I'm new this site, but I've been reading it for awhile now, especially since I like to buy DVDs rather than rent them. Usually I buy from a site advertised here. I don't write reviews, and I probably will never find the time to do it, so I rely on what is written here.
I don't mean to be overly-critical, but some of the reviews here aren't very helpful or well-written at all. There are some people who post these three sentence review that read like advertisements. Those are worthless. This happens on other sites do, but I ignore them. I know that Houston Don writes a lot of reviews here, and some of them are pretty good, but most of them are not. I'm sorry to say, he (or she) needs to do a better job if the reviews are to mean something.
I know it's just pornographic movies, but a lot of his critiques show that he doesn't put some of the titles in their appropriate context, like if a DVD looks bad because the original transfer source was in bad shape. Also, comments like "Scene One: Asia and Inari have lesbian sex. I felt this scene was pretty hot and Asia looked like she was having fun." doesn't tell me a damn thing about it.
Again, I have no idea why a film he hates seems to get crappy ratings all around, which is a pattern in all his critiques. It clearly shows a bias towards every aspect of the DVD when the content is not to his liking. A critical opinion has to be more than just a breakdown of the scenes...there should be some insightful discussion on its merits and citations as to why it's good or bad. His reviews read like a "Mad Libs" where he just replaces names of actors and the titles of the movies with each review.
Finally, all those little messages to the companies are pretentious, and are too general to be constructive. The DVDs can only be as good as the original video, so if it's bad, naturally, the DVD will look the same. But I read Houston Don's review of "Deep Throat" and it failed to address the film's significance, or how it was shot on 35 milimeter, or how pieces of it came from a 16 milimeter loop (the nurse scene), and completely undermines its influence in adult entertainment. This is like criticizing "Citizen Kane" for being in black and white, or giving a bad review to "The Godfather" because there are no computerized special effects in it. In other words, it's an ignorant and arrogant review that makes the reviewer look like an ass.
Steph and Drew: you guys run a damn good site, and you might think that I am trying to flame some of the people who assist in making this site popular. But believe me, I am not. I just think that standards need to be raised a bit here. These reviewers like Houston Don have to understand that a critique has to be informed as well as informative. Otherwise, some of the opinions just make them look foolish. I know you promote free speech, so I will leave it up to your freelancers to start developing better skills and write reviews of quality, rather than quantity.
Thank you for your attention.
Frank_Grimes
"When it's over, when it's done, let it go..." The Bangles (1985)
(alter ego, Endorphin, just couldn't write this, but I could)
Welcome Frank! It is good to see you give critiscm(always had problems spelling that word). Now may I offer a little bit of a different perspective. Wow! Someone slammed HD's reviews? Can't imagine what you think of mine. For starters I can already envision HD's response. "Thank you for the critique. Here is why... Please feel free to email me with more input.etc."(really a much longer paragraph than that). Here is what I would like to say.... I did my first review as a community service. I liked a DVD and thought others might like it as well. As a shopper I found that so many times there were no reviews available. And if there were any reviews there were not enough opinions out there. Alot of our reviewers do it more as a service. This is not a professional job. We are not Roger Ebert and friends. Sure we do get free DVDs from time to time, but we need to do other things to pay the rent. HD may really take your critique and apply it, but I on the other hand lean a little more to the side that if ya don't like it, don't read it. On the other hand, if you would like more details on a specific title, let me know and I will do my best to work it out. I like to keep it simple. Most of us short attention span people are only interested in the bottom line. To be honest, I would probably not read the type of review you suggest. That takes way too much time out of my life. I would rather have 5 or more people give a quick opinion, so that I can get a general feel for how people feel. Bias? Of course there is bias. I am one damn biased reviewer, but the key is that I admit it. More reviews help the reader to discover the bias. The main point here is that I felt your post was confrontational. And it should have had a little more 'thank yous' in it. Now, I must admit that you may have written it while not knowing that these reviewers do this more as a service. That is why I am even being somewhat subtle. My advice, show us by actually posting a review and appreciate the fact that some people out there take the time to let you know their opnions.
