"Rex Reed" and "bad critic" is redundant phrasing.  On a very different level, I would mention John Simon, whose occasional insights are completely overshadowed by his sheer nastiness.

On a more positive note, the critics that I do find myself turning to from time to time are mostly the usual suspects.  I appreciate the thoughtfulness of Stanley Kauffman in The New Republic and the Chicago Reader's Jonathan Rosenbaum (although he was incredibly off on Ingmar Bergman's legacy, I think).  Regionally, Rob Nelson in the Mpls-St. Paul City Pages was a shining light that was snuffed out a year ago when he was fired.  (OK, an overstatement--he's still an active critic if not a  CP regular anymore.)  It was always interesting to see letters to the editor condemning him for knowing something about films and daring audiences to think.

Pauline Kael's early collections were the first film writings that really got me to thinking about films, as well as introducing me to a lot of names and titles, no matter what she herself thought of them.  She could be extremely good at times, but I do think that her sense of self-importance grew exponentially once she started writing for The New Yorker.  David Denby is a pale shadow, but Anthony Lane may be the best critic around these days when you're looking for snarky remarks.  (My all-time favorite snarky remark came from James Agee, writing about the college musical GOOD NEWS--"Mel Torme looks like something in a jar, but is unfortuntely less quiet."  Agee's stuff for The Nation is still worth reading.  My second favorite quote was from James Wolcott when he was reviewing television and remarked of James Brolin, "He always looks surprised that people *talk* and that, when they do, they use *words*."  But I digress.)

Don Larsson

___________________________________________________
"When something is empty, fill it.  When something is full, empty it.  When you have an itch, scratch it."   --Dieter Dengler

Donald F. Larsson, Professor
English Department, Minnesota State University, Mankato
Mail: 230 Armstrong Hall, Minnesota State University
        Mankato, MN  56001
Office Phone: 507-389-2368
________________________________________
From: Film and TV Studies Discussion List [[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Darrell Newton [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Saturday, August 02, 2008 10:26 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [SCREEN-L] film critics

Do you folks remember when Dixie Whatley and Rex Reed took over for "At the Movies" on WTTW in Chicago? Dumb and dumber? How about worse and worser....

Darrell M. Newton, Ph.D.
Associate Professor,
The Department of Communication Arts
Salisbury University
269 Fulton Hall
Salisbury, MD 21801
(410) 677-5060 Office
(410) 543-6229 Department

http://faculty.salisbury.edu/~dmnewton/
>>> Lou Thompson <[log in to unmask]> 07/31/08 10:30 PM >>>
Michael Medved is the worst of something, if not the worst film critic,
that's for sure.

Seriously, though, I think it's been mentioned but can probably bear
repeating, as more and more media outlets merge, these critics affiliated
with a particular publication or network, for example, sure do bring up some
provocative issues of conflict of interest.

We have a local guy here in the Dallas area, Gary Cogill, who appears on the
local ABC-affiliate, but he actually works freelance, won't do any of the
junkets or anything, because he doesn't want to be beholden to anyone.  He's
also really very good, meaning that he almost always agrees with me!

Lou

----- Original Message -----
From: "Mark Langer" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, July 31, 2008 9:00 AM
Subject: Re: [SCREEN-L] film critics


> On 7/26/08, Holiday, Frederick N. <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>>
>> I don't really have a list if the best, but I know who the absolute worst
>> is:  Peter Travers of ROLLING STONE, without a doubt.
>>
>> Fred A. Holliday II
>
>
>
> Oh come on.  Worse than Gene Siskel?  Worse than Michael Medved?
>
> Mark Langer
>
> ----
> For past messages, visit the Screen-L Archives:
> http://bama.ua.edu/archives/screen-l.html
>

----
For past messages, visit the Screen-L Archives:
http://bama.ua.edu/archives/screen-l.html

----
To sign off Screen-L, e-mail [log in to unmask] and put SIGNOFF Screen-L
in the message.  Problems?  Contact [log in to unmask]

----
Screen-L is sponsored by the Telecommunication & Film Dept., the
University of Alabama: http://www.tcf.ua.edu