A lot of people believe (or at least I think they do) that when a publication runs a review of a movie (or film or play) that review is the paper’s official position. That’s certainly the way we talk — Rolling Stone hated Max Payne but it really liked the new Hunter Thompson documentary.
The fact is reviews ultimately represent one person’s opinion. In Fast Forward’s case we like to think that our reviewers are well informed about film and are insightful enough to point out something about a movie that the average person might not notice. But is there anything resembling a critical consensus within the paper on well anything? Probably not.
Why am I mentioning this? Well mostly because we’re printing a review of Kevin Smith’s new movie tomorrow and that review’s not particularly positive. And I liked that movie. Do I think Mark Hamilton’s review is wrong? Not exactly. He’s right that parts of it come across as racist and homophobic and that those parts fall flat. And the poop joke he brings up is just that — a juvenile poop joke. Smith has always said he’s in the business of dick and fart jokes and if you don’t appreciate that schtick well you’re not going to like anything he does.
Still I also thought that Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks’s sweetness and the general sweetness of the story made up for those faults. And I straight up found the movie funny. But then I’ve generally liked the Kevin Smith movies I’ve seen and Mark hasn’t. Back when I wrote for the University of Calgary’s student paper one of my editors wrote a counterpoint to a CD review I’d written where he flat out said that I was wrong. It’s pretty tempting now that I’m in a similar position to do the same thing. The thing is though Mark isn’t wrong. I happen to think Zack and Miri Make a Porno is a return to form for Smith and he thinks there’s no form to return to. So it goes.
I’d love to see people commenting on our reviews whether they’re telling us why we’re right or why we’re wrong. Up until now we’ve basically been putting our articles out into the void — aside from the occasional letter we don’t get much feedback. But if I’m allowed to say that I don’t agree with a Fast Forward review so’s everyone else. So go ahead.