Thank You, RedLetterMedia

The gang of RedLetterMedia is the closest thing to Nietzsche’s Ubermensch in the modern world. They represent everything holy and sacred in today’s internet culture, the very best it has to offer. For more than a decade they have entertained and inspired a generation of moviegoers to expand their horizons by providing fun and creative reviews of movies they’re particularly interested in. The gimmick has resulted in an avid following willing to support and defend everything they stand for. The world is a better place for their existence, and their success is proof of an actual chance that smart and thought provoking commentary is possible in an era where everything is stale and packaged together.

YouTube is a cesspool of frauds, with very few exceptions. I am well-aware of some of these people, and you can smell the awful stench they leave by the way people regurgitate their half-baked ideas all the time as if striking gold at the narrow mines. There’s really no way to tell who is a hack at first; it is only until getting a few years of experience watching content that you start to see the ripples. My best advice for those who are looking to weed out the crabgrass is to watch out for people who complain about the mood or feel of a film without giving much substance into what the actual plot is about or how it relates to what it’s trying to do. You can pretty much tell the difference by the way they talk about films they don’t like; there’s a special condescension to the way they discuss them.

With the current state of hot takes and over-exasperated attitudes towards the film industry, it’s hard to have a good source of information unaffected by current sensibilities to the point of turning everything into a bigger deal than what it actually is. Everything has to be political or divisive instead of educational and light-hearted. And while I’m sure that there may be a perception that the people I wish to highlight on this piece may perhaps have a long and historical reputation of being nothing more than hack frauds, I am here to tell you all that this is not the case.

RedLetterMedia is a YouTube film review channel created by Mike Stoklasa and Jay Bauman. Joining them is their close friend Rich Evans to complete a trio of irreverent Seinfeld-style nothingness. Their rise to fame is mostly due to their deadpan and absurd humor. Most of the time, before reviewing a movie, they create skits and gags that oddly enough when put together form a cohesive narrative resembling the lighter version of Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! You can see the effort and artistry behind every skit. It provides a certain level of appreciation behind their intentions. While doing so because they actually enjoy the idea of reviewing movies, what you get from them is a thorough examination of almost every part that makes a movie work or not. The combination truly is lighting in a bottle; it really shouldn’t work, but it does, almost to perfection.

Contrary to the slogan, the members of RedLetterMedia are not hack frauds. They are massive hack frauds. Okay, in all seriousness, their take on films is insightful and rooted on a deep and passionate understanding of the little intricacies behind almost every part of the filmmaking process. Unlike most review channels, the RLM gang is very much disconnected and recluse from the influence of Hollywood or sponsorships. Residing in Wisconsin gives them this psychological underrated edge that appears to only be available to residents of this mysterious area.

You can tell by their style and attitude that they’re from a much different world than those who make mainstream movies, even if they have friends and interests in the industry. They play the role of detached critic to perfection, with their only flaws being the soft spots they have for their favorite genres, which is frankly not hard to fault them for considering how everyone has them. Even when they do this there’s a refreshing feeling in knowing they’re aware of these contradictions; it only further enhances the personalities each member has cultivated for themselves through their many skits and discussions. Mike Stoklasa and Rich Evans are the Star Trek and action flick fanboys while Jay Bauman enjoys schlocky and campy horror films with surreal elements, and David Lynch. The recurring guest stars consistently add a flavor to each episode and allows for the dynamics to stay fresh and interesting.

Their experiences in making homemade movies with creative special effects and absurd stories before even embarking on reviews helps further explain their almost impressive and thorough understanding of movies. They’re the kind of films you expect out of these fine specimens, and they all have that warmth homemade feel to them you rarely get to see. I’m of course talking about their very early work. Space Cop is another thing altogether, something we all know about. And it’s definitely… something.

Despite their low subscriber count compared to other mainstream channels, their videos reach a million views as consistently as other big brands on the platform. This is mostly due to the loyal audience they’ve formed. Their skits have a lot to play in this following, as they give a sense of continuity and lore no matter odd and irreverent it may be. Sometimes it feels like I’m watching a TV show more than a channel on YouTube. The damn hacks inadvertently created characters with depth and lore with more consistency than Game of Thrones. What a world.

Their full impact remains to be seen. Hundreds of thousands of people watch their videos, and there has been strong speculation that some Hollywood actors and directors watch their content as well. Some have outright admitted it (looking at you Rian Johnson). They’ve introduced a whole new generation to another side of filmmaking people rarely see, or of a forgotten era. Even more important is the pioneer spirit behind their ventures. They created Best of the Worst because no one was really interested in reviewing obscure media the way they were. Who knows what these revelations and interests are going to do for the new generation of filmmakers. I can’t help but think of that famous Velvet Underground quote you’ve probably heard a thousand times already. And while I’m sure many may ask how big of an influence can a couple of hack fraud movies reviewers from Wisconsin have, I encourage you to better understand the way culture and society works. Everything is cause and effect. Action and reaction. Their work and effort will leave a mark; all that will be left to determine is what and how will it manifest itself. I didn’t intend for this to come off as a corny and somewhat shallow message of hope for the future, but frankly in a world full of so much decay and bullshit the least I could look forward to is the people that make a hellacious effort in surviving this world on their own terms. There’s something noble about that regardless of subject matter.