I was only using the reverse-the-gender thing in reference to this specific critic. Obviously, there's a much wider discussion to be had on the topic in criticism as a whole, but in this instance I was only talking about Dowd.

Well, he does begin his review by denigrating the director's other work. Dowd starts out with a dismissive attitude that doesn't really let up until the last paragraph, and it's an overwhelmingly negative beginning that drags down his favorable comments later in the review.

Not really, actually. Mostly people are focusing on the weird bitterness of the review and that truly bizarre comment about "Nearly Midnight, Honolulu." A lot of people have gone out of their way to say that they're not angry at the negative review, just that the review is bad criticism. I say this as someone who is…

It really bugged me that a review with this photo began with a description of the actress's face. Had to google her and everything.

@avclub-d7f43e1fb2d4977c86163d9b0cb07814:disqus I don't really think similarities in storytelling structure gives their work much in common. They used conventional storytelling techniques, like many of European writers of a pretty hefty chunk of history. The differences are what make comparison sort of unnecessary;…

She's so incredibly desperate that it just freaks him out. I'm surprised no one has mentioned that she basically offers to put out to get him to stay, and he even though he thinks she's hot he still runs away from her.

No.

Dude, I although I agree that @disqus_tMp3WonJBp:disqus was being sort of douchey when he condemned the book because "the perspective of this non-verbal boy seemed so at odds with that of my very verbal Aspie son," you're taking it a bit far. Really, the statement is nonsensical more than anything else; why in the…

I remember reading some comments about Viggo Mortensen's cock after Eastern Promises came out. There a decent number of commenters laughing at him for having a small cock, because of course a guy is going to be damn near fully erect while filming a pretty involved fight scene in the nude.

@avclub-b97ca122d91f0a094bbf3f9808f4daf5:disqus Sad =/= tragedy. It's horribly, horribly sad and naturally we're going to mourn, but he lived a long and productive life. He inspired and delighted millions of people, and he leaves behind millions of devoted fans. His work will continue to be read, adapted, and adored.…

@avclub-d980b15d49101608dc407770f35b1d75:disqus  it's not about reasonable people making reasonable deductions, there are studies to back it up:

I'd also say that the original counts as pretty light entertainment, nice and diverting but not exactly challenging fare. What makes it special is the delightful script and acting, and it's Hitchcock at his most playful. I'd actually make a comparison to Casablanca; that film has a weightier wartime backdrop, but it…

It hasn't been released as a feature film, but it's a film nonetheless. They don't call 'em made-for-TV movies for nothing.

Dyess-Nugent's point might be a little cynical, but it stands nonetheless - remakes of classics are greenlighted in part because of the recognition value, and, since these films are essentially basing their reason for being on a previous film, they do need to justify their existence in a way that originals don't. You…

God, the Hitchcock version is one of my favorite movies. The entire cast is fucking delightful, especially Michael Redgrave. It really is adorably ridiculous, in large part because all the Brits find themselves thrust into an international intrigue and respond by saying stuff like "things like that just don't happen!"…

Yeah, her books always end with the heroine getting married, but Austen's depictions of marriage are incredibly negative. She showed romance as the dream that women cling to simply to make their lot in life bearable.

I've never understood people who feel the need to choose between Austen and Dickens. For fuck's sake, they weren't even writing in the same period! The nineteenth century saw some pretty hefty changes, and Jane Austen, who died in 1817, simply didn't see the kinds of social changes that Dickens did.

Austen doesn't pretend to offer accurate portraits of men; she is writing about how women in her society saw men and how they interacted with them. Austen is writing from the female perspective, and, in her society, men weren't allowed to talk about ANYTHING of importance in front of women. That's why they kicked the…

@avclub-6ffc79f9decf633c29b09e6c25621195:disqus Yeah, the DTs will give you a miserable, awful death. Watch The Lost Weekend; it's pretty heavy-handed (and, if memory serves, does not give an accurate depiction of how long it takes to recover from the DTs), but it does give a pretty evocative depiction of what it's…

@avclub-e57f718840a576abbb40a7d046c4e3b0:disqus , I'd go one better and say that the more people engage in certain risky behaviors without consequence, the more likely they are to keep doing them. Believe me, I speak from experience.