Entertainment Forum General Chat Thread • Page 61

The take makes sense for media, don’t know if I agree as much when it comes to the type of stuff you’d typically be referring to Yelp for

 

Don’t you also not go to the movies ever?

 

I absolutely check out reviews before watching a film, specifically if it’s older or more obscure. How else would i know if it’s up my alley?

 

I don’t read reviews prior to something I know I was going to see regardless. Like a good or bad review wasn’t going to change my mind on seeing One Battle After Another.

But every once in a while it convinces me to see something I had no interest in. Even then though, I’m usually relying on word of mouth or simply seeing a critic I follow saying it was worth while. Then I’ll see it and read full reviews afterward.

 

Reading film criticism to find out whether or not to see something is treating the criticism like a product review rather than meaningful writing. To be fair, the rise of "critics" without an English or literature background, especially on YouTube, is giving people this type of review, but when I see something like "spoiler free review" I can't understand what is going on anymore. How do you discuss a thing while putting extreme limitations on a thing?

 

I mean a quick letterboxd review from someone I trust giving the general vibe of the movie is different than reading a ReverseShot piece on OBAA. I do the former before seeing a film, not the latter

 

As long as we understand the difference then this is fine. Unfortunately, critics who should be doing the longform analysis are doing the product review like a toaster or a vaccuum cleaner.

 

treat writing how ever you want, its not a person with feelings. Ill skim a RS review and come back after or pass if it doesnt look like it will interest me. Rather give RS their click than a worse writer.

 

His central point is right, and it’s an idea that I was really pushing for at the end of AP: death of the old school longform review and a move into a more collaborative discussion/reflection as review. The Ringer does a corny Exit Survey version of it, but something like a forum roundtable would be interesting to do

 

Reverse Shot or Film Comment or The New Yorker is going to discuss the plot, the themes, the historical context, and a lot of other things that are not going to make much sense without seeing the movie. It is like picking up a book and turning to chapter 7. Those reviews are great to read after you have seen the films and you want to compare your thoughts and feelings to someone who does it professionally.

 

Yea, I’m gonna look at reviews before picking a restaurant. If people recently said they got food poisoning I want to know.

 

I generally find restaurant reviews to be the most problematic of all. Most importantly, there is no accounting for taste, so while you might have a fancy Italian restaurant that makes its own pasta and imports their cheese from Italy, there are people who think Olive Garden tastes better. You also have the unique circumstances of each visit, the external factors that can change your experience, and the type of personality that takes the time to write reviews.

 

I think the subway takes guest is wrong about reviews “tainting” one’s experience in an intrinsically bad way or whatever. Like, what, you need to have a virginal first experience with every film you see, without having seen a trailer or a poster or caught wind of any talk around it?

Idk, if you get caught up in others’ thoughts to a degree that you forget how to form your own on a movie, maybe that a bit of a skill issue? Context is part of how everyone experiences everything. That extra context isn’t gonna stop you from having your own thoughts as well, unless you didn’t have them to begin with.

 

As I said Ill skim for the relevant information im looking for, I trust my comprehension skills enough to make a judgement without the full context.

Reading a section of a book is fine too, the prose and dialogue will tell you a lot.

 

That is fine, and you are not the type to get mad that a longform review ruined some cameo or something. Reverse Shot is not going to play the game, but the problem is that the more mainstream publications are worried about spoilers and all this other stuff that the review barely confirms the movie exists.

 

Hey this isn't about me

 

Yes I dont care about spoilers, its gone too far where instead of not revealing the key to a mystery now we cant describe anything that happens. Tell me about the coolest parts of the movie well and ill watch it, Ive checked out tones of stuff because I saw an awesome scene, often the climax and been hooked to see what it was about.

 

Get his assssss

 

Sending his ass back to the Factory!

 

she's way too young!

 

she's 40, she's grandma now

 

That’s one hot grandma