Harry Knowles Harpooned Film Culture
Harry Knowles is part of the reason we’re where we’re at right now. He debased film criticism/journalism to such a degree — and was so successful doing it — we may never recover from his influence. Starting in 1994, Knowles built an empire at Ain’t it Cool dot com. It was a site that trafficked in movie news and poorly written reviews of “geek culture” offerings. Despite being the worst writer at the outlet and also possessing all the charisma of roadkill, Harry became a celebrity. He was as responsible for the rise of the nerds in the mainstream as any other figure — and others sought to emulate him because of it.Hell, people are still emulating him. The type of “journalism” he created is as prevalent now as it was during his heyday. His brand of shallow, enthusiast coverage hasn’t gone anywhere. Why would it when Knowles was so well-known for so long? Why would it when notoriety and power are just a cheap hosting plan and a WordPress theme away?Some of Harry’s former associates at Ain’t It Cool have painted him as ruthless and self-interested — a far cry from his roly-poly public image. After AICN developed a following, the Hollywood studios began taking Knowles seriously. They figured they could court the webmaster for minimal cost and get themselves some good publicity. They were right. It turns out Harry could be bought. For the price of airfare, hotel stays, meals, and set visits, Knowles could be your big summer release’s new best friend.
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