Jean Oppenheimer has had a checkered career but now leads a fairly focused life, serving as a Los Angeles correspondent for American Cinematographer magazine (an association that began in 1991) and reviewing films for Writers Bloc, a non-profit, literary organization based in Los Angeles (http://www.writersblocpresents.com). Her work also has appeared in The Village Voice, The New York Times syndicate, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Screen International and New Times. She spent 11 years as a film critic at Los Angeles NPR station KPCC’s FilmWeek, at which point she was unceremoniously fired.

A native of San Antonio, Texas, Jean received a B.A. in history from Northwestern University, then spent seven years writing and producing newscasts at WCVB-TV, Boston’s ABC affiliate. That was back in the days when you didn’t have to be embarrassed to say you worked in television news. Deciding she needed a break from the real world, she headed back to school, receiving graduate degrees in international relations from Cambridge University (Cambridge, England) and The London School of Economics. She did absolutely nothing with her prestigious degrees, choosing instead to work in the film industry. Jean spent five years as a story analyst for The Geffen Film Company before becoming a film critic and feature writer. She served three terms as president of The Los Angeles Film Critics Association.