The stupidity of random anger
Does anyone else go to a movie, enjoy said movie, and then subsequently read movie reviews for that movie and get angry at the critics who give bad movie reviews of the movie that you just enjoyed?
What kind of fucking job is being a critic anyway? It's not like the person is an "objective reviewer". The job title is "critic"! So right there you're starting off on a bad foot. The job is to be negative. It's to judge. To find fault with.
A normal person reads a good book and gets involved in it, imagining the words come to life, mentally realizing the characters and the story, and when finished, cannot wait to share that book with the next person.
A critic reads a book and complains about exclamation marks and characterizations without ever letting oneself get swept away by the story and evocative imagery.
What a shitty life it must be to be a movie or food or music or book critic. Doesn't stop me from wanting to punch them in their stupid faces when I read a stupid negative review, though!
In other news, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" was excellent.
Posted in Rants | Tags: avitable, brad pitt, cate blanchett, critic, curious case of benjamin button, jay sherman, movie critic, movie review, rotten tomatoes
:angel:
I gave it a bad review, too. But then, I am perfect.
Alex
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:lmao:
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May I suggest you change your "critic"? Flick Filosopher (www.flickfilosopher.com) is snarky and fun and just may be more your style?? Here is her review of Benjamin Button: http://www.flickfilosopher.com/blog/2008/12/123008the_curious_case_of_benjamin_b.html
I hope you enjoy!
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I take it their review didn't mesh with yours?
I thought the movie was okay, but overly long. It was almost like they spent 2 hours exploring the vagaries of growing younger then thought "shit, we'd better get a love story in here so it works at the box office". My summation was Titanic crossed with Forrest Gump, both movies I really liked. This just dragged in places which made me fall out of the magic I was otherwise experiencing.
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I sometimes review books or movies spontaneously on my blog. But I never approach one or the other planning to do so. (which pro critics obviously must do). I have seen the terrible flaw in that.
Problem is – A) the great many conflicting priorities in creating any story demand compromise; dictate that no story can be perfect. Any story can be harshly criticized for one thing or another.
While B) approaching a movie with intention to critique, you can't help but begin analyzing (and mentally writing the critique) throughout the film while not yet understanding the scope of your complaint against the finished film. And once you begin that premature mental 'writing' you won't give it up whether it is ultimately legitimate or not because no one likes to murder their intellectual babies.
The only useful criticism comes from the author/writer/director assuming they are honest and objective. Only they fully grasp the whole content of their own creation. Critics are fakers. Um. Except for me, of course.
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I don't read them apres-ski, but if I have a choice or don't know what is on I read the Empire reviews (Do you have Empire Magazine in the You-Sa?).
But a bad review doesn't necessarily put me off. I'm not a real film buff, and I find it easy to get lost in a film, even those of the one star variety.
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I find I get very protective over my favourite movies – if they get a bad review, I get really shitty. It's like, if I like it, everyone else should!
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hmm i take it the critics tore up that movie. who listens to critics anyways. they said that star wars was going to bomb and was a failure. little did they know!
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I often find when a "critic" dislikes a movie or something else like that, I usually find it vastly entertaining! :woohoo:
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hmm. curious.
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Yeah, but did it make you cry like a girly-man?
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You know… I really wanted to see it, but I can't stomach movies that are that long. Regardless of how awesome it is, I'm going to get bored and antsy which will make me impatient which will mean I won't like it. If only they would edit it down 45 minutes, I'm sure I'd love it.
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The Critic! I used to like that show – whatever happened to Jon Lovitz, anyway?!
Anyway, I've only heard good reviews about that movie! Where's the bad review?!
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I'm harsh when it comes to reviews because I have high standards when it comes to movies and books. Expect when it comes to Kevin, which is why I could never be a critic.
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OK, so I've tried to comment twice now and neither time did it show up. I was trying to give you a link to a reviewer's website. She is a good friend of mine and is a snarky and fun read.
She enjoyed Benjamin Button.
I don't always agree with her reviews (and I don't expect to) but I enjoy her take on the movies. If you are interested in the link to her site, let me know.
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I used to write music reviews weekly (I said Radiohead were the next Beetles just from Pablo Honey before it was released) and I eventually moved to game reviews (I said DuelMasters was the next Magic from a demo I played on the mall tour) but I never looked to critically bash anything intentionally. There are certain things you will like and not like about something, and it's the critic's job to be "critical on the standard" (Needless to say… I was 1 for 2 on my predictions).
I've only heard good things about that movie… so I plan on seeing it this weekend.
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I'll often watch a movie that a critic hates, because Hello–TITANIC. Oscars? Seriously? Someone punch Leonardo DiCaprio in the face.
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I honestly don't read critic's reviews. Sometimes critics will give something tons of acclaim, like No Country for Old Men and I will absolutely dislike it. Other times, they will shit all over something else and I will love it.
I don't want to take part in letting someone else tell me what is good and bad. I want to decide for myself since yanno, everything is in the eye of the beholder.
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I let reviews influence me a bit too much I think…even if something is "critically acclaimed" I might avoid it for that very reason. I've seen very few "Best Pictures."
Now that being said, I get way annoyed when people seem to like bad mouthing a movie just to be contrary. Twilight for example, while I didn't adore it as much as Britt, I certainly didn't think it was as bad as some others made it sound, and it got annoying when they wouldn't shut up about it…
xo
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I think going on word-of-mouth is more dependable than relying on the opinions of "professionals" – especially if you're listening to people who have similar tastes.
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It seems to me that the worse the critics say it is, the better it will be.
I get very protective of my books and movies so when I hear people bashing them – I get a little angry.
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Considering a lot of other shit movies that came out this year, Benjamin Button was one of the better ones! I love Cate Blanchette and Brad Pitt!
This is exactly why I don't read reviews at all. They always give the ones I think are good shit reviews and the ones I hate good reviews.
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wasn't it you though that said Hellboy II was decent? i saw it two nights ago and all i can say is: LIES! ALL OF IT LIES!
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I pay no attention to the critics and don't usually go by anyone's judgement of something. B.B. is on my list to see.
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Everyone's a critic. Why not get paid for it?
If I thought a movie was the best thing in the entire world and someone thought it was a piece of shit I would perhaps probably get mad.
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Dude this is so funny, i saw Benjamin Button on New Years day and i loved it just like you, then i come home and start reading the reviews over at IMDB and i am all like WTF?? Did i see the same movie as these folks?? Then i read all the professional reviews and once again i am left scratching my head!!!
Anyway, it was a great film!!!
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i always thought film critic would be a good job, but i am not cranky enough. cool to get paid for an opinion, regardless of the opinion.
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I bloody loved Benjamin Button personally. Sure, it's a little drawn out and probably could have had the odd scene or two fall on the cutting room floor but I still enjoyed it.
Oh sure, there were tears to be had at the end. Only from me though, and everyone looked at me and pointed as we left. Yeah, it was kinda awkward.
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I love The Critic.
We are trying to go see Benjamin Button this week. The past David Fincher films have been excellent.
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