Kyle Lee

Writer of fantasy stories. Big time movie nerd, meme sharer, and general lover of things. @KyleLeeWriter on all socials

[Kyle Lee @KyleLeeWriter]

This is an endlessly fascinating topic to me, the disconnect that can happen between artists and critics and audiences.

As an artist, you put your heart into your work and I think it’s natural that you’d bristle at your work being received negatively. It’s difficult to make art, even more so to make great art. You must satisfy yourself first and foremost, you need to be happy with what you put out. But how audiences and critics receive your work is out of your hands.

Then there’s the disconnect between critics and audiences. Film critics are little more than audiences informed by exposure to more movies than the average moviegoer and employed in a job where they’re paid to think critically about art. Critically doesn’t inherently mean negatively, but critics are often thought of as being more negative in receiving popular art like movies. I think it’s because when you really dedicate yourself to loving an art form, you’re going to be less accepting of what you find to be shitty examples of that art. That’s what happened for me when I dedicated myself to loving movies, books, music, etc.

Anyone who knows me knows that doesn’t mean that you don’t love fluff anymore, just that you only love the fluff that’s well made and interesting. Audiences at large are no different. There are certain rom-coms or fantasy epics or dumb stoner comedies or whatever that stick out in the memory more than others. That same thing happens for critics, audiences, and artists. We all love something more than something else. Why? Well, that’s the job of the critical mind, to pick at the subject of why you felt the way you did.

The defensive artist (as Taika Waititi is being here) saying they don’t listen to critics, but they do listen to audiences is disingenuous at best. Critics ARE audiences. And if critics don’t like your art, that’s okay. The things we make aren’t for everyone, that’s simply the nature of art. It’s not a personal attack on you if critics don’t like your movie. It’s just a certain subset of the audience giving their opinion.

And I’ll end by paraphrasing Roger Ebert, who said that film criticism is important because film is important. I think that’s true of art in general. If we put importance into art (and I certainly do) then someone thinking critically about that piece of art and what it’s saying and how and all that, is also important. I learned so much from critics when I was a young cinephile. Not in what to think, but in how to think and how to explore my opinions and feelings about art.

[david ehrlich @davidehrlich]

i wrote about Taika Waititi's delusional and embarrassing Instagram post, and how it reflects a deeper problem about the impacts of social media on the entire artistic ecosystem:

https://t.co/TZR8AhVfmA

[Kyle Lee @KyleLeeWriter]

As a movie nerd I’m often asked for recommendations, so I’ve decided every day to recommend a movie I’ve rated 10/10.

Daily movie recommendation number 184:

Flopping to the less widely seen, it’s the great noir thriller, Sweet Smell of Success!

Have you seen it?

[Kyle Lee @KyleLeeWriter]

As a movie nerd I’m often asked for recommendations, so I’ve decided every day to recommend a movie I’ve rated 10/10.

Daily movie recommendation number 183:

Flipping to the more widely seen, it’s Ang Lee’s great meditation on loneliness, Brokeback Mountain!

Have you seen it?

[Kyle Lee @KyleLeeWriter]

@AshValePress Eh, everyone has opinions. I am just not a huge fan of condiments. Mustard? No. Ketchup? Sometimes-to-rarely. Mayo? Of the devil. Steak sauce? Only if you messed up cooking your steak.

American BBQ sauce is about the only one I love.

[Kyle Lee @KyleLeeWriter]

I wouldn’t sully my eggs with ketchup in the first place, but if I am determined to put something on top of my eggs I’m either going fresh chiles or maybe a homemade hot sauce. Or maybe just some cheese.

But if you cook them right, like a steak they won’t need anything on top.

[Chef 👩🏻‍🍳 @chefsevenn]

Ketchup isn’t an option, what are you putting on these eggs ?

[Kyle Lee @KyleLeeWriter]

@AshValePress I literally only put ketchup on fries and onion rings. That’s it.

I’m not big on condiments in general.

[Kyle Lee @KyleLeeWriter]

@DaveBuzan Drop him like a toilet seat, Tommy!

[Kyle Lee @KyleLeeWriter]

@mikemovies Always happy to see Ford in a movie.

[Kyle Lee @KyleLeeWriter]

@JayLongWrites I have used it in some stories, but generally I try to follow so that each scene motivates the next scene and so on until we reach the climax. As long as you do that, you’re usually good.

[Kyle Lee @KyleLeeWriter]

@Rylan_Stiles Just seemed like all their shots were going in, even when we’re playing good defense on them.

This is life in the NBA. You can’t win them all and Portland earned that W.

[Kyle Lee @KyleLeeWriter]

@LORElitaPixie Lemonade?

Ginger ale?

Sweet tea?

[Kyle Lee @KyleLeeWriter]

@CST801 I have seen it and just like all the other Fellini’s I have seen I was left thinking “it was okay, I guess.”

[Kyle Lee @KyleLeeWriter]

I would push back on that a bit. The Oscars before then were not exactly known for awarding LGBT movies. I mean, William Hurt in Kiss of the Spider Woman and Tom Hanks in Philadelphia are, I think, the only two awards given to gay characters and no other major awards had gone to a gay movie that I can remember.

[Kyle Lee @KyleLeeWriter]

As a movie nerd I’m often asked for recommendations, so I’ve decided every day to recommend a movie I’ve rated 10/10.

Daily movie recommendation number 183:

Flipping to the more widely seen, it’s Ang Lee’s great meditation on loneliness, Brokeback Mountain!

Have you seen it?

[Kyle Lee @KyleLeeWriter]

As a movie nerd I’m often asked for recommendations, so I’ve decided every day to recommend a movie I’ve rated 10/10.

Daily movie recommendation number 182:

Flopping to the less widely seen, it’s maybe the most influential food documentary of recent times, David Gelb’s Jiro Dreams of Sushi!

Have you seen it?

[JasPhoenixWrites @JasPhoenix_Rise]

Sobbing counts as marketing, right? 😭😉

[Kyle Lee @KyleLeeWriter]

@MTGraveStudio The animated short, Alma, could’ve been a great feature, but since it’s perfect already as a short maybe not.

[Kyle Lee @KyleLeeWriter]

@CST801 I saw it in theaters opening day, an easy 10/10, and it’s still my number 1 movie of 2009 and my number 12 movie of the 2000’s (maybe my favorite decade for movies).

[Kyle Lee @KyleLeeWriter]

@mlduncan7 Sometimes. I get more inspiration from movies than shows, but both can help.

[Kyle Lee @KyleLeeWriter]

Goodwill haul!

The first two Tarzan books, which I’ve never read.

Shane, a classic western book (and movie) that I haven’t read.

And a 1938 Corona Zephyr, which I’m not sure what I’m gonna do with but HAD to have!