In my adventures in reviewing film, movies, and talking about my life, I realized the other day that anyone can write reviews, but what makes them different?
There are a few different ways that people can go at movies, and talk about them.
The Negative Reviewer – There are a lot of blogs out there written by people that hate movies. They watch them, they review them, and the majority of their films wax poetic about other movies and how bad whatever movie they are reviewing is. They are never satisfied with whatever the movie is, and always finds ways to throw up on anything from cinematography, pacing, character development, dialogue, and so much more. They speak as if they are some great director, writer, or critic. Reality is that they probably make a few cents with adsense, or amazon, and they are constantly told that they have a great site, or are a great reviewer. They tend to get like minded people, the negative ones, to agree with their opinions. They compare things like The Dark Knight to Citizen Kane or something that it obviously shouldn’t be compared to, and then try to dissect the opinion of anyone that disagrees, always ruling their own domain and protecting their “turf” with iron fists. The Negative reviewer also pops up in the mainstream media a lot, considering that they get more attention for negatively reviewing a movie at times, than to positively take money to review all things positive.
Or maybe I’m wrong.
The Positive Reviewer – The positive reviewer loves everything! They review all movies with a grain of salt, and treat the whole idea of movie making as a childish endeavor. They find joy in all movies, no matter how bad, and find good things to say about them, in hopes of getting quoted in the newspaper. They are usually the top headlines on bad movies, you’ll see them often in newspaper ads, and weekly papers. The positive reviewer annoys me completely, because they love everything, and well…I hate that.
Or again, I could be wrong.
The Moderate Reviewer – There are those that review films, tv shows, and even books with such a weird metric system. They have a film rating system that is out of ten, but somehow find ways of confusing the heck out of their readers. For instance, they’ll give movies like “Be Kind Rewind” a six, but then give “Employee of the Month” a seven. They are consistently making heads spin with their flip flops in regards to film. One minute they like the genres, the next they hate the whole movie industry. I don’t understand the moderate, and I don’t know why I even call them moderate. One thing is for sure, they have given 8’s to some of the worst movies ever imagined, and even disagree with popular belief. Not only that, they won’t acknowledge your comments! What the heck? I know sometimes I forget to jump into comments on this site, but I try to stay alive…even if it is a little bit.
I am most likely wrong on that note huh?
The Paid Reviewer – This doesn’t need explanation. You know the reviewer is getting paid. They are getting paid at least ten to twelve dollars a post. They will milk the crap out of the reviews, and I think they haven’t even seen the films! This annoys me completely. I too have once dipped into this quick money scheme, but you know what? I would like a little more credibility, so I’ve just stopped that. If I don’t see it, I don’t review it, that’s my latest and greatest policy on this site and my other sites. I am not reviewing ghost films, books, or media.
I know I’m not wrong on this one.
Then there is me. Sir Jorge of Culver, Sir Jorge, or simply Jorge Orduna, whatever anyone calls me, or whatever anyone refers to me ass, there is one thing that I have that most people don’t. I have experience in a video store, and not just some corporate video rental setting. I was in the trenches of being a real clerk at an independently owned video store.
So what?
Well, I spent a lot of hours watching and listening and recommending movies. I like the escapist art of movies. I work around code all day, I deal with a lot of nuances that leave me restless at times and movies somehow change that for me. They evoke emotion, bring out ideas, and memories that I can’t simply turn on or off without the visual aid.
I have gone through some turmoil in the world of viewing film. I had once thought that the sheer idea of media could send all of us to hell, with over consumption and a lack of thinking on our own. However, I think that the media and the method could still evoke ideas of peace, war, love, and even salvation to the open mind and the willing heart.
So what now? The transitional stages of this blog have been many. I have reviewed movies, talked about movies, and generally thrown around my ideas for a while now, and once again I feel it necessary to push things a little bit further for myself.
I don’t fit into the categories that I’ve talked about above. Sure, I hope I’m making a few cents through referrals and adsense, but I do not do this site for those things. I started this site when I hated my job as a video store clerk, and now daily I think about how great those times were. I miss being a video store clerk, and if being a clerk paid as much as being a degree carrying tech employee, I would change career paths in a heart beat. There is a fulfillment that is missing in my work now, but that’s neither here nor there.
As for the reviews, look for them to ramble more. I find that I can write a lot of things and not well. Sometimes the ideas are so out there, and I just try to fit myself into the scenario as if I were there, and things aren’t always that great. In fact, a lot of the times you’re going to wonder what the heck I’m talking about or where I’m going with the review, but I promise, that at the very least I’ll say whether or not it’s worth your time. That’s the least that I could do. As for the rest, it’s just a free for all. Essentially, I’m going to just unhinge the jaw and let whatever I’m thinking flow, and if it comes out like a stinking piece of poop, then so be it. This site isn’t meant for the same type of entertainment consumption that the average person gets to, it’s meant to sustain my own ability of writing and thinking, and if I’m consistently trying to fit this site into a round hole, then I’m not going to be satisfied.
