Posted on February 27, 2019 at 10:20 pm
As we see in movies like “Get Out,” “28 Days Later,” and “Dawn of the Dead,” horror can be more than scares and carnage. It can reflect and challenge our assumptions. Two new articles provide some fascinating commentary on these themes.
Posted on February 26, 2019 at 8:00 am
If you’ve ever wondered how a movie critic finds things in a movie you’ve missed (or misses things you think are significant) take a look at this good introduction by Allie Volpe about how a critic watches a movie.
For example:
Pay attention to the whole frame
One of freelance critic Candice Frederick’s favorite scenes in the heist thriller Widows features a long, unbroken shot where Colin Farrell’s politician character and his campaign manager, played by Molly Kunz, are in a heated discussion in a car. The viewer doesn’t see their faces but instead watches as the camera captures the changing landscape around the car. “We don’t see them because the director wants us to look around,” Frederick says. “These moments when you’re not focused on the characters’ faces and you think it’s downtime — in that scene, there’s so much being said. It really implores you to watch the screen, because, in addition to that, there’s a whole bunch of things happening on the street that we’re supposed to be looking at.” Don’t miss an opportunity to take in some plot development just because the camera isn’t focused on the stars.
And this one is good advice for looking at anything:
Question everything
Take a curious approach to all aspects of the story, from characters to setting. Frederick likes to begin with believability, even in fantastical settings. “Thinking from your own experience, would someone react like that? Is that real?” she says. “Ask questions about what you’re being presented, and ask whether you can see humans talking to other humans in that way.”Consider alternative scenarios, and question whether the story could’ve ended a different way. This forces you to think critically and confront the things you thought were weak or unrealistic. “Say, why did such-and-such happen? Or why did this happen instead of that?” Frederick says. “Ask questions. Talk about it afterward.” You don’t necessarily need to arrive at the answers — just asking is enough to get you into a more critical frame of mind. And the more you do it, the easier it will be at the next movie you see, and the next one after that.
Posted on February 23, 2019 at 6:07 pm
What’s more fun than watching the Oscars? Watching it with a bunch of cool movie critics! My colleagues and I will be chatting about the show and the awards in real time, and you can submit questions or comments. Hey, they don’t have a host, so you’ll need us!
You can join the conversation two ways:
1) click on the link
2) download the Goodtalk app, find “The Oscars” discussion on the main page
Posted on August 30, 2018 at 10:18 am
Rotten Tomatoes has made a very important step forward in promoting diversity with an announcement about its revised policy for accepting critics. As a critic who has been on Rotten Tomatoes almost since it began, I am delighted.
In revamping our Critics Criteria, we sought to bring the criteria into better alignment with the way media works today, to promote the inclusion of more voices that reflect the varied groups of people who consume entertainment, and to maintain the high standards we’ve always set for inclusion in the group of Tomatometer-approved critics.
When assessing applications from those wishing to be a Tomatometer-approved critic, or a Tomatometer-approved publication, we now take into consideration four key values as well as a revised set of eligibility requirements. These values are Insight, Audience, Quality, and Dedication, and you can find a full breakdown of each value here.
Movie critics in general, including those on Rotten Tomatoes, are overwhelmingly white males. Filmmakers like Meryl Streep and Brie Larson have complained that this lack of diversity does not fairly represent the experiences and perspectives of movie audiences. Rotten Tomatoes’ revised criteria reflect not just outreach to diverse voices but a thoughtful reassessment based on the wider range of platforms for criticism, including podcasts and videos. They make their commitment clear with a link in the announcement to invite other critics to apply.
This comes just after Chaz Ebert announced on Rogerebert.com its new gender-balanced roster of critics, five men and five women, including POCs, with more as contributors. I am very proud to be a part of this group, and to be the site’s first female assistant editor, and very happy to see critics as diverse as our readers.
Posted on August 3, 2018 at 9:16 am
I’m thrilled to announce that I am joining Rogerebert.com as its first female Assistant Editor, and will be contributing reviews regularly to its newly gender-balanced roster of critics. I am deeply grateful to Editor in Chief Chaz Ebert and to Matt Zoller Seitz, Brian Tellerico, Matt Fagerholm, and Nick Allen for giving me this opportunity. It was reading Roger Ebert’s reviews in the Chicago Sun-Times that first made me want to be a movie critic and his support for my work meant the world to me. Rogerebert.com is the finest movie site on the Web and I am thrilled to be able to contribute to it.
My other reviews and features will continue to be published at moviemom.com and I’ll continue to add links here for the pieces I do for rogerebert.com, thecredits.org, medium.com and others.
