Dear friends and followers,
As 2024 draws to a close, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the year I’ve had and share some of the incredible milestones, challenges, and memories that shaped the past 12 months. This has been a year of growth, creativity, challenges and connection. I’m so grateful to have had all of you along for the ride.
When I decided to take a leap of with with this Movie Guy stuff, I never could’ve imagined how much joy it could bring me. I’m finally more confident in geeking out over the stuff I love and during 2024 I finally started to feel like my real self. I’ve achieved so much and I don’t want to sound like I’m bragging, but I’ve worked hard to be able to do it all.
Major Achievements
I’ve been trying for years and now I’ve finally reached 10 000 followers on Instagram. Instagram has always been my go-to and this year it helped me grow my online presence. My YouTube on the other hand surprised me. I had around 360 subscribers when the year started and now I’m ending it with over 2000 subscribers. I don’t want to bore you all with the numbers, but the numbers mean my work actually reaches people.
Monthly Highlight Recap
January: My personal and professional life took a beating for the last 5 years and thanks to some “unfortunate circumstance” I had to take a leap of faith, and by the end of the month, beginning February, I moved to Cape Town, hoping for greener pastures.
February: I had my first official movie screening in Cape Town. For the first time, I truly felt like The Movie Guy. I had goals and dreams, and it all started with a movie most people didn’t watch or forgot about — Argylle. I also got to review one of my favourite Afrikaans movies of the year, Frankie en Felipe.
March: I visited an IMAX cinema for the first time ever to watch Dune: Part Two. It was a surreal experience, and the movie was and still is a masterpiece. March was special because I finally saw growth on my social platforms as well as on my blog. I think it’s when I decided to try extra harder to make all of this work.
April: I celebrated my first birthday in another country, plus I had Comic Con Cape Town. I attended the premiere of War of the Planet of the Apes (a fantastic movie, btw) It felt like things were finally falling into place, but then I had issues with my visa. Thankfully, that was kind of sorted out, hopefully I can figure it out in 2025.
May: I celebrated my first Free Comic Book Day and made some new friends at Cine Centre. I now have partners I can rely on whenever I need to go watch a movie or even when I have a giveaway. I also published the last edition of The Movie Guyde. It was bittersweet, but it had run its course and there’s still a possibility that it might make a comeback.
June: I struggled with the flu and colds and couldn’t attend most screenings, but I did get to experience new sides of Cape Town. I also tried making some new cooking videos for YouTube. It was fun being in the kitchen again and in a way it drove me to finish my last cookbook.
July: Deadpool and Wolverine, my most anticipated movie of the year, came out, and I wasn’t disappointed. Apparently, almost everyone loved it. I also got to experience Cape Town’s winter and I loved it, but in August is when I got to see snow for the first time in my life.
August: This was a big month for me. I was putting the finishing touches on my new cookbook, Eat Like A Namibian: Worldwide, and I got invited to the Silwerskermfees as well as the Silwerskermtoekennings. I got to rub elbows with the biggest actors and artists South Africa has to offer. It blew my mind, and it was my first award show ever. I can relive that day over and over again.
September: I hosted my first real giveaway, and it was so much fun. I also published my aforementioned cookbook in the digital space. It was also the month ruled by animated films like Transformers One and The Wild Robot. Both of these movies are must see and belong somewhere on my top 20 list.
October: I challenged myself by posting a new video on YouTube every single day. It was definitely tough, but it was rewarding. I might do something similar next year. You can still go check out my October Challenge Playlist. Do you guys remember Joker 2? I even put in effort to review it.
November: I had multiple movie screenings, including two of my favorite 2024 movies, Wicked and Gladiator II. If you haven’t watched either yet, then go check out my reviews for Wicked and Gladiator II. All I can say is, both movies are worth watching. I’m still singing Defying Gravity.
December: In the middle of the month I watched two major releases back to back. You can go check out my reviews for Mufasa: The Lion King and Kraven the Hunter. I had so much fun with The Movie Guy’s 12 Days of Christmas giveaway, and I’m glad I could make Christmas a little more festive for my followers, new friends, and biggest supporters. Once again thank to all my sponsors/partners.
More Highlights of 2024
Content Creation: This year, I pushed myself to deliver diverse and exciting content on movies, TV, and even gaming. From reviewing Lukas (a Namibian movie – it also became my highest viewed YouTube video) and The Forge to ranking the X-Men and Pixar movies to posting gameplay videos on YouTube, it’s been a blast sharing my thoughts and hearing your feedback.
October Challenge: A personal highlight was my YouTube challenge, posting a video every day in October. It was demanding, but your support made it worthwhile. I especially enjoyed exploring my journey as a filmmaker, cookbook author, and journalist.
Festive Giveaway: December brought the festive spirit alive with my advent calendar giveaway. Thank you to everyone who participated and made it so much fun. Congratulations to all the winners!
Challenges and Lessons
Not every moment was easy. From missing out on Comic Con to experiencing writer’s block, and isolation at times, 2024 had its hurdles. Another new challenge is spending the Holidays alone. Financially I’m still struggling to keep my head above water most months. However, these moments taught me resilience and the importance of leaning on my community for support.
Thank You
None of this would be possible without your unwavering support. I want to express my deepest gratitude to those who supported me financially, as my work doesn’t always pay. And to those who helped me in other ways: Wilma Bruwer, Patricia de Klerk, Rayno Julius, Brandon and Prudence van Wyk, my parents Barry and Anna de Klerk, my brother Johdan and nephew, my sister Barianne, her husband Ngunza and my other newphew. My auntie, Nina, who always shares and likes my posts. And to everyone who likes, shares, comments, and engages with my content — you mean the world to me.
Looking Ahead to 2025
As we enter a new year, I’m filled with excitement for what’s to come. I’m planning new projects, including:
More video content on superheroes, 90s nostalgia, and movies (maybe more gaming content)
Continued work on storytelling and filmmaking.
Expanding my blog and building a stronger connection with all of you.
Thank You
None of this would be possible without your unwavering support. Every comment, like, share, and message fuels my passion and drives me to keep creating. Thank you for being part of my journey.
Wishing you all a joyful holiday season, a Merry Christmas and a fantastic start to 2025. Let’s make it another unforgettable year together.
One Last Thing
I still have some content coming out during this last week of December, including my Christmas Movie watchlist, my favourite films of 2024, my favourite TV show of 2024 lists and of course my most anticipated movies of 2025 list.
Warm regards,
Barry de Klerk
The Movie Guy
If you want to support me financially please click here to fill out a form or find my banking details below. Please also follow my WhatsApp Channel.
Email: themovieguy.nam@gmail.com or deklerkb@yahoo.com
Bank Name: Bank Windhoek
Account Holder: Barry De Klerk
Account Number: 8024920357
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