MetaFilter posts tagged with critics

The "dynamic octagenarian duo"

jbickers — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 03:35:06 -0800

Lorenzo Semple, 84, has been a screenwriter for more than 50 years; his credits include "Papillion," "The Parallax View" and "Three Days of the Condor." Marcia Nasatir, 81, is a longtime agent and production executive, was the first female VP of production at United Artists, and produced films like "The Big Chill" and "Hamburger Hill." Together, they are the "Reel Geezers," offering irresistible film reviews on YouTube. To wit: Superbad, Iron Man, Sex and the City, Lars and the Real Girl, No Country for Old Men, There Will Be Blood. More background on the team (they're not married, BTW, just friends brought together by a mutual friendship with Pauline Kael). More background on Lorenzo, and more on Marcia.

The Year of Flops

Iridic — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 21:34:48 -0800

On Tuesday, A.V. Club critic Nathan Rabin's reassessment of the rabidly ambitious Perfume: The Story of a Murderer marked the culmination of his Year of Flops project, a reviewing marathon of 104 commercial and critical failures. Here's the index of the films, sorted into Elizabethtown-derived categories of good but luckless movies, ordinary losers, and disasters of mythic proportions. For a bit of context, clips from some of the films in question: The Apple Batman and Robin The Wicker Man The Island of Dr. Moreau Under the Cherry Moon Billy Jack Goes to Washington Freddy Got Fingered (Not safe for work) Howard the Duck (Not safe for ducks) The Jazz Singer Toys Pennies From Heaven Return to Oz Cruising Cool World North

2007: The Movie(s)

Weebot — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 13:38:34 -0800

Indiewire put out their second annual film critic's poll recently. There Will Be Blood tops the list, with Zodiac, No Country for Old Men, Syndromes and a Century, and 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days following behind. A spiritual successor/competitor to the Village Voice's film poll, Indiewire polled 106 North American film critics—mostly those who work online or in the alternative press—for their favorite films, performances, documentaries, etc, as well as their thoughts about the year in film. Here's the full list, as well as the lists for best film, performance, supporting performance, director, screenplay, first film, documentary, cinematography, and undistributed film. It all comes with an accompanying essay, as well as an essay about 2007 in undistributed film. It also comes with a collection of the critics' comments—critic's defending their orphan #1 picks, their thoughts about the best and worst films of the year, and comments about the state of film culture. You can also view it by each participating critics' ballot. (The ones that I follow are Scott Foundas, Ed Gonzalez, J. Hoberman, Nathan Lee, Jonathan Rosenbaum, Matt Zoller Seitz, Amy Taubin, Charles Taylor, Scott Tobias, Armond White, and Stephanie Zacharek).

Proving the old adage about opinions

Horace Rumpole — Mon, 21 May 2007 08:57:58 -0800

"Not everybody's a critic." Richard Schickel bitchslaps the blogosphere (in response to this) and not for the first time. The blogosphere slaps back. (via)

Your favourite film sucks

chuckdarwin — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 03:13:41 -0800

'In defense of film critics' posits that 'Film critics [unlike food critics, etc] are expected to be cheerleaders.' I guess we're not supposed to think it's odd that the piece was written by paper's resident film critic. He does ask at least one good question, though: why have so many truly awful [and poorly reviewed ] films done so well at the the box office this year?

"I hate music / Sometimes I don't. . . . Tommy said so-so-so-so-so what?"

bardic — Sun, 30 Apr 2006 13:36:18 -0800

"So I think we maybe have this sort of snobbish reputation. But we're just really honest, opinionated music fans." (via)

9 3/4 stars! "R" is Got Done Real Good!

JHarris — Mon, 10 Apr 2006 00:52:25 -0800

The Weekly Blurb - "Your dependable Hollywood quote whore." Probably by the same people who long ago brought us late, lamented Timmy Big Hands. And A Year At The Movies and Movie Megacheese. And, you know, something else.

My mom read it and thinks it's good.

shmegegge — Sat, 25 Feb 2006 13:59:51 -0800

Looking for an ego boost? The fine people over at The Screenplay Agency are the place for you! No logline too stupid, no script too poorly written! Are you tired of agency after agency telling you that they don't want your 20 year old screenplay about how much you love peanut butter just because "It doesn't make any sense, and is written with crayon on a pile of dirty gym socks?" I know I was! Until I found out about The Screenplay Agency, who promptly accepted every criminally copyright infringing idea I threw at them until I just KNEW I was every bit as good I writer as I've always told myself I am. And all they asked of me was approximately $250 in fees paid to coverage agencies no one has ever heard of and which seem to be owned by the same company that owns The Screenplay Agency! Sure, you've heard of publishing scams like Publish America (part 2) thanks to the diligence of sites like Making Light and our own thread on the matter, but The Screenplay Agency is totally different! For one thing, they only ~~rip you off~~ boost your ego through screenplays. Now, some ~~legitimate screenplay writers~~ high and mighty hollywood types have gone and pranked this excellent automated delusion reinforcer. But don't let those spoilsports spoil your sport! (God, I am such a great writer. No wonder they loved my screenplay!) Go ahead and generate your own rave reviews!

But what about Clerks, Mallrats???

PrincessLara — Fri, 27 May 2005 16:48:48 -0800

Time Mag's 100 All Time Best Flicks Compiled by their OWN critics, of course. Hence no Kevin Smith masterpieces mentioned. The List also fails to mention some of the most popular movies of all time. It can't be right if it doesn't include the Wizard of Oz.

French Film Critics

Rashomon — Thu, 24 Feb 2005 18:43:56 -0800

Ten best film list a critique of the U.S? The venerable [some say notorious] French film magazine Cahiers du Cinema unveiled their ten best films of 2004 list recently. Other than their list typically leaning toward films by auteurs - such as Ingmar Bergman and Hou Hsiao-hsien [and Tarantino] - they also included The Village by M. Night Shyamalan. With that choice are they rewarding the artistic merits of the film [which most critics view as minimal] or are they making a statement about The United States? In short do they view the U.S. like the characters in the film - an isolated bunch of paranoid [Puritan] villagers living and acting off of their fears? Or is there some other reason they would choose the film as one of the year's best?