New Escapist column! About critics as curators in the age of top content …

I published a new one As part of Piece at The dropout this evening. Given Martin Scorsese’s recent comments on reducing film and television to “Content”It seemed like an opportunity to ponder the challenges of navigation in this new era – and the increasing relevance of critics in this context.

There’s a lot of entertainment out there. Despite the explosion in streaming services, a lot is harder to access – or at least harder to stumble upon – unless it’s an audience active search for. Film criticism seems to be in a constant crisis of purpose and identity, but the truth is that critics are arguably more important today than ever before. In an age with so many mediums, it is useful to have critics who understand the medium, its history, and the breadth of possibilities it offers.

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