utku_kamil_ozen
This review is more about Mike and Jay's attitude than the show itself. But understanding them will help you understand the show's tone.This show is a web series part of Red Letter Media's Youtube channel along with their other shows Half in the Bag and Plinkett Reviews. In almost all of their shows, the basic premise is to make fun of and rip apart films that are made cynically and poorly for a quick cash-grab, including big budget Hollywood films(in Half in the Bag). They understand the industry and they have some knowledge about the technical side of film making as well. So it's really interesting when they break down films like Jack and Jill (2011) and explain the commercial details behind it. And even though I like and follow their shows, I cannot help but notice the unintentional irony and hypocrisy in their total attitude towards the cinema industry and pop culture. For example, when they expose Adam Sandler for Jack and Jill's bad jokes for being racist and also being at the expense of elderly and crippled, I scream at the screen ''You are doing the same thing all the time!''. And they too keep throwing bad jokes, especially Mike! And after some point, there is no distinction between what they really make fun of and what they ironically make fun of. That pretty much sums up Best of the Worst. They say things like ''Isn't she dead yet?'' or ''Oh he is sooo dead by now'' for an actor and the joke here is look how terrible things we say. And I am not defending political correctness or something, don't get me wrong. I'm a big fan of Bill Maher, Larry David and Louis CK. But the insensitive jokes in this show are totally gratuitous most of the time. And that strikes me as hypocrisy. Furthermore, they keep making fun of Star Wars fans but they are Star Wars fans too! In their defense, you can say that they are the fans of the original films and they criticize the mindless fans that accept anything that is labeled with Star Wars. The problem here is, even if you are a fan of the original trilogy it is still being part of that popular culture you make fun of. Star Wars films never had any depth to them, despite the illusion they try to create with the force bs. But it was inventive and spectacle and fun. That's why people loved it when it first came out. Mike thinks he's so different from Star Wars fans but he's exactly like them in that he knows even every minor characters by their name. After all my ramblings, I must stress again that I like their shows. It's really a complicated thing. They are cynical a-holes that make fun of other cynical a-holes for the audiences like me who are also cynical a-holes.
ZephSilver
With a few beers in their system, a myriad of obscure video tapes to pick from, and a camera in place to capture every reactive moment, The Best of the Worst series has been considered by many RedLetterMedia viewers to be Mike Stoklasa and friends best outing yet. The setup sees the crew scour through their shelves filled with videotapes to select three from the pile. After their selection, they crack open a few beers, sit back and take it all in, where they later go on to hold a roundtable panel discussion on what they've seen with their signature dry/deadpan humor flavored throughout. They then proceed to evaluate and vote on which they feel is "The Best of the Worst," with the least favorite usually being subjugated to some kind of creative destruction carried out by the crew. With RLM regulars like Jay Bauman and Rich Evans around, they also use this segment to bring in several guest stars, from fellow B-movie enthusiasts to creators working in some capacity within the industry; every participant, whether they're a constant recurring guest or a new face to the mix, brings something unique to the table. The web-series has also gone on to spawn several mini-segments under the "Best of the Worst" moniker; like Wheel of the Worst, Plinketto, Holiday Specials and Battle of the Genres. All of which adds a certain pizazz to the audiovisual torture they place themselves through. Seeing their reactions is the highlight of each episode, as they spawn out meme-worthy reactions and phrases, with active members like Rich Evans being set up as the butt of every joke.If you're a fan of RedLetterMedia's warped sense of humor, then chances are you've already seen this segment, however, if your only exposure to the RLM brand starts and ends with the Plinkett Reviews, consider this an endorsement to check this video series out.