Comments by Scott_Marks | San Diego Reader

Scott Marks

Scott Marks is a Reader contributor. See staff page for published articles.

Free movies of the week, the Santa Claus edition

Oh, no, Surf! Once was too much!
— December 25, 2012 9:45 p.m.

Dig a hole: Charles Durning

"BJ Goes to Washington" felt like five weeks. Got any Marty stories from the set of "Bull?"
— December 25, 2012 9:33 p.m.

Dig a hole: Charles Durning

Got behind-the-scenes production stills, dwbat?
— December 25, 2012 5:38 p.m.

Bing Crosby and Karen Carpenter: greatest Christmas singers of all time.

I tried listening to KOGO's Christmas mix. Not enough Jose Feliciano or The Grinch. Maybe if they played something like this, I'd have tuned in more often. Merry Christmas, Garrett! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cM38kN4AOys
— December 25, 2012 12:24 a.m.

Christmas jeer

I'm generous enough to give a Spielberg film one star and you're accusing me of being negative? I'm still confused about how it's a critic's job to tell people what to watch. My friend John Shultz said it best: "A critic's job is to discuss how s/he felt about the movie, not how YOU might feel about the movie." My duty as I see it is to watch a film and report back with my findings. It's up to you to figure out if what's playing is worth your time and money. I grew up reading David Elliott and Dave Kehr every week without fail. Kehr slammed "Annie Hall" and Elliott slapped "Goodfellas" with a two-star review. Had I taken their advice, I'd have missed out on two films that have become as familiar as my skin. Kehr gave "Forrest Gump," yes, that "Forrest Gump," four-stars and I still scramble to read his NY Times DVD column every Sunday morning. Every critic in the country -- including my partner -- thought "Killing Them Softly" should have come with a skull and crossbones printed across the poster. Go figure, it turns out to be one of the best movies I've seen all year. I don't care what critics say; if I want to see a movie, I'm there no matter what anyone else thinks. The same holds true for most of the public. How else does one account for the success of "Transformers?" My approach to reviewing movies is relatively simple. Film is a visual medium and that means more than just radio with pictures. A director can have a tremendous script and elicit letter-perfect performances from his or her cast, but if s/he chooses to film every shot in close-up with a hand-held camera, I'm probably going to pan it. I'm in it for the storytelling, not the story. It's probably best to read my (any?) reviews after seeing the movie. In the end, we agree on "Lincoln," so I did my job, right? AND, I got a rise out of you! Depend on me for a laugh, a little historical perspective, and some occasional insight, not on what you should or should not see. Were it up to me, everyone would keep pace and log at least 200 movies a year. And where I come from, calling me "more capricious and opaque" than my esteemed predecessor is high praise. Merry Christmas, Monaghan. I appreciate the thoughtful and constructive criticism.
— December 25, 2012 12:09 a.m.

Putting the "X" back in Xmas - a brief history of San Diego porn theaters

Piece on earth.
— December 24, 2012 2:21 p.m.

Lil' Paul Williams (who made Kensington history in 1983) is STILL ALIVE!

What a Christmas bounty, Jay! About a month ago I Googled Paul Williams and was delighted to see that he was still around. I was always a fan, although his shtick with Pat McCormick got old fast. (Too reminiscent of the mush Tim Conway and Harvey Korman pumped out.) My treasured memories revolve around "Phantom" and his stellar appearances on "The Match Game." This sounds like a must-see movie for me. Thanks! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGZun6FoXTw
— December 24, 2012 12:16 p.m.

Christmas jeer

Merry Christmas to you and yours, Jerome. God bless and thanks for the many years of laughter and friendship. And, no, I don't have an HQ of Groucho in the Santa suit.
— December 24, 2012 12:09 p.m.

Free movies of the week, the Santa Claus edition

Ans she never got a fella?
— December 21, 2012 10:23 p.m.

Street Style: The Gaslamp

Didn't you mean to say, "I found Daniela Tripic in front of the Reading Cinema, named by The Reader as the best place to watch a movie in San Diego?" Hyperlink, too! Harumph! Whatever! That's the last time I tweet you!
— December 21, 2012 3:22 p.m.

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Scott Marks

Free movies of the week, the Santa Claus edition

Dig a hole: Charles Durning

Dig a hole: Charles Durning

Bing Crosby and Karen Carpenter: greatest Christmas singers of all time.

Christmas jeer

Putting the "X" back in Xmas - a brief history of San Diego porn theaters

Lil' Paul Williams (who made Kensington history in 1983) is STILL ALIVE!

Christmas jeer

Free movies of the week, the Santa Claus edition

Street Style: The Gaslamp

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