So just look out for a little tweaking here and there, and enjoy the massive onslaught of words and writing. I’ll try to break it up with images, trailers, and posters, but I’m going to try and focus a little more on my own personal thoughts and ideas in contrast to whatever the movie is portraying. I could sink along the way, but at least I’m going to make the effort to be honest about movies in a way that most sites aren’t.
At the very least, if all else fails, I’m going to continue to have fun. I have fun on this site, and appreciate all the help with the netflix funds I can get. I’m not cashing in, or raking it in, and if I was, I’d make sure to give it back to you, the loyal reader. However, I’m struggling just like many of you are, so I’d rather just have fun with it. Why not?
In closing, I’d like to announce the formation a new blog. A music site, similar to this site, only it’s two times as long per post and has me reviewing cd’s, vinyl and records in general from my personal collection of music. I talk about lyrics, memories, and associate whole albums with where I was when I picked them up and where the albums sit right now. It’s an interesting read, however it is not for everyone. You can leave me a comment or an email and I’ll give you a url for that. It’s new, it’s honest, and it really is different than most music sites that you have seen or read.
I also bring to the table a perspective that is unique to anyone that reads blogs. I bring along my experience in Christian Music as well as secular music production. At age 16 I owned a record label, and was able to experience a LOT of things that most people never get to see. It is an interesting landscape that’s for sure. It isn’t updated as often as this one, simply because it takes me a long time to compile a post, and talk about the different stories and comparisons that are attached with each one. However, it is something that I’ve been meaning to do for a while and only now have the motivation to do so. It’s a LOT of writing and if you’re down with lots of reading, it might interest you.
That concludes this post, and I’ll be coming back with full reviews for the following films:
Irreversible, Bully, The doom generation, There will be blood, Revolver, The Fan , 3:10 to Yuma, A Dirty Shame, The Kite Runner, The Assasination of Jesse James by The Coward Robert Ford, Better Luck Tomorrow, Be Kind Rewind, Kill your idols, and The stoned age, and a closer look at a French thriller that still has me guessing.
And maybe more, as I have been knee deep in films thanks to that streaming Netflix box. I highly recommend it.
Opinions on Reviewing Movies
In my adventures in reviewing film, movies, and talking about my life, I realized the other day that anyone can write reviews, but what makes them different?
There are a few different ways that people can go at movies, and talk about them.
The Negative Reviewer – There are a lot of blogs out there written by people that hate movies. They watch them, they review them, and the majority of their films wax poetic about other movies and how bad whatever movie they are reviewing is. They are never satisfied with whatever the movie is, and always finds ways to throw up on anything from cinematography, pacing, character development, dialogue, and so much more. They speak as if they are some great director, writer, or critic. Reality is that they probably make a few cents with adsense, or amazon, and they are constantly told that they have a great site, or are a great reviewer. They tend to get like minded people, the negative ones, to agree with their opinions. They compare things like The Dark Knight to Citizen Kane or something that it obviously shouldn’t be compared to, and then try to dissect the opinion of anyone that disagrees, always ruling their own domain and protecting their “turf” with iron fists. The Negative reviewer also pops up in the mainstream media a lot, considering that they get more attention for negatively reviewing a movie at times, than to positively take money to review all things positive.
Or maybe I’m wrong.
The Positive Reviewer – The positive reviewer loves everything! They review all movies with a grain of salt, and treat the whole idea of movie making as a childish endeavor. They find joy in all movies, no matter how bad, and find good things to say about them, in hopes of getting quoted in the newspaper. They are usually the top headlines on bad movies, you’ll see them often in newspaper ads, and weekly papers. The positive reviewer annoys me completely, because they love everything, and well…I hate that.
Or again, I could be wrong.
The Moderate Reviewer – There are those that review films, tv shows, and even books with such a weird metric system. They have a film rating system that is out of ten, but somehow find ways of confusing the heck out of their readers. For instance, they’ll give movies like “Be Kind Rewind” a six, but then give “Employee of the Month” a seven. They are consistently making heads spin with their flip flops in regards to film. One minute they like the genres, the next they hate the whole movie industry. I don’t understand the moderate, and I don’t know why I even call them moderate. One thing is for sure, they have given 8’s to some of the worst movies ever imagined, and even disagree with popular belief. Not only that, they won’t acknowledge your comments! What the heck? I know sometimes I forget to jump into comments on this site, but I try to stay alive…even if it is a little bit.
I am most likely wrong on that note huh?
