Film Review Report Guide

Summary of three film reviews: 500+ words

Your own film review: 500+ words

Total word count: 1000 words

Two reports due by end of Wednesday, October 9 and November 13

Assignment Description

The two film review reports assigned in this course are meant to prod you to think critically of selected films you have watched in this course. For each report, you will choose a film you have screened since the beginning of the course in the case of the first report, and since the due date of the first report in the case of the second report. (You may not write the second report on a film that was screened before October 9.) Each report is to contain two distinct parts. The first part presents three summaries of three respective film reviews of your choosing. The second part presents your own review of the same film.

Assignment Instructions

1. Determine which film you wish to write about.
2. Visit RottenTomatoes.com where you are to enter the film title in the search window to locate professional film reviews of your selected films collected by Rotten Tomatoes.
3. Read at least three reviews of you selected film. (If three of fewer reviews are posted to Rotten Tomatoes, then search on Google).
4. Select three reviews to summarize. Select “top critics” reviews on Rotten Tomatoes if available. Select reviews published in newspapers and magazines, not on blogs.
5. In each of the three summaries, identify the name of the film critic, the title of the operative publication, and a link to each of the three reviews
6. Having reflected on your film of choice, what you have read about it and your own experience of it, now write your own review. Your review must include:
   1. brief identification of the film: director, year or production, country(ies) of production, language, etc.
   2. a summary of the film’s plot
   3. analysis of at least three of the following: screenplay, acting, directing, cinematography, editing, sound, production/costume/make up design
   4. Your overall opinion of the film (supported by the preceding analysis)

Assignment Grading Scheme

Each entry will be marked out of 10 points, as follows:

Content (rigor, intellectual ambition, clarity, cohesiveness, flow—4 pts) +

Compliance (wordcount, response to two pieces—4 pts) +

presentation (spelling, punctuation, mechanics, diction—2 pts)

All journal entries must be submitted as an MS Word or Adobe file to TurnitIn and will be marked according to the above scheme and to include brief feedback.