Fascinating to see how Rabin's perspective on his quest changed from this inaugural piece to what he openly concedes in later reviews. Being honest in reacting to art will do that to you.

A decade late, I've just read a few dozen of these Nathan Rabin columns — and love 'em. Film reviews rarely appeal to me since they usually add nothing to my understanding or appreciation of cinematic art, but these columns are different. Rabin's humor is clever, inventive even, and finds ways to make bad movies fun.…