Why written reviews over video reviews?

I had a chat about CCS with a friend and he asked why do we do written reviews when we have a public disdain for video reviews?

A good question regarding a possible hypocrisy, but what do you say?

I enjoy voicing my opinion and hopefully swaying some of you with severe anime phobias towards some great animated features that are more suited to your tastes than the stereotypes you despise. I fear that if my reviews were in a video format that they may not be as entertaining or potentially distracting. I may excel with words but I can't say with confidence that I have the charisma and screen presence required to make a favorable impact upon any of you. I may even negate any positive opinions by looking like an Otaku in the purest Japanese sense of the word. X3

So I will stay perfectly content in obscurity and hopefully provide a greater impact upon others with the written word and not distractions.

Objection! We have a public disdain for horrible, uninformed MST3K commentaries, complete with "wacky" characters, "epic" multi-episode storylines, and cringe-worthy living room fight scenes, disguised as reviews. Big difference, Your Honor.

So yeah, tell your friend to watch something like The Blockbuster Buster and then read a review written by ONOE or even yourself. I can guarantee the issue will be settled in no time forever.

When did dressing up like characters from the movies and making jokes out of every scene begin to constitute a review? A review provides critical information, takes its digs at times but the opinion is never given a back seat to unfunny skits and jokes.
I would rather read a crisp and concise review than to be subjected to a video featuring an annoying host who puts his vaudeville show over his opinion.

I don't want to see a bunch of fat nerds explain a fucking movie to me for ten minutes and be subjected to their shit humor for another twenty. There is no comparison between leisurely reading a snarky review by Onoe, Cinemax and LM and getting the information I want, and having to force myself to watch a high school talent show with movie clips.

If you guys do a video reviews, maybe you should do something simlar to At the Movies with Siskel & Ebert. Not Mst3k! Don't get me wrong. I love Mst3k and I don't think every Inernet movie/video game reviewer should be fucking comedian! Much I like TGWTG; I want hear thier opitons as thier selfs, not as a character!

Well that's one way to put it, but I prefer ONOE and CineMax's reasonings so far.

Personally the very minute someone comes to CCS and says "Oh, it's another tgwtg-reject website" we've lost.

Interesting thing is that DeadHorseInterchange found us, but the comments have been surprisingly positive of our site overall because of our approach towards anything dealing with reviews. We've focused on written reviews over a slew of video reviews, and the few shows that we have that come close to 'review videos' have either a good spin (Mockbuster Mockery), is well presented and engrossing (B-Mask's work), and/or is genuinely funny (Mockbuster Mockery again).

Has anyone else noticed that we have a definitive preference for review series where the commentator is off camera? I wonder if having an off screen presence aids in establishing credibility? If the greatest and most stimulating video review ever devised was hosted by an absolute trollish looking fellow -the kind of nerd that Alphawolf clearly despises - would that hurt the review itself?

I've noticed that even the secret projects haunting the dark recesses of these forums are faceless.
Very interesting indeed.

There is an undeniable mystique. :D

@ONOE: Huh. Never noticed that really. It does make sense, though. Like AlphawolfX said, it's the content that matters, not the person presenting it. Oh, sure, a good commentator is always a plus (you know, a joke here, a tear-jerking monologue there), but it's the information that should be the zest of the series, not some quirky character.

Would Epic Mickey or GameJams have been better if B-mask and Kenny appeared on camera every five minutes to wave their arms and wink a couple of times on the camera? I doubt it. It wouldn't hurt their shows, mind, since they're sublime and all. However, it sure as hell would've been unnecessary, if not even distracting.