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I do a poor job of keeping up with review threads nowadays, but they're still my favorite threads to follow. If I had remembered to submit a list, it probably would've looked something like this:
JayDee's Movie Musings: He's #1 for a reason. Nobody's reviews are as polished and well balanced. He's mastered the visual presentation, the formatting, his personality shines through in his writing, he covers numerous aspects of every film, he goes the extra mile by adding things like film trivia, he strikes a good balance between objectivity and subjectivity (with the exception of superhero films, at least), his writing flows smoothly and is enjoyable to read . . . I wish his taste was a little more aligned with my own, but that's never stopped him from being my favorite reviewer.
In the 10 Ring: Gunslinger45's Reviews: I love his laid-back, conversational writing style. He injects a ton of personality into his writing, as well as a raunchy sense of humor that regularly makes me laugh. Whether he's ranting about the idiocy of Terminator Genisys or raving about the latest Marvel movie, his passion for cinema bleeds through in his writing. He's not afraid to share personal anecdotes related to his viewing experience. He's had the unique opportunity to see several classics on the big screen and report back on the experience. I also admire how varied his taste is. He might review the latest mainstream blockbuster, follow it up with a sleazy exploitation film, then go on a Kurosawa marathon.
MovieMeditation's Cinema Reviews and Diary Reviews: Sure, he gets a little carried away sometimes with the puns and alliteration, but MovieMed is second to none when it comes to the time and effort devoted to each review. English isn't even his first language, yet he has a better grasp of the language and a more impressive vocabulary than almost anyone I know. His writing has an almost poetic rhythm to it. If size matters, MM has everyone beat with his Cinema Reviews, but I enjoy his Diary thread just as much. As yet another sign of his commitment, he's still churning out reviews for films he watched over six months ago. The man takes no short cuts.
Step Right In! Witness a Swan Discuss Cinema: I wish everyone approached cinema with the same level of enthusiasm, joy and passion as our beloved Swan. His attitude is infectious. When he falls in love with a film (or a director or a screenwriter or an actress or an entire genre), I feel like I fall in love by association. Unlike some reviewers, he doesn't take pleasure in tearing apart a film, yet he's still capable of delivering thoughtful, intelligent criticism. His writing always feels personal and intimate. He invites discussion. He shares with us his ever-evolving attitudes and philosophies on cinema (which is a good thing, in my opinion, since I think too many people grow stale in their viewing habits). His Movie a Day By the Bay was one of the best threads of last year, but since it's no longer active, this is probably the thread I would've voted for. He's also one of the coolest, kindest, funniest members of the forum, so that helps.
Gatsby's New and Improved Flick Critique: Like MovieMeditation, I'm stunned by how strong of a writer Gatsby is given that English isn't his first language. If his reviews were less sporadic, I think he'd widely be considered as one of the top three reviewers on the forum. He has excellent taste (although it's a shame he has such a disconnect with horror). When Gatsby sings the praises of a film, I know that particular film is worthwhile, even if I may not feel as strongly about the film as he does. His reviews are the perfect length -- long enough to provide plenty of substance, yet short enough to keep the ADD crowd from bitching.
80's Trash From the Future: Used Future has become one of my favorite members, yet I don't think I've ever even interacted with him. Between this thread, his DVD thread, his favorites list, and even some of his old Movie Tab posts I've gone back and read, he's responsible for more movies in my watchlist than anyone else. He's essentially our tour guide through the gutter of cinema. I've never seen anyone who possesses such an extensive knowledge of B-movies and exploitation. Too many people thumb their noses at so-called "trashy" cinema, but I think such films often boast a higher level of creativity and love of the craft (even if the talent may be lacking) than what you'll find in mainstream cinema. It's a shame that UF doesn't post more frequently, but at least he's given people like myself a treasure trove of goodies to sort through and discover.
