6th
Evan Derrick: 10 Ways to Become a Better Film Critic
This article evolved from various observations, both fully-formed and fragmented, that had been swirling around in my noggin’ like some kind of primordial goo. I’ve discovered, retrospectively, that some are more valuable than others, but there is inherent value in the entire piece, since as all lists like this are wont to do, it provides a firestarter for discussion.
Fair warning: it’s long, although most of the length can be attributed to the examples I’ve chosen from others critics. If you are so inclined, printing and reading a hardcopy at your leisure might be the best option.
From my introduction:
“Since beginning MovieZeal, I’ve thought a lot about what makes a good film critic. There are no books or how-to dummy guides out there on the subject, perhaps because there is an intangible, subjective element to film criticism that is difficult to pin down. Ignorant film watchers will resort to the tired judgment of “A critic is someone who couldn’t cut it as a filmmaker,” but they miss the forest for the big fat tree staring them in the face. There is much more to it, and film criticism over the past century has become an art in its own right. This article contains my humble thoughts, in no particular order, on how one might get better at it.
I fully expect a few of these to generate some debate, and while I’m not new to serious filmwatching, I am rather young in terms of written film criticism. In other words, I’m not claiming to have it all figured out. I’m also excluding some points that I think are obvious. For example, if you’re neither passionate about film nor consistent in your cinematic intake (multiple films per week), then you’re likely to prove a poor critic, no matter how many of the pointers below you take to heart.
10 Ways to Become a Better Film Critic - Part 1
10 Ways to Become a Better Film Critic - Part 2
