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[Travo]

Nobody that followed the site gave a shit about his reviews. His taste was highly questionable from the start. His insistence that he should recount the entire day he went to see the movie on made them a non-starter from the first paragraph.

He always found a way to shoehorn himself into the review.

 

[pfkas]

he's let himself go since one direction split up

 

[nitewulf]

Seen this posted on Twitter, Harry's review of Urban Legend (1998) and not that I want to pile on, but how was this tolerated as film criticism? It's straight up disgusting.





I don't even know what to say.

uhhhhhhhh.....wtf

 

[Ernest]

He's always been a piece of shit, glad he's finally getting his comeuppance.

 

[excelsiorlef]

I feel like, growing up, you were either a AICN guy or a JoBlo guy. I was the latter. Hope that dude isn't a child rapist or something.

Same

Especially Arrow in the Head

 

[BotoxAgent]

this dude was a geek but no writing talent. his writing was always a pile of shit.

i remember him giving the texas chainsaw reboot a good review just cuz hes friends with michael bay or something

 

[Media]

I remember AICN from way back in the day for being where you got spoilers from, but didn't Film Critic Hulk also post there? I can't remember and that guy was awesome.

 

[andythinkpad]

I have never read a single HK review until this thread, I have read a few Moriarty reviews. Like how do you get pass the giant fonts and capital letters? It's a like a weird guy start yelling in the public library.

 

[Camper Van Beethoven]

He's always been a piece of shit, glad he's finally getting his comeuppance.

How do you know?

 

[IggyChooChoo]

this dude was a geek but no writing talent. his writing was always a pile of shit.

i remember him giving the texas chainsaw reboot a good review just cuz hes friends with michael bay or something

The only good thing about Harry's writing was that it inspired Patton Oswalt to do those Neil Cumpston movie reviews, Hobbit-Man: The King Returns being a personal favorite. But yeah, Harry always dragged he site down, and I never thought his taste was good or that he was insightful. The best you could say was that he was a champion of overlooked films and genres.

 

[captjohnboyd]

I remember AICN from way back in the day for being where you got spoilers from, but didn't Film Critic Hulk also post there? I can't remember and that guy was awesome.

Yeah hulk posted there way back. May have even gotten his start with them. In the late 90's and early 2000's the site was THE place to go for movie news. That and coronas coming attractions. Then later on I think joblo, dark horizons and maybe some others. Still even back then we all knew he was a turd

 

[GhaleonEB]

I haven't read AICN in around 15 years, and then it was just for news, not reviews, so I'd missed Harry's creepy side. Those review excerpts are disgusting. Jesus.

Not hard to imagine someone who thinks of - fantasizes about - women in those terms would treat them accordingly.

I haven't been to the Alamo Drafthouse, but this and the other guy's treatment are not painting a pretty picture of the management. Sounds like a good ol' boys club.

 

[TAJ]

To me the most (only?) surprising thing about all of the stuff I've been reading about this and Faraci was that the first Alamo Drafthouse opened so recently.

 

[Einchy]

That Heroes' review is the craziest shit.

 

[mreddie]

Sadly, he'll fade into the background and will still get employed.

 

[PepsimanVsJoe]

I used to hang out at #AICN's irc channel way back in the day.

My memory isn't 100%, but I remember Harry making disgusting comments about Roger Ebert's wife. He'd talk about her large breasts and what he'd like to do with them.

 

[Morrigan Stark]

Wowwww this guy. Between the groping allegations, the PM screenshots, and those "reviews".... yikes. What a gross, disgusting fuckwit.

This guy is like the final boss of all creepy neckbeards

He is the alpha and the omega

lmao

 

[SapientWolf]

Wow, this guy... sure wrote some things...

Wait, so this means that Wolverine is uncircumcised. I don't know how to handle that.

 

[The Kree]

Wait, so this means that Wolverine is uncircumcised. I don't know how to handle that.

Why does it need to be handled?

 

[Baron_Calamity]

The hell is with dudes sending unsolicited DMs to women on twitter? When has that EVER worked let alone seemed like a good idea? What the hell Drafthouse.

I don't know why it happens in general. Its disgusting and I don't understand how people get the idea this is ever a good idea. As for Harry Knowles, the sad answer is that because of his connections, or perceived connections, some women allowed him to talk and act that why towards him in hope of getting an acting job. A starlet wannabee with no self respect was probably his first lay. It happened enough to reinforce the idea to Knowles than he could talk to any women like that. Also this is shockingly common in the entertainment industry he probably learned it from others.

I was in love with his site in college. Before it even had its own domain. Not long after I started thinking that things just felt "off". Haven't read it in well over a decade. Feeling pretty pretty good about that distance right now.

