Comments on: FOR THE LOVE OF MOVIES and The Problem of Film Critics on Film http://blog.spout.com/2009/03/19/for-the-love-of-movies/ Daily coverage of what is truly interesting in the film world Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:36:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Salman Sajid http://blog.spout.com/2009/03/19/for-the-love-of-movies/#comment-135542 Salman Sajid Fri, 09 Oct 2009 19:16:32 +0000 http://blog.spout.com/?p=12216#comment-135542 Sorry, T. Holly, that was my bad. Only for cleaning, I am on the last line of your comment is dropped and believe me when I say, forgetting that for the purposes of transparency, I wanted to return it, I simply. It was back to his place. Sorry, T. Holly, that was my bad. Only for cleaning, I am on the last line of your comment is dropped and believe me when I say, forgetting that for the purposes of transparency, I wanted to return it, I simply. It was back to his place.

]]> By: Sujewa http://blog.spout.com/2009/03/19/for-the-love-of-movies/#comment-124542 Sujewa Fri, 03 Apr 2009 06:32:37 +0000 http://blog.spout.com/?p=12216#comment-124542 Yeah Eric, now that I've re-read your article again, really interested in how you came upon the "superior intelligence" conclusion. Sounds a little like something out of eugenics theories or a similar dangerous approach to quickly classifying things made by people (& in turn the people who made the things). Looking forward to your response/explanation. - Sujewa Yeah Eric, now that I’ve re-read your article again, really interested in how you came upon the “superior intelligence” conclusion. Sounds a little like something out of eugenics theories or a similar dangerous approach to quickly classifying things made by people (& in turn the people who made the things). Looking forward to your response/explanation.

- Sujewa

]]> By: Sujewa http://blog.spout.com/2009/03/19/for-the-love-of-movies/#comment-124540 Sujewa Fri, 03 Apr 2009 06:25:10 +0000 http://blog.spout.com/?p=12216#comment-124540 Re: your opening questions: "Here’s what I would like to learn from a movie about film critics: What makes them pertinent to the needs of society? Has the self-empowering progress of the blogosphere endangered the future of the profession? Most importantly, what kind of a fascinating loon do you have to be to watch movies all the time?" Indie Film Blogger Road Trip does cover all 3 items. Re: the society one - important for (indie film bloggers at least) building & growing & maintaining the indie film industry & community - source of revenue, work, art/entertainment, reflection & criticism for society (I don't think IFBRT went too heavily into that topic, but some bloggers did address it - Obenson, Harris, Silverstein, etc.). Re: bloggers vs. professional critics - Gabe Wardell & Paula Martinez & I discussed his opinion that bloggers are pushing pro critics out of work. Re: the fascinating loon part - all of the bloggers in IFBRT appeared to be nice & interesting - I guess loons like the rest of us. Anyway, I'll have to hook you up w/ a copy of IFBRT so that you can see if the Qs get answered through my doc. - S Re: your opening questions:

“Here’s what I would like to learn from a movie about film critics: What makes them pertinent to the needs of society? Has the self-empowering progress of the blogosphere endangered the future of the profession? Most importantly, what kind of a fascinating loon do you have to be to watch movies all the time?”

Indie Film Blogger Road Trip does cover all 3 items. Re: the society one - important for (indie film bloggers at least) building & growing & maintaining the indie film industry & community - source of revenue, work, art/entertainment, reflection & criticism for society (I don’t think IFBRT went too heavily into that topic, but some bloggers did address it - Obenson, Harris, Silverstein, etc.). Re: bloggers vs. professional critics - Gabe Wardell & Paula Martinez & I discussed his opinion that bloggers are pushing pro critics out of work. Re: the fascinating loon part - all of the bloggers in IFBRT appeared to be nice & interesting - I guess loons like the rest of us.

Anyway, I’ll have to hook you up w/ a copy of IFBRT so that you can see if the Qs get answered through my doc.

- S

]]> By: Sujewa http://blog.spout.com/2009/03/19/for-the-love-of-movies/#comment-124536 Sujewa Fri, 03 Apr 2009 06:16:30 +0000 http://blog.spout.com/?p=12216#comment-124536 Oh yeah, forgot to respond to this the first time I saw it days ago: "While I have only seen the first nine minutes of Sujewa Ekanayake’s Indie Film Blogger Road Trip, it appears to suffer from the opposite problem. Assembling a series of highly perceptive movie bloggers, Ekanayake fails to explore whether their competence has become threatened by an overabundance of amateur critics." We did talk about that - specially in the Gabe Wardell & Paula Martinez segment. " I care about the insights of my colleagues Anthony Kaufman and Stu VanAirsdale, but the implicit assumption that these guys possess greater validity than an excitable fanboy whose blog attracts sizable traffic requires fleshing out." I don't think the fanboy type blogger is represented in IFBRT. However, both experienced journalists & amatures/hobbyists who blog are important to the blog-universe - that's what makes it interesting & exciting - the diversity of voices & attitudes & writing skills. Anyway, not a topic that was covered in IFBRT. At some point this month you'll be able to see all of IFBRT, will post link at my blog. Eric, the following sentence is nonsensical: "For the Love of Movies at least possesses superior intelligence to the other two entries in this makeshift nonfiction trend, but it never radically engages with the material at hand." Exactly how does FLOM possess superior intelligence to a 90 min feature of which you've only seen 9 mins? I am not saying that ultimately you may be wrong about this one, but I think you would have to see the whole flick or all of everything that you are comparing (or most of it at least) to make a judgement on the level of intelligence in a flick. But, regardless of all that, I do want to see FLOM. Perhaps will try to before I attend the film criticism panel at ATL film fest on 4/18 (molly haskell is supposed to be there). Also looking forward to playing the video game versions of IFBRT & PLOM & the other doc - coming soon no doubt. - S Oh yeah, forgot to respond to this the first time I saw it days ago:

“While I have only seen the first nine minutes of Sujewa Ekanayake’s Indie Film Blogger Road Trip, it appears to suffer from the opposite problem. Assembling a series of highly perceptive movie bloggers, Ekanayake fails to explore whether their competence has become threatened by an overabundance of amateur critics.”

