Inside My Movie Reviewing Process

To all my loyal readers and supporters, have you ever wondered what my process for reviewing a film is? The days that I watch a movie and the days I spend reviewing it? The types of notes I take, and whether I take them during or after the movie? Or whether I take them at all?

Oh, you haven't? Fair enough. But I'll let you in anyway. 

Every film critic, I would imagine, has their own process when it comes to writing about movies. It's one of the things I often wonder about with the most fascination and curiosity. Do they see the film one time in theaters, then type up their review as soon as they get home? Or do they sit with the movie for a day or two, allowing it to marinate in their subconscious to produce a more emotionally accurate, balanced piece? I'm sure it's different for the independent freelance critics such as myself, versus those who work for a publication. For those in my camp, we have all the time in the world to watch a movie then write about it. We get to watch a movie however many times we prefer before purging our opinions onto a blank white space. If we want to watch it once to ensure our review is as faithful to our original gut reaction as possible, that's okay. Pauline Kael would say that's the right way to go. If we'd like to watch it one or two more times to feel more confident in our opinion, and to capture more intricate details that maybe we overlooked on the first round, no one and nothing is stopping us. However, for critics who fall into the latter camp, they are put under the strict thumb of a deadline, and have no choice but to watch a film once before composing their review. So when they watch the movie that one and only time, they better pay full attention and take really thorough notes.

While working under the pressure of a deadline may have its benefits -- not allowing one the time to overthink their words or second-guess their thoughts on the movie -- I for one am grateful to get to write for myself, in the comfort of my own personal blog. And to not be forced to go to the theater to see the movies I'll be writing about. I can pick the films I want to review, the days I want to watch and the days I want to write. And since I've cut ties with attending the theater as of the last five years, that's a blessing.

Now keep in mind, movie reviews are not the only articles to which I dedicate this blog. (Right now, I'm writing this personal expose, aren't I?) I also use it to write listicles (of which I so far have only one, a top 10 of the best horror movie openings, but I do plan to write more in the near future) and trailer reactions for upcoming horror movies. But reviews are the bread and butter of The Cherry Hill Chainsaw Massacre, the raison d'etre for my bringing it into existence in the first place. And as you may know by now, horror is the main name of the game. This process pertains strictly to my reviewing.

When all is said and done, film reviewing is a three-day process for me. One day is dedicated to watching the movie of my choosing, and the next two days are spent typing the review. Not exactly two full days; one full day and a short while the next. I'll elaborate on that in a bit. The three days in question are Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. That may seem a little random. Why not Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday? For me, it just makes sense to begin the work process on Monday (the day that characterizes the start of the work week) and be finished by hump day. Like I said, the freedom to choose is blissful. Anywho, let's get into it.

Monday, the technical Day One, early afternoon, minutes after I finish lunch, I head downstairs into the basement. I shut the door behind me, turn off the light, carefully maneuver my way down the steps and through the pitch-black hallway, sometimes using the flashlight on my phone to guide me. Sitting on the sofa, I turn on the TV and place my notebook and pen beside me. I'm a strictly private film viewer, a lone wolf, as I like to say. Even though this part of the process entails only the watching of a movie, it's still work because it's this specific viewing that will form the basis of my review the next day. Everything I will write is dependent entirely on this one viewing. The only living being I allow to sit with me as I watch is my cat. He's quiet, loyal, and doesn't point out asinine criticisms during the movie (certainly can't say that about some of the people I used to watch horror with). From the second the film begins, whether by frame or sound, I immerse myself 100% in the story unfolding. No matter how long the film is, whether it's the standard 90 minutes or closer to or beyond a full two hours, nothing and no one else in the world exists during that duration. Reality recommences once the screen turns black and the end credits surface. 

