Interview:
Matty Wishnow,
director,
"The Last Critic"
The self-described “Dean of American rock critics,” Robert Christgau has spent more than 60 years reviewing and grading albums by a diverse range of artists. Directed by the Austin-based Matty Wishnow, the documentary The Last Critic traces Christgau’s transition from journalism to rock criticism in the 1960s, examines his 37 years as the highly influential chief music critic and senior editor for The Village Voice, and dissects how Christgau writes his sharp and witty capsule reviews for his legendary “Consumer Guide,” which he currently publishes at his Substack weekly newsletter “And It Don't Stop.” The Last Critic also takes us inside Christgau’s East Village apartment, which is filled with thousands of albums he has reviewed or collected over the decades. The documentary features interviews with Christgau’s wife, author and critic Carola Dibbell; music journalist Greil Marcus; singer-songwriter Randy Newman; hip-hop artist/filmmaker Boots Riley; and rock icon Thurston Moore, whose early Sonic Youth recordings were not received warmly by Christgau. The Last Critic will screen at 11 a.m. March 14, 2:15 p.m. March 16, and 11:15 a.m. March 18 at the Alamo South Lamar during this year’s SXSW Film & TV Festival. The Austin-based Matty Wishnow makes his directorial debut with The Last Critic. He worked at Elektra Records in the mid-1990s, co-founded the online music store Insound in 1998, and founded the digital optimization company Clearhead in 2012. Note: KOOP Radio programmer Ben Wu is a producer and the director of photography of The Last Critic. Aired: March 4, 2026. Web sites: https://schedule.sxsw.com/films/2241564 https://www.thelastcriticfilm.com/ https://robertchristgau.substack.com/ |
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