Good movie reviewers,blogs,websites???

AoifeCN

Hi I'm looking for some good film websites or blogs or even YouTube channels with movie news and reviews and all that kind of stuff. any suggestion much appreciated

chin_grin

I currently have these two in my feeds.

http://snarkerati.com/movie-news/

and

http://www.firstshowing.net/

Also it depends what you're in to.

I also have this for my horror updates: http://www.dreadcentral.com/

Buddly

I like Mark Kermode. A lot of his radio review are on youtube. I find he gives a good no-nonsense review

BBC review show:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00lvdrj

He also has a blog:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/markkermode/

bnt

I have a few reviewers subscribed - look for "RSS" on each site:

Leonard Maltin: http://blogs.indiewire.com/leonardmaltin/
Roger Ebert: http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/
plus: Metacritic: http://www.metacritic.com/movies

KerranJast

For a funny take, check out http://thecinemasnob.com/. The gang there do Midnight screening reviews during the summer months. Plus there's the Snob's reviews of absolutely awful films
I'm still disturbed by Gestapo's Last Orgy.

AoifeCN

thanks everyone! I like the usual comedy dramas war and historic films not really into horrors :P

ColumnLunch

Hi, similar question here.

As a child I used to love the Dave Fanning Movie Show and to a certain extent the Popcorn Movie Review show on TV3.
Are there any similar (good) weekly movie review shows similar to Mark Kermode but not podcasts. I like having something to watch and listen rather than to listen.

ColumnLunch

Long time lurker here but would like to start contributing.

Can the great folks here suggest any good movie related books? Some easy reading would be great?

Along those lines, what's everyone's favourite site for movie news and reviews. I used to read empire.co.uk and filmforce on ign but they are more miss than hit.

That_Guy

Absolutely brilliant reading and very funny in places. Definitely worth a punt.

blue note

That_Guy wrote: »

Absolutely brilliant reading and very funny in places. Definitely worth a punt.

I thought it was crap for the most part. He seems to go on forever about the lack of projectionists in modern cinema's and the bad experience he had trying to purchase tickets online / getting them when he got there. We've all had an experience or two where we've had trouble getting tickets online / over the phone or picking them up when we get there. Then we tell the next person we see about how annoying it was. They politely listen to our little rant and that's it. I don't want to read 20 pages of it!

And were cinema's really all that great with when they had projectionists? How much of a problem is the current situation? Very rarely, there's some sort of a problem with the screen / picture / sound. I would bet other, bigger problems were more common back when projectionists were in every cinema.

And he seems to come back to the same few points time and time again over the course of the book.

There was some good in it - I thought the blockbusters always make money stuff was quite interesting, I enjoyed reading the parts about foreign films.

But overall, I wouldn't pass it onto anyone unless they asked me for it.

Giruilla

I think Kermode has kind of gone of the boil recently but he's still the best film critic around in my opinion. Used to love his podcast, but can't listen to it now because of that prat Simon Mayo. He's way too obsessed with reading out twitter trite from randomers rather than letting the Kermode go on rants - which is what he's best at.

Sad to say, but wikipedia is my go to spot for movie related news!

Giruilla

Richard Roeper does good quick reviews too.

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

kermode's blog is absolutely fantastic. I tend to leave it a couple of months and then blitz through everything he's uploaded since then

Yi Harr

My favourite is Rotten Tomatoes. While quite a US-centric site it has good critic and fan reviews for most (if not all) current releases and also has a good section on upcoming movies.

ColumnLunch

I will give the Mark Kermode book a go. It looks like exactly what I want.
The reviews on amazon look promising although I can see where blue note is coming from regarding some of those rants.

ColumnLunch

I'm not a huge Rotten Tomatoes fan tbh but I have never checked out their video reviews. I take it it is some aggregator of critic's video reviews?

That_Guy

Giruilla wrote: »

Sad to say, but wikipedia is my go to spot for movie related news!

Things must be bad.

www.imdb.com is a hell of a lot better and probably more dependable than Wiki.

That_Guy

ColumnLunch wrote: »

I will give the Mark Kermode book a go. It looks like exactly what I want.
The reviews on amazon look promising although I can see where blue note is coming from regarding some of those rants.

I enjoyed it but hey, different strokes and all that.

If you have a Kindle you can get it for £6.50 on Amazon. Saw it in Eason's yesterday for €16.

Giruilla

That_Guy wrote: »

Things must be bad.

www.imdb.com is a hell of a lot better and probably more dependable than Wiki.

Yeah imdb is good of course! I don't like there rating system though... the top 100 films are strange to say the least. Well, as is rotten tomatoes.

ColumnLunch

I always go to wikipedia straight away after watching a film and end up having a million tabs open to read related articles.
Then it's imdb to follow up and add more to my watchlist. I think they both complement each other to a certain extent.

