Move Over Movie Critics Someone Else Is Doing It Better!

And that someone else does not feel the restrictions of Hollywood's invisible embargo to keep one's views quiet before opening day. That someone is US!

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By jman1977 - 12/2/2009

You always wonder if your making a difference. Meaning does it matter what we do in life? Does it make a positive impact, are our voices heard? Myself and Johnny Love have been reviewing movies since the beginning of 2009. We are lucky enough to have press passes at the Portage 16 IMAX Theater in Portage IN. As it stands we have made it as far as we can with what we have. Which is great. But can we do better? Do we have a chance to make it mainstream? AOL ran an article answering just that question:

"It becomes more apparent with each passing year: When it comes to the box office returns for Hollywood movies, critics just don't matter much. Look at the top ten highest-grossing movies so far year. Did negative reviews deflate 'Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen,' or 'The Proposal' or 'Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian'? Nope. On the other hand, did mostly positive reviews give a big boost to 'Up' or 'Star Trek'? Probably not."

Who needs Siskel and Ebert when you got Jman and Johnny!!! I knew we at least had a shot. AOL goes on to report:

"Case in point: when reviews for Rob Marshall's 'Nine' come out during the week of its December release, the most important one won't be found in The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, or coming from Roger Ebert. It's already been written, and posted on the Ain't it Cool News website, by someone who wants to be called Tobby, who works in the musical theater industry. He/she attended a DGA screening and, being a non-professional critic, simply ignored the industry-observed embargo on reviews of a film until the actual release of the film.

Because Tobby got there first, and because he/she is on a fanboy site like Ain't it Cool News, his/her (positive, by the way) review has a lot better chance of going viral than the reviews that appear in newspapers on the day of the film's release."

I don't know who Tobby is but that's cool. Because CBM is just as popular as AICN on any given day if not more visited. I like Harry but there is no reason any one of us editors or any of our CBM loyal's can't do the same thing and like Multi so elegantly put it a couple weeks ago "The Time Has Come To Make OUR Voices Heard" this is just proof of what we have been saying all along. That our opinions are heard and taking into account.

Real people want to hear from a real persons point of view. Not someone that has been paid to have a one sided opinion, our some web site who does not report their dislikes because they are scared they won't be asked to return for a set visit. Those opinions are diluted and old. AOL just confirmed the rumor we knew was true all along. Go ahead see for yourself, click the link below.

So, on December 18 we, Jman and Johnny Love, will be at the Portage 16 IMAX Theater in Portage IN to review the years most anticipated Sci-Fi film "Avatar". We'll see you at the movies! Don't forget to send your own reviews in to CBM if it's good enough Galactus grants you a spot on the main page!