Unfortunately, that's what's going to happen when you have a consumer site that doesn't have professional, paid reviewers. Some people aren't good writers, and everyone has a different motivation when it comes to reviewing. But this is no different from any site that accepts reviews from the general public...you've got some good ones and ones that aren't helpful at all.Well, obviously, some additional explanation would make a statement like that more meaningful. But, as a person who's written a lot of movie and DVD reviews, it's really, really difficult to say something original and insightful about two or more people fucking. Especially when they all start looking the same. Personally, I'd rather see a description like that rather than, "Asia finger fucks Inari for 15 seconds, then Inari (on her hands and knees) licks Asia's pussy" or "It's a scene that you'll blow your load over--I did!"Hahahaha! No offense (and I hate to say it), but it's porn! I'm pretty convinced people don't want to see an intellectual analysis of "Butt Banged Whores" or "Suck My Cock!" I can see that the effort might be appreciated or warranted with a production like "Raw" or a classic porn, but sometimes, it's all about whether the content sucked or didn't suck.That assumes that A.) all reviewers have the trivia knowledge that you expect, and B.) that "ordinary people" aren't qualified to review films. After all, I don't have to be Leonard Maltin to be qualified to give my reaction to "North by Northwest" on IMDb. Nor do I find professional reviews all that helpful sometimes.Well, I think that's wishful thinking... I doubt anyone is going to admit to themselves that they need to "improve" their reviews, and I really don't think they're going to do that on the basis of publicly posted unconstructive criticism.
I hate to sound so defensive and dismissive, but in all fairness, I think that there are other ways to give your feedback and improve the quality of the review database. One way would be to contact the reviewers directly and offer constructive criticism (like "I thought you did a great job with your review on "ABC," and I'd like to see more reviews from you that are like that.").
Another would be to review yourself. I know you said that you don't have time, but it's really hard to take criticism from someone who sends the message "The reviews aren't helpful and I'm not going to do anything except complain." The success of this site in general and the review database specifically a direct result of the voluntary hard work of non-professionals--the consumers.
Hi, Tallyman (or Endorphin or whoever you may be)!
I understand that most of the reviewers here have other jobs and hobbies to keep them busy. And so what? It is not an excuse to say that since the reviews are a "service" that we should therefore allow poorly written reviews to be tolerated. It does us no good to accept mediocre analysis and poor writing in anyone's work.
I do recognize that some of these reviews are meant to be simple and to the point. I am not expecting the writings of Pauline Kael here. But should quickie, half-hearted, formulaic reviews (for which Houston Don is known) do not enhance the value of Adult DVD Talk. Instead, it may lessen the reputation and value of this site if we allow it to be over-crowded with uninformed, arrogant, and awkwardly written critiques. I don't expect much from a "customer's review" like we see on Amazon.com, but the ones who contribute regularly here should not be permitted to write sloppily and excuse it because they are doing a service. You either take the task at hand and perform it responsibly, or don't do it at all. We do Steph and Drew no favors by flooding this site with nonsense reviews just to get the numbers up. A badly written review does not reflect well on this community.
By the way, I have read your reviews (written by Endorphin) and I have no real beef about them, if you want to know the truth. I also don't want to discourage reviews, either. But the problem with the internet is that everyone thinks their opinion is worth voicing, and without critical standards, the deluge of uninformed opinions overwhelm the worthy ones, and it becomes difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff.
I know I opened myself up to being ousted from this board as a loud-mouth new member. So be it. But if there is any message of mine which I hope gets heard, it's that you reviewers need to do a bit better than what you are doing now, because all writing can and should be subject to improvement. We are constantly demanding that porno companies improve their videos. Well, then, reviewers here should improve their work.
Finally, I know the attitude by a lot of people will be "oh, shut up ---- why don't you write a review if you think the others are so shitty and let's see how good you are!" That argument is nonsense. That would be like VCA telling us to make a better porn film if we criticized their latest DVD.
Over and out.
Frank_Grimes
"When it's over, when it's done, let it go..." The Bangles (1985)
Your points are well-taken. But tell me the truth: you don't think that people get lazy when they hack out reviews? Don't you think that an opinion is better when it's informed and not subject to strange criteria and biases?
I am not bitching about whether any particular reviewer liked a DVD more than I did. I am just saying that there are a few reviews on this site which are not well done at all and they need to start doing a better job.
I won't e-mail these reviewers personally, because I think that this sort of topic should be read (even if it is vigorously disagreed upon or pisses people off) by all contributors to this great site.
Frank_Grimes
"When it's over, when it's done, let it go..." The Bangles (1985)
I just wanted to say that your response is on the money. I Also wanted to say that if there's anybody that I actually have any respect for here, it would be you (not meaning to offend anyone else here). I have yet to see you bash or dissrespect anyone's opinions, meaning you always show insight in a classy manner. Anyway, I just wanted to say this community needs a guy like you to keep the balance, so thanks. By the way, sorry for straying off the subject.
