tru loved Tagged Articles at Cinematical
Ebert Regrets Reviewing 8 Minutes of 'Tru Loved'
Filed under: Gay & Lesbian », Celebrities and Controversy », Newsstand », Cinematical Indie »
The necessary background is here. Last week, Roger Ebert posted a one-star review of the indie drama Tru Loved. At the end of the scathing piece, he revealed that he had only watched 8 minutes of the film -- and that "after that, you're on your own." In a blog entry, he defended the review on aesthetic grounds: he placed the revelation at the end because it worked there. That post generated some 500 comments, and Will's post here a somewhat less impressive 17, splitting pretty evenly between commenters who sympathized with Ebert's life's-too-short impulse, and those who thought giving one star to a film he quit on, and hiding his dereliciton of duty at the bottom of the review, was not cool.In a follow-up entry, Ebert agrees that it wasn't cool. He insists it wasn't unethical, but admits he shouldn't have done it. As penance, he watched the rest of the film and added a section to his review. "I will never, ever, again review a film I have not seen in its entirety," he says. "Never. Ever."
It seems to me that there has to be a middle ground here. There's nothing wrong with quitting on a film and then writing about it, perhaps shedding light on why you walked out. But you have to front it. And you can't claim it's a review -- that means no star ratings. I walked out of The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor and wrote about how awful it was. I don't think I did anything wrong. But I didn't pretend to be reviewing it.
That said, Ebert's addendum to his original "review" is characteristically insightful and well worth reading. And by the way: has anyone actually seen Tru Loved? What's its deal?
Discuss: Roger, Dodger
Filed under: Comedy », Gay & Lesbian », Independent »
Earlier this week, Roger Ebert posted with his new batch of reviews one for the indie film Tru Loved, of which I personally know little aside from its opening in limited release this past Friday. Ebert's review is included among the six currently constituting that film's dead-even Tomatometer.
The twist is, Ebert admits to only having made it through the first eight minutes of the film before shutting it off. Normally, that's not exactly cricket, but considering how many movies he's seen, how many reviews he's written, how many Pulitzer Prizes he's won (and occasionally brandished), for him to say within that span of time that "I'm sure its heart is in the right place, but it fails at fundamentals we take for granted when we go to the movies" carries an appropriate heft. After all, he admits that "the rating only applies to the first eight minutes. After that, you're on your own."
He has subsequently linked to a lively blog discussion in which he defends his decision, while others chime in (most with careful consideration; others insist that Ebert should quit for such shenanigans). How about you guys: what's the earliest that you've ever given up on a movie (let's stick with theatrical experiences, as opposed to flippant channel surfing)? Are you cool with any reviewer pulling something like this, so long as they're open about it? What about when it's such an illustrious critic as Ebert throwing in the towel?
Indie Spotlight: New Releases for Oct. 17
Filed under: Comedy », Documentary », Drama », Gay & Lesbian », Independent », Columns », Indie Spotlight »
Here at the Indie Spotlight, we treat your multiplex woes with a healthy dose of limited-release independent flicks. Being an indie film doesn't automatically make it better than a mainstream movie -- but if it's bad, at least you know it didn't cost $100 million to make. Frugality is important in these trying economic times.It's a rather light week for indies, with just four for our perusal: The Elephant King, Filth and Wisdom, Tru Loved, and What Just Happened. There's also Morning Light, a documentary about competitive open-sea sailing, which, while not an indie (it's from Disney), is opening on a limited number of screens. Cinematical's Jeffrey M. Anderson has a review here.
And now, the rundown!
What Just Happened
What it is: Barry Levinson directs an all-star cast (Robert De Niro, Bruce Willis, Stanley Tucci, John Turturro) in this Hollywood satire about a fading producer.
What they're saying: Cinematical's Scott Weinberg gave it a lukewarm review at Sundance, basically saying that if you're a big movie buff who already knows how Hollywood works, there won't be much new to laugh at. At Rotten Tomatoes, the reviews are 2-to-1 in favor of the flick.
Where it's playing: A few dozen screens in several major markets: New York, L.A., San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Chicago, Dallas, and Phoenix.
More info: The official site has a complete list of theaters, as well as where it's opening next.
The Elephant King
What it is: A drama about two American brothers sexing their way through Thailand one summer.
What they're saying: All four reviews at Rotten Tomatoes are scathing, calling it naive and desperate. But Variety's review, for some reason not yet posted at RT, has high praise for the acting and says the movie "deserves to find an audience."
Where it's playing: New York City (Angelika Film Center).
More info: The official site.
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