Welcome to Blitz’s Backlot!
Written by Jack Blitz, Blitz’s Backlot is a newsletter curated for movie and tv junkies featuring discussions, reviews, and recommendations about the latest in entertainment. Jack also writes about books, music, and video games when inspiration strikes.
Thank you very much for visiting our community!
The Newsletters
My articles will be broken down into the following major topics:
Movies
Television
Music
Books
Video Games
If all of that sounds like too much, don’t worry! The Blitz’s Backlot homepage’s navigation bar links to each individual topic and blog for a more curated experience. The “newsletters” tab will also let you customize your email notifications to exclude any topics you don’t have interest in.
Paid Subscriptions
Once subscribed, you will receive access to every post, which generally consist of reviews and longer form essays from the latest in entertainment and media.
Paid members can comment and participate in our community’s discussions on each post. Blitz’s Backlot is better when everyone chimes in!
Backlot Club members get access to our exclusive chat room and can talk directly with myself and other members about the latest in entertainment. Backlot Club members may even be featured in posts from time to time.
All subscription tiers will receive an email directly to your inbox each time I post.
Review Scale
Art criticism has no science to it. In fact, it is entirely subjective. The Blitz’s Backlot rating scale is no different. All reviews will be scored on the 10-point scale described below. You are allowed, even encouraged, to disagree. That is what the comments are for!
10 - Masterpiece
The highest score attainable. As close to perfect as you can get. These are classics that will influence the art form for generations to come. Represents a true cultural phenomenon or shift.
9 - Amazing
A cannot-miss experience. Something that is so impressive and inspiring, it is a highlight of its time and makes the medium better as a whole. Its minor flaws are hidden by its excellence.
8 - Great
An outstanding work of art that is both memorable and highly entertaining. It has minor flaws but they are mostly canceled out by an abundance of greatness.
7 - Good
It is time well spent and a memorable experience, but it could be better. Even if the story, technical achievement, and/or pacing is nothing to write home about, it is definitely worth your attention.
6 - Okay
It has potential and is mostly enjoyable, but you will definitely need to turn a blind eye to some pretty significant setbacks. An interesting story that is lacking proper execution.
5 - Mediocre
Simply unremarkable or average. This will likely be forgotten in a few days time. Its flaws are plentiful, but it can still pass the time. If you consider your time valuable, you can sit this one out.
4 - Bad
Even if there is a good idea or two buried beneath poor execution and an abundance of issues, you will likely wish you spent your time elsewhere. It is best not to bother with these.
3 - Awful
While something that is bad (4) may have some bright spots, this is consistently unenjoyable. It is poorly executed and has a lot of bad and unoriginal ideas. Not recommended at any time.
2 - Terrible
Being even worse than awful is an achievement in itself. Not only is it unenjoyable, but also painful and infuriating to get through. You may finish it, but will feel terrible when you do.
1 - Unbearable
So poorly executed, you won’t be able to finish it. Fortunately, these are few and far between and will rarely get reviewed, but they do exist and are never worth a second of your time.
I am so thrilled to have you here! Feel free to request films/shows/books/games, topics, or writing ideas at any time in the comments. Welcome to Blitz’s Backlot!
