Mark Kermode

Mark Kermode
Mark Kermode

Kermode performing with the Dodge Brothers in 2009.
Born Mark Fairey
2 July 1963 (1963-07-02) (age 48)
Barnet, North London, England
Residence Brockenhurst, New Forest, Hampshire, England
Nationality British
Citizenship British
Education PhD (English)
Alma mater University of Manchester
Occupation Film critic, presenter, musician
Employer BBC, The Observer, Sight and Sound
Known for Kermode and Mayo's Film Reviews, The Culture Show, The Dodge Brothers

Mark Kermode (born 2 July 1963) is an English film critic, musician and a member of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. He contributes to Sight and Sound magazine, The Observer newspaper and BBC Radio 5 Live, where he presents Kermode and Mayo's Film Reviews with Simon Mayo on Friday afternoons.[1] He also co-presents the BBC Two arts programme The Culture Show and discusses other branches of the arts for the BBC Two programme Newsnight Review. Kermode writes and presents a film-related video blog for the BBC.

Contents

Early life and education

Kermode, born Mark Fairey[2][3] in Barnet, North London, England,[4] attended Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School, an independent boys' school in Elstree, a few years ahead of comedians Sacha Baron Cohen, Matt Lucas and David Baddiel and in the same year as actor Jason Isaacs.[5] He was raised as a Methodist, and is now a member of the Church of England.[6]

Mark Fairey's parents divorced when he was in his early 20s and he subsequently changed his surname to his GP mother's maiden name by deed poll.[7] (Neither of them is related to the literary critic Frank Kermode.[8])

He earned his PhD in English at the University of Manchester in 1991, writing a thesis on horror fiction.[4] Kermode has stated that "I was a revolutionary communist affiliate in the 80s", but that "none of us had any respect for Stalin".[9]

Personal life

Kermode lives in Brockenhurst with his wife, Linda Ruth Williams, a professor who lectures on film at the University of Southampton and has written The Erotic Thriller in Contemporary Cinema and co-edited Contemporary American Cinema.[10] In October to November 2004, they jointly curated a History of the Horror Film season and exhibition at the National Film Theatre in London.[10] Kermode and Williams have two children.[7] Kermode has been described as "a feminist, a near vegetarian (he eats fish), a churchgoer and a straight-arrow spouse who just happens to enjoy seeing people's heads explode across a cinema screen".[11]

Career

Horror specialisation

Kermode is a visiting fellow at the University of Southampton, having gained a PhD at the University of Manchester in modern English and American horror fiction.[12] This, he believes, makes him something of a horror film expert, together with his former contributions to Fangoria magazine,[13] his authoring of the monograph The Exorcist (BFI Modern Classics), and his work on film-related documentaries like The Fear of God; 25 Years of the Exorcist, Hell on Earth: The Desecration and Resurrection of Ken Russell's The Devils, and The Cult of The Wicker Man.[14] He calls The Exorcist (1973) "the best film ever made".[15] He recommends The Witch Who Came From the Sea as one of the best video nasties of the 1970s.[16]

Kermode is sometimes critical of the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), the censor for film in the UK, calling for horror films from abroad to be shown in their uncut versions. However, in recent years, he has stated on numerous occasions that the BBFC do a good job in an impossible situation, and expressed his approval of their decisions.[17]

Print media

Kermode began his film career as a print journalist, writing for Manchester's City Life, and then Time Out and the NME in London. He has also written for The Independent, Vox, Empire, Flicks, Fangoria and Neon.[18] Until September 2005, Kermode reviewed films each week for the New Statesman.[19] Since 2009 Kermode has written "Mark Kermode's DVD round-up" for The Observer, a weekly review of the latest releases.[20] He sometimes writes for the British Film Institute's Sight and Sound magazine.[citation needed]

In February 2010, Random House released his autobiography, It's Only a Movie, which he describes as being "inspired by real events".[21] Its publication was accompanied by a UK tour.[22]

Radio

Kermode began working at BBC Radio 1 in 1993, on a regular Thursday night slot called Cult Film Corner on Mark Radcliffe's Graveyard Shift session.[23] He later moved to Simon Mayo's BBC Radio 1 morning show. He also hosted a movie review show with Mary Anne Hobbs on Radio 1 on Tuesday nights called Cling Film.[24] Between February 1992 and October 1993, he was the resident film reviewer on BBC Radio 5's Morning Edition with Danny Baker.

