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Harry Knowles Accusations / The End of AICN?

Started by Small Man Big Horse, September 25, 2017, 09:25:18 PM

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Barry Admin


Dr Rock

Quote from: worldsgreatestsinner on September 27, 2017, 09:37:29 PM
You can see it all over the internet, people who are saying they dislike Knowles are supporting him and saying things like it was 20 years ago, not real molestation, etc. It's the kind of story that utter cunts are going to flock towards.

Yeah possibly, but can you give some examples/links? 'All over the internet' a is a bit vague

Sin Agog

Quote from: phantom_power on September 27, 2017, 10:30:46 PM
It was pretty suspect when those two fucked off from the site as soon as the accusations dropped. It was clear they were either using it as an excuse to bail, or they knew about what he was like. Both pretty shitty positions to take.

Judging by that article they all seem like a bunch of cunts, which doesn't surprise me at all

Met Quint once when he came to England (used to be a mod on AICN's forums).  He seemed like a genuinely sweet, childlike type of dude.  Had none of that world-weary, I've been on the internet way too long and I'm going to snap at anyone who crosses paths with me vibes that some other members of their staff, like Drew McWeeny/Moriarty, give off.  Mr. Beaks was also genuinely far too erudite for AICN, which, largely consisting of a lot of geek-redneck hybrids situated in a diaspora around Texas, and attracting many enfeebled, angry men from elsewhere, may have been the primordial stew from which much of the alt-right formed.  No wonder so many of them are defending Harry, who I also interacted with a few times.  Obviously he's a supercilious bell-end.  His dad, by the way, seemed pretty cool. I know someone here said he was a cock 'n' all, but I don't see it.  I actually got into a couple of convos with him about Japanese demon masks and our love of the movie Onibaba, which I still remember to this day (he's one of the few people who didn't look at me funny when I used Japanese Demon Masks as my opening conversational gambit).  Anyway, re: that facebook post- the claims levelled towards Quint and the rest of the staff not named Harry are mostly pretty nebulous.  Granted, Capone sounds like a wanker, though at least a wanker who stretched AICN's remit beyond retrogressive male fantasy shite, but Beaks and Quint didn't do anything wrong that I can make out.  Most of that FB post seemed to be leading up to some big reveal that never really came, other than him not getting paid.

phantom_power

I think the main thing was that they seemed to know about Knowles' behaviour and turned a blind eye to stay on the gravy train. Many women may have suffered due to their inaction

Small Man Big Horse

Quote from: Barry Admin on September 27, 2017, 10:34:09 PM
Any chance of pasting it in please?

Here you go sir:

QuoteMy AICN Story And Knowledge That Harry Knowles Is A Lying Scumbag
BILLY DONNELLY·TUESDAY, 26 SEPTEMBER 2017

I don't know that I've ever written this whole story before, as I preferred to take the high road at the time for what happened to me. (I've spoken it in private before with a few drinks in me, that's for sure.) However, in light of what has been revealed about Harry Knowles and those who have now left Ain't It Cool News, I've been asked what happened in my dealings with him and his crew in being fired from that gig that allowed me in recent years to be so vocal about what lying scumbags they all were, especially since it informs my knowledge and belief that every story being told about him and his creepy, shady and predatory behavior is true.

It's time to tell that tale.

Back in 2012, I ran a smaller regional blog called InfamousKidd.com, and we had taken it about as far as it could go. After considering a number of options as to what the next step would be, I came up with the idea to pitch Harry on the idea of joining AICN - giving them a presence in South Florida, which they didn't have before, while giving me an opportunity to write for a much bigger platform. Plus, they needed the help. The site wasn't updated often enough. News stories were sometimes written days after they happened. It was not the same place that it once was as one of the beginnings of the online film community.

Harry passed along my email to his financial guy Roland (he'll come into play later), and I entered into conversations about him joining the team. The idea was for me to write news stories, to review films, to host screenings and giveaways out of Miami/Ft. Lauderdale (this will also surface later) and really just update and maintain the content level of the site. However, it came with a caveat... AICN was engaged in a money fight with those who owed them, and, as a result, they wouldn't be able to pay me anything at the moment. But... they were working on it, and, as soon as their issues got straightened out, I'd be taken care of and put on the payroll.

