According to the neocon mindset, Pinochet was a benevolent dictator because he was a murdering thug who allowed a free-market economy.

So it's not just me then!

High-fives Jess

I'd be hard-pressed to name a critic I dislike more that's still working and in publications I read on any regular basis. Peter Keough in the Boston Phoenix comes close, but I think that's more because I associate the massive decline in their film coverage with his tenure, than him personally. Armond White is stone crazy, but I find him an entertaining read BECAUSE of that. I never counted Rex as a real critic anyway, and John Simon retired (not that I was a regular reader of the National Review, but somehow I ended up reading a lot of his stuff over the years)

According to the neocon mindset, Pinochet was a benevolent dictator because he was a murdering thug who allowed a free-market economy.

Oh, well, as long as he allowed a free-market economy, who cares about a little torture?

People is weird, yo.

Now we know where Saddam went wrong--kill, torture, and oppress all you like, but don't screw with the economy.

Pinochet was a benevolent dictator because he was a murdering thug who allowed a free-market economy.

But, like, dead people can't buy stuff. Or work 14-hour days, for that matter. I think there is some rethinking of this theory to be done.

Anthony Lane is snarky and I often disagree with him. Denby is humdrum and mildly cranky, and I often disagree with him. Manohla Dargis is entertaining enough that I'll read a review of hers for a movie I have no intention of seeing, ever. (I think for this reason they give her the crappy movies.) A. O. Scott strikes me as a bitter person, but sometimes a discerning one. I miss Elvis Mitchell something fierce.

Not by me he isn't. I'd much rather have Denby every week and put Lane on a plane back to England - preferably one that drops him somewhere about the spot Leo bought it in TITANIC (a film he praised to high heaven). I find him insufferably amused by himself, and if he was any more overtly bitchy he'd be Rex Reed.

Totally concur.

I miss Elvis Mitchell something fierce.

Yeah. I like most of the Voice film folks. I do like J. Hoberman a lot. Chuck Stephens used to be local and he was excellent. Really knew his stuff, everything from the domestically unreleased art films from Korea and Iran to the funkiest splatter films.

I miss Elvis Mitchell something fierce.

I totally agree with this statement. He had just a perfect balance of scholarship and fun.

Maybe it comes with the name.

DH's Batman Begins report, as given to me just now over the phone:

Oh hell yeah. Entertaining as ALL HELL. Batman fans will go crazy for it. The Batmobile rocks. Bale is the definitive Batman. Morgan Freeman is really good. Liam Neeson is really good -- playing his father-figure persona, but with just enough of a twist to make it really interesting. I want to see it again right now.

(There was more, but he was talking really fast.)

(He said the script had one major issue that was kind of a problem, and also predicts that I will be annoyed by the Chicago-ness of Gotham, and he's absolutely right, because I'm completely irrationally and unreasonably attached to Gotham being NYC.)

well, duh. "Gotham".