Kermode also co-hosted an early 1990s afternoon magazine show on BBC Radio 5 called A Game of Two Halves alongside former Blue Peter presenter Caron Keating.[25]

He currently reviews and debates new film releases each Friday afternoon with Simon Mayo on Mayo's BBC Radio 5 Live show, which is also available as a podcast.[26] The programme won Gold in the Speech Award category at the 2009 Sony Radio Academy Awards on 11 May 2009. The judges' citation was:[27]

The winner of the Gold Award made the judges laugh out loud. They found this programme witty and entertaining, cheeky and irreverent, and they admired the sustained passion and energy of its presenters who made listening an effortless and rollercoaster pleasure.

On the Radio Five Live show, Kermode is frequently referred to by nicknames including "The Good Doctor" and listeners also send in names for the double-act of Kermode and Mayo, such as Hinge and Bracket.[28][importance?]

His derisive review of the Christopher Columbus film Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief inspired the Australian comedy film Benjamin Sniddlegrass and the Cauldron of Penguins.

Television

Kermode is currently a regular presenter on BBC Two's The Culture Show. He also appears regularly on Newsnight Review and Film 24 on BBC News. It was during a 2006 interview with Kermode for The Culture Show in Los Angeles that Werner Herzog was shot by an air rifle. Herzog appeared unflustered, later stating "It was not a significant bullet. I am not afraid".[29][30] On 19 May 2007 he was featured on the show playing with his skiffle band, The Dodge Brothers, in which he plays the double bass.

Kermode is also a film critic and presenter for Film4 and Channel 4, presenting the weekly Extreme Cinema strand. He also writes and presents documentaries for Channel 4.[18] Once a week, he reviews films for BBC News at Five.

Kermode rarely watches television, calling it "trivial" and stating that "I have been doing my best to avoid [TV] for the last 20 years."[31] On being challenged by The Observer to watch TV, he admitted "if there's one thing I've learned from agreeing to take up the Observer's TV challenge this summer, it's that an awareness of what's going on in television is probably helpful to an understanding of movies. Worse, it may even be essential".[31]

Other work

As of April 2008, Kermode has started a twice-weekly video blog hosted on the BBC website, where he posts clips of himself talking about films and telling anecdotes.[32]

Kermode has recorded DVD audio commentaries for Tommy, The Ninth Configuration, The Wicker Man[33] and (with Peter O'Toole) Becket.[34] He also appears in the DVD extras of Lost in La Mancha, interviewing Terry Gilliam. Kermode has written books, published by the BFI in its Modern Classics series, on The Exorcist[35] and The Shawshank Redemption[36][37] and his documentary for Channel 4, Shawshank: The Redeeming Feature, is on the film's 10th anniversary special edition DVD.[38]

Kermode's Top Ten films[39]
Rank Film Year Director
1. The Exorcist 1973 Friedkin, WilliamWilliam Friedkin
2. Brazil 1985 Gilliam, TerryTerry Gilliam
3. Citizen Kane 1941 Welles, OrsonOrson Welles
4. The Devils 1971 Russell, KenKen Russell
5. Don't Look Now 1973 Roeg, NicolasNicolas Roeg
6. Eyes Without a Face 1960 Franju, GeorgesGeorges Franju
7. It's a Wonderful Life 1946 Capra, FrankFrank Capra
8. Love and Death 1975 Allen, WoodyWoody Allen
9. Mary Poppins 1966 Stevenson, RobertRobert Stevenson
10. The Seventh Seal 1957 Bergman, IngmarIngmar Bergman

