*** Over 100 reviews in 9 months: Thank You for supporting me HTF membership! (1 Viewer)

[Frank ten Hove]

Thanks Ron for the reviews, I always enjoy them.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED = Purchase!

Thanks again!

 

[Iain Brown]

Ron, Thanks for the reviews, they are very informative and have led to me picking up quite a few releases that I would not normally have considered. The effort that both you and Parker put in to this forum is greatly appreciated - Keep up the great work.

 

[Jon_B]

Thanks for recommending so many excellent movies.
Jon

 

[Robert_eb]

I realy enjoy your reveiws and look forward to them. Ron, have you ever thought about having another member help review or maybe have a Ebert/Roeper style format in reviewing these films and the DVD quailty? That might be intresting reading.

 

[Michael D. Bunting]

Out of Ron's 106 reviews...I think I have purchased about 105 titles
My Visa card thanks you Ron...and I do too!

 

[Kevin Silence]

Ron,
I appreciate your reviews.
I am glad you are not a "Professional" reviewer. How much do you get paid? $0. You do this all out of passion. How dare anyone question your comments. "Professionals" need to remember that good writing should come from the heart. Otherwise, they won't be in business for long.
The best thing I can suggest is KISS- Keep It Simple Stupid. I don't want to read a highly technical review with stats and numbers that go over my head. That does not tell me if the movie is good or not. I'm the uneducated "stupid" guy. For an example, I liked your review of Bandits, and your comments with an example picture concerning the lady's red hair. When I watched the movie afterwards, I couldn't stop looking at the colors, particularly her hair. The video transfer example that you gave was not over my head. It just made sense.
Keep up you "Amateur" reviews. They are much better than the so-called "Professional" reviews. BTW, how does one become a professional? Are there really any actual skills that truly separate them for everyone else? No. Are their opinions and writing skills really much better than yours or mine? No.
BTW, I am fairly new to home theater. I recently purchased my first DVD player and a Kenwood HTB-544. The reason I like this site is everyone is respectful of everyone else. There are people on this stie who have spent $1,000s of dollars on their systems, but they don't snub their noses at us newbies. I appreciate that and value all responsible opinions.
Keep up the good work.
Kevin

 

[Scott Weinberg]

Ron,
If a "pro critic" sent you an email to complain about your writing, allow me to counter that:
You do a damn good job. Period. Keep it up.
I know only too well how frustrating it can be to have a backlog of 3 or 4 (or more!) DVDs and the pressure to get those reviews out in a hurry!
(I was so impressed with your Sneak Peek of Spider-Man that I submitted it to Dark Horizons. Click here and scan down to the Reviews section. )

 

[SteveK]

Ron- I always enjoy reading your reviews. I particularly remember your recent review of "What's Eating Gilbert Grape" in which you shared the story of your father's enthusiasm for movies in general, and this movie in particular. You obviously "inherited" your love of movies, and your love of movies is obvious in your reviews.

I'm also looking forward to your reviews of Disney films. I can hardly wait to see how badly you take them to task when they send you a P&S only release! Seriously, I'm hoping they'll heed the current uproar and abandon their foolish P&S only ideas.

Keep up the good work, Ron.

Steve K.

 

[Jose Arellano]

Ron, I'm mostly a lurker, coming on this site and reading threads for at least an hour every day since I registered, although I don't post much. The first place I go to when I come on here is the review section at the top to see if you've reviewed anything new. I love the way you do the reviews, and you convinced me to buy Moulin Rouge, which I too swore I'd never see based on the previews, and loved it. I tis now one of my favorite movies. On your recommendations, I've also bought Bandits, Training Day, Bull Durham without having seen them before in the theaters of on tv(BD). I hope you keep reviewing as long as possible, and as someone said earlier, if you put HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, that means buy it now! Thanks.

 

[Daniel L]

But I rather read your review with the so called "grammatical lapses " than a " Official DVD Reviewer that may get paid by Studios to always find a positive spin to a DVD and not be totally honest on there reviews.

Ok, I've keep quiet about this enough...

As a one time "Official DVD Reviewer" I'd like to know where those studio paychecks, to buy me off, went. Outside of the free product, which is exactly the same thing Ron is receiving, I never saw a dime.

