COMMUNITY PROFILES Critical thinking
By AMY KAUFMAN Special to the Daily Press
MONTANA AVE. — Kevin Thomas is a wise guy.
The longtime film critic is a veritable walking dictionary, with memorized release dates and rarefied Hollywood stories spilling out. Always the writer, Thomas speaks slowly and precisely, as if he is penning his words before they escape his mouth.
Having served as one of the lead movie reviewers at the Los Angeles Times for 43 years, Thomas’ knowledge of the Hollywood machine seems boundless. A self-proclaimed “fourth-generation newspaper man,” Thomas’ father worked in the advertising department at the Los Angeles Times. Collectively, the father and son devoted close to 69 years to the paper.
“Movies are sort of his life,” said Los Angeles Times film writer Susan King of Thomas, who lives in Santa Monica, a couple blocks from the historic Aero Theatre. “He has an incredible breadth of knowledge and knows everybody in town.”
Thomas has certainly hob-knobbed with the finest, garnering the first public interview of a then-unknown Jack Nicholson and befriending Golden Era starlet Mae West. In fact, West and Thomas became so close that the actress left many of her belongings to the writer, including a sterling silver phone which Thomas still uses, and several racy pieces of lingerie.
Back in 1962, when Thomas got started — as Tiffany was having “Breakfast” and Lawrence was trekking across the sands of “Arabia”— the young critic was camped out in LA’s art houses, covering the lesser-known films of the day.
“He’s the critic who opened up the Los Angeles Times pages to reviews of low-budget, biker, psychedelic and B-movies,” said old friend and colleague Kirk Honeycutt, chief film critic for the Hollywood Reporter. “Without Kevin Thomas, there would probably be no Laemmle Theater chain. He was the one who reviewed the films the art houses played. He was able to get people to go see non- Hollywood fair.”
Indeed, throughout his long career, Thomas was known for helping to advance the careers of underdog filmmakers and actors. In 1984, he began the “Special Screenings” column which continues to run in the Times today, featuring unique films shown only for brief periods of time at smaller venues. Just last December, the Los Angeles Film Critic Association awarded Thomas a “special citation” for his contributions to the Los Angeles film culture.
Currently, the American Cinematheque Aero Theatre, located at Montana Avenue at 14th Street, is paying homage to Thomas by offering a monthly series featuring some of the critic’s favorite films, including the likes of “A Star Is Born” and “Sunset Boulevard.”
“He has been very good to the Cinematheque with his curiosity and talent, so we wanted to create a place for him to talk about the movies for our audience,” said Aero programmer Gwen Deglise.
The series has proven so successful for the theatre, Deglise said, that they have decided to expand the program for all of 2007.
Recently retired, but still an avid-movie-goer and occasional writer, Thomas took time out to talk to the Santa Monica Daily Press about why movie reviews are important, the state of ever-changing Hollywood and his unique relationship with Mae West.
Were you always an avid movie-goer? “I loved movies from childhood. I went all the time. When I was a child during WWII, it was the peak of moviegoing in America. Movies were about family entertainment. You didn’t have to worry about suitability as much. So we went a lot. I went to the Saturday matinees on my own in neighborhood theaters.”
While watching a film, at what point do you start critiquing the work?
“Twenty minutes into a picture, you can decide if the rhythm is gonna be any good or not. Pace is terribly important, because it draws you into the film. Now there are some very ambitious and strange pictures that require more patience.You have to stick with those films to see if your patience is worthy of it. Then after the picture is over, you try to express all of this on paper.”
Does all of that thinking make it difficult to enjoy the film?
“You want to enjoy the picture and participate in it just like any other viewer. But I think on another level, staying in touch with your reactions is important. As you go along with the picture, you’re thinking about why the film is working or why it’s not.”
If you feel particularly positive or negative towards a film, is it difficult to hinder your stronger opinions?
“There are pictures that you yourself don’t connect to, for whatever reason. You try to be aware of that reason. Still, you expect or know that there is an audience for this kind of picture. For example, I’ve never had much of an affinity for animation. And yet, I have reviewed animated features with a lot of fairness because I know that a lot of people love these films for good reasons. When you’re writing for a mass audience publication, call me old-fashioned, but I do feel that fair play is really important in writing reviews. Sarcasm is real easy.”
Is it hard to judge films of such different genres/types on the same scale?
“You have to avoid the trap of relativity. If you see a bunch of really awful pictures and then you see one which isn’t so bad comparatively, you should really be tough on that picture too. You have to pinch yourself and say,‘wait a minute, just because it isn’t as bad as the other things out there, that doesn’t make it good.’ It’s hard to come up for a breath sometimes and get that perspective.”
How much should one consider the opinion of a movie reviewer?
“Depends on the kind of movie it is. If it’s a cult art film, like a foreign film or a sophisticated American indie, educated viewers want a heads up to know if they will be wasting their time or not. The good review allows the person to sort of triangulate on you and get an idea of your tastes and biases, which are inescapable, even though you try to rise above them. The ideal review is one in which the person gets a sense of your feelings and opinion about the picture but says, ‘okay, this guy has given me enough flavor of the picture that maybe I’d like the film even if he doesn’t.’ Ultimately, critics can make an impact, but advertising budgets and smart campaigning of target audiences is the most important.”
Do you abide by any rules when writing a movie review?
“Don’t editorialize. Never say ‘walk, don’t run,’ or ‘don’t miss.’ That’s a cheap shot. Never use the first person. I can write good prose and am sustained by a vast knowledge and undying passion.”
