Movies

Larry King: Movie Quote Whore

Larry King
By Peter Sciretta

Larry King gives even the worst movies glowing reviews. You can usually see his quotes on the most horrible Hollywood movies (Earl Ditman is the go to guy for the b-class). But as it turns out, King doesn't even believe his own quotes. How's that for ethics?

Studio advertisements for Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, King's name appeared below this quote:

"Finally, a Movie Worth Seeing Over and Over Again!"

But in an interview with Los Angeles Times columnist Patrick Goldstein, King admitted the following:

"I had no idea what was going on. ... I'd have to see it over and over again to figure out what happened."

King went on to compain that critics "don't even want to like the movie." He singled out Wall Street Journal critic Joe Morgenstern: "Sometimes I don't even know what he's looking at."

When Goldstein asked to the critic to respond, Morgenstern said that he was "honored to be deplored by Larry King." The WSJ critic also chastised King for taking cellphone calls during the middle of a recent screening.

King apologized, but remarked:

"It was urgent. They were important calls, things I had to respond to. I didn't talk on the phone for more than a minute or two."

As a fellow movie critic (I hate to lump myself in with King as a movie critic) I must say that there is no excuse for having a cell phone conversation in the screening room. I can understand the once in a while urgent call: You look at your vibrating phone, and excuse yourself, and take it outside. Can someone ban King from future screenings? It's not like his quotes are legitimate in the first place. Even he admits it.

Here's some recent (2006) Larry King quotes thanks to Critic Watch:

  • Glory Road – A flat-out terrific movie! Brilliant!
  • The Pink Panther – Flat out hilarious. Steve Martin is incredible. Somewhere Peter Sellers is laughing out loud
  • Firewall – Harrison Ford is back with a bang! A thriller in keeping with Ford's best of the past.
  • The Sentinel – Terrific.
  • Goal!: The Dream Begins – A gem of a movie!
  • Home of the Brave – First-rate. Poignant.
  • Take the Lead – It is a wonderful film with characters you care about.
  • A Prairie Home Companion – Wonderful film with a great gang of stars having a great time. Brilliantly directed by Robert Altman.
  • You, Me and Dupree – Fun and very funny! Owen Wilson has to be one of the greatest comedic actors of all time. Kate Hudson and Michael Douglas are outstanding.
  • All the King's Men – All the King's Men is a masterpiece. A magnificent cast. Sean Penn gives the performance of a lifetime.
  • Bobby – A remarkable movie about an incredible day in American history with a superb cast.
  • Freedomland – A riveting, sensational, important thriller with performances of a lifetime by Samuel L. Jackson and Julianne Moore.
    • Recommended