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45 Comments

	LuvInMiLyfe - 12/2/2009, 2:26 PM Login to report abuse sad
	BloodredNemesis - 12/2/2009, 2:27 PM Login to report abuse zzzzzzzzzz
	LEEE777 - 12/2/2009, 2:34 PM Login to report abuse Cool article @ JMAN bud! Hey AVATARS gonna blow the whole World up (At the cinema lol). JMAN/JOHNNY keep on trucking dudes and cant wait for your review!! Siskel and Ebert ain't got nothing on you two, said that many reviews ago, them silly ol' farts lol, you two tell it the way it is, which is the best way obviously!! : D
	rockstar728 - 12/2/2009, 2:38 PM Login to report abuse Makes me wonder if one day all media industry jobs will be lost to the Internet.
	RorMachine - 12/2/2009, 2:42 PM Login to report abuse Viva La Revolution:) Hey Lee, you know they hated Gi Blow right?;) Im actually looking forward to Avatar too, at the very least Im sure it will be entertaining.
	thwip - 12/2/2009, 2:50 PM Login to report abuse haha...the first two comments are hilarious. nothing like knocking the chips off a guy's shoulders. pointless article and blabber, agreed.
	ZoloTalar - 12/2/2009, 2:58 PM Login to report abuse The industry is changing. More than likely media will merge together into singular platforms. Hopeful cable/satellite companies will start looking at themselves as internet providers first and TV providers second. One day the internet will be reigned in like the "old west" the cowboys/girls of today will give rise new corporate culture of tomorrow. Or it'll implode who knows. On the fence about Avatar, Cameron has yet to truly fail but everything I have seen about Avatar has left me with a meh felling. Plus I hate having to wear 3D glasses over my glasses.
	LEEE777 - 12/2/2009, 3:11 PM Login to report abuse ROR @ You know they hated BORIGINS too right???? ; D
	gibbyblaylock - 12/2/2009, 3:17 PM Login to report abuse J-Man First of all, I agree. It's true that the lack of restrictions on fanboys on the internet allows moviegoers to gain some insight into the possible suckiness or awesomeness or just-okay-ness of a movie. It gives fan posts the power on fan sites to matter and to allow the voices of the true fans, and not some stuffy critic, to be heard. Second of all SHUT UP!!! As soon as the industry giants get wise to this fact they'll lift that review embargo and before you know it we'll be up to our ears in spoilers and early criticisms that'll damage the relevance of fan sites. The industry types will find out that the readership of sites like aintitcoolnews could be theirs if only they eighty-sixed the embargo. And believe you me, they'll do it if it'll help line their pockets with ad revenue and the like. And the moment the advertisers realize that the corporate giant websites have the resources and opportunity to scoop the little guy, they'll jump ship and opt for the better bet money-wise. Plus the aforementioned stuffy critic's opinions will trump that of the true fan and Hollywood will cease to see joe fanboy as an important source for input on how to improve these pictures.
	RorMachine - 12/2/2009, 3:41 PM Login to report abuse lol, how did I know you were gonna say that Lee? The didn't even do a review for Wolverine ya nut!
	peterparker420 - 12/2/2009, 3:55 PM Login to report abuse comic book nerds like us are the best! Jman and Johnny Love more power to you! there is no better fans out there then us! Multi said it best! "Blessed be comic fans, for they will inherit the earth"
	StephenStrange - 12/2/2009, 4:07 PM Login to report abuse lol @ Ror, Keven, LEEE.. Actually you know what? Just LOL @ the whole thread
	DrDon - 12/2/2009, 4:37 PM Login to report abuse Pointless. Get over yourself already!
	Talontd - 12/2/2009, 5:04 PM Login to report abuse F*ck off all you twats with your hate! Yes you DRAPER, THWHIP, HYBRID, & R3ANIMATOR. It's really easy to critize when you don't contribute sh!t to the site, isn't it? I can't remember reading one article from the lot of you! It really says alot about you personally when you attack the people that are working hard to make this place great. They're taking the time out of THEIR lives to give US a forum to talk about the topics WE ALL love. Why attack them? And I bet out of all you b!tches, only DRAPER has the nuts to reply (always love a good arument with you DRAPER but you really were a douche on this one ;) JMAN & JOHNNY KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK....YOU ARE APPRECIATED!!!
	ecksmanfan - 12/2/2009, 5:19 PM Login to report abuse ^^^Wow. You tell 'em Talon! Jman & Johnny-Keep up the good work. I am a wanna be "critic" and am very jealous you have press passes!!! I hate that every critic is so one sided and closed minded, basically because they are paid to be. It's obnoxious. I truthfully dis-regard anything the popular critics say, because they are usually way off.
