Two perils of film criticism:

1. Making a fetish of objectivity

Which means: talking about personal preferences as if they are aesthetic axioms.

Example: "This film is bad because the filmmakers show contempt for their characters." As if a preference for a certain arrangement of the relationship between author, audience, and characters should have the weight of a moral rule and is not merely a matter of taste.

2. Making a fetish of subjectivity

Which means: using personal preference as a shield, pretending that taste isn't something that can be developed and needs to be transcended.

Example: "This film is great because it perfectly captures my experience of being an adolescent." As if the ultimate in art is to perfectly reflect and reinforce your view of the world and your view of your self.

Conceptual vs. Experiential

Inglourious Basterds vs. Safe Conduct
Ed Wood vs. The Player
O Brother, Where Art Thou? vs. Nashville
Batman Returns vs. Batman Begins
Metropolis vs. The Crime of M. Lange
Eyes Wide Shut vs. Blume in Love