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The Unloved, Part 21: Anonymous

In 2011, notoriously criticized filmmaker Roland Emmerich tackled an unexpected subject: the theory that William Shakespeare didn't write the plays that made him a household name. With "Anonymous," Emmerich joined the conspiracy theorists with style, but most critics dismissed the film outright, arguably judging it on concept more than execution. The Guardian announced "Anonymous is Ridiculous," and audiences stayed away. The $30 million film couldn't even break $5 million stateside and totaled just over $15 million worldwide. It was one of 2011's biggest disasters. Scout Tafoya argues in the latest Unloved that this was an unjust fate.


To watch more of Scout Tafoya's video essays from his series The Unloved, click here.

Scout Tafoya

Scout Tafoya is a critic and filmmaker who writes for and edits the arts blog Apocalypse Now and directs both feature length and short films.

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