Still another one bites the dust

David Elliott joins the ever-increasing ranks of film critics laid off by daily newspapers. Damn. (Hat tip to FilmStew.com.)

The slow fade of film critics

Matt Eagan of The Hartford Courant offers an intelligent, insightful and... and... oh, hell, just plain goddamn depressing piece about the seemingly irreversible decline in the number of film critics -- and fine arts critics -- at newspapers across the United States. Among the money quotes:

"The era of the newspaper film critic, the era of newspaper criticism, seems to be coming to a rapid and unceremonious end. As recently as a decade ago, no self-respecting mid-sized daily newspaper would have dreamed of publishing without a film critic.These days only major cities have them and those that remain (other than [Roger] Ebert) have seen their influence wane."

Every so often, I am asked by a young writer how he or she can get a job as a professional film critic -- that is, how he or she can get paid to write film reviews for a daily newspaper. And I must admit: Increasingly, I am tempted to respond: "Well, you can't. Not anymore. You're better off starting your own website. Pretty soon, the Internet is the only place you'll find serious film critcism." On the other hand, maybe I should just direct them to Eagan's article.

Don't write those obits for film critics just yet

From my Variety colleague Anne Thompson: "Wasn't film criticism supposed to be irrelevant? On the way out? When it comes to mainstream Hollywood tentpoles, maybe. But talk to filmmakers, no matter what their stripe, and all the talk of new media fades fast. They want the same things indies wanted a few decades ago: reviews from established critics.

"The Web has affected the film biz in many subtle ways, but it hasn't yet replaced the branding that occurs via theatrical booking and critical reviews. A local movie critic with a following drives people to see indie movies in a way that nothing else does -- at least so far."

Maybe what we need is more local movie critics... who write for their own websites?

Yet another one bites the dust

Yes: One more paper decides that a staff film critic is an unnecessary luxury.

More bad news about the film criticism

After reading Roger Moore's insightfully despairing piece about the current state of film critcism -- no, make that the current state of all arts and entertainment coverage in U.S. newspapers -- I thought I'd have a stiff drink. After re-reading it, however, I have changed my mind. To hell with a drink -- just give me the whole damn bottle.

I'm shocked -- shocked, I tell you! -- to read that some film critics might not actually see films they review

But, then again, this might explain why Wet Hot American Summer got such unfathomably upbeat notices from people who should have known better.