What's wrong with these people?
I am sick and tired of people telling me they don't ever pay attention to the critics, and then turning around and telling me they're going to watch some movie the first day because they liked the TRAILER.
These people trust their ability to interpret a two-minute advertisement over their ability to interpret a relatively in-depth consideration of the film by a professional. It's thinking like this that is WHAT IS WRONG WITH AMERICA.
Here are some BS excuses for this dumbass behavior:
"What am I going to trust, my own eyes or some writer?"
They saw the movie, you saw a commercial for the movie.
"Critics are biased against XXXX."
So take that bias into account. Or find a critic whose perspective you agree with. Or just discard the notion that you have to agree with the critic -- the critic's job isn't just to grade a film. A good critic gives you the information you need to make your own judgement. And the information you want to think more deeply about the film afterwards.
"But Critic X said XXX movie was good and I hated it!"
Well, the trailer for Kangaroo Jack made it look like a madcap romp starring a talking Kangaroo, and it was actually just Anthony Anderson in a desert.
Don't rely on one critic, get a sense of critical consensus and its basis. Find critics you trust, and think of them the way you would a friend -- if your friend reccomended a movie, you'd consider the source and their taste, and even if your tastes didn't match, you'd get a good idea of whether you'd like it.
A trailer is just some s**t that might not even actually be in th movie.
"I am a dumbass."
Yeah, you are, rhetorical device, yes you are.
Like this post? Click here to subscribe to the blog.
These people trust their ability to interpret a two-minute advertisement over their ability to interpret a relatively in-depth consideration of the film by a professional. It's thinking like this that is WHAT IS WRONG WITH AMERICA.
Here are some BS excuses for this dumbass behavior:
"What am I going to trust, my own eyes or some writer?"
They saw the movie, you saw a commercial for the movie.
"Critics are biased against XXXX."
So take that bias into account. Or find a critic whose perspective you agree with. Or just discard the notion that you have to agree with the critic -- the critic's job isn't just to grade a film. A good critic gives you the information you need to make your own judgement. And the information you want to think more deeply about the film afterwards.
"But Critic X said XXX movie was good and I hated it!"
Well, the trailer for Kangaroo Jack made it look like a madcap romp starring a talking Kangaroo, and it was actually just Anthony Anderson in a desert.
Don't rely on one critic, get a sense of critical consensus and its basis. Find critics you trust, and think of them the way you would a friend -- if your friend reccomended a movie, you'd consider the source and their taste, and even if your tastes didn't match, you'd get a good idea of whether you'd like it.
A trailer is just some s**t that might not even actually be in th movie.
"I am a dumbass."
Yeah, you are, rhetorical device, yes you are.
Like this post? Click here to subscribe to the blog.
posted by Jesse Thorn at Friday, July 21, 2006
8 Comments:
agreed though in fairness there are several other things wrong with america and perhaps it is a problem that extends past our borders.
Trailers can be cool, though, Jesse. I do read reviews though. Sometimes critics don't like good movies and I won't let that stop me from seeing one if I'm a fan of the writer or director.
Trailers are fine. But they're a terrible thing to base a movie-going decision upon.
And I'm arguing for having a relationship with criticism, not a blind faith.
Yeah this is kind of like my argument for criticism in stand-up comedy. Critics are important
http://mocomedy.blogspot.com/2006/07/lester-bangs-of-comedy.html
Agreed. That's why Rotten Tomatoes is one of my favorite websites. I think the trailer is a good starting point (I am pretty sure just from the trailer that I won't like Little Man). But the critics know best. It REALLY bugs me when the trailer shows scenes that aren't even in the movie. That should be illegal and punishable by being drawn and quartered.
Tell rhetorical device to visit Rotten Tomatoes and/or Metacritic. The internet's a beautiful thang.
rottentomatoes - beautiful.. their rating system is a great average of how the public has taken to the movie...
and as for critic, some are fantastic. No matter what people say about him, I think Ebert is an amazing review. Without blandly describing the plot, he'll give an insightful view of the film. yeah.
If the trailer looks lame, then I'm pretty sure the movie is going to be lame too. IE: Little Man.
But if the trailer looks good and I'm at all on the fence about something, well that's what the onion avclub is for isn't it?
Post a Comment
Links to this post:
Create a Link
<< Home