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Vulgar auteurism

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Vulgar auteurism is a movement that emerged in early 2010s cinephilia and film criticism associated with championing or reappraising filmmakers, mostly those working in the horror and action genres and whose work has otherwise received little attention or negative reception in the critical mainstream.[1][2] It became a controversial topic in the cinephile community following the publication of an article in the Village Voice in 2013 and has been described as "a critical movement committed to assessing the 'unserious' artistry of popcorn cinema with absolute seriousness."

Background

According to film critic Peter Labuza, vulgar auteurism "seems to have been an unconscious movement before it ever had a name", as the earliest criticism identified as exhibiting "vulgar auteurism" was published in the Canadian film magazine Cinema Scope in 2006 and 2007.[3] Cinema Scope writer Andrew Tracy coined the term in his 2009 article, "Vulgar Auteurism: The Case of Michael Mann".[4] Initially pejorative,[4] the term was repurposed by MUBI user John Lehtonen.[4] Over the years which followed, MUBI's online film magazine began to publish more and more articles defending genres and directors which were unpopular with the critical mainstream.

It derives its name[5] from the auteur theory, a key component of film criticism which posits that the director is the author ("auteur") of a film and that films should be analyzed in terms of how they fit into a director's larger body of work.[6] Also known as "auteurism," the auteur theory was introduced by French critics associated with the film magazine Cahiers du cinéma during the 1950s and popularized in the United States in the 1960s by Andrew Sarris.[7]

In 1981, J. Hoberman coined the term "vulgar modernism" to describe the "looney" fringes of American popular culture (eg. the animators Tex Avery and Chuck Jones, MAD Magazine, TV pioneer Ernie Kovacs and the films of Frank Tashlin).[8][9][10]

Several critics, including Richard Brody of The New Yorker and Scott Foundas of Variety, have drawn parallels between the earliest French and American proponents of the auteur theory and vulgar auteurism. However, many commentators on the movement consider vulgar auteurism to be distinct from the classical auteur theory, pointing to its concern with visual style over theme. The question of whether vulgar auteurism is a legitimate separate movement or a subset of the auteur theory is a point of disagreement among film critics.

Vulgar auteurist ideas gained currency when one of the movement's leading proponents,[11] critic Ignatiy Vishnevetsky, became the co-host of the television program Ebert Presents: At the Movies, produced by Roger Ebert. However, while "vulgar auteurist" criticism was becoming popular, the term and the movement to which it corresponded remained obscure until the publication of an article by Calum Marsh, "Fast & Furious & Elegant: Justin Lin and the Vulgar Auteurs", in The Village Voice on May 24, 2013.[12][13]

Controversy and criticism

Marsh's article was immediately controversial.[12] While some took issue with the films and filmmakers being championed by the proponents of vulgar auteurism, others took issue with the idea that vulgar auteurism was a movement distinct from the auteur theory.[4]

Former Village Voice critic Nick Pinkerton has been associated with vulgar auteurism, as he has written essays in praise of directors championed by the movement and whose 2012 article "The Bigger and Better Mousetraps of Paul W. S. Anderson" has been described as vulgar auteurist.[12][13] However, Pinkerton has been critical of the movement; in an article written in response to Marsh's, he decried the term "vulgar auteurism" as "a shameless attention grab", arguing that "no persuasive argument has yet been made for why the phrase should be vitally necessary to modify old, fuddy-duddy Auteurism."[14] He further objected to the argument that film critics routinely panned the works of directors included within the movement, writing, "Fast & Furious 6, which we're assured is scorned by critics the world over, currently stands at 61% at Metacritic, above The Great Gatsby (54%), and within striking distance of arty jazz like Simon Killer and Post Tenebras Lux."[14]

