Who are you?
Jake Wilson, a film critic based in Melbourne, Australia. Since 2006 I’ve written weekly reviews for The Age, one of this country’s leading newspapers, which are now syndicated to The Sydney Morning Herald and elsewhere. An archive is here. Before that, I was one of the editors of the online magazine Senses of Cinema, which I still contribute to from time to time. A while back I published a monograph on the 1976 bushranger film Mad Dog Morgan as part of the Australian Screen Classics series. You can find a list of some of my favourite films here.
If you already have outlets for your writing, why a Substack?
Not everything fits neatly into newspaper columns, or the online equivalent. Journalism isn’t what it was a decade ago, and nor is cinema—so now seems like the right moment to experiment with an approach to writing about screen media that allows more freedom in both style and subject-matter.
But you’re not leaving The Age?
No—this site is a separate project.
“Screen media” is a pretty loose term. What subject-matter do you have in mind?
That’s what I’m aiming to figure out week by week. No topic is too obscure or too familiar—I won’t just focus on heavily promoted current releases, but nor will I ignore them if I have something to say. I also won’t just be writing about the big screen, which would make no sense now that the boundary between film and TV has become so blurred. (Twin Peaks will probably crop up fairly regularly.)
Anything you’ll be avoiding?
I promise never to praise a film, a performance or anything else by describing it as “solid”.
Is all the content here being published for the first time?
Yes—most of it newly written expressly for this site, though I may sometimes repurpose scripts of talks I’ve given or articles commissioned by other outlets that weren’t used.
Do I need to subscribe?
Yes, this is utterly essential.
Seriously?
Seriously, roughly half the posts are free for everyone to read. With a free subscription, you’ll be alerted by email whenever a new post goes up. With a paid subscription, you’ll be able to read the other half of the posts—and although the cost is low, you’ll also be helping to keep this entire enterprise going. (Here’s the subscription button again, just as a reminder.)
What audience are you writing for?
A broad one, just the same as when I write for newspapers. It could include anyone who likes movies or TV shows, or who is curious about why other people like them, or about how they’re affecting the world. (To alert anyone who could fall into any of the above categories, or to spread the word about the site in general, use the button below.)
Are pieces ever changed after they’re published?
Since I’m my own editor here, I sometimes take the opportunity to make minor changes in the first couple of days after a piece goes online, in order to fix errors or get a sentence to read more smoothly. These never amount to substantial rewrites, but I do recommend reading the pieces online rather than via email to ensure you’re looking at the most recent version. This FAQ is also updated from time to time.
As a subscriber, can I request you cover a particular topic?
I don’t do requests as such, but ideas for pieces from anyone are very welcome, as are recommendations of films, TV shows and other screen works I might not have encountered.
Do you have any public social media?
You can find me on Bluesky here. That’s about it at present.
What’s the best way to contact you about paid work as a public speaker?
See my page at Booked Out.
What’s the best way to contact you about paid work as a writer, editor, curator or consultant?
You can email me at movingtargets at substack dot com.
Can I also use that email address to contact you about something else?
Yes, though I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to help.
What are all those trippy abstract images?
I was waiting for you to ask. They’re from the opening credits of Vincente Minnelli’s 1970 musical On A Clear Day You Can See Forever, starring Barbra Streisand. Wayne Fitzgerald, the designer of the sequence, later used the same technique for the credits of the anthology TV show Night Gallery, explaining it was meant to create “the illusion of moving through space”.
Does this count as fair use?
Hopefully.
All written material on this site is copyright Jake Wilson, 2025. To learn more about the tech platform that powers this publication, visit Substack.com.
