Dennis Willis
Encyclopedia
Dennis Willis is an American film critic, radio and television personality, and writer
, director
and producer
of short independent film
s. He currently reviews films and provides entertainment industry commentary at KGO AM in San Francisco, and his reviews appear on Examiner.com
. He is the author of the annual Flick Nation movie guides.
's program.
In 2008, Willis completed the final season as host, producer and editor of Soundwaves, a Bay Area-based music entertainment TV show that left the airwaves after a record-setting 25 years; he began hosting the show at the age of 16.
Willis also produced and co-hosted two film-based shows, Reel Life (1993) and FilmTrip (1997–98), with Steve Wagner, which aired on KGO-TV
and KCWB
(now KCWE) in Kansas City
.
neighborhoods and noteworthy national non-profit organizations. The show is broadcast throughout the Bay Area and has raised 35,000 items.
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
, director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
and producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
of short independent film
Independent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
s. He currently reviews films and provides entertainment industry commentary at KGO AM in San Francisco, and his reviews appear on Examiner.com
Examiner.com
Examiner.com is a media company based in Denver, Colorado, that operates a network of local news websites, allowing "pro–am contributors" to share their city-based knowledge on a blog-like platform, in 238 markets throughout the United States and parts of Canada with two national editions, one for...
. He is the author of the annual Flick Nation movie guides.
Radio and television
Willis originally appeared on radio to promote his TV program FilmTrip, but his radio job long outlasted the TV show, which ran only one season. He has served as KGO Radio’s Afternoon News film critic, from 1997 to the present. Willis is also a regular guest on John RothmannJohn Rothmann
John Rothmann is a radio talk show host on KGO 810 AM in the San Francisco Bay Area in California, United States.According to his biography posted by KGO 810 AM, Rothmann is a frequent lecturer on American politics and the Presidency, and has spoken at over 150 campuses throughout the United...
's program.
In 2008, Willis completed the final season as host, producer and editor of Soundwaves, a Bay Area-based music entertainment TV show that left the airwaves after a record-setting 25 years; he began hosting the show at the age of 16.
Willis also produced and co-hosted two film-based shows, Reel Life (1993) and FilmTrip (1997–98), with Steve Wagner, which aired on KGO-TV
KGO-TV
KGO-TV, channel 7, is an owned-and-operated television station of the Walt Disney Company-owned American Broadcasting Company, based in San Francisco, California...
and KCWB
KCWE
KCWE is the CW-affiliated television station for the Kansas City Metropolitan Area licensed to the Missouri side. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 31 from a transmitter at the East 23rd Street/Topping Avenue intersection in Kansas City, Missouri's Blue Valley section...
(now KCWE) in Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
.
Film
Willis and Steven Kirk wrote and directed Unwrapped (2006), an independently-produced short film about exploitation in the Internet age. Their short documentary The Life and Legacy of George Reeves was released on DVD in 2006.Book
Willis is the author of the Flick Nation movie guides, annual compendiums of current reviews and commentary about the entertainment industry. The 2011 edition was released on June 8, 2011.Fundraising
Since 1989, Willis and Steven Kirk have produced and hosted the annual Soundwaves Christmas fundraiser, a food-, clothing- and toy-drive which benefits local San Francisco Bay AreaSan Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean...
neighborhoods and noteworthy national non-profit organizations. The show is broadcast throughout the Bay Area and has raised 35,000 items.