Magazine Review Research: Total Film Magazine

Before writing a magazine review as part of the Ancillary Task for our production, I thought it would be extremely helpful to do some research on the area. Total film is one of the most popular film magazines in the UK, and this is the magazine we will write our review for.

In Total Film Magazine, all of the new releases are reviewed in the “Screen” section. The major films are given the most space, while the less significant films are given less coverage in the magazine. Each film receives a star rating out of 5, although the majority of films receive 3 or 4 star ratings. This is in contrast with magazines such as Sight and Sound, which is scholarly and often gives negative reviews. Magazines such as Total Film and Empire can’t afford to give bad reviews otherwise they would lose money on advertising.

The style of writing often attempts to be humorous, especially when giving a negative review. It is informal and easy to read, appealing to the mass market. The articles are laid out in much the same way as a newspaper, with columns broken up by selected quotes. One unique feature of Total Film is the “predicted interest curve” which informs readers whether the film is interesting all the way through.

The articles also feature a short verdict and a “see this if you liked” section, which serves to both recommend other similar films and to help the reader determine whether that particular film is one which they would like to see.

Most of the big articles have pictures from the film accompanying them, giving the reader a sense of the film’s mise-en-scene. They usually have some sort of humorous caption as well.