Criticism is an Art. - Jeffrey Overstreet

Sign in Subscribe

Criticism is an Art.

A collection of 11 posts

On Movies & Media

The Quotable Renshaw

One of this film critics' favorite quotable quotes comes from Roger Ebert: "A movie is not about what it is about. It is about how it is about it." But now I'll carry another knockout definition of criticism in my back pocket to help clarify matters...

On Movies & Media

The Awful Truth: "Portlandia" and How to Succeed in "Journalism"

"Don't waste my time" — that's the prevailing attitude for most readers on the Internet. But here's the thing: If you don't take time to read, re-read, discuss, and reflect on what you're reading, then you are wasting your time. I know because I'm guilty of this. I can spend hours perusing the Inter

On Movies & Media

In Honor of Sister Rose Pacatte

I'm delighted to see people taking notice of Sister Rose Pacatte, who goes about her work with a spirit of curiosity, fearlessness, discernment, and humility. She doesn't write with a sanctimonious, presumptuous, or condescending tone. She writes and speaks, rather, as a friend on the journey, shari

A Pledge of Allegiance: In Search of Beauty at Good Letters

On Movies & Media

A Pledge of Allegiance: In Search of Beauty at Good Letters

Here is an index of all of the Good Letters posts I turned in. Some of the time I offered reluctantly at the deadline, as I still wasn't quite satisfied after half a dozen drafts. Others I wrote in one swift draft and was completely satisfied. But overall, when I look back at two decades of film rev

On Movies & Media

A (Temporary) Farewell to Film Review Work

Writing, I find, is a joy and an adventure. But it's not much of a job. In fact, you need another job in able to afford to do it.

On Movies & Media

Over the Moon: A Critic in Top Form

Sure, there are some critics out there who strive to seem superior to others. But most critics are just fans of movies... such big fans that they like to examine and talk about everything that's in a movie. Today, I came across a reminder of what a great critic can accomplish.

On Movies & Media

On "Difficult" Movies

As we're in a season busy with film festivals, I'm reading reviews of what sound like extremely challenging movies. Some of those reviews sound like the kind of comments that might provoke filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami to repeat what he said here...

The Auralia Thread

Gratitude for Thoughtful Reviews of The Ale Boy's Feast

As a reader in a community of readers, I know that all of us have unique responses to the books we read. My opinion of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone or No Country for Old Men or Never Let Me Go will be different from yours, even if

On Movies & Media

"Only a Lover Can Be a Critic."

Only a lover can be a critic. Elijah Davidson is talking about the question that will direct our discussions at the upcoming Reel Spirituality event: Is film criticism dead? The question has been coming up a lot lately. That's why I wrote a "Letter to a Young

On Movies & Media

Ongoing Lies and Distortions from Movieguide

Exposing the latest exhibition of the ignorance that pollutes so much of the material published at Movieguide, Steven Greydanus published this article about The Rite and Movieguide's review of it. Interesting timing. The misguided work of Movieguide has been brought to my attention a lot lately. Just a

On Movies & Media

Film Critics Say the Dumbest Things...

John Podhoretz: If you told me you didn’t like movies about boxing, I’d have to answer that you didn’t really like movies. This inspired the following reply at artsandfaith.com: If you told me you didn’t like movies about murder, I’d have to answer that