J. Hoberman

James Lewis Hoberman (born March 14, 1948), also known as J. Hoberman, is an American film critic. He is currently the senior film critic for The Village Voice, a post he has held since 1988.

Education

Hoberman completed his B.A. at Binghamton University and his M.F.A. at Columbia University. At Binghamton, prominent experimental filmmaker Ken Jacobs both instructed and influenced him.

Career

After completing his MFA Hoberman worked for The Village Voice as third-stringer under Andrew Sarris. There, he specialized in examining experimental film. Indeed, his first published film review appeared in 1977 for David Lynch's seminal debut film Eraserhead. Since 2009 Hoberman remains senior film editor at the Village Voice. In addition, he contributes regularly to Film Comment, The New York Times, and The Virginia Quarterly Review.

Hoberman appears in the 2009 documentary film The Story of American Film Criticism, recalling his first movie memory, going with his mother to see Cecil B. DeMille’s The Greatest Show On Earth, and how he was mesmerized by a scene in that film depicting a train crash.

In addition to his academic and professional career, Hoberman is the author of several important books on cinema, including a collaboration with prominent film critic Jonathan Rosenbaum, entitled Midnight Movies, published in 1983.

In the 2002 Sight & Sound film poll, Hoberman indicated that Flaming Creatures is his choice for best film ever made. Other films...
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