I seldom talk about myself these days, wanting my work to speak for itself. But in order to set up today’s updates, I thought it important for me to start off this way.

Today, 11-11-11 is my 36th birthday. I began this website 15 years ago when I was only 20 years old. In 1996, William Jefferson Clinton was sworn into office as the President of the United States and The English Patient was crowned Best Picture by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. I was a sophomore at Southwest Missouri State University (now Missouri State University) and was still pursuing a degree in computer science. I turned my online moniker, The Oscar Guy, into my website name and thus began my journey.

My interest in the Oscars had begun 7 years earlier with the win of Driving Miss Daisy for 1989. Although only a handful of wins since have brought me the extreme levels of joy that victory did, I was irrevocably hooked on the Oscars and movies in general. After a few fruitless years as a computer science major, I decided to pursue a degree that I thought best suited my interests. We didn’t have a formal film studies degree, but I opted for a Film Studies emphasis in the then-combined Communications/Mass Media department. My passion for films didn’t abate and I finished with high grades in every film-related class I took.

There are many things I’d love to have changed since then, but where I’m at right now isn’t the worst of places to be. I love my site, I love the friends I’ve made through it and I still love the Academy, even if they frustrate me to no end.

In honor of my birthday, I have taken over this site’s content for the day (with the exception of the This Day in Oscar History post) and submit to you a series of articles I think are most interesting. As you probably noticed yesterday, the Oscar in Box Office History and What to See articles posted, giving me space today to highlight only what interests me the most. In addition, I’ve put Film Fun Friday on hiatus this week to make room. It may or not be back next week, I haven’t yet decided.

Throughout the day, I’ll be posting two film reviews of my favorite murder mystery comedies (Clue and Murder by Death) as well as a site retrospective honoring this year’s 15th anniversary of Cinema Sight/The Oscar Guy.

I hope you enjoy.