Michael Wilmington was a fierce film critic during a time when some of the greatest movies ever made were produced and immortalized. Yet, for all the reviews and essays, and articles he wrote about the movies, he said that one of his favorites was a story called “Bartholomew Croy and the Bubbula Bush”. Of all the film critics who ever gave their viewpoints and reactions to new films, Michael Wilmington is one that poured out his heart and soul into every review he wrote. See the side of him that tells a fractured fable of woe about the Hollywood movie-making machine and all the toils and troubles that go with it.
Michael associated with plenty of fellow critics, like Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and knowledgeable film scholars, like Joesph McBride and David Bordwell, from both coasts and the Midwest. He taught film classes in Chicago and loved going to see the movies in the neighborhood theaters to hear the crowd’s reaction and feel the vibe. In a way he was a critic’s critic as he loved to talk about the merits of a film with fellow critics and he was always interested in conveying the essence of a film to his readers. He knew how important good criticism was and how it helped to provide new perspectives, perspectives that could otherwise have gone unnoticed and under-appreciated. Michael knew how to write film reviews that mattered. This is what we will be sharing more of as our documentary “There’s Always Another Movie” is finally completed.
Here are the opening lines of the fable and Michael’s reason for writing it. Along with a follow-up option to see the entire reading by Michael. Enjoy!