Movie Reviews?

[BerryMac]

Is there any point to submitting movie reviews from movies that were released years ago?

[Evelyn]

BerryMac, if it takes you only a few minutes to do a great review and get it posted to the site, why not do it? If a customer comes looking for movie reviews and doesn't see what she's looking for, but sees your 10 reviews, she might just put in a private request. Shoot the moon, I say, especially if the writing gives you satisfaction (and doesn't take too long).

You'd be surprised at the niche market for "old" movies, too, meaning made before men walked on the moon. Anyone can pan a Brat Pack movie, but a great analysis of the Rat Pack might find a customer. If you review movies through "lenses" (feminism, for instance) you might broaden your appeal as well.

[BerryMac]

Evelyn:
That's a great idea-to use a "lens" - it is amazing to me how many movies are offensive or potentially "triggering" when you look at them through the eyes of, say, a rape victim or something.

Thanks for your input. And you're right - I enjoy writing, and if I'm planning on watching a movie anyway, I might as well take notes during!

Rebecca

[Evelyn]

Aww, Rebecca, I love to write movie reviews! Especially when I can be horribly opinionated and leverage the "canon" to find everything wrong (or right) with them. I once wrote a movie review of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" through the lens of French feminism... boy was that fun. Not much market for such things, unfortunately. Sigh. I guess I'll just have to keep subjecting my patient husband to my critical reviews, and he'll just keep nodding his head.

[BerryMac]

Evelyn,
How does one get around the "no opinions or editorials" rule?

I guess it's all in the wording?

[Evelyn]

Movie reviews are nothing but opinion, but you need to cloak that opinion in erudite comparisons and colorful adjectives and never use the word "I". It's a fine line but you may be able to skate on Ed's good side.

I found a NY Times movie review that Ed probably wouldn't reject for opinion or first person. Here's the link: http://movies.nytimes.com/2010/06/18/mo ... ref=movies

Editorials tend to be political in nature, from what I understand. Not politics--political. I've read woeful forum posts from folks who have had pieces rejected for editorializing and it seems to me that soap-boxing might be more like it. A few weeks ago Ed wrote the definition of "op-ed", as follows:
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Re: What is an "Op-Ed?

Postby Ed on Tue May 04, 2010 1:01 pm
Basically, we do not accept opinion-based or editorial-style content.

From our sometimes friend Wikipedia: An op-ed, abbreviated from opposite the editorial page (though often believed to be abbreviated from opinion-editorial), is a newspaper article that expresses the opinions of a named writer who is usually unaffiliated with the newspaper's editorial board. These are different from editorials, which are usually unsigned and written by editorial board members.

Ed
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Have fun with reviews, cloak your opinion in plenty of background details, and don't be obvious and you'll probably get by with it. I'm sure there are other movie reviews on the site--look at the most recent submissions. Maybe search for "movie review" or something similar and see what comes up.

[BerryMac]

Thanks!

Great link, btw.

Have a wonderful evening.

Rebecca