Tri State Movie Critic Jim Alexander Still Loves Pop Culture

When I first met Jim Alexander, I knew he had been a news producer for WEHT. It wasn't, however, until I began seeing posts on his Facebook page from his younger days and earlier in his career that the light bulb came on. This was Jim Alexander, the tri-state movie critic I'd watched back in the 80s and 90s on WTVW, Channel 7, which was the Evansville ABC affiliate at the time, and later, on WEVV.

In those days, I was a fan of movie criticism; I wanted to see if the pros matched up with my own opinions about movies. That's likely what led me to see Jim's segments back in the day. And it is this 1982 promotional clip for Jim's show that etched it all into my memory banks.

The Movie Review With Jim Alexander

It was from 1982 until about 1990 that Jim hosted Movie Review, and he did so in the parents' viewing gallery of the old Romper Room set. Now, how's that for a memory jog? In fact, Jim had run a camera for the show when Miss Annette was the host.

That stint was followed by another gig as a movie critic, this time on WEVV. At the time, however, it did not have a news department, so Jim's reviews aired as two-minute segments within commercial breaks. A few months into it, WEVV news aired, and his reviews became a segment on the broadcast. And because of the popularity of Siskel & Ebert, and, in particular, the trademarking of their signature "Two Thumbs Up," Jim's reviews utilized a sliding 1 to 10 scale.

Following WEVV, Jim was at WAZE for about eight years. Known as WB19, it was the local affiliate for the now-defunct WB Network. (I had completely forgotten about the WB.) Jim then returned to WEVV for six years, followed by a second stint at WEHT/WTVW until 2021.

Jim Alexander - the 'Retro Pop Culture Guru of the Tri-State'

That's not an official title; it's my creation. But it could be official if you've ever seen any of his Facebook posts. Visit his page, and you'll see what I mean. I've never seen anyone unearth so many still shots from shows like Star Trek, Batman, The Bionic Woman, The Six Million Dollar Man, The Rockford Files, Moonlighting, The Andy Griffith Show. I could keep going. (I led with Star Trek because he's the biggest Trekkie I know.)

And any Trekkie would love to have an encounter like this. It's Jim with the late James Doohan, who played Scotty on Star Trek.

Here's the thing...Jim and I seem to be cut, relatively, from the same cloth. I grew up absorbing pop culture and can spout off names of actors and actresses that a lot of people couldn't, just like he can. I'm not bragging; that's just how my brain worked and continues to work.

Jim Alexander's Collections

And he backs up that love with one of the most extraordinary collections I have ever seen. Practically, an entire floor of his house is dedicated to them. You've already taken a peek at his "mini Star Trek museum" (and there are far more representations of the iconic series among his pieces), so let's dive into the rest of it. (Or at least SOME of the rest of it; I'm telling you, it's vast and impressive.)

You should have seen me when I got a load of his huge collection of TV Guides, and in bound volumes, no less. I loved the TV Guide when I was a kid and read it cover to cover the second it came to the house. And those lunch boxes. Extraordinary. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches never tasted better than when they were wrapped up and put inside a Spider-Man lunch box. Except for Batman, I was never much of a DC Comics reader; it was always Marvel for me, and that's represented here, too. But Jim's love of DC is more than apparent in his display cases.

And any Batman fan would love to have an encounter like THIS...Jim hanging out with the original Riddler from the old Batman TV series. It's the great Frank Gorshin (there's never been a better Riddler).

Quick story...in 1995, Jim met Frank Gorshin in Chicago the day after he'd been interviewed on Entertainment Tonight, where he'd given his thoughts about Batman Forever, in which Tommy Lee Jones played the Riddler. Thinking Gorshin wouldn't have time to see it, Jim taped it and gave it to him. Delighted by the gift, Gorshin called his manager over to show him. A very cool moment, indeed.

Before we wrap up, I have to show you one more. I wonder if Jim considers this the "greatest" pic in his collection.

Sure 'nuff...Muhammad Ali. (I think a mic drop goes here.)

I don't know if Jim accepts the title I gave him, but "Retro Pop Culture Guru of the Tri-State" is fitting, if a bit clunky. I know this...there's usually a good chance that SOMETHING Jim Alexander has shared on Facebook will send me down a rabbit hole of some sort, and I will enjoy it, just like our conversations.

Do YOU know the favorite (and fictional) brand of smokes used by The X-Files' infamous Cigarette Smoking Man? Well, Jim does. (Morleys.) I learned that the day I met him, and I knew any future conversations would be fun and fruitful.

I was right.