What makes a good review?

There were some strong opinions on the paparazzo feature story we read last week, and that's good, because we're turning now to reviews, which also rely on opinion and analysis. First we are going to read this one in class, about the film Contagion. Then, you are going to search the web for the good, the bad, and the snark. (What is snark? See this book about it).

In class activity instructions: Search online for a review of a film, book, album, or video game. For ideas, try sites like Amazon, RottenTomatoes, and Pitchfork, and then search for a web magazine or blog review (not user-generated). Alternatively, you could start your search at an online magazine or blog. Once you've found a review, determine whether it is good, bad, or too snarky, using the following criteria:

Summary: the review gives you a good description of the film/book/album/game.

Point of view: the reviewer has an opinion/thesis and supports it with examples. You can easily tell whether the reviewer likes or dislikes the film/book/album/game and why.

Balance: There's a good balance of summary v. point of view (about half and half).

Authority: the reviewer has a strong, knowledgeable voice that makes the point of view persuasive.

Tone: Is the strength of the point of view in the argument/thesis, or does the reviewer rely heavily on “snark,” which is snide, mean-spirited, and often lacking substance.

Homework: write a review of the review and post to your blog (linking of course!). You may or may not be familiar with the book/film/album/game that is being reviewed.