Dennis Willis (born January 17, 1967 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida) is an American film critic, radio and television personality, and writer, director and producer of short independent films. He currently reviews films and provides entertainment industry commentary at KGO AM in San Francisco, and his reviews appear on Examiner.com. He is the author of the annual Flick Nation movie guides.
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Willis originally appeared on radio to promote his TV program FilmTrip, but his radio job long outlasted the TV show, which ran only one season. He has served as KGO Radio’s Afternoon News[1] film critic, from 1997 to the present. Willis is also a regular guest on John Rothmann's program.[2]
In 2008, Willis completed the final season as host, producer and editor of Soundwaves, a Bay Area-based music entertainment TV show that left the airwaves after a record-setting 25 years; he began hosting the show at the age of 16.
Willis also produced and co-hosted two film-based shows, Reel Life (1993) and FilmTrip (1997–98), with Steve Wagner, which aired on KGO-TV and KCWB (now KCWE) in Kansas City.[3]
Willis and Steven Kirk wrote and directed Unwrapped (2006), an independently-produced short film about exploitation in the Internet age.[4] Their short documentary The Life and Legacy of George Reeves was released on DVD in 2006.[5]
Willis is the author of the Flick Nation[6] movie guides, annual compendiums of current reviews and commentary about the entertainment industry. The 2011 edition was released on June 8, 2011.[7]
Since 1989, Willis and Steven Kirk have produced and hosted the annual Soundwaves Christmas fundraiser, a food-, clothing- and toy-drive which benefits local San Francisco Bay Area neighborhoods and noteworthy national non-profit organizations. The show is broadcast throughout the Bay Area and has raised 35,000 items.