Errata is a web journal written by Robert Davis who has neither spent a night in a ghost town nor pulled a turnip from the earth. He doesn't even know if turnips grow in the ground. Perhaps on trees, like candy corn. Therefore, Errata is a non-commercial project.

Observation #1: It may be appropriate, when leaving a movie theater, to say "mysterious."

Observation #2: It may be appropriate, when leaving a movie theater, to say "mysterious" at the top of your lungs. Bring your eyebrows together before you say it. Effective!

Observation #3: Same for books. Even at libraries.

There is a prize for people who correctly guess the thing about Metropolis, Nevada.

Except where the text specifically states otherwise, Errata's vagaries are indicated vaguely and its authors are indistinct in the traditional way of the Internet, except where the authors lay claim to their work. In some cases Robert Davis lays claim to work that is not his own but has been abandoned like so many ghost towns. Except where held presently, fistfuls of dirt are suspended via dispersal, or dispersed via suspension (in the air), and thus their dissolution is their transcendence, or their transcendence is their dissolution. And yet our eyes tear, and our vision is impaired, demonstrating for the umpteenth time that one entity's gain is another's fit of sneezes. Except where indicated, storms shall outlive the clay upon which they rain, unless storms are improperly delimited by their clouds, which dissolve, rather than by their inevitable return. Thus the clay loses, unless the clay is said to own the storm, to use it to make itself heavy, to make itself cling to white garments, refuse dispersal, cake upon the facades of abandoned buildings, and sit like Man [sic] upon the earth where it is pelted by a storm that it owns. In which case the clay still loses, if you ask us.

Some of the above is legally binding and should be considered a mental contract between Errata and those upon whom it acts. The bit about the prize should be considered an overstatement insofar as prizes differ from dirt and prize dispersal differs from dirt dispersal. Please recall that ownership is a weight and, therefore, hope that you do not win the prize.

One day Errata or its representatives will call upon you for a favor. It is expected that you will hop-to without delay.

You may contact Robert Davis by email unless it's about the rock that was thrown in anger. The rock is more properly called a clod. Why do you continue to raise the topic?

14 November 2003

Ozu and Bickering Critics

The New York Times received a lot of attention a few years ago when its longtime movie critic Janet Maslin announced her departure. Who would fill this influential spot? Surprising everyone, the paper announced that two people would replace her, Elvis Mitchell, already a known film critic, and A. O. Scott, a book critic.

Roger Ebert had this huffy response in Salon:

Scott doesn't at this point have the qualifications of a Dave Kehr, but the Times editors apparently didn't want someone like that.... Has he seen six films by Bresson? Ozu? That's not the sort of question they would think to ask. Would they hire a book critic to be their music critic? Architecture critic? No, but that goes without saying. They probably believe, like many other editors, that anyone can be the film critic. It is the only job on the newspaper that everyone, including the editors, believe they can do better than the person on the beat.

Lucky for all of us, the 100th anniversary of Ozu's birth is this year, increasing the opportunities to see Ozu's quiet movies about everyday Japanese life.

First up, a nearly complete set of prints is currently showing in the San Francisco Bay Area, some of them at the Castro Theater starting today, and a more complete set, including silents, at the Pacific Film Archive in Berkeley starting November 23. These prints are expected to travel to other cities, if there are no complications caused by Cowboy Pictures, who is providing the prints, going out of business. Watch the Ozu site for late-breaking news.

Just think of all the film critics who will be earning their stripes at these showings.

If the prints don't come near you, you should take a look at the brand new Criterion DVD of Tokyo Story. Doug Cummings recently wrote a great review of the movie and DVD on filmjourney.org. Also, check the afformentioned Ozu site for other available DVDs.

Finally, you'll be glad to know that Ebert has since apologized to Scott, in Slate:

...full disclosure compels me to say that at the time I was extremely disappointed that Dave Kehr did not get the job (reportedly because of ageism, although who knows), and so I got smart-ass about you with Salon. The fact is, your movie reviews have been as good as your book reviews, and I am ashamed to have spoken so recklessly.

Me, I've only seen three Ozu movies, so you see I'm only halfway there. But I'm within walking distance of the Castro theater, so check back soon. This sums up my status as a movie critic. A neophyte, but an eager one.

Let's talk about Bresson another day.

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