Who are the best film critics?

[B-side]

What critics do you read regularly nowadays? Who are your favorite film theorists? I browse sensesofcinema pretty regularly, but I'm looking to switch it up, preferably with some theorists or critics I can read online. I've not read any Pauline Kael or David Bordwell, but I plan on starting to rather soon here. I mention those two as they tend to be most often mentioned. So, who tickles your fancy these days? Whose opinion do you trust the most?

[number8]

I know who the best film critic is. He's got two thumbs.

*points*

[Boner M]

I generally try to read everything by Adrian Martin and Kent Jones. The former has probably shaped my cinephilia in recent years more than any other single writer I can think of.

[B-side]

I know who the best film critic is. He's got two thumbs.

*points*

Jokes like this make me wish we still had neg-rep.

:D

[ledfloyd]

i tend to read a.o. scott and manohla dargis the most. certainly not a fan of pauline kael.

[BuffaloWilder]

Including both commercial critics and ones who are online only, American-wise, there's:

Roger Ebert
David Bordwell
A.O. Scott
Michael Phillips
Kirk Honeycutt
Manohla Dargis
Jim Emerson
Alexander Coleman
Glenn Heath Jr.
Richard Corliss (pre-1995)
Pauline Kael
Andrew Sarris (both just for legacies sake, as I'm no fan of Kael, and Sarris doesn't seem as on-the-ball as he was pre-1993.)
Danny Peary


Of the French, there's:

Nino Frank
Rafik Djoumi
Yannick Dahan
Matthieu Santelli of Critikat
Matiere Focale
Mad Movies (in general, as I can't think of one particular writer I prefer)


And, of course, Adrian Martin. Who doesn't like him?

[Boner M]

Kirk Honeycutt
And yet Rosenbaum is 'terrible'? C'mon.

[BuffaloWilder]

When did I say Rosenbaum was terrible?

Ooh, and the person behind "Where the Stress Falls" (http://mss.typepad.com/) is good, too.

[Boner M]

I'm guessing you were being sarcastic (http://match-cut.org/showpost.php?p=184645&postcount=130), then.

[BuffaloWilder]

Well, maybe that was a bit hyperbolic, but I'm not a big fan of the guy, I'll be honest.



http://application.denofgeek.com/images/m/murray/009_Where_The_Buffalo_Roam.jpg
"Either I owe him an apology, or nothing at all."

[Spinal]

Dennis Cozzalio

Obviously.

[Qrazy]

Jokes like this make me wish we still had neg-rep.

:D

We don't have neg-rep anymore? I mean I never actually gave it but I like to feel like I have the option to do so. I THOUGHT HIS WAS AMURICA>

[B-side]

We don't have neg-rep anymore? I mean I never actually gave it but I like to feel like I have the option to do so. I THOUGHT HIS WAS AMURICA>

I thought it was pretty fascist myself. Clearly, the mods are Obama supporters.:lol:

[B-side]

I thought it was pretty fascist myself. Clearly, the mods are Obama supporters.:lol:

Just to be absolutely clear, this was a jab at the neo-cons, not the Obama supporters. It's satire, geddit?

I hate life.

[BuffaloWilder]

don't tread on me

[transmogrifier]

Zoller Seitz

[BuffaloWilder]

Oh, and The Filmist. He's cool, too.

[dreamdead]

I regularly read Slant, Reverseshot, sensesofcinema, A. O. Scott, Zizek, everything that Manohla Dargis puts out, Bordwell, Bazin, and Zoller Seitz.

I need to get into Martin and Manny Farber.

[Eleven]

Even though they only blog and don't do regular reviews anymore: Glenn Kenney and Jim Emerson.

Regular reviewers of the past and present: David Sterritt, William S. Pechter, Dennis Lim, Andrew Sarris, Jonathan Rosenbaum, Matt Zoller Seitz, James Agee, Vincent Canby, Manohla Dargis, A.O. Scott, David Edelstein, Manny Farber, Otis Ferguson, J Hoberman, Stanley Kaufmann, Dave Kehr, Walter Kerr.

Academics or cultural critics: James Naremore, Susan Sontag, Andre Bazin, David Bordwell, Stanley Cavell, Molly Haskell.

Critics I want to start reading more of: Gilberto Perez, Raymond Durgnat, Adrian Martin, Edmund Wilson.

Armond White: Armond White.

[balmakboor]

Who are the best film critics? We are. I don't read anyone else these days.

[B-side]

Who are the best film critics? We are. I don't read anyone else these days.

:)

[Ezee E]

Who are the best film critics? We are. I don't read anyone else these days.
This.