This being my first shot at writing for a site I'd always read as a film geek, I took them at their word and jumped into the fray. Man, that was a stupid decision and what should have easily have been a giant red flag. After all, that arrangement never would be righted, as in my entire time at AICN, I never saw one dollar. Not a dime. Not a quarter. Not a penny. I was never paid for any of my work. Others got paid though. Some got paid for writing few and far between. Others got paid sparingly and only when they asked where their checks were.

Hell, I'll give you one perfect example of how fucked-up this whole situation was when it came to money. During SXSW of that year, there were only going to be two of us actually updated the site - myself and Mr. Beaks, known in real life as Jeremy Smith. The rest of the crew would be in attendance. Therefore, I took the early half of the day that week to keep the site chugging along and Jeremy had the afternoons. Except guess what? He no-showed every single day and, feeling a sense of duty and pride in my work, I pulled fuller days well into the afternoon, so the site wouldn't have nothing going up. It was later explained to me by Quint (Eric Vespe) that Jeremy hadn't been paid by Harry at the moment and elected to go on a bit of a strike until he got his check. Still, for me, even after doing all that, no dimes.

There's a reason I've told people since my time at AICN never to meet your heroes... and Harry Knowles is it. Not to say that I worshipped the guy, but, as anyone in the online film community can attest to, that dude was presented as royalty once upon a time. His site was a groundbreaker. He was putting together all these events with the Alamo Drafthouse (Are we seeing a pattern here?) that were revered by those who attended. Harry Knowles and AICN were big time then. And then I got to interact with him, and I learned what a self-centered egotistical piece of shit he was.

I'd be singled out and scolded in emails that were sent out to the entire staff for doing the same things they were doing. I was told to stop doing the very things I was brought on to do... once again, at the same time others were doing the exact same things. If I broke a scoop or wrote up a solid article, there was never a "Good job!" or "That was awesome!" Not from Harry. Not from Quint. Not from that other asshole Capone (Steve Prokopy, who I'll get to later in what is quickly turning into an AICN novel I didn't originally intend to write). Instead I watched a boys-club mentality take over where those who were there first looked out for each other and protected each others' territory. No new people allowed, because this was MY interview or MY story or MY whatever. They looked after their friends. That'll factor into what we're learning these days in just a bit, too.

Okay, let me get to my dismissal...

I had spoken to Harry via phone on two separate occasions during my entire time at AICN. The first time I picked up the phone to call him on his birthday, just because it seemed like the right thing to do; he then proceeded to tell me all about his call with Peter Jackson and whoever the fuck he felt the need to namedrop to me and I couldn't get off the phone fast enough. The second time was the precursor for getting the axe. I had written a review of 42 - the Jackie Robinson biopic - and it wasn't exactly flattering. And Harry did not like it one bit. He called to yell at me about my review and tell me about how his dad used to read Jackie Robinson comic books or some shit. Either way, he wasn't thrilled with my negativity towards a film he loved. I explained to him how I was just being honest and I was glad the film worked for him. But it was my review and I couldn't lie in it. (Side note: 42 was also made by Legendary Pictures, and he supposedly had a bit of a financial relationship with Thomas Tull, so... draw your own conclusions much like I did.) He then told me there was all sorts of problems, which I wasn't aware of and the rest of the team had raised issues with my work, saying I was too negative - something Quint had brought up to me ONCE before and that I said I would work on.

However, he told me he'd go back and talk to everyone and get things straightened out. He told me to take a few days off and he'd get back to me over the weekend with what he wanted to do. I was set to take a trip to Disney World over the weekend with my family anyway, so fine... Let's see how this shakes out.
I'm going to be fired. I knew it. The writing was on the wall, and, at that point, I had resigned myself to the fact.

So there, in EPCOT, sitting down for dinner at the American Adventure, I explained the circumstances to my wife. She was sad for me, knowing how much I had put in at that point and how very little I had gotten out, but she told me that if I just wanted to quit now, she would understand.

However, I refused to let Harry or any of the people there off the hook. If the were going to fire me, I was going to make them fire me. And so, after spending my weekend in Orlando, I headed back home, ready to go back to work on Monday and start my writing shift. Mind you, this is after leaving messages for Harry on Facebook asking him what was going on AND attempting to call him once again, leaving a voicemail for him on his cell to get back to me and fill me in on his decision.

None of those were returned, and I wrote up several stories during my shift on Monday morning - April 22, 2013. And then at around 2 in the afternoon, a bing came up on my Facebook messages. It was Harry. His exact words - "You're out. Your logins have been deleted. Good luck with life."

