Film Criticism

A subforum to discuss film culture and criticism.
Post Reply
Message
Author
User avatar
tavernier
Joined: Sat Apr 02, 2005 7:18 pm

#101 Post by tavernier » Tue Apr 01, 2008 10:57 am


User avatar
colinr0380
Joined: Mon Nov 08, 2004 4:30 pm
Location: Chapel-en-le-Frith, Derbyshire, UK

#102 Post by colinr0380 » Sun Apr 13, 2008 1:15 pm

A Philip French retrospective.

terabin
Joined: Wed Oct 18, 2006 3:43 pm
Contact:

#103 Post by terabin » Wed Apr 16, 2008 4:08 pm

NY Times article: A.O. Scott on Mr. Ebert's farewell to television and his return to written criticism, and, his legacy (see quote below).
It is this print corpus that will sustain Mr. Ebert’s reputation as one of the few authentic giants in a field in which self-importance frequently overshadows accomplishment. His writing may lack the polemical dazzle and theoretical muscle of Pauline Kael and Andrew Sarris, whose names must dutifully be invoked in any consideration of American film criticism. In their heyday those two were warriors, system-builders and intellectual adventurers on a grand scale. But the plain-spoken Midwestern clarity of Mr. Ebert’s prose and his genial, conversational presence on the page may, in the end, make him a more useful and reliable companion for the dedicated moviegoer.

His criticism shows a nearly unequaled grasp of film history and technique, and formidable intellectual range, but he rarely seems to be showing off. He’s just trying to tell you what he thinks, and to provoke some thought on your part about how movies work and what they can do.

He is rarely a scold, and more frequently (perhaps too frequently) an enthusiast, and nearly always enlightening, in particular when he has brought calm good sense and moral conviction to overwrought debates about hot-button movies like Oliver Stone’s “JFK” and Spike Lee’s “Do the Right Thing.” Other critics (Ms. Kael and Mr. Sarris most famously) have spawned schools, or at least collected bands of acolytes and imitators. Mr. Ebert — do you mind if I just call him Roger from now on? — has no disciples, only friends.

User avatar
Fletch F. Fletch
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 3:54 pm
Location: Provo, Utah

#104 Post by Fletch F. Fletch » Thu Apr 17, 2008 4:22 pm

An interesting debate raging over at the Film Freak Central Blog

User avatar
domino harvey
Dot Com Dom
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 2:42 pm

#105 Post by domino harvey » Thu Apr 17, 2008 8:28 pm

Fletch F. Fletch wrote:An interesting debate raging over at the Film Freak Central Blog
Walter Chaw employs Alex Jackson, his credibility has been irreparably shot a long time ago

User avatar
colinr0380
Joined: Mon Nov 08, 2004 4:30 pm
Location: Chapel-en-le-Frith, Derbyshire, UK

#106 Post by colinr0380 » Fri Apr 18, 2008 7:01 pm

Talking about credibility being irreparably shot I've just seen the Roeper and Phillips segment on My Blueberry Nights in which Roeper criticises his partner by saying Zabriske Point is an 'obscure reference'. #-o

User avatar
Barmy
Joined: Mon May 16, 2005 3:59 pm

#107 Post by Barmy » Fri Apr 18, 2008 7:18 pm

The idea that ZP would even be mentioned in a discussion of MBN makes me want to barf. =P~

User avatar
Fletch F. Fletch
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 3:54 pm
Location: Provo, Utah

#108 Post by Fletch F. Fletch » Tue Jun 10, 2008 4:16 pm

Jonathan Rosenbaum's blog is online.

An article about critic Michael Atkinson claiming that "[T]he existence of full-time staff film reviewers is a nutty aberration in the history of periodical publishing…I’d love to see every magazine employ an army of full-time culture reviewers, and pay them millions, but it doesn’t make very much sense, for the simple reason that it’s not truly a full-time job." which has set Glenn Kenny off.

User avatar
Mr Sausage
Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 9:02 pm
Location: Canada

#109 Post by Mr Sausage » Tue Jun 10, 2008 6:01 pm

Fletch F. Fletch wrote:An article about critic Michael Atkinson claiming that "[T]he existence of full-time staff film reviewers is a nutty aberration in the history of periodical publishing…I’d love to see every magazine employ an army of full-time culture reviewers, and pay them millions, but it doesn’t make very much sense, for the simple reason that it’s not truly a full-time job." which has set Glenn Kenny off.
The process of clear and sustained thought is always a full-time job. The above quote is a silly, biased claim, really.

