Movies and television have always been a passion of Cari's and huge influence on her writing. As an English Professor and Scholar, Cari read a great many essays on great works of literature. And although she has no former training in Film Criticism, she has read and watched film reviews since she was twelve. Growing up Entertainment Weekly and the TV Guide were more important to her than the local newspaper. She also enjoyed watching review shows such as Siskel and Ebert at the Movies and then later Ebert and Roper. At the end of each show they always say, "See you next week, until then the balcony is closed." This was a great way of signifying that the critics watched the films that they were reviewing in the theatre and not at home or in a studio. She chose the title Couch Critic because most of the movies she saw were viewed from her couch. She came of age during the late 80s and early 90s when TVs and VCRs were in nearly every house. The informality of the title also suggests that Cari is not a trained or schooled critic. Her essays were originally written out of the passion she had for the subject and a need to explore the various themes that she recognized. Over time, she posted many of these essays on her blog Carilynn27 on Wordpress. Here, in one volume, are Cari's collected Essays and Blogs on Movies, Television and Actors. She covers Star Wars, Alias, Lost, Willow, Legends of the Fall, The Red Shoe Diaries and many more