# Are Movie Reviews Written By a Computer program? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 27, 2005, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-movie-reviews-written-by-a-computer-program/305753 "2005-05-27T13:46:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-movie-reviews-written-by-a-computer-program/305753/1 "2005-05-27T13:46:54Z")
They seem to be very much alike! (A sampling of local reviews, of a recently-released (unnamed) movie): -“One of the year’s best” -“Simply one of his best” -“You will love it, its one of the best” -"(DIRECTOR): XXX-his personal best" -Clearly one of the best" OK, I understnd that being a movie reviewed ain’t such a fulfilling job…but surely they can come up with more intelligent drivel than this! So is there some Windows/Word-based program that just churns this dreck out? :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-movie-reviews-written-by-a-computer-program/305753/2 "2005-05-27T13:59:20Z")
Or I always like these kind of review snippets on the movie ad: Best Picture of the Year - Joe Shmutz, Fargo Gazette Weekly ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-movie-reviews-written-by-a-computer-program/305753/3 "2005-05-27T14:39:13Z")
I don’t know about movie reviews, but reviews of high-end audiophileequipment MUST be computer-generated. What doesn’t “emit a warm, rich sound with a subtle brilliance on the high end and synergistic tonality on the middle end, and a tight, detailed response with percussion instruments …” ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-movie-reviews-written-by-a-computer-program/305753/4 "2005-05-27T14:53:10Z")
No program. Most of these comments are made by a small group of critics known in the industry as “quote whores.” They rave about every film that comes along. In return, they get their name on the ads, as well as various forms of “thank you” from the movie theaters. Not bribes, per se, but invites to special screenings and the like. ---
**Author:** ![Monstre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@Monstre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monstre)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-movie-reviews-written-by-a-computer-program/305753/5 "2005-05-27T15:52:14Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Most of these comments are made by a small group of critics known in the industry as “quote whores.” “Two thumbs up Hollywood’s ass!!” ---
**Author:** ![Ignatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3be4f8/32.png) [@Ignatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignatz)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2005, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-movie-reviews-written-by-a-computer-program/305753/6 "2005-06-03T02:54:29Z")
The same program that does wine-tasting reports. ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2005, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-movie-reviews-written-by-a-computer-program/305753/7 "2005-06-03T11:14:36Z")
Consider the source, which is always in tiny print: would you really watch a movie on the recommendation of the Dead Dog Nebraska Scrutineer And Advertiser? My favourites are the selective quotes: “Brilliant…breathtaking…”: NY Times. Then you read the entire review, and find that the actual line was “Brilliant costumes and slick editing couldn’t disguise the fact that this plotless and ill-scripted indulgence in gunfights, tits, explosions and car crashes was a breathtaking bore. Virginia Woolf deserves better.” ---
**Author:** ![ddgryphon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8c91f0/32.png) [@ddgryphon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ddgryphon)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2005, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-movie-reviews-written-by-a-computer-program/305753/8 "2005-06-03T13:50:17Z")
No. But, they do have a basic algorhythm that they use, with standard one from column A one from Colum B type choices. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2005, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-movie-reviews-written-by-a-computer-program/305753/9 "2005-06-04T15:11:50Z")
I also think that some reviews are truncated so that bad ones look like good ones. I think someone once joked about this, saying that “I’d rather sit in a gas chamber than watch this movie” would be shortened to “A gas!” ---
**Author:** ![HelloKitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecccb3/32.png) [@HelloKitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HelloKitty)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2005, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-movie-reviews-written-by-a-computer-program/305753/10 "2005-06-04T16:21:16Z")
> [@ddgryphon](#): > > No. But, they do have a basic algorhythm that they use, with standard one from column A one from Colum B type choices. I remember an old “Life in Hell” comic by Matt Groenig that had exactly this. I think it was entitled “How to be a Movie Critic” and had columns that contained various nouns, verbs, adjectives and phrases. Combine the columns to your liking and VOILA…you’re a movie critic! ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2005, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-movie-reviews-written-by-a-computer-program/305753/11 "2005-06-04T16:31:52Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > Or I always like these kind of review snippets on the movie ad: > Best Picture of the Year > > - Joe Shmutz, Fargo Gazette Weekly What kills me about this is the way they do things like this in, say, May. Apparently we have our Oscar winner, and shouldn’t even bother releasing any more movies this year. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2005, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-movie-reviews-written-by-a-computer-program/305753/12 "2005-06-04T17:06:58Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > -“One of the year’s best” > -“Simply one of his best” > -“You will love it, its one of the best” > -"(DIRECTOR): XXX-his personal best" > -Clearly one of the best" Except you didn’t quote completely: –“Simply one of his best\*\*!**" –"You will love it, it’s one of the best **!**" –"Clearly one of the best**!\*\*” Exclamation marks are requisite. Now what reputable movie reviewer uses exclamation marks? ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2005, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-movie-reviews-written-by-a-computer-program/305753/13 "2005-06-04T17:23:57Z")
> [@Superdude](#): > > What kills me about this is the way they do things like this in, say, May. > > Apparently we have our Oscar winner, and shouldn’t even bother releasing any more movies this year. This kills me, too. I’m pretty sure it was _February_ this year that I saw the old staple: “One of the year’s 10 best!” How the hell have you seen all these movies that aren’t even finished yet and already chosen your 10 favorite? I always figured movie _trailers_ were written by computers, and movie _reviews_ were just written by idiots. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2005, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-movie-reviews-written-by-a-computer-program/305753/14 "2005-06-04T17:28:58Z")
Earl Dittman. [http://www.efilmcritic.com/feature.php?feature=712](http://www.efilmcritic.com/feature.php?feature=712) ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2005, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-movie-reviews-written-by-a-computer-program/305753/15 "2005-06-04T23:00:21Z")
David Manning, Ridgefield Press. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Mapp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miss_mapp/32/369_2.png) [@Miss\_Mapp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Mapp)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2005, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-movie-reviews-written-by-a-computer-program/305753/16 "2005-06-05T14:06:05Z")
> [@Case Sensitive](#): > > “Brilliant costumes and slick editing couldn’t disguise the fact that this plotless and ill-scripted indulgence in gunfights, tits, explosions and car crashes was a breathtaking bore. Virginia Woolf deserves better.” This was for the recent Jerry Bruckheimer re-envisioning of _To The Lighthouse_, I take it? ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2005, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-movie-reviews-written-by-a-computer-program/305753/17 "2005-06-05T14:19:07Z")
I have a suspicion that the OP was generated using _OP Plus_ All its posts seem to be very much alike! OK, I understand that posting to SDMB ain’t such a fulfilling job…but surely they can come up with more intelligent drivel than this! I think _OP Plus_ just churns this dreck out. ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2005, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-movie-reviews-written-by-a-computer-program/305753/18 "2005-06-05T16:14:41Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > I always figured movie _trailers_ were written by computers, and movie _reviews_ were just written by idiots. This might soon be true. I have a friend who’s thesis project is to figure out how to automatically generate a movie trailer using a computer. ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2005, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-movie-reviews-written-by-a-computer-program/305753/19 "2005-06-06T00:22:54Z")
> [@Miss Mapp](#): > > This was for the recent Jerry Bruckheimer re-envisioning of _To The Lighthouse_, I take it? _A Room Of One’s Own_, directed by Michael Bay. {Trailerman VO: "She Just Wanted A Room Of Her Own - But Now She’s Rocking The House. Jennifer Garner Is…Woolfgirl. "}