Opinions

Kermode's appreciation of genre cinema is not always in line with popular taste. He dislikes all four Pirates of the Caribbean films,[40] all three Transformers films and the Star Wars films, which he regards as "a gross infantalisation of the dark hearted 'serious' sci-fi" that he grew up with.[41] Kermode has also expressed his dislike of director Chris Columbus, labelling him an "accountant director" and producing a negative analysis of the first two Harry Potter films, which Columbus directed. However, Kermode says he has "grown into the Potter story" as the films have advanced in their mature themes and content.[42] He has made no secret of his dislike for 3D films and is particularly disdainful of the trend for what he calls "retrofitting" 2D movies into 3D,[43] and he also detests the Cannes Film Festival. Kermode's emphasis on genre cinema has also meant he often expresses a liking for films panned by other critics, such as Basic Instinct 2 (2006)[44] because it follows genre expectations. Kermode has been critical of documentary maker Michael Moore (despite praising Capitalism: A Love Story on his radio show), accusing him of "feeding his own ego".[45]. However he expressed his admiration for The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, directed by David Slade, a film dismissed by the majority of critics. Kermode has very strong views and is well known for his rants against certain blockbuster movies such as the Michael Bay films mentioned above, often citing the director as a bad example of filmmaking.

Music

Kermode played double-bass for a skiffle/rockabilly band called The Railtown Bottlers in the early 1990s. The Railtown Bottlers were also the house band on the BBC show Danny Baker After All for a series, starting in 1993,[46][47] where he performed with Madness lead singer, Suggs.[48] He currently plays bass in skiffle quartet The Dodge Brothers.[47]

Awards and other recognition

Year Ceremony Award Result
2010 Sony Radio Academy Awards Best Specialist Contributor of the Year Gold[49]
2009 Sony Radio Academy Awards Speech Award Gold[50]

Kermode is 75th on The Guardian's Film Power 100;[citation needed] According to The Screen Directory, Kermode is tenth in the list of the best film critics, in company that includes Alexander Walker, Pauline Kael, Roger Ebert, David Thomson, and James Agee.[39]

Kermode is a patron of the Phoenix Cinema in North London.[51]

