Goodbye, 2019.

By Douglas Davidson on December 31, 2019 • ( 0 )

When the clock strikes midnight today, 2019 is official over and 2020 begins. As most are wont this time of year, a bit of reflection on what’s gone and what’s to come is appropriate. In its current incarnation, Elements of Madness (EoM) is strictly a film review and recommendation site. It’s been that way since the idea for the current version of EoM began in 2016. Before that, this site had been a long-term assignment for a graduate school course, a travel blog, a job-hunt journal, and even a place for house-hunting updates. But amid all that, I wrote reviews of films. It was a hobby, something I did in between the serious stuff as early as 2012. Since that first review, and with every one since, the goal has been the same: write for myself, keep it spoiler-free, and offer genuine analysis in lieu of hot takes by exploring the conceptual aspects of the film as much as the concrete, technical parts. Not every day has been easy and there are plenty more struggles to overcome, but what EoM is now compared to when it began is something of a miracle. In nearly four years, the band of two (myself and wife Crystal, serving as Editor), has grown to include four additional contributors and two partners, each bringing to the table similar values channeled through their unique voices. This enables EoM to cover more films, including a few film festivals both near and far. For all that EoM is and all that I plan for it to go to, none of it would be possible without this team of great writers.

In their honor, I’d like to highlight some of the great work they’ve developed this year.