Comments on: How to Write Film Criticism? Stop Reading It. http://blog.spout.com/2008/04/24/how-to-write-film-criticism-stop-reading-it/ Daily coverage of what is truly interesting in the film world Tue, 10 Nov 2009 09:15:12 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Escalating Film Critic Crisis Enters Crucial ‘Everything Sucks’ Phase [The Reviews Aren’t In] | weeklyexaminer.com http://blog.spout.com/2008/04/24/how-to-write-film-criticism-stop-reading-it/#comment-101590 Escalating Film Critic Crisis Enters Crucial ‘Everything Sucks’ Phase [The Reviews Aren’t In] | weeklyexaminer.com Thu, 29 May 2008 19:56:05 +0000 http://blog.spout.com/?p=2734#comment-101590 [...] Since film critics’ heads began rolling en masse at newspapers and magazines a little over a month ago, the debate over the job’s future has ignited deep thoughts from New York to Los Angeles. The discussion turned especially profound this week as a selection of esteemed critics moved on to slapping anyone and anything that would stand still long enough to absorb their blows. Follow the jump for our favorite sallies of critic-on-critic violence: In the Ebert age of criticism, the Aesthetic of the Hit dominates everything. Behind those panicky articles about critics losing their jobs (what about autoworkers and schoolteachers?), lurks the writers’ own fear of falling victim to the same draconian industry rule: Most publishers and editors are only interested in supporting hits in order to reach Hollywood’s deep-pocket advertisers. This is what makes traditional criticism seem indefinable and obsolete, leaving web criticism as a ready (but dubious) alternative. … (Viral criticism isn’t real; it’s mostly half-baked, overlong term-paper essays by fans who like to think they think.) — Armond White, New York Press Armond’s deeply confused screed makes me glad I quit the Press so that I don’t have to attempt to explain to people out of professional courtesy what point he thought he was trying to make. … His simplistic denunciation of the meaning and impact of Roger Ebert — who has done more to widen the tastes of the moviegoing public and popularize basic cinema literacy than any critic in the history of print — is shameful, and would be so even without the “I wish him well as he recovers” parenthetical. — Matt Zoller Seitz, The House Next Door I mean, it’s really sad that all these film critics are losing their jobs, but I think most film criticism is terrible. And not useful. And frankly, really boring. I read very little of it, and find very little of it to be useful. So it’s a shame that my colleagues are losing their jobs, but on the other hand I don’t read many of them. … [New Yorker critic] Anthony Lane is a very witty, very funny writer — and he doesn’t know shit about movies. — Nathan Lee, Rotten Tomatoes How to write film criticism? Stop reading it. — Karina Longworth, Spout Blog [...] [...] Since film critics’ heads began rolling en masse at newspapers and magazines a little over a month ago, the debate over the job’s future has ignited deep thoughts from New York to Los Angeles. The discussion turned especially profound this week as a selection of esteemed critics moved on to slapping anyone and anything that would stand still long enough to absorb their blows. Follow the jump for our favorite sallies of critic-on-critic violence: In the Ebert age of criticism, the Aesthetic of the Hit dominates everything. Behind those panicky articles about critics losing their jobs (what about autoworkers and schoolteachers?), lurks the writers’ own fear of falling victim to the same draconian industry rule: Most publishers and editors are only interested in supporting hits in order to reach Hollywood’s deep-pocket advertisers. This is what makes traditional criticism seem indefinable and obsolete, leaving web criticism as a ready (but dubious) alternative. … (Viral criticism isn’t real; it’s mostly half-baked, overlong term-paper essays by fans who like to think they think.) — Armond White, New York Press Armond’s deeply confused screed makes me glad I quit the Press so that I don’t have to attempt to explain to people out of professional courtesy what point he thought he was trying to make. … His simplistic denunciation of the meaning and impact of Roger Ebert — who has done more to widen the tastes of the moviegoing public and popularize basic cinema literacy than any critic in the history of print — is shameful, and would be so even without the “I wish him well as he recovers” parenthetical. — Matt Zoller Seitz, The House Next Door I mean, it’s really sad that all these film critics are losing their jobs, but I think most film criticism is terrible. And not useful. And frankly, really boring. I read very little of it, and find very little of it to be useful. So it’s a shame that my colleagues are losing their jobs, but on the other hand I don’t read many of them. … [New Yorker critic] Anthony Lane is a very witty, very funny writer — and he doesn’t know shit about movies. — Nathan Lee, Rotten Tomatoes How to write film criticism? Stop reading it. — Karina Longworth, Spout Blog [...]