You were arguably the first person to interview the legendary Jack Nicholson. How’d that happen?
“I went to a screening of “Easy Rider.” At the time, the film was one of the only ones showing things pertaining to kids, like drugs and the Vietnam War. Hollywood wasn’t really touching that stuff. We knew it was going to strike a nerve, so I asked if I could interview Jack, who was an acquaintance of mine. We met at the wonderful old Brown Derby on Vine Street. And at the end of the interview, Jack said,‘Kevin, how did it go for you?’ Nobody’s ever asked me that before. And I said, ‘well fine, Jack. It wasn’t a really deep, searching, great big Sunday in-depth feature. It was a fine, daily interview. Why do you ask?’ And he said, ‘because I’ve never been interviewed before.’ I’ve dined out on that story.”
What other stars have you interviewed? “I interviewed such legends as Bette Davis, Gloria Swanson and Joan Crawford. I had a friendship with Joan. These were incredible ladies.”
Did you become friends with many celebrities?
“I had three extraordinary friendships with George Cukor, the great director, Fritz Lang, who was one of the great pioneer directors of world cinema, and actress Mae West. I learned a great deal from them and I had wonderful experiences with them, learning about courage, character and bravery. Cukor was a great, great mentor to me, as he was to many people. He really taught his friends the meaning of friendship. And Fritz Lang was, quite flatly, like a father to me. Fritz had a reputation among many circles for being a monster on the set. He terrified most people. But he was really so consistently loving, constructive and concerned. I loved him dearly. And Mae, well, Mae was just fun.”
Who are the stars of this generation? “I think Jack Nicholson is as great as any of the actors from the golden era.Among the younger crowd, those two Aussies — Russell Crowe and Nicole Kidman — are the most versatile and far-ranging and chance-taking. They are just amazing star performers with tremendous range and depth... I’m crazy about John C. Reilly as a character support. And Jennifer Aniston has a big talent which hasn’t really been fulfilled yet. And my, Reese Witherspoon! She was wonderful as June Carter in ‘Walk the Line.’”
What do you think of cinema today? “I don’t want to sound like a total old hoagie, but I do think many pictures are crappier than ever. But I think that every year, thank God, and I’m speaking only about Hollywood, because world cinema manages to come out with amazing stuff year-in-and-out, there are always a handful of really quality pictures.“American Beauty” was absolutely major. “Far From Heaven” is another example. And “The Good Girl” showed that Jennifer Aniston can really act. Also, Clint Eastwood is great. He is such a wonderful man and has always given me credit for being the first person to really support his work seriously as a director at the beginning.”
Has going to the movies changed with time as well?
“It’s more of an ordeal now. It used to be very casual. Now you’ve got to plot. And now It’s all going on on the Westside. You try to go to Hollywood or even to Culver City for a screening... it’s a shockeroo. Going to the movies is such an ordeal that it makes me sit there on my fat ass and look at DVDs instead of getting out of the house, which is bad.”
You were a large proponent of independent, foreign and off-beat films in your reviews. Do you think these types of films have gained popularity over time?
“American indies are pretty popular now. They’ve shoved a lot of the foreign subtitles off of the screens because you automatically have more audiences for something that’s in English. I know people with doctorate’s degrees who are so unsophisticated that they won’t sit through subtitles, which is incredibly stupid. The DVD revolution also make the Cinematheque and archives and art museums even more important.”
The American Cinematheque at the Aero Theatre recently began showing of films which you selected. How did this opportunity present itself?
“Early in the year, the Cinematheque kindly asked me if I would do a series. It was a way to thank me for my support over the years. My criteria was my most beloved films that I knew were beloved by other people. I want to continue to put pictures up that may be challenging, but speak to the emotions and heart; that people can love and cherish. I wanted movies that were enthralling experiences. On Friday, I presented “Gone With the Wind” and I mean, we were just blown away all over again. There’s always a hearty group who sticks around afterward to talk and ask questions. It’s the first time that I’ve actually been able to be in contact with my audience directly. It’s been so rewarding.”
Favorite theater in Santa Monica? “The Aero, of course. Out of the city, I like the Arclight and the Grove, even though it’s difficult to get to.”
What do you like most and least about living in Santa Monica?
“The air in Santa Monica, for health reasons, is far healthier than in other parts of LA. I like the climate here. And living off of Montana, I have many stores and necessities within a convenient distance. But this is the first year I’ve really lived in Santa Monica. Of the other 30 years, I came home and went to bed. So right now, I’m in a period where I don’t have many close friends in Santa Monica. I still have yet to discover ways In which to participate In life In Santa Monica more.I know that there’s a lot going on,and in the future, I might find myself getting a little more engaged in the life of the community.”
What are you up to now? “The paper has called me back to do occasional features and reviews since I retired, which has been very good for my self-esteem. It keeps the byline alive. Nearly 40 years ago, I met Walter Winchell and he looked at me and he said: ‘Hold onto your byline.’ Now I understand what that means. Journalism is addictive and seductive. You get hooked on seeing your byline.”
What’s next for you? “I finally figured out how to write something about Mae West which is new, but doesn’t try to emulate the very excellent biographies which have been written about her. There have been a number of incisive, provocative, brilliantly researched books on Mae and her importance in the American culture during the 20th century. I have figured a way to do it differently.”
Editor’s note: On Nov. 15, Thomas will present “Some Like It Hot” in his continuing series at the Aero.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on October 30, 2006. Read the original PDF.