Bringing Hollywood home

“We’re having a balcony built into the wall, and we found someone in New York who makes muppets … so we’re going to put in muppet versions of ourselves,” explains Chantale with a laugh.

That new twist on The Muppet Show’s gruff movie critics will also join their impressive DVD collection, framed movie posters and “a real red carpet” once upgrades are complete, continues Angie.

But the basement transformation isn’t the only recent addition centring on the pair’s biggest passion. After years as self-described “go-to people” for movie recommendations to friends and family – not to mention running their 2,000-strong film collection like their own library – the sisters launched a new website for everything and anything movies.

CinemaObsessed.com, which went online earlier this summer, combines their long-held loves of writing and the movie industry together in a website that offers everything from upcoming project information to favourite quotes and trivia. “Everyone likes talking about movies,” continues Angie, a self-described fan of “cheesy musicals” like Guys and Dolls. “Old, young – everybody. We just get a kick out of suggesting things to people.” “It’s a good way to blend those passions,” adds Chantale, who prefers any film that can make her laugh. “We’re having so much fun with it. We truly are obsessed with everything. We appreciate all genres of film.” With so many sites and blogs already exploring every facet of the filmmaking industry – from celebrity gossip to “dry” movie databases – Angie says what sets CinemaObsessed.com apart is the way it encompasses a little bit of everything, combining entertainment with a solid foundation of reviews, information, resources and news. The site also doesn’t restrict itself to any one genre or time period for films, she explains, appealing to the cult movie buffs as much as the up-and-coming spoiler fiends. “We have comments and lots of people already going, ‘Oh my god, we have the same taste in movies,’” Angie adds. “We call them cinesnobs; we’ve given them a name.” Though the website was only launched in June it came after much discussion, recounts Chantale, and has been a project requiring mostly full-time hours from both on top of their regular professional lives. “It’s several hours a day,” she explains, with the aim of offering daily new information and updates. “We want to set ourselves apart.”

The sisters currently update at least nine times per day during the week, Angie says, and over a dozen times throughout the weekend, also keeping on top of breaking filmmaking news. “We’re averaging 1,200 hits a week,” she recounts. “It’s constantly increasing.”

And while the pair have concentrated some of their publicity efforts close to home – including appearing at BOB FM’s Movies on the Beach event and on local radio – they’ve also begun to attract website visitors from across the globe, and even some attention from the U.S. film industry.

Already two independent film companies have sent special “screeners” – preview copies – of their short films to CinemaObsessed.com for review, Angie continues, including recently-deceased film star David Carradine’s last project. “We have so many goals and plans for the site,” says Chantale, pointing to their future ambitions to create an online store for merchandise, as well as hopes of eventually writing a screenplay and covering movie premieres. “It’s gone above and beyond our expectations.” For more information, please visit www.CinemaObsessed.com.