Obituary for Michael James Walsh
Michael was a film critic and print journalist (U of T Varsity, Toronto Telegram, The Province) from 1965 until his retirement from The Province in 2010. During that time, he spent 23 years as film critic for The Province, as well as entertainment feature writer, and later, editor in the finance department . He championed Canadian-made film and filmmakers, and defended freedom of expression in print, on tv, and in court as an expert witness. He was recognized as an authority on film in B.C., with contributions to Chuck Davis’s The Vancouver Book and The Encyclopedia of B.C.
Michael’s first paying job as a journalist came from Peter Gzowski, then-entertainment editor of the Toronto Star, to report on Com-ex at the University of Toronto. He used the money to take his girlfriend to a fancy restaurant, and later said (often) that “it was the best investment I ever made, because I’ve been eating well ever since.” (They got married two years later; he liked her cooking.)
Michael and Susan moved to Vancouver in 1969, where he got a “can you start tomorrow?” offer from managing editor Merv Moore at The Province, who was short a copy editor/entertainment reporter. When he landed his target job of film critic a few years later, Michael hit the ground running with reviews of The Godfather and A Clockwork Orange.
In 1972, he reported on Vancouver’s first science fiction convention (VCON) for The Province, and attended many later fan conventions — as reporter, panelist, and toastmaster.
In an overlapping fandom, The Society for Creative Anachronism, he was one of the founding members of the Barony of Lions Gate (Vancouver) as Michel le voyageur, head of the household of Beaver Lodge.
He delighted in movie soundtracks, and had an extensive collection of vinyl and CDs. If he really liked anything, he had an extensive collection — books, records, DVDs, comics, neckties. His idea of a good time was heading to Seattle on father-daughter “fishing trips” for used books, records, and comics. He looked forward to used neckties (thrift store finds) as gifts on his birthday and Father’s Day.
He was a fan of Buffy, Warehouse 13, and any female-led science fiction filmed in the GVRD. He also had a strange fondness for really bad SF movies filmed in Vancouver, and for obscure short-run comics such as E.C.’s Only a Strong America Can Prevent ATOMIC WAR!
A brief foray into politics saw him run for Parliament in 2000. (It was in support of David Orchard’s attempt to drag the Progressive Conservative party back to John Diefenbaker’s vision of a strong, independent Canada.) He finished fourth out of ten candidates, running against Libby Davies in Vancouver East.
After his retirement from The Province in 2010, Michael and Susan took a special interest in local live theatre, and looked forward to new seasons at Bard on the Beach, The Fringe Festival, Jericho, The Cultch, and The Firehall Theatre. He started a website, Reeling Back: everything old is news again — an archive of his published reviews, with new forwards and afterwords. He also shared hosting duties for several years on The Arts Rational, on Co-op Radio.
He liked craft beers, Greek pizza, cabbage rolls, sushi, duck, lemon meringue pie and chocolate-covered marshmallows.
He was rarely seen in public without a situationally appropriate tie.
You can find a few thousand of his reviews and interviews at www.reelingback.com
There’s also a Wikipedia entry, under Michael Walsh (film critic)
In lieu of flowers or other remembrances, the family suggests a donation to your local theatre company (such as Touchstone or United Players).