Notes on culture and cinema: How much is your 2 cents worth?

Things overheard at Showplace East 11:\n"'Drop Dead Gorgeous.' That was a goooood movie."\n"'The Limey.' That was a baaaaad movie."\n"Mariah Carey. Ewwwww."\n"'American Beauty.' Haven't seen that one."\nWhile waiting for the sneak preview of "Almost Famous" to start, many moviegoers were amusing themselves with the series of film-related slides flashing across the screen. Most people felt compelled to throw in their two cents when films they recognized were featured in the slides, but very few people had anything substantive to offer about why they felt compelled to label a movie as good or bad. Not surprisingly, the aforementioned comments came from a perky teenage girl.\nOf course, everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion. At the end of the day, we will all have to either agree or disagree. Unfortunately, many people are quick to voice uninformed opinions in the most ignorant manner. Take the loudmouth teenage girl at Showplace East 11. She comes off as if a movie is good only if she says so, while it's clear to this irritated critic sitting next to her that she has no idea what she is talking about.\nBut this critic has encountered much worse. While I welcome different views from other moviegoers, in most cases people can't do better than a flipped "You are wrong" or some other irrelevant personal attack. These people don't have any idea what film criticism actually involves.\nThere are three elements to look for in each film -- its aesthetic achievement, social relevance and entertainment value. Most people are quick to judge a film solely on the basis of its entertainment value. No wonder movies like "Scary Movie" and "Road Trip" made a lot of money at the box office.\nIt's been said that the greatest critics don't just review films, they make their own and show other filmmakers how it's supposed to be done. French film critics such as Claude Chabrol and Eric Rohmer are living proof of that saying. But, while most people don't have the resources or ability to make a film, the majority show no respect to the filmmaking process in their criticism. Little do these self-absorbed people know that their criticism is ultimately inconsequential. \nLike the filmmaking process, film criticism itself is a craft. If you really want to throw in your two cents, the least you can do is to come up with an informed opinion. Some professional film critics see about 250 out of the 500 films released each year in the theater. The more movies you see, the more you will be able to distinguish the good from the bad. \nIt's really not much of an effort to teach yourself about film. With availability and convenience of videocassettes and DVDs, one can now watch many movies at one's leisure.\nOne can also increase his or her knowledge by reading various newspaper articles, magazines and Web sites devoted to movies. Since we are in an academic environment, there are plenty of opportunities for us to enroll in film classes taught by world-class faculty members. \nOf course, you can also choose to flaunt your ignorance if you want. Just be sure next time you won't be overheard by a critic who will poke fun at you in his or her next column.