Comments on: Andrew Sarris, Freelancer http://moviemorlocks.com/2009/06/16/andrew-sarris-freelancer/ MovieMorlocks.com is the official blog for Turner Classic Movies (TCM). No topic is too obscure or niche to be excluded from our film discussions. And we welcome your comments on our blogs and bloggers. Mon, 15 Mar 2010 07:02:16 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Philip William http://moviemorlocks.com/2009/06/16/andrew-sarris-freelancer/#comment-9659 Philip William Wed, 12 Aug 2009 11:57:43 +0000 http://moviemorlocks.com/?p=11191#comment-9659 I have been reading and studying film criticism since elementary school-- when there were seven newspapers published daily in NYC. In fact, I do not believe the word film was in vogue then-- not to mention the word criticism grouped with the word film. Mr. Crowther and Mrs. Crist reviewed movies -- it was as simple as that. I admit I always was an unabashed fan of Mrs. Crist, but there were other writers to savor -- most especially Andrew Sarris ( I always hid the Village Voice from my parents in the 1960's), Pauline Kael, Stanley Kaufmann(sp?), Roger Ebert (later), John Simon ( a great way to improve one's vocabulary). The news of Mr. Sarris' leaving the OBSERVER saddens me, for he is in many ways one of the great film critics and ever passionate movie nut. His reviews were the only reason I subscribed to the paper. Oh, I admit I have a crazy fondness for Rex Reed's curiously divergent pose style, but it was Mr. Sarris' reviews that urged me to renew my subscription to the OBSERVER. I'll miss him. Perhaps Molly Haskell, his wife, and Mr. Sarris will publish a newsletter. Thank you for this information. I have been looking for his reviews for over a month. I have been reading and studying film criticism since elementary school– when there were seven newspapers published daily in NYC. In fact, I do not believe the word film was in vogue then– not to mention the word criticism grouped with the word film. Mr. Crowther and Mrs. Crist reviewed movies — it was as simple as that. I admit I always was an unabashed fan of Mrs. Crist, but there were other writers to savor — most especially Andrew Sarris ( I always hid the Village Voice from my parents in the 1960’s), Pauline Kael, Stanley Kaufmann(sp?), Roger Ebert (later), John Simon ( a great way to improve one’s vocabulary).
The news of Mr. Sarris’ leaving the OBSERVER saddens me, for he is in many ways one of the great film critics and ever passionate movie nut. His reviews were the only reason I subscribed to the paper. Oh, I admit I have a crazy fondness for Rex Reed’s curiously divergent pose style, but it was Mr. Sarris’ reviews that urged me to renew my subscription to the OBSERVER. I’ll miss him. Perhaps Molly Haskell, his wife, and Mr. Sarris will publish a newsletter.

Thank you for this information. I have been looking for his reviews for over a month.

]]> By: Al Lowe http://moviemorlocks.com/2009/06/16/andrew-sarris-freelancer/#comment-8989 Al Lowe Wed, 17 Jun 2009 19:03:17 +0000 http://moviemorlocks.com/?p=11191#comment-8989 Things look bleak. Sounds like a line from a B movie. But that is the situation regarding newspapers these days. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette gave some well known names buy-outs. A small paper I wrote for just folded. When growing up I could walk up a block and see newspapers in front of everyone's homes. Now you're lucky if you spot one rolled up newspaper per block. Regarding another matter, I was reminded while reading the article that I forgot to mention a couple books I like when I wrote in (twice) giving my list of books. Saturday Afternoon at the Bijou by David Zinman is great. It describes ALL the movie series of the 30s and 40s. And I do mean ALL. Plus there is credits for each entry in each series. So when TCM airs a Dr. Kildare, Thin Man or Andy Hardy I turn to Zinman's book and find out who it is in it. This is faster than my Internet. Also, David Shipman wrote interesting compliations of essays, including credits, regarding the great stars of the classic movie era. As for Sarris, I not only have the American Cinema but I have Confessions of a Cultist, his movie critiques from the mid-50s to early 60s. I wish him well. You know, I often disagree with the American Film Institute's choices for the various lists they announce - the greatest movies, comedies, dialogue, etc. But I really appreciate what they are doing, keeping interest in old movies alive. It is urgent that someone do this. Those wonderful old movies CAN be forgotten. Look at what is happening to newspapers. They may die out, with only a few big cities having daily papers. Someday, the kids may look at Citizen Kane and wonder what THAT was all about. Why were newspapers so important? Why didn't everyone just twitter each other? Things look bleak.

