Mutant Reviewers From Hell

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Mutant Reviewers From Hell
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URL	http://www.mutantreviewers.com
Commercial?	No
Type of site	Online movie reviews, articles, and discussion forums
Owner	Justin
Created by	Justin and Kym

Mutant Reviewers From Hell (commonly abbreviated "MRFH") is a website devoted to reviewing offbeat or "cult" films. Founded in 1997 by college students Justin and Kym, the site's stated goal is to provide an alternative to stuffy, pretentious movie critics by offering humorous reviews from a more relatable perspective. Originally devoted solely to cult flicks, today MRFH covers a variety of films from all genres, both obscure and mainstream, with 1900+ unique reviews of more than 1100 movies. Updated approximately 6 times a week, MRFH's name (shortened from the original "Revenge of the Mutant Movie Reviewers From Hell VIII") is an homage to classic B-movies of the past. In addition to reviews and articles, the site includes forums divided by subject matter (films, TV, video games, books & music, etc.), including "My Suggestions," where readers can recommend movies for review.

1 Staff
2 Features
3 Theme Weeks
4 Recognition
5 External links
6 References

[edit] Staff

MRFH is comprised of a staff of 9 reviewers, with numerous others having left or "gone into retirement." (In 2007, to celebrate the site's 10th anniversary, a series of articles featured past and current Mutants sharing their favorite memories of writing for MRFH.) In the early days, anyone who asked was allowed to become a staff member. Today's standards are more stringent, with applicants required to submit sample reviews and be voted on by the site's leaders. Current staff members include:

Justin, co-founder of MRFH, responsible for the upkeep of the site
Kyle, California wild child and horror film buff
Lissa, science nerd and avowed Harry Potter fangirl
Sue, known for a love of horses and handling jokes about her age with good grace
Drew, highly sarcastic (but not surly) comic book geek
Shalen, spider enthusiast and rampant footnoter
Al, fan of martial arts films and karaoke
Mike, goateed artist and Joss Whedon expert
Kaleb, longtime forum poster and anime devotee

In 2007, Eunice joined the staff as a "cub reporter," maintaining MRFH's news blog to provide info about upcoming films, TV shows, and other forms of media. In addition, longtime contributor PoolMan enjoys semi-retired mutant emeritus status, with freedom to submit reviews as he sees fit. Former Mutants include Kym, Toni, Andie, DnaError, Bobby, Alex, Clare, Rich, and Nancy.

[edit] Features

Aside from reviews, MRFH offers a wide range of articles pertaining to cult subjects. Some of the most popular recurring features include:

Cult TV, devoted to DVD reviews and discussions of cult-related shows
Mutant Viewings, where staff members type up their thoughts on movies while watching them, in the manner of DVD commentaries
Year in Review, in which Mutants look back at the past year of movies and discuss what they're looking forward to in the coming months
Mutant Summits, chronicling those rare occasions when staff members meet in real life; the largest to date was Justin's wedding in 2005
MRFHline, where reviewers answer questions provided either by readers or each other
The Annual Mutant Awards, in which staff members choose irreverent categories and nominees, then allow readers to vote on the winners

[edit] Theme Weeks

Occasionally the site will host theme weeks where all reviews and articles pertain to a given subject. Past theme weeks have included Whedon Week, Rocky Week, Superhero Week, Gender Clash (in which male and female reviewers partnered up and assigned each other traditional "guy" or "girl" movies), James Bond Week, Police Academy Week, 80s Week, Trek Wars Week, and House Party Week. In addition, every October 31st brings HalloHorrorWeen, a day of multiple reviews and articles devoted solely to horror/sci-fi/monster movies.

[edit] Recognition

MRFH has received writeups in Premiere^[1], USA Today^[2]^[3], and FHM Australia, as well as Fark.com. It was SciFi.com's Site of the Week in December of 2005^[4], and a Cool Site of the Day in January of 2005^[5]. It is also listed in the "Critics" section of Rotten Tomatoes^[6].