Yeah.

I was more flabbergasted than angry that THIS was the way things were going down, but... I shouldn't have expected anything less from Harry after all that time.
In any event, I posted to my social media - "Wow... Fired via Facebook. That's certainly a new one." And readers from the site couldn't believe it. They started asking all sorts of questions and, once again, I elected to take the high road. I wasn't trying to badmouth Harry or the site or any of the people involved with it. I had made peace with what had happened, having seen it coming from a mile away, and was trying to figure out what my next step was.

Except several over at AICN couldn't let that be the case. As the Talkbacks were being hit up with questions about what happened to me, it was Quint and Capone who took it upon themselves to drag my name and reputation through the mud, spinning yarns about why I was fired.

The Miami New-Times asked if they could write a story about what happened to me, and I said sure. After all, there was no reason for me to lie or be anything but transparent about what went down there, especially at the end. And in doing their due diligence, they reached out to AICN for comment, which is where Capone issued this as the warrant for my dismissal..."Billy was fired because he doesn't know anything about movies made before 1990. His lack of film knowledge is legendary, and the number of times one of the other writers at Ain't It Cool News has contacted him about a very basic film fact that he got wrong in a news item or review was something that lowered the quality of the site in general. And while his often negative opinion didn't really bother me, he never really backed it up with examples of why he didn't like something, which is kind of what being a critic is about. You can't just say Yay or Nay, you have to explain why you felt that way with some degree of intelligence and knowledge that Billy simply didn't have."
Oh yeah... he also added that I was "rumored to hoard screening passes, hounded film studios for free swag, and was 'a terrible interviewer.'" All the things I was brought on to do for the site, remember? And ah... there goes those territorial protections right there at the end, given that Capone was one of the main interviewers for AICN at that time.

Needless to say, I was floored, but what happened next was what really hurt my feelings, and, in retrospect, speaks to the culture that allowed Harry to operate as he has for a long time. I was dropped like a bad habit from those still on staff at AICN. People who I thought were my friends while working there - guys like Quint and Capone and Mr. Beaks and Nordling (who I've talked to in detail about this over time and am cool with once more after an apology and forgiveness) stopped talking to me. They wouldn't answer my calls or texts or FB messages. They unfriended me and excommunicated me, and they went right back to defending Harry. They went right back to defending the brand.

And, as for me... the damage had been done. I wasn't able to land another solid gig the way others have been when they lose their spots. My reputation had taken severe damage as a result of their words, and I made the choice to try launching my own endeavor once again, using crowdfunding to get it off the ground.
Speaking of crowdfunding, remember when Harry essentially stole money from people in order to do a PBS show...? Yeah, that's another story for another day.
Now, along the way, Harry would do a number of idiotic or embarrassing things, things that would contradict what he told us he wanted, things that would make the site look bad. And with Quint steering the ship, I would often raise them to him, confused about what our directions were when Harry was telling us one thing and yet doing another. And I always received the same refrain - "Oh, that's just Harry being Harry."

And in retrospect, that's the attitude and demeanor and excuse that allowed Harry to grope women and female patrons at the Drafthouse. That's the same kind of justification that enabled him to send dirty messages to women on Facebook and Twitter, skeeving up the joint and making far too many uncomfortable as they just tried to be a part of what they thought was an inclusive community. That's what allowed this scumbag of a motherfucker to think he was so entitled and untouchable that he could do whatever he wanted.

People would kiss his ring to be a part of what he was doing. At the site, they would step up and protect him, so they could keep their access alive. Why would they rock the boat when they could keep landing set visits and interviews and special screenings for themselves, acting in their own self-interests rather than doing what was right? And within the larger film community, there was Butt-Numb-A-Thon, Harry's 24-hour event to celebrate his birthday where the studios and filmmakers over time might show something early that those in attendance could witness before anyone else. No one was prepared to speak up against Harry's shenanigans, because that'd mean they were out, not part of the "Cool Kids Club" anymore, disinvited from the in crowd.

Oh, and, before I forget, let me reintroduce Roland again, since he speaks once again to people going out of their way to protect their friends, which I think is vital to this whole situation.