User avatar
HerrSchreck
Joined: Sun Sep 04, 2005 11:46 am

#110 Post by HerrSchreck » Fri Jul 11, 2008 6:27 pm

Fletch F. Fletch wrote:Jonathan Rosenbaum's blog is online.

An article about critic Michael Atkinson claiming that "[T]he existence of full-time staff film reviewers is a nutty aberration in the history of periodical publishing…I’d love to see every magazine employ an army of full-time culture reviewers, and pay them millions, but it doesn’t make very much sense, for the simple reason that it’s not truly a full-time job." which has set Glenn Kenny off.

God bless Atkinson, I could send him a dozen roses for saying what I've been saying for years. Filmfandom is not a science (and 'serious cinema studies' rarely appear in your average rag and are more appropriate for topic-dedicated Arts / Culture Articles and trade publishing), and the more spread out and rotating the job, the less opportunity for studio-co-opting, the less the critic becomes blearily hi-winded, the more "My opinion about this film is," the less "This film is,". But the world is too self-serious for the painful truth about its academic institutions, and blind to the poisonously homogenizing impact of its presence.

But the fact is this is more about the rampaging effects of the web on "corporate" culture (the way record co's have been decimated by the web & digital in general) rather than a total rejection of Opinion Lockdown by the owners of these periodicals. The owners of these conglomorates are of course going to be scrambling for acquireable resources in the blogosphere suitable for plants.. that is, places that are user friendly to operations within the film studio/investments within the portfolio of the controlling corporation. Like Rupe running great reviews for a Fox film in the NYPost-- you think he'd be happy to let go his review staff? Of course not.

User avatar
Tom Hagen
Joined: Mon Apr 14, 2008 12:35 pm
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah

#111 Post by Tom Hagen » Sun Jul 20, 2008 5:47 pm

I picked up a copy of Pauline Kael's For Keeps for $9 at my local used book store yesterday. What a great book! It anthologizes her most important reviews, as well as a good number of essays including the complete "Raising Kane." I really cannot believe that this thing is out of print. Her criticism has a large hit or miss ratio for me (I just finished her pan of Raging Bull), but her writing is absolutely essential for understanding film criticism since 1960. With her influence over the profession, its really surprising to me that her work isn't more widely available.

User avatar
Jeff
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 9:49 pm
Location: Denver, CO

#112 Post by Jeff » Mon Jul 21, 2008 3:50 pm


User avatar
Antoine Doinel
Joined: Sat Mar 04, 2006 1:22 pm
Location: Montreal, Quebec
Contact:

#113 Post by Antoine Doinel » Mon Jul 21, 2008 3:54 pm

Not surprising given the show's abysmal ratings, and Disney's bizzaro and still unresolved issue regarding who owns the "rights" to the thumbs up/thumbs down rating. It's a shame, but the show was never really the same after Siskel passed away.

User avatar
domino harvey
Dot Com Dom
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 2:42 pm

#114 Post by domino harvey » Mon Jul 21, 2008 4:00 pm

Has anyone ever cared what Roeper thought about a movie

User avatar
swo17
Bloodthirsty Butcher
Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 10:25 am
Location: SLC, UT

#115 Post by swo17 » Mon Jul 21, 2008 4:29 pm

Does this mean Roeper's last televised thought will be a recommendation of 21 against Michael Philips' rec of High and Low?

"Oh man, you had to pull the Kurosawa card."

He sure did like movies about poker.

User avatar
Svevan
Joined: Mon Nov 22, 2004 7:49 pm
Location: Portland, OR

#116 Post by Svevan » Mon Jul 21, 2008 5:58 pm

Antoine Doinel wrote:...the show was never really the same after Siskel passed away.
Siskel was a fireball, but he wasn't all that intelligent about movies. I wouldn't place him too much higher than Roeper.

User avatar
Barmy
Joined: Mon May 16, 2005 3:59 pm

#117 Post by Barmy » Mon Jul 21, 2008 6:03 pm

The very idea of watching a movie review TV show is ludicrous. And Ebert hasn't written anything of note since "This is my happening and it freaks me out!"

