The Underground Film Journal covers the history of creative independent filmmaking, including films considered avant-garde, experimental, and, of course, underground.
Currently, the site is focused on the history of underground film, with articles, a timeline of important films and events, and several indexes where you can watch these films. In the past, the site has featured movie reviews, movie trailers, film festival lineups, filmmaker interviews, image galleries, news, and more.
Th Underground Film Journal is written by and maintained by Mike Everleth, who has worked professionally as a writer, editor, asset manager, and UX producer for websites owned by some of the biggest entertainment companies in the world, such as Sony Pictures Television, Walt Disney Interactive, and MTV Networks. His writing has also been published in the book Harvey Pekar: Conversations and in 2014 he served as a judge at the 21st annual Chicago Underground Film Festival. He also worked as a Researcher and Film Archivist for the American Film Institute‘s Online Catalog of Feature Films. (The previous incarnation of this website was called Bad Lit: The Journal of Underground Film.)
Mike is also a graduate of the Rochester Institute of Technology’s Film/Video program, which is now known as the School of Film and Animation. Plus, he has a long history of writing for zines, both in print and on the internet. Before starting Bad Lit, he co-created the pioneering webzine diRt with David Cushman. He currently lives in Los Angeles with his wife, filmmaker and producer Jessica Everleth.
Here’s what some people have said about Mike and the Underground Film Journal:
“Your site and reviews are consistently awesome, and a true pillar for the underground film community. Keep it up!”
Dan Anderson — Program director at the Hot Springs Documentary Film Institute
“Mike Everleth is a gentleman and a scholar and a right fine brilliant writer.”
Stephanie Silber — filmmaker
“… one of the most definitive underground film blogs … “
Roger Erik Tinch — Art and Online Director for the CineVegas Film Festival
“Underground Film Journal is the online reincarnation of Movie Journal.“
Jennifer MacMillan — filmmaker and blogger
“Underground Film Journal just keeps putting real stuff up there and I keep finding things I want to read about.“
Alessandro Cima — filmmaker and blogger
“Underground Film Journal finds the coolest damn videos.“
Nathan Wrann — filmmaker and blogger
“You should get a prize. In fact, I’m giving you one: to Mike Everleth, The 2010 Most Valuable Contribution to the Continuation of Underground Film Award.”
Loretta Hintz — filmmaker
“the definitive website about truly independent filmmaking.“
Luke Black — filmmaker
“Mike Everleth, writes … with such intelligence, interest and genuine passion that I rarely turn to many other film resources!“
donna k. — filmmaker