I think the format works so well because:

*this is how people talk about movies! You see a movie and you’re like “omg, let’s talk about it”. Also, movies are such a hypnotic event that you want to tap the person next to you and be like “AHHH DID YOU SEE THAT TOO!?”

*the medium itself is -either rightly or wrong- informal so a ‘chat’ about it feels more approiate than a thesis driven essay. though, those are wonderful too. but often it, especially if you haven’t seen the movie, you feel like the author has grossly unfair disadvantage. Whereas say with Opera, I truly know dick about it so I feel more comfortable referring to an ‘expert critic.’ Whereas movies are for every one! And so you’re like, HAY QUIET DOWN, DENBY. You know?

*you consume movies in groups!

*ART! IT’S SO SUBJECTIVE YOU GUYS!

*it lubricates the brain twists

What I miss about seeing movies with an audience/my friends right now is that I don’t get to chat with them about what I think and what they think. My filmgoing as of late feels like a conversation with myself. And not a very good one! (And, let’s be frank: when you’re at a screening with a variety of people who need to see the film for some reason, if there was a zombie apocalypse Lost-sitch and you had to deal with these people and figure out which one you can make survivor babies with, you’d cry.)

Can I heart this a million?