Monday, December 31, 2007

Review the World!

Hey, do you guys know Review the World? If not, you should look at Review the World! But look fast, because Review the World is closing its doors in the next few weeks.

I've been a fan of the site since I found it among the comments of X-Entertainment.com's blog a few years back. Since then, I've been an avid reader of both the site's reviews and the owner (Brian)'s blog. Unlike much of the Internet, Brian's writing is not fraught with sarcasm or ill-will. He is genuinely enthusiastic (or genuinely underwhelmed) with the things he reviews. As such, his site is fresh and fun at all times. It's not just reviews, either. Brian posted, on occasion, really great short stories and poetry.

Here is the final article from Review the World: Unreleased Reviews Circa 2003.

And here are my five favorite things on Review the World. Click fast, because the site is going down soon!

5. 25 Years of Me: A photo retrospective of the first 25 years of the webmaster's life. This is probably the best example of Review the World as the perfect hybrid of review content and blog-esque personal reflection. We could all probably stand to do something like this for ourselves.

4. Bra Removal Guidebook: This sounds like something I really need, but it's actually a piece of the webmaster's fiction. It's a short look at first love, loss, inspiration, and moving on. I like it very much.

3. Review the World TV: Halloween. This is probably the best of the edited videos on the site. It features my favorite intro, a review of Ol' Dirty Bastard's personal snack treats (FROM BEYOND THE GRAAAAAAAVE!) and a Creepy Crawlers bit with hilarious aftermath. At a hefty 65 minutes, you won't find yourself hurting for Halloween-related entertainment

2. Jones Soda 2005 Holiday Pack Tasting Party: Another video. Brian wrangles up a bunch of friends to try the most disgusting of sodas. Not only was the Jones Soda 2005 Holiday Pack full of horrific flavors like Smoked Salmon and Broccoli Casserole, but it was expired. The reactions are hilarious, and it seems like this review got a lot of hits on the Internet (and rightfully so).

1. Review the [Walt Disney] World: This is probably cheating, because this actually spans any number of articles, but shut up your face! It all started with massive reviews of both MGM Studios and Animal Kingdom (two of the subparks). A second trip turned up a photo travelogue, and a whole bunch of restaurant reviews (Restaurantosaurus, ABC Commissary, Portobello Yacht Club, Lotus Blossom Cafe). Unlike the previous four entries in this list, I'm not sure if I can point out any specifics or favorite things about these articles--they're far too sprawling. However, I love Walt Disney World and I love Review the World, so this is the perfect match.

My advice? Go to the archives and read as much as you can. Page through and look for stuff that seems interesting to you. Review the World will live on through a YouTube channel called RTWTV, which I recommend you bookmark.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

RIP RTW

Adam said...

Mike,

This is Adam, video editor for RTW. I just wanted to say thanks for the kind words about the Halloween video. It was a beast to edit, especially with the crappy computer I had at the time.

The bits from it will eventually be split up and posted on the new YouTube channel. I've also got the first two webisodes completely finished so look for those beginning in January.

Stay well!
- Adam
www.youtube.com/rtwtv

PS: Those sodas were rightfully atrocious.