The critic and the pirate.

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By Alison Willmore on 04/06/2009

Coming to an airport romance novel shelf near you?

Roger Friedman, critic/columnist for Fox News online, caused as big a stir as a film critic seems able to these difficult days when he posted a review of "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," having illegally downloaded the leaked, unfinished version of the film. The internet immediately went into paroxyms of self-righteousness, with Ain't It Cool News, among others, relishing in a chance to take the moral high ground by calling for Friedman's termination.

Fox News, a separate entity from 20th Century Fox Film Corporation, the studio behind "Wolverine," took down the review, and on Saturday Nikki Finke at Deadline Hollywood reported that Friedman had indeed been fired. Sharon Waxman at The Wrap noted, with a bit more insight, that Friedman seems to think that the fact that his review was positive would excuse the means by which he saw the film.

As a veteran of the world of hard-nosed publicity barter, Friedman probably figured he could squirm out of an uncomfortable situation by praising the film. Turns out Friedman was working out of an old playbook. The decision to terminate him was made over the weekend, a News Corp executive confirmed. "It's a matter of principle," said the executive.

Finke also updates, awesomely: "I did reach Friedman for comment. He emailed back only that he was at the Paul McCartney concert." And ABC News claims that Friedman met with Fox executives this morning to plead his case.

If this is indeed the end of Friedman, well, I hate to see any film journalist lose a job, but his was by all accounts a spectacularly ill-advised move, both in terms of his position (admitting to pirating a film in your column! from a studio under your outlet's corporate umbrella!) and from a journalistic standpoint -- the film wasn't finished and it wasn't being offered for review, and so posting one isn't ethical or useful. But it's also exactly the kind of gun-jumping, link-grabbing act that will serve Friedman well when he inevitably has to start his own site, so I'm sure he'll be fine either way.

+ EXCLUSIVE: Fox News Fires Showbiz Columnist For "Promoting" Piracy (Deadline Daily)
+ Fox.com's Roger Friedman Does Himself In Over 'Wolverine' Review (The Wrap)
+ Fox Columnist Fighting for His Job (ABC News)

Tags: 20th Century Fox Film, critics, News Corp, Roger Friedman, X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Todd

I can't fathom this guy's reasoning. Did he think the positive content of his review and the page-hits would save him from an absolutely brain-dead move? He earned his media Darwin award.

Eduardo

Not that I'm coming to Friedman's defense, but I'm just trying to figure out what would have prompted him to do it--assuming, of course, that he knows downloading such content is illegal, etc.--and I'd have to surmise that he did it for the following possible reasons:
He might have been trying to prove a point that ANYONE can view pre-release films, thereby bringing attention to the fact that may translate to undeterminate sums of lost revenue (probably on the scale of millions of dollars) for the studio, et al.

Another possibility is that he might of thought it as a 'cute', innocuous "gag", if you will; a "ha ha, look ma, see what I can do?" moment that was completely attributable to indiscretion as it related to his highly-regarded job.

It does however raise other doubt and suspicion as to whether he had done this sort of thing before; how convenient would it be to download the movie in the comfort of your own home or office without having to jostle for a good seat in the theatre amonst loud, obnoxious teens and young adults who like to talk and engage in cellphone conversations during the show? Personally, if someone gave me the choice to watch it at home or at the theatre...what can I say, I'd be more inclined to want to know that the fridge and bathroom are a mere footsteps away :)

But I agree...for whatever reason, it wasn't ethical. There ought to be some kind of punishment doled out for being, if nothing else...a dumbshit.