Superb Scenes with Seanc: I think I'm more likely to love a film that Sean gives one popcorn than a film he awards a perfect rating, yet he's been one of my favorite reviewers since I joined the forum. His older, much longer reviews are fantastic (especially his reviews of PTA's films). I think too many reviewers focus only on the technical aspects (acting, writing, cinematography, etc.) and ignore the themes of a film. Not Seanc -- at least not when he takes the time to write his longer, more detailed and extensive reviews. When he puts his mind to it, he's capable of examining the soul of a film better than anyone. I just wish he pushed himself to do it more often.
Nostromo87's Slash Vault: Normally, I'm partial to reviews that have a little more heft and a lot more paragraphs, but Nostromo's one-of-a-kind reviews are an exception. He marches to the beat of his own drum. He might talk about standing on a chair while wearing a ball glove. Or he might edit together a video. Or make a Vocaroo recording. Or drop some song lyrics. Or dress up in a werewolf costume. You never know what to expect from Nostromo, but it's always fun, it's always stylish, and it's always cool. Despite my love of the horror genre, I've never been a big fan of slashers, but Nostromo's Slash Vault, as well as the Slasher Hall of Fame, inspired me to revisit a subgenre I'd ignored for several years. I've now discovered several underrated gems like The Burning that I'd rank among my favorite horror films. Hopefully Nostromo will re-open the vault at some point and deliver more bloody delights.
Sexy's Reviews probably would've rounded out my list, but since he finished #2 and I now have the benefit of hindsight, I'd like to think that I would've been as clever as Camo and thrown another vote toward Mark F's Movie Tab. Sometimes when I'm on here in the middle of the night and there's no activity on the forum, I choose pages at random in the Movie Tab and read old posts from several years ago. The Movie Tab used to be so much more awesome than it is nowadays. People used to consistently write at length about the films they watched instead of just posting ratings. And even with so much more activity in the thread back in the day, it's rare that you go more than a page or two without finding an awesome post (or posts) by Mark F where he writes multi-paragraph reviews for several films at once, showing off his unparalleled knowledge and understanding of cinema. I always feel smarter after reading his reviews.
(Oh, and thank you to the two people who voted for my thread, even though it's been collecting dust for about a year and a half. And f*ck you to everyone who didn't.
)
JayDee's Movie Musings: He's #1 for a reason. Nobody's reviews are as polished and well balanced. He's mastered the visual presentation, the formatting, his personality shines through in his writing, he covers numerous aspects of every film, he goes the extra mile by adding things like film trivia, he strikes a good balance between objectivity and subjectivity (with the exception of superhero films, at least), his writing flows smoothly and is enjoyable to read . . . I wish his taste was a little more aligned with my own, but that's never stopped him from being my favorite reviewer.
In the 10 Ring: Gunslinger45's Reviews: I love his laid-back, conversational writing style. He injects a ton of personality into his writing, as well as a raunchy sense of humor that regularly makes me laugh. Whether he's ranting about the idiocy of Terminator Genisys or raving about the latest Marvel movie, his passion for cinema bleeds through in his writing. He's not afraid to share personal anecdotes related to his viewing experience. He's had the unique opportunity to see several classics on the big screen and report back on the experience. I also admire how varied his taste is. He might review the latest mainstream blockbuster, follow it up with a sleazy exploitation film, then go on a Kurosawa marathon.
MovieMeditation's Cinema Reviews and Diary Reviews: Sure, he gets a little carried away sometimes with the puns and alliteration, but MovieMed is second to none when it comes to the time and effort devoted to each review. English isn't even his first language, yet he has a better grasp of the language and a more impressive vocabulary than almost anyone I know. His writing has an almost poetic rhythm to it. If size matters, MM has everyone beat with his Cinema Reviews, but I enjoy his Diary thread just as much. As yet another sign of his commitment, he's still churning out reviews for films he watched over six months ago. The man takes no short cuts.