	Spock - 12/2/2009, 5:36 PM Login to report abuse Its ok to toot your own horn from time to time. Nicely done.
	RorMachine - 12/2/2009, 5:56 PM Login to report abuse haha, Iv been on a few of the articles and Draper has really done the rounds today! Bitching and moaning about everything he possibly can..I swear he must be taking the piss.
	realfirstavenger - 12/2/2009, 6:07 PM Login to report abuse I like the reviews you guys do, and the fact that their video and you guys are clearly fanboys makes them all that much better. But you guys seem to be acting more and more like gods gift to cbm.com keep up the good reviews, its awesome you have press passes and your an editor now, but what was the point of this article? i visit this site multiple times a day and will comment when I feel like I should (but with the rise in popularity keeping up with the comments is just way too much work) but this article just comes off like your looking for some kind of glory for what you do. we all love your reviews good sirs, that should be enough
	realfirstavenger - 12/2/2009, 6:09 PM Login to report abuse oh and I will go back to adding content when there is Hellboy news to add :) or if there is a demand for comic book battles once again, but they were a lot of work for what seemed like 10 people so noone can say Ive never added content
	Ryden - 12/2/2009, 6:20 PM Login to report abuse cool but I don't see how this made front page to be honest...
	TheGeekFiles - 12/2/2009, 6:23 PM Login to report abuse We need to be logical about this. There's a place for professional media reviews as well as fanboy reviews online. Early fan reviews are sometimes faked just to hype up interest, so they can't just be taken as gospel and more real. Reviews in mainstream press are aimed at that newspaper's demographic, reviews on geek sites are aimed at those sites' demographic. Not everything is online - printed material such as comics, books and newspapers is still around, even if some of it is struggling. I've found great information and articles in newspapers and magazines that doesn't exist online. For example, Empire doesn't put everything online - they create an entirely different experience for their website than they have in their magazine. You guys on here have to remember where most news on sites such as this ultimately comes from. Usually it's from other sites, and those sites usually get it from professional sites such as Variety, Empire, the LA Times. Journalists for those organisations have worked hard (and been paid) to get that material. Where would most blog sites be without the source sites they rely on? Very few blog sites have their own original content. I'd be interested to know how US movie blogs and news sites are run and financed. Some sites (like i09) have a large team of staff with official titles, others like /Film and Collider have large numbers of contributors and seem to be around all day posting stuff. Is that their main job? Are they doing it all for free or are they run as businesses? If the staff are paid, where does the money come from? Is advertising enough to pay for all those people? I'm really curious how internet sites fund themselves. Some are obviously just small blogs done as a hobby, but others seem like businesses. Does anyone know more about this?
	KeithM - 12/2/2009, 7:01 PM Login to report abuse The article's spot on. It's happening all over. Newspapers are dying because real people are capturing real shit, as it happens, on their phones, and Twitter and Facebook and comments on websites disseminate news faster than any newspaper or magazine can possibly compete with - and beyond the means of any studio to keep a lid on. No wonder Marvel are all black-ops with their movies... We ain't getting paid - and that makes us powerfully free to say it like it is. Professional journalists all over are shitting their pants, big time. It's bad for them, but it's good for us and for the studios (if the movies are any good, that is) and therefore ultimately for the movies we get - because we're a noisy lot for a bunch of supposedly meek geeks. No 5 star reviews for Superman Returns from you guys, right? (Right?) More and more so, sites like this are becoming THE place where people like me get the skinny on films we might want to see - or not. The news from sites like watchmencomicmovie.com was much more important to me for judging whether it was worth going to see - and more importantly, whether I'm spreading the word and dragging my dont-have-a-clue-what-Watchmen-is friends along too (they all loved it btw), than anything Empire had to say (SR, IJ&TKotCS anyone? pfft can't