I was amused at how chief N.Y. Times critics Tony Scott and Manohla Dargis gave the task of reviewing Chris Smith's Collapse (which opens today in Manhattan) not to second-stringer Stephen Holden but third-stringer Jeanette Catsoulis. It's only the scariest and most riveting doc of the year -- a theoretical portrait of the world's end that will suck the air out of whatever room you happen to be sitting in. (Last week I called it "the thinking man's 2012").
Catsoulis is, of course, an excellent writer. But woe to the film looking for full-out Times consideration that gets reviewed by her, however smartly or perceptively. A Catsoulis review is a kiss of death. A black spot handed to a film distributor by Ben Gun or Long John Silver. By giving Collapse to Catsoulis, Scott-Dargis have essentially said to Times readers, "This is a fringe doc...an in-and-outer that mainstream audiences should perhaps ignore...not fully deserving of our attention." In other words they read it wrong.
Posted by Jeffrey Wells on November 6, 2009 at 10:57 AM
comment #1
Chase Kahn
says ...
Catsoulis also reviewed "The Cove".
Posted by Chase Kahn
at November 6, 2009 11:39 AM
comment #2
jgaspard
says ...
Easily the scariest trailer I've ever seen.
Posted by jgaspard
at November 6, 2009 11:43 AM
comment #3
George Prager
says ...
And Holden gets to review stuff like KICKIN IT OLD SKOOL.
Posted by George Prager
at November 6, 2009 11:47 AM
comment #4
BurmaShave
says ...
Did you call it that or did the 2012 mashup video call it that. Just saying.
Posted by BurmaShave
at November 6, 2009 11:52 AM
comment #5
Jeffrey Wells
says ...
I took credit for it anyway...fuck it.
Posted by Jeffrey Wells
at November 6, 2009 12:16 PM
comment #6
MilkMan
says ...
I've been hearing that civilization is going to end for my entire life and I'm not buying it anymore. If it does happen, it's going to happen when everyone least expects it and in a way that no one predicted. Besides, I'm not Christian. You Christians can't wait for the world to end, because that's the only way you're going to finally have faith in your loony, fictional belief system that's based on some tall tales a gaggle of homeless bums used to tell each other in the desert between wine binges. The world is shit, it's always been shit, and it will continue to be shit long after each and every person who visits this site has passed away and forgotten by subsequent generations.
Posted by MilkMan
at November 6, 2009 12:47 PM
comment #7
BurmaShave
says ...
Haha touche. We stole it fair and square.
Posted by BurmaShave
at November 6, 2009 12:59 PM
comment #8
Colin
says ...
I'd like to use that as a toast for a wedding, if you don't mind of course, MilkMan.
Posted by Colin
at November 6, 2009 3:03 PM
comment #9
btwnproductions
says ...
It's a decent review, though, and longer than her usual pieces. It gets about the same ink as the poorly reviewed GOATS.
Posted by btwnproductions
at November 6, 2009 3:22 PM
comment #10
Glenn Kenny
says ...
It's tough for Scott and Dargis, having to be both writers AND assignment editors. Sometimes stuff slips through the cracks...
Posted by Glenn Kenny
at November 7, 2009 4:41 AM
comment #11
Krazy Eyes
says ...
I think Catsoulis is an appropriate choice for a documentary opening on one screen and looking at a $6,000 weekend. In other words Collapse is now a fringe doc...an in-and-outer that mainstream audiences should perhaps ignore...not fully deserving of our attention.
Posted by Krazy Eyes
at November 7, 2009 3:36 PM
comment #12
COCO
says ...
Face it....it's all a fucking house of cards.....false promises.....prophets with no shame.....food meant to kill us over time, full of preservatives, sodium and
chemicals you don't want to know about......a consumer society that doesn't satisfy anymore......
the only thing to do is survive each day.....meh....
popcorn anyone....Viggo and ''The Road'' is on the way.
Posted by COCO
at November 8, 2009 9:06 AM
comment #13
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at May 17, 2011 10:15 PM