Cliches in Entertainment Criticism

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This i the thread where we list cliches in book or movie criticism/review. I'll start us off:

"Dazzling wordplay"
"Compulsively readable"
"Delicious" anything (possibly excepting restaurant reviews)

― Lucas R, Thursday, 7 August 2003 05:55 (twenty-two years ago)

use other words please

― nnnh oh oh nnnh nnnh oh (James Blount), Thursday, 7 August 2003 05:58 (twenty-two years ago)

"Like x on acid"

― Bob Six (bobbysix), Thursday, 7 August 2003 06:21 (twenty-two years ago)

"Breathtaking cinematography"

― Girolamo Savonarola, Thursday, 7 August 2003 06:24 (twenty-two years ago)

I have to go back downstairs so I can hook up with Amanda!
But since I'm drunk I migtha as well add my insights;
CRITICISM sucks.
Critics are a tick on the ass of socie ty; sorry, those of
you who may be critics, but music critics are totally unnessecary
in my opinon
THE LIMBIC LIZARD LIVES ON

― Squirrel_Police (Squirrel_Police), Thursday, 7 August 2003 06:27 (twenty-two years ago)

those are good cliches, though you don't come across the 'downstairs with Amanda' one much anymore (Tony Scott used in the his Lizzie McGuire review I think).

― nnnh oh oh nnnh nnnh oh (James Blount), Thursday, 7 August 2003 06:35 (twenty-two years ago)

"I loved it. It was better than Cats. I'm going to see it again and again."

― phil-two (phil-two), Thursday, 7 August 2003 07:09 (twenty-two years ago)

haha!

― nnnh oh oh nnnh nnnh oh (James Blount), Thursday, 7 August 2003 07:32 (twenty-two years ago)

"It's like X meets Y produced by Z...on acid!"

― oops (Oops), Thursday, 7 August 2003 07:34 (twenty-two years ago)

"It's Die Hard, on a ****"

― phil-two (phil-two), Thursday, 7 August 2003 07:37 (twenty-two years ago)

"Wickedly funny"

― Chriddof (Chriddof), Thursday, 7 August 2003 10:57 (twenty-two years ago)

"deft prose"
"astonishing debut"
"acerbic wit"

― Susan (Susan), Thursday, 7 August 2003 11:11 (twenty-two years ago)

"good," "bad"

― NA (Nick A.), Thursday, 7 August 2003 11:22 (twenty-two years ago)

"innovative", "cheezy"(any spelling), two words that should be retired forever

― dave q, Thursday, 7 August 2003 11:36 (twenty-two years ago)

Ending a review with some comment on how this bodes well or poorly for the artist's future, or reflects promise or suggests they're doomed. Because you can't think of a sharper ending so you cop out for a nice send-off.

― Chris Dahlen (Chris Dahlen), Thursday, 7 August 2003 14:03 (twenty-two years ago)

"[actor] is mesmerising in the role of [character]"

― robster (robster), Thursday, 7 August 2003 14:19 (twenty-two years ago)

"A transcendent experience"

― amateurist (amateurist), Thursday, 7 August 2003 14:24 (twenty-two years ago)

I've never understood the use of "mesmerizing" as a compliment. Surely sending someone into a sleep-like state is not the goal of acting.

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Thursday, 7 August 2003 14:25 (twenty-two years ago)

But "mesmerize" just means to enthrall, to force someone to give their entire attentions over to you.

― amateurist (amateurist), Thursday, 7 August 2003 14:32 (twenty-two years ago)

ITEM!
http://graphics.theonion.com/onion_global/jackie_harvey.jpg

― jaymc (jaymc), Thursday, 7 August 2003 16:04 (twenty-two years ago)

It was a joke, amateurist. At the expense of poor Franz Mesmer.

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Thursday, 7 August 2003 16:12 (twenty-two years ago)

A jacket blurb from Hubert Selby Jr.
Has anybody noticed how many of these have been popping up lately on genuinely shitty books?
Eddie Joe Cotton's HOBO has one, and so does that really awful Accidental Playboy book. I think Tosches's Dante mess probably had one too.

