Voice

I ’ ve always thought the grown-ups who love comic books are nerds or some dweebs that are obsessed with dressing up like Star Wars characters and believe in the possibilities of superpowers (i.e. Sheldon from “ The Big Bang Theory ” anyone?). I don ’ t mean to be mean but it is a little dorky. Eric, blogger of “ The Fanboy Federation, ” is a perfect example of such stereotypes. However, he does this in an intentionally exaggerated and silly way as if to make fun of himself for being such a nerd. In one of his posts (http://thefanboyfederation.wordpress.com/2011/01/07/seeing-green-the-importance-of-2011s-the-green-hornet/#more-254/), he starts the post with a trailer of “ The Green Hornet ” with a comment saying, “ Oh hey, look, a post! Oh hey, look, a movie trailer! ” I don ’ t mean to be rude or anything but it seems like a very pathetic way to catch your attention. Hey, but it works, right?
Eric continues to humor us throughout his blog with his geeky jokes that makes us wonder if he really is a big, wacky loser. He uses phrases like “ Right on! ” “ I screamed like a little girl. (Insert of a black-and-white photo of girls screaming.) Like this, but in color, ” and “ Duh. ” His sense of humor seems to be a failed attempt to sound cool and “ hip. ” It really is painful to watch, but at the same time entertaining, prompting you to finish the whole post.

Despite his ridiculously imbecilic voice, the content of his blog posts are rather deep. He likes to analyze trends and possibilities in films as exemplified in his “ Green Hornet (http://thefanboyfederation.wordpress.com/2011/01/07/seeing-green-the-importance-of-2011s-the-green-hornet/#more-254/) ” and “ The Villain You Deserve (http://thefanboyfederation.wordpress.com/2010/10/29/the-villain-you-deserve-who-should-be-the-villain-for-the-dark-knight-rises/#more-218) ” posts. He also tends to have a lot of background information as well. Such qualifications encourage readers to turn back and really think about what he said behind his stupid jokes. At a certain point, you question your opinion about the guy and ask if he ’ s being clever, and is simply mocking the readers by his fa ç ade of the nerdy stereotype. While it is difficult to determine his real intentions, the contrast between his voice and content continue to intrigue the readers into following his thoughts and ideas written in his posts.

Profile

Remember when there were actual video stores that you went to, to rent movies? You would ask the worker about which movies are popular and which ones are not worth even renting. TOTO, or Christian Toto from What Would Toto Watch? (http://whatwouldtotowatch.com/) is just like that worker from the video store, who will give his honest and upfront opinion and help you choose your weekend movie. He may sound like an ordinary guy but he actually has a strong background as “an award-winning journalist and film critic with years of experience.” His blog provides news reports, interviews, and “no-nonsense film reviews,” almost daily for his 44,000 viewers. Despite his reputation as an influential journalist, Toto is very down-to-earth and does not have that snobby attitude some bloggers have. He shares his personal life stories and experiences in his posts, allowing the viewers to connect with him in a more likable manner. For example, he reveals that his father is a video store clerk and how it affected his choice of movies in a video store(http://whatwouldtotowatch.com/2011/01/18/would-you-spend-your-movie-money-on-direct-to-dvd-sequels/#more-12057). Toto also ends the post with a question, displaying his willingness to listen to others. His writing style also is not completely academic but more casual, not because he’s incapable of writing professionally, but because he’s open to connecting with the audience and communicating interactively. When you observes his film reviews, you can tell that he’s well-educated and really knows what he’s talking about. He goes onto deeper details about the movie, which I admire. The depth of analysis that he puts on a review is quite intriguing as exemplified in his recent review of “The Green Hornet.” (http://whatwouldtotowatch.com/2011/01/14/green-hornet-movie-review-toto-wwtw/#more-11996)

While Toto does not specifically delve into the business side of the film industry, I am greatly affected by the way he writes his posts. He gives the necessary news and information in a condensed and witty way, which makes it much more enjoyable for the readers. This is the aim for my blog. I may lack professional skills and depth in evaluation, but I hope to have a humorous yet informative voice. Like Toto, I would also like to bring personal stories like Toto and make a connection with the viewers. But rather than focusing on just the reviews, I would like to bring up the business side of the film industry. My blog would concentrate on the financial status of studios and directors who are making these movies and why certain movies became successful. The focus of the blog posts would be different from Toto’s, but I am targeting a similar audience group who is willing to learn and share ideas interactively.

Hello World!

Hello, World!

 

With the worldwide web, most people are exposed to and have access to a number of information and materials. Everyone is an expert or a reviewer of something or someone, so I have decided to follow this trend and become a critic myself. After pondering on different ideas, I’ve decided to write about films, a very general and probably common topic among bloggers. It is a broad subject, so I will limit myself to more modern, mainstream movies rather than the independent films or the classics. With the 3Ds and IMAX, we are exposed to a lot of good-quality movies, that is, in graphics and sound. The storylines are important, but I’m not hard to please and I’m usually satisfied pretty easily. It doesn’t mean that I’m not picky but I can confidently say that I speak for the general audience. Or maybe not. But what I can say is that I am a very open and reasonable person who simply enjoys watching movies.

 

As to personal taste in films, I prefer light and humorous films to the dark and depressing ones. Life is already full of despair and hardships, so why expose yourself to more gloomy things? However, that doesn’t mean I discriminate all of those movies. If they’re well-made and touching, it can definitely draw my attention. I guess I don’t really have a solid opinion on what I like, but everyone’s preferences change as they grow up and develop their views on certain subjects. For example, children prefer Disney and Pixar movies (while I still enjoy both), while women in their 20s might prefer romantic comedies (now I’m just guessing). Hopefully, as I start this blog, I will figure out what my favorites are.

 

After all, my decisions are solely based on my interests and curiosities, thus making my posts presumably unprofessional and personal in many ways. However, I don’t want to say that it’s just pure opinion or an unreasonable gibberish. I want to explore how societal trends and business aspects of films affect the types of movies that are produced and marketed today. In order to do so, I will be reading loads of news stories on what’s happening in the film industry as well as observing the box office numbers. I will probably review films and share my thoughts about them, but honestly, I’m not an expert in this field. For this reason, I’m really not here to criticize, evaluate the deeper meanings of the film, or discuss the artistic features of the film. I leave that to the real film critics who know what they’re talking about. In the end, I’m doing this for myself, a hopeful future film investor. I want to find out what movies are making money and why they are successful. If I practice doing this now, I might have a shot in the future. (I should probably work really hard before I actually have the money to invest in anything at all.) I know it sounds kind of bad, but sadly, the materialistic world transformed me into what I am today, and forced me to chase after money. But really, it all comes down to money, right?

Hello

Hello World