January 3, 2008

Lists. New York Press.

New York Press "End of the year movie polls used to offer consensus; now they preserve film culture's herd-mentality," writes Armond White in, yes, the New York Press. "But anyone who responds to movies for what they mean - instead of the way they are sold - must depart the herd." Hence, his "2007 Better Than List," which is actually nowhere near as outrageous as last year's. Maybe because he's stored up his anger to unleash in a piece that begins elegiacally before cutting loose: "Following Robert Altman's death just over a year ago, American movies spiraled downward so noticeably that any sentient moviegoer must wonder whether there was a direct connection. A pall overshadowed 2007 cinema. Too often, I found myself scribbling a singular phrase in my reviewer's notepad: I MISS ALTMAN."

There's a point to the cover, by the way. Eric Kohn annotates a list of "all Hollywood movies directed, starred in or otherwise collaborated on by brothers in 2007."



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Posted by dwhudson at January 3, 2008 4:52 PM

Comments

FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!

Posted by: Shaggy at January 3, 2008 6:21 PM

Ah, Armond! As sometimes happens, I find myself in agreement with him (which always scares the hell out of me). But, really: While his ideas occasionally illuminate, his comparisons, though not exactly odious, are too often nutty. To compare The Darjeeling Limited with Before the Devil Knows You're Dead? Private Fears in Public Places with Southland Tales? Hot Fuzz with Superbad, and The Bubble with Juno? My goodness. In former decades, I'm sure he'd have told us why Lassie is better than On the Town and The Thing than The Magnificent Ambersons. Still, I continue reading him--which is more than I can say for certain other critics.

Posted by: James van Maanen at January 4, 2008 12:20 PM