10 Movie Directors Who Flipped Out At Critics

2. Kevin Smith Considers Charging For Press Screenings After 'Cop Out' Is Panned

Kevin-Smith-800x960The Criticism: Kevin Smith's Cop Out was an unconscionable piece of crap, earning 19% on Rotten Tomatoes. The Response: Kevin Smith compared critics disparaging his own movie to a group of kids bullying "the retarded kid", and that rather dubious distinction aside, he also claimed that he might start charging press if they wanted to see his movies in advance in future, a thoroughly ridiculous claim that in its adversarial nature would probably invite even more scathing reviews just for the sake of it. Furthermore, hours ahead of a UK press screening of his next film, Red State, Smith called distributor eOne to get various critics kicked from the guest list, and though Smith totally reserves the right, isn't it just totally childish? Besides, it prevents eOne from being able to properly market the damn thing... I love the vast majority of Smith's films, but the guy has a chip on his shoulder for no reason. Just ignore the criticisms and get on with making another movie; is it really that difficult? A little disconnect, please...
Contributor
Contributor

Frequently sleep-deprived film addict and video game obsessive who spends more time than is healthy in darkened London screening rooms. Follow his twitter on @ShaunMunroFilm or e-mail him at shaneo632 [at] gmail.com.