However, my problem is, I don't want to go near either regarding a film until after I watch it for fear of spoilers.
That's why I'm looking for something in the vain of empireonline or filmforce but which you guys consider better.

Giruilla

ColumnLunch wrote: »

I always go to wikipedia straight away after watching a film and end up having a million tabs open to read related articles.
Then it's imdb to follow up and add more to my watchlist. I think they both complement each other to a certain extent.

However, my problem is, I don't want to go near either regarding a film until after I watch it for fear of spoilers.
That's why I'm looking for something in the vain of empireonline or filmforce but which you guys consider better.

I'm not a fan of IGN's reviews at all, or empire for that matter. For film hype I suppose they are the way to go though.
Donald Clarke from Irish Times also gives a good review.. and almost never gives out 5 stars.

ColumnLunch

Cheers, I will check out Donald Clarke.
On the flip side, does he rarely give bad films 0 or 1 stars? Some newspapers and magazines/sites (empire) seem to go easy on bad films and that drives me nuts.
So they could review a great film and a terrible film and the former would get 4 stars and the latter 3 or 2 stars.
However, the difference between the two films has to be more than just 2 stars if you follow? That's a rant for another day.

I do like the reviews in Day & Night magazine each Friday in the Irish Independent although not so much in the last few years.

Strychninism

Easy Riders, Raging Bulls is a must-read if you've any interest in hollywood movies of the 70's.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Easy-Riders-Raging-Bulls-Sex-drugs-/dp/0747544212/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1329145306&sr=1-1

Giruilla

ColumnLunch wrote: »

Cheers, I will check out Donald Clarke.
On the flip side, does he rarely give bad films 0 or 1 stars? Some newspapers and magazines/sites (empire) seem to go easy on bad films and that drives me nuts.
So they could review a great film and a terrible film and the former would get 4 stars and the latter 3 or 2 stars.
However, the difference between the two films has to be more than just 2 stars if you follow? That's a rant for another day.

I do like the reviews in Day & Night magazine each Friday in the Irish Independent although not so much in the last few years.

Ha, he pretty much gives a film 1 star almost every week! What you said is basically the reason I don't like Empire or the other magazines. I think they're too tied in with the 'business', and are afraid of severing their contacts or something.

blue note

I do like Donal Clarke - wouldn't necessarily agree with him, but find him worth reading. Not mad about the Day and Night guys.

What I do like a lot, is the Wednesday movie slot on the George Hook show. I like getting the view of a movie fan (George) along with the movie critic's (I can't think of his name - is it Philip Molloy?).

losthorizon

I really do miss Michael Dwyer though.

A great review book for older movies is Halliwells film guide ( no longer published). You can still pick it up on amazon though. Dont buy the last one or two years it was printed as it was a disgrace but 2008ish earlier should be OK (even though Halliwell was dead by then). The 4 star films are are a must see and the 3 star films are usually classics as well. It reallly helped me in discovering a load of films I would never have seen especially older and foreign movies.

http://www.lesliehalliwell.com/

Syferus

That_Guy wrote: »

Absolutely brilliant reading and very funny in places. Definitely worth a punt.

Audiobook all the way for his books. It's Only A Movie particularly would probably have been somewhat aimless as a book but as a story read by Kermode himself it was fantastically entertaining.

brian_t

That_Guy wrote: »

Things must be bad.

www.imdb.com is a hell of a lot better and probably more dependable than Wiki.

I find Wikipedia usually gives a complete synopsis of the film including the Ending whereas the IMDb will usually warn if a review contains spoilers.

johnny_ultimate

Easy Riders, Raging Bulls / Down and Dirty Pictures are like tabloid journalism for film fans. I mean that in a mostly nice way. Gives you a real insight into the way the industry works. Sure, it's occasionally gossipy, but as a candid look at Hollywood they're compelling reads, and Biskind's enthusiasm for film seeps through constantly.

Frankly, there are very few websites that provide the level of insight I'd like. Senses of Cinema was something I discovered for academic purposes, but I tend to find it great for overviews of directors and the like, plus more in-depth analysis. I think Sight & Sound can be pretentious as hell, but I like revisiting their interviews, articles and reviews once I've watched the film, as well as to flag films that may otherwise have slipped under the radar. Empire treats films like a product. Sight & Sound actively engages with them as a medium and artform. It's telling that one has David Cronenberg on this month's cover, while the other has The Avengers.

Critics wise, I'm constantly surprised at the diverse opinions provided by The Ticket - it definitely goes above and beyond the call of duty in that regard. Similarly, Roger Ebert always writes thought provoking pieces even if I rarely agree with him. Twitch is usually the most diverse and engaging general news / review site.

OldeCinemaSoz

Kermode is a clueless journeyman who
has opinions of himself...

EASONS must like him, they always
stock his drivel in multiples... :rolleyes:

Anyhow...THE KID STAYS IN THE PICTURE
is a really great and fascinating book if you come across it...

