Beginning Of The End For Ebert? (1 Viewer)

[Michael Caicedo]

Ultimately, what I enjoy and admire most about Ebert is role as a critic who champions film. AFAIK, he introduced and lauded Miyazaki to the mainstream US. His derision of P&S and education on OAR is well know within this forum. I know of no other critic than attends more obscure film festivals, and organizes and presides over them to boot.

Yes. I agree with Peter on this. Ultimately, this guy is on "our" side. I don't know any critic in any medium that we can agree with 100% of the time. One thing I'm sure about, Ebert is a true film lover and has done a great deal to promote and preserve film and film history.

 

[Peter Kim]

Absolutely, Michael. There isn't a single film critic that is 100% right - this standard doesn't exist in criticism. Criticism is opinion.

However, there is baseless and pointless criticism. I have never seen criticism by Ebert that falls into this category. Would anyone here in HTF, mostly non-professionals, claim to have a divining rod to identify the perfect film? And 100% of the time?

I get a good chuckle when scanning threads and see the "X film critic panned LOTR (or Moulin Rouge) therefore he's a horrible critic" post. I think deep down, these folks need to admit that they feel the criticism is an affront to their favorite film; hence, they lash out at the critic without reviewing the merits of the his argument. Again, who among us can state that they are the litmus test for good taste?

Ebert is passionate about film. In my nascent stages as a studious film aficionado, I thought this portly fellow was crazy raising the banner against the colorization of film.

It didn't take a catharsis to recognize the love that this guy had for film, the filmaker, and the preservation of film. I've gotta paraphrase an earlier post where a member discounts the viability of film reviewers as a whole. I disagree. There seems to be a revival of film critics, so much so that they've achieved a cult of celebrity.

But to cull the good ones from the mindless, don't praise those that you agree with the most. Read the review carefully (if it's more than a sound bite, one line). Then judge the review, and ultimately the reviewer, on the soundness of the analysis.

 

[Peter M Fitzgerald]

By all rights, Joe Bob Briggs should be occupying Roeper's seat. This simple truth is, of course, inarguable.