The Dismantled: Film Critics Get the Axe

[Antoine Doinel]

I didn't really want to start a new thread for this (and I'm surprised I'm the first one to bring it up):

You're not. It was posted over here yesterday.

[cdnchris]

That's depressing. I didn't even know Jeffrey Lyons had a son. And he's on E! News. Great.

[Andre Jurieu]

I'm sure that they will have Billy Bush on as a guest critic.

I'm fully expecting Roeper to start up a show involving him and a female co-host (probably Aisha Tyler) who he can blatantly hit on using his "witty" banter.

[Matt]

I didn't really want to start a new thread for this (and I'm surprised I'm the first one to bring it up):

You're not. It was posted over here yesterday.

Huh. I searched specifically for that thread and it didn't come up. Well, carry on over there, I guess.

[Fletch F. Fletch]

The bloodletting begins over at Entertainment Weekly

[Matt]

The bloodletting begins over at Entertainment Weekly

Surely they won't get rid of Gleiberman or Schwarzbaum. The other guys are probably pretty nervous, though. I wouldn't be surprised to see EW go either online only or be a monthly supplement to Time within the next few years.

[domino harvey]

The bloodletting begins over at Entertainment Weekly

Surely they won't get rid of Gleiberman or Schwarzbaum. The other guys are probably pretty nervous, though.

I'd imagine Ken Tucker is the only other safe one, unless they're all too expensive to keep on. But Jesus, Tucker and Gleiberman were there since the first issue, that would be cold

[Antoine Doinel]

Who needs critics, when we now have reviews in a single image.

[lacritfan]

Rod Lurie on film critics getting the axe
Pretty good post except "Rex Reed made me laugh. He still does."

[chizbooga]

what does everyone think of david denby? I think hes a middling paulette who never sounds too convinced of his own lukewarm little opinions. Mother is gone, isn't she?

[Barmy]

i don't think anyone thinks of david denby

[eight_and_a_half]

Every day the internets have more and more smart, critical writing on film. Frankly I think it's never been better.

The problem is that for every solid piece of well-written film criticism on the web, there are hundreds of equally poor published works of film journalism, like this piece, which fail to address the medium or even the films themselves in an intelligent manner.

[FerdinandGriffon]

what does everyone think of david denby? I think hes a middling paulette who never sounds too convinced of his own lukewarm little opinions. Mother is gone, isn't she?

Would have to agree. If Denby likes a film, I find it's sure to be either so inoffensive that it's offensive, or just downright bad.

Anthony Lane on the other had, is great. I don't always agree with him, but he's consistently laugh out loud funny, and usually has a slightly unusual or off-kilter way of approaching a movie. That said, I though his ten best of 2008 list was a little odd.

Daniel Craig was not enough to redeem Quantum of Solace, and though I enjoyed Wall-E, it's been a bad year for movies if it was the best.

[Jeff]

though I enjoyed Wall-E, it's been a bad year for movies if it was the best.

It has and it was.

[Tom Hagen]

though I enjoyed Wall-E, it's been a bad year for movies if it was the best.

It has and it was.

Chalk it up as a good year to catch up on everything that came out in 2007, which was a phenomenal year.

[Robotron]

though I enjoyed Wall-E, it's been a bad year for movies if it was the best.

It has and it was.

The three best American films I've seen all year aren't even mentioned on that list.

[Matt]

Okay, not a film critic, but still important to note in this era of the diminishing importance of critics: Nat Hentoff, who has been working at the Village Voice for FIFTY YEARS, has been laid off. They also laid off Lynn Yaeger, their fashion reporter for 30 years.

But hey, Ben Lyons still has a job. Several of them, in fact.

[chizbooga]

Anthony Lane on the other had, is great. I don't always agree with him, but he's consistently laugh out loud funny, and usually has a slightly unusual or off-kilter way of approaching a movie. That said, I though his ten best of 2008 list was a little odd.

mm hmm! the orphanage?! outrageous. anthony lane is wierd. he's a great stylist and hes very funny but when hes talking about movies that have just been released, i generally only like him when he's dissing something. he has a taste for dull genre movies that are basically more superficially 'adult', self-conscious, restrained versions of the movies by guy ritchie or adrian lyne that he disses. I mean, didn't he like 'titanic'? and why does he think the bond movie he complains about is still better than 'milk'.

[Jeff]

Ella Taylor let go from LA Weekly

[MichaelB]

Britain's film critics come out on strike.

[lacritfan]

Ella Taylor let go from LA Weekly

Damn, I really liked her and read her stuff for years.

[kaujot]

This thread is depressing.

[Jeff]

Another one bites the dust: Andy Klein, CityBeat

[bearcuborg]

Not a critic proper, but Pat Graham of the Chicago Reader was let go. His blog writing was always interesting to say the least.

[Perkins Cobb]

And Melissa Anderson of Time Out New York.