Youtube Channels Devoted to Film Discussion/Criticism.

Until a year ago, I was completely ignorant of Red Letter Media's Plinkett reviews and movie talk show Half in the Bag. I've long since watched everything they've done. While I agree with their points more often than not, I like that even when they're at their dumbest, lowbrowiest, they still have something interesting to say. I think this was one of the first, if not the first thing of theirs I saw. I think it's pretty great.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWROBiX1eSc


Until a month ago, I was completely ignorant of Lindsey Ellis body of work. I'm working on watching everything she's done. While I agree with her points more often than not, I like that even when she's at her manhatingiest (I don't really think she's a manhater, just trying to stick with the gimmick), she has something interesting to say. This was one of the first, if not the first thing of hers I saw. I think it's pretty great.


What channels do you think are pretty great? Be sure to like this post and comment below. Also, if you'd like to see content like this thread continue be sure to check out my patreon.

I'm glad you're enjoying Lindsay's work. She's one of the best I've come across on YouTube, really. There really is a dearth of good content around popular film discussion. I have gone looking around specifically after I've watched something I found interesting, like Blade Runner or Video Girl Ai, and it's all very surface level "I liked the pretty colors" kind of commentary, or Nostalgia!

Speaking of nostalgia, though, I keep meaning to look at more of Channel Awesome's stuff, who Lindsay was producing content for. I have had fun watching their series Tamara's Never Seen, where this bubbly girl watches old movies (there's no way she's never seen them) and is just enthusiastic about it. This is the kind of banter I'd like to have coming out of a movie theater with a friend.


The only movie YouTubes I'm subscribed to are RedLetterMedia, Lindsay Ellis, and YourMovieSucksDOTorg. YourMovieSucks is more than I would probably like in extended doses. But he is pretty good about backing up observations that he makes about movies.

yeahhhhhhh...not my cup o' tea.

I really enjoy Jeremy Jahns' channel. This review in particular is good/funny (at times).

This isn’t mostly isn’t film, but he does good analysis on film.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfqD5WqChUY





This one is all film and I like it.

Every Frame a Painting, This Guy Edits, and at least a couple more I can't remember. Those are probably all in Doc's vids that I will check out later.

I have mixed feelings about Lindsey Ellis's videos. She doesn't get good bad movies or shows. I've seen her hate on B grade movies for the exact reasons most people like them.

Her old Nostalgia Chick vids are very much a conclusion-first kind of a thing, shitting on nostalgic movies. Her recent stuff can come off Social Justice, but she actually does great talking around those points. I've been listening to the Feminist Frequency podcast (don't judge me!) and their commentary is basically "make a list of problematic things and say they're problematic."

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Originally Posted by cigsthecat

Every Frame a Painting, This Guy Edits, and at least a couple more I can't remember. Those are probably all in Doc's vids that I will check out later.

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This is the best shit but there hasn't been anything new in forever.

Tamara is a fucking liar and part of my eventual divorce settlement will include a paragraph about walking up and down the house ranting about the movies Tamara has never seen, why does she even want to act, then, and how it has to be bullshit.

I've been all about Red Letter Media since their Episode I review. Just don't watch Jack and Rich talk about video games. It's fucking awful.

I was also surprised by how good Lindsay Ellis is. I really don't like Jeremy Jahns and that braces Chris whatever dude is an idiot.

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Originally Posted by Dunlap

Her old Nostalgia Chick vids are very much a conclusion-first kind of a thing, shitting on nostalgic movies. Her recent stuff can come off Social Justice, but she actually does great talking around those points. I've been listening to the Feminist Frequency podcast (don't judge me!) and their commentary is basically "make a list of problematic things and say they're problematic."

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That's always been their thing. The argument was that it's what needed to be done to start the conversation but they're still doing it.

Yeah for sure. And it's started a lot of conversation. And they are still doing it. Their audience is either "they validate how I feel" or "they hate what I like", just another kind of fanboyism.

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Originally Posted by Mzo

That's always been their thing. The argument was that it's what needed to be done to start the conversation but they're still doing it.

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Well yeah, a general criticism of that type of criticism is its about like pointing at a turd in the middle of the room and 75% of the time, not even offering any help or advice in how to remove the turd from the middle of the floor.

I was never big on the wave of "lets shit on this" or "fake rage" videos on youtube.

I much more prefer things like this:



She just totally geeks out on these ponies. You can see how excited she is about all the different periods of ponies. But she also laughs and pokes at herself and the fandom.

I'd much rather watch someone do that than watch a step by step video of someone shitting on whatever cartoon in that franchise.

That was a similiar thing I liked about the Mzo/Finch/etc podcast. They'd get so excited about whatever topic. But still poke at themselves. And they were knowledgeable.

So much better than "hey guys, do you remember Heman!?! Well wasn't that fucking stupid!?!"

Good thread!

One channel I like that hasn't been mentioned yet is Good Bad Flicks. It covers mostly shitty entertaining movies and can give some interesting insight on the behind the scenes shenanigans a lot of these productions had to deal with.

Every Frame is over, he isn't doing any more updates. There were actually a few more good ones:

-Lessons from the Screenplay
-Nerdwriter1
-Now You See It
-wolfcrow

And yeah Doc covered the middle two.

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Originally Posted by Mzo

I've been all about Red Letter Media since their Episode I review. Just don't watch Jack and Rich talk about video games. It's fucking awful.

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Oh god, yes. I tried watching a couple Previously Recorded and couldnt hang. So bad.

It's not the deepest film discussion out there but I frequently find myself watching Screen Junkies News. Dan seems very much like he can't stand having to work with these "children" so he's very relateable to me.

No one has mentioned it yet, but wisecrack does some really good film and videogame philosophy discussions:

I watched a few Wisecrack videos. They're alright. A bit busy for my taste, but at least the essays aren't dumb.

Watching the goodbad Blair Witch video now.

Good Bad Flicks is great an I recently found Lindsay Ellis too. I haven't watched a whole lot of her material but I like what she does so far. Every Frame is like the gold standard.

One late night Youtube recommended this fat bearded dude complaining about movies, he has a skeleton sitting next to him, and usually a Nirvana shirt. I normally don't enjoy fat bearded complainers, but this guy is pretty good at being all three of those things, and I think he's probably my age-ish, which is important since I'm a bigot.

Oh, no I don't have a link for you. But I'm 90% sure the channel was called cinemaforcynics, or cinema4cynics, or cynicalcinema.

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Originally Posted by arjue

Good thread!

One channel I like that hasn't been mentioned yet is Good Bad Flicks. It covers mostly shitty entertaining movies and can give some interesting insight on the behind the scenes shenanigans a lot of these productions had to deal with.

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So far, you win the thread. I love this series. I'm aware that it may be due to things being presented in a specific way to offer a specific narrative, and so a bias shows through...but so many of the movies they talk about are movies I kinda like- and they all seem to have suffered due to The Suits stepping in and fucking with the director's intent. I love Event Horizon. I didn't like Pandorum at first, but it was one of those things you THINK you don't like, but then you keep thinking about it so experience it again and it turns out you liked it all along but just didn't know it. I like Soldier. I like Leviathan. And they're all kept from reaching peak awesomeness (seemingly) because of The Suits.

I'm glad I made this thread, I probably wouldn't have checked this channel out otherwise.

Did you watch the one about Roar? If you're unfamiliar with the movie its definitely something to check out: