Is it only my computer - or does the link for this in the main page takes us to ReelThoughts: October 11, 2011 "The Anti-Social Network". Only by coming to the "Forums" and clicking the link to read takes to the correct page?

Polar Bear

I said this in an email to Jim (before forums started, and also after), make it a subscription site. Those of us who loved the reviews and reel thoughts will stay. The counter argument from Jim was that this will lead to loss of readership. While that is true, I believe there will always be a core and niche readership of this site, which will continue with subscription that will help enable to keep the site running.

but dont just give up on your engineering job

Polar Bear

For some reason, I was expecting a Reelthoughts on the Occupy Wall Street movement.

Happened here as well-- there must be an issue with the main page's link. Clicking the "ReelThoughts" tab at the top of the main page brought me to the correct post, however.

Fixed.

How about a "shareware" site. I think telling your users what you consider to be a fair price, and setting up a paypal location to take people's money would allow all of us who appreciate your work to compensate you directly. It's unfair because some people won't pay anything and others will pay a little bit, but it's easy and can't hurt.

Alternatively (and more work for you), create an ad-free site that paying subscribers get to use. Those who don't pay see the ads.

Troubles with this is - if i know there is a free version then there is less incentive to pay... after over 15 years of advertisements i am quite blind to online ads and dont even "see" them.. Ask Jim - I think i have clicked the ads in Reelviews less than 5 times, and all by mistake..

Polar Bear

I don't mean to be churlish, but as a longtime reader of your site I have to suggest that your decline in revenue is almost certainly also connected to the decline in your activity on the site.

I agree. Although with a marriage, a baby and a full time job, neither one of us can really complain. The fact that JB is still able to do this is nothing short of a miracle.

But JB, please don't stop reviewing! This is my favorite site on the internet, and at the risk of sounding like a creepy groupie, you have really inspired me to start reviewing. Haven't gotten a site going yet (don't know how to make one that would fill my needs), but I'm still reviewing. And no, I would not even think of trying to advertise here. So don't ban me!

1. Have you tried blogger or wordpress?
2. A link in your sig is fine, a relevant blog post by you is fine.

I tend to read more blog reviews then those by professional critics lately, so if JB dosen't have the means to continue supporting this site, i'll be perfectly fine with him doing a blog instead.

The answer is in your own column. Why pay when you can get it for free. The simple answer is print is dead and why compete in a dying market. It's time to move your love of film from print on the computer screen to you on the computer screen. Start a YouTube channel and create your own movie review show. The only cost will be a camera and editing time.

The cost of the everything else will fall onto google and YouTube. This is the Future. You must evolve if you want to stay relevant.

Interesting idea. Would love to hear JB speak. Wonder what his voice sounds like lol...

Quality is such a subjective term (to an extent) which is probably why people are settling for 'free' content. More in the music industy than in movies, people are settling for less so to speak (how else would generic sounding garbage like Gaga and Bieber get THAT big?)

I do believe you can get something better by paying more... with certain things. A couple of years ago I bought a set of Bose OE headphones for £120, the most I've ever spent on that sort of thing. They are by far the best headphones I've ever owned and I doubt I'd ever use anything else.

Cinemas are an obvious cause of dwindling studio profits, if you consider how studios decide the success of a project based on it's theatrical run. As people are being put off going to see a movie in this way, these important figures will inevitably drop.
Cinemas make their money from food and drink sales; I looked into the costs involved in selling mixed soft drinks, along with the knowledge that the popcorn is made in vast amounts and is at least a day old at POS, and figured that the mark up must be astronomical.

Not a solution as such but a decent start would be for cinemas to get their act together and make the experience something that a person would enjoy to the extent that they'd want to repeat it at least once. Lower prices, better staff etc. The reason I usually only see a movie just the once, if at all, is the price. The atmosphere and general experience isn't terrible, at least not at my two local multiplexes.

I agree with you on Bieber, HATE him! But Lady Gaga is certainly NOT generic sounding, she may admittedly be overrated, but still, even if you don't like her, you have to admit that there's no one else that really sounds like her(even the Madonna comparisons are a bit of a stretch IMO, sure her image might be somewhat similar, but that's about it really)

It might be awkward to set-up, but how about different levels of subscriptions?

Start with a basic level of content for free. Maybe new articles and access to the ReelViews-specific part of the forum, but no ads or archive privileges or anything deeper than that. For a minimal fee, users can get a regular membership, with perks like removing ads and having access to other areas in the forum and basic archive privileges. Ugrade another level from there for a deluxe membership with unimpeded access to everything--archives back to the beginning, no ads, whatever else you can think of to offer. Maybe even insert more grades in the middle that I haven't thought of.

Something I learned from Mouse Guard author David Petersen, who became a successful comic artist by his own bootstraps, is that it helps to have stuff available at multiple price points. You start with the free stuff, and from there you ratchet it up until you get to the limited edition stuff coveted by the hardcore crowd. That way, everybody gets something, and they can always pay to get more.

I don't think a subscription-only site is a good idea, but trying to maintain a site purely by ads doesn't seem tenable, either.

I think the only song she's done that sounds remotely unique was 'Bad Romance', and not even in a good way. The lyrics were unique in the same way that you don't often read about a person being killed with a slipper.

I honestly cannot stand the woman, her music or her image. Her fame is totally unwarranted and I really hope she buggers off as fast as possible.

I've been visiting less frequently.

Partly, a number of movies I'd expect to see reviewed aren't on your list. The most recent is "Puss In Boots". It's an odd omission, not to be on your list.

Also, our tastes have diverged over the years. I used to be right in line with your viewpoints and ratings. Your rating was something I could absolutely trust. Three stars or more, and I was guaranteed a movie worth my money. But lately that has less and less been the case. And some two star movies have ended up among my faves.

It could be me that has diverged, I'm not sure. Ever since 9-11 I've gotten a lot more conservative, and it has *seemed* to me that you've gotten a lot more liberal. All those truly crappy anti-US, anti-Iraq war movies, you keep giving them three or more stars. Most of the time I have to read your reviews carefully to see if something in the movie is going to royally piss me off, if I'm going to be contributing money to people and to a movie that despises what I believe in, and puts their hatred of my beliefs up there on the screen for no other reason than vicious spite.

Anti-US movies? Like radical propaganda videos? Not sure I remember seeing James giving favorable ratings to anything like that, or reviewing anti-US movies at all, for that matter.