I wouldn't worry about that, but we may make you watch Dirty Debutantes DVDs and review them until you've learned your lesson.(Frank, we need you to go into a little more detail. So watch it again until you get it right.) Besides, if I keep this up. Steph and Drew will be debating on whether banning Tallyman should be banning Endorphin.Since when do you need a degree to express an opinion? Voice rules! Speak you mind, feel free. Of course, That does not mean that others have to maintain the forum for it.Come on! If you don't like HoustonDon's reviews. You have to be lying through your teeth with that statement.Atleast you are expressing an opinion. And I can see where that opinion could get you in trouble with some of your sponsers. I have alot of respect for that.
Frank, don't get me wrong. I just tend to love a testosterone filled argument. However, I take more offense at you attacking HoustonDon than attacking me. And I'm sure that HD doesn't want me standing up for him, but fuck it, I did it anyway. You seem to be an intelligent person who have given alot of thought to you statement, but I can't help but think ya have a grudge. Just watch out and we may invite VCARules back, then you will really have something to bitch about.
Any bets on when this thread get's locked. Saki, you are not elligible to bet.
Are you an english teacher? What's next, are you going to be checking the reviews for gramatical errors? Do you grade on a curve? Are you going to take out your big red marker and circle all the spelling errors?
Just make sure you print out the reviews first, otherwise you will make an awful mess on your monitor!
I find your opinions more interesting to read than Houston Don's. I don't mean to pick on the guy (girl?) but since he is a very active member here, and posts frequently, he's fair game. It is absolutely nothing personal to do with his character. But too many of his opinions are just not that well thought-out.
I have no grudge against Houston Don as a person, by the way, since I haven't even met him (or her or whatever).
Frank_Grimes
"When it's over, when it's done, let it go..." The Bangles (1985)
Hi, Grimey! BTW, nice nick...always like those Simpsons reference!Yes, I think people tend to get lazy when they aren't reviewing because they enjoy it. But then again, there are people, like Roger Ebert, who manage to be professional despite having to hack out reviews.
Yes, I think being informed is better, but I think that *every* reviewer has his or her own biases and quirks. Porn is different for everyone. I happen to prefer natural breasts over fake ones. Others could care less. Still others want to see chicks with double-H beachballs. Part of judging the usefulness of a review is to understand the reviewer. Sometimes that insight is available in the review, other times, it's learned by lurking, and sometime it's discovered by trial and error (such as buying a recommended DVD and then hating it).
I completely understand what you're saying. IMHO, it's a pipe dream to think that anyone is going to change through public criticism. If anything, I think a lot of the poor reviews are done by reviewers who are not regulars. And whether you like HD's reviews or not, they're a lot more substantive than the one paragraph reviews in the database.
No bet from me anyway, because I'm not going to lock the thread. I'm gunshy from recent events, and don't feel like having to defend myself. I'll let Steph, Drew, or Oneloa close it if they think it's appropriate.
Welcome to Adult DVD Talk, Frank. Once again, I have to really agree with Saki. I also have to jump to the rescue of HoustonDon as I really enjoy his reviews. I know that HoustonDon wants to cover the main points without going into how mnay times girl A laps girl B's pussy or how many times the guy pumps the girl in each position. I don't blame him. I think Don does a fairly decent job of some analysis and the old man has been around long enough to know some of the trivial facts that you pointed out. Like Saki said, it's porn. Porn can be extremely repetitive and by HoustonDon giving more of a feel for the movie he lets us all know what we can expect. Company A and Company B can do the same scene with the same positions etc. and a lot of times one will be hot and the other not.This might be a logical argument if everybody had the same resources that VCA does. We don't. Everybody who's here does have the ability to write a review. I apologize if this is rude, but since you know all about how reviews should be done, please write one review to show us all how you think it should be. All it takes is one review and you're becoming part of the solution to the problem you see. Otherwise you're just a whiner and part of the problem you're complaining about. Your refusal to actually contact a reviewer with suggestions makes it even worse. I don't want to start or continue a flame war here, but I don't see any other way to put it.Well everybody, it looks like we've got a new contest! Send an e-mail to Steph to be the lucky person to spank Drew vigorously!
Everyone of your points is absolutely on the money. Perhaps I went on a little too long and with a sound and fury signifying nothing with my comments. However, after I read the review of "Deep Throat" which was so ignorant, so lacking a valid critical viewpoint, and so carelessly written, I knew that I had to respond to Houston Don's overt arrogance which are so liberally sprinkled throughout his many, many reviews. In other words, his opinions need to taken down a peg or two. I can't imagine that such poor analysis which is prevalent in the majority of his writings should be tolerated by people who appreciate pornography (I know how twisted that sounds, but bear with me!).
