I actually like his older videos related to or reviewing movies sometimes. It's a reflection of the cinephile part of himself and shows why he decided to make movies/videos in the first place.
If you like the movie-making part of James, watch his Cinemassacre-titled movies (which celebrate every 100 movies/videos he makes) and "The Dragon in my Dreams".
I was really impressed with the crazy story that popped up in Board James as well. You Know What's Bullshit is classic observational humour, which I enjoy.
You don't have to stop watching AVGN during a slowdown, but if you think AVGN is all James is about, you're dead wrong. (I'm not watching JMM much anymore because Mike knows nothing about emulation... but YMMV.)