Make a list, say five lines long, two vertical columns like this one. Don’t think too hard about it, just write down five genres under each column:
GENRES I LOVE GENRES I HATE
Now, for every one movie you watch on the left? Watch two on the right. If you’re going to write about film with any degree of perception or objectivity you have to watch as much as you possibly can of every stripe. Likewise every other form of pop culture. You still hate it after twenty movies? Fine, bag on it all you want. But you’ll at least be doing so from a position of experience. Less than a week ago, I saw a hit piece on a major website use the phrase ‘I’ve never seen the movie but-‘.
No.
Just no.
You ever find yourself in that position, and a lot of critics are, then you put the keyboard down, walk way and watch the movie. Then when you’re done, come back and write what you know not what you think.