This weekend, I stumbled upon a show called "Sugar" on Apple TV, and I didn’t hate, which apparently makes me strange. It's like watching a modern detective series with PTSD flashbacks to Humphrey Bogart. Honestly, it's weird but in a good way and I couldn't stop watching it - until I ran out of eps
I am interested in the critique I read of criticism by a few here in the Berger.
Especially JB's take given he used to write reviews in the before time. I suspect its more due to as Birmo described, all popular culture stuff now driven by clicks and tearing something to shreds gets more clicks whether it be you agree with the critique and want it destroyed or you enjoy the piece and want to argue.
Guess the trick is to find others who have similar tastes who you have reliably agreed with in the past. Though there is one reviewer when they tore something to shreds I would seek it out as I would always enjoy watching/reading/listening to it.
The trailer for Sugar looks great; it's on my list for when I finish the 3 Body Problem.
One of the benefits of endless streaming services is that everyone was supposed to find their niche shows and everyone's tastes would be catered for (I neither judge nor critique those who religiously watch the Kardashians, MAFS or whatever iteration of reality TV is on at any given moment, but it's very much Not My Thing(tm)) and this trend of sneering, monocle wearing superiority in reviews is very aggravating and disappointing. Let people watch the stuff that makes them happy FFS.
I do wish the way the streaming services decided if a series was a success was a little less opaque however given the number of shows I have watched, and enjoyed and after what is clearly a season one ending the series is cancelled - WHY?
YES! I've seen some superb series that in another time would have been appointment viewing cut down after one season and I'm always at a loss, yet others that don't seem particularly notable keep getting renewed. Also very aggravating!
It’s in the queue. We wait for all the episodes to drop and then binge. Netflix has spoiled us but with mysteries and procedural dramas it helps us keep track.
Would also recommend The Gentlemen, Guy Ritchie is a good watch anytime and this series is great.
The Gentlemen is solidly fun viewing. A full on caper with just a couple of minor emotional twists to help it on its way. I don't know what the reviews were like, though.
Do you remember the old ABC radio film critic John Hinde? I loved his reviews. I don't recall him ever saying anything mean about any film. He would always pick out the bits that he particularly liked, or give some sort of sense of who he thought would especially enjoy any movie. I think that he just chose not to mention things that he didn't like, as a point of style.
I've never warmed to the mean, superior school of criticism. Life's too short: don't know why they bother.
I’ve watched tons of stuff that had close to zero ratings from critics and 90% of better from audience scores . Part of the problem is that critics now view everything through a political lens .
ha - seems like book clubs are the same the country over. My partner and our friend/neighbour currently in a girls book club always complain about the choice of book, which is always a harrowing depressive "literature" life story and they just want something easy and fun. Book club in their circle is about getting together to have a drink and a natter without the blokes around and its like horrible homework beforehand. Do you think the critic thing has changed at all over the past two decades before internet in our pocket and the negativity is more pervasive because that's what gets the clicks? Or do you reckon its always been like that?
Feels like it's definitely changed. Reviewing used to be a low volume, high skill pursuit. A review essay in a weekend paper would pay a couple of grand because it would take a couple of weeks to write. You were definitely crafting something for the permanent record. Nowadays everything is online, short, disposable and forgotten within a few minutes of clicking away. It's all clickbait all the way down, and negativity is the juiciest form of bait. I mostly refused to review books and films I didn't enjoy. I wasn't interested in shitting on someone's work for the sake of it. These days I suspect the intern gets told to rip into something so they can stick it on the front page for a couple of hours and harvest the eyeballs.
I am interested in the critique I read of criticism by a few here in the Berger.
Especially JB's take given he used to write reviews in the before time. I suspect its more due to as Birmo described, all popular culture stuff now driven by clicks and tearing something to shreds gets more clicks whether it be you agree with the critique and want it destroyed or you enjoy the piece and want to argue.
Guess the trick is to find others who have similar tastes who you have reliably agreed with in the past. Though there is one reviewer when they tore something to shreds I would seek it out as I would always enjoy watching/reading/listening to it.
The trailer for Sugar looks great; it's on my list for when I finish the 3 Body Problem.
One of the benefits of endless streaming services is that everyone was supposed to find their niche shows and everyone's tastes would be catered for (I neither judge nor critique those who religiously watch the Kardashians, MAFS or whatever iteration of reality TV is on at any given moment, but it's very much Not My Thing(tm)) and this trend of sneering, monocle wearing superiority in reviews is very aggravating and disappointing. Let people watch the stuff that makes them happy FFS.
I do wish the way the streaming services decided if a series was a success was a little less opaque however given the number of shows I have watched, and enjoyed and after what is clearly a season one ending the series is cancelled - WHY?
YES! I've seen some superb series that in another time would have been appointment viewing cut down after one season and I'm always at a loss, yet others that don't seem particularly notable keep getting renewed. Also very aggravating!
It’s in the queue. We wait for all the episodes to drop and then binge. Netflix has spoiled us but with mysteries and procedural dramas it helps us keep track.
Would also recommend The Gentlemen, Guy Ritchie is a good watch anytime and this series is great.
The Gentlemen is solidly fun viewing. A full on caper with just a couple of minor emotional twists to help it on its way. I don't know what the reviews were like, though.
They were shit.
But they can't all be high-concept multi-timeline multi-POV eco-sci-fi-drama. Sometimes you just need the splodey goodness.
Zactly
'It’s in the queue. We wait for all the episodes to drop and then binge. " this is the way.
Do you remember the old ABC radio film critic John Hinde? I loved his reviews. I don't recall him ever saying anything mean about any film. He would always pick out the bits that he particularly liked, or give some sort of sense of who he thought would especially enjoy any movie. I think that he just chose not to mention things that he didn't like, as a point of style.
I've never warmed to the mean, superior school of criticism. Life's too short: don't know why they bother.
I do remember him yeah. He was great
I’ve watched tons of stuff that had close to zero ratings from critics and 90% of better from audience scores . Part of the problem is that critics now view everything through a political lens .
ha - seems like book clubs are the same the country over. My partner and our friend/neighbour currently in a girls book club always complain about the choice of book, which is always a harrowing depressive "literature" life story and they just want something easy and fun. Book club in their circle is about getting together to have a drink and a natter without the blokes around and its like horrible homework beforehand. Do you think the critic thing has changed at all over the past two decades before internet in our pocket and the negativity is more pervasive because that's what gets the clicks? Or do you reckon its always been like that?
Feels like it's definitely changed. Reviewing used to be a low volume, high skill pursuit. A review essay in a weekend paper would pay a couple of grand because it would take a couple of weeks to write. You were definitely crafting something for the permanent record. Nowadays everything is online, short, disposable and forgotten within a few minutes of clicking away. It's all clickbait all the way down, and negativity is the juiciest form of bait. I mostly refused to review books and films I didn't enjoy. I wasn't interested in shitting on someone's work for the sake of it. These days I suspect the intern gets told to rip into something so they can stick it on the front page for a couple of hours and harvest the eyeballs.