We did talk about that - specially in the Gabe Wardell & Paula Martinez segment.

” I care about the insights of my colleagues Anthony Kaufman and Stu VanAirsdale, but the implicit assumption that these guys possess greater validity than an excitable fanboy whose blog attracts sizable traffic requires fleshing out.”

I don’t think the fanboy type blogger is represented in IFBRT. However, both experienced journalists & amatures/hobbyists who blog are important to the blog-universe - that’s what makes it interesting & exciting - the diversity of voices & attitudes & writing skills. Anyway, not a topic that was covered in IFBRT.

At some point this month you’ll be able to see all of IFBRT, will post link at my blog.

Eric, the following sentence is nonsensical:

“For the Love of Movies at least possesses superior intelligence to the other two entries in this makeshift nonfiction trend, but it never radically engages with the material at hand.”

Exactly how does FLOM possess superior intelligence to a 90 min feature of which you’ve only seen 9 mins? I am not saying that ultimately you may be wrong about this one, but I think you would have to see the whole flick or all of everything that you are comparing (or most of it at least) to make a judgement on the level of intelligence in a flick.

But, regardless of all that, I do want to see FLOM. Perhaps will try to before I attend the film criticism panel at ATL film fest on 4/18 (molly haskell is supposed to be there).

Also looking forward to playing the video game versions of IFBRT & PLOM & the other doc - coming soon no doubt.

- S

]]> By: erickohn http://blog.spout.com/2009/03/19/for-the-love-of-movies/#comment-123288 erickohn Sat, 21 Mar 2009 16:36:02 +0000 http://blog.spout.com/?p=12216#comment-123288 Sorry, T. Holly, that was my bad. Simply for cathartic purposes, I dropped the last line of your comment and believe me when I say that, for transparency purposes, I meant to put it back in there; I simply forgot. It has been returned to its proper place. Sorry, T. Holly, that was my bad. Simply for cathartic purposes, I dropped the last line of your comment and believe me when I say that, for transparency purposes, I meant to put it back in there; I simply forgot. It has been returned to its proper place.

]]> By: Sean http://blog.spout.com/2009/03/19/for-the-love-of-movies/#comment-123274 Sean Sat, 21 Mar 2009 01:00:39 +0000 http://blog.spout.com/?p=12216#comment-123274 Shame. All of these precious words, and I couldn't get past the busted lead sentence. "Here’s what I would like to learn from a movie a film critics." Hire a copy editor. Shame. All of these precious words, and I couldn’t get past the busted lead sentence.

“Here’s what I would like to learn from a movie a film critics.”

Hire a copy editor.

]]> By: T.Holly http://blog.spout.com/2009/03/19/for-the-love-of-movies/#comment-123272 T.Holly Fri, 20 Mar 2009 23:37:25 +0000 http://blog.spout.com/?p=12216#comment-123272 Why did my comment get edited? Eric can take it, he's got half a dozen outlets taking his work. Why did my comment get edited? Eric can take it, he’s got half a dozen outlets taking his work.

]]> By: T.Holly http://blog.spout.com/2009/03/19/for-the-love-of-movies/#comment-123259 T.Holly Fri, 20 Mar 2009 19:07:09 +0000 http://blog.spout.com/?p=12216#comment-123259 I think I'm going to be immensely thankful a *mass market* documentation has been made. Please L.A. Film Fest, if you can find room for this, http://www.filmmakermagazine.com/blog/2009/03/micro-review-sweethearts-of-prison.php please find room For the Love of Movies: The Story of American Film Criticism. Eric?, when are you going to live blog a movie again, you did that so well, you really did. I think I’m going to be immensely thankful a *mass market*
documentation has been made. Please L.A. Film Fest, if you can find
room for this,

http://www.filmmakermagazine.com/blog/2009/03/micro-review-sweethearts-of-prison.php

please find room For the Love of Movies: The Story of American Film Criticism.

Eric?, when are you going to live blog a movie again, you did that so well, you really did.

]]> By: Andrew http://blog.spout.com/2009/03/19/for-the-love-of-movies/#comment-123180 Andrew Thu, 19 Mar 2009 23:49:39 +0000 http://blog.spout.com/?p=12216#comment-123180 It is unfortunate that at a time so many critics are being let go, we are treated to something as toothless as this. My perception of the profession was changed irreparably by reading Ray Carney's writing on the subject, and his specific attacks on Vincent Canby: http://people.bu.edu/rcarney/carncult/dark.shtml Recognizing the difference between journalism and criticism was a light being turned on for me. It is unfortunate that at a time so many critics are being let go, we are treated to something as toothless as this. My perception of the profession was changed irreparably by reading Ray Carney’s writing on the subject, and his specific attacks on Vincent Canby:

http://people.bu.edu/rcarney/carncult/dark.shtml

Recognizing the difference between journalism and criticism was a light being turned on for me.

]]>