*looks at blue tick, professional film critic declaiming that 'fake critics' get given access to movies before real ones*
*looks at entirely justified murderous outpouring of rage*

Okay.

I've worked as a freelance movie critic for perhaps a dozen publications (digital and print) for, fucking Hell, close to 20 years. I've had access to physical press screenings in that time, exactly twice.

The York Warners would have a couple of things a week. We were rarely, if ever, told what they were, you just showed up, went in and if you were lucky they had the coffee pot on and watched what you watched.

For a while, I was able to get into see stuff on release too. That process was identical: go in, ask to see a manager, explain I'm Press, explain I've been doing this for years, explain that yes they DO do press accreditation, get reluctantly waved in.

You're seeing the glamour, right?

More recently I've had occasional invites to London press screenings. I often don't take them because pre-COVID19 I couldn't afford to lose money on travel costs I wouldn't be reimbursed for. Post COVID19 I just didn't want the risk.

I got invites for maybe one in five screenings. I know of critics, white, dude critics, who were boasting about getting to go to multiple Captain Marvel screenings.

yeah.

The vast majority of the time now, I work with digital screeners. It's easier, it's faster, the press kit usually comes with it. Sometimes I'll review for SciFi Bulletin, usually it's for The Full Lid. I've worked, in 2020 especially, on broadening what I talk about.

POC creators get talked about every week. Non-male too. I've covered everything from a zero budget (And tremendous fun) martial arts movie to an Australian black comedy about terminal illness and found family. The art is where you find it and in the respect you give to it.

My mentor, who works in Austin now making politicians cry (Hiya Mark!) once told me getting a project finished is almost impossible and instantly deserving of baseline respect. I've never forgotten that,

I've also never forgotten that it's okay to like things. It's VITAL to like things. No movie, no story, is perfect. Almost no movie, almost no story, is worthless.

Almost no critic either. I grew up watching Barry Norman, HATED how he treated genre cinema. Learnt to use it too. If he hated a movie, chances are I wouldn't. If he liked one? Chances are I should give it a try.

I'm never going to make my living writing about movies. The overwhelming majority of film writers won't because the industry is small and it loves it's icons and tastemakers. Folks like Robbie Collin, folks like Mark Kermode. Folks like the people who get regular invites to shows

From the perspective of the industry, I can absolutely see digital journalists coming in looking a little like an invading nerd army. They are. And that's sometimes a very, very bad thing.

We don't have room here for the anger I still feel over Harry Knowles and the years of abuse he was enabled to perpetrate. Not to mention the just fucking AWFUL writing that spawned a million shit imitators.

There are other sites that are worse. The endless rumour mills, the zero-proofread zero-fact check sites that have collectively chainsawed 100 IQ points off pop culture and will never be called to account for it.

But there are gems too. Shining beacons of enthusiasm and inclusion and FUN. Authors with unique perspectives and unique approaches whose work isn't just valid, it'll teach you more about yours.

So when I see a blueticked critic from not one but two sites of notes being sniffy about the nerds liking a nerd movie, I don't just see a cheap shot being thrown by someone who likes to hear himself talk.

I see someone too terrified of losing their painfully hip spot to engage with newcomers, to learn, network, improve and grow. Not just their work, but the industry.

Because too often film journalism thinks it's the cool kid sitting alone at the far end of the dining hall. Whereas in reality it just makes anyone new feel like shit.

Like what you like, folks. Hate what you hate. Ask yourselves why in both cases. Write about it. Repeat. That's it.