Showtime!

1. Showtime! Writing the Movie Review

2. Why write movie reviews • As a service to our readers • To call attention to things that deserve it

3. What Should Be Included • Short Plot summary—enough so your readers know about the movie, but not so much that you spoil it.

4. Here’s a poor example • In the beginning Princess Leia and her droids R2D2 and C3PO are on ship that is overtaken by Darth Vader, an evil lord. Right before they are captured, Princess Leia loads a secret message onto R2s Hard drive. Luckily, R2 and 3PO escape to a desert planet. There, they’re captured by a bunch of pint-sized roving junk traders called Jawas. Meanwhile, Leia has been taken prisoner by Darth Vader. Later, R2 and 3PO are bought by the family of a young farmer, Luke Skywalker who is a typical bored teenager looking for adventure. When R2 Runs away to deliver the message Leia loaded into him, Luke goes out to chase the droids. When he finds them they are attacked by sand people only to be rescued by a strange old hermit named Ben Kenobi who takes Luke and the droids home for tea before telling them that he is a surviving member of the ancient order of Jedi Knights . . . (GET THE PICTURE)

5. A Better Example • Star Wars is the story young Luke Skywalker, an adventurous farm boy who finds himself thrown into the middle of a galactic Civil War. Along the way, he journeys from his home planet Tatoine across the galaxy with the droids C3PO and R2D2 and his mentor figure, Obi-Wan Kenobi, a member of the ancient order of Jedi Knights. Hooking up with a rogue smuggler named Han Solo, the group attempts to liberate captured Princess Leia from the clutches of Darth Vader and the Evil Empire, setting in motion a string of excellent battles and adventures.

6. Discussion of What Works and Doesn’t Work • This will vary from film to film, but some common elements you may want to discuss include. • Plot • Acting • Direction (pace, camera angles, overall look, feel) • Dialogue • Special Effects

7. Remember. . . • Where possible, use some concrete examples, but don’t give too much away. • EX: “Among Star Wars’ many highlights are the incredibly realistic dogfight scenes. In one of the best, director Lucas places the camera behind Luke and Han in the ship’s gun turrets while enemy fighters zoom in for attack. This technique reminded me of some of thrilling World War II footage (albeit, with spaceships instead of fighter planes) and helps the director put the viewer in the middle of the action in a way few films do. In fact, a look around the theatre showed audience members grabbing their seats and leaning back and forth in their seat as if trying to outmaneuver blows from the Imperial fighters—a sure sign that Lucas achieves his goal in these thrilling sequences. • EX: “whatever Lucas’ strengths as a director of action, as a writer of dialogue, he could use some help. All of the characters speak in the wooden language of 1940’s action films. While this fits the film’s matinee feel, it doesn’t leave a lot of room for character development or particularly memorable lines. Its to the cast’s credit that they are able to play this off straight enough to keep their lines from being unintentionally funny.

8. IF RELEVANT. . . • Comparisons to other works by the same director, actor, or in the same genre. • Don’t overdue this. . . A famous philosopher once said “comparisons are odious.” I wouldn’t go that far, but they can be the lazy writer’s ultimate crutch. Not every film has to be seen in terms of some other film.

9. TOP 5 THINGS TO AVOID 5. Unfair bias—don’t say Friday The 13th Part 45, The Final, Final Chapter, This Time We Really Mean It stunk because horror movies are just terrible.” Say it stunk because it had terrible acting and didn’t even find original (or particularly scary ways to kill the poor helpless victims)

10. TOP 5 Things To Avoid 4. Unnecessary Plot giveaways. (or, if you absolutely, positively MUST give away key secret plot points, warn your audience that a giveaway is coming. Roger Ebert does this a lot and he usually prefaces it by saying something like “SPOILER ALERT”)

11. TOP 5 Things to Avoid • OVERINTELLECTUALIZING There’s a place for dry, stuffy, overly-intellectual movie reviews. We like to call it the New York Times. The place is NOT student publication. Keep it loose—but don’t get silly. Remember, you’re writing for high school sophomores.

12. TOP 5 Things to Avoid 2. TOO MUCH PLOT SUMMARY. This is not a book report. We want to provide a service to our readers—but that service isn’t saving them the two hours it would take to watch the flick by simply summarizing it in full.

13. TOP 5 Things to Avoid 1. Being an arrogant critic and talking down to the audience. Movies more than anything else are the medium of the people. We might think we know more and have better taste than the audience. We probably do. But. . . Our service to them means we aren’t here to put them down or make them feel stupid—its to try to get them to see thingsin a new way, or try something new. If we come off as holier than thou, they won’t.

14. VOICE? • You have more flexibility • First person is often appropriate, if it fits the tone of the review or your style. • Informality also not a bad thing.

15. Looking for Inspiration? • Watch Ebert and Roper if you can (you can also subscribe to the podcast at iTunes, if that’s your thing) • Internet Movie Database www.imdb.com (great for info and links to reviews etc) • www.suntimes/ebert • www.rollingstone.com • www.netflix.com • www.amazon.com • Entertainment Weekly • Friday Newspapers • Try to avoid checking out other reviews until you know what you want to say.