does anyone actually read them? I used to read a few different critics, like Peter Travers, but lately I've been relying more on recommendations from forums and blogs and what-not -- there seems to be a real shortage of good movie writing. but then again I haven't really been looking.
Are there any sites that people actually read regularly? Does anyone here *write* movie reviews, for that matter?...
Sight & Sound - Very good film review writing magazine, well here in the UK anyway. Always buy it.
I read most reviews in magazines and newspapers still(Daily Mail's Friday film reviewer I read because he is a complete moron and it's fun to see what crap he comes out with when reviewing films).
I don't let reviews make the choice for me to see whatever film or not...
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Rotten Tomatoes is easily the best reviewing site around, if you know which critics to believe. Peter Travers is horrendous film critic, in my opinion.
If you want to get a really good 'mainstream critic' (although the non-mainstream critics, being less obliged to like snobbish and pretentious movies in order to look 'smart' and 'classy', are generally better), check someone like Ty Burr or A.O Scott.
I have more or less come around to that opinion as well, although ten years ago he seemed a lot smarter for some reason...(then again, I was a lot younger).
I go and judge for myself and not worry what some critic says..
One of the head peeps over at a major film studio once said after critics panned that studios film, he said "We don't make movies for critics" he said that after his film was highly successful at the box office
I check out, Fury of the Film fan or Spill.coms video's every now and again. I also check out Rotten tomatoes but when i go to RottenTomatoes it's more to see how bad certain movie's are doing with critics and in the box office numbers than anything else. I may be an ass but when i see movie's like, Meet Dave, get raped by critics and don't even make back a quarter of it's budget, i get happy. Anytime i go to movie review sites i always look for the worst ranked movie's and rarely, if ever check, out the reviews of the preferred movie's.
If there is a movie i want to see, i'm going to see it regardless of what any critic says. However, there have been occasions where i have completely passed on a movie due to word of mouth.
Having been a film fan all my life, like many people here, i generally know about movie's before they release and this includes the actors and Directors. This knowledge, coupled with trailers usually tell me everything i need to know. I follow the ingredients instead of the critics. I don't need to be told what to like or dislike, i can figure that out on my own. I'm not flaming the role of critics because once you find a critic that shares your taste they can be relatively reliable.
__________________ "If you tell the truth, you never have to remember anything" -Twain
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Hmm... I really hate Roger Ebert. He didn't get Fight Club at all, and he thought Godfather: Part II was pretty shit, too. I'm a fan of Mark Kermode though. I often listen to his reviews on radio Five Live. I also generally read Empire for reviews, which is pretty awesome.
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Gender: Male Location: Bringing forth the apocalypse
Well, let's face it- Fight Club's a very problematic movie. Not everybody's gonna like it, and although I personally love it (caught it on TV a few weeks ago), I can definetly see a case made against it.
I do find it that he overuses some words and descriptions, notably the world 'exhilarating'.
I don't know Mark Kermode. And... do you know Ty Burr, from the Boston Globe? He's a very, very good reviewers, IMO. With a few exceptions- like giving "The New World" (one of my least favorite movies of all time... a traumatic experience) 4/4 stars, I agree with him on virtually everything.
And yeah, Empire's awesome. I don't particularly like Sight and Sound, though.
Know this, however- non-mainstream reviewers are generally much more reliable than the 'top critics' seen in a shit site like Metacritic.
He is good to listen to when he talks about horror films, but outside of that genre I usually don't pay a lot of attention to him. Why do you say he is a cvnt?
Last edited by MildPossession on Nov 21st, 2008 at 10:30 PM
watch newsnight review...it says all you need to know...saying that though...everyone on newsnight review is like that...except when they get the occasional comedian on to review...and who just gets looked at like they're scum when they try to make any attempt at humour
Yeah, GFII was one of those films that he gave a tepid review to originally but then revised his opinion of in his "Great Movies" series. Really annoying. I hate his audio commentaries, too (see "Floating Weeds")
I read Dustin Putman of themovieboy.com because we have similar taste and he covers alot of stuff I look for in a movie. Sometimes I become a little angry with him because I see his opinions as a bit picky at points, but for the most I enjoy it. He loves horror movies and was never big on oscar bait if that's what you're looking for.
I also read Roger Ebert even though he really just describes the plot in an elongated form, I respect his opinion and love his occasional humor.
I generally try not to have any preconceived notions about a film before I see it, but sometimes it's unavoidable(Saw?). Also, I do love good promotional material, but sometimes(like in horror movies, thrillers, and comedies) it gives away a lot of the good stuff.
I worship at the altar of Mark Kermode! His and Mayo's Film Review is one of the best podcasts around!
__________________ Full fathom five thy father lies;
Of his bones are coral made;
Those are pearls that were his eyes:
Nothing of him that doth fade
But doth suffer a sea-change
Into something rich and strange.
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Nov 21st, 2008 06:22 PM
