Besides, he notes, Scott didnt leave the movies; the movies left Scott.
Related Stories
Has Quentin Tarantino Found His Next Film In The Movie Critic?
Contentious reviews of movies likeMidnight CowboyorBonnie & Clydestirred as much noise as did the movies themselves.
Getty Images
Quentin Tarantinotells friends hes even making a film titledThe Movie Criticabout a Kael-like presence.
Watch on Deadline
So should critics follow suit?
She shortly quit, finding that she had more influence critiquing movies than creating them.
Pauline Kael, from the 2018 documentary ‘What She Said’Juno Films / courtesy Everett Collection
Kael had a stormy relationship even with her favored filmmakers.
In those days, however, movies were news, which is hardly the case today.
The present film slate, Scott writes, leaves him frustrated and confused.
He sees about 300 films a year, his byline appearing on perhaps two every week.
He applauds those fellow critics who decreed that Richard Curtis cult movieLove Actuallyis actually bad.
The future, however, leaves him worried.
As he puts it, The cultural space for movies I care about seems to be shrinking.
The audience necessary to sustain original work is narcotized by algorithms or distracted by doomscrolling.
Which seems like a good reason to pass the torch.
