Anything Chronicle Critics Can Do I Can Do Better (Okay Maybe Not Better But I Can Do It)

In the movie section today of today's San Francisco Chronicle eight of the paper's film critics past and present were asked three questions:

1. What movie have you watched more than any other in your adult life?

2. What movie would you consider the most painful to have to watch again?

3. What review would you change if you could?

Click on this sentence if you'd like to see their answers and the article entire. Better yet, stay here and see how yours truly, world renowned film blogger and bon vivant, answered those questions. Ready?

1. I showed Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) and Glory (1989) (photo above) to my U.S. History classes every year I taught, and with several classes a year that's a lot of viewings. But let's assume the question refers to non professional occasions. Then it would be either Manhattan (1979), Annie Hall (1977), Duck Soup (1933), It's A Wonderful Life (1946) or The Roaring Twenties (1939). At the risk of being obvious, I really, really like those movies.

2. There's some Peter Jackson films that might qualify. The family took in the first of the Lord of The Rings movies together and enjoyed it. We thus made it a point to see the next two together. I was bored to tears, especially during the never ending third one. I also suffered greatly watching what Jackson did to the King Kong story. Jackson shows real talent but he seems to believe that too much is never enough.

3. I haven't botched a review here yet (plenty of other stuff though). But I've badly misread some films in the past. When I first saw There Will Be Blood (2007) I thought it was terrific. With my second viewing I found it a completely empty experience. Daniel Day Lewis was magnificent but the story was as hollow as Republican's head. On the flip side when i first saw The Shop Around the Corner (1940) I wondered what the fuss was about. I'm not sure why I gave it a second chance but I did and fell in love. Now I watch it most every Christmas season.

There you go, much more interesting than those professional newspaper guys with their big salaries and their expertise and talent and clever writing. Am I right?

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