Goodbye, Village Voice, goodbye.

We'd heard talk of this a few days ago, and now it's being confirmed on Gawker and on blogs like Anthony Kaufman's: Village Voice critic Michael Atkinson was canned a few days ago, and now film editor Dennis Lim has been fired as well. J. Hoberman is the last man standing at what was once one of the great bastions of uncompromising film criticism and coverage, as well as the place several of our favorite critics got their start.

There's a lot of burbling media gossip below the surface here it's not our place to go into — but one thing we do have to wonder is, sans staff and, apparently, interest, will the new Voice continue to review all New York film openings? Alongside the New York Times (and Time Out New York, we suppose) the Voice has been the one of the only reliable print outlet to go to for reviews of the indies opening at theaters like the Quad and the Pioneer.

Tough times, tough times.

+ Heady New Times at the 'Village Voice' (Gawker)
+ Village Voice Watch: Film Editor Dennis Lim Fired (Anthony Kaufman's Blog)