Film Vomit is the technicolor yawn of two lifelong friends who were sick to their stomachs with the monotony of life. David Lee, a terminal cinephile who literally can't function if you don't let him watch at least one movie per day, and Jalen Wall, a self-taught computer programmer who loves coding almost as much as he loves cars, wanted to combine their obsessions into a project that would serve as an outlet for their passions. Thus, Film Vomit – an independent platform dedicated to celebrating all things cinema. Obviously, Jalen's love of cars didn't really make the cut, but he built this website with as much care and class as an air-cooled Porsche, and David does his best not to drive it off the road.
David Lee is the co-founder and chief content provider for Film Vomit. Growing up as an anxiety-ridden, allergy-plagued asthmatic meant David spent a lot of time in his room. That time was spent drawing, reading comic books, playing video games, and, of course, watching movies.
As he grew older, he started to look at movies not only as entertainment but as windows into other worlds that he could peer through and glean knowledge, understanding, and acceptance. What began as a hobby developed into a deep appreciation for cinema as a mirror of the human condition and a catalyst for personal growth.
He cherishes the shared theatrical experience, dragging all of his friends to the cinema at least once a week, and though he begrudgingly pays for many streaming services, he treasures his physical media collection like it's made of gold. He's a Michael Mann guy, a Fincher head, a Nolan-ite, and projects himself onto every Ryan Gosling protagonist — in other words, he's the most insufferably basic film bro you've ever met — but he's always seeking to expand his cinematic taste.
“I'm alone, I am not lonely.” ― Neil McCauley, Heat (1995)
Jalen Wall is the co-founder and creator of the Film Vomit website. Movies have always been a central part of his life, whether it was begging his mom for the third time in a day to rent a movie through TimeWarner Cable's on-demand service or spending weekends watching countless films with his friend David. “Creating Film Vomit was inevitable looking back now. I mean, we watched so many movies, and it was a staple of our childhood sleepovers,” Jalen recalls.
Unlike many tech geniuses who discover programming early, Jalen found his passion for it in his early 20s. While he didn't have David's drawing talent, Jalen expressed his creativity through programming.
School was never Jalen's favorite place, so the idea of teaching himself to program through online resources and then creating unique projects or solutions fascinated him. He's been hooked ever since.
Outside of programming and brainstorming, Jalen enjoys spending time with his high school sweetheart, Bianca, and their dog, Harley, or at the Thursday night previews with David and his buddies.
“Anything worth doing, is worth doing right.” ― Hunter S. Thompson