Armond White facts for kids

Armond Allen White (born 1953) is an American film and music critic. He writes for magazines like National Review and Out. He used to be the editor of CityArts. Before that, he was the main film critic for New York Press and an arts editor for The City Sun. His writings have also appeared in many other well-known publications.

White is known for his unique and sometimes surprising reviews. He often has different opinions from many other critics. Because he is an African-American, gay, and conservative film critic, some people call him a "minority three times over" in his job.

Early Life and Inspiration

Armond White was born in Detroit in 1953. He was the youngest of seven children. His family was the first African-American family to move into his neighborhood. He grew up there and was raised Baptist, later becoming Pentecostal. He describes himself as "a believer."

White became interested in journalism and film criticism in high school. He went to Central High School in Detroit. There, he read a book called Kiss Kiss Bang Bang by film critic Pauline Kael. He admired Kael because she was "willing to go against the hype," meaning she wasn't afraid to have different opinions. Another critic, Andrew Sarris, inspired him with his "sophisticated love of cinema." These two critics helped White choose his career path. He later earned a degree in journalism from Wayne State University. Then, he got a master's degree in film from Columbia University's School of the Arts.

Career Highlights

White worked as the arts editor for The City Sun from 1984 to 1996. He wrote reviews about films, music, and theater. In 1997, he joined New York Press and wrote for them until 2011. After that, he became the editor of CityArts.

Armond White is a member of important groups like the National Society of Film Critics. He is also part of New York Film Critics Online. He has been the chairman of the New York Film Critics Circle three times. He has also served on juries for major film festivals. These include the Sundance Film Festival and the Tribeca Film Festival. He has also taught film classes at Columbia University and Long Island University. In 1992, he won an ASCAP Deems Taylor Award for his music criticism.

In 2014, White was removed from the New York Film Critics Circle. This happened after he was accused of interrupting director Steve McQueen. The incident was at an event for the film 12 Years a Slave. White said he was innocent and called his removal unfair. Other film critics supported him. Later, he received an Anti-Censorship Award for being "unfairly removed" from the group.

Armond White's Film Views

Armond White is known for his unique opinions on movies. In 2013, Time Magazine noted that his reviews on Rotten Tomatoes agreed with the general opinion less than half the time.

He has called Intolerance the greatest film ever made. He also thinks A.I. Artificial Intelligence is the best film of the 21st century. Some of his favorite directors include Steven Spielberg and Clint Eastwood.

White is a conservative. He often criticizes films that he sees as having left-wing messages. Examples include Parasite and Don't Look Up. However, he has praised the leftist director Jean-Luc Godard. White also criticizes films that encourage too much buying. He believes Toy Story 3 does this. He thinks Small Soldiers is a better movie about toys. He says he looks at a film's political ideas because "Ideology is everywhere." He believes films are made by people with "feelings and ideas and agendas." He feels there's "no such thing as just entertainment."

He has praised films like Mom and Dad and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

White has also written a lot about gay cinema. He liked films such as I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry and God's Own Country. But he did not like Brokeback Mountain or Bros.

He often talks about race in movies. He has criticized some Black films like Precious and Get Out. He has praised films like Night of the Living Dead for how they show racism. He also liked Cyborg in Zack Snyder's Justice League as a good black superhero.

White generally doesn't like superhero movies. He has criticized The Dark Knight and Avengers: Endgame. He calls Marvel Cinematic Universe films "formulaic." However, he has praised Watchmen and Man of Steel. He believes director Zack Snyder has made superhero movies more grown-up and meaningful.

He often criticizes modern film criticism and awards shows. He disagreed with the 2022 Sight and Sound Greatest Films of All Time poll. He called their top choice, Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles, a "dull Marxist-feminist token." He felt it was chosen for political reasons. He shared his own list of favorite films for the poll.

Favorite Films

In the 2012 Sight and Sound poll, Armond White shared his ten favorite films:

He said that movies don't change, but people do. He mentioned that Sansho the Bailiff had a strong effect on him, just like A.I. did years before. He also noted that Jean-Luc Godard's Nouvelle Vague felt like his grandest work.

See Also

• Elvis Mitchell – African-American film critic
• African-American Film Critics Association
• Vulgar auteurism