Step Right In! Witness a Swan Discuss Cinema: I wish everyone approached cinema with the same level of enthusiasm, joy and passion as our beloved Swan. His attitude is infectious. When he falls in love with a film (or a director or a screenwriter or an actress or an entire genre), I feel like I fall in love by association. Unlike some reviewers, he doesn't take pleasure in tearing apart a film, yet he's still capable of delivering thoughtful, intelligent criticism. His writing always feels personal and intimate. He invites discussion. He shares with us his ever-evolving attitudes and philosophies on cinema (which is a good thing, in my opinion, since I think too many people grow stale in their viewing habits). His Movie a Day By the Bay was one of the best threads of last year, but since it's no longer active, this is probably the thread I would've voted for. He's also one of the coolest, kindest, funniest members of the forum, so that helps.
Gatsby's New and Improved Flick Critique: Like MovieMeditation, I'm stunned by how strong of a writer Gatsby is given that English isn't his first language. If his reviews were less sporadic, I think he'd widely be considered as one of the top three reviewers on the forum. He has excellent taste (although it's a shame he has such a disconnect with horror). When Gatsby sings the praises of a film, I know that particular film is worthwhile, even if I may not feel as strongly about the film as he does. His reviews are the perfect length -- long enough to provide plenty of substance, yet short enough to keep the ADD crowd from bitching.
80's Trash From the Future: Used Future has become one of my favorite members, yet I don't think I've ever even interacted with him. Between this thread, his DVD thread, his favorites list, and even some of his old Movie Tab posts I've gone back and read, he's responsible for more movies in my watchlist than anyone else. He's essentially our tour guide through the gutter of cinema. I've never seen anyone who possesses such an extensive knowledge of B-movies and exploitation. Too many people thumb their noses at so-called "trashy" cinema, but I think such films often boast a higher level of creativity and love of the craft (even if the talent may be lacking) than what you'll find in mainstream cinema. It's a shame that UF doesn't post more frequently, but at least he's given people like myself a treasure trove of goodies to sort through and discover.
Superb Scenes with Seanc: I think I'm more likely to love a film that Sean gives one popcorn than a film he awards a perfect rating, yet he's been one of my favorite reviewers since I joined the forum. His older, much longer reviews are fantastic (especially his reviews of PTA's films). I think too many reviewers focus only on the technical aspects (acting, writing, cinematography, etc.) and ignore the themes of a film. Not Seanc -- at least not when he takes the time to write his longer, more detailed and extensive reviews. When he puts his mind to it, he's capable of examining the soul of a film better than anyone. I just wish he pushed himself to do it more often.
Nostromo87's Slash Vault: Normally, I'm partial to reviews that have a little more heft and a lot more paragraphs, but Nostromo's one-of-a-kind reviews are an exception. He marches to the beat of his own drum. He might talk about standing on a chair while wearing a ball glove. Or he might edit together a video. Or make a Vocaroo recording. Or drop some song lyrics. Or dress up in a werewolf costume. You never know what to expect from Nostromo, but it's always fun, it's always stylish, and it's always cool. Despite my love of the horror genre, I've never been a big fan of slashers, but Nostromo's Slash Vault, as well as the Slasher Hall of Fame, inspired me to revisit a subgenre I'd ignored for several years. I've now discovered several underrated gems like The Burning that I'd rank among my favorite horror films. Hopefully Nostromo will re-open the vault at some point and deliver more bloody delights.
Sexy's Reviews probably would've rounded out my list, but since he finished #2 and I now have the benefit of hindsight, I'd like to think that I would've been as clever as Camo and thrown another vote toward Mark F's Movie Tab. Sometimes when I'm on here in the middle of the night and there's no activity on the forum, I choose pages at random in the Movie Tab and read old posts from several years ago. The Movie Tab used to be so much more awesome than it is nowadays. People used to consistently write at length about the films they watched instead of just posting ratings. And even with so much more activity in the thread back in the day, it's rare that you go more than a page or two without finding an awesome post (or posts) by Mark F where he writes multi-paragraph reviews for several films at once, showing off his unparalleled knowledge and understanding of cinema. I always feel smarter after reading his reviews.
(Oh, and thank you to the two people who voted for my thread, even though it's been collecting dust for about a year and a half. And f*ck you to everyone who didn't.
)
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