I must deliver the regrettable news that, after October 31, 2009, Karina Longworth will no longer serve as SpoutBlog’s editor.

Spout.com, the online community, continues as it has. As of now, we have no plans to publish new content on SpoutBlog after October 31. We hope the SpoutBlog book will console those of you who are used to making your daily visit to blog.spout.com.

Karina’s contract ends at the end of the month and we’ve amiably decided to part ways, the result of a difference in vision over the direction of SpoutBlog. She has been, and continues to be, an exceptional writer, critic and editor. It’s her devotion to her work that made SpoutBlog what it is today.

In hiring Karina Longworth a little over two years ago, I knew we had a talented writer. It was over the last two years that I realized–as many of you did–her opinion on film is the one I value most.

We wish Karina the best in what we know will be a bright future for her.

In the 26 months or so since I started editing SpoutBlog full time, we have published thousands of posts, covered dozens of festivals, and reviewed hundreds of films. In that time, blogging has become the default format for online content, while at the same time what it means to be a professional film critic has — to put it kindly — evolved. The meme is that the media is dying, but more precisely, information distribution is in a weird kind of limbo: blogs still seem ephemeral, printed matter legitimate.

So! We are going to publish a book, a compilation of SpoutBlog’s “greatest hits,” with special emphasis on my reports from festivals, writings on below-the-radar films, and posts that reflect the evolution in online film culture. We’re going to publish it through CreateSpace, then sell it on Amazon and at film festivals and like events. The goal is not necessarily to make money (although we do hope to break even on publishing costs), but to create a physical snapshot of this thing that I’ve devoted the last two years of my life to creating, and that many of you have gotten into the habit of reading. Also, I made an empty promise to myself in grad school that if I wasn’t able to publish a book by the time I was 30, it would be a sign that this writing-about-movies racket wasn’t the right vocation for me. I’m no longer such a believer in signs, but I do still like the idea of publishing books.

To do this, we need your help, in three specific areas:

…Read more

As you may have noticed, SpoutBlog has a new look today. We’re still working out some minor details, but if see something isn’t working, or if there’s something you can’t find, or if you have any questions, please let us know in the comments.

Blatant self promotion alert: I did an interview about SpoutBlog and being a film blogger in general for Film in Focus, the editorial site produced by Focus Features and FILMMAKER Magazine. If you’re dying to know what time I wake up in the morning, which film blogger rock stars I worship, and other sundry details of my, um, “process,” click here.

And now, for a bit of shameless self-promotion: behold the above widget, which will allow you to syndicate SpoutBlog headlines on your Facebook, MySpace, or on the sidebar of your own blog. You can grab the widget for yourself here. Do it, and show the world exactly how you feel about us.

Other ways you can show your love for SpoutBlog:

Add us to your Technorati favorites

Add us to your Google Reader or other RSS thingy

Subscribe to our podcast

Join our Facebook group

Subscribe to the Spout Twitter feed and/or Karina’s personal Twitter feed

Well, I’m back from my glamorous and exciting vacation. I have too many RSS feeds to catch up on to bore you with details, but suffice it to say, my Thanksgiving adventures looked a lot like the above scene from Punch-Drunk Love, except I fortunately managed to make an escape before damaging any property. I want to thank Pamela Cohn and Chris Campbell for filling in while I was gone; if you missed their posts, you can check out Pamela’s here and Chris’ here.

Going beneath the surface of Superbad (Judd Apatow, Seth Rogen). Questioning the “substance” of R. Kelly’s Trapped in the Closet. Also, the high school comedy that should have made it, Karina investigates whatever happened to High School Record.

Download FilmCouch #34 or subscribe in the iTunes store (search for “filmcouch” or click here to launch iTunes) and a new free episode will download every Friday. Join the FilmCouch group

Superbad Trapped in the Closet High School Record

As you may have noticed, SpoutBlog is debuting a new look today. We’re still working out a few kinks, so leave us a comment if you have any feedback. If you’re simply overwhelmed with love for what you see (or even if you aren’t), you can add SpoutBlog to your Google Reader or other RSS thingy, or favorite us on Technorati. I love using “favorite” as a verb.

It seems pretty clear that the current movie theater model doesn’t quite work for anyone. Well, maybe it’s nearly perfect for a 15-year-old in Normal, Illinois, but that’s precisely why I hardly ever see a movie in a multiplex.

A long time ago (at least on the Spout calendar), Paul wrote a post essentially brainstorming about his dream movie theater. In his post, Paul actually wrote “I secretly hope Landmark Theaters will consider this a quick and dirty business plan to elaborate on.”

Well, it looks like Mark Cuban is actually jumping on Paul’s bandwagon, or at least something close. An article today on Cinematical, “Mark Cuban Wants To Make Us Scoop Our Own Popcorn,” says Cuban and Todd Wagner are unveiling their new movie theater concepts in three of their Landmark theaters–in Baltimore, Denver, and Los Angeles.

“Landmark’s goal is to be the ultimate night out for grownups. Today’s customer has different expectations than the customer of 10 and 20 years ago, and we need to recognize that and respond to it,” says Cuban in the article.

But what does that actually mean? Amenities, retail sales, and a “lounge-like atmosphere” for food and drinks before and after the movie. Next to Paul’s dream theater, Cuban’s model sounds a bit like it’s trying too hard, although of course I’d have to see and experience it before I could say anything conclusive. Paul’s plan includes ideas like converting old neighborhood theaters back into theaters, starting clubs and other opportunities for like-minded people to come together around films they love, and offering opening acts as a way to expose people to shorts and other emerging cinema. The plan is practical in many ways (brief intermission, anyone?) yet also focuses on actually enriching the movie-going experience, not just lengthening it and providing more opportunities for spending too much.

I guess what I’m thinking is that Cuban’s plan sounds perfect for a first-date, or for any date meant to be somewhat novel–but minus the work. Paul’s plan sounds sustainable for real people who love movies and want better movie-watching experiences on a regular basis. Of course, Cuban has the money, not Paul, so in many ways I have to agree with Patrick Walsh on Cinematical: “Going to the theater is far too expensive to be as unpleasant as it so often is–why not experiment with the formula?”