trust those media whores) - and sites like this one are similarly invaluable in getting the lowdown on any superhero type stuff coming out. I don't necessarily always agree with what you guys (or AICN, SHH, etc.) think, but at least on the t'internet we can voice our opinions. And we know, collectively, they get heard... sometimes. :) You provide a valuable service. Keep up the good work. I actually like Empire for its articles and news, I just don't trust their reviews... there is a place for professional news media, but it has to be something we can't get from the 'amateur' side - inside access; genuine 'exclusives'. They need to really convince us these days to buy something we can often get better for free online.
	TheGeekFiles - 12/2/2009, 7:10 PM Login to report abuse But you're already a geek, KeithM. So the views of geeky places interest you. But someone who reads the New York Times or The Sun or The Boston Globe won't want to listen to what a load of obsessive nerds think. Nor will they be rushing to Twitter. You act as though geekville is the only thing that exists. The other thing is that so much stuff online is fabricated and can't be trusted. (yes, and sometimes in tabloid rags too). I like online sites, but i also like the more normal places to get a balance. I am also an exception probably because I never listen to reviews. I know in advance if it's the sort of thing I'd be interested in seeing, and i don't care what a review on this site or AICN or Empire says. I only look at reviews after I've seen a film and i often wonder if they saw the same movie.
	KeithM - 12/2/2009, 7:18 PM Login to report abuse Geekville isn't the only thing that exists, no, but it is increasingly having a more powerful voice. It's not a black and white thing. It's degrees of influence. And sites like this are growing in influence, of that there is no doubt.
	StephenStrange - 12/2/2009, 7:40 PM Login to report abuse Stuck up Hollywood chumps like Brett the Rat don't think so, Keith. But they'll learn soon enough.
	RorMachine - 12/2/2009, 8:39 PM Login to report abuse I actually find Empire and Total Film decent for reviews..I don't always agree obviously, but if they give a movie 5 stars I will usually go along and not be disappointed..similarly, a 1 star review from either of them will tend to be a load of shit. They have a team of reviewers so its different opinions all the time. Either way, reviews from anyone should be taken with a pinch of salt..unless, they come from people that you would usually have similar taste as and generally trust their opinion. If you think something looks good go see the damn thing! When i post reviews on here there are people baying for my blood sometimes! But Im just giving my take on it, I never tell anyone not to go see a movie..Just urge them not to:)
	BloodredNemesis - 12/3/2009, 3:57 AM Login to report abuse haha lmfao exactly......zzzzzzzzzzzzzz.....i wanna hear some exciting news, i aint a hater lol
	Growler - 12/3/2009, 4:38 AM Login to report abuse @ROR: The reason both of those publications give decent, well thought-out and honest reviews is that they're both British magazines and not subject to the kind of censure that American Magazines are if they don't toe the company line. The fact that the same multi-national companies that run the studios also run the major U.S. publishing houses may have something to do with the witless and by-the-numbers 'reviews' you have to suffer over on your side of the Atlantic, whereas over here, if a reviwer thinks a film is a waste of screen time, they'll give the movie the kicking it deserves because their integrity, and their respect of their readership, means more than Rupert Murdoch(or some other such evil, grab-nasty bastard)'s cash-flow oriented interfering.
	KeithM - 12/3/2009, 5:11 AM Login to report abuse So how do you explain Empire's (a British mag) clearly biased reviewing of big Hollywood tentpoles such as Superman Returns and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crock of Shit and others? I say "clearly", because the actual reviews for those read like the reviewers WANTED to tell us they were shit, but somehow couldn't... We had to rely on South Park to tell us like it was in Indy's case. (I believe Empire have retroactively marked both those films down since, but only after the movies have done their business at the BO) :cynical: British magazines are no less susceptible to Hollywood lucre and "exclusives" bribery than their American counterparts. Perhaps there is slightly less of that, because they're not American, but it's there all the same. And that makes their reviews - especially of big name tentpole films - suspect. I'm sure it doesn't happen on every big film, and sometimes it IS only a matter of taste, but that kind of favourable bias has happened enough to call their 'journalistic integrity' into question, that's for sure.
