I understand your dislike of his site, but as it’s a site designed for the geeks who are just like Harry, , that makes Harry their God, and so it gets quite a following.
I visit daily, but only read about 20% of what’s there. I find what I’m interested in, I will read an opinion, consider if I relate to the material the same way they do, and make a judgement call for myself.
Just like any other review or rumour site.
The only part I hate is the Talkback. It’s unmoderated and an absolute cesspit brimming with wankers and trolls. None of them say anything worth paying attention to, and for some reason (probably due to timezones) they seem to be displayed in almost random order.
Says who? He’s already outlived marathon runners and Gold-medal winning Olympic skaters. If he can say one thing with his dying breath, “I had fun” then who the freak are you to dig on his or anyone else’s geekiness? Guys with attitudes like yours liked to beat up on geeks I’ve known and loved.
Talkback is idiotic, but mostly because of people who think like you and who post to do nothing but call Harry a “fat f*ck” and rag on the film lovers there. Primarily because of those posters, I feel like my IQ drops 50 points if I even read a Talkback.
AICN doesn’t creep me out. I barely pay attention to it.
Ain’t It Cool News is a big heap of steaming smugness and geekitude. Visually it is an insult to the art of HTML and an assult on the eyes. The message boards there are citadels overflowing with ignorance and stupidity.
That’s why I don’t visit it and don’t get bent out of shape about it.
But what the web site’s owner’s personal appearance, supposed habits and sexual experience have to do with anything, I don’t know. The OP has told us more about the OP’s issues and hang-ups than about AICN, which is kind of rich coming from someone who complains that the reviews in it digress all over the place.
Just 2 cents worth as one particular ‘accepted idea’ that has been espoused more than once is that AICN (and Mr. Knowles in particular) are invariably pro whatever. This is not even remotely accurate. I too tend to wander over to AICN pick through the opinions and news and have seen just as much vitriol as praise heaped upon films of every stripe. Harry has hated fewer movies than perhaps any of his fellow reviewers (largely I suspect because that is his character) as he seems to really have to have a reason to despise a film. Anyone who has bothered slogging through his rambling reviews will also notice that he is capable of saying that he ‘loves’ a flick and then proceeding to explain things about it that he disliked or had problems with. I personally am amused by the way that the ‘movie experience’ is also tied directly into how he watches a film and am then easily able to set a ‘level’ to what may seem like effusive praise. I find myself irritated by these complaints that people are somehow annoyed at the fact that the reviews aren’t ‘to the point’. Hello?? Have you noticed where you are on the web? This should be a clue about how a ‘review’ will function. If you want your reviews filled with highbrow winging about the cheapening of the movie experience please retreat to the nearest snobbish newspaper near you.
I should also point out the fact that I’m hardly bothered by the ‘writing style’ of the many a varied ‘reviewers’ at AICN because it all seems to come off as a huge ‘creative writing’ exercise. Some of the established voices there are reasonably accomplished and even ‘witty’ at times (Juvenile ‘spoogefests’ excepted). The ‘spy’ reports have to be taken with the proverbial boulder of salt…and as to expectations of their quality…get real. The ‘forums’ (read talkback) need no other explanation beyond a few brief scenes in Jay and Silent Bob etc, nuff said about that.
Finally, as to the general idea of taking issue with the site (and it’s creators) to each their own. If you can’t stand something (or are ooged out by it) a small piece of advice. “Don’t go there.” It may be something of an old fashioned notion but I seem to recall a time when the best way to deal with the urge to gossip about someone you didn’t likely know was not to.
Frankly, AdamP, you can just back the hell off of Harry.
Yeah, he’s fat. Yeah, he’s a geek. Yeah, he’s immature.
And you know what? He’ll be the first to admit all of that. He does so, all the time.
He also works hand-in-hand with the Alamo Drafthouse, to bring movies to the masses. The AICN site has introduced me to movies I would’ve likely never heard of, otherwise- movies such as Battle Royale, Ginger Snaps, 28 Days… the list just goes on and on.
I’ve never personally met Harry ('though I’ve seen him many times), but I have nothing but respect for the man- he knows what he likes, and he’s managed to make a living out of it.
If you don’t like the site, then don’t click on it. It’s that simple. Pretend it doesn’t exist, and live your life happily ever after.
“I don’t think this is a function of Harry’s site in particular, but I will agree that the Internet in general has been feeding the success of stuff like the Matrix trilogy and Scooby Doo and Underworld and so on.”
I disagree. Through sites like Harry’s (and the SDMB and Rotten Tomatoes), the word about good and bad movies spreads fast. Even if you don’t take Harry’s word for it, you can look elsewhere and see what the word is. There’s no way to prove it, but it’s been seen that movies like “Matrix 2” and “Matrix 3” have had huge drop-offs after the first weekend, and I would contend that part of the reason is the word spreading through the Internet.
But as all-powerful as the Internet is, it can’t compete with Hollywood marketing, so we’ll continue to get abominations like “Scooby Doo 2.” Plus, on some weekends, there may only be one good movie, and there are enough people who will hold their nose and go see the movie, because that’s the only one to see. (I remember quite vividly that “Pearl Harbor” was the only movie opening that weekend. Since I was living alone that summer and was used to going to the movies on my day off, I was sore tempted to go, even if I had to scrub my eyes out with wire brushes afterwards).
So the dogs will keep barking, but at least those of us who have access can check out the received opinion first and perhaps avoid them.
First, my tongue was firmly in cheek when I said I was “worried” about Harry Knowles. Maybe that wasn’t sufficiently apparent. To be honest, I don’t really care about his dietary and grooming habits. I care more about his contribution–if not explicitly then at least through the culture he perpetuates-- to the unspeakable horror that is EPISODES 1 and 2, and the last 2 MATRIX movies. To some degree, this current period of Hollywood reminds me of the early to late sixties–the time of big-budget crap-fests like CLEOPATRA and HELLO DOLLY–when Hollywood seemed oblivious to the fact that they were driving themselves off a cliff.
Second, to Futile Gesture: sure, anyone can accuse someone of engaging in defensive-projection when they criticize someone–i.e. “I hate what I see in you because I hate it in myself”. That old canard has been trotted out time and again. But see, I’m not fat, and don’t have wet dreams thinking about the 56 hour DVD version of THE LAST STARFIGHTER. I think that’s where Knowles and I differ.
Agreed, no one should be put-down for being fat or disabled. I simply find the man annoying and things got out of hand. So I take the personal attacks on Knowles back. But I think my comments on the culture of fanboyism stand.
It’s not as good as it used to be when it was kind of cool to get some early spy reviews but now a lot of the reviews are too over the top and they’re not that trustworthy. Plus a lot of the reviews are planted by studio PR shills.
I think he is a guy who genuinely loves movies, is humorous in his reviews, and he has made a living doing what he loves. Which is more than I can say for many people.
Since I also live in Austin, our local newpaper had an article about his birthday movie screening - 24 hours of movies. Some older that I had never heard about, and some newer, such as LOTR - Return Of The King, and Mel Gibson’s The Passion. The guy loves movies. His discussion of the choices he made for the screening alone showed that.
And finally, lets be honest about the sex thing. My ample time spent working in a bar has proved one thing to me - You don’t have to be the slightest bit attractive, hygenic or nice to get laid. Especially if you are a guy.
