Al Agate

The chief film critic of the San Francisco Chronicle used to go by the name of Al Agate, but changed it to Mick LaSalle at some point, because he thought it was cooler or something. However, we here at the Chronicle Chronicles will continue to refer to him as Al Agate. We reserve the right to use the name LaSalle in our blog postings, but only when referring to the historical figure who traveled down the Mississippi river.

As film film reviewers go, he isn't all that bad. However, his job entails more than just writing film reviews. He also runs a column in the Sunday "pink pages" of the Chronicle, "Ask Mick LaSalle", in which he answers questions from his adoring fans and his wrathful detractors. He may have envisioned patterning this column after Roger Ebert's "Answer Man" column, but, to paraphrase Lloyd Bentsen--Al Agate, you're no Roger Ebert. Whereas Ebert's column is a collaborative labor of love between himself and fellow film lovers, Agate's column pales by comparison. It isn't all bad, but at times it does seem to be less about the art of film and more to about--well, Al Agate.

Agate likes to print the occasional letter that insults him, just so he gets the last word. He also likes to print the occasional letter of praise. And then there are the letters that just ask him for his opinion on some subject. Now I don't necessarily object to letters asking a film critic's opinion of things, but to be honest, I am simply more interested in Roger Ebert's opinions on film than I am on Al Agate's.

Here is an example of why Al Agate can be so annoying. Recently there was an ongoing discussion in his column about John Wayne as a film hero. Agate claimed that "Wayne was very right-wing politically, but his movies mainly just expressed an ideal vision of the American hero, appealing to people of all stripes." I guess Agate never heard of a movie called The Green Berets. Oh well.

The Chronicle Chronicles

This blog will discuss of the foibles of San Francisco politics and San Francisco journalism.