	RorMachine - 12/3/2009, 8:33 AM Login to report abuse So its inconceivable that the reviewers may have actually..shock/horror...liked those movies! I loved Superman Returns and although Empire's was a bit too glowing, I agreed with their review of it. Crystal Skull I didn't but Im sure the person that reviewed it liked it. After all, if they were bound by this "bribery" then after dedicating about 4 issues, 10 interviews and hyping the shit out of Wolverine, wouldn't they have given it more than 2 stars?
	jman1977 - 12/3/2009, 8:40 AM Login to report abuse gibbyblaylock dude, are you sure you have the slightest idea of what your talking about? We are already up to ears in spoilers and reviews about this or that before the movie gets out. That's part of what this site is all about. Before you start telling people to shut up, dude, take a step back from the computer, take a deep breath and then shut the hell up yourself. Just kiding, wait no Im not. Any movie production company in the world knows that the total gross of the opening weekend of any movie will blow any ad revenue from a website such as this or AICN or rotten, or whatever one you can wrap your mind around, out the water. Meaning that movie will make a ton more money then any ad revenue you think is happening. The secret is out guys, the internet is were it's at for reviews from common people, like me and you. That's why I wrote this article. All you haters your just that haters, it's to bad you waste your talent on your empty comments when you could actually be contributing something constructive. I know to many big words Im sorry.
	jman1977 - 12/3/2009, 8:44 AM Login to report abuse Keith M, Ror, Multi, Lee, Spock, ecksman, peterparker420,and Keven: sounds like you have a grasp on reality. Thanks for supporting the views in this article. I wrote it for fans like you crazy bastards. (I mean that in a good way)
	jman1977 - 12/3/2009, 8:47 AM Login to report abuse Hey Thwip: They didnt knock shit off of anyones shoulders. Nothing has changed since they left their comments. It's cool if that is there view, everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Even though they missed the point of this article completely (Viva La Revoloution) The crap tastic point Im making is theres nothing worse then an idiot that follows another idiot without the revealation of their own opinion. But hey good luck with that!
	XmutantX - 12/3/2009, 8:55 AM Login to report abuse If ur getting paid 2 review movies, than im sure u can be pursuaded by even more money 2 giv an untruthful review...ppl who actually look 2 movie reviews as a means on deciding whether 2 see the movie or not r dumb...we all hav different interests...u should let the trailor make up ur mind on whether a movie looks good or not..isnt that what they r there 4?...the fact that ppl can make money on simply giving there opinion is dumb..and the fact that ppl rely on this is even more dumb...in the end ur going 2 hav ur own opinion of the movie anywayz..no disrespect 2 J-man and Jonny Love (cus u guys contribute great stuff on here!)...but i dont get this...i hope atleast ur segments r entertaining...not jus ur opinion of a film ~X
	XmutantX - 12/3/2009, 9:00 AM Login to report abuse J-Man@wheres ur video from the halloween at the hall?? i was looking 4ward 2 that...did i miss it?? once again i hope u didnt take my las comment as a diss...i luv what u guys do on here and i support u 100%!!!!! ~X
	jman1977 - 12/3/2009, 9:15 AM Login to report abuse not at all xmutantx. Everyone has their own opinon and thats a god giving right. We try to make it entertaining but also to give our honest opinion of the movie, thats what people want, they dont want the "studio influenced so they can take 10 bucks of your back" review. Our whole point for starting the reviews was to have a down to earth feel. Our formula we go see the movie and then go film the review fresh, not sit on it for days but have a fresh take and an honest opinion. I ran an article with as many pics as I could but the video was too dark and you really couldnt see what was going on. I wanted to post something but unfortunately it didnt work out. The quality just wasnt there:) No worries we are doing more with super al in the months to come.
	gtrman - 12/3/2009, 9:44 AM Login to report abuse I've never listened to what some critic's opinion of a picture is. Who gives a shit. Some ass is going to give his opinion and get paid for it? Hell I give my opinions every day and I don't see a penny. I'd MUCH rather hear from an unpaid common man what he thought of a movie than some shill at a paper or with a TV show. I'll ALWAYS get a more honest answer. Thanks Jman
