I first read about this over at IMDB, and I have to say that I was very much amused by the situation, although it isn't quite at the same level as the gauntlet laid down by Uwe Boll against any critic that has said bad things against him.

In case you haven't heard that story, Uwe Boll, director of such cinematic - ahem - masterpieces as House of the Dead and Bloodrayne, challenged anyone who has criticized his work to take him on in a boxing match. Not only that, he said he would film the bout and incorporate the footage into a future film. Now that is absolutely hilarious, and would probably result in the most entertaining work he has ever produced. Now, back to the story at hand.

Apparently, Joel Siegel, the mustachioed film critic, made something of a scene while at a screening of Kevin Smith's new film (opening this Friday), Clerks II. Approximately 40 minutes into the screening, Siegel got up and loudly exclaimed: "Time to go! First movie I've walked out of in 30 BLEEP years."

All I can say is, "Wow!"

This has caused my opinion of Siegel to drop down a few more notches, meaning he is nowhere near the top of the list of critics whose work I enjoy. His slide down my personal list started a year or so ago when Siegel hosted a prime time summer movie preview where it was advertised that he would be giving reviews, or at least thoughts on what to see and what not. It turned out to just be a hype show with a bunch of trailers. May not be a big thing to some, but to be allow himself to be used as a pitch machine like this just served to put a few holes in his credibilty. This just pushes it over the edge.

I cannot stand it when people talk in the theater. Cell phones, friends, inappropriate comments at the screen and the like are among my pet peeves when I watch a movie. Now along comes a well known critic, and he acts like this at a screening? Totally unacceptable. If you don't like the movie, get up and leave, and do it quietly. Nobody wants to hear how you have never walked out on a movie in 30 years, nobody cares if you "have" to go. If you don't like the movie, watch the whole thing, like you should, and let your viewers know in the appropriate forum.

Taking the shot across the bow with class and little profanity, Kevin Smith has responded to the attention-grabbing walkout on his Myspace blog page. Smith's comments are a very good read, and make a lot of sense. He talks about how his brand of comedy isn't for everyone, which is true, and also about how he can take a bad review. He goes on to speak of how unprofessional it is to do what Siegel did, while turning around and praising a film that he had not yet seen. It is well worth reading, as amidst the expletives and colorful slang, Smith takes the high road; he doesn't go after Siegel personally, but professionally is another matter.