We've been seeing this on RT and for a while now, I thought it warranted its own topic... What the heck is up with the tidal wave of people who flood critics with insults for giving negative reviews?

Rotten tomatoes really needs to take down the comment section from individual reviewers, or else critics will be bullied into giving everything positive. IMO negative reviews are more insightful than positives, and no movie deserves a free pass.

Seems the mob wants to level the playing field of formal film criticism, since everyone has a voice they have less tolerance for those who get paid for theirs'.

Another thing I am noticing... I am a member of many different forums, DVDtalk has the most articulate members, other forums have members who just make post after post of half a sentence, one word, or just an image... if you seriously post more than a paragraph or two, people are just perplexed and have no idea what you're saying... how did this all seem to suddenly happen overnight?

Years ago, it was discussed about adding a link to the comments section here; a number of reviewers not too thrilled about the concept. The push by the owner of the time was to provide constructive feedback more than mean spirited complaints. While there have certainly been plenty of nasty messages (people that really like a movie or TV show are far more likely to attack a critic than those who agree with a review are to sing his praises), there have been a lot of thoughtful comments too; sort of a "who watches the watchmen" type of idea used to keep us honest.

What generally limits the attacks here are the horde of Admins and Moderators that won't let the bullying go on for long, well usually at least, minimizing the personal attacks. This is unlike most websites from what I've seen (but the "kill the messenger" types do seem to be growing in number all over the internet so I agree with you).

I agree. RT needs to take away the comments. It's hilarious that negative reviewers receive such hatred from fans who have never seen the movie.

Hilarious?

My experience a few weeks back wasn't all that funny.

Your mess with WALL-E was the first thing I thought of when I saw this topic. It's like that episode of "Seinfeld" where everyone but Elaine was raving about The English Patient (only she didn't have to put up with the ire of a faceless mob).

Woe be to the reviewer who dares give The Dark Knight a less-than-stellar review, for he or she will face the wrath of the fanboy on RT.

Aside from a few critics and folks who post on here, you'd have to pay me a lot of money to read any comments or most critics on RT.

I received more than a few death threats for my review of TOP GUN, especially when I called it, and I quote: the most commercially successful, visually resplendent, action-packed, and non-graphic gay porn ever constructed. Accused of everything from trying to push a homosexual agenda to hating America to slandering the military.

Internet mobs are mostly comical. Mostly. I knew the death threats were bogus but it still was a bit chilling at first.

Yeah, i'm surprised no one's taking exception to our own Danel Hirshleifer stating that Heath Ledger's performance is excellent, but not worthy of a Nobel Peace prize or the greatest thing ever committed to celluloid* like some are raving..

* My words, not his.

I don't see why a review has to be negative to be more insightful. As long as a positive review doesn't spend the length of the text gushing, it can be just as insightful as a negative review.

someone beat you by about 10 years:

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Aren't a lot of the critics on RT just hobby-ist reviewers for websites? So there's just part of the 'internet mob' anyways.

I've got not problem with people bothering critics on RT. I don't take it too seriously. Doesn't seem like a real problem. I be that lots of the critics don't pay attention. If it were, they could easily take the option away.

I've never had a problem with you, Brian. And I read your reviews sometimes. So please don't take offense. But 'reviewer on a relatively small website' is an entirely different field that 'someone who pays for their food with money made from reviews for a newpaper or magazine'.

So how many of RT's reviews are just 'from some site that's registered with RT' - as opposed to 'physically published circulations'?

Never claimed I was the first -- although to be fair, I had never heard that QT rant before writing the review. The homoeroticism in Top Gun was well established long before even that piece of commentary.

Still though, MANY still refuse to acknowledge it.

never claimed that was the first time anyone ever talked about Top Gun in this fashion.

you notice what I did just there?

Excellent scene! Never heard of the movie.

Aside from the anti-Semitism, for which there is no excuse, I don't see any points in your blog that could be considered particularly off-putting. Not that I'm trying to jump-start that dead horse.

I would imagine most reviewers could care less about the comments posted in their RT reviews. I cannot imagine any professional* reviewer would await, with fingers crossed in eager anticipation, the first trickling of user comments into their review, hoping that the internet-at-large agrees with their reviews.

*Either professional-acting or paid reviewer.

Hilarious as an outsider looking in. Obviously, not as a reviewer.