Critical Concerns

Cinema Criticism Writing

This past week we spent some time discussing the pros and cons of movie reviews in traditional media (magazines, newspapers) vs. movie reviews in new media (blogs, etc.). At first, the conversation was very much in favor of new media. The feeling in the room was that its informality and diversity give it a major advantage. But then I asked if we lose anything if movie reviews in old media go away. At that point, there was a sort of collective shift. The authority of those reviews, based on the critics' experience and knowledge base, was seen as valuable. We didn't even get into the issue that movie reviews in new media may not be especially independent. It's easier for a movie studio to influence an underpaid (or unpaid) blogger than it is for the studio to influence a reputable reviewer from the NY Times, say, or Roger Ebert. I think the class still might prefer the critics on new media, but we have to acknowledge that the issue is more complex than it may at first appear.