[D_Davis]

David Bordwell
Stephen Teo
Leon Hunt

[Melville]

I don't really read any. But what I've read on Bordwell's blog is great.

[Pop Trash]

Basically Buffalo Wilder's list. I also have a subscription to Film Comment so a lot of those peeps I like, even when I disagree with them. That said, Nathan Lee's The Wrestler review was awful.

[D_Davis]

David Bordwell



I don't really read any. But what I've read on Bordwell's blog is great.

Oh. My. God.

[Melville]

Oh. My. God.
I'm pretty sure that's a sign of the Apocalypse.

[D_Davis]

I'm pretty sure that's a sign of the Apocalypse.

It's been nice knowing some of you.

[Melville]

It's been nice knowing some of you.

:lol:

[Dead & Messed Up]

I enjoy reading A. O. Scott, Michael Phillips, Jim Emerson, Mary Ann Johannson, Roger Ebert, Manohla Dargis, and David Bordwell.

[Duncan]

I read Manohla Dargis from time to time, but mostly I've stopped reading film criticism. Then again, I do have a subscription to Film Comment, but I tend to only read the more theoretical articles.

[Rowland]

Vern.

[Sycophant]

I pretty much read Roger Ebert, Anthony Lane, and the boys at Film Freak Central (especially Walter Chaw) these days. I mean to check Bordwell's blog more often than I do. He's great.

[BuffaloWilder]

Oh, and I suppose I'll add to the French criticism section - Cinetudes (http://www.cinetudes.com/).

[Boner M]

Vern.
Oh god, yes. And this (http://www.geocities.com/outlawvern/APRIL/VernBlog.html) can't be posted regularly enough.

[number8]

I... don't really know where to post this, but Ebert has learned about Armond White and called him a troll:

http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2009/08/in_defense_of_armond_white.htm l

[baby doll]

Aside from those who've already been mentioned (Bordwell, Dargis, Ebert, Hoberman, Rosenbaum, Scott), I like Michael Sicinski, Kristin Thompson, and Robin Wood.

[balmakboor]

I... don't really know where to post this, but Ebert has learned about Armond White and called him a troll:

http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2009/08/in_defense_of_armond_white.htm l

Yeah, I read that today as well. Pretty funny. Soori made one of the comments after the article as well.

[baby doll]

Yeah, I read that today as well. Pretty funny. Soori made one of the comments after the article as well.Yeah, just getting out my pent-up frustration over his idiotic review Tony Manero.

[balmakboor]

Yeah, just getting out my pent-up frustration over his idiotic review Tony Manero.

I totally agreed with you. That sentence made no sense at all. I still need to see Tony Manero though.

[Boner M]

Still not convinced Ebert's addendum is for real. "I was not familiar enough with White's work"? Um, whatevs.

[Spun Lepton]

Still not convinced Ebert's addendum is for real. "I was not familiar enough with White's work"? Um, whatevs.

So, what, you're suggesting somebody hacked the site and edited it?

[Boner M]

So, what, you're suggesting somebody hacked the site and edited it?
No, it's just that after such a well-reasoned argument, I'm surprised that Ebert would fall back on "liking _____ but not _____? TROLL", except if he was trying to point out the uselessness of such positions, and in that case it's pretty funny.

[Qrazy]

No, it's just that after such a well-reasoned argument, I'm surprised that Ebert would fall back on "liking _____ but not _____? TROLL", except if he was trying to point out the uselessness of such positions, and in that case it's pretty funny.

I doubt it.

[transmogrifier]

Armond White is a fan of Paul Rudd, so he's not all bad.

[trotchky]

i like manohla dargis a lot. a.o. scott is cool too. i'm also a fan of ed gonzalez and nick schager. michael koresky is awesome. i used to enjoy mike d'angelo.

i don't like roger ebert, jonathan rosenbaum, or pauline kael.

[Adam]

http://media.avclub.com/img/logos/avclub_logo.jpg

Almost every movie reviewer over at The Onion AV Club (http://www.avclub.com/) is sharp, witty and knowledgeable about film. Their actual reviews are pretty short, but they're solid and the comments below are always interesting/hilarious/insightful. My taste usually jibes with theirs and even when it doesn't, they're entertaining enough to read so it's all good. Outside of those guys and the hipster douchebags who post on their articles, though, I don't think I really trust much of anyone else when it comes to my pop cultural consumption

[Bosco B Thug]

I've recently discovered this guy (http://www.cinepassion.org) and this guy's got me. He mentions Death Proof's flooring ending credits. His capsules are punchy and literate at the same time. Well, he loves There Will Be Blood, but fine, sigh, at least Sweeney Todd gets love too. Check him out. He writes for Slant sometimes, too.