Episode One: Finally Lit with Shawn Edwards
Evaporation. That’s what seems to be at hand within the entertainment industry. Trust, security, opportunity. Like the world, the cultural tide in cinema, including criticism, is ebbing, flowing and fading faster than smoke. Breakneck change is nothing but whiplash. It is daunting, disorienting and often discouraging—especially if you’re trying to figure out how to get started or how to hold tight.
Enter Shawn Edwards, one of the nation’s longest-running film critics on broadcast television via FOX4 News in Kansas City. You’ve seen him on Extra, behind the scenes serving as executive producer of the Critics Choice Association Celebration of Black Cinema, and creating the historic Black Movie Hall of Fame.
His insights have been a chisel within criticism itself—reshaping the craft, the community, and the conditions for his colleagues, especially Black critics—while operating as a red laser for audiences, guiding moviegoers the globe over with modern precision. For more than 25 years, Mr. Popcorn Bags got that butta.
Think of it as a month-long party, one where you reminisce, learn and future-gaze through the critic’s eye. What a way to celebrate the often overlooked and misunderstood role of the critic. A museum exhibit. “The Life of a Film Critic: As told by Shawn Edwards” will be on display at the Black Archives of Mid-America starting February 2, and culminating in a Talk Back with Shawn Edwards himself on February 28.
Shawn stops by LoveLonita.com in Finally Lit’s inaugural episode to talk about film, craft, consistency, and what it takes to stay in the mix even when the industry slides into its era of the vapors.
He shares the top three skills any aspiring or evolving critic must have to tread any temper in the ever-changing sea of entertainment.
Top Qualities for Riding the Tide
It’s simple. It’s readiness, adaptability, and craft:
- Master your writing
Writing underpins the critique. Read widely. Write with clarity and depth. And while AI can be a neat tool, Shawn cautions that it can feel “robotic and rigid” when used as a stand-in for original thought. - Embrace change
Technology and media formats evolve. Being able to navigate new platforms and new ways of storytelling matters. If you can’t adapt, you can’t stay. - Build and maintain networks
Entertainment circles are tight. Think of every connection as a door that might not open instantly, but might open eventually. Keep working and be ready. It’s someone in your network that will present that life-changing opportunity.
Exhibit at the Black Archives
The free exhibit “The Life of a Film Critic: As told by Shawn Edwards” runs February 2 through February 26 at the Black Archives of Mid-America. In addition to the visual chronicle of Edwards’ career, educators can also arrange special walkthroughs and Q&A sessions tailored for elementary through high school students. This isn’t just an exhibit about movies; it’s a window into how passion and perseverance intersect with communal care and culture-building.
Listen to the full Finally Lit episode on Apple Podcasts.