References

  1. ^ "BAFTA member Mark Kermode". BBC News. 2011-01-10. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-12151573. Retrieved 2011-09-09. 
  2. ^ Norman, Matthew (24 January 2005). "Matthew Norman's Media Diary". The Independent (London). http://news.independent.co.uk/media/article16508.ece. Retrieved 2008-01-14. 
  3. ^ Norman, Matthew (7 February 2005). "Matthew Norman's Media Diary". The Independent (London). http://news.independent.co.uk/media/article9813.ece. Retrieved 2008-01-14. 
  4. ^ a b "Film critic honoured by University of Manchester". University of Manchester. 14 Dec 2009. http://www.manchester.ac.uk/aboutus/news/display/?id=5314. Retrieved 2009-12-19. 
  5. ^ Lester, Paul (2008-02-01). "JC Interview: Jason Isaacs". The Jewish Chronicle. http://web.archive.org/web/20080605002929/http://www.thejc.com/home.aspx?ParentId=m12s28&SecId=28&AId=57814&ATypeId=1. Retrieved 2008-06-23. "Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School ... [produced] quite a vintage crop in [Isaacs'] time: fellow pupils included Sacha Baron Cohen, David Baddiel and Matt Lucas. 'I've seen Baddiel a few times', Isaacs says, and he sees the others occasionally at awards ceremonies. ... [N]ot all the Habs stars of the time were Jewish, though, and Isaacs has a lot of time for another alumnus, the BBC's film critic, Mark Kermode: 'He is always incredibly lovely and says hello on his Radio 5 podcasts, which I've listened to in Auschwitz and many other strange places. He's said I was too cool [at school], but he was at the epicentre of the in-crowd.'" 
  6. ^ Dalton, Stephen (January 22, 2010). "Mark Kermode: the new Jonathan Ross?". The Times (London). http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/article6997309.ece. Retrieved 15 December 2010. 
  7. ^ a b Lawson, Mark (9 April 2009). "Drawn to the devil". The Guardian (London). http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2009/apr/09/film-mark-kermode-interview. Retrieved 9 April 2009. 
  8. ^ Dalton, Stephen (22 January 2010). "Mark Kermode: the new Jonathan Ross?". The Times (London). http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/article6997309.ece. Retrieved 8 August 2010. 
  9. ^ "Koba the Dread". BBC Newnight Review. 2002-09-10. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/review/2249385.stm=. Retrieved 2008-04-04. [dead link]
  10. ^ a b "Professor Linda Ruth Williams". University of Southampton. http://www.southampton.ac.uk/film/profiles/williams.html. Retrieved 2008-03-08. 
  11. ^ Randall, Lee (6 February 2010). "Interview: Mark Kermode, film critic". The Scotsman Magazine. http://www.scotsman.com/features/Interview-Mark-Kermode-film-critic.6050362.jp. Retrieved 21 July 2010. 
  12. ^ Kermode on BBC Newsnight Review, accessed 14 January 2008
  13. ^ http://www.thebookseller.com/news/76846-kermode-to-random-house.html[dead link]
  14. ^ "Biography". Macmillan. 2009-12-04. http://us.macmillan.com/theexorcist#biography. Retrieved 2011-09-09. 
  15. ^ "Sight and Sound". BFI. 2011-08-03. http://www.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/topten/poll/voter.php?forename=Mark&surname=Kermode. Retrieved 2011-09-09. 
  16. ^ Kermode was speaking during an interview with Simon Mayo on BBC Radio 5 on 12 June 2009 which as of 15 June 2009 can be downloaded here[dead link]
  17. ^ Kermode, Mark (2002--06-21). "Mark Kermode on censorship: What are they scared of?". The Independent (London). http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/mark-kermode-on-censorship-what-are-they-scared-of-645952.html. Retrieved 2009-01-11. 
  18. ^ a b Mark Kermode, English Department teaching staff, University of Southampton, accessed 14 January 2008
  19. ^ Mark Kermode, New Statesman, accessed 14 January 2008
  20. ^ "Mark Kermode's DVD round-up". The Observer. guardian.co.uk. http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/series/mark-kermode-dvd-round-up. Retrieved 2011-06-10. 
  21. ^ Gallagher, Victoria (10 February 2009). "Kermode to Random House". The Bookseller. http://www.thebookseller.com/news/76846-kermode-to-random-house.html. Retrieved 11 January 2010. 
  22. ^ "It's Only a Movie". Random House. http://www.onlyamovie.co.uk/. Retrieved 21 July 2010. 
  23. ^ "Fancy a Brew? (Mark Radcliffe and Marc Riley website)". http://www.planetbods.org/markandlard/brew/others. Retrieved 2008-04-23. 
  24. ^ "Mary Anne Hobbs". BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/biographies/biogs/radio1/maryannehobbs.shtml. Retrieved 2008-09-20. [dead link]
