The Critical Drinker

[Esceptico]

Not sure why but a video from The Critical Drinker popped up on my YouTube feed. I think first one I watched was a rant about how bad guys in movies have become pussies in recent years (so undermining the protagonists own story because weak villains make the story more boring).

Basically his videos are about 15 minutes of a Scottish guy ranting about some aspect of modern movies. I think my favourite part is his final sentence. “That’s it, go away now”

Despite the ranting he does seem to make some good points. He did a good one on why Finn was a crap character (or rather how badly his character was written) and he proposed changes to TLJ that would have made it much less st than it was.

Anyone come across him or have recommendations for similar?

[housen]

yeah he's good

and is not all negative will give credit to where credit is due

[Camelot1971]

Have a look at his "Drinker Recommends" videos - some gems in there.

[TheAngryDog]

I watch a few of his videos, he's quite amusing. My wife hates his voice so I am banned from watching them without headphones on lol.

He makes very good points, and I often agree with them. Some I don't, but that's a good thing.

[JohnnyF2]

I always watch The Critical Drinker's reviews on Youtube, in fact I don't bother with traditional film reviews any more.

The Critical Drinker is a persona adopted by Scottish thriller author Will Jordan. He's actually a very intelligent chap and nothing like his Drinker alter-ego. He's writes the Ryan Drake thrillers among others; the books are available on Amazon and elsewhere.

[Matt p]

JohnnyF2 said:

I always watch The Critical Drinker's reviews on Youtube, in fact I don't bother with traditional film reviews any more.

The Critical Drinker is a persona adopted by Scottish thriller author Will Jordan. He's actually a very intelligent chap and nothing like his Drinker alter-ego. He's writes the Ryan Drake thrillers among others; the books are available on Amazon and elsewhere.

+1 to this. His review are with much humour, tongue in cheek and sometimes bloody scathing. I like it a lot.

fkoff film

[cologne2792]

A superb, erudite and articulate observer and guide.

Anyone can tell you that something is rubbish or not as good as it used to be but his talent is being able to tell you exactly why.

" Anyway, that's all I've got for today. GO away now! "

Edited by cologne2792 on Wednesday 10th November 18:29

[generationx]

Drinker and Plinkett are the best alter-egos in Youtube.

[Ivo Shandor]

Esceptico said:

Anyone come across him or have recommendations for similar?

I don't like him, he whinges too much, and he didn't understand Watchmen. There's a fair few 'anti-woke' film commentators. I find most are just professional whingers (whinging makes money on youtube), the ones I go to who might be similar are Red Letter Media, Midnight's Edge and Dave Cullen-who is a recent one I have started viewing. I watched a few videos of his a while back and thought he was another non-stop whinger, but he seems more balanced these days, or I'm getting more fed up with where films are going.
Georg Rockall-Schmitt is also very good at deep dives in the same-ish vein.

[nick30]

I like it just watched the set up and pay off plus the squid games one. Thanks for the recommendation.

[vulture1]

Watch his "falling down " review. Its brilliant

[JagLover]

generationx said:

Drinker and Plinkett are the best alter-egos in Youtube.

True enough, though RLM barely use Plinkett reviews anymore, and just review movies as themselves.

The Critical Drinker is good, and insightful at times, but I do find him a bit too political at times. RLM remain the gold standard of Youtube film reviewers for me, partly due to the fact they rarely mention politics. If something is good they will say so and why, if it is bad they will say so and why. They won't bring politics into it at all.

Actually come to think of it I am somewhat diminishing their value by saying of "Youtube film reviewers". They have far more credibility with me than all MSM film reviewers as well.

Edited by JagLover on Thursday 11th November 13:29

[chris watton]

JagLover said:

True enough, though RLM barely use Plinkett reviews anymore, and just review movies as themselves.

The Critical Drinker is good, and insightful at times, but I do find him a bit too political at times. RLM remain the gold standard of Youtube film reviewers for me, partly due to the fact they rarely mention politics. If something is good they will say so and why, if it is bad they will say so and why. They won't bring politics into it at all.

Actually come to think of it I am somewhat diminishing their value by saying of "Youtube film reviewers". They have far more credibility with me than all MSM film reviewers as well.

Edited by JagLover on Thursday 11th November 13:29

I think the political aspect is more due to the fact that 'entertainment' now has way too much political crap shoehorned into the story for no reason, so his mentioning of this is just a by product of the way too over politicised culture we are all now suffering through.

I used to really like Mark Kermode, but haven't read/listened to any of his input since he clearly lied about The Last Jedi, that review was bought and paid for, and his credibility shot in my view.

And from my own PoV, I am heartily sick and tired of the over politicisation of fking everything.

Edited by chris watton on Thursday 11th November 18:34

[JagLover]

chris watton said:

I think the political aspect is more due to the fact that 'entertainment' now has way too much political crap shoehorned into the story for no reason, so his mentioning of this is just a by product of the way too over politicised culture we all all now suffering through.

