deadCENTER '10 PODCAST: Gerald Peary, Elvis Mitchell, Pete Vonder Haar

Following a deadCENTER screening of Boston Phoenix film critic Gerald Peary's impassioned doc feature For the Love of Movies: The Story of American Film Criticism [official site], Peary sat down with The Treatment host Elvis Mitchell (who appears in the film as a former New York Times critic) and Film Threat contributing editor Pete Vonder Haar for a panel discussion on "the current state of criticism and its impact on film."

Yes, yes, you cine-obsessives reading this may be sick to death of hearing about the years-in-the-making transition from "The Good Ol' Days of Print" to the "Blogger Invasion" free-for-all, but when I had the pleasure to speak with all three panelists, we tried to expand our range of topics: Are we talking too much about criticism instead of the movies themselves? What's the strange critical reaction Peary has received from the very subjects of his documentary? Is it a conflict of interest for critics to meet filmmakers, and what was that "cool, Dirty Harry kind of thing" Mitchell once did?

I hope you'll appreciate the irony that our post-panel chat began a little too near the public restrooms, as there's nothing better to punctuate a conversation about the decline of film criticism than the sound of a toilet flushing.

To listen to the podcast, click here. (17:44)

Podcast Music
INTRO: Mojo Nixon & Skid Roper: "Elvis is Everywhere"
OUTRO: BS 2000: "Mr. Critic"

Posted by ahillis at June 14, 2010 11:06 AM