Notable directors

Notable films

See also

Similar debates

References

  1. ^ Brunsting, Joshua (2013-06-11). "What Vulgar Auteurism Gets Wrong". CriterionCast. Retrieved 2022-09-15.
  2. ^ Tracy, Andrew (2013-05-31). "Trash Humping: On "Vulgar Auteurism"". Cinema Scope. Retrieved 2022-09-15.
  3. ^ Foundas, Scott. "'Pompeii' doesn't suck: Paul W.S. Anderson and Vulgar Auteurism". Variety.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Labuza, Peter (June 3, 2013). "Expressive Esoterica in the 21st Century—Or: What Is Vulgar Auteurism?". LabuzaMovies.com. Archived from the original on 2014-02-13. Retrieved 2014-02-26.
  5. ^ a b Brody, Richard. "A Few Thoughts on Vulgar Auteurism". The New Yorker.
  6. ^ a b c d Vulgar auteurism and Justin Lin|Westword
  7. ^ Why It's OK to Love Bad Movies - Google Books (ch. "The Good, The Bad and the Good-Bad")
  8. ^ Vulgar Modernism - Routledge Encyclopedia of Modernism
  9. ^ Vulgar Modernism - Artfourm International
  10. ^ Film Theory - Google Books (pg.171)
  11. ^ Patches, Matt (February 21, 2014). "The Other Paul Anderson: The Psychotic Action Vision of 'Pompeii' Director Paul W.S. Anderson". Grantland.
  12. ^ a b c Singer, Matt. "Some Refined Discussion About Vulgar Auteurism".
  13. ^ a b Kenigsberg, Ben. "From the Wire: Pinkerton's Notes on Vulgar Auteurism". Indiewire.
  14. ^ a b Pinkerton, Nick. "BOMBAST #96". SundanceNow. Archived from the original on 2014-03-02. Retrieved 2014-02-26.
  15. ^ Monster Hunter Review: Paul W.S. Anderson Crafts a Hyperkinetic, Faithful Videogame Adaptation|The Film Stage
  16. ^ New to Streaming: To the Wonder, Monster Hunter, Nomadland, Test Pattern & More|The Film Stage
  17. ^ The Never-ending Quest to Adapt 'Resident Evil' - The Ringer
  18. ^ a b c d e f Vulgar Auteurism-Film Theory
  19. ^ "Vulgar Auteurism": Out with the New, In with the Old|Antenna
  20. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Vulgar Auteurism: A Guide Or: The "Mann-Scott-Baysians"-MUBI
  21. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l For Love of the Vulgar-MUBI
  22. ^ Fresh blood: Three Great Directors of Direct-to-Video Action|Balder and Dash|Roger Ebert.com
  23. ^ The artistic genius of Michael Bay – Macleans.ca
  24. ^ The Michael Bay 'Ambulance' Movie Review Drinking Game - Rolling Stone
  25. ^ Start your engines: Seventh 'Furious' film provides winning shot of adrenaline - Entertainment - Columbia Daily Tribune - Columbia, MO
  26. ^ Director Jaume Collet-Serra Knows What Makes Liam Neeson an Incredible Action Hero|GQ
  27. ^ Melbourne Cinematheque June Round-up: Fast And Cheap With Roger Corman - ScreenAnarchy
  28. ^ Review: 'Elvis' + 'Top Gun: Maverick' - OnlySky Media
  29. ^ 'Dressed to Kill' and 'The Hunger': So Lethal, So Very Fashionable
  30. ^ The Golden Age of TV: Rise of the Television Auteur|Facets Features
  31. ^ Army of Milla: Resident Evil and Modern Auteurism-End of Cinema
  32. ^ Secret Defense: Roland Emmerich's "Anonymous" on Notebook|MUBI
  33. ^ Why Clint Eastwood Can't Buy Into The Idea Of An 'Auteur' Director|/Film
  34. ^ Ms.45 - NOW Magazine
  35. ^ a b CLASS OF 1999 — Brattle Theatre Film Notes
  36. ^ Walter Hill on his EIFF retrospective-The Skinny
  37. ^ a b c d e f g Dreams for the Dreamers as They Are in Their Tortured Dreams - Bright Wall/Dark Room
  38. ^ Elvis|Cinema St Louis
  39. ^ Vern Tells It Like It Is: Those Damn Vulgarians-Vern's Reviews on the Films of Cinema
  40. ^ The rise and fall of auteur theory - Film Stories
  41. ^ Review:Pieta - Slant Magazine
  42. ^ Back to "Basic" on Notebook|MUBI
  43. ^ The Noteworthy: R.I.P. Nagisa Oshima (1932-2013), The Formative Years of Cinema, Foreign Languages on Notebook|MUBI
  44. ^ Joshua Reviews Athina Rachel Tsangari's Chevalier (PIFF 2016) - CriterionCast.com
  45. ^ "Gods of Egypt Director Alex Proyas Hates Film Critics". /Film. 2016-02-29. Retrieved 2019-07-25.
  46. ^ Fresh blood: Three Great Directors of Direct-to-Video Action|Balder and Dash|Roger Ebert.com
  47. ^ a b Smearing the Senses: Tony Scott, Action Painter on Notebook|MUBI
  48. ^ Tony Scott: A Moving Target—Movement A on Notebook|MUBI
  49. ^ 35 Years On, Why I've Never Lost That Loving Feeling For 'Top Gun'|WBUR
  50. ^ It's time to take a serious look at Zack Snyder-Little White Lies
  51. ^ Zack Snyder's Worst to Best Movies|The Artifice
  52. ^ Here's 10 of Quentin Tarantino's Best Movie Characters, Ranked - MovieWeb
  53. ^ a b c The 15 Best Music Videos Made by The World's Greatest Filmmakers - Inverse
  54. ^ John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum - Paste
  55. ^ The Not-So-Savage Messiahs - MUBI
  56. ^ Vulgar Auteurism - Movie List on mubi.com
  57. ^ A Dreadful Mike Myers Is in Netflix's Top 10 - PopCulture.com
  58. ^ Film Society unveils new season, from silents to sex thrillers - Chicago Tribune
  59. ^ For Criterion Consideration: Miami Vice - Criterion Cast.com
  60. ^ "The Director of 'Dumb & Dumber' Is This Year's Oscar Frontrunner (Really)". Decider. 2018-11-21. Retrieved 2022-09-20.
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