As soon as it's over, I reach for my notebook and pen, and jot down whatever and however many notes come to mind. This is the trickiest part of the Day One procedure. When I first started taking notes after a movie (and I would never take them during the movie because that would remove me from the experience and drag out an hour-and-a-half runtime or more to an insufferable three hours or more), they would probably be way too detailed and beyond the necessary, recommended limit. All that would do is make the reviewing process more daunting because, as a rule, I transcribe every note I jot down into the review. Almost every note on the page will become a full paragraph. So when I was ready on Tuesday to sit down and begin work, I would look at my note sheet and feel disgusted, intimidated by all I now had to transcribe.

Guided by the recommendations of ChatGPT, I have now managed to shorten my notes both in quantity and quality. I try to aim for anywhere from 10-15, though I still usually end up with more like 18 or 19, which isn't terrible. And I make sure each note is crucial and linked to a specific theme: acting, direction, cinematography, set design, costume design, writing, so on. I try not to make each note too long and detailed to avoid overwhelming myself during the review, while ensuring they're specific enough to jog my memory and help retain certain specific details. 

It's difficult to take notes as soon as the movie ends because my mind goes a little blank. I've just been released from a long visual and aural experience, and I have to jot down everything that stood out to me during. I loved the performance that so-and-so gave, but how do I put that into words right now? They... conveyed a lot of emotion in their face and voice? Couldn't that be said about any great performance? How do I distinguish it? The cinematography was beautiful, but how do I find the words to express why? The cinematographer... used a lot of POV shots and tracking shots? And that matters because...? It puts pressure on me because right now is the most important time to take these notes. The only time. The movie has just ended, the emotions are as fresh within me as can be. I don't want to think of things later in the day. I need them right this second. And it's that very pressure that puts my brain on freeze like static on a TV. What should be the easiest part of the process is anything but. Nonetheless, I jot down anything important that comes to mind that I know I'll want to include in the review, I use shorthand to speed up the process, and I really force myself to think hard, without forcing it. It's a tough balance to strike. Once I feel I'm finished, purged of all the thoughts I want to note, I tear out the page from the notebook, run upstairs to my room, and tuck the page safely away in a drawer. Day One is complete, and I have the whole rest of the day ahead of me to relax and process what I just saw.

Day Two is really the actual Day One. Tuesday morning, I wake up and I'm taunted by the "blank page" anxiety. First thing's first: I drink my coffee, wait about a half hour before brushing my teeth, then get to work. If it's a non-shower day, then I get started as soon as I finish brushing. Otherwise, I get started about an hour later. Typically, the time I start my review is late morning on Tuesday (early afternoon if I eat lunch first, but that's practically never). I sit down at my computer, the fan above me is typically turned on (the pressure of writing often raises my body temperature, no joke), and the door is always closed, either all the way or mostly. I click onto my Blogger homepage, click "New Post," fill out the title line with the name of the movie, and so it begins. The first sentence is often the toughest to compose. This is my introduction to the movie I'll be reviewing, and I want to get the reader hooked as quickly and cleverly as I can. I may just sit there for a little, thinking of the best way to start, trying not to take too long so as not to drain myself of momentum. Once I begin typing that first sentence, the flow usually kicks in, and it's smooth sailing from there. Finally, I'm free from the intimidation of the blank page because it's no longer blank. Before I know it, I'm three, four paragraphs in already. This day is the most important. It's where the bulk of my review will be completed, so I want to get as much done as possible so I'll have as little as possible for the next day. 

As far as breaks, while they are prudent, I try to take as few as necessary. The first sitting is the most important, so I write as much as I can at the start, then when I feel I have a good amount done and could use a breather, I'll get up, walk around, relax on a comfortable sofa in the living room, or run back and forth in the basement. Since reviewing requires sitting in a chair for a significant amount of time, it's important and exhilarating to run off some steam and keep my body in motion. When I do allow myself a break, I try to keep it as short as possible, because the day moves at its own fast pace. It doesn't go on pause on my account. Before I know it, it will be nighttime, so it's crucial I don't overindulge. And it's much easier when I have the house to myself (which is a rare occurrence but so helpful when it's awarded). As I type, I turn to my notes for guidance, using each one as a topic to devote a paragraph to, unless I can slip it in with another. Each time I complete the transfer of a note, I cross it out on the page with a pen I always keep nearby. When I first look at the notes, and my intro is done but not one note is crossed off, it's undeniably intimidating. I've just written this many paragraphs, and I still have all these 18 notes to write about. But in the seeming blink of an eye, I have three notes crossed off and expanded on, then five, then ten. 

