wnyc.org / 93.9fm / am 820

Andrew Sarris gave us a way to think about movies. Pauline Kael opened up ways to respond to movies. But it was Manny Farber more than any other American film critic who really showed us how to look at the movies.

At least that’s one way to pin down a writer whose avid, mercurial language never dead ends in cliche or boxes itself into known formulas. Farber is at once the wildest and most disciplined of critics - every fresh dip into his writing sharpens the mind and sets it spinning.

In honor of Farber, who passed away this August, the Film Society of Lincoln center has organized a wide-ranging survey of films of special interest to Farber. The series was programmed by the critic, filmmaker, and programmer Kent Jones, who was a close friend of Farber. I spoke to Kent about Manny’s special genius as a critic, and how the film series reflects his singular sensibility.