The Paid Reviewer – This doesn’t need explanation. You know the reviewer is getting paid. They are getting paid at least ten to twelve dollars a post. They will milk the crap out of the reviews, and I think they haven’t even seen the films! This annoys me completely. I too have once dipped into this quick money scheme, but you know what? I would like a little more credibility, so I’ve just stopped that. If I don’t see it, I don’t review it, that’s my latest and greatest policy on this site and my other sites. I am not reviewing ghost films, books, or media.
I know I’m not wrong on this one.
Then there is me. Sir Jorge of Culver, Sir Jorge, or simply Jorge Orduna, whatever anyone calls me, or whatever anyone refers to me ass, there is one thing that I have that most people don’t. I have experience in a video store, and not just some corporate video rental setting. I was in the trenches of being a real clerk at an independently owned video store.
So what?
Well, I spent a lot of hours watching and listening and recommending movies. I like the escapist art of movies. I work around code all day, I deal with a lot of nuances that leave me restless at times and movies somehow change that for me. They evoke emotion, bring out ideas, and memories that I can’t simply turn on or off without the visual aid.
I have gone through some turmoil in the world of viewing film. I had once thought that the sheer idea of media could send all of us to hell, with over consumption and a lack of thinking on our own. However, I think that the media and the method could still evoke ideas of peace, war, love, and even salvation to the open mind and the willing heart.
So what now? The transitional stages of this blog have been many. I have reviewed movies, talked about movies, and generally thrown around my ideas for a while now, and once again I feel it necessary to push things a little bit further for myself.
I don’t fit into the categories that I’ve talked about above. Sure, I hope I’m making a few cents through referrals and adsense, but I do not do this site for those things. I started this site when I hated my job as a video store clerk, and now daily I think about how great those times were. I miss being a video store clerk, and if being a clerk paid as much as being a degree carrying tech employee, I would change career paths in a heart beat. There is a fulfillment that is missing in my work now, but that’s neither here nor there.
As for the reviews, look for them to ramble more. I find that I can write a lot of things and not well. Sometimes the ideas are so out there, and I just try to fit myself into the scenario as if I were there, and things aren’t always that great. In fact, a lot of the times you’re going to wonder what the heck I’m talking about or where I’m going with the review, but I promise, that at the very least I’ll say whether or not it’s worth your time. That’s the least that I could do. As for the rest, it’s just a free for all. Essentially, I’m going to just unhinge the jaw and let whatever I’m thinking flow, and if it comes out like a stinking piece of poop, then so be it. This site isn’t meant for the same type of entertainment consumption that the average person gets to, it’s meant to sustain my own ability of writing and thinking, and if I’m consistently trying to fit this site into a round hole, then I’m not going to be satisfied.
So just look out for a little tweaking here and there, and enjoy the massive onslaught of words and writing. I’ll try to break it up with images, trailers, and posters, but I’m going to try and focus a little more on my own personal thoughts and ideas in contrast to whatever the movie is portraying. I could sink along the way, but at least I’m going to make the effort to be honest about movies in a way that most sites aren’t.
At the very least, if all else fails, I’m going to continue to have fun. I have fun on this site, and appreciate all the help with the netflix funds I can get. I’m not cashing in, or raking it in, and if I was, I’d make sure to give it back to you, the loyal reader. However, I’m struggling just like many of you are, so I’d rather just have fun with it. Why not?
In closing, I’d like to announce the formation a new blog. A music site, similar to this site, only it’s two times as long per post and has me reviewing cd’s, vinyl and records in general from my personal collection of music. I talk about lyrics, memories, and associate whole albums with where I was when I picked them up and where the albums sit right now. It’s an interesting read, however it is not for everyone. You can leave me a comment or an email and I’ll give you a url for that. It’s new, it’s honest, and it really is different than most music sites that you have seen or read.
I also bring to the table a perspective that is unique to anyone that reads blogs. I bring along my experience in Christian Music as well as secular music production. At age 16 I owned a record label, and was able to experience a LOT of things that most people never get to see. It is an interesting landscape that’s for sure. It isn’t updated as often as this one, simply because it takes me a long time to compile a post, and talk about the different stories and comparisons that are attached with each one. However, it is something that I’ve been meaning to do for a while and only now have the motivation to do so. It’s a LOT of writing and if you’re down with lots of reading, it might interest you.
That concludes this post, and I’ll be coming back with full reviews for the following films:
Irreversible, Bully, The doom generation, There will be blood, Revolver, The Fan , 3:10 to Yuma, A Dirty Shame, The Kite Runner, The Assasination of Jesse James by The Coward Robert Ford, Better Luck Tomorrow, Be Kind Rewind, Kill your idols, and The stoned age, and a closer look at a French thriller that still has me guessing.
And maybe more, as I have been knee deep in films thanks to that streaming Netflix box. I highly recommend it.