The Arrow Thread

[Rik]

Originally Posted by J Harker

I want a film critic to tell me what they thought of a film not what i MUST think of it. Thats how it always comes across with Kermode.

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Same, also one that can talk about other films besides the Exorcist

Started reading his first book a few years ago and couldn’t make it past the first chapter because he pissed me off so much, back to the library it went

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Rob4

Kermode? He's alright. He's done some good stuff on The Exorcist and The Devils. Some of his individual reviews are a bit perplexing in their conclusions e.g. Ghostbusters referenced above, and he can be a bit shouty at times. In the end he's a mainstream critic and tends to pander to that audience but I think his occasional in depth dips into cult films are usually worthwhile and insighful.

I think a lot of peoples perceptions of critics are usually down to to two things 1. delivery and 2. how they treat your personal favourites.

There are other reasons. I took a dislike to Barry Norman because he used to say that the most important part of making a film was a good script. No Barry! The most important part of film making is being able to capture an image - that's why its called film making you dunce! See, I still don't like him

I disagree Rob, because any amateur film maker can capture an image on a digital camera but without a good script their movie is crap. The horror found footage genre is testament to this.

Of course at base level you need an image to be able to make a film so in that respect it is the most important part of film making but to make a film someone would actually want to watch then the script for me is the most important part.

[gag]

Tbh if I don’t fancy a film I’m not interested in what film critics have to say, I’m more interested in the general public, film fans and collectors etc and see what they have to say before i decide, I don’t always go on IMDb rating I scan the reviews and if more say it’s good than bad then I’ll give it a try, if practically everyone says it’s bad I won’t, but chances are watch it years down the line when it’s on tv etc and nothing else to watch.

[MuckyFunster]

I get that ‘Ghostbusters’ wasn’t the ‘Ghostbusters 3’ sequel that everyone might have wanted. Remakes like Ghostbusters and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory show how much humour and style has changed in the 35/49 years since the originals came out. My kids and my younger brothers love the newer films but don’t have much to say one way or the other on the older ones, whereas I love the older ones (particularly so in the case of Willy Wonka). I find American humour to be pretty polarising - either really funny or really unfunny - and never somewhere in the middle. The modern SNL style of humour seen in the new ghostbusters is a kind of ‘point out the obvious’, ‘make out everyone is an idiot apart from you’ type of thing that I generally don’t like cause it feels lazy. But, in saying that, I really enjoyed the new Ghostbusters movie and thought it was really well done. I certainly found it funnier than the original, at least in terms of laugh out loud moments. Maybe that’s because it surprised me, whereas I’ve seen the old one hundreds of times now and generally find it more comforting than funny, or maybe because I enjoyed it with my kids. I really couldn’t understand the hate for it at all.


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[Justin101]

I liked the girl Ghostbusters and I value Kermode's opinion on films as well. I didn't always but I read his books and went to 2 of his book tours.

He's not for everyone, but let's face it there are far more obnoxious film critics and film experts out there, but no-one is forcing anyone to consume their reviews or content.

[Rob4]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

I disagree Rob, because any amateur film maker can capture an image on a digital camera but without a good script their movie is crap. The horror found footage genre is testament to this.

Of course at base level you need an image to be able to make a film so in that respect it is the most important part of film making but to make a film someone would actually want to watch then the script for me is the most important part.

Good point Dem. I'm not arguing a script is unimportant. It's always, of course good to start with a solid foundation, but a good film maker will be able to make something interesting out of mediocrity whilst a bad film maker is more than capable of starting with a good script and making it mediocre. Which is why I think the most important part of making a film is what you can make out of the script rather than the script dictating the outcome i.e. the visualisation. A good example would be Dario Argento. His scripts are often hard to follow and have lapses in logic, but the films turn out good becuase of the way he visualises them. Imagine what would have happened if a less inspired director was behind the camera.

You often hear the critics say 'style over substance' and what they are saying is the script isn't any good. But look at the great directors that have been accused of that e.g. Brian de Palma, Ridley Scott, John Boorman to name but three.

[SymbioticFunction]

Obviously opinions of film will differ but after Kermode praised Ghostbusters 2016 and then later on gave a thorough bashing to Deadpool 2, describing it as a bad film, that's when I lost any further interest in his opinions. I actually stopped checking out his reviews on youtube. Nowadays I just watch reviews by Chris Stuckmann or sometimes Red Letter Media.

[Nostalgic]

Originally Posted by J Harker

The Geoff box?

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Lol! Sorry, never heard of the bloke before & i was tired!

[J Harker]

Originally Posted by Nostalgic

Lol! Sorry, never heard of the bloke before & i was tired!

No need to be sorry. Just amused my simple mind is all.

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[Demoncrat]

Kermode used to be a laugh, but his heads up his arse now. Plus he hated Blue Velvet at the time, trying to be all PC and that. PASS. This has nothing at all to do with his contrarian review of Twilight btw