Same here. I was never a fan of Knowles. I preferred the writing of Moriarty and a few of the others. Knowles I would only tolerate when he had a scoop on some superhero film in development. I don't believe I've intentionally visited AICN is over a decade. Around the time when Knowles had a falling out with Ebert that I started distancing myself from the site.

Harry Knowles is one of those guys who found success in the vacuum of the early internet despite having absolutely nothing to offer.

Oh, for the love of... truly, the only reason Ain't It Cool ever prospered was because they were the only ones doing what they did back in the day.

That's not exactly accurate. There were a lot of movie sites back then. However Knowles did have two things other sites didn't have back then. 1. The ability and willingness to update multiple times a day and 2. No ethics when it came to where and how it got its information.

Reading some of these excerpts... how did this dude make it big?

AICN made a name for itself by getting the word out how bad Batman & Robin was. They were the site that the first reports about that train wreak was happening. That struck internet gold as it were. Probably the first time ever than an internet site negatively effected the opening weekend of a major Hollywood film. Because of that, some parts of Hollywood gave him attention great than his actual worth and that in turn feed his ego and site.

 

[Marvel]

Takes a very special kinda stupid to send disgusting texts to to people in the modern age. Ofc they will screenshot that shit dipshits.

What a creep.

 

[The Kree]

I wonder what his wife makes of it.

 

[Baron_Calamity]

I wonder what his wife makes of it.

Wait.. he's married????

Ok, after an internet search, this is true. Has she been seen since 2007?

 

[BoogieWoogie]

Has Knowles ever given anything a bad review?

 

[Media]

Has Knowles ever given anything a bad review?

I think all his reviews are bad reviews.

 

[Baron_Calamity]

I think all his reviews are bad reviews.

 

[uncelestial]

What's Knowles' relationship with Drafthouse outside of co-founding and sponsorship of Fantastic Fest and hosting Butt-numbathon? He's never been involved in any management of Drafthouse, has he?

Right. They do business with Knowles, who runs Ain't it Cool, but Knowles doesn't work for them. It looks like Drafthouse is in the process of terminating their relationship; Fantastic Fest severed ties with Ain't it Cool (although Knowles is claiming it's to give him more time to write):

http://www.indiewire.com/2017/09/fa...ol-news-harry-knowles-controversy-1201878731/

However, Drafthouse didn't do much to help their employee who was harassed by Knowles, AND they re-hired Devin Faraci who has his own allegations, for which Drafthouse has apologized:

http://www.indiewire.com/2017/09/tim-league-apologizes-devin-faraci-1201877133/

There's more they need to do but I think Drafthouse knows they fucked up at least. It's the #1 story on IndieWire so the pressure is going to stay on them, I hope.

 

[FuturusX]

the fact that he pees on himself at movie theaters is the way more surprising story here

Wait, you mean this is a real thing?

 

[Replicant]

I feel like, growing up, you were either a AICN guy or a JoBlo guy. I was the latter. Hope that dude isn't a child rapist or something.

Nope. I was a Dark Horizon loyal visitor. Cleaner structure, reviews that are just reviews and not bloated nonsense masquerading as reviews, lots of great trailers to watch, etc.

 

[JeTmAn81]

Random aside: Putting all movie titles in all caps might be the worst thing ever. Thanks for shouting every other word, AICN.

 

[GlenChivas]

Well the one good thing to come out of this is everyone posting his bat shit insane "reviews."

I haven't laughed/cringed like this in a while.

Any other "good" ones out there I should read?

 

[Sectorseven]

Well the one good thing to come out of this is everyone posting his bat shit insane "reviews."

I haven't laughed/cringed like this in a while.

Any other "good" ones out there I should read?

While technically not a review, there's his reaction to the Speed Racer trailer.

Hey folks, Harry here... just left the Highland Galaxy Theater where I watched THE GOLDEN COMPASS in digital perfection... and saw two trailers. The first was SEX AND THE CITY - which really doesn't seem like a theatrical porn film, like it should. And secondly... the Wachowski's SPEED RACER trailer. I predict that there will be two reactions to this trailer. There's mine... which is HOLY FUCKING AWESOME DIPPED IN CHOCOLATE COATED PUSSY JUICE... and then there's going to be the, "WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?" reaction. After BOUND, THE MATRIX trilogy and their producing work on V FOR VENDETTA - you think you have the Wachowski's figured out? Think again. This is an eye-popping anime inspired whacked way the fuck out of control world. That wild anime twirling universe characters unleashed feeling? It's there. This film isn't taking place in a world that looks anything even close to resembling reality. This is a quasi-toon universe where physics and the very nature of optics themselves are put in a shroom/lsd whirlpool of whatdafuck. It's Crrrrr AZEEEEEEE! My mind is left on a futuristic tarmac by the Mach 5's skidmarks and the simple joy of Chim Chim pointing at Sparky in a trunk of a car. This film is not set in some dystopian universe, they did not make a gritty universe... They have take characters and placed them firmly within an anime universe and I don't know if the world will flip or shit over it. BUT HOLY FUCK - I'm racing!

