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"Genius!" "Superb!" "A brilliantly realized epic!" Typical quotes from Earl Dittman of Wireless Magazines, phrases like these appear in movie ads in big bold letters, with the mysterious source cited below in microscopic print. Studios use his blurbs liberally. After Roger Ebert and Peter Travers, Dittman is arguably Hollywood's most quoted "critic." Considering he's gushed over everything from Ashton Kutcher's "Guess Who?" ("Absolute comic perfection!") to Christian Slater's "Mindhunters"
("A first-rate thriller that keeps you guessing 'til the end!"), we were surprised by the lack of information on Dittman. Thankfully, this interview with Hollywood Bitchslap answered many of our questions. Wireless Magazines is based in Houston. It's syndicated and distributed in movie theaters and record stores around the country. We're picturing one of those "Free! Take One!" publications, but Dittman says it's also sold in stores. Mr. Dittman contends he's not a highbrow critic (duh). Instead he aims to give an "average Joe" perspective. And believe it or not, Dittman has
published negative reviews. He points to "Bad Boys 2" and "Gigli" as two movies he hated. Hey, no argument here, Earl. Still, his enthusiasm for films like "Boat Trip" (a "D" on Yahoo! Movies) and "Serving Sara" ("D+") gives us reason to question his judgment. Bottom line -- if an ad quotes Earl Dittman (or Shawn Edwards of Fox-TV), take it with a gallon of salt. They may call a film "a triumph of the human spirit," but it just might be "a crime against humanity."
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