.....who was optimistic, truly enjoyed life, who didn't have to go out of the way to see the good in people, made a conscious decision to always acknowledge the hard work and personal artistic choices that went into a film even if she (or he) didn't enjoy the way the message was delivered, noted thet her (or his) personal choices were just that, invested a few paragraphs every now and then examining their own prejudices before launching into yet another tirade against another movie they thought was awful?

Me neither.

That's why I make it a point to make up my own mind.

If you read a decent critic for any length of time, then you would realise that all those traits and prejudices that you list are eventually revealed. The best critics, who truly open themselves up to an experience, will betray a lot more of their beliefs then a snarky poster who acts like they are some kind of champion for critical transparency.

People like Stephanie, Roger Ebert and Manohla Dargis give that kind of satisfaction for me as a reader - I feel like I almost know them simply from reading their reviews week in, week out (and its even more fun when after years of reading, they surprise you with a left-field opinion - though I am still shocked that Ebert swallowed Crash's tripe to such an extent).

"People like Stephanie, Roger Ebert and Manohla Dargis give that kind of satisfaction for me as a reader - I feel like I almost know them simply from reading their reviews week in, week out."

Ian, thanks for being the poster child for people who lead incredibly pathetic lives. Get out of the house, get a hobby, interact with some humans face-to-face...but at least see a movie before one of your online "best friends" tells you to see it. And wear a hat, if for no other reason than to cover that big "L" on your forehead.