The issue I've had, and still have with Ron's reviews is not his grammatical errors, we all have lapses. I have a problem with his tendancy not to get the simple technical aspects straight.

When he wrote his review of the Dirty Harry set and claimed the films were in 2.0 (when they were clearly labeled and encoded as 5.1), he lost all credibilty at that moment.

When he haphazardly writes a review in advance, and plugs in the wrong information into the technical specs, such as his oversigth with A.I. (Reviewing the "full-frame" version before he even had the finished product) and Black Knight. (Still listed as the wrong aspect ratio, unless someone has been allowed to correct him.)

The reailty is this, HTF, The Digital Bits, DVDReview and DVDFile are nothing more than marketing tools for the studios. We need them, but to be honest, they don't need us. As soon as a studio feels they no longer need the additional PR, they'll cut everyone off faster than you can say, "Why aren't you reviewing this title?"

Daniel L

 

[Scott Weinberg]

The reailty is this, HTF, The Digital Bits, DVDReview and DVDFile are nothing more than marketing tools for the studios.

I don't know what's more sad: the fact that you think this is true, or that you'd still frequent a site that's nothing more than a 'marketing tool'. If I agreed with this sentiment, there's no way I'd step foot in here again. (Why someone would knowingly whore themselves out to a "marketing tool" without getting paid is beyond me.)
I'm not trying to make enemies here, but your comments reek of bitter sour grapes. If you think Ron's reviews are crap, read someone else's. I respect the courage of your convictions to post something this contrary, but I think your logic is faulty at best.

 

[Joseph Young]

Bravo, Scott.

Outside of the free product, which is exactly the same thing Ron is receiving, I never saw a dime.

Sounds like sour grapes to me.
I have always enjoyed Ron's reviews because he never tries to glut the subtext of his reviews with that maddening faux intellectualism that many online reviewers do. I think his style is unpretentious and I appreciate it.
Back to the topic at hand, which is basically Ron thanking us for supporting the HTF and his endeavors here, I say:
Keep up the good work, Ron!
Joseph

 

[Horatio Jones]

daniel-

you won't find many who agree with you here. they've all drank the kool aid. on top of that if you speak out against Ron you may find yourself on the outside looking in. Anyhow let's get this thread back on track: Ron you are a god, thanks for all your hard work. We are all in awe of your amazing ability to some how fit in a 40 hour work week with watching 8 free movies a week as well. You are a true hero.

 

[Michael St. Clair]

than marketing tools for the studios.

I don't think that's a fair statement with the 'nothing more' part.
These sites have lobbied studios for changes in practices and have been very critical of certain policies.
Yes, when a studio sends out promotional discs for review, it is one of the smartest uses of marketing dollars. And in the last few years, the studios have recognized that fan sites are a lot more favorable on content than professional critics are...so they are sending out more discs and catering to these sites.
But as long as sites like HTF keep pushing on issues like OAR, and releasing quality back-catalog titles, they are not 'nothing more' than a marketing tool. The sword has two edges.

 

[Peter Overduin]

Ok, I've keep quiet about this enough...

As a now former-all-the-time wanna-be "Official DVD Reviewer" so I can get free DVDs, I'd like to know where the thousands of dollars I given to studios, to buy me off through Ron's reviews, went. I deeply resent being confronted and being forced to read unsolicited reviews from Ron, resulting in no free product to me which is exactly what Ron is receiving, (even if it is to compensate for the many hours he spends reviewing out of a labour of love - never mind he might need them to actually do a review; that is irrelevant). I never see a dime of free product despite the many hours I spend shopping for it. I should be compensated for my shopping efforts.

The issue I've had, and still have with Ron's reviews is not his grammatical errors, I too have many serious mental lapses sometimes. I have a problem with his tendancy not to get the simple technical aspects straight. This bothers me tremendously because I am sure I would buy far more DVDs if I understood what the hell the technical issues in relation to the DVDs I want to buy before they come out, were in the first place. Why would I buy a DVD of a film I love and have greatly anticipated, substantiated by Ron's easy-to-read and understand reviews, if all the 'i's' were not dotted and the 't's' not crossed. Do you folks thinks me das fool?