And to repeat ---- I know it's just people fucking on film but that does not mean that the reviews here should read so illiterately. Some people here find it embarassing when companies misspell the actors names in the credits, or when the video looks so amateurish or hacked out. The same can be said for a badly written review.
This will be the last time I post on this subject, unless someone with the intelligence of Saki demands a response.
This is all very interesting , 16 reply's within about 2 hours. However how about somebody checking out some of the other posts on this board. I placed a post requesting some info on a new DVD (animal trainer 4) , it would be fair to say(I would have thought) by a fairly popular actor(ROCCO) and have had 2 replys,in two days. Just thought it would be good to get back to what its all about.. adult dvd talk.
By the way i'm kind of with you on this one SAKI. I would rather have 3 or 4 short user type reviews giving one or two paragraph's on the basic's as aposed to long drawn out inel'lectual type reviews. After all it is PORN.
First let me say that I haven't read anyone's reviews yet on this board. However, reviews in general are subjective as I think we all know. Case in point I am not a big Vivid fan but I like their DVD "Diary of Desire" because I am a Cassidey fan. There is no such thing as an impartial reviewer. Frank - interesting reply there about "intelligent responses". I would like to point out a flaw in your logic. You keep bringing up "Deep Throat" and the poor review it got. While I will agree that it and the Devil and Miss Jones were indeed landmark events in porn at the time they came out by todays standards however, the movies do indeed suck. They are not up to our current level of sex or attractiveness of the cast. However, remember this is only MHO and we all know what they say about opinions. Everyone has one and ....
I guess I'm the only one who thinks that Houston Don's reviewing skills need improvement.
The intent of my posts were to encourage better written reviews on this site, but it looks like no one really gives a damn.
I find it incredulous that there are so many opinions here criticizing the DVDs, but almost none which will allow criticisms on the quality of the reviews themselves.
And let me stress that it isn't the actual opinion which he holds that I am hollering about, but the way he writes them and the ignorance behind them.
But let me repeat for the last time: to litter this site with poorly written, uninformed and arrogant reviews does not boost the credibility or value of any forum, no matter what the subject matter.
Hi Frank! Thanks for adding your two cents worth. It's good to see that someone is watching the "Watchmen". I agree that you should speak your mind about what you believe. I'll try not to make this a personal attack on you as I like to think I'm better than that.
I won't discuss how you saw fit to delurk solely to attack a forum member-been there, done that, reviewed the t-shirt. As a guy who contributes to this forum and reviews movies, I expect a certain amount of _______ to be upset. My take on this particular thread-or maybe it's just where it was taken, is that you didn't like my review of Deep Throat. I suppose I should address this first.
I rated the movie in each category what I felt it deserved. I like VCA, the company that released it on dvd, a lot. I expect a good product from them. Granted, with this movie-they really didn't have much to work with. It sucked. You can dress that up in a thousand different ways but the end result remains the same. If anything, I bent over backwards to be nice about it. I even said: "Body of Review: This is the porn movie that, for all intents and purposes, really started the revolution. I've read where it has grossed $50 million or more dollars since it's original release yet was made for several thousand dollars. In a sense, it was the movie that made dreamers out of every guy with a few grand to "invest" in a porn movie or to start up a company."
I went on to say: "Summary: Okay, the movie sucks. Everyone alive must know that by now but that doesn't diminish the historical value of this one."
If you want a doctoral thesis on this one-go write one. I'm one of the older participating members on ADT and as such, I sometimes have a bit more perspective on the "Golden Age of Porn". Ask me about Barbara Broadcast or Misty Beethoven among others and you'll be dancing for joy at how much I like them. Deep Throat was released without any extra's (not even trailers) and is about an hour long. For $25, I expect something better. If you don't, I suggest you may set your expectations a bit low in regards to value. As a working man, my money means something to me.
Second topic: Meaning: My intent on reviews is not to provide you with a blow by blow description. I can refer you to some of the nicest reviewers that do this. They are almost always weak on technical matters-most not even addressing such things except to gloss over important problems. As I have said before, my reviews are designed to be a complement to those reviews-not a replacement. If it's important to know how many licks are in a tootsie pop-grab a tootsie pop and start licking.
