RECAP READING
Fans Love it … Instructors Live for it … We should All Hate It
If 10 of us went to see a recent movie … lets say …. “Barbie”. We saw it together. We did not talk. We did not exchange glances. We did not hear you “sigh” or cry or laugh, or go to the bathroom for 20 minutes. And then … we had to give it a number from 60.0 to 99.9 …. keeping in mind that you were going to see 10 more movies this month and all would have to fit inside your rating system …
I would guess we might have numbers from a 70.0 to a 97.5
Example … here are just some recent comments I pulled regarding Barbie online
- saw it in the cinemas like 1 times Barbie I have it on Blu Ray From Canada I did saw it in the theatres after the movie i vomit i give it a 2 of 10 🤮its was at cineplex cinemas queensway theatre and vip i only like it on Amazon Prime Video
- Just perfect. I haven’t laughed so hard in a theater possibly ever in my life! Loved all the feels. Perfect casting and excellent performances. Set and costumes: A+! Love love love!
- Ryan Gosling’s performance was tremendous; at least someone gave the movie meaning. All his awards are well deserved. 👌
- dragged a tiny bit but really thought the first hour was just incredible
- nice background sets, but plot is a bit predictable so skipped a lot bc no tension
- Barbie’s aggressively pink, initially cringeworthy approach may be visually unappetizing to some viewers, but a surprisingly emotional, nuanced story helps propel Greta Gerwig’s plastic comedy high above others in the toy aisle.
- It was as entertaining as the movie Glitter by Mariah Carey.
- Watched it with the wife, both of us wish regretted the decision. Boring is an understatement, plot is just awful. If had been called any other name it would have been a huge flop by a film studio, its success came from being called Barbie.
- “Barbie” was at its best acknowledging it plastic inspiration, and at its worst when it tried to turn it into something profound. It is a movie based on a lot of ideas, but with very little in the way of plot to lead the audiences organically to the conclusions its main characters are always leaping to. The visual gags were top notch, but felt scattered throughout an otherwise overly serious film.
- i was hesitant to watch this and now that i’ve seen it 3 or 4 times (only do this with decent movies) it’s better each time i watch-SO entertaining and some great acting and this is the best performance of america ferrera i’ve seen and also, the girl who plays her daughter.
So … we can agree that people have different opinions. Very Different.
Now,
what if …. I told all of the reviewers that the overall rating for the film was a 9.50!!! Most loved it … they were awed by the pink motif, they thought Ryan and Margot were spectacular and well … “Barbie” was the front runner for the academy award.
By the way, your reviews and numbers would be published on line, everywhere within the community and your peers, students, teachers, colleagues …. all would know what number you gave and there would be great debate concerning your number and your related competence.
Hmmmm ….
You might want to be more careful huh?
So …
Let’s look at the effect scores for a few corps
Boston ( effect )
June 25th — — 14.4 and 15.4 ; avg. 14.9
June 27th — — 15.0 and 15.0 ; avg 15.0
June 30th — — 15.6 and 15.3 ; avg 15.45
July 2nd — — 16.1 and a 15.7; avg 15.85
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Or … what about a graph of Boston’s first four scores …
There is of course improvement … and there is the improvement systimatically of corps. After all … we want to get to a 98.0–96.0 before the end of the year. To do that .. there has to be a general acknowledgement of quality and improvement
I ask you … it is possible, that the most affected you have been, in seeing a drum corps, was the FIRST TIME you sawe that drum corps. The first time you saw a Z Pull …. or the Phantom Leg Kick, or the Bluecoats TILT …. and is it possible that as time moved on you became less intrigued and less entertained … hmmm ?
And back to the point of the day …
If I am judging, and I know one of the prestiguous judges of DCI, had Carolina Crown 6 tenths over the Boston Crusaders in effect, an I … the new guy …. regardless what I think, likely to keep Crown on top … but, maybe by .3 …. just to cover my ass. After all, I am not so taken with my own opinions that I think I am right. And I certainly do not need to explain my opinions 10 times over in critique. Better … or so it seems … to follow along.
BUT THE FANS LOVE THE RECAPS
Sure … but how about we do it the old fashioned way. Out the recaps out a week later. Scores go out … we have to do that of course, but leave the recaps for a week later. I will tell ya what ….you can even list and announce the caption winners. BUT …. NO RECAPS
HERE IS THE TRUTH ABOUT CORPS STAFFS
Speaking personally, I have been on all sides of this dilemma. BUT … what I describe HAPPENS. It happens ALL OF THE TIME.
So …
on Wednesday, the Cadets ( of past) drum line wins ensemble percussion at a big show in Centerville, OH. They win over BD, the Cavaliers … and win by .3. WOW … Not bad.
On Thursday, with a different judge, they come in 3rd in ensemble … losing to the very team they beat by .3 …. this time losing by .4.
In to critique we go …
and in a few short minutes, the conversation becomes tense and the comment is made … well … JB had us up .3 just one night ago. And now YOU, go the other way. What the hell?
The judge explains the possibility of performance alterations, perception, the show itself, the vantage point … he actually does a good job of explaining what might have happened. BUT … back at the staff bus … the only conversation is how this judge, on this evening, SCREWED US.
One last point for now …
When we publish all of the gory details for the world, these same conversations, and explanations are debated over and over on social media. Judges are vilified, or raised as heroes …. it just makes the situation worse than it needs to be for so so so many people.
All for now …. but how about this for an experiment.
IF … I have some time before the evening shows, I will attempt to predict the scores for the corps in the East and West this evening. I will do so before the performance …. just based on recaps, trends, and general inertia. I could be off … I will probably be close.
See … at the heart of the matter ..
The Blue Devils
Bluecoats
Boston
Crown
are all very good corps. And SCV, Mandarins, Phantom … there are many good corps. In fact, to survive in these crazy times you almost have to be very very good.
But, they ALL have design flaws, they ALL have strengths and weaknesses and they are all caught inside of the drum corps vortex that demands lots of notes, lots of body, high tosses , a good deal or run and then play …. and a commitment to feed the judges what is believed is required for big numbers.
And it is entertaining?
Well …. some people thought Barbie was entertaining. I thought it was cute … kind of :-)
