― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 02:55 (twenty years ago) link
― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 03:05 (twenty years ago) link
― NA (Nick A.), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 04:13 (twenty years ago) link
I'm realizing, though, that in some cases, I tend to trust publications more than I trust individual critics. When I'm looking for reviews on MRQE or Rotten Tomatoes, I'll click on any critic at the New York Times, Village Voice, New Yorker, Salon, or the Chicago Reader (which is mostly Rosenbaum but sometimes J.R. Jones). Beyond that, I also read Ebert and David Edelstein (Slate), both of whom are the only critics their publications employ.
In most cases, Ebert is the first critic I'll check. Last night, looking for reviews of The Company, I read (in order) Ebert, Charles Taylor, and Elvis Mitchell.
― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 04:33 (twenty years ago) link
I like many internet pseudo-critics. And reading Armond White is usually a good time, though more so after seeing the movie. Actually, to my taste in criticism-reading, the best critics are the ones to be read after seeing the movie rather than before. Maybe this is why I don't like reading Ebert so much.
― Eric H. (Eric H.), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 05:02 (twenty years ago) link
Agreed. I never read full-length reviews before I see a movie -- only capsules. This, of course, is what makes Rosenbaum such a compelling critic -- if a part of the movie that would ordinarily be considered a "spoiler" is worth discussing, he'll discuss it without apology.
― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 05:06 (twenty years ago) link
― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 05:10 (twenty years ago) link
I don't pay much attention to actual reviews until after I see a film. I'm more interested in seeing how my thoughts compared to Zacharek, the NY Times and VVoice people, the Washington Post, Chris Vognar of the Dallas Morning News (my professor one semester) and a few others (though not all of them for every film I see).
I like reviewers who are willing to judge movies on their own merits rather than against some perceived 'greatness' standard. Zacharek, especially, is good at this, and Ebert.
Rosenbaum, I feel mixed. The moralistic tone he takes on some films (Mystic River comes to mind) bothers me. It's too simplistic and black and white for me.
― miloauckerman (miloauckerman), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 05:46 (twenty years ago) link
― s1ocki (slutsky), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 16:55 (twenty years ago) link
― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 17:07 (twenty years ago) link
― Enrique (Enrique), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 17:07 (twenty years ago) link
― J.D. (Justyn Dillingham), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 03:01 (twenty years ago) link
usually, the more I read of a critic's work, the less interesting I find them, eventually. even a lot of Pauline Kael's stuff doesn't hold up as well as I'd like it to - good as the writing is, a lot of her reactions to movies seem flaky and ill-thought-out.
― J.D. (Justyn Dillingham), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 03:12 (twenty years ago) link
(I think for the time being it should only be applied to food, at least until everyone straightens their heads out)
― s1ocki (slutsky), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 07:47 (twenty years ago) link
― jaymc (jaymc), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 07:58 (twenty years ago) link
― suzy (suzy), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 08:40 (twenty years ago) link
― amateur!st (amateurist), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 09:26 (twenty years ago) link
― Enriq (Enrique), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 13:17 (twenty years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 16:02 (twenty years ago) link
― Gear! (Gear!), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 18:19 (twenty years ago) link
― gygax! (gygax!), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 18:25 (twenty years ago) link
Peter Travers must be destroyed, along with the rest of the RS staff.
― Gear! (Gear!), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 18:34 (twenty years ago) link
Scott Tobias has always been and always will be among my favorite on the internet. Up there with Steve Erickson.
― Eric H. (Eric H.), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 21:13 (twenty years ago) link
― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Thursday, 5 February 2004 07:10 (twenty years ago) link
I'd just like to recognise the great opening shot from N., which was exactly my reaction to the title.
― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Thursday, 5 February 2004 10:07 (twenty years ago) link
― sym (shmuel), Thursday, 5 February 2004 10:51 (twenty years ago) link
― chris (chris), Thursday, 5 February 2004 11:13 (twenty years ago) link
― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Thursday, 5 February 2004 18:27 (twenty years ago) link
Yeah and indeed .Even if this were possible it would be a bad idea, but it isn't, so it is. SZ might well be the worst critic to have an international profile. I'm no Kael fan but SZ isn't fit to polish PK's glasses.― Enrique (Enrique), Friday, 6 February 2004 09:30 (twenty years ago) link
Even if this were possible it would be a bad idea, but it isn't, so it is. SZ might well be the worst critic to have an international profile. I'm no Kael fan but SZ isn't fit to polish PK's glasses.
― Enrique (Enrique), Friday, 6 February 2004 09:30 (twenty years ago) link
― amateur!st (amateurist), Friday, 6 February 2004 11:13 (twenty years ago) link
― chris (chris), Friday, 6 February 2004 12:34 (twenty years ago) link
― Enrique (Enrique), Friday, 6 February 2004 12:34 (twenty years ago) link
― chris (chris), Friday, 6 February 2004 12:36 (twenty years ago) link
― Enrique (Enrique), Friday, 6 February 2004 12:38 (twenty years ago) link
― chris (chris), Friday, 6 February 2004 12:40 (twenty years ago) link
― Enrique (Enrique), Friday, 6 February 2004 12:43 (twenty years ago) link
Kehr's often spot-on and to the point; he got The Ice Harvest, and I often consult the many Brief Reviews he has here:
http://onfilm.chicagoreader.com/search/briefs
(to wit)
Bullitt
Steve McQueen as a tres chic San Francisco cop, though the real star is his sports car. There isn't much here, and what there is is awfully easy. With Jacqueline Bisset, Robert Vaughn, Robert Duvall, and a chase sequence that achieved classic status mainly by going on too long; Peter Yates directed this 1968 feature. 113 min.
― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Friday, 2 December 2005 20:34 (eighteen years ago) link
― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Friday, 2 December 2005 21:13 (eighteen years ago) link
― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Friday, 2 December 2005 21:20 (eighteen years ago) link
My list:
Jonathan RosenbaumDave KehrJ. HobermanMichael AtkinsonDennis LimAdrian MartinKent JonesPhilip Lopate (not really a critic as such, though)Steve EricksonStewart KlawansWSWS guysDavid SterrittTony Rayns
― C0L1N B... (C0L1N B...), Friday, 2 December 2005 21:54 (eighteen years ago) link
― Soledad (nordicskilla), Friday, 2 December 2005 21:55 (eighteen years ago) link
x-p
― C0L1N B... (C0L1N B...), Friday, 2 December 2005 21:55 (eighteen years ago) link
― Soledad (nordicskilla), Friday, 2 December 2005 21:56 (eighteen years ago) link
― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Friday, 2 December 2005 21:56 (eighteen years ago) link
― C0L1N B... (C0L1N B...), Friday, 2 December 2005 21:56 (eighteen years ago) link
― Soledad (nordicskilla), Friday, 2 December 2005 21:57 (eighteen years ago) link
― k/l (Ken L), Friday, 2 December 2005 21:58 (eighteen years ago) link
Maybe J Hoberman.
― Soledad (nordicskilla), Friday, 2 December 2005 21:58 (eighteen years ago) link
― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Friday, 2 December 2005 21:58 (eighteen years ago) link
― Erick Dampier is better than Shaq (miloaukerman), Friday, 2 December 2005 21:59 (eighteen years ago) link