Badmovies.org

[Andrew]

Okay all, here is an opportunity to take some shots at me.  I am still working on improvements to the site - just upgraded the awards section the new coding last night - but would like to know what is being done right and what is being done wrong.  I can give some quick spots I thought of as possible points.
 

THE FORUM
I posted a prominent invite on the front page for the forum and we have had an increase in new posters.  For the most part, we have not seen anyone who is disruptive or plain rude.  I have always liked it that most of us have a good feel for each other.  Sometimes, you run into problems when too many new people meet for the first time.  So, I do not want us to get to a point where that happens, but I think a community is better when you have diversity.  Some people will know slasher films well, others will know westerns, and yet another group will be expert at kung fu flicks.  And with all of that comes their personal experiences and hobbies.

I have been thinking we need a community board, just for talking personal stuff - anything from family to jobs.  Right now the off topic board is serving that purpose and it does not seem to get so many posts that keeping up is a problem, so I have not asked if we need it yet.

Also been considering the need to move to SMF 1.1.1 and maybe setting the default forum view to what is default for SMF (but with changes to the style sheet – keeping the color theme we currently have).  Now, my genetics do have a problem in that I have some color blindness.  So, if I put two clashing colors together sometime you probably need to give me a heads up.  I might well not be able to see it like you do.

Do we have enough moderators?  I think so, but if you do not please let me know.


LINKS TO OTHER SITES
Been sending out emails here and there to sites I was not linking to before, to contact the webmasters about link trades.  I also pruned the links to get rid of dead ones (only after 3 different tries to reach the site).  I do not want too many links, else they become too long of a list for people to actually use.


REVIEWS
The format I use is pretty much set in stone, just because it is second nature to me.  However, both the films I pick and the writing are variables.  When Skaboi mentioned "The Mutilator" I realized it had been some time since I did a slasher flick and I seem to shy away from them.  My goal is always variety.  These are the next films on the slate (this list reaches into March):

Feast
Faster, p***ycat! Kill! Kill!
Dungeons and Dragons (Reader Review by Akiraturbo)
Saturn 3
Blades
Cavegirl
Shock Treatment
Beneath the Planet of the Apes
The Mutilator (currently writing this one)

I think that I need to do a blaxsploitation film and have been looking at either one of the Dolemite films or Street Wars.  I have been thinking about doing either one for a while.  That is usually how I pick the films to review:  “Gee, I am in the mood to review *this*.”

I have been back to writing reviews for about two months now.  The “Graveyard Shift” review was fun for me to write, but how are they coming across to anyone else?  In other words, general quality of the writing:  dumb jokes, weird, funny, you lost me at “whatever,” or “who reads the reviews?”


INTERVIEWS
This weekend will see the first new interview in a long time.  I forgot how fun it was to do them, learning all the stories that people have about these sorts of movies.  Part of the reason I stopped doing interviews was the effort required to create the layout.  With the new template, I plan on trying for one per month.  Currently working on an interview with the writer of “The Pit” and am going to speak with Mr. Dohler’s widow in the near future and hope to have an article about his films for March.  Do you like interviews or what I am doing right and wrong with the ones I do?


READER REVIEWS
How is the new system working out?  I like it, in that everyone’s review is posted.  We had a small burp with my attempt at a voting system, but hopefully my picking out a good one or two every month will avoid that.


OPEN FORUM
What do you like, not like, or see differently?  Obviously, the site is something I hold close and I cannot change me too easily.  However, if there is something I should be doing better, maybe I can improve it.


THE SITE'S MISSION
Not to become the only place you need for bad movies.  I do want to be a hub, because if a surfer can find Badmovies.org I want to be able to show them the other places that fans of bad movies will enjoy.  Likewise, I want to make them smile as they remember parts of the movies I am talking about, along with writing reviews that will help them find other movies they might enjoy.  Last, but not least, to provide a place for fans of b-movies to chat and trade information.  In the end, I imagine that the forum is probably the greatest thing here, because of the people.


If you need  to say something to me privately, feel free to PM.

[CheezeFlixz]

I've been on and off this site for a few years, I am glad to see the forum getting more active. Long ago I was a member and forgot my login/e-mail etc so this week I resign up. I admit there was a long delay in me doing that because the forum wasn't as active in the past. I haven't read every word but so far I haven't seen any troller/know-it-alls that seem to annoy most boards.

If I had to suggest anything is that more reviews are needed, perhaps having folks that can conform to your style here and specialize in different genres as I know it is difficult to write a review about a film you have little interest in watching. Granted everyone is going to have a certain style of there own, some folks will like it and others will not.

One last request as far as site improvement goes, we need a breakroom with snack machines.

Keep up the excellent work and Semper Fi.

[peter johnson]

Well, I sort of HATED the new format & new look to the site when it was first done, but the more used to it I got, the better I liked it --
I do really enjoy coming here in general, and really like all the posters, even the ones who fuss with me/I fuss with.
As has been said, the range & breadth of interests here is what gives it life --
I do sometimes miss posts I would have liked to have read, however, as I tend to just go to the main board like we all used to, and tend not to go over to "Reader Reviews", "Off-Topic", and the like.  I can think of no way to fix this other than to train myself to click around & not just stick to the main board.
As I tend to not like "change" in general, I probably am not the best person to give input re. improvements.
Hey!  I just noticed there are TWO BEER - RELATED EMOTICONS HERE !!
 . . . (See what I mean?)
peter johnson/denny changing color

[Ash]

The only thing I would recommend that you change is the font on the main pages and reviews back to Ariel.  (I believe that's what you used before)
I prefer the old font.
The new Verdana font looks kinda ho-hum in my opinion.
I don't know...there's just something about Verdana that looks "amateur" to me. 
And this site and its content are far from being amateur.

