Armond White

Armond White (born in Detroit, Michigan) is an American film critic. Though first labeled a "Paulette" due to unashamedly being influenced by the New Yorker magazine film critic Pauline Kael, White earned his own reputation as a film critic of distinct, counter-intuitive principles. White is often noted for his willingness to oppose mainstream film critic opinions. He has been the most forceful and intellectually stimulating defender of films by Steven Spielberg, Brian DePalma, Robert Altman, Wes Anderson and the French New Wave directors. White has stood out for his unconventional stance on cult favorites David Fincher, Paul Thomas Anderson and his love of Eddie Murphy movies, particularly The Klumps and Norbit [http://www.nypress.com/20/7/film/ArmondWhite.cfm] . Aside from his controversial reviews, White has singularly championed the films Office Space and Napoleon Dynamite which most critics dismissed but later became legendary as alternative pop favorites.

Books

White is the author of "The Resistance: Ten Years of Pop Culture That Shook the World" and "Rebel for the Hell of It: The Life of Tupac Shakur". Both publications illustrate White's approach to popular culture.

Lecture

Since 1993, White has coordinated an annual program of innovative music videos for New York's Film Society of Lincoln Center. His programs and interview-guests have included Hype Williams, Mark Romanek, Marcus Nispel. It is a popular, highly anticipated event in New York's cultural series.

Controversy

In April of 2008, White published a broadside title "What We Don't Talk About When We Talk About Movies" in the "New York Press". It provoked comments globally--from the U.S. to Australia, England and France.

Previously, in 2003, White wrote another impactful, controversial essay for New York Press titled,"Their Souls For a Freebie" protesting against the New York Film Critics Circle's entry into the film industry's awards season free-screeners giveaway. This widely-read article angered critics who were used to accepting blandishments from the industry, despite the appearance of collusion and corruption. Jack Valenti, president of the Motion Picture Producers Association congratulated White for his lonely stance by stating on WABC radio, "I'd like to embrace you warmly."

"Vanity Fair" columnist James Wolcott praised White's review of Martin Scorsese's "The Departed", asking "Is there a more fiercely independent-minded critic?"

White's reviews stand out for their numerous references to standard-bearing "classic" directors such as D.W. Griffith, Jean Renoir, Carl Dreyer, Jean-Luc Godard, Fritz Lang, Michelangelo Antonioni. He also hailed little known African filmmaker Ousmane Sembene of Senegal and the African-American filmmakers Charles Burnett ("Killer of Sheep"), Wendell B. Harris ("Chameleon Street") and Charles Stone III ("Drumline, Mr. 3000, Paid In Full"). Among White's controversial stances was his praise of Wes Anderson's "The Darjeeling Limited" as the best film of 2007.

External links

;Info
*
* [http://www.rottentomatoes.com/author-2725/ Armond White] 's reviews and articles at Rotten Tomatoes

;Interviews
* [http://www.filmmakermagazine.com/winter2004/features/the_critic.php for Filmmaker magazine]
* [http://www.briandepalma.net/critics/White1.htm Critical discussion]
* [http://www.sensesofcinema.com/contents/02/20/armond.html Beyond Entertainment]
* Splicetoday.com [http://ww.splicetoday.com May 18, 2008]