Django Unchained & Girls

Django Unchained Reviews by Roger Ebert, David Denby & Armond White

Reading Roger Ebert’s review, it’s very apparent that he has been writing for some time. For starters, he has the longest review of all three yet the most entertaining. Second, he knows his audience. David Denby’s article follows the same flow of Ebert, praising Tarintino for being an artist and pushing the ethical envelope, but, unlike Ebert, Denby spends time with elaborate words that only complicate the reading for a more general audience. Denby’s audience seems to be a more educated group while Ebert writes for the masses. 

Ebert’s article doesn’t necessarily praise Tarintino but understand why he writes the way he does – he explains “QT’s” forward thinking and avant-garde art for being different and explosive. Denby seems to think that Quentin Tarintino is to “in love” with himself and his words. He seems to respect the movie, Django Unchained, as a whole but not when the script is dissected which includes Tarintino’s long, wordy scenes.

Armond White, however, takes a different approach to his review. Instead of praising Tarintino throughout, he focuses on Samuel L. Jackson’s character and the references to Uncle Tom’s Cabin, which then leads into more of an evaluation on Tarintino’s work.

“Girls” Review by Todd VanDerWertf

I have never watched “Girls” before. This article is different than the reviews on Django because this critic watches every episode and has a very clear understanding of what they think the show should be so anything that is a little different and unexpected might not be what they wanted to see. Also, “Girls” and Django have very different tones to them so the articles are different. While the Django articles focus on Tarintino and his art, the “Girls” critic focuses on the show’s dialogue and characters instead of the writers and the other creative people behind the scenes. I haven’t seen Django Unchained either but it I was able to follow what the critics were saying much easier because there wasn’t much history behind what you see in that 2 hours in the theatre. For “Girls” it’s harder because I don’t know the background and the characters of the show. The audience for this piece was aimed for people who watch “Girls” on a regular occasion (AKA, not me).

So Many Critics

But I've narrowed it down to three. I don't actually follow any critics at this point in time but I looked into a few different ones and these are the ones I chose. I decided to pick TV critics since that is the medium that I focus on. Here are three critics I decided to talk about and why.

Anne Louise Bannon

http://yourfamilyviewer.com/

If you go to Anne Bannon's website you will see that her format is very easy to follow. She reviews a wide variety of shows, most of which I've never heard of. It's really more of a site for parents to look at and see if it's okay for the children to watch a specific show but because it is so friendly to use, it's practical to everyone. She gives three ratings for every show she watches. She bases the ratings on friendly, safety and quality. She then gives a brief synopsis, her opinion and where you can view the show. Bannon has been blogging and critiquing since June 2008. Her reviews make it easy for me to see if I would enjoy the show or not.

John Kiesewetter

http://cincinnati.com/blogs/tv/

I chose John Kiesewetter because he writes for media in Cincinnati. I'm a native of Cincinnati and, as of right now, that is where I will be returning after graduation. He's very relatable since he grew up in the area and everything he posts, I understand where he is talking about, from different high schools to different areas of the city. Kiesewetter not only writes about Cincinnati and television but different mediums and gossip. He is 2nd love is baseball which influences his writing, especially around this time of year. He is also an OU alum and has been on the set of several different shows including "Seinfeld," "Raymond," "The West Wing," "Cheers," and has had many years of experience interviewing different celebrities. What I love most about Kiesewetter is you can tell he loves his job and that makes him worth reading because he is honest and passionate about what he is writing.

Melanie McFarland

http://tv.blog.imdb.net/

Being a media major, there are very few things I like more than IMDb.com. What I love even more? A critic who writes for IMDbTV. Melanie McFarland doesn't write and critique as much as some other authors but she covers a few select shows and big events in television. She mainly focuses on ABC's schedule and events though. This includes ABC's coverage of the Golden Globes most recently. While McFarland's coverage is longer and more in depth, it includes details and commentary that highlight how she feels about different shows and doesn't really leave you guessing. With a straight shot like that, it's pretty easy to form an opinion of a show when you have someone who is so passionate about writing and getting her opinion and thoughts out there.