Sounds like a line from a B movie. But that is the situation regarding newspapers these days. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette gave some well known names buy-outs. A small paper I wrote for just folded.
When growing up I could walk up a block and see newspapers in front of everyone’s homes. Now you’re lucky if you spot one rolled up newspaper per block.

Regarding another matter, I was reminded while reading the article that I forgot to mention a couple books I like when I wrote in (twice) giving my list of books.
Saturday Afternoon at the Bijou by David Zinman is great. It describes ALL the movie series of the 30s and 40s. And I do mean ALL. Plus there is credits for each entry in each series. So when TCM airs a Dr. Kildare, Thin Man or Andy Hardy I turn to Zinman’s book and find out who it is in it. This is faster than my Internet.
Also, David Shipman wrote interesting compliations of essays, including credits, regarding the great stars of the classic movie era.

As for Sarris, I not only have the American Cinema but I have Confessions of a Cultist, his movie critiques from the mid-50s to early 60s. I wish him well.

You know, I often disagree with the American Film Institute’s choices for the various lists they announce – the greatest movies, comedies, dialogue, etc. But I really appreciate what they are doing, keeping interest in old movies alive.
It is urgent that someone do this. Those wonderful old movies CAN be forgotten. Look at what is happening to newspapers. They may die out, with only a few big cities having daily papers.
Someday, the kids may look at Citizen Kane and wonder what THAT was all about. Why were newspapers so important? Why didn’t everyone just twitter each other?

]]> By: suzidoll http://moviemorlocks.com/2009/06/16/andrew-sarris-freelancer/#comment-8988 suzidoll Wed, 17 Jun 2009 18:29:54 +0000 http://moviemorlocks.com/?p=11191#comment-8988 That someone like Sarris should be relegated to free-lance status by the NY Observor is absurd. The current state of film reviewing is so abysmal it pains me to think about it, and without the likes of Sarris, it has just dropped a notch. The snarky tone alone in many reviews makes me stop reading instantly. There was an article in the Chicago Trib yesterday about those online review sites that use some mysterious formula to tally up positive and negative reviews and then spit out a one-stop-shopping rating -- like a letter or a percentage (i.e. Rotten Tomatoes). The studios are starting to "quote" these ratings in their ads. Film reviewing has become so black and white -- it's all about whether someone thinks a movie is good or bad. There's no analysis, discussion, or perspective. It's pathetic. FYI: I really liked Sarris's "You Ain't Heard Nothin' Yet": The American Talking Film History and Memory 1927-1949. That someone like Sarris should be relegated to free-lance status by the NY Observor is absurd. The current state of film reviewing is so abysmal it pains me to think about it, and without the likes of Sarris, it has just dropped a notch. The snarky tone alone in many reviews makes me stop reading instantly. There was an article in the Chicago Trib yesterday about those online review sites that use some mysterious formula to tally up positive and negative reviews and then spit out a one-stop-shopping rating — like a letter or a percentage (i.e. Rotten Tomatoes). The studios are starting to “quote” these ratings in their ads. Film reviewing has become so black and white — it’s all about whether someone thinks a movie is good or bad. There’s no analysis, discussion, or perspective. It’s pathetic.

FYI: I really liked Sarris’s “You Ain’t Heard Nothin’ Yet”: The American Talking Film History and Memory 1927-1949.

]]> By: chris tate http://moviemorlocks.com/2009/06/16/andrew-sarris-freelancer/#comment-8987 chris tate Wed, 17 Jun 2009 17:47:45 +0000 http://moviemorlocks.com/?p=11191#comment-8987 He also did another book I enjoyed, "The John Ford Movie Mystery" He also did another book I enjoyed, “The John Ford Movie Mystery”

]]> By: Al Lowe http://moviemorlocks.com/2009/06/16/andrew-sarris-freelancer/#comment-8982 Al Lowe Wed, 17 Jun 2009 12:17:28 +0000 http://moviemorlocks.com/?p=11191#comment-8982 Good job. Good job.

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