About > Review System
Here I will describe my approach to reviewing and critiquing different media.
When reviewing a story or piece of art I think there are 4 main questions:
- Did I enjoy it (and why)?
- Who do I think will enjoy it?
- Is it executed well technically?
- Does it provide value?
The same work may review very differently on each of these points. A work may be enjoyable, but not executed well (so bad it’s good). Or I might not enjoy it, but I can tell it is for a different audience or aesthetic (for me, most of the horror genre). Or maybe it has some philosophical or historic value independent of being enjoyable or up to modern standards (a lot of “classics”).
Most of my reviews will start with a brief overview where I try to categorize each of those points (although I may skip one if it’s unremarkable). Second, there will be a more in-depth but spoiler-free discussion of what I thought was good and bad. Sometimes I will end with a spoiler-heavy discussion of things that really struck me or that I loved, or things I would do differently.
I’m not going to attempt to be up to date or current with my reviews. I watch and play many things when they go on sale, hit streaming or Redbox services, or are otherwise available on a budget (I will tag these as #Untimely reviews). Some of my reviews I put out on other platforms before (like Facebook) and are simply a #Repost with maybe some cleanup and clarifications.
I tend to want to review things that I feel strongly about, either because I loved them or hated them, so you may notice that divide, or think that I’m overly harsh on things, but it is more likely just a skewed sample. And, even things I love I tend to want to talk about how I would make them even better (in my opinion).
So I hope you enjoy my reviews!