My main intent is to give an overview and some technical facts. I try and include the cast, length, and other objective facts in every review. That makes it a resource for those who care. When Steph offers to pay me my going rate for technical writing (~$75 an hour with a 4 hour minimum), I'll gladly provide whatever she requests, with as many revisions as she requests. To date, she seems to like the fact that we call them like we see them-all of us-and this is a lot more than many "professional" sites offer. Go look at the reviews in Adam, AVN, Hustler, etc. Can tell me that the vast majority of their reviews are better than the vast majority of reviews are here. Go visit half a dozen popular review sites and tell me if you don't notice a hugely favorable review of almost everything they review (with noted exceptions). You get an honest review here. Not bad for free.
Don't look for too much meaning in the subjective parts of anyone's reviews-sex is too different for everyone. I have only been reviewing for ADT for a short time. Over this period of time, I have repeatedly asked others what they wanted in reviews. I have included almost everything requested. Had you the courtesy to email me, long ago when you first noticed my deficient reviews, I would have explored some options then or made you the same offer I've made a few others: if you want/need/desire more detail about a movie I've reviewed, just ask me.
Aside from it being "just porn", the technical aspects of a movie majorly influence how much I like it. If a dvd looks like crap, it will have an impact on the heat. To ignore that fact, I'd be lying-something I refuse to do for this hobby of mine. The same holds true for horrible audio, bad transfers, edited movies, and a host of other problems. By the same token, a dvd will get a better rating overall if I find that the company put some effort into it. If you'd like, I can show you a dozen examples where I hated the movie but gave certain aspects of it high marks just like I can show the reverse. Certainly there'll be a tendency to give a low rating if everything about a movie stinks-I don't hide that fact. My critiques are not meant to compete with Harlan Ellison-almost no porn to date rates that much TLC.
BTW, to my knowledge, not one of the reviewers here is a "freelancer" for the website. None of us are paid a cent to write reviews. The term you use implies otherwise.
Last note in this post: many of my favorite mainstream movies are in terrible shape yet I really love watching them. Were I to review any of them, be they Seven Samurai, Citizen Kane, Metropolis, or a number of Charlie Chaplin films-I'd rate the technical aspects exactly as they appear-not some dreamy standard that I made up. The overall rating would probably be a 4.5 or a 5 but I would be honest enough to admit the limitations of the dvd. Thanks again for having enough time to criticize the reviewer yet not enough time to review a single dvd yourself. Take care, HD
Okay, here's a bit more for those of you with enough time to read my antings.
I'd like to thank those of you who "stuck up" for me. To continue my policy of being completely honest, I will concede a point to Frank. He is right that we should all try to be better at whatever we do. My basic review "format" was taken bit and piece from what I liked about other reviewers. The information I "want" from a review is included in the top half and summary of my review. I'd like to know who boffed who as well but a thorough description can, and has, ruined more than a few movies for me. With the cost of some porno's, I really don't want to see the entire matchbook plot/sex scene rundown that many other sites include. If I read their reviews-I always skip that part of the review. Otherwise, I skip buying the movie.
My second guess about Frank's "comments" (the first being his love of Deep Throat and hatred of my review of it) is that he hasn't read nearly as many reviews as he claims. Several of you pointed out other, far less desciptive reviews that he never touched. Whatever the reason, if he thinks the reviews aren't to his tastes, he may now skip them and live a happy life without my input.
Honest reviews are not universally welcome-ask any store with an abundance of a title, any company with a warehouse full of a title, or any performer who's next paycheck may be decided in part by the critical praise they received for their latest release.
Were I a shill for a company, I'd be singing the praises of everything they put in front of me-like so many elsewhere do. I was actually going to start reviewing dvd's in an abbreviated format (this is a consumer site Frank) as others have but I decided to put in the extra effort to include information that even the great guys at RAME get wrong from time to time (rarely, okay?).
Drew, for the record: I've bought several very expensive dvd's based on your reviews. The same can be said for Astro, Steph, Endo, Dark, Sonic, and a few others who've reviewed dvd's here (sorry joeblow-I can't say the same about you-it's not the reviews but the subject matter that prevents that). We all have different styles and anyone who thinks we should all be forced into a rigid, 1000+ word format, should probably start their own site.
Astro: "old man"?!? Geeze, just because I need a walker to make it through the day...
Mantiz: I wish I had the dvd in question so I could help you. If I ever can help you on another dvd, please ask-I've always made it a priority to assist fellow ADT'ers than to review stuff.
