Anti-woke “Am I Racist?” is a mini-blockbuster in the documentary category, but is mostly ignored by professional film reviewers apparently rubbed the wrong way by its message. “For whatever reason, there are films that we in the entertainment media fail to notice,” writes Joel Stein in the Hollywood Reporter. “In the case of the documentary ‘Am I Racist?,’ that ‘whatever … [Read more...] about Reviewers Ignore ‘Am I Racist?”
critics
YouTube Film Critic Makes Movie
A prominent YouTube critic has parlayed his online celebrity into crowd-funding a horror film that he directed and wrote, which received a prestigious fest play. Then, it was acquired by hot indie distribution Neon. Chris Stuckman, who amassed a staggering 2 million YouTube followers over 13 years for his film reviews/commentaries, is the director of supernatural drama … [Read more...] about YouTube Film Critic Makes Movie
Wrestling Toxic Fans Who Torch Cyberspace
As the nation’s political and social discourse gets coarse, it’s no surprise that movie marketers — who aim to engage fans — increasingly battle unwanted spurts of toxic fan syndrome. “So-called toxic fans take up an oversized place in the media's and the public's imaginations,” writes Aaron Couch in an analysis article in the Hollywood Reporter. In 2019, fanboys … [Read more...] about Wrestling Toxic Fans Who Torch Cyberspace
Viewing ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ Via Politics
The Netflix movie "Hillbilly Elegy" is a lightning rod for attention as film critics and pundits find a stealth political undertone that irritates them. The searing family drama starring Glenn Close and Amy Adams is based on a 2016 memoir nonfiction book about growing up poor in economically backward America. The political buzz for the book and now Netflix movie directed by … [Read more...] about Viewing ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ Via Politics
Digital Hipsters, Kids Diverge on ‘Clifford’
A video revealing “Clifford the Big Red Dog” drew mixed reviews, as adult digital literati found it garish, though tots and kids are probably just fine. The movie will be live-action, not animated. The family film’s distributor, Paramount Pictures, and producer Entertainment One released the image a few days ago in an orchestrated reveal encouraging fans to connect and pass … [Read more...] about Digital Hipsters, Kids Diverge on ‘Clifford’
Crackdown on Fest Reviews Amid Digital Leakage
Leakage from digital media is shutting down the long-standing practice of allowing critics to post reviews on films in festivals long before the same films go into general release. Back in the day, those reviews were published in trade publications seen only by in-the-business professionals. Now, trade-press reviews online get picked up by others and so Italy's venerable … [Read more...] about Crackdown on Fest Reviews Amid Digital Leakage
Analyst Blames ‘Poor Marketing’ in ‘Star Wars’ Stumble
A Wall Street stock analyst says "Solo: A Star Wars Story" stumbled at the box office because Walt Disney Studios didn't present a credible replacement to the Hans Solo character, immortalized by Harrison Ford in the early "Star War" movies. This most interesting film critic of "Solo" is Doug Creutz, who is a veteran media analyst at investment house Cowen & Co., and … [Read more...] about Analyst Blames ‘Poor Marketing’ in ‘Star Wars’ Stumble
‘Tonya’ Source Demands Journos Avoid Controversy
Arm-twisting reporters so they don’t ask talent about touchy subjects is a shadowy part of celebrity press interviews but has popped into the open for the movie “I, Tonya.” The drama with bursts of deadpan comedy stars Margot Robbie portraying ice skater Tonya Harding during the real-life crime perpetrated by Harding's entourage that maimed her main rival in 1994. “The … [Read more...] about ‘Tonya’ Source Demands Journos Avoid Controversy
Disney Retaliates Against Newspaper By Blocking Reviewers
Walt Disney Studios won’t give customary access to film critics from the “Los Angeles Times” for advance screenings because of displeasure for the newspaper questioning in questioning if an area Disney theme park pays its fair share of local taxes. The “Los Angeles Times” published a note to readers that accompanies its holiday movie section: “This year, Walt Disney Co. … [Read more...] about Disney Retaliates Against Newspaper By Blocking Reviewers
The Fall of ‘Saint Angelina’ (Jolie)
With the Brangelina "brand" in tatters, the New York Post published an informative dissection of how actress Angelina Jolie constantly reinvents herself and her divorce from Brad Pitt blows up one of her incarnations. “Jolie carved her own niche, controlled her own narrative, and it was impossible to look away,” notes New York Post journalist Maureen Callahan. But with her … [Read more...] about The Fall of ‘Saint Angelina’ (Jolie)