And anything by KIM NEWMAN.

ColumnLunch

blue note wrote: »

I do like Donal Clarke - wouldn't necessarily agree with him, but find him worth reading. Not mad about the Day and Night guys.

What I do like a lot, is the Wednesday movie slot on the George Hook show. I like getting the view of a movie fan (George) along with the movie critic's (I can't think of his name - is it Philip Molloy?).

I must check out that movie slot some Wednesday although I can't stand Hook.

Easy Riders, Raging Bulls is here beside me as we speak and although I bought it years ago I never got around to reading it. I will start on that tonight.

Twitch looks like exactly the type of site I'm looking for although maybe a bit too obscure for my tastes. I just took a quick glance so I might be wrong. Anything else like that around?

SVG

Just to add to the pile, here are a few sites I visit regularly:

The Playlist Super good for all the latest news, rumours etc.

Mubi.com Notebook All the news and reviews from the artier side of cinema

F-yeah Movie Posters Official and fan-made movie poster tumblr (you'll have to fill in the blanks yourself for the link to work)

The Film Experience Currently in Oscars overdrive but great the whole year round, regularly updated, especially good on actresses and awards

Outlaw Vern Where else would you find The Tree of Life and the latest WWE dtv effort reviewed with equal consideration? Frequently insightful and hilarious, some great discussions in the comments

The Sheila Variations Wide-ranging blog with some wonderful writing on acting- like this appreciation of Jeff Bridges

Observations on Film Art Fantastic, scholarly essays on film- I love this recent piece on Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy- if you're into Hong Kong cinema there's some great stuff here too

Scanners Critic Jim Emerson's blog, great on the nitty-gritty, see this article on the editing of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo


Are there any good Irish film sites? Most of the ones I visit are foreign so it'd be nice to get some homegrown perspective.

ColumnLunch

Cheers SVG! Some great links there to keep me going.

I used to use Movies.ie for free screenings and competitions but haven't had a look in awhile so I can't vouch for it.

AoifeCN

thanks everyone. Does anyone have any video review shows or any good YouTube channels that do film orientated videos? cheers

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

post #3. mark kermode

his radio show is streamed live online and you can watch it later too. obviously since it's a radio show they dont show clips

and the blog has loads of video bits of him discussing movies

johnny_ultimate

Threads merged as they're more or less the same thing!

CreativeChris

http://moviebuzzers.com/ is a great little site that's building in popularity. The reviews are honest and written in a simple yet effective style, none of that snobby film school talk! Also looks at a really wide range of movies

Syferus

CreativeChris wrote: »

http://moviebuzzers.com/ is a great little site that's building in popularity. The reviews are honest and written in a simple yet effective style, none of that snobby film school talk! Also looks at a really wide range of movies

You wouldn't happen to be a contributor or anything, eh? :pac:

FlashD

I use iMDB for a quick check on film information.

I use www.comingsoon.net to keep in touch with what is up and coming.

I use boards.ie for initial reaction on a film, the word on the street or a bit of banter.

blue note

I forgot to mention one that two friends from college have just set up - http://spooool.com/

I think it's a very good site anyway - sure decide for yourself.

Ben Moore

Am I allowed pimp my own blog here?

johnny_ultimate

Ben Moore wrote: »

Am I allowed pimp my own blog here?

Just take it for granted that you're not allowed pimp it anywhere, especially if you have to bump a year old thread to do so. If in the unlikely event an actually active thread seems to invite a pimp, then maybe.

A link in your signature will more than suffice if anyone is interested enough in your contributions to the discussion to seek out your own site.

Ben Moore

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

Just take it for granted that you're not allowed pimp it anywhere, especially if you have to bump a year old thread to do so. If in the unlikely event an actually active thread seems to invite a pimp, then maybe.

A link in your signature will more than suffice if anyone is interested enough in your contributions to the discussion to seek out your own site.

Loud and Clear, appreciate the direction.

jaykhunter

I very much prefer short videos for reviews as really I use them to see whether it piques my curiosity enough to see the film (and to hear it's not a horrifically bad movie!). I'd mention Michael Phillips from the Chicago Tribune but he's stopped, and I find Kermode too pretentious even for me.

My favourite movie reviewers on YouTube are...

Spill Reviews : Anarchic animated review which is a ~5 minute snippet/synopsis of a longer audio review from 4 guys who love movies and having fun.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvXZ5CFABAU

IGN Reviews : They do both videogame and film reviews, I find they're much more considered opinions than previously.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmgm1BO_60U

Also give prettymuchit a goosie.

Galvasean

There's one called 'Why So serious?' reviews which I watch now and then. The lad who reviews for entertainment.ie does it.

victorpaul1

blue note wrote: »

I forgot to mention one that two friends from college have just set up - http://spooool.com/

I think it's a very good site anyway - sure decide for yourself.

Yeah i have also subscribed it.