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Five Stars!: How to Become a Film Critic, the World's Greatest Job
by Christopher Null
A book review by Joe Barlow
(c) Copyright 2006, Cinemaslave.Com. All rights reserved.
RATING: 8 out of 10
It doesn't take more than a quick glance at the "Writing/Reference" section of your favorite bookstore to realize that the world is full of aspiring Hemingways. Hundreds of "how to" volumes line the shelves, each promising to impart the secrets of successful creative expression to you for a paltry $24.95 or less. Indeed, with the staggering variety of new books published each year on the "right" way to break into print, it's a wonder there's anyone left to buy them. Surely we're all hunkered down at the local coffee shop with our laptops, frantically pecking away on our keyboards, hunting for that magic turn-of-phrase that will force an editor to dive for the telephone and fire off a lucrative assignment.
So it's pretty amazing that none of these guides have focused on one of the easier job markets to crack: freelance film criticism. But even though I'm about to cite Christopher Null's "Five Stars!: How to Become a Film Critic, the World's Greatest Job" as the best available book on the subject, this should not be construed as a backhanded compliment. Despite the fact that Null pretty much has the market to himself, he has taken the time to pen a comprehensive, practical page-turner for those wishing to break into the Ugly Stepchild of journalism.
Null certainly knows of what he speaks. As the founder and editor of the popular filmcritic.com web site, he brings over a decade of industry experience to the neophyte Pauline Kaels of the world, covering everything a novice could possibly want to know about his chosen career path. Ingeniously, Null takes nothing for granted -- not only does he assume the reader is completely ignorant of film history, but that he possesses precious little knowledge of critical thought and creative expression as well. Several of the book's early chapters are designed to strengthen these skills in the reader. And considering that most of today's newbie writers will likely break into publication online -- a place not usually known for its literary eloquence or open-mindedness -- these exercises are almost worth the price of the book themselves. Null also shares a number of sample movie reviews with us, explaining the various strengths and weaknesses of each particular style of criticism.
More experienced readers may want to skip to the second half of the volume, which details a myriad of ways to publicize and sell your writing. Entire chapters are devoted to the process of getting free DVD screeners and movie tickets from the studios, as well as astute advice on making the leap from Internet writing to newspaper and magazine markets, if that's your goal. The author also lets the budding writer know how to deal with various unpleasantries of the job he may not have considered, such as handling hate mail, plagiarists, celebrity interviews from hell, cranky film publicists, and even (perish the thought!) movie burnout.
"Five Stars!" is definitely a book I wish I'd had in my collection when I began writing film reviews back in '97, and will no doubt serve as an invaluable roadmap for the A.O. Scotts of tomorrow. Highly recommended for anyone with a strong interest in the subject matter.
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