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Re: RGA, just say, "Ebert is the best film critic in MY opinion!"

I think instead of responding to my post you are just rephrasing your earlier comments about Ebert. It makes me wonder if you read what I wrote. But just in case...

"Ebert is the most noteworthy because he's the only film critic to win the Pulitzer. He teaches film school and he knows film as well as anyone....He's got his Star on the Walk of Fame."

The Pulitzer can only be won by those who work for newspapers in the United States. This eliminates film critics who work for magazines or publish books or who live in other countries. For what its worth, Kael won the National Book Award. Other film critics teach or lecture at film schools, universities, and colleges and know film very well. And it isn't that hard to get a Star on the Walk of Fame. Do you know the criteria?

"A film critic has to like all genres of film -- not all films but genres."

Why? Would you ask a music critic to like all kinds of music or a book critic to like every kind of book (I remember the "greenback" paperbacks with some small fondness myself :^), but that's another story!)? Isn't it occasionally interesting to read someone grappling with a work in a genre they don't like?

"...he's the critic chosen for the running commentary of film's like Citizen Kane not James Agee."

But is Ebert chosen to do this not because he has done the most research on "Kane," but because he is well known and can convey what he knows about the film with passion? I'm sure you'll agree with me that perhaps scheduling plays a small part in Agee not being asked to do any DVD commentaries.

"But what ebert is is not a Hack -- he is "in League" with the very best film critics and he writes in a realtively direct easy entertaining style (some may go further and call it formula style) but that does not or should not detract from "WHAT" he is saying."

I don't think Ebert is a hack. Quite the contrary. See what I wrote in my previous post.

"Some of the art-house critics however often stick their foot in their mouth when trying to be "deep" shovelling absolute non-sensical kaka in their negative views of a hollywood film. To me it is easy to spot -- skeptics are always given more weight and more credibility because they are being skeptical (not that they are being more truthful)"

This doesn't discuss the critics I've suggested you take a look at, many of whom (Bazin, Sarris, Kael, Godard, Truffaut) had strong positive feelings about the "hollywood" film (indeed, Kael, who seems to be the other critic of this list you are familiar with, bluntly stated that Europe had only given us a handful of great films after 1972, whereas Hollywood was in a golden age in the Seventies).

"All tube amps suck , LP's suck, all amps sound the same because of some test. No different than eveyr hollywood movie sucks and only the no name box office failures which are forgotten in three years (except by 12 film critics)"

You did not arrive at your opinions about audio gear without listening, did you? Then take a look and read some of the critics I have suggested. There is a strong Anglo-Franco flavor to my list, but as I stated to Donald T., while there are many German, Russian, Japanese, Hong Kong, etc., critics that I do not know or do not know well, this will at least give you a start.

And if you hate no name box office failures that are forgotten in three years (except by 12 film critics) then I urge you to forego seeing "Greed," "The Wild Bunch", "The Wizard of Oz", "Citizen Kane", "Fear and Desire," (good luck just seeing that one!) and "The Sugarland Express," as they were all commerical failures on their release (at least bookkeeping said they were!) starring either has-beens or second-choicers or nobodies no one had ever heard of.

"Ebert is not viewed as an elite film critic for the simple reason that he isn't a big enough elitest snob. And he needs to live in New York."

You may be right about the first sentence here, LOL! But again, look at the writings of many on the list I posted, and you may be surprised by what cranks their motors! And Kael wrote in San Francisco for almost twenty years. The other film critics I name are/were been located in L.A., London, Paris, and Berlin. I know what you are trying to say there ("New York elitest snob critic") but one of the critics on my list came from Hungary! Location alone does not determine reputation.

Go back and re-read my previous post. Then try to find out one or two things about the people I name and read something by them. Try to understand why I might have them on a list to give someone who may be unfamiliar with the history of film criticism.

There is nothing wrong with you liking Ebert or thinking he is the best film critic you have ever read. But you wrote that he was the most notable film critic in the history of film criticism, and your reasons seem to be based more on the fact that he is well known and popular. Well, there are more film critics than the ones you see in rottentomatoes.com, and the views of the critics I wrote about have had a small impact here and there on what you see. I think you would be surprised at some of what they wrote (or in several happy instances, are writing).

Give them a chance, and see what you think.

And enjoy the journey! I remember the first time I read Kael and Sarris, and oh Lord, Bosley Crowther! You won't like all of them...but they may help you see film in different ways.

BTW, if you think Kael is bizarre, you may enjoy Renata Adler.

Take care and have more fun reading film criticism than you seem to have had up to this point!



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