TechSmart: How and when did the Sci-Fi Movie page originate?

James O'Ehley: I started it back in 1997 because I wanted to teach myself HTML and there weren't many such sites around.

The site is very popular. How many people visit the page monthly?

We get about a million plus hits a month.

If you turn your hobby into your job does it still feel like work?

Yes, but only less so. You still have to cope with the occasional soul-destroying commute to Johannesburg, but the dress code is pretty informal.

Star Wars or Star Trek?

I love both, but in recent years I've found myself appreciating those old 'Sixties Trek episodes I watched as a kid more. They had cheesy special effects but the stories were pretty neat. I don't like the new Star Wars movies by the way. They just don't feel like Star Wars at all.

So what's the greatest sci-fi movie ever made?

(JO) My personal favourite is Blade Runner, but the most important one has to be 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) because it moved the genre away from flying saucers towards realistic-looking spaceships. You can still see its influence in movies such as WALL-E to this very day.

How does the editorial process work between you and the freelance US-based writers?

Since 70 - 80% of my traffic comes from the U.S. I have a handful of freelancers I pay to review the latest theatrical and DVD releases over there. Usually these movies take a while to reach South African shores so I can't review them myself.

How did you become a member of the Online Film Critics Society and what does this membership entail?

(JO) They asked me to join and it entails that you must publish a certain amount of film journalism online in a year. The plus side is that all your articles get listed at the hugely popular RottenTomatoes.com website.