I used to really like Mark Kermode, but haven't read/listened to any of his input since he clearly lied about The Last Jedi, that review was bought and paid for, and his credibility shot in my view.

And from my own PoV, I am heartily sick and tired of the over politicisation of fking everything.

Kermode also gave the ghastly Ghostbusters remake a free pass as well. I also used to like Kermode and both those reviews were shocking. It is not that he is "bought and paid for" though, at least not directly, virtually all MSM film reviewers have to review by political messaging, that is how they stay employed.

That is why Youtube offers freedom. They are funded by advertising revenue and Patreon and merchandising money. As yet Youtube hasn't started censoring film commentary like they do political commentary. So for now at least we have access to people telling us how it is rather than how they have to pretend it is.

[chris watton]

JagLover said:

Kermode also gave the ghastly Ghostbusters remake a free pass as well. I also used to like Kermode and both those reviews were shocking. It is not that he is "bought and paid for" though, at least not directly, virtually all MSM film reviewers have to review by political messaging, that is how they stay employed.

That is why Youtube offers freedom. They are funded by advertising revenue and Patreon and merchandising money. As yet Youtube hasn't started censoring film commentary like they do political commentary. So for now at least we have access to people telling us how it is rather than how they have to pretend it is.

And I think that Hollywood and the entertainment industry in general are only now waking up to the fact that they are not making the returns they hoped, and realising that Twitter isn't the be all and end off of the vast majority's likes and dislikes. For too long, they have been making crap for a demographic that doesn't exist or, at least wouldn't pay to see their products, let alone merchandise.

[Ivo Shandor]

I think the RLM boys have simply (for the most part) outgrown the old Plinkett, the newer version just appears in those awful skits in Half in the Bag, but they do wheel out other characters, like the Science Guys and the Nerd Crew when they really want to go to town on the latest awful monstrosity or youtubers who are clearly just front windows for the studios. The difference between the Nerd Crew and the actual youtubers who are just studio mouthpieces is non-existent, quite a spot on parody. I think the RLM crew got fed up with the state of modern cinema some years ago when their regular review output allowed down immensely, it's not just down to the proselytising, but the dominance of super-hero clone films and the reliance on tent-pole films and incredibly poor additions to franchises that should have been put to sleep decades ago.
RLM are still my fave by far and I am quite glad when Best of the Worst, Re:View, Half in the Bag pop up.
I think the counter culture has started in Hollywood. There's trouble at Disney mill, not just in Lucasfilm now, but Marvel too, and a downturn boxoffice that had started pre-scam/hoaxpandemic. MCU, DC and Bond all affected, and they all have their issues with their didactic approach.
I sadly await the clusterfk of FUBAR proportions of the next Indy film...if it gets finished.

edit.
I forgot, I like their social commentary, which is devoid of political judgement outside of a purely cinematic scope, that's rare in any reviewer. But even though I gauge them as being as balanced as you can be, thanks to Yellowflash2 I actually came cross a website that hates them; because they're white, middle-aged, straight, 'cis' guys. I've never seen as many references to their ethnicity as this one particular thread, it was like being in a bizarro topsy-turvy world

Edited by Ivo Shandor on Thursday 11th November 19:11

[generationx]

We haven’t had Plinkett for a while, I think the last was “Picard” but I’m sure these analyses take quite some time to prepare. He half-promised Star Trek 5 once but it never happened which, knowing Mike S’s love of ST, is surprising. I don’t know what he’ll do next, they tend to leave Marvel to Mauler. Who is also very good.

But no one’s ever really gone.

[Ivo Shandor]

generationx said:

But no one’s ever really gone.

:biggrin:

There's the 'other' Plinkett, who is played by Dick the Birthday boy.
I can't stand Mauler, watched him in the early days, was amused by him at first but he goes way overboard and like cinemasins his reasoning becomes pointless at some point going over every second. I think he's the best example of whinging for cash. I can remember him having a pop at RLM for not hating Disney's Star wars enough.

[The Hypno-Toad]

I think the Drinker is the best internet film critic out there. Some of his videos have me laughing out loud and I usually agree with most of his judgments.

Him and Ryan George/Pitch Meetings were great entertainment during the lockdown.

[JagLover]

Ivo Shandor said:

I think the RLM boys have simply (for the most part) outgrown the old Plinkett, the newer version just appears in those awful skits in Half in the Bag

Mike and jay wanted to be filmmakers and then they ended up making corporate videos in Wisconsin.............. So give them a break on the skits it is just frustrated creativity

Ivo Shandor said:

I forgot, I like their social commentary, which is devoid of political judgement outside of a purely cinematic scope, that's rare in any reviewer. But even though I gauge them as being as balanced as you can be, thanks to Yellowflash2 I actually came cross a website that hates them; because they're white, middle-aged, straight, 'cis' guys. I've never seen as many references to their ethnicity as this one particular thread, it was like being in a bizarro topsy-turvy world

If I had to guess the politics of the core members it would be independents who mainly vote democrat. But they don't make their channel about politics which is part of what makes it so strong in today's day and age.

Edited by JagLover on Friday 12th November 05:12