When he wrote his review of the Dirty Harry set and claimed the films were in 2.0 (when they were clearly labeled and encoded as 5.1 - geez Ron), he lost all credibilty at that moment. How he could make a mistake on this major release is mind-boggling. To be sure, I would never have bought that if I caught the error, even if the DVD is 5.1 - if the reviewer gets it wrong, which Ron did, I should not buy the disk. After all, everything depends on the review. How can I in good conscience buy a DVD when Ron made an error in his review? Tsk.

When he haphazardly writes a review in advance, and plugs in the wrong information into the technical specs, such as his oversigth with A.I. (Reviewing the "full-frame" version before he even had the finished product) and Black Knight. The A.I. viewing experience I had was seriously compromised and scandalized by Ron reviewing the unfinsihed full-frame DVD. I had already decided I wanted the DVD after watching the movie in theaters but he wrecked the experience for me by his cavalier approach. (Still listed as the wrong aspect ratio, unless someone has been allowed to correct him.) I have decided not to buy Black Knight; it is Ron's fault.

The reailty is this, HTF, The Digital Bits, DVDReview and DVDFile are nothing more than marketing tools for the studios and I am tired of reading reviews on a site where clearly the studios are calling the shots. Clearly, since I want to be consistent with myself, I must include Bill Hunt, Peter Bracke and others as studio groupies, who along with Ron, also lack credibility. Obviously, if those sites are marketing tools for studios, the guys running them are equally without credibility. I, on the other hand, am a professional. We need the studios, but to be honest, they don't need us. We need them to make movies so we can buy the DVDs, but we are consumers so they clearly don't need us. )I'm not sure I understand myself with that statement, but I know I'm right! I also need them so one day I can maybe be a DVD reviewer again and get free DVDs). As you can tell, I am a professional writer. As soon as a studio feels they no longer need the additional PR, they'll cut everyone, especially the unpaid, unprofessional enthusiast reviewers, off faster than you can say, "Why aren't you reviewing this title?" Then, finally, I won't have to come her to the HTF everyday to read Ron's reviews or talk to other HT enthusiasts who don't appear to know yet that that Ron (and Bill and Peter et al) lack credibility. I will be able to make all my buying decisions based on the trailers I see in the TV ads, which I am sure are far more objective than Ron. Besides, they look pretty, never contain faulty information and sound like they are all 5.1.

Peter-the-Ron-fan-O

(sorry...I couldn't resist!)

 

[Mark_vdH]

LOL
And Ron: keep up the (very) good work!

 

[Horatio Jones]

The reailty is this, HTF, The Digital Bits, DVDReview and DVDFile are nothing more than marketing tools for the studios.

I agree. Not just the studios though, it's also a marketing tool for better or worse for cables (Better Cables) and equipment (SVS and Outlaw).

 

[Bobby T]

Your reviews are the only written ones that I read or use to decide whether to watch a particular movie or not.

 

[Robert George]

Some of you can dismiss Daniel's comments as "sour grapes" if you want to, but remember you are making a judgement from the outside, not the inside.

Having done this (reviews) longer than most on the internet, I can tell you that most of what Daniel says is true, at least from the studios' perspective. Yes, this and other sites, including mine, are looked at as marketing tools by the studios. As long as there is preceived value as a marketing tool, we will continue to get discs to review. This does not, however, make internet sites "pawns" of a studio. Some of you are wrongly reading that connotation into Daniel's comments.

Oh yeah, Horatio, I agree that there are not that many that will agree with Daniel here, and you should pick your gods more carefully.

 

[Michael Martin]

Ron, just a word of thanks for the reviews and effort. I mostly lurk, but really appreciate all that HTF has to offer, and I appreciate that you and the other admins have worked VERY HARD to create a place online that is friendly, courteous, and that the studios (sometimes!) watch.

While I don't always agree with your taste in movies, I almost always read your reviews, as I like that you are NOT a jaded, professional critic. You're a guy who wants to be entertained, moved and excited by visual storytelling. That comes through in your reviews, and is a great aspect of them.

I also really like that you keep your reviews pretty jargon-free...I am still very much a home theather newbie, and your reviews tell me about the DVD's technical qualities without making me feel like I need an engineering degree from CalTech to understand them.

Kudos and keep up the great work!