If you’re a frequent user of YouTube, there are several names that you might be familiar with. There are the gaming channels like Markiplier, the film critics like Lindsay Ellis, and even best selling authors like Hank Green. It depends on the kind of content that you consume, but if you, like me, enjoy the quirkier side of life then, you may enjoy the work of a channel called Quinton Reviews.
Quinton has been active on YouTube for 7 years, but only began to release a consistent stream of videos around 4 years ago. His earliest public videos are a variety of reviews from Voltron to The Love Bug to Doctor Who, and it is through the last of these that his channel first came to my attention several years ago. However, what appears to be his claim to fame is much more mundane than any of his reviews, or sketches. Currently sitting at just over a million views is his 24 second magnum opus How to Open a Tough Jar which is exactly what it says it is. It is, perhaps, the most YouTube-y video in his history, combining a tutorial video with Quinton’s sarcastic wit. At 24 seconds long it is the perfect length to send to your friends, who are almost guaranteed to click on it, because surely nobody would make a video about this. Creating a clickbait video that actually delivers on its simple premise in an age where clickbait is rampant is almost admirable.
His next big hit would be How Spongebob Predicted Meme Culture which currently sits at around 2.5 million views. Here, Quinton looks at how one of the show’s earliest episodes – Ripped Pants – demonstrates the kind of comedy that would eventually be used by the meme-makers of today. This is an analysis as opposed to a review, but I think that videos like this are when Quinton is at his best. There are lessons to be learned from past shows, and other media, which is presented clearly in this video in an insightful manner. It is this style of analysis that would soon become the primary form of content for Quinton Reviews in the channel’s flagship series Fallen Titans. This series discusses the internet phenomena of yesteryear, and how they have fallen into relative obscurity. If you are new to the channel then this may be the best place to start, as it demonstrates his style of content as well as his growth in creating said content. Over the course of the current 16 episodes, we witness Quinton gain a higher quality of camera and set, as well as using more footage relating to the content he is discussing. The length of his videos also increase from around 15/20 minutes to nearly an hour. All of this is true of the channel as a whole, but it is really amplified when watching this series. In essence it gains a more professional feeling, but it never loses that quintessential Quinton charm. For more on the review side of things, it is worth taking a look at his series Knockoff November which delves into the odd world of bootleg media. There is plenty of it out there, from Sinister Squad to Little Bee, which are ripping off Suicide Squad and Bee Movie respectively. It is a stark reminder of how saturated the movie market is, as well as the sheer audacity of some of the people within the industry. Quinton approaches these subjects with the cynicism and mockery that they deserve, without being malicious or attacking the production teams involved. As somebody who has seen their fair share of malicious reviews, I find these videos almost refreshing. You may think from the review thus far, that reviews and analysis are the two main themes of Quinton Reviews. There are in fact two more themes that feature just as prominently.
It’s time to talk about Bee Movie and Garfield.
You may not know much about, or even remember the 2007 animated film Bee Movie, but it is something that Quinton has covered more than anybody else. I’m glad he has, because I remember Bee Movie, and it is fascinatingly bizarre. The advertising was bizarre, and the merchandise was bizarre, and Jerry Seinfeld’s dedication to making this movie was bizarre. It is a movie that seems to be begging for an analytical dissection, but only Quinton seemed to be up to the task, which led to his 3 and a half hour long video Quinton Reviews Bee Movie Characters for 3 Hours (formerly “All Star” but every the/Star is Quinton Review but every film is a Bee from Bee Movie). If you are willing to dedicate that much time to watching a YouTube video, then I highly recommend you do. However if that seems too long, then I highly recommend that you watch his other major project My Garfield Vacation: A Historical Voyage instead. There are EIGHT other Garfield-centric videos to choose from, but it is this documentary that best demonstrates his love for the big orange cat, and for his creator Jim Davis. This isn’t just clickbait, because Quinton comes across some previously unseen content and as a minor Garfield fan myself, it genuinely warms the heart. I’ve often said that long form content is some of the best on Youtube and this love letter to the cat is a marvelous example of that.
As I publish this, the Quinton Reviews channel has just hit 400,000 subscribers, and maybe by the time this year is over it will have hit 420,000. There has been a surge in the amount of videos and views lately to the extent that I cut an entire section discussing both those things. It’s been a heck of a wild ride, and I can’t wait to see where it takes me next. Hopefully you will decide to accompany me.
Until Next Time…
Shakesqueer 