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On Wed, 3 May 1995, Joey Schwartz wrote:
 
> The charge of so-called inaccuracies in my previous post is very much
> over-exaggerated
AND
> School and Nationalistic pride are getting in the way of clear thinking
 
Its funny that Mr. Schwartz should say this because the last time I was
provoked to post to the entire list, it was because of his arguably
useless "rankings" of Canadian film schools -- a list which, as I have
already pointed out, contained at least one glaring falsehood.  Maybe it
wasn't "school and nationalistic pride" that provoked his
opinions to be presented as fact, but perhaps his complete disregard for
universities outside of central Canada can be attributed to some sort of
"Regionalistic" pride?
        As I said the last time I felt obliged to respond to Mr. Schwartz's
opinions, I would encourage any Screen-L subscriber who might actually
_believe_  Mr. Schwartz's claims about English-Canadian cinema and Canadian
universities to consider some of more compelling evidence to the
contrary. Frank Burke (who has recently remarked here on Schwartz's
inaccuracies) I know only by reputation, and he is but
one example of the top-flight film scholars practicing in this country.
        And as for Schwartz's remarks on The Cinema We Need: for those of
you who are not aware of this screeching cage-match among critics and
enthusiasts of Canadian cinema, it should  be made clear that in 1985
Bruce Elder published a shrill polemic, "T.C.W.Need" in which he insisted
that Canada would never have a "national cinema" until we started producing
and exhibiting alot more films which closely resemble the sort that Elder
himself made -- that is, experimental ones.  Sounds ridiculous to
Alabamans and Australians and Scots and Swedes, doesn't it?  But the
English-Canadian cinema is alive and well.  I'd encourage anyone to see
Atom Egoyan's _Exotica_, for instance, if they get the chance.  Or Peter
Mettler's _Picture of Light_ (although, as an experimental documentary,
and an amusing, profound, and beautiful one at that, I think even J.
Schwartz might like this one).
 
Peter Urquhart