  25. ^ Kermode, Mark (2010). It's Only a Movie: Reel Life Adventures of a Film Obsessive. London: Random House. p. [page needed]. ISBN 184794602X. 
  26. ^ "BBC - Podcasts - Mark Kermode and Simon Mayo's Film Reviews". BBC Radio 5 Live. http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/kermode. Retrieved 2011-06-14. 
  27. ^ Speech Award 2009 citations Sony Radio Academy official site
  28. ^ Hastings, Sheena (30 September 2009). "Simon Mayo and Mark Kermode: In conversation for the Yorkshire Post". Yorkshire Post. http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/podcasts/Simon-Mayo-and-Mark-Kermode.5693471.jp. Retrieved 28 December 2009. 
  29. ^ Herzog shot during interview, Hollywood.com, 3 February 2006, accessed 14 January 2008
  30. ^ Herzog on his latest film Grizzly Man, BBC News, accessed 14 January 2008
  31. ^ a b Mark Kermode (2007-09-23). "Should a film purist find time for TV?". The Guardian (London). http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/film/2007/09/should_a_film_purist_find_time.html. Retrieved 2008-03-01. 
  32. ^ "Kermode Video Blog from the BBC's Blog Network website". BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/markkermode/. Retrieved 2011-09-09. 
  33. ^ "The Wicker Man review". dvdoutsider.com. http://www.dvdoutsider.co.uk/dvd/reviews/w/wicker_man.html. Retrieved 2008-04-23. 
  34. ^ "Becket review". reel.com. http://www.reel.com/movie.asp?MID=2337&PID=10117483&buy=closed&Tab=reviews&CID=18. Retrieved 2008-04-23. [dead link]
  35. ^ Kermode, Mark (2003). The Exorcist (2nd ed.). London: BFI Publishing. ISBN 9780851709673. 
  36. ^ Kermode, Mark (2003). The Shawshank Redemption. London: BFI Publishing. ISBN 9780851709680. 
  37. ^ Kermode, Mark (22 August 2004). "Hope springs eternal". The Observer (London). http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2004/aug/22/film. Retrieved 28 December 2009. 
  38. ^ Papamichael, Stella (8 September 2004). "The Shawshank Redemption 10th Anniversary SE DVD (1994)". BBC Movies. http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2004/09/08/the_shawshank_redemption_2004_dvd_review.shtml. Retrieved 28 December 2009. 
  39. ^ a b "Film Critics". TheScreenDirectory.com. Archived from the original on 2008-03-13. http://web.archive.org/web/20080313195820/http://www.thescreendirectory.com/cat4/top_tens.php?c=70. Retrieved 2011-06-14. 
  40. ^ "Mark Kermode, Pirates of the Caribbean review". Guardian Film (London). 9 July 2006. http://film.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/Critic_Review/Guardian_Film_of_the_week/0,,1816109,00.html. Retrieved 2008-04-23. 
  41. ^ "Mark Kermode, Sunshine review". Guardian Film (London). 25 March 2007. http://film.guardian.co.uk/sciencefiction/story/0,,2042101,00.html. Retrieved 2008-04-23. 
  42. ^ "Kermode on Columbus and the Potter films". BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/kermode#playepisode7. Retrieved 2011-09-09. 
  43. ^ Kermode, Mark (11 April 2010). "No, your eyes aren't deceiving you – 3D really is a con". The Guardian (London). http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/apr/11/3d-avatar-hollywood. 
  44. ^ Adams, Richard (31 March 2006). "Basic Instinct 2 - comedy sensation of the year". The Guardian Online (London). http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/richard_adams/2006/03/basically_stinks_too.html. Retrieved 2008-04-23. 
  45. ^ Kermode, Mark (2004-06-27). "'Moore is shameless in feeding his own ego'". The Observer (London). http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2004/jun/27/uselections2004.film. Retrieved 2008-04-30. 
  46. ^ "Critically speaking". Southampton Echo. 13 April 2002. http://archive.thisishampshire.net/2002/4/13/65700.html. Retrieved 28 December 2009. 
  47. ^ a b Kermode, Mark (1 June 2008). "My 20-year love affair with the joy of skiffle". The Observer (London). http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2008/jun/01/popandrock2. Retrieved 28 December 2009. 
  48. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Er6HthvT5UY[dead link]
  49. ^ "Radio Specialist of the Year Award". http://www.radioawards.org/winners/?awid=227&awname=Best+Specialist+Contributor&year=2010. Retrieved 2010-08-12. 
  50. ^ "The Speech Radio Award". http://www.radioawards.org/winners/?awid=159&awname=The+Speech+Award&year=2009. Retrieved 2010-08-12. 
  51. ^ "Mark Kermode". Phoenix Cinema. 15 February 2010. http://www.phoenixcinema.co.uk/news/2010/02/mark-kermode/. Retrieved 2011-06-17. 