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/34951

 

[elrechazado]

While technically not a review, there's his reaction to the Speed Racer trailer.


http://www.aintitcool.com/node/34951

That reads like a typical gaf reaction to speed racer

 

[Count Dookkake]

I was always partial to the Battlefield Earth review.

 

[Ernest]

How do you know?

Mutual acquaintances.
He may have been a decent, humble bloke at one point in his life, but his perceived "success" went to his head.

 

[Future Foundation]

While technically not a review, there's his reaction to the Speed Racer trailer.


http://www.aintitcool.com/node/34951

"Holy Fucking Awesome dipped in Chocolate-Coated Pussy Juice". Fucking hell, guys.

 

[Joe Shlabotnik]

Mutual acquaintances.
He may have been a decent, humble bloke at one point in his life, but his perceived "success" went to his head.

Well, about nine minutes into his internet fame he asked everyone for “pwesents”, so.

 

[GlenChivas]

I was always partial to the Battlefield Earth review.

Got about 3 paragraphs in...

 

[MattKeil]

I was always partial to the Battlefield Earth review.

Knowles' Blade 2 review is widely agreed upon by scholars to be the final boss of reading. I have never made it to the end.

 

[Messofanego]

I wonder what his wife makes of it.

 

[Camper Van Beethoven]

Mutual acquaintances.
He may have been a decent, humble bloke at one point in his life, but his perceived "success" went to his head.

In what way? What has he done that's scumbag-y before this thread?

 

[Vamphuntr]

When I visited the site in the early 2000s people in the comments section would humiliate him all the time. All of his reviews are often incomprehensible rants. And now the big reveal is that he's a disgusting pig after all. Color me shocked.

 

[Nairume]

In what way? What has he done that's scumbag-y before this thread?

Creeping on minors, posting stolen materials, and clearly giving favorable reviews when studios let him into special events are all pretty scummy.

 

[Camper Van Beethoven]

Creeping on minors, posting stolen materials, and clearly giving favorable reviews when studios let him into special events are all pretty scummy.

I don't really care about the second two. Is there more details on the first?

I find threads like this just become "yeah what a scumbag!" based on one accusation without any actual evidence. If he's scum I'm all for calling him out but there's so little actual factual citations.

 

[Nairume]

I don't really care about the second two. Is there more details on the first?

I find threads like this just become "yeah what a scumbag!" based on one accusation without any actual evidence. If he's scum I'm all for calling him out but there's so little actual factual citations.

Like, scroll up

There an excerpt of him creeping on an underage Hayden Panettierre and trying to shrug things off because "she's legal in Texas." You don't write that shit if you aren't somewhat scummy.

 

[Ernest]

And when I said "piece of shit", I didn't mean just him creeping on women, but his shitty superiority complex and attitude that he developed over the years. He's just not a good person.

 

[Bill R Boggess]

Here's a fun drinking game: Pick any random Harry Knowles movie review and take a shot for every paragraph that has nothing to do with the fucking movie he's reviewing.

Dead of alcohol poisoning in twelve minutes.

 

[p2535748]

I remember reading AICN in high school, in the late 90's. Even then, I thought Harry's reviews were creepy and badly written, but it was THE place for rumors/news.

Then I switched to CHUD, and never went back. Not that I'm reading CHUD anymore either, just glad to know I made the right choice abandoning that site 15 years ago.

 

[Tinfoilhatsron]

I haven't read AICN in around 15 years, and then it was just for news, not reviews, so I'd missed Harry's creepy side. Those review excerpts are disgusting. Jesus.

Not hard to imagine someone who thinks of - fantasizes about - women in those terms would treat them accordingly.

I haven't been to the Alamo Drafthouse, but this and the other guy's treatment are not painting a pretty picture of the management. Sounds like a good ol' boys club.

I thought they were the same? Is the other guy the groper?

Here's a fun drinking game: Pick any random Harry Knowles movie review and take a shot for every paragraph that has nothing to do with the fucking movie he's reviewing.

I'm only 1 review in and god, you'd be so drunk.

 

[captjohnboyd]

Wait, you mean this is a real thing?

Yes I personally worked a movie where he did it