Barrie Maxwell began sharing his extensive knowledge of classic film on The Digital Bits in 2002, when his popular Classic Coming Attractions DVD review column first appeared on the site. In the decade that followed, his work on The Bits expanded to include coverage of classics on Blu-ray in High-Definition Matters, film and TV fare from the U.K. in The British Beat and more recently Manufactured on Demand titles on DVD-R in Classic Hollywood MOD. He also hosted a regular weekly radio program on the Great American Songbook, Street of Dreams, on 100.9 CanoeFM in Haliburton, Ontario - located in the lake country north of Toronto where Barrie lived.

Prior to joining The Bits, Barrie's film writing appeared on the DVD Verdict site as well as in the pages of the Australian Kino Cinema Quarterly magazine. Barrie studied film history and theory at university and held a lifelong passion for the subject. You may be surprised to learn that he also had a lengthy career in Arctic climatology, heading up Canada's national climate applications program for the federal government as well as representing Canada in international Arctic climate research activities, including the first few Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports.

Unfortunately, Barrie passed away on July 10th, 2012 after a valiant fight with brain cancer. He is survived by his wife Sue, his son Terry, his sister and mother - both named Anne - and two cats, Bogie and Stella.

Barrie enriched our lives immeasurably with his love and knowledge of classic cinema. He made a lasting mark, and all of us here at The Bits have dedicated ourselves to preserving his writing and his legacy. We encourage you to enjoy his many columns and reviews here at the site, and to read our tribute to him here:

Barrie Maxwell
October 23rd, 1947 - July 10th, 2012