]]> By: Critic v Critic at Funerals & Snakes http://blog.spout.com/2008/04/24/how-to-write-film-criticism-stop-reading-it/#comment-93899 Critic v Critic at Funerals & Snakes Fri, 25 Apr 2008 10:30:52 +0000 http://blog.spout.com/?p=2734#comment-93899 [...] shenanigans going on at the moment: How to write film criticism? Stop reading it. — Karina Longworth, Spout [...] [...] shenanigans going on at the moment: How to write film criticism? Stop reading it. — Karina Longworth, Spout [...]

]]> By: Karina Longworth http://blog.spout.com/2008/04/24/how-to-write-film-criticism-stop-reading-it/#comment-93864 Karina Longworth Fri, 25 Apr 2008 02:59:20 +0000 http://blog.spout.com/?p=2734#comment-93864 Kevin: No, you're right––more so than someone who only reviews films for a living, it's part of my job to read and comment on a wide range of film writing every day. But I can be stricter with how I spend my free time, and I should probably spend less of it reading things like "Pictures at a Revolution," and more of it doing things like reading novels and having conversations with human beings. Kevin: No, you’re right––more so than someone who only reviews films for a living, it’s part of my job to read and comment on a wide range of film writing every day. But I can be stricter with how I spend my free time, and I should probably spend less of it reading things like “Pictures at a Revolution,” and more of it doing things like reading novels and having conversations with human beings.

]]> By: Bob http://blog.spout.com/2008/04/24/how-to-write-film-criticism-stop-reading-it/#comment-93818 Bob Thu, 24 Apr 2008 22:10:41 +0000 http://blog.spout.com/?p=2734#comment-93818 Karina -- I don't know about you, but I've yet to be turned down by a restaurant. But seriously, nice piece. I had to stop reading the White's thoughts. More straw men that the entire state of Kansas, circa 1939. Perhaps it's time for him to cut down on the caffeine...and the glue sniffing. And I love Lee's advice because, at least when it comes to reading, I certainly practice it. I've actually never sat down to read a book of straight film criticism though I've read gazillions of individual reviews over the years. (I really should, though, sit down and read me some Agee and Farber, though.) Karina — I don’t know about you, but I’ve yet to be turned down by a restaurant.

But seriously, nice piece. I had to stop reading the White’s thoughts. More straw men that the entire state of Kansas, circa 1939. Perhaps it’s time for him to cut down on the caffeine…and the glue sniffing.

And I love Lee’s advice because, at least when it comes to reading, I certainly practice it. I’ve actually never sat down to read a book of straight film criticism though I’ve read gazillions of individual reviews over the years. (I really should, though, sit down and read me some Agee and Farber, though.)

]]> By: Kevin http://blog.spout.com/2008/04/24/how-to-write-film-criticism-stop-reading-it/#comment-93804 Kevin Thu, 24 Apr 2008 20:14:29 +0000 http://blog.spout.com/?p=2734#comment-93804 So would you be able to follow Nathan's advice about not reading critics? Or would that be professionally impossible? RE: reading, I'm not sure if I can get around to reading all the schwag we got from the Institute, but in lieu of reading Mark Harris' book, I listened to his interview with Elvis Mitchell for the KCRW The Treatment podcast. (Though it was so good that it made me want to read the book even more...) So would you be able to follow Nathan’s advice about not reading critics? Or would that be professionally impossible?

RE: reading, I’m not sure if I can get around to reading all the schwag we got from the Institute, but in lieu of reading Mark Harris’ book, I listened to his interview with Elvis Mitchell for the KCRW The Treatment podcast. (Though it was so good that it made me want to read the book even more…)

]]> By: Cinema is Dope » Film Critics http://blog.spout.com/2008/04/24/how-to-write-film-criticism-stop-reading-it/#comment-93770 Cinema is Dope » Film Critics Thu, 24 Apr 2008 16:32:57 +0000 http://blog.spout.com/?p=2734#comment-93770 [...] How to Write Film Criticism? Stop Reading It. Karina [...] [...] How to Write Film Criticism? Stop Reading It. Karina [...]

]]>