Talking About Movies
If you are me (which I know none of you are, but still, indulge me), the first week of the year is an exciting time, wonderful time. Not because of resolutions or returning refreshed and renewed or any of that rubbish. No, it’s because of the journalistic feature I most anticipate each year: Slate’s Movie Club.
This year, Slate house critic Dana Stevens opens by writing something about abortion that seems calculated to provoke comment from Ross, and also requests a defense of Zodiac and David Fincher. Seeing as how Fincher is my favorite working director, and I put Zodiac in my top 3 films of the year, I’ll probably have something to say about that soon. But for now, go forth and read.
I love it too! I hope it doesn’t suffer without David Edelstein. I was encouraged to see that other reviewers defense of Southland Tales, which is the kind of ambitious failure I have such a soft spot for.
Now why aren’t you on there?
— Freddie · Jan 3, 03:02 AM · #
Ha, thanks — I’m sure Dana will keep things lively, though I doubt it will ever again match the awesome insanity of the Armond White year.
And I won’t even bother denying that I’d love to participate. But, cheesy as it sounds, I’m also just thrilled to read it and play peanut gallery from TAS.
— Peter Suderman · Jan 3, 03:20 AM · #
Well, in recent years they seem to be veering more outside of the New York coffee klatch…. I actually bet the Slate bigwigs would love a guy from National Review in there, it helps their lefty-iconoclast cred. But anyway, I’m sure some of the stuff said there will inspire some blog posts. It’s really cool to be able to talk about individual movies within the larger perspective of the year as a whole, and in what direction the movies are heading— those sort of questions are really restricted by the review form.
I wonder if Anthony Lane would ever participate/be invited to participate? I remember reading something snarky one year about David Denby and wondering just how insular the New York film reviewer world is…. But I’m prattling.
— Freddie · Jan 3, 03:30 AM · #
Dude, Slate’s Movie Club? Really? I pretty much loathe Dana Stevens. I know I should just laugh at her ability to turn every movie review into some liberal partisan BS (Decepticons/Autobots…Republicans/Democrats…anyone? anyone?), but gosh darn it, it just makes me mad. Her review of No Country for Old Men was also moronic. I put Dana Stevens in the same category as Frank Rich: the liberal insufferables or insuff-liberals.
— Derrick · Jan 3, 07:12 AM · #