Armond White facts for kids

Armond Allen White (born in 1953) is an American film and music critic. He writes for magazines like National Review and Out. He used to be an editor for CityArts and the main film critic for New York Press. He also wrote for many other well-known publications.

White is known for his unique and often surprising reviews. He sometimes has different opinions than most other critics. As an African-American, gay, and conservative film critic, he is seen as having a unique perspective in his field.

Growing Up and Education

Armond White was born in Detroit, Michigan. He was the youngest of seven children. His family was the first African-American family to live in his neighborhood. He grew up in a mostly Jewish area on the northwest side of the city. He was raised Baptist and later became Pentecostal. He describes himself as "a believer."

White became interested in journalism and film criticism when he was 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 her for being brave enough to disagree with popular opinions. He also looked up to Andrew Sarris for his deep love of movies. These critics inspired White to choose his career.

He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from Wayne State University. Later, he received a Master of Fine Arts degree in film from Columbia University's School of the Arts in 1997.

Armond White's Career as a Critic

White worked as the arts editor for The City Sun from 1984 to 1996. During this time, 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, which was a related publication.

He is a member of important groups like the National Society of Film Critics. He has also been the chairman of the New York Film Critics Circle three times. White has served on juries for major film festivals, including Sundance Film Festival and Tribeca Film Festival. He has also taught film classes at universities like Columbia University.

In 1992, White won an ASCAP Deems Taylor Award for his music criticism. This award recognizes excellent writing about music.

In 2014, White was removed from the New York Film Critics Circle. This happened after he was accused of interrupting director Steve McQueen at an event. White said he was innocent and that it was an unfair situation. Other film critics, like Harlan Jacobson and Thelma Adams, supported White. He later 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 overall consensus less than half the time.

He has called Intolerance the greatest film ever made. He also believes A.I. Artificial Intelligence is the best film of the 21st century. Some of his favorite directors include Steven Spielberg, Alain Resnais, and Zack Snyder.

White is a conservative thinker. He often criticizes films that he sees as having left-wing messages. Examples include There Will Be Blood and Parasite. However, he has praised some leftist directors like Jean-Luc Godard. White also dislikes films that encourage too much buying. He thinks Toy Story 3 does this, while he prefers Small Soldiers. He believes that all films have ideas and viewpoints because people with feelings and agendas make them.

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

White often looks at how race is shown in movies. He has criticized some Black films like Precious and 12 Years a Slave. But 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 positive Black superhero.

He is generally critical of superhero movies. He has not liked films such as The Dark Knight and Avengers: Endgame. He calls Marvel Cinematic Universe films "formulaic," meaning they follow a set pattern. But he has praised movies like Watchmen and Man of Steel. He believes director Zack Snyder has made superhero movies more meaningful.

White also 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" choice made for political reasons. He shared his own list of favorite films for the poll.

Armond White's Favorite Films

In a 2012 poll, Armond White shared his ten favorite films:

White has said that movies don't change, but people do. He found Sansho the Bailiff to be as powerful as A.I. Artificial Intelligence. He also considers Godard's Nouvelle Vague to be a very important film.

Personal Life

Armond White is gay and a Christian. He lives in Chelsea, New York City. He is known for being very precise and polite in person, which is sometimes different from his strong writing style.

Related Topics

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