I've become pretty skeptical about Rotten Tomatoes rating system

[bif]

I usually check it before I watch a movie. If the critics give it a 50% or higher, I'll give it a shot. But when they give a movie super high marks, the movie often disappoints. They seem to like dialogue heavy, esoteric movies. Case in point, they loved "The Lovers." I got about 30 minutes into it and had to stop. It was supposed to be a dark comedy, but it was about people not communicating. I found it almost Bergmanesque. And believe me, I'm not into shoot-em-up action movies for the most part. But I tend to put more faith in the audience scores. Any thoughts?

[Bettie]

1. I tend toward the audience scores as well

because with that there is more diversity of opinion.

Different people like different things. If the majority of the audience likes something, it tends to be, at very least, entertaining.

Critics tend to look at movies through a different lens.

When I was in college, I took a class from a guy who wrote several textbooks on film theory and history.

We asked him what his favorite movie was and he said he didn't have a favorite really, but that he loved almost every movie for what it was. Not every film is a masterpiece and not every film has to be one.

The trick, he said, was not to expect anything specific, but to take the ride and experience it. If it is based on a book, don't expect it to BE the book, because film has a very different way of telling a story than the written word, just enjoy it for what it is, not what you expect it to be.

He also said that some movies are awful and to accept that sometimes you're going to get a dud, but at least there's popcorn!

Taking this to heart has taught me to enjoy things for what they are. I can watch a movie based on a book and be happy with the story, even if it isn't what I saw as I read it.

Whew...I'm long-winded today. Sorry!

[bif]

4. "...but at least there's popcorn!"

I love it. I've reached the point, just like with reading, that life is too short to slog through something you don't enjoy. I give a book 50 pages. And I give a movie 20 to 30 minutes. Then it's time to move on.

[braddy]

2. Professional movie reviewers have sucked for generations.

[SWBTATTReg]

3. Funny. I agree w/ you re. the movie rating service. As a matter of fact, I view all rating ...

services (politicians, books, food critics, you name it, etc. the same), you don't rely at all on what others tell you since they don't have your personal experiences, knowledge level, etc. in mind when they rate stuff.

Polls for example on DU. I swear there must be a new poll every single day and sometimes multiple polls. Why so many I wonder? When I see a poll, especially when so far out from when primaries are scheduled, I wonder immediately as to the true rationale and motivation of those publishing poll results. It's to the point that I don't trust any polls what-so-ever since I think those pushing the release of poll results have some hidden agenda or motivation in mind (which they generally don't reveal to others). This immediately raises issues in my mind as to the true agenda of those publishing poll results, and worse, they've ruined the validity of any future polls (participating in or analyzing them), because they are so many of them. Maybe they'll reconsider in the future the value of publishing polls, but I doubt that they'll stop.

Perhaps DU needs to have a central point to consolidate the publishing of polls and / or results, which would take away any 'hidden' agenda or purposes, when someone publishes a poll. But, IMHO, I could care less if I see any polls for the next six months or so.

[Phoenix61]

5. I watched the whole movie but am completely confused about how they decided it was a comedy.

I've noticed that about a lot of what they call comedies. I always thought those were movies that made you laugh.

[bif]

7. I agree. I always thought a comedy was supposed to make you laugh.

Maybe they should describe a movie as "amusing" and not comedy.

[Beringia]

6. Not sure about Rotten tomatoes

I guess I will listen if the argument makes sense about why I wouldn't like it. But often I can tell by the reviews that it might be my cup of tea after all, even with bad reviews. I think the web is mostly run by 30-somethings, so I don't expect that age range to have my tastes.

I just watched a movie called Crush with Marcia Gay Harden the other day and it got 1 review on Rotten Tomatoes, that was bad, but I liked the plot, and I like Harden, so I tried it, and I found it very good indeed, at least for my tastes.

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/crush_1993