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ci�nas 
"hands down"
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 Posted - 10/01/2009 : 20:05:20
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quote:
Originally posted by clay
quote:
Originally posted by Larry
I don't often do this, but here's a handy reference guide to #545:
Directed by Sidney Pink.
George Eastman plays a mute. Stars Bud Spencer.
This was the last movie James Stacy made before he lost his left arm and leg in a motorcycle accident.
Stars Selma Blair.
Harry Connick Jr portrays Lt Cable.
Here's some input fwiw: my own preference is no explanations, ever. It's like telling someone why your joke is funny.
If I don't understand an accepted four-word review, and I want to understand it (after all, it had to have been accepted for good reason, right?), I will IMDB it and find out, no matter what it takes. Have done several times! But without the hook of what seems to be quite insightful and/or clever and/or funny, WITHOUT the explanation, I'll pass.
That said, I am 100% FOR explaining fully to MERPS why they should accept your review. MERPS obviously need all the help they can get.
No doubt this is a perennial subject around here, but anyway: for my part I�m happy to give or be given hints in FYC as to why reviews apply. In the long term they�ll have to stand on their own two feet, of course; but this is their chance to gather a few extra votes.
There are over 34,000 films on the site now, so it's pretty likely I haven�t seen the film being reviewed. Even if I�ve seen it I may not remember it in enough detail to be able to appreciate your review. Occasionally, if a review I don�t understand catches my eye, I�ll go to the usual places to try to discover its meaning. Generally, however, although I have an unaccustomed quantity of time on my hands at the moment, I don�t have nearly enough of it to research every review I don�t get. And if I don�t get it I can�t vote for it, really, can I?
So: you can�t win. 
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Edited by - ci�nas on 10/01/2009 20:09:27 |
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[matt] 
"Cinemattic."
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Demisemicenturian 
"Four ever European"
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Posted - 10/02/2009 : 15:04:07
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quote:
Originally posted by clay
Here's some input fwiw: my own preference is no explanations, ever. It's like telling someone why your joke is funny.
Not really. It's telling people information they need in order to find it funny. With most normal jokes one doesn't have to do that, as they are usually about well-known things, but it's not that rare for a comedian to slip in some background info at the beginning of a long joke or to build the audience's understanding up.
quote:
If I don't understand an accepted four-word review, and I want to understand it (after all, it had to have been accepted for good reason, right?), I will IMDB it and find out, no matter what it takes. Have done several times!
Several? I have done it many, many times and it's so, so annoying. The I.M.D.B. is also often not sufficient as it may be some general knowledge that I don't know rather than something about the film. If one doesn't want information that is given, one can just ignore it. If one wants information that isn't given, it's much more hassle.
However, I do think that information should be just the bare minimum that will allow most people a good chance of getting the review. People quite often tell us things that are known by all ten-year-olds, and they also often spell out the review in a way that makes it then no fun to read. |
Edited by - Demisemicenturian on 10/02/2009 15:08:06 |
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ChocolateLady
"500 Chocolate Delights"
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Posted - 10/03/2009 : 10:14:38
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quote:
Originally posted by Larry
I don't often do this, but here's a handy reference guide to #545:
Directed by Sidney Pink.
George Eastman plays a mute. Stars Bud Spencer.
This was the last movie James Stacy made before he lost his left arm and leg in a motorcycle accident.
Stars Selma Blair.
Harry Connick Jr portrays Lt Cable.
I used to give explanations all the time, but now I only add them later, when I see a review isn't getting any votes at all.
By the way, I loved your Journey To The Seventh Planet review, and your explanation is what made me really like it! So there!
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Edited by - ChocolateLady on 10/03/2009 10:15:50 |
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Larry 
"Larry's time / sat merrily"
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Posted - 10/03/2009 : 11:20:50
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quote:
Originally posted by ChocolateLady
quote:
Originally posted by Larry
I don't often do this, but here's a handy reference guide to #545:
Directed by Sidney Pink.
George Eastman plays a mute. Stars Bud Spencer.
This was the last movie James Stacy made before he lost his left arm and leg in a motorcycle accident.
Stars Selma Blair.
Harry Connick Jr portrays Lt Cable.
I used to give explanations all the time, but now I only add them later, when I see a review isn't getting any votes at all.
By the way, I loved your Journey To The Seventh Planet review, and your explanation is what made me really like it! So there!
Thanks, Choca, for the kind words about the Sidney Pink review.
I never imagined I would start a discussion -- I do the explanation thing so rarely, maybe once a year.
I like your idea of adding an explanation if the review is getting nowhere. Do you mean you wait a couple days so the late voters can see it, or do you just include an explanation the next time you put the review in FYCTH? |
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demonic
"Cinemaniac"
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Posted - 10/03/2009 : 15:37:31
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I sometimes add an explanation if one review is getting left behind while the others pick up clicks, but it's always worth remembering that last minute voting happens frequently and can make a significant difference to a final tally.
Re: the explanations issue - what Salopian said.  |
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[matt]
"Cinemattic."
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Posted - 10/03/2009 : 19:00:59
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quote:
Originally posted by Salopian
People quite often tell us things that are known by all ten-year-olds.
I'm aware that I've been guilty of this on occasion  but this is always due to simply not having a clue how well-known (or widely-known e.g. in the US) the thing in my review is.
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lemmycaution 
"Long mired in film"
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Posted - 10/03/2009 : 19:18:39
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| Let me explain something--I voted. |
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Whippersnapper.
"A fourword thinking guy."
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Posted - 10/04/2009 : 13:04:26
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Didn't we have exactly the same discussion a few weeks ago?
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Larry
"Larry's time / sat merrily"
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Posted - 10/04/2009 : 14:23:04
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serVed approVals --
-- will catch latecomers, uh... later. |
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Demisemicenturian
"Four ever European"
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Demisemicenturian
"Four ever European"
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Posted - 10/04/2009 : 15:22:53
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quote:
Originally posted by lamhasuas
End of 5ummer 5ale
Some great ones, especially the Copycat one. |
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Demisemicenturian
"Four ever European"
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Larry
"Larry's time / sat merrily"
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ci�nas
"hands down"
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Posted - 10/04/2009 : 20:07:39
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quote:
Originally posted by Salopian
quote:
Originally posted by lamhasuas
End of 5ummer 5ale
Some great ones, especially the Copycat one.
Cheers, Salopian. 
Larry: you got full marks from me too.
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Sean's FYCTH - #545