External links

v · BBC Radio 5 Live
Current presenters

Dotun Adebayo · Peter Allen · Anita Anand · Richard Bacon · Danny Baker · Rachel Burden · Nicky Campbell · Mark Chapman · Mickey Clark · Mark Clemmit · Declan Curry · Victoria Derbyshire · Shelagh Fogarty · Alan Green · Mark Kermode · Tony Livesey · Simon Mayo · Aasmah Mir · Colin Murray · Stephen Nolan · Christian O'Connell · Eleanor Oldroyd · John Pienaar · Mark Pougatch · Dalya Raphael · Garry Richardson · Rhod Sharp · Kate Silverton · Spoony · Andrew Verity · Chris Warburton · Arlo White · Phil Williams
Programmes

5 Live Sport · 6-0-6 · 7 Day Sunday · Fighting Talk · Sports Report · Sportsweek · The Stephen Nolan Show · Up All Night · Wake Up to Money
External links

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Mark Kermode — fotograf: Jessica Spengler Mark Kermode (* 2. Juli 1963) ist ein englischer Filmkritiker und dem britischen Publikum ist er vor allem durch die Fernsehsendung „The Culture Show“ auf BBC Two sowie durch seine Beiträge in den BBC Nachrichten… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Kermode — may refer to:*the Kermode bear, also known as the spirit bear *Frank Kermode, British literary critic *Harry Kermode, Canadian basketball player *Mark Kermode, British film critic *Phillip Moore Callow (P.M.C.) Kermode (1855 ndash; 1932), Manx… …   Wikipedia

  • Kermode — ist der Familienname folgender Personen: Derwent William Kermode (1898–1960), britischer Diplomat Frank Kermode (1919–2010), britischer Literaturwissenschaftler Mark Kermode (* 1963), britischer Filmkritiker Richard Kermode (* 1946), US… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Mark (given name) — Mark Statue of Marte (Mars). The name Mark means consecrated to the god Mars.[citation needed] …   Wikipedia

  • Mark Pougatch — (born 27 January 1968, in London) is a freelance radio and television broadcaster, a journalist and author who works mainly as a sports presenter for the BBC. Contents 1 Early life 2 Broadcasting career 3 Other activities …   Wikipedia

  • Mark Chapman (broadcaster) — Mark Chapman Birth name Andrew Mark Chapman Born 11 October 1973 (1973 10 11) (age 38) Rochdale, Lancashire, England Show 5 Live Sport Station(s) BBC R …   Wikipedia

  • Mark Clemmit — Mark Clemmit, often referred to as Clem , is a reporter on BBC One s The Football League Show in the 2009/10 season. Clemmit is also a regular on BBC Radio 5 Live and co presents 5 Live Football League with Arlo White, a review of the top stories …   Wikipedia

  • Frank Kermode — Sir John Frank Kermode (born 29 November, 1919), is a British literary critic.Frank Kermode was born on the Isle of Man, and was educated at Douglas High School and Liverpool University. He served in the Royal Navy during World War II, for six… …   Wikipedia

  • St. Mark's College (University of Adelaide) — St Mark s College, University of Adelaide                   …   Wikipedia

  • The Dodge Brothers — Infobox musical artist Name = The Dodge Brothers Img capt = Background = group or band Origin = Southampton, flagicon|England England Genre = Skiffle, Americana, rockabilly, bluegrass, folk, country and blues Years active = Label = URL =… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”