LoENard KLADY

How did you get started as a film critic?

What was your first published review?

I honestly can't remember what the first published review was but I remember not initially liking 2001 and getting a tremendous amount of flack for the review ... so I went back to resee it and it's too embarrassing to detail what I missed the first time ... I re-reviewed it positively (shades of Joe Morgenstern and Bonnie and Clyde) ... it was a valuable lesson and thank god it came early.

Name a film you think everybody should see.

See everything ... classics, schlock, whatever ... it's the best way to learn about yourself and the movies and take a production course; acting classes, make short films, etc. to get a sense of the process ... also go to theater, art galleries, listen to music.

What’s the most common question you’re asked when someone discovers you’re a film critic?

Question: do you pay to see movies ... Answer: Yes, emotionally.

What’s the most controversial review you’ve written?

That's for others to say.

Is there a genre or era you have a particular affinity for?

I think everyone has a soft spot for the movies they grow up with ... a mentor loved Macdonald-Eddy musicals and Russian war documentaries ... I have a certain affection for 50s melodramas ... and later, the wave of foreign films in the 60s and American movies from about 1968 to 1975

What is your process in approaching a review?

That would be telling ...

Do you like to discuss a movie with other critics immediately after a screening or before writing a review?

No.

What other film critics, past or present, do you admire?

Graham Greene, Otis Ferguson, Manny Farber.

What’s the worst film you’ve ever seen?

How Sweet It Is.

Is there a classic film you’re embarrassed to admit you’ve never seen?

It used to be the complete Greed until they did the reconstruction ... so now it's the complete Magnificent Ambersons

If I weren’t a film critic, I’d be a…

deally doing something in medical research.

In the age of digital media and blogging, where is film criticism going and where should it go?

I'm just a media whore not a clairvoyant ...

To the public at large, what purpose does a professional film critic serve?

Ditto.

What’s the best part of being a film critic and the worst part of being a film critic?

Best: Great art; worst: mediocrity.

Name the worst sequel ever.

All sequels are inferior to originals (subject of a much longer discussion).

What would you say to the old saw that critics are frustrated artists, punishing those who do for doing?

You're entitled to your opinion; thank you for taking the time to read my work.

Are movies better because of film critics?

I assume the essence of this is: do film critics push filmmakers to make better films ... I hope not (there are much better forms of inspiration).

In your opinion, have you ever written something that had a measurable impact?

Yes ... in a couple of instances it resulted in films getting theatrical distribution.

What advice do you have for aspiring film critics?

See answer for "Name a film you think everybody should see"

Has social media changed how you interact with your readers and has social media made the job of film critic easier or harder?