Mark Kermode: Precious Wanker

[gsv]

Love his pissed-off-as-fuck rants on 5-Live

GS(v)

 

[Pieface]

his head's shaped like a bullet.

 

[DexterTCN]

I don't like his reviews, he's up himself. And his religion shows through quite a lot.

I do like his large knowledge of film in general.

 

[Flashman]

And his religion shows through quite a lot.

I haven't noticed that myself.

So-much-so I have to ask you, what is his religion? He likes Russell so, maybe a lapsed catholic?

 

[Dubversion]

born again christian.

 

[Dan U]

His reviews on Radio 5 are quite entertaining.

 

[Flashman]

Really? Jesus tonight

Odd really as a lot of Russell imagery takes the piss out of Jesus, although Ken has said in recent interviews that he is repenting through art and wants to go to heaven.

 

[scumbalina]

I've just seen him on The Culture Show and his snobby comments about popular films enraged me, so now I hate him. What does Urban 75 think of him?

What did he say? I always get the impression he's very unsnobby about films

Kermode is teh

 

[Skim]

He's alright... I mean, he's hardly Brian Sewell, is he?

 

[AnnO'Neemus]

He tries too hard with that hair.

Agreed.

 

[Dissident Junk]

I've just seen him on The Culture Show and his snobby comments about popular films enraged me, so now I hate him. What does Urban 75 think of him?

You Philistine!

Mark Kermode is a voice of sensible reason in a chaos of wanky critics. He actually thinks about his reviews; he lives cinematic criticism.

Mark would never make the mistakes of Peter Bradshaw with his "muslims are never blonde" cynicism towards Kusturica.

Kermode and Philip French are some of the most decent film critics we have in our country. They pause, they think, they research and they respond - and they are never snobby.

Kermode has my total respect (even though I may disagree at times).

Long live the British cultural thinker in the shape of Kermode!

 

[Dissident Junk]

And if you hate Mary Poppins, you should not be allowed to watch films. . .

Because . . .

. . . you will be a dreadful misanthrope.

 

[trashpony]

He's alright... I mean, he's hardly Brian Sewell, is he?

I met Brian Sewell once - he told me how he was bullied at school because he was so crap at cricket and I've had a soft spot for him ever since

 

[Dubversion]

I like Brian

 

[Skim]

There's something about Sewell's supercilious tones that puts me right off anything he might have to say.

But maybe I need to get over the voice and see the real Brian inside

 

[Dubversion]

He is a supercilious wanker, but he's a character and he's got convictions and he's just funny

 

[Flashman]

"I...I....I...I genuflect"




Sewell is brilliant and deserves our protection.

 

[Haller]

.(I don't, as it happens, value his opinion on very much else)

Does he know anything about anything else? I thought his main problem as a film critic is that all he seems to do is watch films. There's seldom any context to his reviews.

He also sounds like his first degree was in English literature and he hasn't read a book since.

 

[mrs quoad]

No?

Is that just me?

O well.

 

[Pieface]

Woah man, I think you may be onto something there......

For the record, I don't find him snobby either. I do find his head shape disturbing though - the quiff is good - Dub's envious

 

[foo]

Used to really like him but he's turned into a charicature of himself over the last few years. Feels like he has to have a rant at something now.

He does seem to know his stuff though which is probably what made me warm to him in the first place.

yeh, same as this. i used to admire and like him. these days i really can't be bothered with his pomposity. i find it a bit sad.

 

[Dubversion]

pompous? really don't see it..

 

[Fruitloop]

He is a weird character and no mistake - like something out of a Chris Morris sketch. I find him one of the most reliable reviewers on the telly though, in that if he says a film is crap, chances are it's pretty crap.

I have in the past seen him praise big stupid blockbuster movies - but only the good ones, which are few and far between, let's face it!

 

[Idaho]

I don't really like critics. My own wittering opinion on anything and everything is more than enough of a narrative for life without listening to someone elses.

 

[foo]

pompous? really don't see it..

are you being funny?

if not. surely, even if you like the fella, you can see how people might find him a bit pompous and pretentious......?

btw - i'm not knocking his amazing knowledge when it comes to films, or his opinions on them. just his delivery and tv persona - both get on my wick these days.

 

[elevendayempire]

I like him. He compared The Santa Clause 3 to tertiary syphilis. What more d'you want?

SG

 

[Dubversion]

are you being funny?

if not. surely, even if you like the fella, you can see how people might find him a bit pompous and pretentious......?

no - i think people are too quick to condemn others who speak with authority about something they know about as pompous and pretentious. He's a film academic, and talks like one. That's his job - and it's certainly not pretentious because he's not claiming to "be" anything he isn't.

 

[Orang Utan]

pompous? really don't see it..

He seemed so on The Culture Show when he was talking about Blades Of Glory - he liked it, but he had to qualify it by saying normally he steers clear of Will Farrell films and of course the humour is very broad BUT it was very funny. Maybe I was just in a bad mood when I saw it but it annoyed me immensely.

 

[Dubversion]

He seemed so on The Culture Show when he was talking about Blades Of Glory - he liked it, but he had to qualify it by saying normally he steers clear of Will Farrell films and of course the humour is very broad BUT it was very funny.

that sounds like an entirely reasonable position to take - i'd probably say exactly the same thing about Taledega Nights - really dumb humour featuring someone I tend to avoid that somehow managed to be funny anyway.

What's so controversial about that? why can't you like something even though it's kind of at odds with what you'd expect, or what you'd normally like?

 

[Orang Utan]

I dunno, it was more to with his body language, as if he was really uncomfortable to admit to liking something he usually would turn his nose up at