User avatar
hearthesilence
Joined: Fri Mar 04, 2005 4:22 am
Location: NYC

#118 Post by hearthesilence » Mon Jul 21, 2008 8:08 pm

Svevan wrote:
Antoine Doinel wrote:...the show was never really the same after Siskel passed away.
Siskel was a fireball, but he wasn't all that intelligent about movies.
Yeah, that's pretty spot on. I liked Siskel, a lot more than Roeper, but it had little to do with his insights in cinema.

User avatar
Tom Hagen
Joined: Mon Apr 14, 2008 12:35 pm
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah

#119 Post by Tom Hagen » Mon Jul 21, 2008 8:35 pm

Svevan wrote:
Antoine Doinel wrote:...the show was never really the same after Siskel passed away.
Siskel was a fireball, but he wasn't all that intelligent about movies. I wouldn't place him too much higher than Roeper.
Yeah check out all of that Truffaut, Rohmer, Kubrick, Bergman, Altman, and Scorsese in his yearly top ten lists. Clearly Gene Siskel just plain didn't get it.

User avatar
domino harvey
Dot Com Dom
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 2:42 pm

#120 Post by domino harvey » Mon Jul 21, 2008 8:48 pm

Siskel was an industry joke. Google a bit and you'll come up with some great stories about how many mistakes his editors had to correct in his reviews because he just didn't know anything. I'm sure he liked a lot of films we like on the board, but unlike say Ebert, he was a personality first. I don't hate the guy though, he had his share of good picks nonetheless.

moviscop
Joined: Tue Jun 03, 2008 3:51 pm
Location: California

#121 Post by moviscop » Mon Jul 21, 2008 10:25 pm

I wont be losing any sleep over them going off air.

I was tired of Ebert calling Lynch's work racist and writing childish reviews on his films.

User avatar
Mr Sausage
Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 9:02 pm
Location: Canada

#122 Post by Mr Sausage » Mon Jul 21, 2008 11:09 pm

moviscop wrote:I wont be losing any sleep over them going off air.

I was tired of Ebert calling Lynch's work racist and writing childish reviews on his films.
The criticism was misogyny, not racism, first off. Secondly, Ebert has only stopped broadcasting on television, he has not stopped writing, so you'll have many more childish reviews to enjoy in the years to come.

User avatar
Murdoch
Joined: Sun Apr 20, 2008 11:59 pm
Location: Upstate NY

#123 Post by Murdoch » Mon Jul 21, 2008 11:21 pm

Mr_sausage wrote:The criticism was misogyny, not racism
He's criticized Lynch for both, I believe it was for Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me that he said having a black serial killer in the film was racist, or something along those lines.

moviscop
Joined: Tue Jun 03, 2008 3:51 pm
Location: California

#124 Post by moviscop » Mon Jul 21, 2008 11:28 pm

Murdoch wrote:
Mr_sausage wrote:The criticism was misogyny, not racism
He's criticized Lynch for both, I believe it was for Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me that he said having a black serial killer in the film was racist, or something along those lines.
You are incorrect Sausage.

And at the beginning of Wild at Heart, there is a scene between Sailor and a black assassin that Ebert commented on and made a big deal about. The scene can be found here

Full reviewhere

Ebert
Some people laugh when they see this scene. They like the way the look is overplayed: Cage looks like a villain in a silent movie. I didn't laugh. I saw the payoff as Lynch's attempt to defuse the violence - to excuse a racially charged scene of unapologetic malevolence
The misogyny was referring to Blue Velvet.

Ebert on Blue Velvet
Rossellini is asked to do things in this film that require real nerve. In one scene, she's publicly embarrassed by being dumped naked on the lawn of the police detective. In others, she is asked to portray emotions that I imagine most actresses would rather not touch. She is degraded, slapped around, humiliated and undressed in front of the camera. And when you ask an actress to endure those experiences, you should keep your side of the bargain by putting her in an important film.

That's what Bernardo Bertolucci delivered when he put Marlon Brando and Maria Schneider through the ordeal of "Last Tango in Paris." In "Blue Velvet," Rossellini goes the whole distance, but Lynch distances himself from her ordeal with his clever asides and witty little in-jokes. In a way, his behavior is more sadistic than the Hopper character.
Last edited by moviscop on Mon Jul 21, 2008 11:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
domino harvey
Dot Com Dom
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 2:42 pm

#125 Post by domino harvey » Mon Jul 21, 2008 11:37 pm

His charges of misogyny are pretty well-argued though. What makes his accusations "childish," other than that you disagree with them?

Post Reply