“Everything is Worth Seeing” – Richard Corliss

Veteran movie critic, Richard Corliss, dies at 71 after conveying 35 years of critical writing for Time magazine. 

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Like them or hate them, film critics are here for one thing and one thing only … to express their passion and opinions for the movies. As for Corliss, he could go one week praising a masterpiece to debunking the next, but Corliss saw them all, the good, the bad and the ugly. He gave each film the highest of chance and if it didn’t make his quota he was going to let you know about it. Time said Corliss, "conveyed nothing so much as the sheer joy of watching movies — and writing about them.” 

Corliss’ authenticity showed throughout his reviews from the past 35 years and each one captured the essence of his heart, good or bad. His exceptional writing style didn’t come by default; this was pure talent and nothing more. Throughout his career Corliss wrote some 2,500 reviews and other articles for Time, including more than two-dozen cover stories. Corliss was Time’s longest serving-movie critic and probably one of the most quoted throughout the film world. 

Corliss was also served on the board for the New York Film festival and was a former editor-in-chief for Film Comment. He had a heart for independent, violent noir's, epics and Pixar films. Some of Corliss’ favorites or “guilty pleasures” included Quentin Tarantino and Martin Scorsese. Who could forget when Corliss coined his own term “Drop Dead Gorgeous” in 1985 when describing Michelle Pfeiffer’s performance in the film, Into the Night? Corliss could breath life into his reviews and sometimes his reviews had more life than the film itself. 

He had balance between love and humor within his films and he was able to articulate constructive criticism throughout his career. Corliss’ colorful language could fill a dictionary and it blossomed this those 35 years. It was for this reason I became an avid reader of Richard Corliss. He was a deep thinker, who wanted to let his voice be heard throughout the world and he succeeded. His passion for the movies will leave a resting place in your heart. It was shocking to hear the news that we have lost one of the greats due to a stroke and yet Corliss had so many more films to see. Corliss leaves behind an incredible legacy and his voice will be deeply missed for generations to come.