In due time, it was revealed Roland had severely fucked-up the funds of Ain't It Cool News, owing major back taxes or something of the sort. You know, the type of major mistake that usually gets people fuckin' fired. But no... not at AICN. That guy stayed handling the money after everything that went down, because he was Harry's friend... and it didn't matter that people weren't getting paid or that the site "allegedly" had no money. Their books were fucked, and the guy who fucked them stayed... Because that's what happens in the boys club. They look out for their own.

Now, look... This is what happened to me. This is how I know what a lying scumbag Harry Knowles was and still is, and this is also how I know Capone and Quint aren't the heroic victims people are painting them to be for leaving the site NOW, when the choice is easy. They let Harry be Harry for their own benefit this entire time. They didn't stand up for others. They didn't do the right thing when the right thing needed to be done. They protected their own self-interests this whole time, contributing to a culture that let Harry be Harry, which really means ruining things for others, making others feel uncomfortable and making others fear retribution. Brave people do things when they are difficult. These are not brave people. These are not angels. And we're doing it again if we think they are... Protecting our friends.

While I was at AICN, there was rumblings of Harry doing some shady things. However, being removed from the Austin scene, anything I heard was very vague and lacking any degree of detail or specificity. There were people who knew things. They just weren't talking about it. And, after hearing several accounts of people who were subject to Harry's advances and his harassment and his abuse, I can understand why they kept quiet. Who was going to listen? Shit... I was badmouthed just for telling the truth about my firing. How do you think a woman would be treated for coming forth with a tale of her encounters with Harry when it comes with accusations of sexual assault and/or sexual harassment?

And hell, even when they were heard... it was dismissed. It was swept under the rug. Why? Because no one wanted to disrupt the status quo. No one wanted to ruin their access. No one wanted to ruin their opportunities. No one wanted to rock the boat. No one wanted to do the right thing, if it came at a price of their sacrifice.

And as I've spoken out about what happened to me at AICN more and more, I've been told that I might not be the best messenger to speak about Harry and Quint and Capone. I was told I had an axe to grind, and, as a result, I may be a bit biased or my credibility might not be as strong as someone else. The problem with that mentality is that only people who have been wronged or feel like the wrong thing is happening feel compelled to speak up. When things are all hunky-dory, no one says boo, because they don't want to disrupt the status quo. And by muddying the waters about the reason for their grievances, we continue to create an environment where people are doubted. The motive is scrutinized more than the actions that have taken place.

This is not okay. And what has happened in the last few days has reopened a bunch of old wounds I had in dealing with AICN and Harry Knowles. I just got let go from a job in fucked-up fashion, but I am angry that a lying scumbag like that put these women in a repeated situations where they have had to deal with moments that have continued to haunt them since they happened.
The culture needs to change, and there is more blood on people's hands than they'd like to acknowledge. But until we actually get introspective on what has happened, why it happened and how way too many allowed it to keep happening, this community will never heal. It will never be able to move forward. At that point, we might as well just be done and wish each other good luck in life.
We need to be better.


newbridge


mobias

Quote from: Sin Agog on September 27, 2017, 10:52:33 PM
which, largely consisting of a lot of geek-redneck hybrids situated in a diaspora around Texas, and attracting many enfeebled, angry men from elsewhere, may have been the primordial stew from which much of the alt-right formed. 

Thats pretty much the impression I always got from it, which was the main reason I only posted there a couple of times. Its also why I don't think AICN will close down anytime soon. I'm sure there's too big a gang of teenage alt-right kiddies supporting the site, and indeed Harry in general, for it to not have its own audience. It must cost fuck all to maintain after all, especially now that its main contributors have all sodded off. Of course one presumes and hopes the likes of Peter Jackson, Guillermo del Toro, Tarantino and other known fans of the site from the movie industry have nothing to do with him from now on.

DukeDeMondo

Ambush Bug - Mark L Miller - has left now too. That's the end of AICN Horror.

QuoteFans of AICN HORROR, I've left Ain't It Cool News and will be posting my Best of the Best in Horror 2017 on my website https://mlmillerwrites.com/ MLMILLERWRITES.COM until I find a new home for the feature. I'll also be posting random reviews there daily from the past and the present to keep all of my reviews over the years as an archive. Please join me there counting down the best in horror this year and I will update as to where the reviewers of AICN COMICS/AICN HORROR land.

Dr Rock

Ambush Bug was one of the few I liked and trusted a bit. Quint is a cunt and Nordling is a talentless flea who got his place on the site through persistent sycophancy.

Custard

Isn't it a bit rubbish to leave a few days after?

