This Week on Criticwire: Rounding Out the Summer

Weekend Reel Reads: Mailer, Ruiz and Kael: Our look at film-related stories from around the Internet takes us back to the 70s for the films of Norman Mailer and looks ahead to the final entry in the filmography of director Raul Ruiz.

The Criticwire Survey: Fall's Must-See Movies: "Looper" is the big winner among our list of critics, but there's a wide selection of upcoming fall films sure to entice any movie fan.

No One Tell the Film Industry About This Business Selling Fake Positive Book Reviews: A recent expose of a book reviewer for hire is a helpful reminder that, while the Internet has democratized some elements of criticism, it's always helpful to keep in mind the source.

The Decline of Western Civilization: The Party Years: If "Project X" is somehow a definitive referendum on this generation, much less its moviegoers, then we might have a problem.

A Masterful Trailer That Doesn't Spoil the Movie: Sure, the trailer for "The Master" is indicative of its mysterious nature, but even Hollywood blockbusters would benefit from its minimal plot-revealing approach. 

Another Judgment Day for 'Terminator 2': Matt's recent appearance on the Auteurcast gave him an even greater appreciation of the careers of Arnold Schwarzenegger and James Cameron.

Pranking Global Politics: 'The Dictator' and 'The Ambassador': A review and comparison of Sacha Baron Cohen's mainstream satirical approach to Mads Brügger's even more embedded form.

The Best Reviewed Indie Films of the Summer (And Where To Find Them): We compiled the top ten films with the best overall feedback from the past few months, along with a handy guide of where to find them either in theaters or on DVD/VOD.

Criticwire Picks: 'Chicken with Plums' is a Successful Return to Iran: The directing team of Vincent Paronnaud and Marjane Satrapi have followed up their successful 2007 output "Persepolis" with another tale rooted in a bygone era of Iran's history.

Last Call for Applications for the Critics Academy at the New York Film Festival: If you're thinking about applying to the NYFF version of our Critics Academy before the deadline next Tuesday, you probably should.

VODetails: 'V/H/S': Most early returns for this omnibus horror film indicate that it is indeed worth your hard-earned VODollars.

From the Wire: Reviews from a Ten-Year-Old Film Critic: Although A.O. Scott's faux review of "The Oogieloves" is endlessly entertaining, a CinemaNerdz contributor may have him beat.

Barbed Wire: 'The Oogieloves in the Big Balloon Adventure': The technicolor explosion of toddler-aimed entertainment has yielded some incredible returns from critics across the country.

Venice Review Capsule: 'Stories We Tell': Across the Atlantic, critics are beginning to weigh in on Sarah Polley's debut as a feature-length documentary filmmaker.

The Ten Critics to Follow on Twitter During Telluride: If your family vacation or lack of available transportation has kept you from enjoying Colorado's hidden gem, here are a collection of writers who'll be sharing periodic updates from on-site.

'Argo' Goes Over Big at Telluride: The first big surprise screening at Telluride is enjoying some hearty feedback, in both snippet and review forms.