FILM REVIEWS: We prefer reviews that focus on one film in current theatrical release or due to be released shortly in North America. The review should relate what is of merit and what is not in the film under discussion. It should incorporate early in the review a very brief synopsis or description of the plot (avoiding or at least flagging plot “spoilers”) for those who haven’t seen the film. Your review should not, however, be in the guise of a lengthy plot outline, interpolated with your critical commentary. We are concerned with aesthetics as well as content, with how cinematic techniques affect a film’s impact. Preferred length is about 1,500 to 2,000 words for feature reviews. Please provide production credits and distribution source information with your review, following the format we use in the magazine.
Please note that since we have space in each issue for only five to six “Film Reviews,” our editors engage in extensive discussions about which films we want to cover. For each issue, we try to select a mix of mainstream Hollywood films of particular political or cultural importance, quality foreign films, and American independent films, including both fiction films and documentaries. The principal reasons we decide not to make freelance Film Review assignments proposed to us, or to publish completed Film Reviews submitted to us, are 1) because our Editorial Board has decided to cover other films in a particular issue, 2) because our editors have not seen the film proposed for review, and we do not wish to assign coverage of films we have not seen for ourselves, or 3) because the film is not going to be exhibited or distributed in North America.
DVD and BLU-RAY REVIEWS: We publish in each issue five to six reviews of either new or recent films (in particular those not covered in previous issues) or vintage and classic films released on DVD and Blu-ray. Preferred length for DVD reviews of single titles is in the range of 1,500 to 2,000 words, or longer for reviews covering multiple titles or box sets. The critical approach should be the same as that recommended for Film Reviews, except that you should also include some commentary on any supplementary materials or “extras’ on the disc, and, when appropriate, some discussion of the technical quality of the transfer, especially if the title has previously been released in video format. Please provide brief production credits and distribution-source information with your review(s), following the format used in the magazine.
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