Manifestos/Positions

Below we’ve gathered a collection of fiery, disputatious articles touching on different aspects of the cinematic experience: rants, screeds, opinionated musings, declarations of allegiance and resistance. These writers take up the joys and pitfalls of online criticism, Internet cinephilia, digital reproducibility, and the uses and misuses of cinema itself, often in unpredictable ways.

“Everyone I Know is Stayin’ Home: The New Cinephilia,” James Quandt

Cinematheque Ontario programmer James Quandt casts a gimlet eye on how the new proliferation of digital media is transforming film culture and our experience of cinema.

“To Have Done with the Contemporary Cinema,” Chris Fujiwara

Chris Fujiwara redefines “contemporary cinema,” examining shifts in how cinema has been made, viewed, and evaluated over the past 40 years.

“Goodbye Cinema, Hello Cinephilia,” Jonathan Rosenbaum

In the introduction to his latest collection, Rosenbaum looks at the crisis/non-crisis divide over the end of cinema and cinephilia, grappling with a film culture in transition.

“DVDs: A New Form of Collective Cinephilia,” Jonathan Rosenbaum

Are the digital media having a positive effect on cinema appreciation, or depleting it? Rosenbaum dives in.

“Games cinephiles play,” David Bordwell

Is there a difference between cinephiles and cinemaniacs? Film theorist David Bordwell thinks there is, and explains why, in a long, fascinating, and playful exegesis.

“The 21st Century Cinephile,” Manohla Darghis

The formidable New York Times critic finds reasons to be circumspect about the new cinephilia of small screens and digital media in this 2005 article. But she says it’s still too early to determine what’s lost or gained.

“On the Uses and Misuses of Cinema,” Tsai Ming-liang

Taiwanese filmmaker Tsai Ming-liang discusses his concerns about the commodification of cinema and cultural experiences, as well as many other topics.

CRITICISM TODAY

“Online Criticism,” Paul Brunick

In this two–part series for Film Comment, Paul Brunick finds the practice of professional and serious nonprofessional film criticism alive and well in the wilds of the Web.

“Do Movie Critics Still Matter?,” Armond White

New York Film Critics Circle member and longtime reviewer Armond White argues that the practice of critical thinking about film is under assault.

“Canon Fodder,” Paul Schrader

Author and filmmaker Paul Schrader (Taxi Driver) pulls apart the notion of canons in this lengthy piece–and then creates one himself.

“Film Criticism in the Age of the Internet,” Various writers

The editors of Cineaste polled a number of established and younger film critics about the presumed divide between print and Internet film writing.

“What Every Film Critic Should Know,” Ronald Bergan

The Guardian‘s critic, also a professor of film history and theory, has a bone to pick with reviewers who don’t know the tools of the trade.

“The Film Critic Is Dead, Long Live the Film Critic,” Ronald Bergan

Bergan assesses the state of professional reviewing in the wake of downsized positions at major publishers.

“A Critic’s Place, Thumb and All,” A.O. Scott

New York Times film reviewer Scott wonders if there is a future for arts criticism after the cancellation of his TV program At the Movies.

“10 Ways to Become a Better Film Critic,” Evan Derrick

A young writer offers practical advice on how to improve the art of criticism, by looking to the examples of past (and present) masters of the form. In two parts.

“Film Criticism Is Dying? Not Online,” Roger Ebert

Thanks to the Internet, there is more and better writing on film than ever before, says Roger Ebert.

“Small Discipline, Big Pictures,” Haidee Wasson

The editor of Inventing Film Studies considers the institutional entanglements of the discipline today.

“The State of Film Criticism,” Adrian Martin

In a talk at the Valdivia Film Festival, Adrian Martin proposes some ideas for how to develop online discussion around cinema.