In the past, I would overanalyze my words, allow myself too much time to overthink them. Each sentence had to be a masterpiece in my mind, and I would force myself to make each line an individual project. As a result, it would take a few weeks to almost a month to finish a single review. That was unacceptable. It destroyed the joy of writing. So after taking about a year off, I determined to spend no more than two days on a review. To accomplish this, I try to write fast and with a propulsive mindset. No more overthinking. Whatever pops up in my head, write it down and keep going. Don't allow myself the time to overthink. Don't let my insecurity get the better of me. Focus on getting it done, not done "perfectly." Because there is no such thing as "perfection" in the arts. Whatever I write is what will have been written, and while it may not be perfect, it's never wrong. With that renewed way of thinking, I've now completed every review within my mandatory two-day time frame. Nosferatu is the only review I've completed in one day thus far (thanks in no small part to my having the house to myself for much of the day), and I hope to repeat that accomplishment sometime soon.

I work vigorously on the review for most of the day Tuesday, pausing only for lunch and dinner, with one or two breaks in between, and call it quits shortly before 8 p.m. For the rest of the night, I just relax and allow my writerly brain to regenerate for the next day. Waking up Wednesday morning, Day Two (or three if you count watching the movie as Day One), is nothing like waking up the previous day. While the page hasn't even been created yet on Tuesday morning, now I have most of my review completed, with usually four more notes left unchecked. There's still work to do, but it's no longer daunting. Same process as before: coffee, wait a half hour, brush my teeth, and finish up. There's no greater feeling than seeing every note is now checked off. Even if I choose to write an official conclusion paragraph (sometimes I just stop if it feels right), all that matters is all the notes have been transcribed. If my only struggle now is finding the words to wrap it all up, then I'm in a good place. To celebrate the completion of my notes, I tear the page in half and continue ripping until that one sheet of paper has multiplied to several, tiny pieces, which I then discard in the trash downstairs.

After doing a quick check to ensure there are no visible typos, I publish the article, then gather a collection of pictures related to the movie: the first is always a poster, and the rest -- preferably anywhere from 5-10 depending on how long the review is, so as not to overshadow the writing -- are screenshots that either relate to the topic of the paragraph under/over which I place them, or are just too striking and high-quality to leave out. Lastly, I leave a rating out of ten in bold, then underneath a picture of the star rating equivalent out of five. Only then do I click "Publish" for real, and consider myself done. Another review under my belt for this week. By the time my review is finished, the time is usually early in the afternoon, say, a little after 12 or 1 p.m. So I have the whole rest of the day to unwind and revel in the triumph. Then I restart the process (hopefully) the very next week. So on, so forth. 

The sheer bliss of completion may be greater than that of the actual writing process (how could it not be, honestly?), but since I've disciplined myself into spending no more than two days on a review, writing at a steady, propulsive pace without lingering and obsessing over every individual word and sentence, my motivation to review once a week has increased substantially. Without a doubt, while writing movie reviews and other horror-related content may not be the only work I perform in life, it's the only work I want to do. There's no greater joy or feeling of accomplishment than writing for my own blog. It allows me to celebrate and give back to the art form I grew up with since the age of three, and on my own terms, without the restrictions, mandates, and deadlines of writing for other people's websites.

So that's my process for film reviewing. I would love to hear yours. For anyone else who loves and lives to write about movies, particularly those of the horror genre, whether for your own website or someone else's, what's your personal process? Do you like to watch movies in the theater or in the quiet and comfort of your own home? Do you prefer to begin your review as soon as possible the very next day, or sit with the movie a little longer?