Mark Kermode at the Duke of York’s

“The worst thing and the best thing about the internet is that everyone has access to it.”          – Mark Kermode

In 2011, Mark Kermode went to town on big-chain cinemas in his book the Good, the Bad and the Multiplex. He must have been as happy as a bunny then, when he got to spend the night at the Duke of York’s Picturehouse in Brighton last week, sipping a beer courtesy of the house license, sharing excepts from his new book and fielding – slightly bizarre – questions.

The book, Hatchet Job: Love Movies, Hate Critics, tackles the question of whether the new age of anonymous tweeting and er…blog writing (ahem), is damaging the validity of the critic.

This is a very current topic, and one – I reckoned – that would make an excellent subject for a first blog.

So here goes.

The main problem, Mark says, is accountability.

His argument is that the critic’s voice is only worth something if he/she stands up for their opinions; if they are willing to have filmmakers and actors threaten to punch them if ever they have the misfortune of crossing paths. This is something that happens quite a lot apparently, and is the reason why he doesn’t have many actor/filmmaker friends, (apart from his former neighbour, Ken Russell, who according to Kermode went a bit barmy in his later years but was still the person you wanted at the party.)

Despite all this, Mark insists that the next generation of critics will come from the internet. As long as we put our name to what we write, there is no reason that online writing cannot be as potent and as relevant as in print.

What struck me most about the evening however, was how few of us will ever be as at home in front of an audience as Kermode is. Who knows, maybe he’s a mess just before showtime, but somehow I doubt it. For almost two hours he kept us snug in a warm bubble in the palm of his hand, sharing anecdotes and the occasional Sex and the City 2 rant, while parting some knowledge and wisdom as well.

I just feel lucky I live in a city where I have places like the Picturehouse on my doorstep and where I can hear people like Kermode speak.

As Kermode says, there will always be people who want the cinema experience and I think the same applies to hearing people speak in front of a live audience.

Well done Mark Kermode and Duke of York’s for an excellent and entertaining evening. We salute you.

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• Hatchet Job by Mark Kermode – review | Books | The Guardian (theguardian.com)