10 Awesome Ways Movies Got Back At Critics

2. General Sarris Was Named After Film Critic Andrew Sarris - Galaxy Quest

Cult classic sci-fi comedy Galaxy Quest revolves around the cast of a long-dead cult sci-fi TV show being roped into a real intergalactic war, led by evil reptilian alien General Roth'h'ar Sarris (Robin Sachs).

If you're thinking that the name "Sarris" seems a little too...human-y for an alien who looks like that, you'd be right.

The surname was in fact a direct reference to legendary film critic Andrew Sarris, who is widely credited with popularising auteur theory in film criticism.

Sarris' namesake was lent to Galaxy Quest's big bad due to Sarris panning producer Mark Johnson's 1984 Robert Redford-starring sports film The Natural, calling it "a pathetic strike-out."

Despite The Natural scoring largely positive reviews and landing four Oscar nominations, not to mention releasing 15 years before Galaxy Quest, apparently Johnson knew how to hold a grudge.

When asked about the naming, the producer said, "It was either Sarris or Haskell", referring to Sarris' wife Molly Haskell, who is herself also a film critic.

Sarris, meanwhile, shrugged the "honour" off, declaring at the time, "It probably won’t make enough money for me to sue for $10 million...I’m 70 years old. This guy wants to insult me? Oh, boohoo. As long as they spelled my name right, I’m okay."