I started reviewing movies recently on Dead End Follies. I'll soon start to review books also. It's a way to keep perspective (and give perspective) about my experience in consumerism. Here is a self-explanatory guide on how I grade what I see and read.
MOVIE REVIEWS
Recognizable Faces: It's not necessary to a great movie, but it's always interesting to know who plays in what. You might not pick up a movie until you know one of your favorite actors plays in it.
Director: I don't know about you, but this information is vital to me. I'll pick up anything made by Jim Jarmusch, but will leave aside anything made by Michael Bay. You get my point?
Storytelling: It's the main thing I'm looking for in any narrative art form. What is told and how it is told. The story might be insipid, but if the director has a unique angle on it, it's going to make for something interesting. In cinema, I'll get around to talk about the story in itself, the writing and the editing process.
Direction: A movie can have a great story and a very poor, cliché direction and a movie with a poor story can be made awesome by a very creative direction. From choice of actors to the crafting of individual scenes, this can be accessory or the backbone of any given movie.
Acting: Are there performances that got out of the lot? Is there any actor that dragged down the quality of the movie by overacting or by lack of skills?
Interest: This will be my editorial comment about the movie. In this section, I will try to answer two question: "Why will people would talk about this movie?" and "Why would anyone want to see it again?"
BOOK REVIEWS
Genre: Crime fiction, Science-Fiction, Literary, etc. etc. Just an indicator. Personally, I stay away from the "Romance & Erotica" section when I bookshop. Common courtesy to give a tag to a book.
Writer: Name of the writer, but also a little background. I like to shop by writer's name or accomplishments. Some are more instinctive, I like facts.
Story: Overview of the story, on how it's told and how much sense does it make.
Voice: Does the writer have a solid unique voice or does it sound like mass-produced garbage? Why would I care more about what he wrote rather than what somebody else wrote. I'm going to compare a lot here.
Characters: How are the characters appealing? How do they fit within what the writer wants to say. Is he giving into to the "Mary Sue" trap?
Interest: What are the problems raised by the book? Towards society? Literature in general? Why is that book pertinent to read?
I hope this is useful in understanding how I see and analyze the movies I watch and the books I read. I will note them also, but keep in mind that taste are something personal. If you don't agree with me, I'll gladly debate with you in the comments section.
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