Film Threat moves to South Jerz

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Film Threat moves to South Jerz

POSTED: Wednesday, February 17, 2010, 5:19 PM

Filed Under: Movies

Film Threat, a Web site geared at the discerning cineaste, will now call South Jersey — Maple Shade, to be precise — its new home base.

Discounting the Kevin Smith oeuvre, South Jersey isn't an epicenter of indie film. But new owner Mark Bell, a native of the area, says the east coast makes sense for a site such as Film Threat. Why be in Hollywood, embroiled in the studio system, when independent film is happening everywhere?

"You don't necessarily think of South Jersey or Philadelphia as a film mecca." says Bell. "But I think any city has the opportunity."

Bell's move brings the site closer to fellow Film Threat writer Matthew Sorrento, another South Jersey-ite who pulls double duty as a professor at Camden County College and Rutgers-Camden.

Film Threat was founded as a print magazine in 1985, but went online only in 1996. Bell worked at the site for five years, including a tenure as the site's editor-in-chief, but left to live in New Zealand to be with his now-wife. A week after moving back to the States, Bell attended this year's Sundance Film Festival, where he ran into site owner Chris Gore. The site had been down for a month and Gore made it clear that there was strong chance it would not come back. In a shit-or-get-off-the-pot moment, Bell made a deal with Gore to buy the site for six figures, according to Variety. "I decided the day I made the offer to do this," says Bell, "and Chris went with it."

While the site isn't functional yet, Bell plans to relaunch it next week; he says all he has to do is "flip the switch." Bell's vision for Film Threat is a reversion back to its origin. "I see Film Threat going back to where it was in the beginning, to bring the audience to movies they didn't know existed," Bell says. "Film Threat was created because there was a lack of focus on cinema that was outside of the mainstream. I want to let people know they have options."

Check back next week and we'll let you know when Film Threat (filmthreat.com) goes live.

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