Armond White is a cultural critic in the same way as the raving homeless guy screaming about the gubmint on a street corner is a political pundit.

EDIT: Although, given the state of political punditry, maybe that's a bad analogy since the homeless guy actually is on about the same level.

I'm going to see pretty much everything (hooray MoviePass). But the movies I'm curious about (not to say I expect they'll all be good...), in release order:

Warm Bodies
The Sorceror and the White Snake
A Good Day to Die Hard
Jack the Giant Slayer
Oz: The Great and Powerful
The Incredible Burt Wonderstone
Upside Down
The Croods
G.I. Joe: Retaliation
The Host
The Evil Dead
Oblivion
jOBS
Iron Man 3
Star Trek Into Darkness
After Earth
Now You See Me
Man of Steel
World War Z
Kick-Ass 2
Lone Ranger
Pacific Rim
R.I.P.D
The Wolverine
300: Rise of an Empire
Elysium
Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters
Riddick
I, Frankenstein
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2
Sin City: A Dame to Kill For
Gravity
OldBoy
Carrie
Left Behind
Thor: The Dark Worlds
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
Bad Santa 2
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

I still don't think we really addressed my question, which is why he felt the most powerful way to tell the "Selfish guy becomes selfless" story was to have him hide out on a farm for an hour with Emily Blunt and Psychic Toddler Hitler, but at that point I figured we both had better things to do than try to debate it in 140 character chunks.

I think what he said that really sums it up is when he said "I honestly don't understand your question." I really don't think he does. Not that I think he's dumb or doesn't "get" it, but he legitimately doesn't see anything wrong with the style of storytelling embodied in LOOPER, where pretty much anything goes if it facilitates the thematic undercurrent, logic or plot be damned. I personally think it's sloppy, but he might argue that's exactly what appeals to him -- real life is sloppy and things don't all tie neatly together.

It's just a fundamental difference in view of how stories are most effectively told, which we weren't going to sort out over Twitter -- nor can it be ignored (though he was classy enough to do so) that, of the two of us, his view is the one currently making him a fine living. So, if it ain't broke.

Very cool of him to engage and have the discussion though. Easily could have just ignored us.

It's the witch! Burn him!

(Welcome to the forum.)