EPS (Exceptional Puncture Safety) which can be found on other ve

Bike Review: 2014 Raleigh Talus 29er

I have only ever tested a handful of 29ers. I generally found them to be more stable, aggressive on technical downhills with laid out geometry that felt race focused. While that sense of balance and control left a positive impression, I have never been able to afford such a beast. However, I will get to race one. Bicycles International of Venice and Luksha Reconstruction noticed my recent boost in name recognition, mostly due to the popularity of my book Twisted Trails . Then I told them about my ambitious racing schedule so they decided to sponsor me for the 2015 season. What I needed most was a bike good enough for cross country racing and gravel grinders. It didn't have to be a world beater but it had to stand a step above my now beat up Trek Four Series. Admittedly, that would be an easy task. "What kind of bikes do you see at the races?" asked Jason Luksha, owner of Luksha Reconstruction. While the trends have been fluctuating over the years between 26, 27

Author Alex Hutchinson

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