Frank Longo Member since Nov 18th 2003 86689 posts
Thu Jul-23-09 09:20 AM
10. "She's the George Mikan to Ebert's Wilt." In response to In response to 8
She was the first in the game to really bring the smack down, and she was more open-minded to out-there artsy films, especially as violence started seeping its way into films and she was the main one (with Ebert) saying that if it's used for a reason, it's powerful.
However, she failed to give many films a chance, especially as she started engaging in politics against the NY Times, preferring to cling tightly to a contrarian point of view, in my opinion. There are some great books about the New York critics during awards season, and how she fought like hellfire against everyone, no matter what the consequences.
That's what made her the originator, really. She was a brilliant writer, witty, emotional. She wasn't afraid to roast the most popular films in the nation-- pretty much every critic working today loves her. I think she's outstanding. But Ebert is more open-minded, and equally as witty and emotional, without being as verbose or immediately judgmental (most of the time).