Other than that, everything looks great!  

[ulthar]

I don't know...there's just something about Verdana that looks "amateur" to me. 

A whole heap of web developers disagree that Verdana looks "amateur."  In a poll done on one site (admittedly, back in 2003), the response was overwhelmingly for Verdana over Arial.  However, this sort of thing always boils down to personal taste.

[ulthar]

I do sometimes miss posts I would have liked to have read, however, as I tend to just go to the main board like we all used to, and tend not to go over to "Reader Reviews", "Off-Topic", and the like.  I can think of no way to fix this other than to train myself to click around & not just stick to the main board.

Here's the approach I took (I am assuming that you stay 'logged in'):

If you look to the upper left, up near you avatar, you will see a link that says Show posts since last visit.  I clicked on this link, and THAT PAGE is the page I put into my 'bookmarks' for BadMovies.org.

Then,  when I click that link in my bookmarks, I get a list of all threads with new posts across all boards, each with a little "new" icon.  Then click the "new" icon, and go straight to the new post(s) in that thread.

It's a pretty slick way to keep up with new stuff.

Hope this helps...

[Andrew]

In some ways I miss the old font I used as the default (it is "helv"), but there were a few things it did badly - like italics and underlining.  Verdana does a better job of that.  One of my thoughts, once the site is completely switched to CSS, is to allow a viewer to change the default text.  Helvetica does not look bad either.  I almost went with that as the default.

I do think that verdana does a good job of smaller pitch, like 10 and less.  Arial looks terrible at 8 pitch and bad at 10.

Ulthar already nailed it as to the best way to see every post.  Just click on that "show unread posts since your last visit" and look for the threads that interest you.

[Ash]

One of my thoughts, once the site is completely switched to CSS, is to allow a viewer to change the default text.  Helvetica does not look bad either.  I almost went with that as the default.

That sounds like a good idea.
I was thinking the old font was Ariel for some reason.

[Ed, Ego and Superego]

This is the olny board I regularly participate in.  I read some others, and this is refreshingly free of self-centered dinks who think flaming is good dialogue.  This was really brought home by a recent attempt to optimize a game for my creaky home machine.  The "support" boards were full of blowhards and loudmouths who's ideas of useful dialogues were  "Get a new computer, (add expeletive you choose)"

This one has good people, most who actually use whole words and sentences in posts.  I trust and respect  the regulars here, and the content is reliable and good natured.  Overall, its a class act all round. 

NOw to business... I like the extra content, and I do miss it being updated.  I do like the "classic" look like in the reviews, but I'm used to the forum view these days.  I don't care about fonts, and stuff like that.  Besides, you got a lot happening these days.  Do what you wanna do, we'll understand. 
-Ed

[Torgo]

I've been a huge fan of this site for a couple years now and just recently joined the forum.

I usually roam around rotten tomatoes but that site has just gotten on my last nerve. You can't have a decent conversation with anyone on there.

Maybe that has to do with the fact that I'm almost 32 and there's been an influx in ignorant teen agers on that site over the last year or so ( damn young whipper snappers  ) whose sole purpose seems to be to troll.

Plus, there's hardly any B movie discussions on there of any sort.

But anyway, I'm really happy with the current format of the site.  All additions to the site have been for the better in my opinion and I'm sure that will continue to always be the case.   

[Shadow]

My only suggestion would be to have a single forum for other, non-movie,  media discussion. Like TV, Music, Books, Games, Etc.

[SaintMort]

I think that I need to do a blaxsploitation film and have been looking at either one of the Dolemite films or Street Wars.  I have been thinking about doing either one for a while. 

The thing with two heads would be a fun one too

[dean]

 

I've been really enjoying the new format, especially once I got used to it.

Another hint for finding new posts, which tricked me to start with was when you do click the 'show unread posts' to check if there's only one page or not.  I missed a few nice posts due to my not realising that it only showed posts up to a certain amount, and therefore meant I missed the second, or third page, depending on how long it's been since I last visited [which is pretty much daily at the moment]

In terms of extra features and whatnot, I like Shadowfyre's suggestion of possibly another sub-board which is maybe more 'On topic' than the off topic board, but less to do with movies, and more to do with other media, though I must admit that it's not exactly a high priority for me anyway.

I'm sure I'll come up with a few suggestions if I think hard enough, but at the moment I thought I'd chip in and say what a good job you've been doing.  I have noticed that the site has improved ten fold now that you're back in town, just from your steady contributions and new changes, though once "Number 3" comes along that may not be the case of course!

[Captain Tars Tarkas]

I've liked the board ad on the front page since it showed up.  Your current reviews are just about the right length, if things are too long they need to be broken up with pictures or something.  My only real suggestion would be to sticky this thread for a bit, just in case we get an influx of people

[Ash]

How about an honorable mention on the Badmovies.org main page for the Badmovies.org Myspace page?

I know that you don't personally care for Myspace Andrew, but there are tons of fans of this site who also have Myspace pages and want to see more.
Myspace is HUGE right now...catering to our fans there is a wise idea.

Besides, our friends on Myspace are seriously cool and totally devoted to B-movies!
I wish more of them would post here.
Most Myspace pages suck...but I think I've created a great Badmovies.org page.
And it doesn't cost you a cent.

What do you think?

http://www.myspace.com/badmoviesorgmember