Like Maurice Gibb noticing it was just him left on Clive Anderson's sofa, so thought he'd better follow the others

Glebe


DukeDeMondo


Funcrusher

He's getting a pounding in the talkback as far as I can see.

Small Man Big Horse

#74
Beloved film director Uwe Boll has just posted this video about Harry: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKqeB_lBL-s&feature=youtu.be
(NSFW)

Edit: Contains many horrible comments about his size, and the use of 'retard' as an insult. Which shouldn't come as a surprise, but it did. :(

Edit 2: Also claims that "where he's from" it would be a "fucking joke" and that rape is the only proper form of sexual assault.

Edit 3: Finished it now. Turns out that whether Harry is a cunt or not, Uwe definitely is!

DukeDeMondo

Lord above. What AICN writer was it he had the boxing match with?

EDIT: It was Jeff Sneider, apparently. I don't know who that is. http://www.aintitcool.com/node/30194

Dr Rock


Small Man Big Horse

Quote from: DukeDeMondo on September 28, 2017, 11:06:35 PM
Lord above. What AICN writer was it he had the boxing match with?

EDIT: It was Jeff Sneider, apparently. I don't know who that is. http://www.aintitcool.com/node/30194

Jeff Sneider according to - http://www.cinemablend.com/pop/Uwe-Boll-Kicks-Crap-Out-Critics-1121.html - but it's not a name I recognise. Some footage's here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AebQIy5UNng

Dr Rock

Quote from: Small Man Big Horse on September 28, 2017, 10:54:42 PM
Beloved film director Uwe Boll has just posted this video about Harry: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKqeB_lBL-s&feature=youtu.be
(NSFW)

Edit: Contains many horrible comments about his size, and the use of 'retard' as an insult. Which shouldn't come as a surprise, but it did. :(

Edit 2: Also claims that "where he's from" it would be a "fucking joke" and that rape is the only proper form of sexual assault.

Edit 3: Finished it now. Turns out that whether Harry is a cunt or not, Uwe definitely is!


Yeah 13 minutes of slagging off Harry for being fat and and one minute saying grabbing a woman's arse isn't sexual assault. Don't bother.

Sin Agog

One of their writers, Massawyrm, one of the few open conservatives on AICN's staff, went on to write Dr. Strange. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1803036/ 

DukeDeMondo

Quote from: Sin Agog on September 28, 2017, 11:15:06 PM
One of their writers, Massawyrm, one of the few open conservatives on AICN's staff, went on to write Dr. Strange. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1803036/

He wrote Sinister too, and some sort of fantasy novel, and appeared as a guest on Ain't It Cool With Harry Knowles to promote both. The result was a truly toe curling interview that was all but impossible to sit through. The full length version - near 20 minutes of Knowles trying and failing to mask his jealousy behind a load of passive aggressive shoulder shrugging and yawning -  seems to have fallen down into the belly of the internet*, but a shorter, somewhat more palatable version is still online: https://youtu.be/hOsycQz5Jhk

* Unless I'm misremembering and the stuff about Sinister and the stuff about the book appeared in two different episodes.

phantom_power

Quote from: Small Man Big Horse on September 28, 2017, 11:10:06 PM
Jeff Sneider according to - http://www.cinemablend.com/pop/Uwe-Boll-Kicks-Crap-Out-Critics-1121.html - but it's not a name I recognise. Some footage's here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AebQIy5UNng

He says he taught the critics a lesson but what was the lessson? That he is a bully as well as a shit film-maker and uber-cunt?

hewantstolurkatad


mothman

Quote from: Sin Agog on September 28, 2017, 11:15:06 PM
One of their writers, Massawyrm, one of the few open conservatives on AICN's staff, went on to write Dr. Strange. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1803036/ 

I wonder if he signed on before or after they cast, or rather whitewashed, the mentor role?


Skip Bittman

Did he dye his hair in solidarity with Harry?

Urinal Cake

Harry is disposable, Harvey isn't. Tbh I'm surprised Harvey settled out of court rather than try to blackball his victims out of the industry.

Skip Bittman



Small Man Big Horse

Quote from: SavageHedgehog on April 12, 2019, 11:19:27 AM
Hedgegog bites into the U.K.

Are they just accepting anything now?

Jesus that is weak, I get that they're trying to be funny, but, well, it didn't tickle my funny bone. Or even my funny skin.