We’ve gotten two reviews today, one of which will help sell tickets (Detroit Free Press), and one which will not (Lansing City Pulse). Both make some valid points, and both make some assertions that I disagree with wholeheartedly.
It’s interesting, as I’ve discussed, reading reviews. You have to have them, I suppose, but you’d prefer to ignore them. The two that came out today, for instance: One talks about how wonderful a particular performance was, and the other talks about how much they disliked that exact same performance. So, as we’ve known all along: Art is subjective. Still, though, we rely on these reviews to “Get the word out” – it’s cheaper than advertising.
I wonder, though, how many people in the world base whether they go to a play on the reviews? How many people rule out going to a show because of a review? And do we do it differently with movies, or books, or albums? And if so…why?
Tony Caselli 
Reviews
I never pay any attention to what the “critics” say about a particular movie or play. Because I learned long ago that I disagree with most of them. A fine example: I HATED the movie American Beauty. It was 2 wasted hours of my life that I’ll never get back. And yet, it was raved about and won Oscars left and right. I feel the same way about “Leaving Las Vegas”. So if I want to go see something, I go, despite what Stuffy McUppity and Sir Nosenseofhumor have to say about it.
Like you said, it’s all free advertising. And if the review is really bad, some people will go just to see how bad it really is! Whatever, a ticket sale is a ticket sale. ha ha
Re: Reviews
*laughing*
Stuffy McUppity?!
So the thing that I’m hearing from you is that a bad review from something won’t stop you from going, but a good review also won’t encourage you to go – you decide based solely on the advertising and how that’s made you respond? Interesting. We need to do more advertising, then! (Which we’ve known, but are budget-challenged in that arena…so we’re trying to find cheap/underground/new and inventive ways to do it (like everyone else on the planet!)
Thanks for sharing!
I have gone out of my way to see something a reviewer has raved about, but I’ve never let a bad review deter me. And this is why– I think that people are generally grumpy and critics even more so. Life is hard. A bad review can be caused by all sorts of things that have nothing to do with what’s being reviewed. Extraordinarily sad and unfair, but true.
Now a good review– that means that whatever the writer’s baseline grumpitude was when he started out, the play or movie was able to break through that and motivate him to be nice.
For some critics (who think it is their JOB to be “critical”), a good review is rare and people who read them regularly know their prejudices and pet peeves. There are probably as many readers who disagree with that sort of critic and whose interest might be perked as easily by a negative review as by a postive one from that particular critic– depending on what *they* like.
It will be interesting to see if you notice any reaction to the conflicting reviews.
I think that people are generally grumpy, and critics even more so.
That made me laugh! 🙂
I’m so glad you commented, I know that you sometimes do film reviews for your paper, and it’s great to get your thoughts on this. That’s a great way to look at – breaking through the writer’s baseline grumpitude – because it’s gotta be true: we all have days when we have our jobs, and our work reflects that.
I don’t mind when a reviewer is critical, as long as they’re fair about it. Just like when a reviewer is positive: either way, you have to take it, as with ANY comments about the play by anyone, and use what’s useful and throw the rest away.
I also hope that the average audience member responds as you do to reviews: If it’s a rave, I hope that convinces them to go when they might otherwise not have, but if it’s mediocre, I hope that doesn’t convince them NOT to go when they’ve been interested!
Thanks, Mary!