It all started in that very special summer of 2004. It just so happened that 4 jerks who all are obsessed with movies appear on the same fledgling game show, The Ultimate Film Fanatic. Edwin Samuelson, Steve Tsepelas, Jeff Gallashaw, and Michael Foltz were all contestants that won auditions in New York City to vie for the title of ... well, the game show title gives it away, doesn't it?

Well, they all lost. Not at once. Not all together. But they all lost just the same. But did we come out of the experience as losers? Heeeelllll no!

These four film geeks bonded that night over dinner and the next day at the airport, talking about everything from Lord of the Rings to the works of Jean Luc Godard. And it was born.

And, thanks to Manhattan Neighborhood Network, the viewing audience gets to witness these discussions on such film topics as the X-Men trilogy, what NYC theaters are the best/worst, and which actors should just quit making the poplace suffer.

NOPE.

And why not start with Manhattan Cable Access? Why not indeed ... Thus, the Cinefiles were born! Now meet the gang:

The Rogues Gallery:

Edwin Samuelson ("The Exploited Insider" aka Your Host) - If there is a bit of news coming off the wire, he knows it. If there's a cult film out there and he DOESN'T know about it, sound the alarm! And, with double-duty as producer, sleep might be just as big an enemy as lazy dvd production houses.

Jeff Gallashaw ("The Mainstream Foreigner") - For a film geek, he gives Hollywood more of a break than the rest. But don't lowball him on lowbrow. He'll take his foreign films with a side order of subtitles any day of the week.

Michael Foltz ("Sci-Fi Geek with a Heart") - Granted, he likes Lord of the Rings a bit too much. And he can quote Conan the Barbarian verbatum. But give him a good drama from Cassavettes or Altman and he'll sheathe his magic sword, grab a seat, and watch all the thrills and tragedies on just being human.

Unless you're the Fantastic Four, the original teammates usually never stay together for long. Our man, the hardworking Steven Tsepelas, went on to brighter days in the land of TV/internet sitcoms. And we'll always be there for him ... as long as he's not stingy with the invites to his Beverly Hills Mansion.

His replacement is a guy I saw shoplifting CREW products from Walgreens and felt sorry for. Here's his story:

Eric Cohen The Spy That Came in From the Cold ... GRAVE - The name's Cohen. ERIC Cohen. And he's a major fan of Bond. JAMES Bond. And he loves movies. SPY movies of all types. Whether it's Matt Helm, Harry Palmer, or our man in Havana, he knows his stuff well enough to give Karl Rove the urge to expose his cover. But don't put him in a spider hole when it comes to genres! When it comes to blood, guts, scares, and monsters, he'll put down his fake CIA credentials, pick up his popcorn, and get scared like the rest of us Nancy Boys at the return of Jason, Freddie, or ... (gasp!) PLUTO NASH!!

Ladies and Gentlemen, and film fans and filmmakers from around the world, welcome to their turf. Welcome to the world of "The CineFiles"!

The CineFiles airs every Wed at 8PM EST on Channel 57 in Manhattan. If you don't live in NY, or don't have Time Warner Cable, you can view the show on the web as it broadcasts by visting: www.mnn.org