critics be damned

[davemerrill]

This is a paragraph from a two-page screed distributed at SF conventions titled "The Irony of Negative Reviews: Creating Cult Classics". It's by Dr. John Flynn, PhD, and seeks to convince us that critics simply are too stupid to "get" science fiction films, and that's why they review the films poorly, and that every SF film that gets a poor review is later regarded by society as a whole as an eternal classic of filmmaking.

The film this essay is in support of: BATTLEFIELD EARTH.



(click to make readable)

Now, I may be dim, but in the eleven years since BATTLEFIELD EARTH was released to near-empty theaters filled with derisive laughter, I don't believe "the film's virtues have emerged", as the essay puts it. A critical re-evaluation has yet to occur among the film-world cognoscenti. Sometimes a terrible film is simply a terrible film, and sometimes the critics are perfectly correct in their big meanie pants reviews.

New computer is up, running the Firefox with the ad blocker, new scanner is up, files from old computer are transferred, everything is working fine. Probably should have done this a while ago.

Comments

[redneckgaijin.livejournal.com]

My first thought is: how much has the Church of Scientology paid Dr. Flynn to write this?

[lolotehe]

Even the people involved know it was bad.

[efathefinger.livejournal.com]

I always shudder when I find a PhD. Aside from medicine, they are among the least useful people. (Exceptions clearly exist)
I enjoyed BE when I was a kid, and when I want a solid week of silly reading with absolutely no thought, I pick it back up. The movie fails to even have the modest enjoyment of the book.

[damerell.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't be at all surprised if BE emerged as a cult classic, in the way that many terrible movies do. I gather it's well into campy "so bad it's good" territory. I'd have a copy by now if it didn't mean giving money to evil people.

I think there's kind of a point, though, that a lot of critics just don't get it and pan the movies regardless - but fortunately for them, the overwhelming majority of "sci-fi" movies are absolutely awful anyway, so they generally get it right.

[tochiro998.livejournal.com]

Buy a used copy. That's disconnected from the royalties chain and there's zero risk of the money going where you don't want it to.

Of course you have to be clear, at OT and have crossed the Bridge to get the maximum....oooops. :)

[warpig1979.livejournal.com]

I look forward to somebody writing more or less the same essay in a little while about that ATLAS SHRUGGED flick.