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Thursday, 7 August 2003 17:06 (twenty-two years ago)

Haha! My workmate's Rolodex is full of blurb-whores (as we call them).

― amateurist (amateurist), Thursday, 7 August 2003 18:24 (twenty-two years ago)

Anyone who reads print ads for movies will fondly remember the carefully crafted hyperbole of such blurbsters as Susan Granger and Jeff Stark.

― jaymc (jaymc), Thursday, 7 August 2003 18:29 (twenty-two years ago)

y'know, I've been an entertainment journalist for 6 years and I only saw myself blurbed (though it was credited to the publication, not to me, thank god because it was one of those things where I was merely subjectively describing what a band sounds like and most certainly not endorsing them, though I think they addedd the exclamation marks, and as we all know, an exclamation mark is a de facto endorsement, unless it's something like "YOU SUCK!") two days ago for the first time.

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Thursday, 7 August 2003 18:40 (twenty-two years ago)

what was the quote??

― jaymc (jaymc), Thursday, 7 August 2003 18:53 (twenty-two years ago)

so and so band has an "upfront sound [that is] firmly rooted in the
blues, as is all rock, but also reaches out into
space-noodle, reggae- staccato, and points unknown!"

Exclamation theirs.

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Thursday, 7 August 2003 18:59 (twenty-two years ago)

How has no one said 'tour de force' yet?

― Z. Sachs (Zach S.), Thursday, 7 August 2003 20:35 (twenty-two years ago)

I want to see "It'll Fuck You Up For Life" used so often it becomes a cliche

― dave q, Thursday, 7 August 2003 20:50 (twenty-two years ago)

Susan Granger - you are missed!

― nnnh oh oh nnnh nnnh oh (James Blount), Thursday, 7 August 2003 20:51 (twenty-two years ago)

How about the word "Rollicking" in anything?
Or "defiantly original" (which invariably describes something that isn't)
Or, a little too obviously, "thrill ride"?

― Lucas R., Friday, 8 August 2003 09:49 (twenty-two years ago)

page turner

― Anna (Anna), Friday, 8 August 2003 10:17 (twenty-two years ago)

popcorn movie

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Friday, 8 August 2003 10:35 (twenty-two years ago)

"I couldn't put it down!"

― robster (robster), Friday, 8 August 2003 10:47 (twenty-two years ago)

The world needs more large pictures of Jackie Harvey.

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Friday, 8 August 2003 12:02 (twenty-two years ago)

Will give you chills ...

Don't walk, RUN, to see/read/hear X ....

The best book/movie/CD of the year!! (especially when the review comes out in February or something.)

― jewelly (jewelly), Friday, 8 August 2003 16:24 (twenty-two years ago)

"a very special episode"

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Friday, 8 August 2003 16:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Rewards repeated listening.

― TMFTML (TMFTML), Friday, 8 August 2003 18:38 (twenty-two years ago)

points towards great things to come

I just used that, and feel like I'm cheating.
I am, I guess.

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Friday, 8 August 2003 18:40 (twenty-two years ago)

I want to see "It'll Fuck You Up For Life" used so often it becomes a cliche

"Will make you gay" would also be nice. Of course, only if used in a positive context ("Finding Nemo is a rollicking good time; it will make you gay."

― TMFTML (TMFTML), Friday, 8 August 2003 18:44 (twenty-two years ago)

Bruce McCulloch has a great line about how the guys at his high school made him wish he was gay, not because he wanted to sleep with them, but because he wanted to be as ulike them as possible

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Friday, 8 August 2003 18:47 (twenty-two years ago)

Also then he could get away with a name like "Bruce".

― Chris P (Chris P), Friday, 8 August 2003 21:31 (twenty-two years ago)

Any music reviews with licks, chops, hooks, blah meets blah in a blah

― Layna Andersen (Layna Andersen), Friday, 8 August 2003 21:57 (twenty-two years ago)

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