Frank: I know you're upset that I didn't worship Deep Throat. I thought it was amusing that it was one of the most popular reviews last week. Because of it's age, RAME doesn't provide any details for people. I did. If you'd like to buy my copy-I'll sell it to you for a good price. If you'd like a more in depth approach to "the movie that started the revolution" I can suggest a few books that will point out what the movie did and didn't do for porn. Some would even say that the movie caused huge problems when Linda Lovelace started her rants about rape/forced sex. Que sara, sara.
I encourage people who think they know better to let me know what they think. Frank's rants are no exception. He is as welcome as anyone else to write me and tell me why he honed in on me. I'll be at least as polite as he is in my response too. It's really not fair to jump the guy because he has a certain expectation from us. I think it's more likely that he's new here, disliked my review, read a few more, and decided that I'm not Roger. If he likes that style, I encourage him to go to either of Roger's great websites. I'd be lying if I said I knew how many people read a particular review and how many people make a decision on buying it or not based on what they read. Maybe Steph or Drew can give us a ballpark figure as to how many hits a "popular" review gets (ie: in the list on the front page). Anyway, I've been recharging my batteries today (and much of yesterday) so prepare for more "Mad Lib" reviews. Do they still make Mad Libs? It's been years...
Wow, I just now read this thread, and better late than never, I guess. Frank, it's not that we won't tolerate critcism of reviews, per se, it's just that it's so subjective,and the nature of the site is to give consumers a voice in stating their opinions, without ties to any studios or pressure to give any DVD's a rating higher than they deserve. This is the value of the site, and there are as many different opinions as there are reviewers, but because no one is being paid, how can one critisize another's review, which is basically their opinion? It really does seem that you are attacking HoustonDon unfairly, and I can't help but think there is more here than meets the eye. Personally, I have always enjoyed his reviews and his 'tell it like it is' style, I know from him, I'll get the straight scoop, no holes barred. And I DON'T want a laboriously long, script-like, every single sex act thoroughly described, type of review. I really don't understand your criticizing his writing, I think he writes extremely well, but then you must think by now that I'm a total illiterate, if you think HD writes poorly! The trick is to read several of the different reviewers, find one that you generally agree with or share the same tastes with, and there ya go! Saki, for instance, has some pages up (sorry, I don't have the link handy) that goes into more detail on his likes and dislikes, how he rates DVD's etc. that is very helpful, and perhaps more reviewers will soon have something similar. take care....DB
I just want to say that you could not ask too much, as long as this forum is free and the reviewers are not paid.
I'm glad to be part of the forum, I enjoy to read the reviews, and I really pay respact on them, the rest is yours.
My suggestion is don't try to read review only from one reviewer, try to find more the one, and with your experience you could find good reviewer who has the same "taste" with yours.
There are lots of good DVD reviews site over the net.
When I bought my DVD player, the first thing I wanted for it was porn, I'm not even going to lie. And the first place I found to help me get some was ADT, and I feel it's still the best resource on the internet.
I find all the reviews handy, but basically, what do you do with a porn DVD? Take it home, watch it, have a wank. It's not rocket science; all I want to know is a) who's in it, b) is it any good.
There's no right or wrong answer when it comes to people's opinions. The person I pay most attention to when it comes to reviews is Sonic, and that's simply because I like the same thing he does- arse/ass, juicy, bouncy buns... er where was I?
Anyway, my main point- it's a free service, done by people in their own time, and I don't think it's fair to whinge about what they do. I appreciate ALL the reviews, as do thousands of other people.
I too would like to see a review by Frank- who clearly has time to write review-length critiques on reviews, but not an actual review .
FWIW, although I agree that HD's review of Deep Throat doesn't do the best job in framing the significance of that film, he did hit many of the salient points (it made a lot of money, it was a milestone in adult entertainment, it was originally intended to be independent loops, etc.). It wasn't like he didn't know or mention anything about it, and just review the content without context.
But more to the point, the review pointed out the things that I know (and if I hadn't seen it before, things that I'd want to know): Deep Throat is a really subpar X-rated film, especially when compared to many of the 1970s classics. The DVD is overpriced and has no extras that would justify the high price either. That's why I'm not willing to buy the DVD, even to replace my old VHS copy, and why I wouldn't recommend that anyone buy it either.
Sure, it's an important work in the annals of porn and one that everyone should see once (if nothing else, for the fact that everyone who watches porn has probably seen it at one time). But from a critical standpoint, it's a pretty mediocre movie...maybe not as bad as HD's numerical ratings, but the review text is a fairly accurate reflection in my book.