	XmutantX - 12/3/2009, 9:53 AM Login to report abuse J-man@sweet! super al is the sh!t...I am saving up 2 visit his museum..(i liv in maine)...r u seeing avatar the day it opens or do u get 2 see it be4?...I look 4ward 2 ur post either way how come jonny love is neva on here? tell him we all said whats up! take care ~X
	CorndogBurglar - 12/3/2009, 11:14 AM Login to report abuse to say you do it "better" is pushing it a little. i think it depends on what the reviewer prefers. remember, these things are the reviewers opinions. not facts. i find myself agreeing with jman and johnny a LOT more than your average joe-blow movie reviewer. but that doesn't mean anything. jman and johnny are OBVIOUSLY fans of comics and all things nerd related. (much like all of us!) but to say they are better because they share a lot of the opinions we do, is a little crazy. a comic fan is much more apt to like a CBM than someone who thinks comics are for kids.
	flames809 - 12/3/2009, 1:48 PM Login to report abuse i dnt really care what the ppl have to say about a movie cause ppl have a different view in movies
	StrangerX - 12/3/2009, 3:56 PM Login to report abuse It's about time. The reviews from comic fans are always great to read, and will be the first I read before any known critic.
	TheGeekFiles - 12/3/2009, 5:43 PM Login to report abuse Well, of course. Comic fans and geeks are going to read reviews by other comic fans and geeks. There's nothing new in this. The young generation have always wanted to have a voice and rebel against the norm. Once they did it with punk rock, then with the rave culture, now it's with social networking sites and websites. Every youth generation has found a way to unite and have a voice of their own, it's all part of growing up. Traditional media and printed material will still survive. When radio expanded in the 60s, they said it would kill newspapers. It didn't. Then when TV boomed, they said that would kill newspapers. It didn't. Then when cable/satellite came along they said that would kill newspapers. It didn't. Then when 24-hour news channels came along they said that would kill newspapers. It didn't. Then when the internet boomed, they said that would kill newspapers. It didn't. None of those things have killed newspapers. Newspapers have embraced the internet and done very well out it - they have websites where a single story or a single picture can get millions and millions of clicks a day. The threat to newspapers has come from the recession making advertisers cut their advertising budgets, not from a few geeky sites online. You need to put this in perspective. Young people have never purchased and read newspapers, so this particular youth geek culture isn't a threat to print press. There's nothing wrong with having a voice, and with having your own reviews, and having sites like this, but it's only a part of that great thing called life and the real world.
	JohnyToTheLove - 12/4/2009, 11:42 AM Login to report abuse Whats up Bitches, I have arrived. Hide your Women and cover your vagina's!! The Doctor has entered the building!
	gibbyblaylock - 12/5/2009, 11:04 PM Login to report abuse Jman Settle down little fella. My post wasn't meant to be hostile. I think that the article IS valid. I was just proposing that we keep this stuff on the QT. I'm not saying that it's the film production bigwigs that stand to benefit from an embargo overhaul but the big money online and print fan magazines. With the embargo in place, real fan-made sites like this and batman-on-film and the like have a voice and are considered relevant at least. But without it, the sites and mags with more money and resources will have an edge on the little guy and real fan-run sites like this may not be able to compete. It should be obvious that I'm joking. I don't really believe that keeping quiet about this fact is going to help much. I'm sure the fatcats are well aware of this and poised to pounce on that pesky embargo and corner the market on internet CBM type gossip. I just hope that when that happens that sites like this can hold onto their advertisers and not get trampled on by the evil corporate giants.
	gibbyblaylock - 12/5/2009, 11:12 PM Login to report abuse On the other hand, I believe that true fans will stay loyal to good sites like CBM even if the big boys like WIZARD or EW or whomever are allowed to drop spoilers or early reviews pre-opening. Real fans know to appreciate the opinions of fellow fans rather than that of some pompous critic from Rolling Stone or The Chicago Sun Times who has probably never even read a comic in his stinking life.

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