Two college doctoral candidates in France attempt to quantify biases of U.S. film critics in their college thesis paper, which left “New York Post” newspaper critic Kyle Smith amused. Toulouse School of Economics Ph.D. candidates Fanny Camara and Nicolas Dupuis dissect tendencies of movie critics in their paper “Structural Estimation of Expert Strategic Bias: The Case of … [Read more...] about Academics Try to Dissect Film Critic Biases
critics
Weinstein Aims ‘Philomena’ Beef At Critic
The Weinstein Co. bashes in a “New York Times” advertisement a professional film critic who pans its drama film “Philomena,” which triggered a battle in the press. Film distributor TWC urges readers to see the movie to “Decide For Yourself.” In a lengthy opinion article today, New York Post critic Kyle Smith defends his review. “I found the film lazy, contrived, with a … [Read more...] about Weinstein Aims ‘Philomena’ Beef At Critic
Critic: Political Correctness Topples Movies
While Hollywood frets that an unprecedented number of big budget films have flopped this year, an opinion article in the New York Post by Kyle Smith purports to answer why: two of the big disappointments so far injected Hollywood’s “political correctness.” The big-budget flops are Walt Disney Studios’ “The Lone Ranger” ($250 million production cost) and Sony Pictures’ “White … [Read more...] about Critic: Political Correctness Topples Movies
‘Django’ Slavery Action Figures Irk Activist
-“Django Unchained” action figures are drawing criticism for satirizing America’s sensitive slavery era. An activist, who says he saw and liked the movie argues the plastic action figures are "a slap in the face of our ancestors," he tells the Associated Press. "We feel that it trivializes the horrors of slavery and what African Americans experienced." The plastic … [Read more...] about ‘Django’ Slavery Action Figures Irk Activist
‘Oogieloves’ Bust
Ouch! The toddler movie “The Oogieloves in the Big Balloon Adventure” posted what is among the worst openings ever for a wide release movie. The $20 million production grossed just $47 per screen on its opening day on Wednesday, which works out to a paltry $104,564 total from 2,160 screens, according to BoxOfficeMojo. “Apparently, there’s not much love for the … [Read more...] about ‘Oogieloves’ Bust
‘The Grey’ Trailer Quotes Tweeters
Variety spotted what might be a first in movie marketing: a trailer presenting on-screen text slides of comments from Twitter about Open Road Film’s thriller trailer “The Grey.” The comments are from film critics and bloggers who saw the film in a private industry screening. Marketing materials usually excerpt from published comments of professional movie critics. “The … [Read more...] about ‘The Grey’ Trailer Quotes Tweeters
Critics Lambast ‘Adjustment Bureau’ Marketing
The trailers and other marketing materials for “Adjustment Bureau” are getting mentions in reviews for not representing the movie well, with some going as far as to claim that its misleading audiences. “New York Post” film critic Lou Lumenick wrote, “The misleading trailers for the supremely goofy ‘The Adjustment Bureau’ promise action-packed sci-fi. What you actually get … [Read more...] about Critics Lambast ‘Adjustment Bureau’ Marketing
‘Waiting for Superman’ Another Oscar Outrage?
The Oscars have a long history of passing over famous films for consideration in the documentary category and this year’s surprise is the exclusion of “Waiting for Superman,” which is a critically-praised film about America’s dysfunctional public education system. “New York Post” columnist Kyle Smith attributes the snub to Hollywood’s liberal elite in the Academy of Motion … [Read more...] about ‘Waiting for Superman’ Another Oscar Outrage?
Gripes over Film Rating System
The movie classification system is under attack in a spate of press commentaries, but I’ve got a simple fix. All those films that don’t like their ratings should withdraw from classification and play in cinemas “unrated.” There is no requirement to be classified and some films go that route all the time. It’s really an argument about Hollywood making more money by … [Read more...] about Gripes over Film Rating System
‘Toy Story 3’ Gushes Merchandise
“Toy Story 3” is the perfect fusion of products with entertainment on the silver screen. The Disney/Pixar animated blockbuster serves up an array of toy products that are ideal for license merchandising and the plot sets up a sequel--all while being an entertaining movie that is wowing fans and film critics. The end credits cite three branded placements: Mattel for … [Read more...] about ‘Toy Story 3’ Gushes Merchandise