I used to read Ebert's and other critics review some time ago, then things changed - Rotten Tomatoes modified its policies and almost everyone became a critic over night, then imdb closed its boards, it looks like film reviews are now mostly a marketing tool by the studios and there aren't many real film critics anymore or even an interest from the general public in true film criticism and analysis.
shareFilm Criticism and analysis are all over YouTube with huge followings. I'll watch those type of videos but as far as professional movie critics that write for newspapers no I don't take what they do seriously.
shareWhen it became clear they were paid shills it was all over. I take all my film critiques from youtubers now. The good ones, just like critics of old, actually provide context and examples for their arguments just like Siskel and Ebert used to. So you can make a fairly accurate assessment of whether or not you'll like the movie regardless of what they felt about it. I haven't followed a professional film critic since I stopped reading newspapers. That was always a fun bit of the newspaper. But on the youtube, I mean you can watch a dude like Mauler completely break down and obliterate a film for five hours straight if that's your fancy.
shareI'm my own critic. Don't need a critic to tell me what's good or not. They are often wrong on my eyes anyhow....
share"Are film critics still relevant today?"
short answer - No
No they are not , the mass communication afforded by the internet has made many occupations from the beforetimes redundant , and "movie critic" is absolutlely top of that list.
I guess they're still relevant, but the critic's audience is way, way less sophisticated. God, when these YouTube critics reviewed the latest Ghostbuster's fiasco and said how great/shocking/surprising/exhilarating the ending was I about barfed.
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